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Published on International Journal of Engineering & Industry
Publication Date: January, 2020
Chris U. Aghalibe, Jude C. Igwe, Anthony I. Obike & Kelechi E. Onwuka
Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, Abia State University
In this study, the effects of cow dung, poultry manure and NPK amendment/nutrient as supplements to biostimulate autochthonous microflora for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) biodegradation were investigated in microcosms containing soil spiked with crude oil (10 % w/w).The rates of biodegradation of PAH were studied for 8 weeks remediation period under laboratory conditions. The results showed that there was a positive relationship between the biodegradation rate and presence of the soil amendment agents in microcosms simulated crude oil contaminated soil. The biodegradation data fitted well to second-order kinetic model. From the biodegradation rate constant obtained from the application of second order kinetics, it can be concluded that the order of PAH removal is NPK > PM > CD. This is because rate constant values (ki) are 0.0315 (NPK) > 0.0196 (PM) > 0.015 (CD). The system proposed here takes advantage of the bulking properties of the amendment agents as well as the autochthonous microorganism metabolic activity to efficiently degrade petroleum hydrocarbons. This system is inexpensive, efficient, and environmentally friendly and may thus offer a viable choice for petroleum hydrocarbons-contaminated soil remediation.
Keywords: Biodegradation; Biostimulation; Crude oil; PAH; Biodegradation kinetics.
Crude oil is the parent material for petroleum-based products used as major sources of energy for industry and daily life. Leakages and accidental spills occur regularly during the exploration, production, refining, transport, and storage of petroleum and petroleum products. The contamination of soil by crude oil and petroleum products has become a serious problem that represents a global concern for its potential consequences on ecosystem and human health . These spills cause soil pollution which is a major issue in Nigeria, especially in the Niger Delta states leading to huge environmental degradation .
The technology commonly used for soil remediation includes evaporation, dispersion, and washing. However, these technologies are expensive and can lead to incomplete decomposition of contaminants . For this reason an increasing attention has been directed toward the research of new strategies and environmental-friendly technologies to be applied for the remediation of soil contaminated by petroleum hydrocarbons. Among these, bioremediation technology which involves the use of microorganisms to detoxify or remove pollutants through the mechanisms of biodegradation has been found to be an environmentally-friendly, non -invasive and relatively cost-effective option . Crude oil bioremediation in soil can be promoted by stimulation of the indigenous microbial population, by introducing nutrients and oxygen into the soil (biostimulation) .
Following oil pollution, nutrients are rapidly assimilated by soil microorganisms thus depleting the nutrient reserves . Therefore, apart from the environmental problems caused by oil pollution, the agronomic and economic aspects are significant . The objective of using soil amendments is to augment the native fertility status of such soil and to enhance the rate of oil degradation, thus minimizing the contamination of scarce groundwater sources and to improve crop production . The addition of inorganic or organic nitrogen-rich nutrients (biostimulation) is an effective approach to enhance the bioremediation process. Positive effects of nitrogen amendment using nitrogenous fertilizer on microbial activity and/or petroleum hydrocarbon degradation have been widely demonstrated [9, 10, 11].
The search for cheaper and environmentally friendly options of enhancing petroleum hydrocarbon degradation through biostimulation has been the focus of research in recent times [11, 12, 13, 14]. One of such option is the use of organic wastes derived from plant and animals. Few workers have investigated the potential use of plant organic wastes such as rice husk and coconut shell , plantain peels and cocoa pod husk , moringa oleifera and soya beans  and animal organic wastes like cow dung, pig dung, and goat dung [10, 16] as biostimulating agents in the clean-up of soil contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons and were found to show positive influence on petroleum hydrocarbon biodegradation in a polluted environment
Cow dung, poultry droppings and NPK fertilizer are readily available manures for soil. Therefore the main aim of this study is to use these manures to degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon in a crude oil impacted soil, compare the degradation efficiency of the amendment agents and suggest appropriate kinetic models to show the order of degradation.
2. Materials and methods
2.1 Sample collection
The soil sample used for the study was collected from the top surface soil (0 – 15cm) behind science block, Abia State University, Uturu. Abia State, Nigeria. The soil sample was air dried for two weeks, homogenized, passed through a 2-mm (pore size) sieve, stored in a polyethylene bag and kept in the laboratory prior to use. The cow dung was obtained from the cow market in Lokpa, Abia state, Nigeria, the poultry droppings from a local poultry farm in Okigwe, Imo State Nigeria and NPK (15:15:15) fertilizer obtained from Eke market in Okigwe, Imo State, Nigeria. All the different amendment agents were air dried for two weeks, ground and sieved to obtain uniform sized particles. The crude oil used for the study is Bonny light crude obtained from the core analysis laboratory of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Moscow Rd., Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Each amendment agent was stored in a polyethylene bag and kept in the laboratory prior to use.
2.2 Characterization of soil sample and amendment agents
The soil sample and amendment agents were characterized for Total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (N), Total phosphorus (P), Moisture Content (MC) and pH according to standard methods. The pH was determined by glass electrode pH meter in (1:2.5) soil: water ratio; Total organic carbon was determined by the modified wet combustion method  and Total nitrogen was determined by the semi-micro-Kjeldhal method . Available phosphorus was determined by Brays No.1 method .
2.3 Solid-Phase Experimental Design and Soil Treatment
150g each, of the soil sample was measured out, placed in plastic containers, labelled A- P, respectively. Sample A was used as the control while samples B-P was divided into five (5) groups to represent the different time intervals of 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks respectively. The soil in each plastic container was spiked with 10% (w/w) bonny light crude oil and thoroughly mixed together to achieve complete artificial contamination. 10% spiking was adopted in order to achieve severe contamination because above 3% concentration, oil has been reported to be increasingly deleterious to soil biota and crop growth . One week after contamination, the different remediation treatments was applied. 30g each, of the amendment agents which is equivalent to 2000kg/hectare, was measured out and added, one to each container in a group. The same was repeated for all five (5) groups representing each time interval. Each container was made up to 50% volume by distilled water for proper percolation. The contents of each container was tilled daily to ensure homogenization and adequate aeration. The contaminated soil in plastic container A, was without amendment agents and thus served as control.
2.4 Sample analysis
10g of the soil sample was weighed into extraction bottle and 20mL of extraction mixture (DCM: Hexane: acetone) in ratio 2:2:1 was added. The mixture was sonicated for 1hr and the organic aqueous layer was decanted. Extracted organic phase was dried using anhydrous sodium sulphate and concentrated using vacuum rotary evaporator gas to about 1.0mL. Extract was fractionated by using column packing. The column was packed by placing 1g of glass wool into the column and gently packed. 1ml of silica gel was placed on it and 1ml of sodium sulphate was added on top of the silica gel. The column was pre-conditioned by running 10ml of n-hexane through the column. 1ml of the concentrated extract was placed on the column and eluted with 10ml n-hexane, 10ml of DCM was allowed to drain through the column and 1.0 ml of the aromatic extract was injected into already PAH calibrated standard GC and result was expressed in mg/kg.
3. Results and Discussion
The results of the soil and amendment agents characterization is as shown in table 1
Table 1: Characterization of soil and amendment agents
The PAH removal efficiency of the amendment agents (cow dung, poultry manure and NPK) is as shown in figure 1.
Figure 1: Removal efficiency of PAH
Figure 1 presents the profile for the removal of PAH such that values of 86.9 % (CD), 90 % (PM) and 93 % (NPK) removal efficiency were recorded after eight weeks. The performance of the materials (CD, NPK and PM) are very good, but the performance of NPK was best.
The analysis of variance (ANOVA) for the biodegradation of PAH with rence to time and materials is presented in table 2.
Table 2: ANOVA results for biodegradation of PAH
Table 2 presents analysis of variance (ANOVA) results for the biodegradation of PAH. Table 1 presents values of significance for material and time as 0.000 and 0.009 respectively. These values are less than 0.05 suggesting that the use of different materials (CD, PM and NPK) and the time had significant effects on the biodegradation of PAH. In addition, values of mean square (MS) are 6.367 and 918.332 respectively for material and time. Higher MS values for time indicates that time had more effects than materials.
Biodegradation kinetic data for the biodegradation of PAH was fitted to zeroth, first and second order kinetic equations. These kinetic equations are:
Zeroth order: (1)
First order: (2)
Second order: (3)
where [A]0 and [A]t are the amounts of PAH present at the beginning of the experiment and at various time intervals, ki is the ith order rate constant and t stands for the various time intervals. Kinetics of biodegradation of PAH gave the following results:
Zeroth order: (4)
First order: (5)
Second order: (6)
Of the R2 values obtained, those of the second order kinetics was highest for biodegradation by CD, NPK and PM. This suggests that the biodegradation of PAH followed a second order kinetics. On this basis, the following reaction equation is suggested:
Chemical reaction is usually associated with second order kinetics [21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26] therefore, we propose that the biodegradation of PAH involved a chemical reaction mechanism. Figure 2 presents the profiles of PAH biodegradation from experimental and kinetic equations.
Figure 2: Profiles of PAH biodegradation by a) Cow Dung; b) NPK; c) PM
We therefore propose rate equations for the biodegradation of PAH by CD, NPK and PM thus:
The present studies confirm that the use of cow dung, poultry manure and NPK improved the rate of PAH biodegradation in contaminated soil. The biodegradation rate constant obtained from the application of second order kinetics described the rate of PAH biodegradation with the biostimulants, it can be concluded that the order of PAH removal is NPK > PM > CD. This is because rate constant values (ki) are 0.0315 (NPK) > 0.0196 (PM) > 0.015 (CD).
The bioremediation technique proposed here for soils contaminated with crude oil and other petroleum hydrocarbons could be suitable in field, because of its low costs and its low environmental risk associated with volatile hydrocarbon losses. However, the success and efficiency of these biostimulation techniques may vary considerably from one site to another; hence, there is no universal soil treatment regimen for the bioremediation of all petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soils. The effectiveness of any soil treatment applied for such purpose has to be evaluated on a case-specific basis.
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Duelist Pack: Yugi is a Duelist Pack in the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game (TCG). It is the ninth set in the TCG's Duelist Pack series, following Duelist Pack: Yusei.
It was reprinted in Duelist Pack: Yugi & Kaiba Special Edition. It will also be reprinted in Yugi's Collector Box, and Kaiba's Collector Box.
The set features cards used by Yugi Muto. It contains new artwork for many cards, including "Dark Magician Girl", "Summoned Skull", "Dark Paladin" and "Polymerization".
Each pack of Duelist Pack: Yugi contains 5 cards and each box contains 30 packs. There are 30 cards in total. The number of card of each rarity are as follows:

domain: entertainment


Let’s get the headline news out of the way first: Donald Trump won the Iowa caucuses last night. He took 51% of the vote, far outpacing Ron DeSantis at 21.2% and Nikki Haley at 19.1%. Vivek Ramaswamy, who landed in fourth place with 7.7%, ended his campaign and endorsed Trump. After fears that he would slip behind Haley, DeSantis narrowly escaped with second place, ensuring that the race will continue to New Hampshire as a three-way contest.
Trump is the first non-incumbent Republican to win more than 50% of the Iowa caucus vote; his margin of victory was the largest of any competitive Iowa GOP caucuses in history. He won 98 out of Iowa’s 99 counties. (Haley won Johnson County, home to the University of Iowa, by a single vote.) In his first time on a ballot since the January 6th attack or his 91 criminal charges, Trump secured a sweeping victory. As the New York Times put it this morning, there is no force as durable in American politics right now as Trump’s connection to his voters.
So, will it finally sink in that he and Joe Biden are the (very) likely presidential nominees this year?
The silent majority
If you’re reading this, perhaps you’ve already long been aware of that fact. After all, it’s been apparent for months now; no caucuses in Iowa were needed to deduce Trump’s intraparty dominance. But many Americans are still coming to terms with the fact that the 2024 election is poised to be a rematch between two of the least popular presidents in modern history.
According to the Biden campaign’s internal research, as reported by CNN, nearly three-fourths of undecided voters do not currently expect Trump to win the GOP nomination. A recent YouGov poll found that 42% of Americans are either not sure if Trump is the most likely Republican standard-bearer or think that someone else is.
No similar polling has been taken on who is expected to be the Democratic nominee — it probably wouldn’t occur to most pollsters to ask — but clearly, outside of Washington circles, a popular perception exists that Biden won’t end up on the ’24 ballot either. Anecdotally, people ask me all the time in disbelief if these two men will really be their choices in November. “Trump might be in prison in a few months,” the questions usually go. “Surely he can’t really become the GOP candidate. And Biden is 81 years old! Is he really going to run for re-election?”
But there is no evidence that Trump’s possible convictions will deter Republican voters from putting him on the ballot. And Biden has been running for re-election for months now. Democratic filing deadlines have passed in many states; it is too late for new candidates to emerge against him, and despite the persistent right-wing meme that Democrats will slot in Michelle Obama as their nominee at the last minute, the party organization to do something like that doesn’t really exist.
I started the year by noting that you should go into 2024 expecting that things will change over the course of the year. When looking at polls and projections, I wrote, it’s important to remember that things in November will look a lot differently than they do in January.
Many of those changes are unknown, but one is predictable: if Trump and Biden continue on track to win their nominations, Americans — many of whom are currently in denial, or simply not paying attention — will eventually wake up to realizing it. Until then, even if the matchup is already clear to most close observers of politics, it’s hard to put much stock in polls when so many respondents clearly believe that Trump vs. Biden is a far-fetched scenario and not a probable reality.
I don’t say any of this to look down on anyone who doesn’t closely follow the ins and outs of Americans politics. In fact, I respect those who manage to keep the news at a healthy distance. Quantifiably, paying close attention to political news is not great for one’s mental health. (Perhaps I shouldn’t have told my own subscribers that.)
But I do think it’s important for political junkies to remember that those voters are the majority, not us. A recent AP/NORC poll found that only 20% of Americans have paid “a lot” of attention to the 2024 election. 46% have either paid “only a little” attention or none. All early data on the race should be considered through that prism.
Out of hiding
When more voters do come to terms with the fact that another Trump-Biden election is upon us, who stands to benefit?
In the CNN piece on the Biden team’s data showing most undecided voters don’t think Trump will be the nominee, those numbers were presented as a negative for the president’s re-election bid, a “stubborn reality” he had to fix.
But I’m not so convinced that it’s bad news for the Biden campaign. In all likelihood, it’s a problem that will fix itself as time goes on. And it suggests to me that Biden is the candidate with more room to grow his support, if poll respondents are thinking about everything they don’t like about him (the economy, his age, etc.) when they answer the phone but not necessarily the things they don’t like about Trump, because they don’t expect Trump to be re-nominated.
When I think of this category of voters, my mind wanders back to the New York Times piece from November on poll respondents who said they would support Kamala Harris against Donald Trump, but plan to back Trump over Biden:
In the poll and at the beginning of the interview, Ms. Miro said she would vote for Mr. Trump this election. She’s a Republican who said “I don’t have any feeling at all” about the job Mr. Biden has done as president. But by the end, she had switched her support to Mr. Biden, after recalling her negative views about Mr. Trump, who she said was racist and didn’t do enough to prevent police violence against Black people.
Most of all, [another voter] said, she strongly supports abortion rights — and did not realize that Mr. Biden does, too. She said that because states’ abortion bans had gone into effect during his presidency, she assumed it was because of him. Ultimately, despite her misgivings about the economy, support for abortion rights would probably be what decided her vote, she said.
Of course, most voters won’t have their memories of the Trump era jogged by New York Times pollsters. But, as the reality of Trump’s return to the political stage sinks in (and Biden’s campaign advertising kicks into gear), don’t be surprised if opinions subtly begin to shift. (Of course, this effect works both ways, as Trump’s campaign will strive to remind voters of what they miss about his presidency — again, the economy will come to mind for many.)
This memory-jogging has been delayed by design by Trump, whose relative quiet in recent months — rare for the voluble ex-TV star — has helped allow many Americans to forget that he is once again running for president and, especially after yesterday, likely to face Biden in November. There is a reason Trump has barely campaigned this cycle, skipping debates to instead sit (mostly) wordlessly at his various trials and vent into his Truth Social silo where few voters are guaranteed to hear him. (Trump has been un-banned from Twitter for months now but, uncharacteristically, has stayed away from the app that both fueled and harmed his political rise — but certainly never failed to bring him eyeballs.)
McKay Coppins, an ace political reporter for The Atlantic, wisely wrote this week that Trump has become an “abstraction” in American life: no one has forgotten him, per se, but neither are most people paying close attention.
“Consider Trump’s rise to power in 2016,” Coppins writes, “how all-consuming his campaign was that year, how one @realDonaldTrump tweet could dominate news coverage for days, how watching his televised stump speeches in a suspended state of fascination or horror or delight became a kind of perverse national pastime.”
Now consider the fact that it’s been 14 months since Trump announced his entry into the 2024 presidential race. Can you quote a single thing he’s said on the campaign trail? How much of his policy agenda could you describe? Be honest: When was the last time you watched him speaking live, not just in a short, edited clip?
After attending a rally himself, Coppins walked away feeling like Trump’s routine had gone stale. Trump’s “signature political talent” was once occupying America’s attention; now, even his own supporters “seemed to lose interest” at severals points in the event.
There’s a good chance this is to Trump’s advantage: it means most voters might have missed the fact that he has spent the last 14 months dining with a neo-Nazi, musing about suspending the Constitution, referring to convicted January 6th rioters as “hostages,” accusing immigrants of “poisoning the blood of our country, and telling his opponents to “ROT IN HELL” over Christmas.
Four minutes a week
Over the next year, Trump’s rhetoric will likely remain the same — but voters’ attention levels will eventually creep higher. In the words of noted political analyst, um, Ron DeSantis: “You’re gonna have criminal trials, you’re gonna have a lot of focus on things like January 6th by the media, and I think that ends up focusing the election on things that are going to be advantageous for Democrats.”
Until then, as Democratic strategist Jim Messina is fond of saying, most swing voters will spend about four minutes a week thinking about politics.
Maybe an extremist Trump remark will make it into those four minutes; maybe it will be news on the economy. Maybe more people tuning into the news cycle will end up helping Trump; maybe it will be a boon for Biden. Either way, we are still about eight months away from Labor Day, the traditional point when Americans snap into focusing on the presidential contest.
For now, it’s mostly the diehard junkies paying attention: the 3.5% of Iowans who cast ballots last night, and us poor souls who watched them do it. Until more swing voters tune in — and accept that they will be faced with a choice in November they mostly do not want — anything they say now about their presidential vote should be viewed as highly malleable.
More news to know.
The day ahead.
President Biden will receive his daily intelligence briefing. He has nothing else on his public schedule.
Vice President Harris has nothing on her public schedule.
First Lady Jill Biden will travel to Utah, where she will participate in an event with Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and Utah First Lady Abby Cox to “highlight the importance o educator wellness.” She will also deliver remarks at two Biden campaign fundraisers.
The Senate is scheduled to convene at 3 p.m. ET, even as most of official Washington shuts down due to snow. The chamber can’t afford a Snow Day, as senators are set to hold a procedural vote on a continuing resolution extending government funding through early March. With a shutdown deadline bearing down on Friday, not a day can be wasted.
The upper chamber is also expected to vote on a resolution by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) that would require the State Department to issue a report on Israel’s human rights practices. Under Section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, any senator can force a vote on requiring such a report on any country that receives U.S. security assistance. The last time Congress mandated a report under the provision was 1976.
The House will vote on bills including the Moving Americans Privacy Protection Act, the Recruiting Families Using Data Act, the Social Security Child Protection Act, and the Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying Act.
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Macquarie Infrastructure Corp. v. Moab Partners, L.P and Devillier v. Texas.
Thanks for reading.
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Environment Committee approves compromise plan designed to prevent collapse in carbon price, but green groups argue it does not go far enough
The Environment Committee of MEPs has today voted through a compromise plan to reform the bloc's emissions trading scheme (ETS) designed to prevent further falls in the price of carbon. But while political...
Boris Johnson has said he supports the UK's net zero goal, but his past statements on climate action are characteristically inconsistent - will the Prime Minister finally offer unequivocal support for the green economy?
Your need-to-know guide to the pre-recess energy policy blitz from BEIS
Government's late flurry of report publications continues, as Defra releases a tranche of consultation responses firming up its plans for imminent Environment Bill
Former Foreign Secretary will be under pressure to deliver a raft of net zero and green Brexit policies in the coming weeks


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State’s new Office of Rural Development to address U.P. economic recovery
U.P. stakeholders calling it an opportunity to deliver community issues right to the table as relief policies are being made.
LANSING, Mich. (WLUC) - Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced a new state department Tuesday that U.P. stakeholders said could be a boon to the region’s economic development.
“To help families and businesses in Michigan’s rural communities, I’m creating the Office of Rural Development,” Governor Whitmer said.
Lake Superior Community Partnership CEO Amy Clickner said the new office opens up the opportunity for U.P. communities to address their unique challenges to the state head on.
“We don’t want it in name only. We want a position that is at the table when decisions are being made, so that we can bring a rural perspective and make solid the actions that are taken out of Lansing,” she said.
Clickner and InvestUP CEO Marty Fittante explained that they’re hopeful this new office and the Governor’s relief programs will work hand-in-hand to lift up the U.P. economy - especially small businesses.
“There’s no question that small business in the Upper Peninsula has been so profoundly impacted by this (pandemic). And too often, state programming is driven by our more major metropolitan areas. So from our perspective, this gives us an opportunity to say ‘how can we have some programming, some incentives that really better work for small rural communities,” Fittante said.
The Office of Rural Development will be led by U.P. native and Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) Director Gary McDowell, bridging the coordinated effort.
Fittante said the discussion stage has already begun.
“Now the hard work begins, right? It’s putting what the framework looks like. We’re hopeful to be at the table for that. Grateful for the outreach yesterday. It was a great team effort. It shows the power of collaboration and partnership. We had 80 stakeholders across the state. So everyone from institutional leaders to community leaders to the private sector, all across the state came together to make this a reality. It’s a great, great testament to partnership,” said the InvestUP CEO.
Clickner also echoed the coalition’s collective efforts, which she said went on over a year in advocating the state’s focus to rural communities.
And she added that the efforts didn’t stop there.
“The ‘Love on Local’ gift card program (in Marquette County) that we do, well in six months last year sold a quarter of a million dollars in gift cards to support our small local businesses. That’s what our community is about. And that’s why something like an office of rural development will be successful,” the LSCP CEO said.
It’s a testament to the U.P. community as a whole.
Copyright 2021 WLUC. All rights reserved.

domain: politics


text:
Rick Moranis is bringing a 20-year acting hiatus to an end with the 'Honey, I Shrunk The Kids' reboot. But these actors have managed to stay away, for now at least.
The Oscar winner wants Day-Lewis to star in his adaptation of "Coral Glynn."
Go behind the scenes as Paul Thomas Anderson directs his Oscar-nominated actors in a breakfast free-for-all.
The first trailer for 'Phantom Thread', Paul Thomas Anderson's second collaboration with Daniel Day-Lewis, has arrived.

domain: celebrity


text:
Who Inspires You to Be Great?
When I was younger, I remember watching TV shows like, "Alf, Married with Children, and Who's The Boss," as well as lots and lots of Disney Movies; most of them featuring beautiful, blue eyed-blonde hair princesses who became the envy of my little sisters and I. We simply wanted to be them.
At that time, the early 80s, I grew up in a mostly white neighborhood and I attended private schools where I was probably one of three other "black" kids at most. In fact, it wasn't until my parents relocated from CA to NY when I was 11 years old; we moved into an all black neighborhood and I was sent to attend a public school, in Hempstead, where I realized I was most certainly black and then bullied for not fitting in with others who looked like me.
The culture shock that I endured was relentless-as is any adolescent setting- no matter the decade or demographic.
But this isn't necessarily about my life growing up and more so about representation and why it is so important. Today, you see more and more areas of opportunity to see oneself through art and other interpretations which inspire and encourage those who need to witness people who resemble them having access to and doing "LIFE". To see that life, that we as a people are more than just a label and that we were not meant to stay in boxes.
A child of the 80's, I lived several lives. I lived the sheltered and protected life that most children need to succeed on many levels but I also lived the exposed and abused life; where I witnessed and endured what most kids my age would most certainly not make it out of, ok. The result? Lots of trauma and disbelief in my own capabilities and becoming a true statistic-a victim of circumstance.
I never saw the black men in my life as successful or protective or as the man of the house. There weren't any black men in my life that fit in these categories. Most of the men I grew up around were abusive, manipulative, in gangs and certainly weren't the type to look up to, marry, or even give a damn about. Truth be told, my own bio-dad was poor and homeless until the day he passed; my step-dad who raised me- a drunk, abusive man who lied so much he made it almost impossible for us to live comfortably around his own family. My grandfather remarried a white woman when my 1/2 white grandmother passed and she hated us; Kept us away from him for years. My uncle; who married 3x's and divorced 3x's because of his abusive nature was never there for me; I literally had no one to show me how I should be loved by a man.
I grew up being told I should marry a white man and that I would suffer if I married black. The older black women that I had around me at the time were so zealous and stuck in their own bed of life that encouragement or positivity of some kind seemed like it would never come from them. It never did. I ended up navigating life and figuring out mostly everything on my own; I learned from the streets.
So where does one who falls into the circumstance of life go for inspiration? To change the way they think and or view things? I decided to go to College. I graduated College with four Associate's Degrees. I initially signed up for just one but it was being at this College that changed my life and my perspective on who I was and what I was capable of. I never imagined going to College as an actual goal I could accomplish in life. Being in class, I learned so much about the world around me and I was able to step out of my comfort zone and I was challenged to be better than great.
I started meeting people who shared similar goals and who wanted to better themselves after enduring their own trials and tribulations. Being in College inspired me to become who I am today. While I was there I witnessed real people doing the act of a servant leader; one who uses their own tools and knowledge to help propel others into their own greatness.
I am because of them. I am because of all those who believed in me and who encouraged me to continue and to not only dream but how to set attainable goals which helped me get to where I am now. It is because of them that I have been given the opportunity to break generational barriers that have struck many before me from achieving their own true purposes in life.
After years of never being able to understand why... after trying so hard to reconnect with others that share my own DNA yet are unable to move on from their own "traumas" and then soul searching, healing, and learning how to overcome my own trauma; I am able to say that I am resetting the trend for my family to follow and while I may not have had anyone to look up to while I was young, my children and their grandchildren and so on... well, they most certainly will. ME.
Who inspires you? I'd love to hear your story!
Click any of the links below for more.
Did you like the Representation Matters Clutch Bag shown on the front cover? Find it here: https://hairplusme.com/products/representation-matters-mini-clutch-bag?_pos=1&_psq=represent&_ss=e&_v=1.0

domain: literature


text:
It is frequently that you hear a song that touches your heart and becomes one of your most favorite ones; yet when you want to hum along you are unable to get the words clearly and wish you'd a place where you might get the words of the song. When you yourself have been through such a situation and prayed for a solution your wish has just come true.
A Website Focused On Bring You He Words
The website http://www.dailyrics.com does that it gathers the lyrics of all the songs it finds and has them placed to the website so you might get the lyrics of the song as and when you like it. This is a great advantage for all music lovers all over the world. It generally does not matter where in the world you live you may have any lyrics you ever wanted at only a click of the mouse. There's a whole lot more there for all those music fans out there:
A.Search songs you need to use the http://www.dailyrics.com to seek out your favorite songs online combined with the lyrics it has. Now, if you've a karaoke party or a full-fledged music group you can play as good as your preferred stars. It is all there for the asking.
B.Search artists likewise way many people search for songs, words and other information, others like to learn more about the artists who sang them. To study more, please consider checking out: http://randalvjkt.bravejournal.com review. So you may find out virtually about everyone who ever sang a well known song the facts of about half of a few hundred thousand artists are found on http://www.dailyrics.com.
C. Photos have you been buying certain record? Check out the http://www.dailyrics.com. To read additional information, please consider looking at: http://hugheshzla.iloveblog.com site. The lyrics big database contains fifty per cent of a million songs all indexed by title for easy search. It'd take a few minutes to you to get everything you ever needed to learn about any album released in the last three decades.
N. Daily changes it's true the http://www.dailyrics.com database is merely huge. Even so, it's updated daily so you'll have access to the song, words and artists information on the song that struck the top list yesterday. This database is incredible. You may as well give up, if you cannot have the information you are seeking here. There will be not many databases as extensive and as large as


Following Macroeconomic Dimensions of Public Finance, this is the second volume of essays in honour of Vito Tanzi. It focuses on the importance of fiscal policy on the wholesale economic reforms that are sweeping the advanced, less developed and formally communist countries. Issues analyzed include:
* the role of fiscal and budgetary policies in the process of reform
* the impact of privatization on the exchequer and the dilemmas for social policy in times of fiscal austerity
* the paradox of post-socialism and post-dirigisme that an efficient and harmonic move to a decontrolled, liberal market economy involves active state intervention
* the methodological aspects relating to the proper assessment of fiscal policy mechanisms.
This collection of essays contributes to the understanding of the channels and transmissions mechanisms of fiscal policies in the context of major economic reforms.


Video of A-10 Warthogs during a training exercise at Fort Huachuca.
The U.S. Air Force is shelving its plans to retire the legendary A-10 Thunderbolt II ground attack plane.
The A-10 has been providing close air support to ground forces for over 30 years. “Today, the A-10 fleet is playing an indispensable role in the fight against ISIL in Iraq and assisting NATO’s efforts to deter Russian aggression in Eastern Europe,” John McCain, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement.
The aircraft entered service in 1976, and is the only USAF production aircraft designed solely for close air support, including attacking tanks, armored vehicles, and other ground targets.


PUNTA GORDA, Fla. -- Punta Gorda Police Chief Tom Lewis appeared before a judge on his first day of trial, Monday, as he faces Culpable Negligence charges in the shooting death of local librarian Mary Knowlton.
Last August, Mary Knowlton was taking part in a citizen's police academy when she was accidentally shot with live rounds instead of blanks during a shoot-don't-shoot scenario.
The officer who shot her, Lee Coel, has since been fired and will stand trial next year a manslaughter charge.
The State argues Chief Lewis was in charge of the event, and did not do enough to protect those at the citizen's academy because there was no one assigned to check a real gun used by Coel. "No one was designated as a safety officer, whose responsibility would be to check all firearms to make sure the ammunition used were actually blanks, said Assistant State Attorney Stephanie Rusell.
The State also questioned why Coel used a real gun while Knowlton used a simulation gun. Coel was wearing safety gear that night, but participants were not. "Chief Lewis said the soap bullets could hurt you," said a witness to the shooting who took part in the academy.
The State also called a firearms trainer to the stand who heard the shots from elsewhere in the building. "There should be checks, yes, there should be double checks, and the officer should make sure not to point the firearm at someone."
Instead of blanks, Coel's revolver was loaded with wadcutter bullets. Although no one checked the gun, the defense said they look very similar.
The defense also argued if Coel never would have broken the cardinal rule of gun safety, the shooting never would have happened. "That policy is don't bring in ammo that's not ours, and don't point your gun at anyone," said Defense Attorney Stephen Romine.
The trial continues Tuesday, at 9 A.M.


Cybertron Intel Core i7 Quad-Core 2600K 3.40GHz, Product Details
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At CybertronPC, we know that a great gaming rig has to be built right. To create a system that will hold up under pressure, CybertronPC starts with a solid foundation of only the highest quality components. We then expertly assemble and thoroughly test your system before it ships to you. All this combines to create a fantastic machine you will be proud to show off to your friends.
Additional Resources: Product Manuals


text:
I love you but hate the other women.
I think I love you.
I hate bottles of Brugal
and the yellow net that hugs around it.
I remember watching you undress it,
You savored every sip.
I hate you.
No, I love you.
Why can’t you hug me tightly
the way Brugal bottles get hugged?
Where’s the conversation?
Why do you cut it short?
Do you even want to try?
I lean in for a hug and I only feel
my own arms hugging me back.
Are you scared of love?
Do you know what it is, Dad?
I hate the way you can finish whisky bottles,
but never a conversation.
I hate the way Brugal gets to be held more than me.
I wish we could trade places.
I hate that I hate you Dad
Please teach me how to love.
The way you love Brugal,
The way Brugal loves you
The warmth makes you feel inside.
All I feel is the burning.
Massiel Alfonso is a Dominican writer who grew up in Washington Heights. Her interest in creative writing grew from an early age by, writing poems to remember math formulas, groceries lists, or simply remixing her favorite song’s. Massiel has always had a passion for poetry as she writes to express moments in her life she couldn’t imagen getting through without producing art. Her self-published books “Handful of Poems” and “Puñado de Poemas” were written to inspire those who’ve experienced heartache and still love with all their pieces.
Follow her on Instagram @mas_si_el


text:
U Like This (Megamix)
|"U Like This (Megamix)"|
"U Like This (Megamix)" cover
|Promotional single by Mariah Carey|
|Format||Vinyl, 12", Promotional single|
|Writer||Mariah Carey, David Morales|
|Producer||Mariah Carey, David Morales|
"U Like This (Megamix)" (also referred to as simply "Megamix" in some pressings) is a medley recorded by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, serving as a promotional single for Carey's remix album, The Remixes (2003). It was physically released in 2003, and later solicited to clubs in late 2004 and peaked at number 38 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. The non-stop remix contains a contraction of five previously released club versions of some of Carey's biggest dance hits, as remixed and produced by longtime Carey collaborator, David Morales. As a special non-album mix, it does not appear on the album The Remixes and copies of the promotional single are considered rare.
- "U Like This (Megamix)" – 8:48
|Songs featured in the medley||Originally
|"Honey" (Classic Mix)||1997||Butterfly|
|"Dreamlover" (Def Club Mix)||1993||Music Box|
|"Fantasy" (Def Club Mix)||1995||Daydream|
|"My All" (Classic Club Mix)||1998||Butterfly|
|"Always Be My Baby" (Always Club Mix)||1996||Daydream|
- "Mariah Carey – U Like This (Megamix)". Retrieved on 20 February 2012.

domain: artistic


text:
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a group of chronic progressive metabolic diseases with increasing worldwide prevalence. It is commonly characterized by hyperglycemia - meaning high levels of glucose in the blood. The primary cause of diabetes is the absence of a hormone called insulin (Figure 1) and/or the inability of muscle and fat cells in the body to respond to this hormone and use glucose. Learn more about insulin.
|Figure 1: Structure of human insulin showing its hexameric assembly (PDB ID: 1trz).||Watch video in YouTube: Insulin and Diabetes|
What's in a Name?
The term “Diabetes Mellitus” is derived from two words - (a) the Greek word “diabetes” meaning “siphon”, referring to the increased urination seen in this disease; and (b) the Latin word “mellitus” meaning “honey or sweet”, referring to the sweet taste of the urine caused by spilling out of excess sugar in the urine. Interestingly, there are two distinct disorders that share the first name “diabetes” - diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus. Both conditions are associated with excessive urine output and constant thirst. However, the hallmark of diabetes insipidus is the inability of the kidneys to conserve water, resulting in excretion of large quantities of dilute urine. It is important to note that individuals diagnosed with diabetes insipidus do not exhibit abnormal blood glucose levels.
Origin and Discovery of Diabetes
Diabetes is an old disease - ancient Egyptians documented clinical symptoms similar to those of diabetes mellitus in about 1500 BCE. Several ancient civilizations had recorded the fact that the urine of individuals with this condition had excess sugars (Ahmed, 2002). The condition was first called “diabetes” by the ancient Greek physician Aretaeus. “Mellitus” was later added to the name in 1675 by British physician and neuroanatomist Thomas Willis after rediscovering the sweet taste of urine and blood in patients. In 1889, German scientists Mering and Minkowski discovered the pancreatic origin of diabetes mellitus by showing that pancreactomy (removal of pancreas) in a dog could lead to diabetes-like symptoms. In 1910, Sir Edward Albert Sharpey-Schafer, founder of the field of endocrinology, discovered and named a hormone “insulin”, proposing that it was produced by the β-cells of the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. In 1921 Frederick Banting and his medical student Charles Best showed that a protein extract from bovine pancreas containing insulin was able to lower blood glucose levels and effectively treat a pancreactomized dog. Soon thereafter they were able to apply this knowledge and treat terminally ill diabetic patients by injecting them with insulin. (See Timeline to learn more)
Insulin is a protein hormone, produced by specific cells in the pancreas called β-cell (pronounced beta cells, Figure 2). It is responsible for instructing cells in our body (primarily muscle and fat cells) to take in glucose from the blood and use it as a source of energy, store it for later use, or promote cell growth and proliferation. Without insulin, these cells are unable to use glucose and starve - i.e., the blood glucose levels in the individual may be significantly high, yet an inadequate supply of glucose in muscle and fat cells (starvation) can trigger mobilization of glycogen and fat stores. Over time, excess sugar in the blood binds to proteins in blood cells and tissues lining blood vessels by a chemical process called glycation. On the other hand abnormal lipid profiles, due to unusual lipid metabolism, can lead to formation of plaques and thickening of blood vessel walls. Collectively, these processes lay the foundations for various complications of diabetes.
|Figure 2: Pancreas is an organ located behind the stomach. Insulin producing β-cells are located in the pancreatic islets of Langerhans. The insulin molecule is also shown as a ribbon diagram (PDB ID: 1trz). Portions of the figure were adapted from Servier Medical Art.|
The insulin molecule is made of 2 short protein chains (shown in green and blue in Figure 2). Note that these protein chains are held together by staple-like structures called disulfide bridges or bonds (shown in yellow). These linkages are formed between specific building blocks of the proteins - the amino acid cysteines. There are 2 inter-chain (between chain) and 1 intra-chain (within the chain) disulfide bonds in the insulin structure. The molecule shown here is called an insulin monomer, and is the form that binds to its receptor to carry out its function. Six such monomers come together to form Insulin hexamers - the storage form of insulin (not shown here).
Learn more about insulin monomers and hexamers by making a paper model and exploring its structure and activity.
Ahmed A.M. (2002) History of Diabetes Mellitus. Saudi Medical Journal, 23, 373-378. PMID: 11953758
PDB ID 1trz: Ciszak, E., Smith, G.D. (1994) Crystallographic evidence for dual coordination around zinc in the T3R3 human insulin hexamer. Biochemistry 33, 1512-1517. https://doi.org/10.1021/bi00172a030
April 2017, Jennifer Jiang, Dr. Shuchismita Dutta; Reviewed by Drs. Stephen Schneider and Stephen K. Burley

domain: health


text:
Young hero Nikhil, who is wrapping up his forthcoming film Ekkadiki Pothavu Chinnavada, has kick-started the dubbing process for the film today. The film’s shooting has reached its find stage and the makers will announce the audio launch date soon.
Ekkadiki Pothavu Chinnavada is a romantic-fantasy thriller and the film has Hebah Patel and Nanditha Swetha as the female leads. VI Anand is directing this film and Meghana Arts is the banner behind this project. The film will hit the screens in September.
- Sye Raa’s leaked pic goes viral
- Sree Vishnu- I am in no hurry to become a mass hero
- Upcoming star wants to prove a point in Prabhas’s next
- Poll : Which aspect of Rangasthalam’s trailer attracted you the most?
- Interesting setting for BAN audio launch


text:
Miss Piggy's Cakes Airbrush 'n wipe Tutorial Fire and Ice cake using airbrush and makeup sponge
Airbrushed lace pattern on fondant ♥
Awesome tutorial to demonstrate a way to airbrush baked goods, without an airbrush. YES, it’s as cool as it sounds!
How to make perfectly stenciled cookies using magnets (SweetSugarBelle).
how to make your own airbrush booth
Oooh -want to try with edible glitter!
Brown Butter Heart Cookies
Learn the most basic skills of an airbrush through these tutorials by Kent Lind.
Simply Sweets by Honeybee - Airbrushing With Stencils... What I've Learned
Beautifully decorate cakes, cupcakes, and fondant in an instant with the NEW Cake Boss Airbrushing Kit: Click on the image to learn more.

domain: food


text:
At a star-studded event including a vast array of intergalactic celebrities, the who’s who of interplanetary culture were awed by the spectacular new logo for the 2015 Can You Hear Me Now? poetry slam (to be held on April 17 and 18, 2015).
And even though you may have missed this exclusive, invite-only and once-in-a-lifetime event, you can now see the 2015 logo for yourself.
CYHMN? organizers are incredibly grateful to Michele Lam, the artist (and Lord Beaverbrook High School student) who created the design, for her creativity, artistic talent, and effort. Keep watching for Michele Lam’s poster, t-shirt, and book-cover designs that will be revealed over the coming months.
Leave a Reply

domain: news


text:
BET+, whose launch date and pricing has not yet been confirmed, will feature more than 1,000 hours of programming, including featured titles from Tyler Perry. New originals, plus existing series, movies and specials from BET will be on the service.
Prior to BET+, Devin was a producer and EVP of Story Lab US, where he co-founded and led the company’s foray into premium long-form content development. Devin also served in various senior content roles at Netflix. He formed and led the company’s unscripted group, commissioning and/or executive producing more than 40 series, including: the Emmy Award-winning Queer Eye, The Confession Tapes, Michael Jordan: The Last Dance, the Peabody-winning Hip-Hop Evolution, Shot in the Dark, and The Toys That Made Us.
Griffin will be based in LA, reporting to BET Networks president Scott Mills. As GM, Griffin will manage the BET+ P&L and oversee business strategy and operations, including original programming, content acquisitions, marketing, distribution, planning and analysis.
“We are thrilled to have Devin join the BET family and lead our new streaming service BET+. His fresh perspective and expertise in curating premium content will strengthen our position in the streaming landscape and drive subscriber growth, viewership and retention,” Mills said.
“I am beyond excited to be joining the BET brand at such a pivotal time in the industry. With BET+, I see a big opportunity to provide powerful, comprehensive programming to African Americans, and lovers of black culture, in the SVOD space. This audience has a voracious appetite for quality, authentic black stories and has been under-served for too long,” Griffin said.
During his tenure at Netflix, Devin also worked extensively on scripted drama, comedy, sci-fi, and anime. Devin brought a distinctive curatorial lens to the service, programming global hits such as the Emmy Award-winning Black Mirror, Designated Survivor, Chewing Gum, Z Nation, Wentworth, Van Helsing, Danger 5, Seven Deadly Sins and original stand-up specials from Tom Segura, Chelsea Peretti and Wyatt Cenac, among others.
Earlier in his career Devin served as Head of Business Development at Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video, where he conceptualized, co-founded, and oversaw Above Average, a premium comedy network and studio. He has also held key roles at the NBA and at Silver Chalice Ventures.
Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.


Kanye believe it!? One man’s brilliant reaction to rapper selling plain white t-shirts for $120
Sweet baby Yeezus in Heaven, Kanye West is selling plain white t-shirts for a whopping $120.
According to French fashion label A.P.C. (who collaborated on the ‘design’ with Kanye) the product was a phenomenal two years in the making before all parties settled on the incredibly imaginative design that you see below:
It seems to JOE that Mr Kardashian could well be the smartest man on the planet as the extortionate t-shirt has already sold out, despite having only gone on sale this week.
It really is the perfect case of The Emperor’s Shit New Clothes.
One man, according to uproxx, was rightly so incensed by the rapper’s move, that he wrote the perfect, hilarious review in response to the sale. The rant even has a SpongeBob SquarePants reference. Brilliant:
For an excellent, cheap, Irish alternative, look no further than our very own Dunnes Stores. They’re selling a pretty much identical product for the slightly more reasonable price of €3-€5.
They come in a Tupac... RAP JOKE!
While you're here...
Why not hit play on the video below to let funnyman Fred Cooke woo you with his sexy French accent, Dara Dynamite ditches the Speedos to become a Kingsman, Mayo band Flat Out put the woe of the All-Ireland Final behind them to perform the Magic Cover and Justine Stafford takes to the streets to find a date for the Debs.
We also caught up with the cast of Kingmsan: The Golden Circle – Taron Egerton and Mark Strong – as well as the stars of new Irish film Maze – Barry Ward and Nidge himself, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor (and his wonderful hat).
It's all jam-packed into this week's episode of The JOE Show, so what are you waiting for?
Check it out right here...
Read more about:


text: MAX2 controls the basal level of stomatal conductance. Effects of 3 h 350 nmol/mol O3 exposure on stomatal conductance were measured on wild-type Col-0 and max2 mutants with a custom made whole-rosette gas exchange measurement device. A) Stomatal conductance before, during and after 3 h O3 exposure of Col-0 and max2 plants. B) CO2 uptake rate of max2 mutants and Col-0 before, during and after 3 h O3 exposure. C) Cumulative dose of O3 absorbed by max2 and Col-0 plants before, during and after 3 h O3 exposure. D) Stomatal O3 uptake rate of max2 mutants and Col-0. For each line 4 plants were used in the experiment and the results are shown as means ± SE. Experiments were repeated twice with similar results.

domain: agronomy


First thank you to everyone who answered the questions about the raw gas smell . It was the fuel pump . Thank God Russ is good at working on cars ! It was a 250.00 part and now that’s good ! Now back to the not wanting to go into reverse ???? If I take it to drive and back it seemed ok then russ took it to work and it did it and that didn’t work ? he had to turn on and off the ignition a few times ???? Anyone else have this and what did fix it ?


text:
Take a look, my dad's a Gander. Take a nap, our dads are Boars. From baby geese to kangaroos to humans, every mom and dad is known by his or her own special name. Bouncing texts full of fun wordplay and adorable illustrations feature animal parents of every shape and size, and encourage little readers to express big love. Go ahead and hug a bull!
Full Product DetailsAuthor: Aaron Zenz , Aaron Zenz
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Imprint: Bloomsbury Childrens Books
Dimensions: Width: 14.50cm , Height: 1.30cm , Length: 16.30cm
ISBN 10: 1619636670
Publication Date: 01 May 2015
Audience: Children/juvenile , Children / Juvenile
Format: Board book
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In stock at warehouse
We have this item in stock and it will be shipped directly from our warehouse.
Table of Contents
Aaron Zenz is the author and illustrator of Chuckling Ducklings, I Love Ewe, and Hug a Bull, and the artist for ten other books, including Nugget on the Flight Deck and The Spaghetti Slurping Sewer Serpent. He has worked as an illustrator, a graphic, multimedia, and toy designer, a college instructor, a fine artist, and an author. Visit him online at www.aaronzenz.com.
Tab Content 6Author Website:
Countries AvailableAll regions
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domain: library


UAE renews its commitment to support initiatives towards stability in Yemen
United Arab Emirates has renewed its commitment to support all the international efforts and initiatives to establish peace, security and stability in Yemen. The United Nations’ special envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg was received on Tuesday by Dr. Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The two diplomats discussed during the bilateral meeting about the recent developments in the Yemen crisis and also conversed about the international efforts and initiatives to find a peaceful solution to achieve stability in Yemen. The meeting also addressed the recent talks held by Grundberg and other international parties to extend the truce in Yemen and reach a permanent ceasefire, as well as encourage relevant parties to return to the negotiating table and reach a peaceful settlement, state news agency WAM reported.
Earlier this month, a six month long truce in Yemen had expired without any extension, raising concerns over increased violence. But UN envoy had assured of negotiations towards truce. “I urge (the warring parties) to fulfil their obligation to the Yemeni people to pursue every avenue for peace,” the UN special envoy from Sweden was quoted as saying with hopes towards extension of armistice.
UAE has expressed its keenness and commitment to support establishment of stability in Yemen, the country that has been experiencing extreme violence and war since 2014. Dr Gargash said, “The UAE supported UN efforts and those of the international community to end the suffering of the Yemeni people, who are facing devastating humanitarian conditions.”
The diplomatic adviser to UAE President also lauded the role of Saudi Arabia in supporting the UN and the international community efforts to be able to reach a political solution to the crisis through dialogue. Dr. Gargash also noted the “positive response of the Yemeni government to the UN’s suggestions on extending the truce” and “affirmed his support for Yemen’s Presidential Council” during the critical talks with Mr. Grundberg.
Mr. Grundberg discussed with Dr. Gargash about the various efforts from all Yemeni parties as well as the international community to reach a ceasefire. He also said that the “UAE’s relevant role was greatly appreciated”.
UAE has always stood firmly on its principles of finding solutions through diplomacy, dialogue to achieve stability and security in a region. The meeting between the two diplomats reaffirms the stand of UAE to support all efforts towards achieving extension of armistice in Yemen and achieve stability in the war-torn country.


text:
In 2010, the gastronomic meal of the French is classified as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage. To bring this ranking, France has set up a network of four international cities of gastronomy: Lyon, Dijon, Tours, Paris-Rungis. For centuries, Lyon has been recognized for the quality of its gastronomy, by its restaurants as well as by its inhabitants. It is therefore very symbolic that the first Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie, intended to highlight the gastronomic meal of the French on the international scene, opened its doors to the general public on 19 October in Lyon.
The Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie takes place in the former hospital of the Grand Hôtel-Dieu, symbolic place of hospitality and health in Lyon. This former hospital, which occupies an important place in the heart of the many Lyonnais who were born there or who worked there, was completely renovated by Eiffage Immobilier to accommodate shops, restaurants, hotels…
For these inhabitants who kept a strong connection with the place, and for the 300,000 expected annual visitors, come to the City, installed under the dome of the Quatre-Rangs, the oldest part of the Grand Hotel-Dieu (17th century), will be an opportunity to admire the interior spaces and architectural details of this historic monument, jewel of French built heritage.
To carry out the conversion of the site, Eiffage Immobilier, accompanied by Didier Repellin, Chief Architect of Historical Monuments and the agency AIA Architectes, have completely redesigned this part of the oldest hospital in Lyon.
The historic character of the Grand Hôtel-Dieu and its urban setting made it a complex building site. A challenge met by the teams of Eiffage Construction, who adapted their know-how to the four zones of different epochs that make up this site, and to organize the various deliveries to compensate for the small size of the site.
This innovative project is the result of a collective initiative initiated and led by the Metropolis of Lyon, in partnership with the City of Lyon and the State. The project was created with the support of eleven patrons including Eiffage Construction.
The Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie de Lyon is just as innovative and creative of progress, both by addressing the economic and ecological challenges of tomorrow’s food, and by welcoming in its walls a space ofworking open to project promoters, future food entrepreneurs.
The six spaces of the permanent route of the Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie de Lyon carry the message of a good food synonymous with pleasure, enhancing seasonal and quality products, and support the idea to eat healthy must not be reserved for a small part of the population.
By articulating its programming around the issues of food and health, the City fits perfectly in the continuity of the history of the Grand Hotel-God, and confirms the positioning of Lyon as the capital of gastronomy for the coming decades.

domain: design


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Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and the 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT) precursor, 5‐hydroxytryptophan produced similar functional effects in rat spinal cord and brain to the 5‐hydroxytryptamine precursor 5‐hydroxytryptophan, which indicates that LSD stimulates central 5‐HT receptors.
By means of combined histochemical and biochemical techniques it was found that LSD reduced the turnover rate of brain and spinal cord 5‐HT, studied after inhibition of the tryptophan hydroxylase by α‐propyldopacet‐amide. The turnover of brain noradrenaline but not dopamine was somewhat accelerated.
The functional and chemical effects by LSD were related to dose and to time. They were not observed after the LSD analogues 2‐bromo‐LSD and methysergide.
The retardation of the 5‐HT turnover by LSD may be due to negative ‐back mechanisms evoked by direct stimulation of the central 5‐HT receptors.

domain: chemistry


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Thunderstruck wrote:It's on every year from December to January IIRC but the locations seem to be inconsistent. In the past, it's been played at grounds in Kooyong, Gosch's paddock and Clayton. I wish it stays put at Gosch's permanently. Easy transport to a central location.
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domain: geography


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Check Out The Equal Parts Hard And Soothing New Cut From OG Garden Frontman Troy Garrick’s Latest Collection Of Electrified R&B.
Welcome to Song of the Day, where we hip you to all the new local releases you should be caring about. By highlighting one new North Texas-sprung tune every week day, our hope is that you’ll find something new to love about the rich and abundant DFW music scene five days a week.
Troy Garrick – “Wait + Fall”
RIYL: Mixing church and state.
What else you should know: Last summer, the vocalist of Denton future soul outfit OG Garden stepped out with a live acoustic SZA and Travis Scott mashup that helped further establish the young talent as a solo R&B performer worth keeping tabs upon.
A few days ago, Garrick further established himself by returning with his third solo full-length, Shift, which was executive co-produced alongside The Growth Eternal and featuring production from Sam Decker, Kaz Moon, Jemarcus Bridges and PONDER.
The release is a big step up, collaboratively and production-wise from the entirely self-produced 2016 LP that earned the singer an official showcase at last year’s SXSW. It’s a disc that feels like it has got one foot in the spiritual world, what with all the gospel-style singing and vocoded harmonies, and the other foot in the club world, since dancing still ain’t allowed at some churches. The most evident spot this dichotomy rears its head is the third track, which feels almost like two competing tracks shoved together — a theory that plus sign in the title does little to dispel.
Whereas the hook feels like it is about to break into an aggressive Yeezus-style rap track, the verses are harmony-heavy R&B offerings that wouldn’t pull the wings off a fly. And then the thing goes back. And then forth. It’s a compelling dance indeed from a singer who has the talent to make the two moods coexist.
The rest of the record is worth your time, as well — these folks up in Denton really seem to dig it. Want to hear more for yourself? Stream the complete album now on Spotify.
Cover art by Malcolm Byers.


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Clean but quite worn hotel. Rooms comfortable but witout any luxory. Seawiev is great during summer. Breakfast was ok, nothing warm except coffee and tea served at breakfast. Personnel was polite and quite ok.
If you own or manage Tammisaaren Kaupunkihotelli, register now for free tools to enhance your listing, attract new reviews, and respond to reviewers.

domain: travel


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Speculators are snapping up a new virtual currency known as Zcash that was designed by university academics and built to be all but untraceable. Investors.SmallnormallargexlargeIndicates whether the application supports smaller screen form-factors.Poloniex Exchange - Poloniex is a pure crypto to crypto exchange based in the United States.Get list of recommendations on how to improve your website mobile usability and performance scores.Coinbase Bitcoin Mobile Wallet is another option to receive and send Ethereu.Most cryptocurrencies have a block explorer where completed transactions can be viewed by entering the TxID or TXhash.
TabTrader is a FREE trading terminal for bitcoin (altcoin or cryptocurrencies) exchanges Coinbase, Bitstamp, ANXPRO, HitBtc, BTC-E BTC e, BTCChina, Huobi.Full Review Johannes Zhuang August 16, 2017 It should be a great app, if the developer listen and could do some regular update for its subscriber.Poloniex is a US-based cryptocurrency exchange offering maximum security and advanced trading features.Also, the devs clearly deserve it because this app is AWESOME.In addition CONSTANTLY begs you to subscribe (subscription is expensive in my opinion).Trollbox One, is a new Trollbox Based Social Media Platform designed to give Cryptocurrency Investors freedom to chat uncensored.Another notable downside is that the Poloniex offers no mobile apps,.
Google Play has stopped accepting MasterCard from my country, so am stucked with this free version even though am willing and able to pay.Full Review sean kaufman May 17, 2017 Great app, very solid for the stuff it supports.Hope this issue can be fix asap Full Review William Croson April 29, 2017 This app is now useless to me.PowWow Mobile is accelerating enterprise mobility for organizations across multiple industries and geographies by transforming existing Windows apps.
Hello folks I had posted before about ethereum mobile wallet, you can find it here.Just because I will be using this app for a long time in the future, I may provide you some useful advices for developers on upcoming updates. 1. App looks neat and nice but lacks UI design variations.Popular Alternatives to Poloniex for Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and more.
Full Review Markus Greb August 27, 2017 Supports all my favorite exchanges, but shows no asset charts, no total assets, no value for about 50% of the pairs, even when exchange supported.
Helps with on the go transactions. could you please support yobit.Poloniex World Best Trading Platform Review Here Poloniex is one of the most diverse cryptocurrency exchanges in the world.This is the fourth highest BTC paired volume on Poloniex today.Poloniex Welcomes New Monero (XMR) Markets. 2014 — Poloniex.com announced today that the company will offer new.Security Weaknesses in bitcoin transaction sites Poloniex and Flexcoin were discovered by hackers, which led to a string of bitcoin theft.GameCredits has created a mobile store that currently hosts over 300 games and this number is planned to exceed 1000 by.
Poloniex i.p block Solution: Yesterday faced problem cant access on poloniex from my cell.

domain: finance


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15-20 mins walk to the main Murcia centre, excellent beds, clean rooms. Gym is a bit small and light in equipment and the restaurant has limited choices (but excellent food within that). Superb breakfasts, except if you like a cooked English breakfast, when you'll be disappointed. Almost all staff were wonderfully friendly & helpful - just 2 odd people whose... More
- Also Known As:
- Nelva Hotel Murcia
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All posts tagged "matt cassel"
/ 10 years ago
A few weeks back the Broncos laid a beating on the Chiefs. Today in Kansas City, the Broncos offense looked nothing...
/ 11 years ago
There’s another part of the trade of Pats QB Matt Cassel that is now coming out that has one Pro Bowl...


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Yevgeny Christoph Willibald Gluck
Yevgeny Yevgenievich Nesterenko (born 8 January 1938) is a renowned Russian operatic bass.
Nesterenko's first profession was architecture, graduating from the Engineering and Construction Institute in Leningrad. But he was called to music, and he studied under Vasily Lukanin at the Leningrad Conservatory. At his last year at the conservatory (1965) Nesterenko was invited to sing at Leningrad's Maly Opera Theatre and after graduation joined the famous Mariinsky Opera and Ballet Theatre. He won the gold medal at the 4th Moscow International Tchaikovsky Competition, which won him an invitation to Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre.
Nesterenko has sung over 80 leading bass parts and performed 21 operas in their original languages. He performed the main parts in operas by Glinka, Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky and Borodin, and was the first to perform many works by Shostakovich, Sviridov and Taktakishvili.
Nesterenko's enormous repertoire ranges from deep bass to baritone parts in operas by classical Russian and West-European composers. His finest role is considered to be Tsar Boris in Mussorgsky's opera Boris Godunov, which won him the "Golden Viotti" medal in Italy in 1981.
Nesterenko has performed on the world's best and most prestigious stages, such as the Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden, the Vienna State Opera and La Scala. He has been awarded the highest Austrian, Italian, German and Russian awards for his singing. He is the winner of the Giovanni Zenatello Prize "For an outstanding embodiment of the central character in the opera Attila by Verdi". He is the winner of the Chaliapin Prize of the Creativity Academy and the holder of many other titles and awards.
Nesterenko has recorded about 70 records and discs, including 20 operas in full. He is also an outstanding chamber singer with a subtle taste, expressiveness and sense of style.
He is also known as an outstanding teacher. He teaches at the Moscow Conservatory and the Higher Music School in Vienna. Nesterenko is the author of two books - "My Way of Working with Singers" and "Reflections on My Profession" - and is the author of over 200 printed works.
He is one of the most experienced music competition jurors in the world.


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Click here to compare with other Cardiology Specialists.
Dr. Abeer Berry, DO is a cardiology specialist in Commerce Township, MI. She currently practices at Commerce Cardiology Associates and is affiliated with DMC Huron Valley - Sinai Hospital. She accepts multiple insurance plans. Dr. Berry is board certified in Cardiovascular Disease.
- Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield
- First Health (Coventry Health Care)
- Priority Health
* Please verify this information when scheduling an appointment.
Commerce Cardiology Associates
Commerce Cardiology Associates1 William Carls Dr Ste 100, Commerce Township, MI 48382 Existing Patients: (248) 937-4764
Leave a review
How likely are you to recommend Dr. Berry?
Highly recommend. The office experience was efficient and professional. Dr. Berry is thorough and very attentive to my health. She displayed expertise with a calming, reassuring manner. Staff was explicit and clear about next steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dr. Berry has indicated that they offer telehealth. Contact the office to check for eligibility for your needs.
Dr. Berry frequently treats Pharmacologic Nuclear Stress Test, Coronary Angiogram, and Arrhythmia Screening.
Dr. Berry's office is located at 1 William Carls Dr Ste 100, Commerce Township, MI 48382. Find other locations and directions.
Dr. Berry speaks Arabic and English. View profile to see all.
Find contact information here to make an appointment.
- DMC Huron Valley - Sinai Hospital

domain: medical


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Not a meat eater? Not a problem. Here are the best veggie burgers in North Jersey
Not a meat eater?
You're hardly alone. More than 7 million Americans are believed to have eliminated meat from their diets — and chefs, ever observant of dining trends, are taking note.
Jamie Knott is among them. The chef and owner of high-end Saddle River Inn and the more casual Saddle River Cafe has not only noticed that more and more diners want to eat "healthy" but that more and more are eating more vegetables. "There are a greater number of vegetarians," he said. "It's not a trend. It's here to stay."
Any wonder, then, that restaurants — even those famous for their beef burgers — are now also offering vegetarian burgers? And, vegetarians rejoice, some chefs are bringing their A-game to their anything-but-meat burgers, creating flavor-packed, rich-tasting plant-based concoctions that even die-hard carnivores could love.
The Impossible Burger at The Barrow House, Clifton
The Barrow House introduced this plant-based burger as a special to celebrate its first-year anniversary nearly two years ago. It was then, according to co-owner Thomas Maroulakos, the only restaurant in New Jersey to serve the meatless burger that "bleeds." Today you can find it at Applebee's and Cheesecake Factory. Made entirely from plants — primarily wheat, coconut oil and potatoes — the Impossible looks like meat; it even has a slightly red center. At the Barrow House, it is today a vegan burger (it used to have Havarti cheese and a brioche bun, making it vegetarian) that is topped by crunchy potato strings and sweet caramelized onions and served on a 9-grain vegan roll slathered with vegan aioli (made with tofu, cashews, olive oil, horseradish and lemon). $19 with your choice of fries or salad.
Go: 1296 Van Houten Ave.,Clifton; 862-336-7070, thebarrowhouse.com.
Veggie Burger at the Saddle River Cafe, Saddle River
Chef and owner Jamie Knott's wife and one son are vegetarians, so he knew he had to come up with a really good veggie burger, not only for his family, but for his casual and darling cafe. Enter the Veggie Burger, a patty made out of robust mashed lentils and earthy mushrooms topped with tomatoes and served on a thick toasted slice of multigrain bread slathered with chickpea spread. $15.
Go: 171 E. Saddle River Road, Saddle River; 201-282-2300, saddlerivercafe.com.
'Shroom Burger at Shake Shack, Paramus
You don't have to be a vegetarian to love Shake Shack's 'shroom burger. This crisp-fried, panko-crusted portobello oozes hot Muenster and cheddar cheese the minute you bite into it. It's topped with lettuce, tomato and the chain's special sauce. It's so good you may even forget you're eating a vegetable burger.
Go: 479 Route 17 South, Paramus, 201-241-2381 and 1 Garden State Plaza, Plaza Level 2, Paramus, 201-576-8096, shakeshack.com.
Clint's Almost Famous Veggie Burger at Zinburger, Paramus
What's in Zinburger's super-popular veggie burger? Got time? The patty features 21 ingredients including tofu, mushrooms, zucchini, garbanzo beans and even fries. The whole shebang is held together with panko bread crumbs, fried and then topped with smoked mozzarella, creamy avocado, lettuce and a bit of mayo. $9.50.
Go: 1 Garden State Plaza Blvd., No. 1146, Paramus; 201-368-8092 and 850 Route 3, No. 105, Clifton; 973-272-1492, zinburger.com.
Shrimp Burger at Mr. Crabby's Craft Kitchen & Bar, Randolph
It is strictly not a veggie burger, though if you've sworn off meat but not fish, consider executive chef Eric LeVine's shrimp burger. LeVine, who was formerly the chef at Morris Tap and Grill, where his burgers stood out, has penned a cookbook titled "Burgers, Bowls, Jars" (available on chefericlevine.com). The man knows how to create interesting burgers. So, why not a shrimp burger? "Shrimp is a protein that picks up flavors and cooks evenly," he said. "It has a nice snap in the bite." That snappy patty is topped with wasabi slaw and crisp wonton chips and served on a pretzel bun. $17.
Go: 399 Route 10 East, Randolph; 973-343-7688, mrcrabbys.com.
Beefy, juicy tender: Here are the 15 best burgers in Bergen
How many have you been to? Must-try classic restaurants in North Jersey


“The regime will be toppled, and the people will live freely and democratically,” said one of a group of men who asked not to be named because he feared for his safety, speaking in his home in a middle-class residential area of Daraa. His son was killed by a soldier, he said, on April 25, when military tanks rolled into the city for the first time, seeking to crush the unrest that began after a group of schoolchildren were arrested for writing anti-regime graffiti on walls.
The story of the children’s detention, their alleged ill-treatment, and the demonstrations that began with their families has now passed into legend. Versions of it are told across Syria and recalled in the chants of pro-democracy protesters all over the Arab world.
Although the focus of the increasingly violent opposition has moved to the north, including Friday’s military assault on the anti-government neighborhoods of Homs, those first small protests in Daraa marked a turning point.
In Syria, the opposition historically had been largely imprisoned or tamed under the rule of Assad and his father, with the help of a formidable array of security forces and secret police.
“Before the events, no one could have raised his voice to say a word. They had political security who were controlled by military security, so they thought nothing would happen,” said a man who said his name was Abu Akal and who said he has attended demonstrations since they began. “I was not surprised when people spoke out, because I knew how much pressure they were under.”
In the months that followed, the protests grew larger and the death toll higher. The men said that three families on the small street where they live have lost sons. They estimated that 2,000 people from the city had died or disappeared. It was not possible to confirm the figure, although the United Nations estimates that well over 5,400 people have died in the uprising nationwide.
‘People cannot go back’
Gradually, the security forces regained the upper hand, and today, Daraa looks like a place under long-term but functional occupation. Shops and schools are open, and people step briskly past government security forces guarding public buildings. Drivers stop at frequent military checkpoints.
Walls formerly covered in anti-government graffiti have been crudely painted over. The Omari mosque, once a rallying point, is surrounded by razor wire and sandbags in a neighborhood where every house is spattered with bullet holes.
But the opposition will persist, Abu Akal said. “The people cannot go back, because they have lost so many martyrs,” he said, adding that he fears that if the government does not fall, thousands will be killed or detained as punishment for calling for the end of Assad’s rule.


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Friday night, the Texas Rangers rebounded picking up a much needed win against their divisional opponent, the Los Angeles Angels.
On The Mound
As the Rangers looked to rebound from a string of losses to start off the season, they handed the ball to the unofficially official fifth starter, AJ Griffin. Griffin was making his first Major League start since 2013 and looked comfortable on the mound with the spotlight on him. Griffin went 6 innings against the Angels allowing just 3 earned runs on 6 hits. Griffin said that baseball is all about embracing opportunities and Griffin thrived in his return to the MLB.
The bullpen who has been struggling early on this year came up big putting together 3 scoreless innings to hold on for the Texas Rangers win. Wilhelmsen came in to start the seventh inning and threw 1.2 innings allowing just 1 hit and no runs on 29 pitches. Wilhelmsen loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth and Tony Barnette was brought in to get out of the jam.
Hard-throwing lefty, Jake Diekman threw the ninth for Texas in the non-save opportunity and struck out 2 in his 3 up 3 down inning.
At The Plate
For the first time this season, the Texas Rangers eclipsed the double digit hit total mark stringing together 10 hits in their 7 run performance. All Rangers reached base against the Angels with Ian Desmond being the only player to not record a hit, reaching on 2 walks. The top of the order got the job done for Texas with the first five hitters in the order recording hits on the day.
Leadoff man Delino DeShields went 2 for 4 stealing 3 bases and scoring 2 runs, one on an Angels wild pitch. Slugger Prince Fielder went 1-3 with 2 walks, scoring a run and recording an RBI.
Young second baseman Rougned Odor made the biggest single statement on the game when he launched a two-run homerun over the right-center field fence in the fifth after an Ian Desmond walk.
More from Nolan Writin'
- Framework for a potential Max Fried trade to the Texas Rangers
- Early 2023 MLB mock draft has Texas Rangers selecting an Ohtani-lite
- 3 Texas Rangers outfield trade targets not named Bryan Reynolds
- Did Jacob deGrom really mean what he said at his Texas Rangers press conference?
- Where do Texas Rangers prospects Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker stand after the DeGrom signing?

domain: sports


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What material can you put in a toaster oven?
Usually the toaster oven comes with the metal tray and it is found that most of the people use the metal tray for their foods. Metal dishes are also used by many people and no damage occurs to the metal dishes as well. For certain foods, the metal bowls are also used.
Can you cook meat in a toaster oven?
You can cook meat in a toaster oven. Cooking steak in a toaster oven may sound strange at first. Can cooking meat really be that easy? The short answer: yes.
Are toaster ovens bad for you?
Toaster ovens do not cause health problems. However, if your food was burnt and you still want to eat it, that’s a problem. Eating burnt food is a big no for everyone. … Apart from that, you don’t have to worry about any health issues when it comes to toaster ovens and the food they cook.
How do you keep bacon from splattering in the oven?
Another trick for eliminating grease spatter while you are cooking it is to “bake” it. Lay out the bacon on a cookie sheet, whether you line it with aluminum foil or parchment paper is up to you. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and then place the cookie sheet into the oven.
Can parchment paper be used in a toaster oven?
It can be used safely in the toaster oven and will save some clean-up time. Though it is designed not to burn in oven heat, it will burn if directly touching a heat source. Use the parchment paper as you would in a standard oven.
Can you use aluminum foil in a toaster oven?
Here’s what we know for sure: NEVER cover your crumb tray or the walls of your toaster oven with foil. It can lead to overheating and is a fire hazard. To find out if you can use foil in your specific toaster oven you’ll want to consult your owner’s manual or contact the manufacturer.
Can you bake a cake in a toaster oven?
Yes, you can bake anything in your toaster oven that you can bake in a regular oven. … You will also need to turn your cake at least once as there are going to be hot spots since the front of the toaster oven will not be as hot as the back. It is always suggested to bake smaller cakes in toaster ovens.
How do you cook sausage in a toaster oven?
Method of Preparation
- Preheat the toaster oven to a temperature of about 400- degrees Fahrenheit.
- Coat sausages with a half cup of barbecue sauce with your hands.
- Place sausages on the cooking pan (lined with parchment paper) side by side with some inches apart.
- Bake for twenty-five minutes.
Do you preheat a toaster oven?
Do you have to preheat a toaster oven? Preheating a toaster oven isn’t necessary but is highly recommended. The reason is that it gives the oven time to heat up to a ready temperature for immediate cooking when the food is put inside.
Why do toaster ovens explode?
Explosion: Although the likelihood of an explosion is extremely rare, the glass door can, in fact, shatter outwards if it gets hot enough. Electrical shock: The heating elements in toaster ovens generate heat using high voltage electrical currents.
Is toaster oven healthier than microwave?
As for microwaves that still work, they’re being relegated to the cooking back burner in favor of toaster ovens. Yes, toaster ovens. … Not only will the appliance not kill you, but microwave cooking can be healthier—it preserves nutrients in vegetables better—than most other forms of cooking.
What is the point of a toaster oven?
A toaster oven is like a miniature version of your large, conventional oven, but it uses less energy and often cooks foods faster. Below are several ways you can use a toaster oven for something other than toast. You can bake just about anything that will fit into a toaster oven.
How do you keep grease from splattering in the oven?
Keep Your Oven Clean and Spatter-Free
- Cover food during cooking; stops splashes and spills.
- Keep a roasting tin on bottom oven shelf; acts as a drip tray.
- Line a baking sheet with foil; provides a disposable lining.
- Clean spills immediately; grease wipes away easily.
- Clean oven regularly; can use less caustic cleaners.
What is the least messy way to cook bacon?
- Use a 4 sided pan like a jelly roll pan.
- Line pan with tinfoil.
- Fold parchment paper to fit over tinfoil in pan. …
- Set oven to 400*.
- After lining pan lay strips of bacon on parchment paper.
- Put in preheated 400* for 15 minutes, I turn bacon over after 10 minutes.
- Take out when crispy & lay on paper towels.


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A study in the Journal of Women’s Health suggests that brisk walking may reduce the severity of symptoms associated with postpartum depression.
Conducted by a team of Canadian researchers, data from five research projects were analyzed, which involved more than 200 participants.
In the study, researchers recommended walking at a moderate intensity for 90 to 120 minutes per week, or as little as 15 minutes per day.
“Rising demands for traditional postpartum depression (PPD) treatment options (e.g., psychiatry), especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, are increasingly difficult to meet,” the authors stated in the journal article.
“More accessible treatment options (e.g., walking) are needed.”
“While limited by a relatively small number of included studies, pooled effect estimates suggest that walking may help mothers manage PPD. This is the first-time walking as treatment for PPD, an exercise modality that uniquely addresses many barriers faced by mothers, has been summarized in a systematic way,” according to researchers.


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Full Body Fitball Workout
Hey babes! I love incorporating a fitball into my workouts, so I thought I would put together a workout for you highlighting my four FAVE fitball moves!
This killer full body workout is a great way to get in your balance and stability training.
FULL BODY FITBALL WORKOUT
Fitball Pike — 10 reps
Fitball Jackknife — 10 reps
Fitball Hamstring Curl — 12 reps
Fitball Decline Push-up — 12 reps
Rest — 30 seconds
- Place both hands on the floor slightly further than shoulder-width apart and both feet together behind you, resting your shins on a fitball. This is your starting position.
- Keeping your feet together and legs straight, contract your abdominal muscles to bring your knees into your chest. This movement should cause the fitball to roll in towards your hands.
- Briefly hold this position and then slowly extend your hips to return to starting position. This movement should cause the fitball to roll backwards.
- Repeat for 10 repetitions.
- Holding a fitball with both hands, start by lying straight on your back on the floor, with both arms extended above your head. Engage your abdominal muscles by drawing your belly button in towards your spine and gently raise both feet off the floor. Keeping your feet together, raise your legs off the floor so that they form a 90-degree angle with your hips.
- At the same time, bring the fitball up towards your feet.
- Separate your feet and grip the fitball with both legs and release your hands. Slowly lower your legs and arms until they are both just slightly off the floor. Try to avoid bouncing the ball.
- Repeat for 10 repetitions, continually passing the fitball from your hands to your legs and visa versa.
Fitball Hamstring Curl
- Start by lying flat on your back on a yoga mat with your feet elevated on a fitball. Allow your arms to rest by your sides on the mat. Inhale. Using your glutes and hamstrings, gently raise your hips off the floor so that you are resting on your upper back and your body forms one straight line from head to toe. This is your starting position.
- Inhale. Hold. Exhale. While keeping your feet together and hips elevated, bend your knees to bring your feet in towards your glutes. This movement will cause the fitball to roll in towards you.
- Inhale. Extend your knees to return to the starting position, ensuring that your hips remain elevated. This movement will cause the fitball to roll away from you.
- Repeat for 12 repetitions.
Fitball Decline Push-up
- Place both hands on the floor slightly further than shoulder-width apart and feet together on the fitball behind you. This is your starting position.
- While maintaining a neutral spine back and stabilising through your abdominals, bend your elbows and lower your torso towards the floor until your arms form two 90-degree angles.
- Push through your chest and extend your elbows to return to into starting position.
- Repeat for the specified number of repetitions.
Remember these moves are all intended to be performed slow and steady, as they all require serious core strength. Don't let that fool you into thinking this isn't a killer workout — you'll be sweating for sure!
* Results from Post-Pregnancy program may vary. Strict adherence to the program is required for best results.