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Jerzy Czerbniak Jerzy Czerbniak (born 29 September 1947) is a Polish sprinter. He competed in the men's 4 × 100 metres relay at the 1972 Summer Olympics. References Category:1947 births Category:Living people Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1972 Summer Olympics Category:Polish male sprinters Category:Olympic athletes of Poland Category:People from Kutno

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local httpc = require "httpc" local json = require "json" local class = require "class" local type = type local ipairs = ipairs local function check_error (code, response) if code ~= 200 then return nil, "请求失败." .. (response or "") end local r = json.decode(response) if type(r) ~= 'table' then return nil, "未知的回应." end if r.errcode ~= 0 then return nil, r.errmsg end return true end local dingtalk = { __VERSION__ = 0.1, robot = "https://oapi.dingtalk.com/robot/send?access_token=" } -- 发送text消息 function dingtalk.send_text (opt) assert(type(opt) == 'table', "dingtalk error: 无效的参数.") assert(type(opt.token) == 'string' and opt.token ~= '', "dingtalk error: 无效的Token参数.") assert(type(opt.content) == 'string' and opt.content ~= '', "dingtalk error: 无效的content参数.") local allmobiles = {} if type(opt.mobiles) == 'table' then for _, phone in ipairs(opt.mobiles) do allmobiles[#allmobiles+1] = tostring(phone) end end local code, response = httpc.json(dingtalk.robot..opt.token, nil, json.encode({ msgtype = "text", text = { content = opt.content }, at = { atMobiles = allmobiles, isAtAll = opt.atall == true} })) return check_error(code, response) end -- 发送link消息 function dingtalk.send_link (opt) assert(type(opt) == 'table', "dingtalk error: 无效的参数.") assert(type(opt.token) == 'string' and opt.token ~= '', "dingtalk error: 无效的Token参数.") assert(type(opt.msg_link) == 'string' and opt.msg_link ~= '', "dingtalk error: 无效的msg_link(必须为非空字符串).") assert(type(opt.msg_title) == 'string' and opt.msg_title ~= '', "dingtalk error: 无效的msg_title(必须为非空字符串).") assert(type(opt.msg_describe) == 'string' and opt.msg_describe ~= '', "dingtalk error: 无效的msg_describe(必须为非空字符串).") local code, response = httpc.json(dingtalk.robot..opt.token, nil, json.encode({ msgtype = "link", link = { title = opt.msg_title, text = opt.msg_describe, messageUrl = opt.msg_link, picUrl = opt.msg_pic } })) return check_error(code, response) end -- 发送markdown消息 function dingtalk.send_markdown (opt) assert(type(opt) == 'table', "dingtalk error: 无效的参数.") assert(type(opt.token) == 'string' and opt.token ~= '', "dingtalk error: 无效的Token参数.") assert(type(opt.msg_title) == 'string' and opt.msg_title ~= '', "dingtalk error: 无效的msg_title(必须为非空字符串).") assert(type(opt.msg_content) == 'string' and opt.msg_content ~= '', "dingtalk error: 无效的msg_content(必须为非空字符串).") local allmobiles = {} if type(opt.mobiles) == 'table' then for _, phone in ipairs(opt.mobiles) do allmobiles[#allmobiles+1] = tostring(phone) end end local code, response = httpc.json(dingtalk.robot..opt.token, nil, json.encode({ msgtype = "markdown", markdown = { title = opt.msg_title, text = opt.msg_content }, at = { atMobiles = opt.mobiles, isAtAll = opt.atall == true } })) return check_error(code, response) end -- 发送actionCard消息 function dingtalk.send_actioncard (opt) assert(type(opt) == 'table', "dingtalk error: 无效的参数.") assert(type(opt.token) == 'string' and opt.token ~= '', "dingtalk error: 无效的Token参数.") assert(type(opt.msg_title) == 'string' and opt.msg_title ~= '', "dingtalk error: 无效的msg_title(必须为非空字符串).") assert(type(opt.msg_describe) == 'string' and opt.msg_describe ~= '', "dingtalk error: 无效的msg_describe(必须为非空字符串).") local btns, single_title, single_url = nil, nil, nil if type(opt.single) == 'table' and (type(opt.single.title) == 'string' and opt.single.title ~= '') and (type(opt.single.url) == 'string' and opt.single.url ~= '') then single_title, single_url = opt.single.title, opt.single.url end if not single_title and not single_url and type(opt.btns) == 'table' and #opt.btns >= 1 then btns = {} for index, btn in ipairs(opt.btns) do assert(type(btn.title) == 'string' and btn.title ~= '', 'dingtalk error: btns第'..index..'个参数title无效.') assert(type(btn.url) == 'string' and btn.url ~= '', 'dingtalk error: btns第'..index..'个参数url无效.') btns[#btns+1] = {title = btn.title, actionURL = btn.url} end end local code, response = httpc.json(dingtalk.robot..opt.token, nil, json.encode({ msgtype = "actionCard", actionCard = { title = opt.msg_title, text = opt.msg_describe, singleURL = single_url, singleTitle = single_title, btns = btns, hideAvatar = opt.hide_avatar and '1' or '0', btnOrientation = opt.btn_orientation and '1' or '0' }})) return check_error(code, response) end -- 发送FeedCard消息 function dingtalk.send_feedcard (opt) assert(type(opt) == 'table', "dingtalk error: 无效的参数.") assert(type(opt.token) == 'string' and opt.token ~= '', "dingtalk error: 无效的Token参数.") assert(type(opt.msg_links) == 'table' and #opt.msg_links >= 1, "dingtalk error: 无效的msg_links参数(内部至少有一条消息).") local links = {} for index, link in ipairs(opt.msg_links) do assert(type(link) == 'table', "dingtalk error: 无效的消息"..index) assert(type(link.msg_title) == 'string' and link.msg_title ~= '', "dingtalk error: 第"..index..'个消息的msg_title无效.') assert(type(link.msg_link) == 'string' and link.msg_link ~= '', "dingtalk error: 第"..index..'个消息的msg_link无效.') links[#links+1] = { title = link.msg_title, messageURL = link.msg_link, picURL = link.msg_pic } end local code, response = httpc.json(dingtalk.robot..opt.token, nil, json.encode({ msgtype = "feedCard", feedCard = { links = links } })) return check_error(code, response) end return dingtalk

Edmund Bedingfield Sir Edmund Bedingfield or Bedingfeld (1479/80 – 1553), Knight of the Bath. In 1523 Bedingfield was knighted by Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk for demonstrating bravery in the French Wars. In 1539 he inherited from his brother Robert the great estate of Oxburgh Hall, King's Lynn, Norfolk. He married Grace Marney (d. in or after 1553), the daughter of Henry Marney, 1st Baron Marney. Sir Edmund Bedingfield was entrusted with the care of Katherine of Aragon, at Kimbolton Castle, following the proceedings of 18 June 1529, concerning King Henry VIII's Great Matter (divorce). His first son Sir Henry Bedingfield (1510-1583), succeeded to his estate. References Sources William Joseph Sheils, ‘Bedingfield family (per. 1476-1760)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 Category:15th-century births Category:1553 deaths Category:Knights of the Bath Category:16th-century English people Category:People of the Tudor period Category:Year of birth missing

Govt. Boys' High School, Gunupur Govt. Boys' High School, Gunupur, is located beside the banks of Vamsadhara River at Gunupur of Rayagada district in the Indian state of Odisha. The original structure of the public educational building is totally made of stone & the institution stands on an elevated plot of the town. It is one of the oldest High Schools of the district. It is an oriya medium school affiliated to the Board of Secondary Education, Odisha under State Government of Odisha. The school celebrates its Centenary celebration in April,2015. History The 111-year-old high school was established in the year 1903. During pre-independence period, the district Board at koraput (with the collector and Agent as its president) upgraded the middle school at Gunupur to a High School in 1929. The school was a pioneer in the development of education in the undivided koraput district. It has given rise to many well known personalities such as former justice of High Court of Odisha Hon'be Justice M.Papanna(worked as Judge from 29.09.2000 to 03.03.2004), Late Nagbhushan Patnaik, Late Sri Arjuna Gamang, Late Pandit Raghunath Panigrahi.The school maintains an ECO Club See also Board of Secondary Education, Odisha List of schools in India References Category:Boys' schools in India Category:High schools and secondary schools in Odisha Category:Education in Rayagada district Category:Educational institutions established in 1903 Category:1903 establishments in India

A modified vector for the controlled high-level overproduction of staphylococcal protein A fusion proteins in the periplasm of Escherichia coli. A vector encoding the Staphylococcal protein A was modified by cloning the spa gene, including its signal peptide-encoding sequence, downstream of the translation initiation sites of the phage lambda cro gene and under the control of the temperature-inducible phage lambda pR promoter. The expression from this construct was studied using the Escherichia coli phoA gene as a reporter gene after fusion to the spa gene. Determination of alkaline phosphatase activity, 1 h after temperature induction of expression at 42 degrees C, revealed an 800-fold increase over host strain background level. The presence of the alternating selectable markers on the described vector, pHEMa153, which are essential for efficient oligonucleotide-directed construction of mutations by the gapped duplex DNA method, allows the construction of recombinant and mutated forms of Staphylococcal protein A fusion proteins and efficient expression of spa gene fusions without changing the vector system.

users <- data.frame( uid=c(12,13), username=c("kim", "john") ) #' Lookup a user #' @get /users/<id> function(id){ subset(users, uid %in% id) }

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common acute leukemia affecting adults, and its incidence increases with age. The minority of patients are cured by current therapy and the majority relapse within 5 years despite continuous treatment. Cancer stem cells (CSCs), which have the capacity for indefinite self-renewal, may be essential for tumor initiation and relapse. New targets are needed to efficiently inhibit CSC activity. Most recently, we identified the immune inhibitory receptors, human leukocyte immunoglobulin (Ig)-like receptor B2 (LILRB2) and its mouse ortholog paired Ig-like receptor (PirB), as receptors for Angiopoietin-like proteins (Angptls). Previous studies showed that several Angptls promote cancer development, whereas immune inhibitory receptors suppress the immune activation to support cancer growth. Our preliminary research showed that LILRB2 level is significantly elevated in the M5 subtype of human AML. Angptls bind to LILRB2 and to PirB and induce activation of tyrosine phosphotase SHP-2 and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase 4 (CAMK4). A deficiency of PirB in two mouse AML models resulted in increased differentiation and decreased self-renewal of leukemia stem cells. Concordantly, the knockdown of LILRB2 in two human leukemia cell lines largely blocked leukemia development in xenografted mice. These results indicate that LILRB2 and PirB support leukemia development. Therefore, our study revealed unexpected functional significance of classical immune inhibitory receptors in the maintenance of stemness of cancer stem cells. We hypothesize that Angptls bind LILRB2 and PirB to inhibit differentiation and promote self-renewal through activating SHP-2 and CAMK4. We propose three aims to test this hypothesis. In Aim 1, we will determine the role of LILRB2 and its ligand binding in regulation of primary human AML-SC activity. In Aim 2, we will dissect the Angptl receptor initiated signaling pathway in AML-SCs, using gain-of-function and loss-of- function approaches to illuminate the functional significance of the SHP-2 signaling and CAMK4 signaling in regulation of self-renewal and differentiation of AML-SCs. In Aim 3, we will investigate how the downstream targets of the Angptl receptor-mediated signaling regulate AML-SC activity. To our knowledge, this is the first study of the molecular mechanism of these inhibitory receptors in the maintenance of stemness of cancer stem cells and progenitors. The proposed study will determine the functional significance of the Angptl receptor in human AML and identify the molecular determinants of the Angptl receptor-mediated signaling in control of AML-SC activity. It will likely open a new research front to study the role of inhibitory receptors in stem cells and cancer. Moreover, the understanding of the ligand-receptor binding, the signaling events, and the downstream effectors in this newly identified pathway will directly guide the development of new therapeutic strategies for human AML.

City claims it wants to settle the EPA lawsuit, but some say there's no sign of compromise Tools Mayor John Suthers, elected in 2015, inherited a neglected stormwater system and has worked to fix it. But not everyone buys Suthers' claim that the city is doing all it can to settle a federal lawsuit filed by regulators two years ago — in the face of U.S. District Judge Richard Matsch's disastrous Nov. 9 ruling against the city. "Every time the Springs makes an offer, it is business as usual," says Jay Winner, general manager of the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District, a plaintiff in the case. "They say, 'You have seen a list of what we plan on doing, and that's enough.'" Officials with Pueblo County and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), also plaintiffs along with the Environmental Protection Agency, say they want to settle, too. "I am totally convinced that every dollar we've spent on litigation is a dollar not going into projects," Pueblo County Commissioner Terry Hart says. But Winner and Hart say they want an enforceable agreement to assure the city follows through, not a given considering Colorado Springs' track record of shirking its drainage responsibilities. And while Suthers cites a 20-year, $460-million intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Pueblo County and a new voter-approved stormwater fee as proof the city means business, a state official notes the city still defies the law. "Many of the violations that Judge Matsch found are ongoing violations of the Clean Water Act," Patrick Pfaltzgraf, director of CDPHE's Water Quality Control Division, says in a statement. He also warns that Matsch "has broad authority" to slam the city with court orders to force the city's compliance with the Clean Water Act. At issue is a lawsuit in which regulators allege the city failed to force developers to install necessary drainage infrastructure, thereby allowing sediment and pollution to befoul Fountain Creek south to Pueblo and, via the Arkansas River, to points east and south. And while Suthers has promised to do better, plaintiffs note the current IGA specifically says the agreement doesn't bind future city officials to fund it. "The biggest issue is no one trusts the Springs that they will follow through," Winner says. "They dissolved the Stormwater Enterprise once. What will stop them from doing it again?" Indeed, the city's shoddy and under-funded stormwater controls date back decades and include the flip-flop of adopting stormwater fees in 2007 (without a public vote) only to abolish them two years later after voters approved Issue 300 that barred payments between the city and its enterprises. Thereafter, the city's spending on flood control dwindled to less than $2 million a year, and it continued to pollute streams and the Arkansas river. Then came two scathing audits by regulators in 2013 and 2015, during the tenure of then-Mayor Steve Bach, which resulted in little action. So in 2016, Pueblo County threatened to rescind Colorado Springs Utilities' construction permit for the $825-million Southern Delivery System water pipeline from Pueblo Reservoir unless the city fixed its drainage problems. That led to the April 2016 IGA, in which the Springs agreed to construct 71 stormwater projects and improve maintenance. Despite that, the EPA and CDPHE sued in November 2016. CourtesyCDPHE Patrick Pfaltzgraf A two-week trial in September addressed just three examples of developments within the city with inadequate stormwater controls, of the city's hundreds of violations. Matsch found that the city defied its federal discharge permit by waiving water quality requirements in the northeast Indigo Ranch development; by failing to enforce its own rules against the developer of Star Ranch Filing 2, and by allowing installation of a misdesigned drainage basin at MorningStar at Bear Creek. In a statement issued after Matsch's ruling, Suthers lamented the lawsuit's cost — already more than $3.3 million — and blamed the plaintiffs. "[I]f the state and EPA insist on continuing to litigate every issue, we have no choice but to continue to do so," he wrote, noting the city has taken "extraordinary steps" toward creating "the best stormwater program in the state." But Winner says the city, not the plaintiffs, refuses to enter into a consent decree that would end the lawsuit. Although plaintiffs haven't floated dollar figures in penalties or additional drainage requirements, Winner and Hart say they want a deal that's enforced by an outsider to ensure the city adheres to its conditions. "Citizens would like that — to see they're getting their dollar's worth," Winner says. "How can we be sure they're going to spend that $460 million unless there's some consent order? They [city officials] want to self-audit. What I want is a third-party audit, and I think Pueblo would see it the exact same way." (The Independent asked the Mayor's office to comment on whether they are willing to negotiate, and they re-sent the prior statement.) Says Hart, "I'm willing to talk about anything to resolve the case." But, given the city's past flip-flop on stormwater, he, too, wants more than a handshake. "What we worry about is making sure everything we enter into isn't based purely on trust, but that it's what we agreed to and it's enforceable," he says, adding, "Honestly, I don't know if the city is ready, willing and able to settle." He bases that thought on two things: First, Hart, an attorney, ran into Suthers, who's also a lawyer, at the State Fair where the mayor expressed disappointment there'd been no settlement. Hart told him that Pueblo County wants to discuss it. He says nothing happened. Second, "There was conversation a week or so before the judge's order came out about whether a settlement discussion might be appropriate," he says, "and I have not heard back." He adds, "I don't think either community is benefited by constantly slugging it out in court." Winner agrees and wonders why the city seems bent on letting the lawsuit move ahead to a trial of dozens of violations and a determination of sanctions. "It's a very expensive game of chicken to play with taxpayers' dollars," he says.

Q: Python DocuSign API receiving network error on the sample app I am running the Python and React MyUni Education sample app and have it loading in my localhost3000. When I click on the logins though it is giving me an error: "Network Error" I have added config details to the Environment variables via the .env file. I have also received the same error on the other sample app MySure. So trying to work out what I might be missing. A: You need to follow the instructions in https://github.com/docusign/sample-app-myuni-python Specifically, you need to get the command flask run --port 5001 working correctly before you run "npm start" and you need to update all the required env variables listed in the repo's README.

Enbridge awards Aecon JV $282M Manitoba pipeline contract Author Published Share it Dive Brief: Canada-based construction and infrastructure firm Aecon Group announced Wednesday that Enbridge Pipelines has awarded the company and its 50/50 joint venture partner, Robert B. Somerville Co. Ltd, a $282 million contract to build two sections of pipeline in Manitoba, Canada. The companies will perform the work as SA Energy Group. SA Energy will build a 57.3-mile pipeline near Brandon, Manitoba, and a 60-mile pipeline near Morden, Manitoba, the latter of which will extend to the U.S.-Canada border. The two pipeline segments are part of the second phase of the largest project in Enbridge history, the Line 3 Replacement. The Canada portion of the project is valued at CA$5.3 billion and the U.S. portion at $2.9 billion. It will see the replacement of 1,031 miles of Line 3 segments — and associated facilities — from Hardisty, Alberta, to Superior, Wisconsin. The project is intended to increase capacity for Canada's crude oil production, as well as meet refinery demand in both Canada and the U.S. SA Energy has already completed 162.2 miles of pipeline for two, first-phase Line 3 Replacement spreads in Saskatchewan and expects to start construction on the second phase in August, with substantial completion slated for the end of this year. John M. Beck, president and CEO of Aecon, said the Line 3 Replacement contract, combined with the company's other recent awards, will result in record company backlog levels for the second quarter. Dive Insight: Future cross-border energy infrastructure initiatives will be able to skip some of the time-eating red tape associated with such projects if one U.S. senator gets his way. In June, John Hoeven, a Republican senator from North Dakota introduced the North American Energy Infrastructure Act, which would eliminate the requirement that electric, oil and gas infrastructure projects built between the U.S. and Canada or Mexico secure a presidential permit. Instead, the suitable federal agencies would take over the permitting process for these cross-border projects. Energy companies would still have to undergo environmental reviews, and contractors would have to abide by local regulations. Ultimately, the act would attempt to increase transparency and help standardize construction, operation and maintenance of energy projects that cross U.S. borders. Within the U.S., domestic energy contractors are booking billions in business. For example, Industrial Info Resources reported earlier this month that Houston-based Troy Construction has almost $1.5 billion of natural gas pipeline projects underway. In June, Bechtel announced an award for an LNG facility in Port Arthur, Texas, worth up to $9 billion. Sempra Energy of San Diego has hired the company to act as the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning contractor for two natural gas liquefaction trains, feed gas pre-treatment facilities, natural gas liquids and refrigerant storage and up to three gas tanks. Cheniere Energy also hired Bechtel to build the company's $11 billion Train 3 expansion in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Automatic darkening filters are often provided on protective headgear (e.g., helmets, shields, visors, or the like), e.g. where protection from high intensity light is desired.

A pilot digital intervention targeting loneliness in young people with psychosis. Loneliness has been identified as a significant challenge for people with psychosis. Interventions targeting loneliness are lacking but adopting a positive psychology approach may reduce loneliness, promote well-being, and support meaningful social interactions. Together with youth mental health consumers, we developed a digital smartphone application (app) called +Connect, which delivers positive psychology content daily for 6 weeks. Twelve participants diagnosed with a psychotic disorder were recruited from early psychosis services. Loneliness was assessed pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 3-month post-intervention. Acceptability, feasibility, and usability were measured post-intervention, including a semi-structured interview on the user's experience of +Connect. We found evidence for the feasibility of +Connect. All but two participants completed the +Connect program, completing 95% (40.10 out of 42 days) of the program. Furthermore, 66.67% (8 out of the 12 participants) remained engaged with the program 3-months post-intervention. Our data indicates preliminary evidence that +Connect may reduce loneliness, with scores from pre-intervention (M = 50.00, SD = 8.47) to post-intervention (M = 48.10, SD = 10.38) and 3-months post-intervention (M = 42.89, SD = 7.04). We found that positive reinforcement of in-game rewards and evidence of positive mood changes added to the feasibility of the app. Regarding acceptability, while 10% (1/10 participants) reported not finding +Connect useful or enjoyable, 90% of participants agreed that +Connect helped them to increase their social confidence, enjoy life, look forward to being with other people, and feel more connected with others. Participant interviews supported these results, with participants highlighting the app's strengths in providing useful information, stimulating self-reflection, fostering positive affect, and encouraging transfer of skills into their social interactions. While preliminary findings indicated that +Connect yielded high levels of acceptability and feasibility, it is important to consider that we recruited a small and selected sample of lonely young people. Further iterations of this proof of concept app, which can incorporate participant feedback such preferences for increased personalisation, in-app feedback, and gamification, may allow an opportunity to test an improved version in the future.

Booking Terms & Conditions Please read through before booking a model. As required by department of employment regulations, Pixie Models Ltd booking confirmation containing the terms of the booking must be signed and returned to Pixie Models by the client, before the shoot date. Failure to do so may result in the cancellation of the models. 1. BOOKING FEES Permitted use in general, photographic fees cover the right to use one image for one year from the date of the booking, in the UK only, for the initial permitted use. 2. DAILY/HOURLY RATE Booking fees are charged by the day or by the hour. Extra half hours or parts of half hours shall be paid at half the hourly rate. Equity contracts excluded, the day booking is for a 7 hour period including a 1-hour lunch-break. Unless otherwise agreed the minimum booking is for 2 hours. 3. OVERTIME Overtime rates apply before 9am, after 6pm and on all bookings over seven hours. (a) The overtime rate is at one-and-a half times the daily rate between 6pm and 12am. (b) A special rate is negotiated for night work between 12am and 9am. 4. FITTINGS Fees for fitting are charged at half the hourly rate depending on age. 5. (a) USAGE Additional fees are payable for the right to use photographs (or reproductions, or adaptations of, or drawings there from, either complete or in part, alone or in conjunction with any wording or drawings: including electronic reproduction) for all known or anticipated purposes other than the initial Permitted Use. (E.g. packs, posters, show cards, record covers, swing tickets etc.) In general, the additional fees cover the right to use one image for one year from the date of the booking, in UK only, for the purpose or purposes agreed. (b) TERRITORY Additional fees are also payable for the right to use the photographs (or reproductions, or adaptations of, or drawings there from, either complete or in part, alone or in conjunction with any wording or drawings: including electronic reproduction) for all known or anticipated territories other than the UK. In general the additional fees cover the right to use one image for one year from the date of the booking, in the territory or territories agreed. 6. (a) USAGE 2 It is the client's responsibility to notify the agent and negotiate additional fees (including extensions of existing agreements) for any usage, which may be required or anticipated subsequent to the time of booking as per 6 (a), above. (b) TERRITORY It is the client's responsibility to notify The Agency and negotiate additional fees (including extensions of existing agreements) for any territory, which may be required or anticipated subsequent to the time of booking as per 6 (b), above. 7. AGENCY FEES All bookings, except Equity Contract TV commercials, will be subject to a supplement of 25% on all shoot and usage fees. Both agency fees and model fees will be invoiced by the agency, unless otherwise agreed at the time of booking, VAT and any agreed expenses will be added where appropriate. The agency reserve the right to charge the same fees as another agency, should a child from another agency be used for the same job as a child from Pixie Models Ltd 8. TRAVEL All travel costs for jobs outside of Central London should be reimbursed with valid receipt and will be included in the final invoice. If the parent is driving, fuel costs should be reimbursed at the standard rate of 45p per mile. This is calculated from our office postcode (WC2H 8DL) to the shoot location postcode, sought from Google maps. 9. OTHER FEES Please ensure you are aware of our rates before booking models for additional services i.e. recalls, wardrobe fittings where you are unsure of the fee payable. These can be requested directly from Pixie Models Ltd. 10. PAYMENT TERMS All invoiced payments are required within 30 days of the date of invoice. In all cases the person booking the model will be invoiced and solely responsible for payment, unless otherwise agreed at the time of the booking. We reserve the right to invoice the “ultimate client' (i.e. designer/manufacturer/owner of the product in question). All fees are for the right to use pictures and once agreed, are payable whether or not the use is appropriated. If the invoice is not paid in full within the payment terms, Pixie Models Ltd. reserves the right to charge interest at the rate prescribed by the late payment of commercial Debt (interest) Act 1998 from the date the payment was due until the date payment is made. 11. EXCLUSION FEES A special fee will be negotiated when the work is in conjunction with a product, which precludes work for competing products. It is the CLIENTS responsibility to check whether conflicting work has been done. If a model advertises a product, he/she is able to work for any competitor unless an exclusion fee is negotiated. 12. PROVISIONAL BOOKINGS Provisional bookings will be automatically cancelled if they are not confirmed within 24 hours of the proposed booking or if a definite booking is offered and the provisional cannot be confirmed. 13. CANCELLATIONS If a booking is cancelled within 24 hours of the starting time, 50% of the fee will be charged. Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays are excluded from these calculations. However, if a booking is cancelled due to illness or some other reason beyond the models or agencies control (and upon the production of the appropriate evidence) the model shall not be liable for cancellation charges. This is a reciprocal arrangement between models and client. 14. WEATHER PERMITTING BOOKINGS At the first cancellation, a half-fee is charged unless the client fails to cancel in time to prevent the model's attendance, when the full fee is payable. At the second cancellation, the full fee is charged. 15. MEALS Clients are responsible for models meals, unless client requests child/parent to bring along a packed lunch or otherwise beforehand, at the time of booking. 16. FASHION SHOWS Payment of the agreed fees confers the right to make use of the model's services on the catwalk for the specified show and the right to use photographs and video of the show reporting purposes only. Any other usage must be negotiated at the time of the booking. 17. VIDEOS For all videos the normal daily rates will apply PLUS a buy-out to be negotiated. 18. TEST & EXPERIMENTAL PHOTOGRAPHY A Photographer is not entitled to use test and experimental photographs for commercial purposes unless specific arrangements have been made before the photographic session. 19. COPYRIGHT The photographer is not entitled to use any of the images he takes for any usage beyond that agreed under sections relating to usage above. The photographer to this extent agrees to restrict use of his copyright and if the model agency client is not a photographer, the client is to draw these Term & Conditions to the attention of the photographer and obtain his agreement to them before the shoot commences. 20. INSURANCE The client is responsible for the models health and safety when the model is travelling, or providing services, in connection with the booking to the same extent as if the model were an employee of the client. The client will maintain adequate insurance cover to underwrite its obligations to the model. The agent is not responsible if the model fails to attend the booking. The client is advised to insure against any losses, which might result if the model does not keep a booking because of ill health, or some other reason. 21. JURISDICTION These terms and conditions for booking and all other matters connected with the booking are governed by English law and any dispute will be settled in accordance with that law by a court in England. 22. COMPLAINTS Any cause for complaint should be reported to the Agency when it arises. Complaints cannot be considered in retrospect. 23. (a) CHILDREN'S PERFORMANCE REGULATIONS 1968 Children under 16 years of age require a licence for paid performances. It is the client's responsibility to licence the children. Please note to put a licence in place takes a minimum of 5-10 working days, depending on the council involved. (b) AGENCY ACTING ON BEHALF OF APPLICANT Please note that should you wish Pixie Models to apply for a Child Performance Licence on your behalf, there will be a fee of £35 per child, whether or not the child is confirmed. Please note that: Whilst every endeavour is made to provide satisfactory and efficient service to our clients, we cannot be held responsible for a models conduct on an assignment. We reserve the right to negotiate within the structure of these Terms & Conditions. It is the clients responsibility to arrange insurance if indemnity is required against a models inability to attend through sickness or unforeseen circumstances. PLEASE NOTE As the supplier of services, these Terms and Conditions take precedence over any Terms and Conditions, which may be received from the client even if those Terms and Conditions have a clause similar to this. All fees are to be negotiated only with Pixie Models Ltd. It is not permitted to use the photographs for any use whatsoever until all fees are paid in full. Whilst every endeavor is made to provide a satisfactory and efficient service to our clients we cannot be held responsible for a models conduct on an assignment. We reserve the right to negotiate with the structure of these Terms and Conditions. Models Terms & Conditions This document constitutes as working terms & Conditions between the Model and Pixie Models Ltd. Regulating the modeling and acting work and use of photographs and derivative works including promotional work for a period of 12 months from application date, if application is successful. For and in consideration of the mutual promises herein contained, the parties hereby agree as follows. 1. For the term of this agreement, Model hereby appoints and engages Agency to act as Model’s personal manager in the fields of modelling, acting, advertising and entertainment (hereinafter referred to as the “fields”). 3. Agency retains the right to use and distribute and allow or license others to make use of and distribute Model’s name, portrait and pictures in connection with the matters covered by this agreement. 4. Agency may publicise that it is the personal manager for Model. 5. Model agrees to provide Agency with current photographs, comp cards, and tear sheets/advertising written or other related material for promotional use of Agency and Model. 6. Model shall pay to Agency twenty five per cent (25%) of all monies, fees or other contributions received by Model, directly or indirectly, during the term specified in these Terms & Conditions, whether originated by Agency or not. Model hereby grants to Agency a limited Power of Attorney to collect all fees and monies earned or accruing to Model from all sources governed by this agreement and to remit to Model the net fee after deducting the aforesaid twenty five per cent (25%) commission. This limited Power of Attorney includes the right of the Agency to deposit the proceeds in a general account prior to remitting the balance to Model. Model agrees to instruct clients, producers, advertising agencies and/or union office, on all jobs, contracts or on the release model signs at the time of production to send all fees and monies due to Model directly to Agency. This limited Power of Attorney also authorises Agency to sign Model releases on behalf of Model, and authorise reuse and residuals, whether originated by the agency or not. 7. Modeling Fees are paid within 10 days from the date the invoice has been settled by our client. 8. It is understood and agreed that Model is in business for himself/herself and is solely responsible for payment of any and all taxes, whether income, or otherwise. 9. It is further understood and agreed that Agency is acting as a personal manager only, and does not operate as an employment agency. A parent or Guardian must at all times remain with the child and is responsible for their safety and supervision. If you are not comfortable with what your child has been asked to do or feel it is unsafe please withdraw your child and contact the agency immediately. 10. The term of this agreement shall be made for a period of one year, commencing this date. Model may terminate this agreement with five (5) days written notice, delivered by registered mail to the address listed on the face of this document. Subscription fees are non-refundable. If termination notice is received after a booking or placement has been arranged, Model agrees to honour that booking/placement or else reimburse Agency for any and all costs incurred or revenue forfeited (including such revenue which may be owing to a client due to incurred expenses as a result of Model’s cancellation). 11. In the absence of termination notice, this agreement shall continue to be renewed from year-to-year on the anniversary date. 12. Model and chaperone agree to conduct himself/herself with propriety and dignity, and to do nothing on an engagement or otherwise that may tend to injure the reputation and goodwill of Model or Agency, (in person and online and within social media). Model further agrees to abide by all standard rules and policies of Agency with regard to behaviour on castings and engagements. Agency may, upon five (5) days’ notice to Model terminate this agreement for breach of this paragraph. 13. This agreement shall be binding upon both parties and payment for successful applicants will be due 30 days from application date. The Fee is £125 per year to cover entree to the agencies Website & database ( reduced to £75 for babies under one year) payable to PixieModels Ltd. This can be paid by bank card by calling the ageny or by BACS transfer. This fee is non refundable.

Community Technology Survey 1. Introduction Welcome to the Community Technology Survey of existing nonprofit technology tools. This survey is being distributed as a collaboration between NPower and Accenture. Please answer the following questions on behalf of your organization. We will be using this data to help identify patterns of needs in the nonprofit community. The final data will be published on our website at www.npower.org and will alert you when the survey information is available. Organizations will remain anonymous in the final published report. Only their demographic data will be shared. 3 random winners will be chosen from the completed surveys to win a new iPod Shuffle. Thank you for your participation.

677 F.2d 24 110 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2742, 94 Lab.Cas. P 13,706 NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD, Petitioner,v.PYROMATICS, INC., Respondent. No. 81-1139. United States Court of Appeals,Sixth Circuit. April 26, 1982. Elliott Moore, Deputy Associate Gen. Counsel, Elaine Patrick, N. L. R. B., Washington, D. C., for petitioner. Michael C. Cohan, Cavitch, Familo & Durkin Co., Cleveland, Ohio, for respondent. Before BROWN, Circuit Judge, PHILLIPS, Senior Circuit Judge, and TUTTLE, Senior Circuit Judge.* ORDER 1 Milton Willis was terminated from his employment with Pyromatics, Inc., an East Cleveland, Ohio manufacturer of silica products, on December 7, 1978. Willis and other employees in the core department at Pyromatics had been petitioning management since November 29, 1978, for permission to take leaves of absence between Christmas and New Year's Day. Because of a significant backlog of production in the core department, the Company repeatedly denied this request. This decision was reiterated at a meeting of the core department the morning of December 6, 1978. As the meeting began to break, Willis commented to his supervisor, Ken Bittner, that if the employees did not get the requested time off, they would all come down with the "quartz flu." When Bittner inquired as to Willis's meaning, Willis explained that police officers who fake an illness in order to not report to work have the "blue flu," and that since he and his co-workers worked with quartz they would come down with "quartz flu." 2 Willis then drafted a petition to be presented to all the core department employees, and with Bittner's permission circulated it among the employees and secured their signatures. The petition stated: "We, the following undersigned members of the Core Dept., would like a leave of absence, from Tues. Dec. 26th thru Fri. Dec. 29th." The petition was presented to Bittner, who forwarded it to Ted Loxley, Pyromatic's president, later that day and also related the incident about the "quartz flu." 3 Willis was fired by Loxley the next morning. Willis claims he was told by Loxley that he was terminated for circulating the petition. Loxley claims he never mentioned the petition. Willis testified that Loxley informed him of the decision to terminate him when he was summoned to Loxley's office in the following manner: "I know that you don't seem to be satisfied around here by passing the petition and that's going a bit too far and for that reason, you are terminated effective immediately." Loxley testified that he told Willis "that in light of our inability to really satisfy his needs, that I thought it would be best if he just left immediately." Loxley claimed that he never stated to Willis that he was fired for circulating a petition. 4 Willis's termination notice, which was filled out by Pyromatic's personnel manager and signed by Bittner, stated that he was discharged for "soliciting w/ petition to interfere w/ production (work stop)." A memorandum drafted by Loxley detailing Willis's termination stated: "It was decided that Milt's actions of threatening to stop production and circulating an unauthorized petition during working hours required his termination." A form sent to the Ohio Bureau of Employment Services following this incident stated that Willis was "terminated for threatening the Company with a work stoppage. Copies of unauthorized petition and supervisory statements attached." 5 Willis filed a claim with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging he was fired for violating Pyromatic's non-solicitation rule and for acting in concert with other employees in seeking time off from work. After a hearing, an administrative law judge determined that Pyromatic's non-solicitation rule violated § 8(a)(1) of the National Labor Relations Act, 29 U.S.C. § 158(a)(1) (1976). Pyromatics's non-solicitation rule stated as follows: 6 Solicitations for any cause are a nuisance to most people and adversely affect the efficiency and production of the individual departments. Therefore, solicitations, lotteries, sales of raffle tickets and sale of merchandise are forbidden unless specific permission has been granted by the office. The solicitation for membership in organizations of any kind during working hours is absolutely prohibited unless specific permission is granted by the office. Printed matter not pertaining to PYROMATICS business may not be distributed in work areas at any time. Printed matter may not be circulated anywhere on Company property by an employee during working hours. 7 The ALJ's order to cease and desist from enforcing any rule prohibiting union or other concerted activities during working hours was not excepted to before the Board, nor has it been challenged on appeal; accordingly, the court concludes that this portion of the ALJ's decision as adopted by the Board should be enforced. 8 The ALJ also determined that Willis's termination was a violation of § 8(a) (1). The ALJ concluded that the "quartz flu" incident played no role in Willis's firing, and that Willis was terminated solely for his protected activity of circulating the petition to seek time off from work. Alternatively, the ALJ determined that Willis's firing was a violation even if the "quartz flu" incident was a factor, since the firing was motivated in part by Willis's protected activity of circulating the petition. 9 The Board affirmed the ALJ's ruling, and agreed with his conclusion that the "quartz flu" incident had nothing to do with the firing. Furthermore, the Board stated that even if that incident was a factor, that the Company "failed to demonstrate that it would have discharged Willis absent his circulation of the petition." 251 N.L.R.B. No. 141 n.3 (1980). 10 On this application for enforcement of the Board's order, Pyromatics has challenged the Board's determination contending that the circulation of the petition was merely background information which gave credence to Willis's threat to fake an illness and initiate a work stoppage, which was the Company's sole reason for terminating Willis. Pyromatics claims that there was not substantial evidence to support the Board's finding that Willis was discharged for engaging in protected concerted activities. 11 We conclude that the Board's determination and order are supported by substantial evidence. There is substantial evidence to support a finding that the principal reason or "dominant motive" (Charge Card Assoc. v. NLRB, 653 F.2d 272 (6th Cir. 1981)) for the discharge of Willis was his protected activity of circulating the petition. 12 The Board's order, 251 N.L.R.B. No. 141 (1980), is therefore enforced in full. * The Honorable Elbert P. Tuttle, Senior Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, sitting by designation

Blog Stats Ontop List National disaster: Millions of children prescribed antipsychotic drugs they don’t need Are doctors going crazy? US psychiatrists prescribe antipsychotic drugs to children in one third of all visits, which is a rate almost three times higher than during the 1990’s. Roughly 90 percent of antipsychotic prescriptions written between 2005 and 2009 were prescribed for something other than what the US Food and Drug Administration approves them for. Researchers say the increase in antipsychotic drug prescription is largely to treat disruptive behaviors, including attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) – even though those disorders are not treatable by antipsychotics. Medications such as Abilify and Risperdal, which are used primarily to treat patients with schizophrenia, are increasingly being prescribed “off label” to control youngsters with ADHD who have problems controlling their behavior. “Only a small proportion of antipsychotic treatment of children (6 percent) and adolescents (13 percent) is for FDA-approved clinical indications,” said Dr. Mark Olfson, a professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University, in an interview with Reuters. Children with ADHD are most often taking drugs approved for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and irritability with autism. “People from all walks of life are taking medications for mental-health conditions,” psychiatrist David Muzina told the Wall Street Journal. But whether they are effective or not, the drugs have been known to cause other health problems, such as diabetes, high cholesterol, muscular tics and weight gain. A University of Massachusetts study found that kids taking antipsychotics were four times more likely to develop diabetes. Between 1993 and 2008, 31 children died from taking Risperdal and more than 1,200 suffered serious health problems. “We have a national catastrophe,” Dr. Peter Breggin told US News & World Report. “This is a situation where we have ruined the brains of millions of children.” But in many cases, antipsychotic drug prescriptions are not even necessary to treat behavioral disorders. There are psychosocial interventions, such as parent management training, that are able to reduce aggressive and disruptive behaviors in kids, Olfson said. Instead of taking the time and money to gradually reduce their children’s behavioral problems, parents are opting for antipsychotic medications for an instant fix. Drugged from a young age onward, many American children will grow up dependent on serious antipsychotic drugs they had no need for. Published by Breakthru International Breakthru International is an independent and organic organisation whose focus includes prayer, worship, intercession and the fasted lifestyle. A young movement passionate about God. View all posts by Breakthru International

Put i, m, 2/5 in descending order. 2/5, i, m Let o = -4 + 4.3. Let s = -0.0913 + -0.0087. Put -0.3, o, s in increasing order. -0.3, s, o Let b be 16/88 + (-172)/(-22). Let c = -7 + b. Let k be 0/(0 - (-5)/((-5)/(-2))). Put c, -5, k in increasing order. -5, k, c Let k = 228 - 226. Sort k, 5, 21 in decreasing order. 21, 5, k Suppose 5*y = -10, -14*y = 4*x - 12*y + 40. Sort -3, -5, x, 5 in ascending order. x, -5, -3, 5 Suppose -522*i + 521*i = 1. Put -10, 37, -2, i in increasing order. -10, -2, i, 37 Let d = 0.084 - -10.916. Let t = 18 + -19. Sort -2/5, 1/4, d, t in increasing order. t, -2/5, 1/4, d Let r = -0.14 - -7.14. Let k = r + -6. Let v = k - 2. Sort -2, v, -1/4 in ascending order. -2, v, -1/4 Suppose -2*c = -c + 9. Suppose 1 = t + 4. Suppose 0 = 2*z + 16 - 14. Put z, t, c in decreasing order. z, t, c Let n = -56 - 3. Let o = n + 63. Put -3, 1, -4, o in descending order. o, 1, -3, -4 Suppose 3*b + 68 = 59. Suppose -4 + 0 = -4*s + 3*t, 0 = -4*s + 5*t + 12. Suppose 4*j - x = 21, 5*j - 4*x = 33 + 7. Sort s, j, b. b, s, j Let u(q) = -16*q + 44. Let y be u(3). Put 33, -1, 1, y in descending order. 33, 1, -1, y Let v = -10 - -14. Put 5, v, 24 in ascending order. v, 5, 24 Suppose -5*d = -4*x + 9, 3*x - 11*d + 16*d + 2 = 0. Sort 6, -4/21, x in descending order. 6, x, -4/21 Let g be (-2)/18 + (-32)/(-18)*-5. Sort g, 4, -1 in increasing order. g, -1, 4 Let y be 2/7 + 37/(-7). Let b = -219 + 221. Sort y, 1, b. y, 1, b Let h(d) = -d**3 - 5*d**2 - 7*d - 12. Let s be h(-2). Sort 2, -3, -5, s. s, -5, -3, 2 Let h be (1 + (-2)/2)/2. Suppose 21*c - 70 = -49*c. Put 22, h, c in descending order. 22, c, h Let j(h) = -h**3 - 30*h**2 - 25*h + 114. Let z be j(-29). Put -3, z, -51 in ascending order. -51, -3, z Let b(j) = j**3 + j**2 - j - 1. Let o be b(-1). Suppose o = 4*x + 4 - 16. Suppose 0 = -5*t - q + 16, 4 = -2*t - 2*t - 5*q. Put x, -5, t in increasing order. -5, x, t Suppose 2*c - 8 - 2 = 0. Let v(u) = u**2 - 2*u - 14. Suppose 7*l - 4*l = -4*w + 17, 0 = -w + 2*l + 7. Let m be v(w). Sort 4, c, m in ascending order. m, 4, c Suppose 2*x + 2*p + 0*p = 24, p + 43 = 4*x. Suppose -16 = -5*u - 2*t - 0*t, u + 3*t = x. Let z(y) = 5*y**2 - y. Let l be z(1). Put l, u, -4 in ascending order. -4, u, l Let u(q) = q**2 - 2. Let o = 16 - 14. Let j be u(o). Let l(r) = -6*r + 43. Let k be l(7). Put k, -2, j in increasing order. -2, k, j Let v be 4/(-3) + (-700)/(-450). Sort -6, 10, -0.3, v. -6, -0.3, v, 10 Let w(s) = 2*s**2 - 5*s + 2. Let b be w(2). Suppose b*h = -3*h. Put h, -1, -5 in decreasing order. h, -1, -5 Let z(w) = 7*w + 271. Let g be z(-38). Put g, 8, -1 in increasing order. -1, g, 8 Suppose -9 + 25 = -4*a. Sort a, -8, -1 in decreasing order. -1, a, -8 Suppose -d - 3 - 1 = 0. Let k = d - 0. Put k, 5, 2/9, -5 in descending order. 5, 2/9, k, -5 Suppose 32*d - 35*d + 3 = 0. Put -4, 3, -3, d in ascending order. -4, -3, d, 3 Let m = 264/1955 + -2/115. Put -0.3, -9, m, 1 in increasing order. -9, -0.3, m, 1 Suppose -8*w + 4*w = -16. Let p be -6*(w - 11/2). Sort 1, p, 5. 1, 5, p Let b = 110 + -107. Put b, 5, -3/8, 0.3 in decreasing order. 5, b, 0.3, -3/8 Suppose 49 = 34*w - 77 - 554. Let h be 5/(-7) - (-2)/(-7). Let t be (h*3)/((-3)/4). Sort w, -4, t in descending order. w, t, -4 Let c(t) = t + 16. Let u be c(-11). Let a(k) = 2*k**2 + k - 2. Let x be a(-2). Sort 2, x, u in descending order. u, x, 2 Let k be 4/((-8)/(-30)*-5). Let r(s) = s**2 - 5. Let w be r(0). Let b = 0 - w. Put b, -2, k in descending order. b, -2, k Let z = 1 - -3. Suppose i = -3*u - 9, -2*u + i = z + 2. Let l = 39 + -37. Sort 0, u, l in descending order. l, 0, u Let u = -1.201 - 26.479. Let b = -0.68 - u. Let y = 24 - b. Sort y, 1, 0. y, 0, 1 Let v = 90 - 95. Sort v, 2/3, -1/5 in descending order. 2/3, -1/5, v Let l = 1.9 - 1.855. Let s = 0.935 + l. Let j = s + 0.02. Put j, -3, -1/10 in descending order. j, -1/10, -3 Let x(w) = -w**2 - 65*w + 64. Let b be x(-66). Sort -499, 0, b in decreasing order. 0, b, -499 Let v be ((-16)/(-684))/((-34)/978). Let k = v - -2/323. Put k, 2, 1 in decreasing order. 2, 1, k Let v = -10 + 15. Let n(t) = t**3 + 5*t**2. Let i be n(-5). Suppose q + i*q - 4 = o, -3*q + 5 = -2*o. Sort v, 2/23, o in descending order. v, 2/23, o Let f be 15/(-6)*(-24)/(-12). Put f, 16, 0 in decreasing order. 16, 0, f Let v = 3.973 - -0.027. Let c be ((-6)/(-10))/(33/30). Put v, -3, c in increasing order. -3, c, v Suppose -2*p + 5 = -3*s, 4*s = -5*p - 0*s + 47. Suppose 0 = -u + 5, 16 - 46 = -5*g + 3*u. Let n = g + -9. Put p, n, -5 in decreasing order. p, n, -5 Let c = 1062193/90 - 11802. Let z = 3/10 + c. Sort z, -0.3, 3, 0.9 in increasing order. -0.3, z, 0.9, 3 Let s be (-2 - (-18)/3)/(-3 + -55). Put -5, s, 0 in decreasing order. 0, s, -5 Let f = -6718/7 + 960. Put -36, 0.1, 2, f in decreasing order. 2, f, 0.1, -36 Let n be (4/6)/((-114)/855). Put 4, -3, 2, n in decreasing order. 4, 2, -3, n Let h be (-4)/9 - 2378/(-369). Let d be (1/2)/((-2)/(-20)). Suppose d*q - q = -16. Sort q, h, 2 in decreasing order. h, 2, q Suppose 0 = 4*u + 3*w - 77, -5 = -4*u - 4*w + 75. Let i = -19 + u. Let r(f) = -f**2 - 3*f + 1. Let y be r(i). Put -2, -1, y in decreasing order. y, -1, -2 Let m(g) = g**2 - 8*g + 15. Let p be m(3). Sort -73, -5, p in descending order. p, -5, -73 Let w = -2.2 - -12.2. Let d = w - 9.88. Let m = d + -0.02. Sort -3, m, -8 in ascending order. -8, -3, m Let i = 1.3 - 1. Let l = i - 1.8. Let j = -0.5 + l. Sort -0.2, 4, j in decreasing order. 4, -0.2, j Let q be (-3)/5 - 19/(855/(-162)). Let f = 12 + -5. Let n = -8 + f. Sort q, n, 2 in ascending order. n, 2, q Suppose -4*p + 5 = 1, 25 = -4*i - 3*p. Sort i, -1, -54 in descending order. -1, i, -54 Let j = 92 + -90. Let n be j + 1 + 3/(-6)*2. Let p = -5 - -2. Sort n, 0, p in descending order. n, 0, p Let j be (4 + 6)*(-2)/(-4). Suppose 8*o - 20 - 12 = 0. Sort j, o, 2, -3 in descending order. j, o, 2, -3 Let t = 3 - 5. Let w be 6*(-3 + (-35)/(-10)). Let y be (w/13)/(60/(-8)). Sort y, t, -1 in increasing order. t, -1, y Suppose -4*z + 2*o = -0*o - 8, 3*z = 5*o + 13. Suppose 3*d = h - z, 5*d + 0*h + 13 = -4*h. Sort d, 5, 2. d, 2, 5 Let v = -11 - 29. Let s = v - -38. Put 13, 1, s in increasing order. s, 1, 13 Let g = -12.035 + 12. Let d = 4.965 - g. Put d, -12, -2/17, 0 in increasing order. -12, -2/17, 0, d Let b be (-32)/(-6)*45/20. Suppose -5*k + 2 = b. Let d be 5/(15/12) - -1. Sort 2, k, d. k, 2, d Let j = 329.7 - 330. Sort -65, 3, j in descending order. 3, j, -65 Let q be (-10)/4 - 15/6. Sort q, 1/13, 1/3. q, 1/13, 1/3 Let p = -2.36 + -0.64. Put -0.1, p, -360 in decreasing order. -0.1, p, -360 Let n = 0.0865 + 6.0135. Put n, 3/2, 4 in descending order. n, 4, 3/2 Let u = -3.5 + -0.5. Let h = 0.3 + -0.4. Let s(p) = -p + 1. Let j be s(1). Sort u, j, h in ascending order. u, h, j Let v = 75 - 72. Let i = v - 3. Let d(l) = l. Let n be d(3). Sort 9, n, i in decreasing order. 9, n, i Suppose -2*s = -5*b + 26, 3*s + 5 = 2*b - 12. Let c = -10 - -11. Let z be (c - (0 - -2))*-1. Put z, -5, s in descending order. z, s, -5 Suppose -5 = 3*a + 2*c, -5*c + 42 = 17. Let d = -8 - -2. Let s = d - -4. Sort -12, a, s. -12, a, s Let w be (2 + 1)/(-6)*66/(-11). Sort 2/15, -0.02, w, -0.5 in ascending order. -0.5, -0.02, 2/15, w Let t(g) = -g. Let q be t(-2). Suppose -4*y + 3*f = -11, -5*y + 2*y - 2*f + 4 = 0. Suppose 2*m + 2*x = -10, -1 = 3*m - y*x - 6. Put q, m, 3 in decreasing order. 3, q, m Let l(k) = 3*k + 13. Suppose 15 = -3*j - 3. Let i be l(j). Sort i, 5, 1/3 in descending order. 5, 1/3, i Let t = -72 + 44. Let d = t - -29.3. Put -0.4, d, -0.1 in descending order. d, -0.1, -0.4 Suppose -s - 5*w - 11 = 0, -s + 5*w = 2*s - 7. Let i be (-1 - s/(-4))/(2/(-8)). Let t = 3 + -2. Sort -5, i, t in decreasing order. i, t, -5 Let j(i) = -4*i**2 + 15*i - 12. Let m be j(2). Put 51, m, 5 in ascending order. m, 5, 51 Let o = -0.056 + 32.056. Let d = -46 + o. Let g = d + 13. Put 3/2, g, 1 in descending order. 3/2, 1, g Let q = 861 + -11243/13. Sort 1/4, -3, -2/5, q. q, -3, -2/5, 1/4 Suppose 1768*m - 8 = 1766*m. Put -4, -23, m in decreasing order. m, -4, -23 Suppose q - 3*q - 38 = -4*o, 3*q = 3*o - 33. Let s(a) = a**2 - 6*a - 11. Let w be s(o). Sort 2, -1, w, -3 in ascending order. -3, -1, 2, w Let w be 1 + (-5 - (-255)/50)*-12. Let q = -14 + 14. Sort w, q, -15 in descending

Q: Storing game profiles for high scores / leaderboards in Redis Hey I am currently working on a game that has over 1 Million users, I've had a leaderboard for some time ranking people by their kills/deaths/kill streak and more using MySQL, however doing all these SQL calls doesn't seem to be good so I've started playing around with Redis. So here are the options I have in mind. Store all the data with ZADD, for example, then grab it all and use the ZRANGE and ZRANK to find the ranks put player_kills player1 100 put player_deaths player_2 200 However the problem I have with this is that for example, what if I only wanted to go over players that have over 10 kills ? Should I start storing user data in hashes and sort from there ? Please let me know if you have any examples or ideas I could use. A: To use the Sorted Set data structure, you'll need to call Redis' ZADD command as follows (not that the score precedes the member): ZADD player_kills 100 player1 Once you have all kills recorded, you can use the ZRANGEBYSCORE command to query and in your case: ZRANGEBYSCORE player_kills 10 +inf

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Osiny, Brzeziny County Osiny is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Dmosin, within Brzeziny County, Łódź Voivodeship, in central Poland. It lies approximately north-west of Dmosin, north of Brzeziny, and north-east of the regional capital Łódź. References Osiny

Search Should PA's Liquor License System be Overhauled? Wednesday night I was talking to the owner of a local bar while having a few pints of delicious craft beer with a few friends. He was discussing that his profession was to open restaurants for other people all over the United States. That was his career until he and his father opened their own bar/restaurant in Lancaster City which has rooted them firmly in place for the next several years at least. During his discussions of opening his business and the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of owning and operating your own bar he gave an estimate for what it cost to secure the liquor license that is the lifeblood of any bar. Without a liquor license a commercial establishment is not allowed to sell alcoholic beverages legally and being caught selling alcohol without a license carries hefty fine. He gave a number that was extremely high when considering opening a new business and was a significant percentage of the original investment of his place. It really made me wonder how liquor licensing works in Pennsylvania. So I did a little research. We’ve discussed on the show the absurd restrictions on selling alcohol in general, but specifically beer, in Pennsylvania. From only being able to by 12 beers at a time in a bar to only being able to buy by the case from a distributor, to being unable to offer discounts for “mug clubs” or bulk sales there are restrictions on just about every aspect of buying or selling beer. Liquor licensing for bar and restaurants is based on the County Quota System. This means that based on the ten-year census numbers there is one retail liquor license available for every 3,000 residents of a county. Doing some quick napkin math if Lancaster County has a population of ~526,000 people and we divide that by 3,000 it means there are approximately 175 liquor licenses for the county. That means of all the bars, restaurants, cafés, bottle shops, pizza joints, or anywhere else you want a to buy a drink only 175 of them can legally sell alcohol in this county. That’s really not a lot when you think about it. Just thinking of all the places that sell alcohol in downtown Lancaster City and a lot of those licenses are used up just within the city limits. The upside to this licensing scheme is also the downside to this licensing scheme; artificially low supply. Prior to Prohibition it was common to get a free lunch from a bar if you bought a beer or two. Imaging going to Issac’s sandwich shop and getting a free sandwich provided that you bought two glasses of whatever they had on tap. Seems like a great deal to me. Now, obviously these lunches weren’t free but were subsidized by the markup on the alcohol. The wide profit margin on alcohol sales are something that have extended into modern times. In restaurants and bar the alcohol is cross-subsidizing the food. Consider the last time you were at a fancy restaurant and the specialty cocktails might have been as expensive as the food you were eating. Now this is a great business model for a lot of businesses. Those of us with penchant for spirited beverages with a meal are helping business weather a temporary downtown, increase profits, increase tips for wait staff, and hopefully wages overall on employees at restaurants. With the exception of us “sinful” drinkers (who subsidize the price of meals for teetotalers and have our vice taxed twice by the state) it is a great arrangement for everyone on both sides of the business deal. Yet with Pennsylvania limiting the number of liquor licenses to population this creates a high demand for liquor licenses. The price for a liquor license can quickly become obscene. KeystonePolitics.com last year had an article talking about the high price of a liquor license in Philadelphia is becoming an impossible barrier of entry for those looking to open a bar or restaurant in the city. The report that the average liquor license in Philadelphia were in the neighborhood of $70,000 before including legal fees versus approximately $10,000 in the District of Columbia, a price that included legal fees. The article went on to quote that in less densely populated, suburban counties that prices are even higher with many at over $200,000. Just for the privilege of selling alcohol to people who want to buy it. The owner I spoke to didn’t pay nearly two hundred grand for his license yet he was still paying significantly more than the dramatically inflated prices of Philadelphia. The reason for the inflation is that liquor licenses when they become available are auctioned rather than sold. Those interested in securing a license must outbid others interested in the available license. This is great for the state as the income derived from a bidding war between interested parties goes to them but it terrible for those with ambitions of opening a bar. Having to gather enough capital to invest in a business space, inventory, employees, and all other costs of opening a bar might be dwarfed by the costs to secure the license that is required to run your business legally. This is the current system we have in Pennsylvania and it has been a great boon for the state itself but is it what is best of the citizens of the state? Or is it potentially killing our smaller cities with an artificial and unreasonable barrier of entry for new business that want to sell alcohol to start-up? Does this encourage national chains to open restaurants in small towns over ambitious locals looking to make their own unique bar experience?

Q: Error after switching from mysql to mysqli I changed from mysql to mysqli and I'm getting all of these errors now that I can't seem to fix. I have the result set and it says I don't. Warning: mysqli_fetch_assoc() expects parameter 1 to be mysqli_result, boolean given in /home/content/98/10339998/html/scripts/stories.php on line 26 I think this warning should fix itself once the array gets sorted out: Warning: extract() expects parameter 1 to be array, null given in /home/content/98/10339998/html/scripts/stories.php on line 28 Warning: mysqli_free_result() expects parameter 1 to be mysqli_result, boolean given in /home/content/98/10339998/html/scripts/stories.php on line 30 $con = mysqli_connect("storycodes.db.10339998.hostedresource.com",$username,$password); if (!$con) { die('Could not connect: ' . mysql_error()); } mysqli_select_db($con, "storycodes"); $code = $_POST['codeInput']; $code = htmlspecialchars($code); $query = "SELECT story,video FROM `storycodes` WHERE `code` = $codeInput"; $result = mysqli_query($con, $query); $row = mysqli_fetch_assoc($result); extract($row); mysqli_free_result($result); mysqli_close($con); echo $story . $video; A: Without switching to mysqli, use this code: $code = $_POST['codeInput']; $code = mysqli_escape_string(htmlspecialchars($code)); //May not acually need htmlspecialchars $query = "SELECT story,video FROM `storycodes` WHERE `code` = 'code'"; $result = mysqli_query($con, $query); Using mysqli with prepared statements is better choice, but this should solve your problem without adding alot of work.

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"/> <title>Usluga nedostupna!</title> <style type="text/css"> /*<![CDATA[*/ body {font-family:"Verdana";font-weight:normal;color:black;background-color:white;} h1 { font-family:"Verdana";font-weight:normal;font-size:18pt;color:red } h2 { font-family:"Verdana";font-weight:normal;font-size:14pt;color:maroon } h3 {font-family:"Verdana";font-weight:bold;font-size:11pt} p {font-family:"Verdana";font-weight:normal;color:black;font-size:9pt;margin-top: -5px} .version {color: gray;font-size:8pt;border-top:1px solid #aaaaaa;} /*]]>*/ </style> </head> <body> <h1>Usluga nedostupna!</h1> <p> Naš sustav je trenutno u procesu održavanja. Molimo vas da navratite kasnije. </p> <p> Zahvaljujemo. </p> <div class="version"> <?php echo date('Y-m-d H:i:s',$data['time']) .' '. $data['version']; ?> </div> </body> </html>

COURT OF APPEALS SECOND DISTRICT OF TEXAS FORT WORTH NO. 02-17-00409-CV THE CITY OF CROWLEY APPELLANT V. DOUG RAY APPELLEE ---------- FROM THE 342ND DISTRICT COURT OF TARRANT COUNTY TRIAL COURT NO. 342-238173-09 ---------- OPINION ---------- I. INTRODUCTION Appellant The City of Crowley pursues its second interlocutory appeal in this litigation stemming from Appellee Doug Ray’s efforts to develop a residential subdivision in the City. See Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Ann. § 51.014(a)(8) (West Supp. 2017). In the first four of its five issues, the City argues that the trial court lacks subject-matter jurisdiction over Ray’s inverse-condemnation claim because the claim is unripe, because Ray failed to exhaust administrative remedies, because the City is immune from suit, and because the claim fails as a matter of law. In its fifth issue, the City challenges the trial court’s authority to award attorneys’ fees after summarily disposing of Ray’s claim for declaratory relief. We will affirm. II. BACKGROUND The crux of the underlying dispute centers around Ray’s complaint that the City prohibited him from developing his property in accordance with the City’s adopted floodplain criteria. We do not tackle that merits question in this interlocutory appeal, because it is not before us, but it nevertheless plays a prominent role in our analysis of the City’s issues. Some history is therefore required to contextualize it. A. Ray’s Place II—Phases 1 and 2 In January 1999, the City requested that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) revise the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) and the Flood Insurance Study (FIS) report for Tarrant County, Texas and Incorporated Areas to include a flood study that Jerry Parché Consulting Engineers performed in connection with a proposed residential subdivision located south of the North Fork of Deer Creek in the City. In response to the request, FEMA issued a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) dated March 9, 1999, and a corrected LOMR effective July 20, 1999. In his affidavit attached to Ray’s response to the City’s plea to the jurisdiction, Ronald W. Morrison, a registered professional engineer, stated that the March and July 1999 LOMRs “revised the 2 FIRM and FIS reports, both dated August 2, 1995,” were “reviewed by the City consultant Teague Nall and Perkins,” and “were adopted by the City of Crowley.” 1 In May 1999, Ray purchased 2 two-acre tracts located adjacent to, or just north of, the North Fork of Deer Creek to develop a multifamily residential subdivision. Ray collectively named the properties Ray’s Place II. The August 1995 FIRM and FIS reports, as modified by the March and July 1999 LOMRs, “cover” the properties. The 1999 LOMRs, based upon the Parché study, listed the 100-year floodplain elevation where Ray’s Place II is located at 751 feet. In October 2001, Ray submitted a preliminary plat for the entire four acres of Ray’s Place II, consisting of seventeen lots and sixteen buildings. When the City requested information about the 100-year floodplain based on a fully developed watershed, Ray responded with the 1999 LOMRs. The City approved the preliminary plat. Having decided at some point to develop Ray’s Place II in two separate phases, Ray then submitted a proposed final plat for the northernmost 1.3 acres, 1 Ray directs us to the following ordinance: Sec. 42-38. Basis for establishing the areas of special flood hazard. The areas of special flood hazard identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in a scientific and engineering report entitled, “The Flood Insurance Study for City of Crowley,” dated August 2, 1995, with accompanying flood insurance rate maps and flood boundary-floodway maps (FIRM and FBFM), and any revisions thereto, are hereby adopted by reference and declared to be a part of this article. (Ord. No. 95-583, art. 3, § B, 8-17-95) 3 which he called Ray’s Place II, Phase 1.2 The City did not ask Ray to submit a new flood study along with the final plat, which it approved in October 2002. Thus, at least as to Phase 1’s development, Ray recounted that the 1999 LOMRs were “sufficient to provide the information regarding the 100-year floodplain location.” Ray obtained building permits, constructed six fourplexes, and leased the units before selling them in May 2005 for approximately $242,000 per lot. Ray began developing Phase 2—the southern 2.7 acres of Ray’s Place II—around December 2006. As happened with Phase 1, when Ray submitted a preliminary plat for Phase 2 (covering lots 1‒6 and 13‒17), the City requested that he supply information about the 100-year floodplain, and Ray responded that he was relying upon the figures contained in the Parché study, which were incorporated into the FIRM via the 1999 LOMRs. The City approved the preliminary plat in April 2007. The following month, Ray submitted a proposed final plat for Phase 2, but unlike with the Phase 1 development, the City informed Ray that he had to have a new flood study performed. Ray complied and submitted a new flood study by Nave Engineering, Inc. The Nave study touched on the City’s reason for requesting an updated flood study: In 1998 Jerry Parche Consulting Engineers (JPC) submitted a LOMR request for the North Fork of Deer Creek for the Stone Brook Addition to the south of the project site. At that time the rational 2 The Phase 1 lots “are the ones farthest from the” North Fork of Deer Creek. 4  method was used to determine the 100-year runoff discharge for the site. Since that time Teague Nall and Perkins (TNP) has conducted [a] flood study and replaced the culverts at S. Hampton Road just downstream of the project site. At that time it was determined that the discharge for the North Fork of Deer Creek was higher than the flows found in the JPC study. Additionally Carter and Burgess, Inc. (CBI) conducted a flood study for the proposed Creekside Addition upstream of the project site and produced discharges similar to those found in the TNP study. As a result the City of Crowley requested that the North Fork of Deer Creek hydrology and hydraulic models be updated for the proposed project. Neither side offers much insight into the specific results of the Nave study, but it evidently affected the City’s opinion about the minimum finished floor elevations for Phase 2. Specifically, both Ray and Cheryl McClain, the City’s planning and zoning administrator, explained that the City requires finished floor elevations to be, at a minimum, two feet above a property’s floodplain elevation. Relying on the 1999 LOMRs, which were based on the Parché study and which set the 100-year floodplain elevation for the location of Ray’s Place II at 751 feet, Ray testified that to build Phase 2, the minimum finished floors would have to be no less than 753 feet and that the Phase 2 buildings were initially designed to have a finished floor elevation of 755 feet. But instead of “allow[ing him] to develop [Phase 2] using the effective floodplain” elevation of 751 feet, Ray testified that the City is requiring that the finished floors be “10 feet above the City’s current floodplain criteria,” or at an elevation of no less than 761 feet.3 Ray 3 To be precise, the final plat, which the City ultimately approved, reflects that the figure is 761.5 feet. 5 calls the City’s minimum 761.5-foot finished floor elevation arbitrary, but Teague Nall and Perkins advised the City in a memo that “[t]he updated flood study [the Nave study] will be used for establishing minimum finished floor elevations,” and page seven of the Nave study contains the following statement: C. Minimum Finished Floors The minimum finished floors for lots adjacent to the floodplain are 761.50'. This elevation is 2.00' above the 100-year floodplain water surface. It thus appears that the Nave study did not reach the same conclusion that the Parché study had about the 100-year floodplain elevation for the area where Phase 2 is located and that the City is utilizing the Nave study’s figures, not the 1999 LOMRs’.4 Ray estimated that to raise the property up by 10 feet, he would have “to bring in about 270,000 yards of dirt, build retaining walls, pour more footings on foundations to taper up because it starts right at the edge of the original Phase 1. We couldn’t put one unit on it without raising the dirt.” He opined that it is no longer economically feasible to develop the property and that it has no potential use without “raising the dirt.” 4 Greg Saunders of Teague Nall and Perkins opined in an affidavit that the FIRM and FIS “do not control the location of the 100 year flood plain; they merely identify the location of the 100 year flood plain as of the date of the adoption of the FIRM by the city.” He continued, “If the developer’s updated drainage study shows that the 100 year flood plain is different than what is shown in the FIRM, the information contained in the updated drainage study controls the development criteria for the Property, not the FIRM or FIS.” 6 B. Litigation In 2009, Ray sued the City for declaratory relief and Teague Nall and Perkins for negligence and other claims. The City argued in a plea to the jurisdiction that it was immune from Ray’s suit because he had failed to allege a valid claim for declaratory relief, but the trial court denied the City’s plea, and this court affirmed the trial court’s interlocutory order. See City of Crowley v. Ray, No. 02-09-00290-CV, 2010 WL 1006278, at *5, *7 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth Mar. 18, 2010, no pet.) (mem. op.). Before the trial court granted the City summary judgment on some of Ray’s claims for declaratory relief, Ray filed an amended petition that added a claim against the City for inverse condemnation, averring that the City’s actions effected an unconstitutional taking of property. The City then filed another jurisdictional plea, this time arguing that Ray’s inverse- condemnation claim is unripe and that its governmental immunity had not been waived. After a hearing at which testimonial and documentary evidence was admitted, the trial court denied the City’s plea, and this interlocutory appeal followed.5 III. STANDARD OF REVIEW The City premised its jurisdictional challenge on both ripeness and governmental immunity. Ripeness, like standing, is a component of subject- matter jurisdiction and may be raised in a plea to the jurisdiction. Mayhew v. 5 The trial court issued findings of fact and conclusions of law. 7 Town of Sunnyvale, 964 S.W.2d 922, 928 (Tex. 1998), cert. denied, 526 U.S. 1144 (1999). Immunity from suit likewise defeats a trial court’s subject-matter jurisdiction and is therefore properly asserted in a plea to the jurisdiction. See Tex. Dep’t of Parks & Wildlife v. Miranda, 133 S.W.3d 217, 225‒26 (Tex. 2004). A plea to the jurisdiction may challenge either the pleadings or the existence of jurisdictional facts. Id. at 226‒27. When the pleadings are challenged, we consider whether the pleader has alleged sufficient facts to demonstrate the court’s subject-matter jurisdiction over the matter, construing the pleadings liberally in favor of the plaintiff and looking to the pleader’s intent. Id.; see City of Waco v. Kirwan, 298 S.W.3d 618, 621 (Tex. 2009). When the existence of jurisdictional facts is challenged, we consider relevant evidence submitted by the parties when necessary to resolve the jurisdictional issues that have been raised. Miranda, 133 S.W.3d at 227. If the relevant evidence is undisputed or fails to raise a fact question on the jurisdictional issue, the trial court rules on the plea to the jurisdiction as a matter of law. Id. at 228. We review a trial court’s ruling on a plea to the jurisdiction under a de novo standard. Id. IV. FINAL DECISION RIPENESS AND EXHAUSTION OF ADMINISTRATIVE REMEDIES In its first issue, the City argues that Ray’s inverse-condemnation claim is not ripe for judicial review because the City has made no final decision involving Phase 2’s development. In its second issue, which the City joins with its first, the City contends that Ray failed to exhaust administrative remedies or other 8 procedures that might have alleviated the alleged regulatory taking. Ray responds that dismissal is inappropriate under either theory. A. Regulatory takings Article I, section 17 of the Texas constitution, the “takings clause,” mandates that “[n]o person’s property shall be taken, damaged, or destroyed for or applied to public use without adequate compensation being made, unless by the consent of such person . . . .” Tex. Const. art. I, § 17. When the State takes private property for public use without just compensation, the property owner may seek just compensation through a cause of action for inverse condemnation. State v. Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc., 274 S.W.3d 162, 164 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2008, no pet.). The proceeding is “inverse” because the property owner brings the suit, as compared to a condemnation proceeding brought by a governmental entity to appropriate private property for a public purpose. City of Carrollton v. HEB Parkway S., Ltd., 317 S.W.3d 787, 792 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2010, no pet.). A taking can take the form of a physical invasion of property or a regulation that imposes some limitation on how the property can be used. Lowenberg v. City of Dallas, 168 S.W.3d 800, 801 (Tex. 2005). Ray’s inverse-condemnation claim complains of the latter, a regulatory taking violative of article I, section 17 of the Texas constitution. See Tex. Const. art. I, § 17. The City largely bases its ripeness argument on federal regulatory takings jurisprudence, but that is no problem because we look to federal jurisprudence construing and applying the 9 Fifth Amendment when analyzing article I, section 17. See Sheffield Dev. Co. v. City of Glenn Heights, 140 S.W.3d 660, 669 (Tex. 2004). The United States Supreme Court has identified two categories of regulatory action that generally will be deemed per se takings under the Fifth Amendment. Lingle v. Chevron U.S.A., Inc., 544 U.S. 528, 538, 125 S. Ct. 2074, 2081 (2005). One categorical rule covers regulations that completely deprive an owner of all economically beneficial use of the owner’s property. Id., 125 S. Ct. at 2081 (citing Lucas v. S. Carolina Coastal Comm’n, 505 U.S. 1003, 112 S. Ct. 2886 (1992)). The other requires an owner to suffer a permanent physical invasion of her property, no matter how small. Id., 125 S. Ct. at 2081 (citing Loretto v. Teleprompter Manhattan CATV Corp., 458 U.S. 419, 102 S. Ct. 3164 (1982)). Regulatory-takings challenges not covered by these two categories (or by exaction standards) are governed by the factors analysis set out in Penn Central Transportation Co. v. New York City, 438 U.S. 104, 98 S. Ct. 2646 (1978). Id. at 538‒39, 125 S. Ct. at 2081‒82. B. Ripeness 1. Final decision As with any other claim, to be justiciable, an inverse-condemnation claim premised upon a regulatory taking must be ripe for judicial review.6 Mayhew v. Town of Sunnyvale, 964 S.W.2d at 928‒29. A regulatory takings claim ordinarily 6 Again, we may look to federal authorities when considering ripeness challenges to regulatory-takings claims. See Mayhew, 964 S.W.2d at 928‒29. 10 “is not ripe until the government entity charged with implementing the regulations has reached a final decision regarding the application of the regulations to the property at issue.” Williamson Cty. Reg’l Planning Comm’n v. Hamilton Bank of Johnson City, 473 U.S. 172, 186, 105 S. Ct. 3108, 3116 (1985). Stated differently, ripeness requires “a final and authoritative determination of the type and intensity of development legally permitted on the subject property.” MacDonald, Sommer & Frates v. Yolo Cty., 477 U.S. 340, 348, 106 S. Ct. 2561, 2566 (1986). A final decision is necessary because it establishes, with sufficient certainty, what limitations will be placed on the property. See id. at 350‒51, 106 S. Ct. at 2567. “Although there is no single rule dispositive of all questions of finality, courts . . . should treat as final a decision ‘which is definitive, promulgated in a formal manner and one with which the agency expects compliance.’” Texas- New Mexico Power Co. v. Tex. Indus. Energy Consumers, 806 S.W.2d 230, 232 (Tex. 1991) (quoting 5 J. Stein, G. Mitchell & B. Mezines, Administrative Law 48- 10 (1988)). 2. The City made a final decision The City first argues that Ray’s inverse-condemnation claim is unripe for the following reason: [Ray’s] only requests have been to develop Phase 2 to the fullest extent possible, forcing as many lots, residential units, and buildings on the 2.7-acre property as legally and practically possible. His takings theory is based on the assumption that full development of the property with as many four-plexes and buildable lots as physically possible will require considerable expense to raise the finished floors of each structure to two feet above base flood 11  elevation as determined by [Ray’s] engineer. . . . Moreover, [Ray’s] only development proposal is to build virtually identical two-story four-plexes on each lot with two residences on the first floor. [Ray’s] proposal does not consider the option of structures with vehicle garage or uninhabitable storage space on the ground floor. The argument, quite clearly, attempts to analogize the facts of this case to those in MacDonald and, consequently, seeks to obtain the same result that the governmental entity in that case achieved. The analogy is inappropriate. In MacDonald, the petitioner submitted a proposal to subdivide a tract of land into 159 single-family and multifamily residential lots. MacDonald, 477 U.S. at 342, 106 S. Ct. at 2563. The county rejected the plan for several reasons, including issues involving inadequate access, sanitation services, and police protection, and the petitioner immediately filed suit. Id. at 343‒44, 106 S. Ct. at 2563‒64. Siding with the county, the California court of appeals observed that the petitioner’s claim failed because it had sought “approval of a particular and relatively intensive residential development,” the “denial [of which could not] be equated with a refusal to permit any development”; “[l]and use planning is not an all-or-nothing proposition. A governmental entity is not required to permit a landowner to develop property to [the] full extent he might desire or be charged with an unconstitutional taking of the property.” Id. at 347, 106 S. Ct. at 2565. Connecting the state appellate court’s reasoning to its final-decision jurisprudence, the Supreme Court stressed the difficulty (or impossibility) of attempting to determine whether a regulatory taking had occurred before the governmental entity makes a final decision that applies the relevant regulation to 12 the property. Id. at 348‒51, 106 S. Ct. at 2566‒567. “Our cases uniformly reflect an insistence on knowing the nature and extent of permitted development before adjudicating the constitutionality of the regulations that purport to limit it.” Id. at 351, 106 S. Ct. at 2567. Because there was a possibility that some development would be permitted, and because the petitioner had not received a final decision from the county, the Supreme Court concluded that the petitioner’s claim was not ripe. Id. at 351‒52, 106 S. Ct. at 2567‒68. Unlike the petitioner in MacDonald, Ray did not dash to the courthouse and file suit immediately after the City denied a proposal to intensively develop Ray’s Place II “to the fullest extent possible.” Instead, Ray claims that by requiring him to raise the minimum finished floor elevation to ten feet above “the current adopted floodplain criteria” instead of only two feet, the City has prohibited him from developing Phase 2 using “the effective floodplain,” rendering the property’s development economically unfeasible in light of the costs associated with “raising the dirt.” And from our review of the record, the City would probably insist on the same requirement even if Ray proposed a less intense development. Thus, the nature of the alleged taking is not one that left open the possibility that the property could be developed some other way, thereby precluding a final decision on the type and intensity of the development. 13  The City also argues that Ray’s regulatory-taking claim is not ripe because “[t]here were no variances, flood determination appeals, CLOMRs,[7] [or] administrative determination appeals requested or filed.” But “[t]he futility of complying with applicable administrative procedures has been recognized as an exception to the ripeness doctrine in takings cases.” Barlow & Haun, Inc. v. United States, 118 Fed. Cl. 597, 617 (2014); see Mayhew, 964 S.W.2d at 929 (observing that “futile variance requests or re-applications are not required”). The record shows that the City formally approved Phase 2’s final plat with a minimum finished floor elevation of 761.5 feet, that the City stressed through its questioning of Ray at the hearing on the plea that Phase 2 must not be developed so that it is amenable to flooding and is unsafe, and that Ray sought to develop Phase 2 in accordance with the “effective floodplain” for the location, not contrary to it. In its reply brief, the City states that “it is audacious to suggest the City should or even that it has the legal authority to ignore the results of the Nave study.” We think the record fairly shows that the City has taken the definitive position that the minimum finished floor elevations for Phase 2 must be no lower than ten feet above 751 feet and that Ray’s pursuing a variance or other administrative procedure at this point would be futile. 7 CLOMR is an acronym for conditional letter of map revision, “FEMA’s comment on a proposed project that would, upon construction, affect the hydrologic or hydraulic characteristics of a flooding source and thus result in the modification of the existing regulatory floodway.” City of Keller v. Hall, 433 S.W.3d 708, 717 & n.51 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2014, pet. denied) (citing 44 C.F.R. § 72.2 (West, Westlaw through Aug. 10, 2018)). 14  As we observed at the outset, the dispute stems from the City’s decision to utilize the Nave study’s flood-elevation data instead of the 1999 LOMRs’. The City’s decision on the minimum finished floor elevation is definitive, sufficiently formal, and one with which the City certainly expects compliance. See Texas- New Mexico Power Co., 806 S.W.2d at 232. Ray’s inverse-condemnation claim is not unripe for lacking a final decision by the City. We overrule the City’s first issue. C. Exhausting administrative remedies The City supports its second issue—that Ray failed to exhaust administrative remedies—with the same argument that it used to support the second half of its first issue: “There were no variances, flood determination appeals, CLOMRs, [or] administrative determination appeals requested or filed.” But while questions of ripeness and exhaustion of administrative remedies often overlap, they involve “distinct and separate inquiries.” Garrett Operators, Inc. v. City of Houston, 360 S.W.3d 36, 41 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2011, pet. denied). “The requirement of a final decision, in [the] context of an inverse condemnation case, concerns whether the governmental entity charged with implementing the regulation that allegedly caused the taking has fixed some legal relationship between the parties.” Id. at 41‒42 (citing Texas-New Mexico Power Co., 806 S.W.2d at 232). “In contrast, exhaustion of administrative remedies concerns whether an agency has exclusive jurisdiction in making an initial determination on the matter in question and whether the plaintiff has exhausted 15 all required administrative remedies before filing a claim in the trial court.” Id. at 42. The City directs us to two cases that aptly address the latter concept: City of Dallas v. Stewart, 361 S.W.3d 562 (Tex. 2012) (op. on reh’g), and City of Dallas v. VSC, LLC, 347 S.W.3d 231 (Tex. 2011). In VSC, the supreme court concluded that VSC had prematurely sued the City of Dallas for unconstitutionally taking its vehicles because VSC had failed to first utilize the remedial statutory procedure contained in code of criminal procedure chapter 47. 347 S.W.3d at 234‒37. In contrast, in Stewart, the supreme court reasoned that Stewart had properly asserted her takings claim in district court after having first challenged an administrative board’s determination that her property was an urban nuisance. 361 S.W.3d at 579. The logical rationale sustaining both cases is straightforward: If the legislature has made available a statutory procedure that may provide compensation, then “recourse may be had to a constitutional suit only where the procedure proves inadequate.” VSC, LLC, 347 S.W.3d at 236; see Williamson Cty. Reg’l Planning Comm’n, 473 U.S. at 194‒95, 105 S. Ct. at 3121 (“If the government has provided an adequate process for obtaining compensation, and if resort to that process ‘yield[s] just compensation,’ then the property owner ‘has no claim against the [g]overnment’ for a taking.” (quoting Ruckelshaus v. Monsanto Co., 467 U.S. 986, 1013, 104 S. Ct. 2862, 2878 (1984))). The City argues that Ray never “sought to formally appeal any administrative determination under the City’s subdivision ordinance or flood 16 prevention regulations,” but the City does not disclose or otherwise direct us to any remedial statutory scheme that Ray should have utilized before suing the City, nor do we feel compelled to rummage through the City’s ordinances in search of some supposed administrative procedure without any guidance from the parties. See Stewart, 361 S.W.3d at 565‒66 (identifying subchapter C of local government code chapter 54 and Dallas ordinances); VSC, LLC, 347 S.W.3d at 234 (identifying code of criminal procedure chapter 47). The City complains that Ray never sought a variance or an LOMR, but neither procedure would have obviated the need to file the underlying suit because Ray sought to design Phase 2 so that its minimum finished floor elevations complied with, not varied from, the floodplain elevation that the City had allegedly adopted. See Variance, Black’s Law Dictionary (10th ed. 2014) (defining variance to mean “[a] license or official authorization to depart from a zoning law”) (emphasis added)). We cannot conclude that the City met its initial burden to prove that Ray’s failure to exhaust administrative remedies deprived the trial court of subject-matter jurisdiction over his inverse-condemnation claim. We overrule the City’s second issue. V. DIRECT CITY ACTION OR CAUSATION In its third issue, the City argues that its governmental immunity has not been waived because Ray failed to allege or produce any evidence that the City intentionally and directly acted to cause a taking. 17  Governmental immunity is not waived when a plaintiff fails to allege a valid inverse-condemnation claim. City of Argyle v. Pierce, 258 S.W.3d 674, 683 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2008, pets. dism’d). To state a cause of action for inverse condemnation under the Texas constitution, a plaintiff must allege (1) an intentional governmental act, (2) that resulted in a taking of property, (3) for public use. Gen. Servs. Comm’n v. Little-Tex Insulation Co., 39 S.W.3d 591, 598 (Tex. 2001). “The governmental entity sued must have taken direct governmental action, or have been the proximate cause, of the harm.” Hearts Bluff Game Ranch, Inc. v. State, 381 S.W.3d 468, 484 (Tex. 2012), cert. denied, 569 U.S. 947 (2013). The City directs us to Hearts Bluff. There, the plaintiff purchased approximately 4,000 acres of bottomland in Northeast Texas to create a federal mitigation bank. Id. at 473. The land purchased fell within the bounds of a site long identified by the State as a possible drinking water reservoir to service the DFW area—the potential Marvin Nichols Reservoir. Id. at 474. The United States Army Corps of Engineers ultimately denied the plaintiff’s application for a permit because the mitigation bank would not exist in perpetuity if the legislature chose to build the reservoir. Id. at 475. The plaintiff then sued the State for inverse condemnation, theorizing that the Corps denied the permit because the legislature had approved a 2006 water plan issued by the Texas Water Development Board that recommended conferring a “unique” designation on the potential reservoir site, which effectively destroyed the perpetuity requirement for 18 mitigation banking. Id. at 475, 479. The supreme court concluded that the plaintiff had not alleged a valid takings claim because the Corps denied the permit, not the State, and because the State did not directly restrict the land by merely designating the property as “unique.” Id. at 481. The City claims that Ray relies upon the following “specific allegations of direct action” to support his inverse-condemnation claim: he “bought the property under the impression or unaware that it was affected or impacted by the 100-year flood plain,” he “proceeded with development of the second phase relying on the 1995 FIRM as modified by the 1999 LOMR,” and “the City and TNP required [him] to obtain a new flood study.” The City argues that because Ray’s claim “focus[es] on the location of the 100-year floodplain across Phase Two,” it cannot be held liable for any regulatory taking “based on the location of the 100-year flood plain or the federally-mandated regulations which accompany that designation.” The City thus contends that like the plaintiff in Hearts Bluff, who failed to state a valid claim by seeking to hold the State liable for the Corps’ unilateral act of denying the permit, Ray has failed to state a valid claim by seeking to hold the City liable under a takings theory that is premised upon the floodplain elevation as set by the 1999 LOMRs. The City’s attempt to shift responsibility is unpersuasive (not to mention contrary to basic notions of proximate causation). As we have repeatedly clarified, Ray sued the City because it prohibited him from developing Phase 2 using the “effective” floodplain criteria. That Ray 19 sought to develop Phase 2 using the figures contained in the 1999 LOMRs does not mean that the LOMRs are responsible for the City’s refusal to utilize them during the development stage. Ray thus complains of direct, governmental action by the City, and he submitted supporting jurisdictional evidence. If any comparison can be made between Hearts Bluff and this case, the complained-of action taken by the City here is much more akin to the Corps’ denial of the application for the mitigation bank permit than to the State’s conduct in identifying the land as a potential reservoir site. We overrule the City’s third issue. VI. LUCAS CLAIM In its fourth issue, the City argues that Ray’s Lucas claim fails as a matter of law because “the relevant parcel for takings analysis must include the Phase 1 lots,” which Ray was able to develop, rent, and sell to investors for a profit, thereby eliminating Phase 2’s alleged economical-value deficiency. See Tahoe- Sierra Pres. Council, Inc. v. Tahoe Reg’l Planning Agency, 535 U.S. 302, 330, 122 S. Ct. 1465, 1483 (2002) (observing that Lucas holding “was limited to ‘the extraordinary circumstance when no productive or economically beneficial use of land is permitted’”) (quoting Lucas, 505 U.S. at 1017, 112 S. Ct. at 2894)). The City contends that Phase 1 and Phase 2 should be treated as one property for purposes of a value determination because Ray purchased Phase 1 and Phase 2 at the same time and because Ray initially attempted to develop the entire four acres simultaneously. 20  The United States Supreme Court recently explained how a court should identify the relevant parcel for purposes of determining whether a regulatory taking has occurred, a potentially outcome-determinative issue. See Murr v. Wisconsin, 137 S. Ct. 1933, 1945‒46 (2017). Consistent with its sustained hesitance to craft inflexible, categorical rules in regulatory-takings cases, the Supreme Court opted to utilize a factors analysis, which includes the treatment of the land under state and local law, the physical characteristics of the land, and the prospective value of the regulated land. Id. Ultimately, “[t]he endeavor should determine whether reasonable expectations about property ownership would lead a landowner to anticipate that his holdings would be treated as one parcel, or, instead, as separate tracts.” Id. at 1945. We disagree that Phase 1 has any relevance to Phase 2’s value determination. Ray purchased the properties at the same time, but we fail to see how the timing of the purchases alone could effectively override the separate legal identity of each tract, nor does the City direct us to any local or state law that requires the tracts to be treated as one. And although Ray initially submitted a preliminary plat to develop both tracts at once, he ultimately decided to develop the properties in two separate phases and submitted a final plat for only Phase 1. 21 Ray then proceeded to develop Phase 1, lease the units, and later sell them. All of this happened before Phase 2’s development ever commenced.8 Moreover, as Ray observes, unlike with Phase 2, the City permitted Phase 1 to be built using the flood-elevation figures contained in the 1999 LOMRs. The dispute between the parties over the applicable base floodplain elevation and related minimum finished floor elevation thus has no effect on Phase 1’s long- completed units. Further, unlike the properties at issue in Murr, which were located along the Lower St. Croix River and subject to state law regulating their development, there is nothing in the record to indicate that the Phase 1 and Phase 2 properties are located in an area that is, or may at some point in the future become, subject to “environmental or other regulation.” See id. at 1940, 1945–46. The Murr factors and other relevant considerations weigh against treating Phase 1 and Phase 2 as a single unit for purposes of making an economic-value determination. We overrule the City’s fourth issue. VII. ATTORNEYS’ FEES In its fifth and final issue, the City argues that we should dismiss Ray’s still- pending claim for attorneys’ fees because the trial court, by summary judgment, disposed of the request for declaratory relief upon which the fees were 8 Ray sold the Phase 1 units in May 2005. He contacted Bill Boomer and began developing Phase 2 in December 2006. Ray testified that he did “[n]othing” with Phase 2 between 2002 and 2006. 22 predicated, and in the absence of a valid waiver of immunity, attorney’s fees are not recoverable under the Uniform Declaratory Judgments Act. But as Ray points out, the trial court has not made any award of attorneys’ fees one way or the other; this is an interlocutory appeal, and no final judgment has been entered. With no award of attorneys’ fees, any analysis by this court at this point would be purely advisory and improper. See In re Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 441 S.W.3d 847, 857 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2014, orig. proceeding) (“The Texas constitution’s separation of powers provision prohibits courts from issuing advisory opinions that decide abstract questions of law.”). We therefore overrule the City’s fifth issue.9 VIII. CONCLUSION Having overruled the City’s five issues, we affirm the trial court’s order denying the City’s jurisdictional plea.10 /s/ Bill Meier BILL MEIER JUSTICE Insofar as we may not have accurately identified the City’s fifth issue, it is 9 waived as inadequately briefed. See Tex. R. App. P. 38.1(i) (requiring brief to contain clear and concise argument for contention made). 10 As we are bound to do, we conducted a responsive analysis of only the five specific issues that the City raised in its briefing on appeal. Our opinion, therefore, should not be broadly construed as an endorsement that Ray otherwise alleged a valid takings claim upon which relief may be granted. 23 PANEL: SUDDERTH, C.J.; WALKER and MEIER, JJ. DELIVERED: August 23, 2018 24 

Battle of Casas Grandes The Battle of Casas Grandes was fought in March 1911 between the federal Mexican Army loyal to President Porfirio Diaz and rebels under Gen. Francisco Madero. Rebel forces attacked the town of Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, but were driven back by the federal garrison. Battle Francisco I. Madero was leading a rebel army of about 600 troops when he attacked Casas Grandes. Several of Madero's men were in fact American citizens from the border states. The garrison included just over 500 infantry who were commanded by Col. Agustín A. Valdez of Mexico's 18th Battalion. Gen. Madero and his men attacked the federal positions in Casas Grandes at 5:00 am. Fighting lasted for just over two hours until 7:15 am, when another Mexican government column of 562 men reinforced the already engaged 500 troops. With the reinforcing federals were two mortars, which were quickly put into use. The battle continued for several hours more as the federals and rebels repulsed each other's counter-attacks. By 5:00 pm the battle was over when Gen. Madero ordered the retreat of his forces. The Mexican garrison lost 13 men killed in the battle and another 23 wounded. The reinforcing column lost 24 men and 37 injured, including their commander, Col. Samuel G. Cuellar. Both Gen. Madero and Col. Cuellar were wounded. The rebels lost 58 killed and an unknown number of wounded and 41 captured. Of the rebel casualties, 15 of the dead were Americans, along with 17 of the captured. Aftermath In addition to casualties, the rebels lost about 150 horses, 153 mules and 101 firearms. Madero blamed his scouts for his defeat at Casas Grandes. He later issued a statement saying that it was his scouts' inability to detect the reinforcing federal column that led to the defeat. All of the scouts were subsequently hanged under Gen. Madero's orders. See also Pancho Villa Expedition References Rangel, Juan José Flores History of Mexico II Page# 37. Cengage Learning Editors (2003) Category:History of Mexico Casas Grandes Casas Grandes Category:March 1911 events

1. Technical Field The present invention relates generally to a tool holder for use with a rotary driver such as a drill and, more particularly, to an improved retaining mechanism for such a tool holder. 2. Discussion Tool holders for rotary drivers such as drills are generally known in the art. Some tool holders directly couple bits, such as drilling bits or screw driving bits, to the rotary driver. Other holders couple reversible tools to the driver. U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,404 to Jore entitled xe2x80x9cReversible Drill/Driver Toolxe2x80x9d is representative of the latter holders. Tool holders generally include a drive body having a shank at one end and a socket at the other. The socket is configured to accommodate the bit and a retaining mechanism is coupled to the socket to releasably couple the bit or bit holder to the socket for rotation with the tool holder. Prior art retaining mechanisms commonly include a retaining ball or spring that protrudes into the socket to couple the bit or bit holder to the socket. A sleeve or collar is axially movable along the socket between a locked position wherein the ball is maintained in its engaged position and an unlocked position wherein an annular recess in the sleeve or collar is aligned with the ball or spring to allow the ball or spring to move to a disengaged position and permit removal of the bit or bit holder from the socket. One of the disadvantages of many prior art tool holders is that the sleeve or collar must be in its unlocked position to permit the bit to be moved into the socket. Accordingly, when an operator desires to couple the bit to the tool holder, the operator must first determine whether the sleeve is in its locked or unlocked position. If the sleeve is in its locked position, the operator must move the sleeve to its unlocked position prior to disposing the bit holder within the socket. Finally, after positioning the bit holder in the socket, the operator must move the sleeve to its locked position. Further deficiencies in the prior art include retaining mechanism configurations that require two distinct movements to remove the bit holder from the socket. For example, some retaining mechanisms require rearward movement of the sleeve into its unlocked position followed by forward displacement of the bit holder away from the socket to effectuate removal. This bi-directional displacement sequence is undesirably inefficient. It is an object of the present invention to provide a tool holder having a retaining mechanism that permits a bit to be disposed within and coupled to the socket when the retaining mechanism sleeve is in its locked position. A further object of the present invention is to provide a retaining mechanism having a sleeve and a spring that normally biases the sleeve into its locked position thereby effectively retaining a bit in driving engagement with the socket when the bit is disposed therein. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a retaining mechanism having a key that is disposed within a slot in the socket for movement between an engaged position and first and second disengaged positions. The key is in operative engagement with a retaining sleeve that is biased to its normal locked position yet moveable into an unlocked position. When the sleeve is in either its locked or unlocked positions, the sleeve is configured to permit the key to move to its first disengaged position to allow insertion of a bit within the socket. Further, the sleeve prevents movement of the key to its second disengaged position when the sleeve is in its normally locked position thereby retaining the bit holder to the socket. A still further object of the present invention is to provide a retaining mechanism wherein the sleeve is rearwardly biased into its locked position such that forward movement of the sleeve against the bias places the sleeve in its unlocked position and allows the operator to displace the sleeve and the bit in the same axial direction and remove the bit from the socket in an efficient, and preferably one-handed, operation. In view of the above, the present invention includes a tool holder for releasably coupling a bit with a non-circular outer connector surface to a rotary driver. The tool holder includes a socket and a retaining mechanism coupled to the socket and operable in a retaining mode and a released mode. The socket includes a forward end with an opening extending rearwardly from the forward end. The opening also includes a non-circular cross-section adapted to receive the outer connector surface of the bit to couple the bit for rotation with the socket. The retaining mechanism is adapted to permit disposable of the bit into an operative position within the opening and to prevent axial movement of the bit out of its operative position when the retaining mechanism is in its retaining mode. The retaining mechanism is further adapted to permit axial displacement of the bit out of its operative position when the retaining mechanism is in its released mode. The retaining mechanism includes a sleeve coupled to the socket for displacement toward the forward end of the socket from a locked position to an unlocked position thereby moving the retaining mechanism from its retaining mode into its released mode. The retaining mechanism also includes a spring biasing the sleeve into its locked position. Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. It should be understood however that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention are intended for purposes of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description.

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30) + sqrt(130)*3*1 + sqrt(130) - sqrt(130)) - sqrt(130))*-6*-3)/((sqrt(80)/sqrt(98))/sqrt(4)*1). 630*sqrt(13) Simplify ((-5 + (sqrt(567) - sqrt(63)) - (sqrt(441)/sqrt(7) + 2)) + (((sqrt(28) - sqrt(7)) + -1)*-6 - (sqrt(84)/sqrt(3) - -6*sqrt(63))))**2. 46*sqrt(7) + 3704 Simplify ((sqrt(3564)*2 + (sqrt(396) + (2*sqrt(396) - sqrt(396)) + sqrt(396) - sqrt(396) - sqrt(396)))*-6)/((sqrt(484) - 5*-2*sqrt(484))*3). -42*sqrt(11)/121 Simplify -2 + (-1*(3 + (sqrt(931)*-3 - sqrt(931)) + 3 + sqrt(931)*-3 + 4) + 2)**2. -784*sqrt(19) + 45681 Simplify 2 + ((sqrt(84) - -4*(sqrt(84) - -1*sqrt(84))) + sqrt(84) + (sqrt(84) - (sqrt(84) + 1*sqrt(84))*5))/((3*sqrt(96)*2)/(-5*sqrt(8)*2)) + 3. -5*sqrt(7)/3 + 5 Simplify 4 + 3*((-2*(sqrt(891) + 0))**2 + -2 - 2*((5 + -2*sqrt(891))**2 - sqrt(891))). -10844 + 1134*sqrt(11) Simplify ((-5 + 1 + sqrt(448))*-6 + 4 - ((sqrt(252) - (sqrt(252) + 1))*-4 - (3*sqrt(252)*-3 + sqrt(252))))**2. -4608*sqrt(7) + 65088 Simplify ((sqrt(1700) + -5 - (sqrt(425) - (sqrt(425) - -3*sqrt(425)) - sqrt(425))) + (1 + sqrt(34)/sqrt(8))*-2)**2. -406*sqrt(17) + 14346 Simplify -2*1*-1*(-2*(sqrt(1216)*-1*1)**2 + (-4 + sqrt(1216) + 0 - (sqrt(1216) + 1 - sqrt(1216))*3)**2)*-1. 224*sqrt(19) + 2334 Simplify ((sqrt(315)/sqrt(5)*4)/(sqrt(99)/sqrt(99)) + (((sqrt(42)*2)/sqrt(3))/(1*sqrt(162)))**2)*5. 140/81 + 60*sqrt(7) Simplify (6*(sqrt(2) + -1) + 2*sqrt(98) + 5 - (sqrt(40)*1 - sqrt(10))/((sqrt(20)*1)/sqrt(4)))**2*1. -38*sqrt(2) + 723 Simplify (4 + ((-3 + sqrt(700))*1 - (1 + sqrt(7)*-5 + sqrt(7))*6)**2)*-3. -24531 + 1836*sqrt(7) Simplify (-5 + (-3*(sqrt(76)*-2 - sqrt(76))*-3 - (-4 + sqrt(76) + 0 + 2))*-1*-2)**2. 224*sqrt(19) + 238337 Simplify 0 + ((sqrt(95) - ((sqrt(95)*-2 + sqrt(95))*5 - sqrt(95))) + (-2*sqrt(95)*2 - sqrt(95)))/(sqrt(125)*2 - sqrt(125) - 1*sqrt(5)*6). -2*sqrt(19) Simplify (sqrt(539) - 4*(2 + sqrt(539))**2)*-4 - (6*sqrt(2673)/sqrt(3) + 0). 366*sqrt(11) + 8688 Simplify ((sqrt(24)*1*6 - sqrt(24))*-3*-5)/((4*(sqrt(72) - (sqrt(72) + sqrt(72)*-2)) - sqrt(72))/(sqrt(9)*-1*4 - sqrt(9))). -375*sqrt(3)/7 Simplify ((3*(sqrt(48) + sqrt(12)))/(sqrt(18)/(sqrt(3)*-1)) + (-1*sqrt(2178))/(2*sqrt(441) + sqrt(441) + sqrt(441)))**2. 69169/392 Simplify (sqrt(175) + 0 + -5 - ((sqrt(175) + (sqrt(175) + 1)*-4)**2 + sqrt(175)))*-6 - -2*(4 + ((sqrt(567)*-1)**2 + sqrt(567))*4). 792*sqrt(7) + 14120 Simplify -6*(1 + (sqrt(147) + 2)**2 + sqrt(3)) + sqrt(15)/(sqrt(405)*2) + -3. -915 - 3131*sqrt(3)/18 Simplify (5*(0 + sqrt(605) + ((sqrt(605) + 2 - sqrt(605)) + sqrt(605))*-6 + -2 - (sqrt(605) + -2 + 3)*1*3))**2. 74800*sqrt(5) + 975225 Simplify (4*(6*(sqrt(132) - sqrt(132)*1) + (sqrt(132) - (sqrt(132) - sqrt(132)*2*3) - sqrt(132))))/((3*sqrt(120))/sqrt(10) - (sqrt(12) - -4*sqrt(192))). -10*sqrt(11)/7 Simplify (3 + (sqrt(252) + -2 + sqrt(252))**2 - (sqrt(252) - (4*sqrt(252)*2 + sqrt(252))**2)) + (sqrt(252) + -1 + sqrt(252) + 2 + sqrt(252))**2*1 + 2. -18*sqrt(7) + 23698 Simplify (-3*(-1 + sqrt(304)) + 5 + (sqrt(304) + sqrt(304) + -2 + 3 + sqrt(304) - sqrt(304)) + -2)**2 + 2 + -4. -56*sqrt(19) + 351 Simplify (((-1 + sqrt(99) + -1 + 0)*-4 - (5 + -5 + sqrt(99) + 0 + -1)) + -3)**2. -180*sqrt(11) + 2511 Simplify (sqrt(85) + -3*(sqrt(85) + -2*sqrt(85)))/(sqrt(5) - sqrt(500)*-1 - sqrt(5)) - (sqrt(153) + -3 - (4*sqrt(68))/sqrt(4)). 3 + 7*sqrt(17)/5 Simplify (2*sqrt(100)/sqrt(125) - (-1*(4 + sqrt(5)) + (5*sqrt(5)*-5 - sqrt(5))))**2. 1112*sqrt(5)/5 + 19401/5 Simplify -6*(((sqrt(2299) - (1*sqrt(2299) + sqrt(2299)))*4)**2 - sqrt(2299) - (-2*sqrt(2299)*-2)**2 - (1*sqrt(2299) + -3 + 1)) + 5. -7 + 132*sqrt(19) Simplify (-5*((-2*sqrt(245) + 1 - sqrt(245))*6 + 1*(3 + (sqrt(40)/sqrt(4))/sqrt(2))))**2. -56250*sqrt(5) + 1955150 Simplify 4 + (0 + sqrt(432))*-6*3 - (-6*(sqrt(432) + 2) + sqrt(432) + 3*sqrt(432) + -2). -192*sqrt(3) + 18 Simplify 3 + -1 + (-1*(0 + sqrt(112) + sqrt(112)) + sqrt(112) - ((sqrt(112)*3 - sqrt(112)) + -4))**2 + -4. -96*sqrt(7) + 1022 Simplify (4*(sqrt(128) + 2 + sqrt(128))*4 + (2*(sqrt(128) + 0) - 2*sqrt(128)*-1) + -5)**2 + 3. 15552*sqrt(2) + 166620 Simplify -4*((sqrt(65)/(sqrt(5)*3) - (-1 + sqrt(1300))) + 3*4*sqrt(13) + sqrt(13) + -1 + sqrt(13) + 2 + sqrt(13)). -64*sqrt(13)/3 - 8 Simplify 5*((5*(5 + -3*sqrt(108)*-1 + -2 + -5))**2 + 2). -9000*sqrt(3) + 122010 Simplify 3 + (-3 + 1 + -1*sqrt(45))**2 + (5*(2 + sqrt(80)))**2 + 4. 412*sqrt(5) + 2156 Simplify (-5*(sqrt(2299) + 3 + -3*2*sqrt(19)))**2 - (sqrt(266)/sqrt(7)*-4)/(sqrt(108)/sqrt(6)). 2254*sqrt(19)/3 + 12100 Simplify (-5 + (0 + sqrt(48))**2*-3 - (2 + sqrt(48) + sqrt(336)/(1*sqrt(7)))**2)*6*-3. 576*sqrt(3) + 6210 Simplify ((sqrt(343) - (sqrt(343) + sqrt(343) + -2*sqrt(343))) + 2 + (sqrt(343) + sqrt(343)*-1*-4 - sqrt(343)) + (-5 + 1*(sqrt(343)*-1 + 2))**2)*2. 154*sqrt(7) + 708 Simplify (-4*-1*1*sqrt(360))/((6*sqrt(45) + -2*sqrt(125))*-6). -sqrt(2)/2 Simplify (sqrt(133)*-3*1*-2*2)/(-5*(-1*sqrt(175) - (sqrt(28) - sqrt(84)/sqrt(3))/sqrt(4))). 12*sqrt(19)/25 Simplify (1*((5 + sqrt(175))*-1 + 2*sqrt(175)*-2 + -1 + -1)*2)**2. 1400*sqrt(7) + 17696 Simplify 2*(-2 + (5 + (sqrt(180) + 1 + sqrt(180))**2*2*-2 + -3)*-1). 192*sqrt(5) + 5760 Simplify ((-2*sqrt(864) - (sqrt(6) + sqrt(96)*-4))*-2)/((sqrt(22) + sqrt(66)/sqrt(3)*4)/(sqrt(176)*-1)). -72*sqrt(3)/5 Simplify (6*(-1*-1*sqrt(204) - (sqrt(204) + -5*(1*sqrt(204) + sqrt(204)) - sqrt(204)))*5)/(sqrt(300)*2*-2 - (3*sqrt(300)*2 + sqrt(300))). -6*sqrt(17) Simplify (5 + 3*((sqrt(7)*3)**2 + -4 - (2*sqrt(252) - sqrt(7))**2))*3*4. -28308 Simplify -1 + -1 + 2 + 2*(-5*(-5 + sqrt(112) + 3))**2. -800*sqrt(7) + 5800 Simplify 4*(4 + (sqrt(176)*1)/sqrt(4) - ((sqrt(176) + 2)*-4)**2). -11504 - 1016*sqrt(11) Simplify (4 + (-1*sqrt(63) - sqrt(7)) + 6*(sqrt(7)*2 - sqrt(7)) + sqrt(1008) + (1*sqrt(1008) + 4 - sqrt(1008)) + -5 + -1)**2. 56*sqrt(7) + 1376 Simplify (4*((-1*sqrt(136) - sqrt(136))*-2 - (sqrt(136) + (sqrt(136) - sqrt(136)*2)*-4)))/(1*5*1*sqrt(200)). -4*sqrt(17)/25 Simplify -2 + (((sqrt(96)/sqrt(2))/sqrt(2))/(5*-1*sqrt(75))*-6)**2. -962/625 Simplify 1 + (-2 + 0 + sqrt(1900) - -4*sqrt(1900)*-2)**2 + ((sqrt(1900) - 3*sqrt(1900)) + -3)*-2. 320*sqrt(19) + 93111 Simplify (sqrt(171) - (-4*sqrt(171)*-3 - sqrt(171)) - 3*(sqrt(171) + (sqrt(171) - (sqrt(171)*-2 - sqrt(171)))))/(-2*((-2*sqrt(9) - sqrt(9)) + sqrt(9))*-1*-1). -25*sqrt(19)/4 Simplify -5*-1*((sqrt(176) + (sqrt(176) - -4*(1 + sqrt(176))))**2 - (-6*2*sqrt(176))**2)*5 + -1. -474801 + 4800*sqrt(11) Simplify ((sqrt(88)/(sqrt(16)/sqrt(4))*3)/(((sqrt(176)*3)/sqrt(4))/sqrt(4)) + 4)**2. 8*sqrt(2) + 18 Simplify (-1*(-3*(sqrt(180) + (sqrt(180) - (1 + sqrt(180) + sqrt(180))*-4)))**2 + 3 + ((4 + sqrt(180)*2)**2 - sqrt(180)*1*-5))*-3. 12582*sqrt(5) + 484215 Simplify 3 + -4*(sqrt(44)/((sqrt(72) - sqrt(72)*-5) + sqrt(72)))/(-3*-4*sqrt(1584)). -sqrt(2)/1512 + 3 Simplify 4 + (sqrt(320)*2 + sqrt(320) + sqrt(320) - (sqrt(120)*-2)/sqrt(6))/((sqrt(810) - -5*(sqrt(810) + sqrt(810)*-2)) + sqrt(810) + sqrt(810)*-2*5). -2*sqrt(2)/13 + 4 Simplify (6*(sqrt(119) + 6*(sqrt(119) + sqrt(119)*4)))/(sqrt(35)/(sqrt(25)/sqrt(5)) + (sqrt(7) - (sqrt(1008) - (sqrt(1008)*-1 + sqrt(1008) + sqrt(1008))))). 93*sqrt(17) Simplify ((sqrt(7)*1*-6 + sqrt(7))*-1 - sqrt(189)/sqrt(3)*-4)**2 + 2 + -1. 2024 Simplify ((sqrt(605) - (sqrt(605) - (sqrt(605) - -1*sqrt(605)))) + -4 - (sqrt(605) + -2 + -1))**2 - ((1*sqrt(180))/sqrt(3))/(sqrt(120)/(sqrt(10)*-2)). -20*sqrt(5) + 606 Simplify 2 + (-2 + sqrt(180))**2*5 + -4 + ((sqrt(180) + -2)**2*1 - (1 + sqrt(180))*1). -150*sqrt(5) + 1101 Simplify ((sqrt(175) + 0 + 4 - (sqrt(175) + 1)*-4) + (4 + sqrt(175) + -1 - (((sqrt(175) - (1 + sqrt(175))) + -5 - sqrt(175)) + sqrt(175)))*5)**2 + 2. 5300*sqrt(7) + 20311 Simplify (2*sqrt(152)*4)/(sqrt(128) - sqrt(8)) + (sqrt(152)*-4 - sqrt(38))/(sqrt(6)/sqrt(3)*6). 7*sqrt(19)/6 Simplify -1*((2*sqrt(216)*4 - (sqrt(216) + ((sqrt(216) - (sqrt(216) + (1*sqrt(216) - sqrt(216))))*1 - sqrt(216))))/(-5*(sqrt(240)/sqrt(4))/sqrt(5)))**2*-2. 2304/25 Simplify -6*2*sqrt(1331) + (sqrt(1331) - sqrt(1331)*-1)*4 + (sqrt(1331)*1*-2 + (sqrt(1331) - (sqrt(1331) + 2)*-2))**2. 44*sqrt(11) + 1347 Simplify ((-1*(2*sqrt(242) - sqrt(242)))/(2*sqrt(11)*-5))/(-2*(sqrt(162) + -2*sqrt(162)*-5)). -sqrt(11)/1980 Simplify (5 + 5 + (sqrt(3) + 6*sqrt(27) - (sqrt(432) - sqrt(27)) - (sqrt(147) + 2)*-6) + -1)**2. 2184*sqrt(3) + 8553 Simplify ((3*sqrt(81

--- id: before-you-start title: Before you start sidebar_label: Before you start --- React Native Navigation is a module, dependent on and intended to be used alongside [React Native](https://github.com/facebook/react-native), so some experience with it and knowledge of core concepts is required. If you feel the need, you can start with their [getting started](https://reactnative.dev/docs/getting-started) tutorial, and then come back here when you're ready. We also assume you are working on a Mac with XCode and Android Studio installed and setup. You can also make it work in a Linux distribution, of course, but in that case bare in mind that some sections of the docs that deal with iOS might not be relevant to you. If you want to dig right into it, start with [installing](docs-Installing.mdx) the library. If you're just looking around, we suggest checking out [basic navigation](docs-basic-navigation.mdx) first.

Beryozka (Russian dance troupe) The Beryozka or Berezka Dance Ensemble (in russian: Берёзка, russian for little birch tree) is a troupe of female dancers founded by Russian choreographer and dancer Nadezhda Nadezhdina in 1948 in the Soviet Union which specializes in performing in long gowns and moving across the stage as though on wheels or floating. Although often considered a form of folk dancing, its founder once stated, "Beryozka's dances are not folk dances. They are dances whose source is the creative work of the people. But these dances are composed by me". The floating step is difficult to perform. According to Nadezhdina, “Not even all our dancers can do it. You have to move in very small steps on very low half‐toe with the body held in a certain corresponding position". The troupe began touring in Western countries in the 1950s. The 22 September 1951 performance at the hall of the Stockholm Musical Academy in Sweden, for example, drew crowds too large to be accommodated. References Category: Russian dance groups

Q: How to set backgroundColor for navigationItem? I'm trying to format the navigationItem at the top of my main tableView. I've managed to set the title that is displayed by this code [[self navigationItem] setTitle:@"MyTitle"]; But I haven't found a way to access the backgroundColor. I'd like to something like this [[self navigationItem] setBackgroundColor:[UIColor colorRed]]; But this doesn't work. Any other ideas? A: You could look here: change background color of navigation item (bar)

// This file was generated by gir (https://github.com/gtk-rs/gir) // from gir-files (https://github.com/gtk-rs/gir-files) // DO NOT EDIT use glib::object::ObjectType as ObjectType_; use glib::signal::connect_raw; use glib::signal::SignalHandlerId; use glib::translate::*; use glib::StaticType; use glib::Value; use glib_sys; use gobject_sys; use gst; use gst_net_sys; use std::boxed::Box as Box_; use std::mem::transmute; glib_wrapper! { pub struct PtpClock(Object<gst_net_sys::GstPtpClock, gst_net_sys::GstPtpClockClass, PtpClockClass>) @extends gst::Clock, gst::Object; match fn { get_type => || gst_net_sys::gst_ptp_clock_get_type(), } } impl PtpClock { pub fn get_property_domain(&self) -> u32 { unsafe { let mut value = Value::from_type(<u32 as StaticType>::static_type()); gobject_sys::g_object_get_property( self.as_ptr() as *mut gobject_sys::GObject, b"domain\0".as_ptr() as *const _, value.to_glib_none_mut().0, ); value .get() .expect("Return Value for property `domain` getter") .unwrap() } } pub fn get_property_grandmaster_clock_id(&self) -> u64 { unsafe { let mut value = Value::from_type(<u64 as StaticType>::static_type()); gobject_sys::g_object_get_property( self.as_ptr() as *mut gobject_sys::GObject, b"grandmaster-clock-id\0".as_ptr() as *const _, value.to_glib_none_mut().0, ); value .get() .expect("Return Value for property `grandmaster-clock-id` getter") .unwrap() } } pub fn get_property_internal_clock(&self) -> Option<gst::Clock> { unsafe { let mut value = Value::from_type(<gst::Clock as StaticType>::static_type()); gobject_sys::g_object_get_property( self.as_ptr() as *mut gobject_sys::GObject, b"internal-clock\0".as_ptr() as *const _, value.to_glib_none_mut().0, ); value .get() .expect("Return Value for property `internal-clock` getter") } } pub fn get_property_master_clock_id(&self) -> u64 { unsafe { let mut value = Value::from_type(<u64 as StaticType>::static_type()); gobject_sys::g_object_get_property( self.as_ptr() as *mut gobject_sys::GObject, b"master-clock-id\0".as_ptr() as *const _, value.to_glib_none_mut().0, ); value .get() .expect("Return Value for property `master-clock-id` getter") .unwrap() } } pub fn connect_property_grandmaster_clock_id_notify< F: Fn(&PtpClock) + Send + Sync + 'static, >( &self, f: F, ) -> SignalHandlerId { unsafe extern "C" fn notify_grandmaster_clock_id_trampoline< F: Fn(&PtpClock) + Send + Sync + 'static, >( this: *mut gst_net_sys::GstPtpClock, _param_spec: glib_sys::gpointer, f: glib_sys::gpointer, ) { let f: &F = &*(f as *const F); f(&from_glib_borrow(this)) } unsafe { let f: Box_<F> = Box_::new(f); connect_raw( self.as_ptr() as *mut _, b"notify::grandmaster-clock-id\0".as_ptr() as *const _, Some(transmute::<_, unsafe extern "C" fn()>( notify_grandmaster_clock_id_trampoline::<F> as *const (), )), Box_::into_raw(f), ) } } pub fn connect_property_internal_clock_notify<F: Fn(&PtpClock) + Send + Sync + 'static>( &self, f: F, ) -> SignalHandlerId { unsafe extern "C" fn notify_internal_clock_trampoline< F: Fn(&PtpClock) + Send + Sync + 'static, >( this: *mut gst_net_sys::GstPtpClock, _param_spec: glib_sys::gpointer, f: glib_sys::gpointer, ) { let f: &F = &*(f as *const F); f(&from_glib_borrow(this)) } unsafe { let f: Box_<F> = Box_::new(f); connect_raw( self.as_ptr() as *mut _, b"notify::internal-clock\0".as_ptr() as *const _, Some(transmute::<_, unsafe extern "C" fn()>( notify_internal_clock_trampoline::<F> as *const (), )), Box_::into_raw(f), ) } } pub fn connect_property_master_clock_id_notify<F: Fn(&PtpClock) + Send + Sync + 'static>( &self, f: F, ) -> SignalHandlerId { unsafe extern "C" fn notify_master_clock_id_trampoline< F: Fn(&PtpClock) + Send + Sync + 'static, >( this: *mut gst_net_sys::GstPtpClock, _param_spec: glib_sys::gpointer, f: glib_sys::gpointer, ) { let f: &F = &*(f as *const F); f(&from_glib_borrow(this)) } unsafe { let f: Box_<F> = Box_::new(f); connect_raw( self.as_ptr() as *mut _, b"notify::master-clock-id\0".as_ptr() as *const _, Some(transmute::<_, unsafe extern "C" fn()>( notify_master_clock_id_trampoline::<F> as *const (), )), Box_::into_raw(f), ) } } } unsafe impl Send for PtpClock {} unsafe impl Sync for PtpClock {}

Action Cycling Team Action Cycling Team is a Taiwanese UCI Continental cycling team established in 2010. Team roster Major wins 2012 Stage 2 Tour of Singkarak, Shih Hsin Hsiao References Category:UCI Continental Teams (Asia) Category:Cycling teams established in 2010 Category:Cycling teams based in Taiwan

Q: Broadcast receiver for Battery isn't working I'm trying to use a BroadcastReceiver for the battery state, and do something when its level is below 20% and it's not charging. The problem is that it just doesn't work when the battery goes 20%. Here's the code, I hope somebody can help me: public class BatteryStateReceiver extends Activity { AccionesExecuter Ejecutor = new AccionesExecuter(); /** Called when the activity is first created. */ @Override public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) { super.onCreate(savedInstanceState); this.registerReceiver(this.batteryInfoReceiver, new IntentFilter(Intent.ACTION_BATTERY_CHANGED)); } private BroadcastReceiver batteryInfoReceiver = new BroadcastReceiver() { @Override public void onReceive(Context contexto, Intent intent) { Log.e("ReceiverBatería", "Recibió"); int level= intent.getIntExtra(BatteryManager.EXTRA_LEVEL,0); int plugged= intent.getIntExtra(BatteryManager.EXTRA_PLUGGED,0); if(level <= 20 && plugged == 0) { Log.e("If", "Entró"); Action ac = new Action(0, 0, 0, false); //ACTIONS ActionsSQLite base = new ActionsSQLite(contexto, "Actions", null,1); SQLiteDatabase db1 = base.getReadableDatabase(); db1 = contexto.openOrCreateDatabase("Actions",SQLiteDatabase.OPEN_READONLY, null); String query = "SELECT * FROM Actions WHERE IdEvento = 2"; Cursor c1 = db1.rawQuery(query, null); try{ if(c1!=null){ int i = c1.getColumnIndexOrThrow("Id"); int j = c1.getColumnIndexOrThrow("IdAccion"); int k = c1.getColumnIndexOrThrow("IdEvento"); int l = c1.getColumnIndexOrThrow("Activa"); boolean esActiva; //Nos aseguramos de que existe al menos un registro while(c1.moveToNext()){ if (c1.getInt(l) == 0){ esActiva = false; } else { esActiva = true; } //Recorremos el cursor hasta que no haya más registros ac = new Action(c1.getInt(i), c1.getInt(j), c1.getInt(k), esActiva); if (esActiva == true){ //Si está activa, la ejecuta, sino no Ejecutor.execute(contexto, ac.getIdAccion()); Log.e("Action ejecutada, Id: ", String.valueOf(ac.getId())); } } } else Toast.makeText(contexto, "No hay nada :(", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show(); } catch (Exception e){ Log.i("bdActions", "Error al abrir o crear la base de datos" + e); } if(db1!=null){ db1.close(); } } } }; } A: Create a Broadcast class named as broadcast public class broadcast extends BroadcastReceiver { @Override public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) { // TODO Auto-generated method stub Toast.makeText(context, "Broadcast recieved", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show(); } } in your manifest file Please add <receiver android:name="com.example.baterry.broadcast" > <intent-filter> <action android:name="android.intent.action.BATTERY_LOW" > </action> </intent-filter> Hopefully it will work perfectly for your requirement.

Nitric oxide mediates hepatocyte injury. The degree of acute hepatic failure after severe trauma and sepsis is related to the extent of hepatocyte (HC) damage and cell death resulting from either necrosis or apoptosis. We have previously demonstrated that tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can directly lead to HC necrosis, but not apoptosis. To date, the reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) and nitric oxide (NO) have been shown to play a potential role in the induction of cell apoptosis. However, it is unknown whether ROI and NO are involved in HC cell death. Therefore, in this study we tested the hypothesis that NO and ROI exert different effects on HC cell death. TNF-alpha and LPS alone failed to induce HC apoptosis but when combined with antioxidants resulted in HC apoptosis and DNA fragmentation, which is correlated with an increase in NO production. This effect was attenuated by the NO synthase inhibitor NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA). Moreover, the NO donor sodium nitroprusside resulted in HC apoptosis and cell damage as represented by hepatocellular enzyme release. Antioxidants inhibited TNF-alpha- and LPS-mediated ROI generation and peroxynitrite formation in HC. TNF-alpha- and LPS-induced HC damage could be further reduced by the combination of antioxidants and L-NMMA. These results indicate that NO is involved in HC injury, primarily through the induction of HC apoptosis.

Jynx Maze - Jynx: Squirting, Gape-Farting Sodomy (2017|HD|1.16 GB) Porn starlet Jynx Maze sports a frilly dress, unique heels and a tiara! She talks dirty as Jonni Darkko sodomizes her with dildos; this gape queen queefs and farts as she brazenly splays her open bunghole. Jynx joins Markus Dupree for an outrageous anal tryst. He reams her rump, and Jynx's cavernous colon gurgles as she shows her stretched anus. She gives sloppy, ass-to-mouth fellatio. Markus stuffs her sphincter with balls, and Jynx squirts while popping them out! She sucks a lollipop as Markus cums on her face.

#Codex Committee on spices and culinary herbs takes off ! Acting on a decision of the Codex Alimentarius Commission at its last session in July 2013, India is hosting this week the first session of the newly created Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) in Kochi (11-14 February 2014). This committee will provide increased leadership of Codex in harmonizing quality standards for spices and culinary herbs worldwide, supporting this thriving sector to achieve higher levels of consumer confidence and to attain more markets. Codex already provides great leadership in guiding the spices sector through specific food safety measures and requirements that are also applicable to spices and culinary herbs. More will be accomplished, now that this committee is up and running with an ambitious agenda. Given that major producers and exporters of spices and culinary herbs tend to be from developing countries disseminated in various regions in the world, there is no doubt that the outputs of this committee’s work will further contribute to the economic well-being of producers and farmers across the world. Congratulations to the Government of India for hosting and leading this important work under the auspices of the FAO / WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission. One thought on “#Codex Committee on spices and culinary herbs takes off !” Reblogged this on Canada For Codex and commented: The Office of the Codex Contact Point for Canada congratulates the Government of India for hosting the first session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs.

The field of fully-autonomous and/or semi-autonomous robots is a growing field of innovation. Robots are being used for many purposes including warehouse inventory operations, household vacuuming robots, hospital delivery robots, sanitation robots, and military or defense applications. In the consumer space, handling and delivery of goods and services by autonomous vehicles could improve society in many ways. For example, rather than spending time traveling to a merchant, a person can instead engage in productive work while waiting for an autonomous vehicle to deliver the goods and/or services. With fewer vehicles on the road, traffic conditions would also improve. For example, instead of several people traveling to merchants in several vehicles, a single autonomous vehicle could deliver goods and/or services to those people and thereby reduce the number of vehicles on the road. Other uses and applications for autonomous vehicles are possible as technology progresses. Accordingly, there is interest in developing technologies for autonomous vehicles.

1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to digital video streaming, and more particularly to a method and system for video stream encryption. 2. Description of the Related Art Digital video stream encryption systems have been used for access authentication. FIG. 1 is a diagram of a conventional digital video stream encryption system. An encryption application 11 receives video data video 1 to encrypt and outputs an encrypted video stream video 2 to a corresponding decryption application 12 via various media, such as microwave, internet, or cable. The decryption application 12 is responsible for decrypting the encrypted video stream video 2 to restore the original video stream video 1. A digital video stream can be seen as a series of static frames, requiring considerable storage capacity and transmission bandwidth. A 90-min full color video stream, for example, having 640×480 pixels/frame and 15 frames/second, requires bandwidth of 640×480 (pixels/frame)×3(bytes/pixel)×15(frames/sec)=13.18(MB/sec) and file size of 13.18(MB/sec)×90×60=69.50(GB). Such a sizeable digital video stream is difficult to store and transmit in real time, thus, many compression techniques have been introduced. MPEG standards ensure video encoding systems create standardized files that can be opened and played on any system with a standards-compliant decoder. Digital video contains spatial and temporal redundancies, which may be compressed without significant sacrifice. MPEG coding is a generic standard, intended to be independent of a specific application, involving compression based on statistical redundancies in temporal and spatial directions. Spatial redundancy is based on the similarity in color values shared by adjacent pixels. MPEG employs intra-frame spatial compression on redundant color values using DCT (Discrete Cosine Transform) and quantization. Temporal redundancy refers to identical temporal motion between video frames, providing smooth, realistic motion in video. MPEG relies on prediction, more precisely, motion-compensated prediction, for temporal compression between frames. MPEG utilizes, to create temporal compression, I-Frames, B-frames and P-frames. An I-frame is an intra-coded frame, a single image heading a sequence, with no reference to previous or subsequent frames. MPEG-1 compresses only within the frame with no reference to previous or subsequent frames. P-frames are forward-predicted frames, encoded with reference to a previous I- or P-frame, with pointers to information in a previous frame. B-frames are encoded with reference to a previous reference frame, a subsequent reference frame, or both. Motion vectors employed may be forward, backward, or both. MPEG achieves compression by quantizing the coefficients produced by applying a DCT to 8×8 blocks of pixels in an image and through motion compensation. Quantization is basically division of the DCT coefficient by a quantization scale related to quality level, with higher indices for greater compression but lower quality, and lower indices for the reverse. In the past, conventional encryption techniques have normally encrypted entire compressed video stream, as have conventional decryption techniques. Several inherent limitations exist in this process. First, encrypted video stream is unreadable without corresponding decryption, such that preview is unavailable. In addition, much time is spent encrypting and decrypting the entire video stream. In view of the limitations described, a need exists for a system and method of video stream encryption to provide both low quality digital video for preview and high quality encrypted stream for subsequent decryption, with reduced time spent encrypting and decrypting.

Highly efficient oligosaccharide synthesis on water-soluble polymeric primers by recombinant glycosyltransferases immobilised on solid supports. Recombinant beta-1,4-galactosyltranferase (beta 1,4-GalT) and alpha-2,6-sialytransferase (alpha 2,6-SiaT) immobilised covalently with activated Sepharose beads were employed for the practical synthesis of a trisaccharide derivative, Neu-5Ac alpha(2-->6)Gal beta(1-->4)GlcNAc beta-O-(CH2)6-NH2, on a water-soluble primer having GlcNAc residues through a alpha-chymotrypsin-sensitive linker.

--- abstract: | We derive a Lorentz invariant distribution of velocities for a relativistic gas. Our derivation is based on three pillars: the special theory of relativity, the central limit theorem and the Lobachevskyian structure of the velocity space of the theory. The rapidity variable plays a crucial role in our results. For $v^2/c^2 \ll 1$ and $1/\beta=kT/2 m_0 c^2 \ll 1$ the distribution tends to the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution. The mean $\langle v^2 \rangle$ evaluated with the Lorentz invariant distribution is always smaller than the Maxwell-Boltzmann mean and is bounded by $\langle v^2 \rangle/c^2=1$. This implies that for a given $\langle v^2 \rangle$ the temperature is larger than the temperature estimated using the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution. For temperatures of the order of $T \sim {10^{12}}~ K$ and $T \sim {10^{8}}~ K$ the difference is of the order of $10 \%$, respectively for particles with the hydrogen and the electron rest masses.\ PACS numbers: 05.20.Dd, 05.20.Jj author: - | Evaldo M. F. Curado$^{\mathrm{a,b}}$ and Ivano Damião Soares$^{\mathrm{a}}$\ *$^{\mathrm{a}}$ Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Fisicas*\ *$^{\mathrm{b}}$ Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia - Sistemas Complexos*\ *Rua Xavier Sigaud 150, 22290-180 - Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil* title: A Lorentz invariant velocity distribution for a relativistic gas --- In physics, it is difficult to overestimate adequately the importance of the Maxwell-Boltzmann (MB) distribution of velocities for gases, introduced by Maxwell in 1860 [@maxwell1860]. It was the first time a probability concept was introduced in a physical theory, as the existing theories at that time, like Newtonian mechanics and wave theory, were purely deterministic theories. Actually, the work of Maxwell was the starting point for Boltzmann to elaborate his research program, on the evolution of a time dependent distribution of velocities for gases, culminating in the articles of 1872 [@boltzmann1872] and 1877[@boltzmann1877], among other important papers, which are among the first fundamental cornerstones of the modern kinetic theory of gases and of statistical mechanics. With the implicit use of the atomic theory of matter (at that time a controversial theory), the new concept of entropy was established having also as its starting point the introduction, by Maxwell, of the concept of probability. Since then the MB distribution played a fundamental role in the statistical description of gaseous systems with a large number of constituents. Actually, in many cases it is considerably simpler, and even as accurate as, to use the MB distribution instead of Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac distributions[@balian]. However a clear limitation of the MB distribution is its nonrelativistic character, encompassing velocities larger than the velocity of light in contradiction with the special theory of relativity. Our purpose in this paper is to derive a Lorentz invariant distribution of velocities for a relativistic gas which has the MB distribution as a limit for velocities which are much smaller than the velocity of light (relatively small temperatures). In our derivation we will make use of an important property connected to the Riemannian structure of the velocity spaces of Galilean relativity and of Einstein special relativity, namely, both spaces are maximally symmetric three dimensional (3D) Riemannian spaces, differing only by the fact that in the Galilean relativity the space is flat (an Euclidean space) while in the Einstein special relativity the space has a negative constant curvature ($R=-1/c^2$). This will lead us (i) to use the additivity of velocities in the first case and of rapidities in the latter case, and (ii) to use Galilean transformations and Lorentz transformations as rigid translations which map, respectively, each space into itself. We will start by presenting a derivation of the MB distribution which differs from the derivation used by Maxwell but which is more appropriate for our derivation. Let us first consider the Galilean addition of velocities in an Euclidean space. We know that the velocities add according the rule ${\bf v} = \sum_i {\bf v}_i $. Assuming that the velocities ${\bf v}_i$ are random variables, with zero mean, and considering that the sum is over a very large number of particles, we have - by the central limit theorem[@central] - that the probability distribution of velocities for the random variable $\vec{v}$ is given by $P({\bf v}) \propto \exp(-b{\bf v}^2)$ recovering thus the famous MB distribution. In the special theory of relativity let us consider a fixed inertial reference frame, say the laboratory frame. To simplify our discussion we initially assume one dimensional (1D) motion only. Let the velocity of two particles be $v_1$ and $v_2$, with opposite signs, as measured in this inertial frame. According to the special theory of relativity the relative velocity of the two particles must be [$$\begin{aligned} \label{eq1} v=\frac{v_1+v_2}{1+v_1 v_2/c^2}\end{aligned}$$ ]{} which is invariant under Lorentz transformations. We note that the addition law (\[eq1\]) does not satisfy the usual arithmetic addition, as in Galilean relativity, which constitutes a basic ingredient in the central limit theorem, as is shown above, in our derivation of the MB distribution. However (\[eq1\]) can be rewritten as [$$\begin{aligned} \label{eq2} \frac{1-v/c}{1+v/c}=\Big( \frac{1-v_1/c}{1+v_1/c}\Big) \Big(\frac{1-v_2/c}{1+v_2/c}\Big),\end{aligned}$$ ]{} and can be extended to any number of particles, [$$\begin{aligned} \label{eq3} \frac{1-v/c}{1+v/c}=\prod_{i}\Big( \frac{1-v_i/c}{1+v_i/c}\Big).\end{aligned}$$ ]{} Therefore, if we take the logarithm on both sides (\[eq3\]) and define [$$\begin{aligned} \label{si} \sigma_i \equiv \frac{1}{2} \ln \left(\frac{1+v_i/c}{1-v_i/c} \right) = \tanh^{-1}(v_i/c) \,\,,~~\sigma_i \in (-\infty,\infty)\end{aligned}$$ ]{} we can express Eq.(\[eq3\]) as [$$\begin{aligned} \label{ssoma} \sigma= \sum_i \sigma_i \, .\end{aligned}$$ ]{} Let us consider, then, a relativistic gas with a large number of particles. If we assume that the velocities $v_i$ are independent and random variables, with zero mean, the variables $\sigma_i$’s are also independent and random with zero mean, and we have – in accordance with the central limit theorem – that the probability distribution of $\sigma$ in an interval $\sigma$ and $\sigma+d\sigma$ is given by, [$$\begin{aligned} \label{probs} P(\sigma)d\sigma= C_1 e^{-\beta \sigma^2} d\sigma \,,\end{aligned}$$]{} Using (\[si\]) and that $d \sigma = \gamma^2 dv$, where [$\gamma = 1/\sqrt{1-v^2/c^2}$]{}, we can write the probability distribution for the velocities of a one-dimensional relativistic gas as [$$\begin{aligned} \label{eq4} P(v)dv= C_1 e^{-\beta \Big( \tanh^{-1}(v/c) \Big)^2} \gamma^2 dv,\end{aligned}$$ ]{} with the normalization constant $C_1=\frac{1}{c}\sqrt{\beta/\pi}$. The factor [$\gamma^2 dv$]{} in (\[eq4\]) is the invariant line element as shown later. As we will see the variable $\sigma$ is in fact a particular case of the invariant distance measure in a 3D Lobachevsky space, which is the space of velocities in the special theory of relativity. For the general case of 3D velocities we have that the relative velocity ${\bf v}$ of two particles with arbitrary velocities ${\bf v_1}$ and ${\bf v_2}$, with respect to a fixed inertial frame, is given by [$$\begin{aligned} \label{eq5} {\bf v}=\frac{{\bf v_1}-{\bf v_2}+(\gamma(v_2)-1)({\bf v_2}/v_2^2)[{\bf v_1}\cdot{\bf v_2}-v_2^2]}{\gamma(v_2)(1-{\bf v_1}\cdot {\bf v_2}/c^2)}.\end{aligned}$$ ]{} The above expression also holds with the interchange ${\bf v_1}\leftrightarrows{\bf v_2}$. The square of the modulus of the relative velocity is given by [$$\begin{aligned} \label{eq6} v^2=\frac{({\bf v_1}-{\bf v_2})^2 - (1/c^2)[{\bf v_1}\wedge{\bf v_2}]^2}{(1-{\bf v_1}\cdot {\bf v_2}/c^2)^2},\end{aligned}$$ ]{} which is symmetric with respect to [${\bf v_1}$]{} and [${\bf v_2}$]{}. The square of the relative velocity (\[eq6\]) is invariant under Lorentz transformations. Now following Fock[@fock] let us consider the 3D space of velocities in the special theory of relativity and take two velocities infinitesimally close, namely, ${\bf v}$ and ${\bf v}+d{\bf v}$. Let $ds$ be the magnitude of the associated relative velocity divided by $c$. According to (\[eq6\]) we have [$$\begin{aligned} \label{eq7} d{s}^2=\frac{1}{c^2} \Big( \frac{d{\bf v} \cdot d{\bf v}}{1-v^2/c^2} + \frac{{\bf v} \cdot d{\bf v}}{(1-v^2/c^2)^2} \Big).\end{aligned}$$ ]{} Defining ${\bf v}=(v^1,v^2,v^3)$ and introducing the spherical coordinate system in the velocity space, [$$\begin{aligned} \label{eq8} v^1= v \sin \theta \cos \phi,~~v^2= v \sin \theta \sin \phi,~~v^3= v \cos \theta,\end{aligned}$$ ]{} we may express (\[eq7\]) as [$$\begin{aligned} \label{eq9} d {s}^2=\frac{\gamma^4}{c^2} d v^2+ \frac{v^2 \gamma^2}{c^2} d \Omega^2\end{aligned}$$ ]{} where $d \Omega^2=d \theta^2 + \sin^2 \theta d \phi^2$. The determinant of the metric in (\[eq9\]) is $\sqrt{g}=\gamma^4 v^2 \sin \theta/c^3$ so that the invariant element of volume of the velocity space in this coordinate system is given by [$$\begin{aligned} \label{eq10} dV=c^3 ~\sqrt{g}~dv d\theta d\phi=\gamma^4 v^2 \sin \theta ~dv d\theta d\phi.\end{aligned}$$ ]{} In particular, the invariant line element along an arbitrary direction $\theta=\phi={\rm const. }$  is  $dl=\gamma^2 ~dv$. The 3D Lobatchevsky velocity space, with the metrics (\[eq7\]) or (\[eq9\]), is a maximally symmetric Riemannian space[@eisenhart] and therefore homogeneous, isotropic, with constant Gaussian curvature $R=-1/c^2$ at any point. Since the space is homogeneous and isotropic any particular velocity may be chosen as the origin. Also, under Lorentz transformations, the space is mapped rigidly into itself. As a matter of fact the velocity spaces of the Galilean relativity and of the Einstein special relativity are both 3D maximally symmetric spaces, differing by the fact that the first has constant curvature $R=0$ and the latter has constant curvature $R=-1/c^2$. This difference has some bold implications for the relativistic velocity distribution to be derived. We mention that the remaining possible case of 3D maximally symmetric space is the spherical space ($R=1/c^2$), which apparently has no physical realization[@leblond]. In general we can assert that, since the velocity space is a Lobatchevsky space, the relativistic addition theorem for velocity coincides with the vector addition theorem in the Lobatchevsky geometry. Since the space is homogeneous and isotropic , we can consider that our additive variable is the magnitude of the relative velocity ${\bf v}$, at an arbitrary point taken as the origin. This length is evaluated with the Lobachevsky metric (11) yielding [$$\begin{aligned} \label{eq11} s=\pm \tanh^{-1} (|{\bf v}|/c),\end{aligned}$$ ]{} which turns out to be the 3D extension of the additive random variable $\sigma=(1/2)\ln \Big(\frac{1+v/c}{1-v/c}\Big)$ used in the derivation of (\[eq4\]), and which also has zero mean. This Lorentz invariant quantity denotes the rapidity of ${\bf v}$ with respect to the origin. The plus or minus sign in (\[eq11\]) defines the direction of the rapidity. ![Plot of the 1D Lorentz invariant distribution (\[eq4\]) for a fixed mass and increasing temperatures (successively dashed, dashdotted and continuous curves, cf. text). The distribution is zero for $v^2/c^2 \geq 1$, as expected.[]{data-label="figdist1"}](evaldo-1D-New.pdf){height="15cm" width="13cm"} ![Plot of the 3D Lorentz invariant distribution (\[eq14\]) for increasing temperatures (successively dashed, dotted, dashdotted and continuous curves, cf. text). As the temperature increases the probability piles up towards $v \sim c$ (due to the constraint $v/c \leq 1$), presenting a delta-type divergence at $v=c$ as $T \rightarrow \infty$.[]{data-label="figdist2"}](evaldo-3D-New.pdf){height="15cm" width="13cm"} With the above ingredients, basically, the homogeneity, isotropy and the invariant volume of the velocity space, and using the rapidity (\[eq11\]) as the additive variable, the 1D law (\[eq4\]) is generalized to [$$\begin{aligned} \label{eq13} P({\bf v})dV= C_3 e^{-\beta \Big( \tanh^{-1}(|{\bf v}|/c) \Big)^2} \gamma^4 dv^1 dv^2 dv^3,\end{aligned}$$ ]{} which is the 3D Lorentz invariant distribution law for velocities. In the coordinate system of (\[eq9\]), with $dV$ given by (\[eq10\]), we obtain the expression [$$\begin{aligned} \label{eq14} P(v)dv= 4 \pi C_3 e^{-\beta \Big( \tanh^{-1}(v/c) \Big)^2} \gamma^4 v^2 dv,\\ \nonumber\end{aligned}$$ ]{} where the factor $4 \pi$ comes from the integration in angles. The normalization constant $C_3$ is given by [$$\begin{aligned} \label{eq15} C_3= \frac{{\sqrt \beta}}{c^3 {\pi}^{3/2} (e^{1/\beta} -1)}.\end{aligned}$$]{} Physically, for one particle, the parameter $\beta$, which must be Lorentz invariant, is taken as the ratio [$$\begin{aligned} \label{eq16} \beta=\frac{m_0 c^2}{2 k T},\end{aligned}$$ ]{} where $m_0$ is the rest mass of the particles of the ensemble considered, $T$ the temperature and $k$ the Boltzmann constant. The nonrelativistic limit corresponds to $v^2/c^2 \ll 1$ and $k~T/m_0 c^2 \ll 1$, resulting in [$$\begin{aligned} \label{eq16b} (\tanh^{-1}(v/c)~)^2 \simeq v^2/c^2, ~~ C_{3}\simeq \frac{1}{c^3}(\beta/\pi)^{3/2},\end{aligned}$$ ]{} which reproduces the MB distribution. Although the components of the two velocities ${\bf v_1}$ and ${\bf v_2}$ appear nonlinearly in Einstein addition law, the relative velocity ${\bf v}$ appearing in (\[eq11\]) is an invariant and independent variable in the sense that the Lobachevsky space of velocities is mapped on itself by a Lorentz transformation, this map being a rigid translation without fixed points, so that no correlation is introduced by a Lorentz transformation. Of course the additivity in the sense of the Lobachevsky space leads to a distribution which is not separable with respect to the components of ${\bf v}$. ![The means of $v^2/c^2$ using the MB (dashed curve) and the Lorentz invariant (continuous curve) 3D distributions. The mean $\langle v^2/c^2\rangle_{\rm rel}$ is asymptotically limited by $1$. The dashdotted curve is the mean $\langle v_{\rm eff}^{2}/c^2 \rangle_{\rm rel}$ of the effective relativistic velocity (\[eq18\]) using the Lorentz invariant distribution.[]{data-label="fig3"}](evaldo-VM.pdf){height="15cm" width="13cm"} $kT/m_0 c^2$ $\langle v_{\rm eff}^{2} \rangle_{\rm rel}/c^2 $ $\langle v^{2} \rangle_{\rm rel} /c^2$ ${\langle v^{2} \rangle}_{MB}/c^2$ $\Delta=(\langle v_{\rm eff}^{2} \rangle_{\rm rel}-{\langle v^{2} \rangle}_{MB})/ \langle v_{\rm eff}^{2} \rangle_{\rm rel}$ -------------- -------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ $0.01$ $0.03032 $ $0.02922$ $ 0.03$ $ 1.08~\%$ $0.10$ $0.33529 $ $0.23927$ $ 0.30$ $ 10.52~\%$ $0.25$ $1.00139 $ $0.46505$ $ 0.75$ $ 25.10~\%$ $0.50$ $2.77437 $ $0.68145$ $ 1.50$ $ 45.93~\%$ $1.00$ $11.83122 $ $0.87657$ $ 3.00$ $ 74.64~\%$ In Figs. \[figdist1\] and \[figdist2\] we illustrate the behavior of the 1D and 3D Lorentz invariant distributions. Contrary to the case of the nonrelativistic distributions, which extends to infinite velocities, the Lorentz invariant distributions are bounded to $v^2/c^2 \leq 1$. As a consequence we see that in the relativistic case, as the temperature increases (or $\beta$ decreases) we have a piling up of the probability towards $v^2/c^2 \sim 1$, diverging at $v^2/c^2=1$ as $\beta \rightarrow 0$. In both figures we adopted $m_0$ as the hydrogen mass. The temperatures used in Fig. \[figdist1\] were $T=3 \times 10^{11},~5 \times 10^{12} ~{\rm and}~ 1.2 \times 10^{13}~K$ while in Fig. \[figdist2\], $T=5 \times 10^{11},~1 \times 10^{12},~3.5 \times 10^{12} ~{\rm and}~ 5 \times 10^{12}~K$. Using the Lorentz invariant distribution (\[eq14\]) we now evaluate the mean of $v^2/c^2$, [$$\begin{aligned} \label{eq17} \langle v^2 \rangle_{\rm rel}/c^2= 4 \pi c^3 C_3 \int^{\infty}_{0} \exp(-\beta x^2)\tanh^{2} x~ \sinh^{2} x~ dx.\end{aligned}$$ ]{} In Fig. \[fig3\] we compare $\langle v^2 \rangle_{\rm rel}/c^2$ with the MB [${\langle v^2 \rangle}_{MB}=3 k T/m_0$]{}. We see that $\langle v^2 \rangle_{\rm rel}/c^2$ is asymptotically limited by $1$, in contrast with the straight line corresponding to the MB mean. As a consequence, when the Lorentz invariant distribution is considered, a given $\langle v^2 \rangle_{\rm rel}$ corresponds to a temperature which is higher than the temperature obtained with the MB mean. We note that a discrepancy of the order of $10\%$ between the two velocity means corresponds to a temperature $T \sim {10^{12}}~K$ for particles with the hydrogen mass. For the relativistic kinetic energy [$E_k= E-m_0 c^2$]{}, which includes higher order contributions in the velocity, we define an effective velocity $v_{\rm eff}$ by [$$\begin{aligned} \label{eq18} v_{\rm eff}^{2} \equiv \frac{2 E_k}{m_0}= 2 c^2 \Big(\gamma-1 \Big)=v^2 \Big(1+ \frac{3}{4}~\frac{v^2}{c^2}+... \Big),\end{aligned}$$ ]{} whose mean in the Lorentz invariant distribution is [$$\begin{aligned} \label{eq19} {\langle v_{\rm eff}^{2} \rangle_{\rm rel}}/c^2 = 2\Big(\frac{e^{1/4\beta} \sinh (1/\beta)}{1-e^{-1/\beta}}-1 \Big).\end{aligned}$$ ]{} The mean (\[eq19\]) has the MB mean as a lower bound, as illustrated in Fig. \[fig3\]. Actually (\[eq19\]) yields the relativistic extension for the mean kinetic energy, [$$\begin{aligned} \label{eq20} \langle E_k \rangle_{\rm rel}=\frac{1}{2} m_0 \langle v_{\rm eff}^{2} \rangle_{\rm rel} = m_0 c^2\Big(\frac{e^{1/4\beta} \sinh (1/\beta)}{1-e^{-1/\beta}}-1 \Big).\end{aligned}$$ ]{} For large $\beta$, the right hand side of (\[eq19\]) yields the MB limit $\langle v_{\rm eff}^{2} \rangle \simeq 3 k T/m_0$, as expected. The exact equation (\[eq20\]) corrects the mean relativistic energy expression given in Ref. [@tolman], where the MB distribution was used. Some comments are in order now. As mentioned before, the mean $\langle v^{2} \rangle_{\rm rel}$ is associated with a large temperature as compared to the MB mean, therefore leading to a even higher relativistic kinetic energy than the one obtained with the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution. This has an important consequence for virialized gravitational systems since, for a fixed temperature and gravitational radius, the mass of the virialized system results larger for the Lorentz invariant distribution than for the MB distribution, as illustrated in Table I. For a difference $\Delta$ of the order of $10\%$, which might lead to substantial observable effects, we obtain temperatures $T \simeq 1.062 \times 10^{12}~K$ and $T \simeq 5.93 \times 10^{8}~K$, respectively for hydrogen and electrons in thermal equilibrium. Such high temperatures can possibly occur in astrophysical scenarios. High temperatures presently observed in astrophysical systems, say $T \sim {10^{8}}~K$, yield discrepancies $\Delta \simeq 0.001\%$ and $\Delta \simeq 1.81\%$, respectively for hydrogen and electrons. A distinct scenario where the relativistic effects could be dominant are quark-gluon plasma formed in ultrarelativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions, under the assumption of local thermal equilibrium. The temperatures involved in these systems are of the order of $10^{15}~K$[@bjorken; @adcox]. Finally a corollary following from our derivation (\[eq14\]) is the behavior of the temperature under a Lorentz transformation. Since the $\beta$ parameter (\[eq16\]) must be a invariant under a Lorentz transformation two outcomes are possible, as we are assuming that the Boltzmann constant is a relativistic invariant. Either (i) we consider $m_0 c^2 \equiv E^2/c^2 -p^2$ the invariant four-momentum norm, implying that the temperature is also invariant, or (ii) $m_0$ is the rest energy implying then that $T \rightarrow T^{\prime}=\gamma T$. We favor the option (i) in accord with the considerations of Landsberg [@landsberg]. We are grateful to Prof. Constantino Tsallis for the stimulating discussions and suggestions, which were fundamental to the development of this paper. We also acknowledge the Brazilian scientific agencies CNPq, FAPERJ and CAPES for financial support. [99]{} J. C. Maxwell, Philosophical Magazine XIX (1860) 19-32 and XX (1860) 21-37. L. Boltzmann, Wiener Berichte 66 (1872) 275-370. L. Boltzmann, Wiener Berichte 76 (1877) 373-435. R. Balian, [*From Microphysics to Macrophysics*]{}: Methods and Applications of Statistical Mechanics, Vol. I, Springer Verlag (Berlin, 1991). L. E. Reichl, [*A Modern Course in Statistical Mechanics*]{}, John Wiley & Sons (New York, 1998). V. Fock, [*The Theory of Space, Time and Gravitation*]{}, Pergamon Press (Oxford, 1964), Chapter I, Sec. 17. L. P. Eisenhart, [*Continuous Groups of Transformations*]{}, (Dover, New York, 1961), Chapter V, Sec. 53. J. M. Lévy-Leblond and J. P. Provost, Amer. J. Phys. 47, 1 (1979). R. C. Tolman, [*The Principles of Statistical Mechanics*]{} (Dover, New York, 1979). P. T. Landsberg, [*Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics*]{} (Dover, New York, 1990). L. D. Landau, Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR, Ser. Fiz. 17, 51 (1953); J. D. Bjorken, Phys. Rev. D 27, 140 (1983). K. Adcox et al. (Phenix Collaboration) K. Adcox et al. (PHENIX Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 022301 (2001); C. Adler et al. (STAR Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 202301 (2002);

Q: Can I send a heart beat to hardware watch dog from my own program? Following on from the question and excellent answer provided by Steve Robillard here: How do I hard reset a Raspberry Pi? How can I send a heartbeat signal from my own program to the BCM2708's hardware watchdog instead of from the Linux watchdog daemon? In other words, I want to reset the RPi if MY program is not running (which executes on startup), not only when the whole system is frozen. Thanks. A: You can and it's quite easy. RPi has a Linux module that implements the standard Linux watchdog API. You can find documentation of this here. Now, if you read this, you will know that there is a special device file called /dev/watchdog and in order to use watchdog you have to open this file and write some data (one byte, it's best to write something other than 'V' which I'm explaining later) to it from time to time. If you won't write anything to this file for long enough, watchdog will trigger a reboot. You can find an example program (very simple) here. Note that in a normal situation, if you close /dev/watchdog, watchdog can be disabled. There is a special mode called 'Magic Close feature' which seems to be implemented by a RPi driver but AFAIK it's not enabled in the default kernel configuration (CONFIG_WATCHDOG_NOWAYOUT option). In this case, reboot will be triggered even if you close /dev/watchdog unless you write 'V' to it just before quitting the app. You should test yourself if it is indeed disabled (I don't have a RPi here right now to test), but if it isn't, it's not good for you. If your application crashes, the watchdog device file will be closed and reboot won't be triggered and this is why you want it. In this situation, you can either change the kernel configuration and rebuild it or write a customized application that is going to monitor if your main application is working (using some IPC method for example). There is also the ioctl API which allows you to do some more with watchdog. You can, for example, set a different timeout - IOCTL with WDIOC_SETTIMEOUT (seems to be supported by the RPI driver) or get timeout - IOCTL with WDIOC_GETTIMEOUT (which also seems to be supported). You may want to use it to modify the default timeout (10 seconds). There is hard limit to 16 seconds however. Here's an example: int timeout = 15; int fd = open("/dev/watchdog", O_WRONLY); ioctl(fd, WDIOC_SETTIMEOUT, &timeout); You can also use IOCTL with WDIOC_KEEPALIVE instead of writing a character if you want. Both methods are valid.

Q: get maximum li height from 3 ul and add it on all I want to get maximum li height from 3 ul and apply over them respectively. For example, from first row if middle ul's li has height it will apply on to the first and third ul's li for the same row. <div class="first_col"> <ul> <li>first-ul</li> <li>first-ul</li> <li>first-ul</li> <li>first-ul</li> </ul> </div> <div class="sec_col"> <ul> <li>sec-ul</li> <li>sec-ul</li> <li>sec-ul</li> <li>sec-ul</li> </ul> </div> <div class="third_col"> <ul> <li>three-ul</li> <li>three-ul</li> <li>three-ul</li> <li>three-ul</li> </ul> </div> jQuery(document).ready(function($) { var ht = []; $('.first_col li').each(function(index) { ht[index] = $(this).height(); console.log(ht[index]); }); $('.sec_col li').each(function(index) { $(this).css('height', ht[index]); }); $('.third_col li').each(function(index) { $(this).css('height', ht[index]); }); }); A: You can achieve this by looping through the li within the first ul, retrieving the li in other ul at the same index and then equalising their heights. Try this: jQuery(document).ready(function($) { $('.first_col li').each(function(index) { var $li = $('ul').find('li:eq(' + index + ')'); var height = $li.map(function() { return $(this).height(); }).get(); $li.height(Math.max.apply(this, height)); }); }); li { border: 1px solid #C00; } .first_col li:nth-child(1) { height: 50px; } .sec_col li:nth-child(3) { height: 30px; } <script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/2.1.1/jquery.min.js"></script> <div class="first_col"> <ul> <li>first-ul</li> <li>first-ul</li> <li>first-ul</li> <li>first-ul</li> </ul> </div> <div class="sec_col"> <ul> <li>sec-ul</li> <li>sec-ul</li> <li>sec-ul</li> <li>sec-ul</li> </ul> </div> <div class="third_col"> <ul> <li>three-ul</li> <li>three-ul</li> <li>three-ul</li> <li>three-ul</li> </ul> </div> Note that the CSS in the above example is only to make the effect of the code more obvious, it's not required for the logic to work.

MURDER FOR HIRE PLOT THWARTED AT COOK COUNTY JAIL Saturday, February 9, 2013 — Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart announced today that Solicitation of Murder for Hire and Murder for Hire charges, both felonies, have been approved against Cook County Jail inmate Brian Thurman, 28, of Melrose Park. These charges follow an investigation into allegations that Thurman was seeking to have the victim and her family in his pending predatory criminal sexual assault charges killed. On January 13, 2013, Thurman was charged with predatory criminal sexual assault after Sheriff’s Police investigated allegations that Thurman sexually assaulted an 11 year old girl at a motel in unincorporated Leyden Township. Bond was set at $480,000 and Thurman remains in custody at the Cook County Jail. On January 29, 2013 Sheriff’s Police initiated an investigation after Thurman requested the assistance of another inmate and known gang member to hire someone to murder the victim and her family. On January 30, 2013 Thurman was provided a telephone number, which he believed was number of a hitman. The hitman was in fact an undercover Cook County Sheriff’s investigator. Thurman contacted the hitman and told him he needed three individuals killed. Thurman offered to give the hitman his car and $8,000 upon his release from jail. On February 4th Thurman was visited in the Cook County Jail by the alleged hitman. During the visit Thurman solicited the murder of his alleged 11-year-old victim, her 16-year-old sister and their mother “as soon as possible.” Thurman told the hitman where he could pick up his Mercury Mountaineer vehicle and again promised to pay him $8,000 dollars upon his release from custody. Thurman has been charged with 3 counts of Murder for Hire and 3 counts of Solicitation of Murder for Hire, both Class X felonies. Thurman is expected to appear in Bond Court tomorrow, February 10th at the Cook County Criminal Court Building. During this investigation Sheriff’s detectives learned that Thurman has associated with young girls before and that young girls had been seen around his Leyden Township motel room. Thurman has been known to frequent Chicago's Northwest side and the Mannheim Road area. Sheriff’

Gold(I)/Zn(II) catalyzed tandem hydroamination/annulation reaction of 4-yne-nitriles. The tandem hydroamination-annulation reaction of 4-pentyne-nitriles in the presence of amine nucleophiles and a cooperatively operating catalyst system, consisting of Ph(3)PAuCl and Zn(ClO(4))(2), provides an efficient route to 2-aminopyrroles. Two regioisomeric 2-aminopyrroles were formed in moderate to good yields.

13-3519-pr Smith v. Artus UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SECOND CIRCUIT SUMMARY ORDER Rulings by summary order do not have precedential effect. Citation to a summary order filed on or after January 1, 2007, is permitted and is governed by Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 32.1 and this Court’s Local Rule 32.1.1. When citing a summary order in a document filed with this Court, a party must cite either the Federal Appendix or an electronic database (with the notation “summary order”). A party citing a summary order must serve a copy of it on any party not represented by counsel. 1 At a stated term of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, held at 2 the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse, 40 Foley Square, in the City of New York, 3 on the 4th day of May, two thousand fifteen. 4 5 PRESENT: 6 GUIDO CALABRESI, 7 PETER W. HALL, 8 SUSAN L. CARNEY, 9 Circuit Judges. 10 __________________________________________ 11 12 AUREL SMITH, 13 14 Petitioner-Appellant, 15 16 v. 13-3519-pr 17 18 DALE ARTUS, Superintendent, Clinton 19 Correctional Facility 20 21 Respondent-Appellee.* 22 23 __________________________________________ 24 25 FOR PETITIONER-APPELLANT: JANE S. MEYERS, Brooklyn, NY. 26 27 FOR RESPONDENT-APPELLEE: JOHN J. CARMODY, Assistant District 28 Attorney (Steven A. Bender, Assistant 29 District Attorney, on the brief), for Janet * The Clerk of Court is respectfully directed to amend the official caption to conform with the above.  1 DiFiore, District Attorney of Westchester 2 County, White Plains, NY. 3 4 Appeal from a judgment of the United States District Court for the Southern District 5 of New York (Owen, J.). 6 UPON DUE CONSIDERATION, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, 7 ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that the judgment of the District Court is AFFIRMED. 8 Petitioner-Appellant Aurel Smith appeals from a judgment of the District Court 9 entered August 1, 2013, denying his petition for a writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. 10 § 2254. Smith contends that the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second 11 Department (“Appellate Division”), unreasonably applied clearly established United States 12 Supreme Court law when it concluded that the New York trial court’s failure to instruct his 13 jury on the defense of justification did not violate his due process rights. We assume the 14 parties’ familiarity with the underlying facts and the procedural history of the case, to which 15 we refer only as necessary to explain our decision. 16 In 2002, Smith was convicted following a jury trial on two counts of first-degree 17 assault (depraved indifference), see N.Y. Penal Law § 120.10(3), and one count of third- 18 degree criminal possession of a weapon, see N.Y. Penal Law § 265.02(1). The convictions 19 were based on Smith’s shooting of Denise Yancey and Yancey’s boyfriend, Kevin Jackson, 20 in Jackson’s apartment on November 3, 2001. At the time of the shooting, Smith rented a 21 room in Yancey’s apartment, and suspected Yancey’s friend, Letizia Murray, of stealing his 22 computer and certain other belongings from his room. The prosecution’s theory was that 23 Smith—incensed about the theft—forced his way into Jackson’s apartment with a gun and 24 proceeded to shoot Jackson, and then Yancey, in the head. The prosecution relied 25 principally on the testimony of Yancey and Jackson to that effect, as well as certain forensic 26 evidence. The defense’s theory was that Smith came to Jackson’s apartment unarmed 27 seeking Murray’s contact information, and that it was Jackson who threatened Smith with a 28 gun. The defense relied principally on testimony by Smith, who stated that Jackson forced   2  1 Smith into the apartment at gunpoint, and that the two shots fired as Smith attempted to 2 wrest the gun from Jackson’s right hand. 3 Smith did not initially request a justification instruction. But after the preliminary 4 charge to the jury, upon the court’s solicitation of “requests and exceptions,” Smith’s trial 5 counsel informed the court: “Mr. Smith has advised me that he wishes that a justification 6 charge be given to the jury, your Honor.” Trial Tr. (“Tr.”) 918-19. Even then, though, 7 Smith offered no argument in support of the charge. In response to the prosecution’s 8 objection, and after the court solicited further comment, Smith’s counsel stated only, “I rely 9 on the sole discretion of the Court, your Honor.” Tr. 919. The court denied Smith’s request 10 for the instruction. After the jury informed the court that it had reached its verdict, Smith 11 renewed his request, this time offering a case citation. The court again denied Smith’s 12 request. 13 Smith appealed his conviction to the Appellate Division, arguing, inter alia, that the 14 trial court’s failure to instruct the jury on the defense of justification violated New York law 15 and the Due Process Clause of the United States Constitution. The Appellate Division 16 affirmed the judgment of conviction, but did not discuss the jury instruction challenges in 17 any depth: It stated only that “[t]he defendant’s remaining contentions, including those 18 raised in his supplemental pro se brief, are without merit.” People v. Smith, 782 N.Y.S.2d 366, 19 366 (App. Div. 2d Dep’t 2004). Smith sought, but was denied, leave to appeal to the New 20 York Court of Appeals on the question, inter alia, whether the failure to instruct the jury on 21 justification violated his due process rights. 22 New York law permits a person to “use physical force upon another person when 23 and to the extent he or she reasonably believes such to be necessary to defend himself . . . 24 from what he . . . reasonably believes to be the use or imminent use of unlawful physical 25 force by such other person,” N.Y. Penal Law § 35.15(1), though “[a] person may not use 26 deadly physical force upon another person . . . unless . . . [t]he actor reasonably believes that 27 such other person is using or about to use deadly physical force” or certain other conditions   3  1 are met, id. § 35.15(2). “Justification is a defense, not an affirmative defense, and therefore 2 the People bear the burden of disproving it beyond a reasonable doubt.” Matter of Y.K., 87 3 N.Y.2d 430, 433 (1996) (citations omitted); see N.Y. Penal Law § 35.00. Further, “the 4 defense [may] be raised against diverse charges involving the use of force, regardless of the 5 relevant mens rea.” People v. McManus, 67 N.Y.2d 541, 547-48 (1986) (explaining that a 6 justification defense may be asserted against a charge of depraved indifference murder). “[A] 7 charge on justification is warranted whenever there is evidence to support it. The court 8 must view the record in a light most favorable to the accused and, if any reasonable view of 9 the evidence would permit the fact finder to decide that the conduct of the accused was 10 justified, an instruction on the defense should be given.” Id. at 549 (citations omitted). 11 Where only an “artificial or irrational” view of the evidence would permit a jury to conclude 12 that the defendant was justified, however, the justification instruction is not appropriate. 13 People v. Butts, 72 N.Y.2d 746, 750 (1988). 14 Of course, “it is not the province of a federal habeas court to reexamine state-court 15 determinations of state-law questions. In conducting habeas review, a federal court is 16 limited to deciding whether a conviction violated the Constitution, laws, or treaties of the 17 United States.” Estelle v. McGuire, 502 U.S. 62, 67-68 (1991). Thus where, as here, “an error 18 in a jury instruction is alleged, ‘it must be established not merely that the instruction is 19 undesirable, erroneous, or even “universally condemned,” but that it violated some right 20 which was guaranteed to the defendant by the Fourteenth Amendment.’” Davis v. Strack, 21 270 F.3d 111, 123 (2d Cir. 2001) (quoting Cupp v. Naughten, 414 U.S. 141, 146 (1973)). The 22 relevant question is “whether the ailing instruction by itself so infected the entire trial that 23 the resulting conviction violates due process.” Cupp, 414 U.S. at 147. 24 When a state court has addressed the merits of the federal claim, the federal court’s 25 review is further constrained by the standard set out in 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d).1 Here, we 1“When a state court rejects a federal claim without expressly addressing that claim, a federal habeas court must presume that the federal claim was adjudicated on the merits . . . .” Johnson v. Williams, 133 S. Ct. 1088, 1096 (2013). Smith has not rebutted the presumption here.   4  1 cannot grant Smith relief “unless the adjudication of the claim . . . resulted in a decision that 2 . . . involved an unreasonable application of . . . clearly established Federal law, as determined 3 by the Supreme Court of the United States.” Id. § 2254(d)(1). “[A]n unreasonable application 4 of federal law is different from an incorrect application of federal law.” Williams v. Taylor, 529 5 U.S. 362, 410 (2000). To prevail, Smith “must show that the state court’s ruling on the claim 6 being presented in federal court was so lacking in justification that there was an error well 7 understood and comprehended in existing law beyond any possibility for fairminded 8 disagreement.” Harrington v. Richter, 131 S. Ct. 770, 786-87 (2011). 9 In adjudicating a habeas petition based on a New York court’s failure to provide a 10 justification instruction, we thus typically ask three questions: “First, was the justification 11 charge required as a matter of New York state law? Second, if so, did the failure to give the 12 requested charge violate the standard set out in Cupp[?] Third, if so, was the state court’s 13 failure of such a nature that it is remediable by habeas corpus, given the limitations 14 prescribed by 28 U.S.C. § 2254?” Davis, 270 F.3d at 124. 15 The District Court held that habeas relief was not warranted because, under New 16 York law, no justification charge was required. In the District Court’s view, to credit Smith’s 17 testimony that the shots were fired in a struggle for the gun would have been to take an 18 irrational view of the evidence, see Butts, 72 N.Y.2d at 750. The court focused principally on 19 what it considered “objective and unassailable” forensic evidence, Special App. 14, 20 contradicting testimony by Smith that the gun fired while Smith was grasping for the gun 21 with his left hand, and that the gun fired at Jackson from “[l]ess than arm’s length” away, Tr. 22 715. The court also reasoned that it would be irrational to believe that the only two bullets 23 fired hit Jackson and Yancey in the head by chance. 24 We disagree with the District Court that, under New York law, the justification 25 instruction was not warranted. Smith’s testimony, if believed, would have permitted a 26 reasonable jury to conclude that Smith was justified in attacking Jackson, see McManus, 67 27 N.Y.2d at 547-48, and we cannot say that no reasonable jury could have credited that   5  1 testimony. The forensic evidence—construed in the light most favorable to Smith—did not 2 in fact “objective[ly] and unassailabl[y]” undermine Smith’s testimony. While the forensic 3 expert testified that the pattern of gunshot residue on Smith’s hands suggested that Smith 4 had fired the gun from his right—and not left—hand, the expert also testified that gunshot 5 residue “particles do not stick well, particularly to skin, and actions such as rubbing the hand 6 can remove the particles or transfer them from one hand to the other,” Tr. 562-63. 7 Similarly, Smith’s testimony that the gun fired at Jackson from “[l]ess than arm’s length” 8 away was not necessarily inconsistent with forensic evidence that the gun fired from a 9 distance of 24 inches or more. As for Smith’s testimony that the gun discharged 10 accidentally, we disagree that the possibility of the bullets striking Jackson and Yancey in the 11 head by chance was so remote that Smith’s testimony was incredible as a matter of law. 12 Therefore, even assuming arguendo that New York law permits the prosecution’s evidence to 13 render the defense argument of justification so implausible as to negate the need for the 14 instruction, that would not be so in this case. 15 But we cannot say that the Appellate Division unreasonably applied Cupp when it 16 concluded, ultimately, that the failure to provide the instruction did not “by itself so infect[] 17 the entire trial that the resulting conviction violates due process.” Because the Cupp standard 18 is a general one, “a state court has even more latitude to reasonably determine that a 19 defendant has not satisfied that standard.” Knowles v. Mirzayance, 556 U.S. 111, 123 (2009). 20 Given the nature of Smith’s testimony and the existence of potentially contradictory forensic 21 evidence, the Appellate Division reasonably could have concluded that Smith’s account— 22 even if potentially credible—was sufficiently implausible that Smith’s due process rights were 23 not violated as a result of the failure to provide the justification charge. See Henderson v. 24 Kibbe, 431 U.S. 145, 157 (1977) (denying habeas relief when the possibility “that the jury 25 might have reached a different verdict pursuant to an additional instruction” was “too 26 speculative to justify the conclusion that constitutional error was committed”); cf. Davis, 270 27 F.3d at 131, 133 (granting habeas relief when “there [wa]s a substantial likelihood that a 28 properly instructed jury would have found in [petitioner’s] favor”); Jackson v. Edwards, 404   6  1 F.3d 612, 627-28 (2d Cir. 2005) (granting habeas relief when a properly instructed jury 2 “might well have” found in petitioner’s favor). 3 Further, Smith requested a justification instruction only after the initial jury charge, 4 and did not offer any argument in support of his request until after the jury had reached its 5 verdict. A party may request an instruction “after the court’s charge” as a matter of New 6 York law. N.Y. Crim. Proc. Law § 300.10(5). But the Appellate Division reasonably could 7 have concluded, in light of Smith’s delay and the nature of the requests, that as a matter of 8 federal law the resulting conviction did not violate due process. See Kibbe, 431 U.S. at 154 9 (“Orderly procedure requires that the respective adversaries’ views as to how the jury should 10 be instructed be presented to the trial judge in time to enable him to deliver an accurate 11 charge and to minimize the risk of committing reversible error.”). Because the Appellate 12 Division did not unreasonably apply any clearly established Supreme Court law, the District 13 Court did not err in denying Smith’s habeas petition. 14 * * * 15 We have considered Smith’s remaining arguments, including those in Smith’s 16 supplemental pro se reply brief, and find them to be without merit. We AFFIRM the 17 judgment of the District Court. 18 FOR THE COURT: 19 Catherine O’Hagan Wolfe, Clerk of Court   7 

Q: If ${\sigma _1} = {\sigma _2} = ....={\sigma _n}$ then $A$ is a scalar multiple of a unitary matrix Let ${\sigma _i}$ is singular value of matrix $A\in{M_n}$ for $i=1,2,...,n$ and ${\sigma _1} = {\sigma _2} = ....={\sigma _n}$. Why does $A$ is a scalar multiple of a unitary matrix? A: If $A = U \Sigma V^*$ is the SVD decomposition of $A$ and $\Sigma = \sigma I$ (that is, $\sigma_1 = \ldots = \sigma_n = \sigma$) then $A = U (\sigma I) V^* = \sigma UV^*$. The matrix $UV^*$ is unitary as a product of unitary matrices.

Introduction {#s1} ============ One of the most intensely studied forms of reproductive isolation is intrinsic postzygotic isolation: the inviability or sterility of interspecific hybrids that arises during development. The genetic mechanisms underlying this type of reproductive isolation are thought to be irreversible in evolutionary time [@pgen.1004270-Coyne1], [@pgen.1004270-Price1]. The study of postzygotic isolating mechanisms can reveal the molecular changes that have arisen between species [@pgen.1004270-Orr1], [@pgen.1004270-Orr2]. There is both theoretical and empirical evidence for the role of postzygotic isolation in completing the process of speciation through the action of natural selection [@pgen.1004270-Dobzhansky1]--[@pgen.1004270-Nosil1], as enhanced prezygotic isolation might evolve as a byproduct of maladaptive hybridization, thus furthering the speciation process [@pgen.1004270-Servedio1], [@pgen.1004270-Hopkins1]. In the Dobzhansky-Muller model (DM model) of the evolution of reproductive isolation, the genetic basis of hybrid breakdown involves (at minimum) two loci with an ancestral genotype of *A~1~A~1~B~1~B~1~*. The ancestral species splits into two descendant species that eventually acquire genotypes *A~1~A~1~B~2~B~2~* and *A~2~A~2~B~1~B~1~* through natural selection, meiotic drive or, less likely, genetic drift. This model posits that postzygotic isolation arises in allopatry as a collateral effect of the evolutionary divergence between these two isolated populations. In this case, although species having genotypes *A~1~A~1~B~2~B~2~* and *A~2~A~2~B~1~B~1~* at two loci are fit, the hybrid progeny will have a genotype *A~1~A~2~B~1~B~2~* and therefore might be unfit: either sterile or inviable because the *A~2~* and *B~2~* alleles do not interact properly [@pgen.1004270-Coyne1], [@pgen.1004270-Orr1], [@pgen.1004270-Muller1], [@pgen.1004270-Orr3]. The DM model presents a general mechanism for the evolution of postzygotic isolation, and explains a substantial proportion of the cases in which we know the genetic basis of hybrid breakdown [@pgen.1004270-Masly1], [@pgen.1004270-Moyle1], [@pgen.1004270-Maheshwari1]. Concerted mapping efforts have localized a number of hybrid incompatibility genes (those involved in Dobzhansky-Muller incompatibilities, or DMI) to small chromosomal regions [@pgen.1004270-Orr2], [@pgen.1004270-Maheshwari1], [@pgen.1004270-Nosil2] and have yielded some general patterns about the biology of genes involved in reproductive isolation. The first general pattern of hybrid inviability, Haldane\'s rule, pre-dates genetic mapping. In a wide variety of organisms, if hybrids of only one of the sexes are inviable or sterile, it will be the heterogametic sex [@pgen.1004270-Coyne1], [@pgen.1004270-Haldane1], [@pgen.1004270-Orr4]. Second, many (but not all) of the genes that cause hybrid breakdown have evolved under the influence of natural selection or meiotic drive, suggesting that rapid evolution within species leads to the evolution of DMI in hybrids [@pgen.1004270-Presgraves1]--[@pgen.1004270-Phadnis1]. Third, the *X*-chromosome, when compared with the autosomes, plays a disproportionately large role in postzygotic isolation [@pgen.1004270-Coyne1], [@pgen.1004270-Masly2]. Fourth, mapping results have shown that the predictions from the DM model hold at the genomic level, and that the number of genes involved in hybrid inviability evolves faster than the accumulation of neutral genetic differences between species [@pgen.1004270-Orr5]--[@pgen.1004270-Moyle2]. Finally, hybrid incompatibilities are asymmetric (i.e, *A~2~* is incompatible with *B~2~*, but *A~1~* may be compatible with *B~1~*). These asymmetries often result from DMIs involving uniparentally inherited genetic factors such as cytoplasmic--nuclear interactions [@pgen.1004270-Breeuwer1]--[@pgen.1004270-Chou1]. Of these five patterns, two---Haldane\'s rule and the large effect of the *X*-chromosome on hybrid inviability---can be explained by the hemizygosity of the sex chromosome and the dominance theory ([@pgen.1004270-Orr6]--[@pgen.1004270-Orr8]; see [@pgen.1004270-Presgraves2] for alternative explanations of Haldane\'s rule in animals lacking a heterogametic sex). In *Drosophila*, *X*-linked genes can have a disproportional effect on hybrid fitness because the heterogametic hybrid males suffer from both the dominant and recessive deleterious *X*-linked alleles [@pgen.1004270-Charlesworth1]--[@pgen.1004270-Turelli4]. In the homogametic females, however, the deleterious effects of recessive alleles are masked by the presence of a second *X*-chromosome. In *Drosophila* hybrids, several studies have suggested the presence of recessive alleles in one of the *X*-chromosomes that can cause hybrid inviability in females when uncovered with a genetic lesion [@pgen.1004270-Coyne2]. Surprisingly, in some of these crosses, hybrid males are viable despite all the recessive factors from one *X*-chromosome being fully exposed [@pgen.1004270-Orr7], [@pgen.1004270-Sawamura1]. One hypothesis for why males, but not females, can survive in these cases is that epistatic interactions *between* the two *X*-chromosomes lead to inviability in females. This idea, first formalized by Orr [@pgen.1004270-Orr6], states that since female hybrids carry two *X*-chromosomes, they suffer twice as many interactions involving the sex chromosomes but as the alleles involved in hybrid breakdown are on average recessive, the heterogametic sex is still much more prone to suffer hybrid breakdown. The hypothesis that the homogametic sex (females in *Drosophila*) suffers from negative epistatic interactions between *X*-chromosomes remains largely untested (but see [@pgen.1004270-Sawamura2], [@pgen.1004270-Cattani1]). One of the prerequisites of such interactions is the existence of dominant partners on one of the *X*-chromosomes that could potentially cause hybrid inviability in females but not in males. The aim of this study is to determine if this sex-specific epistasis is present in interspecific hybrids and reveal dominant partners in the interactions. *Drosophila melanogaster* is particularly useful for the study of the genetic architecture of hybrid inviability because of its armamentarium of genetic tools that can be used to establish the identity and density of alleles involved in DMIs. To date, two studies have used deficiencies in *D. melanogaster*, cytological aberrations in which a chromosomal segment is deleted, to reveal recessive alleles from the paternal species that cause inviability in *D. melanogaster/D. simulans* hybrids due to interactions with dominant partners in the *D. melanogaster* genome. Coyne et al. [@pgen.1004270-Coyne2] found three lethal regions in the *D. simulans* genome with only one of those alleles located on the *X*-chromosome. Matute et al. [@pgen.1004270-Matute1] identified a total of 11 *D. simulans* recessive alleles, including two on the *D. simulans X*-chromosome (*X^sim^*) that interacted with the *D. melanogaster* genome. In parallel, Matute et al. [@pgen.1004270-Matute1] also aimed to dissect causes of inviability in hybrids between the more diverged species *D. santomea* and *D. melanogaster* and determined that at least 71 genomic regions were involved in hybrid inviability. The results from that study indicated at least 13 recessive alleles residing on the *D. santomea X*-chromosome (*X^san^*) cause hybrid inviability. However, these deficiency-mapping efforts focused on identifying a single hybrid inviability allele from what certainly could be complex epistatic interactions (involving three or more loci; [@pgen.1004270-Orr1], [@pgen.1004270-Phadnis1], [@pgen.1004270-Cabot1]--[@pgen.1004270-Moyle3]). These studies both localized recessive alleles in the genome of the paternal species (either *D. simulans* or *D. santomea*) that are involved in DMIs, but did not explore their possible partners in the maternal genome (*D. melanogaster*). QTL-mapping and introgression-based approaches share the same drawback: even though they reveal a portrait of the genes involved in hybrid breakdown (e.g., [@pgen.1004270-True1], [@pgen.1004270-Palopoli1]), they do not reveal the full nature of the genetic architecture of hybrid inviability as they do not identify the specific epistatic interactions leading to reduced fitness of hybrids. Three studies have aimed not only to identify single alleles that contribute to hybrid inviability but also to determine the interacting partners of such alleles. Presgraves [@pgen.1004270-Presgraves3] pursued a genome-wide identification of *D. simulans* autosomal recessive alleles that cause lethality in male *D. melanogaster/D. simulans* hybrids (*mel/sim*). In this case, if the *D. simulans X*-chromosome was present (as in hybrid females), the autosomal recessive alleles did not cause hybrid inviability, suggesting the existence of epistatic recessive partners on the *D. melanogaster X*-chromosome (*X^mel^*). This initial screening allowed for the identification of two autosomal nuclear pore proteins (*Nup96-98* [@pgen.1004270-Presgraves4] and *Nup160* [@pgen.1004270-Tang2] that in conjunction with unidentified recessive alleles in *X^mel^* cause inviability in *mel/sim* hybrids. Sawamura and Yamamoto [@pgen.1004270-Sawamura2] used a *D. melanogaster* translocation from the *X*-chromosome attached to the *Y*-chromosome [@pgen.1004270-Sawamura2] to identify a dominant *X*-linked allele that causes lethality in hybrid *sim/mel* sons, and named it *zhr* (zygotic hybrid rescue). Fine functional analyses, also aided by the use of *Dp(1;Y)* translocations have revealed that *zhr* is a repetitive 359 bp DNA satellite, derived in *D. melanogaster* and absent in *D. simulans*, that causes hybrid inviability by causing heterochromatin packing problems which in turn leads to mitotic defects early in embryogenesis [@pgen.1004270-Ferree1]. Finally, Cattani and Presgraves [@pgen.1004270-Cattani1] expanded the results from Coyne et al. [@pgen.1004270-Coyne2], and identified a candidate dominant factor on *X^mel^* that could cause hybrid inviability when interacting with one of the *D. mauritiana X*-linked recessive alleles. Their results point to the existence of one dominant factor that interacts with at least one recessive factor in the heterochromatic region of the *D. mauritiana X*-chromosome to cause hybrid lethality. These two mapping efforts have uncovered most of the known *X*-linked dominant DMI partners in *Drosophila*. Here, we explore the possibility of negative epistatic interactions between *X*-chromosomes in several interspecific hybrids by taking advantage of a comprehensive tiling set of duplications of the *D. melanogaster X*-chromosome attached to the *Y*-chromosome [@pgen.1004270-Cook1]. In this report, we show the possibility of producing *D. melanogaster/D. santomea* hybrid males. Second, we examine inviable hybrid males from several crosses (*D. melanogaster/D. santomea*, *D. melanogaster/D. simulans* and *D. melanogaster/D. mauritiana*) to study the effect of small regions of the *D. melanogaster X*-chromosome in an across-species comparative manner; this revealed significant differences in the frequency, developmental timing and lineage specificity of epistatic interactions between *X*-chromosomes in *Drosophila* hybrids. Results {#s2} ======= Hybrid *mel/san* males are viable if they carry a *D. santomea X*-chromosome {#s2a} ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The cross of wild-type *D. melanogaster* females to wild-type *D. santomea* males produces only sterile adult female progeny while males with the genotype *X^mel^/Y^san^* die as embryos [@pgen.1004270-Palopoli1]. The reciprocal cross does not produce any progeny as premating isolation seems to be complete in that direction [@pgen.1004270-GavinSmyth1]. Recently, we discovered that when *mel* attached-*X* females with a Compound Reversed Metacentric chromosome, *C(1)RM/0*, are crossed to *D. santomea* males, they produce progeny entirely composed of adult hybrid males with the genotype *X^san^/0* while the hybrid females die as embryos ([Figure 1](#pgen-1004270-g001){ref-type="fig"}). We also observed that the cross of a second type of attached-*X* females, *mel C(1)RM/Y^mel^*, to *D. santomea* males produces solely *X^san^/Y^mel^* hybrid males. Crosses involving an alternative *mel* attached-*X*, Compound (1) Double X or *C(1)DX*, produce identical results. [Figure S1](#pgen.1004270.s001){ref-type="supplementary-material"} shows two morphological traits of these previously undescribed hybrid males, number of teeth in the sex combs and abdominal pigmentation. ![Crossing scheme to study the effect of *X*-linked chromosomal duplications in *mel/san* hybrid males.\ A. Crosses between *D. melanogaster* females carrying an attached-*X* \[*C(1)RM*\] chromosome and *D. santomea* males produce dead females and viable adult hybrid males. (The *Y^mel^*-chromosome has no effect on hybrid male viability, see text.) B. *D. melanogaster* females carrying an attached-*X* \[*C(1)RM*\] chromosome and a compound *Y*-chromosome (i.e, an *X*-chromosome duplication attached to the *Y^mel^*-chromosome) are viable and fertile. These females can be crossed to *D. santomea* males, and even though all the females die as embryos, males survive if the *Dp(1;Y^mel^)* does not carry dominant (or semi-dominant) lethal alleles. We were able to tile 72% of the whole euchromatic *X*-chromosome from *D. melanogaster*. Results for this screening are shown in [Figure 3](#pgen-1004270-g003){ref-type="fig"}.](pgen.1004270.g001){#pgen-1004270-g001} Because we can produce hybrid males with and without *Y^mel^*, we asked first whether this chromosome had any affect on hybrid male viability, or longevity. We first compared *X^san^/Y^mel^* to *X^san^/0* hybrid males. (These males were generated by *mel* attached-*X* females carrying a *Y^mel^* (either *C(1)RM/Y^mel^* or *C(1)DX/Y^mel^*)×*D. santomea* males and attached-*X mel* females carrying only the homocompound chromosome *(C(1)RM/0* or *C(1)DX/0)*×*D. santomea* males respectively.) Males of these two genotypes showed no differences in viability at any developmental stage ([Figure S2](#pgen.1004270.s002){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). The two types of hybrid males were both sterile and showed similar longevity ([Figure S2](#pgen.1004270.s002){ref-type="supplementary-material"}; [Tables S1](#pgen.1004270.s008){ref-type="supplementary-material"} and [S2](#pgen.1004270.s009){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). Despite the morphological defects of these hybrid males, particularly in abdominal segments, they survive almost as long as virgin males from both parental species ([Figure S2](#pgen.1004270.s002){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). The fitness of the *X^san^/0* and *X^san^/Y^mel^* hybrids is effectively zero as both are sterile, however, these results demonstrate that there are no lethal epistatic interactions between *X^san^* and *Y^mel^*, between the *D. santomea* autosomes and *Y^mel^*, or between *X^san^* and the cytoplasmic elements, including mitochondrial genes or maternally deposited gene products, of *D. melanogaster*. We then excluded the possibility that the *mel/san* males could actually be feminized or sexually chimeric. We assessed the presence of male-specific structures on both sides of the body in *X^san^/0* males produced from the cross *mel C(1)RM/0*×*san*. The *mel/san* hybrid males are bilaterally symmetrical, with sex combs, testes and genital arches on both sides. More specifically, the number of teeth in their sex-combs is not significantly different between left and right (Paired Wilcoxon signed rank test with continuity correction on sex comb teeth, left vs. right: V = 4, P = 0.850) and did not have any feminized features ([Figure S1](#pgen.1004270.s001){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). All hybrid males were sterile and had atrophied testes lacking motile sperm. These results indicate that these hybrids are true males are not gynandromorphs or otherwise sexually chimeric. Following [@pgen.1004270-Orr7], we were also able to perform interspecific crosses between *mel C(1)RM/0* females and *D. simulans* (*sim*), or *D. mauritiana* (*mau*) males. These crosses produce viable hybrid *X^sim^/0* or *X^mau^/0* males. We were also able to produce *X^sim^*/*Y^mel^* and *X^mau^/Y^mel^* hybrid males by crossing *mel C(1)RM/Y^mel^* to *sim* or *mau* males, respectively. *X^sim^*/*Y^mel^* and *X^sim^/0*, as well as *X^mau^*/*Y^mel^* and *X^mau^/0* males show similar viability and longevity to the pure parental species regardless of the genetic background of the attached-*X D. melanogaster* stock ([Tables S1](#pgen.1004270.s008){ref-type="supplementary-material"} and [S2](#pgen.1004270.s009){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). The existence of these viable hybrid males, similar to the existence of *mel/san* hybrids, indicates there no lethal epistatic interactions exist between *X^sim^* (or *X^mau^*) and *Y^mel^*, between *Y^mel^* and the *D. simulans* (or *D. mauritiana*) autosomes, or between *X^sim^* (or *X^mau^*) and the cytoplasm of *D. melanogaster* ([Figure S3](#pgen.1004270.s003){ref-type="supplementary-material"} and [S4](#pgen.1004270.s004){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). In all three interspecific crosses involving *mel C(1)RM/Y^mel^* (and *mel C(1)RM/0*) females, hybrid females that carry the two *X^mel^* rarely survive to adulthood. In the case of *mel C(1)RM/0*×*san* crosses, hybrid females (*X^mel^X^mel^/Y^san^*) predominantly die as embryos, the same developmental stage at which wild-type hybrid males (*X^mel^/Y^san^*) die. Hybrid female embryos carrying only the *C(1)RM* chromosome manifest an abdominal ablation in the posterior, very similar to that which we described for wild-type hybrid males who carry an *X^mel^* [@pgen.1004270-GavinSmyth1]. This phenotype is present in 71% of the hybrid (*X^mel^X^mel^/Y^san^*) females, comparable to the 67% frequency seen in wild-type *X^mel^*/*Y^san^* males, ([Figure 2](#pgen-1004270-g002){ref-type="fig"}, [@pgen.1004270-GavinSmyth1]). In the case of \[*C(1)RM/0*×*sim*\], and \[*C(1)RM/0*×*mau*\] crosses, the hybrid females carrying the compound attached-*X^mel^* chromosome are able to survive through their larval stages but do not transition into pupae, similar to *mel/sim* (and *mel/mau*) wild-type hybrid males [@pgen.1004270-Sturtevant1]--[@pgen.1004270-Bolkan1]. These results indicate that either one or two copies of *X^mel^* chromosome in the absence of another *X*-chromosome can induce hybrid inviability regardless of the sex of the hybrid in the three interspecific crosses. {#pgen-1004270-g002} To determine which factors residing on *X^mel^* are involved in hybrid inviability we then undertook a duplication mapping screen to identify the regions of *X^mel^* that cause lethality in males carrying a *D. santomea*, *D. simulans* or *D. mauritiana X*-chromosome and a fragment of *X^mel^* attached to the *Y^mel^* \[*Dp(1;Y)*\]. Our goal was to identify the dominant regions on *X^mel^* that can cause hybrid lethality in the presence of the *X*-chromosome from another species. All fly stocks are listed in [Tables S3](#pgen.1004270.s010){ref-type="supplementary-material"} and [S4](#pgen.1004270.s011){ref-type="supplementary-material"}. The *X*-chromosome from *D. melanogaster* contains dominant alleles that cause hybrid inviability in *mel/san* hybrid males {#s2b} --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As the duplication mapping approach [@pgen.1004270-Sawamura2], [@pgen.1004270-Cattani1] has no balancer sibling or other internal controls, this study is limited to the identification of alleles that cause complete (rather than partial) lethality. We used two different criteria to describe dominant lethals. First, we used a qualitative cut-off: an allele was classified as lethal if fewer than 10% of individuals hatched or molted to the next developmental stage. This approach is limited because the cut-off is arbitrary, but our data were resilient to more quantitative analyses (see Methods). Second, the duplication had to cause lethality in both attached-*X* genetic backgrounds; *mel C(1)RM* and *mel C(1)DX*. This approach therefore does not detect putative semi-lethal alleles or those that can cause significant, but incomplete, reductions in viability. To exclude pre-mating isolation from our observations, we only included data from matings in which we observed inseminated females. Twenty females from each of three replicates were dissected for each cross and their reproductive tracts were inspected for the presence of sperm, either motile or dead. [Table S5](#pgen.1004270.s012){ref-type="supplementary-material"} shows insemination rates for the three interspecific crosses and the two intraspecific crosses, involving *mel C(1)RM, Dp(1;Y)* females. To further exclude postmating-prezygotic isolation between the two species involved in the cross, herein we only include data from matings that produced embryonic progeny. When *C(1)RM, Dp(1;Y^mel^)* females hybridize with *D. santomea* males, four genotypes are produced: \[*Y^san^*/*Dp(1;Y^mel^)*\], \[*C(1)RM*/*X^san^*\], \[*C(1)RM*/*Y^san^*\], and \[*X^san^/Y^mel^*, *Dp(1;Y)*\]. Embryos with the genotype \[*Y^san^*/*Y^mel^, Dp(1;Y)*\], also called nullo-*X* embryos, do not complete cellularization in the early blastoderm stage and fail to differentiate any discernible larval cuticle [@pgen.1004270-Wieschaus1]. Thus, on a gross phenotypic level, they are indistinguishable from unfertilized eggs. Hybrid metafemales embryos, with 3 *X*-chromosomes *C(1)RM*/*X^san^*, also routinely fail to hatch. These females cannot be differentiated from hybrid males as both carry a wild-type *yellow* allele and have black mouthparts. Adult hybrid metafemales are not to be expected as, even in pure species crosses within *D. melanogaster*, the frequency of metafemale survival to eclosion is less than 0.2% of total females [@pgen.1004270-Birchler1]. In this study male (*X^san^/Dp(1;Y)*) embryonic lethality was assessed in a qualitative way (i.e, an *X^mel^* region was considered lethal if less than 10% of the total progeny hatched to L~1~), such that the lack of distinction between hybrid males and metafemales was not a substantial concern. Adult hybrid metafemale or attached *X^mel^*/*Y^san^* females were never recovered in any of the crosses (but see [@pgen.1004270-Frost1]--[@pgen.1004270-Chatterjee1] for studies on viability of hybrid *mel/sim* metafemales). The remaining two genotypes from these crosses are \[*C(1)RM/Y^san^*\] females, of which nearly all die as embryos. A majority of these animals manifest abdominal ablations, and are distinguished by their lack of black pigment in their larval mouth parts. The majority of males of the final genotype, \[*X^san^*/*Dp(1;Y^mel^)*\] males, hatch into L~1~ and develop into adults, unless the duplication carried on the *Y^mel^* chromosome contains a dominant lethal allele which induces hybrid inviability. When *C(1)RM, Dp(1;Y^mel^)* females are hybridized with *D. simulans* or *D. mauritiana* males, four analogous genotypes are produced with identical survivability. In total, thirty-one duplications carrying twelve distinct chromosomal regions in *X^mel^* caused hybrid lethality at some developmental stage in *C(1)RM, Dp(1;Y^mel^)*×*san* crosses ([Figure 3](#pgen-1004270-g003){ref-type="fig"}, [Table S6](#pgen.1004270.s013){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). Out of these twelve regions, nine caused complete embryonic lethality, none caused male larval lethality and three caused male pupal lethality. ![Mapping results from *mel/san* crosses.\ We crossed *D. melanogaster C(1)RM/Dp(1;Y)* females to *D. santomea* males and assessed what proportion of the males were dead at different stages of development. All the hybridizations that produced progeny are represented by a rectangle. The *X^mel^* regions \[*Dp(1;Y)*\] that caused hybrid inviability are shown in two shades of blue depending on where they caused hybrid inviability: solid blue (embryonic lethality), and blue stripes (pupal lethality). Chromosomal segments that did not cause lethality are not colored. Please note the region on 17 contains two lethal regions.](pgen.1004270.g003){#pgen-1004270-g003} We followed the same approach using a different *D. melanogaster* background and a different attached-*X* chromosome; *C(1)DX*. In addition to the twelve lethal regions identified in the *C(1)RM* background, we detected one additional locus that induces hybrid lethality in the *C(1)DX*/*Dp(1;Y^mel^)*×*san* crosses ([Table S7](#pgen.1004270.s014){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). The lethality of this additional region, \[18F4-19A2; 19A2\], in the *C(1)DX* genetic background is likely due to an increased sensitivity resulting in higher overall lethality rates. We therefore focused only on the twelve duplications that caused lethality in both backgrounds. [Figure 3](#pgen-1004270-g003){ref-type="fig"} shows the cytological position of each of the twelve *X^mel^*-linked lethal alleles. In wild-type crosses involving *D. melanogaster*×*D. santomea*, we found that the hybrid males, which carry the full *X^mel^*-chromosome (*X^mel^/Y^san^*), die as embryos with profound abdominal ablations [@pgen.1004270-GavinSmyth1]. While some hybrid females also manifest abdominal segment pattern defects, they are not as severe, suggesting the presence of the *X^san^* chromosome ameliorates the patterning defects. Hybrid female embryos carrying only *X^mel^*-chromosomes (genotype attached-*X C(1)RM/Y^san^*) have a much higher penetrance of the abdominal ablation phenotype than the *X^mel^X^mel^/X^san^* metafemale embryos ([Figure 2](#pgen-1004270-g002){ref-type="fig"}). Parallel analysis with an alternative attached-*X* chromosome, *C(1)DX*, shows that 64.6% (SEM = 4.1%) of *C(1)DX*/*Y^san^* female embryos manifest severe abdominal ablations. These results indicate that *X^mel^* carries at least one allele that induces abdominal ablations in both wild-type hybrid males and in *X^mel^X^mel^/Y^san^* hybrid females. This excludes a simple *X*-chromosome dosage effect as the cause of lethality in the wild-type hybrid male. The incomplete inviability of *X^mel^/X^san^* females in crosses between wild type *D. melanogaster* females and *D. san* males indicates that the allele or alleles on *X^mel^* must act semi-dominantly. As 71.5% (SEM 9.3%) of *C(1)DX/X^san^* metafemales have complete abdominal structures, this implies that in both the wild-type hybrid females and hybrid metafemales, *X^san^* can serve to partially rescue the ablation phenotype, but not the embryonic lethality of hybrid metafemales. We then searched for the region or regions of *X^mel^* responsible for this abdominal ablation phenotype. We analyzed the cuticular phenotypes of the *Dp(1;Y^mel^)*/*X^san^* male embryos which failed to hatch to discern whether one or more alleles residing on *X^mel^* caused this developmental perturbation. The cuticular phenotypes of these nine genotypes are shown in [Figure 4](#pgen-1004270-g004){ref-type="fig"}. A typological analysis shows the major morphological differences between these nine genotypes. The allele(s) which induce abdominal ablation and hybrid inviability appears to reside on the tip of the *X^mel^*-chromosome, as that cuticular defect manifests significantly more frequently when this region is present ([Figure S4](#pgen.1004270.s004){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). All the other regions from *X^mel^* that cause embryonic hybrid inviability have a substantially reduced frequency of abdominal ablations ([Figure 4](#pgen-1004270-g004){ref-type="fig"}, [Figure S4](#pgen.1004270.s004){ref-type="supplementary-material"}) but frequent head involution and segmentation defects. {#pgen-1004270-g004} We could assess whether alleles caused hybrid inviability in *Dp(1;Y^mel^)*/*X^san^* hybrid males at a particular developmental stage, or whether their effects were uniformly distributed across embryonic, larval, and pupal stages. We found 9 alleles causing embryonic lethality, with none causing larval lethality, and three causing pupal lethality ([Figure 5](#pgen-1004270-g005){ref-type="fig"}). The distribution of alleles involved in inviability at different stages of development in *Dp(1;Y^mel^)*/*X^san^* hybrid males significantly departs from the expectation that alleles causing hybrid lethality would be uniformly distributed across all stages of development ([Figure 5](#pgen-1004270-g005){ref-type="fig"}, comparing the observed frequency of lethal alleles at each developmental stage with a uniform distribution of lethals across development (i.e., 4 lethals at each stage; χ^2^ = 10.5, df = 2, P = 5.25×10^−3^). These results suggest that in *Dp(1;Y^mel^)*/*X^san^* hybrid males, the very early and very late stages are more prone to failures in proper development. {#pgen-1004270-g005} The *X*-chromosome from *D. melanogaster* contains dominant alleles that cause hybrid inviability in *mel/mau* and *mel/sim* hybrid males {#s2c} ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We followed a similar approach to identify *X^mel^*-linked lethal alleles in *mel/mau* and *mel/sim* hybrids. We crossed females from the *C(1)RM*, *Dp(1;Y)* and *C(1)DX, Dp(1;Y)* panels to males of *D. mauritiana* and *D. simulans*. In the same way we assessed the *mel/san* hybrids, we measured hatching rates and male viability at different developmental stages for these two interspecific crosses. In *Dp(1;Y^mel^)/X^sim^* males, we found that two unique regions (eight *X^mel^* fragments) that caused larval lethality in both *mel* attached-X backgrounds ([Figure 6](#pgen-1004270-g006){ref-type="fig"}). Similarly, in *mel/mau* males, we found two unique regions (eight *X^mel^* fragments) that caused hybrid inviability ([Figure 7](#pgen-1004270-g007){ref-type="fig"}). One region, between 4C and 4D, causes adult hybrid inviability in all the three assayed hybrids. The region between 9C and 10B causes lethality in both *mel/sim* and in *mel/mau* hybrids. This region contains *Hmr^mel^* (*hybrid male rescue*), which is known to induce hybrid male lethality in *mel/sim* and *mel/mau* crosses; as well as *CG11160^mel^*, an allele suggested to be lethality-inducing in a previous mapping effort in *mel/mau* hybrids [@pgen.1004270-Coyne2]. With the current mapping resolution, however, it is not possible to discern whether there is a single lethal allele or whether both alleles are lethal. Surprisingly, a larger duplication that contains the region between 8D and 9E (8D9-8E4; 9E2; Stock: 29782) does not cause lethality in either attached-*X* background. This result suggests that the large duplication might mask recessive alleles on *X^san^* that are required for the lethal epistatic interaction. {#pgen-1004270-g006} {#pgen-1004270-g007} To exclude dominant lethal effects of the *Dp(1;Y)* duplications assayed, we examined their effects in intraspecific crosses. We assayed two more crosses: *D. melanogaster C(1)RM, Dp(1;Y)*×*D. melanogaster* Malawi-6-3 and *D. melanogaster* Malawi-9-2. The male and female progeny counts produced in these crosses are shown in [Table S8](#pgen.1004270.s015){ref-type="supplementary-material"}. We did not find any fragment of *X^mel^* that cause embryonic, larval or pupal lethality when carried by *Y^mel^* in these intraspecific crosses in either females or males, indicating no dominant epistatic interactions or lethal dosage effects of the *X^mel^* pieces attached to the *Y^mel^* chromosome are present in the pure species background. Rate of evolution of hybrid incompatibilities {#s2d} --------------------------------------------- We assessed whether the number of dominant alleles causing hybrid inviability followed the predictions of the snowball effect hypothesis of hybrid incompatibilities: the rate of accumulation of hybrid incompatibilities grows faster than linearly with divergence [@pgen.1004270-Orr1], [@pgen.1004270-Orr5]. We used previous genome-wide estimates of the number of silent substitutions per site between *D. melanogaster* and *D. santomea* (Ks*~mel-san~* = 0.24, [@pgen.1004270-Matute1]) and between *D. melanogaster* and *D. simulans* (Ks*~mel-sim~* = 0.11, [@pgen.1004270-Matute1]). Since *D. mauritiana* and *D. simulans* are equidistant from *D. melanogaster* [@pgen.1004270-Kliman1], we assumed Ks*~mel-mau~* = Ks*~mel-sim~* = 0.11. Finally since we did not know the number of non-synonymous substitutions between the attached-*X* stocks and the two tested *D. melanogaster* lines, we conservatively used the maximum value of π ever reported for *D. melanogaster* populations (π = 0.03, [@pgen.1004270-Shapiro1], [@pgen.1004270-Leffler1]). We fitted two models, a model in which the number of hybrid incompatibilities grew linearly with molecular synonymous divergence and a model in which the number of incompatibilities grew as a quadratic function of synonymous divergence. This analysis is methodologically similar to previous attempts [@pgen.1004270-Matute1], [@pgen.1004270-Moyle2] but focuses on the dominant partners of the negative epistatic interactions and not on recessive (hemizygous) partners. Our analysis shows that the quadratic model explains the data much better than the linear model (Quadratic model: AIC --Akaike Information Criterion-: 6.795; Linear model: AIC: 24.75, [Figure S5](#pgen.1004270.s005){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). This result indicates that the number of lethal alleles on *X^mel^* in crosses between species with different divergence times follows the snowball theory and suggests that, similar to observations of recessive hybrid lethal alleles, the relative frequency of dominant hybrid lethal alleles also increases faster than linearly in hybrid crosses. Discussion {#s3} ========== *D. melanogaster/D. santomea* hybrid males are viable if they carry the *X*-chromosome from *D. santomea* {#s3a} --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The viability of male *D. melanogaster/D. santomea* hybrid males provides several clues to the broader genetic architecture of hybrid inviability between these two species. In general, the possibility of producing these males indicates that there are no lethal incompatibilities between *X^san^* and *Y^mel^*, or between *X^san^* and the *mel* cytoplasmic elements. More specifically, these hybrid males allowed us to address the question of whether *X^mel^* harbors dominant alleles involved in hybrid inviability. The production of *X^san^/0* and *X^san^/Y^mel^* hybrid males also sheds some light on previous results generated by pole cell transfers of *D. yakuba* (the sister species of *D. santomea*) into *D. melanogaster* mutants that carried no pole cells [@pgen.1004270-Sanchez1]. Sanchez and Santamaria [@pgen.1004270-Sanchez1] reported that it was possible to produce progeny between *D. melanogaster* females with gametes carrying the genome of *D. yakuba* (as a result of pole cell transfer) and *D. melanogaster* males. This hybridization is equivalent to a ♀ *D. yakuba*×♂ *D. melanogaster* cross, which has never succeeded with wild-type animals. These crosses produced viable hybrid individuals of both sexes. The *yak/mel* and *mel/san* male hybrids are not directly comparable at the cellular level because the two kinds of hybrids have different cytoplasmic elements. Nonetheless, there are certain elements that the two hybrids share. Both of them have a haploid *D. melanogaster* autosomal genome. Most relevant to the present analysis, the hybrid males from both crosses carry an *X*-chromosome from either *D. santomea* or *D. yakuba* and lack the *X*-chromosome from *D. melanogaster*. These results indicate that the architecture of hybrid inviability in hybrids between *D. melanogaster* and *D. santomea* might be similar to that in hybrids between *D. yakuba* and *D. melanogaster*; both crosses produce viable heterozygote females (in which recessive alleles on one *X*-chromosome are effectively masked by the other), and males *only* with the non-*mel X*-chromosome (although the cross that could produce *X^mel^Y^yak^* males has not successfully been attempted). Since *D. santomea* and *D. yakuba* are closely related, with a divergence time of 0.4 million years [@pgen.1004270-Lachaise1], [@pgen.1004270-Llopart1], it is reasonable to expect that a substantial proportion of the loci that interact with *mel* alleles to cause hybrid inviability originated along the lineage leading to both *san* and *yak* and are shared between the two species. *D. melanogaster/D. santomea* hybrid males and some hybrid females suffer from dominant or semi-dominant lethality alleles on *X^mel^* {#s3b} -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The difference between the hybrid males from the ♀ *D. melanogaster*× ♂ *D. santomea* cross (*X^mel^/Y^san^*) and the males from the *D. melanogaster* ♀ *C(1)RM/Y^mel^*× ♂ *D. santomea* cross (*X^san^/Y^mel^*) is the identity of the sex chromosomes the males carry: in the former case they carry *X^mel^* and in the latter they carry *X^san^*. Hybrid males from both crosses carry a set of autosomes from each of the parental species. These results indicate that *X^mel^* carries deleterious alleles that cause lethality in *mel/san* hybrid males, but that *X^san^* does not have the same lethality effect. The developmental defects that the hybrid males show in the presence of some *X^mel^* fragments indicate that one (or more) genetic factors on *X^mel^* lead to the characteristic abdominal ablation phenotype in *mel/san* hybrids [@pgen.1004270-GavinSmyth1]. This phenotype is present in both hybrid males that have the *X^mel^* and in hybrid females with two attached *X^mel^* and no *X^san^*, and in a small but consistently observed fraction of the *X^mel^/X^san^* females. Therefore the phenotypic determinant must be dominant or semi-dominant on *X^mel^*. We mapped the determinant(s) to the tip of *X^mel^* (between cytological bands 3A and 3D). In the absence of this determinant element, other *X^mel^*-linked elements can cause hybrid inviability as well as different embryonic patterning defects at later developmental stages ([Figure 4](#pgen-1004270-g004){ref-type="fig"}, [Figure S4](#pgen.1004270.s004){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). The sex specific lethality found in *mel/san* hybrid males is distinct from any known Mendelian sex-specific lethal mutations previously discovered in a pure species; it is dominant/semi-dominant and only partially rescued by the presence of the *X^san^* chromosome. Our report shows that like hybrid sterility, hybrid inviability can be sex specific because the genetic background of females is different from that of males [@pgen.1004270-Orr6]. Namely, females, or more generally individuals from the homogametic sex, might experience negative epistatic interactions between sex chromosomes, a type of epistasis that the heterogametic sex will usually not experience. On the other hand, the heterogametic sex will suffer more from deleterious recessive alleles on the *X*-chromosome. An alternative scenario that also leads to sex-specificity in hybrid inviability is the effect of sex-specific lethal alleles. Several mapping efforts in *D. melanogaster* have uncovered the existence of alleles that cause lethality in only one sex. The majority of male sex lethal (MSL) mutations discovered via mutagenesis screening are both autosomal and recessive [@pgen.1004270-Belote1], [@pgen.1004270-Cline1] and are involved in the regulation of dosage compensation in pure species males [@pgen.1004270-Conrad1], [@pgen.1004270-Sun1]. The expression of all dosage compensation genes, is negatively regulated by the *X*-linked sex determining master gene, *Sex-lethal* (*Sxl* [@pgen.1004270-Conrad1]). *SXL* is a binary switch gene that controls all aspects of *Drosophila* sexual dimorphism. In wild-type animals, *SXL* is active in females and inactive in males [@pgen.1004270-Bell1]. Notably, different *Sxl* alleles can induce male or female specific lethality [@pgen.1004270-Bell1]--[@pgen.1004270-Cline2], which makes *Sxl* one of the prime candidates to cause sex-specific lethality. In our screening, none of the lethal duplications overlap with *Sxl* (cytological position in the *X^mel^*-chromosome: 6F3--6F5), suggesting that the presence of fragments containing *Sxl* ^mel^ does not to lethal doses of the feminizing allele. In *Drosophila* hybrids, some interplay between the dosage compensation and sex determination factors might contribute, or at least be correlated, to the inviability of hybrid males [@pgen.1004270-PalBhadra1], [@pgen.1004270-Chatterjee1], [@pgen.1004270-Barbash1]. Nonetheless, the literature currently does not pose a consensus model for how these deleterious effects manifest in lethality [@pgen.1004270-PalBhadra1], [@pgen.1004270-Barbash1]. *D. melanogaster/D. simulans* and *D. melanogaster/D. mauritiana* hybrid males have fewer dominant DMI partners on *X^mel^* {#s3c} --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The relative density of dominant factors that cause hybrid inviability on *X^mel^* in *mel/sim* and *mel/mau* hybrids is lower than that in *mel/san* hybrids. This is to be expected given that the phylogenetic distance between these species is lower than between *mel* and *san* (*K~s~* between *mel* and *sim* = 0.11; *K~s~* between *mel* and *san* = 0.24, [@pgen.1004270-Matute1]). We did not find any dominant *X^mel^*-linked alleles that cause embryonic hybrid lethality in either *mau or sim* hybrids, but found two regions that cause larval and pupal inviability ([Figure 6](#pgen-1004270-g006){ref-type="fig"} and [7](#pgen-1004270-g007){ref-type="fig"}). These duplication-mapping results are congruent with the mapping effort conducted by Cattani and Presgraves [@pgen.1004270-Cattani1] which found that a single allele on *X^mel^*, *CG11160*, might cause pupal lethality in *mel/mau* hybrids, but only when it is allowed to interact with recessive alleles in the heterochromatic region of *X^mau^*. In this study, two overlapping duplications of *X^mel^* region containing both *CG11160* and *Hmr* causes inviability in *mel/mau* and in *mel/sim* hybrid males, but the current mapping resolution does not allow us to distinguish between their potential contributions to hybrid inviability. Epistatic interactions between *X*-chromosomes might contribute to hybrid breakdown {#s3d} ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sawamura and Yamamoto [@pgen.1004270-Sawamura2] were the first to report that it is possible to have negative epistatic interactions between *X*-chromosomes that lead to inviability in hybrid females. Cattani and Presgraves [@pgen.1004270-Cattani1] took a systematic approach and tiled a large proportion of the *X*-chromosome and identified one dominant lethal allele on *X^mel^*. In this report, we demonstrate that these interactions might not be as rare as previously thought [@pgen.1004270-Barbash2] and might constitute an understudied phenomenon in the genetics of hybrid breakdown. Six key findings, from this study and others, shed light on the causal role of sex chromosomes in inviability in interspecific crosses involving *D. melanogaster* and *D. santomea*: *i)* hybrid females that carry one *X*-chromosome from each species (*X^mel^/X^san^*) are usually, but not always, viable [@pgen.1004270-Matute1], *ii*) hybrid males carrying *X^mel^/Y^san^* are inviable [@pgen.1004270-GavinSmyth1], *iii)* hybrid males carrying *X^san^/Y^mel^* are viable ([Figure S1](#pgen.1004270.s001){ref-type="supplementary-material"}), *iv)* hybrid females carrying *X^mel^X^mel^/Y^san^* are inviable ([Figure 2](#pgen-1004270-g002){ref-type="fig"}), *v)* hemizygosity for 13 different regions of *X^san^* causes inviability in hybrid females as revealed by deficiency mapping [@pgen.1004270-Matute1], and *vi)* the presence of 12 isolated *X^mel^*-linked regions cause inviability in *mel/san* hybrid males (9 of them induce embryonic lethality and 3 of them induce pupal lethality; [Figure 5](#pgen-1004270-g005){ref-type="fig"}, [Figure S6](#pgen.1004270.s006){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). These results indicate that the two *X*-chromosomes are heavily implicated in the inviability of *mel/san* hybrids. Our current results present a conundrum in light of the discovery of viable hybrid *X^san^/Y^mel^* males. The *X*-chromosome from *D. santomea* contains 13 chromosomal regions that cause hybrid inviability when hemizygous in females [@pgen.1004270-Matute1], but apparently allow for viable hemizygous hybrid males in the absence of any *X^mel^* homologous alleles. The same phenomenon (alleles causing inviability in hemizygous females are not lethal in hemizygous males) is observed in *mel/sim* and *mel/mau* hybrids as well. Additionally, pieces of *X^mel^* lead to inviability in hybrid males carrying the paternal species *X*-chromosome, but an intact *X^mel^* in hybrid females carrying the paternal species *X*-chromosome does not. All of these results can be explained if epistatic interactions between alleles on the *X*-chromosomes contribute to hybrid breakdown. In the males carrying fragments of *X^mel^*, all the recessive alleles from *X^san^* that are not masked by the *mel Dp(1;Y)* will be fully expressed, but unlike *X^san^/0* hybrid males, these males will suffer from the epistatic interactions between the fragment of *X^mel^* carried on *Dp (1;Y)* and the exposed recessive alleles from *X^san^*. *X^mel^X^san^* hybrid females, on the other hand, will not experience these epistatic interactions because when the complete *X^mel^* is present, it will mask *all* the recessive alleles from *X^san^*. The viability of *mel/san* hybrid males was hypothesized to be evidence against the existence of alleles involved in hybrid inviability on the *X* chromosome of *D. santomea* discovered by lethal deficiencies in hybrid females [@pgen.1004270-Barbash2], [@pgen.1004270-Matute2]; in hybrid males, these alleles would be unmasked and would be free to interact in DMI with dominant alleles on *D. melanogaster* autosomes. However, in hybrid males, these alleles would not act in DMI with alleles on *X^mel^*. Here we report the existence of dominant hybrid lethal alleles on *X^mel^* that interact with alleles on *X^san^*. This in turn provides a simple explanation of why *X^san^*-carrying hybrid males survive to adulthood while partly hemizygous hybrid females do not. If the epistatic partner of *X^mel^*-linked lethal dominant alleles resided in the *X^san^*-chromosome, then hybrid females would be inviable if the *X^san^* alleles are dominant and viable if they are recessive; they cause inviability only when not masked by an *X^mel^* counterpart. The position of the regions identified in this report, and the position of the regions identified by deficiency mapping are shown in [Figure S6](#pgen.1004270.s006){ref-type="supplementary-material"}. It is provocative to think these alleles could reside in the chromosomal regions uncovered by Matute et al. [@pgen.1004270-Matute1] but this hypothesis has not been tested. Our approach to identifying *X^mel^*-linked alleles by using large fragments of *X^mel^* is conservative and underestimates the relative frequency of these elements in two ways. First, each duplication could include more than one allele involved in hybrid inviability. Second, if it is true that *X^mel^* lethal alleles require recessive DMI partners on *X^san^*, then large *X^mel^* duplications will mask recessive components that are required to cause hybrid inviability (see Caveats). This in turn means that there could be more alleles on *X^mel^* that contribute to hybrid inviability that remain to be identified. Caveats {#s3e} ------- The results here presented come with five caveats. First, the lethal alleles identified in the duplication mapping screen could be the result of hybrid-specific lethal dosage effects caused by the presence of *Dp (1;Y^mel^)* in *mel/san* hybrid males. However, simple dosage effects are unlikely to be involved in inviability as no lethal trisomies in pure-species females, or lethal dosage effects in hybrid males were observed in intraspecific crosses. It is possible, however, that hybrid individuals are more susceptible to dosage effects than pure-species individuals. If such dosage effects exist, they must therefore be specific to the hybrid background and mediated by the negative epistasis arising in the hybrids. In that case they would constitute a subcase of DMI mediated by gene dosage rather than physical interactions. The role that dosage compensation can have in *mel/san* hybrid males that also carry a *X^mel^*-chromosome duplication is beyond the scope of this study (but see [@pgen.1004270-Lachaise1] for a full genetic test of the role of dosage compensation in *mel/sim* hybrid inviability). The second caveat is that this method only presents a minimum estimate of *X^mel^* --linked lethal alleles involved in hybrid inviability. As described above, our mapping used large duplications and each chromosomal segment might include more than one dominant lethal allele, and might mask recessive DMI alleles on *X^san^*. A third caveat is that in the male viability analyses, we only counted duplications that caused a *total* reduction of male viability. Since duplication mapping does not have internal controls, we did not count *X^mel^* regions that cause only a partial reduction in viability. We used an arbitrarily stringent 10% viability cut-off to classify alleles as lethal. It is worth nothing that more sophisticated and quantitatively-framed analyses are possible but they will require more statistical power (i.e., more replicates per cross) than that presented here (described in Methods). A fourth caveat is that all the interactions we detected occur in a genetic background in which besides the *mel Dp (1;Y)* duplication, the regions around *yellow* (1Lt-1B5), and *X^mel^* heterochromatin elements are also present (20F3- h29). The presence of these components precludes the study of *X^san^* recessive alleles in these chromosomal regions. The final caveat is that since we could not produce hybrid males without *Y^san^*, we could not explore the effect of this chromosome on hybrid viability. This is important because *X^mel^*/*Y^san^* males and hybrid females with attached-X *X^mel^X^mel^*/*Y^san^* both die at the embryonic stage. We have shown that *X^mel^* carries dominant lethals that could cause hybrid inviability in these animals, but we have not tested whether *Y^san^* contributes to hybrid inviability. Hybrid inviability could be caused by negative epistasis between *Y^san^* and *X^mel^*, between *Y^san^* and the *D. melanogaster* autosomes, or between *Y^san^* and the *D. melanogaster* cytoplasmic factors. The study of *Y^san^* would require the development of a *D. santomea* stock with both a attached *X*-chromosome and a *Y*-linked *X* duplication \[i.e, *C(1)RM/C(1;Y)*\], as has been done for *D. melanogaster* [@pgen.1004270-Lindsley1], [@pgen.1004270-Lindsley2] and *D. simulans* [@pgen.1004270-Yamamoto1]. Females from this stock could be crossed with *D. melanogaster* males. The cross would produce *X^san^Y^san^/Y^mel^* embryos whose viability could be compared with that of *X^san^/Y^mel^* embryos (assuming that carrying two *Y*-chromosomes is not deleterious in the hybrids). So far, though, *D. santomea* females have shown complete premating isolation from *D. melanogaster* males, indicating that even if the *Y*-linked *X* duplications existed, premating isolation might hamper the possibility of studying this hybridization. Conclusions {#s3f} ----------- The *X*-chromosome has a large effect on hybrid breakdown, especially in the heterogametic sex. Orr [@pgen.1004270-Orr6], for example, proposed that since the heterogametic sex is subject to the dominant and recessive deleterious effects of the hemizygous sex chromosome, *Drosophila* males are more prone to hybrid inviability and sterility. This, however, does not mean that sex-linked alleles do not affect hybrid females (the homozygous sex). Nonetheless, the identification of dominant hybrid inviability alleles on the *X*-chromosome has been challenging (but see [@pgen.1004270-Sawamura2], [@pgen.1004270-Barbash3]--[@pgen.1004270-Barbash4]). Our results provide a fine-grained snapshot of the localization and relative frequency of dominant alleles involved in DMI in different hybrid crosses on the *D. melanogaster X*-chromosome; we infer that they interact with recessive alleles on *X^san^* in the homogametic females since these dominant alleles do not cause inviability in hybrid males. Furthermore, these epistatic interactions are lineage specific, since crosses between *D. melanogaster* and different species display different numbers of alleles that cause hybrid inviability in different regions. In accordance with the snowball effect theory for the rate of evolution of hybrid incompatibilities, more *X^mel^*-linked alleles are involved in DMI in *mel/san* hybrids than in *mel/sim* or *mel/mau* hybrids. These results are complementary to the previous results showing the snowball effect holds true in recessive allele partners in *Drosophila* [@pgen.1004270-Matute1]. This report suggests that snowball theory also holds for the dominant components of DMI. It is likely that future studies using finer mapping techniques with more and smaller duplications will find more hybrid incompatibility alleles on *X^mel^* than we have. Regardless of the actual abundance of hybrid lethal alleles on *X^mel^*, the results shown here provide evidence of negative epistatic interactions between *X*-chromosomes of hybrids that can affect the homogametic sex, but not the heterogametic sex. This reveals the existence of an even larger *X*-effect in hybrid breakdown than was previously ascertained. Materials and Methods {#s4} ===================== *Drosophila* stocks {#s4a} ------------------- We recently discovered that crossing *mel* attached-*X* females [@pgen.1004270-Morgan1]--[@pgen.1004270-Lindsey1] to *D. santomea* males produces viable offspring, all of which are sterile males carrying the *X^san^* chromosome. The attached-*X* females can also carry a *Y^mel^* chromosome, but remain morphologically female since sex is determined by the *X*:Autosome ratio [@pgen.1004270-Cline3], and produce attached-*X* gametes and *Y^mel^* gametes. When these females are crossed with *D. santomea* males, the viable F~1~ hybrid males will carry an *X^san^* and a *Y^mel^*, [Figure 1](#pgen-1004270-g001){ref-type="fig"}, Panel A.) Attached-*X mel* females produce viable hybrid males when crossed to three other different species, *D. simulans*, *D. sechellia*, and *D. mauritiana* [@pgen.1004270-Orr7]. For all experiments in this report (unless explicitly stated, we used two different attached-*X* stocks: *C(1)RM* (Compound (1) Reversed Metacentric; two *X* chromosomes in normal sequence attached proximally to the same centromere; [@pgen.1004270-Anderson1], [@pgen.1004270-Beadle1], [@pgen.1004270-Morgan2] and *C(1)DX* (Compound (1) Double X, Muller [@pgen.1004270-Lindsey1], [@pgen.1004270-Muller2]). We took advantage of the *mel* panel of small *X*-chromosome fragments attached to the *Y*-chromosome (*Dp(1;Y)*s) generated by Cook and colleagues [@pgen.1004270-True1], to study the genetic basis of hybrid inviability in three of these hybrid males: *mel/san*, *mel/sim*, and *mel/mau*. Briefly, this duplication panel was generated by first creating *X* inversions using FLP-FRT recombination on attached-*XY* chromosomes. These inverted *XY* compound chromosomes are then irradiated to induce large internal *X* deletions. The resulting chromosome contains a medial *X* segment flanked by the tip of the *X* (1Lt;1B5), which carrys the *y^+^* allele and the *X* centric heterochromatin region (20F3-h28; h28-h29) adjacent to the fused *Y* [@pgen.1004270-Cook1]. All the used stocks are listed in [Table S1](#pgen.1004270.s008){ref-type="supplementary-material"}. We first crossed *mel C(1)RM* females to *mel Dp(1;Y)* males and the virgin female progeny \[*mel C(1)RM/Dp(1;Y)*\] were then crossed to *D. santomea* males. This cross yielded only F~1~ hybrid males harboring an *X^san^* and a \[*Y^mel^*, *Dp(1;Y*)\] chromosome. [Figure 1](#pgen-1004270-g001){ref-type="fig"} (Panel B) shows the crossing scheme. As all the *Dp(1;Y)* chromosomes also carry *y+* this assay only allows the testing of the effect of a *mel* gene when a *y^\[mel\]+^* gene is also present. The \[*C(1)RM, y w f*/*Dp(1;Y)*, *y^+^*\] females were used for both interspecific and intraspecific crosses. For all hybrid crosses involving *D. santomea*, we used a synthetic line, SYN2005. This outbred line was constructed by combining isofemale stocks and kept in large numbers since its initiation [@pgen.1004270-Matute3], [@pgen.1004270-Matute4]. For crosses involving *D. simulans*, we used the synthetic line *D. simulans* Florida City [@pgen.1004270-Coyne3]. For crosses involving *D. mauritiana*, we used the SYN stock, a synthetic stock generated by O. Kitigawa [@pgen.1004270-Satta1], [@pgen.1004270-Coyne4]. For the intraspecific crosses, we used two different *D. melanogaster* inbred lines (37,289: Malawi-6-3 and 30,857: Malawi-9-2; [@pgen.1004270-Langley1], [@pgen.1004270-Pool1]). These two lines make part of the *Drosophila* Population Genomics Project effort to characterize genetic variation in *D. melanogaster* (<http://www.dpgp.org/>). [Figure 1](#pgen-1004270-g001){ref-type="fig"} shows the two generations involved in the described crossing scheme. We followed an identical crossing scheme for heterospecific crosses involving *C(1)DX, Dp(1;Y)*. Hybrid inviability can be the result of specific mutations in the *D. melanogaster* background of the line used to study inviability. To assess whether this was the case, we repeated all the crosses involving *C(1)RM, Dp(1;Y)* but instead we used an alternative attached-*X* chromosome stock: *C(1)DX*. The rationale behind these experiments is that if the lethality induced in the hybrid males is due to the duplication of the *X^mel^* alleles attached to *Y^mel^*, and not an artifact in the background, then the lethality should be reproducible in a different genetic background, namely, the results should be equivalent, or at least similar in experiments using the two types of attached-*X* chromosome. *C(1)RM, Dp(1;Y)* and *C(1)DX, DP(1;Y)* carrying the same duplication have in average only 25% of genetic material. All *D. melanogaster* lines (homo- and hetero-compound chromosomes, mutant stocks, and natural lines from DPGP) were obtained from the Bloomington Stock Center (<http://flystocks.bio.indiana.edu/>) and are listed in [Tables S1](#pgen.1004270.s008){ref-type="supplementary-material"} and [S2](#pgen.1004270.s009){ref-type="supplementary-material"}. Embryonic lethality {#s4b} ------------------- *D. melanogaster* females were housed for three days with males from each of the studied species in 8-drams corn-meal vials to allow for insemination. At the end of this period the flies were transferred without anesthesia to a lightly yeasted apple juice plate collection cup. Females were allowed to oviposit for 24 hours and then they were changed to a new plate. After removal from the collection cup, the plate was incubated for 24 hours at 25°C and scored for hatched vs. dead embryos in a protocol similar to Gavin-Smyth and Matute [@pgen.1004270-GavinSmyth1]. Metafemale embryonic phenotypes and cuticle preparation {#s4c} ------------------------------------------------------- To distinguish the embryonic lethal phenotypes of the *mel C(1)DX/Y^san^* females from the *C(1)DX/X^san^* metafemales, we constructed a *C(1)DX*, *y^1^ w^1^ f^1^* stock homozygous for a *Sxl::GFP* reporter construct on the third chromosome (Stock number: 24105; *w\*; P{Sxl-Pe-EGFP.G}G78b*, [@pgen.1004270-Thompson1]). These females were crossed to *D. santomea* males. Overnight depositions of these crosses were collected and sorted for *GFP* expression after four hours of incubation. The *Sxl::GFP^+^* (female embryos) were then incubated for a further 24 hours. Embryos that failed to hatch were prepared for cuticle mounting as described in Gavin-Smyth and Matute [@pgen.1004270-GavinSmyth1]. Since *y^1^* alleles of the homo-compound *X^mel^* chromosomes (either *C(1)RM* or *C(1)DX*) are rescued by the wild-type *D. santomea yellow*, we could identify female and male embryos. Metafemale cuticles have wild-type pigmentation of the larval mouth hooks, while the *X^san^Y^mel^* remain *yellow^−^*. Larval and pupae lethality {#s4d} -------------------------- We transferred L~1~ larvae from the deposition apple juice plates to 8-dram corn-meal fly food vials. All these larvae were males as evidenced by the color of their mouthparts. We then counted how many larvae molted to pupae, and how many pupae eclosed into adults and how many failed to eclose. Pupae were only assigned as dead once they had been formed for at least 14 days and had started to necrotize. Relative density of dominant lethals {#s4e} ------------------------------------ Once the whole *X^mel^* was tiled for the five crosses, we determined the minimal number of lethal alleles in *X^mel^* for each cross. We fitted a general linear model for each developmental stage for each species in which the relative viability was the response, and the genotype (identity of the duplication) and the genetic background (i.e., the type of attached-*X* stock used in the crosses) were the fixed effects. Nonetheless, the residuals from these all these models deviate from the normality assumptions required for linear models ([Figure S7](#pgen.1004270.s007){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). These deviations from normality persisted after multiple attempts of transformation and precluded the possibility of using linear models. We then resorted to nonparametric tests and used a Kruskal-Wallis test. We tested the efficacy of these tests using the crosses between *mel* females and *sim* males. This cross was chosen because it has been previously established that an allele residing in the *X*-chromosome (precisely in 9D4) causes lethality at the larval stage. We compared the viability of each of these *C(1)RM, Dp(1;Y)* crosses with that of control crosses (*C(1)RM* results pooled with *C(1)DX* results). We detected no regions that significantly reduced the viability in any developmental stage indicating that our experimental design has not enough power to detect lethal alleles using nonparametric tests even though there were *X^mel^* regions that clearly cause hybrid lethality. We thus had to resort to a qualitative approach and classified lethal alleles as those that caused lethality on more than 90% of their carriers. Once lethal duplications were identified, we determined the minimal number of segments that lead to lethality. If two lethal duplications overlapped, then we assumed that the cause for lethality was shared between the two duplications. This approach, also used in deficiency mapping [@pgen.1004270-Matute1], [@pgen.1004270-Coyne2], [@pgen.1004270-Presgraves3], is conservative and tends to underestimate the number of hybrid incompatibilities. For the sake of clarity, we only report crosses which produced progeny for the three interspecific hybridizations. All the attempted intraspecific crosses produced progeny. Viability and longevity {#s4f} ----------------------- To measure viability in different interspecific crosses, we set up collection cups and counted all the fertilized embryos (both dead and hatched). We used *C(1)DX*, *y^1^ w^1^ f^1^, +/+, Sxl::GFP/Sxl::GFP* and *C(1)RM*, *y^1^ w^1^ f^1^, +/+, Sxl::GFP/Sxl::GFP* females and crossed them to males from the five assayed stocks (three intraspecific and two intraspecific crosses). After overnight depositions, we collected the *Sxl::GFP^−^* (male embryos), transfer them to a 1 cm×1 cm filter paper square, which in turn was transferred to an eight-dram vial with corn-meal food. Vials were tended daily and for each vial (replicate), we counted how many adults emerged. Male viability was calculated as the proportion of *Sxl::GFP^−^* that reached adulthood. The effects of the *mel* attached-*X* genetic background viability, and of the presence of *Y^mel^* within each set of interspecific crosses were analyzed with a two-way ANOVA that took the form:Where viab~ij~ is the viability per replicate, *BG~i~* was the genetic background of the *mel* attached-*X* stock of the mother, *Y~j~* was whether the males carried a *Y^mel^* or not, *(BG×Y)~ij~* was the interaction between the two fixed effects, and E~ij~ was the error term. All statistical analyses were done using R [@pgen.1004270-R1]. P-values were corrected to control for multiple comparisons following a Sidak\'s multiple comparison correction [@pgen.1004270-Sidak1]. We also compared the longevity of three interspecific hybrid males (*mel/san*, *mel/sim* and *mel/mau*) with virgin males from four pure species (*D. melanogaster*, *D. mauritiana*, *D. santomea*, and *D. simulans*). We measured the longevity of 120 males per genotype, split into ten different vials (12 males per vial). We fitted a linear mixed model for each set of interspecific crosses which took the form:where *Long~ij~* was the longevity of each individual, *BG~i~* was the genetic background of the *D. melanogaster* attached-*X* stock of the mother, *Y~j~* was whether the males carried a *Y^mel^* or not, *(BG×Y)~ij~* was the interaction between the two fixed effects, vial was a random effect, and E~ijk~ was the error term. P-values were corrected for multiple comparisons in the same manner as described above (viability linear models). (Nonparametric tests showed similar results to the linear model.) Finally, we assessed the effect of the *Y^mel^* chromosome on the number of sex comb teeth in six kinds of interspecific hybrid males: *mel/san X^san^/0*, *mel/san X^san^/Y^mel^*, *mel/sim X^sim^/0*, *mel/sim X^sim^/Y^mel^*, *mel/mau X^mau^/0*, and *mel/mau X^mau^/Y^mel^*. For this analysis we only used hybrid males produced in crosses with *C(1)RM/Y^mel^*, or *C(1)RM/0* females. There were three comparisons per trait, one for each paternal species, for a total of six comparisons. All raw data and analytical software are available from the Dryad Digital Depository (<https://datadryad.org/>): doi:10.5061/dryad.ft6r5. Supporting Information {#s5} ====================== ###### Morphological characters of *mel/san* hybrid males with an *X^san^*. A. Sex combs in *X^san^*/0 males. B. Sex combs in *X^san^*/*Y^mel^* males C. Distribution of number of sex comb teeth in *D. melanogaster*, *D. santomea*, and the hybrid males (both *X^san^/0* and *X^san^/Y^mel^*). The differences between pure species, and between pure species and F~1~ hybrids are significant (Wilcoxon rank sum test with continuity correction data: *D. melanogaster* vs. *D.santomea*, W = 38,696, P\<2.2×10^−16^; *D. melanogaster* vs. F~1~ hybrids: W\>23,813.5, P\<1.145×10^−4^; *D. santomea* vs. F~1~ hybrids: W\>4,585.5, P\<2.2×10^−16^). The differences between F~1~s are not significant (Wilcoxon rank sum test with continuity correction data: *X^san^/0* vs. *X^san^Y^mel^*, W = 21,687, P = 0.113). D. Abdominal pigmentation in *X^san^*/0 males. E. Abdominal pigmentation in *X^san^*/*Y^mel^* males. (PDF) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Longevity and viability of *mel/san* (*X^san^/0*) hybrid males compared to other *Drosophila* hybrid males and to virgin males of the parental species. A. Viability of hybrid males is equivalent in all the hybrid crosses. (Viability of pure species was calculated for both sexes combined.) B. Hybrid males from the three types of interspecific crosses can live as long as virgin males from their parental species and the presence/absence of a *Y^mel^* chromosome has no effect in any of the two traits. Similarly, the genetic background of the attached-*X* stock used for the crosses had no effect in either trait in none of the three interspecific types of crosses. White: pure species; red: *mel/san* hybrid males; blue: *mel/sim* hybrids; yellow: *mel/mau* hybrids. A. *mel*, B. *san*, C. *mau*, D. *sim*, E. *C(1)RM: X^san^/Y^mel^*, F. *C(1)RM*: *X^san^*/0, G. *C(1)DX*: *X^san^*/*Y^mel^*, H. *C(1)DX*: *X^san^*/0, I. *C(1)RM*: *X^mau^*/*Y^mel^*, J. *C(1)RM*: *X^mau^*/0, K. *C(1)DX*: *X^mau^*/*Y^mel^*, L. *C(1)DX*: *X^mau^*/0, M. *C(1)RM*: *X^sim^*/*Y^mel^*, N. *C(1)RM*: *X^sim^*/0, O. *C(1)DX*: *X^sim^*/*Y^mel^*, P. *C(1)DX*: *X^sim^*/0. All linear models shown in [Table S7](#pgen.1004270.s014){ref-type="supplementary-material"}. (PDF) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Relative frequency of developmental defects in *mel C(1)RM*×*san* crosses. The *mel/san* hybrid males from the *mel C(1)RM*×*san* cross carry a *X* ^san^ chromosome and the vast majority of them are viable. Females from this cross carry two fused *X^mel^* chromosomes (homocompound chromosome), do not survive embryogenesis and show abdominal defects similar to those observed in *mel/san* hybrid males that carry a *X^mel^* chromosome [@pgen.1004270-GavinSmyth1]. (PDF) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Developmental defects show different frequencies in the nine different lethal *mel/san* hybrid male genotypes. Each barplot corresponds to one of the nine regions (i.e., *Dp(1;Y)* duplications) that causes hybrid inviability in hybrid males and shows the relative frequency of abdominal ablations in hybrid individuals from both sexes. We measured three replicates for each *Dp(1;Y)* genotype (each replicate consisted of 20 *y^+^* and 20 *y^−^* cuticles). *y^−^* are dead female individuals, while y^+^ can be either hybrid males or hybrid metafemales. We assessed whether the *Dp(1;Y)* cause a deviation from the expected frequency of cuticular defects by comparing the average number of individuals that show abdominal ablations in each cross in each category (*y^−^* or *y^+^*) of the cross with the average frequency observed in *mel C(1)RM*×san crosses (controls, χ^2^ test, df = 1, [Figure S3](#pgen.1004270.s003){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). We corrected for 18 comparisons comparisons using a Sidak\'s adjustment, (Significant P\<2.8×10^−3^). The only significant P-value is highlighted with a red box. The cytological location of the chromosomal duplication is shown in the top of each histogram. A. *Dp(1;Y)BSC75* (*X*:2C1-3E4). B. *Dp(1;Y)BSC159* (*X*:4A5-4D7). C. *Dp(1;Y)BSC289* (*X*:5E1-6C7). D. *Dp(1;Y)BSC176* (*X*:7B2-7D18). E. *Dp(1;Y)BSC126* (*X*:11C2-11D1). F. *Dp(1;Y)BSC327* (*X*:11D5-11E8). G. *Dp(1;Y)BSC186* (*X*:12C1-12F4). H. *Dp(1;Y)BSC269* (*X*:12E9-13C5). I. *Dp(1;Y)BSC11* (*X*:16F6-18A7). (PDF) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### The number of *X^mel^*-linked alleles causing hybrid inviability is higher in the most divergent cross and follows the expectations of the snowball effect theory of hybrid incompatibilities. We used Ks (number of synonymous substitutions per site) as a proxy of divergence time and fitted the best linear (red) and the best quadratic model (blue) to the data. Overlapping points were jittered for clarity. We find the quadratic model has a much better fit than the linear model as evidenced by its lower AIC value. (PDF) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Comparison of the deficiency mapping results from Matute et al. [@pgen.1004270-Matute1] with our results using duplication mapping. The developmental stage at which the *X^san^*-linked recessive alleles cause inviability has yet not been determined. (PDF) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Quatile-quantile plots of the residuals of each of the nine attempted linear models (one for each developmental stage per interspecific cross: 3×3 = 9). Observed values (x-axis) are compared to the values that would be predicted in a normal distribution (y-axis). Dashed red lines give a point-wise 95% confidence interval around the fitted solid red line. Since all the cases showed strong deviations from normality, which in turn precluded the possibility of using linear models, we used a qualitative cut-off to detect lethal alleles. (PDF) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Viability and longevity of hybrid males in three interspecific crosses involving *D. melanogaster* using two different attached-*X* genetic backgrounds. (DOCX) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Neither the presence of a *Y^mel^* or the *D. melanogaster* genetic background of the attached-*X* stock significantly affected hybrid male viability or hybrid male longevity. Viability was analyzed with a full-factorial linear model, while longevity was analyzed with a linear mixed model (vial as a random effect, See Methods). Since there were six linear models, P-values were adjusted with a Sidak\'s multiple comparison correction; required P for significance \<8.512×10^−3^). (DOCX) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Mutant lines used for this study. The details of the *D. santomea*, *D. simulans* and *D. mauritiana* are listed in the text. List of all the stocks (other than the *Y*-linked *X* duplication stocks) used in this study. (DOCX) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Duplication stocks used in this study. The table lists panel of *Y*-linked *X* duplication chromosome stocks obtained from the Bloomington Stock Center, stock number and genotype for all crosses attempted. Only 52% of the attempted crosses produced progeny in five attempts (shown in [Table S6](#pgen.1004270.s013){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). (DOCX) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Insemination rates in all interspecific and intraspecific crosses. Insemination rates were measured by dissecting groups of 20 females and observing whether females had sperm in their reproductive tract (3 replicates per genotype). The mean number of mated females and the standard error are shown for each cross. (DOCX) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Viability rates for each developmental transition in the five crosses presented in this report (3 interspecific+2 intraspecific) in crosses involving *mel C(1)RM*. Averages were calculated with 3 replicates per cross. These data were used to generate [Figures 3](#pgen-1004270-g003){ref-type="fig"}, [6](#pgen-1004270-g006){ref-type="fig"}, and [7](#pgen-1004270-g007){ref-type="fig"}. None of the *C(1)RM, Dp(1;Y)*×*mel* crosses showed decreases in viability at any developmental stage. The decrease in viability at the larval stage is consistent with the inviability of pure-species metafemales at the late larval stage. (DOCX) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Viability rates for each developmental transition in the three interspecific crosses presented in this report in crosses involving *mel C(1)DX*. These data, along with the data presented in [Table S6](#pgen.1004270.s013){ref-type="supplementary-material"}, were used to generate [Figures 3](#pgen-1004270-g003){ref-type="fig"}, [6](#pgen-1004270-g006){ref-type="fig"}, and [7](#pgen-1004270-g007){ref-type="fig"}. None of the *C(1)DX, Dp(1;Y)*×*mel* crosses showed decreases in viability at any developmental stage. The decrease in viability at the larval stage is consistent with the inviability of pure-species metafemales at the late larval stage. (DOCX) ###### Click here for additional data file. ###### Male and female progeny counts produced in crosses between *mel C(1)RM/Dp(1;Y)*×*mel* Malawi-6-3 and *mel* Malawi-9-2. No significant deviations from the 1∶1 ratio were observed in any of the assayed *Dp(1;Y)* duplications. (DOCX) ###### Click here for additional data file. We would like to thank K. L. Gordon, M. F. Przeworski, J.A. Coyne, D. C. Presgraves, D. Barbash, N. Phadnis, and J. Belote for scientific discussions and comments at every stage of the manuscript. G. Liu, and I.A. Butler helped us with fly husbandry and we are thankful to them. All stocks were provided by the Bloomington Stock Center. [^1]: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. [^2]: Conceived and designed the experiments: DRM JGS. Performed the experiments: DRM JGS. Analyzed the data: DRM JGS. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: DRM JGS. Wrote the paper: DRM JGS.

"Robin's Reckoning, Parts 1 And 2" Community Grade (15 Users) Your Grade Kid sidekicks were created to make heroes more relatable to a predominantly child audience, but as comics evolved, the inherent absurdity of putting minors on the front lines became more apparent. Great writers are able to find a way to make the sidekick work, like Ed Brubaker’s take on Captain America’s WWII partner Bucky as a highly trained stealth soldier, and Randy Rogel’s script for “Robin’s Reckoning” takes great strides to legitimizing Dick Grayson’s (Loren Lester) presence in the Batman: The Animated Series universe. Rogel, who worked on the near-flawless “Two-Face,” earns B:TAS it’s second Emmy Award for Robin’s origin story (technically only part one won, but it is the superior half), a heartbreaking episode that reveals how Dick came into Bruce’s life while Robin tracks down his parents’ killer Tony Zucco (Thomas F. Wilson) in the present. I’ve talked about the elements that make a great B:TAS episode, and this episode has them all: beautiful animation, strong direction, a balance of Bruce/Batman action, and a villain that shows elements of humanity while still posing a threat. “Robin’s Reckoning” is one of the most cinematic episodes of the series, with a flashback-centric structure similar to Mask of the Phantasm, and glimpsing into Bruce and Dick’s formative years goes a long way to grounding both characters in reality. Dick Sebast’s nuanced direction handles energetic action sequences and heavy emotional moments with equal aplomb, and the opening shot of Batman and Robin staking out a construction site is a great image of a sprawling Gotham City. Sebast does an impressive job capturing the scope of the city throughout the episode, as heights play a major role in Dick’s story, and beginning the episode with a fight above the city shows how Dick’s circus background has given him the skills to work alongside Batman. Spectrum’s work on the construction fight sets the standard for episode’s first half – Dong Yang takes over the second, with Spectrum sticking around for layouts – and the smoothness and realism of the animation nearly equals the rotoscoping of the 1940’s Superman shorts. A strong Fleischer can be felt throughout the episode, with circus scenes reminiscent of “Terror on the Midway” (those animals sure do look pretty), and bumbling mobsters similar to the dawdling Superman impostor in “Showdown.” But the main influence of “Robin’s Reckoning” is Detective Comics #38, Robin’s first appearance from 1940. Randy Rogel thankfully makes plenty of changes to the original story, cutting the more implausible moments of the story to focus on finding the emotional reality of Dick’s situation, particularly in how it relates to Bruce’s. In the comic, Bruce trains a young Dick so that they can hunt Tony Zucco together, whereas Bruce insists Dick not get involved in the episode. The opening construction sequence of the episode is an homage to the finale of the comic, which features a child Dick Grayson in costume, but the episode smartly shows only the adult Dick as Robin. Allusions are made to them fighting crime together since Dick’s youth (“That line worked great in sixth grade…”), but the flashbacks end right when Dick learns that Bruce is Batman. The episode becomes less about the birth of Robin, and more about the healing of Dick Grayson. Beyond the well-choreographed action, the opening sequence shows how Batman and Robin benefit from operating outside the law when they interrogate the remaining crook after his partners leave him behind. Well, behind and above, because Ferris Dolan (Paul Eiding) is hanging from a steal beam with a long drop between the Gotham pavement and himself. Dolan demands his lawyer and refuses to give up his employer, prompting Batman and Robin to make their exit as he starts to lose his grip. He cries, “You’ve gotta help me! The cops wouldn’t leave me.” To which Batman sharply replies, “We’re not the police!” Batman and Robin have no obligation to keeping this man safe, whereas a police officer would be obligated to save Dolan and get him his lawyer before he talks. Batman isn’t going to let the man fall to his death, but Dolan certainly doesn’t know that. It’s a scare tactic that works, and “Robin’s Reckoning” amps up Batman’s fear quotient as a contrast to the vulnerability Bruce shows when he’s comforting Dick in the past. As Zucco says in part two, ““You don’t know the Bat. He don't let up. He's a dark angel of death, man, and he wants ME.” A dark angel of death, man. Wilson’s Zucco delivery sounds very similar to John Travolta in Grease, so if you ever wanted to hear what Danny Zuko sounds like when he’s scared shitless, “Robin’s Reckoning” is the place to get it. In fact, everyone this episode is terrified of Batman, and rightly so. When Batman is attacked at Arnold Stromwell’s estate (nice to see him back again, voiced by Eugene Roche), the series has its first action sequence without music, and the lack of a score makes each gunshot more real, and Batman’s skills all the more impressive. He twists his knee in the second half of the episode and still kicks everyone’s ass. In one of my favorite moments of the episode, Batman sneaks up on a thief that steals from the craps game Bruce is playing to gather information. Spectrum does body language so well, and the man jumping in the air and falling on his ass is the kind of reaction seeing Batman should provoke. Batman gets his information simply by showing the thief his fist, and the sound of stretching leather is like nails on a chalk board for the terrified man. All of the villains in “Robin’s Reckoning” are just regular people, no superpowers or gimmicks, and Kevin Conroy voices a Batman that is truly terrifying to the ordinary criminal. The emphasis on Bruce Wayne shows Conroy’s range, and his voice with young Dick is nurturing and sensitive, but a bit unsure of how to connect with his new ward. In the present day scenes he speaks to Dick exclusively as Batman, but his voice doesn’t have the same dominating effect on Robin, who has seen the weak, damaged side of Bruce. Batman demands that Robin not track down Zucco, but because Robin doesn’t fear Batman the way a street thug does, he refuses to obey. This episode expands on the Batman/Robin relationship considerably as it shows the two of them butting heads for the first time on the series. Batman assumes a justifiable leadership position, but the adult Robin sees the two of them as equals; Bruce tries to be a father, while Dick tries to be a brother, and when he’s put on the sidelines for the most personal case of his career, he lashes out. Classic Batman themes like vengeance vs. justice and the constant struggle to heal emotional wounds after the loss of a loved one add philosophical and psychological depth to Rogel’s script, highlighted by exceptional voice acting from Conroy, Lester, and Joey Simmrin, who gives a powerful performance as young Dick. The first part benefits from a heavier emphasis on flashbacks focusing on Dick’s grief, which takes the episode to surprisingly dark places. The death of Dick’s parents is one of the best scenes of the entire series, a suspenseful sequence that combines the awe of watching the Graysons in action with the dread of knowing their subsequent fall. Carlos Rodriguez’s score is another element that elevates the first part, specifically during the circus sequences. The mix of gentle strings and twinkling percussion builds as the camera pans up a ladder to where Dick stands proudly with his mother, preparing to leap into his father’s arms on the trapeze. That melody is repeated when Dick’s parents die, but the strings have become discordant, foreshadowing the tragedy to come. Originally conceived as a much more graphic sequence, Bruce Timm has thanked BS&P for forcing them to approach the Graysons’ death in a more stylized manner. A shot of Dick’s mother holding the trapeze shows how far the drop is, and the twinkling bells return to bring back that sense of wonder from the first trapeze sequence, this time accompanied by a horn section that crescendos as the trapeze rope begins to break. The last we see of the Graysons is their silhouettes in glorious flight, then the music stops for a moment before coming back at a forte to reveal the severed trapeze rope. It’s a sophisticated and effective way of showing their deaths without offending anyone, and leaving it to the audience’s imagination makes the image more horrific in the viewer’s mind. Those depressing strings return when Dick leaves the circus to live with Bruce, this time joined by a single clarinet emphasizing the loneliness Dick is about to experience. When Dick arrives at Wayne Manor, a bat flies past him, adding to the already creepy aura around the estate. He sleeps in Bruce’s bedroom, a sparsely furnished room with a bed right in the center, facing a portrait of Thomas and Martha Wayne. The huge amount of negative space accentuates Dick’s solitude, but the room will later become the place where Dick and Bruce have their first bonding moment. When Bruce begins to throw himself into finding Zucco as Batman, Alfred reminds him that there is a little boy upstairs that needs the attention more desperately. Simmrin and Conroy do fantastic work in this scene, as Dick unloads his guilt about not stopping Zucco when he had the chance, while Bruce helps him learn to stop blaming himself: Bruce: You keep thinking, if only I'd done something differently. If only I could've – warned them. But there isn't anything you could have done. There isn't anything either of us could have done. Dick: Your mom and dad? Does the hurt ever go away? Bruce: I wish I could say yes. But it'll get better in time. For you, that I promise. That’s some powerful writing right there. The use of shadows in the scene highlights the grief that overtook both their lives with the loss of their parents, but the moonlight shining through the huge bay window represents the flicker of hope Bruce and Dick bring to each other. Robin doesn’t have the same grave demeanor as his partner because he grew up with someone that understood the pain he was going through. Dick had a friend, while Bruce got a son. His relationships with Dick and Alfred are what prevent Bruce from abandoning his civilian identity for the cape and cowl, and he honors his parents’ memory by creating a new family in their home. The Batman family will continue to expand in the series, just as it does in the comic books, which now include international Bat-relatives. The second half of the episode shows how Dick is adjusting to a new life with Bruce, practicing fencing and using the lessons he learns to look for Zucco on the streets of Gotham. While the nine-year old Dick roams the streets, he comes across a pimp hassling one of his prostitutes for trying to pull a fast one on him. How exciting is it to see a pimp and his ho on children’s television? That’s a relationship that has been ignored by Saturday morning programming for far too long. In this episode we don’t see young Dick in the Robin costume at all, but this first successful attempt at fighting crime makes his employ as Batman’s kid sidekick more believable. It’s when young Dick finds Zucco that we remember why it might not be such a good idea to hunt down criminals before you’ve hit puberty, and Zucco ends up getting away from Batman because Dick puts himself in jeopardy. Batman rescues Dick and takes him to the Batcave, where he reveals himself as Bruce, extending Dick’s stay indefinitely and signaling the end of the flashbacks. Meanwhile, Robin has neglected Batman’s orders and tracks down Zucco, just in time to save Batman from getting shredded in a hail of tommy gun bullets. When Dick finally confronts his parents’ killer as Robin, Lester does his best Conroy impression, taking the character’s voice into a lower register that matures him and makes him sound like his grim partner. As Robin is about to throw Zucco off the harbor, Batman stops him by warning Dick not to let his emotions get the best of him. Bruce doesn’t want Dick to cross a line that he can never turn back from, a line that he could have crossed himself if he encountered his parents’ killer as Batman. Robin lets the police take Zucco, but mistakenly assumes that this was Bruce teaching him another lesson: Robin: You were right, you know, not bringing me along. You knew I'd take it too personally. Batman: It wasn't that, Robin. It wasn't that at all. Zucco's taken so much, caused you so much pain, I couldn't stand the thought that he might – take you, too. Batman’s actions have been motivated by his fatherly drive to keep his family together. Bruce regularly sees the horrific consequences that follow vengeance, and his actions this episode are intended to prevent Robin from going down that path. In the end, Dick realizes that justice is more satisfying than revenge, and he’s back to his regular smiling self, helping his injured partner as they head home for the night, one big happy family. Stray Observations: Bat Robin Beatdown: As Zucco prepares to open fire on the carousel of death, Robin crashes in on his motorcycle, dragging him across the harbor before getting sweet retribution for his parents’ murders. Therapeutic thrashing!

Entering medical practice for the very first time: emotional talk, meaning and identity development. During early clinical exposure, medical students have many emotive experiences. Through participation in social practice, they learn to give personal meaning to their emotional states. This meaningful social act of participation may lead to a sense of belonging and identity construction. The aim of this study was to broaden and deepen our understanding of the interplay between those experiences and students' identity development. Our research questions asked how medical students give meaning to early clinical experiences and how that affects their professional identity development. Our method was phenomenology. Within that framework we used a narrative interviewing technique. Interviews with 17 medical students on Year 1 attachments to nurses in hospitals and nursing homes were analysed by listening to audio-recordings and reading transcripts. Nine transcripts, which best exemplified the students' range of experiences, were purposively sampled for deeper analysis. Two researchers carried out a systematic analysis using qualitative research software. Finally, cases representing four paradigms were chosen to exemplify the study findings. Students experienced their relationships with the people they met during early clinical experiences in very different ways, particularly in terms of feeling and displaying emotions, adjusting, role finding and participation. The interplay among emotions, meaning and identity was complex and four different 'paradigms' of lived experience were apparent: feeling insecure; complying; developing, and participating. We found large differences in the way students related to other people and gave meaning to their first experiences as doctors-to-be. They differed in their ability to engage in ward practices, the way they experienced their roles as medical students and future doctors, and how they experienced and expressed their emotions. Medical educators should help students to be sensitive to their emotions, offer space to explore different meanings, and be ready to suggest alternative interpretations that foster the development of desired professional identities.

Q: How can i list all ELB's in my AWS account I am trying to find out if there is a way to browse all ELB's for a ios app i am working on.I found a describeloadbalancer method in the aws api, but that requires me to know the load balancer's name. I want to know if there is a way to list all the ELB's associated with my AWS account. I noticed that there is a aws console app that allows users to browse their elastic load balancers, so im guessing there must be a way to do this. A: Regarding DescribeLoadBalancers, are you certain of that behavior? The documentation suggests otherwise, by default: Returns detailed configuration information for all the load balancers created for the account. If you specify the load balancers name, the returned results should be limited to those sets of load balancers that you specified: If you specify load balancer names, the action returns configuration information of the specified load balancers. Here's a link for the related documentation in AWS SDK for iOS 7.1, if you're interested. It seems to me that this should work fine if you simply do not request any specific ELB names.

Effects of low-glucose degradation product solution on peritoneal membrane characteristics in peritoneal dialysis patients: a 3-year follow-up study. Changes in peritoneal membrane characteristics including epithelial-mesenchymal transition are an important problem in the maintenance of peritoneal dialysis (PD). This study reports a 3-year follow-up assessment of the effects of low-glucose degradation products (GDP) solution, including epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Adult patients who received continuous ambulatory PD between April 2001 and March 2007 were identified, and those who maintained on PD with the same solution for more than 3 years were included. Patients with an initial effluent score of 3 (fibroblastoid cells dominant in overnight effluent dialysate) were excluded. The patients were divided into two groups according to the dialysate: standard and low-GDP. The following were measured: cancer antigen-125, cell score, normalized protein equivalent of nitrogen appearance, dialysate-plasma creatinine and sodium ratios, and residual renal function. Cell score and peritoneal equilibration test were measured at 1, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after the initiation of PD. Fifty patients were in the standard group and 76 in the low-GDP group. No significant difference in dialysate-plasma creatinine ratio was detected at baseline and at the end-point of follow-up between the two groups. Dialysate-plasma sodium ratio decreased significantly at the end-point of follow-up in the low-GDP group. Initial and follow-up cancer antigen-125 levels were higher in the low-GDP group. Multivariable analysis showed that low-GDP was associated with a higher cell score 3-free survival rate. The present study shows that a low-GDP solution may be associated with preserving the mesothelial cell and peritoneal membrane characteristics.

1. Introduction {#sec1-pharmaceuticals-13-00138} =============== Many medical and cosmetic interventions, such as ablative laser treatment, dermabrasion, microneedling, or tattooing, result in superficial/minor wounds; this affects the integrity of the epidermis and requires postprocedural wound care to assure a proper healing process of the damaged skin \[[@B1-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B2-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B3-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Topical compounds that support all three phases of wound healing (inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling) are considered particularly useful for the treatment of minor and superficial wounds \[[@B4-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Recently, it has been suggested that dexpanthenol exhibits activity across all three wound healing phases \[[@B4-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Dexpanthenol is well absorbed when applied topically to the skin and rapidly converted to pantothenic acid \[[@B5-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B6-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B7-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. The latter is a coenzyme A constituent and essential for the physiological function of epithelia \[[@B8-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B9-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Dexpanthenol supports skin regeneration by enhancing epidermal differentiation and facilitates wound healing \[[@B9-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B10-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B11-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]; it also showed activity in the prevention of biofilm formation and has anti-inflammatory effects \[[@B12-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B13-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Furthermore, dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer and skin barrier enhancer \[[@B14-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B15-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B16-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B17-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. In dry skin conditions, it compensates for reduced hydration by increasing water content and by beneficially influencing the molecular mobility of the stratum corneum lipid lamellae and proteins \[[@B9-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B11-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B18-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. These features triggered the development of various topical dexpanthenol-containing galenical formulations which are widely used in the dermatological field. Topical dexpanthenol has also been recommended for the treatment of minor and superficial wounds \[[@B9-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. In this paper, we review the usefulness of topical dexpanthenol in postprocedure wound healing and the associated mechanisms of action at the molecular level. 2. Search Strategy {#sec2-pharmaceuticals-13-00138} ================== A systematic literature search was performed in the PubMed and Embase databases. Various combinations of the following terms were queried: dexpanthenol, panthenol, superficial wound, minor wound, wound healing, skin repair, postprocedure. In addition, references cited in related publications were followed up. Articles for this review were restricted to clinical trials (in vivo data) and in vitro studies. There were no date or language criteria for inclusion in this paper. In total, the search identified 33 publications. Of these, 8 articles were of relevance for assessing the usefulness of topical dexpanthenol in wound healing after medical and cosmetic interventions. The most frequent reasons for article rejection were studies involving animals and trials investigating dexpanthenol combination products. 3. Types of Wounds and Process of Repair {#sec3-pharmaceuticals-13-00138} ======================================== 3.1. Wounds {#sec3dot1-pharmaceuticals-13-00138} ----------- Wounds can be classified as acute or chronic. Chronic wounds frequently occur in patients with underlying diseases (e.g., diabetes or malignancies), are difficult to heal, and need special wound management \[[@B19-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Acute wounds are most frequently caused by mechanical injuries but can also be caused by burns or chemical harms \[[@B19-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. The management of this type of wound is performed on an individual basis and varies depending on the wound location and characteristics \[[@B20-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B21-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Acute wounds may involve deeper structures of the dermis (including blood vessels, sweat glands, and/or hair follicles) which are referred to as partial-thickness wounds. In the case of full-thickness wounds, the subcutaneous fat or deeper tissues are additionally damaged \[[@B19-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B22-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. In superficial wounds of the skin (e.g., abrasions or superficial thermal wounds), the epidermis is affected \[[@B19-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]; superficial parts of the dermis may be involved as well \[[@B22-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. The term "minor wounds" usually describes small acute cutaneous wounds, such as small cuts, scraps, fissures, or superficial incisions \[[@B22-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B23-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. If bleeding from minor wounds occurs, it can be stopped by putting pressure on the affected skin area or by using dressings or skin tapes. Frequently, subjects treat superficial/minor everyday wounds themselves \[[@B24-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Superficial and minor wounds also occur following scheduled medical or cosmetic interventions, such as ablative laser treatment of the skin (ablative laser skin resurfacing), dermabrasion, or the tattooing procedure. During ablative laser therapy, the epidermis and parts of the dermis are removed while non-ablative laser therapy leaves the skin surface undamaged \[[@B25-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B26-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. A more recently applied laser technique for skin treatments is fractional laser. Fractional lasers deliver the laser light in fractions onto the skin surface and work either ablative or non-ablative \[[@B25-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B27-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Following ablative fractional laser treatment, ablation zones (holes) are present in the epidermis and superficial dermis that are surrounded by areas with intact skin surface \[[@B25-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B28-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. In response to all these laser therapies, overheating of epidermal and dermal compartments may occur which can cause thermal injury, especially after CO~2~ laser irradiation \[[@B25-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B26-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B29-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. The use of ablative lasers has been established as an effective technique to treat aged or sun-damaged skin (e.g., actinic keratosis \[[@B30-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]). Frequently used lasers are CO~2~ and erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) lasers \[[@B26-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. For ablative fractional laser treatments, CO~2~ and Er:YAG lasers are both applied, but the CO~2~ laser is generally preferred by dermatologists and has become the method of choice in the therapy of photo-damaged skin \[[@B2-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B25-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B31-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. During a tattooing session, the tattoo needle punches repeatedly through the epidermis and introduces pigments and dyes into the dermis; generally, the skin injuries are confined to the epidermis and upper parts of the dermis depending on the experience of the tattooing person \[[@B32-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B33-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B34-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. In parallel to the increasing popularity of tattoos, the number of subjects who would like to get them removed has also increased. For tattoo removal, laser treatment has become the gold standard \[[@B35-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B36-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. The laser selection depends on the tattoo colors and skin type, but the Q-switched YAG laser is considered the standard laser therapy for tattoo removal \[[@B36-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B37-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Particularly for multicolored tattoos, ablative fractional laser treatment (alone or in combination with other laser techniques) might be an alternative option for effective tattoo removal \[[@B25-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B35-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Selective absorption of the laser light by the pigments results in fragmented tattoo particles which allows transportation of the tinier fragments away from the skin via phagocytosis \[[@B36-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B38-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Tattoo removal by lasers typically causes postprocedure open wounds on the treated skin due to the high energy of the intense light pulses \[[@B38-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. 3.2. Wound Healing {#sec3dot2-pharmaceuticals-13-00138} ------------------ All the aforementioned superficial or minor wounds require proper care to achieve a scar-free wound healing or healing with a subtle scar only \[[@B22-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B39-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Although the skin injuries are minor in nature, a proper and early wound care is advised to accelerate re-epithelization and thus minimize infection risk and the formation of a hypertrophic scar \[[@B24-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Even if the injury occurred in the context of a scheduled and controlled intervention with adequate hygiene measures, there is the necessity of topical postprocedure wound care; it has been shown that effective postprocedure wound healing reduces the incidence of postprocedure complications which ensures a satisfying cosmetic outcome as much as possible \[[@B40-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B41-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. An undisturbed wound healing results in a better cosmetic result. Consequently, an appropriate postprocedure topical wound treatment has been recommended after ablative laser treatments of the skin \[[@B2-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Likewise, following the tattooing procedure, it has been emphasized that aftercare is actually wound care \[[@B42-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. If performed inadequately, there is an increased risk of infection and wound healing may be impaired. In addition, it could have a negative impact on the aesthetic outcome of the tattoo procedure \[[@B1-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Similarly, in case the tattoo will be removed by laser techniques, the application of ointments and protective dressings are recommended \[[@B35-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Wound healing is a dynamic process and represents the body's response to injury \[[@B43-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B44-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B45-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. The aim of wound healing after minor injury is to restore skin integrity in a timely fashion with an appearance and functionality which ideally is indistinguishable from the preinjury skin \[[@B4-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Acute superficial/minor cutaneous wounds usually heal within three weeks after which barrier function and normal skin structure are fully restored, although formation of scars may occur \[[@B22-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B46-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Traditionally, the wound healing process has been divided in three sequential phases: inflammation, proliferation, and matrix deposition (remodeling) \[[@B47-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B48-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Recent research on the different steps involved in wound healing suggests that these three phases of wound repair overlap with multiple actions running in parallel \[[@B4-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. A three-dimensional (3D) human full-thickness skin model was developed to study the morphological and molecular alterations during the healing process of epidermal wounds \[[@B3-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B49-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B50-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. The 3D skin model consists of epidermal and dermal layers comprising a functional stratum corneum, basal layer, and basal membrane \[[@B3-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B51-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Although this in vitro model cannot fully mimic the complex in vivo conditions, it is able to provide insight into the histological and molecular effects induced by superficial injuries \[[@B3-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. By means of the 3D skin model, the histological changes and shifts in gene expression related to epidermal differentiation, inflammation, and remodeling were defined that occur after epidermal wounding caused by ablative fractional Er:YAG laser, ablative fractional CO~2~ laser, or microneedling \[[@B3-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B50-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B51-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. After microneedling, genes like COL3A1, COL8A1, and TIMP3 were upregulated whereas pro-inflammatory cytokines were downregulated \[[@B3-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Following ablative fractional Er:YAG laser treatment, there was an increased mRNA expression of matrix metalloproteinases and their inhibitors (e.g., MMPs), chemokines (e.g., CXCL1 and CXCL2), and cytokines (e.g., IL6, IL8, and IL24), whereas mRNA expression of epidermal differentiation markers (e.g., keratin-associated protein 4, filaggrin 1, and filaggrin 2) was reduced \[[@B51-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. The findings allow studying the pharmacological effects of topical treatments in these settings as a substitute for in vivo studies \[[@B51-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Data gathered with the 3D skin model showed good correlations with data retrieved from human skin in vivo studies \[[@B49-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B52-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B53-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Both laser-irradiated human 3D skin cultured in calcium pantothenate-containing medium and samples of dexpanthenol-treated injured human skin showed a decreased expression of S100A7 (psoriasin), a protein detected in epidermal layers of acute and chronic wounds \[[@B49-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B53-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Recently, also a human full-thickness 3D non-keratinized mucous membrane model has been established \[[@B54-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. It mimics two layers of the mucous membrane (stratified squamous epithelium and lamina propria) and allows studying effects of topical agents on mucosa histology and gene expression. 4. Dexpanthenol in Wound Healing {#sec4-pharmaceuticals-13-00138} ================================ Wound management has to simultaneously address all three phases of wound healing and should comprise protection from infection and free radicals, modulation of inflammation, support of cell proliferation, and acceleration of migration \[[@B4-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Baron et al. recently suggested that dexpanthenol fulfills these criteria (with the caveat that for infection protection a mild antiseptic has to be added), thereby exhibiting activity across all three wound healing phases \[[@B4-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. In fact, dexpanthenol was shown to assist the different steps of wound-healing in various in vitro and in vivo studies \[[@B4-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B9-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Specifically, topically applied dexpanthenol-containing formulations facilitated wound healing in in vivo models of superficial skin \[[@B55-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B56-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B57-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\] as well as in women with nipple cracks and fissures \[[@B58-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B59-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B60-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\], and were used as reference preparation in trials investigating new developments for the care of minor everyday wounds \[[@B61-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. 4.1. Role of Dexpanthenol on Postprocedure Wound Healing---In Vitro Data {#sec4dot1-pharmaceuticals-13-00138} ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Marquardt and colleagues studied the effects of dexpanthenol on wound healing and gene regulation by employing the 3D skin model \[[@B49-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Skin equivalents were irradiated with a non-sequential fractional ultrapulsed CO~2~ laser. Subsequently, the injured skin equivalents were treated for three days with various 5% dexpanthenol-containing ointments or petroleum jelly (vaseline). Laser irradiated untreated 3D skin served as control. Histological, microarray, and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analyses were performed at different time points. Topical treatment of skin wounds with 5% dexpanthenol formulations enhanced wound closure compared with the CO~2~ laser-irradiated untreated control or wounds treated with petroleum jelly. Culture analyses confirmed that the observed favorable effect was caused by dexpanthenol and not by the ointment base. Culturing laser-irradiated skin equivalents in calcium pantothenate-containing medium resulted in different molecular effects. Among them, gene expressions of interleukin (IL)-1α, a proinflammatory cytokine that acts across the three wound healing phases \[[@B4-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\], and matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3), a regulator of wound healing \[[@B62-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\], were upregulated. Moreover, three days after skin injury, immunofluorescence studies showed an upregulated Ki67 protein expression in laser-irradiated 3D skin cultured with calcium pantothenate compared to control. The results are noteworthy because, without treatment, the expression of IL-1α and MMP3 is actually downregulated following fractional ultrapulsed CO~2~ laser irradiation \[[@B50-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. The upregulation of the Ki67 protein, a proliferation marker, is in accordance with an earlier study which used an in vitro model of artificially wounded monolayers (scrape wounds) \[[@B52-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. There, dermal fibroblasts, incubated with calcium pantothenate (20 µg/mL), revealed an enhanced proliferation compared with untreated cells, suggesting a stimulatory effect of pantothenate on the proliferation of dermal fibroblasts. Among others, genes coding for IL-6 and IL-8 were upregulated by calcium pantothenate. Both cytokines are important for the healing of human dermal wounds \[[@B9-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B63-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. In another study, Schmitt and coworkers investigated the molecular effects of dexpanthenol on mucosal wound healing after introducing standardized lesions with a non-sequential fractional ultrapulsed CO~2~ laser \[[@B54-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. For that purpose, the novel human full-thickness 3D non-keratinized mucous membrane in vitro model was employed. Immediately after laser injury, models were topically treated with an ointment containing 5% dexpanthenol or placebo for 5 days. The culture medium was free of dexpanthenol or other ingredients known to increase proliferation. Histological examinations led to the conclusion that treatment with the dexpanthenol-ointment enhanced wound closure compared with placebo. Gene expression analyses revealed that topical application of dexpanthenol was associated with a \>1.5-fold upregulation of various genes involved in wound healing, such as the CXCL10 gene, mucin protein family genes, and the retinoic acid receptor responder protein 1 gene (RARRES1) ([Figure 1](#pharmaceuticals-13-00138-f001){ref-type="fig"}). 4.2. Role of Dexpanthenol on Postprocedure Wound Healing---In Vivo Data {#sec4dot2-pharmaceuticals-13-00138} ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Girard et al. conducted a double-blind, intra-individual comparative trial that studied the postprocedure wound healing effects of an ointment containing 5% dexpanthenol \[[@B64-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. In total, 35 patients received an autologous skin graft because of burns. For 14 days, the dexpanthenol-containing formulation or vehicle was topically applied to the mesh graft donor sites (i.e., to sites from which skin grafts were removed). These superficial wounds tended to heal more rapidly at the sites treated with dexpanthenol than at the skin areas treated with vehicle as assessed clinically and by measurements of microcirculation, temperature, and biomechanical properties. During the second week of the study, the skin areas topically treated with dexpanthenol were more hydrated than those treated with vehicle (*p* = 0.05) based on clinical scores. Moreover, pruritus related to wound healing resolved sooner (*p* = 0.06). A randomized, double-blind study in healthy subjects investigated the modulation of gene expression by dexpanthenol in previously injured punch skin biopsies \[[@B53-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. In each subject, two minor wounds were introduced by injuring the skin with 4 mm punch biopsies. One wound was topically treated with a 5% dexpanthenol-containing ointment and one wound with placebo. Eight-millimeter punch biopsies of dexpanthenol- and placebo-treated skin areas were taken up to 144 h following treatment initiation. Subsequently, the biopsy material was analyzed to compare the postprocedure gene expression profile of dexpanthenol-treated wounds in comparison with placebo-treated wounds. In specimens treated with dexpanthenol, upregulation of genes involved in wound healing was observed (i.e., IL-6, IL-1β, CYP1B1, CXCL1, CCL18, and KAP 4-2). Heise et al. performed a randomized, controlled 14 day in vivo study to compare the effects of a 5% dexpanthenol-containing ointment with petroleum jelly on wound healing after fractional ablative CO~2~ laser treatment of photo-damaged skin \[[@B2-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. In total, 38 patients participated in the study. In each patient, the wound surface was divided in two parts following laser treatment. One part was treated with the dexpanthenol-containing ointment and one area was treated with petroleum jelly for a duration of 7 days. In the first days of treatment, the topical use of dexpanthenol was associated with faster wound healing than with petroleum jelly. Specifically, on days 1 and 2, lesions treated with the dexpanthenol-containing ointment showed a significantly smaller diameter compared to the original diameter than lesions treated with petroleum jelly ([Figure 2](#pharmaceuticals-13-00138-f002){ref-type="fig"}). Similarly, the degree of re-epithelialization was significantly greater in wounds topically treated with dexpanthenol on days 1, 2, and 5 ([Figure 3](#pharmaceuticals-13-00138-f003){ref-type="fig"}), as were visual analog scale (VAS) scores for cosmetic appearance. Another prospective, investigator-blinded, intra-individual comparison study investigated the effects of two 5% dexpanthenol water-in-oil formulations (ointment and emulsion) on freshly tattooed skin in healthy subjects having received two new tattoos of comparable size \[[@B34-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. The dexpanthenol formulations were applied 4--8 times daily for 14 days, starting at 4 h after the tattooing session. Primary outcome variable was change in transepidermal water loss (TEWL) over time. A reduction of TEWL reflects improvement in skin barrier function, which is primarily located in the stratum corneum \[[@B65-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B66-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. In total, 54 subjects underwent repeated TEWL measurements. The tattooing procedure induced a 7-fold increase in mean TEWL (i.e., a significant barrier dysfunction). The topical use of both 5% dexpanthenol water-in-oil formulations was associated with a pronounced reduction in TEWL over the study period without apparent differences between formulations. [Table 1](#pharmaceuticals-13-00138-t001){ref-type="table"} and [Figure 4](#pharmaceuticals-13-00138-f004){ref-type="fig"} show the results for the ointment. With both formulations, there was a virtually complete restoration of skin barrier function after 14 days of treatment which was 1 week earlier than previously reported for untreated sodium dodecylsulfate solution (SDS) challenged skin \[[@B16-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. This is noteworthy because tattooing is more traumatic to the skin than topical application of a skin irritant (SDS). In all subjects, an uncomplicated healing process was observed and postprocedure cosmetic performances were highly rated by study participants. 4.3. Role of Galenic Composition on Postprocedure Wound Healing {#sec4dot3-pharmaceuticals-13-00138} --------------------------------------------------------------- Procedures resulting in superficial/minor wounds require an appropriate aftercare to assure expedited re-epithelialization and low infection risk \[[@B1-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B2-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. In this setting, ointments are frequently utilized. They form a semi-occlusive breathable film that protects the wound from external influences (e.g., pathogens or contaminants), keeps the injured area hydrated but avoids moisture congestion, and supports a successful skin barrier restoration \[[@B1-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B24-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. For the care of epidermal wounds, an air interface and appropriate partial pressure of oxygen are considered important for achieving rapid re-epithelialization \[[@B22-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B67-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. It has been suggested that semi-occlusion of epidermal injuries results in a superior epidermal response and an earlier achievement of skin barrier function compared to an occlusive wound management \[[@B67-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. It can therefore be inferred that an ointment is a suitable and still modern galenical formulation for postprocedure wound healing. Historically, a 5% dexpanthenol-containing ointment has been used by tattooists in the postprocedure wound care despite the fact that supporting studies in this setting were lacking for many years \[[@B68-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Recently, clinical data were generated which provide scientific evidence for the use of a 5% dexpanthenol ointment in the wound aftercare of freshly tattooed skin \[[@B34-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. For the wound care following ablative laser treatments of the skin, petroleum jelly is currently recommended by the manufacturers of ablative laser systems until encrustation of the affected skin area decreases \[[@B2-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. However, petroleum jelly is a wax-like, difficult-to-handle material, particularly when larger skin areas have to be covered \[[@B69-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. In addition, petroleum jelly has rather strong occlusive effects following topical application. In fact, it is used as positive reference product when the occlusion properties of new topical galenical developments are studied \[[@B69-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Results from a recent head-to-head comparative trial provided evidence that a 5% dexpanthenol-containing ointment is superior to petroleum jelly in the wound care after fractional ablative laser treatment as reflected by a faster wound closure and higher re-epithelialization rate as well as better cosmetic outcomes \[[@B2-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Today, different topical dexpanthenol formulations exist (cream, emollient, drops, gel, lotion, oil, ointment, solution, spray), developed to meet individual requirements \[[@B9-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. There is cumulative evidence, that out of this product range, the ointment is a suitable option for postprocedure wound care. 4.4. Future Perspectives {#sec4dot4-pharmaceuticals-13-00138} ------------------------ With the availability of new treatment techniques, it can be expected that in the near future, there will be an increased need for postprocedural care of superficial/minor wounds and thus topical semi-occlusive formulations accelerating re-epithelialization and healing of the injured skin. Particularly the recent insights in the potential of skin treatments with innovative lasers opened the door for a variety of avenues to be pursued \[[@B25-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Apart from the use of ablative lasers in the treatment of UV-damaged, pre-cancerous skin areas (e.g., actinic keratosis), promising results have been obtained in the treatment of subjects with severely wrinkled skin \[[@B25-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\], advanced photoaging of the face \[[@B70-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\], and atrophic scars \[[@B71-pharmaceuticals-13-00138],[@B72-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. Ablative lasers might also be beneficial for the therapy of severe rhinophyma \[[@B73-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\], burn scars \[[@B74-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\], and other conditions. This type of treatment concept could also be extended to other epithelia, such as affected mucosal membranes (e.g., leukoplakia) \[[@B25-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. It has been suggested that the temporary opening of the epidermal barrier reflects one of the greatest potentials of ablative fractional lasers \[[@B25-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. With this concept, there is the opportunity for a simplified and intensified delivery of compounds into the dermis and epidermis. Further research is ongoing in this field. 5. Conclusions {#sec5-pharmaceuticals-13-00138} ============== Medical and cosmetic interventions resulting in superficial or minor wounds require appropriate aftercare to prevent complications in wound healing (e.g., infection or scar formation) and to restore skin integrity with an appearance and functionality which ideally is indistinguishable from the preinjury skin. Particularly, an expedited re-epithelialization and restoration of skin barrier function are considered key for an uneventful healing process. In this setting, ointments forming a semi-occlusive breathable film and providing a moist wound environment facilitate healing. Cumulative evidence from various in vitro and in vivo studies provided scientific evidence that a dexpanthenol-containing ointment is---beyond the care of everyday wounds---a suitable option for postprocedure wound care. With the availability of novel skin models, new insights could be gained on the way dexpanthenol influences the healing process of epidermal wounds at the molecular level. Gene expression data from in vitro studies using the 3D skin model suggest that dexpanthenol upregulates genes that are critical for wound healing. Gene expression data gathered with the 3D skin model showed good correlations with gene expression profiles observed in in vivo studies with dexpanthenol. Moreover, the gene expression data from both in vitro and in vivo studies are of clinical relevance as evidenced by prospective clinical studies indicating that dexpanthenol promotes wound healing with rapid re-epithelialization and restoration of skin barrier function following skin injury. In a comparative study in the setting of fractional ablative laser treatment, the dexpanthenol-containing ointment revealed superior re-epithelialization rates and better cosmetic outcomes in comparison with standard treatment (petroleum jelly). It can therefore be concluded that topical dexpanthenol represents an appropriate and modern treatment option for postprocedure wounds, especially when applied early after the superficial skin damage. All authors contributed to the writing, review and editing of this article. E.P. and J.M.B. provided substantial contributions to the conception of this work and the interpretation of study data. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. Writing assistance was provided by Edgar A. Mueller, 3P Consulting and was funded by Bayer Vital GmbH, Leverkusen, Germany and Bayer Consumer Care AG, Basel, Switzerland. J.M.B. has received honoraria for oral presentations at scientific congresses or meetings of experts, and the Department of Dermatology at the RWTH Aachen University has received research grants from Bayer Vital. E.P. has received consulting honoraria and grants from Bayer. J.G. is an employee of Bayer Vital GmbH, Leverkusen, Germany. D.S. and L.Z. are employees of Bayer Consumer Care AG, Basel, Switzerland. ![Gene expression profiling in 3D mucous membrane models after laser injury and treatment with a dexpanthenol-containing ointment in comparison with the placebo-treated control. (**a**) 3D mucous membrane models were harvested 3 days after laser treatment (100 mJ/cm^2^), and gene expression was measured using the Affymetrix^®^ Gene Chip Human Exon 2.0 ST microarray. Results of 3 experiments were pooled. (**b**) TaqMan real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis of selected genes on day 3 after treatment. Mean values with standard error of the mean (SEM) of 3 independent experiments performed in duplicate are shown. From Ref. \[[@B54-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\] with kind permission from S. Karger AG ([www.karger.com/SPP](www.karger.com/SPP)).](pharmaceuticals-13-00138-g001){#pharmaceuticals-13-00138-f001} ![Change of the diameter of the individual lesions between study visits. The diameter of 10 point lesions was determined immediately after laser therapy and mean diameter was set to 100% and used for standardization. Data show mean ± standard deviation with *n* = 38, \* *p* \< 0.05, \*\* *p* \< 0.01 (Mann--Whitney *U* test); ns: not significant. From Ref. \[[@B2-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\] reprinted with permission of Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group ([www.tandfonline.com](www.tandfonline.com)).](pharmaceuticals-13-00138-g002){#pharmaceuticals-13-00138-f002} ![Visual changes of the wound healing between study visits. The wound healing rates were visually assessed, based on the measure of re-epithelialization. Data show mean ± standard deviation with *n* = 38, \* *p* \< 0.05, \*\* *p* \< 0.01 (Mann--Whitney *U* test); ns: not significant. From Ref. \[[@B2-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\] reprinted with permission of Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group ([www.tandfonline.com](www.tandfonline.com)).](pharmaceuticals-13-00138-g003){#pharmaceuticals-13-00138-f003} ![Mean (±95% confidence interval) TEWL following topical application of an ointment containing 5% dexpanthenol on freshly tattooed skin 4--8 times daily for 14 days. BL = Baseline assessment at approximately 4 h after the tattooing session and immediately before treatment initiation. TEWL = transepidermal water loss. From Ref. \[[@B34-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\] with kind permission from Wounds International ([www.woundsinternational.com](www.woundsinternational.com)).](pharmaceuticals-13-00138-g004){#pharmaceuticals-13-00138-f004} pharmaceuticals-13-00138-t001_Table 1 ###### Mean change from baseline in transepidermal water loss (TEWL) following application of 5% dexpanthenol-containing ointment on freshly tattooed skin 4--8 times daily over 14 days \*. Time Change of TEWL *p*-Value ^\#^ ---------------------- ---------------- ---------------- Day 1 (BL) 79.14 ± 15.98 \- Day 1 (1 h after BL) −12.99 ± 19.25 0.001 Day 2 −26.16 ± 25.30 \<0.001 Day 7 −60.23 ± 17.35 \<0.001 Day 14 −62.62 ± 18.39 \<0.001 *n* = 54. Data are given in g/m^2^/h. All values are presented as mean ± standard deviation. BL = Baseline assessment = Mean TEWL value at approximately 4 h after the tattooing session and immediately before first application of the ointment. TEWL = transepidermal water loss. \* modified from Ref. \[[@B34-pharmaceuticals-13-00138]\]. ^\#^ Dunnett's two-tailed *t*-test for change from baseline.

Though the search for the real Sasquatch continues, police have tracked down the graffiti artist behind a number of spray-painted sightings of the mythical creature in coastal Maine. Police in the town of Kennebunk grew tired of graffiti featuring Bigfoot and charged Freeman Hatch, 36, with counts of criminal mischief and possession of drugs. He’s due in court in November after more than a dozen images of the beast began popping up over a year ago on the sides of businesses, in the street and on a historical sign. __ Freeman Hatch, 36 (right), has been charged with criminal mischief and drug possession after police accused him of being behind Sasquatch graffiti (left) that had been appearing in the coastal town of Kennebunk, Maine More than a dozen of the stenciled graffiti tags had appeared in the small town of 10,000, though police appealed for help after a sign about Kennebunk history was defaced Police Chief Robert MacKenzie says the Sasquatches defaced public and private property and cost ‘time and money to repair or replace.’ Authorities grew particularly upset after one of the eight-inch-tall yetis could not be fully removed from a sign about the town’s history, according to WCSH. They said the sign could cost $500 to replace. After reaching out for tips on social media, police found enough evidence in Hatch’s home to charge him with the graffiti based off of a Bigfoot silhouette popular online. Sasquatch is the folkloric beast thought by some people to roam the forests, particularly in the Pacific Northwest.

When a young moogle charged with guarding these crystals learns of an evil presence gathering on the horizon, he calls upon heroes from the far corners of the realm to join forces and stand against this new threat.

A device for detecting an electric current with a Hall effect sensor is known for example by Japanese Patent Disclosure No. 1-145837. The detecting device comprises a support pad, a plurality of lead terminals mounded around the support pad, a Hall effect sensor attached on a main surface of the support pad, wires for electrically connecting electrodes and lead terminals, and a plastic package for sealing the Hall effect sensor, wires, support pad and each inner end of the lead terminals. Flow of electric current through an object produces a magnetic field normal to the flowing direction of the electric current in the object, and placement of the detecting device in the magnetic field establishes a potential difference in the Hall effect sensor due to the Hall effect because the Hall effect sensor converts the magnetic field into electric voltage to detect or measure the current flow value. This potential difference is known as the Hall voltage perpendicular to the directions of the electric current and magnetic field, and the Hall voltage is proportional to the value of the detected electric current through the object. Meanwhile, a current detector of another type has been proposed wherein a plastic package covers a Hall element positioned in a through hole formed in the package. This current detector includes a conductor inserted into the through hole to pass electric current through the conductor. Since the Hall element is disposed in the vicinity of the conductor, it can directly detect the current flow running through the conductor with good sensitivity. In this current detector, however, a problem arises that it requires troublesome and complicated assembling processes for inserting the conductor such as a wire into the through hole in the plastic package at a predetermined height, and thereby the assembling process impedes the changeover to automation of assembling process for the detectors. To overcome this problem, a new structure of the current detector has been developed as shown by “Alllegro Current Sensor, ACS750” presented by Allegro MicroSystems Inc., Worcester, Mass. (http://www.allegromicro.com/datafile/0750.pdf>). This detector utilizes an integrated packaging structure with a plastic package for encapsulating or molding a Hall effect sensor and a conductor into one piece to attain a stable current detection because the conductor provides a fixed current path relative to the Hall effect sensor in the package. However, a large electric current flowing through the conductor heats the conductor to thereby cause heat and thermal stress exerted on the Hall effect sensor in the package so that there is a likelihood of deterioration of electric property in the Hall effect sensor and degradation of mechanical property in the plastic package. Also, the conductor requires its high machining accuracy enough to mount the current detector in position on a surface of a substrate keeping the conductor at a same level as lead terminals, thus lowering the productivity and yield. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electric current detector capable of restraining deterioration of electric property in a Hall effect sensor and degradation of mechanical property in a plastic package although a large electric current flowing through the conductor produces heat and heat stress in a conductor. Also, another object of the present invention is to provide an electric current detector that can be mounted in position on a surface of a substrate with the conductor retained at the same level as lead terminals without high machining accuracy. Still another object of the present invention is to provide an electric current detector capable of detecting a large electric current flowing through the conductor with high accuracy.

Phil Billings Phillip K. Billings (born 1939) is a former Australian amateur golfer. He was part of the winning Australian team at the 1966 Eisenhower Trophy in Mexico City. As national captain, he led his country to a tie with Great Britain at the Commonwealth Tournament in 1963. He has won the Lake Macquarie Amateur the most times, winning on seven occasions (1959, 1960, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1974), and was the medalist in the 1961 Australian Amateur. Billings also competed in professional events. He won the 1961 Lakes Open and was a runner-up in the 1971 New South Wales Open. Team appearances Eisenhower Trophy (representing Australia): 1962, 1964, 1966 (winners) Commonwealth Tournament (representing Australia): 1963 (joint winners), 1967 References Category:Amateur golfers Category:Australian male golfers Category:People from the Hunter Region Category:Sportsmen from New South Wales Category:20th-century Australian people Category:1939 births Category:Living people

/* mbed Microcontroller Library * Copyright (c) 2006-2013 ARM Limited * * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License. * You may obtain a copy of the License at * * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0 * * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and * limitations under the License. */ #ifndef MBED_PORTINOUT_H #define MBED_PORTINOUT_H #include "platform.h" #if DEVICE_PORTINOUT #include "port_api.h" namespace mbed { /** A multiple pin digital in/out used to set/read multiple bi-directional pins */ class PortInOut { public: /** Create an PortInOut, connected to the specified port * * @param port Port to connect to (Port0-Port5) * @param mask A bitmask to identify which bits in the port should be included (0 - ignore) */ PortInOut(PortName port, int mask = 0xFFFFFFFF) { port_init(&_port, port, mask, PIN_INPUT); } /** Write the value to the output port * * @param value An integer specifying a bit to write for every corresponding port pin */ void write(int value) { port_write(&_port, value); } /** Read the value currently output on the port * * @returns * An integer with each bit corresponding to associated port pin setting */ int read() { return port_read(&_port); } /** Set as an output */ void output() { port_dir(&_port, PIN_OUTPUT); } /** Set as an input */ void input() { port_dir(&_port, PIN_INPUT); } /** Set the input pin mode * * @param mode PullUp, PullDown, PullNone, OpenDrain */ void mode(PinMode mode) { port_mode(&_port, mode); } /** A shorthand for write() */ PortInOut& operator= (int value) { write(value); return *this; } PortInOut& operator= (PortInOut& rhs) { write(rhs.read()); return *this; } /** A shorthand for read() */ operator int() { return read(); } private: port_t _port; }; } // namespace mbed #endif #endif

Use this site to search court petitions made by indiviual slaves, slaveholders, and free persons on color. This site provides access to information gathered and analyzed over an eighteen-year period from petitions to southern legislatures and county courts filed between 1775 and 1867 in the fifteen slaveholding states in the United States and the District of Columbia.

832 F.2d 857 126 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 3038, 56 USLW 2323,107 Lab.Cas. P 10,181 PRUDENTIAL INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA, Petitioner,v.NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD, Respondent. No. 86-1199. United States Court of Appeals,Fourth Circuit. Argued April 6, 1987.Decided Nov. 12, 1987. Daniel M. Gribbon (Jerome Ackerman, Douglas S. Abel, Covington & Burling, Washington, D.C., James J. Burns, William A. Young, Jr., Wallerstein, Goode & Dobbins, Richmond, Va., on brief), for petitioner. Karen Ruth Cordry, N.L.R.B. (Rosemary M. Collyer, General Counsel, John E. Higgins, Jr., Deputy General Counsel, Robert E. Allen, Associate General Counsel, Elliott Moore, Deputy Associate General Counsel, Peter Winkler, Supervisory Atty., Washington, D.C., on brief), for respondent. Before WIDENER and PHILLIPS, Circuit Judges, and HAYNSWORTH, Senior Circuit Judge. WIDENER, Circuit Judge: 1 This is a petition of Prudential Insurance Company of America to review an order of the National Labor Relations Board and the Board's cross petition for enforcement. Prudential challenges a representation election based on the propriety of a bargaining unit which included an alleged confidential employee. We hold that the employee was not properly included in the bargaining unit and remand the case with instructions. 2 The United Food & Commercial Workers International Union, AFL-CIO-CLC, filed a petition with the Board seeking to represent a unit of office and clerical employees at Prudential's Cape Cod district office located in Hyannis, Massachusetts. These employees, referred to by Prudential as the field service staff, support the Company's sales agents in their selling and service functions. There are several job categories that are involved in these functions: service representative, senior service representative, service assistants, service coordinator, senior service coordinator, and assistant to the district manager. These positions comprise the bargaining unit sought by the Union and approved by the Board. The Company's challenge is directed to the inclusion within the unit of the assistant to the district manager, Patricia Roberts. 3 In May 1985, the Board conducted a pre-election hearing. The Company contended that the inclusion of Mrs. Roberts was improper because she was a confidential employee. After hearings, the Board's Regional Director issued a Decision and Direction of Election in which he concluded that Mrs. Roberts was not a confidential employee. The Regional Director's conclusion was based on two alternative findings. First, he found that the district manager does not formulate, determine and effectuate labor relations policies. Second, the Regional Director also found that Mrs. Roberts did not assist and act in a confidential capacity to the district manager. The Company subsequently filed a request for review with the Board, challenging the Regional Director's unit determinations. The Board denied this request based on the Regional Director's finding that the district manager does not formulate, determine, and effectuate management labor relations policy. Given this determination, the Board did not comment on the Regional Director's alternate finding. 4 On August 28, 1985, the Board's regional office conducted a secret ballot election. The Company unsuccessfully challenged the ballot of Mrs. Roberts. The Board agent rejected Prudential's challenge and refused to impound and segregate her ballot since the Board had already ruled on her eligibility. However, the agent permitted the Union's challenge to two votes. Those two ballots were sealed and not counted in the election count. The tally, including the ballot of the assistant to the district manager, was 4-1 in favor of the Union. Prudential objected to both the conduct of the election and the conduct affecting the results of the election, but these objections were rejected by the Regional Director, who certified the Union as the bargaining unit's representative. The Company then requested Board review of the Regional Director's certification of the Union as representative. However, this request for review was denied by the Board on October 29, 1985 as raising "no substantial issues warranting review." 5 In order to gain judicial review of the Board's certification of the representative, Prudential refused to bargain with the Union. As stated, this case comes to us upon a petition to review the Board's order requiring Prudential to bargain with the Union and its determination that the Company violated Secs. 8(a)(1) and 8(a)(5) of the National Labor Relations Act, 29 U.S.C. Secs. 158(a)(1) and (5), by refusing to do so. 6 In order to evaluate Prudential's claim that the assistant to the district manager should have been excluded from the field service bargaining unit as a confidential employee, it is necessary for us to examine the relationship between her and the district manager as well as the district manager's responsibilities. With little exception, the facts in this case are not in dispute and the Board's findings are essentially a summary of undisputed evidence. Accordingly, it is appropriate to reproduce the Board's findings concerning the district manager and the assistant to the district manager. 7 As district manager, Leary oversees the day-to-day operation of the Cape Cod district office. He is responsible for hiring and training new employees, setting their levels of compensation, determining work assignments, scheduling overtime, scheduling vacations, evaluating employees, making disciplinary recommendations, recommending promotions, merit increases and bonuses and resolving day-to-day problems that arise in the office. The collective bargaining agreement between the Employer and the Petitioner covering district agents provides that the district manager is the Employer's representative at Step One of the contractual grievance procedure. While Leary has the authority to respond to grievances at Step One, since he has been at the Cape Cod District office (a year and a half) his practice has been to receive and investigate each grievance, formulate a recommended response and then clear it with VPRM Russo before presenting it to the Petitioner. Leary does not participate either in the preparation for, or the actual negotiations with the Petitioner concerning the district agents' unit. The Employer's labor relations and personnel policies, including compensation plans and levels, and benefits, are established and/or negotiated and managed from the Employer's corporate headquarters in Newark, New Jersey and/or its regional offices, in this case located in Boston, Massachusetts. As district manager, Leary is responsible for ensuring that the Employer's policies are administered in the Cape Cod District office consistently with the Employer's national policy. 8 Patricia Roberts is the ATTM in the Cape Cod District office. In this capacity, she handles correspondence and clerical work for Leary. Thus, she performs customary secretarial duties, such as typing and filing; she does not take dictation. Roberts maintains files of grievances submitted by the Petitioner and types Leary's proposed and actual responses to them. Roberts types Leary's correspondence with Russo and other Employer representatives and maintains a file of such correspondence in her desk, which is unlocked. Roberts also compiles and types office sales reports and submits them to the appropriate regional office. Roberts types correspondence concerning the employment, compensation, evaluation and discipline of district agents. Roberts has access, as needed, to employees' personal job history files, which are maintained in a locked portion of Leary's desk. She also shares a private telephone line with Leary, but she has never been asked by him to listen in on a conversation. In one instance, at Leary's request, Roberts compiled mileage figures as part of a grievance response. However, she was asked to perform this task after the Employer had given its grievance answer to the Petitioner. In another instance, she looked up a date in an unspecified file. 9 Section 2(3) of the NLRA provides that the "term 'employee' shall include any employee...." 29 U.S.C. Sec. 152(3). But, notwithstanding that under a literal reading of this language Mrs. Roberts would be an employee, both the Board and the courts exclude certain confidential employees from collective bargaining units. See NLRB v. Hendricks County Rural Electric Membership Corp., 454 U.S. 170, 177, 102 S.Ct. 216, 222, 70 L.Ed.2d 323 (1981). In Hendricks, the Supreme Court approved the Board's "labor-nexus" rule as determinative of whether or not a worker is to be deemed a confidential employee. Under this labor-nexus rule, "the term 'confidential' ... embrace[s] only those employees who assist and act in a confidential capacity to persons who exercise 'managerial' functions in the field of labor relations." Hendricks, 454 U.S. at 180-81, 102 S.Ct. at 224. This concise statement of law presents the two questions involved in this case. First, whether the district manager was a person who exercised managerial functions in the field of labor relations. And, second, whether the Regional Director erred in finding that the assistant to the district manager did not assist or act in a confidential capacity to the district manager. 10 In NLRB v. Quaker City Life Insurance Co., 319 F.2d 690 (4th Cir.1963), we held that the secretary of the district manager of a national insurance company was a confidential employee and that "[i]t would be patently unfair to require the company to bargain with a union that contain[ed] such an employee." 319 F.2d at 694. The facts of this case are indistinguishable from those of the Quaker City case. In Quaker City, we noted that the district manager in that case "generally supervises the day to day operations of the office, operating under general rules set by the home office. He recommends the hiring, firing, and disciplining of the office employees and he may, under certain conditions, fire summarily. He trains the local employees, and, within limits set out by the company, makes recommendations as to promotions, increases and allowances." 319 F.2d at 692. This description of Quaker City's district manager's duties takes in only a part of those of Prudential's district manager here. Additionally, for example, Prudential's district manager is the employer's representative at Step One of the grievance procedure. He may respond to Step One or formulate and recommend a response for his superior. He is also responsible for ensuring that Prudential's national labor and personnel policies are carried out in the district office. Accordingly, we conclude that the district manager here exercises managerial functions in the field of labor relations. The Board has invited us to reject Quaker City as lacking in precedential value in light of the Supreme Court's ruling in Hendricks. However, this argument is foreclosed by our decision in NLRB v. Rish Equipment Co., 687 F.2d 36 (4th Cir.1982). In Rish, on facts similar to those here, we rejected the argument that our decision in Quaker City was displaced by Hendricks. 687 F.2d at 37. We follow our earlier determination, and Quaker City and Rish are yet controlling precedent in this circuit. Accordingly, we conclude that the Board erroneously decided to deny review of the Regional Director's decision on the ground that the district manager did not exercise sufficient managerial functions in the field of labor relations. 11 This conclusion, however, does not end our review. We must also examine the Regional Director's alternate finding that Mrs. Roberts, the assistant to the district manager, did not assist or act in a confidential manner in her relations with the district manager. 12 We think that the Regional Director's finding is not supported by substantial evidence in light of the entire record. See Universal Camera Corp. v. NLRB, 340 U.S. 474, 71 S.Ct. 456, 95 L.Ed. 456 (1951). The Regional Director's own findings concerning Mrs. Roberts, already reproduced, supra, demonstrate that her position's confidential characteristics exceed those of the Quaker City employee "who makes weekly reports to the home office indicating receipts, disbursements, attendance of the agents and sales productions. She checks the details of each new policy before they are submitted. She types correspondence for the District Manager and is privy to all confidential matters and communications between the District Manager and the home office, including those in which the performance of the other employees of the branch office is discussed. Although she is licensed to sell insurance, she never has done so, and the license is probably not a condition of her employment." Quaker City, 319 F.2d at 692. Moreover, there was undisputed documentary evidence that Prudential's job description questionnaire for the position of assistant to the district manager describes the job as "confidential" by its very nature. The confidential character of the position of assistant to the district manager is further elaborated on in Prudential's personnel policy handbook. Significantly, both the district manager and Mrs. Roberts testified that the Company had told her that her job was confidential. Finally, the Board has cited us to no convincing reason to sustain the Regional Director's finding in light of our decisions in Quaker City and Rish. We thus find that the Regional Director's finding that Mrs. Roberts did not assist or act in a confidential manner to the district manager is not supported by substantial evidence. Having concluded that Mrs. Roberts does serve in a confidential capacity to a manager who exercises sufficient managerial function in the field of labor relations, we are of the opinion that she should not be included within the bargaining unit in question. 13 We must now decide what action should be taken on remand. We reject the Company's position that a new election must be held merely because the employees' vote may have been different had they known that the assistant to the district manager was not a member of the bargaining unit. The case cited by the Company for that proposition, Hamilton Test Systems, N.Y., Inc. v. NLRB, 743 F.2d 136 (2d Cir.1984), does not support that result. In Hamilton Test Systems, the voting employees were misinformed by the Board and believed that they were voting for representation in a broad facility-wide unit. However, the Board later considered "the ballot as a vote for representation in a unit that [was] less than half [that] size and considerably different in character." 743 F.2d at 140. Thus, that case should be distinguished on its facts from ours because we deal here with a unit that has been altered by only one member. 14 While we conclude that the Company is not necessarily entitled to a new election, we recognize that upon remand it will be necessary for the Board to consider the two votes challenged by the Union and not included in the tally. Given the fact that it is impossible to determine which way Mrs. Roberts' improper vote was cast, we have no way of knowing whether a correct tally would favor the Union by a 3-1 or 4-0 margin. Accordingly, it is quite possible that the two challenged employee votes, if they survive the Union's challenge and if they were cast against union representation, would affect the Union's majority status. In that case, it would in fact be necessary to hold a new election in a properly constituted unit. Otherwise, the representation election result must stand. 15 Accordingly, we reverse the Board's finding that Mrs. Roberts was not a confidential employee and remand this case for proceedings consistent with this opinion. 16 The petition for review of Prudential is granted in part and remanded in part. 17 The cross petition of the Board for enforcement is denied at this time but may be reinstated depending on the result of the proceedings on remand.

Q: What does x86 mean for installing a new hardware enablement (HWE) stack in 64 bit Ubuntu I'd like to install 13.10 (Saucy) hardware enablement (HWE) stack to my Ubuntu 12.04 (64-bit) because I need a newer Linux kernel. This wiki page explains what "hardware enablement stacks" are. Among other things it says: Only the -generic x86 kernel flavor ... will be supported... Also, this answer says: ...This is only recommended for x86 hardware installations... Is x86 here synonymous to 32-bit/i386 architecture (but not 64-bit/AMD64), or is it i386/AMD64 (but not ARM)? Can I install this "hardware enablement stack" in a 64-bit/AMD64 Ubuntu? Will it be supported with future updates? A: Yes, x86 means amd64 or i386. The reference only the -generic kernel flavor refers to the various kernel packages available; "generic" is the regular kernel, but there are also kernels optimised for virtual machines and low latency, and those other kernels are not supported by the hardware enablement stack.

Generally, if a home owner has been paying down a mortgage on their home for more than 7-10 years… they have increased the equity in your home considerably. Also despite some minor and major market corrections, due either to a housing bubble or a recession, the value of their home has also appreciated to a similar degree. Continue reading “Best Time to Find Sellers?” » You may not know and realize how important of curb appeal to your home. It is a common sense that if you have an attractive and clean home on the outside, this will make someone want to see the inside. This strategy is very useful when you are attempting to sell you home; great curb appeal is just as important as having a home show beautifully on the inside. If the outside is not clean this can deter a potential purchaser from even booking a showing to see your home, even though the interior could be spectacular. Continue reading “Creating Curb Appeal – Selling Your Home” » Renting a room? I wish I had thought of it sooner, but one day many years ago I finally gave it a try. I had a thee-bedroom mobile home on small piece of property, and I soon found that it was easy to rent out not one, but both other bedrooms. I suddenly had thousands of dollars extra each year. Continue reading “Renting A Room For Extra Income” » Not every applicant is approved for a home loan the first time he or she applies. For a variety of reasons, even after a lot of hard work, sometimes a loan just canít be approved. It may have to do with the applicantís credit or savings history, employment stability, debt structure, or the value of the home. The good news is that a denial is merely a detour, not a roadblock. Purchasing a home takes planning, discipline and hard work! Follow these tips and with our assistance, homeownership is not out of reach. Continue reading “Getting Your Mortgage Loan Approved” »

Outcome of 143 pregnancies conceived by assisted reproductive techniques. One hundred and forty-three pregnancies conceived by assisted reproductive techniques (ART) from October 1985 to June 1989 in the National University Hospital, Singapore, resulted in 66 deliveries and 89 babies. There were 27 (18.7%) biochemical pregnancies, 44 (30.7%) clinical miscarriages and 6 (4.2%) ectopic pregnancies when total pregnancies were considered. Of those who continued pregnancy to second trimester multiple births occurred in 20 (13.3%) patients. A high incidence of vaginal bleeding and hypertension in pregnancy was noted in 32 (48.5%) patients and 18 (27.3%) patients, respectively. Caesarean section was the method of delivery in 48.5% of patients. Twenty-six (29.2%) babies required admission to the neonatal intensive care unit. All babies except one set of twins delivered at 24 weeks of amenorrhoea survived. Fetal abnormality was noted in 2 cases.

Q: PrintWindow WPF / DirectX Anyone know of a way to reliably take a snapshot of a WPF window? The PrintWindow api works well for "standard" win32 windows but since WPF uses DirectX, PrintWindow fails to capture an image. I think that one would need to grab the front buffer for the DirectX object associated with the window, but I am not sure how to do that. Thanks! A: I'm not sure if this is what you mean, and I'm not sure I'm allowed to link to my blog or not, but is this any use? It basically uses a RenderTargetBitmap to generate a JPG. You can use it to "screenshot" an entire window then print that. If this is against the rules, someone feel free to delete :)

Q: How to show 4 names on 1 line instead of each name on new line in PHP? Hi I have been using this code to fetch data from mysql database and displaying it in column format i.e a b c What i want is to show 4 names per row i.e a b c d e f g.... Can anybody help me in this regard Thankyou. Here is my code <?php $result = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM Persons"); echo "<table border='1'>"; while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) { echo "<tr>"; echo "<td>" . $row['Name'] . "</td>"; echo "</tr>"; } echo "</table>"; mysql_close($con); ?> A: Use modulus operator % $i = 0; while($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) { $i++; if ($i % 4 == 0) { echo "<tr>"; } echo "<td>" . $row['Name'] . "</td>"; if ($i % 4 == 0) { echo "</tr>"; } } As a bonus, you've got syntax error in your code. Look at this line echo "<table border='1'>; which should be echo "<table border='1'>";

Leaked audios: US embassy and opposition organised coup in Bolivia (Spanish) - sudoaza https://www.jornada.com.mx/ultimas/politica/2019/11/12/revelan-audios-que-ligan-a-la-oposicion-y-a-eu-en-la-asonada-6709.html ====== rasabatino Evo Morales tried to run for a 4th term against the law (Bolivia has a 2 term limit, but Evo claimed the first one didn't count). He called a referendum to change the term limits and got shot down. He ran for the elections anyway and "won". The day after the electoral body of Bolivia confirmed that election was rigged. The military then asked him to step down. I can't understand why Evo is viewed so favorably in the USA. ------ padraic7a I don't know anything about the quality of the source publication* but for anyone who is interested here is a Google translation to English: [https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=https...](https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jornada.com.mx%2Fultimas%2Fpolitica%2F2019%2F11%2F12%2Frevelan- audios-que-ligan-a-la-oposicion-y-a-eu-en-la-asonada-6709.html) * Chomsky described it as "maybe the only real independent newspaper in the hemisphere" [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Jornada](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Jornada) ------ sudoaza The article cites this leak which is in English [https://bbackdoors.wordpress.com/2019/10/08/us-hands- against...](https://bbackdoors.wordpress.com/2019/10/08/us-hands-against- bolivia-part-i/)

Q: Monitoring a tcp port using Zenoss it's possible to monitor a general purpose service, listening on port 5896, i.e.: tcp://production.enterprise.com:5896 I just want know if this service is alive or offline, like a fast "nc -zv <host> <port>" command. Regards, And Past A: You should be able to use the zenoss IP service monitoring. It basically uses SNMP to execute a telnet to the the port specified and send the response back over SNMP.

Multisystem involvement in congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA), a nerve growth factor receptor(Trk A)-related disorder. Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA), a rare autosomal recessive disorder, is characterized by insensitivity to pain, self-mutilating behaviour, anhidrosis and recurrent hyperpyrexia. It is a hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy, also classified as HSAN, due to a defect of the receptor for nerve growth factor. CIPA is the first human genetic disorder caused by a defect in the neurotrophin signal transduction system. This is the first clinical report of CIPA patients characterized on molecular grounds. The clinical phenotypes of our patients show that CIPA is characterized by a multisystem involvement besides the nervous system, including bone fracture with slow healing, immunologic abnormalities, such as low response to specific stimuli, chronic inflammatory state ending in systemic amyloidosis. The molecular characterization allows a better understanding of most of the clinical features.

Pair-rearing infant monkeys (Macaca nemestrina) using a "rotating-peer" strategy. Appropriate rearing conditions for captive primates are important for both research and breeding purposes. In an earlier study, pigtailed macaque infants that were pair-reared with a single continuous partner exhibited excessive social clinging and could not adapt to living in large social groups at 8-10 months of age. In the present study, eight macaques were pair-reared until they were 6 months old. Each member of an animal's four-monkey social group served as a home-cage partner. In an attempt to reduce excessive mutual clinging, the pairs were rotated every 2-3 days to increase the variability of social stimulation in the home cage. However, these infants developed abnormal social behaviors that were in some cases even more extreme than those exhibited by infants pair-reared with a single continuous partner. A second goal of this experiment was to study interlaboratory reliability for the development of social behavior. The animals were divided into two groups, one housed in a nursery and the other in a biological safety level 3 virus laboratory. Some differences were detected between the two groups, demonstrating the necessity of controls in biobehavioral developmental research.

Q: compare two strings in java using command line arguments Im a java noob. Basically I am trying to create a program that compares two command line arguments while ignoring case and prints out the lesser of the two strings. Here is what I have so far: public class CompareStrings { public static void main(String[] args) { String s1 = new String(args[0]); String s2 = new String(args[1]); if ( s1.compareToIgnoreCase(s2) > 0 ) System.out.println(s2); else if ( s1.compareToIgnoreCase(s2) < 0 ) System.out.println(s1); else System.out.println("Both strings are equal."); } } I keep getting the error Error: Could not find or load main class CompareString when I try to run it. What am I doing wrong? A: "Error: Could not find or load main class CompareString" Your error message says you couldn't load class "CompareString", but your code says your class name is CompareStrings. A: Your class name is wrong. Your error says Error: Could not find or load main class CompareString but the name of class is CompareStrings not CompareString launch using java CompareStrings Read this good tutorial on compiling and launching java programs A: First of all you are trying to use wrong class, should be CompareStrings and not CompareString. Second, I would recommend using a nice utility lib for handling command line called Cliche from Google Code site And third, it would be good to check if the given string is null before you call compareToIgnoreCase on it

Lee Briers Lee Paul Briers (born 14 June 1978) is a professional rugby league coach who is on the coaching staff of the Warrington Wolves in the Super League, and a former Wales international rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. A Great Britain and Wales international representative or , he played in the Super League for St. Helens and the Warrington Wolves (with whom he won three Challenge Cup finals). St Helens Briers started his career with hometown club St. Helens, and he made his début in 1997 at the age of 18, standing in for suspended captain Bobbie Goulding. He made six appearances for the club, scoring one try and 24 goals, with his performances helping Saints to reach the 1997 Challenge Cup Final. Briers was dropped following the return of Goulding to the starting lineup, and learned that he might not even be included in the squad for the upcoming Challenge Cup final. Seeking regular first-team football, he joined Warrington Wolves in April 1997 for a fee of £65,000. Warrington Briers made an instant impact at his new club. His presence as a added an attacking edge to the Warrington team and he was nominated for Young Player of the Year in his first season at Wilderspool Stadium. Having made his Wales début in 1998, Briers went on to make 23 appearances for his country and featured in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup. Briers was capped by Great Britain against France in their 42-12 win on 26 October 2001. Briers went on to become the primary playmaker of the Warrington team, and was named as captain in 2003. During that time Briers became well known for his excellent kicking skills and his ability to successfully convert drop goals. He currently holds the Super League record, and jointly Warrington all-time record (with Paul Bishop), for the most drop goals in a game (5 against Halifax at the Shay in 2002). Briers' Testimonial match at Warrington took place in 2007 and he stepped down as captain at the end of the season. Following the Wales team's failure to qualify for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, Briers announced his international retirement. Briers played in the 2010 Challenge Cup Final victory over the Leeds Rhinos at Wembley Stadium. Briers came out of international retirement to represent Wales in the 2010 European Cup, and captained the side to victory in the tournament. He went on to captain Wales in the 2011 Four Nations, before once again retiring from international rugby league at the tournament's end. The 2011 Super League season was Briers' 14th. During this season he broke a number of club records including top all-time points scorer, having overtaken club greats Brian Bevan, and Steve Hesford. He broke the record during a Challenge Cup home 112–0 demolition of Swinton. This match also saw Briers break his own club record for points in a match (set 11 years earlier against York), with 44 points, from 16 goals and three tries. He played in the 2012 Challenge Cup Final victory over the Leeds Rhinos at Wembley Stadium. He played in the 2012 Super League Grand Final defeat by the Leeds Rhinos at Old Trafford. In 2013, during the second match of the season against Wigan Warriors, Lee suffered a neck injury which saw the Warrington ace out for 13 games. He returned for a Tetley's Challenge Cup fifth round tie against Salford City Reds in which he made not only a try scoring return but also kicked his 1,000th career goal. He played in the 2013 Super League Grand Final defeat by the Wigan Warriors at Old Trafford. In November 2013, although Briers had a year remaining on his contract, he announced his retirement due to a neck injury. He played 425 games for Warrington, scoring a club record 2,586 points. Shortly before announcing his retirement, Briers released his autobiography, Off the Cuff. References External links !Great Britain Statistics at englandrl.co.uk (statistics currently missing due to not having appeared for both Great Britain, and England) Profile at warringtonwolves.com (archived by web.archive.org) 2001 Ashes profile Warrington’s World Cup heroes – Lee Briers Profile at saints.org.uk Category:1978 births Category:Sportspeople from St Helens, Merseyside Category:English rugby league coaches Category:Great Britain national rugby league team players Category:St Helens R.F.C. players Category:Warrington Wolves players Category:Wales national rugby league team players Category:Rugby league five-eighths Category:Rugby league halfbacks Category:Lancashire rugby league team players Category:Lance Todd Trophy winners Category:Living people Category:Rugby league players who received a testimonial

The present invention generally relates to the production of an ammonium octamolybdate composition, and more particularly to the manufacture of a novel and unique ammonium octamolybdate isomer having a number of beneficial characteristics. Ammonium octamolybdate (hereinafter designated as "(NH.sub.4).sub.4 Mo.sub.8 O.sub.26 " or "AOM") is a commercially-useful molybdenum composition which is available in multiple forms or "isomers". Each isomer is characterized by its ability to differentially rotate and otherwise reflect light passing therethrough. In particular, two main isomers of AOM have been isolated and used commercially, namely, (1) the .alpha. form (".alpha.-AOM"); and (2) the .beta. form (".beta.-AOM"). Other isomers also exist including the .gamma. form (".gamma.-AOM") and the .delta. form (".delta.-AOM"). However, little information is available regarding the .gamma. and .delta. materials which are mostly generated in very small quantities as by-products and are predominantly theoretical/experimental in nature. Of particular interest from a commercial standpoint is the manufacture of .alpha.-AOM which is used as a smoke suppressant in many different compositions including polymeric plastic coating materials for electrical wiring and fiber-optic elements. Representative plastic materials suitable for combination with .alpha.-AOM include rigid polyvinyl chloride ("PVC"). The .beta.-AOM isomer is likewise secondarily useful for this purpose although .alpha.-AOM is preferred. In general, .alpha.-AOM is traditionally produced by the thermal decomposition of ammonium dimolybdate which shall be designated hereinafter as "(NH.sub.4).sub.2 Mo.sub.2 O.sub.7 " or "ADM". This process occurs in accordance with the following basic chemical reaction: EQU 4(NH.sub.4).sub.2 Mo.sub.2 O.sub.7 +heat .fwdarw..alpha.-(NH.sub.4).sub.4 Mo.sub.8 O.sub.26 +4NH.sub.3 +2H.sub.2 O (1) However, as noted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,700 (which is incorporated herein by reference), the foregoing process is characterized by numerous disadvantages including the generation of .alpha.-AOM having too large a particle size. As a result, the .alpha.-AOM product generated from reaction (1) listed above had to be physically size-reduced using conventional material-handling procedures which resulted in additional production costs and increased manufacturing time. Another disadvantage associated with the conventional thermal generation of .alpha.-AOM involved the production of undesired by-products if the chemical reactants were improperly heated (e.g. over-heated or insufficiently heated according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,700). When this situation occurred, the following undesired by-products were generated: (1) ammonium trimolybdate (which is also characterized as "(NH.sub.4).sub.2 Mo.sub.3 O.sub.10 or "ATM") and (2) molybdenum trioxide (also designated herein as "molybdic oxide" or "MoO.sub.3). Since neither of these materials have the important and beneficial smoke-suppressive characteristics of .alpha.-AOM as discussed herein, they are undesired in the .alpha.-AOM production process. For this reason, the thermal decomposition method outlined above must be very carefully monitored, which again results in greater labor costs, more extensive processing equipment, and increased margins of error. To overcome these disadvantages, an "aqueous" or "wet" reaction process was developed which is extensively discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,700 (again incorporated herein by reference). This process basically involves the initial combination of ammonium dimolybdate ("ADM" as previously noted) with water to yield a slurry-type mixture. In a preferred embodiment, about 50-350 grams of ADM are used per liter of water to form the desired mixture. Thereafter, particulate molybdenum trioxide is combined with the ADM-containing slurry, with the molybdenum trioxide having a preferred particle size of about 10-300 microns and a high purity level (e.g. not more than about 0.5% by weight (total) of iron (Fe), potassium (K), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), calcium (Ca), and other impurities.) It is further stated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,700 that both of these materials are specifically combined in the stoichiometric proportions set forth in the following basic formula: EQU 2(NH.sub.4).sub.2 Mo.sub.2 O.sub.7 +4MoO.sub.3 .fwdarw..alpha.-(NH.sub.4).sub.4 Mo.sub.8 O.sub.26 (2) The initial ADM-containing slurry product used in the reaction listed above may be manufactured in many different ways including but not limited to a combination of water, ammonium hydroxide ("NH.sub.4 OH"), and molybdenum trioxide. The ADM-containing slurry product can be also derived from "ADM crystallizer mother liquor". Finally, commercially-available, pre-manufactured ADM can be directly combined with water to yield the slurry. Regardless of which process is employed for this purpose, U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,700 states that the molar ratio of ammonia to molybdenum (e.g. [NH.sub.3 ]/[Mo]) in the ADM-containing slurry should be adjusted to a value of 1.00 prior to addition of the particulate molybdenum trioxide so that the resulting .alpha.-AOM product is substantially free from undesired impurities including .beta.-AOM, ammonium heptamolybdate, and other non .alpha.-AOM compounds. Regarding .beta.-AOM, this material is again generated as a side product in traditional thermal decomposition methods. While .beta.-AOM also has smoke suppressant properties, .alpha.-AOM is generally recognized as being superior for these purposes. Accordingly, .beta.-AOM has only secondary commercial value compared with .alpha.-AOM as previously noted. Further information, data, and other important parameters regarding .alpha.-AOM and .beta.-AOM will be presented below from a comparative standpoint in order to illustrate the novelty of the present invention which involves a new AOM isomer. This unique isomer (designated herein as "X-AOM") differs considerably from all other forms/isomers of AOM including but not limited to .alpha.-AOM and .beta.-AOM (as well as the .gamma. and .delta. forms of AOM). As discussed in greater detail below, X-AOM is different from the other listed isomers both structurally and functionally. In accordance with the information provided herein, .alpha.-AOM is traditionally used as a smoke control agent in plastic materials and other related compositions. However, the X-AOM isomer offers a number of benefits compared with traditional .alpha.-AOM including more efficient smoke suppression per unit volume and greater stability/uniformity. Furthermore, as confirmed by sophisticated chemical identification techniques (including a process known as "Raman spectral analysis" which will be summarized in further detail below), the claimed X-AOM product is likewise characterized by a novel isomeric structure which differs considerably from the structure of .alpha.-AOM and .beta.-AOM. The use of Raman spectral analysis enables the X-AOM product to be clearly identified and distinguished from other isomers of AOM. In addition, X-AOM is produced using a unique manufacturing process which facilitates the generation of this material in a highly-effective and preferential manner on production-scale levels. For these and other reasons discussed in the Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments section, the present invention represents a considerable advance in the art of ammonium octamolybdate production. The claimed invention specifically involves (1) the generation of a structurally novel isomeric AOM product which provides many important functional capabilities; and (2) the creation of a specialized manufacturing method which enables the X-AOM product to be produced in high yields with a considerable degree of purity. Accordingly, the present invention is novel, unique, and highly beneficial in many ways as outlined in greater detail below.

This guy is the best hitter in baseball and has been for the past several years. He is a total wizard with the bat. Just look at that pitch from Kansas City Royals starter James Shields that he took out down the left field line in the top of the first on Sunday. The pitch was nearly a foot inside and almost exactly where catcher Salvador Perez wanted it. Cabrera let it get deep enough so he could hit it fair, but he still managed to get around on it and drive it out of the park with power. If you watch the replay, you’ll see that he didn’t even extend his arms into a powerful position. 90 percent of hitters would either take the pitch; get jammed and make an out had they swung; or yank it foul. Not Cabrera. This guy somehow manages to knock it out of the park. The angle from the TV camera doesn’t truly show how far inside the pitch was, but this FOX Trax image does: There really aren’t many ways to pitch Cabrera. Maybe you can sneak a slow pitch by him here or there, but good luck getting him out more than three times in a game.

1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to golf clubs, particularly putters, and specifically to a putter having features to assist a user in accurately aligning the club with a golf ball when putting. 2. Description of the Prior Art Putting is an integral and critical part of the game of golf. Putting involves the use of specialized clubs to make comparatively gentle (compared to driving) but highly accurate strokes on a ball at rest upon a putting green surrounding a hole containing a cup. In putting, maximizing range is of no importance, while aiming precision is paramount. The golfer strives to align the club, assume a correct stance, and perform the stroke in a manner that will result in the ball rolling along a path to the cup. To accomplish this, the putter must be properly aligned with the ball to optimize the contact of the putter with the ball to direct the movement of the ball in precisely the direction the golfer intends the ball to go. While the force of the putting stroke is important (the golfer not wanting to undershoot or overshoot the hole), the importance of correctly aiming the direction of ball travel is paramount. Throughout the years, various assists have been developed to aid the golfer in aiming a putt. Some elaborate electro-optical aiming systems have been devised using bubble levels, lasers, etc., but such systems have generally been rejected for being too complex, time consuming, and even in violation of the rules of the game of golf. Commonly, currently employed visual alignment aids that are incorporated into putter designs are primarily perpendicular grooves located on top of the putter blade, or, in the case of a mallet-design putter, on the top surface of the sole. Such grooves are often highlighted by the use of white, black, red, or other contrasting colors of paint or colored inserts. The grooves, viewed in combination with the putter blade, are used to align the face of the putter with the intended path of the ball. In sum, most known alignment aids purport to inform the user when the face of the putter is perpendicular to the intended path of the ball. However, this common aligning assist is uni-dimensional. That is, the alignment groove is viewed in the vertical (or near vertical) plane common to the blade of the putter. This uni-dimensional character of current putter aiming systems leaves ample room for aiming error. One solution that has been proposed is that used in the SeeMore(TM) putter system, which utilizes a pair of parallel white lines on the top of the putter head. When, as the user looks down the club and toward the ball, the shaft of the club is disposed precisely between the lines so that the lines are just visible on either side of the shaft alignment, the putter is ostensibly in alignment. In addition to the known putting alignment devices mentioned above, a number of additional innovations have been developed relating to putter alignment devices, and the following U.S. patents are representative of some of those innovations: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,544,883, 5,564,990, 5,913,731, 6,117,020, and 6,203,443. More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,883 discloses a putter having an offset hosel. The putter has a narrow top surface which has a notch used to assist in proper alignment of the putter and a golf ball. The notch does not extend beyond the narrow top surface, so the notch does not provide an extended line for providing alignment. To improve alignment features, it would be desirable if a putter having alignment features included an extended alignment line. U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,990 discloses a putter having alignment features which includes an extended alignment line. However, even if an alignment line of a putter is properly aligned on a golf ball, the putter may be improperly tilted. In this respect, it would be desirable if a putter having alignment features were provided which includes means for assuring that the putter is not improperly tilted when a putter is employed. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,913,731 and 6,203,443 disclose other putters that have extended alignment lines. However, these putters do not include means for assuring that the putter is not improperly tilted when the putter is employed. U.S. Pat. No. 6,117,020 discloses a specific laser aiming device for a putter. It is recalled that laser aiming devices for putters are discussed hereinabove. As a matter of interest, U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,102 discloses a golf putter that can be equipped with interchangeable weights. However, this putter does not include alignment features. Still other features would be desirable in a putter golf club with alignment features. For example, it would be desirable if a system of interchangeable putter golf club components could be provided to accommodate a wide variety of golfers. More specifically, it would be desirable if a system employing interchangeable putter golf club handles, counterweights, hosels, and heads were provided to accommodate a wide variety of golfers, including golfers who grow up from junior golfers to senior golfers. Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use putter golf clubs having alignment features, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a putter golf club with alignment features which has the following additional combination of desirable features: (1) includes an extended alignment line; (2) includes means for assuring that the putter is not improperly tilted when a putter is employed; (3) provides a system of interchangeable putter golf club components can be used to accommodate a wide variety of golfers; and (4) provides a system which employs interchangeable putter golf club handles, counterweights, hosels, and heads to accommodate a wide variety of golfers, including golfers who grow up from junior golfers to senior golfers. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique putter golf club with alignment features of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident. To achieve the foregoing and other advantages, the present invention, briefly described, provides a putter golf club with alignment features which allows the user to more precisely align the putter with the intended path of the golf ball, thereby enhancing putting accuracy. The invention is solely mechanical, in that the head and/or hosel of the putter is specially shaped to provide particular alignment surfaces and features which the user views during the putt. No electronic or complex optical components are employed. Broadly described, the invention includes specially shaped putter heads and hosels that permit the user to sight down more than one reference plane, and thereby determine the proper perpendicularity of the putter blade during the putt. Thus, the shape of the apparatus offers the utilitarian function of providing a multi-dimensional alignment reference system to improve reliability of the user""s aim. In one embodiment of the invention, the user manipulates the apparatus of the invention until two or more planes are not viewed obliquely, to assure that the planes are vertical and perpendicular to the intended direction of the ball movement. Stated somewhat differently, in accordance with the invention, a putter golf club with alignment features includes a handle shaft and a head connected to the handle shaft. The head includes a front blade which includes a blade back surface which extends vertically in a first vertical plane. An upper surface is located behind the blade back surface and has a vertical height lower than the blade back surface. A body step face is located behind a portion of the upper surface at a predetermined distance away from the blade back surface. The body step face extends vertically in a second vertical plane. The first vertical plane and the second vertical plane is parallel to each other. The predetermined distance between the blade back surface and the body step face define an alignment region. Preferably, a hosel is connected between the handle shaft and the head. Preferably, the upper surface of the head includes a pair of obliquely intersecting upper surfaces, has a vertical height lower than the blade back surface, and the body step face is located behind a portion of the obliquely intersecting upper surfaces, at a predetermined distance away from the blade back surface. Preferably, the obliquely intersecting upper surfaces intersect at a body peak which forms an alignment line that is perpendicular to the blade back surface and the body step face. Preferably, the blade includes obliquely intersecting upper surfaces, which intersect at a aiming ridge. The aiming ridge is colinear with the body peak. Preferably, the hosel includes a planar first hosel side which is in a third vertical plane and includes a planar second hosel side which is in a fourth vertical plane. The third vertical plane and the fourth vertical plane are parallel to the first vertical plane and the second vertical plane, and the first hosel side and the second hosel side are viewed within the alignment region when the hosel is aligned with the head. In addition, the hosel can include an offset hosel portion which is perpendicular to the first hosel side and the second hosel side. Preferably, the handle shaft includes a counterweight received in a hollow portion of the handle shaft. The above brief description sets forth rather broadly the more important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contributions to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will be for the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. In this respect, before explaining a number of preferred embodiments of the invention in detail, it is understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood, that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition to the objects discussed above, an additional object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved putter golf club with alignment features which has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages. It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved putter golf club with alignment features which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved putter golf club with alignment features which is of durable and reliable construction. An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved putter golf club with alignment features which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such putter golf club with alignment features available to the buying public. Still yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved putter golf club with alignment features which includes an extended alignment line. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved putter golf club with alignment features that includes means for assuring that the putter is not improperly tilted when a putter is employed. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved putter golf club with alignment features which provides a system of interchangeable putter golf club components can be used to accommodate a wide variety of golfers. Even another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved putter golf club with alignment features that provides a system which employs interchangeable putter golf club handles, counterweights, hosels, and heads to accommodate a wide variety of golfers, including golfers who grow up from junior golfers to senior golfers. These together with still other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

The New Backyard (Cement Slab) The back is finally presentable, so I thought I’d share some pictures. Caution, many include a small child doing cute things. Bubbles are back! Zoe enjoys being pants and diaper free like Max. Drinking from the can Our little helper More helping We still have a bunch of big honking containers that need filling, but I think we’re off to a good start. I’m so happy we scored the wooden playhouse on Craigslist. Zoe hangs out in it all the time. I’ll take more close up plant pics when they’re bigger and more exciting. I took a bunch of perennials we had in pots in Oakland and set them free in the ground.

Q: Escaping metacharacters using grep on cygwin Using grep on cygwin to search for 'employee_id' with the following conditions: Not preceeded by an underscore Immediately followed by either space, closed bracket, or period The expression that follows works in Regex Builder 2.05 using a sample of text, but does not return results when used in grep as such: grep -E -r '[^_]employee_id[ \]\.]' ./* I'm not sure if this is some peculiarity of entering expressions via command line, or if it has to do with differences between the many regex "dialects", but I haven't come across any alternative way of escaping characters in my search for an answer. Can someone provide the correct grep syntax to return the results I'm looking for? A: You can use: grep -E -r '(^|[^_])employee_id[] .]' . (^|[^_]) as employee_id can be at line start or be preceded by any non underscore character. There is no need to escape DOT or ] inside character class. But keep in mind that closing ] must immediately follow opening [

Q: GemFire 8.2.0 cluster using static server list in cache.xml How can I make a GemFire 8.2.0 P2P cluster of GemFire servers using only statically defined server list in the cache.xml configuration file? I cannot use multicast. I do not want to use the separate locator process. My cache.xml for server nodes <!DOCTYPE cache PUBLIC "-//GemStone Systems, Inc.//GemFire Declarative Caching 8.0//EN" "http://www.gemstone.com/dtd/cache8_0.dtd"> <cache> <cache-server port="40404" /> <pool name="serverPool"> <server host="10.0.0.192" port="40404" /> <server host="10.0.0.193" port="40404" /> </pool> </cache> I have read in the documentation that I can have a static list of servers in the pool, I see on the client side, this style of configuration works. and my clients connect to the list of servers. but GemFire server / peer to peer clustering using only static cluster configuration is not working for me. I am now using serverCache = new CacheFactory().set("cache-xml-file", "server-cache.xml").set("mcast-port", "0") .set("start-locator","localhost[13489]").set("locators", "localhost[13489]").create(); in the logs of this jmv i see ``` [info 2016/02/08 15:47:34.922 UTC tid=0x1] Starting peer location for Distribution Locator on localhost/127.0.0.1[13489] [info 2016/02/08 15:47:34.925 UTC tid=0x1] Starting Distribution Locator on localhost/127.0.0.1[13489] [info 2016/02/08 15:47:48.093 UTC tid=0x1] Starting server location for Distribution Locator on localhost/127.0.0.1[13489] ``` on a 2nd box I use serverCache = new CacheFactory().set("cache-xml-file", "server-cache.xml").set("mcast-port", "0").set("locators", "IP-of-1stbox[13489]").create(); com.gemstone.gemfire.GemFireConfigException: Unable to contact a Locator service. Operation either timed out or Locator does not exist. Configured list of locators is "[ip-of-1stbox(null)<v0>:13489]". at com.gemstone.org.jgroups.protocols.TCPGOSSIP.sendGetMembersRequest(TCPGOSSIP.java:222) at com.gemstone.org.jgroups.protocols.PingSender.run(PingSender.java:85) at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:745) Exception in thread "main" com.gemstone.gemfire.GemFireConfigException: Unable to contact a Locator service. Operation either timed out or Locator does not exist. Configured list of locators is "[54.173.123.102(null)<v0>:13489]". at com.gemstone.org.jgroups.protocols.TCPGOSSIP.sendGetMembersRequest(TCPGOSSIP.java:222) at com.gemstone.org.jgroups.protocols.PingSender.run(PingSender.java:85) at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:745) I have port 13489 open I can see Active Internet connections (only servers) Proto Recv-Q Send-Q Local Address Foreign Address State PID/Program name tcp 0 0 0.0.0.0:22 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN - tcp 0 0 127.0.0.1:25 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN - tcp 0 0 ::ffff:127.0.0.1:13489 :::* LISTEN 5137/java tcp 0 0 :::40404 :::* LISTEN 5137/java tcp 0 0 :::22 :::* LISTEN - tcp 0 0 ::ffff:10.0.0.193:21145 :::* LISTEN 5137/java tcp 0 0 ::ffff:10.0.0.193:65148 :::* LISTEN 5137/java udp 0 0 0.0.0.0:68 0.0.0.0:* - udp 0 0 10.0.0.193:123 0.0.0.0:* - udp 0 0 127.0.0.1:123 0.0.0.0:* - udp 0 0 0.0.0.0:123 0.0.0.0:* - udp 0 0 ::ffff:10.0.0.193:2300 :::* 5137/java port 13489 is in use on the first box when i did get them connected i found this [warn 2016/02/08 16:38:12.688 UTC <locator request thread[1]> tid=0x20] Expected one of these: [class com.gemstone.gemfire.cache.client.internal.locator.LocatorListRequest, class com.gemstone.gemfire.management.internal.JmxManagerLocatorRequest, class com.gemstone.gemfire.cache.client.internal.locator.ClientReplacementRequest, class com.gemstone.gemfire.cache.client.internal.locator.QueueConnectionRequest, class com.gemstone.org.jgroups.stack.GossipData, class com.gemstone.gemfire.cache.client.internal.locator.ClientConnectionRequest, class com.gemstone.gemfire.cache.client.internal.locator.LocatorStatusRequest, class com.gemstone.gemfire.cache.client.internal.locator.GetAllServersRequest] but received ConfigurationRequest for groups : cluster[cluster] A: There is a mixup in the cache.xml. You will need two sets of cache.xml, one for the server and one for the client. On the server cache.xml, you define the port on which the server will listen for client communication, defines your regions etc. Something like the following: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <cache xmlns="http://schema.pivotal.io/gemfire/cache" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://schema.pivotal.io/gemfire/cache http://schema.pivotal.io/gemfire/cache/cache-8.1.xsd" version="8.1"> <cache-server port="40404" /> <region name="MyRegion" refid="PARTITION" /> </cache> To start an embedded locator and point the server to other running servers in the system, you can do CacheFactory cf = new CacheFactory(); cf.set("cache-xml-file", "server-cache1.xml"); cf.set("mcast-port", "0"); cf.set("start-locator", "12345"); cf.set("locators","localhost[12345],localhost[6789]"); In a second process, use the exact same locators property, and use 6789 as the start-locator port. For the client cache.xml, you define a connection pool and provide it with a list of running servers: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <client-cache xmlns="http://schema.pivotal.io/gemfire/cache" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://schema.pivotal.io/gemfire/cache http://schema.pivotal.io/gemfire/cache/cache-8.1.xsd" version="8.1"> <pool name="serverPool"> <server host="localhost" port="40404" /> <server host="localhost" port="40405" /> </pool> <region name="MyRegion" refid="CACHING_PROXY"/> </client-cache> For your client application, you should create a ClientCache using the above cache.xml like so: ClientCacheFactory ccf = new ClientCacheFactory(); ccf.set("cache-xml-file", "client.xml"); ClientCache clientCache = ccf.create(); Region r = clientCache.getRegion("MyRegion"); r.put("1", "one");

/** * @module helpers/progressBar */ export default class HelpersProgressBar { constructor(container) { this._container = container; this._modes = { load: { name: 'load', color: '#FFF56F', }, parse: { name: 'parse', color: '#2196F3', }, }; this.requestAnimationFrameID = null; this._mode = null; this._value = null; this._total = null; this._totalFiles = null; this.init(); } free() { let progressContainers = this._container.getElementsByClassName('progress container'); if (progressContainers.length > 0) { progressContainers[0].parentNode.removeChild(progressContainers[0]); } progressContainers = null; // stop rendering loop window.cancelAnimationFrame(this.requestAnimationFrameID); } init() { let progressContainer = this._domContainer(); for (let mode in this._modes) { if (this._modes.hasOwnProperty(mode)) { let bar = this._domBar(this._modes[mode]); progressContainer.appendChild(bar); bar = null; } } this._container.appendChild(progressContainer); progressContainer = null; // start rendering loop this.updateUI(); } // url can be used in child class to show overall progress bar update(value, total, mode, url = '') { this._mode = mode; this._value = value; // depending on CDN, total return to XHTTPRequest can be 0. // In this case, we generate a random number to animate the progressbar if (total === 0) { this._total = value; this._value = Math.random() * value; } else { this._total = total; } } updateUI() { this.requestAnimationFrameID = requestAnimationFrame(() => { this.updateUI(); }); if ( !( this._modes.hasOwnProperty(this._mode) && this._modes[this._mode].hasOwnProperty('name') && this._modes[this._mode].hasOwnProperty('color') ) ) { return false; } const progress = Math.round((this._value / this._total) * 100); const color = this._modes[this._mode].color; let progressBar = this._container.getElementsByClassName( 'progress ' + this._modes[this._mode].name ); if (progressBar.length > 0) { progressBar[0].style.borderColor = color; progressBar[0].style.width = progress + '%'; } progressBar = null; } _domContainer() { let container = document.createElement('div'); // class it container.classList.add('progress'); container.classList.add('container'); // style it container.style.width = '100%'; container.style.height = '8px'; container.style.position = 'absolute'; container.style.backgroundColor = 'rgba(158, 158, 158, 0.5)'; container.style.top = '0'; container.style.zIndex = '1'; return container; } _domBar(mode) { if (!(mode.hasOwnProperty('name') && mode.hasOwnProperty('color'))) { window.console.log('Invalid mode provided.'); window.console.log(mode); return false; } let bar = document.createElement('div'); // class it bar.classList.add(mode.name); bar.classList.add('progress'); // style it bar.style.border = '2px solid ' + mode.color; bar.style.width = '0%'; return bar; } set totalFiles(totalFiles) { this._totalFiles = totalFiles; } get totalFiles() { return this._totalFiles; } }

Interior equipements of aircraft include numerous electrical devices that have to be fixed into place, some of which devices are provided as prefabricated units. The installation effort essentially arises from the necessary connection to electrical supply lines and from attachment of the device at the intended installation location. The so-called exit signs, small lamp assemblies comprising lighting means, which signs serve as marker lights for cabin exits and for escape routes, and which in the case of the aircraft sustaining damage also act as emergency lighting, are one group of such electrical devices. Exit signs are part of the safety-relevant assemblies in an aircraft. They are checked daily as part of pre-start checks. If any deficiencies or malfunctions are detected, the operational readiness of such assemblies must be restored completely before the aircraft is allowed to take off. Normally, when the cabin is fitted out, various electrical devices, in particular exit signs, are connected to electrical supply lines that have already been installed earlier. In order to have the installation freedom necessary for this, the lines have to have a certain overlength if they have been installed in hollow spaces which are difficult to access. Following a different practice in the installation of electrical devices, at present first the device is mechanically installed, and thereafter the electrical connections are established by way of individual plug-type contacts. Both the above approaches are associated with a number of disadvantages. The phase of cabin fitout requires considerable installation effort because the devices have to be attached at the intended installation location, for example by means of screw connections, and by the allocation and connection of numerous (mostly one-pole) plug-type connections for electrically connecting the devices. As a result of the overlength of the supply lines, which overlength is required for connecting the complete devices, after installation a superfluous line part remains in the region where the supply lines have been installed. This superfluous line part carries the danger of uncontrolled movement and uncertain line routing of the supply lines, as a result of which the danger of chafing arises. In order to prevent damaging the insulation of the cables, expensive chafing protection is thus required, and/or options must be found for attaching the relatively loosely placed cables again after completion of device installation. Maintenance measures require considerable installation effort because even in the case of exchanging individual components, deinstallation and renewed connection of the device may become necessary. In the context of renewed separation and connection of the individual plug-type connections, any maintenance measure entails a danger of mixing up the connectors, which requires additional troubleshooting and remedial action. Conventional installation requires the use of various tools and a multitude of loose components, for example screws and various shim components. These have to be kept in stock at the location where maintenance may become necessary. Especially in the case of exit signs this is an additional disadvantage in that exchange of these safety-relevant components must be able to be carried out practically anywhere. Adapting the electrical devices to be installed to the requirements of the place of installation can result in a considerable increase in the weight of the devices when installation is to take place by integration in other assemblies and when such integration requires adaptive constructive measures. Extensive integration also increases production costs. There may be a need for an attachment system for an electrical device, which provides easy installation of electrical devices in the cabin region of aircraft.

Double-Carboxylation of Two C-H Bonds in 2-Alkylheteroarenes Using LiO- t-Bu/CsF. We describe the double-carboxylation of two C-H bonds (i.e., at the benzylic and the β-positions) in 2-alkylheteroarenes using a combination of LiO- t-Bu and CsF. A diverse range of substrates, namely benzothiophene, thiophene, benzofuran, furan, and indole derivatives, are efficiently converted into the doubly carboxylated products. A variety of functionalities (i.e., methyl, methoxy, halogen, cyano, ester, ketone, and amide moieties) are well tolerated.

Samuel Gigot Samuel Florent Thomas Gigot (born 12 October 1993) is a French footballer who plays for FC Spartak Moscow in the Russian Premier League as a centre back. He is the brother of professional rugby league footballer Tony Gigot. Career Gigot is a youth exponent from AC Arles-Avignon. He made his Ligue 2 debut on 30 August 2013 against Chamois Niortais. At 15 August 2014, he scored his first league goal against AS Nancy. On 4 June 2018, he signed a 4-year contract with the Russian club FC Spartak Moscow. References . Category:Living people Category:1993 births Category:French footballers Category:AC Arles-Avignon players Category:K.V. Kortrijk players Category:K.A.A. Gent players Category:FC Spartak Moscow players Category:Belgian First Division A players Category:Ligue 2 players Category:Russian Premier League players Category:Association football midfielders Category:French expatriate footballers Category:Expatriate footballers in Belgium Category:Expatriate footballers in Russia

using System; using System.Collections.Concurrent; using System.Collections.Generic; using System.Threading; namespace MonoNX.OsHle.Handles { class KProcessScheduler : IDisposable { private class SchedulerThread : IDisposable { public HThread Thread { get; private set; } public AutoResetEvent WaitEvent { get; private set; } public SchedulerThread(HThread Thread) { this.Thread = Thread; WaitEvent = new AutoResetEvent(false); } public void Dispose() { Dispose(true); } protected virtual void Dispose(bool Disposing) { if (Disposing) { WaitEvent.Dispose(); } } } private class ThreadQueue { private List<SchedulerThread> Threads; public ThreadQueue() { Threads = new List<SchedulerThread>(); } public void Push(SchedulerThread Thread) { lock (Threads) { Threads.Add(Thread); } } public SchedulerThread Pop(int MinPriority = 0x40) { lock (Threads) { SchedulerThread SchedThread; int HighestPriority = MinPriority; int HighestPrioIndex = -1; for (int Index = 0; Index < Threads.Count; Index++) { SchedThread = Threads[Index]; if (HighestPriority > SchedThread.Thread.Priority) { HighestPriority = SchedThread.Thread.Priority; HighestPrioIndex = Index; } } if (HighestPrioIndex == -1) { return null; } SchedThread = Threads[HighestPrioIndex]; Threads.RemoveAt(HighestPrioIndex); return SchedThread; } } public bool HasThread(SchedulerThread SchedThread) { lock (Threads) { return Threads.Contains(SchedThread); } } } private ConcurrentDictionary<HThread, SchedulerThread> AllThreads; private ThreadQueue[] WaitingToRun; private HashSet<int> ActiveProcessors; private object SchedLock; public KProcessScheduler() { AllThreads = new ConcurrentDictionary<HThread, SchedulerThread>(); WaitingToRun = new ThreadQueue[4]; for (int Index = 0; Index < 4; Index++) { WaitingToRun[Index] = new ThreadQueue(); } ActiveProcessors = new HashSet<int>(); SchedLock = new object(); } public void StartThread(HThread Thread) { lock (SchedLock) { SchedulerThread SchedThread = new SchedulerThread(Thread); if (!AllThreads.TryAdd(Thread, SchedThread)) { return; } if (!ActiveProcessors.Contains(Thread.ProcessorId)) { ActiveProcessors.Add(Thread.ProcessorId); Thread.Thread.Execute(); Logging.Debug($"{GetDbgThreadInfo(Thread)} running."); } else { WaitingToRun[Thread.ProcessorId].Push(SchedThread); Logging.Debug($"{GetDbgThreadInfo(SchedThread.Thread)} waiting to run."); } } } public void Suspend(int ProcessorId) { lock (SchedLock) { SchedulerThread SchedThread = WaitingToRun[ProcessorId].Pop(); if (SchedThread != null) { RunThread(SchedThread); } else { ActiveProcessors.Remove(ProcessorId); } } } public void Resume(HThread CurrThread) { SchedulerThread SchedThread; Logging.Debug($"{GetDbgThreadInfo(CurrThread)} entering ipc delay wait state."); lock (SchedLock) { if (!AllThreads.TryGetValue(CurrThread, out SchedThread)) { Logging.Error($"{GetDbgThreadInfo(CurrThread)} was not found on the scheduler queue!"); return; } } TryResumingExecution(SchedThread); } public void WaitForSignal(HThread Thread, int Timeout = -1) { SchedulerThread SchedThread; Logging.Debug($"{GetDbgThreadInfo(Thread)} entering signal wait state."); lock (SchedLock) { SchedThread = WaitingToRun[Thread.ProcessorId].Pop(); if (SchedThread != null) { RunThread(SchedThread); } else { ActiveProcessors.Remove(Thread.ProcessorId); } if (!AllThreads.TryGetValue(Thread, out SchedThread)) { Logging.Error($"{GetDbgThreadInfo(Thread)} was not found on the scheduler queue!"); return; } } if (Timeout >= 0) { Logging.Debug($"{GetDbgThreadInfo(Thread)} has wait timeout of {Timeout}ms."); SchedThread.WaitEvent.WaitOne(Timeout); } else { SchedThread.WaitEvent.WaitOne(); } TryResumingExecution(SchedThread); } private void TryResumingExecution(SchedulerThread SchedThread) { HThread Thread = SchedThread.Thread; lock (SchedLock) { if (ActiveProcessors.Add(Thread.ProcessorId)) { Logging.Debug($"{GetDbgThreadInfo(Thread)} resuming execution..."); return; } WaitingToRun[Thread.ProcessorId].Push(SchedThread); } SchedThread.WaitEvent.WaitOne(); Logging.Debug($"{GetDbgThreadInfo(Thread)} resuming execution..."); } public void Yield(HThread Thread) { SchedulerThread SchedThread; Logging.Debug($"{GetDbgThreadInfo(Thread)} yielded execution."); lock (SchedLock) { SchedThread = WaitingToRun[Thread.ProcessorId].Pop(Thread.Priority); if (SchedThread == null) { Logging.Debug($"{GetDbgThreadInfo(Thread)} resumed because theres nothing better to run."); return; } RunThread(SchedThread); if (!AllThreads.TryGetValue(Thread, out SchedThread)) { Logging.Error($"{GetDbgThreadInfo(Thread)} was not found on the scheduler queue!"); return; } WaitingToRun[Thread.ProcessorId].Push(SchedThread); } SchedThread.WaitEvent.WaitOne(); Logging.Debug($"{GetDbgThreadInfo(Thread)} resuming execution..."); } private void RunThread(SchedulerThread SchedThread) { if (!SchedThread.Thread.Thread.Execute()) { SchedThread.WaitEvent.Set(); } else { Logging.Debug($"{GetDbgThreadInfo(SchedThread.Thread)} running."); } } public void Signal(params HThread[] Threads) { lock (SchedLock) { foreach (HThread Thread in Threads) { if (AllThreads.TryGetValue(Thread, out SchedulerThread SchedThread)) { if (!WaitingToRun[Thread.ProcessorId].HasThread(SchedThread)) { Logging.Debug($"{GetDbgThreadInfo(Thread)} signaled."); SchedThread.WaitEvent.Set(); } } } } } private string GetDbgThreadInfo(HThread Thread) { return $"Thread {Thread.ThreadId} (core {Thread.ProcessorId}) prio {Thread.Priority}"; } public void Dispose() { Dispose(true); } protected virtual void Dispose(bool Disposing) { if (Disposing) { foreach (SchedulerThread SchedThread in AllThreads.Values) { SchedThread.Dispose(); } } } } }

Fundy Geological Museum The Fundy Geological Museum is a geological museum in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia, Canada. It first opened in 1993. It has received over 300,000 visitors since it opened, averaging more than 21,000 per year. The museum is part of the Nova Scotia Museum system. Exhibits Its exhibits contain fossils of the prosauropod dinosaur, Plateosaurus engelhardti. It also contains exhibits on local minerals, as well as an explanation of the Bay of Fundy tides. Other resources The museum also has a gift shop and a laboratory where researchers are currently uncovering the skeleton of a 200-million-year-old Prosauropod dinosaur. It also hosts Nova Scotia's Gem and Mineral Show every year. The Gem and Mineral Show has been held annually for more than 40 years. Opening hours From June 1 to October 15, the museum is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. For the rest of the year it operates on reduced winter hours. External links Official museum homepage References Category:Museums in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia Category:Geology museums in Canada Category:Geology of Nova Scotia Category:Natural history museums in Canada Category:Nova Scotia Museum

Q: is it possible to secure a specific queue in activemq with a user name and password I want to have a activemq broker(or a cluster). I would like to have multiple queues in it. I would like to give access to say a particular queue only to a particular client and no other client. IOW I don't want one client to be able to access the queue meant for another client. How can I secure the queues? A: You'll want to use either the JAAS or Simple Authentication Plugin.. Either of these will allow you to set up authorization to queues.

Q: How to get rid of this error Handler "PageHandlerFactory-Integrated" has a bad module "ManagedPipelineHandler" in its module list Using IIS7.5, the website works fine in Visual Studio but when I try to deploy on IIS get the following error. Module IIS Web Core Notification ExecuteRequestHandler Handler PageHandlerFactory-Integrated Error Code 0x8007000d Requested URL http://localhost:80/EFT/default.aspx Physical Path C:\inetpub\wwwroot\EFT_Converter\default.aspx Logon Method Anonymous Logon User A: The version of .Net you are using has not been registered with IIS correctly. If it is .Net version 4 on a 64-bit 2008 server use these two commands to fix it. %windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\aspnet_regiis.exe -i %windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\aspnet_regiis.exe -i A: Open command prompt on window and run: C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\ aspnet_regiis.exe -i This will resolve your issue. A: Where your handlers are defined in the web.config, add a <clear /> before the first item in the list, if there is not one there already. Also make sure that the application pool running the web site is running the version of .Net that you are targeting in your code.

Background {#Sec1} ========== Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) are a group of intestinal nematodes with direct life-cycles. There are four main species that cause disease in humans; *Ascaris lumbricoides* (roundworm), *Trichuris trichiura* (whipworm) and the hookworms (*Necator americanus* and *Ancylostoma duodenale*). The World Health Organization (WHO) designates STH infections as neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and estimates that they affect more than 1.4 billion people worldwide \[[@CR1]\]. STH infection causes low mortality, but chronic and repeated infection from childhood can lead to malnutrition, mental deficits, and physical and intellectual growth impairment \[[@CR2]\]. An estimated 5.18 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) have been attributed to STH infection \[[@CR3]\]. The control method for STH recommended by the WHO is mass drug administration (MDA) to those most likely to suffer heavy infection and the concomitant morbidity. The current strategy consists of treating school-aged children (SAC, aged 5--14 years old) and preschool-aged children (pre-SAC, aged 2--4 years old), regardless of their infection status, with the anthelminthic drugs albendazole or mebendazole \[[@CR4]\]. The London Declaration on NTDs included a pledge that these two anthelminthic drugs will be donated by the manufacturing companies (GlaxoSmithKline and Johnson & Johnson, respectively) until at least 2020 \[[@CR5]\]. The WHO target for STH MDA is for endemic countries to achieve 75% treatment coverage of pre-SAC and SAC by 2020 \[[@CR6]\]. Global coverage has greatly increased over the past decade, but has not yet reached the 75% goal. Recent mathematical modelling studies of STH transmission and the effect of MDA on transmission have concluded that STH cannot be eliminated by MDA programmes targeting pre-SAC and SAC alone, adults must also be treated and at high coverage levels, especially in areas where hookworm is the dominant infection \[[@CR7], [@CR8]\]. A spatial epidemiology review by Pullan et al. \[[@CR3]\] concluded that the region with the highest prevalence of STH infection is southeast Asia. Myanmar is a low to middle income country in the southeast Asia region and has a history of epidemiological research on STH infection and control \[[@CR9]\]. Myanmar currently has government-run MDA programmes in place for both STH and lymphatic filariasis (LF) treatment. STH MDA takes place in August, treating all SAC with albendazole. LF MDA takes place in December or January (dependent on when the drugs arrive in-country), treating the whole eligible community with albendazole and diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC). From these overlapping programmes, pre-SAC and adults receive annual albendazole treatment and SAC receive biannual albendazole treatment. The most recent data reported to the WHO PCT databank by the Myanmar government have national pre-SAC MDA coverage at 95.45% and SAC coverage at 99.18% for 2015 \[[@CR10]\]. In 1984, Hlaing et al. \[[@CR11]\] found *A. lumbricoides* in 77.1% of a village community in the Yangon (then Rangoon) region. Since the Hlaing et al. study, all epidemiology studies in Myanmar have focussed on SAC. A national survey conducted in 2002--2003 recorded 48.5% *A. lumbricoides*, 57.5% *T. trichiura* and 6.5% hookworm in 1000 SAC \[[@CR12]\]. MDA began immediately after this survey in 2003 \[[@CR10]\]. By 2013, these had decreased to 5.8% *A. lumbricoides*, 18.6% *T. trichiura* and 0.3% hookworm \[[@CR13]\]. Another study, also in 2013, focussed on SAC in the Yangon Region, found similar prevalence of each STH \[[@CR14]\]. The epidemiology study presented in this paper aims to examine the current epidemiological pattern of STH infection and the effect of MDA in two villages in lower Myanmar. This paper details the methods employed in the study but focusses on the results of the first cross-sectional study survey only. This includes the demography of the study villages, determining the prevalence and mean infection intensity (measured by eggs per gram of faeces, EPG) of each STH, the age distribution of STH infection and how infection is dispersed within the study sample. Particular attention is given to infection in adults, as this age group has been under sampled for STH research in Myanmar since MDA started. The primary aims of this epidemiological study are to provide a more complete population-based picture of current STH infection after a period of exposure to MDA and to further understand the factors that result in transmission persistence despite high reported MDA coverage. The STROBE framework for observational studies was followed for this manuscript and the statement is included as Additional file [1](#MOESM1){ref-type="media"}. Methods {#Sec2} ======= Study sites {#Sec3} ----------- Study sites were chosen by the criteria of (i) their accessibility throughout the year; (ii) a minimum population size of 600 people; (iii) whether the population was stable in composition and size; and (iv) the level of cooperation provided by village leaders and health personnel. Udo village, Taikkyi township, Yangon Region and Kyee Kan Theik village, Nyaung Don township, Ayeyarwaddy Region were selected as study sites. Udo village is in a peri-urban area, located on the Pyay Road that runs north from Yangon to Pyay. Kyee Kan Theik village is in a rural area and is at high risk of flooding during the rainy season due to its proximity to the Irrawaddy River. Both villages are classed as part of the "delta region" \[[@CR15]\] where the climate is tropical and humid. The mean annual temperature of the delta region is 32 °C and the average annual rainfall is 2500 mm; the rainy season lasts from May to early October. There are approximately 237 households in Udo village, with an average of 4.9 people per household, and 355 households in Kyee Kan Theik village, with an average of 4.5 people per household. The main form of employment for both villages is farming and agriculture (as is typical in much of rural Myanmar), followed by self-employment in small shops and family-run businesses. Figure [1](#Fig1){ref-type="fig"} shows the location of the villages in Myanmar and the location of the village households as determined by Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates.Fig. 1Map of Myanmar and the study villages. **a** Udo village, Taikkyi township, Yangon Region. **b** Kyee Kan Theik village, Nyaung Don township, Ayeyarwaddy Region. Circles indicate individual households Study participants {#Sec4} ------------------ In June 2015, a demographic survey and census were completed in the two study villages. Village residents had the study methods and aims described to them, and were asked if they would consent to participate in the study. Individuals that fulfilled the inclusion criteria (informed written consent provided, over two years of age, not pregnant/breastfeeding and permanent residents of the village) were grouped into households, and households were chosen for the study by random selection. Children under two years old and pregnant women were excluded as albendazole has not been approved for use in these groups \[[@CR16]\]. Since there was no prior data on STH prevalence in these villages, a sample size was determined by the number of stool specimens the laboratory team could process during the allotted study time and, factoring in an estimated 20% loss to follow-up, this came to approximately 1000 people. Using the final achieved sample size and recorded STH prevalence, the error calculated was 3.29% at the two-sided 5% significance level (Additional file [2](#MOESM2){ref-type="media"}). Study participation (participants with completed surveys and a recorded Kato-Katz result) for the first, second and third survey was 72.88%, 68.17% and 67.45%, respectively. Whilst the study methods were clearly explained before consent was sought, some participants experienced fatigue with the study and did not wish to take albendazole or collect faeces, at which point they were classed as "lost to follow-up" (Additional file [3](#MOESM3){ref-type="media"}: Figure S1). All participants had a unique ID code assigned to them so that their data could be longitudinally linked between surveys and remain confidential. Data collection {#Sec5} --------------- The study comprised of three data collection surveys, in August 2015 (first survey), December 2015 (second survey) and June 2016 (third survey) (Additional file [4](#MOESM4){ref-type="media"}: Figure S2). The first two surveys coincided with the government MDA rounds and the final survey was conducted two months before the MDA round due to study time restrictions. Participants that were randomly selected after the census stage were followed up in each survey to collect longitudinal data. In each study survey, participants were asked to complete a questionnaire on STH knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) and MDA compliance ("epidemiology survey"). Each participant provided a small stool specimen which was assessed for STH infection by the Kato-Katz method \[[@CR17]\]. All thick-smear slides were prepared and read on the same day as collection. The slides were read within one hour of preparation to identify hookworm eggs, and then read again for *A. lumbricoides* and *T. trichiura* eggs one to two hours after slide preparation to allow the slides to clear. Due to time constraints, only one slide was examined for each participant. For quality control purposes, a random 10% of slides were re-read by a second laboratory technician. Of the re-read slides, 97.87%, 80.85% and 87.23% were in agreement (within the same WHO intensity group) for *A. lumbricoides*, *T. trichiura* and hookworm, respectively. The species of hookworm was not differentiated. STH infection data were recorded as egg counts and were multiplied by 24 to give EPG. All participants were treated with anthelminthics after stool collection; albendazole only in the first survey and the third survey, albendazole and DEC in the second survey. The rest of the community were treated at the same time as the study surveys by the government MDA programme. Statistical analysis {#Sec6} -------------------- Data for the following analyses were from all participants with a recorded Kato-Katz result in the first survey (August 2015). Data from the two villages were merged and analysed together. Subsequent reports will focus on the longitudinal data from all three surveys. ArcGIS software (ArcMap 10.2.2, ESRI, Redlands, CA, USA), Microsoft Excel 2010 (Microsoft, Redmond, WA, USA) and RStudio (R version 3.0.1, Vienna, Austria) were used to generate the figures. RStudio was also used for the following statistical analyses. Confidence intervals (CIs) for mean prevalence within age groups were calculated using the Clopper-Pearson method. Adjusted bootstrap percentiles (BCa) for mean EPG within age groups were calculated using the "*boot*" package. EPG results were grouped by the WHO recommended intensity groupings into low, medium and high intensity of infection \[[@CR4]\]. Chi-square tests were used to analyse association between categorical variables (e.g. gender and age group) and binary (e.g. STH prevalence) or categorical variables. Kruskall-Wallis tests were used to analyse associations between categorical variables and negative binomially distributed continuous variables (EPG). The null hypothesis for both tests was that there would be no statistically significant difference in the outcome variable between the groups of the explanatory variable. The statistical significance level was set at *P* \< 0.05. To analyse the relationship between egg count (the number of eggs counted in the faecal sample for each participant) mean and variance, egg count data were log-transformed. All means presented are arithmetic means, unless stated otherwise. Results {#Sec7} ======= Participant characteristics {#Sec8} --------------------------- Overall, there were 712 participants from 251 households who had Kato-Katz data in the first survey. The age distribution of the sampled participants closely matches the overall demography of the study villages (Additional file [5](#MOESM5){ref-type="media"}: Figure S3). However, in comparison to the national age distribution as reported by the 2014 Population and Housing Census of Myanmar \[[@CR18]\], young adults, especially 15--19 year olds, were under sampled and 2--9 year olds were over sampled. Table [1](#Tab1){ref-type="table"} presents demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of sampled study participants.Table 1Study participant characteristicsCharacteristicUdo villageKyee Kan Theik village*n*%*n*%Individuals305100407100SexMale13142.9519648.16Female17457.0521151.84Age group (years)2--4206.56338.115--146019.679824.0815--243611.804110.0725--396721.9710726.2940+12240.0012831.45Households114100137100Household monthly income^a^\< 50,000 MMK76.143626.2850,000--100,000 MMK5548.256446.72100,000--500,000 MMK4842.113122.63\> 500,000 MMK21.7532.19Do not know/refused to answer21.7532.19Overall household size^b^1--45346.497957.665--85850.885237.969+32.6364.38Main source of waterBottled water54.3900Piped water (into home/compound)32.6385.84Well (protected/unprotected)32.6300Rain water (covered/uncovered)10.8800Surface water00.009972.26Tubewell/borehole10087.722719.71Public tap10.8810.73Other10.8800Do not know/refused0021.46Type of toiletBucket21.75118.03Composting toilet1311.40107.30Flush toilet5649.125943.06Open pit10.8821.46Pit latrine with slab3026.324633.58VIP1210.5396.57^a^Cumulative income from all members of the household^b^Including non-participants*Abbreviations*: MMK, Myanmar kyats (1 USD to 1111 MMK, June 2015); VIP, ventilated improved pit latrine Prevalence of STH infection {#Sec9} --------------------------- The prevalence of infection with at least one STH was 27.81% (198/712). *Trichuris trichiura* was the most prevalent STH in both villages with a prevalence of 18.12% followed by hookworm (8.71%) and *A. lumbricoides* (5.34%). Prevalence of *A. lumbricoides* and *T. trichiura* peaked in the 5--14 years old age group and decreased over the older age groups (Table [2](#Tab2){ref-type="table"}). However, prevalence of hookworm was lower in the pre-SAC and SAC age groups, increasing with age and peaking in 25--39 years old. The difference in prevalence between age groups was statistically significant for each STH species (*A. lumbricoides*: *χ* ^2^ = 11.45, *P* \< 0.05; *T. trichiura*: *χ* ^2^ = 24.97, *P* \< 0.0001; hookworm: *χ* ^2^ = 18.23, *P* \< 0.01). Males and females had similar prevalence of any STH infection (28.44 and 27.27%, respectively, *χ* ^2^ = 0.07, *P* = 0.79). The difference in prevalence between males and females was statistically significant for *A. lumbricoides* (higher prevalence in females, *χ* ^2^ = 5.41, *P* \< 0.05.) and hookworm (higher prevalence in males, *χ* ^2^ = 13.99, *P* \< 0.001) but not for *T. trichiura* (*χ* ^2^ = 1.73, *P* = 0.19).Table 2Number of participants (*n*), prevalence (%) and infection intensity of each soil-transmitted helminthAny STH*Ascaris lumbricoidesTrichuris trichiura*Hookworm*nn*% (95% CI)^a^*n*% (95% CI)Mean EPG\ (95% CI)*n*% (95% CI)Mean EPG\ (95% CI)*n*% (95% CI)Mean EPG (95% CI)Overall71219827.81 (24.54--31.26)385.34 (3.80--7.25)1173.40 (610.36--2712.98)12918.12 (15.36--21.15)66.27 (45.97--103.08)628.71 (6.74--11.02)33.88 (20.56--73.34)SexMale3859328.44 (23.61--33.66)103.06 (1.48--5.55)203.82 (72.36--592.41)5215.90 (12.11--20.32)42.20 (26.47--69.77)4313.15 (9.68--17.30)63.78 (35.89--145.84)Female32710527.27 (22.88--32.01)287.27 (4.89--10.34)1996.92 (947.23--5134.87)7720.00 (16.12--24.35)86.71 (52.28--154.21)194.94 (3.00--7.60)8.48 (4.80--14.96)Age group (years)2--4531222.64 (12.28--36.21)35.66 (1.18--15.66)2416.75 (127.70--11,117.89)916.98 (8.07--29.80)62.49 (27.62--123.62)23.77 (0.46--12.98)47.09 (0.00--141.28)5--141585736.08 (28.6--44.09)1610.13 (5.90--15.92)3746.43 (1524.27--10,976.88)4830.38 (23.32--38.19)156.46 (92.96--283.56)21.27 (0.15--4.50)2.13 (0.00--7.59)15--24772431.17 (21.09--42.74)56.49 (2.14--14.51)849.35 (141.82--3466.98)1620.78 (12.37--31.54)141.82 (34.60--469.19)911.69 (5.49--21.03)21.82 (9.66--45.29)25--391744827.59 (21.09--34.86)42.30 (0.63--5.78)71.45 (15.72--272.93)2816.09 (10.97--22.41)17.52 (10.90--27.81)2212.64 (8.10--18.51)66.76 (23.59--257.37)40+2505722.80 (17.75--28.51)104.00 (1.93--7.23)150.43 (39.46--434.28)2811.20 (7.57--15.78)20.74 (11.33--41.75)2710.80 (7.24--15.32)31.97 (16.90--62.94)^a^% represents the percentage positive in each group*Abbreviations*: CI, confidence interval; EPG, eggs per gram of faeces; STH, soil-transmitted helminth Intensity of STH infection {#Sec10} -------------------------- Intensity of infection of each STH was recorded as EPG of faeces. The distribution of intensity of infection over the age groups closely resembles the patterns of prevalence (Table [2](#Tab2){ref-type="table"}). *Ascaris lumbricoides* and *T. trichiura* mean EPG peaked in the 5--14 age group at 3746.43 EPG and 156.46 EPG, respectively, and decreased in the older age groups. Hookworm intensity peaked in the 25--39 age group at 66.76 EPG but, as opposed to prevalence, EPG was also relatively high in the 2--4 age group. The difference in mean EPG was statistically significant for all age groups (*A. lumbricoides*: *χ* ^2^ = 12.21, *P* \< 0.05; *T. trichiura*: *χ* ^2^ = 27.38, *P* \< 0.0001; hookworm: *χ* ^2^ = 17.97, *P* \< 0.01). Mean EPG was significantly higher in females for *A. lumbricoides* (*χ* ^2^ = 6.42, *P* \< 0.05) and significantly higher in males for hookworm (*χ* ^2^ = 15.19, *P* \< 0.0001). There was no significant difference in *T. trichiura* EPG between genders (*χ* ^2^ = 2.13, *P* = 0.14). Most *T. trichiura* and hookworm infections were classed in the low intensity group (91.47 and 98.39%, respectively). However, *A. lumbricoides* infections were mostly in the low (42.11%) and medium (47.37%) infection intensity groups. Parasite distribution {#Sec11} --------------------- The distribution of STH eggs in the study sample was overdispersed; for each species, the variance in egg counts (the number of eggs counted in the faecal sample for each participant) within five-year age groups was consistently larger than the mean egg count (Fig. [2](#Fig2){ref-type="fig"}). When plotting the relationship between egg count mean and variance, if the linear regression line gradient coefficient is larger than one (or larger than zero when the data have been log-transformed) then the distribution is overdispersed, since for a Poisson (i.e. random) distribution the variance equals the mean value. An approximately linear relationship exists between the logarithm of the mean egg count and the logarithm of the variance of egg count. This is the pattern predicted by a negative binomial distribution for the EPG counts. In such plots, gradient values much greater than unity represent high degrees of aggregation in EPG within the sampled people within each age group.Fig. 2Mean log faecal egg counts against log faecal egg count variance. **a** *Ascaris lumbricoides*. **b** *Trichuris trichiura*. **c** Hookworm. Each data point represents a five-year age group of all participants with Kato-Katz data at baseline (*n* = 712). The shaded areas denote the standard error limits. Lines of best fit and formulae derived by linear regression STH burden in adults {#Sec12} -------------------- Prevalence of infection with at least one STH in adults (over 15 years old) was 25.75%. The most prevalent STH in adults was *T. trichiura* (14.37%), followed by hookworm (11.58%) and *A. lumbricoides* (5.66%). The difference in prevalence between adults and the other age groups was not statistically significant for overall STH prevalence (*χ* ^2^ = 3.24, *P* = 0.07), but was significant for each separate STH (*A. lumbricoides*: *χ* ^2^ = 6.99, *P* \< 0.01; *T. trichiura*: *χ* ^2^ = 15.16, *P* \< 0.0001; hookworm: *χ* ^2^ = 16.31, *P* \< 0.0001). Within the adults, the only significant difference in prevalence between males and females was in hookworm (*A. lumbricoides*: *χ* ^2^ = 1.62, *P* = 0.20; *T. trichiura*: *χ* ^2^ = 0.43, *P* = 0.51; hookworm: *χ* ^2^ = 14.48, *P* \< 0.001); males had a higher prevalence of hookworm (18.06%) compared to females (6.67%). Figure [3a](#Fig3){ref-type="fig"} shows the age breakdown of the STH-positive study participants alone. Of all the study participants infected with at least one STH, 65.15% were adults. Hookworm infections had the highest proportion of adults (93.55%) followed by *T. trichiura* infection (55.81%) and *A. lumbricoides* infection (50.00%). However, Fig. [3b](#Fig3){ref-type="fig"} shows the proportion of cumulative EPG by age group and STH species. Adults are the major contributors to the total hookworm (88.26%) EPG burden and contribute almost half of the total *T. trichiura* (40.59%) EPG burden. However, adults contribute very little to the total *A. lumbricoides* (13.82%) EPG burden.Fig. 3Burden of STH infection within age groups. **a** Proportion of positive individuals for each STH within age groups. **b** Proportion of total EPG of each STH within age groups. *Key*: Pre-SAC, preschool-aged children (2--4 years old); SAC, school-aged children (5--14 years old); Adults (15+ years old). Labels denote percentage within each STH Discussion {#Sec13} ========== There have been considerable advances in STH control in Myanmar over the last 15 years. The results of two WHO-assisted nationwide STH surveys published in 2004 \[[@CR12]\] and 2013 \[[@CR13]\] showed a marked decrease in STH prevalence in SAC. Furthermore, in 2015, national MDA coverage of SAC reported to the WHO PCT databank was higher than 95% \[[@CR10]\]. However, there are currently no systematic monitoring and evaluation (M&E) programmes in place to assess changes in STH infection over time, to validate PCT coverage data or to examine individual compliance to treatment at each round of MDA. There have been no recent published assessments of STH infection in Myanmar that reported community-wide (pre-SAC, SAC and adults) quantitative infection intensity measurements, such as mean EPGs. The Ministry of Health of Myanmar is currently planning to put in place a more structured M&E programme to assess the impact of MDA on STH and LF. The present study aimed to measure the burden of STH infection in communities that had been receiving MDA. The study villages chosen had received three years of MDA (starting in 2013) at the beginning of the study and four years of MDA by the end of the study. Results presented here, from the first survey in August 2015, revealed that 27.81% of participants remain infected with at least one STH. Similar STH prevalence were recently recorded in the Philippines \[[@CR19]\], Cambodia \[[@CR20]\] and Vietnam \[[@CR21]\]. The prevalence of each STH in SAC was also higher than the last reported measurements in 2013 \[[@CR13]\], indicating that more comprehensive M&E is required to accurately assess the national burden of STH. The data presented here provide valuable evidence that, at least in the delta area, STH prevalence has not substantially decreased since the last M&E activities in 2013 and that further work is required to elucidate the STH situation in the whole country. Subsequent reports will analyse the longitudinal data from all three surveys focussing on patterns of STH reinfection, the presence of and factors associated with predisposition to infection, and compliance to treatment by gender and age group. A key finding of this study was that *T. trichiura* is the most prevalent STH. It has been well documented that albendazole is significantly less efficacious against *T. trichiura* than the other STH \[[@CR22], [@CR23]\]. A systematic review and meta-analysis by Keiser & Utzinger, 2008 \[[@CR22]\] reported the cure rate (CR) of albendazole against *T. trichiura* to be just 43.6% (as opposed to 78.4% against hookworm and 93.9% against *A. lumbricoides*). Low drug efficacy against *T. trichiura* could have contributed to the limited decrease in prevalence over the period between the WHO nationwide surveys compared to *A. lumbricoides* and hookworm \[[@CR12], [@CR13]\]. Other possibilities such as benzimadazole drug resistance and inadequate drug absorption should also be explored in future M&E studies \[[@CR24], [@CR25]\]. The STH MDA programme in Myanmar is targeted at SAC, as recommended by the WHO \[[@CR4]\], with the aim of reducing STH-related morbidity. However, there is an increasing focus on STH infection in adults as research and control goals turn towards the prospect of interrupting transmission \[[@CR26]--[@CR28]\]. The majority of STH infections in the study villages are harboured by adults (65.15%). Furthermore, most of the hookworm EPG burden within the community was harboured in adults. This is not surprising as it has been well documented that hookworm prevalence and intensity is consistently higher in adults \[[@CR29]\]. It is surprising that 40.59% of the total *T. trichiura* EPG burden was in adults. This will in part be due to the fact that there are more adults in the study sample than children. Adults are clearly significant contributors to STH transmission, perhaps due to poor compliance to MDA. Studies in Laos \[[@CR30], [@CR31]\] and Malaysia \[[@CR32]\] have also found similar STH prevalence in adults. Whilst treatment and monitoring of infection in children is of the utmost importance to control morbidity, adults should be included in M&E programmes. Adults are an important reservoir of infection and STH transmission control will not be achieved without greater focus on the older age groups. It is important to note that individual compliance (actually ingesting the drug at each round of treatment) to MDA programmes is not well recorded or researched in any national MDA programme for which WHO records MDA coverage \[[@CR33], [@CR34]\]. Reported coverage may be high \[[@CR10]\], but if this does not include monitoring of actual albendazole ingestion then the numbers may be inflated. If there is systematic non-compliance to MDA in the community, STH prevalence and intensity will not drop as rapidly as predicted when assuming full compliance \[[@CR35]\] given that persistent non-compliers act as a reservoir of infection. We attempted to avoid non-compliance during the study by instructing the participants to ingest the albendazole immediately upon administration by the survey teams. A limitation of this study is that only a single slide from a single stool sample per participant per survey was examined. Due to the low sensitivity of the Kato-Katz technique \[[@CR36]--[@CR38]\], there is a possibility that the prevalence of STH has been underestimated. Research on the use of quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for testing stool samples has concluded that the qPCR technique is more sensitive than Kato-Katz \[[@CR39], [@CR40]\]. Faecal samples from the study described here have been stored for qPCR diagnostic testing. Further epidemiological research on STH should include a qPCR component for a more accurate assessment of prevalence and intensity. Another limitation is the possibility of selection bias from the inclusion criteria and from the characteristics of participants lost to follow-up. Due to ethical considerations, stool samples could not be taken from people who refused treatment. Therefore, the results may be biased towards participants who are more likely to be compliant to MDA and consequently have their STH infections treated more frequently, underestimating STH infection in the community. Unfortunately, loss to follow-up was high with only 67.45% of enrolled participants completing the study. The main reason given by participants for dropping out of the study was fatigue with the study methods, mainly citing the stool collection. For future STH studies, to ensure that sample size is maximised, it would be beneficial to make stool collection as easy as possible for the participants. This complication also provides an impetus for further developing new diagnostic techniques, such as ELISA \[[@CR41], [@CR42]\], that are reliant on blood samples instead of stool samples. Conclusions {#Sec14} =========== Despite four years of SAC-targeted and community-wide MDA, STH transmission is continuing in the chosen study sites. STH infection was found in all age groups but the majority of infections were found in adults. Whilst the results presented here will be helpful to the national MDA programmes of Myanmar, further surveys are required in the different ecological zones to fully elucidate the nationwide epidemiological pattern of STH infection in Myanmar. Much higher prevalences might be expected in remote rural regions. There is an urgent need for the design and implementation of community wide M&E programmes. Additional files ================ {#Sec15} Additional file 1:STROBE checklist. (TIFF 665 kb) Additional file 2:Sample size back calculation. (DOC 85 kb) Additional file 3: Figure S1.Study participation flow-chart. (TIFF 524 kb) Additional file 4: Figure S2.Study methods flow-chart. (DOCX 17 kb) Additional file 5: Figure S3.Age pyramids. (TIFF 465 kb) CI : Confidence interval CR : Cure rate DALY : Disability-adjusted life year DEC : Diethylcarbamazine citrate EPG : Eggs per gram of faeces GPS : Global positioning system LF : Lymphatic filariasis M&E : Monitoring and evaluation MDA : Mass drug administration MMK : Myanmar kyats NTD : Neglected tropical diseases PCT : Preventive chemotherapy Pre-SAC : Preschool-aged children qPCR : quantitative polymerase chain reaction SAC : School-aged children STH : Soil-transmitted helminths STROBE : Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology WHO : World Health Organization. **Electronic supplementary material** The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-017-2306-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. We thank the Myanmar Ministry of Health and Sports and the Department of Public Health for approving and supporting the study. We thank the township medical officers of Taikkyi and Nyaung Don townships for their support and advice. We would like to give special thanks to the village midwives, health assistants and the health team volunteers. We would like to thank the people of Udo and Kyee Kan Theik villages for their participation in the study, their support and their patience. We thank the laboratory technicians from the Defence Services Medical Academy, without which this study could not have gone ahead. Dr. Mya Mya Aye provided much help at the beginning of the study on site selection and parasitology. We also thank the Department of Medical Research, Myanmar, for their help with the Myanmar ethical process. We also thank Rita Oliveira, Alice Easton and Bruno Levecke for their advice on laboratory methods and sample storage. Rita Oliveira and Rajiv Sarkar provided advice concerning data analysis reported in this paper. Funding {#FPar1} ======= The study was funded by the London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research (funded by GlaxoSmithKline). JCD, AAB and NYW are supported by the London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research (funded by GlaxoSmithKline). RMA is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (\#OPP1053230). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Availability of data and materials {#FPar2} ================================== The datasets generated and analysed during this study are not publicly available as they include individual-level infection data, but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. JCD, AAB, AMML, MMS, NSM and RMA contributed to designing the study. AT helped to secure necessary permissions from the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education. JCD, AAB, NYW and AMML wrote the study protocol. JCD, AAB, NYW, STL and KKS led and conducted the field work. JCD conducted the data analysis. JCD, AAB and RMA contributed to the writing of the paper. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Ethics approval and consent to participate {#FPar3} ========================================== The protocol of the study was approved by the Imperial College Research Ethics Committee (ICREC Reference - 15IC2667), London, UK and the Department of Medical Research (DMR) Ethics Review Committee, Yangon, Myanmar. An informed consent form was signed by each participant, parents/guardians signed consent forms on behalf of their children (under 18 years old) and children aged 10--17 years also signed assent forms. All study participants were offered treatment with albendazole regardless of their disease status. Participants were also reminded that they were free to leave the study at any time, and that doing so would not affect their access to treatment through existing government MDA programmes. Consent for publication {#FPar4} ======================= Not applicable. Competing interests {#FPar5} =================== Roy M Anderson is a non-executive board member of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). GlaxoSmithKline played no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. All of the other authors declare that they have no competing interests. Publisher's Note {#FPar6} ================ Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

#pragma once #include "Util.h" namespace Linux { class UtilRPI : public Util { public: UtilRPI(); static UtilRPI *from(AP_HAL::Util *util) { return static_cast<UtilRPI*>(util); } /* return the Raspberry Pi version */ int get_rpi_version() const; protected: // Called in the constructor once int _check_rpi_version(); private: int _rpi_version = 0; }; }

As soon I fouddn out that Soundcrash were once again, bringing fresh exciting, relevant talent from across the seas to London for an evening of global beats and Congolese style partying. The support act, Debruit was spinning some seriously tropical tunes as I arrived. Although the venue was waiting for the audience to thicken a little, the energy was high, and everyone was inescapably dancing in small groups, laughing; it the feel you get leading up to the main event at a festival. Debruit played some incredibly awesome tracks, but more importantly, I noticed how complex his mixing techniques were. Not a case of simply matching BPM’s, Debruit was spinning in sound effects, dub drops whilst mixing the sounds of each tracks all the way through, creating a really immersive, unique performance. The evening was shaping up to be brilliant, I noticed how there was a lot of laughing and smiling everywhere. Unlike a lot of the concerts from African musicians, the concerts demographic was actually mostly young people, early 20’s. I assumed this was due to the performer being a hip-hop artist. Baloji’s welcoming into the musical spotlight, actually start many years ago in an outfit called Starflam, in which his MC name was MC Balo, of which you may have heard the track ‘La Sonora’, if you haven’t then let’s skip froward to 2016 with the release of ‘Spoiler’. Spoiler was picked up by BBC, and consequently opened much broader market up for Baloji. Since his 2006 solo comeback, Baloji has been touring the world, and on this occasion had brought his band to the Islington Assembly Hall. Around 10pm, Debruit cleared his decks and made way for the man himself. First the band took to the stage, reminding me of an old cuban session band, each player, grey haired and virtuoso looking, they sat in matching blue suits. With an burst if energy, Baloji bloomed onto the stage wearing an amazing suit, a lighter shade of blue to his band members. From here Baloji stunned the audience with his mix of Congolese and Belgium hip-hop, his poetry, and the sheer dance-factor to his tunes that ensured a non stop, feet moving extravaganza. Not one person remained still, and within the audience small areas started to form where people were taking their dancing to the next level. All of this felt incredibly inclusive. Rapping in French means that the majority of the audience were guessing the aesthetics of the songs. What I heard whispering around the audience multiple times, were so many comments on Balojis presentation. He looked young, hip, inspired and absolutely dashing in his suit. He wore a black bowl hat too, and danced with extreme precision. Baloji provided an immense energy to every song for this reason the whole evening flew by with a warm excitement. If you’re lucky enough to be in the Netherlands this week, catch Baloji there at ‘Explore the North’ on the 25th of November. Also be sure to check out his latest single released this year ‘L’Hiver Indien’, it’s a great example of the energy and soul that comes with Baloji. I’d also recommend giving the last album from his past band Starflam if you are into your hip-hop. ‘Servient’ released 2003. Tune in to 'A World in London' to hear an exclusive interview with Baloji on SOAS radio from a couple of years ago... https://soasradio.org/music/episodes/awil-107-special Lastly, Soundcrash put on some amazing gigs the one I feel is most special that they have planned at the moment is the ‘Wormfood 10 years Special’ with live performances from ‘The Comet is Coming, Afriquoi (You can check out a review of them on my website), Nubiyan Twist, The Turbans and The Busy Twist ft K.OG. The line-up is simply unmissable. Check out tickets on the Soundcrash website (http://www.soundcrashmusic.com/). Hootanannys hosts the very best of anything upbeat; reggae, world, gypsy, dub, you name it, and is well known for it’s friendly atmosphere, with a pool table, plenty of spaces to sit and chat and hide away in corners, as well as a large dedicated space to live music and dancing. This is why I knew that making the pilgrimage on the Victoria tube, all the way to the end of the line on a Sunday, would be absolutely worth it. I was making this journey to see Congolese fused band ‘Congo Dia Ntotila’. The week previous we had the pleasure of Congo Dia Ntotila performing on ‘A World In London’ @ Resonance FM. On the show they described how they have been working together to create this music that speaks patriotically of the Congo and of the Congolese music that bassist Mulele Matondo had been teaching his friends; John Kelly on Congolese seben styled guitar, Mike Sopa on trumpet and William Scott on saxophone, both trained in Jazz, and finally David Lessie of whom came from the same place as Mulele in the Congo, on lead vocals and drums. Whilst on the show they previewed a taste of their original afro-jazz-dance blend, enough to ensure that their upcoming concert could not be missed. It is also worth noting how on the radio show, the band spoke of their deep alliance with the music of the Congo, and how they wished their music to be perceived, politically and literally. Furthermore they spoke of the pleasure of being in a band where each member helped to create the music, each writing and composing their songs together as one working music machine. When I arrived at the venue, I decided to try the ‘Hootanannys Home made Pale-Ale’, and much to my delight, I found it delicious and pleasant, a good companion for an evening of jigging and gigging. The room initially took a little persuading to fill up, however once the band had started their energetic, infectious music, the dance floor soon became obscured with grooving bodies swaying to the rhythms. When they first came out, Congo Dia Ntotila played a slightly more jazzier tune fused with a heavy driving bass. They dedicated their first song also to the people of the Congo in doing so somewhat setting the scene a little. I felt as though the music they were playing had come straight from the Congo, and was being performed for us here in London as an education. Mulele playing the bass I noticed also had a whistle around his neck and from this, I knew we were in for an high energy fun filled evening of dancing and smiling. The second song the band played was introduced as ‘a journey to Jamaica’, and hence forth followed a reggae tune. I must confess that reggae has a special place in my heart, therefore it came as no surprise that I particularly loved this track. Infused with embellishes from the whistle, and the occasional ‘ay-ay-ay’ from an audience member, the song certainly had people dancing throughout. It must be said what a pleasure it is to see a band where the lead vocals come from the drummer, and such a soulful voice also. This factor of the bands make-up certainly for me addslevels of musicianship and talent with perhaps even a touch of disbelief at the skills on show. The small yet humble brass section to the band; William and Mike showed off their particular talents too, each having various solos highlighting the jazzier elements to the band, but also adding a unmistakably catchy riffs into the musical structure. The third song brought a more African-dance energy to the audience, with Mulele on bass instructing the audience on how to dance. This creating a truly warm atmosphere, with audience and band laughing together, dancing together, and enjoying the shared musical experience. Multiple times also ‘More fire’ was called from the stage, encouraging the audience to retaliate the saying back further strengthening the relationship between band and non band members. Throughout the evening, various people showcased talents in dancing. One member of the audience even managed to get a microphone slot during Congo Via Ntotila’s final song, as he claimed it was ‘his music from the Congo’ so the band welcomed the stranger as a ‘brother’ to the stage. The gentleman then proceeded to sing passionately, and impressively, and then began to somewhat scream, at which point the band took back control and fuelled the audience into a final goodbye. What I particularly enjoyed from Congo Dia Ntotila, firstly was the length of the songs. Each far longer than that of what we tend to compose here in the west. The length allowed for a sense of journeying with the band through their music and their message. Bringing me on to my second point; the message that each song carried. Each song seemed to have a point to it, and each song obviously held deep meaning to the band, as Mulele would introduce the songs and talk of the issues in the Congo for instance, but also talking of the uplifting music of the Congo that is very obviously held is such high regard and pride for the band. The musicianship of the band members was noticeably very professional, and very profound. With lead guitarist Mike nailing the complicated methods of Congolese Seben guitar playing in a couple insanely awesome guitar solos, and the diverse complex bass lines from Mulele, with the obvious multi-talents of David on drums and vocals, finally completed by the funky trumpet and sax. The overall compositions were in my opinion amazing, almost transcendent of being in the Congo hearing real music played by real people. Congo dia Ntotila have been working hard in the studio for their upcoming album, and the band can be followed on Facebook for updates on forthcoming concerts and events.

FILED NOT FOR PUBLICATION JUN 29 2015 MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, No. 13-30298 Plaintiff - Appellee, D.C. No. 4:11-cr-00060-DLC v. MEMORANDUM* PATRICK JEDIDYA LAVERDURE, Jr., Defendant - Appellant. Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Montana Dana L. Christensen, Chief Judge, Presiding Submitted June 22, 2015** Before: HAWKINS, GRABER, and W. FLETCHER, Circuit Judges. Patrick Jedidya Laverdure, Jr., appeals from the district court’s judgment and challenges the 160-month sentence and a special condition of supervised release imposed following his jury-trial conviction for aggravated sexual abuse, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1153(a) and 2241, and abusive sexual contact, in * This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by 9th Cir. R. 36-3. ** The panel unanimously concludes this case is suitable for decision without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2). violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1153(a) and 2244. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291. We affirm in part, vacate in part, and remand for further proceedings. Laverdure contends that his custodial sentence is substantively unreasonable in light of his personal history and fetal alcohol syndrome. The district court did not abuse its discretion in imposing Laverdure’s sentence. See Gall v. United States, 552 U.S. 38, 51 (2007). The within-Guidelines sentence is substantively reasonable in light of the 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) sentencing factors and the totality of the circumstances, including the nature of the offense and the need to protect the public. See Gall, 552 U.S. at 51. Accordingly, we affirm the custodial sentence. Laverdure also challenges the district court’s imposition of special supervised release condition 9, which prohibits him from associating with minors in several ways. In light of the government’s concession that this condition is overbroad, we vacate and remand for the district court to consider whether it is necessary to impose a similar but more narrowly drawn restriction. See United States v. Wolf Child, 699 F.3d 1082, 1103 (9th Cir. 2012). If the court decides to impose a similar condition, it shall undertake an individualized review of Laverdure’s relationship with his minor daughter to determine whether the condition should apply to her. See id. at 1093-94. AFFIRMED in part; VACATED in part; REMANDED. 2 13-30298 

Ethics is one of the 'buzzwords' of the 21st century and in the last decade, amid growing concern over economic inequalities and international human rights, increasing public interest in scientific endeavours ([@bibr49-1747016115586759]) and broader social trends towards individual and organizational 'accountability' ([@bibr7-1747016115586759]; [@bibr45-1747016115586759]), ethical issues have attained greater significance than ever before ([@bibr61-1747016115586759]). Ethical review by Research Ethics Committee (REC) is now a standard part of the grant application/award process for social science and natural science research in UK universities ([@bibr36-1747016115586759]) -- particularly since the publication of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Framework for Research Ethics and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Ethics Policy in 2005 ([@bibr7-1747016115586759]; [@bibr28-1747016115586759]; [@bibr9-1747016115586759]; [@bibr45-1747016115586759]) -- and most institutions and organizations who support pure and/or applied research will now have a college, if not school, level REC ([@bibr22-1747016115586759]). There are a number of reasons why it is desirable for researchers to adhere to ethical norms. As [@bibr56-1747016115586759]) synthesizes, it helps to promote the aims of research (knowledge, truth, avoidance of error) and the values that are essential to collaborative work (trust, accountability, mutual respect, fairness), it ensures public accountability (particularly important when researchers are funded by public money), it can help build public support for research (trust in quality and integrity), and assist in promoting other important moral and social values (social responsibility, human rights, etc.). Where the research involves international collaboration between researchers from developed and developing countries it can remind those working in privileged positions and in wealthier countries of the need to reflect not only on their own framework of thinking, but also on the implications of the very different mind-sets and environments in which their research projects will be carried out ([@bibr5-1747016115586759]; [@bibr53-1747016115586759]). It can also draw attention to the risk of exploitation that might result from inequalities (e.g. financial, access to resources) between the project collaborators ([@bibr25-1747016115586759]). There is also a strong case for REC regulation. Responsible for reviewing research proposals before data collection commences to evaluate the risks faced by the researcher and researched, RECs play a key role in "the wider quality assurance and quality enhancement processes that operate within all institutions that conduct research" and, in turn, help to protect the integrity and reputation of science as a 'virtuous profession' ([@bibr22-1747016115586759]: 335). Whilst researchers largely accept the rationale for ethical oversight ([@bibr40-1747016115586759]; [@bibr52-1747016115586759]) there is, however, rising concern regarding the perceived bureaucratization of ethics through REC regulation ([@bibr28-1747016115586759], [@bibr29-1747016115586759]) and the applicability of the prevailing biomedically-derived model of research ethics governance ([@bibr33-1747016115586759]; [@bibr57-1747016115586759]; [@bibr20-1747016115586759]; [@bibr42-1747016115586759]; [@bibr6-1747016115586759]; [@bibr60-1747016115586759]), particularly when the research involves qualitative or ethnographic methods ([@bibr9-1747016115586759]; [@bibr8-1747016115586759]; [@bibr51-1747016115586759]; [@bibr50-1747016115586759]; [@bibr23-1747016115586759]). These 'fault lines' are especially apparent in international collaborative research involving developed and developing countries ([@bibr43-1747016115586759]). Although there are some transferable elements (e.g. security considerations) it is frequently impractical to apply ethical frameworks created for research in developed countries to developing world contexts ([@bibr16-1747016115586759]; [@bibr15-1747016115586759]; [@bibr66-1747016115586759]; [@bibr12-1747016115586759]; [@bibr3-1747016115586759]; [@bibr47-1747016115586759]; [@bibr55-1747016115586759]) and there is a real danger that researchers end up reproducing "the colonial established authority of Western epistemologies" ([@bibr14-1747016115586759]: 675) whilst 'silencing' indigenous ethics ([@bibr69-1747016115586759]; [@bibr44-1747016115586759]). For example, the conventional principle of informed consent assumes that "research participants are individuated subjects who are more-or-less autonomous of social ties and obligations, literate, adult, and accustomed to relating to others in the context of formal contractual agreements" ([@bibr10-1747016115586759]: 242; [@bibr33-1747016115586759]; [@bibr9-1747016115586759]), making it ill-suited to addressing community-level concerns ([@bibr27-1747016115586759]; [@bibr41-1747016115586759]). In [@bibr13-1747016115586759]: 108) opinion, even when 'tweaked' to relocate autonomy in the family, clan, or with an elder, the concept of the researched as an autonomous being "is an assault on the tradition and values of non-Western societies who believe in the matrix of relationships in dynamic equilibrium of the cosmos". What is more, any efforts to make bioethics more 'culturally appropriate' have to date amounted to little more than 'adapting' western bioethics to 'varied cultural settings' ([@bibr13-1747016115586759]). The identification of procedures which both meet the ethical demands of the research sponsor(s) and are appropriate to the context within which the research is to be carried out is an all too familiar problem for those involved in international collaborative research between developed and developing countries ([@bibr66-1747016115586759]; [@bibr2-1747016115586759]; [@bibr58-1747016115586759]). This problem is amplified if (and as is usually the case) the presiding REC is unfamiliar with the social, political and cultural circumstances of the host country ([@bibr47-1747016115586759]; [@bibr63-1747016115586759]) or if it lacks the resources to undertake independent assessment of the risks associated with the research under review ([@bibr25-1747016115586759]). Although this is an area which has received significant attention in recent years ([@bibr71-1747016115586759]; [@bibr62-1747016115586759]; [@bibr67-1747016115586759]; [@bibr11-1747016115586759]; [@bibr16-1747016115586759]; [@bibr15-1747016115586759]; [@bibr65-1747016115586759]; [@bibr46-1747016115586759]), there is still very little advice available for those seeking to undertake collaborative social or natural science research in developing countries. As [@bibr48-1747016115586759] attest, searching academic databases for guidance on the ethics of employing local research assistants, and advice on the additional difficulties frequently experienced when researching in the developing world, is a frustrating experience. The natural scientist searching for guidance on sampling rare or endangered taxa/species and then transporting these samples out of the host country would find a similar dearth of material. Guidance from sponsor organizations is also scant and researchers wishing to undertake research in these areas are forced to obtain advice from a number of disparate sources (e.g. professional Codes of Conduct in related disciplines, national and international legislation, international treaties, etc.). To compound this, although certainly growing in numbers ([@bibr41-1747016115586759]), properly functioning RECs simply do not exist in many developing countries and where they do they tend to be ineffective, under-resourced and unevenly distributed ([@bibr53-1747016115586759]; [@bibr15-1747016115586759]; [@bibr35-1747016115586759]). In 2012, recognizing these problems, the Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation (ESPA)^[1](#fn1-1747016115586759){ref-type="fn"}^ Directorate (see [@bibr24-1747016115586759]) commissioned the author to produce an ethics form and accompanying guidance notes for future use by the ESPA research community. The ethics documents had to be accessible, relevant to both natural and social scientists, and cover all pertinent issues including health and safety. To date, the named Principal Investigators (PIs) on the grants awarded by the ESPA research programme have, with only a few exceptions, been based in UK institutions (although this does not necessarily mean that the UK is their country of origin). The work funded by ESPA has, however, involved collaborations between academic colleagues in a diverse range of disciplines, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), government institutions, and other stakeholders in countries across Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. The aim was not to provide an iron-clad formula for 'ethical' research; rather, it was hoped that the new ethics procedure would foster discussion, offer a framework for making decisions for both social and natural science researchers, encourage PIs and their Co-Investigators (Co-Is) to design culturally sensitive and appropriate studies, make intelligent choices before, during and after their time in the field and, as a result of undertaking ethically aware research, develop relevant capacities in the host countries ([@bibr66-1747016115586759]). As such, ESPA understood that research ethics involves far more than just anonymity or confidentiality, issues that can sometimes consume the 'protectionist discourses' of RECs ([@bibr52-1747016115586759]); rather, they wanted their ethics guidance to be "embedded in the totality of scholarly practice" ([@bibr4-1747016115586759]: 424). This paper focuses on the findings of the research which later went on to inform the development of this ethics guidance. It begins with a brief outline of the research strategy and the work done to engage members of the ESPA research community in the design process. I then outline the extent to which the members of this community had (or had not) engaged with ethics procedures in the past (be this in their own institution, a collaborating institution, overseen by the funding body, relevant professional panel, or in-country department/panel) and their attitudes towards ethics review procedures focusing, in particular, on their responses to questions regarding the communication of ethical protocols, host-country review, monitoring and evaluation, IPR and authorship, and collaborative relationships. In so doing, the paper highlights points of consensus but also areas of contention which must be taken into consideration in the design of ethics documentation. The design process {#section1-1747016115586759} ================== The design process incorporated four key phases. Phase One comprised a desk-based literature and Code of Practice review to highlight pertinent issues and collate examples of best practice from research in a range of disciplines relevant to the work funded by ESPA (e.g. African studies, agriculture, anthropology, biology, business, civil engineering, conservation, development studies, economics, education, energy studies, environmental science, forestry, health studies, geography, life sciences, meteorology, psychology, social policy, urban studies, zoology). The search period was 1990--2011 and the key search terms were: ethic\*, develop\*, guid\*, code, practice, conduct, protocol, committee, collab\*, consent, confidentiality, intellectual property rights (IPR), international, data, sampl\*, indigenous, specimen, environment, field site, non-governmental organization (NGO), field/research assistant, permit, treaty, trans\*, dissemination, benefit, capacity, health, safety, travel. The databases searched included Academic Search Elite, Article First, ASSIA, Google Scholar, IngentaConnect, Web of Knowledge, and Scopus. A snowballing technique was then implemented using the reference lists of the papers identified during the search; recommendations made by the questionnaire respondents and interviewees were also followed up. Draft documents were then created (using the University of Edinburgh School of GeoSciences ethics procedure as a template as requested by NERC) and published on the ESPA website for comment (these included an ethics form, Self-Assessment Guidance Notes, and Full Assessment Guidance Notes for those undertaking research on vulnerable human subjects or sensitive topics, using invasive procedures, and certain types of biophysical research, e.g. sampling rare/endangered or harmful taxa/species). Phase Two involved the distribution of a Project Information Sheet and questionnaire to all past and present ESPA grant holders and, to broaden out the response, all recipients of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) -- Department for International Development (DFID) Joint Scheme for Research on International Development (Poverty Alleviation) Phase 1 and Phase 2 awards (for the advantages of this approach see [@bibr59-1747016115586759]; [@bibr38-1747016115586759]; [@bibr18-1747016115586759]) (n=146). For data protection reasons ESPA requested that the questionnaire be emailed to the ESPA grant recipients via the ESPA Administrator; I emailed the questionnaire directly to the ESRC-DFID grant recipients. Similarly, ESPA were also unable to provide contact details for the Co-Investigators (Co-Is) on their projects and the ESRC-DIFD award website only stated the PI's institutional affiliation. As a result it was agreed that all the PIs would be asked to forward a copy of the questionnaire to their respective Co-Is; the responses show that some did comply with this request, but it is impossible to determine how many Co-Is actually received the survey. All the questionnaire recipients were requested to return their completed survey to me personally and were assured that ESPA would not see the raw data. Split into two sections, the anonymized questionnaire included a mix of Likert Scale, straight yes/no and open-ended questions; Part 1 canvassed the recipients' views on the need for, and value of, research ethics and asked questions relating to the 'doing' of collaborative research with particular reference to their ESPA or ESRC-DIFD award, and Part 2 solicited their feedback on the draft documents. The quantitative survey data was analysed using Microsoft Excel 2010; a database was created and the data was coded and analysed to obtain response ratios. The qualitative survey data was analysed and coded thematically. It is important to note that not all the respondents answered all the questions that were relevant to their project. In Phase Three, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with self-selecting questionnaire respondents in order to gain a deeper insight into their views on research ethics and current procedures, to follow up specific responses, and to discuss how the draft form and guidance notes might be modified to increase their relevancy and make them more user-friendly. At the participants' request all but two of the interviews were conducted via Skype, the exceptions being conducted in person at the individual's place of work. All the interviewees gave their permission for the interviews to be audio-recorded and the anonymized interview files were transcribed in full by an independent transcription service. Each interviewee was assigned a pseudonym (e.g. Interviewee 2) and informed that every effort would be made to delete project identifiers (e.g. country, region, specific subject matter, project partners); however, participants were also made aware that, due to the unique nature of some projects, they might be identifiable to those who were intimately connected to, or knowledgeable about, their work. Each individual was given the opportunity to view their transcript and to make amendments. All the interviewees provided written or verbal consent; two requested to see the report before its submission to ESPA. The interview material was analysed and coded thematically. The final stage of the project, Phase 4, involved the production of a revised set of ethics documentation incorporating feedback from Phases Two and Three. Attitudes towards ethical review {#section2-1747016115586759} ================================ Only 23 completed questionnaires were returned by the deadline despite email reminders ([Table 1](#table1-1747016115586759){ref-type="table"}); a further two questionnaires were returned after the quantitative analysis had been completed. The quantitative data from these responses has not been included here, but the qualitative material has been used where applicable. Eight of the emails sent to the ESRC-DFID PIs were returned as 'undeliverable', five elicited an 'out of office' response, and one ESPA PI noted that their project had not yet started. Nine interviews were conducted, including one PI who did not complete the questionnaire but agreed to be interviewed, and one with an expert in the field of development research ethics recommended by an interviewee. ###### Respondent demographics (n=23).  Characteristics ESPA ESRC-DIFD -------------------------------- ------ ----------- **Role of respondent** **PI** 7 11 **Co-I** 4 1 **Duration of grant (months)** **0--12** 1 **13--24** 8 5 **25--36** 0 7 **37--48** 2 **Country of residence** **UK** 8 11 **Non-UK** 3 1 Twelve respondents confirmed that they had been involved in a research project in a developing country in the last eight years (the time elapsed since the ESRC and NERC launched their respective research ethics protocols) which had not been ethically reviewed by any REC or professional body ([Table 2a](#table2-1747016115586759){ref-type="table"}). The reasons for this were diverse, with interviewees citing the lack of a perceived need due to the nature of their research (e.g. data processing, no human subjects), lack of demand from the funding body, and the absence of an institutional REC (a particular problem for those based in developing countries, although not exclusively). Several interviewees who self-identified as natural science researchers and/or who used data modelling or secondary data said they associated research ethics primarily with work involving human subjects or animals. As Interviewee 4 commented: "most of our projects are environmental projects. So we're trying to improve \[environmental\] quality or \[resource\] availability, you know, the general eco-system. \[...\] we're not using humans as test subjects, we're not using animals. So it's always been something that we're used to preparing for any proposal, but it's always just kind of like the last paragraph you prepare because usually there's no major ethics considerations, and that maybe because I'm a scientist and I may not be understanding what ethics are. But as far as I'm concerned it's, you know, there's usually not very many ... we're not doing medical science, so there's no ethics. There's a lower ethics \[...\] let's say." ###### Respondents' appraisal of research ethics.  Yes No Do not know --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- ---- ------------- **Does your institution have a Research Ethics Committee?** 20 2 -- **Have you undertaken any research in a developing country in the last 8 years that has not been reviewed by a Research Ethics Committee?** 12 10 1 **Have you ever chosen not to pursue a particular research project because a desirable ethical standard could not be met?** 5 16 **Have you ever been involved in a research project in a developing country where the research practice has caused you ethical concern?** 7 15 When these interviewees considered research ethics it was a reactive rather than proactive process, often at the specific request of the funding body or the home institution and done at the last minute with little in-depth consideration of the relevant issues or 'dilemmas'. These interviewees also expressed ambivalence towards the procedural aspects of ethics review, which they saw as an inconvenience in the life-course of a research project, and several noted that they 'dreaded' the bureaucracy of securing ethics approval ([@bibr54-1747016115586759]). In order to 'pass' they went through the motions of ticking what they presumed to be the 'right boxes' or 'saying the right thing' rather than thinking through the relevant ethical principles and making substantive ethical judgements about their work and practice ([@bibr21-1747016115586759]; [@bibr47-1747016115586759]). All the questionnaire respondents said they felt that it was important to consider research ethics (however, it is necessary to conclude, given the quote above, that this may be brief in some cases) and the majority were confident that they knew where to find information relating to, and were knowledgeable about, ethics in their subject area ([Table 2b](#table3-1747016115586759){ref-type="table"}). Seven said they had, in the past, been involved in research in a developing country which had caused them ethical concern ([Table 2a](#table2-1747016115586759){ref-type="table"}). The most common causes for concern being the research participants' exposure to risk (e.g. through the absence of adequate compensation mechanisms, ineffective communication, inadequate risk/benefit assessment, ineffective project management, the absence of formal contractual agreements for local field assistants, lack of or ineffective project monitoring and evaluation, and lack of informed consent), and the inequitable distribution of IPR (including instances of academic imperialism, ineffective dissemination, and failure to ensure fair distribution of potential benefits). Describing their involvement in a previous project, Interviewee 1 stated: "\[The specialist researchers\] said they would provide \[additional assistance for the control group\]. Now because this is in a remote place people don't have the same understanding\[s\] \[...\] \[and\] although the \[specialist had\] explained it to their satisfaction it made absolutely no sense \[to the research participants\] and it was followed ... it was not properly followed up because the \[specialists\] left \[a\] local community \[...\] worker to do the following up and he was based at a considerable distance and wasn't given any particular incentive to carry this out and as a result one \[group experienced huge losses\] and was very puzzled and distressed and couldn't understand what had gone wrong." ###### Respondents' appraisal of research ethics.  Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------- ------- --------- ---------- ------------------- **It is important to consider research ethics** 17 6 -- -- -- **I know where to find all the information I need relating to research ethics in my subject area.** 1 13 5 2 -- **I feel knowledgeable about research ethics relating to my subject area.** 6 14 3 -- -- **Ethics guidelines are useful in heightening researchers' sensitivity to ethical issues.** 11 8 3 1 -- **I feel that ethics procedures are an inconvenience in the life-course of a research project.** -- 6 3 7 6 This interviewee felt that the project leaders in this situation had 'violated' both the principle of prior informed consent and the ethics of practice but recalled feeling powerless to do anything about it given there was no recourse provided by a pre-approved ethics document. It is worth noting, however, that only five respondents said they had chosen not to participate in a project because a desirable standard could not be met and there was no evidence to show that any collaborative agreements had broken down because of disagreements relating to ethics ([@bibr54-1747016115586759]). Sixteen questionnaire respondents confirmed that their ESPA or ESRC-DFID project(s) had been ethically reviewed (either by the PI's institutional REC and/or professional body in the PI's country of residence) ([Table 3](#table4-1747016115586759){ref-type="table"}), although one interviewee appeared to have misunderstood the function of the JES system, assuming that ethical review was part of the post-submission vetting process: "we write a proposal with, on what is the Joint \[Electronic\] Submission system \[...\] so we fill everything in then, \[...\] it goes to the university administration and then \[...\] I know it goes through various checks and whatever and so it might be that one of the checks is not for review committee but to be honest, well, yeah, it's probably the nature of scientists trying to not ... or yeah, as long as it goes through and it gets to the funding agents then we're happy and basically the rest did not really occur to me ever that I would have to actively look for an ethical committee, I always thought that and other requirements or whatever would be taken \[care\] of by the \[...\] grants managing entity in \[my university\] or the other universities. (Interviewee 3)" ###### Ethical review and training.  Yes No Do not know ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- ---- ------------- **Was the project proposal subject to ethical review before the research commenced?** 16 3 3 **Who reviewed the proposal?** 13 -- **Research Ethics Committee internal to the PI's institution** **Research Ethics Committee external to the PI's Institution in the PI's country of residence** -- 2 **Research Ethics Committee in the host country** 5 **Were/will relevant Codes of Conduct and/or ethical guidelines (be) communicated to all members of the project team (including translators and/or local field assistants)?** 18 3 **Were/are there any members of the project team (including translators and/or local field assistants) who had/have not previously received appropriate research ethics training?** 8 4 8 **Did/will the project provide, or allocate funds to cover, training?** 4 5 The interviewees who had not had their project reviewed, or were unsure if it had been reviewed, confessed that they were unsure of their institutional ethics procedure and had either neglected to think about ethics at the time of the application or had assumed/hoped that someone else (either another member of the research team or someone in their institution) would take care of, or assume responsibility for, this on their behalf. Although these researchers were in the minority (indicating, perhaps, that consideration of ethics is becoming the norm rather than the exception), the question of who should take responsibility for ensuring that projects have been ethically reviewed looms large here. Certainly more could be done to empower researchers to take responsibility for the ethical conduct of their research and the collaborative relationships they enter into. However, it would seem that current grant application and funding mechanisms play a key role in enabling abstention and failure to engage meaningfully with research ethics. Only five questionnaire respondents confirmed that their project had been reviewed by a REC in the host country ([Table 3](#table4-1747016115586759){ref-type="table"}). One felt very strongly that all research handling personal data should be subject to ethical review first in the host country (if this was not the PI's country of residence) before being reviewed by the PI's institutional REC (or appropriate professional body), a response which questioned directly the validity of undertaking ethical review in a developed country if the research is being undertaken in an entirely different socio-cultural, economic, and environmental context ([@bibr34-1747016115586759]). There is some support for a one-track approach given the increased level of detail and amount of documentation now required by many RECs, the increasing number and complexity of the rules to which researchers are expected to adhere, and the ever growing raft of university and government regulations that are being put in place to regulate research conduct ([@bibr64-1747016115586759]; [@bibr47-1747016115586759]). However, it is generally agreed that research collaborations between developed and developing countries should be ethically reviewed in both the host and the PI's country of residence as standard practice ([@bibr35-1747016115586759]), thus enabling the specificities of each context to be taken into account ([@bibr55-1747016115586759]). One has to assume that the paucity of developing country RECs had a significant impact on the number of projects reviewed within the host countries, but there are a number of other possible reasons why researchers from developed countries may fail to apply for ethical approval in a developing country regardless of REC availability, including: ignorance, perceptions of cost, an assumption that certain research is exempt (as demonstrated above), arrogance or paternalism ([@bibr70-1747016115586759]). As demonstrated by the quotes from Interviewees 3 and 4 above, at least some of the ESPA/ESRC-DFID award holders fall into one or more of these categories. The questionnaire respondent with strong views on host country review further advocated that if the local partners had no REC, they should be supported to establish one. When the interviewees were asked to respond to this suggestion there was some debate as to where responsibility for this might lie, but they all felt that it was unfeasible to include this within the remit of a single project. The key prohibiting factors were the relatively short duration of the projects, funding limitations, and the amount of institutional support required by RECs to make them credible (e.g. independent ethical review boards -- especially those which charged a fee -- were seen as being venal). As Interviewee 1 commented: "I really don't think it's feasible because, you know, basically the developing countries that I've worked in, any sort of regulation is minimal, is easily corrupted, is easily bent and I think that while it would be admirable to put resources to that, we've already talked about the difficulty of carving up the resources and working in these places and I just, to be honest I just don't see that, but I do think that, you know, we try and work by example and we have growing numbers of colleagues who've maybe been through the UK system or similar systems with ethics training and who take that very seriously and who \[...\] apply those practices in their own works so I think that being realistic about it that's about as good as you can get and being quite clear that you don't get involved in projects where there's going to be contravention. That may be slightly too pragmatic and not sufficiently idealistic a response but I can't begin to envisage \[...\] to set up an ethics committee. I can envisage having those discussions with people at every opportunity and raising it as an issue and expecting the best standards from people and encouraging the best standards." In general, although host-country REC review was a valid and highly desirable long-term goal, the interviewees felt that for the time being it would be sufficient for ESPA to insist that all projects go through some form of approved institutional ethical review (regardless of where this took place) on the understanding that the ethics protocols for each project had been developed through cross-country dialogue ([@bibr69-1747016115586759]) and that the project partners would discuss the ethics of their research at every opportunity. In the meantime, it should be the funding bodies (ESPA included) and the PI institutions who took responsibility for helping to establish robust host country RECs. Eighteen questionnaire respondents confirmed that their project involved working with local NGOs and/or experts not named on the grant application, while 17 said that their project involved working with translators and/or local field assistants ([Table 4](#table5-1747016115586759){ref-type="table"}). When asked if relevant Codes of Conduct and/or ethical guidelines had been, or would be, communicated to all members of the project team (including local NGOs and/or experts, translators and/or local field assistants), only three said no. The interview data suggested, however, that the channels of communication were stronger in some projects than others and ranged from ad hoc discussion of ethical issues as they arose through to providing specific research training for translators and/or local field assistants: "it's, exactly, not a conscious decision but more, yeah, but we'd never really thought about it \[...\] we know each other pretty well as a team and, yeah, solve problems when they come \[up\]. (Interviewee 3)We have a kind of system of a three or four day pre-testing. So that starts with, you know, careful explanations of the questionnaire or if it's qualitative, you know, the focus group, and then they do role plays amongst themselves, and that's actually very effective for screening out, you know, people seem to learn much more if they get a chance. \[...\] After that couple of days of kind of workshop-based training, then they go to the community and try out again and then come back and review and sort of ... and it gives us a chance to review the questions as well (Interviewee 5)" ###### Nature of the collaborative relationships.  Yes No Too early to say -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- ---- ------------------ **Did/will all the project partners named on the grant application contribute to:** **The preparation of the research proposal?** 19 1 **Discussions regarding the nature and degree of collaboration?** 19 -- **The writing up and publication of the research findings?** 16 3 **Were formal agreements made regarding IPR on data and results, publications, and authorship?** 7 12 **Was/will the relationship between the collaborating partners (be) subject to monitoring and evaluation?** 8 10 **If you were/are a Co-I did/do you feel like a valued member of the project team?** 4 -- **Were/are there any tensions in the relationship(s) between the collaborating partners?** 7 9 **Did/does the project involve working with local NGOs and/or other local 'experts' not named on the grant application?** 18 5 **Did/will the project involve working with translators and/or local field assistants?** 17 6 **If applicable, did/will any of the local field assistants require research methods training to enable them to do their job effectively and responsibly?** 13 2 **Was/will your relationship with the translators and/or local field assistants (be) bound by a formal contractual agreement acknowledged by both parties?** 10 5 **Did/have you find/found any of these working relationship(s) to be problematic in any way?** 3 7 7 **Were/will any residents of the host country \[not previously mentioned\] (be) involved in:** **Research prioritization?** 11 -- **Project planning?** 13 -- **Monitoring the project?** 12 -- **Reviewing the research outputs?** 17 -- **Disseminating the project findings?** 17 -- **Did you find/have you found this type of inclusive activity problematic in any way?** 1 12 8 One interviewee who had answered 'yes' to this question clarified that all collaborating partners involved in undertaking the fieldwork had been sent the ethics application and the comments of the REC, but it was left up to them which elements of this they passed on to their field assistants and that they would not know until the final field study report what training had been provided and to whom. This devolvement of responsibility is particularly interesting given that research data collection in the type of project funded by ESPA frequently takes place in areas which are physically and economically distanced from the PI's institution ([@bibr39-1747016115586759]). As a result, a great deal pivots on data collectors' practices and views ([@bibr39-1747016115586759]), and as Interviewee 1 demonstrated above, many play a crucial and often under-recognized and under-supported role in 'doing ethics' in the field, with important implications for the success and quality of the research itself. If the collaborating partners fail to take them seriously as collaborators and partners in research endeavours ([@bibr49-1747016115586759]) and to adequately support their decision-making, it could have very serious consequences for the research findings. For example, compliance with research ethics protocols may be far more difficult to achieve in poor countries where basic infrastructure is lacking ([@bibr31-1747016115586759]), and local fieldworkers face significant challenges in mediating between the very different priorities and concerns of research institutions and low-income communities in which they may themselves live ([@bibr49-1747016115586759]; [@bibr39-1747016115586759]). Without discussion, these issues may never come to light. Attitudes towards ethics documentation and guidance {#section3-1747016115586759} =================================================== [@bibr14-1747016115586759]: 676) highlights that collaborative research between developed and developing countries 'invariably' begins with a contract that positions the researchers within a hierarchical structure in a "framework which goes back to colonial times, when the colonized were regarded as empty vessels to be filled". A decade on, the ESPA and ESRC-DFID funding schemes appear to be well aware of the fundamental importance of "strong collaborative partnerships with local and established individuals, institutions and structures" ([@bibr49-1747016115586759]: 690). On the whole, the questionnaire respondents registered a high degree of collaboration amongst the project partners at all stages of the research design and implementation across the projects surveyed ([Table 4](#table5-1747016115586759){ref-type="table"}). Of the 18 respondents who answered the question, however, less than half said that the relationship between the project partners on their grant had been, or was, subject to monitoring and evaluation ([Table 4](#table5-1747016115586759){ref-type="table"}). These monitoring and evaluation strategies tended to be based on established institutional codes of conduct or working agreements (e.g. consultancy contracts) or had been developed organically to suit the needs of the research programme and the individual partners. As Interviewee 2 explained: "we decided to design a fairly very simple \[...\] \[two-strand\] strategy, that \[...\] helps to track implementation and execution of the project, \[...\] as we designed it, \[...\] one of them is to monitor the quality of work we do, another one is to monitor collaboration \[and this\] looks at the honour and the respect that is given to intellectual property and the contribution of business." The interviewees stressed, however, that this type of agreement requires commitment and sustained input from all parties to be successful and of mutual benefit. Several of those whose projects did not have a formal monitoring and evaluation strategy challenged this 'unnecessary bureaucratization' (Stanley and Wise, 2010, in [@bibr50-1747016115586759]), arguing that it was often impractical or unfeasible to expect individuals to work to strict deadlines (which they associated with such procedures), that it would add undue pressure to an already pressurized working situation, that it would add another level of 'complication' to the project, that there was not enough time to do this given the short duration of many of the projects (the average was 28 months) and that it would be an unnecessary burden given the seemingly endless amount of reporting that researchers are now expected to do during the life-course of a research project. As Interviewee 4 noted: "There is no formal monitoring process \[in our project\] where we evaluate the participation of each partner. It's an informal process where, you know, if you participate ... the more you contribute, the more you appear in scientific publications, \[...\] what you put in is what you get out, more or less. But, you know, it isn't ... it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to come up with a formal monitoring programme of partner activities, but it's ... it would complicate things. It's a two year project so there's very little, you know, not a lot of time to do the actual work and there's already so many forms \[...\] that we don't want to complicate things any further." Several interviewees questioned why the success of a project could not be judged simply on its deliverables, for without good working relationships no outputs would ever be produced -- an opinion which suggests a slightly naïve approach to the power imbalances which can occur in this type of research. Formal IPR agreements covering data and results, publications, and authorship were also relatively scarce and only seven questionnaire respondents confirmed that their project had this type of accord in place and that all the project partners named on the grant application had been required to sign up (literally and metaphorically) to it prior to the commencement of the research ([Table 4](#table5-1747016115586759){ref-type="table"}). These tended to be based on the rules of the Vancouver Protocol, sometimes with additional clauses covering the inclusion of collaborators from the host country in the publication of the research findings. Those interviewees without a formal agreement cited, by way of explanation, the lack of a perceived demand from the funders, lack of time, a desire to avoid additional bureaucracy, a lack of interest among non-academic partners in peer-reviewed publications, the presence of already well-established collaborative relationships and/or non-project-specific blanket ethics clearance agreements. Interviewee 3 noted: "\[I'm\] not very keen \[on IPR agreements\] because it's a lot of bureaucracy. \[...\] So if not really necessarily, I try to avoid as much as I can, because \[it's\] bureaucracy for me, for them, and in general so far it has worked very well. Also because they have, the other partners they're typically, at least those that I work with have less interest in really peer-review publications, it's of course nice and it's great for the CV, but it's not going to change their life, particularly the NGOs. On the other hand, they are much more concerned with outreach publications and so I ... and then of course I do collaborate with them on writing outreach publications and I probably have more than a typical scientist, because I believe that it's important just for the type of stuff we're doing and because it's a great way to get our research into policy of course, but we have, somehow we are flexible about that, yeah, and I admit being guilty of having put strategic co-authors on papers sometimes just, just, yeah, well, but try to find a balance between those, but yeah, I've never really felt the need." It is not uncommon for academics to prefer peer-reviewed papers (a desire driven in part by the need to secure yet more funding, establish professional reputations, earn promotion, etc.) and for non-academic partners to place more weight on project reports which might assist them in obtaining further funding and/or impacting upon policy ([@bibr37-1747016115586759]). However, it was startling how freely this interviewee admitted to 'authorship disintegrity' ([@bibr1-1747016115586759]) and one would assume that if it is this easy to add authors then it must be just as easy to leave other contributors off. That said, it would be wrong to assume that agreements regarding IPR were completely absent in those projects with no formal accord. For some interviewees at the start of their funding IPR agreements were not yet in place but were on the agenda and had featured in early discussions. Others spoke of tacit agreements with their collaborating partners regarding who was entitled to have their name attributed to which publications. In general, these informal arrangements were said to work well, but what was less clear was how they were policed, how decisions were made regarding author order, how and to whom grievances might be aired, or whether some individuals (particularly those who were not named on the funding application given that 18 questionnaire respondents said that their project included this type of person) might find this type of working arrangement more pressured or stressful than if a formal agreement had been in place from the outset. Undoubtedly there can be problems with authorship agreements: staff may change, differing disciplinary or cultural expectations can make for awkward negotiations ([@bibr37-1747016115586759]; [@bibr68-1747016115586759]), and the research may change as it progresses, necessitating re-evaluation of the agreement ([@bibr26-1747016115586759]). However, a 'pre-contract' with an agreed ethical approach to authorship and contribution at the start of the project ([@bibr30-1747016115586759]) means that there will always be a point of reference which can provide guidelines and clarification ([@bibr32-1747016115586759]). Only 16 questionnaire respondents answered when asked if there had been, or were, any tensions in the relationship(s) between the collaborating partners on their project ([Table 4](#table5-1747016115586759){ref-type="table"}). The seven who said yes identified budget allocation (e.g. informal approach to accounting on the part of one partner, the practical allocation of funds), commitment to deadlines (e.g. some partners' unwillingness to prioritize the project above other projects they were involved in, partners failing to make the inputs they promised at the proposal stage), and differing work practices (e.g. different approaches to field research in different disciplines, division of labour, timing of inputs) as the main sources of tension. The interview quotes below highlight two different scenarios: "we were working with \[...\] an NGO and they had their own rules and regulations \[...\], what we were doing was providing them with the money to allow them to employ the researchers, the associates on our project but they saw them as part of their team, so they, \[...\] were actually expected to go on team building weeks and \[do specific work\] within the organization, which has sometimes cut across what we wanted them to do. \[...\] because they were then members of the \[NGO\] team, they had to follow the rules about expenses and travelling allowances and \[...\] we were prepared to say, I mean, because these funds are trivial in our terms, you know, \[...\] if you can't come by train, for God's sake, buy an air ticket and, and go you know, it's, it's within the budget, but then the rules \[of that\] organization said, that if these people are allowed to do that, then we have to do it for everybody else, and we can't have that. (Interviewee 7)... we thought that it would be appropriate to have \[a\] partner organization \[in Country A\] which specializes in \[X skill\] and broadly speaking that works \[...\] they were actually recommended to me by the other partners who have worked with them in the past. \[...\] but because of the way that the project was structured \[...\] we ended up with a situation where the three research institutes got the lion's share of the overheads. That was very upsetting to the \[skilled\] group and partly because of the timeline and partly because of the fact that sort of doing this over Skype and email that we just didn't really get to a point where they were completely happy with ... I found as many ways as I could to make it work for them but essentially I think that they felt that they were marginalized by that process. You could say they were. (Interviewee 1)" This interviewee acknowledged that a number of these issues could have been dealt with more effectively by the management of expectations, but they pointed out that the lack of regular face-to-face contact (which is a common feature of research of this type due to the geographical distribution of the project partners) can hinder the successful resolution of problems. This shows that while formal ethics guidelines play an important role in regulating research practice, implicit day-to-day social relations and engagements between people are fundamental to the research process ([@bibr49-1747016115586759]). A situated research ethics as opposed to a universal ethics requires a contextualized understanding of the research process itself, which partly revolves around the politics of partnership and demonstrates the need to engage with the complexities of power relations not only between the researcher and researched ([@bibr69-1747016115586759]) but also between the collaborating partners. The establishment of trust through relationship-building seems to be particularly important here, taking time to listen to each other's concerns, interests and needs and incorporating them into the research agenda ([@bibr26-1747016115586759]). One respondent felt very strongly that ESPA were wasting their time creating what would inevitably be another set of universal guidelines wherein western notions would be applied to societies in which attitudes and practices were very different. Yet 19 agreed that ethics guidelines could be useful in heightening researchers' sensitivity to ethical issues. When asked to elaborate, the interviewees noted that the guidance such as that proposed by ESPA could potentially raise issues that the researchers may not have been aware of or may have ignored in the past (e.g. their privileged position and relative wealth) ([@bibr49-1747016115586759]). Whilst it was indeed wrong to assume that biomedically-rooted research ethics could be universally applicable, the principles inherent in the ethical conduct of research -- integrity, respect for persons, beneficence, and justice -- still provided a useful yardstick against which to measure research practice ([@bibr34-1747016115586759]). A key concern was the inability of standardized REC protocols to take into account ethical issues that arise in the field and the many evolving situational judgements that social (and one could argue natural science) researchers must make as their project develops and circumstances change ([@bibr41-1747016115586759]; [@bibr31-1747016115586759]; [@bibr17-1747016115586759]). Standardized REC procedures tend to assume that the full scope of a research study and suite of participants/actors with whom one will come into contact can be anticipated in advance ([@bibr7-1747016115586759]); however, as [@bibr6-1747016115586759] point out, knowledge production is temporally, spatially and culturally bounded. All the interviewees stressed that context is crucial in the type of research that ESPA funds and that any ethics procedure and documentation must be flexible enough to facilitate rather than inhibit their work, allowing them to take different customs into account (e.g. age at which one becomes an adult, nature of consent) and adjust to local circumstances without the need for a revised ethics assessment ([@bibr3-1747016115586759]). As Interviewee 7 argued: "I think some of the ethics literature is not very helpful at all. It's, kind of, dancing on the point of a needle to make fine, fine judgements about things, which you can't make fine judgements about in practice, particularly not in developing country settings. \[...\] there are real potentials for making ethics make research impossible, \[...\] the idea that, you know, you set it all out in advance, and if you change it, if you go back \[...\] to the ethics committee, to \[...\] approval of anything, any change ... well, ethnographic field work is always adjusting to local circumstances and you can't go back, \[...\] and get further approval, because, you know, \[...\] it takes six months out of, you know, a year's field work time ... you've lost it ... you've just completely lost the project. \[...\] the other thing \[...\] we had \[...\] is that the local ethical review board starts saying, 'oh we don't think much of this project, you ought to be doing this instead', and we think, 'well we just got funded to do this', you know, how many times are we going to go forwards and backwards with people who say, 'we don't think you can do the research because it's not ethically viable because it's not scientifically viable or valid', and then you have to go back to the funders and say 'we're having to change the programme', you know, and then you come and go, again, for six months before you're allowed to start. And it's, it's usually trivial." Guilleman and Gillam (2004, cited in [@bibr34-1747016115586759]) make a distinction between macroethics (the domain in which RECs institute general principles for ethical research conduct in the field) and microethics (everyday ethical dilemmas in specific research contexts), while [@bibr31-1747016115586759] notes the disparity between official ethics (ethics on the books) and ethics on the ground (ethics in action). Both argue that ethics form part of "an ongoing process that is always subject to negotiation and reinterpretation rather than reification outside the research context" ([@bibr50-1747016115586759]: 68). It is important that ethics guidance uphold core ethical principles, but it has to meet the contextual needs of the researchers ([@bibr27-1747016115586759]) and give them the security to adapt methods as they see fit without the need for further review ([@bibr45-1747016115586759]). The interviewees also felt ethical guidance should be sensitive to specific issues such as the disruption of social norms. Although one interviewee noted that the whole ethos of their discipline was to cause as little disruption as possible, the majority felt that an element of disruption was inevitable given the nature of the projects that ESPA funds (e.g. engaging with local communities, knowledge exchange, development), that this would happen regardless of where the researcher was from, and that it was not necessarily always a bad thing. For example: "Well I guess there ... it's a kind of a utilitarian perspective somewhat, which is the social norms, are they in the good of society as whole? So if it's a social norm, for example, that women have no control over certain household assets or livestock, it may be, in the short term, \[...\] something which is useful for the men, but in the long term, it's not useful for the society as a whole. So I think that you shouldn't do ... disrupt social norms just for the sake of it, or if harm could result, but if, if ... sometimes social norms have to change in order for development to happen. So, basically, it's something we should be careful about, think it through, but certainly not a blanket, you know. I mean female circumcision is a social norm. (Interviewee 5)" A clear distinction was made between positive and negative disruption; whilst any social interaction is disruptive, the consensus amongst the interviewees was that it is important to ensure that it is supportive and encouraging rather than aggressive and unpleasant. The overall sense was that no set of guidance notes would ever be able (or should indeed try) to take all eventualities into account and it was impractical to ask researchers to document these on a form, However, researchers must be aware of their potential impact on the situations they found themselves in and the people they come into contact with, and realize that there might be a lasting impact that remains long after the research is complete ([@bibr49-1747016115586759]). Likewise, researchers must find ways to recognize and strengthen the agency of so-called vulnerable individuals, groups and communities, whom institutional review has thus far only viewed as candidates for protection ([@bibr43-1747016115586759]). Conclusions {#section4-1747016115586759} =========== The principle aim of this research was to produce an ethics form and accompanying guidance notes for the ESPA research community which would sensitize members to the ethical issues associated with undertaking collaborative research in developing countries. Despite the small sample size, the findings from the survey and interview data suggest that the participants did accept the importance of, and need for, ethical review when undertaking collaborative work in developing countries ([@bibr42-1747016115586759]) and that they were more likely than not to have had their ESPA/ESRC-DIFD projects reviewed. However, negative perceptions of what this entails (e.g. time, effort, bureaucracy) and /or an ambivalence towards ethics have in the past meant that some respondents have not taken ethical assessment seriously ([@bibr21-1747016115586759]; [@bibr47-1747016115586759]) or have avoided it where possible. As such, consideration of ethics appears to have been the result of external drivers rather than a desire to critically think through research practice and the nature of the collaborative relationships in which these researchers were participating. Whilst there appears to be a particular need to raise awareness of the relevance and potential benefits of ethical review amongst natural science researchers and/or those using modelling or secondary data, it would seem that part of the problem lies not necessarily with 'ethics' per se but with the prevailing systems of ethical governance and the bureaucracies imposed by current REC regulation ([@bibr23-1747016115586759]). For example, even those participants who had attempted to fully engage with their institutional ethics procedures (or those of a relevant professional body) expressed dissatisfaction with the rigidity of REC regulation and highlighted the difficulty of applying certain principles in developing world contexts -- critiques which are already well-established within the literature. The respondents cautioned against fostering a compliance culture wherein to be 'ethical' means to conform to the 'prescriptions and proscriptions' of the REC ([@bibr29-1747016115586759]). Their advice was that the ESPA guidance should facilitate a situated ethics ([@bibr22-1747016115586759]) which appreciated the need for flexibility and gave researchers the confidence and support to make in situ decisions without the need for further validation. This would require a rethinking of ethics as 'practice' and an appreciation (on the part of the REC) of the locally specific relationships between the researchers and researched, but also require a higher degree of reflexivity (on the part of the researcher) in relation to the research process and their collaborative relationships. For example, there is a need to raise awareness of the mutual benefits and reassurances that can be derived from formal agreements (e.g. in relation to IPR, collaborative relationships with non-academic partners, monitoring and evaluation procedures). Conversely, there is also a need to recognize that long-standing collaborative relationships or blanket ethics clearance agreements between institutions may lead to complacency and prevent new projects from being ethically assessed on a case by case basis. A key determinant of the above of course is time; grant recipients must be encouraged and enabled to build time into their projects to think about the practicalities of ethical research and share this information with their collaborating partners to form mutually agreeable parameters. The overall sense from the research participants was that ESPA's initiative was not misguided per se as it would go some way towards ensuring that proper respect was shown to the people with whom, and environments that, ESPA funded researchers came into contact with, particularly given the dearth of RECs in the developing world. In this sense, the ESPA ethics guidance notes would not be asking the researchers to do anything different from what they should be doing anyway; rather, they would encourage the researchers to give in-depth consideration to the ethical issues involved in their research, whether it involved human participants or not, to ensure that they had ethical clearance from the appropriate authorities/people, and ensure that their protocols were locally appropriate ([@bibr19-1747016115586759]). That said, it was recommended that if the PI was based in the UK (or in an institution outside the UK which has a robust REC), the research should be ethically reviewed by their institution REC *or* ESPA, *but not by both*. RECs which lack experience in, or are uninformed about, this type of research sometimes have a 'paternalistic' tendency to require researchers to take additional (and often disproportionate) precautions to ensure the 'safety' of the research participants ([@bibr41-1747016115586759]; [@bibr19-1747016115586759]); in such cases the researchers would be able to draw on the ESPA guidance in order to justify their protocols. Any guidance issued by ESPA should of course be subject to periodic renewal and revision ([@bibr8-1747016115586759]). In time, the hope would be that all ESPA grant recipients would make every effort to get all, or at least part of, their proposed research reviewed by a robust REC in the host country. However, it was recognized that this may not be possible in some countries for a considerable length of time. Just who should be responsible for helping to facilitate the development of robust host country RECs remains to be seen, but the respondents were keen to place this burden at the feet of funding bodies such as ESPA and the PI institutions rather than the award holders. Thanks to: all the members of the ESPA research community and recipients of the ESRC-DFID Joint Scheme Phase 1 and Phase 2 awards who participated in the research; Emma Sutherland for assisting with the questionnaire design and analysis; Professor Janet Seeley for invaluable in-depth comments on the draft ethics guidance and form; and Pete Kingsley for literature recommendations. Thanks also to the speakers and delegates who attended the 'Doing ethical research in developing countries' session at the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) Annual International Conference at the University of Edinburgh. **Funding:** This research was funded by the Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation (ESPA) Directorate. ESPA is a seven year, £40 million research programme funded by the United Kingdom's Department for International Development, Economic and Social Research Council, and Natural Environment Research Council to provide new knowledge demonstrating how ecosystem services can reduce poverty and enhance well-being for the world's poor ([@bibr24-1747016115586759]).

FROM library/nginx:latest ENV DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive RUN apt-get update -qq && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends unzip # Install swagger COPY ./lib/swagger-ui-*.zip /opt/ RUN cd /opt && \ unzip swagger-ui-* && \ mkdir -p /var/www && \ mv doc/ /var/www/ # Install client COPY ./lib/indigo-service-client-*.zip /opt/ RUN cd /opt && \ unzip indigo-service-client-* && \ mkdir -p /var/www/ && \ mv indigo-service-client*/ /var/www/client/ # Install Ketcher COPY ./lib/ketcher*.zip /opt/ RUN cd /opt && \ unzip ketcher* && \ mv ketcher*/ /srv/ketcher/ COPY ./lib/favicon.ico /var/www/client/ COPY ./nginx/nginx.conf /etc/nginx/conf.d/default.conf # Clean RUN apt-get autoremove -y && rm -rf /opt/* /var/lib/apt/lists/*

Tuesday, September 27, 2011 The Dignity of Risk I often write posts about an article in the morning newspaper or a just published medical journal. This post is about an article written in 1972 - "The Dignity of Risk and the Mentally Retarded." I have the privilege of serving on the ethics committee of the Commonwealth Care Alliance (CCA), a consumer governed, not for profit health system that cares for people with complex medical and psychological needs who are covered by Medicaid or "dually eligible" (for both Medicare and Medicaid). CCA tries to help its patients live in accord with their values, which often means helping people with significant impairments live in the community. This can involve risk. A frail elder who lives alone may fall. A young adult with developmental disability and spasticity may aspirate and choke. If the elder loves her apartment, and the young adult takes great pleasure in his meals, clinicians and family members have to ask - how much risk is acceptable? Bob Master, an internist who has been caring for vulnerable and neglected populations for decades and co-founder of CCA introduced me to the concept of "dignity of risk." Like all really good ideas, it seems obvious. Robert Perske introduced the concept in his 1972 article. (The article is available on his website.) At the time he was Executive Director of the Greater Omaha Association for Retarded Children. After visiting programs in Denmark and Sweden, Perske wrote about the potentially negative impact of the natural wish to protect those with retardation: ...overprotection endangers the retarded person's human dignity and tends to keep him from experiencing the normal taking of risks in life which is necessary for normal human growth and development. The world in which we live is not always safe, secure, and predictable. It does not always say “please” or “excuse me.” Everyday there is a possibility of being thrown up against a situation where we may have to risk everything, even our lives. This is the real world. We must work to develop every human resource within us in order to prepare for these days. To deny any retarded person his fair share of risk experiences is to further cripple him for healthy living. Mentally retarded persons may, can, will, and should respond to risk with full human dignity and courage. It is the author's firm belief that we now need to insure this dimension of human ignity for the mentally retarded and prepare them for facing real risk in a real world. Where many of us have worked overtime in past years to find clever ways of building the avoidance or risk into the lives of the mentally retarded, now we should work equally hard to help find the proper amount of normal risk for every retarded person. It is hoped that this paper has helped to illustrate that there can be such a thing as human dignity in risk, and there can be a dehumanizing indignity in safety! In retrospect I realized that I'd applied the dignity of risk concept throughout my psychiatric career, though not by that name. As an example, meeting with a patient with schizophrenia and his family, if the patient had behaved in a rude or inconsiderate manner, I might say "Just because Joe has schizophrenia doesn't mean that he won't sometimes act like a complete jerk the way the rest of us do." The Joes of the world generally preferred being criticized for acting like a jerk rather than being indulged as an impaired person who couldn't be expected to do better. Suicidality posed a tougher challenge. A patient with acute suicidal intent accompanied by a plan, available means, clinical depression, and a history of suicidal acts obviously requires hospitalization. But some people with chronic depression are chronically suicidal. The goal - curing the depression - can't always be achieved. What then? The situation required assessing with the patients and their families what their goals for life were and how much risk they were prepared to tolerate. Sometimes living with a recognized risk seemed better than making elimintion of risk the primary goal. Doctors and nurses in the CCA program deal with trade offs between risk and quality of life on a daily basis. The Hippocratic precept - first, do no harm would seem to imply a very cautious approach, but only until we consider Perske's comments about the potential for human dignity in risk and the risk of dehumanizing indignity in safety!

This patch allows the user to specify desired packet types (outgoing, broadcast, unicast, etc.) on packet sockets via setsockopt. This can reduce the load in situations where only a limited number of packet types are necessary Signed-off-by: Felix Fietkau <nbd@openwrt.org> --- a/include/uapi/linux/if_packet.h +++ b/include/uapi/linux/if_packet.h @@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ struct sockaddr_ll { #define PACKET_KERNEL 7 /* To kernel space */ /* Unused, PACKET_FASTROUTE and PACKET_LOOPBACK are invisible to user space */ #define PACKET_FASTROUTE 6 /* Fastrouted frame */ +#define PACKET_MASK_ANY 0xffffffff /* mask for packet type bits */ + /* Packet socket options */ @@ -54,6 +56,7 @@ struct sockaddr_ll { #define PACKET_FANOUT 18 #define PACKET_TX_HAS_OFF 19 #define PACKET_QDISC_BYPASS 20 +#define PACKET_RECV_TYPE 21 #define PACKET_FANOUT_HASH 0 #define PACKET_FANOUT_LB 1 --- a/net/packet/af_packet.c +++ b/net/packet/af_packet.c @@ -1547,6 +1547,7 @@ static int packet_rcv_spkt(struct sk_buf { struct sock *sk; struct sockaddr_pkt *spkt; + struct packet_sock *po; /* * When we registered the protocol we saved the socket in the data @@ -1554,6 +1555,7 @@ static int packet_rcv_spkt(struct sk_buf */ sk = pt->af_packet_priv; + po = pkt_sk(sk); /* * Yank back the headers [hope the device set this @@ -1566,7 +1568,7 @@ static int packet_rcv_spkt(struct sk_buf * so that this procedure is noop. */ - if (skb->pkt_type == PACKET_LOOPBACK) + if (!(po->pkt_type & (1 << skb->pkt_type))) goto out; if (!net_eq(dev_net(dev), sock_net(sk))) @@ -1773,12 +1775,12 @@ static int packet_rcv(struct sk_buff *sk int skb_len = skb->len; unsigned int snaplen, res; - if (skb->pkt_type == PACKET_LOOPBACK) - goto drop; - sk = pt->af_packet_priv; po = pkt_sk(sk); + if (!(po->pkt_type & (1 << skb->pkt_type))) + goto drop; + if (!net_eq(dev_net(dev), sock_net(sk))) goto drop; @@ -1898,12 +1900,12 @@ static int tpacket_rcv(struct sk_buff *s BUILD_BUG_ON(TPACKET_ALIGN(sizeof(*h.h2)) != 32); BUILD_BUG_ON(TPACKET_ALIGN(sizeof(*h.h3)) != 48); - if (skb->pkt_type == PACKET_LOOPBACK) - goto drop; - sk = pt->af_packet_priv; po = pkt_sk(sk); + if (!(po->pkt_type & (1 << skb->pkt_type))) + goto drop; + if (!net_eq(dev_net(dev), sock_net(sk))) goto drop; @@ -2866,6 +2868,7 @@ static int packet_create(struct net *net spin_lock_init(&po->bind_lock); mutex_init(&po->pg_vec_lock); po->prot_hook.func = packet_rcv; + po->pkt_type = PACKET_MASK_ANY & ~(1 << PACKET_LOOPBACK); if (sock->type == SOCK_PACKET) po->prot_hook.func = packet_rcv_spkt; @@ -3471,6 +3474,16 @@ packet_setsockopt(struct socket *sock, i po->xmit = val ? packet_direct_xmit : dev_queue_xmit; return 0; } + case PACKET_RECV_TYPE: + { + unsigned int val; + if (optlen != sizeof(val)) + return -EINVAL; + if (copy_from_user(&val, optval, sizeof(val))) + return -EFAULT; + po->pkt_type = val & ~BIT(PACKET_LOOPBACK); + return 0; + } default: return -ENOPROTOOPT; } @@ -3522,6 +3535,13 @@ static int packet_getsockopt(struct sock case PACKET_VNET_HDR: val = po->has_vnet_hdr; break; + case PACKET_RECV_TYPE: + if (len > sizeof(unsigned int)) + len = sizeof(unsigned int); + val = po->pkt_type; + + data = &val; + break; case PACKET_VERSION: val = po->tp_version; break; --- a/net/packet/internal.h +++ b/net/packet/internal.h @@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ struct packet_sock { struct net_device __rcu *cached_dev; int (*xmit)(struct sk_buff *skb); struct packet_type prot_hook ____cacheline_aligned_in_smp; + unsigned int pkt_type; }; static struct packet_sock *pkt_sk(struct sock *sk)

Clem Woltman Clement "Clem" J. Woltman (December 4, 1914 – January 16, 1988) was an American football tackle who played for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons from 1938–1940. He played college football for Purdue and he was drafted by the Eagles in the eighth round of the 1938 NFL Draft. References Category:1914 births Category:1988 deaths Category:American football tackles Category:Purdue Boilermakers football players Category:Philadelphia Eagles players Category:Players of American football from Indiana Category:Sportspeople from South Bend, Indiana

177, 0, 322 Let -4*d**5 - 429*d**4 - 11452*d**3 + 3087*d**2 + 162314*d + 148200 = 0. Calculate d. -57, -50, -13/4, -1, 4 Let -2835*b**3 - 34740*b**2 + 977200*b + 12936000 = 0. What is b? -140/9, 132/7 Determine x so that -2*x**2 + 571700*x + 33165328 = 0. -58, 285908 Suppose 2*u**5/11 - 46*u**4/11 - 4740*u**3/11 - 59216*u**2/11 - 172544*u/11 + 21504 = 0. Calculate u. -28, -8, 1, 66 Factor z**4 - 13*z**3 - 186166*z**2 - 372272*z. z*(z - 439)*(z + 2)*(z + 424) Factor 2*r**2 + 4677742*r + 4677740. 2*(r + 1)*(r + 2338870) Find q, given that q**5 + 219*q**4 - 13501*q**3 + 243705*q**2 - 1407600*q = 0. -272, 0, 15, 23 Determine q, given that 3*q**5 + 1992*q**4 - 1625418*q**3 - 1081776576*q**2 + 2174891055*q + 3255040224 = 0. -701, -1, 3, 736 What is y in 40*y**5 + 3364*y**4 - 163572*y**3 + 302228*y**2 - 173476*y + 31416 = 0? -119, 2/5, 1/2, 1, 33 Factor 4*j**3 - 197200*j**2 + 985844*j + 2760520. 4*(j - 49295)*(j - 7)*(j + 2) Factor 14985*x**3 - 231885*x**2 + 236720*x + 5846720. 5*(9*x - 88)**2*(37*x + 151) Factor 5*j**2/3 + 19803620*j/3 + 19609168255220/3. 5*(j + 1980362)**2/3 Factor y**3/3 - 217123*y**2 - 1737000*y - 10422032/3. (y - 651377)*(y + 4)**2/3 Determine z, given that 1098*z**3/7 + 48643598*z**2/7 + 538752236102*z/7 + 981333602/7 = 0. -22151, -1/549 Let h**4/2 - 49*h**3/2 - 201*h**2/2 + 21889*h/2 + 11020 = 0. Calculate h. -19, -1, 29, 40 Solve 2*l**5 + 1026994*l**4 + 131882197948*l**3 + 10940958620060*l**2 + 232359780149442*l + 221550702700338 = 0. -256707, -41, -1 Let b**5/4 + 45141*b**4 + 2037755021*b**3 + 8150568679*b**2/2 - 8151020085*b/4 - 8150658961/2 = 0. Calculate b. -90281, -2, -1, 1 Let -2*p**5 + 120*p**4 - 958*p**3 - 14656*p**2 - 24984*p + 40480 = 0. What is p? -5, -4, 1, 22, 46 Let 3*h**2/5 - 151206660*h + 9526439178481500 = 0. Calculate h. 126005550 Solve -2*a**4 - 2382*a**3 + 43466*a**2 - 70218*a - 116064 = 0. -1209, -1, 3, 16 Solve -2*v**2/5 + 926476*v/5 - 107294722322/5 = 0 for v. 231619 Factor 2*v**2/5 + 5836868*v/5 + 11673728/5. 2*(v + 2)*(v + 2918432)/5 Determine g so that 2*g**2 + 558150*g - 4465328 = 0. -279083, 8 Factor t**3/6 + 679*t**2/6 - 54353*t/6 + 343619/2. (t - 37)**2*(t + 753)/6 Factor q**3/12 + 2579*q**2/12 + 637053*q/4 + 102399687/4. (q + 221)*(q + 1179)**2/12 Find m such that -2*m**5/11 - 86*m**4 - 30750*m**3/11 - 38070*m**2/11 + 590112*m/11 - 47304 = 0. -438, -33, -6, 1, 3 Find c such that -4*c**5 - 19324*c**4 - 38536*c**3 + 463584*c**2 = 0. -4829, -6, 0, 4 Factor -58*z**3 + 7762908*z**2 - 259734720960*z - 1236154810176. -2*(z - 66924)**2*(29*z + 138) Find a such that 3*a**4/7 - 113076*a**3/7 + 1043821158*a**2/7 + 410926894740*a/7 - 411970602825/7 = 0. -379, 1, 19035 Solve -3*d**3/5 - 19416117*d**2/5 + 116496831*d/5 + 27182589 = 0. -6472045, -1, 7 Suppose 4*y**5 + 4549672*y**4 + 1293756103616*y**3 + 20699255976056*y**2 + 91851769759932*y + 72446265337824 = 0. Calculate y. -568701, -8, -7, -1 Solve -w**2/4 - 133674031*w/2 - 17868746563788961/4 = 0. -133674031 Factor -67416*f**3 + 1039436*f**2 - 29062537*f/6 + 18207289/3. -(f - 2)*(636*f - 4267)**2/6 Determine u, given that 15*u**4 + 115865*u**3 - 494201000*u**2 + 432668289140*u + 144277678560 = 0. -10968, -1/3, 1622 Solve x**4/6 + 76897*x**3/6 + 2920603*x**2/6 - 999167*x/2 = 0. -76859, -39, 0, 1 Find p, given that 2*p**3 + 2521*p**2/2 - 515757*p/2 + 192699 = 0. -793, 3/4, 162 Factor -w**2/6 + 11567*w/3 + 100360. -(w - 23160)*(w + 26)/6 Factor 5*u**2 - 69320*u + 18018675. 5*(u - 13599)*(u - 265) Find c such that 5*c**2 - 37570410*c + 70576785378405 = 0. 3757041 Factor 2*m**2/5 - 9990*m + 5024548/5. 2*(m - 24874)*(m - 101)/5 Determine l, given that -2*l**5 + 1057*l**4 - 25837*l**3 + 90647*l**2 + 957315*l + 452700 = 0. -4, -1/2, 15, 503 Determine q, given that q**2/2 + 136486331*q + 18628518549841561/2 = 0. -136486331 Determine c, given that 3*c**2 + 7527*c - 5407908 = 0. -3092, 583 Determine r so that -4*r**2/7 + 124033708*r/7 + 124033712/7 = 0. -1, 31008428 Suppose -3*p**3/5 - 825837*p**2/5 - 825834*p/5 = 0. What is p? -275278, -1, 0 Find v such that -v**2/2 - 12468045*v - 155452146122025/2 = 0. -12468045 Factor 2*r**3/13 + 969838*r**2/13 + 1939670*r/13 + 969834/13. 2*(r + 1)**2*(r + 484917)/13 Determine l, given that l**2/5 - 683*l/5 + 111366/5 = 0. 269, 414 Let -r**2/2 + 14431*r/2 - 187265 = 0. Calculate r. 26, 14405 Suppose 3*b**5/7 + 276*b**4/7 - 5394*b**3/7 + 17868*b**2/7 - 12753*b/7 = 0. Calculate b. -109, 0, 1, 3, 13 Factor 4781*m**2/4 - 2431138*m - 1017. (m - 2034)*(4781*m + 2)/4 Factor -3*n**2/2 + 12202191*n/2 + 42707742. -3*(n - 4067404)*(n + 7)/2 Determine u so that u**3 - 10635*u**2 + 592424*u = 0. 0, 56, 10579 Factor 147*t**3 - 3426*t**2 - 2493*t + 1080. 3*(t - 24)*(t + 1)*(49*t - 15) Suppose 2171405*k**2 + 2938560080*k + 994187558720 = 0. What is k? -445912/659 Find i such that -2*i**4/11 + 1483522*i**3/11 + 1483534*i**2/11 - 7417626*i/11 + 4450572/11 = 0. -3, 1, 741762 Factor 4*h**3/7 + 42708*h**2/7 - 2745600*h/7 + 43995136/7. 4*(h - 32)**2*(h + 10741)/7 Find z, given that -4*z**2 - 165314664*z = 0. -41328666, 0 Let 26041*x**4/6 + 2708266*x**3/3 - 5468194*x**2/3 - 280*x = 0. What is x? -210, -4/26041, 0, 2 Find k, given that 3*k**3 + 1425*k**2 - 34686*k - 161352 = 0. -498, -4, 27 Let 4*j**2/3 + 20975824*j/3 = 0. Calculate j. -5243956, 0 Solve -s**2/2 + 282597*s/2 - 282595 = 0. 2, 282595 Suppose 2*r**4/9 + 1550*r**3/9 - 34786*r**2/9 + 74750*r/3 - 44632 = 0. Calculate r. -797, 3, 7, 12 Factor -n**2/5 + 6378*n/5 + 83083/5. -(n - 6391)*(n + 13)/5 Determine l, given that -l**3/6 + 961297*l**2/3 - 640864*l = 0. 0, 2, 1922592 Let 4*h**2 + 968140*h - 5808984 = 0. What is h? -242041, 6 What is q in 2*q**5 + 2100*q**4 - 27518*q**3 + 127336*q**2 - 237984*q + 136064 = 0? -1063, 1, 4 Factor 2*l**2/3 - 226762*l/3 - 1814224/3. 2*(l - 113389)*(l + 8)/3 Factor 2*g**4 - 7658*g**3 + 6538688*g**2 - 1612764360*g. 2*g*(g - 2745)*(g - 542)**2 Suppose 4*k**5 + 154*k**4 - 33680*k**3 - 84830*k**2 - 68024*k - 17024 = 0. What is k? -112, -1, -1/2, 76 Find k, given that k**2/2 + 8476057*k + 71843542267249/2 = 0. -8476057 Solve 2*t**2/5 + 85678*t/5 - 3097368 = 0. -43019, 180 Factor -175*m**2 + 1821573*m/7 + 2974/7. -(m - 1487)*(1225*m + 2)/7 Let -4*y**2 + 27925728*y - 48740392770624 = 0. Calculate y. 3490716 Let -4*c**3 + 9633196*c**2 - 19266380*c + 9633188 = 0. Calculate c. 1, 2408297 Solve 4*t**2 + 79564*t + 30268656 = 0. -19503, -388 Factor 4*u**2 - 12778816*u. 4*u*(u - 3194704) Factor -4*w**2/7 - 424*w + 3044252/7. -4*(w - 577)*(w + 1319)/7 Determine n so that -2*n**2 - 488460692*n - 29824230953639858 = 0. -122115173 Solve a**4/2 - 6831*a**3/2 - 318552*a**2 + 650762*a = 0 for a. -94, 0, 2, 6923 Determine m so that -2*m**3 + 32211864*m**2 + 96635618*m - 128847480 = 0. -4, 1, 16105935 Factor -k**2/4 + 305549*k/2 + 3055515/4. -(k - 611103)*(k + 5)/4 Solve -4*j**5/3 + 1720*j**4/3 - 30824*j**3/3 - 170224*j**2/3 + 121284*j + 378120 = 0. -5, -2, 3, 23, 411 Determine z, given that -2*z**3/13 - 20710*z**2/13 - 54354176*z/13 - 42415646328/13 = 0. -6831, -1762 Solve 2*x**5 + 2924*x**4 + 403344*x**3 + 19141600*x**2 + 288580000*x - 657000000 = 0. -1314, -50, 2 Let 38*x**5 + 3050*x**4/3 - 43534*x**3/9 + 15430*x**2/3 + 13792*x/9 - 8680/3 = 0. Calculate x. -31, -2/3, 1, 30/19, 7/3 Factor 3*x**4 + 1444743*x**3 + 231920259561*x**2 + 12409821168849549*x. 3*x*(x + 160527)**3 Factor 32*h**4 - 687795248*h**3 + 1031692824*h**2 - 515846404*h + 85974400. 4*(h - 21493600)*(2*h - 1)**3 Factor 5*w**2 - 2878665*w + 66206650. 5*(w - 575710)*(w - 23) Determine c so that 21*c**5 - 1905975*c**4 - 2450568*c**3 - 544572*c**2 = 0. -1, -2/7, 0, 90762 Solve -2*l**2/5 + 491736*l/5 + 1967104 = 0. -20, 245888 Solve 3*j**4/8 - 8319*j**3/8 + 52077*j**2 - 102075*j/2 = 0. 0, 1, 50, 2722 Factor 4*h**2 + 255472268*h - 255472272. 4*(h - 1)*(h + 63868068) Factor -d**4 - 23218*d**3 + 139336*d**2 - 185792*d. -d*(d - 4)*(d - 2)*(d + 23224) Find u such that 25*u**5/6 - 815*u**4/3 - 3931*u**3/6 + 28790*u**2/3 + 41672*u + 45024 = 0. -4, -12/5, 7, 67 Solve -292902483*s**3 - 879003879*s**2 - 889365*s - 225 = 0 for s. -3, -5/9881 Find v such that -2*v**3/5 + 2904*v**2/5 + 23378*v/5 - 5256 = 0. -9, 1, 1460 Factor 2*n**2/7 - 13800968*n. 2*n*(n - 48303388)/7 Factor 157609*w**4/8 - 177388731*w**3/2 + 399300693011*w**2/4 + 10

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF STATE: ... the foreign minister of Kuwait for a meeting and a luncheon and had the opportunity to express the appreciation of our country and the American people for the steadfast support that Kuwait has offered in this coalition effort, both with respect to the global war on terrorism and certainly with respect to Operation Iraqi Freedom. I should also add that we expressed our appreciation to the minister, his excellency, for the significant humanitarian assistance which Kuwait is offering. They have, with the United Kingdom, built a pipeline into Iraq that's now delivering some 2 million liters of fresh water per day. Their Kuwait relief organizations have sent dozens of trucks with food and medicine and water to a number of Iraqi cities. Kuwait has set up a humanitarian operations center to serve as a focal point for funneling aid into Iraq and is providing some 45,000 meals a day. In addition, has pledged a significant humanitarian relief fund for assistance in Iraq. We also talked about our shared interest in finding the remaining people that are missing or who are prisoners of war, both from this conflict and also from the conflict in 1991. It is something that the government of Kuwait and the government of the United States share as a deep concern and an abiding interest. And I assured the minister that the United States is doing everything possible to pursue every conceivable lead. And we are hopeful that people in Iraq who opposed that regime will come forward and provide any information that they may have so that we can, in fact, achieve our goal of returning all of those individuals. I had a very fruitful discussion with the secretary on matters of profound importance to Kuwait. The issue of the POWs is at most importance to us. As we enter this phase of the Iraqi freedom operations, and that is the stabilization phase, the issue of the POWs becomes paramount. The secretary assured me they are doing their best to search for our POWs and the Americans who have been missing in this conflict and also in Desert Storm. Also, we have discussed the ways of expediting and increasing the humanitarian assistance to Iraq and ways to speed up the stabilization process for Iraq. I thank this administration for what they have done and their steadfast support to Kuwait's causes, and also in their effort and their deed actually to liberate and to deliver the Iraqis from their bondage. Thank you. RUMSFELD: We'd be happy to take a few questions. QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, a spokesman at the Syrian foreign ministry today denied, flatly denied U.S. charges that Syria either has chemical weapons or is giving support to or harboring former Iraqi leaders. How do you respond to that, sir? RUMSFELD: Well, first, I would say that we have seen chemical weapons tests in Syria over the past 12, 15 months. And second, that we have intelligence that shows that Syria has allowed Syrians and others to come across the border into Iraq, people armed and people carrying leaflets indicating that they'll be rewarded if they kill Americans and members of the coalition. And we have intelligence that indicates that some Iraqi people have been allowed into Syria, in some cases to stay, in some places to transit. QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, do you think Kuwait has more to offer for the coalition in this stage? RUMSFELD: Well, there's no question but that Kuwait has been a strong supporter and wonderfully cooperative and helpful, and we appreciate that a great deal. There's no question but that the neighboring countries have been helpful in the humanitarian aspects of this, and we appreciate that, we value it. I know the Iraqi people appreciate that. And the stabilization period, it's not possible to know how long it will be, but certainly an enormous effort's going in to getting electricity back on and getting water working and seeing that there's a proper distribution of medical supplies. And we appreciate all the help the GCC countries have provided. QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, can you help us understand, is it correct that Ahmed Chalabi and his fighters are now going to Baghdad with the backing and support of the Pentagon or the Central Command? Can you help us understand what they will do there and how we should appropriately understand this issue other than U.S. backing, Pentagon backing for his group in particular? RUMSFELD: I can't answer your specific question, I'm sorry. All I can say is that the United States government, and that includes the Pentagon, is not backing anybody for any role in Iraq. The Iraqi people are, over time, going to have to make those judgments, and I'm sure they will. QUESTION: May I have a question for the excellency? What is your thought, Excellency, about the potential for a civil war in Iraq, or for the potential for more disorder? What is your concern? AL-SABAH: Well, this is a country that has been kidnapped for the past 35 years. The Iraqi regime, Saddam's regime has basically destroyed, ruptured the very fabric of the Iraqi society. Decent people have been tortured, killed and exiled. It will take long time, I think some time, for the healing process to take hold in Iraq. Now, saying that, I have full confidence that the Iraqis are actually at this moment are rejoicing, it's a state of jubilation, that that been rid from this tyrannical regime. It's up to them now to settle down and to form their own government. And I'm confident that, from what we hear from them, all of them, that the welfare of the Iraqis and the establishment of a representative government is at the top of their interest now. QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, should Syria understand that one of the potential consequences of their actions that you're talking about today is military action by the United States? RUMSFELD: I didn't say anything like that. QUESTION: But could you respond to that, though? Is that something that they should consider as a potential? RUMSFELD: I think what -- I've said what I've said. And I've stated facts. And that's what I tend to do. In terms of policy, that's for others. QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, are you seeing any more combat operations, significant combat operations inside Iraq? Can you characterize the situation on the ground in Iraq now? RUMSFELD: The situation in Iraq today is improved over yesterday and it's improved each day, and I suspect it will continue to improve. The reality is that the coalition forces now in a good portion of the country, but not all of the country. They're in a good portion of Baghdad, but not all of Baghdad. They are continuing to find that there are two things. Periodic pockets of resistance; fire fights still exist in Baghdad and elsewhere. The other thing that is of concern is the type of thing where you end up with a suicide car or bomb of some type that is not so much an act of war as it is an act of terrorism. RUMSFELD: But I'm very encouraged that food and water and medicines are being moved throughout the country. We are encouraged to find a great many people in Iraq are assisting our forces, coalition forces, in finding ways to provide a secure environment so people can go about their lives. Thank you very much. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com

Q: how to give callback function to the Dispatcher.BeginInvoke I need to use callback function to do some post procesing tasks when the function started with the Dispatcher.BeginInvoke finishes. However i could not find any parameter in Dispatcher.BeginInvoke to accept a callback. Is it possible to give a callback function to Dispatcher.BeginInvoke? A: The DispatcherOperation object returned by BeginInvoke has a Completed event on it. Subscribe to that to perform operations upon completion: var dispatcherOp = Dispatcher.BeginInvoke( /* your method here */); dispatcherOp.Completed += (s, e) => { /* callback code here */ }; There's a chance the operation will complete before you subscribe, so you can test the Status property for completion after as well: if (dispatcherOp.Status == DispatcherOperationStatus.Completed) { ... } It's possible for the operation to be aborted as well, so handling/testing for Aborted may also be appropriate.

Women In Crisis Fund-raiser Tries To Offset Budget Cuts * Summerfest In Palmerton Makes Money To Help Pay Bills Once Covered By Grants. July 29, 1996|by BOB LAYLO, The Morning Call Volunteers and staff of Women in Crisis of Carbon County spent Saturday flipping hamburgers and painting faces. It wasn't a respite from their job. The organization, with its funding reduced by about $25,000 because of federal cuts, needed to hold Summerfest in Palmerton Borough Park to raise a few hundred dollars to help pay salaries, cover rent and buy supplies. "We're down to the bones," Executive Director Dorothy Kuntz said. "We're not making payments or our rent. We're barely surviving." Social service agencies throughout the state share Women in Crisis' dilemma because of cuts in federal spending. The organization is funded by the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape and Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, which receive money from the state Department of Public Welfare. The state receives grants from the federal government. Women in Crisis applied for $146,000. It expects to receive $120,000, and $50,000 is for salaries of two full-time and two part-time employees. The state hasn't reimbursed the organization for its expenses in the last three months, Kuntz said. The organization provides services, such as counseling, then asks the state for reimbursement. The festival was organized about six weeks ago by volunteer Donna Strohl. One band, James and James, performed. Strohl hoped the event would raise $1,000, but realized by mid morning it would make a few hundred. The festival had about 10 booths and Strohl said 10-12 vendors did not show. Strohl said Women in Crisis will have a festival each summer and will bring in more money as it grows. The organization, which says it helps 45 victims of domestic violence and 12 victims of sexual violence a month, had big plans for the year. It wanted to make five employees -- Kuntz, a counselor, an educator, a program director and secretary-receptionist -- full time. Kuntz and another employee are full time. Women in Crisis also wanted to open a shelter. The group sends victims to Schuylkill County for shelter. Instead, the counselor's hours were reduced to 20 a week, the educator furloughed, and hopes of a shelter temporarily dashed. "All we are is antiviolence," Kuntz said. "I know how it felt when I got hit. I don't want anyone else to go through it."

Traffikdhttp://traffikd.com Social Media BlogMon, 27 Mar 2017 00:08:08 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.7.6traffikdhttps://feedburner.google.comHow To View Private Instagram Profiles (2017)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/traffikd/~3/na5wnzBORIg/ http://traffikd.com/instagram/view-private-instagram-profiles/#respondFri, 03 Feb 2017 15:48:56 +0000http://traffikd.com/?p=948We dipped into the reader mailbag recently and found that many of you were asking us for help with Instagram. As a result, I decided to put together this step-by-step guide. We extensively covered Twitter in the past, but as social media giants rise and fall, it’s well worth looking at the new behemoth that ... ]]>We dipped into the reader mailbag recently and found that many of you were asking us for help with Instagram. As a result, I decided to put together this step-by-step guide. We extensively covered Twitter in the past, but as social media giants rise and fall, it’s well worth looking at the new behemoth that is Instagram (as well as the problem posed by private profiles). You can keep reading below or click to start at Option 1. Unless you’re a social media professional, you may want to skip over the next 2 paragraphs and head straight to the important stuff: your tutorial for viewing private Instagram profiles. For small businesses I’ve always believed that platforms like Instagram are amongst the most effective and natural for the collection of data and insights for customer profiling. By viewing a sample of followers, we can rapidly begin to understand the interests, age bracket and preferences of the people with whom our brand is resonating the loudest. The dilemma, however, is a simple one. Even when someone follows our business page, we cannot see their profile unless we follow back (or its set to public). Instagram started to go mainstream in 2011, but in recent years more and more people have been making the switch to a private profile in their account settings. For that reason, I put together this tutorial to compile some techniques that work so that we can view a private Instagram profile and begin researching our customer base. 1. Private Instagram Viewer Tools First, we’ll look at the proliferation of online private profile viewer tools and how they work. Some of these apps claim that their viewer software works without a survey step, but my preliminary research suggests that very few of them allow you to view a private Instagram with no survey or so-called ‘human verification’ stage. This is undoubtedly a frustrating element of using these tools because it adds a time-consuming step to what should be a basic function. Nevertheless, it does provide a solution to those seeking an answer to whether there is indeed a way to view a private Instagram. While a simple Google search will unearth many of the available tools, I would suggest keeping other strategies in mind since none of these tools can guarantee to generate every locked photo from any given profile. Those private Instagram viewer tools that do work with no survey are in demand and can be difficult to find. 2. View Private Instagram With Archived Or Cached Photos For a popular profile that has recently been made private, you’ll often find that the existing photos from that page are readily available on the web from other sources. The profile I’m using in this example is still public, but this method would work even if the individual decided to turn their profile private. I’ll illustrate the technique for you step-by-step: A variation on this method is to enter the URL to the Wayback Machine with an asterisk appended to it. For example: https://www.instagram.com/kimkardashian/* The Wayback Machine will then pull up and list all results for this profile, and will also allow you to filter those results to show only files of a typical type (e.g. jpeg). Of course, if you are concerned that the profile you’ve chosen for your research will go private in the future you can simply download the material while its still public. If you decide this will take too much time, then you might consider using a tool like Archive.is to grab a copy of any web page in its current state. This archived version will then remain available to you (and others) through the Archive.is website. 3. Send A Follow Request (Or Setup A Burner Profile) We know… we know… you want to know how to view a private Instagram without resorting to sending that individual a follow request. There are many reasons for this: firstly it might risk seeming unprofessional to send a request to a fan of your page, then there’s the simple fact that you may not want the owner of the profile to know that you would like to view their content. We also might want to keep our ‘following:followers’ ratio down to avoid the impression we’re running a ‘like-for-a-like’ style page. Nevertheless, if the pros of sending a follow request outweigh the cons (and you’re confident the person will accept the request), then it’ll be a worthwhile step to take. If, on the other hand, you cannot send a request or your request has been declined or ignored then you might want to get more creative with your approach. Although it might take some extra time, an alternative idea is to set up what’s known as a ‘burner’ profile. Here you’ll register a new Instagram under your name or an alias. Add some content to the profile if you wish and then use this page to send a follow request to the private profile you want to view. Of course, there is always a chance the request will be denied but in many cases, you’ll end up with access to the profile you wanted to see. 4. Find Photos On Other Social Media Platforms As a last resort after trying the various methods above, you may have to give up on viewing photos through Instagram itself. Luckily, as we all know, Instagram isn’t the only social network around today with hundreds of millions or even billions of users. The best way to view the person’s photos on say, Facebook, instead of Instagram is to gather as much data as you possibly can from what is still public on their profile. Even on a locked Instagram, you can still see the user’s handle, name, and byline. If the byline includes a location or place of work/study, then you have a very high chance of identifying the person on Facebook. Go over to Facebook and search using the person’s name + city or name + place of work and then head across to the ‘People’ tab. If you find a matching profile, you can then generally view at least some of their photos even if you are not friends with them. Of course, in an ideal scenario, we’d simply bypass the private Instagram’s settings and view the photos immediately. However, this step is a backup plan in case our efforts earlier haven’t allowed us to see a private Instagram profile that we wish to view. We hope that this step-by-step tutorial helped lead you through how to view a private Instagram. Don’t forget to check out the FAQs section below if we didn’t cover everything you wanted to know just yet… 5. FAQs By now, we should already be viewing those private Instagram photos we require for our research. This section of the tutorial is intended to answer any of the most common questions I’ve received as succinctly as possible (even where they’ve already been answered above). Can I view private Instagram profiles without following? Yes, from the techniques described earlier in this article you would want to focus your efforts on trying no. 1,2, or 4. These are best suited to those that cannot or will not try to follow the profile they wish to view. Most often this will involve using a private Instagram viewer tool but remember to be careful when using these sites and choose a reputable service where possible. Is it possible to hack a private Instagram? No. ‘Hack’ is an ambiguous word, of course, but in the most common sense of ‘breaking into’ profiles to reveal their contents then the answer is no. From time to time, bugs emerge on social networks like Instagram and Facebook, but they tend to be patched very quickly. To the best of my knowledge, there are no current bugs or exploits available that could allow you to hack a private profile. Even if such an exploit did exist it would be wise to remember that it may be dangerous to do anything that is against the Terms Of Service of the company itself. You may end up risking repercussions that don’t merit taking this kind of risk. How can I see private Instagram photos without an account? If you don’t have an Instagram account you, can set one up in a very short amount of time and begin following profiles. If for any reason you cannot do this, again, you might want to focus your efforts on no. 1,2, or 4 of the strategies for viewing private profiles discussed above. ]]>http://traffikd.com/instagram/view-private-instagram-profiles/feed/0http://traffikd.com/instagram/view-private-instagram-profiles/The Complete Guide To Instagram Marketing For 2017 (Part 1)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/traffikd/~3/a4Yewd9oZs4/ http://traffikd.com/instagram/complete-guide-to-instagram-marketing/#respondSat, 28 Jan 2017 20:12:56 +0000http://traffikd.com/?p=888Twenty-sixteen was the year in which social media platforms like Instagram reached near-full maturity. While innovation slows and adoption levels reach saturation, it’s easy to assume that marketers are getting savvier on how to fully exploit the potential of such a powerful medium for engaging consumers. But the truth, in our opinion, is that many ... ]]>Twenty-sixteen was the year in which social media platforms like Instagram reached near-full maturity. While innovation slows and adoption levels reach saturation, it’s easy to assume that marketers are getting savvier on how to fully exploit the potential of such a powerful medium for engaging consumers. But the truth, in our opinion, is that many marketers and brands are still failing to properly harness the innate power of Instagram in boosting sales and brand recognition. That’s the reason why we decided to put together the most comprehensive guide yet to turbo-charge your marketing efforts and improve your results where it matters — Eyeballs, Engagement, and Earnings. Niche Suitability It goes without saying that Instagram as a social platform is inherently, erm… visual. This can certainly deter smaller brands and blogs because the effort and expertise required is perceived to be higher. Not only that but there’s no escaping the fact that some types of content do better on a platform like Instagram than others. These are what I consider to be niches that have a full natural compatibility with Instagram: Travel Food Luxury/Lifestyle Goods Automobiles Fashion Health Fitness This is not to say that brands in other spaces cannot do very well with their marketing efforts on Instagram. They most certainly can do well but it is somewhat more difficult and may require a greater degree of creativity in your approach. As you read each broad niche in the list above it won’t have been difficult for your brain to start sparking with logical ideas for posts. But this is only half the battle — proper execution and engagement are what brings success. Note: if your business operates in a different niche to those above, you should keep reading. Approaches that blend elements of humor, for example, can work for any brand. We’ll also look at examples of using data visualizations and daily motivational images as effective types of Instagram content. Case Study: Effective Content For Any Niche Whilst we may invest a considerable amount of time in our Instagram content strategy it goes without saying that drawing people to your posts in the first places is only half the battle. Later in this post, we’ll talk about turning ‘eyeballs’ into meaningful engagement through a variety of strategies. For now, however, let’s take a look at one or two examples of how anyone can put together an Instagram post with a winning formula in a short amount of time. Let’s take one particular example: a business or blog in the car industry. In this case, you’ll be seeking to engage with the large online community of car enthusiasts who are potential buyers of your merchandise or readers of your blog. How might we go about it? For an interesting viral fact, we’ll head over to Reddit and it’s highly popular ‘Today I Learned‘ (TIL) subreddit. Use the search bar and enter our keyword ‘car’ and be sure to check the box to limit your search to this particular subreddit. Next, sort the results by ‘top’ and show links from ‘all time’. Immediately we’ll find some short, punchy facts related to cars that have gone viral in the past. In this respect, the Reddit audience becomes your own personal focus group showing which information is most compelling and shareable. On this occasion, I’m going to pick a top result regarding Mercedes-Benz cars. Now we’ll head over to Pixlr and its fantastic, free Express Tool. Click ‘Open URL’ and head on over to Google Images. A simple search for ‘new Mercedes-Benz’ will bring up a huge number of results. Pick one and select ‘View image’. Copy and paste the URL over to Pixlr Express and use the ‘Type’ tool to immediately add text over the top of your image. Here’s something I came up with in less than 5 minutes: All that’s left is to save your image and share it on your Instagram profile! Note: this is just one of many strategies for producing content and it can be made applicable to almost any niche by modifying the steps above. In subsequent parts of this blog post series, we’ll look at other methods of putting together posts with viral potential. You may want to add a watermark to your images in Pixlr so that your brand may still receive exposure if others take and repost the image. Getting An Audience For Your Content Let’s say you’ve been inspired to act and now have some nice content prepared. Unfortunately, this alone is usually not enough to get serious traction for your page. Once a page gets some initial popularity it will often grow exponentially in what is known colloquially as the ‘snowball effect’. The trouble is… getting this initial momentum for your page is the most difficult proposition of all. Let’s take a look at a few ways you might get the follows and likes flowing. Reach Out And Network With Influencers In Your Niche This is a simple and often highly effective place to start. Using a tool like BuzzSumo you can identify individuals in your industry that have already built up influence. It’ll also help you to observe which types of content are doing well in your niche so you can further tailor your formula for success. Once you’ve identified people already achieving traction with your target audience you can begin engaging with their content yourself or making your introductions in the hope of getting a mention. However, remember that the cardinal rule of networking is to make yourself useful to the person you approach. Give them a useful tip or a piece of content you found that you think their audience might appreciate. Don’t dive in asking for a favor right off the bat because it isn’t likely to work. Run A Physical Business? Harness Your Customers If you have a physical storefront or you serve customers at their location, then don’t let this opportunity go to waste. Make sure your advertising material contains a plug for your page and a compelling reason for them to check you out. Have A Contest Or Offer Exclusive Discounts There’s no escaping one simple fact: money motivates consumers. Whether it’s winning a prize or saving money on purchases this is a proven method of attracting people to your page. Try this guide on holding a successful Instagram contest and if you run an ecommerce site, consider releasing coupon codes with savings exclusively through Instagram. Bring Existing Audiences Over To Instagram Those people that have liked your Facebook page or subscribed on YouTube are already likely to have a keen interest in your brand and now that Instagram is a fully mature platform in its own right, it’s likely your customers are already on board. Make sure they know about your Instagram profile and ensure the process of them following you is as frictionless as possible with a direct link. Turn Your Blog Into A Follower Magnet If your content is already reaching readers outside of social media then your options for engaging with this pre-existing audience are dramatically greater. Your blog is your own terrain and through the smart use of plugins you can coax readers and turn them into social subscribers. There are literally thousands of social media plugins out there today. A couple of my favorites include Pay With A Like(‘charge’ readers a share to access content) and this Smart Social Slider. Tap The Social Element Of Social Media AKA “Squad Goals” Many large Instagram pages prompt their followers to ‘tag a friend’. From a marketing perspective this incentive is dynamite because it is natural but also extremely effective at introducing new people to your page. As an example, food pages will often show an oversized delicious meal (known as ‘food porn’) then tell followers to tag a friend with whom they’d like to share this. This kind of involvement taps into the essence of social media and the burgeoning ‘squad goals’ trend (essentially meaning any real life experience anyone would like to do or share with their circle of friends). A Quick Word On Paid-For Followers… In general, I would suggest avoiding paid followers or likes. The followers are likely to be spam accounts and even if they are real people, they are unlikely to have any real connection to your content. The one instance in which I will acknowledge a small benefit of paid-for engagement is in exhibiting social proof. In the case of Instagram, the mere perception that your page is more popular than it really is can encourage more individuals to follow. However, bear in mind that while this is a well-established psychological principle, the strategy itself is fairly duplicitous and perhaps unethical depending on your viewpoint. In subsequent installments of this Instagram marketing blog post series, we will explore a number of these techniques in step-by-step detail. For now, allow these ideas to spark your own imagination. Converting Instagram Metrics Into Sales At this point, we have concocted a couple of clever strategies to generate intriguing content and some techniques for getting our audience’s eyeballs onto that material. In the next part of this Instagram Marketing series, we will look more closely at how we can fully capitalize on our social audience where it really matters: profitability. Whether your business model incorporates affiliate marketing, contextual ads or product sales we’re going to be looking at how to drive social audiences to the places that matter. Perhaps you’re running a fashion brand or a vape shop. You have professional aesthetic photography and you’re sharing it on your Instagram profile but you know your customers have a limited amount of time and can’t go hunting through your inventory for every item that catches their eye. Here we can look at solutions for making your Instagram feed shoppable, such as the one offered by Dash Hudson. Once we have our audience engaged with our content our goal becomes to take them from curiosity to sale as easily and as quickly as possible. Stay Tuned For Part 2 where I’ll explore the potential benefits of Instagram for ad and affiliate driven businesses too… ]]>http://traffikd.com/instagram/complete-guide-to-instagram-marketing/feed/0http://traffikd.com/instagram/complete-guide-to-instagram-marketing/Best Practices in SEO: Ride the Google Updates Without Fearhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/traffikd/~3/k9MJSPGPcac/ http://traffikd.com/seo/best-practices-in-seo-ride-the-google-updates-without-fear/#respondSat, 28 Jan 2017 09:17:25 +0000http://traffikd.com/?p=808Google does not share the intricacies of its algorithms openly, so webmasters cannot pinpoint the kind of SEO issues that they are likely to face. Take 2011’s Panda and 2012’s Penguin updates – the scope of these updates and their impact on SEO practices – just couldn’t be predicted. What we do know is that ... ]]>Google does not share the intricacies of its algorithms openly, so webmasters cannot pinpoint the kind of SEO issues that they are likely to face. Take 2011’s Panda and 2012’s Penguin updates – the scope of these updates and their impact on SEO practices – just couldn’t be predicted. What we do know is that Google launches about 100-odd updates every year; however, it is near-impossible to say if another Panda or a Penguin can hit us any time soon. But some shifts of a more fundamental nature can affect the way we look at SEO. Here are a few things you can ponder over. #1 The increasing importance of structured data: Presently, Google does not have many indicators to evaluate the quality of website content. It is expected that structured ‘microdata’ may soon become an important factor that helps search engines objectively appraise website content and score/rank websites accordingly. #2 Decisions driven by data: 2012 was the year of ‘big data’, which involved the processing and evaluation of big data sets to support decision-making in the real world. Marketers are expected to rely on big data more and more, to make important SEO decisions. There are many reasons why big data is increasingly being leveraged by digital marketers: – Social media is generating massive data – Data is being migrated to the cloud, which facilitates easy analysis and sharing – There is easier access to organizational and institutional data – Data standards are allowing greater potential for informed analysis of different types of data How does big data play a part in SEO? Data makes it simpler for search engines to understand and analyze web content, and get the answers they’re looking for. Google is already using semantic information for content assessment. An awareness of different schemas adopted by search engines can enable you to inspect content in the context of semantics, and make better SEO decisions. #3 Value-driven content marketing will be critical: For your content marketing strategies to bear fruit, you will need to focus more on creating valuable content that readers find useful and appreciate genuinely. This way, you’ll be establishing trust, attracting referral traffic and getting more inbound backlinks. All of which can push your search engine ranking higher without too much effort. Is it time to say goodbye to old SEO methods? Now that you have a glimpse into the possible shifts in the SEO domain (for 2013 and the near future), it’s time to look at your current search optimization practices and figure out how to develop a sustainable SEO strategy. Are they giving you the same results as they did earlier? Can you do better? Let’s evaluate. Guest posts versus article submissions Once upon a time article submissions to the likes of ezine were good ways to get quick links to your website. But do you want to spend time and effort in link-building when there is a better solution? Guest posts are much more authoritative ways to announce your presence, establish trust and get quality references from authoritative sites. It makes more sense to build relationships with bloggers and concentrate on adding value to the particulars sites and communities to which you contribute blogs. If you don’t have the in-house resources for it, you can hire a writer to create compelling guest blogs on your behalf. Automation makes your brand less human Using automated tools for your social media outreach efforts is no longer such a good idea. Granted, it helps busy business owners stay social with least effort, but it defeats the whole purpose of engaging personally on social media networks. The beauty of social media is that it gives you your own distinct voice – one that you can share however you want to gain loyal fans. Make time for social media posts and updates; no one knows your brand, product or industry better than you do. So it is obvious that it is you who should be interacting with your followers online. It’s time to expand your traffic portfolio Just like how a diversified investment portfolio is a smart idea, a diverse traffic portfolio is a great way to manage risk and make the most of options other than Google to drive organic traffic to your site. Keep Google on your list of course, but also actively explore other pathways that can multiply your traffic numbers. The most obvious example is to seek out and actively engage your potential audience on social media. More focus on quality content Thin content doesn’t get you links, quality content does. If you’ve paid heed to this golden rule, chances are Panda and Penguin may not have interfered with your site ranking. Always emphasized upon, yet seldom heeded to, content is the lifeblood of any site and a key factor in any good SEO plan. You should not just write for search engines but also for your target audience. Like an author, your goal should be to build an audience that keeps coming back for more. If you’d rather outsource to professional writing services, go ahead and do it. It will be worth the investment, as long as you get link-worthy, engaging and highly-relevant content. Website design still not up to the mark? Nothing like a poorly-designed website to drive away customers and sales. A functional, optimized and attractive website is integral to any SEO effort. You may want to engage the services of a reliable web design company to enjoy a people-friendly and search engine-friendly website. When you get your SEO techniques right, algorithm updates won’t matter a great deal. Follow best practices and re-evaluate them with the passage of time to stay relevant and on top of search engine rankings! ]]>http://traffikd.com/seo/best-practices-in-seo-ride-the-google-updates-without-fear/feed/0http://traffikd.com/seo/best-practices-in-seo-ride-the-google-updates-without-fear/Twitter Step by Stephttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/traffikd/~3/2D0YGg2jyNo/ http://traffikd.com/twitter/twitter-step-by-step/#commentsWed, 23 Nov 2011 13:30:19 +0000http://traffikd.com/?p=658Twitter management can be a daunting task. There are a lot of articles telling you the do's and don'ts of Twitter, however it can still be difficult to pin down exactly what you should be doing each day step by step. If you are having a hard time getting organized and keeping up with everything you should be doing on Twitter here is the list that is going to let you discover and hammer out your personal routine. ]]>Twitter management can be a daunting task. There are a lot of articles telling you the do’s and don’ts of Twitter, however it can still be difficult to pin down exactly what you should be doing each day step by step. If you are having a hard time getting organized and keeping up with everything you should be doing on Twitter here is the list that is going to let you discover and hammer out your personal routine. To make things easier, we put the daily activities into four steps: Analysis, Activity, Management and Exploration Analysis – Research the effectiveness of your Twitter activities to make future decisions. Check the data gathered by link shorteners to see which links/tweets perform the best Examine dashboard analytic data for feedback Keep records of tweets getting the most response, via retweets, comments or other responses Activity – Taking action within Twitter and making tweets Schedule tweets using your management software or publish them yourself Check Direct Messages and @ mentions and respond Find valuable content from others and retweet it Management – Organize the incoming and outgoing information, making it as easy as possible to find and handle everything you need. Organize users into lists to keep up with specific groups at once Set up your social media management software to filter your information into a more manageable format Make sure your also budget your time efficiently, give each task an appropriate amount of time, whatever that may be. Also consider making a daily timetable to remind yourself how you want to spend your time. Exploration – Find new information that you want to share or investigate further. Follow relevant blogs or information sources for current and breaking information to use Use search engines to find more information about the most relevant keywords to your topic Explore what brands, corporations, topically relevant celebrities and even competitors are saying Follow any sources you find in the future to build a good information base for yourself Follow this workflow setup and you will have a clear idea of what you should be doing and why. Also important is when you do each task. Do you like to explore at the end of the day and compile new material for the next morning, or are you just the opposite? Does checking your direct messages give you new ideas for things to research or help you analyze your most popular topics? Set up your own workflow and timetable chart the way that works best for you. Do you have any tips or comments on how you like to organize yourself on twitter? Please let me know with your comments! ]]>http://traffikd.com/twitter/twitter-step-by-step/feed/6http://traffikd.com/twitter/twitter-step-by-step/SEO Tips For Your Blog and Businesshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/traffikd/~3/L2nVuMNgNUE/ http://traffikd.com/seo/seo-blog-tips/#commentsWed, 26 Oct 2011 12:52:07 +0000http://traffikd.com/?p=632When was the last time you thought about your site beyond adding content? It is probably time to take a look at how things are organized. When you started the site you had certain goals, ideas and experiences, now as time has passed it is a good idea to take another look at those goals ... When was the last time you thought about your site beyond adding content? It is probably time to take a look at how things are organized. When you started the site you had certain goals, ideas and experiences, now as time has passed it is a good idea to take another look at those goals and see what’s new. Below are 3 website SEO tips that everyone running a website needs to analyze frequently, especially with changing times and trends. How to Structure a Website Take a look at your homepage and ask yourself a few questions from the perspective of a new user. Is it easy for you to access different pages and find the information, products or services that you are looking for? What is the formatting like, is it search engine and user friendly? Does the site deliver the right message and target the key points you are looking to communicate to readers? These three basic points will help to determine how effectively the website is structured and are good questions to ask to find ways to improve. Let’s take a closer look at each in turn. The first thing to look at is website format. You will want to be appealing to people, and have a aesthetically pleasing layout, but also consider being search engine friendly. Do you have the right words in the right places? Too many images, videos or animation with nothing for a search engine to grab on to? Consider having an SEO company take a look at things if you are not sure what you can improve on. Ease of navigation can be a big stumbling point for users. It must be easy to find what you are looking for quickly, and if your internal navigation is subpar things can get tricky. Put popular pages in an easy to find spot with good labeling. Consider having broad topics on the home page and then being more targeted internally. The goal is to get people clicking through and avoid creating a high bounce rate. Making sure you have a clear message will let people know they have come to the right place and encourage them to stay within your site to find what they have come looking for. Along with having a clear message, include key points of your site. Key posts, special deals or discounts and current information should be readily available immediately. If these three aspects are combined, you will find that you have a much more effective site, increasing traffic, lowering bounce rates and generating more sales. Pick the Right Keywords One thing that is constant in life is that things will always change. If you haven’t taken time recently to go over the keywords on your website, now is the time. Trends in your niche, new sites targeting the same keywords and changes in search patterns can all disrupt your keyword targeting aspirations. Staying current is imperative; ranking #1 in Google for a keyword that gets no searches is not going to bring in much traffic. Frequent research and development on this front will help you stay ahead of the game. Plus this kind of research could give you deeper insights into your niche. Check this out for more information on how to choose keywords. Taking Charge of your Purpose If visitors to your site are ever saying to themselves, “Umm, so what do I do?” something is wrong. A website should have a strong purpose and it should be obvious what that purpose is when someone arrives at your site. No one will be asking what to do because you will be telling them up front, this is what you’re here to see and this is how you do it. Whether it’s signing up to a newsletter, finding a link to buy your product or asking a question on the forum you can help guide people to where they want to be. If you can answer the questions, “What is the purpose of this page and what am I going to get from it?” then you are on the right track. It’s important to stay active in running a website. Content is important but there is certainly more to it than that if you want to be successful. For more information right from the source, check out the Google Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide. Happy User! Have some more SEO tips? Personal strategies that you used? Let us know what you think in the comments! ]]>http://traffikd.com/seo/seo-blog-tips/feed/9http://traffikd.com/seo/seo-blog-tips/How To Choose Keywordshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/traffikd/~3/sP5nHhyJ-8s/ http://traffikd.com/seo/how-to-choose-keywords/#commentsMon, 17 Oct 2011 09:20:02 +0000http://traffikd.com/?p=624Every day millions of searches are performed on the internet and all of those search terms are saved and provided to us to peruse at our discretion. Unfortunately, on the other hand, there are millions of searches performed every day on the internet and ALL that data is saved and provided to us to peruse at our discretion. So how can you go about tapping into this resource without getting bogged down and lost in all that information? In this guide you will find out how to choose keywords, research and test them and read the results. ]]>Every day millions of searches are performed on the internet and all of those search terms are saved and provided to us to peruse at our discretion. Unfortunately, on the other hand, there are millions of searches performed every day on the internet and ALL that data is saved and provided to us to peruse at our discretion. So how can you go about tapping into this resource without getting bogged down and lost in all that information? In this guide you will find out how to choose keywords, research and test them and read the results. The first stop on the journey of how to choose keywords will be The Google AdWords Keyword Tool which will provide you with the data from those millions of searchs we were talking about. The first thing you will see that we now need some keywords and phrases to query. Picking Your Keywords Although there is no exact science to keyword research there are some tips that you can keep in mind while brainstorming. First of all, try to think like someone who knows that they are looking for your product and input those results, then move down the spectrum. Think like someone who might have a looser idea of what they want, or not know the name of the product. If the first example person is searching for “hammer”, the second person might search for “nail installer”, another person may search for “how to connect wood together”. This may seem far out, but in the keyword analysis stage more is much better, as you might come across a search term that is a little off kilter that no one is yet targeting. A great feature of the Google Keyword Tool is that it provides you with a list of search terms that it thinks are similar to the keywords you’ve specified. This can be another great way to expand your thinking when picking your keywords. In addition to the Google Keyword Tools similar search terms list, you can use the Keyword-Finder.net keyword finder which will take one initial keyword which you provide and reward you with a number of related keyword ideas which you can use with the Google Keyword Tool! Narrowing Down the List Now that you’ve compiled a list of keywords and plugged them into the Keyword Tool it’s time to analyze the results and pick the ones to target. There are some things that you will have to look at and decide for yourself which route you want to take. Some keywords will receive millions of searches, some others thousands and some hundreds or even none. Very broad or basic keywords probably get millions of hits and will probably be very lucrative and target by a lot of companies, probably some with large advertising budgets and teams of people working to get to the top. If that scene is for you then by all means go for the big fish term and attempt to get to the top rank, however that may not be a viable option for everyone. A great way to go is to look for on topic, longer keywords that are getting moderate amounts of searches and go after those. Do some Google searches for these keywords and see what comes up on the first page, is it strong websites with relevant information that are already providing a good service to people making those searches or shoddy turnkey sites or other off topic sites? Look at what you find when making a decision on what to do with each keyword. Remember, “long tail” keywords comprise the majority of the searches on the internet and so provide a way for you to get a foothold in your market with some careful research. Keyword Testing So you’ve done your research and now it’s time to test what you’ve picked. If you have time to wait and see how things go you can just go ahead and optimize your site for your chosen keywords and wait a few months to see how things play out organically. On the other hand, if you are looking for results a bit faster, consider running an AdWords campaign for your keyword for a short period (long enough to get some realistic data though, anywhere from days to a few weeks depending on the traffic they keyword is getting). With the test data on your keyword you will have a lot of new data. You’ll see updated impressions showing you the most current search data, how many visitors you received from your keyword and also how many of them convert to sales, if that happens to be your thing. You can take that data and run with it. Maybe you’ll find that most of your searches are done on the weekend and that people coming from a specific keyword are converting better than another. Any data you get from this will help you, even if the keywords you’ve chosen aren’t working you’ll have a better idea of what to look for in the future. Keywords are always evolving and many search terms will fluctuate in volume over time. It’s important to stay up to date and always look at what keywords you are targeting. If you make a lot of posts, make sure you are taking the time to do some research on what to cover and if you have a mostly static website make sure that it is optimized and your keywords are still relevant to your brand. Remember, choosing good keywords can propel you forward while choosing irrelevant ones will leave you in the dust, so always do your research BEFORE you start your project. Do you have experience choosing keywords? More questions on what to do or look for? Write a comment and let me know! ]]>http://traffikd.com/seo/how-to-choose-keywords/feed/6http://traffikd.com/seo/how-to-choose-keywords/Why Social Media Isn’t Working For Youhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/traffikd/~3/tQMp-NvN0aw/ http://traffikd.com/smm/why-social-media-isnt-working-for-you/#commentsMon, 26 Sep 2011 08:49:39 +0000http://traffikd.com/?p=603So you took the first step and signed yourself up for some social media sites and started marketing yourself and now you're waiting for the traffic to start rolling in. You've done your research about social media marketing and everyone tells you to find followers, engage them and turn them into customers. Why isn't it working for you then? ]]>So you took the first step and signed yourself up for some social media sites and started marketing yourself and now you’re waiting for the traffic to start rolling in. You’ve done your research about social media marketing and everyone tells you to find followers, engage them and turn them into customers. Why isn’t it working for you then? Have a look at what steps you’ve taken and question whether they are helping or hindering you. Take a look at these items that might be damaging your chances at success or preventing you from achieving your social media goals… 1. You’re Being Too Self Centered Here is the secret about people. Everyone is pretty worried about themselves and if you want to reach someone you need to be worried about them too. People are only interested in you insofar as they are concerned about how you can help them. Think in terms of how you can provide value to these people. The easiest way to do this is to just worry about how you can help someone else, not talking about yourself and what you are going to get out of it. 2. You Aren’t Visible You can write what you know and what you love all day. This might give people an idea of who you are and what you think but it probably leaves a lot to the imagination as well. If you take some time to get out and interact with people, via responding to comments, making comments on other blogs and through social media sites, you will make yourself much more visible to others. Doing this gives you credibility too, when people see you around and providing interesting commentary they will be more likely to check you out. Try to stay within your niche as well, because that’s where your target audience is going to be. 3. You Are Too Serious There is such a thing as thinking about something too much. If you are going around reading articles about how to be the best you can be, and that’s a noble goal, make sure to take a step back and evaluate what you’ve been told. Maybe certain things aren’t for you, or you could come up with something new that really works. Test things out and make mistakes if you have to. Just because you haven’t heard it from a social media guru doesn’t mean it can never work. Leave some room for being spontaneous in with all your planning. 4. You Are An Island It might sound counterintuitive, but promoting other peoples posts can be beneficial for you. If someone in your niche has made a great post, share it. If there is a cool new product that is related to yours, let your followers know. People will appreciate the value that you bring and you will grow your reputation. Maybe next time when you come up with something great people will be more receptive, knowing that you are someone who shares good content, regardless of the source. 5. You Are On The Wrong Network Not being on the right networks can prove to be a real problem, but with a bit of research you can find the right spot for your audience. You (hopefully) know who your target market is, so all you need to do is identify where they congregate on the internet. For example, if you are in the graphic design industry a place like deviantArt would be an amazing place for you to begin networking. On the other hand if you are in the vacuum cleaner business, deviantArt would not be for you. Get out of networks where your target audience isn’t and concentrate your time where you can reach more people. 6. No One Is Sharing Your Content Its a good idea to check that you’ve provided easy ways for people to share your content. Tools like TweetButton or StumbleUpon buttons are simple to add and make it so much easier for people to share your stuff with others. The easier you make it to share, the more likely people are to do it. It doesn’t hurt to have a button or two built in as a reminder, as long as it isn’t gaudy. 7. Your Site Isn’t Captivating Maybe you’ve done a good job with your social media outreach. People followed you and see your messages regularly, but traffic has remained pretty constant and hasn’t gone up, or sales are still holding at the same rates. You might need to take a look at your whole operation, website included. Take a look and consider things that could use improvement. Run some tests with friends/family/person you met off the street five minutes ago. Ask them to have a look at your site and offer feedback for improvements, set up a poll, get the information and make some positive changes. For some more help check out some tips from Copyblogger. 8. You’re a Seller Don’t sell anything to anyone. If someone thinks they are being pitched to they will turn off and put up guards so you have no chance of getting in. Instead just provide useful services that people WANT and then let them decide on their own what they need. If you have the patience to let people come to you and you are there providing value to them in some form, be it great content or useful products and services; not only will they be more receptive, but they’ll remember you as the person who helped them out instead of the pushy salesperson! 9. You’re Getting Discouraged and Want to Give Up Like many great undertakings, social media promotion doesn’t yield results overnight. Have faith in your product and keep getting the word out. If you are persistant you will be discovered by people and if they like what they see they’ll bring other people in on it. Don’t let a slow start get you down, keep your social presence high and wait for good things to come your way. 10. You’re not Having Fun Take a moment to think right now. Social media, hmm, so I’m spending time on sites like Facebook for work. That’s something most people would have to reserve for leisure time! Now consider that as well. If many people are using social media for fun how can you reach them. You need something interesting and fun to grab their interest away from looking at pictures of puppies or hearing about what someone did on the weekend, even if its for a few minutes. Write something out of the ordinary that’s just for fun, see how it plays out. Find other interesting people in your niche and follow them, interact with the community and have some fun! If you’re enjoying what you’re doing that’s going to show and people are going to gravitate towards you all the more. What is your top reason for getting down on yourself about social media? Did you ever want to quit? Did you make a change and see great results? Write a comment and let us know! ]]>http://traffikd.com/smm/why-social-media-isnt-working-for-you/feed/4http://traffikd.com/smm/why-social-media-isnt-working-for-you/How Do I Tweet – Writing the $6 Million Dollar Tweethttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/traffikd/~3/MlHSnp4ccpw/ http://traffikd.com/twitter/how-do-i-tweet/#commentsMon, 19 Sep 2011 09:20:13 +0000http://traffikd.com/?p=568Twitter recently made claims that they had reached 100 million users. A fairly impressive feat to be sure, and that is reflected in the pull people give to twitter as a social media outlet. Great tweets can make you a star as fast bad ones can kill your image. Most of the time tweets just pass through the world, generally ignored, floating on into oblivion. With over 200 million tweets a day it’s easy to get flooded and have your tweets sink out of sight. It’s even easier to fall into bad habits like self-promoting too much without engaging or talking to others, appearing like you’re just there to sell, sell, sell. Spend some time following one and you will find that nothing is more boring than a spammer, which is what you can quickly turn into if what you post isn’t interesting. ]]>Twitter recently made claims that they had reached 100 million users. A fairly impressive feat to be sure, and that is reflected in the pull people give to twitter as a social media outlet. Great tweets can make you a star as fast bad ones can kill your image. Most of the time tweets just pass through the world, generally ignored, floating on into oblivion. With over 200 million tweets a day it’s easy to get flooded and have your tweets sink out of sight. It’s even easier to fall into bad habits like self-promoting too much without engaging or talking to others, appearing like you’re just there to sell, sell, sell. Spend some time following one and you will find that nothing is more boring than a spammer, which is what you can quickly turn into if what you post isn’t interesting. When you’ve only got 140 characters to work with it becomes easy to boil down what matters. It’s not proper paragraph structure or worrying about run on sentences here, in fact WHAT you say doesn’t matter as much as HOW you say it. So we worry about the most basic things we can worry about, getting people interested enough to read what’s in your links or just stop and think about what you’ve said for a few seconds. Let’s call that The Readification Factor. Second thing we’re going to worry about is how likely people are to retweet what you’re saying, because let’s face it; you don’t have 100 million twitter followers, so you could use the publicity here. We’ll call that one The Will-They-Retweet-It Factor. Make sure not to focus on one over the other, as you’re going to need both to make your $40 million dollar tweet a reality. So now let’s go through the steps that are going to lead you to engineer this awe inspiring, powerful bit of awesomeness. 1. Know Your Audience This should be easy to do. You know your business and you know who you are targeting. First of all do a double take and make sure that the people you are targeting and the people who are following you are one and the same. Now as you write your tweet keep those people in mind, write to their likes and in the language they associate with. For example, the followers of your denture cream review blog might not get the hilarious reference to the latest epic internet memes. Take the time to write for your audience, don’t just spit something out and assume that everyone will just “get it”. 2. Don’t Become a Spammy-McSpammer-with-Nothing-to-Say Have you ever followed someone on twitter who posted way too much? They spam your feed with meaningless tweets and links. They use hashtags and @ mentions until you see them in your dreams. That is annoying, and it is a quick way to get you removed by a lot of followers. Now look at your feed. Who are you drawn to? Who is memorable? Think about why. People with interesting and useful things to say are remembered and people will add them to lists so they can keep up with what is happening with those people. Most people follow a new person and have a period of time where they form an opinion of them based on how they act. Sharing value when it’s appropriate, having good insight and generally being a good source of entertainment or information will build up to the point where we associate that person with excellence. Oh, and make sure you have a distinct profile picture too. People are going to remember you by your name and your picture. So now that you’ve built a good reputation, keep it up and you will continue to grow a following of people who actually want to hear what you have to say. So don’t mess it up, keep all your tweets to a high standard. Excellent! SPAM! 3. People Only Read the Headline Look around a bit next time you’re out and about and find a newspaper. Yes, I’m sure they still make those. Newspapers are in the business of headlines. They’re big, they’re flashy and they draw you in to all the tiny words below. Now consider twitter. 140 characters. That doesn’t leave a lot of room to talk about just why your link is so great and everyone should read it. You’ve got to “WOW!” them with the headline, so let’s think about that now. You want to draw people in like with the newspaper, so you’re going to need to make that headline sound interesting enough that people are going to want to buy your “newspaper” based on that alone. If you saw a headline that said, “Hey buy this paper because its really good and I want to make lots of money off of you”, would that be incentive for you to take action? Yes, maybe if that action was to walk on past with a look of revulsion across your face. People aren’t on twitter looking to be sold to, so let’s not do that. Oh and let’s be clear about what we’re promoting here. It’s not the link that you want to sell; it’s what’s in the link, the content, which matters, so make sure that’s what you’re promoting. 4. Learn to Spell… and Punctuate!!!! This may be the most important tip you can get for posting anything on the internet, anywhere. Poor spelling, grammar and punctuation are the three fastest ways to get dismissed, flamed or hated on the internet. Even if you’re making good points and adding value many people will ignore that and focus on the spelling or grammar. This rule covers everything you might write anywhere, not just on twitter or even the internet. Here are some quick tips to avoid this misfortune. Use commas and periods. Use exclamation points if necessary, not all the time. Question marks go after questions, you know? DON’T SHOUT! Capitals go at the start of a sentence and in proper nouns. Unless you really are shouting don’t use all caps. Do not invent some weird form of text talk or copy someone else’s. Have you ever read a book? Pretend you are writing in a book. You would not see someone write a book with every other letter capitalized, weird short forms of words or extra letters added for no reason. Don’t do it, it is not cool, it is not hip, it is simply bad. Take some time to proof-read your tweets. Don’t tell me it takes too long; we both know how long it is, it can’t take you too much time. Heck, go ahead and run it through a spellchecker if you need to; it can only help you. Now, if you’re an accomplished linguist and writer then this is second nature and should be easy, though if punctuation and grammar aren’t your forte, take the extra time to learn and research. It will get easier and the payout will be grand indeed. 5. Give People Room for Add-ons in Their Retweets Leave a little room for retweeters to give you a boost when they pass on your message. “Wow, so insightful thanks!”, or “This just changed my life!” are going to add a lot of credibility to your post when they show up in the streams of people who might not have ever heard of you. Seeing positive remarks from friends or other people they trust will get people clicking and following you. Leaving those 25-30 characters for someone to add their own message to yours will encourage them to share and also leave your message intact; with all the work you’ve put into writing it you don’t want someone junking your words and filling it in with something poorly written and then having that reflect back on you as a retweet. On the other hand if you’ve come up with something really superb that doesn’t fit within the limits then go for it. Not everything you write will come out the perfect length to fit this mould and you shouldn’t sacrifice an amazing tweet to make it fit. Conclusion You might look at this list and all these rules and think about how twitter is about connecting with people, sharing and having fun. That’s true and you want to do that, but you can do all that while writing excellent, well formed tweets at the same time. The combination of these two will set you on the path towards excellence. Once you see the impact that comes from having well written headlines and sharing valuable, grammatically sound, well written and properly punctuated content you’ll wonder how you ever settled for anything less than well engineered perfection. Who are you favorite people to follow on twitter? What do they do that you like? Have you ever followed someone that you found was annoying and ended up unfollowing them? Let me know in the comments. ]]>http://traffikd.com/twitter/how-do-i-tweet/feed/6http://traffikd.com/twitter/how-do-i-tweet/Tips for Getting More Donehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/traffikd/~3/3bIJi0wcLNc/ http://traffikd.com/resources/tips-for-getting-more-done/#respondMon, 12 Sep 2011 08:38:10 +0000http://traffikd.com/?p=549This topic might not be 100% focused on social media or marketing but its important to remember these ideals and incorporate them into your day. These tips will be especially helpful for bloggers, designers, social media managers and people with a lot on their plate each day to get more done. ]]>This topic might not be 100% focused on social media or marketing but its important to remember these ideals and incorporate them into your day. These tips will be especially helpful for bloggers, designers, social media managers and people with a lot on their plate each day to get more done. Start Working Early Starting on your work when you have a whole day ahead of you can be a huge psychological boost. You may find that you are less stressed when you give yourself lots of time to get your work done and have a brighter outlook on the day. Whereas starting later can leave you feeling out of time and behind on your work, leaving you frazzled. Regardless of when you wake up and where you work, getting an early start will be helpful. If you work from an office you won’t have to worry about being late or traffic on the way in, and the pace is likely to be more relaxed where things could pick up later and get hectic. If you work at home, get up before the rest of the household and start the day with some uninterrupted work and time to yourself. For those people who live alone starting early will still give you an extra boost of productivity. Later on you will be able to wrap things up feeling good and without scrambling to finish your projects. Manage Your To-Do List Having a to-do list can definately help keep you organized, but when it grows from a cute little list of three or four items into a monster with 20+ things to grab your attention problems can arise. Try to keep focused on just a few tasks at once and organize your to-do list accordingly. You can seperate it into immediate and long term tasks and then further with major and minor ones. If your list starts to balloon don’t panic, just stay focused on completing the most important immediate tasks and then you can worry about moving on to a few more. Manage Your Time Now that your to-do list is under control you know what to do, but now the challenge is when to do it. Managing your time effectively is just as important as knowing what you need to do. Some times doing a few things at once works out Your time can easily get out of hand and is just necessary, but consider setting aside some time to give your attention to a single task for a while. Using blocks of time like this to work on your most important and immediate tasks can help you power through what needs to be done with great focus and speed. If waking up early leaves you behind still, time management like this can still get those important tasks completed on time. Lay Out Your Plans for Specific Tasks Organization is key. Knowing the steps you want to take before you even start a project will save you time and headaches down the line. Whether you write down the steps you plan to take for a large project or give a little bit of forethought to something smaller, effectively managing your projects is a prime example of how planning leads to success. Don’t Get Distracted Distractions are the bane of productivity, because they are by definition things that divide your attention, preventing you from focusing on your task. Working at a computer all day distractions are close at hand with just a few clicks. Games, recreational social media activities or interesting articles can all pull at your focus very easily if you let them. Especially when you’re using things like Twitter or Facebook for work you should be careful not to get sucked in. A good idea if you can is to set aside time for these possibly distracting activities, check your Twitter once each hour or twice a day depending on what your requirements are and then leave it alone otherwise. Don’t Take on Too Much at Once It is unlikely that at any given time you will have only one project on the go, and that is certainly a good thing, but make sure you don’t take on more than you can handle. Taking on fewer tasks and focusing more attention on them will enable you to work more effectively and efficiently. This will lead to projects being completed more quickly and maybe even with better results than if you had too much on your plate. You should still be able to keep working on the same volume of projects overall just completing individual jobs faster and then moving to the next. If you find your days are stressful and chaotic and productivity is suffering, take a look at how much you’ve taken on all at once and see how cutting back a little bit works for you. Pomodoro! Taking breaks can be just as important as working diligently. If you’re in the zone and flying through things keep it POMODORO!! up, but when your attention starts to wane or you hit a block try getting up and taking a short break. The Pomodoro System of taking breaks, named after a kitchen timer shaped like a tomato (Pomodoro is Italian for tomato) , revolves around 25 minute work periods with 5 minute breaks in between them, followed by a longer break every 4 pomodoros. Taking time to get refreshed will let you get back to work with unparalleled zeal! Avoid Clutter Keep your workspace organized. Go through everything in and on your desk and decide if it has a place in your working area. If you work at home make sure you have an office space that you keep organized where you can go to do your work, seperate from the rest of your life if at all possible. Some things that you might not think about uncluttering are your computers desktop, bookmarks and email account, but these things can have a big effect on how you work, how you feel and give you that feeling of being more organized. Have a Stopping Point Having an end in sight can be very motivating when it comes to getting work done. When a task seems like it will just go on forever its very disheartening and can lead you to look for things to distract you. Keeping the end on the horizon helps keep you movitaved and on task but will keep you from working too long which can be unhealthy. If your schedule changes from day to day don’t worry about keeping your end time the same every day, just set aside enough time that you can comfortably complete what you need to do and plan your stopping point around that. With a priority on work during work time and keeping a balance between intense focus and short breaks you will find that your efficiency rises dramatically and projects move much more smoothly. So enjoy your new found time and relax when you can. About The Author: George McConnell is the head writer for Traffikd.com and really likes social media! He is a full time internet entrepreneur and currently writing “That Social Media Book”, focusing on the history and effects of social media on internet and real world culture since its inception. ]]>http://traffikd.com/resources/tips-for-getting-more-done/feed/0http://traffikd.com/resources/tips-for-getting-more-done/How to Do It Yourself: DIY SEO Campaignhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/traffikd/~3/KHrwHhkqS8s/ http://traffikd.com/seo/how-to-do-it-yourself-diy-seo-campaign/#commentsSat, 10 Sep 2011 20:15:34 +0000http://traffikd.com/?p=681People who are just beginning to focus on their website or blog may or may not know that they should make their content live up to the standards of search engine optimization or SEO. Making content SEO rich is the one of the most effective strategies for boosting the number of visitations on your site ... ]]>People who are just beginning to focus on their website or blog may or may not know that they should make their content live up to the standards of search engine optimization or SEO. Making content SEO rich is the one of the most effective strategies for boosting the number of visitations on your site or blog. If you’re trying to just that, then a DIY SEO campaign may be one of the best methods. The Benefits of A DIY SEO Campaign When it comes to a DIY SEO campaign, there are many different benefits doing it yourself rather than hiring someone else to do it. One of the main issues that website owners and business owners may face when they are trying to make a successful SEO campaign for their website is the process of hiring someone they can trust. Here are a few benefits to doing your own SEO campaign: You know who’s in charge You don’t have to hire anyone You save money You can do it exactly the way you want it done SEO: The Purpose and the Strategy There are many purposes when it comes to crafting quality content that is SEO. The main purpose is that content should be optimized appropriately so that it can help to drive in a larger audience to your blog or business. This way your website can reach its maximum exposure to web surfers by attracting more search engine spiders. If you need to start your business up through SEO, you may find that hiring a professional SEO consultant or copywriter is too expensive or too complicated. If this is the case, then you may want to take the proper steps in order to make a DIY SEO campaign that is successful. The following steps can help you create a successful DIY SEO campaign: Perform the proper keyword research: You will need to be able to search for online tools and programs that can help you to identify the search volume of a specific word or keyword. There are many free online SEO tools out there that provide this information. Google Keywords is a popular keyword tool that does not charge people to use it. For more detailed info, check out our article How to Choose Keywords.Note: A keyword with particularly high volumes of searches will be more challenging to use to rank your webpage. Use tags: You can use H1 tags in order to contain the most desired word or keyword. H2 and h3 tags are available for additional keywords that are also important. Make sure to correctly utilize tags. If you get long tailed traffic from other sites, make sure that the websites you are getting your traffic from are relevant in regards to your niche of the type of company or business you are trying to promote. Make sure to use keyword emphasis: One very easy but effective technique is use italics and bold for emphasizing a specific keyword. Some online marketers may think that this is not useful. However, emphasizing a keyword is a way of letting search engines assume automatically that there is a keyword within the content, and this in turn serves as an effective opportunity to tell search engines, like Google, exactly what your keywords are. Perform external and internal link building: It is important to link other relevant pages or sources to your site. Doing this can help to greatly benefit the visitors on your site and will more likely help to increase the amount of time they will spend visiting and searching on your site. Note: Due to recent changes in search engine algorithms, it is important to mix up the variety of links pointing to your site. Use a balance of “brand” links (where the keywords is your brand name), “keyword targeted” links, and non-targeted links (things like “click here”). Get image links: Image links can help contribute to the diversity of your link network and provide significant SEO value. A great way to get a lot of image links is to submit your website to CSS Galleries. These galleries can also help get your website traffic and exposure in addition to their SEO value. TheCSSGalleryList.com has a paid service where they will submit your website to 100+ CSS Galleries for $20, this can save you considerable time. Don’t worry, they do it all manually by hand. Addition DIY SEO Tips Use Title Tags: Title tags are important because they help to tell search engines what to display in their search results in regards to your webpage. This can significantly impact how many people will click on your webpage from a search engine’s results page. Use Guest Blogging: Guest blogging can also be an effective SEO strategy. Not only will your site be able to benefit in credit to the added content, but it can help to provide you with opportunities regarding backlinks. While there are many benefits that can come from a successful DIY SEO campaign aside from saving money. The biggest benefit that bloggers, website owners, and business owners will see is an increase in web traffic, and who wouldn’t want that? — Author bio: Edwin is an avid marketer and writer currently working at web design and Internet marketing Toronto firm 9th sphere. Edwin has a passion for great design and helping businesses succeed.