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Alexis known to many as Lexi Thompson is a professional female golf player on the LPGA tour. In 2007, at 12 years old she became the youngest ever to compete in the Women’s US Open, only eclipsed in 2014 by Lucy Li.
At 22 years old, Lexi has been on the LPGA circuit for 10 years now, a milestone worthy of write up of her career so far!
WHO’S DOING IT FOR THE WOMEN? NATALIE GULBIS IS!
Lexi, as mentioned competed in the 2007 US Open as a 12 year old and unfortunately she failed to make the cut shooting 86 and 82 respectively. Lexi qualified once again in 2008, this time shooting 75 and 77, again failing to make the cut.
Remarkably as a 14 year old, Lexi Thompson for the third consecutive year made the US Open and this time (3rd time lucky) she finished tied 34th, on this occasion with 74-72-73-71=290. After this finish, Lexi was well and truly on the radar of the LPGA followers.
In 2010, Lexi played a qualifier tournament for the US Open, her finishing position awarded her first professional check amounting to $72,131, several weeks later at a Major (Evian Masters) Lexi managed a tied 2nd place which ensured a $242,711 in winnings for the teen.
Fast forward to 2012, Lexi Thompson petitioned to gain membership on the LPGA Tour, she gained membership and has not looked back. 2014 brought Lexi Thompson’s first and currently only Major, the 2014 Kraft Nabisco Championship.
Lexi Thompson at the time of writing has an LPGA ranking of world number 4! I’m sure the 22 year old in the next few years will be able to make the step up to number 1.
Lexi in recent times has endured a few controversies, the most notable being a 4 shot penalty when leading the Major, ANA Inspiration by 2 shots. This deduction came when a viewer at home noticed Lexi didn’t place her ball back in the correct place, which prompted the tournament officials to hand Lexi the 4 shot penalty.
This then took Lexi 2 shots behind the leader. Lexi managed to birdie 2 of the last 6 holes to force a play-off which she unfortunately lost. She was clearly distraught with the Major result as she was seen in tears.
Lexi Thompson looks to have her whole career ahead of her at just 22 years old, Lexi has ample opportunity to claw back her defeat to win many Majors to come.
Do you think Lexi is the main focal point for LPGA’s future, do you think shes accomplished as much as she could? What’s your opinion on viewers from home influencing high profile decisions? I would like to know what you think here.
Lexi could become the greatest American LPGA professional of all time depending on how long she competes. She has the game and being american, it would be wonderful to see her #1 in the world and become a force for women’s golf for decades to come. I wish her continued success, and will be watching her on tour in 2018.
Stuart, we completely agree! Here at Ultimate Golf we think that Lexi could be the Tiger Woods of the Female tour for years to come!
We can’t wait to see what she brings in 2018.
In reality OFFICIALS SHOULD not be allowed to accept callin penalties there are officals on the COURSES that are can call PENALTIES so no call ins.
I agree, at the most it shouldn’t have been more than a one stroke penalty. She would never cheat and that cost her the tournament!
I agree , I’ve never heard of a 4 shot penalty before . It irked me and I think the LPGA should at least explain how those OFFICIALS came up with such a bad decision .
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How do I run the Activity Report for participants of my organization or group?
To run a report on the activity of your group members, please log into your Move account and select the Admin Center tab and choose your organization or group.
Then, select the Reports tab on the menu and select the Activity report. Select your date range and choose either view for HTML or download for CSV.
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Pumpkin puree For most biscuits, baking withPumpkin is necessary pumpkin puree, and I decided to make the recipe for its preparation separately for convenience. Pumpkin puree can also be eaten as a separate dessert, it turns out sweet, gentle, it is useful to give it to children, add to cereals (especially semolina and rice). Focusing on your taste, pumpkin puree can be cooked with various spices - anise or cinnamon.
Step 1 To make pumpkin puree, we need a pumpkin, sugar and water.
Step 2 We clean the pumpkin from the peel, internal fibers and seeds, cut into small cubes.
Step 3 In the stewpan, ladle or small panPour out the pumpkin cubes and sugar, pour in water. We put first on the average fire, cook for 10 minutes, then on the slowest fire and cook under the lid for another 10 minutes until ready, sometimes mixing.
Step 4 Pour the prepared pumpkin together with the sugar syrup formed during the cooking process, into the blender bowl.
Step 5 Whisk for a few seconds until a smooth smoothie is obtained.
Step 6 Put the pumpkin puree in a jar, store it in the fridge. We use it as an additional ingredient in baking or other dishes.
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Sloths are the slowest moving mammals, who spend their life moving from one tree to another. Learn all about the life-cycle of a sloth, from the following article.
Sloths belong either to the Megalonychidae or the Bradypodidae family. The distinct features in these two sloth species is that the former has two toes and the latter has three toes. Sloths look similar and are often compared to Armandillos and Anteaters. Sloths are classified as Folivora, meaning leaf eaters. They are fond of eating buds, shoots and leaves. However, the two toed sloths feed on insects, reptiles and even birds. Though these animals have well adapted to the trees, leaves do not provide enough nutrition and energy and also make digestion difficult. Therefore, sloths are known to live a slow and sedentary life.
Their long and huge claws allow them a strong grip so as to hang from branches. Such a body structure is suitable for the purpose of dwelling in trees. On land, sloths are likely to fall prey to predators as their hind legs are weak and lacks the strength to quickly move. These arboreal animals can well transfer from one tree to another, but on land they cannot get away from an approaching predator. The only way of defense is biting and clawing.
Sloths are tropical rainforest animals that are spread in South America. The fur on their body is prone to develop algae that gives a green tinge to their coat and camouflages them within the trees. Sloths are nocturnal animals, who spend their time hanging upside down on the tree branches. Even the hair on their body grows backward.
As mentioned earlier, there are two types of sloths; two toed and three toed. The life cycle of sloths of the Genus Choloepus and Genus Bradypus are different. The gestation period for a three toed lasts for 150 days while that of a two toed sloth is about 12 months. Sloths give birth while hanging in the trees. The young ones of sloths are born with claws and wrap themselves around their mother for nine months after their birth. Female sloths, nurture their newborn for six months. After two weeks of birth, the mother introduces a leafy diet to their little ones. After six months the female sloth leaves its little one with the other sloth species. At this time the young one learns to fend for itself and survive the wild environment. If it succeeds then it can live for up to a complete sloth lifespan. The young one's behavior and basic mannerisms are influenced by their mother. Even the eating pattern of the young one is similar to that of their mother. The females and males live together in the same tree, during the breeding time. Female sloths, often live together, while the male sloths are observed dwelling in different trees.
Female sloths reach sexual maturity earlier than the males. The different species of sloths will mature at a different age. Hoffman's two toed males reach maturity at around 5 years of age and females at 4 years. Two toed sloths weigh around 19 lbs and grow up to a height of 29 inches. The average lifespan of a sloth goes up to 20 years, but in captivity, they are known to live up to 30 years.
Like any other animals even sloths face the torment of human intervention. Deforestation is the major cause of loss of habitat. Also, road constructions have led to the deaths of many sloths as they tend to crawl across it when they climb down. Though these species are not yet the subject of concern, their population is well under observation.
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Born: 24 August 1864, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England.
Died: 28 November 1941, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Walcot Gibson, a British geologist, was educated at Mason Science College, Birmingham, and at the Royal College of Science, London, obtaining the degree doctor of science (DSc). In 1889, as a young man of 25, he visited South Africa to study the geology of the Witwatersrand and adjacent areas. His study of the structural geology of the region and petrography of the rocks led him to conclude that the lower Witwatersrand beds had been repeatedly folded and affected by thrust faults, which later work by E.T. Mellor* showed not to be the case. He also concluded (correctly) that the Witwatersrand beds were younger than the gneiss and schists on their northern side, but found it difficult to unravel the relationship between the Witwatersrand beds and the overlying lavas. The results of his observations were written up in "The geology of the gold-bearing and associated rocks of the southern Transvaal" (Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society, 1892). In a subsequent paper, "Geology of the southern Transvaal" (Transactions of the Institution of Mining Engineers, 1893-1894), he considered the origin of the gold in the conglomerates, concluding that it was originally detrital, but that it had been dissolved and redistributed within the conglomerates, probably at the time of the igneous intrusions and through the action of dissolved iron salts. Some years later he contributed papers on "The age of the rand beds" (1897) and "Correlation of the palaeozoic rocks of South Africa" (1902) to the Geological Magazine.
After leaving South Africa in 1891 Gibson did geological work in East Africa from 1891 to 1893. This work formed the basis of two papers, "Geological sketch of Central East Africa" (Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1893) and "The geology of Africa in relation to its mineral wealth" (Transactions of the Federated Institution of Mining Engineers, 1897).
In 1893 he was appointed to the Geological Survey of Great Britain and later became its assistant director for Scotland, retiring in 1925. In collaboration with colleagues he compiled memoirs on the geology of various parts of the United Kingdom. He became an authority on the British coal fields, publishing several papers and memoirs on individual fields, particularly those of North Staffordshire, as well as two books: The geology of coal and coal mining (1908) and Coal in Great Britain (1920). In recognition of his expertise he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London (1925), the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1921), and the Geological Societies of London and Edinburgh. He was awarded the Murchison medal of the Geological Society of London in 1924. In 1893 he became a member of the British Assiciation for the Advancement of Science. He married Annie Olive Landon in 1895, but they had no children.
Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org as on 2017-1-16.
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What is 83/1000 as a decimal?
What is a species and how do can scientist tell if they found a new species or a species that has already been discovered?
There have been many different definitions of species, but the best one we have is called the Biological Species Concept. According to this, a species is a group of organisms that can produce viable, fertile offspring. Basically, an organism is a new species if it can't mate with other species. This is tested with 8 reproductive barriers. Scientist test if they have found a new species by comparing it to similar organisms and asking these questions in this order: 1. Does it live in the same habitat? 2. Is it active at the same time? 3. Does it like or practice the same behaviors? 4. Can they physically mate? 5. Can their genetic material form a zygote? 6. Will the zygote survive in the womb? 7. Is the offspring created fertile? 8. Is the offspring created viable (able to survive and mate)? If the answer to any of these questions is no, then they have found a new species.
We first want to start out by finding what f(2) and f(1) are. To find f(2) we use f(x) = 6x +1 and every place there is an x, replace it with a 2. so f(2) = 6(2) + 1. Simplify the expression by multiplying the number first so you have f(2) = 12 + 1. Then add to get f(2) = 13. Now we need to find f(1). We use the same method as before, replacing x with the number in parentheses so f(1) = 6(1) + 1. Multiply first to get f(1) = 6 + 1. Then add to get f(1) = 7. Now that we have f(2) and f(1) we can now solve f(2) - f(1). Since f(2) = 13 and f(1) = 7, then f(2) - f(1) = 13 - 7. By subtraction we find that 13 - 7 = 6 so the solution is 6.
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In a 1978 referendum, the voters allowed the classification of property according to use and authorized cities and towns to adopt different tax rates for different classes of property, within certain parameters. The original intent was to provide a mechanism to preserve the proportion of property taxes being paid by the commercial / industrial sectors because initial 100% revaluations were threatening major increases for residential taxpayers.
Pursuant to this amendment, the Department of Revenue (DOR) authorized the adoption of 2 tax rates. One for residential and open space classes (RO) and 1 for commercial, industrial, and personal property (CIP).
In 1988, rising residential values were resulting in a significant shift of the tax burden to homeowners in some communities. Legislation changed the maximum shift to business property to 75% as long as the residential burden is at least 50%. It also stipulated that the residential share of the total levy cannot be lower than its lowest share since the community's values were first certified at full and fair cash value.
What are the different property classes?
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Article: Want to Know Where to Go in Boston?
Want to Know Where to Go in Boston?
Mark Anderson writes for Boston Smarts where you can find all kinds of useful information on Boston, MA. Visit http://www.bostonsmarts.comfor more information.
Just about any time of the year you can scour the theater listings in the San Francisco Bay Area and find well over 100 productions available for viewing. These shows range from plays to musicals to cabarets and everything else in between.
Elton John and Billy Joel will once again go on tour together beginning March 2nd, 2009 in Jacksonville, Florida. You'll be able to see the Rocket Man and the Piano Man performing live in venues across America.
Talented individuals there are all over, and talented creators of music too, but how many are so great that they've won eighteen Grammy Awards plus one Academy Award? The answer is very simple: only one. His name is Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen - an American citizen born at Long Branch, New Jersey on September 23, 1949.
The Blue Man Group is a group of three men who play music using various creative apparatuses. Did I mention that they do this while painted blue?
Ever wonder what Broadway is all about? Here's the answer. Broadway is the theatre district in New York City, much as the West End is a similar area in London.
Will the Boston Red Sox Win the World Series Again This Year?
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What is the right digital marketing option for your business?
Marketing is always changing and growing. It can be hard to know what the best option is for your business. Not every business is able to afford someone in-house to handle their marketing and it is often not easy to know where to focus your marketing efforts and budget. This is where I can help.
Not sure your website is performing for you?
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What nutrients do plants obtain from the soil?
There are thirteen mineral nutrients that plants obtain from the soil, and these are divided into the categories of macronutrients and micronutrients. The primary macronutrients include nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Plants require these primary macronutrients in relatively large quantities and deplete them from the soil more rapidly than others. The secondary macronutrients include calcium, magnesium, and sulfur. Micronutrients are required in smaller quantities than the macronutrients, and these include boron, copper, iron, chloride, molybdenum, manganese, and zinc.
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Pick up a Tiger Woods biography.
Pick up a Tiger Woods biography for kids who are interested in learning more about the athlete, the sport of golf, or who enjoy reading biographies for children.
Biographies are a great way to get kids interested in reading. While these nonfiction books may not sound like the most exciting stories, if you choose someone a child admires, like Tiger Woods, the child is more apt to read and enjoy the book. Biographies of celebrities and sports athletes will help children get more interested in reading.
Struggling readers benefit from reading biographies, especially of people still alive today. This helps them connect the story to the real world, featuring people, places and events that kids are interested in learning more about.
Tiger Woods (All Aboard Reading) by Andrew Gutelle: This 48-page book is geared towards children ages four to eight. It talks about not only his professional accomplishments, but also the work Woods has done to achieve those accomplishments.
On the Course with. . . Tiger Woods by Matt Christopher and Glenn Stout: Upper elementary students will enjoy reading about the obstacles Woods' had to overcome in this 144-page book.
Tiger Woods (Amazing Athletes) by Jeff Savage: Part of the Amazing Athletes series, this book focuses on Tiger Woods rise to become one of the most well-known celebrity athletes.
Tiger Woods (Big Buddies Biographies) by Sarah Tieck: Beginning readers will enjoy reading this book filled with amazing pictures and text about Tiger Woods.
Tiger Woods: Golf Superstar by David R. Collins and Larry Nolte: This books for kids in kindergarten through sixth grade, has full color illustrations to go along with the story of Woods. Kids will read about not only his accomplishments, but also the obstacles Woods faced along the way to golf stardom.
Tie the projects into other subjects, such as history and physical education. Students can even do art projects, painting scenes from the books. Remember to emphasize that reading is important not only for the entertainment the story provides, but also for the information that students gain about other subjects and the world around them.
Learn more about Tiger Woods by reading his biography and chronology on his official website. Biographical information, chronology of his career, famous quotes, tour schedule and more are on the site.
Read an interview from 2007 published with Scholastic online, who is also known for their book clubs. Other kids may find this interview exciting to read, because a "kid reporter" conducted it.
Children who are interested in athletes or the sport of golf will enjoy reading a Tiger Woods biography for kids. Whether you use is as part of classroom activities or just as a way to encourage your child to read more, a biography on Tiger Woods is a great way to interest a child in reading.
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Event title:World Migratory Bird Day Event Organizer:Nature Conservation Society Participants: Nearly 1200. Most of them were school and college students & members of the local community Outcome:- Mass awareness for youth and local community for the conservation of wetlands and supported species, specifically migratory birds.- Motivation of policy makers, social and media personnel.- Conservation education program for school and college teachers. Summary:In Bangladesh World Migratory Bird Day 2018 was celebrated in a colorful way. The main event was conducted in Shunamgonj. On 10th May a colorful rally was organized by Nature Conservation Society with the help of local Forest Division followed by a seminar at Shaheed Abul Hossain Auditorium, Shunamgong. Near about thousand took part in that rally in which most of them were school and college children & haor community people. Representatives from District Administration, Police Department, NGOs, College and School, Co-management Council, Local Government, Forest Department, Fisheries Department, Environment Department and University teachers were also present as the resources person of that program. 03 presentations on Migratory Birds & Biodiversity of Wetlands were presented in the seminar. At the end of the seminar, a shot drama was presented by the Nature Conservation & Study Club of Jagannath University on the importance of migratory birds and wetland. The aim of this program at the migratory birds habitat site was to raise awareness and the get involvement of next generation of the local community towards conservation of migratory birds and its habitat. For more photographs, visit our Flickr album.
How did the EAAFP Secretariat celebrate WMBD in May 2018?
The East Asian – Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) has been celebrating the World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) from 2006 to raise awareness of the importance of the conservation of migratory waterbirds and the sustainable management of their habitats. This year, 2018, the EAAFP Secretariat held two major events under the global WMBD theme of “Unifying Our Voices for Bird Conservation” in the Republic of Korea (ROK) where the Secretariat office is located. The first was a WMBD Student Seminar at the War Memorial of Korea, and the second was a WMBD Reception at the Grand Hyatt Seoul. Additionally, WMBD Small Grants were provided to 5 country Partners of the EAAFP, and posters were distributed to more than 40 national wetland centers in the ROK. WMBD Student Seminar On 11 May 2018, with the sponsorship of National Geographic Society-Asia, a WMBD Student Seminar was organized in very fine weather at the War Memorial, Seoul. The young enthusiastic students and local citizens from 1 middle school, 8 high schools and 6 universities gathered at the seminar to learn about the wonder of waterbirds migration and the importance of the conservation of the birds and their habitats through talks, multimedia, and the group discussion. Four active bird conservationists in East Asia were invited to give inspirational lectures on the occasion of the World Migratory Bird Day and National Geographic’s Year of the Bird Campaign. The event began with the participants taking a tour of the National Geographic Photo Ark Exhibition, before being divided into six groups for group discussions on the EAAFP’s key species and the Year of Knots (2017-2018): Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Baer’s Pochard, Black-faced Spoonbill, Scaly-sided Merganser, Saunders’s Gull and Red Knot and Great Knot. Under the guidance of the invited speakers and facilitators, each bird named groups learnt about the characteristics (appearance, ecology, migration and conservation) of the key species. After a short discussion, the representatives of each group presented their birds and even suggested creative conservation method based on the birds’ ecology and migration. It was a great chance for young future conservationists to realize the importance of people’s interest in conserving the waterbirds with different measures. WMBD seminar group discussion ⓒEAAFP The last part of the Student Seminar was civil science lectures from the four speakers. Before the speech, a new EAAFP Introduction video was shown to convey the importance of flyways and the achievements of the EAAFP. Dr. Lew Young, Chief Executive of the EAAFP Secretariat and Mr. Jay Lee, Executive Director of National Geographic Society – Asia delivered welcome speeches. After that, Dr. Youngmin Moon, a Korea project coordinator of Birdlife International, delivered a talk entitled “Why birds matter” and emphasized on stopping the human-induced rapid decline of avian population. Mr. Terry Townshend, a passionate conservationist based in China, shared his experience in tagging GPS device on swifts and cuckoos in Beijing, and showed the amazing migratory routes of these birds through the tracking results. Ms. Emilia Lai, a young shorebird conservationist, introduced the Great Knot and Red Knot including their migration and talked about the importance of mudflats. Finally, Dr. Changyong Choi, a Senior Researcher in Seoul National University, focused on the threats facing murrelets in the R.O. Korea, such as from exotic predators such as cats, gillnet bycatch and oil contamination. However, more studies are needed to understand murrelets and to implement adequate conservation actions. WMBD seminar group photo ⓒEAAFP More pictures and result papers of the group discussion can be found in the EAAFP Flickr account. WMBD Reception In the evening of the same day, the EAAFP Secretariat organized a reception to celebrate WMBD in Seoul Grand Hyatt Hotel. The objective of the event was to raise awareness on the need for international cooperation to conserve migratory waterbirds and their habitats in East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF). Approximately 70 participants gathered at the reception to celebrate the WMBD, including representatives from the Embassies of the EAAF Country Partner, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, National Institute of Biological Research (NIBR), other governmental organizations, international and multi-lateral organizations, NGOs, universities, research institutes, and private companies. The diplomatic representatives included H.E. Mr. Wei Kiat Yip, the Ambassador of Singapore, H.E. Mr. Andrew Yamanea, the Ambassador of Papua New Guinea, as well as representatives from the Embassies of Australia, Cambodia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar and the United States of America. The reception began at 17:30 in Namsan III hall with an opening remark by Dr. Lew Young, the Chief Executive of the EAAFP Secretariat. He welcomed the guests and opened the floor by explaining the significance of the EAA Flyway. He said “East Asian-Australian Flyway is used by some 50 million waterbirds from 200 species. These birds are now flying to their breeding grounds as far north as the Russian Far East and Alaska and along the way, many will stop off to rest and refuel at one of many sites, including the critically important tidal-flat sites around the Yellow Sea.” He thanked for the strong cooperation made by EAAF Partners, government of Korea, international organizations, NGOs, research institutes and the private sector while urging continuous support. “More needs to be done to conserve these wonderful migratory waterbirds and their habitats, and one of the important steps is to raise greater awareness, such as through events like the WMBD” he added. Dr. Lew Young, the Chief Executive of the EAAFP Secretariat ⓒEAAFP Following the opening remark, Dr. Minhwan Suh, the Acting President of the National Institute of Biological Resources(NIBR), delivered a congratulatory remark, stating the role of the Korean Peninsula in conserving migratory waterbirds and biodiversity in the region. “The Korean Peninsula, located on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, plays an important role as a stopover of many migratory birds along the flyway,” he said. After the remarks, two videos regarding East Asian and Australasian Flyway by EAAFP and Birdwatchers by Sony Korea were played. Sony Korea provided sponsorship cameras (model: RX10 IV) to EAAFP in celebration of 2018 WMBD. These will be used for bird watching and wildlife photography. Ceremony with Sony ⓒEAAFP Group photographs were taken, firstly with the diplomatic representatives and then secondly with all the participants. Afterwards, a light buffet dinner was served over the scenic view of central Seoul. The participants freely mingled and networked with other participants. WMBD reception group photo ⓒEAAFP More pictures can be found on the EAAFP Flickr account. EAAFP WMBD Small Grants & Social Media Campaign To encourage developing countries in EAAF to celebrate 2018 WMBD, the EAAFP Secretariat supported WMBD events in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Mongolia and Vietnam through 2018 EAAFP WMBD Small Grants Programme. Ranging from government body to local citizen of the EAAF sites, each country came up with national and regional plans for WMBD celebrations. The Secretariat is very grateful for the active support by EAAFP Partners for the global WMBD campaign along the EAAF. Click here to see different languages of the 2018 WMBD theme and posters. Click here for more information on WMBD 2018. In parallel, the EAAFP Secretariat coordinated a national Instagram campaign which distributed the Korean language version of the WMBD Poster to national wetland/bird/ecology centers, NGOs, etc., and if people take photos with the posters in a creative way, they would win a small gift prepared by the EAAFP Secretariat. As from 2018, the WMBD will be twice a year, on the second Saturday in May and in October. The EAAFP Secretariat will continue supporting 2018 WMBD theme by encouraging Partners to organize events and campaigns to conserve migratory waterbirds and their habitats in our Flyway!
Birdlife International has just released their ‘State of the World’s Birds 2018’ report [link]. This provides statistics showing that at least 40% of bird species worldwide (3,967) have declining populations, compared with 44% that are stable (4,393). The cause of the decline was put on agricultural expansion, logging, overexploitation, urbanisation, pollution, disturbance and the effects of invasive alien species. Longer term, human-induced climate change may prove to be the most serious threat of all. Most species are impacted by multiple threats and many threats are interrelated. In the EAAF region, unsustainable and poorly planned infrastructure development is highlighted as one of the main causes of the decline of bird numbers. The intertidal habitats around the Yellow Sea is one of the most important stopover sites along the EAAF, used by tens of millions of long-distance migratory shorebirds to rest and refuel. Unfortunately, the area’s mudflats have been progressively lost to land reclamation for agriculture, ports, industrial developments and urbanisation. Two-thirds of the Yellow Sea’s intertidal habitat has been reclaimed since the 1950s. In China, nearly 40% has been lost since the 1980s. Shorebird population declines have been estimated at 43-78% over the last 15 years, with Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris populations having declined by over 80%. Ultimately, human overconsumption lies behind the global biodiversity crisis and efforts to identify, conserve and restore critical habitats for birds is already showing that the decline can be slowed. Education and awareness raising is another important tool to convince the wider community of the importance of bird conservation and to take appropriate action.
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Here are two interesting way to use Twitter and generate customer trafic in store.
If you love French bread, or fresh croissants, go to Twitter and find your favorite (or nearest) bakery.
This king of Crème brulée (if I look at the positive recommendations) is a Street Food store in San Francisco.
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Mahjong is a very famous game. It is also known as mahjong, majiang and so many other names. This game was originally invented in China in the period of Qing Dynasty. Mostly this game is designed for 4 players but in some places like Japan and South Korea it is designed with some variations for 3 players. Which has same popularity as 4 player’s game. Mahjong has small amount of follower in Western part of the world but in Eastern and south Eastern Asia it is quite popular and widely played game. Mahjong is game of calculation, strategy, skills, attentiveness, alertness, thoughtful mind and a degree of luck. All of these things are as well required in case of Card game Rummy, which is as well famous game.
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When taking the escalator, the child should be led by an adult and the child should be adopted by an adult. Please do not hesitate to enter or leave the escalator. There is a box-shaped safety warning line on the general escalator ladder. When stepping on the foot, do not step on the line, that is, do not step on the joints on the two steps. Otherwise, when the escalator enters the inclined running section, people will stand unstable and fall. For those who usually take the escalator, they should stand on the right side and hold the right handrail strap. Do not use tension at the exit of the escalator.
Currently, manned elevators are intelligent and automated devices controlled by microcomputers. No special personnel are required to operate the driver. Ordinary passengers only need to follow the procedures below to ride and operate the elevator.
(1) At the elevator entrance of the elevator floor, press the up or down arrow button in your own up and down direction. As long as the light on the button lights up, your call will be recorded, just wait for the elevator to arrive.
(2) After the elevator reaches the door, let the insiders get out of the elevator, and then the caller enters the elevator car again. Once in the car, press the appropriate number button on the car's control panel based on the floor you need to reach. Similarly, as long as the button is lit, your choice is recorded; no further action is required at this time, just wait for the elevator to reach the destination level to stop.
(3) The elevator will automatically open the door after driving to the destination. At this point, the elevator will end in sequence and end the journey.
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My own prompt: Scorpius gets hurt on an Auror Training Mission. He attempts to hide his injury but Harry isn't having it.
Summary: What was supposed to be a routine check of Knockturn Alley with a group of Auror Trainees ended up as something much more dangerous. When Scorpius Malfoy gets hurt, Harry loses control.
All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended.
Harry ducked and weaved as hexes flew by him on either side. He took a moment to look around and account for everyone in his team. Ron and the rest of the Aurors were to his left and seemed to be holding their own, shooting hexes back at the wizards they were currently battling.
What was supposed to be a routine check of Knockturn Alley with a group of Auror Trainees ended up as something much more dangerous. Now, Harry found himself in the predicament of having to defend and protect these new and inexperienced young men and women who were still training for battle.
He had already given the order that they stand back and stay out of the way of the experienced Aurors. A message had already been sent for backup and as soon as it arrived he planned to send them out of here. He looked behind him and noticed that a few of the trainees were currently locked in a battle with two of the perpetrators that had slipped past the front lines. They were holding their own for the moment, but on a second look something did seem to be off.
Harry cast a Protego as a jinx came at him and turned to make his way back to the young men and women to offer some extra help against their attackers.
When he reached them, he finally realized what it was that had seemed so off. Scorpius Malfoy was favoring his left arm. He kept the arm close to his body as he used his right hand to fire off counter spells.
"Scorpius, are you okay?" Harry asked as he came up beside the boy blocking another jinx.
"Your arm. Looks like you've hurt it. Were you hit?"
Harry didn't think Scorpius even realized that he curled his fingers in and shifted his hand even closer to his body. Harry didn't have a chance to comment further because they were accosted on their other side and he turned back to back with Scorpius to defend against their newest attacker.
Harry threw himself back into battle firing one last Stupefy at his opponent and moving back into the thick of battle.
Moments later, reinforcements finally arrived and they quickly subdued their opposition. Harry turned back towards his trainees to assess their damage. Determining that none had been seriously injured, he instructed them to return immediately to the Ministry and wait there to be debriefed. Scorpius turned away from him to follow his team mates but Harry's caught sight of Scorpius' hand again and noticed that he was cradling it even closer than before, almost as if he was trying to hide it from everyone's attention.
"Scorpius, wait. I want to talk to you." Harry gently grabbed Scorpius' shoulder.
Scorpius turned his head to face Harry but kept his arm to his side and his hand hidden. "Yes, sir?"
"Your hand. Let me see it."
"No, it's fine," Scorpius insisted, moving his hand further behind him.
Harry narrowed his eyes at Scorpius. "Let me see it." His voice that time left no room for argument.
Scorpius slowly moved his arm from his side, stretching it towards Harry.
Harry didn't wait though. His hand darted out and grabbed Scorpius' hand, pulling it close to him. Three of Scorpius' fingertips, starting with his smallest finger, had begun to turn black.
"What happened? You've been cursed?" Panic edged Harry's voice.
Harry's heart began to race and his breathing sped up at the familiar sight; a sense of dread filled his chest.
"Why didn't you tell me you'd been hit." Harry looked down again at Scorpius' hand that he still clutched in his own. He could see that the curse was slowly spreading to a fourth finger.
"You were busy. We were stretched thin. I knew you couldn't afford to be distracted," Scorpius said weakly.
Harry finally released Scorpius' hand and grabbed him by both shoulders instead. Looking up into Scorpius' face solemnly. He willed the boy to understand.
"Nothing is more important than your health and safety. Do you understand that? Nothing!" He shook him just a bit to drive his point home.
With a flourish of his wand, Harry sent a Patronus off to Ron letting his partner know what had happened. The next moment, he wrapped an arm around Scorpius, pulled him close and said, "Hold on. We're going."
Harry barely registered Scorpius' question over the sound of his own heartbeat.
He pulled Scorpius closer and Apparated them directly to St. Mungos emergency room.
Harry's feet had barely hit the ground again before he was shouting out for help. "I have an injured Auror. I need help over here! Someone help him!" His voice came out a bit cracked and Harry cleared his throat as a Healer and two Mediwitches rushed to their side. Harry grabbed Scorpius' hand once more and thrust it towards them. All five of Scorpius' fingers were black now and had began to move up towards his wrist.
"Oh, yes, I see," the healer said as he waved his wand over Scorpius' hand. "This is very dark magic."
Harry's breath hitched. "Can you help him? You have to stop it," he growled.
The healer looked up at Harry and said, "Yes. Yes I can stop it. It will require that I put the young man in a stasis spell." He nodded to one of the mediwitches before turning back to Harry. "Please follow Madam Delamere. She will show you to a private room."
A kind older witch that reminded Harry of Madam Pomfrey bustled out of the room and motioned for them to follow.
Harry felt Scorpius squeeze his hand tightly as they followed and he wondered when he had taken Scorpius' hand in his again.
Harry sat by Scorpius' bed watching as he slept. He had been put into a magically induced stasis sleep in order to stop the curse from spreading as they worked their magic to reverse the effects.
Harry absently glanced up at the clock out of the corner of his eye and was surprised to see that he had been sitting by Scorpius bedside for three hours without moving.
The Healers had done all that they could. Healing spells had been set in motion that would work to rid Scorpius' body of any lingering damage from the curse, but unfortunately they couldn't tell Harry how long that would take. The only thing they assured him of was that Scorpius would wake up on his own once the dark magic had been purged from his body.
Shortly after the first hour, the colour in Scorpius' hand had returned to normal, yet he still remained asleep.
Harry reached out to grasp Scorpius' hand again as he had done several times over the last few hours but when he heard the door open behind him, he quickly dropped it and turned to see who had entered.
"Hey mate, are you ok?" Ron asked as he closed the door behind him.
"I was surprised when you hadn't come back to the Ministry yet."
The way Ron looked at him with so many questions had Harry's defenses raised.
"I had to stay here. Scorpius needed me. His parents are in France on standby waiting for an international portkey. He didn't have anyone else here with him," he blurted.
Ron raised his hands in surrender.
"He's fine now, yeah?" he asked.
"You didn't see his hand Ron. You don't have any idea what it looked like. Merlin, it reminded me of Dumbledore's. You would have been worried too."
"Yes, I'm sure I would have. But there are normal procedures and lots of options for getting him help. You didn't have to bring him here yourself."
Had he overreacted? Harry had always been protective of his trainees. He'd have felt this way about any of them getting hurt. Wouldn't he?
But if he was truly honest with himself, Harry knew that he'd never lost control like he had today. He cringed a bit as he remembered the way he had appeared in the emergency room of St. Mungo's and demanded help so adamantly. He didn't want to admit it, but he knew that something was different about today. Something was different because it was Scorpius Malfoy that had been threatened.
"Yes I did," Harry said. "I can't explain why, but I just did. I care about him."
"Sure, Harry. I get it." Ron clapped him on the back and moved towards the door. "Don't worry about anything back at the office. I'll take care of everything until you get back."
"Thanks, Ron," Harry whispered. He was already deep in thought when his friend left the room. Harry didn't know how Ron could say he got it when Harry wasn't sure he understood it at all himself.
Only a moment after Ron left, Harry heard a groan coming from Scorpius' bed. He looked up and could see the boy beginning to move.
Harry grabbed his hand again. "How are you feeling? Are you okay?"
With a grunt, Scorpius shifted over to one side. "I feel like I've been drugged. What did they do to me?" he asked.
"Don't worry, the healers said it was to be expected. They said you might have trouble coming out of the stasis sleep you were put under," Harry assured him.
"Am I going to be okay then?" Scorpius asked.
"Yes. The curse has been purged from your body and they were able to heal all of the spell damage. You were lucky."
Scorpius pulled his hand from Harry's grasp, then used it to grab the edge of the bed and tried to push himself up.
"Don't try to sit up." Harry gently pushed Scorpius back down again.
"Harry, come here," Scorpius whispered.
Harry leaned slightly over Scorpius' bed. "Are you okay? Can I get you anything?"
"Please," Scorpius breathed as he grabbed Harry's hand and gave him a gentle tug in encouragement.
Harry leaned over Scorpius close enough to feel his warm breath against his cheek and the edge of his mouth.
"What is it, Scorpius?" Harry asked, his voice coarse.
"Thank you. For everything." His breath tickled Harry's chin.
Harry looked down into Scorpius' endless blue eyes. "You're wel-."
Scorpius cut him off with a kiss, melding their lips together and prohibiting Harry from finishing the word. Harry froze in place afraid to move. Scorpius Malfoy was kissing him. He recovered from the shock quickly and when he registered the first explosion of taste that was Scorpius, he knew that he was lost. He pressed into Scorpius, parting his lips slightly, welcoming the kiss and crushing his mouth to Scorpius like he was starving for him.
Slowly, Harry pulled away from Scorpius' lips, reminding himself that the boy had just awoken from a stasis sleep. He pulled Scorpius' hand up to his lips instead and pressed a kiss to the unblemished skin.
"You should get some more sleep," he said, smoothing Scorpius silky blond hair back from his forehead.
Scorpius nodded and Harry began to move away. He needed to get the healer and have Scorpius checked over, but the hand in his tightened, preventing him from moving any further away.
"You'll be here when I wake up?" Scorpius asked.
Harry watched Scorpius' eyelids drift shut and tried to reconcile the jumble of swirling thoughts and emotions raging in his mind. He closed his eyes and forced them all away. It didn't matter. All that mattered was that he'd be there when Scorpius woke up.
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0.999915 |
Mobility is perhaps the most important change in computing in the past 50 years. Advances in speed, power, storage, and communications all become that much more important when they're able to be used on the fly. From shrinking computers to powerful smartphones, mobile technology has also had an amazing impact on the medical field, and it's revolutionized the way medical professionals work, from world-class hospitals down to nursing schools. Here are 10 trends in mobile medical technology that are rewriting the rulebooks.
Using cell phones to detect airborne toxins: Cell phones are everywhere these days, and I do mean everywhere: There are 4.6 billion of them in the world as of February 2010. Because of that, some scientists want to use a chip that can be embedded in cell phones to detect any dangerous chemicals that might be in the air, which would subsequently help them map their source and cause. The sensors are made of silicon and change color when they're exposed to certain chemicals, in effect giving your cell phone a high-tech nose. It's a brilliant way to harness an existing network for medical gain.
Pay with your phone: Identity fraud is more prevalent than ever in a digital age, but some researchers are looking for ways to buck that by letting people make payments for goods and services — including medical treatments — with their cell phones. Some computer networks aren't safe, and paper cheques remain easy to forge, but payment via cell phone would allow you to visit your doctor and make a payment using a highly encrypted program that safely stores and transmits your data without letting a third party interfere. The system creates a unique code for each transaction that the payer and payee verify, and a match means the transaction is protected. This can greatly reduce paperwork for medical payments and also speed up visits to the doctor's office.
Using cell phones to monitor physical activity: Obesity is a terrible problem in the United States, thanks to entrenched methods of poor eating and low exercise. Weight issues lead to heart disease, diabetes, and hosts of other problems that are best fought by starting early and attacking the source. However, some medical professionals are working on ways to let people use their cell phones to monitor physical activity and weight loss. The Walk n'Play iPhone app makes a game of basic movement, providing a score and statistics for users based on how often they walk around while carrying their phones. It's a smart way to encourage incremental but noticeable changes in the habits of someone with a weight problem: Instead of forcing them to suddenly begin a grueling exercise routine, they're eased into it by earning points for being more active in general.
Using tablet computers: Contrary to popular belief, the iPad isn't the only tablet on the market. Smaller computers designed for getting work done without being tethered to a desk have been gaining traction for years, and the Motion C5v is the latest example. Tablet PCs can be tailored to meet a number of specific but vital needs for medical pros, whether it's taking pictures of a patient or scanning the barcode on their bracelet to access their health information. Medical-oriented tablets are also designed to be used in high-impact situations that doctors deal with on a daily basis, which makes them sturdier than traditional laptops and far easier to tote around. Tablets aren't the future of medicine; they're the present.
Using cell phones for diagnosis: This is pretty cool: Smartphones are now letting doctors make diagnoses remotely, thanks to advances in software. Right now, the tech is devoted to the early diagnosis and treatment of appendicitis. Typical timelines for diagnosis increase the risk of a rupture because of inevitable delays, but transmitting images of the abdominal area over an encrypted network and then viewing them with special software made for the iPhone meant doctors were able to provide accurate diagnoses much more quickly, which reduced the risk of rupture and helped get surgery plans started sooner. The tech provides for accurate, speedy delivery of images, and it's programs like this one that are slowly but surely changing the way doctors do business.
A "health Internet": A pair of doctors at Harvard got the ball rolling on this one, and a fall 2009 conference ran with it. The original premise is to design a platform similar to the iPhone that would serve as an infrastructure for health professionals. Researchers are pushing the government to expand a National Health Information Network that brings consumer health organizations into the process and help speed up the process by which patient data is transferred. A national archive of health data would vastly improve health services by cutting down on repetitive forms and ensuring that a patient's health history was accurately and thoroughly communicated between health professionals in different cities and states.
Telehealth: Unlike tech aimed at specific diseases, the idea of "telehealth" is a trend that's moving toward lower-cost health care enabled by mobile communication and video. Laptops, tablets, and (with the iPhone 4) smartphones are capable of video conferencing, and that remote version of a face-to-face chat is a great way for medical professionals to "visit" and chat with patients even though they might be far apart. For patients with difficulties traveling, this makes it easier to go to the doctor, and it also reduces transportation and office costs for all involved. What's more, the tech can be integrated with peripheral devices to provide up-to-date vital signs and medical history. The video aspect brings a human touch to remote diagnosis, and is expected to help the process gain new popularity.
Using cell phones to replace all hospital communications: The hospital PA system is a constant source of background noise (so much so that the 1980s TV series "St. Elsewhere" parodied the device by having the PA system page fictional doctors from other series). However, the blaring speakers are quickly becoming an outdated means of communicating thanks to the ubiquity of cell phones. As a result, medical research has shown that doing away with the PA system and other outmoded habits and relying almost exclusively on smartphones for intra-hospital communication reduces confusion, increases efficiency, and saves money, all of which make for a better-staffed and more profitable hospital. Instead of juggling multiple systems — intercoms, pagers, phones, etc. — health care centers are trending toward using doctors' cell phones as central tools in their communication flow.
Mobile X-ray machines for disaster relief: True, an X-ray machine might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of mobile medicine, but that's the point: These new devices are being redefined thanks to advances in power and portability. The earthquake that struck Haiti in January 2010 is a perfect example of a situation that demands this kind of medical mobile technology. The hundreds of thousands of injured residents were in need of immediate and accurate medical care, and that often meat getting X-rays quicker than conventional methods would allow. As a result, mobile X-ray units were dispatched to help medical professional meet the needs of the wounded. Look for this trend to grow as mobile power sources become more prevalent and as medical technology places a greater premium on portability.
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0.983105 |
Hierarchical Temporal Memory (HTM) is an online machine learning algorithm that emulates the neo-cortex. The development of a scalable on-chip HTM architecture is an open research area. The two core substructures of HTM are spatial pooler and temporal memory. In this work, we propose a new Spatial Pooler circuit design with parallel memristive crossbar arrays for the 2D columns. The proposed design was validated on two different benchmark datasets, face recognition, and speech recognition. The circuits are simulated and analyzed using a practical memristor device model and 0.18 $\mu$m IBM CMOS technology model. The databases AR, YALE, ORL, and UFI, are used to test the performance of the design in face recognition. TIMIT dataset is used for the speech recognition.
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0.987963 |
The meaning of each sound depends on the type of tag you have. Compare your tag with each of the below pictures to find out what type it is.
1 beep: There's enough money in your account and everything's fine.
3 beeps: Your account balance is low. Top up your account as soon as possible.
4 beeps: Your account has been suspended or cancelled. Pay the outstanding amount as soon as you can.
0 beeps: Your tag is incorrectly installed or faulty.
Bleep bleep: There's enough money in your account and everything's fine.
Trill: Your account balance is low. Top up your account as soon as possible.
Log in to your account to top up or reactivate your account. Order a replacement for a faulty tag and to arrange for a refund for no tag in vehicle fees.
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0.999765 |
Is there a time limit on appeals?
Yes, there is a strict time limit for appeals. The time period begins to run (or toll) when the trial court enters a final judgment. Often the time period is 45 days or 90 days depending upon the jurisdiction.
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0.999919 |
My mother-in-law is partially sited so I am looking for an hearing aid that you do not have to see too well to change the battery. Is there anything on the market that can recharge the battery like you would charge a landline phone?
There are now several hearing aid products on the market that have rechargeable batteries for those that have difficulty changing the normal ones. I would suggest you contact your local audiologist to discuss the different options available.
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0.941259 |
Archbishop of Genoa and medieval hagiologist, born at Viraggio (now Varazze), near Genoa, about 1230; died 13 July, about 1298. In 1244 he entered the Order of St. Dominic, and soon became famous for his piety, learning, and zeal in the care of souls. His fame as a preacher spread throughout Italy, and he was called upon to preach from the most celebrated pulpits of Lombardy. After teaching Holy Scripture and theology in various houses of his order in Northern Italy, he was elected provincial of Lombardy in 1267, holding this office until 1286, in which year he become definitor of the Lombard province of Dominicans. In the latter capacity he attended a chapter at Lucca in 1288, and another at Ferrara, in 1290. In 1288 he was commissioned by Pope Nicholas IV to free the Genoese from the ban of the Church, which they had incurred for assisting the Sicilians in their revolt against the King of Naples. When Archbishop Charles Bernard of Genoa died, in 1286, the metropolitan chapter of Genoa proposed Jacopo de Voragine as his successor. Upon his refusal to accept the dignity, Obizzo Fieschi, the Patriarch of Antioch whom the Saracens had driven from the see, was transferred to the archiepiscopal See of Genoa by Nicholas IV in 1288.
When Obizzo Fieschi died, in 1292, the chapter of Genoa unanimously elected Jacopo de Voragine as his successor. He again endeavoured to evade the archiepiscopal dignity, but was finally obliged to yield to the combined prayers of the clergy, the Senate, and the people of Genoa. Nicholas IV wished to consecrate him bishop personally, and called him to Rome for that purpose; but shortly after the arrival of de Voragine the pope died, and the new bishop was consecrated at Rome during the succeeding interregnum, on 13 April, 1292. The episcopate of Jacopo de Voragine fell in a time when Genoa was a scene of continuous warfare between the Rampini and the Mascarati, the former of whom were Guelphs, the latter Ghibellines. The archbishop, indeed, effected an apparent reconciliation between the two hostile parties in 1295; but the dissensions broke out anew, and all his efforts to restore peace were useless. In 1292 he held a provincial synod at Genoa, chiefly for the purpose of identifying the relics of St. Syrus, one of the earliest bishops of Genoa (324?). The cult of Jacopo de Voragine, which seems to have begun soon after his death, was ratified by Pius VII in 1816. The same pope permitted the clergy of Genoa and Savona, and the whole Order of St. Dominic, to celebrate his feast as that of a saint.
Jacopo de Voragine is best known as the author of a collection of legendary lives of the saints, which was entitled "Legenda Sanctorum" by the author, but soon became universally known as "Legenda Aurea" (Golden Legend), because the people of those times considered it worth its weight in gold. In some of the earlier editions it is styled "Lombardica Historia", which title gave rise to the false opinion that this was a different work from the "Golden Legend". The title "Lombardica Historia" originated in the fact that in the life of Pope Pelagius, which forms the second last chapter of the "Golden Legend", is contained an abstract of the history of the Lombards down to 1250 (Mon. Germ. Hist.: Script., XXIV, 167 sq.). In the preface to the "Golden Legend" the author divides the ecclesiastical year into four periods, which he compared to four epochs in the history of the world, viz. a time of deviation, renovation, reconciliation, and pilgrimage. The body of the work, which contains 177 chapters (according to others, 182), is divided into five sections, viz. from Advent to Christmas, from Christmas to Septuagesima, from Septuagesima to Easter, from Easter to Octave of Pentecost, and from the Octave of Pentecost to Advent. If we are to judge the "Golden Legend" from an historical standpoint, we must condemn it as entirely uncritical and hence of no value, except in so far as it teaches us that the people of those times were an extremely naive and thoroughly religious people, permeated with an unshakable belief in God's omnipotence and His fatherly care for those who lead a saintly life.
If, on the other hand, we view the "Golden Legend" as an artistically composed book of devotion, we must admit that it is a complete success. It is admirably adapted to enhance our love and respect towards God, to foster our devotion towards His saints, and to animate us with a holy zeal to follow their example. The chief object of Jacopo de Voragine and of other medieval hagiologists was not to compose reliable biographies or to write scientific treatises for the learned, but to write books of devotion that were adapted to the simple manners of the common people. It is due to a wrong conception of the purpose of the "Golden Legend" that Luis Vives (De causis corruptarum artium, c. ii), Melchior Canus (De locis theologicis, xi, 6), and others have severely denounced it; and to a true conception that the Bollandists (Acts SS., January, I, 19) and many recent hagiologists have highly praised it. That the work made a deep impression on the people is evident from its immense popularity, and from the great influence it had on the prose and poetic literature of many nations. It became the basis of many passionals of the Middle Ages and religious poems of later times. Longfellow's "Golden Legend", which, with two other poems, forms the trilogy entitled "Christus", owes its name and many of its ideas to the "Golden Legend" of de Voragine.
The Golden Legend. Fynysshed at Westmere the twenty day of Novembre/ the yere of our Lord M/CCCC/LXXXIII/. By me Wyllyam Caxton.
In this edition some of the less credible legends of the original are omitted. The publication was made at the instance of the Earl of Arundel, who agreed to take "a reasonable number of copies", and to pay as an annuity "a buck in summer and a doe in winter" (see Putnam, "Books and their Makers in the Middle Ages ", New York and London, II, 1897, 118). Caxton's edition was re-edited and modernized by Ellis (London and New York, 1900). The first French version that appeared in print was made by Jean Batallier, and printed at Lyons in 1476. A French translation, made by Jean Belet de Vigny in the fourteenth century, was first printed at Paris in 1488. Recent French editions were prepared by Brunet, signed M. G. B. (Paris, 1843 and 1908); by de Wyzewa (Paris, 1902); and by Roze (Paris, 1902). an Italian translation by Nicolas Manerbi was printed in 1475, probably at Venice ; a Bohemian one was printed at Pilsen between 1475 and 1479, and another at Prague in 1495; a Low German one at Delft in 1472, and at Gouda in 1478. A German reproduction in poetry was made by Kralik (Munich, 1902).
Another important work of Jacopo de Voragine is his so-called "Chronicon Genuense", a chronicle of Genoa reaching to 1296. Part of this chronicle, which is a valuable source of Genoese history, was published by Muratori in "Rerum Italicarum Scriptores" (Milan, 1723-51), IX, 5-56. Concerning it see Mannucci, "La cronaca di Jacopo da Viraggio" (Geneva, 1904). He is also the author of a collection of 307 sermons, "Sermones de sanctis, de tempore, quadragesimales, de Beata Maria Virgine". They have been repeatedly printed, both separately and collectively. The earliest edition of the whole collection was printed in 1484, probably at Venice, where they were published a second time in 1497 and repeatedly thereafter. His remaining literary productions are "Defensorium contra impugnantes Fratres Praedicatores" (Venice, 1504), which is a defence of the Dominicans against some who accused them of not leading an Apostolic life; "Summarium virtutum et vitiorum" (Basle, 1497), which is an epitome of a work of the same title, written by William Peraldus, a Dominican who died about thirty years before Jacopo de Voragine. A theological work, entitled "De operibus et opusculis Sancti Augustini", is also generally ascribed to him, but its authenticity has not yet been sufficiently established. It is known that he was a close student of St. Augustine. Some, relying on the authority of Sixtus of Siena, ascribe to him also an Italian translation of the Bible , but no manuscript or print of it has ever been found.
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0.975673 |
How does Airbrush makeup compare to Mineral Makeup?
One of the primary goals that a woman has when she is applying facial foundation, is to achieve an appearance of having ultra-smooth skin. This means that no pores will be visible. No oiliness will be visible. In short, most women want for their faces to look flawless when they apply facial foundation. While many traditional foundations promise women the look of smooth and flawless skin, the most effective method for a woman to achieve the look of flawless foundation, is by having airbrush makeup applied to the face.
Airbrush makeup refers more to the process than it does to the actual foundation. When foundation is airbrushed to the face, a special airbrush machine must be used. Traditionally, airbrush machines are used in painting and in creating visual art. People use these machines, because the machines sprays paint in a fine and powerful mist to objects. When the paint dries, the result is extremely smooth and soft looking. There are no paint lines, nor are there any variations in paint hue. The same principle applies to using an airbrush machine, or an airbrush gun as it is called, on the face.
When foundation makeup is applied to the face, a special machine used for cosmetic application is used. It should be noted that foundation that has been especially formulated for airbrush guns are used as well. This is because traditional foundation is too thick to use in an airbrush gun. Therefore, airbrushing foundation needs to be formulated, so that it can be sprayed out of the machine, and applied to the face. Up until recently, having foundation airbrushed to one's face was something that only celebrities and the very wealthy were able to have access to. However, women from most walks of life can experience airbrushed foundation being applied to their skin.
However, many will find that using an airbrush gun to apply facial foundation can still be very expensive. An airbrush gun has to be special ordered. Specially formulated facial foundation needs to be ordered in advance as well. Touching up airbrush makeup isn't an easy proposition either. It's not practical to carry around an airbrush gun in one's purse or tote! These reasons are why many women prefer to use products, such as mineral makeup.
Mineral makeup offers many women the same benefits of using airbrushed foundation, without the expensive price tag. All a woman has to do, is order her compact of mineral powder foundation. She applies her makeup with a brush, and that's it! Since this type of foundation is so convenient, a woman doesn't have to worry about carrying around a cumbersome machine. Any woman who wears mineral powder foundation can also touch up her face anyplace she'd like to, unlike airbrush foundation.
So, while airbrushed foundation provides a flawless look for one's face, it's not as practical or inexpensive as using mineral powder makeup is. Both forms of foundation application will make the skin look beautiful. However, it seems that for today's busy woman, she'd do better wearing a naturally-based foundation that is less fussy to deal with.
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0.999387 |
Son of man, make a song of grief for Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and say to him, Young lion of the nations, destruction has come on you; and you were like a sea-beast in the seas, sending out bursts of water, troubling the waters with your feet, making their streams dirty.
This is what the Lord has said: My net will be stretched out over you, and I will take you up in my fishing-net.
And I will let you be stretched on the land; I will send you out violently into the open field; I will let all the birds of heaven come to rest on you and will make the beasts of all the earth full of you.
And I will put your flesh on the mountains, and make the valleys full of your blood.
And the land will be watered with your blood, and the waterways will be full of you.
And when I put out your life, the heaven will be covered and its stars made dark; I will let the sun be covered with a cloud and the moon will not give her light.
All the bright lights of heaven I will make dark over you, and put dark night on your land, says the Lord.
And the hearts of numbers of peoples will be troubled, when I send your prisoners among the nations, into a country which is strange to you.
And I will make a number of peoples overcome with wonder at you, and their kings will be full of fear because of you, when my sword is waved before them: they will be shaking every minute, every man fearing for his life, in the day of your fall.
For this is what the Lord has said: The sword of the king of Babylon will come on you.
I will let the swords of the strong be the cause of the fall of your people; all of them men to be feared among the nations: and they will make waste the pride of Egypt, and all its people will come to destruction.
And I will put an end to all her beasts which are by the great waters, and they will never again be troubled by the foot of man or by the feet of beasts.
Then I will make their waters clear and their rivers will be flowing like oil, says the Lord.
When I make Egypt an unpeopled waste, cutting off from the land all the things in it; when I send punishment on all those living in it, then it will be clear to them that I am the Lord.
It is a song of grief, and people will give voice to it, the daughters of the nations will give voice to it, even for Egypt and all her people, says the Lord.
Son of man, let your voice be loud in sorrow for the people of Egypt and send them down, even you and the daughters of the nations; I will send them down into the lowest parts of the earth, with those who go down into the underworld.
Among those who have been put to the sword: they will give a resting-place with them to all their people.
The strong among the great ones will say to him from the underworld, Are you more beautiful than any? go down, you and your helpers, and take your rest among those without circumcision, and those who have been put to the sword.
Whose resting-places are in the inmost parts of the underworld, who were a cause of fear in the land of the living.
They have made a bed for her among the dead, and all her people are round about her resting-place: all of them without circumcision, put to death with the sword; for they were a cause of fear in the land of the living, and are put to shame with those who go down to the underworld: they have been given a place among those who have been put to the sword.
There is Meshech, Tubal, and all her people, round about her last resting-place: all of them without circumcision, put to death by the sword; for they were a cause of fear in the land of the living.
And they have been put to rest with the fighting men who came to their end in days long past, who went down to the underworld with their instruments of war, placing their swords under their heads, and their body-covers are over their bones; for their strength was a cause of fear in the land of the living.
But you will have your bed among those without circumcision, and will be put to rest with those who have been put to death with the sword.
There is Edom, her kings and all her princes, who have been given a resting-place with those who were put to the sword: they will be resting among those without circumcision, even with those who go down to the underworld.
There are the chiefs of the north, all of them, and all the Zidonians, who have gone down with those who have been put to the sword: they are shamed on account of all the fear caused by their strength; they are resting there without circumcision, among those who have been put to the sword, and are put to shame with those who go down to the underworld.
Pharaoh will see them and be comforted on account of all his people: even Pharaoh and all his army, put to death by the sword, says the Lord.
For he put his fear in the land of the living: and he will be put to rest among those without circumcision, with those who have been put to death with the sword, even Pharaoh and all his people, says the Lord.
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What are the special abilities for Melee?
Charge – A short duration ability that gives a bonus to movement speed and damage. Ranks at: 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180.
Provoke – This ability will increase your threat and reduce your opponent's ranged/melee defense. Ranks at: 45, 60, 75, 90, 105, 120, 135, 150, 165, and 195.
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The same social media platforms we use to communicate with family and friends, are the same platforms that law enforcement uses to catch criminals, locate missing persons, and even thwart terrorist attacks. Recently reading about the 'Momo challenge' in the news (I attached an article by CTV below) concerns me as a parent, and I'm glad that law enforcement is looking into this issue. I started to read up on other ways that law enforcement utilizes social media to its advantage. I came up with five effective ways, but I encourage anyone who has more information on this topic to share their opinions. How can police stop horrible challenges like the 'Momo challenge'?
1.Protecting citizens from danger: In a 2016 ‘Law Enforcement Use of Social Media’ Survey conducted by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and Urban Institute, 91% of the 539 law enforcement agencies reported that they use social media to ‘notify the public of safety concerns’. More than 80% of the agencies who use social media utilize it as a way of engaging with the public and notifying people of dangers (some of which are non-crime issues like emergency info, and road closures). For example, on Aug 3rd 2018, the Toronto Police twitter page informed Torontians about the location of an unidentified package in the busy streets of Toronto, thereby letting the public know to avoid the area until the threat was destabilized. Another example is the police’s use of twitter on the tragic shooting that took place on August 10th in Fredericton, New Brunswick. While the shooting was active, Fredericton Police were quick to inform the public via Twitter updates about the dangers in the area and warned residents to remain inside their homes until the threat was over.
2.Using social media to gain evidence and uncover details in a case: In line with the 2016 National American survey, the Joffe Law firm’s blog explains that police use Facebook and Twitter to gain evidence for court. Facebook can be used to identify suspects, obtain incriminating information, solicit tips on crimes, and find key details in pending cases. Police can legally create fake accounts to communicate with suspects and can even access private accounts if it’s for good cause. In some cases, police don’t have to work too hard to find suspects: in Milwaukee, Jeffrey S. Kirk was arrested by police, after broadcasting his drug dealings on Facebook Live.
3.Locating victims, or suspects in a crime: In an article by the University of Cincinnati, the author explains that social media is a vital tool for spreading Amber Alerts rapidly, and locating criminals on the loose. Emily Vacher, former FBI agent and director of Trust and Safety at Facebook, quoted in an article on News.com.au explains: “Speed is critical [for saving children’s lives]. Research indicates that of those children who are going to be killed, 75 per cent will be killed in the first four hours.” Ms. Vacher goes on to say that lives have been saved by police officials using Facebook to share amber alerts.
4.Using apps to their advantage: Most people by now have heard of Waze (a navigation app that happens to alert users where police are doing speed traps). Some police officials are now using the same app to engage with the public. For example, CBC Boston reported in Pelham, that N.H; police officers used the Waze app to let users know of their presence at a local speed trap, reminding users to watch their speed and drive safely. It sends a message to users that law enforcement is on top of new technology that is being used against them. It also reminds us that police officials enforce these rules to save our lives. Just as police officers are aware of Waze; they remain vigilant of other popular apps – including those that are dangerous for the public, particular children.
5. Public engagement: The 2016 National American survey on law enforcement use of social media reports that close to 90% of the police agencies who participated in the survey reported using social media for citizen engagement, public relations, reputation management, and community outreach. In an article by the University of Cincinnati, social media is explained as valuable way to introduce new officers to the team, highlight achievements, pay tribute to deceased colleagues, encourage interest in law enforcement careers, post vacancies in the department, and invite the community to public events (e.g. the police parade). This humanizes the police force and creates a bond between citizens and police officers – trust and faith in our police department is vital. If citizens feel protected, they will feel more inclined to report crimes and engage police on important matters.
To note, it's not just police officials that use these methods for obtaining information. Some private investigation agencies are also up-to-date on the latest technologies. For example, the private investigation agency, Haywood Hunt and Associates Inc has a section of their website dedicated to social media services such as: Online & In Depth Social Media Research, Public Database Inquiries, Digital Footprint Investigations, Fact Finding and Vetting, Online Activity Monitoring, Asset Tracking, Accessing Deleted Information, Surveillance, and Location Tracking. What are your thoughts on law enforcements use of social media? Personally and especially as a mother, I like the idea that law enforcement can have access to these things, but this might be because I do not use social media very often (and I'm not up to no good).
Thank you for reading my first post and I look forward to your responses!
This is a duplicate! Please delete.
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If you’re hitting the road for Thanksgiving, here are some good podcasts to keep you and your family company.
Do you have a long car ride ahead of you this Thanksgiving? Here are some recommendations for some interesting podcasts to keep you occupied while you’re sitting in pre-Turkey Day traffic.
Seincast: “Seincast” breaks down each and every episode of “Seinfeld” — in detail. The hosts review the episode, play clips, and share interviews from the hit television series.
Get Mortified: Participants in the “Get Mortified” podcast dig through items from their childhood (think diaries, home movies, or artwork) to tell stories about their former selves.
Lovett or Leave It: A former speechwriter for President Obama hosts a show recorded in front of a live audience that features figures from the entertainment world who discuss the latest news and play some games.
Dear Sugars: A joint venture of the New York Times and WBUR, this “radically empathic advice show” offers guidance to letter writers looking for help with weighty topics like death, marriage, and childhood trauma.
A Killing on the Cape: Fifteen years after the brutal murder of 46-year-old Christa Worthington in the small Cape Cod town of Truro, this podcast and its accompanying ABC documentary revisits the case and looks at the question of whether the right man was convicted.
Ask A Clean Person: Part how-to expert and part advice columnist, Jolie Kerr (author of “My Boyfriend Barfed in My Handbag . . . and Other Things You Can’t Ask Martha”) talks housekeeping and all things scrubbing with an approachable and funny personality.
The Dirtbag Diaries: Tales from all aspects of the outdoor adventure lifestyle are featured on this podcast — climbing, hiking, kayaking, biking, and more. The stories are generally timeless narratives that can be listened to any time, and offer fascinating insight based on real-life experiences in the outdoors.
High Falutin’ Ski Bums: As close as it gets to replicating the kind of chit-chat you’d find while driving on a skiing day trip. The hosts discuss drinking, marijuana, ski news, news of the weird, and more.
Emily Sweeney, Martha Schick, Matt Pepin, and Meredith Goldstein contributed.
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Did Volatility ETFs Drive the Market’s Selloff?
Rising U.S. Treasury yields were widely cited as the spark that ignited early February's sharp selloff in stocks. But the real damage, in my view, was caused by a handful of arcane exchange-traded funds and other products that let traders place giant wagers on the direction of the CBOE Volatility Index, known by its symbol VIX and often called the “fear index.” The good news: The selloff already may be finished. But regardless of whether it’s behind us, you certainly should stay away from these dangerous volatility ETFs.
The stock market’s volatility had been incredibly low the past two years as the market ambled placidly higher. Traders placed bets that the low volatility would continue. These bets were incredibly profitable. The ProShares Short VIX Short-Term Futures ETF (SVXY, $11.34), for instance, gained 80.3% in 2016 and 181.8% last year.
Little more than a week ago, the market suddenly turned volatile — and the funds imploded. ProShares Short VIX Short-Term Futures lost a hard-to-believe 89.7% last week. A similar exchange-traded product, the VelocityShares Daily Inverse VIX Short-Term ETN (XIV, $5.34), plunged 95.3%. The VIX itself rose almost 70%.
Why? As the bets on continued low volatility soured, traders dumped them en masse. Billions of dollars flowed out of the funds and VIX futures. The volatility ETFs’ prices cratered, putting massive buying pressure on futures and funds tied to rising stock-market volatility.
Most of the buying was “short covering.” When a trader or fund wanted to bet that the VIX would decline, it borrowed securities that would go up with rising volatility in the hopes of returning the borrowed shares at a lower price. When the bet on continued low volatility went dramatically wrong, the shorts were forced to buy securities tied to a rising VIX, thus propelling the fear index ever higher.
As that index soared, stocks unsurprisingly tanked. The VIX and the stock market typically move in opposite directions; said differently, the more volatile the stock market is, the more likely stocks will fall.
What’s more, traders who suffered big losses on their short VIX bets had often bought these funds with borrowed money. To repay the money, they sold stocks and other securities, accelerating the market selloff.
Have the sellers already exhausted themselves? Huge rallies Friday and Monday suggest that may be the case. No one knows how much margin (borrowed money) these traders employed in short-volatility VIX funds and other instruments, so some may continue to unwind their trades. But the damage done last week could well be the worst of it. One big caveat: Once a selloff starts, it can continue for a variety of reasons regardless of what initially triggered it.
At least one volatility ETF — VelocityShares’ XIV, which is issued by Credit Suisse (CS) — plans to liquidate on Feb. 21. Its prospectus allows it to close down after any one-day loss of 80% or more. Fidelity last week halted purchases of three volatility-focused funds.
I’d like to see them all closed. The Securities & Exchange Commission, in my view, should never have allowed these funds to be sold — especially to ordinary individual investors. They’re extremely volatile, serve little if any useful purpose, and as we saw, can cause real harm to the markets.
Even fewer probably understand the problems of daily compounding, which all these instruments employ because they set the same percentage of leverage at the start of each trading day. The prospectuses tell investors that these funds are to be used for one day or less. But, of course, few read the fine print, and many of those who do don’t heed the warning.
Daily compounding means investors are likely to lose money in these funds if they invest for very long, especially if their underlying index is volatile. The problem is simple arithmetic. Say you invest $1,000 in one of these funds and it rises 20% in one day. You then have $1,200. Suppose the fund loses 20% the next day. You don’t have $1,000; instead you have only $960. That process can erode your investment over time. You can make money over time in these funds, but only if their underlying index continues in pretty much one direction.
Plenty of leveraged funds using daily compounding have lost money in years during which the index they tracked (without leverage) finished in the black. For example, the Direxion Daily MSCI Emerging Markets Bull 3x (EDC), designed to deliver three times the daily return of the MSCI Emerging Market Index, has lost an annualized 2.7% over the past five years while the index has gained an annualized 4.6%.
If a couple of Wall Street traders spotted two birds perched on a wire, they’d likely bet on which bird would fly off first. These leveraged and inverse funds, in my view, do about as much good for economy as a bet on which trader wins the bird bet.
But, as we’ve seen, the funds can do enormous damage.
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What is the light source used to illuminate the fundus for oximetry measurements?
The light sources of the fundus camera are used to illuminate the fundus of the eye. A halogen lamp is used for observation and a xenon flash for photography. An additional filter is provided by Oxymap with the Oxymap T1 to decrease unnecessary exposure to light. This filter passes wavelengths from 545 nm to 615 nm and thus filters ultraviolet and infrared radiations.
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Obesity is usually determined by BMI (body mass index) measurements. Someone with a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese.
From 1990 to 2017, the average percentage of obese adults increased from 11.1% (for the 44 states and DC for which 1990 data are available) to 30.6%.
According to the "State of Obesity" report by the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, as of 2017, seven states have obesity rates of 35% or higher; 22 states have obesity rates between 30% and 34.9%; 19 states have obesity rates between 25.0% and 29.9%; and two states and DC have obesity rates between 20% and 24.9%.
"The State of Obesity," the source for the data below, used reports from the Centers for Disease Control's (CDC) "Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System" (BRFSS) annual survey. The data for 1990 are incomplete because not all states were yet participating in the survey that year.
"The State of Obesity," the source for the above data, used reports from the Centers for Disease Control's (CDC) "Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System" (BRFSS) annual survey. The data for 1990 are incomplete because not all states were yet participating in the survey that year.
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Where can I fish for bass from the bank? It's a question that many anglers have when they first get starting fishing. Bank access on big bodies of water are often not the ideal location to fish for the current season. In this bass fishing instructional video, Pete talks about using technology to locate great places to start fishing. Because smaller bodies of water are more accessible, you're more likely to be able to fish them thoroughly, in a short amount of time and start learning why fish were in certain areas. Pete talks about locating public waters, and the importance of keeping shoreline clean (be sure to bring a bag for trash when bank fishing).
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What to see The area around Plaza de las Flores and the districts of San Pedro and Santa Catalina, home to some of the prettiest corners in Murcia. Two of the city's most iconic landmarks are the cathedral and the Episcopal Palace. Among the many fine examples of Baroque architecture, the religious buildings are most noteworthy. This is especially true of the churches of La Merced, San Miguel, Santa Ana, Las Claras and Santo Domingo. Inside, you can see statues by Francisco Salzillo. There is a museum dedicated to this artist in Murcia, where you can see lots of works related to Easter. As regards civil architecture, we should highlight some of the city's impressive 19th century buildings such as the City Hall, the Romea Theatre and the Casino. Festivities It boasts three fiestas that are listed as being of International Tourist Interest. The first on the calendar are the religious Easter Week celebrations. On the following Tuesday, a popular fiesta known as Bando de la Huerta is held, which celebrates the region's deep-rooted agricultural customs and traditions. Last but not least, on the following weekend, the Entierro de la Sardina (Burial of the Sardine) is held, along with its colourful parade. Gastronomy The superb cuisine is based on locally grown fruit and vegetables. Typical dishes include “pisto huertano” (fried vegetables, with pepper, onion and tomato), chickpea and chard stew and “zarangollo” (courgette, egg and onion).
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Business plan information must always tell an interesting story. This is because the purpose of a business plan is to secure financing for a new company. The audience consists of potential investors that must be convinced to invest in your business. The goal of a business plan is to show that your company has the potential to make a lot of money. A well-written business plan relays information in numerous ways and can be comprised of a variety of different orders. However, it must convey a clear understanding of the proposed market opportunity, explain your individual business model, and describe how money can be made from investing in your company.
When writing a business plan, it is important to gather data to try to accurately project employee costs, business needs, and company sales. Understanding how to research and compile all the necessary information will assist you in this task. Although the internet has made gathering information much easier, most of the data you will encounter will relate to competitors within your business industry. Some of the most beneficial information needed to develop a successful business plan will be found close to home, with business owners in your community who have a comparable business model.
The number of patrons that go inside the business.
The number of purchases that were made.
How long each customer stays inside the business.
Look for a similar company in another location. Find a similar store in a destination outside your community. Contact the owner, truthfully explain your intentions, and ask thoughtful questions about their business.
Research if a similar business is for sale in your community. Contact a broker and ask for as much information as possible. This may provide you with insider financial information that could benefit you when writing your business plan. For example, if you're considering opening a sporting goods store and you discover one is for sale, purchasing an established store may be a good opportunity.
Even if you do not want to purchase this particular store, the information you may gain could be very valuable.
Are there currently any problems within the company?
Shop at your competitors' stores. If you are considering starting a pizzeria, visit any potential competitors to assess how their business is running.
Cover page and a table of contents: It helps to organize your business plan with a proper table of contents and page numbering. Also include the business name, associated logo, and the owner's contact information.
Executive summary: Provide a brief description of your business in order to get people interested. It is often recommended to wait to write this portion of the business plan after the other sections are completed.
Market analysis: In this section you should include any competitors, target market, and describe your industry.
Management and organization structure: Information regarding the appointed board of directors, employee job descriptions, past work experience, management profiles, and documenting the owner of the company should be clearly stated in this portion of the business plan.
Sales and marketing plans: Describe how you will market the business and how you plan to generate sales.
Service or product descriptions: Thoroughly describe your products or services and note any trademarks, patents, or copyrights that you have acquired.
Funding requests: Supply a budget that specifies how you intend to use invested capital and note your long-term financial strategies. This is where you will also outline your expectations of any funding needs required now and over the next five years.
Financial projections: Any relevant financial information should be included, including cash flow statements, balance sheets, past income statements, and projected income.
Appendix: In this section, any supplementary documentation should be provided such as tax returns, letters of recommendation, your resume, completed research, and any contracts or pertinent lease information.
Remember that preparing a business plan can be a difficult process, but the end result will be very worthwhile.
If you need help with business plan information, you can post your legal need on UpCounsel's marketplace. UpCounsel accepts only the top 5 percent of lawyers to its site. Lawyers on UpCounsel come from law schools such as Harvard Law and Yale Law and average 14 years of legal experience, including work with or on behalf of companies like Google, Menlo Ventures, and Airbnb.
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How do you kill laziness?
Do you sometimes feel lazy,how can we overcome it.
I would suggest looking at the importance of what you are supposed to do and realize that being lazy wouldn't help you out in any way possible.
I have reasons to believe that this would motivate you to get your lazy body up and work.
Let's be very honest with ourselves, it's not a shameful thing to admit that every now and then, we get to exhibit signs of laziness in what we do and what we are supposed to do which we failed to carry out successfully. It's very important to keep in mind that we are not robots that doesn't get to feel tired, weak and worn out by the stress of working on daily basis even sometimes without getting enough and adequate night sleep.
Now, what I'm trying to explain here is that we do feel lazy to do some things sometimes as a result of being too weak to do that at the moment but also there are some situations where some people are just naturally lazy deep down in their bones that they find it almost impossible to carry out any task given to them.
So, if it's stress that is making you lazy, then you need rest but if it's not stress, then you need to work on your mentality.
We all feel lazy at some point every once in a while. There's no need to beat yourself up about it. The only problem is when you let it become a habit. There's a saying in my country that goes; there's no food for the lazy man.
Hence, when laziness becomes something recurrent, you need to constantly remind yourself of how important what it is that you do is. You need to say "if I don't do this I won't get that or I won't become that".
I always remind myself the reason and my purpose for living and doing what it is that I do. The thing is, if you don't do it, nobody is going to do it for you. Every one is too busy with their business so you owe it to yourself and the people around to get up and keep moving. No one said it was going to be easy at all.
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The Czech Republic (Czech: Česká republika, pronounced [ˈtʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka] ( listen)) is a country in Central Europe. As of 2 May 2016 the official short name of the country is Czechia (Czech: Česko). The capital and the biggest city is Prague. The currency is the Czech Crown (koruna česká - CZK). €1 is about 25 CZK. The president of Czechia is Miloš Zeman. Czechia's population is about 10.5 million.
The local language is the Czech language, a Slavic language related to languages like Slovak and Polish.
Czechia has no sea; its neighbour countries are Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Poland.
Its history dates from the 9th century AD, for a long time it was one of the most powerful countries in Central Europe. Later on it was the biggest, most populated and richest country of the First Reich, where many Emperors started their career. Under the conditions of the Treaty of Vienna 1515 parts of Czechia, then in the Kingdoms of Bohemia and Hungary, came under Habsburg rule after the death of Louis the Jagiellon in 1526. They stayed a part of the Habsburg dynasty rule until 1918.
The area of the today's Czechia was a part of Czechoslovakia (current area of Czechia and Slovak republic) from 1918 to 1992. Czechoslovakia became independent in 1918 from Austro-Hungarian Empire. The first Czechoslovakian president was Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. In February 1948 the Communist party took over the country and for the next 41 years Czechoslovakia was a Socialist state with a rule of one (Communist) party. In 1968 there was a reformation movement (Prague Spring) within the Communist party, but reforms were stopped by the invasion of Warsaw pact armies. In November 1989 Czechoslovakia returned to democracy through the peaceful "Velvet Revolution". Czechoslovakia peacefully split into two countries (Czechia and Slovakia) in 1993. Czechia has been a member of the European Union since May 1 2004, and a member of NATO since March 12, 1999.
There are four national parks in Czechia. The oldest is Krkonoše National Park. The others are Šumava National Park, Podyjí National Park, Bohemian Switzerland.
In 1949 the communist government created 13 centralized regions instead of historical countries. In 1960 the regions changed leaving only 8 regions. In 2000 14 regions were formed with their own regional self-government.
Czechia has one of the least religious populations in the world. According to the 2011 census, 34.2% of the population stated they had no religion, 10.3% were Roman Catholic, 0.8% were Protestant (0.5% Czech Brethren and 0.4% Hussite), and 9.4% followed other forms of religion both denominational or not (of which 863 people answered they are Pagan). 45.2% of the population did not answer the question about religion.
↑ Census of Population and Housing 2011: Basic final results. Czech Statistical Office Archived 29 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on 19 December 2012.
↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "Czech Republic". International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
↑ "Population by religious belief and by municipality size groups" (PDF). Czech Statistical Office. Retrieved 2012-04-23.
This page was last changed on 21 April 2019, at 07:02.
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Sick sounds, rhythms and combinations. Innovative and experimental electronica for those who want to awaken the ears and watch as the corridors and rooms transform.
Originally founded as R.A Moog Co in 1953, based in Trumansburg New York. Robert Moog set up his manufacturing company building theremin kits and modular synthesizer systems. By 1977 the company was known as Moog Music, Robert Moog collaborated with Herbert Deutsch to invent the most popular synthesizers to date. Many changes occurred in the 1970's for Moog music with the take over of manufacture Norlin, the current owner of Gibson guitar company. Who set out and produced several more synthesizers under the label but sadly never inspiring to be as unique as the original founder's product. Robert Moog departed ways with the company in the mid-1970's claiming his exit due to poor management and marketing. The company later closed in 1986 after several set backs in management and sales. Robert Moog started his own label Big Briar, producing Theremins under the name Etherwave. Extending the range to encompass analog-electronic musical instruments and effects pedals, later recalled as moogerfoogers. Joining forces with the Bomb Factory in 1999, Big Briar co-developed software modeled plug-ins based on the moogerfooger effect pedal lines and Pro Tools to keep the classic Moog sound. In 2002 after claiming the Moog Music trademark in the U.S back, Robert Moog relaunched and changed his name back to Moog Music. Releasing the Piano-Bar, a Don Buchla design, which allowed the physical movement of the keys to be transferred to an acoustic piano with MIDI information being displayed. Later that year a modern day version of the Minimoog synthesizer was launched. Marking his 50th anniversary year, Robert Moog released a Minimoog Voyager Anniversary Edition under his original name and trademark Moog Music.
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The region around the Tar River was continuously inhabited by indigenous people for 12,000 years before the first Europeans arrived, when it was home to the Tuscarora people. Europeans began settling the area after the Tuscarora War in the early 1700s. Like many other early settlements in colonial America, they settled along the fall line between the Piedmont and coastal plain, which is the point at which rivers become unnavigable sailing upstream and water flowing downstream can power a mill. The Falls of the Tar River Primitive Baptist Church was established in 1757, which still meets today, although its original building has since been replaced. Much of the community attended the church so that it served as an early form of record keeping and law enforcement with citations given for crimes.
The latter half of the 19th century saw the tobacco industry take shape in the state. Adjacent to the sandy coastal plain, Rocky Mount was well situated to take advantage of the rapidly rising demand for brightleaf tobacco that grew best in the sandy soil. Tobacco also shaped the city's social life. Warehouses where tobacco was stored and marketed began hosting balls for the community in the 1880s that became known as "june germans" for the time of year and style of dance. June germans eventually transformed into all-night dance parties and attracted musicians and socialites from miles around well into the 1900s By the end of the 19th century, tobacco had surpassed King Cotton as the town's primary agricultural product.
Several notable Civil Rights events occurred in Rocky Mount. In 1946, African American tobacco warehouse workers voted to organize in a Rocky Mount tobacco factory as part of a broader nationwide movement known as Operation Dixie that lead to voter registration and political action against segregation. On November 27, 1962, Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech at Booker T. Washington High School wherein he used his famous refrain "I have a dream" a year before his better known delivery at the March on Washington. The city also had its own sanitation workers' strike in 1978 when government sanitation workers protested their black co-worker being wrongfully arrested leading to his acquittal in court and the city later apologizing.
Like much of the rest of America, the 1980s onward saw urban decay of the inner city. Rocky Mount's downtown deteriorated but new neighborhoods and shopping malls were built like Golden East Crossing, and the city's boundaries expanded. In 1996, the town of Battleboro to the north of the city was annexed. In 1999, the city won its second All-America City Award.
The first decades of the 21st century have seen efforts to revitalize the historic downtown and projects to renovate buildings such as the train station and Douglas Block, or repurpose them like the Imperial Centre for Arts and Sciences and most recently Rocky Mount Mills. In 2007, Capitol Broadcasting Company bought the mill and is in the process of turning it into a mixed-use campus of breweries, restaurants, lofts, and event space. There have also been major new community projects such as the 143-acre (58 ha) sports complex and 165,000-square-foot (15,300 m2) downtown event center. In 2019, CSX, the successor company of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, broke ground on a new intermodal cargo terminal that is expected to bring hundreds of jobs in the next decade.
Rocky Mount is the regional shopping destination for the metropolitan area and many big-box retailers and specialty shops are located in the city. Large centers include Golden East Crossing, Cobb Corners, Sutters Creek Plaza and Rocky Mount Towne Center. Another shopping and business center is historical Station Square across the street from city hall and the train station.
The city is home to multiple venues for the performing arts. The Imperial Centre for the Arts and Sciences hosts the Maria V. Howard Arts Center, a Children's Museum and Science Center, and a community theater. The Dunn Center for the Performing Arts at Wesleyan College regularly has college arts performances and touring acts, and is also the home of the Tar River Orchestra and Chorus. Most recently, the Rocky Mount Event Center opened in downtown with space to hold up to 5,000 seats for entertainment and sporting events.
A Rocky Mount Railroad Museum has been in planning stages for a number of years given the cultural significance of the railroad on the city—in the early to mid-1900's the Emerson Shops alone of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad employed over 2,000 people—but is currently without a facility.
Tar River Trail is a 7-mile (11 km) greenway running east to west along the namesake river that connects with multiple parks, city landmarks, and the sports complex, with designated boat ramps for paddling trips on the river. Notable among the connected parks is City Lake Park, built in 1937 during the Great Depression by the Works Progress Administration, and the 57-acre (23 ha) biodiverse Battle Park centered on the falls of the Tar River. The trail also includes a 220-foot (67 m) long clear-span wooden bridge believed to be the longest such wooden bridge in the United States.
North Carolina Wesleyan College is a four-year private liberal arts college located in Rocky Mount. It is notably home to the Eastern North Carolina Center for Business and Entrepreneurship. The center's programs are free, open to the public, and focusing on business development, entrepreneurship and community engagement. The city is also served by Nash Community College, which has a brewing, distillation and fermentation program, and Edgecombe Community College, which has a downtown campus specializing in biotechnology and medical simulation.
The city of Rocky Mount is primarily served by the Nash-Rocky Mount Public School System, which as a whole has 15,000 students in 28 schools. Parts of the city in Edgecombe County are also served by the Edgecombe County Public Schools system. Public high schools include Nash Central High School, Northern Nash High School, Rocky Mount High School, Southwest Edgecombe High School and Southern Nash High School. The two nontraditional public schools are Tar River Academy and NRMPS Early College High School. One North Carolina charter school located in Rocky Mount is Rocky Mount Preparatory School. There are also a number of private schools in the area.
Braswell Memorial Library serves the community as its major public library with affiliated libraries throughout the Twin Counties. It recently became part of the State Library's NC Cardinal consortium of public libraries that share an integrated library system allowing books and other materials to be checked out from member libraries across the state.
Nash UNC Health Care is a nonprofit hospital affiliated with UNC Health Care, which it joined in 2014. It has 345 beds at four different locations. Its flagship facility is Nash General Hospital—home to a women's center, a cardiovascular services department, and a critical care unit. When Nash General Hospital opened in 1971, it consolidated four different hospitals in the Rocky Mount area, and was the first all-private-room hospital in North Carolina. Other facilities operated are Nash Day Hospital, opened in 1984 as a free-standing outpatient surgery center; the Bryant T. Aldridge Rehabilitation Center, opened in 1999; and the Coastal Plain Hospital, a mental health facility. In 2004, Nash General Hospital opened a state-of-the-art Surgery Pavilion, followed in 2014 by the opening of a new Emergency Department and a new Nash Heart Center. In 2016, the hospital opened the doors of its new $25 million Nash Women's Center.
Phil Ford - UNC and NBA basketball player.
^ Coscolluela, Nicole. "Landscape and Environment". Digital Rocky Mount Mills. UNC-Chapel Hill Community Histories Workshop. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
^ "About - Tar River Orchestra & Chorus". Tar River Orchestra & Chorus. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
This page was last edited on 20 April 2019, at 22:36 (UTC).
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"Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it." Did you know this famous quote is attributed to George Washington in regard to the American Revolution and our fight for Independence?
It wasn't. That's an out-and-out lie.
This quote is actually attributed to Edmund Burke, a British-Irish politician who lived at the time of the revolution. Burke sympathized with the plight of British colonists but never advocated what would be, to him, a rebellion.
No, I bring up this quote for two reasons: 1) It's timely – after all, Burke lived to see the beginning and end of the revolutionary war ... and 2) it's about history.
And our shared Fourth of July history is what I want to test you on today.
So grab a pencil and test your Independence Day knowledge. Answers provided at the end.
1. On what day did the American Revolution begin?
2. When was the first draft of the Declaration of Independence written?
3. When was the Declaration of Independence signed?
4. When was the Declaration of Independence "delivered" to Great Britain?
5. What actually happened on July 4, 1776?
A. Colonists confronted Redcoats in the "shot heard around the world."
B. The Continental Congress approved and adopted the final wording of the Declaration of Independence.
C. Fifty-six delegates signed the Declaration of Independence.
6. True or False – The Fourth of July immediately became a Federal holiday in 1776.
7. True or False – Three former presidents all died on July 4, 1826.
8. True or False - Several former presidents have been born on the Fourth of July.
9. True or False – The Fourth of July is one of four Federal Holidays that are celebrated on the same calendar date every year.
10. True or False – They have the Fourth of July in England.
1. A: The “shot heard around the world” was fired on April 19, 1775. According to History.com, this occurred in Lexington, near Boston, Massachusetts. Seventy-seven armed minutemen met 700 British troops in the common area. No one knows who fired the first shot, but after the smoke cleared, eight Americans were dead and 10 others were wounded. Only one Redcoat was injured.
2. B: On June 11, 1776, a five-man committee – including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert R. Livingston and Benjamin Franklin – was tasked by the Second Continental Congress to draft a formal statement justifying a permanent break from Great Britain.
3. C: Fifty-six delegates signed the Declaration of Independence on August 2, 1776.
4. B. News of the declaration reached England in mid-August. The London Gazette broke the news in its Saturday, August 10 edition, with a printed extract from a letter from General William Howe: "I am informed that the Continental Congress have declared the United Colonies free and independent States."
5. B: The final wording of the document was adopted and approved two days after the first draft was submitted on July 2, 1776.
7. False – Two former presidents – John Adams (our 2nd president, 1797-1801) and Thomas Jefferson (our 3rd president, 1801-1809) – died within hours of each other on July 4, 1826. Another former president, James Monroe (our 5th president, 1817-1825) died years later on July 4, 1831.
8. False – Only one of our former presidents can claim to be an Independence Day baby. Calvin Coolidge (our 30th president, 1923-1929) was born on July 4, 1872.
9. True – The other three Federal date-driven holidays are New Year's Day (January 1), Veterans Day (November 11) and Christmas Day (December 25).
1-3 correct – You're related to someone who knows some things about Independence Day.
4-6 correct – You are a true Patriot!
7-10 correct – You are thisclose to being a Founding Father (or Mother) of our nation! Congrats – you are free to celebrate with moms, apple pie and baseball. And fireworks.
11 correct – As there are only 10 possible correct answer, you are a liar. Or, like me, you got a bonus point for being born on the Fourth of July. So while you shoot off some fireworks for our nation, pop one for me!
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Is government doing enough to protect them?
Much as they did 100 years ago, farmworkers today still face “back-breaking jobs with impossibly long hours for skinflint wages in filthy conditions,” as a newspaper editorial described it. Wages have not kept pace with inflation, and in some labor camps, living conditions range from the deplorable to the unconscionable. Some farm bosses even have been convicted in recent years of enslaving workers, most of whom are illegal aliens afraid to speak out for fear of deportation. Human-rights advocates say the only way to improve conditions is to give undocumented workers legal residency. But opponents say that would reward illegals for breaking U.S. immigration laws and ultimately spark more illegal immigration. Meanwhile, many state and federal laws protecting workers go unenforced, and growers say Americans increasingly do not want to do farm work.
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ZZ Top (pronounced "Zee Zee Top") is an American Texas blues and Hard rock band formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas.
The band consists of guitarist and lead vocalist Billy Gibbons, bassist and co-lead vocalist Dusty Hill, and drummer Frank Beard.
One of the few major label recording groups to have consisted of the same lineup for more than forty years, ZZ Top has been praised by critics and fellow musicians alike for their technical mastery.
while Hill and Beard provide the ultimate rhythm section support."Since the release of the band's debut album in January 1971, ZZ Top has become known for its strong blues roots and humorous lyrical motifs, relying heavily on double entendres and innuendo.
ZZ Top's musical style has changed over the years, beginning with blues-inspired rock on their early albums, then incorporating New Wave, punk rock and dance-rock, with heavy use of synthesizers.ZZ Top was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
As a group, ZZ Top possesses 11 gold records and 7 platinum (13 multi-platinum) records; their 1983 album, Eliminator, remains the group's most commercially successful record, selling over 10 million units.
ZZ Top also ranks 80th in U.S.
album sales, with 25 million units.To this day,ZZ Top has sold over 50 million albums worldwide.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Jordin Brianna Sparks (born December 22, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. In 2007, she came to prominence after winning the sixth season of American Idol; at age 17, she became the youngest winner in the series' history. Her self-titled debut album was released later that year; it was certified platinum by the RIAA and has sold over two million copies worldwide. The album spawned US Billboard Hot 100 top ten singles "Tattoo" and "No Air"; the latter is currently the third highest-selling single by any American Idol contestant, selling over three million digital copies in the US. The song earned Sparks her first Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. Sparks' second album Battlefield (2009) debuted at number seven on the US Billboard 200. Its lead single "Battlefield" reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, making Sparks the only American Idol contestant to have her first five singles reach the top twenty on the chart. The second single "S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)" became Sparks' first number one on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart. Throughout her career, Sparks has won numerous awards, including a NAACP Image Awards, a BET Award, an American Music Award, a People's Choice Award and two Teen Choice Awards. In 2009, Billboard magazine ranked her as the 91st Artist of the 2000s Decade.In 2012, Sparks was ranked at number 92 on VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Women in Music". As of February 2012, she has sold 1.3 million albums and 10.2 million singles in the United States alone, making her one of the most successful American Idol contestants of all time.Sparks branched out from recording music, pursuing careers in acting and Broadway, and designing perfumes. She made guest appearances on several television series, beginning with The Suite Life On Deck in 2009, and later in Big Time Rush in 2010. That same year, Sparks made her Broadway debut in the musical, In The Heights, starring as Nina Rosario. She made her feature film debut in a remake of the musical film, Sparkle (2012), which also starred Whitney Houston, Derek Luke, Carmen Ejogo and Tika Sumpter. In October 2010, Sparks released her first perfume, Because of You..., which was followed by her second perfume, Fascinate, in March 2012, with her third perfume Ambition, in November 2012. That same year, People magazine named Sparks as one of 2012's "Most Beautiful at Every Age".On July 22, 2013 it was announced that Sparks would make her return to the music industry after a four-year solo material hiatus. RCA Records released the first promotional single, "Skipping a Beat", on August 1, 2013 on SoundCloud. The song became available on music media markets on August 13, 2013.
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1. When your child comes to you, talk about what the other children in the playground are doing.
2. Ask your child what looks 'fun'.
3. When your child decides say to them "Let's go and join them".
4. Take your child over and encourage them to join in with your support.
5. Next time, repeat steps 1 to 4 but after you've encouraged them to join in, stand back and let them play independently.
6. Next time, repeat steps 1 and 2 and then say "Let's go and ask to join in."
7. Take the child over and encourage them to say "Can I play" and then let them play independently.
8. Next time, repeat 1-2 and then say "you go and ask 'can I play'. I'll watch from here".
The aim of this activity is to encourage your child to start initiating interactions with a peer at play time, rather than talking only to adults.
It may take your child longer to feel confident to play without your presence. Take it slowly so that your child knows you are there to support them if needed but also enable them to become more independent.
If at steps 7 and 8 your child is extremely reluctant to ask, you can break it down and get them to copy the question word for word e.g. "Child's name, say 'Can......I......play....' ".
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OBJECTIVE: Create an advertising campaign to introduce Dunkin Donuts to a wide audience group through multiple social media platforms and billboards.
STRATEGY: Taking "DUNKIN DONUTS" into a new meaning, by picking out "I" and "DO" in the words, making it "YES, I DO". As a marriage scene is created by "YES, I DO", the feeling of happiness is created to the audience.
CONCEPT: A marriage scene where two donuts celebrate the happiness of their marriage, with the copy "YES, I DO" and " YOU, ME and DUKIN".
The marriage is sweet, Dunkin is sweet.
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Instruct fifth-grade students to write based on informative topics.
The purpose of informative writing is to inform a reader on a specific topic. Students become more informed on the topic as well as they complete research, interviews and observations. An important part of fifth-grade curriculum is learning to select an informative topic and complete a written assignment on that topic.
Have fifth-grade students write based on the informative topic of a famous person. Allow students to select someone famous that they wish to know more about and want to inform others about through their writing. This could be a famous politician, actor, musician, singer, writer or athlete. Examples could include Barack Obama, Jennifer Aniston, Mariah Carey, Stephenie Meyer or Michael Jordan. The famous person can be living, deceased, currently working or retired. The student should provide background information, achievements, interesting facts and quotes from the famous person.
Allow students to write about a famous event as an informative topic. Famous events in history could include wars, tragedies and triumphs. Examples of famous events that students could choose to write about are World War II, the rise of Nazi power or the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States. Students should include who, what, when, where, why and how in the detailed information on their famous event.
Give students the option of writing an informative paper on a book or movie. This requires that students view the movie or read the book. Further research on the movie or book will be necessary. Students should look at reviews, synopses, characters, settings, plots and symbolism. Students should select an age-appropriate movie of book. Examples include "Twilight" or "The Blind Side." They can pick one that is both a movie and a book. It can be based on real life or fiction.
Give students the option of selecting an informative topic based on how to accomplish a task. This could be how to do a craft, sport, recipe or life skill. Examples include how to bake chocolate chip cookies, make new friends, play soccer or make a scrapbook. Students should take readers through each of the necessary steps toward accomplishing the task. It should be easy enough to follow that any reader should feel that she could accomplish the goal. Encourage students to do the task step by step themselves to put them in the shoes of their audience and help them make their steps clear.
Mollman, Sarah. "Informative Writing Topics for the 5th Grade." Synonym, https://classroom.synonym.com/informative-writing-topics-5th-grade-7927423.html. Accessed 18 April 2019.
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General Sir James Yorke Scarlett was quartered here when he was a young Captain of the 6th Dragoon Guards.
The Yorkshire Hotel was originally the residence of the Foulds family (who later built Rishton Mill) with the garden in front, whose extent is still shown by the paving in front. Later, the officers of various detachments quartered at Lane Bridge Barracks lived here, amongst whom was Captain James Yorke Scarlett, of the 5th Dragoon Guards, who wooed and won Miss Caroline Hargreaves of Bank Hall.
I noticed a mistake in this article. James Yorke Scarlett married Charlotte Ann Hargreaves (not Caroline). Once married, Charlotte became Charlotte Scarlett!
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１：I have to get up at 6:00 tomorrow.
２：He has to study hard.
３：Do I have to get up at 6:00 tomorrow?
４：Does he have to study hard?
５：I had to get up at 6:00 this morning.
６：Did I have to go there?
７：I will have to get up early tomorrow.
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A sign language (also signed language) is a language which chiefly uses manual communication and body language to convey meaning, as opposed to acoustically conveyed sound patterns. This can involve simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speaker's thoughts. They share many similarities with spoken languages (sometimes called "oral languages", which depend primarily on sound), which is why linguists consider both to be natural languages, but there are also some significant differences between signed and spoken languages.
Wherever communities of deaf people exist, sign languages have been developed. Signing is not only used by the deaf, it is also used by people who can hear, but cannot physically speak. While they use space for grammar in a way that spoken languages do not, sign languages show the same linguistic properties and use the same language faculty as do spoken languages. Hundreds of sign languages are in use around the world and are at the cores of local deaf cultures. Some sign languages have obtained some form of legal recognition, while others have no status at all.
At a quarter to three.
But I can't respond to your sign language.
You're taking advantage, bringing me down.
Can't you make any sound?
'Twas there by the bakery, surrounded by fakery.
This is my story, still I'm still there.
Does she know I still care?
For the words I was saying, so misunderstood.
He didn't do me no good.
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There are a lot of movies that blew us away at this year's South by Southwest Film Festival, but for this writer's money the greatest discovery was Joe Swanberg's Drinking Buddies. It's about two coworkers and best friends, Olivia Wilde and Jake Johnson, who are so unbelievably compatible that they should clearly be in a relationship together. They're not, though. Wilde is with Ron Livingston and Johnson is with Anna Kendrick.
Given the title and that briefiest of descriptions, you could picture this being a gritty indie drama. It isn't. Here's part of my review out of SXSW: "The title might imply that it's about alcoholism and addiction, but it isn't. It's not about having an affair or even about lusting after your coworkers. Drinking Buddies is about perspective and how two friends who are perhaps too close to one another can lose it. It's smart, funny, charismatic and, above all, resonant."
Magnolia opens Drinking Buddies in theaters on August 23, 2013. You'd do very well to keep your eye on it. Here's the first trailer to give you a taste.
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On May 10, 1992, at New York City's Algonquin Hotel, Sylvia Syms finished singing her last song, raised her right arm to acknowledge the audience's standing ovation, and collapsed of a heart attack. The cabaret singer died the same evening at age 74. Syms's death ended a career that had spanned half a century.
Born in New York in 1917, Syms first became interested in jazz through radio broadcasts of live shows on New York's famed 52nd Street, then also known as "Swing Street." As a teenager, too young and too poor to be admitted to the city's jazz clubs, she hid in coatrooms to listen to such greats as Art Tatum, Lester Young, Mildred Bailey, and the woman who would become her mentor and role model: Billie Holiday. Syms made her own debut in 1941, at a 51st Street club called Kelly's Stable. In 1946, she made her first recording, "I'm In the Mood for Love."
In 1949, Syms was discovered by Mae West, who gave the singer the role of Flo the Shoplifter in a revival of Diamond Lil. Syms would go on to play Bloody Mary in South Pacific, Dolly Levi in Hello, Dolly!, and Gypsy in Tennessee Williams's Camino Real. At the same time, she continued to perform in jazz clubs as a cabaret star, or as she preferred to call herself, a saloon singer. The intimate atmosphere of the club or saloon suited Syms, who told a 1974 interviewer that "her religion [was] people" and once said that "when you perform, it's a one-to-one love affair with the people out there. That's how it has to be."
The people loved Syms back. She recorded fifteen albums, of which the major hit was her 1956 version of "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady. It sold more than one million copies. She was also popular with her fellow performers, earning the nickname "Buddha" (for her short stature and round figure) from Frank Sinatra. Sinatra, who also called Syms "the best saloon singer in the business," produced and conducted her 1982 album of jazz classics, Syms by Sinatra. The 1992 Algonquin show was entitled "Syms celebrates Sinatra," and was intended to be a tribute to her longtime friend and mentor. Syms's last album, You Must Believe in Spring: The Words of Alan and Marilyn Bergman was released posthumously, in June 1992.
To learn more about Sylvia Blagman Syms, visit Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia. Listen to Sylvia Syms' recordings.
Sources: Jewish Women in America, pp. 1364-1366; New York Times, May 11, 1992, May 17, 1992.
Jewish Women's Archive. "Singer Sylvia Blagman Syms dies during standing ovation." (Viewed on April 18, 2019) <https://jwa.org/thisweek/may/10/1992/sylvia-blagman-syms>.
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There were 13 reported shots fired incidents in September (2018). In September (2017) there were 26 shots fired incidents, thus we saw a 50% decrease last month. Through the end of September, we are aware of 144 shots fired calls for service, which represents a 13.8% decrease compared to the same time-frame last year when we saw 167 shots fired calls.
Where did these incidents occur per district in September?
In September, there were 5 reports of shots fired that included property damage (50 year-to-date). There were 5 subjects struck by gunfire (20 year-to-date). Two of these incidents resulted in death (determined to be a domestic-related murder-suicide). Arrests have been made in two of the three other incidents where subjects were struck by gunfire. The shooting that occurred on Cottage Grove Rd is still an active investigation.
**The provided stats are based upon the best data available at the time of publication.
Finally, before we get into the calls for service, our very own, Police Officer Jodi Nelson, recently boxed in the 2018 Battle of the Badges: "The Fight for Autism" competition in Racine. The recipients of this year's competition were Autism Solutions and Therapeutic Riding Stable. Officer Nelson battled against a Fire Fighter from Somers, Wisconsin and won! We are so proud of her and for this event which helps children with autism. The funds raised during this wonderful event is closing in on approximately $50,000. Congratulations Officer Nelson!
From 6:00 a.m. on 10/08/2018 through 6:00 a.m. on 10/09/2018, MPD received 439 calls for service. This number does not include parking complaints or 911 misdials. For purposes of clarification, the following abbreviations are short-hand for race designations: W=White, AA=African American, NA=Native American, H=Hispanic, ME=Middle Eastern, A=Asian, MR=Mixed Race, U=Unknown. MPD shifts are staggered as follows: 1st detail=7 a.m. to 3 p.m., 2nd detail=12 p.m. to 8 p.m., 3rd detail=3 p.m. to 11 p.m., 4th detail=8 p.m. to 4 a.m., 5th detail=11 p.m. to 7 a.m.
To further break down the 439 calls for service for the past 24-hours this is how the calls came in per district: Central (75), East (104), Midtown (64), North (67), South (44), West (54), and Other (31). Other=these are calls for service that either do not have a sector listed or the sector is not in the City. For example, if one of our officers assists another law enforcement agency, their sector is not listed in our districts so therefore it is listed under "other".
1) WEST: Recovered Stolen Auto – 8:14 a.m. Officers responded to Sauk Creek Circle reference an occupied vehicle that had been parked on the street and running for 2-3 hours. The vehicle was determined to be stolen earlier this month. The occupants, who were asleep when officers arrived, woke up when a squad siren sounded which led to them fleeing the area in the vehicle (stop strips had been placed in front and back of the vehicle). The vehicle's tires deflated. The vehicle was located unoccupied on Grand Canyon Dr. The registered owner of the vehicle was notified. Investigation continuing.
2) NORTH: Missing/Runaway Juvenile – 9:04 a.m. Officers responded to a report of a missing/runaway juvenile (17-year-old AAF). Areas checked. No safety concerns identified for the juvenile. The juvenile was entered as missing/runaway in the appropriate databases. Investigation continuing.
3) EAST: Death Investigation – 9:15 a.m. Officers responded to an east side residence for a deceased subject (41-year-old WF). The decedent had a history of opiate addiction. Drug paraphernalia was found in the home. Medical Examiner's office responded. Investigation continuing.
4) MIDTOWN: Death Investigation – 9:55 a.m. Officers responded to a midtown district residence for a deceased subject (72-year-old WM). Nothing suspicious observed on scene. Medical Examiner's office notified. Investigation continuing.
5) EAST: Adult Arrested Person – 10:09 a.m. Officers responded to the Walmart parking lot on Nakoosa Trail where a victim (WF) located her vehicle that had been stolen this past weekend. A suspect (23-year-old AAM) was identified and contacted inside the store. The suspect was arrested for operating a motor vehicle without consent and a felony parole warrant.
6) EAST: Disturbance – 11:49 a.m. While an officer was investigating a crash in the parking lot at La Follette High School, a subject/suspect (17-year-old AAM) became "very animated and threatened the other driver." The officer attempted to diffuse the situation. The suspect sped through the lot in a reckless manner, came back and threatened the officer. Other officers responded to the area to assist. The suspect was arrested for disorderly conduct (2 counts), reckless driving and operating after suspension.
7) WEST: Check Person – 4:37 p.m. Officers responded to a request to check the welfare of a subject (28-year-old AAM) and his son (1-year-old AAM). The subject and his son were located. The child was reunited and left in the care of his mother. No further police action was deemed necessary.
8) WEST: Check Person – 5:30 p.m. Officers responded to Maple Valley Drive to check the welfare of a subject (33-year-old WM) "running around screaming and pulling his pants down." The subject was conveyed to a local hospital for an evaluation. Officers suspected the subject to be in an excited delirium state. Upon receiving a medical clearance, the subject was arrested for disorderly conduct and felony bail jumping. Investigation continuing.
9) EAST: Missing/Runaway Juvenile – 5:55 p.m. Officers received a report of a missing/runaway juvenile (14-year-old AAF). Attempt to locate aired. The juvenile was listed as missing/runaway in the appropriate databases. Investigation continuing.
10) CENTRAL: Domestic Disturbance – 6:59 p.m. Officers responded to Fordem Ave for a domestic disturbance between two subjects (18-year-old AAM victim and 18-year-old AAF suspect). The victim reported being pepper sprayed by the suspect (the mother of his child). The suspect was not on scene when officers arrived. Once located, the suspect will be charged with domestic disorderly conduct. Investigation continuing.
11) CENTRAL: Assist MFD/Crash – 7:27 p.m. Officers responded to assist MFD with a vehicle fire, as a result of a crash, in the 600 block of Williamson St. Officers assisted with traffic control. MG&E responded due to traffic lights out. No charges have been substantiated at this time. Investigation continuing.
12) NORTH: Weapons Offense – 12:14 a.m. Officers responded to a local hospital after two subjects arrived with blood on them and one subject had a stab wound. The victim (48-year-old WM) reported that the other male subject with him (28-year-old WM) stabbed him. Both subjects left the hospital before police arrived. Areas checked and they were not located. Investigation continuing.
13) SOUTH: Intoxicated Driver – 12:38 a.m. Officers responded to Fish Hatchery Rd/St. Park St for a report of a crash. Officers contacted the driver/suspect (48-year-old AAM) who was found to be under the influence (no crash or injuries located). The suspect was arrested for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, possession of drug paraphernalia and a probation hold.
14) EAST: Domestic Disturbance – 4:00 a.m. Officers responded to Macarthur Rd for a domestic disturbance between two subjects (18-year-old AAF and 19-year-old AAM). The subjects are dating and got into a verbal argument. The female claimed the male struck her on the forearm. The male and his godmother/witness denied this occurred. No injuries were observed. No charges have been substantiated at this time. Safety plan was developed. Officers left the residence but were called back two additional times for ongoing issues. Charges may be forthcoming. Investigation continuing.
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How to Bathe a Dog Properly?
Dog bathing has a number of aspects, which should be considered. Let's find them out.
1. First of all, warm water is needed (40 ͦC is optimal). It will be easier to wet a dog's coat with the help of water dipper or watering pot. Prepare dog shampoo and towels beforehand.
2. When preparation is done, moisten the dog's hair with plenty of water. Apply shampoo on the coat and carefully rub it.
3. Thin down shampoo with water to foam to make the procedure easier. This will allow you to wash the dog's hair better and to rinse shampoo out better.
4. Soap scum is applied on the whole dog's back rubbed well in fur. Paws, tail, neck and belly are washed after that. Head is washed last, it is important to watch that shampoo hasn't got into ears and eyes.
5. Wait for 3-5 min. when shampoo is applied and then wash it away. Soap the dog's coat once again, wait and wash away.
6. Pay careful attention to rinsing. Remove shampoo from head, then from back, neck and chest. Wash up belly and paws when water isn't foams. Help yourself with hands in foam removing.
7. Dry up the dog after washing with a towel. Change wet towel to a dry one. Wrap the dog with dry cloth after wiping off and leave it until hair is dried out.
8. You can use a hair drier, having exposed sparing temperature and low turns.
9. Apply special balsam on the dog's coat and process it carefully. The balm is applied on palms, rubbed in hair of the dog and washed out in a few minutes.
A puppy is bathed for the first time when it is 3.5-4 months old. The pet should be dewormed and vaccinated. It is allowed to bathe the puppy after isolation period (in 14 days after the first vaccination, in 21 days - after the second). If there is a need to bathe a small puppy, wipe it carefully and keep it under a blanket until its coat gets dry.
The dog needs to be bathed after trimming to remove hair cut down. Otherwise it will irritate the dog's skin and the pet will begin to scratch. If dog bathing is a prophylactic measure, comb its coat and cut knots off if present. Dry shampoos are also used for dog coat cleaning. They are especially useful for dogs after surgeries, when water contact is forbidden.
Read also how to bathe a dog at home.
Use dog grooming and care supplies.
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Use a dictionary to look up the meanings of any words you don't know.
1. Which of these is most likely to be a part of your heritage?
2. Which of the following does not help to define a nation’s culture?
3. When you progress, you _______.
4. Which is an example of adversity?
5. Which word is a synonym of “blend”?
6. If you abolish something, you _______.
7. If you enrich something, you _______.
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making yogurt without yogurt maker, milk boiled when i was not paying attention, did i ruin it, still waiting for it to cool down.
yes! I've done this many times. it will work fine, assuming you add your culture AFTER it boils when it cools to the correct temp.
Probably. If the milk boiled, it might have killed off too much bacteria to culture properly. I base this theory on the fact that ultra-pasteurized milk is not recommended for making yogurt or cheese. UP milk has been heated to a high temperature to extend its shelf life. It can result in a very runny yogurt.
I would start over. Use that boiled milk for something else, like custard or ice cream.
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A number of cortical regions are involved in processing pain-related information. The SI and SII somatosensory cortices process mainly sensory discriminative attributes but also play an important role in recognition and memory of painful events. Regions such as SII and the posterior insula appear to be the first stations that house processes by which attention profoundly shapes both behavioral responses and subjective pain experience. We investigated the influence of directed attention on pain-induced oscillations and synchronization processes using magnetoencephalogram in combination with an oddball paradigm in 20 healthy subjects. The subject's task was to count rare painful electrical stimuli applied to one finger, while ignoring frequent stimuli at a different finger. A high detection ratio was observed for all blocks and subjects. Early evoked oscillations in the δ-band increased with higher stimulus intensity and directed attention, most prominently at contralateral sensorimotor sites. Furthermore, suppression and rebound of β activity were observed after painful stimulation. Moreover, induced oscillatory activity in the high γ-band increased with directed attention, an effect being significantly stronger for high compared with low stimulus intensity. Coupling analysis performed for this high γ response revealed stronger functional interactions between ipsilateral and contralateral sites during attention. We conclude that pain-induced high-frequency activity in sensorimotor areas may reflect an attentional augmentation of processing, leading to enhanced saliency of pain-related signals and thus to more efficient processing of this information by downstream cortical centers.
The perception of pain is determined by the physical nature of the painful stimulus and the psychological context in which it occurs. A number of cortical regions are involved in processing pain-related information (Peyron et al., 2000). The primary (SI) and secondary (SII) somatosensory cortices process mainly sensory-discriminative attributes, which provide information about the duration, strength, and location of pain, but also play an important role in recognition and memory of painful events (Schnitzler and Ploner, 2000). Regions such as SII and posterior insular cortices appear to be the first stations that house processes by which attention profoundly shapes both behavioral responses to pain and subjective pain experience (Lorenz and Garcia-Larrea, 2003). In clinical contexts, attention toward pain can aggravate chronic pain and the associated subjective experience (Aldrich et al., 2000; Eccleston et al., 2001). Furthermore, it can interfere with concurrent cognitive activities (Eccleston and Crombez, 1999). Therefore, studying the cerebral mechanisms of attentional modulation of pain processing can help to better understand the role of psychological factors in pain and their associated therapeutic relevance.
Previous studies on the correlates of interactive stimulus and pain modulation effects in the electroencephalogram (EEG) or magnetoencephalogram (MEG) concentrated on slow event-related potentials after painful electrical or laser stimuli (for review, see Bromm and Lorenz, 1998; Lorenz and Garcia-Larrea, 2003). These studies substantiated the role of attention in pain processing and allowed the identification of separate and overlapping components sensitive to pain and task factors including EEG P3-like phenomena (Becker et al., 2000; Legrain et al., 2002; Dowman, 2004) (for review, see Lorenz and Garcia-Larrea, 2003). A promising approach to analyzing the internally driven dynamics of cortical pain processing is to evaluate oscillations that are induced by painful stimuli. In this context, particularly the γ-band (>30 Hz) has been the subject of numerous studies pursuing the hypothesis that binding of stimulus features into a coherent perception may occur in this frequency range (for review, see Gray and Singer, 1995; Singer, 1999; Tallon-Baudry and Bertrand, 1999; Engel and Singer, 2001) (data not shown). There is evidence suggesting causal links between the changes in oscillatory synchrony and the efficiency of stimulus processing by thalamocortical networks (Salinas and Sejnowski, 2001; Fries, 2005; Siegel et al., 2007; Womelsdorf et al., 2007). Top-down influences such as focused attention may act by modulating subthreshold oscillations in sensory assemblies and by enhancing the gain of oscillatory responses to stimuli that match stored contextual information (Engel et al., 2001; Herrmann et al., 2004). Along the same lines, γ-band oscillations might also play an integral role in pain perception and processing (Chen and Herrmann, 2001; Croft et al., 2002; Ohara et al., 2006).
In the present study, we aimed at further characterizing pain-related fast oscillatory activity by manipulating pain intensity and task relevance independently. To this end, we used an oddball design using painful intracutaneous electrical stimuli applied at the index and middle fingers of healthy subjects. We recorded pain oscillations over both somatosensory cortices, studying their modulation by stimulus- and task-related factors.
Before the start of the experiment, the protocol was approved by the local ethics review board. Twenty right-handed subjects (10 female, 10 male; age, 25.2 ± 3.8 years; height, 177.0 ± 8.6 cm; weight, 69.1 ± 12.2 kg) participated in this study after written informed consent. Subjects were free to terminate the experiment at any time.
The intracutaneous pain model was used (Bromm and Meier, 1984) to induce pain. Briefly, a thin electrode was fed through a hole drilled into the epidermal skin at the tip of the index and middle finger in the nondominant hand, and thus electrical stimulus pulses (16 ms duration) could be delivered to the nearest proximity of nociceptors. The short electrical pulse mainly activates Aδ-fibers, whereas C-fibers could not be activated because of their long chronaxie (Bromm and Meier, 1984). Before the experiment, individual pain thresholds were tested by determining the average intensity at which subjects reported a given stimulus as painful. This was done for each finger separately using five ascending and descending series of electric stimuli with successive intensity increments of 0.01 mA. During the experiment, all stimuli were applied with an intensity 1.5-fold of the pain threshold for the “low-pain” intensity and 2-fold of the threshold for the “high-pain” intensity.
Pain stimuli were applied in two intensities in pseudorandom order (high and low intensity, 50% balanced) at a frequency of 1 Hz. One of the two fingers received frequent (80%) stimuli that the subjects had to ignore (i.e., nontargets), whereas the other finger received stimuli more rarely (20%), which were defined as targets. An example for the stimulus sequence is illustrated in Figure 1. Subjects were instructed to silently count the targets and to report the number of perceived pain stimuli after each block, whereas the intensity of the stimuli was task irrelevant. There were eight blocks in total that varied in the overall number of stimuli between 60 and 120. In four blocks (blocks 2, 4, 6, and 8), the target stimuli were applied at the index finger; whereas in the other four blocks (blocks 1, 3, 5, and 7), the target stimuli were delivered to the middle finger. Thus, the target sites for the stimuli were run in alternating order, and sequence was counterbalanced across participants. Targets appeared with a probability of 20% in each block. For each finger, a total of 72 target stimuli (24, 20, 16, or 12 per block, respectively) and 288 nontarget stimuli (96, 80, 64, or 48 per block) were presented resulting in 144 target and 576 nontarget stimuli for the entire experiment. Experimental blocks lasted between 60 and 120 s with a short break of ∼100 s between the blocks in which the subjects had to report the number of target stimuli.
Experimental paradigm. The experimental setup consisted of eight blocks in total with variable block length. The first block (1) always started with the middle (m) finger as target. The second block is shown in more detail in the top panel. Subjects had to count 16 target stimuli (squares) at the index (i) finger, which occurred randomly, while having to ignore 64 stimuli (circles) applied to the middle finger. Hence, this block consisted of 80 pain stimuli with two intensities, I1 (low, 50%) and I2 (high, 50%). Stimuli were delivered at a frequency of 1 Hz for all blocks.
Acquisition and analysis of MEG data.
Magnetic fields were recorded in a magnetically shielded room using an MEG system with two separate dewars (Philips, Hamburg, Germany), each equipped with 31 gradiometer sensors of 70 mm baseline connected to two 32-channel Synamps amplifier systems (NeuroScan, El Paso, TX). The center gradiometer of the MEG dewar was placed above C4 and C3 of the international 10/20 system. Hence, both dewars were placed above the SII cortices. Involuntary movements were controlled using localization signals from 10 coils, which were attached at subjects' heads. This head localization was performed before and after each experimental block. The MEG signals were bandpassed between 0.3 and 300 Hz and digitized with a sampling rate of 1000 Hz. Artifact removal was done according to visual inspection of all segments for the presence of ocular or head movements, which, on average, occurred in <10% of trials. MEG data processing was performed with MATLAB (MathWorks, Natick, MA) using the “FieldTrip” open source toolbox (http://www.ru.nl/fcdonders/fieldtrip). Data were epoched relative to the onset of the electrical intracutaneous stimulus in a time window from −200 to 800 ms and sorted according to the conditions finger (middle, index), intensity (high, low), and task (target, nontarget). Furthermore, the nontarget trials were reduced by a randomization procedure to obtain the same number of trials as for the targets.
Spectral analyses of the MEG data were performed using sliding-window Fourier transformation and “multitaper” spectral estimates (Mitra and Pesaran, 1999). For lower frequencies up to 50 Hz, a sliding-window Fourier analysis, using a Hanning window of 200 ms, was used. For frequencies >50 Hz, the data were multiplied by n > 1 orthogonal tapers and Fourier transformed, and the N spectral estimates were finally averaged. In case of power estimation, the spectra for each individual taper were magnitude squared after Fourier transformation. As data taper, we use the leading 2TW-1 prolate spheroidal (slepian) sequences, in which T denotes the length of the tapers and W denotes the half-bandwidth. These tapers optimally concentrate the spectral energy of the signal over the desired half-bandwidth W (Mitra and Pesaran, 1999). To obtain phase-locked and nonphase-locked information, induced power and evoked power were calculated. For calculation of evoked power, the averaged evoked field was transformed into the frequency domain, thus containing phase-locked information only. For induced power, the evoked field was subtracted from every single trial to eliminate phase-locked components and retain only nonphase-locked signals (Tallon-Baudry and Bertrand, 1999). Subsequently, each single trial was transformed to the frequency domain. Averaging across trials was finally performed in the frequency domain. Thus, all spectral estimates for the induced power contained only signal components that were nonphase-locked to stimulus onset (Pfurtscheller and Lopes da Silva, 1999; Tallon-Baudry and Bertrand, 1999). Spectral amplitudes were computed as the square root of the spectral power estimate. To characterize the temporal profile of spectral responses, we performed a time-frequency transformation of the MEG data using a sliding-window multitaper analysis. A window of 200 ms length was shifted over the data with a window step size of 10 ms. Spectral smoothing of 20 Hz was achieved by using seven slepian tapers. The baseline spectrum was estimated as the average spectrum of the time-frequency transform across the interval from 200 ms before up to stimulus onset. For all power spectral analyses on the sensor level, responses were averaged over those 31 sensors that were centered over the left and right SII cortices.
To optimally capture the effect of interest, a frequency range was chosen for the grand mean dataset in which the effect of experimental variables was maximal and statistically significant on the sensor level. Power values for this specific frequency band were calculated for each condition and sensor. Then a difference-power time course was calculated. The latency for the source reconstruction was chosen from the time frequency representation (TFR) plot and the corresponding component. Subsequently, these difference-topology maps of the power spectra between the conditions were used for the source analysis. Source reconstruction of these time-frequency difference maps was performed on the basis of the brain morphology as obtained from a standard magnetic resonance image (MRI) [MNI (Montreal Neurological Institute) standard brain]. For the reconstruction of the neuronal sources for those spectral-difference maps, a linear three-dimensional cortical current density analysis (CCD) method implemented in the Curry software package (NeuroScan, Hamburg, Germany) was used (Ilmoniemi, 1991; Wagner, 1998). The CCD maps obtained in this way show the current flow distribution on the cortex, which can account for the potentials measured on the head surface. The ambiguity in the CCD model was removed by the “minimum norm constraint.” This constraint uses a model term that is proportional to the square of the strength of the reconstructed currents. The regularization parameter was determined according to the number and location of cortical sources, whereby all sources were constrained to a surface representing the cortical gray matter. For the standard MRI, the segmented cortex with all gyri and sulci at ∼50,000 sampled locations was used, hence the computation was restricted to the cortex. The orientation of the dipoles was not restricted. To account for the shapes of liquor, skull, and scalp, a realistic three-compartment boundary element method model was used as the volume conductor head model. Only sources with at least 75% of the strength at the maximum current density itself were considered. Under these circumstances (sensor distribution, source model used, and color scale), the drop from 100 to 75% happens within a volume of 3 × 3 × 3 cm (Fuchs et al., 1999).
To examine the phase relationship between the measured oscillations, the imaginary coherence (IMC) was calculated between pairs of sensors (Nolte et al., 2004). IMC is a useful tool to investigate true brain interactions, while suppressing effects that potentially arise from volume conduction. Whereas the latter occurs with precisely zero time lag, the imaginary part of coherency is only sensitive to interactions of two processes that occur with slight time lag relative to each other (Nolte et al., 2004). For IMC, only the imaginary part of the cross-pectral-density matrix is calculated. Statistical significance of IMC was tested, on the one hand, by comparing coherence during the response with that occurring in the baseline for the same frequency range. Moreover, IMC, during the oscillatory response, was directly compared between the task conditions (target vs nontarget).
For statistical analysis, SPSS 10.0 (SPSS, Chicago, IL) was used. All power-change and IMC parameters were first checked with a one-sample Kolmogorov–Smirnov test for normal distribution. MEG results were then analyzed using a four-way factorial repeated-measures ANOVA testing effects of task condition (rare vs frequent), intensity (high vs low), side (ipsilateral vs contralateral), and finger (middle vs index) across subjects. Significant main and interaction effects were followed by post hoc paired t tests. To identify significant changes of the grand mean time-frequency responses, a cluster-randomization approach was chosen (Maris et al., 2007), which controls the type-I error rate with respect to multiple comparisons. After averaging of the TFR data over subjects, t statistics were computed for differences between baseline and poststimulus interval. A cluster-finding algorithm identified regions of contiguous significant power changes having a threshold of p < 0.05. Subsequently, a null distribution was computed by randomly reassigning the data across subjects, time, and frequency and subsequently calculating the test statistics for the new set of clusters. A reference distribution of cluster-level t statistics was created from 1000 random draws. The p value was then estimated according to the proportion of the randomization null distribution exceeding the observed cluster level test statistic. Finally, the maximum value of a time-frequency window was chosen from the significant cluster and fed into the ANOVA. Accounting for the time and frequency smoothing of the time-frequency decomposition, the windows were chosen to have a length of 200 ms and a bandwidth of 20 Hz. On the single-subject level, the maximal value from each subject was allowed to vary in time and frequency within the previously defined grand average time-frequency windows.
Stimulus intensities for the low (I1) painful sensation were 0.22 ± 0.07 mA for the index finger and 0.21 ± 0.05 mA for the middle finger. The high stimulus intensities (I2) were 0.27 ± 0.08 mA for the index finger and 0.26 ± 0.06 mA for the middle finger.
After each block, the subjects reported the total number of detected target stimuli. For all blocks, and all subjects, the mean percentage of detected targets was 95.5% with an SD of 6.1%. Repeated-measures ANOVA for the task performance over blocks showed no significant block effect (F(1,7) = 1.2; p = 0.35). Thus, the accuracy of target detection over all blocks was high and stable.
Time-frequency analysis revealed four clearly distinct patterns of induced and one pattern of evoked oscillation in response to painful stimuli in both hemispheres (Fig. 2). In the time range from 50 to 250 ms, a high γ increase in the 60–80 Hz band could be observed, which will be labeled “pattern I,” followed by a β suppression between 150 and 350 ms in the 20 Hz band (“pattern II”). From 400 to 600 ms, a power increase occurred in the 120–140 Hz γ-band (“pattern III”), followed by a β rebound (“pattern IV”) from 500 to 700 ms. A significant evoked response, reflecting oscillatory activity phase-locked to the stimulus, occurred only in the δ-frequency range 0–200 ms after stimulus onset (“pattern V”). Hence, pattern V reflects the time-frequency decomposition of the evoked field. Patterns II and IV look similar to the well known suppression and rebound of S1 activity. These five response patterns were most pronounced over the contralateral hemisphere but occurred with lower amplitude also over the hemisphere ipsilateral to the stimulated hand.
Pain stimulation yields induced and evoked oscillatory responses. A, Grand mean time-frequency representation of induced oscillatory responses with high-intensity stimuli regardless of the task, averaged across 31 sensors for each side and 20 subjects. Responses are plotted as percentage signal change relative to the prestimulus baseline (−200 to 0 ms). In four distinct time-frequency regions (labeled I–IV), induced power changes can be observed. B, Calculation of evoked responses revealed only one significant peak (labeled V). C, Each dewar, which contains 31 sensors, builds one region of interest (ROI). In all subjects, stimuli were applied to the left hand.
To further analyze the modulation of induced and evoked oscillatory responses by attention (rare target vs frequent nontarget stimuli) and stimulus intensity (high vs low), we computed response spectra for each side, finger, task, and intensity individually. The maximal values of each subject for the different patterns were positively tested for normal distribution and then fed into the ANOVA. Results of the four-way repeated-measures ANOVA are listed in Table 1, and main effects with interactions are displayed in Figure 3. The high γ pattern I showed a main effect for the recording side with stronger amplitude on the contralateral sensor side compared with the ipsilateral side (F(1,19) = 7.3; p < 0.05). Furthermore, a significant task by intensity interaction, because of a stronger power increase for the target condition during high-intensity stimuli (F(1,19) = 11.0; p < 0.01), could be found for γ pattern I. The β suppression pattern II showed a main effect for the recording side with stronger amplitude on the contralateral sensor side compared with the ipsilateral side (F(1,19) = 14.3; p < 0.05). For γ pattern III, no significant main effect of the recording side was observed, but a significant main effect of task (F(1,19) = 6.3; p < 0.05) could be found because of stronger oscillations for rare target compared with frequent nontarget stimuli. Furthermore, a significant task-by-intensity interaction because of stronger task effects for high-intensity compared with low-intensity stimuli could be found (F(1,19) = 7.3; p < 0.05). The β rebound pattern IV had a main effect for the recording side with stronger amplitude on the contralateral sensor side compared with the ipsilateral side (F(1,19) = 9.8; p < 0.05). The evoked δ power pattern V showed main effects for intensity (F(1,19) = 20.1; p < 0.01) with more power increase for higher stimuli and for task (F(1,19) = 19.4; p < 0.01) because of stronger oscillations for rare target compared with frequent nontarget stimuli. In addition, a main effect for the recording side with stronger amplitude on the contralateral than on the ipsilateral sensor side (F(1,19) = 6.1; p < 0.05) was present for evoked δ pattern V. Furthermore, a significant task-by-intensity interaction because of stronger task effects for high-intensity compared with low-intensity stimuli could be found (F(1,19) = 5.4; p < 0.05). No main effect or any interactions could be found for the different stimulated fingers indicating that the site of stimulation had no influence on the results.
Statistical results for the five different time-frequency activation patterns [γ (I): 60–80 Hz, 50–250 ms; β suppression (II): 20 Hz, 150–350 ms; γ (III): 120–140 Hz, 400–600 ms; β rebound (IV): 20 Hz, 500–700 ms; δ (V): 3 Hz, 0–200 ms]. Error bars indicate SE. γ response I had a significant task-by-intensity interaction because of a stronger power increase for the target condition during high-intensity stimuli. The β suppression II and rebound IV had no significant effects for stimulus intensity or task relevance. High γ response III had significant stronger oscillations for rare target compared with frequent nontarget stimuli. Furthermore, a significant task-by-intensity interaction because of stronger task effects for high-intensity compared with low-intensity stimuli could be found for this high γ response. The evoked δ power pattern V had a power increase for high intensity and rare target stimuli with a significant task-by-intensity interaction because of a stronger task effects for high-intensity compared with low-intensity stimuli. n.s., Nonsignificant. *p< 0.05.
In summary, both early and late induced γ oscillations were enhanced by task relevance of the stimuli, and even more so when the intensity of the stimuli was higher. Phase-locked early oscillations in the δ-band (∼3 Hz) were modulated by stimulus intensity and task relevance and also showed sensitivity to an interaction of both factors. Interestingly, the remaining response patterns II and IV, which reflect the β suppression and rebound, albeit clearly reflecting stimulus-related processing, were not modulated by either of these factors or their interactions.
Source localization was performed to estimate the spatial distribution for the oscillatory responses that could be identified as statistically significant in the grand mean time-frequency analyses. Therefore, difference datasets calculated by subtracting the corresponding time-frequency data from each other were used for the current density estimation. Such difference datasets were calculated between frequent nontarget and rare target stimuli for pattern III (120–140 Hz, 400–600 ms) and pattern V (3 Hz, 0–200 ms). Furthermore, a difference dataset was calculated for pattern V between high and low stimuli.
The activation difference for pattern III, which reflects the task relevance effect on the late induced γ response, was localized bilaterally over sensory motor sides (Fig. 4A) with Talairach coordinates x = −54.3, y = −18.5, and z = 24.2 for the ipsilateral side and x = 51.9, y = −24.3, and z = 30.4 for the contralateral side, respectively. The spatial correlate of the task relevance effect of pattern V was found over the contralateral sensorimotor cortex (Fig. 4B) with Talairach coordinates x = 51.8, y = −1.1, and z = 46.9. Additionally, the anatomical correlate of the stimulus intensity effect for pattern V was also found at contralateral sensorimotor sites (Fig. 4C) with the coordinates x = 42.2, y = 6.8, and z = 51.5.
Grand mean source reconstruction results. A, For γ pattern III (120–140 Hz, 400–600 ms), which showed the attention effect, activations were found bilaterally in regions covering the sensorimotor cortex. B, For the early evoked δ pattern V (3 Hz, 0–200 ms), the correlate of the attention effect was observed in regions more dorsal and only at the contralateral sensorimotor cortex. C, For the same pattern V, which showed significant effects for the stimulus intensity, activation was also found at the contralateral sensorimotor cortex.
Synchronization between the sensorimotor cortices was only analyzed for the activation pattern III (120–140 Hz, 400–600 ms), because this pattern showed a significant modulation by task relevance, but the activation was independent of the sensor side. IMC was calculated for pattern III and the baseline epochs in the same frequency range before stimulus onset for both the nontarget and target conditions. Statistically, significant increases in IMC across subjects, both with respect to the number of coherent pairs of sensory and the strength of phase coupling, were identified using right-sided t test statistics. Relative to baseline, an increase in both the number of coherent pairs and the strength of IMC was observed for response pattern III in the target as well as the nontarget condition (Fig. 5). Significance was also tested by direct comparison of both conditions, showing that the increase in interhemispheric connectivity was stronger for the target condition compared with the nontarget stimuli (Fig. 5).
Attention-dependent modulation of the IMC across hemispheres (below). Only interhemispheric combinations are displayed, and the thickness of the lines reflects the strength of the IMC. An increase in synchronization was observed for activation pattern III (120–140 Hz, 400–600 ms) for all subjects (n = 20). In the left panel, a significant increase in IMC was calculated between pattern III and the corresponding baseline before stimulus onset for the nontarget condition. In the middle panel, the same is shown for the target condition. Direct comparisons between target and nontarget conditions were calculated in the right panel.
The results of the present study demonstrate that several brain processes underlying pain perception can be subject to attentional modulation. For the first time, to our knowledge, we describe convergent effects of focused attention and pain intensity on high-frequency oscillations and their interhemispherical degree of synchronization. For this, we systematically compared phase-locked (i.e., evoked) and nonphase-locked (i.e., induced) activities by using an oddball paradigm with painful intracutaneous electrical stimuli in healthy subjects. After painful stimulation, four different induced time-frequency patterns and one evoked oscillatory pattern emerged. The well known β suppression with β rebound could be observed. For the high γ-band, two power increases were observed: one between 50 and 250 ms (60–80 Hz; pattern I) and the other between 400 and 600 ms (120–140 Hz; pattern III). Analysis of evoked responses revealed an early δ increase (3Hz, 0–200 ms; pattern V), which mainly reflects the evoked field. Only patterns III and V exhibited consistent dependency on attention, as revealed by the contrast between rare target and frequent nontarget stimuli, and on pain intensity. Source localization for these patterns revealed activation at contralateral sensorimotor regions for evoked δ power, but bilateral and slightly more ventral sensorimotor activation for the late induced γ-band response. These results suggest a complex interplay between different sensorimotor regions involving oscillatory processes in different frequency bands during early and late phases of nociceptive information processing, which can be modulated by top-down influences.
The topography of our findings is consistent with that of other studies, which examined the classical evoked responses at low-frequency bandwidths. In particular, MEG studies have demonstrated a bilateral SII and a simultaneous contralateral SI activation after painful laser stimulation (Ploner et al., 1999, 2002). Localization of pattern V, which corresponds to the time-frequency transform of the evoked field, confirms these findings, being most prominent contralateral to the stimulation site. However, the variability of the coordinates for both sides are within the range of spatial resolution typically assumed for source reconstruction methods. Our finding of a task-related effect for this early phase-locked response suggests that attentional modulation can affect pain processing already at the level of the sensorimotor cortex. Going beyond previous studies, our results provide evidence for enhanced γ-band activity over both sensorimotor cortices and, in particular, for enhanced synchronization between sensorimotor regions of both hemispheres during focused attention to painful stimuli. The enhanced functional coupling between both hemispheres, which receive direct input from the thalamus (Ploner et al., 1999), could be important for optimally integrating the behavioral relevance of somatosensory signals regarding momentary task demands and bodily threat. Bilateral SII activation has been suggested to play a role for integration of sensory information from the two body halves and might be important for the maintenance of the body schema (Lin and Forss, 2002).
Oscillatory processes, particularly those in the γ-frequency range, have been shown to be modulated by both bottom-up (i.e., stimulus-driven) and top-down (i.e., subject-driven) factors (Engel et al., 2001). Animal and human experiments have demonstrated that coherent activity in the γ-band is enhanced during attentional selection of sensory information (for review, see Herrmann et al., 2004). Strong attentional effects on γ-band responses have been observed in visual areas such as V4 in awake behaving monkeys when the attention was shifted toward the stimulus processed by the recorded cells (Fries et al., 2001; Taylor et al., 2005). The same γ enhancement during attention was found in human experiments using EEG and MEG for the visual system (Gruber et al., 1999), auditory processing (Tiitinen et al., 1993; Debener et al., 2003), and recently also for somatosensory processing (Bauer et al., 2006). Single-neuron recordings in awake behaving monkeys have shown that cells in SII that respond to tactile stimuli are also sensitive to attention and behavioral context (Steinmetz et al., 2000). Synchrony in SII markedly increased when the monkey attentively processed the somatosensory information. Moreover, changes in synchrony were stronger when the somatosensory discrimination task was more difficult.
Notably, these findings could be extended to pain processing in a recent study conducted in neurosurgical awake patients by demonstrating attention to painful laser stimuli to enhance intracranially recorded synchrony between distinct cortical pain-related regions (Ohara et al., 2006). The pattern of synchrony changed between the primary somatosensory cortex, the medial frontal cortex, and the insula as the patient switched from a distracted state to attention to the stimuli by counting the total number. In our study, attention to pain stimuli did not change over blocks and time but was directed to one finger, which was stimulated in alternating order in each block. Global attention was present during the entire experiment, but the focus was to count the target stimuli. Therefore, enhanced γ power and synchronization are unlikely to be a result of higher arousal or global attentional state of the pain system but seem to correlate specifically with the shift to the attended body location, especially when stronger painful stimuli are applied.
The findings of enhanced γ-band activity and synchronization in our study are compatible with the suggestion that attention might exert its effect by modulating the coherence of ongoing oscillations selectively for the subset of neurons involved in encoding the target stimuli. On presentation of the appropriate stimulus, neurons exhibiting such coherent subthreshold oscillations might show well synchronized responses that are transmitted more reliably than nonsynchronized responses. In this manner, synchrony could help to selectively route the attended signals toward downstream areas involved in stimulus evaluation and action planning (Salinas and Sejnowski, 2001; Engel et al., 2001; Fries, 2005; Womelsdorf et al., 2007). In case of pain stimuli, synchrony may bias the routing of signals toward the anterior cingulate or the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which are regarded important for emotional evaluation, monitoring, and descending control of pain (Lorenz et al., 2003). Because the task in our study did not allow the evaluation of pain ratings after each stimulus, our results do not provide a direct link between perceived painfulness and brain oscillations. However, a recent study by Gross et al. (2007) has demonstrated that the strength of pain-induced γ oscillations in SI is related to the subjective perception of pain, suggesting that enhanced neural coherence may indeed facilitate the preferential routing of important information in nociceptive processing.
Attention is a major determinant of perception, which can profoundly change behavior and pain experience (Eccleston and Crombez, 1999). Clinical evidence suggests that attentional mechanisms may be involved in the pathogenesis of some chronic clinical pain stages (Vlaeyen and Linton, 2000). Accordingly, clinical interventions using modulation of attention (distraction) have been demonstrated to relieve pain in chronic pain patients (McCracken and Turk, 2002). These findings were confirmed by several experimental studies, although experimental models presumably only partly account for the complex nature of chronic pain. Whereas patients with chronic pain problems seem to selectively attend to sensory aspects of pain, the degree by which pain distracts attention from concurrent tasks appears to depend on the evaluation of pain stimuli as threatening or worrying (Eccleston and Crombez, 1999). Patients that are highly fearful of pain may not only selectively attend to pain-related information but have difficulty disengaging from those stimuli (Dehghani et al., 2003). Furthermore, the processing capacity in chronic pain patients for cognitive and mental effort seems to be diminished (Veldhuijzen et al., 2006). One possible neuronal correlate for this complex deficit in central pain modulation could be an “oversynchronization” among pain-related cortical areas, leading to an uncontrolled spread of signals even in the case of weak or absent nociceptive inputs. Thus, the dynamic control of neuronal signal flow might be disturbed, preventing an appropriate context-dependent modulation of the gain of neural signals and reducing the capacity for descending control of nociceptive afferent inputs. As assumed for states of chronic pain, such an oversynchronization might be viewed as the result of a learning process with resulting central neuroplastic changes (Flor and Diers, 2007). However, this speculation needs to be proven by investigation of pain-induced oscillatory activity and, in particular, of γ-band coherence in chronic pain patients.
In conclusion, we found that directed attention to pain was associated with an increase in induced oscillations and synchrony in the high γ-band over both hemispheres. We suggest that augmentation of these oscillatory activations may be one mechanism by which attention facilitates processing of neural responses, leading to enhanced saliency of sensory signals and preferential routing of the respective information through the cortical network. We suggest that analyzing oscillations and their interactions may be a promising approach to investigate the mechanisms of cortical pain processing.
This work was supported by Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf Junior Research Grant UKE FFM F-161-1 and European Union Grant NEST-2006-043457 “MindBridge.” We thank Kriemhild Saha, Roger Zimmermann, and Gerhard Steinmetz for help during the experiments and Alexander Maye for helpful discussions.
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Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date: 81,244,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001, as of November 13, 2013.
In this quarterly report, unless otherwise specified or the context otherwise requires, the terms “we” “us,” “our,” and the “Company” refer to China Xingbang Industry Group Inc. and our consolidated subsidiaries taken together as a whole.
Pursuant to Item 10(f) of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, we have elected to comply throughout this quarterly report with the scaled disclosure requirements applicable to “smaller reporting companies.” Except as specifically included in the quarterly report, items not required by the scaled disclosure requirements have been omitted.
The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated group financial statements of China Xingbang Industry Group Inc. (the “Company”), its subsidiaries and variable interest entities (“VIEs”) (collectively the “Group”) have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete audited financial statements. Unless otherwise specified, all amounts set out in the condensed consolidated financial statements are expressed in US Dollars.
In the opinion of management, the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments consisting only of normal recurring accruals considered necessary to present fairly the Company's consolidated financial position as of September 30, 2013, the results of operations and comprehensive loss for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 and statements of cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012. The consolidated results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for a full year. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and footnotes of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2012.
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. The Company’s operations resulted in a net loss of $2,291,661 and used cash in operations of $1,678,180 for the nine months ended September 30, 2013. As of September 30, 2013, the Company had an unappropriated accumulated deficit of $4,122,625 and a working capital deficiency of $4,130,446.
In the course of its development activities, the Company continues to sustain losses. The Company expects to finance its operations primarily through capital contributions from shareholder and its affiliates. The Company borrowed from Mr. Xiaohong Yao ("Mr. Yao"), the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and his spouse, and companies controlled by them a net amount of $1,863,768 during the first three quarters of 2013, and the related parties agreed to lend more funds to the Company as needed for management to execute its business plan for at least the next twelve months.
These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The Company’s continuation as a going concern is dependent on its ability to meet its obligations, to obtain additional financing as may be required until such time as it can generate sources of recurring revenues and to ultimately attain profitability when the Company’s e-commerce and showroom business are fully developed. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
China Xingbang Industry Group Inc. (“China Xingbang” or the “Company”) was incorporated in Nevada on April 12, 2011 as a holding company.
Xing Bang Industry Group Limited (“Xingbang BVI”) was incorporated in the British Virgin Islands (“BVI”) on March 24, 2011 as a holding company and is wholly owned by China Xingbang.
China Group Purchase Alliance Limited (“Xingbang HK”) was incorporated in Hong Kong on August 5, 2008 as a holding company and is wholly owned by Xingbang BVI. Xingbang HK established Guangzhou Xingbang Information Consulting Co., Ltd., a wholly foreign owned enterprise (“Guangzhou Xingbang” or the “WFOE”), on May 12, 2011 in the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) to provide consulting, investment and technical services to Guangdong Xingbang Industry Information & Media Co., Ltd. (“Guangdong Xingbang”).
Guangdong Xingbang was incorporated in the PRC on January 17, 2005 as a limited liability company. Guangdong Xingbang is a print media operator serving the home furnishing industry in the PRC. Guangdong Xingbang also provides marketing consulting service to clients in the home furnishing industry and local government in the PRC. Starting from August 2011, Guangdong Xingbang began to provide e-commerce services, namely B2B2C (Business-to-Business-to-Consumer), to manufacturers and distributors, and brick-and-mortar stores located in different parts of the PRC through an e-commerce platform, referred to as ju51 Mall, developed by Guangdong Xingbang.
Xinyu Xingbang Information Industry Co., Ltd (“Xinyu Xingbang”) was incorporated in the PRC on June 11, 2012 for the purpose of continuing the business of Guangdong Xingbang in the near future as Guangdong Xingbang winds down its operations. Pursuant to the Articles of Association of Xinyu Xingbang, Guangdong Xingbang and the WFOE each invested $787,030 (RMB 5,000,000) in Xinyu Xingbang and each owns 50% of the equity interest of Xinyu Xingbang. Under the Xinyu Xingbang Articles of Association, the WFOE is entitled to appoint the sole director and all members of the management team of Xinyu Xingbang and the WFOE is entitled to receive 99.99% of Xinyu Xingbang’s net profit. Based on the relevant PRC regulations, an Internet Content Provider license, or ICP license, issued by the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, is required for Xinyu Xingbang to conduct business as currently contemplated. In order to be granted the ICP license, foreign investor’s ownership of Xinyu Xingbang cannot exceed 50%. Xinyu Xingbang obtained its ICP license in February 2013. Guangdong Xingbang will gradually wind down its operations and Xinyu Xingbang will carry out Guangdong Xingbang’s business except that Guangdong Xingbang will fulfill its contractual obligations under the existing customer contracts. Guangdong Xingbang will grant an exclusive license to Xinyu Xingbang to permit Xinyu Xingbang to use the trademark, domain names, intellectual property rights and any know-how Guangdong Xingbang owns. Guangdong Xingbang will also assign the management right and right to receive revenue from the ju51 Mall and our newspaper publication, called Industry Economy Review, to Xinyu Xingbang. Guangdong Xingbang will continue its corporate existence to hold the equity interest in Xinyu Xingbang.
Pursuant to (i) a series of contractual arrangements between the WFOE, Guangdong Xingbang and all the shareholders of Guangdong Xingbang, (ii) the share exchange agreement between China Xingbang, Xingbang BVI and all the shareholders of Xingbang BVI, and (iii) the WFOE’s 50% equity ownership of Xinyu Xingbang, the results of all these entities are consolidated together. Since they are under common control, the contractual arrangements and share exchange were accounted for as a reorganization of entities under common control.
The Company accounts for its VIEs in accordance with ASC 810, which requires the consolidation of VIEs in which a company has both the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive the benefits from the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE. The Company assesses all newly created entities and those with which the Company becomes involved to determine whether such entities are VIEs and, if so, whether or not the Company is their primary beneficiary.
As required by ASC 810-10, the Company performs a qualitative assessment to determine whether the Company remains the primary beneficiary of Guangdong Xingbang, which also owns 50% of Xinyu Xingbang. A qualitative assessment begins with an understanding of the nature of the risks in the entity as well as the nature of the entity’s activities including terms of the contracts entered into by the entity, ownership interests issued by the entity and the parties involved in the design of the entity. The Company’s assessment on the involvement with Guangdong Xingbang reveals that the Company has the absolute power to direct the most significant activities that impact the economic performance of Guangdong Xingbang. Under the accounting guidance, the Company is deemed to be the primary beneficiary of Guangdong Xingbang and the results of Guangdong Xingbang and Xinyu Xingbang are consolidated in the Company’s group financial statements for financial reporting purposes. As of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the Company has no equity interest in Guangdong Xingbang, none of the Company’s assets serve as collateral for Guangdong Xingbang; creditors of Guangdong Xingbang have no recourse to the Company; and the Company has not provided any guarantees to Guangdong Xingbang.
In 2011, the Company agreed to waive the management fee payable by Guangdong Xingbang for a period of 3 years from May 13, 2011 to May 12, 2014 in order for Guangdong Xingbang to preserve enough cash to fund its e-commerce business.
The liabilities recognized as a result of combining the VIE do not necessarily represent additional claims on the Company’s general assets; rather, they represent claims against the specific assets of the combined VIE. Conversely, assets recognized as a result of combining the VIE do not represent additional assets that could be used to satisfy claims by the Company’s creditors as they are not legally included within the Company’s general assets.
Immediately prior to the PRC restructuring transactions that were completed on May 13, 2011, the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and his spouse controlled Guangdong Xingbang as they owned 90% and 10%, respectively, of its registered capital. The Chief Executive Officer also indirectly controlled Guangzhou Xingbang as he owned 56.25% of the issued share capital of Xingbang BVI, the sole shareholder of Guangzhou Xingbang. As Guangzhou Xingbang and Guangdong Xingbang are under common control, the contractual arrangements have been accounted for as a reorganization of entities under common control and the Group’s financial statements were prepared as if the reorganization occurred at the beginning of the first period presented.
On May 13, 2011, China Xingbang entered into a share exchange agreement with Xingbang BVI and the shareholders of Xingbang BVI in which the shareholders of Xingbang BVI exchanged 100% of the issued share capital of Xingbang BVI, valued at $80,000, for 79,999,000 shares of common stock of China Xingbang. Xingbang BVI became a wholly owned subsidiary of China Xingbang. Prior to the share exchange, the sole shareholder of China Xingbang owned 56.25% of the issued share capital of Xingbang BVI. As both companies are under common control, the share exchange involving China Xingbang and Xingbang BVI is being treated for accounting purposes as a capital transaction and a reorganization of entities under common control with China Xingbang as the accounting acquirer and Xingbang BVI as the accounting acquiree. The consolidated financial statements were prepared as if the reorganization occurred at the beginning of the first period presented.
The statement of operations including the operations of the acquirer and acquiree for the periods presented.
The accompanying group financial statements for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 include the financial statements of China Xingbang, its wholly owned subsidiaries, Xingbang BVI, Xingbang HK and the WFOE, its contractually controlled affiliate, Guangdong Xingbang and Xinyu Xingbang which is 50% owned by Guangdong Xingbang and 50% owned by Guangzhou Xingbang.
All significant inter-company accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
The preparation of the unaudited condensed consolidated group financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the group financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
There have been no new accounting pronouncements during the nine months ended September 30, 2013 that are of significance, or potentially significance, to the Group.
As of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the Company had construction in progress of $160,102 and $761,726, respectively. The construction in progress as of September 30, 2013 represents the leasehold improvement projects for the 7 showrooms that Xinyu Xingbang leased from October 1, 2012 to September 30, 2016. The Company will invite furniture suppliers and service providers to hold exhibitions in these showrooms when the construction is completed.
Xinyu Xingbang leases these showrooms from Xinyu Xingbang Industry Co., Ltd. under an operating lease at a monthly rental of $46,066. Mr. Yao and his spouse own 90% and 10%, respectively, of the registered capital of Xinyu Xingbang Industry Co., Ltd.
On February 14, 2012, the Company exempted channel service providers from paying service charges at the technical service stations or from paying franchise fees based on sales volume generated on the ju51 Mall from October 2011 to June 2012. However, in June 2012, the Company terminated all the contracts with channel service providers on the e-commerce website, www.ju51.com as they failed to meet the agreed operating goals. The company also determined that the e-commerce platform would not be launched until it was fully developed. Besides, since June 2013, the Company has entered into franchise agreements with companies who are interested in setting up an online retail store on the e-commerce website, and physical showrooms in the Company’s “Home Furnishing Procurement Headquarters,” which is located in Xinyu City, China. As the e-commerce website has been put on hold until it is fully developed, the website development cost has been fully written off since second quarter of 2013.
Starting from 2012, the Company shifted its focus to develop the e-commerce business model. Therefore, investments are made to develop the website, www.ju51.com, as the Company’s e-commerce platform. Costs incurred to develop our website are capitalized and amortized over the estimated useful life of the project. The Company evaluates the useful lives of these assets on an annual basis and determines impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances occur that could impact the recoverability of these assets. Nevertheless, the Company has not been able to generate revenue from the e-commerce platform since 2012 and as such, has been monitoring the situation to determine the recoverability of the website development costs. While the Company forecasts to generate revenue from the e-commerce platform in the foreseeable future, there is however no concrete evidence to show the future benefit of the assets because the ability to generate revenue and cash flow is not certain. This uncertainty was not deemed to impact the recoverability of the assets until June 30, 2013. Therefore, as of September 30, 2013, the Company fully impaired the unamortized website development cost of $479,918 as the website did not meet the asset recoverability test. There was no impairment loss recognized on unamortized website development cost during the nine month ended September 30, 2012.
The Company operates in three reportable segments, advertising, consulting service and e-commerce. The Company evaluates segment performance based on income from operations. All inter-company transactions between segments have been eliminated on consolidation. As a result, the components of operating income for one segment may not be comparable to another segment.
The following is a summary of the Company’s segment information for the three months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012.
A reconciliation is provided for unallocated amounts relating to corporate operations which are not included in the segment information.
The following is a summary of the Company's segment information for the nine months ended September30, 2013 and 2012.
The Company’s PRC subsidiaries are required to make appropriation to the statutory surplus reserve at 10% of the after-tax net income annually until the total contributions equal to 50% of the entities’ registered capital. The statutory reserve funds are restricted for use to set off against prior period losses, expansion of production and operations or for the increase in the registered capital of the respective companies. This reserve is therefore not available for distribution except in liquidation.
As of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the Company appropriated $72,493 and $72,493, respectively, to its reserve funds based on its net income in accordance with the laws and regulations of the PRC.
The full time employees of Guangdong Xingbang and Xinyu Xingbang are entitled to employee benefits including medical care, welfare subsidies, unemployment insurance and pension benefits through a Chinese government mandated multi-employer defined contribution plan. Guangdong Xingbang and Xinyu Xingbang are required to accrue for those benefits based on certain percentages of the employees’ salaries and make contributions to the plans out of the amounts accrued for medical and pension benefits. The total provision and contributions made for such employee benefits for the three months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 were $12,520 and $20,258, respectively. The total provision and contributions made for such employee benefits for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 were $35,023 and $75,567, respectively. The Chinese government is responsible for the medical benefits and the pension liability to be paid to these employees.
Guangdong Xingbang leases office premises from two shareholders (Mr. Yao and his spouse) under an operating lease at a monthly rental of $13,127 which was due to expire on December 31, 2012. Guangdong Xingbang renewed the lease with a one-year term and is obligated to pay monthly rent of approximately RMB93,000 (approximately $15,196) until December 31, 2013.
Xinyu Xingbang leases office premises from Xinyu Xingbang Industry Co., Ltd under an operating lease at a monthly rental of $2,778, which expires on June 30, 2015. Mr. Yao and his spouse own 90% and 10%, respectively, of the registered capital of Xinyu Xingbang Industry Co., Ltd.
Xinyu Xingbang leases showrooms from Xinyu Xingbang Industry Co., Ltd pursuant to a lease agreement and pays a monthly rental of $46,066, which expires on September 30, 2016.
Rental expenses for the three and nine months ended 30 September 2013 and 2012 was $193,826, $48,282, $573,846 and $131,995, respectively.
Since October 2012, Xinyu Xingbang entered various construction contracts for leasehold improvement of offices or premises to be used as showrooms.
As of September 30, 2013, the Company had contracted capital commitments of $49,450 for the leasehold improvements of showrooms.
As of December 31, 2012, the Company had contracted capital commitments of $7,936 for the purchase of office furniture.
For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, Guangdong Xingbang paid relevant rent to two shareholders (Mr. Yao and his spouse) of $45,553, $38,626, $135,729 and $116,263, respectively.
In October 2012, Xinyu Xingbang entered into a lease agreement with Xinyu Xingbang Industry Co., Ltd for showrooms with a monthly rental of $46,066. The lease starts on October 1, 2012 and expires on September 30, 2016. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, Xinyu Xingbang paid the relevant rent to Xinyu Xingbang Industry Co., Ltd. of $138,090, $0, $411,450 and $0, respectively.
In June 2012, Xinyu Xingbang entered into a lease agreement with Xinyu Xingbang Industry Co., Ltd for office use with a monthly rental of $2,778. The lease starts on July 1, 2012 and expires on June 30, 2015. Mr. Yao and his spouse own 90% and 10%, respectively, of the registered capital of Xinyu Xingbang Industry Co., Ltd. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, Xinyu Xingbang paid the relevant rent to Xinyu Xingbang Industry Co., Ltd. of $8,327, $8,056, $24,811 and $8,056, respectively.
As of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, WFOE owed $816,993 and $802,555, respectively, to Mr. Yao. The loan is interest free and unsecured. The loan was entered into on May 31, 2012, and the loan period started on June 11, 2012 and is due for repayment on June 10, 2013. On May 31, 2013, the loan was renewed, and the loan period started on June 12, 2013 and is due for repayment on June 11, 2014.
As of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, Guangdong Xingbang owed $816,993 and $802,555, respectively, to Mr. Yao. The loan is interest free and unsecured. The loan was entered into on May 31, 2012, and the loan period started on June 19, 2012 and is due for repayment on June 18, 2013. On June 10, 2013, the loan was renewed, and the loan period started on June 19, 2013 and is due for repayment on June 18, 2014.
As of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, Guangdong Xingbang owed $136,765 and $0, respectively, to Mr. Yao and his spouse for lease of office premises. The amounts due are unsecured, interest free and repayable on demand.
As of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, Guangdong Xingbang owed $0 and $5,457, respectively, to ZhongshanXingbang Purchase & Exhibition Service Co., Ltd (“ZhongshanXingbang”) which is interest free, unsecured and repayable on demand. Mr. Yao is the director of ZhongshanXingbang. The amount due is unsecured, interest free and repayable on demand.
As of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, Xinyu Xingbang owed $547,523 and $130,582, respectively, to Xinyu Xingbang Industry Co., Ltd for rental expense of showrooms. The amount due is unsecured, interest free and repayable on demand.
As of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, Xinyu Xingbang owed $25,000 and $0, respectively, to Xinyu Xingbang Industry Co., Ltd for rental expense of office used by Xinyu Xingbang. The amount due is unsecured, interest free and repayable on demand.
On January 3, 2013, Guangdong Xingbang entered into a loan agreement with Xinyu Xingbang Industry Co., Ltd, with an amount of $163,400. The loan is interest free and unsecured with a loan period started on January 5, 2013 and is due for repayment on January 4, 2014. The use of this loan is only for the operation of Guangdong Xingbang.
On January 10, 2013, Xinyu Xingbang entered into a loan agreement with Xinyu Xingbang Industry Co., Ltd, with an amount of $816,993. The loan is interest free and unsecured with a loan period started on January 15, 2013 and is due for repayment on January 14, 2014. The use of this loan is only for the operation of Xinyu Xingbang.
On May 30, 2013, Guangdong Xingbang entered into a loan agreement with Xinyu Xingbang Industry Co., Ltd, with an amount of $81,699. The loan is interest free and unsecured with a loan period started on June 6, 2013 and is due for repayment on June 5, 2014. The use of this loan is only for the operation of Guangdong Xingbang.
On July 25, 2013, Guangdong Xingbang entered into a loan agreement with Xinyu Xingbang Industry Co.,Ltd, with an amount of $81,699. The loan is interest free and unsecured with a loan period started on July 31, 2013 and is due for repayment on July 30, 2014. The use of this loan is only for the operation of Guangdong Xingbang.
On September 5, 2013, Xinyu Xingbang entered into a loan agreement with Xinyu Xingbang Industry Co.,Ltd, with an amount of $81,699. The loan is interest free and unsecured with a loan period started on September 12, 2013 and is due for repayment on September 11, 2014. The use of this loan is only for the operation of Xinyu Xingbang.
On September 5, 2013, Guangdong Xingbang entered into a loan agreement with Xinyu Xingbang Industry Co.,Ltd, with an amount of $81,699. The loan is interest free and unsecured with a loan period started on September 10, 2013 and is due for repayment on September 10, 2014. The use of this loan is only for the operation of Guangdong Xingbang.
As of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, all of the Company’s assets were located in the PRC and Hong Kong and all of the Company’s revenues were derived from customers located in the PRC.
As of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the accounts payable for these suppliers were $0 and $2,183, respectively.
As of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the accounts receivable from these customers were $0 and $0, respectively.
In accordance with ASC Topic 855-10, the company has analyzed its operations subsequent to September 30, 2013 to the date these financial statements were issued, and has determined that it does not have any material subsequent events to disclose in these financial statements.
The following discussion and analysis of our results of operations and financial condition should be read together with our consolidated group financial statements and the notes thereto and other financial information, which are included elsewhere in our annual report on Form 10-K for fiscal year ended December 31, 2012. Our financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. In addition, our financial statements and the financial information included in this report reflect our organization transactions and have been prepared as if our current corporate structure had been in place throughout the relevant periods.
This section contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to various factors, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in these forward-looking statements. Further, as a result of these factors, risks and uncertainties, the forward-looking events may not occur. Relevant factors, risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those discussed in “Item 1. Business,” “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and elsewhere in our annual report on Form 10-K for fiscal year ended December 31, 2012. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect management’s beliefs and opinions as of the date of this report. We are not obligated to publicly update or revise any forward looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
(vi) Xinyu Xingbang Information Industry Co., Ltd., an entity incorporated in the PRC which the WFOE and Guangdong Xingbang each owns 50% of its equity interest, (“ Xinyu Xingbang”). Xinyu Xingbang will continue the business of Guangdong Xingbang.
Through our wholly owned subsidiaries, Xingbang BVI and Xingbang HK, we own the WFOE, which controls Guangdong Xingbang, a variable interest entity (“VIE”), through a series of variable interest entity, or VIE contractual arrangements. Guangdong Xingbang is currently our sole source of income and operations. A summary of our business is described below.
We were formed as a Nevada corporation on April 12, 2011 to acquire operational control over Guangdong Xingbang. Since foreign investors are restricted by the laws and regulations of the People’s Republic of China to operate the media and e-commerce business in China, we operate our business through ownership of the WFOE that provides management, consulting, investment and technical services to Guangdong Xingbang. We do not own any direct equity interest in Guangdong Xingbang. In May 2011, the WFOE entered into a series of contractual arrangements which effectively give the WFOE operational control over Guangdong Xingbang despite the lack of direct ownership. As a result of these contractual arrangements, we treat Guangdong Xingbang as a variable interest entity, or VIE, under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, and we have included its historical financial results in our consolidated financial statements.
Our subsidiaries, Xingbang BVI and Xingbang HK are holding companies which do not have any operations or own any assets except for the ownership of the WFOE. The only current operation of the WFOE is to provide consulting and management services to Guangdong Xingbang. Currently, we rely on results of operations of Guangdong Xingbang and Xinyu Xingbang. If the PRC government declares the VIE agreements are not enforceable, we will not be able to exercise effective control over Guangdong Xingbang and consolidate the financial results of Guangdong Xingbang. In such case, our results of operations and financial position will be materially adversely affected.
Guangdong Xingbang was founded in 2005 as a print-media based advertising operator and consulting services provider. In 2010, we made a significant shift of our business model and began laying the groundwork to transition to the business of operating a home furnishings e-commerce platform, ju51 Online Mall. Since 2012, we have been phasing out our advertising and consulting segments and, as of September 30, 2013, our advertising and consulting operations generate negligible revenue. We are currently in the process of building out our e-commerce platform and, once the platform is fully operational, we expect to derive all of our revenue from this business.
Xinyu Xingbang was incorporated in the PRC in June 2012 for the purpose of continuing the business of Guangdong Xingbang in the near future as Guangdong Xingbang winds down its operations. Pursuant to the Articles of Associations of Xinyu Xingbang, Guangdong Xingbang and the WFOE each invested $787,030 (RMB 5,000,000) in Xinyu Xingbang and each owns 50% of the equity interest of Xinyu Xingbang. Under the Xinyu Xingbang Articles of Association, the WFOE is entitled to appoint the sole director and all members of the management team of Xinyu Xingbang and the WFOE is entitled to receive 99.99% of Xinyu Xingbang’s net profit. Based on the relevant PRC regulations, an Internet Content Provider license, or ICP license, issued by the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, is required for Xinyu Xingbang to conduct business as currently contemplated. In order to be granted the ICP license, foreign investor’s ownership of Xinyu Xingbang cannot exceed 50%. Xinyu Xingbang obtained its ICP license in February 2013. Guangdong Xingbang will gradually wind down its operations and Xinyu Xingbang will carry out Guangdong Xingbang’s business except that Guangdong Xingbang will fulfill its contractual obligations under the existing customer contracts. Guangdong Xingbang will grant an exclusive license to Xinyu Xingbang to permit Xinyu Xingbang to use trademark, domain names, intellectual property rights and any know-how Guangdong Xingbang owns. Guangdong Xingbang will also assign the management right and right to receive revenue from the ju51 Mall and our newspaper publication, called Industry Economy Review, to Xinyu Xingbang. Guangdong Xingbang will continue its corporate existence to hold the equity interest in Xinyu Xingbang.
Below is our updated organizational structure after the incorporation of Xinyu Xingbang.
Historically, our revenue has highly correlated to the Chinese real estate market and was seasonal. Chinese government’s policies restraining real estate growth will result in decrease in the demand for home furnishings, which will have a significant impact on our revenue. Generally, the first half of the year is low season for the home furnishings market, as people generally do not decorate their home during this period because of wet weather and other factors, so our revenue in advertising and consulting (except for consulting provided to local governments) has been relatively low during this period. We expect our revenue derived from our new ju51 Mall, once operational, to continue to follow these seasonal patterns.
In 2012, the Company decided to phase out its advertising and consulting operations and focus its efforts on its e-commerce business model. Therefore revenue from advertising and consulting dropped significantly during 2012. We previously intended to have our distributors develop our technical service stations as well as deliver products from manufactures to technical service stations. On February 14, 2012, the board of directors exempted its distributors, or the so called “channel service providers,” from paying service charges from October 2011 to June 2012, considering that the distributors recorded losses resulting from low sales volume on the ju51 Mall, and in order to maintain a good and sustainable cooperation relationship with them. The board also authorized Mr. Xiaohong Yao (“Mr. Yao”), the Company’s Chairman, CEO and President, to exempt distributors from paying service charges at the technical service stations or from paying franchise fees based on sales volume generated on the ju51 Mall. However in the first and second quarters of 2012, we found that many distributors failed to meet the agreed operating goals. As a result, in June 2012, the Company terminated all the contracts with its distributors. Management also determined that the e-commerce platform would not be launched until it was fully developed. We do not expect revenue generated from service charges and commissions from the transactions on the e-commerce platform until the platform is fully operational.
Since February 2012, the Company has been developing direct sales stores (later rebranded as “technical service stations”) and recruiting interior designers and decoration technicians to join a web portal called “China Decoration Technicians Network” at http://www.zgzxjg.com as part of our sales effort. The web portal is owned by Xinyu Zhongxing Decoration Technicians Network Company Limited, a related party that is 80% owned by Mr. Yao and 20% owned by his spouse. The technical service stations (previously called “direct sales stores”) are intended to function as our local representative offices. Interior designers and decoration technicians will help us reach out to consumers and act as shopping guides, using the technical service stations as their physical base. Consumers who place orders through of the interior designers and decoration technicians will enjoy a special “membership price”, which will be lower than the direct sale price listed on the ju51 Mall. Interior designers and decoration technicians will earn commissions from the flagship stores.
Since June 2013, Xingyu Xingbang has entered into franchise agreements with companies who are interested in setting up an online retail store on the e-commerce website, www.ju51.com. Some of the franchisees had set up physical showroom in the Company’s “Home Furnishing Procurement Headquarters,” which is located in Xinyu City, China. The purpose of the agreement is to generate transactional volume on the e-commerce platform. At this stage, the agreements do not require a franchise fee or service charge for the services provided by Xingyu Xingbang, only a security deposit of $3,268 (RMB 20,000), which is refundable within two months after termination or expiration of the agreement. Once the ju51 Mall is operational, Xingyu Xingbang will begin to collect fees under the agreement, unless such fees are otherwise waived. As of September 30, 2013, Xingyu Xingbang had signed agreements with 491 companies, 18 of them had set up their showrooms and paid the security deposits. In order to attract more franchisees, on all new franchise agreements signed in the third quarter of 2013, we agreed postpone the retainer payment until revenue is generated. Our promotional efforts resulted in a total of 474 new franchise agreements were signed in the third quarter of 2013, as compared to 17 agreements in the preceding quarter.
We are experiencing delays in our schedule for rolling out our e-commerce platform and to date have not generated any revenue from this business. We did not generate any revenue from this business during the nine months ended September 30, 2013 due to the restructuring of our marketing team and marketing strategy. We have made substantial progress in setting up our infrastructure, establishing 84 new technical service stations in the third quarter of 2013. However, to date we have been unable to identify qualified personnel to oversee the build out of our technical service stations, online flagship stores, and physical showrooms.
In preparing our condensed consolidated group financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, we make estimates and assumptions that affect the accounting, recognition and disclosure of our assets, liabilities, stockholders’ equity, revenues and expenses. We make these estimates and assumptions because certain information that we use is dependent upon future events, which cannot be calculated with a high degree of precision from data available or cannot be readily calculated based upon generally accepted methodologies. In some cases, these estimates are particularly difficult and therefore require a significant amount of judgment. Actual results could differ from the estimates and assumptions that we use in the preparation of our consolidated group financial statements.
During the nine months ended September 30, 2013, there were no significant changes to our critical accounting policies and estimates as reported in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012.
Results of Operations — Three Months Ended September 30, 2013 Compared to Three Months Ended September 30, 2012.
The following table presents, for the three months indicated, our consolidated statements of operations information.
During the three months ended September 30, 2013, we had total revenue of $69, a decrease of 99.97% compared to the same period in 2012. Of this, $35 was attributable to revenue generated from advertising and $34 was attributable to consulting service rendered. During the three months ended September 30, 2012, total revenue was $256,457. Of this, $112,059 was attributable to revenue generated from advertising and $144,398 was attributable to consulting service rendered. The decrease of $256,388 was mainly due to decrease in advertising and consulting revenue as a result of the change of our business model to focus on revamping our e-commerce business. We spent the year ended December 31, 2012 and the first three quarters of 2013 repositioning the Company to shift our core business from advertising and consulting to e-commerce. During this time, management does not think it is appropriate to generate revenue from our e-commerce platform until our new e-commerce revenue models are finalized and driver supports are ready. Therefore revenue from e-commerce was $0 for the three months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012.
Cost of revenue is comprised of printing cost, editorial fee, agent fee, salaries of consulting service providers, amortization of website development costs, salaries of website administrators and business tax relating to advertising and consulting service rendered.
Cost of revenue for the three months ended September 30, 2013 was $104,963, compared to $74,256 for the three months ended September 30, 2012, an increase of $30,707, or approximately 41.35%. The increase was due to the approximate 108.76% increase in the cost of advertising revenue, which was $16,343, the approximate 13.85% increase in the cost of consulting revenue, which was $2,361, and the 16.62% increase in the cost of e-commerce, which was $12,003. The reason for the increase in cost of revenue was the increase in agent fee, printing cost, business tax relating to advertising, amortization of website development costs and salary of website administrators.
Gross loss was $104,894 for the three months ended September 30, 2013, a decrease of $287,095, or approximately 157.57%, compared to a gross profit of $182,201 of the same period in 2012. The decrease was mainly due to the decrease in advertising and consulting revenue.
Operating expenses consist of selling, general and administrative expenses, impairment of website development cost and depreciation.
Operating expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2013 were $497,476, mainly composed of $78,867 in selling expenses, $322,802 in general and administrative expenses, $72,955 in impairment of website development cost, and $22,852 in depreciation. Operating expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2012 were $395,476, mainly composed of $188,918 in selling expenses, $181,667 in general and administrative expenses, and $24,891 in depreciation. The increase in operating expenses from the three months ended September 30, 2012 to the three months ended September 30, 2013 was $102,000, or approximately 25.79%. And it was mainly due to the increase in the impairment of website development cost of $72,955.
Other income (expenses), net, consists mainly of net of interest income, other income, other expenses, and gain/loss on disposal of property and equipment.
Other income, net, for the three months ended September 30, 2013 was $49,208 compared to other income, net of $1,581 for the three months ended September 30, 2012, an increase of $47,627, or approximately 3,012.46%. The increase in other income (expenses), net, was mainly due to the increase in other income of $49,415, representing the prior year over provision of income tax, for the three months ended September 30, 2013, as compared to $650 for the same period in 2012.
Income tax benefit was $0 for the three months ended September 30, 2013, as compared to income tax expenses of $69,941 for the three months ended September 30, 2012. The Company did not recognize the deferred tax asset arising from the net loss for the three months ended September 30, 2013, due to the fact that the Company has sustained continuous losses over the years. Our effective income tax rate was 0% and approximately 33% for the three months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively. Under PRC law, the Company’s qualification as a “New or High Technology Enterprise” is subject to review every year.
Net loss was $553,162 and $281,635 for the three months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The increase was mainly the result of a decrease in advertising and consulting revenue, the revamp of the e-commerce business model, and also the Company’s waiver of fees charged for the use of its former e-commerce platform in 2012. Another reason for the increase was due to the increase in rental expenses in general and administrative expenses. Moreover, the unamortized website development cost was fully impaired since second quarter of 2013.
Other comprehensive loss was $5,405 and a gain of $4,633 for the three months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The change of foreign currency translation loss was primarily caused by the fluctuation in the RMB to U.S. dollar exchange rate in 2013 compared to 2012.
Results of Operations — Nine Months Ended September 30, 2013 Compared to Nine Months Ended September 30, 2012.
The following table presents, for the nine months indicated, our consolidated statements of operations information.
During the nine months ended September 30, 2013, we had total revenue of $19,792, a decrease of 97.69% compared to the same period in 2012. Of this, $10,062 was attributable to revenue generated from advertising and $9,730 was attributable to consulting service rendered. During the nine months ended September 30, 2012, total revenue was $855,316. Of this, $460,184 was attributable to revenue generated from advertising and $395,132 was attributable to consulting service rendered. The decrease of $835,524 was mainly due to a decrease in advertising and consulting revenue as a result of the change of our business model to focus on revamping our e-commerce business. In the third quarter of 2013, 84 new technical service stations were created, compared to none in the second quarter of 2013, as well as 474 new franchise agreements signed in the third quarter of 2013, compared to 17 agreements in the second quarter of 2013. We spent the year ended December 31, 2012 and the first three quarters of 2013 repositioning the Company to shift our core business from advertising and consulting to e-commerce. During this time, management does not think it is appropriate to generate revenue from our e-commerce platform until our e-commerce revenue models are finalized and driver supports are ready. Therefore revenue from e-commerce was $0 for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012.
Cost of revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 was $400,309, compared to $491,894 for the nine months ended September 30, 2012, a decrease of $91,585, or approximately 18.62%. The decrease was due to the approximate 85.56% decrease in the cost of advertising revenue, which was $125,328, the approximately 12.89% increase in the cost of consulting revenue, which was $6,727 and the 9.21% increase in the cost of e-commerce, which was $27,016. The reason for the decrease was mainly due to the decrease in agent fees, printing cost and business tax relating to advertising services.
Gross loss was $380,517 for the nine months ended September 30, 2013, a decrease of $743,939, or approximately 204.70%, compared to a gross profit of $363,422 of the same period in 2012. The decrease was mainly due to the decrease in advertising and consulting revenue.
Operating expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 were $1,959,777, mainly composed of $357,072 in selling expenses, $1,048,009 in general and administrative expenses, $479,918 in impairment of website development cost, and $74,778 in depreciation. Operating expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2012 were $1,439,392, mainly composed of $806,841 in selling expenses, $556,498 in general and administrative expenses and $76,053 in depreciation. The increase in operating expenses from the quarter ended September 30, 2012 to the quarter ended September 30, 2013 was $520,385, or approximately 36.15%. And it was mainly due to the impairment of website development costs of $479,918.
Other income (expenses), net, consists mainly of net of interest income, other income, other expenses, and gain on disposal of property and equipment.
Other income, net, for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 was $48,633 compared to $4,516 for the nine months ended September 30, 2012, an increase of $44,117, or approximately 976.90%. The increase in other income, net, was primarily due to the increase in other income of $49,246, representing the prior year over provision of income tax, for the nine months ended September 30, 2013, compared to $819 for the same period in 2012.
Income tax benefit was $0 for the nine months ended September 30, 2013, as compared to income tax benefit of $54,588 for the nine months ended September 30, 2012. The Company did not recognize any deferred tax asset arising from the net loss for the nine months ended September 30, 2013, due to the fact that the Company has sustained continuous losses over the years. Our effective income tax rate was 0% and approximately 5% for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively. Under PRC law, the Company’s qualification as a “New or High Technology Enterprise” is subject to review every year.
Net loss was $2,291,661 and $1,016,866 for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The increase was mainly the result of a decrease in advertising and consulting revenue, and the revamp of the e-commerce business model and also the Company waiver of the fees paid to it for the use of the platform. Another reason for the increase was due to the increase in rental expenses in general and administrative expenses. Moreover, the unamortized website development cost was fully impaired since second quarter of 2013.
Other comprehensive loss was $30,365 and $5,390 for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The change of foreign currency translation loss was primarily caused by the fluctuation in the RMB to U.S. dollar exchange rate in 2013 compared to 2012.
Cash and cash equivalents consist primarily of cash on hand and demand deposits at banks. We had $158,506 and $197,530 of cash and cash equivalents on hand as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively. There was a decrease of $39,024 in our cash and cash equivalents from December 31, 2012 to September 30, 2013.
The decrease in our cash and cash equivalents from December 31, 2012 to September 30, 2013 was largely attributable to the combined effect of net loss for the period of $2,291,661, payments for website development cost of $142,303 and advances from related companies of $1,728,039.
We require cash for working capital, capital expenditures, repayment of debt, salaries, commissions and related benefits and other operating expenses and income taxes. We estimate that the actual amount of approximately $2,547,000 is needed in the near term to continue the operations. We expect that our working capital needs will increase for the foreseeable future, as we continue to develop and grow our business. See “Business — General” in our 10-K filed with the SEC on April 1, 2013.
Increase in cash loss from operations - Our net loss from operations, excluding depreciation, amortization, impairment of website development cost and gain on disposal of property and equipment, increased by $800,386 on a period-to-period basis, from cash loss of $828,311 for the nine months ended September 30, 2012 to cash loss of $1,628,697 for the nine months ended September 30, 2013, which negatively impacted our cash flows from operations. The increase in cash loss from operations was mainly due to the decrease in revenue and increase in rental expenses in general and administrative expenses in the first three quarters in 2013 from the same period last year.
Decrease in accounts receivable – The decrease in account receivable was $0 during the nine months ended September 30, 2013, while it decreased by $1,266,107 for the same period in 2012. The reason for the decrease was that we did not collect any accounts receivables in the first three quarters of 2013 as we decided to render services after a retainer was paid by our customers. Revenue decreased from $855,316 during the nine months ended September 30, 2012 to $19,792 during the nine months ended September 30, 2013. No collection of accounts receivable and no increase of deferred revenue received from the customers during the first three quarters of 2013 led to an increase in cash used in operating activities.
Decrease in other payables and accrued expenses - Other payables and accrued expenses decreased by $27,892 during the first three quarters of 2013, while it decreased by $224,274 for the same period in 2012. Other payables and accrued expenses consisted of other tax payables, accrued professional fees, accrued expenses, deposits received from customers, other payable, accrued website development cost, accrued wages and accrued welfare. The decrease in other payables and accrued expenses was the net effect of the decrease of the accrued professional fee, accrued payables, and increase in accrued wages and other payables, which was mainly arising from the payments for construction in progress.
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities. Our investing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 used cash of $226,805 and $272,113, respectively. The net cash used in investing activities are comparable between two periods.
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities. Our financing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 provided cash of $1,863,768 and $1,579,307, respectively. Although there were advances of $1,728,039 from a related company, Xinyu Xingbang Industry Co., Ltd., the amount received from Mr. Yao and his spouse was decreased to $135,729 during the nine months ended September 30, 2013 from $1,579,579 in the prior period. The net result leads to a decrease in cash provided by financing activities.
We had negative working capital of $4,130,446 as of September 30, 2013 and $2,219,805 as of December 31, 2012, respectively. The reason for the increase in negative working capital from December 31, 2012 to September 30, 2013 was primarily due to the increase in amount due to related companies.
Under the VIEs’ agreements, Guangdong Xingbang pays the WFOE a consulting service fee, payable in RMB each quarter, equivalent to all of its net income for such quarter based on its quarterly financial statements, prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles of the PRC. The WFOE then may transfer the cash payment to the offshore holding companies (Xingbang HK, Xingbang BVI and China Xingbang) via dividend payment, after deduction of relevant taxes. If we obtain funds through financing in the US, Xingbang HK may invest in the WFOE. It is generally prohibited for PRC resident enterprises, including foreign owned entities, to make inter-company loans. However, management believes it is in compliance with the current PRC law for the WFOE to deposit the funds into a PRC bank account and request the PRC bank to lend the funds to Guangdong Xingbang, and may use such means to obtain capital funding in the future.
We are a holding company with no significant revenue-generating operations of our own, and thus any cash flows from operations are and will be generated by Guangdong Xingbang through our WFOE’s existing consulting service management arrangement with Guangdong Xingbang. Our ability to service our debt and fund our ongoing operations is dependent on the results of these operations and their ability to provide us with cash. The WFOE’s ability to make loans or pay dividends are restricted under PRC law and may be restricted under the terms of future indebtedness, its governing documents or other agreements. With the cash on hand and the anticipated cash to be received from our operations, we may not be able to generate enough cash to support the expansion of the business operations. However, the Guangdong Xingbang’s Shareholders are fully committed to provide cash as needed to support the Company’s ongoing operations and continued growth. Therefore, we believe that our sources of liquidity will be sufficient to enable us to meet our cash needs for at least the next 12 months.
any of the other risks and uncertainties described in “Item 1A. Risk Factors,” and in our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012.
The following is a summary of amounts outstanding under our debt obligations as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012.
As of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, Guangdong Xingbang owed $0 and $5,457, respectively, to ZhongshanXingbang Purchase & Exhibition Service Co., Ltd (“ZhongshanXingbang”) which is interest free, unsecured and repayable on demand. Mr. Yao is the director of ZhongshanXingbang.
On September 5, 2013, Guangdong Xingbang entered into a loan agreement with Xinyu Xingbang Industry Co., Ltd, with an amount of $81,699. The loan is interest free and unsecured with a loan period started on September 10, 2013 and is due for repayment on September 10, 2014. The use of this loan is only for the operation of Guangdong Xingbang.
On September 5, 2013, Xinyu Xingbang entered into a loan agreement with Xinyu Xingbang Industry Co., Ltd, with an amount of $81,699. The loan is interest free and unsecured with a loan period started on September 12, 2013 and is due for repayment on September 11, 2014. The use of this loan is only for the operation of Xinyu Xingbang.
On July 25, 2013, Guangdong Xingbang entered into a loan agreement with Xinyu Xingbang Industry Co., Ltd, with an amount of $81,699. The loan is interest free and unsecured with a loan period started on July 31, 2013 and is due for repayment on July 30, 2014. The use of this loan is only for the operation of Guangdong Xingbang.
On January 3, 2013, Guangdong Xingbang entered into a loan agreement with Xinyu Xingbang Industry Co., Ltd, with an amount of $163,400. The loan is interest free and unsecured with a loan period started on January 5, 2013 and is due for repayment on January 4, 2014. The use of this loan is solely for the operations of Guangdong Xingbang.
As of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, WFOE owed $816,993 and $802,555, respectively, to Mr. Yao. The loan is interest free and unsecured. The loan was entered into on May 31, 2012, and the loan period started on June 11, 2012 and is due for repayment on June 10, 2013. On May 31, 2013, the loan was renewed, and the loan period started on June 12, 2013 and is due for repayment on June 11, 2014. The proceeds of the loan was used as the capital investment in Xinyu Xingbang, which is 50% owned by WFOE and 50% owned by Guangdong Xingbang.
On February 14, 2012, the board of directors resolved to exempt distributors from paying service charges from October 2011 to June 2012 and to authorize Mr. Yao to exempt distributors from paying service charges, and brick-and-mortar stores or decoration companies from paying franchise fees. As of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, we did not have any off-balance sheet obligations involving unconsolidated subsidiaries that provide financing or potentially expose us to unrecorded financial obligations. All of our obligations with respect to Guangdong Xingbang have been presented on our consolidated balance sheets as of each such date.
There have been no new accounting pronouncements during the nine months ended September 30, 2013 that are of significance, or potentially significance, to us.
The Company’s management, including our Chief Executive Officer and interim Chief Financial Officer, reassessed the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) as of September 30, 2013 and has subsequently determined that our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of September 30, 2013 due to certain material weaknesses, including: (i) a lack of sufficient accounting personnel with appropriate understanding of U.S. GAAP and SEC reporting requirements; and (ii) a lack of standard charter of accounts and written accounting manual and closing procedures to facilitate preparation of financial statements under U.S. GAAP for financial reporting processes. As a result of such material weaknesses, our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective. Our management has worked, and will continue to work to remedy the above material weaknesses in our disclosure controls and procedures.
Limitations on the Effectiveness of Disclosure Controls.
Readers are cautioned that our management does not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures or our internal control over financial reporting will necessarily prevent all fraud and material error. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within the company have been detected. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people or by management override of the controls.
There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the first three quarters of 2013 that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect our internal control over financial reporting, except as disclosed above.
We may be involved in litigation and other legal proceedings from time to time in the ordinary course of our business. Except as otherwise set forth in this quarterly report, we believe the ultimate resolution of these matters will not have a material effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
There were no issuances of our equity securities during the quarter ended September 30, 2013.
We have not paid any cash dividends to date and we do not anticipate or contemplate paying dividends in the foreseeable future. It is the present intention of management to utilize all available funds for the development of our business.
In the future, we may be a party to agreements that limit or restrict our ability to pay dividends.
our total assets would be less than the sum of (i) our total liabilities plus (ii) the amount that would be needed, if we were to be dissolved at the time of distribution, to satisfy the preferential rights upon dissolution of shareholders whose preferential rights are superior to those receiving the distribution (although we presently do not have any shareholders with such preferential rights).
The Sino-foreign Equity Joint Venture Enterprise Law Implementing Rules (1983), as amended.
Under these regulations, wholly foreign owned enterprises and sino-foreign equity joint ventures in China may pay dividends only out of their accumulated profits, if any, determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. Additionally, before paying dividends to their shareholders, these foreign invested enterprises are required to set aside at least 10% of their profits each year, if any, to fund certain reserve funds until the amount of the cumulative total reserve funds reaches 50% of the relevant company’s registered capital. Accordingly, the WFOE is allowed to distribute dividends only after having set aside the required amount of its profits into the reserve funds as required under applicable PRC laws and regulations.
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0.947839 |
Bessette Pitney Text: Mike Lee for Speaker?
Lee has an insurgent’s résumé: He was elected with the Tea Party wave in 2010, defeating an incumbent Republican, Bob Bennett, along the way. He was Ted Cruz’s partner in crime during the government shutdown debates. His scorecard with Heritage Action, often the scourge of G.O.P. leaders, currently stands at 100 percent. And unlike almost every member of the House and Senate leadership, he’s a genuine foe of comprehensive immigration reform.
At the same time, like Ryan (and unlike Cruz), Lee been a real policy entrepreneur. He authored a pro-family tax plan that breaks with some (if perhaps not enough) of the G.O.P. donor class’s orthodoxies. He has offered serious proposals on transportation, higher education and religious liberty. And just this week he was part of a bipartisan breakthrough on criminal justice reform, one of the rare issues where the late Obama years still offer hope for compromise.
In Lee’s ambitions, you can see what the House insurgents want to be — a force that moves conservative policy making away from donor service and toward genuine reform — rather than the purely nihilistic force they often threaten to become. You can see the outlines of the kind of agenda that might satisfy (some) intransigents and also provide some (very) modest ground for bipartisanship.
And then in his record and persona, you can see a — let’s be frank — tribal identification with insurgency that might make easier for him to persuade the G.O.P.’s right flank to accept the real limits on the House’s power.
Unfortunately the House insurgents do not appear to have a Mike Lee in their ranks.
But there is also no rule preventing the House from electing a senator as its speaker.
Ross Douthat is an elegant, perceptive writer, and I usually agree with him. But this idea is badly flawed.
Different terms of office, different constituencies, different prerogatives and functions -- all of these distinctions separate the two chambers, just as the Framers intended. Members of one should not get into the internal affairs of the other -- unless of course they leave the first and win election to the second.
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0.999856 |
Blend old and new ways to explore historic Lisbon. Part of your excursion will be on Lisbon’s most famous type of transport, the tram. Waiters will serve port wine and traditional pastries on board your vintage vehicle as you tour around the “old city” and the Tagus, passing landmarks such as the Cathedral and Santa Luiza Belvedere. Then step onto a coach for the second part of your tour. Your guide will show you the impressive Jeronimos Monastery, Belem Tower and the Monument to the Discoveries, commemorating Portugal’s incredible voyages of exploration.
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0.999892 |
Soaking in Canada's Sunshine in Cranbrook. There are many smaller towns that invite you into enjoyment of lifestyle and nature. An area in British Columbia known for it's charm is Cranbrook. This space in Canada, known for receiving the most sunshine out of all other areas in Canada during the year, invites a setting of charisma to relaxation throughout the town. The details of this area provide one with enjoyment and activity throughout the year.
Cranbrook was originally established as a stopping point for a railway system moving through Canada. It developed from this stopping location into a city known for enjoyment. It is by the side of the Rocky Mountain Forest District, as well as Kootenay River and St. Mary's River. For those interested in natural settings, hikes and outdoor activities, Cranbrook invites a variety of options to enjoy the mountainous and water settings.
While Cranbrook is most often referred to as a heritage town, there are also activities that surround the area for those interested in the lifestyle. While it has a smaller population of 19,000 people, it also creates a sense of charm from the outdoor activities and leisurely community gatherings created. It focuses most on educational opportunities for children and young adults while specializing in the outdoor gatherings offered to those who reside in the area.
If you are interested in tapping into nature, then looking at Cranbrook, British Columbia, offers a new experience. The backdrop of this area, and the growth that has occurred from the original train station, has led to a charming space for your lifestyle.
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0.998232 |
Create a gorgeous appetiser or side dish with this recipe for a dairy-free cheesy pull-apart bread from NamelyMarly.
Heat your oven to Gas Mark 180°C (Gas Mark 4, 350°F). Prepare your baking sheet by covering it with a generous piece of aluminum foil.
Get out your bread and create vertical and horizontal cuts (using a serrated knife works best), cutting through just to the bottom of the crust (but not through the crust).
In a bowl combine the margarine, garlic and salt. Stir to combine. Use a butter knife and run it slowly through each slice, both horizontally and vertically to coat each piece.
Insert cheese pieces throughout the bread slices as well, leaving some around the top for a nice, melted cheese look when your loaf is done. Sprinkle the top with onion slices.
Place the loaf on your prepared baking sheet. Get another piece of foil and cover the bread, sealing it to the piece of foil on the pan. Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes.
Take the loaf out of the oven and carefully remove the top piece of foil. Return the pan to the oven and bake for until 10 minutes or so, until the bread has toasted edges and the cheese has melted.
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Many modern scholars believe that the Genesis 5 and 11 genealogies contain gaps due to fluidity, and thus cannot be used to help date creation or the Flood. Their case is threefold. First, the Genesis 4 and 5 genealogies are so alike they must have come from a single original genealogy that developed into two. Second, the symmetrical ten-generation form of Genesis 5 and 11 indicates schematization. Third, science has proven that mankind is older than a no-gap reading of Genesis 5 and 11 will allow. This paper negates the first two of these arguments by showing that conflation of two original genealogies better accounts for the similarity of the Genesis 4 and 5 names, and by demonstrating that at least three lines of evidence argue against schematization of Genesis 5 and 11. Thus, as far as the biblical evidence is concerned, the arguments for fluidity lack a firm basis. One might reasonably conclude that the Genesis 5 and 11 genealogies do not contain gaps.
Since the nineteenth century, many scholars have expressed the opinion that the genealogies in Genesis 5 and 11 contain generational and chronological gaps, and thus should not be used, as James Ussher did, for chronological purposes. These scholars believe that genealogies experience fluidity over time; that is, names are often added, omitted, or changed in form, especially spelling form. Since the earth is allegedly older than what the church has consistently believed from earliest times, they suggest that names must have been omitted from the Genesis 5 and 11 lists as they were handed down from generation to generation. Thus, in their view, these genealogies cannot be used to establish the date of creation or the Flood.
Such a view, however, is troubling to some scholars, who see no indication in the biblical text of generational or chronological gaps. They insist that Genesis 5 and 11 clearly present a continuous no-gap genealogy and chronology from Adam to Abraham. These texts, they argue, are worded in such a way as to exclude omissions and gaps. To suggest omissions and gaps is, in their view, a violation of a straightforward reading and inerrant view of the passages. Thus, they believe that the text can be used to date creation and the Flood, and modern scholars would do well to follow suit.
Which view is correct? Did fluidity occur during the transmission of the Genesis 5 and 11 genealogies? Were names dropped so that the genealogies now contain generational and chronological gaps?
Two groups of scholars argue for gaps. One group thinks the Genesis 5 genealogy is not an accurate historical record, but the result of an ancient Mesopotamian list of legendary heroes (either a king, sage, warrior or tribal ancestor list) that has experienced so much fluidity during the long process of transmission from one generation to the next that most, or all, of its historical and chronological value, if it ever had any, has been lost. They express similar views concerning the Genesis 11 genealogy. For these scholars, the early Genesis genealogies, if they ever were genealogies, are discontinuous; that is, they contain generational omissions or gaps.
Did fluidity occur during the transmission of the Genesis 5 and 11 genealogies?
The second group of scholars (mostly evangelicals) who argue for gaps believes that the genealogies of Genesis 5 and 11 are accurate historical records, but that a certain number of names have been omitted from the lists. Thus, they disagree with the theologians just mentioned concerning the historicity of Genesis 5 and 11, but agree with them concerning the presence of gaps in the genealogies due to fluidity.
These two groups most often mention the following three arguments in support of gaps due to fluidity in the genealogies of Genesis 5 and 11. (1) The genealogies in Genesis 4 and 5 are so alike that they must have evolved from a common source. (2) The symmetrical ten-generation form of the Genesis 5 and 11 genealogies indicates schematization in the tradition of ancient Mesopotamian king, sage and ancestor lists. (3) Humankind originated longer ago than a no-gap reading of Genesis 5 and 11 will allow according to scientific evidence.
Some other modern theologians believe the names and numbers in Genesis 5 and 11 form a continuous (without generational omissions) linear genealogy and chronology from Adam to Abraham. While they readily acknowledge fluidity as a fairly common occurrence in ancient genealogies, they reason that the occurrence of fluidity in some genealogies does not prove fluidity in all genealogies. They see the genealogies of Genesis 5 and 11 as two of the many exceptions to the fluidity rule.
The late Samuel R. Külling is representative of this group.16 In his analysis of early biblical genealogies, he begins by acknowledging that many biblical genealogies, such as those in Ezra 7 and Matthew 1, contain gaps. In his opinion, however, biblical genealogies come in more than one genre. One type of genealogy (for example, Ezra 7) aims mainly at establishing someone’s right to a certain office, position or inheritance, and need not include every generation. Another type includes sufficient details, especially numerical data, to indicate it intends to establish a chronology. Külling finds numerous examples of this genre through 1 and 2 Kings and 1 and 2 Chronicles in those brief passages where a king of Israel or Judah is said to have reigned a certain number of years before being succeeded by his son (or a usurper). When grouped together these passages form a twenty-generation chronology for both Israel and Judah, and are often used by theologians for establishing the dates of important events. For other examples of this genre, Külling points to the passages in Genesis giving the age of Abraham at the birth of Isaac and the age of Isaac at the birth of Jacob. These patriarchal passages are also commonly used for chronological purposes.
Recent scholars who agree with this reasoning include Brevard S. Childs, David T. Rosevear, James B. Jordan, Richard Niessen, Bert Thompson, Robert R. Wilson and Martin Anstey.17–23 Earlier supporters of this view include John Calvin and Martin Luther.
Most of the theologians who deny fluidity in the genealogies of Genesis 5 and 11 realize their ‘genre argument’, as reasonable as it may sound, will gain credibility only if they can offer reasonable alternative interpretations of the evidence for fluidity. How do they reply to the three main arguments for fluidity?
Parents throughout the ages have often named their children after uncles, cousins, grandparents and other family members.
Among studies which conclude Genesis 4 and 5 descended from different sources, David T. Bryan’s is the most exhaustive.26 Bryan admits a striking similarity between the two texts as they now stand. He notes most scholars have explained the likeness by positing one original source as the basis for both texts. They think the original may have been the Sumerian King List or a list of important ancestors. A few scholars have accounted for the likeness in another way. In 1890, Green argued that these genealogies probably experienced partial conflation or assimilation at the time they were translated into Hebrew.27 Bryan notes that recently Finkelstein and Hallo28,29 advanced a similar theory. Pointing to the Sumerian King List and the similar-sounding list of pre-Flood sages as a case in which two distinct but closely associated lists gradually grew more alike over time, they suggest the same happened to the Cainite and Sethite genealogies.
Richard Niessen reasons that just because some ten-generation lists have been schematized, it does not necessarily mean that all have been.
The final fluidity-resistant dissimilarity listed by Bryan is the difference in biographical information concerning the two Enochs and the two Lamechs. The Cainite Enoch is associated with the building of a city, but the Sethite Enoch walks with God. The Lamech of Cain’s line commits murder and brags about it, but his counterpart fathers righteous Noah and prophesies about it.33 Because he judges these five dissimilarities to be resistant to fluidity, Bryan grants them great weight and determinative importance. He concludes that the two texts are so different that they must have come from separate sources which partially assimilated over time. Thus, he believes that fluidity has occurred with regard to the spelling of names, but not necessarily with regard to the omission of names.
How do theologians who deny fluidity has altered the genealogies of Genesis 5 and 11 reply to the second main argument for fluidity, which says the symmetrical ten-generation form of these texts indicates schematization in accordance with a standard Ancient Near Eastern pattern? Their replies follow several lines of thought.
Külling highlights an important point that most scholars seem to have overlooked; namely, that the Genesis 5 and 11 genealogies are not really symmetrical. The genealogy of Adam contains ten names (Adam to Noah),35 with the tenth having three sons (Shem, Ham and Japheth). The genealogy of Shem records only nine names (Shem to Terah), with the ninth fathering three sons (Abraham, Nahor and Haran).
To these arguments must be added the findings of several well-known and widely respected scholars who do not necessarily support a no-gap view of Genesis 5 and 11, but who nevertheless maintain that these biblical genealogies have no connection to the Sumerian King List, or who conclude that there is in fact no ten-generation pattern among the ancient king sage, or tribal ancestor lists. A few examples must suffice.
The chronogenealogies of Genesis 5 and 11 can be used to date creation and the Flood, as James Ussher did in the 1650s. Click for larger view.
The ten ancestors of David found in Ruth 4 provided a biblical example.
The final division, the ‘historical line’, consisted of the immediate ancestors of a king or important person who wished to validate his right to a position by linking his line with his predecessors. This division is quite long in the AKL and GHD. He found no examples in the Bible, but felt their existence at one time was quite possible.49 From this analysis, Malamat concluded that in Amorite culture the standard form for a table of ancestors was ten generations, just as found in Genesis 5 and 11.
The third main argument for gaps due to fluidity in the genealogies of Genesis 5 and 11 is that, according to scientific evidence, humankind originated longer ago than a no-gap reading of these two genealogies will allow. Because the reply of chronogenealogy advocates to this argument is voluminous, technical and complicated, it is beyond the scope of this study. But much evidence against this argument can be found in the pages of this journal and elsewhere.
In summary, those who take the chronogenealogy view insist that the first step in deciding the fluidity question is genre identification. Ancient genealogies came in different forms to serve different functions. Some forms accommodated fluidity, others did not. The inclusion of the age of each patriarch at procreation marks Genesis 5 and 11 as chronogenealogy, a genre which excludes the idea of fluidity.
For chronogenealogy advocates, the second step in deciding the fluidity question consists of exposing weaknesses in the arguments for fluidity. First, they point out that the Cainite and Sethite genealogies have more, and more significant, dissimilarities than similarities, thus indicating that they probably did not evolve from the same supposed original source. The similarities are best explained by the tendency of extended families to use the same, or similar, names repeatedly, or from conflation in the spelling of the names, rather than normal fluidity. Second, they maintain that there was no such thing as a standard ten-generation form for ancient genealogies (especially Wilson contra Malamat).
The fluidity question as posed at the beginning of this article asks, ‘Did fluidity occur during the transmission of the genealogies of Genesis 5 and 11?’ Scholarly attempts to answer this question revolve around three issues.
The first issue involves the importance of genre identification in the interpretive process. The foregoing discussion reveals a tendency among gap advocates to see all genealogies as the same genre. Although they often talk of different genealogical forms and functions, in practice they regularly draw conclusions concerning one genealogy by comparing it to a genealogy of a different sort. Their comparison of Matthew 1, which has no numbers, with Genesis 5, which has three different numbers for each of the twenty generations, and then their assumption of gaps in Genesis 5 because of known gaps in Matthew 1 provide prime examples of indifference to genre. Such indifference is hermeneutically indefensible. The multitude of genealogical forms extant in the biblical world should not only provide scholars clues to different functions, but also to different rules of interpretation. Since no-gap advocates emphasize careful attention and strict conformance to such rules, the high ground on this aspect of the issue goes to them.
The third issue of note in the scholarly debate regarding the fluidity question concerns the possible schematization of the Genesis 5 and 11 genealogies to fit a standard ten-generation form. Malamat’s works on this issue led almost all scholars at one point to believe that such a form was standard in the Ancient Near East, and that the Genesis author dropped names from his genealogical source in order to meet the accepted pattern. Wilson’s subsequent work, however, has pointed out significant flaws in Malamat’s methods and conclusions, and has shown that both Ancient Near Eastern king lists and modern tribal genealogies vary greatly in the number of generations included, with no preference evident for any particular length. Hasel has shown that the SKL can no longer be used as an example of a standard ten-generation form, since nearly all versions of the SKL are between seven and nine generations. Thus, if a ten-generation pattern ever existed, it has yet to be demonstrated. Scholars no longer have an evidentiary basis for assuming the schematization of Genesis 5 and 11.
In summary, the case for fluidity during transmission of the Genesis 5 and 11 genealogies suffers from a lack of evidence. While all parties readily acknowledge fluidity in some ancient genealogies, scholars have yet to present sound evidence of fluidity in the Sethite and Shemite lists. Conflation adequately explains the similarity between Genesis 4 and 5. Wilson has shown that the supposed ten-generation standard genealogical form was a myth, based on selected evidence.
Thus, the main arguments for fluidity in this case lack a firm basis. This lack of evidence for fluidity does not necessarily mean that fluidity has not occurred, because evidence might yet come to light. At present, however, one might easily conclude, at least as far as the biblical evidence is concerned, that no omissions, additions or alterations (other than name conflations) have been made to the Genesis 5 and 11 genealogies.
Does God have a ‘moral obligation’ to His creation?
The spiritual death of the Adam tribe?
Westermann, C., Genesis 1–11: A Commentary, trans. by John J. Scullion, Augsburg, Minneapolis, MN, pp. 348–354, 1984. Return to text.
Westermann, ref. 1, p. 352. Return to text.
Sarna, N.M., Genesis, The JPS Torah Commentary, The Jewish Publication Society, New York, pp. 40–41, 1989. Return to text.
von Rad, G., Genesis: A Commentary, trans. by J.H. Marks, Old Testament Library, Westminister, Philadelphia, PA, p. 69, 1961. Return to text.
Speiser, E.A., Genesis, The Anchor Bible, Doubleday, New York, pp. 41–42, 1964. Return to text.
Gibson, J.C., Genesis, vol. 1, The Daily Study Bible, The Westminister Press, Philadelphia, PA, pp. 155–156, 1981. Return to text.
Sasson, J., A Genealogical convention in biblical chronology? Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 90:171–185, 1978. Return to text.
Davidson, R., Genesis 1–11, The Cambridge Bible Commentary, Cambridge, New York, p. 61, 1973. Return to text.
Kidner, D., Genesis: An Introduction and Commentary, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, p. 82, 1967. Return to text.
Archer, G., A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, Moody Press, Chicago, pp. 209–212, 1994. Return to text.
Kitchen, K.A., Ancient Orient and Old Testament, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, pp. 35–39, 1966. Return to text.
Wenham, G.J., Genesis 1–15, Word Biblical Commentary, Word Books, Waco, TX, pp. 123–134, 1987. Return to text.
Davis, J.J., Paradise to Prison: Studies in Genesis, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI, pp. 102–151, 1975. Return to text.
Hamilton, V.P., The Book of Genesis, Chapters 1–17, New International Commentary on the Old Testament, Eerdmans Press, Grand Rapids, MI, pp. 250–251, 1990. Return to text.
Mathews, K.A., Genesis 1–11:26, New American Commentary, Broadman & Holman, Nashville, TN, pp. 281–282, 1996. Return to text.
Külling, S.R., Are the Genealogies in Genesis 5 and 11 Historical and Complete, That Is, Without Gaps? Immanuel-Verlag, Switzerland, pp. 30–31, 1996. Return to text.
Childs, B.S., Introduction of the Old Testament as Scripture, Fortress, Philadelphia, PA, pp. 145–146, 1979. Return to text.
Rosevear, D.T., The genealogies of Genesis; in: Concepts in Creationism, Andrews, E.H., Gitt, W. and Ouweneel, W.J. (Eds.), Evangelical Press, Welwyn, England, pp. 68–77, 1986. Return to text.
Jordan, J.B., The biblical chronology question, Creation Social Science and Humanities Quarterly 2:1–16, 1979. Return to text.
Niessen, R., A biblical approach to dating the Earth: a case for the use of Genesis 5 and 11 as an exact chronology, CRSQ 19(1):60–66, 1982. Return to text.
Thompson, B., Creation Compromises, Apologetics Press, Montgomery, AL, pp. 173–181, 1995. Return to text.
Wilson, R.R., The Old Testament genealogies in recent research, J. of Biblical Literature 94:169–189, 1975. Return to text.
Anstey, M., Chronology of the Old Testament, Kregel, Grand Rapids, MI, pp. 62–123, 1973. Return to text.
Since some scholars who accept the idea of gaps in Genesis 5 and 11 nevertheless believe Genesis 4 and 5 came from different sources, their opinions will be included here. Return to text.
Wenham, ref. 12, pp. 123–124. Return to text.
Bryan, D.T., A re-evaluation of Genesis 4 and 5 in light of recent studies in genealogical fluidity, Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 99:180–188, 1987. Return to text.
Green, W.H., Primeval chronology, Bibliotheca Sacra 47:285–303, 1890. Return to text.
Finkelstein, J.J., The antediluvian kings: a University of California tablet, J. Cuneiform Studies 17:50, 1963. Return to text.
Hallo, W.W., Antediluvian cities, J. Cuneiform Studies 23:63–64, 1970. Return to text.
Bryan, ref. 26, pp. 180–182. Return to text.
Bryan, ref. 26, pp. 183–187. Return to text.
Bryan, ref. 26, p. 187. Return to text.
Bryan, ref. 26, pp. 187–188. Return to text.
Niessen, ref. 20, p. 63. Return to text.
For a discussion on the additional Cainan in the Septuagint text see: Sarfati, J., Biblical chronogenealogies, J. Creation 17(3):14–18, 2003. Return to text.
Külling, ref. 16, pp. 33–34. Return to text.
Gispen, W.H., Genesis, Commentaar op het Oude Testament, vol. 1, Kok, The Netherlands, pp. 385–386, 1974. Gispen also acknowledges the lack of symmetry. The Septuagint lists an additional generation in Genesis 11, but strong evidence indicates this was a scribal addition. Return to text.
Hasel, G.F., The genealogies of Genesis 5 and 11 and their alleged Babylonian background, Andrews University Seminary Studies 16:361–374, 1978. Return to text.
See also Luke, K., The genealogies in Genesis 5, Indian Theological Studies 18:223–244, 1981. Return to text.
See Lambert, W.G., A new look at the Babylonian background of Genesis, J. Theological Studies 16:287–300, 1965. Return to text.
Hasel, ref. 38, p. 367. Return to text.
Wenham, ref. 12, p. 124. Return to text.
See Jacobsen, T., The Eridu Genesis, J. Biblical Literature 100:513–529, 1981. Return to text.
Wenham, ref. 12, pp. xxxix-xli, 123–125. Return to text.
Rowton, M.B., The date of the Sumerian king list, J. Near Eastern Studies 19:156–162, 1960, also suggests a political motive behind the SKL. Return to text.
Malamat, A., Kings lists of the old Babylonian period and biblical genealogies, J. American Oriental Society 88:163–173, 1968. Return to text.
Malamat, A., Tribal societies: biblical genealogies and African lineage systems, Archives europeennes de sociologie 14:126–136, 1973. Return to text.
See also, Wilson, Genealogy and History in the Biblical World, Yale University Press, New Haven, CT, pp. 11–205, 1977, for a thorough analysis of the forms and functions of ancient and modern genealogies. Return to text.
Malamat, ref. 46, p. 164 Return to text.
Malamat, ref. 46, pp. 165–168. Return to text.
Malamat, ref. 46, pp. 168–169. Return to text.
Malamat, ref. 46, pp. 169–171. Return to text.
Wilson, ref. 22, p. 178. Return to text.
Wilson, ref. 22, pp. 175–179. Return to text.
See Wilson, ref. 48, pp. 18–55, for a thorough discussion of modern Arab and African genealogies. Return to text.
Wilson, ref. 22, pp. 182–188. Return to text.
Wilson, ref. 22, p. 188. Return to text.
In Malamat, ref. 46, pp.165–166, Malamat’s own tentative language lends support to Wilson ’s conclusion that Malamat failed to prove his case. For example, in his discussion of the supposed ten-generation form of ancient genealogies, Malamat uses eight tentative words or phrases in eight consecutive sentences (possible, possibly, may have been, we may also assume, puzzling, we most likely, if we assume, tendency). Such language undermines his confident-sounding conclusion that ‘The ante and postdiluvian lines [of Adam and Shem, respectively], symmetrically arranged to a ten-generation depth, are undoubtedly the product of intentional harmonization and in imitation of the concrete genealogical model.’ Return to text.
Wilson, ref. 22, p. 187. Return to text.
Wilson, ref. 22, p. 189. Return to text.
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How appealing is this retro-styled premium compact?
In the past few months, the majority of camera manufacturers have introduced a new premium compact camera to their ranges. It's a lucrative area of the market, appealing to those looking for a good back-up camera and those who can't get everything they want from the camera on their phones.
Pentax's latest introduction, the MX-1, is styled after the original film camera of the same name. It's a positively retro design, at least from the front. At the back is a tilting LCD screen, which belies its digital reality.
According to Pentax, the camera's 12 million pixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor is a new design from Sony. The sensor size is typical for premium compact cameras (except the Sony RX100), coming in at 1/1.7 inches, which is the same as the Panasonic LX7, for example.
A top sensitivity of ISO 12800 is available, with the company promising low noise and super high resolution images.
A new imaging engine is also included to offer quick image processing for clear, high quality images with plenty of detail.
The 4x optical zoom lens offers a maximum aperture of f/1.8 at its 35mm equivalent wide angle of 28mm. The maximum aperture rises to a still respectable f/2.5 at the telephoto end of the lens.
The camera also features a 1cm macro mode for shooting images close-up. An intelligent zoom function is available to extend the zoom coverage up to approximately 7.8x times, or around 218mm in 35mm format.
To go along with the retro design of the camera's exterior, the Pentax MX-1 features a textured rubber grip and brass top and bottom panels. Unusually, Pentax actually hopes that the paintwork will chip off from these areas to reveal the brass underneath, and giving it an aged, distressed feel.
Other interesting features of the Pentax MX-1 include its ability to capture photos in raw DNG format, rather than a proprietary format favoured by most of the other brands. It also boats a dual-shake reduction system to help prevent blur in images, and Full HD video recording.
The Pentax MX-1 measures a surprisingly substantial 60 x 123 x 52mm (2.4 x 4.8 x 2 inches) and weighs 391g (13.8oz) loaded and ready to shoot.
Priced at £399/$499.95, it's certainly not a cheap option, but it does put it in contention with many of the other premium compact cameras currently on the market, including the Sony RX100, Panasonic LX7, Canon S110 and Olympus XZ-2.
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You are a pilot in Britain’s Royal Air Force during World War II and your job is to deal crippling blows to the Nazi forces using your DeHavilland Mosquito, your weapons, and your wits. Plan your mission carefully, choose your ammo, and fuel wisely for, once the missions starts, there is no turning back. Can you handle the Nazi bombers, sink the U-boats, outrun buzz bombs, and stop the POW trains? Do you have what it takes to be the best of the best, the ace of aces? Ace of Aces is a flight simulator for the 7800 that has nice depth and realism but that isn’t for everyone. You must select your mission and get your plane ready for action.
The game does have a practice mode that I recommend you use to learn the controls as these can be a bit complicated and do take getting used to. There are five different views to use during the game: cockpit, engine room left wing, engine room right wing, navigational map, and bomb bay. These are selected using combinations of action with the fire button and the joystick. In the cockpit view you have several gauges to keep track of that provide you with airspeed, an artificial horizon, an altimeter, radar and enemy altitude. The other views let you see your weapons, alter speed, etc. Ace of Aces has nice graphics, though the animation can be choppy at times. Sound is minimal as you pretty much just hear the engine sound, weapons, and enemies but these do the trick well. Overall, fans of flight simulators will enjoy this game as this is a good game of that kind.
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What is hash rate in Bitcoin ?
Here are some of my other videos: ------------------------------------------------------- Ariana Grande's "Dangerous Woman" as sung by a rabbit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtjtY_2YN20 ------------------------------------------------------- Meghan Trainor's "No" Featuring Various Cats: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT2GBzVGTdM ------------------------------------------------------- The Moment Donald Trump Became Adolf Hitler: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goOqgXeGcFM ------------------------------------------------------- Rihanna's "Work" Featuring a bunch of ducks and other farm animals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8H-IyNs5fs ------------------------------------------------------- Ten Things I Love About Best Western: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6isjGq3e4c ------------------------------------------------------- Ten TV Themes in Seven Seconds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s0ZOFe9Hw4 ------------------------------------------------------- Mozart, Beethoven, or Bach Challenge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5t4KexQaJpE ------------------------------------------------------- President Obama Sings Adele's Hello: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctjd_IPeJEY ------------------------------------------------------- Intro to Public Speaking: Example of an Informative Speech (Netflix): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQjkBKwDNbE ------------------------------------------------------- Comment, like and subscribe!
I want to thank our supporters who have made us what we are. This goes out to you!
in this vid, I talk about everything mining. from how to you can make, how to mine, to how much electricity it costs, to the theories about mining. I explain using analogies that everyone can understand. i hope you find this helpful and stay tuned!
How difficulty works for bitcoin mining? Bitcoin mining difficulty chart and mining profitability.
Bizans Generalleri Problemi Nedir ? Byzantine Generals Problem Nedir ? Bizans Hata Toleransı Nedir ?
Simple Blockchain in Python WITH MINING!
In this video we'll be creating our own blockchain in Python! We'll also be using SHA256 for our proof-of-work to mine our blockchain. Go to https://howcode.org for more! Source code: https://howco.de/simple-python-blockchain Link to DigitalOcean: http://howco.de/d_ocean Link to howCode Facebook: http://howco.de/fb Link to howCode Twitter: http://howco.de/twitter Link to /r/howCode: http://howco.de/reddit Don't forget to subscribe for more!
Introduction to Bitcoin: What Is A Bitcoin Hash?
Der all, this is Coin Girl and in today's video I want to talk and explain a bit what the Bitcoin Hash is. I talk about hash functions in general then how it applies to Bitcoin and why it gives so much power to the blockchain system. Read some more about hash and mining here: 1. https://coinsutra.com/bitcoin-hash/ 2. https://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-hash-functions-explained/ If you enjoyed this video, you can buy me a cup of coffee using: Bitcoin: 1CGqMPRpsH2CNxkqbTU8mTGtoALSomPXny Ethereum: 0xe23F3F1Eaa8d96C5E5A5906E1666E35fF4C905FB Don't forget to engage with me on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CoinGirlHere Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coingirl/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/CoinGirlHere See you soon!
Blockchain API Kullanımı nedir ? API Nerelerde Kullanılır ? Blokzinciri API nedir ?
When Don Knuth, the 1974 Turing Award recipient, did this interview with Ed Feigenbaum, himself a Turing Awardee, he likely didn’t expect that it would go on for over 7 hours. The interview was split over two days and this give a convenient break point for dividing it into two files. While the topics range widely over Knuth’s whole life and work, the first part is mainly concerned with his early life and heritage, his first exposure to computers and what led him to focus his career in that area. The second part of the interview begins with some of the people who influenced him, including John Backus who had died a few days before this interview. It then goes on to Don’s work in things other than programming languages; items like his work in digital typesetting, mathematics and analysis of algorithms.
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I recommend that you get in touch with the dentist who initially did the dental function on your tooth. Obtaining the exact same household dentist also allows family members members to schedule appointments collectively, cutting down unnecessary travel and waiting times. You could get a copy of your x-rays or records from your dentist nonetheless, your dentist may possibly charge you a reasonable charge for their reproduction. If you are brushing twice a day, taking very good care of your teeth, flossing and making use of some sort of rinse, you can never get into the trap of dental emergency.
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Cheuse was born on January 23, 1940, in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, the son of a Russian immigrant father and a mother of Russian-Romanian descent. He was educated at Perth Amboy High School (1957) and Rutgers University (BA, 1961; PhD in Comparative Literature, 1974), where he wrote his doctoral dissertation on the life and work of the Cuban novelist Alejo Carpentier. Cheuse taught at Bennington College (Vermont), the University of the South (Sewanee, Tennessee), the University of Virginia (Charlottesville), and the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor). He taught in the creative writing program at George Mason University from 1987 until his death. He lived in Northern Virginia during the school year and spent his summers in Santa Cruz, California, teaching at the Squaw Valley Community of Writers.
Since having his first piece of short fiction published in the New Yorker at age thirty-nine, Cheuse's work appeared in such literary magazines as Ploughshares, the Antioch Review, Prairie Schooner, the Southern Review, and New Letters. In 1979, Cheuse received a creative writing fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, and he has traveled to Colombia, Uruguay, and Chile on a grant from the United States Information Agency.
Cheuse's work, The Fires, published in 2007 by the Santa Fe Writer's Project, consists of a pair of interwoven novellas. The stories are centered on two very different deaths: one, of an American businessman traveling in Russia; the other, a mother, jazz pianist, and drug addict. Another novel, The Light Possessed (1990), is inspired by the life and works of the artist Georgia O'Keeffe.
Critics have praised Cheuse's lyricism and strength of narrative voice, usually as filtered through a memorable protagonist or speaker. Passages often contain palpable echoes of the styles employed by other writers, which add depth to the narrative and likely stemmed in part from the voluminous reading and reviewing he performed for NPR.
Cheuse died on July 31, 2015, from injuries sustained in a car accident in California on July 14.
January 23, 1940 - Alan Cheuse is born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey.
1961 - Alan Cheuse earns a BA from Rutgers University.
1974 - Alan Cheuse earns a PhD in Comparative Literature from Rutgers University.
1979 - Novelist Alan Cheuse receives a creative writing fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.
1987 - Alan Cheuse begins teaching in the creative writing program at George Mason University.
1990 - Novelist Alan Cheuse authors The Light Possessed, a novel inspired by the life and works of Georgia O'Keeffe.
July 14, 2015 - Alan Cheuse is in a car accident in California.
July 31, 2015 - Alan Cheuse dies from injuries sustained in a car accident in California on July 14.
"Alan Cheuse," inDictionary of Literary Biography, Volume 244: American Short-Story Writers Since World War II, Fourth Series. A Bruccoli Clark Layman Book. Edited by Patrick Meanor, State University of New York College at Oneonta and Joseph McNicholas, State University of New York College at Oneonta. The Gale Group, 2001, pp. 48-56.
Hegnauer, L. Alan Cheuse (1940–2015). (2015, August 3). In Encyclopedia Virginia. Retrieved from http://www.EncyclopediaVirginia.org/Cheuse_Alan_1940-.
Hegnauer, Lilah. "Alan Cheuse (1940–2015)." Encyclopedia Virginia. Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, 3 Aug. 2015. Web. READ_DATE.
Contributed by Lilah Hegnauer, who received degrees from the University of Portland (BA) and the University of Virginia (MFA). Her first book of poetry is Dark Under Kiganda Stars (2005).
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Is it possible to learn to dance by reading books and magazines, watching videos or interactive videodiscs, or surfing the internet? Can we learn to dance without feedback on our development?
As dance students, we learn and grow differently. Some of us are visual learners who can watch a movement, internalize the information and adapt it to ourselves. Some may need auditory stimulation, preferring to learn by listening to the description of how a movement looks and feels. Or if we are a kinesthetic learner, we may need to repeatedly perform the movement. One of these three learning styles may dominate, but most of us need exposure to all three in order to master a new dance step. Can a medium other than the human element provide that to a dance student? And what about the emotional, spiritual and interpersonal aspects of becoming a dancer?
Assuming we agree a dance teacher is essential in the development of Middle Eastern dance proficiency, what makes a successful teacher, other than technical dance ability? I would like to suggest that the successful teacher is skilled in four roles.
In the role of educator, the teacher takes on the responsibilities of motivator, coach, skill modeler and skill shaper. The dance step or combination is presented through explanation and demonstration. The teacher answers questions, provides constructive feedback and offers alternative ways of thinking about the movement. It is in the role of educator that the teacher compiles and shares his or her dance technique and information about the history, development and comparative differences in Middle Eastern dance styles.
The educator role is challenging. One cannot instruct what one does not know. The teacher is responsible for understanding the capabilities and limitations of the students in order to insure appropriate and safe execution of movement. For example, if a strengthening or flexibility exercise is being presented, the exercise may need to be modified so each student can find a safe alternative. If a dance movement is being presented, it is important to be sure that the appropriate foundation of technique and alignment are in place before increasing the level of difficulty.
As the empowerer, the teacher guides student involvement and creativity: helping students overcome problems, guides relevant discussion, encourages the reticent student, and stimulates thought about how to personalize dance technique and choreography. Students want the empowerer to be personable, practical, positive and professional. In this role, the focus is on the quality of the individual and group learning experience.
I have labeled the administrative role we play the manager. This is the role that keeps things moving according to plan: registering students, keeping class on schedule, presenting class activities in a logical manner, playing music, making announcements and distributing handouts.
Does this description of a Middle Eastern dance teacher seem too cognitive for our visceral art form or is it apparent you have been fulfilling various roles all along? Most of us expect high quality for our money, and dance classes are no different. The perceived quality, effectiveness and success of a dance teacher results from the knowledge, attitude and skills brought into the dance studio.
The teacher must have knowledge of Middle Eastern dance technique, performance skills, music and dance history; the experience, strengths and weaknesses of the students; the characteristics and needs of adult students; the benefits of repetition training without overdoing; and the benefits of cardiovascular, flexibility and muscular conditioning for the dancer.
Enthusiasm for Middle Eastern dance, music and culture is a must. Students will be more motivated if they see that the teacher experiences personal pleasure in watching students learn and has genuine interest in each student’s questions and concerns. Patience and tactfulness in all student interactions are also important.
An effective teacher must be able to create a motivating and positive learning environment; tailor class activities; provide and solicit feedback; listen and answer questions; project enthusiasm; possess appropriate performance skills; and gain and sustain interest.
The above information addressed individual qualities for overall teaching effectiveness. Now, let us consider individual student differences. Here is a method to ensure your dance students will not learn and may not return to class: give them too much information; give it to them quickly; increase the level of difficulty before they are ready; belittle them; teach in a noisy/hot/crowded studio; do not respect their experience, comments, opinions; and do not allow them to feel a sense of accomplishment.
A bit tongue-in-cheek, but you get my drift. As educator and empowerer, it is our responsibility to provide a safe and nonthreatening environment that facilitates learning. We are fortunate to have a fascinating variety of students in our dance classes and all of their adult experience and talents must be respected. The fact that they possess such diversity provides us with challenges. We must learn to customize classes accordingly.
For the beginning student, endurance and overall dance knowledge is minimal. Coordination, flexibility and body awareness are in the early stages of development and may cause frustration or impatience. Beginners have difficulty determining what they are doing wrong and may require a lot of feedback. Class emphasis should focus on the basics of isolations, flexibility, strength/endurance and dance technique. Repetition of movement and emphasis on posture and alignment are necessary.
The advanced student can accept increasing complexity of movement as well as increased speed, more intricate use of space, layering of movements and advanced play of finger cymbals. Their strength and endurance means they can handle a longer class and their experience dictates experimentation with improvisation. Guest instructors can be used to challenge advanced students, to move them out of their comfort zone, and to expose them to other approaches. In addition, the advanced student is apt to notice if the music, exercises or other parts of the class routine are not varied. In addition to introducing new steps and combinations, the other parts of the class must be kept fresh as well.
In my experience, the goals of students most always include the pursuit of exercise, fun and camaraderie in addition to Middle Eastern dance technique and performance skills. We can provide interesting classes to meet these goals through well-designed class plans and attention to the roles and attributes of teaching effectiveness.
Generally, we physically demonstrate as we verbally describe a dance step or exercise. Our description may include the name of the movement, the desired result, proper alignment, muscle names, locations, or actions. We stand in the vicinity of students requiring assistance and move around the room to offer individual feedback. We attempt a variety of methods because we have students with a variety of learning styles and experience. No doubt we have all experienced damaged ego by the words of enthusiastic, overly helpful teachers, without being complemented when we finally got things right. So, let us consider when and how to give feedback.
Group: If a number of students are making the same error, or the teacher does not know the class members well, it is sometimes best to address the group. (Example: “Everyone, make sure your knees stay bent.”) The risks of group correction are that a student who needs to change her behavior may not think the teacher is talking to her, and someone with correct form may think she needs to change it.
Non-Verbal: It is more effective for some students to see the correct movement, if they are visual versus auditory learners. Mirroring a student’s incorrect movement and then demonstrating the correct one may suffice, especially for the experienced student possessing awareness of body alignment and personal correction.
Hands On: If a hands on approach is chosen, it is important to make sure the person knows the teacher is there, and to discern if it is all right to touch her. The teacher should tell her what she is doing correctly as well as incorrectly, and how to make the necessary adjustments. Corrections should be made with a firm touch. For example, if a correction in alignment is being made, correction from the back allows the student to visualize her improvement in the mirror.
After Class: If too much time is spent with one student, the flow of the class may be disrupted. It may be better to ask her to stay after class in order to continue working with her.
Generally, it is preferable if the teacher tells the students what she wants, rather than what she does not want. For example, instead of saying, “Don’t bend your elbows,” try, “Are you keeping your arms extended and energized?” If a student still does the movement incorrectly but with improvement, the teacher can make a genuine encouraging remark that specifies the improvement, and gives useful information about the change still needed, finishing the contact with a positive comment. That is balanced feedback. Also of importance is providing feedback to students when they are performing correctly so that they continue to do so. This is sometimes difficult in a large group, because the teacher may not want to single someone out. Noise can also make it difficult, but eye contact and a simple nod may be enough to deliver the message.
Research and personal experience tells us that negative feedback is not motivating and does not achieve the level of results of other forms of feedback. Enough said.
A dance class is sprinkled with coaching tips provided by the teacher. We may encourage students to work at their own pace, realizing that some movements may be easier or more difficult than others and some days more difficult than others. We can remind students that dancing is not a competition, and show them how to choose optional exercises or movements if fatigued or injured. The teacher should monitor the intensity of their dancing and know when to modify the speed of the class. Hydration should be encouraged, especially on warm days or in a warm room.
The primary purpose of dance class is to train the body, but let us not forget about the spirit. It is internal growth and development, not the ability to perfect a shimmy that matters in the end. Our dancing bodies may succumb to old age, but our spirit will continue to flourish. Students will appreciate our attention to the internal being as well as the external being.
Teachers as well as dancers seeking self improvement desire individual feedback. Unless we have the good fortune to be videotaped as we teach a class, we look to others to help improve our teaching skills. We can invite other teachers to attend our classes and give us feedback in exchange for doing the same for them. Discussing our methods of verbalization and movement presentation with teachers we respect can provide us with new ideas and practical tips. Attending classes and workshops of those we admire helps us create the image of the teacher we want to be.
Another important source of information regarding our teaching abilities comes from our students. From time to time I ask my students to complete a written evaluation of my class. It is an opportunity for them to give me anonymous feedback about all aspects of the class experience and to make comments or suggestions. This process affords me the opportunity to evaluate my progress in meeting their needs and determine a change in class format, if necessary.
Ultimately, finding and following one’s own path to becoming a better dance teacher is as personal as dance style. For me, the path has included attending dance classes and seminars from numerous instructors as well as educational events from other disciplines to obtain the latest information that will most benefit my students. Let us, as creative dance teachers, not be tempted to follow the path of others, but to choose the path that will be personally rewarding as well as most useful to our students.
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The number of Afghans who have fled violence and remained trapped in theirown country – where they live on the brink of survival – has dramatically doubledover the past three years, a new report by Amnesty International highlights.
A staggering 1.2 million people are internally displaced in Afghanistan today, adramatic increase from some 500,000 in 2013. Afghans already form one of theworld’s largest refugee populations, with an estimated 2.6 million Afghancitizens living beyond the country’s border.
Amnesty International’s new report, ‘My Children Will Die This Winter’:Afghanistan’s Broken Promise to the Displaced,casts fresh light on the country’sforgotten victims of war who have fled their homes but remain displaced withinthe country’s borders.
“While the world’s attention seems to have moved on from Afghanistan, we riskforgetting the plight of those left behind by the conflict,” said Champa Patel,South Asia Director at Amnesty International.
Amnesty International’s research found that despite the promises made bysuccessive Afghan governments, internally displaced people (IDPs) in Afghanistancontinue to lack adequate shelter, food, water, health care, and opportunities topursue education and employment.
Their situation has dramatically worsened over the past years, with less aid andessentials like food available.
A new National IDP Policy launched in 2014 could be a lifeline to those displacedbut has hardly been implemented at all – stymied by alleged corruption, lack ofcapacity in the Afghan government and fading international interest.
Despite Afghan authorities promising to improve the conditions IDPs are livingin, Amnesty International found that forced evictions – from both governmentand private actors – is a daily threat.
In response, residents said that police and the armed men opened fire on theIDPs, killing two people and injuring 10. One of the injured was a 12-year-oldboy. No investigation was carried out and no one has been held to account.
Most IDP communities lack access to basic health care facilities. With only mobileclinics, operated by NGOs or the government, occasionally available, IDPs areoften forced to seek private health care that they cannot afford.
As people without any stable source of income, IDPs can find themselvesburdened with large amounts of debt. In one case, a father told AmnestyInternational that he had to borrow 20,000 Afs (US$292) to pay for an operationfor his son. “[This is] an enormous sum of money for us,” the father said.
Despite the assertion that IDPs have a right to request and receive food, waterand adequate clothing in the 2014 policy and their obligations underinternational law, the Afghan government has failed to provide reliableaccessibility to basic living necessities. People are forced to make long, dailytrips to gather water and struggle to find one daily meal.
Since being forced to leave their homes, IDP children’s education has beeninterrupted and adults have been reduced to chronic unemployment.
The IDP policy states that no displaced child should be denied an education evenif they can’t afford essentials like school books, uniforms and other educationalsupplies.
In practice, however, the financial burdens borne by IDPs have meant thatchildren often work to support their families, such as by washing cars, polishingshoes for money, and collecting plastic bags to resell.
The 2014 IDP Policy spells out the rights of IDPs on paper and a concrete actionplan for the Afghan government to implement it. But it has not lived up to itspromise and, so far, showed little benefits for those displaced.
beset by corruption allegations for years.
At the same time, the international community has not stepped in as much as itcould where the Afghan government has been unable to. With other crisesgrabbing global attention and donor money, aid to Afghanistan is dwindling. TheUN has asked for US$ 393 million in humanitarian funding for Afghanistan in 2016 –thesmallest figure in years despite the dire humanitarian situation. By May, less thana quarter had been funded.
the government to making it a reality.
Key international actors in Afghanistan must also do more to ensure that thehuman rights of those displaced are met, and lend more weight, expertise andresources to the implementation of the IDP Policy.
“All parties that have been involved in Afghanistan over the past 15 years have aresponsibility to come together and make sure that the very people theinternational community set out to help are not abandoned to an even moreprecarious fate,” said Patel.
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Should I buy an existing business or start from scratch?
That will depend on the specific type of business you want to own and the area in which you choose to operate. An existing business may offer a familiar product or service with an established base of customers, suppliers, and employees. For some people, the simplicity of starting out in an established business outweighs the disadvantages, including a higher purchase price.
However, an existing business may not be for sale in the industry, field, or region you have chosen. Some businesses that are for sale may not be good buys. For example, the equipment may be outdated, or the business may not be highly regarded in the community. The business may already have a reputation and course of dealings that could be very difficult to change, and you may be buying the seller's headache. In other words, the reason the business is for sale may be a good reason for you not to buy it.
If you have a brand-new idea, there may be no other businesses engaging in the product or service you plan to provide. The absence of an existing business may force you to start your own from scratch. Even if a business is for sale in your chosen field or region, you may still choose to start your own for any number of reasons, including the purchase cost and your access to suitable financing.
Before deciding to buy an existing business or to start one on your own, engage in some research. Study the industry, the competition, and your target market. Consider the type of business you want, where you would like to operate, and your access to financing. Your research may indicate whether it is less costly to start your own business or to buy a going concern. As you evaluate your options, remain open to all of the possibilities.
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How much time do you have to bring a legal action in the Hoosier State?
A statute of limitations is a state law that sets a strict time limit on a plaintiff's right to file a lawsuit in civil court. When a plaintiff misses the cutoff date, the defendant can use the statute of limitations as a defense against any civil lawsuit that's filed. If the defendant establishes that the statute of limitations applies and has indeed “run,” the court will normally dismiss the case, unless some rare exception applies to extend the filing deadline.
Make sure to consult a lawyer for a better understanding of all time limits that apply to your situation and any possibilities for extending the applicable deadline. Rules might differ when the action is against the government. Or you might have to take a specific procedural step before being able to sue, in certain kinds of cases. In short, the law in this area is complicated.
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The inflation rate in the United States between 2000 and today has been 49.45%, which translates into a total increase of $49.45. This means that 100 dollars in 2000 are equivalent to 149.45 dollars in 2019. In other words, the purchasing power of $100 in 2000 equals $149.45 today. The average annual inflation rate has been 2.03%.
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What day of the week was April 10, 2004?
The day of the week April 10th, 2004 fell on was a Saturday.
Jacek Kaczmarski the Polish singer- songwriter, guitarist, and poet (b. 1957) died on this day in 2004.
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¿Villa Urquiza cambiará su nombre por Spinettalandia?
Luis Alberto Spinetta ya recibió cuatro homenajes en el barrio donde vivió. El músico residió muchos años en Iberá y Pacheco. Tras su muerte en 2012, fue objeto de numerosas distinciones que confirmaron el cariño y admiración de sus vecinos. Una estatua en Triunvirato y Roosevelt, un mural en la estación, una escuela de la calle Echeverría y el paso bajo nivel de la Av. Congreso le rinden tributo al Flaco.
Luis Alberto Spinetta fue uno de los artistas más influyentes que albergó Villa Urquiza. Vivió en el barrio 23 años: desde 1989 hasta su fallecimiento el 8 de febrero de 2012. “Primero estuve en Miller y Manuela Pedraza, en una casa alquilada, hasta que me robaron. Después compré esta casa, instalé el estudio de grabación y me armé mi propia habitación. Se puede decir que vivo en un estudio”, le contaba a El Barrio en julio de 2008, haciendo referencia a la vivienda de Iberá 5009.
Probablemente el Flaco no imaginaba los homenajes que los vecinos le tributarían tras su muerte. El primero de ellos ocurrió el 29 de julio de 2013, cuando la Secretaría de Atención Ciudadana -junto a la Comuna 12- inauguró una escultura en Triunvirato y Roosevelt, a metros del cruce ferroviario. El evento, realizado en el Día de la Cultura Nacional, contó con la presencia de artistas, familiares y amigos del músico. La obra fue realizada por el artista Fernando Pugliese. El dato negativo es que a la estatua de Spinetta le sustrajeron los lentes en varias oportunidades.
Alrededor de cien personas fueron testigos de la inauguración del mural Alma de diamante el 8 de septiembre de 2015, en la Estación Urquiza del Ferrocarril Mitre. La obra fue realizada, con la técnica de mosaiquismo, por el joven artista Osky Di Biase. La obra contó con el apoyo del Ministerio de Cultura de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires y el lugar donde fue colocado fue cedido por el Ministerio de Interior y Transporte, a través de Trenes Argentinos.
El 28 de abril de este año la Legislatura de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires aprobó por unanimidad una iniciativa del profesor Leonardo Killian para que el Centro Educativo de Nivel Secundario N° 78 D.E. 15, ubicado en Echeverría 5034, lleve por nombre “Corazón de tiza”. La idea fue transformada en proyecto de ley por el diputado porteño Aníbal Ibarra a través de Carlos Grisafi, ex integrante de la Junta Comunal 15. “La nueva denominación del colegio es parte de un verso de Muchacha ojos de papel, una de las piezas medulares de Luis Alberto Spinetta”, explican los fundamentos. El frente del establecimiento incluye una ilustración de un artista del barrio: Martín Malamud.
Finalmente, desde el 19 de julio pasado el paso bajo nivel de Av. Congreso y las vías del Ferrocarril Mitre, que une los barrios de Coghlan y Villa Urquiza, se llama “Luis Alberto Spinetta”. Además del jefe de Gobierno porteño, Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, participaron del acto la hija mayor del Flaco, Catarina, el bajista Daniel Ferrón, el ex Almendra Rodolfo García y el bajista Javier Malosetti.
El nombre del músico fue elegido por los vecinos en una votación a través de las redes sociales Facebook y Twitter, vía e-mail, urnas en las calles y llamadas telefónicas. Los participantes optaron entre El Flaco, Roberto Goyeneche y Horacio Guarany, tres artistas destacados de la Comuna 12. Se obtuvieron 58.358 votos, de los cuales 32.059 (54.9 %) fueron a favor de Spinetta. El Polaco cosechó 16.584 (28,4 %) y el folclorista 9.715 (16,7 %). Las paredes del túnel fueron intervenidas artísticamente con imágenes de 30 tapas de álbumes de distintas etapas del músico.
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The Men’s Singles tournament of the 2017 French Open came to an exciting end with Rafael Nadal defeating Stan Wawrinka in the final, to win a record-bettering 10th French Open title and a 15th Grand Slam title, thus handing the Swiss his first defeat at a Grand Slam final.
Nadal’s win also made him the first man and the second player, male or female, to win 10 titles at a Grand Slam, the other being Margaret Court with 11 Australian Open titles. The uniqueness of Rafa’s 15th Grand Slam title was the fact that he did not drop an entire set within the entire tournament with Robin Hasse winning the most number of games against him with 8 in the second round.
However, there have been numerous instances when Nadal has won a title without dropping a single set and this article has been written to elucidate 5 such tournaments.
Nadal did not have the best of finishes to his summer hardcourt season after being defeated by Nikolay Davydenko at the final of the Miami Masters. Nadal’s next tournament would be the Monte Carlo Masters where he was the three-time defending champion.
Nadal did not have the easiest of opponents to face as he was up against former Wimbledon semi-finalist Mario Ancic in the second round. However, Rafa dropped only three games against the Croat and followed it with a win over former World No.1 and 13th seed Juan Carlos Ferrero in the third round in straight sets to qualify for the quarter-finals.
Nadal then defeated 5th seed David Ferrer in straight sets to advance to the semi-finals where he avenged his Miami Masters final defeat to Nikolay Davydenko to reach the final where he was up against Roger Federer for the third consecutive time. Federer gave him a tough fight but Nadal edged him in straight sets to win his fourth consecutive Monte Carlo Masters title.
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A look at why Hilton considers itself as the "number one" hotel group in the world.
Hilton is one of the most established international hotel names with a strong brand and a reputation for luxury and style.
But as the Hilton group has expanded, encompassing more brands and properties in locations across the globe - with many more to come - some industry professionals, including former Hilton employees, have argued that the Hilton brand has "lost its way".
It’s always very easy to beat on the best. Hilton is and continues to be number one.
"Hilton has a brand and it doesn't know what it is," former Hilton employee Andrew Love, now deputy chairman of The Ritz London told ATN during a recent visit to Dubai.
"With Hilton International you used to know what you were getting, and they had such a strong brand, but now they have got it wrong."
Hilton's critics claim the group's nine brands - Hilton, Conrad, DoubleTree, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hampton, Hilton Garden Inn, Hilton Grand Vacations, Homewood Suites and The Waldorf=Astoria Collection, not to mention its products, which include Hilton Worldwide Resorts - have caused confusion in the market.
Another former Hilton employee, Daniel Hajjar, who recently left the Rotana group to launch his own hospitality company, conceded that most hotel industry professionals were bemused by Hilton's brand strategy.
"I am not surprised if the public is confused too. What is a Doubletree? Nobody knows; then they see the Hilton name. But it is not a Hilton, it is a sub-brand," he said.
"One or two brands [is ok], but when you get to nine or 10 it gets really confusing."
And if hoteliers are confused, it's not unreasonable to assume that the travel trade, including travel agents and tour operators, are baffled too.
ATN therefore asked Hilton Hotels' recently appointed president - Middle East & Africa, Jean-Paul Herzog, to explain each brand and to set the record straight, once and for all.
The Hilton brand has been accused of "losing its way" by fellow hoteliers, as well as former Hilton employees. What is your response to these claims?
It's always very easy to beat on the best. Hilton is and continues to be number one.
I think it is a spurious comment that these people make. Many credible surveys always put Hilton at the top. As a brand there is a lot of history attached to Hilton, as well as glamour. This is not easily undone. There have been massive changes, but I would not put those down to Hilton, rather to the industry, and Hilton - as well as every other hotel group - went along with those changes and embraced them.
But what about the consistency of the Hilton brand itself - some Hiltons feel like a Hilton, and others don't?
A 20-year-old hotel and a new hotel will be different. What we are doing to create consistency is having certain recognisable icons at each of our hotels. We have just introduced our brand standards - applicable to service and physical elements - to make sure we achieve consistency at all Hilton properties.
We have also introduced new amenities from Crabtree & Evelyn, which have been rolled out at every property, with just a couple of exceptions due to problematic import restrictions. There are also icons like ‘Hilton Breakfast'; a breakfast service which has successful attributes.
We always serve fresh orange to every breakfast guest, for example. ‘Hilton Meetings' is another icon, which is currently being rejuvenated.
There is also On Cue, our new bespoke technology platform that will bring together our reservation systems and our databases and will ensure that when a guest checks in, we will have their profile and preferences on record. This is up-and-running in the US and will be rolled out over the next two years. The first market it will be applied to in this region is Egypt - in Q2 2008. This is a real point of differentiation for us and will be used across all of our brands.
Conrad and Waldorf=Astoria are both categorised as Hilton's luxury products, so what differentiates each brand?
The Waldorf=Astoria brand is more traditional and there is an historical element. The collection includes properties of architectural significance, whereas the Conrad brand is more contemporary. We are re-branding our Hilton property in the Maldives as a Conrad and of course, we now have the Qasr Al Sharq in Jeddah, which is part of the Waldorf=Astoria Collection.
The overlap markets of the two brands need to be redefined in different markets.
The Hilton and DoubleTree brands are also very similar. What are the key differences between them?
In terms of F&B and product, they are very much the same. The difference is that Hilton is traditional, whereas DoubleTree is more modern and contemporary. You have to see this in a regional context. If you were in the US you would know the difference between a DoubleTree and a Hilton.
If we were to take DoubleTree to Saudi Arabia for example, where people expect Hiltons to have large ballrooms and meeting spaces, we would build a DoubleTree without a large ballroom and fewer meeting rooms. It would be about product not quality; it's wrong to make a quality judgement.
DoubleTrees in this region would probably have fewer amenities and there would be a rate difference. Also, whereas Hiltons tend to be located in city centres, the DoubleTrees might occupy a space on the outskirts. They are targeted at business travellers looking for convenience.
It's also important to note that some DoubleTrees might become Hiltons and vice versa - it's possible for brands to swap. A property's physical attributes might either demand an upgrade or an adaptation to another brand to ensure we achieve brand consistency.
Why do only some of your brands have Hilton in the title?
Those brands with Hilton included in the title are the key brands we are looking to roll out. Hampton by Hilton (budget hotel chain) is the fastest growing chain in the US and is about to roll out internationally - first in the UK, India and China. Eventually all of the brands will have Hilton in the title.
The other key brands we are focusing on (in terms of expansion) are DoubleTree by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn. We will roll out Conrad and Waldorf=Astoria properties on an opportunistic basis as they are more expensive to operate.
What sets Hilton apart from other hotel groups?
We have nine brands to play with and we have a strong name in the hotel business. We are doing our utmost to keep it that way. We are pioneers in this region having opened the Nile Hilton some 50 years ago. We were also the first international hotel chain in the UAE with our property in Al Ain.
The Hilton family explainedThe Waldorf=Astoria Collection:full service "super luxury hotels and resorts". Criteria for designation of this brand includes architectural significance, unique décor and original artwork, historic or landmark status and a reputation for product and service excellence.
Five hotels = 3813 rooms. Competitors: Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental and Rocco Forte.
Conrad Hotels & Resorts:full service hotels and resorts positioned as the "most global luxury brand within the Hilton family, combining prestigious heritage with contemporary attitude.
15 hotels = 5151 rooms. Competitors: Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental and Park Hyatt.
Hilton:full service hotels, resorts and airport properties and "the pioneering innovator in the upscale, full-service hospitality segment".
502 hotels = 173,906 rooms. Competitors: Marriott, Sheraton, Westin, Hyatt, InterContinental.
Doubletree by Hilton:"distinctively designed informal upscale hotels" targeting corporate or business travellers looking for convenience.
173 hotels = 44,951 rooms. Competitors: Marriott, Westin, Renaissance, Hyatt and Sheraton.
Embasssy Suites & Hotels:upscale all-suite hotels comprising two-bedroom suites with services including complimentary breakfast.
185 hotels = 45,290 rooms. Competitors: Hyatt, Marriott, Renaissance, Sheraton, Westin, Wyndham.
Homewood Suites - Hilton:upscale extended stay all-suite hotels. "Provides all of the comforts, convenience and privacy of a home for the price of a traditional hotel room".
196 hotels = 21,571 rooms. Competitors: Residence Inn by Marriott, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites.
Hilton Garden Inn:targeting mid-market travellers. 309 hotels = 42,745 rooms. Competitors Holiday Inn, Four Points by Sheraton and Courtyard by Marriott.
Hampton by Hilton:economy/budget brand that offers 100% satisfaction guarantee. 1409 hotels = 139,946 rooms. Competitors: Holiday Inn Express, Comfort Inn, Fairfield Inn and Travelodge.
Hilton Grand Vacations Club:vacation ownership resorts. 33 hotels = 3774 rooms. Competitors: Marriott Vacation Club, Starwood Vacation Ownership and Fairfield Resorts.
Hilton Worldwide Resorts(a Hilton product, rather than a brand): upscale resorts in "exotic places". Comprises 18 resorts in the US and 38 internationally, including two Conrad resorts.
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How do I get my boyfriend back? He has been ignoring me and I do not know what to do next? Does the above question apply to you? It is important to know that there are certain things that should not be done if you want to get your boyfriend back. Doing them can reduce your chances of success. Let's explore what they are: 1) Don't keep on contacting your boyfriend This is especially important when you have just broken up. At this point of time, you are probably not in a very positive emotional state. Because of that, you are more likely to do things that worsen the situation rather than make it better. Therefore, there is little point in trying to contact your boyfriend again and again.
Most likely, you won't know what to say even if your boyfriend answers your call. Perhaps you have been contacting your boyfriend several times per day and he did not answer your call and didn't even bother to reply you. This shows that he is purposely avoiding you and it doesn't help by calling him more often. Furthermore, it can make you appear needy which can make him perceive you in a negative manner. 2) Don't try to argue with him about the break up Perhaps you can't accept the reasons he gives you for the breakup.
You think he is lying. There must be other reason. And obviously, you want to argue with him about it. Don't do that. Let's look at it this way.
If he doesn't want to tell you the truth, we will take it that he has his own reason. Maybe he thinks that this is the way to minimize the hurt to you. Even if you argue with him, it doesn't mean he will tell you the truth.
It can be matters worse when he becomes defensive instead. 3) Don't pester his friends or family members If you can't reach him, you might be tempted to approach his friends or family members. Maybe you want to find out more about what has happen to him and why did he want to break up with you. Try not to do that. One reason is that he may not have told his friends or family members about it. Imagine what his reaction will be like if he realizes that you are harassing his friends and family members.
If you want to get back your boyfriend, it is important that you do not do the three things mentioned above.
How to get your boyfriend back? You can watch a video "1st Step To Stopping A Break Up" at Magic of Making Up This video will show you exactly what you must NEVER do, what you should do to get back your ex and the psychological reason behind why it works.
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If a dentist has recently installed braces, you will likely encounter some challenges when flossing in between your teeth. The good news is that this process is actually much easier than it may initially appear. What are three sure-fire suggestions to employ during your next brushing session?
- Use a "floss threader" to access areas underneath the wires of the braces.
- This threader can then be removed when flossing other areas.
- It is best to floss at the end of the day. "Flossing is going to be one of the most challenging parts of having braces."
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What makes a boys' school distinctive?
If you were to ask someone what makes a boys' school distinctive they may struggle to articulate exactly what it is.
Some may nominate clear discipline procedures, structured learning and effective sports programs as examples of boys' education. There is no doubt that boys' schools such as CBC have long traditions providing sound boys' education that offer these values and approaches. And this is for good reason, boys do value structured teaching and unambiguous values.
They also benefit enormously from active and practical programs that encourage participation, teamwork, leadership and mentoring. The wonderful thing about boys is that they have a great joy for living and an energy, which when nurtured, provides a great power for good. Boys have incredibly diverse interests! However it would be an oversimplification to say that this is all that boys' education is about.
We live in a complex and fast paced world that requires our young men to have important moral frameworks, social skills as well as independence in learning, and empathy and sensitivity toward others. We once thought that maleness was pretty straightforward but we now understand that boys are incredibly diverse people. They are interested in the arts, social justice and community.
They need opportunities to explore the world of music, other cultures and play on the sporting field. Whereas once, people thought sports people were not arts people, we now know they can be the same person. CBC has led the way by recognising that strength, graciousness and gentleness are compatible, and having energy and being robust does not exclude humility.
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1. The people of a nation or state; the body politic.
2. A nation or state governed by the people; a republic.
a. Used to refer to some US states, namely, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
b. Used to refer to a self-governing, autonomous political unit voluntarily associated with the United States, namely, Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands.
4. often Commonwealth The Commonwealth of Nations.
5. The English state and government from the death of Charles I in 1649 to the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, including the Protectorate of 1653 to 1659.
6. Archaic The public good; commonweal.
2. a state in which the supreme power is held by the people; a republican or democratic state.
3. (cap.) a group of sovereign states and their dependencies associated by their own choice and linked with common objectives and interests.
4. the Commonwealth, Commonwealth of Nations.
5. (cap.) a federation of states: the Commonwealth of Australia.
6. (cap.) a self-governing territory associated with the U.S.: official designation of Puerto Rico.
7. (cap.) the English government from the abolition of the monarchy in 1649 until the establishment of the Protectorate in 1653, sometimes extended to include the restoration of Charles II in 1660.
8. (cap.) the official designation of Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
9. any group of persons united by some common interest.
10. Obs. the public welfare.
the body of the public constituting a state or community; a body united for some special interest and common benefit.
Examples: commonwealth of all Christendom, 1551; of angels, 1608; of learning; The British Commonwealth of Nations; The Commonwealth [English history 1649—1660].
1649–60 A republican state in England between the execution of Charles I and the restoration of Charles II.
2. commonwealth - a politically organized body of people under a single government; "the state has elected a new president"; "African nations"; "students who had come to the nation's capitol"; "the country's largest manufacturer"; "an industrialized land"
Weimar Republic - the German republic founded at Weimar in 1919; "The Weimar Republic was overthrown in 1933 and replaced by the Third Reich"
La Commonwealth (Comunidad Británica de Naciones) es una asociación de estados soberanos, la mayoría de los cuales eran colonias británicas en el pasado, establecida para fomentar el comercio y los lazos de amistad entre ellos. Actualmente se compone de más de cincuenta estados miembros, entre los cuales se encuentran el Reino Unido, Australia, Canadá, la India, Jamaica, Kenia, Nueva Zelanda, Nigeria, Pakistán y Sudáfrica. Los países miembros reconocen al soberano británico como Head of the Commonwealth y se reúnen anualmente para debatir asuntos políticos y económicos. Además, cada cuatro años uno de los países miembros es el anfitrión de la competición deportiva conocida como Commonwealth Games.
He said, "Though the law did not positively allow the destroying such base-born children, yet it held them to be the children of nobody; that the Church considered them as the children of nobody; and that at the best, they ought to be brought up to the lowest and vilest offices of the commonwealth.
Hannibal had carried her arms into the heart of Italy and to the gates of Rome, before Scipio, in turn, gave him an overthrow in the territories of Carthage, and made a conquest of the commonwealth.
However, I made a note of the remark, and calculated to educate the commonwealth up to it if I pulled through.
For commonwealths, and good governments, do nourish virtue grown but do not much mend the deeds.
In the 1960s, the Commonwealth could easily have fallen apart over racial issues focussed by events in South Africa and Rhodesia.
Unfortunately, the style of CommonWealth is oddly out of synch with its message.
The Commonwealth of Virginia has laid the foundation for transforming the use of technology in government, and we have our sights set on the next waves of innovation, especially in the ways that our approaches to energy use, future microelectronics, and healthcare will define our future," Chopra said.
During a famous speech, he referred to the British Empire as 'a Commonwealth of Nations'.
Foreign Ministers and representatives from all Commonwealth countries participating in Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2013 were present at the roundtable discussion.
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Google head of web spam Matt Cutts has moved to reassure webmasters that including expandable content on their website would not be punished.
Providing Wikipedia as a prime example of how this feature could be used, Cutts stated: "It's not deceptive, nobody is trying to be manipulative, it's easy to see that this text is intended for users."
The high ranking Google employee continued by explaining that including expandable content would only be punished if it was clear that the website owner was trying to influence rankings through black hat SEO tactics. "If you were using a tiny little button that users can't see and there's six pages of text, there's keyword stuffing...we would consider that hidden text", he remarked.
In addition to the strong usability benefits provided by expandable content on Wikipedia, Cutts also spoke out to reassure webmasters that including additional details on a product or service would not be punished. He called this practice "pretty common" and that many online users would expect this style of formatting.
"As long as you're doing it for users, I really wouldn't be too stressed out...I think you'll be in good shape."
This was just the most recent example of Matt Cutts speaking out on the importance of content. The recent Penguin 2.0 update to Google once again cemented the importance of quality content, as Google continues to strive to provide users with the most interesting and relevant information for their searches.
Rachel Hand, head of content at theEword, commented: "Expandable content is a common technique for many websites, so webmasters will be relieved to see that Google does not view this as a negative tactic. However, by indicating that they are aware of users manipulating hidden content for negative reasons, webmasters should continue to ensure that the content they are providing users is of high quality and does not contain spammy elements."
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Describe product management using boston matrix tool with product life cycle management, boston matrix tool and its implications to the AES marketing strategy and product life cycle management and implications to the current product?
Preface: Abuja Energy Surveillance (AES) Ltd has developed a new oil and gas pipeline monitoring system with the usage of drones and GIS. The surveillance unit obviously will work on to enhance the security of oil and gas pipe lines by monitoring continuously and to curb any type of theft practice that may happen with the system at any time. Apart from the theft prevention, the system is also capable of identification of any sort of oil spillage in the pipe line network. Now the AES is concerned to make the system dominant in the market of the energy security and environment pollution management sector of the oil and gas industry sector in all the oil and gas industries of the Globe. This is backdrop of the situation and as the company’s envision is to identify the strategic implications of the Boston Matrix model to the company and understand its implications to the 10 year strategic market share plan.
Boston matrix tool do have significant potential to contribute to the AES marketing strategy. This is a strategic tool and do have complete capabilities to apply for the present case of the AES vision to dominate the market share in the countries with the oil and gas companies. Oil and gas theft and spillage is great menace in oil and gas producing countries. The key obstacle in controlling this menace is the lack of technology as well as lack of a comprehensive and well-designed integrated system which can monitor continuously the oil and gas pipelines and can alert in right time for any necessary actions. Oil theft and spillages do have great potential to affect the economy and the share of a company. Oil spills can even work to totally demolish the economy of a country, an example of the same is the oil spill in Kuwait in 1991s, around 240 million gallons of the oil is spilled during the Iraqis retreat and to slow down the onslaught of American forces during the war. In 1979, the oil spill in the Bay of Campeche, Mexico resulted in a more than 140 million gallons of oil spillage and subsequent huge loss to the economy and the environment. In Fergana valley in 1992 about 87.7 million gallons of the oil spillage resulted in the huge loss to the environment and the economy of all the stake holders involved. These are only few major spillages and a number of spillages go unnoticed every day in every country . An effective monitoring system will definitely contribute to the energy security and the environmental protection. AES surveillance system is the right launch of the system in the right time. Boston matrix tool can be used to evaluate the current market share position of the AES in all the target countries. A detailed estimation of the capabilities of the company and an introspection of the possible opportunities to strengthen the market capabilities of the company will contribute to the long term sustenance of the company in the region as well to lead the market. Boston matrix tool is a simple and versatile tool to evaluate the relative market position in an environment of opportunities and will provide a frame work for strategic improvement of the market position in the considered 10 years of the time frame.
Boston matrix tool can help to identify the market shares of the company in several of the countries considered. Like identification of the cash cows, stars, dogs and question marks is the basic information that can be from the analysis. Boston matrix tool can help AES to identify within its portfolio the list of the products with high market share and high growth rates as well as the list of the products with low growth rates, a typical consolidation of the relating the high growth rate products requiring cash inflows with the low growth rate products with excess cash outflows will strategically help the company to strengthen its economic position in that region. A critical evaluation of the entire product portfolio of AES will help it to channel its new investment in the possibly high growth sector of Surveillance systems.
Summarizing the observation it can be stated that the Boston matrix tool can provide an outlook for identification of the stars whose high share and high growth is assured in the future, cash cows that supply funds for that future growth, question marks that needs to be converted into the stars with the possible addition of the funds. High quality analysis output can be obtained with a possible meticulous infeed of the large and precise data to the analysis.
Surveillance systems are of high marketability potential and hence they fall in the category of the markets with high market growth, however since the product is new and yet to be launched in, the product obviously fall in the low market share category. Hence it is a question mark. Hence the cash inflows required for the product to capture the market can be captured from the cow mark type of the products with excess cash outflows. If the product did not receive the cash flow it is more likely to fall in the dogs category. Also other products in the portfolio with star mark with excess market growth and excess market share also requires the cash flows and hence a meticulous division of the funds is required between those products along with the surveillance system any if choice raised to make.
Normally speaking the market growth for oil and gas companies is limited. The oil exploration exists only in the established resources and reserves and there won’t be oil exploration in the regions where there is no oil resource. Hence it is much likely in due course the surveillance system fall into the category of the low market growth and high market share category. Since the product is much advanced and technology is quite upto the requirements it is much likely to capture high market share. So the product is much likely to become cash cow in short time. Hence the investment in this new product is strategically correct and a time span of 10 years is quite good for the complete investment recovery and to make good profits.
Other concerns: Considering the start products of AES and identification of the products with the declining market share will help in diverting the investment from some of the products to the cash cow, the Surveillance system. Similarly identification of the dogs in the product folio and elimination of the same from the occasional investments will divert those fundings to the cash cow product will further works to make AES the market leader and economically a lead player.
Marketing: Marketing is one of the key elements that decide the success of the AES’s new product launch. Even though it is quite possible that the new product can be successful, it is more important to focus on the factors like reducing the time for the marketing the product, improving the quality of the product with time, continuously required to monitor the opportunities in the new emerging markets and to capture the same. All the modes of the product campaigning viz., advertising, directly meeting the potential customers, advertising the environmental factors etc in the mass media will contribute to the marketability of the product .
Financial concerns: The product financial concerns like heavy investment needed for the drones and the other GIS systems in the product launch in the initial periods of the product launch should be well planned. However the finance requirements in the later periods of the product manufacturing and the marketing is more likely to get from the sources identified from the Boston matrix tool analysis. The product is much likely to become the cash cow .
Manufacturing: Two major concerns of the manufacturing will be the product characteristics to be considered for the manufacturing and the location of the manufacturing sites. The quality of the product will not be compromised and all the ISO 9001:2000 and other QMS standards in force will be applied to the product manufacturing and secondly, the plant locations are to be well designed to meet the requirements of the quick client reach, lower transportation costs and for other issues of ease in manufacturing.
SCM: It is advisable for the company to adopt the SCM –software or other ERP systems which will synchronize the total life cycle of the product from quote, manufacturing, supply and the market reach. Keeping in view of the cross border marketing requirements and the supply chain management of the product a recent version of the SCM software package implementation for the company will serve the smooth launch and marketing of the product. It is also required to take precautionary measures to face the oil and gas thefts in the supply chain for the region selected and its effect on the new product marketing.
Human resources: Well trained, qualified and skilled manpower is needed at different levels of the company verticals and the horizontal organization structural needs.
Considering the target market and the characteristics of the new product planned for the release by AES, it is very clear that the product will be absorbed with flying colors into the market. The analysis of the recommendations of the Boston Matrix tool for the product release into the market are very optimistic. Since the product has all the requirements of becoming a cash cow, the company is assured of the profits and the possible dominance through the market share. What actually required is a synchronization of the resources and the management practices for best outcome. An effective management of the same do assure the company to become strategic market leader and sustain the same for the coming 10 years.
1. AKPOMUVIE, O. (2011). Tragedy of commons: Analysis of oil spillage, gas flaring and sustainable development of the Niger Delta of Nigeria.Journal of Sustainable Development, 4(2), p200.
2. Billington, C., Lee, H. L., & Tang, C. (2012). Successful strategies for product rollovers.Sloan Management Review, 39(3).
3. Czinkota, M., & Ronkainen, I. (2012).International marketing. Cengage Learning.
4. Dale, C., Osegowitsch, T., & Collinson, S. (2014). Disintegration and De-Internationalization: Changing Vertical and International Scope and the Case of the Oil and Gas Industry.Orchestration of the Global Network Organization (Advances in International Management, Volume 27) Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 27, 487-516.
5. Halachmi, A. (2011).The University Business in Transition: Of Stars, Cash Cows and Dogs (pp. 39-51). VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften.
6. Hamilton, D. I. (2012). Oil and Gas Companies and Community Crises in the Niger Delta.American Review of Political Economy, 3.
7. Kadafa, A. A. (2012). Oil exploration and spillage in the Niger Delta of Nigeria.Civil and Environmental Research,2(3), 38-51.
8. KoneÄný, Z., & Zinecker, M. (2015). Using the Boston Matrix at Identification of the Corporate Life Cycle Stage.Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, 63(1), 235-243.
9. Musa, A., Yusuf, Y., McArdle, L., & Banjoko, G. (2013). Corporate social responsibility in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry: the perspective of the industry. International Journal of Process Management and Benchmarking,3(2), 101-135.
10. Neff, J. M., Rabelais, N. N., & Boesch, D. F. (1987). Offshore oil and gas development activities potentially causing long-term environmental effects.Long-term environmental effects of offshore oil and gas development. London (UK): Elsevier. p, 149-173.
11. Proctor, T. (2014).Strategic marketing: an introduction. Routledge.
12. Snell, S., Morris, S., & Bohlander, G. (2015).Managing human resources. Cengage Learning.
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What is the one variable that is purposely changed to test a hypothesis called?
The variable is the measurable variable.
responds to changes in the experiment.
does not respond to changes.
The variable depends on the variable.
The independent variable is the variable that is CHANGED . The dependent variable is OBSERVED or MEASURED .
The input of a function.
The variable that is observed during an experiment is the variable.
A letter that represents a value is a .
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Artificial Limbs: Eligible Expense for FSAs or HSAs?
Artificial limb reimbursement is eligible with a flexible spending account (FSA), health savings account (HSA), or a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA). Artificial limb reimbursement is not eligible with a limited care flexible spending account (LCFSA) or a dependent care flexible spending account (DCFSA).
Artificial limbs, also known as prosthetics, are fake limbs that replace appendages that have been lost to amputation, severe injuries, or other maladies. They are meant to improve an individual's appearance, range of motion, and ability to perform everyday tasks. These limbs can be made for nearly any part of the human body, and can be designed for cosmetic, functional or both potential uses.
The earliest known prosthesis dates back to 950 B.C. in Ancient Egypt, which was discovered in Cairo in 2007 by an archaeological team from Manchester University. The artificial big toe was found on the foot of a mummy of an Egyptian noblewoman and was made of wood and bound together by leather thread. The "Cairo Toe," as it is known, showcases both cosmetic and prosthetic qualities, and its unique design is the earliest example we have of biological mimicry that is emulated in artificial limb construction to this day (BBC).
How are artificial limbs created?
Individuals who are looking to purchase an artificial limb should seek out the skills of a prosthetist, a person who has extensive experience creating and fitting prosthetics. Typically, these professionals require a variety of skills, including engineering, anatomy and physiology to ensure that artificial limbs fit properly and provide the optimal degree of support and utility for the wearer.
The process to create an artificial limb is quite extensive and is contingent on a number of outside factors. First, if an amputation surgery is planned, a prosthetist may be able to take measurements of the limb before surgery to create an accurate replica, but typically he/she will opt to make a plaster mold of the residual limb to begin the process. This mold allows the prosthetist to coordinate its construction based on the condition of the muscles, tendons and bones after the patient has been able to recover from the surgery and the swelling has subsided.
After the device has been created and fitted, physical therapy is a major step in helping patients return to normalcy, as they will have to learn how to perform important everyday activities while wearing their prosthetics. In the cases of leg amputations, this is an especially difficult undertaking to re-learn how to walk and develop a gait that does not place undue strain on other parts of the body. Lastly, prosthetists must examine during the physical therapy process whether the patient's prosthetic has any interference with underlying tissue, which may need to be resized or replaced over time. These visits will typically last throughout the patient's life, as most prosthetics only have a lifespan of about three years and new artificial limbs will need to be created to compensate for changes in body shape and device deterioration (Harvard University).
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Nate River (Japanese: ネイト・リバー, Hepburn: Neito Ribā), known mononymously as Near (ニア, Nia), is a fictional character in the manga series Death Note, created by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. Near is the younger of the two successors to L who was investigating the methods of identifying Kira, the name given to the mysterious serial killer who murders criminals by means of the eponymous Death Note. He becomes the leader of the SPK (Special Provision for Kira), an organization that looks into the Kira case, and in the end, succeeds in uncovering Kira's identity as Light Yagami.
In the anime adaptation, Near is voiced by Noriko Hidaka in Japanese and by Cathy Weseluck in the English version. He is portrayed by Narushi Fukuda in L: Change the World and by Mio Yūki in the television drama.
Tsugumi Ohba, writer of Death Note, said that he introduced Near and Mello together because L individually could not defeat Kira. Ohba felt that introducing one character individually would produce a "repeat" of the struggle between Light and L, so he instead wanted a story involving three combatants fighting each other. Ohba said that he let Obata create the character designs and asked him to make both characters look "a little "L-ish"". Ohba said that he "wavered" in their ages and considered making the characters the sons of L. Ohba added that he did not initially develop their personalities as he wanted to "reveal" them through their actions.
Ohba said that he gave Near a hobby of playing with toys and stacking "things" as a development from L's hobby of stacking sugar cubes and little food cups. Ohba included the match and the dice towers in his thumbnails. Ohba said that he thought about Obata encountering difficulty in drawing the dice towers and felt surprised when he saw the dice towers in the final work.
The given name "Nate River" comes from the words "natural" and "river", to symbolize that Near's talents flow from L, thus making Near the natural successor to L. The name is supposed to show that Near is a "natural genius blessed from above".
Takeshi Obata, artist of Death Note, said that, since Ohba wanted to "include a little L" in Near and Mello, he tried to keep "the weirdness and the panda eyes". Obata added that since L was an important character he felt that he made Near and Mello look too much like L. He described the character designs as "a major struggle". Obata said that, when he first heard about Near and Mello, he assumed that Near and Mello would join as a team and work together, so he envisioned the two as twins when he created the character designs. Obata stated that he originally thought about creating Near as "a bit more mature mentally". Obata said that he created a "cooler looking version of L" design and considered using a younger version of that design. Another design Obata created for L included a "really innocent and cheerful character" and he felt that the design could work for Near; he said that he "quickly abandoned" the idea.
Obata said that when he first saw Near he "didn't even know what the heck he was wearing". He said that "it was tough" drawing Near's clothes as he did not understand the assembly of his clothes. Obata said that he settled for pyjamas and "things got a lot easier".
Ohba said that Near "becomes less likeable" as the story advances, citing Near's plan to take the notebook at an earlier point in the story. Ohba said that a negative reaction originated from the loss of L and "the difference in their attitudes" and that people may have viewed Near as "a cheat". Ohba added that Near's "cheeky behavior", intended to "reinforce his childishness", had been construed as "annoying".
In the final chapter Near brings finger puppets to the Yellow Box Warehouse. Obata said that Near first bought the Kira finger puppet and drew on it with a magic marker. Obata then said that Near must have created the other puppets afterwards. Obata views Near as not liking L much so Obata had Near depict L as "ugly", and that Near "worked hard" on Mello's puppet as Near "liked Mello".
Obata said he enjoyed drawing Near and that Near is also one of his favorite and his least favorite characters, considering him to be the smartest character in the manga "because he cheats".
When asked about which character was most similar to himself, Ohba indicated Near and "maybe Light". Regarding Near, Ohba said that he does not leave his house often.
Obata added that the designs for the characters became switched at the design phase; the final Mello had Near's design and vice versa. Obata said that when he created a depiction of the designs his editor wrote the wrong names accompanying the designs; then when Obata received approval he could not say that the labels were incorrect. Obata said that, for him, Near was "more evil". He felt that "it's better" that the switch occurred.
Obata stated that as he drew Near the concept of his immaturity became "stronger and stronger" as he believes that such traits are best revealed "gradually". Obata cited the fact that in the beginning Near's sole toy consisted of darts. He felt he could express "negative" parts of Near with the puppets. Ohba added that one could see "his dark side in his kind of puppets he used".
Near is the youngest of L's two possible successors raised in Wammy's House, Watari's orphanage for gifted children, in Winchester, England. Of the successors, Near is more level-headed, calmly assessing the situation, while the other, Mello, is more emotional and quicker to act. Much like L, Near shows various odd behaviors during his normal life. He is usually seen hunched over rather than sitting. He also constantly plays with various toys, which he uses in his theories, as well as idly twirling or stroking strands of his hair. He shows a great respect for L, basing much of how he solves crime on L's methods, even to the point where he only takes cases that he is interested in rather than trying to pursue justice. The Kira case—as a case L died trying to solve—naturally becomes his first one. Near uses the Wedding text font "N" and "L" to represent himself and the fake L, respectively. In the aftermath, he used Old English MT font "L" like the original L did.
Sometime after L's death, Near works for the United States under the SPK (Special Provision for Kira) team that is established to investigate Kira without the help of the new "L" Light Yagami. After already catching Light off guard by revealing the fact that he knows the original L is dead and unnerving him by reminding him of his former nemesis when they communicate, he soon manages to deduce that Light, posing as L, is actually Kira. After dismissing the outright capture or killing of Light as disrespectful to L's memory, he finds that Teru Mikami is Kira's proxy. Distracted momentarily by Mello, who kidnaps Kira's TV spokesperson Kiyomi Takada before being killed by her using a Death Note fragment, Near is able to switch Mikami's Death Note with a forged one, allowing him to set up a final confrontation that leaves Light exposed. Near admits that neither he nor Mello could have surpassed L alone (as he lacked "the action," and Mello "lacked the calm)", but have managed to do so by working inadvertently together. He rejects all of Light's ideals as a god of the new world who kills for the greater good and refers to the Death Note as "the worst murder weapon in all of history". Ryuk kills Light with his own Death Note soon after as a Death Note owner must eventually be killed by the Shinigami possessing them and with Light in prison he reasons he will be unable to satisfy his interest any further. Near then himself takes Light's L alias, keeping on the surviving members of the SPK as his subordinates with Roger, the head of Wammy's House, acting as the new Watari. In the epilogue of the manga, he is shown eating a bar of chocolate, as he pursues a new case, possibly in memory of Mello.
In the L: Change the World live-action film, L gives a talented Thai boy, with a gift for calculations, the name "Near". L hopes for the boy, the sole survivor of a Thai village ravaged with a deadly disease, to succeed him as L, knowing that the rules of the Death Note will kill the experienced detective within a short period of time. Near does not speak much in the movie (during the movie, he only says numbers and letters) and when he does he speaks only in English. Like many of the characters during the transition from animation to live action, Near is portrayed with black hair instead of white hair as seen in the anime. Near is portrayed by Narushi Fukuda in the film and voice by Michael Strusievici in the English Dub. For unknown reasons, even though L was shown giving him the name of "Near", he was listed as "BOY" in the credits.
In the novel based on the film, Near is described as being the same Near who appeared in the original Death Note series. However, because the plot line in which Kira kills L is absent, the need for an immediate nominee as the successor of L is not necessary. As a result, the eight-year-old Near is claimed to be working on a different case involving the prevention of World War III since the timeskip present in the original series is absent.
In the 2015 TV drama series, Near is portrayed by Mio Yūki. Like the manga and anime, he has white hair. Near possesses a cold-hearted and ambitious side, named Mello. Near holds a puppet of Mello. He sometimes plays puzzle with L. After L is killed, he follows the video messages left by L. Near lets Mello take over his body, in order to catch Kira.
In the second episode of the 2016 live-action miniseries, Near is shown in a screen as "N' with old English font. He asks Ryūzaki, the original successor to L, to solve the new Kira case, 10 years after Light Yagami is killed. He is voiced by Daisuke Sakaguchi.
Briana Lawrence of Anime News Network explained that many fans feel Death Note went downhill after the defeat of L. She wrote that the introduction of Near and Mello as L's protégés was an interesting idea at first, but they would have been much better characters if they had been treated as individuals and not as two different halves of L. "Every volume always had to point out the fact that Light was still battling L through Near and Mello, but if Light has defeated L already why do we want to watch him battle L all over again?"
^ "How to Think". Death Note: How to Read 13. VIZ Media. 64.
^ "How to Think". Death Note How to Read 13. VIZ Media. 68.
^ "How to Think". Death Note: How to Read 13. The nickname "Near" comes from the first two letters of "Nate" and the last two letters of "River" put together with the vowels switched. VIZ Media. 75.
^ "Takeshi Obata Production Note: Characters". Death Note: How to Read 13. VIZ Media. 134.
^ a b c "Takeshi Obata Production Note: Characters". Death Note: How to Read 13. VIZ Media. 135.
^ a b c d Death Note: How to Read 13. VIZ Media. 180.
^ Death Note: How to Read 13. VIZ Media. 191.
^ Death Note: How to Read 13. VIZ Media. 194.
^ Death Note: How to Read 13. VIZ Media. 119.
^ a b Kan, Saori. "23 days to live." The Star. March 23, 2008. Retrieved on August 13, 2009.
^ "Daisuke Sakaguchi Plays Near in Live-Action Death Note Mini-Series Prequel". Anime News Network. 2016-09-29. Retrieved 2017-05-13.
^ "Death Note GN 12 - Review". Anime News Network. 2007-08-05. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
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Does this question ring a bell or what to me? My youngest daughter loved Tinker Bell and she wanted to meet her every time we were at the Magic Kingdom. However, my oldest daughter was happy to meet her once and then did not want to stand in line again.
How we solved this dilemma to see Tinker Bell? We went to see her immediately at park opening. I went with one daughter and my husband went with the other. It worked for us.
This might be an option for your family or scheduling a meal with a princess might be an option as well. Unless there is a specific princess, you may just wing it and do a walk up to meet one unless her name is Anna or Elsa which you need the FastPass+.
If you do decide to you a FastPass+, your son will need one even stand in the line.
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What are the Different Types of Large Snakes?
Some types of cobras can grow to become large snakes.
The Burmese python is one of the largest snakes in the world.
The king cobra is the world's largest venomous snake.
Reticulated pythons are one of the largest snakes in the world.
Deer are one animal consumed by an anaconda.
Large snakes may feast upon small rodents, such as mice.
There are many types of large snakes in the world, but the biggest include the green anaconda, reticulated python, Burmese python and African rock python. These are all constrictors, which means that they wrap their bodies around prey and squeeze it until it suffocates. The largest poisonous species is the king cobra. People are able to keep all of these in captivity, using them for pets, zoological attractions or tourism and entertainment.
The green anaconda, which lives in South America, is a species of boa constrictor. Sometimes called the water boa because of how easily it is able to move off land, green anacondas can grow up to 29 feet (8.8 meters) in length and weigh more than 550 pounds (249 kilograms). Their bulky girth, which can reach as much as 12 inches (30.5 centimeters) around, accounts for their heavy weight. Anacondas are found in swamplands and streams in the Amazon and other rain forests, and their prey includes animals such as deer and wild pigs.
Slightly longer than the green anaconda but having less bulk, the reticulated python, sometimes called the regal python, averages 15 – 25 feet (4.8 – 7.6 m) in length, although reticulated pythons more than 30 feet (9.1 m) long have been discovered. One found in 1912 in Indonesia measured 32.5 feet (9.9 m) from end to end and long has been regarded as the world's largest ever recorded, but in 2004, disputed claims were made that another snake from Indonesia had been captured measuring 49 feet (14.9 m) and weighing 983 pounds (455.9 kg). The habitat of this species ranges from Myanmar and India across Southeast Asia, and it is also found in the Indonesian Islands and the Philippines. Usually, it eats smaller rodents, such as rats, but depending on its size, it occasionally moves to larger prey, such as pigs.
A threatened species, the Burmese python also lives in Southeast Asia, primarily in jungles and marshes. These solitary reptiles can grow up to 23 feet (7 m) long and reach weights of more than 200 pounds (90.7 kg), but they usually average about 20 feet (6 m) in length. When young, they like to live above ground in the trees, but eventually, they get too big for this. During adulthood, they are skilled swimmers and are more than comfortable in the water, but they also live on the land. Most survive on a diet of birds and small mammals.
The African rock python, that continent's largest snake, grows up to 20 feet (6 m) in length and has weights up to 250 pounds (113.3 kg). Typically, they live on open savannas, but they also have been found in more forested areas. They are notable for being more aggressive when cornered than some of their cousins. In fact, they are said to eat alligators and crocodiles.
Claiming the title as the world's largest venomous snake is the king cobra, which is known for the "hood" of extra skin and ribs around its head that it can extend to appear more threatening. It is also known for its nest making, low, growling hiss and ability to rise the front part of its body up off the ground during attack and defense. Found in Southeast Asia, including India and China, the king cobra can reach up to 18 feet (5.5 m) in length and weighs in at up to 20 pounds (9 kg), and it is fast for its size. Its toxic venom can kill an elephant with one bite, but it feeds mainly on small mammals and rodents, such as lizards and smaller snakes.
As the green anaconda and reticulated, Burmese and African rock pythons are not venomous, some people successfully keep them as pets. Zoos also keep them for entertainment and education purposes. Often ones that are kept in captivity are not given the proper care they need, and especially in the case of the more aggressive African rock python, owners sometimes have to give them up or release them into the wild. The amount of space required is usually one of the biggest obstacles.
People generally do not keep king cobras as pets because of their dangerous venom, but a notable exception is King Cobra Village in Thailand, a major tourist attraction where every house reportedly has at least one. Individuals also keep them in captivity for the practice of snake charming. A trained individual plays music on a flute or similar instrument, and the king cobras respond to the resulting vibrations by rising up.
What Makes the King Cobra a “King”?
What Bird Is Only Occasionally Poisonous?
Are There Any Venomous Mammals?
What Is a Rattlesnake Vaccination?
How Do I Set up a Ball Python Terrarium?
What is a Royal Python?
Which is largest among all pythons?
@aplenty- Large constrictors live a long time. People often do not take this into consideration when they purchase these snakes as four and five foot juveniles. African Rock pythons can grow to 20 feet long, and live for about 25 years. Only experienced snake handlers should own these snakes and the snakes should not be brought into a home with children or elderly residents.
, a fairly escape proof habitat that will contain such a powerful predator.
As for how much these snakes grow each year, most pythons grow to their full size within the first four to five years, then growing very slowly after that. As far as I know, a rock python can grow as fast as 4-5 feet a year in its early years.
How long do these big snakes live? I had a neighbor, an older man, who had a rock Python as a pet. His entire basement was a snake habitat, filled with a number of different snakes. His rock python was a 15-foot long monster that he said he had from a juvenile. He actually raised chickens to feed his python. The snake could eat a large Wyandotte without any problems.
I wonder how long it would take such a snake to grow that long. How much do these large constrictors grow every year?
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piRNAs have a constitutive role in genome defence by silencing transposable elements in the germline. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, piRNAs also induce epigenetic silencing of transgenes, which can be maintained for many generations in the absence of the piRNA pathway. The role of multi-generational epigenetic inheritance in adaptation to the environment is unknown.
Here, we show that piRNA biogenesis is downregulated in response to a small increase in temperature. Some effects on gene expression persist into subsequent generations and are associated with a negative fitness cost. We show that simultaneous infection with pathogenic bacteria suppresses downregulation of the piRNA pathway in response to increased temperature. This effect is associated with increased fitness of progeny of infected animals in subsequent generations.
Our results show that the piRNA pathway integrates inputs from the environment to establish intergenerational responses to environmental conditions, with important consequences for the fitness of the subsequent generation.
In animals, the physical separation of germline and soma, established early in development, is believed to result in the Weismann barrier whereby hereditary information moves only from genes to body cells. However, this barrier is not absolute: a growing number of studies have shown that information may be transferred from soma to germline, triggering epigenetic responses that last for multiple generations. By convention, these phenomena are defined as transgenerational when the response is observed after two or more generations (F2 individuals) and responses observed in the first generation (F1) are known as intergenerational . Often, these effects result from exposing animals to stressful conditions. For instance, bacterial infection of Tribolium castanatum can increase resistance of progeny , and in mice, severe maternal undernutrition can result in the development of insulin resistance in subsequent generations . The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has been developed as a model to explore molecular mechanisms of multi-generational epigenetic responses to stress. Experiments using starvation or heat stress [5, 6] demonstrated that environmental alterations result in long-term perturbation of gene expression corresponding to the accumulation of small silencing RNAs targeted to specific genes, which persist in the absence of the environmental trigger. However, how environmental perturbations signal to small RNA pathways, including how the germline-soma barrier is crossed, is still unknown.
Any molecular mechanism that accounts for epigenetic phenomena triggered by stress must fulfil two properties: it must be active in the germline thus able to transmit its effects into the next generation, and its activity must be modulated in response to specific signals from the soma. These considerations suggest that the Piwi-interacting small RNA pathway may be a candidate for transmitting epigenetic information. Piwi-interacting small RNAs are 21–33 nt RNAs produced from single-stranded precursor RNAs, which interact with the Piwi family of Argonaut proteins to bring about target recognition and silencing . piRNAs are widely conserved across eukaryotic organisms and are characteristically enriched in the germline where they are often involved in silencing transposable element (TE) expression . In most organisms studied so far, piRNAs are essential for fertility, either directly linked to their TE suppression function or through other, less well-understood roles in germline stem cell maintenance .
The functions attributed to the piRNA pathway means that it has typically been considered as constitutive, essential to maintain genome integrity against TE-derived mischief. Nevertheless, the silencing triggered by piRNAs establishes transgenerational effects [9–12]; thus, mechanistically they have the potential to act in transmission of signals from soma through the germline into the next generation. However, it is unknown whether silencing triggered by the piRNA pathway can respond dynamically to the environment; thus, the relevance of piRNAs to stress-induced multi-generational epigenetic phenomena is still unclear. Here, we use the model nematode C. elegans to explore environmental regulation of piRNAs.
In C. elegans, the bulk of piRNAs are produced from individual loci in two clusters on Chromosome IV, each demarcated by a GTTTC consensus motif [13–15]. These motif-dependent piRNAs are dependent on the RNA pol III factor gei-11/snpc-4 and the dedicated piRNA biogenesis gene prde-1 . In addition, a smaller number of motif-independent piRNAs are found scattered through the genome, which do not depend on prde-1 for their function and for which specific biogenesis factors are still unknown [17, 18]. Despite distinct biogenesis, both types of piRNAs bind to the piwi protein prg-1 and induce target silencing through recruitment of RNA-dependent RNA polymerases for 22G-RNA production . Motif-dependent and motif-independent piRNAs target different sets of genes: whilst motif-dependent piRNAs target transposable elements and poorly conserved genes with few clear functions, motif-independent piRNA targets are strongly enriched for innate immune genes .
Transgenes subjected to piRNA-induced silencing demonstrated that once established, the silent state is maintained for multiple generations in the absence of piRNAs [9–11, 19]. Some endogenous genes targeted by piRNAs are also subject to transgenerational silencing maintained in the absence of piRNAs [20, 21]. Although the mechanism underlying this process is largely understood, what is missing is a coherent account of whether the process is responsive to changes in environmental conditions and thus whether the piRNA pathway might account for transgenerational epigenetic effects important for the natural lifecycle of C. elegans.
Here, by investigating the strength of piRNA-dependent silencing in response to different temperatures, we find that motif-dependent piRNA biogenesis is reduced by a moderate increase in temperature from 20 to 25 °C. A subset of gene expression changes induced by this shift persists into subsequent generations after returning to 20 °C. Additionally, we find that the fitness of the progeny of animals grown at 25 °C is reduced relative to the progeny of animals grown at 20 °C. Intriguingly, infection with pathogenic bacteria suppresses the reduction in motif-dependent piRNAs and increases the fitness of progeny relative to the progeny of uninfected animals. Together, our data suggest that piRNAs respond dynamically to environmental stimuli, modifying gene expression and impacting the fitness of subsequent generations.
To test the effect of environmental conditions on piRNA-mediated silencing, we used a strain of C. elegans with a germline-expressed GFP transgene with a perfect target site for a specific motif-dependant piRNA in its 3′UTR . The piRNA sensor is silenced in wild-type worms at 20 °C whilst mutants lacking either prde-1 or prg-1 desilence the piRNA sensor at 20 °C, indicating that the activity of the piRNA pathway is required for sensor silencing (Fig. 1a).
Whilst the piRNA sensor is completely silenced in wild-type animals at 20 °C, when grown at 25 °C, the GFP signal became visible in most animals (p < 0.001) indicating desilencing of the piRNA sensor (Fig. 1b). A temperature gradient between 20 °C and 26 °C indicated a switch in piRNA silencing above 22.5 °C above which notable silencing could be observed (Fig. 1c). Expression of the piRNA sensor was not increased by temperature in prde-1 or prg-1 mutants that lack a functional piRNA pathway, thus confirming that the increased expression of the sensor is due to compromised piRNA-mediated silencing at higher temperature.
To investigate the mechanism of reduced piRNA silencing, we undertook small RNA sequencing from animals grown at 20 °C or 25 °C. We used standard hypochlorite treatment to obtain large numbers of embryos and after hatching to L1s at 20 °C, we grew animals to young adult stage at either 20 °C or 25 °C before isolating RNA for small RNA library preparation (see the section “Methods”). Mature piRNA levels, normalised to total 18–33 nucleotide long small RNAs (see the section “Methods”), derived from motif-dependent loci were reduced at 25 °C (p < 1e−16, Wilcox unpaired test; Fig. 1d). Competition between small RNA pathways in C. elegans has been well documented [24–26]. We therefore investigated how other small RNA pathways respond to temperature. 22G-RNAs showed no change at 25 °C relative to 20 °C (Additional file 1: Figure S1A). miRNAs showed a small but significant increase at 25 °C (Additional file 1: Figure S1B); however, the change was less statistically significant than the reduction in piRNAs (Additional file 1: Figure S1A). Additionally, the reduction in motif-dependent piRNAs was robust to different normalisation methods (Additional file 1: Figure S1C). Thus, we conclude that the increased temperature likely affects the piRNA pathway directly.
We next investigated the mechanism accounting for reduced mature piRNA levels. One possible mechanism would be reduced prg-1 protein levels, which has been observed previously at 25 °C . However, since prg-1 protein is reduced in the absence of 21Us , this could be a consequence rather than a cause of reduced piRNAs. Consistent with this interpretation, we saw no consistent change in prg-1 transcript levels at 25 °C relative to 20 °C (Additional file 2: Figure S2E). An alternative explanation for reduced piRNA levels could be an effect on piRNA biogenesis. We therefore investigated piRNA precursors, which are capped 26–30 nt long small RNAs with a 2′ 5-extension relative to the mature 21U-RNA [17, 18, 27]. piRNA precursors were strongly reduced at 25 °C (Fig. 1e). Moreover, motif-independent piRNAs, which bind to prg-1 but which are produced independently of prde-1 [17, 18, 28, 29], were not significantly reduced at 25 °C (Additional file 1: Figure S1D). Importantly, we tested whether this was due to reduced power to detect differences in motif-independent piRNAs due to their lower abundance by downsampling motif-dependent piRNA numbers to the number of motif-independent piRNAs detected. We detected a significant reduction (p < 1e−16) in motif-dependent piRNAs in all samples and the difference was significantly larger than the difference in motif-independent piRNAs in every sample (Additional file 1: Figure S1E and F). Thus, we conclude that the reduction in motif-dependent piRNAs at 25 °C is due to reduced piRNA biogenesis. Intriguingly, we observed the same response in piRNA biogenesis for two other nematode species Pristionchus pacificus (Additional file 2: Figure S2A and B) and Caenorhabditis briggsae (Additional file 2: Figure S2C) when shifted from 20 to 25 °C, despite the fact that C. briggsae has a higher optimal growth temperature than C. elegans and suggesting that the temperature-dependent response is widely conserved.
The ability of environmental perturbations to affect the piRNA pathway provides an example whereby environmental conditions can be either sensed directly by the germline or communicated to the germline from the soma. As piRNAs can initiate transgenerational epigenetic alterations, the effects of perturbations may remain once the environmental perturbations have been removed. To test this, we used RNAseq to investigate gene expression in animals grown at either 20 °C or 25 °C. We first isolated RNA from nematodes at the onset of egg-laying at both temperatures and identified differentially expressed genes. However, many C. elegans genes oscillate throughout developmental time, and the changes we detected were dominated by changes in such variable genes suggesting that subtle differences in developmental stage between animals grown at different temperatures might be responsible for these changes. In order to avoid this, we isolated RNA in duplicate from young adult worms 8, 16 and 24 h after the visually distinctive fourth larval moult (L4 stage) at both 20 °C and 25 °C and searched for gene expression changes that were consistently regulated across all three timepoints. This identified 37 genes that were consistently affected across different timepoints (Fig. 2a; Additional file 3: Table S1; Additional file 4: Figure S3a).
To test the involvement of the piRNA pathway, we sequenced small RNAs from C. elegans grown at 20 °C or 25 °C. Direct targets of piRNAs are complicated to predict due to imperfect complementarity [10, 22] and the possibility of transgenerational epigenetic memory meaning that certain genes are no longer dependent on piRNA recognition [20, 21]. We therefore mapped 22G-RNAs, the effectors of piRNA-mediated silencing, to genes and examined the changes in small RNAs on genes with consistent expression changes at 25 °C relative to 20 °C. Genes that were consistently upregulated all showed a significant decrease in small RNA levels (p < 0.01; Fig. 2b). However, genes that were downregulated did not show upregulated small RNAs. This suggested that loss of piRNA-mediated silencing might result in upregulation of genes due to loss of 22G-RNAs, but that downregulation of genes was not a direct result of piRNA changes.
To further examine the role of the piRNA pathway in temperature-mediated gene expression changes, we compared the set of genes identified with gene expression changes identified in prde-1 mutants lacking motif-dependent piRNAs. Genes upregulated at 25 °C showed a statistically significant overlap with genes upregulated in prde-1 mutants at 20 °C relative to N2 (Fig. 2c and Additional file 4: Figure S3B), consistent with downregulation of piRNAs at increased temperature (Fig. 1).
We next investigated gene expression changes in the progeny of animals raised at either 25 °C or 20 °C after return to 20 °C. There was significant overlap between genes upregulated at 25 °C in P0 animals and genes upregulated in F1 animals derived from parents grown at 25 °C (Fig. 2c and Additional file 4: Figure S3C). The majority of these shared genes were also upregulated in prde-1 mutants (Fig. 2c and Additional file 4: Figure S3C), supporting a causal role for the piRNA pathway in the regulation of these genes.
To investigate potential consequences of transgenerational epigenetic changes induced in response to temperature, we carried out competition experiments at 20 °C between the progeny of animals grown at 20 °C or 25 °C, using either an introgression from the C. elegans strain JU1580 (mfIR41(IV,JU1580>N2), using a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) WBVar01650008 as a marker) into the laboratory strain N2 or a GFP as markers (Fig. 3a and Additional file 5: Table S2). F1 animals derived from parents grown at 20 °C outcompeted animals from parents grown at 25 °C in both experiments (Wilcox test; p < 0.05 for F2/3 Fig. 3b; p = 0.1, smallest p value possible for n = 3, for F2/3 Fig. 3c, and Additional file 5: Table S2, also see Additional file 6: Figure S4C for further generations). However, F1 animals derived from parents grown at 25 °C do not outcompete F1 animals derived from parents grown at 20 °C when F1s are grown at 25 °C (Wilcox test; p > 0.5 for F2/3, Additional file 6: Figure S4A and B). Thus, growth at 25 °C leads to reduced fitness of subsequent generations at 20 °C without improving the fitness of subsequent generations at 25 °C, at least when grown on E. coli as a food source within the laboratory.
Whilst undergoing experiments to test the effect of temperature on piRNA silencing, we noticed anecdotally that occasional contamination of plates with non-E. coli bacteria, which impaired growth of C. elegans, resulted in lack of induction of the sensor at 25 °C. miRNAs have been implicated in pathogen responses [30, 31] and, anecdotally, to impact on knockdown of genes by RNAi . We therefore wondered whether infection of nematodes with pathogenic bacteria had any effect on silencing by the piRNA pathway. C. elegans has been used frequently to model infection with pathogenic bacteria; we therefore decided to use the piRNA sensor to test whether such infections had any affect on piRNA-mediated silencing. We infected animals grown at 25 °C with virulent Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA14) or an attenuated strain (PAK) and compared to animals grown on E. coli. Whilst the sensor was induced as expected at 25 °C when grown on PAK or E.coli, animals grown on PA14 retained piRNA sensor silencing (p < 0.05, Fisher’s exact test Fig. 4a, b, Additional file 7: Table S3). Similarly, infection with other known C. elegans bacterial pathogens Serratia marcescens (DB11) and the less virulent Photorhabdus luminescens (PL), resulted in increased piRNA sensor silencing relative to uninfected control animals (both p < 0.05, Fisher’s exact test; Fig. 4b). The increased silencing of the piRNA sensor induced by infection was dependent on the piRNA pathway because infection of either prg-1 or prde-1 did not lead to sensor silencing (Fig. 4a, b).
We next sequenced piRNAs from F1 animals grown at 20 °C derived from parents either grown at 20 °C, 25 °C or at 25 °C on S. marcescens. Importantly, F1 animals derived from parents grown at 25 °C show reduced levels of mature piRNAs compared to F1 animals derived from parents grown at 20 °C (Fig. 4c). This suggests that the reduction in piRNAs observed as a result of growth at 25 °C persists in their progeny despite return to 20 °C. However, mature piRNA levels were higher in F1 animals derived from parents infected with S. marcescens than from uninfected parents, indicating that growth at 25 °C with S. marcescens suppressed the reduction in piRNA levels in F1 animals (p < 0.001, Wilcoxon paired test).
To test how this related to changes in gene expression, we carried out RNAseq on the F1 animals derived from infected animals grown at 25 °C and compared to F1 animals derived from uninfected controls grown at 25 °C. Both sets of F1 animals were returned to 20 °C. Genes previously identified as upregulated at 25 °C (Fig. 2) remained upregulated in F1 animals derived from uninfected controls (Fig. 4d), consistent with the intergenerational effect of gene expression changes that we observed previously (Fig. 2) and consistent with our observation that piRNA levels are reduced in these F1 animals. However, genes upregulated at 25 °C were no longer upregulated in progeny of animals infected with S. marcescens. Thus, bacterial infection suppressed intergenerational changes in gene expression. Importantly, the effect was statistically stronger in the subset of temperature-sensitive genes that are also upregulated in prde-1 animals than in genes that are not upregulated in prde-1 (Fig. 4e, Additional file 8: S5A and S5B), suggesting that the intergenerational upregulation of these genes is due to reduced piRNA levels.
Taken together, our results demonstrate that bacterial infection suppresses intergenerational gene expression changes induced by growth of parent animals at 25 °C by suppressing the reduction in piRNA levels that occurs at this temperature.
We wondered what the functional consequences of piRNA pathway modulation by bacterial infection might be. We first tested whether increased piRNA levels induced by bacterial infection might affect susceptibility to infection. Prde-1 mutants, which lack motif-dependent piRNAs , showed the same sensitivity to infection with S. marcescens as wild-type C. elegans, indicating that piRNAs do not directly contribute to resistance to this pathogen (p > 0.1 Maental-Hutzel log test for interaction between prde-1 and S. marcescens; Fig. 5a and Additional file 9: Table S4). Since bacterial infection suppresses temperature-dependent intergenerational changes in piRNAs and gene expression, we hypothesised that bacterial infection might similarly suppress intergenerational fitness defects resulting from growth at 25 °C. Consistent with this hypothesis, progeny of DB11-infected animals outcompeted progeny of uninfected animals when both were grown at 20 °C (Fig. 5b, c, p < 0.05, Wilcoxon unpaired test, further generations see Additional file 6: Figure S4D). Thus, the fitness of animals is improved by infection of the previous generation with pathogenic bacteria.
Despite much interest in multi-generational epigenetic phenomena in many model systems, including C. elegans, little is known of what role this might have in the lifecycle of animals in the wild. Our study offers two important new insights into this, first by demonstrating that environmental conditions modulate the piRNA pathway in the germline to establish gene expression changes both in animals exposed to the perturbation and in their offspring, and second by showing that gene expression changes induced in this manner influence fitness over a limited number of generations (Fig. 6).
Environmental effects on the effects of small RNA pathways in C. elegans have been observed previously (e.g. [4, 5, 33]). Our study shows for the first time that, despite the constitutive requirement for the piRNA pathway in normal germline function, environmental conditions can directly modulate piRNA biogenesis. Interestingly, our work shows that different stresses (temperature and bacterial infection) have opposite effects on piRNA levels, raising the possibility that there exist mechanisms to directly signal the effect of environmental changes to the piRNA biogenesis machinery. It is possible that the germline may directly sense changes in temperature to modulate piRNA biogenesis. However, importantly, the pathogenic bacteria we studied infect the C. elegans gut , implying the existence of a mechanism to transmit signals between the soma and the germline. The identity of this signalling method is still unclear; it does not appear to involve the canonical stress-signalling axis in C. elegans as pmk-1 mutants do not show a difference in mature piRNA levels (Additional file 2: Figure S2D). Establishing the identity of any such sensing mechanism is an interesting prospect for future work; its existence would additionally strengthen the possibility that stress responses could regulate piRNA biogenesis in other species.
Our finding that environmental stimuli can modulate the piRNA pathway provides important new insights into the elusive functions of multi-generational epigenetic inheritance in C. elegans. We demonstrate that a moderate increase in temperature leads to loss of motif-dependent piRNA silencing. Some of these changes result in sustained gene expression alterations and also resulted in a loss of fitness in subsequent generations returned to 20 °C. To our knowledge, this is the first direct demonstration of an intergenerational effect in C. elegans that has a fitness consequence under physiological conditions.
The reduced fitness at 20 °C as a result of parental exposure to higher temperature appears to be limited to around 1–3 generations post exposure (Fig. 3 and Additional file 6: S4). Nevertheless, it seems surprising that natural selection has not eliminated this effect. The N2 laboratory strain that we used for our experiments has adapted to the laboratory under relatively constant conditions over multiple generations; thus, it is possible that the responses we observe are laboratory adaptations specific for animals mostly raised at constant temperature. Our observation that similar temperature-dependent responses in several strains of C. briggsae and in P. pacificus (Additional file 2: Figure S2), both of which were introduced into the laboratory much more recently than N2, argues that this is not a C. elegans-specific laboratory adaptation. Instead, we suggest that an interesting possible explanation is raised by our observation that bacterial infection suppresses the temperature-dependent reduction in piRNA levels and leads to intergenerational increase in fitness relative to uninfected animals. We propose that in the natural environment of C. elegans, raised temperature will increase the growth rate of bacteria, many of which will be pathogenic to C. elegans . Thus, in the natural environment of C. elegans, increased temperature may usually be accompanied by increased infection, so the intergenerational fitness cost of growth at higher temperature is never visible to natural selection. This suggests that C. elegans is adapted to chronic pathogen infection, representing a nematode equivalent of the famous “hygiene hypothesis” used to explain the incidence of allergy and autoimmune diseases in human populations . It also presents the possibility that many other multi-generational epigenetic effects may be the result of the artificial environment of the organism under laboratory conditions and not usually visible to natural selection in wild populations.
Here, we show that the C. elegans piRNA pathway responds to alterations in environmental conditions. Temperature decreases piRNA levels but bacterial infection increases it, and these alterations set up gene expression changes that persist into the next generation despite removal of the initial environmental stimuli. Importantly, at least in the case of bacterial infection, it is likely that the environmental effect on the piRNA pathway must be mediated by signalling from the soma to the germline. Additionally, we show, for the first time, potential fitness consequences of the dynamic changes in piRNA levels. Our work acts as a starting point for further exploration of the role of multi-generational epigenetic changes for C. elegans in its natural environment.
The N2 strain of Caenorhabditis elegans is considered as the wild-type (WT) strain.
The strain SX1316 (mjIs144 II) expresses a piRNA sensor which is off in presence of specific piRNAs and on in absence of those piRNAs. The strains SX1888 and SX2470 also express this sensor but carry prg-1(n4357)I and prde-1(mj207)V, respectively. The strain SX2499 carries the prde-1(mj207)V mutation. SX328, used for the completion assay, carries the transgene mjIs17 IV resulting in the expression of GFP in the pharynx. JU2196 is an introgression of the centre of Chromosome IV from the wild isolate JU1580 into the WT background (mfIR41(IV,JU1580>N2). Animals were grown on NGM plates with Escherichia coli HB101.
Pristionchus pacificus (PS312) and Caenorhabditis briggsae (AF16) were maintained on HB101 on NGM plates.
SX328 was obtained from CGC.
PA14 and PAK were used as infectious and non-infectious strains, respectively. Each strain was first streaked onto a 10-cm LB agar plate and incubated at 37 °C for 12 to 16 h. We then inoculated a single colony into 5 ml LB broth and incubated at 37 °C with aeration for 12 to 16 h. We seeded 250 μl of the culture on specific Slow Killing plates and incubated them at 37 °C for 24 h. We finally transferred the plates to 25 °C for 24 h before using them.
Preparation of plates was as for P. aeruginosa except 30 °C was used instead of 37 °C and the final seeding was made onto NGM plates.
DB11 was used as an infectious strain. It was first streaked onto a 10-cm LB agar plate and grown at 37 °C overnight. We then inoculated a single colony into 5 ml LB broth and incubated at 37 °C with aeration for 12 to 16 h. We seeded 100 μl of the culture on NGM plates and incubated them at 37 °C Overnight. We finally transferred the plates to 25 °C overnight before using them.
For visual examination of sensor silencing, ~ 5–10 L4 animals were put onto plates at either 20 °C or 25 °C and left for 16 h to lay embryos. Adults were then removed, leaving embryos to hatch and reach adulthood. Animals were then mounted onto slides, and GFP was visualised using a fluorescent microscope.
For sequencing experiments, populations were synchronised by extracting embryos using sodium hypochlorite treatment (“bleaching”) and hatching embryos to L1s overnight in M9 medium. Between 100 and 200 L1s were placed on NGM plates at 20 °C or 25 °C. Once they reached early adulthood, animals were harvested and washed with M9 for RNA sequencing experiments.
Populations were synchronised by extracting embryos using sodium hypochlorite treatment (“bleaching”) and hatching embryos to L1s overnight in M9 medium. Two plates containing 100 to 200 arrested L1s were put at 20 °C or 25 °C. Once animals reached early adulthood, they were harvested, washed three times with M9, and either RNA was extracted or animals were treated with hypochlorite solution. L1s resulting from the hypochlorite treatment were then grown at 20 °C and collected as young adults.
Populations were synchronised by extracting embryos using sodium hypochlorite treatment (“bleaching”) and by hatching embryos to L1s overnight in M9 medium. Between 100 and 200 L1s were placed on NGM plates at 20 °C, 25 °C or at 25 °C in the presence of Serratia marcescens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Photorabdus luminescens. Once they reached early adulthood, animals were either mounted on slides and observed using a fluorescent microscope or were harvested and washed with M9 for further RNA sequencing experiments.
Populations were synchronised by extracting embryos using sodium hypochlorite treatment (“bleaching”) and by hatching embryos to L1s overnight in M9 medium. Two plates containing 100 to 200 arrested L1s were put at 20 °C, 25 °C or at 25 °C in the presence of Serratia marcescens. Once animals reached early adulthood, they were harvested, washed three times with M9, and either RNA was extracted or animals were treated with hypochlorite solution. L1s resulting from the hypochlorite treatment were then grown at 20 °C and collected as young adults.
Cultures were synchronised as previously described. Between 100 and 200 arrested L1s were then plated onto NGM plates at 20 °C. Once they reached adulthood, animals were treated once more with hypochlorite solution. Arrested L1s resulting from hypochlorite treatment of adults were plated onto NGM plates and grown either at 20 °C or 25 °C. Upon reaching early L4 stage, animals were collected in M9 every 2 h for the treatment at 20 °C or every 1.5 h for the treatment at 25 °C. Collected animals were then washed and put into Trizol before RNA extraction and small RNA library preparation.
The competition assay was performed as described with minor modifications. For each different experiments, each of the two tested strains’ embryos (SX238 vs N2 or N2 vs JU2196) were extracted using hypochlorite treatment (“bleaching”) and hatched overnight in M9 medium to give synchronised L1 larvae. L1s were then plated on each of the tested conditions in parallel (20 °C vs 25 °C or 25 °C vs DB11 infection) to give the starting population (P0). One day after they reached adulthood, embryos were isolated by bleaching, hatched to L1s overnight and plated onto the final condition of the competition to give the F1 generation. To initiate the competition assay, 10 progeny from each P0 condition (F1s) were put to compete with 10 F1s of the other strain from the same or a different parental condition so that each combination of two strains and two parental conditions were represented. Five days later and every 2 days subsequently, animals were collected from plates in M9 and 200–400 transferred onto a new NGM plate. The remaining animals were frozen in M9 at − 20 °C for subsequent analysis of SNP proportions (WBVar01650008), or analysed for fluorescent protein expression by microscopy. Thus, the sample taken at transfer 1 corresponds to a mixture of generations F2 and F3 and samples at transfer 2 corresponds to a mixture of generations F3 and F4. Sample sizes for the fluorescent protein analysis are available in Additional file 5: Table S2.
The proportion of each SNP was assessed by pyrosequencing, using a PyroMark Q96 ID instrument from Biotage (Uppsala, Sweden). Five microlitres of the frozen sample was mixed for a Worm Lysis into 45 μl of buffer containing proteinase K at 100 μg/ml. In order to verify whether the measurement of proportions were correct, we also prepared lysis containing different proportions of the two parental strains (100%, 80%, 60%, 50%, 40%, 20% and 0%). We added 2 μl of worm lysate to 23 μl of PCR mix composed of 12.5 μl of Quick-Load® Taq 2X Master Mix from NEB, 0.1 μl of non-biotinylated reverse primer (cgccagggttttcccagtcacgacattctgcaacaaaaaaaattaagc) at 10 mM, 0.4 μl of corresponding universal biotinylated primers (biotin-cgccagggttttcccagtcacgac) at 10 mM, and 0.5 μl of the forward primer (accctaaaaaaacccgataaaatt) at 10 nM. Single-stranded DNA was then purified, and the pyrosequencing reaction was performed following the manufacturer’s indications using the appropriate sequencing primer (cagtaaagtctcaacaaatg).
Both strain combinations have minor differences in baseline fitness. We thus corrected for this by subtracting the proportion of N2 when competing at 25 °C. The corrected proportion of N2 was then tabulated alongside growth condition of parental strain (infection or treatment with elevated temperature). We then compared conditions using an unpaired two-sample Wilcoxon test. Raw data is available as supplemental Additional file 5: Table S2.
N2 and SX2499 cultures were synchronised with hypochlorite solution. L1s were grown at 25 °C until they reached early L4 stage. Ten animals were transferred into five plates containing HB101 and five plates containing DB11 for a total of 50 animals per treatment per strain. Every day for 10 days, each animal’s death was reported. Animals that disappeared or were found stuck on the plastic border of the plate were excluded from the analysis. During the egg-laying period, animals were transferred to a new plate every day. We used the survdiff function (Mantel-Haenszel Logrank test) from the survival package from R-Cran for statistical analysis. Raw data is available as Additional file 9: Table S4.
Once harvested, animals were washed three times in M9 and we extracted RNA using Trizol® (Invitrogen) (5–10 vol∶vol of pelleted worms). The extraction product was suspended in 20 μl in RNAse-free ddH2O.
We added 1 to 5 μg of total RNA to a mix containing 1.5 μl RNA 5′ Pyrophosphohydrolase (RppH,NEB), 2 μl of NEB buffer 2 and H2O, up to 20 μl total reaction volume. The final mix was incubated at 37 °C for 1 h and cooled down at 4 °C for 2 min. RNA was then purified using a phenol-chloroform extraction protocol.
We used the TruSeq® Small RNA Library Preparation Kits from Illumina, and adapter ligation, retrotranscription, amplification and purification were performed following the manufacturer’s indication. The quantity and the quality of the libraries were then evaluated using Qubit® technology from Qiagen and the Tape Station® technology from Agilent Technologies.
Fastq files of small RNAs were processed and mapped to piRNAs using exact matches and identifying piRNA precursors with extensions at the 5′ and 3′ end using custom perl scripts, as described previously . piRNA loci in P. pacificus and C. briggsae were predicted by aligning small RNA sequencing reads to the respective genomes (WB235) and identifying 21U-RNAs with a GTTTC sequence between 40 and 50 nucleotides upstream. Statistical tests of differences in reads from piRNA loci were performed using the Wilcoxon paired test with two tails, as this does not assume normal distributions. To compare motif-dependent and motif-independent piRNAs whilst controlling for the different numbers of loci (Additional file 1: Figure S1D and E), > 500 random samples of motif-independent piRNA loci using the R function sample were made with the size of the sample equal to the number of motif-independent loci detected with at least one read in at least one sequencing run. We then compared reads within this subsample at 20 °C versus 25 °C to test whether we observed a reduction at 25 °C using a Wilcoxon unpaired test with one tail (as we are expecting the sample to approximate to the observed decrease across all reads). We also compared the differences across all sampled loci to the differences across motif-independent piRNA loci testing whether the difference in sampled motif-dependent piRNAs was larger than the difference in motif-independent piRNA loci, again using a Wilcoxon unpaired test with one tail.
Mappings to miRNAs were carried out by using exact matches to the mature sequences of C. elegans miRNAs extracted from miRbase (www.mirbase.org) using a custom perl script. 22G RNAs were aligned to protein coding genes using bowtie, allowing for 0 mismatches and reporting only one match per read. DESeq was used to normalise data across replicates and identify statistically significant differences using the negative binomial test .
Paired-end non-directional polyA RNAseq libraries were sequenced on an Illumina Hiseq. Reads were mapped directly to a combined file containing coding sequences (WS235) and repeat consensus sequences (Repbase) using bowtie2 and processed to give counts per sequence using a custom perl script. We used DESeq to obtain normalised counts for each library and identified genes and TEs changing significantly (p < 0.05) according to the negative binomial test either between two independent replicates of young adults at 20 °C and 25 °C (experiment 1) or consistently changing (p < 0.05) at 8, 16 and 24 h after the onset of the L4 stage between 20 °C and 25 °C (experiment 2). Genes changing significantly in both experiment 1 and experiment 2 were defined as the high-confidence set of genes for further analysis to examine how they changed in prg-1 compared to WT (mean across 8, 16 and 24 h after the onset of the L4 stage), prde-1 compared to WT (mean across 8, 16 and 24 h after the onset of the L4 moult) and in progeny grown at 20 °C from parents grown at 25 °C compared to in progeny grown at 20 °C from parents grown at 20 °C. Raw fastq files have been uploaded to the SRA (SRP145566).
We thank the members of the Sarkies laboratory for helpful discussions. We thank Marie-Anne Felix’s laboratory and Eric Miska’s laboratory for sharing the SNP-marked and GFP-marked strains respectively. We thank Jonathan Ewbank for providing Serratia marcescens. We thank Luke Allsop and Alain Filoux for the assistance with Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. We thank Hinrich Schulenburg for providing strains of Photorabdus luminescens. Some strains were obtained from the Caenorhabditis Genetics Centre (CGC).
This work was funded by a grant from the Medical Research Council (Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance and Evolution). PS is funded by an Imperial College Research Fellowship. PJ was funded by a Genetics Society Summer studentship.
High-throughput sequencing data has been submitted to the SRA (SRP SRP145566). C. elegans strains used are available from the Caenorhabditis Genetics Centre. Computer code for processing sequencing data is available on request.
TB and PS performed experiments and experimental data analysis. PS and PJ participated in the computational analysis of high-throughput sequencing data. PS and TB wrote the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
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0.902158 |
Why not give the old standard movie night food an exotic twist? The rich, aromatic flavours of butter chicken combined with pizza, everyone's favourite food..talk about a blockbuster!
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Lightly grease a pizza pan or medium baking sheet.
2. Place chicken in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until no longer pink, and juices run clear. Cool, then either shred or chop into small pieces.
3. In a bowl, toss pieces of chicken in the butter chicken sauce until coated. (Add as much of the sauce as you’d like on the pizza).
4. Unroll dough, and press into the prepared pizza pan or baking sheet. Bake crust for 7 minutes in the preheated oven, or until it begins to turn golden brown. Remove from oven.
5. Spread the butter chicken over partially baked crust. Sprinkle on mozzarella cheese. Add whatever other toppings you’d like. (It's very good with green onions, but unfortunately I was out).
6. Return to the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.
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0.945023 |
Help get me into a pickle?
What recipes use a lot of dill pickles? Vegetarian preferred!
I am looking for pickle-heavy recipes! I prefer vegetarian, but am open minded if you have something that is the best recipe ever and includes meat.
A different Russian salad that uses pickles.
Chopped dill pickles can be a nice addition to potato salad and egg salad, assuming you're comfortable with the other ingredients. Some people put finely chopped pickle into deviled eggs.
You can also slice, bread, and fry them directly. I suggest serving them with some kind of sauce, even just ranch dressing.
Until I stopped being a fan of the main ingredients of Tuna Salad, I would do heavy pickles in the mix. Now I do a chickpea substitute and can eat my picklely heart out.
Israeli salad is usually all fresh veggies (and cukes) but there's no reason not to try it with pickles for yourself in place of the cukes and lemon.
This may be obvious, but if you're putting pickles into an Israeli salad recipe that uses vinegar (some do, some don't), use somewhat less vinegar than the recipe calls for.
I was going to suggest fried pickles with spicy ranch dressing. SO freaking good!
Similar to the chickpea of the sea salad recommended above is Chicken Out Salad. I usually make a double or triple recipe and have sandwiches for lunch for the week.
Tartar sauce is basically mayonnaise and chopped pickles. Some recipes call for pickle relish but I prefer to substitute chopped pickles for a crisper, less sweet taste. For even more fun, make the mayo yourself.
Also... pickle wraps!! Usually these involve meat, but you could use a vegetarian meat substitute or thinly sliced cheese.
Okay, you guys got me. I'm having a pickle, cheese, and mustard sandwich for lunch tomorrow. Who's with me?
1. Fish pickle out of jar with filthy fingers. Worry briefly, but think, "Hey, they're pickled."
3. Repeat for as many iterations as desired (as many as you have pickles).
Seriously, as a kid I used to eat dill pickle and miracle whip sandwiches. It's still good.
Make horseradish dill pickles and eat a lot of them!
4. Drink just enough pickle juice to satisfy, but not enough to dry out remaining pickles.
Ideas from the Pickled Vegetable Industry!
Ooooh, Pickle Bread. I'll have to try that one.
Pickle + peanut butter sandwiches! SO good.
+1 for pickle, cheese, and mustard sandwiches.
Um, also, this doesn't take care of the pickles themselves, but you could always make yourself a refreshing vodka dill. 2 parts Vodka, 1 part dill pickle juice, ice. Surprisingly delicious.
Chop them up finely to make relish for veggie dogs!
When you're done, use the pickle juice to marinate chicken (or tofu, I guess) for grilling.
Okay, found this UMMY recipe online for beer battered pickles.
This is just "take packet of pickling spices and mix with green beans" but why not just chop green beans and some cooked beans you like in with pickles to make a pickle bean salad?
Pickles and potatoes. Who knew? I have small children so I'll probably just do it a bit differently, but YUMMY sounding.
I know you ran into issues looking for pickle recipes and got pickling recipes - it's also weird (to me) remembering that USAians think cukes=pickles but the rest of the world vegetables and fruits = pickles.
Thank you all, these look delicious! When I shared this question with a friend, she also suggested a German dish called Rouladen, which is meaty but does look pretty wonderful.
tilde -- thank you for the lunch inspiration! I picked a pickle & cheese & mustard sandwich for lunch today, as well!
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0.995749 |
Before starting to look for Psoriasis Home Remedies, you need to know what is Psoriasis Psoriasis is that dry, red, inflamed patch of skin that shows up uninvited on various parts of your body. These flare-ups are not only aggravating; they are also the cause of embarrassment and self-consciousness for the afflicted individual. In most cases, it causes the sufferer to ensure they are completely covered when out in public, even in extreme heat. While there is no actual cure for psoriasis there are some steps that can be taken to prevent, reduce and in some cases eliminate the symptoms and irritation caused by the disorder.
The following tips will provide those psoriasis sufferers with some advice and tips for psoriasis home remedies to combat the problem they are having, right from home.
Using a thick moisturizer, such as petroleum jelly, is a type of psoriasis home remedies that can help you reduce the itchy, dry patches that appear on your skin. It is important to apply this directly after showering to your entire body. Make sure you pat dry your skin (excessive rubbing can intensify the condition) and then apply the cream or lotion liberally. It has also been suggested that you over-saturate areas of concern such as elbows, knees and hands.
Try to use lukewarm temperatures for your water, instead of hot water.
Do not rub your skin dry, gently pat with a towel.
Add a wash that contains oatmeal or natural oil to help soothe and alleviate some of the symptoms of psoriasis.
Studies have proven that the ultraviolet rays produced by the sun are helpful in treating psoriasis outbreaks. This is one of the psoriasis home remedies that can help create a significant difference in your symptoms. However, you should make certain you use a SPF 30 sunscreen (at minimum) to prevent sunburn, as this can actually worsen the condition. You should also only expose you skin to limited sunlight when you first begin this routine. About 20 minutes, three days a week is great for aiding the symptoms of psoriasis. This is also a fun way to use psoriasis home remedies.
Smoking can actually worsen the symptoms related to psoriasis, especially for women. This is just another disorder to add to the lengthy list of reasons you should not smoke. If you absolutely cannot quit, you should at least try to minimize your habit by half of what you smoke on a daily basis. This can have significant results on your psoriasis condition.
The biggest way you can treat your psoriasis is to be consistent with the treatment you choose. For example, while putting on layers and layers of goopy and messy lotion and creams may not be your idea of a good time, it is necessary if you wish to lessen the symptoms that the disorder causes.
While there is no scientific evidence to support the theory that certain foods can worsen psoriasis, many sufferers have agreed that eliminating certain food items from their diets provided substantial improvements to their condition. Some of the food items that are thought to worsen psoriasis include: caffeine, alcohol, gluten and white flour. You should try reducing or eliminating some of these foods in order to determine if this method of treatment works for you.
Psoriasis is a condition that physically affects your skin; however can also cause emotional issues as well. It can cause the sufferer to become withdrawn and secluded from social activities. However, this does not have to happen to you. Use some of the psoriasis home remedies found here to reduce, and possibly eliminate, the symptoms and discomfort caused by the condition.
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0.970127 |
Ferrera starred alongside David Cross and Julia Stiles in the dark comedy It's a Disaster, which premiered at the 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival and had a limited commercial release on April 12, 2013.
She provided the voice of Astrid the Viking in the Dream Works animated film How to Train Your Dragon (2010), and reprised the role in its sequel, and the television series based on the film.
She co-produces and stars in the comedy series Superstore (2015-present) which premiered on NBC.
who has more to offer the world than just a pretty picture.
To me, the tragedy about this whole image-obsessed society is that young girls get so caught up in just achieving that they forget to realize that they have so much more to offer the world.
Later that year, she featured in the movie Steel City, which received nominations at the Film Independent Spirit Awards and the Sundance Film Festival.
In 2006, Ferrera landed the lead role of Betty Suarez in ABC's new comedy drama Ugly Betty, an adaptation of the successful Colombian telenovela Yo soy Betty, la fea, in which Ferrera portrays a girl whom her peers find extremely unattractive, thus the series title.
Ferrera garnered wide recognition for Ugly Betty and her subsequent roles and has been dubbed as a "role model" for the young Hispanic women owing to her achievements in the entertainment industry.
Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2007.
Ferrera starred as Carmen in the 2005 film The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and reprised the role in 2008's The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.
Among other film work, she supplied the voice of Astrid in the hit animated film How to Train Your Dragon (2010).
Born in Los Angeles, California, to Honduran parents, Ferrera developed an interest in acting at a young age performing in several stage productions at her school.
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0.999997 |
Context: Sure enough, I find myself on Boulevard du Temps. The quaint, cobblestoned avenue I saw from the taxi has become a vibrant, sparkling swath swarming with people.
the space covered by the stroke of a scythe or the cut of a mowing machine.
the piece or strip so cut.
a line or ridge of grass, grain, or the like, cut and thrown together by a scythe or mowing machine.
In my words: A large number of people or things or a large area of something.
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0.959936 |
GOLD! A magic word that time cannot tarnish; a soft metal with the strength to forge history. Gold was the magnet that drew thousands of adventurers to the last frontier. Though most Alaskans recognize that gold played an important part in Alaska's history, they normally think first of Nome, Fairbanks, or the Iditarod country. But even before a quarter-of-a-million gold seekers began their stampede into those famous areas, gold was discovered just southeast of Anchorage in 1886. From there prospectors spread into the Susitna and Matanuska river basins, testing the creeks in the nearby mountains.
They found hard rock (lode) gold scattered in quartz veins throughout the granite in the Talkeetna Mountains. These veins were created by hydrothermal action that filled fractures in the rock. Erosion loosened flakes of gold, and flowing water eventually washed the gold-bearing gravel into a stream. Throughout the history of gold mining, placer mining has preceded lode mining, and this area was no exception. The rough-textured gold found in the bottom of pans and sluice boxes hinted at something more: a nearby source, or mother lode.
By 1942, the United States had entered World War II, and the War Production Board designated gold mining as nonessential to the war effort. Gold mining throughout the United States came to a halt, but Independence Mine continued to operate because of the presence of sheelite. Sheelite occurs in some of the quartz veins along with gold, and was a source of tungsten, a strategic metal. But because Independence Mine's scheelite production was low, the exemption was short-lived. In 1943, Independence Mine was ordered to close.
The wartime ban was lifted in 1946, but gold mining was slow to recover. After the war, gold could be sold only to the U.S. government at a fixed rate of $35 per ounce. Postwar inflation raged, and gold mining became an unprofitable venture. Finally, in January of 1951, after mining nearly 6 million dollars' worth of gold, Independence Mine was closed by APC, and a chapter of Alaska's gold mining history came to an end. In 1974, Independence Mine was entered into the National Register of Historic Places, a list of cultural resources significant to American history. In the late 1970's, 271 acres of land were donated to the Alaska Division of Parks & Outdoor Recreation for establishment of Independence Mine State Historical Park. On January 16, 1980, title to the acreage was transferred to the State of Alaska.
Begin your tour of the Independence Mine State Historical Park at the Mine Mangers's House, which houses the Visitor Center and museum. Inside you'll see displays about mining, natural history and the Independence Mine story.
Take a self-guided interpretive tour through the mine camp.
Independence Mine is typically open from mid-June to Labor Day. For current information and hours of operation, see the latest Conditions Report at: http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/asp/curevnts.htm.
A day use parking fee of $5 applies at Independence Mine - there is no overnight camping.
Click here to see a map of the Independence Mine State Historical Park.
Artifacts should be left for others to enjoy. Alaska law prohibits the disturbance or removal of historical material from a state park.
between September 15 and May 30. The use of snow machines and off-road vehicles is prohibited within the park.
however, the Visitor Center is closed during the winter months.
Pets must be on a leash near developed facilities. Please remember, pets can be annoying to others and frequently harass wildlife.
Do not feed the wildlife. It is unhealthy for them, and feeding ground squirrels can lead to serious bites.
Discharge of all weapons is prohibited at Independence Mine State Historical Park.
Private property adjoins the park. Please respect private property, historical structures, and artifacts found throughout the area.
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0.999999 |
Which one of the following statements most accurately explains the difference between the internal audit department�s responsibilities in reviewing compliance and their responsibilities in operational auditing?
Compliance reviews are a means of ensuring that the organization complies with laws, rules and regulations, while operational audits are conducted primarily to identify operational problems and enhance efficiency and effectiveness of operations. Compliance reviews are performed to ensure that the entity�s financial statements are in accordance with accepted accounting principles, while operational audits are performed at the departmental level. Compliance reviews are performed to assure that employees comply with company rules and guidelines, while operational audits are directed toward specific financial issues as directed by management. Compliance reviews are directed toward ensuring that the organization complies with rules and regulations, while operational audits are conducted to ensure that the entity�s financial statements are in accordance with accepted accounting principles.
Answer (A) is correct. This statement is true. Compliance reviews are a means of ensuring that the organization complies with laws, rules and regulations, while operational audits are conducted primarily to identify operational problems and enhance efficiency and effectiveness of operations.
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0.99255 |
I was at an ice-fishing Open House at a retail tackle shop recently. There some anglers there who had been looking at a long range weather forecast. According to this forecast, cold weather is headed to the upper Midwest, and these anglers were guessing that they would be on the ice in north Iowa by the end of November, maybe even earlier. With that optimism in mind, now is a good time to start thinking about that first early ice fishing trip. For many of us, that first time on the ice will be in pursuit of panfish, probably on ponds and small lakes at first, as they are typically the first to get a cover of ice. Here are some ideas for catching panfish through early ice.
First thing: Make really sure the ice is safe. You don't need to be the first one out there. If there are other people on the ice, and if they're bigger than you, the ice should be safe for you. However, it's not a bad idea to wear a life-jacket on early ice. I’ve got a Cabela’s Inflatable Vest that works well: You don’t even know you’re wearing it. Pop plenty of test holes as you walk to your fishing area.
Start ice-fishing for panfish in areas where you caught them in the fall. Weedbeds can be very good.
Get on your starting spot early. Remember, we're fishing just a short distance from the fish. They're straight under us, and they're going to be spooky. Drill a few holes, then let the area calm down a bit. Oftentimes it will take a little while before fish in shallow water will start biting after you've popped some holes.
Once you're set up, don't move any more than you need to. Even if you're quiet, the fish will detect movement and get spooked again.
Panfish such as bluegills and sunfish like smaller baits because they have small mouths.
Crappies will go for bigger baits, as they have larger mouths. If there are crappies, bluegills, and sunfish in the area, go with a smaller bait. You'll increase your chances of getting bit, as the crappies will eat the smaller stuff, but bluegills and sunfish often aren't real interested in larger baits.
Small baits call for small diameter line. In clear water where panfish can be extremely finicky, some of the most successful anglers use line of very small diameter: Some go with 1 and 2 pound test line. That’s light stuff, but at times that’s what it takes to put skittish fish on the ice. I generally prefer 3 or 4 pound test. P-Line’s Floroice is gaining favor across ice-fishing country as being very manageable, but also invisible under the water.
Tiny baits that hang horizontally in the water are favored by many accomplished ice-anglers. Bro's Bloodworm and Slug Bug are good examples of baits that ride horizontally in the water and really fool fish.
More and more, ice-anglers are going to plastic baits, for two reasons. First of all, they don't require care.
Second, they really catch fish. The new Impulse plastics come in tiny sizes for ice-fishing and are available in a bunch of shapes and colors.
When the ice is safe but not before, keep these ideas in mind and you'll catch more panfish through early ice.
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0.98453 |
Pulsed plasma thrusters are a method of Spacecraft propulsion which use an arc of Electric current adjacent to a solid There was an error working with the wiki: Code (almost always There was an error working with the wiki: Code), to produce a quick and repeatable burst of impulse.
PPTs are great for altitude control, and for main propulsion on particularly small There was an error working with the wiki: Code with a surplus of electricity (those in the hundred-kilogram or less category). However they are also one of the least efficient electric propulsion systems, with a thrust efficiency of less than 10%. Pulsed Plasma thrusters were the first electric propulsion system to be deployed in space, on the Soviet probes Zond-2 in 1964 and Zond-3 in 1965. Used as an experimental system for spacecraft orientation control, Soviet engineers subsequently returned to the use of high-pressure nitrogen jets. Pulsed plasma thrusters were flown in There was an error working with the wiki: Code, There was an error working with the wiki: Code as a flight experiment on the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center EO-1 spacecraft. The thrusters successfully demonstrated the ability to perform roll control on the spacecraft and also demostrated that the electromagnetic interference from the pulsed plasma did not affect other spacecraft systems.
Electrostatic There was an error working with the wiki: Code built in USSR in 1962-1965 to propel spacecrafts to There was an error working with the wiki: Code There was an error working with the wiki: Codes. Have much higher exhaust velocity than chemical propulsion engines. According to Tsiolkovsky equation this results in proportionally higher final velocity of propelled craft. First plasma propulsion engine was successfully used to propel Zond-2 vehicle from parking at Earth orbit to Mars in Nov 30, 1964. The principle of operation is acceleration of ions in strong electric field to the velocities of the order of hundreds km/s - which is much higher than thermal velocity of chemical engines. The active gas used in russian plasma propulsion engines is argon and helium. Chemical propulsion engines with their limited by rate of chemical reaction exaust velocity (which is in the range of 2-3 km/s) become exponentially ineffective (see Tsiolkovsky equation) to achieve high interplanetary speeds (which in Solar system is in 20-70 km/s range).
Plasma acceleration is a technique for There was an error working with the wiki: Code, such as electrons and ions, using an electric field associated with an Electron There was an error working with the wiki: Code. When a There was an error working with the wiki: Code pulse or an electron bunch goes through a plasma, an electron plasma wave arises in its trace, like a wake following a ship on the ocean. Since an electron plasma wave is a longitudinal wave, high-density and low-density regions of electrons appear periodically in which the quasineutrality of the plasma is broken. An electric field originating from the breakdown of the neutrality, which is referred to as a "wakefield," accelerates charged particles inside the plasma in the direction parallel to the propagation direction of the electron plasma wave.
Plasma acceleration is categorized into several types according to how the electron plasma wave is formed: plasma wakefield acceleration (PWFA), laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA), laser beat-wave acceleration (LBWA), and self-modulated laser wakefield acceleration (SMLWFA). In PWFA, an electron plasma wave is formed by an electron bunch. In LWFA, a laser pulse is introduced to form an electron plasma wave. In LBWA, an electron plasma wave arises based on different frequency generation of two laser pulses. And in SMLWFA, the formation of an electron plasma wave is achieved by a laser pulse modulated by stimulated Raman forward scattering instability. The concept of plasma acceleration was first proposed by Toshiki Tajima and John Dawson in a theoretical article published in 1979. The first experimental demonstration of wakefield acceleration, which was performed with PWFA, was reported by a research group at Argonne National Laboratory in 1988.
The advantage of plasma acceleration is that its acceleration field is much stronger than that of conventional radio-frequency (RF) accelerators. In RF accelerators, the acceleration field has an upper limit determined by the threshold for dielectric breakdown of the acceleration tube. Therefore, to obtain high-energy electrons or ions, a long acceleration length is inevitably required, resulting in huge sizes for accelerator facilities. On the other hand, plasma acceleration, in which the acceleration field is generated in plasma, achieves an acceleration field several orders of magnitude stronger than with RF accelerators. It is hoped that a compact particle accelerator can be created based on plasma acceleration techniques or accelerators for much higher energy can be built, if long accelerators are realizable with 10TeV/m.
In this equation, E is the There was an error working with the wiki: Code.
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0.979709 |
Describe the basic needs of animals.
1. Identify some animals which make good pets.
2. Identify a pet's basic needs.
3. Compare the needs of other animals with pets.
* I have laid the unit out as a 4 week block but it could be extended over a longer time period or compressed.
Week 1: Talk about what animals make good pets. Go for a neighborhood walk to see what pets are in the area. Research a variety of pets and choose a class pet (see lesson).
Week 2: Learn about pet care. Visit a pet shop to learn about the best food, home, and other tools for a pet. Compare pet needs to other animals needs.
Week 3: Talk about pet illnesses. Visit a veterinarian clinic and have the vet talk about treating pet illness.
Week 4: Learn about pets around the world. What pets do we have in Canada that other places might not have and vice-versa?
What animals make good pets?
What are animals basic needs?
What is involved in caring for a pet?
What are the benefits of owning a pet?
KWL Chart: Make a KWL chart a few days before starting the section on pets. Refer to the chart for lesson planning.
Wordwall- Make a wordwall of pet vocabulary in the classroom to assist students with writing. (See Pet Vocabulary).
Pet Center- create a pet center with books on a variety of pets, tools to take care of pets, and pictures of pets.
Classroom Pet Exchange- Visit this website to see how you can connect with another classroom during the pet unit.
Responsible Pet care- A variety of lessons that teach children how to properly care for animals.
What Pet Should You Get?- A grade one language arts lesson plan on pets.
Visit a vet clinic (Or have a vet come to the class): Have a vet talk to the children about animal illnesses and treatment.
Visit the humane society: Have someone talk to the children about caring for animals.
Visit a pet shop: Students will observe pets and learn about various pet products. Have a discussion about items that a pet needs and items that are unnecessary.
Neighborhood walk: Take a walk through the neighborhood to see what pets are in the neighborhood.
Show and tell: Have students take turns bringing their pet to the class.
Wash hands before and after handling pets.
Avoid handling lizards because they can carry samonella poisoning.
Avoid handling hampsters because they are known for transferring diseases.
Don't stick fingers into an animal cage.
Read a variety of books on pets.
Write a persuasive piece convincing someone that a certain animal will make an excellent pet.
Create an ABC pet book.
Create a favorite pet graph for the class.
Use toy pet figures to make patterns.
Try out some of the activities in the book Pet Science with the class pet.
Use chia pets in the classroom to teach about plants and responsibility. See this article.
Study the different kinds of footprints pets make.
Have students represent a pet they like by sculpting, painting, origami, sketching, or any other way they wish to represent a pet. Provide a variety of materials.
Learn about pets from around the world. Examine the different roles pets play in different parts of the world. Ex. In some cultures cats are eaten.
Locate where pets come from on the map.
Incorporate various pet locomotions into physical education experiences. For example, scamper like a mouse, hop like a frog, and run like a dog.
Play animal tag using animals that make good pets. See game instructions here.
Read The Good Luck Cat.
Some first nations children played with puppets made by stuffing animal hair into hides that formed the shape of the puppet. Provide hides and other supplies for creating pet finger puppets.
Create your own pet and watch it come to life!
Every day since 1997 Pet of the Day has featured a new pet profile and photo.
Learn about some of the working roles dogs play in our society.
Tons of facts about all kinds of pets!
Adopt and take care of an online pet. You can feed it, play with it, and so much more.
Find out about a variety of pets ancestry.
Check out all the pet videos at 5min.com.
This article addresses a variety of considerations when choosing a pet.
There are lots of pets in my house.I have one gerbil and one white mouse.(Hold up one finger on each hand.)I have two kittens and two green frogs,(Hold up two fingers on each hand.)I have three goldfish and three big dogs.(Hold up three fingers on each hand.)Some folks say that's a lot!Can you tell how many pets I've got?
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0.999939 |
Are you debating between representing yourself in a legal situation or hiring a lawyer? We certainly recommend hiring a lawyer because law is complex and it takes years to learn about our complicated civil procedures. There is a lot of paperwork and you don’t want to make an error or miss a deadline with court documents. By hiring a lawyer, you will put yourself on an even playing field with the other party, avail yourself of your lawyer’s professional connections, and reduce stress associated with representing yourself.
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0.989546 |
Edwin Willard Deming (1860-1942) was an American painter and sculptor. He studied in New York and Paris and painted scenes from his visits with Indian groups in the Southwest and West of the U.S. Collection consists of correspondence of Deming with his family plus four photographs. Letters were written while he attended the Art Students League in New York City, and from Chicago, Mexico and Paris. Some of the letters include sketches done by Deming illustrating his experiences.
Edwin W. Deming, an American artist, was born on August 26, 1860 in Ashland, Ohio. After spending his childhood on the plains, in the fall of 1880 his father sent him to study law in Chicago. Deming after three months of study decided on a art career, so in the Winter of 1883, he was studying at the Art Students League New York.
In 1884, having raised funds for tuition and traveling expenses, Deming went to Paris and studied at Julien's Academy under Boulanger and Le Favre, returning to the United States in 1855. Two years later he spent time among the Yuma Apaches and Pueblos of the Southwest and the Umatillas in Oregon. The summer of 1890 was spent with the Crows on the Little Big Horn and in the fall he was with the Sioux. Deming returned to New York in 1891, painting his studies made on these various trips.
During World War I, Deming instructed the Fortieth Engineers in marksmanship, active in camouflage work and was promoted to Captain in the Army. Deming is represented in many museums including the Black Hawk Museum in Wisconsin, the Museum of Natural History in New York and the Brooklyn Museum. A noted sculptor and painter, Deming received many prizes and awards. Deming died on October 15, 1942 at his home, 36 Gramercy Park, New York City. He was survived by his children John O., Hall M., Edwin Young jr., daughters Alden, Kathryn, and Mrs. Henrietta McDowell.
The papers consist of incoming correspondence, 1913-1917; outgoing correspondence, 1880-1931 and photographs. The incoming letters focus primarily on Deming's work and are few. The main correspondent is Theodore Roosevelt. The outgoing correspondence focuses primarily on Deming's experiences in various locations. His letters relate to his daily activities primarily in New York, Chicago, Paris, the Southwest and Mexico. Deming sketched pictures on many of these letters illustrating things that he saw and experienced. These letters are addressed to his parents, sister Grace and his wife. It should be noted that none of the letters he received from his family are contained in the papers. The photographs were taken in the art studio with Deming and his fellow students.
May 13, 1959, from Alfred Baker.
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