text:
and keeping track of the location yourself, along with which configuration and configuration step to use.
Place, action, and step.
But how does it work?
You can see that Grumpy is a relatively simple sprite with five limbs, all attached to the same master limb, but if you load some of the other sprites in the sprites.zip file, you'll see that there really is no limit to the complexity these sprites can have. And, since the images which are generated at run time are stored in the sprite's cache, animation isn't slowed down by the process of assembling the images into any new output bitmaps once they're already cached.
But how does it work?
Rotate original image
The first thing the program does when it loads a sprite is take each limb's original base image and rotate it three times and then store these four images in an array where
image is the original,
image is the same as image but rotated 22.5°,
image is the same as
image but rotated 45°, and
image is the same as
image but rotated 22.5° more than
image to 67.5° from the original.
You can see the three different bitmaps 1, 2, and 3, in the image below:
This is done in
generateBaseFourImagesFromOriginal(). The rest of the 16 images are flipped and rotated using.NET's native
Bitmap function '
RotateFlip()' which is called for each of the remaining 12 directions in the same class'
In the next image (further down in the text), you'll see Grumpy's right arm and torso are boxed. These boxes are there to help show where each limb's bitmap was pasted onto the final image before it was put to the screen. What facilitates the calculations involved in placing each limb is the use of the center of the bitmap as the point of reference for all calculations. The limb may rotate, and the image size may fluctuate with each possible angle which the limb may take, but the center of the image remains the fulcrum about which the hinges are located and slave limbs are subsequently placed. To do this, the appropriate image sizes need to be calculated when generating the rotated images.
The actual 22.5 degree rotations are all done in the function:
Bitmap rotate(Bitmap bmpInput,
ref classMath cLibMath)
classMath referenced here is included in the
rotate() function works by first calculating the maximum possible size that may be needed for the output image, and it creates a temporary bitmap into which the output image is guaranteed to fit. Then, it scans each pixel on the original base-image, and rotates them one at a time using the cos/sin trig functions, and pastes the original pixel at a rotated location onto the new bitmap. To keep track of the required size, it retains two
Point variables called '
ptTL' and a '
ptBR', which keep track of the farthest Top-Left corner and the farthest Bottom-Right corner from the original, which defines the smallest rectangle which contains the output image. And, when the scan is complete, the required size is known.
there are often holes in the rotated image.
These holes are due to the quantized nature of pixel locations and the whole-numbers that are derived by rounding the floating point values which the trigonometric equations involved in the rotation scheme spew back at you. After trying a few different algorithms to fix these holes, I found that one way to do this is to scan the resultant image, again looking for holes, and then count the colors around the holes and see if we can get a consensus as to what color this hole should take. Since there are 8 pixels immediately around any hole, if a minimum of 2 are the same, that's just good enough. A higher value might be safer, but I've found that this seems to be fine. As I write this article and look at the code to recall what value I had settled on, I find it difficult to believe that 2! was enough, because without this test, there were often errors that created a domino effect which filled in entire regions of the rotated image where the original was left bare. But, if the code says 2, then the code must be right, because it's been working well and there's no reason to change it.
However, if all the pixels around the hole are of a different color, as often may happen with JPEGs or GIFs, the original pixel is examined by doing the reverse trig and looking back at the base image before setting this hole to the color found there. This method is more certain, but much slower.
Placing the limbs
public udtBmpAndPtTLInfo getImageOnBitmap(double DisplaySize,
returns an element of the structure type defined here:
public struct udtBmpAndPtTLInfo
public Bitmap bmp;
public Point ptTL;
public udtConfigStepLimbPosition limbPositions;
The returned bitmap is the smallest bitmap that can hold the image of this configuration at the
DisplaySize required, while the
Point tells the calling function where the center of the image is so that it can be placed on the screen at the correct location. This is needed because the sprite's limbs can be extended in any direction, making the output image larger on one side or the other, and you still need to know where the master limb's center is. The
GetLimbPosition() function mentioned above makes use of the
limbPositions seen here by storing them in the configuration step's cache along with the image, as this is the actual data structure which is held in the cache.
In order to place each limb at its correct location, the function first initializes the return value's
ptTL to the rotated master limb image's center. Then, once it has placed the master limb by doing this (recall that
ptTL describes the master's limb position with respect to the returned bitmap), it calls a recursion function that receives a'master-limb' (any limb it treats as master for that specific function call), places this'master-limb's' slave limbs, and keeps track of the minimum output bitmap required in the process, then recurses through each of them until the extremities of each limb are reached and each call has returned.
An example may clarify this process for those not familiar with recursion: first, a reference to Grumpy's torso is sent to the function. The torso call then cycles through each of its slave limbs, and for each one, given the torso's position and angle, places them (the slave limbs) at the location which their hinge-angle puts them, and then recurses into each of these limbs. Had Grumpy been carrying a stick, then the recursion involving the stick-hand would place the stick and call itself again, sending the stick as the'master limb', which has no slave and simply falls out without doing anything. In the case of a more complex sprite, the torso recurses for each of its slaves, starting with the 'arm', then the arm recurses through each of its slaves, starting with the 'forearm', and the forearm does the same with the 'hand', and the hand repeats the process for the 'gun', and if you want to belabor the issue, the gun then recurses for the'silencer'. And, when the silencer is reached, and it has no slave, then the program flow falls back the way it came: gun, hand, forearm, arm, and torso, where the torso now cycles through to the other arm, and so forth, until all of the torso's slave limbs and all of their slave limbs have been placed.
At this point, the images are still not on a bitmap, and that's because we can't place them on a bitmap in the correct
DrawSequence until we know where they all go. If we want to draw the hand before the torso, then we'll need to know where the hand goes, but we don't know that until we know where the forearm goes and where the arm belongs. So, now that we know, we just go ahead and scan through each limb in the ordered Draw Sequence, and use a call to
graphics.DrawImage() for each limb, placing the correct angled image of each limb at the pre-calculated location.
The image below may help describe how the slave limbs are placed on the screen. First, each limb's master hinge is positioned relative to the master limb's center and angle. Remember that we're dealing with radial coordinates, and the center of the original image is always at the center of the rotated image so that if the hinge's master-radial coordinate is pi and if the limb attached to the master's end of the hinge is also rotated by pi radians, then the hinge is located a certain distance away from the center of the master limb's image at an angle of 2pi radians (the distance being measured in pixels, and kept in the hinge's master rad-coordinate, then multiplied by the
drawSizeFactor the function receives as an input parameter). Once we have placed the hinge on the master limb, then we can calculate the slave limb's location by adding the master limb's angle with the hinge angle to get the slave's angle, and then place the slave's center so many pixels away from the hinge position at an angle equal to the new angle plus the hinge's slave rad-coordinate's angle. This is the same as adding all three angles: the master limb's angle, the hinge's slave rad angle, and the hinge's ~swivel~ angle (or Configuration angle). The English here sounds twisted, and I find it difficult to explain more clearly, but if you look at the code and draw yourself a picture, you might get a better idea.
Can you say 'enumer


text:
The actual increase or decrease from a reference value to a new value. Absolute Change = New Value - Reference Value
A fraction that describes the size of the absolute change in comparison to the reference value. Relative Change = Absolute Change/Reference Value
The actual difference between the compared value and the reference value. Absolute difference = compared value - reference value
The size of the absolute difference as a fraction of the reference value. Relative difference = Absolute difference/reference value
The Relation of "Of" to "More Than"
Using more than states an increase in the percentage. Using of states a ration of the new percentage to the original.
The charge for the privilege of borrowing money, typically expressed as an annual percentage rate.
Annual percentage yield. Applied to any investment but not typically a mortgage, to compare investments with different or no compounding schemes.
The interest rate described in relation to a specific amount of time. For example, the Monthly Periodic Rate is the cost of credit per month; the Daily Periodic Rate is the cost of credit per day
a credit agreement that allows consumers to pay all or part of the outstanding balance on a loan or credit card. As credit is paid off, it becomes available again to use for another purchase or cash advance
Fixed Rate Mortgage
A mortgage in which the interest rate does not change during the entire term of the loan.
Adjustable Rate Mortgage
Has an interest rate that increases or decreases during the life of the loan.
a mortgage in which the entire remaining balance of the loan is due in one single payment
a deduction allowed to a taxpayer because of his status (having certain dependents or being blind or being over 65 etc.)
A check returning the taxpayers money to the taxpayer after tax retuns are filed and the over paid tax is determined.
A stated amount that you may subtract from adjusted gross income instead of itemizing your deductions
a specific expense, such as mortgage interest, that you deduct from your adjusted gross income.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


What is difference between PD and other participatory democracy groups?
With the advent of the Internet, there has been a renewed interest in participatory democracy worldwide. Be wary of many participatory democracy groups.
We are aiming to develop a new form of government, not just a party or sexy idea that is not well-thought out and could ruin participatory democracy's chance for the short term.
We are focused on increasing peoples' responsibilities in life, to create more awareness, education and engagement in society.
Have a strong focus on ensuring an informed vote.
We are grassroots and funded by the people. There is no significant funding behind us or support from any particular organisation or individual.
We have no intention of making money out of participatory democracy or running an opinion polling organisation.
We have built the technology and are the first to. We use open-source software.
Have links to the original and have experience with numerous participatory democracy initiatives in Australia.
We are doing it as an experiment with a step-by-step plan. As the model is tested, refined and proven we move to the next step.
We are strategic and well-thought out. We did our research before we started.
Other participatory democracy groups may not actually offer politicians contracted to vote with you. They may call an initiative a peoples' assembly or other name but at the end of the day, the politicians or committees can still vote the way they want. There may be money and/or ulterior motives behind them. They may be trying to commoditise democracy by incorporating it with trading or a currency. They may not be focused on increasing peoples' responsibility.
Please also read How was People Decide founded? Does it have any affiliations?
Be the first to comment


Germany mourns 80,000 COVID dead in national service | News | DW | 18.04.2021
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Germany mourns 80,000 COVID dead in national service
At a memorial event in Berlin, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier told relatives of coronavirus victims that they are not alone in their suffering.
Watch video 18:11
Germany's president pays tribute to COVID-19 victims
Germany is holding a national memorial day on Sunday for its nearly 80,000 victims of the coronavirus pandemic.
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Angela Merkel attended memorial events, just as the country battles a renewed surge in COVID-19 cases.
How Germany is mourning its COVID victims
The two leaders first took part in a morning service at Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church — a memorial in Berlin against war and destruction.
"Sickness, dying and death cannot be just pushed away in this long year, they have cut deeply into the lives of many people," said Georg Baetzing, the chairman of the German Bishops' Conference, at the service.
Later Sunday, Steinmeier and Merkel attended a ceremony at the capital's Konzerthaus, where the president gave a speech.
With pandemic curbs still in force restricting the number of people who could attend, the ceremonies were broadcast live on television.
What did Germany's president say?
Steinmeier called on the audience to remember the people behind the statistics and figures, asking them "to consider the human tragedy of the pandemic."
The president said it was "understandable" that "we have been obsessing over infection rates and the number of deaths each day."
But he has the impression "that we, as a society, have not reminded ourselves often enough that individual destinies, human lives, are behind all of these numbers."
He warned that "a society that ignores this suffering will suffer as a whole."
Watch video 01:20
Bereaved remember loved ones lost to COVID-19
Remembering those who died alone
Steinmeier also singled out those who died alone or could not say their last goodbyes in person, due to pandemic restrictions in hospitals.
"Dying in the pandemic was and is often a death without succor or a proper farewell. Sometimes even relatives were not allowed to visit their loved ones in hospitals, care homes or hospices. Many people have died without their relatives and friends being able to say goodbye to them."
"Some find their loss twice as hard to bear because they were denied the chance to see or touch the dying one last time. The fact that they were not able to bury their relatives as they and, above all, the departed themselves would have liked weighs heavily on others," Steinmeier added.
He stressed that the day of mourning would remind people that "they are not alone in their suffering, not alone in mourning."
Watch video 02:47
German hospitals filling up with COVID-19 patients
Death toll expected to rise in Germany's third wave
Sunday's ceremony comes as health authorities warn that many more will succumb to the virus.
Lothar Wieler, president of Germany's Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases, said the reality in intensive care units was worsening, and in most cases, they are now treating people in the 15- to 49-year-old age group.
Andrea Krautkrämer, who works as a nurse in an intensive care unit in the western city of Koblenz, told DW reporter Andrea Grunau the situation has been difficult for several months.
"You do everything in your power — and it's not enough," she said. "You suffer with every patient. And you hope."
Fed up with the dithering States, Merkel's government agreed a law change with parliament, that binds all 16 states to impose the same tougher measures such as nighttime curfews in hard-hit areas, once any region hits a 7-day incidence rate of 100 per 100 000 people.
With material from AFP
WWW links
Audios and videos on the topic


HPL_ptimer_cputime - Man Page
Return the CPU time.
_TAG_ "hpl.h"
 double HPL_ptimer_cputime();
HPL_ptimer_cputime returns the cpu time. If HPL_USE_CLOCK is defined, the clock() function is used to return an approximation of processor time used by the program. The value returned is the CPU time used so far as a clock_t; to get the number of seconds used, the result is divided by CLOCKS_PER_SEC. This function is part of the ANSI/ISO C standard library. If HPL_USE_TIMES is defined, the times() function is used instead. This function returns the current process times. times() returns the number of clock ticks that have elapsed since the system has been up. Otherwise and by default, the standard library function getrusage() is used.
See Also
HPL_ptimer_walltime (3), HPL_ptimer (3).
Referenced By
HPL_ptimer(3), HPL_ptimer_walltime(3).
February 24, 2016 HPL 2.2 HPL Library Functions


What is RECOVER?
RECOVER (Real World Clinical Outcomes with Novel Modulator Therapy Combinations in People with CF) is a new research study that aims to look at the 'real world' impact of the new triple combination modulator (TCM), Kaftrio, in people with CF.
Why do we need to do this study?
Although clinical trials have proven that triple combination therapy is very effective for specific groups of people with CF, clinical trials are very controlled and highly monitored studies. Often things can be different in the everyday life, so it is really important to look at this also to prove that new medicines are effective. In addition, clinical trials look at a limited number of aspects of health outcomes, but in real world studies we have an opportunity to look at a wider array of outcomes that are important to people with CF.
Why is this study important?
New medications such as Kaftrio involve a significant investment on behalf of the state, and it is really important to be able to prove that the treatment is beneficial and value for money. Real world studies like RECOVER help to gather this information. Nowadays there are lots of new expensive therapies for rare diseases, all competing for limited health budgets. Providing high quality evidence for CF treatments will help us to maximise the likelihood of these treatments being funded now and into the future for people with CF.
What does RECOVER involve?
RECOVER will collect information both on routine outcomes already collected as part of standard care, such as lung function, infections, nutrition etc. but also novel and uncommonly used outcome measures. We will employ detailed measures of lung health such as lung clearance index (LCI), CT scans, exhaled nitric oxide and sputum inflammation. Abdominal complaints are common in CF – we will measure abdominal symptoms, bowel inflammation, pancreatic status and markers of liver disease. We want to also examine how people with CF remember to take TCM, and all other CF medicines after TCM has been started. Other aspects of RECOVER include looking at nasal inflammation, quality of life and how different genes might affect how different people respond to these new therapies.
Where is RECOVER taking place?
RECOVER is a truly international study. Funding for RECOVER comes predominantly from the US CF Foundation, with co-funding from CF Ireland and the UK CF Trust. The clinical sites for RECOVER are in Ireland and the UK (adult and paediatric), and we are working with collaborators across the UK and Ireland, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands. RECOVER does not have any relationship with Vertex Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of the TCM medication.
Who is involved?
RECOVER involves a team of leading CF specialists, scientists, data experts and representatives of people with CF. The team is lead by Paul McNally (Dublin) and Jane Davies (London), both pediatricians looking after people with CF. The team includes consultants in each of the clinical sites
Where do I get more information?
You can get more information about RECOVER by asking your CF nurse or consultant. The research team at your centre and one of the CF consultants are involved in the study and have more information. There are information leaflets for adults, parents of children, adolescents and young children.
Additionally, for further information and/or queries please contact us at _EMAIL_


text:
By Gareth Cook |
Scientist Daniel Chamovitz unveils the surprising world of plants that see, feel, smell—and remember
How aware are plants? This is the central question behind a fascinating new book, "What a Plant Knows," by Daniel Chamovit, director of the Manna Center for Plant Biosciences at Tel Aviv University. A plant, he argues, can see, smell and feel. It can mount a defense when under siege, and warn its neighbors of trouble on the way. A plant can even be said to have a memory. But does this mean that plants think — or that one can speak of a "neuroscience" of the flower? Chamovitz answered questions from Mind Matters editor Gareth Cook.
1. How did you first get interested in this topic?
My interest in the parallels between plant and human senses got their start when I was a young postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Xing-Wang Deng at Yale University in the mid 1990s. I was interested in studying a biological process that would be specific to plants, and would not be connected to human biology (probably as a response to the six other "doctors" in my family, all of whom are physicians). So I was drawn to the question of how plants sense light to regulate their development.
It had been known for decades that plants use light not only for photosynthesis, but also as a signal that changes the way plants grow. In my research I discovered a unique group of genes necessary for a plant to determine if it's in the light or in the dark. When we reported our findings, it appeared these genes were unique to the plant kingdom, which fit well with my desire to avoid any thing touching on human biology. But much to my surprise and against all of my plans, I later discovered that this same group of genes is also part of the human DNA.
This led to the obvious question as to what these seemingly "plant-specific" genes do in people. Many years later, we now know that these same genes are important in animals for the timing of cell division, the axonal growth of neurons, and the proper functioning of the immune system.
But most amazingly, these genes also regulate responses to light in animals! While we don't change our form in response to light as plants do, we are affected by lab at the level of our internal clock. Our internal circadian clocks keep us on a 24 hour rhythm, which is why when we travel half way around the world we experience jet lag. But this clock can be reset by light. A few years ago I showed, in collaboration with Justin Blau at NYU, that mutant fruit flies that were missing some of these genes lost the ability to respond to light. In other words, if we changed their clocks, they remained in jetlag.
This led me to realize that the genetic difference between plants and animals is not as significant as I had once naively believed. So while not actively researching this field, I began to question the parallels between plant and human biology even as my own research evolved from studying plant responses to light to leukemia in fruit flies.
2. How do think people should change how they think about plants?
People have to realize that plants are complex organisms that live rich, sensual lives. You know many of us relate to plants as inanimate objects, not much different from stones. Even the fact that many people substitute silk flowers for real ones, or artificial Christmas trees for a live one, is exemplary at some level of how we relate to plants. You know, I don't know anyone who keeps a stuffed dog in place of a real one!
But if we realize that all of plant biology arises from the evolutionary constriction of the "rootedness" that keep plants immobile, then we can start to appreciate the very sophisticated biology going on in leaves and flowers. If you think about it, rootedness is a huge evolutionary constraint. It means that plants can't escape a bad environment, can't migrate in the search of food or a mate. So plants had to develop incredibly sensitive and complex sensory mechanisms that would let them survive in ever changing environments. I mean if you're hungry or thirsty, you can walk to the nearest watering hole (or bar). If you're hot, you can move north, if you're looking for a mate, you can go out to a party. But plants are immobile. They need to see where their food is. They need to feel the weather, and they need to smell danger. And then they need to be able to integrate all of this very dynamic and changing information. Just because we don't see plants moving doesn't mean that there's not a very rich and dynamic world going on inside the plant.
3. You say that plants have a sense of smell?
Sure. But to answer this we have to define for ourselves what "smell" is. When we smell something, we sense a volatile chemical that's dissolved in the air, and then react in someway to this smell. The clearest example in plants is what happens during fruit ripening. You may have heard that if you put a ripe and an unripe fruit together in the same bag, the unripe one will ripen faster. This happens because the ripe one releases a ripening pheromone into the air, and the green fruit smells it and then starts ripening itself. This happens not only in our kitchens, but also, or even primarily, in nature. When one fruit starts to ripen, it releases this hormone which is called ethylene, which is sensed by neighboring fruits, until entire trees and groves ripen more or less in synchrony.
Another example of a plant using smell is how a parasitic plant called dodder finds its food. Dodder can't do photosynthesis, and so has to live off of other plants. The way it finds its host plant is by smelling. A dodder can detect minute amounts of chemicals released in the air by neighboring plants, and will actually pick the one that it finds tastiest! In one classic experiment scientists showed that dodder prefers tomato to wheat because it prefers the smell.
3B. How about hearing?
This is a bit trickier because while loads of research support the idea that plants see, smell, taste and feel, support for plant auditory prowess is indirectly proportional to the amount of anecdotal information we have about the ways in which music may influence how a plant grows. Many of us have heard stories about plants flourishing in rooms with classical music. Typically, though, much of the research on music and plants was, to put it mildly, not carried out by investigators grounded in the scientific method. Not surprisingly, in most of these studies, the plants thrived in music that the experimenter also preferred.
From an evolutionary perspective, it also could be that plants haven't really needed to hear. The evolutionary advantage created from hearing in humans and other animals serves as one way our bodies warn us of potentially dangerous situations. Our early human ancestors could hear a dangerous predator stalking them through the forest, while today we hear the motor of an approaching car. Hearing also enables rapid communication between individuals and between animals.
Elephants can find each other across vast distances by vocalizing subsonic waves that rumble around objects and travel for miles. A dolphin pod can find a dolphin pup lost in the ocean through its distress chirps. What's common in all of these situations is that sound enables a rapid communication of information and a response, which is often movement—fleeing from a fire, escaping from attack, finding family.
But plants are rooted, sessile organisms. While they can grow toward the sun, and bend with gravity, they can't flee. They can't escape. They don't migrate with the seasons. As such, perhaps the audible signals we're used to in our world are irrelevant for a plant.
All that being said, I have to cover myself hear by pointing out that some very recent research hints that plants may respond to sounds. Not to music mind you, which is irrelevant for a plant, but to certain vibrations. It will be very interesting to see how this pans out.
4. Do plants communicate with each other?
At a basic level, yes. But I guess it centers around how you define communication. There is no doubt that plants respond to cues from other plants. For example, if a maple tree is attacked by bugs, it releases a pheromone into the air that is picked up by the neighboring trees. This induces the receiving trees to start making chemicals that will help it fight off the impending bug attack. So on the face of it, this is definitely communication.
But I think we also have to ask the question of intent (if we can even use that word when describing plants, but humor me while I anthropomorphize). Are the trees communicating, meaning is that attacked tree warning its surrounding ones? Or could it be more subtle? Maybe it makes more sense that the attacked branch is communicating to the other branches of the same tree in an effort for self survival, while the neighboring trees, well they're just eavesdropping and benefiting from the signal.
There are also other examples of this type of communication. For example a very recent study showed that plants also communicate through signals passed from root to root. In this case the "talking" plant had been stressed by drought, and it "told" its neighboring plants to prepare for a lack of water. We know the signal went through the roots because this never happened if the two plants were simply in neighboring pots. They had to have neighboring roots.
5. Do plants have a memory?
Plants definitely have several different forms of memory, just like people do. They have short term memory, immune memory and even transgenerational memory! I know this is a hard concept to


text:
On Thursday Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin released an extensive report on tobacco use among the nation's youth.
Among the most notable findings: Nearly one in four high school seniors smokes.
3,800 kids pick up the habit every day.
Dr. Benjamin called the statistics "shocking".
That's almost an understatement according to Dr. Otis Brawley of the American Cancer Society.
"Shocking, disgusting, upsetting," he says.
The youth smoking rate had been declining since the late 1990s, but slowed considerably in recent years.
Dr. Brawley attributes the plateau in part to campaigns against higher taxes during the weak economy.
"Excise taxes on tobacco especially are effective in preventing 14 and 15 year old kids from buying cigarettes," he explains.
Other ways the report suggests combatting youth smoking include smoke-free laws and tobacco prevention programs.
The government hopes to get teens' attention in this new public service announcement as well.
Big tobacco is criticized in the Surgeon General's report for spending more than $27 million each day in marketing and promotions.
Altria, parent company of Philip Morris USA, says it markets to adults only through age-verified websites and direct mailing.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


Foreskin Stretcher
What is a Foreskin Stretcher?
A foreskin stretcher is a tool designed to increase the circumference of the prepuce or foreskin. It is not to be confused with a foreskin restoration tool which is designed to generate more foreskin usually after circumcision. Sadly, many people make the mistake of thinking that effective and safe foreskin stretching occurs by using force to rip the skin cells apart. However, what is required is gentle pressure over many days and weeks to stimulate the growth of new skin cells and loosening of skin cells to increase the circumference.
How do they Compare?
There are two distinctive types of foreskin stretcher tools. One uses localised force (such as the foreskin retractors) and the other is the patented balloon based foreskin stretcher from Novoglan. The skin retractors use localised harsh force to tear the skin cells apart. The Novoglan Foreskin Stretcher uses even and distributive pressure over the broad area of the foreskin and this gentle force over days and weeks stimulates the growth of new foreskin cells leading to an increased circumference.
Why is Balloon based foreskin stretching better?
Balloon based foreskin stretching is considered preferable than skin retractors because the balloon uses gentle, regular and even pressure.
Where do I buy foreskin stretchers from?
Foreskin Stretchers are usually purchased online. This is due to the fact that people can purchase these tools discreetly and not have the discomfort of having to answer questions in a public place. For example the Novoglan Gentle Foreskin Stretcher can be purchased from the global store
Novoglan Foreskin Stretcher
Foreskin Stretcher Tool From Novoglan
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Visual Exploration
This is the most important step in undertaking simulation.
Traditionally the next stage in using simulation was to design and perform a series of experiments with the simulation to see how the factory could be improved. However, a much more important step in doing simulation (and one that only became possible when simulation became Visual and Interactive) is to explore the simulation visually with your client. This enables both you and your client the opportunity to gain an understanding of how the different parts of the simulation interact with each other, how the performance measures can be affected and to gain insights into how the factory can be changed and improved.
This 'Visual exploration' is done by running the simulation and watching the products move around on the computer screen. You can, for example, see where bottlenecks build up, you can see under what circumstances these are worst. By changing the simulation and watching to see the effects of these changes you can gain a knowledge and understanding of the way the system behaves. You can get to know its 'character'.
Of course, exploring a simulation visually like this is not a rigorous or scientific testing procedure and should always be followed by some careful tests (see (j) below) but it is much better at giving insights into how to improve the factory (or other system) than a series of controlled experiments.


If you're out and about and see an upside down sheep you could be forgiven for thinking it was just resting.
But Avon and Somerset Constabulary has warned it can actually be something much more sinister.
The force has warned people sheep could be in a near-death experience if they are lying on their back.
During the winter months sheep grow more wool and their fleece can become extremely heavy if there is a lot of rain.
his can cause the sheep to topple over due to the sheer weight and being left on their back.
If left for too long in this position, the animal can suffocate and die.
Police shared the following post on its rural crime page, Somerset Live reports.
A Facebook user has been warning others about the issue. In a post, she said: "If you spot a sheep in this position, they're not sunbathing.
"If they are left like this, they will die."
The post also offers advice on what to do if you find a sheep in the awkward position.
It says: "If you are able to, turn them up the right way, or try to find someone that can.
"If they have been upside down for a long time, it may take several attempts for them to stay upright."
The post also says people may have to hold on to them for a while while the water drains from their coats.


text:
Past and future editions of 'Local Authority Measures for National Indicators supported by the Tellus4 Survey'
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Release date: 04 February 2010 at
Theme: Children, Education and Skills | Department: Education | Coverage: England
Geographic breakdown: Local Authority and County
| Designation: Official Statistics not designated as National Statistics
Summary: Five National Indicators (NIs) are derived from data produced by the Tellus4 Survey. Statistics produced from the data are used to measure the following performance indicators: NI 50: Emotional health and well-being - children and young people user perception, NI 69: Percentage of children who have experienced bullying, NI 110: More participation in positive activities, NI 115: Reduce the proportion of young people frequently using illicit drugs, alcohol or volatile substances, NI 199: Satisfaction with parks and play areas.


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Enjoying the new book I am reading – "The Master Key System" by Charles Haanel. I just finished the first chapter for lesson 1 – The World Within.
It ends with this message and how to apply the principle followed by a summary:
Most people live in the world without; few have found the world within – yet the world within makes the world without. The world within is creative, and everything you find in your world without, you have created with your world within. The world within is the cause, the world without is the effect, Andy to change the effect you must change the cause.
Applying the principle of the Master Key System Lesson 1:
1. select a room where you can be alone and undisturbed
2. Sit erect, comfortably but do not lounge
3. let your thoughts roam where they will, but be perfectly still for fifteen to thirty minutes
4. continue this for three or four days until you secure full control of your physical being
Many will find this extremely difficult while others will manage with ease, but it is absolutely essential to secure complete control of the body before you are ready to progress.
- The world without is a reflection of the world within
- The source of all power is the world within, the Universal Fountain of Supply, the Infinite Energy of which individual is an outlet
- Universal Mind is present in every atom, molecule, and cell that exists
- We are related to the the Universal mind by the unconscious or subjective, mind and to the objective or conscious mind.
- Our ability to think is our ability to act upon the Universal Mind and bring substance into form.
- The result of this interaction is the cause and effect; every thought is a cause and every condition is an effect
Overall I am really enjoying this book. I saw the Secret but only heard about the book on the Mechanic 2 Millionaire Podcast.
Sundry remedies approachable from the Web to why to waste day and effort going to drugstore if you can hands-down get Viagra sit at home. Varied medicaments are used to treat Neutropenia. A global sexual appeal among men is the erectile disfunction. Matters like "over the counter lidocaine cream" and "lidocaine cream over the counter" are very popular for last year. Find out more through the links below. What do you have to study about "over the counter lidocaine"? Other question we have to is "undefined". Viagra has been demonstrated to be effective in men with such medical conditions as diabetes mellitus. One way to improve erectile dysfunction is to make few plain lifestyle changes, another is remedy. Lifestyle changes take time, but the results are worthwhile.


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Diabetes indicators in Australia
The new web-based report, Diabetes indicators in Australia, shows the prevalence of diabetes in the Australian population increased from 1.5% to 4.1% over the 20 years to 2007-08.
Diabetes can lead to serious complications, such as cardiovascular disease and end-stage kidney disease as well as loss of vision, limb amputation and even death.
'While increasing numbers of Australians are developing the disease, there is some good news in relation to diabetes complications,' said AIHW spokesperson Lisa McGlynn.
Diabetes-related deaths dropped by 18% between 1997 and 2007 and hospitalisations for lower limb amputations among people with diabetes fell between 2001 and 2007–08, from 4.8 to 4.1 per 1,000 people with diabetes.
'This may be a result of better diabetes management,' Ms McGlynn said.
'However, the increasing number of Australians with diabetes is still a cause for concern, as is the number of Australians with modifiable risk factors for diabetes.'
'We can help manage diabetes risk by, among other things, maintaining a healthy weight, getting enough exercise and eating the right amounts of fruit and vegetables.'
In 2007–08, 61% of Australian adults were overweight or obese, compared to 57% in 1995.
The rate of Australian adults who did not get enough exercise has increased from 69% to 72% between 2001 and 2007–08.
And, in 2007–08, more than 90% of Australian adults did not eat enough vegetables and 50% did not eat enough fruit.
Indigenous Australians have an increased risk of developing diabetes.
The rate of diabetes among Indigenous Australians was more than 3 times that of non-Indigenous Australians, and Indigenous Australians had higher rates of diabetes-related deaths than the general population—46 per 100,000 among Indigenous Australians in 2006 compared to 33 per 100,000 among all Australians in the same year.
Diabetes indicators in Australiais available at _URL_ The AIHW has also released a new diabetes dashboard, providing easily accessible and navigable facts and figures on diabetes, available at _URL_
The AIHW is a major national agency set up by the Australian Government to provide reliable, regular and relevant information and statistics on Australia's health and welfare.


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What You Need:
- Paper-casting cotton paper and paper additive (available at crafts stores)
- Heart-shape Brown Bag Cookie Art Ceramic Mold
- Scrap of ribbon or lace
- Thick white crafts glue
- Assorted dried and silk flowers or silk ribbon roses
- Charms or a scrap of pearl beading
1. Following the manufacturer's instructions, blend the cotton paper, paper additive, and water in a blender on high speed for about one minute or until the pulp looks like cake batter.
2. Coat the cookie mold with vegetable oil, and rinse it in cool water. Pour about one cup of the pulp into a sieve to drain the excess water, then pour the pulp into the cookie mold. (The pulp should be wet but not soupy.) Spread the pulp over the mold, being careful to cover the edges.
3. Gently press the pulp with a sponge to remove excess water and to fill all parts of the mold. Let the pulp air-dry, or place the mold in a 150 degree F oven for three hours. You can also try drying the molded paper in the microwave, but you may have to experiment to determine the right amount of time for your oven (start with 3 or 4 minutes). After the paper pulp has dried thoroughly, remove the molded shape by slipping a sharp knife under its edges and gently peeling the shape out of the mold.
4. Tie a knot in the center of a piece of ribbon or lace, and cut the ends in inverted V shapes. Use thick white crafts glue to attach the ribbon or lace to the heart as shown in the photo. Glue clusters of silk or dried flowers over the ribbon or lace, and decorate the heart with charms or pearl beading.


High moisture mozzarellas are much more perishable than their low-moisture counterparts, so use them within a few days of purchase. > semi-firm cheeses. gives them a springy, elastic consistency. is like mozzarella, only firmer and more flavorful. Substitutes: Raclette OR Emmenthal OR Port Salut, * Ossau-Iraty This little-known Basque cheese is made from raw sheep's milk, and it's creamy, nutty, and mellow. Paese, Syrian cheese Substitutes: jack cheese OR Substitutes: Havarti (not as flavorful) OR jack cheese OR Esrom (more pungent) OR Gouda OR Mahon, Tomme Crayeuse This soft French cheese is rich and buttery. Notes: This French semi-soft cheese is creamy and Substitutes: Tomme de Savoie OR Saint Nectaire OR Muenster. and thawed without losing too much flavor, though some become crumbly. Try heating it a bit and serving it with crusty French Milk Page. stinky) cheese family, but it's mild and subtle. keeps it soft but leeches out some of the flavor. Gouda OR Bel Paese OR Appenzell OR provolone OR rablochon, Gjetost Pronunciation: YET-ohst Muenster cheese, Tilsit = Tilsiter = Tilsit Havarti Notes: Swiss cheese is riddled with holes and has a mild, nutty flavor. Unlike many cheeses, they stand up well to cooking. provolone Pronunciation: The smell increases the longer the cheese is kept — this however does not affect its flavour. Notes: The milk is derived from red and white Montbéliarde cows that graze on the flat meadow surrounding the abbey for at least 6 months. vahsh-er-AHN Notes: This is a cheese-lover's cheese, Substitutes: Tilsit OR jack cheese OR Esrom (more pungent) OR Gouda OR Mahon, Jack This California semi-soft cheese resembles Muenster. pasta filata = spun curd cheeses = pulled Their flavor can vary dramatically, but they blend well with other cheeses, since they tend to be young and mild. Substitutes: Tomme de Savoie OR Saint Nectaire OR Muenster, Tomme de Savoie This is a mild and pleasant French cheese that's semi-soft when young, firmer when aged. plastic curd cheeses See pasta It can be refrigerated and is best eaten within two weeks of opening. It has a mild, nondescript flavor, but it's good cheese to slice into sandwiches or melt into casseroles.
Substitutes: Tomme Crayeuse OR Saint Nectaire OR Muenster * Urgelia This creamy Spanish cheese is a member of the washed rind (a.k.a. for more information--especially their excellent page on Cheese bread. There are two kinds. Substitutes: Taleggio, * Vacherin This is a cheese-lover's cheese, with a complex nutty flavor. wrap each chunk in an airtight package. This is a good sandwich cheese. This category includes mozzarella, Provolone, Scamorza, string cheese, and Caciocavallo. (softer, stronger flavor), Lappi Pronunciation: LAP-pee Substitutes: Scarmorza OR Cacciocavallo OR string cheese (very similar, but extruded rather than molded), Muenster When produced in Europe, Muenster is a mild-mannered member of the normally stinky washed-rind cheese family, though it becomes more pungent as it ages. cheese. It's a good melting cheese, but you Substitutes: Tomme de Savoie OR Saint Nectaire OR Muenster Tomme de Savoie cheese = tomme de montagne Pronunciation: TUM de sah-VWAH Notes: This is a mild and pleasant French cheese that's semi-soft when young, firmer when aged. has a rich, earthy flavor. Substitutes: Edam (similar, but with a lower milkfat content) OR Samsoe OR Bel Paese OR jack OR Muenster, Haloumi This salty, crumbly cheese from Cyprus stands up well to heat and can even be fried or grilled. Use within a few days after purchasing. OR Cheddar OR Limburger (more pungent), Havarti Pronunciation: category includes mozzarella, Provolone, Asadero This stringy Mexican cheese melts nicely, so it's great on quesadillas.
Morbier has a rich, earthy flavor. Ontdek (en bewaar!) stripe running up the middle, a reference to earlier times when a layer Low moisture mozzarella is firmer and the best choice for pizza.
it's creamy, nutty, and mellow. Substitutes: Substitutes: Emmenthal (very similar) OR Swiss, Limburger This is a very stinky and salty German washed rind cheese.
Coon), Danbo Pronunciation: DAN-boh Substitutes: filata. Substitutes: Muenster OR Reblochon OR Havarti OR Port du Salut, Bierkäse or Beer cheese This is a soft, stinky cheese.
It's difficult to locate one created out of sheep's milk or goats.It has several culinary programs from recipes such as making fondues, pizza, sandwiches, as well as pasta. Substitutes: Take a look. mild. perfect for slicing into sandwiches. Port Salut Though Port Salut has a mild French semi-soft cheese., it sometimes has a strong smell because it is a mature cheese. Mahon, Tybo Pronunciation: TIE-boh Cheddar, Leicester = Red Leicester Pronunciation: LESS-ter sheep's milk. It's also stretchy--the long white strings that you often see draped over the sides of pizza boxes are usually mozzarella. for more information--especially their excellent page on Cheese
Raclette OR Emmenthal OR Port Salut. German like to put it on rye bread along with some sliced onion, and have it with beer.
23 oct. 2012 - un monde riche, a l'instar des vins, du cigare et de toute chose qui mérite une attention et une relation très spécifique au delà des apparences - un état d'esprit. Provolone, Kashkaval = Kachkeval Notes: This
You'll find them typically in your four cheese sauces and pizzas. Ossau-Iraty cheese = Ossau-Iraty-Brebis-Pyrenees Try heating it a bit and serving it with crusty French bread. Substitutes: Lagerkaese OR Havarti substitutes, queso blanco Substitutes: mozzarella OR Muenster, queso Chihuahua® = queso Menonita Substitutes:
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text: Durable high temperature materials are required for reusable hypersonic structural thermal protection systems. In particular, temperatures exceeding 2700ºF, and approaching 3000ºF, are targeted for capable structural materials that can survive stresses on the order of 10 ksi (70 MPa) for at least 100 hours in an oxidizing environment. Such materials have been identified as an enabling material for future hypersonic vehicles As this application is structural, a strong degree of damage tolerance is desired, and thus ceramic matrix composites are the primary choice due to the desire for reduced weight, high temperature strength and oxidation resistance. Silicon carbide fiber-reinforced silicon carbide matrix (SiC/SiC) composites are believed to be the most suitable solution due to meeting the requirements with the limitations of creep at the highest temperatures/loads, and oxidative attack at stresses that exceed the materials proportional limit. The proposed effort will define the temperature-stress limit of SiC/SiC composites, and examine methods to further extend this limit.


On September 17, 2011, the Occupy Wall Street movement first encamped in New York City's Zucotti Park, soon renamed Liberty Square. Within weeks, Occupy groups were spreading like wildfire throughout the United States so that, even today after the breakup of the encampments, almost every major city in the United States has an active Occupy cell. In those first months, thousands took to the streets and made groundbreaking use of social media to orchestrate major actions nationwide; the United States became the latest country to develop a major people's movement since the wave of protest began in the Middle East earlier that year. The Occupy name, and the ideas behind it, quickly became international.


text: Get up close and personal with the world using microscopes and telescopes for kids. Designed for ease of use, microscopes for kids make some of the smallest cells visible to the eye. Telescopes for kids make that start so impossibly far away seem like you can reach out and touch it. Great for use in science classes of all types, microscopes and magnifiers, optics and telescopes bring the world a little bit closer. Microscopes, telescopes and optics for kids are a must-have teaching tool in the home school or traditional classroom. Encourage your kids appreciation for science with microscopes, telescopes and optics designed especially for them.


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This week, a "controlled burn" at Makua Military Reservation (MMR) on O'ahu – intentionally set by the U.S. Army to clear vegetation – went out of control, burning at least 2500 acres, including areas occupied by federally listed endangered plants and animals, as well as scores of cultural sites eligible for the National Historic Register. The blaze jumped the Army's firebreak roads, burning to the ridges surrounding MMR, and crossed Farrington Highway at several locations. The fire – still burning as of mid-day today – demonstrates the inadequacy of the Army's Fire Management Plan, which was developed to protect the biological and cultural treasures at Mäkua. It also underscores the need for careful review of the Army's activities at MMR under both the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Endangered Species Act (ESA), as advocated by Earthjustice and Wai'anae Coast community group Mälama Makua.
"This is like a bad case of deja vu," said Fred Dodge, Malama Makua board member. "In June 1995, another so-called 'controlled' burn charred nearly 2500 acres in the valley. The Army said it couldn't possibly happen again, that they had made improvements in firefighting. But this is even worse. The 1995 burn took place outside the firebreak roads; here, the Army couldn't even control a blaze set inside the firebreak."
Represented by Earthjustice, Malama Makua sued the Army in federal court in December 2000, challenging the Army's refusal to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) pursuant to NEPA for proposed live-fire training at MMR and related activities, such as yesterday's controlled burn. The settlement entered in that lawsuit on October 4, 2001 requires the Army to prepare a comprehensive EIS. The EIS must address existing and potential impacts to the unique cultural and biological resources at MMR, as well as potential soil, air, ground water and surface water contamination associated with live-fire training and fire management activities.
The native forests at risk from live-fire training and related activities at MMR are home to over 40 endangered plant and animal species. The ESA requires careful review of potential impacts to these species and their habitat in consultations between the Army and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service). In September 1998, a notice of intent to sue from Earthjustice, sent on Malama Makua's behalf, prompted the Army to enter into formal consultation to ensure that its activities at MMR would not push these species to extinction. When that consultation concluded in July 1999, the Service emphasized that the Army must reinitiate consultation if new information reveals that the Army's activities "may affect listed species or critical habitat in a manner or to an extent not considered" previously.
"The last time the Army and the Fish and Wildlife Service consulted over Makua, the Service relied heavily on the Army's supposedly improved firefighting to conclude that Army activities would not push to extinction any of the more than 40 endangered species found there," explained Earthjustice attorney David Henkin. "While we will not know until the fires are finally extinguished whether this latest tragedy has wiped out any species, the events of the last two days abundantly illustrate the inadequacy of the Army's firefighting to protect endangered species and their habitat. The Army must immediately reinitiate consultation to ensure that this sort of thing never happens again."


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Poets often write about ideas through exploring emotions. In light of this comment, examine ways in which poets develop their ideas through feelings and emotions. You should write about a least two poems including the darkling thrush or gods grandeur, or
The first 200 words of this essay...
Poets often write about ideas through exploring emotions. In light of this comment, examine ways in which poets develop their ideas through feelings and emotions. You should write about a least two poems including the darkling thrush or gods grandeur, or both.
To explore this comment, I am going to analyse two poems, 'The Darkling Thrush', by Thomas Hardy, and 'God's Grandeur', by Gerard Manley Hopkins.
In 'The Darkling Thrush', Hardy gives a very negative image. He uses phrases such as 'when frost was spectre-grey', and'The Century's corpse outleant', which give the reader the image of death. In this poem Hardy is talking about the death of the 19th century as it moves into the 20th Century. The poem itself was written on the 31st December 1899, the turn of the Century.
Hardy shows the narrator as having sad, grievous emotions throughout the poem. This is contrasted with the emotions of the thrush, which is portrayed to be celebrating, and happy. The narrator appears to have given up on life, which is shown through the comment 'And every spirit on earth seemed fervourless as I'. On the other hand, the thrush which is shown
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""Sabreena, England. A Level Student. Biology and Chemistry.
""Jackie Shanahan. Maths. A Level Student.


How to Convert WAV to GSM With Sox
While both GSM and WAV are audio formats, they are designed for different purposes. WAV files are typically 16-bits in resolution and are usually sampled at very high bit rates. They can be excellent ways to transmit lossless copies of CD-quality audio. GSM files, on the other hand, come from Europe where they were designed to work with wireless voice communication systems. They typically have 8-bit resolution and are very compact, using very small bit rates. GSM files are typically used in telephony.
Download and install SoX from the SourceForge website.
Click the Start button and type "cmd" in the search box, then press "Enter."
Use the "cd" command to navigate to the folder where you installed SoX. For example, if you installed it in the sox-14-4-0 subfolder of the "Program Files (x86)" folder on your C: drive, you would type "c:" then press "Enter," then type "cd \Program Files (x86)," then press "Enter," then type "cd sox-14-4-0" and press "Enter." Please note that the commas and quotation marks in the previous section are not part of the command and should be omitted.
Enter the following command on the command line and press the "Enter" key:
sox input.wav -r 8000 -c1 output.gsm lowpass 4000 compand 0.02,0.05 -60,-60,-30,-10,-20,-8,-5,-8,-2,-8 -8 -7 0.05
You can replace "input.wav" with the path and filename of your file, and "output.gsm" with the name you want your GSM file to have. Note that if any component of the filename or its path has a space, you should encompass the whole path and filename in quotation marks.
Type "exit" and press "Enter" to exit the command prompt.


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For precisely 30 years, counting from the first-ever bus built by Benz & Cie., trucks and buses developed in parallel. Then, in June 1925, they began following different paths. Bus bodies had previously been mounted as a matter of course on conventional truck chassis which featured straight frames. This had meant quite a climb for the passengers. The new "low-floor" bus, produced in Gaggenau from 1925, ushered in a new era with a clearly more comfortable entrance height for passengers.
This, however, required a special chassis, one with a frame offset downward behind the front axle to continue straight on toward the rear end where an upward offset section provided space for the rear axle. This elaborate design resulted in a floor that was merely 670 millimeters above the ground.
Lowered center of gravity with a variety of advantages
A running board additionally subdivided the entrance into steps each a little over 300 millimeters high – this would even be quite acceptable for a present-day regular service bus. And the low frame had a number of other advantages. The resulting lower center of gravity improved the buses' handling characteristics, for instance. This, in turn, clearly enhanced comfort as well as safety, especially the safety of country buses with heavily laden roof-mounted luggage racks. A contemporary brochure summed up these advantages as follows: "Due to the low position of the body, the vehicle handles more smoothly and rolls less than a bus with the conventional high design."
What's more, the buses with low frames and correspondingly lowered bodies were not as long-legged as their predecessors and therefore looked clearly more elegant. This visual departure from trucks served as a highly welcome distinguishing feature in local public transport, still a young branch of industry at the time.
Emancipation also included a dedicated long wheelbase. This, in turn, made it possible to accommodate virtually all passenger seats between the axles where ride is at its most comfortable. It also had the effect that the bodywork was subjected to reduced stresses overall. As a result, a lighter design could be adopted, "with favorable effects on tire wear and fuel consumption," as the brochure informed customers in 1925.
No shortage of variants
Right from the start, Benz manufactured several different versions of the low-floor bus. The backbones for the bodies were frames with wheelbase lengths of 5,000 and 6,000 millimeters. The vehicles were available in urban and country bus versions as well as with different door configurations. Last but not least, Benz & Cie. manufactured buses for operation with conductors as well as so-called one-man buses.
The 7.3 and 8.4 meter long basic buses with model designations 2 CNa and 2 CNb were powered by existing four-cylinder gasoline engines which developed 40/45 hp and 50/55 hp from displacements of 6.3 and 8.1 liters, respectively – sufficient power for a top speed of around 40 km/h. According to the manufacturer, the smaller engine consumed 18 kilograms and the larger one 26 kilograms of gasoline on 100 kilometers – liters were not yet used as a unit of measurement at the time. The 7.3 meter long bus (with 5,000 millimeter wheelbase) carried up to 24 passengers while the longer version with 6,000 millimeter wheelbase and more powerful engine accommodated up to 32 seats.
It goes without saying, however, that buses had not become completely independent from truck development overnight. Even the new offset frame was based on a truck design. A little earlier, Benz had introduced the offset frame for garbage disposal vehicles to make the trash collectors' tough job a little easier in that they no longer had to lift the heavy garbage bins as high up as before.


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The International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN)
- First Global Meeting of INFOSAN
- INFOSAN Progress Report 2004-2010
- INFOSAN Information Notes
- FAO/WHO framework for developing national food safety emergency response plans
- FAO/WHO guide for application of risk analysis principles and procedures during food safety emergencies
- FAO/WHO guide for developing and improving national food recall systems
The rapid globalization of food production and trade has increased the potential likelihood of international incidents involving contaminated food.
Food safety authorities all over the world have acknowledged that ensuring food safety must not only be tackled at the national level but also through closer linkages among food safety authorities at the international level. This is important for exchanging routine information on food safety issues, sharing experiences and expertise and to have rapid access to information in case of food safety emergencies.
The International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) is is a joint initiative between WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). This a global network includes of 177 member states. Each has a designated INFOSAN emergency contact point for communication between national food safety authorities and the INFOSAN secretariat regarding urgent events. Recognizing that food safety is often a shared responsibility, countries are also asked to identity focal points in other ministries or relevant agencies to receive INFOSAN communications.
The network aims to:
- Promote the rapid exchange of information during food safety related events
- Share information on important food safety related issues of global interest
- Promote partnership and collaboration between countries
- Help countries strengthen their capacity to manage food safety risks
As part of its routine activities, INFOSAN publishes Information Notes, in the six official WHO languages, to provide its members with summaries on relevant food safety issues. Guidance is being developed on a number of topics related to food safety emergency response and management.
INFOSAN also facilitates the exchange of food safety information and experience among its members. In collaboration with the WHO Global Foodborne Infections Network (GFN), training is provided on the reporting of international food safety events to the global community.
INFOSAN systematically monitors for potential international food safety related events in addition to receiving information through INFOSAN emergency contact points. This monitoring is done in close collaboration with the WHO Alert and Response Operations program (provide link) as part of WHO's event detection activities. Working under the umbrella of the International Health Regulations (2005) INFOSAN Emergency facilitates the identification, assessment and management of food safety events of possible international concern. Collaborating closely with countries, alerts may be developed and disseminated to the INFOSAN emergency network. To help respond to country requests for assistance during food safety emergencies. INFOSAN Emergency partners with the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN).
INFOSAN also works with the Global Early Warning System for Major Animal Diseases, including Zoonoses (GLEWS) to promote seamless action throughout the food-chain continuum.
For further information please contact:
Department of Food Safety and Zoonoses (FOS)
World Health Organization
Avenue Appia 20
1211 Geneva 27
Facsimile: +41 22 _PHONE_


Latest News
How to Stay Wealthy for 3 Generations
31st March 2017
70% of wealthy families lose their wealth by the second generation, and a staggering 90% by the third, according to the Williams Group wealth consultancy. With statistics like these it's no wonder more and more people are thinking about their financial resources for their future generations.
Only a 10th of British multimillionaires have wealth that was inherited An article by The Barclays UK Prosperity Map showed that "one in 65 UK adults are now a millionaire". This means the number of millionaires in the UK has shot up by 41% (200,000 people) over the past five years.
The significant rise in the number of millionaires in the UK over the last 20 years has led many financial planners to expand or focus on wealth management, particularly investments and how to maintain/keep generational wealth. Despite this rise in the super wealthy, there is still a significant lack of this wealth being passed through generations.
After working hard for many years, you'll most likely want to protect the financial wealth you've accrued through your endeavours to those you care about the most after your death.
Talking about such things can be upsetting but it's essential to in the long run, to give you and your family piece of mind. By taking certain measures you can ensure that your financial assets are preserved for future generations to come.
Assess your portfolio
An assessment of your portfolio will help you outline your financial goals.
An assessment can look at your present expected returns, risk tolerance, any tax restraint and projected cash flow and liquidity requirements.
Through this a financial advisor gains a clear idea of your monetary position, both currently and in the future. Following on from this an advisor will suggest some investment plans, highlighting any future tax issues.
Educate your family members
Many financial advisors mention family meetings, but many don't have them. The fact that most substantial wealth is gone within three generations communicates that there's an issue of not only money being successfully handed down but also values.
Educate your family by discussing wealth management openly, particularly your children. The sooner they learn the best practices of managing money in order to retain wealth, the better.
Encouraging your children to make investments, no matter how small, is a great way to get them to understand financial matters. Talk through the processes, the goals and the rewards of investing.
With solid financial acumen learned, children can pass this know-how on to their children. Along with how to make sensible investments, talk about how to restrain spending. Inform your family about making unwise or unnecessary purchases.
Demonstrate situations where you have successfully been restraint with your finances. Some proactive families incorporate their financial advisor in family meetings to give professional advice to the family. This can be a great way to demonstrate the gravitas of the issue along with sharing and talking about how to manage wealth.
Planning your estate
Estate planning helps anticipate, arrange the management and disposal of a person's estate both during their life and after death. Estate planning will minimise gift, income tax and generation skipping transfers, whilst reducing uncertainties over probate administration and capitalise on the estate's total value through tax reductions.
An estate planning's goal can be determined by you, and can be as difficult or basic as your wishes demand.
Making a financial gift to family or friends whilst you're alive reduces the value of your estate for Inheritance Tax, allowing your benefactors to profit immediately.
Whilst alive you're entitled to a 'gift allowance' of up to £3,000 per annum. This is called an annual exemption. This exemption allows you to give away cash or assets to the total of £3,000 within a year without incurring Inheritance Tax.
Set a Mission Statement
Any good business plan is laid on a foundation of clear goals and objectives and this also applies to wealth management. Your mission statement should include how the inherited money is used.
Don't shy away from clarifying the dos and don'ts of this. IE 'Don't use this money for sports cars. Do use it for a deposit on the home but make sure you pay it back' etc.
From talking with your family members and a financial advisor you can clarify the main desired outcome (retaining wealth) and steps on how you will achieve this. Collective goals focus people and have a better chance of succeeding. Try not to focus on money solely. The main result of retaining wealth is what that money can do for the family.
The experiences, property and opportunities it affords a person. Clarify a long-term plan broken up with financial milestones at desired intervals, clearly mapping out the objectives for the family. IE, 'in one year we'll have a trust. In two years, we'll have X amount in that trust' etc.
Passing down your values should be a key part of your legacy. Some people like to impart their core values through videos but you can do this in any medium you're most comfortable with, be it written, electronically or audio. Communicate clearly your values and moral
Establish a Family Council
Create a family council. This is a great way to manage the family's finances and any decisions that involve money. If you have family members who spend money a little too freely, it can also act as a barrier to these spendthrifts.
Family members will have to go to the council to access the funds, preventing any frivolous purchases or any unwise investments. A family member can go to the family council with a business plan but will only be able to action it with approval from the council.
Set up a family bank
A family bank, run by the Council (made up of members of the family), works by lending money to family members as needed. This eliminates bank fees, interest payments and insurance charges, thus your family will retain more of their assets.
Trusts control your assets for the benefit of one or more people and are a great way to protect funds from estate taxes and capital gains.
Along with this protection, trusts can also accrue a tidy amount of interest, depending on the markets and which type of trust you want to take. There are several types of trusts to choose from, each catering to different needs.
Bare trusts: Bare trusts are where the beneficiary gains immediate rights to the assets in the trust and the income it generates.
Interest in possession trusts: These are trusts are where the trustee must pass on all trust income to the beneficiary as it arises (minus any expenses).
Discretionary trusts: With these trusts, trustees can make specific decisions concerning how to use the trust income.
Accumulation trusts: Trustees can accumulate income within the trust and add it to the trust's capital.
Mixed trusts: These are a blend of different types of trusts. Tax rules applies to different parts of the trust.
Settlor-interested trusts: These are where the settlor or spouse benefits from the trust.
Non-resident trusts: This is a trust where the trustees aren't resident in the UK for tax purposes.
One thing they all have in common is they all work towards minimising taxes and maximising inheritance for your beneficiaries. Trusts insure that all sums and directions are carried out to your specified wishes.
Trusts are also a great way to protect your assets from any potential 'gold-diggers' and those not in your family.
Speak to a financial advisor
The subject of wealth preservation is something a qualified financial advisor can help plan and put into place. The financial advisor can help to make your savings and investments tax-efficient using trusts.
A financial advisor can guide you through the whole process, from helping install better monetary values to your family and estate planning to setting up family banks.
By making use of these ways to retain wealth over several generations of your family, you can ensure that your valuable assets are kept in the most financially prudent and effective way.
Get in touch with a financial advisor at IMC and discuss your goals and objectives to ensure your family are well provided for when you no longer can.
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The Oracle of the Dead People
The ancient Oracle of the Dead People (Nekromanteion) of Acheron is located in Mesopotamos village, 3 km away from Ammoudia. It was the first known oracle of antiquity dedicated to the god of the Lower World, Hades, and was discovered in the 1960s. It was built near the point where the Rivers Pyriflgethon (Burnt by the Fire), Acheron and Kokytos were joining, symbolizing the sadness, sighs, and sorrows of death. It is known also as the oracle of Ephira from the Mycenaean homonymous colony which is found within walking distance. According to Homer, from this point Odysseus descended to the Lower World in order to meet Tiresias and take an oracle for his return to Ithaca.
The ancients believed that the dead could predict the future. Those who wanted to communicate with the souls and make predictions about the future would go to the Acheron Oracle. In order to reach the dark room and take the oracle, they stayed in the underground halls of the oracle. Visitors met priests at the entrance, who accompanied them to the reception rooms. They asked them some questions to learn the purpose of their visit. Then, priests invited visitors to stay in public rooms where they would prepare themselves for their communication with the spirits. Visitors followed a particular diet and chewed drug plants to blow their minds. Then, with the priest's escort, they sacrificed animals and went to the sanctuary to communicate with the souls. The offerings woke the souls up, so they could chat with them.
Finds of the Oracle
The earliest finds of the Oracle date back to the Mycenaean era (14th-13th century BC), however the main part of the sanctuary dates back to the Early Hellenistic period (late 4th-early 3rd century BC). The oracle was destroyed by the Romans in the 1st century BC. In the 18th century AC, the monastery of Agios Ioannis Prodromos was built in the area. It is still preserved with the respective cemetery.
The Labyrinth of the Oracle
It's worth a visit to the archaeological site. The "labyrinth", a labyrinthine corridor, gives the visitor the impression of wandering through the dark streets of Hades. The labyrinth had three arched iron gates, "the gates of Hades", with large iron studs, many of which were found in the excavations. From these gates, the middle and the third gate leading to the central hall are well preserved. Below the main room is an equally large underground room carved into the rock, possibly in the place of the original cave of prehistoric worship. The Underground Sacred Crypt is very imposing and has marvelous acoustics and architecture.
The place is of great interest for lovers of history. It gives you a mystical experience that is worth doing.


BellWether Blog
The Significance of Demand and Supply to the Economy
Within every economy is an underlying current of supply and demand. There are many different economic theories regarding the impact of supply vs demand on an economy, macro vs micro economies, global economies, and the list goes on. This subject can get very complex very quickly and that is not the scope of this article. Instead we just want to look at the effect of supply and demand within a weak economy. With a weakened economy often comes weakened demand and without demand there will be no production or consumption that will take place. For this reason, having these two components always present and working within the economy is highly important. When changes take place it can be felt throughout a supply chain at many different levels.
Demand is known to be the quantity or amount of services or goods people are able and willing to purchase at various prices, whereas supply is known to be the quantity of services or goods that are provided at each price. How do demand and supply interact in order to take control of the market? Purchasers and sellers respond in opposite directions for fluctuation in price. If the price of a certain commodity increases, the capability and willingness of vendors to offer them will also increase, whereas the capability and willingness of consumers to purchase such commodity will decrease.
There are some instances wherein the domino effect might take place. This domino effect is another factor of the market that needs to considered in specific reference to the supply chain. What is meant by a domino effect? This is a chain reaction which takes place when a small modification causes another small modification in something close to it, which will cause another change similar to the first and so forth within linear sequence. This term is popularly known as the mechanical effect, which is used as the analogy for a falling line of dominoes. It normally refers to the linked succession of events in which the time range between the sequences of events is moderately small. It could be used metaphorically or literally; Metaphorical use to represent causal linkages in systems, like politics and global finance, and literal use as observed in series of real collisions.
An example of domino effect applied in global finance can be found looking at something as simple as the price of basmati rice, which is expected to increase by just about 80 percent because of decreased production in Pakistan and India. The Indian harvest in 2012 yielded 40 percent less than the previous year according to the Rice Association. So why did this happen? Drought? Poor soil conditions? Natural disasters? Actually, the main reason is the launch of a minimum price support by the Indian government for long-grain rice in order to motivate farmers and steer them into other varieties.
Basmati rice is only grown in Pakistan and India so based on simply supply and demand it is a high-value crop, but it is also a low-yield export crop. So farmers have to consider the new addition of the government backed price support, look at all the advantages and disadvantages of basmati compared to other varieties that have a higher yield and make some tough decisions. In the end, basmati producers are found to be switching to other varieties, which reduces supply and increases price.
You can easily see the domino effect at work. But take it a step further and you can see a chain reaction throughout the supply line as vendors and suppliers purchase from the farmers and sell to stores, restaurants and individuals. A good supply manager will be able to trace things back to the source, make intelligent decisions and prepare as much as possible for shifts and changes in the market.
March 7, 2013
BY Bellwether
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I wonder what interesting and non-trivial examples of density Ramsey theorems with explicit asymptotics are there?
I'm aware of two examples: Szemerédi's theorem and density Hales-Jewett theorem.
Let me try to formalize what I mean by "density Ramsey theorems". I'm interested in statements of the following type: for every $k \in \mathbb{N}, \alpha > 0$ there exists $n_0 = n_0(k, \alpha)$ such that if we have a collection of $n \geq n_0$ objects, then whatever $\alpha n$ objects we take there are $k$ among them that form a "nice" structure. Collections and niceness are problem-specific of course: in case of Szemerédi's theorem they are $\lbrace 1, 2, \ldots, n\rbrace$ and arithmetic progressions, for Hales-Jewett — $[k]^d$ and combinatorial lines, respectively. I'm particularly interested in theorems where the dependence $n_0 = n_0(k, \alpha)$ can be made explicit.
share|improve this question
Since there no definitive answer, shouldn't this be community wiki? – Benoît Kloeckner Nov 19 '11 at 12:40
_USER_ sure, I just forgot about it – ilyaraz Nov 19 '11 at 14:09
3 Answers 3
Fix $\epsilon>0$. Every subset $A$ of $\{1,2,\dots,n\}$ with $|A|\geq \epsilon n$ contains a centrally symmetric subset $E$ (in other words, there is a $c$ with $E-c=c-E$) with $|E|> \alpha \epsilon^2 n$. The optimal value for $\alpha$ isn't known, but there are reasonably close upper and lower bounds. Greg Martin's paper, with some coauthor or other, isn't the state of the art, but it's the source that sticks in my mind.
Personally, I prefer the continuous statement: every subset of $[0,1]$ with measure $\epsilon$ contains a centrally symmetric subset with measure $0.6\epsilon^2$. And the the "$0.6$", while not best possible, cannot be replaced with "$0.9$".
share|improve this answer
Kostas Tyros spoke in the Toronto set theory seminar just yesterday about a density version of the Halpern Lauchli Theorem. Actually he spoke about a finite version of the density theorem, and the density version is due to P. Dodos et. al. from 2010 I believe.
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A nice example is Sárközy's theorem on squares among differences.
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Your Answer


Excuse abuse
Excuse abuse
Feb 01, 1998
Four management principles you can not work without
Excuse abuse can spread through a practice like a lethal virus. Accusations and denials slow individual productivity to a crawl, and teamwork tumbles as synergy and camaraderie die out. Clients who simply want a straight answer don't get one, and worst of all, the veterinary team loses its focus on the health, happiness, and well-being of its patients. When excuse abuse hits, everyone suffers.
Eliminating the "it's not my fault" mentality from a practice isn't easy. It's human nature to want to blame someone else when problems arise or something goes wrong. But there is a way to break the cycle. It starts by cultivating a new culture in your practice—one that promotes individual responsibility and self-improvement. It also means taking concrete steps to prevent mistakes, mix-ups, and miscommunication.
Ten characteristics of well-functioning teams
Whether you are a practice manager, head receptionist, or a respected member of the veterinary healthcare team, here's what you can do to stop excuse abuse from crippling your practice:
 - Seek to improve yourself first. As a practice leader, you need to become a living, breathing example of what you want the rest of the team to be. Your motto: "Do as I say and as I do." You set the tone for the rest of the staff, so be the first to admit, "I screwed up. Let's see how we can prevent this from happening again." Today's great leaders know how to combine old fashioned integrity with state-of-the-art management strategies to achieve maximum productivity—with minimum stress.
 - Step onto the front lines. The most dangerous course of action is to hide out in your little corner. You can't contribute effectively if you don't know what's going on in the rest of the hospital—and how will you know if you work in a vacuum? Instead, practice what best-selling author and business guru Tom Peters calls "management by walking around." Get an accurate picture of the work environment firsthand by using your eyes, ears, and heart to understand practice dynamics.
 - Consider the source. If you do hear about a practice problem second-hand, determine if your source is reliable before taking steps to correct the situation. Is this team member a chronic excuser or accuser? Or is this person a straight-forward, unblinking source of accurate, unbiased information?
 - Catch people doing things right. Go out of your way to publicly acknowledge a staff member who quickly responds to a problem or circumvents a potential disaster. Reward behavior you want to see repeated.
At the same time, draw less attention to harmless mistakes. Punishing team members for simple mistakes, like calling someone's pet'she' when it's a 'he,' stifles initiative and creativity and builds resentment. Instead, adopt the philosophy that "we're only human." We're all bound to make mistakes—but let's learn from them and work hard to prevent those small blunders from recurring.
 - Give feedback not criticism. Criticism focuses blame and tears people down. It sounds something like: "You don't handle upset clients very well." Constructive feedback, on the other hand, focuses on the problem and builds people up: "When we don't listen attentively to clients' concerns, the problem tends to escalate. Here is what you can do to handle the situation better in the future."


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RIVERSIDE, Calif. (_URL_) – Imagine a world where bright, energy sipping, cheap, durable LEDs light the world. A world where if you have enough light to see, you are connected.
The University of California, Riverside will lead a multi-campus effort that could reshape the way we communicate and navigate in homes, offices, airports and especially in hospitals, airports and other places where radio frequency communication is prohibited.
The Center for Ubiquitous Communication by Light (UC-Light) will be funded with $3.5 million from the Multicampus Research Program and Initiatives (MRPI) competition within the University of California system.
"PDAs, HDTV, information kiosks, computers and laptops all can be interconnected wirelessly through visible light," said Zhengyuan Xu, a professor of electrical engineering at the Bourns College of Engineering, the principal investigator and director of the new research center.
He will work with researchers with expertise in communication, navigation, transportation, networking, and circuit integration from UC Riverside, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Merced and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to take advantage of the communication properties presented by LED lights.
The project is anticipated to begin in January 2010 and run for five years.
Xu said the potential impacts of the research are huge. "With a proper data interface to a wired data network such as Ethernet, they make it possible to build very low-cost communication and navigation systems on existing lighting infrastructure."
The research results will likely have implications for current broadband wireless communication, HDTV signals, traffic navigation and directions, retrieving information via cell phones from electronic billboards, or allowing the refrigerator light to transmit information about what is needed on the next trip to the grocery store. Results will be especially important in areas where radio frequencies are limited, such as hospitals and airplanes.
"The visible light spectrum is several orders of magnitude larger than the crowded radiofrequency (RF) spectrum, and thus has huge potential for low cost and high data rate communication," Xu said.
Discoveries will lead to an increase in related intellectual property, which would foster further technology transfer from the university to the commercial world, and could replace or supplement current wireless communication networks.
The Center will establish an advisory board consisting of invited experts and representatives from industry, government and academia. The researchers will consult advisory board members informally throughout the year, and the board will have a formal face-to-face meeting once per year.
Just like centralized heating systems contributed to the proliferations of rooms in a house, the advent of indoor plumbing contributed to the emergence of modern bathrooms and kitchens, and most dramatically the advent of the electric safety elevator allowed architects to design tall buildings; the advent of communication through common light sources could lead to a difference in the way houses and offices are designed.
"We are delighted to have this research center at our college," said Reza Abbaschian, dean of the Bourns College of Engineering. "I am confident this center will make significant advances in next-generation communication technologies."
Researchers affiliated with UC-Light: Center for Ubiquitous Communication by Light
The University of California, Riverside is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California's diverse culture, UCR's enrollment of about 17,000 is expected to grow to 21,000 students by 2020. The campus is planning a medical school and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Graduate Center. The campus has an annual statewide economic impact of more than $1 billion. To learn more, visit _URL_ or call (951) UCR-NEWS.
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


lectio difficilior Look up lectio difficilior at Dictionary.com
Latin, literally "harder reading," from phrase maxim difficilior lectio potior. In textual reconstruction (of the Bible, etc.) the rule that, of two alternative manuscript readings, the one whose meaning is less obvious is less likely to be a copyist's alteration, and therefore should be given precedence. From lectio, noun of action from past participle stem of legere "to read" (see lecture (n.)).


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The sphere of life necklace is a powerful symbol that can be used to represent your life. Its significance can be seen in many cultures worldwide, and it has been used as a talisman for centuries. If you are looking for an emblem of positivity, this necklace will help you feel hopeful about the future!
This article includes three main points:
1) sphere of life meaning and symbolism
Sphere of life meaning and symbolism: The sphere symbolizes the world, which includes all aspects of your life. It represents how everything in your sphere affects you as well as those around you. Your thoughts, feelings, emotions are like waves that flow out from you into the wider sphere.
2) sphere of life origins
Sphere of life origins: One origin is that sphere amulets were used to protect against the evil eye in ancient Greece and Rome. The sphere also represents unity, wholeness, or completeness.
The sphere symbolizes the connections we have with others and our environment.
3) sphere of life jewelry
In the Cerrone store, you can find a sphere of life necklace Australia of your choosing.
Wear one of the most potent symbols with a beautiful necklace any time of the day. Get your sphere of life necklace now.


Behringer FX600
Reader asked a question and its been a while since I thought about circuit bending guitar pedals, but here is some general knowledge that may be useful for someone to take the mystery out of this process.
"Usually most modern pedals are completely digital with 1 or 2 chips making the whole thing go. So if you start poking around you will simply crash it because you interrupt the CPU frequency crystal timing. Not much there except maybe adding the LTC Precision oscillator to pitch the whole thing up and down.
There are OP amps here and there to amplify the signal and that will give you some feedback bends.
The glitchy bends in digital equipment come from messing with the ROM chips where waveforms are stored or RAM chips where the input audio gets held up for delay effects and loops etc. However in modern electronics those are extremely small and hard to work with.
A reasonable way to get interesting sounds out of modern guitar pedals is to have a signal feedback mixer and also explore adding some LFO variations to the knob parameters or CV inputs and Gates controlled by an external Modular Synthesizer.
I think that's about all you can really do with that aside from reprogramming the flash of the chip which is basically impossible. "