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Aflac Survey Shows the Growing Importance of Corporate Social Responsibility for Consumers and Investors
Date and Time for Distribution:
NEWSROOM: Aflac
CAMPAIGN: Duckprints Done Right
Billionaire Warren Buffet famously said that "It takes 20 years to build a reputation, and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently." As we begin approach the promise of a new year, Mr. Buffet's words provide a reminder for businesses and consumers about the importance of a strong reputation.
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A Year in CSR: The Top 10 Trends of 2016
NEWSROOM: Porter Novelli/Cone
As we take stock on the past 365 days, there's no doubt that 2016 has been a turbulent time for business and society. From the ballooning refugee crisis to unexpected political outcomes from all corners of the globe, the world is a different place than just 12 months ago.
Read more about A Year in CSR: The Top 10 Trends of 2016
MSD Lends its Best Employees to NGOs Around the World
NEWSROOM: Ethical Performance
CAMPAIGN: Best Practice
The Fellowship for Global Health programme matches skills to needs. Miranda Ingram reports…
As a global healthcare leader based in Kenilworth, New Jersey, MSD, known as Merck & Co., Inc. in the US and Canada, is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. It also runs the flagship MSD Fellowship for Global Health – a three month, field-based corporate pro bono programme that lends the brightest and the best of its employees to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) around the globe as part of its mission to help the world be well.
Read more about MSD Lends its Best Employees to NGOs Around the World
Sealed Air Corporation Donates to Toys for Tots
NEWSROOM: Sealed Air
CAMPAIGN: Sealed Air: Benefiting Society
Charlotte, NC, December 28, 2016 /3BL Media/ – Sealed Air Corporation (NYSE: SEE) has collected over 1,100 toys this holiday season for donation to the U.S. Marine Corps' Toys for Tots Program. Sixteen Sealed Air locations across the U.S. donated to this annual toy drive as a way to give back to children in the local communities in which they live and work. The company is a 2016 National Corporate Donor to Toys for Tots.
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'Mobile Eyes' Clinics Provide Free Eye Exams to Those in Need
NEWSROOM: VSP Global
CAMPAIGN: Eyes of Hope: a Million More
While making general health care accessible to all has been a focal point for the most recent federal administration, bringing specialty health services like optometry to underserved communities has not been the priority.
Senator Andy Vidak, however, has made it his mission to help ensure those in the rural parts of California Senate District 14 have access to eye care.
Read more in The Business Journal.
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Ecocentricity Blog: Let's Play Another Game
Here's the game. I will give you a quote, and then I will challenge you with the impossible task of guessing who said it. It could be Justin Bieber. It could be Kim Jong-un. Who knows?!?!
NEWSROOM: Ray C. Anderson Foundation
CAMPAIGN: Ecocentricity Blog
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SCS' Sustainably Grown Certification Program Now ANSI Accredited
Sustainably Grown Certification
NEWSROOM: SCS Global Services
CAMPAIGN: Kingfisher Around the World
EMERYVILLE, Calif., January 3, 2017, /3BL Media/- SCS Global Services (SCS) announced today that its Sustainably Grown Certification program is now accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). In this context, SCS is among the first entities to be recognized by ANSI as an eligible eco-labeling certification scheme owner and standards developer under the internationally recognized requirements and processes of the ISO 14020 and ISO 14024 standards.
Read more about SCS' Sustainably Grown Certification Program Now ANSI Accredited
Your Kitchen, A Year Older: 4 Ways Food Companies Will Evolve in 2017
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MAG Property Development Partners with Delos™ to Introduce New Wellness Single Family Homes in the Middle East
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Orvis Goes Solar
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Scottish Independence: Tell Me How This Ends
Aaron MacLean - September 18, 2014 12:13 PM
In the words of David Petraeus shortly after the invasion of Iraq in 2003: Tell me how this ends. Scotland, you may be aware, is voting on the question of independence from the UK today. The polls show a tight race, with all of the passion on the pro-independence side. When the votes are tallied early Friday morning, the results may well end the political connection between Scotland and England that has been in existence since 1707.
Yet the unanswered questions about how an independent Scotland might actually function are innumerable. The Scottish National Party (SNP), which drives the independence movement, has invested a level of detailed planning in the post-independence aftermath that makes the U.S. post-war scheme for Iraq in 2003 look like the Schlieffen plan.
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Among the problems: how will Scotland pay for the vast welfare state that currently subsists on wealth transfers from England to the north? How will its presumed anti-nuclear stance square with membership in NATO? What will its currency be, considering that the Westminster government has said it won't want the Scots on the pound anymore? SNP answers to these questions are characterized by wild optimism and thoroughgoing vagueness. Better to be free of the Westminster yoke now, and work out the details of a more perfect social democracy later.
No less a true friend of social democracy than Paul Krugman thinks that independence from the UK is a terrible idea:
Well, I have a message for the Scots: Be afraid, be very afraid. The risks of going it alone are huge. You may think that Scotland can become another Canada, but it's all too likely that it would end up becoming Spain without the sunshine.
Krugman's reasonable point is that, in order to have the sort of wildly irresponsible welfare state that the left-leaning Scots desire (not his way of putting it, naturally) a country has to be able to print its own cash. But Scotland will likely either be dependent on the British pound—which the SNP says it plans to keep regardless of Westminster's preference—or on the Euro. Which means that when cash gets tight, they won't be able to debase their own currency, leading either to continued dependency on London—or on the Germans.
Yet, despite all this, the Scots might still vote for independence today. The causes are many. On the level of the last few decades of politics, it is the case that Scotland's politics have drifted substantially to the left of those of England, and many in Scotland regard the broader British political class, embodied by men like Tony Blair and David Cameron, as American poodles and slick friends of rapacious capitalism. In the common telling of the story, it all went wrong with Thatcher, without whose brutal economic "reforms" Scotland would still today be a thriving industrial and manufacturing hub.
Never mind pointing out that, even if Margaret Thatcher had never been born, no industrial or manufacturing hub in Europe could have competed with the labor cost dynamics created by a globalized economy, or that, without Thatcher, the functional British economy that today subsidizes the Scottish welfare state would not be nearly as successful. It's pointless, because of the emotional, populist character of the independence movement, and its atavistic attachment to a much more powerful force than reason: nationalism.
In Scotland's case, the nationalism in question is left-wing. For decades, the European social democratic consensus, the existence of which has been made possible by American defense spending, has moved away from nationalism, which—for reasons to do with some unfortunate events in the middle of the 20th century, principally involving the Germans—the European ruling class finds distasteful. According to this consensus, the future of sovereignty lies with international institutions, not ethnic identities.
The rhetoric of the pro-independence Scots does not necessarily clash with any of these assertions, but the success of their movement does raise the question of whether or not all this passion simply comes from an uncomplicated desire to be more like Sweden. And of course it doesn't: Such a desire mingles with a desire to not be subject to someone else—the English.
In this way, the left-nationalism of the Scots is like any other nationalism. It defines itself by what it is not. The eminently rational, thin-blooded, passionless ruling class of the United Kingdom—embodied so perfectly in the wan form of Cameron—has only itself to blame, and not because of Lady Thatcher. It is to blame because, as Britain meant less and less to its own ruling elite, and the Union became a post-patriotic society where un-ironic expressions of love for one's country were socially unacceptable, a genuine human need of those who lived within the Union went unsatisfied. If Britain no longer stood for, or against, anything, the Scots remembered they could satisfy this need by standing against their old foils, the English.
Some see no downside to the reviving forces of nationalism in Scotland. As the Washington Post puts it this morning:
An independent Scotland would also not trade on a narrow, ethnically driven sense of identity. Immigrants, a key swing vote, may play a vital role in the outcome of the referendum…
Both Scotland and Catalonia's independence movements champion their respective regions' roles in a wider Europe and see their independent states as cosmopolitan and open to immigrants. It's a far cry from the ethnic nationalism that reshaped Europe's map a century ago.
Others are not so bullish, perhaps remembering that ethnic, as opposed to civic, nationalism, has a… checkered history in Europe. Niall Ferguson—a pro-Union Scot, as it turns out—is troubled:
The reality is that, as an independent country, Scotland would be far more likely to revert to its pre-1707 bad habits than to morph magically into "Scandland". For this debate on independence has opened some old rifts and created some new ones, too.
Many No voters I met complained of an atmosphere of intimidation. I tried to organise a group of pro-Union historians based in Scotland to write a letter backing the No campaign. I was told that, at most, two would be willing to sign. Most disturbing of all were the stories of SNP bigwigs issuing thinly veiled warnings to institutions perceived to be insufficiently Yes-istic. Jim Sillars's warning to BP and the big banks of a "day of reckoning" is part of a sinister pattern.
This, then, gives us a hint of what Alex Salmond's brave new Scotland would really be like: a divided and rancorous society with a vindictive style of politics. If that sounds familiar, that's because it nicely sums up Scotland as it was before the Union.
Scotch history is not a pretty one.
When both Paul Krugman and Niall Ferguson think what you are doing is a bad idea, it might be time to pause and reconsider.
This entry was posted in National Security and tagged European Union, Paul Krugman. Bookmark the permalink.
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Trump Suspends All Travel From Europe to the U.S. to Fight Coronavirus
Aaron MacLean is a writer and policy analyst in Washington, D.C. From 2014 to 2017 he was the managing editor of the Washington Free Beacon.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Talking Screens, December 24, 2021-January 6, 2022: Holiday Movie Reviews | Chicago Film Critics Association Award Winners
December 23, 2021 at 7:00 am by Ray Pride
December 23, 2021 January 6, 2022 Filed under:
"The Tragedy Of Macbeth"
Talking Screens, Two Weeks In Chicago Film, December 24, 2021-January 6, 2022
Lana Wachowski's "The Matrix Resurrections" and Paul Thomas Anderson's "Licorice Pizza" rear their wooly heads at the end of a fuzzy year; Joel Coen's "The Tragedy Of Macbeth" is a fearsome hallucination in stark black-and-white; and Adam McKay's "Don't Look Up" is a manic manifestation of calculated hysteria about the end of the world. Plus: Matthew Vaughn continues his quietly remunerative succession of nasty, louche, carbohydrate-rich action send-ups with "The King's Man"; and a new feature directed by Denzel Washington, "A Journal for Jordan" opens at Christmas, a love story with Michael B. Jordan as an American soldier in Iraq who tends a journal for his infant son. The secretive "The Book of Boba Fett" sidles onto Disney Plus on December 29, so secretive that co-star Jennifer Beals says when she showed up to set she didn't know which of the "Star Wars" offshoot product lines she was working on.
"Licorice Pizza" may be the closest Paul Thomas Anderson has come to channeling the work of his master, Robert Altman, with overlapping stories and characters that don't necessarily intersect in terms of plot, but cumulatively build unexpected and sometimes inexpressible emotional connection. The onrushing last ten minutes of the movie feel as Altmanesque as anything Anderson has done, lacking only an abrupt sudden death that lurks potentially in the film's growing dark. But from dark comes light and from running, running, running, a destination arrives. The golden retriever and the greyhound have their moment that lasts as long as the image, until, resolved-not-resolved, it ambles into tender memory. Our review is here. In theaters, including the Music Box in 70mm for a limited time.
Adam McKay's "Don't Look Up" is of a piece with his most recent features, "The Big Short" and "Vice": savvy but manic manifestations of information overload with political asides bristling for space with inspired (and some not-so-inspired) jokes. It took a few hours, or even days, to get perspective on this bountifully financed Netflix production, a star-laden satire of media indifference to events that could exterminate the planet—the political calculations of a rightwing president, say, or a comet coming this way a few weeks hence that would consume all in a fiery ball, serving as a large metaphor for global warming. There are tics and tricks in McKay's editing that demonstrate he knows just what he's doing with his barraging style across 138 minutes, including cutting off characters in mid-sentence to cut to the next scene. Distracted society? Distracted movie. "Don't Look Up" can feel like the most expensively produced sketch-comedy show in history, but most of the bits hold both guffaws as well as gnawing elements: McKay seeks inconvenient sooth. Standouts in the teeming case: Cate Blanchett and Tyler Perry as the gleaming, almost-too-true-to-be-good hosts of a morning "news" show, "The Daily Rip" and Mark Rylance as an interfering billionaire nearly as strange as all those rocket guys put together. The ending works very, very hard not to be the ending. Let's see how that turns out with casual Netflix subscriber-samplers. With Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, Timothée Chalamet, Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Ron Perlman, Rob Morgan, Ariana Grande, Scott Mescudi, Himesh Patel, Melanie Lynskey, Michael Chiklis and Tomer Sisley. Streaming on Netflix from Christmas Eve.
"The Matrix Resurrections" carries its internal contradictions with the feline grace of deadly, freak weather. It's "The Martryoshka 4"! But you know what? It's generous: for those who don't love the city of Zion mythology, for instance, the movie is going to abruptly slip-slide into something else. You come for fresh philosophical constructs and time-bending conundrums and you will also get Neil Patrick Harris' striped socks, worn with pants at flood level. Welcome to "The Matrix Detournements"! "We're all trapped in these strange, repeating loops," and that sentiment stands twenty-two years after the original was released. Our review is here. "The Matrix Resurrections" is in theaters and on HBO Max for thirty-one days.
Joel Coen's "The Tragedy Of Macbeth" is a fearsome hallucination in stark black-and-white; the simplicity and precision of its presentation, from minimalist fourteenth-century sets by Stefan Dechant ("Avatar") to detailed costuming by Coen familiar Mary Zophres, elevates and focuses, rather than distracting from the performances of Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand (as well as the fantastic Kathryn Hunter as the Three Witches). The cinematography by Bruno Delbonnel ("Amélie," "Inside Llewyn Davis") is less hyperreal than hyper-dreamt, relentlessly crisp. Carter Burwell's score suits the scene, far from the Americana of earlier scores for Coen pictures. In theaters Christmas Day.
Seven-time CFCA winner "The Power of the Dog"
Among gongs sounded by the Chicago Film Critics Association was Jane Campion's "The Power Of The Dog" as best picture along with six other nods: best director, best actor (Benedict Cumberbatch), best supporting actor (Kodi Smit-McPhee), best adapted screenplay, best cinematography and Jonny Greenwood for best original score. Best Actress: Kristen Stewart, "Spencer"; Ruth Negga, best supporting actress, "Passing." Three films took two awards: "The French Dispatch" (best editing; best art direction and production design); "Licorice Pizza" (best original screenplay; most promising performer, Alana Haim); and "Spencer" (Best Actress (Stewart); best costume design). Best foreign-language film: "Drive My Car." More winners here.
Talking Screens: Film Festival Award Winners | November Festivals Announce Slates "Last Night in Soho" and "Antlers" open wide. Reviews of "French Dispatch" and "Dune: Part One." Plus news and awards from many Chicago film festivals.
Talking Screens, October 1-7, 2021: Women's Sexuality in "The Dilemma of Desire" | Chicago Critics Film Festival Returns | A Contrarian Take… A few words from French filmmaker Julia Ducournau on "Titane"; brief thoughts on "The Addams Family 2," "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" and "The Many Saints of Newark."
Talking Screens, May 13-19, 2022: Happening is Timeless, Unfortunately | The Strange Brew of Doctor Strange | Chicago Critics Film Festival In Chicago this week, the Chicago Film Critics Festival, Music Box announces their 70MM film lineup and a cornucopia of revivals around town.
Talking Screens: December 23, 2022-January 5, 2023: Darren Aronofsky's "The Whale" Sinks But Siskel, Others, Fill Screens With Masterpieces Recommended short runs are spicy across the next two weeks, including the start of a winter series of 35mm Billy Wilder matinees at the Music Box. FACETS presents Neil Jordan's "The Company of Wolves," and their New Year attraction: Hype Williams' "Belly." And the Siskel Film Center wraps up its fiftieth anniversary "50/50" series with a few refreshers.
Talking Screens, January 28-February 3, 2022: The Final Film of Jóhann Jóhannsson | Bad News for Indie Film | The Conversation Continues Theatrical openings of note this week are the late composer Jóhann Jóhannsson's only feature and a single-night showing of the documentary "Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché." Plus, "The Man Who Fell To Earth," "The Conversation," "The Freshman," and "Ghost Dog: Way Of The Samurai" along with other movie-related news.
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If you follow me on youtube, you know I have a special friend with whom I share the same hometown .. Lucrezia!
She's a youtuber and she specialises in teaching Italian online. Her channel is called Learn Italian with Lucrezia. If you are interested in learning Italian in a very easy and simple manner, check her channel out, she's pretty good!
I met Lucrezia on Youtube last year and we immediately struck a friendship. I thought I would do a blog post about her to demonstrate the power of the internet … I was reflecting on this as I was walking around Harrods with her last weekend. I mean … we wouldn't have met if it wasn't for youtube!! What a powerful way of connecting people everywhere in the world, it still amazes me, truly.
Side note: Please be careful of meeting up with random people you meet online. Bring a friend, your big brother or a machete with you … no jokes.
We had so much fun and that was the beginning of a real friendship! She came to London to visit this past weekend and we had a blast going around the mighty Harrods Knightsbridge in London! We shot some bits and pieces and a Vlog will be coming up soon! So stay tuned for more 😉 Once again, I am so glad we have the internet .. so many friendships and such cool people everywhere!
Te internet is truly amazing. I wouldn't have discovered how great both of you are if it weren't for YouTube.


PRE-ORDER ITEM! AVAILABLE MARCH 22ND! The power of the Empire is visible on any subjugated world - and you`ll be able to supplement your Stormtroopers with the All Terrain Scout Transport! With the AT-ST Unit Expansion for Star Wars: Legion, you`ll find a single, finely sculpted, massive AT-ST miniature, which can be assembled to loom over the battlefield and provide a rallying point for your entire army. Alongside this beautiful miniature is an assortment of all the unit cards and upgrade cards you`ll need to fully integrate the AT-ST into the Empire`s war machine - and your armies!


Please note these are approximate days, to be adjusted to the actual arrival date in Antarctica and climbing schedule.
Depart Your Country of Origin. If possible you may want to arrive on this day, in case of lost luggage or flight delay.
Arrive Punta Arenas, Chile. From the airport in Punta Arenas, you'll be escorted to your hotel. We'll schedule a time to check your Antarctic clothing and ensure that nothing has been inadvertently forgotten. We'll discuss Leave No Trace principles and how best to preserve the pristine Antarctic Wilderness. Please arrive early in the day if possible as we try to complete gear check on this day in early afternoon.
Gear Check, Final Prep; Slide Show, Gear Weighing, City Exploration. After final gear preparations; we usually have time to explore the city. Late in the afternoon, we will have an Antarctica slide show and lecture conducted by ALE. The lecture includes information on your flight south, the current weather situation, and what to expect on your arrival in Antarctica. We will also be weighing gear, as all gear that will fly to the glacier will be checked in at this time.
Depart Punta Arenas, Chile. Fly to Antarctica. Fly 4.25 hours to Antarctica by private transport jet. Transfer to ski aircraft and continue to Vinson Base Camp at 6,900 ft. (2,100 m) on the Branscomb Glacier.
You'll be notified of our departure time as soon as we have a clear weather forecast, and given around two hours before we pick you up at the hotel. Make sure your bill has been settled and that your "city" clothing has been left at the hotel. After completing customs and immigration formalities at the airport, we'll proceed to the aircraft for a photo session before climbing on board. We'll fly to Union Glacier Camp. If the weather permits, we'll transfer our equipment from the Ilyushin 76 aircraft to the Twin Otter and fly an hour to Vinson Base Camp. The pilot will be in constant contact with the base for weather updates. There have been occasions when deteriorating conditions after departure from Union Glacier have forced us to turn around and await better flying conditions. Once we land at Vinson Base Camp, we'll review the climbing route and rearrange the loads for the journey.
Vinson Base Camp: Acclimatization and Preparations. This is a day to relax and recover after several days of travel. In the quiet surroundings of Vinson Base Camp, we can appreciate the beauty of Antarctica while preparing for our climb. We will load our sleds for the days ahead and, if time allows, we will take a short hike to gain familiarity with the Antarctic environment and to refine our clothing and equipment choices for the climb.
Vinson Base Camp to Low Camp. 2,150 ft. (650 m) of elevation gain, 5.5 miles (9 km) of distance, 4–6 hours travel.
From Vinson Base Camp to Low Camp we follow the gradual rise of the Branscomb Glacier. The gentle climb is ideal for pulling sleds allowing us to lighten the loads in our packs. Due to crevasse hazard, we will travel roped together today and throughout our time on the mountain. At Low Camp (elevation 9,000 ft./2,750 m) the guides build a cooking/dining shelter for our group. Depending on conditions, we may overnight here or cache equipment and return to Vinson Base Camp. The following day we will re-ascend from Vinson Base Camp, acclimatize at Low Camp, or continue our climb up the mountain.
Low to High Camp (this includes some extra days). 3,350 ft. (1,020 m) of elevation gain, fixed ropes on slopes up to 45 degrees, approximately 6–10 hours travel.
We ascend to High Camp (12,400 ft./3,770 m) when conditions are suitable and the forecast indicates stable weather ahead. We may carry all of our equipment in one push, or we may choose a "load carry," overnighting back at Low Camp and re-ascending the next day with lighter loads. These choices will depend on weather and group fitness.
Our route takes us up the broad mixed spur at the northern end of the Branscomb Ridge, offering fantastic views of Mount Shinn and the glaciers below. We ascend fixed ropes on snow slopes up to 35/40 degrees. Snow conditions can vary from soft to hard and windblown with icy patches. From the top of the fixed lines to High Camp takes about 1.5 hours ascending the gentle snow slopes of the summit glacier. This section of the route can be very exposed to the wind, requiring care to prevent cold injury.
The facilities at High Camp are more basic than at camps below. We cook and eat simple, dehydrated meals in our tents, or outside if the weather is calm. Our next day is normally spent resting and acclimatizing at High Camp to give everyone the best chance of summiting.
High Camp to Vinson Summit. Return trip from High Camp – 3,670 ft. (1,120 m) elevation gain, 9 miles (14 km) distance, 9-12 hours travel.
We make our summit attempt on the best weather day possible as the route is exposed and subject to high winds. The majority of the route is along the Vinson summit valley, with a short, steeper snow and ice slope leading to the spectacular, rocky, summit ridge. The views from the summit are breathtaking. Mount Gardner, Tyree, Epperly, and Shinn dominate the foreground, surrounded by impressive peaks that rise from the vast ice sheet below. Here, at the top of Antarctica, the true scale and majesty of the continent are overwhelmingly apparent. We'll take time to savor the experience and take photos before retracing our steps to High Camp.
Descent to Vinson Base Camp. The descent to Vinson Base Camp is usually achieved in one day from High Camp, retracing our route down the fixed ropes and along the Branscomb Glacier. At Vinson Base Camp, we celebrate our summit with a hearty meal and a toast to our team.
Return to Union Glacier by Ski Aircraft.
Once we're back in Base Camp and a full aircraft load is ready, the guide will inform Union Glacier and an aircraft will be dispatched to collect you. There will be opportunities to meet and trade stories with other adventurers and, if conditions allow, we may explore the scenic peaks nearby camp (these can also be used as extra climbing days as needed).
Return to Punta Arenas, Chile. Weather permitting, the aircraft from Punta Arenas will arrive with a new collection of avid explorers and you depart for the final leg of your Antarctic experience. Our staff will meet you at Punta Arenas airport and transfer you to your hotel.
No two Antarctic experiences are exactly the same. This is part of the excitement and adventure of Antarctic travel. The itinerary above highlights typical activities and experiences. Exact timeline and details will vary from trip to trip. Trip length may vary by departure.
Please anticipate delays and do not plan anything for at least a week after your scheduled return. Allow yourself to enjoy this unique experience without the stress of pending commitments.
Note: Every effort will be made to follow the above itinerary, but it is subject to change at the discretion of our staff, based on weather and local conditions. Some departures may be slightly longer or shorter based on flight schedules to Antarctica. If you are interested in extending your trip to include the South Pole Ski Tour or flight to visit the South Pole, email our director of programs, Gordon Janow.
Our expedition begins in the Chilean town of Punta Arenas. After a night of lodging (not included), we'll join our partners (a local flight service) in an extensive briefing before flying to the Antarctic continent. In recent years we have seen fewer flight delays, but time enough to tour the city.
Often considered the most interesting city in Patagonia, this commercial fishing port town boasts handsome turn-of-the-century architecture, financed by the bustling wool industry of a bygone era. A walking tour will lead you past the great mansions that currently house the Club De La Union and the Sociedad Menendez Behety (now Citibank) found around the Plaza Munoz Gamero. Punta is also known for its fine dining and exquisite wines. Time permitting, one should visit the Museo Regional De Magellan's, the original Punta Arenas mansion, and take a tour of the penguin rookery to view the colony of Magellanic penguins.
Note: Upon arrival in Punta Arenas, most foreigners will be asked to pay a $160 entrance fee.
The flight time from Punta Arenas to the Union Glacier landing strip is approximately 4.5 hours, depending on the winds. The initial part of our flight passes over Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost point in South America. The section of ocean we'll fly over has been notorious for its wild storms, violent winds and heavy seas. Waves higher than 100 feet have been encountered in the Drake Passage by several ships, and many early seamen lost their lives to these waters.
At approximately 60 degrees latitude, we'll reach the winter limits of frozen seas. This area of ocean is called the Antarctic Convergence and is rich in plankton and other tiny creatures that form the bottom of the food chain for Antarctica's rich bird and wildlife colonies. This area is governed by the Antarctic Treaty.
At 66 degrees latitude, we'll cross the Antarctic Circle. Along this circle the sun never sets at the austral summer solstice and never rises at the austral winter solstice. Further south, these Antarctic days lengthen as we get closer to the South Pole, where the sun rises and sets only once a year.
Further south, we'll fly over tabular icebergs and the ice shelves from which they calve. Some of these bergs can be the size of a small country and serve as a method of transport and a home for penguins and seals. The icy continent appears at Charcot Island, close to Alexander Island, at 71 degrees latitude. The ice sheet continues to stretch inland until, in the distance, appear the spectacular Ellsworth Mountains, the highest range in Antarctica. Passing over the Ellsworth Range, our runway comes into sight. The wheeled aircraft lands on an area of blue ice 3,300 ft. (1,000 m) above sea level. The blue ice remains clear of snow because of the Katabatic winds that funnel down from the mountains with great force.
This one-of-a-kind private camp is 1,800 miles from the nearest city. Union Glacier provides a warm welcome to the frozen landscape. We'll have access to a heated and insulated dining hall, where we'll eat all meals. It is also a great place to hang out, read a book, or talk with other explorers. Union Glacier is composed of large "Weatherhaven tents that provide comfortable dining and resting areas. Should we need to spend some days at Union Glacier, we will sleep in tents and, if possible, explore the surrounding regions with a guide. If the weather is good, we may only stop briefly at Union Glacier en route to Vinson Base Camp. Union Glacier camps also contain a small library and medical facility.
We will ascend Vinson using the "standard route." This usually takes from five to nine days depending on weather conditions and how quickly team members acclimatize. Our climb will be a team effort with each person carrying his or her own personal equipment as well as a share of group gear, food, and fuel.
Our success rate is excellent; nonetheless, you should be aware that even though Vinson is not considered a technically difficult peak, the mountain is high, temperatures are well below freezing, and the area is extremely remote. There may be other groups on the mountain at the same time and we'll be in contact with Base Camp by radio throughout the trip. The guide will prepare food for the group each day and climbers will be asked to assist in setting up camp in the evening.
Base Camp (7,000 ft./2,133 m) is located on the lower part of the Branscomb Glacier (west side of the Ellsworth Mountains). We review glacier camping and travel techniques. Knots, rigging, anchors, and crevasse rescue are covered. After dividing our gear between backpacks and sleds, we'll ascend the Branscomb Glacier for six miles to Low Camp (9,000 ft./2,750 m). From Low Camp, we'll ascend to the foot of a large headwall and then up the headwall on moderate snow slopes to a broad col between Vinson and Shinn to establish High Camp (12,400 ft./3,779 m). From High Camp, we'll take in incredible views while we rest to acclimatize for the summit attempt. Summit day is a long journey that includes a 12-hour round-trip climb and a 3,000-ft. gain in elevation. The final summit ridge is a spectacular rock and ice traverse. The views from the top are simply unforgettable!


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Man Dies on First Day of Work in 9-Story Plunge down Elevator Shaft
A married father of 4 delivered a load of groceries and stepped backward through the elevator doors, but the car wasn't there.
The post Man Dies on First Day of Work in 9-Story Plunge down Elevator Shaft appeared first on Zenger News.
A married father of four's first day at a new job in Turkey ended in tragedy after a freak accident took his life.
Nail Polat, 47, arrived for his first shift at a new grocery store on Wednesday in the Turkish city of Adana. He delivered a trolley full of goods to a man named Murat Akkol, who lived on the ninth-floor of an apartment building, according to national newspaper Ensonhaber. After delivering the order, Polat stepped backwards into the building's elevator.
But the lift was still on a higher floor — and Polat fell into the empty elevator shaft.
An ambulance and police team were dispatched to the apartment building after residents reported the situation. The health team determined that Polat, who fell from a height of about 40 metres (131 feet), died at the scene. His body was later removed by firefighters and was taken to the Adana Forensic Medicine Institute's morgue.
The 47-year-old grocery employee Nail Polat who died by falling into an elevator shaft on the 9th floor in Adana, Turkey poses for a photo on an unknown date. (@nail.bolat.1/Newsflash)
No information was immediately available as to how the doors of the elevator were able to open, and police are still investigating the incident.
The lack of answers has drawn anger from social-media users as news of Polat's death circulated online.
"The elevator manager should be punished. In the U.S., this incident would have received the heaviest penalties," one said.
"It is so easy to die in this country," another said.
While elevator deaths are not common, using lifts can be hazardous. Around 30 people die each year in the United States in incidents involving elevators and escalators, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. In addition, about 17,000 are seriously injured in such incidents annually.
People working on or near elevators account for about 50% of the annual deaths, and half of the deaths of workers are caused by falls into the shaft.
(Edited by Carlin Becker and Fern Siegel)
High-Tech Tools Help Police Find Lost Child
VIDEO: $400K Ferrari Catches on Fire
MN Smoke-Free Gen @smokefreegenMN
Tobacco use among young people in the U.S. remains at epidemic levels, according to new @CDC data.📢
Action must be taken to stop addiction before it begins, and to help young people quit tobacco.🚭 #keeplungsloud #mnleg #smokefreegenmn https://t.co/oRy5vPGU0q
In reply toDon Wolt
@tlowdon The new @cdc director is a tool or a kook or most likely in the case of @RWalensky both. This is truly disturbing because I may need to trust what she says at some point and I will assume it's just more agit prop.
Patrick Henry:) Retweeted	· Dr Naomi Wolf @naomirwolf
@BreakingNews @heysyd Notice to my fellow journalists and to news outlets: you can't keep citing data from @JohnsHopkinsSPH or @COVID19Tracking or even @cdc re COVID infection rates as the test process that is basis for data has been debunked/decommissioned by @WHO. Indeed you must issue retractions.


CBC Radio host Sheryl MacKay meets creative people from all around the province. Hear about their passions and inspirations. You'll visit artists and in their studios, musicians and performers backstage, writers at their keyboards and chefs at the cooktop. There's great conversation and a lot of laughs too waiting for you every weekend on North by Northwest.


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U.S. Navy diverts strike group to Korean Peninsula
A U.S. Navy strike group led by the nuclear-powered Carl Vinson carrier is being deployed to waters close to the Korean Peninsula to rein in increasing nuclear threats by North Korea, news reports said Sunday.
"The U.S. Pacific Command ordered the Carl Vinson Strike Group north as a prudent measure to maintain readiness and presence in the Western Pacific," the France-based AFP reported, quoting U.S. Pacific Command spokesman Dave Benham. "The No. 1 threat in the region continues to be North Korea, due to its reckless, irresponsible and destabilizing program of missile tests and pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability."
The strike group, composed of the aircraft supercarrier USS Carl Vinson, a carrier air wing, two cruisers and destroyers, was previously based close to Singapore. With the latest order, the strike group will relocate to the Western Pacific Ocean near the peninsula.
The nuclear-powered supercarrier had been deployed to South Korea last month for a massive joint naval exercise in the South Korean seas, designed to cope with North Korean maritime provocations.
The latest move marks decisive U.S. action in response to North Korea's escalation of nuclear and missile provocations. North Korea has carried out a series of high-profile ballistic missile tests this year, including the latest one just four days ago.
In a statement issued over the United States' missile attacks on Syria, North Korea reaffirmed its nuclear ambition.
"The United States' invasion and intrusion schemes have reached a level of extreme arrogance," the North Korean statement said a day earlier. "The reality shows that force should be dealt with force only, and our choice to escalate our nuclear force has been proven totally right."


Like many other recent EU initiatives, the "Link Tax" targets online giants such as Google, Facebook, and Twitter in an attempt to share some of their colossal earnings with those they depend on. The good intentions will most likely lead to further encapsulation of the market, increasing barriers to entry.
Greeks are preparing a new emission of their bonds. Although only three years but they should bring 2.5-3 billion euro to the country.


text:
How Can MX Record Lookups Protect Your Organization Against Compromise?
A mail exchange (MX) record is a Domain Name System (DNS) record that is required to deliver an email to an address. It identifies the mail server in charge of receiving incoming emails for a particular domain and where outgoing mails should be addressed from. In short, it is in charge of email flow. So, if your MX records are not routed to the appropriate location, you will not able to receive or send emails.
One way of ensuring the integrity and reliability of your MX servers is by using Reverse MX API. With it, you can identify all of the domains connected to each of your mail servers. That helps ensure that domain records are updated and servers are correctly configured.
Understanding the MX Record Format
MX records have two components — priority and domain name. An example of a domain name is sample.com. As such, sample.com's MX record format would look something like this:
sample.com IN MX 5678 1 sample.com
sample.com IN MX 5678 5 mail1.sample.com
sample.com IN MX 5678 10 mail2.sample.com
In this example, "IN" is short for "Internet" and refers to the domain's class, and the numbers 1, 5, and 10 refer to the priority. The lower the number, the higher its priority status. The domain name mail1.sample.com and mail2.sample.com, in this case, are the mail servers' names. The mail servers' names vary depending on the host server. Connections to MX servers follow the priority status. If you have more than one mail server with the same level of priority, the one used for connection is chosen randomly.
What Do MX Records Have to Do with Cybersecurity?
MX records are crucial in maintaining email functionality. Cybersecurity professionals must be adequately acquainted with their fundamentals to protect their organizations from cyber attacks.
Several attacks begin with sending spearphishing emails to employees of a target organization. An example would be business email compromise (BEC) scams, where attackers typically spoof a company executive to ask a subordinate to transfer funds to a particular account. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), victims lost US $1.3 billion to scammers in 2018 alone.
To effectively pull off a BEC scam, attackers would need to either compromise the sender's email account or create a double. Let's say they opted for the second choice. They would need to break into the target organization's mail server, most likely one with the lowest priority, as this is often less secure. They'd hack into it and configure the MX record to point to their own server. Once that's done, they could send an email to the victim's subordinate to initiate the fraud (making sure he/she, of course, has access to and the authority to transfer corporate funds).
The hypothetical scenario above is made possible via DNS cache poisoning and makes it a must for cybersecurity professionals to maintain their domain's integrity, including its MX records. They can use Reverse MX API to keep track of all of their organization's MX records. These must be kept up-to-date and properly configured at all times.
Another potential threat is DNS MX record hijacking, where the attacker poses as or compromises the sender's DNS server to find out where to deliver an email to the intended recipient. Instead of returning the legitimate IP address, the DNS server returns that of a server owned by the attacker. The sender's server believes this IP address belongs to the recipient's server, and thus delivers the email. The attacker reads the email and to evade detection forwards it to the recipient's real server. In this case, users can use Reverse MX API to make sure that the recipient's domain matches the one on record.
Cybersecurity professionals who want to protect their organizations against spear phishers and other attackers can use MX records as an early warning system. Spotting misconfigurations via regular checks on MX records can alert them of ongoing or soon-to-be-launched attacks.
How Can Cybersecurity Professionals Use MX Records to Thwart Attacks?
Apart from using Reverse MX API to monitor your own MX records, you can also use it to check if a mail server address actually belongs to the domain it points to. All suspicious domains can then be flagged for further investigation and, if proven malicious, consequently blocked. A typical MX record lookup query returns the following data for different domains:
Domain name associated with the mail server
First seen at (+ the day, date and time)
Date when the server was last updated
More specifically, Reverse MX API's output for "smtpin.vvv.facebook.com" (picked randomly JSON for illustration purpose) would look something like this:
"current_page": "1",
"name": "0-edge-chat.facebook.com",
"first_seen": "1552238051",
"last_visit": "1569750142"
"name": "126.facebook.com",
Security professionals can easily integrate Reverse MX API into their existing solutions to automatically determine if a sender's domain matches his/her MX records. This feature is particularly useful in screening potential spearphishing emails.
Despite the influx of all kinds of communication channels, email remains the top business communication tool. Protecting your mail servers, therefore, aided by tools such as Reverse MX API, is one way to ensure your company's success.
DNS-Based Attacks and How DNS Record Lookup Tools Can Prevent Them
Doing a Regular MX Record Check Can Help Thwart Phishing Attacks
DNS Hijacking Perils: How to Address Threats Like the Sea Turtle Cyberespionage Campaign with DNS & IP Lookup
Reverse NS Lookup: Security Against DNS-Based Attacks
Posted in: Cyber Security / Domainer / Products / Solutions / Tools
Tags: Cyber Crime Prevention / cyber security / reverse mx / reverse mx api / admin


text:
The fundie betting on the end of cow milk by backing up Remilk Israel
Mar 29, 2022 CEBIT technology, fonterra, Hochland, modular protein expression, remilk, Tnuva
When Jackie Taranto, Gilad Grinbaum and Yaniv Izaki set up Paradigm Shift Asset Management it was predictable that their first investment would involve a global industry being turned on its head.
The fundie backed an Israeli start-up, Remilk, because of its potential to cause a paradigm shift in the $US916 billion global dairy industry by removing cows from the supply chain.
The Israeli connection is understandable considering Grinbaum and Izaki both, at one stage in their careers, worked for Israel's military intelligence. After leaving the military they went on to carve out impressive careers in tech.
Taranto, who has been working in the technology sector for more than 20 years, met Grinbaum when she was the Australian representative of Hanover Fairs, which ran the world's largest tech industry conference in the 1990s and 2000s.
She later became CEO of the CEBIT technology conference and worked as an adviser to the Queensland government on its Eco sciences precinct in Brisbane. Also, she is an adviser to Gilmour Space and a director of ArmHub, an advanced manufacturer.
Taranto says Paradigm Shift has ambitious targets and wants to build funds under management to $100 million. But this will require its early investments to deliver.
A lot, therefore, is riding on the success or otherwise of Remilk, which completed a $US120 million series B fund raising in January that valued the company at $US457 million.
Remilk looks and tastes like milk and can be used to make cheese and yoghurt. It has the added advantage of slashing production costs in half, dramatically reducing carbon emissions and using a twentieth of the water needed to make cow milk.
The Remilk investment is smack bang in the middle of one of the fundie's four investment themes – synthetic biology. Paradigm Shift's other three themes are affordable and clean energy; climate action; and artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Those familiar with mRNA Covid-19 vaccines will know how synthetic biology was so effective in responding to the pandemic and forcing a change of mindset among global pharmaceutical companies.
Those with diabetes will know that synthetic biology is nothing new. Precision fermentation, which is the technique used by Remilk, was first used to make human insulin more than 40 years ago.
That breakthrough wiped out the previous product manufacturing techniques.
A similar prospect faces the global dairy industry at the same time as ESG pressures are building for the world's large-scale milk producers to do something about their impact upon the environment.
Most disruptive cycles caused by technological change – the internet's impact on newspapers, book retailing and shopping – were driven by financial logic.
It was cheaper and more effective to advertise online than in print or to sell books via Amazon rather than through bricks and mortar shops.
In the case of the disruption heading toward the dairy industry caused by precision fermentation products such as Remilk, the cycle of disruption has an added twist that is arguably more powerful than financial logic.
It is presented as being good for society as a whole because it is removing the "destructive" practices associated with producing cow's milk.
For example, Remilk says almost half of the world's habitable land is used for for animal agriculture , and is responsible for 91 per cent of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.
It says cows in the United States produce up to 17 times more waste than the entire American human population. It takes up to 2,000 gallons of water to produce one gallon of dairy milk.
Also, the Remilk promoters play the animal cruelty card in the knowledge that the majority of dairy milk production is not done in the animal-friendly ways used in Australia and New Zealand where cows roam in paddocks eating grass.
Grinbaum says the financial logic for switching to Remilk is evident from the fact that the cost of production is about half of the cost of producing milk from cows.
But first a few words on how the Remilk process works.
Milk genes are inserted into Remilk's modular protein expression platform and are then transformed into a micro-organism.
The transformed cells are fermented under tightly controlled conditions to produce the highest possible yield.
Remilk's platform enables highly efficient expression for the simplest, most scalable isolation of the proteins, the company says.
Proteins are dried and combined with top natural ingredients to create premium dairy products. It is anticipated that when the Remilk dairy products are available in supermarkets it will carry a label saying "Remilk inside".
The company has signed memorandums of understanding with a number of large milk manufacturers in Europe. It has not disclosed the names but German dairy company Hochland and Israeli dairy marketing company Tnuva are shareholders in Remilk.
Grinbaum says the dairy industry must do more to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but the progress will only be incremental based on current projects such as feeding cows seaweed or injecting chemicals into their stomachs to reduce methane.
"The dairy industry is responsible for something like up to 7 per cent of emissions globally," Grinbaum says.
"At the moment it is very difficult to cut those emissions. The reason that the big dairy companies in Europe are investing in this is because it allows them to offset carbon credits in Europe.
"It's a really efficient way for them to cut their carbon emissions. They can either reduce emissions or pay a carbon tax on their cheese production.
"The motivation for switching is coming from all directions including consumer choice.
"A third of the population are flexitarians and that means that even if they like milk and like cows, if they have a decent alternative they will consider that. If it is available people will consider it as a replacement for cow's milk."
A spokesperson for Fonterra, says the company is keeping an open mind about milk products produced by synthetic biology.
"We're confident that consumers around the world will continue to want natural, grass-fed dairy as a premium source of nutrition," the spokesperson says.
"At the same time, we recognise consumers have different nutritional needs and preferences."
Fonterra's response to the threat to its business from products like Remilk was to take a stake in 2019 in a company called Motif Ingredients in the United States. It is makes bio-engineered animal and food ingredients.
This aims to keep Fonterra "at the forefront of this emerging, next-generation nutrition sector".
"It'll enable us to explore how we can capture more value from this emerging sector.
"Over the long term, we believe the world will need a combination of alternative and traditional nutritional sources to meet the world's increasing need for food, especially protein."
Remilk's value proposition relies on the same data produced by Fonterra including the expectation that an increasing proportion of the world's population, which is expected to be 9 billion by 2050, will seek high protein and energy diets.
But Grinbaum says it is impossible for the dairy industry to supply the demand for milk products without extensive use of synthetic biology.
"At the moment there are about 7 billion people in the world, but only about 700 million are living in what we call rich countries, and they're enjoying all the benefits of a protein rich diet," he says.
"Now the rest they want to live those lives and some of them are on the way there and will become middle class and enjoy it.
"We simply don't have enough resources to supply the demand. Of course, there will be room for cows, but the majority of the growing demand will be supplied by solutions like Remilk – this is sustainable and the rest is not sustainable."
Fonterra, which produces 21.8 million tonnes a year of carbon emissions from farming or about 20 per cent of New Zealand's carbon emissions, says it has a plan to slash its emissions, primarily through changed manufacturing production fuels and planting trees.
Also, Fonterra, which has cheese making operations in Australia, argues that its Australian and New Zealand dairy farming operations are the most sustainable in the world and the world's most cost-effective.
Source : Financial Review March 25 2022
Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate bar is hit by shrinkflation
Russia-Ukraine Crisis Could Lower Global Dairy Consumption


Modern society typically would like your dream house by using different pattern, which Dining Room Light Height snapshot gallery will offer many examples back to you. You can get yourself fantastic suggestions that is extremely helpful if you are renovating your property. Dining Room Light Height photo collection does not only allow you to prepare get a energetic home, just about all might give rise to furnishing a healthy come to feel. Dining Room Light Height photo stock produce several wonderful stunning patterns, sign in forums put it on effortlessly to your property. This is among the most benefits offered by Dining Room Light Height photo collection. If you appreciate an advanced and very simple fashion, this Dining Room Light Height image collection is going to be perfect for people. Nevertheless ideas this displayed simply by Dining Room Light Height graphic gallery may well effectively work if you appreciate the classic trend due to the fact all the layouts usually are accommodating. So, you need to employ this Dining Room Light Height image stock since much of your reference.
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If set to "on", only the current cursor line is refreshed on window change. This affects all windows and is useful for slow terminal lines. The previous setting of full/partial refresh for each window is restored with "allpartial off". This is a global flag that immediately takes effect on all windows, overriding the "partial" settings. It does not change the default redraw behavior of newly created windows.


text:
Az ionhajtómű űreszközök, főleg űrszondák meghajtására szolgáló eszköz, a legegyszerűbb és leggyakoribb elektromos hajtómű.

Előnyei és hátrányai
Ennél a hajtóműnél a gyorsító erő elég kismértékű, 0,09 newton, ami 600 kg tömeget földi körülmények között másfél nap alatt gyorsítana fel 70 km/h-ra. Tehát ez a kis erő szinte semmit sem tudna felemelni a földről, viszont a világűrben igen gazdaságosan, 60%-os hatásfokkal működik, mert (az elektromágneses töltéskülönbségből adódóan) az elektromos motor sokkal nagyobb sebességre gyorsítja a kiáramló részecskéket, mint a kémiai hajtóművek (pl. a rakétákéi). Ebből adódóan igen kevés hajtóanyag kell, így a hajtómű az út teljes hosszán működhet, és az űreszköz hosszú idő alatt, de hatalmas sebességet érhet el. Elsősorban űrszondák meghajtására alkalmas, mert a hosszú bolygóközi utazás alatt a szonda műszerei ki vannak kapcsolva, így a folyamatosan működő áramforrás (napelemek, atomreaktor) által megtermelt elektromos energia felhasználható az utazás alatt.

Működése
Az ionhajtómű ionizációs kamrájában mágneses térben valamilyen gáz halmazállapotú nemesgázt (általában xenont) ionizálnak – például elektronokkal bombázzák, hogy azok elektronokat szakítsanak le az atomokról –, ami ezután elektrosztatikus térben (általában két, nagyfeszültségű elektromos áram alatt álló, jelentős feszültségkülönbségű rács között) felgyorsulva ionfelhő formájában kilép a kamrából. Az ionizációs kamrában keletkező elektrontöbbletet összegyűjtik, és egy izzó katóddal a szonda mögé sugározzák, így semlegesítve a töltött hajtóanyag-felhőt (ugyanis ha megmaradna a töltése, akkor a töltésmegosztás miatt vonzaná a meghajtott járművet).

Története
1960-ban építette a NASA az első ionhajtóművet, a Lewis Research Center közreműködésével. 1964-ben a SERT–1 Szuborbitális pályán a higanygőz ion-motort sikeresen tesztelték. 1970-ben a SERT–2 fedélzetén kettő ion-motort teszteltek.

1974-ben az ATS–6 műhold pályakorrekcióinak végrehajtására építettek be ionhajtóművet. Földi körülmények között az 5 centiméteres ion motorok 0,15 kW mellett mintegy 4,5 mN tolóerőt biztosítottak  másodperc időtartamban.  Geostacionárius pályán az egyik hajtómű közel 1 órát, a másik 92 órát működött.

2000-ben megépítették a Deep Space–1-et, hogy "élesben" is kipróbálhassák, meggyőződjenek róla, hogy alkalmas-e űrbéli használatra. Azóta több, elektromos motorral hajtott űrjármű készült és került bevetésre, például 2003-ban a Holdra indult SMART–1 vagy a 2003-ban az Itokawa kisbolygóhoz indult japán Hayabusa.

Kapcsolódó szócikkek
 Változtatható impulzussűrűségű mágnesplazma rakéta

További információk

Magyar oldalak
 Új-generációs ion-hajtómű a NASA-tól (2002. július 2.)
 Új ionhajtóművet tesztel a NASA (2003. november 25.)
 Európa okos űrszondája elérte a Holdat (2004. november 16.)

Külföldi oldalak
 Electric Spacecraft Propulsion (ESA)
 Solar Electric Propulsion

Űrtechnológia
Rakétahajtóművek

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
// Developed by doiTTeam => devdoiTTeam@gmail.com

using System.ComponentModel.Composition;
using System.ComponentModel.Composition.Hosting;
using System.Windows;
using Castle.ActiveRecord;
using Castle.ActiveRecord.Framework.Config;
using DistributedSearchs.Model;

namespace DistributedSearchs
{
    /// <summary>
    ///   Interaction logic for App.xaml
    /// </summary>
    public partial class App : Application
    {
        [System.ComponentModel.Composition.Import] private MainWindow _mainWindow;

        public App()
        {
            CreateCompositionCatalog();

            InitActiveRecord();
        }

        private void InitActiveRecord()
        {
            var source = ActiveRecordSectionHandler.Instance;
            ActiveRecordStarter.Initialize(source, typeof(FileRecord),typeof(FileReference));
            new SessionScope(FlushAction.Never);
            ActiveRecordStarter.CreateSchema();
        }

        private void CreateCompositionCatalog()
        {
            //An aggregate catalog that combines multiple catalogs
            var catalog = new AggregateCatalog();

            //Adds all the parts found in the same assembly as the Program class
            catalog.Catalogs.Add(new AssemblyCatalog(typeof (App).Assembly));

            //Create the CompositionContainer with the parts in the catalog
            var container = new CompositionContainer(catalog);

            //Fill the imports of this object
            try
            {
                container.ComposeParts(this);
            }
            catch (CompositionException compositionException)
            {
                MessageBox.Show(compositionException.ToString());
            }
        }

        protected override void OnStartup(StartupEventArgs e)
        {
            //base.OnStartup(e);
            _mainWindow.Show();
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Moonstone is one of the Birthstones for June. Shop Moonstone Jewellery.
June has two birthstones, Moonstone and Pearl. Moonstone has been used in jewellery for centuries, including ancient civilisations. The Romans and Greeks associated Moonstone with their lunar deities. The best Moonstone should include an element of 'blue fire'.
Stunning, yet simple Moonstone pendant necklace.
Handmade in silver with rose gold vermeil.
See more Rose Gold Jewellery here.
A pretty pendant necklace featuring Moonstone, set in silver with rose gold vermeil.
Total length of chain is 34cm with 3cm extension.
Lovely handmade silver and rose gold vermeil necklace. This necklace features 7 pebble like moonstones.
An elegant long handmade necklace featuring 13 rose cut Moonstones. The stones are set in rose gold vermeil.
Handmade silver with rose gold vermeil stud earrings. Featuring rose cut Moonstone with blue fire.
A silver and rose gold vermeil necklace featuring a tear drop Moonstone complimented with 2 smaller Pink Tourmaline stones. The Moonstone is of the highest quality with wonderful blue 'fire'.
Handmade Earrings with lovely Moonstone and Pink Tourmaline gemstones. Silver with Rose Gold Vermeil.
More rose gold jewellery here.
Moonstone and Pink Tourmaline gemstone drop earrings set in silver with gold vermeil.
Pair shaped rainbow Moonstone surrounded by pretty blue Iolite gemstones. Silver with gold vermeil.
Handmade silver gold vermeil earrings featuring iridescent Moonstone.
A pretty Flower pendant on a silver gold vermeil chain.
Double drop earrings set in silver. These earrings of faceted Moonstone and Aquamarine are simple and unusual, they will add a touch of glamour to any outfit.
Each pair have been handmade and the stones selected for their unique quality.
These statement double drop earrings are gold vermeil silver set with individual stones. The translucent Moonstone contrasts well with the pale sea green Aquamarine. Each pair is handmade and the stones have been carefully selected.
Width at widest point 2.5cm.
Tallulah Cocktail ring with a large rough cut Moonstone gem. Set in Silver with rose gold vermeil.
Each stone has been handpicked for it colour and 'blue fire'.


Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. reports that it's formed a new partnership with iSys Label, Canadian developer and manufacturer of short- to mid-run digital label printers through their North American distributor, IntoPrint Technologies.
Under the agreement, Konica Minolta will add the IntoPrint EDGE 850 and IntoPrint Eclipse LF3 to its product portfolio, starting in North America with plans to expand globally.
The EDGE 850 digital label printer was developed for the short run, on-demand label market. Compact enough to sit on a desk, it can print at speeds up to 9.14 m/min. and makes light work of printing on self-adhesive label stock, tag stock, approved films and synthetics with a media width range of 6.0" up to 8.5" and print lengths up to 700 feet. Designed for in-house production of labels, users will be capable of printing 2,000 labels in less than 20 minutes and have the finished roll ready for immediate application or finishing equipment.
The Eclipse LF3 digital cutter is a label-finishing system that delivers accurate single point registration cutting with lamination, waste matrix removal, slitting and rewind system. Built for the short run, on-demand label market, the LF3 complements the EDGE 850 and allows for a complete workflow solution.
"The demand for finishing equipment has intensified, especially in the digital environment. Pairing iSys's label printing technology with the LF3 finishing system results in a finished label that looks great but is also protected from the elements and has extra durability for repeat handling," says Mark Hopkins, president of iSys Label.


Though the traditional route to this pilgrim city is on foot, it's much easier to take a train to Santiago de Compostela. The daily direct train from Irun on the French-Spanish border broadly follows the ancient pilgrim route to Santiago. This train is appropriately called El Camino de Santiago. The opening of a new stretch of high-speed line in 2016 really improved connections between Santiago and Madrid. Alvia trains now link the two cities in just over five hours.
The daytime Alvia service to Barcelona wins no prizes for speed, but takes in a great sweep of fine landscapes, including the Rioja wine region, on its slow journey across northern Spain. Regional train services run frequently to the nearby ports of A Coruna and Vigo. Both deserve a day trip, and Vigo is also the starting point for the useful Celta fast train service to Porto in Portugal.
As the main tourist hub in Spain's north-west region of Galicia, Santiago de Compostela is a good spot to relax for a few days and enjoy the local Galego cuisine. In a city so intimately associated with piety and pilgrimage traditions, it's no surprise that the cathedral is the principal goal for most visitors. It is stunning, a spot where one might really linger for hours. Take time, too, to explore the striking squares in the vicinity of the cathedral. As you plan your trip to Santiago de Compostela, bear in mind that the city can be crowded on or around the great Catholic feasts such as Easter.
Travel to Santiago de Compostela by train from anywhere in the UK or across Europe.


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Q: L.latLng() created object throws "Invalid LatLng object" when used on setZoomAround() Using the documentation example, I'm trying to zoom into an specific point. So I do this:
var latlng = L.latLng(50.5, 30.5);
$scope.map.setZoomAround(latlng);

$scope.map is a valid map object created by L.map().
I get this error:

Invalid LatLng object: (NaN, NaN)
at o.LatLng (leaflet.js:6)
at Object.unproject (leaflet.js:6)
at Object.pointToLatLng (leaflet.js:6)
at e.unproject (leaflet.js:6)
at e.layerPointToLatLng (leaflet.js:6)
at e.containerPointToLatLng (leaflet.js:6)
at e.setZoomAround (leaflet.js:6)

Doing $scope.map.setZoomAround([50.5, 30.5])  throws the same error and $scope.map.setZoomAround(50.5, 30.5) throws:

TypeError: Cannot read property 'lat' of null

A: Double-check the parameters for the setZoomAround method, as it expects a zoom level to be specified.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
IRA est un sigle pouvant signifier :
 Irish Republican Army (en français, Armée républicaine irlandaise) ;
 insuffisance rénale aiguë, en médecine ;
 Institut régional d'administration, en France ;
 True Irish Republican Army, un gang de la série Sons of Anarchy ;
 Individual Retirement Account (en français, compte individuel d'épargne retraite), un type de compte d'épargne retraite aux États-Unis ;
 Internet Research Agency, une organisation russe de diffusion de propagande sur Internet ;
 Inflation Reduction Act, la loi sur la réduction de l'inflation de 2022, loi des États-Unis destinée à freiner l'inflation en favorisant la production d'énergie domestique ;
  (en français, alphabet international de référence), en informatique ;
 , un groupe de punk colombien ;
 Initiative pour la résurgence du mouvement abolitionniste, une ONG mauritanienne de lutte contre l'esclavagisme ;
 indemnité de remboursement anticipé ;
 Institut du risque et de l'assurance du Mans, rattaché à l'Université du Maine, en France.

IRA est un code pouvant signifier :
  Iran Air, selon le code OACI des compagnies aériennes.

Homonymie d'acronyme
Code


We are here to give messages of love and light. All of you reading these messages are Beings of Light--some more aware of it than others, but all trying to understand spiritual truth while living lives under a veil of forgetfulness that comes with an incarnation on earth.
All is proceeding according to plan so try not to accept appearances that say nothing is happening. Any concepts still held as what the change must look like will simply result in doubt and confusion. Some changes will appear as expected, but at others will not. Much is taking place on levels you cannot see with your human eyes especially if you are expecting to see it through popular media. Chaos is a sign of great energy release and change. Allow the process to unfold while staying in the highest light and truth you know and sending Light to the world. This is all about moving beyond duality and into the realization that all is One and it begins within the heart--unfolding within individuals who have been on a spiritual path for many years as well as within those who have never before given any thought to living differently.
Learn to see beyond third dimensional appearances to the spiritual reality existing behind the scene in the realization that good appearances are just as much illusory as bad appearances. Human eyes see only the mind's interpretation of a spiritual idea and thusly any mind filled with concepts of duality (this is good but that is bad), will always manifest experiences of good and experiences of bad. The work of evolution is to move beyond beliefs of good and evil and into the realization that there is only One Divine Consciousness and IT contains no opposite.
You are ready to accept that you are creators but you must decide whether to create from a level of truth or to continue creating from within the duality and separation of the third dimension. As you learn to see through material appearances to the reality behind them, life on earth will begin to lose its sting--events and appearances that would have once caused distress are now seen in a new light and with it new understanding--spiritual growth is taking place.
A good example of a universally accepted appearance is death, which causes so much painful suffering for those left behind. It must be understood that death is an illusion. Every soul chooses to be on earth for any number of reasons. Sometimes it is to complete unfinished business with another. At other times it is to experience something the individual knows he must experience before any further progress can be made but no person ever actually dies-- he simply goes back home leaving behind the human concept of body.
Life must be forever because it is in and of an Infinite Source and Divine Substance. Evolution is a gradual movement into the consciousness of this truth through experience on earth as well as in other places. Many are choosing to leave at this time. Honor them in the realization that all have been given the choice of leaving or staying in this powerful time and some are realizing on a soul level that they cannot get their evolution to where it needs to be fast enough and so are choosing to leave and then come back into the new energy at a later time.
Once the world is able to understand that their loved ones are not dead, but instead have chosen to go home, they will be able to celebrate a loved one's new journey in spite of their seeming loss. This is an example of seeing through an appearance to the reality. You may say; "What about murders, and war?" These experiences are usually karmic and are part of a soul lesson necessary in order to shift an individual beyond a particular state of consciousness--often one the person has held for many lifetimes. There are many still holding ancient warrior energy that needs to be re-experienced in order to be released and activated in a higher dimensional sense.
Earth is a difficult place to evolve because it continues to resonate with an energy of duality and separation which is what you are now changing. You are the brave souls who have chosen to evolve on and assist earth in this powerfully energetic time. Signs of change can be seen in the changes so many of you are experiencing in your bodies, your emotions, your work, your relationships, and your belief systems-- all signs that the old energy is dissolving and no longer resonates with you.
There are many from other star systems and higher dimensions observing as you bring in more and more light in spite of appearances. You are examples of living in Light while still in physical bodies and are doing a fine job of it.
The higher frequency energies now pouring on to earth are also being felt by those who have no awareness of what is taking place often resulting a general sense of non-specific fear and confusion within them. As a result, these unaware ones may act out in ways that may cause difficulties for family and friends around them. Offer guidance if these dear ones are receptive or simply send Light when they are not. Always know that every soul has a Higher Self and guides and you are under no obligation to save the world other than through your own journey of enlightenment which in turn will manifest in the outer, lifting all who are receptive and bringing in more Light.
This is how you save the world.


text:
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Will Virtual Reality Save the Art World?
Credit: Ltproject.com
The new philosophy "buy experiences, not things" has the art world scrambling. These days, the affluent would rather shell out thousands for a trip to Disney World instead of buying a fine art piece.
Don't just take my word for it, however. According to The Guardian, "New figures show we are continuing to spend less money on buying things, and more on doing things — and telling the world about it online afterwards, of course." Largely driven by millennials, this phenomenon is known in academic circles as the "experience economy" and "regardless of political uncertainty, austerity and inflation, we are spending more on doing stuff, choosing instead to cut back on buying stuff."
Despite the stories, meanings and aesthetics behind traditional fine art, one could easily argue that it's a thing, not an experience. You (hopefully) wouldn't count traveling to your living room to view your Monet painting as an experience (or talk about it on Facebook).
However, through virtual reality that's all starting to change. And it may just be the fine art world's saving grace (especially for the younger generation).
Imagine being able to walk through Paris through the aesthetic lens of Vincent Van Gough's The Starry Night. Or walking through an NYC depicted in Cubism.
Through Google Tilt Brush, artists are creating immersive, 3D art experiences that place you in the center of the creation; allowing you to experience the art world rather than viewing it.
When most people think VR, they imagine hyper-realistic video games or building renderings. Through Google Tilt Brush, however, artists aren't focusing on realistic VR; they're crafting their own artistic reality. Now, any creator can walk around with a virtual paint palette to generate a three-dimensional experience. It goes beyond traditional oil paint brushes too; Google offers everything from fire effects to psychedelic color-shifting strokes (and nearly anything in between).
Even Facebook is about to enter the game, purportedly releasing their much-anticipated Oculus Go to consumers on May 1st. In the future, one might be able to "experience" this art with friends across the country, and Facebook is betting quite heavily on it.
All of this doesn't discount the talent and value of traditional art — in fact, it seems to be going stronger than ever. For instance, Bloomberg recently reported that 13 Picassos sold in a matter of two days for the tune of $155 million. However, for the future generation enshrined in the "experience economy" which isn't dropping millions on art, VR might prove to be the new reality.
Learn more at LTproject.com.
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Place the squash halves, skin side up on the oiled baking sheet, and roast for 45-60 minutes until tender. Set the squash aside to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.
The recipe can be easily adapted to vegan or paleo diet styles by omitting or replacing the offending ingredients. Enjoy!
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and brush with oil. Remove the stem-end and bottom-end of the squash, then cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out and discard the seeds.
Prepare the toppings. Mix the yogurt, cumin, and salt together. Mix in water, a teaspoon at a time until a syrup-like consistency is reached. Set aside.
Combine the pepitas, oil, chili powder, and salt, and spread on a baking sheet.
Bake in the 325 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Immediately remove the pepitas from the baking sheet to avoid burning, and set aside.
Once the squash has cooled enough to handle, gently tear off the skin and remove any sticky pieces with a knife. Cut each half into 4-5 pieces, and place in a blender with 3 cups broth, salt, pepper, coconut milk, chickpeas, garlic, and ginger. Blend until a smooth consistency is reached, adding more broth if needed.
Taste for seasoning, and add more salt and pepper if desired.
Top with a drizzle of cumin yogurt, avocado, and toasted pepitas.


Below are links for our consumer account disclosure and our business account disclosure. These documents are PDF documents and require a pdf reader to view or print the contents. A free PDF reader may be downloaded from https://get.adobe.com/reader/.


text:
Q: VBS Array in its most simple way I can't create an undefined array in VBS.
It should be as long as needed. I don't want to declare some limit like 10 or so, with Dim arrnode(10). I need an unlimited one.
I tried:
Dim arrnode
arrnode(1) = "a"
arrnode(2) = "b"
arrnode(3) = "c"
arrnode(4) = "d"

And lots of variations like:
Dim arrnode()
Dim arrnode() As Variant
Dim arrnode() As Variant()

Etc.etc.
None of this works.
Errors only.
Please give an example that works.
I'm not looking for an explanation as I can't understand the "variant" explanation I found over and over on the web.
I'm just desperately in need of a very simple array that works.

A: To create a static (non-resizable) array with 10 slots use
Dim arr(9)

To create a dynamic (resizable) array with 10 slots use
ReDim arr(9)

In each case the argument is the upper boundary of the array. Since VBScript arrays are zero-based (indexes start with 0) that is the number of elements minus one.
If you want to append to an array without knowing the required size beforehand create it as an empty dynamic array:
ReDim arr(-1)

For appending to that array you need to increase its size first:
ReDim Preserve arr(UBound(arr)+1)
arr(UBound(arr)) = "a"

ReDim Preserve arr(UBound(arr)+1)
arr(UBound(arr)) = "b"

...

You could wrap this in a procedure to simplify the handling a little:
Sub AppendToArray(ByRef a, v)
    ReDim Preserve a(UBound(a)+1)
    a(UBound(a)) = v
End Sub

AppendToArray arr, "a"
AppendToArray arr, "b"
...

Beware, though, that resizing an array while preserving its content is a slow operation, because VBScript creates a new array with increased size, moves the content of the existing array, and then replaces the existing array with the new one.
VBScript does not support dynamically appending to an array otherwise. As an alternative you could use the System.Collections.ArrayList class, which does support dynamic resizing:
Set arr = CreateObject("System.Collections.ArrayList")

arr.Add "a"
arr.Add "b"
...

A: There are different ways to create arrays in VBScript
Arrays with defined size
Dim arrTest1(3)
arrTest1(0) = "1"
arrTest1(1) = "2"
arrTest1(2) = "3"
arrTest1(3) = "4"

Arrays without defined size
Dim arrTest2()
ReDim arrTest2(3)
arrTest2(0) = "1"
arrTest2(1) = "2"
arrTest2(2) = "3"
arrTest2(3) = "4"

Using Array function to create an array
Dim arrTest3
arrTest3 = Array ("1", "2", "3", "4")

In VBScript, arrays starts from zero and you can't define the variable type (e.g. as Variant) while declaring arrays
You can use the second option if you are not sure about the size of array. You can always ReDim it later on to change its size. Don't forget to use Preserve keyword if you want to protect the array data if you are ReDiming it


you guys are way too cute . glad the weather was great and God smiled on you guys today . and way to go on what you raised and how you had so many come out and walk . I got my shirt from last wknd where we walked . awesome Joanna truly awesome .
Wow! Thats an AWESOM turnout, and great funraising for this tough economy! What a nice surprise too! Go Elise!!
Wow! So glad you had such a great turnout! Love the pics! Go TEAM ELISE!
Wonderful turnout and support! Great walk!!
It looks like a FANTASTIC day -- thank you for all your hard work!!!!!!!
Thanks for the pics ;) Your family is beautiful.


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Jackson est une ville de l'ouest du Wyoming située à l'extrême sud du parc national du Grand Teton. C'est le siège du comté de Teton.

La ville vivait auparavant uniquement de l'élevage, puis elle s'est petit à petit concentrée sur les activités de loisirs avec les sports d'hiver et de plein air.

C'est une station de ski située à  d'altitude. Elle possède en tout trois domaines skiables. L'été, elle permet de pratiquer des activités de plein air comme l'équitation, la pêche, le rafting ou encore la randonnée.

Le National Museum of Wildlife Art se situe à proximité de la ville et y est relié par une piste cyclable.

Dans la culture populaire
 Jackson est un lieu clé dans l'histoire de la série de jeux vidéo The Last of Us. La ville est récupérée par l'équipe de survivants de Tommy, le frère de Joël, qui décident de s'y installer durablement.

Source

Town au Wyoming
Comté de Teton (Wyoming)
Siège de comté au Wyoming
Équipement sportif achevé en 1937
Station de sports d'hiver au Wyoming


At the very end of vintage I spent a day in the Douro with Jancis Robinson, tasting wines from some of the leading producers in the Cima Corgo. It was a clear, warm, sunny day (the last before heavy rain fell) and many of the tastings were conducted outside in the vineyard with breathtaking views of the Douro and its tributaries, the Torto and Pinhão rivers. With heavy rain already having fallen at the end of September, the River Pinhão was already a gushing torrent and this was the only sound that could be heard on the terrace at Quinta da Manoella. The following notes represent the highlights from a day of tasting with Dirk Niepoort, Ana Rato and Teresa Ameztoy of Ramos Pinto, Jorge and Sandra Serodio Borges and Jorge Moreira. There are notes on one or two quirky, historic wines.
A rare varietal from Quinta do Bom Retiro, vines planted in the mid-1970s: still deep at the centre with a thin brown rim; very much alive with tar and leather on the noseç lovely ripe, supple fruit, savoury, leather and sweet, full, rich and long if a bit rustic on the finish kept fresh by the acidity. Difficult to put a mark to but a historic wine!


Color or Black & White, or… Do you have a preference?
Do you have a preference for color, or more drawn to black & white images? I've known people who will constantly prefer one over the other for the most part. Then there are others who will claim … [Read more...] about Color or Black & White, or… Do you have a preference?
What's Your Post Processing Tool of Choice?
A lot of great photography today happens long after the photo has been shot. Photographers are well aware of the value of post processing. It can take an image that you might've originally thought was … [Read more...] about What's Your Post Processing Tool of Choice?


The earth's empty cans have been brought to life by the Cannoids, an alien race determined to destroy the planet. Only Mack, a technician from the recycling facility Plant 530, stands in their way as Earth's last line of defense. Step into Mack's shoes in this guided first-person shooter as he takes on the invading aliens with only his trusty recycle cannon and a can-do attitude. Blast and vacuum (yes, vacuum) your way to victory, by keeping in mind that every shot counts—because your ammo also doubles as your health, and every enemy you destroy leaves behind Can Energy that you can vacuum up and use as ammo. Uncomplicated controls (including optional Wii Zapper support) give everyone the chance to save the earth, while advanced tactics like consecutive hit combos and the tough Challenge mode give even the best players a run for their money. Are you ready to step up and put a dent in their cans?


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This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 10th, 2013 at 1:24 pm	and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


text:
Which Cows Make the Best Milk?
High-Fat Diet Weakens 'Stop Eating' Signals in Mice
When Will 'Meat-Free' Meat Become the Norm?
How Can Rollercoasters Help with Kidney Stones?
Nov 23 2016 Read 2517 Times
Even the smallest of kidney stones can cause excruciating pain as it passes through the urinary tract, with more than 1.6 million Americans sent to emergency rooms every year as a result. Though instead of looking to ER, a team of scientists from the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine is maintaining that theme parks could step-up as a surprising cure.
From Space Mountain to California Screamin', a team of scientists is asserting that the twists, dives and sheer speed of rollercoasters could help small stones dislodge themselves from the maze of tubules that wind through the kidneys. At least this is what two scientists who rose Disney's World's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster 20 times in a row, with replica kidneys in their backpacks are claiming.
Urban legend, or medical breakthrough?
The experiment was inspired when the researchers heard about patients passing kidney stones after riding rollercoasters at Orlando's theme parks. After one patient passed three stones after just one ride, they couldn't resist exploring whether or not it was a coincidence, or a medical breakthrough.
"Three consecutive rides, three stones — that was too much to ignore," recalls David Wartinger, a kidney specialist who worked on the study with colleague Marc Mitchell.
Scientists use 3D printers to test theory
As neither of the researchers had kidney stones themselves, they used a 3D printer to create a life-size plastic replica mimicking the interior of the human organ. They then injected the model with human urine, and three stones. After gaining permission from park managers, Wartinger and Mitchell began the experiment.
"Luckily, the first person we talked to in an official capacity had just passed a kidney stone," explains Wartinger. "He told us he would help however we needed."
Front train thrills vs back train momentum
Interestingly, the scientists found that when riding in the back train of the rollercoaster, 64% of stones in the model kidney passed with ease. The front wasn't quite as effective, with just a 17% success rate. The research was published in the October Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, with Wartinger and Mitchell now exploring ways to fast-track human trials.
The kidneys are incredibly complex organs, and can wreak all kinds of havoc on the body when not functioning properly. 'Monitoring BK Virus in Kidney Transplant Patients' explores the cutting edge benchtop molecular analyser technology being used to monitor urine and serum BK viral loads in-house, which permits earlier diagnosis and management of BK virus associated nephropathy (BKVAN) in renal transplant recipients.
New Eppendorf Research® plus and Eppendorf Xplorer® plus 16- and 24-channel pipettes and epT.I.P.S.® 384. Do you work with 384-we...
Jul 19 2019 Read 22 Times
Merck has launched its Plug & Play Upstream Development Service to help emerging biotech and start-up companies optimise the cost and speed of advancing thei...
New Integrated Plug & Play Upstream Development Service
Lauda is driving the further development of the Integral process thermostats and bringing the models in the T and XT series into the digital age. As a result...
Mettler Toledo is pleased to announce a range of new products to its world-renowned Excellence weighing portfolio: XPR Analytical and Micro-Analytical featur...
New Balance Series Provides Valid Results and Unrivalled Accuracy


Mechanical Research & Design is the industry leader when it comes to producing high quality pneumatic seals, inflatable door seals and other custom air seals.
An inflatable seal, also known as a pneumatic seal, is a fabric-reinforced hollow elastomeric tube designed to form a liquid or airtight barrier between a mounting and a striking surface. Depending on the application, they can be molded in a concave, convoluted, or flat configuration.
Inflatable seals introduce a pressurized medium from an external source into the cavity of the hollow seal. This inflation pressure causes the seal to displace in three primary directions: axial, radial in, and radial out.
Once fully inflated, the tubing forms a positive seal between the mounting and striking surfaces. When the inflation pressure is removed, the seal deflates and retracts to its original "memorized" configuration, allowing free relative movement between surfaces.
The most common medium used to inflate seals is air, but some applications may also use various gases, liquids, or gels. The inflation medium is usually administered to the seal via a fitted flexible hose or tubing system.
The most beneficial feature of inflatable seals is their ability to apply their own seal pressure. Conventional sealing methods typically rely on the compression of elastomer gaskets to create an effective seal between the surfaces. This compressive stress usually involves the use of bolts or other clamping methods to maintain the compressive stress. The subsequent clamping and unclamping of mating surfaces can be inconvenient and time-consuming.
Inflatable seals, on the other hand, can displace as needed to fill gaps of various shapes and sizes in seconds, forming seals in a fraction of the time compared to conventional sealing methods.
For seals to operate at maximum efficiency, they need to be able to respond appropriately to environmental and geometrical constraints. Different materials offer varying degrees of durability and shape retention characteristics depending on the application.
As soon as the typical conditions to which the seal will be exposed are known, an inflatable seal made with appropriate materials can be selected. Some of the most widely used seal materials include butyl, natural rubber, chloroprene, nitrile, silicone, and polyurethane. Each of these materials has its own set of advantages and limitations. For example, butyl possesses extremely low permeability to liquid and gases, making it ideal for sealing purposes. Because butyl is a petroleum-based product, however, it also has poor resistance to hydrocarbon solvents and oils.
Inflatable seals are a versatile product whose uses extend well beyond the sealing of mating surfaces. Selecting an appropriate material is critical to a seal's performance in a given application.
At Mechanical Research and Design, we're committed to supplying our customers with innovative solutions to their operational challenges. Regardless of your needs, our qualified engineers will thoroughly asses your situation to help you find the elastomer that best suits your performance criteria.
If you would like to know more about our inflatable seal products, feel free to contact us or request a quote. Our technical team would be happy to assist you on your next project.
Strips can be in closed ends, mitered ends, and continuous loops. Mechanical Research & Design can produce inflatable seals from many elastomers including Butadiene Styrene (SBR), Chloroprene (Neoprene), Ethylene propylene (EPDM) and Fluorinated Hydrocarbon (Viton®). Viton(R) is a registered trademark of DuPont Dow Elastomers.
Inflatable seals accessory items such as machined seal housings and inflation control devices are available. Inflatable seals are available for immediate delivery from stock. CUSTOM SHAPES AND SIZES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.
Mechanical Research & Design has patented the Sealfast® "Double-acting" Ring Principle.


text:
New Sandy Mayor Bradburn: 'I Got This One Wrong' — Gives Back 10% Raise and Then Some
Kyle Garahana
Sandy Mayor Kurt Bradburn ran and won office last fall on a pledge to cut spending. So imagine the blowback this week when news broke that, after cutting positions in his office, he gave himself a $15,000 raise.
On Friday, he gave it all back and then some, reducing his salary by $43,000.
"I'm the first to admit I got this one wrong," he said. "I'm new at this, and it was the wrong way to go."
KUTV reported Thursday that Bradburn, after trimming $20,000 in other spending in his office, boosted his salary from $147,000 to $162,000 — more than salaries of mayors in Salt Lake City, Ogden and Provo. He was able to authorize it himself because the increase did not exceed the total budget for his office.
Bradburn said Friday his idea was to give salary increases at the beginning of his term and not raise them again for four years. In addition to staffing cuts in his office, he said, he had eliminated four city lobbyist positions. He said he hoped to see savings of $100,000 a year from the various cuts.
"The idea was that would save a tremendous amount of money, but people blew up at it," he said. "The idea was just to do the reorganization after the election and then just roll with it. I thought we had good intentions."
Bradburn said he directed the city's human resources director Friday to reduce his salary to $119,000 — now the lowest of Utah's big cities. He also wrote a check to the city Friday morning for $5,601.07, paying back his excess salary and benefits.
"I really don't have an agenda here, or trying to pull the wool over anybody's eyes," he said. "I really thought we were just trying to bring some innovation to government and try and do some different things and save money in the process. My residents saw it differently and I'm here to serve them, so whatever I can do to make that right, I'm happy to."
Alliance for a Better Utah, which called out Bradburn for his self-awarded raise, was still critical of the move after the mayor's reversal.
"The issue still remains that he did this," said communications director Katie Matheson. "Raising and lowering his own salary without having a larger conversation with the City Council — that's really the issue. It was not a transparent process. What would he have done if he had not been caught?"
Article by Bill Dentzer with the Salt Lake Tribune found here.