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26 Jun 2020Blog
How the Finnish mobile app tracing coronavirus exposure works
This text was published in Finnish on 26 June, and it sums up the implementation principles of the COVID-19 tracing application which will be deployed in Finland in early September.
The app that traces COVID-19 exposure in Finland helps break chains of infection and fight against the spread of the coronavirus. This text reiterates the app's operating principles and the technologies used, and describes how users' privacy protection is ensured.
Operating principles of the COVID-19 tracing app in a nutshell:
Users download the free and safe mobile application to their phones from their app store.
During an encounter, app users' phones send each other an anonymous signal that does not allow for identification of the individual. The phone stores a tracking code of each encounter if it lasts long enough to make exposure possible. The app does not collect personal data or position details.
Anyone with a positive test result for the coronavirus receives a verification code from a health care provider and can warn others by distributing this information, anonymously, to other users of the app.
Users who have been in contact with the infected person receive a warning of possible exposure on their phone, along with instructions to contact a health care provider.
The mobile app that traces exposure to COVID-19 works in a decentralised manner; using it is voluntary and privacy protection is ensured. The section below includes a detailed description of implementation, the technologies used and how privacy protection is ensured. The party responsible for the app in Finland is the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), and it is implemented by Finnish technology company Solita Oy, which won the public competitive tendering for the app. Parties contributing to implementation and integration with the national architecture also include the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
How does the COVID-19 app work and why is it safe?
The Finnish app is based on the DP-3T (Decentralised Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing) implementation protocol jointly developed by European universities, and the Exposure Notifications interface implemented on its basis by the key phone manufacturers. It is a decentralised, privacy-preserving procedure in which a phone's operating system collects anonymous data about proximity with other phones and where the app verifies whether these include phones whose owners have sent a warning about their infection.
Once you have deployed the exposure tracking app and given your permission for exposure tracing, your phone begins to send a tracking code to its surroundings via the Bluetooth connection. The code does not include personal data: it is a random number that changes to a new number approximately every 15 minutes.
What information does the app collect?
When you move around carrying your phone, phones of other users who have downloaded the COVID-19 app "hear" a transmission when they come near you. The phones record information about the encounter if you and the user of another phone spend enough time close enough to each other that the chance for a coronavirus infection emerges. Your phone stores the tracking code sent by their phone, and the phone of the person in your vicinity saves the tracking code sent by your phone.
The COVID-19 app does not collect personal data or details about location and movement. As a user of the app, your phone's memory begins to accumulate a list of anonymous tracking codes of phones you have encountered. The memory only includes tracking codes consisting of random numbers, and details of the date and time of each encounter and the other phone's distance from you. The app does not send even these details outside the phone. Details of encounters more than three weeks old are removed from your phone automatically after the risk of the possible incubation period of the disease is over.
Does the app consume the battery? Will my phone operate as normal?
All this occurs in a user's phone automatically and in the background – the COVID-19 app does not even have to be running. It is enough that your phone is on and Bluetooth is switched on. You can use the phone and its auxiliary devices normally. The tracking feature uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) version, so it has a negligible effect on battery life. You can disable tracking at any time, and you can also delete encounter details stored in the phone whenever you wish.
How can I warn others if I am diagnosed with a coronavirus infection?
If you are unfortunate enough to become infected, you can use the app to warn people you may have exposed to the disease. If you receive a positive test result for COVID-19 and decide to send a warning, your phone will contact a database maintained by THL and upload the tracking codes your phone has transmitted in recent days. No details of encounters will be sent to the database, only specific tracking codes consisting of random numbers. No identification, positioning or personal data will be collected or transmitted. The database's owner (THL) is unable to use the tracking codes to make any conclusions about the sender – not even who has transmitted the data.
To prevent false alarms and mischief, transmitting a warning requires a verification number that is only given to people with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis by a health care provider. Sending such a warning is voluntary, but recommended. Nobody else – not even the healthcare authority – can send the warning for you, because the information of encounters exists only in your own phone.
Similarly, if any person you have encountered in recent days transmits a warning about their coronavirus infection, you will receive a warning of this. At regular intervals, your phone's COVID-19 app downloads from THL database the tracking codes that were used by infected persons, and compares them with codes your phone has encountered earlier. If any of them matches a code found in your phone's memory, this means you have been in close proximity to a person infected with the coronavirus for a lengthy period and may be exposed to the disease, so you receive a warning message.
The message warning you of exposure to the coronavirus indicates the date when you may have become exposed, and gives instructions on contacting a health care provider. The app does not give any other information, because it does not collect any precise location or identification details of your encounters. Health care providers are informed of your possible exposure only if you contact them, and even after this they do not have access to information contained in your phone.
Does the app store my personal data or location details?
The app does not collect personal data, location details or any other personal information. The app is kept as simple as possible on purpose, and each user's privacy protection is carefully ensured. Tracking codes and details of encounters are removed automatically after 21 days. App users always remain anonymous to other users of the application, unable to see which individuals have been warned of exposure. People issued with a warning also do not learn which person or situation may be the origin of the potential exposure. Details of encounters stored in phones are not disclosed to anyone.
Which technologies are used in the app? What kind of phone do I need to have?
To create tracking codes and details of encounters, the app uses the Exposure Notifications interface jointly created by Apple and Google. This interface is available in all iPhones with the iOS 13.5 operating system or higher, and in Android phones with the Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) operating system or higher and Google Play services.
Additionally, the user needs the COVID-19 tracking app, which provides features for sending tracking codes, comparing details of encounters, and receiving warnings. Each country can only have one application using the Exposure Notifications interface provided by an authority – the Finnish COVID-19 tracking app is managed by THL. The solution makes use of existing components, standards and open-source solutions, the published DP-3T protocol and the possibilities offered by Finland's national health care IT architecture, especially Kela and the Omaolo.fi service. The warning database uses Kela's technology environment.
The COVID-19 app can be downloaded from Apple's and Google's app stores in the future. The goal is to also make the tracking app available in Android phones that do not feature Google Play services or Google's app store (such as the newest Huawei phones).
Apps using the same technology are being developed and deployed around the world right now. At present, apps based on the same technology are in use in e.g. Switzerland, Latvia, Italy, Poland, and Germany.
Will the mobile app be published as open-source software?
As a partner in the project, Solita is committed to open source publishing, and THL will evaluate the matter at a later date. Efficient and open cooperation is already underway at many levels. At the moment, mobile apps that trace COVID-19 infection chains are being developed in several countries, and the team working on the Finnish app is closely following the situation in other countries. Lessons learned have already been shared from the pilot project implemented earlier in Finland. We would also like to give our warmest thanks to, e.g. Sitra, Reaktor, Futurice, Fraktal, Columbia Road, and Vaasa Central Hospital for their work on the pilot project in Vaasa.
Welcome to the webinar!
The joint project by Solita and THL was launched, in line with competitive tendering schedules, on 22 June, and we held a webinar on the subject on Friday 26 June at 10 am. Read more and watch webinar recording in Finnish!
Sami Köykkä, Senior Consultant, [email protected]
Risto Kaikkonen, Director, Health and Wellbeing Division, [email protected]
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Koronavilkku is here! 10 questions and answers about the Finnish coronavirus app
The Finnish Covid-19 app Koronavilkku has now been published - download the app to your phone!
The Finnish Covid-19 app Koronavilkku has been downloaded a million times already!
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Flights from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Intl. Airport to San Francisco Intl. Airport
Flights from Atlanta to San Francisco
$57 Cheap Flights from Atlanta (ATL) to San Francisco (SFO)
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Cheap Flights from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Intl. to San Francisco Intl.
Prices were available within the past 7 days and start at $57 for one-way flights and $109 for round trip, for the period specified. Prices and availability are subject to change. Additional terms apply.
Wed, Apr 5 - Wed, Apr 12
Tue, Mar 7 - Tue, Mar 7
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Sat, Feb 18 - Tue, Feb 28
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Flights from Atlanta (ATL) to San Francisco (SFO)
Origin Airport
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Intl.
Destination Airport
San Francisco Intl.
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Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, United
Flight Price
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Whether you're looking for a grand adventure or just want to get away for a last-minute break, flights from Atlanta to San Francisco offer the perfect respite. Not only does exploring San Francisco provide the chance to make some magical memories, dip into delectable dishes, and tour the local landmarks, but the cheap airfare means you won't bust your budget. So no matter whether your ideal itinerary involves flying one way, non-stop, or round trip, you're bound to find flights that match your schedule on Expedia, and at prices that won't shock your wallet.
Bagging a cheap flight from Atlanta to San Francisco may mean more dollars to spend on for one-of-a-kind souvenirs when you arrive, but it doesn't mean you have to skimp on your travel experience, as Expedia offers a sizzling selection of cheap airlines that'll put you in your happy place on their planes, whether that's getting lost in a hair-raising airport thriller, dreaming on the passing landscape over a glass of bubbly, or jotting down your vacation bucket list at 38,000 feet. There's also bound to be plenty of opportunities to snap a few photos of the high life that will make your friends green with envy. After all, enjoying the journey is part of the fun.
With so many affordable flights and so many wonderful adventures awaiting you, there's no reason to put off booking a fantastic flight from ATL to SFO today. So don't leave it to the last minute to make your dream trip a reality: pack your bags with your go-to travel accessories, put together your list of must-see attractions and can't-miss activities, and get ready to broaden your horizons – with Expedia, the wonders of San Francisco are only a plane trip away. Book your travel arrangements with us today!
If you would like to book flights to San Francisco more flexibly many prefer to purchase one-way tickets with options to take different airlines. A one way ticket to San Francisco is $57 now!
How much is a flight from ATL to San Francisco Intl. Airport (SFO)?
Within the past 7 days on Expedia, for flights departing within the next year, the lowest price quoted for a round-trip flight from Atlanta Airport to SFO was $109. Cheap tickets don't hang around forever, so make sure you book yours ASAP. Prices and availability are subject to change. Additional terms apply.
Do I need to pay a cancellation fee if I cancel my flight from ATL to SFO?
This varies from airline to airline, as each one has its own terms and conditions. Head to the Customer Service Portal, where you'll find easy instructions on how to cancel your flight online.
How do I find cheap flights from ATL to SFO that have flexible change policies?
Many airlines offer the option to reschedule your flight without a change fee. All you pay is the difference between the original flight and the new flight. When you're searching for Atlanta Airport to San Francisco Intl. Airport (SFO) flights, you'll see a "no change fees" filter for you to select.
How many hours is the flight from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Intl. Airport (ATL) to San Francisco Airport?
It takes approximately 5 hours and 18 minutes to jet from Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to San Francisco Intl. Airport (SFO) (SFO). But with some music and a few interesting magazines, the time will go by quicker.
How far is the flight from Hartsfield--Jackson Atlanta International Airport to San Francisco Intl. Airport (SFO)?
Expect to be in the air for a while, as the flight distance between Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Intl. Airport (ATL) and SFO is 2113 mi. Set up a playlist of your favorite songs before you leave home to keep yourself entertained during the journey.
Which airlines fly direct from ATL to San Francisco Intl. Airport (SFO)?
Many adventurers opt to fly with Delta Air Lines (DL) from ATL to SFO. It offers 178 monthly flights, so you can easily find a flight time that's right for you. Frontier Airlines (F9) is also worth checking out. It operates 30 flights each month. Between these two airlines, you'll be able to find a good deal from College Park to San Francisco.
Are ATL to SFO flight tickets cheaper when they're purchased at the last minute?
It is possible to nab a fantastic last-minute deal from ATL to San Francisco Intl. Airport (SFO), but it can also be hit-or-miss. As many airlines release seats up to 12 months in advance, it's worth keeping an eye on fares early and being ready to pounce when you see a bargain. Expedia compares air carrier prices and updates flight deals frequently, so you can feel confident knowing you're always getting the latest offers.
Can I fly from Hartsfield--Jackson Atlanta International Airport to San Francisco Intl. Airport (SFO) right now?
To see what travel restrictions and quarantine requirements are in place for different citizens flying from Atlanta Airport to SFO please visit our COVID 19 travel advisor portal link.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


It's bank holiday Monday! It seems written somewhere that this is the day for an adventure!
Even got some calls from friends to accompany me! The only question is, where to go?
Now on this spur of the moment eagerness, it was important that we go somewhere near(ish) so out came the map!
Which is when we decided....DURDLE DOOR!!!
This sea of adventurers took this course on our ship with wheels and a-hoy! Durdle Door, the location of the Pirates of the Caribbean, here we come!
Not knowing what to expect, this rocky picturesque really exceeded our expectations, littered with contradictions, with each polar opposites; land vs sea, hills vs valleys all fighting with each other to create beauty!!
We were high. We were low. We were amongst perfection.
Another great day of adventure for my camera and I + friends!!


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DAV RecruitMilitary Fort Riley Career Fair September 14
LOVELAND, Ohio - Aug. 31, 2017 - DAV and RecruitMilitary will produce its inaugural Veterans Job Fair at the Fort Riley Conference Center on September 14, 2017 for veterans, transitioning military personnel, National Guard members, Reserve members and military spouses.
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Among the companies attending RecruitMilitary's first Fort Riley event are Archer Daniels Midland, GardaWorld, Lockheed Martin Corporation, MyComputerCareer, Schlumberger, The Home Depot and Vinnell Arabia. A full list of all exhibitors can be found at https://events.recruitmilitary.com/events/fort-riley-job-fair-september-14-2017#event-exhibitors.
RecruitMilitary has held 12 events in Kansas City, drawing 3,278 attendees and 487 exhibitors.The company has produced more than 814 events in 65 cities across the country.
DAV was founded by World War I veterans in Cincinnati in 1920 and chartered by the United States Congress in 1932. DAV (www.dav.org) is a non-profit organization with 1.2 million members. Together, DAV and RecruitMilitary share a common mission: to connect America's veterans and their family members with meaningful and fulfilling employment opportunities and to help employers attract, appreciate and retain veterans, spouses, and their survivors. Through career fairs, outreach and resources, this partnership fights to ensure veterans receive the benefits they've earned to lead productive, dignified and high-quality lives.
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About RecruitMilitary
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DAV RecruitMilitary Vet Job Fair Coming to Houston on December 3
Houston, TX (PR Log) November 2, 2015 - DAV and RecruitMilitary will produce an All Veterans...
DAV RecruitMilitary Vet Job Fair Arriving in San Diego on December 3
San Diego, CA (PR Log) November 2, 2015 - DAV and RecruitMilitary will produce an All Veterans...
DAV RecruitMilitary Vet Job Fair Coming to Dallas Area on November 19
Dallas, TX (PR Log) October 16, 2015 - DAV and RecruitMilitary will produce an All Veterans...
DAV RecruitMilitary Vet Job Fair Coming to Philadelphia on November 19
Philadelphia, PA (PR Log) October 16, 2015 - DAV and RecruitMilitary will produce an All Veterans...


Cosmoquest Forum > Science and Space > Science and Technology > Is the 2005 hurricane season a fluke?
View Full Version : Is the 2005 hurricane season a fluke?
Or are we witnessing the beginning of a new standard for hurricane frequency and power in the Atlantic?
this is certainly the busiest season in recorded history, however, that history does not go back very far. accuracy before about 1950 is hit and miss. there were a few periods that were nearly as active as this year, but not quite.
tough to say, since nobody really knows the primary cycle pattern. our sample size is just too small.
It's my understanding that the increased activity is attributable to the Atlantic being slightly warmer than the norm. Conversely, the Pacific has been slightly cooler, and typhoon formation has been behind the curve as a result. Gotta love this dynamic rock we inhabit.
I've also heard mention of a fifteen year cycle coupled with the warmer waters. But 15 years would be just 3 full cycles back to the '50s, is that really enough time to get information for a credible benchmark?
In my opinion, one abnormal season isn't enough to cause alarm.
I think its something that we'll likely have to get more used to in the future. There is no doubt global warming is occuring, the argument is about whether that's because of human impact or not or whether its part of some longer term cycle we don't fully understand.
As far as the Atlantic hurricane situation is concerned, there is talk of 25-3o year cycles of warmer temperatures precipitating increased Hurrican activity, and the speculation is that we're just in the process of entering one of those cycles right now, likley to last until sometime around 2020-2030 if it keeps to that length.
A good place to look for Hurricane related information is the NOAA website. There're actually a couple of articles here speculating on this very matter and predicting the season we've had and are experiencing.
I think given all the speculation one has to assume more of the same in the future. Last year was also an increased season, very similar to this season.
Comparing this season to last season, if Hurricane Ivan had have gone in a slightly different direction last year, it might well have scored a direct hit on New Orleans back then and Katrina would have been merely a follow-up punch to the guts.
Given that, I think its a brave, or perhaps naive, person who chooses to live in New Orleans these days.
I could probably move there for cheap. Hmm.
...or at least something inflatable?
I wonder if any more hurricaines will hit Louisiana, though. One place can only be hit so many times.
True, ah!, good on you, you picked up some of my scallywag humor! hehehehe.
Unfortunately I think it's fairly certain hurricanes will keep hitting Louisiana, and Mississippi, and Alabama, and (did anyone say Florida???), and looking at your postal there buddy, its got me wondering, when was the last time a Hurricane came through Corpus Christi?
You guys are south of Houston right?
Yeah. Rita missed us entirely (we didn't even get any rain). Last time a hurricaine came through here was Silia (sp?), and it was a few decades ago. Been a long time, and so buildings here are a little lax on the hurricaine protection.
Well, fraid to say it, but if next year is anything like this year, and last year for that matter, you guys could well be overdue, or maybe the whole Yucatan peninsula really acts as your insurance barrier pretty well, it seems to get in the way of quite a few of those monsters.
I feel rather secure, but when that mandatory evacuation is called, I'm gonna go bye-bye and visit my relatives up north.
Celia, right. I heard of it, but never read about it.
Well, given the name, it'd be relatively early in the season--and the season seldom gets named hurricanes as far along as "S." Even though it manifestly did this year.
...Many current and ongoing weather modification programs (80 listed by NOAA in 2005)...In addition to the experimental weather modification programs listed by NOAA, there are both private and ongoing government sponsored atmospheric testing and heating programs underway...All of these unregulated, private, government, and public weather modification programs, may also have unintended synergistic effects.
So most of the bill is for supporting meterological research. Otherwise the only 'weather modifications' noted is cloud seeding, which is unrealted to hurricanes.
The 2004/2005 hurricane seasons were a double peak. This year should see the number of Category 3+ Atlantic hurricanes drop significantly.
...Otherwise the only 'weather modifications' noted is cloud seeding, which is unrelated to hurricanes..."By artificial methods" seems to leave the door open.
...weather modification means changing or controlling, or attempting to change or control, by artificial methods the natural development of atmospheric cloud forms or precipitation forms which occur in the troposphere......research and development means theoretical analysis, exploration, experimentation, and the extension of investigative findings and theories of scientific or technical nature into practical application for experimental and demonstration purposes, including the experimental production and testing of models, devices, equipment, materials, and processes.
NOAA is forecasting 13-16 named storms; 2005 had 28, a record, so you'd expect a drop-off. But, average is 11, so the prediction is for above average activity.
For Cat 3 or better, the average is 6. 2005 had 7, and 2006 is forecast to have 8-10. That's above average and more than last year.
The year 2004 had 6 Cat 3+ major Atlantic hurricanes, the year 2005 had 7. I sincerely doubt that NOAA is forecasting 8-10 Cat 3+ major Atlantic hurricanes for this year.
This year should see the number of Cat 3+ major Atlantic hurricanes drop significantly from the 2004/2005 levels. How low will they drop is anyone's guess but 2 or 3 total for 2006 is not unreasonable.
"For the 2006 north Atlantic hurricane season, NOAA (http://www.noaa.gov/) is predicting 13 to 16 named storms, with eight to 10 becoming hurricanes, of which four to six could become 'major' hurricanes of Category 3 strength or higher," added retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher (http://www.noaa.gov/lautenbacher.html), Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator.
* Only a clarification...not picking on either of you.
To sum up what I have said. The 2004/2005 hurricane seasons were a double peak. The year 2004 had 6 Cat 3+ major Atlantic hurricanes, the year 2005 had 7. [NOAA is forecasting 4-6 Cat 3+ major Atlantic hurricanes for this year. I feel they are operating a little on the cautions side.] This year should see the number of Cat 3+ major Atlantic hurricanes drop significantly from the 2004/2005 levels. How low will they drop is anyone's guess but 2 or 3 total for 2006 is not unreasonable.
Oops, scanned too quickly. Thanks for the catch.
NOAA's 2006 Atlantic hurricane season outlook indicates an 80% chance of an above-normal hurricane season, a 15% chance of a near-normal season, and only a 5% chance of a below-normal season. ... This prediction indicates a continuation of above-normal activity that began in 1995. However, we do not currently expect a repeat of last year's record season.
Yes, 2005 was far more active than anyone predicted. However, all indications at this time are that 2006 will be an above average season for storm activity.
Will it be a decrease from 2005? I certainly hope so.
Will it be below 2004? I doubt it, especially as we're experiencing the earliest Gulf storm in 40+ years.
Doubt it. I will be that we'll see more damage from hurricanes because there are more idiots overdeveloping the coastal areas, though. Rita and Katrina were NOT monster hurricanes when they made landfall. They just washed over and destroyed extremely underprepared and overbuilt areas of the gulf coast caused by people who think its their divine right to tell Mama Nature what to go do with herself.
I'm not complaining, every couple thousand fools that get themselves washed out with the hurricane season pushes the average IQ of the American people up a few points. Eventually, the herd of morons will be sufficiently culled and we'll start taking reasonable and intelligent precautions to mitigate the amount of potential damage that can be caused when an extremely commonplace Category 3 storm makes landfall.
Double peaks are rare. The few that have occurred are generally followed by a dramatic decrease in major storm activity in the following year. I will stick to my assessment of around 2 or 3 major Category 3+ Atlantic hurricanes for this year and that might even be on the high side.
I can certainly see why you hope so. Hope you don't mind if I join your club of hoping.
Can you clarify what you mean by earliest gulf storm? in 2005 Tropical Storm Arlene formed near Honduras on June 9 and later hit the FL/AL border. In 2003 Tropical Storm Ana formed on April 20th, the earliest recorded tropical storm, I think. In 2001 Tropical Storm Allison formed on June 5th in the Gulf and hit Texas. I only went back to 2001.
Alberto didn't form in the Gulf, although it reached TS status in the gulf. Allison didn't form in the Gulf but reached TS status in the gulf. Allison was earlier in the year.
Rita and Katrina were NOT monster hurricanes when they made landfall.
Wasn't Katrina a Category 4? Isn't that pretty big?
Oops, my bad. Had Alberto made landfall as a hurricane it would have been the earliest such landfall in 40 years.
First contact was as a Cat 4, but I seem to recall that she was a Cat 3 by the time the eye hit the ground. The flooding in New Orleans was the result of the remaining storm surge from when it was a Cat 4/5, but the storm itself had degraded substantially.


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Heartland Virus — Another Reason to Avoid Ticks
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with health officials in Missouri and Tennessee, have identified six new cases of people sick with Heartland virus. Five were in Missouri and one was in Tennessee.
Heartland virus was first reported in two northwestern Missouri farmers who were hospitalized in 2009 with what was thought to be ehrlichiosis, a tick-borne disease. However, the patients failed to improve with treatment and testing failed to confirm ehlrlichiosis. Working with state and local partners, the CDC eventually identified the cause of the men's illness: a previously unknown virus in the phlebovirus family now known as Heartland virus.
Ongoing investigations have yielded six more cases of Heartland virus disease, bringing to eight the total number of known cases. All of the case-patients were white men over the age of 50. Their symptoms started in May to September and included fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, headache, nausea, or muscle pain. Four of the six new cases were hospitalized. One patient, who suffered from other health conditions, died. It is not known if Heartland virus was the cause of death or how much it contributed to his death. Five of the six new cases reported tick bites in the days or weeks before they fell ill.
Nearly all of the newly reported cases were discovered through a study conducted by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and CDC are actively searching for human cases at six Missouri hospitals.
CDC has been working closely with the Missouri and Tennessee state health departments and other federal agencies to advance understanding of Heartland virus disease by learning more about the patients who were infected, their illness and their exposure to ticks. CDC seeks to determine the symptoms and severity of the disease, where it is found, how people are being infected, and how to prevent infections.
CDC studies to date have shown Heartland virus is carried by Lone Star ticks, which are primarily found in the southeastern and eastern United States. Additional studies seek to confirm whether ticks can spread the virus to people and to learn what other insects or animals may be involved in the transmission cycle. The CDC is also looking for Heartland virus in other parts of the country to understand how widely it may be distributed.
"During the past two years, the CDC has worked closely with state health departments, hospitals, and many experts from universities and other federal agencies to learn more about Heartland virus," said Roger Nasci, Ph.D., chief of CDC's Arboviral Diseases Branch. "By gathering information about the disease Heartland virus causes, and about how it's spread to people, we hope to better understand the potential impact on the public's health and how we can help protect people from this virus
The CDC developed the blood tests used to confirm the new cases of Heartland virus disease, and CDC teams are working to further validate these tests and develop additional tests. As more is learned, the CDC hopefully can develop a diagnostic test that public health laboratories could use to test for the virus.
There is no specific treatment, vaccine or drug for Heartland virus disease. Because it is caused by a virus, the disease also does not respond to antibiotics used to treat tickborne bacterial infections such as Lyme disease. However, supportive therapies such as IV fluids and fever reducers can relieve some Heartland disease symptoms.
To reduce the risk of Heartland and other vector-borne diseases, the CDC recommends that people:
– Avoid wooded and bushy areas with high grass and leaf litter;
– Use insect repellent when outdoors;
– Use products that contain permethrin on clothing;
– Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors to wash off and more easily find ticks that are crawling on you;
– Conduct a full-body tick check after spending time outdoors; and
– Examine gear and pets, as ticks can "ride" into the home and attach to a person later.
– CDC Info on Heartland Virus
– Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Info on Heartland Virus
– CDC Info on Ticks
The Entomology Profession
Heartland Virus, lonestar ticks, lyme disease, Missouri, Tennessee, ticks
Students Discover a Tiny New Spider in Borneo
Six New Dracula Ants Discovered in Madagascar


I'm a tattoo artist originally from Detroit, Michigan. I relocated to Southeastern Ohio around Halloween of 2004, a hop skip and jump away from Wheeling, West Virginia.
Prior to my Ohio adventure, I had made a move to Grand Rapids, Michigan and went to work at Magnum Tattooing. After receiving an invite to Hot Rod Tattooing as a guest artist, I realized that I felt right at home in the smaller city, and would settle for nothing else. I always considered myself kind of a "Surburban Redneck". I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, and was one of those guys driving around town in a Chevy truck on 44" tires!
Hot Rod was definitely the best of both worlds for me! It gave me the extensive experience I needed to further enhance my art, yet kept me grounded and open-minded. My dream and passion has taken center-stage in the creation of my Greywash product. Ron Meyers Greywash is the ink to end all others in the Greywash market, and is the ONLY Greywash you need to produce fantastic work. Ron Meyers Greywash is of a set of Black and Grey tones based off the palette I have personally been using for years. Not only do I fully endorse my ink product, but I use it on my clients, as well. It is definitely a product created BY a tattoo artist FOR tattoo artists. I have experimented with various materials that have been quoted as "best" in the market. None of which have been able to produce the same memorable and outstanding effects as the Ron Meyers Greywash. The pride I hold in my product is such that I would only produce what I feel is the very best and not an ounce less.
My passion for tattooing photo-realistic Black and Grey was absolutely the inspiration for me to pass along only the best material to my fellow artists. Just a handful of my supporters include: Ryan, Hadley, Jamie MacKay, Terry Fuller, Matt Stines, Matt Hockaday, Ryan Mullins, Karl Berringer, and Jason Hawes (to name a slight few!), so check them out! Be a part of the team that lives, loves, and supports our craft and the artists in it!


Mark and his team of four full-time, top selling real estate agents and four assistants, based in Marlton, New Jersey, have been the top-producing real estate group in Burlington County for the past 17 years. The Team is also listed in the top 1% of all Realtors nationally. In South Jersey (Burlington, Camden and Gloucester Counties), The Mark McKenna Team has been the top producing group from 2011-2018. In 2018 alone, the Team sold 239 properties, comprised of $72 million in sales volume. However, we are more than just numbers. Over 450 of our satisfied clients have given us reviews.
The Mark McKenna Team is a diverse group of versatile agents with one steadfast goal: to provide our clients with the highest level of professionalism and communication, while meeting their real estate needs, whether it be buying, selling or renting a property. We advise our clients from beginning to end of the real estate transaction, guiding them each step of the way to ensure they feel comfortable and confident.
As the leader of the team, Mark McKenna provides great value to his clients through his many years of real estate experience, and his full time commitment to the community that he serves, in the form of political action, involvement in education, philanthropic donations and personal involvement in coaching and mentoring young people. He resides within the community that he serves with his wife and three children, and continues to work hard to propel the real estate market forward.


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By Eleanor Ringel GIllespie '72 / November / December 2002
Far from Heaven written and directed by Todd Haynes '85, produced by Christine Vachon '83; opens November 8 in New York City and Los Angeles.
Todd Haynes's Far from Heaven is a potent antidote to the Happy Days image of the 1950s. Even the title is ironic; it's a twist on All That Heaven Allows, a lush Technicolor melodrama directed by Douglas Sirk and released in 1955.
Far from Heaven is also a superbly crafted homage to moviemaking in that studiocentric decade - a time when Sirk could put Rock Hudson in a big plaid manly-man shirt and make us believe the lumberjack look was what all wealthy women of leisure craved between pedicures. (Actually, when you consider how long Hudson stayed closeted, Far from Heaven could also - in an odd, sad way - be a metaphor for his life.)
In the movie, Cathy Whitaker (Julianne Moore) has a perfect life - a handsome husband, Frank (Dennis Quaid), a lovely home, two adorable kids, and dozens of wasp-waisted dresses with skirts the size of a VW Bug. She and Frank are so perfect, they've been dubbed Mr. and Mrs. Magnatech, after his up-and-coming company. Sure, Cathy is a little liberal - from her days in summer stock with those Jewish boys, teases a neighbor - but she plays by the rules of cushy suburbia. And looks great doing it.
There's only one shadow in her gloriously sunny life: Frank likes boys. When Frank's sexual preference comes out, Cathy is initially shocked. But then she does the right liberal-thinking thing: she sends him to a doctor who can, perhaps, God-willing, cure his homosexuality.
Even so, there are strains on the marriage. Frank becomes moody and depressed by his failure as an all-American male (to say nothing of his neutered sex life). Eventually, Cathy turns to her African-American gardener, Raymond (Dennis Haysbert in full Rock attire), for comfort. This doesn't go unnoticed by the neighbors, even though just a few days earlier an admiring newspaper article had described Cathy as being "as devoted to her family as she is kind to Negroes."
The film has echoes of David Lynch's Blue Velvet in its theme of corruption underneath a smooth suburban surface. The period is meticulously re-created, from the salmon and powder-blue cars and the cheerful yellow maids' uniforms to French twists and steakhouses named Sammy's. Its replica of small-town Connecticut perfection is perfection itself - each autumn leaf seemingly handcrafted to an exquisite scarlet or gold, each drifting to earth at the precisely right moment. But here's what sets Far from Heaven apart from the work of John Waters and other pitch-perfect parodists: it's smirk-free. Moore and Quaid never give in to the lazy choice of commenting on their characters. There's still plenty to laugh about, but the stars' emotional honesty gives the movie its unique tone. Quaid understands the entitlement white males felt - and the shame of being gay in a time when such things weren't talked about. Moore embodies the graceful, supportive Good Wife, epitomized by June Cleaver in pearls, whose well-meant, timid attempts to be open-minded doom her.
By surrounding us with hyper-artificiality, Haynes makes us see familiar issues, like racism and homophobia, in a fresh way. What makes the movie simple is also what makes it bold. You don't know whether to wince or laugh when Frank's doctor patiently and compassionately explains that electroshock and hormonal rebalancing have been occasionally successful in curing homosexuality but that some cases are, well, incurable. And Raymond's rude awakening to the subtle hypocrisy of white-gloved liberalism is heartbreaking.
Far from Heaven can be slow, and viewers expecting something campier may be disappointed. But Haynes's beguiling mix of art and artifice pulls no punches, despite all the prettiness. He knows just how far from heaven some members of the Greatest Generation found the fifties to be.
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie is film critic for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Reader Responses to Picture Perfect


text:
Q: Convert specific humidity into relative humidity in R or CDO for gridded data How can I implement the code in the package Humidity to convert specific humidity into relative humidity using gridded time series data? The required input variables are air temperature, specific humidity and pressure.
Although a solution in CDO is highly desirable, a computationally efficient solution in R will suffice.
Given that the actual data size per variable is >10GB, computational efficiency would be helpful.
Sample data:
library(raster)
library(humidity)

temperature <- brick(nl=10)
values(temperature ) <- 273.15

pressure<- brick(nl=10)
values(pressure) <- 101325

specific_humidity<-brick(nl=10)
values(specific_humidity) <- 0.0002153928

The function of interest in the Humidity package is SH2RH. The raw code is found in this link and the constants can be sourced from here.
In the end I will write the output to file in NETCDF format.

A: If your data is in a data.frame or comparable format and it has columns for specific humidity (spec_humidity), temperature (temp), and pressure (press) at each time/location, then the following would work:
library(dplyr)
library(humidity)
df <- df %>%
  mutate(rel_humidity = SH2RH(q = spec_humidity,   # or whatever the SH data is called
                              t = temp,            # or whatever the temperature data is called
                              p = press,           # or whatever the pressure data is called
                              isK = TRUE))         # or isK = FALSE is temp in degrees C

A faster version for your large file might be found in the dtplyr package, which uses data.tables (but otherwise the same notation as dplyr).
library(data.table)
library(dtplyr)
library(dplyr, warn.conflicts = FALSE)
library(humidity)
df <- lazy_dt(df)  # convert df into a data.table. The 'lazy' part tracks operations
df <- df %>%
  mutate(rel_humidity = SH2RH(q = spec_humidity,   # same as with dplyr
                              t = temp,
                              p = press,
                              isK = TRUE))         # or isK = FALSE is temp in degrees C

Finally, there is an experimental multidplyr to allow dplyr functions to be partitioned over multiple cores. Here is a link to its documentation. You would need to install it from github and not cran (as of posting).
# install.packages("devtools")
devtools::install_github("tidyverse/multidplyr")
library(multidplyr)
library(dplyr, warn.conflicts = FALSE)
library(humidity)
cluster <- new_cluster(n)   # n is number of cores to devote
df <- df %>% partition(cluster)   # this splits the data over the cores in the cluster
df <- df %>%
  mutate(rel_humidity = SH2RH(q = spec_humidity,   # same as with dplyr, but in parallel
                              t = temp,
                              p = press,
                              isK = TRUE)) %>%     # or isK = FALSE is temp in degrees C
  collect()                                        # Brings data back to main host session

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
400 million-year-old jawed worm in museum turns out to be new species
"Gigantism in animals is an alluring and ecologically important trait, usually associated with advantages and competitive dominance," said researcher Mats Eriksson.
By Brooks Hays
An illustration shows the newly discovered worm species emerging from its burrow to attack an unsuspecting fish with its fearsome jaws. Photo by James Ormiston/University of Bristol
Feb. 21 (UPI) -- A storage closet at the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada has yielded a new species.
The ancient worm fossil has been hiding the closet since the mid-1990s after it was excavated from the Kwataboahegan Formation, a fossil-rich strata in Ontario representing the Devonian period.
Analysis of the rediscovered fossil revealed the massive jawed worm to be one-of-a-kind. The 400 million-year-old specimen boasts the largest jaws of its kind. Based on measurements of the worm's jaw and comparisons to related species, scientists estimate the worm would have grown to lengths in excess of three feet.
The jawed worm, Websteroprion armstrongi, would have been big and powerful enough to take down fish, squids and octopuses. Like its relative the Bobbit worm, another aquatic predatory polychaete worm, Websteroprion armstrongi was likely an ambush predator, emerging from a burrow in the ocean floor to attack its prey.
Researchers described the species in a new paper, published this week in the journal Scientific Reports.
"Gigantism in animals is an alluring and ecologically important trait, usually associated with advantages and competitive dominance," Mats Eriksson, a researcher at Lund University in Sweden, said in a news release. "It is, however, a poorly understood phenomenon among marine worms and has never before been demonstrated in a fossil species. The new species demonstrates a unique case of polychaete gigantism in the Palaeozoic, some 400 million years ago."
Tully Monster mystery not a closed case, scientists say Tiny crocodile fossil may be new species Excavation reveals sponge dominance in wake of end-Ordovician crisis Humans' oldest known ancestor was a tiny, bag-like sea creature
Science News // 8 hours ago
Dust storm grounded Mars helicopter, but it's ready to fly again
ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 20 (UPI) -- One of the Red Planet's famous dust storms has kept the Mars helicopter Ingenuity grounded for two weeks, but the aircraft is scheduled for its 19th flight as early as Sunday, according to NASA.
Science News // 20 hours ago
NASA prepares final rocket tests for first Artemis moon mission launch
ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 20 (UPI) -- NASA is preparing the huge Space Launch System moon rocket for final tests on a Kennedy Space Center launchpad in February that would clear the way for a moon launch as early as late March.
Science News // 1 day ago
NASA's James Webb telescope completes mirror deployment, heads for orbit
Jan. 19 (UPI) -- NASA's James Webb telescope completed deployment of all 18 of its primary mirror segments and the secondary mirror on Wednesday, the agency reported.
Cosmonauts complete first spacewalk of 2022 to prepare Russian ISS segment
ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 19 (UPI) -- Two Russian cosmonauts completed the first spacewalk of 2022 outside the International Space Station to perform tasks that will allow spacecraft to dock with a new Russian segment.
Study: Carbon monoxide deaths soar during power outages
Power outages are becoming more frequent in the United States, and a new study highlights one consequence of prolonged blackouts: carbon monoxide poisonings.
Science News // 2 days ago
SpaceX launches 2,000th Starlink satellite from Florida
Jan. 18 (UPI) -- SpaceX successfully launched 49 Starlink satellites from Florida on Tuesday evening, bringing the total number of Starlinks launched to over 2,000.
Private investment in space infrastructure hit record $14.5B in 2021
Jan. 18 (UPI) -- Private investment in space infrastructure companies hit a record-breaking $14.5 billion last year, according to a report Tuesday by New York City-based firm Space Capital.
First lunar rovers in decades may explore the moon in 2022
ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 18 (UPI) -- While the public has grown used to seeing rovers on Mars, NASA plans for 2022 to be the year of a U.S. return to the surface of the moon by two robotic landers and tiny rovers.
Destruction of red blood cells contributes to space anemia in astronauts
Jan. 14 (UPI) -- Spending time in space destroys red blood cells and contributes to anemia in astronauts, according to new research published Friday.
Science News // 1 week ago
Virgin Orbit launches a rocket carrying 7 satellites
Jan. 13 (UPI) -- Virgin Orbit kicked off an ambitious launch schedule for 2022 on Thursday by sending seven small satellites into space aboard a rocket launched from a jet high above the Pacific Ocean.


As one of America's most versatile, experienced and educated culinary professionals, Diane Henderiks is on a mission to teach new levels of cooking and eating well – while enjoying every minute of it! Via appearances on national television shows such as Good Morning America, Fox & Friends, ABC News, CBS News, and The Chew, plus contributions to The Daily Meal. As a personal chef, Diane shares her respected culinary and nutritional expertise for those of us cooking at home, on her blog. With her technical background as a Registered Dietitian, Certified Personal Trainer, fitness coach, and private chef for celebrities, Diane provides a wealth of knowledge for the home cook to take ordinary ingredients to new culinary heights. She makes it easily doable to whip up amazing dishes with her creative, healthy recipes. "Any dish can be revamped to be good for you, it just takes a little education and finesse!" Her message rings true. Diane has also appeared on the CBS Early Show, Good Day New York, Martha Stewart Radio and has been featured in Shape Magazine and the New York Times.
Diane is creator and host of the television show Fresh to Frozen and Back which entertainingly educates on the preparation delicious meals using fresh, quality ingredients and how to freeze and defrost them properly to bring back to the table at a later date. The show currently airs on ROKU and Altice media with additional networks in the pipeline for 2019. She serves on the advisory board for the American Vegetarian Association and the Hudson County Community College Culinary Arts Institute and on the Culinary Council for Chefs Society, an organization focused on educating the public about the health benefits and flavors of Korean fermentation and cuisine. She is an active member of the American Dietetic Association, International Association of Culinary Professionals and Women Chefs and Restaurateurs. Diane also has a strong passion for her work with non-profit organizations including Autism Speaks, Warriors in Motion, the Boomer Esiason Foundation and the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation and the organizations resident guest chef for JBJ Soul Kitchen, a non-profit community restaurant that serves paying and in-need customers. And, she finds bliss cooking at home and spending time with her family.


text:
Dolphins Remember One Another for Decades
A bottlenose dolphin's 20-year recollection sets a record for long-term memory in animals
By Karen Ravn, Nature magazine on August 7, 2013
Allie and Bailey knew each other when they both lived in Florida. More than 20 years later, Allie lives near Chicago and Bailey lives in Bermuda, but Allie's name still rings a bell for Bailey. That would not be breaking news, except that Allie and Bailey are not people: they are dolphins.
Bailey's recollection of Allie's name — or more precisely, of her 'signature whistle', which functions as a name among dolphins — is the most durable social memory ever recorded for a non-human. Yet it is only one of many data points in a study that found that it is the rule, not the exception, for bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) to recognize whistles from their distant past.
"We can't tell yet what the upper limit is time-wise, or even if there is one," says Jason Bruck, a biologist at the University of Chicago who published the results today in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. "We just know it's at least 20 years."
Between the ages of about 4 months and a year, every bottlenose dolphin settles on a whistle of its own that stays the same for the rest of the dolphin's life. In another recent study, published last month in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Stephanie King and Vincent Janik, two marine-mammal biologists at the University of St Andrews, UK, have shown that dolphins use these whistles in the same way as humans use names: they voice their own whistles to identify themselves to others, and they mimic others' whistles to call to them.
A name to remember
For his study, Bruck worked with more than 50 dolphins from six breeding facilities that rotate animals among themselves — and which, fortuitously, have records of who lived with whom, and when.
He then recorded each dolphin's whistle and played it back to its old friends using an underwater speaker, alternating it with the sounds of unfamiliar dolphins as controls. But before each test whistle, he habituated the dolphins to unfamiliar whistles, to eliminate the possibility that they were simply responding to the novelty of hearing whistles coming from a speaker.
The whistle of a former companion was more likely to make the subject take notice — perhaps bumping into the speaker on purpose or whistling at it, trying to make it whistle back. And that was true no matter how long a pair had been separated.
Researchers expected dolphins to have long-term memory, but perhaps not that long-term. "I would not have been surprised if they started to forget the whistles of some pool mates 5–10 years after they were separated," says Peter Tyack, also a marine-mammal biologist at St Andrews.
It is not clear how strong a parallel can be drawn with human social recognition. "Does the dolphin pay attention to the whistle because it is a familiar sound that was once part of, or perhaps still is part of, its vocal repertoire?" asks King. "Or does the whistle evoke a mental representation of the absent animal in the dolphin's mind?"
Bruck does not have the answer yet, but he already has some clues that dolphins remember the tank mate as well as the sound. In tests using the signature whistles of extremely dominant males, for example, females responded with exceptional interest. "And there was a lot of posturing from the males," says Bruck. "Some young ones would just go ballistic."
This article is reproduced with permission from the magazine Nature. The article was first published on August 7, 2013.
Recent Articles by Karen Ravn
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text:
On 5 April 2011 the public sector equality duty (psed) came into force in England, Scotland and Wales. This duty replaces the existing race, disability and gender equality duties.
Find out more about the law by clicking the links below
ROTA's Equality Law Project website
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde: equality impact assessments
Protected characteristic:
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde: equality impact assessments *
In order to meet the requirements of the public sector equality duty, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde committed to assess all new policies, service re-designs and efficiency savings to measure their impact on different protected groups. An Equality Impact Assessment toolkit was developed which explicitly requires staff to identify the needs and impact on lesbian, gay and bisexual people. For the toolkit see Appendix 9. In 2011 the health board undertook a review of completed Equality Impact Assessments to see if there were any trends or patterns that needed to be actioned and prioritised.
This review process identified that sexual orientation was consistently under-reported in Equality Impact Assessments and that, in comparison to the other protected characteristics covered by the Equality Act 2010, services were least likely to be proactively tackling homophobia. This finding was supported by a review of the health board's first Equality Scheme which also reported lower levels of activity in understanding, identifying and removing barriers to services for lesbian, gay and bisexual people.
In response to these findings and in order to comply with the duty, the health board developed a Tackling Homophobia Campaign to improve attitudes and behaviours across the organisation. The campaign involved a microsite www.nhsggc.org.uk/homophobia that was promoted to all staff through the intranet, staff newsletters and the equalities e-bulletins, as well as via a roadshow to further engage employees in different teams and different areas. The campaign included a good practice guide for employees on acceptable language and behaviour in the workplace (see Appendix 10). The campaign has received 10,000 website hits, 2000 email pledges and 800 photograph pledges, as well as public support from high profile figures including the Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
* Review of the public sector equality duty, Call for evidence Stonewall response [April 2013]
PSED History
Best Practice Case Studies
© Copyright 2019. Race on the Agenda. Registered Charity 1064975, Company limited by guarantee, number 3425664.
An organisation investing in a sustainable future. ROTA Patrons: Lord Adebowale CBE / Dr Richard Stone OBE
Race on the Agenda, 356 Holloway Road, London N7 6PA
+44 (0) 20 7697 4093 / www.rota.org.uk / rota@rota.org.uk


The GOES-13 satellite has kept an eye on System 97L all week, and it has now developed into a tropical depression. NASA's GOES Project has created a movie showing its development over the last three days, and will continue to monitor it.
Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center have been monitoring System 97L for days now with NOAA and NASA satellite data, ship and buoy observations. At 11 a.m. EDT this morning, July 22, System 97L strengthened and organized into the third tropical depression of the Atlantic Ocean hurricane season triggering warnings for the Bahamas and Florida.
The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite known as GOES-13, continually takes images over the eastern U.S. and the latest imagery shows Tropical Depression Three (TD3) getting organized over the Bahamas. NASA's GOES Project, located at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. created a movie of System 97L from July 19 at 2132 UTC (5:32 p.m. EDT) through July 22 at 1515 UTC (11:15 a.m. EDT) showing its development over the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, moving into the Bahamas.
The government of the Bahamas has issued a tropical storm warning for the central and northwestern Bahamas. In addition, a tropical storm warning has been issued for the Florida east coast from Golden Beach southward including the entire Florida Keys and Florida Bay and along the west coast of Florida northward to Bonita Beach. A tropical storm watch has been issued for the east coast of Florida from north of Golden Beach to Jupiter inlet including Lake Okeechobee.
At 1100 a.m. EDT the center of newly formed tropical depression three (TD3) was located near latitude 21.9 north and longitude 75.0 west. Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph with higher gusts. TD3 is moving toward the west-northwest near 15 mph and it is expected to continue in this direction with an increase in forward speed during the next 48 hours. Estimated minimum central pressure is 1008 millibars. The depression could become a tropical storm later today.


text:
Comeback Kings: Patriots thrive at late-game playoff rallies
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (AP) Tom Brady is the comeback king in the playoffs.
From his past two Super Bowl wins to the AFC championship game rally against Jacksonville that got the Patriots to the NFL's biggest stage for the third in four seasons, no quarterback has engineered more late-game playoff comebacks than Brady.
But he is not alone. Whether it was Marcus Mariota and the Tennessee Titans in the wild-card round against Kansas City earlier this postseason, or Russell Wilson against Green Bay in (2015) or Andrew Luck against the Chiefs the previous year, there have been as many playoff comebacks from at least 10 points down in the fourth quarter the past five seasons as there were the previous 26 seasons.
"What happens is instead of playing the team, they start playing the clock. Sometimes you win and sometimes you go against a bad boy like Tom Brady and you get burned," former Colts receiver and current NFL Network analyst Reggie Wayne said. "A lot of that falls onto the coaches. The players are going to run what the coaches call."
Whether it's Atlanta failing to run the ball enough late in last year's Super Bowl that helped the Patriots rally from 28-3 down to win in overtime or Seattle's decision to pass at the goal line instead of hand it to Marshawn Lynch back in 2015, questionable coaching decisions have contributed to some of those comebacks.
But nobody is better at exploiting those mistakes than Brady and the Patriots. He has four playoff wins in games he trailed by at least 10 points in the fourth quarter, including the "Tuck Rule" game against Oakland in 2002. No other quarterback has led more than one such comeback in playoff history.
"There's a great belief no matter what the circumstances, that we have enough to overcome it," Brady said. "I don't think we want to try to overcome that again this year. That was pretty tough to do. Hopefully we can get a lead, play from ahead, play on our terms."
The Patriots are comfortable when that happens. They are 6-6 in the playoffs when trailing after three quarters under Brady and coach Bill Belichick, while the rest of the NFL has a 27-140 record in that span with only Russell Wilson and Eli Manning having more than two fourth-quarter comebacks with four each.
Not that it is by design.
"That whole comeback thing is overrated," said NFL Network analyst Willie McGinest, who won three Super Bowl titles as Brady's teammate in New England. "Players can't go in and say, `Hey, we want to win this game in dramatic fashion, be down 11 with eight minutes to go and come back and have the crowd go crazy.' You want to be in control, play a certain way and be in front. Because that changes how you play the game."
The biggest deficit overcome to win a Super Bowl before last season was just 10 points and the Patriots were the first team to overcome a deficit that big in the second half when they did it against the Seahawks three years ago.
The only other teams to come back from 10 points down to win a Super Bowl faced those deficits early in the second quarter with New Orleans rallying against Indianapolis in 2010 and Washington against Denver in 1988.
Brady's postseason passer rating when trailing in fourth quarter the past four years is a staggering 121.2, compared to 75.6 for the rest of the NFL.
In last year's Super Bowl comeback, the Falcons appeared to tire and struggled to generate pressure, sending more than four pass rushers on just two of 24 pass plays in the fourth quarter.
The Jaguars also only brought more than four rushers on two of 15 fourth-quarter pass plays in the AFC title game when New England came back from 20-10 down to win 24-20.
"What teams do wrong is they go zone," Wayne said. "He's going to pick zone apart all day, every day. He's going to spread you out and they're the best at creating mismatches."


text:
Discretion and Public Benefit in a Regulatory Agency
Nagarajan, Vijaya
This book explores the manner in which a variety of public benefits such as environmental protection and consumer safety have been accommodated through the authorisation process within competition law and policy in Australia. While the regulator's use of its discretion can be explained as a triumph of practice over theory, this book explores the potential for competition principles to be imbued by the wider discourses of democratic participation and human rights. In doing so it makes a significant contribution to the Australian competition policy as well as reconceptualising the way in which discretion is used by regulators. … a very important and creative contribution to the literatures on both business regulation in general and Australian competition and consumer protection law in particular. It pays special attention to an everyday regulatory function that is often ignored in scholarship. And it is very important in challenging—on both empirical and normative policy oriented grounds—a narrowly economic approach to competition law, and proposing an alternative understanding and practice for the public benefit test in ACCC authorisations. Professor Christine Parker The data Vij Nagarajan has analysed is quite unique in its focus. It is a kind of data and analysis that has not been completed before in the international literature. It is well written, theoretically sophisticated and incisive in its policy analysis. John Braithwaite
competition policy; australian law; Consumer protection; Human rights; Public-benefit corporation; Welfare
Civil service & public sector
Relevant Wikipedia pages: Australia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia; Australian Competition and Consumer Commission - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Competition_and_Consumer_Commission; Competition law - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competition_law; Consumer protection - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_protection; Human rights - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights; Public-benefit corporation - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public-benefit_corporation; Welfare - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welfare


848-448-3690 / 8484483690 - Who call from Rahway, NJ, United States?
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Post by Itscomplex 6 years ago !
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SPAM text. Need some quick cash?..... www.click4cashnow.com How do I report this?
Sorry you can no longer reach me.
Pick up and only heard music. I answered because it came with a name. Alexander was the first name. Phone sakes for sure.
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I love bourbon. You probably love bourbon and I bet your friends love bourbon, too. Bourbon is as Kentucky as horses, college basketball and Naomi and Wynonna.
But believe it or not, some bourbon makers are afraid you and I might one day fall out of love with that delicious, sweet elixir (I personally can't see it, but it's happened before). And now with other countries imposing retaliatory tariffs on American-made products — like bourbon — the bourbon industry can't necessarily rely on global thirst to support it in the event of a stateside bourbon bust.
It's on the minds of Kentucky bourbon makers, especially those at the smaller shops. WFPL's Ashlie Stevens visited a small craft distiller in Bourbon County to find out how he's preparing for the future. Ashlie joins us today on Recut.


Do You Floss or Brush First?
For all of you water flosser owners out there, you may know clearly how to operate it, clean it, etc. but when to use it can be a big question mark for most and the answer may be different for each individual. It is a very common question to ask when is the best time to floss? Is it better to use a Waterpik before or after brushing? How many times per day? In this article we will explain the order of brushing and flossing, the most appropriate time to floss your teeth and how often.
DOES IT MATTER WHEN YOU USE A WATER FLOSSER?
WHEN TO FLOSS: MORNING OR NIGHT?
SHOULD YOU FLOSS BEFORE OR AFTER MOUTHWASH?
The answer to this question may vary depending on who you ask. Based on what we know about flossing, our answer to that question is yes. It does matter when you use your water flosser. It matters because if you've invested in a water flosser, and your goal is to achieve effective results then it's in your best interest to know the optimal times to use it. And yes there are optimal times to use your oral irrigator which we will explain in the next question.
When you floss before brushing, this enhances the effectiveness of both brushing and the toothpaste itself. If you can remove a large amount of debris/plaque in the mouth to begin with, this will make the job easier for the toothbrush and therefore more effective.
Most people would put the importance of brushing teeth above the importance of flossing, and with good reason. But flossing is still a very important job. Which is why it's beneficial to begin with water flossing, as getting it out of the way first will increase the chances that a patient actually does floss. Compliance is improved greatly by beginning with flossing and finishing with brushing teeth.
Not to mention that when patients see the debris and food being removed as they are using their water flosser, this increases the motivation to keep it up. They can see the results for themselves.
That being said, it is not a bad thing to floss after brushing. If you desire to floss after brushing and that works for you, then go ahead. It is still effective and great for your oral health.
Usually the longest period of time we go without eating or drinking is through the night when we are getting our rest. So it would make sense to make sure our mouth is clean before hitting the sack for some zzz.
If plaque is not removed before bed, it starts to harden and calcify on your teeth and can only be removed by a hygienist at that point. Therefore, we think it is more effective to floss at night after you've eaten your last meal.
We would by no means want someone to feel pressured to water floss their teeth more than is necessary. The recommendation given by the American Dental Association is to floss at least once per day. This would apply to flossing in general, whether it be manual or water flossing. If you floss more then once daily, good on you.
My personal routine is to brush twice per day, and floss once per day. Flossing plays an important part in preventing tooth decay and gum disease. It is effective in removing plaque that can lead to cavities or gum disease and it gets to those areas that are hard to reach with a toothbrush.
SHOULD YOU BRUSH AND FLOSS BEFORE OR AFTER MOUTHWASH?
The answer to this question can depend on the type of mouthwash or toothpaste you decide to use. If your mouthwash contains fluoride, it is suitable to rinse directly after flossing and brushing your teeth. It will leave your mouth clean and fresh and allows the fluoride more time to protect the teeth. If you use a toothpaste that contains fluoride, you want to avoid rinsing it off with a non-fluoride mouthwash directly after brushing. Many seem to agree that rinsing should be the final step, however not everyone prefers to do so and as long as these 3 methods of oral cleansing are being used properly, you are doing great.
It is important to floss at least once per day, preferably before brushing your teeth and before bedtime. Hopefully in this article we have cleared up any confusion and helped you to understand why. If you're already doing so, keep up the good work! If you want to look at some Waterpiks on the market, check it out here.
If you have found this information helpful, please comment below or share this article!
Do you use tooth paste with the waterpic brush?
With a Waterpik toothbrush? You would use toothpaste as you would with any other manual or electric toothbrush.


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Trump Reportedly Complains About the Russia Probe 20 Times a Day, Which Seems Like a Lot?
Rebecca Fishbein
Filed to: russia investigationFiled to: russia investigation
Image: via Getty
You might think a president who is VERY BUSY solving all the world's problems wouldn't have time to worry about a VERY FAKE investigation into his administration's connection to Russian oligarchs, but it appears Donald Trump is a real multitasker. Indeed, our fair president reportedly complains about Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe as much as 20 times a day, which certainly must cut into his TV time something fierce. I do hope someone's taping his stories!
On Sunday, the Washington Post reported that Trump's team is preparing for an all-out legal war with Mueller's investigation, which has thus far claimed former Trump allies like Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn, and recently implicated Trump attorney Michael Cohen. Though Trump and his yes men have long argued the president will come out of the investigation unscathed, per WaPo's report, I'm not sure this is the behavior of someone with nothing to worry about:
The president vents to associates about the FBI raids on his personal attorney Michael Cohen — as often as "20 times a day," in the estimation of one confidant — and they frequently listen in silence, knowing little they say will soothe him. Trump gripes that he needs better "TV lawyers" to defend him on cable news and is impatient to halt the "witch hunt" that he says undermines his legitimacy as president. And he plots his battle plans with former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, his new legal consigliere.
It sounds....just a little bit...like Trump might be freaking out? Like, when you sense a friend is angry with you, so you keep asking them, "Are you mad at me?" and they say no, even though you KNOW that they are, but you're just trying to needle them into finally telling you so you can get to the apologizing part? On the other hand, his memory seems not so great, so it's possible he keeps bringing up the Russia investigation because he can't remember ranting about it ten minutes ago, but, you know. It's on his mind.
It's also noteworthy that Trump wants to replace his "TV lawyers" with Giuliani, best known of late for giving away everyone's secrets on national television, which can't possibly be a good legal move, but will certainly make blogging a lot more fun! Giuliani told WaPo he and Trump are on the "same wavelength," i.e., the wavelength of people who mattered somewhat to New York City in the 1990s and should have subsequently sunk to the bottom of the Earth, but for the fact that we missed the Rapture.
Meanwhile, Trump aides told WaPo they're worried Jared Kushner and Donald Trump, Jr., will soon be swept up in the investigation (someone warn Kimberly), and that they're surprised at the speed with which Mueller's moved the probe, though it's not clear when it'll wrap up, or with what result. "Everyone seems resigned to just buckle up and get through whatever we've got to get through for it to reach its conclusion," a White House official told the paper, though perhaps by then Trump will have driven himself straight to madness, who knows!
Please Don't Insult Rudy Giuliani, a Literal Knight Who Is 'Wide Awake,' by Suggesting He Drinks Too Much
Report: Michael Cohen Was Selling Access to Trump, a Nice Normal Thing That Lawyers Do
Rudy Giuliani Went on T.V. Again, Still Hard at Work on Those Facts!
Recent from Rebecca Fishbein
This Australian Court Case Over a Kylie Jenner Selfie Is Wild
Claudia Rankine on Confronting White Men About Their Privilege
Westworld to Possibly Be Less Confusing


Owe an ethnic royal look by buying this dark blue colored designer pure cotton saree. It comes with two-sided zari border. Pallu of the saree is red with zari stripes on it. The main attraction of the saree is contrast designer brocade tissue blouse material. This saree is suited for festivals and weddings.
Best suited for festivals and Weddings.


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£95.00 A.J. Singleton - "Little Green Men"
£95.00 Bernie - "I swear I'm so hungry I could eat a horse."
£95.00 Bernie - "I'm protesting the price of petrol bombs."
£95.00 Grizelda - ''Police warning"
£95.00 NEWMAN - ''How embarrassing - we've been linked to a Tory donor!"
£95.00 NEWMAN - ''I'm counting on Jeremy Hunt to get me out."


This August, we're featuring 6 inspirational women who are making a name for themselves in the food industry.
How did your love for baking / cooking develop?
I have had a lifelong obsession with food and my friend Nadine's love of food began when I begged her to join me on a culinary adventure with Jan Hendrik Van Westerhuizen in France last year where we were lucky enough to dine at his restaurant and go on a "foodie" tour with him.
This experience led us to starting Two Foodies which aims to elevate home cooks to restaurant level through exposure, learning and masterclasses with some of South Africa's best professional chefs.
I have always loved to travel. After studying a BComm Marketing Honours I decided it was time to travel the world before settling down into a real job. I lived in London for two years where I saved all my money to backpack around Europe and Asia. I fell in love with Thailand and landed up working in a Thai restaurant on Phi Phi Island. Living, eating and working there taught me to love anything and everything with Asian flavours.
Candice and I hope to get other food lovers and home cooks to enjoy all of our favourite dishes which have been created by ourselves as well as other guest chefs. Enabling passionate foodies to learn the skills in our kitchen, preparing, cooking and plating food that looks as sophisticated as gourmet restaurant dishes.
What sort of food do you serve and what are your favourite ingredients to use?
Candice: "We want to give the everyday home chef or obsessive foodie the opportunity to learn new skills, discover new techniques and ingredients and practise new recipes.
Our food is about making each ingredient shine, so that it can be used again in a variety of dishes.
For example, one of our chefs made a rack of lamb dish with an Asian glaze that can be used in a variety of ways as well as on many different proteins and is just delicious! And the cauliflower puree is also very versatile and can be paired with many different dishes as can the baby carrots."
Nadine: "My favourite ingredients seem to be fresh and fruity and always compliment an Asian meal. I love using coconut milk, whether it is in a smoothie, Thai curry, a creamy butternut soup or even an ice-cream. "
My top 5 kitchen tools, hmmm that's a tough one, there are so many!
1) But I think having a good set of kitchen knives such as Zwilling or Wusthof is essential and I absolutely love the small serrated pairing knives from Victorinox, I have them in every colour!
2) A really good cast iron pot and roasting dish by Staub really make a difference to even temperatures when cooking.
3) Wizbake oven liners I use everyday in my house on the roasting trays, they are brilliant.
4) Any kitchen utensil by ZEAL, they are the best silicone spatulas, spoons, tongs I've ever used.
5) Lastly my Alessi Anna Corkscrew to open my mandatory bottle of wine when I cook!
1) One of the most useful things to have in a kitchen is a good wok. Cooking stir fries, fresh veggies or even a pad Thai is quick and easy.
2) I use the OXO Mandoline Slicer almost everyday. It really speeds up my prep especially for salads.
3) The Nutribullet is also a favourite in my kitchen. From whipping up a quick smoothie for breakfast, to chopping nuts or even making a really smooth puree.
4) I also like to have lots of chopping boards. Cooking a complicated dish always involves many boards for different elements of the dish. I use any of the Joseph Joseph ones.
5) A good butchers block is also essential.
I think the food industry today is so exciting and diverse and there are so many different types of food experiences to be had. There's no doubt that it's a great and growing industry as more and more of us are so interested in all things food.


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Home » Elementary/Middle School » 5 Fun Ways to Use Fossils in Your Classroom
October 16th is (drum roll, please) … National Fossil Day! We're celebrating National Fossil Day for the 10th straight year since its inception by the National Park Service and various partner organizations.
Maybe you don't have a background in geology, which can make it challenging to know how to incorporate fossils into your classroom lessons.
If you're looking for fun ways to use fossils in your classroom, then read this (yes, fossils can be fun. We promise):
Use fossils to show your students evidence of evolution.
Plants and animals didn't exist when the Earth was formed. How do we know when these species first appeared, as they decayed so long ago? Exhibit A: fossils!
Fossils are the remains of plants and animals in rock form. When geologists look at older rocks, they see species that are less complex than fossils found in younger rocks. This succession of fossils suggests that life slowly evolved from simple ancestors to the diverse types of organisms that now inhabit the Earth.
The result of this evidence? Your students' minds' blown!
With the 45 fossil specimens in our Student Stratigraphic Fossil Collection, students can observe a variety of species (trilobites, bryozoans, brachiopods, cephalopods, and more) from the Cambrian (540 million years ago) to the present and compare how each species became more complex over time.
Use fossils to show your students what ancient environments were like.
Did you know Western New York (where Ward's Science is located) used to be the bottom of the ocean floor? The face of the earth has been slowly, continuously changing since its early days. Fossils—and the rock types they're found in—paint a picture of these ancient environments.
For example, crinoids, brachiopods, and trilobites have always lived in the sea, so when we see them in New York today, we know this geographic region must have once been marine rather than terrestrial.
For an "old-school" activity, students can study 28 fossils and complete three activities in the GEO-LOGIC Plants and Animals of the Past Topic Set to figure out the geography and climate of different ancient environments on Earth.
Use index fossils to help your students date the rocks they're found in.
Index fossils are fossils that allow us to date the rock units they're found in and correlate those rock units with others in different locations. Index fossils must be distinctive, easily recognizable, and abundant—and must have a wide geographic distribution in a short range of time.
Ward's Science offers a variety of trace fossils from around the globe. In our Microfossil Mystery: The Conodont Conundrum Lab Activity students study microfossils to characterize different biozones and important biostratrigraphic relationships so they can solve a simulated real-world problem they've uncovered (or you can check our individual trace fossils, such as the Jurassic ammonite Perisphinctes species or the Devonian brachiopod Mucrospirifer thedfordensis).
Use fossils as evidence of plate tectonics.
Plate tectonics is the theory that the outmost layer of the Earth is divided into several continental and oceanic plates. These can crash into one another to build mountains, move laterally past one another to generate earthquakes, subduct one another to form volcanoes, and spread apart from each other to create oceans.
While there are a bunch of indications of where these plate boundaries are today, fossils reveal where and how ancient plates were constructed. For example, 225 million years ago all the continents on the Earth were together and formed a mega-continent called Pangea.Since then, the continents have been spreading apart from one another to form the Earth we see today. We can observe the exact same fossils across various continents, indicating that those continents used to be together and have now spread apart.
Glossopteris sp. is a great example of a Permian terrestrial plant fossil that has been found in South America, Africa, India, Australia, and even Antarctica. It's obvious today that those environments are radically different and could not ecologically support the same plant species. So this fossil is excellent evidence of how the continents must have drifted apart since the Permian.
Use fossils to demonstrate mass extinctions.
There have been five mass extinctions throughout the Earth's history, in which at least 20% of all species on earth have catastrophically died. The greatest mass extinction was the Permian extinction 252 million years ago, where approximately 90% of all species on the Earth vanished.
Fossils are the best evidence of mass extinctions because successive rock layers with abundant fossil diversity abruptly disappear, signifying that the once-living creatures suddenly and collectively died off (major bummer).
Here are three kits demonstrating (a) the succession of life in these time periods, (b) examples of fossils that show evidence of mass extinctions, and (c) how new life evolved after every mass extinction (eventually leading to the biodiversity we observe today):
Ward's GEO-Logic Life of the Paleozoic Era Topic Set
Ward's GEO-Logic Life of the Mesozoic Era Topic Set
Ward's GEO-Logic Life of the Cenozoic Era Topic Set
Teacher's guides included, so your job is easier!
From evolution to earthquakes to mass extinctions, fossils can teach your students about several different aspects of our planet's exciting history. And we can't think of a better time to do that than National Fossil Day. Even if you don't have a background in geological science, these ideas and activity kits can engage your students and even stimulate some interesting discussions (or debates).
As always, if you have any questions about fossils or anything else, just ask the Ward's Science Plus Us team at sciencehelp@vwr.com. Our in-house scientists and technicians are ready to answer even the toughest inquiries.
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"Chris Rock: The ESQ+A" by Scott Raab
Chris Rock is not a comedian. He's a philosopher who speaks the truth and just happens to be funny. This exchange with Esquire's Scott Raab about Lebron says it all:
SR: [Lebron's] got a LOYALTY tattoo.
CR: Loyalty to friends. And all his friends are right there. God bless him.
SR: They all wanted him to stay.
CR: No, they didn't. They all wanted to go. And by the way, he's surrounded by six 25-year-old black guys — where do you think they want to be? They want to be in Miami.
http://www.esquire.com/features/qa/chris-rock-interview-0311
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Josh Berry. (HHP/Chris Owens)
LubeZone Joins JRM, Josh Berry As Sponsor
Staff Report December 7, 2022
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — LubeZone, Inc. will be the primary partner for Josh Berry and the JR Motorsports No. 8 Chevrolet for two events during the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.
The No. 8 LubeZone Chevrolet will debut at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 5 and Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 14.
Although it marks LubeZone's initial foray into NASCAR, for Berry the partnership adds another chapter in the long-standing relationship with Mark Clark, executive president and cofounder of LubeZone, which dates back to Berry's early late model days.
Josh Berry's ride in 2023 with LubeZone on the hood. (JR Motorsports)
"It's great to be able to work with Mark (Clark) again and to welcome LubeZone to this No. 8 team," said Berry. "Mark and I had much success together in late models, and it's really cool to see our paths cross again and that we get to continue this journey into the NASCAR Xfinity Series together. It will make our first race in Michigan that much more special."
Founded in 2017, LubeZone provides timely preventative maintenance solutions to the transportation industry.
"I am excited to be back with both JR Motorsports and Josh Berry to bring LubeZone to the Xfinity Series," said Clark. "I believe our success will continue on and off the track, and we're looking forward to Josh winning the championship next year! Fast is Back!"
During their time in the late model ranks, Berry and Clark were a formidable pairing. Together, the duo brought home 38 wins at short-tracks across the southeast.
"We're very grateful to have Mark (Clark) and LubeZone join JRM and support Josh for these race," said Kelley Earnhardt Miller, JR Motorsports CEO. "They have a strong, successful history together from Josh's time running late models. Now, it's a special opportunity to have the two reunite as Josh enters his second full-time season."
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