text:
Seeking justice, Lyra McKee's family appeal for information about journalist's murder
The "Justice 4 Lyra" campaign encourages people to come forward with any information about the murder of 29-year-old Lyra McKee in Derry in 2019.
Kerry O'Shea
@kerry_oshea
Lyra McKee's relatives standing in front of a recently unveiled Justice 4 Lyra billboard in Derry. Justice 4 Lyra, Twitter
The family of Lyra McKee, the journalist who was shot and killed during a night of violence in the Creggan area of Co Derry on April 18, 2019, has launched the "Justice 4 Lyra" campaign encouraging people to come forward with any information about the events of that led to her death.
In a statement, McKee's family said: "Can you imagine what it feels like to know that the police know the identity of your sister's killer yet they continue to walk free?
"Can you imagine what it feels like to know that 'the dogs on the street' know the identity of your sister's killer, but you do not?"
Family of murdered journalist ask that love not anger be her memory
McKee's family says the purpose of their Justice 4 Lyra campaign is "to encourage anyone with any information or any video footage that could lead to the arrest and conviction of all those responsible for our sister's murder to come forward."
As part of the campaign, McKee's relatives have unveiled billboards around Derry City this week calling for any pertinent information about the journalist's murder.
The billboards feature a quote from McKee which says "Here's to better times ahead and saying goodbye to bombs and bullets once and for all."
Our family have had billboards erected at 3different locations in Derry,where Lyra was murdered almost 2 yrs ago. Using Lyra's positive message for our country, we encourage people who have information that could lead to the arrest/conviction of the gunman to come forward. pic.twitter.com/nnvkeOV8cO
— Justice4Lyra (@Justice4Lyra) April 5, 2021
In a video filmed beside one of the billboards, Lyra's sisters say: "Almost two years ago, our Lyra was shot dead in this city.
"The person who shot her continues to walk free.
"We need you to share the information that you know so that Lyra can have justice.
"Please, use your voice, speak out for Lyra."
Remembering Lyra McKee with her extraordinary letter to her 14-year-old self
McKee's family says that on April 18, 2019, McKee, 29, had been observing a riotous scene that was unfolding on Fanad Drive in the Creggan area of Derry in Northern Ireland. She was standing with a group of residents, including her partner Sara Canning, beside a police vehicle when a masked gunman shot his weapon directly towards the onlookers.
"One bullet struck our sister in the head and she was killed," McKee's family says in their new appeal.
While the "New Irish Republican Army" made a public statement claiming responsibility for Lyra's murder, the gunman remains free.
"A number of people had been arrested and questioned and two were charged with offences connected to Lyra's murder," McKee's family says.
"Despite over 150 brave local people coming forward with information and video footage to the police, the gunman has yet to be brought to justice."
McKee's family noted that her murder "sparked international outrage and played a pivotal role in encouraging our politicians to return to power-sharing governance that emerged following the 1998 Good Friday Agreement."
They further added that they promised Lyra's mother, who "died of a broken heart" on March 10, 2020, that they would "continue to fight until justice is secured for Lyra."
The renewed appeal comes just ahead of the second anniversary of McKee's murder. According to the News Letter, buildings in Derry City and Strabane District Council will be illuminated on April 18 to mark the anniversary of McKee's death.
You can learn more about the Justice 4 Lyra campaign on its website, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages.
Journalist Lyra McKee murdered during Derry riots
Related: Crime, Northern Ireland
Sacked teacher continues to show up to Co Westmeath school


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Every so often (ok, at least once a day) I encounter seemingly intelligent, rational, and educated people debating a black-and-white point of contention. The topic under debate is no mere opinion, but a matter of fact. Yet despite this—or perhaps because of this—the contention is irresolvable, and the debate bitter.
For example, ever discuss the probability of a flipped coin coming up heads? Many adults still cling to the belief that if you got tails four times in a row that means heads is now due.
I know an engineer who works at a large corporation. Many engineers and managers there don't understand how to design experiments. He told me about an hour-long facepalm moment. A manager was trying to order some engineers to do the absurd. Based on his misunderstanding of statistics, he wanted them to achieve a higher confidence interval. This does not mean to become more confident. It basically means to increase the size of the data set—i.e. waste more time and money collecting unnecessary data.
There is only one thing worse than when someone doesn't know something. It is when what he knows just isn't so (with due respect to Will Rogers and Ronald Reagan). It's much easier to teach than to persuade someone to unlearn that which is false.
I see the same kind of error all the time in entrepreneurial circles. Clayton Christiansen defined the term disruptive innovation very precisely. Yet despite this, many entrepreneurs and business managers use the word disruptive merely to mean big, or perhaps competitive. Existing customers of incumbent businesses don't particularly want the disruptive product. However, it has the potential to slowly eat the market from the low-margin soft underbelly up to the high-margin top end.
The transistor radio is a textbook example. In 1954 when Sony released the first transistor radio, were the existing makers of tube hi-fi equipment thinking to replace their good-sounding sets with tinny transistors? Within a few short decades, transistors took over the market.
Another error, closer to home, is when people think they can raise the wage by raising the minimum wage. Marginal productivity, like confidence interval or disruptive innovation, sounds like something it is not. Who would object to raising productivity?
But that is not what marginal productivity means. If you raise marginal productivity—for example by raising the legally mandated wage—you increase the bar. This is the hurdle all workers must get over, or else be rendered submarginal. Submarginal means unemployable.
When you find yourself in such a debate, be aware of what you're up against.
The above examples are fictional, and purely for entertainment purposes. Any resemblance to actual errors made in monetary economics is purely coincidental.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on November 16, 2014 by Keith Weiner.
This problem is all to common. Being aware of it doesn't necessarily mean that one can avoid the mistake with perfect consistency, although I enjoy it when I catch myself doing it. It's nice to self correct, otherwise I suffer all that shame and guilt when caught in the act by someone who I'm at odds with on one topic or another. I don't like those "duh" moments. .


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Monarchs return to Granite State with tied series
Saturday, April 27, 2019 Andrew Sylvia Manchester Monarchs, Sports 0
Newfoundland's Matt Bradley and Manchester's Charles Williams (Manchester Monarchs promotional photo)
ST. JOHNS, Newfoundland and Labrador – For a time, it looked like a redux of last week, but ultimately it turned out to be an echo of the past few months.
Like many times during the regular season, the Manchester Monarchs came close to defeating the Newfoundland Growlers on Saturday night. However, late goals proved to be the difference in this ECHL Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup, giving Newfoundland a 4-2 win.
Each team took a goal in the first period, with Craig Wyszomirski's wrister putting the Monarchs ahead just over five minutes into the contest, with Newfoundland's Josh Kestner replying approximately three minutes later.
After a scoreless second period, the two teams traded goals again in the third, with Brady Ferguson giving Newfoundland a lead at 12:47 followed by Pavel Jenys' deflection of Chris Carisle's shot at 13:42.
Zach O'Brien's goal with 91 seconds left provided the hosts the lead once and for all, taking the puck from an offensive zone faceoff win and shooting it over the blocker of Monarchs goaltender Charles Williams.
Derian Plouffe added an empty-netter with 25 seconds left in regulation to seal the victory.
Now tied at one game apiece, the series shifts back to New Hampshire with a 7 p.m. Game 3 start on Tuesday. Manchester plays again on Wednesday and Friday at 7 p.m. as well, with Friday's game heading to the Rinks at Exeter due to a scheduling conflict at SNHU Arena.
If needed, the series will head back to Newfoundland for games on Monday and possibly Tuesday, with both of those games also beginning at 7 P.M. Eastern Standard Time.
Gillibrand in Nashua: 'President Trump is pulling apart the moral fabric of this country'
'Cats bounce back on Saturday

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Podracing is a dangerous and occasionally deadly sport. Extremely popular throughout the galaxy, locals love to gamble on the races and turn out in huge numbers to view the spectacle. Sounds familiar? Motorsports fans will tell you, this isn't far off reality. So we decided to see what would happen if real car manufacturers produced Podracers.
Let's face it, there is no F1 without Ferrari, so that's where we begin. These Italian giants have more than 200 Grand Prix successes and are the most successful team in F1 history. No Podracing tournament would be complete without this iconic red racer in the mix.
Lamborghini is a star of the The Blancpain Endurance Series, scoring three consecutive wins in 2017. Famed for its superior aerodynamics, we can easily imagine this racer cruising through the air at high speed. It also comes equipped with an escape hatch in the roof, which could really come in handy in Podracing.
Aston Martin enjoyed a famous victory at 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1959 and repeated the victory again this year when the team won dramatically in the final lap. It's this kind of 'never give up' attitude that would make it perfect for Podracing. We can imagine a few intergalactic bets being put on this racer.
Amazingly, the Ford GT40 won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for four consecutive years starting in 1966. Under the instruction of Henry Ford himself, the American-British endurance car was powered by engines that were specially modified for racing. Ford had wanted one of his cars at Le Mans since the early 1960s. We bet he'd be delighted to see a Ford flying through the air.
Subaru announced its withdrawal from the World Rally Championship in 2008, ending a 19-year run. During this time the team won three manufacturer's and three driver's championships with the much-loved Impreza. The perfect combination of power and good looks, this vehicle would add a touch of class to the Podracing proceedings.
Over the years BMW cars have been extremely successful in motorsports, particularly the European Touring Car Championship, where their cars have 28 wins. They withdrew from the WTCC at the end of the 2010 season, but no Podracing tournament would be complete without this German powerhouse.
Talk about a rich history! Dodge has won a total of 217 NASCAR races. In 1969 alone they pulled in 22 wins. It might not be over just yet; a top NASCAR engine builder has hinted that Dodge could return to NASCAR in 2018. Either way, we were determined to enter them into this Podracing tournament.
Aside from all the excitement, Podracing also has a rich history; when Anakin Skywalker won the Boonta Eve Classic on Tatooine, he won his freedom and changed the course of history forever.
With these new racers in the contest, a new chapter in the Podracing story is in play.


Consumers are a confident bunch, and if a business doesn't know a person's likes or dislikes, they are more than willing to jump ship to another vendor to gain a sense of personalized connection. This tendency extends to every node of the customer journey. Nearly half of consumers don't like advertisements because they're unrelatable. Forty-four percent of consumers say they will buy again after a personalized shopping experience; 40 percent bought something they hadn't planned to purchase as a result of personalization.
Retention should be one of your top priorities in developing and enhancing customer relationships. It's easier to retain an ongoing customer than to recruit a new one. Plus, if you handle your customer relationships right, you can not only keep your customers but encourage them to come back more frequently or make larger purchases.
The first step to building retention is simply to prioritize it by employing customer relationship management (CRM) tools. Keep track of how many customers return to you and why. Then, make sure that repeat customers hold a central focus in your company's marketing plan. How do you entice current customers to stay with you, try new product offerings or services or expand on your relationship with more complex purchases?
When a customer makes a purchase from your company, that should be the start of your relationship, not the end. Not only do you have a captive audience, but you also have data about that customer's preferences and purchasing habits. Harness and use it.
Communication with your customers should be more than just mass email blasts. Instead of bombarding previous customers with nonstop offers, use customer analytics to understand how you can customize and personalize your messaging.
With a bit of analysis, for example, you can use past data to figure out what products or services a customer may be interested in purchasing in the future. Then, you can alert them to relevant special offers on related products or opportunities to "level up" on services.
Not all of your communication should be about your company trying to sell something. Diversify tailored communications by reminding customers about special features that you've noticed they're not utilizing. Let them know about major developments in your industry. Keep things personal by wishing customers a happy birthday. If your communication isn't always about getting more money from them, the relationship won't seem so one-sided and will come off as more genuine.
The key to stronger customer relationships and satisfaction is to go above and beyond expectations. Giving your customers more than they expect will surprise and delight them. It's a surefire way to guarantee not only that they keep coming back, but also that they will be likely to refer their friends and family.
In each and every interaction with your customers, make sure that they walk away fully satisfied. When you consistently listen to your customers, acknowledge their concerns and correct any problems or issues that they encounter, you'll stand out from the crowd and make a lasting impression.
Most businesses already have loyalty programs to encourage customers to come back. One of the most popular programs involves earning points for every purchase that can later be exchanged for goods. While this is a good start and certainly better than nothing at all, savvy companies will get more creative.
There are lots of companies who are doing this well. Stitch Fix, for example, offers a $25 reward to customers who refer a friend that makes a purchase. Sephora offers benefits like free makeovers to customers that spend a minimum amount. Phone companies commonly offer money for switching providers. Most banks or credit card companies offer discounts at partner stores. All of these are great examples of ways to get customers excited about doing business with a company and give them tangible reasons to stay loyal.
In today's digital age, the impact of developing stronger customer relationships spreads further than ever. Customers are eager to share their opinions, whether positive or negative and have a great many channels to do so. The work your company puts into maintaining and strengthening relationships will make or break you. Just like any relationship, strong customer relationships require work but the payoff to your businesses' bottom line is worth the efforts.


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Q: Vim plugins don't always load? I was trying to install autoclose.vim to Vim. I noticed I didn't have a ~/.vim/plugin folder, so I accidentally made a ~/.vim/plugins folder (notice the extra 's' in plugins). I then added au FileType python set rtp += ~/.vim/plugins to my .vimrc, because from what I've read, that will allow me to automatically source the scripts in that folder.
The plugin didn't load for me until I realized my mistake and took out the extra 's' from 'plugins'. I'm confused because this new path isn't even defined in my runtime path. I'm basically wondering why the plugin loaded when I had it in ~/.vim/plugin but not in ~/.vim/plugins?

A: :help load-plugins outlines how plugins are loaded.
Adding a folder to your rtp alone does not suffice; it must have a plugin subdirectory. For example, given :set rtp+=/tmp/foo, a file /tmp/foo/plugin/bar.vim would be detected and loaded, but neither /tmp/foo/plugins/bar.vim nor /tmp/foo/bar.vim would be.

A: You are on the right track with set rtp+=... but there's a bit more to it (rtp is non-recursive, help indexing, many corner cases) than what meets the eye so it is not a very good idea to do it by yourself. Unless you are ready for a months-long drop in productivity.
If you want to store all your plugins in a special directory you should use a proper runtimepath/plugin-management solution. I suggest Pathogen (rtp-manager) or Vundle (plugin-manager) but there are many others.

A: In addition to @Nikita Kouevda answer: modifying rtp on FileType event may be too late for vim to load any plugins from the modified runtimepath: if this event was launched after vimrc was sourced it is not guaranteed plugins from new addition will be loaded; if this event was launched after VimEnter event it is guaranteed plugins from new addition will not be sourced automatically.
If you want to source autoclose only when you edit python files you should use :au FileType python :source ~/.vim/macros/autoclose.vim (note: macros or any other subdirectory except plugin and directories found in $VIMRUNTIME or even any directory not found in runtimepath at all).
If you want to use autoclose only when you edit python files you should check out plugin source and documentation, there must be support on the plugin side for it to work.
// Or, if autoclose does not support this, use :au FileType command from above paragraph, but prepend source with something that records vim state (commands, mappings and autocommands), append same after source, find out differences in the state and delete the differences on each :au BufEnter if filetype is not python and restore them otherwise: hacky and may introduce strange bugs. The example of state-recording and diff-determining code may be found here.

A: All folders in the rtp (runtimepath) option need to have the same folder structure as your $VIMRUNTIME ($VIMRUNTIME is usually /usr/share/vim/vim{version}). So it should have the same subdirectory names e.g. autoload, doc, plugin (whichever you need, but having the same names is key). The plugins should be in their corresponding subdirectory.
Let's say you have /path/to/dir (in your case it's ~/.vim) is in your rtp, vim will

*

*look for global plugins in /path/to/dir/plugin

*look for file-type plugins in /path/to/dir/ftplugin

*look for syntax files in /path/to/dir/syntax

*look for help files in /path/to/dir/doc
and so on...
vim only looks for a couple of recognized subdirectories† in /path/to/dir. If you have some unrecognized subdirectory name in there (like /path/to/dir/plugins), vim won't see it.
† "recognized" here means that a subdirectory of the same name can be found in /usr/share/vim/vim{version} or wherever you have vim installed.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The Kruger National Park is home to the big 5, making it accessible for visitors to spot the big 5 in the wild.
The term big five historically refers to the five most dangerous animals to hunt in South Africa, there are approximately 1750 lions, 1000 leopards, 13 000 elephants and 37 000 buffalos making Kruger their home.
The big five can be found throughout the whole park making it alluring. It also offers the opportunity of seeing critically endangered animals.
The Kruger National Park offers some of the best sunsets and sunrises, it also has beautiful landscape which makes it a perfect place for photographers. With an abundance of wildlife it's an excellent place to capture some tremendous shots of animals in their natural environment.
The Kruger National Park can be accessed by nearly any car because it has well-maintained tar roads unlike other nature reserves in Africa.
It gives you the opportunity to be your own safari guide; it also offers alternative routes on sand roads which can also be accessed by most cars however some sand roads can get quite bumpy at times.
If you are looking to get up close to animals in their natural environment, Kruger is one the best places to do that. Nearly boasting over 150 mammal species, making it possible for you to be up close with wild animals. Kruger is also the home of over 500 bird species, which offers bird watchers a variety of birds to view.
It's the perfect place for a getaway, if you are looking to distress and clear your mind the Kruger Park will do the trick. Looking for animals while driving distracts your mind from everyday stressors and nothing beats relaxing on your balcony in the afternoon after a long day of looking for animals. Probably the most exciting part of Kruger is spotting animals in the road, because you never know what's around the next corner which makes it interesting, it keeps you in anticipation hoping there might be a lion or leopard at the next bend.
If staying at one of the camps there is no better thing to do then have a braai after a day of looking for animals. The night time offers peace and quiet, inviting many nocturnal animals to the perimeter of the camps fence who are attracted by the smell of whatever you might be cooking. Hyenas are often seen patrolling the fence while lions roaring can often be heard at night, whenever we stay at Tamboti, a genet (which we named Gerry) comes to visit us.
The Kruger offers excellent value for money, making it an affordable travel choice. The park charges SA citizens R82 a day per person and R41 per child for conservation fees. The camps offer accommodation from as little as R400 ($30) for a basic hut and R285 ($20) for camping for two people. It also offers luxury accommodation starting from R1200 ($90).


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Orbit (anatomy)
This article is about the anatomical space that contains the eye. For other uses, see Orbit (disambiguation) and Orbita (disambiguation).
In anatomy, the orbit is the cavity or socket of the skull in which the eye and its appendages are situated. "Orbit" can refer to the bony socket,[1] or it can also be used to imply the contents.[2] In the adult human, the volume of the orbit is 30 millilitres (1.06 imp fl oz; 1.01 US fl oz), of which the eye occupies 6.5 ml (0.23 imp fl oz; 0.22 US fl oz).[3] The orbital contents comprise the eye, the orbital and retrobulbar fascia, extraocular muscles, cranial nerves II, III, IV, V, and VI, blood vessels, fat, the lacrimal gland with its sac and duct, the eyelids, medial and lateral palpebral ligaments, check ligaments, the suspensory ligament, septum, ciliary ganglion and short ciliary nerves.
Diagram of eye with surrounding superior, oblique, medial and inferior rectus muscles; supraorbital foramen shown above the eye, and inferior orbital fissure inferolaterally.
[edit on Wikidata]
1.1 Openings
1.2 Bony walls
1.3 Borders
2.1 Eye movement
3 Clinical significance
4 Additional images
StructureEdit
3D model of Orbit with surrounding bones
The orbits are conical or four-sided pyramidal cavities, which open into the midline of the face and point back into the head. Each consists of a base, an apex and four walls.[4]
OpeningsEdit
There are two important foramina, or windows, two important fissures, or grooves, and one canal surrounding the globe in the orbit. There is a supraorbital foramen, an infraorbital foramen, a superior orbital fissure, an inferior orbital fissure and the optic canal, each of which contains structures that are crucial to normal eye functioning. The supraorbital foramen contains the supraorbital nerve, the first division of the trigeminal nerve or V1 and lies just lateral to the frontal sinus. The infraorbital foramen contains the second division of the trigeminal nerve, the infraorbital nerve or V2, and sits on the anterior wall of the maxillary sinus. Both foramina are crucial as potential pathways for cancer and infections of the orbit to spread into the brain or other deep facial structures.
The optic canal contains the (cranial nerve II) and the ophthalmic artery, and sits at the junction of the sphenoid sinus with the ethmoid air cells, superomedial and posterior to structures at the orbital apex. It provides a pathway between the orbital contents and the middle cranial fossa. The superior orbital fissure lies just lateral and inferior to the optic canal, and is formed at the junction of the lesser and greater wing of the sphenoid bone. It is a major pathway for intracranial communication, containing cranial nerves III, IV, VI which control eye movement via the extraocular muscles, and the ophthalmic branches of cranial nerve V, or V1. The second division of the trigeminal nerve enters the skull base at the foramen rotundum, or V2. The inferior orbital fissure lies inferior and lateral to the ocular globe at the lateral wall of the maxillary sinus. It is not as important in function, though it does contain a few branches of the maxillary nerve and the infraorbital artery and vein.[5] Other minor structures in the orbit include the anterior and posterior ethmoidal foramen and zygomatic orbital foramen.
Bony wallsEdit
The seven bones that form the orbit:
yellow = Frontal bone
green = Lacrimal bone
brown = Ethmoid bone
blue = Zygomatic bone
purple = Maxillary bone
aqua = Palatine bone
red = Sphenoid bone
teal = Nasal bone (illustrated but not part of the orbit)
The bony walls of the orbital canal in humans do not derive from a single bone, but a mosaic of seven embryologically distinct structures: the zygomatic bone laterally, the sphenoid bone, with its lesser wing forming the optic canal and its greater wing forming the lateral posterior portion of the bony orbital process, the maxillary bone inferiorly and medially which, along with the lacrimal and ethmoid bones, forms the medial wall of the orbital canal. The ethmoid air cells are extremely thin, and form a structure known as the lamina papyracea, the most delicate bony structure in the skull, and one of the most commonly fractured bones in orbital trauma. The lacrimal bone also contains the nasolacrimal duct. The superior bony margin of the orbital rim, otherwise known as the orbital process, is formed by the frontal bone.[6]
The roof (superior wall) is formed primarily by the orbital plate frontal bone, and also the lesser wing of sphenoid near the apex of the orbit. The orbital surface presents medially by trochlear fovea and laterally by lacrimal fossa.[7]
The floor (inferior wall) is formed by the orbital surface of maxilla, the orbital surface of zygomatic bone and the minute orbital process of palatine bone. Medially, near the orbital margin, is located the groove for nasolacrimal duct. Near the middle of the floor, located infraorbital groove, which leads to the infraorbital foramen. The floor is separated from the lateral wall by inferior orbital fissure, which connects the orbit to pterygopalatine and infratemporal fossa.
The medial wall is formed primarily by the orbital plate of ethmoid, as well as contributions from the frontal process of maxilla, the lacrimal bone, and a small part of the body of the sphenoid. It is the thinnest wall of the orbit, evidenced by pneumatized ethmoidal cells.[7]
The lateral wall is formed by the frontal process of zygomatic and more posteriorly by the orbital plate of the greater wing of sphenoid. The bones meet at the zygomaticosphenoid suture. The lateral wall is the thickest wall of the orbit, important because it is the most exposed surface, highly vulnerable to blunt force trauma.
BordersEdit
The base, orbital margin, which opens in the face, has four borders. The following bones take part in their formation:
Superior margin: frontal bone
Inferior margin: maxilla and zygomatic bone
Medial margin: frontal bone and maxilla
Lateral margin: zygomatic bone and frontal bone
FunctionEdit
The orbit holds and protects the eye.
Eye movementEdit
Main article: Eye movement
The movement of the eye is controlled by six distinct extraocular muscles, a superior, an inferior, a medial and a lateral rectus, as well as a superior and an inferior oblique. The superior ophthalmic vein is a sigmoidal vessel along the superior margin of the orbital canal that drains deoxygenated blood from surrounding musculature. The ophthalmic artery is a crucial structure in the orbit, as it is often the only source of collateral blood to the brain in cases of large internal carotid infarcts, as it is a collateral pathway to the circle of Willis. In addition, there is the optic canal, which contains the optic nerve, or cranial nerve II, and is formed entirely by the lesser wing of the sphenoid, separated from the supraorbital fissure by the optic strut. Injury to any one of these structures by infection, trauma or neoplasm can cause temporary or permanent visual dysfunction, and even blindness if not promptly corrected.[8] The orbits also protect the eye from mechanical injury.[4]
Clinical significanceEdit
In the orbit, the surrounding fascia allows for smooth rotation and protects the orbital contents. If excessive tissue accumulates behind the ocular globe, the eye can protrude, or become exophthalmic.[4]
Tear system:
a. tear gland / lacrimal gland,
b. superior lacrimal punctum,
c. superior lacrimal canal,
d. tear sac / lacrimal sac,
e. inferior lacrimal punctum,
f. inferior lacrimal canal,
g. nasolacrimal canal
Enlargement of the lacrimal gland, located superotemporally within the orbit, produces protrusion of the eye inferiorly and medially (away from the location of the lacrimal gland). Lacrimal gland may be enlarged from inflammation (e.g. sarcoid) or neoplasm (e.g. lymphoma or adenoid cystic carcinoma).[9]
Tumors (e.g. glioma and meningioma of the optic nerve) within the cone formed by the horizontal rectus muscles produce axial protrusion (bulging forward) of the eye.
Graves disease may also cause axial protrusion of the eye, known as Graves' ophthalmopathy, due to buildup of extracellular matrix proteins and fibrosis in the rectus muscles. Development of Graves' ophthalmopathy may be independent of thyroid function.[10]
Additional imagesEdit
This gallery of anatomic features needs cleanup to abide by the medical manual of style. Galleries containing indiscriminate images of the article subject are discouraged; please improve or remove the gallery accordingly.
Medial wall of left orbit
Dissection showing origins of right ocular muscles, and nerves entering by the superior orbital fissure
Lateral orbit nerves
Orbital cavity
^ "Orbit – Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary". Retrieved 2010-03-26.
^ Orbit at the US National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
^ Tasman, W.; Jaeger, E. A., eds. (2007). "Embryology and Anatomy of the Orbit and Lacrimal System". Duane's Ophthalmology. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN 978-0-7817-6855-9.
^ a b c "eye, human."Encyclopædia Britannica from Encyclopædia Britannica 2006 Ultimate Reference Suite DVD 2009
^ Mehta, M. P.; Perry, J. D. (2015). "Medial orbital wall landmarks in three different North American populations". Orbit. 34 (2): 72–8. doi:10.3109/01676830.2014.997394. PMID 25804299.
^ Bertelli, E; Regoli, M (2014). "Branching of the foramen rotundum. A rare variation of the sphenoid". Italian Journal of Anatomy and Embryology. 119 (2): 148–53. PMID 25665284.
^ a b Moore, Keith L. (2010). Clinically Oriented Anatomy (6th ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN 978-07817-7525-0.
^ Ference, E. H.; Smith, S. S.; Conley, D; Chandra, R. K. (2015). "Surgical anatomy and variations of the infraorbital nerve". The Laryngoscope. 125 (6): 1296–300. doi:10.1002/lary.25089. PMID 25992806.
^ Kumar, V.; Abbas, A. K.; Fausto, N. (2005). Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease (Seventh ed.). Philadelphia: Elsevier Saunders. p. 1423.
^ Hatton, M. P.; Rubin, P. A. (2002). "The pathophysiology of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy". Ophthalmol Clin North Am. 15 (1): 113–119. doi:10.1016/S0896-1549(01)00004-9. PMID 12064074.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Orbit (anatomy).
oph/2 at eMedicine – "Arterial Supply, Orbit"
Anatomy photo:29:os-0501 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center
Atlas image: eye_5 at the University of Michigan Health System
Atlas image: rsa2p4 at the University of Michigan Health System
Interactive tutorial at anatome.ncl.ac.uk
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Great Northern Insulation has been servicing Ontario's buildings for nearly 40 years. During this time, lowering carbon emissions caused by buildings has become increasingly relevant. As it stands, the building industry as a whole represents almost a fifth of carbon emissions in Ontario because of the energy used for indoor comfort – heating and cooling.
However, the link between carbon emissions and comfort is also where a solution can be found. By increasing the energy efficiency of existing buildings, we are able to reduce carbon emissions and increase the comfort of home and business owners.
Great Northern Insulation has decades of firsthand experience retrofitting buildings across Ontario to be more energy efficient, resulting in the reduction of carbon emissions in the building sector. For this reason, we believe that Conservation and Demand Management, along with Demand Side Management, is vital to the success of environmental progress in Ontario.
These are government incentivized programs that allow home and business owners to lower their carbon footprint by saving money through rebates on energy efficiency upgrades, lowering electricity and gas rates during peak times, and through other incentives, as well as increased education about energy use.
A highly energy efficient building effectively lowers operating costs, reduces energy bills and saves the home or business owner money. It also contributes to a cleaner environment in Ontario because of the lowered carbon emissions caused by buildings.
Great Northern Insulation provides products and services that are both environmentally friendly and lower operating costs. Our solutions are beneficial for the Ontario of today and for the generations of tomorrow.
Although the Cap and Trade program has recently ended, we understand that the Progressive Conservative Government is still committed to environmental initiatives. This has been shown by directing $500 million to this cause, which includes setting up an emissions-reduction fund.
Over the last 38 years, we have seen energy and rebate programs that follow energy conversation models offered to Ontarians. Currently, these include the Union Gas Home Reno Rebate and Enbridge Gas Home Energy Conservation programs. Both of these programs promote increased energy efficiency.
We would like to work closely with the current government to ensure that a program that achieves their target outcomes is created. This also includes improving the current programs offered if they do not already meet these outcomes.
We believe that if these programs operate to their fullest capacity, Ontarians will save money on their energy bills, and can also lead to decreased overhead for businesses, adding another incentive to operate in Ontario.


Pistachio: Holy cannoli you are my sister!
Grandfather: You don't have a sister, pea brain! I'm your grandfather!
Pistachio: Yes, that was my next choice.
Let's face it folks, flatulence jokes are not funny. I don't care what age you are; they're just not funny. The Master of Disguise contains not only one flatulence joke, but a recurring theme of them. Sadly, this is not the worst of it. "What could be worse?" one might ask. A persistent onslaught of "Who's Your Daddy?" jokes, that's what. Normally, I enjoy Dana Carvey's wide range of quirky humor, but I have no idea what possessed him to write, much less star in, this disaster.
Carvey stars as Pistachio Disguisey, a nerdy Italian waiter who, despite his not-so-clever name, is unaware of the fact that his father, Fabrizzio, (James Brolin) and grandfather (Harold Gould) were once great masters of disguise. It is only when his old arch-nemesis, Devlin Bowman (Brent Spiner), captures Fabrizzio that Pistachio is taught the family profession by his grandfather. Through this help and a cheesy pop-up book called "The Disguisey Way," Pistachio quickly learns how to utilize the art of disguise in an attempt to save his father. The resulting film is nothing more than a vehicle for showcasing Carvey's talent for character imitations, as he transforms himself into a turtle man, George W. Bush, various characters from famous movies, and a plethora of other mutations. An obligatory female sidekick named Jennifer (Jennifer Esposito) also aids Pistachio on his mission, but her presence serves little purpose other than supplying the audience with a little eye candy.
Knowing Carvey's uncanny genius for losing himself within an impersonation, it is easy to see how the concept for this film may have seemed like a good idea. However, thanks to a poorly written screenplay that is marred by one pitiful joke after another, all of Carvey's usual wit and charm is lost and his talent completely wasted. There are moments where I wanted to reach through the screen and shake some sense into him, such as when he delivers a lame Shrek impersonation or rattles off Madonna lyrics for no apparent reason. Yet, in light of my despise for the film, I do have to admit to enjoying a few hearty chuckles throughout; the abundance of movie references are a hoot and several of Carvey's alter-egos are so over-the-top that I could not help but laugh at his silliness. The power of laughter may be healing, but it could not come close to curing the pain I endured while watching The Master of Disguise.
Image Transfer Review: The Master of Disguise is presented in a full-frame transfer only, thereby desecrating the original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Taking into consideration the fact that nearly all films are released on DVD in their original aspect ratio, the only reason I can think of for this travesty is that studios have somehow been given the false assumption that children are bothered by widescreen images. Out of all the DVDs I have watched with my nieces and nephews, not once have I ever heard them make a single negative remark about a widescreen or "letterbox" image. Quite the contrary, the only people I have ever heard complain about "black bars" on their televisions are crusty old adults who do not understand the restrictions of trying to squeeze a rectangle into a square.
With that rant out of the way, I will go on to report that, original aspect ratio or not, the image is severely lacking. Colors are bold and bound to impress many with their strong vibrancy, but I found them to appear dreadfully oversaturated and bordering on being cartoon-like. I also detected many instances of video noise throughout, often causing the picture to appear hazy and compressed. Overall, this transfer is a major letdown in nearly all regards.
Audio Transfer Review: Decent use is made of the 5.1 format with this subtly aggressive soundtrack. The mix is predominately front heavy, though when the surround channels are engaged they add a creative energy to the soundfield. Bass is satisfactory, but does not provide nearly enough "thump" as would be expected from a soundtrack filled with so many pop rock songs. Dialogue, while consistently clean and clear, lacks much of the robust quality that I am accustomed to from recent 5.1 soundtracks. Though certainly not earth shattering, the Dolby Digital soundtrack provides an enjoyable auditory experience.
Extras Review: Sorry folks, but I have to go off on a rant again. Making the full-frame transfer seem even more like a slap in the face, all of the special features are presented in non-anamorphic widescreen, with the exception of the theatrical trailer, which is anamorphic widescreen! Furthermore, I mentioned before that kids do not care about the so-called "evils" of widescreen, and in my experience, they also do not give two hoots about special features. If they are to be expected to sit down and actually watch a set of extras, the material should at least be catered towards their age group. Instead of the type of fun interactive features found on Shrek or Monsters, Inc., all The Master of Disguise offers is boring featurettes and a feature-length commentary that are guaranteed to put even budding film artists to sleep.
The commentary with Dana Carvey and director Perry Andelin Blake is mildly amusing. Despite all the flak they received from critics, they still seem to be very proud of their film, which is admirable, I suppose. Interesting secrets about the production are revealed and Carvey keeps the conversation light and bubbly, but I dare anyone to subject their children to this commentary.
Next, are five deleted scenes and an alternate ending, each of which features a painfully unfunny introduction from Turtle Guy. All of these scenes are welcome deletions from the film, especially the horrendous alternate ending. Turtle Guy introduces most scenes by asking "I bet you're wondering..." Funny, actually, I was not. Oh, and by the way, try not to cringe too hard at the introductions that involve Turtle Guy and food.
The next section consists of three featurettes. The Magic of Disguise is dedicated to production design and visual effects, Identity Crisis revolves around the casting of the main actors, while Man of a Thousand Faces focuses on the extensive makeup process and the elaborate costumes that helped give life to Carvey's multitude of characters. Also included in this section is an easter egg, featuring three minutes worth of Turtle Guy outtakes. I also should mention that each of the featurettes has their own set of outtakes as well. Wasn't the 10 minutes worth of outtakes during the ending credits enough?
Featured in the Trailers section is the theatrical trailer for The Master of Disguise, followed by trailers for Kermit's Swamp Years and Little Secrets. Presented in anamorphic widescreen, The Master of Disguise trailer looks far superior to the transfer given to the feature presentation of the film.
Rounding out the special features is a music video from the latest Spice Girls wannabes, Play. This upbeat girl-power pop song will probably only appeal to those who fall into the 10 to 12 age category.
A comedy with very few laughs, The Master of Disguise is as tedious as it is banal. The disfigured full-frame transfer further exemplifies the unattractive nature of the film. Children may gaze at the funny-looking characters on the cover and be compelled to beg and plead their parents to buy this DVD for them. I have two words for these parents: "tough love."


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Toast Rising Against Pandemic Headwinds
Neal Polachek
pandemic, POS, restaurants, SaaS, Toast
Toast, the Boston-based restaurant management SaaS player, has recently completed a secondary offering. And the company's valuation has since surged from $4.9 billion in February according to PitchBook, to $8 billion today.
Given its tight focus on restaurants, it's no surprise that Toast has been on a rollercoaster ride since the pandemic began. The offering appears as a genuine attempt to help many of the company's now-former employees earn some reward for their efforts. According to CNBC, employees were offered the opportunity to sell vested shares at $75 apiece. Employees (current and former) granted stock in Toast's 2015 Series B round, the company's largest, are likely to have plenty of vested shares. They stand to make a considerable amount given the $75 share price.
As a Toast spokesperson recently told CNBC, "In order to support our employees and former employees as they navigate the impact of Covid-19, we did complete a secondary offering recently."
Disruption Forces Change
Toast's tight focus on the restaurant vertical makes it a great SaaS play. This allows it to deliver a highly specific product to a large vertical. Yet when a pandemic hits and cuts the legs out from under the dinner table, it forces dramatic change.
Money Keeps Flowing into Restaurant Vertical
The company took necessary action in April this year by cutting its staff by 1,300. That was nearly 50% of the Toast team. Fortuitously, the company has booked record sales since the pandemic which has no doubt significantly lowered the company's CAC. The company has been deliberate in making important enhancements to its stack to make sure that it can help restaurant owners survive what is bound to be another challenging period ahead.
Just this week the County of Los Angeles restricted all restaurants to pick-up and delivery only. According to reports, Toast has launched new tools to help restaurants push forward contactless transactions. It will be interesting to see how Toast and its customers navigate the next six to 10 months. It will take at least this long for the restaurant economy to return to some semblance of its prior self. Smart restaurant owners will realize that using platforms like Toast can lower operating costs and increase their overall effectiveness.
Yelp Drops $25M to Help Restaurants, Bars Through Crisis
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Neal Polachek, senior analyst with Localogy, is a board advisor to a variety of companies operating in the local ecosystem. He also is the founder of ThinkLikeAnApp.
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Economix | Shiller vs. Fama vs. the Skeptics
Shiller vs. Fama vs. the Skeptics
By Binyamin Appelbaum
November 19, 2013 7:32 pm November 19, 2013 7:32 pm
Robert Shiller and Eugene Fama, sharing a stage for the first time since it was announced last month that they would share the 2013 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Science, sparred with languorous familiarity Tuesday about the efficiency of financial markets.
The electricity, somewhat surprisingly, came from some of the chemists and biologists who joined the two men on a stage at the House of Sweden in Washington for a discussion featuring all nine of the nation's 2013 crop of Nobel laureates.
The sparks began to fly after Professor Fama responded to a question about the recent rise in stock prices by declaring that markets are efficient – "of course" – and that he could not predict what would happen next because that is impossible to predict.
"This is a good opportunity to congratulate Professor Fama at being one of the most successful at beating the market," Professor Shiller said in a teasing response, referencing the success of the Fama-advised investment group Dimensional Fund Advisors.
Then Martin Karplus, a Harvard University chemist, interjected, " "What understanding of the stock market do you really have?"
Economics – "if one wants to call it a science" – seemed unable to explain the oscillations of the market, he said.
"I see these fluctuations and they make zero sense to me," Professor Karplus declared. "Maybe they make sense to you."
Professor Fama dismissed the question as unsophisticated, declaring its premise "factually incorrect."
The hard scientists, more amused than chastened, turned to mocking the economists.
"You're asking about a very fundamental question, on what the nature of life is," James Rothman, a professor of cell biology at Yale University and one of the three newly minted laureates in medicine, told one questioner. "I don't think there's anyone here — even the economists — who would have an opinion on that for sure."
Professor Karplus joined the fun. All three of the chemistry laureates are immigrants to the United States, and Professor Karplus said he believed that immigration was the basis of the country's scientific pre-eminence.
"There's no question in my mind – maybe the economists can prove me wrong – that the exodus from Europe started the present-day conditions in the United States where science is doing so well," he said.
The basic dispute between Professors Fama and Shiller cropped up in an interesting and illuminating form later in the discussion, in response to a question about the impact of federal cuts on science funding.
After several of the hard scientists bemoaned the decline of funding, Professor Fama declared that scientists always wanted more funding, but that it might make more sense to rely on the private sector to fund science.
"The question is, 'How much do you trust the public to make the right decisions and allocations?'" he said.
Professor Shiller rejoined that the government should raise taxes to double funding for science.
What does this have to do with their views about the efficiency of financial markets?
Professor Fama, in saying markets are efficient, means that we cannot predict future price movements because prices reflect all available information at any given time. Professor Shiller sees evidence that prices conform to patterns rooted in human behavior.
Their disagreement, more broadly, is about the ability to predict the future. Professor Fama has a basic distrust of the ability of people, or the governments they create, to anticipate needs and opportunities and to allocate resources efficiently.
In investing and in science, Professor Shiller sees both a need and an opportunity to do just that.
Go Elsewhere, Young Scientist
The Labor Market and Labor Policy Since Kennedy


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Burden of Colon cancer shifts
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Colon cancer is highly preventable and also the third leading cause of death among men and women. One of the talented doctors I work with showed me an interesting new study that says this: the burden …
Doctor reaches out to patients about reflux
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With the holidays right around the corner, we all may be munching on chocolate and peppermint. Those two foods may be yummy but they can trigger acid reflux. Dr. Richard Shaffer is an expert in …
New Center Helps Patients in the Northeast
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On a recent Thursday evening on the Northeast side, dozens of people poured into the new state of the art facility located at 12850 Toepperwein Road in Live Oak. Doctors, nurses and other medical …
The importance of women receiving colonoscopies
By mysa-admin	on July 11, 2014 at 2:04 PM
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Obesity…how it affects your GI health
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By Zarema Singson, MD Why should I care about obesity? Obesity is a problem of epidemic proportions in the United States and worldwide. Recent nationwide surveys have shown that about two-thirds of …
Coming soon…our NEW Northeast Clinic and Surgery Center
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James F. Jackson, MD named to Texas Super Doctors 2013 "Rising Stars" list in Texas Monthly Magazine
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By JoAnn Cueva Director of Community Relations James F. Jackson, MD has been selected by his peers to join an elite group of Texas physicians who are named to the Texas Super Doctors® Rising Stars …
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By mysa-admin	on December 19, 2012 at 8:10 AM
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About Gut Feelings
Holly Coyle believes that, in medicine, open lines of communication are crucial. As a writer for Gastroenterology Consultants of San Antonio, she serves as a link between doctors and patients and writes health stories in order to empower readers. Holly has a master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University. She also studied at the University of Texas at Austin and was a broadcast journalist for 10 years covering health issues and breaking news.


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Posts Tagged marksman healthcare solutions
Achieving Market Access in India – Are You Hitting the Mark? An Interview with Marksman Healthcare Solutions CEO Dr. Amit Dang
Posted by Patti Peeples, R.Ph., Ph.D. in India market access, Real-World Evidence on July 10, 2014
It's well-accepted that the Indian pharmaceuticals market cannot be ignored. India will be one of the top 10 sales markets by 2020, fueled by the rapid growth in its population and economy. Commensurately, India is experiencing expansion within its middle-class population, who are increasingly able to afford western medicines. Like the rest of the world, the demographics of India's population are ageing, and it is anticipated that demand for drugs within the cardiovascular, central nervous system, and other chronic diseases such as diabetes will escalate. The total market is expected to rise to a value of approximately US$50 billion by 2020 (Source: PwC).
According to McKinsey & Company's report "India Pharma 2020: Propelling Access and Acceptance, Realising True Potential", several characteristics make the India pharma market unique, including the domination of branded generics (70-80% of the retail market), strong position of local players in formulation development capabilities, low price points, and intense competition. And while India may be ranked 10th globally in terms of sales, it is within the top 3 in terms of volume.
Dr. Amit Dang, M.D.
The India pharma marketplace is ripe with challenges and opportunities. The legislative arena is complex, the competitive field is challenging and intense, and the value messaging to decision-makers and payers is multi-faceted. We spoke with Dr. Amit Dang, MD, Founder and CEO of MarksMan Healthcare Solutions based in India to get insight into this unique market. MarksMan Healthcare Solutions is an international knowledge-based Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR) consulting firm focused on the value of real-world data to maximize the opportunities for pharma and medical device products during a decision making process. Marksman HealthCare Solutions comprises a team of medical professionals, evidence analysts, experienced medical writers, economic modelers, HEOR consultants and project managers who provide cost-effective solutions to achieve optimal access for products in the India marketplace.
My interview with Dr. Dang is below.
[HealthEconomics.Com] Please describe the India healthcare system, including overall health expenditures, percent of GDP, universal vs private payer healthcare provision, out-of-pocket spending, and major public and private stakeholders.
[Dr. Dang] India has a dual system of health care: a public tax-based sector where the health care providers are salaried by the government, and a private free-of-service based sector where the money is paid out-of-pocket by individual households.
The public health system in India consists of state-owned health care facilities ranging from sub-centres and PHCs (public health centres) at the peripheral level to specialty hospitals at district and state levels to super-specialty referral hospitals such as AIIMS (All India Institutes of Medical Sciences), government-run medical college hospitals and specialty care hospitals. Some of these institutions are controlled by the central government, and some by the state governments. The public healthcare in India comes under the aegis of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, which doles out national health schemes from time-to-time. Preventive healthcare, maternal and child health services and nutritional services in India are largely provided by the public sector.
The private healthcare sector is structured similarly, but is more concentrated in larger cities and towns than in the periphery. Though the private healthcare sector is significantly more expensive, it is generally viewed to be more popular than the public healthcare sector. The reasons for this include poorer quality, excessive crowding, an unfortunate disregard to hygiene and lack of qualified staff in public hospitals. Because of the government's failure to deliver quality care, there has been a rapid expansion in the private sector. It is estimated that the private sector accounts for 93% of all hospitals (which was only 8% in 1947), 64% of all beds, and 80%-85% of all doctors.
The majority of the institutions providing healthcare in India practice allopathy (i.e., the "usual" practice of medicine, vs. the homeopathic practice), but the traditional systems of medicine (including Ayurveda, Homoeopathy, Unani, and Naturopathy) are also popular, especially in the periphery.
The total health expenditure (% of GDP) in India was 3.87 as of 2011, out of which public and private sector expenditure (% of GDP) was 1.20 and 2.67 respectively. The comparable rates for public health are 1.5% in Sri Lanka, 2.7% in China, and 3% in Thailand.
The public health expenditure consists of recurrent and capital spending from government (central and local) budgets, external borrowings and grants (including donations from international agencies and nongovernmental organizations), and social (or compulsory) health insurance funds. Private health expenditure includes direct household (out-of-pocket) spending, private insurance, charitable donations, and direct service payments by private corporations.
In 2010, out-of-pocket expenses account for 78% of the total healthcare expenditure. This is among the highest in the world, and are much higher than other countries (Thailand: 25%, China: 44%, and Sri Lanka: 55%). Many families are driven below poverty line every year by large medical expenses.
To summarize, most Indians seeking health care have two options: a public health system that is almost entirely free but of poor quality, and a largely unregulated private health system that provides quality healthcare service but is highly expensive, and often indulges in inappropriate or unnecessary diagnostic or treatment modalities.
[HealthEconomics.Com] How is the India reimbursement and pricing environment different or the same as the United States and Europe?
[Dr. Dang] In the US and Europe, most medicines payments are made by the state or health insurance institutions. In contrast, in India most pharmaceutical expenditure is out-of-pocket. This creates a different dynamic for policy enforcement. USA and Europe have clear-cut guidelines for reimbursement and pricing. However, such guidelines are lacking in the Indian set-up.
[HealthEconomics.Com] What are the major pharmaceutical regulations in India as it pertains to pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement? Who are the major organizations or regulatory bodies that are involved in setting prices and determining reimbursement?
[Dr. Dang] As said before, there is no clear-cut guidelines pertaining to reimbursement and pricing in India. However, in this context, two autonomous authorities function independently of each other: the NPPA and the IRDA.
The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) is the government organization which is responsible for setting and revising the prices and to enforce the availability of drugs and formulations in India. It also monitors the prices of decontrolled drugs in order to keep them at reasonable levels. The organization is also responsible for recovering amounts overcharged by manufacturers for the controlled drugs from the consumers.
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) is a state-controlled, autonomous apex statutory body which regulates and develops the insurance industry in India. The IRDA is responsible for regulating reimbursements pertaining to the health insurance sector.
The state-controlled insurance schemes such as Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) and Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) have independent reimbursement plans and do not fall under the purview of the IRDA.
[HealthEconomics.Com] What are the major hurdles or goals to reach when obtaining favorable pricing for one's drug product? Does this differ for certain drugs like orphan products?
[Dr. Dang] As such there is no concept of favorable drug pricing in India as the drug pricing is governed by the Drug (Prices Control) Order (DPCO). Recently, with the objective to improvise and endow with the basic health care and availability of basic medicines at an affordable price across the country, the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, notified the Drug (Prices Control) Order 2013 ("DPCO 2013") in May 2013, which may fluctuate the pricing of 348 essential medicines. The DPCO 2013 provides formula for the calculation of ceiling price of a scheduled formulation as follows:
Firstly, the Average Price to Retailer of the scheduled formulation i.e. P(s) would be calculated as below:
AVERAGE PRICE TO RETAILER, P(S) = (Sum of prices to retailer of all the brands and generic versions of the medicine having market share more than or equal to one percent of the total market turnover on the basis of moving annual turnover of that medicine) / (Total number of such brands and generic versions of the medicine having market share more than or equal to one percent of total market turnover on the basis of moving annual turnover for that medicine.)
Thereafter, the ceiling price of the scheduled formulation i.e. P(c) would be calculated as below:
P(c) = P(s). (1+M/100), where P(s) = Average Price to Retailer for the same strength and dosage of the medicine as calculated in step 1 above. M = % Margin to retailer and its value =16
Currently, drug developers in India are receiving no formal incentives from the Government and hence are more focused on developing affordable drugs for more common diseases such as oral insulin, statins for preventing or slowing the progression of cardiovascular disease, vaccines and antibiotics for a number of preventable infectious diseases, etc. Hence, patients with rare diseases in India have to rely on imported drugs from western countries which makes these treatments (even when available) unaffordable. Some Indian Organizations like Organization for Rare Diseases India (ORDI) aim to work between the Government of India and the Pharma/Biotech/Diagnostic industry to enact an Orphan Drugs Act (ODA) that will create incentives for orphan drug developers. Further, a Government frame work is required that is conducive in enabling the manufacturing of orphan drugs in India.
[HealthEconomics.Com] What is the need and acceptance for Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR) on attaining optimal reimbursement?
[Dr. Dang] As per the DPCO 2013, the price to retailer of a new drug, not available in domestic market, will be fixed by the Government of India on the principles of "Pharmacoeconomics" of the new drug, on the recommendation of a Standing Committee of Experts. As HEOR is still in infancy in India, this can be considered as a silver lining in the dark cloud as Government of India is willing to accept principle of pharmacoeconomics for optimal reimbursement on newer drug therapies.
[HealthEconomics.Com] Are risk-sharing arrangements or other methods used to attain market access?
[Dr. Dang] Risk-sharing agreements, under which payers and pharma manufacturers agree to link payment for drugs to health outcomes achieved, rather than the volume of products usedoffer an appealing payment model for pharmaceuticals. In future, the risk sharing concept may be in place. The Government is willing to accept the principles of pharmacoeconomics as per the DPCO 2013.
[HealthEconomics.Com] Is real-world evidence research or are observational studies important in the India marketplace?
[Dr. Dang] Real-world evidence (RWE) infuses clinical and commercial decisions with the insights and scientific proof points crucial to success in today's healthcare environment. The Indian market is catching up with the principle of health economics and outcomes research (HEOR), thereby demonstrating the value of real-world insights in healthcare decision making.
[HealthEconomics.Com] Is there use of electronic medical records or insurance claims analyses or economic modelling to attain market access?
The Tata Memorial Centre
[Dr. Dang] The use of electronic medical records is gradually developing in India. There are government-sponsored HMIS (Health Management Information System) projects in some of the Indian states which have come up in the last decade. Electronic recording of patients' information is being practiced in some major corporate hospitals, but these cater to only to a small percent of the country's population. The Tata Memorial Centre, the national comprehensive cancer centre for the prevention, treatment, education and research in Cancer, which is recognised as one of the leading cancer centres in this part of the world has recently started using e-medical records. As for the insurance claims analysis, though the concept of health insurance has been in India since 1950s, it has picked up only since the past decade. As a result, at this point, we can say that the use of electronic medical records and insurance claims are rarely, if at all, used for economic modelling.
[HealthEconomics.Com] What do you predict for the future of HEOR/Pricing in India in 5 years and 10 years?
[Dr. Dang] The field of HEOR is still in its infancy in India. The most important reason for this is that the health insurance was not considered to be important. However, India's landscape of health insurance, which was dominated by CGHS and ESIC, has undergone tremendous changes since 2007 with the launch of several new health insurance schemes in the country, largely initiated by central and state governments. The percentage of population covered by a health insurance scheme has accelerated from about 75 million people covered (roughly about 16 million family beneficiaries) in 2007, to an estimated 302 million people in2010, about one-fourth of the population.
With the rising cost of health care in India, and with increase in awareness among the general public, the health insurance sector is expected to grow significantly in the next 5 to 10 years. As a direct result, HEOR is going to play a very vital role in India.
[HealthEconomics.Com] How does your company, MarksMan Healthcare Solutions, approach this challenge? Who are some of your clients and what are some of your successful projects?
[Dr. Dang] MarksMan Healthcare Solutions, established in April 2014, is a budding HEOR consultancy operating in India. Our greatest strength is that we are one amongst the very few HEOR consultancies of Indian origin and operating in India. By virtue of this unique positioning, we aim to offer localised support and strategic working partnership to the established HEOR consultancies based in US/ UK/ Canada, and to grow to be the pioneers in the field of HEOR in India over the next 5-7 years. We have experienced HEOR consultants, health economists and medical writing professionals in our team and are currently in the expansion mode. We offer services including comparative effectiveness research, health economic evaluation, HTA (Health technology assessment) submission and global value dossiers. We also intend to be an active element of ISPOR Indian chapter and HealthNetIndia, and work in close collaboration with other related agencies as well. We also aim to provide high-quality training and to do talent development in the fields of HEOR and pharmacoeconomics, which are still in their infancy stages in India. Our vision is to play a vital role in establishing the complete spectrum of HEOR studies in India, and in that process, contribute to improve the healthcare system in India.
For further information on the India HEOR and market access arena, as well as strategic tools to achieve optimal product value messaging, please contact Dr. Amit Dang, M.D., Founder and CEO, MarksMan Healthcare Solutions, http://marksmanhealthcare.com/, +91-7738389300.
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Micro and nanosystems represent a major scientific and technological challenge, with actual and potential applications in almost all fields of the human activity. The aim of the present book is to present how concepts from dynamical control systems (modeling, estimation, observation, identification, feedback control) can be adapted and applied to the development of original very small-scale systems and of their human interfaces. The application fields presented here come from micro and nanorobotics, biochips, near-field microscopy (AFM and STM) and nanosystems networks. Alina Voda has drawn contributions from leading experts at top research universities in France to produce a first overview of the major role that control systems science can play in the development of micro and nanosciences and technologies.
Alina Voda is Associate Professor of Control Systems at Grenoble University in France. She is a well known expert in control applications of different dynamical systems and their application in industry.
Micro, Nanosystems and Systems on Chips: Modeling, Control, and Estimation 4 out of 5 based on 0 ratings. 1 reviews.
The chapters show how far the field has progressed since the 1980s and the first generation of Atomic Force Microscopes. Now the modelling of the forces experienced on the atomic scale of a surface is quite sophisticated and quantitative. The text describes how current AFMs can measure forces in the sub-nanoNewton range. Various experimental configurations are summarised, with enough detail given for the reader to understand the salient features. Much of the physics is classical, including references to results in statistical physics that are used to derive functions for noise. Perhaps most interesting to some readers will be the section on the teleoperation of a micromanipulator, where, and this is the key point, there is multisensory feedback. Virtual reality is used to aid the operator, and the hardware includes a haptic interface that delivers the feedback. The amount of virtual immersion is varied, in an effort to see what minimal amount would suffice to let the operator do useful work. The experiments are very promising, especially in how they appear to let the operator use less mental effort, and thus be able to work for longer times with a manipulator.


While there are county fairs and events that take place throughout the year, many folks look forward to attending their annual state fairs. Each one offers something unique, whether it's a contest that's been held for decades or a specific food that's become a permanent fixture on the menu. You might not make it to all of the state fairs, but some of the best ones might be worth visiting.
Check out the 2017 version of this study.
SmartAsset wanted to create a ranking of the best U.S. state fairs. But before we could build our list, we had to get a few things straight. Not every state has its own official state fair. In fact, figuring out which fairs were considered "state fairs" turned out to be quite challenging.
What Is a State Fair?
Just because a fair has the word "state" in its name doesn't mean that it's actually a state fair. Some state fairs – like the Georgia National Fair – receive state funding and support, while others are run by private entities.
The International Association of Fairs and Expositions, which offers products and services to about 1,200 fairs around the world, doesn't distinguish between its state fairs and the other kinds of fairs that it supports. While fairs vary in size and scale, they all have agricultural roots and provide food and affordable entertainment. So unlike a carnival or a festival, the not-for-profit organization's website says that a fair will always have multiple competitions involving produce or farm animals.
For the purposes of our analysis, we define a state fair as a large-scale, annual agricultural event with contests, food and fun for the whole family. We only included official state fairs in our study and fairs that don't cater to a specific county or state region. When in doubt we called state offices (like a state Department of Agriculture) to inquire.
So how did we create our list of the best state fairs in the country? We took 38 state fairs and ranked them based on five different factors, including attendance rates, adult admission prices and youth admission prices. We also looked at the length of each state fair (in days) and daily precipitation averages for the time of the fair.
Some state fairs – including the state fairs in Mississippi, Vermont, Wyoming and Du Quoin (Illinois) – did not make it into our study because we were unable to collect enough information about them. We contacted their offices but did not hear back from them prior to publishing this article.
Go west. Only one of the fairs that made it into our top 10 list is in a city along the Eastern Seaboard. The rest of our top ranking state fairs are located near the West Coast.
Oklahoma rules. Some states apparently have more than one state fair. That appears to be the case in Oklahoma, where two of its fairs consider themselves to be state fairs. Both state fairs ranked in the top 10.
Southern state fairs aren't so hot. Quite a few of the lowest ranking state fairs in our list are located in the South. These state fairs had low attendance rates in 2015, possibly due in part to their high daily precipitation averages.
In our ranking of the country's best state fairs, the North Dakota State Fair takes the No.1 spot. About 305,093 people attended the event in 2015. That means the equivalent of 43.3% of its population came out for the annual shindig (obviously some of those attendees could be from out of state).
After trying (and failing) to make sure that all four of its state fairs were on equal footing, legislators decided that the fair located in the city of Minot should be North Dakota's official state fair.
The Murphy Brothers carnival has been a mainstay since 1968. The horse pull is another fair tradition. Teams compete to see whose horses can pull the heaviest loads and the top nine teams get cash prizes.
For over a century, Arizona residents have shown up in droves to attend the annual state fair in Phoenix. The first fair was held in 1884 when Arizona was just a U.S. territory.
After the state fair in Washington, the Arizona State Fair is the second longest event in our analysis. Over the course of 18 days, attendees get to enjoy live entertainment, competitions and deep fried treats like fried cheesecake. If you want to make the most of your visit, you'll need to have enough room in your budget to pay for certain attractions and concerts.
Related Article: What Is the True Cost of Living in Phoenix?
More than 311,000 people came out for the Delaware State Fair in 2015. This year's fair kicks off on July 21 with the theme, A Slice of Summer Fun!
If you'll be attending the fair for the first time, you should know that agriculture remains a big part of the event just as it was in the fair's early days. You'll be able to see livestock shows featuring dairy goats, rabbits and swine. There will also be a carnival and performances by artists like Little Big Town.
The Washington State Fair boasts that it's the state's largest attraction. The fair – which is operated by a private, not-for-profit corporation – takes place every year in the fall. A four-day fair also happens once a year in April.
For the first time, the 2016 fair will run for 21 days instead of 17 days. Other fairs that have extended their schedules have increased their attendance rates and reported higher rates of visitor satisfaction.
The fair date extension is great news for folks who can't get enough of the scones filled with raspberry jam and honey butter. And for the guests who are watching their weight, don't worry. There's a menu of vegetarian, low-fat, sugar-free and low-carb snacks as well.
In terms of its estimated total attendance, the Tulsa State Fair rivaled its Oklahoma City counterpart in 2015 by about 28.6%.
For the 6th year in a row, the 2016 fair will host its Corndog Classic 5K Run/Walk. Proceeds from the races will benefit two nonprofit organizations. Participants who take on the Corndog Challenge have to finish a mini caramel apple, a lemonade and a mini corndog in order to complete the color run.
The Iowa State Fair is a big deal. It's the largest event in the state and it reportedly hosts visitors from around the nation and around the world. In 2015, a record 1,117,398 attended the 11-day fair.
The fair is perhaps most famous for its butter cow, a 600-pound sculpture made of metal, wood, wire and a steel mesh frame covered in pure cream Iowa butter. Each year, the butter cow is accompanied by a different sculpture. Past guests have gotten the chance to view models of Elvis Presley, Harry Potter and Tiger Woods.
From its concerts and carnival rides to its arm wrestling and wine competitions, the Oklahoma State Fair has something for everyone. This year's event runs from September 15 – 25.
Even though the fair was founded way back in 1907, don't let its age fool you. The fair has found ways to integrate its past and its present. It even has its own app that guests can use to navigate the fairgrounds and track down the nearest bacon cinnamon roll or pizza on-a-stick.
The Alaska State Fair takes place in Palmer, which is located about an hour away from Anchorage. Although it's privately owned, the event has served as Alaska's official state fair since the late 1950s. A recent report said that the fair had an economic impact of $23 million.
This year, the fair celebrates its 80th anniversary. Fair staples include its colorful gardens and its giant vegetables. Since 1941, fairgoers have been able to participate in the Cabbage Weigh-off, which offers a cash prize to the participant who can grow the biggest cabbage.
The New Mexico State Fair shortened to an 11-day fair starting in 2015. Fair officials reported that 460,468 people visited the fairgrounds last year, compared to the 458,379 that attended the fair in 2014.
About 400 vendors and concessionaires are present at the event each year. Something unique that the fair brings to its guests is the unique foods contest, which lets participants submit unusual recipes.
Based on our analysis, the Nebraska State Fair ranks as the 10th best state fair in America. Attending the fair has been an annual tradition for Nebraskan families since 1868 and the equivalent of 19% of the population showed up to the fairgrounds last year in Grand Island.
Visitors will find that there are plenty of things to do at the fair. This year's musical guests include Lady Antebellum and Grammy award winner Chris Tomlin.
To create our ranking of the best state fairs in America, we looked at adult and youth admission prices, attendance rates, daily precipitation averages and the length of each state fair.
To calculate the attendance rates, we first looked at the total number of people who attended each state fair in 2015. These numbers are based on figures that the individual state fairs reported and in many cases they're estimates. We took the attendance figures and divided them by the total number of people residing in each area, using state-level 2014 population data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The admission prices we included in our study and the information about the length of each fair come from the state fairs' individual websites. The prices represent the cost of general admission tickets purchased at the fair gates during the weekend. They do not take any discounts into account. Youth admission prices generally reflect ticket prices for children between the ages of 6 and 12, although age breakdowns vary by state.
Daily precipitation data reflects the average amount of precipitation (in inches) that fell in 2015 during the months that the fairs took place. This data comes from wunderground.com and we pulled the averages depending on the city that each state fair is located in. For the state fairs that took place over the course of two months (like the Alaska State Fair), we found daily precipitation averages for both months and averaged both numbers.
To complete our analysis, we created a separate index for each of our five metrics. We then combined the metrics in an overall index, gave each of the 38 state fairs in our study a score from 0 to 100 and ranked the fairs. The state fair that had the highest ranking received a 100 while the state fair with the lowest ranking received a 0.


Carrollton Tennis Association has been catering to adult tennis enthusiasts of all skill levels since 1985. CTA works with the City of Carrollton and Oak Creek Tennis Center to acquire affordable courts for league play. This allows us to provide inexpensive leagues throughout the year, as well as bi-annual socials for members located in Carrollton and surrounding areas.


Here at Craigs Motorcycles we are very proud of our customer service and we aim to provide a friendly and professional experience for all our customers, we would love to hear your thoughts to help us improve the experience even more. Tell us what you thought about your experience at Craigs Motorcycles by leaving a review below.
People are very quick to criticise and never fast enough to praise, I recently bought a new motorcycle from Matt at Craig's Honda. I have to say the level of customer service throughout the buying process was absolutely superb. I was offered the best deal in the country by a significant margin, a test ride was arranged with no pressure to buy, then to top it off a superb part ex was offered on my existing bike. Matt even delivered the bike after work at no cost. I would highly recommend Craig's Honda and particularly Matt who went the extra mile in all aspects of the sale.
Bought a Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled. Flew over from Belfast Northern Ireland, collected bike and brought it back on the Liverpool Ferry. The bike had just 3398 miles and looked like new. Keith looked after me and the bike like a father. He picked me up at the airport, and took me to the docks. I really appreciated the service provided on a cold December day, everything was as described, I have a great bike and great memories of the trip. Would do it all again. Many thanks.
Many thanks to Keith for putting a great deal together on my Africa Twin. A really straight fella to deal with and very helpful throughout the process.
Many thanks to Keith and his staff for all the help and advise especially regarding the luggage system and extras for my new Crossrunner. A good price on my Triumph part exchange. Good coffee and hot chocolate!!
I recently purchased a motorcycle unseen from the team at Craigs' Honda. Andrew my sales person was professional and proactive throughout. Delighted with the bike which was second hand. It is in excellent condition and exactly as described over the web and phone. These guys know their business and I am very happy to provide a few words stating that on the site!
I have just completed a purchase of a used BMW with Craig's Honda -bought unseen. This was a significant outlay for me and not without some risk. I am very pleased with the information provided, the condition of the bike and the way that everything went. I found Andrew and the team professional and courteous throughout. Top job by a reliable motorcycle retailer!