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Health ·COVID-19 vaccines
Will we all need fourth COVID vaccine booster shots?
BYTristan Bove
It's a good news and bad news situation. The boosters work, but they probably fade.
So do we need more? And how many more doses of COVID vaccines will we have to take?
Amid the Delta wave last September, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced it was recommending COVID vaccine booster shots only to people over 65 or with underlying medical conditions.
Fast forward six months, and the game has changed. The highly-contagious Omicron variant, first detected in South Africa last November, has spread fast and furious throughout the world, and public health officials in the U.S. and Europe have recommended booster shots for all adults.
But is this enough?
Data from the CDC shows that third shots can be as much as 90% effective at preventing hospitalization from Omicron, especially in older adults. But immunity granted from boosters may wane as early as four months after taking the third shot, according to a recent CDC study. To guard against this and future variants, should we be expecting recommendations to take fourth, or even fifth doses?
"We've been surprised by this virus multiple times and we've been overconfident about having solved things multiple times. We need to remain in a position to pivot rapidly if we need to," Dr. John Wherry, director of the Institute for Immunology at the University of Pennsylvania, told Fortune.
For Dr. Wherry, that means keeping options on the table, including future boosters, for whatever circumstances arise.
The pandemic and the SARS-CoV-2 virus that fueled it has left pretty much every scientist scratching their heads. There are so many things we still do not know. Where did the virus emerge from? Why does it make some people so much sicker than others? Why are so many cases asymptomatic? And of course, how long do the boosters last?
"Unfortunately, the data is not quite there yet," Dr. Trina Racine, associate director for vaccine development at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, told Fortune about the science behind the length of booster immunity.
"There is some preliminary data that would suggest our immune responses to third doses do start to wane over time, just like we saw with two," Dr. Racine said. "That would suggest fourth doses may be necessary."
Public health officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, have begun to tout the possibility of further doses, at least for some segments of the population, should more data on the immunity of third doses come in.
"It's entirely conceivable that we might [need fourth doses]," Fauci said in January. "But I think before we rush to a fourth dose, I would be careful to see what the result of the third dose is."
Even with missing data, some scientists are cautiously optimistic, at least for now, that we will avoid a scenario in which a new vaccine booster is required every six months to maintain a defense against the virus. But it might still be annual.
"Hopefully it'll be more like a flu shot where you have to get it once a year," Dr. Racine said. "Six months is pretty frequent."
"In the absence of a real concerning new variant that escapes preexisting immunity, much worse than even Omicron, I think boosters every six months would be unlikely," Dr. Wherry agreed.
Targeted boosters for vulnerable groups
Even though most scientists eagerly await more data to come in, some countries are moving forward with recommending a fourth vaccine booster shot for specific groups of vulnerable people.
In the U.S., the CDC has recommended that all adults who are moderately or severely immunocompromised receive a fourth dose. In Europe, several countries are still discussing how to recommend fourth doses and to which groups of people, while Sweden began recommending fourth doses to all citizens 80 and over on Monday.
Targeted approaches to future doses may become the norm soon in more countries.
"I could see, especially in older populations where immunity maybe didn't reach the same high levels as in younger, healthier populations, fourth doses may be required sooner," Dr. Racine said.
Dr. Wherry agreed that targeted recommendations for certain groups could become commonplace. "Elderly people have two issues," he said. "One, vaccines don't work as well, and two: you don't get as high of an antibody response initially. We want to try to keep those antibody levels up for as long as we can."
But it's important to keep in mind that youth does not necessarily translate to less severe forms of the disease, and depending on how COVID is circulating, booster shots may still be necessary for younger and otherwise healthy people.
"It's going to depend on circulating levels around the world and the likelihood of new variants coming out," Dr. Racine said. She believes that even if more boosters are not required for all adults now, that does not exclude the possibility that they will be in the future.
Dr. Wherry agreed that any future public health measures will depend on how the virus evolves and how it is circulating, maintaining that booster shots may continue to be necessary in order to protect older and immunocompromised groups.
"The real need for a third dose or even a fourth dose is to protect the elderly, people who are immunocompromised and at high risk," he said, adding that "part of what we want to try to achieve with boosters is to limit community spread, to help keep our businesses and schools open and start to move towards a general reopening of society."
Liberties and alternatives
It's possible, even likely, that we will reach a different stage of the pandemic in which governments feel the need to exercise caution and urge more people to get boosted.
"The role of the government is to provide life, liberty and pursuit of happiness to its people," Dr. Jerome Kim, director general of the International Vaccine Institute, told Fortune. "Its role is to preserve life, understand the liberties and put into place the level of protection that is needed."
But it remains unclear whether a majority of the population will follow through on those pleas.
Protests against vaccine mandates and anti-COVID restrictions are sweeping Canada, the U.S, France, and Belgium. While many people were willing to adjust their lifestyles earlier in the pandemic, it is becoming increasingly difficult for governments to ask their citizens to do so.
Countries have already started to roll back masking and COVID restrictions in the U.S. and Europe, while many more are loosening their entry and quarantine requirements for new arrivals, as a growing portion of the world begins trying to live with the virus.
Experts agree that boosters may become recommended to certain segments of the population, but boosters alone are not what will end the pandemic.
"We think of our response like a defense," Dr. Kim said. "The first line of defense were the things that worked in the beginning like mask wearing and distancing. The second line of defense is to vaccinate." If cases trickle past both of these defense lines, then the final weapon in our arsenal, according to Dr. Kim, are therapeutic medicines that can reduce the risk of getting seriously sick, even if one contracts the disease. "[Therapeutics can] keep people out of the hospital, keep them from dying," Dr. Kim said.
Boosters are important, especially for some people, but therapeutics that can prevent deaths and instances of severe disease, such as monoclonal antibodies or Pfizer's recently approved Paxlovid drug, are just as important to ending the pandemic, experts say.
"I would rather prevent myself from getting sick, versus having the option of taking a pill if I do. But I think both are necessary," Dr. Racine said.
"The vaccines are working, they're doing their job," Dr. Wherry said. "What we need are therapeutics for when people do get infected so that we can intervene early and shift the balance and outcome."
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North Morgan Relief Society; Morgan, Utah Territory
The President [Elizabeth Worlton] then made some opening remarks by way of saying the sisters from Salt Lake were still with us and full of good teachings for us and would give the meeting in their hands. Sister Snow then arose and said they had spoken upon many of the duties pertaining to the Relief Society. but there were many more she would like to relate. said women had a great influence either for good or evil, but we should set a good example before the world. Said she observed in talking with people of the world they acknowledged our principles were true. and in fact too true for them to practice especially when Plural marriage was called in question Because it tends to elevate woman and refine them this practice of Plural marriage. Said she did not know what the sisters of this place think of this practice but was in hopes they favor it. She also refered to an interview shew [she] had had with a lady [Harriet E.] Francis of Greece whom she got acquainted with in Athens. The same lady being here a short time ago this far on her journey on a pleasure tour around the world. when they had quite a conversation together relative to that subject. sister Snow said she fully understands the Lord can-not accomplish his purposes without the practice of Plural marriage. Prolonged her remarks to quite an extent and invoked the blessings of God to rest upon Israel. [. . .] [p. 19]
Morgan North Ward, Morgan Utah Stake, Relief Society Minutes and Records (1877–1973), vol. 1 (1877–1902), p. 19, CHL (LR 6176 14); John S. Barrett, Secretary.
See also Morgan North Ward, Morgan Utah Stake, Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association Minutes and Records (1878–1973), vol. 1 (1878–1894), p. 1, CHL (LR 6176 17), John S. Barrett, Secretary; "Returned," Deseret News 27, no. 31 (4 Sept. 1878): 489; and "Visit to Relief Societies," Woman's Exponent 7, no. 7 (1 Sept. 1878): 51.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Q: What is the best agile development platform for a small team? We are a small team that develop application using different language and platform (Visual Studio, Matlab and GNU C Compiler). The development team are in different location (USA and Europe)
We need a version control system and also software to agile project management.
I know about SVN +Trac + Agilo. Is there any better solution?
Regards
Edit: I want to host all software by ourselves and do not use a hosting service. We do not want that our source code goes out of company.

A: Atlassian JIRA + Greenhopper et al. For $10 for teams under 10.

A: Not sure about better, but my team is using redmine+redmine_backlogs+SVN. So far it is working well for us. And you can't beat free.

A: If you are a small team, you can use Rally Software's free version of their Agile project management tools.  It is free for up to 10 users.  We are using it and while we may not use every feature, it has worked well as a project management tool.  They do have a bunch of tutorials (I was new to the Agile philosophy, so they were very useful to me, especially coming from much more heavyweight project management).   There are a few limitations with the free version, but we haven't hit any of them yet.  We are a team of 3, and it has greatly helped us to stay focused and plan out work, using sprints/iterations of 2 weeks long.  Here's a link to the free community edition: Rally free community edition
And it is truly free.  I get maybe weekly emails from them about their services, but that's it.  One person becomes the admin user, and then you add the other people.  (edit: btw, I don't work for the company, just wanted to be clear in case that's questioned.)

A: We're very happy with PivotalTracker for managing our User Stories and using git with github for version control. Both integrate nicely (github automatically changes the status of your User Stories on commit and adds a link to the commit as a comment to the story).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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import { get } from 'lodash';
import withData from './HasSsms.relay';

export default withData(
  p => (get(p, 'viewer.explore.ssms.hits.total', 0) ? p.children : null),
);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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deb Explorer IX - Visible Passes Home | Info. | Orbit | Close encounters
Search period start: 21 January 2021 00:00
Search period end: 31 January 2021 00:00
Orbit: 536 x 1104 km, 38.8° (Epoch: 21 January)
Passes to include: visible only all
Click on the date to get a star chart and other pass details.
Date Brightness Start Highest point End Pass type
(mag) Time Alt. Az. Time Alt. Az. Time Alt. Az.
21 Jan ? 17:35:29 10° SSW 17:40:21 24° SSE 17:43:33 15° ESE visible
21 Jan ? 19:21:23 10° WSW 19:24:49 31° SW 19:24:49 31° SW visible
22 Jan ? 18:57:32 10° WSW 19:02:34 43° S 19:02:34 43° S visible
23 Jan ? 16:47:40 10° SSW 16:52:57 26° SSE 16:57:40 10° E visible
23 Jan ? 18:33:40 10° WSW 18:39:28 45° S 18:40:17 42° SSE visible
23 Jan ? 20:20:45 10° W 20:21:32 14° WSW 20:21:32 14° WSW visible
24 Jan ? 18:09:47 10° WSW 18:15:47 46° S 18:17:59 31° ESE visible
25 Jan ? 19:33:02 10° W 19:36:55 35° SW 19:36:55 35° SW visible
26 Jan ? 17:21:58 10° WSW 17:28:20 48° S 17:33:22 12° E visible
26 Jan ? 19:09:09 10° W 19:14:38 46° SSW 19:14:38 46° SSW visible
27 Jan ? 18:45:14 10° W 18:51:18 48° S 18:52:20 43° SSE visible
28 Jan ? 18:21:20 10° W 18:27:34 49° S 18:30:04 30° SE visible
29 Jan ? 17:57:24 10° W 18:03:49 49° S 18:07:52 19° ESE visible


It will always be advisable to check drive a car or truck, especially if there is no warrantee available. Investing in a car without testing maybe it's a waste of time, money and energy. However, owner of the automobile knows that a lot of likely a buyer will take the automobile for drive surrounding the block a few times. What's forgotten is the proceedings under the hood often.
If you don't are a tuned repair shop, there are a number of things that you may well not be familiar with that are showing signs a vehicle will eventually need serious maintenance. Yet, a auto mechanic does. Delicate vibrations, minor stalls, modest shifting sounds and even small odors can suggest to mechanics of an much bigger problem in a vehicle's future. Some technicians can inform if an automobile has been around a major accident that might not exactly be reported on a car information statement. Thus, acquiring a car or truck inspection by a qualified mechanic can help you save from buyer's remorse.
Are you along the way of shopping for a car or truck and you also want to be certain about any of it before you hint over the amount of money? Remember calling a tuned mechanic is a superb way to determine if your automobile is just what is appears to be. Below can be an old mechanic's idea that will help you make a sensible decision before you get.
Before interesting the essential notion of the try, take a peek under the hood. Have a rag along with you if possible. You shall want to make use of it to check the oil, transmission coolant and fluid. If you smell strong odors, this is an indicator of trouble lurking. Also, if the essential oil or transmitting smooth appears filthy or cloudy, there are issues with the electric motor car. Check under the key oil cap for sludge-an indicator of negligent maintenance. Check all the belts and tubes for splits. Look within the motor unit car for symptoms of leakages. Repeat these steps once you drive the automobile as well. Examine the tread of every tire. Where there is unequal wear, there are suspension system parts issues. Finally, enter the electric motor car and speed up the engine unit. Take a peek in the medial side and rearview mirrors for exhaust smoke, which can indicate internal engine problems.
Be very selective when buying a car or truck. If you employ the unbiased view of the great mechanic, you can make a safer purchase.
0 Response to "Why GET YOURSELF A Mechanic's Inspection Before YOU GET A CAR OR TRUCK"


BEIJING – March 23, 2013 – In a panel discussion about food security at the China Development Forum today, Cargill Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Greg Page said Cargill believes there is no need to fear a food crisis if we act collectively and react wisely.
Page emphasized five areas that are critical to achieving a wise food security policy.
"The first is a better appreciation of the role of price. Too often, price is talked about simply as a potential contributor to inflation. Too little attention is given to the role of price in incentivizing the world's farmers to produce the calories in grains and protein that we all need. Meanwhile, governments are faced with the challenge of balancing the cost of food for urban consumers with the need to ensure that farmers receive the right signals from the marketplace in terms of price," said Page. He believes using price to incentivize farmers while still meeting the need of urban consumers is the key ensuring there are sufficient quantities of safe, affordable food for all.
Page used China as example in his fourth point -- the criticality of comparative advantage. "The experts in China smartly exploit the country's comparative advantage. They strive to optimize the use of China's soil resources for the production of starch that is produced from corn in which China enjoys a comparative advantage, and to import soybeans from Brazil, whose soil resources are better suited to soybean production. Both countries win. The producers in both countries win, and the consumers in both countries win." He also stated that trust-based trade is critical if the world's producers and consumers to realize the full benefits of comparative advantage.
"The fifth element of a wise global food security policy is that we all need to collectively assist Africa. If we are going achieve grain-based food security in the world, you can't do it without Africa. The resources are there, but challenges remain in terms of the right policy environment, the rule of law and the rule of private property. If the right policies and institutions are in place, all nature's gifts are there for Africa to turn from an importer of calories to an exporter of calories," Page said.
Cargill's business in China can be traced back to the early 1970s. Today we have a thriving presence in virtually every part of mainland China with 52 locations and over 7000 employees. Cargill is committed to utilizing its global expertise to support China's ongoing efforts in rural development and farmer income increase. In addition, Cargill's contributions are aligned with China's commitment to promoting sustainable agriculture, a secure and safe food supply. We help China achieve these commitments by improving efficiency and adding value in the production, processing, distribution, and trade of food and agriculture products. For more information, visit http://www.cargill.com.cn.
China Development Forum 2013 is scheduled for March 23-25, 2013, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. The Forum's theme is "China: to Deepen Reform and Opening-up for a Well-off Society". Strongly committed to completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects in 2020, the new leadership holds high the banner of reform and opening up—the means to sustained and rapid growth. At the outset of the 2013, the Chinese government will, by way of the China Development Forum, further elaborate on the goal and policy orientation of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and introduce the plan to deepen reform and opening up. Joined by China's decision makers, global business leaders, international organizations and renowned scholars, in-depth discussions will be held on how to realize the combination of the means and the end.


Have you ever considered moving to beautiful Pierre, South Dakota? Pierre is a desirable community & great location. Pierre, South Dakota boasts a variety of local landmarks, excellent schools, parks and much much more. Take a look at some of the most popular searches in Pierre, South Dakota and the surrounding areas.


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When it comes to your wedding day, don't opt for anything less than the best. A wedding event vehicle hire for your wedding is the first step in the right direction! Schedule your wedding limo in Green Point with us.
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Last night Verizon brought us the Fygees reunion concert, but in addition they also appear to be the first cell phone provider to leverage a new technology that allows a subscriber to purchase tickets directly onto their mobile phones. Verizon used text messaging to notify and invite interested fans to the show, but also offered tickets to V Cast subscribers via a PIX Message to the subscribers phone "that contained a unique barcode that was scanned at the show entrance", in addition to more traditional ticketing methods.
Verizon also broadcast the entire concert on their V Cast Music Web site, in addition to offering exclusive concert footage and and audio recordings to their V Cast subscribers.


It's amazing what you can learn on the side of the road.
In 1991, our family was headed to Flathead Lake for a vacation – our trailer, truck and new topper was loaded for adventure. Unfortunately, the trailer hitch was in need of repair and while we waited on the side of the road for a mobile welder, we noticed cracks, a lot of cracks, in our brand new topper. <!–more–>We had spent a considerable amount of money for what we thought was a high quality topper that would keep our belongings safe and protected. The welder said he had seen these cracks many times and he told us about a new line of crack resistant toppers that carried a lifetime warranty.
We did our research and were so impressed by the value of A.R.E's toppers that we couldn't just buy one, we bought a whole semi load.
Twenty years later and we have not wavered in our commitment to provide the highest quality toppers available. We have a team of installers that specialize in truck toppers and Tonneau Covers and our sales staff is the most knowledgeable in the industry. We have learned a lot since our adventure spent on the side of the road and our team is ready to share their knowledge with you.


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Attack on Titan II: The End of the World
*BEWARE: HERE THERE BE SPOILERS*
As the old saying goes, "If you thought you saw some crazy-ass titans busting shit up and eating people and then a bunch of spunky kids kicking their giant, mutated asses, you ain't seen nuthin' yet!" — OK, there isn't an old saying like that, but if there was, well, I sure as hell would be saying it here (OK, I just did say it. Ah jeez, this is getting off to a rough start. Anyhow, please see the previous post for clarification).
Yes, this is part two of what was clearly one big, long epic flick they had to break in two a la Kill Bill (another film featuring veteran character actor Jun Kunimura). And, just like Return of the King, all the huge, grande finale battle action is packed into this one. Daikaiju (big ol' giant monster) fans will rejoice as they once again see men in rubber suits doing spinning head kicks on sets of miniature cities — but this ain't no cheap, 60s Toho affair. Yes, it's still Toho, but the production values have gone up. Way up. Computer effects have transformed what was once a somewhat gigglesome genre into a truly awesome experience of David-and-Goliathesque combat guaranteed to send a tingle up your spine and a thrill through your heart.
Since I put up the spoiler sign, I guess I can go ahead and reveal that Eren's big secret is that he can transform into a titan (along with one or two other members of the team I won't mention). This adds an intriguing wrinkle to the proceedings, as now the rag-tag, teenage, human army (of half a dozen or so at this point) has a couple of different options; they already had their ODMG (Omin-Directional Mobility Gear), a body-mounted system of wires and pulleys allowing them to fly and maneuver in Spiderman fashion. Add to that a cache of old-school weapons like automatic rifles and RPGs (remember, this is a dystopian future where nobody's ever seen stuff like that) plus the old town nuke everybody thought was a dud but is, in fact, quite operational, and it looks like our young crew is ready to mix things up with the lumbering, people-eating giants (who barely appear in this film — go figure).
Obviously, if you liked the first film, you're going to love the second. Everything picks right up where the last one left off, but the story takes a darker turn, as the political allegory gets deeper and more profound. Seems the totalitarian government has been manipulating the titans, using their terroristic potential to keep the citizenry in line (sound familiar?). A resistance force has arisen, and plans to use the titans against the government — they're as batshit crazy as the guys in power, and it all adds up to an extra layer of awful that our young heroes really didn't need but hey, war is hell.
Fans of extreme Asian cinema are definitely going to want a copy of Attack on Titan (again, not the moon orbiting Saturn but a lot of bloody great, groty gorks). Director Shinji Higuchi and special effects man Katsuro Onoue have created a masterpiece of post-apocalyptic kaiju craziness, an epic manga adaptation right up there with Akira (although that was an anime) — anyway, I'm just here to say it's great.
Posted by Patrick Galloway at 8:38 AM 2 comments:
It's no secret that I'm a big fan of live action manga adaptations (see the sidebar In Praise of Manga Movies, Asia Shock, p. 105). Bringing the vision of a particularly OTT manga to life in the real world, when done well, is far more fascinating to me than merely animating it (in the same, decades-old style as Speed Racer and Kimba the White Lion).
So when they finally got around to making a manga-to-live action adaptation of the hugely popular Attack on Titan, I was all attention. Imagine a genre mash-up of kaiju and zombies with lots of cute, angsty teenagers fighting the lumbering behemoths (known as titans — the kids aren't attacking one of Saturn's moons) — it's pretty great. Top-notch special effects and production values put you right in the action, and there is a certain earnestness to the presentation that reminded me of Battle Royale (except instead of killing each other, the kids are going up against a bunch of gigantic, naked, disgusting people-eaters).
The story centers around Eren, an angry young man living in a walled-off, post-apocalyptic community (you can tell it's post-apocalyptic because everyone wears coarse, baggy knitwear in hues of beige and gray). In this case, the apocalypse was a bunch of titans who laid waste to everything 100 years ago. Since then, humanity has lived in a big settlement comprised of three enormous, concentric walls; this configuration operates as a handy class analogy, with the unwashed masses dwelling in the outer ring.
And wouldn't you know it, that's right where the titans come busting back in. Now Eren, his foster sister/love interest Mikasa and best friend Armin must join the local armed forces and fight the gargantuan degenerates — these titans are filthy, mutated and naked, although sans privates. Nobody knows how they reproduce, but when they're killed, they disintegrate. Killing them is no easy task and requires special equipment with which each kid is kitted up. And there's no time to waste, as all these massive assholes seem to do on arrival is gobble up humans by the handful. In one charming scene we follow a victim down a titan's gullet into his stomach, where the partially digested remains of his comrades bob beside him.
The pace sags a bit during the serious, personal drama bits, but only due to the sustained outrageousness of the action sequences. The horrendous behavior of the titans and the spunky nerve and verve with which the kids fight back against them, it's all quite breathless and mind-blowing and wonderful.
There's a second installment, Attack on Titan: The End of the World, which I have yet to see. Looks like they made one big movie and broke it in two, so I'm looking forward to more of the same killer stuff. At the end of the first film, Eren undergoes a transformation that looks to take the second film in a whole new direction (what we in the business call a "plot twist"), so keep an eye out for that. Meanwhile, you can learn more about these amazing films here and check out some game play footage from the forthcoming PS4 game here.
Posted by Patrick Galloway at 8:44 AM No comments:
The good folks at Funimation were kind enough to send along a copy of the manga-to-anime horror fantasy Tokyo Ghoul (12 episode blu-ray and DVD pack). While conceptually a thing of beauty and a true original, there are nevertheless certain issues that may or may not be alleviated by further installments. Let me explain.
First off, I'm always on the lookout for a new monster. Vampires and zombies have been done to death, and even witches are starting to get on my nerves. So Sui Ishida's Tokyo Ghoul manga (2011 - 2014) provides a welcome addition in the form of the contemporary Japanese "ghoul," a complex, quasi-shapeshifting individual in humanoid form that feeds on human flesh. The term "human" gets bandied about to distinguish from the ghoul types, but psychologically and emotionally, these ghouls seem pretty human to me. Nevertheless, they live in their own subculture, walking among humans by day and preying on them by night. Sometimes they don special, custom-made masks which make them look very menacing and cool indeed.
Ishida provides a rich lore and taxonomy pertaining to the ghouls, with local factions inhabiting the various wards of the city and a government organization, the CCG (Commission of Counter Ghoul) dedicated to exterminating them with extreme prejudice. The most compelling aspect of your average ghoul is the presence of a kagune, a retractable spectral appendage sprouting from the ghoul's back, that can either protect or attack depending on its Rc type (yes, it's all very involved). The boys at the CCG have developed their own synthetic version of the kagune, called a quinque — imagine a light saber, but the beam is huge and fanciful and can resemble anything from a gigantic baseball bat to an enormous, fanged tapeworm.
The central character is a guy named Ken Kaneki, and here, in the anime at least (I confess I have not read the manga), is where we start to run into trouble, story-wise. You see, our boy Kaneki is a drip, an utterly uncharismatic milquetoast of a college student whose infatuation with a beauty at the local coffee shop ends badly. Yep, she's a ghoul, and through a characteristically over-the-top series of events, she winds up dead and he winds up with some of her organs implanted in him, rendering him a "half-ghoul." This makes him a very unique individual in the ghoul community, and a fixation for several particularly unsavory ghouls.
As with most manga adaptations, there is an ever-growing and varied cast of characters. Too bad more wasn't done with them. Even Kaneki's best friend Hide, an irrepressible class clown type full of possibilities, is left to languish on the sidelines.
This is not to say that there isn't plenty of action and drama, because there is. It's just that it's rather uneven — it feels like director Shuhei Morita was unable or unwilling to really explore the material and instead just whittled it down to a few specific characters and plot arcs (none of which are really resolved — I get it, more on the way, but still … ).
Things get all torture-porny in the last three episodes, and it is here where the whole affair truly goes awry. I was already fairly annoyed by Kaneki's incessant whining and screaming at the outset (he doesn't acclimate well to his transformation and subsequent violent encounters with ghouls and the CCG). His physical abuse and torture at the hands of the sadistic ghoul Jason (anyone for a wire cutter toe treatment?) is beyond gratuitous. I've seen my share of Japanese exploitation cinema, I understand the formula: lots of torture makes the revenge all the sweeter. But c'mon, guys, 99% torture and 1% revenge is, well, like I said, extremely uneven.
Perhaps I'm just getting old and this is what the kids are into these days. In any case, I can't fault the animation quality or voice work, and the whole Tokyo Ghoul universe is overflowing with potential. A second series, Tokyo Ghoul √A, scripted by Ishida, was released this year so look for that on disk some time soon. Meanwhile, both the manga and first season are available now, so if you're in the market for a new and original monster genre, Tokyo Ghoul might just be the ticket!
So the kid from Kick-Ass (Aaron Johnson) is all grown up and buffed and in the Navy, doing bomb stuff (he either diffuses them or blows them up or something — it's unclear). His crazy old dad (Bryan Cranston) has figured out that the Japanese are keeping a giant monster at the nuclear disaster site where he lost his wife 15 years earlier, and soon enough father and son are poking around where they shouldn't be.
As it happens, the monster isn't Godzilla (nee Gojira). It's rather an awesome, Lovecraftian bug-like thing, quite wicked and HUGE. (Godzilla himself, when he finally shows up, is about five times the size of the original.) That's the greatest strength of this otherwise mess of a movie: the gigantic monstery goodness of it all. The filmmakers have embraced the essence of kaiju, the sheer terror of being attacked and, most likely, crushed beneath the tonnage of a really, really big monster. We're talking the horror of scale here, and this one element, done quite well, is what saves this film.
Unfortunately, our young male lead isn't much cop at looking up at 500 feet of horrific monstrosity and communicating the brown trousers moment with anything like visceral terror. His reminded me of the similarly blank expression on Naomi Watts' gormless mug in Peter Jackson's 2005 King Kong remake. Both these actors should look up the boy and girl from the original Jurassic Park — those kids knew how to sell it! Even a spoonful of quivering jello wasn't lost on them — they got the "holy shit!" moment and ran with it.
Either the screenwriter or the editor are responsible for a storyline that jumps from convoluted to nonexistent — don't bother trying to keep up. Just know that, like the original, there are scientists and soldiers and giant monsters, and somehow Godzilla, while causing untold destruction and death, is really on our side. Never mind the atomic bomb our human hero's team is trying to detonate in the middle of San Francisco to destroy the giant evil insect things. In the light of such operational logic, ol' Godzilla doesn't seem so bad after all!
So my advice: lean upon this movie gently, don't expect too much in the way of acting or storytelling, just get into spirit of the thing and you'll have a good time. Or conversely, you can follow Anthony Lane's advice: "Skip Godzilla the movie. Watch the trailer."
20th Century Boys 1: Beginning of the End
I'm a big fan of manga movies. I've reviewed a bunch of them in my books, calling them out as among the most outrageous and deliriously enjoyable films you're likely to encounter in the remarkable world of Asian (particularly Japanese) cinema.
However, sometimes the manga in question is so monumental and beloved, the film adaptation turns out leaden and lugubrious by comparison (see Watchmen). So intimidated is the filmmaker by the original work, so eager is he to please the fans that he becomes preoccupied with the authenticity of his rendering. He forgets that while comics are uniquely suited to film adaptation (hey, it's a fucking storyboard), still, there are considerations to be made in regards to the medium of film. You can't shoot every friggin' frame! You're better off running the risk of pissing off the purists for the sake of a good movie (see The Lord of the Rings trilogy).
So it is with 20th Century Boys, a manga by Naoki Urasawa that ran from 1999 to 2006 (later published in 22 bound volumes). It's about a gang of snot-nosed kids who get a notebook and fill it with a fanciful story about the end of the world. Flash forward 30 years and somebody is causing the story to come true. The somebody is Friend, a mysterious cult leader who appears to have a childhood connection with the original group. The whole premise is a little half-baked if you ask me, but what do I know. The thing was huge in Japan.
The resulting film trilogy (7+ hours) met with mixed reviews but nevertheless made heaps of yen. Unfortunately, the first installment, 20th Century Boys 1: Beginning of the End (2008), didn't really do it for me. It was quite slow to get going, only developing a decent head of steam about an hour in. The pace reminded me quite a lot of Watchmen, but I happened to have read that epic tale of post-superhero intrigue and angst, so it was far more enjoyable. For those unfamiliar with the original of either film, the experience is much diminished.
I've got the second film here, 20th Century Boys 2: The Last Hope (both films courtesy of my friend and fellow Asian film fanatic Dr. Stan Glick) and I'll watch it, as I'm somewhat invested at this point. But unless things pick up dramatically, I doubt I'll pursue the third film; that would involve a cash outlay, and I've got so many flicks in the to-watch pile, it's better I just move on to the next one. Looks to be something called Chambara Striptease …
Posted by Patrick Galloway at 1:59 PM 2 comments:
Tokyo Sonata
Kiyoshi Kurosawa is known primarily in the West for his horror films. Tokyo Sonata (2008) represents a departure; ghosts and serial killers give way to the domestic horror of the shit-canned salaryman. Seems the company is moving his division to China, so our man Ryu Sasaki (Teruyuki Kagawa) does the usual thing: He keeps putting on the suit and pretends to go to work every day. Really, he heads down to the park where the homeless guys hang out and lines up for a bowl of bad rice porridge. How long can he keep up the charade?
Tokyo Sonata revolves around a familiar theme in contemporary Japanese cinema, that of the disintegrating family. And very often, the family is seen as a microcosm of the country. The sense that the society is falling apart at the seams is palpable in this film, it's ultimate representative being the inept housebreaker played by Kiyoshi Kurosawa mainstay Koji Yakusho. Elsewhere, Sasakis' teenage son, who wants to join the U.S. military, is another example of a lost soul; to the Japanese, such a life choice would be considered extremely bizarre. Throw in a disillusioned mom and a troubled yet musically gifted son, and we're off on our harrowing downward spiral toward redemption.
Tokyo Sonata isn't a particularly profound film; frankly, it starts to lose its way around the 1:10 point. But the subject matter, characters and quality of filmmaking keep you involved to the end, and for anyone who likes films set in the gritty, unflattering reality of Tokyo, it's more than satisfying.
Posted by Patrick Galloway at 5:16 PM 1 comment:
Tokyo-ga
Way back in 1985, German filmmaker Wim Wenders made a pilgrimage to Tokyo in search of Ozu. Not the physical personage, mind you (Yasujiro Ozu died in 1963) but rather some element of the master still extant in the great city in which his films were set. Were the trains still running? Were any of the old cast/crew still kicking around? Yes on both counts, it turns out, and the resulting film is a delightful blend of documentary and arthouse meditation.
This being Wenders, you'll experience long, lingering takes and soft-spoken narration. Dial back your immediate expectations and just let the imagery wash over you. After all, this is Tokyo in the 80s; the sheer density of information in each extended, dreamy shot is worth a good, long look.
Interspersed between the moving portraiture are segments featuring unique aspects of Tokyo culture, such as life in a pachinko parlor or Asakusa craftsmen making display case replicas of restaurant food out of wax. In city parks we find old ladies laughing, children at play and cherry blossom viewing parties with lots of beer and sake all around. At one point we meet up with Werner Herzog at the top of the Tokyo Tower. A splendid time is guaranteed for all.
The real gems of the film, however, are the interviews with two Ozu fixtures, actor Chishu Ryu and cinematographer Yuharu Atsuta. Both men open up about their experiences with, and feelings for, the great man, Atsuta to a degree uncommon for Japanese men of his generation (moved by his recollections, he breaks down and cannot continue). Ryu is predictably self-effacing, and gives all credit for his career and achievements to Ozu. Atsuta hauls out the original equipment, including the 50mm camera and tripods he used on all those films, and demonstrates Ozu's unique, low-level "tatami shot." It's a real treat for aspiring filmmakers and fans alike.
Tokyo-ga is one of those how-the-hell-am-I-just-hearing-about-this-now pictures, like Teshigahara's documentary about Gaudi (at least in my case — I'm sure there are plenty of far hipper film folks who've long known of both). Needless to say, I'd heartily recommend Tokyo-ga to anyone interested in Ozu, Wenders, and/or Tokyo itself. And seeing how they make that phony food is a major bonus!
Posted by Patrick Galloway at 11:45 AM No comments:
Patrick Galloway
Asia Shock: Horror and Dark Cinema from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong & Thailand
Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves: The Samurai Film Handbook
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fRYEd - Fresh Hopped Rye Ale by Boulder Beer Company | Is That Beer Good? -- A beer rating site.
Our 2013 hop harvest special release, fRYEd Fresh-Hopped Rye Pale Ale, will be fresh-hopped* with Chinooks from the Still Wind Hop Farm on Colorado's Western Slope imparting tropical fruit notes to its flavor and aroma. Generous amounts of toasted rye add complexity with a spicy, nutty flavor. *Brewing with fresh off the bine (not vine!) wet hops! This provides a unique hop experience with a more complete hop flavor and aroma due to the presence of volatile oils that are normally evaporated out during the drying process. These fresh hop flowers must be used within 24 hours of harvest!


text:
Whaleback forecastle for reducing green water loading on high-speed container vessels
Varyani, K. & Pham, X. P., Jan 2008, In: Ships and Offshore Structures. 3, 3, p. 229-237 8 p.
Whale sanctuaries: an evolving concept within the International Whaling Commission
Morgera, E., 2004, In: Ocean Development and International Law. 35, 4, p. 319-338 20 p.
What (a) difference a degree makes: the evaluation of the new social work degree in England
Joan Orme, MacIntyre, G., Pam Green Lister, Kate Cavanagh, Beth R Crisp, Shereen Hussein, Jill Manthorpe, Jo Morarity, Endellion Sharpe & Martin Stevens, Aug 2007, In: British Journal of Social Work. 39, 1, p. 161-178 18 p.
What (and who) works in widening participation? Supporting direct entrant student transitions to higher education
Breeze, M., Johnson, K. & Uytman, C., 9 Nov 2018, In: Teaching in Higher Education.
Savage, K., Conway, F., Leonard, G. & Ivanova, I., 1 Jun 2017. 17 p.
What about the dads? issues and possibilities of working with men from a child and youth care perspective
Smith, M., 29 Jul 2004, A Child and Youth Care Approach to Working with Families. p. 149-169 21 p.
Smith, M., 2003, In: Child and Youth Services. 25, 1/2, p. 149-167 19 p.
What a capital idea: exploring the needs of (disadvantaged) young people
Deuchar, R., Catts, R., Coburn, A. & McGinley, B., 26 Nov 2009, (Unpublished).
What a difference a degree makes
MacIntyre, G. & Orme, J., 2011, 21st century social work: a resource for early professional development . Taylor, R., Hill, M. & McNeill, F. (eds.). New York
What affects students' self-assessment skills?
Scott, F., 27 Jul 2021, Education in Chemistry 3 p.
Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Featured article
What AI still can't do?
Dörfler, V., 14 Sep 2021. 1 p.
What are LGBT+ inequalities in health and social support—why should we tackle them?
Fish, J., Almack, K., Hafford-Letchfield, T. & Toze, M., 31 Mar 2021, In: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 18, 7, 5 p., 3612.
What are mass media interventions made of? Exploring the active content of interventions designed to increase HIV testing in gay men within a systematic review
Flowers, P., Riddell, J., Boydell, N., Teal, G., Coia, N. & McDaid, L., 30 Sep 2019, In: British Journal of Health Psychology. 24, 3, p. 704-737 34 p.
What are the 'active ingredients' of interventions targeting the public's engagement with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and how might they work?
McParland, J. L., Williams, L., Gozdzielewska, L., Young, M., Smith, F., MacDonald, J., Langdridge, D., Davis, M., Price, L. & Flowers, P., 27 May 2018, (E-pub ahead of print) In: British Journal of Health Psychology. 74 p.
What are the barriers and challenges faced by adolescents when searching for sexual health information on the internet? Implications for policy and practice from a qualitative study
Patterson, S. P., Hilton, S., Flowers, P. & Mcdaid, L. M., 1 Sep 2019, In: Sexually Transmitted Infections. 95, 6, p. 462-467 6 p.
What are the career implications of "seeing eye to eye"? Examining the role of leader-member exchange (LMX) agreement on employability and career outcomes
Epitropaki, O., Marstand, A. F., Van der Heijden, B., Bozionelos, N., Mylonopoulos, N., Van der Heijde, C. M., Scholarios, D., Mikkelsen, A., Marzec, I. & Jędrzejowicz, P., 1 Nov 2021, In: Personnel Psychology. 74, 4, p. 799-830 32 p.
What are the causes of work related stress in community pharmacy?
Gidman, W. K., Mar 2009, In: International Journal of Pharmacy Practice. 17, S1, p. A17-A22
Research output: Contribution to journal › Conference Contribution › peer-review
What are the characteristics of engineering design processes?
Maier, A. M. & Störrle, H., 19 Aug 2011, p. 188-198. 11 p.
What are the implications of independence for public revenues and spending?
Roy, G. & Eiser, D., 31 Oct 2020, (Accepted/In press) Scotland's Next Decision: What Does it Mean for You,. Edinburgh
What are the priorities for prevention and control of non-communicable diseases and injuries in sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia?
Chisholm, D., Baltussen, R., Evans, D. B., Ginsberg, G., Lauer, J. A., Lim, S., Ortegon, M., Salomon, J., Stanciole, A. & Tan-Torres, T., 10 Mar 2012, In: BMJ (Online). 344, 7847, 6 p., e586.
What are the Research Gaps Around Induced Seismicity and Shale Gas? A Summary of the Findings of the First UKUH Integration Event (May 2019)
Brown, R., Clancy, S., Roberts, J. & Gibson, H., 5 Jan 2020, [Newcastle]. 24 p.
What are we producing knowledge for?
Orme, J., 2006, In: Journal of Social Policy and Social Work. 2, p. 196-208 13 p.
Moncur, W., 30 Apr 2019, In: Interactions. 26, 3, p. 12-13 2 p.
What aspects of reasoning do further education college lecturers use in writing rationales?
Soden, R. & Maclellan, E., 1 Mar 2004, In: Journal of Vocational Education and Training. 56, 1, p. 97-116 19 p.
What barriers and facilitators influence the implementation of new high-risk medicine services in Scottish community pharmacies?
Weir, NM., Newham, R., Dunlop, E. & Bennie, M., 7 Sep 2018. 1 p.
What Belongs Where? Variable Selection for Zero-Inflated Count Models with an Application to the Demand for Health Care
Jochmann, M., Oct 2009, 23 ed., Glasgow: University of Strathclyde, p. 1-20, 21 p.
What can health inequalities researchers learn from an intersectionality perspective? Understanding social dynamics with an inter-categorical approach?
Kapilashrami, A., Hill, S. & Meer, N., 1 Aug 2015, In: Social Theory and Health. 13, 3-4, p. 288-307 20 p.
What can lawyers do for animals? Education in and practice of animal law in Scotland - event report
Offor, I. & Gibson, J., 31 Jul 2019, In: The UK Journal of Animal Law. 3, 1, p. 36-41 6 p.
What can NMR spectroscopy of selenoureas and phosphinidenes teach us about the π-accepting abilities of N-heterocyclic carbenes?
Vummaleti, S. V. C., Nelson, D. J., Poater, A., Gomez-Suarez, A., Cordes, D. B., Slawin, A. M. Z., Nolan, S. P. & Cavallo, L., 1 Mar 2015, In: Chemical Science. 6, 3, p. 1895-1904 10 p.
What can quality improvement methods do for you?
Jolly, L., Beveridge, D. & Wassell, C., 7 Oct 2015. 47 p.
What can toxins tell us for drug discovery?
Harvey, A. L., Bradley, K. N., Cochran, S. A., Rowan, E. G., Pratt, J. A., Quillfeldt, J. A. & Jerusalinsky, D. A., Nov 1998, In: Toxicon. 36, 11, p. 1635-1640 5 p.
What can transgenic parasites tell us about the development of Plasmodium-specific immune responses?
Thompson, J. G., Millington, O. R., Garside, P. & Brewer, J. M., 2008, In: Parasite Immunology. 30, 4, p. 223-233 10 p.
What can we learn about social work assessment from the textbooks?
Crisp, B., Anderson, M., Orme, J. & Green Lister, P., Dec 2006, In: Journal of Social Work. 6, 3, p. 337-359 23 p.
What can we learn about supervision from examining doctoral students?
Smith, J., 2008, (Unpublished).
What can we learn by studying enzymes in non-aqueous media?
Halling, P. J., 29 Aug 2004, In: Philosophical Transactions B: Biological Sciences . 359, 1448, p. 1287-1297 10 p.
What can we learn from major incidents? an approach to safety in the undergraduate curriculum
Sinclair, S. & Ventura-Medina, E., 1 Nov 2013, Hazards Australasia. Perth, Australia, 28 p.
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution book
What can we learn from previous pandemics and from the response to COVID-19 so far?
Lauer, J. A. & Roy, G. (ed.), 25 Jun 2020, In: Fraser of Allander Economic Commentary. 44, 2, 9 p.
What can we learn from the research into primary languages?
Tierney, D., 2009, (Unpublished).
Research output: Contribution to conference › Keynote
What Can We Learn in Scotland from the Red Hook Community Court?
Dyer, F., 28 Jun 2016, Glasgow: University of Strathclyde. 8 p.
What capacity development services are most effective in improving young entrepreneurs' business performance and building their human capital: a literature review
Levie, J., Hart, M., Thorpe, A. & Shamsul, M. K., 2012
What captures gaze in visual design - insights from cognitive psychology
Andersen, E. & Maier, A., 12 Aug 2016, p. 83-92. 10 p.
What causes health?
Burns, H., 1 Jan 2014, In: Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. 44, 2, p. 103-105 3 p.
Whatcha saying? Evidence of production learning in a solitary common dolphin during interspecific interactions with a harbour porpoise
Cosentino, M., Nairn, D. & Windmill, J. F. C., 6 Apr 2018. 1 p.
What clients know: client perspectives and legal competence
Paterson, A., Moorhead, R. & Sherr, A., Mar 2003, In: International Journal of the Legal Profession. 10, 1, p. 5-35 30 p.
What comes next in data communications?
Glesk, I., 1 Dec 2008, Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering. Vol. 7141. 714106
What consumers want? differentiating service quality and recovery service
Ennis, S. & Sio-Hong, T., May 2004, (Unpublished).
What controls microzooplankton biomass and herbivory rate across marginal seas of China?
Liu, K., Chen, B., Zheng, L., Su, S., Huang, B., Chen, M. & Liu, H., 15 Sep 2020, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Limnology and Oceanography . 15 p.
What Coronavirus means for education, childcare and working parents [Podcast] EP18
McIntyre, S., Congreve, E., Johnston, J. & Wilson, T., 29 May 2020
Research output: Non-textual form › Digital or Visual Products
What coronavirus survey told us about getting people to take a vaccine
Williams, L., 16 Oct 2020, London
What could a Scottish parliament do?
Mitchell, J., 1998, In: Regional and Federal Studies . 8, 1, p. 68 - 85 18 p.


text:
<?php

/**
 * FurryBear
 *
 * PHP Version 5.3
 *
 * @category Congress_API
 * @package  FurryBear
 * @author   lobostome <lobostome@local.dev>
 * @license  http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT MIT License
 * @link     https://github.com/lobostome/FurryBear
 */

namespace FurryBear\Tests\Resource\SunlightCongress;

/**
 * A test for SunlightCongress\Legislators.
 *
 * @category Congress_API
 * @package  FurryBear
 * @author   lobostome <lobostome@local.dev>
 * @license  http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT MIT License
 * @link     https://github.com/lobostome/FurryBear
 */

class LegislatorsTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
{
    /**
     * @var \FurryBear\FurryBear
     */
    protected $furryBear;

    /**
     * @var \FurryBear\Resource\SunlightCongress\Legislators
     */
    protected $legislators;

    /**
     * @var string
     */
    protected $apiKey = 'some-api-key';

    /**
     * Set up fixtures.
     */
    protected function setUp()
    {
        $curlProxy = $this->getMockBuilder('\\FurryBear\\Proxy\\Curl')
                          ->disableOriginalConstructor()
                          ->getMock();
        $adapter = new \FurryBear\Http\Adapter\Curl($curlProxy);

        $provider = new \FurryBear\Provider\Source\SunlightCongress($adapter, $this->apiKey);

        $output = new \FurryBear\Output\Strategy\JsonToObject();

        $this->furryBear = new \FurryBear\FurryBear();
        $this->furryBear->registerProvider($provider)
                        ->registerOutput($output);

        $this->legislators = new \FurryBear\Resource\SunlightCongress\Method\Legislators($this->furryBear);
    }

    /**
     * Clean up fixtures.
     */
    protected function tearDown()
    {
        unset($this->furryBear);
        unset($this->legislators);
        unset($this->apiKey);
    }

    /**
     * Test setting the resource method.
     */
    public function testConstruct()
    {
        $this->assertAttributeNotEmpty('resourceMethod', $this->legislators);
        $this->assertAttributeInternalType('string', 'resourceMethod', $this->legislators);
        $this->assertAttributeEquals(\FurryBear\Resource\SunlightCongress\Method\Legislators::ENDPOINT_METHOD, 'resourceMethod', $this->legislators);
    }
}


text:
Track your big events with Widget Countdown
TUAW Randy Murray Nov 4, 2014
TUAW Nov 4, 2014
Randy Murray Nov 4, 2014 Read Source
There are big events in life. Some we can't wait for, others we dread. It's easy to put them on the calendar, but thats not as immediately clear as seeing just how many days or hours remain until something happens. Widget Countdown puts your big events front and center where it's easy to keep track of them. The app is US$0.99 and requires iOS 8.0 or later and is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.
When initially presented with Widget Countdown my first reaction was, "I don't need yet another calendar." I get by with the built in iOS and Mac OS Calendar, even though I'm not terribly excited with them. I do like and use Fantastical for fast access and creating events and reminders. But, Widget Countdown isn't a calendar. It's not even about counting widgets. This app about setting up and displaying future events. A most importantly, it can display these events within the Notification Center.
The app itself is beautifully and thoughtfully designed. It's very easy to create new events directly from your existing calendar events or to manually create them within the app. You can give each event a name, specify a date and/or time, and select a background picture. The app lets you search online for pictures from 500px or Flickr with a keyword search. The result it very nice. It would make a great lock screen, if Apple permitted such a thing (it does not).
I find that I don't often launch the app to review my upcoming events. Instead I pull the Notification Center down from the top of the screen and find them displayed there (after adding them by editing which apps to display there). That's the really useful feature of this app. It's just the text, that's enough and what makes this app terrific.
I find that limiting the number of things that I include in the countdown to make it easier to think about upcoming events. Add 20 items and the list becomes unweildy. But limit yourself to just four or five events and it's much easier to deal with.
When using the app itself you can flick up on the displayed days to reveal the hours remaining. You can also send the image of the event countdown via any of the system services, including Mail, Messages, social media apps, etc. Unfortunately the app adds a commercial message to your image as well, but you can delete that. I still find this practice annoying and tacky, especially for a paid app. Note to app developers and publishers: don't beg for positive reviews with popups in your apps and don't tack on advertisements in messages.
If you want to keep track of the big upcoming events in your life, I do like Widget Countdown, especially for the Notification Center access. Don't let that next birthday or anniversary sneak up on you.
Continue reading Track your big events with Widget Countdown
Track your big events with Widget Countdown originally appeared on TUAW: Apple news, reviews and how-tos since 2004 on Mon, 03 Nov 2014 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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text:
Biomonitoring for Occupational Exposure to Diisocyanates: A Systematic Review
Authors: Scholten B, Kenny L, Duca RC, Pronk A, Santonen T, Galea KS, Loh M, Huumonen K, Sleeuwenhoek A, Creta M, Godderis L, Jones K
Diisocyanates are a group of chemicals that are widely used in occupational settings. They are known to induce various health effects, including skin- and respiratory tract sensitization resulting in allergic dermatitis and asthma. Exposure to diisocyanates has been studied in the past decades by using different types of biomonitoring markers and matrices. The aim of this review as part of the HBM4EU project was to assess: (i) which biomarkers and matrices have been used for biomonitoring diisocyanates and what are their strengths and limitations; (ii) what are (current) biomonitoring levels of the major diisocyanates (and metabolites) in workers; and (iii) to characterize potential research gaps. For this purpose we conducted a systematic literature search for the time period 2000–end 2018, thereby focussing on three types of diisocyanates which account for the vast majority of the total isocyanate market volume: hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), toluene diisocyanate (TDI), and 4,4′-methylenediphenyl diisocyanate (MDI). A total of 28 publications were identified which fulfilled the review inclusion criteria. The majority of these studies (93%) investigated the corresponding diamines in either urine or plasma, but adducts have also been investigated by several research groups. Studies on HDI were mostly in the motor vehicle repair industry [with urinary hexamethylene diamine result ranging from 0.03 to 146.5 µmol mol−1 creatinine]. For TDI, there is mostly data on foam production [results for urinary toluene diamine ranging from ~0.01 to 97 µmol mol−1 creatinine] whereas the available MDI data are mainly from the polyurethane industry (results for methylenediphenyl diamine range from 0.01 to 32.7 µmol mol−1 creatinine). About half of the studies published were prior to 2010 hence might not reflect current workplace exposure. There is large variability within and between studies and across sectors which could be potentially explained by several factors including worker or workplace variability, short half-lives of biomarkers, and differences in sampling strategies and analytical techniques. We identified several research gaps which could further be taken into account when studying diisocyanates biomonitoring levels: (i) the development of specific biomarkers is promising (e.g. to study oligomers of HDI which have been largely neglected to date) but needs more research before they can be widely applied, (ii) since analytical methods differ between studies a more uniform approach would make comparisons between studies easier, and (iii) dermal absorption seems a possible exposure route and needs to be further investigated. The use of MDI, TDI, and HDI has been recently proposed to be restricted in the European Union unless specific conditions for workers' training and risk management measures apply. This review has highlighted the need for a harmonized approach to establishing a baseline against which the success of the restriction can be evaluated.
Annals of work exposures and health


Siemens online education programs are designed to enable your continued learning through accessible web-based content— accessible to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our series of webcasts feature some of the most influential thought leaders in the field of hemostasis and focus on the hottest topics in the industry. Please provide us with feedback and topics of interest to enable our continued development of webinar series based on the most interesting and relevant topics in coagulation testing.


Ashes of Creation Apocalypse castle siege gameplay.
Ashes of Creation Apocalypse castle sieges are an Ashes of Creation Apocalypse testing mode that aims to test castle siege mechanics.
Takes place in and around large destructible castles.
Matches are expected to last thirty to thirty-five minutes. This duration can be modified by control points captured during the match.
There will be 200 players in a match (100 v 100).
Invite up to 20 guildmates to a match.
Class kits come into play during the testing of Ashes of Creation Apocalypse castle sieges.
The ability to host a session and challenge an opponent or guild may be present post-launch of castle siege mode.
↑ Video, 8 March 2019 (0:00).
↑ 3.0 3.1 Livestream, 17 August 2018 (30:29).
↑ 4.0 4.1 Livestream, 1 September 2018 (54:06).
↑ 5.0 5.1 Castle Siege Overview.
↑ Interview, 24 August 2018 (13:17).
↑ Interview, 17 August 2018 (8:16).
↑ Interview, 6 December 2018 (38:10).
This page's content was last modified on 18 March 2019, at 22:33.


I have really missed singing with the Lindisfarne Gospels Choir – singing in Durham Cathedral with an orchestra and professional singers and conductor was an experience I will never forget.
As General Manager and Artistic Director, Lesley Ann is programme Creator and developer, building links with new and existing partners and developing all aspects of InterOpera's core work.
Lesley Ann creates the concepts for our annual events and draws together the creative strands needed for the final productions, based upon her own diverse international career as performer, recitalist and vocal consultant.
Alistair is the company's Music Director. It is his international career as conductor, accompanist and coach extraordinaire and his ability to draw on a vast and detailed operatic knowledge of an immense repertoire that sets InterOpera apart from others in terms of quality and experience.
The company works regularly with freelance Project Manager, Jill Cole. Jill is based in Barnard Castle, County Durham and has many years' experience of working in the arts in north east England. She is also a theatre director and youth theatre leader in her own right. Jill has secured funding for all of InterOpera's projects to date and also ensures that projects are well-managed and co-ordinated, always delivered within budget and on time.
With her extensive knowledge of the Durham Dales, her administrative expertise and creative work in Youth Theatre, Jill steers each creative project before, during and after the event.
Steve, through his original and inspired transcriptions, perfectly transcribes the complexity of operatic orchestrations to the beauty of brass.


text:
Bitfinex — онлайн-сервис обмена криптовалют, принадлежащий iFinex Inc., штаб-квартира расположена в Гонконге, но зарегистрирована на Британских Виргинских островах. Одно из американских исследований говорит о том, что манипулирование ценой биткойна на площадке Bitfinex наполовину обеспечило подъём котировок биткойна в конце 2017 года.

В 2015 году площадка была взломана, пользователи потеряли 1500 биткойнов (около 400 тысяч долларов), а в 2016 у пользователей украли около 120 тысяч биткойнов (72 млн долларов).

История
Bitfinex была основана в декабре 2012 как пиринговая торговая площадка криптовалютами.

В мае 2015 года 1500 биткойнов были украдены во время взлома.

В августе 2016 года были украдены около 120 тысяч биткойнов на общую сумму почти 72 млн долларов. Сразу же после этого цена биткойна упала на 20 %.

В марте 2018 компания заявила, что компания планирует перенести свой бизнес в Цуг, Швейцария.

Tether
Tether — криптовалюта, цена которой, как заявляет компания Tether Limited, привязана к доллару. Tether близко связан с Bitfinex, имея общих учредителей и руководство. Критики неоднократно поднимали вопросы о связях между Bitfinex и Tether.

Примечания

Интернет-сервисы, работающие с биткойном

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia