text:
How key success factors converge for significant EV sales growth
I recall the early trial of a purpose-designed battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in the late 1990s when GM introduced its purpose-built EV1, with 160 miles range (Gen II with 26 kWh) before "pulling the plug" in 2002. Then few OEMs introduced BEV versions of production vehicles, such as Renault with its Kangoo. These early attempts, without going back to the early 1900s, failed for at least three reasons: a very narrow product offering, limited performance combined with a high price, and a scare network of slow charging stations. The emergence of Tesla Model S crystallized a rally around EVs, building on early BEV attempts as well on Toyota's uninterrupted HEV/PHEV efforts since 1997. Global warming and rising pollution levels have clearly become more evident, triggering a tightening of emission regulations across the globe, in particular in China. Actions are needed and EVs, whether hybrid (HEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV) or even more so BEVs, offer the obvious solutions. But are we making progress on the three past pain points for BEVs to progressively become mainstream? The answer is clearly YES, but to what extent?
Where do BEV and PHEV sales stand? Last year, China was by far the largest market with 350k cars sold (of which 260k BEVs). Europe came in second with 222k (of which 90k BEVs), and then the US with 157k (of which 84k BEVs). This represented respectively 1.5%, 1.3% and 0.9% of total car sales.
Acceleration of BEV product offerings
The buzz and relative success of Tesla Model S since its 2012 launch caught everyone's attention, in particular Daimler, BMW and Audi which compete in the same price range. The early announcement of the Tesla Model 3, the recent launch of the Chevy Bolt (both around $35k), and to a lesser extend the mature Nissan Leaf and Renault Zoe, bring modern BEVs much closer to the heart of European and US markets. Incumbents are urgently scrambling to react at a time when electrification is required to meet emissions regulations. This is particularly true in China where the government is pushing hard to boost EV sales, aiming for 5m BEV and PHEV by 2020 with its New Energy Vehicle policy. This push may also give Chinese carmakers a strategic advantage as the global market goes electric.
As a result, a massive product blitz will start around 2019-2020 for all OEMs, e.g. Volkswagen (25 electrified vehicles by 2025), Ford (25 electrified vehicles by 2021), Daimler (10 BEVs by 2022, vs 2025 initially announced), PSA (11 electrified vehicles by 2021), etc. Even Toyota, who rejected BEVs in favor of Fuel Cell EVs, announced last November the launch of an accelerated BEV development program, led directly by its CEO. The biggest boom in BEV offerings is in China, as demonstrated at the recent Shanghai Motor Show. In China, there are currently about 70 BEV or PHEV models on the market.
Boost in BEV performance at lower price points
Range anxiety has long been a major road-block, but it is progressively being addressed. The Nissan Leaf offered 84 miles (EPA) when launched in 2010, the first Renault Zoe about 100 miles in 2012 (estimated from NEDC values) and the BMW i3 85 miles in 2013. Upgrades introduced in 2016 lifted the autonomy of these more common BEVs to respectively 107, 170 and 130 miles. The Chevy Bolt, introduced in 2016, with its 60 kWh battery, and the forthcoming Tesla Model 3 offer respectively 238 and 215 miles, a significant improvement, for about $35k. At a much higher price point, Tesla Model S' autonomy ranges from 210 to close to 300 miles (with 60 to 100 kWh). Whereas this is still less than half of what a mid-size Diesel-powered car offers, recent ranges have become acceptable if combined with a dense and quick charging network (more below).
BEV prices remain high compared to equivalent ICE vehicles due to battery cost. This cost has substantially dropped from $1000/kWh in 2010 to about $250 today. Technical improvements and increased volumes are expected to bring cost to $100 somewhere around 2025-2030 depending on the source. Tesla anticipate that they will reach this threshold even earlier. As a result, BEVs are expected to be competitive with ICE-powered cars around 2025 when taking into account the total cost of ownership.
What about BEVs driving performance? Early models were slow. The Tesla Roadster, while sold in small volumes, started to change perception. The Tesla Model S much further enhanced it, with 0-60 mph times between 5.5 and 2.3 sec (yes!). Currently the Chevy Bolt and BMW i3 reach 60 mph in about 7 sec. And Porsche realized vehicle electrification will help enhance their sporty image.
Acceleration in charging network density and performance
The sufficient presence of charging stations at home, at destination (e.g. work, shopping) and en-route (e.g. intercity corridors) will be a decisive factor for plug-in vehicle growth. The European Commission estimates that one public charging point per 10 cars is required in addition to private chargers. There are currently about 50k charging points in the US, 100k in Europe and 150k in China. A number of initiatives, both public and private, have been announced to enhance the charging network, in both density and power. OEMs are very much involved, such as Nissan (2k points installed in Europe over the past few years), a consortium led by Daimler, BMW, Ford and Volkswagen (1000s of high-powered charging points in Europe by 2020), Volkswagen ($2bn invested in the US in ZEV infrastructure and awareness programs over 10 years as a result of Diesel-gate) or Mercedes (recent $82m investment in US charging solutions leader ChargePoint).
Charging speed is also a critical factor, especially for stations located on intercity corridors. Ideally, stations installed there should provide 2 hours of driving (150-200 miles) in 15 minutes. To this end, the industry is working on a 350-400 kW charging infrastructure. However, the necessary on-board hardware is not available yet — voltage will increase from 400V to 800-1000V. Tesla's superchargers provide 170 miles of autonomy in 30 min at up to 120 kW. The new BEVs recently announced show further progress, with Volkswagen promising 200+ miles charged in 30 min at 150 kW.
Incentives to sustain the development of the market
The picture painted above looks very promising. However, BEVs still represent an emerging market. As such, it needs to be sustained by public incentives until economies of scale emerge, to justify the development of both vehicles and infrastructure. There have been several examples of volumes dropping significantly when incentives were massively reduced (e.g. Netherlands). Most European countries offer public incentives ranging from 500 to 15k€ per vehicle. In the US, there is a $7.5k federal tax deduction in addition to state-specific incentives. China is not any different with up to $9k of state incentives. Public subsidies should be progressively reduced as the BEV ecosystem matures and eventually eliminated.
It seems obvious that the conditions for a full deployment of plug-in vehicles will be met within the next few years: a broad selection of models offering competitive performance and priced in the market, supported by a dense and fast charging network. The future of mobility is definitely electric, and it is coming fast.
Also published on LinkedIn (https://goo.gl/E1Cq9X)


Drug information service is one of competencies that pharmacist should have to increase patient compliance on treatment. It needs a good learning method to improve pharmacy student the ability in applying their theoretical knowledge to clinical practice in community later. The study aims to determine effect of problem based learning method on drug information systems course for the ability of drug information service by pharmacy students. The assessment is on aspects of theoretical knowledge, competence of the learning material and case solving abilities. It is a single-blind, case-control study. The study was carried out in19 months, in January 2014 to July 2015 at the Department of Pharmacy, Udayana University. The case group are pharmacy students who receive problem-based learning method, while control group are students who receive conventional teaching methods. A total 79 students are selected, consisting of 38 students in the control group and 41 students in the case group (PBL), respectively. The score of theoretical competence among students in the control group is signifi cantly higher than the case group (p = 0.047). Whereas, the competency of learning material and problem solving ability in the case group are signifi cantly higher than the case group (p = 0.000). The application of problem based learning method can improve the competencies of learning material and problem solving on drug information service by pharmacy students who take drug information systems course. The application of problem based learning method is good to be used at the pharmacy department in general to improve students soft skills, especially in applied subjects relating to clinical practice competencie among pharmacists in the community.


In a breakthrough, doctors have accomplished the total elimination of breast cancer in a patient with advanced cancer that was considered untreatable, according to NPR. The National Institutes of Health doctors used a new technique, utilizing the patients's own immune system to combat the cancer.
A paper published Monday, in the journal Nature Medicine, detailed the method.
"We're looking for a treatment — an immunotherapy — that can be broadly used in patients with common cancers," according to National Cancer Institute oncologist Dr. Steve Rosenberg, who crafted the technique.
The team first analyze a DNA sample from each patient, looking for mutations unique to their cancer. The doctors then look for immune cells called T cells, in the tissue of the tumor itself. These cells seek out the specific mutations.
"The excitement here is that we're attacking the very mutations that are unique to that cancer — in that patient's cancer and not in anybody else's cancer. So it's about as personalized a treatment as you can imagine," according to Rosenberg.
However, the team warns that such an approach will not work for all patients. In two others, it did not succeed. To really understand the potential of the new approach, more patients will need to try it, with the results tracked for much longer, according to the scientists.
Out of 45 patients, the approach helped seven, totaling a response rate of 15 percent. This group included patients with a range of other types of cancer, including colon, liver, and cervical cancers.
"I think it's the most promising treatment now being explored for solving the problem of the treatment of metastatic, common cancers," says Rosenberg.
For Judy Perkins, 52, who was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003, the treatment was life-changing. When the cancer returned 10 years after she thought it was eliminated, doctors found it had already spread substantially.
"I became a metastatic cancer patient. That was hard," she said.
Her tumors kept growing rapidly, in spite of many rounds of chemotherapy and other experimental treatments.
Finally, she heard about Rosenberg's experimental treatment at the NIH. The team grew T cells specifically for Perkins in their lab, and administered drugs to help the cells take effect – including one that caused intense, flu-like symptoms.
Two years later, however, she is free of cancer.
"All of her detectable disease has disappeared. It's remarkable," according to Rosenberg.
The next step for the team will be to make the treatment more affordable, easier, and quicker.


text:
A Light Touch: Healing Design at the Mother Baby Center
Project: The Mother Baby Center at Abbott Northwestern Hospital and Children's Hospitals & Clinics
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Year of Installation: 2013
Products Used: LightPlane Panels, Vivigraphix Spectra glass,
ViviChrome Chromis glass, LEVELc-1000A Elevator Interiors, LEVELe-103 Elevator Interiors, Stainless Steel and Bonded Quartz.
Architect: HDR Architecture, Inc.
General Contractor: Knutson Construction
Photographer: Kurt Johnson Photography
The Mother Baby Center at Abbott Northwestern Hospital and Children's Hospitals & Clinics is a beautiful new birth center that merges the Labor, Delivery and Newborn nurseries from Abbott Northwestern Hospital with the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Special Care Nursery and Infant Care Center from the neighboring Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.
This unique collaborative effort brought together the best of both hospitals, blending two different delivery care models with two distinct brands to form one holistic, centralized center–a $50 million facility especially created for women with high-risk pregnancies and babies in need of special care.
Designed by HDR Architecture, Inc., the 96,000 square-foot Mother Baby Center offers a dedicated entrance for expectant moms and families and is focused on keeping mothers and infants together during their care in a healing, welcoming and state-of-the-art space.
The neighboring facilities at Abbott and Children's have long had a cooperative relationship and have been physically linked by a tunnel, but this project marks their first true joint venture. Previously, when babies were born ill or prematurely at Abbott, they were whisked away from their mothers to receive care at Children's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit across the street. The Mother Baby Center will allow both mother and baby to be in the same facility, easing some stress on new families.
The four-story building houses 13 spacious labor and delivery rooms, three operating rooms, 44 post-partum rooms, and a 24-room special care nursery along with two newborn nurseries, a six-room maternal assessment center, family sleep rooms and more.
Creating a Nurturing Space
HDR immediately recognized the need to make the Mother Baby Center a healing environment and extensively researched how design can impact health and wellness. The exterior of the building is distinguished with bright bands of color per floor and a unique, shifting design. While those themes are carried throughout the interior, the designers felt that additional items were needed to create the right atmosphere.
They were also tasked with taking what can be a very intimidating and stressful setting and making it a warm, nurturing environment for both mother and child.
Aneetha McLellan, associate vice president & director of interior architecture at HDR, said, "Our design challenge was to come up with a unique, iconic design element that would make the interior stand out on the Children's Hospital campus."
"We were immediately drawn to nature, as evidence-based design has shown that nature is a healing element. This naturally led us towards botanicals; flowers have a feminine, organic feel to them that inherently seemed to fall into place."
HDR researched various types of flowers and colors and what they mean to different spiritualities and cultures, to ensure that the varieties they chose would have only had positive, comforting connotations for patients and visitors.
Once the floral theme was approved, featuring blue hyacinths, yellow and raspberry spider mums, and orange chrysanthemums, they had to plan how to best integrate the theme throughout the center, not only aesthetically, but practically. One of the solutions was to have large-scale floral photos displayed in illuminated panels.
McLellan said, "We wanted something that stood out on each corridor to help both patients and visitors find their way around. Initially, we thought of light boxes which would have to be physically built, but we had concerns about the wiring involved and the even distribution of light, as well as time and cost."
"We needed a pronounced, vivid, even spray of illumination. We thought lights would help stimulate staff and help to provide a cheery atmosphere in a place that is not always a happy place for patients."
The LightPlane Solution
It was right around this time that Mike Konieczny, Forms+Surfaces Territory Manager, met with HDR to discuss elevator interiors, and happened to show them a sample of our LightPlane Panels.
Julie Robertson, interior designer with HDR, said, "It was literally perfect timing; we had just started to detail the use of light panel images with colors. When everyone saw the sample, it was a no-brainer since it spared us from having to custom design a lighted case piece. Everyone immediately jumped on board with LightPlane."
McLellan agreed and said, "Using the LightPlane product saved us a drastic amount of time and work compared to building our own light wells."
In addition to the time and cost savings, other key benefits included the even light distribution that LightPlane offers with no "hot spots" or fading, its slim profile, complete design flexibility, and ease of maintenance.
McLellan added, "We liked the fact that LightPlane was incorporated as part of the structure instead of something applied afterward. It is part of the bones of the architecture; part of an architectural solution as opposed to something framed and hung up on a wall. When a product is part of the solution it is solid within the space; it's not easy to value-engineer out of the project. It's not an added amenity."
The LightPlane Panels serve a functional purpose by helping to light the hallways, and an aesthetic purpose by serving as artwork (eliminating the need to buy additional art), plus a directional purpose by serving as a wayfinding system.
McLellan said, "The LightPlane Panels with the large-scale flowers were the key element that set the stage for everything that followed."
HDR specified 37 LightPlane Panels, all 81" high and ranging in width from 12" to 48". Some of the illuminated floral panels are staggered along curved corridors in the center so that when viewed from one end, the panels seem to merge into one spectacular floral image.
LightPlane in Bloom
HDR partnered with Kurt Johnson Photography to provide the vivid, large-scale floral photos to use in the LightPlane Panels.
Johnson was excited about the project and said, "In the healthcare arena, natural botanical photorealism has been shown to have a positive effect on patients. There is quantifiable research that natural images are proven to reduce pain, alleviate stress and speed recovery."
Johnson typically shoots with a shallow depth of field, where part of the close-up is in extreme focus and the background is diffused. This shoot needed a bigger depth of field than usual since the photos would be so large and backlit.
Johnson, who is an architectural photographer by training, says he's always been drawn towards doing close-ups of natural elements. "That's where my interest lies. I think it really pulls in the viewer."
Except for a few shots that had to be taken during the winter, most of the flowers were shot outdoors, in natural light, from Carolyn Johnson's own abundant garden.
The photos were taken with a Canon 23-megapixel camera and had to be precisely sized, cropped, and saved at a very high resolution, via special software to produce the final image files.
Each image then became the graphic interlayer between two transparent lites of glass that comprises Forms+Surfaces ViviGraphix Spectra glass, which was used within the LightPlane Panels.
Johnson said, "The LightPlane Panel is a whole different way of displaying artwork. It makes two-dimensional images seem three-dimensional; it adds depth.
"The technology that was brought to the table had a big impact," he said. "I couldn't have imagined a better outcome."
An Enlightened Approach
Now, when patients and visitors come off the elevator, they are welcomed to each floor with a specific color and flower theme.
Additionally, each floor is broken into specific "neighborhoods" with its own color and flower. This helps patients find their way back to their rooms and establishes a little sense of home.
McLellan said, "These floral panels break up long, daunting hallways and make it more like walking through a garden. You want to see what's blooming around the corner. It tells a story in an artful way; it's soft and very welcoming."
Robertson agreed, adding, "It makes you want to walk further and explore; this is especially good for a mother in labor who needs to keep moving and walking around."
Additionally, patients used to complain about the bright hospital corridors at night. Now the LightPlane Panels can be dimmed while still providing direction.
McLellan said, "Scale and use of light are two factors changing the market. The use of artistically designed solutions that can provide illumination and serve dual functions definitely impacts the effectiveness of a space."
"People think that we had an astronomical interior design budget for this job, and that's good," she said. "I want them to think that. We actually had a very tight budget. In a way, this is the ultimate fake-out. We delivered a high design result with very little work."
Elevators Also Lift Spirits
In addition to the LightPlane Panels, Forms+Surfaces also provided elevator interiors for the facility.
Robertson said that her office doesn't ordinarily work on elevator interior projects since typically there is not a lot of design involved with these environments. But in this case, it was important to create interiors that were not only durable and functional but also welcoming and elegant like the rest of the space.
For the public elevators, HDR selected Forms+Surfaces LEVELe-103 Elevator Interiors, using White Bonded Quartz in Kalahari pattern and stainless steel in our High-Durability Seastone finish.
Robertson said, "For this project, we were drawn towards the Bonded Quartz pattern since it was consistent with other wavy patterns we used in the hospital, such as the ribbons we have on the ceiling."
The patient elevators also feature LEVELe-103 Elevator Interiors that incorporate a warm custom wood laminate in the accent panels along with our Seastone stainless steel. The more utilitarian staff elevators employ our LEVELc-1000A interiors, done entirely in Seastone stainless steel.
From the moment a patient, visitor or staff member steps into an elevator, to when they emerge at their specific floor, they are treated to a seamless and soothing design experience. Everything in the new center works together for maximum impact.
A New Center is Born
According to McLellan, the Mother Baby Center had the goal of being full to capacity within five years, but two days after its opening, they were already turning people away.
"Patients do judge a book by its cover," she said. "They feel that in a beautifully designed space their care will be better."
Mike Konieczny agreed, saying, "Pregnant women now shop around to find the ideal setting to have their babies. The new Mother Baby Center is like a luxury hotel; it's beautiful and designed for comfort."
Everyone involved in this collaborative effort seems to agree that this project brought out the best in them, coming together to provide a special place of healing for newborn babies and their mothers.
Johnson said, "This was one of the most fulfilling projects I've ever done. It was very humbling."
We agree. Forms+Surfaces was thrilled to take part in this wonderful project, and seeing our LightPlane Panels put to such good use. If you are interested in learning more about our LightPlane Panels or any of our products, please visit us at www.forms-surfaces.com.
Click to download case study

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


At the last New Media Breakfasts, we asked the audience to complete a short questionnaire about the topic of future events, thank you to everyone who took part.
The results are very interesting and they have provided us with a good idea about what you would like us to talk about in the future.
Video is becoming increasingly relevant and useful within social media. The introduction of 4G mobile services, and much better high speed broadband coverage are making it much easier to upload and consume video content. However, other influences such as the massive popularity of viral campaigns like the "Ice Bucket Challenge" in a way have educated many more people about how to capture and upload video content to social media channels. We believe this too has had an impact on the increasing popularity of video.
However, it's not just about viral charity campaigns, video is a powerful tool for business, it can get very real and credible messages to your community. It is also extremely useful for breaking down barriers and introducing yourself to potential new clients and customers.


text:
On 25 June, the LNA spokesperson Ahmed al-Mismari stated that Khalifa Haftar had ordered that the all ports 'liberated' from Ibrahim Jadhran forces on 21 June by the LNA were to be handed over to the Benghazi-based National Oil Corporation, under the auspices of the Bayda-based parallel (interim) government led by Abdullah al-Thinni.
On 14 June, forces under the command of Ibrahim Jadhran attacked and took control of Sidra and Ras Lanuf oil ports from Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) forces. Large LNA units are currently being deployed to Brega and Ajdabiya for the counter offensive.
On 9 June, four suspected ISIS fighters were detained as part of the Government of National Accord's (GNA) operation "Nation Storm." On 9 May, the Libyan National Army's (LNA) Operations Commander stated that they intended the Derna siege to end by mid al-Fitr, which is expected to fall on 15 June.
On 31 May, an armed group reportedly composed of Tebu and members of the defunct Benghazi Defence Brigades attacked Teminhint airbase controlled by the Libyan National Army (LNA). Reports indicate that the LNA's 116th Battalion repelled the attack after three hours of fighting. On 3 June, delegates from Misrata and Tawergha signed a reconciliation and return agreement that will see as many as 40,000 Tawerghan internally displaced persons (IDP) return to their homes.


text:
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: int_type not naming type frustration I have a virtual method type int_type in code being adapted from here that is the only case where the code gives the compile error:
'int_type' does not name a type
 int_type ThreadLogStream::overflow(int_type v)
 ^.

Debugging steps so far

*

*If I hover over any other instance of int_type in the Qt Creator IDE, it shows traits_type::int_type std::basic_streambuf::int_type, implying every other instance of int_type should not be causing problems.

*According to this reference, the int_type does indeed belong to basic_streambuf, but calling it Traits::int_type did not work.

*I attempted to typedef the problem variable, as demonstrated in the typedefs below, but char_type and traits_type were not recognized.
threadlogstream.cpp
...
int_type ThreadLogStream::overflow(int_type a)
{
    int_type b = a; //This gives no errors

    return b;
}
...

threadlogstream.hpp
#include <iostream>
#include <streambuf>
#include <string>

//typedef std::basic_streambuf< char_type, traits_type> base_class;
//typedef typename base_class::int_type int_type;

class ThreadLogStream :  public QObject, std::basic_streambuf<char> {

    Q_OBJECT

public:
    ThreadLogStream(std::ostream &stream);
    ~ThreadLogStream();

protected:
    virtual int_type overflow(int_type v); // This gives no errors
    virtual std::streamsize xsputn(const char *p, std::streamsize n);
}

Please help - I am losing hair over this.

A: It appears that your int_type is supposed to stand for std::basic_streambuf<>::int_type. In that case in an out-of-class member definition you are supposed to write
ThreadLogStream::int_type ThreadLogStream::overflow(int_type a)
{
  ...

i.e. use a qualified name for the function return type. Parameter names are looked up in class scope (which is why a mere int_type compiles fine in the parameter list). But return types are looked up in the enclosing scope, which is why you have to quality it explicitly.
That is how it has always been in C++.
However, the return type in trailing return type syntax (available since since C++11) is also looked up in class scope, which means that you can alternatively do this
auto ThreadLogStream::overflow(int_type a) -> int_type
{
  ...

A: Looks like you need to make it a trailing return type, like so:
auto ThreadLogStream::overflow(int_type v) -> int_type {
    // ...
}

Explanation: int_type needs to be looked up in the scope of ThreadLogStream, but if you have a leading return type, it will be looked up in namespace scope since it comes before you mention the name ThreadLogStream::overflow, which triggers lookup in the scope of ThreadLogStream. By placing the return type after the qualified-id, this problem is avoided.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


This is an exciting time to be a No Man's land player! Hot on the heels of the 2.10 update, we are bringing a variety of changes to the game in the first Balance Adjustments of the year. These changes all go into effect on March 6th, at 11:00 UTC.
Players are finding themselves with very full Farms, and there's always one sure way to put these Supplies to good use. With five months passed since the last Council Level increase, many players are anticipating an opportunity to push their survivors to greater heights.
Players will be able to upgrade their Council building to Level 23.
After upgrading the Council, players can then upgrade the Training Grounds to level 23, which will allow for training Survivors and Heroes to Level 24.
An upgrade to the Scavenger Building, which requires Council 23, will increase the chances of finding higher rarity Components in Mission Crates. Players with the upgraded Scavenger will also no longer find Common Components in the Components Shop.
The Workshop can be upgraded after the Council, and will then allow for the upgrading of Weapons and Armor of base level 24 to a maximum Level of 27.
- To help players get started in their collection of new gear, players at Council level 22 have a chance to find Level 24 Weapons and Armor in Challenge Crates and in Trade Goods Shop - Gear Crates. This Equipment is also available from the Bundle Shop.
- In conjunction with the ongoing Carol's Week upgrade event, all Council 22 players who earn a free Kingdom Spear through this event will receive that spear at level 24.
In the past months, several "Ultimate Challenge" events were held, which altered the starting difficulty and rate of advancing through the Challenge. The feedback to these has been so positive that the most common player request on the matter is asking for this new format to be made permanent. We're happy to announce that this is precisely the case!
- Starting Difficulty is based on the level of your three highest Survivors, but a little higher than previously.
- Round Passes are awarded for every fifth Round advance.
- Players will be able to complete Rounds at whatever pace they like, and will not be delayed by a timer after completing several rounds in a short time.
- Rewards for personal and Guild star totals have been adjusted to help players earn rewards at a good pace even as Difficulty increases.
- Since fewer Rounds are needed to complete each Difficulty, it is expected that week-to-week star counts will be affected. However, now every additional mission represents a larger portion of your total score, so players who attempt the hardest missions will really stand out on the leaderboards.
Players that have been playing No Man's Land for 20 levels or more are able to build up a great collection of equipment for their Survivors. As the game progresses, the relative value of Rare Weapons and Equipment decreases, since players unlock more ways to earn and obtain Epic and Legendary gear. For this reason, we are adjusting the contents of Gold Crates for high level players and high-difficulty missions.
- Gold Mission Crates after missions of Difficulty 20 or greater will have a smaller chance to contain Weapons or armor, and all Equipment found in these crates will be Epic or Legendary.
- Weapons and Armor found in Deluxe Challenge Crates and Gold Rewards Crates purchased from the Trade Goods shop will be either Epic or Legendary for players of Council level 20 or greater.
In general, players will find Epic and Legendary gear about as often as they did before, and the Rare Weapon and Armor rewards will be changed to XP in most cases, or Supplies for Supplies Scavenge missions.
Fixed one typo regarding the Challenge starting level.
"- Players with three survivors at Level 20 will start at Difficulty 16" was changed to "- Players with three survivors at Level 20 will start at Difficulty 15".


text:
Climate and Climatology
Inventions and Innovations
Pseudo-Science
The Discovery of Insulin
For many years scientists believed that some kind of internal secretion of the pancreas was the key to preventing diabetes and controlling normal metabolism. No one could find it, until in the summer of 1921 a team at the University of Toronto began trying a new experimental approach suggested by Dr. Frederick Banting.
Pipelines in Canada
Pipelines are systems of connected pipes used to transport liquids and gases — namely oil and natural gas — across long distances from source to market. More than 840,000 km of pipelines criss-cross the country. They represent part of the oil and gas sector which directly and indirectly employs approximately 740,000 people. According to Natural Resources Canada, the sector earns the government an average of $20 billion in royalties, fees and taxes each year (see Natural Resources in Canada). It also contributes nearly 11 per cent of Canada's gross domestic product.
Pipelines, however, have been controversial in Canada. Pipelines help transport fossil fuels and research indicates that fossil fuel use, is significantly contributing to climate change. In recent years, Indigenous groups, environmentalists, municipalities and labour unions have opposed numerous pipeline projects due to the risk of contaminated local waterways from spills and leaks. (See also Environmental Movement in Canada).
Montreal Metro
The Montreal metro opened on 14 October 1966. The second Canadian subway system after Toronto's, which opened in 1954, the Montreal metro was the first subway in North America to run on rubber tires instead of metal wheels. Extensions to the Montreal metro were built on Montreal Island over the two decades after it opened, and then to the city of Laval, on the island of Île Jésus, during the 2000s. The system runs entirely underground, and each station has a distinct architecture and design. The Montreal metro consists of four lines running a total of 71 km and serving 68 stations. In 2018, its passengers made more than 383 million trips.
Few inventions have left as profound a mark on the world as the automobile. The first automobiles built in Canada were regarded as novelties, but the Canadian automotive industry	eventually expanded to become one of the country's significant manufacturing and exporting sectors. Assembly-line production helped reduce the cost of automobiles and made it possible for more individuals to purchase them. The rise of the automobile has impacted travel and it has necessitated research and regulations into pollution, safety standards and sustainability (see Transportation; Traffic Law in Canada).
Agriculture in Canada
Agriculture is the practice of growing crops and rearing animals mainly for food. Farmers also produce other items such as wool from sheep and CBD oil from hemp plants.
In Canada, agriculture is an important industry. Only about 7 per cent of Canada's land can be farmed. Other marginal (poorer) land can be used to ranch cattle. Aquaculture	operations are found on the East and West Coasts and in the Great Lakes. Some crops such as tomatoes, cannabis and flowers are grown in greenhouses in urban centres. Canadian agriculture faces many challenges. Some of these challenges concern crop protection, soil conservation, labour, climate change and health.
Click here for definitions of key terms used in this article.
Archaeological Survey of Canada
The Archaeological Survey of Canada (ASC) was established in 1971. It is the division of the Canadian Museum of History that deals with the archaeological heritage of Canada. The major goals of the ASC are to preserve archaeological sites, research into the history of Canadian Indigenous peoples and present the results of archaeological research to the public, through publications and exhibitions. The ASC's Mercury Series of monographs is one of the main outlets for the reporting of archaeological research in the country. Its exhibitions, both in the Canadian Museum of History and smaller ones that travel across the country, enhance public understanding of the traditions of the Indigenous peoples of Canada. (See also Archaeology.)
Pandemics in Canada
A pandemic is an outbreak of an infectious disease that affects a large proportion of the population in multiple countries or worldwide. Human populations have been affected by pandemics since ancient times. These include widespread outbreaks of plague, cholera, influenza and, more recently, HIV/AIDS, SARS and COVID-19. In order to slow or stop the spread of disease, governments implement public health	measures that include testing, isolation and quarantine. In Canada, public health agencies at the federal, provincial and municipal levels play an important role in monitoring disease, advising governments and communicating to the public.
Physics is the study of matter and radiation, the space-time continuum that contains them, and the forces to which they are subject.
Five Digital Technologies and their Challenges
In the span of several decades, digital technologies have changed how Canadians work, communicate, consume products and access information. Although technologies like self-driving cars and the Internet of Things may seem advanced, many such tools are still in their early stages. With the growth of the digital economy, digital technologies will continue to present opportunities and challenges. Here's a look at five of these technologies and some of the risks that come with them.
Canada and the Development of the Polio Vaccine
During the first half of the 20th century, poliomyelitis, a.k.a. polio or "The Crippler," hit Canada harder than anywhere else. Successive polio epidemics peaked in a national crisis in 1953. By that time, however, scientists at Connaught Medical Research Laboratories of the University of Toronto had made key discoveries that enabled American medical researcher and virologist Jonas Salk to prepare the first polio vaccine. Connaught Labs also solved the problem of producing the vaccine on a large scale. Canada went on to play an important role in the development of the oral polio vaccine and international efforts to eradicate the disease.
Spectroscopy is the field of study that examines, measures and interprets the electromagnetic spectra produced when radiant energy is emitted or absorbed by a substance. Spectroscopic methods are important in performing chemical analyses of substances and are used in astronomical studies.
Internet in Canada
The Internet is a global network of computers that communicate with each other. This exchange happens through a set of rules called protocols. Since Internet use became widespread in the 1990s, the system has affected most aspects of life. It has had both productive and destructive effects. The Internet has changed the way Canadians learn and work, buy products and services, communicate and consume entertainment. Most people think of the Internet as the World Wide Web. However, it takes a number of different forms, including networked physical objects called the Internet of Things.
Birth Control in Canada
Birth control means the deliberate prevention of conception and pregnancy. The birth control methods used in Canada range from the simplest (like abstinence) to the most complex (like male or female surgical sterilization). (See also History of Birth Control in Canada.)
Viagra Craze
This article was originally published in Maclean's Magazine on May 4, 1998. Partner content is not updated.
In December, 1994, Lorne had just turned 40 and life was good. Married, he had two young children, a house near Vancouver and a job he enjoyed. Then disaster struck: as he changed a tire on his car beside a roadway, another automobile hit him.
Bomarc Missile Crisis
The CIM-10B Bomarc was the world's first long-range, nuclear capable, ground-to-air anti-aircraft missile. Two squadrons of the missile were purchased and deployed by the Canadian government	in 1958. This was part of Canada's role during the Cold War to defend North America against an attack from the Soviet Union. Prime Minister	John Diefenbaker's refusal to equip the missiles with nuclear warheads led to a souring of Canada's relationship with the United States, especially once the Cuban Missile Crisis	brought the issue to the fore. The issue split Diefenbaker's Cabinet and contributed to his party losing the 1963 election.
Nobel Prizes and Canada
The Nobel Prizes are awarded annually for achievements that have significantly benefitted humankind. The prizes are among the highest international honours and are awarded in six categories: physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, peace, and economics. They are administered by the Nobel Foundation and awarded by institutions in Sweden and Norway. Eighteen Canadians have won Nobel Prizes, excluding Canadian-born individuals who gave up their citizenship and members of organizations that have won the peace prize.
SARS in Canada
Canada experienced an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003. Most of the infections originated in Toronto hospitals. The outbreak led to the quarantine of thousands, killed 44 people and took an economic toll on Toronto. It also exposed the country's ill-prepared health-care system. Confusion around SARS fuelled an uptick in anti-Asian	and anti-immigrant sentiment.
The 1885 Montreal Smallpox Epidemic
In 1885, smallpox gripped the city of Montreal.
The AES-90 word processor was an innovation released by the Montreal-based technology company Automatic Electronic Systems Inc. in 1972. The new machine was a pioneer within its generation that not only revolutionized office automation, but also set the trend for the design of word processors around the world.
Assisted Suicide in Canada
Assisted suicide is the intentional termination of one's life, assisted by someone who provides the means or knowledge, or both. (See also Suicide.) Between 1892 and 2016, assisted suicide was illegal in Canada under section 241(b) of the Criminal Code. In 2015, after decades of various legal challenges, the Supreme Court of Canada decided unanimously to allow physician-assisted suicide. In June 2016, the federal government passed the Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) Act, which established the eligibility criteria and procedural safeguards for medically assisted suicide. In March 2021, new legislation was passed that expanded eligibility for MAID.
This article contains sensitive material that may not be suitable for all audiences.


When a system fails the very people it is meant to govern, it becomes imperative that it be replaced by a structure which works and protects society. History is strewn with examples of uprisings, rebellions, and revolts – a direct consequence of the discontentment and displeasure of the populace over systematic administrative and social failures. The inability of a government or any system of administration to recognize and respect the fact that it exists simply to protect and serve its people, combined with methodical abuse of the exclusivity of power, will lead the masses to rebel and repel the established order. It is in this context, that I believe the Jan Lokpal movement has opened a new chapter in India's history. I do not know if the Bill will become a reality or how effective it will prove against corruption, but this movement has issued a stern warning to the political clique, one that gently reminds them of the neglect and disdain with which those in the corridors of power in New Delhi have administered this nation.


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Boarlander Cursed Bear by T. S. Joyce
Shifter Connected | Shifter Series
Boarlander Bears #5, Boarlander Cursed Bear, Paranormal Romance, Shifter Romance, T. S. Joyce
Clinton Fuller has been burned by love, but that doesn't stop him from thinking of his first mate and what could've been. And when she blows into town, with no memory of him or what happened to her, he does his best to stop history from repeating itself. He's harboring a curse—his bear—and he isn't right for anyone anymore, especially not some fragile human with a bright future and a legitimate shot at happiness. He can't drag her through the mud with him again, but Alyssa isn't taking no for an answer. And now, his dominant, broken animal is putting her in more danger than she's ever been. He can't get her out of his head, and now he'll have to convince her to run if she wants to survive what broke them apart all those years ago.
Alyssa Dunleavy is having dreams of a boy who saved her once, but when she lays eyes on Clinton, nothing makes sense anymore. Half of her life has been erased from her memories, and now the stories surrounding her accident are clashing with what she sees. But as she gets to know the standoffish Crazy Clinton of the Boarlanders, it becomes obvious he isn't the sweet boy from her dreams at all, but a half-crazed monster grizzly shifter who is working through some major life changes. Even though he makes it clear she should stay far away from him for safety's sake, she can't help but be drawn to his animal magnetism. And now she's falling head-over-heels for a stranger keeping a mountain of secrets…or maybe he's no stranger at all.
Sexy shifters and their feisty mates who aren't shy about loving each other – so, this is an adult, 18+ reader tale.
Titles in the Boarlander Bears series include: Boarlander Boss Bear – Boarlander Bash Bear – Boarlander Silverback – Boarlander Beast Boar – Boarlander Cursed Bear
This series is part of the overarching set of series that make up Damon's Mountains. All the series and titles can be found on my T.S. Joyce author page.
Title: Boarlander Cursed Bear
Series: Boarlander Bears #5
Author: T. S. Joyce
My Rating: 5 stars
I think it's safe to say that anyone who has read the connecting series that make up the Damon's Mountains series has run into Clinton before. One angry, destructive young man with attitude, sass, arrogance and the need to hurt not only others but himself as well. The Boarlander crew is Clinton's last chance before his alpha will be forced to put him down. He's now that out of control that it's only a matter of when no longer if Harrison must make that awful decision. Then the one woman who could save him appears… with no memory of their shared past.
Boarlander Cursed Bear delivered a heart touching story to make us care about one tortured man, a man who could be the absolute most nasty piece of crap attitude on the planet. Yet he had a reason, and now we know why Clinton is as he has become. I always knew there had to be more to Clinton than what we saw on the surface. But I wasn't really prepared for why he became so out of control. No spoilers, simply a very amazing bear finally being reunited with the love of his life, his mate. I couldn't have imagined a better ending for Clinton than his Alyssa.
(And since I'm so very late on this final review I needed to catch up on from my binge reading of the entire series back to back – I've met his son, and know that Clinton is still the fun loving, prank pulling man I came to love in this story. And the apple does't fall far from the tree… so keep on reading the connecting stories, they are all amazing.)
It's always bittersweet when a series concludes. And I've loved every single story in these connecting stories, met some pretty amazing characters. But it's not really over, there is so much more to experience and discover… and I'm loving the journey. I'd highly recommend Boarlander Cursed Bear and all the stories in these connecting stories set in Damon's Mountains.
I read this title through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
Citrine by Terry Bolryder
Mate of Her Heart by R. E. Butler


If you're new to commissioning research, you may find yourself wondering "what comes next?" after all the RFPs have been sent, a research partner has been chosen, and surveys have been fielded. Typically, your research provider will give you the deliverables outlined in their proposal – usually a report. Sometimes, the deliverable will also include computer tables (frequently called "tabs") of the processed/compiled data. If you want to be very hands-on with the data, you may also receive data files in excel or SPSS so that you can manipulate the data yourself.
No matter what sort of deliverable you're receiving, there are three key things our experts look for to make sure your supplier has checked over the data and provide reassurance that you've been presented with correct, high quality data.
We always look at the demographic profile of your survey respondents. Does that profile match the demographics of the intended sample target? If it doesn't quite match up, we may need to weight your data to bring it in line with your sample target. Weighting the data will lessen the impact of the results from any group you have too many of and heighten the impact of results from groups you have too few of. Too much weight on any specific segment, however, will lead to skewed results, where one (or a few) respondent(s) impacts the results far more than any one person should. "Too much" depends on the study, and our research experts are adept at ensuring the weightings are correct based on your needs.
Many times, it's important to have multiple cells (distinct groups) in a test, which allows you to test multiple concepts. Is each cell properly balanced? When testing two concepts you'll want to make sure the demographic profile in each cell matches, so that differences in the responses aren't due to unbalanced samples. These differences may be hidden if you only look at the total sample demographics. For example, let's say you want a 50/50 split on gender for the total test. If Cell A has a 60/40 males/females split and Cell B as a 40/60 males/females split, the total will show a 50/50 split. While the total sample is the 50/50 split you're looking for, the two cells are very different, which could impact your results. This could throw off your data interpretation when comparing the two concepts to one another. In both cells, you need the same 50/50 split to ensure that differences in ratings of the two concepts relate to the concepts, and aren't driven by demographic differences in the cells' samples.
Speaking of sample, make sure that your sub groups' sample sizes all add back to the total sample size? Do this by ensuring the sample sizes in the final report match the tabs. (For example, do the number of male respondents plus the number of female respondents equal the total sample size? If they don't, ask your provider why not). There may be valid reasons why the sample sizes don't match. For example, was the question asked a "skip" type question, where not every respondent was asked, or it was a non-mandatory response question? The important thing to confirm is that everyone who should have been asked the question got asked. If you find that a specific questions' sample size is higher than the total sample size it may be double counted. If the sample for that question is smaller, hopefully it's ok, but confirm that there wasn't a programming error.
For a question with several attributes to be rated on a scale (i.e. rate X on a scale of 1-5), check for patterns in how respondents answer. For example, be sure they're not simply entering the same response for every answer (like all 5s), or that there isn't an obvious pattern to their answers. Common patterns are the classic "Christmas tree" (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) and straight-lining (1,1,1,1,1,1). These are likely indications that the respondent has not truly read the question and answered thoughtfully. You may want to throw out suspect responses like that.
If your survey is approximately 15 minutes long, and a respondent finishes it in 3 minutes, odds are good that they didn't actually read the questions and just sped through it. While there will be some variation in terms of how long it takes respondents to take a survey, there is a point where the time spent is too short to get thoughtful responses. In a scenario like our example above, we would likely discard the respondent's entire survey.
When the data are processed, simply confirm a score of 5 (and not a 1) was given to the "Definitely will purchase" responses, a 4 (and not a 2) to the "Probably will purchase" responses, etc. This may seem obvious, but it can and does get mixed up on occasion. A strong hint that this has happened is if the results for a question just don't seem right to you. Trust your gut and check with your supplier.
If you have a question with a list of attributes or have several concepts to be evaluated in your survey, these lists should probably be rotated or randomized so they are being shown in a different order for different respondents (more on this in an upcoming blog about survey writing). Like the scale-inversion example above, you need to be certain that each attribute or concept is getting the correct data from individual respondents attributed to it when all the data is compiled.
So there you have it. While this list is by no means comprehensive, it's a good starting point for what to examine when it comes to the data you collect in your surveys. Being able to double check your data will help you to feel confident that not only are you receiving quality data but that you picked an excellent data provider. Are you curious about other ways to quality-check your data? Reach out to our Custom Research team any time, we'll be glad to talk with you one on one.


We take the time to find out about each and every person that we photograph well before we photograph them. That way we can be sure to capture what it is that makes them truly unique. In fact I learnt that this little girl Sophie is kind and compassionate and just loves to smother her little brother with love.
Hamish is a sweet busy boy who loves to run, discover and explore. We played in the crunchy autumn leaves and he laughed so much throwing them up in the air. Our sessions are about so much more than taking photographs. They're about taking pause from our busy lives to really focus on what it is that we love about those closest to us.
This little teddy bear came to visit me.
It's easy to see why. What a beautiful little miracle.
Thank you so much for choosing me to capture this amazing time in your lives.
Stevie is Rory's fur baby brother and wasn't at the shoot but is represented with much love here in this photograph.


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Egypt Pyramids
Pyramid of lahun | Egypt Pyramids
Illahun is the name of a modern village located near the opening of the Hawara Channel from the Nile Valley into the Fayum basin. This is the location that Sesostris II chose for his funerary monument, a choice that stresses the growing importance of the Fayum oasis during the early 12th Dynasty.
Who built it?
This pyramid was built by Sesostris II
Why was it built?
This pyramid was built as the ancient Egyptians believe in resurrection.Sesostris II was buried in this pyramid according to the ancient Egyptian concept of life after death.
Sesostris II continued the innovative way of building his pyramid started by his predecessors. This is not only clear in the building technique that was used, but also in the ground plan of the pyramid and its surrounding complex, which deviates drastically from the 5th Dynasty and 6th Dynasty stereotype.
The pyramid was built around a core of yellow limestone, around which radial and cross walls were built. This formed a framework of relatively small compartments that were filled with mud bricks.
The inner structure of the pyramid is completely different from any of the predecessors' pyramids. Contrary to older pyramids, this monument's entrance is not located in the north, but at the bottom of a narrow shaft located near its southeast corner. The entrance shaft was too narrow for the sarcophagus, so a second wider shaft was dug into the ground at some distance to the south. This second shaft was then hidden beneath a sloping passage to the tomb of an unidentified princess.
The entrance shaft opens into a horizontal corridor which runs north to a hall with a vaulted ceiling. In the east of this hall, there is a well dug into the floor. It is not known how deep this well runs, but it is likely that it reached groundwater level. This would have allowed the pit to be filled with some groundwater, which the Ancient Egyptians considered to be the primeval water out of which creation had come into being. By allowing some of this primeval water into the pyramid, the king himself would be able to spring into being as well. This feature has also been found in some tombs of the Valley of the Kings in Thebes , dated some 300 or 400 years after Sesostris II.
That this well was not a way to trick potential tomb robbers is clear from the fact that the corridor that leads to the burial chamber continues, sloping up at a slight angle, along the west of the vaulted hall. Underneath the pyramid, a first chamber opens to the west of this corridor, while the corridor continues towards an antechamber which opens at a right angle to the west.
The burial chamber continues along the axis of the antechamber. Clad entirely in granite and with a garbled roof, it measures 5 by 3 metres and is 3 metres high. The red granite sarcophagus was placed at the far end of the burial chamber.
A small chamber opens to the south of the burial chamber. It is here that the only remains of the burial were found: a golden uraeus that once adorned the king's head and some leg bones, perhaps the king's.
A passage in the north wall loops around the burial chamber and enters the antechamber in the south. This unique feature is thought to symbolise the king's departure to the north and his re-emergance in the pyramid to the east of the burial chamber. It is also possible that it was created to symbolically make an island out of the burial chamber, which is an important aspect in the cult of Osiris, the god of the dead and of resurrection.
The pyramid complex
The inner enclosure wall was made of limestone and was decorated with niches in a way that is strongly reminiscent of the enclosure wall of Netjerikhet's complex. An outer enclosure wall was made out of mudbrick. Rows of trees were planted parallel to it, probably also a reference to the cult of Osiris.
Against the north wall within the outer enclosure, there were eigth mastabas, intended as tombs for some princesses. In the north eastern corner, there is a small pyramid. The entrance to this 18 metres high pyramid has never been found. It has been suggested that it was either a Queen's pyramid or a satellite pyramid and it is possible that it only served a symbolic purpose.
The causeway leading to this complex has never been investigated. The Valley Temple is now completely destroyed.
Pyramids & The Nile by Air
How Pyramids were built? | Egypt Pyramids
Pyramid of Teti | Egypt Pyramids
Abu Sir | Egyptian Necropolis & Pyramids
Pyramid of Sahure | Egypt Pyramids
Pyramid of Neferhetepes | Egypt Pyramids
Khaba Pyramid- the Layer Pyramid
Pyramid Complex of Pepi I
Pyramid of Userkaf | Egypt Pyramids
King Snefru's Pyramid | Egypt
Pyramid of Sekhemkhet
Pyramid of Netjerkhet | Egypt Pyramids
Pyramid of Muzghuna
Old Kingdom Pyramids | Ancient Egypt
Pyramid of Sesostris III
Djedefre Pyramid | Abu Rawash
Raneferef Pyramid (Neferefre) | Egypt Pyramids
Pyramid of Meidum
Pyramid of Amenemhat III


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// Copyright Aleksey Gurtovoy 2000-2004
//
// Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0.
// (See accompanying file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at
// http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
//
// See http://www.boost.org/libs/mpl for documentation.

// $Id$
// $Date$
// $Revision$

#include <boost/mpl/quote.hpp>
#include <boost/type_traits/is_same.hpp>
#include <boost/mpl/aux_/test.hpp>

template< typename T > struct f1
{
    typedef T type;
};

template<
      typename T1, typename T2, typename T3, typename T4, typename T5
    >
struct f5
{
#if !defined(BOOST_MPL_CFG_NO_IMPLICIT_METAFUNCTIONS)
    // no 'type' member!
#else
    typedef f5 type;
#endif
};

MPL_TEST_CASE()
{
    typedef quote1<f1>::apply<int>::type t1;
    typedef quote5<f5>::apply<char,short,int,long,float>::type t5;

    MPL_ASSERT(( boost::is_same< t1, int > ));
    MPL_ASSERT(( boost::is_same< t5, f5<char,short,int,long,float> > ));
}


I have noticed that a lot of the gold finger cards I have acquired have a plastic fan, a heat sink, and or cables attached to them. I'm not sure if I should remove them or not. I'm afraid the value and the category will change to a mid to low grade board. Would you help me with this?
Thanks for taking the time to advise me on this.
You can pull the heatsinks off it will stay as gfc. You can sell them locally at scrapyard. It makes more sense to take it off as you will able to fit more in a box if you are shipping. You would want to be shipping GFC rate rather than aluminum rate.
I like seeing those old ati or nvidia cards. No longer ati - its AMD now.
If you have the means, testing the ATI or NVIDIA cards and selling them on ebay may be more profitable. I've done it before. I sold a working 8800gt and even a broken 8800gt.


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[ARCHIVED] Uptown Village becoming Hillside Village, adding new stores
Trademark Property Co., the operating partner for Uptown Village at Cedar Hill, has announced a new name for the 610,000-square-foot shopping center: Hillside Village. The new name and corresponding new brand were selected to attract a broader trade area, and to pay homage to the community in which it lies.
"Trademark invested in the shopping center because we saw enormous potential. We made a commitment to the great community of Cedar Hill to evolve their beloved town center into a more inviting environment to shop, dine, work and gather. The name Hillside Village more accurately portrays our vision for the shopping center, and the refreshed brand and logo echo that sentiment," said Terry Montesi, CEO of Trademark Property Co. "We have substantial experience evolving shopping environments to exceed shopper's expectations. We focus on keeping our core customers happy, while attracting new shoppers and tenants. That's what we're doing with Hillside Village."
Planned improvements to Hillside Village include, enhanced entrances, public spaces and vehicular access, upgraded landscaping, façade improvements, a new children's play area, new amenities for adults and children, and new signage throughout the property.
After acquiring an interest in the shopping center in the summer of 2014, Trademark conducted extensive research with Alexander Babbage, one of the top research firms in the U.S., to gather key information about the center's shoppers including demographics, trade area and most importantly, what customers wanted at the property including stores, amenities, safety and more. Following the research and information gathering, Trademark conducted an onsite design charrette last fall with numerous architects, place makers, the City of Cedar Hill and the onsite management team to collaborate and formulate a strategic plan and direction for the property. Trademark plans to evolve the property and give the community a best-in-class shop, dine, work and play experience.
"Our planned improvements to the shopping center are driving significant leasing interest. We recently announced H&M is coming to Hillside Village, and we're in negotiations with several local and national retailers as potential tenants," said Maranda Auzenne, general manager, Hillside Village. "Trademark is known for revitalizing shopping centers and enhancing the community with a better experience. I know our core customers will be thrilled with the improvements, and we'll attract new shoppers who will want to stay and enjoy all the amenities Hillside Village will have to offer."
Hillside Village currently includes 350,000 square feet of specialty stores and restaurants, anchor retailers are Barnes & Noble, Dillard's and Dick's Sporting Goods, and 31,000 square feet of office space. The popular center has more than 65 tenants including Charming Charlie, Chico's, H&M (opening fall 2015), Hollister, James Avery, Old Navy, Papaya, The Children's Place and Victoria's Secret.
To learn more about the improvements as they are announced, please visit Hillside Village's website at is www.shophillsidevillage.com or interact with the shopping center on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #HVSomethingNew.
Hillside Village website...


I am developing a webapp that needs a payment gateway, can I use Authorize.net in Spain with an Spanish bank account? What about the UK?
Currently Authorize.Net doesn't have a solutions for merchants in Spain or the UK but we are working on our International expansion and should have a UK solution in the near future.
Hi. Any news on this subject? What is the actual status of authorize.net expansion plans to Europe?


text:
Sixers Bell Ringer: Game 7
After a sloppy first half, the Sixers blew things open to move back over .500 on the season.
By Sean Kennedy@PhillyFastBreak Oct 29, 2018, 9:29pm EDT
Share All sharing options for: Sixers Bell Ringer: Game 7
For a refresher on what constitutes a Bell Ringer, please reference the initial post.
Bell Ringer Season Standings: Joel Embiid - 2; JJ Redick - 2; Ben Simmons - 1; Robert Covington - 1.
The Sixers outscored Atlanta 31-13 in the third quarter, turning a close game into a much-needed blowout to start a five-game week. Here are your Bell Ringer candidates:
Ben Simmons: 21 points, 12 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 block
The Sixers point guard was the catalyst of Philadelphia's third quarter surge, personally scoring 15 points in the period, his highest career total for any quarter. Simmons relentlessly attacked the rim, and made the right decisions as to whether to finish himself or find a teammate for an open look. Most surprisingly/encouraging, he also knocked down all five of his free throw attempts.
.@BenSimmons25 is droppin' dimes. #HereTheyCome pic.twitter.com/yObiaKdMCm
Joel Embiid: 10 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks
It was a quiet offensive night for the big man, as Embiid's 9 shot attempts were easily his fewest of the season. However, the 6 assists were evidence of solid decision-making on Embiid's part with the eyes of so many Hawks defenders focused on the Sixers star. His ability to play away from the basket allowed the high-low game between he and Ben Simmons to flourish, propelling the game's pivotal third quarter stretch. I also can't imagine another 7-footer guarding Trae Young like this:
Joel Embiid putting the clamps on Trae Young: pic.twitter.com/e9mWobnW7O
— Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) October 29, 2018
JJ Redick: 14 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
Love that spacing. People will be quick to point out the "coincidence" behind the Sixers' third quarter run coinciding with Redick starting the half as part of last year's starting five. So often, the Sixers rely on Redick dribble-handoffs for any semblance. It wasn't the shooting guard's most efficient night, but he still knocked down plenty of triples (4-11 3PT), and did a good job on the glass, finding others, and competing defensively.
Markelle Fultz: 16 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists
Fultz killed the Sixers' spacing (and correspondingly, their offense) in the first half, but there were still encouraging signs Monday night from the second-year guard. He hit one three from the wing with his defender giving room and the entire arena imploring him to hoist it, and he had a huge dunk over a rotating DeAndre' Bembry. The 7-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio is also a nice foundation moving forward.
GET OUT OF FULTZ'S WAY pic.twitter.com/Mh60vcSqkR
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 30, 2018
Mike Muscala: 14 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block
Moose reached double digits for the first time as a Sixer, brilliantly fulfilling his role as a spot-up threat and going 4-6 from downtown. I'm sure the former Hawk will have a huge smile on his way home tonight.
Game 7 Bell Ringer. Who you got?
JJ Redick
Mike Muscala
1384 votes total Vote Now


Amidst the flood of 2011, Gor (Pong Nawat) owner of a restaurant, found himself doing the unthinkable: going back to ask his father for help. To him that was a form of failure and it was something he had promised he would never do. Gor did not see eye to eye with the old man, who was the type to remind him that he was never going to amount to anything without his help.
So putting his pride aside, Gor goes back to Rayong to beg for financial assistance. However, his father had other plans for him. The older man goes missing after a walk on the beach and left his son a note to open the safe if he needed money. Unfortunately he did not leave the combination. It turns out that his father decided that the only way his son was going to earn any of his inheritance, is if he would marry his nurse Woon (Vii Vanarot), a girl whom he helped put through nursing school and believed to be the ideal daughter. His father is the traditional type lipped man who loved his son, but was too proud to show it. Woon therefore believed Gor an ungrateful son who left his father to fend for himself even with a weakening health condition.
And essentially this first love story is wrapped around what Gor decides to do in order to keep his inheritance and the information he discovers; how he keeps his head above water (literally) when it comes to his debtors; and with a little bit of added drama in the form of sweetheart conflicts, you have a plot for this story. The most interesting aspect of this lakorn though, is the chemistry between Pong and Vii. I found Pong's new haircut attractive and combined with his acting (the arrogant, alpha male type), it just reminded me why he's so hot, haha. Together, the two made quite a pair and I found myself looking forward to the development of their love story.
So NKHRP fans, have you seen this lakorn yet? What think you? I found it quite underrated, completely under hyped but totally enjoyable and moved at a relatively fast pace =) yet for some reason, not on the scale of my current fascination with MLP. But for a Ch.5's lakorn, my dear friends, not bad. Not bad at all..
it sounds interesting, I just wonder if anyone subs the lakorn, Fia?
Is Pong a free agent, able to choose to work with any channels? I'm sad no one is subbing MLP up till now but at least Num's Chinese fans will take up his lakorn with Vicky so at least I am assured of 1 out of 2 Vicky lakorns that I was looking forward to!
No he's not a free agent, he's signed with Xact and they normally go through ch.5 but sometimes other production requests Pong and if Xact is ok with it, he can transition. So far I've only seen him on ch 7 and 5 (maybe 9 but can't remember.) Good to hear that at least one of Vicky's lakorn will be chi subbed. Hopefully someone will eng sub MLP soon! Otherwise I may just take it on later, once I get more memory..
Happy Chinese new year by the way!!! Eat your heart out my friend!


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Plan for new coastal 'smart city' in South Africa: report
by Ryan Marx October 8, 2021
BG News
The ANC is dealing with prepare for a brand-new South African wise city in between Port St Johns and Margate on the nation's Wild Coast, the Sunday Times reports.
National Executive Committee (NEC) member and minister of cooperative governance and standard affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma provided the strategy at the ANC's NEC lekgotla previously this month.
Dlamini-Zuma stated the seaside city would help in reducing joblessness in the location, promote tourist and aid reverse a few of the semigration from the location, which had actually seen more individuals delegate the nation's bigger cities.
The minister stated that the brand-new city would likewise resolve apartheid spatial preparation, which a lot of the nation's significant cities established along racial lines.
The ANC's strategies follow comparable remarks by the nationwide federal government, particularly by Department of Public Works and Infrastructure minister Patricia de Lille who stated that work is presently underway to establish a brand-new city someplace in South Africa.
Responding to oral concerns in parliament at the start of September, de Lille stated that the brand-new city would be the very first of its kind in South Africa given that the democratic elections in 1994.
This job is still in the early preparation phases, and numerous research studies will require to be finished prior to building and construction starts. No particular place for the city has actually been revealed.
" The structure is being established through an extensive research study and consultative procedure, which will then culminate in a tactical and action prepare for a brand-new democratic city in South Africa," she stated.
" So far, we have actually established the core task group and a recommendation group, and we have actually established the regards to recommendation for the task. We will even more establish a stakeholder, interactions and research study system that will take a look at global finest practices."
This system will take a look at other nations and the designs utilized to construct brand-new cities and towns, with regional and worldwide scholars tapped to look into the job.
Lanseria wise city
This task is different from the brand-new'clever city'being established near the Lanseria airport in Gauteng. De Lille stated this clever city is being directed by the Gauteng provincial federal government and surrounding towns.
The Lanseria clever city advancement intends to develop the very first post-apartheid city in South Africa based upon 'finest practice' in metropolitan sustainability and the wise city's concepts.
"It is to be inclusive of the broadly specified South African socio-economic spectrum and should promote a dynamic, combined metropolitan economy," the master strategy states.
The city will be developed surrounding the Lanseria International Airport, north of Johannesburg, in a job anticipated to take around 25 years to finish.
Being in the centre of the advancement, the airport will be the primary financial chauffeur for the city's development. Strong property development in the surrounding locations is anticipated, supported by enhancements to existing roadways in the location.
Mooikloof
Officially introduced by president Ramaphosa in October 2020, the Mooikloof Mega-City advancement is set to be integrated in the east of Pretoria.
The advancement has an overall job worth of over R84 billion and is among the 62 Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs) gazetted at the end of July 2020.
"The very first stage of the job is property advancements, and some 50,000 sectional title systems are prepared," the president stated at the time.
"Once finished, the Mooikloof Mega-City might wind up ending up being the world's biggest sectional residential or commercial property advancement, with land likewise allocated for schools, stores and workplaces," he stated.
The mega-city is a public/private partnership with designers Balwin Properties.
Balwin stated it prepares to construct a preliminary 16,000 apartment or condos at a present worth of roughly R9.6 billion in stages over the next couple of years in what it refers to as among the world's biggest sectional title advancements.
The group stated that this might be reached approximately 50,000 houses with an overall advancement worth of around R44 billion in today's terms. Home rates will vary from R499,000 to R799,000.
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Radar systems must perform massive signal analysis to convert information, collected by the antennas, into some form accessible by the user, be it an air traffic controller, weather monitoring or an embedded computer autonomously controlling a larger system (cars, robots, drones). Current state-of-the art radars perform this analysis by exploiting the capabilities of modern digital processors. The microwave signal is digitized and fed to one, many, or a combination of field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), graphic processor units (GPUs), or general purpose processors (GPPs) where it will be filtered, down-converted, weighted, delayed, combined, and passed through many other algorithms to obtain the desired information with the required accuracy. Those digitally processing radars are dubbed Software Defined Radars, by analogy to the Software Defined Radios that are now being commonly used in the military and commercial sectors.
The mere fact that the signal processing is now performed in the digital domain provides a huge advantage over the older and more traditional all RF implementations. The processing algorithms can be modified faster and easier in software than in an all hardware implementation. Depending on the application scenario, transmit and receive signal processing functions can be adapted on demand to suit requirements. New functionalities can be added withou t the need to upgrade or replace hardware components. Maintenance cost can decrease as the system can be upgraded or fixed in-situ.
But this flexibility comes at a cost, trading hardware inflexibility by added software complexity. Code generation and debugging is increasingly complex due not only to the number of algorithms that must now be programmed but also due to the distributed and heterogeneous nature of the hardware processing platforms required for radar applications. Nowadays is not uncommon to find applications that make combined use of GPPs, DSPs and FPGAs (some even using GPUs) where the application software is partitioned, deployed and configured across such distributed heterogeneous processors.
Software integration thus becomes in some cases a major source of cost overrun. Not to count that often most of the software-related work will need to be redone from the beginning with every new generation of the product, as the hardware platform changes.
With the growth of the software size and complexity, traditional approach to software development is increasingly inefficient, leading to lower productivity and consequently higher cost.
An approach to improve on this has been developed and adopted by military organizations for their communications systems. Under the joint efforts of US DoD's Joint Tactical Networking Center (JTNC) (erstwhile JTRS) and the Wireless Innovation Forum (WInnF) (SDR Forum v2.0), a system design architecture framework has been developed promoting software portability and reuse, facilitating hardware upgrades and overall system scalability in an attempt to reduce development time and cost of new products. The software architecture, called Software Communications Architecture (SCA), has been adopted by the major Armed Forces around the world, and is now used by the major military radios manufacturers. The SCA promotes software portability and reuse to address software size and complexity growth in the Radar domain.


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Sovereign Immunity for State Plaintiffs in Antitrust Class Actions?
Categories: Class Actions, Settlements
Industries: Pharmaceutical
by Jeffrey Hughes and Melissa R. Ginsberg on February 8, 2018
The Third Circuit recently denied a petition for rehearing en banc a panel's earlier decision in the In re Flonase Antitrust Litigation. In that case, the panel decision addressed the degree to which class settlements can bind non-participating U.S. state class members. After vigorous briefing on the issue, the panel found that the state of Louisiana had not waived its sovereign immunity, and therefore could not be bound by a class settlement that enjoined class members from subsequently bringing separate suits. This is a case with potentially wide reaching implications, as it could impact the negotiation of settlements in class actions that include states as class members.
Case Background
The In re Flonase Antitrust Litigation began in 2008, when indirect purchasers of Flonase, a nasal spray intended to relieve allergy symptoms, sued SmithKline Beecham (d/b/a GlaxoSmithKline) ("GSK") for alleged violations of state antitrust laws in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Plaintiffs alleged that GSK improperly delayed the introduction of a generic competitor to Flonase by filing baseless citizen petitions prior to approval by the Food & Drug Administration. Plaintiffs further alleged that, as a result, they purchased Flonase, rather than a cheaper generic, while approval was improperly delayed.
In 2012, the class entered into a settlement agreement with GSK. The District Court certified a settlement class, granted preliminary approval of the class action settlement, and approved the form and manner of notice to class members that the parties had settled. Louisiana did not receive a copy of the settlement notice approved by the District Court, but did receive a separate notice that was issued pursuant to the Class Action Fairness Act ("CAFA"), which requires defendants to serve on "the appropriate State official of each State in which a class member resides . . . a notice of the proposed settlement." 28 U.S.C. § 1715(b). The District Court approved the settlement agreement in a Final Order and Judgment on June 19, 2013. The Final Order and Judgment enjoined class members from subsequently bringing claims related to allegations that were or could have been raised in that case.
Louisiana did not object to the class settlement before the District Court issued its order approving the settlement agreement. Nonetheless, in December 2014, Louisiana filed suit against GSK in Louisiana state court, making substantially the same allegations as the class action. GSK moved to enforce the Settlement Agreement against Louisiana in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Louisiana, in turn, moved to dismiss proceedings in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. The District Court granted Louisiana's motion to dismiss, and the Third Circuit affirmed.
The Third Circuit's Decision
The Third Circuit explained that two questions guided its decision:
First, does a motion for approval of a class action settlement qualify as a suit against a state for Eleventh Amendment purposes if the requested settlement agreement enjoins a state from suing in a state court? Second, if the Eleventh Amendment does cover this motion for settlement approval, may GSK avoid the Eleventh Amendment's prohibition by showing that Louisiana waived its sovereign immunity?
As for the first question, the Third Circuit found that the Eleventh Amendment applies to the case. The Eleventh Amendment provides that "[t]he Judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by Citizens of another State." (emphasis supplied). Although the plain text of the Eleventh Amendment applies only to actions brought "against" a state, the Third Circuit found that a motion to approve a class settlement qualifies as an action "against" a state because the motion "sought an equitable remedy against a State," namely, an injunction prohibiting the state from bringing claims released in the class settlement.
With respect to the second question, the Third Circuit found that Louisiana did not waive its sovereign immunity. Quoting College Savings Bank v. Florida Prepaid Postsecondary Education Expense Board, 527 U.S. 666, 670 (1999), the Third Circuit explained that a waiver occurs only where there is a "clear declaration by the State of its waiver." (emphasis in original.) The Third Circuit further explained that Louisiana "did not waive its sovereign immunity by receiving a CAFA notice and by failing to oppose the settlement based on that notice" because "a state cannot waive its immunity merely by receiving notice and failing to act."
Petition for Rehearing or en banc Review
GSK filed a petition seeking rehearing or en banc review of the panel's decision. In its petition, GSK argued that "the panel's decision exempts states from every class-action settlement to which they have not expressly consented and renders federal courts powerless to exercise their continuing jurisdiction over court-approved settlements," which would "place intolerable burdens on attempts to settle class-action litigation." Moreover, the entry of an injunction as part of the approval of a class-action settlement cannot be considered a suit against Louisiana, according to GSK, rendering the Eleventh Amendment inapplicable.
In addition, the Chamber of Commerce of the United States (the "Chamber of Commerce") filed an amicus curiae brief in support of panel rehearing or rehearing en banc. The Chamber of Commerce made its position crystal clear: "the panel's decision is wrong." It further explained that the "panel's decision would deal a major blow to class-action settlements" because class action defendants generally "seek and pay for global peace." Policy reasons aside, the Chamber of Commerce argued that the Third Circuit's decision is wrong because the Eleventh Amendment extends sovereign immunity only to suits "commenced or prosecuted against" a state, and "does not apply when the State is a plaintiff."
Nonetheless, the Third Circuit denied GSK's petition on February 7, 2018. We will continue to monitor any further developments in this case.
Jeffrey Hughes
Melissa R. Ginsberg


The mission of the King County Housing Authority is to provide quality affordable housing opportunities and build community through partnerships, encouraging self-sufficiency and protecting the dignity of people with limited resources while safeguarding the public trust.
Over the years, ARC Architects has provided services for a wide variety of projects for KCHA including a series of new youth and adult programmed community centers operated by KCHA and its nonprofit partners in the cities of Kent, Auburn, Bellevue and Federal Way, as well as exterior building envelope and weatherization upgrades to existing single and multi-family properties in Federal Way and Kent.
Working with each community steering committee and service providers such as Boys & Girls Club, we designed playful and durable spaces for the kids to gather and learn together.


Is not helping with Winter Wrap Up.
Following the news about the murder.
Is a murderer of ants.
Sacrfices his life stopping the murderer.
Is unaware that I will simply come back to life seconds later.
After coming back hell try to get a drink.
Non- alcoholic nor carbonated drinks.
Is a supermassive black hole, that is attracting so much mass, that the ionization and compression of it causes the release of so much energy that the halo around is one of the most luminous objects in the universe, producing more light than entire galaxies.
Is a kill of Kratos.


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Pharmacists Survey: Prescription Drug Costs Skewed by Fees on Pharmacies, Patients
by NCPA | Jun 28, 2016
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (June 28, 2016) Most independent community pharmacists consistently encounter misleading and confusing fees imposed by prescription drug middlemen that negatively impact both pharmacies and patients and distort medication costs and reimbursement rates, according to a recent survey of 640 pharmacists conducted by the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA).
The survey documents the scope and effect of two relatively recent trends: direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) fees imposed on community pharmacies and increased costs for patients at the pharmacy counter through copay clawback fees. At the center of each issue are pharmacy benefit management (PBM) corporations contracted by most health plans to oversee the drug benefit.
"DIR fees and copay clawbacks are serious problems for pharmacies and patients alike," said NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey, RPh, MBA. "PBM corporations are inserting costs into the system on virtually everyone in order to fuel their profits and reward shareholders. Government officials and health plan sponsors must insist on greater transparency and oversight of these practices to ensure that plan costs and premiums go to their intended purpose: taking care of patients. NCPA will continue to work with Medicare officials, Congress and others toward that end."
DIR fees on pharmacies
Sometimes weeks or months after medication is dispensed to a patient and a pharmacy is reimbursed, community pharmacies are assessed "DIR fees" that can turn a modest profit into a financial loss.
According to the survey responses:
Two-thirds of pharmacists (67 percent) say no information is given as to how much and when DIR fees will be collected or assessed.
Most pharmacists (53 percent) said DIR fees are assessed quarterly. Many complained that this lag time makes it difficult to operate a small business and impossible to determine at the time of dispensing whether the net reimbursement will cover their costs.
While DIR fees started in the Medicare Part D program, most pharmacists (57 percent) say they now appear in some commercial plans as well.
The financial impact of DIR fees is significant as 87 percent of pharmacists said they significantly affect their pharmacy's ability to provide patient care and remain in business.
Many pharmacists said DIR fees can total thousands of dollars each month. According to the survey, members report that the Aetna and CVS Caremark drug plans are the most egregious in this area. NCPA posted online comments from pharmacists that further illustrate the problem and also published an online video of pharmacists discussing the matter.
The survey also disputed claims by advocates for PBM corporations that DIR fees are actually "pay-for-performance" incentives to reward quality care. Although PBM corporations may try to characterize these fees as "incentives," the fact remains that these fees are extracted from all pharmacies—the caveat being that high-performing pharmacies may not get as much money withheld. Pharmacists said that PBM corporations were not transparent about their DIR fee criteria and assessed DIR fees on pharmacies with the highest quality ratings.
Recently 16 U.S. Senators and 30 U.S. Representatives wrote to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and urged implementation of the agency's proposed "negotiated drug price" guidance. It would require Part D plans to consistently report these fees to bring greater transparency into the program; improve accuracy of the Medicare Plan Finder utilized by patients to evaluate drug plans; and hopefully give pharmacists more clarity into their true reimbursement rate. NCPA also supports adoption of the guidance.
PBM-imposed copay clawback fees on patients
The second part of the survey explored copay clawbacks on patients, whereby PBM corporations instruct the pharmacy to collect an elevated copay amount and subsequently recoup the excess amount—and sometimes more—from the pharmacy.
"Patients purchase insurance with the presumption that they will save money using the plan's designated health care providers," Hoey added. "Copay clawbacks turn that logic on its head. A copay becomes a full pay—and then some."
Copay clawbacks are relatively common, as 83 percent of pharmacists witnessed them at least 10 times during the past month.
Two-thirds (67 percent) said the practice is limited to certain PBMs.
Most (59 percent) said they believe the practice occurs in Medicare Part D plans as well as commercial ones.
Sometimes PBM corporations impose "gag clauses" that prohibit community pharmacists from volunteering the fact that a medication may be less expensive if purchased at the "cash price" rather than through the insurance plan. In other words, the patient has to affirmatively ask about pricing. Most pharmacists (59 percent) said they encountered these restrictions at least 10 times during the past month.
Pharmacists indicated that United Healthcare/Optum Rx and Aetna appear to employ copay clawbacks most often. NCPA posted online some comments from pharmacists regarding this practice.
The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA®) represents the interests of America's community pharmacists, including the owners of more than 22,000 independent community pharmacies. Together they represent an $81.4 billion health care marketplace and employ more than 314,000 individuals on a full or part-time basis. To learn more, go to www.ncpanet.org, visit facebook.com/commpharmacy, or follow NCPA on Twitter @Commpharmacy.