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CT Becomes Second in the Nation to Require Booster for State Hospital & Nursing Home Workers
By Kristen Johnson	• Published January 6, 2022 • Updated on January 6, 2022 at 6:08 pm
COVID cases among nursing home staff have doubled in the past week, to 14-hundred, according to Social Services Commissioner, Deidre Gifford.
Resident cases were also on the rise.
Thursday, Governor Ned Lamont announced a new executive order mandating that staff and contractors at state hospitals and nursing homes get a COVID-19 booster shot by February 11.
Many of those employees were among the first to get vaccinated.
coronavirus pandemic 13 hours ago
Costs of Masks, Tests Deepen Pandemic Wedge Between Haves and Have-Nots
small businesses Jan 16
Officials said they don't believe they're necessarily hesitant to get a booster but rather just exhausted and haven't gotten around to it.
"You ought to remember that those two shots were extremely effective, kept us with a very low infection rate for an awful long time, and we have another couple of innings to go and the booster keeps you safe, keeps everyone in the game, allows you to go about your keeping everyone in the game, allows us to keep our schools open, allows us to keep our businesses open, and that's why we're giving this one extra push," said Lamont.
The Lamont administration says it's considering extending the booster requirement to other state employees, like teachers.
However, it is cognizant that the governor's emergency powers will expire in mid-February.
Lamont said he plans to put forth a group of executive orders he'd like the legislature to sign off on continuing.
In addition to the governor's orders, leadership from the Connecticut Hospital Association announced that they are implementing a similar mandatory booster shot requirement for all hospital and health system employees and clinical staff statewide.
The state's positivity rate remained flat on Thursday at just under 23%.
Officials said 90% of the cases stemmed from the Omicron variant.
There were 121 more deaths in the last week and 108 more hospitalizations since Wednesday.
Lamont said the 10% of the population that is not vaccinated makes up 70% of those rising hospitalization rates.
Covid-19 Vaccinenursing homeshospitalcovid booster


Our meticulously designed and tested Full Bar collection builds on itself to create a fully functional bar in any home. Each box is designed to add to the ones that came before and further expand the repertoire of cocktails you can mix! Each selection arrives with a carefully curated assembly of bottles and a compendium of recipes, history and technique tips. All you need to become your own favorite bartender!


Elizabeth, I don't well enough to figure, but maybe you're pondering something here?? The wheelbarrow is a perfect metaphor for a whole life time of words, whether dumped out or parked at the feet of our Creator. I hear surrender here.
Lovely. Just lovely. I want to share this with my high school creative writing students!


Charcoal toothpaste review – The Benefits of Toothpaste.
Most Americans would not think twice about cleaning their own tooth without toothpaste. Why?
Charcoal toothpaste review – The use of toothpaste has existed for thousands of years. Whilst oral care is becoming more important in recent years because of improved oral health understanding, much better dental care practices as well as improved dental technologies and merchandise, using toothpaste like a fundamental component of proper oral hygiene continues to be approximately the same. Just like the need for dental health has grown, technology has advanced and oral cleanliness, as well as care, has been altered, so has toothpaste. Some of the oldest depictions associated with toothpaste document possess exposed various toothpaste components such as charcoal, plants, and herbs.
Toothpaste Fortifies Teeth. Modern toothpaste is fortified along with ingredients that develop as well as strengthen teeth. Fluoride assists tooth battle plaque build-up minimizing the chance of tooth decay. Actually, those of previous cultures searched for to bolster their teeth by eating on items such as sticks. Charcoal toothpaste review – They not just give you a complete smile, but they're needed to consume as well as communicate clearly. Whenever tooth tends to be destabilized from rot, they can fall out, be responsible for additional dental health problems.
Toothpaste Make teeth whiter: There is toothpaste these days created specifically in order to whiten teeth. In the end, the reason why have a great smile of directly tooth when they're yellow? Pearly white teeth have always been preferred. Among the original toothpaste had been grilling with charcoal. Charcoal offers once more become popular because of its effective bleaching power. Anyone who has experienced an unpleasant, stained grin has been forced to cover it. The stigma of a stained grin nevertheless exists today; however, fortunately, there are many methods to accomplish a white-colored, beautiful grin, including the use of toothpaste.
Toothpaste Freshens Inhale: Nobody enjoys foul breath; however, the truth is that people all get it. It is commonly worse in the morning when we get up after eating a particularly potent meal, for example, those that include garlic as well as let's eat some onions. Toothpaste is often utilized during this period whenever the breath smells the worse. Foul breath offers unfavorable associations, and nobody wants to be in close proximity to a person having a stinky, and for that reason, filthy mouth.


Please note bumper case is damaged clearly not strong enough. So no bumper case included. The item "VIVO NEX 2 Dual Display 128GB DualSIM 10GB RAM global version Unlocked 6.39 FHD" is in sale since Sunday, February 10, 2019. This item is in the category "Mobile Phones & Communication\Mobile & Smart Phones".
The seller is "riz157" and is located in Ilford. This item can be shipped to United Kingdom, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Australia, United States, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, China, Israel, Hong Kong, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Thailand.


What is important to understand is that online PR is effective for direct to consumer communications as well as media relations. The bonus is that adding social media to online PR initiatives can have a multiplying effect.
Enter the notion of push and pull PR.
Push basically means the tactics used to distribute a company's news including using press releases sent out via wire services, email or fax. It also includes pitching the media on story ideas and contributed articles.
Pull activities are based on the demand consumers have for online news as well as the search activities of people in the media looking for subject matter experts, researching past news coverage and looking for story ideas. Pull PR makes it easy for the media and your intended audience to find and pull themselves to your news.
On a continum, push and pull would be on either end with media coverage in the middle. Achieving media coverage by one or both push and pull allows you to further extend the reach of your news. First, by pulling more readers to your message via the publications that have picked up your story. Second, by using that media coverage as a direct marketing promotion via email or direct mail.
Be relevant – Mass emailed press releases do not work with bloggers. Review the blog's categories and previous posts and only offer related news.
Personalize – Blogging is much more a personal expression than writing articles in a mainstream publications and bloggers respond to personal messages. Generic and poorly written pitches will either be ignored or posted to the blog for everyone to see.
Make it easy – Write a summary of your news with links to full versions and related resources. Many bloggers will copy paste your summary, add a few of their own comments and link to the news release.
Schwag is good – If you have products or services that can be tried out, be sure to offer them.
Be persistent – Many bloggers have day jobs and do not have a lot of time. Do not be discouraged if your news does not get picked up or if you do not get a response on your pitch. Try again and be persistent, but not annoying.
Fundamental press release optimization includes keyword research, placing keywords in the correct positions and frequency in the release and adding links. A social media release deconstructs the content offerred in a regular press release into sections that can be more easily scanned and used by journalists to glean story ideas.
By optimizing your content and adding social media, you can increase the distribution channels and take advantage of increased visibility to demand driven traffic. A PR strategy that involves both push and pull provides many more opportunities for coverage than any single tactic.
Nicely outlined, Lee. I recently sat on a panel alongside some social media PR pundits who were steadfast in their advocacy for "pull" and pull alone. I had to remind them that "push" remained viable and, for many, very profitable.
How to efficiently connect with audiences (filtered or unfiltered); Understanding the life (and half-life) of a news story; Recognizing that the rules of engagement have changed, but some PR competencies haven't (nor shouldn't), are just a few of the challenges we face as an industry moving forward.
Thanks for making it all sound so easy.
Hi Chris, I did see your post and you did an excellent job, thank you! If you'll be at Pubcon tomorrow, please say hi.
Peter, I appreciate the comments. Greg Jarboe echoed those sentiments in a short video interview I did with him right after the session this morning. I'll post that tomorrow.
Again – great job speaking today!
Right, instead of pushig people to your website with ads, you pull them there with available, relevent information: aaaaahhh – water on the desert!
An outstanding entry to be sure. Thanks, Lee!


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Q: free voice activated sound recording software I connected my PBX to the sound card of my Windows XP PC, using a special interface hardware.  I want to record all the sound into MP3 format. Please reccomend a free software that can record only when voice activated.
thank you very much, Nathaniel

A: Audacity Beta has this feature, never used it though.
http://wiki.audacityteam.org/index.php?title=VoiceActivated
Download page
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Home > Technology > News Articles
Social Robot Has Emotion And Memory
By News Staff | February 6th 2015 06:00 AM | Print | E-mail
A prototype of a social robot has been developed with an eye toward supporting independent living for the elderly, in partnership with their relatives or carers.
It's based on the art service platform called Care-O-bot® 3 and works within a smart-home environment. Dr. Farshid Amirabdollahian, a senior lecturer in Adaptive Systems at the University of Hertfordshire, led a team of nine partner institutions from across five European countries as part of the ACCOMPANY (Acceptable Robotics Companions for Ageing Years) project.
Over the past three years the project team successfully carried out a wide range of studies which included, detecting the activity and status of people in a smart-home environment as well as focusing on robots' ability to remember and recall. Developments culminated into three interaction scenarios, which were subsequently evaluated by involving elderly people and their formal/informal carers across France, the Netherlands and the UK.
ACCOMPANY robot.
ACCOMPANY's results demonstrated that a social robot can potentially help to prevent isolation and loneliness, offering stimulating activities whilst respecting autonomy and independence. The project received "excellent results" from its final review in Brussels.
Amirabdollahian said, "This project proved the feasibility of having companion technology, while also highlighting different important aspects such as empathy, emotion, social intelligence as well as ethics and its norm surrounding technology for independent living."
News Releases From All Over The World, Right To You...
Care-O-Bot: Adorable Robot That Still Does Practical Things
Robots That Care
Help Your Child Form Relationships By Buying Them A Robot
New Personality Test: Which Robot Companion You Choose Tells A Lot About You
Asimov's Three Laws Of Robotics Get A 21st Century Health Care Update

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Nadja Halilbegovich (born July 29, 1979) is an author, speaker, peace activist and survivor of the Bosnian War and the Siege of Sarajevo.

Childhood
Before the war, Halilbegovich sang and played guitar with Palcici, Sarajevo's internationally-known children's choir. The war broke out when she was 12. She was wounded by a bombshell a year later in 1992. Halilbegovich began sharing her diary entries and reading her poems on the National Radio and was hired to host her own show called "The Music Box" that broadcast about the war from the perspective of a 13-year-old.

In 1993 four of her poems were featured in the book "Mom I don't want to go to the basement!" The title referenced all the time that the citizens of Sarajevo spent during the incessant bombings. At age 14, the first half of her diary was published in Bosnia as "Sarajevo's Childhood Wounded By War." In January 1995, National Dutch Television did a documentary of her life.

Near the end of the war, Halilbegovich escaped from Bosnia and became a refugee in the United States. Though she spoke little English when she arrived, she finished three years of high school in two years. Meanwhile, the sequel to her war diary was published in Bosnia. She was on hand to witness the finalizing of the Dayton Agreement in Dayton, Ohio that brought an end to the hostilities in Bosnia.

Peace activism
In 1997 Nadja received a scholarship from Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. She majored in Vocal Performance and Theater. Halilbegovich became a popular speaker and peace activist, balancing her college schedule with speaking engagements at such events as the Global Young Leaders Conference in Washington D.C., the State of the World Forum in San Francisco and The Summit on Youth and Peace in Orlando with Desmond Tutu.

In 1999 her story was told in the book "The Courage To Give" by Jackie Waldman. In 2000 she was featured alongside the Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa in the book "Architects of Peace" by Michael Collopy. In March, 2001 she was honored with the first Woman of Distinction Award from Butler University. On graduating in 2002, she embarked on a 9-month speaking tour throughout the U.S. and Canada on behalf of Free The Children.

In 2006, both parts of her diary were published in the U.S. and Canada as "My Childhood Under Fire: A Sarajevo Diary". The book has won numerous awards and has been translated into French and Indonesian.

On September 9, 2006 Halilbegovich was one of 112 speakers at the dropping knowledge Table of Free Voices. The speakers simultaneously answered 100 questions posed from around the world on the state of the world today. This nine-hour global streaming event was held in Berlin on the site of the first Nazi book burning.

In 2009 Halilbegovich was featured in the textbook "Elements of Literature, Second Course", which compares Halilbegovich's book, "My Childhood Under Fire: A Sarajevo Diary" to "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank.

On December 22, 2013 Halilbegovich received an honorary Doctorate from Butler University.

See also

 Zlata Filipović, who also wrote a diary of the Bosnian War and Siege of Sarajevo

References

External links
 Personal Site of Nadja Halilbegovich

Living people
1979 births
Women diarists
People of the Bosnian War
Yugoslav Wars refugees
Bosniaks of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina expatriates in the United States

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Q: Change post form data function into curl In the old way in our website, when users clicks "logout" button.  It runs a post form function; which will pass parameters (logout, sn) to external sites to execute "logout" function.
Like:
I do not want the users jump to the external site, therefore, i use curl to post data. (because we are in different domain, i guess Ajax request doesnot work )
Post the same data to execute logout function in external site.
// create cURL resource
        $URL = "http://bswi.development.intra.local/";

        //Initl curl
        $ch = curl_init();

        curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, $URL);  // Load in the destination URL
        curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPAUTH, CURLAUTH_BASIC); //Normal HTTP request, not SSL
        curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, "logout=1");

       // receive server response ...
        curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);

        curl_exec ($ch);
        echo $content;
        curl_close ($ch);

Do u think i am going in the right direction?

A: That might work, but if you want to use Basic HTTP Auth, you also need to provide credentials (name + password).


Historically, high quality counseling services for people with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) has been limited in that there has been a lack of research identifying successful counseling techniques and a lack of understanding regarding counselors' experiences working with this population. This study was designed to explore counselors' experiences in working with ID clients, and to determine which counseling techniques they have found to be effective with this population. A qualitative study was developed and conducted using semi-structured interviews that explored the research questions and allowed opportunities for the participants to include their individual experiences and insight. The interviews of eight counselors were analyzed using two rounds of coding. The first round of coding utilized In Vivo coding and the second utilized Descriptive coding. Five themes emerged from the interviews: Trial and Error, Flexible Technique, Meet the Clients Where They Are, Collaboration, and Rapport. The five themes are further categorized under Technical Themes and Relational Themes. The themes also influenced one another, and their interactions played a critical role in the development of effective counseling techniques for people with ID. The results of this study provide a starting point for counselors looking to effectively counsel people with ID; however, there is still room for further research that explores specific techniques, specific adaptations, and counselor attitudes. Counselors that wish to provide mental health vi services to people with ID should familiarize themselves with the interactions of the themes and develop skills accordingly.
People with mental disabilities--Counseling of.
Bukowski, Megan, "A Qualitative Examination of Quality Indicators in Counseling For Persons with Intellectual Disabilities" (2015). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1766.


text:
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Home/Researches/Studies/Egypt: Pardon Committee – temporary remedy & attempt to relieve pressures
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Egypt: Pardon Committee – temporary remedy & attempt to relieve pressures
Sherif Hilali 2 September، 2022
0 97 10 minutes read
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The role of the Presidential Pardon Committee, which Sisi suddenly reactivated after the so-called "Egyptian Family Breakfast" last April, does not go beyond providing a temporary and partial remedy for the restrictions imposed by the Egyptian regime on freedoms and the increasing number of political prisoners, whose number exceeds 60,000, according to estimates of human rights organizations.
The committee does not primarily treat the disease, which is expansion of pretrial detention and unfair trials that lacked principles of a fair trial, whether conducted in accordance with the emergency law, or in accordance with the natural judiciary, based on dozens of legislation restricting the fundamental freedoms stipulated in the Constitution, including the right to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, circulation of information, fair trial, and others.
First Stage of the Presidential Pardon Committee:
Egypt's Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi had given orders to form the presidential pardon committee at the first youth conference that was held in Sharm El-Sheikh in October 2016. Then, it included five members: Dr. Osama Al-Ghazali Harb, Nashwa Al-Hofy, Mohamed Abdel Aziz, Tariq Al-Khouly, and Karim Al-Sakka.
However, the presidential pardon committee is of an advisory nature, as it does not have any legal authority. One of the committee members once pointed out that the committee does not have the power to issue decisions regarding presidential pardon, given that this is only limited to Sisi[1].
The task of the committee, according to the presidential directive, is to examine cases of young people who were not involved in violence, intimidation of citizens, or sabotage of institutions, as well as those previously convicted of crimes that fall under felonies punishable by law, regardless of their motives.
Then, the committee shall prepare lists including nominations of certain names and submit them to the Presidential Institution for likely issuance of pardon decrees for the names included in the list. The committee is also responsible for preparing lists of detainees in pending cases who have not been given sentences.
It is clear that the formation of the committee has been of political and youthful nature, where the first group of its members included experts such as Dr. Osama Al-Ghazali Harb, an expert at the Center for Political and Strategic Studies at Al-Ahram Foundation, and editor-in-chief of the International Politics magazine, who is close to the Sisi regime. The committee also included youth elements supportive of the post-June 30 regime, i.e. Mohamed Abdel Aziz, leader of the Tamarod "Rebellion" Front, which was established before the June 30 demonstrations against former President Mohamed Morsi, demanding early presidential elections; and Tariq al-Khouli, the former coordinator of the April 6 Movement – Democratic Front, a front that had defected from the April 6 Movement. He later became a member of the House of Representatives and undersecretary of the Parliament's Foreign Relations Committee.
There are a number of comments on the decision to establish the committee:
– No official decision was issued by Sisi to establish this committee for setting specific tasks and powers, and specific organizational structure for its members. The formation of the committee was only announced through the Presidential Media Office after the end of the activities of the first youth conference.
– The committee did not include in its membership persons from the state's official authorities specialized in legal aspects and supervising prisons, whether from the Ministry of Interior or its Prisons Authority or from the Ministry of Justice. Although some may suggest that this guarantees the greatest degree of freedom of movement by the committee, but in fact it deprives the committee from the information and data necessary for the conduct of its work. Therefore, the committee has relied -in its first and second phases- only on the suggestions and orientations of its members.
– The committee did not include human rights or legal elements within its membership, as they are the most appropriate for this task, whether affiliated with the National Council for Human Rights or an independent human rights organizations.
– The number of members of the committee is not sufficient to carry out the functions necessary to implement its goals, given the size of tasks or burdens placed on it. In addition, the committee lack s human, material and technical resources, where the members of the Committee are not dedicated to this task[2].
– The formation of this committee came in the wake of the first youth conference, to highlight the regime's interest in hearing the opinion of young people, in light of the increasing demands to reconsider the conditions of those convicted in cases of demonstration and gathering in the events that Egypt witnessed during the period from 2013 to 2015.
The committee's working mechanism:
It can be noted that the most important mechanism for the committee's work is receiving complaints and requests from the families of the convicted and imprisoned, the House of Representatives' Human Rights Committee, the National Council for Human Rights, parties, and organizations working in the human rights field, which in turn receive them from the families of prisoners.
In its first phase, the committee prepared four lists of prisoners, who were pardoned by presidential decrees: the first list, including 82 people; the second list, including 203 people; the third list, including 502 people; and the fourth list, including 331 people; bringing the number of those pardoned at that stage to1,118 prisoners. However, it is reported that there was another list including 560 people, the most prominent of whom was the journalist Abdel Halim Qandil.
Second Stage of the Presidential Pardon Committee:
After it had been frozen for four years, Sisi announced during the so-called 'Egyptian Family Breakfast' held last Ramadan on Tuesday, 26 April, the re-formation of the committee, adding Kamal Abu Aita, a leader in the Karama Party and former Minister of Manpower and Lawyer Tariq Al-Awadi to its members .
This step came in light of mounting international pressures on the Egyptian regime regarding human rights violations in Egypt, including the continued pre-trial detention of thousands and emergence of the phenomenon of rotation of these prisoners on several different cases with the same accusations, including: dissemination of false information, misuse of the social networking sites, and joining a terrorist group.
Since orders were given to activate the committee's work again, four presidential pardon decisions have been issued that have a direct relationship with the committee's activity, as follows:
1- The activist Hossam Mounis, pursuant to Resolution No. 178 of 2022 pardoning the sentence imposed on the convict in Case No. 957 of 2021. Mounis had been arrested in Case 930 of 2019, known as the Hope Alliance, among others, but the pardon did not include the rest of those sentenced to prison in the same case!!
2- Engineer Yahya Hussein, the former coordinator of the Civil Democratic Movement, pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 219 of 2022. Hussein was investigated for an article he published in 2018 in which he criticized the regime.
3- Presidential Pardon Decree No. 260 of 2022 pardoning the prison sentence of 3 convicts in the case known in the media as "Council of Ministers Events". The decision included a pardon for the sentence of: Saeed Mohamed Attia Ibrahim, Mohamed Eid al-Gharib Ibrahim al-Sherai, and Mohamed Morsi Mohamed Morsi.
4 – On July 28, Presidential Pardon Decree No. 329 of 2022 was issued, pardoning a number of those against whom final judicial rulings were issued, including journalist Hisham Fouad, researcher Ahmed Samir Santawi, artist Tariq Al-Nahri, Abdel Raouf Khattab Hassan Khattab, Qassem Ashraf Qassem Ahmed, Tariq Mohamed Al-Mahdi Siddiq, and Khaled Abdel Moneim Sadiq Saber.
In the meantime, there were reports that some 148 detainees were released from the State Security Prosecutions, 41 of whom were released two days before the activation of the presidential pardon committee. Other sources indicated that only 97 defendants in cases of the Supreme State Security Prosecution were released from April 25 to June 17[3].
Functions of the Pardon Committee:
A number of legal issues were raised related to the committee's role and its mandate to examine the situation of pretrial detainees pending cases of opinion, as well as the committee's criteria for the type of prisoners whose presidential pardon is to be applied in the lists of detainees and prisoners of conscience.
About its priorities and work agenda, the committee had set some categories, most prominently the youth, students, critical humanitarian cases, labor, and journalists)[4].
Also, the Pardon Committee sought to include pretrial detainees as part of its duties, although it is not compatible with its main task according to which it had been formed, especially that the pretrial detentions are under the authority of the Public Prosecution and courts, which should hear their appeals against detention orders.
A dispute arose over the criteria for presidential pardon on which the committee was based. In general, some members of the committee continued to emphasize adoption of basic criteria, most notably: not belonging to a terrorist organization and not committing acts of violence, while others defined those to be included on the Pardon Committee agenda as:
– Anyone who did not participate in acts of violence and terrorism, including those who participated in protests, published posts on social media or distributed leaflets; whereas anyone who exceeds the period of pretrial detention must be released immediately or referred to trial.
Human rights organizations believe that the previous standards deprive a large number of political prisoners, including thousands of Brotherhood members accused of belonging to a group whose goal is to overthrow the regime, even if they were unjustly accused; thus placing thousands of detainees under these charges, even if they had demonstrated peacefully without a permit, without being accused of assaulting public officials.
Therefore, a number of Egyptian human rights organizations inside and outside Egypt sought to demand the existence of clear and public standards and controls for decisions to release or pardon detainees, whether convicted or remanded in custody pending political cases, in the hope that the decision aims primarily to release all detained on political charges or because of expression of their opinions.
Rejecting selectivity, and emphasizing the principle of a radical solution to the issue of political prisoners in Egypt, human rights organizations submitted proposals for criteria and controls for the release of all political prisoners in Egypt, against the backdrop of the formation of the presidential pardon committee.
Following are the most important criteria:
– Giving urgent priority in decisions to release political prisoners to the cases of the ill, minors, the elderly, and all those imprisoned in publishing cases.
– The need for releasing all those who exceeded the maximum limit of pretrial detention, even if they were imprisoned pending new cases on similar charges, to ensure their continued imprisonment in what has become known as the phenomenon of "rotation of political detainees".
– It is necessary to release all pretrial detainees who have been in prison for a maximum of six months without the prosecution having sufficient evidence to refer them to trial; and to pardon the rest of the sentence for those who had been previously convicted on political charges and have served more than half of the sentence.
Controversy over possibility of inclusion of MB members on pardon lists:
There have been continued controversy over the possibility of including detainees affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood on the presidential pardon lists, especially in the wake of statements by a member of the presidential pardon committee, Tariq Al-Awadi to Al-Jazeera Mubasher at the end of June that "the committee has no objection to study and check names of Brotherhood prisoners or those affiliated with them, to add them to the pardon lists and release them, provided that they have not been involved in violence."
Meanwhile, press information indicated that the security services refused to release any of the Brotherhood leaders from the first ranks within the group, because the issue is subject to strict controls and to avoid being mistakenly understood that the exit of a leadership such as Aboul Fotouh involves reconciliation. The inclusion of Brotherhood names from the first ranks requires political will and creation of a public atmosphere.
However, it is expected to select a group of names close to the Brotherhood from the second and third ranks as a kind of pulse test before adopting a step that may include leaders from the first rank at a later stage. However, the veto over the release of Brotherhood leaders is likely to continue until the Pardon Committee goes a long way in releasing other civilian figures, and measuring the outcome.
About the committee's task
The task of the presidential committee does not exceed the collection of names of remand prisoners who have been imprisoned for years, and those sentenced in cases of a political nature, and submit them to the security services for initial approval to be passed on to the Presidency to issue presidential pardon decisions. One of its main tasks is to provide temporary palliative measures with respect to the issue of detainees who have been subjected to pretrial detention or who have been sentenced in political cases because of their exercise of freedom of opinion, expression and demonstration.
The outcome of the presidential pardon decisions in the second phase has been very limited and slow, not exceeding pardon for twelve people convicted in state security and criminal cases, which is a frustrating outcome in light of the talk about the committee's role in this regard. The committee's second phase, since the end of last April, focused on pretrial detainees, especially with their increasing numbers and the emergence of the phenomenon of rotation of detainees on different cases with the same accusations. On the other hand, four lists of presidential pardons were issued during the first phase of the committee's work, including a large number of convicted political prisoners.
To introduce a fundamental solution for this crisis, a committee should be formed with the task of reviewing the current punitive legislation and all other legislation issued during the past years related to freedoms, most notably the Penal and Criminal Procedure laws, the Terrorism Law, the Protest Law and the Assembly Law, to purify them of all provisions that contradict the right to a fair trial and basic human rights standards.
All proposals made by Egyptian human rights organizations regarding the standards to be set for the release of convicted political prisoners and the release of all prisoners of conscience and remand prisoners must also be implemented.
Finally, a comprehensive pardon must be issued for all those accused in the cases of freedom of opinion and expression, assembly and peaceful demonstration, and all those accused of "spreading false news inside and outside Egypt."[5]
[1] Tariq Al-Awadi, Youm7, 8 May 2022
[2] Moataz Billah Othman, Presidential Pardon Committee .. Tasks and Problematics, Parliamentary Issues Journal, Issue 69, February 2018, Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies.
[3] Darb website, Lawyer: Since the formation of the Pardon Committee, 97 pretrial detainees have been released and 5 prisoners have been pardoned, 17 June 2022.
[4] Dr. Medhat Mohamed Abdel Aziz Ibrahim, Penal Code / General Section, The General Theory of Punishment and Precautionary Measures (a comparative study), 1st. edition 2007, Dar Elnahdha Elarabia (Arab Renaissance House), Cairo. p 16
[5] The views expressed in this article are entirely those of the author's and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Egyptian Institute for Studies
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text:
ISKCON Miami Temple
Founder/Acharya: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
founder-acharya
HIS DIVINE GRACE
He FIRST BROUGHT THE TEACHINGS OF BHAKTI TO THE WESTERN WORLD
AT TOMPKINS SQUARE PARK N.Y.C / SUMMER OF 1966
His Divine Grace, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977) is widely regarded as the worlds pre-eminent exponent of the teachings and practices of bhakti-yoga to the Western world. Born Abhay Charan De on September 1, 1896, in Calcutta, as a youth he became involved with Mahatma Gandhi's civil disobedience movement. It was, however, a meeting with a prominent scholar and spiritual leader, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, which proved most influential on young Abhay's future calling. Upon their first meeting Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, who represented an ancient tradition of Bhakti (devotional yoga), asked Abhay to bring the teachings of Krishna to the English-speaking world. From birth, Abhay had been raised in a family devoted to Krishna – the name meaning the all-attactive, all-loving Lord. Deeply moved by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's devotion and wisdom, Abhay became his disciple and dedicated himself to carrying out his mentor's request. But it wasn't until 1965, at the age of seventy, that he would set off on his mission to the West. Having since been awarded the honorary title of Bhaktivedanta in recognition of his learning and devotion, and having taken the vows of sannyasa (renunciation), Abhay Charan, now known as Bhaktivedanta Swami, begged free passage and boarded a cargo ship to New York. The journey proved to be treacherous, and the elderly spiritual teacher suffered two heart attacks aboard ship. After 35 days at sea he finally arrived at a lonely Brooklyn pier with just seven dollars in Indian rupees and a crate of his translations of sacred Sanskrit texts. In New York he faced great hardships without money or a place to live. He began his mission humbly, by giving classes on the Bhagavad-gita in lofts on the Bowery, New York's infamous skid row, and leading kirtan (traditional devotional chants) in Tompkins Square Park. His message of peace and goodwill resonated with many young people, some of whom came forward to become serious students of the Krishna-bhakti tradition. With the help of these students, Bhaktivedanta Swami rented a small storefront on New York's Lower East Side to use as a temple. After months of hardship and struggle, in July of 1966, Bhaktivedanta Swami established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness for the purpose of checking the imbalance of values in the world and working for real unity and peace. He taught that each soul is part and parcel of the quality of God and that one could find true happiness through living a simpler, more natural way of life and dedicating one's energy in the service of God and all living beings. Having begun initiating his American followers into the Gaudiya Vaishnava lineage, Bhaktivedanta Swami next traveled to San Francisco. Amidst the emerging hippie community in the Haight-Ashbury district, during 1967's "Summer of Love" he taught that the experience of devotion through kirtan was a spiritual "high" superior to any pleasures derived from material sources such as wealth, fame, or intoxication. In the following months many more came forward to assist him. Desiring to address him with the respect due a revered spiritual teacher, his disciples began to call him Srila Prabhupada, meaning "one at whose feet the masters sit". In the eleven years that followed, Srila Prabhupada circled the globe fourteen times, bringing the teachings of Bhakti to thousands of people on six continents. Men and women from all backgrounds came forward to accept his message. With their help, Srila Prabhupada established centers and projects throughout the world including temples, rural communities, educational institutions, and what would become the world's largest vegetarian food relief program. With the desire to nourish the roots of Krishna-bhakti in its home, Srila Prabhupada returned to India several times, where he sparked a revival in the Bhakti tradition. In India, he opened dozens of temples, including important centers in the holy towns of Vrindavana and Mayapur. Perhaps Srila Prabhupada's most significant contribution is his books. He authored over seventy volumes on Bhakti-yoga, which are highly respected for their authority, depth, clarity, and fidelity to tradition. His writings have been translated into seventy-six languages. His most prominent works include: Bhagavad-gita As It Is, the thirty-volume Srimad-Bhagavatam, and the seventeen-volume Sri Caitanya-caritamrita. For millennia the teachings of Bhakti-yoga had been concealed within Sanskrit and Indian vernacular languages, and the rich culture of Bhakti had been hidden behind the borders of India. Today, millions around the globe express their gratitude to Srila Prabhupada for revealing the timeless wisdom of Bhakti to a world immersed in a materialistic and self-destructive ethos. A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada passed away on November 14, 1977, in the holy town of Vrindaban, surrounded by his loving disciples who carry on his mission today.
"Swami Bhaktivedanta came to USA and went swiftly to the Archetype Spiritual Neighborhood, the New York Lower East Side, and installed intact an ancient perfectly preserved piece of street India. He adorned a storefront as his Ashram and adored Krishna therein and by patience and good humor singing chanting and
expounding Sanskrit terminology day by day established Krishna Consciousness in the psychedelic (mind-manifesting) center of America East. … To choose to attend to the Lower East Side, what kindness and humility and intelligence!"
Allen Ginsburg
"The thing that always stays is his saying, "I am the servant of the servant of the servant." I like that. A lot of people say, "I'm it. I'm the divine incarnation. I'm here and let me help you." You know what I mean? But Prabhupada was never like that. I liked Prabhupada's humbleness. I always liked his humility and his simplicity. The servant of the servant of the servant is really what it is, you know. He just made me feel so comfortable. I always felt very relaxed with him, and I felt more like a friend. I felt that he was a good friend. Even though he was at the time seventy-nine years old, working practically all through the night, day after day, with very little sleep, he still didn't come through to me as though he was a very highly educated intellectual being, because he had a sort of childlike simplicity. Which is great, fantastic. Even though he was the greatest Sanskrit scholar and a saint, I appreciated the fact that he never made me feel uncomfortable. In fact, he always went out of his way to make me feel comfortable. I always thought of him as sort of a lovely friend, really, and now he's still a lovely friend…Srila Prabhupada has already had an amazing effect on the world. There's no way of measuring it. One day I just realized, "God, this man is amazing!" He would sit up all night translating Sanskrit into English, putting in glossaries to make sure everyone understands it, and yet he never came off as someone above you."
"When I first met the students of Srila Prabhupada, I can remember thinking how surprised I was, and I wondered what this meant. But as I came to know the movement, I came to find that there was a striking similarity in the essence of what they were teaching and in the original core of Christianity – that is, living simply, not trying to accumulate worldly goods, living with compassion towards all creatures, sharing, loving, and living joyfully. I am impressed with how much the teachings of one man and the spiritual tradition he brought impacted themselves into the lives of so many people. In my view Srila Prabhupada's contribution is a very important one and will be a lasting one….This life of Srila Prabhupada is pointed proof that one can be a transmitter of truth and still be a vital and singular person. At what almost anyone would consider a very advanced age, when most people would be resting on their laurels, he harkened to the mandate of his own spiritual teacher and set out on the difficult voyage to America. Srila Prabhupada is one in a thousand, maybe one in a million"
Harvey Cox
Professor of Divinity, Harvard University
"Srila Prabhupada gave meaning to many whose lives had become meaningless during the countercultural revolution. In a time of prosperity, many American youth have felt a disdain for the materialistic goals of the established culture. They have not felt that earning more money to spend on sensual pleasures has given an abiding happiness to their parents. They have come to believe that there must be a more valuable transcendental reality which they have yet to find. Therefore, they have not found direction toward a goal in our established culture, nor have they found meaning in the mainline religions that have supported this culture. For these people, Srila Prabhupada has provided a meaningful place which bears witness to quite different objectives, and he has provided a strict discipline by means of which one may achieve them. So this, I think, was one of his greatest contributions….I certainly honor Srila Prabhupada as one of India's pre-eminent scholars. As a translator of many of India's important religious texts, he gave special attention to the spirit and beauty of the texts. Srila Prabhupada, in his translations, really captured their essential spirituality. A literal translation which lacks sympathetic reverence for the text itself can obscure rather than elucidate its profound inner meaning. I find that Srila Prabhupada's translations bring these works to life….Due to his unstinting and diligent labors, the whole world now has been made aware of the devotional essence of the Indian spiritual tradition, as well as of one of India's great saints, Sri Caitanya, and of Gaudiya Vaisnavism, whereas before they were scarcely known outside India except by specialists in Hindu religious tradition"
Dr. Stillson Judah
Professor of the History of Religions and Director of the Library, Graduate Theological Seminary, Berkeley, California
"No work in all Indian literature is more quoted, because none is better loved in the West than Bhagavad-Gita. Translation of such a work demands not only knowledge of Sanskrit but an inward sympathy with the theme and a verbal artistry. For the poem is a symphony in which God is seen in all things. His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is, of course, profoundly sympathetic to the theme. He brings to it, moreover, a special interpretative insight, a powerful and persuasive presentation in the bhakti (devotional) tradition…The Swami does a real service for students by investing the beloved Indian epic with fresh meaning. Whatever our outlook may be, we should all be grateful for the labor that has led to this illuminating work."
Dr. Geddes MacGregor
Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, University of Southern California
"Swami Bhaktivedanta brings to the West a salutary reminder that our highly activistic and one-sided culture is faced with a crisis that may end in self-destruction because it lacks the inner depth of an authentic metaphysical consciousness. Without such depth, our moral and political protestations are just so much verbiage"
Catholic theologian, Monk, Author
3220 Virginia Street
Email: devotionalservice@iskconmiami.org
This website is dedicated to:
ISKCON (The International Society for Krishna Consciousness)
Founder-Acarya: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
www.founderacharya.com
Copyright © 2021 ISKCON Miami Temple | Signify by WEN Themes


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text:
Reading: Graph-theoretical concepts and physicochemical data
Graph-theoretical concepts and physicochemical data
Lionello Pogliani
Dipartimento di Chimica, Università della Calabria, 87030 Rende (CS) Italy.
Graph theoretical concepts have been used to model the molecular polarizabilities of fifty-four organic derivatives, and the induced dipole moment of a set of fifty-seven organic compounds divided into three subsets. The starting point of these modeling strategies is the hydrogen-suppressed chemical graph and pseudograph of a molecule, which works very well for second row atoms. From these types of graphs a set of graph-theoretical basis indices, the molecular connectivity indices, can be derived and used to model properties and activities of molecules. With the aid of the molecular connectivity basis indices it is then possible to build higher-order descriptors. The problem of 'graph' encoding the contribution of the inner-core electrons of heteroatoms can here be solved with the aid of odd complete graphs, Kp-(p-odd). The use of these graph tools allow to draw an optimal modeling of the molecular polarizabilities and a satisfactory modeling of the induced dipole moment of a wide set of organic derivatives.
Keywords: Chemical Graphs , Complete Graphs , Graph-Theoretical Indices , Molecular Basis Indices , Terms , Polarizabilities , Induced dipole moments
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2481/dsj.2.1
How to Cite: Pogliani, L., 2003. Graph-theoretical concepts and physicochemical data. Data Science Journal, 2, pp.1–11. DOI: http://doi.org/10.2481/dsj.2.1
Pogliani, L., 2003. Graph-theoretical concepts and physicochemical data. Data Science Journal, 2, pp.1–11. DOI: http://doi.org/10.2481/dsj.2.1
Pogliani L. Graph-theoretical concepts and physicochemical data. Data Science Journal. 2003;2:1–1. DOI: http://doi.org/10.2481/dsj.2.1
Pogliani, L. (2003). Graph-theoretical concepts and physicochemical data. Data Science Journal, 2, 1–11. DOI: http://doi.org/10.2481/dsj.2.1
Pogliani L, 'Graph-theoretical Concepts and Physicochemical Data' (2003) 2 Data Science Journal 1 DOI: http://doi.org/10.2481/dsj.2.1
Pogliani, Lionello. 2003. "Graph-theoretical Concepts and Physicochemical Data". Data Science Journal 2: 1–11. DOI: http://doi.org/10.2481/dsj.2.1
Pogliani, Lionello. "Graph-theoretical Concepts and Physicochemical Data". Data Science Journal 2 (2003): 1–11. DOI: http://doi.org/10.2481/dsj.2.1
Pogliani, L.. "Graph-theoretical Concepts and Physicochemical Data". Data Science Journal, vol. 2, 2003, pp. 1–1. DOI: http://doi.org/10.2481/dsj.2.1


text:
Home & Away: Is Ben innocent?
Shailene Woodley arrested after 'peaceful protest'
The actress was taken in to custody for criminal tresspassing - by Tina B
Divergent star Shailene Woodley has been arrested while demonstrating in North Dakota.
The actress was peacefully protesting the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, which will affect sacred Standing Rock Sioux land and burial grounds as it would potentially carry 470,000 barrels of crude oil across the grounds per day. Critics say the pipeline could also pollute the Missouri River if it were to rupture, which would damage a drinking water source in the region.
She was among around 100 protestors, who were on the construction site before the cops moved in. According to police, they issued multiple warnings for them to leave but 27 were eventually arrested.
Remaining calm, Woodley explained the situation in a video posted on Facebook.
'I don't know if you guys just heard me, but I was walking back to my RV, which is right there so that we can go back to camp peacefully and they grabbed me by my jacked and said that I was not allowed to continue,' she said.
'So everybody knows... we were going to our vehicle which they had all surrounded and waiting for me with giant guns and a giant truck behind them just so they could arrest me,' she continued, suggesting she was only taken in to custody due to her fame.'
The star had been filming the entire experience for a Facebook Live, so she managed to capture the arrest. It's WAY WAY WAY at the end, so skip to about 1 hour 55 minutes in to see it happen. The star had support from fellow actor Mark Ruffalo, and author John Green, who tweeted out their support for her protest and arrest.
The riot police are arriving - Shailene Woodley | Facebook
Mark Ruffalo on Twitter
John Green on Twitter
This article originally appeared on Famous Live.


text:
Posted inElection
Sherman campaign puts focus on business background
by Kayleigh Skinner June 20, 2018 May 10, 2021
In this May 14, 2018 photo, venture capitalist, Howard Sherman, a first-time candidate for U.S. Senate, addresses members of the Forrest County Democratic Party, in Hattiesburg.
From a young age, Howard Sherman says he's always had a knack for seeing the bigger picture. It's a talent he shares with his wife, actress Sela Ward, telling Mississippi Today that she can transform the words on a script into a three-dimensional moment on screen.
"I was blessed with the kind of aptitude that I could look at something and see what isn't there, what's possible," he said. "That same gift I have in the business world — I can see the genesis of an idea. I can see what we need to bring together."
In his quest to be the Democratic challenger to face U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker in November, Sherman, a 63-year-old venture capitalist from California who lives in Meridian, has built a campaign that plays up his businessman bona fides.
Leading up to the June 5 primary, in which Sherman came out on top over two veteran lawmakers, critics, including Sherman's opponents, raised questions about Mississippi ties and lack of political experience.
Rep. David Baria, a third-term legislator from Bay St. Louis, who Sherman faces in a June 26 runoff election has continued to beat that drum. WLOX-TV reported that Baria told a Biloxi crowd of county supervisors: "He hasn't been here long enough to know what has to be done and just how hard it is to do it when you're working as a public servant."
After Baria received the endorsement of the Legislative Black Caucus, one of its members, Rep. Percy Watson, D-Hattiesburg, also hinted that Sherman is an unknown quantity for voters: "I think that most of my Democratic colleagues are supporting Baria. I don't know much about Sherman."
Howard Sherman, businessman and candidate for U.S. Senate
An inspection of Sherman's U.S. Senate financial disclosure form, which all candidates must file with the clerk of that body, and lists more than 10 companies he has been involved with in in Mississippi, Florida, California and Michigan, begins to shed light on Sherman's business activities.
The form lists Sherman as managing partner at Inventure Holdings LLC, and its sister company, Inventure Medical LLC. On the campaign trail, Sherman frequently references deals that he has put together over the years, creating jobs and opportunities for workers.
On his LinkedIn profile, Sherman describes Inventure Holdings as a company that generates, monitors and mines "deal flow for start-up and young company opportunities where Inventure's 'playbook,' 'rolodex,' and financial resources can positively impact enterprise performance and shareholder value."
Both companies are listed on the Senate disclosure form as based in Meridian and Inventure Holdings includes a Meridian address on its website. There is no record of either business with the Mississippi Secretary of State's office. Mississippi Today visited the address listed for Inventure Holdings, which is housed in a one-story building between a CEFCO gas station and a Holiday Inn Express in Meridian.
Inventure Holdings, LLC
Records show the Community Cable and Broadband LLC., which shares a building with Inventure, is run by Sherman's brother-in-law, Granberry Ward.
Both Inventure and Inventure Medical are registered in California, however, where the Secretary of State's Office there lists both companies as suspended.
A representative of the California Secretary of State's Office told Mississippi Today that Inventure Holdings, LLC was suspended on May 8, 2018 — about one month before the Mississippi primary election. Inventure Medical was suspended on May 9, 2017, and by the California Franchise Tax Board on Sept. 1, 2017. Under California state law neither company can operate in that state until the issues surrounding the suspension are resolved but the representative of the California secretary of state's office declined to provide specifics about Inventure's case.
When Mississippi Today asked the Sherman campaign for clarification, attorney Anna Davis with Adams and Reese law firm in Birmingham responded on Sherman's behalf in a written statement, saying that, "both LLCs were incorporated outside of Mississippi; however, Mississippi is the principal place of business for both corporations and both are headquartered in Mississippi." Davis added that she she did not know if that was the specific reason for the suspension.
Davis said that the state of incorporation is irrelevant to where a corporation does business. She said she has not been in touch with the Secretary of State's office in California, but that, "generally a suspension is the result of a state employee forgetting to input a required form."
Sherman told Mississippi Today he is in the process of getting registered in Mississippi.
He also frequently points to the work of Hope Village For Children Inc., a nonprofit in Meridian that he and his wife launched in 2000 to help children who are neglected or abused. The organization owns five cottages on almost 30 acres of land, where multiple services are offered for children who have been removed from their homes. These services range from emergency shelter while they wait for foster placement or reunion with their family, therapy, classes for older children to learn how to eventually live independently, and psychiatric and psychological assessments.
Records from the Mississippi Secretary of State's office show that the organization has grown steadily over the years, starting off with a little more than $630,000 in its first year in 2001 to almost $4.2 million in the most recently available tax year, 2017. Hope Village's IRS records also show that the organization, which in 2016 employed nearly 200 people, raised its operating budget from a combination of donations, government grants and fees.
Sherman believes he has a proven track record of success as a deal maker will come in handy if he is elected to the Senate. In 2000, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Sherman sold his $40 million CD storage product company, Roundhouse Inc., to Targus, today a leading manufacturer of laptop bags and tablet cases. The details of the deal were not disclosed to the public, but the newspaper reported Sherman and his colleagues at Roundhouse received payment in stock and cash.
Targus later sued Sherman in Massachusetts state court, arguing that Sherman had not "accurately represented Roundhouse's financial condition and resulting stock purchase value." Court documents state that Sherman "countered that Targus had made certain misrepresentations about its financial condition apparently affecting the value of the Targus stock." After an unsuccessful mediation, in 2010, a Massachusetts appeals court affirmed Targus' breach of contract claims against Sherman."
Sherman said he has been a businessman for 39 years and has been involved with or founded over 20 companies during that time.
"There was a dispute about an earn out and that's what happens when you have a dispute, it is resolved in the courts," he said.
Sherman credits his business planning experience in developing several 100 day plans to address healthcare, job creation, education, infrastructure, prison and criminal justice reform and children. The ideas in his 100-day plan "transcend party," he said.
"It sounds sexy, but it's literally what in the private sector we do every day," Sherman told Mississippi Today on The Jungle: Mississippi Today's Election Podcast last week. It's a way to hold himself accountable and lay out exactly what he intends to accomplish, he said.
Omeria Scott endorses U.S. Senate candidate Howard Sherman for the June 26 runoff.
This plan is what caused Rep. Omeria Scott to throw her support behind Sherman, she said. Days after the primary where she garnered 24 percent of the vote, Scott and Sherman held a press conference in her home town of Laurel to announce her endorsement.
"It was policy that really drove me towards him, how he was able to articulate all these big areas he felt he could impact," Scott told Mississippi Today. "Those are the things I talked about on the campaign trail, those are the things in Howard's 100-day plan."
This is a skill Sherman says he is confident in. In the business world, people rarely do favors unless it benefits them in some way, he said.
"It's deal making. I don't want to sound like the president but it's literally having something to offer," Sherman said. "Right now Roger (Wicker) doesn't have anything to offer except 'I will support the president 97 percent of the time.'"
If the voters choose him in the primary and ultimately in November, Sherman believes he can work across the aisle to get things done for Mississippi.
"Yes, we're going to argue about certain things that are polarizing but let's at least make sure our health care is fixed and we've got jobs and people are coming here," Sherman said. "Then we can argue about the emotional issues.
by Kayleigh Skinner, Mississippi Today

Sherman campaign puts focus on business background

by Kayleigh Skinner, Mississippi Today
June 20, 2018

From a young age, Howard Sherman says he's always had a knack for seeing the bigger picture. It's a talent he shares with his wife, actress Sela Ward, telling Mississippi Today that she can transform the words on a script into a three-dimensional moment on screen.

 "I was blessed with the kind of aptitude that I could look at something and see what isn't there, what's possible," he said. "That same gift I have in the business world — I can see the genesis of an idea. I can see what we need to bring together."

In his quest to be the Democratic challenger to face U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker in November, Sherman, a 63-year-old venture capitalist from California who lives in Meridian, has built a campaign that plays up his businessman bona fides.

Leading up to the June 5 primary, in which Sherman came out on top over two veteran lawmakers, critics, including Sherman's opponents, raised questions about Mississippi ties and lack of political experience.

Rep. David Baria, a third-term legislator from Bay St. Louis, who Sherman faces in a June 26 runoff election has continued to beat that drum. WLOX-TV reported that Baria told a Biloxi crowd of county supervisors: "He hasn't been here long enough to know what has to be done and just how hard it is to do it when you're working as a public servant."

After Baria received the endorsement of the Legislative Black Caucus, one of its members, Rep. Percy Watson, D-Hattiesburg, also hinted that Sherman is an unknown quantity for voters: "I think that most of my Democratic colleagues are supporting Baria. I don't know much about Sherman."

An inspection of Sherman's U.S. Senate financial disclosure form, which all candidates must file with the clerk of that body, and lists more than 10 companies he has been involved with in in Mississippi, Florida, California and Michigan, begins to shed light on Sherman's business activities.

The form lists Sherman as managing partner at Inventure Holdings LLC, and its sister company, Inventure Medical LLC. On the campaign trail, Sherman frequently references deals that he has put together over the years, creating jobs and opportunities for workers.

On his LinkedIn profile, Sherman describes Inventure Holdings as a company that generates, monitors and mines "deal flow for start-up and young company opportunities where Inventure's 'playbook,' 'rolodex,' and financial resources can positively impact enterprise performance and shareholder value."

Both companies are listed on the Senate disclosure form as based in Meridian and Inventure Holdings includes a Meridian address on its website. There is no record of either business with the Mississippi Secretary of State's office. Mississippi Today visited the address listed for Inventure Holdings, which is housed in a one-story building between a CEFCO gas station and a Holiday Inn Express in Meridian.

Records show the Community Cable and Broadband LLC., which shares a building with Inventure, is run by Sherman's brother-in-law, Granberry Ward.

Both Inventure and Inventure Medical are registered in California, however, where the Secretary of State's Office there lists both companies as suspended.

A representative of the California Secretary of State's Office told Mississippi Today that Inventure Holdings, LLC was suspended on May 8, 2018 — about one month before the Mississippi primary election. Inventure Medical was suspended on May 9, 2017, and by the California Franchise Tax Board on Sept. 1, 2017. Under California state law neither company can operate in that state until the issues surrounding the suspension are resolved but the representative of the California secretary of state's office declined to provide specifics about Inventure's case.

When Mississippi Today asked the Sherman campaign for clarification, attorney Anna Davis with Adams and Reese law firm in Birmingham responded on Sherman's behalf in a written statement, saying that, "both LLCs were incorporated outside of Mississippi; however, Mississippi is the principal place of business for both corporations and both are headquartered in Mississippi." Davis added that she she did not know if that was the specific reason for the suspension.

Davis said that the state of incorporation is irrelevant to where a corporation does business. She said she has not been in touch with the Secretary of State's office in California, but that, "generally a suspension is the result of a state employee forgetting to input a required form."

Sherman told Mississippi Today he is in the process of getting registered in Mississippi.

He also frequently points to the work of Hope Village For Children Inc., a nonprofit in Meridian that he and his wife launched in 2000 to help children who are neglected or abused. The organization owns five cottages on almost 30 acres of land, where multiple services are offered for children who have been removed from their homes. These services range from emergency shelter while they wait for foster placement or reunion with their family, therapy, classes for older children to learn how to eventually live independently, and psychiatric and psychological assessments.

Records from the Mississippi Secretary of State's office show that the organization has grown steadily over the years, starting off with a little more than $630,000 in its first year in 2001 to almost $4.2 million in the most recently available tax year, 2017. Hope Village's IRS records also show that the organization, which in 2016 employed nearly 200 people, raised its operating budget from a combination of donations, government grants and fees.

Sherman believes he has a proven track record of success as a deal maker will come in handy if he is elected to the Senate. In 2000, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Sherman sold his $40 million CD storage product company, Roundhouse Inc., to Targus, today a leading manufacturer of laptop bags and tablet cases. The details of the deal were not disclosed to the public, but the newspaper reported Sherman and his colleagues at Roundhouse received payment in stock and cash.

Targus later sued Sherman in Massachusetts state court, arguing that Sherman had not "accurately represented Roundhouse's financial condition and resulting stock purchase value." Court documents state that Sherman "countered that Targus had made certain misrepresentations about its financial condition apparently affecting the value of the Targus stock." After an unsuccessful mediation, in 2010, a Massachusetts appeals court affirmed Targus' breach of contract claims against Sherman."

Sherman said he has been a businessman for 39 years and has been involved with or founded over 20 companies during that time.

"There was a dispute about an earn out and that's what happens when you have a dispute, it is resolved in the courts," he said.

Sherman credits his business planning experience in developing several 100 day plans to address healthcare, job creation, education, infrastructure, prison and criminal justice reform and children. The ideas in his 100-day plan "transcend party," he said.

"It sounds sexy, but it's literally what in the private sector we do every day," Sherman told Mississippi Today on The Jungle: Mississippi Today's Election Podcast last week. It's a way to hold himself accountable and lay out exactly what he intends to accomplish, he said.

This plan is what caused Rep. Omeria Scott to throw her support behind Sherman, she said. Days after the primary where she garnered 24 percent of the vote, Scott and Sherman held a press conference in her home town of Laurel to announce her endorsement.

 "It was policy that really drove me towards him, how he was able to articulate all these big areas he felt he could impact," Scott told Mississippi Today. "Those are the things I talked about on the campaign trail, those are the things in Howard's 100-day plan."

This is a skill Sherman says he is confident in. In the business world, people rarely do favors unless it benefits them in some way, he said.

 "It's deal making. I don't want to sound like the president but it's literally having something to offer," Sherman said. "Right now Roger (Wicker) doesn't have anything to offer except 'I will support the president 97 percent of the time.'"

If the voters choose him in the primary and ultimately in November, Sherman believes he can work across the aisle to get things done for Mississippi.

"Yes, we're going to argue about certain things that are polarizing but let's at least make sure our health care is fixed and we've got jobs and people are coming here," Sherman said. "Then we can argue about the emotional issues.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Kayleigh Skinner
kayleigh@mississippitoday.org
Kayleigh Skinner joined the Mississippi Today team in January 2017 as an education and legislative reporter and advanced to a senior staff member in her four years with the company. Before joining Mississippi Today, Kayleigh worked at The Hechinger Report, Chalkbeat Tennessee, and The Commercial Appeal. She has appeared on MSNBC, NPR, and BBC Newsday Radio to discuss her reporting.
More by Kayleigh Skinner
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Riding alone across India is a dream for many Royal Enfield users. Here are some of the steps to have a safe and happy adventure with your solo ride.
The bike ride is an entertaining thing for enthusiasts but it is a risky thing for travelers who want to have a long ride on a Royal Enfield bike across India. One may be an outstanding rider in a group but solo bike ride across India is not a cake walk. One thing that makes you worried about this is what if you meet with an accident and the other thing is what if you are stuck in an inevitable situation. No one wants to lose an adventurous experience out of fear. Here are some precautions you can take before you plan your solo bike ride.
Someone may like to ride on a rented bike or a bike of a friend but if you face unforeseen conditions, you may fall into legal risks if you don't have a bike of your own. Make sure that you have your own vehicle and carry all the required documents belonging to your vehicle before you move on. Take care that you carry license, registration certificate, insurance and photo identity documents during your ride along with you.
Make sure that you have done the servicing before a week and did the test ride for 25-50km within the city before you start your test ride. During the test ride, you can identify any issues with the running and mechanical issues and fix them before your dream ride.
Ensure that you carry both the keys of the vehicle with you. This move will be helpful when you lose your duplicate key or when you left the key inside keeping the vehicle locked.
Some states in India do not allow prepaid mobile connections. Hence take care that you have a postpaid mobile connection and an extra battery and power bank along with you for communication during emergency situations. Be careful that you have your smartphone and battery handy always.
Keep Polaroid sunglasses handy since normal sunglasses cannot prevent the mirage. The mirages may cause glare and accidents in many occasions. Hence, take care to use Polaroid sunglasses while driving. Take a waterproof bag with you to carry important documents, mobile phone, charger, and torch. Take a waterproof cover to cover your vehicle from dampening in emergency situations.
Take care that you have a jacket, leg guard, elbow guard, knee guard and helmet to prevent loss of body parts or serious injuries during accidents. Use metallic guard for your vehicle to prevent any damages, dents, or scratches during inevitable situations like accidents. Take care to cover most of your body parts to save yourself during sun and rain. Use cotton gloves up to your elbows to save from unwanted situations.
Meet your motor mechanic to learn about changing clutch wire, fuse, and chain lock. It is important to learn about changing the flat tyres and other tiny spares during the hour of need.
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The story for today is rather scary. Voice in the dark.
According to the book, there was once a woman called Hannah who wanted to have a baby very much. She went to the House of God to pray. She promised God that if she were given a baby boy, she would give him back to God to serve the Church when he is old enough.
Hannah was granted a baby. She named him Samuel. She loves him very much but she remember her promised to God. When the day came, she brought him to Eli.
At first Samuel was very lonely but he was hardworking. He serve Eli and the church well.
God look down and saw Samuel love him. God saw here is some one who would work for HIM and show people how to be good. Thus, God called out to him when he was sleeping.
As Samuel was dozing off, once again he heard someone called his name. Again he thought it was Eli.
Eli told him he did not call him.
Samuel heard his name called again for the 3rd time. This round, Eli knew. It must be God who is calling Samuel. That time no iPhone nor Blackberry mah. God cannot text Samuel.
This round Eli told Samuel if he heard the voice calling him again, to baling a kasut at it! No la...actually he was told to answer "Speaks, Lord, for your servant hears you."
Wow...Samuel was really stunned. Didn't expect God to be calling him. This round he answered as advised by Eli. God told him many things. Samuel grew up to be a great man and a great preacher but he never forgets the night that God calls out to him.
The moral of this story is to be ready when God calls.
But then if you are of other religion, Mamarazzi heard that if you hears a voice calling you in the middle of the night, you had better not answer.
There is a story that say, voices in the night are ghosts. If you answer them, they will follow you and enter your body. Scary.
another bedtime story for smallkucing...bet he sleeps soundly now! yeah, dun anyhow pandang belakang when heard people called u middle of the night.
Aunty Cleff often hears voices in the night... Probably not from the same source, must be from the other side. Muahahahahaha!!!!
Haha... Thanks for sharing such nice story! Remember last week news, those American ghost busters were hit by the train because they thought that was a ghost train when they heard the voice in the night!
Ishhhhhhhh.... cilaka ur Mamarazzi... gv people goosebumps... last nite Auntie read this... eee... creepy...Auntie always hear 'voices too'... but entah from dono where... tuuu.... Cikgu oso kno. LOL!
Ya...Malaysia also have a similar show. I think it's called "Seeker" .
Frankly, I still very much prefer watching that 'ghost adventure'! Guess, have to wait till next season! Btw, my favourite show was 'ghost whisper' and also waiting for the next coming season.
Mamarazzi very "chicken" punya. Dare not watch horror shows. Watched 1 episode of the Seeker already scared.


NEW ERA G ALL STARS PLAYING MATS!
Stamayo Studio, LLC is coming out with original playing mats for New Era G All Stars. These mats will give players a better understanding of where cards go in each zone. The back up deck is not mentioned on the mats as it is always in the center of the game for each player to draw from it.


Consumer Action has provided a submission to the Senate Economics Committee inquiry on the Treasury Laws Amendment (Prohibited Energy Market Misconduct Bill) 2018. We support the Bill, which will allow for appropriate responses to misconduct or consumer harm identified as part of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission's ongoing electricity price monitoring inquiry.
That information sharing powers should allow the sharing of information with state regulators.


At STEM for Kids we strive to engage campers in the various applications of STEM while giving them a unique, industry perspective. Thanks to the to NASA Solar System Ambassador program, we are able to go above and beyond our normal business mindset.
Solar System Ambassador, Marc Fusco.
Raleigh's new 2013 Ambassador, Marc Fusco will be coming to STEM for Kids' North Raleigh location next week during our robotics camp to talk to campers about space technology and help them understand the applications of robots in space exploration. We are very excited to have Mr. Fusco with us next week and even more excited about giving our kids this type of opportunity.
Fusco will be speaking sometime next week (July 29-Aug. 2) in our North Raleigh Location at our Robotics camp. More details to come.
Campers in Cary's Civil Engineering Camp collaborating on building weight bearing, newspaper bridges.
As we have hit the ground running this summer, I had suggested SFK start a STEM Coach blog posting. This could be a way for parents to get a brief recap of the topics covered in their child's week while also getting some feedback and opinion from the coaches.
This week I was exploring "strong and stable" structures in Cary's Civil Engineering Camp. Throughout the week, we had campers from all grade levels determining the definition of "strong and stable." Campers learned the concept of gravity and its effect on the buildings they see every day, as well as the impact various shapes have on civil structures. Using this same understanding, campers saw different examples of bridges and how they work.
Some of the different projects included building truss bridges, constructing skyscrapers on a budget, and crafting bridges out of newspaper. These hands-on activities reinforce how shapes and various forces impact different structures. If you don't believe me, I had a parent come in one morning and tell me that their child had explained to them while driving into camp that truss bridges are "strong and stable, because the triangles used to build them."
But putting the formal learning aside, campers engaged in an even more important skill--collaboration. Throughout the week campers had to work together in group to construct their structures. This gives them all a common goal and interest. When this happens campers (on their own) begin communicating with their peers about relevant civil engineer topics. From there the conversations expand to the structures they see everyday.
An important common core standard being emphasized to educators is the ability for their students to discuss "relevant topics" in whatever grade level they are in. That is exactly what transpired during this week of camp. Pre-schoolers talking with fourth graders about the way arch bridge distribute weight is a very weird conversation to overhear. However, it demonstrated their understanding.
On the end of the week surveys each camper takes, many of them commented that they enjoyed "making new friends," or learned "how to make friends." This networking component made this camp even more relevant to campers' lives. So after many hot glue gun experiences (solely on my part), campers left with a better appreciation of the structures around them as well as the importance to communicate and work together.


first record was made.So the first CD "Bleeding Wounds" was released in 2001.
EP "Big Block Damnation" was released in October 2009.
lots of gigs has been confirmed and tons of bands we got to know.
shoot and can be watched at You Tube.
SOUNDPLANT STUDIOS to get our new slow tunes professionally recorded.
on vinyl. Meanwhile we share it on Bandcamp and Soundcloud as online promotion.
There will be a cool videoclip on our YouTube Channel soon to promote the EP.


Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the most frequently encountered pathogens in humans but its differentiation from closely related but less pathogenic streptococci remains a challenge.
This report describes a newly-developed PCR assay (Spne-PCR), amplifying a 217 bp product of the 16S rRNA gene of S. pneumoniae, and its performance compared to other genotypic and phenotypic tests.
The new PCR assay designed in this study, proved to be specific at 57°C for S. pneumoniae, not amplifying S. pseudopneumoniae or any other streptococcal strain or any strains from other upper airway pathogenic species. PCR assays (psaA, LytA, ply, spn9802-PCR) were previously described for the specific amplification of S. pneumoniae, but psaA-PCR was the only one found not to cross-react with S. pseudopneumoniae.
Spne-PCR, developed for this study, and psaA-PCR were the only two assays which did not mis-identify S. pseudopneumoniae as S. pneumoniae. Four other PCR assays and the AccuProbe assay were unable to distinguish between these species.
Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the most pathogenic bacteria involved in human disease , causing bronchitis, pneumonia, as well as life-threatening meningitis and bloodstream infections . Culture-based methods are usually applied to detect S. pneumoniae from patient samples and to differentiate it from other less pathogenic viridans streptococci, frequently encountered in respiratory samples. Differentiation is also important with regard to resistance testing, since different antibiotic susceptibility breakpoints are applied for S. pneumoniae with regard to other viridans species . Culture-based identification methods usually rely on optochin susceptibility, agglutination and bile-solubility, sometimes confirmed by specific probes (Accuprobe™, Genprobe) .
However, straightforward phenotypic identification of pneumococci is hampered by the occurrence of optochin resistant S. pneumoniae variants [5–8] and. In addition, closely related S. pseudopneumoniae is difficult to distinguish from S. pneumoniae and is e.g. positive with AccuProbe as well .
It is of clinical relevance to rapidly and specifically detect S. pneumoniae. Therefore several PCR assays have been developed over the past decades [9–14].
This study compared the specificity of four published S. pneumoniae PCR assays to that of a new approach, based on the 16S rRNA gene. One novelty of this approach regards the in-silico design of specific primers using published Streptococcus sequences, filtered for quality and annotation-reliability by profile-based methods (SmartGene, Zug, Switzerland). The approach used by this program relies on a systematic analysis of all published 16S rRNA gene sequences for all streptococci (and closely related organisms), using sequence profiles to eliminate obviously incomplete or erroneous submissions, which could induce wrong alignments.
Sequences with a likely incorrect annotation (shown by low match scores to other sequences of the same species), with unexpected deletions/insertions, or with non useful annotations (e.g. "uncultured") were excluded, since they could induce misleading alignments. Thus, the most representative 16S rRNA sequences were determined for each species. Such a database of representative sequences was used to align closely related streptococcal species to identify specific positions in the 16S rRNA gene for the purpose of species-specific identification. Once these positions were identified, general searches on relevant published sequences of S. pneumoniae and closely related relatives confirmed the consistency of the sequence pattern found. This method helped to detect discriminative species-specific sequence patterns for S. pneumoniae and S. pseudopneumoniae, thus saving time and effort through reduction of non-specific results in wet-lab testing.
A total of 73 streptococcal strains were analyzed in this study, as listed in Table 1, i.e. 8 reference strains of Streptococcus mitis  and seven reference strains of S. oralis , including three reference strains and the type strain; 19 strains of S. pneumoniae, including two reference strains and the type strain and including 10 optochin resistant strains, for which it was concluded in a previous study  that these were genuine S. pneumoniae. In addition, a total of 30 optochin resistant pneumococcus-like streptococci already well-characterized in an earlier study , were also included. Finally, the type strain, two reference strains and one clinical strain of S. pseudopneumoniae  were included. A total of 12 isolates belonging to the species Haemophilus influenzae (NCTC 8143T), Moraxella catarrhalis (ATCC 25238T and clinical isolate VG S86 0025), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 29213 and NCTC 08530), S. epidermidis (CCM2 124T and CNRS N860069), Streptococcus agalactiae (LMG 14694T), S. anginosus (LMG 14502T), S. gallolyticus (LMG 16802T), S. mutans (LMG 14558T) and S. pyogenes (LMG 14237), i.e. species also present in the upper airway tract and/or other Streptococcus species, were used to test the specificity of primer set Spne1-Spne2Rb. In addition, S. parasanguinis (LMG 14537T and LMG 14538) and S. sanguinis (LMG 14656, LMG 14657 and LMG 14702T) isolates were used to test the specificity of primer set Spne1-Spne2Rb.
a: oR: optochin resistant, C: capsule, A: AccuProbe.
b: CCUG: Culture Collection of the University of Göteborg, Sweden; KTL: National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland; LMG: LMG, Laboratorium voor Microbiologie, Gent Culture Collection.
DNA-extraction was carried out by alkaline lysis as described previously . always starting from one colony.
The amplification reactions were performed as described previously , with minor modifications. Briefly, amplification was performed in a reaction mixture of 10 μl, containing 5 μl PCR GoTaqGreen Mix (Promega Benelux, Leiden, the Netherlands), 2 μM of each of the forward primer spn9802-143F and the reverse primer spn9802-304R and 1 μl of the DNA extract. The following thermal cycling profile was applied, using a Veriti™ Thermal Cycler (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, Ca.): initial denaturation at 94°C for 2 min, then 25 cycles consisting of 94°C for 10 sec, 58°C for 15 sec and 72°C for 1 min, followed by a final extension step at 72°C for 5 min. All PCR products were electrophoresed in 2% agarose gels and stained with ethidium bromide.
Extensive data-mining using commercial software (Integrated Database Network System IDNS™, SmartGene, Zug, Switzerland), which allows rapid screening of validated published sequences of species of interest against other closely related species was used to design primers for the specific amplification of S. pneumoniae. Primers were designed to match exactly 2 positions within the 16S rRNA gene, which allow to distinguish S. pneumoniae from S. pseudopneumoniae (Figure 1).
Sequence and position of the primers, newly developed in this study, specific for amplification of S. pneumoniae , and the homologous sequences for the S. mitis group species.
Gradient Spne-PCR results for six S. pneumoniae and two S. pseudopneumoniae isolates. M: marker (100 basepair ladder); lanes 1-6: S. pneumoniae isolates STR235 (lane 1), STR236 (lane 2), STR237 (lane 3), STR239 (lane 4), STR144 (lane 5), STR147 (lane 6); lanes 7-8:S. pseudopneumoniae isolates STR269 (lane 7) and STR157 (lane 8).
The cycling parameters were 94°C for 2 min, followed by 30 cycles of 10 sec at 94°C, 15 sec at 57°C, 1 min at 72°C, and final extension at 72°C for 5 min. The indicated primers are amplifying a 217 bp product of the 16S rRNA gene of S. pneumoniae.
Other PCR assays, i.e. ply- , psaA-  and lytA-PCR  were described previously .
Published streptococcal and other 16S rRNA sequences were extracted from EMBL using proprietary extraction methods based on sequence profiles and annotation searches; representative sequences for each species were determined using a proprietary algorithm developed by SmartGene for bacterial 16S rRNA sequences (SmartGene IDNS™ Bacteria Module). Sequences were analyzed and compared using search and alignment functions of the IDNS™ Bacteria Module of SmartGene. Results were exported as CLUSTAL-A or FASTA files for further analysis.
Previously we reported on encapsulation, AccuProbe hybridization and psaA, lytA and ply-PCR results for a collection of 49 optochin resistant alpha-hemolytic streptococcal isolates, suspected of being atypical pneumococci . We concluded that for some strains identification problems continue to exist, despite the application of combined genotypic and phenotypic tests and we found psaA-PCR to be the most specific genotypic technique for the identification of genuine pneumococci and optochin resistant pneumococci. In addition, in this study, 16S rRNA gene based primers Spne1 and Spne2Rb (Spne-PCR) were designed to amplify S. pneumoniae isolates and we tested these primers for specific amplification of S. pneumoniae using the same, previously well-studied selection of isolates , to which three S. pseudopneumoniae and two S. parasanguinis isolates were added. Also, we tested the specificity of a PCR assay, i.e. spn9802-PCR , that was described in the meantime for amplification of S. pneumoniae.
All five PCR assays were negative for seven commonly found respiratory tract species, for 8 S. mitis group isolates, for 7 S. oralis isolates and for the 19 optochin R streptococcal isolates for which we had already concluded in the previous study  that they were non S. pneumoniae. In addition, Spne-PCR was negative for the three S. sanguinis and the two S. parasanguinis isolates.
All five PCR assays were positive for the nine optochin susceptible S. pneumoniae isolates included and for the ten optochin resistant streptococci, which had been considered as S. pneumoniae already, based on the PCR results from our previous study (Table 1).
Thus far, all five PCR assays were found to be equally specific. However, for a total of 11 optochin R streptococcal isolates, designated during the previous study as group IIa and group IIb, four were positive with lytA-PCR, nine with ply-PCR and Spn9802-PCR (9), whereas none of these isolates yielded a positive result when tested with psaA-PCR and Spne-PCR.
The S. pseudopneumoniae type strain CCUG 49455T, the two S. pseudopneumoniae reference isolates CCUG 48465 and CCUG 50866, and one optochin-resistant pneumococcus-like isolate (KTL079) were positive with lytA-PCR, ply-PCR and spn9802-PCR, but negative with Spne-PCR and psaA-PCR. Sequence determination of the 16S rRNA gene (accession number: FJ827123) identified this clinical isolate unambiguously as S. pseudopneumoniae. This isolate was also positive with AccuProbe (Table 1).
Several primer sets have been described for the species specific amplification of S. pneumoniae. However, in our hands, the primer sets lytA [18, 19], ply  and spn9208 , were found to amplify strains of S. pseudopneumoniae as well. Also the commercial AccuProbe hybridization assay yielded a false positive result for the single S. pseudopneumoniae isolate that was tested by others  and for one strain (KTL079) that was tested by us in our previous study .
The PCR-assay Spne-PCR, described here, is specific for S. pneumoniae, without cross-reactivity to the four S. pseudopneumoniae strains tested. The differentiation of S. pneumoniae from S. pseudopneumoniae is important since the pathogenic potential of S. pneumoniae is far higher than that of S. pseudopneumoniae. The clinical relevance of S. pseudopneumoniae has not yet been established, although it may be associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease .
In addition, the advantage of a specific PCR test on the basis of the 16S rRNA gene is that there are several copies of this gene, i.e. 5 to 6 in other Streptococcus species  and 4 copies in the fully sequenced genome of S. pneumoniae R6 (AE007317), thus possibly enhancing sensitivity when this PCR is applied for the direct detection and identification of S. pneumoniae in clinical samples.
In addition, 16S rRNA gene sequencing is a standard method in microbial taxonomy and can be applied directly on the amplified products of this PCR assay to to help resolve potentially ambiguous results.
Spne-PCR, described here, and psaA-PCR  were the only two out of 5 PCR assays tested, which did not misidentify S. pseudopneumoniae as S. pneumoniae. The approach using representative sequences rather than unfiltered data from Genbank enabled us to select the correct sites for reliable species differentiation out of less relevant and consistent variations and allowed us to design highly specific primers. Future studies should enable us to develop an assay specifically for S. pseudopneumoniae and a real-time, multiplex assay for rapid discrimination of the most important viridans streptococci in bacterial cultures or patient samples.
Nabil Abdullah El Aila is indebted for a PhD Research funded by BOF-DOS of the University of Ghent-Belgium. Pieter Deschaght is indebted for a PhD Research funded by the IWT (Belgium). BOF-DOS or IWT were not involved in the development of the study design, the collection, analysis, and interpretation of the data, in the writing of the report nor in the decision to submit the paper for publication.
NAE, SE, RV and MV participated in the development of the study design, the analysis of the study samples, the collection, analysis and interpretation of the data, and in the writing of the report. TK, TDB, BS, EA and PD participated in the analysis of the study samples and interpretation of the data. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.