Free crochet doily patterns like this are just stunning.
Decorate your tables, use them as coasters, sew them on to a shirt. These doilies from DMC Threads are great free crochet patterns and the pineapple pattern really adds to the embellishment. This would make a nice wedding gift.
Doily: Ch 6 and join with sl st to form a ring.
Rnd 1: Ch 1, (sc in ring, ch 10) 7 times, sc in ring, ch 4, join with dtr to first sc -8 loops.
Rnd 2: Sl st in loop just formed, ch 6 for first dc and ch 3, dc in same loop, * ch 4, (dc, ch 3, dc) in next ch-10; repeat from * around, end ch 4, join with sl st to 3rd ch of starting ch-6.
Rnd 3: Sl st in next ch-3, ch 3 for first dc, (dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in same ch-3,*ch 2, sc in ch- 4, ch 2**, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in ch-3; repeat from* around, end last repeat at **, join.
Rnd 4: Sl st to next ch-2, ch 3 for first dc, (2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in same ch-2,*ch 3, sc in sc, ch 3, skip 2 dc**, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next ch-2; repeat from * around, end last repeat at **, join.
Rnd 5: Sl st to next ch-2, ch 4 for first tr, (tr, ch 3, 2 tr) in same ch-2,*ch3, (dc, ch 5, dc) in ch-3, ch 3, skip 3 dc **, (2 tr, ch 3, 2 tr) in ch-2; repeat from * around, end last repeat at **, join.
Rnd 6: Sl st to next ch-3, ch 4 for first tr, (tr, ch 3, 2 tr) in same ch-3,* ch 3, 9 tr in ch-5 (base of pineapple) , ch 3, skip 2 tr **,( 2 tr, ch 3, 2 tr) in next ch-3; repeat from * around, end last repeat at **,join.
Rnd 7: Sl st to ch-3, ch 4 for first tr, (tr, ch 3, 2 tr) in same ch-3, * ch 3, skip last 2 tr of group, working across pineapple (tr in next tr, ch 1) 8 times, tr in next tr, ch 3**, skip first 2 tr of next group, (2 tr, ch 3, 2 tr) in ch- 3; repeat from *around, end last repeat at **, join.
Rnd 8: Sl st to ch-3, ch 4 for first tr, (tr, ch 3, 2 tr) in same ch -3, * ch 3, across pineapple (ch 3, sc in next ch-1), 7 times , ch 3 **, skip 2 tr, ( 2 tr, ch 3, 2 tr) in ch-3; repeat from * around, end last repeat at **, join.
Rnd 10: Sl st to next ch-3, ch 4 for first tr, (2tr, ch 2, tr, ch 3, tr, ch 2, 3 tr) in same ch- 3,* ch 5, across pineapple sc in next ch-3, (ch 3, sc in next ch 3) 5 times , ch 5 **, (3 tr, ch 2, tr, ch 3, tr, ch 2, 3 tr) in ch-3 ; repeat from * around , end last repeat at **, join.
Rnd 11: Sl st to next ch-2, ch 4 for first tr, (2 tr, ch 2, 2 tr ) in same ch -2, *ch 2, 5 tr in next ch-3, ch 2, (2 tr, ch 2, 3 tr) in next ch- 2, ch 5, across pineapple sc in next ch-3, (ch 3, sc in next ch-3) 4 times , ch 5**, (3 tr, ch 2, 2 tr) in next ch-2; repeat from * around, end last repeat at **, join.
Rnd 12: Sl st to next ch-2, ch 4 for first tr,(2 tr, ch 3, 2 tr) in same ch-2, *ch 2, (2 tr, ch 2, tr) in next ch-2, ch 2, (tr in next tr, ch 1) 4 times, tr in next tr, ch 2, (tr, ch 2, 2 tr) in next ch-2, ch 2, (2 tr, ch 3, 3 tr) in next ch-2, ch 5, across pineapple sc in next ch-3, (ch 3, sc in next ch-3) 3 times, ch 5 **,(3 tr, ch 3, 2 tr) in next ch-2; repeat from * around, end last repeat at **, join.
Rnd 13: Sl st to next ch-3, ch 4 for first tr, (2 tr, ch 3, 3 tr) in same ch-3,*ch 3, skip ch- 2, ( 3 tr , ch 2, 2 tr) in next ch-2, ch 5, skip ch-2, sc in ch-1, ch 5 , skip two ch-1, sc in next ch-1, ch 5, skip ch-2, (2 tr, ch 2, 3 tr) in next ch-2, ch 3, skip ch-2,(3 tr, ch 3, 3 tr ) in next ch-3, ch 5, across pineapple sc in next ch-3,(ch 3, sc in next ch-3) 2 times, ch 5**,(3 tr, ch 3, 3 tr) in ch-3 ; repeat from * around, end last repeat at **, join.
Rnd 14: Sl st to ch-3, ch 4 for first tr, (2 tr, ch 3, 3 tr) in same ch-3,*ch 3, sc in ch-3, ch 3, (3 tr, ch 3, 3 tr ) in next ch-2, ch 5,skip ch- 5 (tr, ch 1) 3 times in next ch-5, tr in same ch-5, ch 5 skip ch-5, ( 3 tr, ch 3, 3 tr) in next ch-2, ch3, sc in ch-3, ch 3,(3 tr, ch 3, 3 tr) in next ch-3, ch 5, across pineapple sc in next ch-3, ch 3 , sc in next ch-3, ch 5 **, (3 tr, ch 3, 3 tr) in next ch-3; repeat from * around, end last repeat at **, join.
Rnd 15: Sl st to next ch-3, ch 4 for first tr,( 2 tr, ch 3, 3 tr) in same ch-3,* ch 5, sc in sc, ch 5, skip 3 tr, (3 tr, ch 3, 3 tr) in next ch-3, ch 3, sc in ch-5, ( ch 3, sc in ch-1) 3 times, ch 3 , sc in ch-5, ch 3, (3 tr, ch 3, 3 tr) in next ch-3, ch 5, sc in next sc, ch 5, skip 3 tr, (3 tr, ch 3, 3 tr) in next ch-3, ch 5, sc in next ch-3, at top of pineapple, ch 5 **,( 3tr, ch 3, 3 tr) in next ch-3; repeat from * around, end last repeat at **, join.
Rnd 16: Sl st to next ch-3, sc in ch-3,*ch 5, sc in next ch-5, ch 3, sc in next ch-5, ch 5,(3 tr, ch 3, 3 tr ) in next ch-3, ch 5, sc in next ch-3,( ch 3, sc in next ch-3) 5 times, ch 5, ( 3 tr, ch 3, 3 tr) in next ch-3 , ch 5, sc in ch-5, ch 3, sc in next ch-5, ch 5 sc in next ch-3, ch 2 over pineapple**, sc in next ch-3; repeat from * around, end last repeat at **, join.
Rnd 17: Sl st to center of next ch-5, sc in same ch-5, *( 3 tr, ch 3, 3 tr ) in next ch-3, sc in ch-5, ch 5, (3 tr, ch 3, 3 tr) in next ch-3, ch 5, sc in ch-5, (ch 3, sc in next loop) 6 times, ch 5, (3 tr, ch 3, 3 tr) in next ch-3, ch 5, sc in ch-5, (3 tr, ch 3,3 tr) in ch-3, sc in ch-5, ch 3, sc in ch-2 over pineapple, ch 3 **, sc in next ch-5; repeat from *around, end last repeat at **, join. Fasten off.
Starch lightly. Pin to measurements and allow to dry completely.
Are you an experienced enough crocheter to complete this project, or do you need to start with an easier doily first?
Dear pattern writer or Editor, there seems to be a typo in Round 5. The cluster (dc, ch 5, dc) looks like it should be made in the sc between the two sets of 3chs from R4.
I'm just going to leave this one to the pros. I'm super intimidated. Also, I don't REALLY know how to crochet. lol. This looks super pretty, though, and I'd love to see everyone's finished product.
Hello Just wondering if I could make an afghan out of a bunch of these doilies? I think it would be pretty, but would the connections be ok?
Thank you. I just finished this pattern today and it come out beautiful. This was my first doily and your pattern was easy for me to follow and gives me confidence to attempt others.
Thread crochet patterns are elegant delicate designs I prefer. This pineapple doily is perfectly beautiful and in a class by itself. I plan to attempt to crochet when I have completed the projects I am doing now. I have made several pineapple doilies, this one is quite different. The instructions are easy to follow and I love the finished look!
I am in process of making this doily and think the error begins at RND 8. If you REPEAT 7 times instead of 8 and each row after ONE LESS REPEAT it seems to work out. I have about 3 rows to go and so far the pineapple actually looks like a pineapple.
The error begins in RND 8 which should read "7 times" not 8 times and RND 9 which should read "6 times" not "times" after that the pineapple looks like a pineapple. I also feel there is an error in RND 10 beginning () to conform to end it should be "2tr, ch 2, tr, ch 3, tr, ch 2, 3 tr). I have finished the doily and those changes work just fine.
One possibility for making it a bit larger would be to use a hook one or two sizes larger. That may be obvious to some, not so much to others. I suspect the crocheter who asked the question wanted to make this MUCH bigger. I agree, amount of thread needed and finished size should have been included in directions.
Does anyone happen to know the size of this doily? Thanks, it would help a lot.
350 yards of material and it measured 14" across.
I love doilies. They make a home look so inviting. Knitting just does not look as good as crochet. I vote for crochet.
Beautiful. thanks for posting the size mem14523. I prefer written instructions to graphs but probably because that's how I learned. It took me years to learn to use a graph pattern and though I can read one now still prefer the written out instructions.
Doesn't anyone find it frustrating that the pattern does not specify how many balls to get or how many yards would be adequate?
I have seen patterns in larger sizes in the stores(Joann's, Michael's, Walmart's) but not on this site. Or you could check the leisure.com website. They publish most of he little booklets on crocheting you see in the stores. Unfortunately, none are free.
Finished size=Size About 17 in diameter. The designer DMC does not have a chart or larger image for this pattern. Apologies!
I must agree that it would be much easier to create this doily if there was a graph pattern along with the printed instructions. I have always loved the pineapple pattern .. I recently crocheted a scarf that was in the pineapple pattern.. and there again, it was much easier to do with the graph pattern to go by.
It would be easier to work this pattern from a chart.
I agree with the readers comment above. Could the doily be made bigger? One other comment is the finished size should be included. I can follow a pattern pretty good , but adding rows without instructions would be difficult depending on the pattern. My Mother could make up her own patterns but that's beyond me.


The documentary Pardons of Innocence: The Wilmington Ten screens at Jengo's Playhouse. Panel conversation follows with director and producer Cash Michaels, and others.
Dead Crow Comedy Room in downtown Wilmington, NC, presents live standup with Dan St. Germain, who has a half-hour special on Comedy Central. Schedule subject to change. SHOWTIMES: 7 and 9:30pm.


A number of diseases can be screened for in those people at risk. This page lists a number of such conditions.
The recommendations are all those endorsed by national, relevant organisations such as the NHMRC.
Click the relevant topic and you will be taken to the related information.


There are countless multilevel marketing companies available to join, so how do you make the decision of which MLM program will be the best for you? Your choice of the best MLM network marketing company to join will be different from every other person, so what are some critical elements you need to consider before joining an MLM company?
There are thousands of MLM network marketing companies – some of which have been around for decades and others are brand new. Long term success in a network marketing company presupposes that the company is going to be around for years to come. The last thing that you want is to invest a lot of time and effort into a company that ends up going bankrupt or closing its doors.
In just the past four years alone, the Kyani MLM program has entered over 50 different countries and is still rapidly expanding into Asia, Europe and Latin America. At this point Kyani is not yet available in Africa, but with demand and key entrepreneurial people, expansion into Africa is quite possible.
One of the most appealing factors to me when I joined Kyani was the fact that I could literally build an international business. With Kyani, you are able to sponsor downline distributors in any of the 50 plus countries that are open for business.
With Kyani, your MLM network is your foundation for success. If you were to join my Kyani International Team, you would find that we have proprietary training for this team only that will prepare you with product knowledge, and unique offline and online marketing opportunities. Many other network marketers with companies other than Kyani find that their upline sponsors have high expectations for them to recruit their friends and family members… My Kyani International Team approach is the complete opposite. We want you to prospect to a cold market and develop customers and sponsors out of people you do not know first. Then over time, as your friends and family see that you are successful, they will likely ask to try the Kyani products and even join your Kyani downline.
If you aren't willing to work hard and potentially risk rejection and fail, and if you don't have a product or service that you use yourself, you aren't going to be very effective at promoting your business and your prospects will know. The best MLM system to choose is the one that naturally compliments your life and instead of selling you find yourself excited to be sharing products like Kyani because you know they will positively enhance your prospect's well being.
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Providing essential services during Covid-19: Spotlight on Ross Road Clinic, Sierra Leone
At the entrance of Ross Road Community Health Centre (CHC), a Peripheral Health Unit (PHU) in the East End of Freetown, Sierra Leone, stands a pedal-operated handwashing station. A clinic member of staff wearing a mask branded "Corona na wi all fet" ("Corona is our fight") checks each visitor's temperature with a thermometer.
All health care workers wear masks and strictly observe all Covid-19 (Corona Virus Disease 2019) health protocols. This has become the new normal at the Ross Road CHC during the pandemic. The woman at the helm of this CHC is Rose Patricia Stevens, a Community Health Officer (CHO) who joined Ross Road CHC four years ago.
Ross Road CHC is supported by the Western Area Urban District Health Management Team and the NGO Concern Worldwide, as part of the UNITE consortium under the Saving Lives in Sierra Leone (SLiSL) programme. SLiSL is a five-year programme funded by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), which aims to end the preventable deaths of mothers, adolescents and children in Sierra Leone, while building towards resilient universal health coverage.
On a quarterly basis the SLiSL programme conducts joint field visits to provide FCDO, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) and implementing partners with first-hand experience of relevant aspects of the health system, in order to deepen their contextual understanding. It is also an opportunity to pay direct attention to specific issues, such as maternal death surveillance and response (MDSR), supply chain, family planning, medical devices, and provide opportunities for brainstorming solutions to challenges and bottlenecks.
This joint visit was focused on maintenance of essential health services in the Western Urban District during COVID-19 pandemic and included a visit to Ross Road CHC. The Ross Road CHC was used a case to illustrate how essential health service delivery was affected at the PHU level. During this visit, Rose Stevens presented the CHC's strategies to mitigate risks posed by Covid-19 while maintaining the delivery of routine health services.
Left: Rose Stevens (in green top) giving SLiSL a tour of the CHC. Right: The maternity ward at the CHC
At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the District Health Management Team (DHMT) Western Area Urban invited Rose and other health workers to attend sensitisation training at the DHMT headquarters in Cline Town. During the session, the health workers received information on appropriate Covid-19 health measures including the importance of handwashing and wearing masks. Health workers also received training on how to screen patients, encourage social distancing and use the Covid-19 emergency hotline (117) to report suspected cases.
The training helped Rose to implement efficient handwashing practices and mandatory wearing of face masks for all staff and patients at her CHC. At the CHC, there are strategically placed information, education and communication materials on handwashing methods and instructions on mask wearing. This has helped patients and staff to receive accurate information about staying safe during the pandemic.
The SLiSL clinical mentorship programme has also proven to be helpful in easing the burden of work on Rose. Mentors from the UNITE SLiSL consortium partners in Western Area Urban district (Concern Worldwide, Marie Stopes) visit the CHC regularly to provide targeted clinical mentorship and on-the-job training to staff.
These mentors help healthcare workers to strengthen their knowledge and skills on lifesaving reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH) competencies while integrating appropriate Covid-19 prevention measures.
Rose has faced significant challenges in running the clinic during the pandemic. For example, at the onset of the crisis many patients were reluctant to come to the CHC to access care as they were fearful that they might contract Covid-19. Rose decided to work with Community Health Workers (CHWs) to mobilise and sensitise the community by sharing accurate information about Covid-19 safety measures in place at Ross Road CHC. As community members within the catchment area of the CHC perceive CHWs as trusted bearers of information, this engagement strategy proved to be successful in increasing the patient volume over time for routine health services.
The CHC also faces several infrastructural challenges which impede routine service delivery. For example, Rose explains: "The incinerator at the clinic is broken, and it will be a challenge to get it repaired." She pays SLL 10,000 (approximately USD 1) daily for the municipal waste management tricycle to collect waste at the clinic.
This is a financial burden as this money comes out of her own pocket and makes proper waste disposal at the CHC difficult. The CHC also struggles with an irregular power supply, so Rose buys LED lights to use during power outages in the evenings and at night when they are often conducting deliveries and attending to accident emergencies.
Despite these challenges, Rose oversees the CHC with fortitude and an optimistic can-do attitude. Supervising over 40 staff, she continues to support and mentor them on record-keeping and patient screening, while also overseeing all activities at the clinic, including consultations with patients.
A human interest story from the Monitoring, Evidence, Learning and Review (MELR) component of FCDO Saving Lives in Sierra Leone (SLiSL) and the UNITE consortium/ Concern World Wide
Read more about the Saving Lives in Sierra Leone (SLiSL) programme

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Black Hills gold jewelry is a style of jewelry founded in the late 1800's in South Dakota; it's said the original designer came up with the idea through a dream during a time of starvation! The design of this ring is classic Black Hills gold, with the bi-color rose and yellow gold, along with the intricate leaf grapevine design. This ring has the hallmark for Riddle's jewelry, one of the most well-know Black HIlls gold jewelry manufacturers.
It's a well made and beautiful piece, particularly with the way in which the vines and leaves wrap around each other, with the gleaming diamond in the center. This would make for a lovely alternative engagement ring for the nature, wine or Southwestern lover.
HISTORY: It's difficult to date the time period for this ring, as the look of Black Hills Gold pieces haven't changed a lot over the years. This is definitely a more modern piece, given the round brilliant diamond and the overall look (and copyright symbol), but beyond that it's impossible to date it exactly. This ring appears to have the hallmark and copyright for Riddle's jewelry, based in South Dakota.
MATERIALS: 10k rose and yellow gold, diamond.
SIZE: Ring size 7. The width of the ring on the top measures 5/16". The ring weighs 3.05 g. The diamond is an estimated .11 ct.
CONDITION: Beautiful condition. The band is still thick and the design intact and crisp.
A wonderful piece, particularly for the nature lover!


The joke was posted on Twitter on June 22, 2011, and has been printed on several images.
The Jedi /ˈdʒɛˌdaɪ/ are the main protagonists in the Star Wars universe. They are depicted as an ancient monastic, academic, meritocratic and paramilitary organization whose origin dates back to c. 25,000 BBY (Before Battle of Yavin; the destruction of the first Death Star).
The Jedi Order mostly consists of polymaths: teachers, philosophers, scientists, engineers, physicians, diplomats and warriors, who value knowledge and wisdom above nationality. By serving others, the Jedi give of themselves through acts of charity, citizenship, and volunteerism. A Jedi's ideology and strict way of life as a worthwhile challenge to live up to is a recurring theme in the Star Wars universe. Their traditional weapon is the lightsaber, a device which generates a blade-like plasma controlled by a kyber crystal. The fictional organization has inspired a real-world new religious movement, Jediism.
Why did the Jedi cross the road? ...To get to the darkside.


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Funny Car winner Force: 'I am filling a hole in me.'
By SusanWade Feb 13, 2012, 9:42pm EST
Share All sharing options for: Funny Car winner Force: 'I am filling a hole in me.'
John Force rules again at the NHRA's Winternationals. The Funny Car icon won at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Calif., for the sixth time. (Ron Lewis Photo)
POMONA, Calif. -- For many years, John Force was on cruise control in the National Hot Rod Association's Funny Car class.
He won 10 straight championships from 1993 through 2002, strung together 22 seasons with at least one victory, was the first NHRA driver ever to exceed 1,000 round-wins, and qualified at 395 consecutive races.
Then things fell apart for awhile, some of it literally. But after the 15-time champion drove his Castrol GTX High-Mileage Ford Mustang to victory Sunday in the season-opening Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway, he reflected on all the events that had shattered his comfort zone. And he expressed gratitude that it's being repaired.
Force himself fell apart with a crash at the Texas Motorplex in September 2007. He spent weeks in the hospital with agonizing multiple and serious injuries and even more agonizing days in the gym with physical therapy. Just six months before that, he -- and the entire drag-racing community -- had lost popular protégé Eric Medlen after a testing accident in Florida.
All the king's doctors and all the kings' men put Force back together again. But one by one, some of his core employees left.
Championship-winning crew chief Dickie Venables followed Tony Pedregon out the door in 2003, but in the past two years, both Austin Coil and Eric Medlen's 's father, John Medlen -- both pillars of the tech trust -- found other things to do.
"People left for reasons," Force said. "I didn't have a car for John Medlen. Dickie Venables left earlier with Tony [Pedregon] because he wasn't really in line to get his own car."
They're coming back, and Force said that was the key Sunday to his 134th victory and milestone 1,100th round-win as he beat teammate Mike Neff.
"The thing that really mattered to me was getting right," Force said, although he acknowledged that starting the season with the points lead never hurts.
"People don't understand," Force said. "When I lost Eric Medlen, my wreck was just like -- I felt, 'You deserve it. You screwed this thing up so bad you ought to have your arms and legs broke.' But losing Eric was a hole.
"Then when his dad left The Eric Medlen project he started with Ford engineers, it was like . . .'How did I screw this thing up so bad?' [John Medlen] walked into my shop two weeks ago and said, 'I want to come home. This is where my kid is.' I called [Roger] Burgess [of R2B2 Racing, where Medlen was working under contract] on it and he said, 'He needs to be with you, John.'
"I am getting them back, and I am filling a hole in me."
Force's career ledger filled in a gap Sunday, too, as he won the Winternationals for the sixth time. He defeated Alexis De Joria, Tim Wilkerson, and Gary Densham to reach the final round. There he met Neff, his 38th different opponent, who was competing in his 73rd race against Force's 588th.
"I dedicated the trophy to the brain trust: my crew chiefs Jimmy Prock, Mike Neff, Guido [Dean Antonelli], Ron Douglas, Bernie Fedderly, John Medlen, Dickie Venables, Danny [De Gennaro], and Scott Wible," Force said.
"It is amazing how we all pulled together before the final. All my brain trust was working on my Mustang and helping Neff. I knew Neff was going to spank me," he said. "His Castrol hot rod [was] fast all day. We have teamwork, and that is what will win us championships. I have done it before, and maybe we'll do it again.
"We got a group back to the way we used to think and function," he said. "This was a good start."
It could be a long season if Force get a strong foothold.


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All You Need To Know About XBox Gamertag Generator
admin December 6, 2022 December 6, 2022
Your Gamertag might reveal a lot about you. It's not always simple to come up with a unique name for usage in online games that will stick in people's minds. It's helpful for quickly brainstorming a broad variety of unique Gamertags for usage on Xbox and other gaming platforms. A fresh Xbox Gamertag Generator account may be generated using this handy tool. A good username conveys something about its owner, is relevant to the target audience, is easy to remember, and has some originality. Before making a final decision, it's smart to explore many possibilities.
Points to note:
You may get some inspiration for your Gamertag by checking out the ones other people have already chosen. It's a bad idea to choose an Xbox Gamertag Generator that doesn't accurately represent your ability level. A player's Gamertag serves as a kind of online gaming moniker. A video game's tagging system might be either amusing or instructive. In addition, they may make use of the already tags that have been made by other people. Players' GamerTags are now the de facto means of id in multiplayer games; on Xbox One, the GamerTag itself may serve as the game's ID.
Microsoft has removed the limitations on the Xbox name generator, so now you may choose whatever name you want. As a result, Xbox users won't have to settle with a boring handle just because they didn't get their first choice. In the context of online gaming communities, a user's Gamertag serves as a unique identification. Xbox says that with the latest update, Gamertags may be up to Twelve letters long, with the option of a motor extension in the case of Gamertag duplication.
Most Xbox Gamertag Generators include the player's name with a symbol or brief description of the player's personality. The possibilities for clever handles suggested by the program are almost limitless. Using the Xbox name generator, you may think of names for your next Screen name that is inspired by famous people, fictional characters, or even mythical ones. It's easy to come up with a clever Gamertag for the Xbox platform with the aid of a name generator.
For a bid to make your profile stand out from the crowd, using a gamer tag generator is a great idea. An additional perk is that they show the most activity log stream and games played. If your current Gamertag no longer represents who you are, you are free to select a new one whenever you want. For the Xbox, this means a wider variety of Gamertags, including several in countries other than English. Choose a memorable name if you want to be remembered. Leverage the technology at your disposal.
The letters of the alphabet were prioritized above diacritical marks and other symbols. You'll most likely run across Gamertags whether you play on a PS4 or a PC. Creating a memorable Gamertag is an important first step when starting on a new platform or system.
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Mrs. Reynard (Wiggins) visits with her son and Terry (Skarsgard) inside a woman's prison about her future.
Mrs. Reynard (Wiggins) being interviewed by two crooked cops (Pena and Skarsgard) after butchering her husband.
Rebekah portrays the classic Shakespearean heroine, Viola, in this quirky independent comedy. The Merry Maids of Madness places the Shakespearean heroines in a modern day insane asylum.
film noir heroine- rom com about letting go of idealistic visions about romance in exchange for real love.
sci fi- futuristic- contract explanation- people are able to bring their loved ones and heroes back to life for 24 hours.
nurse- "He can't actually talk"
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Quick Study, Guitarist, Singer, Ukulele, Dance (ballet, hip hop, salsa, flamenco, cumbia, Artistic Abilities, Volleyball, Swim, Basketball, British Accent, Spanish Accent, French Accent, Australian Accent, Scottish Accent, Irish Accent, Russian Accent, Improv, Firearms, Horseback riding (western).


China has gained a reputation as "the smoking dragon" due to its rapidly growing tobacco industry and ongoing smoking-related health crisis. The anti-smoking campaign in China, despite daunting challenges and deep-rooted institutional barriers, has the potential—and the unprecedented opportunity—to change the course of the tobacco epidemic within China and in the world.
In his latest monograph Cheng Li drafts a political map of China's tobacco industry and its main stakeholders essential for the next phase of the campaign. On October 25, Li will discuss the key findings in his monograph at Brookings.
The high prevalence of tobacco use in China is not only the country's single most serious public health problem, but also constitutes the ultimate test case for the global tobacco control campaign. While China's remarkable economic growth over the past three decades has been one of the most amazing miracles of our time, the country has also gained a reputation as "the smoking dragon" due to its rapidly growing tobacco industry and ongoing smoking-related health crisis. The anti-smoking campaign in China, despite daunting challenges and deep-rooted institutional barriers, has the potential—and the unprecedented opportunity—to change the course of the tobacco epidemic within China and in the world. The drafting of a political map of China's tobacco industry and its main stakeholders is essential for the next phase of the campaign.


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Real Danger of the UN's Arms Trade Treaty Is in the Interpretation, Not the Text
By Ashton Ellis
Thursday, July 19 2012
Make no mistake: The United Nations Arms Trade Treaty being negotiated by the Obama Administration is a serious threat to Americans' Second Amendment rights, but it's not the actual text that's the most dangerous.
Ever heard of transnational legal theory?
If the Obama Administration gets its way, the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty being negotiated in New York this month could become the kind of international legal document that transnational judges inside the United States will use to gut the Second Amendment.
One of the leading American lawyers in the transnational movement is former Yale Law School dean Harold Koh. While at Yale, Koh published an academic article titled, "Agora: The United States Constitution and International Law: International Law as Part of Our Law." In it, Koh argued that "[in] an interdependent world, United States courts should not decide cases without paying 'a decent respect for the opinions of mankind.'"
By using the phrase, "a decent respect for the opinions of mankind," Koh was quoting an excerpt from the Declaration of Independence. The goal was to justify his belief that United States judges should look to the text and history of other countries' legal documents when interpreting the U.S. Constitution.
But in doing so Koh took the phrase woefully out of context.
The entire sentence reads:
When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect for the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
Anyone familiar with the basics of American history knows that Koh's use of the Declaration is a deliberate misuse of the document's text. When Thomas Jefferson wrote about "a decent respect for the opinions of mankind," he was saying that Americans owed it to the world to explain why they were declaring their independence from Great Britain. And while the Declaration relies on universal laws about human nature to make its case, the fulfillment of the Declaration's theory is enshrined in the Constitution – not in modern pronouncements from foreign powers.
Dr. Ted R. Bromund of the Heritage Foundation adds, "Koh is thus asserting that the document by which the U.S. cut all legal and political ties from Great Britain supports the citation of and reliance upon the legal opinions of foreign courts in the United States and, indeed, that U.S. courts 'should not decide' cases without considering foreign opinions."
Koh's opinion matters because from Yale he became the top legal advisor to the U.S. State Department, the same State Department helping to negotiate the UN's Arms Trade Treaty in New York this month.
One needs look no further than the name of the UN subsidiary pushing the ATT to understand the treaty's ultimate goal. The United Nations Office of Disarmament is oriented toward less gun use, not responsible gun use. Indeed, the prime movers of the ATT for the last decade have been ardent gun control non-governmental organizations like Amnesty International, Oxfam and Control Arms. Their involvement helps ensure that whatever text is included in the ATT will incline sharply against individual gun ownership.
Adding Koh's transnational legal theory to the mix makes the threat to the Second Amendment even worse.
The reason transnational legal theory is so dangerous to America's constitutional system is that all a transnationalist needs to work with is an international legal document that, if applied to the Constitution, would change the Constitution to fit the international norm. It could be a court opinion by a foreign country's highest court. It could be a statement by a United Nations subsidiary. Or, in the case of the ATT, it could be an international treaty that the United States doesn't even sign.
The key for a transnationalist is that so long as an international legal opinion exists, American courts "should not decide cases" before consulting foreign sources.
Thus, under Koh's theory, the Obama Administration could refuse to sign the ATT, and yet American judges and lawyers would still be able to use the treaty as legal authority.
This helps explain why so much of the criticism of the ATT from conservatives like U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS), Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) and the National Rifle Association's Wayne LaPierre has focused on arguing for explicit textual language in the treaty acknowledging a private individual's right to own a gun for the purposes protected by the Second Amendment.
Without such explicit guarantees, it's easy to see how a transnationalist like Koh – himself rumored to be on the shortlist for a federal judgeship – could use the ATT to gut Second Amendment rights.
Let's assume that as expected the ATT results in vague compliance terms with no meaningful enforcement mechanism. When serial cheaters like Iran and Russia violate the intent of the ATT – for example, by arming Hamas or Syria – more UN conferences will be called to further define the terms. To a transnationalist, this statement becomes part of international law.
If an international consensus – however defined – emerges among a bloc of nations or courts that individual gun ownership poses a dangerous risk to national security, then a transnationalist like Koh can argue that American courts should show "a decent respect for the opinions of mankind," and defer to foreign opinions inconsistent with American law.
Combating transnationalist legal theory involves being vigilant at all times in all places. Koh occupies an incredibly influential perch at the State Department. After his service is completed he will no doubt return to an equally influential position in the legal academy. Armed with tenure and financial support from likeminded donors, Koh and his cohorts will continue to bombard judges, attorneys and law students with a method of constitutional interpretation that substitutes foreign opinions for the text and history of the Constitution.
Make no mistake: The United Nations Arms Trade Treaty being negotiated by the Obama Administration is a serious threat to Americans' Second Amendment rights, but it's not the actual text that's the most dangerous. It's the interpretations that are likely to flow from it.


Home » IDEA Answers » What is the current trend in fitness industry for 2013? Is it one that is growing, or mature with little potential for growth?
I think that "functional training" continues to be in vogue. What that term means and how it is applied seems to be continually evolving.
Combat fitness has been developing in popularity a lot over this year and I only see that trend continuing. This year alone I have incorporated training awareness and readiness, should a combative situation arise, for at least 60% more clients than I did in years past. Last year was a heavy rise in this demand as well but has been dwarfed by the number of requests this year. Maybe its the constant televising of combat sports (Like the UFC), or maybe the world just seems more violent... Or maybe the word has spread that my teachings have a precedence?.. Yeah, I like the sound of that. I'm gong with the "Its all cause of me" answer!
the word I hear more and more is 'fascia'. Fascinating for me as a MELT instructor - MELT stands for Myofascial Energetic Length Technique. I have been introduced to MELT 3 years ago at an IDEA convention and became certified the same year.
Even though fascia had been mentioned before by some, it has really taken off in more and more sessions at IDEA World 2012. In addition to MELT, I would give the ViPR training a nod for a new trend for 2013 as well.
I have noticed that trainers are more then just teaching moves. We are considered a friend at a certain point. I also noticed a huge increase in foam roll usage and cross-fit/functional movements.
Efficient, Intelligent workouts that make sense!
The ACSM 2013 trends survey hasn't gone out yet, however, I would guess that one of the trends is exercise programming for the obese.
What I see happening in my area, is people exercising with co-workers before heading home. This is done on a break or soon after clocking out. The person who leads the effort is usually the deciding factor on the activity: biking, yoga, etc.
Note: stay-at-home parents fit into the co-workers group.
Is group exercise growing? Why?


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Interested candidates should Apply Online. The proforma Application will be available on Commission's Website from 22/01/2019 to 12/02/2019 (Note: 11/02/2019 is the last date for payment of fee upto 11:59 mid night).


> should only use the CVE number.
> avoid the feasibility of such an approach for a moment).
using the CVE number. They still continue to use the "candidate" number.
> first fully public advisory would have a CVE number.
> users, that candidate numbers are in no way "official."


Mindy Alper was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1959, and grew up in Los Angeles. At the age of 4, she began to study with well-known Los Angeles art teacher, Dorothy Cannon, and continued until she was 40. She also studied puppetry with Harry Burnett, Turnabout Theatre, Los Angeles. She then began to study sculpture with Leonard Schwartz, and drawing with Anthony Austin at Immaculate Heart, Los Angeles. She then studied oil painting with Olga Seem Kooyman and drawing with Phyllis Muldavin at Los Angeles City College. The artist currently studies with Tom Wudl and Susanna Maing in Los Angeles. She has had one-artist exhibitions at Raddack Gallery, Los Angeles; Sincere Technologies Gallery, Oakland; Colony Studio Live Theater, Los Angeles; and was included in group exhibitions at the Gay Community Services Center, Los Angeles; Women's Caucus for the Arts, California State University, Los Angeles; and the Arroyo Arts Collective, Los Angeles.
Alper has also performed in a comedy, "The Love Machine;" was writer and actor in Imagination Workshop, an improvisational performing art theater group, UCLA; and is a founding member of the Buttersticks, a performance group. Her teaching experience has been at Dorothy Cannon Art Studio, Studio City; as a T.A. at Alternative School, Los Angeles; and at the adolescent terminal ward, Children's Hospital, Los Angeles. She was a visiting artist at the Experimental Drawing Class, CalArts, Valencia. Alper has exhibited with the Rosamund Felsen Gallery since 2006. She lives in Los Angeles.
The Oscar-nominated shorts may have smaller running times, but the themes tackled are often big.
Of the live-action films, three explicitly dramatize real-life terror threats. Kevin Wilson Jr.'s dread-filled "My Nephew Emmett" — already a student Academy Award winner — follows the night in 1955 that Moses Wright (a heartbreaking L.B. Williams) lived through the abduction of his 14-year-old nephew Emmett Till by crazed racists. A continent away, Katja Benrath's "Watu Wote/All of Us" depicts Kenya's simmering distrust between Muslims and Christians as a bridgeable divide when the danger — in this case, a bus attack by terrorists — is existential.
Reed Van Dyk's naturalistic standout "DeKalb Elementary," meanwhile, painstakingly unfolds via tight framing and real-time editing an exchange between a single mother/temp secretary (Tarra Riggs, magnificent) and an armed, discontent interloper (Bo Mitchell). Inspired by a 911 call about an Atlanta school shooting, it's an unspooling marvel about the gift of empathy.
Communication is also central to the bittersweet emotions behind Chris Overton's effortlessly heart-tugging "The Silent Child," about a neglected deaf 5-year-old in a hearing, nonsigning family, and the uphill battle for a social worker (deaf advocate Rachel Shenton, who also wrote it) in drawing her out. Talking is no cure, however, for the dueling psychiatrists — one who's actually a delusional patient — in this batch's only comedy, Derin Seale's Pythonesque confection "The Eleven O'Clock."
Humor with sentiment usually rules the animated category, but this year, that's only exemplified by Pixar's "Lou," directed by Dave Mullins, which inventively imagines a schoolyard-bully problem solved by a crate full of lost and found items. A nastier wit pervades two others: the Roald Dahl adaptation "Revolting Rhymes," from filmmakers Jakob Schuh and Jan Lachauer, which turns the happy-ending plight of classic fairy tale characters (voiced by notable British actors from Dominic West to Rose Leslie) into an interlocking farce of crime and vengeance; and the ravishingly CG-textured, wordless, six-director French entry "Garden Party," whereby a wrecked, bullet-riddled mansion hosts a gathering of curious amphibians.
More delicately touching is the stop-motion "Negative Space" from Max Porter and Ru Kuwahata, which finds fanciful grace in a grieving man's memories about his father's relationship to, and lessons in, suitcase-packing. On the heavy-handed end lies the Kobe Bryant-written and narrated "Dear Basketball," directed by Glen Keane, a predictably soaring, sketch-animated reverie to boyhood dreams and career glory — scored by John Williams, no less — that thinks it's a slam dunk when it's a missed three-pointer.
The strong documentary nominees suggest that the world's cruelties have tough adversaries in kindness, caring and dedication. In Cleveland, ex-cons can learn French cooking and restaurant management through a training-to-work program depicted in Thomas Lennon's "Knife Skills," set at a French fine-dining establishment staffed by the newly released.
In the grim-yet-stirring "Heroin(e)," filmmaker Elaine McMillion Sheldon tackles the opioid epidemic in her overdose-devastated home state of West Virginia by chronicling the tireless frontline efforts of three tough, sympathetic women: a deputy fire chief who races from emergency to emergency, a firm-but-friendly drug court judge and a charity-driven lady who brings food to addicted prostitutes.
Illness and infirmity color two emotional tales. In "Edith+Eddie," director Laura Checkoway introduces us to interracial nonagenarians in love, whose late-in-life companionship is threatened by an impatient daughter and a callously applied guardianship. Frank Stiefel's "Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405" offers an intensely moving portrait of 56-year-old Angeleno artist Mindy Alper, whose life is an ongoing struggle to balance depression and often debilitating mental disorder — including a decade without speaking — with a richly expressive talent (for drawing and sculpture) that thrillingly connects her soul to the world.
And ultimately, these docs ask, what is it that defines us? Things beyond our control, our pasts, or what we make of them? Kate Davis' "Traffic Stop" toggles between dashcam footage of an upstanding 26-year-old Austin, Texas, schoolteacher's terrifying experience with out-of-control racist cops, and her life since as she tries to not let the experience derail her from hard-won, everyday achievement and joy. "Traffic Stop" is a slice-of-life corrective to unwarranted internet notoriety, and like the best of these shorts, a compassionate inquiry into others, the movie equivalent of a concerned "How are you? Tell me what happened."


One of the most important factors of a successful photograph is its focus. While amateur photographers may be happy with their camera's autofocus feature, professionals and perfectionists need to manually set up their lens for optimum focus. Manually focusing on your subject gives you much more control and variety in your frame. It does, however, require more practice, more skill and support for your high powered lenses. At BorrowLenses, you can find lens support rentals, such as follow focus, that can help you achieve the results you need.
The more you maintain control of the parts of your camera, the more satisfied you can be with the outcome. Taking the time to use a specific lens, set up a shutter speed and narrow in on an intricate scene can help you get a better picture. Those who are working with macro photography have an even greater task ahead of them. Maintaining ideal focus control is essential to capturing small creatures or details. A focusing rack can help you get the conditions that are needed with this specialized photography.
In video, focus support is even more essential to avoid jumpy footage or fuzzy images. You may want to try a follow focus kit to help you maintain clarity and quality during your production. Then, you can be more satisfied with the day's work and not worry so much about reshooting footage and falling behind schedule. The end result is a crisp and clear shot that you could be proud to attach your name to.
Whether you're a still photographer or a videographer, supporting your lenses is a good idea to get a precise look. BorrowLenses offers various devices to help you get exactly what you're looking for.


text:
Q: concatenate 2-D arrays in MATLAB In MATLAB in  a for loop I get a 2-D array created say A. Then what I want is I want to create another array,B, which concatenates all the arrays of A at each iteration and create a single array B.
So for example initially I have my array B to be empty. Then after 1 st iteration I get the array A say,
A=[1 2 3;4 5 6;7 8 9].

Then I want B to be [1 2 3;4 5 6;7 8 9].
Then before the next iteration I set A to be zeros and from the for loop I get a new matrix A, say [11 12 13;14 15 16].
Then what I want is to append this matrix A to B so that B would be
[1 2 3;4 5 6;7 8 9;11 12 13;14 15 16].
Here at each loop iteration the array A that gets created has the same no.of columns, say 3, but the no.of rows of A can be different.
So my B has 3 columns, but I don't know how many rows it would have beforehand.
How can I create this matrix B

A: Use vertcat
It would be something like :
B=[1,2,3;4,5,6];
A=[11,12,13];

B=vertcat(B,A);

Check the matlab help, you'll learn alot there.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Dow Jones forecasts technical analysis of American markets using W.D.Gann's cycles.
The upward trend that lasts from November 2016 to January 2018 was blocked by the expiry of the Minimum Square coinciding with February 2018. The top of February also coincided with the 1 X 2 angular resistance relative to the top of May 2015.
Since last February the American market has performed an important negative retracement reaching the 1 X 1 angular support highlighted in red on the slide. Subsequently the dynamics is changed into lateral negative.
However the 1 X 2 and 1 X 1 dynamic angular supports slowed down the downward action starting with the time cycle of last February, reversing positively the swing chart in May.
The last monthly Set Up is going to expire in July 2018: the quotations currently have returned positive. This trend will have to be confirmed in August. If the prices will come back below 23.970 that it will trigger the birth of a new medium-term corrective movement. First supports at 23.600; 21,150.
Resistances for the continuation of the upward trend at 26.650; 28,500.
Dow Jones forecasts technical analysis of American markets: long term.
The trend is positive since the first quarter of 2016. If the trades will return below the level of 24.040 then the trend will reverse in negative.
First resistances 26,000; 27,800. Angular supports at 24,000; 21,680.
The identification of the time cycles has been realized thanks to Top Trader©-Stock Exchange free software usable through this site.


Vintage Pink Lace Cotton Topis made from cotton with embroidery and pleats, in perfect condition. The blouse is a standard fit & can fit XS-L (note Elly who is wearing it is usually size XS). Please note our vintage clothing is final sale due to the delicate nature of the garments.
Fitting & Sizing: Would fit size XS-M Worn here (loose fit) on Elly, whose a size S.


CarShop have a very clear development journey that arms colleagues with the right tools, training and support along the way. CarShop supports colleagues with studies and e,ployees are able to request study leave. CarShop will also assist in funding courses if there is a business need for someone to gain a qualification. There is an e-learning renovation project underway too to make this a blended learning approach. The company also work with some excellent third parties to tailor training for bespoke requirements, which makes them an industry leader in their training programmes.
CarShop Cares is the brands new charity programme. It is a scheme designed to align charity and fundraising efforts in order to achieve their ambitious aim of raising £100,000 for their selected national charity by the end of 2017. Global's Make Some Noise is the national charity CarShop supports. 'Make Some Noise' supports small but brilliant projects across the UK, which deliver life-changing work to youngsters and their families living with illness, disability or lack of opportunity. These projects struggle to get heard, so Global's Make Some Noise gives them a voice and raises money to support their vital work. All employees/candidates are treated equally and fairly and need to prove Right to Work in the UK and complete a DBS. The company have had and do employ colleagues that have criminal offences on file and the company openly discuss and support them with this to help them develop and grow.
The CarShop have an Engage Talent scheme that they run to further develop colleagues. This is broken into two areas: Engage Sales and Engage Future Leaders. This scheme is designed to give colleagues more insight and knowledge for future progression. In addition to this the company operate Colleague of the Month and also Colleague of the Quarter, which is nominated by fellow colleagues against one of their four company pillars and the individuals who win receive a quarterly recognition bonus points. The company finds that rewarding their colleagues in the form of benefits is one of the best ways to ensure that they remain developed, engaged, motivated and enthused. The CarShop feel that this is one of the main reasons why they have a fantastic colleague retention rate and are an employer of choice within their industry. Just a few examples of these benefits include a cycle to work scheme, a childcare voucher scheme, 30+ days annual leave, health plans and colleague discount.


text:
#pragma once

#include <chrono>
#include <memory>
#include <stdexcept>

#include <folly/Executor.h>
#include <folly/lang/Exception.h>

namespace folly {
// An executor that supports timed scheduling. Like RxScheduler.
class ScheduledExecutor : public virtual Executor {
 public:
  // Reality is that better than millisecond resolution is very hard to
  // achieve. However, we reserve the right to be incredible.
  typedef std::chrono::microseconds Duration;
  typedef std::chrono::steady_clock::time_point TimePoint;

  ~ScheduledExecutor() override = default;

  void add(Func) override = 0;

  /// Alias for add() (for Rx consistency)
  void schedule(Func&& a) { add(std::move(a)); }

  /// Schedule a Func to be executed after dur time has elapsed
  /// Expect millisecond resolution at best.
  void schedule(Func&& a, Duration const& dur) {
    scheduleAt(std::move(a), now() + dur);
  }

  /// Schedule a Func to be executed at time t, or as soon afterward as
  /// possible. Expect millisecond resolution at best. Must be threadsafe.
  virtual void scheduleAt(Func&& /* a */, TimePoint const& /* t */) {
    throw_exception<std::logic_error>("unimplemented");
  }

  /// Get this executor's notion of time. Must be threadsafe.
  virtual TimePoint now() { return std::chrono::steady_clock::now(); }
};
} // namespace folly

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Our investigation uses nucleotide variations of the genera Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia using the EF-1α and Cyt b genotype regions to describe the sand fly fauna and genetic aspects collected at war-torn sites of the Khuzestan boundary between Iraq and Iran.
All sand fly species were characterized using molecular genetics. The field work was conducted in six districts including 24 locations in remote areas for three years at the peak of sand fly activity during cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) transmission seasons. The distribution of CL vectors was determined based on the climatic regionalization using the kriging method in ArcGIS model. DNA of sand fly pools were screened via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using neutrality (Tajima's D) and neutral allele frequency (Fu's F s) tests to measure the effect of randomly evolving DNA sequence on the genetic diversity of sand fly populations in response to habitat fragmentation and landscape modification.
Among the 1213 specimens, ten species were identified based on morphology. The non-native species Phlebotomus sergenti was unequivocally found for the first time in the studied regions. Nucleotide substitutions of sand fly sequences varied most in the most disrupted districts (Dashte-Azadegan and Abadan; disparity index test: P < 0.05). The haplotypes of Cyt b from the subgenus Sergentomyia and P. papatasi revealed more heterogeneity (Tajima's D > +2) than P. alexandri (D > +1), which suggests widespread heteroplasmic mitochondrial DNA mutations in the same mtDNA gene among different sand fly species. Subgenus Sintonius exhibited greater fitness (D = 0) and (neutrality test; P > 0.05) no evidence of selection. The sequence of the nuclear gene EF-1α indicated similar nucleotide differences, as observed for the Cyt b gene, in all sand fly species, but lower levels of polymorphisms (D > +1) were observed compared with the mitochondrial Cyt b gene (D > +2) in the subgenus Sergentomyia.
Our findings describe random nucleotide diversity in the Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia population gene pools due to recent anthropogenic influence. A phylogenetic analysis showed that the closely related species are positioned in monophyletic clades, except for the subgenus Sergentomyia and P. sergenti, and highlights the importance of haplotype variations for the development of adaptability.
Hematophagous phlebotomine sand fly females are medically important but only some are proven leishmaniasis vectors with critical vectorial capacity and competency . Sand flies transmit Leishmania spp. through their geographical distribution due to landscape fragmentation, migration, environmental and climatic oscillations. Certain fundamental criteria support the notion that sand flies are potential vectors: the capacity of sand flies to use their midgut receptor to attach a specific Leishmania species, behavioral or genetic diversification, vector-parasite coevolution and the adaptive manipulation of their interactions [2–5].
In a noteworthy Zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (ZCL) focus, in a tropical climate region in southwestern Iran, Khuzestan Province has suffered from the Iraq-Iran war (from 22 September 1980 to 20 August 1988) and has recently been involved in Daesh terrorist destruction, which has led to ecological instability in the region, providing adequate conditions for flourishing heterogeneity and allowing for great diversity among sand fly species. The ZCL incidence was low during war time, but it suddenly soared among soldiers with over 10,000 annual cases reported from the public health centers of Khuzestan . The prevalence range 1.8–37.9 % and incidence rate of 69,000–113,300 CL cases were reported by the Iran Ministry of Health and Medical Education and as WHO estimates, respectively [7, 8]. Despite the large and diverse sand fly distribution range in the geographical borders of the Khuzestan Province between Iran and Iraq, the sand fly species and the population structure of CL sand flies are not well-known. The commemoration of a religious man, Imam Hussein, is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world and a large number of Iranian and/or Afghan people (about two million pilgrims annually) walk through CL areas from across the Iranian boundaries (Khuzestan and Ilam Provinces) to Iraq. Indigenous and traveler populations are at risk for Leishmania infection by different sand fly species in many active transmission areas between expatriates and visitors. Simultaneous utilization of the sequence of applying both mitochondrial Cytochrome b (Cyt b) and conserved nuclear marker elongation factor-1α (EF-1α) as proper DNA markers have already provided data for analyzing the phylogenetic relationship among sand fly species . These genes provide sufficient information to discern the species' ancestor population in the natural habitat of phlebotomine sand flies .
The maternally-inherited mitochondrial Cyt b gene, reflects the evolutionary history because of high evolution rate, lack of recombination and clonal inheritance [11, 12]. The Cyt b gene has also been used for analyzing the genetic divergence within and among phlebotomine sand fly populations, mainly due to its high variability [1, 13, 14].
The nuclear gene, EF-1α, has a remarkable character to detect heterozygosity, haplotype diversity and genetic variation. The EF-1α gene has been identified as a potentially useful gene for studies of high-level phylogenetic relationships, particularly in insects [10, 15]. Many reports consider EF-1α as a proper marker for methodological and analytical challenges in systematic biology and molecular phylogeny [16–18].
In this study, we investigate species of the genus Phlebotomus as the main vectors of leishmaniasis as well as species of the genus Sergentomyia in studied areas. It is noticeable that DNA of L. major and L. tropica was definitely identified from Sergentomyia spp. by PCR-RFLP and ITS1 gene sequencing in Ghana and West Africa . Initial morphological identification of sand fly species followed by molecular confirmation allowed us to improve effective, targeted and control measurements. To our knowledge, although some combined data from the markers of mitochondrial genes (e.g. Cyt b, Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and NADH4) and/or nuclear genes (e.g. EF-1α and ribosomal DNA) [10, 12, 20] have achieved accurate information for the sand fly identification and population genetics, the neutrality test of loci has rarely been investigated . Whereas sand flies pose substantial human health concerns, the objectives of this study were to identify collected sand flies to the species level using morphological and molecular characteristics and to determine the sand flies' evolutionary relationships with landscape fragmentation using neutrality and phylogenetic analyses along the c.420 km Khuzestan borders.
Sand fly species were caught on a large geographical scale in Khuzestan Province, which is located southwest of Iran (30°20′21″N to 31°33′29″N and 48°18′15″E to 48°10′51″E), bordering with Basrah and Maysan, Iraq provinces in the west and the Persian Gulf in the south (Fig. 1). The climate changes and type of weather in the studied areas differ from the other CL foci conditioned in Iran, with humidity ranging from 50 to 85 %, temperature ranging from 20 to 60 °C and a monthly average precipitation between 17 to 25 mm. Sand fly specimens were collected from 24 sites adjacent to Iraq's borders in western parts of Khuzestan within approximately 10,406 km2 during their seasonal activity in late May to late November 2011–2014 (Fig. 1). The deterministic spatial interpolation was performed based on ArcGIS model using kriging method and bioclimatic variables obtained from Ebrahimi et al. data . The climatic regionalization was used with the principal component analysis (PCA) and the clustering integration method (CIM) to obtain the appropriate classification.
Sticky sheets of paper and CDC miniature light traps were placed 1–1.5 m above the ground to sample the sand flies and were deployed overnight (before dusk until dawn). Sand fly traps were placed in a natural field of destroyed war remnants, natural and artificial holes and crevices, agricultural fields, gerbil burrow entrances, new developing urban areas, rural areas adjacent to the boundary lines, domestic animal shelters and around houses close to gerbil burrows two times per month (5 days each time) [23, 24]. All sand flies were examined and identified based on morphological characteristics of the head and abdominal terminalia using compound microscopy (400×). The genitalia of each sand fly were carefully removed using micro-needles and slides-mounted in Berlese's fluid following dissection using sterilized forceps .
Because a certain level of ambiguity and/or similarity appeared among female sand fly morphological characteristics of closely related species; the collected sand flies were molecularly characterized using the Cyt b and EF-1α gene regions. PCR fragments were amplified as previously described [10, 11, 14, 25]. The total DNA of the dissected thorax and anterior abdomen of individual sand flies was extracted using the modified method of Ish-Horowicz , GeNet Bio and a DynaBio™ Kit (Bioneer corporation, Seoul, Korea and Takapouzist corporation, Tehran, Iran). One hundred nano grams of each purified DNA sample was cycle-sequenced using an AccuPower® DNA Sequencing Kit from Bioneer and 3730xl/Bioneer 3730xl sequencing systems with 3.2 pmol of the same primers used for PCR. Nucleotide sequence data and new identified haplotypes of Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia spp. reported in this paper are submitted to the GenBank, EMBL, and DDBJ databases under accession numbers KX024717-KX024728; KX067785-KX067788 and KX088453-KX088456 (Cyt b gene) and KX099722-KX099736 (EF-1α gene).
After sequencing the PCR amplicons (both strands), all DNA sequences were exported to Sequencher™ v.4.1.4 for PC (Gene Codes Corporation) to identify the limits of the open reading frames (ORFs). The primers were trimmed from the sequences, aligned based on deduced amino acid sequences and visually edited, which yielded sequences between 758–790 nucleotides in length for the Cyt b gene region and 430–497 for the EF-1α including the primers. Visual analyses were used to assess heterogeneity and/or single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in both directions. A disparity index test for substitution pattern homogeneity was calculated with 500 Monte Carlo replications within P. papatasi, P. alexandri and Sergentomyia spp. populations (P < 0.05) .
The phylogenies were reconstructed to evaluate the species status and establish the relationships from the common and new haplotypes of the EF-1α and Cyt b Phlebotominae sand fly sequences. A maximum likelihood (ML) analysis using a heuristic search through stepwise addition of 100 random replicates and bootstrapping with 1000 replicates were performed using the MEGA 5.05 package based on the Tamura-Nei model of a nucleotide substitution search from Clustal W . To group the various sand fly species, the phylogenetic maximum likelihood (PhyML)  program was run to obtain a maximum likelihood tree, and nonparametric ML bootstrap was used with 1000 replicates.
To test the differences in sand fly species abundance, statistical analyses were performed on all of the Phlebotomus species individually as main vectors susceptible to maintaining the transmission cycle of Leishmania parasites in the region and Sergentomyia spp., to be non-borne disease vectors. The MEGA 5.05 program was also used to calculate the number of variable nucleotide sites, nucleotide diversity (average number of nucleotide differences per site between any two randomly selected sequences) and the transition/transversion ratio (R). The potential selection pressure of the protein-coding sequences was determined using the dN/dS ratio test and a Z-test for selection based on the Nei-Gojobori method. DnaSp 5.10.01 was used to evaluate haplotype diversity (HD) and to analyze the value of Fu's F s (neutrality and allele frequency) for each species .
For this investigation, we identified ten species among Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia sand flies caught in 23 villages and a riverside next to the Khuzestan boundaries (Table 1). Three species of the genus Phlebotomus (P. papatasi, P. alexandri and P. sergenti) and seven species of the genus Sergentomyia (S. sintoni, S. antennata, S. dentata, S. baghdadis, S. iranica, S. clydei and S. tiberiadis) were found among a total of 1213 sand flies, including 893 Phlebotomus and 320 Sergentomyia specimens (Table 1). The studied area was identified as the low rainfall and high relative humidity zone on the basis of the effects of principal factors on climatic variables obtained from Ebrahimi et al.  (Fig. 2). We also successfully collected P. sergenti in the Dashte-Azadegan district and Abadan for the first time (Table 1).
Of 145 sequenced specimens for the Cyt b (78) and EF-1α (67) gene regions, 108 sequences could be analyzed for Phlebotomus spp. (n = 59) including P. papatasi (n = 16) and P. alexandri (n = 15) for Cyt b; P. papatasi (n = 15) and P. alexandri (n = 11) for EF-1α and two sequences of P. sergenti (n = 2) for both gene regions; and a total of 49 sequences from Sergentomyia specimens including S. antennata (n = 2) and (n = 3) for S. dentata, S. tiberiadis, S. clydei, S. iranica and S. baghdadis for both Cyt b and EF-1α gene regions, and S. sintoni (n = 11 and n = 10) for the Cyt b and EF-1α markers, respectively (Table 1). Altogether, 37 sequenced specimens of P. papatasi (n = 20) and P. alexandri (n = 17) did not have enough DNA or were not interpretable after resequencing.
Our trimmed sequences, along with those deposited in GenBank, were analyzed to compare and identify new haplotypes (Tables 2, 3). After aligning and pruning all of the sequences, the total lengths of the Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia species were contained within 632–790 base pairs. The species P. sergenti and S. iranica were not statistically analyzed due to the limited number of sand flies caught in the studied areas (Table 4). Further, a single species, S. baghdadis (KH300), which does not transmit disease, was not statistically analyzed. The sequenced region of the Cyt b gene was A-T rich in all species (Table 4).
Phlebotomus papatasi had four unique haplotypes (KH417, KH419, KH421 and KH486) and a common haplotype of KH382, KH535 and other remaining sequences that had a 100 % similarity compared to haplotypes from Italy (GenBank accession nos. HM992926 and HM992927) (Table 2). Edited P. alexandri sequences revealed five unique haplotypes in two similar groups isolated from Abadan (KH384 and KH528) and from Dashte-Azadegan (KH407, KH408 and KH410) (Table 2). The haplotype diversity (HD) for genus Sergentomyia was P = 0.987 and three species of the subgenus Sergentomyia were characterized molecularly which showed four, two and one unique haplotype/s for S. sintoni, S. antennata and S. dentata, respectively (Table 2). In the subgenus Sintonius, three haplotypes were observed for the two species, S. tiberiadis and S. clydei (Table 2). Additionally, two new haplotypes were obtained for S. iranica (KH519 and KH135), with three A-T transversions and 18 transitions in the sequences (Table 2). The nucleotide diversity within the haplotypes of P. papatasi in Khorramshahr and Abadan and the subgenus Sergentomyia in all villages was generally significant (Tajima's D > +2). The results of the neutrality test for P. alexandri haplotypes were considerable (D > +1, P = 1.876884) but lower than that for P. papatasi (D > +2, P = 2.391599), which indicates that the P. alexandri population is attempting to undergo equilibrium among gene frequencies and balancing selection (Table 4). The percentage of similarities and divergences among populations of Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia are indicated in Fig. 3.
A statistical analysis of the selection pressures between the P. papatasi sequences clearly shows that the dN/dS ratios were strongly biased toward synonymous mutations (the dN/dS ranged from P = 0.008 of KH486/KH419 to P = 0.346 of KH486/KH417) in a total of 215 positions in the final dataset. This phenomenon is likely due to counterselection of deleterious mutations during the Cyt b gene evolution. Additionally, the neutrality test results were not considerable (P > 0.05) between the Sintonius spp. sequences.
The total length of the EF-1α gene region was 497 bp for all species. The EF-1α gene exhibits higher GC content than the Cyt b gene in the subgenus Sergentomyia (Table 4). The haplotypes identified from the EF-1α gene for each sand fly species take the following order: P. papatasi, P. alexandri and S. tiberiadis (two), and S. sintoni (four) haplotypes. Additionally, S. antennata, S. dentata, S. baghdadis and S. clydei each featured a unique sequence. Moreover, the KH421 sequence from P. papatasi exhibited 13 nucleotide differences compared with a previously detected sequence from the villages of Isfahan and Golestan areas (less affected regions by war), Iran (IRN377, GenBank accession no. EF416843), and S. sintoni haplotypes KH (133, 134, 322 and 327) exhibited 15 differences compared with the Iranian haplotype (IRN341, GenBank accession no. EF416846). Sequences for S. iranica (KH519 and KH135) were not interpretable after resequencing.
Homogeneity was examined based on whether differences in base composition bias between sequences within the subgenus Sergentomyia (Disparity index test) were significant (P < 0.05); significant differences were only observed between the KH108 (S. antennata) and KH134 (S. sintoni) sequences (P = 0.016). The remaining sequence estimates were equal (P = 1.000). The Z-test for selection pressure using the variance bootstrap method (dN/dS) was remarkable (P < 0.05) for closely related species of KH108/KH133, KH322 (P = 0.046, S. antennata and S. sintoni); KH108/KH327 (P = 0.020, S. antennata and S. sintoni) and KH327/KH134 (P = 0.026, S. sintoni). However, this analytical test was only significant between KH493 and KH108 (S. dentata and S. antennata) for the Cyt b mitochondrial gene within the subgenus Sergentomyia.
The phylogenetic tree of approximately most caught sand flies shows similarity among different haplotypes in the related clade; however, the subgenus Sergentomyia was not resolved as a monophyletic clade, which is consistent with our previous findings (Figs. 4, 5) . The statistical correlations were not significant between geographic distances and genetic variation based on the Mantel test (R 2 = 0.3716, P = 0.10). Therefore, the results show that geographic distance did not have a significant effect on the genetic differentiation observed in the Sergentomyia and Phlebotomus populations.
Accurate identification of sand fly species based on molecular analyses is a valuable approach for determining the epidemiological aspects and distribution of natural populations in unexamined areas. In our investigation, using phylogenetic analysis, molecular characterization was performed to identify the population structure of the sand flies that were collected along the Khuzestan borders, which distinctly revealed the previously unrecorded species P. sergenti to be in a separate clade of the Cyt b region (Fig. 4). This study shows that each sand fly species includes unique sequences of the nuclear (EF-1α) and mitochondrial (Cyt b) gene markers. Certain sand fly species, such as P. papatasi and P. alexandri, featured a greater number of different haplotypes than the other sand fly species, which is related to specific geographical distances (Dashte-Azadegan, Khorramshahr and Abadan).
Finding the non-native species P. sergenti in new areas where no record exists implies expanding distribution of the vectors and their adaptation to local habitat conditions or environmental modifications along the Khuzestan borders (Table 1). In addition, L. tropica had been isolated from human ulcers at the same locations in the Dashte-Azadegan district (Susangerd and Howeyzeh) . The two endemic districts of ZCL in Khuzestan Province, Khorramshahr and Shush, were studied investigating the causes of sand fly biodiversity  and S. christophersi was found as a new record. However, we could not locate S. christophersi from the western borders of Khuzestan Province or west of Shush city (Fig. 2), maybe Jahanifard et al.  found S. christophersi in the east, not in the west of Shush area. Moreover, the GenBank database does not contain a records for S. dentata, S. iranica, S. baghdadis and S. tiberiadis and a verified record of S. antennata sequences for the Cyt b gene marker.
The transition/transversion (ts/tv) rate ratios for P. papatasi are k1 = 13.726 for purines and k2 = 9.879 for pyrimidines (Table 4). Further, the overall transition/transversion bias is R = 4.866 within P. papatasi, and the overall (ts/tv) rate is lower in P. alexandri sequences (R = 1.18) for the Cyt b gene, perhaps due to postmutation processes from the high mutation rate of methylated cytosines to thymine in the P. papatasi population. However, heterogeneity manifestations exhibit a selective advantage for survival and fitness in the sand fly population sequences along the Khuzestan borders (Table 4).
The number of interpretable sequences for the EF-1α gene in P. papatasi, P. alexandri and the subgenus Sintonius was less than three, and the quality of the remainder was insufficient to evaluate the DNA fragments after resequencing. Perhaps this phenomenon is due to the presence of multiple loci or two copies in these species as a result of gene duplication events . Therefore, the sequences were excluded from statistical analyses. The estimated overall (ts/tv) bias for the subgenus Sergentomyia is R = 3.31. Tajima's D value of the nuclear gene (EF-1α) indicated low levels of polymorphisms (D > +1, P = 1.250596) compared with the mitochondrial Cyt b gene (D > +2, P = 2.041410) (Table 4). This phenomenon may be due to the nature of the nuclear gene (EF-1α) and the low number of nucleotide substitutions between the species of a single subgenus, which are homogenized by gene conversion . The EF-1α gene is multi copy number, this may be there are significant differences between the studied individuals and not an actual difference.
Although the data of Tajima's D test for the Cyt b gene of P. papatasi (D > +2) revealed higher nucleotide diversity than that observed for P. alexandri and the genus Sergentomyia (more mutations or high polymorphisms between pairs than the number of segregating sites), different haplotypes of P. papatasi and P. alexandri were positioned in their own clades with similar rates of haplotype diversity (HD: 0.933 and 1 for P. papatasi and P. alexandri, respectively) (Fig. 4). In spite of different values of Tajima's D, the haplotype diversity was nearly the same for all species for both Cyt b and EF-1α genes (HD = 1). The positive Tajima's D value in Khorramshahr and Abadan could be due to a relative population decrease, subdivision or recent bottlenecking among P. papatasi, P. alexandri and Sergentomyia spp. (Table 4). Positive values of Fu's F s demonstrated allele deficiency because of overdominant selection or recent population bottleneck for P. papatasi (Fu's F s = 3.047), P. alexandri (Fu's F s = 3.568) and Sergentomyia spp. (Fu's F s = 0.913) . Based on the interpretation of tree topology in the bottleneck stage, several lineages have remained survivable under this stage without coalescing and consequently provide trees with long internal branches . In fact, the topology of our phylogenetic tree obtained from the sand flies of Khuzestan borders (Figs. 4, 5) revealed the same pattern associated with the weak bottleneck stage and no effect on the fitness and survival of the sand flies. Additionally, the neutrality indices were significant for the genera Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia and this may result from selection pressure (the Z-test was P < 0.05 and dN/dS ratios were biased toward synonymous mutations among closely related species of sand flies) induced by environmental conditions. Pursuant to our molecular analyses, a selective sweep/hitch-hiking may have occurred in the subgenus Sintonius (S. clydei and S. tiberiadis) due to a population expansion or older bottlenecking, the negative values of Fu's F s genotype (Fu's F s = -0.463) indicating excess of low frequency haplotypes/alleles and beneficial mutation. We deduced that a balancing selection occurred due to a habitat modification (Iraq-Iran war). However, Tajima's D value of the Cyt b gene regions indicates an equivalent number of pairwise nucleotide differences and segregating sites (D = 0) for the subgenus Sintonius, which indicates that the population was evolving as a per mutation-drift equilibrium and therefore, increasing the fitness of the Sintonius spp. The observed demographic changes between the populations of Sintonius spp. and other sand fly species can arise from random fluctuation of neutral mutation which likely goes up or down through genetic drift and demographic events. A decrease in genetic and phenotypic variation or conservation biology (loss of biological diversity) is possible for sand fly species due to human impact . Human encroachment such as habitat fragmentation, burning, logging, the presence of domestic animals, using fertilizer, natural devastation, infrastructure deterioration and civil engineering due to developments of urbanization after the Iraq-Iran war can insert large scale exchange of individuals between populations. These interventions serve as an ever increasing threat to biodiversity.
Consistent with our molecular results, we observed the rapid expansion of nucleotide differences among sequences for Phlebotomus spp. and the remainder of the genus Sergentomyia (except Sintonius), with considerable random mutations and low genetic variation at a geographical location along the Khuzestan borders (23 haplotypes for the Cyt b gene and 15 haplotypes for EF-1α from 108 individuals). Perhaps both, mitochondrial and nuclear genes, are involved in perfect harmony with balancing selection under imposed pressures from nature and human intervention. A GC-biased gene conversion may have occurred due to the presence of GC-rich isochores regions in the nuclear EF-1α gene in comparison with the mitochondrial Cyt b gene. However, the observed corresponding selection could be expected for housekeeping genes, as a fundamental rule underlying molecular mechanisms in establishing proper conditions for life.
Considering landscape modifications in the attacked areas after military operations of war, increased genetic homogeneity or accumulation of similar set of alleles was expected. The high rate of allele frequency and polymorphisms among the sand fly sequences found herein may be considered as an effect of genetic drift associated with habitat fragmentation and a reduction in genetic variation (extrinsic selection).
The warfare between Iraq and Iran has ruined the natural habitat of phlebotomine sand flies as anthropogenic factors [35, 36] and has introduced non-native sand flies to the Khuzestan borders. Notably, genetic tractability and later adaptation to the current ecological and environmental features have rendered conditions more propitious for vector survival. Additionally, constant change in habitat quality and differences in the flying capacities of sand fly species are the crucial factor that affects sand fly dispersal, genetic structure and population responses along the Khuzestan boundaries, where the natural habitat was lost during war.
Phylogenetic analysis and molecular identification of the EF-1α gene revealed less genetic structuring between the P. papatasi, P. alexandri and Sergentomyia populations than for the Cyt b gene across the Khuzestan borders. In contrast, an empirical examination of the Cyt b gene indicated higher genetic variation in the populations of P. papatasi, P. alexandri and a number of species of the genus Sergentomyia. All closely related sand fly species, except certain species of the subgenus Sergentomyia, produced a higher bootstrap likelihood (> 70 %) of developing reproductive isolation (Figs. 4, 5). The constructed tree for the nuclear EF-1α gene produced the same results as the subgenus Sergentomyia for the Cyt b gene but showed a better clade for Paraphlebotomus spp. than Cyt b; based there on, P. sergenti and P. alexandri were grouped in a monophyletic clade (Fig. 4). Further, the specimens of KH421 and KH382, identified as unique and common haplotypes of Cyt b were placed in a well-supported branch of the phylogenetic tree for the nuclear EF-1α genotype as well. The apparent discordance in nucleotide diversity between the Cyt b and EF-1α sequences portends high variation in the maternally inherited mitochondrial gene due to elevated mutation . A comparative study between the mtDNA (Cyt b) and nuclear gene (EF-1α) was performed using the phylogeny of Larrossius spp., but no consistent data were generated . The distribution of various sand fly species, particularly P. papatasi and P. alexandri, from one location patch to another, denotes not only for physical eligibility, but also for population dynamics [38, 39] due to re-establishment of sand fly populations or wildlife corridor as a possible mitigation instead of an ever-increasing threat to biodiversity of habitat fragmentation after the 8-year Iraq-Iran war.
We drew more attention to the effect of the combination of human activities and new environmental effects at the Iran-Iraq borders on vector genotypes as well as the selection and emergence of existing genotypes. The neutrality and molecular analyses suggest that our findings provide compelling evidence of randomly evolving DNA sequences from both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA haplotypes to support the fitness and survival of wild-caught sand flies with neutral mutation. Further investigation of different sand fly species of the old and new world is necessary to determine the evolution, behavior and vector competence of unknown or non-native sand fly species due to various environmental conditions and in different regions around the world, which have not yet been studied.
CIM, clustering integration method; CL, cutaneous leishmaniasis; Cyt b, cytochrome b; EF-1α, elongation factor 1alpha; HD, haplotype diversity; mtDNA, mitochondrial DNA; PCA, principal component analysis; ts/tv, transition/transversion; ZCL, Zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis.
The sand fly collections were made possible by the assistance of the Centre of Health Services of Shush, Dasht-e Azadegan, Ahvaz, Shadegan, Abadan and Khorramshahr. We extend our thanks to Somayeh Mohammadi and Mehdi Baghban for helping with the laboratory and the field work.
This work was funded by the Pasteur Institute of Iran (grant no. 605) and was awarded to Prof. Parviz Parvizi.
Essential data are presented in the main text of the paper. Nucleotide sequence data reported in this paper are available in the GenBank, EMBL, and DDBJ databases under accession numbers KX024717-KX024728; KX067785-KX067788 and KX088453-KX088456 (Cyt b gene) and KX099722-KX099736 (EF-1α gene).
PP, SE and AB conceived and designed the experiments. SE and AB performed the fieldwork. SE identified the sand fly specimens morphologically and performed the molecular laboratory experiments. PP, SE and AB analyzed the data and prepared the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Spotin A, Rouhani S, Parvizi P. The associations of Leishmania major and Leishmania tropica aspects by focusing their morphological and molecular features on clinical appearances in Khuzestan province, Iran. Biomed Res Int 2014, ID 913510, 13 pages doi:10.1155/2014/913510.


Welcome to the weekly wrap-up! More nutritious than that crap you find in a roll at your local health store/KFC and even less likely to give you the runs! Let's get started!
There's been a lot of talk about Destiny lately. Some sites speculate that a ten year $500 million dollar investment may be a bad idea for the gaming industry as a whole. Other sites who happen to have a Destiny ad as their background feel otherwise. Still, you can't argue with the numbers, and if 6.5 million players managed to get into the recent Destiny alpha, then that's a good sign that this game may be the next big franchise for Bungie and Activision.
We're in an industry now where just one bad game can sink even the mightiest of developers and publishers. And while Crytek has yet to release a truly terrible game, their recent list of titles has been rather mediocre, prompting some to speculate that the graphics powerhouse may be in a spot of financial bother.
We don't often get world-class local ladies featured here, but when they do make it they hit the ball right out of the park. As you can see for yourself below with Megan Strydom.
Why slap your favourite organ on the table and start dancing, because Zoe scores a win thanks to an article that is all about winning. Or more precisely, celebrating a gaming win. It's full-time and the judges have made a decision, awarding our plucky lady 205 comments after a conversion during a penalty lap and dammit I do not know my sperts.
Ladies and gemstones, we have a tie! Your losers this week happen to be both Zoe and Geoff, who each netted a pitiful 4 comments apiece on their articles for some Assassin's Creed merch and first-person GTA V respectively.
I honestly don't know how Geoff does it. He's been on a roll as of late, buttered up with hit after hit and dipped in the hot oil of success. But as (INSERT DEITY/COSMIC CONCEPT/SPHAGETTI AND MEATBALLS MONSTER) is my witness, I will not rest until I reclaim the mantle of the bat. DO YOU HEAR ME? THIS AIN'T OVER GEOFF!
Because I'm a vindictive jerkass who doesn't feel like giving Geoff any more awards, I'm arbitrarily deciding that Gavin's use of kittens for our winner winner chicken intern dinner post deserves top marks this week.
Hair physics hair shmysics. This fine man didn't need this stuff, why do games?
Previous article Microsoft's Xbox One digital game sharing to return?


text:
Fed Vice Chair Lael Brainard Says CBDC Could Coexist With Stablecoins
A well-designed central bank digital currency could complement stablecoins and cash, Brainard will say in front of the House Committee on Financial Services on Thursday.
By Cam Thompson
May 26, 2022 at 3:42 p.m. UTC
Updated May 26, 2022 at 4:12 p.m. UTC
Cam Thompson
Cam Thompson is a news reporter at CoinDesk.
Follow @camgthompson on Twitter
U.S. Federal Reserve Vice Chair Lael Brainard said that a central bank digital currency (CBDC) could exist alongside stablecoins and provide a measure of safety. Brainard's comments were part of testimony released in advance of her appearance in front of the House Financial Services Committee on Thursday.
"CBDC could coexist with and be complementary to stablecoins and commercial bank money by providing a safe central bank liability in the digital financial ecosystem, much like cash currently coexists with commercial bank money," Brainard wrote.
She also wrote that thoughtful regulation is necessary given the recent collapse of terraUSD (UST) and luna (LUNA). "The rapid ongoing evolution of the digital financial system at the national and international levels should lead us to frame the question not as whether there is a need for a central-bank-issued digital dollar today, but rather whether there may be conditions in the future that may give rise to such a need," Brainard said. "We recognize there are risks of not acting, just as there are risks of acting."
Brainard also addressed the capabilities of a CBDC to facilitate global payments, and how the U.S. can serve as an example in digital finance with "privacy, accessibility, interoperability, and security."
For its part, the Federal Reserve has been soliciting comments recently on the advisability of setting up a CBDC. Wall Street bankers have expressed concerns that a U.S. CDBC could disrupt the banking system, while Circle, the issuer of stablecoin USDC, said a federal stablecoin might squash private-sector tokens.
Fed officials have routinely said the U.S. central bank doesn't intend to move forward on a CBDC without backing from the president and the Congress.
CBDCHouse Financial ServicesFederal ReserveStablecoin
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text:
Bizarre travel plans are dancing lessons from God.
— Kurt Vonnegut
There's something magic
about airports
it's like standing in a room
with a thousand doors
— Atticus
You have to pick the places you don't walk away from.
— Joan Didion
I always get to where I'm going by walking away from where I've been.
— Winnie the Pooh
There are places that haven't seen you yet.
To live would be an awfully big adventure.
— J. M. Barrie
Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.
— Gustave Flaubert
If I show [the path] to you, then the adventure is over.
— Cardinal Michael Spencer
So it always is: when you escape to a desert the silence shouts in your ear.
— Graham Greene
If you don't know where you are going, every road will get you nowhere.
— Henry Kissinger
Varys has got to have millions of the Westeros equivalent of frequent flyer miles.
— prospazzinator
Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.
— Neale Donald Walsch
The airplane became the first world wide web, bringing people, languages, idea and values together.
— Bill Gates
A hangover suggests a great night, jet lag suggests a great adventure.
— J.D. Andrews
If I'm an advocate for anything, it's to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean or simply across the river. The extent to which you can walk in someone else's shoes or at least eat their food, it's a plus for everybody. Open your mind, get up off the couch, move.
— Anthony Bourdain
Sometimes your only available transportation is a leap of faith.
— Margaret Shepard
I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.
— Douglas Adams
'Tis a big and beautiful world. Most of us live and die in the same corner where we were born and never get to see any of it. I don't want to be most of us.
— Oberyn Martell
We must travel in the direction of our fear.
— John Berryman
The atmosphere in the airplane cabin is literally as dry as the Gobi Desert.
— Dr. Charles F. Ehret
The world is a great book, of which they that never stir from home read only a page.
— St. Augustine of Hippo
If we're not going to make it, we're definitely not going to tell you. The last thing we need before we die is a riot.
This has been a real first for me but I have enjoyed the experience and I have nothing but respect for what our fabulous flight attendants do every day to keep us safe.
I'm an excellent flier because I'm an excellent sleeper.
— John Unwin
You can tell a lot about travelers by how much baggage they're dragging around.
— Dave Seminara
Twenty dollars a day for internet? What the fuck! And they accuse me of being an international criminal?
— Sacha Baron Cohen
I have found out that there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.
I used to believe athleticism was innate but now I realize you're not born sporty any more than you're born a traveler. It's an action — you put on your shoes, you get on the plane.
— Maggie Mason
A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have.
…Travelers who fly 85,000 miles a year or more should be classified as radiation workers.
— Matthew L. Wald
The first rule of any kind of travel is that the destination, and even the purpose, of your trip is less important than the spirit you bring to it.
— Pico Iyer
…Foreign travelers were more afraid of United States immigration officials than of terrorism or crime.
— Mark Vanhoenacker
…If you combine this adventurousness and curiosity with persistence and a sense that it's not all about you, then you get the kind of creativity that benefits society as a whole.
— C. Robert Cloninger


Alexia Bahar Karabenli is a contemprorary surrealist figurative artist who's born in Canada(12 April 1987).She has been drawing and painting since she was three.Alexia raised up in Jasmine Art Gallery(in Marmaris) with an established artist motherand an archeologist,writer father.Her family discovered Alexia's artistic abilities in her early ages and encouraged her to be an artist as well as her mother.Only when she was 7-8 years old some of her works exhibited in their own art gallery.
She also interested in music,ceramic,jewellery designing,photography and writing but her passion is drawing and painting.She always wanted to be an artist since she was a little child.Also in high school she represented her school in couple of contests and won prizes.
Alexia studied fine arts in Canada.She was an brilliant student.
Participated in couple of exhibitions during her education.
In 2008 she had an exhibition (eyes never lise) with her mother Yasemin Karabenli and in 2009 opened her own gallery in Marmaris(Mona Titti Art) and created their brand 'Mona Titti Art'.She's still working in her gallery.
12 April 2014,attended a mixed exhibition '62.Street Mixed Exhibition' with her husband (artist as well).
21 October 2014,attended a mixed exhibition 'Ekim Coskusu' with her husband.
Alexia Bahar Karabenli Yilmaz hasn't uploaded any images yet. Please check back soon!


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