We have a great selection of colors and specialty designs that we meet your creative needs. All of our adhesive sticker can be use on any cutting plotters. It depends on the specifications of the products you want.
Custom Circular Sticker Roll Personalized Permanent Waterproof Round Circle Vinyl Sticker Product Logo Label Printing As a professional label manufacturer, we provide more than you expected. We mainly make and printing various custom adhesive label sticker, plastic transparent label sticker, hologram label sticker, Vinyl/PET/PVC/PP/OPP/BOPP sticker, paper hang tag and other package labels for different products. Except fast delivery, thoughtful service, timely response, professional technical support, we can provide any size of the labels you want.
Material: Customized. Size: Various size.Customized. Design: Free design/Custom design.
Alibaba.com offers 1,090,873 label printing products. About 8% of these are packaging labels, 1% are garment labels.
A wide variety of label printing options are available to you, such as adhesive sticker, shrink label, and lip gloss. You can also choose from cloth, vinyl, and pvc. As well as from custom sticker, bottled beverage, and medicine. And whether label printing is waterproof, heat sensitive, or barcode.
There are 1,090,627 label printing suppliers, mainly located in Asia. The top supplying countries are China (Mainland), Pakistan, and Hong Kong, which supply 97%, 1%, and 1% of label printing respectively.
Label printing products are most popular in North America, Western Europe, and Domestic Market.
You can ensure product safety by selecting from certified suppliers, including 222,015 with ISO9001, 105,804 with Other, and 66,073 with ISO14001 certification.


Each flower has six anthers, usually a bilobed stigma, and one ovule in each of its hairy red fruit sections locules. Bees foraging for nectar routinely contact the stigma of male flowers and gather significant quantities of the sticky pollen from male blossoms. I just returned from Malaysia and Borneo, where rambutan is currently in season. Views Read Edit View history. Pollinators may maintain a fidelity to either male or hermaphroditic flowers treesthus limiting pollination and fruit set under natural conditions where crossing between male and female flowers is required.
Rambutan: The next popular super fruit?
The fruit are usually sold fresh, used in making jams and jellies, or canned. Uses authors parameter Articles with 'species' microformats All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from July Pages using deprecated hairy red fruit syntax. Additionally, some research shows that the hulls of rambutans contain several compounds that demonstrate value in inhibiting fatty acid synthase. It is also produced in Ecuador where it is known as achotillo and on the island of Puerto Rico.
Pollinators may fruit a fidelity to either male or hermaphroditic flowers treesthus limiting pollination and fruit set under natural conditions where crossing between male and female flowers hairy red required. An annual rambutan fair is held during August harvest time. Nephelium lappaceum is a medium-sized tropical tree in the family Sapindaceae. This page was last edited on 8 Februaryat Flowering periods differ for other localities.


Synopsis: The "code" in question refers to a pivotal telephone number - 11 digits that, when dialed, will trigger a global apocalypse by instantly setting off catastrophic nuclear devices in four metropolises around the world. Two individuals find their lives and futures at the mercy of the code. FSB Agent Darya sets out to defuse the devices in question and render the 11 digits ineffective, while the psychotic Louis Devier wants nothing less than to attain those elusive numbers and use them to completely wipe humankind from the face of the Earth. These two embark on a head-to-head conflict in a transcontinental race against time that will carry each through such exotic locales as Norway, Malaysia and Italy. Moreover, the stakes are not simply political, but personal. Louis caused significant emotional and psychological grief for Darya by murdering her lover. Nevertheless, Darya is forbidden from enacting vengeance, and must focus exclusively on her mission at hand, however difficult the task.
Originally titled "Beautiful". Filmed in the summer of 2006. Entirely financed by Russian funds, the film had an impressive budget called "a director's dream" Filming took place in Paris, Malaysia, Italy, Norway, Crimea, Venezuela, the Middle East and Russia.
Director Vadim Shmelev described Vincent as "a good guy and a very disciplined artist especially when it came to filming in Norway in a small village with minimum accommodations." He also said, "He's incredibly nice. Very cool. We are close friends. He's a busy actor. Professional, tough, strong. I am simply delighted with him." And when it came to Vincent's physical capabilities, Vadim claims the actor was "striking in this regard. We shot one long scene and he had to fall nine times in a row!"
"I liked the script and the relationship between the heroes. There is also that challenge to find the dark side within ourselves." He describes his co-star Anastasia as being in the same class with Catherine Deneuve and Sophie Marceau. "She is a great actress. She has that elegance that makes an actress a star. It's been excellent working with her. On the one hand, she's very professional, but she also enjoys having fun. I think her work in this film will surprise her fans as it is something radically new for her compared to what she has done before." And how did he stay in shape for such a physically vigorous role? He claims he did yoya, played tennis and worked out at the gym. Was filming a positive experience? He believes so with a good director and a production team that operated at the highest level. He adds, "The film should be a smash." How does he compare it to Ligne de Vie (1996) also made in Russia? He replies, "That was a more intimate film whereas this one is a large-scale project. But, in both cases, I took pleasure in working with the Russians, who are very impassioned. And they love the festivities. I love them too. It's a pity that with the busy schedule, it didn't leave time to walk in Moscow. I did manage to go to Don Monastery."


WELLINGTON, PEI – Nov. 22, 2013 – All of the Island's community boards of directors – whether they manage sports leagues, municipalities, women's institutes or community groups and organizations – are being invited to participate in a series of three workshops, each lasting three hours, to learn how to better manage their affairs and to become more efficient and effective.
The three themes to be covered during these evening workshops are: How to run effective board meetings, Recruitment and retention and Financial responsibilities for not-for-profit boards. The trainer will be Paul Gallant of Charlottetown, who previously delivered a first round of workshops, on roles and responsibilities of boards of directors.
Verner Smitheram, chair of the Friends of Covehead and Brackley Bays Inc., notes that four members of his organization's board attended the last series of workshops.
This year's workshops will again be offered in collaboration with four of the Island's Rural Action Centres to cover all of the main regions of the Island. The Alberton centre will oversee the workshops in the Western portion of the Island ( January), the Central Bedeque RAC will be in charge of the training in the central part of the Island (January / February) and the Montague centre will manage the training in the Eastern portion of the province ( March). The Wellington RAC will deliver the same workshops in French to the Island's francophone population (February).
HOW TO RUN EFFECTIVE BOARD MEETINGS: Some directors feel their meetings last too long, don't have precise objectives and don't generate enough results. During the workshop, participants will learn how to prepare for meetings, identify its objectives and prepare its agenda, run effective discussions; make decisions effectively based on the organization's mission; keep effective records; determine next steps and follow-ups; ensure participants are prepared, present and participate; promote teamwork and use rules of order or ground rules.
RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION: Volunteer involvement is extremely critical in ensuring the success of community organizations, especially those that have few or little staff and very modest budgets. For many organizations, recruitment is a difficult task. Workshop participants will learn how to get the right people on the board, identify what the board wants and needs, target their recruitment efforts, develop recruitment messages, prepare a succession plan, bring in new volunteers, develop a process for recruitment and orientation of new members and motivate current members.
Even though the workshops will only be delivered in the New Year, it is important to register for them before Dec. 20 so that organizers can reserve the appropriate locations for the number of registrants in each region. It is recommended that two representatives of each organization or group register for the training. The registration fee is $60 per organization (regardless of the number of representatives) for the entire series of workshops. Training will begin at 6 p.m. on each workshop night.
To register for the workshops or to obtain more information on dates and locations in the Western region, contact Barb MacDonald at (902) 853-3616 or barb.macdonald@cbdc.ca; in the Central region, contact Christine Warren at (902) 887-3400 or at cwarren@centralpei.ca, and for the Eastern region, contact Kristine Vandenberghe at (902) 838-4030 or at kristine.vandengerghe@cbdc.ca. All those wishing to register for the French workshops, contact Jeannine Arsenault at (902) 854-2328, Ext. 228, or jeannine@deeipe.org.
CUTLINE: Verner Smitheram, seated, and Justin Walsh, respectively president and coordinator of the Friends of Covehead and Brackley Bays Inc., examine the material from last year's workshops for volunteer boards they attended last year. Thanks to this training, they were able to completely organize their internal structure. They are seen with trainer Paula Gallant, right, and Bonnie Gallant, executive director of RDÉE PEI, the organization that is coordinating the delivery of the workshops this year.


THIS MORNING'S transfer news sees Arsene Wenger downplay suggestions Arsenal could sign Fulham's Dimitar Berbatov in January - on the same day the Gunners were linked with a £32m move for Atletico Madrid hitman Diego Costa. Elsewhere, Chelsea won't let Juan Mata join Manchester United, Liverpool or Tottenham.
Meanwhile, Arsenal have been tipped to meet the £32m release clause of Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa.
EXCLUSIVE: Juan Mata's days at Chelsea appear to be numbered after his agents rang the club to demand answers after he was substituted again by Jose Mourinho.
But Chelsea will refuse to sell unsettled Mata to a Premier League rival.
I'm in charge: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insists he is not mad to take over at Cardiff City – and says he will have full control.
Referee Mark Clattenburg is fighting to save his career after being accused of swearing at Southampton's England international Adam Lallana.
PICTURES: Hull midfielder Tom Huddlestone has finally had his hair cut 30 MONTHS after going unkept for charity.


text:
[Vivienne Segal as Vera Simpson and Robert J. Mulligan as Mike Spears in "Pal Joey".]
[Robert Redford as Mike Mitchell, Conrad Janis as Adam Taylor and Pat Stanley as Eileen Taylor in "Sunday in New York".]
[Margery Maude as Mrs. Sheeran, Vincent J. Donehue as Mike and Roy Roberts as Peter in "The Old Foolishness".]
[Judy Garland, Robert Q. Lewis, Mike Sloane and Phil Silvers at opening night for "Top Banana".]
Citicorp Building at Sunset. New York City.
Color photo: John Quigley.
New York City Looking South by Night.
[Fountains in the Promenade of Rockefeller Center.]
Central Park, New York City.
Carriages at Central Park, New York City.
Washington Square, New York City.
The General Motors Building.
United Nations and Mahattan Skyline, New York City.
Midtown Manhattan.
Pan Am Building - Midtown Skyline at Night, New York City.
Aerial View of New York City
Aerial view of Lower Manhattan
["Sunday in New York" theater still.]
From left: Conrad Janis as Adam Taylor, Robert Redford as Mike Mitchell, Pat Stanley as Eileen Taylor...
["The Old Foolishness" theater still.]
Margery Maude as Mrs. Sheeran, Grace Francis Findlay as Mrs. Dorian (Ole' Contrairy), Vincent J. Donehue...
[New York Public Library.]
Color Photo by Mike Roberts.
Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) (2)
Manhattan (New York, N.Y.) (13)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Games are quite a serious business
Posted on 4th May 2011 Leave a comment
It was obvious a few years ago that not only were virtual worlds going to be big business, but that they would have an impact on the payments market. I used put things like World of Warcraft into product and service roadmap discussions for our clients in the financial services space, and I'm sure that they thought I was doing it just for fun, just to get some discussion going. But having played around in the space, I could see it would lead to some new thinking. When you're sending World of Warcraft gold pieces to a friend in Asia via an elven intermediary (quicker and cheaper than banks, by the way) you can't help but wonder at the "real world" instruments to hand. This from three years ago…
Well it wouldn't surprise anyone then, that most of our partners report they have a completion rate of 0.5-1% when they present a credit card payment page to their users for virtual goods…Mobile on the other hand… takes 15 seconds, and off goes the user to his virtual good or points that will enhance his game or app experience immediately without ever leaving the environment of the app.
[From Virtual Goods / Currency and Mobile Payments: the business model for Social Apps ]
Note that figure: one in a hundred transactions complete. People playing at being virtual farmers want to buy some virtual cows, so they click to buy, but when they see a credit card payment screen, they can't be bothered. So there was a demand for a new kind of payment instrument that was not being met by the banks. Look how much things have changed since then, with the incredible boom in app store and in-game payments. There's no doubt that the retail payments roadmap is indeed being affected by the world of games.
Now I'm not implying that it's only payments will be impacted, because in the longer run it will be many kinds of financial service, including banking.
The publisher of the online science-fiction game "Entropia Universe," set on the planet Calypso, received a banking license from the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority last week and plans to open a real bank within a year, albeit one without physical, walk-in branches.
Players of "Entropia" already exchange real money for a virtual currency that is used for their expenses on Calypso. And virtual money they make in the game, through hunting, mining, trading or other activities, can be cashed out into real money. The virtual currency, Project Entropia Dollars, has a fixed 10-to-1 exchange rate to the U.S. dollar.
By setting up a real-world bank, Sweden-based publisher MindArk PE AB gains the protection of the Swedish government's deposit insurance for these accounts, up to about $60,000 for each customer.
[From The Associated Press: Online game gets real-world banking license ]
A healthy development! My younger son spends a lot of time online with his friends at the moment, hanging out not at the mall but at the WoW auction house (this is where he learns about economics, I'm happy to say). That's where our clients' next generation of customers are learning about money, payments and financial services. This from two years ago…
Today, Facebook application developers monetize their games and other applications by accepting payment directly using PayPal, Google, Amazon FPS, or SocialGold. Or developers may opt to receive direct payment via mobile phone via Zong, Boku, or another mobile payment provider… game developers in particular, often accept payment via a prepaid card sold in retail establishments, such as the Ultimate Game Card. The social and gaming web is exploding with virtual currency offerings, yet thus far no one model or payment brand dominates.
[From Purchasing Facebook Credits with Zong Mobile Payments — Payments Views from Glenbrook Partners ]
Now, forward-looking organisations could see what was going on and began to target R&D appropriately.
Google is developing a micropayment platform that will be "available to both Google and non-Google properties within the next year,"… The system, an extension of Google Checkout, would be a new and unexpected option for the news industry as it considers how to charge for content online.
[From Google developing a micropayment platform and pitching newspapers: "'Open' need not mean free" » Nieman Journalism Lab ]
The idea was then that micropayments would be a payment vehicle available to both Google and non-Google properties within the year. The idea was to allow viable payments of a penny to several dollars by aggregating purchases across merchants and over time. Google planned to mitigate the risk of non-payment by assigning credit limits based on past purchasing behavior and having credit card instruments on file for those with higher credit limits and using proprietary risk engines to track abuse or fraud. Merchant integration through Checkout would be extremely simple. Google, in fact, subsequently decided to purchase an in-game payments company rather than build it themselves.
Facebook and Google are poised to challenge the banking industry in online payments.
[From Facebook and Google Encroach on Banks Turf – US Banker Article ]
Is this really true? I think the answer is yes and no, in the sense that I can't see any reason why Facebook or Google would want to be a bank, unless it's to get some sort of government handout, but I can see why they might want to get involved in payments in order to make money (not from the payments, where margins are thin, but from new products and services that have payments integral to them). This is why the news that Facebook had also begun experimenting with a payment system was hardly unexpected, but was notable nonetheless. There was an expectation that the existence of a secure and convenient micropayment scheme for Facebook users (of which there now more than 600 million) would stimulate the development of a new marketplace within Facebook's "barbed wire". This seemed plausible to me—if it had been up to me, I would have added a spurious green element to the proposition somehow (getting merchants and other organisations to give out Facebook credits to reward environmentally desirable behaviour)—and I was sure it would do well. I wondered in a number of forums as to who else might enter this more competitive currency market?
In the coming months, facebook users will be able to obtain facebook Credits using MOL points purchased through MOL's network of more than 500,000 outlets, which are mainly in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, India, Australia and New Zealand. In addition to outlets such as 7-Eleven stores and cybercafes, customers will be able to purchase Credits through MOL's network of online banks in these countries.
[From Finextra: Facebook moves virtual currency offline ]
I gave a talk last year when I mentioned that I thought that Facebook credits would become the biggest virtual currency in the world fairly quickly. Unusually for my glib and sweeping predictions from the conference platform, this one appears to have come true, and even more quickly than I had imagined.
By the end of the year, Facebook expects that Credits will be used to buy the vast majority of virtual goods sold on Facebook. The fast-growing market is expected to reach $835 million on Facebook this year, according to the Inside Network… Through Credits, Facebook will take a 30 percent cut… To bolster that market, Facebook began selling Credits gift cards at Target stores across the country this month.
[From Facebook Promotes Its Credits as Path to Dollars – NYTimes.com ]
Now this will one day become a standard business school case study. Talking of which, a few years ago, as part of a course I was teaching at Visa's Bank Card Business School, a colleague and I mocked up a future Visa card that drew on a World of Warcraft account rather than a fiat currency account. This was photoshopped up to make a point, and at the time it was supposed to be a totally out-of-the-box crazy picture of the future. About two weeks after we made it up, I read that a US bank was issuing a Visa card with cashback in World of Warcraft gold. Oh well. It did help to make one of the points that I was trying to get across, which is that the future of payments will extend beyond the "traditional" bank, consumer, merchant and acquirer for 4-party model.
Vegetable company Green Giant is offering an unlikely reward for purchasing their products: virtual currency in Zynga's hit social game FarmVille.
[From Wacky: Zynga Gives Away Free FarmVille Cash With Purchases Of Real Life Vegetables ]
That was bad timing, coming just as Zynga (the people behind Farmville) caved in to Facebook and agreed to replace Farmville cash with Facebook credits, but it was an interesting development nonetheless, showing that virtual money is just as valuable as "real" money. Facebook's tactics show they undoubtedly have a strategy in this field.
First Facebook turned off notifications for applications, taking away the primary mechanism for social games to go viral. Now if a company wants a massive audience for a new game, they almost certainly have to buy it through Facebook advertising.
Now Facebook is rolling out Credits as the preferred method of payment for games on their Platform, and taking a 30 per cent cut of the transactions. That's a much larger percentage than the social games companies were handing over to the small payment companies that had sprung up to fill this niche, and higher than the fees charged by PayPal and credit card companies.
[From Zynga says it's not leaving Facebook | Tech Blog | FT.com ]
Now there's something to be said for the creation of a single currency area as a way to encourage trade and therefore prosperity.
Besides leading the creation of a more people-centric web, it could also end up having the dominant virtual currency, according to an early adopter of Facebook Credits. PopCap Games has been using the service, which is still in the beta testing phase, as the sole payment method for Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook.
The game is free to play and attracts 11m monthly players, 3m of them playing it daily. PopCap sells extra power-ups, which boost players' capabilities, and is moving onto sales of virtual items. It has decided to ignore offering other virtual currency options and only accepts Facebook Credits. Users can buy them with credit cards, Paypal or through their mobile phones in $5, $10 and $20 increments for 50, 100 or 200 Credits.
[From Facebook's Credits Bank of the Web | Tech Blog | FT.com ]
These are all useful case studies, showing how a new currency can develop and evolve.
Facebook has certainly tried to guide the development of its online economy, almost in the way that governments seek to influence economic activity in the real world, through fiscal and monetary policy. Earlier this year the firm said it wanted applications running on its platform to accept its virtual currency, known as Facebook Credits. It argued that this was in the interests of Facebook users, who would no longer have to use different online currencies for different applications.
[From Social networks and statehood | The future is another country | Economist.com ]
I think I've seen the playbook before.
That means all Facebook game developers will be able to start using Credits as their payment system for virtual goods — in fact, Facebook is requiring them to make the switch by July
[From All Facebook Games Will Have To Use Facebook Credits Starting In July ]
This comes from the Great Khan's playbook for monetary and fiscal policy. Not Genghis Khan. His fiscal policy was confused: when he took control of China in 1215, his pacification plan was to kill everyone in China, no small undertaking since China was then, as now, the world's most populous country. Fortunately, one of his advisors, a man who ought to be the patron saint of Finance Ministers everywhere, Yeliu Ch'uts'ai, pointed out (presumably via a primitive Treasury model of some sort) that dead peasants paid considerably less tax than live ones, and the plan was halted. In 1260, Genghis' grandson Kublai Khan became Emporer of China. He decided, much as Mark Zuckerberg has, that it was a burden to commerce and taxation to have all sorts of currencies in use, ranging from copper "cash" to iron bars, to pearls to salt to specie, so he decided to implement a paper currency.
Here's what Marco Polo had to say about it…
[From Digital Money: Lucky, for me anyway ]
His monetary policy was refreshingly straightforward and more robust, even, than Mr. Zukerberg's: if you didn't accept his money, he would kill you. Naturally, in a short time, the new single currency was established and paper money began to circulate instead of gold, jewels, copper coins and metal bars. If you think talking about a new currency is crazy, take a look at Facebook Deals. According to Facebook, at launch, you will not be able to buy physical goods with Facebook Credits. Rather you will be able to get things like vouchers that you can redeem at events: now this is, frankly, a paper-thin distinction. I can't use Facebook Credits to pay for, say, a Coke at a pop concert but I can use them to pay for a voucher for a Coke at a pop concert. I am not an economist, but…
When beloved national retailers start offering goods and lower prices to customers who pay with a new, virtual currency – that's when said virtual currency becomes a force to reckon with. Somebody call Congress and the Federal Reserve – it's time to start having some serious conversations.
[From Facebook Deals Launches Tonight & Groupon Doesn't Stand a Chance (Updated) ]
There's a warning from history here! Unfortunately, the Khan's paper money ended in disaster because the money supply was not managed: it collapsed in hyperinflation, because in the days after Yeliu Ch'uts'ai, the temptation to print money was just too great for the monetary authorities too resist. Let's hope that the Emperor of Facebook finds an advisor of the calibre of Yeliu Ch'uts'ai.
One possible future might be that, just as China turned in on itself and stagnated, leaving technological and commercial progress to other people, Facebook will become an inward-looking economy while others take up the torch! Perhaps competition in currency, not only in payment methods, is need to keep an economic space vital.
The new program, announced today at SXSW, is called RewardVille, which will give players zPoints and zCoins in CityVille, FrontierVille, FarmVille, Mafia Wars, Zynga Poker, Café World, Treasure Isle, YoVille, PetVille and Vampire Wars.
[From Zynga Rolls Out New Virtual Currency in Addition to Facebook Credits | Tricia Duryee | eMoney | AllThingsD ]
Competition. This is the American way, not going complaining to Senator Durbin.
These are personal opinions and should not be misunderstood as representing the opinions of
Consult Hyperion or any of its clients or suppliers
Posted in Banking and Finance, Markets
Previous Entry Top and bottom
Next Entry 25% increase in authentication


text:
Renewable-Fuel Push Drives Soyoil Prices to Record High
Prices for soybean oil shot to an all-time high last week, powered by growing demand from the biofuels sector.
Soybean-oil futures on the Chicago Board of Trade have soared almost 70% this year, closing at nearly 72 cents per pound on Friday. That topped the previous high hit in 2008. The climb makes soybean oil one of the year's best-performing assets among a basket tracked by The Wall Street Journal, along with other commodities like lumber, corn and hogs.
Soybean oil is commonly used as an ingredient in foods like cereals, bread, and other snack foods. Demand for the vegetable oil is growing, however, from the biofuels industry, a chief part of the push toward renewable energy highlighted by President Biden's call for the U.S. to cut carbon-emissions levels in half by 2030.
"Biofuel, particularly renewable diesel, is a key driver of the demand picture on the vegetable-oil side as we look forward," said
Greg Morris,
president of Archer Daniels Midland Co.'s agricultural services and oilseeds business unit.
The U.S. Agriculture Department expects the biofuels sector to consume 12 billion pounds of soybean oil in the 2021-22 marketing year—up from an estimated 9.5 billion pounds in 2020-21, according to its monthly supply-and-demand report published in May.
Producers are racing to keep up. Production capacity for soyoil in the U.S. is expected to grow to 935 million gallons in 2021, nearly double from where it was last year, according to data from
StoneX Group.
By 2023, that capacity is expected to swell to over two billion gallons annually.
"The enthusiasm for this new generation of renewable fuels mimics what we saw in the early days of the ethanol boom," said
Arlan Suderman,
chief commodities economist with StoneX.
ADM said last month that it would invest $350 million into building a new soybean-crushing plant—where raw soybeans are made into products like oil and meal—in Spiritwood, N.D. ADM said the facility will open before the 2023 harvest, processing as much as 150,000 bushels of soybeans a day.
The Agriculture Department expects the biofuels sector to consume more soybean oil in the 2021-22 marketing year than the one just before.
Rory Doyle/Bloomberg News
ADM isn't the only major agricultural company investing. Cargill said in March it would spend $475 million improving its soy-crush facilities across seven states, bettering their efficiency and boosting production.
Cargill in April announced a joint venture with the Love's Family of Companies to construct a new renewable diesel plant in Hastings, Neb. Once opened, the plant will supply the market with 80 million gallons of renewable diesel a year, Cargill said.
"Our view is that we need to have some kind of presence in the renewable-fuel market, to know about it," said Roger Watchorn, head of Cargill's agricultural supply-chain operations.
Major energy players outside of agriculture are also piling in.
Phillips 66 Co.
in April confirmed it had bought a stake in an Iowa-based soybean-processing plant and would buy 100% of the soybean oil produced there—expected to total roughly 4,000 barrels a day.
"With some of the new entrants into the market, they're looking to secure their supply chain," said Alan Weber, a founding partner of Kearney, Mo.-based biofuel consulting firm MARC-IV.
While other feedstocks, such as used animal fats, make better renewable fuel, there simply isn't enough of those waste products available, said Juan Sacoto, director of North American agribusiness consulting with IHS Markit Inc. About 40% of all beef tallow and 80% of all reclaimed yellow cooking grease are already being sold for biofuels, constituting roughly two billion pounds of each.
"There's not enough of these fats and greases, so they turn to vegetable oil," said Mr. Sacoto, adding that IHS projects that the biofuels industry will need 20 billion pounds of feedstock this year—a figure expected to double in the next five years.
Global supply issues are also a factor pushing vegetable-oil prices higher. In Southeast Asia, coronavirus-related labor shortages have reduced production of palm oil, an oil used for similar purposes. Palm-oil stocks world-wide are at their lowest level in four years. Few expect a quick turnaround, said Kyle Holland, a pricing analyst with research firm Mintec Ltd.
"The sentiment now from the market is that it'll be a very long time, even into 2022, until the market gets back to normal," said Mr. Holland in a virtual conference in May.
Rising soybean prices in the U.S. are also pushing gains in soyoil, with the most-active futures contract on the Chicago Board of Trade jumping as high as $16.43 per bushel in May, their highest level since September 2012. A major source of demand comes from China, which is rebuilding hog populations after African swine fever caused the nation to cull roughly a third of its herd.
Some question how much longer soyoil prices can climb, with consumers noticing prices at grocery stores are on the rise.
"The price response for soyoil in the U.S. has people questioning how big can it get before hitting a tipping point," said Mr. Watchorn.
Soybean oil is one of the year's best-performing assets.
Write to Kirk Maltais at Kirk.Maltais@wsj.com
As Cruises Resume, a Positive Covid-19 Case Doesn't Spell the End of a Voyage
Two passengers sharing a room on a Caribbean cruise ship tested positive this week for Covid-19, triggering safety precautions that...
CDC Extends Federal Eviction Moratorium Through July
WASHINGTON—The Biden administration has issued a monthlong extension of a moratorium, through July, on the eviction of tenants who have...
Bitcoin Price Slips on Elon Musk's Breakup Meme Tweet
Bitcoin, dogecoin and other cryptocurrencies skidded Friday, extending their monthlong rout, following another cryptic tweet from Elon Musk. Bitcoin was...
Tyson Replaces CEO Dean Banks After Eight Months on the Job
Tyson Foods Inc. TSN 0.21% replaced its chief executive officer after about eight months on the job as the top...
J&J Covid-19 Vaccine Shows Promising Preliminary Signs of Protecting Against Delta Variant
Johnson & Johnson 's Covid-19 vaccine showed promising signs in a small laboratory study of protecting against the Delta variant...
NFL Explores Strategic Options for Media Properties, Including Selling Stakes
The National Football League is exploring options for its media properties including selling stakes to strategic partners, a move aimed...
Theranos Founder Elizabeth Holmes's Emails With Law Firm Allowed at Trial
A federal judge rejected Theranos Inc. founder Elizabeth Holmes's request to keep her emails with law firm Boies Schiller Flexner...
How Bad Is Our Company's Product? Let Us List the Ways
Tobacco giant Altria Group Inc. is on trial, accused of breaking antitrust laws by abandoning its e-cigarette business at the...
What Working From Home Taught Us About Our Office Setups
Gabe Marans, an executive managing director at the real-estate company Savills, is back in his office on Park Avenue in...
Climate Ruling Could Force Big Change at Shell
To comply with a Dutch court order to cut carbon emissions, Royal Dutch Shell RDS.A -0.52% PLC may have to...
Didi Global Prices IPO at $14 a Share
Chinese ride-hailing goliath Didi Global Inc. priced its IPO at $14 on Tuesday afternoon, according to people familiar with the...
Car Sales Continue Hot Streak but Market Shows Signs of Cooling
U.S. car sales continued at a blistering pace in the second quarter, but show some signs of slowing in June...
Toshiba Shareholders Oust Chairman in Landmark for Foreign Activists
TOKYO— Toshiba Corp.'s TOSYY 0.18% chairman was ousted in a vote at the company's annual meeting, a milestone in Japanese...
Juul to Pay $40 Million to Settle Lawsuit Alleging It Targeted Teens
Juul Labs Inc. agreed to pay $40 million to the state of North Carolina to settle a lawsuit alleging that...
How a Beer Giant Manages Through Waves of Covid Around the World
In late March, executives at the biggest brewer in the world were working on a project they had code-named EU-phoria....


text:
Location:Home > General Introduction > Directors and Supervisors
Supervisor: Mr. Dai Hui and Mr. Jiang Jue
Dai Hui, he was born in 1960, is a political officer. He graduated from the Central Party School of the Communist Party of China, majoring in management of party politics. He served as the chief officer of the human resources division and the deputy director of the monitoring department of Anhui Expressway Holding Corporation, and the secretary of party general branch and director of the Gaojie Management Office of the Company. Mr. Dai is currently a party committee member, the secretary of the disciplinary committee, the chairman of the labour union and the director of the party affairs' office of the Company. Since 23 March 2017, he has been appointed as the employee representative supervisor of the Company. He is concurrently the chairman of the supervisory committee of Anhui Ningxuanhang Expressway Investment Company Limited. Jiang Yue, he was born in 1982, is a holder of a master's degree in management, a registered accountant in China (non-practicing), a Chartered Financial Analyst (USA) and a Financial Risk Manager (USA). Since July 2009, Mr. Jiang has been acting as the project manager of the equity management division 1 and the corporate management department of China Merchants Highway Network Technology Holding Company Limited, also acting as a supervisor of the supervisory committee of Henan Zhongyuan Expressway Company Limited, Heilongjiang Transportation Development Company Limited, Shandong Hi-speed Company Limited and North China Expressway Company Limited. He is currently a project manager of the capital operation department and concurrently serves as the supervisor of Jilin Expressway Company Limited. Since 20 May 2016, he has been appointed as a supervisor of the Company


text:
Former President Trump's second impeachment trial hit close to home as senators watched a video montage of what happened in their own chamber —and inside the US Capitol when a pro-Trump mob violently stormed the US Capitol complex on Jan. 6.
The House impeachment managers showed a horrific video montage of the riots during their arguments on Tuesday, which some senators said brought them back to the day and the incredible danger they were all in.
"That's probably the longest time I've spent actually watching video on that topic and it reminded me of what a horrendous day it was," Republican Sen. Roy Blunt told reporters Tuesday after the first day of the trial concluded.
When asked about the video montage, GOP Sen. Mike Braun said, "I don't think you ever get desensitized to that."
The Indiana Republican then recounted his personal experience during the riots, saying, "I was actually walking through the hallways when all that occurred. [Sen.] John Thune was running the opposite direction. Capitol Police that were with him said, 'Get back to your office and lock yourself in the door.' You never forget something like that."
Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Lujan told reporters that watching the video reminded him of "the danger everyone in the Capitol was in."
The New Mexico senator recalled the events that unfolded in the very room the trial is being held.
"For me to see with my own eyes the Vice President of the United States rushed out when I did, after I only heard the mob getting louder and louder and then to see the officers that came in again with long guns on the Senate floor to guard Mr. McConnell," Lujan said referring to then Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. "And then to be told this is a safe room: Don't worry, calm down, and then the staff was brought in and then the press was trying to figure out what's happening up in the gallery. And then moments later, to be told: shots were fired in the Capitol, get them out of here, move them out."
Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow said the video montage was "more impactful" than she thought it would be.
"I found myself at points nervously looking up in the gallery," the Michigan Democrat told reporters. "There were a couple of times where there were noises of something in the back, somebody dropping something and I noticed colleagues turning around, you know, a little bit on edge, watching all of that again."


Sunday service starts at 10:30am. Feel free to join us at 10:15am for coffee and fellowship.
For more information and driving directions.
We are Jesus followers who abide, connect, and multiply.
Jesus followers connect to the church. The church is the body of Christ that is made up of a diverse group of gifted people. A church is not a building, a church is a gathering of people who get together regularly to worship God and form a loving community that is unified by the Holy Spirit. Jesus followers understand that they are an essential part of the body, and that the body of Christ would not exist if it were not for people committed to forming a healthy church. Every Christ follower has an important role to play within the body and they use their gifts to serve Jesus as they serve in the church.
Jesus followers multiply. Living a fruitful life is something that brings God glory and happens naturally as we become rooted in our faith. There are many people who receive Christ and then fall away; however, true Jesus followers bear fruit because their seed of faith has fallen on good soil and is watered daily and bears eternal fruit. Jesus followers are on an eternal journey to heaven and are committed to growing God's kingdom as they live life and exist in society. Faith is more than attendance to church on Sunday. It is a life pursuit. Jesus followers are committed to giving their resources to bless others in the church and in the world. They are disciple makers that multiply.


Star Trek The FallAfter the destruction of the original space station by a rogue faction of the Typhon Pact, Miles O'Brien and Nog have led the Starfleet Corps of Engineers in designing and constructing a larger, more advanced starbase in the Bajoran system. Now, as familiar faces such as Benjamin Sisko, Kasidy Yates, Ezri Dax, Odo, and Quark arrive at the new station, Captain Ro Laren will host various heads of state to an impressive dedication ceremony. The dignitaries include not only the leaders of allies—such as Klingon Chancellor Martok, Ferengi Grand Nagus Rom, the Cardassian castellan, and the Bajoran first minister—but also those of rival powers, such as the Romulan praetor and the Gorn imperator. But as Ro's crew prepares to open DS9 to the entire Bajor Sector and beyond, disaster looms. A faction has already set in action a shocking plan that, if successful, will shake the Alpha and Beta Quadrants to the core.
And what of Kira Nerys, lost aboard a runabout when the Bajoran wormhole collapsed? In the two years that have passed during construction of the new Deep Space 9, there have been no indications that the Celestial Temple, the Prophets, or Kira have survived. But since Ben Sisko once learned that the wormhole aliens exist nonlinearly in time, what does that mean with respect to their fate, or that of the wormhole...or of Kira herself?
Revelation and Dust picks up the story of Deep Space 9 in the days leading up to the inauguration of the new space station. The dedication of the new station carries with it enough significance that the Federation president chooses to use it as an opportunity for dialogue with certain members of the Typhon Pact. It is a time of excitement and hope as the Federation and Starfleet have weathered difficult times (such as the Borg Invasion in David Mack's awesome Destiny trilogy, and the dastardly plots of rogue Typhon Pact forces in my own Plagues of Night and Raise the Dawn) and now stand poised on a renewed era of exploration. What follows, though, is far more than simply the opening of the new station: events conspire to reveal a dangerous threat to the Federation.
Star Trek The FallMuch is at stake for our favorite characters. Captain Benjamin Sisko continues to repair his relationships with his wife and daughter, while at the same time commanding his own starship, U.S.S. Robinson. Chief O'Brien has returned to help design and construct the new DS9, serving as its chief engineer, joined by Nog, who functions as assistant chief engineer. Doctor Julian Bashir looks forward to running the new state-of-the-art hospital on the station, while still hoping to work with his love, Sarina Douglas, to bring down the nefarious Section 31. Captain Ezri Dax remains aboard U.S.S. Aventine, but her ship is called to the new station for a specific mission. Odo remains essentially stranded in the Alpha Quadrant, where he mourns the loss of Kira Nerys, last seen in the Bajoran wormhole two years earlier, just before it collapsed; in the time since, there has been no indication at all that the wormhole even still exists. Captain Ro Laren and her staff and crew have dealt with their own losses surrounding the destruction of the old Deep Space 9, but they look forward not only to throwing their hatches open wide for the Bajor Sector, but to launching the new station by hosting an important event.
What the new station does is provide a stark contrast to the old one, giving us a look at what the Federation and Starfleet would create in such an important region of space. Because readers will be getting a detailed look at the new Deep Space 9 for the first time, it was important not only to describe the new locale, but to breathe life into it. Because of that, it truly does function as a character in Revelation and Dust.
Star Trek The FallI was excited about the distinctions between the old and new stations, but I was even more excited to imagine what Starfleet would come up with in the Bajoran system. While it is not completely different from its predecessor—the two stations needed to provide many of the same functions, after all—the new DS9 does have some unique features. I had a lot of fun coming up with those, and I'm sure other writers will help flesh out those and other details.
The susurrus of distant applause reached Ro. Satisfied that Tenmei controlled her flight, the captain looked away from Defiant's primary conn officer and about the park. Around the tree-lined base of the half-dome-shaped enclosure, and interspersed along the footpaths and up and down the knolls, hundreds of her crew had congregated. Although still five days away from the station's formal dedication and its transition to full operational status, Ro had made the decision to conduct a small celebration ahead of time, exclusively for the complement of the new Deep Space 9.
StarTrek.com are promising two more reports in the coming days, with interviews with Doug Drexler, Andy Probert, and Douglas Graves on their work designing the station and the covers.


text:
Home » Celebrities » Chloe Bailey Announces Debut Solo Album See All the Details!
Chloe Bailey Announces Debut Solo Album See All the Details!
Chloe Bailey has finally announced some major news – her debut album!
The 24-year-old singer and actress, perhaps most well known for being in a duo with her sister Halle Bailey, will finally be dropping her first album as a solo artist.
Get all the details inside…
Chloe's album will be titled In Pieces, and will be released in just two months.
"IN PIECES. MY DEBUT ALBUM. MARCH 2023. 🫀," she captioned a teaser video.
"wooooo!!!!!!" Halle commented.
Her former grown-ish co-star Yara Shahidi celebrated the news, commenting several 🔥 emojis.
The announcement comes after she's already released a handful of songs, including "Have Mercy," "Treat Me," "Surprise" and "For the Night (feat. Latto)," as well as being featured on Gunna's "You & Me."
If you didn't know, Chloe x Halle have five Grammy nominations, including one for each of their albums, The Kids Are Alright and Ungodly Hour. They've also toured with their mentor Beyoncé, whose record label they are under.
You can pre-save In Pieces right HERE!
← 'Huge moment': Government prepares to unveil AUKUS plan
Lana Condor's Aura Nails Are Trending →


text:
September 12, 2018 Onsite Cybersecurity Incident Assistance from DHS
On September 12, WaterISAC hosted a briefing on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Hunt and Incident Response Team (HIRT).
WaterISAC convened its monthly Water Sector Cyber Threat Briefing on August 22. The webcast featured presentations from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's National Cyber and Communications...
WaterISAC convened its monthly Water Sector Cyber Threat Briefing on July 25. The webcast featured presentations from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's National Cyber and Communications...
July 11, 2018 DHS Cybersecurity Advisor Program
On June 11, WaterISAC hosted a briefing on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity Advisor (CSA) program. CSAs are deployed to regions around the country to work with DHS's...
WaterISAC convened its monthly Water Sector Cyber Threat Briefing on June 27. The webcast featured presentations from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's National Cyber and Communications...
WaterISAC convened its monthly Water Sector Cyber Threat Briefing on May 23. The webcast featured presentations from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's National Cyber and Communications...
WaterISAC convened its monthly Water Sector Cyber Threat Briefing on April 25. The webcast featured presentations from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's National Cyber and Communications...
WaterISAC convened its monthly Water Sector Cyber Threat Briefing on March 28. The webcast featured presentations from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's National Cybersecurity Education...
WaterISAC convened its monthly Water Sector Cyber Threat Briefing on February 21. The webcast featured presentations from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's National Cyber and...
WaterISAC convened its monthly Water Sector Cyber Threat Briefing on January 24. The webcast featured presentations from Perch Security and WaterISAC. Among other topics, the presenters discussed...
Black Sky Hazards and Water Sector Resilience
WaterISAC convened a webinar on long-duration power outages which featured Dr. Paul Stockton, a well-regarded expert on disaster preparedness and the implications of extended power outages; Mr....
WaterISAC convened its monthly Water Sector Cyber Threat Briefing on November 29. The webcast featured presentations from DHS ICS-CERT and SurfWatch Labs. Among other topics, the presenters...
WaterISAC convened its monthly Water Sector Cyber Threat Briefing on October 18. The webcast featured presentations from DHS ICS-CERT and NCTA (the Internet and Television Association)/...
WaterISAC convened its monthly Water Sector Cyber Threat Briefing on September 27. The webcast featured presentations from DHS ICS-CERT and SurfWatch Labs. Topics included the NCCIC/ICS-CERT CY...
WaterISAC convened its monthly Water Sector Cyber Threat Briefing on November 30. The webcast featured presentations from DHS ICS-CERT and FireEye iSIGHT Intelligence. Topics included a Northeast...
The webcast featured presentations from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security ICS-CERT and FireEye iSIGHT Intelligence. Specific topics included the Mirai internet of things (IoT) botnet, six...
October 5, 2016 Strategic and Operational Threat Intelligence
On Wednesday, October 5 at 2:00 PM ET, WaterISAC hosted a presentation by SurfWatch Labs on strategic and operational threat intelligence as applied to industrial control systems, corporate...
WaterISAC conducted its monthly Water Sector Cyber Threat Briefing on Wednesday, September 28, 2016. Specific topics include an overview of CSET 8.0, a hacker claiming VNC access to a boiler...
WaterISAC conducted its monthly Water Sector Cyber Threat Briefing on Wednesday, August 24, 2016. Topics included a cyber incident involving a wastewater utility's HMI, monetization of compromised...
This presentation covers the ICSJWG, a compromised HMI at a wastewater facility, the Booz Allen report on ICS threats, a SCADA manufacturer targeted with malware, and a U.S. Senate bill to fund...


Located in Singapore's prestigious District 9, The Lumos is a freehold luxury development sited within walking distance of the prime Orchard shopping district.
While the nearby Orchard Road bustles with a diverse selection of retail and F&B options, The Lumos is nestled within a tranquil enclave at 9 Leonie Hill, promising exceptional exclusivity for high-end residential living.
All 53 homes in this 36-storey, single block development have been designed with the utmost care and thought, and selected units feature generous balconies that open up to sweeping views of the surrounding city and beyond.
If you are looking for an ideal combination of metropolitan excitement with suburban serenity, The Lumos – offering timeless value with its freehold tenure and choice location – is the ideal home for you.
With its central location in the heart of the city, The Lumos enjoys close proximity to the Central Business District at Raffles Place, Marina Bay Financial Centre and Tanjong Pagar, where world-renowned MNCs and financial institutions are located.
Immerse yourself in the splendour of the Orchard shopping district, replete with a wonderful blend of top luxury brands to sprawling departmental stores.
Off the main Orchard thoroughfare lies a diverse line-up of F&B outlets at Emerald Hill, while the nearby Dempsey Road area offers a carefully curated selection of dining options. Enjoy verdant greenery at the Botanic Gardens, and indulge your senses at the monumental Gardens by the Bay.
Educational institutions in the vicinity include ISS International School, Chatsworth International School, School of the Arts Singapore and Singapore Management University. With such a combination of commercial, retail and recreational destinations, you can literally live, work and play in the city.
Only minutes' walk to the Orchard and Somerset train stations on the North/South lines and the upcoming Great World and Orchard Boulevard train stations on the Thomson/East Coast lines, the Lumos offers outstanding accessibility and convenience. Additionally, the nearby Central Expressway makes driving to other parts of the island hassle-free.
Excellent connectivity, combined with a prestigious location at Leonie Hill, makes The Lumos one of the most desired addresses for dynamic city living.
Inspired by the crystal chandelier, the façade of The Lumos is embellished with spiral accents and adorned with glass living pods that allude to embedded gems.
A cascading pool and poolside gym complement the development's exquisite tower, which blends seamlessly with a meticulously designed landscape, while selected units enjoy exclusive access via their own private lift lobbies, redefining the boundaries of luxury living, creating a personal sanctuary for all your needs.
Stay home, sit back, relax and soak in the city as you take in the breath-taking view from the private vantage of your balcony.
With its freehold tenure, The Lumos offers home ownership of unlimited duration and is a valuable asset that privileged owners can pass down from generation to generation.
Given the development's excellent location, facilities and amenities, homeowners can also expect their properties to appreciate in land-scarce Singapore. A Lumos home is therefore also an ideal option for investors looking for both good rental yield and capital gain.


text:
Captain America: Civil War – Movie Review!
"In Captain America: Civil War, an act regulating superhuman activity fractures the Avengers into opposing factions, one led by Steve Rogers and another by Tony Stark."
So the time is finally here for the next big movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and that's Captain America: Civil War! Marvel movies are always released a week or two early in the UK, but this time I got to see the movie a little bit earlier than that, as I now live in Thailand. Spoilers for this review, the movie is amazing, but don't worry there will be no spoilers for the actual movie found here.
So Captain America: Civil war is the third move in the Cap trilogy, and although it has pretty much every living thing in it except Thor and Hulk, the movie does remain a Captain America story all the way through, and not 'Avengers 2.5' as some may have dubbed it. The Russo brothers do a marvelous job in maintaining the Cap story running, but also giving each character in the movie adequate screen time and they own story arc. The Russo's also do a phenomenal job with the two new comers to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, both Black Panther and Spider-Man, and in my humble opinion this is the best on screen Spider-Man we have ever seen. I'll admit I'm not as familiar with Black Panther as a comic book character, I've never read any of the character's books or stories, but the way he was portrayed in Civil War certainly made me fan, and made me even more excited for his solo movie with Chadwick Boseman playing the titular hero.
The rest of the cast are also fantastic in this movie, with Captain America being the best we have ever seen him, Iron Man also being the best we have ever seen him, and Bucky is also an absolute force. The rest of the supporting cast also do great jobs, with each adding to the story in their own way and driving the plot forward without feeling shoehorned into the movie in any way. The movie also has it's fair share of comedy and lighter moments that are akin to the Marvel Cinematic Universe but like the sheer number of characters do not feel shoehorned in just for the sake of having funnier moments. Overall the movie does have a slightly darker feel to it than previous installments, but still has that Marvel flavour especially with the comic relief characters such as Spider-Man and Ant-Man.
The action in this movie is also the best action that I have ever seen in any superhero movie to date, and any movie in general. Not only does that airport scene deliver on every level, there is some really great action all the way through including a scene that is very akin to the stairwell fight scene in season 2 of Daredevil. Marvel have also been very selective in what they have showed us so far in the promotional material, and I can safely say they have not showed as anything in comparison to what this movie offers, they have also been rather clever by selectively removing certain things from certain scenes in the trailer that are slightly different in the final cut of the movie, which was a very pleasant surprise.
Overall, Captain America: Civil War is a phenomenal addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is now my favourite movie in the entire MCU. The directing is phenomenal, the acting is great and the story is so intriguing and compelling with great pacing and no scene feeling shoehorned in. Couple all that with great characters and sublime action and humour, Civil War is a movie that you have to see in the cinema as soon as you possibly can. Oh and like always, there are two post credit scenes you should keep your butts in the seats for.
Score: 10/10
You can follow all my other social media outlets under the 'Social Side' tab.


Today's Draw: Fox in the House of Mice from the Keywordy Lenormand and the Deck of Lenormand Houses. How do you respond to criticism from others? Do you take responsibility for your actions? Or do you pretend that everyone else has the problem, not you?
Many years ago I had conflict with a friend. She had done something that made me feel very uncomfortable and awkward and I was angry. No, strike that. I was livid. It made me feel disrespected and misunderstood in our friendship and I told her as much. I fully expected her to get angry back and make a hundred excuses, but do you know what she did? She said, "I'm sorry. I was wrong. You are right to be angry. And I will never do it again."
Want to diffuse a hot situation? Say that. And mean it.
See, to her, keeping our friendship was more important than being right. There was a higher plan in sight. And she HAD done the deed. Even in the moment I knew she had done it with good intention. It just didn't manifest that way and it ended up being something awkward and painful for me. To this day, we are still friends. In fact, I often think of her as someone who has been a better friend to me than I have been to her in many ways. I am humbled by her friendship and the powerful lesson she taught me.
Fox (manipulation) in the House of Mice (damage, fears) is the complete opposite of what I just said...haha. And I've had that happen to me, too. This is when you confront someone who has wronged you and they use misdirection and subterfuge as their response. In the situation that comes to mind, I had a promise in writing from someone and they broke it. When I confronted them about it, they never addressed the actual promise. Instead, they completely rewrote history and fashioned a colorful story that danced around the issue and painted me as a culprit.
I think the idea was that I'd leap into denial of all the things they accused me of or argue the points of history that they rewrote. But I didn't. I just kept reiterating my side of the story. And eventually I gave in because I'd rather be happy than right. In my 50 years I have only seen someone respond so...inventively...and in complete denial of something once before. Usually people will outright deny something, make excuses or argue the point. But someone who refuses to even acknowledge the original complaint in the first place? Repeatedly? I can only assume that they know they're wrong, but aren't able to admit it. They're so tied to being right and so competitive that being wrong is a defeat they can't handle. Both happen to be men.
Men of my generation were raised to win, while women were raised to play nice. I read all about it in a book about the differences between men and women in the workplace. And it makes sense. Boys of my generation played games where there was definitive winner. Meanwhile, girls of my generation generally played with dolls and each got to take a turn at being mommy. I'm not relegating this behavior to being a solely male trait because I don't think it is. And most men grow up to rise above that mold. But there are aspects of the way men are socialized that predispose them to winning at all costs. It makes sense, but it doesn't make it right.
As a large person with a loud voice, I know I can be a little intimidating. But I can confidently say that, since I've become an adult, I've managed to take responsibility for my own actions. I've had people complain to me about things that I've done and even things that I haven't done. And I've taken their words and acknowledged them in the conversation. I am very open to constructive criticism, though I may not seem so approachable. But anything that helps my growth, when brought to me from a genuine place, is always welcome.
In fact I recently had something brought to my attention that wasn't flattering. But the person was right. I wasn't conscious of what I had been doing, but now faced with it, I had to admit they were right. So I responded the only way a person should respond, "you are right, I apologize, it will never happen again." No excuses. No counter-blaming. Nothing of the sort. Just genuine complicity and appreciation for pointing something out to me that I could correct and be a better person as a result of.
Sometimes giving in for the sake of happiness, balance, propriety or a higher purpose is misconstrued as weakness. I disagree. It takes a very strong person to let go of the bad behaviors of others for a higher goal. It also takes a very strong person to fess up when the other party is right. In all cases mentioned above, the relationship couldn't be sacrificed for one reason or another. So that was the larger goal...to maintain peace for as long as that relationship needed to last.
Whether you're wronged or in the wrong, letting go of the fight can be a bitter pill to swallow. It's especially hard when you know you're right and the other person is in denial or afraid to admit they're wrong. But if you keep hitting your head up against a wall, it will leave permanent scars. Sometimes the most powerful comment you can make is to silently move forward, with dignity and resolve.
I agree with you. It is a hard thing for most of us to admit our guilt and offer a genuine apology that doesn't go beoyond the I'm sorry part to include "BUT what I think is...."
This is an interesting card, what would you relate it to in a more traditional deck?
I really don't think I can equate it to anything in tarot. In fact, I'm not sure there's a tarot card that's as scary to get as this combo...haha. But that's what makes Lenormand so interesting. It offers a different conversation about situations than you'll get with tarot.


text:
import time
import threading
import shared
import Queue
from struct import unpack, pack
import hashlib
import random
import sys
import socket

from helper_generic import addDataPadding
from class_objectHashHolder import *
from addresses import *

# Every connection to a peer has a sendDataThread (and also a
# receiveDataThread).
class sendDataThread(threading.Thread):

    def __init__(self, sendDataThreadQueue):
        threading.Thread.__init__(self)
        self.sendDataThreadQueue = sendDataThreadQueue
        shared.sendDataQueues.append(self.sendDataThreadQueue)
        self.data = ''
        self.objectHashHolderInstance = objectHashHolder(self.sendDataThreadQueue)
        self.objectHashHolderInstance.start()
        self.connectionIsOrWasFullyEstablished = False

    def setup(
        self,
        sock,
        HOST,
        PORT,
        streamNumber,
            someObjectsOfWhichThisRemoteNodeIsAlreadyAware):
        self.sock = sock
        self.peer = shared.Peer(HOST, PORT)
        self.streamNumber = streamNumber
        self.remoteProtocolVersion = - \
            1  # This must be set using setRemoteProtocolVersion command which is sent through the self.sendDataThreadQueue queue.
        self.lastTimeISentData = int(
            time.time())  # If this value increases beyond five minutes ago, we'll send a pong message to keep the connection alive.
        self.someObjectsOfWhichThisRemoteNodeIsAlreadyAware = someObjectsOfWhichThisRemoteNodeIsAlreadyAware

    def sendVersionMessage(self):
        datatosend = shared.assembleVersionMessage(
            self.peer.host, self.peer.port, self.streamNumber)  # the IP and port of the remote host, and my streamNumber.

        try:
            self.sendBytes(datatosend)
        except Exception as err:
            if not 'Bad file descriptor' in err:
                pass
            elif not 'Broken pipe' in err:
                pass
            else:
                sys.stderr.write('sock.sendall error: %s\n' % err)

        self.versionSent = 1

    def sendBytes(self, data):
        if shared.config.getint('bitmessagesettings', 'maxuploadrate') == 0:
            uploadRateLimitBytes = 999999999 # float("inf") doesn't work
        else:
            uploadRateLimitBytes = shared.config.getint('bitmessagesettings', 'maxuploadrate') * 1000
        with shared.sendDataLock:
            while data:
                while shared.numberOfBytesSentLastSecond >= uploadRateLimitBytes:
                    if int(time.time()) == shared.lastTimeWeResetBytesSent:
                        time.sleep(0.3)
                    else:
                        # It's a new second. Let us clear the shared.numberOfBytesSentLastSecond
                        shared.lastTimeWeResetBytesSent = int(time.time())
                        shared.numberOfBytesSentLastSecond = 0
                        # If the user raises or lowers the uploadRateLimit then we should make use of
                        # the new setting. If we are hitting the limit then we'll check here about
                        # once per second.
                        if shared.config.getint('bitmessagesettings', 'maxuploadrate') == 0:
                            uploadRateLimitBytes = 999999999 # float("inf") doesn't work
                        else:
                            uploadRateLimitBytes = shared.config.getint('bitmessagesettings', 'maxuploadrate') * 1000
                amountSent = self.sock.send(data[:1000])
                shared.numberOfBytesSent += amountSent # used for the 'network status' tab in the UI
                shared.numberOfBytesSentLastSecond += amountSent
                self.lastTimeISentData = int(time.time())
                data = data[amountSent:]

    def run(self):
        while True:
            deststream, command, data = self.sendDataThreadQueue.get()
            #print "Inner command %s with %s" % (command, str(self.peer))
            if deststream == self.streamNumber or deststream == 0:
                if command == 'shutdown':
                    break
                # When you receive an incoming connection, a sendDataThread is
                # created even though you don't yet know what stream number the
                # remote peer is interested in. They will tell you in a version
                # message and if you too are interested in that stream then you
                # will continue on with the connection and will set the
                # streamNumber of this send data thread here:
                elif command == 'setStreamNumber':
                    self.streamNumber = data
                elif command == 'setRemoteProtocolVersion':
                    specifiedRemoteProtocolVersion = data
                    self.remoteProtocolVersion = specifiedRemoteProtocolVersion
                elif command == 'advertisepeer':
                    self.objectHashHolderInstance.holdPeer(data)
                elif command == 'sendaddr':
                    if self.connectionIsOrWasFullyEstablished: # only send addr messages if we have sent and heard a verack from the remote node
                        numberOfAddressesInAddrMessage = len(data)
                        payload = ''
                        for hostDetails in data:
                            timeLastReceivedMessageFromThisNode, streamNumber, services, host, port = hostDetails
                            payload += pack(
                                '>Q', timeLastReceivedMessageFromThisNode)  # now uses 64-bit time
                            payload += pack('>I', streamNumber)
                            payload += pack(
                                '>q', services)  # service bit flags offered by this node
                            payload += shared.encodeHost(host)
                            payload += pack('>H', port)

                        payload = encodeVarint(numberOfAddressesInAddrMessage) + payload
                        packet = shared.CreatePacket('addr', payload)
                        try:
                            self.sendBytes(packet)
                        except:
                            break
                elif command == 'advertiseobject':
                    self.objectHashHolderInstance.holdHash(data)
                elif command == 'sendinv':
                    if self.connectionIsOrWasFullyEstablished: # only send inv messages if we have send and heard a verack from the remote node
                        payload = ''
                        for hash in data:
                            if hash not in self.someObjectsOfWhichThisRemoteNodeIsAlreadyAware:
                                payload += hash
                        if payload != '':
                            payload = encodeVarint(len(payload)/32) + payload
                            packet = shared.CreatePacket('inv', payload)
                            try:
                                self.sendBytes(packet)
                            except:
                                break
                elif command == 'pong':
                    self.someObjectsOfWhichThisRemoteNodeIsAlreadyAware.clear() # To save memory, let us clear this data structure from time to time. As its function is to help us keep from sending inv messages to peers which sent us the same inv message mere seconds earlier, it will be fine to clear this data structure from time to time.
                    if self.lastTimeISentData < (int(time.time()) - 298):
                        # Send out a pong message to keep the connection alive.
                        packet = shared.CreatePacket('pong')
                        try:
                            self.sendBytes(packet)
                        except:
                            break
                elif command == 'sendRawData':
                    try:
                        self.sendBytes(data)
                    except:
                        break
                elif command == 'connectionIsOrWasFullyEstablished':
                    self.connectionIsOrWasFullyEstablished = True

        try:
            self.sock.shutdown(socket.SHUT_RDWR)
            self.sock.close()
        except:
            pass
        shared.sendDataQueues.remove(self.sendDataThreadQueue)
        self.objectHashHolderInstance.close()

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: NuxtJS Static generated HTML page does not load Javascript when calling /index.html I'm working on a nuxtjs project which will be generated for static usage. Of course it uses Javascript for e.g. the Navigation, some forms and more.
When I am using the page with npm run dev everything works fine.
After exporting with npm run build && npm run generate I deploy the generated content from /dist to my server (cdn requested by user, in that case Google Cloud Storage) I can use the page without any problems if I dont add the index.html suffix.
Example:
Visiting https://page.com/subpage/ works fine
but
Visiting https://page.com/subpage/index.html not really.
Yes it renders the content with CSS and DOM, but Javascript is not working at all. In the Dev-Tools of Google Chrome I can see that in both cases the javascript seems to be loaded, but not called in the second scenario. See attached Screenshots. Both were similar.

My nuxt-Config is almost empty regarding render, build-configurations. I just disabled ressourceHints and that's all. I'm not sure if this is an issue with the router only accepting the folder itself containing the index.html.. The router paths are generated dynamically by nuxtLinks.
Any ideas?

A: Update
After searching for answers for about another 1-2 hours, I finally found a solution.
There is a way to add the index.html suffix to the router as an alias for each paths.
By extending the router in the nuxt-config, you can theoretically add an alias based on the router-path. It is not always the best way, but it works quite well in that situation.
router: {
  extendRoutes(routes) {
    routes.forEach((route) => {
      // When options.generate.subFolders is true (default)
      const alias =
        route.path.length > 1 ? `${route.path}/index.html` : '/index.html'
      // When options.generate.subFolders is false
      // const normalizedRoute = route.path.replace(/\/$/, '') // Remove trailing slashes if they exist
      // const alias =
      //   route.path.length > 1 ? `${normalizedRoute}.html` : '/index.html'
      route.alias = alias
    })
  }
}

I got this snipped from the reddit post by animagnam (https://www.reddit.com/r/Nuxt/comments/gzwrqu/visiting_generated_site_routes_with_trailing/ftnylrt?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) and it works perfectly in production and tests.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


I've been writing and researching guidebooks for Lonely Planet since 2010. Guidebook work requires extensive, independent, on the ground research (lasting weeks or months), plus time and budget management. Lonely Planet writers are strictly forbidden to accept freebies. I also often contribute back-of-the-book essays on history, art and architecture.


brian: hey, please make sure to turn on updatedb in your build script.
thrawn01: should be on by default, but I'll check.
brian: so, your theory is that someone went to prod4 and sat-svn1 and turned it off?
underlying order, which may or may not be divinely inspired"
I find that I would have to agree.


text:
Get an Inside Look at Nationals Park's New Nursing Lounge
By Michelle Goldchain@goldchainam Aug 28, 2015, 10:51am EDT
All photos via Washington Nationals
Nursing lounges are the biggest, newest thing that's sweeping stadiums around the nation. Just this past season, the Cincinnati Reds unveiled a deluxe nursing suite at Ohio's Great American Ball Park. Now, Nationals Park has joined the pack with the Lansinoh Nursing Lounge. This new lounge offers "pump-friendly outlets" along with a sink, refrigerator, and toddler play area. For mothers who want to continue to watch the game while nursing, there are also TVs tuned into the game.
According to Washingtonian, it was an Arlington mother who was able to convince Nationals Park to create the new nursing lounge. After having to use a stuffy and rather public conference room last April to nurse her child, she created a Change.org petition to ask stadium officials to create a nursing room that is always available during games, that is private, comfortable, and that allows mothers to view the game while away from the stands. The petition received over 750 supporters.
To find the new nursing lounge at Nationals Park, head to section 223, which is right off of the first base line. Get an inside look at what you should expect at the ballpark with the below photo gallery.
· The Washington Nationals Have a Really Nice New Nursing Lounge [Washingtonian]
· Provide a Family Nursery in Nationals Park [Change.org]
Which ward of D.C. do you inhabit? Here's a handy map. The District has eight wards that determine elections and the distribution of city services.
What is your ideal, unrealistic D.C. Metro transit line? Sound off in the comments.


text:
Copyright Adam E. Smith
That young man behind Alice thinks she needs help stepping onto the platform. He doesn't know that she is a little bit magical and will land squarely even if she tumbles from the train door.
Alice wobbles towards me. She spots my face: her eyes explode and her jaw drops. After years spent teaching young children, she recognises people with exaggerated surprise. It is the reason why old friends like me relish her presence at funerals.
The knee looks weaker than ever, but I do not doubt its special powers. Ever since a car reversed into Alice's knee when we were sixteen years old, it has predicted the weather. That night in the car park we thought she'd broken it ("Is that even possible? Have you ever heard of someone breaking a knee bone?" old Tommy asked). But after five minutes she was photographing us again – from the ground. "It's a more artistic angle," she proclaimed.
Here she is now, in my arms. "Old friends die hard," Alice says. I tell her that we're going to a museum first (for me) and then we'll take a trip (for her). Alice endorses the proposal with a precise nod. A dip of Alice's head is like the click of a shutter release: it captures something forever. Alice always took the best photographs.
Without seeing the clouds en route to the museum, Alice notes, "We might just make it before the rain." Her knee, sensing the change in air pressure, must be aching. Inside, Alice tells the steward that she's going to leave her luggage just there under that table.
Since every shelf and niche in this house is occupied by an antique, Alice and I are reminded of her late parents' fetish for old objects. While she used to denigrate them for this, I was just happy that they found space for me among the curios. When my dad was in hospital I had nowhere else to go. Each night for that tense week, Tommy and Elizabeth came round and the four of us listened to Elizabeth speak of her parents, who did not know she wasn't at home. We talked about anything but my dad's condition. Dad had not lasted long. As I consider this, Alice tilts her head.
Outside, the rain is pouring but Alice strides through it. Inhaling the draft from the Tube entrance, Alice turns to me and says, "It was the best thing you ever did, moving down here. You had to be in London." While I had stayed around for a few years to take care of Mam after Dad's kidneys finally gave in, Alice became the first of our generation to leave our hometown. The butcher talked about her for months.
Tenderly, she tells me now that she always thought we would somehow live close to each other. "We haven't lived in the same town since we were eighteen years old," she says. I realise that she's right. Only Alice could have extracted from our separate lives this peculiar fact.
There's a rally going on down Whitehall. But I have Alice for the weekend and no time for politics. So we squeeze through the throng and make it to Victoria Station for the Brighton train. Alice always loved the coast. Tommy once drew a wonderful picture of Alice as a mermaid. Ambling down towards the sea now, Alice says, "I never thought I'd be here."
"Brighton?" I ask.
"No, here," she says. "That life would be this long. And that I'd still be visiting new places."
"Oh," I ponder for a moment. "Me neither."
We plod along the prom like two fat ducks with nowhere to go. I'm busy thinking of the summer I left for London. Tommy thought I'd stay to care for Mam. But ever since Dad's death, my time felt scarce: your kidneys, the doctor had told me, might not last as long as his.
I don't know whether Tommy ever understood my decision. He was too selfless, that lad: his heart was never going to survive. When Elizabeth was admitted to hospital towards the end, Tommy had stayed away. Although I did manage to visit, Elizabeth waited until she was alone with Alice before she passed on. Alice and I outlived Tommy too. At his funeral, she told me that he had worked on the trains for forty-five years. "But he never got anywhere," she said.
It's tricky for me to pick my way through the shingle but Alice persuades me to join her on the beach. She drops her bag onto the stones and, as pebbles jingle under her weight, Alice's presence here is fixed. "I want to sit here and wait," she says.
I am puzzled but agree instinctively that it's a good idea. Alice is full of good ideas. In fact, I have one of them inside me now. You see, seven years ago, Alice gave me her kidney.
4 thoughts on "Alice for the Weekend"
SylviaA says:
Lovely story that took me away from the pressure of work for five minutes. Great escapism:)
Thanks for the comment, Sylvia – glad you liked it! Escapism is so important these days… 🙂
Rosalind smith says:
Mixing fantasy and reality always hits the right spot. You paint the picture skilfully but just leave enough for the imagination to make your reader own it too! Spot on!
Adam Smith says:
Thanks Ros! I'm always just secretly trying to impress old teachers…


text:
Courage to host playoff game on Sunday, September 16
Tickets go on sale August 16 at 10 a.m. ET
by Jacqueline PurdyAugust 15, 2018
The North Carolina Courage are 15-1-5 through the first 21 games of the 2018 NWSL season. (Photo credit: Andy Mead/isiphotos.com)
So far, the North Carolina Courage are the only team to have punched their ticket to the 2018 NWSL Playoffs — and, as the NWSL Shield winners, they are the No. 1 seed and will host a playoff game.
Now we know the date and time of that playoff game: Sunday, September 16, at 3 p.m. ET at Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina. The Courage also announced that tickets will go on sale on Thursday, August 16, at 10 a.m. ET.
The game will be the second playoff game of the playoff weekend, which runs Sept. 14-16 — with the first playoff game date and time still to be determined. The additional three playoff teams are also still to be determined.
The 2018 NWSL Championship will take place on Saturday, September 22, at 4:30 p.m. ET on Lifetime. Tickets are on sale now.
Additionally, it was announced this week that the Courage will receive their 2018 NWSL Shield (also their second straight NWSL Shield) from NWSL managing director Amanda Duffy in a postgame ceremony after their match on Saturday, August 18, vs. the Orlando Pride.
The game on September 16 will be the second-ever, and second straight home playoff game for the North Carolina Courage, who are in their second year in the NWSL after the franchise relocated from Western New York ahead of last season.
NWSL 2020 College Draft
North Carolina trades McCall Zerboni to Sky Blue FC for rights to Hailie Mace
NWSL announces 2020 College Draft broadcast details and talent
Utah sends Katie Stengel to Houston in exchange for draft picks
Portland trades Emily Sonnett to Orlando and Midge Purce to Sky Blue FC in pair of mega trades


Purpose: Previous theoretical and experimental studies have predicted that the loss of weak protein interactions between α- and γ-crystallins could result in a decrease in the transparent properties of the aging lens.
Methods: α-Crystallins were prepared from the nucleus of old bovine lens, and γ-crystallins were prepared from whole fetal bovine lens or from the nucleus of old bovine lens. The possible interactions of old α-crystallins with either old γ-crystallins or fetal γ-crystallins were quantitated at equilibrium using microequilibrium dialysis. The amount of each γ-crystallin species in the "full" versus "empty" chambers was determined by reverse phase chromatography to obtain a binding ratio (full/empty).
Results: A binding ratio greater than 1.00 is indicative of a α-crystallin/γ-crystallin interaction. Within experimental error (±2X standard deviation), there were no interactions between aged γ-crystallins with aged α-crystallins while there were significant interactions between some of the fetal γ-crystallins with aged α-crystallins.
Conclusions: In the aged bovine lens, when transparency is known to decrease, there is no detectable interaction of γ-crystallins with α-crystallins as measured by microequilibrium dialysis. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that short-range, weak, attractive interactions between α- and γ-crystallins are necessary for maximum transparency of the lens.
The visual acuity of the eye is dependent upon the transparent and refractile properties of the lens. Although the ocular lens comprises very high concentrations of protein (i.e., greater than 300 mg/ml), this tissue is highly transparent in young organisms. As the organism ages, the lens gradually loses some transparency . In many humans older than 60 to 65 years of age, loss of transparency is sufficient to result in cataractogenesis.
The biophysical/biochemical basis for lens transparency in the young lens is a necessary precondition to understanding on a molecular basis why the lens loses some of its transparency during normal aging and why much of its transparency is lost during cataractogenesis. X-ray scattering of increasing concentrations of lens proteins showed the expected increase scattering up to approximately 120 mg/ml, as the protein concentration exceeded 120 mg/ml and approached that existing in the intact lens, the scattering decreased . Theoretical calculations by Bettelheim et al. , which assumed a model system of spheres, came to a similar conclusion. Both studies hypothesized that the concentration-dependent decrease in scattering at high protein concentrations was due to the liquid-like, short-range order of protein molecules and the concomitant lack of large scale fluctuations.
How this short-range order might be perturbed during aging and cataractogenesis was addressed by Ponce et al. . They suggested that heterologous, protein–protein, attractive interactions between lens crystallins such as α-crystallins and γ-crystallins could result in uniform protein density across the lens to ensure minimal scattering of light. Studies using a two-hybrid assay system [5,6], filtration , light scattering , and microequilibrium dialysis  have indeed demonstrated the existence of these weak attractions. Furthermore, light scattering studies have demonstrated that at high concentrations, mixtures of α- and γΒ-crystallin scatter less light than the individual component solutions . On the other hand, during aging and/or cataractogenesis, increased heterologous, attractive interactions between subpopulations of lens crystallins could result in large protein density fluctuations likely through cluster formation with resulting scattering of light.
Recently, Stradner et al.  have used neutron scattering combined with molecular dynamics simulations to confirm that weak, attractive protein interactions between α- and γ-crystallins are indeed necessary for the transparent properties of the lens. These studies suggested that heterologous interactions resulting in lens transparency were in a relatively narrow window of binding energy. Abnormally strong interactions could result in the formation of high molecular weight aggregates and scattering of light as has been hypothesized by Benedek . Such a condition could be especially applicable to lens cataractogenesis .
Alternatively, very weak interactions or no interactions at all could also result in protein density fluctuations due to the well documented interaction of γ-crystallins with themselves [14,15] and the depletion interaction of α-crystallins . The result would also be a decrease in lens transparency.
To test whether a loss of heterologous, crystallin interactions could be correlated with loss of transparency, we have used microequilibrium dialysis to measure possible interactions of α- and γ-crystallins from the nucleus of the aged bovine lens, which is not totally opaque but does show decreases in lens transparency relative to the fetal lens. The results show no detectable interactions of aged γ-crystallins with aged α-crystallins, consistent with the prediction that weak heterologous interactions of α- and γ-crystallins are necessary for maximum transparency in the lens.
Lenses from fetal calves and from aged cows approximately 30 months of age were obtained from Antech Inc. (Tyler, TX). The lenses were stored at −80 °C until use. As previously described , α- and γ-crystallins were prepared from the water-soluble fraction from whole fetal lenses and from the nucleus of aged lenses using a TSK G3000SW gel filtration column (Tosoh Bioscience, Montgomeryville, PA). Resulting crystallin preparations were concentrated using Aquacide I (Calbiochem, LaJolla, CA) then dialyzed extensively against microequilibrium dialysis buffer (10 mM Tris hydrochloride, 0.1 mM dithiothreitol, 3 mM sodium azide, and 0.15 M sodium chloride, pH 7.4). Protein concentration was determined according to Bradford  using BSA as standard.
Microequilibrium dialysis used the dialysis cell from Nest Group (Southborough, MA). The cell contained two reservoirs of 50 μl capacities, separated by a regenerated cellulose membrane of 100 kDa cut-off (Millipore, Bedford, MA). α-Crystallin (4.0 mg/ml) and γ-crystallin (2.0 mg/ml) in microequilibrium dialysis buffer were placed in one cell, and buffer alone was placed in the other cell. The dialysis cell was incubated for five days at 37 °C to allow for complete equilibration of γ-crystallins across the membrane as previously described .
At the end of five days of incubation, the contents of each cell were carefully removed and 5 μl were analyzed by reverse phase HPLC using a C18 reverse phase column (Vydac, 4.6×250 mm, 300 Angstrom pore size; Phenomenex, Torrance, CA) and a linear gradient of 32%–37% v/v acetonitrile in water all of which contained 0.1% v/v trifluoroacetic acid, over a period of 40 min. The area of each peak was used to compute a binding ratio (full/empty) as previously described .
Figure 1 shows an elution profile of the γ-crystallin fraction from the nucleus of old lens that was incubated with α-crystallins from the nucleus of old lens. Samples were taken either from the chamber containing α-crystallin (full chamber, top) or from the chamber not containing α-crystallin (empty chamber, bottom). Reverse phase chromatography resolved the γ-crystallin fraction into at least seven peaks (numbered 1–7). Since α-crystallins cannot cross the membrane between the two chambers and if there is any interaction of α-crystallins with any of the γ-crystallins, the amount of γ-crystallin in the chamber containing α-crystallins (i.e., full chamber) should be greater than the corresponding amount in the chamber not containing α-crystallins (i.e., empty chamber).
Table 1 shows the average of triplicate determinations for each peak (±SD). A full/empty ratio of 1.00 indicates no interactions between the specific γ-crystallin species and α-crystallins. Assuming a parametric distribution, (±2X SD) should include 95.4% of all full/empty ratios . Based upon the results of Table 1, all of the full/empty ratios would overlap this number (regular type), suggesting that there are no interactions between any of the γ-crystallins from old lens and α-crystallins from old lens.
For comparison, Figure 2 and Table 1 also include the full/empty ratios for microequilibrium dialysis analysis of fetal γ-crystallins incubated with old α-crystallins. The ratios for peaks 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7 are all greater than 1.00 when including ratios within the range (±2X SD; bold type in Table 1). The number of γ-crystallin species showing significant interactions with α-crystallins is similar to previous microequilibrium dialysis studies of fetal bovine γ-crystallins incubated with fetal bovine α-crystallins .
Taken together, the results of Figure 1, Figure 2, and Table 1 demonstrate that none of the γ-crystallin species from old bovine lens interacts with α-crystallins from old lens while the same analytical techniques show significant interactions between many of the gamma species from fetal bovine lens when incubated with α-crystallins from old lens. Previous studies have shown that determination of protein amount in the full versus empty chambers can identify significant interactions of two fetal lens proteins at equilibrium . Within experimental error, this conclusion is independent of the amount of protein since the ratio of the protein amount in both the full and empty chambers during equilibrium acts as an internal control . We therefore conclude that an attractive interaction between alpha and γ-crystallins is necessary for lens transparency.
This conclusion is consistent with a recent study by Stradner et al.  who used neutron scattering and molecular dynamic simulations to characterize the reasons for lens transparency. Modeling using molecular dynamic simulations was able to reproduce experimental neutron scattering results when there existed a weak, attractive interaction between γ- and α-crystallins. Abnormally low interactions or abnormally strong interactions resulted in increased scattering and regions of protein density fluctuation.
Although lack of α-crystallin/γ-crystallin interactions could result in density fluctuations and a decrease in transparency, it is possible that abnormally strong attractive interactions of crystallins could result in the formation of high molecular weight aggregates that have been found in both aging normal lenses and cataractous lenses . These regions of higher protein density could scatter light because of their higher refractive index and/or directly scatter light because of their large size as hypothesized by Benedek . Implicit in this model is the assumption that an abnormally strong interaction between crystallins is not uniform across the lens but rather is localized to different regions of the lens to differing degrees. Biochemical analysis of aged and cataractous lens proteins has indeed found that strong interactions of lens proteins result in the formation of aggregates of varying size . Similarly, Stradner et al.  describe the nonmonotonic functionality of transparency with alpha-gamma interaction such that no interaction leads to turbidity, weak interaction leads to transparency, and too strong interaction leads once again to turbidity. This last situation could cause aggregation.
The biochemical reasons for the age-related change in the interactions of α-crystallins with γ-crystallins seen in the present study probably involve posttranslational modifications occurring during the aging process. Previous studies have demonstrated covalent changes occurring at both the NH2-terminus  and COOH-terminus [22-25] of αΑ-crystallin during the aging of bovine lens. A quantitative correlation of these and possibly other covalent changes in the α-crystallin molecule with changes in its interaction with γ-crystallins should lead to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in transparency loss in the aging lens.
This study was supported by a grant from the National Eye Institute.
Benedek GB. Theory of transparency of the eye. Appl Opt. 1971; 10:459-73.
Montgomery R, Swenson CA. Dimensional analysis and experimental measurements. In: Montgomery R, Swenson CA, editors. Quantitative problems in the biochemical sciences. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman and Company; 1969. p. 46–47.


LTD "AKVA-M" was founded in 2006 and provides water for residential and large objects - centralized water supply systems in the territory of Latvia (cities, towns, different companies).
Our company employs only qualified specialists in their field. Knowledge and experience of the workers pledge of quality work!
LTD "AKVA-M" drilling carries with unit - URB 2.5A. Specifications of the unit can drill wells up to 200m deep, but in practice, where necessary, drilled depth of 245m.
Our quality is confirmed by the fact that for all the time we have not received not one complaint, and all objects are in good condition. According to current state regulations, each well LTD "AKVA-M" gives the 2-year warranty. Also, we are ready to go to a meeting and you are ready to help you at any time!
Any successful company - it is primarily human. They constitute a powerful human resources, ensuring each client high quality service and support and care in the future.
You will not find another drilling company with an equally skilled team. All specialists AKVA-M - ours, we do not hire anyone from the outside. Each specialist has specialized education and experience in real work.
Ensure full disclosure of AKVA-M is simple: if necessary, you can solve their problems at the highest level - with the company.