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Over 3 years (13)
Earth and Environmental Sciences (1)
Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia (2)
Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences (1)
Clay Minerals (1)
Diamond Light Source Proceedings (1)
Experimental Agriculture (1)
Genetics Research (1)
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology (1)
Parasitology (1)
Zygote (1)
Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation (1)
Mineralogical Society (1)
Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) (1)
Impact of PD-1 gene polymorphism and its interaction with tea drinking on susceptibility to tuberculosis
Jing Wang, Mian Wang, Zihao Li, Xinyin Wu, Xian Zhang, Julius Abesig, Hua Zhong, Xin Huang, Mengshi Chen, Hongzhuan Tan, Hengzhong Yi
Journal: Epidemiology & Infection / Accepted manuscript
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 January 2021, pp. 1-28
Mortality of Alzheimer's Disease Patients: A 10-Year Follow-up Pilot Study in Shanghai
Yue-Qi Zhang, Chun-Fang Wang, Gang Xu, Qian-Hua Zhao, Xin-Yi Xie, Hai-Lun Cui, Ying Wang, Ru-Jing Ren, Qi-Hao Guo, Gang Wang
Journal: Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences / Volume 47 / Issue 2 / March 2020
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 December 2019, pp. 226-230
Identifying risk factors and mortality of individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) could have important implications for the clinical management of AD.
This pilot study aimed to examine the overall mortality of AD patients over a 10-year surveillance period in Shanghai, China. This study is an extension of our previous investigation on mortality of neurodegenerative diseases.
One hundred and thirty-two AD patients recruited from the memory clinics of two hospitals in Shanghai in 2007 were followed up until December 31, 2017 or death, representing a follow-up period of up to 10 years. Overall standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated, and predictors for survival at recruitment were estimated.
Sixty-seven patients had died by December 31, 2017, and the SMR at 10 years of follow-up was 1.225 (95% confidence interval 0.944–1.563). Employing Cox's proportional hazard modeling, lower Mini-Mental State Examination score, and comorbid diabetes predicted poor survival in this cohort.
This pilot study suggests a similar survival trend of patients with AD compared to the general population in Shanghai urban region. Poor cognitive status and comorbid diabetes had a negative impact on the survival of AD patients.
Synaptotagmin 1 regulates cortical granule exocytosis during mouse oocyte activation
Xiu-Lan Zhu, Shi-Fen Li, Xi-Qian Zhang, Hong Xu, Yan-Qun Luo, Yan-Hong Yi, Li-Juan Lv, Chun-Hui Zhang, Zhen-Bo Wang, Ying-Chun Ouyang, Yi Hou, Heide Schatten, Feng-Hua Liu
Journal: Zygote / Volume 28 / Issue 2 / April 2020
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 December 2019, pp. 97-102
Synaptotagmin 1 (Syt1) is an abundant and important presynaptic vesicle protein that binds Ca2+ for the regulation of synaptic vesicle exocytosis. Our previous study reported its localization and function on spindle assembly in mouse oocyte meiotic maturation. The present study was designed to investigate the function of Syt1 during mouse oocyte activation and subsequent cortical granule exocytosis (CGE) using confocal microscopy, morpholinol-based knockdown and time-lapse live cell imaging. By employing live cell imaging, we first studied the dynamic process of CGE and calculated the time interval between [Ca2+]i rise and CGE after oocyte activation. We further showed that Syt1 was co-localized to cortical granules (CGs) at the oocyte cortex. After oocyte activation with SrCl2, the Syt1 distribution pattern was altered significantly, similar to the changes seen for the CGs. Knockdown of Syt1 inhibited [Ca2+]i oscillations, disrupted the F-actin distribution pattern and delayed the time of cortical reaction. In summary, as a synaptic vesicle protein and calcium sensor for exocytosis, Syt1 acts as an essential regulator in mouse oocyte activation events including the generation of Ca2+ signals and CGE.
Clay minerals in shales of the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation in the Eastern Sichuan Basin, China
Geng Yi-Kai, Jin Zhen-Kui, Zhao Jian-Hua, Wen Xin, Zhang Zhen-Peng, Wang Yang
Journal: Clay Minerals / Volume 52 / Issue 2 / June 2017
The present study examines the characteristics of clay minerals in shale gas reservoirs and their influence on reservoir properties based on X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. These analyses were combined with optical microscopy observations and core and well-log data to investigate the genesis, distribution characteristics, main controlling factors and pore features of clay minerals of the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation in the East Sichuan area, China. The clay mineral assemblage consists of illite + mixed-layer illite-smectite (I-S) + chlorite. This assemblage includes three sources of clay minerals: detrital, authigenic and diagenetic minerals. The lower section of the Longmaxi Formation in the Jiaoshiba area has sealing ability which resulted in abnormal high pressures during hydrocarbon generation which inhibited illitization. Therefore, an anomalous transformation sequence is present in which the mixed-layer I-S content increases with depth. This anomalous transformation sequence can be used to infer the existence of abnormal high pressures. The detrital components of the formation also affect the clay-minerals content indirectly, especially the abundance of K-feldspar. The transformation of mixed-layer I-S to illite is limited due to the limited availability of K+, which determines the extent of transformation. Three types of pores were observed in the shale reservoir rocks of the Longmaxi Formation: interparticle (interP) pores, intraparticle (intraP) pores and organic-matter pores. The clay-mineral content controls the development of intraP pores, which are dominated by pores within clay particles. For a given clay mineral content, smectite and mixed-layer I-S were more conducive to the development of shale-gas reservoirs than other clay minerals.
Metadynamic recrystallization of Nb–V microalloyed steel during hot deformation
Wen-fei Shen, Chi Zhang, Li-wen Zhang, Ying-nan Xia, Yi-feng Xu, Xin-hua Shi
Journal: Journal of Materials Research / Volume 32 / Issue 3 / 14 February 2017
Print publication: 14 February 2017
The metadynamic recrystallization (MDRX) behavior of a Nb–V microalloyed nonquenched and tempered steel was investigated by isothermal hot compression tests on Gleeble-1500 thermal-mechanical simulator. Compression tests were performed using double hit schedules at temperatures of 1273–1423 K, strain rates of 0.01–5 s−1, initial grain sizes of 92–149 μm and an inter-pass time of 0.5–10 s. The experimental results show that MDRX softening fraction increases with the increasing of deformation temperature, strain rate, and inter-pass time, while it decreases with the increasing of initial grain size. Based on the experimental results, the MDRX softening fraction kinetic model and recrystallized grain size model of the tested steel was established. Besides, using the above mathematic models, a finite element model was built to simulate the MDRX process of the tested steel. The simulation results show good agreement with the experimental ones, which indicates that finite element method is an effective approach to analyze the MDRX behavior and the established that mathematic models of the tested steel are reliable and accurate.
A New Impedance Matching Method for an Ultra-Wide Band and Dual Circularly Polarised Feed
Sha Li, Yi Hua Yan, Wei Wang, Zhi Jun Chen, Dong Hao Liu, Fu Shun Zhang, Natasha Jeffrey
Journal: Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia / Volume 33 / 2016
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 December 2016, e061
In traditional antenna design, metal components are not placed in the central part of the antenna as they change the characteristics of near field radiation. However, we show that placing a metal ring in the centre of the strip lines, which connect the ends of folded high-frequency dipoles, does not damage the performance of the feed. Instead it significantly improves the voltage standing wave ratio of the feed whilst other performance indicators are not compromised. Thus, our findings show an excellent way of improving the wide band feed. Based on this foundation, a new circularly polarised feed for operation between 0.4 to 2 GHz is introduced for the Chinese Spectral Radioheliograph in this paper. The issue of a feed impedance matching network is investigated. By optimising the impedance matching, the performance of the feed is enhanced with respect to the previous realisations of the Eleven feed. The simulation and experimental results show that the gain of the feed is about 10 dBi, and the VSWR is less than 2:1. In addition, the feed has a low axial ratio, fixed phase centre location, and constant beam width in the range of 0.4 to 2 GHz.
PROMOTION OF LATERAL ROOT GROWTH AND LEAF QUALITY OF FLUE-CURED TOBACCO BY THE COMBINED APPLICATION OF HUMIC ACIDS AND NPK CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS
HONG SHEN, JUN ZHANG SHEN, YUE LI, YONG LIN LAI, ZHI HONG JIA, JIAN HUA YI
Journal: Experimental Agriculture / Volume 53 / Issue 1 / January 2017
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 March 2016, pp. 59-70
In this study, the effects of HA combined with NPK fertilizer (HANPK) on root growth and leaf quality of tobacco plants were investigated in tobacco fields. Results indicated that the application of HA alone did not enhance the growth of tobacco obviously, while HANPK increased tobacco biomass by 36.9% and stimulated the growth of lateral roots significantly. The number of the second-order lateral roots was increased by 89.3% compared with the control. Furthermore, HANPK raised the ratio of root biomass in 0–20 cm soil layer over the whole soil layer and increased the proportion of fine roots over the total roots. Tobacco leaf yield, output value, and benefit of HANPK were 12.2%, 29.4% and 35.5% higher than those of the control, respectively. The above results suggest that the combined application of HA and NPK chemical fertilizer is an economical pattern for improving tobacco growth.
Design of Dual Circularly Polarised 2–15 GHz Feed and the Polarisation Degree Measurement for CSRH-II Antenna System
Sha Li, Yi Hua Yan, Zhi Jun Chen, Wei Wang, Fu Shun Zhang
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 April 2015, e013
The Chinese Spectral Radioheliograph is an aperture-synthesis telescope observing the Sun in ultra wide bandwidth on the ground. It contains two arrays Chinese Spectral Radioheliograph-I and Chinese Spectral Radioheliograph-II from 0.4 to 15 GHz. In order to obtain ultra wide-band performance, the cascaded folded dipoles are used in this feed. At the same time, in order to get circularly polarised signals coming from the Sun, a wide-band 90° hybrid is added in the output ports of the feed. This feed has characteristics of about 10 dBi gain, less than 1.5 voltage standing wave ratio. It also has characteristics with low axial ratio, fixed phase centre location, and constant beam width in operating frequencies. Through cross-correlating all combinations of two orthogonal polarisations at each antenna, the polarisation state of the waves is measured and give a differential instrumental delay between two data channels. The relationship between the own polarisation degree of the Sun and the observed polarisation degree is also measured for cross-polarised delay in observing the Sun in this paper.
Risk Factors of Surgical Site Infection after Hepatic Resection
Tian Yang, Ping-An Tu, Han Zhang, Jun-Hua Lu, Yi-Nan Shen, Shou-Xin Yuan, Wan Yee Lau, Eric C. H. Lai, Chong-De Lu, Meng-Chao Wu, Jie-Wei Li, Feng Shen
Journal: Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology / Volume 35 / Issue 3 / March 2014
A study of 7,388 consecutive patients after hepatic resection between 2011 and 2012 identified hepatolithiasis, cirrhosis, and intraoperative blood transfusion as the only independent risk factors of both incisional and organ/space surgical site infection (SSI). Patients with these conditions should be cared for with caution to lower SSI rates.
The combined treatment of praziquantel with osteopontin immunoneutralization reduces liver damage in Schistosoma japonicum-infected mice
BO-LIN CHEN, GUI-YING ZHANG, SHI-PING WANG, QIAN LI, MEI-HUA XU, YUE-MING SHEN, LU YAN, HUAN GU, JIA LI, Y. L. HUANG, YI-BING MU
Journal: Parasitology / Volume 139 / Issue 4 / April 2012
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 February 2012, pp. 522-529
The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effects of osteopontin neutralization treatment on schistosome-induced liver injury in BALB/C mice. We randomly divided 100 BALB/C mice into groups A, B, C, D and group E. Mice in all groups except group A were abdominally infected with schistosomal cercariae to induce a schistosomal hepatopathological model. Mice in group C, D and group E were respectively administered with praziquantel, praziquantel plus colchicine and praziquantel plus neutralizing osteopontin antibody. We extracted mouse liver tissues at 3 and 9 weeks after the 'stool-eggs-positive' day, observed liver histopathological changes by haematoxylin-eosin and Masson trichrome staining and detected the expression of osteopontin, alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β1) by immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR and Western blot. We found that praziquantel plus neutralizing osteopontin antibody treatment significantly decreased the granuloma dimension, the percentage of collagen and the expression of osteopontin, α-SMA and TGF-β1 compared to praziquantel plus colchicine treatment in both the acute and chronic stage of schistosomal liver damage (P<0·05). So we believe that the combined regimen of osteopontin immunoneutralization and anti-helminthic treatment can reduce the granulomatous response and liver fibrosis during the schistosomal hepatopathologic course.
Emerging material – salient properties of the terahertz meta-foil
H. O. Moser, L. K. Jian, H. S. Chen, S. M. P. Kalaiselvi, S. Virasawmy, X. X. Cheng, W. Zhang, A. Banas, K. Banas, S. P. Heussler, W. Hua, B.-I. Wu, Z. Yi
Journal: Diamond Light Source Proceedings / Volume 1 / Issue SRMS-7 / October 2010
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 16 November 2010, e118
Print publication: October 2010
The meta-foil is an all-metal self-supported electromagnetic metamaterial that features a space-grid that is locally stiff, yet globally flexible. Owing to its mechanical, thermal, chemical and radiative robustness, it lends itself to widespread applications.
Isolation and culture of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells from human fetus and their biological properties
Zhang Yi-Hua, Dou Zhong-Ying, Shen Wen-Zheng, Yang Chun-Rong, Gao Zhi-Min
Journal: Chinese Journal of Agricultural Biotechnology / Volume 5 / Issue 3 / December 2008
Print publication: December 2008
The population doubling number (70–80 times) of human fetal bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) is about two times higher than that (30–40 times) of adult BMMSCs, and their differentiation capacity is superior to that of their adult counterparts. In this study, BMMSCs were isolated from long bones of 2- to 3-month-old human abortuses by rinsing and selectively culturing whole marrow cells. Basic medium and serum concentration were optimized and growth curves plotted, both by MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-di-phenyltetrazolium bromide] reduction assay. Isolated cells were identified by flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry for their antigen markers. The biosafety of isolated cells was evaluated by karyotype analysis and a tumour-forming experiment. The results indicated that lengthwise scissoring of fetal long bones and rinsing of their marrow cells was practical and useful for recovery of BMMSCs from the investigated human abortuses. In this experiment, α-MEM (minimum essential medium, alpha medium)+20% FCS (fetal calf serum) was the best for in vitro culture of BMMSCs. The third-passage BMMSCs expressed Oct4, SSEA3 and SSEA4 besides the surface markers of their adult counterparts. The population doubling time of the BMMSCs of passage 6, 12 and 24 were 34, 36 and 40 h, respectively. Cells in all passages showed a diploid karyotype and formed no tumours in nude mice. The BMMSCs used in this study proved to be biologically safe and ideal seed cells for research on human tissue engineering and regeneration medicine.
Stable transformation of phaC2 gene in tobacco chloroplast genome
Wang Yu-Hua, Wu Zhong-Yi, Zhang Xiu-Hai, Wang Yong-Qin, Huang Cong-Lin, Yang Qing
Medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates (mcl-PHAs) belong to the group of microbial polyesters. The key enzyme for mcl-PHA biosynthesis is type II PHA synthase. The gene phaC2 encoding type II PHA synthase was placed under the control of psbA-pro and psbA-ter of rice (Oryza sativa) to construct a phaC2 cassette, which was ligated with the screening marker gene aadA cassette (prrn–aadA–TpsbA-ter). These recombined fragments were cloned between the plastid rbcL and accD genes for targeting to the large single copy region of the chloroplast genome. A chloroplast transformation vector, pTC2, was constructed and introduced into the tobacco (Nicotiana tobacum) chloroplast genome by particle bombardment. PCR and Southern blot analysis confirmed stable integration of phaC2 into the chloroplast genomes of T0 and T1 transgenic plants, and T1 transgenic plants exhibited homoplasmy. The expression of phaC2 at transcription level was detected by reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Recombinant transgenes in the tobacco chloroplast genome were maternally inherited and were not transmitted via pollen when out-crossed with untransformed female plants. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the stable transformation of phaC2 encoding type II PHA synthase in tobacco via chloroplast genetic engineering.
Regeneration of vgb-transgenic poplar (Populus alba×P. glandulosa) and the primary observation of growth
Zhang Bing-Yu, Su Xiao-Hua, Li Yi-Liang, Huang Qin-Jun, Zhang Xiang-Hua, Zhang Lei
Increasing the growth rate is especially important for low-quality wood applications, so this has become an important goal in poplar breeding. The present study describes the transfer of Vitreoscilla haemoglobin (VHb) gene (vgb) driven by constitutive promoters, by Agrobacterium tumefaciens into poplar (Populus alba×P. glandulosa). From about 450 leaf discs used for transformation, 60 Kan-resistant plants were obtained, and 52 proved to be true transgenic plants. The transgenic nature of these plants was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and Southern dot blot hybridization. The expression of vgb gene in transgenic plants was confirmed by reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR). The performance of the transgenic lines was evaluated during the first year of growth in a greenhouse. These plants showed no significant stable morphological differences from the untransformed plants. Among them, three vgb-transgenic lines exhibited noticeably higher growth rates in terms of height and diameter.
The EIM algorithm in the joint segregation analysis of quantitative traits
ZHANG YUAN-MING, GAI JUN-YI, YANG YONG-HUA
Journal: Genetics Research / Volume 81 / Issue 2 / April 2003
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 30 April 2003, pp. 157-163
In this article, a new algorithm for obtaining the maximum likelihood estimators (MLEs) of parameters in the joint segregation analysis (JSA) of multiple generations of P1, F1, P2, F2 and F2[ratio ]3 (MG5) for quantitative traits was set up. Firstly, owing to the fact that the component variance of the heterogeneous genotype in F2[ratio ]3 included both the first-order genetic parameters (denoted by the means of distributions) and the second-order parameters, a simple closed form for the MLEs of the means of component distributions did not exist while the expectation and maximization (EM) algorithm was used. To simplify the estimation of parameters, the first partial derivative of the above variance on the mean in the sample log-likelihood function was omitted. However, this would be remedied by the iterated method. Then, variances of component distributions for segregating populations were partitioned into major-gene, polygenic and environmental variances so that the generally iterated formulae for estimating the means as well as polygenic and environmental variances of component distributions in the maximization step (M-step) of the EM algorithm were obtained. Therefore, the EM algorithm for estimating parameters in the JSA model for the MG5 was simplified. This is called the expectation and iterated maximization (EIM) algorithm. Finally, an example of the inheritance of the resistance of soybean to beanfly showed that the results of mixed inheritance analysis in this paper coincided with those in both Wang & Gai (2001) and Wei et al. (1989), so the EIM algorithm was appropriate.
Surface Effects on Nanoindentation
Tong-Yi Zhang, Wei-Hua Xu
In this paper, we report on a study of the surface effect on nanoindentation and introduce the apparent surface stress that represents the energy dissipated per unit area of a solid surface in a nanoindentation test. The work done by an applied indentation load contains both bulk and surface work. Surface work, which is related to the apparent surface stress and the size and geometry of an indenter tip, is necessary in the deformation of a solid surface. Good agreement is found between theoretical first-order approximations and empirical data on depth-dependent hardness, indicating that the apparent surface stress plays an important role in depth-dependent hardness. In addition, we introduce a critical indentation depth. The surface deformation predominates if the indentation depth is shallower than the critical depth, while the bulk deformation predominates when the indentation depth is deeper than the critical depth.


LEESBURG, Va. — A man who was employed as an optometrist has been arrested for inappropriately touching a customer during an eye exam in August.
Joseph Rosana, 35, was employed at the Visionworks on 1607 Village Market Boulevard. He has been charged with misdemeanor sexual battery. He is no longer employed by this business.
The Leesburg Police Department is asking for the public's help with identifying additional victims related to the Visionworks practice in Leesburg. Anyone who has information regarding this investigation asked to contact Detective Troxell at 703-771-4584 or dtroxell@leesburgva.gov.


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Abu-Abd-Al·lah (II) Muhàmmad ibn Abi-Taixufín o, més senzillament, Abu-Abd-Al·lah II fou emir abdalwadita de Tlemcen del 1424 al 1428 i el 1430.

Vas enderrocar a Abu-Màlik I Abd al-Wahid que es va refugiar al Marroc. El nou sultà comptava amb el suport de l'hàfsida Abu-Faris Abd-al-Aziz (1393-1434) amb el qual després va entrar en conflicte. El sultà enderrocat, al no obtenir ajut dels marínides de Fes per ser restaurat, va enviar el seu fill a Tunis on Abu-Faris el va acollir i li va donar una carta convidant al seu pare a anar a Tunísia. A la tornada el jove príncep fou capturat per lleials a Abu-Abd-Al·lah II i la carta fou trobada i el noi executat; el sulta de Tlemcen va acusar a l'hàfsida d'ajudar els seus rivals. Abd al-Wahid va saber de la carta i va anar a Tunis on Abu Faris, enfadat amb el sobirà de Tlemcen, li va prometre ajut per recuperar el tron. Abd al-Wahid va mostrar a Abu Faris unes cartes falses en què els notables de Tlemcen encapçalats per Ibn Abu-Hammad (antic hadjib d'Abu-Abd-Al·lah II) demanaven el seu retorn. Abu Faris que havia reunit un exèrcit per una expedició al Djarid, va decidir que donaria algunes forces a Abd al-Wahid per recuperar Tlemcen, de les quals se separaria pel camí, a Constantina, el governador de la qual, Dja al-Khayr, dirigiria l'expedició amb les seves pròpies forces. Abans de sortir Ibn Abu-Hammad va arribar a Tunis per reunir-se amb el seu antic senyor el qual li va explicar que havia falsificat les cartes; el hadjib, indignat va criticar el fet, tant i més que Abu Faris comptava que Abd al-Wahid tenia un fort suport i per tant no pensava enviar gaires tropes; però l'antic sultà va meditar que si eren derrotats Abu Faris veuria el seu honor compromès i enviaria més tropes. Així fou, l'exèrcit de Dja al-Khayr va acampar prop de Tlemcen; les forces de la ciutat van fer una sortida i van derrotar els hàfsides, una part dels quals van caure presoners i la resta va fugir cap a Tunis. Un fet encara va venir a afavorir els plans d'Abd al-Wahid: dos generals o notables de Tunis es van refugiar a Tlemcen després que el germà d'un d'ells fos executat per Abu Faris; aquest va demanar l'entrega dels dos homes, que li fou refusada. Llavors l'hàfsida es va posar en campanya personalment i va assetjar Tlemcen on al cap de poc temps Abu-Abd-Al·lah II Muhammad va haver de fugir cap a l'oest i Abu-Màlik I Abd al-Wahid va retornar al poder (abril o maig del 1428).

Abu-Abd-Al·lah II va estar un temps errant; després se'n va anar a l'est i va trobar refugi a les muntanyes de Breschk i Ténès. Amb el suport dels àrabs del país va formar un exèrcit àrab que la nit del dimarts 25 cap al dimecres 26 de juliol de 1430 va reconquerir Tlemcen. Abu-Màlik I ibn Abd al-Wahid fou capturat i executat a la matinada del dia 26.

Abu Faris se'n va assabentar aviat i 84 dies després (19 d'octubre de 1430) es va presentar a Tlemcen. Abu-Abd-Al·lah II va fugir amb algunes forces i es va refugiar amb els Beni Yessnasen. El sobirà hàfsida va instal·lar un caid no musulmà de la seva confiança com a governador i es va dedicar a perseguir al deposat i el va assetjar a una fortalesa de la tribu; un membre del seu seguici el va convèncer d'entregar-se a Abu-Faris per guanyar el seu respecte; però quan es va entregar primer fou encadenat i empresonat i després fou executat amb alguns companys. Llavors va decidir retornar a Tunis i els seus homes a Tlemcen li van demanar a qui deixaven el regne. Abu Faris va designar al savi Ahmad ibn Abi-Hammu que va regnar amb el nom d'Abu-Abbàs Àhmad I (15 de març de 1431).

Referències
 Histoire des Beni Zeiyan

Emirs abdalwadites
Morts a Algèria

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


It's time to be thankful that the worst part of winter has come and gone, generating little damage along the way.
With the exception of the rain, we've been hitting shockingly high temperatures recently. And shockingly glorious warm weather in March means impromptu road trips.
Venturing into the Western region of the province, we fueled up via brunch at a restaurant named Lake House, just off the highway in St. Catherines/Vineland.
The view of Lake Ontario was absolutely breathtaking, rather unthinkably so considering the restaurant's somewhat isolated location.
Maple seems to be gradually gaining fame as the next up-and-coming ingredient for the spring season. First was McDonald's Maple Latte, and now it's being incorporated with Chipotle, another well-loved favourite, to form Lake House's very own specialty maple chipotle aioli. This dressing was spotted on their brunch/lunch menu for a total of four times!
Find the full album HERE !
Our server was extremely pleasant and dropped by to take our drink orders not long after arriving. In addition to soft drinks and an extensive selection of red and white wines, we were also informed that off-the-menu espresso-based drinks (cappuccinos, lattes, etc.) and mimosas could be ordered as well.
Initially craving a morning caffeine kick, I received immediate flashbacks of Farmhouse's subpar, lukewarm creation just as I was about to utter, "I'd like a latte please." A very pricey Mimosa, with seemingly equal parts sparkling wine and orange juice, was requested instead.
Each of the dishes were thoroughly tasty, yet exhibited no signs of excessive flavour enhancement. The Grilled Prime Rib Sandwich was tender, overflowing with savoury meaty juices. Accompanied by fresh arugula, tomato slices, and a positively pungent Swiss cheese, it made for a satisfying seaside meal for diners with an above-average stomach capacity. The sole factor in need of improvement would be the bun - it had been grilled to mass aesthetic appeal, but remained a tad soggy.
The Braised Beef Tacos were another great choice; like the previous dish, it was also served with Sweet Potato Fries void of additional charges for substitution. Generously packed with fall-off-the-bone shreds of beef and topped with diced peppers and goat cheese, this would be my go-to taco dish away from home if the Wilcox ever fails to meet expectations. To top it off, the sweet potato fries were addicting as could be: crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and devoid of a greasy touch and aftertaste. I found no flaws in this dish whatsoever.
The Chicken and Butternut Squash Pizza was an item I had ordered out of pure curiosity, and truthfully did not expect to be blown away by. Beyond its bold, sophisticated presentation, the foccacia-like base was thin and springy, yet not overly doughy. Pieces of chicken breast were scarce, as were cubes of roasted butternut squash, but the maple chipotle aioli, slightly powdery goat cheese, and wonderfully-textured bacon bits amassed the topping combination to yield satisfying, non-greasy dish.
I later suggested making a quick stop at Niagara Falls, just preceding a visit at Niagara-on-the-Lake for mid-afternoon ice cream. The start of March Break had marked a new era of chaos at the Falls, and the number of manner-deprived tourists was disastrously devastating.
Between being elbowed by young families and almost having my tripod knocked over by U-14s flaunting their smartphones, I managed to secure a few shots of the waterfall on a brief lone mission. Majority of the snaps were relatively disappointing, but little could be done as almost every inch of the viewing area being lined with tourists of all ages. I soon surrendered and packed up to head towards a more tranquil region.
Find the full Niagara album HERE !
Any true Canadian knows that a weekend excursion out of the city will definitely comprise of ice cream. Where there is a COWS location, there shall also be an indulgent cone of creaminess awaiting. The lineup wasn't particularly lengthy, though it did take some time to receive samples and place orders as only one person was working the entire ice cream bar. We emerged from the store with a leaning tower of Sea Salt Toffee, Chunky Chocolate Mint, and Chocolate after a solid twenty minutes.
Following a brief stop at a cafe/tea house, we were back on the road, driving into the sunset in hopes of arriving home by dinner time.
One can only hope that this gorgeous weather continues to prevail!


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Motorola Droid 2: Enhanced Design, but Camera Still Stinks
By Ginny Mies
Another day, another Droid phone lands on Verizon. The hotly anticipated Motorola Droid 2 ($200 with a two-year contract from Verizon; price as of 8/15/10) is definitely an upgrade from the original Droid when it comes to design, but its camera is weak, and the MotoBlur software sometimes detracts from the Android experience. Still, if you're craving an Android phone with a physical keyboard, the Droid 2 will certainly satisfy. (See the Droid 2 in action.)
Refined, Updated Design
Design-wise, the Droid 2 is essentially a more polished, modern version of its predecessor. Its angles are smoother, the dimensions are slimmer, and it has a more attractive look, overall. The Droid's black edges have been upgraded to sculpted chrome, and the raised buttons along the spines of the phone are flatter and less obtrusive to the phone's profile. The backing is made of a soft-touch material that feels really nice to the hand. As a whole, the Droid 2 feels a class above the original model.
The Droid 2's keyboard is a big improvement over the original's, which felt shallow and uncomfortable. Gone is the clunky four-way directional pad to the right of the keyboard that allowed room for wider keys. If you liked the d-pad on the original Droid, don't fret: There are still four arrow keys for extra navigation options. The keys are raised, which is a relief, as the original Droid's keys were too flat for my liking. Another improvement? No more dummy keys! The Droid had two completely useless key taking up precious keyboard real estate.
Unfortunately, the keyboard still isn't perfect: The top keys are very close to the ledge of the display, so your fingers are constantly knocking against it. Additionally, the keys felt mushy and not as tactile as I prefer for physical keyboards.
The display seems to be the same as the original Droid's, measuring 3.7 inches and having a resolution of 854 by 480 pixels. I've been spoiled by the 4.3-inch displays of the HTC EVO 4G and the Droid X, so 3.7 inches felt a bit small at first. But it is a perfectly fine size for Web browsing and watching video; and to be fair, it is larger than the iPhone's 3.5-inch screen.
MotoBlur: Hit-or-Miss
I confess: I'm a bit of an Android purist and love the Nexus One simply because it runs the vanilla Android OS. I do like certain aspects of the skins, like Samsung's TouchWiz MediaPlayer and HTC Sense's FriendStream. I also like how they make the somewhat bland Android platform more aesthetically pleasing and accessible. What I don't like is when these skins mar certain applications in the native Android as well as slow down a powerful phone's performance--which is what Motoblur unfortunately does.
This version of Motoblur has Android 2.2 running beneath it. Android 2.2 adds an overall speed boost to the OS, improved Exchange support (including Exchange calendar support--yay!) and camera and gallery tweaks.
The skin has been toned down a lot in comparison to the version on the Backflip and the Cliq. Gone are the chaotic bubbles taking over your homescreens to deliver Facebook status updates from high-school friends you no longer speak to or updates from random RSS feeds you subscribe to. MotoBlur isn't as attractive as HTC Sense, but I liked how sharp the icons and text appeared and how easy and intuitive navigation was.
Motoblur has been reduced to two widget bubbles on one homescreen, which you can sync with your social networks. Another new feature in this version of Motoblur is a navigation bar that lets you quickly switch between your various homescreens without having to flick through all of them to get to what you want.
Motoblur doesn't do a few things right, however. While you can upload pictures to your Google Picasa account, you can't view photos from that account. It seems nitpicky, but what if you're visiting family across the country and want to show them photos of your vacation without whipping out your laptop? Especially when you can see your Picasa album on vanilla Android 2.2?
Additionally, you're stuck with the Motoblur camera interface; you don't get the refined interface that comes with Android 2.2. For example, in order to bring up your shooting options in Motoblur, you have to touch the right side of the screen. And when you tilt the phone/camera, the controls don't rotate. With Android 2.2, these controls are always exposed on your screen. It is a tiny detail, but why adopt a custom skin on certain apps only to make them worse?
Of course, you get all of the standard Google Android applications: Gmail, Maps, YouTube, and Talk for instant messaging. There's an annoying amount of bloatware, like NFL Mobile, NFS Shift, and some Verizon-branded apps, but a few useful apps are thrown in there, such as Skype Mobile.
Mediocre Camera
The Droid 2 is a total upgrade from the original Droid, with one exception: the camera. The Droid's camera was bad, and the Droid 2's camera isn't much better. The 5-megapixel snapper took decent shots outdoors with bright, natural looking colors, but details weren't as sharp as photos taken with the Droid X or the iPhone 4.
I was even less impressed with my indoor shots. A few had a greenish cast to them, but this may have been due to the lighting. Details were a bit soft too; not as sharp as photos taken with the recently reviewed XPeria X10. I also detected some graininess, and a few objects had a sort of ghostly aura around them. The camera's autofocus isn't very effective, and despite the nice variety of scene effects, I didn't find them to be very useful in improving my shots.
Another strange omission is the lack of support for 720p-quality video capture, which is pretty much the default for high-end cameras these days. The Droid 2 captures at 480p, and there's no dedicated "narration" mode for capturing your own musings via video. Video quality was decent, although a bit pixelated when capturing fast-moving objects. Despite the missing narration mode, the Droid X did capture audio pretty well. Another plus: one of the treats in Android 2.2 is the ability to use your camera's flash as a light for shooting video in dimly-lit environments.
Android 2.2 provides an overall performance boost, from the browser (its use of the V8 engine enables faster loading of JavaScript-heavy pages) to memory management to the CPU. In my hands-on review of Android 2.2 on the Google Nexus One, I immediately noticed how much faster browsing was. Oddly, the browser on the Droid 2 didn't feel as fast. Scrolling through media-heavy pages like CNN.com or Thrasher.com felt a bit sticky. Flicking between homescreens or scrolling through long menus wasn't as speedy as I anticipated, either. A little bit of lag occurs when launching certain native apps, such as the text messaging app, for example. I noticed that the more I used the phone, the faster it got. It sounds strange, but other reviewers have experienced this with other Motorola Android phones, so I know I'm not alone.
Despite the sometimes slow-to-scroll browser, pages loaded pretty quickly over Verizon's 3G network. Call quality was also very good in San Francisco. I experienced no dropped calls, nor did I hear any static or hissing. Callers' voices sounded clean and natural.
Verizon customers have a difficult choice among the Droids: The HTC Droid Incredible, Motorola Droid X and the Droid 2 are all solid picks. If you're looking to get your money's worth, however, go with the Droid X or Droid Incredible. If your heart is set on a physical keyboard, however, you'll be perfectly happy with the Droid 2.
The Droid 2 is a big improvement over its predecessor, but if you take a lot of pictures with your smartphone, you might want to opt for another Droid.
Ships with latest version of Android
Motoblur detracts from a few native Android apps
Camera is mediocre

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
class CreatePasses < ActiveRecord::Migration
  def change
    create_table :passes do |t|
      t.integer :user_id
      t.string :name
      t.float :total_cost
      t.float :daily_cost
      t.integer :break_even_day
      t.date :start_date
      t.date :end_date
      t.integer :duration_day
      t.integer :attended_count, default: 0

      t.timestamps
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end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


for this Meditation Class Series, where we will playfully learn, explore and discover more about the subtle, internal landscapes within our being!
Throughout this Series of classes students will embark on a journey to understand and explore what meditation really is and why it is an extremely beneficial practice to include into our daily routine. Students will have the opportunity to learn and progress through a wide variety of simple yogic techniques and tools that are useful in developing the states of both concentration and meditation. Each week there will also be time for sharing of experiences, questions and discussions about what comes up as we journey into more subtle forms of awareness and consciousness.
As we learn and practice how to quiet and still the fluctuations mind, we slowly re-discover the untouched place within where peace, contentment, joy and bliss reside!


The Facilities/IT Coordinator oversees two of the most important library operations, facilities management and information technology. This individual is responsible for the scheduling and supervision of custodial/cleaning operations and the timely maintenance of all mechanical and operational systems. Also supervises plans, recommends, analyzes and coordinates the automation, communication and on-line systems within the Library.
Developing cleaning/maintenance schedules for and providing supervision of all custodial staff.
Developing maintenance schedules for all mechanical and operational equipment.
Performing maintenance, custodial, or other tasks as required.
Hiring and overseeing appropriate vendors to provide needed services.
Developing schedules and overseeing grounds keeping tasks.
Purchase of needed equipment and supplies, ensuring compliance with LEED initiative.
Available for various shifts including nights and weekends.
Respond to after hour emergencies.
Experience as a Building Manager or equivalent field experience including: working knowledge of building HVAC, plumbing, electrical systems, and DDC & building automation controls.
Comprehensive training and certification in HVAC.
Computer skills necessary to operate computer systems for applicable equipment, as well as for day-to-day work and communications.
Ability to develop and maintain record keeping systems and procedures (i.e.: door key assignment and distribution).
Knowledge of property management principles, procedures, and standards as applied to public facilities.


Bring your loved ones and make Sing! An Irish Christmas part of a holiday your family will treasure!
Christmas and enjoy the carols that have been treasured for generations!
loved ones as you celebrate the true reason for Christmas.
Sing! An Irish Christmas continues the great legacy of singing beloved holiday hymns.
Modern hymn-writers Keith and Kristyn Getty are returning with Sing! An Irish Christmas. We hope you'll join us at Shadow Mountain Community Church for this gathering of historic carols and congregational singing — including popular modern hymns and carols from the Gettys such as "In Christ Alone."
The Getty Christmas tour has become a tradition for many small groups, organizations and churches. If you are looking for an unforgettable night to share with a group of people in your life, get your tickets and enjoy special group pricing!
If you have a group of 10 or more that would like to attend the Sing! Irish Christmas tour contact us for special pricing!


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Anime Rewatch 2021: Total Eclipse 13-14
Episode 13 kicks off with another new flashback, this time to a battle that took place a year prior. This is the anime's only look at Kyoko Takatsukasa, the pilot of the blue Takemikazuchi from episode 2. Not that the flashback bothers to explain that. Or even who Kyoko is, beyond Yui calling her "Kyoko-sama". It's kind of a strange flashback in that it doesn't explain who any of the people in it really are or what the context is. Its only purpose is to establish the Fort-class BETA as a serious threat, foreshadowing its appearance later in the episode. This flashback is a lot more interesting after seeing Kyoko's backstory in the novel and game adaptations of the Imperial Capital Burns arc. On its own, it's one of the anime's less successful original additions.
One of the major plot points shown in these episodes is the BETA's abnormal interest in the Type-99 cannon. Those who have played through the original Muv-Luv trilogy can probably guess the reason – it's because the cannon's core module contains G-Elements, which attract the BETA's attention. The anime never explains this aspect of the world setting, but it's not really their fault – no version of Total Eclipse goes into detail about it, because the G-Elements are highly classified, and nobody in the Total Eclipse cast knows it well enough to explain it to the audience. I can certainly see how that might be frustrating for viewers of the anime unfamiliar with the games, but I also think it's an interesting narrative device to show off just how classified this technology is.
Episode 13 ends with a great battle scene between Yuuya and the BETA. It also has a nice detail that speaks to Yuuya's mindset – as the episode closes, Yuuya calls his TSF by the Japanese name "Shiranui" for the first time – before that, he had always referred to the machine as "94-Second". I think this particular scene might be an anime-original detail as well.
As for episode 14, the part I'm most interested in talking about is the final scenes involving Latrova and the Zhar Battalion. Although Yuuya and the others hear the report later confirming their deaths in battle against the BETA, their final moments as actually depicted are shrouded in mystery, as they are attacked by a mysterious unidentified TSF. The novels were just as ambiguous in their depiction as well, so at the time the anime aired, nobody knew exactly what happened to them. It's one of several moments where the anime had to skirt around mysteries that were still ongoing. Eventually the game, which extends the story past the novels and anime, would explain this plot point in more detail.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 21st, 2021 at 6:02 pm and is filed under Commentary, Total Eclipse. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.


Congratulations on your upcoming semester at SCTCC! Below is some information you'll find helpful.
Make sure to click submit on the form to ensure an advisor can pull it up for you.
Some common reasons you will need eServices for are below.
Click the link for the appropriate major - DARS will open in a new window. Verify completed courses are listed, including transfer credits.
Click the Courses and Registration tab.
Click the View/Modify Schedule tab from the menu on the left.
The courses you are registered for will be listed.
You can view the Last Dates to Drop/Withdraw from each individual course by hovering over the icon.
The Drop Date is the last day you can drop the course and not receive a W or be charged for the course. The Withdraw Date is the last day you can withdraw from the course to receive a W.
To drop/withdraw from the course click the icon.
Enter your eServices password, then click submit.
A message will pop up at the top of the page. If Dropping the course, the course will no longer appear in your schedule after you refresh the page. If Withdrawing from the course, the course will still appear with a grade of "W" entered.
Click to Courses and Registration, then Course Search.
Search for courses at SCTCC by choosing the Subject from the drop down menu and entering the Course Number if you know it. Make sure that you have selected the correct semester.
The Search Results & Plan page shows your search results, as well as courses on your Wish List, Wait List, and Registered list.
Add a course to your wish list by clicking the "Add" icon. Adding a course to your wish list does not ensure your seat in the course.
If a course is full, you might be able to add your name to the waitlist by clicking the "Waitlist" icon.
Once you have selected your courses, click the Continue to Review My Plan link, under the plan menu bar.
Check the box next to each course you wish to register for and click Select Course(s) to proceed to Register.
If you get an error message when trying to register, please see an advisor for help.
When successful, your courses are under the View/Modify Schedule tab on the left.
To print your schedule for your reference, click the Printable Schedule link the top right corner of your schedule.
Access Starfish by logging into D2L Brightspace. The link is on the right-hand side.
The first time you login, close the welcome page to go to your Starfish homepage.
To change your Starfish profile information, click the "My Profile" link at the top of the page. You can upload a photo to put a face to your name by selecting the Upload Photo link. Your contact information (email, phone) can be changed as needed. Make sure to click Save.
Visit "My Success Path" on your Starfish page to find recommendations for improvement in your courses and referrals to campus support offices. You will receive email notifications for these items as well.
Flags urge you to review your current academic standing in a specific course - detailed notes from your instructor might be included. Read the notes, review your grades on D2L BrightSpace and follow up with your instructor to talk about how to improve.
If you have a flag, you might receive a phone call from your advisor to talk about your progress.
Kudos give acknowledgment of work well done! Keep up the good work!
The to-dos are usually suggestions by instructors or follow-ups after advising meetings. Read and take action on these items as needed.
To set up a virtual advising sessions, email aac@sctcc.edu.
Choose Skype for Business on the left-hand side, and follow the directions.
Check your tuition balance online through eServices.
If you're paying your account in full, you can pay online with e-checks or Visa, Mastercard or Discover credit cards.
All your tuition must be paid by the end of the current semester, otherwise you won't be able to register for a new semester.
There is a $29 processing fee for each deferment agreement.
You can add funding to your payment plan for other expenses, such as charging book purchases.
If you are planning on dropping all classes, be aware of the Title IV policy - you may need to repay part of your financial aid.
You can also open a checking account through USBank and turn your ID/Campus Cash card into your bank card as well - all in one! Learn more about U.S. Bank by visiting www.usbank.com/stcloud.


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Rookie Quadree Henderson Will Be Steelers Starting Returner In Preseason Opener
Posted on August 7, 2018 at 7:24 pm
Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver Quadree Henderson is a Wilmington, DE native and that means his NFL debut Thursday night in the team's preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles will take place roughly a half an hour from where he grew up. Henderson, who was signed this offseason as an undrafted free agent out of Pittsburgh, should have a large contingent of family and friends in the stands of Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia Thursday night and head coach Mike Tomlin talked Tuesday during his press conference about how it will be interesting to see how the young wide receiver responds to that somewhat unique circumstance.
"Q's going to be a 30 minutes from home, I think," Tomlin said of Henderson. "I'm sure it's going to add to the intrigue of his story for the first time. I just walked off the walk-thru field with him and had a nice conversation in that regard. But it's a lot of those stories and it's fun to watch those guys adjust and deal with the environment and the issues that are associated with professional football. It's all a part of it and their ability to deal is usually reflected in their performance."
While Henderson might not see a lot of playing time at wide receiver Thursday night against the Eagles, according to him, he'll get a long look in that contest as a punt and kickoff returner.
"I just found out I'll be the starting punt returner and starting kick returner, No. 1 up there for right now," Henderson said late Tuesday morning, according to Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "It's a big opportunity for me to go out there and showcase my skill."
Henderson, who measured in at this year's scouting combine at 5'8″, 192-pounds, had quite a college career at Pittsburgh as a return man as he returned 37 punts for 495 yards and three touchdowns in addition to 73 kickoffs for 1,942 yards and 4 touchdowns. That success he had in college, however, really means nothing to Tomlin as the team makes their final preparations for Thursday night.
"His resume means absolutely nothing, as does everyone else's in that regard," Tomlin said Tuesday. "I just think that that's what's so exciting about getting into stadiums and playing."
With Henderson entering the NFL as a very inexperienced, unpolished and undersized wide receiver, he's really going to have to impress the Steelers coaches with his return ability during the preseason if he wants to have any hope of ultimately making the 53-man roster. We've seen players in similar situations to Henderson pull off that feat before, however, as Stefan Logan did it in 2009 thanks to an awesome showing as returner during the preseason that included him having 5 kickoff returns for 185 yards and 9 punt returns for 191 yards and a touchdown.
The new kickoff rules this year could also play in Henderson's favor starting Thursday night as he should have a little more initial running room to work with in addition to players from the other team not having a running start prior to the ball being kicked. Tomlin was asked Tuesday what he'll be looking for from his team during the Thursday night game when it comes to the kickoff rule changes.
"More than anything, I want us to display fundamentals," Tomlin said. "Obviously on a kickoff return team I want us to gain possession of the ball. The three guys patrolling the vast amount of grass back there is new and different and different than in the past and I think not to acknowledge gaining possession of the ball first above all other things would be inappropriate.
"I'm looking at how guys display an ability to play fast while they get accustomed to the new rules. Oftentimes, in the preseason in particular, those veteran players play at a different speed than young guys. I would Imagine that there will be some adjustments for all guys, whether they're rookies or veterans, in that area of play and I just, quite frankly, want to see who adjust the quickest or the smoothest in terms of playing speed."
Henderson should have the playing speed element down pat because if there's one main positive attribute he had in college it was his ability to reach his top speed very quickly. Should Henderson wind up putting on a show for his many friends and family in attendance Thursday night, he'll certainly be a player we talk quite a bit more about through the weekend when it comes to him improving his chances of making the 53-man roster.
Related Items:Mike Tomlin, Philadelphia Eagles, Preseason, Quadree Henderson
Steelers Fail To Keep Pace With Kansas City, Who Advances On Strength Of High-Powered Offense
In Final Game Together, Tomlin Says It's 'Been An Honor And a Pleasure' Pairing With Roethlisberger


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Newsletters & Stories
Stories from inside the courts
Penny Wagner
Stories from Inside the Courts: Penny Wagner
The coronavirus pandemic has been the ultimate disrupter for state courts, and many of those who have been affected the most are those who can't afford lawyers. Penny Wagner is the coordinator of Colorado Courts' Self-Help Centers, which helps pro se litigants statewide get access to services. The program, which the Colorado Judicial Branch created in 2013, is commonly known as Sherlock.
"I was an analyst in the SCA's office when they needed someone to start the program, and I volunteered. The people who make up the Sherlock program need to have court experience of some kind. Some courts require they be attorneys; some don't. They receive specific training from mentors and from me. They need to be proficient in every case type we have, except for criminal.
"User needs haven't changed… The top three are domestic, including divorce and child support, cases involving money, such as evictions, and probate issues. Right now, we're anticipating a lot of people will lose their homes, so we're focusing on evictions and issues that come as a result of evictions.
"The pandemic certainly has changed the way we do our work. Our people mostly work from home now. They need to have a laptop with a secure connection to access court information. A lot of courts are allowing filings by email, and we're rolling out pro se e-filing and doing a pilot project. Filings are down because courts have been closed for a lot of the civil processes.
"We're helping folks remotely as much as possible. Our family court facilitators are using Webex, and that may become the new norm. We're also thinking of transitioning some services to different videoconferencing platforms. Community outreach remains a big part of what we do, making connections, for example, with libraries and other institutions that have public computers with printers. Most of our courts are holding "ask-an-attorney" clinics that give people access to attorneys."
Tiny Chats
@ the Center
NCSC Backgrounder
State Supreme Courts Gather by Videoconference to Hear Oral Arguments
Civil Justice Initiative
Jur-E Bulletin
Justice Everywhere
Behavioral Health Alerts
State court statements on racial justice


Both are having a great response on the radio with some major stations picking up play.
Secret Shine emerged from the late eighties/early nineties Shoegaze scene. Releases on the cult label Sarah Records followed, most notably the single Loveblind, earning the band an entry into the Indie top 20, and the album Untouched.
After a long lay-off in 1996, the band reformed again in 2004 before tragedy struck in 2005 with the untimely death of drummer Tim Morris. After recording a tribute record to Tim, the band remained active releasing a number of EPs and the long player All of the Stars in 2008 and The Beginning and the End in early 2012 along with frequent gigs in Europe and America.
The new album There is Only Now released on the Shoegaze imprint is being met with great critical acclaim.
All In Your Head, Falling Again, Make Me You and Things I Said are for radio play.
Efrat Cohen (aka Fafa Galoure), singer, writer and composer has been performing and arranging with Asi Ashkenazi since 2012 . The musical style is a bridge between Indie Rock and multiple patterns that range from Classical, Jazz, Blues, Soul, Ballad and Punk.
The songs reveal an internal emotional landscape that exists alongside the external day to day.
They expose personal ideals, hopes, processes and inner conflicts which arise when you struggle to be true to yourself despite your ideas about what is expected of you. The musical framework allows for delicate emotions to surface, as in the song Hero, that deals with the paradoxical nature of feeling enslaved and overwhelmed by demands, whilst affirming to yourself that you are a hero in order to keep trying. Creating harmony between one's inner world and the outside world has been at the core of Efrat's musical journey.
Fafa Galoure have been receiving great reviews in Israel and are being played on numerous radio shows and blogs since Tingle my Taste and No Sound were released this Summer.
The band took many turns over the years in terms of arrangements, band members and production. Finally, after three years of brewing and successfully reaching their goal in a local fund raising campaign, They are launching their debut album, As You Are, produced by Omer Hershman.
Lead tracks for radio play.
As You Are will be released on 10th January 2018.


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Free ticket Book a stand
Running alongside
CQC Inspector Hub
Virtual Dementia Tour
Care Businesses For Sale
Activities Arena
▼ Exhibitors
▼ About Us
Professor June Andrews OBE FRCN FCGI FRSA RMN RGN MA
Managing dementia in a care home or home care
Up to 90% of older people receiving care have dementia and in some cases it's very advanced. This presentation based on the internationally bestselling book "Dementia the One Stop Guide" shows the ten key evidence based interventions that will reduced distressed behaviour in people with dementia and so reduce the burden of care, allowing staff and families to spend more time and energy on enhancing the lives of those in their care.
Prof Andrews is qualified to advise on issues involving older people, their health care and carers, how to age well, the quality, finance and economics of care home and home care, dementia, staffing, and policy issues around frailty and the ageing population.
With experience in the NHS, care homes, government and a university, her views are independent and authoritative, based on evidence about what works and wide knowledge built over many years of advising families, professionals, organisations and governments nationally and internationally on policy and practice in this area and how to deal with a personal crisis or more generally the economic and social issues arising from the aging population.
June has been recognised for her capacity to explain complex issues, whether finance, politics, neurology or human emotion, in plain language. Her talks are described as refreshing and often amusing, though deadly serious and based on evidence.
This Schedule is not currently available
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steve.todd#at#prysmgroup.co.uk
Prysm ENC Ltd, a company registered in the United Kingdom, with registered number 10246078 and with its registered office at 4 Colston Avenue, Bristol, BS1 4ST.
Copyright © 2009–2020 Prysm ENC Ltd. All rights reserved.


Insulating your water heater is a very effective way of reducing heat loss.
Last week I wrote about a high-tech solution for water heating–heat-pump water heaters that can cut costs by more than half compared to conventional electric water heating. This week, I'll address the low-tech efficiency side of water heating.
First, some context: in a typical American home, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, water heating accounts for about 16% of total annual energy expenditures–a little more than for air conditioning, on a national-average basis, and twice as much as is used for refrigerators. An average American family pumps nearly 3,000 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year from heating water, a not-insignificant contributor to global warming.
The two easiest ways to reduce your energy use for hot water are to a) use less hot water, and b) reduce heat loss in your water heating and hot water distribution systems. We'll take a look at each of these in turn.
Replace older showerheads with new, low-flow models. Expect to spend about $25 for a good model that delivers a satisfactory shower with as little as 1.6 gallons per minute.
Fix any leaking faucets or showerheads.
Replace aerators on bathroom faucets with products that have a flow rate of no more than one gallon per minute.
Wash laundry in cold water, or at least use a cold-water rinse.
If you're replacing your clothes washer, buy an Energy Star, horizontal-axis (front-loading) model.
Reduce waste in washing dishes. Most modern dishwashers don't require that dishes be rinsed; just scrape off food. If you must rinse, use cold water.
If you're replacing a dishwasher, buy an Energy Star model.
Insulate your water heater. If you have a storage-type water heater, adding additional insulation will reduce heat loss from it. Follow manufacturer's recommendations on insulation, especially with gas-fired water heaters (to avoid blocking the air inlet).
Insulate hot water pipes. If the water sitting in your hot water pipes stays warm after you run the tap, there's greater likelihood that you won't waste water and energy the next time you turn on the hot water. In new construction, all hot water pipes should be insulated (I even recommend insulting cold-water pipes to reduce condensation and dripping in the summer). In existing houses, insulating pipes can be quite difficult and may not be worth the effort, except for those that are readily accessible–such as in a basement.
Install "heat traps" or "anti-convection valves" on the hot and cold water connections to your water heater. These simple devices prevent "thermosiphoning" of heat out of the water heater.
Some new water heaters include built-in heat traps.
Turn down the temperature setting on your water heater. If your water heater is currently set to 140 degrees F, decreasing it to 120 degrees (about midway between the "medium" and "low" setting on most water heaters) should reduce your energy use for water heating by 6-10 percent. Due to concern about Legionella bacteria, which can live in lukewarm water, some people recommend keeping a water heater set to at least 130 degrees.
Install an "on-demand circulator" under bathroom or kitchen sinks that are located far from the water heater. This is a user-activated pump that brings hot water to the point-of-use and returns water that's been sitting in the hot water pipe back to the water heater. See my Energy Solutions column, "Waiting for Hot Water," from June, 2009 for more on this strategy.
Once you've invested effort in reducing hot water use and minimizing losses in your water heating system, an alternative system–such as a solar water heater–will be able to satisfy a larger fraction of your needs and can be kept smaller (and more affordable). "Efficiency first" is almost always the best investment.
What about setback timers/thermostats for water heaters? Peak times for water usage are often early morning and the evenings; some usage during the day and almost none at night. What range of savings can be expected? Who makes 7 day setback thermostats for gas water heaters and how much do they cost for a 12-20 unit condo?
Standard water heaters today are equipped with the medium quality insulating foam, which is around the value of R-10. High efficient water heaters have the thicker foam of 2-3" but still below the R value when it is recommended to use the insulation blanket (R24).
By adding an insulation blanket to the conventional type water heaters (unless its R value is 24 or above), one can reduce the standby heat loss by 25-45% and water heating cost from 4-9%.
Insulation blanket is available for the price of 10-20$... and even higher for the best ones. Choose the pre-cut foam with the high R insulation value.
Also, recommendation is to insulate the first 6 feet of the hot and cold water pipes connected to the unit. Some manufacturers will include with the water heater foam tubes for the pipe insulation. Apply insulation on the water pipes if the piping goes through the unheated area or the pipe is warm to the touch (for hot water pipes).
Not sure where to start ... Maybe horizontal axis washers: I bought one and did some tests. First I read Consumer Reports and choose a highly rated one, efficiency-wise. Then, before I removed the old one I washed 3 bath towels and 3 hand towels. After the final spin I weighed them. Then I did the same test again. Results were very close. Then I removed my old top-loader and installed the new front loader and did the same tests with the exact same towels. The differences were within 1 ounce. I was shocked. The old Kenmore top-loader has seen better days ... it's O-L-D and it did as well as the brand new fancy-pants magic front loader. Humpf. So much for advertising. I have access to another newer (but still old) top loader. Re-ran the tests. This top loader (Whirlpool Energy Star) was consistently a couple of ounces better than the front loader. Save your money. Those new front-loaders are bloody expensive. Note: I returned the new washer for my money back.
Insulation blankets? Not if your water heater is newer. The new foam insulation is good enuf that it won't help that much. And it's the BOTTOM of the heater that they didn't used to put any insulation into. So if it sits on a cold concrete floor .... well, you know. You got nice toasty concrete down there for whatever that's worth.
Insulate your pipes? DOE research shows that the most you can gain is about an hour. If it sits for more than hour you're not winning. Also, use the expensive neoprene insulation over the cheap foam stuff. And if you know your Delta-T physics you know that you MUST (absolutely must) get every cubic millimeter of the piping covered or it's basically a waste. And those nice big pipe hangers made out of metal ... you think they don't conduct heat and radiate it outside the insulation? Think again.
I could go on.... but here's one of the most important discoveries: It's been clearly shown that when the average user goes for hot water ... that 92% of the time THEY NEVER GET ANY HOT WATER. How is this, you ask? Because they (you) shut the spigot off before it gets there! 92% of the time. Watch yourself for the next few days .... you'll see. Go to wash your hands, go for the hot, lather up, rinse, shut off. No hot water. You filled the pipes and now they can get busy dispersing that heat in the walls or the basement, but you never got any. Lots of times, every day.
Another thing. How big are the pipes that carry that water? Did you go for the macho, he-man 3/4" stuff? You know, to be sure you get WATER when you want it. Now go check the last foot of piping under the sink. ( !! ) Quarter inch is it???? Do you know how water flows and pipes sizes and ...... ?? If you have 3/4" you're probably only getting hot water less than 5% of the time. If not, you're sure wasting a lot of water just to get it warm. Even 1/2" can be considered bigger than necessary. How much water does the piping hold when it's 3/4" vs 3/8"? Hint: If you know your geometry it's a heck of lot more than double!
There's lots more. This article has so many holes in it, it leaks like a sieve. You can do better GBA.
Thanks for your comments, which are pertinent and helpful.
You wrote, "You can do better, GBA." If you read more articles on our site, you might be surprised.
For example, you should check out the article on Efficient supply layouts in the GBA Encyclopedia. The article notes, "A 3/4-in. dia. supply line in a trunk-and-branch system holds a lot of water. When a hot-water tap is opened in a bathroom far from the water heater, all the water sitting in the 3/4-in. pipe must flow through the system before any hot water reaches the user. In a home-run system, the tubing is usually only 3/8 in. or ½ in., so less water is wasted before hot water reaches the faucet."
GBA has many other articles about some of the issues you have raised; the "Search" function on each page will help you find them.
Your diatribe against my article is quite surprising.
Your claim that horizontal-axis washers don't really save energy seems to be based solely on moisture removal during the spin cycle (resulting in less drying energy). Your study doesn't sound very thorough, but even if it's correct the primary way most H-axis washers save energy is by using less hot water--though if you wash in cold water (as the article suggested), that would not be an issue.
As for insulating storage-type water heaters, I should have noted that this is more important with older water heaters--which is what most people have.
As for the issue of wasting water and energy waiting for hot water to reach the tap, my article mentioned on-demand recirculation systems, which solve that problem. GBA has lots of information on these systems. The statistic you quote is interesting, but it only supports the argument I made for on-demand recirculators. I am well aware of the issue with larger supply pipes worsening the problem; my articles and others in GBA have addressed that point in detail. I should have linked to some of those articles.
Regarding my recommendation to insulate hot water pipes, your points are well-taken, but the article pointed out how insulated pipes can reduce hot water use--because there is a greater likelihood that you won't have to wait for hot water when turning on the tap within a hour of the previous use--the savings here are all about usage patterns. Savings in most homes will be minimal, but it it's easy to insulate the hot water pipes, I still recommend doing so.
I did a study on a home in Boone, NC with the 40gall water heater and all the water pipes in an unconditioned basement. We tested the energy usage of the water heater over a 6 day period when no one was home, so no water use period. It was winter, so the basement was around 45F. The first two days we logged baseline energy use. Then we wrapped the tank with a standard blanket from Lowe's and logged for two days. Then we insulated the top of the tank (it was an electric water heater), all hot water pipes, and the first 6 feet of cold water pipes and logged for two days.
The tank blanket cut energy use by 21 percent. Insulating the pipes and the top of the tank cut energy use by another 8 percent. Remember that this represents standby losses only, since there was no water use during the test period. I can't say exactly how much of this 8 percent was from the top of tank insulation, but according to the thermal images, that area is a major point of heat loss. I would wager that insulating the pipes (outside of the first six feet from the tank) did not save much energy at all. That said, I still do it, but then I also use reusable grocery bags and turn off the water while I soap up in the shower. Something I think everyone should do, but probably won't catch on anytime soon.


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