We are a community of doers, makers, creators, experimenters, and data-ops evangelists. We want you to enjoy your time in the community and have only one major guideline.
Seems pretty simple. It works with other golden-rule-type behaviors... treat others as you wish to be treated.
So, to spell it out, don't be rude, cruel, nasty or obnoxious to your fellow members. Be a good citizen. Help people you can help. If you are tempted to snark, click away from the thread first, please.
We are not here to put down products, companies, or other members or nonmembers. We want your best practices and your good intentions. We want to help you get the most out of your investment in Delphix. We also want to connect you to others who are getting the most out of their implementations of the Delphix Engines. To that end, please be transparent. If you know something, please share. If you don't know the answer to something, that is okay, too. In the spirit of learning, not knowing is an opportunity for someone to teach and shine.


Please join us on 22 October 2011, Saturday, at 3-5 pm for two artist talks, Mark Justiniani for his exhibition, PHANTOM LIMB (3-4 PM), and Claro "Chitz" Ramirez (for his show WANTED: TUBERO (4-5 PM), both exhibitions ongoing at Finale Art File. These two shows interact through the connection of pipes between their works within the same venue. WANTED: TUBERO is a project under End Frame Video Art Project 3: Present, a series of solo exhibitions of artists presenting new video work from 2011 to 2012. Ramirez's artist talk will be followed by a brief presentation on End Frame 3 by its curator, Clarissa Chikiamco.
Finale Art File, located at Warehouse 17, La Fuerza Compound, 2241 Don Chino Roces Avenue, Makati Metro Manila, is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm. Both exhibitions run till 27 October 2011.


As a born and bred New Yorker, I understand the value - and scarcity! - of mental, physical and environmental space. My comfort in working closely and intimately with people stems from growing up in Manhattan surrounded by the vitality and movement of the city.
I created "Lecube Space" in reference to both the internal and external realms in which I work. I am a licensed massage therapist with a thriving independent bodywork practice of 15 years. My work supports the creation and maintenance of space inside the body, so that we are connected more deeply to the power of our true selves, free from pain and stagnation.
My 20+ years working in the restaurant business as a front of house professional and management consultant gave me additional outlets for my passion for creating space, making things work more efficiently and flow more smoothly. I view service as sacred and am a lover of quality, of all things made with care, whether it be food or function.
In addition to bodywork and restaurant consulting, nine years ago I began supporting people in uplifting their environments as a personal organizer and holistic household coach.
In all of these areas, I work to support my clients in creating space so that they can function more efficiently. Lecube Space brings together my bodywork, organizing and coaching expertise making me a powerful ally for those who are seeking greater ease and well being in their physical bodies and physical space.
Available upon request; please email me at alexandralecube (at) gmail.com.


text:
Q: Correct Xpath - I have a xml like -
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<oslc_cm:Collection xmlns:oslc_cm="http://open-services.net/xmlns/cm/1.0/"
                    oslc_cm:totalCount="7"
                    xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/terms/"
                    xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#"
                    xmlns:rtc_cm="http://jazz.net/xmlns/prod/jazz/rtc/cm/1.0/">
  <rtc_cm:Action rdf:resource="https://rtc.gsissc.myatos.net:9443/ccm/oslc/workflows/_ezLt4PJ7EeGRg6GNKwqw9g/actions/com.ibm.team.workitem.defectWorkflow/com.ibm.team.workitem.defectWorkflow.action.resolve">
    <dc:identifier>com.ibm.team.workitem.defectWorkflow.action.resolve</dc:identifier>
    <rtc_cm:resultState rdf:resource="https://rtc.gsissc.myatos.net:9443/ccm/oslc/workflows/_ezLt4PJ7EeGRg6GNKwqw9g/states/com.ibm.team.workitem.defectWorkflow/3"/>
    <dc:title>Resolve</dc:title>
    <rtc_cm:iconUrl>https://rtc.gsissc.myatos.net:9443/ccm/service/com.ibm.team.workitem.common.internal.model.IImageContentService/processattachment/_ezLt4PJ7EeGRg6GNKwqw9g/workflow/resolve.gif</rtc_cm:iconUrl>
  </rtc_cm:Action>

From it I have to fetch rtc_cm:resultState rdf:resource.
What would be the correct XPath for it. I am using XPathExpression xPathExpressionDescription = xpath.compile("../rtc_cm:resultState/@rdf:resource"); which is giving me null pointer.
Please guide me .

A:
 ../rtc_cm:resultState/@rdf:resource

That's assuming the context node – the node to which your XPath expression is relative – is a sibling of rtc_cm:resultState.
You might be better with an absolute path, based on the document root. Something like:
/oslc_cm:Collection/rtc_cm:Action/rtc_cm:resultState/@rdf:resource

(and, of course, assuming you are passing an implementation of IXmlNamespaceResolver set up with all the applicable namespaces).

A: The absolute path would be:
/oslc_cm:Collection/rtc_cm:Action/rtc_cm:resultState/@rdf:resource

If you know there is only one instance of resultState or if you want to query for all instances:
//rtc_cm:resultState/@rdf:resource

Please make sure that your namespace manager has definitions for the namespaces you use in your XPath expression.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The deafening silence. It's a common experience. You've applied to countless jobs and yet, you still haven't heard back. It's no wonder people describe looking for a job as one of the hardest jobs a person can have.
Create an Indeed Resume so employers can contact you about new jobs.
It's vital that you continue searching and applying for jobs. Fortunately, the job market is filled with opportunities. Set weekly goals for yourself, targeting a specific number of applications to complete so that you don't get too focused on a particular position.
Goals can help you alleviate anxiety and maintain a daily routine. Look for ways to get involved in your community or industry if you're unemployed, have spare time on your hands or are feeling isolated. Socialising and getting out of the house on a daily basis will help you maintain your confidence and skills.
In Australia, there are more than 100,000 jobs added to Indeed each month. While your perfect fit might feel elusive in the moment, there are many more opportunities appearing every week.
Find ways to automate the front end of the job search process (identifying jobs that interest you) as much as possible. You can do this by setting up job alerts—email updates about new jobs that match your preferences. You can create a job alert by doing a job search. On the right side of the search results page, just enter your email and select "Activate" to have new jobs containing these search terms sent to your inbox on a regular basis.
On Indeed, you can create numerous alerts, use specific keywords from the job descriptions, job titles and company names you're targeting. We encourage you to experiment with a variety of job titles and terms until you find searches that match what you're looking for. By reducing the amount of time you spend on searching for jobs, you'll gain time to customise and improve your applications: tailoring your resume and cover letter to suit each position.
To further reduce your chances of falling into the application black hole, read every job description carefully for keywords and include these words in your resume and cover letters. Today, most employers use an applicant tracking system (ATS)—a software that allows for automated sorting of applications based on specific keywords, including skills, years of experience, training, or schools attended.
As soon as you click "Submit," your application is evaluated based on the job description keywords, then ranked alongside other candidates in the company's database. That's why it's important to consider whether you have the qualifications a job description is calling for before you apply for the position. You are unlikely to get past automated systems or human recruiters without the required qualifications.
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Remember those goals you set for yourself? The best part of goal setting is the reward. Be sure that you make time to recognise your accomplishments—applying for those jobs, attending that networking event, getting through a five-person interview—and nurture your self-confidence by acknowledging your efforts.
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The information on this site is provided as a courtesy. Indeed is not a career or legal advisor and does not guarantee job interviews or offers.


For unknown reasons, police delayed releasing the name of the person who drive his vehicle into the defenseless child. The Castner's issued a plea for anyone who may have witnessed the accident to call authorities. Allie's father, Chris, wanted to grieve; instead, he found himself "playing detective".
Lawsuit Financial wishes the family well in its pursuit of justice in this case and extends its deepest sympathies to the Castner family.
Pedestrians struck by motor vehicles are seldom left unscathed, and in many instances, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, internal injuries, and death can result. Even if the driver did not intend harm, the motorist can be held liable for speeding, failing to yield to the pedestrian or stopping at a crosswalk, text messaging or talking on the cell phone, driving under the influence, turning right on red without noticing a crossing pedestrian in the opposing crosswalk, and other negligent acts. Auto accidents often can happen to very cautious drivers who are, simply, in the wrong place at the wrong time. Motorists do not always understand or observe the rules of the road regarding pedestrian's right-of-way at stop signs and crosswalks. Unfortunately negligence often results in serious injuries or death to a pedestrian. The cause of the Castner/Larivee crash is unclear and remains under investigation.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a pedestrian accident, it is often in your best interest to contact an attorney who specializes in auto/pedestrian accident cases. If you need assistance locating an attorney, Lawsuit Financial provides a national referral service, available in all 50 states. We will find you an expert attorney within 24-48 hours; this valuable service is provided free to those seeking appropriate justice. It is important that you consult with an experienced attorney to discuss your legal rights and options regarding your case.
If you have already retained an attorney and filed your case in court, Lawsuit Financial can provide the legal financial assistance you need to get through the tough and long litigation process. You may need lawsuit funding to pay your rent, mortgage or car payments. If you qualify for a lawsuit cash advance you can receive the money you need in as little as 24 hours after you apply. Whether you have lost a loved one or been injured in an accident and need legal funding now, or need litigation funding for any other type of personal injury case call us, toll free, at 1-877-377-SUIT, or, visit www.lawsuitfinancial.com.


text:
O Clube Laguna SAF é um clube brasileiro de futebol da cidade de Tibau do Sul, no litoral sul do estado do Rio Grande do Norte. É a primeira SAF do estado e uns dos primeiros clubes do Brasil já fundados neste modelo.

As cores do clube são rosa e azul-marinho. Manda suas partidas na Arena América, em Parnamirim, com capacidade para cinco mil pessoas.

Foi fundado pelo ex-jogador e treinador Gustavo Nabinger, juntamente com Rafael Eschiavi e Deia Nabinger,  é o primeiro clube de futebol vegano das Américas e o segundo do mundo, apenas atrás do Forest Green Rovers da Inglaterra.

A intenção do clube é resgatar uma cultura de futebol alegre, que projetou o Brasil para o mundo com o tricampeonato mundial e a histórica seleção de 82, baseada na antropologia nacional, e na prolífica fábrica de talentos do país, que revelou Pelé, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Garrincha, Zico, Didi, Leônidas, Gérson, Neymar, Rivellino, Tostão, Nilton Santos, Roberto Carlos, Falcão, Junior, Careca, Romário, Bebeto, Rivaldo, Mauro Silva, Kaká e centenas de outros.

O objetivo do Clube Laguna é se apresentar como uma plataforma de desenvolvimento que une profissionais com valores e habilidades para formação de pessoas, estabelecer um sistema que conecte todos os envolvidos, atletas, funcionários, patrocinadores, fornecedores, sociedade, imprensa e governo, em suas necessidades e soluções, criar uma cultura local e corporativa preocupada com as pessoas; educar crianças e jovens em processo de formação cidadã e profissional, oferecer plano de carreira e novas perspectivas de vida aos jogadores e buscar protagonistas para preencher cada elo de um sistema sustentável.

O projeto tem foco em cinco dos 17 ODS (Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável) da ONU e segue as diretrizes para ser uma empresa ESG. Atualmente é membro do Pacto Global das Nações Unidas.

Primeiro-ano
O clube começou a operar em agosto de 2022 e no dia 28 de setembro de 2022, realizou a sua primeira partida oficial, empatando com o Mossoró EC, em 1-1, pelo Campeonato Potiguar da Segunda Divisão. O gol do Laguna foi marcado pelo centroavante Nando, de pênalti.

A equipe acabou como vice-campeã, empatado em número de pontos com o Alecrim, perdendo apenas pelo saldo de gols. Com isso, não conseguiu o acesso para a primeira divisão estadual.

O Laguna teve o segundo melhor ataque da competição, com 29 gols marcados, e a terceira melhor defesa, com 11 gols sofridos. Também fez a maior goleada da competição, 9-0 contra a equipe do Parnamirim SC. O artilheiro do time e vice-artilheiro da competição, com 9 gols em 12 jogos, foi o centroavante Igor Potiguar.

O meio-campista Romarinho tornou-se ídolo da torcida, com boas atuações, dribles desconcertantes e um golaço memorável contra o Atlético Potengi, no estádio Nazarenão. Outros destaques do elenco foi o zagueiro Márcio Junior e o capitão, Jean Mangabeira.

Elenco 2022

Campanhas de destaque

  Campeonato Potiguar - 2ª Divisão: Vice-campeão: 2022

Clubes de futebol do Rio Grande do Norte
Clubes de futebol fundados em 2022
Tibau do Sul
Fundações no Rio Grande do Norte em 2022

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
George Eliot Portrait Gallery
George Eliot Archive
Curated in partnership with the George Eliot Archive, the "George Eliot Portrait Gallery" features portraits of the writer Mary Ann Evans, known to the world as George Eliot. This collection is remarkable in the number and scope of rare portraits that it presents. And as the editorial introduction discusses, the collection remains in an exciting state of flux, as a newly discovered painting of Eliot was authenticated as recently as 2017, and we anticipate a previously unpublished sketch of her being made public soon. It is our hope that making these scholarly resources available will promote well-informed, scholarly engagement with the visual texts that can reflect and even influence how the writing—and the writer—are read.
George Eliot, Silhouette by Unknown Artist (1838-1848)
This silhouette was created sometime between 1838 and 1848, when George Eliot would have been between 16 and 26 years old. An 1881 article in The Century suggests that she was 16 years old when the silhouette was cut, which would validate the 1838 date (Holland 1881, 48).
George Eliot, Sketch and Watercolor by Caroline Bray (ca. 1842)
Caroline Hennell Bray (1814-1905) created these four portraits, most of which are sketches and one of which is a watercolor. Cara Bray was one of Eliot's closest friends. Eliot writes that Cara's "benevolence" to her "extends to the hiding of faults in my visage as well as my character" (GEL 1954, 1: 147).
George Eliot, Chalk Pastel attributed to George Barker Jr. (ca. 1845)
In 2016, this chalk pastel was discovered by London picture dealer Andrew Sim. Sim recognized the image as a George Eliot portrait and has convincingly attributed it to George Barker Jr. (1818-1883). Barker was likely the unnamed "young artist" and "picture restorer" who proposed to Eliot in 1845 (Simon 2009; GEL 1954, 1: 183-84).
George Eliot, Sketch and Phrenological Portrait by Sara Hennell (ca. 1847)
Sara Hennell (1812-1899), like her sister Caroline Hennell Bray, was not a professional artist, but rather an English writer and close friend of George Eliot. Both Sara and Caroline sketched portraits of Eliot (Laski 1973, 31).
George Eliot, Sketch and Oil Paintings by François D'Albert Durade (1850, ca. 1881)
Swiss painter François D'Albert Durade (1804-1886) composed the sketch, displayed first in this gallery exhibit, as a study for an 1850 oil painting. George Eliot resided in the home of François and Julie D'Albert Durade during her first trip to Switzerland, and she became close with the artist at that time (Holland 1881, 48). The oil painting that followed is frequently misdated as 1849, but Eliot mentions sitting for it in a letter dated 15 February 1850 (GEL 1954, 1: 257, 330). Following Eliot's death in 1880, Durade made a replica of this painting circa 1881. The replica is...
George Eliot, Engraving by George J. Stodart, from François D'Albert Durade's 1881 Painting (1885)
George J. Stodart (1784-1884) based this steel engraving on the 1881 painting by François D'Albert Durade (Holland 1881, 47). The portrait was one of the few that George Walter Cross officially approved for reproduction after George Eliot's death, and Cross featured it in his publication of George Eliot's Life, as Related in her Letters and Journals (Cross 1885, 2: frontispiece). Stodart also engraved portraits of other prominent authors, including an 1853 representation of Mary and Percy Bysshe Shelley, which he based on a monument by Henry Weeks ("George J. Stodart" 2020).
George Eliot, Engraving by Henry Davidson (1899)
American artist Henry Davidson (1858-1924), likely working from a reproduction of François D'Albert Durade's 1881 painting, produced this half-tone plate engraving on wood for The Century Magazine (Fields 1899, 58: 455). At one point, he worked for Harper's New Monthly Magazine under the supervision of Thomas Johnson, whose 1881 engraving of George Eliot is also included in this gallery (Whittle 1919, 31-32; Harper's 1881, 62: 913). In addition to Eliot, other noteworthy subjects of Davidson's engravings include Princess Anne of Denmark (Whittle 1919, 32),...
George Eliot, Photograph by Sophus Williams (1854-1855)
Danish photographer Sophus Williams (1835-1900) took this photograph of George Eliot in Germany, sometime between 1854 and 1855. Eliot and George Henry Lewes (1817-1878) were travelling in Germany, ostensibly to conduct research for Lewes's biography of Goethe. After returning to England, the couple lived together in what both called a marriage (GEL 1885, 2: 110).
George Eliot, Albumen Print (1858, 1881)
The 1881 albumen print was taken from the 1858 photograph by John Mayall (1810-1901) of the London Stereoscopic Company (Eliot 1906, frontispiece). Both George Eliot and George Henry Lewes were photographed by Mayall in 1858, but they do not seem to have been photographed together at that time (Laski 1973, 76).
George Eliot, Portrait Study and Chalk Drawings by Samuel Laurence (1860)
British portrait painter Samuel Laurence (1812-1884) created the portrait study, displayed first, and the two chalk drawings, displayed second and third (Laski 1973, 88).
George Eliot, Sketches and Chalk Drawing by Sir Frederic William Burton (1864-1865)
Irish painter Sir Frederic William Burton (1816-1900) sketched these portraits between 29 June and 22 July 1864, and he completed the chalk drawing in 1865. George Eliot sat for Burton in Kensington. The portrait was authorized to be exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts and to be etched for reproduction by Paul Rajon (Holland 1881, 48).
George Eliot, Etching by Paul Adolphe Rajon (1884)
After George Eliot's death, French artist Paul Adolphe Rajon (1843-1888) etched this portrait of her for reproduction, basing it on the 1865 chalk drawing by Sir Frederic William Burton. This was one of the few images of Eliot that George Walter Cross approved for public dissemination, and it was featured in the first volume of Cross's publication George Eliot's Life, as Related in her Letters and Journals (Cross 1885, 1: frontispiece). Rajon's oeuvre also includes etchings of portraits of John Stuart Mill, Charles Darwin, ("Paul Adolphe Rajon" 2020), and Alfred, Lord Tennyson ("...
George Eliot, Ink Drawing by Lowes Cato Dickinson (1872)
British painter Lowes Cato Dickinson (1819-1908) created this ink drawing at a concert, likely without the sitter's knowledge. According to Marghanita Laski, Dickinson is one of the people likely to have travelled to the weekly popular concerts that George Eliot was known to attend "to see her ... or sometimes to snatch a sketch" (Laski 1973, 107).
George Eliot, Pencil Sketches by Laura Theresa Alma-Tadema (1877)
English painter Laura Theresa Alma-Tadema (1852-1909) sketched these two portraits of George Eliot, likely without the sitter's knowledge (Laski 1973, 96).
George Eliot, Sketch by Princess Louise (1877)
Princess Louise (1848-1939), Duchess of Argyll, sketched this portrait of George Eliot on a programme while attending a concert (Laski 1973, 107).
George Eliot, Drawing by Stephen Alonzo Schoff (ca. 1872)
American artist Stephen Alonzo Schoff (1818-1904) based this drawing on a photograph of George Eliot.
George Eliot, Etching by John Sloan (1880)
John Sloan (1871-1951), an American artist, etched this portrait of George Eliot. According to Peter Morse, it was likely free-handed from a small wood-cutting in an 1888 edition of Scenes from Adam Bede (Morse 1969, 23-25). Sloan was better known for his etched illustrations of scenes and his landscape paintings ("John Sloan" 2020), making this portrait a rare find.
George Eliot, Engraving by Thomas Johnson (1881)
American artist Thomas Johnson (1843-1904) engraved this portrait for Harper's New Monthly Magazine ("George Eliot" 1881, 62: 913). At one point, Johnson supervised the work of Henry Davidson, whose work is also included in this portrait gallery (Whittle 1919, 32). Johnson also engraved portraits of President Abraham Lincoln and Walt Whitman, in addition to Eliot ("Walt Whitman 2020," "Abraham Lincoln" 2020).
George Eliot, Graphite Portrait by George Richmond, from Memory (1881)
After George Eliot's death, George Richmond (1809-1896) composed this graphite portrait of her from memory. Richmond was an English painter and portraitist ("George Richmond" 2020).
George Eliot, Sketch by George du Maurier (ca. 1800's)
George du Maurier (1834-1896), a Franco-British writer and cartoonist celebrated for his work in Punch and his Gothic novel Trilby, sketched this portrait, either during a visit to the Priory or from memory later (Laski 1973, 98).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
David John Ian Dunn (født 27. december 1979 i Great Harwood, England) er en engelsk tidligere fodboldspiller, der spillede som midtbanespiller. Han spillede størstedelen af sin karriere hos Blackburn, men var også tilknyttet Birmingham og Oldham.

Klubkarriere
Dunn startede sin seniorkarriere i 1997 hos Blackburn Rovers, som han i første omgang spillede for frem til 2003, og blandt andet var med til at føre frem til triumf i Liga Cuppen i 2002. Hans debutopgør var en kamp mod Everton den 26. september 1998.

I sommeren 2003 blev Dunn solgt for 5,5 millioner britiske pund til Birmingham City, som han debuterede for den 16. august 2003 i en kamp mod Tottenham. Han blev dog ramt af flere langvarige skader, og spillede stort set ikke fodbold i hele 2005.

I januar 2007 blev Dunn solgt tilbage til Blackburn, og gjorde sit comeback for holdet den 3. februar samme år i en kamp mod Sheffield United.

Landshold
Dunn nåede at spille en enkelt kamp for det engelske landshold, som han repræsenterede i september 2002 i en kamp mod Portugal.

Titler
Liga Cup
 2002 med Blackburn Rovers

Eksterne henvisninger

Fodboldspillere fra England
Fodboldspillere fra Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Fodboldspillere fra Birmingham City F.C.


Recipes for Pineapple slaw dressing that you will be love it. Choose from hundreds of Pineapple slaw dressing recipes, which are easy to cook the food. Prepare the ingredients and start to cook Pineapple slaw dressing. We wish you a good taste!
Creamy Pineapple Coleslaw Recipe photo by Taste of Home ... Originally published as Creamy Pineapple Coleslaw in Reminisce Extra January 2007, p 52.
Coleslaw fit into my theme meal when I added pineapple tidbits to the mixture. Teamed ... Pineapple Mallow Slaw Recipe photo by Taste of Home ... "used a bottle dressing. nice change from regular cole slaw. kids loved the marshmallow." .
Check fresh new pineapple slaw dressing recipes at Crecipe.com!


Abnormal menstruation is probably the most common reason women consult a gynaecologist.
Menstrual problems are varied and impact on women differently, depending on their age, culture, family circumstances, personality and work pattern.
Many women will delay consulting a gynaecologist until the problem worsens, feeling that they should be able to manage. However, menstrual problems can become severely debilitating if left unchecked, and may indicate other health issues such as endometriosis, which can affect fertility. An irregular period cycle may not in itself be a problem, but could be an indicator of further menstrual cycle problems. Early detection can be the key to effective treatment and we recommend consulting a gynaecologist if you have any concerns.
We provide a comprehensive range of investigations and menstrual problems solutions, mostly as outpatient procedures for your convenience and flexibility.
If you are concerned about an irregular period cycle, heavy flow, pain, or any other menstrual cycle problems please get in touch.


Despite its prime gateway location to Whangarei Heads' sweeping beaches and world-class diving around the Poor Knights Islands, Northland's capital, WHANGAREI (pronounced Fahn-ga-ray), has never had the wherewithal to slow down tourists on their mad dash to the Bay of Islands. But things are changing. The newly developed Town Basin, a shopping and restaurant complex, provides a focal point for visitors and overlooks sleek yachts dotted along the river. Now home to an art museum in the new i-SITE visitor centre, which itself is a welcome extension of the i-SITE on the way into town, the complex is to be enhanced further, over the next two years, by the addition of a Hundertwasser Arts Centre, based on designs Hundertwasser offered the local council before his untimely demise. Married with the area's rewarding arts trail, the scenic track to Whangarei Falls and a handful of new tours and activities, Whangarei should finally be able to persuade tourists to stick around, for a day or so at least.
Whangarei's most appealing features currently are its state-of-the-art Kiwi House, the peaceful parks, and the easy walks within a few minutes of the town, the best of which are outlined in the free Whangarei Walks leaflet.


text:
Neurocrine Biosciences Gets Promising Drugs in Licensing Deal
San Diego-based company plans to develop medications for neurological disorders
Barry Cohen
Potential schizophrenia treatment shooting for mid-stage testing next year
Several of the company's pipeline drugs slated to begin advanced trials
In the meantime, neurological treatment Ingrezza will continue to drive sales
Following disappointing third-quarter earnings, Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. (
NBIX, Financial) shareholders were looking for a shred of good news that could boost the price of the San-Diego-based biopharma, which is trading near its 52-week low.
They got their wish, sort of. The company announced Monday that it has in-licensed a group of experimental medicines it plans to develop to treat schizophrenia, dementia and other neuropsychiatric disorders, reported BioPharma Dive. The medications were shipped over from Neurocrine's partner Sosei Heptares, a company formed through Sosei Group Corporation's (
SOLTF, Financial) $400 million acquisition of Heptares Therapeutics in 2015.
The announcement barely moved the needle on Neucrine's stock for a couple of reasons. First, the drugs obtained in the deal aren't even in human testing yet. The treatment furthest along, a potential drug for schizophrenia, is forecast to begin a mid-stage clinical trial in 2022. The companies will jointly research and develop Sosei's drugs through phase 1 testing, with Neurocrine underwriting the work.
The other big issue is the failure of any pharmaceutical company, including some of the world's biggest, to develop drugs for the brain in the past 10 years. Even such well-known names as AstraZeneca (
AZN, Financial), Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (
BMY, Financial), GlaxoSmithKline plc (
GSK, Financial), Pfizer Inc. (
PFE, Financial) and Amgen Inc. (
AMGN, Financial) stopped devoting substantial resources to neuroscience, while Eli Lilly and Co. (
LLY, Financial), Sanofi (
SNY, Financial) and Merck & Co. Inc. (
MRK, Financial) have dialed back their investments. It's simply too difficult and costly to conduct research in this field.
But neuroscience may be on the verge of a renaissance, driven by new treatments for epilepsy, mood disorders and genetic diseases of the central nervous system. Among the believers is Steven Paul, former Eli Lilly executive and current CEO of Karuna Therapeutics, Inc. (KRTX). BioPharma Dive reported that Paul predicted pharma is on the cusp of another golden era of neuroscience products, with breakthroughs coming in a soon as five years and as long as 10.
Even more bullish is Jeremy Levin, head of neurology-focused Ovid Therapeutics Inc. (OVID), who thinks "radical" new therapies may appear in the next three years.
With the Sosei drugs, Neurocrine is taking the same approach as treatments being developed by Karuna and the Pfizer spinoff Cerevel Therapeutics Holdings, Inc. (CERE). Sosei claims its targeted drugs will offer benefits without harmful side effects seen with other medications.
Besides the Sosei drugs, Neurocrine said it will meet its goal of starting several phase 2 and phase 3 trials for the company's own pipeline medications. While waiting for results from these tests, the company will continue to rely heavily on its biggest-selling drug, Ingrezza, for treating tardive dyskinesia, a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary movements. Tardive dyskinesia affects an estimated 500,000 persons in the United States, with about 60% to 70% of cases being mild and about 3% being extremely severe, according to Psychiatric Times.
As expected, Ingrezza will continue to garner most of the company's investment dollars; Neurocrine will spend $100 million to expand its salesforce and continue its direct-to-consumer campaign next year, chief financial officer Matthew C. Abernethy told analysts during the third-quarter earnings call.
During the quarter, Neurocrine barely topped Zacks's estimate with sales of $296 million, a gain of some 15% from the same period a year earlier. The earnings picture was another story, as the company posted a figure of $0.23 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.51 per share. This compares to a loss of $0.62 per share a year ago.
Of 13 analysts polled by Yahoo Finance, all rate Neurocrine shares a buy or strong buy, assigning it an average target price of $119, a high of $150 and a low of $76. The stock closed at $87.08 Tuesday.
I am/we are Long LLY, AZN, AMGN
The views of this author are solely their own opinion and are not endorsed or guaranteed by GuruFocus.com


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Ballistic Overkill Gameplay Teaser
Todd Black Ballistic Overkill, f2p, P2P, pc, pvp, steam, Steam Early Access 0
Through Steam, many games get their time in the spotlight, in the case of Ballistic Overkill though, it's a curious thing. The game started out as a free-to-play title on Steam via Early Access, and through its time, got a 5 million player userbase. But now, as it approaches its full-on launch, its going Pay-To-Play. But, because of the time it took to get its fanbase, it likely won't hurt it at all.


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Browsing articles in "Leaching Losses"
Leaching Losses: Conclusion
[addw2p name="leachingLosses"]
The downward movement of N fertilizer was mainly in the form of NH4-N with very little NO3-N because the source of fertilizer was NH4Cl. This study also indicated that the rate of nitrification was probably slow during the monsoon period. The concentration of N and K in the soil solution decreased with soil depth being highest at 30 cm from the soil surface followed by 60 and 120 cm. The N leaching losses of the applied N fertilizer during the monsoon period in Sabah, North Borneo were 1.0 and 1.6% for treatments, N1P2K0 and N1P2K1, respectively. Higher K leaching losses were obtained at 5.3 and 2.4% for N0P2K1 and N1P2K1, respectively. The groundwater quality under mature oil palms did not exceed the contamination level set by WHO when N and K fertilizers were applied at their optimum rates for oil palm. However, there was a possibility of pollution of groundwater quality when excessive N fertilizer was applied which was mainly in the form of NH4 + ion. The concentration of NO3 – ion in the groundwater was below 0.5 mg L-1 even when excessive N fertilizer was applied due to low nitrification rate.
Leaching Losses: Discussion
Downward movement of N and K: The concentrations of inorganic N in the soil solutions throughout the vertical soil profile were mainly dominated by NH4+ ion rather than NO3– because the source of N fertilizer was ammonium chloride. Significant increased in NO3-N in the soil solution was only observed 75 days after fertilizer application. This implied that nitrification was relatively slow in the soil during the monsoon period. This might be attributed to the high NH4+ concentration which inhibits the activity of nitrifiers in the soils and the low soil organic matter which reduces the population of nitrifiers[40].
The concentrations of N and K in the soil solution decreased with soil depth being highest at 30 cm from the soil surface followed by 60 and 120 cm. Similar findings were reported by Schroth et al.[32]. This nutrient profile might be partially explained by dilution effect as the solubilized N and K fertilizers seeped downward with the surplus soil moisture from the high rainfall during the monsoon period. Besides this, nutrient uptake by palm roots will remove some of these ions resulting in lower nutrient concentrations in the soil solution with deeper soil depth. Furthermore,
Kee et al.[36] reported that roots reduced the movement of exchangeable K down the soil profile. This implied that soil solution K+ as well as NH4+ also reduced as ions moved downward. At all three depths, higher concentration of inorganic N was obtained at N1P2K1 compared with N1P2K0. This could be to K enhancing the downward movement of NH4+ in the soil solution[37].
We also found higher K concentration in the soil solution when N was applied (N1P2K1 versus N0P2K1). This could be due to the displacement of K+ from the soil colloidal surfaces to soil solution by NH4+ from the nitrogen fertilizer. Moreover, vegetative uptake of NH4+ will increase the production of H+ in the soil[38] which then displaced K+[15] into the soil solution.
Forty five days after fertilizer application, the NH4+ concentration in the top 30 cm was significantly lower by about 33% (Fig. 4). Although part of the NH4+ disappearance can be accounted for by palm uptake, probably a larger amount had moved beyond its depth as indicated by the increased NH4 + concentrations in the lower soil depths. By 105 days, almost all the applied NH4+ had disappeared from the top 30 cm of the soil profile. The rate of decline in NH4+ concentration in the soil solution was about 1.3 mg L-1. Thus, the interval of applying N fertilizer during the monsoon period should be between 90 and 105 days to avoid excess NH4+ in the soil solution. The disappearance of total inorganic N in the top 30 cm was even more rapid when both N and K fertilizers were applied (Fig. 9). The rate of decline in K+ concentration was about 1.4 mg L-1 and virtually all the applied K disappeared at about the same time as NH4+ ion since both nutrients are likely to move down the profile together[36].
N and K leaching losses: The amount of N and K in the leachate obtained at 120 cm depth are considered as leaching losses since most oil palm roots are found within the top 60 cm of the soils[7,39]. The quantity of N and K leaching losses in this study were a function of the volume of water in the soil, fertilizer treatment and rate of nutrient uptake by the palm roots. The overall leaching losses of inorganic N were 1.0 and 1.6% of the applied fertilizer for N1P2K0 and N1P2K1, respectively. This conforms with the findings of Chang and Zakaria[9] and Foong[10]. These authors ascribed the low N leaching losses under mature oil palms to the high uptake of both soil moisture and N to sustain productivity. The N leaching loss was higher in the presence of K fertilizer due to the displacement of NH4+ ion by K+ ion as discussed earlier.
The K leaching losses were higher than N at 5.3 and 2.4% for N0P2K1 and N1P2K1, respectively. These results were agreeable with those of Foong[10] where K leaching rate was higher than N in the higher weathered tropical soils. Unlike N, the K leaching losses were lower in the presence of N fertilizer. This might be indirectly related to better K uptake by the palms in well balanced fertilizer treatment resulting in better productivity (Table 1) and thus, higher K off-take via the fresh fruit bunches which contain large amount of K[7]. The consequent is lower K+ concentration in the soil solution.
Groundwater quality: The groundwater quality was only affected by the NH4+ where its concentration went beyond the WHO[30] limit of 0.5 mg L-1 when N fertilizer was applied at twice the optimum rate for oil palms. This was mainly contributed by the large amount of unabsorbed N from the soluble N fertilizer which was still present in the soils during the monsoon period. The concentration of NO3–N in the groundwater was very low at 0.5 mg L-1 even at the highest N fertilizer rate tested which agreed with our contention that nitrification rate was low in this soil. The NO3–N concentration was far below the maximum limit set by WHO[30], which was 10 mg L-1. Most of the N from the fertilizer that reached the groundwater in the monitoring well was mainly dominated by NH4 + rather than NO3+ which corresponded well with the composition of inorganic N in the soil solution as discussed earlier.
The applications of K fertilizer increased the K mean concentrations of groundwater to between 4.28 and 9.54 mg L-1 which were below the WHO[30] limit of 12 mg L-1. The higher K concentration in the groundwater in the absence of N (N0P2K1) compared with N1P2K1 might be partially explained by its higher leaching losses due to poorer K uptake by the palm. Nevertheless, in certain days during the monsoon period, the K concentration in the well exceeded 12 mgL-1 but it was only for a short period and only occurred when excessive N (N2) was applied. Furthermore, the K rate in this study was above the optimum rate for oil palm to ensure its sufficiency for full expression of yield responses to N and P.
Leaching Losses: Result
Ammonium nitrogen: The mean NH4-N concentration of N1P2K1 at 33.69 mg L-1 was significantly higher than N1P2K0 at 8.15 mg L-1 (Fig. 1). Both treatments had higher NH4-N concentrations than treatments without N (N0P0K0 and N0P2K1). In the presence of K, NH4-N concentrations increased 4.1 fold when N fertilizer was applied and 3.5 times in the absence of N application.
Most of the NH4-N was found in the top 60 cm of the soil profile where majority of the palm roots may be located[7]. However, the mean NH4-N concentrations decreased significantly with soil depth (Fig. 2). It was 17.89 mg L-1 at 30 cm depth declining to 12.19 and 6.52 mg L-1 at soil depths of 60 and 120 cm, respectively. The decline in NH4-N concentration was more rapid between 30 and 60 cm compared with the lower soil depths.
The changes in NH4-N concentrations among fertilizer treatments and between soil depths varied significantly across time (Fig. 3 and 4). At day 15, which was the first sampling date after treatments, the NH4-N concentrations in the soil solution of N0P0K0 and N0P2K1 were 1.99 and 5.48 mg L-1, respectively (Fig. 3). This indicated that even without N fertilizer, there were NH4-N ions present in the soil solution probably from the native soil N and decaying palm biomass. These values provided the baseline NH4-N concentrations in the soils in the experimental site implying poor N fertility. With N treatments, N1P2K0 and N1P2K1, the NH4-N concentrations at the 15th day were 20.82 and 121.35 mg L1-, respectively. The NH4- N concentrations of N1P2K1 treatment decreased sharply between day 15 and day 30 and then more gradually until it reached 1.86 mg L-1 at day 150. However, the NH4-N concentrations were statistically similar to the baseline values from day 75 after treatment. The NH4-N concentrations of N1P2K0 also declined rapidly and reached the baseline value 30 days after treatment. It continued to decrease to 1.60 mg L-1 at day 150.
Fig. 1: Concentration of NH4-N in soil solution for each fertilizer treatment
Fig. 2: Concentration of NH4-N in soil solution across soil vertical profile
Fig. 3: Fertilizer × time effect on concentration of NH4- N in soil solution (a) for comparing two times at difference level of treatments (b) for comparing two times at the same level of treatments
Fifteen days after treatments, the NH4-N concentrations in the soil solution were similar at soil depths of 30 and 60 cm (Fig. 4). They were 40.45 and 50.55 mg L-1, respectively and both concentrations were higher than at 120 cm depth of 21.23 mg L-1.
Fig. 4: Depth × time effect on concentration of NH4-N in soil solution (c) for comparing two times at difference level of depths (d) for comparing two times at the same level of depths
The NH4-N concentrations in all soil depths decreased rapidly and reached similar values after 90 days from treatments. The NH4-N concentration at day 150 at 30 cm depth was 1.1 mg L-1, 60 cm depth 0.73 mg L-1 and 120 cm depth 1.32 mg L-1 (Fig. 4).
Nitrate nitrogen: The average NO3-N concentration at 15 days after treatment was low at 0.214 mg L-1 (Fig. 5). It gradually rose to 0.485 mg L-1at day 60. A period of relatively dry weather between day 45 and 60 seemed to enhance nitrification resulting in the NO,3- N concentration increasing significantly to 1.37 mg L-1 at day 75. However, it declined continuously to 0.141 mg L-1 at day 150 indicating that the transformation of NH4-N to NO3-N was not a major process during the monsoon period. The mean NO3-N concentrations between 30 and 60 cm soil depth were 0.599 and 0.732 mg L-1, which were significantly higher than at 120 cm soil depth of 0.266 mg L-1 (Fig. 6). The proportion of NO3-N to total inorganic N was in the range of 0.03-0.06 only indicating relatively low nitrification rate.
Total inorganic nitrogen: The total inorganic N was mainly composed of NH4-N and thus the effects of fertilizer treatments on its concentrations were similar to NH4-N concentrations as discussed earlier. Briefly, the total inorganic N concentration of N1P2K1 at 35.03 mg L-1was significantly higher than the other three fertilizer treatments (Fig. 7). Although the total inorganic N concentrations in the first three treatments were statistically insignificant, there was a clear trend showing higher N concentrations in the presence of K (6.09 mg L-1) and N (8.45 mg L-1) compared with control (1.69 mg L-1) as shown in Fig. 7.
Fig. 5: Concentration of NO3-N in soil solution over time
Fig. 6: Concentration of NO3-N in soil solution across soil vertical profile
The mean total inorganic N concentration at 30 cm soil depth was 18.71 mg L-1 decreasing to 12.94 mg L-1 at 60 cm depth and 6.79 mg L-1 at 120 cm. Thus, 150 days after fertilizer treatments, a large proportion of inorganic N was still found in the top 60 cm soil depth where most palm roots were present despite the high rainfall during the monsoonal period.
The three factor interaction, fertilizer x depth x time, was significant for total inorganic N concentration. This significant interaction was mainly due to the sharp increase in inorganic N concentration upon the applications of N and K fertilizers, N1P2K1, compared with those without N input. For example, the inorganic N concentrations of N0P0K0 were very low and fluctuated between 0.37-12.11 mg L-1 at 30 cm soil depth over the 150 days of measurements after treatment (Fig. 9). They were even lower with inorganic N concentrations ranging from 0.39-1.75 and 0.32-1.10 mg L-1 at 60 and 120 cm depth, respectively. In contrast, the inorganic N concentration of N1P2K1 at 30 cm depth was about 10 fold higher at 127 mg L-1 just 15 days after application.
Fig. 7: Concentration of total inorganic N in soil solution for each fertilizer treatment
Fig. 8: Concentration of total inorganic N in soil solution across soil vertical profile
In fact, the inorganic N seemed to have move downwards to at least 60 cm depth where its N concentration was even higher at 179 mg L-1. However, at all soil depths, the inorganic N concentrations of N1P2K1 decreased rapidly where by 105 days after treatments, they were similar to the other treatments except at 120 cm depth. The inorganic N concentrations appeared to hover around 13.5 mg L-1 between 90 and 135 days after treatment (Fig. 9) before declining to 4.3 mg L-1 at day 150.
Potassium: Similar to N, the K concentrations in the soil solution decreased with soil depth where the concentrations were 105, 75 and 48 mg L-1at 30, 60 and 120 cm soil depth respectively (Fig. 10). However, unlike N, the decline in K concentration was much smaller and between 30 and 120 cm, it was only about 2 fold.
Fig. 9: Effect of fertilizer x time x depth on concentration of total inorganic N in soil solution (a) 30 cm depth (b) 60 cm depth (c) 120 cm depth
In the absence of K application such as treatments, N0P0K0 and N1P2K0, the K concentrations were very low ranging from 1.3-10.7 mg L-1 (Fig. 11). Upon K application, the K concentrations were increased to 237 mg L-1 after just 15 days in N0P2K1 and 295 mg L-1 in N1P2K1. The K concentrations for both treatments then decreased rapidly in the next 15 days before a more gradual decline was observed. At day 150, the K concentration of N0P2K1 was 67 mg L-1 and that of N1P2K1 was 126 mg L-1. The difference in K concentration at day 150 was about 59 mg L-1which was similar to the differential at day 15 suggesting that the trend lines over time were parallel for both treatments. It also implied that this differential K concentration was due to the displacement of exchangeable K to the soil solution by NH4+ and the"disappearance" of K from the soil solution across time was not affected by N application.
Fig. 10: Concentration of K in soil solution across soil vertical profile
Fig. 11: Fertilizer x time effect on concentration of K in soil solution (k) for comparing two times at different level of treatments (l) for comparing two times at the same level of treatments
Leaching losses at 120 cm soil depth: The amount of leaching losses measured at 120 cm soil depth over 150 days was based on the volume of soil solution and nutrient concentrations for two replicates only to avoid missing values (Table 1). The leaching losses of inorganic N ranged from 0.043-0.589 g m-2. For treatment, N1P2K1, it translated into a leaching loss of N of only 1.6% of the applied N fertilizer. This was agreeable with the results of Foong[10] for mature palms. Most of the N loss was in the form of NH4-N since nitrification rate seemed low in the soils. Without the application of K fertilizer, the leaching losses of K were only 0.09 g m-2 (Table 1). Applications of K fertilizer increased the leaching
losses of K over 150 days to 6.35 and 2.92 g m-2 for N0P2K1 and N1P2K1, respectively (Table 1). These were equivalent to 5.3 and 2.4% of the applied K fertilizer for the above treatments, respectively. The higher K losses from the applied fertilizer in the absence of N (N0P2K1) might be attributed to the poorer yield compared with N1P2K1 and thus, lower K uptake from the soils by the palms (Table 1).
Table 1:Cumulative leaching losses of N and K fertilizers under mature oil palms as influenced by fertilizer treatments
Groundwater quality: The NH4-N concentrations in the groundwater of the monitoring wells were similar for N treatments at N0 or N1 rate regardless of K application rate (Fig. 12). They were mainly below the WHO's maximum admissible limit of drinking water of 0.5 mg L-1. However, when excessive N rate, which was about twice the optimal N rate for oil palm, was applied, the NH4-N concentration in the groundwater was increased to 2.7 mg L-1. This indicated that contamination of the groundwater of monitoring well might occur if large amount of unabsorbed N from soluble N fertilizer was present in the soils during the monsoon period.
The NO3-N concentrations in the groundwater were also raised by the applications of N fertilizer ranging from 0.07-0.25 mg L-1 (Fig. 12). However, they were all below the WHO's maximum admissible limit of drinking water of 10 mg L-1.
Without K application, the K concentrations in the groundwater were very low at less than 1 mg L-1 (Fig. 12). The applications of K fertilizer increased the K concentrations of groundwater to between 4.28 and 9.54 mg L-1. The higher concentration of K in the groundwater in the absence of N (N0P2K1) compared with N1P2K1 might be contributed by the higher leaching losses due to poorer K uptake by the palm as reflected the poorer yield (Table 1). However, only when excessive rate of N was applied (N2P2K1), the concentration of K in the groundwater was increased
which was higher than at N0P2K1 and N1P2K1.
Fig. 12: Effect of fertilizer treatments on groundwater quality
Fig. 13: Rainfall pattern and N and K concentrations in groundwater during the monsoon period (Oct 08-Feb 09) in Sabah at 15 days interval for a period of 150 days
Rainfall pattern and nutrient concentrations in groundwater in monitoring well: The NH4-N concentrations were relatively similar between the fertilizer treatments in the first 30 days after application (Fig. 13). However, the continuous heavy rains over the next 15 days resulted in a sharp rise in NH4-N concentration in the groundwater of N2P2K1. It then showed a declining trend in NH4-N concentration although high rainfall tended to increased it temporary. The NH4-N concentration in the groundwater of N1P2K1 started to decrease 45 days after fertilizer application whereas in N0P2K1 treatment, it declined to its baseline value after only 30 days. The NH4-N concentrations of both treatments were similar from day 75 onwards.
The NO3-N concentrations in the groundwater of all fertilizer treatments were low but despite this, the fluctuations in NO3-N concentration seemed to correspond with the rainfall pattern particularly for N2P2K1 (Fig. 13). The temporal variation in total inorganic N concentrations was similar to NH4-N concentrations since the latter ion dominated the fraction of inorganic N (Fig. 13).
The K concentrations in the groundwater of the fertilizer treatments, N2P2K1, N1P2K1 and N0P2K1, were similar 15 days after applications. However, the heavy rains between day 15 and 45 which caused an increase in NH4-N concentration as discussed above probably also displaced soil K with consequent higher K concentrations in the groundwater of treatments, N2P2K1 and N1P2K1. In treatment N2P2K1, the K concentration declined during the period of 45-60 day when rainfall was low before increasing again probably due to the excess applied K reaching the groundwater. However, the same effect was not seen in treatment, N1P2K1, because there was no excess K+ reaching the groundwater. Without N, the K concentration in the groundwater declined continuously until 90 day before it increased again. This implied that it took about 90
days before the applied K which was not absorbed by the palms reached the groundwater during the monsoon period.
Leaching Losses: Materials and Methods
The experiment was located within an existing long term N, P and K fertilizer response trial on oil palm in Tawau, Sabah, Malaysia. Tenera (Dura × Pisifera) oil palms were planted in the field in 1982 in a triangular pattern with a planting distance of 9.2×9.2×9.2 m. The site was undulating to rolling with slope of 0-6°. The soil type was mapped as Kumansi soil series (Typic Hapludults) or Haplic Acrisols under the FAO classification. The experimental design of the fertilizer response trial comprised a 3x3x2 factorial combination of N, P and K arranged in a Randomized Complete
Block Design (RCBD) with 3 replicates. The plot size was 30 palms. To achieve the objectives of this study, 4 treatments from each replicate were selected as follows: N0P0K0, N0P2K1, N1P2K1 and N1P2K0. The N and K fertilizers were applied in the palm circle, about 1-2 m from the palm stem. Annually, 3 rounds of N and 2 rounds of K were applied. P fertilizer was broadcast evenly in the inter row areas and over the frond heaps once a year. The N source was Ammonium Chloride (AC) which has an N concentration of 25%. The N rates were 0 kg AC palm-1 year-1(N0), 3.75 kg AC-1 palm year-1 (N1) and 7.5 kg AC palm-1 year-1 (N2). The K source was Muriate of Potash (MOP) (K = 49.8%) which was applied at 0 kg MOP palm-1 year-1 (K0) and 4.5 kg MOP palm-1 year-1 (K1). Jordanian Rock Phosphate (JRP) was used as a source of P with application rates of 4.0 kg JRP palm-1 year-1 (P2) and 0 kg JRP palm-1 year-1 (P0).
The soil water sampler was a standard vacuum lysimeter (Soil Moisture Equipment Corp., Santa Barbara, Canada; Model: 1900L), which wascommonly used for studying pore liquid sampling from vadose zone in order to measure leaching losses[18,33]. It is also called a suction lysimeter. It comprised a Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) tube with an external diameter of 4.85 cm and a porous ceramic cup with length of 5.8 cm mounted to one end. To install the lysimeter, a vertical hole was drilled with a soil auger, which had a diameter similar to that of the lysimeter.
To optimise the contact surface between the suction ceramic cup and the soil, a small amount of slurry with the soil material from the auger was made and poured back into the hole before inserting the suction lysimeter. Once the lysimeter was located at the correct depth, the hole was backfilled with the same soil material from the auger. The soil was then stamped firmly around the lysimeter to prevent surface water
from running down the cored hole. In order to study the downward movement of N and K nutrients, the lysimeters were installed at depths of 30, 60 and 120 cm in each treatment.
The monitoring well was constructed based on the principle described by Bouwer[19]. It comprised a PVC pipe with an external diameter of 6.0 cm. Due to soil and geological constraint, monitoring wells were only installed in 6 plots with treatments comprising N0P0K0, N0P2K1, N1P2K1 and N1P2K0, N2P2K1. The water samples from both lysimeter and monitoring well were collected at 15 day intervals starting from the first fertilizer application on 23/9/2008. The samplings were carried out for a period of 5 months from October 2008 to February 2009 (150 days) or a total of 10 samplings, which basically covered the entire monsoon period in Sabah.
All water samples were collected and stored in a narrow mouth polyethylene bottle with cap[34]. In this study, water samples collected from the monitoring well was referred to as groundwater[19,20] and that from the lysimeter at 120 cm depth as leachate[35]. The samples were preserved with 2-4 mL of chloroform per litre of water to retard bacteria decomposition prior to laboratory analysis. Samples were then analysed immediately upon arrival at the laboratory or were refrigerated at 4°C if analysis cannot be carried out on the same day[34]. Samples were filtered and analysed for ammonium-N (NH4-N) using automated phenate method, nitrate N (NO3-N) + nitrite N (NO2-N) and NO2-N using automated hydrazine reduction method on a Bran and Luebbe AutoAnalyzer 3[34]. Potassium (K) concentration was analysed using flame photometric method with a Sherwood flame photometer[34]. The concentration of total inorganic N was calculated as the sum of N concentration in each form of inorganic N(NH4-N + NO3-N + NO2-N) in the sample. NO3-N concentration was obtained by subtracting NO3-N + NO2-N with NO2-N.
The experiment was carried out using a split plot design where fertilizer treatments were randomised in the main plots and depths of lysimeter in the sub plots. To test treatment effects on leaching over time, analysis of variance was performed using GenStat statistical software by treating times of sampling as repeated measures. The effect of fertilizer treatments on groundwater was examined by regarding the fertilizer x time as a factorial combination without replication and the higher interaction was used as an error term.
Leaching Losses: Introduction
Nitrogen and potassium are the two most needed nutrients by oil palms in Malaysia, which are commonly met through fertilizers. When applying fertilizers to the palms, our goal is to maximize nutrient uptake by the palms from fertilizers for optimum growth and yield. Malaysia is located in a hot, humid tropical climate marked by seasonal rainfall with annual amount exceeding 2500 mm. Generally, the climate isinfluenced by the northeast and southwest monsoons. In Sabah, East Malaysia (North Borneo), most of the rains fall during the northeast monsoon (October to
February). During this period, considerable amount of water will be lost through both runoff and deep percolation to beyond the rooting zone. The same processes of water loss may also carry substantial amount of soluble plant nutrients. Schroth et al.[1] concluded from his study that even in well-designed perennial cropping systems, high rainfall and permeable soils which are typical over large areas in the humid tropics, make it unlikely that leaching losses of soluble nutrients can be completely avoided.
Leaching is the translocation of solutes[2] beyond the rooting zone. Some authorities define leaching more stringently as the removal of solutes entirely out of the solum, representing a loss of materials from the soil profile[3] but according to other experts leaching also includes the translocation of solutes within the solum[4]. Saffigna and Philips[5] considered leaching as the downward movement of fertilizer or waste in soil with the drainage water. When solute leached below the rooting zone, it is unavailable for plant uptake and therefore, lost from the soil-plant system. Depending on the amount of water draining out of the rooting zone, the leached solute may simply accumulate at depth in the soil or may pollute the underlying groundwater. Leaching losses, especially of readily soluble forms of N and K have generally been assumed to be substantial
in cropped land in the humid tropics in view of the frequent and intense rain storms[6]. Furthermore, Corley and Tinker[7] surmised that nitrogen and potassium are the elements most at risk to leaching because of the rather weak adsorption of ammonium and potassium ions and nil adsorption of nitrate. Omoti et al.[8] reported an average leaching losses of 11 kg N (34%) and 10 kg K (18%) of the applied NK fertilizers from
both young and mature plantations. Chang and Zakaria[9] in their review showed that the combined losses of N and K from leaching and runoff from catchment with young oil palm to be less than 2 kg N and 8 kg K ha-1 year-1. Although Foong[10] found that fertilizer losses in a lysimeter when the palm was 1-4 years old were 17% for N and 10% for K, he confirmed that the losses were low at 2.1% for N and 2.7% for K when the palm was 5-14 years old. He ascribed the much higher leaching losses when the palm was immature to smaller plant nutrient uptake and soil
disturbance during the construction of lysimeter and planting of the palm.
The most commonly used inorganic nitrogen fertilizers in the oil palm plantations are ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulphate, ammonium chloride andurea. Nitrogenous fertilizer may be lost in the form of ammonium (NH4+) or nitrate (NO3–). However, studies have shown that different sources of nitrogen fertilizer have different effect on N leaching[11-14]. Also, the fertilizer rates have a strong impact on nutrient leaching in many crops[15-18]. Currently, information on the effect of fertilizer rates on leaching losses of nutrient in the oil palm plantation is still scanty.
Groundwater is that portion of water beneath the surface of the earth that can be collected with wells, tunnels, or drainage galleries, or that flows naturally to the earth's surface via seeps or springs[19]. Price[20] defined groundwater as water in the saturated zone that is below the water table. Groundwater pollution caused by agricultural activities is a serious problem in many regions of the world. Phillips and Burton[21] expressed concerns that surface-applied fertilizers such as Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) and potassium chloride (KCl) may be contributing to a decline in local groundwater quality under pine tree planted on sandy soil. High rates of N fertilizer used in the production of continuous corn have resulted in excessive nitrate-N leaching in groundwater which frequently exceeded the maximum contamination level of 10 mg L-1[22]. Babiker et al.[23] investigated the nitrate contamination of groundwater by agrochemical fertilizers in Central Japan using geographical information system and found that the nitrate concentration of groundwater under vegetable fields was significantly higher than those under urban land or paddy fields. The adverse health effects of high nitrate levels in drinking water are well documented[24-26]. The most well known are methemoglobinemia, gastric cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. While the usual level of ammonium (NH4+) ion does not pose a direct risk to human health, a high NH4+concentration may suggest the presence of more agricultural contaminants, such as pesticides. Furthermore, in aerobic condition, NH4+ may be transformed to nitrate (NO3–) via nitrification[27]. Since groundwater is an indispensable water resources for human consumption especially in developing countries and the fact that eventually contaminants in the groundwater will be discharged into the river or streams which is also a source of drinking water, most authors referred to the drinking water standard guidelines as a baseline to assess the contamination level[27-29]. WHO[30] has set a maximum admissible limit in drinking water for NO-3N as 10 and NH-4N as 0.5 mg L-1. While there is little evidence that K in drinking water is detrimental to human health, an increase in K+ concentration in groundwater may lead to a breach of the drinking water limit of K+ of 12 mg L-1[30,31].
Schroth et al.[32] studied the spatial pattern of oil palm root system and concluded that in the absence of roots in the inter-tree spaces between the palms, nitrate would eventually be leached out of the soil profile and into the groundwater. Although various studies on groundwater contamination due to fertilization in different crops have been explored, there is still very little information on the effect of fertilization on groundwater quality in the oil palm plantation especially in Malaysia.
The economic success of the oil palm plantation may be the first concern, but it is now essential to determine the potential impact of fertilization in agriculture on the environment as a way of showing that the plantation company is involved in agricultural practices, which is sustainable, both economically and environmentally. In view of this, a study was carried out to study the downward movement and leaching of N and K nutrients as well as groundwater quality as affected by fertilizers during the monsoon period in Sabah, Malaysia.
Soil Management: Leaching Losses
Problem statement: The oil palms are mainly grown in the humid tropics with high rainfall. Soluble Nitrogen (N) and Potassium (K) fertilizers are commonly required by the oil palm plantations to maximize palm productivity due to the highly weathered soils with low fertility. Thus, leaching losses of N and K nutrients may be unavoidable and these nutrients may move further downward and eventually cause groundwater pollution. This study reports the leaching of N and K nutrients in a mature oil palm field as affected by fertilizer rates and soil depths and its effect on groundwater quality during the monsoon period in Tawau, Sabah.
Approach: The sources of N and K fertilizer were Ammonium Chloride (AC) and Muriate of Potash (MOP), respectively. Soil water samplers were installed at depths of 30, 60 and 120 cm in four fertilizer treatments, namely, N0P0K0 (Control plot, no N and K), N0P2K1 (K1 = 4.5 kg MOP palm-1 year-1), N1P2K1 (N1 = 3.75 AC kg palm-1 year-1) and N1P2K0. Three replications were used in the experiment. Monitoring wells were installed in the above treatment plots and in another treatment, N2P2K1 (N2 = 7.5 kg AC palm-1-1 year-1) to investigate the effect of excessive N rate on groundwater quality. Samplings were done at 15 day intervals for a duration of 150 days from October 2008-February 2009 to cover the entire monsoon period in Sabah. Water samples were analyzed for NH4-N by automated phenate method, NO3-N + NO2-N and NO2-N by automated hydrazine reduction method on Auto Analyzer 3 and K by flame photometric method using flame photometer. Results: The mean NH4-N concentration of N1P2K1 at 33.69 mg L-1 was significantly higher than N1P2K0 at 8.15 mg L-1. In the presence of K, NH4-N concentrations increased 4.1 fold when N fertilizer was applied and 3.5 times in the absence of N application. The mean NH4-N concentration was 17.89 mg L-1 at 30 cm depth declining to 12.19 and 6.52 mg L-1 at soil depths of 60 and 120 cm, respectively. The transformation of NH4-N to NO3-N was not a major process during the monsoon period. The leaching losses of inorganic N were 1.0 and 1.6% of the applied fertilizer for N1P2K0 and N1P2K1 respectively. For K, the leaching losses were 5.3 and 2.4% for N0P2K1 and N1P2K1 respectively. The concentrations of NH4-N, NO3-N and K in groundwater ranged from 0.23-2.7, 0.07-0.25 and 0.63-9.54 mg L-1, respectively. Conclusion/Recommendations: N and K concentrations in the soil solution decreased with soil depth and their leaching losses were related to rainfall pattern, fertilizer treatment and nutrient uptake by roots. Groundwater quality was not affected by the applications of N and K fertilizers at the optimum rates for mature oil palms.
Petronella G. A., Mohd, K. Y., Nik, M. M., Goh, K. J. and Gan, H. H. 2009. Effect of N and K Fertilizers on Nutrient Leaching and Groundwater Quality under Mature Oil Palm in Sabah during the Monsoon Period. American Journal of Applied Sciences 6 (10): 1788-1799.
Note: The full list of references quoted in this article is available from the above paper.
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Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in A Dungeon? On the Side: Sword Oratoria Volume 1 Review
Demelza • 28th November 2016
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?(henceforth referred to by its Japanese abbreviation DanMachi) is one of my favourite light novel series, so when a spin-off series was licensed in the form of Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? On the Side: Sword Oratoria (henceforth known as Sword Oratoria) I was excited. I love this universe and the chance to experience it from the perspective of different characters was a welcome one. However, has this first volume managed to live up to my love of the main series?
Sword Oratoria focuses on the famous adventurer Aiz Wallenstein as the main character, someone that readers of the main DanMachi series will be familiar with. Aiz belongs to one of the most powerful Familia in the city, Loki Familia. This first volume takes place during the same time frame as the first DanMachi volume and starts off with Loki Familia's expedition down to the deepest depths of the dungeon. The dungeon is where all adventurers go to battle against monsters to earn a living. This is the journey that eventually led to Aiz saving Bell from a Minotaur, which had gotten away from her while she was hunting a pack of them. Her encounter with Bell is one that we know changed his life significantly, but seeing it from Aiz's perspective is also quite interesting.
The furthest we've been in the dungeon with Bell thus far (as of Volume 6) is down to around the 20th floor, so being able to go much further in with the Loki Familia group is a welcome change of pace. Author Fujino Omori openly admits that Aiz is too powerful a character to frequently use in DanMachi (she'd instantly save the day for Bell just by clicking her fingers) so giving her a series all of her own works out very well. Sword Oratoria gives Aiz the chance to take on enemies that are more suited to her level and fighting abilities. It also gives Omori the chance to write more about Loki Familia and spend some time with the characters we've come to know through DanMachi itself (like Loki and Bete).
Being the same author as the main series, Omori has the ability to freely overlap the Sword Oratoria and DanMachi plotlines. Thankfully the overlapping is kept to a minimum for this volume, which I feel is important because it allows a new story to develop. Aiz and Bell interact a lot more going forward in DanMachi, so one of my main concerns for Sword Oratoria is that portraying the same scenes as DanMachi could begin to feel redundant beyond being from Aiz's prospective. Running Sword Oratoria alongside the main series also means that nothing of importance can happen that could impact on the main storyline, at least not until it catches up with the timeline of the latest volume.
I think Sword Oratoria is important to the DanMachi series as far as newcomers are concerned. While not everything is explained in as much detail as it was in the main series, stuff like Familia, levels, stats and the world are explained in enough detail that even if you've never watched the anime, or read the original books, you'll still be able to slip into Sword Oratoria quite comfortably. It's not just a good starting point, though, as veterans of the DanMachi series will find a lot to love here too. Omori has very obviously set out with the goal of exploring Aiz as a character and leaves various hints throughout the plot that Aiz wasn't always the quiet, often emotionless girl we've come to know. Couple this idea with some impressive battles and we've matched the quality of DanMachi at its best – although I will confess that I do miss our usual dungeon exploring with Bell.
Omori has written Sword Oratoria from a third person perspective with the occasional jump to first person if Aiz has anything on her mind (which, admittedly, is rare), and his usual style of writing shines through in his detailed explanations of the world around the characters. This series has a new illustrator named Kiyotaka Haimura (he also provided illustrations for A Certain Magical Index) and the art on offer is really good. One of my favourite pieces is a two page spread dedicated to Aiz delivering the final blow to a high level monster, but the opening colour pages also depict this same battle with other members of Loki Familia and looks pretty cool in its own right.
While I have some concerns about the future of Sword Oratoria and the overlap and consistency it requires with the main series, I'm equally really excited by getting to spend some real time with Aiz. I'm not sure I've enjoyed my time with the first volume as much as I do DanMachi itself but I'd still highly recommend it to other fans of the series and newcomers alike. This is definitely a series to keep an eye on.
When she's not watching anime, reading manga or reviewing, Demelza can generally be found exploring some kind of fantasy world and chasing her dreams of being a hero.
More posts from Demelza...
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in A Dungeon? On The Side: Sword Oratoria Volume 1
Fantasy, Action, Comedy Romance
Fujino Omori (author), Kiyotaka Haimura (illustrator)
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? Volumes 1-3 Review
If you've enjoyed the anime of Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? then is it worth reading the original light novel series on which the popular TV series is based?
Demelza • 24th May 2017
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Volume 5 Review
Contains spoilers for previous volumes and the anime series.
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? continues to impress, and leaves the reader eager for a brand new adventure.
How do you deal with feelings of love towards a god or goddess? What if someone proposed to you out of the blue one day? These are the questions that the eighth volume of Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? (otherwise shortened to DanMachi) attempts to answer through the … Continued
The first five volumes of Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in A Dungeon? (or Japanese abbreviation DanMachi as I'll be referring to it now) have proved to be a fascinating read full of wonderful adventures. That said, I've been eager for a brand new adventure; something uncharted and full of surprises – … Continued
Demelza • 20th September 2016
A Sister's All You Need Volume 1 Review
A Sister's All You Need is a good read for an older audience. It's certainly not without its issues, but if you're looking for a story about creators working in the light novel industry with a focus on comedy then this is a good choice.
Demelza • 23rd May 2018


No UKARA is needed for the purchase of this starter pack as there is a FREE two-tone service provided in this pack.
The ICS starter pack is the perfect pack for new airsofters as it includes everything you need to get straight into your first skirmish.
This starter pack can not be changed in anyway and is only sold as a Two-Tone package.
Please Note: Our Two-Tone service is done every Wednesday evening only so orders placed before then can expect it by the end of the week.
If you have missed this window, it will be the end of the following week.
This means you will be saving overall £46!


Sprouted bread is made with whole grains, such as wheat, rye, spelt and millet. The sprouts are used to form a loaf. The loaf is oven baked, and then ready to eat. The downside is that sprouted unleavened bread doesn't lend itself well to sandwich making because of its texture.
Manna Bread comes in several varieties. If you can't find sprouted bread locally, Amazon sells it . Just click on this link: Manna Bread Carrot Raisin .
Unleavened sprouted bread has a cake-like texture, and breaks apart easily. Instead of stacking two slices together, use one slice to prepare an open sandwich.
Spread cream cheese, avocado, or bean spread over the slice. Top the open sandwich with grated cheese, alfalfa or radish sprouts, a slice of tomato or onion.
Here's a recipe that you can use to spread over a slice of sprouted bread.
Mash chickpeas coarsely using a fork. The mixture should be lumpy, not smooth, but all the chickpeas should be broken up.
Finely chop celery and dill pickle.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, adding more mayonnaise or seasoning as needed.
Store covered in the refrigerator. The spread will absorb moisture and firm up as it chills.
This recipe is from The Savvy Vegetarian website. For more recipes click the link.
Posted on August 30, 2012, in Food, Recipes, Recommended Products and tagged healthy eating, sandwiches, sprouted unleavened bread, sprouts, vegan chickpea spread, whole grain sprouts. Bookmark the permalink.	1 Comment.


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The Chain: Limited Response from Financial Institutions to U.S. Senators' Call to Tackle Deforestation
Other (Beef, Timber, Coffee), Palm Oil, Soy • Latin America, Southeast Asia
A group of U.S. Senators recently sent letters on February 4, 2019 to investors and asset managers urging them to take into account deforestation risks in their portfolios. The Senators, led by Brian Schatz, a Democrat from Hawaii, asked the financial actors to commit to pressuring companies in agricultural supply chains that do not adequately address deforestation risks.
Chain Reaction Research (CRR) contacted each of the targeted financial institutions for comment, and only two responded – Vanguard and CalPERS. And only one – CalPERS – has replied to the Senators, who requested a response by today, March 1, 2019. The group sent letters to BlackRock, Vanguard, TIAA, JPMorgan Chase, Dimensional Fund Advisors, Prudential Financial, CalPERS, Fidelity, Northern Cross, Northern Trust, and Kopernik Global Investors. The Senators who signed the letter include Democrats Sheldon Whitehouse (Rhode Island), Tom Udall (New Mexico), Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts), Ed Markey (Massachusetts), Jeff Merkley (Oregon), Richard Blumenthal (Connecticut), and Independent Bernie Sanders (Vermont). Both Senators Warren and Sanders have announced their candidacies for the 2020 presidential election.
The letters from the U.S. congressional members to the financial actors could be important for two reasons. For one, it could directly facilitate large institutions in the investor community to prompt companies to raise ambition in reducing deforestation levels. Second, the Senators' letter could be the start of a broader ongoing dialogue between the U.S. government, investors, and industry about the risk of increasing deforestation globally and its connection to climate change. "It is our view that addressing risks from deforestation is in line with your fiduciary responsibility," they wrote.
In CalPERS' response to the Senators, which it shared with CRR, the state pension fund (the largest in the United States) listed its initiatives and milestones in limiting investment in companies tied to deforestation. For instance, in July, CalPERS updated its policy to include incorporating deforestation risks in investment decisions. In December, CalPERS sent letters to more than 60 companies about how they should include climate change risks in their business models. This communication included deforestation and risks associated with it. The CalPERS' response to the Senators also noted that the pension fund will provide further details on its efforts to reduce exposure to deforestation on March 18, 2019. "CalPERS views forests as providing numerous benefits, including their key role as carbon sinks helping to mitigate climate change and in turn, protect CalPERS global investment portfolio," wrote CalPERS. "Currently, forests are one of the best available 'technologies' to sequester carbon. Therefore, in addition to our focus on palm oil, we are also looking into other drivers of deforestation across various industries and commodities in our global portfolio."
CalPERS also listed what Congress could do to help CalPERS and companies mitigate risks from deforestation. See graphic:
NGO Friends of the Earth (FoE) was instrumental in working with the Senators to raise awareness of the issue. "We very much welcome this effort by the Senators to put pressure on the world's biggest money managers for their role in enabling the deforestation crisis," Jeff Conant of FoE told CRR. "Companies involved in deforestation and related human rights abuses, and their financiers, have gotten off the hook with inconsistent voluntary guidelines and vague commitments to corporate social responsibility and ESG. A little pressure from lawmakers should help move things in the right direction – which is, ultimately, toward greater regulation of both finance and industry."
Impact of palm oil, other agricultural commodities
The letters put the spotlight in particular on the palm oil sector's role in deforestation. Palm oil significantly contributes to deforestation, climate change and biodiversity loss, as well as land rights conflicts, corruption and labour rights violations. In fact, oil palm plantation companies hanging on to business-as-usual practices have lost important customers, accrued fines, and seen their capital costs increase.
However, the Senators note that the entire agricultural sector is responsible for 80 percent of global deforestation. In fact, cattle is the main cause of deforestation globally. Investors and financiers in companies all along commodity supply chains are becoming increasingly aware of financial, business, and reputational risks from being linked to forest loss. There are also legal ramifications for investors, too, as a result of illegal logging and human rights abuses that are associated with deforestation. The continued lack of transparency in sectors most at risk of deforestation, such as cattle (beef), oil palm, soy and timber, means that investors will likely continue to feel pressure from NGOs and lawmakers, who could call hearings on the subject or introduce legislation to pressure investors to act on deforestation.
CalPERS
« The Chain: Soy Traders Adopt Key Transparency Measures to Counter Deforestation Risks The Chain: Cencosud Commits to Mitigating Deforestation Risk in Its Beef Supply Chain »


Tomorrow is Earth Day (making this Earth Week or Earth Month, depending on your level of commitment). In honor of this celebration of sustainability, I thought I'd share with you a beautiful children's book that tells the story of the Original Environmentalist, Henry David Thoreau.
Walking With Henry takes young readers (or listeners) on a journey with the naturalist and poet. Imparting Thoreau's reverence of nature and love of the untouched wilderness, Walking With Henry makes a convincing case for the 21st century relevance of this 19th century philosopher. He still has much to teach us.
His words are paired here with gorgeous landscapes by illustrator Thomas Locker, making this book a beautiful tribute to a sustainable, earth-conscious lifestyle.
How to Make a Difference? It's in the Jeans.


Don't get bored during your long trips and make a ticket from a traffic enforcer a fun experience! Once you're home, put this cute talking hamster in front of your baby or pet and encourage them to make some noise. The wonderful site will take away all of your stress for the day.
Talk back function allows the hamster to repeat everything you say. Laugh, sing or speak any language and it will play everything back in it's own cute voice.
Records up to 6 seconds.
Bops its head up and down automatically while talking and when you pat it.
Perfect for playtime and bedtime. Adorable gift for kids, childrens and even some adults.
The process of language development starts at home, and it can be fun too!
Place the batteries and secure it.
Wait for it to mimic every word in a funny and high pitched voice.
Flip the switch to OFF to conserve battery life when not in use.
Andto na po order ko. Maraming Salamat po.
Though were all mature adults, we still enjoy this talking hamster. Ang galing, kakatuwa. Thumbs up!
Like na like ng mga kids ko. They talk to it and laughs when it talks back and it moves. Keeps them enterntained for a while.
Gusto ko yung toy, pati aso ko aliw na aliw. Thanks WGE!
Super cute, bumili ako for my pamangkins at nagustuhan nila.
Ang cute cute ng dog! pati ang dog natutuwa sa talking hamster!
Ang ganda panoorin habang nilalaro ng anak ko ang hamster! Nakakatuwa pag nasasalita na ang anak ko at nasasalita din sya!
ang cute cute ng hamster! nakakaaliw talaga Salamat wgeasia. nagustohan namin ang items ninyo.
Ang cute ng talking hamster! nakakatuwa pag nagsasalita na. Love talaga ng buong pamilya!
I am a 75 year old Foreigner. Everyone from one to eighty loves the way it repeats even strange noises and baby speak.
Bagay talaga sa mga bata. Safe laruin, nakakatuwa. kahit di na mga bata naaaliw din sa cuteness ng product na ito. Magandang idea wgeasia!
This is "must have toy" if you have a child 4 years or older. It was a BD party yesterday at our house and This Humster was a BD gift, What a blast! We all were laughing non stop as kids were playing with it and talking to it. It was non stop till late evening and all guests went home. I woke up this morning with a headache. Too much laugh - not good.
Talking hamster is so cute. My whole family laugh so hard. Hamster came in a box, you don't really have to do something special, just put batteries and its good to go. It repeats what hamster hear, it moves too. Ive tried my voice and some songs, it works awesome. Words cannot express my happiness when i saw my son got entertained. Im more than satisfied with this purchase. Price is reasonable.


Meat: The Ultimate Companion is designed to walk you through the topic from the eyes of the farmer, the butcher and the best cooks to help you with the questions you might want to ask before you buy your meat. Carefully curated by Anthony Puharich, legendary butcher and supplier to Australia's leading restaurants, together with accomplished food writer Libby Travers, this comprehensive and ambitious project covers the history of every major animal we raise for meat, international breed maps, cut diagrams and descriptions, as well as illustrated butchery techniques and expert tips on selecting, storing and cooking all kinds of meat.
Over 110 recipes showcase the major cuts and draw on cuisines and chefs from around the world.
Lavishly photographed and illustrated, it is sure to become a modern classic and a requirement for every kitchen.
Anthony Puharich is a fifth-generation butcher but he's not your traditional butcher. Wholesaler of quality meat to eighty percent of Australia's finest restaurants, co-owner of Victor Churchill, the 'Bulgari of butcheries' in Sydney's Woollahra - a site visited by pilgrims from Oprah to AA Gill. He holds a unique position in the Australian food chain, by linking the farmer and the chef. Over the years he has developed an indepth understanding of what is required for a producer to be the best: animal husbandry, breed, regional differences.
Libby Travers is a food writer, commentator and communications consultant who has worked with some of the biggest names in food. Her interest in food focusses on its place in a country's culture and customs - with a particular soft spot for all things French. Libby is an advocate for food and wine that is produced sustainably and the importance of conviviality at the table.
Bought this book for my retired Chef husband. He was thrilled. His favourite butcher shop is Victor Churchill and he was very happy to have this fabulous book. Interesting & well written.
Great for the beginner and experienced cooks, very informative and a fantastic gift.
This is an extraordinarily high-guality and useful publication for anyone who enjoys understanding about, cooking and eating all types of red, white and game meats. The style of writing and the photography are superb, and the layout and cross-referencing are the best of any food book I've seen. I was given a copy yesterday and can't wait to try some of the uncomplicated, mouthwatering recipes provided by a number of quite famous chefs. Congratulations to all involved!!
Everything...and I mean everything ...you could ask for in a book about meat. Great info from paddock to plate, fantastic pictures, top recipes..I gave this as a gift to son in law for his 21st, he wants to be a cattleman and his quote was "this is the book I never knew I needed I couldn't live without". I'm actually really sorry I gave it to him ...might just have to buy another for myself. This really is a top quality product with a massive amount of thought put into it and the quality shows from first page to last.
A welcome addition to any cooks library, to sit alongside 'A Cooks Companion'.


Shadow: Water, Acrylates Copolymer, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glcyol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polysilicone-11, Propanediol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Niacinamide, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Isohexadecane, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 60, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Laureth-12, Silica, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol.
May Contain (+/-): Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (ci 77491, 77492, 77499), Carmine (CI 75470), Tin Oxide (CI 77861), Ferric Ferrocyanide (CI 77510).
Sparkle: Water, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Acrylates Copolymer, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Polybutylene Terephthalate, Tromethamine, Ethylene/VA Copolymer, Propanediol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Panthenol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-11, Polyurethane-11, Silica, Polyurethane-33, Butylene Glcyol, Propylene Glycol, Trisodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben.
May Contain (+/-): Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, 77492, 77499), Yellow 5 (CI 19140), Blue 1 (CI 42090), Aluminum (CI 77000), Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide (CI 77510), Red 40 (CI 16035), Black 2 (CI 77266).
Never use if eye is injured, irritated or infected. Consult an eye doctor immediately in case of injury.


The inventor of the World Wide Web, Tim Berners-Lee, has published an article in Scientific American that calls for continued open standards and net neutrality to protect the web as it was originally intended. This marks the 20th anniversary of the WWW next month, when the first website and browser was tested by Berners-Lee, to use the structure of the Internet in a use-friendly manner to exchange information.
The Web has now evolved into a tool that is taken for granted. However, Berners-Lee is concerned that the future of the Web is being threatened in different ways. In particular, he identifies large social-networking sites, such as Facebook, that are walling off information posted by users from the rest of the Web. He also cites wireless Internet providers who are being tempted to slow traffic to sites with which they have not made deals. And Governments that are monitoring people's online habits and endangering important human rights.
He says that if these trends continue unchecked, then the Web could be broken into fragmented islands and users would lose the freedom to connect with whichever Web sites they want. He also asks why should you care? The answer is that the Web was created for public use and remains a powerful public resource on which everyone now depends. The Web is also vital to democracy, a communications channel that makes possible a continuous worldwide conversation.
It's an intriguing and thought-provoking article from the man who started it all, and who remains protective of the ideals of the Web, reminding users that after the first 20 years there remain challenges and threats to the future development of this medium.
Google has launched a new service called Hotpot, which is described as a local recommendation engine powered by users. This social recommendation tool will contribute information to local search results for places on Google, making the information more personal, relevant and trustworthy within a social group.
By using Google Places as the base information, logged in users will be able to rate places and see information about other similar rated locations. This rating information can then be shared with friends and, in return, users can also see the places their friends have recommended. To accompany this service, Google has created a Hotpot rating app that allows users to quickly rate all the places they've been to and choose exactly which friends they want to invite to Hotpot.
As a logged in Google account user, people can see recommendations in search results, or recommended places by using the new Place Search and clicking on the "Places" filter. Users can also see recommendations when searching on Google Maps, Google Maps for Android or when checking the Place pages for a specific business.
Google AdWords has announced the expansion of their Product Listing adverts, which are now available to US advertisers. These ads allow retailers to promote their product inventory as part of their AdWords listings and during the beta trial period, Google says that the results showed that people were twice as likely to click on a Product Listing Ad as they are to click on a standard text ad in the same location.
These Product Listing Ads enable users to see the exact products being offered before they even click through to the website, so they can be a way of increasing or filtering searchers to the site, which in turn should lead to higher quality visits and higher ROI.
Like Product Extensions -which lets advertisers add the pictures and prices of relevant products to the keyword-targeted text ads, Product Listing Ads makes it easy to show the most relevant products from a Google Merchant Center account to potential customers searching on Google. However, unlike Product Extensions, Product Listing Ads don't require any keywords or ad text since the ads are automatically triggered whenever someone's search matches an item in the Merchant Center account, making it easy to show relevant ads from the entire product inventory.
Once these options are established in the US, it's likely that they will be rolled out to other markets, in particular those that already use Google Product Search.
The latest quarterly report from the IAB Australia shows further growth in online advertising expenditure in Australia. Another record quarter of $571.75 million in spend reflects a 23% year on year growth, up by $105.5m.
The Online Advertising Expenditure Report (OAER) shows that there was annual growth in all the categories tracked - general display (26%), classifieds (30%), search and directories (18%) - for the July-September period compared to 2009. The classifieds category showed the strongest growth for the quarter, following some declines in expenditure over the previous year, whereas search and directories is showing a slower level of growth in an already strong sector.
General display advertising and classifieds advertising accounted for 26.5% and 24.6% respectively of the total advertising expenditure for the third-quarter 2010, while search & directories advertising comprised the remaining 48.9% (a slight decline in share compared to the previous quarter).
Within the general display category, email based advertising comprised $7.6m of advertising expenditure, while video based advertising comprised $8.4m of advertising expenditure, slightly down on Q2 2010. CPM based pricing continued as the dominant expenditure type with 75% of advertising expenditure on a CPM basis, and 25% on a direct response basis.
The latest issue of our monthly Web Search & Marketing newsletter has been published for November.
Following on from last month's issue which looked at 10 common questions about Pay-Per-Click Advertising, this month's issue focuses on Website Analytics and why this is an important part of your online marketing activity. You can read 10 of the most common questions asked about analytics and, in particular, Google Analytics.
Next month the newsletter will continue this special focus with some frequently asked questions about social media marketing.