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WNICER
Videos of Research Highlights
On December 14th, our partner The Cura Foundation hosted a webinar on Bridging the Gap Between Faith and Science. The panelists were Rev. Kevin FitzGerald, SJ, PhD, Aasim I. Padela, MD, MSc, Rabbi Edward Reichman, MD, and Tyler VanderWeele, PhD. The discussion was moderated by Mehmet C. Oz, MD. View the webinar below.
As a result of this discussion, Dr. Robin L. Smith and Dr. Mehmet Oz published an Op-Ed published on January 6, 2021 there they argued that public health officials need to engage with leaders of both science and faith-based organizations to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here to read the Op-Ed.
Acute and Chronic Cardiovascular Complications of COVID-19 Webinar
On October 26 2020, The Worldwide Network for Innovation in Clinical Education and Research (WNICER) and The Cura Foundation hosted a webinar to discuss acute and chronic cardiovascular complications of COVID-19. The panelists were Michael E. Farkouh, MD (University of Toronto), Sascha Goonewardena, MD (University of Michigan Medical School), Peter Libby, MD (Harvard Medical School) and Robert S. Rosenson, MD (The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai). The discussion was moderated by Max Gomez, PhD, Senior Medical Correspondent, CBS2 New York.
View the webinar.
Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 Webinar
What are the long term effects of COVID-19? How will COVID-19 impact patients' health in the future? On October 5th, William Li, MD, President, Medical Director and CEO of The Angiogenesis Foundation and Andrew von Eschenbach, MD, Previous Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Former Director of the U.S. National Cancer Institute had a fireside chat on the long-term effects of the novel coronavirus on the health and wellbeing of its survivors. The webinar was moderated by Max Gomez, PhD, Senior Medical Correspondent of CBS2 New York and was hosted by WNICER partners The Cura Foundation and The Angiogenesis Foundation.
View the webinar below.
wnicer newsletter
The Fall 2020 Edition of the WNICER newsletter features the Network's research and education efforts to improve human health, with a special focus on COVID-19 initiatives. Click on the image to view the newsletter.
WNICER CONGRATULATES dR. sANJAY RAJAGOPALAN ON ACC DISTINGUISHED SCIENTIST AWARD
The Worldwide Network for Innovation in Clinical Education and Research (WNICER) congratulates Dr. Sanjay Rajagopalan on receiving the 2021 Distinguished Scientist ACC Award in the Translational Domain.
This award is given to a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC) who has made major scientific contributions to the advancement of scientific knowledge in the field of cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Rajagopalan and other awardees will be formally recognized and honored for their distinguished contributions during Convocation at the hybrid Annual Scientific Session & Expo in May.
Dr. Rajagopalan, a founding member of WNICER, is Chief of Cardiovascular Medicine at University Hospitals, Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute; Director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute; Herman K. Hellerstein MD, Professor of Cardiovascular Research, and Professor at the Department of Internal Medicine at the Case Western Reserve University.
Click here to view his bio and research interests.
WNICER celebrates the RELEASE OF THE ATTACC TRIAL RESULTS
The Worldwide Network for Innovation in Clinical Education and Research (WNICER) congratulates the ATTACC Trial team on the release of interim results that show full-dose blood thinners decreased need for life support and improved outcomes in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The WNICER Network played an integral role in this multinational clinical trial led by Drs. Ryan Zarychanski and Patrick Lawler. WNICER acknowledges the contributions of its members: University Health Network's Peter Munk Cardiac Centre under the leadership of Drs. Patrick Lawler and Michael Farkouh; Dr. Robert Rosenson who served as the USA National Coordinator; University of Chicago; Mayo Clinic; The Brazilian clinical network led by Dr. José Nicolau of University of São Paulo's InCor Heart Institute; and The Mexican clinical network led by Dr. Jorge Escobedo of the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
Click here to view reuslts of the interim analysis.
See press release below.
Full-dose blood thinners decreased need for life support and improved outcomes in hospitalized COVID-19 patients in international trial
January 22- Full dose anti-coagulation (blood thinner) treatments given to patients hospitalized for COVID-19 reduced the requirement of vital organ support in a large clinical trial conducted worldwide. With large numbers of COVID-19 patients requiring hospitalization, this treatment is expected to reduce the pressure in intensive care units around the world.
Three clinical trial platforms spanning five continents in over 300 hospitals, have been working together since May 2020 to urgently test whether there is a greater benefit of full doses of heparin (blood thinners) to treat adults hospitalized for non-critical COVID-19 illness compared to the lower dose typically administered to prevent blood clots in hospitalized patients.
Based on the interim results of more than 1300 moderately ill patients admitted to hospital, findings showed that full doses of blood thinners were not only safe, but superior to the doses normally given to prevent blood clots in hospitalized patients. Moderately ill patients are those not in ICU and who did not receive organ support such as mechanical ventilation at trial enrollment. The trial investigators are now working as fast as possible to make the full results of the study available so clinicians can make informed decisions about treating their COVID-19 patients.
These trial results reported today complement the group's findings announced in December that routine use of full-dose anti-coagulation when started in the ICU in critically ill COVID-19 patients was not beneficial and appeared to be harmful.
"In a disease with a limited number of effective therapies, our results have the potential to define a new standard of care for moderately ill hospitalized COVID-19 patients around the world," said Ryan Zarychanski, MD, M.Sc., associate professor, hematologist and critical care physician at the University of Manitoba and CancerCare Manitoba, Canada, and chair of the Antithrombotic Therapy to Ameliorate Complications of COVID-19 (ATTACC) platform and of the therapeutic anticoagulation domain of the Randomized, Embedded, Multi-factorial Adaptive Platform Trial for Community-Acquired Pneumonia (REMAP-CAP).
Early in the pandemic, physicians around the world observed increased rates of blood clots and inflammation among COVID-19 patients which affected multiple organs and led to complications such as lung failure, heart attack and stroke. Whether providing increased doses of blood thinners routinely administered to hospitalized patients would be safe and effective was unknown at that time.
"These results are very exciting and lead us to better understand the impact of applying the right therapies at the right time in the course of this challenging disease," said Dr. Judith Hochman, chair of Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines-4 (ACTIV-4) platform, Harold Snyder Family Professor & Associate Director of Cardiology, Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Sciences and Co-Director, NYU-HHC Clinical and Translational Science Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
Knowing the effect of full dose blood thinners in hospitalized patients with non-critical disease was a key outstanding question that has now been answered. Most COVID-19 patients hospitalized are non-critical and this study will impact their care and outcomes. The multiplatform trial further paves the way for future collaborations on a global scale.
"These are the first multi-platform international clinical trials ever undertaken and given the rapid discovery of Heparin's positive impact on patient outcomes during the middle of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, I don't think it will be the last time researchers, clinicians and patients join forces across continents to test potential treatments against any number of diseases," said Patrick Lawler, MD, MPH cardiologist at the University of Toronto and Peter Munk Cardiac Centre at University Health Network, who was co-principal investigator of ATTACC and a member of the international trial steering committee for REMAP-CAP.
"Having cared for so many severely ill Covid-19 patients and witnessed the suffering involved for patients and their loved ones, it is profoundly gratifying that together we have discovered a treatment that can prevent patients from becoming severely ill and improve their recovery," said critical care physician Ewan Goligher, MD, PhD, and co-chair of the therapeutic anticoagulation domain in REMAP-CAP, and assistant professor of medicine, University of Toronto and scientist, University Health Network.
Clinical trials, overseen by independent boards, routinely review data. The positive conclusions drawn from results to date at these trial sites have now led to enrollment being stopped. However, an adaptive approach in response to scientific data enables this study, like others, to conduct safe, rapid testing of additional agents and evolve accordingly.
The trials are supported by multiple international funding organizations including Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CAN), the LifeArc Foundation, the NIH National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute (US), National Institutes of Health Research (UK), National Health and Medical Research Council (AUS), Health Research Council of New Zealand, and the PREPARE and RECOVER consortia (EU).
Contact: Ilana Simon
Email: ilana.simon@umanitoba.ca
Rosa Kim
University Health Network -- Toronto General Hospital and Peter Munk Cardiac Centre
Email: rosa.kim@uhn.ca
WNICER celebrates the publication of the TAILOR-PCI trial in JAMA
WNICER celebrates the publication of the TAILOR-PCI Randomized Clinical Trial results in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The trial highlights the potential clinical impact of a personalized strategy to managing antiplatelet therapy post PCI.
We would like to congratulate and thank WNICER members Drs. Naveen L. Pereira, Michael E. Farkouh, Derek So, Verghese Mathew, Shaun G. Goodman, Mandeep Sidhu, Jean-Francois Tanguay, Yves Rosenberg and other colleagues for their tireless efforts towards advancing science.
Question: Does CYP2C19 genotype–guided prescription of oral P2Y12 inhibitor therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) improve ischemic outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndromes and stable coronary artery disease?
Findings: In this randomized clinical trial that included 5302 patients undergoing PCI and included 1849 patients with CYP2C19 loss-of-function alleles in the primary analysis, genotype-guided selection of oral P2Y12 inhibitor therapy, compared with conventional therapy using clopidogrel, resulted in no significant difference in a composite end point of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, stent thrombosis, or severe recurrent ischemia at 12 months (4.0% vs 5.9%, respectively; hazard ratio, 0.66).
Meaning: Among patients with CYP2C19 loss-of-function alleles who underwent PCI, genotype-guided selection of an oral P2Y12 inhibitor, compared with conventional clopidogrel therapy, did not significantly reduce ischemic events based on the treatment effect that the study was powered to detect at 12 months.
Click here to read the editorial.
DR. VERGHESE MATHEW'S WNICER APPOINTMENT
Mr. John Brooks, CEO of the Worldwide Network for Innovation in Clinical Education and Research (WNICER) is pleased to announce that Dr. Verghese Mathew will assume the role of Director of the Cardiovascular Investigator Program at the WNICER effective Monday, December 16, 2019.
Dr. Mathew is a Professor of Medicine at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. He has been a high volume academic interventional cardiologist for more than 2 decades. He was a consultant cardiologist at Mayo Clinic from 1997-2016, holding a number of leadership positions in the cardiac and vascular arenas, with joint appointments in the departments of medicine, cardiology, and radiology; he was recruited to Loyola University Medical Center in 2016 to lead the division of cardiology.
Dr. Mathew has done extensive work in the field of interventional cardiology including complex CAD, peripheral arterial interventions, and TAVR- with both basic and translational research programs. He has been an investigator in many trials that have evaluated and led to the approval of currently utilized technologies, such as coronary stents/drug eluting stents and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR); as well as phase II-IV pharmacologic studies focused on antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs in the context of coronary interventions. He has published extensively in the field of interventional cardiology.
Dr. Mathew has a keen interest in integrated models of care, focusing on the appropriate application of advanced cardiovascular therapies to complex patient subsets. He continues to be an invited speaker at many national and international cardiovascular scientific conferences.
Dr. Mathew is board certified in interventional cardiology and cardiovascular diseases. He is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and a Fellow of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions.
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If we are honest, we will admit to always trying to make things last longer. Who does not want to make things last longer?
A favorite appliance of piece of clothing will, at the first sign of wear and tear, be "nurtured" so as to make it last longer. The same can, in fact be applied to your favorite coffee maker.
Every coffee lover knows that over time a special bond is created between the coffee maker and the coffee lover. At the first sign that the coffee maker might be on the way out, all effort is made to let the coffee maker last longer.
There is a limited chance of success. The easiest coffee maker to lengthen the life span of is the drip filter coffee maker.
The espresso machine is a complicated device with a number of parts that have to work very hard to produce that perfect shot of espresso every time.
Keeping this coffee maker going is a lot more complicated than ordering a replacement coffee carafe from an online source.
An espresso maker has components that work under pressure and heat and should not be tampered with by an amateur, no matter how dedicated that person is to the cause of good coffee.
The replacement carafe is easy to obtain and easy to "fit" into your coffee maker.
If you have a single serve coffee maker, this whole issue does not become any easier. The single serve coffee maker is a specialized piece of equipment which should not be fiddled with under any circumstances.
Just like the espresso machine, the single serve coffee maker does not make use of a coffee carafe. So you do not get replacement coffee pots for your single serve coffee makers.
It just goes to show that the easiest coffee maker whose life span can be extended is the drip filter coffee maker.
The easy sourcing of the replacement coffee carafe is one of the most basic reasons why this form of coffee maker can be kept going for a long time.
Whether you are looking for a Cuisinart replacement carafe or any other brand of replacement coffee carafe, they are all readily available online.
The expense incurred in the purchase of such a replacement coffee carafe is far less than it would cost to replace the coffee maker. It makes good sense and will save you money as well.


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Governor Yari in the eye of the storm
These are certainly not the best of times for Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State. The state has been in the news over recurring killings and kidnappings by armed bandits. As a result, the chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) appears to be in the eye of the storm.
Governor Abdulaziz Yari has been accused by critics of being indifferent to the crisis in his state. But the governor, who has secured a mandate to proceed to the National Assembly as a senator, has denied this and other allegations, accusing politicians in Zamfara of conniving with terrorists to unleash mayhem on the state.
To many critics, Governor Yari's indifference to the problems confronting Zamfara, as well as his alleged flirtation with absurdity, is not limited to the current security challenge. In April last year, there was a public outcry when Yari reportedly attributed the renewed outbreak of meningitis, which had claimed hundreds of lives, to fornication. He reportedly said fornication was the main reason God was punishing Nigeria with meningitis, adding that God decided to send type C of the disease, which had no vaccine, as punishment for the people's nefarious activities.
In an interview he granted in Hausa language shortly after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Yari was quoted as saying, "What we used to know as far as meningitis is concerned is the type A virus. The World Health Organisation has carried out vaccinations against this type A virus, not just in Zamfara, but in many other states. However, because people refused to stop their nefarious activities, God now decided to send type C virus, which has no vaccination. People have turned away from God and he has promised that 'if you do anyhow, you see anyhow.' That is just the cause of this outbreak, as far as I am concerned. There is no way fornication will be so rampant and God will not send a disease that cannot be cured."
The criticisms that trailed this comment were spontaneous. Leading the pack of critics against Yari was no less a personality than the Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi II, who reportedly took to his Instagram page saying: "Abdulaziz Yari quite ludicrously said the deadly meningitis rampaging his state was a divine punishment for fornication. He didn't say how this was revealed to him because Zamfara certainly doesn't have the highest number of fornicators in the nation.
His preposterous statement fails to take into account the fact that meningitis isn't a sexually transmitted ailment.
"The truth about the matter is that despite being warned of an impending outbreak, his government took no steps to prepare. Now he blames God! We are stuck with political leaders who only pretend to be godly because sycophants always refer to people in high political office as a God-sent…"
The dust raised by the 'fornication' controversy hardly settled when the governor reportedly threw in the towel as the chief security officer of Zamfara State following the spate of killings and kidnappings by bandits.
In June last year, Yari said he had dropped his responsibility as the chief security officer of Zamfara, saying he had no control over security machinery in the state. The governor, who spoke with newsmen in Talata-Mafara, was quoted as saying that his decision stemmed from the seeming helplessness of the state government and the people over recurring killings in the state.
"We have been facing serious security challenges over the years, but in spite of being governor and chief security officer of the state, I cannot direct security officers on what to do or sanction them when they err. As chief security officer, the nomenclature is just a name," he said.
Criticisms against the governor, however, assumed a theatrical dimension recently when the state said it would recruit 1,700 local charmers, in addition to the 8,500 members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), recruited earlier to address security challenges in the state.
During a security meeting with traditional rulers, Fulani leaders and local government council chairmen in the state, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy, Bello Dankande, said government came up with the policy to recruit local charmers considering the increase in security challenges in the state.
"In each of the 17 emirates, we are going to recruit 100 local charmers, in addition to the 500 recruited per each emirate earlier. We are going to recruit other personnel from each emirate to monitor filling stations to ensure that fuel do not get to the bandits in the forests," he said.
It would be recalled that on the January 19, 2014, Governor Yari set up a 13-man committee headed by a renowned Islamic scholar, Alsheikh Abubakar Abdullahi Tureta, to look into the causes and measures to manage the rising disputes between Fulani herdsmen and local farmers. This development came after a series of attacks and reprisal in different parts of the state, especially the popular Dansadau forest, as well as other prone areas like Zurmi, Birnin Magaji, Bukkuyum, Anka and Maradun, which led to the killing of thousands of people. It also affected the state's economy.
But less than two weeks to the presentation of the committee's report, two major attacks reportedly occurred, which further raised fear and suspicion as to whether or not the outcomes of the committee may be useful in addressing the security challenges facing the state.
First was the attack on the people of Maitsaba community in Zurmi, where suspected killers, alleged to be Fulani, numbering over 100, invaded the community at 1pm, killing 24 people and burnt structures and foodstuff.
Less than 48 hours after the Maitsaba massacre, there was another attack at Yargaladima community, a suburb of Dansadau area where the suspected killers allegedly cordoned the venue of a meeting by some network of vigilante groups, opened fire and killed over 150 people indiscriminately.
The killings have increased in intensity, raising questions as to why the state has remained a theatre of blood despite the numerous interventions by both the state and the Federal Government, as well as security agencies. About 3,500 people were killed, 31,000 displaced and 500 villages affected in the last eight years of carnage. Dozens of communities were also deserted across all the 14 local government areas of the state. In Kawaye district of Anka Local Government Area, more than 20 villages were deserted.
It was a relief when the Nigerian Army launched an operation code named: Harbin Kunama in local dialect (Operation Scorpion Sting) to tackle the security challenge. Before then, troops had launched another operation code named Operation Sharan Daji, which recorded some successes as a good number of criminals were killed and arms recovered. For instance, troops conducting Operation Sharan Daji in the state had reportedly neutralised 23 bandits and arrested 18 suspects, informants, cattle rustlers, kidnappers and logistics suppliers to armed criminals in the state.
The acting Force Information Officer, Operation Sharan Daji, Major Clement Abiade, said the air component of Operation Sharan Daji carried out several air strikes around Kagara, Gando, Fankama, Fete and Dumburum forests within that period.
But this and several other security measures have done only little to stop the trend as the spate of killings and kidnappings continued. This year alone, more than 193 people were killed in at least six major attacks on 18 communities in the state. A lot of the victims sustained varying degrees of injury and are responding to treatments.
Shinkafi Local Government recorded the highest casualties with 104 people after attacks on five villages in Kware district between February and March this year. The attacks have displaced hundreds.
In January 2019, 25 people were killed in attacks on 9 villages in Mada district, Gusau Local Government. In February 2019, 13 people were shot dead in Kawaye village, Anka Local Government Area. In March 2019, 20 people were killed in Gando village in Bukkuyum Local Government Area. In March 2019, 17 worshippers were shot dead in Dumama village in Zurmi Local Government Area.
The killings in Zamfara have prompted President Muhammadu Buhari to order the service chiefs and the acting Inspector-General of Police (IG), Mr. Mohammed Adamu to deal ruthlessly with armed bandits and kidnappers terrorising different parts of the country, including Zamfara. The president's directive came on the spate of renewed bloodletting last week when a motorbike-riding gang of armed men invaded Masha Awo village in Birnin Magaji Local Government Area, killing at least 14 people. The gunmen were said to have retreated into a bush after the attack, but later returned and stopped other residents who went to bury the dead victims. Reports had it that it took the intervention of security operatives to hold the funeral rite after about 24 hours.
Gov Yari in the eye of the storm
Residents of Zamfara State have accused Governor Abdulaziz Yari of being indifferent to ending the menace of armed banditry and cattle rustling plaguing his state. They said the governor believed that by merely giving Hilux vehicles and releasing funds for fueling vehicles, as well as paying for the allowances of the security operatives at the frontline, all that is required of him is done.
Last January, he reportedly told journalists in the state capital that if the constitution had spelt out that he would have to carry gun and fight the armed men in the state, he would have done so.
"Those with the responsibility to carry guns and fight have been empowered to do so. We have been providing logistic support to the security operatives in the state, yet the killings have continued unabated," Yari said.
In early 2017, a peace dialogue between the armed criminals and the state government was initiated, but the peace process was said to have been truncated later and the bandits who initially agreed to cease hostilities decided to return to the trenches.
A source in Gusau, the state capital, told on Sunday that Governor Yari failed to honour the agreement between the armed bandits and the government. The source, who chose to be unnamed, said: "The armed bandits demanded for cattle routes, earth dams, schools, hospitals and freedom of movement, but none of these conditions were met.
"Apart from this, Yari made the issue personal instead of official. He would assign a responsibility to someone, and even before its logical conclusion, he would abandon you and assign a fresh assignment to someone else. Sometimes there would be an attack and he wouldn't mind leaving the state. This has aggravated the situation."
The spokesman of Senator Kabir Marafa's campaign and his close political associate, Bello Bakyasuwa, said there was no time a visiting security chief had ever met Governor Yari.
"The Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff, and lately, the acting Inspector General of Police visited Zamfara State but could not meet the governor. Besides, he once told the people of the state that he had relinquished his position as chief security officer of the state. This is a clear indication that he cannot manage the security situation of the state.
"This is not the case. He needs to halt the globe-trotting that characterised his administration and stay in the state and personally supervise the activities of the security operatives. Most of the major attacks in the state took place when Governor Yari was away and would not mind coming back home to look into the true situation on the ground. He lacks personal commitment to tackle the menace,'' Bakyasuwa said.
In the same vein, the chairman of the Northern Youth Assembly, Alhaji Mannir Haidara Kaura, said that even the security chiefs in the state couldn't have access to the governor.
"Governor Yari does not want to stay. There was a time a police commissioner posted to Zamfara State could not get him on phone. How can good governance be achieved by displaying attitudes like these? He once told journalists at the Sokoto airport that administering the state did not necessarily require his physical presence, saying he could rule the state even when on a plane, "Mannir said.
Other critics said the governor gave deaf ears to the barrage of criticisms being fired at him over his frequent foreign travels. However, sometimes he replies the critics by saying that his foreign trips are to look for investors.
Last year, the Emir of Anka and chairman of the state's Council of Chiefs, told Yari when the latter paid him a Salah homage at his palace in Anka Local Government that he should halt the frequent foreign travels and stay at home to manage the security challenges confronting the state.
Several rural dwellers in the state also accused the governor of being insensitive to their plight. The vulnerable and highly traumatised rural communities in the state have been accusing him of not showing sympathy to their plight.
"In 2017, Governor Yari banned the activities of local vigilantes, popularly known as Yan Sakai, considered by rural dwellers as foremost defenders of their communities.
"However, he later had a change of mind and approved the recruitment of 8,500 able-bodied young men as members of the Civilian Joint Task Force to help check the activities of armed bandits and cattle rustlers in the state," Ahmad Hamisu, a resident in Kaura Namoda town said.
Another source within the state civil service told on Sunday that poor salary, irregular payment of workers benefits had compounded the problems. The source said he knew about many teachers in village schools who turned to informants for armed bandits and kidnappers.
"How can a teacher on grade level 7 receive N18,000 as salary and you expect him and his family to survive? In so many cases, there is clear disconnect between the rural communities and government.
"Nothing much has been done to improve the lives of the teeming jobless youth in the state, especially in the rural communities. When the government decided to recruit members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, 8,500 able-bodied young men were registered within few weeks.
"This goes to show you the magnitude of the unemployment situation in the state. The number can double or even triple this size. Most of those recruited as CJTF members are somewhat uneducated or semi-literate citizens of the state," said the source, who sought for identity protection.
However, the chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state, Comrade Bashir Mafara, said he was not aware of any civil servant becoming an informant to criminals. He believes that poor salary for civil servants is having negative economic implications on the state.
Yari has had battles with the Nigeria Labour Congress mostly on issues bordering on poor salary structure for workers and other benefits.
The NLC in the state had fought for the implementation of N18,000 minimum wage. Some workers in the local governments receive as low as N7000 monthly, even though the salary payment is regular, checks by on Sunday revealed.
The governor has never passed a night in the government house with his family since he became governor almost eight years ago. He has been shuttling from his hometown of Talata Mafara to Gusau, the state capital.
Moreover, he devoted much of time and energy running the affairs of Nigerian Governors Forum. Many people in the state have complained about how he dissipated much of his attention to the NGF.
"We were called for stakeholders meeting sometimes in 2017. At that meeting, Governor Yari said those criticizing him for staying away are doing so out of ignorance. He said his frequent visits to Abuja have been very beneficial to the state," an official said.
In October last year, crisis erupted in the ruling APC in the state over primaries. The crisis started when Governor Yari anointed the state commissioner of finance, Alhaji Mukhtar Shehu Idris, as his successor.
This led to emergence of a group of aspirants known as G 8 to challenge what they called imposition of candidate in the party. The primaries could not hold as per October 7 2018 INEC deadline. That singular act plunged the state chapter of the party into crisis it has not yet resolved.
Killings politicised- Zamfara government
The Zamfara State Government has said the issue of killings in the state has been politicised by those who lost out in the last elections. According to them, the politicians are doing this to ridicule the governor, adding that they want to achieve their goal, the lives of those killed in the process notwithstanding.
The special adviser to the governor on public enlightenment, media and communication, Ibrahim Dosara said: "Security is everybody's business and critics would have all contributed. Those who are criticising the governor are those conniving with the terrorists and aiding them with information."
He said that no government would fold its arms and watch its citizens being killed, adding that the issue of security in Zamfara is not different from anywhere else in the country.
"The Federal Government has been doing its best to assist Zamfara State. Before the crisis, we had less than 300 soldiers, and there was no local government area that had more than 20 policemen. But today, our collaboration has led to the presence of over 4,000 military personnel and over 1,000 policemen and civil defence personnel respectively," Dansora said.
Responding to allegations that the governor hardly stays in Zamfara State, Dansora said: "A leader having such a serious crisis like Zamfara should not be sitting down; he should be visiting Abuja frequently to brief the president and security agencies. Sometimes the governor would land in Zamfara, only to be called to come back to Abuja."
On allegations by the Minister of Defence, Manir Dan Ali, that traditional rulers in the state were complicit in the crisis, he said the minister was entitled to his opinion, saying: "As far as Zamfara is concerned, all traditional rulers with links to the bandits have been expelled."
Dosara said unless those politicians who thought Zamfara could not move without them looked at the larger community "it will be difficult, even with the Federal Government, to tackle the problem."
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Michael Zulli: The Fracture of the Universal Boy
Nearly 10 years in the making, Michael Zulli's The Fracture of the Universal Boy is a 200+ page hardcover graphic novel.
Eidolon Fine Arts
San Rafael, CA Illustration
Patrons pledging $15 or more will have their name listed in the book as a contributor to its successful publication.
Patrons pledging $30 or more will have their name listed in the book and also receive a signed Fracture of the Universal Boy print.
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469 backers
Patrons pledging $125 or more will have their name listed in the book and receive an advance reading copy of Fracture of the Universal Boy, signed by Michael Zulli. That's right, you can read the book long before it comes out!
Patrons pledging $500 or more will have their name listed in the book and receive a copy of the Limited Edition of Fracture of the Universal Boy. This unique volume in an edition of 50 is hand bound in red velvet with hand-stamped covers and a tipped-in print signed and numbered by Michael Zulli himself. The five prototype copies of this which debuted last year at San Diego Comic-Con sold out in about five minutes.
Patrons pledging $1000 or more will receive a one-of-a-kind page of original artwork from The Fracture of the Universal Boy. And, of course, have your name listed in the book.
Patrons pledging $2500 or more will have their generosity rewarded with Michael creating a private commission of ANYTHING of your choosing. In Michael's words: "To get this published, I'll even draw Batman!" As above, you'll also have your name listed in the book as the most generous of contributors.
Feb 18, 2011 - Mar 20, 2011 (30 days)


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EKITI: Man Sentenced To Death By Hanging For Murder Of Yam Farm Owner
CRIME LAW
An Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti division, on Monday, sentenced a 26-year-old man, Dele Ojo, to death by hanging for killing the owner of a farm where he was stealing tubers of yam, BLOGARENA gathered.
Justice Abiodun Adedun, in the court judgment, said, "The circumstances of this case do not allow for recommendation of clemency to the governor on behalf of the accused.
"Therefore, the defendant is sentenced to death by hanging. May the Lord have mercy on his soul."
The convict was said to have committed the offence on September 13, 2018, at Iroko Ekiti, in the Ijero area of Ekiti State.
The police said he murdered the farmer owner, Ajayi Adewole, contrary to Section 319 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap.C16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.
An eyewitness, who was with the deceased, said, "The defendant had been stealing the deceased's yam for a long time. But on the fateful day, the deceased went to hide in the farm in order to arrest the culprit.
"Around 2am, he saw the defendant carrying a hunting lamp on his head, pretending to be hunting and started uprooting yam. The deceased shouted his name; to evade arrest, he shot the deceased at close range and ran away. He was rushed to the Ijero Ekiti Specialist Hospital, where he was confirmed dead."
The prosecutor, Mr Olawale Fapohunda, who is the Attorney General of Ekiti State, called four witnesses, including the Investigating Police Officer and a medical doctor, to prove his case.
The exhibits tendered in court included a locally-made gun, photographs of the deceased, five tubers of yam, and the confessional statements of the defendant, among others.
The defendant testified in his own defence through his lawyer, Mr Yinka Oyeleke, and called no witness.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/punchng.com/ekiti-man-to-die-by-hanging-for-killing-farmer/%3famp=1
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No Sweat
Stupid F*cking Bird
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The Garrick Theatre in London is a west end theatre located in Charing cross Road in the City of Westminster. It opened on 24 April 1889 with The Profligate which was a play by Arthur Wing Pinero. In its early years, The Garrick appears to have specialised in the performance of melodrama, and today the theatre is a receiving house for a variety of productions. The theatre is named after David Garrick who is considered to be the most influential Shakespearian actor.
The Garrick Theatre was financed in 1889 by the playwright W.S. Gilbert, the author of over 75 plays, including the Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas. It was designed by Walter Emden, with C.J. Phipps who was brought in as a consultant to help with the planning on the difficult site, which included an underground river. Originally the theatre had a capacity of 800 seats on 4 levels, but the gallery (top) level has since been closed and the seatring capacity has been reduced to 656.
A proposed redevelopment of Covent Garden by the GLC in 1968 saw the theatre under threat, together with the nearby vaudeville, Lyceum, Adelphi and Dyuchess Theatres and only an active campaign by Equity, and theatre owners under the auspices of the Save London Theatres Campaign led to the abandonment of the scheme.
The gold leaf auditorium was restored in 1986 by the stage designer Carl Toms, and in 1997 the front façade was renovated. The theatre has mostly been associated with comedies or comedy-dramas. Sydney Grundy's long-running French-style comedy A Pair Of Spectacles opened here in February, 1890 and Mrs Patrick Campbell starred there five years later in Pinero's The Notorius Mrs Ebbsmith.
The theatre suffered a short period of decline afterwards until it was leased by Arthur Bourchier, whose wife, Violet Vanbrugh starred in a series of successful productions ranging from farce to Shakespeare. In 1900, the theatre hosted J.M. Barrie's The Wedding Guest and Rutland Barrington presented several stage works at the Garrick, including his popular "fairy play" called Water Babies in 1902, based on Charles Kingsley's book, with music by Alfred Cellier, among others. The only piece actually premiered by W. S. Gilbert here was Harequin And The Fairies.
In 1921, Basil Rathbone played Dr. Lawson in The Edge O Beyond at the Garrick, and the following year Sir Seymour Hicks appeared in his own play, The Man In Dress Clothes. In 1925 Henry Daniell played there as Jack Race in Cobra and appeared there again as Paul Cortot in marriage By Purchase in March 1932.
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The interior of the Garrick Theatre retains many of its original features, and was grade II listed by English Heritage in September 1960.


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text:
Predictive reward signal of dopamine neurons
by Wolfram Schultz - Journal of Neurophysiology , 1998
"... Schultz, Wolfram. Predictive reward signal of dopamine neurons. is called rewards, which elicit and reinforce approach behav-J. Neurophysiol. 80: 1–27, 1998. The effects of lesions, receptor ior. The functions of rewards were developed further during blocking, electrical self-stimulation, and drugs ..."
of rewards, and rons show phasic activations after primary liquid and food rewards and conditioned, reward-predicting visual and auditory stimuli. the availability of rewards determines some of the basic They show biphasic, activation-depression responses after stimuli parameters of the subject's life
Controlled and automatic human information processing: II. Perceptual learning, automatic attending and a general theory
by Richard M. Shiffrin, Walter Schneider - Psychological Review , 1977
"... The two-process theory of detection, search, and attention presented by Schneider and Shiffrin is tested and extended in a series of experiments. The studies demonstrate the qualitative difference between two modes of information processing: automatic detection and controlled search. They trace the ..."
the course of the learning of automatic detection, of categories, and of automaticattention responses. They show the dependence of automatic detection on attending responses and demonstrate how such responses interrupt controlled processing and interfere with the focusing of attention. The learning
Impulses and Physiological States in Theoretical Models of Nerve Membrane
by Richard Fitzhugh - Biophysical Journal , 1961
"... ABSTRACT Van der Pol's equation for a relaxation oscillator is generalized by the addition of terms to produce a pair of non-linear differential equations with either a stable singular point or a limit cycle. The resulting "BVP model " has two variables of state, representing excitabi ..."
can be divided into regions corresponding to the physio-logical states of nerve fiber (resting, active, refractory, enhanced, depressed, etc.) to form a "physiological state diagram, " with the help of which many physiological phenomena can be summarized. A properly chosen projection from
Self-discrepancy: A theory relating self and affect
by E. Tory Higgins - Psychological Review , 1987
"... This article presents a theory of how different types of discrepancies between self-state representa-tions are related to different kinds of emotional vulnerabilities. One domain of the self (actual; ideal; ought) and one standpoint on the self (own; significant other) constitute each type of self-s ..."
the ac-tual/own self-state and ought self-states (i.e., representations of an individual's beliefs about his or her own or a significant other's beliefs about the individual's duties, responsibilities, or obligations) signify the presence of negative outcomes, which is associated
by Dorothy E. Denning, Peter J. Denning , 1979
"... The rising abuse of computers and increasing threat to personal privacy through data banks have stimulated much interest m the techmcal safeguards for data. There are four kinds of safeguards, each related to but distract from the others. Access controls regulate which users may enter the system and ..."
and subsequently whmh data sets an active user may read or wrote. Flow controls regulate the dissemination of values among the data sets accessible to a user. Inference controls protect statistical databases by preventing questioners from deducing confidential information by posing carefully designed sequences
Excitatory and inhibitory interactions in localized populations of model
by Hugh R. Wilson, Jack D. Cowan - Biophysics , 1972
"... ABSMAcr Coupled nonlinear differential equations are derived for the dynamics of spatially localized populations containing both excitatory and inhibitory model neurons. Phase plane methods and numerical solutions are then used to investigate population responses to various types of stimuli. The res ..."
ABSMAcr Coupled nonlinear differential equations are derived for the dynamics of spatially localized populations containing both excitatory and inhibitory model neurons. Phase plane methods and numerical solutions are then used to investigate population responses to various types of stimuli
Beyond pleasure and pain
by E. Tory Higgins - American Psychologist , 1997
"... People approach pleasure and avoid pain. To discover the true nature of approach-avoidance motivation, psychologists need to move beyond this hedonic principle to the principles that underlie the different ways that it operates. One such principle is regulatory focus, which distinguishes self-regula ..."
-regulation with a promotion focus (accomplishments and aspirations)from self-regulation with a prevention focus (safety and responsibilities). This principle is used to reconsider the fundamental nature of approach-avoidance, expectancy-value relations, and emotional and evaluative sensitivities. Both types
Hierarchical Models of Object Recognition in Cortex
by Maximilian Riesenhuber, Tomaso Poggio , 1999
"... The classical model of visual processing in cortex is a hierarchy of increasingly sophisticated representations, extending in a natural way the model of simple to complex cells of Hubel and Wiesel. Somewhat surprisingly, little quantitative modeling has been done in the last 15 years to explore th ..."
The classical model of visual processing in cortex is a hierarchy of increasingly sophisticated representations, extending in a natural way the model of simple to complex cells of Hubel and Wiesel. Somewhat surprisingly, little quantitative modeling has been done in the last 15 years to explore the biological feasibility of this class of models to explain higher level visual processing, such as object recognition. We describe a new hierarchical model that accounts well for this complex visual task, is consistent with several recent physiological experiments in inferotemporal cortex and makes testable predictions. The model is based on a novel MAX-like operation on the inputs to certain cortical neurons which may have a general role in cortical function.
Statecharts: A Visual Formalism For Complex Systems
by David Harel , 1987
"... We present a broad extension of the conventional formalism of state machines and state diagrams, that is relevant to the specification and design of complex discrete-event systems, such as multi-computer real-time systems, communication protocols and digital control units. Our diagrams, which we cal ..."
We present a broad extension of the conventional formalism of state machines and state diagrams, that is relevant to the specification and design of complex discrete-event systems, such as multi-computer real-time systems, communication protocols and digital control units. Our diagrams, which we call statecharts, extend conventional state-transition diagrams with essentially three olements, dealing, respectively, with the notions of hierarchy, concurrency and communication. These transform the language of state diagrams into a highly structured' and economical description language. Statecharts are thus compact and expressive--small diagrams can express complex behavior--as well as compositional and modular. When coupled with the capabilities of computerized graphics, statecharts enable viewing the description at different levels of detail, and make even very large specifications manageable and comprehensible. In fact, we intend to demonstrate here that statecharts counter many of the objections raised against conventional state diagrams, and thus appear to render specification by diagrams an attractive and plausible approach. Statecharts can be used either as a stand-alone behavioral description or as part of a more general design methodology that deals also with the system's other aspects, such as functional decomposition and data-flow specification. We also discuss some practical experience that was gained over the last three years in applying the statechart formalism to the specification of a particularly complex system.
Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being
by Carol D. Ryff , 1989
"... Reigning measures of psychological well-being have little theoretical grounding, despite an extensive literature on the contours of positive functioning. Aspects of well-being derived from this literature (i.e., self-acceptance, positive relations with others, autonomy, environmental mastery, purpos ..."
-esteem, morale, locus of control, depression). Results revealed that positive relations with others, autonomy, purpose in life, and personal growth were not strongly tied to prior assessment indexes, thereby supporting the claim that key aspects of positive functioning have not been represented in the empirical


text:
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
20 eco-lodges to come on stream in northeast Iran
TEHRAN – A total of 20 eco-lodges, which are currently being constructed or renovated across the northeastern North Khorasan province, will come on stream by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (Mach 19, 2020).
For the time being, 133 eco-lodges are active across the province and 20 new ones will be added until the year-end, a provincial tourism official said, CHTN reported on Monday.
Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization said in 2018 that 2,000 eco-lodges will be constructed across the country until 2021.
Experts say each eco-lodge unit generates jobs for seven to eight people on the average so that the scheme could create 160,000 jobs.
Having a very diverse natural setting, Iran offers varied excursions to nature lovers. Sightseers may live with a nomad or rural family or enjoy an independent stay.
AFM/MG
11 new eco-lodges in Kordestan get operating licenses
Iran's 'biggest' eco-lodge inaugurated
Eco-lodges thriving in Iran's Golestan province
Visits to Golestan tourist attractions at 15.7m in H1
come on stream


For some insurers, acquisition activity has created legal entity structures with a number of different underwriting platforms and locally regulated subsidiaries across jurisdictions. This can result in the cost and inefficiency of multiple regulatory rules, relationships and returns, and when the solvency requirements of all the various subsidiaries are added together, an aggregate capital requirement that can be much higher than that of a single consolidated business.
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text:
Royal Thai Air Force orders two additional EC725 helicopters
The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) has placed an order for two additional EC725 multirole utility helicopters.
The additional aircraft are being acquired as part of Phase III of the fleet strengthening programme initiated in 2012.
The two new Airbus Helicopters-built helicopters will be delivered in 2019.
These helicopters will join its existing operating fleet of four EC725s, with two more to be delivered this year.
Airbus Helicopters Southeast Asia and Pacific region head Philippe Monteux said: "This latest contract marks the great confidence the RTAF has placed in the EC725 and its proven capabilities to fulfil its most challenging missions.
"We are honoured to be a partner of the RTAF's fleet modernisation and strengthening efforts and we remain committed to ensure full support and comprehensive services to the RTAF."
The RTAF's EC725s are specially equipped with fast roping, cargo sling, search light and electro-optical systems (EOS) to perform combat search-and-rescue (CSAR) missions, search and rescue (SAR) flights, troop transport operations and other tasks, the company said.
"The two new Airbus Helicopters-built helicopters will be delivered in 2019."
The twin-engine multirole utility helicopter features navigation and mission systems such as digital four-axis autopilot to deliver better flight autonomy.
It is currently in service with the armed forces of France, Brazil, Mexico, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.
Kuwait has also recently placed an order for 30 EC725 helicopters.
Image: The RTAF's EC725s helicopters . Photo: © Airbus Helicopters.
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She is a Victorian Assessor for Certificate III and IV as well as an Instructor and has been a keynote speaker at several industry events.
Certificate IV in Pet Styling (ACM40612).


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You are at:Home»News»Animal Health»Pigs resistant to ASF and PRRS are on their way
Pigs resistant to ASF and PRRS are on their way
By	Colin Ley on	 March 3, 2016 Animal Health
The prospect of being able to raise pigs that have a high level of resistance to African swine fever (ASF) and/or PRRSv is getting closer, thanks to two separate programmes of research being carried out in Scotland and the US.
The ASF development is based at Roslin Institute, near, Edinburgh, while the PRRSv work is centred on the University of Missouri. In each case, current research is focused on the use of advanced genetic techniques to produce pigs that are potentially resilient to the diseases.
Starting with the ASF work at Roslin, the pigs involved there carry a version of a gene that's usually found in warthogs and bush pigs, a step that the institute's researchers believe may stop them from becoming ill from ASF. This is because while standard farmed pigs quickly become ill and die when infected by ASF, warthogs and bush pigs show no symptoms under the same exposure to infection.
Roslin's research is focused on one of the pig genes associated with ASF infection, called RELA, that causes the immune system to overreact with devastating effects.
"Warthogs and bush pigs carry a different version of the RELA gene from that found in farmed pigs," a Roslin spokesman said. "Scientists believe that this variant, which is known as an allele, may dampen the immune response and explain why they are more resilient to ASF."
Researchers used a gene-editing technique to modify individual letters of the pigs' genetic code, discovering that by changing just five letters in the RELA gene, they converted it to the allele that's found in the warthog.
The work builds on previous research in which similar techniques were used to produce pigs with a single letter of their genetic code altered. This is the first time researchers have successfully swapped alleles in an animal's genetic code using gene editing.
"Our goal is to improve the welfare of farmed pigs around the world, making them healthier and more productive for farmers," the head of developmental biology at the institute, Professor Bruce Whitelaw, said.
The ASF work involves a collaboration between scientists at Roslin and Sangamo Biosciences, California, with funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and Genus plc.
Genus is also involved in the PRRSv development, having recently signed an exclusive global licensing agreement with the University of Missouri (MU) for intellectual property relating to PRRSv-resistant pigs.
This work also involves gene editing, allowing changes to be made in the genome of the animal without introducing genetic material from another organism.
"In the case of the PRRSv-resistant pigs, small changes were made to remove a single gene from the pigs that produces a protein, known as CD163," Genus explained. "The CD163 protein is required by the PRRS virus for infection to occur."
The company also stated that by using precise gene editing, MU has been able to breed pigs that don't produce a specific protein necessary for the PRRS virus to spread."
Of course, any public mention of such things as gene editing immediately raises questions about how this relates to genetic modification (GM), a point Genus also addressed.
"People using the term GM are often referring to transgenic genetic modification technologies in which the genetic material of the organism has been altered by the addition of genetic material from another species. These types of transgenic 'genetically modified organisms' would likely not exist if not for human intervention.
"However, the gene-editing technology used to create protection from PRRSv doesn't involve transplanting genes from one species to another; rather it involves the simple inactivation of one of the pig's gene products."
Just about the only obvious downside from these two projects is that producers will need to be patient in waiting for the new high-resistance pigs to become available commercially. Genus has warned, in fact, that it'll be at least five years until PRRSv-resistant pigs are available to pork producers.
Colin Ley
Freelance journalist Colin Ley is Pig World's website news reporter


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ELLIOTT REDEEMED Release Blitz
ELLIOTT REDEEMED by Scarlett Cole
SMP Swerve
ISBN: 9781250132451; Price: $4.99
A single mom and tortured musician find common ground in Scarlett Cole's Elliott Redeemed, the second standalone romance about the band Preload.
Elliott "Pyro" Dawson burns up the lead guitar like a legend. But the nickname Pyro isn't just a clever play on words. It's much darker. A past he's fought like hell to overcome.
Grocery store cashier Kendalee Walker is at her wits end and homeless. She's watched her fourteen-year-old son, Daniel, go so far off the rails, he can no longer see the tracks.
When the two are brought together, attraction flares, but can Elliott find the family he never had with the sexy woman and her son, or will he fall back on dangerous habits?
When all the wood was finally stacked next to his clearing, Elliott dove into the lake to cool down. Excitement began to trickle through his veins. Once he was cool, he dried off a little and wandered into the house to get one of the now-cold beers and his box of supplies.
The piano intro to "Pretending" started, and he laughed. Shuffle was reading his fucking mind.
He walked back to the fire pit and put the box down carefully on one of the Muskoka chairs nearby. He took a swig of beer, eyed his supplies, and ran his hand over the rough logs. He'd build a stack of pallets and logs similar to an inukshuk. The Inuit had used them as landmarks, and it would be one for him. It would mark home.
Elliott took his time sorting the logs into pairs of similar sizes and began to cautiously stack them. If they fell over too soon as they burned, it would ruin the effect, so he used some of the smaller pieces to build a frame to stop the logs from rolling. Periodically, he would lay a wooden pallet across the logs. When he'd used up his supplies, the structure was nearly as tall as he was. Need coursed through him. The matches were in the box, calling to him as they always did. The compulsion, the urges were so very strong. But giving into the gratification too soon ruined everything. By holding out, he could convince himself that he was the one in control. And, anyway, lighting it before it was truly dark would ruin the effect.
Forcing himself to put one foot in front of the other, he turned away and walked back into the house to make some supper. He cut up the pre-cooked chicken and served himself some of the ready-made sides he'd picked up at Loblaws, periodically looking out the window to check his structure. It would burn well, the pallets igniting faster than the logs, sending flames high into the air. Elliott took a step toward the door, desperate to strike the first match, but then turned back. He forced himself to grab a fork from the drawer, another beer from the fridge, and the plate from the counter, and wandered outside, taking a seat on the patio.
The sun went down as he ate his fill. Thoughts of Kendalee spending another night in the hospital eating takeout food kept going through his mind, and he wondered what she would think of him if she knew this was the reason he'd had to get out of Toronto for a couple of days.
Why did he think he was capable of helping Daniel when he couldn't even stop himself? Daniel needed someone stronger than him. Someone who had enough self-control to take the extra few minutes to clean up the dirty dishes from dinner before stepping down toward the pier.
Elliott opened the box reverently, and pulled out his favorite lighter. He loved the sound it made as his thumb ran quickly over its rough surface. At his command, it came to life, a flame snapping high into the dark night. He grabbed four long matches and placed all four tips into the flame at once. They hissed to life, the smell of sulphur filling his nostrils, calming him as much as it excited him.
There was no way he'd ever be good enough for someone like Kendalee. He placed the first long match down in the corner of the fire pit, watching as the kindling took hold. He walked to the next corner and repeated the action, savoring the crackle and snap of the wood in the fire's path. The heat began to lick at his skin, but he couldn't step away. He would never be able to tell her why he understood Daniel, and that would always get in the way. He placed a match in the third corner and breathed deeply in a bid to control his heart rate. Moving quickly, he stepped to the fourth corner, but before he placed the match in the tinder, he ran it along the underside of his arm, pausing near his elbow. He grit his teeth tightly as the heat seared his skin. The bite of it cleared all thoughts from his head. Thoughts of the band, the tour, a small boy in the hospital, and a strawberry blonde he wanted to know better. None of them could compete with this.
Delicately, he placed the fourth match down and stepped back. The whole structure roared to life as flames climbed the wood.
Fire would always be his mistress. He didn't have room for anyone else.
Born in England, Scarlett Cole traveled the world, living in Japan and the United States before settling in Canada where she met her own personal hero – all six and a half feet of him. She now lives with her husband and children in Manchester, England where she's at work on her next book. She is the author of The Strongest Steel.
Website: http://www.scarlettcole.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itsscarlettcole/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ItsScarlettCole
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scarlettcole/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5UQK31
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/elliott-redeemed-scarlett-cole/1126791501
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781250132451
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/elliott-redeemed
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=l8MEDgAAQBAJ
Labels: Book Excerpt, Release Blitz


Mini golf is as American as apple pie. Who amongst us hasn't golfed our way through a first date, or a fun night with friends, or a first golfing experience with our kids? Carry on this American tradition at the following 10 best mini golf courses in Maryland!
As far as mini golf courses go, Embers Island Miniature Golf takes the cake. They offer two 18-hole mini golf courses with night golfing options. Golf around pirate ships, water hazards, caves, and more, all for the very reasonable $9.50 for adults.
The Gaithersburg Miniature Golf Course is a public mini golf course in Gaithersburg. This 18-hole course is perfect for a family outing or a fun date night. Parents, consider hosting your child's next birthday party on site.
The Island Green Family Fun Center offers a wide variety of entertainment options for the whole family, including a kid's zone, batting park, and golf range. In addition, their 18-hole mini golf course has been recently renovated, making it an even better option.
Fun Haven Golf in La Plata, Maryland is another all-inclusive entertainment center, offering a driving range, mini golf, and batting cage. Their 18-hole mini golf course is an exciting option for the entire family, regardless of skill levels. Make sure to show up at least an hour before closing to enjoy the course.
The Night Hawk Golf Center has plenty of options for adults, but their 19-hole mini-golf course is the main attraction. The course is professionally designed and offers "All Day Play" pricing for only $12. Score a hole in one on the final hole to win a free game.
Every resident of Montgomery County, Maryland knows a thing or two about the SplashPark and Mini-Golf down the road. Next to the SplashPark, an 18-hole mini golf course boasts "delicate contour changes, sloping greens, and natural obstacles." $8 gets you into both parks.
The Fun Zone Mini-Golf and Laser Tag center in McHenry, Maryland, is the perfect party spot for all ages. Enjoy their go-carts (or kiddie cart track for younger visitors), hit some balls in their batting cages, tag one another with lasers, or take advantage of their huge mini-golf facility. Consider picking up their "Miles of Smiles" all-day pass for the best value.
According to the Bel Air Golf Center's website, "The best thing about the Mini Golf is our low, low price!" It's only $5 a round per player. But don't let the great value allow you to discount their quality; this 18-hole layout is a fantastic time.
When in Laurel, where can you go for year-round golfing goodness? That's right: The Rocky Gorge 4 Seasons Golf Fairway. The name may be a mouthful, but that's only because it's trying to contain all the awesomeness in one title. This 19-hole course is "the perfect place for birthday parties, scouting events, field trips and corporate events." Whether you're coming for a corporate event or stopping in for an afternoon out, you're sure to have a good time.


Frequent change in leadership at the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) has prompted widespread corruption and crippled daily work at the most crowded front-line government office, affecting some 2,500 service seekers daily.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE) this week appointed Bishwo Nath Dhakal as the new head of the department. Dhakal is the eighth director general to take charge of one of the 'most corrupt' government offices in two-and-a-half years.
Regardless of crackdowns by anti-graft bodies in the recent months, there has been steady rise in corruption, sources said. With high level officials, including the Labour minister, turning blind eyes to the anomalies, fraudulent practices such as use of dual contract letters, false orientation and fake health certificates, has gone rampant.
There has been similar increase in other anomalies, including exorbitant recruitment charge from workers, use of made-up documents and final work permits, change of company and work in destination countries, forgery of embassy accreditation and so on. Ministry officials said the dominance of dishonest officials loyal to recruiting agencies has made it harder for authorities to control these irregularities.
High level sources said the Labour Minister for State Tek Bahadur Gurung has changed three director generals in three months after clash of interest with the recruiting agencies. He has also brought in dozens of his loyalists in various DoFE positions. Sources said Gurung, who also owns a recruiting agency, appointed these officials under the influence of manpower companies.
As a result, service seekers these days are compelled to spend a week to a month for works which used to done in few days in the past.
agencies," said a ministry source.
The MoLE has appointed some 250 staffers at the department in the past two years after many of its officials faced corruption charges and increased demand of workforce following the creation of country-specific sections.
The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) arrested nearly five dozens DoFE staffers in the past two years. The MoLE has appointed seven director generals at the department since March 2012, giving them an average of four months to prove themselves. Some of the former director generals told the Post that they were transferred after they planned to launch crackdown on the irregularities surrounding the foreign employment industry.
In early March 2012, the government transferred Purna Chandra Bhattarai to appoint Man Bahadur BK. Bhattarai was later reinstated following intense criticism in the media and civil society.
Binod KC, Rabindra Mohan Bhattarai, Krishna Hari Pushkar, Jagannath Devkota and Bishwo Nath Dhakal, respectively, took charge of the department in the later months. They hardly got time to feel comfortable in the new environment.


text:
Q: Microsoft ODBC driver can't find Oracle Instant Client I have an old 32-bit software program that connects to an Oracle database but only works with the Microsoft ODBC driver for Oracle.  It does not work with the more up-to-date native Oracle ODBC driver.
I have installed the Oracle Instant Client (32-bit and 64-bit versions on my 64-bit Win 7 PC), each into different ORACLE_HOME directories.
However when I try to connect via ODBC with Microsoft's driver, I get the error:

The Oracle(tm) client and networking components were not found.   These components are supplied by Oracle Corporation and are part of the Oracle Version 7.3 (or greater) client software installation.
You will be unable to use this driver until these components have been installed.

I can connect to the database fine with Oracle's ODBC driver so the install seems fine, but alas this program will only work with Microsoft's ODBC driver.
Since the Microsoft ODBC driver is apparently unable to find the Oracle Instant Client install, how should I tell it where to look?

A: Turns out this is quite simple.  You have to set the PATH environment variable to point to the ORACLE_HOME that you want to use.
For me, I edited the PATH to add ;C:\oracle\instantclient32_12_1 on the end and it worked perfectly, no restart needed.
For clarification, the C:\oracle\instantclient32_12_1 directory I specified contains files like oci.dll and ociw32.dll and belonged to the 32-bit Instant Client install.  I guess it doesn't matter for 64-bit, since there is no Microsoft ODBC 64-bit client.

A: Technology used: Windows 7, UFT 32 bit, Data Source ODBC pointing out to 32 bit C:\Windows\System32\odbcad32.exe, Oracle client with both versions installed 32 bit and 64 bit.
What worked for me:

*

*Start -> search for "Edit the system environment variables"

*System Variables -> Edit Path

*Place the path for Oracle client 32 bit in front of the path for Oracle Client 64 bit. Ex:
C:\APP\ORACLE\product\11.2.0\client_32\bin;C:\APP\ORACLE\product\11.2.0\client_64\bin

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
A Quick Guide to Legal Pot in California
Mother Jones illustration
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For Californians, legal cannabis is right around the corner. But we have questions. And as it turns out, many of you do, too. A couple weeks ago we wanted to know what questions you had about pot, and the responses were overwhelming. So we went through them and weeded out the most common questions.
First, let's be clear about what the law says. On November 8th, 2016, Californians passed the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, or Proposition 64. That law went into effect immediately, but licensed cannabis businesses aren't allowed to start selling recreational weed until January 1. On a basic level, Prop 64:
Allows adults 21 and older to possess up to one ounce of weed or eight grams of concentrated cannabis in public and grow up to six plants per residence.
Places taxes on the sale and cultivation of weed. We get into the specifics below.
Regulates marketing of cannabis products and specifically prohibits advertising weed directly to minors.
Grants some people with prior pot convictions the option to be re-sentenced and/or have their records destroyed.
Still, the law leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Here's what you, Mother Jones readers, wanted to know:
Just because you're allowed to possess weed in California doesn't mean that cities and counties will let businesses sell it. So far, only a few places have passed legislation allowing the sale of cannabis—and even fewer have started handing out licenses to pot shops. That means there will only be a small number of places you'll be able to buy recreational weed in California on January 1. Some of those places include San Diego, San Jose, and Oakland.
To find out if your city or county does allow recreational sales, you should check your local laws. The San Francisco Chronicle has spent months building a local law lookup tool. You can try it out here. (While the tool is updated regularly, the best way to look up your area's rules is on your city or county's website.)
At a basic level, Prop 64 allows those convicted with cannabis crimes to get out of jail—though not immediately—and have their records cleared in accordance to what the laws read now. It also makes a lot of crimes that were felonies now misdemeanors. For example, under Prop 64, the possession of weed with the intent to sell (previously a felony) is now a misdemeanor. So yes, a lot of those convicted with pot crimes could eventually get out of jail or have their sentences reduced.
Here's more information on how to get a weed-related charge removed from your record.
This is the million-dollar question, and nobody really knows the answer. But other states like Washington and Colorado, which have already legalized recreational pot, may give us a clue about what to expect.
Recreational cannabis sales began January 1, 2014 in Colorado, and between then and July 2017, weed prices dropped from about $1,900 per pound to about $1,300 per pound—a decline of about 30 percent, according to data from the Colorado Department of Revenue and analyzed by research firm Fitch Ratings. Prices are similar in California, where the average wholesale cost of weed was $1,525 per pound for the first half of 2017, while the national average was $1,614 per pound, according to industry data firm Cannabis Benchmarks.
While this price decline may be good for consumers, without an increase in demand for cannabis, states will see a loss of tax revenue as the price of pot drops. "A long-term decline in prices may ultimately be the greatest risk for state cannabis revenues," according to the Fitch Ratings report.
Fitch RatingsYes, under Prop 64, employers still have the right to a drug-free workplace. Even medical cannabis users aren't exempt from workplace drug tests.
You're right. State economists estimate that Golden State farmers produce about 13.5 million pounds of cannabis per year while residents only consume about 2.5 million. That leaves a whooping 11 million pounds of weed that probably gets shipped to the rest of the country. And even with legalization, economists predict about half of that 2.5 million pounds of cannabis consumed by Californians will still be bought from non-licensed sources.
The effect of California's legalization on the rest of the country's pot supply is uncertain. If taxes on legal cannabis are too high, researchers predict that growers and buyers may choose to stay in the untaxed black market, which means, in theory, the out-of-state price of cannabis wouldn't change. But, legalization could also make it a lot harder to grow and sell pot illegally. For example, California's cannabis cultivation licensing office in the Department of Food and Agriculture is developing a system where anyone can report illegal operations, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. And some local law enforcement agencies plan to use revenue generated from recreational sales to fund illegal pot busts, which would drive black market prices up.
While there is no physical difference between recreational and medical pot, California's recreational cannabis will be taxed in three major ways: (1) a 15 percent excise tax on cannabis retail sales; (2) a cannabis cultivation tax of $9.25 per ounce of flowers and $2.75 per ounce of leaves; (3) local and state taxes ranging from about 7.75 percent to 9.75 percent. All of this adds up to what experts predict will be an effective tax rate of about 45 percent on recreational pot. That's more than twice as much as Oregon and Alaska tax their non-medical cannabis.
California's medical marijuana patients will have to pay these new taxes as well, but are exempt from paying any sales tax.
California Attorney GeneralThis will make medical cannabis more expensive, but could ultimately be a good thing for the state of California.
If recreational pot is taxed at a significantly higher rate (making it more expensive) than medical pot and it's easy to obtain a medical cannabis card, many consumers would just choose to buy weed in an untaxed, medical market—and the state would miss out on millions of dollars in tax revenue. That happened in Washington following the beginning of retail sales in 2014 (though, in the first year of legalization, the state still raked in $70 million in tax revenue from legal weed sales).
Other states, like Colorado and Oregon, have chosen to fix this problem by enforcing strict laws on who can obtain a medical cannabis card. Since California laws prevent the state from making it harder for medical patients to access marijuana, lawmakers decided to tax both markets nearly the same.
On January 1, it will still be illegal to drive "while impaired by marijuana." However, law enforcement agencies in California haven't started using pot breathalyzers to enforce that law—yet. That's because they don't have a reliable method of measuring how much weed is in someone's system. While most breathalyzers work by measuring a person's blood alcohol content, or BAC, the compounds found in weed take much longer to dissolve in our bodies, so the same kind of blood test won't work. Oakland's Hound Labs is finalizing a breathalyzer that can measure (in parts per trillion) the amount of THC, an active ingredient in cannabis, on a person's breath. Still, it's unclear what the state will set as a legal limit, if anything all.
In terms of motor vehicle accidents—we don't really know what the effect of legalization will be on this. Here's what other states can tell us: In one study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, researchers noticed a three percent increase in the number of insurance claims filled for auto collisions following recreational weed legalization in Washington, Colorado, and Oregon, compared to nearby states that did not legalize cannabis. Another study published in the American Journal of Public Health around the same time found that legalization had no effect on the number of fatal car crashes in Colorado and Washington following legalization. While the two studies may seem to contradict each other, they were actually measuring two different things: the first measured the number of insurance claims filed and the second measured the number of fatal car crashes. This suggests that legalization may lead to an increase in only non-fatal crashes. Both studies concede, however, that future research is warranted.
First, here's some background: Prop 64, as passed by voters in 2016, originally restricted licensed cannabis farms to one acre in size. That measure, set to expire in 2023, was intended to give small-scale farmers a head start in the new recreational market. Last month, however, a set of emergency regulations issued by the state changed that. The new regulations now allow farmers to seek an unlimited number of small-farm licenses, beginning in January 2018—opening the market to Big Ag.
"California only has one chance to get this right, and it is already on the wrong path with this last-minute change that flies in the face of what the backers of Prop. 64 promised," Hezekiah Allen, executive director of the California Growers Association, a group that lobbies for cannabis farmers, told the LA Times earlier this month. "This single decision will hand over the California marketplace to multinational corporations and a wealthy few at the expense of thousands of growers who are ready to play by the rules and provide economic opportunity in communities that until recently were criminalized or—at the very least—marginalized."
Still, all cannabis grown in California will subject to the same quality standards as small-scale growers. If you do wish to support small business, we recommend asking your local budtenders (the folks who work at pot shops) about which farms to support.
Yup. For people with a medical card, THC-infused ice cream has been a thing for years. Ben & Jerry's founders even considered making pot ice cream in 2015. There are also places that sell THC-infused goodies including cookies, brownies, candy, coffee, nuts, teas, granola, potato chips, olive oil, butter, peanut butter, and water.
In states that already have legalized pot, the market for edibles is booming as more non-smokers get into cannabis. Across Washington, Colorado, and Oregon, edibles ranked third in terms of market share (after flowers and concentrated cannabis products), with 12 percent of the $2.33 billion weed market across all three states, according to cannabis market research group BDS Analytics.
Image credit: kazatin/Getty
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