Happy Columbus Day, that is, if you are here in the US. Hopefully you are luckier than I am and have today off. Unfortunately, it's a holiday the company I work for doesn't really observe. But nonetheless, I do enjoy that the office is somewhat quiet today, it means I won't have many interruptions writing this blog post. So, lets get right to the post, Powers Gold Label 12 Year-Old Special Reserve.
The first time I ever had the original Powers Gold Label Irish whiskey (click link to read blog post) I was extremely impressed. For the price, you get a quality and great tasting whiskey, which to me is a win-win. This 12 year-old is essentially an aged version of that original Gold Label. The tasting notes are bolder, spicier and a bottle will cost you more, as it averages about $40-$44. Depending on where you buy, it's about double the cost of the Gold Label.
I too was very impressed with the 12 year-old but, I will say that if you are on a budget and were unsure of which of these two to get, I would hands down go for the original Gold Label. For me personally, even if I weren't on a budget I would still grab the original Gold Label.
Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy and liked the 12 year-old Special Reserve, I just liked the original a bit more. The original is crisper and yes, to me smoother. The notes weren't as bold but they were harmoniously balanced. It lends itself to an every day whiskey. Now on the other hand, if you are looking for something bolder and a bit heavier then the 12 year-old is the bottle I would recommend.
Honestly, you can't go wrong with either the original or the 12 year-old, in the end it all really depends on what you are looking to get. I would recommend trying both.


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Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, guru and tycoon, died on February 5th, aged 91 (probably)
ObituaryFeb 14th 2008 edition
VISITORS entering the World Bank in Washington one sweaty day in 1987 might have been surprised to come upon a team of smiling young men, legs neatly folded into the lotus position, hopping like frogs. In fact, most visitors were probably not surprised at all. Like many happenings connected with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, this display of "yogic flying" had been well advertised. The only surprise was that the bank, usually cast as a bastion of hard-headed rationality, should provide such a ready audience for an event whose aim was not physical fitness but world peace.
Thirty years earlier the maharishi, who had studied maths and physics at Allahabad University, had calculated that one person practising the transcendental meditation he promoted could induce virtuous behaviour among 99 non-meditators. He had already, in 1944, helped to get 2,000 Vedic pandits, learned followers of one of the four holy books of the Hindus, to chant mantras in an effort to bring the second world war to an end. He had again assembled meditators in 1963 to solve the Cuban missile crisis. But his ambitions were bigger—world peace, no less—and by the 1980s he had come to realise that to bring harmony to a world of 5 billion people, he would need 50m meditators.
Undaunted, he did the arithmetic again, this time factoring in meditation of deep purity and concentration (including yogic flying), and happily found he needed a number no greater than the square root of 1%—a mere 7,000 or so. Accordingly, 7,000 flyers were assembled during the Taste of Utopia conference in Fairfield, Iowa, in 1984. Annoyingly, though, the "wide range of positive effects worldwide" ended with the conference. Something similar happened after 7,000 students gathered for yogic flying and Vedic chanting near Delhi in 1988. The Berlin Wall came down all right and the cold war ended, but the money needed to keep the group airborne ran out and, dammit, "new tensions" started to arise in the world.
If only the maharishi had had the necessary funds. Actually, he had. He may not have known how to make peace, but he certainly knew how to make money. After years studying under a Hindu divine in the late 1950s, he had pronounced himself a maharishi (great seer) and set up the Spiritual Regeneration Movement. This took transcendental meditation, which he had trademarked, to the world, with Hollywood one of the first stops. Disciples paid $2,500 for a five-day course, learning how to reach a "deeper level" of consciousness by inwardly repeating a mantra twice a day for 20 minutes.
Real fame came when the Beatles beat a path to his door, seeking enlightenment and spirituality through good vibrations. George Harrison had already fallen under the spell of the sitar and the maharishi's message appealed to John Lennon's angry pacifism. Before long the Fab Four were ensconced in the maharishi's ashram in the foothills of the Himalayas. Their stay was only a modified success, though, with Lennon and Ringo Starr complaining about the food, and all of them, perhaps, beginning to resent their host's transcendental interest in using them for publicity, if not an outright percentage of their earnings.
No matter. Plenty of others were ready to step forward for a dose of spiritual bliss, and not all were celebrities. In America meditation was judged to be just the tonic for a variety of people ranging from underperforming executives to recidivist prisoners. An army general even joined the board of Maharishi International University, set up in Fairfield in 1974. All in all, some 5m people are said to have been taught the maharishi's techniques since 1955.
His other ventures blossomed, too. A property empire was valued at over $3 billion ten years ago. A television station offered meditation courses to subscribers in 144 countries. Companies sold unguents, books, videos and Ayurvedic treatment. His political movement, the Natural Law Party, which in the 1990s pursued the goal of world government by fighting elections in America, Britain and several other countries, was less successful, and eventually folded. This, however, did not stop the maharishi then launching the raam, a global currency intended to foster development.
Imagine (all the things he didn't do)
Crank? Crackpot? Charlatan? Maybe all three. Yet the maharishi was generally benign. He did not use his money for sinister ends. He neither drank, nor smoked, nor took drugs. Indeed, he is credited with weaning the Beatles off dope (for a while). He did not accumulate scores of Rolls-Royces, like Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh; his biggest self-indulgence was a helicopter. Nor was he ever accused of molesting choirboys; his greatest sexual impropriety, it was said, was to make a pass at Mia Farrow. He giggled a lot, and plainly had no lack of self-esteem. But his egotism did not mean he was always wringing his hands at pop concerts or blethering at Davos; after the 1960s he seldom appeared in public.
Moreover, his message was entirely laudable. He did not promote a cult or even a mainstream religion preaching original sin, purgatory and the likelihood of eternal damnation. He just wanted to end poverty, teach people how to achieve personal fulfilment and help them to discover "Heaven on Earth in this generation". And yogic flying, of course.
This article appeared in the Obituary section of the print edition under the headline "Maharishi Mahesh Yogi"
More from Obituary
Defender of the right
Obituary: Sir Roger Scruton died on January 12th
Obituary: Qassem Suleimani was assassinated on January 3rd
Tearing down the past
Obituary: Yuri Luzhkov died on December 10th

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From the Archives: Plank Your Way to a Strong Core!
And oldie but goodie for you today – one of my favorites, the Plank!
The Plank is one of the most versatile full-body exercises you can do. As I tell my Pilates classes, the beauty of the Plank is that it never gets easy, just easier … and when it does, there are plenty of ways to make it harder.
Basic Plank: Get into a push-up position, with arms directly in line with the shoulders. Tuck your abs in tight, and maintain a straight line from your head down to your toes. The key here is to focus on maintaining a flat plane – as I like to say, no butts and no bellies (this takes the tension away from the abs, instead putting pressure on the low back or the shoulders).
To make it easier, you can change your position to hands and knees, forearms and toes, or forearms and knees.
To make it harder, you can lift one foot, one arm, or one arm and the opposite foot at the same time.
If you have a Swiss ball, you have a few more options. To position the ball at the upper body, you can keep both feet (or knees) down on the ground, with forearms or straight arms on the ball. To position the ball on the lower body, you can roll out so that the ball rests anywhere below the knees (out to the toes), with straight arms (top of a push-up position).
If you have a medicine ball of any weight, you can do several variations to the Swiss ball Plank. One option includes placing both hands on the medicine ball, with the weight either in your toes or knees. For another, you can place the toes on the ball, upper body balanced by the hands or the forearms.
Feeling adventurous? Place the medicine ball under one foot, and extend the other foot back and off the ground. It may take a few tries to get the footing down, but you can get adjusted easier if you start with the ball against a wall. To switch feet, bring both feet onto the ball, and roll to the other side so your body is still in proper alignment. It's TOUGH!
Form. It's what I'd call one of those little things that makes a big difference.
One of the most important things to focus on not only when you are new to exercise, but at any time, is the positioning of your body – what is commonly referred to as your "form." It's an easy way to make your workout more effective, lessen your chances of injury, and, quite honestly, keep you from looking like you don't know what you're doing.
I'll admit to being a bit of a stickler for form. If you've ever taken a class with me, undoubtedly you've had to endure the repeated chorus of "use your muscle, not your momentum," "tuck your bellybutton into your spine," "drop your shoulders down into your back pockets," "keep your heads up," "make sure your arms line up with [fill in the blank]," or one of the many other form cues I have a tendency to throw out there. I can blame – and thank – a particularly fantastic trainer I worked with several years ago, who to this day I still credit for teaching me all the little form, routine and nutrition tricks that really do have a huge impact on my workouts today.
Stand up straight. It doesn't matter if you're lifting, running, walking, or doing something else upright. It makes me INSANE when I see someone crunched over a cardio machine (You know why it feels easier? Because it is. Don't be lazy.) The more you focus on your posture, the better your body will feel both during and after. Remember: pick standing over seated when you can – it engages the core muscles for a little extra work.
Think about your joints. Keep your elbows tight to your sides for bicep curls. Focus on keeping your shoulders down and lifting with your wrists for lateral raises. And whatever you do, don't let your shoulders creep up into your ears (it's terrible for your neck)!
Be aware of your core. There's a reason it's called a core – it is the center of your body, the powerhouse for everything you do. A tight core means stabilized muscles … which are easier to control … which are easier to keep in good form. This is exactly why I recommend Pilates for everyone – it strengthens the core (abs, back, hips), which is only going to make it easier for you to strengthen everything else.
Don't be afraid to start light. I know, women are constantly being told not to be afraid to lift heavy, and men aren't going to be seen lifting 10 lb. weights. But it's always best to lift a little lighter than you think you really need to if you are new to something (or trying to correct form). It'll help you build muscle memory … meaning good form can come naturally from there on out.
Take a little time to focus on your form during your next workout. It may feel a little different at first – but that's a good thing! And please, PLEASE … stop hanging all over those cardio machines and throwing your weights. You people kill me.
A good Spinning class relies on a number of things: an energetic instructor, a great playlist, and perhaps most importantly, a comfortable bike fit.
1. If your bike is fit correctly, you should be pretty comfortable.
2. Come take a class with me. We don't sit much.
The best advice I can give to would-be cyclists is to show up early to class, and ask the instructor to help you set your bike for your body. It only takes a few minutes, and once you know where your setting should be, you should be good to go in the future. Until then, check out this great video from Fitbie, which takes you through the steps to find the perfect fit for you: Video: 4 Tricks for the Perfect Spin Bike Fit.
And remember, this is the time of year that classes start getting packed early, so make sure you get to class early (my classes have been full before the start of class since the last week of October). Happy riding!
Your Momentum Doesn't Impress Me. Your Good Form Will.
Every once in a while, my many hours at the gym lead me to see something that eventually leads to the perfect blog post topic. Today was one of those days.
My current teaching schedule makes it somewhat challenging to get in weight workouts as often as I'd like throughout the week, so I decided to stick around for a bit after my classes this morning to fit in a little back and chest. As I was transitioning from one exercise to the next, I happened to catch a man out of the corner of my eye … which leads to my topic for today.
No, it's not what to wear to attract a mate in the gym (trust me, I am NOT the best source for that … although I do make an effort to appear pretty put together despite the sweat). It's not how to put your weights back where they belong (although also super-important), or remembering to wipe down your machines (ditto).
No, I want to talk (write?) about form. Namely, proper form, in which your muscle, not your momentum, helps you to power through an exercise.
I happened to catch a man out of the corner of my eye as I was transitioning from one exercise to the next, and it took every ounce of me to not walk over to him and ask if he had any clue what he was doing. He was sitting on a bench, literally SWINGING 30-lb. weights, in what I think was intended to be bicep curls. I'm quite confident every muscle from his waist up was helping him to lift the weights. They were clearly too heavy for him, but he just kept swinging along.
That said, I will admit to being a stickler for form. I'm one of those people who tends to stare intently at myself in the mirror when I'm doing … well … just about any exercise. And it's not because I like to look at myself (though I am one who can't walk past a mirror without a quick check) – it's because I like to keep tabs on the alignment of my body as I go through a workout, because it's so incredibly easy to not even realize when your body slips out of place.
I get that this is the age of crossfit, in which form is sometimes not considered the most important element. I get that not every lift will look perfect, and that sometimes there will be a little compensation from other muscles to make up for a weakness. What I don't understand is the rationale behind flying through an exercise, literally throwing a weight, majority of the body in motion. This does not help you achieve anything. Except perhaps a trip to the chiropractor.
So, what makes for good form? First off, it starts with the core. I think absolutely everyone should do Pilates – and it's not because I'm a Pilates instructor, but rather because Pilates is the most comprehensive program that has consistently shown to improve core strength. A strong core means increased stability throughout the entire body.
Here's a little exercise to get you started: stand tall, with your legs about shoulder width apart. Imagine you are corseted – pull your bellybutton in tight, as if you are trying to get it to touch your spine. At the same time, think about tucking your shoulder blades into your back pockets – if you're doing it correctly, you should feel a little taller, with a relaxed upper body, the chest strong and almost pushed forward. Feel pretty stable? You should. Make a conscious effort to keep yourself aligned this way as you lift (or run, or cycle).
Once the core is engaged, take a moment to become aware of the rest of your body. I like to refer to it as using your "muscle vs. momentum." In theory (though not always practice), you want to be able to stop the motion at almost any point. If you can't, that means you're using your momentum instead of your muscles – and getting a lot less out of an exercise than you could be.
Bottom line: don't waste your time! If you have to use momentum, or recruit extra muscles to get through an exercise, lessen your weight, or try a modified version of an exercise. It will keep you safer from injury, and most likely you'll start to see results more quickly, too. Not to mention, you look a lot less ridiculous when you take the time to do the work the right way!
But as any avid runner will tell you, and as is the case with any other workout you could choose to partake in, your form will play as big a part in your success as your commitment to take the time out of your day to do it. Which is why I was glad to come across this: Fix Your Running Form | Fitbie.
It's amazing how a few small changes can make your run both safer and more effective. The article suggests you take a look at the lean of your body, the positioning of your hands and your footstrike and how much you use your arms to help you push forward, and also engage in speed drills to help keep you on your toes (in more ways than one).
Running can be one of the most relaxing leisure activities you can engage in – I can often feel the stress of the day literally melt out of my upper back once I've found my stride. Make sure you are getting the most out of your run – check your form, find a breathing rhythm, and, most importantly, just relax and have fun!
How can you make any workout feel a little easier? Just breathe.
It's true – proper breathing not only helps you get through a lift (or run, or class, or whatever your workout of choice is), but it can actually make it feel less challenging.
Breathe deeply. You want the breath to come from your diaphragm – think the air filling deep within your belly. Feel your ribs expand and pull away from your center as you inhale, and tuck back in tight as you exhale.
Breathe evenly. Yogis, Pilates enthusiasts, swimmers, runners, cyclists … they all have different ways taking in and exhaling breath (be it through the nose or mouth). Keeping your breath even is what matters the most – it can help to stabilize your heart rate and keep your muscles fully oxygenated, allowing you to push harder.
Let your core help. I always tell my Pilates and cycling classes to tighten up their abs as they exhale – it allows you to exhale fully, while at the same time giving you a little bonus ab work. And who doesn't love a little extra benefit without the work?
Watch your head! The more space you can fit between your chin and your chest, the more open your airway will be. This allows the breath to flow more freely in and out of your body.
Finally, if you don't mind people potentially looking at you funny … don't be afraid to sing (I try to talk my cycling classes into joining me all the time, but they rarely do). Singers are specially trained to breathe well, and at specific points in a song – and they have incredible lung capacity and breath control as a result. Who cares if you don't sound like Usher or Adele? You'll be burning more calories, working more efficiently and even having a little fun at the same time.
Spend enough time in a gym, and you're sure to start noticing the little mistakes that hold people back from achieving the results they are striving for. Which is why I was drawn in by this article: Worst Workout Mistakes on the Elliptical Trainer Machine – Prevention.com.
Truthfully, the elliptical is a great machine – it offers a low impact workout, and, when used correctly, can offer great fat-torching benefits. But take a look around a gym, and you're sure to see all of the mistakes mentioned in this list. Among my favorites: little to no resistance, warp-speed, slouching and, one that's not listed here – paying more attention to your reading material than your workout.
Little to no resistance: Yes, it does feel easy. Because essentially, you're doing nothing. Personally, I love keeping the elliptical at a medium to high level resistance (usually between 10-16 out of 20 on my trusty Precor) – you may not be moving too quickly, but you are definitely forcing your muscles to work harder the heavier you go … meaning you add a muscle-building element to your cardio workout.
Warp-speed: If it looks like your machine is about to take off, you are probably moving too fast – which means your resistance is too light. Bump up your resistance. People are probably looking at you like you're crazy.
Slouching: I've discussed this in the past – if you are slouching, you aren't getting all the benefits out of your workout. Leaning on the machine can reduce your calorie burn upwards of 30%. So stand up straight, and if your machine doesn't have handles, try to let go – you'll work harder, and engage those ever-important core muscles (three words: bonus ab work).
Reading rather than working: If you are intent on your reading material, you are taking energy away from your workout. It's a lot easier to "phone it in" when you are engrossed in your book or magazine instead of your workout. Add some new tunes to the iPod instead – it's proven that listening to music while you work out can actually make you work harder (without even realizing it).
So, there they are – just a few reasons you could be holding yourself back without even knowing it. Check out the link for several more easily correctable mistakes that can help you get the most out of your elliptical workout (a few to check out: not putting your information in the machine – yes, ellipticals tend to be the biggest offenders when it comes to over-reporting calorie burn, and you don't change directions – you're missing out on working an entirely different set of muscles).
Just getting started? Read these tips first! 14 great tips to make sure you can stay committed to your routine – and on track to the best shape (and health) of your life.
14 Exercise Mistakes Beginners Make – iVillage.
Though we don't officially ring in summer until next week here in Virginia, the weather has absolutely been telling us otherwise. We have already topped 90 degrees a few times in the last several weeks, and as I've been telling all of my classes, you still have a good three months of shorts and tank tops ahead of you.
That said, now is a great time to present you with the Pilates Side-Lying Leg series – at least the version of it that I typically use in my Pilates classes (there is a much more evil leg series I save for special occasions – though my Piloxing classes tend to get a little piece of it each week). So grab a mat and get ready to get your legs in enviable shape while it's still shorts, skirts and sundresses season, because here they are!
Setup: Feet to the front corner of the mat, back lined up with the back of the mat, hips stacked. Head can be rested down on the bicep, held up with the hand, or you can be propped up on the forearm – with the last option, be sure to maintain an open space between the ribs and the mat (otherwise you lose the tension – and work – in your abs), and keep the shoulder pressed down (a shrugged shoulder puts a lot of pressure on the shoulder joint).
Note: Exercises flow one right into the next – no breaks between. Complete one side in its entirety before moving onto the next leg.
Top leg kicks forward twice, and presses back once.
With top leg extended to the back, bend the leg, kicking the heel toward the glute. Pull the bent leg forward and through, extending completely, and return to start as if you were pedaling a bicycle.
With top leg extended to the front, bend the leg, push the heel toward the back and extend. Sweep the leg back to the front.
With several inches between the feet, draw 8 circles forward with the top foot, then draw 8 circles backward with the top foot.
Top leg is extended straight, parallel to bottom leg, several inches above the ground. Without moving the top leg, bring the bottom leg up to meet it.
Legs start extended, one of top of the other. The top leg bends, with the toes drawing in toward the knee. Extend the toes to the sky, leg straight, then slowly drag the leg back down to the ground.
Hint: Use the natural resistance of your body against gravity – think of dragging your leg down through mud or wet cement.
Legs start extended, one on top of the other. Slowly lift the top leg as high as you can comfortably lift, then bend the leg with toes at the knee and slide back out to start.
Hint: Use the natural resistance of your body against gravity – think of a string tied around your toes, dragging you to the ceiling as you fight against it.
Top leg bent, with the foot flat on the floor in front of the bottom thing. Flex the bottom foot and flex up to the sky, leading with the instep.
Don't get frustrated if you find youself needing to take a break at any time throughout these exercises … they're HARD! I wish that I could tell you that they eventually get easy – but in all honesty, I've been doing Pilates pretty regularly since the fall of 2003, and to this day, my hip starts burning right about the time we make it to the small leg circles. But, as always, a little discomfort is worth it when you see the changes in your body! Enjoy!
Click here for a good laugh, 80s "fitness" style: Fitness Flashback: The Thighmaster | Fitbie.
I came across this gem over the weekend, and couldn't help but share. Sadly, it makes me think of my college roommate, Deana, who actually had one of these (which she'd pull out infrequently) … and several of our sorority sisters who would pop into our room and end up playing with it (though I don't believe ever using it as intended).
Kind of makes you wonder … how do people come up with some of this stuff? Knowing that it's impossible to spot reduce (sorry!), it continues to amaze me that people are still willing to plunk down 3 easy payments of $19.95+shipping and handling (or something along those lines) for something you know is going to end up in the back of a closet somewhere within a few months.
Hope this one gives you a laugh. Now get out there and put in some real work if you want to see real results – anything worth having is worth working for!
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Bid for 4,000 new homes takes leap forwards
Sheffield City Council's multi-million pound bid to enable over 4,000 new homes to be built on 34 brownfield sites in Sheffield has taken a significant leap forwards.
The Sheffield bid has been shortlisted along with 44 others for funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
The bid is part of the council's 'brownfield first' approach that seeks to build homes on land that has been used for development previously. The authority will be awarded millions of pounds of extra funding for infrastructure, such as improved traffic junctions and flood defences, to encourage housing development on these sites – which are often more difficult to develop.
The new homes will be in and around the city centre. The council is welcoming this valuable opportunity to work with government on the strategic plan for the area.
Councillor Ben Curran, Cabinet member for Planning and Development said:
"We're doing everything we can to encourage more house building in Sheffield, so I'm absolutely delighted that we've been shortlisted for this extra funding.
"The national housing crisis is hitting people here in Sheffield as well. This investment is needed to help us build the homes we need on the brownfield sites that we want. House building also brings new job opportunities to the city so we really want to ensure we make it through to the next stage."
"This bid is only the start. We have much bigger plans to develop along the canal and develop a Sheffield to Rotherham corridor to deliver thousands of new homes and regeneration to those communities."
The council now has until Autumn 2018 to develop a more detailed plan or funding bid.
If the bid is successful, the first new homes would be built in 2020, with approximately 3,600 homes being built by 2025.
This bid is the first stage of an ambitious plan to develop the Sheffield and Rotherham corridor that could deliver around 18,000 homes on brownfield land and much needed economic regeneration in this area that will benefit both Sheffield and Rotherham.
Cllr Ben Curran
Communities and Local Government
Ministry of Housing
Call to fit and fund sprinkler systems in high-rise buildings
Tenants and residents to get a better deal
Sheffield to deliver more new homes


Dr. Humberto Soriano, an American-trained pediatrician from Chile, presents his findings of implementing the Icelandic prevention model in his country. He explains how to best protect our youth from the opioid epidemic and how we can best implement this prevention model in our state.
Host Dennis McMahon, Esq., is joined by Jessie Swétel (Sweh-tell), Executive Director of the Milton Artists' Guild.


David Lee Myers is a visual and sound artist who lives in New York. Since 1987 produces electronic music under his own name or under the pseudonym Arcane Device. Today he has a discography of 20 albums in Generator, ReR, Silent, RRRecords, Staalplaat, among other labels.
The first time I listened to David Lee Myers's music was through his Arcane Device moniker in the early 90's.
Lee Myers has collaborated with renowned artists such as Asmus Tietchens, Tod Dockstader, Thomas Dimuzio and VidnaObmana, among others.
His music is characterized by the incorporation of "feedback machines" which consists of the interaction between misfigured microphones and speakers when they are being amplified, producing high-pitched chirps.


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Q: php arrays - detect modified row and edit In my HTML page, I have a form where users can add new rows using a button.
A "row" is composed of an input (interventions) and a select (interventions_status) and you can have "unlimited" rows.
When the form is submitted, it builds arrays (interventions, interventions_status), that I store in my database using serialize.
The input interventions is build (value) like this : WHAT_DOES_THE_USER_DO||LAST_EDITED_BY||LAST_EDITED_TIMESTAMP.
Buuut, that I want is that the LAST_EDITED_BY and LAST_EDITED_TIMESTAMP to be updated by my script. In fact, "||" is a
separator and only WHAT_DOES_THE_USER_DO is displayed to users.
In order to update the value of my interventions input, I have to detect if a row has been edited. And if it has been edited, to update
the LAST_EDITED_BY and LAST_EDITED_TIMESTAMP. But, a row can only be edited depending on the select, interventions_status which
contains only a number (0 = ok, 1 = no, 3 = in progress).
interventions_status and interventions are on "the same row", so if I edit interventions_status[3] for row 3, it is "linked" with interventions[3].
So, if third select edited, I would like to edit the third input also.
I've tried using array_diff comparing the saved (db) version and the posted version of interventions_status (don't forget that datas are serialized) then trying to "select" the interventions row that match the edited intervention_status. But doesn't working...
Maybe you have a better solution?
Hope it's clear...
Table :
+----+------------------+----------------------+-----------+
| id | interventions    | interventions_status | engine_id |
+----+------------------+----------------------+-----------+
| 1  | SERIALIZED_DATAS | SERIALIZED_DATAS     | 298E70D   |
+----+------------------+----------------------+-----------+
| 2  | SERIALIZED_DATAS | SERIALIZED_DATAS     | 290A98T   |
+----+------------------+----------------------+-----------+

A: As far as I understand you question, you have a table with rows in your html code.
When you edit a row's interventions_status you should be sending id of that row too i.e. id which is stored in your table for that row.
Now check if previous/already stored  interventions_status is different from current one. If yes then, update the row.
I hope this is the solution you are looking for !

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Category: Beautiful Israel
Qusar El Yahud
Originally we planned to continue around the Sea of Galilee and then up to Jerusalem, but most of the sites around the Sea of Galilee are still closed due to the Covid-19 situation, so we changed the order of the video episodes and we are starting with the South of Israel
In this episode, we will visit the site at the Jordan river, near Jericho, known as Qusar El Yahud, that's Arabic for "the crossing of the Jews" – this have to do with the tribes of Israel crossing the Jordan river on their way to the promised land in the time of Joshua, but it's also the place where John the Baptist was baptizing and where Jesus himself was baptised.
Very important place to visit and talk about biblical events !
Qusar El Yahud – Crossing of the Jordan river
Follow "Israel with Moshe" on Facebook
Subscribe to "Israel with Moshe" YouTube channel
Follow "Gates to Israel" on Facebook
Subscribe to "Gates to Israel" YouTube channel
Below, you will find a page with all the episodes in our series of Beautiful Israel
Click here to be transferred to a page with videos and watch all our episodes
Wars of Israel and Geo Political Situation
In the Golan Heights, overlooking the border between Israel and Syria, we talk about the different wars of Israel, starting from the War of independence in 1948, through the Six days war in 1967 and, the Yom Kippur war in 1973 and into our days, to the last comflicts between Israel, the Palestinians and Hezbollah in south Lebanon
We will also talk about the complicated Geo political situation in the Middle east and try to explain the different forces active in the Middle East and how it effects Israel
Very interesting episodes to watch !
Different wars of israel
Geo political situation in the Middle East
We talk about the Golan Heights, a general description of the Golan and why is it important to Israel, we will talk about the water, the landscape and about the Druze people of the Golan. We will also visit a military post called Mount Ben Tal.
Golan Heights – Landscape, water, Druze and Mount Bental
Banias
Still in the upper northern part of Israel, we continue with in the Golan Heights, to visit a place called Caesarea Philippi (Banias on the maps), the second biggest spring of the Jordan River and where Jesus asked his disciples "Who do men say that I am?"
We will talk about this once Roman city called Panias, named after the god Pan, the center of pagan worship in the Golan area and about the reason Jesus brought his disciples there.
One of the most important events and places for Christians !
Caesarea Philippi – Introduction
Caesarea Philippi – Who do men say that I am?
Caesarea Philippi – Summary
Tel Dan
We continue our series of videos with going up to the Golan Heights, to visit the northern part of Israel. We begin with Tel Dan, the head spring of the Jordan River and the northern border city of the land of Israel as the Bible says when it uses the term "from Dan to Beersheba"
We will talk about Jeroboam king of Israel and the city he built, we will see and talk about the city gates, both from the Israelite period and from the Canaanite period, and of course we will mention the Golden Calf that Jeroboam had put in the Temple in Dan.
Dan is a beautiful nature reserve, with the Dan spring in it, giving water to the Jordan river, this city was one of the main cities in biblical periods.
Lots to show and say about Dan !
The river Dan and the nature reserve
The city of Dan
Jeroboam builds Dan
Gates of Dan
The sacred area


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EPL: Alex Ferguson singles out one Arsenal player, Kieran Tierney for praise
Former Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, has singled out one Arsenal player, Kieran Tierney, for praise over the player's outstanding performance this season.
Tierney has caught the eye for the Gunners in recent weeks and Ferguson is an admirer of the youngster
The Scottish full-back has helped Mikel Arteta's side to get back on track after a poor run of form.
The player's absence against Crystal Palace in midweek served only to highlight his influence as the Gunners played out a 0-0 draw.
During a Lockdown Theatre Live show, the Manchester United legendary manager singled out the Arsenal ace and also reserved praise for Liverpool left-back, Andrew Robertson.
Read Also: EPL: Man United ready for Liverpool clash -Solskjaer
"I do think Scotland have some very good midfield players, and I'm not sure how they're gonna play Robertson and Tierney in the same team.
"I know there were some situations where they played Tierney as the third centre-back, but the form of Tierney since he's gone to Arsenal has been phenomenal.
"Robertson's career at Liverpool has just got bigger and bigger."
Arsenal boss, Mikel Arteta had also praised the player recently, describing him as a future captain for the Gunners.
Tags: Alex FergusonKieran Tierney


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US-Led Coalition Used White Phosphorus in Attacks on Syria's Baghouz - Reports
DAMASCUS (Sputnik) - The US-led coalition has used shells with white phosphorus in its bombing attacks on the southwestern Syrian town of Baghouz, which remains the last stronghold of the Daesh terror group in the country, local media reported on Saturday, citing sources.
US Blocks Evacuation Convoys at Syria's Rukban Camp - Russian MoD
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The United States has refused to let bus convoys, set to evacuate refugees from the Rukban camp, enter the US-controlled zone in Syria's At-Tanf, where the camp is located, Russian Defense Ministry Center for Syrian Reconciliation head, Lt. Gen. Sergei Solomatin, said Saturday.
Israeli Comedian's 'Marriage Proposal' to Saudi Crown Prince Rocks Arab Internet
Arab social media users and a number of news outlets have gone wild over an Israeli comedian's "on-screen proposal" to the Saudi crown prince, with many portraying it as a serious intention.
Spy Epic Unfolding: Why Did Ex-Israeli Minister Work for Iranian Intelligence?
Despite most media reports focusing on a former Israeli official being enlisted by Iranian intelligence, Israeli analysts stress the fact that the approach is a bit far-fetched and there is another side to the story.
Land of Funky Music: Five Things You Didn't Know About Algeria and its Elections
Thousands of people have marched through Algeria's capital, Algiers, as demonstrators protest against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika bidding for a fifth term in next month's elections.
SDC Mulls Discussing Russian Working Group Proposal on Syria Normalization
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), the political wing of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, is willing to discuss any proposals by Russia on Syria including establishing a working group to normalize the country, Bassam Ishak, co-chair of the council's mission to the United States, told Sputnik.
Moscow, Damascus Kick Off Rukban Refugees Evacuation to Prevent 'Catastrophe' - Russian MoD
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia and Syria have sent bus convoys to the Rukban refugee camp to evacuate people seeking to leave the US-controlled territory, with no response received from the United States to guarantee the safety of the operation, head of the Russian Center for Syrian Reconciliation Lt. Gen. Sergei Solomatin said on Friday.
US Briefs Turkey on Plans to Withdraw Troops From Syria by Summer - Reports
ANKARA (Sputnik) - Washington has informed Ankara about its intention to pull out US troops from Syria by the summer of this year, noting, however, that the schedule can be adjusted depending on the situation on the ground, Turkish media reported on Friday.
Syria Slams UK's Hezbollah Ban as 'Historical Hostility Against Arab World'
BEIRUT (Sputnik) - Damascus denounces London's move on listing Lebanese movement Hezbollah as a terrorist organization and sees it as another piece of evidence of UK "historical hostility" toward the Arab world, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
What's the cause of the ongoing crisis in Venezuela?
The internal political situation and economic instability is to blame
10.9% (3766)
External interference, namely by the US and other Latin American states, has played a pivotal role in the unrest
59.1% (20416)
Both external and internal factors are driving the turmoil, however, Western support for the opposition leader is the main factor
Voted: 34557


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Q: MVC How to get the validation styles for input elements not wired up to the View Model? In my view I have a search field, id = searchPrimaryTrade.
It is a requirement that a primary trade is found and submitted.
I use jquery to copy the id of the selected trade into the hidden field;
@Html.HiddenFor(model => model.PrimaryTradeId)

If the user does not enter a primary trade, an error message is displayed.
However what I also want to do is trigger the same validation css styles to the search text field (id = searchPrimaryTrade) and display the * marker next to it.
In other words, I want the text box to be given a red border.
In the code below, this is what happens when the companyName is not entered.
So how do I do this?
@using (Html.BeginForm())
{
    @Html.AntiForgeryToken()
    ViewContext.FormContext.ValidationSummaryId = "valSumId";
    @Html.ValidationSummary(false, "Please fix these errors.", new Dictionary<string, object> { { "id", "valSumId" } });

    <fieldset>
        <legend>Create Subcontractor</legend>

@ViewBag.Message

                @Html.LabelFor(model => model.Subcontractor.CompanyName)
                @Html.TextBoxFor(model => model.Subcontractor.CompanyName, new { @style = "width: 300px;" })
                @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Subcontractor.CompanyName, "*")

                @Html.LabelFor(model => model.PrimaryTrade)
                <input type="search" name="searchPrimaryTrade" id="searchPrimaryTrade" data-scd-autocomplete="@Url.Action("AutocompletePrimaryTrade", "DataService")" style = "width: 300px;" data-val="true" data-val-required="Must enter a Primary Trade" class="primaryTrade required"/>
                    <input type="button" id="ResetPrimaryTrade" value="Reset"/>

                    @Html.HiddenFor(model => model.PrimaryTradeId)
                    @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.PrimaryTradeId, "*")
                    Cannot find the trade? @Html.DialogFormButton("Add New Trade", Url.Action("AddTrade", "Popup"), "Add New Trade", null, Url.Action("Create"), "buttonAddNewTrade")

A: You don't really need this hidden field. You could simply decorate the PrimaryTradeId property on your view model with the [Required] attribute:
[Required]
public int? PrimaryTradeId { get; set; }

and then use the Html.TextBoxFor and Html.ValidationMessageFor helpers instead of hardcoding some input fields in your markup:

    @Html.TextBoxFor(
        model => model.PrimaryTradeId,
        new {
            type = "search",
            data_scd_autocomplete = Url.Action("AutocompletePrimaryTrade", "DataService"),
            style = "width: 300px;",
            @class = "primaryTrade required"
        }
    )
    <input type="button" id="ResetPrimaryTrade" value="Reset"/>

    @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.PrimaryTradeId, "*")

    Cannot find the trade?
    @Html.DialogFormButton(
        "Add New Trade",
        Url.Action("AddTrade", "Popup"),
        "Add New Trade",
        null,
        Url.Action("Create"),
        "buttonAddNewTrade"
    )

The Html helpers will now take care of generating the proper markup and emitting the correct validation attributes based on the data annotations on your model.


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Current Trends in Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry
REVIEW ARTICLE | VOLUME 1 | ISSUE 1 | DOI: 10.36959/525/434 OPEN ACCESS
Peroxynitrite and Hypochlorite Fluorescence Quantification by S,N and P,N co-Doped Carbon Dots
Eliana FC Simões, Joaquim CG Esteves da Silva and João MM Leitão
Eliana FC Simões 1,2,3
Joaquim CG Esteves da Silva 3
João MM Leitão 1,2*
Centro de Investigação em química, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal
Departamento de Geociências, Ambiente e Ordenamento do Território, Centro de Investigação em química, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
Simões EFC, da Silva JCGE, Leitão JMM (2017) Peroxynitrite and Hypochlorite Fluorescence Quantification by S,N and P,N co-Doped Carbon Dots. Current Trends Anal Bioanal Chem 1(1):9-20.
Accepted: August 11, 2017 | Published Online: August 15, 2017
Carbon Dots (CDs) responding to Peroxynitrite (ONOO-) and Hypochlorite (ClO-) were synthesised by microwave methodology. To improve the quantum yield, selectivity and sensitivity, CDs were doped with Sulphur, Nitrogen and Phosphorous, Nitrogen (S,N-CDs/P,N-CDs) using urea, cysteine and sodium phosphate. In both synthesis the precursors were diluted in 15 mL of water and exposed for 5 min to a microwave radiation of 700 W. Contents of cysteine and sodium phosphate from 0.5 to 2 g were respectively used with 1 g of citric acid and urea for the synthesis of the co-doped S,N-CDs and with 3 g of citric acid and 1 g of urea for the synthesis of the co-doped P,N-CDs. The ONOO- and ClO- detection was achieved respectively with co-doped S,N-CDs and P,N-CDs at pH 7.4. The optimum compositions were: S,N-CDs - citric acid, urea and cysteine in the proportion 1:1:1; P,N-CDs- citric acid, urea and sodium phosphate in the proportion 3:1:1. The quantification of ClO- and ONOO- at pH 7.4 was performed in standard and in fortified serum sample solutions.
Co-doped carbon dots, Peroxynitrite, Hypochlorite, Quantification, Fluorescence, Quenching
Carbon Dots (CDs) are fluorescent nanoparticles based in carbon with unique optical properties [1-3]. Also attending to their water solubility, photostability, low toxicity, high biocompatibility and resistance to photo bleaching have been applied in fluorescence sensing, drug delivery and in bio imaging [4]. The CDs could yet be passivated, functionalized and doped in order to improve their quantum yield (Φ), to modify their compositions with the aim to improve their properties and to make them sensitive to specific compounds [5,6].
Microwave synthesis of CDs is extensively used for the CDs synthesis since it's an economic, facile and rapid method [7,8]. Citric Acid (CA) and Urea (UR) have also been used as precursors in the microwave synthesis of luminescent CDs that exhibits stable and excitation-wavelength-dependent photoluminescent properties in aqueous solutions with a Φ about 14% [9,10]. The CDs doping with heteroatoms (e.g., oxygen, nitrogen, phosphor, boron or sulfur) allows modifying and adjust their compositions and structures being one way of tuning their electronic and optical properties [11] in order to optimize the synthesis of the CDs for a specific objective. Doped Nitrogen CDs (N-CDs) [12], Doped Sulfur CDs (S-CDs) [13] Co-doped Sulfur, Nitrogen CDs (S,N-CDs) [6,14-21] and Phosphorous, Nitrogen (P,N-CDs) [22] have been applied in published recent works. Li, et al. synthesized S,N-CDs by a microwave methodology using CA as carbon source, UR as nitrogen source and Cysteine (Cys) as sulfur source [15]. CA and Cys were also employed in the preparation of S,N-CDs with high Φ using a hydrothermal synthesis method [19]. Applying a similar hydrothermal synthesis method Xue, et al. prepared S,N-CDs and applied them in the detection of free chlorine [21]. S,N-CDs have been also synthesized using as precursors natural products, like natural plants (garlic acid and alfalfa) [20], milk [23], rice [24] and hair fiber [25]. Gong, et al. synthesized P,N-CDs and applied them as fluorescent probe for real-time measurement of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and Reactive Nitrogen Species (RNS) [22].
The detection of ROS/RNS like Peroxynitrite (ONOO-) and Hypochlorite (ClO-) is extremely important because these species are involved in several physiological and pathological processes. The formation of ONOO- in vivo is the result of the reaction between nitric oxide and superoxide radicals. This RNS is a strong oxidant and a powerful nitration agent of biomolecules, is stable in basic media and very unstable in neutral conditions. Due their instability in physiological conditions their detection is not straight forward. Three sensors for ONOO- detection based in CDs were described. One of them consists in CDs functionalized with Tryptophan (Trp-CDs). Taking into consideration the nitration and oxidation potential of ONOO-, the amino acid tryptophan was used to functionalize the CDs in order to make them reactive toward ONOO-. The CDs were microwave synthesized from glucose and tryptophan and the detection of ONOO- was done through the fluorescence quenching probably due to the oxidation of tryptophan linked to CDs. The evaluated analytical methodology shows a linear response range from 5 to 25 µM with a Limit of Detection (LOD) of 1.5 µM [26]. In other described sensor, also developed as a NO sensor, the ONOO- determination was made with a greater sensitivity at pH 7.4 and 10 with synthesized CDs with 0.25 g of CA and 500 µL of Ethylenediamine (EDA) diluted in 15 mL of water exposed for 5 min to a microwave radiation potency of 700 W [27]. Finally Simões, et al. use synthesized CDs from AC and UR for the ONOO- quantification at pH 9 based in a fluorescence quenching phenomenon by addition of ONOO- [10].
Hypochlorous Acid (HClO) is a weak acid that dissociates into Hypochlorite Ion (ClO-) and hydrogen. Together, HOCl and ClO- are known as free chlorine. The two species are in a pH dependent equilibrium. The dominant species below pH 7.5 is the HClO and above pH 7.5 is the ClO-. The HClO usually used as antimicrobial agent is also used in water treatment for natural defense in living organisms and oxidize a great number of biological compounds [28]. A method based on the fluorescence quenching mechanism of N-CDs was applied in HClO detection showing a relatively fast response time and a linear response range from 0.03 to 15 μM with a LOD of 1 nM. This method has been successfully applied to the determination of HClO in tap and river water with good recoveries showing potential for the detection of HClO in environmental applications [29]. Another sensor for HClO based on the fluorescence of CDs was prepared by one-step microwave-assisted procedure. A decreased of 76% when the concentration of HClO reached 2.2 µM was observed. There is a good linear relationship in the range from 0.2 to 2.0 µM with a LOD of 15 nM [30]. One more sensor based on fluorescence quenching of synthesized CDs from sweet pepper in the presence of ClO- in tap water was reported. The HClO detection was made in two consecutive linear ranges of 0.1 to 10 µmolL-1 to 10 to 300 µmolL-1 with a LOD of 0.05 and 0.06 µmolL-1 using both the down- and up-conversion fluorescence signals [31]. Simões, et al. beside the possibility of the ONOO- quantification at pH 9 by synthesized CDs from AC and UR also demonstrate the possibility of ClO- quantification at pH 4 by these CDs also based in the fluorescence quenching induced by addition of ClO- at this pH [10].
Herein we report the synthesis of co-doped S,N-CDs and P,N-CDs by a simple and facile one step microwave pyrolysis method for the quantification at pH 7.4 of ONOO- and ClO- respectively. The evaluation of the CDs response relatively to other ROS/RNS was also performed. The ONOO- and ClO- quantification capability in standard and in fortified serum solutions with the synthesized were respectively evaluated with the co-doped P,N and S,N-CDs.
Citric Acid (CA), Urea (UR), Cysteine (Cys), Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2), Hydrogen Chloride (HCl), Potassium Superoxide (KO2), Sodium Hypochlorite 3.5% (NaClO), Sodium Nitrite (NaNO2), Sodium Nitrate (NaNO3), Sodium Chloride (NaCl), Sodium Phosphate (Na3PO4, SP), Potassium Chloride (KCl), Ethylenediamine Tetraacetic Acid (EDTA), Iron(II) Sulphate (FeSO4.7H2O), Iron(III) Nitrate [Fe3(NO3)3.9H2O], Magnesium Chloride (MgCl2.6H2O), Copper(II) Sulphate (CuSO4.5H2O), Sodium Phosphate Dibasic (Na2HPO4), Monosodium Phosphate (NaH2PO4), Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH), analytical grade reagents were used. Mili-Q water with a resistivity 18 MΩ.cm at 25 ℃ was used in all the work.
All the experiments were made at pH 7.4. A phosphate buffer 0.01 M (pH 7.4) was prepared through rigorous weighting of NaH2PO4 and Na2HPO4. Solutions of HCl and NaOH 0.1 M were prepared in order adjust the pH of buffer solution and to evaluate the influence of pH in the CDs fluorescence.
Saturated NO solutions (1.9 mM) were prepared by bubbling argon in water for 15 min and followed bubbling argon of the prepared NO solution for another 15 min. The ONOO- solutions were prepared in a refrigerated beaker under constant stirring by mixing 100 mL of NaNO2 600 mM, 100 mL of H2O2 600 mM in HCl 0.6 M and 100 mL of NaOH 3.6 M. The solution will turn yellow indicating the formation of ONOO-. The agitation is maintained until no O2 is formed. The Hydroxyl (HO.) was generated in situ by the Fenton reaction by addition of a 5 fold excess of H2O2 to the EDTA-Fe (II) complex formed with different concentrations of FeSO4. Human serum fortified sample solutions were done respectively in water by rigorous dilution to the desired concentrations. The other solutions of H2O2, KO2, NaClO, NaNO3, NaNO2 used in the interference studies were prepared in water.
Microwave CDs synthesis
Attending to previous published work CA and UR, a volume of 15 mL of water and a time of 5 min in a domestic microwave with a radiation potency of 700 w were used for all the CDs synthesis [10]. Beside CA and UR also Cys and SP were used to the CDs synthesis. For the S,N-CDs synthesis were used 1 g of CA, 1 g of UR with a mass of Cys from 0.5 to 2 g, and for the P,N-CDs synthesis were used 3 g of CA, 1 g of UR with a mass of SP from 0.5 to 2 g. For the CDs microwave synthesis a domestic microwave with a maximum radiation potency of 700 w was used. The synthesized CDs were leaving to cool, diluted with water and posterior centrifuged at 9000 rpm during 10 min in order to eliminated suspended impurities. A final of 30 mL were posterior set with water.
The fluorescence sensing evaluations were made using a QE65000 charge-coupled detector, a 380 nm Light Emitting Diode (LED), a sampling compartment (CUV-ALL-UV 4-way) and two 1.0 mm core diameter fiber optics (P1000-2-UV-VIS) from Ocean Optics. One of the fibers guides the light from the source to the sampling compartment and the other guide the emitted light to the detector. The reaction time profiles were obtained collecting the signal at the maximum emission wavelength, every 10 s with an integration time of 300 ms. A difference between the initial and the final fluorescence intensity measured after 10 min the addition of the ROS/RNS (intensity variation) were used in all the work.
The absorbance and fluorescence spectra were obtained in a standard 1 cm fluorescence quartz cell and collected respectively in a Jasco V-530 UV-Visible spectrophotometer and in a Jasco FP-6200 spectrofluorimeter. The absorption spectra were obtained in a wavelength range from 250 to 650 nm with a 2 nm interval, slit widths 2 nm and wavelength scan rate medium; the Fluorescence spectra were obtained in a wavelength range from 300 to 700 nm with a 1 nm interval, slit widths 5 nm, sensitivity response medium, response time fast and wavelength scan rate 1000 nm/min. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra were obtained by a Perkin Elmer FTIR Spectrum 400 in solid state with an Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) accessory in a range of 4000 to 650 cm-1 with 16 accumulations and a resolution of 4 cm-1. The particle size, size distribution and shape of the synthesized CDs were evaluated by Transmission Electronic Microscopy (TEM) in a FEI Company Tecnai G2 20 S-Twin electronic microscopic.
Quantum yield
The Φ of the CDs was calculated comparing the integrated photoluminescence intensities and the absorbance values of the synthesized CDs with the ones of the quinine sulfate.
ϕ = ϕ R × Grad Gra d R × η 2 η R 2
In the equation Φ is the fluorescence quantum yield, Grad is the gradient from the plot of integrated fluorescence intensity vs. absorbance and η is the refractive index. The subscripts R refer to reference fluorophore, quinine sulfate of known Φ. The Φ of the quinine sulfate is Φ = 0.54. The η of the quinine sulfate in 0.1 M H2SO4 and of nanocomposites water solutions used were η = 1.33.
ROS/RNS evaluations
The more adequate CDs dilution in phosphate buffer 0.01 M was assessed by the evaluation of successive dilutions of CDs solution in order to establish the dilution with the higher CDs fluorescence intensity. The ROS/RNS addition, in the required concentration to the more adequate CDs dilution, was done in a cuvette with a Hamilton syringe with permanent agitation while the fluorescence signal is continuously monitored for a period of 10 min.
Preliminary results shows that the co-doped S,N-CDs could be used for the ONOO- detection and the co-doped P,N-CDs could be used to the ClO- detection at pH 7.4. Worse results were obtained with non-doped CDs (data don't shown). Indeed they found with the synthesis of co-doped S,N and P,N-CDs with CA and UR in the range from 1 to 3 g with 1 g of Cys or SP shows that the more selective and sensitivity ONOO- and ClO- fluorescence detection were obtained respectively with the synthesized co-doped CDs with 1 g of CA and UR and with 3 g of CA and 1 g of UR.
Attending to those preliminary results the possibility of the ONOO- and ClO- fluorescence quantification at pH 7.4 were then evaluated with the co-doped S,N-CDs and P,N-CDs synthesized respectively with 1 g of CA and UR and with 3 g of CA and 1 g of UR with Cys or SP in a range from 0.5 to 2 g. The sensibility and selectivity fluorescence detection of the ONOO- and the ClO- in respect to other ROS/RNS, by the initially evaluated synthesized co-doped S,N-CDs and P,N-CDs, is shown in Figure 1. Other evaluations with different contents of Cys and SP are presented in supplementary information (Figure S1).
The fluorescence detection of the main ROS/RNS (NO, ONOO-, ClO-, HO., H2O2 and O2-) by the S,N-CDs and P,S-CDs was done at concentrations of 10, 50 and 100 µM. A greater sensible and selective response of S,N-CDs to ONOO- and of P,N-CDs to ClO- was verified at pH 7.4. Also was verified that the S,N-CDs responds to the NO and the P,N-CDs responds to ONOO- and NO. A similar quenching effect was verified for the ONOO- with the S,N-CDs and for the ClO- with the P,N-CDs. For the other ROS/RNS a minor quenching effect was verified for the ONOO- and NO with the P,N-CDs.
In comparison with the S,N-CDs synthesized in the other conditions is verified that the CDs synthesized with 0.5 g of Cys don't show selectivity between ROS/RNS and the CDs with 2 g of Cys presented sensibility to NO but wasn't observed a linear variation. Relatively to P,N-CDs although the CDs, with others masses of SP present sensibility to ClO- only the prepared with 1 g of SP showed a linear variation. Also a greater selectivity was verified with the co-doped P,N-CDs synthesized with 1 g of SP.
Attending to this previous evaluation the co-doped S,N-CDs and P,N-CDs, respectively synthesized with 1 g of CA, UR and Cys and with 3 g of CA, 1 g of UR and 1 g of UR and 1 g of SP, were then characterized and their ONOO and ClO- quantification capability was evaluated.
CDs characterization
The synthesized co-doped S,N-CDs and P,N-CDs, posterior used for ONOO- and ClO- quantification, were characterized by fluorescence, FTIR and TEM analysis.
Spectroscopic characterization
Figure 2 presents the fluorescence Excitation-Emission Matrices (EEM) of the synthesized co-doped S,N-CDs and P,N-CDs used for quantification. In supplementary information are presented the EEM of the other synthesized CDs (Figure S2) and, for easier comparison, a table with the main fluorescence features of the all the synthesized CDs (Table S1).
Relatively similar fluorescence characteristics for the different synthesized CDs were observed. The co-doped S,N-CDs presents a Φ of 21% and the P,N-CDs of 6%. The excitation/emission wavelength of both CDs is similar. The excitation/emission wavelengths at maximum fluorescence intensity found for the S,N-CDs is 350/421 nm and for the P,N-CDs is 360/441 nm. For the co-doped S,N-CDs with different quantities of Cysan excitation wavelength of 350 nm and a similar emission wavelength close to 430 nm and a Φ between 22.09 and 30.53 was observed. For the P,N-CDs with different contents of SP an excitation wavelength close to 360 nm and emission wavelength that increase from 390 nm to 449 nm with the increase of the SP mass was observed. For the co-doped P,N-CDs was also observed that the Φ decrease with higher masses of SP.
In supplementary information (Figure S3) is also presented the influence in the fluorescence intensity of the pH and of the ionic strength of the synthesized co-doped S,N-CDs and P,N-CDs in the synthesis conditions used for the quantification. By analysis of the this figure it's possible to see that the maximum fluorescence intensity for the S,N-CDs it's found at pH 5 and for the P,N-CDs at a pH from 8 to 11. At pH 7.4 a greater decrease and a slightly increase are respectively observed for the S,N-CDs and P,N-CDs.
A non-significate variation of the fluorescence intensity it's obtained with the ionic strength showing that a non-significant influence of the ionic strength could be expected in the fluorescence quantifications.
The FTIR spectra of the different CDs synthesized are presented in Figure 3 and in supplementary material (Figure S4).
Slightly different FTIR spectra of the synthesized co-doped S,N-CDs and P,N-CDs used for the quantification are found. Significant difference are for the peaks of the C-H (2846 and 2764 cm-1) and of the C-N (1382 and 1395 cm-1) Even so the great differences are obtained for the co-doped P,N-CDs in the region of the singles bonds below 1500 cm-1 where a stronger peak now appears at 1068 cm-1 (C-C) and of the double bonds between 2000 and 1500 cm-1 where are clearly evident two peaks at 1764 (C = O) and 1663 cm-1 (C = C).
The size and the shape of the two CDs presented were obtained using TEM analysis (Figure 4).
A statistical evaluation of the size distribution considering a sample of 100 nanoparticles shows for the S,N-CDs an average size of 10.9 nm and a standard deviation of 3.7 and for P,N-CDs an average size of 8.2 nm and a standard deviation of 4.9. Comparing the two synthesized co-doped CDs for the co-doped S,N-CDs was found a slightly larger size with a more heterogeneous size distribution. Also by TEM analysis were verified for the S,N-CDs an irregular shape and for P,N-CDs a spherical or quasi-spherical shape. An higher aggregation could be seen for the S,N-CDs.
Fluorescence sensing
Quantification capability
Following are presented the results that allow to evaluate the quantification capability of the ONOO- and ClO- by the S,N-CDs and P,N-CDs, respectively. Both ROS/RNS it's observed a fluorescence quenching effect provoked by addition of ONOO- to the S,N-CDs and of ClO- to the P,N-CDs. The fluorescence quenching mechanism is probably due to a pH dependent redox reaction between the ClO- or ONOO- and the CDs surface oxygen and nitrogen functionalities and dangling bonds. Indeed, the fluorescence of CD are markedly affected by the surface chemistry and the oxidation of surface functionalities modified those properties [32].
In Figure 5 is presented the fluorescence time profiles due to the fluorescence quenching effect of the synthesized CDs at concentrations from 2.5 to 200 µM. In supplementary information (Figure S5) are presented the ONOO- and ClO- linear range evaluation by addition of a ONOO- and ClO- concentration from 2.5 to 200 µM respectively to the synthesized S,N-CDs and P,N-CDs in the synthesis conditions used for the quantification. The average response time at 90% of maximum fluorescence quenching effect is 9 seconds.
It is now clear by analysis of the Figure 5 a higher quenching effect by addition of ONOO- to the co-doped S,N-CDs relatively to the found by addition of ClO- to the co-doped P,N-CDs. By the evaluation of the linear range (Figure 5) in the levels of concentration from 2.5 to 200 µM was also obtained a higher linear range from 2.5 and 200 µM for the ONOO- and for the ClO- a smaller linear range from 2.5 and 100 µM.
In Table 1 is presented the ONOO- and ClO- quantification results obtained in standard and in spiked serum samples in the more adequate linear range.
Good quantification results were found for the ONOO- with the co-doped S,N-CDs and for the ClO- with the co-doped P,N-CDs in the quantification of the standard solutions in the concentrations levels evaluated. Recoveries for the ONOO- with the co-doped S,N-CDs from 81 and 100% and for the ClO- with the co-doped P,N-CDs from 99 and 108% were found. Worse results were generally found in the ONOO- and ClO- quantification in serum samples with recoveries for the ONOO- with the co-doped S,N-CDs from 70 and 85% and for the ClO- with the co-doped P,N-CDs from 39 and 63%. Even so generally better results with the serum samples are obtained with the co-doped S,N-CDs in the quantification of ONOO-.
The interference study of the main ROS/RNS and selected ionic species in the ONOO- detection for S,N-CDs and in the ClO- detection for P,N-CDs was also made for a concentration value of the potential interfering species of 25 µM (Figure 6).
Lower selectivity to ONOO- with the co-doped S,N-CDs and higher selectivity to ClO- quantification with the P,N-CDs were observed. The ionic species Fe2+ and Fe3+ causes the highest interference in the ONOO- and ClO- detection by the evaluated co-doped CDs. A greater interference was observed with the co-doped S,N-CDs. As could expected, attending to previous results and beside the Fe2+ and Fe3+ ionic species, only for the co-doped S,N-CDs with the ONOO- a small interference of the NO is observed.
In Table 2 is presented the resume of the methods of synthesis, fluorescence characteristics and principal figures of merit of the already developed CDs based sensors for ONOO- and ClO- detection.
Comparing with previous published works was found: for the ONOO- detection by the co-doped S,N-CDs, a comparable selectivity, a relatively high sensitivity, a slightly lower limit of detection and a larger linear range; for the ClO- detection by the co-doped P,N-CDs a comparable selectivity, a relatively high sensitivity, a slightly higher limit of detection and a comparable linear range. Comparing with our previous work where synthesized N doped CDs were used for the ONOO- and ClO- detection, at pH 9 and 4 respectively, the co-doping with S or P allows the ONOO- and ClO- detection with similar performance characteristics at pH 7.4. Beside that the ONOO- detection was done with co-doped CDs with a higher quantum yield at lowers excitation and emission wavelengths and the ClO- detection was done with co-doped CDs with a slightly lower quantum yield and similar excitation and lower emission wavelengths.
The results obtained shows a sensitive and selective ONOO- and ClO- quantification at pH 7.4 respectively by the co-doped S,N-CDs and P,N-CDs. A higher sensitivity with a lower selectivity in the ONOO- quantification, with the synthesized co-doped S,N CDs, and a lower sensitivity with a higher selectivity in the ClO- quantification, with the synthesized co-doped N,P-CDs, were found.
Good quantification results were obtained in the analysis of the standard solutions and worse results were obtained in the analysis of the spiked serum sample solutions. Generally better quantification results were found by the co-doped S,N-CDs in the ONOO- quantification in serum samples solutions and by the co-doped P,N-CDs in the ClO- quantification in standard solutions. Only for the ONOO- with the co-doped S,N-CDs, and beside the potential interference of the Fe ionic species, a small interference of the NO was evaluated.
The use of FTIR from UCQ Farma, Pharmacy Faculty of the University of Coimbra and the TEM analyses from Nanomaterials and Micromanufacturing group of Centre for Mechanical Engineering of the University of Coimbra (CEMUC) are also acknowledged. This work was made in the framework of project PTDC/QEQ-QAN/5955/2014, which is funded with national funds by FCT/MEC (PIDDAC). The project is also co-funded by "Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional" (FEDER), through "COMPETE - Programa Operacional Fatores de Competitividade (POFC)". This work was also made in the framework of the project "Sustainable Advanced Materials" (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-00028), funded by "Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER)", through "Programa Operacional do Norte (NORTE2020)". Acknowledgment to project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006980, funded by FEDER through COMPETE2020, is also made.
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João MM Leitão, Centro de Investigação em química, Universidade do Porto; Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal.
© 2017 Simões EFC, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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View Figure 1
Figure 1: NO, ONOO-, ClO-, HO., H2O2 and O2- fluorescence response evaluation of the co-doped S,N-CDs and P,N-CDs.
Figure 2: Typical Excitation Emission Matrices (EEM) of the co-doped S,N-CDs and P,N-CDs.
Figure 3: FTIR spectra of the co-doped S,N-CDs and P,N-CDs.
Figure 4: TEM images of the co-doped S,N-CDs and P,N-CDs.
Figure 5: Fluorescence time profiles found by addition of ONOO- to the co-doped S,N-CDs and of ClO- to the P,N-CDs in the range from 2.5 to 200 µM.
Figure 6: Fluorescence quenching effect obtained by addition of ROS/RNS or ionic species to S,N-CDs and P,N-CDs.
Supplementary Figures
Supplementary Figure 1: NO, ONOO-, ClO-, HO., H2O2 and O2.- fluorescence response evaluation of the synthesized co-doped S,N-CDs and P,N-CDs with other synthesis conditions.
Supplementary Figure 2: Typical Excitation Emission Matrices (EEM) of the synthesised co-doped S,N-CDs and P,N-CDs with other synthesis conditions.
Supplementary Figure 3: Normalized fluorescence intensity variation profiles with the pH (a) and with the ionic strength (b) of the synthesized co-doped S,N-CDs and P,N-CDs in the synthesis conditions used for the ONOO- and ClO- quantification.
Supplementary Figure 4: FTIR spectra of the synthesized co-doped S,N-CDs and P,N-CDs with others synthesis conditions.
Supplementary Figure 5: Linear range evaluation by addition of a ONOO- and ClO- concentration from 2.5 to 200 µM to the synthesized co-doped S,N-CDs and P,N-CDs in the synthesis conditions used for the quantification.
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There comes a time in any business, where circumstances will arise that will warrant you making a change to what you're charging your clients. A pricing change is a fairly common occurrence in any business. Just look at McDonald's and their "dollar" menu (which is in many places actually over a dollar), or the recent trend in "everything for a dollar" stores suddenly charging prices that are definitely not a dollar. Another example would be the constant fluctuations in prices for computer parts. For a good long while, hard drive prices hit record highs due to earthquakes and tsunamis in the countries they are manufactured in, only now finding their way back down to prices more in line with what they were a few years ago.
Alterations in pricing are common amongst all kinds of businesses, and that includes yours. In some cases, this can be a good thing, and your clients will love you for it. In others, there's a good chance they might not be so pleased. I'll be looking at both of these scenarios with you today.
The easiest kind of rate change, is one that is to the benefit of your customer. Circumstances may have arisen that lower the cost of operating your business, and so you decide to pass some of that savings on to your clients. It might seem as though doing this is a bit counterproductive to one of the core tenants of this blog, which is to maximize your Personal Independent Earnings. I disagree. By finding ways to save money, and then in turn passing that savings on to your clients, you're building better brand loyalty. Your clients will love that rather than pocket all of that savings yourself, you passed some of it back on to them. This generates a positive view of your business, and will not only help you build a strong relationship with your clients and keep them coming back to you for more, but also help generate positive word of mouth from your clients to their friends, coworkers, and acquaintances. Your existing client base talking up what a great business you are can result in you bringing even more clients into the fold. The final outcome? More money for you, and a bigger piece of PIE. Executing this kind of rate change is simple. When it comes time to invoice your clients, surprise them by giving them the new, lower rate, with a brief explanation as to why products or services they've been using are suddenly cheaper. The pleasant surprise, coupled with your openness and honesty about the changes, will help build that positive image you're looking for.
But what about the other side of the coin? Unfortunately, circumstances can (and let's be honest, probably will) arise that may necessitate you charging a higher cost for your products or services. Executing this kind of change requires a little bit more finesse, or you risk upsetting your client base, potentially driving them to a competitor, and even worse, giving your clients a negative view of you and your business, that they will in turn spread. This is not a good thing at all. So how do you avoid it? Like I said, with a little finesse. For starters, you'll want to communicate to your clients the exact reason for the rate change. And it has to be a credible one. No, "I want to make more money" is not a credible reason. Perhaps items from a distributor (like the aforementioned hard drives) have gone up in price, to a degree that you have no choice but raise your prices or risk losing money. Perhaps supporting your existing services is beginning to cost more than your current operating budget allows for, and you have no means of streamlining. All of these are good reasons. The important thing is that you communicate your (valid) reasons to your client base openly, and honestly. Your clients will appreciate the honesty. Doubly so if you let them know of the incoming change in rates with plenty of notice. No surprises here. Make sure they know well ahead of time what's going on to cause the change and why, so that when billing time comes you don't have an inbox full of e-mails all filled with different variants of the question, "Why the $^$&#!&# are you charging me so much more?" Another great tip, is to put those excellent customer service skills of yours to work to try and soften the blow a little for your existing, loyal clients.
As an example on that last point, let's say you're required to raise prices 10% across the board. Rather than sticking your existing client base with the full brunt of that, why not grandfather them in with a lower increase, say, 5%, while charging new incoming clients the full 10%? You don't even have to do this on a permanent basis. Even a temporary discount to help ease them into the new, higher rate will work wonders, showing your clients that you care about and appreciate them, by doing all you can to keep their existing rates as low as possible for as long as possible. To be honest, rather than getting angry about having to pay more than they did previously, your clients might actually like what you're doing, despite the fact that you're now charging them more money. And all because you offered them a slight discount that is in fact a higher rate than they were paying prior. Little tricks like this can help you execute an increase in your rates and fees, while mitigating some of the risk of angering (and worse, losing) your clients.
This is a very touchy subject, and one that even the most business savvy of us can easily make a huge mistake in. The best advice I can give, is to not make the decision to alter your rates hastily. Look at it from all perspectives, including that of your clients, and find a way to proceed that is ultimately beneficial for all parties. If you succeed, your road to maximizing your Personal Independent Earnings will have one fewer bump in it.


text:
[Justice Department sues North Carolina over HB2]
[UNC President Spellings: UNC system caught in middle of state, federal fight on HB2]
The Justice Department responded Monday by saying the law is clear and filed its own lawsuit against North Carolina for civil rights violations. The Justice Department may seek to curtail the state's federal funding as the case proceeds.
U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, an assured and well-informed leader not given to dithering, said in a news conference Monday that HB2 "has set in place state-sanctioned discrimination." While still willing to discuss ways to ways to fix the law, Lynch said the Justice Department will press its case.
U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, a North Carolina native, announces that the Dept. of Justice is filing a lawsuit against NC about HB2 after the state filed a lawsuit against Justice earlier in the day. She spoke personally to the citizens of
"None of us can stand by when a state enters the business of legislating identity and insists that a person pretend to be something or someone they are not,"she said.
McCrory's "we'll-see-you-in-court" response cut off discussion with the Justice Department about less dramatic and less costly ways of resolving the department's concerns about how HB2 affects state employees. UNC has been warned that HB2 violates the civil rights of transgender students. The UNC Board of Governors is expected to respond Tuesday.
It's remarkable that McCrory, who has been meekly compliant toward the Republican-controlled legislature, is flexing his muscles against the U.S. government. He has it exactly backward. He should have stood tough against the GOP zealots who decided to stamp out local laws that protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. And he should have been flexible when the Justice Department asked him to adjust HB2 to avoid a suspension of federal funding.
McCrory is defending the indefensible, a law that allows for discrimination. What he is not defending are the best interests of North Carolina.
WASHINGTON, DC: U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch announces federal action related to North Carolina as Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, looks on at the U.S. Department of Justice, Monday in Washington, DC. Lynch announced a lawsuit against North Carolina for civil rights violations related to NC's House Bill 2. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Drew Angerer Getty Images
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Digital Advertising and the use of Digital signage is one of the fastest expanding arms of the advertising industry worldwide. Digital media news marketing is not restricted just to the world wide web, it goes much beyond that. Any sort of common tv can be employed by most digital advertising systems use slightly more costly commercial grade screens due to the fact they final longer and can cope with the lengthier on time. Such formats mimic the forms that emerged from the printing press and paper technology and, since of their familiarity, have enabled us to adapt to the access of digital info much more simply. One of the items I am constantly looking for right here at The Ad Contrarian is proof of mainstream, non-net native firms who have transitioned out of traditional advertising into digital advertising effectively. Advertising on print media is comparatively more affordable than marketing on television.
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That doesn't imply that you will not use the other channels frequently (or even have a virtual assistant manage them for you), it merely means that this 1 channel will turn into your social media focus. Niche social networking sites are the answer to bringing together close-knit communities that need a way to collect – especially ones that are developing tired of Facebook. These applications are developed to let you to manage, realize and use info to boost the ways your tiny enterprise performs with your buyers. As an alternative, they usually do a tiny social media, a small e-mail advertising, and give up prior to they see an actual benefits.
Google Analytics Social Reports are specifically helpful in breaking down social targeted traffic and assigning monetary worth to internet site conversions such as sales or lead generation. The Advertising Trends Report found that practically 1 out of five tiny companies had no plans to invest in digital advertising and marketing of any type in 2016. Through your social networking on Orkut, they glean details about you and your close friends from your complete social networking pattern on the web and they use that data to customise the responses you get when you very first, search for anything and secondly, the kind of ads that pop up when you search. MailChimp is an e mail advertising and newsletter service with a lengthy and proven track record. However, it's clear that most small companies would locate a social media management tool useful.
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