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Cardiovascular and Metabolic Risk| September 29 2017
Arterial Stiffness and Incidence of Diabetes: A Population-Based Cohort Study
Iram Faqir Muhammad
1Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
Corresponding author: Iram Faqir Muhammad, iram.faqir_muhammad@med.lu.se.
Yan Borné
Gerd Östling;
Gerd Östling
2Department of Internal Medicine, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden
Cecilia Kennbäck;
Cecilia Kennbäck
Mikael Gottsäter;
Mikael Gottsäter
Margaretha Persson;
Margaretha Persson
Peter M. Nilsson;
Peter M. Nilsson
Gunnar Engström
Diabetes Care 2017;40(12):1739–1745
https://doi.org/10.2337/dc17-1071
Iram Faqir Muhammad, Yan Borné, Gerd Östling, Cecilia Kennbäck, Mikael Gottsäter, Margaretha Persson, Peter M. Nilsson, Gunnar Engström; Arterial Stiffness and Incidence of Diabetes: A Population-Based Cohort Study. Diabetes Care 1 December 2017; 40 (12): 1739–1745. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc17-1071
Diabetes is known to be associated with increased arterial stiffness. However, the temporal association between increased carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (c-f PWV) and diabetes is unclear. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between arterial stiffness, as determined by c-f PWV, and incidence of diabetes.
The study population included participants from the Malmö Diet and Cancer cardiovascular cohort, using measurements from the 2007–2012 reexamination as baseline. Arterial stiffness was evaluated by measuring c-f PWV (SphygmoCor). After excluding participants with prevalent diabetes (according to measurements of fasting glucose, oral glucose tolerance tests, and physician's diagnoses), the final study population consisted of 2,450 individuals (mean age = 71.9 ± 5.6 years). Incidence of diabetes was followed by linkage to local and national diabetes registers. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess the incidence of diabetes in relation to the tertiles of c-f PWV, adjusted for potential confounders.
During a mean follow-up of 4.43 ± 1.40 years, 68 (2.8%) participants developed diabetes. Crude incidence of diabetes (per 1,000 person-years) was 3.5, 5.7, and 9.5, respectively, for subjects in the first, second, and third tertiles of c-f PWV. After adjustment for potential confounders, the hazard ratio of diabetes was 1.00 (reference), 1.83 (95% CI 0.88–3.8), and 3.24 (95% CI 1.51–6.97), respectively, for the tertiles of c-f PWV (P for trend = 0.002).
Increased c-f PWV is associated with increased incidence of diabetes, independent of other risk factors. These results suggest that increased arterial stiffness is an early risk marker for developing diabetes.
With an estimated 422 million people living with diabetes worldwide, the prevalence of diabetes is rising and is clearly a major global health problem (1). Diabetes and its accompanying complications not only affect quality of life but also impose a substantial health and economic burden. The risk of developing vascular disease increases by twofold in individuals who have diabetes as compared with those without (2). Many risk factors, such as age, obesity, lifestyle, and familial background, including genetics, have been attributed to the development of diabetes (3). Moreover, various risk factors have been suggested as predictors of the development of diabetes (4). Early detection and management of diabetes are needed in order to combat the burden of disease complications. This requires the need for identifying risk markers beyond the established ones for early risk stratification.
Arterial stiffness manifests as a result of adverse structural and functional changes in the vessel wall of elastic arteries over time. It is strongly associated with age (5) and hypertension (6). Other risk factors that have shown to be associated with arterial stiffness include abdominal obesity, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia (7,8). Several indices are used to determine arterial stiffness, but carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (c-f PWV) is the most widely validated and universally accepted and is considered the gold standard measurement (9).
Arterial stiffness has been shown to be associated with diabetes. Woolam et al. (10) demonstrated that diabetes is associated with increased PWV and, hence, arterial stiffness. Many other studies have also shown increased stiffening of arteries in diabetes (11–14). The proposed pathological pathways explaining this link include endothelial dysfunction, low-grade inflammation, and oxidative stress (13), as well as the formation of advanced glycation end products in the vessel wall resulting in cross-linking of collagen molecules and loss of elasticity (15). These studies demonstrate that increased arterial stiffening develops in the presence of diabetes and contributes to the explanation of the cardiovascular complications accompanying it. However, some findings have recently suggested the concept that arterial stiffness can be a possible risk marker for diabetes itself. The relationship between risk of development of diabetes and various hemodynamic parameters of large artery stiffness, such as pulse pressure and central aortic pressure, has been assessed in previous studies (16,17). However, whether c-f PWV, a direct measurement of arterial stiffness, has any predictive value for the risk of developing diabetes has not yet been prospectively explored. The aim of this present cohort study was to explore the association between arterial stiffness, as determined by c-f PWV, and incidence of diabetes.
The Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort is a large, prospective, population-based cohort comprising men and women from the city of Malmö in southern Sweden (18). From this cohort, a random sample of participants was invited during 1991–1994 to study the epidemiology of carotid artery atherosclerosis. This subcohort, consisting of 6,103 individuals, comprised the Malmö Diet and Cancer cardiovascular cohort (MDC-CC) (19).
Between May 2007 and September 2012, in all, 3,734 individuals from the MDC-CC participated in a reexamination (76% attendance of the eligible population). This forms the baseline for our study. The number of nonparticipating individuals along with their reasons are schematically presented in Supplementary Fig. 1. The characteristics of the nonattendees from this examination have been described in detail elsewhere (20). The c-f PWV measurements were completed in 3,056 participants. All the participants with a history of prevalent diabetes (n = 532) before the measurements of c-f PWV were excluded. Furthermore, participants with missing laboratory data and anthropometric measurements were also excluded, leading to a final study population of 2,450 subjects (mean age = 71.9 ± 5.6 years) (Supplementary Fig. 1).
Baseline Examinations
The 2007–2012 examination consisted of a self-administered questionnaire, physical examination, and laboratory tests. Blood pressure was measured after 10 min of rest in supine position. Waist circumference was measured midway between the lowest rib margin and iliac crest. Information regarding smoking habits, use of antidiabetic medications, antihypertensive treatment, and family history of diabetes (mother and father) was obtained from the questionnaire. Smokers were categorized into two categories: nonsmokers and current smokers. Blood samples were collected after an overnight fast (20). Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) was determined using HemoCue (HemoCue AB, Ängelholm, Sweden). The examination also consisted of an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) after an overnight fast, with a measurement of plasma glucose before and 120 min after intake of 75 g glucose. Total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol were measured by standard procedures at the Department of Clinical Chemistry, Skåne University Hospital. LDL cholesterol was calculated by using the Friedewald formula (21).
c-f PWV
The measurements for c-f PWV were carried out by using applanation tonometry (SphygmoCor; AtCor Medical, West Ryde, New South Wales, Australia) according to a specific study protocol. These measurements were done an average of 261 days after the first visit in the 2007–2012 examination for logistic reasons. With patients in a supine position after 5 min resting, pulse curves from the carotid and femoral arteries were obtained with a pressure-sensitive probe. The distance was measured from the suprasternal notch to the umbilicus and the umbilicus to the measuring point at the femoral artery subtracting the distance between the suprasternal notch and the measuring point at the carotid artery. The time from the peak of the R wave on the electrocardiogram to the foot of the pulse wave at the carotid and femoral arteries was automatically calculated by using the simultaneously registered electrocardiogram. Each participant had a varying number of successful measurements, ranging between one and five. The goal was to achieve three measurements per individual. This was possible in 86.7% of the case subjects but not in subjects with arrhythmias or anatomical variants of the neck. Mean c-f PWV was calculated from these measurements (7). Heart rate was defined as average heart rate (beats per minute [bpm]) at registration of the carotid artery. Blood pressure measurements were also performed just before measuring the c-f PWV using the OMRON M5-1 IntelliSense device. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) was calculated by the following formula: (2 × diastolic pressure + systolic pressure)/3.
End Point Ascertainment and Incidence of Diabetes
All individuals with diabetes at the baseline examination were excluded from the analysis of incidence of diabetes. Prevalent diabetes was identified by FPG ≥7.0 mmol/L or a 2-h post-OGTT plasma glucose ≥11.1 mmol/L, which was subsequently verified by a repeated FPG level, self-report of a physician diagnosis, or use of antidiabetic medication according to a questionnaire. In addition, all individuals with a diagnosis of diabetes according to national or local registers prior to the c-f PWV examination in 2007–2012 were excluded, together with individuals who had diabetes at previous examinations of the MDC-CC cohort. The characteristics of case subjects with prevalent diabetes are presented in Table 1.
Characteristics of individuals with no diabetes, incident diabetes, and prevalent diabetes
Included in the study population
Prevalent diabetes (excluded) .
Diabetes free .
Incident diabetes .
Number (n) 2,382 68 532
c-f PWV* (m/s) 9.90 (8.63–11.46) 10.95 (9.76–12.70)*** 11.23 (9.63–13.05)
Age (years) 71.94 (±5.54) 70.96 (±6.05) 72.66 (±5.30)
Heart rate (bpm) 62.58 (±9.82) 62.11 (±9.10) 64.32 (±10.82)
MAP (mmHg) 95.57 (±10.51) 99.46 (±12.24)** 95.84 (±10.76)
Waist (cm) 90.24 (±11.62) 96.21 (±11.85)*** 97.65 (±12.40)†
Smokers, n (%) 234 (9.8) 7 (10.3) 45 (8.5)†
Use of antihypertensive drugs, n (%) 1,151 (48.3) 49 (72.1)*** 422 (79.3)
FPG (mmol/L) 5.71 (±0.60) 6.39 (±0.70)*** 7.75 (±2.07)†
2-h post-OGTT plasma glucose (mmol/L) 6.68 (±1.87)† 9.09 (±2.59)†*** 10.46 (±3.71)† (n = 235)
LDL cholesterol (mmol/L) 3.43 (±0.90) 3.29 (±0.87) 2.84 (±0.92)†
HDL cholesterol (mmol/L) 1.47 (±0.44) 1.27 (±0.39)*** 1.28 (±0.38)†
Triglycerides* (mmol/L) 0.90 (0.70–1.20) 1.20 (0.90–1.60)*** 1.10 (0.80–1.5)†
FH+ father, n (%) 174 (7.3) 9 (13.2) 73 (13.7)
FH+ mother, n (%) 223 (9.4) 14 (20.6)** 111 (20.9)
Values expressed are means (±SD) unless specified otherwise.
*Median (25–75%).
**P < 0.01;
***P < 0.001, statistically significant difference in incident group with diabetes from group without diabetes.
†Some individuals have missing data regarding these covariates. FH+, family history–positive.
All individuals without diabetes were followed from the date of the c-f PWV measurement until first diagnosis of diabetes, emigration from Sweden, death, or end of follow-up (31 December 2014)—whichever came first. Incident diabetes during follow-up was retrieved from several local and national registers, which have previously been described in detail (22). In short, new cases of diabetes were identified in the Malmö HbA1c register (MHR), the Swedish National Diabetes Register (NDR), the Swedish inpatient register, the Swedish outpatient register, the nationwide Swedish drug prescription register, and the regional Diabetes 2000 register of the Scania region. At least two independent sources confirmed the diagnosis for 74% of the cases. NDR and the Diabetes 2000 register required a physician diagnosis according to established diagnostic criteria (FPG concentration ≥7.0 mmol/L, measured on two different occasions). In the Swedish inpatient register and outpatient register, diabetes was defined as diagnosis of the decision by a senior physician. A filled prescription of insulin or antidiabetic medication (Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification code A10) was required for diagnosis in the nationwide prescription register. The MHR at the Department of Clinical Chemistry, Skåne University Hospital, analyzed and recorded HbA1c samples taken in institutional and noninstitutional care in the greater Malmö area from 1988 onwards. Individuals who had at least two HbA1c recordings ≥6.0% in the MHR with the Swedish Mono-S standardization system (corresponding to 7.0% [53 mmol/mol] according to the U.S. National Glycohemoglobin Standardization Program) after the baseline examination were defined as incident diabetes case subjects.
Written informed consent was given by all participants. The study was performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the ethical committee at Lund University.
The variables c-f PWV and triglycerides were natural log transformed due to their skewed distribution. Participants were categorized into tertiles of c-f PWV. The characteristics of the study population and of the participants in each of the tertiles were described as means ± SD, median (25–75%) for skewed distribution, or percentages. The differences between characteristics of individuals without diabetes and individuals with incident diabetes were tested with independent-sample Student t test and Mann-Whitney U test for statistical significance. For categorical variables, χ2 test was used. ANOVA for continuous variables and χ2 test for categorical variables were used to compare the characteristics of the participants across the tertiles of c-f PWV. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to compare incidence of diabetes in the tertiles of c-f PWV. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% CIs were calculated, with the lowest tertile (tertile 1) as the reference category. Adjustments were done for potential confounders in the Cox regression models. Model 1 was adjusted for age, sex, MAP, and average heart rate measured at the carotid artery. In model 2, further adjustments were done for waist circumference, smoking habits, FPG, LDL cholesterol, and use of antihypertensive medications. In addition, several other potential confounders were explored in a sensitivity analysis. The Kaplan-Meier curve was used to plot the incidence of diabetes across the different tertiles of c-f PWV.
In a sensitivity analysis, we also analyzed c-f PWV after adjustments for age and MAP, according to published reference equations (23). The predicted PWV was calculated separately for age-groups 60–69 years (PWV = 0.0715 × MAP + 3.16) and ≥70 years (PWV = 0.0676 × MAP + 5.46), and PWV in percent of the predicted values was calculated by dividing the actual PWV by the predicted value and multiplying by 100. Those in the 90th percentile of the distribution were considered to have high c-f PWV.
All analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 24 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). A P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Baseline Characteristics
A comparison of characteristics of the individuals included in the study populations with and without diabetes is presented in Table 1. Case subjects with incident diabetes had significantly higher c-f PWV, MAP, FPG, and waist circumference. This group also had higher usage of antihypertensive medications as compared with the individuals without diabetes. The corresponding values for the excluded case subjects with prevalent diabetes are also presented in Table 1. c-f PWV was somewhat higher in subjects who were excluded because of prevalent diabetes, compared with subjects who developed diabetes during follow-up.
The characteristics of the study population are presented in Table 2. The mean age of the population is 71.9 ± 5.6 years. The table also shows the distribution and comparison of risk factors across the different tertiles of c-f PWV. The participants in the highest tertile of c-f PWV were significantly older and had a higher heart rate and MAP and increased waist circumference. The FPG level and usage of antihypertensive medication were also higher in the top tertile. However, there were significantly fewer smokers and lower LDL cholesterol levels among the participants in the highest tertile.
Characteristics of study population at follow-up in relation to tertiles (T1–T3) of c-f PWV (n = 2,450)
Whole study population .
T1 .
P value .
n 2,450 808 831 811 —
c-f PWV* (m/s) 9.93 (8.67–11.53) 8.17 (7.57–8.65) 9.93 (9.47–10.37) 12.30 (11.53–13.90) —
Age (years) 71.92 (±5.55) 69.43 (±4.92) 71.72 (±5.32) 74.59 (±5.17) <0.001
Heart rate (bpm) 62.57 (±9.80) 60.29 (±9.12) 62.64 (±9.86) 64.77 (±9.90) <0.001
MAP (mmHg) 95.68 (±10.58) 91.09 (±9.47) 96.15 (±9.63) 99.78 (±10.76) <0.001
Waist (cm) 90.40 (±11.66) 88.11 (±11.17) 90.49 (±11.64) 92.59 (±11.75) <0.001
Smokers, n (%) 241 (9.8) 93 (11.5) 87 (10.5) 61 (7.5) 0.020
Use of antihypertensive drugs, n (%) 1,200 (49) 323 (40) 411 (49.5) 466 (57.5) <0.001
FPG (mmol/L) 5.73 (±0.61) 5.66 (±0.63) 5.72 (±0.59) 5.81 (±0.61) <0.001
2-h post-OGTT plasma glucose (mmol/L) (n = 2,424) 6.73 (±1.92) 6.30 (±1.82) 6.71 (±1.87) 7.19 (±1.99) <0.001
LDL cholesterol (mmol/L) 3.43 (±0.90) 3.51 (±0.91) 3.41 (±0.88) 3.38 (±0.91) 0.008
HDL cholesterol (mmol/L) 1.47 (±0.44) 1.50 (±0.43) 1.47 (±0.44) 1.43 (±0.43) 0.002
Triglycerides* (mmol/L) (n = 2,448) 0.90 (0.70–1.20) 0.90 (0.70–1.10) 0.90 (0.70–1.30) 1.00 (0.80–1.30) <0.001
FH+ father, n (%) 183 (7.5) 52 (6.4) 68 (8.2) 63 (7.8) 0.374
FH+ mother, n (%) 237 (9.7) 77 (9.5) 84 (10.1) 76 (9.4) 0.868
*Median (25–75%). FH+, family history–positive.
PWV and Incidence of Diabetes
During a mean follow-up period of 4.4 ± 1.4 years, 68 (2.8%) participants developed diabetes. The incidence of diabetes was 6.27 per 1,000 person-years in the whole study population, 7.06 per 1,000 person-years in men, and 5.82 per 1,000 person-years in women. The diabetes-free survival of the study population in relation to the different tertiles of c-f PWV is shown in Fig. 1.
Diabetes-free survival in relation to the tertiles (T1–T3) of c-f PWV.
The participants in the third tertile (T3) had a significantly higher risk of diabetes (HR 3.41 [95% CI 1.63–7.14]) as compared with those in the first tertile (T1) with adjustment for age, sex, MAP, and average heart rate in model 1, as shown in Table 3. The risk remained significantly higher after adjustments for additional covariates in model 2 (HR 3.24 [95% CI 1.51–6.97]).
Incidence of diabetes in relation to tertiles (T1–T3) of c-f PWV (n = 2,450)
P for trend .
P/SD .
Number of participants 808 831 811 — —
Incidence of diabetes, n (n per 1,000 person-years) 13 (3.54) 21 (5.70) 34 (9.47) — —
Model 1 1 1.73 (0.85–3.54) 3.41** (1.63–7.14) 0.001 <0.001
Model 2 1 1.83 (0.88–3.80) 3.24** (1.51–6.97) 0.002 0.001
Incidence of diabetes, n (n per 1,000 person-years) 4 (3.39) 8 (6.18) 16 (10.73) — —
Model 1 1 1.78 (0.52–6.10) 3.16 (0.90–11.06) 0.059 0.027
Model 2 1 1.38 (0.39–4.80) 2.37 (0.65–8.62) 0.151 0.089
Incidence of diabetes, n (n per 1,000 person-years) 9 (3.62) 13 (5.44) 18 (9.01) — —
Model 2 1 2.05 (0.83–5.05) 3.44* (1.30–9.10) 0.012 0.004
Model 1 is adjusted for age, sex, MAP, and average heart rate measured at the carotid artery. Model 2 is adjusted for age, sex, MAP, average heart rate measured at the carotid artery, waist circumference, smoking habits, FPG, LDL cholesterol, and antihypertensive drug medication.
*P < 0.05;
**P < 0.01. P for trend, P value for trend across tertiles; P/SD, P value per one SD increment of c-f PWV.
For assessment of the effect of other classical risk factors associated with diabetes, a subanalysis was performed with additional adjustments for the following risk factors: HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, 2-h post-OGTT plasma glucose (in place of fasting glucose), and family history of diabetes (mother and father). The HR decreased, but remained significant, for participants in the third tertile versus the first tertile (reference category) of c-f PWV (HR 2.18 [95% CI 1.003–4.719]).
We also calculated c-f PWV in percentage of the predicted value according to age-group and MAP. Those above the 90th percentile of the distribution (n = 245) had a significantly higher incidence of diabetes than those below this cutoff (HR 2.97 [95% CI 1.64–5.38], adjusted for covariates in model 2).
As part of the sensitivity analysis, another index of arterial stiffness, peripheral pulse pressure (24), was also explored. The association across the tertiles of peripheral pulse pressure and incidence of diabetes was assessed, but no significant association was found.
Impaired Fasting Glucose and Impaired Glucose Tolerance
The study population was stratified into those with a normal fasting glucose (FPG <6.1 mmol/L) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) (FPG ≥6.1 and ≤6.9 mmol/L) and those with normal glucose tolerance (OGTT <7.8 mmol/L) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) (OGTT ≥7.8 and ≤11.0 mmol/L). After adjusting for age, sex, MAP, and average heart rate, the risk of developing diabetes was significantly higher in both the prediabetes categories in participants with higher c-f PWV. The HRs for participants in the highest tertile of c-f PWV for the groups with IFG and IGT were 4.03 (95% CI 1.47–11.10) and 9.95 (95% CI 1.22–12.77), respectively. The association between c-f PWV and incidence of diabetes was not significant in those with normal fasting glucose or glucose tolerance.
The results of this observational, population-based study demonstrate that c-f PWV, as a marker of arterial stiffness, is associated with increased risk of developing diabetes. This risk remained significantly increased even after adjusting for the established risk factors and plasma glucose at baseline.
It is already known that the process of arterial stiffness is accelerated in the presence of diabetes (25,26). However, the notion of arterial stiffness as a possible predictor for diabetes development has not been widely studied. Some studies have looked at the association between different indices of measurement of large artery stiffness and incidence of diabetes, although they have explored these parameters and their association with new-onset diabetes in high-risk hypertensive individuals only (16,17). To our knowledge, this is the first study that has explored the association between baseline arterial stiffness using c-f PWV measurement and incidence of diabetes in an apparently healthy elderly population.
In the previously mentioned studies (16,17), various indices reflective of arterial stiffness have been used. Nevertheless, the results do lend support to our study. Yasuno et al. (16) conducted a subanalysis in the Candesartan Antihypertensive Survival Evaluation in Japan (CASE-J) trial. Their results showed that pulse pressure was an independent predictor of diabetes in high-risk Japanese hypertensive patients (16). However, it should be noted that pulse pressure is a crude surrogate index of arterial stiffness (24). In contrast, no association was found between peripheral pulse pressure and incident diabetes in our study.
Chen et al. (17) conducted a study consisting of 178 individuals with diabetes and hypertension. They concluded that measures of central aortic pressure, namely, central systolic blood pressure and augmentation index corrected at heart rate 75 bpm, were independent predictors for new-onset diabetes after adjusting for age, sex, mean blood pressure, glucose, and β-receptor blocker use (17). It is interesting to note that in their study, however, no association between pulse pressure and new-onset diabetes was demonstrated. Besides the small sample size and low number of end points, one of the other limitations of the study was the use of measurement of carotid-radial PWV, mainly reflecting muscular arteries, and not c-f PWV, reflecting large elastic arteries, as mentioned by the authors.
In the current study, diabetes at the baseline examination was carefully assessed by measurements of FPG at two separate visits, a 2-h OGTT, questionnaires about medical history and treatment for diabetes, as well as data linkage to several hospital and diabetes registers. Hence, it seems unlikely that the results are explained by preexisting diabetes. One question is whether blood glucose elevations in the prediabetic range could explain the increased incidence of diabetes associated with c-f PWV. This possibility cannot be excluded. It has been observed that there is increased central artery stiffness in subjects with impaired glucose metabolism, although the changes are less pronounced than those observed in diabetes (27). In our study, the relationship between c-f PWV and incident diabetes was mainly seen in participants with IFG or IGT. Since the results were also adjusted for plasma glucose levels (fasting and 2-h post-OGTT at the baseline examination), differences in glucose in the prediabetic range have been taken into account in the analysis. However, it is still possible that temporal glucose variations in the prediabetic range could affect the arterial stiffness.
Weber (28) discussed the plausibility of a bidirectional relationship between arterial stiffness and development of diabetes, supported by various studies. These studies and our results together indicate that it is worthwhile to explore if the hemodynamic changes accompanying the stiffening of large arteries have a potential role in the pathophysiologic process of diabetes development. One possible explanation for the association between arterial stiffness and incidence of diabetes could be offered by considering the cross-talk between arterial stiffness and endothelial dysfunction. It has been suggested that endothelial dysfunction can facilitate the development of diabetes (29), and endothelial dysfunction has been shown to be associated with arterial stiffness (30). Therefore, it could be speculated that a common pathway may be linking arterial stiffness and endothelial dysfunction to the development of diabetes, or it may be so that the two potentiate each other. Interestingly, results from a cross-sectional study demonstrated that both endothelial dysfunction and increased arterial stiffness were present in normoglycemic, normotensive first-degree relatives of individuals with type 2 diabetes (31).
Another potential pathophysiologic mechanism that can be suggested is the perturbed microvascular function resulting from arterial stiffness. This may cause impaired tissue perfusion and ultimately contribute to the development of diabetes (32).
There are many strengths of the study. It has a population-based prospective design. The study population was carefully screened to exclude all prevalent cases of diabetes. Because of the gradual development of diabetes, it can go undetected for a long time. However, the addition of the OGTT at the baseline examination helps to ensure that no undiagnosed case of diabetes was included. Some limitations, however, also need to be considered. Having a longer follow-up time and possibly a greater number of incidents would have allowed a subgroup analysis to be performed. Also, the current study did not include any established inflammatory biomarkers, which would have been interesting to analyze, as both arterial stiffness and diabetes are associated with chronic inflammation (33,34).
In conclusion, the results of this prospective population-based study suggest that there is an association between c-f PWV and risk of incident diabetes. Certainly, this is an interesting finding and requires further epidemiological and mechanistic research in this direction to understand the elusive mechanism connecting these two entities.
Acknowledgments. The authors thank the staff of the Clinical Research Unit at Skåne University Hospital. The authors acknowledge the information provided by the National Diabetes Register of Sweden, the MHR, the Diabetes 2000 register, and the registers provided by the Swedish Board of Health and Welfare.
Funding. This study was supported by grants from the Medical Research Council of Sweden (K2011-65X-20752-04-6 and 2014-2265), the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation (2013-0249 and 2016-0315), the Region Skåne County Council, and the Ernhold Lundstrom Foundation.
Duality of Interest. No potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article were reported.
Author Contributions. I.F.M. designed the study, performed the statistical analysis, contributed to the analysis and interpretation of the data, and wrote, reviewed, and edited the manuscript. Y.B. and G.E. designed the study, contributed to the analysis and interpretation of the data, and wrote, reviewed, and edited the manuscript. G.Ö., C.K., and M.P. developed the methodology, contributed to the analysis and interpretation of the data, and reviewed and edited the manuscript. M.G. contributed to the analysis and interpretation of the data and reviewed and edited the manuscript. P.M.N. designed the study, developed the methodology, contributed to the analysis and interpretation of the data, and reviewed and edited the manuscript. G.E. is the guarantor of this work and, as such, had full access to all the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.
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Determinants of pulse wave velocity in healthy people and in the presence of cardiovascular risk factors: 'establishing normal and reference values'
Laurent S. Surrogate measures of arterial stiffness: do they have additive predictive value or are they only surrogates of a surrogate? Hypertension 2006;47:325–326
Shinohara
Preferential stiffening of central over peripheral arteries in type 2 diabetes
Stehouwer
Arterial stiffness in diabetes and the metabolic syndrome: a pathway to cardiovascular disease
Schram MT, Henry RM, van Dijk RA, et al. Increased central artery stiffness in impaired glucose metabolism and type 2 diabetes: the Hoorn Study. Hypertension 2004;43:176–181
Arterial stiffness, wave reflections, and diabetes: a bidirectional relationship
Schram
Microvascular dysfunction is associated with a higher incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol
Kinlay S, Creager MA, Fukumoto M, Hikita H, Fang JC, Selwyn AP, Ganz P. Endothelium-derived nitric oxide regulates arterial elasticity in human arteries in vivo. Hypertension 2001;38:1049–1053
Scuteri
Rizza
Endothelial function and arterial stiffness in normotensive normoglycemic first-degree relatives of diabetic patients are independent of the metabolic syndrome
Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis
Schiffrin
Impaired tissue perfusion: a pathology common to hypertension, obesity, and diabetes mellitus
Odegaard
Jr,
Goff
Oxidative stress, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction and incidence of type 2 diabetes
Cardiovasc Diabetol
McEniery
C-reactive protein is associated with arterial stiffness in apparently healthy individuals
© 2017 by the American Diabetes Association.
Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered. More information is available at http://www.diabetesjournals.org/content/license.
Supplementary Figure- pdf file
Introduction: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2022
9. Pharmacologic Approaches to Glycemic Treatment: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2022
Summary of Revisions: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2022
2. Classification and Diagnosis of Diabetes: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2022
6. Glycemic Targets: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2022


When vinyl was the music, this track was a secret weapon of mine. Sister Dimension's copy was handed down to me and I'll tell you what – This track at the end of the night when the lights come up will get you a return booking. It's the ultimate send off into the night for the drunks and still tripping party people. Actually this has to be the last track because nothing can ever be played after it.
This was me every night in my bedroom as a kid. Full flashlight fantasy festivals.
Michael Jackson Reveals He Is In Heaven Afterall!
Tito, Marlon and Jackie are reported to be "feeling like fools" while LaToya has been quoted as saying, " mmm hmmm." Janet could not be reached for comment.


Several of the York County Corn Grower Board of Directors and Morgan Wrich, Program Director for the Nebraska Corn Growers, met at the York Extension Office Thursday Feb. 5, 2015 for a Phone-a-thon to recruit new members into the organization. The mission of the Nebraska Corn Growers Association is to create and increase opportunities for corn farmers through advocacy, education and leadership development.
Currently the Nebraska Corn Grower Association has special incentives for producers join or renew memberships. The insentive includes $150.00 of you seed purchase from several seed companies as well as a voucher for either Torque® or QuickRoots®. Contact any of the Board of Directors or Gary Zoubek for information and forms.
Hopefully all corn growers in York County will plan to become members and advocate for your industry.
The group also viewed the documentary: "Pump The Movie".
PUMP is an inspiring, eye-opening documentary that tells the story of America's addiction to oil, from Standard Oil's illegal tactics to the monopoly oil companies enjoy today. The film explains clearly and simply how we can end this monopoly — and finally win choice at the pump.


Give yourself a dapper game day look with this Michigan Wolverines Basketball polo from Jordan Brand!
Mens_Jordan_Brand_Navy_Michigan_Wolverines_2017-2018_Coaches_Elite_Basketball_Polo http://images.fanatics.com/lf http://dmimages.ff.p10/chains/2698284.txt false We are unable to customize this item with the text you have entered. Please try a different entry again. Your current entry cannot be processed due to guidelines for past and present player names. Please create a new entry.


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William Bond (September 8, 1625–December 14, 1695) was the first Speaker of the Massachusetts Province House of Representatives in 1692 following unification of Plymouth Colony and Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1691, he was the representative for Watertown a position he would be elected to several times after.

Early life
Bond was baptized September 8, 1625 in England, the son of Thomas Bond. He may have come to the American colonies in 1630 with his aunt Elizabeth, the wife of Deacon Ephraim Child, or he may have come at a later date. (See Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins, Immigrants to New England, 1620–1633, 3 vols. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995), 2098).  In 1649 he married Sarah Biscoe, daughter of tanner Nathanial Biscoe, and were the parents of seven children.

Public service
Bond became a leading citizen of Massachusetts Bay, serving as a selectman and town clerk of Watertown, captain of the militia, Justice of the Peace, and member of the Council of Safety.

Speaker of the House
Following the unification of Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth in 1691 by the Second Royal Charter, William became the first speaker, holding the office in 1692-1693 and 1695.

Belmont
The Bond farm was purchased from some of William Bond's descendants by China merchant John Perkins Cushing. Cushing used it as his estate where he built a mansion which he named Belmont. When the northern part of Watertown seceded they chose to name the town Belmont, Massachusetts after Cushing's estate there.

References

1625 births
1695 deaths
Kingdom of England emigrants to Massachusetts Bay Colony
People from Watertown, Massachusetts
Speakers of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
People of colonial Massachusetts

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Opel GT kan henvise til to forskellige bilmodeller fra Opel:
 Opel GT (1968) bygget mellem 1968 og 1973
 Opel GT (2006) bygget mellem 2006 og 2009


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King Arthur Villanueva gets shot at world title in Texas fight vs Puerto Rican Arroyo
King Arthur Villanueva is unbeaten in 27 fights but settled for unimpressive decisions in his last three. Jerome Ascano
CEBU CITY – King Arthur Villanueva gets the biggest break of his career as he vies for the vacant International Boxing Federation (IBF) super flyweight title next week in El Paso, Texas.
The 26-year-old Villanueva will be up against unbeaten Puerto Rican McJoe Arroyo in their July 18 title bout to be held at the Don Haskins Convention Center.
A World Championship bronze medalist (2007) and an Olympian (2008), the 29-year-old Arroyo is 16-0 as a pro, with eight of his wins coming by way of knockout.
Like Arroyo, the Filipino pride from Bacolod City also carries a perfect record (27-0, 14 KOs), giving the 12-round match a lot of promise.
ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer admitted Villanueva may not have looked good in his last two fights, but it was a title opportunity that was too good to pass up.
"The opportunity is there. You have to take a chance," he said. "Arthur has 27 fights, and either he has it or he doesn't have it."
Accompanied by chief trainer Edito Villamor, Villanueva's small entourage already left for the US last week and is currently training at the Wild Card gym of trainer Freddie Roach.
Edmund Villamor, another member of Villanueva's corner, is set to follow them to California a day after Donnie Nietes' title match against Francisco Rodriguez, while Aldeguer will leave for the US on July 14.
Villanueva only settled for decisions in his last three fights, and was fortunate to escape with a split decision over Henry Maldonado in ALA Promotions' Dubai fight card in September last year.
But Aldeguer said the results doesn't matter anymore as long as Villanueva makes himself ready and fit for his fight against Arroyo.
"This could be the right time for Arthur," he added.
king arthur villanueva ,
fights fo ,
r ibf super flyweight title ,
puerto rico ,
mcjoe arroyo ,
el paso ,

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Apophyllite and Gyrolite on Prehnite Pseudomorphs after Laumontite.
This is an example of a "Pseudomorphs" this is a crystal that grows over the surface of another mineral, in this example the Prehnite grew over Laumontite. The Laumontite has then dissolved away leaving the hollow crust of Prehnite.
Prehnite is a very protective stone and can protect you on all levels. It reinforces the life force and commonly increases and arouses energy. It assistances in the communication with spirit through meditation or visualization. It has also been know to facilitate out-of-body travel, and is a potent dream stone.
Prehnite is also known as a stone of prophesy which stimulates inner-knowing.
As suggested Prehnite allows you to make contact with the spirit world, while keeping you protected. Prehnite acts as a magnifier and helps to give you a protective shield in your auric field.
Prehnite is a prefect crystal to work with when meditating, as it is very useful for remembering the lessons that were taught, especially when it is an issue of your spiritual development, and spiritual "knowing," this is know as lucid dreaming.
It also helps develop your intuitive senses, it helps develop insightfulness, and it will help your projections to develop with a greater accuracy.
The 'Stone of Vision', this beautiful stone is able to open the third eye and greatly increase the second sight abilities.
Apophyllite can help one to see clearly using second sight as well as helping to strengthen and sharpen the physical vision, helping to combat eye weaknesses and eye strain.
This stone also helps bring a clarity of thought, increase focus, sharpen thinking and also enhance and clarify the energies of many other stones within the crystal & mineral kingdom.
A stone that works very well with the third eye energy centre and also has a very strong connection to be used by sea travellers in order to give sharper inner and outer vision to mother natures ways.
Apophyllite can be used to finely tune an area or centre of energy, and is especially beneficial to the channeller because of this.
This is also a stone that is helpful in easing sinus pressure and inflammation, easing pressure headaches, and in helping the being to break a fever. Keep Apophyllite close to gain strong protection from virus and fevers, as well as in helping to strengthen the immune system.
Besides being beneficial as a protection stone against illness, Apophyllite is a very good stone to be used by all travellers as a protection talisman.
"I shall guide and I shall protect, I shall work to hold one safe from the Storm".
Gyrolite increases the healing abilities of other crystals while cleansing them. It helps connect your physical body to your Aura. Gyrolite encourages a state of well being. This crystal can help stabilize you emotionally, especially in times of trauma. It is an excellent meditation crystal and can connect you to the wisdom of ancient civilizations. Gyrolite is said to be a crystal that Buddha accessed.


'Real Housewife' Adrienne Maloof is going into the shoe business.
Maloof, the 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' star who unabashedly claims to own 200 pairs of shoes, is planning to bring her love of high heels to the masses.
"I've always had an interest in shoes mainly because there is nothing more beautiful than a high heel," Maloof told People.com. "I'm 5'3, so for me heels are empowering, elegant and beautiful."
She's planning to launch a line of high heels and is reportedly attending the MAGIC fashion convention in order to meet with potential buyers and backers.
The tiny diva wants to be sure that the shoes are made just the way she wants.
"I want to make sure that everything is done organically, correctly," she said. "So if that means I need to take my time, I'm into doing everything the right way. That's important to me."
Maloof is just the latest 'Housewife" to move back into the working world.
Jill Zarin, co-star of 'The Real Housewives of New York' is hawking her own line of shapewear called 'Skweeze'. Her co-star Ramona Singer has taken to the Home Shopping Network to sell her jewelry. New Jersey 'Housewife' Teresa Guidice has published a cookbook.
Camille Grammer, the ex-wife of "Frasier" star Kelsey Grammer, has landed a new guest spot on CBS's "$#*! My Dad Says," TVGuide.com reports.
Atlanta 'Housewife' NeNe Leakes is working it on the "Celebrity Apprentice" and butting heads with Star Jones.


Home / Uncategorized / Craziness in New Orleans after UFC!
Craziness in New Orleans after UFC!
After the fights were over I headed to both Jake Ellenberger & Jake Shields afterparties held at Masquerade and Jax Brewery respectively… I have to say that things got pretty nuts including a human limbo game… Human limbo you ask?? Check the pics!


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Thread starter picturethis
picturethis
UK; English
I wonder if anybody could help me to understand the exact meaning of "undermine" in a legal context. It is used in this newspaper article (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/oct/26/scotland-rushes-through-new-laws-court-ruling) and talks about "undermining convictions". Does this mean that the conviction is removed or that their sentence is simply reduced? If any one could offer an appropriate synonym to help me understand better that would be great!
<< Moderator's note:
The sentence being discussed is:
Ministers in Scotland are rushing through emergency legislation following a landmark ruling by the UK supreme court that could undermine the convictions of suspects who were questioned by police without a lawyer.
Next time, please include the complete sentence in the post itself. >>
Last edited by a moderator: Apr 27, 2011
Annandale, Virginia, USA
"Undermine" means to dig a tunnel underneath something. A standard way to make a castle wall collapse, thus creating an opening for storming it, was to dig a "mine" under wall, shoring it up until it was completed, and then remove or burn the shoring so that there would be nothing to support the wall and it would collapse. Now, the word is used metaphorically to mean "sabotage" or "remove the support from." Here, it means that the convictions that were obtained after suspects had been questioned for up to six hours without access to legal counsel (an attorney) might be held to be invalid, and the convicts could be freed even if they had in fact engaged in criminal activity. Holding accused persons and questioning them for up to six hours had been police practice, and convictions had been obtained of persons so held. This practice was supported by tradition or other interpretations of law. The Supreme Court decision removed that support and thus undermined—removed the support from—convictions of persons who had been questioned for six hours without an attorney.
In the figurative sense, it means 'to damage or weaken'.
"Criticism just undermines their confidence."


Comparing Bullets, Fabric Fibers, Hair, or whatever? You need one of our Forensic Comparison Microscopes! But this time, you don`t need the boss sitting when you show the pricing!
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Excellent for Microscopic Examination and Comparison of Two Objects!
View Both Specimens Side-By-Side Simultaneously on a Single Split-Screen Image!
Includes three illumination methods: Brightfield Transmitted, Incident Reflected, and Epi-Illuminationl.
The Epi-Illumination Capability turns this instrument into a fully functional Metallurgical Comparison Microscope.
Great for use in Criminal Investigation and Forensic Science!
Excellent for Private Investigators, Criminologists, Laboratories, Forensic Investigation, and any of Numerous Applications where Two Specimens need to be Closely Compared!
Instrument Consists of Two Microscopes Combining their Split Images. The Image from one is on the Left Side, and the other is on the Right Side. Each Microscope has its Own Independent Set of Objectives. The Microscopes can be set to the Same or Different Magnification Levels.
Great for Comparison of Fibers, Hair, Bullets, Bullet Cartridge Casings, Scratch Marks, Wires, and Paint Fragments, using the Same Lighting Conditions and Magnification.
Forensic science microscope great for comparison of two specimens.
Eyepiece Sets Included: Wide Field 10x and Normal Field 15x.
Three Achromatic Objectives on each side: 4x, 10x, and 40x. Quad Nosepiece with four openings for extra optional objective.
System is selectable between three illumination sources.
Transmitted Base Illumination: Variable Intensity Halogen. Bottom light source can be moved around to precisely align the path.
Incident Reflected Illumination: Side mounted lamps with variable intensity halogen bulbs cast reflected light on an angle.
Metallurgical Epi-Illumination: System comes with halogen variable intensity through-the-lens illumination for use with metallurgical or opaque specimens.
Adjusts to the Distance Between your Eyes: 55 to 75mm InterPupillary Distance.
For Transmitted Illumination: 1.25 N.A. Abbe Substage Condenser, Condenser Movement on Rack and Pinion Steel Gears, Iris Diaphragm and Swing-Out Filter Holder. Condenser Alignment Screws. Daylight Blue Clear and Daylight Blue Frosted Filters.
For Incident Illumination: Light Focusing Knobs.
For Metallurgical Epi-Illumination: Green and Daylight Blue Filters.
Two Large Graduated Mechanical Movable (up/down and longitudinal Y-direction) Stages: 130 x 130mm.
Low Position Coaxial X-Y Slide/Stage Movement Knobs – Range of Movement: 75mm (X-Direction) x 40mm (Y-Direction).
Three Types of Stages: Stage for glass slide that would normally use transmitted bottom light. Stage for Opaque specimens, such as metallurgical samples using the epi-illumination or incident light. Bullet Stage that holds bullets in place.
Fine and Coarse Focusing Knobs.
Adjustable Screw Stop to Limit Coarse Range to Protect Specimens.
Total Overall Height of Microscope: 520mm.
Includes: Extra 10x Eyepiece with Built-in Measuring Reticle: X-Scale, 10mm in 100 divisions.
Includes: Extra 5x Eyepiece with Built-in Crosshair Reticle.
Comes with two Extra 20W Halogen Bulbs, Dust Cover, and Cleaning Cloth.
Ships in Molded Styrofoam Container for protection.
110 VAC Power Requirement (Contact us about 220V availability).
Warranty is 5 years on all microscope equipment.
The microscope warranty covers problems arising from normal usage.
We will repair or replace your defective microscopy equipment as needed during the warranty period.


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Home News & Analysis SEC's 'earth shattering' proposals unravelled
SEC's 'earth shattering' proposals unravelled
The US regulator's definition of what an adviser-led transaction refers to is not clear in its recent proposals, according to law firm Morgan Lewis.
Michael Baruch
Recent proposals and commentary from the US Securities and Exchange Commission have lit private markets' collective hair on fire.
Mechanisms that were once sacrosanct, such as the 2-and-20 fee model and charging fees on committed capital, are suddenly feeling the heat of SEC scrutiny. While the rules are far from final, they cut to the core of private equity by requiring enhanced disclosure or outright prohibition on certain practices.
Last week, law firm Morgan Lewis & Bockius hosted a webinar with partners Christine Lombardo, Courtney Nowell, Jedd Wider and Joseph Zargari to discuss the implications of the "earth shattering" proposals. The questions the SEC has raised "target and hit well-established industry terms and conditions that have been widely accepted for decades in the PE [and hedge fund] industry", said Wider.
The prohibition of practices "opens a Pandora's box either now or in the future" for additional activities to be added to that list, which is "a real paradigm shift" from permitting these activities so long as they are disclosed, Zargari added.
Here are three ramifications of the proposals that could affect longstanding practices for sponsors and investors.
GP-led deals
The SEC is concerned about conflicts of interest with regard to adviser-led transactions, according to Lombardo, but the instrument of its inquiry is flawed.
The proposed amendment to Form PF would require advisers to report GP-led transactions within one business day of execution.
That window is too tight and would likely distract from the work itself, especially in situations where interpretation is necessary to deem if a sponsor-led transaction has occurred, the partners agreed during the webinar.
Further, what an adviser-led transaction really means is not exactly clear as the rule is written, Lombardo added. Written to capture single assets and strip sales, the rule could conceivably extend to tenders, other transactions and even cases with single LPs selling.
This could still change. The SEC in its public comment asked whether monitoring these transactions is even necessary, said Lombardo. As a general matter, these types of transactions "aren't inherently nefarious", but rather are "designed to provide liquidity".
There are further ramifications for the GP-led market, such as whether market-tested pricing warrants exclusion from mandated fairness opinions.
While it is generally understood that large LPs command the ability to negotiate favourable terms and economics from sponsors on areas such as fund fees and co-investments, the new proposals would require such benefits be disclosed to current and prospective investors. Further, if such activities were deemed harmful to existing investors, such practices could be prohibited altogether.
The gesture toward transparency made by these proposals is a "good development", said Nowell, but prescribing which beneficial terms can be negotiated is "troubling, even as an investor".
"If you have chosen strategically to place a large allocation with an investment manager, part of that decision has typically been because you're able to negotiate commercially some economic inducements in exchange for doing so," Nowell added.
If enacted as written, such rules could cause difficulties for LPs like CalPERS, that achieve their returns by seeking "cost-advantaged" opportunities in funds, co-investments and separately managed accounts.
"The idea that giving one investor preference may be detrimental to the other investors is subjective," added Nowell, "and it's a material change from the way sophisticated counterparties negotiate side letters".
Asymmetric burden
One important nuance to these proposals is that they do not discriminate by firm size. As a result, the administrative and monetary burdens may not be shared equally by the market, were the proposals implemented as is.
Unlike PE behemoths with robust teams in place, "the burden of new reporting will disproportionately affect smaller managers who may not have the back office to absorb the new reporting obligations", said Nowell.
However, managers of any size may find themselves in a better position than their LPs.
"You have to assume these expenses will be treated as fund expenses," added Nowell. Whether large or small, LPs may have to pay for the proposals that in theory are designed to protect them.
The distinction between what is defined as a fund cost versus an adviser cost "needs some focus, particularly as we're adding additional fees and expenses here", said Nowell.
This article first appeared in affiliate publication Private Equity International
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Kussmaul was founded around the idea that an autonomous, reliable, dependable, and rugged battery charger could be of great use to fire, emergency, and public safety fleets. That idea was quickly proven correct, as it gave rise to Kussmaul's first product line. Today, its battery chargers are still the class of the industry for police, fire, and emergency applications, but the company has long since expanded its catalog. In addition to its proven battery chargers, Kussmaul offers a comprehensive assortment of battery indicators, auto eject systems, air compressors, solar power charging systems, power management systems, and equipment monitoring technology.
The man behind the company, Ernie Kussmaul, is yet another example of how a determined creator can make it big in America. Long before the company was moved to a 34,000-square foot facility, Ernie tinkered and invented in his garage, with the help of a few people he employed. At first, he would take any engineering job he could get, but when a fire commissioner friend asked if he could make a battery charger for his department's vehicles, that's when everything changed. Before long, Ernie and his team were dedicating all of their efforts to improving fire and emergency vehicle functioning.
Kussmaul was established in 1967 and its first major product line was a set of vehicle-mounted battery chargers. But that wouldn't be the company's most popular and successful offering. That would be Kussmaul's line of air and power auto-eject systems. According to Ernie, that was what put the business on the map, and it hasn't looked back since. From its base on Long Island, Kussmaul does all of its own manufacturing and assembly and puts that assembly in the hands of people who have been with the company for a long time. With its experience and organization, the Kussmaul team can quickly turn around any product order and develop custom solutions within days.
Kussmaul's Products: Safety Locks, Ejection Systems & Air Pumps
Kussmaul's products are about supporting the underlying electronic infrastructure inside fire or emergency vehicles. And though the company has placed the lion's share of its focus on fire and emergency fleets for most of its existence, it now offers products just for police fleets. But what deserves first mention is Kussmaul's auto-eject technology. After all, the company wouldn't be around if it wasn't for that smart little invention.
1. Power and air auto-ejection systems – Kussmaul manufactures several auto-ejection systems, designed for a variety of amperage and air pressure specifications. Each one is designed to fit over a fire or emergency vehicle's AC shoreline or air connection. When not in use, the cover plate hinges shut to prevent dust or water intrusion into the connection.
During use, the auto-ejection system can accommodate a power connection using heavy duty pin and sleeve contacts, or an air connection using a brass fitting and shut-off valve. When the vehicle's engine is started, if the power or air connection is still in place, the auto-injection system kicks the connection hose out and closes the connector shut. This prevents the kind of heavy damage that can occur when the vehicle departs while connected to the shoreline. As fire and emergency personnel are in a constant state of rapid response, this scenario is quite common. But with Kussmaul's auto-ejection systems, a brief lapse of attention won't cost money or pose a safety hazard.
Kussmaul also produces a line of "super" auto-ejectors, which delays air and electric energizing, ensuring there is no terminal arcing.
2. Vehicle battery chargers – Kussmaul's battery chargers ensure that critical vehicle functions are always available and that the vehicle's batteries remain charged at all times. The company's battery chargers operate automatically and regulate the output to one or a pair of battery banks.
Kussmaul's battery chargers are built with a sensor that checks the battery's voltage 120 times per second. If there is a voltage drop, the charger compensates and ensures battery performance remains stable. Every charger is wrapped in a heavy-duty aluminum housing and comes with a status display.
With a Kussmaul battery charger, fire, emergency, and police vehicles can maintain heavy parasitic draws from systems like lights, sirens, and radios while not threatening the battery.
3. Air compressors – Kussmaul's air compressors are intended for use with air braking systems. Specifically, they compensate for any system leaks in a vehicle's air brake, providing enough pressure to prevent brake lockup.
The company's air compressors are available in 100 PSI and 125 PSI versions and operate using a regulated pressure switch. When the pressure switch senses low pressure in the braking system, the compressor automatically delivers added pressure to restore proper brake function. The compressor comes with a 15A circuit breaker and a pressure gauge for easy status reading. Each one is compact, is built with sealed ball bearings, and will not interfere with any engine-mounted air compressor.
They also come with an auto drain that triggers every time the compressor cycles off using a 12V solenoid. This keeps the compressor free of moisture and saves maintenance personnel precious time.
4. Safety locks – Kussmaul's safety locks are aimed at law enforcement fleets and they operate using an ingenious mechanism. The lock is activated when the ignition key is removed. Even after removing the key, the engine keeps running, but if any attempt to shift or apply the brake is made without the key in the ignition, the engine shuts down. This allows police to keep their vehicles, along with their lights and sirens, running when the driver needs to respond to a situation away from the vehicle.
Kussmaul is one of those manufacturers that has survived by virtue of its inventiveness and practical approach to building solutions. With more than 40 years servicing fire, emergency and law enforcement fleets, Kussmaul has clearly demonstrated why its products are found in most of the country's public safety vehicles.
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Go ahead for safety project
Published: 10:51 AM September 27, 2006
A £50,000 scheme to improve safety on a road in Ramsey has been approved. There have been eight accidents in three years in Bury Road, and the work was approved by the Huntingdonshire Traffic Management Area Joint Committee. Ramsey county councillor Sus
A £50,000 scheme to improve safety on a road in Ramsey has been approved.
There have been eight accidents in three years in Bury Road, and the work was approved by the Huntingdonshire Traffic Management Area Joint Committee.
Ramsey county councillor Susan Normington said: "This stretch of road has been the scene of a number of accidents and injuries, and I am delighted that this scheme, which should help cut the number of crashes and casualties, has been approved."
Improved visibility from the side of Biggin Lane, a reduction in the speed of through traffic, improved facilities for pedestrians crossing the road, and a mini-roundabout at the junction with Fairfield Drive are among the proposals.
INFORMATION: On average, Bury Road is used by more than 7,500 vehicles, 800 pedestrians and 60 cyclists every day.


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Q: How can I adjust the graph spacing of a bar chart. Matplotlib I have a bar chart. There is 3 columns but the spacing in between on each year is too wide. Is it the add_axes problem?  Because I am new of matlibplot. Does anyone know how can I change it?
import pandas as pd
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import seaborn as sns
from matplotlib import style
style.use('ggplot')

dict_ = {'date': [pd.Timestamp('20150720'),pd.Timestamp('20160720'),pd.Timestamp('20170720'),pd.Timestamp('20180720'),pd.Timestamp('20190720'),pd.Timestamp('20200720')],
            'BKNG': [15.22, 6.36, 5.05, 5, 9.3641, -3],
            'MCD' : [25.22, 11.36, 7.05, 9, 8.3641, -6],
            'YUM' : [52.22, 21.36, 25.05, 26, 21.3641, -10]

}

df = pd.DataFrame(dict_)
df['date'] = df['date'].dt.year
df.set_index('date',inplace=True)

fig = plt.figure(figsize=(10,8))
ax = fig.add_axes([0,0,1,1])

ax.bar(df.index+0.00, df['BKNG'], color = 'b', width = 0.10, label='BKNG')
ax.bar(df.index+0.20, df['MCD'], color = 'g', width = 0.10, label='MCD')
ax.bar(df.index+0.30, df['YUM'], color = 'r', width = 0.10, label='YUM')

plt.title('ROE')
plt.xlabel('date')
plt.ylabel('value')

plt.legend()
plt.show()

A: The width parameter changes the width of bars:
so if you want to arrange them you have to add the index with the width of columns:
ax.bar(df.index+0.00, df['BKNG'], color = 'b', width = 0.2, label='BKNG')
ax.bar(df.index+0.20, df['MCD'], color = 'g', width = 0.2, label='MCD')
ax.bar(df.index+0.40, df['YUM'], color = 'r', width = 0.2, label='YUM')

Or if you want width to be 0.25 change the middle bar to +0.25
ax.bar(df.index+0.00, df['BKNG'], color = 'b', width = 0.25, label='BKNG')
ax.bar(df.index+0.25, df['MCD'], color = 'g', width = 0.25, label='MCD')
ax.bar(df.index+0.50, df['YUM'], color = 'r', width = 0.25, label='YUM')

For a better organization you can change your code to this:
i=0
width = 0.25
gap = .02
cols = ['BKNG','MCD','YUM']
colors= ['b','g','r']
for col in cols:
    ax.bar(df.index+(i*(width+gap)), df[col], color = colors[i], width = width, label=col)
    i+=1

A: Pandas plotting makes life a little easier:
df.plot.bar(width=0.5)

You can adjust width to specify spacing between groups. At 1, there is no spacing. At 0.5, the spacing is equal to the the width of the groups, i.e., takes up half the total space.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


For more information on teaching in Thailand, or to learn how you can make a difference in 2017 please get in touch!
Located in the Northeast region of Thailand known as Issan, Sakon Nakhon is a province with an interesting mix of Thai and Laos influence. Sakon Nakhon houses the Nong Han Lake, which is the biggest natural lake in Northeast Thailand, and a popular resort area for locals. Only 25 km outside the city is also Phu Phan National Park, which is home to a gorgeous sprawling mountain range of the same name.
Click the following website link for more information on things to do in Sakon Nakhon.
Check out what XploreAsia teacher Rabia Hosein said about her experience living and teaching in Sakon Nakhon!


text:
import angular from 'angular';
import uiRouter from 'angular-ui-router';

import tracksComponent from './tracks.component';

let tracksModule = angular.module('tracks', [uiRouter])
                            .config(config)
                            .component('tracks', tracksComponent);

function config($stateProvider, $urlRouterProvider) {
    "ngInject";

    $urlRouterProvider.otherwise('/');

    $stateProvider
        .state('tracks', {
            url: '/:artist/:tracks',
            template: '<tracks></tracks>'
        });
}

export default tracksModule;

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Bedroom : Womens Simple Ideas For Women Wall Colour Design King Size Bed Headboard Modern Wood Delicate With One Of These 64 Feminine Headboards Accessories Cool Small Romantic Images ~ Dowdydoodles Inc.
Published at Tuesday, July 24th, 2018 - 19:23:53 PM. Bedroom. By Elsie Schumacher.


Sanna McKim joined the CCLC in April 2018 as the Interim Executive Director.
Born & raised in New York, Pat moved to Maine in 1993 where she and her late husband owned and operated a retail business in Whiting. After selling the business in 2000, Pat and her son Michael moved to Trescott, where she still lives. Pat's first connections with the CCLC were through participation in workshops by Mary Belenky in 2001 and 2003.
Pat has been with the CCLC since 2005 and serves as Finance Manager. In addition to her work with CCLC, Pat was a domestic violence hotline volunteer with Peaceful Choices for 4 ½ years. She also organized, coordinated and managed highly rated Road Scholar (formerly Elderhostel) programs on Campobello Island from 2003 to 2011. Pat also served on the Board of the Washington County Children's program for 4 years. In her spare time she enjoys gardening, dancing and swimming, and has a large collection of vinyl albums and CD's, including her all time favorite, Abbey Road.
Kara has been with the CCLC since 2004. On a daily basis she finds herself engaged and stretched as CCLC's lead teacher for the Cobscook Experiential Program, and was part of the team that brought the Cobscook Program to life in 2010. Prior to that, Kara worked as CCLC's Community Programs Director. A Michigan native, Kara first came to Maine in 2003 as a graduate student in in the Audubon Expedition Institute (now the Expedition Education Institute). Her group met with the folks who were working to create the CCLC, which led to a semester-long internship (during which she taught her first class for CCLC – Introduction to Irish Whistle). That internship led to work, which has led to a life – home, family and fulfilling work – in Trescott on the shores of Whiting Bay.
In addition to her work with CCLC, Kara is a volunteer and board member with the Downeast Coastal Conservancy, and an active musician and regular performer in Downeast Maine. She holds a BS in geology from Western Michigan University and a MS in Environmental Education from Lesley University. She enjoys hiking the beautiful trails of eastern Maine with her family and their dogs, and playing guitar, whistle, accordion, and sometimes bagpipes with her bandmates. Kara is an avid Star Trek aficionado, and likes making maple syrup each spring.


I think the first image I saw of Kemble Interiors' work was in Veranda years ago. I know the work is widely published, and I hope you're not sick of it yet – I know I'm not.
I especially like the first room with those amazing views and restful decor.
This post is beautiful! I love her approach to design.
How beautiful. You are so right – never tire of her work.
Celerie does such amazing work…always loved her style…I love the statement of "your home should be a loosely woven fabric of desires, memories….."
Great collections of images…thanks Stacy..loved every one!…so pinned a few…Have a wonderful week!
So many beautiful images here. You have posted the best of the best.
Celerie is one talented lady. Love her work.
I love all the images especially the one with the handpainted chest as a bedside table. Just beautiful.
Some amazing rooms in my colour palette here! Love the first image! Thanks for stopping by Stacy, Going to try to find your post on Segreto now!
Love the bedroom picture with the shiplap….so pretty! Love that look.
Glad to see your back Stacy 🙂 Love the inspiration images. Thanks for sharing!
I do want to thank you for posting about my little shop recently. I just read the post a few minutes ago. Thank you, kindly!! I am so grateful for the shout-out.
If you visit DC, please let me know. In the meantime, I'm your newest follower!!
With many thanks, and cheers!
Great design that is quite unique and really pulls in the essence of the homeowner.
I have always been a huge fan of her work and her fabrics! I recently saw one that is making me want to start over on a room in my own home! All of these pictures are beautiful! Thanks for sharing!


Ever since she was a child, Bay Area DJ ThatGirl has been interested in street art and its connection to the hip-hop movement. However, it wasn't until she attended a rave in 1997 that she discovered her desire to channel this creativity into music, most notably turntablism. She soon purchased her own set of DJ tools and quickly gained respect in the community with her turntable skills and ability to uniquely set the mood for events as diverse as B-boy battles and art show openings. ThatGirl is also known as part of the Peaches crew, a weekly all-girl DJ party in the Mission that has been going strong for almost three years. We recently caught up with ThatGirl to talk about her love of art, why she is "that girl," and what we can expect to hear at her parties. She plays Skylark this Thursday for the Peaches party.


text:
Home / About Halifax Regional / Affiliations, Awards and Accreditations
Educational Affiliations
Halifax Regional has historically maintained strong relationships with many health professional schools and programs, and provides clinical experience to approximately 65 students annually through its affiliation with the NEWH Consortium, composed of the community colleges in Nash, Edgecombe, Wilson and Halifax counties in North Carolina. The Medical Center receives over 55 nursing and nursing assistant students from Halifax Community College, as well as students in respiratory therapy, radiology technology, operating room technology and medical laboratory technology from the other community colleges in the NEWH Consortium. We also provide clinical experience to pharmacy students from the University of North Carolina School of Pharmacy and the Campbell University School of Pharmacy and to dietary students from East Carolina University and four area high school's health occupations students.
Through its affiliation with Area L AHEC, the Medical Center provides clinical training for all levels of medical students, interns and residents from several medical schools, including East Carolina University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University and others.
Halifax Regional, through providing quality assurance and medical direction services, sponsors rescue squads for Halifax Emergency Medical Service Authority, Warrenton Rescue Squad, Scotland Neck Rescue Squad and Enfield Rescue Squad.
Halifax Regional has achieved the Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval for Patient Safety and Quality of Care.
Halifax Regional was rated in Consumer Reports for our surgical outcomes.
Roanoke Clinic has been named a Level 3 Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
The Birthing Center has achieved North Carolina Maternity Center's Breastfeeding-Friendly Designation.
The Joint Care Center has achieved The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval for hip and knee replacement.
First in the nation to complete radiography to preserve tissue on a medical examiners case
Halifax Regional is fully and unconditionally accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. The Medical Center is fully licensed by the State of North Carolina through the Division of Facility Services of the Department of Health and Human Services as an acute care general hospital.
The Medical Center is certified for participation in Medicare and Medicaid programs. The clinical and anatomic pathology laboratories at the Medical Center are accredited by the College of American Pathologists, and the Blood Bank is accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks. The Medical Center's mammography department is accredited by the American College of Radiology. In addition, the Health Care Financing Administration has awarded Halifax Regional a Certificate of Accreditation under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act.
The Medical Center is a contracting hospital with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and is a member of the North Carolina Hospital Association and its rural, private nonprofit and psychiatric constituency sections, and is also a member of the American Hospital Association.
Center provides clinical training for all levels of medical students, interns and residents from several medical schools, including East Carolina University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University and others.


Some writing through Manfred Werder's performance of BANGS by Mark So, begun summer 2006, Zürich. Text and images by Mark So and Manfred Werder. Book designed by Mark So.
Bang Bang is a story about a man who was dead before he even started.


text:
numpy.ma.MaskedArray.__oct__
============================

.. currentmodule:: numpy.ma

.. automethod:: MaskedArray.__oct__


The Napoleon LEX605RSBI Gas Grill with rear infrared burner, infrared SIZZLE ZONE™ bottom burner and range side burner has everything you need. In one unit you have the ability to go from searing over infrared high heat, to baking on the grill like an oven, to rotissing while you make a sauce on the side burner. While you are cooking, friends and family can relax with cold drinks from the integrated ice bucket. The LEX605RSBI is constructed with high quality stainless steel. Not to worry though, this grill may be high-end quality, but it comes with an affordable price tag.
lid and rear grill hood contain the heat giving you oven like performance. Cook your food just like restaurant professionals. Want to make sure that your food is coming along okay? Not a problem. That rear grill hood prevents heat loss in the grill by protecting the food and burners from the elements. The heat produced on a Napoleon Grill is so even you can even bake cookies, breads and cakes on the grill. This will save you money during the hotter months because you're not using the oven.
hatever you're cooking, creating those unique Napoleon sear lines. Have the freedom to prep your meal on the grill with the large side shelves and included cutting board. Then, while the food is cooking on the grill, prepare sauces or sauté on the gas range burner.
Solid construction isn't the only great thing about the LEX605RSBI. It is a grill that asked you what you needed and provided it all. The iGlow knobs allow you to grill after dark. They are backlit by stunning blue LED lights that will burn for over 30,000 hours. There is a full width, tapered drip pan to catch anything that the stainless steel sear plates don't turn into delicious flavor. Under that there is the permanent grease tray. The LEX Series Gas Grills light easily with the unique JETFIRE™ ignition system. It lights by shooting a jet of gas that is lit. That jet lights the burners directly through the control knobs. This kind of ignition system will last for years because it stays out of the heat zone of the burners. Everything about this grill screams high-end, except for the price tag.
Every LEX605RSBI comes in one box with a fully assembled grill head, stainless steel sear plates and WAVE™ cooking grids, warming rack and condiment basket for added storage, the full width drip pan, permanent drip tray and disposable liner, ice/marinade bucket and cutting board. All hardware is provided for cart assembly, along with the manual.


text:
The Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) was an exercise undertaken approximately every five years on behalf of the four UK higher education funding councils (HEFCE, SHEFC, HEFCW, DELNI) to evaluate the quality of research undertaken by British higher education institutions. RAE submissions from each subject area (or unit of assessment) are given a rank by a subject specialist peer review panel. The rankings are used to inform the allocation of quality weighted research funding (QR) each higher education institution receives from their national funding council.  Previous RAEs took place in 1986, 1989, 1992, 1996 and 2001. The most recent results were published in December 2008. It was replaced by the Research Excellence Framework (REF) in 2014.

Various media have produced league tables of institutions and disciplines based on the 2008 RAE results. Different methodologies lead to similar but non-identical rankings.

History
The first exercise of assessing of research in higher education in the UK took place in 1986 under the Margaret Thatcher Government.  It was conducted by the University Grants Committee under the chairmanship of the Cambridge mathematician Peter Swinnerton-Dyer. The purpose of the exercise was to determine the allocation of funding to UK Universities at a time of tight budgetary restrictions. The committee received submissions of research statements from 37 subject areas ("cost centres") within universities, along with five selected research outputs. It issued quality rankings labelled "outstanding", "above average", "average" or "below average". The research funding allocated to universities (called "quality-related" funding) depended on the quality ratings of the subject areas. According to Swinnerton-Dyer, the objective was to establish a measure of transparency to the allocation of funding at a time of declining budgets.

A subsequent research assessment was conducted in 1989 under the name "research selectivity exercise" by the Universities Funding Council. Responding to the complaint of the universities that they weren't allowed submit their "full strength," Swinnerton-Dyer allowed the submission of two research outputs per every member of staff. The evaluation was also expanded to 152 subject areas ("units of assessment"). According to Roger Brown and Helen Carasso, only about 40 per cent of the research-related funding was allocated based on the assessment of the submissions. The rest was allocated based on staff and student numbers and research grant income.

In 1992, the distinction between universities and polytechnics was abolished.  The Universities Funding Council was replaced by regionwise funding councils such as the HEFCE. Behram Bekhradnia, the directory of policy at HEFCE, came to the conclusion that the research assessment needed to become "much more robust and rigorous." This led to the institution of the Research Assessment Exercise in 1992. The results of the 1992 results were nevertheless challenged in Court by the Institute of Dental Surgery and the judge warned that the system had to become more transparent. The assessment panels in the subsequent exercises had to be much more explicit about the criteria for evaluation and the working methods. In 1996, all volume-based evaluation was removed to account for the criticism that volume rather than quality was rewarded.

The 1992 exercise also stipulated that the staff submitted for assessment had to be in post by a specific date (the "census date") in order to counter the criticisms that the staff that had moved on were still counted in the assessment. This led to the phenomenon of "poaching" of highly qualified staff by other universities ahead of the census date. In the 2001 exercise, the credit for the staff that moved institutions in the middle of the cycle could be shared between the two institutions. In the 2008 exercise, this was abolished.

The assessment of 2008 also brought in a major change. Instead of a single grade for an entire subject area ("unit of assessment"), a grade was assigned to each research output. This was done to counter the criticism that large departments were able to hide a "very long tail" of lesser work and still get high ratings and, conversely, excellent staff in low-graded departments were unable to receive adequate funding. Thus the single grades for units of assessment were replaced by "quality profiles," which indicated the proportion of each department's research against each quality category.

Scale

2008

The 2008 RAE used a four-point quality scale, and returned a profile, rather than a single aggregate quality score, for each unit.
The quality levels—based on assessment of research outputs, research environment and indicators of esteem—are defined as:

Each unit of assessment was given a quality profile – a five-column histogram – indicating the proportion of the research that meets each of four quality levels or is unclassified.

Earlier Assessments
In 1992, 1996 and 2001, the following descriptions were used for each of the ratings.

These ratings have been applied to "units of assessment", such as French or Chemistry, which often broadly equate to university departments. Various unofficial league tables have been created of university research capability by aggregating the results from units of assessment. Compiling league tables of universities based on the RAE is problematic, as volume and quality are both significant factors.

Assessment process
The assessment process for the RAE focuses on quality of research outputs (which usually means papers published in academic journals and conference proceedings), research environment, and indicators of esteem. Each subject panel determines precise rules within general guidance. For RAE 2008, institutions are invited to submit four research outputs, published between January 2001 and December 2007, for each full-time member of staff selected for inclusion.

In response to criticism of earlier assessments, and developments in employment law, the 2008 RAE does more to take into account part-time workers or those new to a sufficient level of seniority to be included in the process.

Criticism
The RAE has not been without its critics. In its different iterations, it has divided opinion among researchers, managers and policy makers. Amongst the criticisms is the fact that it explicitly ignores the publications of most full-time researchers in the UK, on the grounds that they are employed on fixed term contracts. According to the RAE 2008 guidelines, most research assistants are "not eligible to be listed as research active staff". Publications by researchers on fixed term contracts are excluded from the Assessment Exercise unless those publications can be credited to a member of staff who is eligible for the RAE.  This applies even if the member of staff being assessed only made a minor contribution to the article. The opposite phenomenon is also true, where non-research active staff on permanent contracts, such as lecturers who have been responsible primarily for teaching activities have also found themselves placed under deeper contractual pressure by their employing universities to produce research output.  Another issue is that it is doubtful whether panels of experts have the necessary expertise to evaluate the quality of research outputs, as experts perform much less well as soon as they are outside their particular area of specialisation.

Since 1996 the AUT, now incorporated within the UCU, has maintained a policy of opposition to the Research Assessment Exercise. In its view,

The official Review of Research Assessment, the 2003 "Roberts Report" commissioned by the UK funding bodies, recommended changes to research assessment, partly in response to such criticisms.

The House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee considered the Roberts report, and took a more optimistic view, asserting that, "the RAE had had positive effects: it had stimulated universities into managing their research and had ensured that funds were targeted at areas of research excellence", it concluded that "there had been a marked improvement in universities' research performance". Nevertheless, it argued that "the RAE in its present form had had its day", and proposed a reformed RAE, largely based on Roberts' recommendations.

Planned changes to RAE system
It was announced in the 2006 Budget that after the 2008 exercise a system of metrics would be developed in order to inform future allocations of QR funding. Following initial consultation with the higher education sector, it is thought that the Higher Education Funding Councils will introduce a metrics based system of assessment for subjects in science, technology, engineering and medicine. A process of peer review is likely to remain for mathematics, statistics, arts, humanities and social studies subjects.

HEFCE has developed a new set of arrangements, known as the Research Excellence Framework (REF), which has been introduced as a follow on to the 2008 RAE.

References

Further reading

External links
 Links to 2008 League Tables (The Independent)
 Links to 2008 League Tables (Research Fortnight)
 Links to 2008 League Tables (Guardian)
 2001 RAE Institution Ranking (Guardian)
 Official RAE website for 2008 exercise
 Archived RAE website for 2001 exercise

Higher education in the United Kingdom
Public bodies and task forces of the United Kingdom government
Research in the United Kingdom
Research management
Science policy


Is yard waste recycling optional?
Participation in yard waste recycling is not optional and all yard waste will need to be placed in the appropriate bags mentioned above.
Yard waste will only be collected once a week on your regularly scheduled recycle day. For example, if your curbside recycling day is Monday, then your yard waste will be collected on Monday as well. For residents who use a yard maintenance service, this may require you to reschedule or change the service day to coincide with the new collection day.
What types of bags are acceptable and where can I buy them?
All yard waste is required to be bagged in either kraft paper bags or compostable plastic bags. Non-compostable bags are not accepted.
Online retailers: Amazon and certain retailers mentioned above.
For residents that use a yard service company that does work within the City of Houston city limits, chances are they are already using the compostable bags as required by Houston.
Visit the City of Houston's webpage to learn more about compostable plastic bags and where to purchase them.
Compostable bags include kraft paper bags or compostable plastic bags. Compostable plastic bags are usually clear or tinted a translucent shade of green, white, or pink; however the color is not the sure way of determining the compostability of a plastic bag. Some bags marked "biodegradable" and "degradable are not accepted as they may not be compostable.
Kraft paper bags are the usually large brown paper bags that may indicate yard waste, lawn and leaf on the package or on the bag itself. Smaller paper bags from grocery stores may also be used.
How can I tell the difference between a compostable plastic bag and a traditional black plastic bag?
Look for the word "COMPOSTABLE" on the box. The words "lawn and leaf" or "yard waste" that may appear on the plastic bag packages do not guarantee that the bag is compostable and acceptable to use.
Are all paper bags compostable?
Most paper yard waste bags or grocery store bags are compostable. Paper bags that contain any type of film (i.e Kohl's, etc.) are not easily composted, therefore are not accepted.
Can I mix yard waste with other items like trash or recyclables?
Yard waste mixed with trash, recyclables, or other materials that is not yard waste is not accepted. Mixing causes the material to be contaminated and is unacceptable for compost processing. Yard waste mixed with trash or recyclables will subject to a special collection fee.
What if I chose not to bag my yard waste?
There are several free alternatives to purchasing compostable bags. Residents may leave their lawn clippings on their lawn (grasscycling) or compost their trimmings for use in their yard. Yard waste cannot be thrown away with trash or left curbside in loose piles or plastic containers as it will not be collected.
What is considered yard waste and what are the placement requirements?
Yard waste but be placed curbside within ten (10) feet of your driveway (not in street or gutter).
Leaves, grass clippings, small tree and hedge trimmings should be bagged (paper or compostable plastic).
Yard Waste bags cannot exceed 40 pounds (special collection fee will apply for bags over 40 lbs).
Tree removal residue – tree removal company is responsible for removal.


text:
{
	angular.module('common.altthemes', [])

		/**
			*
			* Override the original mars user.
			*
			  */
		.directive('altThemes', ['altthemesService', function (themesService) {
			return {
				restrict: 'AE',
				templateUrl: 'common/navigation/altthemes.html',
            scope: {
               current: "="
            },
				link: function (scope) {
					themesService.getThemes().then(function (themes) {
						scope.themes = themes;
					});

					themesService.getCurrentTheme().then(function (theme) {
						scope.theme = theme;
					});

					scope.changeTheme = function (theme) {
						scope.theme = theme;
						themesService.setTheme(theme.key);
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				}
			};
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		.controller('altthemesCtrl', ['altthemesService', function (altthemesService) {
			this.service = altthemesService;
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		.filter('altthemesFilter', function () {
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				var response = [];
				// Give 'em all if they haven't set a theme.
				if (!theme) {
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				if (features) {
					features.forEach(function (feature) {
						if (feature.themes) {
							if (feature.themes.some(function (name) {
								return name === theme.key;
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		.factory('altthemesService', ['$q', '$http', 'storageService', function ($q, $http, storageService) {
			var THEME_PERSIST_KEY = 'icsm.current.theme';
			var THEMES_LOCATION = 'icsm/resources/config/themes.json?v=1';
			var DEFAULT_THEME = "All";
			var waiting = [];
			var self = this;

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			storageService.getItem(THEME_PERSIST_KEY).then(function (value) {
				if (!value) {
					value = DEFAULT_THEME;
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				$http.get(THEMES_LOCATION, { cache: true }).then(function (response) {
					var themes = response.data.themes;

					self.themes = themes;
					self.theme = themes[value];
					// Decorate the key
					angular.forEach(themes, function (theme, key) {
						theme.key = key;
					});
					waiting.forEach(function (wait) {
						wait.resolve(self.theme);
					});
				});
			});

			this.getCurrentTheme = function () {
				if (this.theme) {
					return $q.when(self.theme);
				} else {
					var waiter = $q.defer();
					waiting.push(waiter);
					return waiter.promise;
				}
			};

			this.getThemes = function () {
				return $http.get(THEMES_LOCATION, { cache: true }).then(function (response) {
					return response.data.themes;
				});
			};

			this.setTheme = function (key) {
				this.theme = this.themes[key];
				storageService.setItem(THEME_PERSIST_KEY, key);
			};

			return this;
		}])

		.filter('altthemesEnabled', function () {
			return function (headers) {
				if (headers) {
					return headers.filter(function (value) {
						return !!value.enabled;
					});
				}
				return headers;
			};
		})

		.filter('altthemesMatchCurrent', function () {
			return function (headers, current) {
				if (headers) {
					return headers.filter(function (value) {
						return !!value.keys.find(key => key === current);
					});
				}
				return headers;
			};
		});
}


text:
Home News Facebook users can now delete third-party apps in bulk
Facebook users can now delete third-party apps in bulk
In the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook has been making some changes, giving users a little bit more control over their data and how its used. Today, TechCrunch reports that the company is making it easier to remove third-party apps. Previously, users had to delete each one separately, making the removal process rather time-consuming for some. But now, Facebook is rolling out a way to delete multiple apps at once. Though you cant just grab them all at the same time,…..
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