Our new partner Noeleen Loughran is a gift from God to the people of Sudan. A missionary nurse from Ireland, Noeleen followed God's call and sold everything she had to move to Africa in 2013 to minister to suffering souls. She has served orphans in Kenya, farmed in Uganda, and now works in the world's largest refugee camp: Bidi Bidi. Fleeing ceaseless violence in South Sudan, hundreds of thousands of people have found refuge at Bidi Bidi. A majority of them are teenagers and children. Noeleen has love for them all.
I am originally from the small village of Emyvale in Ireland.
Do you remember when you felt called to mission work?
I remember very well the day that I was called to mission. It was about 3 months after my father had died. Fr. John Skinnader, a local missionary priest, came to visit me while he was home on holiday. We were chatting over coffee as he told me about his work and experiences. My heart jumped eagerly as I hung on to his every word. As a young girl, I had always wanted to serve as a missionary, but circumstances never permitted it. As he continued talking about his work and where he was located, which was South Sudan, I felt as if I was floating into a dream.
"I wish I could go and help," I told him.
"You can. There is nothing stopping you," Fr. Skinnader said.
As he left the house, my head was in a maze. It was all so sudden. In the matter of an hour, I was selling everything I owned, giving my safe haven life up forever, so that I could go work for the poorest of the poor.
I was delighted. I never belonged in this materialistic life anyway, I thought. Within 3 months I was gone, after selling everything I owned to get there. I never questioned it at all; this was my life now. I didn't need any time to get accustomed to the poor lifestyle. It was as if I'd been there all my life.
How did you end up in South Sudan?
I began at an HIV Orphanage in Kenya, where I built a farm for the children and taught livestock farming. I then went to Northern Uganda and worked with the South Sudanese MADI tribe, and finally, I went to the South Sudanese refugee camp of Bidi Bidi.
I stepped on a bus in the city of Kampala, Uganda. I didn't know where I was going, only that I was for sure going to the people of South Sudan. I had no accommodations booked, no friends, no idea what town I was going to, just a certainty that God was guiding me to my destination. I got off the bus 13 hours later on the border of South Sudan at 11pm. I asked for directions to a guest house and asked the owner where the South Sudanese refugee camp was located. She told me there was almost 300,000 refugees in the Bidi Bidi settlement. The next day I arrived at Bidi Bidi– a place that I can only call a desert.
Every face I met was war-stricken, lost, frightened, sick, malnourished, traumatized, and tearful. I fell in love with the people and immediately and knew I would never turn my back on them, and I'm not looking back. I have remained with them ever since, fought all their challenges with them, loved and cared for them as if they were my own. They are my own, each and every one of them. They are my life and this is my home. I'd been called to the South Sudanese from the very beginning. It was just a matter of making my way there, little by little.
What are the biggest challenges to carrying out your work?
The biggest challenge I have is meeting the needs of the people. They have nothing and ask for so little, but they are so dreadfully sick and dying—it's inhumane. Meeting the needs of the suffering in a vast number of 300,000 is a daily challenge. It's extremely difficult trying to find medicine that I can afford so I can treat them in their volumes. Trying to save them all and asking the world to come to the aid of God's forgotten people is my biggest challenge of all.
Can you describe a happy moment or memory from your work?
My happiest memories are when I look into the eyes of a child or an old woman and they gaze at me with a smile of happiness and peace.
What do you love most about the people of South Sudan?
There are so many things to love. The people of South Sudan are a mirror of love, acceptance, kindness, spirituality, and hope. They expect so little, yet offer all they have. They accept life and death in a way I've never known. They are a country that you not only love, but a people that you're in love with.
What is the current urgent need?
My most current and most urgent need is medicine and food provision. Almost all of the refugees, young and old, are suffering a terrible life of pain through illness. Medicines are hard to come by and they have no means of paying for them, so their suffering continues. Without the aid of the medical program we are providing, many would die. But many are not being aided through the shortage of medicine because of the lack of resources. Although medicine is my key need to saving lives and end suffering, food shortage is also there. There is no kind of sustainable growth in this desert land. Everything grows but is shriveled up by the scorching heat and lack of rain. The only food that they live on is their food rations of maize and 2 cups of beans each month.
How do donations help your ministry?
Without the aid of donations, my work would be impossible. I could not remain here to offer medical assistance and emotional support. Thousands would die without the treatment that is made available through the generosity and kindness of donations. The refugees pray each Sunday for all the people who support them through donations and help them stay alive. They also ask for those who donate not to forget them. Donations are the only way my ministry can continue, but it is also necessary to remember that those contributing are very much a part of the ministry too. We need everyone's support, generosity ,and kindness. The people cannot live without them.


text:
Further validation of the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory in a US adult population sample
Jin-Mann S Lin1Email author,
Dana J Brimmer1,
Elizabeth M Maloney1,
Ernestina Nyarko1, 2,
Rhonda BeLue3 and
William C Reeves1
© Lin et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2009
Received: 8 May 2009
The Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20) was developed in 1995. Since then, it has been widely used in cancer research and cancer-related illnesses but has never been validated in fatiguing illnesses or in a large US population-selected sample. In this study, we sought to examine the reliability and validity of the MFI-20 in the population of the state of Georgia, USA. Further, we assessed whether the MFI-20 could serve as a complementary diagnostic tool in chronically fatigued and unwell populations.
The data derive from a cross-sectional population-based study investigating the prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) in Georgia. The study sample was comprised of three diagnostic groups: CFS-like (292), chronically unwell (269), and well (222). Participants completed the MFI-20 along with several other measures of psychosocial functioning, including the Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form-36 (SF-36), the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). We assessed the five MFI-20 subscales using several criteria: inter-item correlations, corrected item-total correlations, internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha coefficients), construct validity, discriminant (known-group) validity, floor/ceiling effects, and convergent validity through correlations with the SF-36, SDS, and STAI instruments.
Averaged inter-item correlations ranged from 0.38 to 0.61, indicating no item redundancy. Corrected item-total correlations for all MFI-20 subscales were greater than 0.30, and Cronbach's alpha coefficients achieved an acceptable level of 0.70. No significant floor/ceiling effect was observed. Factor analysis demonstrated factorial complexity. The MFI-20 also distinguished clearly between three diagnostic groups on all subscales. Furthermore, correlations with depression (SDS), anxiety (STAI), and functional impairment (SF-36) demonstrated strong convergent validity.
This study provides support for the MFI-20 as a valuable tool when used in chronically unwell and well populations. It also suggests that the MFI-20 could serve as a complementary diagnostic tool in fatiguing illnesses, such as CFS.
Minimal Clinically Important Difference
Mental Component Summary Score
Physical Component Summary Score
Fatigue is a common symptom associated with numerous acute and chronic illnesses. Fatigue is one of the most frequent symptoms reported to physicians; between 7% and 45% of primary care consultations involve fatigue [1, 2]. High levels of fatigue negatively affect quality of life for patients with cancer, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and persons with less well-understood illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia [3–6]. The fatigue associated with various conditions is generally not alleviated by rest and precludes normal mental and physical activities. Fatigue also often accompanies affective disorders [7]. Fatigue was significantly positively correlated with depression in patients with multiple sclerosis [8–10] and in patients with unexplained fatigue [11]. The national Canadian Community Health Survey reported that 36% of individuals with CFS were depressed [12], whereas a population-based study of CFS reported that 22% of individuals with CFS in Georgia had major depressive disorder, and 46% had anxiety disorders [13]. Roy-Byrne et al. [14] found that fatigued twins were more somatically preoccupied and anxious than non-fatigued twins. Optimal management of patients with fatiguing illnesses requires assessing the nature, frequency, severity, and duration of fatigue and evaluating effects of interventions on fatigue. Although several standardized instruments have been designed to evaluate fatigue, they have not been validated across illnesses in adults.
The Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20) was developed by a Dutch group in 1995 to measure fatigue severity [2]. The MFI-20 was first evaluated in a group of people with CFS, cancer patients, a healthy control group comprised of psychology and medical students, and a group of army recruits [2]. The MFI-20 showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha > 0.80) for the general, physical, and mental fatigue dimensions, and adequate reliability for the reduced activity and motivation items (Cronbach's alpha > 0.65). Construct validity between the different test groups was significant at p < 0.001 for all five dimensions. Convergent validity between the MFI-20 and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) fatigue score for the group of cancer patients was significant for all subscales.
Validity and reliability of the MFI-20 have also been evaluated in several other non-US populations. These included patients with cancer [15–17], chronic fatigue [3, 18], craniopharyngioma [19], myelodysplastic patients [20], thyroid disease, and a "not tired" control group [18].
Test-retest reliability of the MFI-20 has been reported in several European studies. Ericsson and Mannerkorpi validated the MFI-20 in 166 Swedish patients with fibromyalgia and chronic widespread pain [3]. Hagelin et al. [17] validated the MFI-20 in four groups composed of 584 Swedish subjects: palliative cancer patients, cancer patients receiving radiation therapy, noncancer outpatients, and a group of hospital staff. Gentile et al. [18] validated the MFI-20 in three groups of French subjects: tired, (82 subjects), moderately tired (36), and not tired (107). Finally, Schwarz et al. [21] published the population norms for the five MFI-20 subscales in a sample of 2,037 adult Germans. The crucial result of the Schwarz study was the quantification of age and sex dependency in fatigue.
In the United States, Schneider validated the MFI-20 in 97 rural oncology outpatients and in 45 spouses or first-degree female caregivers of male hemodialysis patients in northern and eastern Iowa [22, 23]. To our knowledge, the MFI-20 has not been validated in persons from the US with fatiguing illnesses nor in a large US population-selected sample. The aims of the present study were: 1) to investigate the reliability and validity of the MFI-20 in chronically unwell and well persons; 2) and to assess whether the MFI-20 could serve as a complementary diagnostic tool in populations with fatiguing illnesses.
The data came from a cross-sectional, population-based study investigating the prevalence of CFS in Georgia. Details of the source study have been previously published [24] but are summarized here. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Institutional Review Board, as required by US Department of Health and Human Services regulations, approved the study. All participants provided informed consent.
The study was carried out in two phases between September 2004 and July 2005. Phase 1 involved a random-digit-dialing telephone survey to screen 19,381 adult residents (96% response) ages 18 to 59 from metropolitan, urban, and rural Georgia populations. Based on the 19,381 people from the household screening interview, 8,910 adults were randomly selected for detailed telephone interviews: 5,623 individuals completed the detailed telephone interview; 1,874 refused to participate; 141 were further confirmed to be ineligible; and 1,272 were excluded due to physical or mental inability to participate, inability to be contacted, language barriers, or because they had died. This yielded an overall response rate of 75%. Based on the detailed telephone interviews, study participants were classified into three groups:
CFS-like, characterized by severe fatigue lasting six months or longer that was not alleviated by rest, that caused substantial reduction in occupational, educational, social, or personal activities, and that was accompanied by at least four of the CFS case-defining symptoms.
Chronically unwell, having chronic (≥ six months) unwellness with or without fatigue, but not meeting the criteria for CFS.
In Phase 2, all 469 people with CFS-like illness were invited for clinical evaluation, and 292 (62%) participated. Of randomly selected chronically unwell participants, 286 (53%) completed the clinical evaluation. Finally, 223 individuals classified as well in the telephone interview completed clinical evaluations. They were matched to the CFS-like group based on residence (metropolitan, urban, rural), sex, race/ethnicity, and age (within three years). Overall, about 50% of invited respondents from all three groups completed the one-day clinical evaluation.
Participants completed the MFI-20 and other questionnaires during the clinical evaluation. This study involves data from 783 participants who completed the MFI-20 along with several other measures of psychosocial functioning, including the Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form-36 (SF-36), the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI).
MFI-20 Subscales
The MFI-20 comprises five subscales: general fatigue, physical fatigue, mental fatigue, reduced activity, and reduced motivation [2]. Each subscale includes four items with five-point Likert scales. General fatigue includes general statements about fatigue and decreased functioning and was designed to encompass both physical and psychological aspects of fatigue. Physical fatigue concerns physical sensations related to fatigue. Mental fatigue pertains to cognitive functioning, including difficulty concentrating. Reduced activity refers to the influence of physical and psychological factors on the level of activity. Reduced motivation relates to lack of motivation for starting any activity. Scores on each subscale range from 4 to 20, with higher scores indicating greater fatigue.
SF-36 Subscales
The SF-36 contains eight multi-item subscales: general health perceptions, physical functioning, role physical (role limitations due to physical problems), bodily pain, general mental health, vitality (vitality/energy/fatigue), role emotional (role limitations due to emotional problems), and social functioning. The number of response choices per item ranges from two to six. Each transformed subscale has a range from 0 to 100 (100 = optimal function) [25]. The SF-36 also yields two summary scores that reflect the two-dimensional factor structure underlying the eight subscales: a physical component summary (PCS) score and a mental component summary (MCS) score. PCS and MCS are a linear combination of eight SF-36 subscales, but PCS is predominantly based on the subscales physical functioning, role physical, bodily pain, and general health perceptions, and MCS is predominantly based on the scales mental health, role emotional, social functioning, and vitality (range 0-100, 100 = optimal) [26].
SDS Subscale
The SDS [27] includes 20 questions that quantify the severity of depression symptoms. Each item ranges from 1 (none or a little of the time) to 4 (most or all of the time). The raw SDS score is the sum of all 20 items and ranges from 20 to 80. Following standard practice, we converted raw SDS scores to a 100-point scale (SDS index) in which < 50 = normal, 50-59 = mild depression, 60-69 = moderate to marked depression, and ≥ 70 = severe depression.
STAI Subscales
The STAI [28] includes 40 questions with four possible responses to each. It was constructed as two subscales: 20 items to assess state anxiety, and another 20 to assess trait anxiety. State anxiety is defined as a transient, momentary emotional status that results from situational stress. Trait anxiety represents a predisposition to react with anxiety in stressful situations. Each subscale ranges from 20 to 80, with higher scores indicating higher anxiety. These two parts differ in the item wording, in the response format (intensity versus frequency), and in the instructions for how to respond. The STAI clearly differentiates between the temporary condition of state anxiety and the more general and long-standing quality of trait anxiety.
All four questionnaires were self-reported and self-administered by participants. The mean time taken to complete each questionnaire was five, nine, three, and four minutes for the MFI-20, SF-36, SDS, and STAI, respectively. The Flesch Reading Ease formula and a Flesch abstraction formula were applied. The measures are generally shown to be useful for respondents with a sixth grade reading level or below. The reading level of each respondent was assessed by the Wide Range Achievement Test reading subtest [29], and only 45 (6%) of respondents were below a sixth grade reading level.
We used SAS version 9.1 (SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC) for data analysis. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations, and ranges) were generated to characterize the study sample in terms of socio-demographic parameters. We used several criteria to assess the subscale validity and reliability of the MFI-20.
Internal consistency of each of the five MFI-20 subscales was determined using three reliability tests: 1) inter-item correlation; 2) corrected-to-total (or item-total) subscale correlation; 3) and Standardized Cronbach's α coefficients (and item discrimination). The cutoff criteria for acceptance on reliability tests are as follows. First, item-total subscale correlations of not less than 0.30 and inter-item correlations of 0.30 to 0.70 were retained. Second, a fairly high reliability coefficient (Cronbach's α > 0.70) was required to assess the internal consistency reliability [30, 31]. Floor/ceiling effects were considered significant if more than 15% of the subjects had either the lowest possible or highest possible score on the subscales [32]. A significant floor effect was expected in the well group.
As an indication of discriminant (known-group) validity, group differences in the five MFI-20 subscales were calculated using analyses of variance to examine the ability of the MFI-20 instrument to distinguish three groups: CFS-like, chronically unwell, and well. Using a Tukey correction, the alpha per test for each subscale was 0.01, for an overall alpha of 0.05. Two-way analyses of variance were performed to test the age and sex effects on the five MFI-20 subscales. Post-hoc analysis with Tukey p-value adjustment was performed for multiple subgroup comparisons.
To further assess construct validity of the subscales, an exploratory factor analysis was performed. A principle component analysis was used to extract factors. The obtained factors were rotated oblique using the Varimax procedure. A minimum eigenvalue of 1 was specified as the extraction criterion [33]. The desired criterion of factor loadings was set at 0.50 or above, slightly higher than the typical cutoff value of 0.40 [34].
Finally, the convergent validity of the MFI-20 was evaluated through comparisons of the MFI-20 with other instruments administered in the protocol. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to assess linear associations between the multi-item scales of SF-36, SDS, and STAI. We chose these instruments based on the association between fatigue and other measures on psychosocial functioning, such as health-related quality of life (measured by SF-36), depression (measured by SDS), and anxiety (measured by STAI) as well as the existing data from the source study.
The most valid SF-36 subscales for measuring physical health include the physical functioning, role physical, and bodily pain subscales and the physical component summary score [26]. The most valid SF-36 subscales for measuring mental health include the mental health, role emotional, and social functioning subscales and the mental component summary score [26]. For the concept of physical and mental health, we investigated correlations between MFI-20 subscales and physical and mental health as measured by the SF-36.
Data completeness was high, with only one missing response for the reduced activity subscale among all five subscales. This indicated that the MFI-20 was well-accepted in our study sample of chronically unwell and well people.
Table 1 summarizes subscale validity and reliability analyses for the 783 participants who completed the MFI-20 questionnaire. Of these, 37% had been classified as CFS-like based on the detailed telephone interview, 34% were chronically unwell, and 28% were considered well. The participants had a mean age of 43, were primarily female (76%), white (70%), and from rural or urban areas (83%). Nearly 95% had completed at least a high school education. Nearly 38% were unemployed, self-employed (not working for pay), retired, laid off, disabled, or students. More than 60% of participants were married or cohabitating. More than half of participants had a household income equal to or higher than the Georgia median income level of $42,679.
Characteristics of the study sample
CFS-like
(n = 292, 37.29%)
Chronically Unwell
Age, yrs, Mean (SD)
43.73 (9.87)
43.05 (11.24)
Sex****
243 (83.22%)
49 (16.78%)
Race**
19 (6.51%)
Educational Status***
< High School
High School Graduate/GED
Trade, Technical, or Vocation School after High School
2-yr College Graduate or Higher
Married/living together
184 (63.01%%)
Single/widowed/divorced/seperated
Employment Status****
Full Time: >= 30 hours/week
Part Time: < 30 hours/week
Not employed
Income*
>= GA Median Income
< GA Median Income
All values are No. (%) unless other indicated. †Column percentage
Associations of age and sex with MFI-20 subscale scores
Only the physical fatigue subscale score differed significantly by both age (p = 0.0024) and sex (p = 0.0015). Reduced activity (p = 0.0078) and reduced motivation (p = 0.0112) scores differed significantly between age groups. General fatigue (p = 0.0003) and mental fatigue (p = 0.0272) scores were significantly worse in females than in males. The interaction between age and sex was not significant in any of the MFI-20 subscales. Although only three of the five MFI-20 subscales were significantly different by sex, descriptive statistics of all the subscales were summarized for females and males (Table S1 and Table S2, Additional file 1).
For subscales with significant age or sex effects, we estimated partial correlations controlling for sex and age, respectively (Table 2). This had negligible effects on the correlations between the physical fatigue, reduced activity, and reduced motivation subscales.
Correlations among MFI-20 subscales and their partial correlations controlled for age or sex.
Age Effect
Sex Effect
Note: upper right triangle: Pearson correlations; lower left triangle (numbers in Italic and bold): partial correlations (controlled for sex and age, respectively). All p-values are < 0.0001.
Table 3 summarizes the results of three reliability tests for the five MFI-20 subscales. There was no item redundancy; inter-item correlations averaged 0.56 (range 0.46-0.69) for general fatigue, 0.52 (range 0.44-0.61) for physical fatigue, 0.53 (0.41-0.66) for reduced activity, 0.38 (0.17-0.56) for reduced motivation, and 0.61 (0.53-0.66) for mental fatigue. Corrected item-total correlations were higher than 0.30 for all five MFI-20 subscales. The values for standardized Cronbach's α for the five MFI-20 scales were: general fatigue: 0.83; physical fatigue: 0.81; reduced activity: 0.82; reduced motivation: 0.71; and mental fatigue: 0.86. These values were greater than the suggested criteria value of 0.70 for acceptable reliability.
MFI-20 scale item characteristics and internal consistency reliabilities.
Inter-item correlation
Corrected-to-total correlation
Coefficient α if item deleted
Standardized Cronbach's
Mean (Range)
Total Fatigue Score
Relationships among five MFI-20 subscales
Pairwise correlations between the MFI-20 subscales ranged from 0.49 to 0.74. Although the subscales are strongly related to each other, it is unclear whether an overall summary component of the MFI-20 is appropriate. Factor analysis confirmed that overall summary components accounted for 70% of the reliable variance in the five subscales. The total scale with 20 items yielded a Cronbach's α coefficient of 0.93, which is consistent with the result from the Gentile study [18].
The factor analysis solution was complex, with multiple loadings of items having factor-loading values > 0.50 across five factors (Table 4). However, the first factor, which explained 20% of the variance in the 20 items of the MFI-20, was dominated by general fatigue and physical fatigue. Six items (four physical fatigue, one general fatigue, and one reduced activity) loaded on the first factor (loadings from 0.54 to 0.83). The second factor was comprised solely of all four mental fatigue items (loadings from 0.71 to 0.81), which explained 15% of the variance in the 20 items of the MFI-20. Three of the reduced activity items fell nicely (loading from 0.52 to 0.71) on the third factor. The fourth factor was loaded by three of the general fatigue items (loading from 0.52 to 0.71) and two of the reduced motivation items (loading 0.58 and 0.64). The remaining two reduced motivation items fell nicely on the fifth factor.
Factor analysis of 20 MFI item responses.
Five Factors
I feel fit
I feel tired
I feel rested
I tired easily
Physically I feel I am in an excellent condition
Physically I feel I am in a bad condition
Physically I can take on a lot
Physically I feel only able to do a little
Reduced Activity (Vigor)
I think I do very little in a day
I think I do a lot in a day
I get little done
I feel very active
I have a lot of plans
I feel like doing all sorts of nice things
I dread having to do things
I don't feel like doing anything
Mental Fatigue (Cognition)
When I am doing something, I can keep my thoughts on it
I can concentrate well
My thoughts easily wander
It takes a lot of effort to concentrate on things
Total % of Variance Explained
Note: Factor loadings less than 0.5 were not listed in the table. The numbers in bold indicated the largest factor loading of the item loaded on different factor components.
Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) = 0.938, p-value for Bartlett's Test of Sphericity is < 0.001. Cumulative % of Variance Explained is 70%.
Discriminant (known-group) validity: MFI-20 subscale differences between three groups
The CFS-like, chronically unwell, and well groups had significantly different mean values (p < 0.0001) for all the MFI-20 subscales (Table 5). All subscales appeared to discriminate between groups, but the degree to which they discriminated varied. The CFS-like group had higher scores in all the subscales compared to the chronically unwell group (average mean difference = 2.90; range of mean difference: 2.26 points (reduced activity) - 3.54 points (general fatigue). Compared to the well group, the CFS-like group had subscale scores that were, on average, 6.01 points higher. Mean differences between these groups ranged from 4.56 points (reduced activity) to 7.96 points (general fatigue), whereas the chronically unwell group scored, on average, 3.11 points higher in the five subscales than the well group.
Descriptive statistics for the five MFI-20 scales by subgroups
% at floor
% at ceiling
We observed a floor/ceiling effect in all the MFI-20 subscales in the well group, except for general fatigue, as expected. No floor/ceiling effects were detected in the CFS-like and chronically unwell groups. There were no floor/ceiling effects in the whole study sample (Table 5).
Convergent validity: relationships to functional impairment, depression, and anxiety
We calculated correlations between fatigue subscales and subscales measuring functional impairment (SF-36), depression (SDS), and anxiety (STAI) to evaluate convergent validity in the overall sample (Table 6). The MFI-20 subscales were substantially correlated with the eight SF-36 subscales (average: r = -0.53; range of absolute values of correlations: |r| = 0.34 - 0.83). All MFI-20 subscales were most strongly correlated [35] with the SF-36 subscales measuring vitality (average: r = -0.68; range of |r|: 0.57 - 0.83), followed by general health perception (average: r = -0.59; range of |r|: 0.48 - 0.71), and social functioning (average: r = -0.54; range of |r|: 0.50 - 0.59).
Convergent Validity: Pearson Correlation Coefficients between the MFI-20, SF-36, SDS, and STAI† in overall sample.
MFI-20
SF-36
Role Physical
Bodily Pain
Role Emotional
PCS‡
MCS‡
SDS Index
STAI
State-Anxiety Score
Trait-Anxiety Score
All p-values for pairwise Pearson correlations are less than 0.0001.
Absolute correlation coefficients of 0.5 to 1.0 [35] are considered high correlations, in bold.
† Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20), the Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form-36 (SF-36), the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)
‡ PCS: Physical Component Summary; MCS: Mental Component Summary
As expected, all five MFI-20 subscales were significantly correlated with depression, anxiety, and functional impairment. However, the correlations with depression and anxiety were generally lower (average: r = 0.50; range of r = 0.34-0.65) than correlations with functional impairment (the SF-36 subscales). The highest correlations were found between MFI-20 subscales and measurement of depression (SDS index) (average: r = 0.58; range of r = 0.50 - 0.65).
Conceptual relationship: Mental and Physical
The general fatigue subscale of the MFI-20 was associated with both physical and mental health, based on strong correlations (|r| >=0.5) with functional impairment as measured by the SF-36 subscales (except for physical functioning, bodily pain, and role emotional), and both the physical component summary score and mental component summary score. General fatigue was also highly associated with the SDS index and the STAI trait-anxiety subscale.
The physical fatigue subscale of the MFI-20 was highly correlated (|r| >=0.5) with several subscales of the SF-36 that measure predominantly physical health (physical functioning, role physical, bodily pain, social functioning, vitality, general health) and the physical component summary score but not the mental component summary score (Table 6). Physical fatigue was also highly correlated with the SDS index score measuring depression.
The mental fatigue subscale of the MFI-20 was highly correlated with several subscales of the SF-36 that measure predominantly mental health (social functioning, mental health, and vitality subscales), as well as the mental component summary score. The mental fatigue subscale was also associated with depression (SDS index) and trait anxiety (STAI).
The reduced activity subscale of the MFI-20 was highly correlated (|r| >=0.5) with several SF-36 subscales (physical functioning, social functioning, vitality, and general health perception). The reduced motivation subscale of the MFI-20 was highly correlated with many SF-36 subscales (role physical, social functioning, mental health, and vitality) as well as the mental component summary measure, but not the physical component score. Reduced activity was also correlated with depression (SDS index) and anxiety (STAI trait-anxiety).
We examined the total fatigue score of the MFI-20 in relation to other instruments. Total fatigue was highly correlated with all SF-36 subscales except for bodily pain, and was correlated with the physical component summary score and mental component summary score, as well as SDS index and state-anxiety and trait-anxiety subscales (STAI). The total fatigue score of the MFI-20 was highly consistent and demonstrated the highest correlations with other questionnaires.
Relationships to depression, anxiety, and functional impairment among classification groups
In the CFS-like group, the SF-36 subscale scores were highly correlated with the MFI-20 subscales for general fatigue, physical fatigue, reduced activity, and reduced motivation but not with mental fatigue. Also in this group, depression (SDS index) was highly correlated with reduced motivation (r = 0.50) but only moderately correlated with other subscales of the MFI-20. In general, the scores of the STAI correlated with all five MFI-20 subscale scores. The trait-anxiety score of the STAI had stronger correlations than state-anxiety with the MFI-20 subscale scores (Table S3, Additional file 1).
For the chronically unwell and well groups, depression and anxiety correlated with all five MFI-20 subscales. The bodily pain subscale and the physical component summary scores of the SF-36 did not correlate with the mental fatigue subscale of the MFI-20. Depression, as measured by the SDS index, correlated with all the MFI-20 subscales. The correlations between bodily pain of the SF-36 and activity fatigue (reduced activity or reduced motivation) are not statistically significant (Table S4 and Table S5, Additional file 1).
This study greatly extends previous research with the MFI-20 in several ways. The first objective of this study was to assess reliability and validity of the MFI-20 in chronically unwell and well groups identified from metropolitan, urban, and rural populations in the state of Georgia. The MFI-20 was well-accepted in our sample of unwell and well people. Low to moderate inter-item correlations indicated no item redundancy. Corrected item-total correlations for all MFI-20 subscales were all in an acceptable range. The MFI-20 item subscales exhibited adequate internal consistency reliability with Cronbach's α coefficients ranging from 0.72 to 0.86, which is consistent with results from previous studies [2, 17, 21, 36]. We found no significant floor/ceiling effects in the whole study sample.
With respect to validity, the results of factor analysis of the MFI-20 in a sample of unwell and well people provide additional support for the five-factor structure of the MFI-20 [2]. As previously noted, however, some factors are highly correlated, and several items would have loaded on more than one factor had the paths not been constrained. In addition to forming its own factor component, one of the general fatigue subscale items loaded on the same factor with items of the physical fatigue subscale because it provides information about physical fitness. This general fatigue subscale item may be considered along with the physical fatigue subscale to assess fatigue scores in populations with fatiguing illnesses. The results also showed that a total fatigue summary score is a valid summary score for people with fatiguing illnesses.
In a further examination of known-group comparison for construct validity, all five MFI-20 subscales distinguished clearly between our three study groups. The magnitude of the mean group differences in the MFI-20 subscales is greater than the generic minimal clinically important difference (MCID) of two points across the pre- and post-radiotherapy comparison and occupational productivity anchor [37]. People with CFS-like illness had several higher fatigue and activity subscale mean scores that were both statistically and clinically significant (an average of three points higher) than those who were chronically unwell but did not have CFS-like illness. These differences were more exaggerated (six points higher, on average) when the CFS-like group was compared to the well group with respect to these subscales. As expected, those who were chronically unwell also had fatigue and activity subscale scores that were both statistically and clinically significant (three points higher than well people).
The MFI-20 subscales exhibited adequate convergent validity with other instruments. The general fatigue subscale of the MFI-20 is highly correlated with the functioning subscales of the SF-36, SDS depression, and the trait anxiety subscale of the STAI. This confirms that the general fatigue subscale represents both physical and psychological aspects of fatigue. Physical fatigue represents the physical sensation related to fatigue, which is validated by the substantial associations with physical functioning, role physical, bodily pain, social functioning, vitality, general health perception, and physical component summary measure. Reduced activity refers to the influence of both physical and psychological factors on the level of activity. Reduced motivation refers to the psychological experience of feeling unable to start an activity [38]. Finally, mental fatigue, which originally measures cognitive functioning such as difficulty concentrating, reflects the "mental health" concept of fatigue, which is validated by the associations with social functioning, mental health, and vitality as well as the mental component summary measure.
Our study showed that sex and age exert effects on several MFI-20 subscales. Compared to males, females had slightly higher mean scores for subscales measuring general fatigue, physical fatigue, and mental fatigue. This confirms previous findings of sex differences in mean scores of fatigue scales [21, 39], and age-associated increases in mean scores in physical fatigue, reduced activity, and reduced motivation [18].
We showed that the five MFI-20 subscales were highly correlated with functional impairment, depression, and anxiety in the overall sample. Breslin et al. [40] showed that depression correlated with the general fatigue and mental fatigue subscales of the MFI-20 but not with physical fatigue in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Schwarz et al. [21] showed that fatigue is correlated with hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) and the global quality-of-life scale.
Our CFS-like group provides the opportunity to examine the convergent validity of the MFI-20 with other measurements among people with fatiguing illness. In the CFS-like group, additional support for the validity of the MFI-20 is provided by the insignificant-to-moderate correlations between the SF-36 subscales and mental fatigue of the MFI-20. This indicates that mental fatigue is only partly measured by the SF-36 among individuals with CFS-like illness. Depression is moderately correlated with several subscales of the MFI-20. We also showed low correlations between state-anxiety of the STAI and general fatigue, physical fatigue, and reduced activity of the MFI-20. Therefore, the additional information provided by the MFI-20 may deepen our insight into functional impairment, depression, and anxiety in fatiguing illnesses.
Strengths and limitations
The study's strengths include: a rigorous study design with a large, randomly selected sample from a cross-sectional, population-based study of fatiguing illness; and the careful clinical determination of groups, selection of comparison measures, report of reading levels of the instrument, and correction of p-values for multiple testing.
This study has several limitations. Our existing data did not allow us to conduct test-retest reliability of the MFI-20. Further studies might be needed to explore test-retest reliability of MFI-20 in fatiguing illness. Another limitation is external validity/generalizability. While the study employed random sampling, the population was limited to an adult population in Georgia and could therefore differ from results that might be obtained from implementing the same study design in other regions due to the effect of regional lifestyle. Nonetheless, previous studies on MFI-20 have not identified the effect of regional lifestyle in their study populations. Our cross-sectional data precluded us from examining responsiveness (ability of the MFI-20 to detect clinically important changes over time) and obviates the possibility of eventually examining responsiveness differences due to treatments. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine minimal clinically important differences (MCIDs) of the MFI-20 subscales in fatiguing illness.
In this study, we applied a 0.01 alpha level of statistical significance to adjust for multiple testing instead of the popular standard level of 0.05. This increases our confidence in the associations that were determined to be of statistical significance but also increases the risk of failing to reject a false null hypothesis (a Type II error), and so results in less statistical power. However, the statistically significant results observed in this study are of practical significance. For example, the group mean differences in our study are greater than the generic MCID of two points in the MFI-20 subscales in Purcell's study [37]. The possibility of a Type II error should, however, be considered.
This study further demonstrates that the MFI-20 appears to be a valid and reliable measure of chronically unwell and well populations with a stable multidimensional factorial structure. It also suggests that the MFI-20 could indeed be a useful tool for further investigation of generic functional impairment and a complementary diagnostic tool to depression-specific and anxiety-specific instruments in fatiguing illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome.
This study was fully funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The authors would like to acknowledge Drs. James F. Jones and Roumiana S. Boneva of the CDC for their reviews of this manuscript.
12963_2009_87_MOESM1_ESM.DOC Additional file 1:The supplementary materials include the sex and age-specific norms of five MFI-20 subscales and the convergent validity by three study groups (CFS-like, chronically unwell, and well).(DOC 231 KB)
JML contributed to the conception of the manuscript, had primary responsibility for data processing, statistical analyses, and interpretation of the data, and wrote the manuscript. DJB contributed to intellectual input to data interpretation, streamlining the introduction, and revising the manuscript. EM contributed to data interpretation and critically revised the manuscript. EN contributed to tabulating the results and literature search, and revised the manuscript. RB contributed to intellectual input in the discussion section and revised the manuscript. WCR was Principal Investigator of the source study, collaborating with others in designing the study, writing the protocol, supervising field work, interpretation of the data, and critically revising the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Chronic Viral Diseases Branch, National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-borne and Enteric Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Mail Stop A-15, 1600 Clifton Rd, NE, GA, USA
Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
Department of Health Policy and Administration, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Apple's iTunes store sells 1 billionth song online
by jessica-rayside
Three days after the launch of iTunes, consumers purchased over three million songs per day and by the end of the year, over a billion. The iTunes Music Store began dominating the online music industry, offering its customers the latest music, TV shows, music videos, and short films at reasonable prices.
On this day, February 22nd, in 2006, Alex Ostrovsky from West Bloomfield, Michigan purchases iTunes Music Store's 1 billionth song, "Speed of Sound" by Coldplay. Ostrovsky was awarded a prize package of a $10,000 iTunes gift card, a 20-inch iMac computer, and 10 60GB iPods. That's not all. A scholarship was also launched in Ostrovsky's name at Julliard School of Music in New York City. On this day Steve Jobs, the CEO at Apple, also put a banner on his website thanking all of his consumers for legally purchasing music rather than endorsing piracy.
In its fetal stages, iTunes broke even with only music sales. Songs sold for 99 cents a piece with 69 cents going to music labels. To increase income, Apple invented the iPod and iMac, which became its main source of revenue.
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text:
January 17, 2023 — Video from Kīlauea summit eruption overflight
By Hawaiian Volcano Observatory January 17, 2023
The eruption in Halema'uma'u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea, continues with steady lava lake activity. The largest lake is in the eastern portion of the crater, and is supplied by a single fountain. A smaller lake is also active in the western portion of the crater, along with two other much smaller lakes. USGS photo by M. Patrick.


When writing an apology letter, you ought to be sure to include these things in order for your letter is made just perfect. Apology letters ought to avoid referring to sensitive personal matters, since they might be read by other people. Simply put, they are a way of putting down in words how you feel about a negative action and trying to make a positive impact on it. When you have to apologize to someone for a single reason or another, writing an apology letter is a huge means to do so. Apology letters are thought to be the most perfect means to express your deepest regret. When you compose the apology letter, you should make sure that you're truly sorry-a deficiency of sentiment will show up in the writing.
Needless to say, some people may complain that the organization is inefficient, and doesn't react fast enough. When you locate a company which you need to work for, please don't apply directly via their job board. The business was called Shortstop Ltd.. In highlighting what you could do for the company, it's important you get to understand what the company requirements are and what they require from you.
If you've ever applied for work, you probably've written a minumum of one cover letter in your lifetime. Gain the skills you want to more effectively do your work. Should you do a nice job, they look good. No one is ideal, and if you're trying your very best to do a very good job, that is all anyone can ask of you.


Use these rings singularly or create Venn diagrams for sorting, comparing and attribute work. Fold up easily for storage. A set comes in 3 colours.
Item #15720 - Small, measure 25 cm in diameter. Set of 15 pieces.


Windows 8 is starting to take its final shape for the upcoming beta this spring and the subsequent gold release later in the year. We have seen brief glimpses of the new operating system and now we have a description of how Windows 8 will negotiate Internet connectivity via Mobile Broadband.
We knew that if we were to give you true mobility, that Wi-Fi alone would not be enough. Therefore, for Windows 8, we fully developed and integrated mobile broadband (MB) as a first-class connectivity experience within Windows آ– right alongside Wi-Fi.


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Oregon driver's license system running again after 36 hours offline
A software update fouled computers so people were unable to take the "knowledge test" or "written test" to receive their driver's license or permit.
Oregon driver's license system running again after 36 hours offline A software update fouled computers so people were unable to take the "knowledge test" or "written test" to receive their driver's license or permit. Check out this story on statesmanjournal.com: https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2019/08/13/oregon-drivers-license-testing-system-fails-dmv-working-fix-salem/1998861001/
Samantha Hawkins, Salem Statesman Journal Published 12:21 p.m. PT Aug. 13, 2019 | Updated 4:01 p.m. PT Aug. 13, 2019
Computers used to test for a driver's license or permit at the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles were down all day Monday and Tuesday morning, most likely because of a software update done over the weekend.
The "knowledge test" — previously called a "written test" before it moved to touchscreen kiosks — asks individuals 20 multiple choice questions on traffic laws and safe driving practices before they can receive a private or commercial driving license.
DMV spokesperson David House says they worked with a vendor to get the machines up and running again by early Tuesday afternoon.
The system crashed Monday morning, when all 60 field offices around the state learned the recent software update made to all Oregon Department of Transportation databases was incompatible with the testing kiosks.
A screenshot of the Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services website shows a message to users that they are having system issues preventing from administering the knowledge testing for Commercial and Driver License privileges. (Photo: KELLY JORDAN / STATESMAN JOURNAL)
"We do have to turn people away and ask them to try again later," House said Tuesday morning before the problem was fixed, "but we don't have the lines we did last week."
Last week, separate state network problems affected many state agencies, including the DMV, until Thursday or Friday.
The Oregon DMV updates its website when problems occur.
Reach Samantha Hawkins at shawkins@gannett.com or 503-798-1623
New tax: Salem City Council will likely send a payroll tax to voters for approval
Read or Share this story: https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2019/08/13/oregon-drivers-license-testing-system-fails-dmv-working-fix-salem/1998861001/
Driver identified in McKay Road NE crash


cargo airplane, freight aircraft, freighter, airlifter or cargo jet.
It is a fixed-wing aircraft designed to carry air cargo and a lot of it.
We have the capability to transport up to 100 tons of cargo. With the impressive new aircraft called the B747-100SRF, ABI works in cooperation with MerkurAir to offer competitive pricing on big cargo flights.
We follow EASA standards for its maintenance and recognise its ability to provide the services our clients need in the cargo market.
In general, cargo planes continue to play important role in the shipping industry. Cargo aircraft feature one or more large doors to load cargo. They usually don't feature passenger amenities. Aircraft designed for cargo flight usually have features that set them apart from conventional passenger aircraft. They feature a wide, tall fuselage cross-section. Some planes can even open up its nose for the loading of large or irregularly shaped cargo. There is also a high-wing to allow the cargo area to sit near the ground. A large number of wheels allow the plane to land at various locations. Also, a high-mounted tail enables all types of cargo to be driven into and off of the cargo aircraft.
Big companies like FedEX own many types of these large aircraft that can hold on average about 26,000 cubic feet (736 m3) of cargo. How big is that? It can hold as much cargo as 5 semi-trucks. According to its specifications, the 747-400 can hold 30 pallets of goods on its main level. The pallets are 96 by 125 inches (2.4 m by 3.2 m) and up to 120-inches (3.05-m) tall.
Cargo planes can be used to ship all kinds of interesting cargo, including animals. For shipping horses, for example, there are special containers called air stables. These special stables connect to pallets and fit in the cargo hold.
Freighters may be operated by civil passenger or cargo airlines. Cargo planes can also be operated by private individuals and by any country's military.


Can frozen tissue be used for the Single Cell DNA workflow? – 10X Genomics .
Can frozen tissue be used for the Single Cell DNA workflow?
Question: Can frozen tissue be used for the Single Cell DNA workflow?
Answer: Yes, frozen tissue be used as input for Single Cell DNA workflow.
Other tissues may require additional optimization such as increasing the number of pestle strokes (if the tissue is tough) or increasing the lysis time (if unlysed cells are observed).
Note: High starting sample quality is important. Specifically; how the tissue was dissected, frozen, and how long it sat out beforehand, will impact data quality.


Vegan Lo Mein is a homemade version of the takeout favorite. This recipe is vegan, healthier, and comforting.
I have two go-to dishes when we eat at or takeout Chinese food – lo mein or fried rice. There's an awesome restaurant in my hometown, they make the best fried rice ever!! Lately, I've been preferring lo mein but it's hard to eat out with food allergies sometimes. Especially when you're trying to eating healthier, too!
This vegan and better-for-you dish comes together in under 30 minutes, so it's perfect for an easy dinner or lazy weekend lunch. Simply cook your noodles according to the direction on package, heat veggies in a skillet, toss with homemade 4-ingredient sauce, and serve! Simple, right? What other restaurant favorites would you like to see veganized or made better for you? Let me know in the comments section!
Vegan Lo Mein is a homemade version of the takeout favorite. This recipe is made with love, vegan, healthier, and comforting.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook noodles according to package instructions, then drain.
Heat olive oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, red onion, bell pepper, snow pea, mushroom, and carrot. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
Stir in cooked lo mein noodles and sauce. Gently toss to combine then sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.
One of my family's favorite meals! Can't wait to try!
This sounds sooo good! I love lo mein so I'll have to try out this vegan version!
Sesame seeds make everything better (especially bagels!) This dish looks healthy and amazing. Yum!
Love that this is vegan!
I'm not vegan but this looks interesting!


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Series Preview: Metropolitans at Phillies, 8/22-8/24
As the first place Phillies (81-44) approach the final month of the season, it seems as though each week brings another injury. On Monday, it was announced that shortstop Jimmy Rollins will land on the disabled list with a grade 2 groin strain. Luckily, Placido Polanco, who missed time with a sports hernia, will be activated to fill Rollins' void on the roster.
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel was quoted as saying he hopes that Rollins' DL stint lasts just 15 days, however it is unclear at this time whether or not Rollins will require a longer period to recover. As Corey Seidman of PhilliesNation points out, Orlando Hudson spent 24 days on the disable list earlier this season with the same injury.
The Phillies return home after a series loss to Washington over the weekend that saw the division leaders drop two contests in dramatic fashion in the Nationals' final plate appearance of each game.
Philadelphia will play host to the Metropolitans (60-66), who have lost 8 of 12 meetings with the Phillies thus far in 2011.
In the series opener, the Phillies will send ace lefty Cliff Lee, who has won each of his last four starts, to the hill. New York will counter with rookie right-hander Dillon Gee, who completes an interestingly rhyme-y pitching match up.
Read ahead for loads more stats on this upcoming series.
Monday, 7:05 PM. Dillon Gee (11-3, 3.92 ERA) vs. Cliff Lee (13-7, 2.82 ERA). In 12 road games this year, Gee is 6-2 with a 4.41 ERA. Gee has a 2-1 record and a 4.77 ERA over his last 5 starts. Ryan Howard is 2-for-4 with 2 homeruns and 6 RBI in his career against Gee. In his last 5 home starts, Lee has a 3-1 record with a 3.03 ERA. Lee is 1-0 with a 0.64 ERA in 2 career starts against the Metropolitans. Lee has a 9-2 record and a 2.28 ERA in 14 home starts this season.
Tuesday, 7:05 PM. Jonathon Niese (11-10, 4.05 ERA) vs. Vance Worley (8-1, 2.76 ERA). In 13 road games this year, Niese has a 6-4 record with a 4.63 ERA. Niese is 2-2 with a 5.28 ERA in his last 5 starts. In 4 starts at Citizens Bank Park, Niese is 1-2 with a 3.70 ERA. Placido Polanco is 7-for-18 (.389 avg) in his career against the lefty Niese. In his last 10 games, Worley is 6-0 with a 2.45 ERA. Worley is 4-0 with a 2.06 ERA in 4 home starts this season. Daniel Murphy is 4-for-8 (.500 avg) in his career when facing Worley.
Wednesday, 1:05 PM. Mike Pelfrey (6-10, 4.61 ERA) vs. Kyle Kendrick (7-5, 3.24 ERA). In 14 home appearances this season, Kendrick has a 2-4 record with a 3.35 ERA. Kendrick has a 2.68 ERA in 7 games since the All-star break. In 17 career starts against the Phillies, Pelfrey has a 6-6 record with a 5.12 ERA. Pelfrey has allowed 10 earned runs in 6 2/3 innings (14.21 ERA) over two starts this season at Citizens Bank Park. Chase Utley is 10-for-34 (.294 avg) in his career against Pelfrey with 2 doubles and 4 HR.
In 6 games at Citizens Bank Park this season, David Wright is 11-for-27 (.407 avg) with 2 doubles. Wright is a .278 career hitter at CBP and a .273 hitter overall against the Phillies.
Rookie Lucas Duda is batting .320 in 25 games since the All-star break. Duda has posted a .241 average in 38 games on the road this season.
Jason Bay is 12-for-60 (.200 avg) against the Phillies as a member of the Metropolitans. In 52 road games this season, Bay has a .215 batting average and a .597 OPS.
In 93 career games against the Metropolitans, Shane Victorino has a .302 batting average. Victorino's .314 overall batting average this season is good enough for seventh best in the National League.
In 24 games since the All-star break, John Mayberry Jr. is batting .317 with a .989 OPS.
Carlos Ruiz has a .218 batting average in 68 career games against the Mets. Ruiz has hit just 1 HR at home this season.
Metropolitans team ERA- 4.18
Phillies team ERA- 3.10
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Labels: Cliff Lee, Jimmy Rollins, John Mayberry, Metropolitans, Placido Polanco, Series preview, Shane Victorino
Phils Acquire Bowker From Pirates
Biddle Exits Game with Apparent Injured Knee
Lakewood News and Notes, 8/30/11
Jesse Biddle Answers Questions From the Phillies N...
Collier and Others Headed to Instructional Ball
Series Preview: Phillies at Cincinnati, 8/29-9/1
Reading Eagle's Annual Prospect Survey
Series Preview: Marlins at Phillies, 8/26-8/27
Cloyd and Cisco Excel For Reading
Lakewood's Bill Rice Interview Excerpts
U of Delaware Product Alonso Earns His Spot
Series Preview: Metropolitans at Phillies, 8/22-8/...
Pitching Prospect Austin Wright Interview Excerpts...
Greene & Quinn Practice, Plus Other Notes
Series Preview: Phillies at Nationals, 8/19-8/21
Pitching Prospect Ryan Duke Interview Excerpts
Schwimer Gets the Call
Series Preview: D-Backs at Phillies, 8/16-8/18
PhoulBallz Roundtable: Thome's Place in History
Chris Truby Speaks on Santana & Other BlueClaws Ma...
Santana Named as PTBNL in Pence Deal
Phils, Top Pick Greene Agree to Terms
Two 2011 Draftees Help Solidify Lakewood Staff
Series Preview: Nationals at Phillies, 8/12-8/14
Checking In on the Return For Lee
Biddle Rests Ailing Hip For Playoff Push
Series Preview, Phillies at Dodgers, 8/8-8/10
Cameron Rupp Interview, August 2011
Tryout Signee Rice is Living the Dream
Series Preview: Phillies at Giants, 8/4-8/7
Crosscutters Okay Following Bus Crash
Kendrick Leads Phils to 70th Win
Fred Alert: Galvis Promoted After Scorching July
Series Preview: Phillies at Rockies, 8/1-8/3


Click on play button to listen high quality(320 Kbps) mp3 of "Within Temptation - Angels". This audio song duration is 4:00 minutes. This song is sing by Within Temptation. You can download Within Temptation - Angels high quality audio by clicking on "Download Mp3" button.


Results from LGC's Confidence Survey last month showed that senior officers at London boroughs were split exactly 50:50 on whether reorganisation would have to proceed in their areas within the next five years. Of those that thought there would be reorganisation in the capital, 43% thought it would happen within five years even though work had yet to start on plans.
However, Barking & Dagenham LBC leader Darren Rodwell (Lab) told LGC there was "no appetite for reorganising" London's 32 boroughs and the City of London Corporation.
Cllr Rodwell said there was no reason to "mess around with boundaries" and added that reorganisation makes it "impossible plan" to for the future.
Bromley LBC leader Colin Smith (Con) agreed. He said: "That's [reorganisation] not something we would celebrate.
"We have heard the narrative but the idea of merging the 32 boroughs into super boroughs is not something that we think is the right way forward for the people of Bromley," he said.
However, Cllr Smith said he is "very happy to work, cooperate with and share staff" with other boroughs.
While Teresa O'Neill, Bexley LBC leader, said "none of us are an island" she thought all of the boroughs were "the right size" as long they continue to work in partnership.
Metro mayors have called for the promised shared prosperity fund to be devolved to regions as part a general move away from decentralisation following the UK's exit from the European Union.
Existing cooperation is too small and fragmentary, piecemeal and subject to reversal. Full scale transformation is only possible through larger more efficient councils paired with strong governance.


text:
Deployable Boom and Umbrella Test (DEBUT, traducible al español como Mástil Desplegable y Prueba de Paraguas) también conocido como Orizuru, fue un satélite artificial japonés lanzado el 7 de febrero de 1990 mediante un cohete H-1 desde el Centro Espacial de Tanegashima.

Objetivos
El objetivo de DEBUT fue realizar pruebas tecnológicas de despliegue de estructuras en el espacio.

Características
DEBUT constaba de un mástil retraíble de 1,46 m de largo y un paraguas aerodinámico desplegable formado por 24 paneles. El paraguas estaba concebido para disminuir la altura de la órbita por fricción contra los restos de atmósfera en la órbita baja y para ser usado en futuras naves interplanetarias como mecanismo de aerofrenado.

Referencias

Enlaces externos
 Orizuru en Real Time Satellite Tracking

Naves y artefactos espaciales de Japón
Satélites experimentales
Naves y artefactos espaciales lanzados en 1990

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: How to get the forward url in laravel controller? I have a page which will show special message when the previous route is routeA and next route is routeB. That means when I press the back button on browser it will take me to route A and forward button will take me to route B. Only in that situation the special message will be showed.
I am able to check if the previous URL was routeA by checking  if(url()->previous()==route('routeA')) and it is working.
Is there a method like url()->next()==route('routeB') which I can check in order to get the next route.
What I want is something like this,
if(url()->previous()==route('routeA')&&url()->next()==route('routeB'))
{
   //do something
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
El cerro Santana (en portugués Morro Santana) es el punto más alto del municipio brasileño de Porto Alegre, con una altitud de 311 . Está formado por rocas graníticas y ocupa un área de aproximadamente mil hectáreas, de las cuales más de la mitad pertenecen a la Universidad Federal de Río Grande del Sur (UFRGS). El cerro tiene una importancia histórica por haber albergado, en 1740, un puesto centinela que era propiedad de Jerônimo de Ornelas, el fundador de la ciudad de Porto Alegre.

Localizado en un área bastante urbanizada, está rodeado por grandes avenidas como la Avenida Bento Gonçalves, la Av. Protásio Alves y la Av. Antônio de Carvalho, ocasionando problemas de ocupación irregular e inseguridad. Representa uno de los últimos espacios naturales de la ciudad, donde coexisten armónicamente campos, lagos, cascadas, charcos, esteros y arroyos.

Es la unidad geomorfológica local con mayor cobertura vegetal nativa, con casi dos tercios ocupados por Mata Atlántica y poco más de un tercio por pampas, denominadas también en Brasil como campos sulinos. La riqueza y la diversidad de especies vegetales de la zona de campos son bastante amplias, habiendo sido estimadas alrededor de 400 especies.

La fauna nativa del morro presenta importantes especies locales y regionales y una gran diversidad de animales. El total de registros para todo el morro es de más de cien especies, siendo más del 10% de estas especies aves migratorias, que llegan al morro en primavera y permanecen hasta el verano. A su vez, fueron registradas 14 especies nativas de mamíferos.

Referencias

Enlaces externos

Porto Alegre


text:
namespace aliyun {
struct SlbSetLoadBalancerHTTPListenerAttributeRequestType {
  std::string owner_id;
  std::string resource_owner_account;
  std::string resource_owner_id;
  std::string load_balancer_id;
  std::string listener_port;
  std::string bandwidth;
  std::string xforwarded_for;
  std::string scheduler;
  std::string sticky_session;
  std::string sticky_session_type;
  std::string cookie_timeout;
  std::string cookie;
  std::string health_check;
  std::string health_check_domain;
  std::string health_check_ur_i;
  std::string healthy_threshold;
  std::string unhealthy_threshold;
  std::string health_check_timeout;
  std::string health_check_interval;
  std::string health_check_connect_port;
  std::string health_check_http_code;
  std::string max_conn_limit;
  std::string owner_account;
};
struct SlbSetLoadBalancerHTTPListenerAttributeResponseType {
};
} // end namespace
#endif

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


We are a 15th Century Coaching Inn, situated right in the heart of Reading. True to style, we serve up delicious, traditional pub grub. Our regulars will tell you that The Bull Inn is not only a great place to grab a bite to eat, but a warm, welcoming and friendly pub to sit back, relax and have a drink after a hard day's work. We've got proper pints of cask ale, a brilliant wine list and many spirits and soft drinks to choose from. Bring the whole family to The Bull Inn and enjoy some of the great food we have to offer; choose from our Grill or our Main Menu, which includes all the classics, or if you fancy something a little lighter try one of our tasty sandwiches. There's always something going on at The Bull Inn, from Quiz nights to seasonal events, the whole family can get involved. And no matter what the weather we've got it covered. Sit inside by the real fire during the winter and soak up the atmosphere of a proper pub, or head outside in the summer and feel the warmth of the summer sunshine.
We look forward to welcoming you soon at The Bull Inn, in Streatley, Reading.


text:
Q: Using TSQL, how can I tell if my CHAR is last one in a sequence? Also, what if the letter sequences "rolls over" from 'z' to 'a'? Let's say I have the following table in SQL Server 2005:
id | Date | Letter
-----------------------------
01 | 5/1/2009 | W
02 | 5/1/2009 | X
03 | 5/1/2009 | Y
04 | 5/1/2009 | Z
05 | 5/1/2009 | A
06 | 5/1/2009 | B
07 | 5/1/2009 | D
08 | 5/1/2009 | E
09 | 5/2/2009 | W
10 | 5/2/2009 | X
11 | 5/2/2009 | Y
12 | 5/2/2009 | Z
13 | 5/2/2009 | A
14 | 5/2/2009 | B
15 | 5/2/2009 | C
16 | 5/2/2009 | D
17 | 5/3/2009 | W
18 | 5/3/2009 | X

In my previous question, I asked how to figure out which letter sequence was missing.  In my example it would letter C between row 6 and 7. I got the following answer and it works for the most part:
SELECT * from TABLE1 t1
LEFT OUTER JOIN TABLE2 t2
  ON ASCII(t2.INTCol) - 1 = ASCII(t2.INTCol)
  AND t1.date = t2.date
  WHERE t2.id IS NULL

However, this solution does have two problems.  It will return false positives in two cases.

*

*The letter sequence starts over at 'W' everyday.  So, I get a false positive result for the last record of every day.  That would be row 8 and 16 in my example data.

*Since the sequence starts over at 'W' everyday, I get a false positive for the 'Z' record because ('Z' + 1) gives me a '[', not an 'A'.
For #2 I believe I can put in an "IF" statement that says: "If this is a Z, look for an A" but I'm open to any 'cleaner' solutions.
I really have no idea how to do #1, so I'm really looking for help on that one.
EDIT: Something I left out, doing a MAX(t1.id) isn't going to work, as the rows aren't always inserted in sequence.  In fact, looking at my data, it's always inserted in [a-z] order even though the first record is the 'w'.  I know it's lame, but I'm dealing with log files from dozens of million dollar phone switches.  Not much I can do about it.

A: Rollover: use mod.
Days: add a predicate that excludes the final entry of each day.
create view missing_letter as
SELECT *  from TABLE1 t1
LEFT OUTER JOIN TABLE2 t2
  ON t1.id = t2.id
  AND t1.date = t2.date
  and mod( ascii(t1.letter) - ascii('A'), ascii('Z') + 1 )
  <> mod( ascii(t2.letter) - ascii('A'), ascii('Z') + 1 ) - 1
  and t1.id < (select max(t3.id) from table t3 where t3.date = t1.date)
;

A better solution would be to come up with an auxiliary table of ordered allowed letters, and find all the letters in that auxiliary table that are missing ("... where not exists ...") where any of those letters comes before the highest letter in your table.

A: How's this?
SELECT * FROM
(
SELECT CASE
  WHEN t1.date = t2.date
    AND (ASCII(t2.IntCol) = 90 AND ASCII(t1.IntCol) <> 65)
     THEN 1
  WHEN t1.date = t2.date
    AND ASCII(t2.IntCol) <> ASCII(t1.IntCol) + 1
     THEN 1
  ELSE 0
END AS IsMissing, t1.*

from TABLE1 t1
LEFT OUTER JOIN TABLE1 t2
  ON t1.id +1 = t2.id
) as a WHERE a.IsMissing = 1

A: Looking at data, you could do a MAX on ID for each row to get the last character in the sequence.
If no records, you can insert W
If Z then insert A
Else add the character after the current character
Is that what you are looking for?


Spark Avenue® Publishing is currently accepting a limited number of submissions for future publication.
We are interested in books that spark individual empowerment, creativity and contribution. These can be non-fiction as well as fiction. Proposed books can also be specifically intended for a mobile device format (tablet, phone).
E-mail submissions only, please. submissions@sparkavenue.com.
You can expect to hear back from us within a month of your submission.


text:
NATIONAL INSURANCE RISE STARTS TO HIT PAY PACKETS.
The burden of tax falling on workers and employers has increased as a hotly-debated rise in National Insurance payments takes effect.
In September, the government announced the rise in contributions from April 6th, in part to help ease the burden on the NHS. Employees, businesses and the self-employed will pay an extra 1.25p in the pound. The extra tax is earmarked for government spending on social care.
Earnings levels at which people start to pay income tax have been frozen, increasing the chances of employees being dragged into a new band, with a higher rate of tax, if they receive a pay rise.
Employees pay National Insurance on their wages, employers pay extra contributions for staff, and the self-employed pay it on their profits.
From now on, employees will pay National Insurance contributions on earnings above £9,880 a year. From July, it will be paid on earnings above £12,570 a year. Taken together, the measures mean that, over the next 12 months, anyone earning less than about £34,000 a year will pay less in National Insurance than they did the previous year, while those earning more will see their payments rise.
It means that, instead of paying National Insurance contributions of 12% on earnings up to £50,270 and 2% on anything above that, employees will now pay 13.25% and 3.25% respectively. The self-employed will see equivalent rates go up from 9% and 2% to 10.25% and 3.25%.
To full article can be found here.
HAPPY NEW TAX YEAR.
MTW Youth Employability Awards 2022 Brochure


text:
275 West Street, Suite 300
Clinicians & Admin Staff
James Doyle, PT, OCS
Jim graduated from Virginia Military Institute with a Bachelor of Science in 1972. He received his physical therapy degree at Howard University in 1979. Jim has practiced outpatient orthopedics for over 25 years. He is an Orthopaedic Certified Specialist through the American Physical Therapy Association. He was the senior physical therapist on tour with the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) 2004-2005.
Jennifer M. Taylor, PT, MPT, COMT
Jennifer graduated from the University of Maryland Baltimore County in 1997 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She received her Master of Physical Therapy degree in 1999 from the University of Delaware. She initially practiced at Johns Hopkins Hospital, focusing on neurosurgery, neurology, spine, and orthopedics. She has practiced outpatient physical therapy in Annapolis since 2001. She became a Certified Orthopaedic Manual Therapist in 2008. Jennifer was an Advisory Board Member to the Southern Maryland Branch of the Arthritis Foundation 2009-2011. She has finished all of her course work for APTA's CAPP-OB certificate (specialization in pre- and post-natal physical therapy). Jennifer has also taken extensive coursework through CRAFTA & Myopain Seminars in Craniofacial & Craniomandibular Pain.
Ann Ruppel, MS, OTR/L
Ann graduated from the University of Richmond with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology and earned her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from the Medical College of Virginia. She is Nationally Board Certified in Occupational Therapy. She has been practicing for over 37 years, with over 16 years experience as a hand therapist with specialty in hand, wrist and elbow treatment, including custom splinting. Her scope of practice includes orthopedics, sports injuries, neurologic, and arthritic diagnoses.
Traci Carlson, PT, DPT
Traci studied psychology and biology at the University of Maryland Baltimore County prior to graduating from Shenandoah University with a Master of Physical Therapy degree in 1999. She continued on to earn her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Shenandoah in 2004, including research focusing on treatment of women with sacroiliac dysfunction during pregnancy. Traci treats a variety of outpatient orthopedic injuries in both adults and children. She has taken specialized coursework to become a Pre- and Postnatal Fitness educator as well as other coursework focusing on the treatment of women during the childbearing year with a variety of injuries including sacroiliac dysfunction, hip pain, and sciatica.
Ginger Clark, PT, MPT
Ginger graduated from the University of Maryland College Park in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science. She received her Master of Physical Therapy degree in 1996 from the University of Maryland at Baltimore. She initially practiced at Johns Hopkins Hospital, focusing on medicine/oncology and orthopedics, and was a lead developer of the Urinary Incontinence Program. She has practiced part-time home health in Baltimore and outpatient physical therapy in Annapolis while raising her 5 children.
Zoe Taitel, PT, DPT
Zoe graduated from Northeastern University with a Doctorate of Physical Therapy in 2020. She also received her Bachelor of Science in Rehab Science from Northeastern University with a concentration in sports and strength conditioning. Zoe was a Division 1 track and field athlete with experience in college sports rehabilitation. Zoe completed clinical rotations in both outpatient and inpatient settings including at Naval Health Clinic Quantico. Zoe has been treating in Annapolis since 2020.
Vanessa Torres, PT, DPT, CSCS
Vanessa received her Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) from Franklin Pierce University in 2014, where she completed several clinical affiliations in orthopedics and pediatrics in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Vanessa has treated patients of all ages in a variety of clinical areas including post-operative, orthopedics, sports, geriatrics, and pelvic rehabilitation. She has taken extensive coursework in pelvic floor/girdle dysfunction through Herman & Wallace pelvic rehabilitation institute and is working toward certification as a Pelvic Rehabilitation Practitioner (PRPC). She is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Coach (CSCS) as well. Vanessa practices an evidence-based, patient-centered approach to treatment, with a strong emphasis on therapeutic exercise, postural/core stability, functional manual therapy and movement training. Outside of the clinic, Vanessa enjoys teaching group exercise classes, reading, and adventures with her two children.
Debbie Winemiller, Office Manager
Debbie has worked in the administrative aspects physical therapy for over 30 years. Our administrative team will work together to verify your insurance benefits, submit claims to your insurance, and other billing and health insurance concerns.
Kathy Knight, Accounts Manager
Kathy works alongside Debbie to verify your insurance benefits and works to contact health insurance companies with insurance issues.
Shirley Arbogast, Front Desk Coordinator
Shirley is an integral part in working closely with our Office and Account Managers, while keeping the office running smoothly from the front side. She has many roles some which include taking care of our patient's needs such as making appointments and more to helping our PTs schedule to making sure our office is well sanitized after each patient.
Brenton Edwards, Physical Therapy Tech
Brenton has many duties to help Doyle & Taylor PT run smoothly from taking care of our patient's needs such as making appointments and more to helping our PTs schedule to making sure our office is well sanitized after each patient.
Collin Russell, Physical Therapy Tech
Collin helps has many duties to help Doyle & Taylor PT run smoothly from taking care of our patient's needs such as making appointments and more to helping our PTs schedule to making sure our office is well sanitized after each patient.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at 410-295-0001
Doyle & Taylor Physical Therapy
info@doyleandtaylorpt.com


AB SKF (publ) offers bearings, seals, condition monitoring, lubrication systems, and services. It operates in two segments, Industrial and Automotive. The company's products include bearings, units, and housings; seals; lubrication solutions; lubricants; actuation systems, ball and roller screws, linear guides and tables, and engineering tools; magnetic bearings/permanent magnetic electric motors; mechatronic solutions; maintenance products; condition monitoring systems; power transmission products and solutions; coupling systems; test and measurement equipment; and vehicle aftermarket products, such as wheel end, powertrain, driveline, and suspension products. Its services comprise asset management, customer training, engineering consultancy, logistics, mechanical maintenance, and remanufacturing and maintenance services. The company offers its solutions for various industries, including aerospace, agriculture, automation, cars and light trucks, compressors, construction, electric motors, food and beverage, home appliances, industrial fans and pumps, industrial transmissions, machine tools, marine, material handling, medical and health care, metals, mining, mineral processing, ocean energy, oil and gas, portable power tools, power generation, pulp and paper, racing, railways, skates, trucks, trailers and buses, two and three wheelers, and wind energy. AB SKF (publ) markets its products directly, as well as through a network of distributors in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. The company was founded in 1907 and is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Sign-up to receive the latest news and ratings for SKFRY and its competitors with MarketBeat's FREE daily newsletter.
What is AB SKF's stock symbol?
AB SKF trades on the OTCMKTS under the ticker symbol "SKFRY."
How were AB SKF's earnings last quarter?
AB SKF (OTCMKTS:SKFRY) posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January, 29th. The industrial products company reported $0.51 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the Zacks' consensus estimate of $0.35 by $0.16. The industrial products company had revenue of $2.34 billion for the quarter. AB SKF had a net margin of 8.49% and a return on equity of 21.25%. View AB SKF's Earnings History.
When is AB SKF's next earnings date?
AB SKF is scheduled to release their next quarterly earnings announcement on Thursday, April 25th 2019. View Earnings Estimates for AB SKF.
What is the consensus analysts' recommendation for AB SKF?
5 Wall Street analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for AB SKF in the last year. There are currently 3 sell ratings and 2 hold ratings for the stock, resulting in a consensus recommendation of "Sell." View Analyst Ratings for AB SKF.
Has AB SKF been receiving favorable news coverage?
Media stories about SKFRY stock have trended somewhat negative on Wednesday, InfoTrie reports. InfoTrie identifies positive and negative media coverage by analyzing more than six thousand news and blog sources in real-time. The firm ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of -5 to 5, with scores nearest to five being the most favorable. AB SKF earned a news sentiment score of -1.4 on InfoTrie's scale. They also gave media stories about the industrial products company a news buzz of 2.0 out of 10, indicating that recent media coverage is very unlikely to have an impact on the stock's share price in the next few days.
Who are some of AB SKF's key competitors?
Some companies that are related to AB SKF include Johnson Controls International (JCI), Mitsui & Co Ltd (MITSY), Ingersoll-Rand (IR), ATLAS COPCO AB/S (ATLKY), ASSA ABLOY AB/S (ASAZY), Parker-Hannifin (PH), Komatsu (KMTUY), SANDVIK AB/ADR (SDVKY), Rockwell Automation (ROK), Cintas (CTAS), Stanley Black & Decker (SWK), Ball (BLL), Kubota (KUBTY), Tenaris (TS) and Rolls-Royce (RR).
What other stocks do shareholders of AB SKF own?
Based on aggregate information from My MarketBeat watchlists, some companies that other AB SKF investors own include Energy Transfer LP Unit (ET), Cornerstone Total Return Fund (CRF), CBL & Associates Properties (CBL), SandRidge Permian Trust (PER), SunCoke Energy Partners (SXCP), Cornerstone Strategic Value Fund (CLM), Martin Midstream Partners (MMLP), Navios Maritime Midstream Partners (NAP), Government Properties Income Trust (GOV) and Arlington Asset Investment (AI).
Who are AB SKF's key executives?
How do I buy shares of AB SKF?
Shares of SKFRY can be purchased through any online brokerage account. Popular online brokerages with access to the U.S. stock market include Vanguard Brokerage Services, TD Ameritrade, E*TRADE, Scottrade, Fidelity and Charles Schwab.
What is AB SKF's stock price today?
One share of SKFRY stock can currently be purchased for approximately $18.90.
How big of a company is AB SKF?
AB SKF has a market capitalization of $8.61 billion and generates $9.87 billion in revenue each year. The industrial products company earns $838.96 million in net income (profit) each year or $1.84 on an earnings per share basis. AB SKF employs 42,994 workers across the globe.
What is AB SKF's official website?
The official website for AB SKF is http://www.skf.com.
How can I contact AB SKF?
MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about AB SKF and other stocks. Vote "Outperform" if you believe SKFRY will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote "Underperform" if you believe SKFRY will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days.


Until I watched the Disney/Pixar movie Coco, I really didn't' understand what the Dia de los Muertos was about. I can understand a day to celebrate your lost family members, but I didn't know what that entailed. Do people have wailing sessions all day? Do they dress in black? Is there food designated for mourning?
The Day of the Dead isn't so much to mourn the deceased as it is to celebrate the life they had. Dia de los Muertos has been celebrated for around 3000 years. It has evolved over the years encompassing some Christian beliefs, but it has never lost its true meaning: Do not fear death. Celebrate life.
Dia de los Muertos is a 3 day event. It begins with Halloween. This day is also known as All Saints' Eve or Dia de los Brujas (Day of the Witches). This is the day for live children to go around and ask for candy. Depending on their parents, they may do this for all three days. On Saints' Day, the Mexicans remember the children who have died, and on All Souls' Day the adults that have passed away.
I've only been to one memorial and one funeral my entire life, so I really don't understand what a person is supposed to do in a death situation. We have a lot of Mexican friends now, so I asked them what the Day of the Dead is like. How should I act or show respect? Their explanation was that this was more like a party to celebrate a lost loved one with funny stories and their favorite items.
If you plan to visit Mexico for Day of the Dead, make reservations more than 3 months in advance. Hotel prices are higher at this time, so just expect to pay more. We tried to reserve a place in San Miguel de Allende (that takes dogs) 3 months in advance, but most places were sold out or asking for 3 times the usual price. This link lists the best destinations in Mexico to experience Dia de los Muertos.
This was our first Day of the Dead ever. Even though we live here, we are still tourists stepping in to the unknown.
We took an Uber to the Centro historico to see what festivities were taking place. In Centro, they post billboards of daily activities happening around town, but they don't list things online. It was slightly chaotic with so many people and a ton of vendors, but it was exciting to see all the activity and families enjoying the cool night.
Food street vendors hung Halloween decorations around their stalls, and the food was fresh and inviting.
We stopped to have huaraches and tamarind juice, but we could have easily stayed under the food vendors tarps all night eating our way through the crowded aisles.
Many vendors had the sugary pan de los muertos that has a faint flavor of orange zest and texture like a lightly fried churro.
Each plaza was crammed with vendors selling chocolate skulls and small toys for children and altar offerings.
Casa de la Corrigidora, the State Office, was opened to the public with altars built by different barrios honoring someone. Offerings ranged from corn and chilis to a favorite Mexican dish with Coca-Cola or wine. Pictures, toys and clothing were also displayed and surrounded by marigolds. This brightly-colored fragrant flower is believed to help guide the dead back to the living world.
Some of the hotels like Casa de la Marquesa created an extremely elaborate altar in their lobby.
Many children were dressed up as their favorite superhero or as a catrina carrying small plastic pumpkins to gather their candy. I would have gotten my face painted if I had seen a facepainter, but it seems that everyone did their own makeup. Luckily, my friend Riley let me borrow his picture.
We ended the night with a bottle of wine on the rooftop bar of Hotel Antiguo Meson Aspeytia. It has the perfect view overlooking the Santuario de La Congregación de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. And we can't forget the fireworks! This is a celebration after all.


Police in Dowa have arrested a 36-year-old woman for attempting to commit suicide over family issues at Msangu village, Traditional Authority Mkukula in the district.
Dowa police spokesperson Richard Kaponda has identified the woman as Likisi Ngoma who has three children.
According to Kaponda, the woman got married to a man in the district who was ill-treating her by not giving her any help.
"For instance the man happened to have money after doing piece works but he was not giving her to buy needed items at home.
"On Monday during the afternoon hours when the husband was away, the woman took a tomato pesticide called (comide) and drank it in order to kill herself," said Kaponda.
After drinking the pesticide, she immediately started vomiting and became unconscious.
But her child who was nearby saw this and alerted elders who rushed with her to Dowa District Hospital where she was admitted.
Doctors from Dowa District Hospital said that the woman took an organophosphate poison called comide.
She will appear in court soon to answer the offence of attempted suicide which is contrary to section 229 of the penal code.
The woman comes from Msangu village Traditional Authority, Mkukula in Dowa District.
Wosathanthana ndigalu wachimangai bwanji? Mwina imeneyo ndiyomwe wawona kuti iri bwino?
Arrested? Is she going to get death penalty? She needs a serious help not a prison cell. Take her to rehabilitation center immediately.
Mwamunayo alangidwe. Ndalama yavuta pa malawi nde mkazi kumusiya ndi ana 3….amavuta mmodzi!
Sounds to me the elders and government should start enforcing child and spousal support from father's and divorced husband's or provide assistance to these women who are forced to care for children on their own once a man had had their with them.
should not be arrested …but needs e counselling… they are worsening the matter ….ooooh xem .sorry cc.
Wangokhala nditsoka ndipo ngati mapholisawo ali ndi umunthu amusiye mayiyo anthu ambiri akhala akufuna kuzipha koma osamangidwa iye kutani??