Latex or latex rubber is a naturally occurring material that exists since ages. Known as styrene butadiene rubber or SBR in its synthetic form, latex is widely used in the manufacturing of latex mattresses, which have many takers.
With every latex products manufacturer shouting the virtues of their products from the rooftop, it puts the buyers' in a dilemma.
To clear all the confusion, here's an all-inclusive guide to latex mattresses. Without further ado, let's dive into it.
WHAT IS LATEX? HOW IS LATEX MANUFACTURED?
Latex is broadly classified as pure/all-natural latex, synthetic latex and natural/synthetic blend latex. There's nothing known as all-synthetic latex.
Pure latex or latex rubber is derived from the Hevea brasiliensis in the form of a milky white sap, extracted from the trees. The process is laborious as the sap is collected manually. This liquid is poured in vessels, homogenized and frothed before putting in a special vulcanizing oven. This leads to the formation of "core" or blocks of a material, that is exceptionally lightweight and elastic. It is then removed from the mold, washed and once again heated to make it moisture-free.
Synthetic blend latex is created by monomer polymerization. In this process, a monomer binds to other molecules and forms a polymer. This is processed further to create latex that looks and feels like natural latex. Contrary to the popular belief, the quality of a natural/synthetic blend latex mattress isn't inferior in terms of quality. In fact, it includes the best of both worlds!
HOW IS PURE LATEX MANUFACTURED?
This is the older method for creating pure latex. It works amazingly for the base layer and involves a quick steam cook. The energy used in manufacturing the mattress is lower in Dunlop as opposed to Talalay.
The process: Liquid latex is mixed with soaps and air as this lends the perfect level of density to it. Next up, a gelling agent is added to the mix, which converts it into a solid form. This mix is ready to be vulcanized, baked and then washed and oven dried before getting cut into different sizes.
The Talalay method is the newer and a more refined process, where a quick flash freeze takes place during vulcanization. As a result, there's a more precise control of the density. This is used for creating the top layers in pure latex mattresses. It is more expensive than Dunlop method.
The process: The liquid latex is poured into various moulds, which are partially filled and then, vacuum sealed. Due to lack of air, the latex expands and fills the space in the mould. The mix is then frozen to -30, with carbon dioxide blown through the mixture. This helps harden it. Finally, the mixture is baked at 130 degrees and then finished and washed.
They are Hypoallergenic – Latex mattresses are antimicrobial and resistant to dust mites, which make them hypoallergenic. This is great for those suffering from chronic asthma, dust-allergy and other allergies.
They are Eco-Friendly – Pure latex mattresses are devoid of VOCs (toxic volatile compounds), formaldehyde and other toxic chemicals. Created using sustainable material, these are extremely eco-friendly. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that these mattresses meet the most rigorous textile and furniture emissions certifications.
They Are Off-Gas Resistant – Mattresses that include petroleum products, glues and other chemically treated fabrics emit a typical chemical odor, which can be harmful to the users. This odor increases with the amount of such materials used in the mattresses. Latex mattresses made using natural latex and without any other chemical products like adhesives, glues and chemical flame-retardants, will be resistant to off-gas. Although synthetic latex is made from petrochemicals, the amount of off-gas is nominal and doesn't create a problem for the users.
They are Firm – Latex foam mattresses are firm and while this can be a deterrent for many of the buyers; it is an advantage for those who like their bedding to be firmer.
They are Extremely Durable – Latex is one of the most durable materials. Hence, latex mattresses last comparatively longer with no loss of shape or comfort. They also come with a warranty period of up to 20 years!
They Offer Better Airflow – Ventilation is another major advantage of latex mattresses as they are manufactured with pinholes both at the top and the bottom. This property comes to play especially in tropical climates, as they are cooler than memory foam!
They Provide Body Pressure Distribution – Latex mattresses are highly recommended for those who suffer from musculoskeletal issues because they offer a more even body pressure distribution.
They Offer Motion Isolation – Foam mattresses tend to warp, when two people sleep on them. This is not the case with latex mattresses, which restrict the motion to a particular area. This guarantees that someone else's sleep is not disrupted.
They can be Easily Customized – Latex foam is a versatile material and is incredibly customizable.
All these benefits make latex mattresses a bedding material that finds wide range of use for both commercial and non-commercial purposes.
Mattress toppers are an extra layer of cushioning right on the top of a mattress. In layman's term, it's the part that can be seen right before the bed sheets are put.
Chosen wisely, these can provide extra support and comfort to the users. Prepared using various materials, these are not to be confused with mattress pads.
Mattress pads also offer protection to the mattress. They too add to the comfort and softness of the mattress, but to a less extent than the toppers.
Mattress toppers also cost more than mattress pads and are much thicker.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A LATEX MATTRESS TOPPER?
Upgrading an Old Mattress – Over the time, a mattress's comfort levels go down because it flattens out. This downgrade can heighten the risk of back pains and other musculoskeletal diseases, which makes the mattress harmful. In such scenarios, it surely helps investing in a mattress topper to restore the comfort factor. At the same time, it helps upgrade the old mattress without the need to purchase a new one!
Providing Support and Firmness – When people purchase a new mattress but aren't very comfortable with it, latex mattress toppers can help them correct the firmness level and also lend extra support.
Increasing the Comfort Levels – Different individuals have different preferences for their comfort levels on a mattress. Latex mattress toppers increase the comfort levels for two people sharing the same mattress as it adjusts it for at least two levels of firmness.
HOW TO CHOOSE A LATEX MATTRESS TOPPER?
Material tops the chart for selecting the mattress topper. Talking about latex mattress toppers in specific, these are beneficial because they deter the growth of mold, dust and other allergens/parasites. Also, these are extremely durable and hence, offer maximum returns on investment for the buyers.
Material along with the thickness of the product are the two essentials that can help you calculate the expense of mattress toppers. Ergo, if you're buying a thicker topper made from natural latex, it will be pricier.
The latex content is another crucial pointer that you need to take into consideration while purchasing a latex mattress topper. Make sure that you ask the manufacturer this question upfront, if you don't see any information about this on the website or anywhere on the brand.
Every now and then, brands promote their latex mattress by surreptitiously hiding the fact that not all the layers in the mattress are made from 100% natural latex. Don't be misled and end up buying synthetic or faux latex, ask the manufacturers to provide information about the layers in the mattresses.
Select a reputable company that has spent years in perfecting the process of latex mattress manufacturing.
Understand their manufacturing process to get a thorough idea of what you're in for.
Know whether their products are certified by a recognized body or not.
You can also take a trip to their plant and spend the time to test the products for design, function and other features and functionalities.
Latex mattresses bring forth state-of-the-art technology and exceptional manufacturing standards. But why stop there, when you can also opt for customized latex pillows, latex foam mattresses and latex toppers relevant to your requirements? Feel free to contact us for more information and bulk orders or any other assistance that you need for latex based products!


text:
Art project makes partners of Wexner Center for the Arts and University Libraries
Installation view of Ann Hamilton's when an object reaches for your hand at the Wexner Center for the Arts
"when an object reaches for your hand" connects across campus.
Connections, dotted lines and networks. That's the inspiration behind a partnership between the Wexner Center for the Arts and The Ohio State University Libraries.
Ohio State Professor of Art Ann Hamilton's latest project, "when an object reaches for your hand," is at the heart of the collaboration between the two university organizations that sit at opposite sides of the Oval. Hamilton, a two-time Wexner Center Artist Residency Award recipient, is the architect of the exhibit, but the connections between the library and the center for the arts run deep.
"All the credit goes to Ann, who is just an expansive thinker to begin with, and has worked with the library previously. I think her work naturally lends itself to questions of circulation and distribution and access," said Johanna Burton, director of the Wexner Center for the Arts.
Burton also shares a network and a connection to Damon Jaggars, vice provost and dean of University Libraries. Jaggars served as a peer mentor to Burton when she joined Ohio State in March.
"[The university] paired us very thoughtfully because I'm a recent transplant from New York and so was he," she said. "I'm also an academic and one of the reasons I wanted to come to the Wex was the proximity to the rest of campus and to thinkers and to places like the library."
Jaggars said the two organizations are natural partners behind the scenes in technical areas like digital collections, but they also share a passion for programming in the public space.
"The Wex curates in the contemporary art space, and the Libraries curates broadly across the disciplines. It just makes sense for us to engage in conversations as they develop programming and vice versa. We are fortunate to have Johanna's leadership at Ohio State to help nurture these types of partnerships," Jaggars said.
This latest project is an immersive experience that lives in both the Wexner Center's gallery and in the stacks at Thompson Library. Hamilton, graduate students and studio assistants used scanners to create ethereal images of objects from various Columbus campus special collections that are rarely seen by the public. The images, together with scans of objects from personal collections, are presented in book-form stacks on tables in both buildings.
Both Burton and Jaggars said there is great value in displaying contemporary art in the library to enrich the lives of the students who study there.
"Yes, the library is a place of ideas that have been codified," Jaggars said. "But it is also a place where ideas are created. That is what research is. Research is looking to what has been done before and building on it to create new knowledge. That happens across all disciplines including the arts."
Burton said the exhibit in the library can also shake up expectations.
"I think art can function in a couple of different ways. If you know you're coming to a museum and you're going to encounter something, you are already primed and ready for a certain kind of experience," she said. "[This exhibit] allows for people to encounter something without feeling uncomfortable or feeling nervous that they don't get it. It's just something that they encounter and then they get to realize, 'Oh, wow, this thing, what is its function and why is it here?'"
As Hamilton's exhibit winds down at the Wexner Center for the Arts at the end of this month, it will live on at Thompson through April 28, 2020. "when an object reaches for your hand" is part of the university's 150th anniversary celebration.
The exhibit is likely one of many more collaborations between University Libraries and the Wex.
"One of the prime reasons for my coming [to Ohio State] was thinking about the natural pot of talent that is here, and that students are this natural audience for everything that we do. They are naturally curious about artistic practices that are experimental in the way that we're talking about," Burton said. "So I just see infinite possibilities with those kinds of partnerships and I hope this is just the first of many with the library. [Damon] is just one of those people who is super easy to collaborate and he loves doing this kind of stuff."
The exhibit, HERE: Ann Hamilton, Jenny Holzer, Maya Lin, is open at the Wexner Center for the Arts through Dec. 29.
The interactive art of @OhioState professor Ann Hamilton makes partners of @wexarts and @OSULibrary I @OhioStateNews

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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text:
Q: Failed to install due to Timeout in Emulator When attempting to install an .apk from Eclipse, whether to an android emulator or to a physical device (via USB), I get a "Failed to install *.apk on device '*': timeout" error.
The .apk is not found on the emulator nor physcial device (Samsung Galaxy S2, rooted).
If I avoid eclipse, and just use the command line, I'm also unable to install an .apk.
Why a new post on this?
There are several other stackoverflow posts that reference the "Failed to install..." error. I've created a new post for a few reasons:

*

*Most of the other posts are not detailed.

*The prominent relevant post, Android error: Failed to install *.apk on device *: timeout, for the original poster, applies only to physical device connections. So it is a different case, albeit with similar symptoms.

*All of the candidate solutions in that post, and several others, I have tried. These are listed bellow under "Candidate solutions i've tried".

This post is lengthy as the steps I've taken are lengthy, as was warranted by the bug. If you don't want to read, or at least scan, this post please do not comment.
My Environment
HOST OS: Windows XP SP3
JAVA: Java SDK version 1.6.0_32
WINDOWS ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES:
JAVA_HOME=C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.6.0_33;
PATH=...;%JAVA_HOME%\bin\;C:\android\android-sdk\tools;C:\android\android-sdk\platform-tools\;...;C:\Program Files\apache-ant-1.8.2\bin;...;
IDE: Eclipse (installed classic) Indigo. Version 3.7.2
ANDROID SDK

*

*Android SDK Tools Revision: 20. (Chiefly tested with revision 19).

*Android SDK Platform-tools: 11.

*ADT plug-in ("Android Development Toolkit", Eclipse Plugin) version: 20.0.0.v201206010423-369331 (also with prior version 18.0.0.v201203301501-306762).

*Platform targeted by your project & Version of the platform running in the emulator. Tried each off:

*

*Android 4.0.3 (API 15)

*Android 2.2 (API 8)

*Andorid 2.1 (API 7)

MOBILE: Samsung Galaxy S2 running Android Ice Cream Sandwhich (ICS) 4.0.3
ANT: 1.8.2
Steps I go through to produce the errors.
Using Eclipse to attempt to install an .apk to the emulator:

*

*Open eclipse (which loads my workspace with a single android application in it).

*Run my android application using a previously configured Run configuration.

*The "Android Device Chooser" launches (I have set my Run configuration to launch this manually).

*In the Android Device Chooser I select my avd (targeting Android 2.2), and click OK.

*The emulator opens with "5554:jlbavd2_2". My AVD name is "jlbavd2_2".

*I leave the emulator open. In Eclipse I open the DDMS view. In the "Devices" pane I click on the white triangle and choose "Reset adb".

In the Eclipse console, Android view, I get
[2012-06-19 19:20:52 - MyApp] Starting full Post Compiler.
[2012-06-19 19:20:52 - MyApp] ------------------------------
[2012-06-19 19:20:52 - MyApp] Android Launch!
[2012-06-19 19:20:52 - MyApp] adb is running normally.
[2012-06-19 19:20:52 - MyApp] Performing au.com.myorg.myapp.MyAppActivity activity launch
[2012-06-19 19:20:52 - MyApp] Refreshing resource folders.
[2012-06-19 19:20:52 - MyApp] Starting incremental Pre Compiler: Checking resource changes.
[2012-06-19 19:20:52 - MyApp] Nothing to pre compile!
[2012-06-19 19:20:53 - MyApp] Starting incremental Package build: Checking resource changes.
[2012-06-19 19:20:53 - MyApp] Skipping over Post Compiler.
[2012-06-19 19:20:59 - MyApp] Launching a new emulator with Virtual Device 'jlbavd'
[2012-06-19 19:22:29 - MyApp] New emulator found: emulator-5554
[2012-06-19 19:22:29 - MyApp] Waiting for HOME ('android.process.acore') to be launched...
[2012-06-19 19:22:44 - MyApp] HOME is up on device 'emulator-5554'
[2012-06-19 19:22:44 - MyApp] Uploading MyApp.apk onto device 'emulator-5554'
[2012-06-19 19:22:49 - MyApp] Failed to install MyApp.apk on device 'emulator-5554': timeout
[2012-06-19 19:22:49 - MyApp] Launch canceled!

In the Eclipse console, DDMS output, I get:
...
[2012-06-19 19:22:44 - ddm-hello] handling HELO
[2012-06-19 19:22:44 - ddm-hello] HELO: v=1, pid=150, vm='Dalvik v1.2.0', app='android.process.acore'
[2012-06-19 19:22:44 - MyApp.apk] Uploading MyApp.apk onto device 'emulator-5554'
[2012-06-19 19:22:44 - Device] Uploading file onto device 'emulator-5554'
[2012-06-19 19:22:49 - ddms] write: timeout
[2012-06-19 19:22:49 - Device] Error during Sync: timeout.
[2012-06-19 19:22:49 - ddms] Removing req 0x4000002d from set

Sometimes (perhaps I do slightly different steps) I get:
[2012-06-16 14:20:02 - MyFirstApp02] Starting full Post Compiler.
[2012-06-16 14:20:02 - MyFirstApp02] ------------------------------
[2012-06-16 14:20:02 - MyFirstApp02] Android Launch!
[2012-06-16 14:20:02 - MyFirstApp02] adb is running normally.
[2012-06-16 14:20:02 - MyFirstApp02] Performing au.com.myorg.MyFirstApp02Activity activity launch
[2012-06-16 14:20:08 - MyFirstApp02] Launching a new emulator with Virtual Device 'jlbavd2_2'
[2012-06-16 14:20:17 - Emulator] bind: Unknown error
[2012-06-16 14:20:17 - MyFirstApp02] New emulator found: emulator-5556
[2012-06-16 14:20:17 - MyFirstApp02] Waiting for HOME ('android.process.acore') to be launched...
[2012-06-16 14:20:38 - MyFirstApp02] HOME is up on device 'emulator-5556'
[2012-06-16 14:20:38 - MyFirstApp02] Uploading MyFirstApp02.apk onto device 'emulator-5556'
[2012-06-16 14:20:50 - MyFirstApp02] Failed to install MyFirstApp02.apk on device 'emulator-5556': timeout
[2012-06-16 14:20:50 - MyFirstApp02] Launch canceled!

Note the "bind: Unknown error". Sometimes this error happens, sometimes it does not.
If I unplug my ethernet cable to my hardware router I get the following:
[2012-06-19 23:27:29 - MyApp] Android Launch!
[2012-06-19 23:27:29 - MyApp] adb is running normally.
[2012-06-19 23:27:29 - MyApp] Performing au.com.softmake.myapp.MyAppActivity activity launch
[2012-06-19 23:27:29 - MyApp] Refreshing resource folders.
[2012-06-19 23:27:29 - MyApp] Starting incremental Pre Compiler: Checking resource changes.
[2012-06-19 23:27:29 - MyApp] Nothing to pre compile!
[2012-06-19 23:27:33 - MyApp] Launching a new emulator with Virtual Device 'jlbavd'
[2012-06-19 23:27:40 - Emulator] Warning: No DNS servers found
[2012-06-19 23:27:44 - Emulator] emulator: emulator window was out of view and was recentered
[2012-06-19 23:27:44 - Emulator]
[2012-06-19 23:28:29 - MyApp] New emulator found: emulator-5554
[2012-06-19 23:28:29 - MyApp] Waiting for HOME ('android.process.acore') to be launched...
[2012-06-19 23:28:36 - MyApp] HOME is up on device 'emulator-5554'
[2012-06-19 23:28:36 - MyApp] Uploading MyApp.apk onto device 'emulator-5554'
[2012-06-19 23:28:42 - MyApp] Failed to install MyApp.apk on device 'emulator-5554': timeout
[2012-06-19 23:28:42 - MyApp] Launch canceled!

Note the "Warning: No DNS servers found"
Using Eclipse to attempt to install an .apk to a physical device (rooted Samsung Galaxy S2. 4.0.3 with USB debugging enabled), and after going through similar steps as above, I get in the Eclipse console, Android Output:
[2012-06-15 22:40:34 - MyFirstApp] Starting full Post Compiler.
[2012-06-15 22:40:34 - MyFirstApp] ------------------------------
[2012-06-15 22:40:34 - MyFirstApp] Android Launch!
[2012-06-15 22:40:34 - MyFirstApp] adb is running normally.
[2012-06-15 22:40:34 - MyFirstApp] Performing
    au.com.myorg.myfirstapp.MyFirstAppActivity activity launch
[2012-06-15 22:40:39 - MyFirstApp] Uploading MyFirstApp.apk onto device '0019adf659f24e'
[2012-06-15 22:40:51 - MyFirstApp] Failed to install MyFirstApp.apk on device '0019adf659f24e': timeout
[2012-06-15 22:40:51 - MyFirstApp] Launch canceled!

The same sort of error as when attempting to install to the emulator.
When using the command line only, and thereby avoiding Eclipse, I go through the following steps:

*

*Open a windows command prompt in my working directory (I'm using C:\Data\Sda\Code\Mobile\Android\Examples>").

android list targets.

*I obtain my target id (I choose Android 2.2).

android create project --target 3 --name MyAppCmd --path ./MyAppCmd --activity MyAppCmdActivity --package au.com.myorg.myappcmd

*I get a series of healthy looking output "Created project directory ...", "Added file ..."

*In windows I double click "AVD Manager.exe".

*I launch my avd (which targets Android 2.2)

*Back to my command window

cd MyAppCmd
ant debug

*After a list of output I get "BUILD SUCCESSFUL ..." (On a prior occasion I had to edit C:\android\android-sdk\platform-tools\dx.bat to change "set defaultXmx=-Xmx1024M" to "set defaultMx=-Xmx512M" to make the build successful ). I observe that bin/MyAppCmd-debug.apk exists.

*I attempt an install with

adb install bin/MyAppCmd-debug.apk

*Output:
* daemon not running. starting it now on port 5037 *
* daemon started successfully *
error: device offline

adb devices

List of devices attached
emulator-5554   device

adb install bin/MyAppCmd-debug.apk

*There is no further output in the command window. No error message. Just a blinking cursor, no error or success message, and no return to the command prompt ">".

*I shut down the command line and open a new one.

*I get the same result (a blinking cursor, etc.) if I try a push command (temp.txt has been previously created on my windows system) ...

adb push temp.txt /sdcard/temp.txt

Candidate solutions i've tried
Eclipse related:

*

*Followed the steps from Eclipse isn't talking to the emulator

*Increased the ADB connection time out. Eclipse > Window > Preferences > Android > DDMS > " ADB connection time out(ms):" = 10000 (I've also tried 60000).

*Running the application twice (and choosing the currently running emulator or mobile phone again).

*Cleaned my project: Eclipse > Project > Clean ...

*Rebooted Eclipse.

*Downgraded Eclipse from Indigo (2.7.x) to Helios (2.6.x).

Android related:

*

*Reset the adb in several ways: "Reset ADB" command from the Eclipse DDMS perspective (from the Devices window triangle); command line with "adb kill-server" and "adb start-server"; and using the Windows Task manager to kill adb.exe.

*Reinstalling my Samsung OEM USB drivers (By using KIES > Tools > Troubleshoot connection error).

*Installing my Android SDK to a directory without spaces anywhere in the paths. Namely C:\Android\android-sdk. This entailed a reinstall of the SDK, formerly located at C:\Program files\Android\android-sdk

*My Android Project is installed in a directory without spaces anywhere in the the path.

*Deleting and recreating the avd (both from the Android AVD Manager and using Windows Explorer).

*Using different AVDs that target different platfroms (Android 2.2 and Android 4.0.3).

*Just after the Emulator opens but before it times out: unlocking the phone V waiting till it times out with the phone locked (in the emulator).

*Verified I have in my AndroidManifest.xml:
  <uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="8" android:targetSdkVersion="8" />

Environment related (PC and Phone):

*

*Rebooted My Phone.

*Rebooted my development PC.

*Turning off my software and hardware firewall.

*Turning of MS Security Essentials Real Time Protection.

*Disabled my hosts list.

*Reinstalled Java.

*Booting into Windows safe mode and running Eclipse.

*Manually killing most other application TCP/IP Processes (E.g GoogleDesk.exe, Apache Server PunkBuster, etc) by seeing what is available in Sysinternals TCPView.

*Disconnected the Ethernet cable from my PC.

Other information
Some adb commands work.
For example the following makes the emulator screen dance about (as is expected).

adb shell monkey -v 100

I can list the devices, and correctly retrieve their state with

adb devices.

So there is partial communication between an adb client and adb daemon (via an adb server).
I am relatively new to Android development. However, I have successfully installed .apks to the emulator and my device about 6 months ago (from the WinXP PC I'm now trying to make work). I have ignored Android since then. When I came back to it recently I had some problem building my .apks which was fixed by deleting my debug.key and allowing eclipse to generate a new one.
In the intervening 6 months my development machine has changed in all sorts of ways. Installing new servers and apps, changing firewall settings etc. So there could well be some change I'm overlooking.
I also have a Win7 Laptop from which I have successfully installed .apks to the emulator and USB connected physical device. That is, I have a copy of the Android SDK, Eclipse, JAVA, etc installed on the Win7 machine. So I know I have a general handle on the correct procedure for setting it all up correctly.
I can install the .apk manually by double clicking the file through ES File Explorer from my Phone (which connects to my development machine wirelessly).
Final thoughts
It seems that there is some problem with the adb client, adb server, or adb daemon in talking to each other fully.
I have three hypothesis:

*

*It is my fault. That there is some kind of TCP/IP conflict which breaks some of the connections between the adb client, adb server, or adb daemon. This is due to some freakish setting on my PC (like any developer I change various settings on my system all the time). However, I have tried disabling security and other potentially conflicting TCP/IP processes (as far as I can tell).

*Some simple issue I keep overlooking.

*It is google's/Android's fault. That is, there is a bug in the Android adb which requires an update to the android SDK platform tools. I think this less likely since I'd expect it to have surfaced by now.

Updates to post
2012-06-22 18:55 (UTC):
Complete reinstall (again) of Java, Eclipse, and the Android SDK with some variations in the install (e.g. Installed Java to root; Android SDK to the default "Program Files\"; and turning off all security software during install).
I note an error "Stopping ADB server failed (code -1)." in  the Android SDK Manager Log during and install of the various parts of the platform/tools (via the Manager).
2012-06-30 06:15 (UTC):
Readjusted "My Environment" specs to reflect latest tests.

A: If its timeout then may be ADB connection with the eclipse will need more timeout limit. So Try this:
Prefrences>android>DDMS and you will see ADB connection timeout extend it to 20000

A: When this happen's to us on physical devices we usually attempt to fix it by unplugging, toggling "android debug mode" on the device and reconnecting.

A: Make sure your working on an ADMIN ACCOUNT. This problem also frustrated me, but when I switched over to an admin account (on Windows Vista), the adb seemed to correctly install the apk on the device.

A: I had the same issue; by copying the *.apk to the cell phone memory and installing it directly on the device (by Myfiles and selecting the *.apk), it worked OK. I suspect that there's an issue with the USB connection (too many errors, Eclipse is too slow due to other processes using the USB, etc.).

A: My simple approach is to just restart the emulator (not eclipse). It just works without me having to send any adb commands. Rarely happens with physical device though.

A: I've solved the problem, many months later, by upgrading to a completely new environment. Specifically, a new machine with a fresh install of Windows 8. I've also avoided installing the Comodo suite (I don't know that this was causing the problem).
So while this is not a direct solution to the problem (it's still not clear what was causing it) perhaps it might serve as another example where a workaround or lateral resolution to a problem is sometimes a good last resort option.

A: Try changing the ADB connection timeout. I think it defaults that to 5000ms and I changed mine to 10000ms to get rid of that problem.
If you are in Eclipse, you can do this by going through
Window-> Preferences -> Android -> DDMS -> ADB Connection Timeout (ms)

A: Try these...

*

*Shut Down your eclipse.

*Goto cmd and type:(I hope you have set the path of android tools folder in your path)

adb kill-server
adb start-server
output will be:
daemon not running. starting it now on port 5037
daemon started successfully

*

*Start you Eclipse.

*Start your emulator, if you are on physical device, see that your cable is not loose, and properly connected

A: Just unplugging and plugging in the phone (physical) works. This does happen to me (too many times) when the phone is connected too long and nothing is done.

A: I've got the same behavior as mentioned in your question, and tried every solution listed by you. Try this: change the USB port. For me, I have a total of 4 USB ports (two in front of my desktop and the two others in the back). The two ones on the front gives me [timeout install] whatever I do. The first one in the back I've tried has worked. I wonder it might be some issue related with USB port version, or MotherBoard embedded USB.

A: you could try this:

*

*Open the "Android Virtual device Manager"

*Select from one the listed devices there and run it.

*Right your Android App -> Run As -> Android Application
It worked for me.  I tried this on an emulator in eclipse.
It takes a while before the app is run. For me it took 33 seconds.
Wait until the message in the console says "Success!"

A: This is what I do on my Win7 64 bit system when this happens:

*

*Close Eclipse

*Kill adb.exe and all copies of emulator-arm.exe from task manager

*Open Eclipse

*Change to DDMS view and make sure you can see Devices

*Open Window / ADV Manager

*Select required emulator and press Start

*Watch the Devices panel in DDMS, to see if the emulator shows.
If it doesn't display before the Start window progress bar has finished then the emulator isn't going to load this time so close the emulator.

*Then repeat from 6.

For me the emulator never starts first time but 9 times out of 10 will start successfully on the second attempt.
Wish they'd fix this!
Mark

A: if you are not in admin account, make sure parental controls are turned off.It worked for me.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


At the time, Justice Anthony Kennedy was on the bench. A lot has changed since then: Kennedy, known as the court's swing voter, was replaced by Justice Brett Kavanaugh Brett Michael KavanaughSupreme Court sees more serious divide open on death penalty Juan Williams: Buttigieg already making history Dems plot next move in Trump tax-return battle MORE, a reliable conservative.
The justices will hear two cases Tuesday — one dealing with North Carolina, with the other focusing on Maryland.
In Maryland, GOP voters say Democratic officials split Republicans in the 6th Congressional District to eliminate one of two GOP seats from the state the party previously held in the House. GOP voters said that in redrawing the district, the Democratic officials retaliated against them for their past votes in violation of the First Amendment's ban on viewpoint discrimination.
"There's no easy procedural out for the court," he said.
Conservatives agree that a decision is likely. And with the court's newest member, they are hopeful that the Supreme Court will rule that partisan redistricting is constitutional.
"You might think it's bad policy, and a state can pass a state law preventing it, but there's no basis for the idea that it violates the Constitution," said Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow and manager of the Election Law Reform Initiative at the Heritage Foundation.
It's a dilemma that has long stumped the court.
In a column for SCOTUSblog last year, von Spakovsky called partisan gerrymandering the "political corollary" of the Goldilocks dilemma.
"You could have a blackboard and have everyone's theory on it, and then you'd have the pros and cons and then you'd be able to look at them all," he said.
"We certainly think this is the best test case for the Supreme Court to create a constitutional standard that says partisan gerrymandering does have limits," Feng said, calling the state's open partisanship brazen.
But North Carolina officials argue that voters have not shown the required injury. And even if they did, officials say, partisan gerrymandering claims aren't disputes that courts can consider.
In the Maryland case, Republican voters propose a district specific test that's similar to the one offered by the North Carolina League of Women Voters, but they don't go as far as requiring a map-wide bias.
Maryland election officials argue the test "does not promise to be clear, manageable, politically neutral, reliably fair and precise" and that any consideration of politics in redistricting could get the map struck down as unconstitutional.
"Thus, only in the rare case will a court dismiss as not 'plausible' an allegation of partisan legislative intent in redistricting," the Maryland election officials wrote in one of their briefs.


OAT's Biodegradable Sneakers: Wish you could do more than donate your old sneakers? OAT, founded in Amsterdam, combines craftsmanship with eco-friendly materials and approaches that are helping the earth one step (or hop, or run) at a time. Their biodegradable sneakers grow flowers when planted–so do their bags, leather loafers and baby shoes. Use them as a planter when you've worn them out, and watch the sneakers slowly release back to the earth while a garden blossoms above them.
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text:
Security Media launches the #Wba'den_Wayak hashtag
In an endeavor to promote traffic awareness and safety
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates - Thursday, January 14th 2016 [ME NewsWire]
The Security Media Department at the Security Support Directorate General, the General Secretariat of the Office of H.H Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, represented by the Social Media Center and the TV Branch, recently launched an awareness initiative using the hashtag #Wba'den_Wayak (#Come_On) through social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google +, and YouTube. The initiative is inspired by bad behaviors and daily traffic violations repeatedly committed by individuals and drivers on various internal and external roads, in order to enhance public awareness and traffic safety.
First Lieutenant Fatima Al Shehhi, Director of the Social Media Center at the Security Media Department noted that, within the hashtag #Come_On, the Center provides 3D graphic videos filmed in a creative and artis ... Read more »
TGI Fridays Names Robert Palleschi as President and CEO
Global hospitality veteran from Hilton brings innovation, brand-building and franchising experience to Fridays
CARROLLTON, Texas - Wednesday, January 13th 2016 [ME NewsWire]
(BUSINESS WIRE)-- TGI Fridays today appointed Robert Palleschi as its President and Chief Executive Officer, effective Feb. 8, 2016. Palleschi replaces Nick Shepherd who stepped down from the company in October 2015.
Palleschi spent 12 years at global hospitality company, Hilton Worldwide, which operates 12 world-class global brands and includes more than 4,500 managed, franchised, owned and leased hotels and timeshare properties. Palleschi currently serves as Global Head of Full Service Brands, where he oversees all franchise and brand operations for Hilton's flagship brand, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton and Curio, A Collection by Hilton. He is responsible for a portfolio of more than 1,000 hotels and resorts across 91 countries and six continents.
Durin ... Read more »
MATRIXX Software and Vlocity Announce Partnership and Launch Digital Industry Cloud Solution for Telcos
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif - Thursday, January 14th 2016 [ME NewsWire]
(BUSINESS WIRE)-- MATRIXX Software and Vlocity, the Industry Cloud Apps company, today announced a strategic partnership and launch of Go Digital™, a cloud-based solution that helps communications and digital service providers (DSPs) deliver a differentiated customer experience and grow revenue from video and music streaming, roaming passes, lifestyle applications and more. Built for agility, the MATRIXX-Vlocity solution can be launched in less than three months.
Consumers' service expectations are increasingly shaped by their experiences with digital companies like Amazon, FitBit and Uber, which provide consumers personalized service, adapt to their changing needs, and put them in control. Go Digital™ is based on the Salesforce platform and combines Vlocity Communications Industry Cloud apps and the MATRIXX Digital Commerce platform.
With Go Digital™ communications custo ... Read more »
JCM Capital Reaches First Close on Private Placement to Become an International Independent Power Producer
TORONTO - Thursday, January 14th 2016 [ME NewsWire]
(BUSINESS WIRE)-- JCM Capital (JCM) announced today that it has successfully reached a first closing as part of a USD $50 million private placement offering. The proceeds of the offering are being used to provide construction and long-term equity financing for solar photovoltaic projects located in emerging markets.
JCM's diversified development portfolio of clean energy projects is comprised of over 500 MW in utility scale solar photovoltaic projects and 2,000 MW of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission projects. The first-close proceeds provide the necessary capital for JCM to fund the construction of three solar photovoltaic projects that are scheduled to reach financial close during 2016 and 2017. World-class development partners currently supporting projects within JCM's development portfolio include the African Development Bank, FMO, the United Nations Environment Programme, Seed Capital ... Read more »
OT And PROSA Partner to Launch OT MOTION CODE™ in Mexico To Secure Online Payments
COLOMBES, France - Wednesday, January 13th 2016 [ME NewsWire]
(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Oberthur Technologies (OT), a leading global provider of embedded security software products, services and solutions and PROSA, a leading provider of payment processing services in Mexico & Latin America, today announced their partnership to provide Mexican banks with OT MOTION CODE™, a disruptive technology that helps to dramatically reduce online fraud. The 3-digit static code printed on the payment card is replaced by a dynamic code which is automatically refreshed.
According to the Mexican Consumer Protection Agency (CONDUSEF), payment card fraud represented US$480 million in 2014 in Mexico. Today, over 242 million CNP (Card Not Present) transactions per year are processed by PROSA. In order to help banks increase trust in online transactions and reduce the fraudulent use of payment cards, which represents an estimated 60% of the total amount of fraud, PROSA has chosen the O ... Read more »
Meet Bamboo Rose, the New TradeStone Software
One team, one brand, one product for the New Retail Economy
GLOUCESTER, Mass. - Friday, January 15th 2016 [ME NewsWire]
(BUSINESS WIRE)-- TradeStone Software, the award winning solution provider of extended PLM solutions is now Bamboo Rose. As Bamboo Rose, the company will be the only B2B marketplace powered by proven trade engines that allows retailers, wholesalers, and suppliers to work in the same way that we live - socially, digitally and in real time.
"As Bamboo Rose, we are building apps and solutions for the consumer-driven, digital, collaborative, and always on dynamic retail industry. In this environment, we know that people will be more effective, productive and have more fun if their work process more naturally mimics the way they act outside the office," says Sue Welch, founder and CEO of Bamboo Rose. "Endless email strings, spreadsheets and lagging image downloads are no longer acceptable. Bamboo Rose empowers the B2B reta ... Read more »
Views: 49 | Added by: africa-live | Date: 01.16.2016
Top US School District Switches to Rimini Street for Oracle Database and Oracle E-Business Suite Support
Douglas County School District using savings to develop district-wide data visualization capabilities
LAS VEGAS - Thursday, January 14th 2016 [ME NewsWire]
(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rimini Street, Inc., the leading independent provider of enterprise software support services for SAP SE's (NYSE:SAP) Business Suite and BusinessObjects software and Oracle Corporation's (NYSE:ORCL) Siebel, PeopleSoft, JD Edwards, E-Business Suite, Oracle Database, Oracle Middleware, Hyperion, Oracle Retail and Oracle Agile PLM software, today announced that Douglas County School District, the third largest school district in the state of Colorado, has switched to Rimini Street for support of the organization's Oracle Database 11.2 and Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) 11.5.10 software, including support for its EBS payroll application. In choosing Rimini Street for support of its Oracle products, Douglas County School District has shifted funding to more innovative technology and I ... Read more »


Large differences exist in the prevalence rate of drugs prescribed to children and adolescents between and within countries. The aim of this study was to evaluate child and adolescent drug prescription patterns in Italy in an extra-hospital setting at the regional and Local Health Unit (LHU) levels.
Data sources were three regional prescription databases. Data concerning the year 2008 were evaluated. A total of 3.3 million children and adolescents were included. Drug prevalence and prescription rates were evaluated at the regional and LHU levels. The correlation between mean latitude, average annual income, hospitalisation rate, number of paediatricians per 1,000 resident children, and prevalence rate was evaluated by LHU using a linear multiple regression analysis.
Large differences were found across Italian regions and LHUs. The mean prevalence rate was 56.4% (95% CI 56.3-56.5%; 51.2-65.4% among regions) and, at the LHU level, ranged from 43.1% to 70.0% (higher in the South). A total of 878 drugs were prescribed, 175 of which were shared by all LHUs. Amoxicillin clavulanate was the most used drug in all regions and in 31 of 33 LHUs. Amoxicillin was the drug with the highest variability in use between LHUs (9.1-52.1% of treated children). An inverse correlation was found between prevalence rate and both latitude (p < 0.0001) and average annual income (p = 0.0002).
The use of drugs in children and adolescents is higher in southern Italy and is inversely related to latitude and average annual income. More efforts should be devoted to informing physicians, patients and policy makers in order to plan effective initiatives to improve the situation.
Children are widely exposed to drugs, with an average prevalence rate of 60% worldwide . There is a large variability between countries. Prevalence rates range from 51% in Denmark to 70% in Greenland and prescription rates range from 0.8 in Norway to 3.2 in the United States . The highest exposure is observed in preschoolers (75-90%), while the prevalence rate decreases in children > 6 years old in all countries. The peak prevalence rate varies from below 2 years old in the United States to 3–5 years old in Greenland and Italy . The drugs most frequently prescribed to children are antibiotics (20–33% of total prescriptions), anti-asthmatics (10-25%), and analgesics (10-16%) .
Quantitative and qualitative differences in antibiotic exposure between countries are well documented. For example, an Italian child has, on average, a fourfold higher risk of being exposed to antibacterial drugs than an English child and a threefold higher risk than a Dutch child . Cephalosporins, a second line treatment in most paediatric infections, are widely prescribed in Italy (39% of paediatric antibiotic prescriptions) while in the Netherlands and Denmark this class represents less than one percent of total antibiotic paediatric prescriptions .
There is heterogeneity also in children's exposure to respiratory system drugs between different countries: prevalence rates range from 6.2% in Norway to 19% in Italy . ß2-mimetics and inhaled steroids are the most frequently prescribed asthma drug classes and in Italy the use of inhaled steroids is threefold and fourfold higher than in UK and in the Netherlands, respectively .
Wide international variation exists also in the prevalence rates of other, less common, classes of drugs used for chronic treatment in children, such as anti-epileptic and anti-diabetic drugs [5, 6]. Such heterogeneity in different parts of the world may reflect differences both in prescription habits and in prevalence of diseases.
Prescribing differences exist also within Italy: the overall prevalence rate for all prescribed drugs in children is 57.3% in the North and 68.3% in the South . Notable differences have been reported also within regions. This is the case of the Lombardy region, where, in 2006, prevalence rates for all drugs ranged from 38.4% in Milan's local health unit (LHU) to 54.8% in Brescia's .
The literature suggests that the geographic factor is one of the most important determinants in drug prescription. In this context, a comparison between prescribing profiles at the LHU level was made, involving three prominent Italian regions: Lombardy, Lazio, and Puglia. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the influence of territorial setting on the drug prescription profile of a child and adolescent outpatient Italian population. The association between prevalence rates and a few socio-economic determinants was investigated.
Italian healthcare is provided free or at a nominal charge through a network of LHUs. Every Italian resident is registered with a family (paediatric or general) practitioner. Children are assigned to a paediatrician until they are 6 years old; afterwards, the parents can choose to register a child with a general practitioner. All adolescents > 13 years old are assigned to a general practitioner. A national formulary is available, in which drugs are categorised into two classes: class A includes essential drugs that patients do not have to pay for and class C contains drugs not covered by the NHS (e.g. contraceptives, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, dermatologic drugs).
The data sources were regional databases routinely updated for administrative and reimbursement reasons. The databases stored all community (i.e. outside hospital) prescriptions reimbursed by the NHS. Aggregated and anonymous data were provided by the regional health ministry of Lombardy, Lazio and Puglia regions. No approval by an ethic committee was required. The study population was composed of 3,301,096 children and adolescents < 18 years old. It represented about one third of the population for that age group, living in three large Italian regions: Lombardy (1,616,268 resident children, North Italy), Lazio (926,015 children, Centre), and Puglia (758,813 children, South).
All drugs were classified according to the ATC system (Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification system). The observation period was from 1 January to 31 December 2008. A total of 33 LHUs were included in the study.
prevalence rate, expressed as the percentage of resident children/adolescents (<18 years old) receiving at least one prescription in one year.
prescription rate, expressed as number of prescriptions per treated children (every child/adolescent receiving at least one prescription in one year was considered a treated child). These measures were retrieved at the regional and LHU levels.
The percentage of treated children for the 10 most prescribed active substances was calculated at the regional and LHU levels.
The all-cause hospitalisation rate was calculated for each LHU, expressed as number of children with at least one hospital admission in one year divided by 1000 resident children/adolescents. The number of paediatricians per 1000 resident children was calculated for each LHU.
The number of active substances used at least once across the three regions and across LHUs were retrieved (shared drugs). The drugs shared by all LHUs of each region were compared with the WHO "List of essential medicines for children" , and with the British National Formulary for children (BNF for children) year 2011.
The ranks corresponding to the percentage of treated children for the 10 most prescribed active substances were compared by using the W Kendall concordance test (regional level).
A stepwise linear multiple regression analysis was performed considering each LHU's prevalence rate as the dependent variable group and the aforementioned four determinants as the independent variable groups (fixing α = 0.15).
The coefficient of variation (CV) was calculated as the ratio of the standard deviation (SD) to the mean for various measures. The Mantel-Haentzel χ 2 test was performed in order to compare the drug prescription prevalence in boys and girls. A choropleth map of available prevalence rate data for LHUs was created using the software Arcmap version 10. The prevalence values were categorised into three classes calculated on the basis of the mean ± SD. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS software, version 9.1.
During 2008, 1,861,425 children and adolescents (56.4% of the study population, 95% CI 56.3-56.5%) received at least one drug prescription. Prevalence and prescription rates by region are reported in Table 1. The prevalence rate of all drugs was slightly higher in boys than in girls for all ages (57.3 vs 55.4%; χ 2 = 1261; p < 0.001). The male/female odds ratio for prevalence rate for all drugs was, on average, 1.08, with no statistically significant differences found between the three regions. The trend for gender was similar up to 15 years of age, after which the prevalence rate for girls was higher than that for boys. The profile curve of the prevalence rate by age was very similar in the three regions (Figure 1).
Ranges by local health unit (LHU) are reported in brackets.
Prevalence rate by age. All drugs prevalence rate (%) by age (year) for each region.
A total of 6,844,307 prescriptions were dispensed. Each treated child/adolescent received 3.7 ± 0.4 prescriptions. Boys received more prescriptions (3.8 vs. 3.5) than girls. Infants (<6 years old) treated with at least one drug received more prescriptions (4.3 prescriptions per treated individual) than children (3.3) and adolescents (3.1). The highest number of prescriptions/treated child was observed in 4 year old children (4.7).
The prevalence rate for all drugs among all LHUs ranged from 43.1% to 70.0%, with a CV = 0.12 (Figure 2). The within-region CV among the different LHUs ranged from 0.04 in Puglia to 0.09 in Lazio.
Prevalence rate of drugs. Choropleth map of regions and Local Health Units (LHUs) included in the study. The prevalence values were categorised into three classes calculated on the basis of the mean ± SD.
The prescription rate ranged from 2.9 to 4.8 with a CV = 0.12. The within-region CV among the different LHUs ranged from 0.05 in the Lombardy Region to 0.09 in the Lazio Region.
Spearman's tests found an inverse correlation between prevalence rate and latitude (rS = −0.78; p < 0.0001) and between prevalence rate and average annual income (rS = −0.81; p < 0.0001). Hospitalisation rate showed a weak correlation with prevalence rate (rS = 0.49; p = 0.005).
The multiple linear regression model confirmed the inverse association of prevalence rates toward latitude (partial R-squared = 0.76; p < 0.0001) and average annual income (partial R-squared = 0.10; p = 0.0002), while the hospitalisation rate and number of paediatrician per 1000 resident children did not reach the minimum significance value.
A total of 878 different active substances were prescribed, ranging from 639 in Puglia to 800 in Lombardy. Of these active substances, 530 were shared by the three regions, and 175 by all the LHUs. The number of active substances shared by all the LHUs of a single region ranged from 190 in the Lombardy region to 340 in the Puglia region.
The drugs shared by all the LHUs belonged to 45 therapeutic main groups. The most represented were: antibacterials for systemic use (J01), with 35 active substances; and drugs for obstructive airway diseases (R03), with 13 active substances. Among the 35 antibiotics, the most represented classes were cephalosporins (9 active substances), and macrolides (8).
Of the drugs shared by all LHUs, 139 out of 175 (79%) were included in the BNF for children and 46 out of 175 (26%) were included in the WHO "List of essential medicines for children". Of the 36 drugs prescribed in all the LHUs, but not included in the BNF for children, 12 were antibiotics. The 10 most prescribed active substances at the regional level comprised, on average, 65.5% of all prescriptions (from 62.4% in Puglia to 68.5% in Lombardy). The W Kendall test scored a concordance coefficient of 0.81 (p < 0.01). Ranks associated with each active substance are reported for each region in Table 2. Of the 10 most prescribed active substances, only 6 were in the top 10 in all the LHUs. Of these, the drug with the most heterogeneous prevalence rate was amoxicillin, with a rate ranging from 9.1% to 52.1% of treated children among all LHUs (CV = 0.47). The drug with the most homogeneous prevalence rate was amoxicillin clavulanate (CV = 0.10), covering 41.6% (33.8-52.1%) of treated children. Beclometasone was the most used respiratory-system drug and scored second in rank among all active substances, with 23.5% (12.5-30.2%) of treated children. Amoxicillin was the second most prescribed drug in the Lombardy region, while it was the sixth and seventh in the Puglia and Lazio regions. Ranks associated with the most prescribed drugs were not statistically different among the three age strata considered (infants, children, adolescents).
The numbers in brackets represent the rank corresponding to each active substance in each region.
This study provides an analysis of the prevalence of drug use in children and adolescents in three large Italian regions with different socio-economical and geographical characteristics. About one third of the child/adolescent Italian population was included.
The prevalence was heterogeneous across the different regions and even more so across LHUs. The Lazio region had the highest within-region variability, while the Lombardy and Puglia regions had, respectively, the lowest and the highest prevalence rates. The linear regression model found a strong inverse correlation between prevalence rates and latitude, and between prevalence and average annual income. The average annual income (per-capita) in southern areas of Italy is lower than in northern ones (19,541 € in Puglia vs 25,488 € in Lombardy) and drug use in children and adolescents is higher in these regions and LHUs. Some evidence of similar findings is available from other studies, [10, 11] but these were not related to outpatient children and adolescents. The regression model did not find relevant correlation between prevalence rates and hospitalisations for all causes (as moderate/severe "proxy of disease") indicating that an increased use of drugs in children, in general, is not closely related with a higher disease prevalence.
There are other factors which we could not investigate in our study such as the paediatricians attitude to prescription and the perceived parental expectation of a prescription which are two important factors influencing ambulatory antibiotic prescriptions to children in Italy [12, 13]. Other studies found that both low educational and socioeconomic status of parents were associated with a higher risk of non-adherence to physician indications in antibiotic use [14, 15] causing a higher rate of treatment failure and thus the need of a new prescription. Out of pocket drug prescriptions, which are not detectable in our database, has been associated to a higher socioeconomic and educational status of patients , however the phenomena is probably limited for outpatient children and adolescents.
An impressively large amount of drugs was prescribed. It is interesting to note that 40% of the 878 drugs prescribed was not shared at the regional level, and that only 20% was used at least once in all 33 LHUs. The list of drugs shared by all the LHUs (175 drugs) could be considered "essential", independently of geographical setting. Nevertheless, redundancies also exist within this list. This is particularly evident when antibiotics, a class that covered 21% of the list, are considered. A low overlap (26%) between this list of drugs and the WHO "List of essential medicines for children" is in part expected, since this latter represents a minimal list of medicinal for priority conditions and for a basic health care system. It is notable, however, that three quarters of these shared drugs are not considered "essential" from a public health point of view. In all, 20% of the shared drugs were not reported in the BNF for children, despite the fact that the BNF is considered a reference formulary at the international level. In order to promote a more homogeneous and rational use of drugs in children at the national level, the adoption of a common, acknowledged European formulary of paediatric medicines should be considered .
The most widely used drug was amoxicillin clavulanate. Most Italian paediatricians still consider it as the first choice drug for paediatric infectious diseases, as already documented in the 0–14 year old Italian population . Despite the fact that amoxicillin clavulanate has a wider activity spectrum than amoxicillin alone, toxicity is higher and the cost effectiveness (for infections caused by non-β-lactamase producing bacteria) is lower [18, 19].
Amoxicillin was the active substance with the highest variability in use between the different LHUs: there was almost a six fold higher consumption between LHUs ranked as the first and the last. Amoxicillin should be the most widely used drug. National and international guidelines consider it the first line treatment for acute respiratory infections (in particular pharyngotonsillitis and acute otitis media) [20–28], which are the most prevalent diseases in children. It is a major concern that in Lazio and Puglia amoxicillin was, respectively, the seventh and the sixth most used drug. In Lazio school-aged children amoxicillin was only the ninth most used drug. No data on paediatric resistance in outpatients are available at the regional level, but it is unlikely, although possible, that an increased prevalence of β-lactamase producing bacteria in the South could be responsible for such macroscopic differences. In the LHU with the highest consumption of amoxicillin (Lombardy Region), a training program for paediatricians, based on the main international guidelines on paediatric infectious diseases,  has been running since 2004. The data from the current study confirms that such interventions can have a large impact on prescription habits.
Beclometasone was the second most prescribed drug in the study population. In Italy beclometasone is prescribed mainly as symptomatic treatment of upper respiratory tract infections and is quite never prescribed for asthma therapy [30, 31]. Beclometasone was more prescribed in the South, suggesting that contexts with a higher prevalence of drug prescriptions are characterised by greater inappropriateness.
Overall findings suggest that reported national drug prescription rates should be viewed with criticism if within country differences are not considered or reported.
To date this is the largest study looking at drug prescriptions in Italian children and adolescents.
The observed prevalence rate was similar compared to what documented in a previous study including 22 Italian LHUs . In comparison with the previous study we were able to include all the LHUs of three large regions representative of different economic, socio-demographic, and geographic settings, allowing the comparison of the different regional prescription profiles. The current study also included the analysis of other determinants of prescriptions and the analysis of the number of active substances shared by regions and LHUs.
Nevertheless, there are some limitations. Information on the disease was lacking, but this is an intrinsic limitation of all pharmacoepidemiology studies using prescription databases. Data concerning the use of private paediatric practice across the three regions was not available. Differences in the use of private practice could potentially influence the different prescription patterns observed in our study since only reimbursed prescriptions are detectable in our database. Other data, however, suggest that the out-of pocket drug use may be limited for reimbursed drugs .
We did not include data from a random sample of the Italian population (because such data were not available for all regions/LHUs), thus, from a strictly statistical point of view, our results may not be valid for all Italian regions. However, we included three large regions (from North, Centre, and South of Italy, which represent almost 1/3 of the Italian child population) which are quite representative of the differences in socio-economic status found in Italy. Moreover, the fact that drug consumption is higher in southern Italy is reported in the annual report conducted by OsMed  (Osservatorio sull'impiego dei medicinali) in the general population, thus it is very likely that this trend is maintained in children.
In conclusion, this is the first study that compares the complete drug prescription profile in outpatient children of three of the most prominent Italian regions.
The data indicates that Italian prevalence rate of drugs in children and adolescents is similar to that observed in other countries in Europe, but there is a very high prevalence rate in southern Italy. The average annual income was inversely related to drug prescriptions, recalling a well-known North–South gap. Focused studies are warranted to clarify the role of other determinants or possible confounders such as socio-cultural factors, physicians prescribing attitude, the use of private practice, out-of-pocket drug use, marketing strategies and medication adherence across the different areas. More efforts should be devoted to informing physicians and patients, as well as policy makers, of such a scantly rational use of drugs in Italian children while waiting for effective initiatives aimed at improving the situation.
Daniele Piovani, Antonio Clavenna and Maurizio Bonati contributed equally to this work.
We wish to thank the "Interregional Italian Drug Utilisation Group" for their helpful collaboration. We are grateful to Chiara Pandolfini for language editing.
All the authors contributed equally to the design of the study. DP collected the data, undertook the statistical analysis and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. AC contributed in planning the data analysis and in writing the manuscript. AC and MB supervised the study. All authors contributed to and have approved the final manuscript.


In 2017, total non-farm employment in the Kansas City, MO-KS metropolitan area expanded by 1.3 percent, an increase of 16,500 jobs. In 2018, Kansas City employment is forecast to increase by approximately 14,000 jobs, growing 1.3 percent, with an expected growth range between 1.2 percent and 1.5 percent. This growth is projected to be slightly lower than the Kansas City area's employment growth from 2010 to 2017, which averaged 1.7 percent annually.
The production sectors are projected to grow modestly in 2018, expanding 0.2 percent. Natural resources and construction employment is forecast to grow by over 1,200 jobs, but this is expected to be largely offset by a decline of approximately 900 jobs in the manufacturing sector.
The trade, transportation and utilities sector is expected to increase by 0.4 percent, adding over 2,500 jobs. The job gains are projected to be shared by the wholesale trade sector and the transportation and utilities sector, while the retail trade sector is predicted to decline 0.2 percent. Taxable retail sales growth is expected to be modest, growing approximately 0.7 percent after adjusting for inflation.
The service sectors are projected to grow by 1.7 percent in 2018, adding over 9,000 jobs. Service sector growth is expected to account for approximately two-thirds of total job growth in the metro area, despite only representing half of the total jobs in the area. Service sector employment has grown faster than the overall average for the Kansas City area in five of the past seven years. Growth in 2018 is expected to be primarily concentrated in the professional and business services sector, the financial activities sector, and the education and health services sector.
Government employment is forecast to grow 1 percent, adding over 1,400 jobs in 2018. This growth is expected to be focused largely at the local level, while state and federal government are predicted to remain relatively flat.
Nationally, real GDP grew 2.3 percent in 2017, which was primarily driven by increases in personal consumption expenditures and private investment. National employment increased by 1.6 percent in 2017.


Chiropractic medicine is a form of natural health care that focuses on treating a patient without the use of drugs or surgery. Doctors of Chiropractic, more commonly known as chiropractors, are primary health care providers licensed in all 50 states, and are recognized by governmental health care programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, Workers' Compensation programs and more. Every year, more than 30 million Americans see chiropractors as part of the regular health care programs and with over 84,000 licensed chiropractors nationwide and more than 10,000 students currently enrolled in chiropractic school, it is the fastest growing health care profession.
A chiropractor is involved in the treatment and prevention of disease, as well as the promotion of public health, and a wellness approach to patient healthcare. The practice and procedures that are employed by chiropractors are based on the academic and clinical training received in and through accredited chiropractic colleges.
There are many different types of chiropractic techniques. Each technique's purpose is to improve the mobility of the joints and discs of your spine, and reducing your pain. Here is a list with a brief description of those practiced at Allied Chiropractic. Remember all these techniques are performed with precision and care as to not cause pain.
Diversified – This is the core technique that all chiropractors must be familiar with and is the one that most people associate with chiropractic. With this form of adjusting, the doctor will use his or her hands to re-position the bones and correct their position. Most of the time a "pop" is heard with this treatment. This sound is the rapid release of gas from the fluid of the joints as it is decompressed. Again this should be painless!
Thompson (Drop table) Technique – This form of adjusting uses a specialized table that is raised approximately an inch by the doctor while the patient is laying face down. The correction occurs when the doctor pushes down on the spine in a specific direction and the table then "Drops" to its starting position. With this technique you do not get that "Pop" as you do with the more manual diversified technique. This is useful for patients that are fearful of the "popping" and for those that may have severe arthritis, previous surgery, or are difficult to adjust.
Activator – This is a hand held, spring loaded device that is used to make your spinal corrections. The force is adjustable for a variety of conditions and patient types. The Activator is used most commonly on our elderly and infant patients, as well as for small joints like the TMJ (jaw joint).
Cox Flexion / Distraction – With this form of treatment, there is no pushing, pulling or "popping". A very specialized table is used to gently distract the spine to take pressure off of painful joints and discs. The doctor locates the specific area of trouble with his or her hand and holds it firmly while the table gently distracts. Imagine what it feels like to hang upside down to decompress your spine. This technique is frequently used for our patients that are dealing with disc bulges or herniations in either the neck or lower back.
Webster – A technique for our expecting mothers. This is a very gentle and safe form of manipulation that helps with aligning the pelvis with a combination of using a Drop Table and light sustained pressures on ligaments. This is commonly used to help turn a breached baby.
Here are a few (not all) of the many conditions we treat at Allied Chiropractic. If your problem is not listed, and have questions on a specific condition please email or call. We are always available to discuss your problem free of charge.


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Linemen inspired to block for Lake Orion RB Matt Krause
Mick McCabe
The preseason scrimmage was finished, and the Lake Orion linemen met at sophomore guard Jeff McCarty's home for a sleepover when in walked Matt Krause.
Krause is a running back. Actually, he is more like the Lake Orion running back. The Dragons run a one-back set, and Krause is it.
But what is a running back doing at a sleepover for linemen? Well, Krause thinks he is one of them.
"I love blocking for him," right tackle Tyler Sites said. "He deflects. He's a very humble guy, and he gives us all the credit even though he's a great running back and he deserves most of the credit himself."
The way Krause sees it, there is enough credit to go around and, trust us, with the way Krause is playing this season, there is no shortage of credit.
In a junior season marred by injuries, Krause gained 405 yards. He surpassed that total in this season's opener.
In a 38-35 loss to Chippewa Valley, Krause ran for 409 yards on 29 carries and scored four touchdowns.
To prove it was no fluke, the 5-foot-10, 195-pounder gained 335 yards in Week 2 with four more touchdowns.
Last week against Troy, Krause gained 115 yards on 21 carries and now has 859 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Dragons (2-1) entering tonight's game at Oxford (3-0).
Krause was conflicted when he was told about his 409-yard performance in the opener. He was certain he would have a good season, but he couldn't get past the loss.
"I didn't realize it was that much until the next day," he said. "I was kind of mind-boggled at first. I was a little confused. I felt confident coming off the field that I had a good game, but a loss will hit you harder. You've got to hate losing more than you love winning."
And Krause is all about winning, which is why he never asked for his rushing total after the loss.
"I was playing to win; I was playing for the guy next to me," he said. "That's what I cared about. I wanted it so bad, just the fight."
That is what endears Krause to the guys in the trenches trying to open holes for him.
"I thought it was incredible," center Josh Benson said of Krause's 409-yard game. "He's really fast at hitting holes. You just have to stay on the block for a little bit and he's off in the secondary. He's just really a good guy all the way around."
Krause is fast. This summer, he was timed in the 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds at the Michigan State camp, What's more impressive is his acceleration.
"He's a special football player," Chippewa Valley coach Scott Merchant said. "The thing that impressed me besides his toughness is as soon as he gets the ball, he's at top speed. He runs everything full speed."
Krause's ability to get through a hole quickly is not an accident. It is something he and the Lake Orion backs work on daily with assistant coach Mike Heath.
"Our running back coach, Coach Heath, tells us the first step you take is a little, small step, the second step is kind of a gaining step, and by the third step you have to be at full speed hitting the hole," Krause said. "That's something we really work on is stance and start, and we really pride ourselves on that."
Getting through the hole quickly is crucial, and Krause makes it an art.
"I think that really opens up creases, and I have the vision to find the open hole," he said. "I have pretty good vision of where the hole is, but there's some times we've ran the ball and we could drive a semitruck through the hole. The offensive line does a phenomenal job. We have some big, physical guys up there that want to move people."
The linemen love blocking for him because his ability to get through the hole so quickly makes their job easier. They don't need pancake blocks to get Krause into the secondary.
"He hits the hole so quick, you've just got to get on your guy and watch him go," left guard Austin Jones said. "He's always giving us credit up front and can't talk about his linemen enough. We appreciate it, and it makes blocking for him a whole lot more fun."
Krause began playing organized football in the sixth grade and spent his first season as a defensive lineman. The next year, he moved to running back and has been there since.
In retrospect, he seemed destined to be a running back beginning with the first carry of his first game in sixth grade, a 60-yard touchdown.
But his career hit some potholes when he reached high school. Back surgery prevented him from playing as a freshman, and a knee injury limited his time as a sophomore. He was called up to the varsity for the final regular-season game and was with the varsity throughout its run to the semifinals.
In Week 3 of his junior season, Krause suffered a fracture on a non weight-bearing bone in his foot and missed two games.
But there have been no hiccups this season.
"We knew what he was capable of, but he had to prove it to himself," coach Chris Bell said. "He runs hard, and he's lightning fast. He's a good-sized kid, so he breaks tackles between the tackles. You get him on the edge, he gets a crease, and you're not going to catch him."
Krause's big season hasn't surprised senior right guard Jacob Erker.
"Over the years, I've seen glimpses," he said. "Ever since eighth grade, he's been a joy to be around."
Junior left tackle Brendan Thompson loves the way Krause puts the rest of the team on his back and dominates. But there is something Thompson likes more.
"If he does something wrong, he knows it," Thompson said. "He doesn't blame somebody else. He takes full responsibility."
Senior Griffin VanLear, also a left tackle, said he believes the least important aspect of football to Krause is how many yards he gains.
"It's not about the stats for him," VanLear said. "I'd say it's team victory more than the stats, even though he gets stats. He's got all the stats, but he's all about team victory first. After the Chippewa game, he was more angry than any of us, even with the 400 yards."
Krause doesn't have a college scholarship offer, but that doesn't concern him. His goal is to finish his season the way he finished his sophomore season, but maybe a bit better.
He remembers the feeling even a lowly sophomore got from being a part of team that made it to the state semifinals.
"I remember how close they were as a unit," he said. "They loved each other; they were a family. I feel like we're even closer this year, and that's what I think makes us special."
Contact Mick McCabe: 313-223-4744 or mmccabe@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mickmccabe1.


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Taxi commission expects hike to cab insurance minimums
Leah Thorsen
Taxicab signage. (AP Photo/Gero Breloer)
Gero Breloer
The St. Louis Metropolitan Taxicab Commission expects to "significantly increase" the minimum amount of insurance coverage required for cabs as a result of an accident in which Edward Domain, CEO of Techli, was badly hurt, the commission said in a letter to Domain.
Domain has been a vocal critic of the commission and a strong supporter of allowing UberX to operate here. He was injured in a 2013 crash while in a Harris cab and filed a lawsuit against the cab company and the cab driver, Asim Khurshid of Ballwin.
Domain alleged in his suit that Khurshid ran a red light at the intersection of Gravois Avenue and Russell Boulevard, drove at an "excessive" speed and used a cellphone while driving.
He got a $200,000 settlement, the amount of the current minimum-liability policy required by the taxi commission. That's eight times more than the $25,000 policy required by Missouri, and double that required for cabs in Kansas City, the commission said.
"Nevertheless, we expect to significantly increase those minimums as a result of what we have learned from your experience," the letter dated Thursday says.
No details were given on how much the minimums could increase, although Domain said he was told it would be to $400,000. He says that amount isn't enough, and wants it increased to the $1 million commercial-liability policy that UberX offers on rides.
"The expenses for your medical care and rehabilitation clearly exceeded the ultimate payment by the insurance company. No amount of money could come close to compensating you for your pain and suffering or loss of productivity. The claim should have been processed and paid without the necessity of legal action," the letter says.
The commission and Domain give conflicting accounts of when the commission learned of Domain's accident, one of the reasons Domain is angry at the commission's handling of his crash.
"It's almost comical at this point how hard they're trying to discredit me," Domain said Friday. "It's like theater."
He has lost count of how many surgeries he has undergone, either nine or 11, he said. His injuries include a crushed pelvis, multiple broken bones and torn tendons. Metal plates now connect his left leg to his pelvis, he said.
He said that Techli, a website focusing on technology news that came to St. Louis after winning a $50,000 Arch Grant in 2012, had suffered since his injuries and that he lost a major investor.
"I literally have nothing," said Domain, 42.
The taxi commission said its rules governing minimum-liability insurance coverage for vehicles-for-hire wouldl be reviewed, and would probably be recommended to increase, as early as its July 29 meeting — the same day it's expected to vote on allowing UberX to operate in St. Louis and St. Louis County.
Ed Domain
St. Louis Metropolitan Taxicab Commission
Techli
Asim Khurshid
Taxi Commission
Vocal Critic
Rules Governing Minimum-liability Insurance Coverage
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Leah Thorsen is a regional reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Email her at lthorsen@post-dispatch.com and follow her on Twitter: @leahthorsen
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Whereabouts unknown of eight former Harris cab drivers, taxi commission says
Taxi company said Wednesday it would insure them
St. Louis Regional Chamber gives its support to UberX
Edward Domain, CEO of Techli who was hurt in a cab crash, also pens editorial in support of UberX
Taxi commission backing down on drug-testing demands for UberX drivers
Changes to the code will be presented to the commission for a vote at its July 29 meeting.
St. Louis taxi companies fight anti-tech perception
'Even before I knew what Uber was, we had our app,' says president of Laclede Cab Co.
Lawyer for taxi drivers blasts Slay over UberX
Mayor accused of not considering effect that allowing UberX to operate here would have on licensed cab drivers
Eight boxes of 'petitions' supporting UberX carried water, not letters
Boxes were symbolic, an Uber spokeswoman says
Uber says taxi commission is blocking free rides in St. Louis this weekend
Commission sent letter to Uber outlining the process drivers would have to go through to get temporary permits.


I've run into a lot of people lately that have incredibly insane beliefs. Everyone from family to colleagues to strangers. Some of them are "right wing" loonie. Some are more mundane things, but still, believing in nonsense is tantamount to delusion and insanity. And I'm not even talking about god-belief. Here's my list of beliefs I think are insane and run counter to very solid evidence. Arguing with people with these beliefs always goes the same way.
The earth is flat -- I don't personally know anyone who believes this, but I saw an interview once.
We never landed on the moon -- this is the Bad Astronomer's pet peeve, but I've run into one or two myself.
The CIA (or some other government agency) shot Kennedy -- any conspiracy theory that involves the CIA is immediately suspect. Is it possible? Sure, I suppose so. But given the number of possible conspiracy theories that involve the CIA and keeping it secret without letting any leaks out... the likelihood that most of them are true is virtually zero. You know how hard it was for Obama to keep his cabinet picks secret? What do you think the average secretary would do if they ran across this data?
There is some secret something behind the 9/11 attacks -- some secret something to get Saudi citizens out of the country after the fact? Maybe. But the US government planning the attacks? The more insane these claims get, the less likely they are true. If it wasn't for the evidence we actually have, I would have not believed planes could fly into buildings. That's not crazy enough for you?
UFOs are aliens from outer space -- see the comment on the CIA about the secretary. Give me a break. Strange that astronomers don't seem to see these aliens from outer space in any of their telescopes.
Vaccines cause autism -- got into a screaming match with family this weekend about this one. After Wakefield was proven to be a fraud, I'm still defending myself against all the evidence that says there is no link.
Astrology is real -- I'm nothing like a Capricorn. Strange that astrological signs don't follow the precession of the equinoxes, isn't it?
Creationism -- of any kind really; the mountains of evidence that supports evolution (and the age of the universe, I might add) is really unquestionably better than what is in the Bible, and far more credible. Can you imagine how credible it would be if someone took Greek creation myths seriously?
Climate change denial -- the climate is really changing. The theory isn't 10 or 20 or even 30 years old. It's 114 years old. There was enough data to propose it in 1895. We've had more than enough time to gather evidence and we have mountains of it. Every week I see at least two new research articles about more evidence that says Earth is warming and it's getting worse faster than we thought.
Obama was not born in the US -- how much evidence do you need really? Even if we had videotape of the actual event, how many people would be screaming about it being faked?
Obama is going to make schools (and federal service organizations) militaristic and brainwash our kids -- jesus, I didn't even think Bush was going to do this! Where did it come from?
Obama is a socialist -- more nonsense. I'm left of Obama and I'm not a socialist yet. Deal with it.
Labour unions are the cause of the economic collapse -- more right wing nonsense from people who don't understand history or economics.
America is a Christian nation -- again, someone with no understanding of history, and who clearly hasn't actually read the Constitution.
I'm sure there are more, but these are the big ones.
Got into a HUGE screaming match with the family about this one.
Also: the world is going to end in 2012. Because the Mayans and the Jews say so.
Damn, forgot all about the end of the world nonsense. Thought about including the Rapture, but decided against it. Still, my grandmother thought the world would end in 2000 and used to tell me so when I was a kid... And I was in no mood to die that young!