text:
Generic drug name: pioglitazone (pye oh GLI ta zone)
Brand name(s): ACTOS
GENERIC: not available FAMILY: Thiazolidinediones (Glitazones)
Generic drug name: rosiglitazone (ROS e glit a zone)
Brand name(s): AVANDIA
See tolbutamide, glipizide, and tolazamide.
BLACK-BOX WARNING: CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE
See full prescribing information for complete boxed warning.
Thiazolidinediones, including rosiglitazone and pioglitazone, cause or exacerbate congestive heart failure in some patients. After initiation of these drugs, and after dose increases, observe patients carefully for signs and symptoms of heart failure (including excessive, rapid weight gain, dyspnea and edema). If these signs and symptoms develop, the heart failure should be managed according to current standards of care. Furthermore, discontinuation or dose reduction of these drugs must be considered.
These drugs are not recommended in patients with symptomatic heart failure. Initiation of These drugs should never be used in patients with moderate to severe heart failure (established NYHA [New York Heart Association] Class III or IV heart failure).[1]
Fluid retention may occur and can exacerbate or lead to congestive heart failure. Combination use with insulin and use in congestive heart failure NYHA Class I and II may increase risk.
Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar)
When used with insulin or other diabetes drugs, a lower dose of the insulin or the other diabetes drugs may be needed to reduce the risk of hypoglycemia.
Increased incidence of bone fractures seen in...
Increased incidence of bone fractures seen in long-term trials.
Bladder Cancer (pioglitazone only)
May increase the risk of bladder cancer. Do not use in patients with active bladder cancer. Use caution when using in patients with a prior history of bladder cancer.
The use of Avandia in combination with insulin may increase the risk of myocardial infarction.
Do Not Use: These drugs may be less effective than other drugs for diabetes and may cause liver damage, weight gain, anemia and heart failure.
Rosiglitazone (AVANDIA) and pioglitazone (ACTOS) are members of the thiazolidinedione (or glitazone) family of type 2 diabetes drugs, which are thought to work by increasing the body's sensitivity to insulin. This family of drugs has been wracked with serious problems. In fact, the first glitazone to reach the market, troglitazone (REZULIN), was banned in the U.S. in March 2000 because of liver toxicity and deaths caused by its use.[1]
Further, clinical trials show that many patients who previously had used nonglitazone antidiabetic therapy did not respond to glitazones as well as they did to nonglitazones. Moreover, in nine out of the 10 head-to-head trials comparing glitazones with other antidiabetic drugs, the glitazone tested was considered the inferior drug.[2]
In research conducted before the approval of rosiglitazone and pioglitazone, a significant number of trial subjects experienced early signs of possible liver damage. Furthermore, cases of liver failure associated with both rosiglitazone and pioglitazone have been reported in the medical literature, indicating that these drugs are also capable of inflicting clinically significant liver damage.[3],[4],[5],[6]
Heart failure and heart attack are two different but related conditions.
Heart failure occurs when the heart can no longer pump enough blood to the other organs in the body. It can have a variety of causes, including high blood pressure, the narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle, primary disease of the heart muscle itself, infection of the heart valves or heart muscle, or a past heart attack. Symptoms can include exercise intolerance, difficulty breathing and swelling of the legs.
A heart attack, on the other hand, is the death of heart muscle due to the sudden blockage of a coronary artery that supplies that muscle with blood and oxygen. Heart muscle death is irreversible, and the dead heart muscle is replaced by scar tissue. If this damage is severe enough, heart failure also can ensue.
Heart problems are a very consistent adverse effect of both rosiglitazone and pioglitazone. Rosiglitazone attracted a great deal of attention after a May 2007 New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) meta-analysis study pooling data from multiple comparable clinical trials testing rosiglitazone found a 43% increase in heart attacks in people using the drug. Within the first six years of rosiglitazone's approval, there had been 689 cases of heart failure reported to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in patients using the drug. In addition, there have been reports of anemia (low red blood cell count), which, along with heart failure, increases the risk of a heart attack.
In May 2007, shortly after the release of this NEJM study, the FDA warned that patients using rosiglitazone are at an increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events (including heart attack and other heart-related adverse events, some fatal) relative to other drugs used to treat diabetes.[7]
The increased risk of heart attacks with use of rosiglitazone has not been observed in patients taking pioglitazone, but pioglitazone is associated with other serious heart safety concerns. A 24-week safety study conducted after the approval of pioglitazone found overnight hospitalization for heart failure was reported in almost 10% of patients taking pioglitazone and only about 5% of patients taking glyburide (DIABETA, GLYNASE).
The authors of a study evaluating the risk of heart-related adverse effects in patients treated with rosiglitazone and pioglitazone and published in The British Medical Journal concluded the following:
Among older patients with diabetes, pioglitazone is associated with a significantly lower risk of heart failure and death than is rosiglitazone. Given that rosiglitazone lacks a distinct clinical advantage over pioglitazone, continued use of rosiglitazone may not be justified.[8]
In 2011, another article published in The British Medical Journal also compared the cardiovascular effects of rosiglitazone and pioglitazone in patients treated for type 2 diabetes. The results of this study also found that rosiglitazone use is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular effects than is pioglitazone use. The cardiovascular events in this study included congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction and death.[9]
The product labels for both of these drugs now include a black-box warning about the risk of worsening heart failure.
Weight gain and fluid retention
Another consistent finding with all glitazones is weight gain. This occurs for two reasons. First, these drugs promote the conversion of sugar to fat and cause the production of new fat cells in the body.[10],[11]
Second, glitazones can cause fluid accumulation in the legs, ankles and lungs.[12],[13] Fluid accumulation may lead to difficulty breathing and heart failure, especially in patients with a history of cardiovascular disease. It is not known how much weight gain can be expected with long-term use of these drugs or if the negative effects of weight gain are outbalanced by the decrease in blood sugar levels.
The FDA has warned of the possibility of visual impairment due to swelling of part of the retina (macular edema) with the use of pioglitazone, [14] rosiglitazone and the combination of rosiglitazone and another diabetes drug, metformin (AVANDAMET).[15] Vision loss from macular edema can progress over a period of months.
The FDA warning concluded that in the majority of reported cases of macular edema, the patients also reported concurrent peripheral edema, such as swollen legs, which occurred at the same time as the macular edema. In some cases, the macular edema resolved or improved following discontinuation of therapy, and in one case, macular edema resolved after dose reduction.[15]
Anemia (low red blood cell levels that may result in weakness and fatigue) is associated with glitazone use. It appears to be more pronounced when using a glitazone with another diabetes drug, metformin (GLUCOPHAGE), or when using a combination pill including metformin and a glitazone, such as AVANDAMET or ACTOPLUS MET.[10] Glitazone-induced anemia is thought to be caused by fat cells accumulating in the bone marrow, thus limiting blood cell production.[16]
In 2005, rosiglitazone's product label was revised to reflect post-marketing reports of allergic reactions causing swelling around the face and mouth (angioedema) and hives on the skin (urticaria).[17]
In 2007, the FDA notified health care professionals of safety data concerning pioglitazone- and rosiglitazone-containing products. The warning included reports of fractures in female patients taking these products. The majority of fractures observed in female patients were in the forearm, hand and wrist, or foot and ankle.[18],[19]
A large randomized controlled clinical trial published in 2016 that compared pioglitazone with a placebo in non-diabetic patients who had suffered a stroke found that pioglitazone increased the risk of fractures in both men and women. [20]
Studies show …
Rosiglitazone is not approved for use in children ages 10-17 with type 2 diabetes. The product label has been revised to describe the results of a study comparing the effects of rosiglitazone with those of metformin in this age group.[21]
In November 2007, Health Canada, the Canadian drug regulatory agency, issued new restrictions on the use of rosiglitazone products due to cardiac concerns. Rosiglitazone is no longer approved in Canada as monotherapy for type 2 diabetes, except when metformin use is contraindicated or not tolerated. Rosiglitazone is also no longer approved in Canada for use in combination with a sulfonylurea, except when metformin is contraindicated or not tolerated. Treatment with all rosiglitazone products is no longer recommended in patients with any stage of heart failure.[22]
In 2009, Public Citizen presented information in a published article on liver failure associated with rosiglitazone and pioglitazone use. Case reports of liver failure reported to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) from 1997 to 2006 were evaluated to determine the number of cases of liver failure that were associated with rosiglitazone and pioglitazone use. Based on the information from that study, Public Citizen concluded that the use of rosiglitazone and pioglitazone can cause severe liver toxicity.[23]
In 2010, Health Canada informed the public that restrictions on the use of rosiglitazone had been enacted based on a review of data implicating that there may be an increased risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke, associated with the use of rosiglitazone.[24]
Unlike the FDA, which responded inadequately, the European Medicines Agency, an agency similar to the FDA in the European Union, recommended the suspension of marketing authorizations for rosiglitazone-containing antidiabetic medications in September 2010. As a result, the medications are no longer available in Europe.[25]
In 2012, The British Medical Journal (BMJ) published the results of a trial on the risk of bladder cancer associated with the use of pioglitazone in patients with type 2 diabetes. The data showed that there was an increased risk of bladder cancer in patients taking pioglitazone. The risk was also found to be higher in patients taking the drug for more than 24 months.[26] Another study published in the BMJ in 2016 also found that pioglitazone use was associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer.
In 2020, BMJ published a meta-analysis of data from randomized clinical trials showing that rosiglitazone was associated with an increased risk of heart disease, particularly heart failure.[27]
Regulatory actions surrounding glitazones
2000: Public Citizen petitioned the FDA to add warnings to the product labels of rosiglitazone and other glitazones because of safety concerns about heart function, fluid retention, weight gain, anemia and liver toxicity.
2007: In May, the FDA warned that patients using rosiglitazone are at an increased risk of cardiovascular events (including heart attack or heart-related adverse events, some fatal) relative to patients who take other drugs used to treat diabetes.[7]
In October, the Department of Veterans Affairs, after conducting its own review, removed rosiglitazone from the list of drugs its doctors may prescribe, concluding that "for some patients, rosiglitazone may not afford the same margin of safety as alternative drug therapies."[28]
In November, the FDA modified its black-box warning for rosiglitazone to include information about a potentially increased risk of heart attack. The FDA warning is confusing, however, and provides no useful guidance to patients or their physicians. The new warning should be revised to clearly note that using rosiglitazone carries serious risks.[29]
2008: Public Citizen formally petitioned the FDA to immediately ban the dangerous diabetes drug rosiglitazone after its researchers found that the drug causes liver failure in addition to many other previously known kinds of serious toxicity.[30]
Public Citizen researchers identified 14 cases of liver failure — including 12 deaths — in the FAERS database.
The petition was released just as an unprecedented announcement by both the American Diabetes Association and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes appeared in a prepublication consensus article on the treatment of diabetes. The two groups concluded that for the treatment of diabetes, "given that other [treatment] options are now recommended, the consensus group members unanimously advised against using rosiglitazone"[emphasis added]. [31]
2009: The FDA required the manufacturer of pioglitazone-containing products to distribute a Medication Guide to patients being treated with these products. This decision was made based on information the FDA reviewed from clinical trials and post-marketing reports concerning congestive heart failure in patients being treated with these products.[32]
2010: In February, the FDA notified the public that it was conducting an ongoing review of data from a large, long-term clinical study concerning possible cardiovascular risks associated with the use of rosiglitazone.[33]
In September, the FDA stated, based on a review of data, that there may be an increased risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke, associated with the use of rosiglitazone. The FDA stated that it would significantly restrict the use of rosiglitazone. Further, rosiglitazone use would be confined to patients who cannot control their type 2 diabetes with other medications. The agency required the manufacturer of rosiglitazone to develop a restricted-access program for the drug.[34]
Also in September, the FDA stated that it was conducting an ongoing review of data evaluating whether there may be an increased risk of bladder cancer associated with pioglitazone use.[35]
2011: In May, the FDA issued the following statement on rosiglitazone-containing products (AVANDIA, AVANDAMET, AVANDARYL) to the public and health care professionals:[36]
Because of the potential increased risk of myocardial infarction, AVANDIA is available only through a restricted distribution program called the AVANDIA-Rosiglitazone Medicines Access Program. Both prescribers and patients must enroll in the program to be able to prescribe or receive AVANDIA, respectively. AVANDIA will be available only from specially certified pharmacies participating in the program. As part of the program, prescribers will be educated about the potential increased risk of myocardial infarction and the need to limit the use of AVANDIA to eligible patients. Prescribers will need to discuss with patients the risks and benefits of taking AVANDIA. To enroll, call 1-800-AVANDIA or visit www.AVANDIA.com.
In June, the FDA issued a safety update stating that a review of information in ongoing studies had found that using pioglitazone for more than one year may be associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer.
The FDA update also stated that France had suspended the use of pioglitazone and that Germany had recommended against starting pioglitazone in new patients.
In August, the FDA approved updated information on the pioglitazone-containing medicines' drug labels to warn that using pioglitazone for more than one year may be associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer.[35]
In a Nov. 21 letter, the FDA rejected an Oct. 30, 2008, Public Citizen petition in which we asked the FDA to ban rosiglitazone because its benefits were greatly outweighed by its multiple risks, including increased heart attacks, heart failure, fractures, vision-threatening macular edema and other serious problems.
The FDA's decision not to ban the drug but to limit prescriptions for rosiglitazone — so that patients will have theoretically tried other treatments first — was a dangerous and reckless refutation of the precautionary principle that is supposed to guide decisions involving public health. The evidence shows the drug has no unique clinical benefits but has unique risks. Unless the FDA can provide evidence that Americans are more resistant to the life-threatening adverse effects of rosiglitazone than are people in Europe and the other countries that have banned the drug, this decision cannot be described as science-based or rational.
2013: The FDA announced that it is requiring changes to the current restrictions on rosiglitazone products due to the risk of heart attacks. This action involves the removal of most of the prescribing and dispensing restrictions for rosiglitazone medicines that were put in place in 2010.[37]
At an FDA hearing in June, the agency signaled a willingness to relax most of the restrictions it had previously placed on rosiglitazone. The drug was banned in Europe in 2010 due to its serious cardiovascular risks. But that same year, using the same safety studies that prompted the European ban, the FDA decided to leave rosiglitazone on the market, restricting its use through a program designed to make the drug available to those who might benefit from it, even though there was no evidence that such a group exists.
Three years later, no evidence indicates that the drug's benefits outweigh its risks for any group of patients, and the European ban remains in place. At the 2013 hearing, the FDA and drug company GlaxoSmithKline helped persuade a majority of the advisory committee to vote in favor of relaxing the previous restrictions. This move to loosen restrictions comes despite a lack of any new evidence lessening safety concerns.
2016: In December, the FDA announced that it had concluded that use of pioglitazone may be linked to an increased risk of bladder cancer. The agency required that the drug label for pioglitazone be revised to include information from the results of new studies about this risk. [38]
last reviewed June 30, 2022


text:
Q: How to handle argument logic with argparse module in Python I'm writing a script which I want to be able to run in two modes:

*

*--testall - no additional arguments needed

*--test - arguments: -f, -t, -sm necessary

but I don't know how to code that logic using argparse module. Ideas?
When I run

python3 test_argparse.py --testall

it throws:
usage: test_argparse.py [-h] [--testall TESTALL | --test TEST] [-f FROM]
                        [-t TO] [-sm {preserve,noresdir}]
test_argparse.py: error: argument --testall: expected one argument

So far...
import argparse

parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Tests fast copy operation. Checks MD5 hashes, file and directory "
                                             "permissions, sync modes (sync, keep, recopy, resync, preserve, resdir, "
                                             "noresdir) and outputs the result to MySQL database on Nemo")
group = parser.add_mutually_exclusive_group()
group.add_argument("--testall", help="tests copy operations between all available zones", type=str)
group.add_argument("--test", help="tests copy operation between specific zones", type=str)

parser.add_argument("-f", "--from", help="name of the zone to copy from")
parser.add_argument("-t", "--to", help="name of the zone to copy to")
parser.add_argument("-sm", "--syncmode", help="mode to use when copying", choices=['preserve', 'noresdir'])
args = parser.parse_args()

if __name__ == "__main__":
    print(vars(args))
    if args.testall:
        print('Testing TESTALL mode')
    elif args.test:
        print('Testing TEST mode')
    else:
        print('Testing everything else')

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Ainslie, Andrew M., ARC-Range & Forage Institute, Grahamstown, South Africa.
Batello, Caterina, Grassland and Pasture Crops Group, FAO Crop and Grassland Service.
Berretta, Elbio J., Director, Regional INIA Tacuarembó Ruta 5, km 386, 45000 Tacuarembó, Uruguay.
Boonman, Joseph G.† (deceased), Boma Consult, The Hague, Netherlands.
Borrelli, Pablo R., OVIS XXI, Santa Fe 2843 10°B, 1425-Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Cibils, Andrés F., Dept. of Animal and Range Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, United States of America.
Hanson, Jean, International Livestock Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
McIvor, John G., CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, 306 Carmody Road, St Lucia, Qld 4067, Australia.
Maraschin, Gerzy E., Professor, Faculdade de Agronomía - UFRGS, RS - Brazil.
Mikhalyov, Sergey S., Professor of Grassland Science, Agronomy Faculty, Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, Moscow, Russia Federation.
Miller, Daniel J., United States Agency for International Development, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20523, United States of America.
Nyabenge, M., International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya.
Palmer, Anthony R., ARC-Range & Forage Institute, Grahamstown, South Africa.
Pieper, Rex D., New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Reid, Robin S., International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya.
Reynolds, Stephen G., Senior Officer, Grassland and Pasture Crops Group, FAO Crop and Grassland Service.
Royo Pallarés, Olegario, Belgrano 841, 3470 Mercedes, Provincia Corrientes, Argentina.
Serneels, S., International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya.
Suttie, James M., FAO Grassland and Pasture Group Staff Member (retired).
† Dr Boonman died tragically before completing his contribution to this book.


I have always heard this propaganda that Shee`ahs claim that Jibraa'eel (عليه السلام) made a mistake in sending the revelation to Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم), but instead he was suppose to send it to Imaam `Alee (عليه السلام). Of course we know that this is purely a lie, but after looking through some books of history, it seems that there was a sect that believed in such blasphemy.
"Al-Ghuraabiyyah: They claim that Allaah (عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ) sent Jibra'eel (عليه السلام) to `Alee (عليه السلام), (but) he (Jibra'eel) made a mistake and went to Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم), because they looked alike. They said: He resembled him like a crow (ghuraab) with (another) crow, and a fly with (another) fly. They claim that `Alee (عليه السلام) was a Rasool (Messenger) and his children after him are Rasools (Messengers). This sect (firqah) greets (one another) by saying: 'May Allaah curse the feathered one', meaning Jibra'eel (عليه السلام).
"And from them, Al-Ghuraabiyyah, they are those who say that `Alee (رضي الله عنه) from him was that he resembled the prophet (like) the crow with (another ) crow, and Jibraa'eel (عليه السلام) made a mistake at the time of ba`ath to `Alee but he (Muhammad) resembled him (`Alee).
Here is a Shee`ah Scholar, Al-Buroojirdee, talking about this sect, and their belief.
One thing that stood out to me whenever I was reading about this group was how idiotic its followers were. They said that `Alee (عليه السلام) resembled the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم). At the time of Revelation (ba`ath), Imaam `Alee (عليه السلام) was 10 years old, and the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was 40 years old, this is an established fact. How and when did a 40 year old EVER resemble a 10 year old?
This is sheer stupidity, this sect has never been accepted among the Shee`ah sects, and certainly not amongst the Imaamiyyah (12'er Shee`ahs). This sect is pure kufr, and they are out of the fold of Islaam.
If such a person holds this view, they are considered a kaafir, and they are out of the folds of Islaam.
yes they are kaffir and i ask allah to guide them and if not then may he take care of them and separate us from them and their likes.
may allah also heal the modern shia from this alien concept of wilayat takweenyyat for masoomin which is a highway to shirk and destruction.
No member of the school of Ahlul Bayt ever believed in this lie, please read the article where it specifically says it was a sect named Al-Ghuraabiyyah. Sunni scholars are well known for twisting text.
Al-Ghuraabiyyah is one of the Shia sects for those who are clueless.
Repent Before Your Seven Hours Are Up!
Hadeeth: "Allaah created Adam in his image"


I feel rather like I'm standing on shifting sand right now.
My request to stay longer here in Japan got denied, so I will be leaving Shichigahama on Friday.
It's been rather tough trying not to be really disappointed, but the Lord is good, and everything that He does happens for a reason. It's going to be really hard to leave here though.
Last night we had an all girls party in one of the cabins – with puzzles, ice cream, fire, great conversation, and many good laughs. Got to hear the amazing stories of Faith and Katie's family – who came many years ago as missionaries, and the ways that God has prepared the way for them. Also got all the information on the school that their family runs and what it takes to be a teacher there – they were super disappointed when they hear that I was leaving this week and I wouldn't be able to intern at the school ( not that that was ever an option), it was super sweet.
Today we are hoping to finnish Shoji-san's house. We are so close to done!
We are also kind of combing teams and I think Lesley's team is starting on Justin' next house, so I may get to work one day there.
It's kind of a hard time right now. Preparing to leave work that I love, a place that has become home, and say goodbye to all the people who have become family. Please keep me in your prayers.
This will probably be my last post from Shichigahama – so until next time.
Though I miss you and am very excited to see you, I'm so sorry you weren't able to stay longer. I was wishing you would be able to since you wanted to so badly. I know how hard it is to leave a place like that when you'd rather stay. I have prayed for you at least once every day you've been gone and I will continue to do so. May God give you joy and peace no matter the circumstances! Looking forward to seeing you again! Love you!
I'm sure it must have been really a disappointment since you were hoping to stay longer...But, like you said, God is good and He is in charge of your paths and future.
I can't wait to see you! Hope you have a wonderful last few days and a blessed trip home!


text:
Church leaders deeply saddened by brutal murder
28th July 2016 / Nick / News Archive 2016, URC News / No Comments
From URC Website 28.7.16
Church leaders in Britain have expressed their deep sadness at the 'brutal murder' of a French priest, Fr Jacques Hamel, in his church near Rouen. The joint presidents of Churches Together in England say in a statement:
'That a man of peace who had dedicated his life to serving people, could be killed during Mass, is testimony to the evil that drives the actions of those who commit such a crime.
'We offer our deepest sympathy to his family, friends and parishioners. We pray for the wellbeing of those who were taken hostage, their families and the entire community served by Fr Jacques; indeed we pray for the peace of France, Europe, the Middle East and the world for which Jesus, the Prince of Peace, gave his own life.
The presidents of Churches Together in England include the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, and the Free Churches Moderator, Hugh Osgood.
They go on to call upon all people of goodwill to pray and work for justice and peace. In particular, they implore everyone to help people everywhere to pursue the path of peace and human flourishing – which is the will of Creator God.
The General Secretary of the United Reformed Church, the Revd John Proctor, added, 'We care – for the sanctity and safety of life, for the sorrows of friend and stranger, and for the peace that God calls us to seek in prayer, attitude and action. These are times to live by that care, for Christ's sake.'
More details at www.cte.org.uk
– See more at: http://www.urc.org.uk/media-news/2129-church-leaders-deeply-saddened-by-brutal-murder.html#sthash.a1ZrkxKt.dpuf
Quiet Day – 1st October 2016
Mission and Vision 18
'N' Collage representing Southern Synod (Jess Uden; Synod Office East Croydon)
Mission & Vision 36
Christmas Message from Bridget and George
Christain Aid – We need you!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Can wildlife stage a comeback on Sombrero Island's barren moonscape? | Environment
Sombrero island has been so degraded by human activity that it no longer looks like a hat to approaching sailors. Once a small mound covered in forest, and with its own species of giant tortoise, the 94-acre outpost has been transformed into a barren moonscape by guano mining, invasive mice and hurricanes.
The island, part of Anguilla that marks the entrance from the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean sea, was even considered at one point as a launchpad for commercial satellites by Texan billionaire Andrew Beal in the late 90s. Now, surges from Atlantic hurricanes – turbocharged by climate change – grow so high that they inundate its 40ft limestone cliffs, washing away seabird eggs and lizards.
There are already signs that the number of Sombrero ground lizards is increasing. Photograph: Toby Ross/FFI
Still, life clings on, and Sombrero Island's fortunes may be about to change after decades of ecological decline.
In July 2021, the last invasive mice were killed as part of efforts to restore wildlife on the island, which largely congregates around an abandoned lighthouse. A year later, the rodents have not reappeared, and the wildlife, which includes species found nowhere else on Earth, is making a comeback.
"The Sombrero ground lizard has already increased a lot. There were fewer than 100 in 2018, and the last count had 884 individuals," says Jenny Daltry, Caribbean director with Re:wild and Fauna & Flora International, who was part of the mouse eradication project at the internationally important bird breeding site.
"I'm quite optimistic we'll see a lot of improvement."
Despite its humble size, Sombrero is part of a trend in one of conservation's biggest success stories. According to a new study published this week, removing goats, rats, mice, dogs and other invasive species from islands has had an 88% success rate since 1872, resulting in spectacular transformations in degraded atolls and archipelagos.
The size, complexity and ambition of invasive species removal is also growing, according to the study, spurred by island states like New Zealand that is aiming to clear all invasive mammals by the middle of the century.
High school students help with a 'revegetation project' on Sombrero. Photograph: Farah Mukhida/Anguilla National Trust/FFI
"Sombrero's recovery is probably going to be slow because it's limestone, it's arid and has very little soil left," says Daltry, who also helped with the restoration of Redonda island, farther south on the Leeward Islands arc, and dozens of other islands.
"It will take time for the vegetation and soil to rebuild so that it can support trees and bushes. In 10 years' time, there's a chance it will have full green cover, but it will take longer to get back to the kinds of forest the giant tortoises would have recognized."
The success of invasive species clearance projects on islands has prompted conservationists to scale up their ambitions. This promises disproportionate benefits for Earth's biodiversity, with islands like Madagascar, the Galápagos and Borneo home to huge numbers of endemic species. Daltry has her eye on Jamaica's Goat Islands, and larger areas on populated islands.
Anguilla has plans to fence off a five hectare (12 acre) area and clear invasive species on the mainland in Fountain Cave national park. The country successfully cleared Dog Island and its satellites in 2012, boosting numbers of sooty terns from 113,000 to more than 300,000 nesting pairs, and benefiting lizards and endangered green and hawksbill turtles, both threatened with extinction.
A brown noddy flies over Sombrero Island last year. Photograph: Toby Ross/FFI
"[Clearing Fountain Cave national park] means we would be able to reintroduce native and potentially endangered wildlife back into that area, so it works as a conservation sanctuary," says Farah Mukhida, executive director of Anguilla National Trust, who was part of the team that helped clear Sombrero Island.
"Most of the work has focused on offshore cays, and not many people are able to go there. By doing this on the mainland, we're creating a nice conservation area for biodiversity, and we are also able to show residents what is possible when you remove invasive species," she says.
Find more age of extinction coverage here, and follow biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston give Patrick Greenfield on Twitter for all the latest news and features
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Pioneer Theater Company presents the timely world premiere "A Distinct Society" – @theU
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Dorries 'broke rules' on post-ministerial jobs with TalkTV role


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The Montenegrin representatives, Who See, have started shooting the video clip for their Eurovision entry Igranka (The Party). Check out the exclusive photos from the set right here on Eurovision.tv! An abandoned factory in the Montenegrin capital Podgorica has become the set of the official video clip of the Montenegrin Eurovision entry Igranka (The Party). More than 200 spectators came along to witness the recording of the video.
"It will be an unusual clip", the director Zoran Marković-Zonjo promised. He had already made the previous clip for Who See's song Regeton Montenegro with which the group won numerous international awards. The recording of the video clip is expected to be finished after three days. The official video will be premiered on RTCG in mid-March.


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COVID-19 Restrictions on Schools, Businesses Drive State Jobless Rates
Rachel Greszler / November 06, 2020
With children not attending school in person, many working parents have had to cut back on work hours or quit their jobs entirely. Pictured: School buses sit in a parking lot in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo: Jeremy Hogan/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images)
Rachel Greszler
Rachel Greszler is research fellow in economics, budget, and entitlements in the Grover M. Hermann Center for the Federal Budget, of the Institute for Economic Freedom, at The Heritage Foundation. Read her research.
The unemployment rate dropped more than expected in October, to 6.9%—from 7.9% in September—as 638,000 jobs were added or regained.
Moreover, the number of people reporting lost work (either reduced hours or none) because their employer closed or lost business due to the coronavirus pandemic plummeted by 4.3 million, to 15.1 million.
While the unemployment rate continues its downward trend nationally, some states are lagging far behind others, with state and local decisions on the reopening of society driving the labor market and the well-being of individuals, families, and businesses.
>>> What's the best way for America to reopen and return to business? The National Coronavirus Recovery Commission, a project of The Heritage Foundation, assembled America's top thinkers to figure that out. So far, it has made more than 260 recommendations. Learn more here.
In six states, the unemployment rate was below 5% in September, while in five states, it was over 10%. (October unemployment rates for the states won't come out until Nov. 20.)
States that have given individuals, businesses, and schools the freedom to return to most activities with proper safety precautions in place are faring relatively well, while those that have imposed unnecessary restrictions have a lot more people out of work, children falling behind, households struggling to get by, and small businesses collapsing.
According to a wallethub.com ranking of states by their level of COVID-19 restrictions, the 10 states with the fewest restrictions averaged 5.9% unemployment in September, while the 10 with the most restrictions averaged 8.2% unemployment.
That ranking was based on 17 different factors, ranging from business and travel restrictions to court openings and business liability limits.
An incredibly important factor affecting the well-being of workers and families is the option of in-person schooling. After all, without children attending school, many working parents have had to cut back on work hours or quit their jobs entirely.
In October, 3.6 million people were prevented from looking for work because of the pandemic. Additional school openings in October likely contributed to this figure dropping from 4.5 million in September, but with many schools remaining entirely virtual, many either cannot work or can only work in a limited capacity.
While parents who are at home and not looking for work aren't counted among the unemployed, school closures have spillover effects across societies. Places with more in-person education options have had stronger economic rebounds and lower unemployment rates.
According to Education Week's assessment of state education orders, those with either mandated openings or no orders averaged 6.7% unemployment in September, while states with full or partial closure orders averaged 9.5% unemployment.
When breaking it down to the district level, the trend appears to be the same. Among the 50 largest public school districts in the U.S., those that are fully open or have the option for in-person education averaged 7% unemployment in September, while districts with a hybrid of in-person and virtual learning averaged 8% unemployment, and districts without in-person options averaged 9.6% joblessness.
While business reopenings contributed to the record-setting economic growth in the third quarter, many households and areas of the country will continue to struggle as long as children remain shut out of their classrooms.
More than 50 million children attend public elementary and secondary schools in the U.S., and more than 70% of households with school-age children have all parents in the household working.
In addition to near-term and potentially lifelong consequences for children not attending schools, America cannot fully recover until parents have the option for their children to go back to school.
Substantial evidence shows that schools have not been COVID-19 "superspreaders," and it's actually quite safe for children to return to schools with proper safety measures in place.
State and local policymakers should reopen schools with in-person instruction options. When they don't, states should provide families with the state per-pupil funding that would have gone to students—in the form of education savings accounts—to use for private school tuition or a learning option of choice.


25% non-returnable deposit is payable upon booking. The balance and returnable deposit is due 28 days before the event date.
A £500 returnable damage & breach of conditions deposit is also required with the balance. This will be returned after the event provided that there is no damage beyond reasonable wear & tear and all the terms & conditions have been adhered to.
Access to the venue is from Friday morning for clients to set up/decorate until midday the following Monday. We can be flexible if equipment, needs to be dropped off earlier in the week by prior arrangement eg toilet hire.
Clients are responsible for providing their own security/insurance arrangements for hired in equipment.
Decorations can be put up by using string, wires, cable ties or chains and can be attached to the framework of the marquee. Please do not use adhesive tape/ blue tack on any furniture or marquee equipment. We are happy to give advice if you have any questions or are not sure of anything.
Fairy lights can be used. Tea lights can be used as long as they are in jars, lanterns or other suitable flameproof containers.
No fireworks or Chinese lanterns.
If alcohol is to be sold at the venue the client is responsible for ensuring the bar supplier has obtained the relevant licences. We can put you in touch with licensed bar suppliers if required. Music to be turned off by 11.30pm and all guests need to vacate the meadow by 12 midnight.
If the equipment is used or left outside the hirer is responsible for any damage caused by the weather and will be charged accordingly.
County Marquees reserve the right to substitute equipment with a similar product where circumstances are beyond their control.
The company will not be held responsible for, and the hirer will indemnify the company against, all claims for injury to persons, or loss of, or damage to, property, however caused, unless it be proved that such injury or damage resulted from faulty materials, workmanship, or negligence on the part of the company. The company will not be responsible for mechanical or electronic failure irrespective of the cause of this.
Copyright © 2014 Pear Tree Meadow. All Rights Reserved.


text:
package hr.fer.zemris.jcms.web.actions2.course.groups;

import hr.fer.zemris.jcms.service2.course.groups.GroupTreeBrowserService;
import hr.fer.zemris.jcms.web.actions.Ext2ActionSupport;
import hr.fer.zemris.jcms.web.actions.annotations.DataResultMapping;
import hr.fer.zemris.jcms.web.actions.annotations.Struts2ResultMapping;
import hr.fer.zemris.jcms.web.actions.annotations.WebClass;
import hr.fer.zemris.jcms.web.actions.annotations.WebMethodInfo;
import hr.fer.zemris.jcms.web.actions.data.GroupEditData;
import hr.fer.zemris.jcms.web.actions.data.support.AbstractActionData;
import hr.fer.zemris.jcms.web.navig.builders.BuilderDefault;
import hr.fer.zemris.jcms.web.navig.builders.course.groups.ShowGroupTreeBuilder;

@WebClass(dataClass=GroupEditData.class)
public class GroupDelete extends Ext2ActionSupport<GroupEditData> {

	private static final long serialVersionUID = 2L;

    @WebMethodInfo(
    	lockPath="ml\\ci${data.lid}\\g",
    	dataResultMappings={
    		@DataResultMapping(dataResult=AbstractActionData.RESULT_SUCCESS, struts2Result="success", registerDelayedMessages=true),
    		@DataResultMapping(dataResult=AbstractActionData.RESULT_CONFIRM, struts2Result="confirm", registerDelayedMessages=false)
    	},
    	struts2ResultMappings={
	    	@Struts2ResultMapping(struts2Result="confirm",navigBuilder=ShowGroupTreeBuilder.class,navigBuilderIsRoot=false,additionalMenuItems={"m2","Navigation.deleteGroup"}),
	    	@Struts2ResultMapping(struts2Result="success",navigBuilder=BuilderDefault.class)
    })
    public String execute() throws Exception {
    	GroupTreeBrowserService.deleteGroup(getEntityManager(), data);
		return null;
    }

	public Long getGroupID() {
		return data.getGroupID();
	}
	public void setGroupID(Long groupID) {
		data.setGroupID(groupID);
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Massage therapy relaxes the body, easing tension and pain. Our goal is to restore balance to your body and being - enabling you to enjoy your daily life. Serenity Massage and Bodycare believes in health and body wellness making it easy for you to reach your potential. We offer flexible appointment times for our complete range of services as well as customized treatments that fit the most demanding schedule. We believe in Serenity and believe you deserve it too! Contact us at 816.210.2002.
Let yourself relax through the experience of massage. We listen to you and design a treatment approach to meet your specific bodycare needs.
Neuromuscular therapy is a specialized modality utilized to treat specific muscular dysfunction known as trigger points.
Deep tissue therapy is designed to return the body to a state of ease and balance by applying a combination of slow compressive and legthening procedures to the involved muscles.
Hot stone massage is a special deep relaxation massage with beneficial results. Reduce your stress and muscle tension with this effective massage therapy.
Enjoy a relaxing massage for two people. Share in the experience together.
Pre-natal massage aids in relaxation throughout pregnancy. Massage techniques are modified for the benefit of and to the needs of each client.
After a brief consultation, acupuncture points are stimulated to help improve energy flow to balance the whole body while creating total relaxation. Cupping, Gua Sha and TDP therapy are also available.
After a brief consultation, theraputic massage will be performed followed by a full body acupuncture treatment creating total relaxation. Cupping, Gua Sha and TDP therapy are also available.
You will have added savings when you purchase the treatment packages.
You will receive a package of 4 massages or acupuncture/massage combo treatments for 90 minutes per session.


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We introduce the short track team at EYOF 2019 in Sarajevo.
The 2019 European Youth Olympic Winter Festival will be held in Sarajevo and East Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) from 10 to 16 February. Belarus will be represented by 46 athletes in 6 sports. Today we introduce the short track team.
Girls: Yana Dombrovskaya, Eleanora Samoilova.
Boys: Ilya Dmitrienko, Alexander Zhermanov.
Athletes accompanied by their coaches: Olga Migdaleva and Yulia Elsakova.


text:
The Wow Factor in Major WordPress Releases Is Getting Few and Far Between
Jeff Chandler August 4, 2016 105
WordPress 4.6 is scheduled for release on August 16th. This release streamlines the installation, activation, and update process for plugins, uses native system fonts for the WordPress backend, and improves the post editor. It also includes a number of enhancements under the hood. Outside of the improvements to the plugin and (more…)
PhpStorm 9 Introduces Partial PHP 7 Support, Inline Debugging, and Remote File Editing
Sarah Gooding July 9, 2015 6
PhpStorm 9 was released this week with a slew of improvements and new features for PHP and web developers. The popular IDE is used by more than 300,000 developers and its development team usually puts out one major release per year. Version 8 was released last September with official support (more…)
Hookr Enters Beta with New UI and Support for 800+ Plugins and Themes
Sarah Gooding May 21, 2015 21
Last April, Christopher Sanford launched Hookr, a WordPress hook/API reference for developers. He initially wrote the parser/indexer for his own use, to improve efficiency in his work, and was inspired to make it a public resource. "I have been professionally working with WordPress since 2.8, but most of which I (more…)
How to Set Up a WordPress Development Site with Codio's Free Cloud-Based IDE
Sarah Gooding January 21, 2015 5
Codio is a cloud-based IDE that is primarily used in the education sector but is also available to developer professionals. The service provides instant coding environments with support for code editing and a large array of popular programming languages and software components. By making the IDE available to users through (more…)
Variable VVV: A New VVV Site Creation Wizard for WordPress
Sarah Gooding December 12, 2014 7
Brad Parbs and his colleagues at WebDevStudios have created a new tool for the thousands of developers out there who utilize Varying Vagrant Vagrants for WordPress development. As Vagrant development environments are a daily staple of work life at WDS, the team needed a faster way for setting up new (more…)
WP Stagecoach to Bring 1-Click Staging Sites to WordPress in 2015
Sarah Gooding December 9, 2014 10
WP Stagecoach has been in beta for the past few months and the team behind it is busy planning for an official launch in early 2015. The startup, created by Jonathan Kay, came in second, behind WP Curve, in the first round of Matt Report's WordPress Startup Challenge. The new (more…)
10up Open Sources Its Engineering Best Practices
Sarah Gooding November 5, 2014 10
Taylor Lovett, director of Web Engineering at 10up, announced today that the company is open sourcing its engineering best practices. 10up has historically been a leader in contributing to open platforms, most notably being one of the first development agencies to sponsor an employee to work full-time on WordPress core. (more…)
Some Like It Neat: A Free WordPress Starter Theme Built with Underscores, Bourbon, and Neat
Sarah Gooding October 20, 2014 2
Some Like it Neat is a new starter theme for WordPress, based on the popular ultra-minimal Underscores theme. It also incorporates Bourbon, a lightweight mixin library for Sass. On top of that it adds Neat, which applies a semantic grid framework for Sass and Bourbon, enabling you to build any (more…)
Themosis Object-Oriented Development Framework for WordPress Now Available
Version 1.0 of the Themosis development framework is now available. Belgium-based application developer Julien Lambé created Themosis in order to accelerate object-oriented development with WordPress. It offers a routing system for managing WordPress behavior on an application level and also includes a Laravel-esque templating engine for view files. Last week (more…)
How Public Perception of WordPress Influences Developer Contracts
Sarah Gooding September 24, 2014 25
If the WordPress community is your only barometer of knowing how an open source community works together, then you might want to explore outside a bit further to gain a broader outlook on other cultures. Some of the differences are worth examining. A few days ago I noticed an interesting (more…)
PhpStorm 8 Released With Full WordPress Support
Sarah Gooding September 17, 2014 5
PhpStorm from JetBrains is far and away the most favored IDE for PHP developers. In March, PhpStorm announced that the upcoming version 8 would add official support for WordPress. The official release is finally here and delivers on that promise, adding a deeper level of support for developers who work (more…)
Add WordPress Coding Standards to NetBeans
The open source NetBeans IDE has support for several different languages and frameworks and a worldwide community of developers who depend on it to code more efficiently. A recent survey conducted by SitePoint placed NetBeans as the third most favored IDE among PHP developers, capturing 15.6% of the votes, trailing (more…)


Book your room now! Conference rates are only available until June 1st! After June 1st rates return to the standard hotel rate with no guarantee of availability. Rooms are limited! Reserve yours today! And if you have trouble reserving this room, this news post may have some helpful tips for you.
YAPC::NA::2016 Conference passes are still only $250, until June 4th. After June 4th a Late Enrollment fee will also be assessed. Don't hesitate! Get your passes today!
Keynote Address: The Dark Art of Boatbuilding and Project Management -- A salty look at projects, people and customers.
We are pleased to announce keynote speaker, Art Eaton. A Perl developer and Florida native with experiences growing up in a ship yard, Art has an entertaining and useful message for us all. Taken from the viewpoint that all efficient industrial processes are identical at their core, he examines the IT industry from a boat builder's perspective.
This talk is all about running a successful, professional, and happy boatyard where people find value and comfort in their jobs, the quality of work is high, and customers know what they are getting for their money.
...sort of. Art will be applying business experience gained from his marine engineering, medical, military and IT backgrounds to present you with a sea story about project management with which people in all industries can identify.
This page contains a single entry by Dan Wright published on May 27, 2016 2:20 PM.
Maintaining Perl 5: Grant Report for March 2016 was the previous entry in this blog.
Grant Report : RPerl User Documentation #2 - May 2016 is the next entry in this blog.


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'I miss sharing the world': Gift of art supplies helps students express themselves
Amanda Karioth Tompson
Council on Culture & Arts
Though Jessica Barthle is relatively new to the classroom, she has come to understand a lot about her art students during her past two years at Rickards High School. Most of that knowledge has been acquired in the last few months as a result of the pandemic.
Like everyone else, students at Rickards have struggled to adjust to the new normal. Many of them and their families face additional hurdles that make current circumstances even more challenging, from worries as acute as housing and food insecurity to a simple lack of access to art materials.
Prior to the pandemic, on a fairly regular basis, many of Barthle's students let her know they didn't have supplies at home. She'd lend them materials on a case-by-case basis but, once schools shut down, that was no longer possible. Knowing her students needed a creative outlet, Barthle decided to equip them all with the tools they'd need to express themselves while sheltering at home.
"I had zero dollars left in my budget," she said but that didn't deter her. "I desperately took to Facebook and asked people to buy stuff from an Amazon wish list I had created. I honestly didn't think we were going to be able to get everything, but at the last minute this really wonderful woman offered to buy everything I was missing. I cried. I cried a lot," Barthle admitted.
Due to the generosity of that angel investor and other community members, Barthle collected nearly $800 in materials, which allowed her to create 150 individual art supply packets to distribute as gifts for her students to keep. With her boyfriend's help, she organized all of her students' addresses to establish a delivery route. "Over the course of about two weeks, we saw almost all of Leon County making these deliveries."
"Those kids and those parents glowed when I showed up, out of nowhere, with a bag full of goodies for them. They missed school, community and having a place where they know they're loved and cared for outside of home. I can't begin to say how much self-control it took to socially distance and not smother hug all of them."
With deliveries made, students dug into the activities Barthle designed for them. The first lesson, titled "A memorial to my past life," explored the work of contemporary American artist Andy Goldsworthy and challenged students to think about ephemeral artwork. After reflecting on what they've lost as a result of the virus, students produced an ephemeral shrine to honor that loss.
Students then created multi-media artworks which further examined how these losses have affected them personally. The compositions incorporated a variety of techniques and materials using their new art supply packets which contained National Geographic magazines for collage, colored pencils and markers for drawing, and watercolors for painting.
Emily Taylor is a ninth-grader and her artwork depicts the abrupt fracture of her daily life. "I now have to do my schoolwork at home and wear a mask if I leave the house. My art shows my places of learning before and during quarantine," she said.
Ninth-grader Faith Register had to give up softball.
"My season at school was cut in more than half. I also can't play for the city as of now. I've also given up seeing many of my friends and loved ones." Using collage techniques, Faith expressed how her life has been broken up and reassembled to create something new and different.
In reflecting on this assignment, 10th-grader Rashaad Eppes realized that he has "learned and gained more than I have given up. Now I meditate and read from time to time. I'm drawing more and being more present. For me it's been a change in how I feel, and I feel much happier."
While Rashaad has found a sense of internal fulfillment, 10th-grader Sofia McClarnon feels the loss of external connections. She said "I miss sharing the world with other people. When I would wander around or take the bus, I was awkward and avoided talking to people, but I liked being in the world and doing things, having goals and plans."
Barthle also grieves the loss of social connections, especially with her students, and recognized many of them feel similarly. To address that, she created a culminating art activity.
She asked each student to create a "quarantine companion," using the googly eyes, pipe cleaners, pom-poms, craft sticks and salt dough from their packets. Salt dough is a clay-like material that served as the base for a sculpted figure that would accompany students throughout their life in social isolation.
Barthle introduced students to the work of contemporary Japanese miniature artist Tatsuya Tanaka. Like him, students would create a tiny figure and photographically document their adventures together, creating a social connection, though an imaginary one.
Though Barthle looks ahead to the upcoming school year with trepidation, she's eager to reestablish her real-life connections with her students.
"I never got to speak with them after March, make sure they were OK, let them know how much I love and care for them. Despite the insane amount of work the packets presented, both in assembly and delivery, being able to see and visit my kids, even just for a brief moment, meant the absolute world to me."
As part of COCA's Creativity Persists collection, this article highlights how area arts educators have used distance learning to teach and inspire during the COVID-19 pandemic. Amanda Karioth Thompson is the Assistant Director for the Council on Culture & Arts. COCA is the capital area's umbrella agency for arts and culture (www.tallahasseearts.org).
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