A delivery device for a collapsible heart valve includes an operating handle and a catheter assembly. The operating handle includes a frame defining a movement space therein, a carriage assembly moveable in a longitudinal direction within the movement space, and a coupler having locked and unlocked conditions, the coupler being operatively connected to the carriage assembly for movement therewith. The catheter assembly includes a shaft around which a valve-receiving compartment is defined, the shaft being operatively connected to one of the frame or the carriage assembly, and a distal sheath operatively connected to the carriage assembly for movement therewith between a closed condition adapted to maintain the valve in the compartment and an open condition adapted to fully deploy the valve.
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/384,032, filed Sep. 17, 2010, entitled "Staged Deployment Devices and Methods for Transcatheter Heart Valve Delivery," the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
In conventional delivery systems for self-expanding aortic valves, for example, after the delivery system has been positioned for deployment, the annulus end of the valve is typically unsheathed and expanded first, while the aortic end of the valve remains sheathed. Once the annulus end of the valve has expanded, it may be determined that the valve needs to be repositioned in the patient's aortic annulus. To accomplish this, a user (such as a surgeon or an interventional cardiologist) typically resheathes the annulus end of the valve, so that the valve can be repositioned while in a collapsed state. After the valve has been repositioned, the user can again release the valve.
Despite the various improvements that have been made to the collapsible prosthetic heart valve delivery process, conventional delivery devices, systems, and methods suffer from some shortcomings. For example, in conventional delivery devices for self-expanding valves, it is difficult to control how much of the valve remains in the sheath during a partial deployment, and the user may accidentally deploy the valve fully before verifying that the annulus end of the valve is in the optimal position in the patient's valve annulus, thereby taking away the opportunity to resheathe and reposition the valve.
A delivery device for a collapsible prosthetic heart valve and a method of delivering a collapsible prosthetic heart valve in a patient are disclosed.
A delivery device for a collapsible prosthetic heart valve includes an operating handle, including a frame defining a movement space therein, a carriage assembly moveable in a longitudinal direction within the movement space, and a coupler having a locked condition in which the coupler is connected to the frame in a fixed position, and an unlocked condition in which the coupler is movable in the longitudinal direction within the movement space, the coupler being operatively connected to the carriage assembly for movement therewith. The delivery device also includes a catheter assembly, including a first shaft around which a compartment is defined, the first shaft being operatively connected to one of the frame or the carriage assembly, the compartment being adapted to receive the valve in an assembled condition, and a distal sheath operatively connected to the carriage assembly, the distal sheath being moveable between a closed condition adapted to maintain the valve in the assembled condition and an open condition adapted to fully deploy the valve, wherein movement of the carriage assembly in the longitudinal direction in the movement space moves the distal sheath between the closed condition and the open condition.
The coupler may be selectively lockable to the frame in any of a plurality of fixed positions in the longitudinal direction. The coupler may include a releasable pin and the frame may have a plurality of fixed notches, the pin being engageable in one of the notches to lock the coupler to the frame. The coupler may be selectively lockable to the frame in positions that correspond to positions of the distal sheath between the closed condition and the open condition. The operating handle may further include a threaded rod extending from the carriage assembly through the coupler, and a deployment actuator threadedly engaged with the threaded rod and longitudinally constrained relative to the coupler, such that rotation of the deployment actuator may move the carriage assembly in the longitudinal direction in the movement space. Rotation of the deployment actuator in a first direction may move the carriage assembly proximally in the longitudinal direction in the movement space, and rotation of the deployment actuator in a second direction opposite the first direction may move the carriage assembly distally in the longitudinal direction in the movement space.
The delivery device may further include a latch mechanism adapted to releasably fix the coupler relative to the frame at any of a plurality of longitudinal positions in the movement space. The operating handle may further include a resheathing lock having a locked position and an unlocked position, the resheathing lock in the locked position limiting movement of the carriage assembly in the longitudinal direction to a stop position in the movement space, and the resheathing lock in the unlocked position permitting movement of the carriage assembly beyond the stop position, wherein movement of the carriage assembly to the stop position may move the distal sheath to a condition between the closed condition and the open condition so that the valve is not fully deployed. The frame may include a slot and the resheathing lock may include a retractable pin that is engaged in the slot when the resheathing lock is in the locked position, and a stop member located within the slot may define the stop position. The stop member may be longitudinally moveable within the slot, such that movement of the stop member may change the location of the stop position relative to the frame.
The compartment may have a first length and the stop position in the movement space may correspond to a travel distance of the carriage assembly, the travel distance being less than the first length. The collapsible prosthetic heart valve may have a second length and the travel distance may be between about 80% and about 90% of the second length. The first shaft may be operatively connected to the frame, the catheter assembly further including an outer shaft connecting the carriage assembly to the distal sheath and at least partially surrounding the first shaft. The first shaft may be operatively connected to the frame, and the operating handle may further include a mechanism adapted to move the first shaft proximally relative to the frame. The mechanism may include a threaded rod operatively connected to the first shaft and extending in the longitudinal direction, and a nut threadedly engaged with the threaded rod and longitudinally constrained relative to the frame.
The first shaft may be operatively connected to the carriage assembly, the catheter assembly further including an outer shaft connecting the frame to the compartment and at least partially surrounding the first shaft. The first shaft may be operatively connected to the carriage assembly, and the operating handle may further include a mechanism adapted to move the first shaft proximally relative to the carriage assembly. The mechanism may include a threaded rod operatively connected to the first shaft and extending in the longitudinal direction, and a nut threadedly engaged with the threaded rod and longitudinally constrained relative to the carriage assembly.
A method of delivering a collapsible prosthetic heart valve in a patient includes providing a delivery device having a catheter assembly and an operating handle, the catheter assembly including a compartment adapted to receive the valve in an assembled condition, the operating handle including a frame defining a movement space therein, a carriage assembly moveable in a longitudinal direction within the movement space, and a coupler operatively connected to the carriage assembly for movement therewith. The method also includes loading the valve into the compartment of the catheter assembly, the compartment and the valve being covered by a distal sheath of the catheter assembly, inserting the catheter assembly into the patient, positioning the valve at a target location within the patient, partially deploying the valve by moving the carriage assembly of the operating handle in a first longitudinal direction along a first portion of the movement space, and fully deploying the valve by translating the coupler of the operating handle to continue movement of the carriage assembly in the first longitudinal direction along a second portion of the movement space.
The operating handle may further include a threaded rod extending from the carriage assembly through the coupler, and a deployment actuator threadedly engaged with the threaded rod and longitudinally constrained relative to the coupler, and the partially deploying step may include rotating the deployment actuator. The operating handle may further include a resheathing lock having a locked position and an unlocked position, the resheathing lock in the locked position limiting movement of the carriage assembly in the longitudinal direction to a stop location in the movement space, the resheathing lock in the unlocked position permitting movement of the carriage assembly beyond the stop location. The method may further include adjusting a position of the resheathing lock in the longitudinal direction to set the stop location in the movement space. The method may further include resheathing the valve by moving the carriage assembly in a second longitudinal direction opposite the first longitudinal direction.
The catheter assembly may further include a first shaft around which the compartment is defined and an outer shaft connecting the carriage assembly to the distal sheath and at least partially surrounding the first shaft, the first shaft may be operatively connected to the frame, the distal sheath may be operatively connected to the carriage assembly, and the steps of partially deploying the valve and fully deploying the valve may each include moving the outer shaft proximally relative to the frame. The catheter assembly may further include a first shaft around which the compartment is defined, the first shaft may be operatively connected to the frame, the distal sheath may be operatively connected to the carriage assembly, and the resheathing step may include moving the first shaft proximally relative to the frame and the distal sheath.
The operating handle may further include a threaded rod operatively connected to the first shaft and extending in the longitudinal direction, and a nut threadedly engaged with the threaded rod and longitudinally constrained relative to the frame, and the step of moving the first shaft may include rotating the nut about the threaded rod. The operating handle may further include a resheathing lock having a locked position and an unlocked position, the resheathing lock in the locked position limiting movement of the carriage assembly in the longitudinal direction to a stop location in the movement space, the resheathing lock in the unlocked position permitting movement of the carriage assembly beyond the stop location, and the step of moving the first shaft may be performed with the resheathing lock in the locked position.
The catheter assembly may further include a first shaft around which the compartment is defined and an outer shaft connecting the frame to the compartment and at least partially surrounding the first shaft, the first shaft and the distal sheath may be operatively connected to the carriage assembly, and the steps of partially deploying the valve and fully deploying the valve may each include moving the first shaft distally relative to the frame. The catheter assembly may further include a first shaft around which the compartment is defined, the first shaft and the distal sheath may be operatively connected to the carriage assembly, and the resheathing step may include moving the first shaft proximally relative to the carriage assembly.
The operating handle may further include a threaded rod operatively connected to the first shaft and extending in the longitudinal direction, and a nut threadedly engaged with the threaded rod and longitudinally constrained relative to the carriage assembly, and the step of moving the first shaft may include rotating the nut about the threaded rod. The operating handle may further include a resheathing lock having a locked position and an unlocked position, the resheathing lock in the locked position limiting movement of the carriage assembly in the longitudinal direction to a stop location in the movement space, the resheathing lock in the unlocked position permitting movement of the carriage assembly beyond the stop location, and the step of moving the first shaft may be performed with the resheathing lock in the locked position. The target location within the patient may be the native aortic annulus of the patient. The distal sheath of the delivery device may be inserted through a femoral artery of the patient. The distal sheath of the delivery device may be inserted through the apex of the heart of the patient.
FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of an operating handle for a transapical delivery device for a collapsible prosthetic heart valve, shown with a side elevation of the distal portion of a transapical catheter assembly.
As used herein, the terms "proximal" and "distal" are to be taken as relative to a user using the disclosed delivery devices. "Proximal" is to be understood as relatively close to the user and "distal" is to be understood as relatively farther away from the user.
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 to illustrate the structure and function of the present invention, an exemplary transfemoral delivery device 10 for a collapsible prosthetic heart valve (or other types of self-expanding collapsible stents) has a catheter assembly 16 for delivering the heart valve to and deploying the heart valve at a target location, and an operating handle 20 for controlling deployment of the valve from the catheter assembly. The delivery device 10 extends from a proximal end 12 to a distal tip 14. The catheter assembly 16 is adapted to receive a collapsible prosthetic heart valve (not shown) in a compartment 23 defined around an inner shaft 26 and covered by a distal sheath 24.
The operating handle 20 is adapted to control deployment of a prosthetic valve located in the compartment 23 by permitting a user to selectively slide the outer shaft 22 proximally or distally relative to the inner shaft 26, thereby respectively uncovering or covering the compartment with the distal sheath 24. The proximal end of the inner shaft 26 is operatively coupled to an outer frame 30 of the operating handle 20 (the longitudinal position of the inner shaft relative to the frame can be adjusted, as described below), and the proximal end of the outer shaft 22 is affixed to a carriage assembly 40 of the operating handle that is slidable along a longitudinal axis of the frame, such that a user can selectively slide the outer shaft relative to the inner shaft by sliding the carriage assembly relative to the frame.
A hemostasis valve 28 includes an internal gasket adapted to create a seal between the inner shaft 26 and the proximal end of the outer shaft 22. A gasket adjustment wheel 42 in the carriage assembly 40 is adapted to adjust the strength of this seal. For example, the gasket inside the hemostasis valve 28 may be in the shape of an O-ring located around the inner shaft 26, or between the O-ring and the inner surface of the outer shaft 22. When the strength of the seal is insufficient, there may be a gap between the O-ring and the outer surface of the inner shaft 26, and/or between the O-ring and the inner surface of the outer shaft 22. To eliminate this gap, a user can turn the gasket adjustment wheel 42 to place a compressive force on the O-ring in the longitudinal direction of the inner shaft 26, thereby compressing the O-ring longitudinally and expanding the O-ring radially. The radially-expanded O-ring can fill any gap between the O-ring and the outer surface of the inner shaft 26 or the inner surface of the outer shaft 22, thereby creating a liquid-proof seal therebetween.
The frame 30 includes a pair of side rails 31 joined at the proximal end 12 by a proximal end member 32 and joined at the distal end by a distal end member 33. Collectively, the side rails 31, the end member 32, and the end member 33 define an elongated space 34 in the frame 30 in which the carriage assembly 40 may travel. The elongated space 34 preferably permits the carriage assembly 40 to travel a distance that is at least as long as the anticipated length of the prosthetic valve to be delivered (e.g., at least about 50 mm), such that the distal sheath 24 can be fully retracted from around the prosthetic valve. An enlarged bore 35 in the end member 33 is sized to freely and slidingly receive a threaded rod 36 extending from the distal end of the carriage assembly 40, as described below. The enlarged bore 35 has a smooth interior surface and an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the threaded rod 36 (a longitudinal cross-section of the threaded rod positioned inside of the enlarged bore is shown in FIG. 2).
The carriage assembly 40 includes a main body 41 and the threaded rod 36 extending distally therefrom along the longitudinal axis of the frame 30. The threaded rod 36 preferably is longer than the anticipated maximum travel distance of the carriage assembly 40 within the elongated space 34 (e.g., at least about 50 mm), such that the threaded rod 36 does not fully withdraw from the enlarged bore 35 during deployment of the prosthetic valve.
A coupler 60 includes a top member 61 and a bottom member 62 joined to one another so as to define a pair of channels 70 extending longitudinally therebetween, the channels being sized and shaped to slidingly receive the side rails 31 of the frame 30 therethrough. The lateral sides 66 of the coupler 60 may include vertically-extending ridges 67 to facilitate grasping and moving of the coupler. The top member 61 and the bottom member 62 further define a central bore 71 extending longitudinally therebetween and sized to freely and slidingly receive the threaded rod 36 therethrough, as well as a pocket 72 extending vertically therethrough for receiving a deployment actuator 21 in threaded engagement with the threaded rod. The pocket 72 is sized and shaped to receive the deployment actuator 21 with minimal clearance, such that the deployment actuator remains substantially fixed relative to the coupler 60 as it is rotated on the threaded rod 36. That is, rotation of the deployment actuator 21 in one direction (either clockwise or counterclockwise depending on the orientation of the threads on the threaded rod 36) causes the threaded rod 36 to move proximally within the central bore 71, at the same time pushing the carriage assembly 40 proximally through the elongated space 34. Similarly, rotation of the deployment actuator 21 in the opposite direction causes the threaded rod 36 to move distally within the central bore 71, at the same time pulling the carriage assembly distally through the elongated space 34.
The coupler 60 may include a pair of locking members 80 positioned on opposite lateral sides 66 thereof. Each locking member 80 may be slidably received in a socket 73 extending laterally inward from the lateral sides 66 of the coupler 60 to an end surface 68. The locking members 80 are biased laterally outward from the lateral sides 66 by a spring 81 positioned between the inner end of the locking member and the end surface 68 of the socket 73. A pin 83 extending upward from each locking member 80 is sized to be selectively engaged in one of a plurality of notches 37 formed in an inner surface 39 of each side rail 31. The engagement of the pins 83 in the notches 37 locks the coupler 60 and the deployment actuator 21 to the frame 30, so as to permit rotation of the deployment actuator in both directions without translation of same within the space 34. Simultaneously depressing both locking members 80 against the bias of the springs 81 causes the pins 83 to move out of engagement with the notches 37, thereby freeing the coupler 60 and the deployment actuator 21 to move longitudinally relative to the frame 30.
The capability of the deployment actuator 21 to become longitudinally constrained relative to the frame 30 may provide a user with the ability to carefully control movement of the carriage assembly 40 both proximally within the space 34 during a valve deployment operation, and distally within the space 34 during a resheathing operation, as described more fully below. The capability of the deployment actuator 21 to freely move longitudinally relative to the frame 30 enables gross movement of the carriage assembly 40 proximally or distally within the space 34 without the mechanical advantage provided by the deployment actuator. Such movement is not easily controllable, but rather is subject to the "touch and feel" of the user.
The carriage assembly 40 may include a resheathing lock adapted to limit the longitudinal movement of the carriage assembly within the outer frame 30, thereby preventing a user from completing the deployment of a prosthetic valve when unintended. The resheathing lock includes a control member 50 that is longitudinally slidable in a slot 46 between a distal position (shown in FIG. 1) and a proximal position (not shown).
The control member 50 is operatively coupled to a pin 51 that projects laterally through an aperture 48 in the main body 41 of the carriage assembly 40. With the carriage assembly 40 in its initial position (shown in FIG. 1), the aperture 48 may be aligned with the distal end 38′ of a longitudinally extending slot 38 in the side rail 31 of the frame 30, or the aperture may be aligned with another location within the slot (e.g., in FIG. 2, the aperture is aligned with a location near the center of the slot). When the control member 50 is in its distalmost position (shown in FIG. 1), the pin 51 will extend through the aperture 48 and into the slot 38. Such condition will enable the carriage assembly 40 to move longitudinally within the frame 30 between an initial position at which the distal end of the carriage assembly contacts the coupler 60 and a position at which the pin 51 contacts a stop member 52 that is longitudinally adjustable within the slot, as discussed below. In the initial position, the pin 51 may contact the distal end 38′ of the slot 38 or may be spaced therefrom by a predetermined distance. Movement of the control member 50 proximally causes the pin 51 to move laterally inward until the pin is no longer engaged in the slot 38. This action thus frees the carriage assembly 40 for further proximal movement relative to the frame 30, thereby permitting full deployment of a prosthetic valve from the compartment 23.
While essentially any mechanism usable for controlling lateral retraction of a pin can be used to operatively couple the control member 50 to the pin 51 described herein, example cam-based mechanisms that can be employed are discussed in greater detail in co-pending U.S. Patent Application No. 61/376,425, filed on Aug. 24, 2010, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
An initial distance D1 that the carriage assembly 40 can travel before being limited by the stop member 52 may be adjustable. That is, the stop member 52 may be fixed to the side rail 31 of the frame 30 by screws 53 extending through a longitudinally extending slot 54 in the side rail. By loosening the screws 53, the stop member 52 may be slid proximally or distally within slot 38 to a desired position, at which the screws may be retightened to lock the stop member in place.
The initial distance D1 that the carriage assembly 40 can travel before being limited by the stop member 52 may depend on the structure of the particular prosthetic valve to be deployed. Preferably, the initial travel distance D1 of the carriage assembly 40 is about 3 mm to about 5 mm less than the crimped valve length. Alternatively, the initial travel distance D1 of the carriage assembly 40 may be about 40 mm to about 45 mm, which is about 80% to about 90% of the length of an exemplary 50 mm valve. In other arrangements, the initial distance D1 that the carriage assembly 40 can travel can be determined as a percentage of the length of the prosthetic valve and/or the compartment 23, including, for example, 50%, 60%, 70%, 75%, 85%, or 95%.
Referring now to FIG. 3, the proximal end member 32 of the frame 30 has an inside frame wall 90 that defines the proximal end of the elongated space 34, and an outside frame wall 91 that defines the proximal end 12 of the delivery device 10. The proximal end member 32 includes a central bore 92 extending longitudinally therethrough between the inside frame wall 90 and the outside frame wall 91 and sized to freely and slidingly receive a threaded rod 94 therethrough. A pocket 93 extends vertically through the proximal end member 32 for receiving a shaft adjustment nut 99 in threaded engagement with the threaded rod 94. The pocket 93 is sized and shaped to receive the shaft adjustment nut 99 with minimal clearance, such that the shaft adjustment nut remains substantially fixed relative to the frame 30 as it rotates on the threaded rod 94. Accordingly, rotation of the shaft adjustment nut 99 in one direction (either clockwise or counterclockwise depending on the orientation of the threads on the threaded rod 94) causes the threaded rod 94 to move proximally within the central bore 92, and rotation of the shaft adjustment nut 99 in the opposite direction causes the threaded rod 94 to move distally within the central bore 92.
The threaded rod 94 has an interior bore 95 extending longitudinally therethrough. A distal portion 96 of the bore 95 has an inner diameter equal to or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the inner shaft 26. A proximal portion 97 of the bore 95 has an inner diameter equal to or slightly larger than a hub 19 fixed to the proximal end of the inner shaft 26. An annular rib 29 extending around the inner shaft 26 may be captured within an annular groove 98 formed in the distal portion 96 of the bore 95 to fix the inner shaft 26 longitudinally to the threaded rod 94. As a result, as the threaded rod 94 moves longitudinally upon rotation of the shaft adjustment nut 99, the inner shaft 26 will move longitudinally along with it.
The operation of the present invention to deploy a prosthetic valve will now be described. To load the delivery device 10 with a collapsible prosthetic valve, a user can retract the distal sheath 24 to expose the compartment 23, place the valve around the inner shaft 26, couple the proximal end of the valve to the retainer 25, compresses or crimp the valve, and slide the distal sheath 24 over the compartment, which holds the valve in a compressed state. In this starting condition, the handle 20 will be in an initial state with the carriage assembly 40 at its distalmost position within the frame 30, the resheathing lock will be in its locked position to prevent full deployment, and the coupler 60 will be at its distalmost position within the frame.
To use the operating handle 20 to deploy a prosthetic valve that has been compressed and inserted in the compartment 23 and covered by the distal sheath 24, a user may rotate the deployment actuator 21, causing the carriage assembly 40 to slide proximally within the elongated space 34 in the frame 30. Because the distal sheath 24 is affixed to the outer shaft 22, which in turn is affixed to the carriage assembly 40, and because the inner shaft 26 is fixed to the frame 30 (although the longitudinal position of the inner shaft relative to the frame can be adjusted, as described above), sliding the carriage assembly proximally relative to the frame will retract the distal sheath proximally from the compartment 23, thereby exposing and initiating deployment of the valve located therein.
It will be appreciated that the user may initiate the deployment process without use of the deployment actuator 21 by simply squeezing the locking members 80 inwardly towards one another to release the coupler 60, and simultaneously pulling the coupler proximally within the frame 30. As the coupler 60 is pulled proximally within the frame 30, the linking of the coupler to the carriage assembly 40 through the threaded rod 36 and the deployment actuator 21 results in a concomitant proximal movement of the carriage assembly. Such action requires significant pulling force in order to overcome the frictional forces acting on the outer shaft 22 and the distal sheath 24. For that reason, the use of the deployment actuator 21 to begin retracting the distal sheath 24 is preferred since such use provides the user with a mechanical advantage to overcome the aforementioned frictional forces, thereby providing the user with much greater control of the deployment process.
After the distal sheath 24 has been partially retracted from the compartment 23, the portion of the prosthetic valve that includes tissue may be fully exposed, so that the frictional forces acting between the valve and the distal sheath are greatly reduced. At this point, it is preferred that the user continue the deployment process without use of the deployment actuator 21 by squeezing the locking members 80 inwardly towards one another while pulling the coupler 60 and the carriage assembly 40 proximally within the frame 30. Although the user will not have a mechanical advantage without using the deployment actuator 21 to move the carriage assembly 40 proximally, continuing the deployment process while squeezing the locking members 80 may allow such process to be completed more quickly.
In any event, since the resheathing lock is in the locked position, movement of the carriage assembly 40 proximally may continue only until the pin 55 contacts the stop member 52. At this point, the distal sheath 24 will not be fully withdrawn from the compartment 23, and the prosthetic valve will not be fully deployed.
When the deployment procedure has reached this juncture, the user can evaluate the position of the valve and determine whether the annulus end of the valve is properly aligned relative to the patient's aortic annulus. If repositioning is desired, the user may resheathe the valve by rotating the deployment actuator 21 in the direction opposite that used for deployment. Such rotation will cause the threaded rod 36 to progress distally through the deployment actuator 21 until the carriage assembly 40 has reached the starting condition shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, thereby moving the distal sheath 24 distally over the compartment 23 and the partially deployed valve and recollapsing the expanded part of the valve. With the valve resheathed, the user can reposition the delivery device 10 and commence the deployment procedure once again.
If, during deployment, the coupler 60 has been moved proximally away from the distal end member 33 of the frame 30, it will be appreciated that the user may partially or fully resheathe the valve without use of the deployment actuator 21 by simply squeezing the locking members 80 inwardly towards one another to release the coupler 60, and simultaneously pushing the coupler distally within the frame 30. As the coupler 60 is pushed distally within frame 30, the linking of the coupler to the carriage assembly results in a concomitant distal movement of the carriage assembly. Such action requires significant pushing force in order to overcome the frictional forces acting on the outer shaft 22 and the distal sheath 24, as well as the resilient forces which expand the stent portion of the valve. For that reason, the use of the deployment actuator 21 to replace the distal sheath 24 over the compartment 23 is preferred since such use provides the user with a mechanical advantage to overcome the aforementioned forces.
If, during deployment, the user has partially deployed and then resheathed the valve, the outer shaft 22 and/or the inner shaft 26 may have become temporarily or permanently deformed, such that the respective distal ends thereof may be longitudinally displaced relative to one another. During resheathing, the aforementioned frictional forces will tend to longitudinally compress the outer shaft 22 and stretch the inner shaft 26, for example, by a total length distributed between the inner and outer shafts of about 3 mm to about 10 mm. Such permanent deformation of these components may result in an inability of the distal sheath 24 to completely cover the compartment 23 such that the distal end 27 of the distal sheath may not extend far enough to abut the distal tip 14.
To adjust the relative longitudinal positions of the distal tip 14 and the distal sheath 24, the user may rotate the shaft adjustment nut 99, causing the threaded rod 94 and the inner shaft 26 affixed thereto to slide proximally relative to the frame 30. Because the distal sheath 24 is connected to the outer shaft 22 which, in turn, is connected to the inner carriage 40 and thus fixed relative to the frame 30, and because the distal tip 14 is connected to the inner shaft 26, sliding the inner shaft proximally relative to the frame will slide the distal tip proximally relative to the distal sheath, which may continue until the distal tip contacts the distal end 27 of the distal sheath and the compartment 23 is completely covered.
Once the valve has been properly positioned relative to the aortic annulus, the user may complete the deployment process. To do so, the user slides the control member 50 of the resheathing lock from the locked position to the unlocked position, thereby retracting the pin 51 so that the carriage assembly 40 is free to continue its movement proximally beyond the stop member 52. The user can continue to slide the carriage assembly 40 proximally to complete the deployment of the valve by rotating the deployment actuator 21 or by squeezing the locking members 80 inwardly towards one another while grasping the coupler 60 and pulling same proximally within the frame 30. When the valve is unsheathed, the stent portion of the valve self-expands and is disengaged from the retainer 25, thereby releasing the valve from the catheter assembly 16.
Referring now to FIG. 4, an exemplary transapical delivery device 110 for a collapsible prosthetic heart valve (or other types of self-expanding collapsible stents) has a catheter assembly 116 for delivering the heart valve to and deploying the heart valve at a target location, and an operating handle 120 for controlling deployment of the valve from the catheter assembly. The delivery device 110 extends from a proximal end 112 to a distal tip 114. The catheter assembly 116 is adapted to receive a collapsible prosthetic heart valve (not shown) in a compartment 123 defined around a tubular support shaft 121 and covered by a distal sheath 124.
The support shaft 121 extends between a pair of spaced retainers 125 and 127 affixed thereto and defining the ends of the compartment 123. A collapsible prosthetic valve may be assembled around the support shaft 121 and between the retainers 125 and 127 in the compartment 123.
The distal sheath 124 surrounds the support shaft 121 and is slidable relative to the support shaft such that it can selectively cover or uncover the compartment 123. The distal sheath 124 is affixed at its distal end to the distal tip 114, and its proximal end 129 abuts the retainer 127 when the distal sheath is fully covering the compartment 123, as shown in FIG. 4. The proximal end 129 of the distal sheath 124 is spaced apart from the retainer 127 when the compartment 123 is at least partially uncovered.
The delivery device further includes an outer shaft 122, the proximal end of which is connected to the operating handle 120, and the distal end of which is connected to the retainer 127. An inner shaft 126 extends through the operating handle 120 and the support shaft 121 to the distal tip 114. The connection of the distal sheath 124 to the distal tip 114 thus enables the inner shaft 126 to control the movement of the distal sheath both proximally and distally.
The operating handle 120 is adapted to control deployment of a prosthetic valve located in the compartment 123 by permitting a user to selectively slide the inner shaft 126 and the attached distal sheath 124 distally or proximally relative to the support shaft 121, thereby respectively uncovering or covering the compartment with the distal sheath. The proximal end of the outer shaft 122 is connected to an outer frame 130 of the operating handle 120, and the proximal end of the inner shaft 126 is connected to a carriage assembly 140 of the operating handle that is slidable along a longitudinal axis of the frame (although the longitudinal position of the inner shaft relative to the carriage assembly can be adjusted, as described below), such that a user can selectively slide the inner shaft relative to the outer shaft by sliding the carriage assembly relative to the frame. A hemostasis valve 128 provides an internal gasket adapted to create a seal between the inner shaft 126 and the proximal end of the outer shaft 122. The strength of this seal may be adjusted by a gasket adjustment wheel 142 that functions in substantially the same manner as the adjustment wheel 42 described above.
The frame 130 includes a pair of side rails 131 joined at the proximal end 112 by an end member 132 and joined at the distal end by an end member 133. Collectively, the side rails 131, the end member 132, and the end member 133 define an elongated space 134 in the frame 130 in which the carriage assembly 140 may travel. An enlarged bore 135 in the proximal end member 132 is sized to freely and slidingly receive a threaded rod (not shown in FIG. 4) extending from the proximal end of the carriage assembly 140, as described below. The carriage assembly 140 includes a main body 141 and the threaded rod extending proximally therefrom along the longitudinal axis of the frame 130.
A coupler 160 may be configured in much the same manner as the coupler 60 described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, and the locking members 180 included in the coupler 160 may have the same structure and function as the locking members 80 described above. That is, the locking members 180 may each include a pin (not shown) that cooperates with the notches 137 formed on an inner surface 139 of each side rail 131 to lock the coupler 160 in a fixed longitudinal position relative to the frame 130. However, the coupler 160 is slidably engaged with the side rails 131 proximally of the carriage assembly 140 and distally of the proximal end member 132. A deployment actuator 121 located within a pocket 172 in the coupler 160 is threadedly engaged with the threaded rod extending from the carriage assembly 140. Rotation of the deployment actuator 121 in one direction (either clockwise or counterclockwise depending on the orientation of the threads on the threaded rod of the carriage assembly 140) causes the threaded rod to move proximally within a central bore 171 of the coupler 160, at the same time pulling the carriage assembly 140 proximally toward the proximal end member 132. Similarly, rotation of the deployment actuator 121 in the opposite direction causes the threaded rod of the carriage assembly 140 to move distally within the central bore 171, at the same time pushing the carriage assembly distally through the elongated space 134.
The operating handle 120 may also include a resheathing lock mechanism for preventing the user from accidentally completing the deployment of a valve located in the compartment 123. The resheathing lock mechanism may include a resheathing lock member 155 that projects through the side rail 131 of the frame 130 and into the elongated space 134 so as to obstruct the path of travel of the carriage assembly 140 in the distal direction. As such, the resheathing lock member 155 defines the initial distance that the carriage assembly 140 may travel before full deployment of the valve occurs. The resheathing lock member 155 may be moved to an unlocked position by retracting the lock member by a sufficient amount that it no longer protrudes into the space 134. With the resheathing lock member 155 in the unlocked position, the carriage assembly 140 may continue to move distally, thereby allowing for full deployment of the valve. Optionally, the locking member 155 may be designed to be fully removable from the frame 130 and disposable. Alternatively, the resheathing lock mechanism shown and described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, or any other resheathing lock mechanism having an appropriate configuration, may be incorporated into the operating handle 120 in place of the resheathing lock member 155.
The carriage assembly 140 has a longitudinal bore 192 extending partially therethrough and sized to freely and slidingly receive a threaded rod 194 therethrough. A pocket 193 extends vertically through the carriage assembly 140 for receiving a shaft adjustment nut 199 in threaded engagement with the threaded rod 194. The pocket 193 is sized and shaped to receive the shaft adjustment nut 199 with minimal clearance, such that the shaft adjustment nut remains substantially fixed relative to the frame 130 as it rotates on the threaded rod 194. Accordingly, rotation of the shaft adjustment nut 199 in one direction (either clockwise or counterclockwise depending on the orientation of the threads on the threaded rod 194) causes the threaded rod 194 to move proximally within the bore 192, and rotation of the shaft adjustment nut 199 in the opposite direction causes the threaded rod 194 to move distally within the bore 192. The threaded rod 194 has an interior bore extending longitudinally therethrough, the bore being sized to receive the proximal end of the inner shaft 126. The attachment of the inner shaft 126 to the threaded rod 194 includes similar structure as the attachment of the inner shaft 26 to the threaded rod 94 described above.
The operation of the operating handle 120 to deploy a prosthetic valve from the compartment 123 is similar to the operation of the operating handle 20 described above with reference to FIGS. 1-3. The user can rotate the deployment actuator 121 to slide the carriage assembly 140 distally within the elongated space 134 in the frame 130, which thereby pushes the distal sheath 124 distally relative to the compartment 123 and exposes and initiates deployment of the valve located therein.
After movement of the distal sheath 124 has partially revealed the compartment 123, the user may continue the deployment process without use of the deployment actuator 121 by squeezing the locking members 180 inwardly towards one another to release the coupler 160, and simultaneously pushing the coupler distally within the frame 130. As the coupler 160 is pushed distally within the frame 130, the linking of the coupler to the carriage assembly 140 through the threaded rod (not shown) and the deployment actuator 121 results in a concomitant distal movement of the carriage assembly, and with it, the distal sheath 124. Similar to the deployment process described above with reference to the operating handle 20, completing the deployment process while squeezing the locking members 180 may allow such process to be completed more quickly.
Since the resheathing lock member 155 is in the locked position, movement of the carriage assembly 140 distally may continue only until the distal end of the carriage assembly contacts the lock member. At this juncture, the distal sheath 124 will not be fully withdrawn from the compartment 123, and the prosthetic valve will not be fully deployed. Therefore, if the user desires to resheathe and reposition the valve before full deployment, the user can do so by rotating the deployment actuator 121 in the direction opposite that used for deployment until the carriage assembly 140 contacts the coupler 160.
If, during deployment, the user has partially deployed and then resheathed the valve, the outer shaft 122 and/or the inner shaft 126 may have become temporarily or permanently deformed, such that the respective distal ends thereof may be longitudinally displaced relative to one another. Such permanent deformation of these components may result in an inability of the distal sheath 124 to completely cover the compartment 123 such that the proximal end 129 of the distal sheath may not extend far enough to abut the retainer 127.
To adjust the relative longitudinal positions of the retainer 127 and the distal sheath 124, the user may rotate the shaft adjustment nut 199, causing the threaded rod 194 and the inner shaft 126 affixed thereto to slide proximally relative to the inner carriage 140. Because the distal sheath 124 is connected to the inner shaft 126 which, in turn, is connected to the inner carriage 140 and thus fixed relative to the frame 130, and because the retainer 127 is connected to the outer shaft 122 which is connected to the frame 130, sliding the inner shaft proximally relative to the frame will slide the distal sheath proximally relative to the retainer 127, which may continue until the proximal end 129 of the distal sheath contacts the retainer and the compartment 123 is completely covered.
Once the valve has been properly positioned, the deployment operation may be completed by withdrawing the resheathing lock member 155 to the unlocked position and moving the carriage assembly 140 further distally until the valve is fully deployed.
The operating handles described herein may be provided with a deployment locking mechanism. Such a deployment locking mechanism may prevent the accidental initiation of deployment by fixing the carriage assembly to the frame while the lock is in a locked position. Such a deployment lock may have a structure similar to the deployment locks shown and described in co-pending U.S. Patent Application No. 61/376,425, filed on Aug. 24, 2010.
Although the operating handles have been described herein as having one resheathing lock, any number of resheathing locks may be used, with or without a deployment lock, resulting in any number of stages in the deployment process. For example, there may be two, three, four, five, six or more resheathing locks, which thus enable the deployment procedure to be controlled incrementally. Such multiple resheathing locks may have a structure similar to the resheathing locks shown and described in co-pending U.S. Patent Application No. 61/376,425, filed on Aug. 24, 2010.
If the user desires a three-stage deployment process, on the other hand, a single resheathing lock may be used with a deployment lock, resulting in a first deployment stage in which no deployment can occur, a second deployment stage in which, for example, about 80% to about 90% of the valve is unsheathed, and a third deployment stage in which the remaining about 10% to about 20% of the valve is unsheathed.
wherein movement of the carriage assembly in the longitudinal direction in the movement space moves the distal sheath between the closed condition and the open condition.
2. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the coupler includes a releasable pin and the frame has a plurality of fixed notches, the pin being engageable in one of the notches to lock the coupler to the frame.
3. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the coupler is selectively lockable to the frame in positions that correspond to positions of the distal sheath between the closed condition and the open condition.
4. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the operating handle further includes a threaded rod extending from the carriage assembly through the coupler, the deployment actuator being threadedly engaged with the threaded rod, such that rotation of the deployment actuator moves the threaded rod in the longitudinal direction in the movement space.
5. The delivery device of claim 4, wherein rotation of the deployment actuator in a first direction moves the carriage assembly proximally in the longitudinal direction in the movement space, and rotation of the deployment actuator in a second direction opposite the first direction moves the carriage assembly distally in the longitudinal direction in the movement space.
6. The delivery device of claim 1, further comprising a latch mechanism adapted to releasably fix the coupler relative to the frame at any of a plurality of longitudinal positions in the movement space.
7. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the operating handle further includes a resheathing lock having a locked position and an unlocked position, the resheathing lock in the locked position limiting movement of the carriage assembly in the longitudinal direction to a stop position in the movement space, and the resheathing lock in the unlocked position permitting movement of the carriage assembly beyond the stop position, wherein movement of the carriage assembly to the stop position moves the distal sheath to a condition between the closed condition and the open condition so that the valve is not fully deployed.
8. The delivery device of claim 7, wherein the frame includes a slot and the resheathing lock includes a retractable pin that is engaged in the slot when the resheathing lock is in the locked position, and a stop member located within the slot defines the stop position.
9. The delivery device of claim 8, wherein the stop member is longitudinally moveable within the slot, such that movement of the stop member changes the location of the stop position relative to the frame.
10. The delivery device of claim 7, wherein the compartment has a first length and the stop position in the movement space corresponds to a travel distance of the carriage assembly, the travel distance being less than the first length.
11. The delivery device of claim 10, wherein the collapsible prosthetic heart valve has a second length and the travel distance is between about 80% and about 90% of the second length.
12. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the catheter assembly further includes an outer shaft connecting the carriage assembly to the distal sheath and at least partially surrounding the first shaft.
13. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the operating handle further includes a mechanism adapted to move the first shaft proximally relative to the frame.
14. The delivery device of claim 13, wherein the mechanism includes a threaded rod operatively connected to the first shaft and extending in the longitudinal direction, and a nut threadedly engaged with the threaded rod and longitudinally constrained relative to the frame.
15. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the catheter assembly further includes an inner shaft connecting the carriage assembly to the distal sheath, the first shaft at least partially surrounding the inner shaft, and an outer shaft connecting the frame to the first shaft and at least partially surrounding the inner shaft.
16. The delivery device of claim 15, wherein the operating handle further includes a mechanism adapted to move the inner shaft proximally relative to the carriage assembly.
17. The delivery device of claim 16, wherein the mechanism includes a threaded rod operatively connected to the inner shaft and extending in the longitudinal direction, and a nut threadedly engaged with the threaded rod and longitudinally constrained relative to the carriage assembly.
Australian Examination Report for Application No. 2011293898 dated Jul. 26, 2013.
Commonly owned co-pending U.S. Appl. No. 13/212,442, filed Aug. 18, 2011.
Commonly owned co-pending U.S. Appl. No. 13/216,124, filed Aug. 23, 2011.
Commonly owned co-pending U.S. Appl. No. 13/788,820, filed Mar. 7, 2013.
International Search Report and Written Opinion for Application No. PCT/US2011/001615 dated Jul. 11, 2012.
International Search Report and Written Opinion for Application No. PCT/US2013/039407 dated Feb. 10, 2014.
International Search Report Application No. PCT/US2011/048963, dated Dec. 15, 2011.
International Search Report Application No. PCT/US2011/048967, dated Dec. 15, 2011.
International Search Report Application No. PCT/US2011/048989, dated Dec. 15, 2011.
International Search Report for Application No. PCT/US2011/001450 dated Mar. 5, 2012.
International Search Report for Application No. PCT/US2011/001597 dated Mar. 7, 2012.


text:
Q: Why does emplace_back("Hello") call strlen? Justin's answer on another question made an observation that I find very interesting but can't quite explain. Consider the following code:
std::vector<std::string> v;
v.push_back("Hello, world!");  // Doesn't call strlen.
v.emplace_back("Hello, world!");  // Calls strlen.

If you look at the assembly, emplace_back generates a call to strlen, whereas push_back does not (tested in gcc 8.1 and clang 6.0 using -Ofast).
Why is this happening? Why can't emplace_back optimize out the strlen call here? My initial thought was that push_back is implicitly creating the std::string before the function call (so the std::string constructor is directly passed the string literal, which is optimally handled), whereas emplace_back creates the std::string after the function call (so the std::string constructor is forwarded the string literal, which I presumed had decayed from a const char [N] to a const char *, thus requiring a strlen call).
But emplace_back takes a T&& parameter, and my tests show that the string literal shouldn't be decaying to a pointer here. Clearly I'm overlooking something.

A: The strlen call is in the out-of-line function body for the slow path; that function body must be valid for all arguments of type const char (&)[42] (in your godbolt example), including arguments that did not originate from a string literal of 41 characters with no embedded nulls.
The fast path is inlined into foo, and it does compute the length at compile time.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


This year Canada is commemorating it's 150th anniversary. But for indigenous people there's nothing to celebrate and have called for nationwide actions.
In honour of Art Manuel and the integrity with which he always began with the land and honoured the grassroots people, the #Unsettling150 crew are proud to launch this video filled with Art's words, read by his daughter Kanahus Manuel, to launch the final lead-up to the national day of action, education, and reflection.


Elizabethton High School Key Club recently attended the Kentucky-Tennessee District Convention where they received both individual and club awards. EHS Key Club faculty advisors are Andrea Payne and Denise Hilton. EHS Key Club and Unaka High School Key Club are Service Leadership Programs of Kiwanis Club of Elizabethton. We're extremely proud of their accomplishments!


text:
Home > Social Media > oprah winfrey
Oprah Winfrey Issues Warning About Social Media Scams In Her Name
By Victoria Miller
Dec. 23 2017, Updated 10:19 a.m. ET
Oprah Winfrey wants her fans to know that she is not behind a social media campaign that is offering money to sign up for an OWN account on Instagram. Winfrey took to her own Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook pages to set the record straight about a recent financial scam that uses her OWN/Oprah Winfrey Network name and avatar to lure her millions of social media followers into sending money to open accounts with the promise of monetary Christmas rewards.
First for Womenposted screenshots of a post for a now-defunct Instagram account named @own_Christmas, which promised a $5,000 prize to the first 100,000 followers. The plea even came with a screenshot of what appeared to be Oprah Winfrey's Twitter page offering the same deal, complete with a blue "verified" checkmark which made it seem as though it was the official account of the media mogul. Other phony sites popped up with posts claiming Oprah had teamed up with longtime pal Tyler Perry for a Christmas giveaway.
Oprah Winfrey's followers were first alerted about the scam on the OWN Twitter page, with a post that read: "Please be aware that social media accounts promising money using OWN and/or Oprah Winfrey's name are false. We have notified the social media platforms who are working diligently to deactivate these accounts."
Oprah then posted a video to social media herself to explain the situation. Winfrey told fans that imposters have been asking people to send money in order to open OWN accounts on Instagram.
"It's a fraud," Winfrey said in the video.
"Don't believe it. Don't give up any of your bank accounts or personal information to anybody posing as me, or anyone else, for that matter. And, have a merry Christmas."
You can see Oprah Winfrey's message to her fans in the video below.
Fraud alert! pic.twitter.com/WACnDs04Bc
— Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) December 21, 2017
Oprah Winfrey is known for her Christmas giveaways—for years she hosted a "Favorite Things" episode on The Oprah Winfrey Show in which she doled out everything from popcorn to pajamas to Pontiac cars to her entire studio audience. But the OWN head honcho has made it clear that she is not handing out cash to get social media followers—and probably never will.
'It's a fraud, it's a fraud, it's a fraud,' @Oprah sings to warn followers about an internet scam https://t.co/c7ye55BejJ pic.twitter.com/tQHb1Zgf6C
— Variety (@Variety) December 23, 2017
Oprah Winfrey has had personal experience with scammers. In 2001, the talk show queen was targeted by an online scammer who cooked up a scheme to steal millions from wealthy celebrities including Oprah, Steven Spielberg, and Martha Stewart. The scammer, Abraham Abdallah, used technology and other techniques to steal the Social Security numbers, addresses, and birth dates of 200 wealthy stars and executives, as well as more than 400 credit card numbers. Abdallah was charged with criminal impersonation, forgery, and fraud, according to CBS News.
Latest oprah winfrey News and Updates

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
from django.conf.urls import patterns, url

urlpatterns = patterns(
    'dnd.mobile.index.views',

    # index
    url(
        r'^$',
        'index_mobile',
        name='index_mobile',
    ),
)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Even after 26 years, the shock waves caused by the breakaway of the "Gang of Four" from the Labour Party continue to reverberate.
It was a seismic event in modern political history. At its heart was David Owen, one of the party's very brightest stars who, aged just 38, had already been foreign secretary.
The breakaway by four former Cabinet ministers - and subsequent formation of the Social Democratic Party, or SDP - was said at the time to have "broken the mould" of British politics. In the eyes of those who stayed behind in a deeply divided, hugely unpopular party, the Gang of Four were traitors who helped to condemn Labour to 16 more years in the wilderness.
For these reasons, Gordon Brown's private chat with Lord Owen is perhaps even more surprising than that with Lady Thatcher, who was invited for tea at Number 10 in the Prime Minister's much-publicised coup of last week. To this day, many Labour MPs and activists narrow their eyes whenever Lord Owen's name is mentioned. For he and Mr Brown to hold talks that could lead to his re-embracing of Labour is little short of extraordinary.
In 1981, two years after Margaret Thatcher had been elected prime minister, the Labour Party under Michael Foot made a series of lurches to the Left, including a pledge to withdraw Britain from the European Union (then the European Economic Community), yield more power to the trade unions and lend more backing to unilateral nuclear disarmament. Early in the year Dr Owen, as he was then, and three other big-hitting Labour "moderates", Roy Jenkins, Shirley Williams and Bill Rodgers, announced their breakaway move.
The Gang of Four was joined by 28 other Labour MPs - a sizeable chunk of the parliamentary party - and one Conservative MP. In 1981 the new party entered into an electoral pact with the Liberal Party, scoring notable by--election victories and winning 25 per cent of the vote in the 1983 general election, splitting the anti-Tory vote and ensuring Mrs Thatcher's landslide victory. In 1987 the Alliance, as it was then known, won 23 per cent of the vote.
Bitter splits followed, however, on plans for a full merger with the Liberals. While Lord Jenkins, Lady Williams and Lord Rodgers went on to join what was to become the Liberal Democrats, Lord Owen, by now satirised as "Dr Death" and portrayed as Dracula in Spitting Image on television, remained leader of a "rump" SDP with only three MPs. It was wound up in 1990.
In the next seven years, Lord Owen stoked Labour's ire by continuing on his rightward political journey, even flirting with joining the Conservative Cabinet. In June 1990 Mrs Thatcher said the Tory party was Lord Owen's "natural home". In 1992 John Major appointed him to a key European Union position on former Yugoslavia. In the general election that year, Lord Owen advised voters to back the Lib Dems where they had a chance of winning and elsewhere to vote Conservative to stop Neil Kinnock from becoming prime minister.
After Labour's landslide win, Tony Blair made efforts to mend the rift with the Gang of Four - most notably with Lord Jenkins. Mr Brown continued that process by offering Lady Williams an advisory role. However, both Lord Jenkins, until his death in 2003, and Lady Williams remained members of the Liberal Democrats, as does Lord Rodgers. Lord Owen sits as a crossbencher - without party affiliation - in the House of Lords. He became one of Mr Blair's fiercest critics over the Iraq war, led a campaign against membership of the euro monetary zone and even accused Mr Blair of covering up the full extent of his heart condition.
This weekend, however, after tea and sympathy at Number 10, there are the first signs that Lord Owen's great political journey will see him coming home to Labour. "I'm still a social democrat," he told The Sunday Telegraph. Asked if he would support Labour under Mr Brown at the general election, he conspicuously refused to rule it out, claiming: "If an election comes I will have to decide. I'm not going to be drawn now."
Lord Owen could become the most striking recruit yet for Mr Brown - a walking symbol of the bitterness that sparked civil war in his party and kept it out of power for a generation. If the Prime Minister succeeds, and if his party lets him, it will represent a breathtaking political coup.


2018 is the 300th anniversary of the mysterious death of King Charles XII of Sweden. At the age of 18, he marched off to war against Denmark, Saxony, Poland, and Russia�never to return. He staved off the destruction of his kingdom for almost 20 years through sheer force of will, but did the ravages of war lead to regicide? Come and learn about the king�s life and exploits and see artifacts from the period as well as a full Swedish infantry uniform.


It just arrived on our lot this past week! The engine breathes better thanks to a turbocharger, improving both performance and economy. With less than 30,000 miles on the odometer, this 4 door sport utility vehicle prioritizes comfort, safety and convenience. Ford prioritized fit and finish as evidenced by: heated seats, a power rear cargo door, and a blind spot monitoring system.


Beautiful Toll Brothers Inspirada Home with Immaculate View of the Strip!! Trendy Tile Flooring Throughout the Main Living Area of the Home Right in to the Upgraded Kitchen with Quartz Counter Tops and Stainless Steel Appliances! There is even 3 Stacking Doors that go out to the Back Yard! There are 2 Pavered, Covered Patios in the Back and a Sparkling Pool/Spa Combo that all Overlooks the Strip with No Obstructions! You Won't Want to Miss This!


Four tips to maximize HALLS sales from Fulcrum Media on Vimeo.
Watch this two-minute video and see how planograms can help build sales in your store!
Think of any positive shopping experience you've had. Its success was likely a result of how easily you found what you were looking for and how long it took to make the purchase.
This may seem like retailing 101, but being efficient is an increasingly difficult task in the convenience-gas channel, where customers are extremely time-pressed, and new SKUs constantly flood the market. But one key merchandising tool offers retailers a surefire way to simplify the in-store environment: planograms.
"Space is becoming an issue with the introduction of more and more new products, and efficiently managing space is necessary to accommodate them," says Elisabeta Catana, category advisor for customer insights in the convenience, gas and wholesale channel for Mondelēz Canada.
Simplify the shop by blocking your shelf by category, brand, format, and flavour when applicable, so your customers always know where to look and can find their favourite brands and SKUs without hesitation.
Also ensure your bestselling SKUs take top priority in your planogram, with the most shelf space and prime placement on shelf and/or close proximity to cash.
"An effective planogram should help maximize the 'shopability' of the section, which in turn will meet more consumer demand, and enhance basket size and customer loyalty," says Catana, adding that retailers should also never lose sight of other basics like excellent customer service and a clean store.
Innovation is a major traffic driver in the c-gas channel, so keep bringing in new SKUs to create excitement. Remember, though, that your bestsellers contribute to 80-90 percent of your sales.
Retailers should rely on their supplier and full-service distributor reps for up-to-date planograms, along with any other information about trends that will help them determine the best assortment for their customers.
Source: Nielsen MarketTrack, National C&G, L52 weeks, period ending Dec. 29, 2012.
How can you make the most of this category?
1. Promote trade-up. House king and family SKUs on the top shelf to encourage trade-up from singles.
2. Create a pattern. Brand block vertically, then horizontally to keep singles, king and brand extensions together on the shelf.
3. Emphasize bestsellers. Merchandise your core SKUs higher on the rack or closest to the cash.
4. Reel them in. Use flex space to highlight innovation, and use POS materials to draw attention to these exciting new SKUs.
1. Offer variety. Bestsellers are key (the top 20 SKUs drive 54% of sales), but assortment is also critical to engage a broader consumer base.
2. Expand with candy. Save space on the bottom shelf for candy singles to provide consumers with more confectionery options.
3. Send in reinforcements. Double face top-selling SKUs to reduce the risk of out-of-stocks.
1. Prioritize singles. Make room for a large variety of singles SKUs to ensure customers always have access to the wide assortment they want.
2. Track success. Allocate more space to categories and SKUs that perform best in your store.
3. Meet expectations. Block by category, placing each segment where consumers know to look (for example, cough should be on the top shelf).
4. Group gum SKUs. Block gum by format, brand and flavours to simplify the shopping experience.


The UAF Human Achievement Award is available to first - time freshmen and transfer students at University of Alaska, Fairbanks. You must demonstrate a record of volunteer service to a community, non - profit organization(s), or special interest group; as well as a commitment to high academic standards to be considered for this award. You must also have a minimum 2.5 GPA and a 18 ACT / 1290 SAT score.


text:
What are 3 symptoms of social anxiety?
What are 3 symptoms of social anxiety? Intense fear of interacting or talking with strangers. Fear that others will notice that you look anxious. Fear of physical symptoms that may cause you embarrassment, such as blushing, sweating, trembling or having a shaky voice. Avoidance of doing things or speaking to people out of fear of embarrassment.
What triggers social anxiety? It can be linked to a history of abuse, bullying, or teasing. Shy kids are also more likely to become socially anxious adults, as are children with overbearing or controlling parents. If you develop a health condition that draws attention to your appearance or voice, that could trigger social anxiety, too.
How do you know you have social anxiety? always worry about doing something you think is embarrassing, such as blushing, sweating or appearing incompetent. find it difficult to do things when others are watching – you may feel like you're being watched and judged all the time. fear being criticised, avoid eye contact or have low self-esteem.
What social anxiety disorder feels like? A person with social anxiety disorder feels symptoms of anxiety or fear in situations where they may be scrutinized, evaluated, or judged by others, such as speaking in public, meeting new people, dating, being on a job interview, answering a question in class, or having to talk to a cashier in a store.
What are 3 symptoms of social anxiety? – Additional Questions
Does social anxiety go away?
It's a common problem that usually starts during the teenage years. It can be very distressing and have a big impact on your life. For some people it gets better as they get older. But for many people it does not go away on its own without treatment.
Read: What is social responsibility for designers?
Do I have social anxiety or am I just shy?
Someone with social anxiety may feel extremely nervous in social situations, but present as extroverted and confident. Other people might not even be able to detect their anxiety. Shyness tends to be more apparent, although it often presents as situational. In other words, shyness tends to flare at certain times.
Is it possible to have mild social anxiety?
In general, the different levels of social anxiety include: Mild social anxiety: A person with mild social anxiety may experience the physical and psychological symptoms of social anxiety but still participate in, or endure, social situations. They may also only experience symptoms in certain social situations.
Is social anxiety selfish?
People may think they're timid wallflowers, attention seekers or regular introverts. But social anxiety isn't the same thing as shyness. It's also not something that a person can switch on or off at their will. And it's certainly not some sort of selfish character failing.
Can anxiety make you toxic?
Anxiety can negatively impact many aspects of your life, including your relationships. Not only can anxiety affect how you function in your daily life, but it can also interfere with your ability to communicate and connect with other people. Having an anxiety disorder can impact relationships in different ways.
What are the different types of social anxiety?
The most common distinction is between generalised social anxiety disorder, where individuals fear most social situations, and non-generalised social anxiety disorder, where individuals fear a more limited range of situations (which often, but not always, involve performance tasks such a public speaking); however, some
Read: How can I be socially appropriate at work?
What do I do if my friend has social anxiety?
How to Help a Friend With Social Anxiety: 8 Tips
Be Patient. The treatment and recovery process for social anxiety can be a long one.
Focus on Their Feelings.
Don't Criticize.
Use Distraction Techniques.
Help Reframe Their Thoughts.
Avoid Avoidance.
Remain Positive.
Suggest That They Seek Treatment.
What age group does social anxiety affect the most?
An estimated 7.1% of U.S. adults had social anxiety disorder in the past year. Past year prevalence of social anxiety disorder among adults was higher for females (8.0%) than for males (6.1%).
Age 18-29 9.1
60+ 3.1
Can childhood trauma cause social anxiety?
Within the SAD group, childhood emotional abuse and neglect, but not sexual abuse, physical abuse, or physical neglect, were associated with the severity of social anxiety, trait anxiety, depression, and self-esteem.
What should you not say with social anxiety?
What Not to Say to Someone With Social Anxiety
Why Are You so Quiet?
You Just Need to Think Positive.
You Just Need to Face Your Fears.
I Know How You Feel; I'm Shy, Too.
Why Don't You Have a Drink to Loosen Up?
Let Me Order for You.
Wow, Your Face Just Turned Really Red.
Is social anxiety a mental health issue?
Social anxiety disorder, sometimes referred to as social phobia, is a type of anxiety disorder that causes extreme fear in social settings. People with this disorder have trouble talking to people, meeting new people, and attending social gatherings. They fear being judged or scrutinized by others.
Read: What are the social activities in a company?
How do you love someone with social anxiety?
Help Your Spouse Get Appropriate Treatment for Social Anxiety.
Talk About Your Partner's Feelings.
Push Your Spouse to Be More Social.
Take Steps to Make Social Situations More Comfortable.
Help Your Spouse Challenge Negative Thinking.
Encourage and Join In on a Healthy, Anti-Anxiety Lifestyle.
How do I stop being so socially awkward?
How can I feel more comfortable in social settings?
Dive deep. Spending a little time learning more about social awkwardness might help you feel more accepting of this part of yourself.
Remember that awkward situations happen to everyone.
Face awkwardness head-on.
Practice interacting with others.
Try to stay present.
How do you treat social anxiety naturally?
Learn stress-reduction skills.
Get physical exercise or be physically active on a regular basis.
Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet.
Avoid alcohol.
Limit or avoid caffeine.
Participate in social situations by reaching out to people with whom you feel comfortable.
Why am I so uncomfortable in social situations?
It belongs to a group of mental illnesses called anxiety disorders. People with social anxiety disorder feel very nervous and uncomfortable in social situations like meeting new people. Or they might feel very anxious when they have to do something in front of other people, like talking in a meeting.
What does socially awkward look like?
Socially inept people don't know how to comfortably socialize, engage in conversation, and calmly interact with others. They often misread social cues or feel physically anxious. They may have an intense fear of talking to new people and being humiliated in social settings.
How can social distancing be applied to prevent the spread of COVID-19? Previous post
Is it normal for grandparent involvement? Next post


text:
package com.alma.boutique.domain.mocks.factories;

import java.io.IOException;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

import com.alma.boutique.api.IFactory;
import com.alma.boutique.domain.product.Product;
import com.alma.boutique.domain.thirdperson.Order;
import com.alma.boutique.domain.thirdperson.OrderStatus;

public class OrderMockFactory implements IFactory<Order> {

	protected List<Product> products;
	protected OrderStatus orderStatus;
	protected String deliverer;

  public OrderMockFactory(String deliverer) {
		this.products = new ArrayList<>();
		this.orderStatus = OrderStatus.ORDERED;
		this.deliverer = deliverer;
	}

	@Override
  public Order create() throws IOException {

      return new Order(orderStatus, deliverer);
  }
}


These maps display precipitation vs precipitation event return frequency for 24 hour periods. The loop animates 6 hour return frequency. Values below 1 represent the ratio of precipitation vs the 2-year return frequency. Values above 1 indicate the frequency return in years. In other words, if the value is 25, then the rainfall amount is at the 25-year return frequency mark. Precipitation frequency values were obtained from the NOAA Atlas 14 dataset (https://hdsc.nws.noaa.gov/hdsc/pfds/pfds_map_ak.html).
Yesterday's map is using APRFC's QPE for rainfall. Today through Day 3 uses APRFC's QPF.


tools such as 3D printers, all other rapid prototyping tools available to us today.
industrial design practice at the School of Art and Design here.
He's had a long and distinguished career in academia and in the industry as well.
He's consulted for firms such as Yamaha and BBC Television as well.
Thank you for taking the time to chat with us, David.
Could you give us a sense of your background and your research in the space?
content of engineering, that might be the case in some industrial design programs.
practice with my interesting education and curriculum developments.
exposing people from different disciplines to design thinking.
other people from different programs across the university.
I quite like that kind of mixture.
concentration on the use of digital prototyping tools.
the way in which they going to communicate and work together.
business students The output has been so much richer.
what design thinking really is.
the product services, and experiences they encounter.
So, it's not just about physical things.
It's also about services and experiences.
And those are equally amenable to that kind of holistic consideration.
is really about putting together things that come from three different areas.
needs to produce things that people both need and want.
It's also thinking about what something looks like, how it's used and so on.
Things which connect with people.
There's another set of things which are really to do with business.
it has to fall part of some kind of business model.
It has to be viable in a business sense.
It's gotta be a return on investment, has to generate profit.
And the third set of things is about feasibility.
whether it's durable enough, whether it's economic to manufacture and so on.
you could lump together under the heading of feasibility.
So, desirability, viability, and feasibility.
spot where good design thinking, good design actually resides.
as being the fourth area where this consideration should be given.
that if it starts with empathizing, how do we go forward?
>> You first start of by trying to identify what needs or wants people have.
It's really a case of, kind of market pull if you like, where in technology push.
then asking them questions about what they do, what they might do differently.
And one of the tools that you can employ at that stage is the one of empathy.
somebody else's position, to walk a mile in somebody else's shoes if you like.
are not for themselves, they're actually for other people.
of what a designer needs to do in that first stage.
unmet needs or needs which are not met particularly well at the moment.
And that's the time when you start ideating.
then analyze them to work out which are the most useful ones.
And there is a certain amount of It's a ratio and cycling back in this anyway.
So, it's not necessarily a linear, totally linear process.
work like or how you might actually, how it might function, how you might use it.
cardboard and string and pipe cleaners and that kind of stuff.
just before you start production.
Prototyping is the essential part of the thinking process.
The last stage of the process is implementation.
to make it or the people who might sell it or buy it or use it or whatever.
engaging and communicating with people.
working out the story of the product, and so on.
Learning how to tell those kinds of stories and engage people in that way.
It's a very important part of the process, not just the end of the sequence.


In one of the obscure categories that won't be televised live at tonight's 47th Annual Grammy Awards -- traditional folk -- is a nominee who can count among his fans actors Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon, novelists Lawrence Block, Carl Hiaasen and Stephen King, folk singers Pete Seeger, Tom Paxton, Suzanne Vega, Richie Havens, Odetta . . . and even the Oregon Psychiatric Association, which in 1997 made him an honorary member simply because they liked his music that much.
His name is Dave Van Ronk. During his lifetime he performed concerts around the world, taught countless young guitarists how to play, recorded more than 35 albums, received an ASCAP Lifetime Achievement Award . . . yet never won a Grammy. He was nominated only once before, in 1996, but watched his friend Ramblin' Jack Elliott win it that year. Tonight in Los Angeles is his last chance. Dave died Feb. 10, 2002, at age 65; I was one of the young guitarists who studied with him, having moved to New York in 1976 for that sole purpose. We ended up pals for 26 years.
The nominated album, titled "And the Tin Pan Bended and the Story Ended," was recorded at Dave's final concert, performed Oct. 22, 2001, at the Paint Branch Unitarian Universalist Church in Adelphi. Three days before the concert he was diagnosed with colon cancer and scheduled to enter the hospital on Halloween. "Not an auspicious sign," he joked.
There's a lot riding on this for Dave. The Grammy Award is an official stamp of approval that could make all the more valuable the 60-plus hours of never-released archival tapes belonging to his widow, Andrea Vuocolo. In the first chapter of Bob Dylan's "Chronicles," recently nominated for a National Book Award, he acknowledges the great influence Van Ronk had on him, so when Dave's own book, "The Mayor of MacDougal Street," is published in May, a Grammy win would shine the spotlight more brightly on that, too. And there is Martin Scorsese's documentary for PBS, set to air this year (working title: "Bob Dylan's American Journey"), in which Dave is prominently featured.
Dave Van Ronk was 6 feet 3 with a booming, gravelly voice and large but delicate hands with long, slender fingers. He was born in Brooklyn, raised in Queens, taught himself to play guitar, dropped out of high school, joined the merchant marine for a brief spell, then found his way back to New York, settling -- and staying forever -- in Greenwich Village.
Unable to read music, Dave invented his own system of writing out guitar charts, a complicated system of letters, numbers, dashes and curved lines that suited his unique style of playing. He deconstructed extremely complicated compositions (Scott Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag" and "The Entertainer," to name just two), then translated them into his own odd-looking system. Once, when I was in a hotel and needed a chart faxed to me, I called the front desk and asked if it had arrived yet. The front desk clerk told me, "Well, you did get a fax, but I don't think it's music. It looks like a math problem."
Dave's music drew from folk, blues, jazz, ragtime, American standards -- an eclectic mix that he put into his own style. Over the years guitarists came and went to learn from him; many could play his songs note for note, but to this day nobody sounds exactly like him.
David Massengill, another musician who studied with Dave, says that the first time he heard a Van Ronk record he wondered how many guitars were being played, not realizing it was just one. "Van Ronk didn't need a band," Massengill says. "He was able to make a perfectly self-contained musical statement with a single guitar."
Dave was a bit of a curmudgeon, a contrarian. He called himself an "anarcho-syndicalist," though no one knew exactly what that meant. He was a voracious reader, a superb chef, a truly self-educated man who enjoyed teaching what he knew to the young foolish musicians who found their way to his door. There's no telling how many guitarists sat at Dave's feet, dreaming that they'd be discovered as "the new Bob Dylan."
Looking back, Andrea Vuocolo now realizes that Dave knew the 2001 show in Adelphi was going to be his last. She had been on the road with him for 20 years, taking care of him and the business side of his work, but that night he did something he had never done before: He asked the sound engineer to make a tape directly off the sound board, then gave it to Andrea and told her to do whatever she thought best when the time came. When they got home she put the tape on a shelf, then forgot about it as she went about the business of canceling his shows for the next two months, and then accompanying him to the hospital.
Dave had asthma all of his adult life. He lived in Greenwich Village, not far from Ground Zero, and immediately after Sept. 11, 2001, his breathing became more labored. He rarely left his apartment, and when he did could walk for only a block or so before he'd have to stop to catch his breath. At the hospital, doctors discovered his lungs badly congested, and put him on ever-increasing doses of medication. They finally operated Nov. 5, then again Nov. 12, but the medicine that let him breathe left him open to infection.
Word had spread quickly throughout the folk music community that Dave was in trouble: no health insurance, no savings. The first check came from Arlo Guthrie. Then one from Janis Ian. At the North East Regional Folk Alliance conference in the Poconos in mid-November, Sonny Ochs, sister of the late songwriter Phil Ochs, passed the hat (well, actually a water pitcher) at each meal, collecting over $2,000 for Dave. Then Allan Pepper organized a benefit concert at his Greenwich Village club, the Bottom Line. Peter, Paul & Mary, Arlo Guthrie and Tom Paxton performed two sold-out shows, which included raffling off autographed acoustic guitars. The event raised $34,000 in a single day.
Andrea left his bedside twice that day to read a statement from Dave onstage: "Thank you all so much for coming. I knew I could finally fill the Bottom Line; I just didn't know I'd have to go to such dramatic lengths to do it."
Andrea spent every day at the hospital with him, from early morning to late at night. Friends were asked to stay away -- he was simply too sick to see them.
But the new year came and went, and very slowly Dave's health started to improve. At the very end of January 2002 his doctors discussed the possibility of letting him go home.
There was one more benefit planned, on Feb. 3. There's a rule that you never schedule a concert on Super Bowl Sunday (for obvious reasons), but Pete Seeger, Oscar Brand, Danny Kalb and lots of other musicians crowded into the Towne Crier in upstate Pawling, N.Y. The room was SRO. People stuffed tens and twenties into the overflowing tip jar as they went out the door.
The previous day Dave had been released from the hospital. He was overjoyed, sitting in his usual spot on the living-room couch -- not ready for company yet, but dialing up old friends, scheduling editing sessions for his book. Everything was looking up, plus he now had a modest nest egg that would cover rent, living expenses and some medical costs for the next few months.
On Feb. 5 everything changed. Suddenly running a high fever, Dave was rushed back to the hospital. Five days later, he died. It wasn't the colon cancer; it was an infection. Doctors had expected he would live at least another year.
Andrea went into seclusion. It wasn't until more than a year later, May 18, 2003, that she felt strong enough to hold a public event to honor Dave. It was back at the Bottom Line, and again lots of musicians participated. That weekend more than 80 radio programs around the world also played Dave's music in tribute.
Before this show Allan Pepper met a number of times with Andrea to discuss what to do with the money it would raise, and I went along to help take notes. Her first plan was to establish a guitar scholarship in Dave's name, but it soon became clear that would require more administrative work than she could handle. Sitting in the large dressing room backstage, Allan asked her gently, "Is there anything else you can think of where this money could be used to honor Dave?"
"I have the tape of his very last concert," she replied. "Maybe that could be an album?"
She still hadn't listened to it -- had found it unbearable to hear Dave's voice. Nobody had heard it. But that afternoon she decided that if the tape was good she would find the best label for it and try to get it nominated for a Grammy. Dave had confided years before that he always wanted to win one.
Until she told Pepper that day, nobody knew Dave had harbored this secret wish. The thought of making this happen for Dave started to lift Andrea's spirits like nothing else since he died.
The concert tape clocked in just over 100 minutes, so it wouldn't fit on one CD. But the consensus among his friends was that the performance was brilliant: He sang knockout versions of all the songs, especially "One Meat Ball," "Green Green Rocky Road" and "St. James Infirmary," ending the concert on a wistful note with Joni Mitchell's "Urge for Going." Between songs he discussed his early life hanging around with jazz and blues musicians in Harlem; his mother, Grace Van Ronk, whom he called "the backbone of the Rosary Society"; and much else.
Andrea took on the job of record producer, something she had never done before (she is a stained-glass artist and a graphic designer by trade). She hired sound engineer Phil Klum, known as a painstaking perfectionist, to see if there was a way to edit the tape to fit on a single CD without cutting any songs or stories.
It took many sessions -- at first shortening applause, guitar tunings, pauses (since Dave was ill, he took more time than usual between songs). CDs can hold 80 minutes of music, but the best engineers won't let a disc go over 79, because the likelihood of technical defects increases greatly if they do.
Klum brought it in at 78:59 without losing a single song or story. It took close to a thousand edits, but even through headphones it sounds seamless. His perfectionist reputation is intact.
What to call the album was debated at length -- Andrea's pragmatic friends, including me, thought calling it "Dave Van Ronk's Final Concert" would ensure the attention of Grammy voters, who are often moved to respond by an artist's death. But Andrea didn't like it. And she was the producer.
Instead she chose "and the tin pan bended and the story ended," a phrase Dave's Irish maternal grandmother used to end stories she told him as a boy. Dave himself recorded that phrase, but only once, on the album "Going Back to Brooklyn."
Andrea shopped the album around -- there was interest from independent labels, but she heard suggestions of further editing, cutting some of the stories, changing the title. She wanted a label that would trust her choices. Smithsonian Folkways did, so without hesitation she made her decision.
Tom Paxton wrote the liner notes, Andrea worked with the Smithsonian designers, assembled photos for the CD booklet and chose the most memorable Van Ronk bon mots to use throughout ("Take care of your vices and your virtues will take care of themselves," "Never make the mistake of thinking someone you don't like likes you," "I wanted to play jazz in the worst way -- and I did"). Smithsonian Folkways released the album June 30, 2004, which would have been Dave's 68th birthday, the same day New York renamed the street in front of his apartment after him. Six months later, the album was nominated for a Grammy, and tonight we will find out if it wins.
The other albums competing in the traditional folk category include "My Last Go Round" by Rosalie Sorrels & Friends. She dedicated her album to Dave, so if she loses to him, Rosalie will be okay. The other three are Norman & Nancy Blake's "The Morning Glory Ramblers"; John Prine, Alison Krauss, Beth Nielsen Chapman and others on "Beautiful Dreamer -- The Songs of Stephen Foster"; and "Gitane Cajun" by the band BeauSoleil. I imagine they'll all be happy for Dave, too, if he wins.
As Tom Paxton wrote in the liner notes, "There isn't any counting the number of artists [Dave Van Ronk] affected positively; they'll be coming forth for decades to come to tell us about it. You are hearing Dave's final concert, and to say that is almost unbearably painful to me. Goodbye, Davey. You were the last Bohemian and the last 'Mayor of MacDougal Street.' You were a grace note in the lives of all those who were lucky enough to know you. We'll miss you for the rest of our lives."
If you watch the Grammys tonight on TV, fight that impulse to run to the fridge during breaks. In the "bumpers" in and out of the commercials will be announcements about who won in the categories that don't involve any of the big stars. I know there are folk musicians all over the world -- and one person in particular who lives on Dave Van Ronk Street in Greenwich Village -- hoping this will be the day that Dave's secret wish finally comes true.
Christine Lavin is a singer and songwriter. Her most recent CD is "Sometimes Mother Really Does Know Best" (Appleseed Records).


text:
An Odyssey in Steam
'Rocket' to 'Evening Star'
David C. Bell
CATEGORY: Country Interests
EXTENT: 104 pages
An Odyssey in Steam quantity
An Odyssey in Steam is renowned artist David Bell's fifth book which features his beautiful and complex paintings of steam engines and locomotives with captivating technical accuracy. It is a unique look at the railways during the age of steam featuring many of the engines currently at The National Railway Museum in York including the Rocket; the Flying Scotsman; the Evening Star; the Duke of Gloucester and the Mallard.
This book is a eulogy that captures the skills, sounds and smells of the great days of steam travel and one which will be coveted by rail enthusiasts, modellers and artists alike; a beautiful and evocative collection of drawings and paintings from the end of steam on our railways in the late sixties to the many well established heritage centres of today.
Representing David's personal recollections and time with steam engines, stations, sheds and railways past and present, it links factual text with atmospheric yet accurate portrayals of some of the many locomotives that once were alive and seen every day and is an aesthetically stunning combination of words and pictures.
Meet the author David C. Bell
David Bell paints many subjects, including railways, architecture and aviation but he is primarily known as a marine artist, most notably for the Sir Walter Raleigh painting for H.R.H. The Prince of Wales and Humber Heritage, now in the collection of H.M. The Queen.
David has worked in the Falklands for the Armed Forces producing a number of commemorative paintings. He has also written and illustrated a book Britain's Maritime History, each picture individually painted. His second book A Coastal Passage was another finely illustrated collection of paintings and drawings of England's maritime coast.
He manages to combine great technical skill with imagination and vision to produce paintings of lasting value. His style is evocative and atmospheric, of both past and present scenes. His work has been exhibited throughout Britain and is in collections all over the world.
Author profile page
Reviews for An Odyssey in Steam
The thing that strikes you as you turn the book's pages is the attention to detail….although I am no engineer, the pictures really do convey a feeling of being there, smelling the oil and steam and the evocative atmosphere of the roundhouse or station.
Railtube.info
This is a quality publication and I can highly recommend adding it to your collection whether you are a railway enthusiast or lover of art. It would also make a great gift.
Railway Blogger
A visually surprising and well executed book that should find favour from those who appreciate good railway art with just a little whimsy.
A beautifully evocative collection of paintings and drawings of classic steam engines and locomotives – most notably the Flying Scotsman. Capturing the sounds and smells of the great days of steam travel, this book proudly celebrates the nation's favourite locomotive.
Scottish Field
You're viewing: An Odyssey in Steam £25.00


text:
Q: lambda proxy integration cognitoIdentityId Is it possible to get the cognitoIdentityId when using lambda proxy integration?
event.requestContext.identity.cognitoIdentityId is always null and can't use request mapping templates because of proxy integration.
I am using AWS amplify where I can retrieve the identityId but I don't want to trust the client to pass me this info.
Do I have to disable lambda proxy integration to achieve this?


text:
California Sen. Leland Yee proposes to remove "squaw" and "wampum" from place names
New law will remove the word 'squaw' from California place names
State lawmakers today are about to pass legislation to remove the words "squaw" and "wampum" from a vast swathe of state and national geographic place names, according to California Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco), who sponsors the bill.
Known as the "Yee Act," the proposed legislation would amend the state's constitution to remove "squaw" and "wampum" from such terms in place names as the San Gabriel Mountains, the Klamath River, the Blue Mountains of southern Oregon, and the Santa Cruz Mountains, according to a Senate press release.
This is the first time in history that anyone has proposed a constitutional amendment to remove the word "squaw" or "wampum" from place names, according to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The Yee Act, co-authored by the Senate Budget and Finance Committee chair, Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, passed out of committee Tuesday and is sponsored now by Sen. Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach. Leno said he plans to introduce the legislation this week to the full Senate.
"Squaw is a derogatory term — it's racist – and it's totally against the cultural, ethnographic and historical origins of our country," Leno said in an e-mail to the Union-Tribune. "It's a great shame that a few people still have a strong attachment to it, and it's a shame that we are in touch with a certain group that would have us forget that."
Leno said he had several discussions with Yee in recent months over removing the words from California place names. They are the third-youngest state in the U.S., behind New York and Vermont, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Yee's proposed legislation is the first of its kind for the nation, according to Leno. He said he expects the bill to pass easily but noted that California is such a diverse state that removing the words from state or federal place names could be a divisive issue.
"I'm hoping for the best, but I've done a lot of
Categories world Tags influenza, science and technology, sports, tennis, vaccination and immunization, video recordings, downloads and streaming
The N.F.L. owners voted to reject a lockout deal
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