Based on one of our most popular "fanny pack" style pouches, we've updated both the sample and the instructions to show you how to use lighter weight fabrics and the proper interfacing to get a stylish yet still stable result. We've combined quilting cotton with lightweight denim for the exterior plus a second quilting cotton for the lining. You may have just what you need already in your scrap stash! Add a decorative zipper and paracord pull as the finishing touches. Standard polyester webbing in a fun color is perfect for the belt with a parachute buckle to make it quick to adjust. There's also a free pattern download so you can get a smooth bottom curve as well as easily slice the front panel into two perfect pieces.
Traditional fanny packs tend to be rather big and bulky, and if you try to wear a jacket over the top of one, it looks like you're smuggling gerbils. Our design is slimmed down for a sleek look and feel, but it still opens wide and expands to hold a bunch.
Wear the pack at the front or on your hip for safety or simply for easy access. Slide it around to the back if you're biking or whenever you need it out of the way.
With our classic combo of dark denim and rich fall colors, a brass zipper was a great choice. We simply cut it to fit the horizontal opening. Of course, you could also use a standard plastic zipper.
The front of the Waist Pack is cut into two pieces, which means you can mix and match your fabrics for a variety of looks. We used just one fabric back for the back and one for the front, but it would also be cute to use a bit of the back fabric as a top band accent along the zipper.
We recommend starting with 1½ yards of webbing for the waist strap. This should result in a good adjustable fit for most average adults. If possible, test on the person who will be wearing the pack prior to cutting.
For the easiest construction, the lining seams are exposed. However, the shape of the bag and how it opens across the center keeps the seam allowances tucked out of view. Simply finish the edges with your favorite method. Don't have a favorite yet? Check out our four-part series on Machine Sewn Seam Finishes.
Need a fast gift idea or a little back-to-school present? You can easily make one, two or even more of these pretty packs in a single afternoon!
We added our Sew4Home label to the front but you could also personalize your pouch with a bit of embroidery, a monogram, appliqué or ready-made patch.
Our Waist Pack finishes at approximately 9" wide x 6½" high.
Download and print TWO COPIES of the Mini Waist Pack pattern.
From one printout, cut out the pattern along the solid line. From the second printout, cut out the pattern along the dotted seam allowance line.
From the exterior front fabric, use the full pattern to fussy cut ONE piece.
From the exterior back fabric, use the full pattern to cut ONE piece.
From the lining fabric, use the full pattern to cut TWO pieces.
Place the full pattern on top of the layered exterior/lining and pin in place.
Cut through both layers along the horizontal line indicated on the pattern.
From the fusible fleece, used the full trimmed pattern to cut ONE piece. This piece will be used for the back exterior panel.
Then, slice the trimmed pattern along the horizontal line and use the bottom half to cut ONE piece. At the top straight edge, cut the fleece using the long dashed stitching line. This piece will be used for the bottom front of the exterior panel.
Finally, use the top half of the trimmed pattern to cut ONE piece from the mid-weight interfacing. This piece will be used for the top front of the exterior panel.
Center the full fleece interfacing panel on the wrong side of the back exterior panel so there is ½" of fabric showing beyond the interfacing on all sides. Following manufacturer's instructions, fuse in place.
Repeat to add the smaller fleece interfacing panel to the wrong side of the bottom front exterior panel. On this panel the top straight edge of the fabric extends beyond the fleece ¼". Around the remaining curved edge, the fabric should extend ½" beyond the fleece. Following manufacturer's instructions, fuse in place.
Center the mid-weight interfacing strip on the wrong side of the exterior top panel. The fabric should extend ½" beyond the interfacing along both ends and one side. The interfacing and fabric are flush along the opposite side. Following manufacturer's instructions, fuse in place.
Place the fused bottom exterior panel right side up on your work surface. Center the zipper upside down (teeth facing down onto the right side of the fabric) across the fabric. The edge of the zipper tape should be even with the fabric's raw edge.
NOTE: If you use a longer zipper, as we did, that needs to be cut to size, place the top end (the zipper pull end) so it extends just a fraction of an inch beyond the side edge of the fabric panel. The bottom end (the zipper stop end) will be the long end that extends far beyond the fabric's edge.
Stitch a ¼" seam through all the layers. Go slowly, you want your seam nice and straight.
Fold the exterior and the lining away from the zipper and press. The two fabric panels are now wrong sides together and the remaining raw edge of the zipper tape is standing straight up between the two layers. Press flat.
Repeat these steps to attach the top front and top lining pieces. First pin the top exterior piece in place along the remaining raw edge of the zipper tape – right sides together with the exterior front.
Flip over and pin the top lining piece in place – right sides together with the lining panel.
Stitch in place, still using the Zipper foot and a ¼" seam allowance.
As above, the zipper is sandwiched between the layers.
Press both the exterior and the lining up and away from the zipper. As with the bottom exterior panel and lining, the top exterior panel and lining are now also wrong sides together. Press flat.
Trim away the excess zipper tape from the top end.
If you wish to add a personalization element to the front, now it a good time to add a label, appliqué, patch or decorative stitching as the multiple layers will provide a stable surface. If you wish to add embroidery, it would be best to do that prior to assembly. We added our Sew4Home label in the upper right corner of the bottom front section, changing out our thread and stitching through all the layers.
If necessary, re-thread the machine with thread to best match the exterior front fabric in the top and to best match the lining fabric in the bottom. Slightly lengthen the stitch. Edgestitch along both sides of the zipper through all layers. Make sure your stitching is the same distance from the zipper teeth along both the top and bottom.
Re-thread the machine if necessary with matching thread. Fully lengthen the stitch for basting.
NOTE: The right end of the webbing extends by a variable length based on your starting measurement. As we mentioned above, we started with 48" as a good length for an average adult. Only the left end is secured; the right end is simply looped through the buckle and can be adjusted and cut even shorter if need be. Of course, it can't be made longer, so start with enough webbing for your wearer.
Pin the webbing in place against the layered fabric, stopping 1⅛" in from each raw edge. This will be the stopping point at either side when stitching the webbing in place.
Re-thread the machine with thread to best match the webbing in the top and bobbin. Go back to a slightly lengthened stitch.
Edgestitch the webbing in place with a long rectangular box.
Remember to start and stop your stitching at the 1⅛" measurements marked above.
NOTE: If it feels too bulky to have the webbing gathered up in between the layers, you can feed the ends of the webbing out through the open zipper. You'll just need to remember to keep them out of the way as you make the final seam.
Using a ½" seam allowance, stitch around the entire perimeter through all the layers. Pivot at the corners and go slowly around the bottom to maintain an even curve.
Trim away the bottom end of zipper as needed so it is flush with fabric. Remember, don't use your good sewing scissors when cutting around metal.
Press open the seam allowance all around. Trim the corners and clip the curves as necessary. You can even grade the seam allowance if need be, however, with the lighter weight fabrics, this is probably not necessary in most cases.
Finish the seam allowance all around, using your favorite option. We finished our seams with a simple small zig zag.
NOTE: As mentioned above, if you'd like more information on Machine Sewn Seam Finishes, check out our four-part series.
Turn the pouch right side out through the open zipper. Use a long, blunt tool, such as a knitting needle, chopstick or point turner to gently push out the corners and round the curves. Press flat.
Re-thread the machine with thread to match the webbing in the top and bobbin and stitch the end in place with an approximate 1½" X Box stitch.
NOTE: Check out our full step-by-step tutorial if you are new to the X Box technique.
Thread the opposite long end of the webbing through the male end of the buckle.
As mentioned above, this end simply loops through and is not secured. Try the pouch on its intended wearer and trim to fit as needed. If you used polyester webbing, you can lightly melt the cut end with a lighter if desired for a smoother finish.
Slip the paracord through the zipper pull and knot to secure. As above with the polyester webbing, you can lightly melt the cut ends to prevent any raveling.
This is a wonderful little pouch. Great for diabetics to wear to keep sugar or glucose tablets and a quick snack. Very easy instructions.
@Cathy - Thank you! So many uses for this little pack!
Could you use another fabric instead of denim?
@adonnya - Of course you can. This design is structured for lighter weight fabrics. If you chose a heavier weight fabric, you might want to change out the fusible fleece for a thinner, traditional interfacing.
LOVE LOVE LOVE this updated version! This is such a cute pouch - I've made a couple now and just love them! One suggestion though? To avoid the end of the webbing sliding out of the buckle on the adjustable side, simply fold the end of the webbing over slightly once or twice to create a little dam that will keep it from sliding off once you have the buckle on & stitch down. Otherwise the buckle might slide off if you're not careful ;) Hopefully you get what I'm suggesting here? I'm not the greatest at wording, my apologies.
@ Wendy - Thanks - and thanks for your suggestion about the tiny hem at the opposite end.
This looks great! My son's girlfriend is going to Europe in the fall for school, and this and the passport case look perfect. Quick question: would it be possible to perhaps install some Dritz swivel snaps on tabs and clip this onto belt loops?
So enjoy all your projects, how-to's, color ideas, etc. Thank you for everything!
I think a matching set would make a great gift. Thanks for both tutorials.
@ Karen -- You are so welcome!
Another keeper. What else can I say?


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Limb-lengthening: The 'radical' new plastic surgery craze
Dr. Dror Paley, pictured in 2003, performed about 650 leg-lengthening surgeries at his Florida practice in 2011. James Leynse/Corbis
"Just when you think plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures couldn't get any weirder," says Wendy Michaels at LimeLife, "along comes something like this": Limb-lengthening operations to add a few inches to your height. Though the painful surgery was once reserved for people with dwarfism and children with one leg longer than the other, an increasing number of (mostly) men of just-below-average height are seeking it out for purely cosmetic reasons, according to ABC News. Here, a brief guide to the "radical and costly procedure":
How does limb-lengthening work?
Though medieval torture devices aren't involved, the procedure is arduous and prolonged. A doctor breaks the patient's shin bone and inserts a telescoping rod. Over time, the rod pulls the bone apart very gradually, roughly 1 millimeter a day. As the leg bone is stretched apart, new bone, nerves, arteries, and skin grow to fill in the gap. The whole process takes about three months, followed by several more months of demanding physical therapy. Only a few American doctors perform this procedure, which costs about $85,000 in the U.S., and significantly less abroad.
How much taller can it make you?
Generally, the surgery can add two or three inches to a patient's height, although a New York man using the pseudonym "Apotheosis" added six inches to his original 5-foot-6 frame. More typical is New Jersey resident Akash Shukla, 25, who has "grown" to about 5-foot-2 from 4-foot-11. Limb-lengthening usually isn't performed on anyone over 5-foot-9.
Is the procedure safe?
Not necessarily. A 2006 study in the journal International Orthopaedics found that "complications of this treatment are frequent." They include nerve damage, uneven lengthening, hip problems, and paralysis.
This treatment must really hurt, right?
Absolutely. Even if the procedure is performed flawlessly, it's excruciatingly painful, and doctors don't prescribe anti-inflammatory painkillers because they might inhibit bone growth. "Jack," a 5-foot-6 man who flew to China for the operation, says on the website Short Persons Support that becoming 5-foot-9 "is the worst decision I made in my life," and "not nearly worth the pain."
Who opts for leg-lengthening?
Most patients have severe deformities or dwarfism, Dr. Dror Paley, an orthopedic surgeon in Florida who performed about 650 leg-lengthening surgeries last year, tells ABC News. And many people who get treatment for cosmetic reasons "have what we call height dysphoria," he says. "They're unhappy with their height," and haven't been able to overcome their despair through therapy. Shukla describes being under 5 feet tall as "a void inside me — an emptiness in my heart," adding that "everybody is trying to alter what God gave them. If God gave kids crooked teeth, they get braces."
Sources: ABC News, Digital Journal, Inquisitr, International Orthopaedics, LimeLife, Short Statured People of Australia, Short Persons Support (2), WTOP
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Problem Innate immune activation of human cells, for some intracellular pathogens, is advantageous for vacuole morphology and pathogenic viability. It is unknown whether innate immune activation is advantageous to Chlamydia trachomatis viability. Method of study Innate immune activation of HEp-2 cells during Chlamydia infection was conducted using lipopolysaccharide (LPS), polyI:C, and wedelolactone (innate immune inhibitor) to investigate the impact of these conditions on viability of Chlamydia. Results The addition of LPS and polyI:C to stimulate activation of the two distinct innate immune pathways (nuclear factor kappa beta and interferon regulatory factor) had no impact on the viability of Chlamydia. However, when compounds targeting either pathway were added in combination with the specific innate immune inhibitor (wedelolactone) a major impact on Chlamydia viability was observed. This impact was found to be due to the induction of apoptosis of the HEp-2 cells under these conditions. Conclusion This is the first time that induction of apoptosis has been reported in C. trachomatis-infected cells when treated with a combination of innate immune activators and wedelolactone. © 2010 John Wiley and Sons A/S.


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Epping 16°c
Harlow News
Waltham Forest News
Wanstead and Woodford News
National Entertainment
Pet Pawtrait!
R Kelly held by police on sex crime charges in Chicago
Singer R Kelly has been arrested on charges including child pornography and enticement of a minor, the US Attorney's office said.
Kelly, 52, was arrested on Thursday night on a 13-count indictment which also included alleged obstruction of justice.
He was taken into custody in Chicago at around 7pm.
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website, Kelly is being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Centre, Chicago.
"The counts include child porn, enticement of a minor and obstruction of justice," Joseph Fitzpatrick, a spokesman for the US attorney's office, adding that further details would be released on Friday.
The R&B singer already faces state sex-related charges in Illinois involving four women, three of whom were minors when the alleged abuse occurred.
He pleaded not guilty to those charges and was released on bail.
On May 30, prosecutors added 11 more sex-related counts against him, involving one of the women who accused him of sexually abusing her when she was underage.
R Kelly has faced mounting legal troubles this year (Amr Alfiky/AP)
Mr Fitzpatrick said Kelly's arraignment date and time had not yet been set.
Kelly has faced mounting legal troubles this year after Lifetime aired a documentary, Surviving R Kelly, which revisited allegations of sexual abuse of girls.
The series followed the BBC's R Kelly: Sex, Girls & Videotapes, released in 2018, that alleged the singer was holding women against their will and running a "sex cult".
Soon after the release of the Lifetime documentary, Cook County state's attorney Kim Foxx said her office had been inundated with calls about the allegations in the documentary.
Her office's investigation led to the charges in February and additional counts added in May.
Kelly avoided prison after similar allegations were made more than a decade ago.
A jury in 2008 acquitted him of child pornography charges that stemmed from a videotape, obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times, allegedly showing Kelly having sex with a minor.


Healthy eating and physical activity is what we are all about!
Have fun and get active at a nearby neighborhood park!
Get tips on healthy eating, and find a recipe that your whole family will enjoy!
See our "100 Days of Play" activity list for great ideas to enjoy your summer!
Get active and have fun by participating in local activities and leagues!
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Over 20 Columbus Neighborhood Walking Maps available to get you started.


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Sales of refineries: FG to negotiate with labour, stakeholders
The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alision-Madueke has said the government was ready to discuss and negotiate with organised labour in the sector with a view to ensuring smooth sail of the privatisation of the nation's four refineries. Alison-Madueke who said this in Abuja, explained that adequate room had been made in the privatisation…
Growing local production capacity through marginal field allocation
Chika Amanze-Nwachuku writes that apart from the obvious production increase, award of more marginal fields to indigenous firms, will help grow their assets base, making them fully fledged exploration and production companies. Penultimate Thursday, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, kicked off the second marginal field licensing round. Under the upcoming exercise, 31…
Indigenous oil producers to account for 30% output in five years
The co-Chief Executive Officer of Atlantic Energy, Mr. Scott Aitken, has stated the Nigerian independent companies would account for 30 per cent of the country's daily production of crude oil in the next five years. Speaking at the recent African Oil Week, one of the largest oil and gas conferences held in Cape Town, South…
OPEC appoints Alison-Madueke as alternate president
Diezani Alison-Madueke, minister of petroleum resources, has been elected alternate president of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), while Abdel Bari Ali Al-Arousi, minister of oil and gas of Libya, was elected president. They are to serve for one year with effect from January 1, 2014. Alison-Madueke and Al-Arousi were elected at the 164th…
Blacksands Pacific withdraws from OPL 2012
The Blacksands Pacific Group, Inc. has terminated all discussions, interests and agreement with Sigmund Oilfields Limited and Grasso Consortium consisting of Grasso Nigeria Limited, Oil and Gas Mission Limited and Eurafric Energy Limited for the development of the leased acreage OPL 2012. OPL 2012 is located Offshore Niger Delta, in shallow waters between 50 and…
IPMAN blamed over hike in kerosene price in Kano
Barely a month after the national president of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria [IPMAN] Alhaji Aminu Abdulkadir, flagged off the sales of Kerosene at N50 per litre in Kano, members of IPMAN still sell the product at above N120 per litre on the excuse that they imported it. In the over 125 IPMAN…
Oyo field: Drill ship, Energy Searcher heading to Nigeria
Oslo-listed rig contractor Northern Offshore has signed a letter of intent with Houston-based Camac Energy for its drillship Energy Searcher. The letter of intent could see the drillship contracted to Camac for an initial one-year period, with an option to extend for a further year. Northern said the contract value for the initial one-year term…
Total targets 2017 for oil production in Egina field
Total has said it is targeting production of crude oil from the 150,000 barrels-per-day-capacity Egina deepwater field located 150kilometres off the coast of Nigeria by the end of 2017. Speaking at the weekend during the celebration of the completion of the detailed engineering of the living quarters of the Floating Production Storage Offloading (FPSO) vessel…
Deregulation of downstream sector will ensure products availability – FG
The federal government Sunday said the planned deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry was to ensure availability of products to Nigerians. The Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, said this in Kaduna during an inspection tour of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC). Maku said deregulation was the best solution to…
Pipeline fire forces Eni to shut-in 47,000bpd production
Italian energy company, Eni, which operates in Nigeria as Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) has started closing some flow stations on a large, after shutting down a key Nigerian pipeline in the eastern Niger Delta. This development, which was caused by pipeline fire, came barely two weeks after a large amount of crude oil was…


The most difficult element of the Sudbury experience to explain to parents is the value derived from their children just hanging out. This paper will attempt to demonstrate that hanging out is a critical period that enables each student to find his/her self-confidence through an experience that defines the elements of conversation and yields a level of self confidence that one student labeled all graduates of Sudbury Valley as Fearless Communicators.
Hanging out is a cornerstone of the Sudbury experience. Finding one's voice in this arena for developing skills of self expression, is a critical step in the self confidence building sequence.
The process of hanging out has raised questions in my mind as it has in that of many parents. Jim Rietmulder one of the founders of the Circle School has said to me that it is the most difficult process to explain to parents. many parents wonder, what earthly value is derived from my kid just hanging out with others for long periods of time? Observing the process in action yields little insight into the dynamics and importance of this time-consuming process.
With other objectives in mind I have spent some time reading all of this years student defenses which are presented to the entire student body as one of the final steps prior to graduating from Sudbury Valley School. (Sudbury Valley School Journal, Vol. 30 No. 6, June 2001) In most of the defenses the author covers his/her process of coming out or establishing a self identity in the hanging out arena . It occurred to me that these defenses represented a source of data that has been left untapped. I have now read and reread this years' 21 defenses in order to identify the critical elements of growth that most students seem to follow, especially those who have had a bad public school experience and transferred to Sudbury Valley for the last three to six years of their education. Others have written about the transition process so I will not go into those details here other than to provide a brief outline of the experience. (See Challenge of the Transition Time by Deborah Lundbech, Red Cedar School, Bristol, VT.) My focus is on what occurs as each child establishes a presence within the hanging out community. I will then discuss how other elements in the Sudbury experience reinforces and builds student communication skills yielding a graduating class of "Fearless Communicators".
Many incoming students arrive on campus with a very low level of self-esteem, having been truly defeated by the public school system. Some have been on anti-depressants, others with medications for ADHD. One student recalls, "My guidance counselor told my parents that I would either have dropped out of school or would be dead by sixteen.". All arrive impressed and unbelieving that a school such as Sudbury even exists. As a whole, most are shy and find some secure place to begin the transition process. Some escape to the barn and find solace in the computers and slowly establish friendships among other computer geeks. Others find a secluded corner and immerse themselves in reading. Then, as one student put it, " ... I watched, I soaked in everything that was going on around me. I gave the false pretense of reading and just sat there, quietly watching everyone, in the middle of the school's old hub for social activity." The time comes when an issue is raised that excites the listener to speak his/her mind. What is so impressive is that in this type of situation is that the opinion is heard and respected. The respect that is shown each individual by other more established students is a critical element in facilitating a newcomer's progress in building self- esteem. Friendships emerge within small groups and a student's social life at SV is launched. "I started sitting in on conversations, talking briefly to people I had just met, and found myself wanting to learn." One student commented once he had established himself among the card playing, game playing, forever talking group, he had come of age and began to believe in his own potential. Another student states, "One thing that amazed me when I first came were the conversations people were having, I mean here were kids, not even as old as I was, discussing world politics under their own free will!" Later she goes on to say, "You can learn much more about the world by talking to your peers than you can in any classroom. To this day, I still spend nearly every minute of my time at school talking to people." Another student wrote, " I was inspired by the respect the community has for the individual and started to come out of my shell by initiating conversations. After noticing that I too was being treated with respect, I felt validated."
In so many cases this process includes listening. For example: "These days I find myself on the couch in the quiet room just relaxing and hanging out with my friends. I talk some but mainly listen to what other people say. I am trying to figure out life and it as an ongoing process." Another relates, "My time was spent talking with friends, playing outside, reading books, walking in the woods and always listening. So much of what I learned came from listening to other people."
Somewhere in this mix a student experiences the Judicial Committee either through having been written up or through direct participation. At SV a student is invited, really obligated, to become a member of the J C. Here our once shy student is immersed in the "becoming a responsible citizen" dimension of the school. Issues must be carefully heard, pro and con arguments sought and discussed with judgments and consequences agreed to. Clear arguments are presented, critical thinking evolves and is reinforced in this setting. One's ability to look at the facts surrounding cases with the resulting consequences is an additional enabling element of future Fearless Communicator. "Holding an official position was a really rewarding experience. During the spring of that year I was elected JC Clerk. The JC clerks are right at the center of the whole judicial process, and I think it is the most important position in the school's government." "...our JC was presented with a complaint to which I felt very strongly, and I vented my thoughts. It felt wonderful. I was listened to, and my views were respected. It was around that time that I realized how important the JC is to the school and how it really functions."
The final honing of communications skills comes as one gains sufficient confidence to speak out at school meetings. Forming arguments and presenting them to the attending body of students, (often exceeding 75), is a mind-daunting/confidence-building experience. Once overcoming the initial fright our student's confidence builds as he/she experiences being heard and responded to with respect. One student testifies to this by saying, "Through my adventures in J.C. I learned important lessons about expressing my point of view and articulating my thoughts. These proved very handy once I started attending meetings of the Computer Corporation and the School Meeting, where I could raise my hand and have everybody listen to what I had to say." "Serving on JC not only helped me realize that my opinions were more important than I gave them credence, but it aided me in other ways. I felt confident enough to speak freely on the School Meeting floor, despite the fact that speaking in front of a crowd has always mortified me." "I started going to JC and School Meetings on a regular basis. At first I was inhibited to speak during School Meetings because for so long I was told that, as a student, my opinions were invalid, but this fear was quickly washed away by my strong opinions and the openness in which they were received. For the first time I felt I had a voice that mattered in my school community."
Other experiences such as internships and part time jobs to support their growing needs further enriches a students confidence in communication. "Recently, I gave a security presentation in front of a few hundred people at the Microsoft TechNet Convention, which was held at the Hynes Convention Center. Preparing and delivering that presentation was one of the scariest things I have ever done. The good news is that it showed me that if I set my mind on something and give it strong enough effort, I will successfully complete it."
Highlighting these elements doesn't do service to the total SV experience. Once a student has overcome the initial shyness, he/she is immersed in a community whose survival is dependent on interpersonal communication. One more experienced than I could list the variety of experiences that constitute life at Sudbury Valley.
Repeating various aspects of this sequence over the course of three or more years yields an expert in the art of communication. "If someone were to ask me what the most important thing I have taken from my SVS education is, I would say, 'The ability to communicate fearlessly.'. This seems to be an almost universal characteristic of SVS alumni, and having gained that skill alone is reason enough for me to be grateful for the years I've spent here."
This paper derives its power from the voices of the 21 Fearless Communicators in the Sudbury Valley School graduating class of '01.


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Mustang Sampling returns
Saturday November 23rd, 2019 Jens Jensen
Less than two months ago, it was announced that Mustang Sampling Cadillac #5 at Action Express wouldn't be on the starting grid in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship 2020.
We will however still be able to enjoy the black and gold colours on a car this coming season.
JDC-Miller Motorsports has announced that they will run the Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R #5 for 2020 and 2021.
The driver line-up was confirmed at the same time, with Joao Barbosa moving along to the new team, where he will share the car with Sebastien Bourdais, who officially lost his Indycar seat only a few hours earlier. They will be joined by Le Mans winner and World Champion Loic Duval at the endurance rounds, where an extra driver is needed. Duval has had that role at CORE autosport for the last few seasons, but since they are shutting down their programme, he was available for other US programmes. He will still be racing for Audi Sport in DTM in Europe.
Mustang Sampling Cadillac #5
Photo: JJ Media
Barbosa and Bourdais have shared a car before at Action Express, where they ran one of the older DP cars at the Daytona 24 Hours, which they won in 2014, with Christian Fittipaldi as the third driver on the car. Fittipaldi will also join JDC-Miller Motorsports, where he will have the role as advisor for the team. He hung up his own helmet following the Daytona 24 Hours 2019, after a long career.
The team also confirmed that they plan to race their traditional #85 in the DPi category, with driver confirmation expected to happen very soon.
There are just six weeks before the first testing at Daytona International Speedway will run, ahead of the 24 hours race, later that month.
Bourdais fired by Coyne
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Heart of Racing team returns to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2021. The American Aston...


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EFF Urges Further Reforms for California's Unfair Gang Databases
By Dave Maass
When California Gov. Jerry Brown signed A.B. 2298 last year, it marked a major victory for civil liberties against faulty law enforcement technology. The legislation instituted key reforms for the CalGang system and other shared gang databases used by police to link people to criminal organizations based on only the flimsiest of evidence.
But A.B. 2298 was just the beginning. Questions remain on how to implement the new requirements, such as how a person can challenge in court their inclusion in a gang database. The reform bill's author, Assemblymember Shirley Weber, also has a new legislation—A.B. 90—that would further reform the CalGang system in response to a damning California State Auditor's report issued last year.
EFF is proud to join the grassroots campaign working hard to pass this bill. The coalition includes more 30 civil rights organization, such as the Youth Justice Coalition, National Immigration Law Center, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, Policy Link, and the Urban Peace Institute.
In a letter to Assemblymember Weber endorsing A.B. 90, we wrote:
A.B. 90 would require new standards and regulations for operating a shared gang database, including audits. Further, the bill would create a new advisory committee comprised of all stakeholders—including a public defender, civil liberties expert, and the parent of a juvenile who had been included in a gang database—as opposed to just representatives from law enforcement. The legislation would further ensure that Californians are removed from shared gang databases when no new evidence has emerged for two years linking them to gang activity.
As the State Auditor reported to the legislature, the CalGang database is riddled with errors and unsubstantiated information. It contains records on individuals that should never have been included in the database as well as records that should have long since been purged. And the system lacks basic oversight safeguards. These databases represent a combined threat to privacy and civil rights that disproportionately impacts communities of color.
EFF Staff Attorney Stephanie Lacambra this week filed formal comments with the Judicial Council of California on the judicial process for a person to request they be removed from a gang database. One of the most important measures that became law under A.B. 2298 is the ability for a person to challenge their inclusion in the gang database with law enforcement, and if the agency rejects that request, to petition a court.
A.B. 90 would take the further step of putting the burden on police departments to respond to individuals' requests for removal within 30 days and allow petitioners to go directly to court if they do not receive a response.
EFF agrees with the Judicial Council's proposal that courts should designate a particular judge to handle CalGang removal petitions, but we recommend that any criminal court judge be empowered to handle removals as part of criminal proceedings. We also called for the rules to allow fee waivers for indigent petitioners and recommended ways the rules could adequately protect the privacy of juvenile records.
We urge the Judicial Council and California Legislature to approve these much needed reforms.


text:
package com.gfeuillen.neo4j.util

import java.util.Properties

object ConnectorProperties {

  val prefix = "connector."

  val properties:Properties = new Properties();
  properties.load(getClass.getResourceAsStream("/connector.properties"));

  def version:String = properties.getProperty(prefix+"version")

  def main(args: Array[String]): Unit = {
    println(ConnectorProperties.version)
  }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: Nightwatch js assert element values sorted Trying to test a filter feature on a table that I built and not sure how to do it with nightwatch.
I can run through and view all the element values, but not sure how to compare them to see if they are less than or equal to the next
Then(/^I should expect to see the returned results ordered from least to greatest$/, () => {
    return client
            .elements('css selector', 'td[class=someColumn]', (results) => {
                for(let i = 0; i < results.value.length; i++){
                    client.elementIdText(results.value[i].ELEMENT, (result) => {
                        console.log(result.value);
                        return result.value;
                    })
                }
            });
});

Any pointers are greatly appreciated

A: Add one more .elementIDText() and reduce the length of results.value by 1 to checl the list is sorted or not.
client.elements('css selector', 'td[class=someColumn]', (results) => {
      for(let i = 0; i < results.value.length-1; i++){
            client.elementIdText(results.value[i].ELEMENT, (result1) => {
                   client.elementIdText(results.value[i+1].ELEMENT, (result2) => {
                     if(result1<=result2){
                       }else {
                        return false;}
                    })
             })
       }

});

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Brian Draper is an old age psychiatrist and Conjoint Professor, School of Psychiatry, University of NSW, Sydney Australia. He is Clinical Lead, Academic Department for Old Age Psychiatry, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick. He recently completed 2 terms as Board Member of the International Psychogeriatric Association. He is past Chair of FPOA and was foundation Chair of the FPOA Advanced Training Committee. He has published over 350 scientific articles on clinical aspects of dementia and cognitive disorders in the community, hospitals and residential aged care, late life suicidal behavior, alcohol and substance use, depression, carer stress and professional development.


text:
Wheaton may refer to:

Places
United States
 Wheaton, Illinois, a city
 Wheaton station (Union Pacific), a railroad station
 Wheaton, Kansas, a city
 Wheaton, Maryland, a census-designated place
 Wheaton station (Washington Metro), a Washington Metro rapid transit station
 Wheaton, Minnesota, a city
 Wheaton Township, Barry County, Missouri
 Wheaton, Missouri, a city in the township
 Wheaton, Wisconsin, a town

Canada
 Wheaton Lake, British Columbia

United Kingdom
 Wheaton Aston, a village in Staffordshire

Businesses
 Wheaton Industries, manufacturer of glass and ceramic products in southern New Jersey
 Wheaton Science Products, a subsidiary of Alcan based in Millville, New Jersey, related to Wheaton Industries
 Wheaton World Wide Moving, international moving and storage company in Indiana

Schools
 Wheaton Academy, West Chicago, Illinois
 Wheaton College (Illinois)
 Wheaton College (Massachusetts)
 Wheaton High School, Montgomery County, Maryland

People
 Wheaton (surname)
 Wheaton Chambers (1887-1958), American film and television actor

Other uses
Wheaton v. Peters, the first United States Supreme Court case on copyright law
Wheatons, a unit of Twitter followers

See also
 Wheaton Aston, Staffordshire, England

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Seed of Life Institute formerly managed the worldwide organization Flower of Life Research until 2013. We have now evolved and expanded. We no longer offer Flower of Life teachings, but have continued with our ground-breaking offerings in the fields of meditation, sacred geometry, yoga, consciousness evolution, channeled material, and much, much more.
Take a look at our SOLi School and Flower of Life sections for more information on what we have to offer. Our Schedule is always up to date. Highlights are shown below. Thanks for your interest!
Sedona, Antelope Canyon, Zion National Park, Monument Valley, Canyon DeChelly, Mesa Verde, Bandelier, Jemez NM, and Chaco Canyon.
Announcing the upcoming spring-version of the: Southwest 13-Day Power Spot Journey, with Ronald Holt (and special guest lecturer) Navajo Medicine Man Jeremy Crank. Jeremy will be joining the daily activities to share his native wisdom. We will also be hiking to, and taking advantage of 2 or 3 warm or hot-springs and also spending quality time meditating at two wilderness waterfalls in addition to enjoying the majestic geological power spots and ancient Pueblo ruins. This one of-a-kind special journey through the power spots of the southwest is truly life-changing.
Due to Lyssa's travel schedule, she offers these evening sessions in Phoenix only twice per year. In the session, Lyssa will channel a discourse and a lesson that is appropriate for the group on that night. This will be followed by a lively and fun Q & A with the audience. In these sessions, the energy of the audience brings the magic, and together with the channeled being(s), a wonderful tapestry of joy, inspiration, and learning is woven. Bring your questions, your curious spirit, and your open heart! There is limited seating, so these sessions often fill up. Early registration is recommended. Doors open at 6:30pm. To register, go to Storm Wisdom's web page.
Within us lies a vast and layered landscape that is built from our experiences, challenges, and unconscious belief systems that we have carefully constructed as physical beings. The landscape contains many objects that protect the dream so that we do not awaken. This landscape is like a map that we can use to lead us back "home" within ourselves. But very few of us actually go inward to engage this landscape and challenges, learn about it, and use it to heal ourselves so we can experience physical reality differently - mostly because we don't know this inner map exists or how to work with it. Once we familiarize navigate the map of our inner obstacles, we can follow it into the quantum, integrating the polarized obstacles into our home within the heart.
Focusing mainly upon the Night-way spiritual cosmology series of lectures, Join Jeremy Crank for an evening of sharing and exploring the rich and magical ancient traditions , spirituality and cosmological depths of this noble culture so closely united with nature and the natural world. This humble, and joyous deeply talented Medicine Man shares his many years of experience in rich stories, chants & songs about his heritage. It is an evening where you can also freely ask your questions on so many subjects.
Each year we offer 2 annual retreats in both Arizona and Japan. We have already completed our retreats for 2018. Below are the dates for 2019. Registration will open in the spring.
We have a new "home" for our annual retreat and it is perfect for our work! It is located in a very remote and gorgeous area of southern Arizona with high UFO/ET activity, accessible from both the Tucson and Phoenix airports. If you have been waiting to attend a retreat in Arizona, this may be the one! Due to a request from participants, we have expanded the retreat by one more day. We expect this retreat to sell out early, due to our large pre-registration list.
Sold Out. Registrations from new participants will now be put on a waiting list, but it is unlikely that spaces will be available.
With Ronald Holt and guest lecturer (joining at Monument Valley) Navajo Medicine Man Jeremy Crank sharing his native wisdom and traditional sweat-lodge ceremony and more, also providing lectures on Navajo traditions. Hiking includes, and taking advantage of warm or hot-springs and also spending quality time meditating at wilderness waterfalls & enjoying the majestic geological power spots and ancient Pueblo ruins. This one of-a-kind special journey through the power spots of the southwest is truly life-changing.
We offer events all over the world, from the USA to Europe to Japan and more. Our schedule is always being updated, so check back frequently to see the latest additions. Click Here to view the current schedule. Or, send us an email if you would like to sponsor an event in your location. Please include what event(s) you wish to sponsor, your location, and other pertinent information. If our schedule allows, we will try to work with you to create an event suited to your network's needs.
For information about events in Japan, please click here to send an email to our Japanese sponsors.
We offer some free articles and audio files as a courtesy to our students and clients. To access the library, Click Here. You may also find some information in the Sacred Geometry and Around the World sections as well. Have a special request for an article or audio file? Let us know!
Join our eList! From time to time we send news by email - articles, announcements, schedule updates, etc. We keep your address private, and won't bombard you with emails. To join the eList, Click Here.
Join our new Facebook page for Seed of Life Institute and the SOLi School by clicking on the link below and hit "LIKE" on the page. By doing so, you can stay connected with our worldwide community and hear about any important information or announcements. Plus, it's fun to make new friends!


I hope our website provides you with a flavour of the exciting opportunities our school has to offer. Through the hard work, dedication and commitment of our staff and governors we aim to provide an educational environment that excites, nurtures and challenges each child, enabling all children to flourish and achieve their best.
P.S. Visit our Whole School Blog to find out what we have been up to recently!
Please feel free to ask for a paper copy of any documents you find on our web site from the school office.


text:
3660 BBY: The Mandalorian Blockade is Broken
With the Mandalorian blockade in full force, and the Empire's strangle-hold on the remaining parts of the galaxy tightening, countless worlds being affected by the blockade have begun to capitulate to the Empire. The Sith emperor's plans of galactic domination have now continued unabated. That is, until, Hylo Visz showed up.
From a good vs. evil, good guys vs. bad guys thing, the smuggler's aligning with the Republic makes perfect sense. Putting aside any notion of Han Solo and the template of the smuggler with a heart-of-gold, in the Star Wars universe smuggler's must necessarily be harassed by bounty hunters. Naturally a smuggler somewhere down the line will botch a job – through no fault of their own – and naturally some crime boss will place a bounty on that smugglers head. In this era of Star Wars history, there is no shortage of Mandalorian bounty hunters – Pre Mandalore – looking for work. This of course sets up the dichotomy of the bounty hunters vs. the smugglers. Since the Mandalorians have sided with the Empire, it's natural for smugglers to align themselves with the Republic.
The sacking of Coruscant proved to be a bold and vital move for the Empire. This is the first time in Star Wars chronology that the sacking of Coruscant is referenced, the epic attack by the Empire on the Republic's capital planet. I don't want to engage with this important event too much, as it is the focus of the next piece in Star Wars history. Needless to say, Master Gnost-Dural says something very interesting of it. The sacking of Coruscant, it seems, was a last ditch effort by the Sith Empire to gain further control of the galaxy before it knew it would have to pause and consolidate its gains. But the emperor did not count on the criminal underground of smuggler's coming to the aid of the Republic.
Enter Hylo Visz.
This is her second appearance in Star Wars history, and both times her presence brought excitement and bravery. She is a captivating hero to say the least.
With the Jedi Order's dismal defeat at the hands of the Mandalorians, Hylo Visz saw a business opportunity. She convinced most of the smugglers from the criminal world that breaking the blockade was in their best financial interests. Her arguments made sense, as thousands of smugglers banded together to attack the blockade. With enormous frigates of supplies awaiting their victory, the smugglers would then sell to the citizens of the Republic all the goods they needed – for a nice mark-up of course.
Thus, a band of smugglers, which were later assisted by Republic military, broke the Mandalorian blockade and gave the Republic its second greatest victory in the Great Galactic War. Little did they know, however, that this event would then force the emperor to push his plans, and set-up the greatest military victory in the universe's history: The Sacking of Coruscant.
This piece of Star Wars history ends on a sad note however. It seems Hylo Visz, sometime after defeating the Mandalorians and most likely taking her fortune and running like the wind, was killed. She double crossed some Hutts and was dispatched in some alley, on some planet, somewhere in a galaxy far far away. But I do hold out hope that rumors of Hylo Visz's death have been greatly exaggerated.
But until we hear otherwise, Rest in Peace Hylo Visz.
For my next post I'll be looking at the web comic The Treaty of Coruscant. Until them my friends, may the Force be with you.
Plaristes August 10, 2010 at 9:21 PM
Yeah, I'm really hoping that Hylo shows up in the mmo as a surprise, rumors-of-her-death-are-greatly-exaggerated NPC. She's too interesting and fun for us to already know her fate.
Oops, I forgot to ask, are you planning on reading Fatal Alliance? Joe hasn't added it to his timeline yet, but it's set sometime between the Treaty of Coruscant and the mmo.
MKB August 10, 2010 at 9:58 PM
Got it! The first person to have it signed out from my local library! I'm going to buy it when it comes in paperback. It was a little too expensive for me.
2000 BBY: Jedi vs. Sith: Darth Ruin
3032 BBY: Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds: The Wa...
Miscellaneous Missings: 3951 BBY: Jedi vs Sith: Th...
3970 BBY: The Mandalorian War
3626 BBY: The Old Republic
3650 BBY: Fatal Alliance
3653 BBY: The Treaty of Coruscant
3653 BBY: The Threat of Peace
3661 BBY: The Return of the Mandalorians
3667 BBY: Smuggler's Vanguard
3667 BBY: The Empire Changes Strategy
3671 BBY: The Battle of Bothawui
3678 BBY: The Old Republic: Blood of the Empire
3681 BBY: Onslaught of the Sith Empire
3756 BBY: Peace for the Republic
3951 BBY: Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to th...


A few shots from today for this week's B&W One project. I've been busy this week and not had a huge amount of time to get out shooting, so I went out into the local park this afternoon for an hour with my X100 and the EFX-20 flash. I setup the EFX-20 flash in slave mode, and the camera as a commander so it didn't add any light to the images from the on-board flash. It wasn't actually dark outside as it looks in the photos, I just set the camera and flash combination up to give that effect, a very small aperture to remove as much ambient light as possible and a carefully aimed flash (with my fingers used from time to time as a make-shift gobo!). The EFX-20 worked better than I expected and saved me from carrying a flashgun bigger than the camera!
They were all taken in RAW and processed in Lightroom 4 using a single filter that I developed myself for previous X-Series RAW files.
The first one being my favourite and the pick of the week for the project. Please do click on the images to get the full sized versions.


Stilolinea Srl ("Stilolinea") is aware of the importance of protecting personal data and, considering that the Internet is a potentially strong instrument of exchange and circulation of information, it is willing to undertake the utmost commitment in being compliant with the rules of conduct provided by the "Code on the matter of protecting personal data" pursuant to new European Union (EU) privacy regulation nr. 2016/679 s called the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which guarantee secure, controlled and reserved web navigation.
In light of the above, Stilolinea invites its Users – as defined below – and its clients to acknowledge the regulations applied in collecting and treating personal data as defined by the Code and to always provide a satisfactory service to its clients and to the Users of its website www.stilolinea.it (the "Website").
Stilolinea Srl basic principles concerning the treatment of personal data.
Stilolinea collects and stores personal data and general data which Users and Clients communicate spontaneously upon registration on the website.
Stilolinea shall only make data available to third parties for purposes instrumental to the online sale of Stilolinea pens by means of the website (e.g. shipment by courier/carrier to clients and users of Stilolinea pens purchased online).
Stilolinea ensures that User's and Client's data is handled correctly and legally, protecting their privacy as well as applying suitable measures of security safeguarding the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the conferred data.
In its capacity as Data Controller, pursuant to the Regulation, Stilolinea is bound to providing the data subject with the following information.
The "internal" treatment manager is the Privacy Administrative Manager, domiciled for the purpose at the Data Controller's headquarters.
The data required at the time of registration on the Website is used in order to meet requests made expressly by the User and by the Client. In particular, as Stilolinea's activity consists in the remote sale of promotional pens, the section mainly dedicated to data collection is that related to registration on the website.
The form to be compiled foresees both data strictly necessary in order to process a purchase order, if this is not given the request cannot be continued, and possible refusal in relation thereto shall not lead to any consequences concerning the execution of the requested commercial transaction.
Subject to the consent of the data subject, carry out profiling activities based on the types of purchase carried out for the purpose of statistical surveys, market research and personalised promotional activity.
For purposes linked to supplying the service to which the User and the Client have adhered, (shipment by courier/carrier of Stilolinea pens to clients and users once purchased online), data can be made available to third party companies – which shall act as independent data controllers (for example: credit card providers, couriers, etc.) – which supply services instrumental to meeting the request of the User and the Client. A complete and updated list of such third party companies can be requested from Stilolinea Srl, San Mauro Torinese (TO), Via Toscana n. 26, CAP 10099.
Furthermore, if the User and the Client have positively expressed their consent in the dedicated box outlined below, the data shall also be used for profiling.
The data subject's personal data and the Client's general data shall only be made available to persons who have been expressly authorised by the data controller companies which carry out activities strictly instrumental to that requested, pertaining to the following corporate functions: sales services, administration services, management of information services, logistics/shipments.
A "cookie" is a short text file which a website inserts into the User's and Client's computer hard disk. Cookies allow a link to be created between the User's and Client's computer, website navigation and the profile created by the user where applicable: they are not of a personal nature per se but can be linked to personal information.
The cookies used by Stilolinea are of a temporary nature (they do not remain on the user's hard disk once the session is over): when the User and/or Client connect to the website and log in with username and password, cookies make it possible for them to be recognised, allowing access to the Service according to the personalised profile created by the User and/or by the Client.
Personal data such as, for example: name, surname, e-mail address shall never be detected and stored through cookies.
The Client and the User may choose to disable receipt of cookies, setting their browsers according to the instructions shown hereunder. In the case in which the User and the Client choose not to accept cookies, they may however visit the website, but it might not be possible for them to use all or part of the services offered therein.
Should the Clients and/or the User close the profile on the Website, the latter shall be closed including all of the information in connection with it.
Stilolinea – and therefore also the Data Controller as identified above, take suitable and preventive security measures aimed at protecting confidentiality, integrity, completeness and availability of the data subject's personal data. As prescribed by the Code's provisions and related technical regulations, technical, logical and organisational precautions are perfected with the objective of preventing damage, loss, even accidental, alterations, incorrect and unauthorised use of the treated data.
On the other hand, the Data Controller shall not be liable for false information sent directly by the User and by the Client (example: correctness of the e-mail address or credit card details or postal address), as well as information concerning them which have been provided by a third party, even fraudulently.
It is, moreover, strictly forbidden to use links allowing the website to be displayed inside an iframe contained in another website.
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The rights pursuant to the new Regulation, which is shown in full as follows, are guaranteed: the data subject has the right to obtain confirmation of the existence or not of personal data concerning them, even when not yet recorded and the communication thereof in intelligible form. The data subject has the right to obtain an indication of: a) the origin of the personal data; b) the purposes and procedures of treatment; c) the logic applied in the case of treatment carried out with the aid of electronic tools; d) details of the identity of the data controller, the managers and the designated representative pursuant to article 5, paragraph 2; e) the subjects or categories of subjects to whom the personal data can be communicated or who may become aware of it in their capacity as designated representative in the land of the State, managers or assigned persons. The data subject has the right to obtain: a) update and correction of, or, where of interest, addition to the data; b) cancellation, transformation to anonymous form or blocking of data treated in violation of the law, including that which does not need to be kept in relation to the purposes for which the data had been collected or subsequently treated; c) certification that the operations pursuant to letters a) and b) have been brought to the knowledge, also with regard to the content thereof, of those to whom the data was communicated or circulated, with the exception of the case in which such fulfilment proves impossible or leads to the use of means that are clearly disproportionate respect to the protected right. The data subject has the right to refuse, wholly or in part: a) the treatment of personal data concerning them for legitimate reasons even when pertaining to the purpose of the collection; b) the treatment of personal data concerning them for the purposes of sending advertising material or direct sale or for carrying out market research or commercial communication.
The rights pursuant to art. 7 can be exercised by the data subject at any time, by writing to Stilolinea Srl San Mauro Torinese (TO), Via Toscana n. 26 CAP 10099.


text:
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text:
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Home > Blog > The Newest Treatments for Treatment-Resistant Bipolar Depression: Part I, The Pharmaceuticals
The Newest Treatments for Treatment-Resistant Bipolar Depression: Part I, The Pharmaceuticals
by Rhona Finkel on June 30, 2013
According to the World Health Organization, bipolar disorder is the sixth leading cause of disability in the world. The illness is characterized by periods of overexcitement, or mania, followed by depression, with its reduced functioning. The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill adds the shocking statistic that approximately 25-50% of those with bipolar disorder (BD) attempt suicide at least once, one of the highest rates for any psychiatric disorder. One study found that, over a 12-month period, bipolar disorder was associated with 65.6 lost days per sick worker; annual human capital loss per worker was averaged at $9619 for BD--and annual projections to the US labor force were $14.1 billion for BD [Kessler 2006]).
Yet one of the most challenging things when dealing with bipolar disorder is its resistance to treatment, for it's a disease that raises its ugly head again and again. Nearly 1 out of every 2 patients with BD will suffer a recurrence within their lifetimes--often within two years of their last episode (Chou, 2011).
Although the manic phase gets much of the 'play,' the majority of the bipolar patient's disturbed time is spent in the depressed state. It's a state of serious concerns for the patients functions more—more personal problems, more functional impairment, more comorbid physical problems, and—treaters' biggest fear—more suicide attempts. (That's before we add in costs to society with in-hospitalization and disability costs as well as occupational impairment expenditures.)
Fifteen years ago a depression was considered refractory (or treatment-resistant) after two 6-week trials of antidepressants. How things have changed. Perhaps you thought, like so many others, that a good dose of Paxil, or, failing that, perhaps Wellbutrin, was just what the doctor ordered. Not here. Turns out antidepressants are out. Back in 2007 researchers ran a study comparing subjects on mood stabilizer plus antidepressants versus mood stabilizer plus placebo. And the results were pretty disappointing: 23.5% of those on the antidepressants recovered--as did 27.3% on placebo (Sachs 2007). AND antidepressants run the danger of throwing bipolar patients into a manic episode, so they're really uncool. Rather inconvenient if you're trying desperately to treat depressed people--but the reality nonetheless.
Failures of patients with bipolar depression to respond to mood stabilizers—in addition to antidepressants—added to the discouragement of doctors and suffering patients. Doctors who had tired the mood stabilzers, givein the antipsychotics a whirl, desperately thought about the antidepressants. . . but then thought better of it--well, they need something else to try.
And the FDA offers them. . .two choices.
That's right. There are precisely two FDA-approved treatments for bipolar depression: a drug called Symbyax, which is a combination of Zyprexa, an antipsychotic, and Prozac, an (need I really say this?) antidepressant, that Eli Lilly kindly mixes together, approved since 2004. Then Seroquel, another antipsychotic, approved 3 years later.
It doesn't exactly leave doctors with a large bag of tricks. So researchers have been studying drugs to treat bipolar depression people never thought they'd never see in the mental health field at all. Traveling the road less traveled by, they've looked far and wide--at Parkinson's, narcolepsy (of course!), Lou Gehrig's disease, and-- even a date rape drug. Here's a starting list of what's cutting edge in treating refractory bipolar depression:
Riluzole: Researchers continue to explore riluzole (Rilutek as marketed by Sanofi-Aventis), currently FDA-approved to treat the paralyzing disorder ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease. Recent studies in bipolar disorder have discovered that glutamate, an excitatory neurotransmittor found in abundance in the body, might possibly play a more significant role than seratonin in mood regulation. Bipolar depression (along with ALS) is correlated with higher levels of glutamate activity in the brain.
Riluzole researchers were quite familiar with how the neurotransmitter worked, not from ALS--but from spending quality time with rats. In rat brains, riluzole both inhibits the release of glutamate while simultaneously significantly increasing glutamate uptake. And when researchres left the rat lab and headed to humans, results were promising, as well.
The best-known study--admittedly a small one—gave riluzole to 14 subjects with bipolar depression for 6-12 weeks. Sure enough, the drug decreased glutamate release and --as theorized--subjects had "a significant reduction in depression symptoms" (Brennan et al, 2006).
Celecoxib: Known quite well as Celebrex, the arthritis drug made by Pfizer and used by millions to treat their pain, celecoxib is an acknowledged "long shot" in the treatment of bipolar depression--but it's still in the game.
Celecoxib is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-- like Advil. Both drugs work by reducing compounds known as prostaglandins, which contribute to inflammation in the body, causing anything from pain and fever to chronic peptic ulcer to Crohn's disease, hepatitis--arthritis--and more.
Enter our hero celecoxib. It blocks the enzyme that makes prostaglandins, yielding, ultimately, lower inflammation and pain. And it seems that, although we didn't know this for years, depressed patients (both those with unipolar and bipolar depression) have levels of prostaglandins that are abnormal over time.
The major study included both the psychiatrist of the "long shot" fame and 28 bipolar patients currently experiencing either a mixed or depressive episode. Patients stayed on their medicine regimen, but were randomized to receive placebo or Celebrex for a 6-week trial.
Results were both positive and fast. The patients taking Celebrex had lower scores on a depression rating scale starting in the first week of treatment. Conclude the authors, "Our findings suggest that adjunctive treatment with celecoxib may produce a rapid-onset antidepressant effect in BD patients experiencing depressive or mixed episodes" (Nery et al., 2008).
Pramipexole, (Mirapex) has been used to treat Parkinson's disease since 1997. It's what's called a dopamine 'agonist,' which mobilizes the brain's dopamine receptors, helping to balance the amount of dopamine in the brain.
For those of you still in the early stages of neurotransmitter familiarity, let me encourage you to add this one to your repertoire. Dopamine affects satisfaction, enjoyment and motivation--and that wonderful sense of achievement you feel when you've done something well. [It probably comes as no surprise that both food and sex release dopamine (Imran Siddiqui 2005)]. In other words, it's the brain's "pleasure chemical."
Nor surprisingly, then, dopamine also controls motivation, something we only recently discovered. It doesn't just sit back and help us 'feel good' once we've, say, eaten that pack of M&Ms--it actually causes us to initiate an action (to hop in the car to drive to CVS)--and then to persevere, to keep at it (to wait in that never-ending line, while the woman at the front pulls out 32 coupons, some out of date--but she's negotiating their use), until we achieve what we want-- M&Ms!
As recently as January of this year researchers explained, "It was believed that dopamine regulated pleasure and reward and that we release it when we obtain something that satisfies us, but in fact the latest scientific evidence shows that this neurotransmitter acts before that, it actually encourages us to act. In other words, dopamine is released in order to achieve something good or to avoid something evil" (Asociación RUVID 2013).
And such a view of dopamine clearly suggests possible treatments of depression and bipolar depression, so researchers were right on it. Mirapex could do its 'agonist' thing with dopamine and make a difference in the lives of those suffering from bipolar depression. Always used as an adjunct to a mood stabilizer or antipsychotics or both, results were still good. In 2000, Sporn and colleagues found that 50% of those on pramipexole improved (based on their scales), in 2004 a study "showed marked responses that were sustained at least through 12 week follow-up" (Goldberg et al, 2004). As recently as 2010, researchers found that "[f]or all patients, . . . the total profile of depressive symptoms improved significantly within 4 weeks and remained significantly improved for as long as 36 weeks" (El-Mallakh et al).
Not too shabby, I'd say. And sure makes dopamine look like a major player.
Modafinil As someone who's been a sleepy-head her whole life, I'm truly intrigued by this one. It's better known by its brand name, Provigil, which treats shift sleep work disorder, and sleepiness due to obstructive sleep apnea and to narcolepsy. It does so effectively enough that maker Cephalon has made a pretty penny off of its use. I can only begin to imagine how happy the company is now that some psychiatrists are using the drug for unipolar and bipolar depression, also.
I must say that I appreciate honestly, so when I went to ferret out how modafinil worked, and I checked in with Mark Frye, who did some of the groundbreaking work on modafinil and bipolar depression, I wasn't disappointed when I turned up this: "Modafinil's wakefulness-promoting mechamism of action is unknown" (Frye et al 2007). Simple enough. And it looks like we haven't come too far in the past few years either, but what I can tell you is that modafinil seems to (we're not all sure here), assist in releasing dopamine, and also acts kind of like a psychostimulant, like, say, amphetamine--but a lot less powerful (CPA 2008).
There's a fair amount of evidence that modafinil can make a difference in other forms of depression--but it's mostly the kind of evidence that scientists sneer at--the studies might be open-label, or not double-blinded. The major, most rigorous study of the drug to date (yes, it's Dr. Frye's), published in 2007 after studying 85 patients for 6 weeks, did observe a clear antidepressant effect, although, interestingly enough, the subjects had no reduction in their level of sleepiness, often a diagnostic of depression (Frye et al 2007).
However, researchers wondered if they had under-dosed the drug, and perhaps with higher doses would have come greater wakefulness. Either way, they felt they had something that might very well "improve symptoms of bipolar depression without mood destabilization."
Although there are more compounds being looked at for treatment-refractory bipolar depression seemingly all the time, and the suffering should hold out hope, I close my piece with perhaps the oddest of the ideas out there (and keep in mind that I haven't dealt with Aricept, used to treat Alzheimer's, tamoxifen (yes, for breast cancer--and I haven't even started with anything that has the word 'magnet' in its treatment formulation), so you know researchers and doctors are really looking everywhere.
Ketamine Okay, let's face it, you'd think that any med that's also known as a date rate drug wouldn't have people standing in line to take it. Except that this club drug is different from almost any other treatment for bipolar depression: when administered properly, ketamine alleviates the depression within minutes.
It really is worth a look. A dissociative anesthetic (and we'll come back to that, because people don't necessarily like disassociating), it was developed in the 1960s, and mainly used as a veterinary anesthetic.
But it hasn't spent its whole life innocently putting rabbits to sleep. Sneaking out of the veterinary OR, it's found a home on the street and in clubs, reinventing itself as "K," "Special K"," or "cat Valium," and inducing out-of-body sensations in those who take it--and doing triple-duty as a date-rape drug. It has the perfect profile for such--it's odorless, tasteless, and causes amnesia in the one who takes it. But wouldn't it be nice if it had a fourth use, one that could change people's lives within minutes?
It just might. The idea of using ketamine for depression is fairly new. First came a study in 2000 on 'regular' depression, one with only 7 subjects, but it strongly indicated that ketamine had anti-depressant effects. More small-scale studies followed, but there were no results of any rigorous (you remember from above, one with all the words scientists love: "randomized," placebo-controlled," "double-blind crossover") studies on ketamine's effect on bipolar depression until as late as 2010. In that year we met a research team led by Dr. Carlos A. Zarate Jr, Chief, Section on the Neurobiology and Treatment of Mood Disorders and Chief of Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch at the National Institute of Mental Health. I'd tell you some more of his jobs, but I imagine you're getting restless.
We return to the study with the intriguing title "A randomized add-on trial of an N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist in treatment-resistant bipolar depression." (Don't be thrown by all that "N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist" stuff--it just means that ketamine is an anesthetic that works to inhibit [that's the 'antagonize'] the action of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, which are types of glutamate receptors. Apparently blocking these receptors improves the brain's electrical flow, which, in turn, reduces depression.) Here, researchers found that, within 40 minutes of administering ketamine to their subjects, depressive symptoms significantly improved--for 71% of those given the drug.
The clearest downside of ketamine--well-known to doctors and researchers? The improvement lasts a only days.
As expected, the most common adverse effect was dissociation. This can be distressing to people, as it includes vivid and wild dreams, visual hallucinations, delirium, disorientation, and confusion--but such symptoms do usually pass within an hour.
Just last year the journal Biological Psychiatry published an article once again establishing ketamine's efficacy in bipolar depression--and, this time, in suicide. Dr. Zarate and his fellow researchers declared that they found a "rapid and robust antidepressant response" (2012), and, beyond that, they found the drug "rapidly improved suicidal ideation"
Despite the fact that a number of areas of concern remain in using ketamine to regularly treat those with bipolar depression (there's the dissociative 'trip,' the drug can lead to dependence, and long-term use can cause abnormalities in the brain), Dr. Zarate seems pretty sure he's onto a good thing: he's applied for patent for the use of ketamine in major depression.
In a 1989 issue Psychological Review, the authors develop an entire theory of depression that is based on hopelessness-—and it is a lot to ask someone in the depths of despair to hold out hope for a treatment so new it's still in clinical trials. But there really is cause for hope for the person with treatment refractory bipolar depression. Researchers have new ideas all the time for ways to treat bipolar depression, and they're putting them to the test. More cutting-edge psychiatrists are already using a number of the treatments in this post—and for some, as they travel "the road less traveled by", they bring their patients along with them—and that can "make all the difference."
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Aleida Hawkins
I have had mixed bipolar for over thirty years and have tried countless medication with only short term results. Medical Dr recently prescribe Celeoxib, not knowing much about it, I decided to research it, and boy I'm I glad I did !!!! I learned more about bipolar then I have from all the Dr.s i have seen over the years. So I just Wanted To say Thank You.
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13-Year-Old Who Jumped Off Balcony Shines Light on Gaming Addiction Among Young Chinese
By Wu Hao June 30, 2017
Home > Daily Drip > 13-Year-Old Who Jumped Off Balcony Shines Light on Gaming Addiction Among Young Chinese
Lingering in bed until lunchtime or staying up late to play mobile games is becoming far too common among young Chinese students. But the recent case of a 13-year-old schoolboy in Hangzhou takes gaming addiction to a whole new level.
Inside Children's Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Mr. Zhang, the boy's father, told the reporters the story. Last Thursday, when he came home after work, he found his son, Maomao, had spent the previous three hours playing the mobile game King of Glory (basically League of Legends) instead of reviewing lessons for the next day's exam. Failing to contain his fury, he scolded Maomao sharply. The boy, surprisingly, leapt impulsively from the balcony of their fourth-story home, fracturing both his patella and thighbone.
But while Mr. Zhang was badly worried about his son's health, Maomao demanded his father fetch his smartphone, as he urgently wanted to log back in to the game. He's expected to be bedridden for weeks.
Maomao is just one of millions of game addicts. (According to some estimates, more than 24 million Chinese between the ages of 13 and 29 are digital addicts.) And King of Glory, published by Tencent in November 2015, has done its share to increase those numbers, as it counts more than 200 million players, with the daily active user count around 80 million. In addition, research indicates that students made up nearly 60 percent of the players — and the average age appears to be getting lower.
In light of increasing numbers of students getting lost in mobile games, psychologists and educators are suggesting that parents take more responsibility in supervising their kids. Others, however, believe that offering "direction" is more beneficial than "blockage." In their eyes, there are two principal reasons for why students feel a special attachment to phone games. First, primary and middle school students are at an age when their self-awareness begins to take hold, which means they are eager to test self-constructed identities by immersing themselves in a virtual environment. Second, popular games such as King of Glory have transformed into a social phenomenon, which means students play these games not just for the action, but because their peers do.
All in all, the trend is a big concern, and some schools are taking action. As Shanghai Daily reports:
Wang Yang, headmaster of Shanghai Caoyang No.2 High School, said his school has banned playing online games on campus.
"We have told all students that such behavior will be recorded in the comprehensive evaluation system, which will be used in applying for universities," he said. The headmaster called for legislation to fine game producers and operators for allowing teenagers to register and play games.
You can download the game here. But be careful. You've been warned.
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Wu Hao
Wu Hao is an English language and literature major at Communication University of China. He is a happy-go-lucky and an enjoyer of showers.


Both XPostFactoid and ACASignups contributor Esther Ferington have posted good roundups of the other types of post-3/31 enrollments which will still be running throughout the spring and summer, including Medicaid, "special life changes", Native Americans and so forth.
At this point, with MA, OR, MD, NV and VT preparing to allow for enrollment extensions of one sort or another due to their technical problems, both KY and WA as well as CO looking to allow extensions due to high demand or special circumstances, you might be asking yourself, "Why doesn't the HHS Dept. simply say 'screw it' and allow everyone who started the process by 3/31 an extension?"
(Reuters) - The Obama administration will soon issue new Obamacare guidelines allowing people to enroll in health coverage after a March 31 deadline, but only under certain circumstances, according to sources close to the administration.
The sources said the new federal guidelines for consumers in the 36 states served by the federal health insurance marketplace and its website, HealthCare.gov, would allow people to enroll after March 31 if they had tried earlier and were prevented by system problems including technical glitches.


text:
L'expressió  castells del desert  engloba una vintena de petits castells, palaus, caravanserralls i fins i tot hammams repartits pel desert oriental de Jordània. La majoria estan situats a l'est i al sud d'Amman.

Història
Els castells van ser construïts entre els segles VII i VIII, sobretot entre els anys 660 i 750, sota els califes de la dinastia omeia, que van fer de Damasc la seva capital el 661. La majoria dels castells es troben a l'antiga ruta entre Medina i Kufa. El terme  Qasr  que es col·loca davant de tots ells fa referència a una obra fortificada. En anglès,  qasr  es tradueix com a castell, en català,  al qasr  es va convertir en alcàsser, encara que a l'Extrem Orient se sol aplicar a l'inrevés:  qasr al . En l'època omeia (al segle VIII), a l'orient mitjà,  qasr , en àrab, servia per a denominar una residència del sobirà lluny de la ciutat.  Qusair  o  qusayr , per la seva banda, és el diminutiu i pot traduir-se com palauet.

Funció
La funció dels  qasr  al llarg del temps, no ha estat encara determinada, tot i que s'ha suggerit que podien haver estat en part defensius, en part graners i en part centres comercials. Es creu que van ser primer palaus fortificats on els sobirans passaven temporades allunyats de la ciutat i consagrats a la pràctica de l'agricultura, però també lloc de trobada dels beduïns (entre ells o amb el governador omeia), i caravanserralls, és a dir, albergs o refugi de les caravanes de camells. En el cas de Amra i Kharana, podien haver estat construïts com a llocs de descans a la ruta de la Meca.

Els castells també són representatius de l'art islàmic primitiu i de l'arquitectura islàmica.

Castells
Moltes de les seves construccions es troben actualment destruïdes. Entre els més ben conservats destaquen:

  Qasr al-Qastal , a uns 25 km al sud d'Amman
  Qasr al-Muwaqqar , a uns 30 km al sud d'Amman
  Qusair Mushatta , a uns 35 km al sud-est d'Amman
  Qasr Hammam As Sarah , a uns 55 km al nord-est d'Amman
  Qasr al-Hallabat , a uns 60 km al nord-est d'Amman
  Qasr Kharana , a uns 65 km a l'est d'Amman
  Qusair Amra , a uns 85 km a l'est d'Amman
  Qasr Tuba , a uns 95 km al sud-est d'Amman
  Qasr Al Azraq , a uns 100 km a l'est d'Amman

Vegeu també
 Al Khazneh
 Raphana
 Um er-Rasas
 Umm el-Jimal
 Mont Nebo
 Crac de Montreal
 Castell d'Ajlun

Nota

Enllaços externs

 Jordans authority for tourism about the Desert castles
 about the Desert castles
 http://www.jordanjubilee.com/gallery/photos_descastles.htm