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Discover NPRC: Accessible, Affordable, & Achievable Associate Degrees
For years, one of the Northern Pennsylvania Regional College's greatest strengths has been our ability to operate outside of the confines of a traditional brick and mortar campus. While our administration operates out of Warren, Pa, we serve nine counties throughout the region, with classroom locations available in Cameron, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, McKean, Potter, Venango, and Warren.
This benefit of distribution was only cemented as NPRC was impacted by the COVID-19 health pandemic. Fortunately, the infrastructure of distance learning opportunities allowed us to transition as smoothly as possible into a remote setting that allows current students to continue their courses with as little disruption as possible. This continues to adhere to NPRC's ongoing mission to provide associate degrees and workforce training that is accessible, affordable, and achievable.
Accessible Classroom Locations & Remote Learning Opportunities
The ongoing health crisis has been a challenge for many local businesses and institutions, NPRC included. But prior to the pandemic, and long after it's over, we will continue to excel in offering accessible education through distance learning capabilities in classrooms throughout the aforementioned nine counties. Many of these classes are located in existing public community spaces such as schools and other educational entities, giving students a classroom experience close to home without the need to relocate. For many students, accessibility can be the deciding factor when settling on a path toward further education or workforce training.
As a high school student, I was not motivated at all," says one student. "Once I enrolled at NPRC, my Student Success Specialist really helped motivate me and find my path. The combination of a live classroom experience while integrating technology gives a great learning atmosphere. There are smaller classes, which provide more individualized learning for students to prosper. NPRC gave me the start I needed to transfer to a private research institute and continue pursuing my goals."
"NPRC made my transfer from a state institution seamless," says another student. "They were able to review my transcripts and work through a plan to achieve my degree as soon as possible. The instructors give you plenty of one-on-one time and everything is close to home. All members of the NPRC staff give you the support you need when you need it."
Affordable Associate Degrees in Early Childhood Education, Business Administration & More
One of the first things prospective students consider when looking to further their education is the price. Another benefit of NPRC's design is that it allows the college to price programs 70% cheaper than traditional brick and mortar colleges. Complete degrees at NPRC average around $15,000, compared to a national average that has students paying the same amount per year at traditional colleges. By offering institutional aid and accepting local scholarships, we are committed to making degrees affordable to anyone willing to invest in their education. A variety of payment plans for students are also offered, regardless of financial circumstances – because if you're going to invest in education, we want you to succeed in all aspects.
Education & Workforce Goals That Are Achievable
Speaking of success, we understand that not everyone who attends NPRC adheres to the same schedule. In fact, students' circumstances can be quite different, from their family life to work and everything in between. That's why it is crucial that our associate degrees are achievable for those who require non-traditional scheduling.
"I wasn't able to finish my college education when I was younger," says one student. "I always wanted to go back to school, but it wasn't until your program was recommended to me that I believed it was possible. The evening classes were great because I was able to work and take care of my children during the day and focus on school at night. The classroom environment was comfortable and casual, which I believed allowed us to be more open and participatory. NPRC has such a positive impact on their students, their family, and the community."
Often, students can get a jump start on their college education by earning stackable credentials through non-credit workforce courses or high school coursework that can easily be transferred towards NPRC degrees. Of course, we'd never leave it up to our students to navigate the complicated system of starting college alone; at NPRC, we ensure that success and goals are achievable through the use and support of our experienced Student Success Specialists. By working with them, you can guarantee that whatever path you choose, your NPRC experience is customized to your goals.
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While the rest of the world continues to work through what many consider to be a "new normal," there's never been a better time to explore the unique benefits offered to those pursuing an associate degree or workforce training through NPRC. Feel free to explore our comprehensive list of programs below and request more information on our courses and virtual learning capabilities.
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Chicago Weather: A Quiet Forecast And A Mostly Cloudy NightThe forecast is quiet with some minor temperature ups and downs over the coming week.
Man Shot In Leg In Irving Woods Neighborhood HomeA young man was shot in the leg in a home in the Irving Woods neighborhood Monday afternoon.
Seattle Puts the "D" in "We Dat!"
Filed Under:Beast Mode, Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham, Marshawn Lynch, New Orleans Saints, Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks, skittles
(Credit,Harry How/Getty Images)
By Matthew Asher
Last week the New Orleans Saints were able to get their first ever franchise playoff win as an away team. Seattle's defense made sure they ended the Saints good fortunes on the road as the Legion of Boom was able to hold off Drew Brees and the Saints passing attack for the second time this season as they win their Divisional Round game 23-15.
Marshawn Lynch gets an A+
Get the Skittles ready! The last time Lynch faced the Saints in the playoff game was during the Beast Quake. And while this game may not have the legend of an earthquake during any runs, Beast Mode certainly lived up to his nickname.
In the first half, Lynch was responsible for 15 of the Seahawks 21 rushes, had 69 of their 95 rushing yards and scored the lone touchdown of the game. By the end of the game, Lynch had 28 carries for 140 yards and both of Seattle's touchdowns. The rest of the team finished with a combined seven rushes for 34 yards. As far as total yards, Lynch was responsible for 143 yards of total offense, more than half of his team's 277 total offensive yards. Beast Mode indeed.
Seattle's passing attack gets a D
It might have been possible to blame the lackluster passing numbers for Russell Wilson on bad weather, but only in the first half. At halftime, Wilson had only thrown for 68 yards, but he completed seven of his nine attempts. Drew Brees fared much worse, throwing for 34 yards while completing just five of 12 passing attempts.
But in the second half, Drew Brees completed 19 of 31 passes for 275 yards and one touchdown. Wilson completed just two more passes despite throwing nine times again for just 35 additional yards. His total stat line is an embarrassing 9-18 for 103 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions for a quarterback rating of 67.6. Brees finished 24-43 for 309 passing yards, one touchdown and no interceptions for a quarterback rating of 83.6.
Seattle's second half pass defense gets a D-
Part of this has to do with how well Seattle's defense did in the first half of the game. In the first 30 minutes, New Orleans was held to just six first downs, 113 total yards, with just 34 through the air, one turnover and just 12:44 of possession time. Compared to these numbers, the second half stats are simply atrocious.
New Orleans picked up 19 more first downs and held the ball for 17:35 in the second half. Marques Colston simply could not be stopped by Seattle in the second half. In the first half, Colston recorded just one catch for nine yards. In the second half he had 10 receptions for 135 yards and the lone passing touchdown of the game. Brees still threw for an additional 140 yards in the second half to the other Saints.
It should be noted that Seattle did a great job all game of limiting Jimmy Graham. Graham led New Orleans with 86 catches for 1,215 yards and 16 touchdowns. Brees targeted Graham six times this game but could only complete one pass for just eight yards in the final drive of the game.
Seattle now gets to sit around like the rest of us today as we anxiously await to see which team will get their rematch with the Seahawks: the San Francisco 49ers or the Carolina Panthers.
For more news and updates about the NFL Playoffs, visit NFL Playoffs Central.
Matthew Asher is a freelance journalist. From an early age, sports have played a major role in his life. He graduated from Emory University with a B.A. in Journalism. After college he spent 2 years working with CNN Sports and still occasionally writes sports articles for several publications both in the United States and Canada. His work can be found on Examiner.com.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Latest research in football - week 49 - 2019
As previous literature updates, I have performed a PubCrawler search looking for football articles in NCBI Medline (PubMed) and GenBank databases.
Following studies were retrieved for this week:
#1 Football as a Health Promotion Strategy
Reference: Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2019 Oct 25;116(43):721-728. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2019.0721.
Authors: Eberl M1, Tanaka LF, Klug SJ, Adamek HE.
Download links: https://www.aerzteblatt.de/pdf.asp?id=210459
Summary: Football training can be a primary prevention strategy to reach people who otherwise would not be physically active. This systematic review summarizes the evidence on the health effects of controlled recreational football training as an intervention in children, adolescents, adults and the elderly. A systematic review (PROSPERO record CRD42018083665) of the literature was carried out in MEDLINE, Cochrane, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus databases to identify randomized and non-randomized intervention studies in which healthy individuals of any age participated in controlled football training and were investigated for health outcomes related to prevention of obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease. The studies included-14 randomized and three non-randomized intervention studies-have sample sizes too small for reliable statistical analysis and bear a considerable risk of systematic bias. The evidence of positive effects of playing football is limited to short-term loss of body fat and improvement in aerobic fitness. For all other health outcomes, no conclusive results were found. A considerable number of intervention studies reporting on football-based intervention programs have been published, and there is a widespread assumption that such programs have positive health effects. However, this systematic review shows that the empirical evidence is insufficient to permit such a conclusion.
#2 Methods to collect and interpret external training load using microtechnology incorporating GPS in professional football: a systematic review
Reference: Res Sports Med. 2019 Nov 22:1-22. doi: 10.1080/15438627.2019.1686703. [Epub ahead of print]
Authors: Rago V, Brito J, Figueiredo P, Costa J, Barreira D, Krustrup P, Rebelo A
Summary: The aim of this article was to systematically review the methods adopted to collect and interpret external training load (ETL) using microtechnology incorporating global positioning system (GPS). The main deficiencies identified concerned the non-collection of match ETL, and the non-consideration of potential confounders (e.g. playing position, fitness level, starting status or session content). Also, complementary training (individual/reconditioning) and pre-match warm-up were rarely quantified. To provide a full picture of the training demands, ETL was commonly complemented by internal training load monitoring with the rating of perceived exertion predominantly adopted instead of heart rate recordings. Continuous data collection and interpretation of ETL data in professional football vary widely between observational studies, possibly reflecting the actual procedures adopted in practical settings. Evidence about continuous ETL monitoring in female players, and female as well as male goalkeepers is lacking.
#3 Psychological factors and future performance of football players: A systematic review with meta-analysis
Reference: J Sci Med Sport. 2019 Nov 1. pii: S1440-2440(19)30559-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2019.10.021. [Epub ahead of print]
Authors: Ivarsson A, Kilhage-Persson A, Martindale R, Priestley D, Huijgen B, Ardern C, McCall A
Summary: This systematic review had 3 key objectives: (1) to investigate whether psychological factors were associated with future football performance (e.g., progression to professional football, better game statistics during the next season); (2) to critically review the methodological approaches used in the included studies and summarize the evidence for the current research question; (3) to provide guidelines for future studies. Electronic databases (SPORTDiscus, PubMed and PsycINFO) and previously published systematic and scoping reviews were searched. Only prospective studies were considered for inclusion. Eleven published studies that reported 39 effect sizes were included. Psychological factors; task orientation, task-oriented coping strategies and perceptual-cognitive functions had small effects on future performance in football (ds=0.20-0.29). Due to high risk of bias there were low certainty of evidence for psychological factors relationship with future football performance. Psychological factors investigated showed small effects on future football performance, however, there was overall uncertainty in this evidence due to various sources of bias in the included studies. Therefore psychological factors cannot be used as a sole deciding factor in player recruitment, retention, release strategies, however it would appear appropriate to include these in the overall decision-making process. Future, studies with more appropriate and robust research designs are urgently needed to provide more certainty around their actual role.
#4 Physical preparation and return to sport of the football player with a tibia-fibula fracture: applying the 'control-chaos continuum'
Reference: BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2019 Oct 30;5(1):e000639. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2019-000639. eCollection 2019.
Authors: Taberner M, van Dyk N, Allen T, Richter C, Howarth C, Scott S, Cohen DD
Download link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6830476/pdf/bmjsem-2019-000639.pdf
Summary: Contact in elite football can result in severe injury such as traumatic fracture. Limited information exists regarding the rehabilitation and return to sport (RTS) of these injuries especially in elite football. We outline the RTS of an elite English Premier League footballer following a tibia-fibula fracture including gym-based physical preparation and the use of 'control-chaos continuum' as a framework for on-pitch sport-specific conditioning, development of technical skills while returning the player to pre-injury chronic running loads considering the qualitative nature of movement in competition. Strength and power diagnostics were used to back up clinical reasoning and decision-making throughout rehabilitation and the RTS process. The player returned to full team training after 7.5 months, completed 90 min match-play after 9 months and remains injury-free 11 months post-RTS.
#5 The Attacking Process in Football: A Taxonomy for Classifying How Teams Create Goal Scoring Opportunities Using a Case Study of Crystal Palace FC
Reference: Front Psychol. 2019 Oct 16;10:2202. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02202. eCollection 2019.
Authors: Kim J, James N, Parmar N, Ali B, Vučković G
Download link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6843076/pdf/fpsyg-10-02202.pdf
Summary: Whilst some studies have comprehensively described the different features associated with the attacking process in football they have not produced a methodology of practical use for performance enhancement. This study presents a framework of comprehensive and meaningful metrics to objectively describe the attacking process so that useful performance profiles can be produced. The attacking process was categorized into three independent situations, no advantage (stable), advantage, and unstable (potential goal scoring opportunity) situations. Operational definitions for each situation enhanced their reliability and validity. English Premier League football matches (n = 38) played by Crystal Palace Football Club in the 2017/2018 season were analyzed as an exemplar. Crystal Palace FC created a median of 53.5 advantage situations (IQR = 16.8) and 23 unstable situations (IQR = 8.8) per match. They frequently utilized wide areas (Median = 21.5, IQR = 9.8) to progress, but only 26.6% resulted in unstable situations (Median = 6.0, IQR = 3.8), the lowest rate compared to the other advantage situations. This classification framework, when used with contextual factors in a multi-factorial manner, including individual player contributions, will provide practically useful information for applied practice. This approach will help close the so called theory-practice gap and enable academic rigor to inform practical problems.
#6 Recovery Kinetics After Speed-Endurance Training in Male Soccer Players
Reference: Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2019 Nov 21:1-14. doi: 10.1123/ijspp.2018-0984. [Epub ahead of print]
Authors: Tzatzakis T, Papanikolaou K, Draganidis D, Tsimeas P, Kritikos S, Poulios A, Laschou VC, Deli CK, Chatzinikolaou A, Batrakoulis A, Basdekis G, Mohr M, Krustrup P, Jamurtas AZ, Fatouros IG.
Summary: The purpose was to determine the recovery kinetics of performance, muscle damage, and neuromuscular fatigue following 2 speed-endurance production training (SEPT) protocols in soccer. Ten well-trained, male soccer athletes randomly completed 3 trials: work-to-rest ratio (SEPT) 1:5, SEPT/1:8, and a control trial. Training load during SEPT was monitored using global positioning system and heart-rate monitors. Performance (isokinetic strength of knee extensors and flexors, speed, and countermovement jump) and muscle damage (delayed-onset muscle soreness [DOMS] and creatine kinase) were evaluated at baseline and at 0, 24, 48 and 72 h posttraining. Maximal voluntary contraction (fatigue index) of knee extensors and flexors was additionally assessed at 1, 2, and 3 h posttraining. Fatigue increased (P < .05) in SEPT/1:5 (∼4-30%) for 3 h and in SEPT/1:8 (∼8-17%) for 2 h. Strength performance declined (P < .05) in both SEPT trials (∼5-20%) for 48 h. Speed decreased (∼4-18%; P < .05) for 72 h in SEPT/1:5 and for 48 h in SEPT/1:8. Countermovement-jump performance decreased (∼7-12%; P < .05) in both SEPT trials for 24 h. DOMS increased (P < .05) in SEPT/1:5 (∼2-fold) for 72 and in SEPT/1:8 (∼1- to 2-fold) for 48 h. Creatine kinase increased (∼1- to 2-fold, P < .05) in both SEPT trials for 72 h. SEPT induces short-term neuromuscular fatigue; provokes a prolonged deterioration of strength (48 h), speed (72 h), and jump performance (24 h); and is associated with a prolonged (72-h) rise of DOMS and creatine kinase. Time for recovery is reduced when longer work-to-rest ratios are applied. Fitness status may affect quality of SEPT and recovery kinetics.
#7 Effect of opposition quality and match location on the positional demands of the 4-2-3-1 formation in elite soccer
Reference: J Exerc Sci Fit. 2020 Jan;18(1):40-45. doi: 10.1016/j.jesf.2019.11.001. Epub 2019 Nov 3.
Authors: Paraskevas G, Smilios I, Hadjicharalambous M
Download link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6849351/pdf/main.pdf
Summary: The present study examined the influence of match location, quality of opposition team, and playing position on physical performance indicators of the 4-2-3-1 formation. Twenty-six (n = 26) games (with 184 player-observations; n = 17 players, played full 90 min games) were recorded with a video system and the physical demands of the players were analyzed according to their specific playing position (classified into central and wide defenders, central and wide midfielders and forwards). Match performance variables analyzed included total distance (TD), high-intensity running (HIR), very-high-intensity running (VHIR) and sprinting (SPR). There was a main effect of position for TD (F = 37.84, p < 0.001), HIR (F = 41.19, p < 0.001), VHIR (F = 27.89, p < 0.001) and SPR (F = 22.25, p < 0.001). Wide defenders covered the most SPR and -along with the central midfielders-the most VHIR. Central midfielders covered the most TD and HIR. Match location and opposition quality had interactive effects on TD (F = 12.96, p < 0.001), HIR (F = 8.33 p = 0.004) and VHIR (F = 8.17 p = 0.005). Competing against "weak" opponents, more TD, HIR and VHIR covered during home games compared to away games (p < 0.05). However, more TD was covered during away games against "strong" opponents compared to away games against "weak" opponents (p < 0.05). The current study supports more intense-based drills (i.e. repeated sprint training) for wide defenders and more volume-based drills (i.e. long interval training) for central midfielders, whilst total weekly training load can be adjusted based on match location and quality of oppositions on the anticipated game-load.
#8 Effects of Two Competitive Soccer Matches on Landing Biomechanics in Female Division I Soccer Players
Reference: Sports (Basel). 2019 Nov 14;7(11). pii: E237. doi: 10.3390/sports7110237.
Authors: Snyder BJ, Hutchison RE, Mills CJ, Parsons SJ
Download link: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/7/11/237/pdf
Summary: Fatigue has been proposed to increase the risk of knee injury. This study tracked countermovement jump, knee isometric strength, and kinetics and kinematics in 8 female soccer players (experimental group) during an anticipated sidestep maneuver before and after two matches played over a 43-h period. Time points were: Before and after match 1 (T0 and T1), 12 h after the first match (T2), and immediately after the second match (T3). A control group participated only in practice sessions. Isometric knee extension strength decreased by 14.8% at T2 (p = 0.003), but knee flexion was not affected until T3, declining by 12.6% (p = 0.018). During the sidestep maneuver, knee joint degrees of flexion at initial contact was increased by 17.1% at T3, but maximum knee and hip angle at initial contact were unchanged. Peak resultant ground reaction force (GRF) increased by 12.6% (p = 0.047) at T3 (3.03 xBW) from 2.69 xBW at T0, while posterior GRF was significantly higher than T0 at all three subsequent time points (T1 = 0.82 ± 0.23 xBW, T2 = 0.87 ± 0.22 xBW, T3 = 0.89 ± 0.22 xBW). Anterior tibial shear force increased significantly (p = 0.020) at T3 (1.24 ± 0.12 xBW) compared to T1 (1.15 ± 0.13 xBW), an 8.8% increase. Lateral tibial shear force was significantly higher at both T1 (0.95 ± 0.20 xBW) and T3 (1.15 ± 0.38 xBW) compared to T0 (0.67 ± 0.25 xBW). These findings suggest that participation in a soccer match has significant effects on both physical performance parameters and kinetics/kinematics during a sidestep cut, but these can be more pronounced after a second match with short rest.
#9 Higher neck strength is associated with lower head acceleration during purposeful heading in soccer: A systematic review
Reference: J Sci Med Sport. 2019 Nov 12. pii: S1440-2440(19)30660-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2019.11.004. [Epub ahead of print]
Authors: Peek K, Elliott JM, Orr R
Summary: The purpose was to systematically review the literature to investigate the potential relationship between neck strength and head acceleration during purposeful heading in soccer. Comprehensive search of five electronic databases: EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINAHL, SportsDiscus and Web of Science. Studies were included if they reported data on the relationship between neck strength and head impact and/or acceleration during purposeful soccer heading, published in English (or translation available). From an initial search of 1174 potentially eligible papers, five cross-sectional studies met the eligibility criteria for inclusion in this review. Data from cross-sectional studies indicate that higher neck strength is associated with lower head acceleration during purposeful heading in soccer (p=<0.05; r<-0.5). This review provides evidence that higher neck strength may lower head acceleration during purposeful heading in soccer. Further research is required to determine the most effective method to strengthen the neck musculature in soccer players.
#10 Superior cardiac mechanics without structural adaptations in pre-adolescent soccer players
Reference: Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2019 Nov 28:2047487319890177. doi: 10.1177/2047487319890177. [Epub ahead of print]
Authors: Beaumont A, Oxborough D, George K, Rowland TW, Sculthorpe N, Lord R, Unnithan VB
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate left ventricular structure, function and mechanics, in highly-trained, pre-adolescent soccer players compared with age- and sex-matched controls. The study design was a prospective, cross-sectional comparison of left ventricular structure, function and mechanics. Twenty-two male soccer players from two professional youth soccer academies (age: 12.0 ± 0.3 years) and 22 recreationally active controls (age: 11.7 ± 0.3 years) were recruited. Two-dimensional conventional and speckle tracking echocardiography were used to quantify left ventricular structure, function and peak/temporal values for left ventricular strain and twist, respectively. End-diastolic volume index was larger in soccer players (51 ± 8 mm/(m2)1.5 vs. 45 ± 6 mm/(m2)1.5; p = 0.007) and concentricity was lower in soccer players (4.3 ± 0.7 g/(mL)0.667 vs. 4.9 ± 1.0 g/(mL)0.667; p = 0.017), without differences in mean wall thickness between groups (6.0 ± 0.4 mm vs. 6.1 ± 0.5 mm; p = 0.754). Peak circumferential strain at the base (-22.2% ± 2.5% vs. -20.5% ± 2.5%; p = 0.029) and papillary muscle levels (-20.1% ± 1.5% vs. -18.3% ± 2.5%; p = 0.007) were greater in soccer players. Peak left ventricular twist was larger in soccer players (16.92° ± 7.55° vs. 12.34° ± 4.99°; p = 0.035) and longitudinal early diastolic strain rate was greater in soccer players (2.22 ± 0.40 s-1 vs. 2.02 ± 0.46 s-1; p = 0.025). Highly-trained soccer players demonstrated augmented cardiac mechanics with greater circumferential strains, twist and faster diastolic lengthening in the absence of differences in wall thickness between soccer players and controls.
#11 The Role of Somatic Maturation on Bioimpedance Patterns and Body Composition in Male Elite Youth Soccer Players
Reference: Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Nov 26;16(23). pii: E4711. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16234711.
Authors: Campa F, Silva AM, Iannuzzi V, Mascherini G, Benedetti L, Toselli S
Download link: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/23/4711/pdf
Summary: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of chronological age (CA) and somatic maturation on body composition (BC) and bioimpedance parameters in male elite soccer players. BC and bioimpedance variables were measured in a sample of 249 players aged 9-18 years of age and registered in two professional Italian soccer teams. Results from segmental analysis showed transition time points where the influence of CA and somatic maturation on bioimpedance patterns and BC characteristics increased or subsided. The accelerated phases were assessed for fat free mass, total body water, and upper muscle area, with a starting time point at approximately -2.00 years from peak at velocity (YPHV), and for body cell mass, whose developmental tempo sped up around -1.00 YPHV. An increase in the rate of development was also observed close to -2.00 YPHV for phase angle (PA), although without accelerated phases. From a CA point of view, significant slope changes were found for all BC and bioimpendance variables, except for the calf muscle area. Although the starting points and the span of the accelerated phases were different, they subsided or disappeared at ~ 15 years, except for PA, whose growth waned at ~ 17 years.
tagPlaceholderTags: updates, lrif


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Murray eases into quarter-finals in Madrid
Murray through to last-eight in Madrid
A confident display by Andy Murray sealed his place in the last-eight, but he was still unhappy with the scheduling.
Andy Murray beat Marcel Granollers 6-2 6-0
The score line may have looked one-sided but Britain's Andy Murray was still unhappy after playing two matches in one day in Madrid. He eased into the last-eight at the Spanish event with a confident 6-2 6-0 victory in little over an hour's play over the Spanish wildcard entrant, Marcel Granollers. The Scot remained somewhat dismayed by the scheduling at the tournament though, as his 3am finish against Philipp Kohlschreiber in the previous round clearly still rankled with him.
Murray had few concerns in his latest match, other than with his tired body. Granollers struggled to get a foothold against an opponent he has had little success against in their past meetings on the tour. The 27-year-old Brit admitted afterwards that he had to 'bluff' his way through the contest. The pretence clearly worked on this occasion.
Despite still feeling weary after his earlier exertions in the day, his 'game face' suggested otherwise on court.
Two breaks of serve in the fourth and eighth games of the match proved sufficient for him to secure the first set. It was even more comfortable in the second set as he 'bagelled' his opponent to close out the contest.
There will be little time for resting on his laurels though. His quarter-final opposition should prove a stern test of Murray's abilities, as the fifth-seeded Canadian Milos Raonic will face him later today.
Raonic similarly had few problems in overcoming Leonardo Mayer in straight-sets to reach the last-eight himself. His big serve and all-round game will test the Britain's durability.
Murray was in belligerent mood after his match. His advice to the organisers of the event (and no doubt to the ATP tour in general) was that to ensure top performances "don't play at three o'clock in the morning." The ATP have promised to look into the issue to ensure that the chances of a repeat in the future are minimised.
They have to consider not just the players though in the scheduling, with promoters, broadcasters and the media all to be considered in the decisions made. A tough balancing act indeed, but surely the players' welfare should hold precedence.
Rafael Nadal joined Murray in the last-eight stages after a 6-2 6-2 success over Italy's Simone Bolelli. He also faces a tough challenge in the next round, as the impressive Grigor Dimitrov lies in wait.
The Bulgarian surprised many by knocking out Stan Wawrinka in three sets.


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Q: Read-Only Memory vs Heap Memory in Memory Usage in C Assume we have a Struct NODE with
typedef struct tNODE {
    struct tNODE* parent;
    char* inner_text;
}NODE;

Here we have a Read-Only Memory usage of initialization
NODE* temp = new_node(parent);
temp->inner_text = "something";

Vs.
Heap Memory usage of initialization
NODE* temp = new_node(parent);
temp->inner_text = strdup("something");

So what I am doing in my program is that, I am parsing through an XML file(the original node struct has more components).
My question is that if I am using read-only memory I have noticed from Valgrind that the total Heap usage is a bit lower than when I am using Heap Allocation.
Is that always true ? why is that ? I work with large files(>3GB), should I take that into consideration ?

A: In your "Heap Memory usage" example ...

NODE* temp = new_node(parent);
temp->inner_text = strdup("something");

... you require at least double the storage for the string, because you actually have two.  strdup() will dynamically allocate memory for a copy of the contents of the string literal, but you still have the string literal too (else, what do you think strdup() could copy from?).
This is not a question of string literal vs. not.  I anticipate that you would observe similar memory usage (in both examples) if you replaced the string literal with an explicit, modifiable array such as this:
char something[] = {'s', 'o', 'm', 'e', 't', 'h', 'i', 'n', 'g', '\0'};

If the underlying question is about how to initialize modifiable arrays, then you would probably find this more convenient:
char something[] = "something";

If that appears at file scope, then there is a fair chance that no additional storage is consumed beyond that for your writable array.

A: The string "something" is (obviously) known at compile time, right?
So, instead of assigning a string literal, introduce a global variable like const char *something = "something"; and assign that to the field of the node.
Even if you assign the (literal) same string, the compiler will probably figure this out and will take care of the above step.
At least GCC (12.2.0) does that on my system, test it out:
struct foo { char *value; };

void processFoo(struct foo *bar)
{
    printf("%p\n", bar->value);
}

int main()
{
    struct foo f1 = { .value = "hello" };
    processFoo(&f1);

    struct foo f2 = { .value = "hello" };
    processFoo(&f2);

    printf("\n");

    for (int i=0; i < 3; ++i) {
        struct foo *bar = malloc(sizeof(struct foo));
        bar->value = "hello";
        processFoo(bar);
        free(bar);
    }

    return 0;
}

Output:
0x55b6389f4008
0x55b6389f4008

0x55b6389f4008
0x55b6389f4008
0x55b6389f4008

As a reply to the comment below:
Considering the fact, that a strdup will (unnecessarily) increase the heap usage by creating a copy of an persistent object (which has been already pointed out by the users John Bollinger and ulix), there will be no additional increase in memory usage if you assign a well known (since it's hard coded it has to be) string literal, let's say 10 quadrillion times.

A: The important thing to understand here is that there are TWO objects here -- there's a NODE object (containing two pointers) and a string object (char[10] array containing the string, including a NUL terminator).
In both cases, the NODE object is allocated on the heap.  In the first case, the string is allocated in read-only memory, while in the second case, the string is allocated on the heap.  The strdup allocates this string on the heap, and there may also be a string in read-only memory for strdup to copy, or that may be eliminated by the optimizer.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Your Debit card is designed to work both in Shazam network compatible ATM machines, and also with vendors who accept MasterCard® credit cards. When you use your debit card, either at an ATM or as a Credit Card, the money is instantly withdrawn from your account. Therefore, it's critical to guard the safety of your card to protect your checking account funds.
Debit cards can be used everyday - similar to but more convenient than a check - such as for groceries, fuel, paying bills, and entertainment. They also allow you to withdrawal cash from ATM machines. Due to the direct link debit cards have to your funds, credit cards are more appropriate for trips, vacation, and large purchases. Both credit and debit cards are protected by federal law to cap losses due to fraud. As an added precaution, always carry an appropriate alternate form of payment (cash, check, or credit card) along with your debit card.
Observe and test the card reader, such as those used by ATM's and gas pumps, before inserting your card. If they protrude significantly or are unsteady, wobbly, or appear broken in any way, do not use the machine.
When possible, withdrawal cash from ATMs at financial institutions rather than from public kiosks, entertainment venues, etc.
When driving up to an ATM machine, keep the car running, doors and windows up and locked, and keep a space among other vehicles to be able to drive away immediately if required. If someone is blocking your escape, do not start your transaction until the area has been cleared.
ONE OF THE SAFER WAYS TO COMPLETE AN ONLINE TRANSACTION IS THROUGH A THIRD PARTY PAYMENT PROCESSOR, such as PayPal, Google Wallet, or Amazon Payments. These products use a dynamic process to complete a transaction, similar to the operation of an EMV card, leaving little to no usable data with the vendor in the event they were breached. To increase security further and prevent unauthorized transactions from someone who may have your username and password, consider enabling two-factor authentication. After supplying your username and password, you'll need one more form of identification before the transaction will process. This may be as simple as responding to an app that pops up on your tablet or smartphone, or entering a code sent via text message.
If you choose to use a payment card online, CONSIDER ACTIVATING ADDITIONAL FREE PROTECTION BEFORE USE, like Verified by Visa (VbyV) or Mastercard SecureCode (MCSC). During enrollment you'll create a password; online shopping sites that support VbyV or MCSC will require that password at checkout which would thwart a criminal.
IF USING A TRADITIONAL CARD ONLINE, CREDIT CARDS ARE PREFERABLE OVER DEBIT. Although both offer fraud protection, Credit Cards don't have direct access to your funds.
Before providing card numbers, account numbers, or online banking credentials to a 3rd party payment processor, accounting software, or finance software like Mint.com, consider the risks if that company were to be breached and if that outweighs the risk of not using such a product.
We do our best to monitor your accounts for suspicious activity and will call you if we detect questionable transactions. However, you can help us by checking your current online banking statements several times per month for irregularities. The sooner you notify us of irregular activity, the less you'll likely lose due to the fraud.
Please visit the Lost or Stolen Card page by using the permanent link at the top of our website.


I hate setting things up for people in Revit that are such obvious manual hacks just because they're used to seeing it that way.
Personally; my (current) beef is an (unhealthy) obsession with modelling everything (too early). Don't get me wrong, I'm a big BIG fan of modelling minutiae when (it is) appropriate, but tying a model up in knots with overtly complicated modelling practices without even first floating an idea in rough sketch form beforehand just feels wastefully decadent.
I like to ask people "Would you rather have it look the same and take longer, or would you rather have it work better that it did before?"
Sure, maybe you can have your Door Schedule have the same line spacing as it did 15 years ago by drawing lines and typing text.
Or you can have it generated automatically, be accurate, and require no effort whatsoever. Net even "additional" effort. NO effort.
CADiva, JeffH and cganiere like this.
In this case it was a desire to track old sheet issuance across a single Revit schedule. Dumb Text parameters that are bound to be wrong somewhere along the way.
I get the idea (convenience) but at what cost of relying on information you can't remotely ensure is accurate?
just because they're used to seeing it that way.
Not to incite, but it might be a situation more like the warning on coffee cups - someone had an (expensive) issue in the past, and that's the remedy (carried forward to today).
but at what cost of relying on information you can't remotely ensure is accurate?
Comments about "ye olde days" aside, sounds like it might be time to Dynamo-metize things and ensure that accuracy yourself!
sounds like it might be time to Dynamo-metize things and ensure that accuracy yourself!
Yes - I've just got to get them to the table for the discussion. Last time I showed something I was told it was "way too complicated." Not sure how since it's not much more than clicking a few buttons in the Dyno browser but that's what I'm up against. Change seems to equal bad for some.
Yes - I've just got to get them to the table for the discussion. Last time I showed something I was told it was "way too complicated.".....Change seems to equal bad for some.
I don't think it's change itself that is bad, it's that the direction the change appears to be headed in looks very different than what they were shown during the Revit "sell". Dynamo has finally started to deliver on some of the more robust promises of Revit that haven't otherwise been included in the software.
So that's good, but I never would have guessed you'd need to know 3 separate programming languages* to accomplish it. But here we are.
Software can't fix stupid, but at least it can automate it.
I think it's the direction of the change but as it relates to their skill set. I remember the days when hand drafters wouldn't learn AutoCAD and the days (now) when AutoCAD users didn't want to learn Revit. The change makes them obsolete (or so they fear).
Check out Emblemmatic — MarkMaker to see why designers ought to be worried.
3 languages, at least. Add in Flux and Grasshopper and you've got a few more!
truevis and cellersick like this.
why designers ought to be worried.
It's looking like a waiting game until designers are replaced by algorithms. I'm waiting for the "Mid Century Modern" plugin pack, myself - I hear that one has the 'Mies' algorithm.
snowyweston, tzframpton and elton williams like this.


An elegant interior is a waste of space if not properly illuminated, which is why choosing the right source of light is critical to creating the right atmosphere for your space, whether it's an office, art exhibition, spa or social club.
With growing concerns about the environment and how we use our energy, it is also becoming an important part of any company's image to use the most efficient and environmentally friendly lighting, which is OPTILED LED lighting. And not only are our lighting solutions green and efficient, they're the most beautiful as well.
OPTILED LED lighting solutions enhance high-end interior locations by establishing a precise mood and atmosphere using a subtle combination of lighting types and colors to let interior spaces realize their full potential.
Heat-free operation and long life spans minimize energy and maintenance costs, while crisp, cool or soft, warm light create a sophisticated, elegant, highly customized look.
OPTILED LED lighting contains no mercury, making them environmentally friendly and safer to use.
Pure white light without IR or UV rays creates a more comfortable environment, and is healthier too.
High-end bars, boutique stores, five-star restaurants and top-level executive office spaces can benefit greatly from OPTILED LED lighting.


text:
Audit Results
Issue Ratings
A Summary of Results from Contracting Audits
An overview of the State Auditor's Office results reported for audits of state agencies' and higher education institutions' contracting processes from March 2016 through November 2019.
Lisa R. Collier, CPA, CFE, CIDA
This summary report provides an overview of the State Auditor's Office (SAO) results reported for audits of state agencies' and higher education institutions' contracting processes from March 2016 through November 2019. During this time period, the SAO issued 42 audit reports with a significant focus on the State's contracting activities.
Agencies in the State of Texas use contracts as a mechanism to accomplish many of the State's basic and critical functions, including:
health care services to children and young adults with disabilities,
foster care services,
education services,
highway construction and maintenance, and
state information technology services.
These contracts can be large and complex, span multiple years, and require vendors or subcontractors to perform the critical functions.
Due to the State's reliance on contracting for the delivery of critical services, the SAO has conducted a series of audits on this topic. SAO audits have identified deficiencies at many state agencies and higher education institutions and in all phases of the contracting process.
Audit results are organized by General Appropriations Act article, state entity, and audit report within each contracting phase.
Each audit report included in the summary is hyperlinked to the full report available on the SAO's Web site. In addition, each chapter/sub-chapter is hyperlinked to the applicable section of the audit report. Additional SAO reports are available via the SAO's online report search tool at https://www.sao.texas.gov.
This information is subject to change because it is updated periodically to incorporate the results from SAO reports with a significant focus on contracting activities as they are released. The reports discussed in this summary reflect the results of audits whose primary objectives related to contracting and do not reflect the entire scope of work performed by the SAO on contracting activities in the state.
Contracting requirements are intended to help state entities promote competition, obtain the best price or best value, and contract with the most qualified vendors.
Several state agencies are charged with developing guidance and providing oversight of the State's contracting activities. The Office of the Comptroller of Public Accounts (Comptroller) includes the Chief Procurement Officer for the State, who publishes the State of Texas Procurement and Contract Management Guide to provide contracting guidance and a framework for procurement professionals in state government. The Comptroller also provides training on contract management. State statute authorizes several state entities to monitor and provide oversight of various contracting activities, including the SAO, Comptroller, Legislative Budget Board, Department of Information Resources, Contract Advisory Team, and Quality Assurance Team.
Contracting Cycle
The State of Texas Procurement and Contract Management Guide, Version 1.1, organizes the contracting process into five distinct phases as defined below.
Define the business need and establish the procurement procedures.
Identify the appropriate procurement method and, if applicable, issue a solicitation.
Fairly and objectively select the vendor that provides best value to the State.
Ensure that the awarded contract complies with applicable procurement law and contains provisions that achieve the procurement objectives.
Administer and enforce the terms of the contract.
The SAO released 42 reports of audits on state agencies and higher education institutions with a significant focus on contracting activities from March 2016 through November 2019.
The objective(s) and scope of every audit are based on a risk assessment and can vary among the contracting audits. Therefore, the SAO may not test all contracting phases in every audit, with the high-risk and high-impact processes, controls, and contracts being tested more frequently. In addition, the results compiled for this summary are intended to present the most common and significant findings discussed in SAO contracting audits.
The charts below provide highlights of the results reported in SAO contracting audits. After those charts are descriptions of the most common weaknesses identified for each phase of the contracting cycle.
Audit Reports by Contracting Phase
The chart below shows the number of SAO audit reports released from March 2016 through November 2019 that contained contracting results by contracting phase. As SAO audits often address many phases of the contracting cycle, a report could be captured in multiple phases in the chart below. The Management and Oversight phase was addressed most frequently in SAO audit reports. Click on the contracting phase for additional information.
Issue Ratings in Contracting Audit Reports
The chart below shows the significance of the results reported in SAO contracting audits released from March 2016 through November 2019. As indicated below, the most common issue rating in SAO contracting audit reports was medium. Individual results contribute to the overall chapter/sub-chapter issue ratings in each audit report. See the Issue Ratings section for a description of each rating.
Click on each issue rating category below to view the applicable chapter(s)/sub-chapter(s) in the corresponding audit reports by state entity.
Audit Reports by Contracting Phase and Issue Rating
The chart below shows the number of SAO audits released from March 2016 through November 2019 that reported results by phase of the contracting cycle and captures the significance of those results by issue rating. SAO audits often address many phases of the contracting cycle and report results across the ratings scale; as a result, a report and rating could be captured in multiple phases in the chart below. The planning and vendor selection phases had the most significant (priority rated) issues. Priority rated issues if not addressed could critically affect the state entity's ability to effectively administer the function audited.
Planning is the first phase in the contract management process. Proper planning involves development of several elements to help state entities consider all of the factors necessary to achieve the desired outcomes from the contract through the following:
Ensuring that contract and purchasing staff and members of the governing body, if applicable, are adequately trained, qualified, and/or certified to complete their responsibilities related to the contract.
Required Planning and Documentation
Conducting the required planning steps, including a needs assessment and cost estimate.
Complying with additional requirements, such as ensuring that policies and procedures to guide the state entity's activities during the planning phase are in place and align with the State of Texas Procurement and Contract Management Guide.
Audit Reports With Identified Planning Weaknesses
The chart below shows the number of SAO audit reports that identified weaknesses in planning that were rated medium, high, or priority. The most prevalent planning weaknesses identified in SAO reports were related to required planning and documentation. SAO audits address many elements of contracting requirements; therefore, a report could be listed for multiple areas in the chart below.
In addition to the weaknesses noted above, 14 reports contained results for the planning phase that were rated low, which indicates that auditors identified strengths or issues that do not present significant risks.
To view the results related to planning in SAO contracting audit reports, click on the button below.
Procurement is the second phase in the contracting cycle. The primary purpose of this phase is to select the appropriate procurement method, define the statement of work for the contract, and obtain the necessary approvals for the contract solicitation through the following:
Selecting the appropriate procurement method, such as a request for proposal or invitation for bids, advertising the solicitation, and public bid opening, if applicable.
Developing key solicitation documentation and a clearly defined statement of work. This should include contractor qualifications, proposal submission requirements, methods for monitoring contractor performance, and criteria for determining satisfactory contract completion.
Complying with additional requirements, such as ensuring that policies and procedures to guide the state entity's activities during the procurement phase are in place and align with the State of Texas Procurement and Contract Management Guide.
Audit Reports With Identified Procurement Weaknesses
The chart below shows the number of SAO audit reports that identified weaknesses in procurement that were rated medium, high, or priority. The most prevalent procurement weaknesses identified in SAO reports were related to solicitation process. SAO audits address many elements of contracting requirements; therefore, a report could be listed for multiple areas in the chart below.
In addition to the weaknesses noted above, 8 reports contained results for the procurement phase that were rated low, which indicates that auditors identified strengths or issues that do not present significant risks.
To view the results related to procurement in SAO contracting audit reports, click on the button below.
Procurement Reports
Vendor Selection is the third phase in the contracting cycle. This phase helps to ensure that contract proposals are evaluated in a fair and transparent manner and decisions are adequately supported through the following:
Evaluation and Scoring
Ensuring that scoring criteria is consistently applied and scores are accurately tabulated during the evaluation process.
Conflicts of Interest and Other Required Disclosures
Ensuring that the state entity's purchasing and contract management personnel, the bid evaluation team, and the vendor complete conflict of interest and other required disclosures.
Non-scored and Non-competitive
Ensuring that contracts exempt from competitive bidding, such as emergency purchases and if the agency received only one bid in response to the bid solicitation, comply with applicable requirements.
Complying with additional requirements, such as ensuring that policies and procedures to guide the state entity's activities during the vendor selection phase are in place and align with the State of Texas Procurement and Contract Management Guide.
Audit Reports With Identified Vendor Selection Weaknesses
The chart below shows the number of SAO audit reports that identified weaknesses in vendor selection that were rated medium, high, or priority. The most prevalent vendor selection weaknesses identified in SAO reports were related to conflicts of interest and other required disclosures. SAO audits address many elements of contracting requirements; therefore, a report could be listed for multiple areas in the chart below.
In addition to the weaknesses noted above, 13 reports contained results for the vendor selection phase that were rated low, which indicates that auditors identified strengths or issues that do not present significant risks.
To view the results related to vendor selection in SAO contracting audit reports, click on the button below.
Vendor Selection Reports
Formation is the fourth phase in the contracting cycle. During this phase, contract negotiations occur, terms are finalized, and a contract is executed. This phase helps ensure that the State's interests are protected through the following:
Including key contract elements, such as a scope of work, defined deliverables, dispute resolution, price, right to audit, specifications, and indemnification.
Ensuring the contract is reviewed by appropriate personnel.
Complying with requirements related to contract notification and reporting to the Legislative Budget Board and other oversight entities and posting contract information on the state entity's Web site, if applicable.
Contract Amendments and Changes
Having a formal contract amendment or change management process to ensure that amendments receive proper approval, changes are within the scope of the solicitation, and changes are initiated by appropriate personnel.
Complying with additional requirements, such as ensuring that policies and procedures to guide the state entity's activities during the formation phase are in place and align with the State of Texas Procurement and Contract Management Guide.
Audit Reports With Identified Formation Weaknesses
The chart below shows the number of SAO audit reports that identified weaknesses in contract formation that were rated medium, high, or priority. The most prevalent formation weaknesses identified in SAO reports were related to contract terms.
In addition to the weaknesses noted above, 15 reports contained results for the formation phase that were rated low, which indicates that auditors identified strengths or issues that do not present significant risks.
To view the results related to formation in SAO contracting audit reports, click on the button below.
Formation Reports
Management and Oversight is the final phase in the contracting cycle. The primary purpose of this phase is to monitor and enforce the terms of the contract to ensure a satisfactory outcome through the following:
Fiscal Monitoring
Ensuring that payments to the vendor are approved, timely, adequately supported, and comply with contract terms.
Completing a monitoring risk assessment, monitoring key deliverables and performance metrics, and requiring corrective action, when necessary.
Vendor Performance Reporting
Reporting vendor performance to the Comptroller, as required.
Contract Close Out
Verification that contract obligations have been met.
Complying with additional requirements, such as ensuring that policies and procedures to guide the state entity's activities during the management and oversight phase are in place and align with the State of Texas Procurement and Contract Management Guide.
Audit Reports With Identified Management and Oversight Weaknesses
The chart below shows the number of SAO audit reports that identified weaknesses in management and oversight that were rated medium, high, or priority. The most prevalent management and oversight weaknesses identified in SAO reports were related to performance monitoring. SAO audits address many elements of contracting requirements; therefore, a report could be listed for multiple areas in the chart below.
In addition to the weaknesses noted above, 19 reports contained results for the management and oversight phase that were rated low, which indicates that auditors identified strengths or issues that do not present significant risks.
To view the results related to management and oversight in SAO contracting audit reports, click on the button below.
Management and Oversight Reports
The Other category captures the results related to contracting that fall outside the scope of a standard SAO contracting audit. The SAO issued 9 audit reports that fall into this category, which includes:
Managed Care Organization
Audit reports of the Health and Human Services Commission's contracts with managed care organizations (MCOs) and audits of MCO vendors. The SAO has conducted a series of MCO-related audits and identified these separately due to their unique design, complexity, and approach.
Additional requirements that are not addressed in the contracting phases above.
To view the results related to other in SAO contracting audit reports, click on the button below.
Contracting Audit Reports
The State Auditor's Office released 42 audit reports at state agencies and higher education institutions with a significant focus on contracting activities from March 2016 through November 2019. The results in each report are noted by contracting phase below. Individual results contributed to the overall chapter/sub-chapter issue ratings and the most significant rating included in the report for each phase is listed.
See the Issue Ratings section for additional information about the rating categories.
An Audit Report on the Health and Human Services Commission's Use of Remedies in Managed Care Contracts 20-008 11/1/2019
An Audit Report on Hurricane Harvey Disaster Recovery Funds Administered by the General Land Office 20-006 10/25/2019
An Audit Report on Facilities-related Contracts at the Department of Transportation 19-050 8/28/2019
An Audit Report on Contracting at the Juvenile Justice Department 19-043 7/25/2019
An Audit Report on the Vendor Performance Tracking System at the Office of the Comptroller of Public Accounts and Its Use by the Texas Workforce Commission and the Parks and Wildlife Department 19-042 7/18/2019
An Audit Report on Contracting at the Texas Tech University System 19-041 7/15/2019
An Audit Report on the Texas Peer Assistance Program for Nurses 19-036 6/11/2019
An Audit Report on Selected Contracts at The University of Texas System 19-032 2/26/2019
An Audit Report on Selected Contracts at the Department of Motor Vehicles 19-029 2/13/2019
An Audit Report on the Health and Human Services Commission's System of Contract Operation and Reporting 19-028 2/5/2019
An Audit Report on Medicaid Managed Care Contract Processes at the Health and Human Services Commission 19-025 1/29/2019
An Audit Report on Information Technology Contract Oversight at the Department of Transportation 19-024 1/30/2019
An Audit Report on Selected Contracts at the Historical Commission 19-023 1/22/2019
An Audit Report on Selected Capitol Complex Project Contracts at the Texas Facilities Commission 19-016 12/20/2018
An Audit Report on Amerigroup Texas, Inc. and Amerigroup Insurance Company, a Managed Care Organization 19-011 11/27/2018
An Audit Report on Selected Contracts at the Health and Human Services Commission 19-010 11/26/2018
An Audit Report on A Selected Contract at the University of North Texas System 19-001 9/4/2018
An Audit Report on Selected Contracts at the Texas Education Agency 18-044 8/31/2018
An Audit Report on Scoring and Evaluation of Selected Procurements at the Health and Human Services Commission 18-038 7/13/2018
An Audit Report on the Health and Human Services Commission's Family Violence Program 18-028 5/11/2018
An Audit Report on a Selected Contract at the Department of State Health Services 18-025 4/12/2018
An Audit Report on Selected Facilities Support Services Agreements and Special Projects at Selected Universities in the Texas A&M University System 18-024 4/12/2018
An Audit Report on Foster Care Redesign at the Department of Family and Protective Services 18-022 3/12/2018
An Audit Report on the Health and Human Services Commission's Management of Its Medicaid Managed Care Contract with Superior HealthPlan, Inc. and Superior HealthPlan Network, and Superior's Compliance with Reporting Requirements 18-015 1/25/2018
An Audit Report on Contracting Processes in the Parks and Wildlife Department's Infrastructure Division 18-008 12/15/2017
An Audit Report on Selected Contracts at Stephen F. Austin State University 17-042 7/27/2017
An Audit Report on Selected Contracts at the Commission on State Emergency Communications 17-041 7/27/2017
An Audit Report on Selected Contracts at the Office of the Attorney General 17-039 6/14/2017
An Audit Report on Selected Contracts at the Department of Information Resources 17-038 6/14/2017
An Audit Report on Selected Contracts at the Department of Criminal Justice 17-032 5/2/2017
An Audit Report on Selected Contracts at the Commission on Environmental Quality 17-029 3/28/2017
An Audit Report on HealthSpring Life and Health Insurance Company, Inc., a Medicaid STAR+PLUS Managed Care Organization 17-025 2/15/2017
An Audit Report on Selected Texas Education Agency Contracts and Grant with Education Service Centers 17-013 11/30/2016
An Audit Report on the Texas Multiple Award Schedule (TXMAS) Contracts Program at the Office of the Comptroller of Public Accounts 17-010 10/20/2016
An Audit Report on Medicaid Managed Care Contract Processes at the Health and Human Services Commission 17-007 10/13/2016
An Audit Report on Human Resources Contract Management at the Health and Human Services Commission 17-004 10/10/2016
An Audit Report on the Texas Education Agency's Procurement and Oversight of Texas Virtual School Network Contracts 17-002 9/12/2016
An Audit Report on Selected Design-build Contracts at the Department of Transportation 16-037 8/22/2016
An Audit Report on the Texas Lottery Commission's Administration of Selected Instant Ticket Contracts 16-028 5/20/2016
An Audit Report on Selected Contracts at the Department of Public Safety 16-023 5/3/2016
An Audit Report on Selected Agencies' Use of Department of Information Resources Information Technology Staffing Services Contracts 16-020 3/29/2016
Auditors use professional judgement to rate the audit findings identified in certain audit reports. For each report, the issue ratings are summarized in the report chapters/sub-chapters. Auditors determine the ratings based on the degree of risk or effect of the findings in relation to the audit objective(s).
The audit identified strengths that support the audited entity's ability to administer the program(s)/function(s) audited or the issues identified do not present significant risks or effects that would negatively affect the audited entity's ability to effectively administer the program(s)/function(s) audited.
Issues identified present risks or effects that if not addressed could moderately affect the audited entity's ability to effectively administer program(s)/function(s) audited. Action is needed to address the noted concern(s) and reduce risks to a more desirable level.
Issues identified present risks or effects that if not addressed could substantially affect the audited entity's ability to effectively administer the program(s)/function(s) audited. Prompt action is essential to address the noted concern(s) and reduce risks to the audited entity.
Issues identified present risks or effects that if not addressed could critically affect the audited entity's ability to effectively administer the program(s)/function(s) audited. Immediate action is required to address the noted concern(s) and reduce risks to the audited entity.
Contact the SAO
For additional Information regarding SAO reports, please contact the SAO:
Web Site: https://www.sao.texas.gov
Address: Robert E. Johnson, Sr. Building, 1501 N. Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701


text:
Home world Madeira after the accident: "The bus was getting faster and faster"
Madeira after the accident: "The bus was getting faster and faster"
It was to be a happy and lively excursion to Funchal, the capital of the picturesque flower island of Madeira. For the tourists a typical Madeiran dinner with culinary specialties of the region waited in a local restaurant. From the quaint hotel Quinta Splendida in the village of Caniço, the group set out in the early evening by coach to a restaurant a few miles away. But only a short time later, the ride ended in a tragedy: In a sloping left-hander, the bus suddenly came off the road, broke through a railing, overturned and fell about eight meters in depth.
The terrible result: 29 people – most of them according to previous findings from Germany – lose their lives shortly before Easter. Almost as many are injured, some very heavy. The tourists had booked the trip with a German tour operator, but it was not a fixed group, but tourists from all over Germany, said a member of staff of the hotel.
29 people are killed on Madeira
Madeira is still calm these days. It is preseason, the tourist streams are still out. But it is already green and blooming in every corner – it is not for nothing that botany fans are particularly enthusiastic about the colorful island. Because of the subtropical climate, there are pleasant temperatures throughout the year that allow cold-stricken Germans to march towards the mild hiking paradise. In addition to the Algarve, Madeira is Portugal's most popular tourist destination.
Two days before Good Friday, however, there is rain on Madeira, a lot of wind and temperatures below 20 degrees. On this typical April day fates strike for more than five dozen tourists. After the catastrophe, your bus comes to a standstill on the side just as it bounces on the red tiled roof of a residential building, which fortunately is uninhabited at the time. 28 people die immediately, 28 others are injured. A woman succumbs to her injuries shortly afterwards. The driver and the tour guide – both from Portugal – survive, but they also need to be treated in the hospital.
"You can not do anything, you can only cry"
Eyewitnesses of the accident stand for several minutes as if stunned over the embankment. There had been a "deafening silence", "a cry of silence, as in a state of shock," said Rita Castro, who had watched the action close up, on Portuguese television. The driver had previously tried by all means to prevent the accident nor to bring the coach to a halt, but he did not succeed.
Another eyewitness told the German press agency that the bus had been "relatively slow" on the road, then there was a loud bang. "Within ten minutes there were ambulances on site," says the woman, adding with deep concern, "You can not do anything, you can only cry."
Bus faster and faster after a few seconds
The fact that the bus was "relatively slow" drove, could inmates who have survived the accident, but not confirmed. "The bus started from the Quinta Splendida, after a few seconds it got faster and faster, banging against the wall, we immediately thought it was out of control, it got faster and faster, and then it rolled over," a German said Man according to a report of the online newspaper "Observador". He had broken a rib in the accident.
Speculation, a failure of the brakes led to the accident, the man supported: "I can imagine no other cause." His wife, who was slightly injured on the neck, said safety tips from the plane had helped her get off lightly. "On the plane, they told us what to do, we huddled together like the babies and that was our luck," she said. However, the Portuguese TV station TVI also reported horrible observations during the disaster: "People flew in through the windows."
German-speaking parish helps
With dozens of emergency vehicles, the rescue teams move on. The site of the accident is being closed off on a large scale. Injured people are rescued and brought to safety, the dead are covered with cloths. "It was immediately searched for people on the island who speak German. Although the doctors and nurses are touching and caring for the injured, but it is always important to hear the native language and to get a few words of attention," said Ilse Everlien Berardo, pastor of the German-speaking Evangelical Church on Madeira, in the RTL program "Good morning Germany" on Thursday.
"An injured lady said I think I've lost my life partner and she's in shock, of course," said Berardo, who was full of praise for the response team's sensitivity.
Identification of the victims continues
Caniço the day after. Policemen secure tracks at the scene of the accident. They collect and look for passports of passengers. Because it is still unclear whether all victims are Germans. Other security forces turn shards together or try to re-erect an entrained power line. People are standing nearby, many have tears in their eyes.
The bad luck bus is no longer visible, it has already been recovered. The collapsed roof of the hit residential building remains. On a wall under the gaping hole a cross can be seen. The resident was with relatives at the time of the accident – a stroke of luck for the man, the only one who has survived the tragedy unscathed.
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Q: How to use googl uri field to solve audio file more than 1 minute in google SpeechRecognition In the website of SpeechRecognition of google as the following
https://cloud.google.com/speech/quotas
it was taught that if the audio file more than one min, it should be used the uri field to solve the problmes.
I upload a file in google cloud storage with bucket as speechrecognitionelong
and file name as test.wav
So i think the uri name for this file should be gs://speechrecognitionelong/test.wav
I use the following code but it does not work
import speech_recognition as sr

AUDIO_FILE = "gs://speechrecognitionelong/test.wav" r = sr.Recognizer() with sr.AudioFile(AUDIO_FILE) as source:
    audio = r.record(source)  # read the entire audio file

r.recognize_google(audio, language='en-US')

Did I misunderstand the uri filed or my code was wrong?


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Rita Williams writes extensively on finance and education for publications and brands including The Motley Fool, The Billfold,and Guidant Financial. She has also written for a number of other organizations, both private and governmental. Williams pursued a PhD in English at the University of Delaware, received a master's degree with distinction at Villanova University, and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of California at Berkeley.
Articles by Rita Williams
When Is the Best Time of Year To Buy a House? Right Now
Buying a Home With Your Parents' Help: Genius Hack or Family Feud Waiting To Happen?
Homeowner Tax Breaks: How Homeownership Can Save You Money Come Tax Time
Mortgage Options for Permanent and Non-Permanent Resident Aliens
How To Write a Mortgage Letter of Explanation (With Template)
LGBTQ+ Housing Discrimination Still Inhibits Wealth Creation. How Things are Changing
How Much Does a Manufactured Home Cost? Look Beyond the Sticker Price
Investment Property Mortgage Rates: What Should You Expect To Pay?


Projects gather items and exhibits on one topic and provide other resources, like timelines, teaching and learning activities, and visitor contributions.
Activists and Authorities focuses on May 1970 and the events surrounding the write-in election of Cathy Sterling to Student Body President and the post-Kent State shooting. These actions help show the dramatic changes on NC State's campus from the 1960s to 1970s.
Agricultural Empowerment investigates perceptions of empowerment held by leaders in North Carolina agriculture and Extension and their approaches to agricultural empowerment through academics, research, and extension.
The Illusion of Inclusion: Creating Space and Crafting Identity in The Nubian Message, 1990 to 2014 questions the idea that the United States is a "post-racial" society by exploring the history of The Nubian Message, North Carolina State University's first African-American student newspaper.
Race & Space explores NC State's long process of racial integration from 1965-1985. With a thorough investigation of the student body, the workplace, the athletic department, and the Raleigh community, Race & Space argues that NC State's integration was not a singular event but a series of spatial negotiations on and around campus.
Crossing the Color Line: Desegregation at N.C. State, 1950-1981 explores NC State's transition from a predominantly white institution to a more inclusive university, open to all students regardless of race. This project primarily focuses on the integration of undergraduate students between 1950 and 1981, with particular emphasis on administrative policies and early student groups.
The Good Wife Diploma examines the experience of students' wives at North Carolina State University through the State's Mates women's organization. State's Mates both conformed to and challenged notions of womanhood through the middle of the twentieth century by giving women a means to express themselves socially and civically.
NC Eats is a teaching tool that explores the ways North Carolina State University contributed to the eating revolution that happened in North Carolina between the 1910s and 1960s. Exhibits focus specifically on changes to food production and consumption, the science of nutrition, and the role both black and white women played in transforming North Carolina's foodways.
Under Review: The Anderson-Sermon Controversy and Football's Role on the College Campus addresses a 1936 conflict in the North Carolina State University athletic department centered around the football team, its coaching staff, and the team's role in college life. The exhibits discuss debates over football's role in identity formation, its commercial role, and its educational role.


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Watch Online | Rivers of Life
Last Updated by Dale Fisher on
Experience the extraordinary animals, epic landscapes, and remarkable people who live alongside three iconic rivers - the Amazon, the Nile and the Mississippi in this landmark three-part series made in conjunction with the BBC.
Wednesdays, beginning June 19, at 7:00 p.m. on Nine PBS.
The Nile - 6/19/2019
See the astonishing wildlife and people of the Nile, the world's longest river.
The Amazon - 6/26/2019
See the secret wildlife and remarkable people of the Amazon, from shamans to electric eels.
The Mississippi - 7/3/2019
Learn the surprising story of the mighty Mississippi, the river that unites this great nation.
Rivers of Life
The Mississippi
Aired: 2019-07-0354:25 Expires: 2019-08-01 Rating: TV-PG
The massive Mississippi – a surprising story of a river that unites this great nation.
/ videos
The Nile
Watch "John Denver: Country Boy" on June 12 & 15
"Rick Steves' Europe: The Story of Fascism in Europe" on ...


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MBC Management Team
ManagementBirgit Kaur2020-10-16T10:49:55+00:00
Kofo MAJEKODUNMI
MD, MBC Capital Limited
Kofo who is the Group Managing Director is a graduate of Law, (London School of Economics & Political Science), and Barrister at Law of the Nigerian Law School. He has MBA from the Lagos Business School (in association with the University Of Navarra IESE Spain). He has over 28 years' experience in banking/financial services. At various times, he was the Deputy Managing Director of MBC International Bank PLC (where he successfully oversaw the bank's merger with FBN PLC). Thereafter he was pioneer Executive director in Asset Management at FBN Capital for two years.
At MBC, he oversaw the firm's diversification into a suite of non-bank financial services (advisory/issuing house services, bureau de change, and insurance brokerage) which complement the broker dealer business of MBC Securities. He is on the board of Leadway Pensure PFA, a leading pension fund administrator in Nigeria.
Olusegun AJAYI
Olusegun Ajayi is a Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA) with over 20 years post qualification experience and also a Certified Insolvency and Business Re-engineering Practitioner (CIP). He previously worked at NAL Bank Plc, MBC International Bank Limited and First Bank of Nigeria Plc before joining MBC Financial Services Group
Toyin AYOADE
MD, MBC Securities Ltd
Toyin joined the firm from Morgan Stanley (U.K). He is a fellow (FCIB) of the chartered institute of bankers of Nigeria and an associate (ACS) of the chartered institute of stockbrokers of Nigeria (CIS). He is an experienced investment banker and has garnered a wealth of experience working with various firms in Nigeria and the United Kingdom (UK), spanning securities trading, investment management and Corporate Finance.
Jide DAGUNDURO
MD, MBC Insurance Brokers Ltd
Dagunduro Titus Olajide, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of MBC Insurance Brokers Ltd is a graduate of English from University of Lagos, an Associates of both the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (ACIIN) and Chartered Insurance Brokers (ACIB).
He started his Insurance career with the now Nigeria Life and Provident Company as a Branch Manager, worked with High gate Insurance Brokers as Controller, Wapic Group as Head of Corporate Clients and Direct Marketing and Global Risk Perspective as COO before joining MBC Insurance Brokers. He has attended both Local and International courses in Insurance and has a Master Degree in Public Administration from Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago – Iwoye as well as registered member of Financial Regulatory Council of Nigeria.
Adeola TOYE
ED, MBC Asset Management
Adeola has over 26 years of top-quality experience in banking and financial services. His professional experience covers financial and investment advisory, investment management, credit analysis and management, audit and consultancy services.
He holds a bachelor's degree in Accounting from the University of Ilorin and a Master's degree in Investments from the University of Birmingham in the U.K. He is also, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA).
Adeola is currently the Executive Director, Asset Management and Investment Advisory Division in MBC Capital Limited. He worked in Deloitte Adetona Isichei & Co (now Akintola Williams Deloitte & Touch) and NAL Bank Plc (now Sterling Bank Plc) in various functions prior to joining MBC Financial Services.
Oladele DADA MICHEAL
Group Head Support Services
Dele is the Group Head Support Services with major responsibility for monitoring necessary internal operations and ensuring quality performance in the discharge of company's activities in accordance with the whole system of controls financial or otherwise as laid down by the Board and Management. Dele graduated with a degree in Accounting (2nd Class Upper Division) from University of Lagos in 1991. He is a Fellow of Institute of Chartered accountants of Nigeria with over twenty years post qualification experience. He has experience as a Company Accountant, Finance and Admin Manager, Consultant; External and Internal Auditor. Dele previously worked with Henry Okide & Co. (Chartered Accountants); Gevies & Co Ltd.; Gladstone Kukoyi & Co. (Chartered Accountants); Wordsmith Printing & Packaging Ltd.; Summit Finance Company Ltd. (member of the Nigerian Stock Exchange). He attended a number of relevant local courses and is a certificate holder in "Management Skills for World Class Performance" obtained from London Management Center, London.


EBW provides price forecasts and expert pathbreaking analysis of natural gas, electricity, and crude oil markets. By Andy Weissman.
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SoftDigi Smart USB is a powerful USB devices manager and defender against any USB threats. It offers a new way to manage your USB devices, because SD Smart USB solves many external drive related problems in Windows and makes working with external drives more comfortable. In addition to this SD Smart USB provides the best protection against any threats when using USB drives. The program also includes a utility to check USB drive for errors and utility to format USB drive.


At the opening of The Subtle Land, Berea College, Kentucky.
3 radios, AM transmitter, and 4-channel audio.
Total time: 60 minutes, continuous loop.
The Subtle Land is a multi-channel sound installation that is a reflection on the agricultural landscapes of Ohio and Kentucky. The agrarian essays of Wendell Berry are a primary influence on this work: I searched for ways to reshape Berry's principals of adaptability, variety, respect, and local economy to sound. The Subtle Land also borrows from integrated farming systems in content, form, and the position of audio speakers in the installation.
Detail of the AM transmitter that broadcasts to radios in the room.
Most importantly: with the rapid depletion of small farms in the United States and my home state of Ohio, it occurred to me that these radical changes are happening quietly––without the knowledge of many people living in regions close to the farmland––and that the profound, subtle benefits of the land are often appreciated only after they are gone.
The Subtle Land was made with the generous support from Fossil Fools, Berea College, Kentucky, and a National Performance Network Creation Fund grant. It was premiered at the Berea College Appalachian Center Gallery, as part of the Fossil Fools residency, "Art, Activism, and Appalachia" (April, 2008).
Detail of AM radios broadcasting historic farm reports and agrarian interviews from Ohio and Kentucky.
The archival recordings come from many sources, including ballads, radio programs, field recordings, instrumentals, news, and farm reports. The radios and speakers each have shared and separate material, creating a balance between independence and interdependence. Inspired by old farm radios, the three used here are from the 1940s-50s, and are part of my father's personal collection (he also kindly assembled the AM transmitter for this project).
The structure and installation layout of The Suble Land was based on integrated farming systems, like this one from Harnetty's journals about the project.


The Hyderabad Nutrition Trial evaluated the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme, a national community outreach program, which provides a daily food supplement to pregnant women and children under 6 years of age. The trial used a controlled stepped wedge design, recruiting pregnant women from 29 villages (15 intervention – with program; 14 controls – awaiting implementation) and followed them through to childbirth.
In 2003-5, trial households were retraced and surveyed: families with at least one child born during the trial period and still alive in 2003-05 became the APCAPS prospective cohort (1815 families, 2601 index children). At this time, a first wave (W1) of data collection was carried out on index children and their mothers. The index children were then re-examined as young adults (aged 18-23 years) in 2009-10 (the second wave, W2) and then again in 2010-12 (the third wave, W3) when their siblings and parents were also examined. A socio-demographic household survey of all residents in all 29 villages was completed between 2012 and 2014.
Extensive data have been collected including: socio-demographics; social position; lifestyle (diet, physical activity, tobacco and alcohol); household characteristics; general health, medical and family history; anthropometric and body composition measures (TANITA and DXA); vascular physiology (BP, arterial stiffness, carotid intima-media thickness), lung function, and fasting biomarkers (e.g. glucose, lipids and insulin). Blood samples and DNA have also been banked.
The socio-demographic household survey collected key demographic data on all current residents (n=~91,000), those who had recently migrated away from the villages (n=~2,200), and those who had recently died (n=~1,600). In addition, anthropometric data on children less than six years of age were collected (n=~7,000), and mothers of these children provided information on their reproductive history and breast-feeding practices.


Blinder? Why Blinder? Is there something you read or used that makes you want the Blinders?
Of course you do know that jammers are illegal in Il and you're going to need a stealthy install. I'd look at some alternatives including the ALP and/ or LI? Me, I'd look at the ALPs.
Finally the V1 is not the be all end all of RDs. Since you've been out of the game for awhile, there are RDs that will romp it in radar and just as good on lidar. May I suggest a segmented Redline.
Thanks for the response. I looked up a couple studies which seemed unbiased and most of them had Blinder as the top dog. Also something about Blinder being the easiest to update. I wasn't sure who was really the most accurate and trustworthy these days; don't think GoL do anything anymore and SML doesn't appear to either. Yes I was aware that jammers were 'illegal' in Illinois, although I'm not sure if LEO's really know what they are, how they work, or how to diagnose them. I guess that would be one advantage to purchasing one of the LJ's that 'can be used' as a parking sensor if ever questioned by LE. By ALP, I assume you mean AntiLaser Priority? If we were to go with that, what would be your suggestion regarding number of heads and also the combination or necessity of Veil and/or LaserShield? I'm no mechanic, I used to screw around with an older Jeep of mine back in automotives in high school, but I'm not sure how capable I'll be to setup and install my own jammer while not sacrificing the integrity of the jammer and hoping to achieve maximum stealth and effectiveness. So with that said, If I were to purchase all three, the Veil and LaserShield could do me well in the meantime while I research or find the time to properly install a jammer. Thanks.
Oh and as far as my RD, I have no reason to look elsewhere. The V1 has always protected me above and beyond expectations. Not once have I been stopped or gotten a ticket without knowing exactly how fast I was going and what method. Even these sneaky laser traps I fell victim to this summer, I've gotten the alert, but nothing my V1 or the STI could have done differently to save me.