The Internet enables an unprecedented opportunity to access a broad range of self-tests (e.g. testing for HIV, cancer, hepatitis B/C), which can be conducted by lay consumers without the help of a health professional. However, there is only little knowledge about the determinants of the use of self-tests. Thus, the aims of this study were (1) to experimentally investigate the impact of situational and application-related characteristics on the intention to use a self-test (ST), compared to being tested by a health professional at home (HPH) or at a doctor's office (HPD), (2) to examine the applicability of social-cognitive health behaviour theories on self-testing, and (3) to explore the advantages of integrating technological affinity into social-cognitive health behaviour models to predict self-testing.
In a factorial survey, 1248 vignettes were rated by 208 students. The core concepts of social-cognitive health behaviour theories, technological affinity, and different situational and application-related characteristics were investigated.
Intention to ST was only predicted by the medical expertise of the tested person, while HPH and HPD were also associated with the application purpose of the test and the presence of an emotionally supporting person. Perceived severity and outcome-expectancy significantly predicted intention to self-test. Technological enthusiastic people had a higher intention to use a self-test.
Intention to ST, HPH and HPD were predicted by different situational and application-related characteristics. Social-cognitive health behaviour theories can be applied to predict self-testing and do not need to be extended by technological affinity.
A broad range of self-tests (testing for e.g. HIV, anaemia, Chlamydia) has become available to the European public via the Internet [1, 2]. Self-tests can be defined as tests on body materials (e.g. blood, urine, faeces, saliva) that are initiated by consumers to diagnose a particular disorder or risk factor, and that are conducted without the involvement of a health professional . Consumer autonomy, self-management, empowerment, privacy protection and convenience due to the absence of a doctor are mentioned as some of the advantages of self-testing (e.g. [2, 4]). On the other hand, disadvantages include concerns about the safety of self-testing, the very low sensitivities displayed by some self-tests , the risk of false reassurance in the case of false-negative test results, and the risk of anxiety in the case of true-or false-positive test results as well as unnecessary medical investigations in the case of false-positive results [6–8]. Furthermore, the instruction leaflets of self-tests have been found to be limited on information regarding reliability, follow-up behaviour, and the target group of the test .
Despite the potential risks of self-testing, results of surveys from the Netherlands showed that 16% respondents of a Dutch Internet survey confirmed the use of at least one self-test, while in the UK 13% of the British participants of a written survey had used a self-test at least once [2, 10]. Similarly, results of a representative survey in Germany of more than 2500 participants showed that 8% of the German population had used at least one self-test, and about one third of these had used different self-tests . Given the current shortage of physicians in Germany , especially in rural areas , the need for and use of self-tests could increase in the future. This assumption is furthermore supported by the results of interviews with experts in the development of innovative medical diagnostic devices, who expect a further technological breakthrough of diagnostic devices for end-users in the coming 10 years .
The usage of self-tests is embedded in the topics of screening behaviour and disease prevention behaviour in health psychology. Beyond that, however, self-testing presents a new field of application for the validation of common health belief models, which traditionally investigated behaviours such as smoking, alcohol consumption or eating. Although some studies have investigated the psychological determinants of self-testing (e.g. [3, 8, 15, 16]), none of these has considered the technological component of self-testing, for example by integrating technological affinity as an additional predictor for the decision to use a self-test. Thus, this study investigated the role of technological affinity – defined as the attraction to technological devices  – when included as an additional predictor into the core concepts of health behaviour theories. It was proposed that the greater the enthusiasm, positive attitude and competence towards technological devices, the greater the intention to use a self-test.
Furthermore, three factors were identified, which in accordance with Hahn and von Lengerke  represent the core concepts of health behaviour theories: (a) risk perception, (b) self-efficacy, and (c) outcome expectancy (see Additional file 1: Table S1). Risk perception is a central variable in e.g. the Health Belief Model (HBM), the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) [19–22]. In the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA), risk perception is composed of (a) the individual's belief of the seriousness of a certain disease/condition (perceived severity), and (b) the individual's belief of the chance of contracting a certain disease/condition (perceived susceptibility) . Additionally, a positive correlation between technological affinity, which is understood as a person's attraction to technological devices , and the intention to use a self-test was proposed.
Moreover, the available research has predominantly investigated the psychological determinants of self-testing by conducting interviews or surveys. To the best of our knowledge, no research has been conducted so far to experimentally investigate the impact of situational and application-related characteristics of a test situation on the intention to use a test, such as the test result being displayed immediately on the device, versus the sample being analysed in a laboratory and the result communicated in written form.
Thus, this study had three objectives. First, to experimentally investigate the impact of situational and application-related characteristics of the test situation on the intention to use a self-test (ST) versus being tested by a health professional at home (HPH), or in a doctor's office/hospital (HPD). The HPH setting represents an intermediate scenario between the ST and HPD settings. Second, to investigate whether the core concepts of health behaviour theories can predict the intention to use a self-test. And third, to examine whether taking technological affinity into account as an additional predictor improves the predictive value of the core concepts of health behaviour theories.
To experimentally investigate the impact of situational and application-related factors, a factorial survey, also called a vignette analysis, was conducted . Vignettes are fictive descriptions of a situation or person, constructed by systematically combining all values of factors (predictors) which are believed to influence a judgment being studied by a rating task (criterion, [24–26]). Vignette analyses are a common method in sociology. In a review of 106 articles from 1982 to 2006, the factorial surveys were most frequently used to measure normative judgments (n = 62) and positive beliefs (n = 26), they were also often used to examine own (intended) actions (n = 22) . The latter is the aim of this survey.
The method of a vignette analysis has a number of advantages for the study presented here. First, vignette analysis is particularly appropriate for investigating context- and condition-related research questions. This is because the respondents, rather than being confronted with abstract values, are presented with concrete and detailed descriptions of a situation, where several different characteristics are systematically varied [24, 26]. This is especially relevant for the current research question regarding the impact of situational and application-related characteristics of self-testing. Second, in a factorial survey, the principles of an experiment are combined with a social survey [24, 26]. While the first is associated with a high internal validity, the latter is distinguished by a high external validity. Third, a factorial survey is less subject to social desirability bias than conventional surveys are, because the respondents are not likely to be fully aware of all systematically varied characteristics of a situation, and/or they can be forced to judge two socially equally undesired statements at the same time [24, 27]. Finally, factorial surveys are particularly appropriate when researchers want to study actual determinants and combinations of determinants of human judgments, because persons might not be aware of the influences of certain factors on their judgments, and therefore they might not be capable of explicating such influences .
The final set of situational and application-related characteristics of a test situation was identified using four approaches. First, multiple case histories were developed to cover a broad range of varying kinds of diagnostic test situations within the framework of the research consortium DIA-LOC (http://m-health.psychologie.uni-greifswald.de/dialoc/index.html) . This way, the importance of the factors application purpose and seriousness of the situation was identified, and their values were specified. Second, the literature was reviewed in terms of the application-related characteristics of innovative in-vitro diagnostic devices which can be used outside a laboratory, the so-called lab-on-a-chip systems (LOCs). LOCs are designed for a broad spectrum of application purposes, such as risk assessment, pre-symptomatic diagnostics, early detection of a disease, and therapy control . Third, an ontology for LOCs was developed within the framework of our research consortium, to further distinguish between the factors application purpose and setting of the test . And finally, the relevance of the previously identified factors was evaluated in a survey by (a) experts in LOC research and development, (b) experts in health technology assessment, and (c) our interdisciplinary research group. Analysis and feedback of the test results, medical expertise of the tested person, and emotional support were identified as three additional factors.
Table 1 gives an overview of the six factors mentioned above with their several values and frequency of occurrence in the factorial survey. Since the factor setting of the test was used as a grouping variable, 337 rated vignettes were related to a ST, 478 to a HPH, and 433 to a HPD situation. For example, the application purpose monitoring of a disease/condition occurred in 16.6% of the vignettes of the ST, in 15.3% of the HPH, and in 18.2% of the HPD group.
Since the given vignette universe of the six situational and application-related factors (Cartesian product: 6 × 4 × 3 × 7 × 3 × 3 = 4536) was far too large to judge all possible combinations, a sample of vignettes (decks of vignettes/subsets) was drawn, and the respondents were presented different selections of the reduced vignette universe. This is a common method in factorial surveys [26, 32]. The reduced vignette universe was selected by a conditional random sampling. To achieve a balanced ratio of the six values of the factor application purpose, 30 vignettes of each value were drawn randomly without replacement, so that the vignette population was reduced to 180 vignettes. Implausible combinations of factor values were deleted before the selection of the vignettes. Figure 1 shows a single vignette of the situation risk assessment. To avoid fatigue and a high number of dropouts, six vignettes were presented to each participant – one vignette of every value of the factor application purpose.
Before presenting the vignettes, the socio-demographic characteristics and psychological predictors self-efficacy, perceived susceptibility, and technological affinity were assessed once before the vignettes were presented. The other psychological variables perceived severity and outcome expectancy were presented after each of the six vignettes, because the participants needed to imagine themselves into the vignette scenario to be able to assess these two predictors. The Additional file 1: Table S1 provides an overview of the psychological predictors, their conceptual definitions, items, and answering options. Self-efficacy, which is defined as the individual's confidence in one's capability to successfully perform a certain action, was measured with the well-established General Self-Efficacy scale (GSE, 10 items, M = 28.39, SD = 4.11, Cronbach's α = .85, ). According to Karrer, Glaser and Clemens , technological affinity is defined as a personality trait which is manifested in a positive attitude, enthusiasm, and trust in electronic devices (e.g. mobile phones, computers, personal digital assistants). It was measured by applying three scales, which are all included in the German Technological Affinity Assessment (TA-EG, ). Subscale scores were computed and the means calculated for the subscales enthusiasm (5 items, M = 14.46, SD = 3.32, Cronbach's α = .83), positive attitude (5 items, M = 17.62, SD = 2.80, Cronbach's α = .69), and competence towards electronic devices (4 items, M = 14.40, SD = 2.87, Cronbach's α = .74). To assess perceived susceptibility, the individual's belief of the chance of contracting a certain disease/condition, the following item was adopted from the 'Berlin Risk Appraisal and Health Motivation Study' (BRAHMS, ): the question 'How high do you rate the probability that at some time you will get ...', and its response format 'very unlikely' to 'very likely'. While the BRAHMS project investigated the perceived susceptibility for specific diseases (e.g. risk of heart attack), in this survey, the items were adopted to fit to the vignette factor 'seriousness of a situation'. Thus, the perceived susceptibility of contracting a non-specific 'acute vs. chronic, non-life-threatening vs. life-threatening' disease was investigated. The four adjusted perceived susceptibility items were summed up to yield a final composite score (4 items, M = 11.96, SD = 3.73, Cronbach's α = .84).
Perceived severity, the individual's belief of the seriousness of a certain disease/condition, (1 item, M = 56.88, SD = 30.03), and outcome expectancy, the individual's weighting of the positive and negative consequences of acting and not acting, (1 item, M = 59.53, SD = 23.18), were also adopted from BRAHMS. They were adjusted to fit into the fictive vignette scenarios, for example by adding the term '… if the test depicted in the above situation were not conducted', to ensure that the participants imagine themselves in the presented situation before assessing the above two predictors. Furthermore, the criterion intention to use the test was measured after every vignette with the question 'Would you make use of a test that is conducted as described in the situation above?' with a response scale from 1 = 'certainly not', to 100 = 'most certainly' (1-item, M = 63.32, SD = 29.37).
The descriptive analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0 . Because each participant judged more than one vignette, the vignettes were nested within a person, violating a primary assumption of linear regression analysis, the independence of error values . To solve this problem, multilevel regression models were calculated, allowing for modelling the within (vignette characteristics) and between (respondent characteristics) variance. Four models of increasing complexity were applied with the mixed modelling tool (xtmixed) of the STATA software, using the maximum likelihood estimates (mle option) [36, 37]. The first model was a constant-only empty model without any additional predictors (RIO model). The second model examined the impact of the situational and application-related predictors which were operationalised in the vignettes (RI_Vall model). The third model investigated the impact of additional technological affinity (RI_Vall_PTA), and in the fourth model, the health psychological factors were added as predictors (RI_Vall_Pall model). Categorial variables were dummy-coded. Metric variables were centred on the grand mean, prior to entering them into the models.
For each model, the deviances, which indicate how well the models fit the data and which are defined as −2 times the log-likelihood, were calculated (, p. 47). Subsequently, using a log rank test, the more complex models were compared to the simpler models regarding their model fit. As a statistic analogous to the multiple R 2 from ordinary multiple regression analyses, the reduction of the residual error variances in a sequence of models was examined (, p. 69–71). In particular, the reduction of the error variance within was calculated in two consecutive models to examine the impact of the situational and application-related factors, and the reduction of the error variance between was calculated in two consecutive models to investigate the impact of technological affinity and the health psychological predictors. Each model was separately calculated for the three settings ST, HPH and HPD, by using the vignette factor setting of the test as a grouping variable.
To facilitate the interpretation of the results, the values of the vignette factors were recoded in such a way that their total mean in dependence of the criterion was in ascending order (see Additional file 2: Table S2). The confounding structure of the parameter estimates was investigated by the alias() function in the statistical programming language R . This test showed that none of the estimated parameters in our model was confounded with any interaction effect.
A random sample of university students were approached via an email distribution list and an online survey was conducted in Germany. Initially, 566 participants started the survey, but there was a remarkable dropout before the vignettes were presented, which implies that a huge proportion of participants decided to decline the survey after they were more familiar with the subject of the study. From those 319 participants who already responded to the first vignette 239 participants completed all six vignettes. Thus, nearly 75% of all participants, who actively decided to answer the vignettes, had finished this section. Finally, we excluded 31 cases due to potential response bias. In the end, 1248 vignettes, which were rated by 208 students, were included in the analyses. The majority of respondents were female (76.4%). The age of the participants varied between 18 and 52 years (M = 23.87, SD = 3.86). Most of the students (62.5%) did not indicate their faculty, but those who did belonged to the following faculties: mathematics and natural sciences (16.8%), law and economics (8.7%), philosophy (7.2%), medicine (3.4%), and theology (0.5%).
As a first step, random intercept only models (RIO) with no explanatory variables were calculated for each group (see Additional file 3: Table S3). The RIO model, which estimates the average intention to use a self-test across all vignettes and respondents, was the lowest for the ST group (bST = 51.51), higher for the HPH group (bHPH = 65.82), and the highest for the HPD condition (bHPD = 70.23). The error variance between amounted to δST = 218.56, δHPH = 302.96, and δHPD = 217.04 in the ST, HPH, and HPD groups, respectively. The error variance within amounted to εST = 747.95, εHPH = 515.65, and εHPD = 463.74, respectively. Hence, about 77.4%, 63.0%, and 68.1% of the total variance of the respective ST, HPH, and HPD groups was within-person variance, leaving ample room for including predictors.
The second step was to investigate the predictive value of the situational and application-related characteristics on the intention to test, by calculating random intercept models with all vignette factors (RI_Vall). This resulted in a better model fit for the HPH and HPD groups compared to the empty models (χ2 HPH = 40.54, pHPH < 0.01; χ2 HPD = 35.23, pHPD < 0.05), but this was not the case for the ST group (χST 2 = 14.92, p = 0.78, see Table 2). However, for all three groups, the deviances and the error variances within were lower in the model with all vignette factors compared to the empty model. Accordingly, in the ST group, the error variance within declined from 747.95 in the RIO model to 672.58 in the RI_Vall model. This means that about 10.1% of the error variance within could be explained by adding the situational and application-related predictors to the empty model. For the HPH 10.6% and for the HPD group 11.2% of the error variance within were explained by the vignette factors.
Seriousness of the situation and analysis and feedback of the test results did not affect the intention to self-test for any group. Self-test use was significantly predicted by only one vignette factor: medical expertise of the tested person. The intention to use a self-test was on average 13.33 points higher for participants who imagined to have the professional knowledge to evaluate the test results, compared to no knowledge (on a scale from 1 to 100). A professional knowledge compared to no knowledge also significantly increased the intention to be tested by a health professional at home or at a doctor's office (bHPH = 9.80, bHPD = 8.66), but the impact of the medical expertise of the tested person was the highest for the ST group. While the vignette factor application purpose did not significantly influence the intention to use a self-test, it had a significant effect on the HPH and HPD groups, which stated a higher intention to be tested when the application purpose was drug effect or early detection of a disease compared to risk assessment. Additionally, the intention to test was significantly increased for the application purpose monitoring for the HPD group and therapy diagnostics for the HPH group compared to risk assessment. The presence of emotional support affected only the HPH group, whose intention to test was on average 9.71 higher if a closely related person who could provide emotional support was present, compared to the absence of such a person.
In the third step, a model with technological affinity added as a predictor (RI_Vall_PTA) was calculated (Table 3). The addition of this predictor resulted in a better model fit than the RI_Vall model for all three settings (χ2 ST = 13.43, pST < 0.01; χ2 HPH = 9.33, pHPH < 0.05; χ2 HPD = 10.58, pHPD < 0.05). Additionally, the error variance between declined in the ST group from 268.22 to 216.28; thus, 19.4% of this variance was explained by adding technological affinity to the RI_Vall model (compared to 8.3% error variance between of the HPH group and 6.1% of the HPD group). The results of the RI_Vall_PTA model showed that, while the intention to use a self-test significantly increased with higher values on the technological affinity enthusiasm scale (bST = 6.21), the intention of being tested by a health professional at a doctor's office/hospital significantly increased with higher values on the technological affinity positive attitude scale (bHPD = 7.29). However, the impact of the situational and application-related characteristics on the intention to test did not change when adding the technological affinity scales to the model.
Finally, in the fourth model, the health psychological factors were added as predictors (RI_Vall_Pall, see Table 3). This addition resulted in a better model fit than the RI_Vall_PTA model for all three settings (χ2 ST = 274.94, pST < 0.001; χ2 HPH = 259.33, pHPH < 0.001; χ2 HPD = 262.05, pHPD < 0.001). The error variance within declined from the RI_Vall_PTA to the RI_Vall_Pall model in all three test settings. About 47.7%, 41.57% and 52.35% of the error variance within in the ST, HPH and HPD groups, respectively, could be explained by adding the health psychological predictors to the RI_Vall_PTA model.
Perceived severity (bST = 0.16, bHPH = 0.23, bHPD = 0.19) and outcome expectancy (bST = 0.89, bHPH = 0.68, bHPD = 0.69) significantly predicted the intention to test for all three test settings. Furthermore, in the RI_Vall_Pall model, the impact of technological affinity and the vignette factor application purpose disappeared, whereas the vignette factor analysis and feedback of the test results had a significant impact on the HPH and HPD groups. However, the professional expertise of the tested person remained a significant predictor of the intention to self-test (bST = 7.17) and being tested by a health professional at home (bHPH = 7.04).
This study had three objectives. First, the impact of situational and application-related characteristics of the test situation on the intention to use a self-test (ST) versus being tested by a health professional at home (HPH), or in a doctor's office/hospital (HPD), were experimentally investigated. A factorial survey was conducted enabling the systematic variation of a set of situational and application-related characteristics. The results suggested that the intention to use a self-test was only predicted by the medical expertise of the tested person. Exclusively participants who were asked to imagine themselves as having the professional knowledge to evaluate the test results had a higher intention to use a self-test than those who had no medical knowledge. Professional medical expertise was also important, though to a lesser degree, in the decision of being tested by a health professional at home or at a doctor's office. Presumably, participants did not think that it made sense to conduct a test by themselves or by a health professional if they do not understand the test results. While the seriousness of the situation and the analysis and feedback of the test results did not predict any intention to test, the application purpose did influence the decision whether to be tested by a health professional at home or at a doctor's office. Interestingly, the presence or absence of a closely related person who could provide emotional support did not affect the intention to self-test, but the presence of a supportive person did raise the probability of the intention of being tested by a health professional at home.
The second objective of this study was to investigate whether the core concepts of health behaviour theories can predict the intention to use a self-test. The results showed that there was no significant association between perceived susceptibility and the intention to self-test, to be tested at home, or at a doctor's office. However, previous research on the psychological determinants of self-testing for cholesterol, glucose and HIV in a cross-sectional survey has found that perceived susceptibility was a significant predictor of the use of cholesterol and HIV self-tests, but not of glucose . The relationship between perceived susceptibility and the intention to use a self-test therefore seems to depend on the specific health risk or disease under investigation. Since our factorial survey did not specify the health risk or disease, but instead focussed on the participants' views on the chance of contracting a non-specific 'acute vs. chronic, non-life-threatening vs. life-threatening' disease, the association between perceived susceptibility and the intention to test did not become apparent.
Although in previous research, self-efficacy has been shown to be an important predictor of the intention to attend and actual attendance of screening programmes, as well as of self-testing for cholesterol, glucose and HIV [3, 20, 40, 41], in our factorial survey no such associations were found. However, in our survey self-efficacy was assessed with the GSE, whereas in previous research the items to assess self-efficacy were specifically related to self-testing . A question is whether standardized instruments should be adopted for the specific health behaviour.
In comparison, results for perceived severity and outcome expectancy were in accordance with the theoretical predictions, because both significantly predicted the intention to be self-tested and tested by a health professional at home or at a doctor's office. In contrast, Grispen et al.  found no association between perceived severity and self-testing for glucose, HIV or cholesterol. According to Hahn and Lengerke , outcome expectancy is equivalent to perceived barriers and perceived benefits from the HBM or the response efficacy from the PMT. While perceived benefits significantly predicted the use of all three self-tests, test-specific associations were identified for response efficacy and perceived barriers .
The third objective was to investigate whether the predictive value of the core concepts of health behaviour theories can be improved by adding technological affinity. The results showed that the addition of technological affinity to the situational and application-related factors significantly predicted the intention to self-test, which supported our assumption about the positive relationship between technological affinity and self-testing to some degree. Additionally, the hypothesised benefit of assessing technological affinity with different subscales was confirmed, because the intention to use a self-test was only predicted by a higher technical enthusiasm, whereas people who assigned themselves no technological competence, but still had a positive attitude towards technology, preferred to be tested at a doctor's office. However, when adding the health psychological predictors to the final model, technological affinity turned out to be statistically non-significant. This suggests that the health psychological predictors incorporated and superseded the predictive value of technological affinity.
Self-efficacy was measured with the GSE scale, which enabled the comparison of the results with those of other studies. However, a phrasing in terms of the individual's confidence in one's capability to successfully perform a self-test would have been more sensitive and in line with the theoretical assumptions. Second, as perceived susceptibility was adopted to fit to the vignette factor 'seriousness of a situation', this study has investigated the perceived susceptibility of getting a non-specific 'acute vs. chronic, non-life-threatening vs. life-threatening' disease. In future studies, however, the individual's belief of the chance of contracting a certain disease/condition should also be investigated, since significant associations might depend on the specification of the disease/condition to be tested. Third, a factorial survey was chosen because it allows an experimental investigation of the impact of situational and application-related factors. However, the display of fictive scenarios might be an additional reason for why there was no or only little association between self-efficacy and perceived susceptibility with the intention to test. The results may also have had a low external validity, but they are distinguished by a high internal validity. Fifth, order effects cannot be excluded. This study aimed at a balanced ratio of the six values of the factor application purpose, so that 30 vignettes of each of its values were drawn randomly without replacement. Sixth, the sample consisted only of university students, who, compared to the general population, may have specific characteristics such as a higher education level or a higher family income. On the other hand, a homogenous sample is advantageous for experimental investigations, because they are less biased. Consequently, future work should re-examine the research questions posed here by comparing actual self-testers with non-self-testers in the general population.
Despite the abovementioned limitations of this study, it can be concluded that the situational and application-related determinants which predicted the intention to use a self-test differed from those predicting the intention of being tested by a health professional at home or in a doctor's office/hospital. In fact, the only situational and application-related factor which predicted the intention to self-test was a professional medical expertise of the tested person. Although the most frequently stated advantages of self-testing include the faster diagnostics and higher privacy protection , situational and application-related factors such as 'analysed automatically, and the result is displayed immediately' did not significantly predict the intention to use a self-test. Additionally, technological affinity predicted the intention to self-test, but when the core concepts of social-cognitive health behaviour theories were added, the impact of technological affinity was incorporated. Therefore, it can be concluded that the existing social-cognitive health behaviour theories can be applied to predict the intention to use a self-test and do not need to be extended by technological affinity. However, since vignettes were used to investigate the determinants of the intention to use a self-test, additional studies comparing actual self-testers with non-self-testers are necessary to fully understand the psychological, situational and application-related determinants of self-test use.
This work was supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Berlin [grant number: 01GP1005A].
The source of funding did not influence the study design, the writing of the manuscript, or the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.
Additional files 1, 2 and 3 contain the questionnaires and additional analysis. The Additional file 4 contains the data.
PK, TR, HM have made substantial contributions to conception and design of the survey, and acquisition of data. PK and TR conducted the analysis of the data. PK interpreted the results and drafted the manuscript. HM and SiS revised the manuscript critically for important intellectual content. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
This study is exempt from ethics approval because it was conducted in compliance with all federal regulations governing the protection and privacy of human subjects and in accordance with the ethical principles of the German Psychological Society  as well as the ethical codex of the German Sociological Society . Research carried out was in compliance with the Helsinki Declaration . The participants gave consent to participate in the survey and permission to publish the research results.
Ethical Principles of the German Psychological Society and the Association of German Professional Psychologists. 2014. http://www.bdp-verband.org/bdp/verband/ethik.shtml.
Code of ethics of the German Sociological Association and the Berufsverbandes Deutscher Soziologen. 2014. http://www.soziologie.de/en/gsa/ethik/code-of-ethics.html.
Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects. 2014. http://www.wma.net/en/30publications/10policies/b3/index.html.


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Welcome to Panora, the largest art house cinema in southern Sweden.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Globe Post Turkey - Daily news from Turkey
Ankara Train Crash Leaves Nine Dead, 47 Injured
By Staff Writer	 On Dec 13, 2018
Photo: AFP / File
Nine people were killed and nearly 50 injured after a high-speed train crashed into a locomotive in the Turkish capital on Thursday, officials said.
Transport Minister Cahit Turhan told reporters in televised remarks that three of those killed were operators of the train.
One of the victims died in hospital, he added.
Turhan added that 47 people were injured and later Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said 34 of those injured were still in hospital for treatment.
Two were in a serious condition, Koca added on Twitter.
The fast train had been on its way from Ankara's main station to the central province of Konya. According to Hurriyet daily, there were 206 passengers on board.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said three people had been detained. In a speech in Ankara, he vowed those responsible would be held to account.
The three were employees of the Turkish state railways agency who were detained over suspected negligence, according to state news agency Anadolu.
"This morning there was an accident after the 6.30 high-speed train to Konya hit a locomotive tasked with checking rails on the same route," Ankara governor Vasip Sahin told reporters in televised remarks.
A female witness whose name was not given told NTV broadcaster that the passenger train had not yet increased its speed when the crash happened.
Debris scattered on tracks
Turhan said the accident took place six minutes after the train left Ankara as it entered the Marsandiz station.
The governor said "technical investigations" were under way to find out exactly what caused the crash in Yenimahalle district.
He said information about the cause would be shared with the public when it is known.
The Ankara public prosecutor launched an investigation into the crash, Anadolu said.
Images published by Turkish media showed some wagons had derailed and debris from the train scattered on the track, which was covered in snow.
The windows of one wagon were completely broken while another wagon had been smashed after hitting the footbridge, which also collapsed, an AFP correspondent at the scene said.
The correspondent saw at least seven bodies taken away as rescue workers searched the blue and white wagons covered with debris.
Turkish Red Crescent relief workers distributed blankets and tea to the survivors, who were gathered on a road near the scene that had been blocked to traffic.
A relative of one of those aboard the train told NTV some passengers had broken windows and then safely exited the wagons.
One of those killed was Berahitdin Albayrak, a science lecturer and former vice-chancellor at Ankara University, the institution said on Twitter.
Later trains from Konya to Ankara and vice versa were cancelled, the agency reported.
Recent rail disasters
The Ankara to Konya high-speed route was launched in 2011 and was followed in 2014 with a high-speed link between Ankara and Istanbul.
The accident comes after another rail disaster in July this year when 24 people were killed and hundreds more injured after a train derailed in Tekirdag province, northwest Turkey, due to ground erosion following heavy rains.
Turkey's rail network has been hit by several fatal accidents in recent years.
In March 2014, a commuter train smashed into a minibus on a railway track in the southern Turkish province of Mersin, which left 10 dead.
In January 2008, nine people were killed when a train derailed in the Kutahya region south of Istanbul because of faulty tracks.
Turkey's worst rail disaster in recent history was in July 2004 when 41 people were killed and 80 injured after a high-speed train derailed in the northwestern province of Sakarya.
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Transcript of the Prime Minister Hon. Tony Abbott doorstop interview, Mumbai, India
Brett Lee, Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Sachin Tendulkar and Adam Gilchrist, at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai.
Australian Minister for Trade and Investment The Hon. Andrew Robb lights a ceremonial candle during his visit with Prime Minister Tony Abbott to Mumbai University to launch the New Colombo Plan promoting Australia India student mobility. The senior Australian Government officials were in India to meet with Indian business figures and to promote investment opportunities between Australia and India
In a doorstop interview by Prime Minister Tony Abbott who is in India and about to sign the uranium deal when asked a question by a journalist that uranium may be used for nuclear weapons, Mr Abbott answered, "These are the commitments that we've got from the Indian Government, and India has an absolutely impeccable non-proliferation record – an absolutely impeccable non-proliferation record – and India has been a model international citizen. India threatens no one. India is the friend to many. India is the world's emerging democratic superpower, and this is an important sign of the mutual trust that exists between Australia and India."
PM Abbott talked about FTA with India, Adani's coalmine in Australia and how Australia can provide energy to India with its large reserves of uranium and coal.
Here is the transcript of the full doorstop interview:
Subjects: Visit to India; uranium; ISIL; trade; Ukraine.
PRIME MINISTER:
Thirty-three years ago, I was here in Mumbai as a student backpacker. It's a thrill and honour to be back here as Prime Minister of Australia.
It's great to be here at the Cricket Club of India, one of the hallowed grounds of this country, a place where so many Australians and Indians have done battle; a place where so many friendships between Australians and Indians have been forged.
It was also good today to be talking to Australian and Indian business leaders about the relationship between our two countries. We have been strategic partners for some time. The Strategic Partnership Agreement was signed when Prime Minister Rudd visited India in 2009. What I hope to do on this trip is deepen the strategic partnership and the economic partnership.
This is already an important economic relationship. I want it to be far more important in the years and decades to come. We haven't invested enough time and effort in this particular relationship when it comes to trade and investment. We do need to invest more time and effort into the trade and investment relationship with India. If we do put the same amount of time and effort into this one that we've put into some of our other relationships, there's no reason why the economic relationship with India in the years to come cannot resemble the economic relationship that we've already got with the major countries of North Asia.
So, it is good to be here on day one of this visit.
I feel particularly privileged to be the first state visitor in the prime ministership of Narendra Modi. I am very much looking forward to meeting him and other senior members of the Indian Government in New Delhi tomorrow.
Prime Minister, the deal that you're likely to sign tomorrow with Prime Minister Modi about uranium exports, how can you guarantee that that uranium won't be used in Indian nuclear weapons or be used to quarantine Indian domestic supplies of uranium for nuclear weapons?
These are the commitments that we've got from the Indian Government, and India has an absolutely impeccable non-proliferation record – an absolutely impeccable non-proliferation record – and India has been a model international citizen. India threatens no one. India is the friend to many. India is the world's emerging democratic superpower, and this is an important sign of the mutual trust that exists between Australia and India.
Mr Abbott, will you be discussing Ukraine and Iraq with Mr Modi, and what can Australia bring to NATO in terms of cooperation?
Sid, I'd be surprised if various international situations didn't come up in those discussions. I don't expect them to be the focus of discussions, but I'd be surprised if they didn't come up. As you all know – because I've been speaking about it for some weeks now – Australia is deeply concerned about the deteriorating humanitarian and security situation in Northern Iraq. We have been involved in humanitarian airdrops. We are involved in airlift, including the airlift of military equipment to the forces of the Kurdish Regional Government, but we are doing this in partnership with many other countries. The last humanitarian airdrop we did involved American, British, and French aircraft. The airlift into Erbil involves aircraft from the United States, Britain, France, Canada, and Italy. So, we are simply doing what we can as a good international citizen to try to keep people safe.
Prime Minister, you've had a general request – as I understand it – from the United States regarding involvement in some sort of action in Northern Iraq. Has there been any development on that general request; any further refinement of that request?
No there hasn't, Mark. We have received a general request as I've been making clear for some time. It's a request that's gone out to a number of the US partner countries. When and if it becomes more specific, then it will be given more consideration, but we have made no decision and we have had no specific request. Like so many other countries in the Middle East and elsewhere, we are horrified at the developments in Northern Iraq and in other parts of the Middle East. Who could not be revolted by this hideous death cult, this absolutely hideous death cult, which has shown time and time again medieval savagery allied to sophisticated, modern public relations techniques? So, we will do what we can in conjunction with our partners and allies, but whatever we do in respect of this particular hideous movement – a movement which is reaching out to us, a movement which involves some 150 Australians, one way or another – will have an essentially humanitarian purpose.
Just on the uranium – will you be publishing the details of the safeguards that you've signed with India or is it a matter of trusting and taking their word that they won't then use their own domestic supply for weapons?
Look, these documents will be published. They will go before the Treaties committee of the Parliament because that's the way we do these things. We have a process – a standard process – for these kinds of international agreements and we will follow the standard time-honoured process. I should point out that the agreement to be prepared to sell uranium to India was instituted by the Howard Government. It was rescinded by the Rudd Government. To her credit, Prime Minister Gillard renewed the agreement, and it's now coming to fruition under this Government. But, as I say, it will all be done in the usual way. There will be nothing secret about it and, again, I stress, India has an absolutely impeccable record when it comes to nuclear non-proliferation and it is a sign of the trust that exists between Australia and India.
Prime Minister, how realistic are the chances of a free trade agreement with India?
That's a good question, Jason. Look, negotiations have been spluttering on for a couple of years. Not a great deal of progress has been made, but this was true of just about all the free trade negotiations under the former government. The former government was in favour of free trade agreements in principle, but in practice it always had too many other competing agendas to get cracking with them. So, we are serious about free trade. At the moment, our priority is the free trade agreement with China, but there is an abundance of potential in the economic relationship between Australia and India, and once the China agreement is finalised – should that be finalised – obviously, we'll be turning our attention to this one.
On uranium just again, once this treaty is signed is there still a long way to go and how soon would we actually see sales and, I suppose, economic value being kicked back into the Australian economy?
That's a very fair point. This agreement is an agreement to agree, as it were. It's an agreement that we can then go ahead and negotiate actual sales. Whether it takes a year, two years, that's really a matter for the market to determine. India has a strong nuclear energy programme. Australia has very large reserves on uranium. I do want Australia to be an energy superpower in the years ahead. We have large reserves of uranium. We have massive reserves of coal. We have extensive reserves of gas. We are the world's second largest thermal coal exporter. We will soon be the world's largest LNG exporter and every time we export our energy to the world, we boost our standard of living and we boost the world's standard of living. So, this is doing good for us and doing good for the countries that we export to. If you take the Adani mine – which is going to be the largest coal mine ever in Australia should it go ahead next year, as we all hope – that will power the lives of 100 million Indians. It's one of the minor miracles of our time: that Australian coal could improve the lives of 100 million Indians, and it just goes to show what good that freer trade can do for the whole world.
Mr Abbott, just on China. You've been very careful in your language today on China. If Australia gets closer to India and Japan, as you say, can you get new friends without getting further away from your old friends?
Look, it's possible to have more than one friend or more than two friends, and the great thing about Australia is that around the world we have many friends and few critics, because we are a country that is full of goodwill to others. We stand by our friends, we uphold our values, we protect our citizens, we advance our interests, but we advance our interests in ways which acknowledge that we have got to look after the other person, too.
I like to think that our foreign policy, our economic diplomacy as well, operates in accordance with that golden rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If you do deals which are good for you but good for the other person as well, then you'll have a lot of friends and that's how we try to act.
Prime Minister, you say that India has a good track record when it comes to nuclear non-proliferation, which it does, but it doesn't have a good track record when it comes to managing its civilian nuclear power industry. How can you be sure that Australian uranium will be going to well-regulated and properly-run, safe power stations?
It's not our job to try to tell India how to conduct its internal affairs. Our job is to try to ensure that we act in accordance with our own standards of decency, and that's what we intend to do. But, one of the things that everyone who's dealt with India knows, is that their standards are improving all the time. Their standards are improving all the time. I am here in a country transformed over three decades, talking to Brett Lee and Adam Gilchrist; people who have been coming to India very regularly over the last two decades. They say every year they come here, the place is a little bit better. All of India's standards are going up all the time and that's good for them and it will be good for us as well.
Prime Minister, just on the civil and military capacity building that you've committed to assist in the Ukraine, can you just detail what exactly that means and requires? Does that mean ADF personnel will be on the ground there and is it a little too much to get involved in that conflict there as well?
No one's talking about that. What we're doing is opening an embassy in Kiev as a sign of our friendship and support for Ukraine at a difficult time, but about the most pacific way to show friendship is to open an embassy and that's exactly what we're doing. Now, a large number of countries on both sides of the Atlantic are providing civil and non-lethal military support to Ukraine – blankets, warm clothing, boots, that kind of thing – that's the sort of thing that Australia is talking to our partners and allies about participating in.
Posted by neena on Sep 5 2014. Filed under Australian News, Community, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.


Mets Interested In Ivan Rodriguez?
According to David Lennon of Newsday, the Mets "remain very interested" in free agent catcher Ivan Rodriguez. The Mets are unsure about Ramon Castro as a complement to Brian Schneider. MetsBlog's Matthew Cerrone notes Bart Hubbuch's report from February 16th, indicating the Mets are not interested in Pudge.
Lennon says a strong showing by Rodriguez in the WBC could cause their pursuit to "heat up quickly." Many believe the Marlins are still a strong possibility for him.


Blog: Welcome to Trains in the Valley!
Firstly, I would like to begin by saying, "Welcome to our new Blog."
I enjoy the rush of catching a train when traveling. Most people like to avoid a crossing, but if you are reading this, chances are, you don't mind being stopped by a train either!
I started collecting HO Scale Trains before the age of 10. My life changed when I came across my old train set and began tinkering around again. A year later, I own a model train shop and have a major layout plan in the works. I'm very passionate about trains, but have much to learn. That's why this is an exciting new experience. I look forward to researching and educating myself and hopefully passing that knowledge onto you.
Now let's talk about the purpose of our new blog.
We revised our website to provide an easy way to announce shop and company updates. Most of all, there will be plenty of train photography, railroad history, and model railroading tips. We are thrilled to set the stage for what is to come.
Also, I will be highlighting our railfanning adventures and model railway layout updates frequently. I will keep this introduction brief and to the point because we'll be getting to the action very soon.
I'm very excited to deliver great content to you every week.
Feel free to say hi in the comments below. I tried to make it easy for visitors to comment. Additionally, If you notice any problems viewing our website, please leave a comment below. I will be happy to address the problem.
Look out for new content this Friday.


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The Top 10 Supercars of 2012!
Meet the year's best gas guzzlers.
Simon Clays
From speed, looks, and cornering to straight-line raw power, meet our top 10 gas guzzlers.
Aston Martin Rapide
Price: £139,950/$223,000*
Horse Power: 470bhp
0-60 mph: 5.0 seconds
A true sports car experience with the dignity and ease of four doors, meaning you and three other passengers can all enjoy luxury GT motoring.
Drives Us Crazy Because…
The Rapide is remarkable in that it actually drives and handles as well as (if not better than) some of Aston's two-seaters. It's no Vanquish, but it compares favourably to both the DBS and the DB9. It's also an absolute beauty for such a long vehicle. Should the driver decide to hit the Sport button and shift into Lewis Hamilton mode, then the Aston's rear seats are snug enough to hold you firmly in place. Up front, the centre column is a dazzling array of plush luxury. With a 6.0L V12 beating under the bonnet, it feels and sounds every inch a thoroughbred supercar. And if you do wind up in the back seat, don't worry: All of the noise and thrill of being aboard an Aston Martin remains intact. That said, the back seats can be folded down quite easily if you prefer.
Killer Feature
The V12 engine and its noisy warble will have you smiling every time you shift gear. The Rapide's interior is also luxury incarnate, and, while it's a pricey piece of kit, you really do feel every penny of it.
Supercar Bar Trivia
The now-famous DB moniker stands for David Brown, the saviour of the company in the late 1940s. His first car was the DB2 in 1950, and the rest is history.
Celebrity Ride
Ex-Liverpool Football Club midfielder and Dutch International Dirk Kuyt got something right when he sprang for the Rapide.
Porsche Boxster S
Price: £45.384/$72,500
Getting to 60mph in a smidgen over five seconds and then shooting to a top speed of over 170mph, all for a relatively reasonable price.
Despite its brilliant mid-engine handling and more than decent performance, the Boxster used to get saddled with the "Poor man's Porsche" moniker. Thankfully, Porsche's third incarnation, the Boxster S, is no longer the spotty, pubescent, twitching sibling of the 911, but a full-blown porker in its own right.
For a far raspier noise and explosive engine notes, we suggest having the sports exhaust plumbed onto the 2012 S.
The first Porsche, the 356, had just 35bhp and a top speed of just 86mph, meaning a Ford Fiesta could easily batter its ass. To be fair, though, that was in 1984.
Lindsay Lohan burns a Boxster around the Hollywood Hills.
Price: £178,461/$285,000
Impressing the ladies. There are slightly quicker cars out there, but few look as stunning as the prancing horse, and nothing will get you more attention than whipping around in the Ferrari 458.
With a reputation for being temperamental and more high-maintenance than Paris Hilton, Ferrari really stuck a finger up at the doubters with the 458. If its stats make for a slack-jaw then ogling one in the flesh will have you seriously contemplating mechanophilia (that's guys who are sexually attracted to cars – yes, seriously). But it's not just about drop-dead gorgeous looks: the 458 is the most sensational and evolved car Ferrari has ever built. Oh, and any car that can get you to around 125mph in just over 10 seconds is officially mental.
The F-1-style steering wheel hosts a wealth of controls—so many that at first, you'll probably be adjusting the lights when you want to signal left.
Before becoming head honcho owner of Ferrari, founder Enzo shoed mules for the Italian army.
Manchester City donut Mario Balotelli rides a 458… well, at least until he stoves it into someone's front room!
Lotus Exige S V6
Price: £52,900/$84,556
Engine: 3.5L Supercharged V6
Taking bends at breakneck speed and living to tell the tale – the Exige is the world's fastest go-kart, grips like a needy girlfriend, and loves cornering.
Okay, so the Lotus takes bends better than almost any vehicle out there, but it does come at some cost. To get the car from 0-60mph in less than four seconds and achieve a belting 170mph top speed, the Lotus is stripped of any unnecessary weight, meaning equipment is basic and soundproofing all but non-existent. Don't bother with the Lotus for that romantic break away with a ladylove either – there's just too little space and refinement to keep your better half happy. But for balls-out, honest-to-goodness badass fun, the little Lotus is perfectly suited to strapping in a mate and ripping up some country lanes.
It's all about that supercharged engine with the Exige, and everything has been done to squeeze more performance out of the car. Equipment is on the light side of staggeringly minimal; even a cup holder is considered an extra.
Lotus was pivotal in the chassis design of Marty McFly's DeLorean in Back to the Future.
Top Gear pundit Jeremy Clarkson famously tried to evade the missile lock of an Apache Gunship helicopter in an Exige.
Bentley Continental GT 6.0L
Living it up like a Lord while still having the welly to cane it past practically everything on the road.
The Bentley really is a beast, and even though it weighs in at a whopping 2.5 tons, it can still get you to 100mph in a fraction over 10 seconds. And, unlike the majority of its sports bedfellows, you'll barely hear a thing as you're propelled to super-high speeds, thanks to the car's triple-laminated windows. Of course comfort is king with the Bentley and the GT comes packed with just about every in-car extra you could imagine cramming into a dashboard. If ever there was a car suitable for Cristal-sipping while being chauffeured at 200mph, here she is.
Most cars think they're getting greedy with a six-speed box, but the Bentley boasts an eight-gear auto tiptronic set-up. Eighth is frigging quick!
Until 2011 the Bentley Continental GT held the world record as the fastest car on ice, reaching a powder spraying speed of 205.67mph.
Paris Hilton cruises in a Continental.
Being an unknown quantity in the super car department. While Audi is known as a maker of quality autos, they're not synonymous with speed and sports. But the R8 in its V10 incarnation is enough to make even 911 owners think twice.
Okay, so at the end of the day, it's an Audi, and it shares the same controls, buttons, and badges as the rest of their fleet. But that's where the similarities end. The R8 is a racing monster that can't wait to gobble up rivals and spit them out. Its dreamy handling and excellent grip rival only its performance, and with the right hands on the wheel, this is a car capable of taking down many of the other cars on this list.
Audi's world-renowned Quattro four-wheel drive system is killer in the R8, and, should you screw up a corner, the system can push power to the front wheels to help dig you out.
Audi had an electric car all the way back in 1922, and was the first auto company to smash dummies into brick walls back in 1938.
Lady Gaga dances around the road in her R8.
Maserati GranTurismo Sport
Price: £90,390/$144,500
Gunning it along an open road and listening to its beautiful engine roar. The GT's V8 practically purrs along A-roads and loves a long trek.
This Maserati isn't the fastest car to hit 60mph, nor the one with the highest top speed in this list. It could also be argued that it's not the prettiest in our pack either (though you'd be hard-pressed to find many better-looking cars), but it does have the sweetest engine note to ever warble on four-wheels. It's a big old beast too, seating a driver plus three passengers quite comfortably.
Try checking out the GranTurismo with a matte finish paint job.
If you're struggling to raise the 100K needed to buy the GT, you can drive it in Sony's GranTurismo 5 driving simulation.
Footballer Lionel Messi – who is currently closing in on the world record for goals scored in a season – uses the Maserati as his run-around.
0-60 mph: 3.05 seconds
Hardcore technology. Nissan's super-car is jam-packed with enough state-of-the-art kit to make NASA jealous.
The stats speak for themselves, and there's no questioning the GT-R's sporting credentials or incredible handling, but it's the jet fighter dash that really sets this Nissan apart. The front console is more reminiscent of a 747 cockpit than a car, with the dashboard alive with banks of digital read-outs and switches.
An LCD screen that's packed to the max with digital dials and needles that tell you everything you'll ever need to know about this car. Flick through 11 separate read-outs that keep you posted on geeky updates like steering input and cornering G-force. Overkill? Never. Who doesn't love loads of needles simultaneously hitting the red line?
The GT-R can take corners so quickly its wheel rims have a special criss-cross grip to stop G-force forcing the tyres off the wheel. The tyres are also pumped with nitrogen, as normal air is just too unstable.
Usain Bolt, the world's fastest man, tears up the tarmac in a GT-R.
[pagebreak]Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT
Turning heads. The SLS is a thing of pure beauty, a real looker from every angle. Wherever you go, crowds will swarm to admire the car's killer curves.
The SLS is as happy trundling around town as it is gobbling up tarmac at seat-of-your-pants speeds. But while there's no question that it's quick and flexible, it's the gullwing doors and their nod to the classic 300SL that set the SLS apart.
Put the doors in the 'up' position, climb out of the driver's seat, sit yourself by the side of the road, and just weep at how gorgeous the SLS is.
Mercedes-Benz has withdrawn completely from motorsport on several occasions, most tragically after the 1955 Le Mans race where their 300SLR collided with another car careening into spectators and killing more than 80 people.
Rapping, weed-smoking jailbird Lil Wayne decided the SLS was a good way to spend some of his bank.
Jaguar XKR-S
0-60 mph: 4.2seconds
Being the total surprise package. With an XK and an XKR already caning concrete, the XKR-S was a 'skunk works' project that got the green light when Jag management found it was so darned hot!
Fact: This is the fastest-production Jaguar since the XJ220, a car that was great in a straight line but a pig to actually drive. Not so with the XKR-S, mainly thanks to the fantastic supercharger skulking beneath the bonnet's front slits. It handles like a dream. Some major tinkering around with the chassis has transformed a great ride into an outstanding one, giving the big cat some serious street cred. We also love how the XKR-S stinks of Jaguar heritage while looking as mean a contemporary as any of its German or Italian rivals.
Thanks to the stupidly big engine and supercharger combination, the Jag can easily handle the extra calories added by the vast array of kit that adorns its interior. We particularly like the parking camera, which is an extra, but makes reversing and parking much easier given the car's limited rear view.
Before the Second World War, Jaguars were called SS cars, but on the conflict's end it was decided that the association with Nazi Germany's SS (Schutzstaffel) was too problematic, so a list of animal and fish names were drawn up. Thankfully, Jaguar was the winner; the idea of driving around in an XK Trout just doesn't have the same appeal.
Pneumatic life-saving blonde bombshell Pamela Anderson is the proud owner of the Jaguar XKR.
Okay, so these guys don't boast quite the same stunning looks as our Top 10, but they're deceptively quick and practical to boot.
Coupe with colossal performance that just about qualifies as a family car.
Audi's most powerful engine straddles the front arches of the RS6. Also comes as an estate that can take down a Porsche!
Subaru WRX STi Type Hatchback
Engine: 2.5L Turbo
It looks weedy, but will squirt you to 60mph in a little over five seconds, and the price is right.
Mitsubishi Evo X FQ400
This fast as fuck Japanese rocket comes closer to rally heritage then lesser models in the range.
They may be lesser known, but these five super-duper cars are all raving mad—in a good way.
Ascari A10
2.8 seconds to 60mph and a top speed of 220mph… scary!
Pagani Zonda F
A million Euros gets you a 214mph top speed.
MCLaren 12C Spider
Slow next to its stable mates at a nutty 204mph, but a snip at £195,000/$311,500.
Koenigsegg CCX
With a crazy top speed of 259mph the CCX takes the biscuit.
A mere £2,000,000/$3,200,000 buys you a 250mph, 1183bhp space ship.
*Please note UK prices are quotes and US prices are equivalents. Local market prices may vary as per import duty and should be verified accordingly.
How to Drift Like a Beast
Inside Maxim's Sack: December 11, 2012


text:
Charlevoix est une ville située dans l'État américain du Michigan. Elle est le siège du comté de Charlevoix. Sa population est de 2 994 habitants.

La ville et le comté ont été appelés pour Pierre-François-Xavier de Charlevoix, un voyageur français qui a exploré les Grands Lacs.

Démographie

Transports
Charlevoix possède un aéroport (Charlevoix Municipal Airport, code AITA : CVX).

Liens externes

Ville au Michigan
Comté de Charlevoix
Siège de comté au Michigan

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


This collection consists of White House records related to the Mexican Peso Crisis and bailout of 1995, a financial crisis of worldwide import that occurred during the Clinton administration. It contains memoranda, drafts, press briefings, and correspondence.
"Mexican Peso Crisis - Collection Finding Aid," Clinton Digital Library, accessed April 24, 2019, https://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/show/57488.


text:
Malaysia's food export ban leaves Singapore hopping like a headless "chicken"
by Vedica Singh
in Americas, Geopolitics, Global Issues, Indian Subcontinent
Singapore's beloved de-facto national dish – poached chicken and rice, are reeling under waning supplies. This came after the neighboring country Malaysia banned exports of the meat in an attempt to ease the domestic price increases. For decades, Singapore has relied on its closest ally and neighbor – Malaysia, for a third of its total poultry imports. Singapore facing chicken shortage is like McDonalds with no burger.
Poached Chicken and Rice / Source – Healthy Food Guide
Singaporeans can run out of their favorite dish
The Malaysian Prime Minister, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, announced last week that the country would block exports of 3.6 million chickens a month from 1 June to stabilize the supply at home. Singapore relies on Malaysia for a third of its poultry imports. Now, this ban is expected to lead to price increases and shortages in Singapore.
Mahathir Mohamad's return will make Southeast Asia the hub of radical Islam
Singapore's Malays problem
Food stalls in Singapore are encountering snaking queues as the public is rushing to these stores to buy chicken dishes after learning about the ban. According to the local media reports, some supermarkets and wet markets are running short of chicken.
Daniel Tan, the owner of a chain of seven stalls called 'OK Chicken Rice', told Reuters that Malaysia's ban would be "catastrophic" for vendors.
"The ban would mean we are no longer able to sell. It's like McDonald's with no burgers," he said. Tan's stall depends upon the supplies from Malaysia, which mostly exports live chicken to Singapore.
Bad news for Singapore
Here's a bad news for the fans of Singapore's much-loved dish. Some vendors have resorted to stop selling chicken altogether and instead find alternative dishes. Malaysian Prime Minister last week announced that his country would ban live chicken exports to Singapore from June in an effort to handle a domestic shortage.
Meanwhile, the Singaporean government is assuring that there will be surplus amounts of chicken to go around but this will bring along a sharp rise in the poultry prices according to the traders. Currently, traders are paying $3 for a whole chicken, but they expect prices to surge as stocks dwindle and that price could soon increase to $4-5 per bird.
The 'Chicken-Rice' crisis
The 'chicken-rice' crisis might be one of the latest signs of food shortages that are being experienced across the world. The factors contributing to the food shortages include the Russia-Ukraine conflict, covid-related supply-chain problems and extreme weather, all pushing the prices higher.
An elderly chicken seller Ah Ho and his son Thomas say the price of chicken had already been high for quite some time in Singapore. "The business of selling chicken has been on the brink for months so it hasn't been anything new for us," Ho said.
Their chicken stall had run out of stock, with even less popular items such as gizzards having sold out. "Our fate is now in the hands of suppliers and how much they want to jack up prices to turn profits," Thomas said.
For the father and son, who have been in the business for more than three decades, survival has always been hard — but now it is about to get harder.
"Nobody knows what's going to come in the next months or how long this shortage will go on but with the way it's looking, it might finally be time for us to throw in the towel and close shop," Thomas said.
Also Read: Heavy Chinese propaganda is turning Singapore into a Chinese colony
Can the alternative survive?
A short-term solution to this catastrophic ban could be to import more frozen chicken from countries like Thailand and Brazil, but for the legions of chicken-rice sellers across the island, this simply isn't an option.
"Frozen chicken? You expect us to cook chicken-rice using frozen chicken? It will not taste good," hawker Madam Tong said with a laugh. That's the reason why we say that Malaysia's food export ban leaves Singapore hopping like a headless "chicken"
Tags: ChickenGeo-PoliticsMalaysiaSingapore
Collection of 33 Good Intentions Quotes and Captions
WHO's big U-turn on Monkeypox is lethal for the entire world
Is a common Latin American Currency feasible?


text:
Ben Johnson | Sep 01, 1999
Golub-Europe develops $50M Prague office building Golub-Europe LLC, an affiliate of Chicago-based Golub & Co., is scheduled to start construction at year-end on a $50 million, Class-A office building in central Prague, Czech Republic. The nine-story, 325,000 sq. ft. building will be named Charles Square Center and will sit on land leased from the city of Prague. Michael Glazier, managing director of Golub-Europe in London, has appointed Colliers International of Prague as joint leasing agent on the project, along with Golub-Europe. The building should open in second-quarter 2001.
European hotels up, Asia down reports Jones Lang LaSalle Hotel investment in Europe continues to look upbeat, while Asian prospects continue to flounder, according to the new International Hotel Property Digest published by Chicago-based Jones Lang LaSalle.
The Digest profiles European and Asian markets. London is a European standout with sound long-term fundamentals, while Paris and Barcelona are both improving steadily. Managing director Douglas Hercher notes that Asian economies will have to wait until at least 2000 before economic revitalization is realized.
Dutch fund invests $40M in Donahue Schriber of U.S. One of Europe's leading pension funds, Netherlands-based BPMT, is investing $40 million in shopping center REIT Donahue Schriber, based in Newport Beach, Calif. The private REIT owns and operates 51 neighborhood, community and power shopping centers in California, Nevada and Arizona. It now has a market value of about $600 million.
AEW, DTZ create JV alliance:Curzon Global Partners Boston-based AEW Capital Management and London-based Debenham Tewson & Chinnocks Holdings plc, parent of the DTZ group of real estate services companies, have created a joint venture called Curzon Global Partners.
The new London-based entity will provide AEW and DTZ clients with access to international real estate investment opportunities in North America, Europe and the Middle East.
No word yet on how much the venture will actually invest in these markets.
Lend Lease global invests $50M in Portuguese center Lend Lease Global Properties, a Luxembourg-based global real estate opportunity investment company, purchased a 50% interest in the Arrabida Shopping Centre in Porto, Portugal. The center will be jointly owned with Lend Lease Europe, which purchased the remaining 50% interest. The fund's investment in the shopping center totaled $50 million. The 610,000 sq. ft. Arrabida Shopping Centre, opened in 1996 and 98% leased, is one of the largest of its kind in Portugal.
South Africa's new stability bodes well for markets According to Gil da Silva, head of research at Old Mutual Properties, the return of business confidence to South Africa will usher in improved trading conditions for local retailers and manufacturers. "Greater global stability and falling interest rates are spurring a widespread revival," says da Silva. "All property sectors will most likely benefit, but office space should benefit most because of shortages of prime and A-grade accommodation."
Old Mutual Properties is the real estate arm of Old Mutual, Africa's largest life assurance company which has substantial holdings in South Africa and elsewhere on the African continent. Currently the firm is undertaking a major development program including $1 billion in new shopping centers.
Knight Frank publishes new Global Office Report London-based Knight Frank has released its latest Global Office Report, providing profiles of leading world centers. Here are a few of its findings:
Europe: There is increased investment within Europe, and non-European investors are finding a more transparent and less-risky market. Strong demand coupled with slow new supply is putting pressure on rental rates. Investment activity has been restricted by a shortage of good-quality investment stock on the market.
Asia & Australasia: Southeast Asia may have passed the worst of its crisis. Most cities still suffer from office space oversupply. Australia is expected to see a slowdown in its economy and overall property markets.
Africa: Development is limited to pre-let schemes, which has led to rental growth in certain locations.


Yesterday I received word that one of our oldest friends passed away. He was just 4 days short of his 67th birthday. Brendan was from Ireland and came to Japan about 30 years ago. He taught at Uminohoshi High School for many, many years, and taught quite a number of our business courses over the years. His good cheer, sharp wit and hard-headedness will be forever missed. He is survived by his wife and daughter.


Karen Ann Lynch, 48, of Lewes, Del., passed away suddenly on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, at Christiana Hospital in Newark, Del., with her family by her side. She was born in Wilmington, Del., on Aug. 31, 1968, to Michael Williams and Josephine Hudson.
Lynch had worked for Discover in Wilmington for several years before moving to Sussex County. She had worked at Mid-Atlantic Family Practice in Lewes for more than 13 years and at the time of her death was employed with Delaware Arthritis in Lewes.
Lynch was a fun-loving person who enjoyed going out to eat at local restaurants and going to concerts. In her free time, she enjoyed spending countless hours at the beach at Cape Henlopen State Park. However, her happiest times were spent with her family and friends. She will be fondly remembered as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister and friend.
She is survived by her loving husband of 18 years, Richard Lynch; three children, Richard Lynch and his wife, Theresa, of Milton, Del., Donna Lynch and her fiancé, Chad Clendaniel, of Milton, Del., and Nicholas Lynch of Lewes, Del.; two grandsons, Christopher Prince Jr. and Colton Clendaniel; her mother, Josephine Williams of Lewes, and her father, Michael Williams and his wife, MaryAnn, of Middletown, Del.; two brothers, Richard Williams and Mark Williams, both of Middletown; her mother-in-law, Constance Dimaio of Lewes; an uncle, Bobby Hudson and his wife, Betty, of Lewes; a lifelong friend, Anissa Kitts of Bear, Del.; her goddaughter, Kristin Sullivan; and a cousin, Harry Hudson, and his wife, Julie, of Millsboro, Del., and their two children, another goddaughter, Brittany, and Alex Hudson.
A service to celebrate Lynch's life will be held Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017, at 4 p.m. at Melson Funeral Services, 32013 Long Neck Rd., Millsboro, Del., where friends and family may call and visit after 2:30 p.m. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family suggested memorial contributions to the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America by visiting www.aafa.org. Condolences may be sent online at www.melsonfuneralservices.com.


Take your everyday look out of hibernation. A colorful alternative to your favorite Frank & Oak tee, this striped staple will take your wardrobe from 'yawn' to 'yass' without any effort necessary. Cut from an ultra-comfy jersey cotton in our best slim tee fit, it's an easy style swap. Available here in Cedar Wood. 100% cotton.


When a driver is inattentive to the presence of pedestrians, an accident can result, causing serious injury or death. While most pedestrians are aware of their vulnerability and and take every precaution, accidents do happen.
Pedestrian accidents can occur in any number of ways. Examples include a vehicle hitting someone crossing a road on foot, a car sideswiping a pedestrian, or a car bumping into a pedestrian in a parking lot. Unfortunately, pedestrian accidents such as these account for approximately 70,000 injuries and 5,000 deaths annually.
If you or someone you love has been the victim of a pedestrian accident in which the driver was at fault, you are entitled to compensation for your injuries, just like a person injured in an accident involving motor vehicles.
At Crowson Law Group, our personal injury lawyers are well-versed in dealing with the nuances of pedestrian accidents and injuries. We will conduct an immediate investigation of the accident to understand the circumstances of the accident and the injuries you suffered. With offices in Anchorage and Wasilla, we proudly serve all of Alaska. We invite you to call or contact us online to schedule a free, confidential consultation.
You may inadvertently negatively impact your claim if you talk with an insurance company before you talk with a lawyer. You should not allow an insurance company to take a recorded statement from you, have you sign any papers, or have you see their doctors before you talk with an attorney. Our lawyers are accustomed to dealing with insurance companies and know how to value your claim. We will make sure that you don't settle for less than you deserve.
Let our experienced team of lawyers and staff maximize the value of your claim. We will gather evidence related to your pedestrian accident, construct a timeline of your accident, retrieve your medical records, and pose a real threat of a litigation. Unless you present a credible threat of litigation, the insurance company is unlikely to settle your claim fairly.
Timing is very important. Evidence about the accident can be easily lost, such as when witnesses move or can no longer be located. Lost evidence can affect the ability to pursue your claim. You should contact our attorneys as soon as possible after a pedestrian accident.


It may seem that the assessment of the level of proficiency in a foreign language – a thing very subjective. Indeed, categories such as "fluent in English", "has a good vocabulary", or "understand without a vocabulary" is very blurred, they are not taken seriously in any decent University or the personnel Department of a prestigious foreign company.
In today's globalizing world, studying abroad is not only an interesting experience, but also a chance in the future to get a paying job, Executive position, a promotion. For foreigners arriving at us and canadian universities from countries in which English is not the official, more than fifty years ago introduced a standardized exam TOEFL.
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is a test developed by leading linguists, at the moment he is considered the most objective and in demand not only in the United States and Canada, but also in many European and Asian countries, and is also used in the selection of employees in the largest international corporations.
Since this test has been developed for a long time, long time it existed only on paper, but in recent preference for its online version.
Internet-based Test (iBT) includes several sections: reading, listening, writing, speaking. During the first stage applicants are asked not only to read the text and answer the questions for him. Texts is usually a few, three or four, and more hours are given only on the completion of this stage. Listening can be and recording lectures, and dialogue among English-speaking people. After listening to each record you must also answer the questions, some of which are specifically designed to confuse the listener and to test his attentiveness and the correct perception and comprehension. For successful completion of the written part of the test you need to be able to compose an essay, to articulate and argue their point of view on the letter. During inspection of oral speech must show the ability to competently Express your thoughts in English, to quickly answer questions and demonstrate skills of presentation, their words listened to information. Only on fulfillment of all tasks of the Internet version of TOEFL is given no more than four and a half hours.
If one of the stages will fail, i.e. not be performed correctly at least one job in each section, the score on the exam is not set. Top results – one hundred and twenty points, thirty for each stage. There are also some unusual restrictions: for example, the test can be made more frequently than once in twelve days.
The results of the examination are stored in a database for two years and are often provided in electronic form, but you can request additional written confirmation. The best part is that this option is absolutely free.
It would seem, nothing complicated, you can prepare for the delivery yourself, but we strongly recommend you not to risk your time and money. First, there is a lot of formal prohibitions, violation of which you can get rid of the exam. The money that you need to pay for the right to take the TOEFL, you will not return. Secondly, the test is focused on verification of knowledge of American English, so you need to clearly know all the grammatical subtleties and differences from the British version.
About all the pitfalls and complexities of the exam, you can learn on courses of preparation for TOEFL. And then the doors more than nine thousand universities around the world will open to you!
TOEFL Preparation class 120 hours 5 days a week (Monday to Friday).
The cost for one session is $ 590 (for students applying from abroad the first session -890 dollars).
Complete the application online and become a student at a language school Bell Language School.


The Post-Secondary Enrollment Option program, also known as PSEO, was created as a means to "promote rigorous educational pursuits and provide a wider variety of options for students." Through PSEO, high school students receive both high school and college/university credit for college or university courses that are completed.
The program is available to students throughout the state. Students from nearly every Minnesota high school can earn credits through PSEO from programs at Minnesota state colleges and universities. Through PSEO, students may take courses on a college or university campus, via online, or, if available, at their high school.


text:
Errol W. Barrow, Barbadian Politician born
Errol W. Barrow
*Errol Walton Barrow was born on this date in 1920. He was a Black Barbadian politician.
From Barbados at Nesfield, St. Lucy he was the son of Rev. Reginald Grant Barrow and Ruth nee O'Neal. Young Barrow was also the nephew of legendary Dr. Charles Duncan O'Neal, founder of the Democratic League. In 1939, he won a scholarship in Classics to Codrington College but joined the Royal Air Force and served in World War II. He was personal navigation officer to the Commander-in-Chief of the British Army at the Rhine between 1940 and 1942. After the RAF, Barrow studied law and passed the Bar in 1949.
He returned home in 1950 as a practicing barrister-at-law and became a member of the Barbados Labor Party (BLP) in 1951. A founder of the Democratic Labor Party, Barrow swept to power in 1961 and held that position for five years. He then took the island into independence from Britain and became Barbados' first Prime Minister from 1966 until 1976. During his term in office, Barrow sought a new social democratic state and was able to expand free education to all levels; he introduced National Insurance, improved health services, accelerated industrial development, and the expansion of the tourist industry.
Barrow received many awards. Among them was an Honorary Doctorate of Civil Law from McGill University in Canada in 1966 and the Lions International "Head of State Award" for 'outstanding service to the country in 1967. He was made a Privy Councilor in 1968, and in 1969 wrote Canada's Role in the West Indies.' In 1986, he again led his party to power by the largest margin in Barbados' history. On June 1, 1987, after only one year in office, Errol Barrow died.
In his honor, Barbadians observe his birthday as a National holiday and have a constant reminder of his life and service in his likeness, which is widely circulated on the island's fifty dollar bill, popularly known as 'an Errol'.
to be a Politician
Totally Barbadoes.com
InternationalBCC.co.uk
Barbados Government Information Service
Bay Street, St. Michael,
Barbados, West Indies.
My Career Advice For Public Policy Preparation, Dr. Samuel Myers Jr.
Dr. Samuel Myers Jr. is an economist, educator and activist. In this segment, he shares the need for, analytical, and statistical wisdom for those interested a career in public policy
Activist / Abolitionist Politics / Military / Law
STATS: 1318 Views


Select the number of Meters you require. If you select 1 we will send 1 Meter, select 2 we will send a 2 Meter length, select 5 and we will send 2 × 2 Meter lengths and 1 × 1M length.
This product is only supplied to customers buying our LED Strip, Constant Current Strip recommended.
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This Aluminium Profile allows any of our LED Strips up to 12mm to be set into the channel. It can easily be cut to length by hacksaw or a chop saw with a suitable cutting blade. The Polycarbonate Cover should be cut carefully with a fine toothed junior hacksaw.
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Available as 1 Meter or Continuous 2 Meter length.
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text:
1. Fußball-Bundesliga 1999-00 var den 37. sæson af Bundesliga, Tysklands bedste fodboldrække. Den begyndte 13. august 1999.

Ligatabel

Sæsoner i 1. Fußball-Bundesliga
Bundesliga 1999-2000, 1. Fussball-
Bundesliga 1999-2000, 1. Fussball-


text:
Q: how can i read binary data in c++? I need to read and write binary data in C++.I use from ofstream and ifstream classes but it can't read some chars like 9,13,32.If is there another way to read and write theme.

A: Open the file using the std::ios::binary flag and then use .read(buffer,length); and .write(buffer,length); rather than the streaming operators.
There are some examples here:
https://cplusplus.com/reference/istream/istream/read/
https://cplusplus.com/reference/ostream/ostream/write/

A: Here is a program that does this:
#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>

int main(int argc, const char *argv[])
{
   if (argc < 2) {
      ::std::cerr << "Usage: " << argv[0] << "<filename>\n";
      return 1;
   }
   ::std::ifstream in(argv[1], ::std::ios::binary);
   while (in) {
      char c;
      in.get(c);
      if (in) {
         ::std::cout << "Read a " << int(c) << "\n";
      }
   }
   return 0;
}

Here is an example of it being run in Linux:
$ echo -ne '\x9\xd\x20\x9\xd\x20\n' >binfile
$ ./readbin binfile
Read a 9
Read a 13
Read a 32
Read a 9
Read a 13
Read a 32
Read a 10

A: This is a basic example (without any error check!):
// Required STL
#include <fstream>
using namespace std;

// Just a class example
class Data
{
   int    a;
   double b;
};

// Create some variables as examples
Data x;
Data *y = new Data[10];

// Open the file in input/output
fstream myFile( "data.bin", ios::in | ios::out | ios::binary );

// Write at the beginning of the binary file
myFile.seekp(0);
myFile.write( (char*)&x, sizeof (Data) );

...

// Assume that we want read 10 Data since the beginning
// of the binary file:
myFile.seekg( 0 );
myFile.read( (char*)y, sizeof (Data) * 10 );

// Remember to close the file
myFile.close( );

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


With direct marketing you are asking your prospects and customers to take a specific action. Brand marketing is simply promoting your brand.
Pepsi commercials during the Superbowl are great examples of brand marketing. A credit card offer mailed to you through the post office is a great example of direct marketing. I've outlined several specific ways to apply direct marketing to your social media business strategy.
Here are five social media strategies recorded last week during my daily audio updates on Utterli. (Utterli is a free voice recording service that allows you to record a message using your cell phone and then post that message to the web). .
Joel Mark Witt is a producer, speaker, and new media leader who writes about social media and its impact in the business world. He is also the Founding Director of Folk Media. Send him an eMail: joelmarkwitt (at) folkmedia.org or follow him on Twitter.
Subscribe to the Folk Media Insider eNewsletter. It's a free monthly newsletter packed with tips, tools, strategies and resources to take your business to the next level online.


text:
Q: Generate special list from file in python I have a file like this :
one:two:three
four:five:six
seven:height:nine

And so on...
What I want is to parse it correctly to obtain this kind of variable:
myVar = [("one", "two", "three"), ("four", "five", "six"), ("seven", "height", "nine")]

Of course, the file isn't stopping at nine, there's a lot more of lines after that.
How can I do that in Python ?
Thanks !

A: with open('your file') as f:
    myVar = [ tuple(a.split(':')) for a in f.read().split() ]

print myVar

Outputs
[('one', 'two', 'three'), ('four', 'five', 'six'), ('seven', 'height', 'nine')]

A: Use a list compehension:
with open('filename') as f:
    myVar = [line.rstrip().split(':') for line in f]

If you need a list to tuples then pass line.rstrip().split(':') to tuple():
tuple(line.rstrip().split(':'))

A: The data you are dealing with, looks like delimiter separated. I would recommend using csv.reader, like this
import csv
with open("Input.txt") as in_file:
    reader = csv.reader(in_file, delimiter=':')
    print [row for row in reader]

You can convert this to a tuple, like this
    print [tuple(row) for row in reader]


Traditional apple crisp takes healthy apples and loads them up with sugar and butter. With some simple swaps, this version is much lighter, and just as satisfyingly sweet.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 8" square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, set aside.
Prepare apples by cutting into thin sliced wedges and removing the core. Apples should yield ~4 1/2 cups once sliced. Place in a large bowl.
Add remaining apple filling ingredients to bowl and toss so that apples are evenly coated. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish.
Add rolled oats, almond flour, 20/20 powder, stevia-in-the-raw, and baking powder to a bowl. Mix until well combined.
Add melted coconut oil and vanilla to bowl of crisp ingredients. Use a fork to combine all ingredients.
Pour crisp topping over apples, distributing evenly over the top of apple mixture. Place in oven to bake for 45-50 minutes, or until topping is golden brown and the apples are cooked thoroughly.
*Please note that this recipe would count as a serving of fruit for the day.