Questioning Answers: "children with both ASD and subclinical autistic traits have lower neuropsychological performance"
"children with both ASD and subclinical autistic traits have lower neuropsychological performance"
The quote heading this post - "children with both ASD [autism spectrum disorder] and subclinical autistic traits have lower neuropsychological performance" - comes from the findings reported by Fjola Hyseni and colleagues .
Researchers report results from a study "embedded in the Generation R Study" (an initiative that has appeared before on this blog) examining whether neuropsychological performance as measured by "using subtests of the NEPSY-II-NL" showed any connection to autistic signs and symptoms. The sorts of things looked at via the NEPSY-II included "attention and executive functioning, memory and learning, sensorimotor, language, and the visuospatial domain."
Actually, the Hyseni study was a multi-factorial study in that their analysis "involved an ASD case versus control analysis comparing children with a diagnosis of ASD to children without an ASD diagnosis" and also "to test for a linear relationship between autistic traits and NEPSY-II performance in the entire sample." Finally, they "excluded both children with a diagnosis of ASD and children with high autistic symptoms" but still looked at scores on the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) as a function of NEPSY-II test performance.
Results: based on the inclusion of data from over 1000 children, there were some important details attached to the authors observation that autistic traits were negatively correlated with neuropsychological performance. So, as well as higher levels of autistic traits or a diagnosis of autism being associated with lower neuropsychological performance across various domains and taking into account various other potential confounding variables - covariates - (gender, age, ethnicity, child attention problems, etc), so those analyses of SRS scores of participants without a diagnosis of autism or high autistic traits yielded important findings. For the 960 children who this covered, authors reported that "the significant relationship between SRS scores and neuropsychological performance remained", at least when it came to memory and learning, sensorimotor functioning, and language domains following adjustment for those covariates. The authors conclude that: "Our results provide support for a relationship along the continuum between autistic symptoms and neuropsychological performance in school-age children who encompass children with subclinical autistic traits." Further investigations are implied in this area on the basis for example, that: "the measurements of autistic traits, neuropsychological functioning, and IQ were not performed at the same time; thus, there was a short time difference between the two measurements."
And on the topic of autistic traits potentially 'influencing' performance, the findings reported by Crehan and colleagues , including one John Constantino - "the authors of the SRS" - are also pertinent. To quote: "Splitting the SRS scores into three severity classes revealed that impaired social responsiveness is significantly related to competency." One also has to wonder in the longer term, whether the sentiments expressed by Skylark & Baron-Cohen  on how certain autistic traits (particularly socially implicated traits) might "influence a person's financial circumstances" could also 'interact' with the findings being discussed.
 Hyseni F. et al. Autistic traits and neuropsychological performance in 6- to-10-year-old children: a population-based study. Child Neuropsychol. 2018 Apr 23:1-18.
 Lindor E. et al. Superior Visual Search and Crowding Abilities Are Not Characteristic of All Individuals on the Autism Spectrum. J Autism Dev Disord. 2018. May 22.
 Crehan ET. et al. Tracking the Influence of Autistic Traits on Competencies Among School Aged Children with Subthreshold Autistic Traits: A Longitudinal Study. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2018 May 11.
 Skylark WJ. & Baron-Cohen S. Initial evidence that non-clinical autistic traits are associated with lower income. Mol Autism. 2017 Nov 13;8:61.
"results support HLA involvement in ASD"
"Gluten-free prescribing is in a state of flux"
"ADHD was a risk factor for suicide attempt"


text:
Distinguishing wet from dry age-related macular degeneration using three-dimensional computer-automated threshold Amsler grid testing
Craig D Robison1,2,
Renu V Jivrajka1,2,
Simon R Bababeygy1,2,
Wolfgang Fink2,3,4,
Alfredo A Sadun2,
J Sebag1,2
1VMR Institute, Huntington Beach, California, USA
2Doheny Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
3Visual and Autonomous Exploration Systems Research Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
4Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
Correspondence to Dr J Sebag, VMR Institute, 7677 Center Avenue, Suite 400, Huntington Beach, CA 92647, USA; jsebag{at}VMRinstitute.com
Background/aims With the increased efficacy of current therapy for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), better ways to detect wet AMD are needed. This study was designed to test the ability of three-dimensional contrast threshold Amsler grid (3D-CTAG) testing to distinguish wet AMD from dry AMD.
Methods Conventional paper Amsler grid and 3D-CTAG tests were performed in 90 eyes: 63 with AMD (34 dry, 29 wet) and 27 controls. Qualitative comparisons were based upon the three-dimensional shapes of central visual field (VF) defects. Quantitative analyses considered the number and volume of the three-dimensional defects.
Results 25/34 (74%) dry AMD and 6/29 (21%) wet AMD eyes had no distortions on paper Amsler grid. Of these, 5/25 (20%) dry and 6/6 (100%) wet (p=0.03) AMD eyes exhibited central VF defects with 3D-CTAG. Wet AMD displayed stepped defects in 16/28 (57%) eyes, compared with only 2/34 (6%) of dry AMD eyes (p=0.002). All three volumetric indices of VF defects were two- to four-fold greater in wet than dry AMD (p<0.006). 3D-CTAG had 83.9% positive and 90.6% negative predictive values for wet AMD.
Conclusions 3D-CTAG has a higher likelihood of detecting central VF defects than conventional Amsler grid, especially in wet AMD. Wet AMD can be distinguished from dry AMD by qualitative and quantitative 3D-CTAG criteria. Thus, 3D-CTAG may be useful in screening for wet AMD, quantitating disease severity, and providing a quantitative outcome measure of therapy.
choroidal neovascularisation
Amsler grid
central visual fields
choroid
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjo.2010.194886
Funding VMR Consulting, Inc., Huntington Beach, California, USA (study design; collection, analysis and interpretation of data; writing of article; decision to submit article); NIH grant EY03040 (no involvement in study design, analysis, interpretation, writing, or decision to submit).
Competing interests WF and AAS have proprietary interests in the three-dimensional computer-automated threshold Amsler grid test described in the study as patents on the technology have been issued. All remaining authors (CDR, SRB, RVJ and JS) have no proprietary or financial interest in the manuscript.
Patient consent Obtained.
Ethics approval This study was conducted with the approval of the University of Southern California Institutional Review Board, Los Angeles, California, USA.
© 2011, Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


On Friday I was back once again at Norwich Arts Centre covering for Outline Craig Hill's third recent Americana gig for his Tilting Sky, headlined by local country queen Sam Coe and her band the Long Shadows.
Immediately upon arrival I was struck by the vibe of the evening with many familiar faces, including numerous fellow photographers, catching up ahead of the music, an altogether calmer atmosphere than the previous night's Bob Log III mayhem! I caught up with Craig himself, in the foyer and he joked that he was still not talking to Hot Raisin's Tory as she had overtaken him in the final mile of the previous weekend's city half marathon!
Hot Raisin are always a delight and this was a treat to see them in full band form, recalling drummer Daryl and with Tory playing electric guitar and diplomatically not referencing that marathon incident to Craig! My "natural anti-depressants" certainly hit the spot again and I thoroughly enjoyed their set, good to hear a new track get a showcase too.
Sam Coe and the Long Shadows seemed very comfortable on the NAC stage with a full sound that was lapped up by a decent sized audience. There's a purity about the honest style of country music. It's clear the band are all fans of the style of music they play, Sam herself I actually recall seeing last year in a serendipitous bumping into each other at Liverpool Street Station as we were both making our way back to the fine city after an amazing gig in London by Courtney Marie Andrews, an artist we both love, admire and appreciate so much that we travelled to the capital to see this authentic artist perform songs that hit the spot and connect with the listener. Sam Coe's love of country music shows clearly in the spirit she and the band play with and it's clear it connects with people as there were plenty audience members sporting the band's album 'Full Moon' t-shirts.
"Sam Coe and the Long Shadows were the headliners at the Norwich Arts Centre for legendary promoter Craig Hill's Tilting Sky, closing his trio of Americana gigs in the city. The night had two strong and varied support acts, beginning with True Adventures. I've been an admirer of Sam's work for some time but it seems like quite a while since I last saw him so this was a good reminder of what an entertaining storyteller he is, not only in the lyrics of his songs but the chats between them too. He quickly drew in those who already knew his material and also endeared himself to those first-time listeners with a warm and engaging set, delivered beautifully and with plenty of soul and gentle humour.
Next on the bill was a full-band version of the superb Hot Raisin (who were fellow Battle of the Bands finalists with Sam Coe and the Long Shadows a couple of years back) and for this occasion were reunited with drummer Daryl to play in their fully electric, full band formation. They raised the tempo and volume, sounding big, warm and punchy. I love them to bits and was happy to hear a new track alongside the more established live favourites such as Captain and set-closer Whiskey Ginger. They have variety and songs which draw you in, together with a stage-presence that has such a feel-good factor about it. One can just tell that these are people who love each other's company and click so well together, both musically and as friends.
Sam Coe and the Long Shadows have been on the Norwich gig circuit for a few years and continued the whiskey theme with their own Whiskey Dreaming. They too sounded full and tight with their recently expanded line up. In fact bassist Philip was playing just his second gig with the band whilst James on guitar was actually making his Long Shadows live debut, so that tightness was all the more impressive bearing in mind how long they'd been together. Of course the two of them are also known to many of us from their days in Addison's Uncle.
With the lap steel, dobro, keys, drums, bass, electric guitar and Sam's own acoustic guitar and vocals there is a strong feeling of depth to the sound, a warmth and fullness that harks back to a golden age of country music. A very fine cover of Margo Price's Hurtin' on the Bottle typifies this style and sound that Sam Coe and the Long Shadows play. There was a little onstage discussion about the name of their style which ranged from "Americana" and "East Anglicana" but to my ears on the night it seemed to be the outlaw end of what Dale Watson has dubbed Ameripolitan, which is all about authenticity and this is what we recognise in these open, honest and heartfelt songs.
Our wonderful ad special NAC currently has a 40/40 fundraising campaign to raise £40,000 to unlock a £499,000 grant from the Arts Council for its regeneration. You can help by donating an extra £1 when buying a ticket, or at the Arts Centre itself in one of its collection jars, or by clicking here. Or even buying a 40/40 ale at the NAC bar at a gig where £1 will go to the fundraising.
This entry was posted in Hot Raisin, live music and dance, Norwich Arts Centre, tilting sky, True Adventures and tagged Hot Raisin, norwich arts centre, norwich music city uk, Sam Coe and the Long Shadows, The Tilting Sky, True Adventures. Bookmark the permalink.
Indeed, it was a fine evening's entertainment with Sam delivering her special magic.
Hot raisen are very current (fruit based pun, there) & my first viewing of them but definitely not my last.
Norwich Art Centre is a fine building for providing brilliant music gigs.
"Hot Raisin are very current", I love that! 🙂 NAC is indeed a fantastic venue.


connecting trains from Bhopal to Old Delhi.
and spit red saliva on the passing roads.
our main door, the door she once entered freely.
but we had to refuse her away.
dishes and the other for laundry.
so we had to refuse her away.
From the book House Arrest & Disobedience, ISBN 978-0-9930315-1-9.
Tagged Domestic Violence, Women India, Women's Rights. Bookmark the permalink.


The interest in classic cars is constantly growing, as classic automobiles transport the enthusiast not only to their destination, but also back to the charm and simplicity of days gone by. The classic titles Motor Klassik and YOUNGTIMER offer specialist information and passion filled articles from the classic car scene. The associated oldtimer rallies, such as the Silvretta Classic, the Saxony Classic and the Eifel Classic are must-attend events in the calendar of all classic motoring enthusiasts.
In a unique manner, MOTOR KLASSIK arouses a fascination for the lively culture of automobile classics. It is dedicated to the classics of automobile history which still inspire enthusiasm with their entirely individual qualities and enable readers to immerse themselves in this multi-layered world and directly experience the unparalleled character of these vehicles. This particular aspiration is underlined by the high journalistic quality of text and images. The editors at MOTOR KLASSIK attach great importance to enabling the fascination of automobile classics to be experienced authentically through driving reports.
Apart from experience, this monthly magazine also focuses on competent information and service. Accordingly, sound purchasing advice on all classics presented in the car reviews is a popular distinguishing feature of MOTOR KLASSIK. In addition to the regular edition, four special editions are published every year which are dedicated to newcomers and provide a wealth of information on a particular brand, cars from a certain country such as Italy, for example, or purchasing advice. Experience is also the buzzword when it comes to the PAUL PIETSCH CLASSIC, SILVRETTA CLASSIC and SACHSEN CLASSIC car rallies organised by the MOTOR KLASSIK team.


text:
Cannes 2018: Reclaiming the Arab narrative one film at a time
Middle Eastern films had a strong presence in this year's edition, with Nadine Labaki's Capharnaum winning the third-place Jury Prize
Lebanese director and actor Nadine Labaki poses with her husband Khaled Mouzanar and actor Zain al-Rafeea after Labaki won the Jury Prize for "Capharnaum," at the Cannes Film Festival, 19 May (AFP)
Joseph Fahim
Date de publication: Lundi 21 mai 2018 - 11:26 | Dernière mise à jour: il y a 1 année 8 mois
CANNES, France - The 71st Cannes Film Festival started on the most surreal of notes: Donald Trump pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal on 8 May as the world's biggest film festival opened for the first time with a film by Iranian filmmaker and two-time Oscar winner Asghar Farhadi.
Ironically, the film, Everybody Knows, a slight, bloated Spanish whodunnit thriller and family drama, earned Farhadi the worst reviews of his career.
Russian TV presenter and model Victoria Bonya poses as she arrives on 19 May 2018 for the closing ceremony of the 2018 Cannes Film Festival (AFP)
As immaculately draped film stars danced through the night to the blaring music echoing from every corner of the luxurious southern French resort town, one could not help but sense the schism between Cannes and the real world, a schism amplified by the festivals rigid fashion rules, including black tuxes and bow-ties for men and high heels for women.
A mirror to reality
Yet over the next 11 days Cannes swiftly emerged as a mirror to the stark realities of our turbulent world.
Without exception, all of the winners of the 71st edition of the festival addressed a wide assortment of social, political, and economic adversities: from the neoliberalism-induced poverty in Hirokazu Kore-eda's Japanese Palme d'Or winner, Shoplifters; and the resurrection of the Ku Klux Klan in Spike Lee's American Grand Prize winner BlacKkKlansman; to the lawlessness of the mafia-controlled districts of southern Italy in Matteo Garrone's best actor winner, Dogman; and transgender rights in Belgian Lukas Dhont's Un Certain Regard.
A general view shows Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-Eda (L) delivering a speech on stage after he was awarded the Palme d'Or (AFP)
Even Pawel Pawlikowski's post World War II-set Polish, Cold War, which won best director, centres on the kind of exiled artists found in Egypt, Iran, Russia or China.
Cannes, many observed, was gunning for relevancy, not only in the geographical diversity of its selection, but by including various newcomers in its different selections. It was inevitable that the Middle East would figure in heavily in this year's edition, securing prized slots in the competition and informing various European productions.
The strong collective impact these films had on the festival is undeniable. While some pointed to a brighter future for Middle Eastern narratives, others proved the creative rut Middle Eastern filmmakers - and particularly Arabs - have been entrenched in for decades may still require considerable time to be shattered.
A Lebanese hit
The breakout Middle Eastern hit of the festival was also one of its most liked. Nadine Labaki's Capharnaum – winner of the third-place Jury Prize – marks a radical change of direction in the course of one of the Arab World's most popular filmmakers.
The glossiness and effervescence of Labaki's first feature-length movie Caramel (2007), followed by Where Do We Go Now? (2011), are nowhere to be seen in this harrowing account of an 11-year-old Syrian boy hustling through the streets of Beirut after he runs away from home. Later on, he finds himself in charge of an Ethiopian baby when the mother of the latter suddenly disappears.
Nadine Labaki poses as she arrives on 19 May 2018 for the closing ceremony and screening of the film "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote," at the 71st edition of the Cannes Film Festival (AFP)
Contrary to her past work, there is nearly no shred of hope in here: Capharnaum is like a punch in the stomach. It is gritty, violent and unbearably cruel at times, uncompromising and unflinching in the glaring reality most Lebanese choose to turn a blind eye to. Labaki's empathy and palpable humanism save the film from descending into the kind of poverty porn featured in Kazakh director Sergey Dvortsevoy's film Ayka, which won best actress for the performance of Samal Yeslyamova.
The impressive production values and immediacy of the topic at hand could have elevated Capharnaum to the fore of Lebanon's greatest films, if it weren't for two grave misgivings: an overly sentimental and artificial framing device in which the boy sues his irresponsible parents for bringing him to life, and the local police's abrupt heroic intervention by the end of the film. Still, that doesn't take away from the skill and ambition on display. Labaki should be lauded for placing a real Syrian street child and an Ethiopian worker at the centre of her film.
Syrian actor Zain al-Rafeea poses with the trophy after Lebanese director and actor Nadine Labaki won the Jury Prize for the film "Capharnaum," at the Cannes Film Festival (AFP)
Of 21 films competing in the official competition, only three were directed by women, including Labaki's Capharnaum. Ahead of the premiere of French filmmaker Eva Husson's Girls of the Sun, jury president Cate Blanchett led a silent protest of 82 women on the red carpet, highlighting the lack of female filmmakers selected for the festival's prestigious Palme D'or competition. Only 82 films directed by women competed in the main competition in the festival's 71-year history, as opposed to 1,645 directed by men.
The Turkish master
Far less sentimental and more cerebral in approach was former Turkish Palme d'Or winner, Nuri Bilge Ceylan's The Wild Pear Tree, which went home empty-handed despite rapturous reviews.
A three-hour intimate epic about a young aspiring novelist returning to his rural village after graduation to face a future riddled with uncertainty, Ceylan's latest doubles as both a Chekhovian family drama and a covert commentary of President Recep Tayyib Erdogan's Turkey. It's far more talkative than his earlier slow, meditative films, with dialogue taking centre stage instead of sweeping visuals.
A scene from the film "The Wild Pear Tree," by Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Photo courtesy of Cannes Film Festival)
The Wild Pear Tree is the Turkish master's funniest film to date. It's also his most political, tackling with delicacy the growing influence of religion and generational conflict.
Ceylan – the last Middle Eastern filmmaker to win the Palme d'Or in 2014 for his film Winter Sleep - is seen as an established auteur of world cinema whose films are not bound by borders or politics.
Female independence
Less ambitious if equally poignant and shrewd is Iranian Jafar Panahi's Three Faces, his fourth film made since he was banned from directing in 2010. The film's co-writers Nader Saeivar and Panahi shared a prize for best screenplay with Italian writer-director Alice Rohrwacher's Happy as Lazzaro.
The film directed by Panahi is about a video of a young acting student committing suicide after her idol, famous Iranian actor Behnaz Jafari (playing herself), casually ignores her plea for help. This sets Panahi (also playing himself) and Jafari on a road trip, in a nod to the late Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami, to verify the truth behind this story.
For the larger part of the film, a galaxy of dense, controlling male characters surface, and for the first hourThree Faces feels as though it is another familiar stab at the Persian patriarchy. But then a third story of pre-revolution star Shahrazade is introduced and the film suddenly transforms into a perceptive study of artistic autonomy and female independence.
The reclusive Shahrazade, who never appears on screen, becomes a silent symbol of resistance, a mythical figure who fought and succeeded in living by her own rules in a place where individuality is difficult to attain.
Iranian film director Jafar Panahi smiles following his release on bail, at his home in Tehran on 25 May 2010 (Reuters)
Three Faces may not be as refined or intellectually probing as This is Not a Film (2011), or not as blithe and carefree as Taxi (2015), but its charm and emotional generosity make it another worthy addition to the cannon of one of Iran's greatest living filmmakers.
A somber chronicle
Working with more traditional tropes is Tunisian Mohamed Ben Attia with his sophomore effort, Weldi (Dear Son), which bowed into the Directors' Fortnight section. Weldi is a somber chronicle of a family struggling to accept their son's joining of the Islamic State (IS) militant group.
Ben Attia hints at economic disappointments in the post-Jasmine revolution partly responsible for making Tunisia one of the biggest exporters of IS fighters, according to some estimates.
But he refrains from spelling out the son's motivations, or delving into the general social causes. Taking a leaf from French director Jacques Becker, Ben Attia relies on glances, body movement, and softly-spoken dialogue delivered skilfully by his leading actors. However, one hopes he will take on more original subjects in the future.
The Syrian Belle de jour
Far less successful were the two Un Certain Regard debut features by Syrian Gaya Jiji and Moroccan Meryem Benm'Barek. Set on the eve of the Syrian War, Jiji's My Favorite Fabric, starring Manal Issa, is a quasi-provocative account of a sexually frustrated young woman who finds an outlet for her fantasies and desires in her neighbour's brothel.
Dubbed the Syrian Belle de jour, My Favorite Fabric lacks both the bite and daring sexual politics of Luis Buñuel's 1967 thematically-similar surrealist masterpiece. There are some sporadic engrossing visual flourishes that distract from the thinness of the content, and the director's feminist take on sexual liberation is essential to our time.
A scene from the film "My Favorite Fabric," by Syrian director Gaya Jiji (Photo courtesy of Cannes Film Festival)
Ultimately though, My Favorite Fabric is a film with a confused vision: a disjointed and, at times, inane affair that frequently descends into parody. Jiji paints sex in a dangerous and perverse light. It is an outdated and dull approach. The war backdrop, meanwhile, is utterly pointless, adding nothing to the course of the drama.
Benm'Barek's Sofia, on the other hand, is more coherent, yet it is more stale and far less accomplished visually. It is a film about the titular daughter of an upper-class family who gives birth to a baby out of wedlock to an unidentified father.
Benm'Barek's mystery-laden story is refreshing in refusing to solely place blame on the girl, churning out of this predicament a tapestry of class disparity and moral ambiguity in a patriarchal society rife with hypocrisy and deceit. Putting the dynamics of the story aside, there is nothing remotely new in Benm'Barek's routine themes that have been central to North African cinema for the past 30 years. Hampered by hammy performances and dialogue culled from Egyptian soap operas, Sofia feels redundant and reductive.
'Islam holds the world politically'
The 2018 edition of the Cannes Film Festival gave space for different narratives and visions to shine. Yet the one film that presented the most revolutionary ideas about the Middle East and the Arab World specifically was non-Middle Eastern. At the age of 87, Jean-Luc Godard is still creating some of the most envelope-pushing cinema there is.
In Le livre d'image (The Image Book), which won a special Palme d'Or award, the legendary French-Swiss filmmaker has crafted a typically elusive, contemplative and wistful memento mori to cinema. The essay film is comprised almost entirely of footage ranging from landmark Western classics such as Nicholas Ray's Johnny Guitar and Jean Cocteau's Testament of Orpheus, to snippets of IS videos and football games. The first half is almost entirely framed from a white Western perspective, nonetheless, which has informed the global understanding and perception of cinema in the past century.
Iranian filmmaker Mitra Farahani (L) receives the Special Palme d'Or for the film "Le Livre d'Image" (The Image Book), on behalf of French-Swiss director Jean-Luc Godard (AFP)
Godard takes an unexpected turn in the second half, and in a series of jolting sequences, a barrage of carefully edited images from the Arab cinema playbook: from Egypt, Youssef Chahine's Bab al-Hadid (Cairo Station, 1958), Jamila al-Jaza'iriyya ( Jamila, the Algerian, 1958) and Heya Fawda (This is Chaos, 2007); and from Tunisia, Nacer Khemir's Wanderers of the Desert and Férid Boughedir's Halfaouine are introduced and contrasted by the stereotypical representation of Arabs found in the likes of Italian Pier Paolo Pasolini's 1974-Moroccan shot, Arabian Nights.
"Islam holds the world politically," Godard says at one point, "yet the Arab world is still being seen as one country."
The last chapter of The Image Book transpires as a deconstruction not only of the Arab narrative imparted by the West since the invention of cinema, but of the occidental control of cinema history. Arab cinema has always been ignored by Western historians and academics. The images introduced by Godard in here are unknown to most Western critics who waxed poetic about the film.
The Image Book is not only a plea to reframe cinema history and reclaim the Arab narrative, it's a confrontational look at the prejudices and ignorance of Western culture. We can't have a future if we don't know our past, and as indicated by Godard, the future is in the Arab world.
Cannes 2018: The year Middle Eastern cinema made its mark
Tale of the underdog: The Egyptian debut that is shaking up Cannes 2018
Dissident Iranian director wins prize at Cannes Film Festival


text:
The trouble with agriculture and how to fix it
By Alice Muller in Blog on April 22, 2013
Boab tree and crops in Burkina Faso
By Rob Finlayson
Treeless fields of wheat haven't always been the common image of agriculture. For most of human history, agriculture took place amidst trees. It's time to put the trees back, say Meine van Noordwijk, Dennis Garrity and Delia Catacutan
The trouble started when a tree-less, tillage-addicted form of agriculture became the norm and the image worldwide as what agriculture is, and should be, and was extended to parts of the world with less benign climates than where it originated.
Long before this concept took hold, agricultural practices in many parts of the world included the retention of valuable trees in cropped fields. This kind of agriculture employed only superficial soil tillage, usually in combination with a controlled fire that cleared the land but did not kill the larger trees.
In temperate zones with relatively mild climates, however, a different approach to growing crops emerged—'non-conservation agriculture without trees'—which was successful because it was readily expanded: horse-drawn ploughs replaced human tillage then tractors replaced horses, drawing on much more horsepower to drag ever-deeper ploughs through soils that responded by mineralizing a substantial part of their organic matter, thereby providing nutrients for the crops.
This yield benefit, however, was not sustainable because it depleted the resource base: chemical fertilizer had to become the basis of plant nutrition. Because excessive tillage had killed many of the worms and other minute soil engineers, it became 'necessary' to create a structure compatible with crop roots.
By the mid-1970s, it had become clear that the 'green revolution' approach of intensifying crop production in the manner described above had worked well in some (particularly irrigated) environments, but not elsewhere.
A parallel approach to large-scale forestry had success in some limited areas but it ran into major social conflicts and issues over land rights elsewhere.
Out of this polarisation, a new—but also very old—concept emerged: 'agroforestry', which was most simply described as 'agriculture with trees'.
However, the idea that crops and trees were compatible was dangerously revolutionary for academically trained agronomists and at the same time their colleagues, the trained foresters, had a hard time in seeing local people as partners, not as their major problem.
Yet in many parts of the tropics, the compatibility of crops and trees and people and forests appeared to be self-evident, if only one opened one's eyes. Trees and crops, farmers and forests could work together.
And so the advances of agroforestry in understanding the biophysical, ecological, social and economic aspects of tree–soil–crop interactions were slow to be accepted in the world of 'development' and 'modernization'.
But after some time and much work, new forms of agroforestry, compatible with mechanization and focussed on trees of high value, finally emerged in Europe, North America and Australia, which challenged the rules and regulations that had been formed around the concept of segregating trees and crops.
Agroforestry and its close relative, 'conservation agriculture with trees', has demonstrated the ability to adapt crop productivity to climate variability and change, and provide greater yield buffering under increasing temperatures and more frequent and severe droughts.
Depending upon which woody species are used, and how they are managed, their incorporation into crop fields and agricultural landscapes can contribute to maintaining vegetative soil cover year-round; bolstering nutrient supply through nitrogen fixation and nutrient cycling; enhancing suppression of insect pests and weeds; improving soil structure and water infiltration; increasing direct production of food, fuel, fibre and income from products from the intercropped trees; enhancing carbon storage, both above- and belowground; increasing quantities of organic matter in soil surface residues; and more effectively conserving above- and belowground biodiversity.
There are still many critical research issues to be explored. These include the choice of appropriate tree species for varied agroecologies, higher quality tree germplasm, better tree seed dissemination systems, and further improvements in tree propagation and establishment methods. The optimum tree densities for different systems have yet to be fully understood, and the best practices in exploiting the soil fertility synergies between organic and inorganic nutrient sources need to be elucidated.
Integrated systems pose a pioneering research agenda with enormous implications for so-called 'climate smart' agriculture.
The World Agroforestry Centre is working on this ecologically sustainable agriculture with a number of key partners from national research institutes, universities and NGOs in projects across the developing world so that we can all enjoy the fruits of trees in agricultural landscapes for a long time to come.
Edited by Robert Finlayson
Read the chapter
Van Noordwijk M, Garrity DP, Catacutan D. 2012. Conservation agriculture with trees: a form of agroforestry: an institutional perspective. In: Hauswirth D, Pham TS, Nicetic O, Tivet F, Le Quoc D, van de Fliert E, Kirchhof G, Boulakia S, Chabierski S, Husson O, Chabanne A, Boyer J, Autfray P, Lienhard P, Legoupil J, Stevens ML, eds. Third International Conference on Conservation Agriculture in Southeast Asia. 10–15 December 2012, Hanoi, Viet Nam. Montpellier, France: Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement; Phu Tho, Viet Nam: Northern Mountainous Agricultural and Forestry Science Institute; Brisbane, Australia: University of Queensland
Land degradation and deforestation
EverGreen Agriculture network launched
By admin in News on April 19, 2013
By Godfrey Chisusu for Transformations Bi-weekly Vol 6 Issue 7
The "Building a Large EverGreen Agriculture Network in Southern Africa" (BLEANSA) project was officially launched in Salima, Malawi on 5 April 2013 in a ceremony graced by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Hon. Jermoth Ulemu Chilapondwa, MP.
Funded by the Flemish Government and dedicated to promoting agroforestry and exploiting its potential, this initiative will focus on creating a network of organizations and innovation platforms to coordinate research and development in agroforestry. It will also review experiences gained from past research to refine and optimize evergreen agriculture. The initiative will also distil experiences into policy recommendations, and share these widely to encourage policy makers to develop policies which facilitate the widescale promotion and adoption of evergreen agriculture.
In his keynote address, Hon. Chilapondwa, mentioned that building strong networks targeting famers especially in the dry zones, requires innovations that can increase agricultural production and at the same time ensure sustainability in the face of climate change. This is the key to meeting the food needs of countries in sub-Saharan Africa, he said. "The Government of Flanders has been expanding its development assistance programmes in the region to improve livelihoods by supporting sustainable food production. It has, for example, supported tree seed production by smallholder farmers in the districts of Angonia and Tsangano in Mozambique and Kasungu and Mzimba in Malawi to meet the increasing demand for agroforestry tree seed," noted Hon. Chilapondwa.
Prof. Temu, ICRAF's Deputy Director General – Regions, Partnerships and Impact, encouraged partners to focus on transforming agriculture to evergreen agriculture. He noted that the demand for new agricultural land, fuelled by population growth and demand for food, fodder and timber, will continue over the next decades. ICRAF will continue to apply its research findings to stimulate agricultural and forest growth, raise farmers' incomes and protect the environment, he said.
Participants at the launch were drawn from Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia, South Africa and the host, Malawi.
Biodiversity/ Environmental Services
VIEWPOINT: Land and Forest Should Ride A Tandem
There is widespread agreement that sustainable forest management on a global scale is not achievable without halting land degradation. But this view is not shared by the rationale and focus of the tools and mechanisms designed during the past decade to promote and incentivize sustainable forest management.
As if to prove the point, the global coalition of the willing has been putting its money and effort into saying "Yes we can achieve sustainable forest management on a global scale without halting land degradation."


These are tips Joe Hockey forgot to mention.
Last Tuesday, our fearless Treasurer, Joe Hockey, shared some wise words with us regarding rising housing prices.
Many Austraiians found his remark "insensitive" and "out of touch".
But let's be real, guys. Hockey wasn't totally wrong. He was just incomplete.
So here are 5 alternative ways to get into the first home buyer's club.
CONS: Just like real estate investment, you're in this for the long term. So get ready to channel your inner Shawshank.
PROS: Dat Money! Worst case, you co-own a mansion or are bequeathed a property in your own name.
3. Live at home forever.
PROS: That house will one day be yours. Mark my words.
CONS: Putting up with nagging disappointed parents. Also doesn't work if your parents aren't homeowners.
4. Injure yourself somewhere fancy and sue for damages.
PROS: The more famous the defendant, the more they will do to make this go away. Including give you all the money to buy your own house.
CONS: You might actually have to hurt yourself physically for this to work.
PROS: They have a city called Sydney, too! And their market is significantly cheaper than ours.
CONS: Their housing market is post bubble burst so you'll be around a bunch of sad Canadians which is never fun. Also, you'll have to import your own vegemite.


The good news is we know that it does work. One of the major benefits of foam rolling is that it increases the body's range of motion and flexibility without reducing muscle strength and performance. The same cannot be said for static stretching, which has been shown to increase flexibility but with a resulting decrease in muscular strength, thus impeding the body's ability to perform at its best (you may have heard people say that you shouldn't stretch before a game or sporting activity, and this is why!). So foam rolling before you work-out, or before a big game is definitely a better alternative to static stretching. There is also evidence to show that foam rolling can decrease post-exercise fatigue perhaps allowing longer work-outs and therefore increasing strength gains, while at the same time reducing dreaded delayed onset muscle soreness (or DOMS for short).
What DO we know about how it works?
If you are anything like me though, just knowing that it works isn't quite enough. I want to know HOW it works so that I can better educate my patients, and understand my own body a little better. There are many different thoughts on this issue, with strong believers for each explanation. I'll share the gist of some of them, and talk a bit about the explanations I like best.
The average person believes, as well as some professionals, that foam rolling effectively increases the length of our fascia (in short, fascia is the connective tissue that encases our muscles and forms a solid, connected network throughout the body). But our fascia isn't weak, super pliable stuff: it's tough. So is it really possible to make permanent change to the structure of fascia just by rolling on your foam roller? Think about it, if this were true, every time you sat on a hard surface your fascia would deform. In fact, studies show that the amount of force required to produce lasting changes in fascial structure is well outside of what humans are capable of producing. So when you are foam rolling your IT band (a giant band of fascia), no, you are not increasing its length.
There is however some evidence that shows that pressure applied to the mechanoreceptors (receptors that detect pressure and distortion) in fascia can cause a change in tone, or some amount of relaxation of the muscles connected to the fascia. This could explain the relaxation felt by the pressure of foam rolling.
Another common explanation for the effectiveness of foam rolling, is that it breaks up adhesions in the fascia. These adhesions form between fascia and the muscles connected to the fascia preventing smooth gliding between muscle groups, thus causing decreased range of motion. This theory is definitely plausible, although there are still a lot of unanswered questions here. First, it is unknown if these adhesions are thin enough to be broken up with the force of foam rolling in the first place. Foam rolling also allows only direct, non-specific, blunt force, rather than force from an oblique angle which logically would help increase sliding. Further, one bout of foam rolling isn't a cure. If the adhesions are being broken up, why do you have to keep foam rolling, multiple times per day? So maybe there is something to this, but there isn't enough research yet to know.
Ok so we haven't come to any definitive answers yet, but there are two theories that I like. The first explains the post-exercise effects, and simply implies that foam rolling reduces stiffness in arteries and improves blood flow. DOMS typically presents as pain and discomfort a day or two after exercising, and is caused by the breakdown of muscle structure from heavy loading. By increasing blood flow, the body helps repair damaged muscle quicker by removing blood lactate, increasing oxygen delivered to the area, and reducing swelling, thus reducing DOMS. Foam rolling may work to increase blood flow in several different ways. First, by putting pressure on an area for a short amount of time, you are actually compressing the blood vessels. The body responds by increasing chemicals that cause dilation of the blood vessels. When the compression stimulus (foam roller) is removed, the circulating vasodilators continue to cause increased blood flow. The blood vessels themselves also become more elastic, although the mechanism behind this is not clear.
The other explanation I really like that isn't often talked about, is the ability for foam rolling to reduce the "volume" on nociception (the body's signal for danger that results in pain) in the nervous system. This concept is complicated and warrants a whole blog in itself, so here is a brief explanation of what I mean. When you encounter something that your brain feels is dangerous (i.e. you step on a nail), a signal is sent via your nervous system for the body to start feeling pain. This pain signal can be blocked, or reduced, explained by the Gate Theory. Essentially, the signal will only get to your brain if this nervous system "gate" is open. The "gate" can be closed by the introduction of another stimulus. This is why, for example, if you get hurt and you vigorously rub the area, you actually feel less pain: the rubbing stimulus has overpowered the pain stimulus and closed the gate. Foam rolling makes you feel "good pain" meaning endorphins are likely released, and the real pain you felt from your sore muscles is temporarily blocked. This in turn allows your body to move more, meaning your functionality is increased after rolling, and performance may be improved. Many people feel like foam rolling actually lets their whole body move more freely, not just in the spot they rolled, which supports the notion that the rolling stimulus has blocked pain from other areas of the body as well. This is also one of the methods by which massage and acupuncture work to help ease pain.
So the answer to HOW does foam rolling work? Well, let's just say it's unclear. But there is a reason you see those little rollers everywhere: they work! So no matter your beliefs or understanding of the subject, find out how foam rolling may be able to help you.
Chaudhry, H., Schleip, R., Ji, Z., Bukiet, B., Maney, M., & Findley, T. (2008). Three-dimensional mathematical model for deformation of human fasciae in manual therapy. The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, 108(8), 379-390.
Want to find out if foam rolling is something you should be trying? Reactivate Physiotherapist (Resident) Carly Litchfield would be happy to talk with you.


An online home for a LGBTI funders supporting the Global South and East.
Until a recently, the online home of GPP was housed on the Astraea Lesbian Foundation website. Growth and forecasting led the GPP team to seek their own website, and Haki Creatives was solicited to submit a proposal for this work. After acceptance, we embarked on a tedious journey of helping the GPP team understand their brand and calibrate their mission and content to properly reflect their expansion. We were also asked to design a site that would be pleasing and accessible to persons with disabilities. The result is a bright, airy, and beautiful website reflecting the scope and energy of GPP's members.


Plot Oscar puts up a "PELIGRO" sign.
Big Bird tries to learn the parts of the body in Spanish from Maria.
Oscar doesn't care about the word peligro – until he sets off an explosion inside his trash can, and ends up stuck at the top of a tree.
Film: The letter T is a very useful letter.
This episode's plot is repeated in Episode 0978.


text:
Rated 88% by over 151,414 customers
Highly Rated Our customers rate us 4.3/5 based on the independent review site
Over 1 million prices checked daily
Great Deals We're dedicated to saving you money. We check over 1 million prices every day to ensure to ensure we get you a great deal!
Trusted by over 2.5 million customers
Find the best ferry deals
If you have any issues with booking online, please call customer services on (+44) 3333 000 128
Prices can rise for your Piraeus - Tilos trip as departure time approaches
Tip: Don't wait until it's too late! Book now to secure the best price
Ferries from 3180 routes and 750 ports worldwide
We arrange over 1.2 million ferry crossings / year
We check up to 1 million prices for our customers daily
Up to 2 sailings a week
Crossings from 14 hours 30 minutes
Onboard the ferries
Find out what it's like onboard the ferries before you travel.
Ship guides, videos & reviews
Piraeus to Tilos Ferry
The Piraeus Tilos ferry route connects Athens with Dodecanese Islands. Currently there is just the 1 ferry company operating this ferry service, Blue Star Ferries. The crossing operates up to 2 times each week with sailing durations from around 14 hours 30 minutes.
Piraeus Tilos sailing durations and frequency may vary from season to season so we'd advise doing a live check to get the most up to date information.
Piraeus - Tilos Ferry Operators
2 Sailings Weekly 14 hr 30 min
Average Piraeus Tilos Prices
Prices shown represent the average one way price paid by our customers. The most common booking on the Piraeus Tilos route is a car and 1 passenger.
Piraeus Guide
The port city of Piraeus in Greece lies on the Saronic Gulf in the Attica region of the country and forms part of the Athens urban area, with the centre of Athens located some 12 km from the port. The centre of Piraeus is generally congested with traffic and tends not to be place where tourists would go. The area has many of the facilities you would expect of a non-tourist town: banks, public buildings, pedestrian areas, shopping streets and the like. The area around Zea Marina and Mikrolimano Harbour are perhaps the most attractive part of Piraeus and have a good selection of restaurants, cafes and bars.
Piraeus is Greece's main port and the largest in Europe and the third largest in the world. Unsurprisingly, it is the hub of Greece's maritime industries and the base for its merchant navy. Having recently undergone a refurbishment, facilities at the port have improved and include ATM's, bureau de change, restaurants, cafes, bars and a number of travel agencies selling ferry tickets. destinations served by the port include the island of Crete, the Cyclades Islands, the Dodecanese Islands, the eastern parts of Greece and parts of the northern and eastern Aegean Sea.
Tilos Guide
The Greek island of Tilos is one of the Dodecanese group of islands and lies in the Aegean Sea. Unlike some of its neighbours, Tilos is a quiet island with few residents which as a result has managed to retain its original Greek atmosphere and charm. Those that do live on the island largely live off fishing, some agriculture and the little tourism that does exist. A popular site on the island is the beautiful but abandoned 15th century monastery of Agios Panteleimon, which contains some interesting icons. Also of interest is the Castle of the Knights, where the Knights of St. John were based in the 15th century. Also on the island are a number of other churches including perhaps the best known Church of the Archangel Michael which is in Megalo Chorio. Other popular sites on the island are the Park of Tilos, with its many species of flora and fauna, and the Cave of Charkadio where visitors can see the remains of the dwarf elephants that lived on the island some 45,000 years ago. The fossilised bones where first discovered in the 1970's.
Location: Tilos, Piraeus to Tilos Ferry


text:
Your best insurance
Telefonica Insurance UK branch is a non life Insurance company that belongs to Telefónica Seguros y Reaseguros Compañía Aseguradora, S. A. U., domiciled in Spain with branches also in Spain, and Germany.
Mobile insurance
Tablet insurance
Choose fuss-free cover for your tablet
We are a Company with a Global vocation
Telefónica Seguros y Reaseguros Compañía Aseguradora, S. A. U. is a non-life insurance company created in Luxembourg on December 2004 under the name Altaïr Assurances S.A. currently domicilied in Spain.
Telefónica Seguros y Reaseguros Compañía Aseguradora, S. A. U. belongs to Telefónica Group, and has an international presence thanks to its Telefonica Insurance branches in UK and Germany (operate in Free Provision of Services).
Telefónica Seguros y Reaseguros Compañía Aseguradora, S. A. U. operates in the United Kingdom through its Telefonica Insurance branch located at, 260 Bath Road, Slough, Berkshire, SL1 4DX, registered in UK No. FC029774, Telefonica Insurance UK Branch
UK Branch is authorised by Dirección General de Seguros y Fondos de Pensiones in Spain and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for the conduct of UK business. Deemed authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Subject to regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and limited regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Details of the Temporary Permissions Regime, which allows EEA-based firms to operate in the UK for a limited period while seeking full authorisation, are available on the Financial Conduct Authority's website.
Telefónica Seguros y Reaseguros Compañía Aseguradora, S. A. U. and its UK Branch, offers insurance policies specially designed for O2 Telefónica Group clients.
Telefónica Seguros y Reaseguros Compañía Aseguradora, S. A. U. participates in Telefónica Group Risk Management, underwriting insurance policies to cover Group subsidiaries domiciled in the European Union.
To make a claim
© Telefónica Seguros y Reaseguros Compañía Aseguradora, S. A. U.
When you visit a website, app or any other site, this can store or retrieve information in your browser, mainly in the form of cookies. This information may be related to you, your preferences or your device and is used primarily to make the site work as expected. The information generally does not identify you directly, but it can provide a more personalized experience. As we respect your privacy, you can choose to exclude some types of cookies. You can click on the different category headings to get more information and change our default settings. However, if you block some types of cookies, your experience of using the site may be affected and also the services we can offer you.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE COOKIES WE USE.
With the slider, you can enable or disable the different types of cookies:
Which enables?
Required: Remember your cookie permission settings
Necessary: Allow session cookies
Required: Collect the information you enter in a newsletter contact form and other forms on all pages
What does it not allow to?
Technique: Remember social media settings
Technique: Remember the selected country and region
Analysis: Keep track of the pages visited and the interaction on them
Analysis: Track location and region based on IP address
Analysis: Keep track of time spent on each page
Analysis: Increase the quality of data from statistical functions
Analysis: Keep track of the time spent on each page
Advertising: Tailor information and advertising to your interests based on, for example, the content you have visited before. (We currently do not use targeting or targeting cookies)
Advertising: Collect personally identifiable information such as name and location
WE DO NOT COLLECT INFORMATION FROM / FOR ADVERTISING
Solvency Financial Condition Report
Telefonica Seguros uses its own and third party cookies to manage the portal, collect information on the use of the portal and to analyse and improve our services. You can click on "Accept and continue" to allow the use of cookies or on "Cookie settings" to select which type of cookies you wish to accept or reject. More information is available in our Cookie Policy.


text:
using System;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Globalization;
using System.Linq;
using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Markup;
using System.Windows.Media;
using System.Xml;
using System.Xml.Serialization;

namespace SharpLib.Docking
{
    [ContentProperty("Content")]
    [Serializable]
    public abstract class LayoutContent : LayoutElement, IXmlSerializable, ILayoutElementForFloatingWindow, IComparable<LayoutContent>, ILayoutPreviousContainer
    {
        #region Поля

        public static readonly DependencyProperty TitleProperty;

        private bool _canClose;

        private bool _canFloat;

        [NonSerialized]
        private object _content;

        private string _contentId;

        private double _floatingHeight;

        private double _floatingLeft;

        private double _floatingTop;

        private double _floatingWidth;

        private ImageSource _iconSource;

        [field: NonSerialized]
        private bool _isActive;

        private bool _isLastFocusedDocument;

        private bool _isMaximized;

        private bool _isSelected;

        private DateTime? _lastActivationTimeStamp;

        [field: NonSerialized]
        private ILayoutContainer _previousContainer;

        [field: NonSerialized]
        private int _previousContainerIndex;

        private object _toolTip;

        #endregion

        #region Свойства

        public string Title
        {
            get { return (string)GetValue(TitleProperty); }
            set { SetValue(TitleProperty, value); }
        }

        [XmlIgnore]
        public object Content
        {
            get { return _content; }
            set
            {
                if (_content != value)
                {
                    RaisePropertyChanging("Content");
                    _content = value;
                    RaisePropertyChanged("Content");
                }
            }
        }

        public string ContentId
        {
            get
            {
                if (_contentId == null)
                {
                    var contentAsControl = _content as FrameworkElement;
                    if (contentAsControl != null && !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(contentAsControl.Name))
                    {
                        return contentAsControl.Name;
                    }
                }
                return _contentId;
            }
            set
            {
                if (_contentId != value)
                {
                    _contentId = value;
                    RaisePropertyChanged("ContentId");
                }
            }
        }

        public bool IsSelected
        {
            get { return _isSelected; }
            set
            {
                if (_isSelected != value)
                {
                    bool oldValue = _isSelected;
                    RaisePropertyChanging("IsSelected");
                    _isSelected = value;
                    var parentSelector = (Parent as ILayoutContentSelector);
                    if (parentSelector != null)
                    {
                        parentSelector.SelectedContentIndex = _isSelected ? parentSelector.IndexOf(this) : -1;
                    }
                    OnIsSelectedChanged(oldValue, value);
                    RaisePropertyChanged("IsSelected");
                }
            }
        }

        [XmlIgnore]
        public bool IsActive
        {
            get { return _isActive; }
            set
            {
                if (_isActive != value)
                {
                    RaisePropertyChanging("IsActive");
                    bool oldValue = _isActive;

                    _isActive = value;

                    var root = Root;
                    if (root != null && _isActive)
                    {
                        root.ActiveContent = this;
                    }

                    if (_isActive)
                    {
                        IsSelected = true;
                    }

                    OnIsActiveChanged(oldValue, value);
                    RaisePropertyChanged("IsActive");
                }
            }
        }

        public bool IsLastFocusedDocument
        {
            get { return _isLastFocusedDocument; }
            internal set
            {
                if (_isLastFocusedDocument != value)
                {
                    RaisePropertyChanging("IsLastFocusedDocument");
                    _isLastFocusedDocument = value;
                    RaisePropertyChanged("IsLastFocusedDocument");
                }
            }
        }

        [XmlIgnore]
        ILayoutContainer ILayoutPreviousContainer.PreviousContainer
        {
            get { return _previousContainer; }
            set
            {
                if (_previousContainer != value)
                {
                    _previousContainer = value;
                    RaisePropertyChanged("PreviousContainer");

                    var paneSerializable = _previousContainer as ILayoutPaneSerializable;
                    if (paneSerializable != null &&
                        paneSerializable.Id == null)
                    {
                        paneSerializable.Id = Guid.NewGuid().ToString();
                    }
                }
            }
        }

        protected ILayoutContainer PreviousContainer
        {
            get { return ((ILayoutPreviousContainer)this).PreviousContainer; }
            set { ((ILayoutPreviousContainer)this).PreviousContainer = value; }
        }

        [XmlIgnore]
        string ILayoutPreviousContainer.PreviousContainerId { get; set; }

        protected string PreviousContainerId
        {
            get { return ((ILayoutPreviousContainer)this).PreviousContainerId; }
            set { ((ILayoutPreviousContainer)this).PreviousContainerId = value; }
        }

        [XmlIgnore]
        public int PreviousContainerIndex
        {
            get { return _previousContainerIndex; }
            set
            {
                if (_previousContainerIndex != value)
                {
                    _previousContainerIndex = value;
                    RaisePropertyChanged("PreviousContainerIndex");
                }
            }
        }

        public DateTime? LastActivationTimeStamp
        {
            get { return _lastActivationTimeStamp; }
            set
            {
                if (_lastActivationTimeStamp != value)
                {
                    _lastActivationTimeStamp = value;
                    RaisePropertyChanged("LastActivationTimeStamp");
                }
            }
        }

        public double FloatingWidth
        {
            get { return _floatingWidth; }
            set
            {
                if (_floatingWidth.NotEqualEx(value))
                {
                    RaisePropertyChanging("FloatingWidth");
                    _floatingWidth = value;
                    RaisePropertyChanged("FloatingWidth");
                }
            }
        }

        public double FloatingHeight
        {
            get { return _floatingHeight; }
            set
            {
                if (_floatingHeight.NotEqualEx(value))
                {
                    RaisePropertyChanging("FloatingHeight");
                    _floatingHeight = value;
                    RaisePropertyChanged("FloatingHeight");
                }
            }
        }

        public double FloatingLeft
        {
            get { return _floatingLeft; }
            set
            {
                if (_floatingLeft.NotEqualEx(value))
                {
                    RaisePropertyChanging("FloatingLeft");
                    _floatingLeft = value;
                    RaisePropertyChanged("FloatingLeft");
                }
            }
        }

        public double FloatingTop
        {
            get { return _floatingTop; }
            set
            {
                if (_floatingTop.NotEqualEx(value))
                {
                    RaisePropertyChanging("FloatingTop");
                    _floatingTop = value;
                    RaisePropertyChanged("FloatingTop");
                }
            }
        }

        public bool IsMaximized
        {
            get { return _isMaximized; }
            set
            {
                if (_isMaximized != value)
                {
                    RaisePropertyChanging("IsMaximized");
                    _isMaximized = value;
                    RaisePropertyChanged("IsMaximized");
                }
            }
        }

        public object ToolTip
        {
            get { return _toolTip; }
            set
            {
                if (_toolTip != value)
                {
                    _toolTip = value;
                    RaisePropertyChanged("ToolTip");
                }
            }
        }

        public bool IsFloating
        {
            get { return this.FindParent<LayoutFloatingWindow>() != null; }
        }

        public ImageSource IconSource
        {
            get { return _iconSource; }
            set
            {
                if (!Equals(_iconSource, value))
                {
                    _iconSource = value;
                    RaisePropertyChanged("IconSource");
                }
            }
        }

        public bool CanClose
        {
            get { return _canClose; }
            set
            {
                if (_canClose != value)
                {
                    _canClose = value;
                    RaisePropertyChanged("CanClose");
                }
            }
        }

        public bool CanFloat
        {
            get { return _canFloat; }
            set
            {
                if (_canFloat != value)
                {
                    _canFloat = value;
                    RaisePropertyChanged("CanFloat");
                }
            }
        }

        #endregion

        #region События

        public event EventHandler Closed;

        public event EventHandler<CancelEventArgs> Closing;

        public event EventHandler IsActiveChanged;

        public event EventHandler IsSelectedChanged;

        #endregion

        #region Конструктор

        static LayoutContent()
        {
            TitleProperty = DependencyProperty.Register("Title", typeof(string), typeof(LayoutContent), new UIPropertyMetadata(null, OnTitlePropertyChanged, CoerceTitleValue));
        }

        internal LayoutContent()
        {
            _previousContainerIndex = -1;
            _canFloat = true;
            _canClose = true;
        }

        #endregion

        #region Методы

        private static object CoerceTitleValue(DependencyObject obj, object value)
        {
            var lc = (LayoutContent)obj;
            if (((string)value) != lc.Title)
            {
                lc.RaisePropertyChanging(TitleProperty.Name);
            }
            return value;
        }

        private static void OnTitlePropertyChanged(DependencyObject obj, DependencyPropertyChangedEventArgs args)
        {
            ((LayoutContent)obj).RaisePropertyChanged(TitleProperty.Name);
        }

        protected virtual void OnIsSelectedChanged(bool oldValue, bool newValue)
        {
            if (IsSelectedChanged != null)
            {
                IsSelectedChanged(this, EventArgs.Empty);
            }
        }

        protected virtual void OnIsActiveChanged(bool oldValue, bool newValue)
        {
            if (newValue)
            {
                LastActivationTimeStamp = DateTime.Now;
            }

            if (IsActiveChanged != null)
            {
                IsActiveChanged(this, EventArgs.Empty);
            }
        }

        protected override void OnParentChanging(ILayoutContainer oldValue, ILayoutContainer newValue)
        {
            var root = Root;

            if (oldValue != null)
            {
                IsSelected = false;
            }

            base.OnParentChanging(oldValue, newValue);
        }

        protected override void OnParentChanged(ILayoutContainer oldValue, ILayoutContainer newValue)
        {
            if (IsSelected && Parent is ILayoutContentSelector)
            {
                var parentSelector = (Parent as ILayoutContentSelector);
                parentSelector.SelectedContentIndex = parentSelector.IndexOf(this);
            }

            base.OnParentChanged(oldValue, newValue);
        }

        internal bool TestCanClose()
        {
            var args = new CancelEventArgs();

            OnClosing(args);

            if (args.Cancel)
            {
                return false;
            }

            return true;
        }

        public void Close()
        {
            var root = Root;
            var parentAsContainer = Parent;
            parentAsContainer.RemoveChild(this);
            if (root != null)
            {
                root.CollectGarbage();
            }

            OnClosed();
        }

        protected virtual void OnClosed()
        {
            if (Closed != null)
            {
                Closed(this, EventArgs.Empty);
            }
        }

        protected virtual void OnClosing(CancelEventArgs args)
        {
            if (Closing != null)
            {
                Closing(this, args);
            }
        }

        public System.Xml.Schema.XmlSchema GetSchema()
        {
            return null;
        }

        public virtual void ReadXml(System.Xml.XmlReader reader)
        {
            if (reader.MoveToAttribute("Title"))
            {
                Title = reader.Value;
            }

            if (reader.MoveToAttribute("IsSelected"))
            {
                IsSelected = bool.Parse(reader.Value);
            }
            if (reader.MoveToAttribute("ContentId"))
            {
                ContentId = reader.Value;
            }
            if (reader.MoveToAttribute("IsLastFocusedDocument"))
            {
                IsLastFocusedDocument = bool.Parse(reader.Value);
            }
            if (reader.MoveToAttribute("PreviousContainerId"))
            {
                PreviousContainerId = reader.Value;
            }
            if (reader.MoveToAttribute("PreviousContainerIndex"))
            {
                PreviousContainerIndex = int.Parse(reader.Value);
            }

            if (reader.MoveToAttribute("FloatingLeft"))
            {
                FloatingLeft = double.Parse(reader.Value, CultureInfo.InvariantCulture);
            }
            if (reader.MoveToAttribute("FloatingTop"))
            {
                FloatingTop = double.Parse(reader.Value, CultureInfo.InvariantCulture);
            }
            if (reader.MoveToAttribute("FloatingWidth"))
            {
                FloatingWidth = double.Parse(reader.Value, CultureInfo.InvariantCulture);
            }
            if (reader.MoveToAttribute("FloatingHeight"))
            {
                FloatingHeight = double.Parse(reader.Value, CultureInfo.InvariantCulture);
            }
            if (reader.MoveToAttribute("IsMaximized"))
            {
                IsMaximized = bool.Parse(reader.Value);
            }
            if (reader.MoveToAttribute("CanClose"))
            {
                CanClose = bool.Parse(reader.Value);
            }
            if (reader.MoveToAttribute("CanFloat"))
            {
                CanFloat = bool.Parse(reader.Value);
            }

            if (reader.MoveToAttribute(XML_LAST_ACTIVATION_TIME_STAMP))
            {
                LastActivationTimeStamp = DateTime.ParseExact(reader.Value, "yyyy-MM-dd hh:mm:ss", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture);
            }

            reader.Read();
        }

        public virtual void WriteXml(System.Xml.XmlWriter writer)
        {
            if (Title.IsValid())
            {
                writer.WriteAttributeString("Title", Title);
            }

            if (IsSelected)
            {
                writer.WriteAttributeString("IsSelected", IsSelected.ToString());
            }

            if (IsLastFocusedDocument)
            {
                writer.WriteAttributeString("IsLastFocusedDocument", IsLastFocusedDocument.ToString());
            }

            if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(ContentId))
            {
                writer.WriteAttributeString("ContentId", ContentId);
            }

            if (ToolTip is string)
            {
                if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace((string)ToolTip))
                {
                    writer.WriteAttributeString("ToolTip", (string)ToolTip);
                }
            }

            if (FloatingLeft.NotZeroEx())
            {
                writer.WriteAttributeString("FloatingLeft", FloatingLeft.ToString(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture));
            }
            if (FloatingTop.NotZeroEx())
            {
                writer.WriteAttributeString("FloatingTop", FloatingTop.ToString(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture));
            }
            if (FloatingWidth.NotZeroEx())
            {
                writer.WriteAttributeString("FloatingWidth", FloatingWidth.ToString(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture));
            }
            if (FloatingHeight.NotZeroEx())
            {
                writer.WriteAttributeString("FloatingHeight", FloatingHeight.ToString(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture));
            }

            if (IsMaximized)
            {
                writer.WriteAttributeString("IsMaximized", IsMaximized.ToString());
            }
            if (!CanClose)
            {
                writer.WriteAttributeString("CanClose", CanClose.ToString());
            }
            if (!CanFloat)
            {
                writer.WriteAttributeString("CanFloat", CanFloat.ToString());
            }

            if (LastActivationTimeStamp != null)
            {
                writer.WriteAttributeString(XML_LAST_ACTIVATION_TIME_STAMP, LastActivationTimeStamp.Value.ToString("yyyy-MM-dd hh:mm:ss"));
            }

            if (_previousContainer != null)
            {
                var paneSerializable = _previousContainer as ILayoutPaneSerializable;
                if (paneSerializable != null)
                {
                    writer.WriteAttributeString("PreviousContainerId", paneSerializable.Id);
                    writer.WriteAttributeString("PreviousContainerIndex", _previousContainerIndex.ToString(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture));
                }
            }
        }

        public int CompareTo(LayoutContent other)
        {
            var contentAsComparable = Content as IComparable;
            if (contentAsComparable != null)
            {
                return contentAsComparable.CompareTo(other.Content);
            }

            return string.CompareOrdinal(Title, other.Title);
        }

        public void Float()
        {
            if (PreviousContainer != null &&
                PreviousContainer.FindParent<LayoutFloatingWindow>() != null)
            {
                var currentContainer = Parent as ILayoutPane;
                var layoutGroup = currentContainer as ILayoutGroup;
                if (layoutGroup != null)
                {
                    var currentContainerIndex = layoutGroup.IndexOfChild(this);
                    var previousContainerAsLayoutGroup = PreviousContainer as ILayoutGroup;

                    if (previousContainerAsLayoutGroup != null)
                    {
                        previousContainerAsLayoutGroup.InsertChildAt(
                            PreviousContainerIndex < previousContainerAsLayoutGroup.ChildrenCount ? PreviousContainerIndex : previousContainerAsLayoutGroup.ChildrenCount, this);
                    }

                    PreviousContainer = currentContainer;
                    PreviousContainerIndex = currentContainerIndex;
                }

                IsSelected = true;
                IsActive = true;

                Root.CollectGarbage();
            }
            else
            {
                Root.Manager.StartDraggingFloatingWindowForContent(this, false);

                IsSelected = true;
                IsActive = true;
            }
        }

        public void DockAsDocument()
        {
            var root = Root as LayoutRoot;
            if (root == null)
            {
                throw new InvalidOperationException();
            }
            if (Parent is LayoutDocumentPane)
            {
                return;
            }

            if (PreviousContainer is LayoutDocumentPane)
            {
                Dock();
                return;
            }

            LayoutDocumentPane newParentPane;
            if (root.LastFocusedDocument != null)
            {
                newParentPane = root.LastFocusedDocument.Parent as LayoutDocumentPane;
            }
            else
            {
                newParentPane = root.Descendents().OfType<LayoutDocumentPane>().FirstOrDefault();
            }

            if (newParentPane != null)
            {
                newParentPane.Children.Add(this);
                root.CollectGarbage();
            }

            IsSelected = true;
            IsActive = true;
        }

        public void Dock()
        {
            if (PreviousContainer != null)
            {
                var currentContainer = Parent;
                var currentContainerIndex = (currentContainer is ILayoutGroup) ? (currentContainer as ILayoutGroup).IndexOfChild(this) : -1;
                var previousContainerAsLayoutGroup = PreviousContainer as ILayoutGroup;

                if (previousContainerAsLayoutGroup != null)
                {
                    previousContainerAsLayoutGroup.InsertChildAt(
                        PreviousContainerIndex < previousContainerAsLayoutGroup.ChildrenCount ? PreviousContainerIndex : previousContainerAsLayoutGroup.ChildrenCount, this);
                }

                if (currentContainerIndex > -1)
                {
                    PreviousContainer = currentContainer;
                    PreviousContainerIndex = currentContainerIndex;
                }
                else
                {
                    PreviousContainer = null;
                    PreviousContainerIndex = 0;
                }

                IsSelected = true;
                IsActive = true;
            }
            else
            {
                InternalDock();
            }

            Root.CollectGarbage();
        }

        protected virtual void InternalDock()
        {
        }

        #endregion
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Disney to buy out Marvel Commics
(Media Study South Africa; c.f. Globe and Mail (Secular; Independent; Canadian): here quotes an Associated Press [AP] (Secular; Independent; American) Article 01 / 09 | September / 2009 ; Reuters (Secular; Independent; British / United Kingdom Based) Press release by Disney 31 / 08 | August / 2009; )
Editorial Notation by Marc Aupiais
Walt Disney Co., A.K.A. the "big bad wolf of mass produced plots" / "Corporate America" / "America's Culture's best friend" / "Micky Mouse & Co.": is buying out Marvel Entertainment Inc. (Marvel Comics).
The deal which will cost Disney about 4 Billion US Dollars, certainly has a method to the madness, of expensive buyouts. It will bring over 5 000 (Five Thousand) Characters into Disney's cache. Is that just under a million per character?
Disney's Hannah Montana, Jonas Brothers etc, have brought young females into theaters in droves, according to analyst David Joyce of Miller Tabak&Co, who Canada's Globe and Mail quotes. According to the Globe and Mail, it may be hoped that superheros like Iron Man, Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and X-Men will get young males into theaters, raising profits for Disney.
The buyout is occurring with the co-operation of both boards, meaning that Disney probably wont have to use its superpowers. It still requires the approval of anti-trust authorities, and Marvel stakeholders.
Disney itself has prepared for itself: a juicy menu, about its devouring of Marvel, that is: about what will happen with this buyout, which, being a press release: we will quote from Reuters' PRWIRE: (Beware the flashy language, and words like "unparralleled", they might dazzle you and me both:)
[p.s. we explain how this relates to our viewers, below their splashy release:]
""This transaction combines Marvel`s strong global brand and world-renowned library of characters including Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four and Thor with Disney`s creative skills, unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties, and a business structure that maximizes the value of creative properties across multiple platforms and territories," said Robert A. Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. "Ike Perlmutter and his team have done an impressive job of nurturing these properties and have created significant value. We are pleased to bring this talent and these great assets to Disney."
"We believe that adding Marvel to Disney`s unique portfolio of brands provides significant opportunities for long-term growth and value creation," Iger said.
"Disney is the perfect home for Marvel`s fantastic library of characters given its proven ability to expand content creation and licensing businesses," said Ike Perlmutter, Marvel`s Chief Executive Officer. "This is an unparalleled opportunity for Marvel to build upon its vibrant brand and character properties by accessing Disney`s tremendous global organization and infrastructure around the world."
Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of Marvel including its more than 5,000 Marvel characters. Mr. Perlmutter will oversee the Marvel properties, and will work directly with Disney`s global lines of business to build and further integrate Marvel`s properties.
The Boards of Directors of Disney and Marvel have each approved the transaction, which is subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, certain non-United States merger control regulations, effectiveness of a registration statement with respect to Disney shares issued in the transaction and other customary closing conditions. The agreement will require the approval of Marvel shareholders. Marvel was advised on the transaction by BofA Merrill Lynch. "
So basically, the Disney cash machine continues to chomp. Unfortunately, Disney is known to change relatively safe stories into dangerous ones, or to strip value out of resources. Did anyone know that the Original little Mermaid of Hans Christian Anderson was a Christian tale about how a mermaid becomes a woman to accept salvation, or of Pocahontas, that she was a famous Christian Convert in that Northern American part of the world, these are different from when Disney has been boycotted by religious groups for movies which portray religion in a certain way, but certainly show what Disney can and has done. Marvel of course- is not a saint, but this possible merger is certainly of note.
It seems Captain of Industry America has finally bought out Captain America, both are just as Red, White and Blue.
Labels: Disney, Marvel Comics, Media Study South Africa
Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA


text:
Метровагон 81 – 720/81 – 721 "Яуза", производство на "Метровагонмаш", гр. Митишчи, Московска област. Произвеждат се за Московския метрополитен от 1991 до 2005 г.

История и разработване
Още с приключването на тестовете на пробния модел "И" (81 – 715) през 1987 г.се взима решение да се създаде изцяло нов модел, който да бъде проектиран от дизайнерско бюро. През 1989 г. печели бюрото по дизайн на Московския институт по промишлен дизайн и реклама. Проектът е за влак с увеличена пътниковместимост за най-натоварените линии на метрото. Проектирането продължава до 1991 г. Влакът ще бъде първия в СССР с бордови компютър и система с автопилот.

1991 – 1997 г.
През 1991 г. бива произведен първия опитен състав с вагони от 001 до 005. На състава е дадено името на реката Яуза, която минава през територията на завода Метровагонмаш. Тестовете започват в изпитателната кръгова жп линия в Националния железопътен институт в гр. Щербинка. Проблем, обаче се оказва икономическата криза, която не позволява изпитанията да продължат. Те започват отново през 1993 г. Тестовете показват, че влака е доста "суров" и се нуждае от доработки. През 1994 г. е произведен втория тривагонен влак. Той преминава изпитанията на кръговата жп линия. След това той бива тестван на 5-а линия на Московското метро. Изпитанията продължават до 1997 г., когато влакът бива пуснат в експлоатация с пътници.

1998 – 2005 г.
През 1998 г. на Люблинско-димитровската линия е пусната първата т.н. "серийна" Яуза. Влакът веднага прави впечатление на пътниците, но все пак той е разработван в края на 80-те, началото на 90-те, така че не е имало основание той да бъде смятан за чисто нов. Производството започва и до 2000-та са доставени 6 влака по 7 вагона. През 2003 се случва авария на Люблинската линия. Късно вечерта, един от двигателите на последния вагон се откача от талигата и пада на релсите. В резултат на този инцидент са повредени 150 м. релсов път. Влаковете Яуза са спрени докато не се намери причината на инцидента. Разследването показва, че проблемът е в производителя на двигателите-АЭК "Динамо". Производството на влаковете е временно спряно. В резултат на инцидента през 2004 г. са произведени 3 състава по 6 вагона, които са с двигатели Alstom onix, каквито са поставяни на влаковете Русич. През 2005 г. Метровагонмаш предлага на Софийския метрополитен да бъдат доставени модифицирани влакове Яуза, но се доставя Русич, като по-нов модел. Така през 2005 г. производството на влаковете 81 – 720 Яуза, бива прекратено.

След инцидент на 2 август 2019, влаковете Яуза биват спрени от движение в Московското метро.

Метровагони
Московско метро

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
It Just Got Real: The Secret Scoop on Early Motherhood
Excerpt from From Bump to Grind
New motherhood is often portrayed as a blissful time. Yet most new mothers know that image is not real. Reality is still looking pregnant long after birth, wearing cheesecloth underpants, being annoyed with your partner, and dealing with the endless stream of visitors who only want to see the baby. Postpartum expert Sarah Checcone shares stories of new mothers who tell you what new motherhood is really like. What you are experiencing is normal, and you are not alone.
Sarah Workman Checcone is the founder and Executive Director of Postpartum Society of Florida (www.postpartumflorida.org), a non-profit mom-to-mom organization based in Sarasota, whose mission is to ease the transition from pregnancy to parenthood. She holds a Juris Doctor in Law degree from the University of Miami, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Musical Theatre from the University of Michigan. Sarah is also a Certified Instructor of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® and the MMTIC®. Sarah loves to sing, laugh, eat delicious food someone else cooked, be outside, encourage amazing women, and hang out with her husband and four cutie kiddos.
From Bump to Grind: The Secret Scoop on Labor, Delivery, and Early Motherhood
Stress Less Live Better For Pregnancy, Postpartum, and Early Motherhood
The Art of Motherhood, Volume 1
Oxytocin The Biological Guide to Motherhood
When Postpartum Packs a Punch: Fighting Back and Finding Joy
Healing From Childhood Abuse


It's a tough call, but Skyscanner's Italian website had a go at listing what they think are the 20 most beautiful small towns in Italy.
With no fewer than three castles, the small town of Avise in the Valle d'Aosta region dates back to the Middle Ages when it was home to the region's oldest noble family. It wasn't chosen just for its historical importance, though; Avise is also incredibly picturesque. The centre features Romanesque bell towers and tiny wine bars where locals sip Petit Rouge, the fragrant red wine produced in the area.
This timeless village, in the UNESCO World Heritage hills of the Langhe, is famous as one of the world capitals of wine. It's as pretty as you'd expect, but the main attractions here are actually underground. It's where Carlo Gancia, known as the 'father of Italian sparkling wine', decided to open his historic cellar, along with many other winemakers in the area. These cellars now make up the so-called "underground cathedrals", a network of cellars and tunnels running under the town which are thought to be unique in the world.
Along with Spotorno to the north and Finale Ligure to the south, Noli is one of the most beautiful villages on the Riviera di Ponente. The ancient settlement, with its strategically important location, has been home to the Ligurians, Romans and Byzantines. It's long been an important seafaring town, sitting on the edge of a turquoise see and crescent-shaped white beach. The Castello Ursino stands over the city, giving it bags of medieval charm.
On Lake Como's Costa della Tremezzina, set in a cove so stunning that it was named after the goddess of beauty, Lenno is not loved only for its lakeside views. The picturesque village attracts gourmands with its famous olive oil production, said to be some of the best in Italy thanks to the mild year-round climate.
In the province of Vicenza, this town is best known for a giant chess game; in September the town's Giant Chessboard on Piazza Castello comes to life. All year round though you can enjoy the town's famous cherries, walk under the arcades and enjoy the many shops and cafes in the ancient heart of the town.
This ancient town of Roman origin, in the province of Udine, won its place on the list thanks to its position in a glacial valley, and its impressive castle, churches and streets, which draws lovers of medieval history and religious architecture. At Christmas, the atmospheric town's nativity scene is also the most famous in the region.
In the province of Pisa, this characteristically beautiful Tuscan town has everything you'd hope for: ancient architecture, rolling landscapes and gastronomic wonders. The pretty Sanminiatesi Hills are the source of the area's prized white truffle; the biggest truffle in the world was found here in 1954. Other wonders include the 200-year-old Duomo, with its unusual clock, and the Tower of Federico II.
A magical fortified village suspended in time, Campello sul Clitunno has attractions ranging from the UNESCO-listed Temple of Clitunno and the Fonti del Clitunno, which were considered sacred by the Ancient Romans. Then there's the magical lakeside location, a well-preserved castle, and the Church of San Donato with its wooden altar.
Visitors will find medieval, renaissance and baroque influences squeezed into the tiny historical centre of the village of Ripatransone, known for being home to the narrowest alley in Italy. The cobbled streets give way to a tiny lane just 43 centimetres wide, so small that it hasn't even got a name. The position of the town on top of a small hill between two rivers adds to the charm, as does its reputation for producing excellent honey and olive oil.
It's not strictly a town, but this green island in the Gulf of Naples, near Capri, made the cut anyway. It's famous for its stunning hillside villages, crystal clear waters and traditional cuisine. As well as pretty beaches such as those at the Bay of San Montano, it has natural hot springs, the Aragonese Castle and the picturesque village of Sant'Angelo with its colourful villas.
Hikers and nature lovers will want to explore this pretty village and its rural surroundings in the province of Campobasso. It's said to be the home of Pope Celestino V, and to get there you can take the famous Celestinian Route, the same that the hermit monk himself travelled back in 1294 to reach L'Aquila and take the papal appointment. In the village, three levels of medieval rampats lead to the impressive church of Santa Maria Assunta in Cielo.
Between the provinces of Brindisi, Lecce and Taranto, in the centre of the 'heel' of Italy's boot, this village sits on land inhabited since ancient times. As you might see from the surrounding olive groves and vineyards, it's is best known for producing red wine and olive oil. A glass of negroamaro isn't the only attraction here, though; the town has churches and palaces to explore while nearby countryside boasts the Li Castelli Archaeological Park, a settlement dating back to the Iron Age.
Photos of the village from above famously show the roofs of the houses seeming to form a chessboard. But seen from the streets, the hidden village of San Fele is just as beautiful, with artistic and religious treasures such as the ruined fortress, the Church of the Annunciation and the Palazzo Frascella. Nearby you'll find waterfalls and the mysterious Abbey of Santa Maria di Pierno.
With a beach that rivals the Caribbean, the village of San Vito Lo Capo is unsurprisingly one of Sicily's most popular summer resorts. Its long, white sandy beach and colourful sunsets are not the only draw; the village has plenty of tradition and history. Visit the Moorish Chapel of Santa Crescenzia, the lighthouse or the nearby Zingaro Reserve.


Wireless audio guide system rental in United States, Miami. Hire & Rent a radio guide in Miami. Whisper radio audio tour guide equipment rental USA, Miami.
The Whisper North America headquarters is strategically located in the city of Miami. Miami is a major tourist destination within the US and cruising hub with the major ports of Miami and Port Everglades just a stone's throw away. This office provides short-term and long-term rentals locally and for the entire US and Canada, and also serves as a sales center for all of the Americas.
rental solutions available in u.s.a.


text:
To RSVP for a group run click here.
Since TARC was formed in 1994, the goal has always been simple: bring people together to run on trails. Group runs have been a key component of achieving that goal through the years. At times that has meant organized group runs, while in more recent years it has taken the form of individuals taking the lead and organizing meet-ups at local trailheads, as well as the whole pack coming together at TARC Trail Series events. In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought all in-person TARC-sponsored events to a halt as the governor's orders prohibited gatherings. With the restrictions now lifted in 2021, it's time to bring the Trail Animals back together — as well as welcome new Animals to the pack! We're returning to our roots, and the TARC Outreach Group is reviving monthly group runs at the Blue Hills Reservation. We still embody the same "No Animal Left Behind" philosophy that the club has embraced since its founding, and we welcome you to join us. It's free; it's fun; and you'll make some good friends along the way.
If you've ever been curious about running trails but didn't know where to start, come and let us show you the way. If you're a seasoned trail veteran simply looking to run with others, we're here for you, too. All are welcome!
TARC Outreach Blue Hills Group Run Schedule
8 a.m. Saturday, August 14, 2021 – Meet at Houghton's Pond
8 a.m. Saturday, September 11, 2021 – Meet at Houghton's Pond – RSVP on Facebook
8 a.m. Saturday, October 2, 2021 – Meet at Houghton's Pond – RSVP on Facebook
8 a.m. Saturday, November 6, 2021 – Group Run/Salomon Ultra Glide Shoe Demo – RSVP on Facebook
8 a.m. Saturday, December 11, 2021 – Meet at Houghton's Pond – RSVP on Facebook
8 a.m. Saturday, January 8, 2022 – Meet at Houghton's Pond
8 a.m. Saturday, February 5, 2022 – TBD
© Trail Animals Running Club. Proudly created with Wix.com


Ultrasound Imaging: Sister Angela, the nurse midwife at Nawanaygo HCIII has been trained through Imaging the World's unique ultrasound training program to perform and interpret ultrasound at the point of care.
The Cardiac Program: Identifying the prevalence of rheumatic heart disease in pregnant women, has been very successful since it was introduced in January. Team members from Children's National Hospital were onsite this week.
Community Outreach: Sensitizing the community of the different ultrasound programs (Ob/gyn, cardiac, breast) is done by educating of the VHT (village health team) which in turn educate the community members. This outreach is a key component the success of the program.
Radiology resident Naiim Ali works with Village Health Team.
Education: Another unique program ITW has implemented is the US Lab. High school students from the USA come with the ITW team to learn about their ultrasound program in rural Uganda. During their visit the USA students meet with the Ugandan high school students to deliver education on pregnancy, risks of teen pregnancy, family planning and ultrasound, the technology of how it works and the role it plays during pregnancy. The students then see an ultrasound being performed at the clinic on a pregnancy women from the village. For most this is the first time they have seen an ultrasound.
This peer –to –peer educational program is empowering the youth of Uganda to make decisions about their future "based on choice not chance." It also identifies the cultural barriers the youth in Uganda experience, which in turn allows us to consider possible solutions to these barriers that we can address through future outreach programs.


What a wonderful way to celebrate Harvest at St. Mary's! The children presented a combination of poems and prayers with research about Harvest and food around the world. There were some lovely pieces of art and lots of wonderful singing. It was so lovely to see so many parents and friends join us. Thank you!


March is here and now you can enjoy longer days and the promise of milder days. Spring is a great time to start spotting shapes in natural forms. The daffodil (14th) so often seen in March, is a perfect example of triangles together representing the numbers 3 and 6. Also chop through the middle of a melon or cucumber (3rd) to see the triangle shape in the seed formations inside. (Who knew!) Read the download sheet about it.
spring tree id spotting sheet is great for 6th for identifying tree buds seen. Nettle tea (8th) is easy to make or NETTLE SOUP from the Wildlife Watch activity sheet. They also have a good spotting sheet for the 24th for all yellow springtime flowers. download them to get started it makes it easy just to have a sheet to follow.
Buds will be opening (6th, 9th and 27th) try to point out a few to the youngsters around you. Bring a small branch inside to the warmth and watch the buds open early (3rd).
Try to make the most of any opportunity to get outside and feel the spring air (1st, 7th, 17th and 18th). I find it an infectious feeling and will set you up for the warm days that are coming. These small prompts are building on the sensory observations that we started when the weather was colder. Keep up the sensory interactions as it builds a love of nature and what is special about it to each of us.
March in the calendar has a few moments to connect with the growth that is arriving. Make grass sing between your thumbs (5th see attachment below) – it says 'leaf' in the calendar but thats a typo, sorry! Weave quick plaits in grass (4th) or make flower chains (11th). These are just about fleeting moments with nature wherever you may be- nothing more.
If you are rural point out the fields (21st) maybe the colours are starting to change. Wildlife Watch have an activity sheet attached below for making a mini raft (10th). There's also the 16th and 19th, nature can be playful and fun, remember that as its easy to forget. For indoor games collect leaves and stick onto paper to play Leaf Snap, full instructions below.
Talking of playing , if there aren't any lambs near you watch this video of lambs playing king of the castle (17th). Next time your kids are near a haystack I bet they play it too.
Again I will say it, don't underestimate these small actions. They may seem flippant and unimportant just reading them as a list through the days but they are the sum of their parts, thats what counts. All these small actions build to become a larger understanding of the importance of nature in our lives.
Understand the hibernating habits of butterflies and see if you can spot any (25th). Or learn the symbols of the weather forecasting (20th). We live in the era of the emoji so the sunshine cloud ones are probably self explanatory, It has always been the wind directions that get me confused. The arrow points in the direction the wind is flowing to and is NOT pointing to where the wind comes from (which I have always thought – good job I'm not a sailor!).
you can see what you'll be getting up to next month or months months. April , February , January.