Some time ago I became aware of the PIC32 microcontroller platform, perhaps while following various hardware projects, pursuing hardware-related interests, and looking for pertinent documentation. Although I had heard of PIC microcontrollers before, my impression of them was that they were mostly an alternative to other low-end computing products like the Atmel AVR series, but with a development ecosystem arguably more reliant on its vendor than the Atmel products for which tools like avr-gcc and avrdude exist as Free Software and have gone on to see extensive use, perhaps most famously in connection with the Arduino ecosystem.
What made PIC32 stand out when I first encountered it, however, was that it uses the MIPS32 instruction set architecture instead of its own specialised architecture. Consequently, instead of being reliant on the silicon vendor and random third-party tool providers for proprietary tools, the possibility of using widely-used Free Software tools exists. Moreover, with a degree of familiarity with MIPS assembly language, thanks to the Ben NanoNote, I felt that there might be an opportunity to apply some of my elementary skills to another MIPS-based system and gain some useful experience.
So that was perhaps more than enough of an introduction, given that I really want to focus on some of my discoveries in using my acquired PIC32 devices, hoping that writing them up will help others to use Free Software with this platform. So, below, I will present a few discoveries that may well, for all I know, be "obvious" to people embedded in the PIC universe since it began, or that might be "superfluous" to those happy that Microchip's development tools can obscure the operation of the hardware to offer a simpler "experience".
The 28-pin product I elected to buy was the PIC32MX270F256B-50/SP. I also bought some capacitors that were recommended for wiring up the device. In the picture below, you can just about see the capacitor connecting two of the pins, and there is also a resistor pulling up one of the pins. I recommend obtaining a selection of resistors of different values so as to be able to wire up various circuits as you encounter them. Note that the picture does not show a definitive wiring guide: please refer to the product documentation or to appropriate project documentation for such things.
Despite the apparent suitability of a program called pic32prog, recommended by the "cheap DIY programmer" guide, I initially found success elsewhere. I suppose it didn't help that the circuit diagram was rather hard to follow for me, as someone who isn't really familiar with certain electrical constructs that have been mixed in, arguably without enough explanation.
Instead, I looked for a solution that used an Arduino product (not something procured from ephemeral Chinese "auction site" vendors) and found ArduPIC32 living a quiet retirement in the Google Code Archive. Bypassing tricky voltage level conversion and connecting an Arduino Duemilanove with the PIC32 device on its 5V-tolerant JTAG-capable pins, ArduPIC32 mostly seemed to work, although I did alter it slightly to work the way I wanted to and to alleviate the usual oddness with Arduino serial-over-USB connections.
However, I didn't continue to use ArduPIC. One reason is that programming using the JTAG interface is slow, but a much more significant reason is that the use of JTAG means that the pins on the PIC32 associated with JTAG cannot be used for other things. This is either something that "everybody" knows or just something that Microchip doesn't feel is important enough to mention in convenient places in the product documentation. More on this topic below!
So, I did try and use pic32prog and the suggested circuit, but had no success. Then, searching around, I happened to find some very useful resources indeed: Pickle is a GPL-licensed tool for uploading data to different PIC devices including PIC32 devices; Nanu Nanu is a GPL-licensed program that runs on AVR devices and programs PIC32 devices using the ICSP interface. Compiling the latter for the Arduino and uploading it in the usual way (actually done by the Makefile), it can then run on the Arduino and be controlled by the Pickle tool.
Admittedly, I did have some problems with the programming circuit, most likely self-inflicted, but the developer of these tools was very responsive and, as I know myself from being in his position in other situations, provided the necessary encouragement that was perhaps most sorely lacking to get the PIC32 device talking. I used the "sink" or "open drain" circuit so that the Arduino would be driving the PIC32 device using a suitable voltage and not the Arduino's native 5V. Conveniently, this is the default configuration for Nanu Nanu.
I should point out that the Pinguino initiative promotes USB programming similar to that employed by the Arduino series of boards. Even though that should make programming very easy, it is still necessary to program the USB bootloader on the PIC32 device using another method in the first place. And for my experiments involving an integrated circuit on a breadboard, setting up a USB-based programming circuit is a distraction that would have complicated the familiarisation process and would have mostly duplicated the functionality that the Arduino can already provide, even though this two-stage programming circuit may seem a little contrived.
PIC32 uses the MIPS32 instruction set. Since MIPS has been around for a very long time, and since the architecture was prominent in workstations, servers and even games consoles in the late 1980s and 1990s, remaining in widespread use in more constrained products such as routers as this century has progressed, the GNU toolchain (GCC, binutils) has had a long time to comfortably support MIPS. Although the computer you are using is not particularly likely to be MIPS-based, cross-compiling versions of these tools can be built to run on, say, x86 or x86-64 while generating MIPS32 executable programs.
And fortunately, Debian GNU/Linux provides the mipsel-linux-gnu variant of the toolchain packages (at least in the unstable version of Debian) that makes the task of building software simply a matter of changing the definitions for the compiler, linker and other tools in one's Makefile to use these variants instead of the unprefixed "host" gcc, ld, and so on. You can therefore keep using the high-quality Free Software tools you already know. The binutils-mipsel-linux-gnu package provides an assembler, if you just want to practise your MIPS assembly language, as well as a linker and tools for creating binaries. Meanwhile, the gcc-mipsel-linux-gnu package provides a C compiler.
Perhaps the only drawback of using the GNU tools is that people using the proprietary tools supplied by Microchip and partners will post example code that uses special notation interpreted in a certain way by those products. Fortunately, with some awareness that this is going on, we can still support the necessary functionality in our own way, as described below.
With the PIC32, and presumably with the other PIC products, there is a distinct activity of configuring the device when programming it with program code and data. This isn't so obvious until one reads the datasheets, tries to find a way of changing some behaviour of the device, and then stumbles across the DEVCFG registers. These registers cannot be set in a running program: instead, they are "programmed" before the code is run.
With a basic GNU tool configuration, we need to find the equivalent operation and express it in a different way (at least as far as I know, unless someone has implemented an option to support this kind of notation in the GNU tools). The mechanism for achieving this is related to the linker script and is described in a section of this article presented below. For now, we will concentrate on what configuration settings we need to change.
As briefly mentioned above, one thing that "everybody" knows, at least if they are using Microchip's own tools and are busy copying code from Microchip's examples, is that the JTAG functionality takes over various pins and won't let you use them, even if you switch on a "peripheral" in the microcontroller that needs to use those pins. Maybe I am naive about how intrusive JTAG should or should not be, but the lesson from this matter is just to configure the device to not have JTAG features enabled and to use the ICSP programming method recommended above instead.
Again, although I am aware of the general concept of a watchdog timer – something that resets a device if it thinks that the device has hung, crashed, or experienced something particularly bad – I did not expect something like this to necessarily be configured by default. In case it is, and one does see lots of code assuming so, then it should be disabled as well. Otherwise, I can imagine that you might experience spontaneous resets for no obvious reason.
If you need to change the oscillator frequency or the origin of the oscillator used by the PIC32, it is perhaps best to do this in the configuration registers rather than try and mess around with this while the device is running. Indeed, some configuration is probably unavoidable even if there is a need to, say, switch between oscillators at run-time. Meanwhile, the relationship between the system clock (used by the processor to execute instructions) and the peripheral clock (used to interact with other devices and to run things like timers) is defined in the configuration registers.
So, to undertake the matter of configuration, a way is needed to express the setting of configuration register values in a general way. For this, we need to take a closer look at linker scripts. If you routinely compile and link software, you will be using linker scripts without realising it, because such scripts are telling the tools things about where parts of the program should be stored, what kinds of addresses they should be using, and so on. Here, we need to take more of an interest in such matters.
This will be written in the MEMORY construct in the script. What they tell us is that config2 is a region of four bytes starting at virtual address 0xBFC00BF4, which is the location of the DEVCFG2 register as specified in the PIC32MX270 documentation. However, this register actually has a physical address of 0x3FC00BF4. The difference between virtual addresses and physical addresses is perhaps easiest to summarise by saying that CPU instructions would use the virtual address when referencing the register, whereas the actual memory of the device employs the physical address to refer to this four-byte region.
Now you might understand my remark about the syntax! Nevertheless, what these things do is to tell the tools to put things from a section called .devcfg2 in the physical_config2 memory region and, if there were to be any address references in the data (which there isn't in this case), then they would use the addresses in the config2 region.
Here, I fully acknowledge that this might not be the most optimal approach, but when you're learning about all these things at once, you make progress as best you can. In any case, what this does is to tell the assembler to include the .devcfg2 section and to populate it with the specified "word", which is four bytes on the 32-bit PIC32 platform. This word contains the value of the register which has been expressed in hexadecimal with the most significant digit first.
Here, the underlined bits are those of interest and have been changed to the desired values. It turns out that we can set the other bits as 1 for the functionality we want (or don't want) in this case.
By the way, the JTAG functionality is disabled in the DEVCFG0 register (JTAGEN, bit 2, on this device). The watchdog timer is disabled in DEVCFG1 (FWDTEN, bit 23, on this device).
These definitions allow the .flash section to be placed at 0x9D00000 but actually be written to memory at 0x1D00000.
On the various systems I have used in the past, even when working in assembly language I never had to deal with the earliest stages of the CPU's activity. However, on the MIPS systems I have used in more recent times, I have been confronted with the matter of installing code to handle system initialisation, and this does require some knowledge of what MIPS processors would like to do when something goes wrong or if some interrupt arrives and needs to be processed.
As you can see, this region is far shorter than the 512MB of the KSEG0 region in its entirety. Indeed, 0xBF0 is only 3056 bytes! So, we need to put more substantial amounts of code elsewhere, some of which will be tasked with handling things when they go wrong.
As we have seen, the matter of defining routines to handle errors and interrupt conditions falls on the unlucky Free Software developer in this case. When something goes wrong, like the CPU not liking an instruction it has just seen, it will jump to a predefined location and try and execute code to recover. By default, with the PIC32, this location will be at address 0×80000000 which is the start of RAM, but if the RAM has not been configured then the CPU will not achieve very much trying to load instructions from that address.
Clearly, this isn't particularly desirable because it can mask problems. Indeed, I found that because I had not observed a step in the little dance required to change interrupt locations, my program would be happily restarting itself over and over again upon receiving interrupts. This is where the work done in the linker script starts to pay off: we can move the exception handler, this being the code residing at the exception base, to another region of memory and tell the CPU to jump to that address instead. We should therefore never have unscheduled restarts occurring once this is done.
The .org directive tells the assembler that the interrupt handler will reside at an offset of 0×200 from the start of the .flash section. This number isn't something I have made up: it is defined by the MIPS architecture and will be observed by the CPU when suitably configured.
Make sure that the CP0 (co-processor 0) STATUS register has the BEV bit set. Otherwise things will fail seemingly inexplicably.
Set the CP0 EBASE (exception base) register to use the exception handler address. This changes the target of the jump that occurs when an exception or interrupt occurs.
Set the CP0 INTCTL (interrupt control) register to use a non-zero vector spacing, even though this setting probably has no relevance to the single-vector mode.
Make sure that the CP0 CAUSE (exception cause) register has the IV bit set. This tells the CPU that the interrupt handler is at that magic 0×200 offset from the exception handler, meaning that interrupts should be dispatched there instead of to the exception handler.
Now make sure that the CP0 STATUS register has the BEV bit cleared, so that the CPU will now use the new handlers.
To enable exceptions and interrupts, the IE bit in the CP0 STATUS register must be set, but there are also other things that must be done for them to actually be delivered.
As I found out with the Ben NanoNote, a MIPS device will happily run in its initial state, but it turns out that this state is some kind of "error" state that prevents exceptions and interrupts from being delivered, even though interrupts may have been enabled. This does make some kind of sense: if a program is in the process of setting up interrupt handlers, it doesn't really want an interrupt to occur before that work is done.
So, the MIPS architecture defines some flags in the CP0 STATUS register to override normal behaviour as some kind of "fail-safe" controls. The ERL (error level) bit is set when the CPU starts up, preventing errors (or probably most errors, at least) as well as interrupts from interrupting the execution of the installed code. The EXL (exception level) bit may also be set, preventing exceptions and interrupts from occurring even when ERL is clear. Thus, both of these bits must be cleared for interrupts to be enabled and delivered, and what happens next rather depends on how successful we were in setting up those handlers!
But in order to refer to the table, something has to have the address of the table. This is where the $gp register comes in: it holds that address and lets the code access members of the table relative to the address.
Here, the upper 16 bits of the $gp register are set with the "high" 16 bits of the value assigned to the special _GLOBAL_OFFSET_TABLE_ symbol, which provides the address of the special .got section defined in the linker script. This value is then combined using a logical "or" operation with the "low" 16 bits of the symbol's value.
I could probably go on about MIPS initialisation rituals, setting up a stack for function calls, and so on, but that isn't really what this article is about. My intention here is to leave enough clues and reminders for other people in a similar position and perhaps even my future self.
Even though I have some familiarity with the MIPS architecture, I suppose you might be wondering why I am not evaluating more open hardware platforms. I admit that it is partly laziness: I could get into doing FPGA-related stuff and deploy open microcontroller cores, maybe even combining them with different peripheral circuits, but that would be a longer project with a lot of familiarisation involved, plus I would have to choose carefully to get a product supported by Free Software. It is also cheapness: I could have ordered a HiFive1 board and started experimenting with the RISC-V architecture, but that board seems expensive for what it offers, at least once you disregard the pioneering aspects of the product and focus on the applications of interest.
So, for now, I intend to move slowly forwards and gain experiences with an existing platform. In my next article on this topic, I hope to present some of the things I have managed to achieve with the PIC32 and a selection of different components and technologies.
This entry was posted on Friday, May 19th, 2017 at 11:45 pm	and is filed under English, Free Software, hardware, MIPS, PIC32. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.


Stainless steel welding wire for welding CrNi 18/10 types.
Boilers, agriculture, liquid storage tanks, food machinery, furniture.
308LSi has good general corrosion resistance. The alloy has a low carbon content, making it particularly recommended where there is a risk of intergranular corrosion. The higher silicon content improves the welding properties such as wetting.


text:
Broadway 1602
© Shana Moulton
"Sand Saga "
EXHIBITION JANUARY 21 – FEBRUARY 16, 2008
New York based Video and Performance artist SHANA MOULTON invented a genuine feminist aesthetic after postmodernism: the creative language of hopeless but touching disfunctionality, characterized by elegiacally desperate urgencies and escapist worlds of petty pop refuge, driven by a radically mediated esprit of liberation.
In a continuing series of films SHANA MOULTON creates her notorious alter ego 'Cynthia', a highly discouraged woman, in a red wig, (reminiscent of Cindy Sherman's mildly disturbing impersonations), who fails to face the conditions and challenges of a contemporary everyday life. Tortured by the tristesse of her social isolation and personal idiosyncracies, she develops a bizarre agency, leading her to find temporary release in a parallel universe of companionship, inhibited by artistic idols (such as Piet Mondrian and Georgia O'Keeffe) and pop cultural creatures.
The 'neon' color temperature and studio realism of amateurish interiors in MOULTON's films recall the early video art aesthetics of the late 70s/early 80s. She works consciously in regard to influences such as Maya Deren, Michael Smith and Eleanor Antin.
In her performances SHANA MOULTON acts as an integral part of the video projection. In a recent live performance at Gimpel Fils (London) and Electronic Arts Intermix (NY) the artist came out to the audience in white overalls on which the projection reflected. She became part of the video and started to dance with the creatures of her own filmic imagination.
For the sound tracks of her films SHANA MOULTON creates sound collages. She is very specific by bringing up references to women composers from the 1970s such as obscure psychedelic folk singer Linda Perhacs. In her new film project SAND SAGA she uses elements of the Nicholas Roeg movie "Don't Look Back"- a thriller from 1973 starring Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland.
"It relates to previous works of mine, since the soundtrack is done by the same person (Pino Donaggio) who made the soundtrack to "Carrie", which I reference in the performance I did this summer. And the scene this music was originally made for, a notorious sex scene, is in total contrast to the scene I am editing it to: applying a mud/beauty mask and waiting for it to dry.
I also like to use different versions of a song to signify a transition to an alternate world – I used 3 different versions of the Enya song "Orinoco Flow." In the beginning while Cynthia is in her home making a flower arrangement, I use a cheap midi version of the song, when the ladder appears and she magically climbs it, I use the real version of the song, and when she enters this new Rave world, I use the techno remix version of the song. This song was also originally used in the commercial for "Crystal Light", the beverage I drink in the video. Techno remixes of songs are especially great for conveying transitions to fantasy worlds or heightened realities. The song from the 'Sphinx' video is from the animated movie "The Last Unicorn" and the voice is Mia Farrow. She sings the song when she is magically transformed into a human - now that I'm a woman everything has changed." (Shana Moulton)
SHANA MOULTON presents a new film installation and will realize a live performance at the opening night and a second performance at the closing night of the show.
Born in California in 1976, SHANA MOULTON studied at Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh and attended the "De Ateliers" program in Amsterdam.. She had recent solo shows at Gimple Fils (London 2007) and Bellwether (NY 2007). Her films were screened at various international festivals and she held live performances at The Andy Warhol Museum (2004), at Electronic Arts Intermix (NY 2007) and in many international venues.
She took part in PERFORMA (NY 2007).
www.broadway1602.com
Tags: Eleanor Antin, Maya Deren, Piet Mondrian, Shana Moulton, Cindy Sherman, Michael Smith, Andy Warhol
Edit Broadway 1602

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


i've contacted Tom Angleberger to wrangle up a copy of M'Lady Luggertuck for you and will be sending the book soon.
thanks so much to everyone who entered. a special thanks for your incredible creativity with costume ideas! some of my faves were going as Marie Antoinette, in a Victorian black & purple corset, as a duchess, and my all time fave - Agatha Christie. LOVE IT.
if you haven't read this book yet, you totally should! here's my review to convince you of it's awesomeness.
I call shinanagins on this contest.
YAY! Glad you liked my costume idea (Agatha Christie... isn't she AWESOME?) I'm a little bummed I didn't win but that won't stop me from picking up a copy of Horton Halfpott ;) It sounds great!
Also, I just finished reading Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children... Noticed you are currently "nerding" over it, as well. What did you think?
Jenna - seriously, that's an amazing costume idea. I hope you love Horton as much as I did!
I'm still nerding with Miss Peregrine...i'm loving the spooky/mysterious aspect and Jacob is a great male lead. I'm pumped to see where the story takes me! I hope to see your review soon.
wOOt! if this is shenanigans, they are the best.


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Theracurmin supports the body's healthy inflammatory response1 with one of the most advanced forms of curcumin available, shown in research to provide faster dispersion and superior bioavailability.
Curcumin is an important constituent of turmeric, the deep gold spice made from the rhizome of a plant in the ginger family.
Theracurmin was shown in one study to be 27 times more bioavailable than an equivalent amount of standard, pure curcumin, as measured by blood plasma concentration.
Source Naturals Theracurmin has significantly increased bioavailability over standard curcumin because of micronized particles that are stabilized with gum ghatti for enhanced dispersion in the gut.
Curcumin may support neuronal and cardiovascular health and helps protect cells from the damaging effects of free radicals.
1 Not all inflammation is associated with disease states. Inflammation is also the body's healthy immune response to life's normal stressors such as strenuous exercise or an occasional high-fat/high-calorie meal.
The body's inflammation response to life's occasional, normal stressors is important for optimal health.
Other Ingredients: maltodextrin, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (capsule), magnesium stearate, and silica.


Burgundy is hosting a cross-country meet Wednesday, November 1. During the meet, runners will complete a route that takes them all over campus including portions along our campus roads. To better ensure safety, we will close both incoming and outgoing vehicular traffic on campus from 3:45 to 5 p.m. Wednesday. Please plan to move cars by 3:45 or leave them in place through 5 p.m.
Note that after-school enrichment classes and other meetings will be happening. Please plan to park respectfully along neighborhood streets or at Norton House and walk up to campus to pick up students during this timeframe.


text:
Home/Sport/Cricket/IPL 2018/IPL 2018: Royal Challengers Bangalore full match schedule, time table, fixtures, timings
CricketIPL 2018Sport
IPL 2018: Royal Challengers Bangalore full match schedule, time table, fixtures, timings
Cricket_Nomad Send an email 2018-04-01
Under the leadership of Virat Kohli, Royal Challengers Bangalore will enter IPL 2018 in the pursuit of their maiden IPL title. The men in red feature a heavy batting-line up but so far haven't been able to lay their hands on the coveted trophy.
Will 2018 change the fate for them?
1. Kolkata Knight Riders v Royal Challengers Bangalore
On Sunday 8th April 2018
Match 3, Eden Gardens, Kolkata 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT)
2. Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kings XI Punjab
On, Friday 13th April 2018
Match 8, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT)
3. Royal Challengers Bangalore v Rajasthan Royals
On Sunday 15th April 2018
Match 11, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru 16:00 IST (10:30 GMT)
4. Mumbai Indians v Royal Challengers Bangalore
On Tuesday 17th April 2018
Match 14, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT)
5. Delhi Daredevils v Royal Challengers Bangalore
On Saturday 21st April 2018
Match 19, Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, Delhi 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT)
6. Royal Challengers Bangalore v Chennai Super Kings
On Wednesday 25th April 2018
7. Bengaluru- Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kolkata Knight Riders
8. Royal Challengers Bangalore v Mumbai Indians
On Tuesday 1st May 2018
9. Chennai Super Kings v Royal Challengers Bangalore
On Saturday 5th May 2018
Match 35, M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai 16:00 IST (10:30 GMT)
10. Sunrisers Hyderabad v Royal Challengers Bangalore
On Monday 7th May 2018
Match 39, Rajiv Gandhi Intl. Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT)
11. Royal Challengers Bangalore v Delhi Daredevils
On Saturday 12th May 2018
12. Kings XI Punjab v Royal Challengers Bangalore
On Monday 14th May 2018
Match 48, IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT)
13. Royal Challengers Bangalore v Sunrisers Hyderabad
On Thursday 17th May 2018
14. Rajasthan Royals v Royal Challengers Bangalore
Match 53, Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur 16:00 IST (10:30 GMT)
Challengers Bangalore Fixtures Full match schedule RCB Royal Challengers Bangalore time table timings
Prithvi Shaw poor performance; Netizens trolled him
Rajiv Shukla's re-entry into the BCCI as vice-president
Yuvraj Singh is not celebrating his birthday, distanced himself from his father's statement
Sachin Tendulkar, the God of Cricket, turns out to be the God of Humanity


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The study was conducted to know the cyclic changes in gonadal maturation and to investigate the developmental stages of oocytes and testicular germ cells of an air-breathing fish, Channa striata. Fish were sampled monthly from lentic and lotic environments of three geographical locations of Bangladesh from December to November and the histological analysis of their gonad was done to evaluate the objectives. The highest mean GSI was 5.95 ± 0.20 for female in July and 0.14 ± 0.01 for male also in July showing that the gonadal development reached its peak during this month. The highest mean oocyte diameter was 1257.50 ± 24.17 μm observed in July implying that the oocyte reached maturity in this month. Histological study of ovary revealed the evidence of early yolk granule stage and late yolk granule stage from April to July. In case of male four stages of spermatogenesis were distinguished and spermatozoa were highly abundant in June and July. So the monthly pooled values of GSI and the analysis of gonadal histology indicated that the peak breeding season of C. striata occurred in July in the lentic and lotic environments. Samples collected from lentic and lotic habitats are suggestive of no difference in the development of the gonad. The results of the present study will be useful for selective breeding programme, conservation and sustainable fishery management of C. striata in its natural habitat.
An air-breathing fish, Channa striata (Bloch 1793), known as snakehead murrel is of economic importance as food fish and has great potential for aquaculture in Bangladesh. The species is known to occur in lakes, rivers and shallow water areas such as rice fields, irrigation canals, ponds, ditches and borrows pits due to its ability to breathe atmospheric air (Jayaram 1999). This fish is well known for its taste, high nutritive value, recuperative and medicinal qualities. Snakehead flesh contains high levels of arachidonic acid which is a precursor for prostaglandin and thromboxin, chemicals that affect blood clotting and the fusion of endothelial tissue during wound healing (Mat Jais 1992). The natural population of this species decreases rapidly due to habitat degradation and this species is acknowledged as an endangered fish in Bangladesh (IUCN 1998). But no significant progress has been made so far to bring this species under culture in Bangladesh or restocking in their natural habitat in view to conservation. Studies of the gonad developmental cycle and histological examination of gonads are appropriate to determine the precise spawning period and frequency in a breeding season (Conover 1992). The knowledge about different stages of fish gonadal maturation provides important information necessary to prohibit fishing during the reproduction period; allowing the fishery stock to recover (Noble and Jones 1993).
Hence, efforts should be made to replenish the wild stocks and improve the aquaculture industry of economically important fish species like C. striata. Thus the research work was aimed to study the gonad developmental cycle of an air-breathing fish, C. striata.
A total of 120 C. striata of lentic and lotic sources were collected from three different geographical locations of Bangladesh for one year between the period of December 2012 and November 2013 and all samples were pooled together (Table 1). Animals were maintained and used in accordance with the guidelines of the Bangladesh Agricultural University. Specimens were measured to the nearest mm (total length-TL and standard length-SL) using digital calipers (Mitutoyo, CD-6CS. Error = 0.01 mm), and weighed to the nearest gram by using a digital balance (Toledo, AB-204. Error = 0.01 g). The gonads were removed by abdominal dissection and weighed to the nearest gram. The gonadosomatic index (GSI) was obtained according to the equation: GSI = GW/(TW-GW) x 100, where: GW = gonad weight, and TW = total body weight (Gunn et al. 1989). Then the gonad samples were preserved in 10 % buffered formalin and kept at room temperature.
Representative gonads were randomly taken from each stage of gonadal development to measure diameter of oocytes. At least 50 oocyte samples from anterior, middle and posterior of the ovary were measured by using an ocular micrometer. The oocyte size was calculated by using the formula: length axis plus wide axis divided by two (De Vlaming et al. 1982).
Monthly preserved gonad samples were taken out from the fixative. Then the samples of the central portion of the gonads of 0.5 cm thickness were put into the cassettes separately for histological examination. They were dehydrated in graded alcohol series, embedded in paraffin, sectioned for 5–7 μm in thickness using a microtome (MICROM HM355S, Germany) and stained with Haematoxylin and Eosin, then mounted in DPX mountant and photographed with an OLYMPUS-CX41 microscope which was equipped with the SONY DSC-W220 camera (Gunn et al. 1989). At least two glass slides were prepared for each ovary or testis. Gonad development stages were estimated observing sections under the microscope as immature, maturing, mature and spent phases (Navarao et al. 1989; Morton 1990).
The data were subjected to an analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by comparison of means using Duncan's multiple range test to determine significance of each data treatment. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS v16.
The ovaries of C. striata were hollow sac-like, paired and more or less elongated structure lying dorsal to the alimentary canal and ventral to the swim bladder. A posterior extension of tunica albuginae united both the ovaries to form an oviduct which opened to the exterior via the oval shaped urogenital papilla. The left ovary was larger than the right in the examined fish. The color of the ovary varied from reddish brown in immature ovaries to light yellowish in mature ovaries.
The testes of C. striata were white, elongated, paired and ribbed structures. The left lobe of testis was found to be slightly larger than the right one. Two parts of the testis joined posteriorly before entering the cloaca and where they formed the third lobe. They were attached to the body wall by mesenteries. The color of the testis ranged from pinkish to whitish depending on the maturity.
The value of GSI is the indicator of the status of gonadal development and maturity of individuals. Monthly variations in GSI revealed that both sexes followed nearly the same trend. The GSI value of female was mostly higher than male, especially during and by the end of the spawning periods (Figs. 1 and 2). The minimum values of GSI were detected during September (0.02 ± 0.00 for male and 0.29 ± 0.07 for female) representing the quiescent period of this species. The higher values of GSI appeared from March to July for male and April to July for female. The spawning seasons were June and July for both sexes with a peak in July (0.14 ± 0.01 for male and 5.95 ± 0.20 for female). The GSI was significantly different during the sampling months (P < 0.05). There was no difference between lentic and lotic samples.
Oocyte diameter is a measurement to determine the oocyte growth. The mean oocyte diameter of C. striata ranged from 280.00 ± 12.80 μm to 1257.50 ± 24.17 μm. The highest oocyte diameter was observed in July (Fig. 3). The oocyte diameter was significantly different (P < 0.05) during the sampling months.
Microscopic examination of gonad sections revealed four arbitrary stages of maturity in C. striata: immature, maturing, mature and spent/recovering (Table 2).
Oogonia, chromatin nucleolar and early perinucleolar oocytes were present. The perinucleolar oocytes had a large nucleus.
Partially yolked oocytes and late perinucleolar oocytes were present. Partially yolked oocytes contained yolk vesicles in their cytoplasm.
Advanced yolked oocytes were abundantly present. The cytoplasms were filled with yolk granules. These stages of maturation were observed from late April to June.
Appearance of empty follicle and few numbers of oogonia and perinucleolar oocytes represented the reserved stock for the further spawning. The spent gonads appeared in August and September.
Figure 4 presents the monthly distribution frequency of maturity stages of C. striata ovaries during the study period. Mature ovaries (stage III) were frequent after March and had its most abundance in June and July signaling the period of spawning. Females with empty ovaries (stage IV) were observed only between end of July and October. The pooled ovarian maturity patterns were found almost similar both in the lentic and lotic environments.
Seven of the following stages of oocyte development were identified in C. striata on the basis of histological criteria (Fig. 5).
The chromatin nucleolar stage oocytes were small cells with a thin indistinct peripheral zone. They contained a spherical and large nucleus, which occupies the greater part of the cell with one nucleolus. In further development, more than one nucleolus was frequently present.
In early perinucleolar stage, oocytes were the most immature type. The oocytes were mostly polygonal and increased in cytoplasmic and nuclear volume together. Nucleoli were smaller, increased in number and appeared around the periphery of the nucleus. Cytoplasm at this stage stained deeply with haematoxylin while nucleus was more or less clear except the nucleoli.
In late perinucleolar stage, oocyte became larger in size. The shape of the oocytes at this stage tended to vary from polygonal to oval with the progress of oocyte development. The nucleus became enlarged and the cytoplasm tended to lose affinity for haematoxylin.
This stage was characterized by the formation of small yolk vesicles in the cytoplasm which appeared as empty unstained vacuoles. These yolk vesicles first appeared at the periphery of the oocyte and gradually spread towards the central nucleus. The nucleoli were usually present at the periphery of the nucleus but in some cases, they also appeared elsewhere in the nucleus.
This stage was characterized by the formation of numerous small yolk protein granules in the cytoplasm. These granules stained light pink. They first appeared in the outer cortex and were gradually increased in size and number as they moved towards the inner cortex. Yolk vesicles were eventually no longer apparent in the cytoplasm.
The oocytes were greatly increased in diameter at this stage. Fusion of yolk granules and lipid droplets occurred to varying extents appearing deep pink with haematoxylin and eosin.
In spent stage, ovaries were characterized by the appearance of empty follicle and few numbers of oogonia and perinucleolar oocytes representing the reserved stock for the further spawning.
Study of the testes revealed four stages of maturation in C. striata: immature, maturing, mature and spent (Table 3).
Testes were very tiny and translucent containing many spermatogonia (SG). A few spermatocytes (SC) were also thinly scattered (Fig. 6a and b).
Testes at this stage were larger than the immature stage. Spermatocytes and spermatids (ST) were more abundant (Fig. 6c).
Testes showed the largest volume with a pinkish white color. A large amount of spermatozoa (SZ) were observed (Fig. 6d). Mature testes were mostly observed in June and July samples.
Testes were darker, opaque and flaccid. Only residual spermatozoa were found (Fig. 6e). Spent testes were evident during August and September.
Histological study of the testes revealed four stages of sperm development viz. spermatogonia, spermatocytes, spermatids and spermatozoa (Fig. 6).
This is the primary stage of spermatogenesis which is the largest germ cell in the testis. It was spherical in shape and the cell membrane was clearly seen. An oval, slightly basophilic nucleus was present in the centre of the cell.
Spermatogonia transformed into spermatocytes by meiotic division which were also spherical in shape containing a nucleus in the centre. These were smaller in size than the spermatogonia.
Spermatids originated from the spermatocytes but were smaller than the latter. These were spherical shape in which nucleus was not clearly seen for its dark appearance under the microscope.
Spermatozoa, the smallest cells of the spermatogenic lineage appeared as small black colored spots under the microscope. These were the functional male gametes originated from spermatids by the process of spermiogenesis.
The present study documents the changes in the gonadal development of an air-breathing fish, C. striata from lentic and lotic environments. Growth of fish in weight reflects the reproductive cycle, as the gonad mature they increase in weight which adds to the total weight of fish. Samples collected from lentic and lotic habitats are suggestive of no difference in the development of the gonad of C. striata. Majority of fish species of the temperate region are recorded to breed during the period April to July with the advent of Monsoon. The increasing environmental temperature, fresh rain water with high dissolve oxygen content, longer photoperiod and plenty of natural food during that period act as triggering factors for commencing breeding in majority of fish species in this region (Ali and Kadir 1996; Rinku et al. 2013).
The GSI is one of the main parameters used to evaluate gonadal development in fishes and this method is easier and cheaper to utilize. The high correlation of GSI with number of matured female and male could be utilized to extrapolate peak spawning season. In our study, GSI which indicates growth and maturation of gonad was higher from April to July forming a peak in July for both the male and female. It can be inferred that the fish has only one breeding season largely coincided with the rainy season and spawn during April to July with a peak in July. Like our findings Gaikwad et al. (2009) and Ashwini et al. (2013) also reported that GSI and fecundity of C. gachua was highest during June-July, in C. bleheri the highest GSI was recorded by Rinku et al. (2013) during April- July and in C. punctatus, Sunita et al. (2011) and Lalta et al. (2011) reported that it was maximum in the rainy season (May - August). Our results were also very similar with that obtained by Siddiquee (2012) in great snakehead C. marulius from the Sylhet basin and Kirti et al. (2014) in C. marulius from Son river Shadol. The increased water level, inundation of shallow areas, increase in water velocity and turbidity may be responsible for inducing the fish to spawn especially for fishes in the flood plain areas (Winemiller 1987). Thus these add support that the rainy season (June-July in Bangladesh) plays an important role in reproductive period of C. striata that collected from lentic and lotic environments.
The highest oocyte diameter was observed in July, implied that the oocyte reached maturity in this month and ovulation is likely to occur. Therefore, the fish would spawn around this month under suitable conditions. Ali and Kadir (1996) and Gaikwad et al. (2009) also noted a highest oocyte diameter in June-July which coincided with the findings of the present study.
Histological observation shows the evidence of gonadal maturation and spawning season. The use of histology in maturity studies has become more and more widespread as it is more consistent and reliable (Tomkeiwicz et al. 2003). The number of gonadal stages and sub-stages can vary according to gonadal development for each species and also according to different criteria used by each author. Four stages of gonadal development were recorded for C. striata in the lentic and lotic environments, through macro- and microscopic analysis. A similar number of stages as described for C. striata, were also observed by Fialho et al. (1998) in Oligosarcus jenynsii.
The process of development of the gonad of C. striata also follows the same basic progression as that described in other teleostean species. Briefly, oogonia and spermatogonia proliferate through mitotic division of primary germ cells, and transform into previtellogenic oocytes and spermatocytes, characteristic of the immature ovary and testis, respectively. The elaboration of yolk in the oocyte marks the beginning of vitellogenesis at the end of which the cell attains its maximum size and undergoes maturation/ovulation, followed by the extrusion of the egg to the exterior.
In this study relatively mature stages of oocytes (early and late yolk granule stage) were evident from April to July. Again abundance of relatively mature stages of testis (spermtids and spermatozoa) was appeared in the testicular sections of June and July samples. Therefore, the evidence of mature stages of gonad and the highest GSI value indicated the peak breeding season of C. striata to be in July. The peak breeding season of C. striata from GSI study supports the current finding from histological observation of gonad. The current finding also supports the research in great snakehead C. marulius (Siddiquee 2012) who reported that most of the oocytes were in mature stage and the testes were rich in spermatids and spermatozoa in July samples.
Overall, the gonad morphology and maturity development class of C. striata in the different geographical locations of Bangladesh did not differ significantly from those of closely related species in lentic and lotic environments. The high values of GSI appeared from March to July for male and April to July for female with the peak in July, indicating the onset of the reproductive season. It is expected that the information generated in the current study will contribute better understanding of gonad developmental cycle of C. striata towards designing conservation plans and captive maturation.
Nasim Al Mahmud and Hassan Md. Hafizur Rahman are considered first authors.
The authors wish to thank IDRS-BFRI for financial support to MS Islam for making it possible to carry out this research. The assistance of Professor Dr. Harunur Rashid of the Department of Fisheries Management, Bangladesh Agricultural University for the histology work is gratefully acknowledged.
All authors had full access to all the data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Study concept and design: MSI. Acquisition of data: NAM, HMHR and GMM. Analysis and interpretation of data: NAM, HMHR and MSI. Drafting of the manuscript: NAM and HMHR. Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content: MSI, MGQK, MS and NSL. Obtained funding: MSI. Administrative, technical, and material support: NAM, HMHR and MSI. Study supervision: MSI.


Honeycomb Hideout: hayman's old tom gin, rosemary infused honey, nectarine, fresh lemon, islay mist. Repost @carolineoncrack !!
Happy #CincoDeMayo !!! $10 #Altos #Margaritas tonight!!!
Happy #DerbyDay from us here @butchersandbarbers !!! $10 Jim Beam Mint Juleps all night long!!


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The 10.5 year rotation period of the strongly magnetic rapidly oscillating Ap star HD 166473
Mathys, G.
Khalack, V.
Landstreet, J. D.
How magnetic fields contribute to the differentiation of the rotation rates of the Ap stars and affect the occurrence of non-radial pulsation in some of them are important open questions. Valuable insight can be gained into these questions by studying some of the most extreme examples of the processes at play. The super-slowly rotating rapidly oscillating Ap (roAp) star HD 166473 is such an example. We performed the first accurate determination of its rotation period, Prot = (3836 ± 30) d, from the analysis of 56 measurements of the mean magnetic field modulus ⟨B⟩ based on high-resolution spectra acquired between 1992 and 2019 at various observatories and with various instrumental configurations. We complemented this analysis with the consideration of an inhomogeneous set of 21 determinations of the mean longitudinal magnetic field ⟨Bz⟩ spanning the same time interval. This makes HD 166473 one of only four Ap stars with a period longer than 10 years for which magnetic field measurements have been obtained over more than a full cycle. The variation curves of ⟨B⟩ and of ⟨Bz⟩ are well approximated by cosine waves. The magnetic field of HD 166473 only seems to deviate slightly from axisymmetry, but it definitely involves a considerable non-dipolar component. Among the stars with rotation periods longer than 1000 d for which magnetic field measurements with full phase coverage are available, HD 166473 has the strongest field. Its magnetic field is also one of the strongest known among roAp stars. Overall, the magnetic properties of HD 166473 do not seem fundamentally distinct from those of the faster-rotating Ap stars. However, considering as a group the eight Ap stars that have accurately determined periods longer than 1000 d and whose magnetic variations have been characterised over a full cycle suggests that the angles between their magnetic and rotation axes tend to be systematically large.
Based on observations collected at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), which is operated by the National Research Council of Canada, the Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique of France, and the University of Hawaii; and on data products from observations made with ESO Telescopes at the La Silla Paranal Observatory under programmes 79.C-0170, 80.C-0032, 81.C-0034, and 89.D-0383. The operations at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope are conducted with care and respect from the summit of Mauna Kea, which is a significant cultural and historic site.
2020A&A...636A...6M
stars: individual: HD 166473;
stars: chemically peculiar;
stars: rotation;
stars: oscillations;
12 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in A&amp
SIMBAD (14) ESO (1)


With 33 mobile home parks in the Paradise area burned down, there are hundreds of displaced survivors. The Woolsey fire also left many mobile home owners homeless.
Almost 700 homes are being eyed at the site of a west San Jose mobile home park near the Winchester Mystery House and Santana Row, a prospective development location that's encountered controversy.
Several Vallejo mobile home park residents met at "high noon" on the steps of City Hall on Monday, to protest what they say in an ongoing disinterest in their problems by City officials.


If every album was as good as it's press release made it sound, well, I wouldn't have much to write about. The press release for the new Frog Eyes record and tour reads like madlibs made by Rain Man, having too much fun with the adjectives, finally climaxing in a series of unrelated words, "heavy, raw, literate, otherworldy and in the end, utterly compelling." Call me a pessimist , but I'm preparing to be disappointed by these lofty expectations. Prove me wrong, Frog Eyes!
Due for release on on April 27th, Paul's Tomb: A Triumph marks the Canadian outfit's first album on Dead Oceans, and it will probably find a bigger initial audience than their previous efforts given their recent support of friend-band Wolf Parade and lead singer Carey Mercer's involvement in the stellar side-project Swan Lake. This particular record will feature a sound that was recorded almost completely live to tape, coming across as "neither yesteryear nor that super-hip Brooklyn sound." Wow, he really did just nail down the current state of rock music into two categories pretty succinctly.
In support of the release, Frog Eyes will bring their passion, energy and vocabulary to small rooms across the country starting in May. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.


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È ricordato anche come compilatore di testimonianze riguardanti l'VIII concilio ecumenico (869-870). Presunta una doppia identità omonima: tra il teologo-filosofo, allievo di Areta Cesareò, è l'autore di una biografia su Ignazio I (probabilmente di qualche secolo successiva).

Biografia
Si formò presso Areta di Cesarea. Dopo aver articolato un'opinione contraria sulla tetragamia di Leone VI venne messo in clausura.

Lavorò a diverse biografie sugli apostoli e dei santi cristiani, con uno stile fortemente ornamentale, ma questi scritti non sono ancora stati del tutto attenzionati perché ritenuti, da una parte degli specialisti del settore, testi relativamente indegni di studio. Forse è diverso da lui il Niceta Paflagone autore della Vita del patriarca Ignazio, perché alcuni storici hanno affermato che quest'ultima si tratta di un'opera del XIV secolo.

Note

Bibliografia

Voci correlate
 Agiografia
 Panegirico
 Esiodo
 Ignazio I
 Gregorio Nazianzeno
 Letteratura bizantina
 Biblioteca (Fozio)
 Bibliotheca hagiographica graeca

Collegamenti esterni

Agiografi
Filosofi bizantini
Teologi bizantini

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The Perspectives:Asia seminar – Life as a Weapon: Do suicide bombings really make sense? was held at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art on 5 November, 2015. During the seminar, Professor Riaz Hassan AM, Director of the International Centre for Muslim and non-Muslim Understanding, University of South Australia addressed the common perceptions and understandings of suicide bombings and their perpetrators, while examining a cocktail of motivations including political success, liberation of the homeland, personal redemption or honour, refusal to accept subjugation, revenge, anxiety, and defiance.


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More capacity on the way as Air Canada announces return of full India service
MONTREAL — Air Canada says it will resume its daily, nonstop Toronto-Delhi flights eastbound on Oct. 1 and westbound on Oct. 3, with additional capacity coming Oct. 27 with 400-seat B777-300ER aircraft.
All flights are now available for purchase.
Air Canada had announced on Feb. 27 that it was suspending its India service due to airspace closures over Pakistan. In recent days Pakistan has reopened its airspace to commercial flights, opening up the route again. Air India has also resumed its flights over Pakistan.
Air Canada operates daily service from Toronto and Vancouver to Delhi and four times weekly between Toronto and Mumbai.
The carrier's Vancouver-Delhi flights will resume at their usual flight times starting Aug. 1.
"We are very pleased to resume our daily, nonstop Toronto-Delhi flights in time for Diwali celebrations, and with additional capacity going forward to meet expected demand," says Mark Galardo, Vice President, Network Planning at Air Canada.
"With our Delhi flights returning to normal together with our seasonal return to Mumbai for fall firmly demonstrating our long term commitment to this vibrant market, we look forward to operating our full schedule to India."
The Toronto-Delhi flights will be operated initially with Boeing 787 Dreamliners and beginning Oct. 27, additional capacity will be added to this route with 400-seat Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, featuring Air Canada's Signature Class, Premium Economy and Economy classes of service.
Air Canada's seasonal Toronto-Mumbai flights will operate four times weekly from Oct. 27, 2019 until March 28, 2020 with Boeing 777-200LR aircraft.
Air Canada will have up to 18 weekly flights connecting a multitude of cities in North America to Delhi from both Toronto and Vancouver, and to Mumbai from Toronto.
Flight AC42 will depart Toronto at 10:10 p.m., arriving in Delhi at 9:35 p.m. Flight AC43 will depart Delhi at 12:10 a.m., returning to Toronto at 5:05 a.m.
From Vancouver, flight AC44 will depart 1:15 a.m., arriving in Delhi at 3:50 a.m. On the return, AC45 will leave Delhi at 5:55 a.m., arriving back in Vancouver at 7:30 a.m.
All of the above flights are daily.
To Mumbai, flight AC46 departs Toronto at 8:45 p.m., arriving BOM at 10:10 p.m., on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. On the return, flight AC47 departs BOM at 11:45 p.m. and gets back to Toronto at 5:25 a.m., Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
"The resumption of Air Canada's direct flights is a most welcome development," said Kasi Rao, President & CEO of the Canada-India Business Council. "At a time of increasing commercial activity between Canada and India, Air Canada's direct flights represent a very important element in connecting the business communities in both countries as well as the growing number of tourists, students, families and cargo traffic."


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BuzzFeed News Home Reporting To You
The Trump Administration Is Charging Facebook With Housing Discrimination
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The charges target Facebook's long-criticized ad-targeting tools.
By Nidhi Prakash
Reporting From
Nidhi Prakash BuzzFeed News Reporter
Posted on March 28, 2019, at 11:17 a.m. ET
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Brendan Smialowski / AFP / Getty Images
President Donald Trump and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson.
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration charged Facebook on Thursday morning with violating fair housing laws by allowing advertisers to avoid showing housing ads to people because of their race, religion, gender, and other traits.
"Facebook is discriminating against people based upon who they are and where they live," Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson said in a statement. "Using a computer to limit a person's housing choices can be just as discriminatory as slamming a door in someone's face."
The department's charges Thursday come after HUD filed a complaint against Facebook in August last year, after a two-year initial investigation started under the Obama administration. The company's ad-targeting function has been a point of criticism for years. In 2016, ProPublica detailed HUD's concerns about Facebook's ethnic-based targeting. In 2018, Facebook said it would remove 5,000 ad-targeting options to prevent discrimination, including against some ethnic and religious groups.
A HUD official told BuzzFeed News the agency was not convinced that those moves from Facebook were addressing the problem adequately.
"They have over the years removed some of the terms, they actually change quite frequently the available terms," the official said. "The department issued the charge today because we don't believe the commitments that Facebook has made to date fully address the scope of discrimination on the platform."
The charge says Facebook "offered advertisers hundreds of thousands of attributes from which to choose, for example to exclude 'women in the workforce,' 'moms of grade school kids,' 'foreigners,' 'Puerto Rico Islanders,' or people interested in 'parenting,' 'accessibility,' 'service animal,' 'Hijab Fashion,' or 'Hispanic Culture.' Respondent also has offered advertisers the ability to limit the audience of an ad by selecting to include only those classified as, for example, 'Christian' or 'Childfree.'"
HUD said Facebook also allowed advertisers to literally draw a red line around neighborhoods to exclude them from their housing ads.
A spokesperson for Facebook said the company was "surprised" by the charges.
"We're surprised by HUD's decision, as we've been working with them to address their concerns and have taken significant steps to prevent ads discrimination," a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement, citing the changes the company made last week as a result of a settlement with civil rights groups, including the ACLU and the National Fair Housing Alliance. Facebook said as part of the settlement it would no longer allow people advertising housing, job, and credit advertisers to target people by age, gender, or zip code.
Facebook had been in contact with HUD since it filed the August complaint, but was wary of sharing large amounts of data on ad-targeting with the agency. "While we were eager to find a solution, HUD insisted on access to sensitive information — like user data — without adequate safeguards," Facebook said in its statement.
"Our policies already prohibit advertisers from using our tools to discriminate. We've removed thousands of categories from targeting related to protected classes such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and religion. But we can do better," Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg wrote last week, adding that Facebook is building a tool for users to search for housing ads targeted to different parts of the country, even if they're not directly shown the ads.
"HUD is building on what the National Fair Housing Alliance and the other plaintiffs started as far as our settlement last week," David Berman, an attorney representing the National Fair Housing Alliance, told BuzzFeed News after Thursday's charges were announced.
Berman said the government agency "has investigatory powers that a private litigant does not to sort of pull the curtain back and get a look" at how the platform works and what options are provided to advertisers.
HUD is seeking "appropriate relief for the harm that has been caused and an assurance that the discrimination will not continue," the agency official said.
The charges come as a result of what's called a "secretary-initiated complaint" at HUD, an avenue that previous secretaries have used on average 10 times per year, the Washington Post reported, and is considered a powerful tool to set broad precedents to protect groups of people from housing discrimination. The Facebook case is the only secretary-initiated complaint that Carson has pursued in his more than two years as HUD secretary.
Ryan Mac contributed reporting to this story.
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Nidhi Prakash is a reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in Washington, DC.
Contact Nidhi Prakash at nidhi.prakash@buzzfeed.com.
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These devices deliver the highest levels of convenience, safety and reliability. Inverters can be connected to any device designed for connection to a 230V 50 Hz supply (up to the rated power of the inverter). Protects against short circuit, overload, battery overvoltage, reverse polarity and overheating.


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Pregnancy and Toxoplasmosis
What is Toxoplasmosis?
Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by infection with the organism called Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii). This is a microscopic single-cell protozoal organism related to coccidia. Virtually all warm-blooded animals, including people, can be infected with this organism. It is an extremely well adapted parasite and rarely causes significant disease to the individuals it infects. Despite the high prevalence of infection, the parasite rarely causes significant disease in cats – or in any other species.
How Common is Toxoplasma in Cats?
Toxoplasma occurs worldwide and infection in cats is similarly widespread. Many more cats are infected than show symptoms. In research studies, as many as one-half of adult cats in certain geographical areas have antibodies to the organism in their blood, indicating that they have been exposed to the infection at some time. Infection rates are higher in free-roaming and stray cats. In contrast, infection is uncommon in pet cats that do little or no hunting, and eat commercial cat foods primarily or exclusively.
How is Toxoplasma Transmitted?
Cats are usually infected by ingesting the organism present in the tissues (meat) of another infected animal, known as an 'intermediate host'. The intermediate host is usually a rodent. After infection, the Toxoplasma organism replicates or reproduces locally in the intestinal tract of the cat, and is usually contained there. The replication in the intestinal tract results in shedding of oocysts (a form of eggs) in the feces. Oocysts represent a hardy form of the organism that can survive in the external environment for many months or even years. Other animals can become infected by ingesting these oocysts, but disease will result only if large numbers are ingested.
How Do People Get Toxoplasmosis?
While cats are usually infected by eating infected rodents, or more rarely by ingestion of oocysts from the environment, humans are most commonly infected by eating contaminated food. Sheep, cattle and pigs grazing on contaminated pastures, or fed oocyst-contaminated food, can develop the encysted form of the organism in their body tissues. If infected meat (typically beef, pork or lamb) is not adequately cooked, or if proper hygiene precautions are not followed during handling of uncooked meat, humans can become infected.
Ingestion of oocysts from infected cats, for example during gardening in contaminated soil, is a much less common source of human infection. Because cats only shed the organism for a few days in their entire life, the chance of human exposure is relatively small. Owning a cat does not mean you will be infected with toxoplasma. It is unlikely that you would be exposed to the parasite by touching an infected cat, because cats usually do not carry the parasite on their fur. It is also unlikely that you can become infected through cat bites or scratches. In addition, cats kept indoors that do not hunt prey or are not fed raw meat are not likely to be infected with T. gondii.
How Important is Toxoplasma in People?
As with infection in cats, the vast majority of people infected with this organism do not develop clinical disease at all, or possibly just show mild and transient flu-like signs. However, there are some cases in which significant disease does occur and one situation is particularly important. If a pregnant woman acquires Toxoplasma infection during her pregnancy, the infection may be transmitted to the fetus, and sometimes causes severe damage.
This is only a risk if the woman acquires the infection during her pregnancy. A woman who has previously been exposed to the organism caries no risk of transmission to her fetus if she subsequently becomes pregnant.
Are Cat Owners More Likely to Develop an Infection?
Although cats are essential to complete the life-cycle of T. gondii, numerous surveys have shown that people who own cats have no higher a risk of acquiring infection than people who don't own cats. There are several reasons for this:
Many pet cats will never be exposed to Toxoplasma and therefore cannot pass infection on to humans.
Even if a cat does become infected with Toxoplasma, it will only shed the oocysts or eggs in its feces for approximately ten days after initial exposure. Following this there is no further significant oocyst shedding and therefore again no further risk to humans.
Although humans may become infected through exposure to oocysts in the environment, a more common source of infection appears to be infected meat.
How Can Humans Avoid Infection?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend the following to prevent contracting toxoplasmosis:
Do not eat raw or under cooked meat. Meat should be cooked to a temperature of at least 160°F for 20 minutes.
Do not drink unpasteurized milk.
Do not eat unwashed fruits and vegetables.
Wash hands and food preparation surfaces with warm soapy water after handling raw meat.
Wear gloves when gardening. Wash hands after gardening.
Wash hands before eating (especially for children).
Keep children's sandboxes covered.
Do not drink water from the environment unless it is boiled.
Feed cats only canned or dried commercial food or well-cooked table food, not raw or undercooked meats. Also, do not give them unpasteurized milk.
Do not allow cats to hunt or roam.
Do not allow cats to use a garden or children's play area as their litter box.
Remove feces from the litter box daily and clean with boiling or scalding water.
Pregnant women, and persons with suppressed immune systems, should not clean the litter box.
Do not adopt or handle stray cats, especially kittens. Do not get a new cat while you are pregnant.
Control rodent populations and other potential intermediate hosts.
Pets and Pregnancy


Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Fletcher Cox knocks the football away from Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield past offensive guard Chris Hubbard during the first quarter of Thursday's preseason game.
1. The Eagles are in trouble if Carson Wentz, Jason Peters, Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor, Jay Ajayi, and Darren Sproles aren't ready for the season opener. In other words, the first-team offense's performance must be taken with a heavy dose of salt. It seems every year some get caught overvaluing the preseason. I've fallen victim to it myself. Sam Bradford completed 10 of 10 passes against the Packers in 2015 and the Eagles were suddenly Super Bowl contenders. A year ago, Wentz and the offense failed to generate any momentum after the first two preseason games and there was mild panic.
Would Doug Pederson prefer for his unit to effortlessly move the football and score touchdowns? Absolutely. Is he worried about the offense, especially if quarterback Nick Foles must open the season as the starter? Maybe a little. But the preseason is meant for working out kinks. It's a trial run. Pederson didn't game-plan for the Browns. He didn't dig deep into his playbook. He's hiding the new stuff. And he was without five starters. To no surprise, he said that he won't play his first unit in the fourth preseason game. Would it be nice to see the offense score a touchdown — just one! — before the regular season? Sure. But there's a risk in playing the starters one series against the New York Jets. Possible injury, yes, but what if they don't score? Rest the players and start preparing for the Falcons on Sept. 6. The opener will be here soon enough.
2. Nick Foles isn't better than Carson Wentz. Well, yeah. That headline is for talk radio hot takers. There was likely never a scenario in which Foles would supplant Wentz this season, even if he were to win every game he started and Wentz were to lose a few upon his return, however unlikely. The Eagles know how to evaluate quarterbacks. Foles is one of the best backups in the NFL, a possible starter for some teams. He hasn't played well the last two weeks. No argument there. But on Thursday his left tackle had trouble protecting his blind side, his running back fumbled when the offense was finally moving, and both players — along with a handful of others — won't likely be on the field if Foles happens to open the season as the starting quarterback. Which is still a possibility with Wentz not yet cleared for contact.
Foles is streaky. I wrote about it last week. He needs time to warm up. He needs the scheme to be catered to his preferences, more than many starting NFL quarterbacks. He completed 13 of 17 passes for 127 yards and had several nice throws. His best moment — when he tripped in the end zone, fell to one knee, bounced up, and threw for a first down — was overturned by a review and ruled a safety. But Foles had three turnovers. He had two interceptions — an underthrown pass to receiver Mike Wallace in which he might have been hit as he threw, and an ill-advised toss to tight end Zach Ertz when he simply didn't see the linebacker underneath. The Eagles should know this coming week whether Wentz has any shot of starting in the opener. If they don't by Sunday, they'll begin preparing for Atlanta with both quarterbacks. But Thursday only illuminated the importance of getting Wentz back as soon as possible.
3. Big V has had a big setback. One game is a hiccup. Two games are a trend. Three straight games of substandard play and Halapoulivaati Vaitai could be out as the swing tackle. He's not quite there yet. Vaitai has a proven track record of success. He didn't block well against the Browns, but Myles Garrett is a stud defensive end in the making. Even Peters may have had some problems against the former No. 1 overall draft pick. But Vaitai is clearly struggling with his technique and confidence.
I'm no expert, but Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland has talked before about Vaitai's getting too high in his stance, particularly when he takes a deep vertical set. That extra space gave Garrett an even longer running start. And with his power he either drove Big V back or tipped him to one side. Like quarterback, the Eagles' left tackle problems will likely be solved when the starter plays, and Peters is slated to be ready by the opener. But he's 36 and coming off major knee surgery. He has played 16 games in a season only five out 13 seasons. The odds are that Vaitai — whether it's for Peters or Lane Johnson — will have to play at some point this season.
Eagles offensive tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai struggled against Browns' defensive end Myles Garrett on Thursday.
4. The starting defense is about as ready as it needs to be. If the struggles on offense aren't to be overblown, then the potency of the defense isn't to be overstated, as well. The Browns aren't exactly the greatest measure of success, and when the Eagles did face a top quarterback in Tom Brady last week, they weren't as sound. But the first unit did hold the Browns to just three points in nearly a half of football and got standout moments from key members.
Defensive tackle Fletcher Cox had a sack and blew up several other plays. He's having a great preseason. Defensive end Derek Barnett flashed on a few rushes. The same goes for defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, who had been silent for most of the summer. Defensive ends Chris Long and Michael Bennett had tackles for loss. Linebacker Jordan Hicks may have performed the best. He broke up a red zone pass and recorded a sack with an A-gap blitz. If he returns to his 2016 form, the Eagles defense will be that much better. Linebacker Nigel Bradham and cornerback Jalen Mills missed tackles, but they also had rebound moments. The secondary forced quarterbacks Tyrod Taylor and Baker Mayfield to hold the ball longer than they would have liked. Jim Schwartz dialed up several effective blitzes. His group is ready.
5. The slot corner and weakside linebacker jobs are nearly taken. Sidney Jones started in the slot and played every nickel snap with the first unit. The Browns didn't go at him often, but when they did he didn't falter. I think the job is his and it would have taken a dreadful outing to lose it to Avonte Maddox. The rookie corner missed an early tackle with the second unit, but he also snagged an interception — and was a shoestring tackle away from scoring — and broke up a pass. He's right there in the conversation and could still play based on matchups. But Jones, as I wrote in my column off the game, has far too much talent for the Eagles not to allow him to learn on the job.
At weakside linebacker, Kamu Grugier-Hill got the starting nod ahead of Nate Gerry, who filled that role in the first two preseason games. I don't think either hurt his chances, but Grugier-Hill, in my estimation, has been the stronger of the two since training camp started a month ago.
6. It's down to Wendell Smallwood and Josh Adams for the Eagles' fourth running back spot. Matt Jones isn't going to make the 53-man roster. The former Redskin has had far too many miscues. Fumbling was a problem in Washington and was again in the second quarter, when he couldn't secure the ball after a catch. Smallwood (12 carries for 53 yards and two catches for 14 yards) got the start and he ran with effort. He always does. But the Eagles couldn't rely on him in his first two seasons, whether it had to with health, preparation, or ball security. He would be a more-than-serviceable fourth back, but is there upside?
Adams appears to have more potential, and that is often what you want out of deep roster spot. The undrafted rookie has been dealing with a foot injury, so his limited number of snaps may have had more to do with the injury than anything, but when he got the ball (four carries for 33 yards, two catches for minus-1 yard) he mostly made positive things happen. Donnel Pumphrey, who hasn't played in the preseason because of a hamstring injury, has one more game to make an impression. Time is running out.
7. DeAndre Carter is making a push for a roster spot. I don't know whether the Eagles plan on keeping six receivers. The top five spots — to Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor, Wallace, Mack Hollins, and Shelton Gibson — are seemingly set. Carter has emerged as the top contender if the Eagles are to retain six. Markus Wheaton would have been my choice early in the summer, but he's been sidelined by a hamstring injury, as well. Carter has done nothing but make plays since the Eagles signed him early in camp. He has a knack for getting open and picking up yards after the catch.
Is his size (5-foot-8) a liability? Yes, especially when his special-teams contributions would be limited to returning — and the Eagles already have returners. Does he have great upside? Not really. The Eagles kept Gibson last season and didn't dress him early because they saw potential. He was also a draft pick. Carter has done enough to make the team. It will just come down to numbers at the other spots. The practice squad looks like a more realistic landing spot.
8. There were a few bright spots farther down the offensive line depth chart. Isaac Seumalo played four positions Thursday. He stepped in at center when Jason Kelce briefly left with a back tweak, at guard when Stefen Wisniewski took a break, and at tackle when Vaitai needed rest. He also was the tight end in the Eagles' jumbo package. Seumalo's versatility — as I've written the last few weeks — guarantees him a roster spot. But he has blocked well all summer and appears to have corrected some of the problems he had with the shotgun snap. Guard Matt Pryor has regressed, but that's to be expected for a sixth-round rookie. He has tools to work with. Tackle Jordan Mailata has made great strides. His talents are raw, but there's more than enough there, and his development in three short months has warranted the Eagles' seventh-round gamble. He'll be on the roster as a project.
9. The last few defensive line spots are still undecided. Bruce Hector has the apparent edge on Elijah Qualls and Aziz Shittu if the Eagles are to keep only four defensive tackles. For the second straight week, the undrafted rookie was ahead of both in the rotation and took first-team reps. I don't know what to make of rookie Josh Sweat. He certainly looks the part. He has explosiveness. But he really hasn't stood out. Sweat still walks with a limp. Maybe he's an injured reserve candidate. Can the Eagles afford to trade Steven Means if Sweat isn't ready?
10. And some leftovers … Jake Elliott's short kicking problems continued. A week after he missed an extra point, he hooked a 33-yard field goal attempt wide left. Elliott was clutch last year, but his problems with 30-something-yard kicks date back to college. Will they go away? … Cameron Johnston averaged 44.8 net yards on four punts. Barring something unforeseen he'll be on the opening day roster. … If the Eagles are to keep four tight ends — in light of Richard Rodgers' knee injury — it won't be Billy Brown. He didn't play a single snap on offense even with Joshua Perkins out with a concussion.


O saving Lord, with heavy hearts we confess we have often turned our eyes from you. We have judged others while wanting not to be judged. We have been led by selfish ways and lost sight of our Shepherd. Restore our vision and lead us back to you. Amen.


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