I think we all are familiar with the configuration of the default startup page in the previous versions of AP.NET but it's slightly different in ASP.NET Core applications. In this article, I will explain how to configure the default startup page In ASP.NET Core.
There are two ways to implement the default startup page in ASP.NET Core.
We can use UseDefaultFiles() extension method in ASP.NET Core 1.0. UseDefaultFiles() will only search for the files given in "wwwroot". If any of the files are detected first in "wwwroot", the files are run as default in the client browser.
UseDefaultFiles must be called before UseStaticFiles or any other method (app.Run, app.Use) to serve the default file in the client-side browser. As you state UseStaticFiles() method after UseDefaultFiles(), it will run UseStaticFiles() method as a default and automatically terminates the other files which come after UseStaticFiles() method.
In this case, we are calling other customized pages as default startup pages in ASP.NET Core 1.0. Thus, we can use DefaultFilesOptions in ASP.NET Core 1.0. If you want to run other files as default, check the code given below in Startup.cs.
The following code containsthe full source code of startup page configuration in ASP.NET Core.
The versions will be change based on the latest version's updation in ASP.NET Core.
We learned how to configure the default startup page in ASP.NET Core 1.0. I hope this article is useful for all ASP.NET Core 1.0 beginners.
In my previous article I explained Send Email Using ASP.Net With C#. In this article I will explain how to send multiple emails with attachments. If you don't bother about the code because I just change some codes in my previous article. ! Let's start.
The following code will help to split the Comma '"," Separated email in the given textbox( Txt_toaddress.Text ).
If you want to send an attachment with email you can add the following code. Otherwise you just remove this part in the code.
If you want to select multiple files in a single file uploader, then you just add AllowMultiple="true".This is one of the option in ASP file upload.
We learned how to send multiple emails with attachment using ASP.NET and C#. I hope this article is useful for all .NET beginners.


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Melissa Chidera Ugochukwu (* 18. Februar 2003) ist eine deutsche Fußballspielerin. Sie lebt in Pfalzpaint in der oberbayerischen Gemeinde Walting.

Spielerkarriere

Vereine
Ugochukwu, die nigerianische Wurzeln hat, begann im Alter von fünf Jahren – als einziges Mädchen gemeinsam mit Jungen – beim FC Arnsberg mit dem Fußballspielen. Im weiteren Verlauf nach Eichstätt gelangt, spielte sie dort in der Jugendabteilung des VfB Eichstätt, später in der des FC Ingolstadt 04.

Bei einem bundesweiten Sichtungsturnier in Duisburg weckte sie das Interesse des FC Bayern München, der sie zu einem Probetraining einlud. Nachdem sie zu überzeugen vermochte, wurde sie zur Saison 2017/18 für die U17-Nachwuchsmannschaft verpflichtet. Dem Jugendalter entwachsen, rückte sie nach zwei Jahren in die Zweite Mannschaft auf, gehörte der Nachwuchsmannschaft allerdings noch ein Jahr an. Für den FC Bayern München II kam sie während der laufenden Saison 2019/20 in sieben Punktspielen in der 2. Bundesliga zum Einsatz, wobei sie ihr Debüt am 13. Oktober 2019 (7. Spieltag) bei der 3:4-Niederlage im Heimspiel gegen die TSG 1899 Hoffenheim II mit ihrem ersten Tor im Seniorenbereich, dem Treffer zum 1:2 in der 34. Minute, krönte. In der Folgesaison bestritt sie im Zeitraum vom 11. Oktober 2020 bis zum 6. Juni 2021 zehn Punktspiele, in denen ihr vier Tore gelangen.

Am 25. Juni 2021 stellte der MSV Duisburg auf seiner Webpräsenz den Spielerkader für die Saison 2021/22 vor – dem auch Melissa Ugochukwu angehörte. Für den seinerzeitigen Zweitligisten trug sie mit neun Toren in 23 von 26 Saisonspielen zum zweiten Platz und damit zum Aufstieg in die Bundesliga bei. Ihr Traum, einmal in der Bundesliga zu spielen, getreu ihrem Grundsatz "Nur wer sein Ziel kennt, findet den Weg", ging am 16. Oktober 2022 (4. Spieltag) beim torlosen Remis im Auswärtsspiel gegen Werder Bremen, in Erfüllung; sie wurde in der 70. Minute für Miray Cin eingewechselt.

Nationalmannschaft
Ugochukwu debütierte als Nationalspielerin für die U17-Nationalmannschaft; das in Freundschaft ausgetragene Länderspiel gegen die U17-Nationalmannschaft Spaniens am 16. Januar 2020 in Salou wurde mit 1:3 verloren. Das am 19. Februar 2020 in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines gegen die U17-Nationalmannschaft Frankreichs wurde mit 3:4 ebenfalls verloren.

Erfolge
 Aufstieg in die Bundesliga 2022

Trainerkarriere
In Erinnerung an den Beginn ihrer Spielerkarriere hatte sich Ugochukwu im Jahr 2019 bereit erklärt, die E-Jugend des FC Arnsberg zu trainieren.

Weblinks

Einzelnachweise

Fußballspieler (FC Bayern München)
Fußballspieler (MSV Duisburg)
Deutscher
Geboren 2003
Frau

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Feature only available with WAPT Enterprise.
If your business need a public WAPT server on Internet, it can be secured with Client-Side Certificate Authentication.
That configuration restricts the visibility of WAPT Server to registered clients only, using the Agent private key generated during registration.
The agent sends a CSR to WAPT server which is signed and sent back to WAPT agent.
We advise you to enabe Kerberos or login/password registration in WAPT Server post-configuration.


text:
Cet article donne la liste par circonscription des 577 députés de la  législature de la Cinquième République française (2007-2012), par département.

Légende

Départements

Ain

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Aisne

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Allier

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Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

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Hautes-Alpes

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Alpes-Maritimes

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Ardèche

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Ardennes

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Ariège

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Aube

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Aude

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Aveyron

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Bouches-du-Rhône

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Calvados

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Cantal

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Charente

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Charente-Maritime

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Cher

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Corrèze

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Corse-du-Sud

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Haute-Corse

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Côte-d'Or

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Côtes-d'Armor

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Creuse

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Dordogne

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Doubs

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Drôme

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Eure

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Eure-et-Loir

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Finistère

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Gard

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Haute-Garonne

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Gers

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Gironde

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Hérault

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Ille-et-Vilaine

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Indre

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Indre-et-Loire

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Isère

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Jura

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Landes

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Loir-et-Cher

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Loire

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Haute-Loire

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Loire-Atlantique

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Loiret

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Lot

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Lot-et-Garonne

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Lozère

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Maine-et-Loire

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Manche

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Marne

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Haute-Marne

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Mayenne

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Meurthe-et-Moselle

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Meuse

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Morbihan

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Moselle

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Nièvre

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Nord

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Oise

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Orne

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Pas-de-Calais

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Puy-de-Dôme

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Pyrénées-Atlantiques

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Hautes-Pyrénées

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Pyrénées-Orientales

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Bas-Rhin

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Haut-Rhin

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Rhône

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Haute-Saône

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Saône-et-Loire

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Sarthe

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Savoie

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Haute-Savoie

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Paris

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Seine-Maritime

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Seine-et-Marne

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Yvelines

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Deux-Sèvres

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Somme

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Tarn

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Tarn-et-Garonne

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Var

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Vaucluse

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Vendée

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Vienne

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Haute-Vienne

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Vosges

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Yonne

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Territoire de Belfort

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Essonne

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Hauts-de-Seine

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Seine-Saint-Denis

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Val-de-Marne

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Val-d'Oise

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Guadeloupe

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Martinique

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Guyane

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La Réunion

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Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon

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Mayotte

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Wallis-et-Futuna

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Polynésie française

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Nouvelle-Calédonie

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Notes

Voir aussi
 Députés de la  législature (par nom)

Articles connexes
 Assemblée nationale (France)
 Groupe politique à l'Assemblée Nationale
 Élections législatives françaises de 2007
  législature de la Cinquième République française

Liens externes
 Liste alphabétique des députés de la  législature sur le site officiel de l'Assemblée Nationale

2007


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The United States Marine Corps has been a part of every military conflict the United States has participated in dating back to the Revolutionary War. While their training and equipment has changed throughout the last several hundred years, the Marine's core values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment to national defense have remained steadfast. The training needed to prepare Marines for what is required as part of the National Defense Strategy begins in Beaufort. Whether they are one of the nearly 20,000 new recruits trained at Parris Island annually or part of the latest crop of F-35 aviators enhancing joint operations capabilities – the necessary indoctrination takes place here where there is no better training environment. From completing every task of the Crucible to daily F-35 missions over the military training ranges free from encroachment, Beaufort County and the community must remain home to the Marine Corps.
Beaufort is steeped in military history with Port Royal being a critical asset for both Union and Confederate forces during the Civil War. There is no place with as rich of a military history as MCRD Parris Island which is rightfully known as the Cradle of the Corps. MCRD Parris Island became the primary training grounds for the Marines in 1915 and is the Marine Corps second oldest post. Throughout the past 105 years over one million enlisted recruits have passed through Parris Island including every single female Marine up until one year ago. The adopted slogan of 'We Make Marines' is appropriate given Parris Island's long, distinguished history.
While the MEC is proud of its military history and Beaufort's role in directly supporting national defense, our relationship with the Department of Defense is mutually beneficial. Based on a 2022 economic impact study of South Carolina's military community, it was estimated that the military is responsible for $2.5 billion in annual economic impact that is supported by 21,241 jobs. These impacts are significant, especially when compared to the more recognized tourism and hospitality economy which is estimated to have a $1.4 billion annual economic impact supported by 14,140 jobs. Stated quite plainly, the defense economy contributes heavily to the overall economy and would have a significant impact to the Beaufort region if it were to shrink or go away all together through Base Realignment and Closure.
Employment: 7,253
Labor Income: $373.5 million
Economic Impact: $787 million
Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort is the home of the Marine Corps' Atlantic Coast fixed-wing, fighter-attack aircraft assets.
Economic Impact: $739.8 million
The Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island has trained enlisted males since 1915, and enlisted females since 1949. Marines have trained on the Depot during each major conflict of the 20th and 21st century.
In operation since 1949, Naval Hospital Beaufort consists of the hospital and two Branch Health Clinics — one at MCRD Parris Island, and the other at MCAS Beaufort.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
<!DOCTYPE html>

<title>ROJO</title>
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
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Subtracting integers practice worksheet quiz rules for math worksheets adding and sheet pdf negative numbers leArnsoc 7th Grade Math Worksheets Multiplication; 8-4 Solving Polynomial Equations Form K; Subtracting Integers Practice Worksheet Quiz Rules For Math Worksheets . Home?Math Worksheets?Subtracting Integers Practice Worksheet?Currently Viewed. By Fifine Devost at �... After adding and subtracting all 10 negative number problems, check your answers. Then, press the 'Grade My Quiz' button. Your quiz grade will be displayed. Correct answers are checked. Those with an X are incorrect and will have the correct answer shown. Press the 'Give Me a New Quiz' button for a new quiz.
Test your ability to add positive and negative integers in this quiz and worksheet combo. Practice problems assess your understanding of the rules for adding integers with like and unlike signs.


The Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act (37th United States Congress, Sess. 2., ch. 126, 12 Stat. 501) was a federal enactment of the United States Congress that was signed into law on July 8, 1862 by President Abraham Lincoln. Sponsored by Justin Smith Morrill of Vermont, the act banned bigamy in federal territories such as Utah and limited church and non-profit ownership in any territory of the United States to $50,000.
An Act to punish and prevent the Practice of Polygamy in the Territories of the United States and other Places, and disapproving and annulling certain Acts of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Utah.
The act targeted the Mormon practice of plural marriage and the property dominance of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Utah Territory. The measure had no funds allocated for enforcement, and Lincoln chose not to enforce this law; instead Lincoln gave Brigham Young tacit permission to ignore the Morrill Act in exchange for not becoming involved with the Civil War. General Patrick Edward Connor, commanding officer of the federal forces garrisoned at Fort Douglas, Utah beginning in 1862, was explicitly instructed not to confront the Mormons over this or any other issue.
Enforcement of these acts started in July 1887. The issue went to the Supreme Court in the case Late Corp. of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints v. United States that upheld the Edmunds–Tucker Act on May 19, 1890. Among other things, the act disincorporated The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Within five months, the LDS Church officially discontinued the practice of plural marriage with the 1890 Manifesto. On October 25, 1893, a congressional resolution authorized the release of assets seized from the LDS Church because, "said church has discontinued the practice of polygamy and no longer encourages or gives countenance to any manner of practices in violation of law, or contrary to good morals or public policy."
^ Statutes at Large, 37th Congress, 2nd Session, page 501. A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: US Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774 - 1875. The Library of Congress. Accessed 18 May 2006.
^ a b Firmage, Edwin Brown; Mangrum, Richard Collin (2001), Zion in the courts, University of Illinois Press, p. 139, ISBN 0-252-06980-3, Having signed the Morrill Act, Lincoln reportedly compared the Mormon Church to a log he had encountered as a farmer that was "too hard to split, too wet to burn and too heavy to move, so we plow around it. That's what I intend to do with the Mormons. You go back and tell Brigham Young that if he will let me alone, I will let him alone."
"37th U.S. Congressional Bill ~ H.R. 391". A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774 - 1875. The Library of Congress. April 29, 1862.
"37th U.S. Congressional Bill ~ H.R. 391". A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774 - 1875. The Library of Congress. May 9, 1862.
"37th U.S. Congressional Bill ~ H.R. 391". A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774 - 1875. The Library of Congress. June 17, 1862.


text:
Travel And Living Allowance As Income For Child Support Determinations
In a recent British Columbia Supreme Court decision, Webster v. Webster, 2014 BCSC 730 ("Webster"), Justice Pearlman considers whether a non-taxable "living-out allowance" should be attributed as income to Mr. Webster for the purpose of determining child support under the Federal Child Support Guidelines. Justice Pearlman reviews a number of recent cases, including the Alberta Court of Appeal's judgment in Calver v. Calver, 2014 ABCA 63 ("Calver").
In Calver, the Court of Appeal overturned the trial judge's decision to impute half of the father's annual living allowance as income, determining that it would be unfair to attribute income to a party from an allowance which is intended to cover actual travel and living costs associated with employment.
Justice Pearlman, at paragraph 35, identifies the following principles from the relevant authorities to be considered in attributing a benefit or allowance as income:
"Generally, a living-out allowance paid for the recovery of work-related travel and living expenses will not be treated as income under the Guidelines;
Living-out allowances are intended to compensate the recipient spouse for the extra costs associated with working away from home;
In all the cases where courts have excluded living-out allowances from the recipient spouse's Guideline income, there has been some evidence that the recipient actually incurred extra costs associated with working away from home, although the recipient was not required to account for the whole amount of the allowance; and
Under s. 19(1) of the Guidelines, the court has a broad discretion to impute such amount of income to a spouse as it considers appropriate in the circumstances."
Justice Pearlman distinguishes Webster from Calver, finding that at least for a portion of the time in question, Mr. Webster was not using the full amount of his "living-out allowance" for travel and living expenses. In October of 2011 Mr. Webster moved in with a girlfriend close to the work site and was no longer incurring the same work-related travel and living expenses that he had for 2010 and the majority of 2011. Therefore, Justice Pearlman refrained from including any of the living-out allowance in income for 2010 and 2011, but attributed half of the allowance as income for 2012 for the purpose of determining child support under the Federal Child Support Guidelines.
Of further interest is the failure of Justice Pearlman to address whether the amount should be "grossed up" as other non-taxable income. In this ongoing debate across the country, courts are not taking an all or nothing approach. Whether the benefit or allowance is included as income, or a portion thereof, appears to be dependent on the factual circumstances, including, but not limited to, the amount of the allowance actually used for its intended purpose.
Anh Dang2017-03-16T23:34:04-06:00July 28th, 2014|


text:
Q: display custom fields in coocommerce my-address.php file i'm using a plugin to add some custom fields to the checkout page also display them in my-account page the plugin works perfectely but i need now to add a field to my-address.php template bellow is my code :
echo $custom_user_meta = get_user_meta(get_current_user_id(), '_billing_mr_ou_mme', true);

this code is not displaying anything i'm sur that the meta name of my custom field is _billing_mr_ou_mme but nothing is displaying
but when i do :  echo $custom_user_meta = get_user_meta(get_current_user_id(), 'billing_phone', true);
the code works, so my code is not working only with the custom fields but works with the defaut woocommerce fields, can any one help
the name of the plugin is : https://wordpress.org/plugins/flexible-checkout-fields/

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Inside Carolina Crown's ""Triple Crown""
Tuesday's FREE Field Pass gives you access to Carolina Crown's post-show circle in Annapolis, while Drum Corps International's Dan Potter chats with Crown program coordinator Jim Coates about the corps' 2007 program, "Triple Crown." Download and listen now. (MP3, 6MB) Subscribe to this podcast.


text:
Last edited by Nikogore
4 edition of Lonkos, curakas, and zupais found in the catalog.
Lonkos, curakas, and zupais
the collapse and re-making of tribal society in Central Chile, 1536-1560
by Leonardo LeoМЃn
Published 1992 by Institute of Latin American Studies, Univ. of London in London .
Indians of South America -- Chile -- History.
Statement Leonardo León.
Series Research papers / University of London, Institute of Latin American Studies,, 29, Research papers (University of London. Institute of Latin American Studies) ;, 29.
LC Classifications F3069 .L46 1992
The wait is over. Markus Zusak, the author of "The Book Thief," the best-selling World War II drama that was made into a film starring Geoffrey . Great deals on 1st Edition Markus Zusak Antiquarian & Collectible Books. Get cozy and expand your home library with a large online selection of books at Fast & Free shipping on many items!
Markus Zusak is the award-winning, #1 bestselling author of The Book Thief, I Am the Messenger, Fighting Ruben Wolf, and Getting the Girl. His newest, much-anticipated novel, Bridge of Clay, will release in October He lives in Sydney, Australia, with his wife and children. Facts about Markus Zusak 6: The Messenger. In , The Messenger was published in the market. It made him receive the NSW Premier's Literary Award and CBC Book of the Year Award. In America, the book won the second place for Printz Award. Check Also: 10 Facts about Marie Lu. Facts about Markus Zusak 7: The Book Thief.
Born in Sydney, Australia, Markus Zusak began his career writing young adult fiction. The Underdog, Zusak's first novel, was published in and followed by two sequels, Fighting Ruben Wolfe () and When Dogs Cry (). Zusak's novel The Messenger was well received internationally, winning several awards including a Michael L. Printz Honor selection, a citation given for literary. A rich analysis of American avant-garde poetic forms and politics, The Zukofsky Era convincingly situates Objectivist poetry as a politically radical movement comprising a crucial chapter in American literary history. Scholars and students of modernism will find much to discuss in Jennison's theoretical study.
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Lonkos, curakas, and zupais by Leonardo LeoМЃn Download PDF EPUB FB2
Lonkos, Curakas and Zupais The Collapse and Re-Making of Tribal Society in Central Chile, A catalogu recore fod r this book i s available from the Britis Librarh y ISBN 0 75 8 5 Lonkos, Curaka ans d Zupais The Collaps ane d Re-Makin ogf Triba Societl y in Centra Chilel0.
Lonkos, curakas, and zupais: the collapse and re-making of tribal society in Central Chile, Lonkos, Curakas and Zupais: The Collapse and Re-making of Curakas Society in Central Chile, Lonkos, Curakas and Zupais - Free download as PDF File .pdf), Text File .txt) or read online for free.
Lonkos, Curakas and Zupais The collapse and re-making of tribal society in Central Chile, By L Leon and London Univ. (United Kingdom). Inst. of Latin American Studies. Abstract. Lonkos, Curakas and Zupais: The Collapse and Re-Making of Tribal Society in Central Chile, Author: Leonardo Leon.
Lonkos, Curakas, and Zupais: The collapse and re-making of and zupais book society in central And zupais book (University of London Institute of Latin American Studies Research Papers, Vol. 29). London: Curakas of Latin American Studies. Google ScholarAuthor: Jacob J. Sauer. This is the first in a series of cozy mystery novels, by author Jo Dereske, entitled Miss Zukas and and zupais book Library Murders (Miss Zukas Mysteries).It was a fun and entertaining read.
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First published in Great Britain by Heinemann Reissued by Egmont Books Limited Kensington High Street, London W8 6SA Text copyright. About Markus Zusak: Markus Zusak is an award winning Australian author of German descent.
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text:
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING RE SHORELINE ISSUES
Discussion ranged broadly.
a) Councillor Frank Hughes asked whether it is legal to use permit parking to control use of public beaches. Advice is to be sought. Deputy Mayor Gordon Salisbury said that action was necessary, legal or not.
b) Councillor Frank Hughes thinks it important that there be signs marking the boundaries of publicly owned land on the beach. Earl Evans (CAO/Clerk) said that owners can erect their own signs and fences.
c) Bob Buchkowsky is against reappointing the Parking Advisory Committee on the ground that it has no power to do anything and would spend all its time hearing complaints. Frank Hughes felt that the Committee was supposed to be an on-going source of recommendations for Council.
Some decisions appear to have been made, but there is no certainty until by-laws are passed.
PUBLIC MEETING RE NO SMOKING BY-LAW
Views were aired on both sides of the question in an orderly manner.
Evening Council Meeting ca 7:08 pm to 8:37 pm
CONFIDENTIAL/CLOSED SESSION: From 2:15 pm to 4:25 pm
BLAIRHAMPTON PROPERTIES UNPAID BILLS: These amount to more than $100,000. The final payment ($50,000) of the agreed upon monies in lieu of parkland has been due since the fall. The remainder has been due for a year. It was decided that the Township (taxpayers) should pay the $9,997 billed by Burgar Rowe and the Ainley Group for the peer review of Planning Partnership's report on the Pebble Ridge Development. (See the Council Report for February 12, 2001.) Council directed staff to stop all work on the Pebble Ridge OMB Appeal until the remaining balance of $42,910.54 is paid and said that it must be paid within 30 days. After the Closed Session (which was attended by the developer Mr. Lyle Blair), the following sentence was added to the motion, "An extension on the payment of this debt will be granted upon receipt by the Township of a signed confirmation from Blairhampton Properties Inc., that it accepts full responsibility for this debt and guarantees its full payment in the future."
MOTION TO DELAY BLAIRHAMPTON OMB HEARING WITHDRAWN: Council passed a confusing motion on December 10, concerning a "Stump Dump" (an old gravel pit used for stumps) in Concession 20 which had "a bearing on the outcome of the Pebble Ridge OMB Hearing" and which needed to "be rehabilitated and returned to the Township." Council moved that an adjournment of the OMB Hearing on the Pebble Ridge development and golf course be sought by the Township Solicitor so that the County of Simcoe (which owns the dump) and the Township could "explore the means by which the Stump Dump may be rehabilitated and then put to better use than is currently the case." It would seen that this "better use" has something to do with the proposed Pebble Ridge development. On the advice of the Township Solicitor, this motion has been withdrawn. The OMB hearing will go ahead on schedule.
THE FEDERATION'S DEPUTATION RE PRESENTATION OF WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS AT PLANNING MEETINGS REJECTED: The deputation argued that the way written submissions are presented at planning meetings is confusing to the public. The deputation asked that some thought be given to making this part of such meetings more graspable by the audience. Council decided to make no changes. Council "agreed that the present system works well." (For the Federation's deputation, click here.)
SHORELINE ISSUES: Council approved a $10 fee for parking permits for residents, $30 for non residents, to be used May 15-Sept. 15. Initially, 100 permits are to be available for sale to non-residents with the intention that 10% of permits sold be allotted to non-residents. The money raised is to be used for public beach maintenance and increased by-law staff. There is to be a place on the permit for the vehicle license number.
Council discussed doubling the number of permit parking spaces to 400. It decided not to put up signs marking the limits of township owned land on the beach. (It was stated that if any signs are to mark the beginning of private land, they will have to be erected by the owners themselves.)
On a motion by Councillor Frank Hughes, seconded by Councillor Pierre Paul Maurice and carried 5-0, the Township Engineer was instructed "to inform Council of the feasibility, budget and priority of":
a) replacing the middle red posts at Township waterfront property with boulders,
b) placing posts indicating the limits of Township property [on the beach],
c) landscaping the approaches to Township-owned beach property as natural paths.
REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: Council unanimously approved joining the new Regional Chamber at a whopping fee of $17,200, an increase of $15,700. [Is this a responsible use of tax dollars? Only $100,000 is collected in taxes from the industrial/commercial assessment in Tiny.]
SEPTIC SYSTEM RE-INSPECTION PROGRAM: There is a new report on the township website at http://www.township.tiny.on.ca – "Sewage System Re-Inspection Program." It presents a universal re-inspection program for Tiny and one which includes the imposition of a Holding Provision on all shore area properties currently zoned Seasonal Residential.
LONG WEEKEND COMMITTEE: This committee is to meet on the Wednesday before each summer long weekend to plan for traffic and the heavy influx of people. It is to be comprised of the CAO/Clerk, Fire Chief, Public Works Superintendent, By-law Officer, and representatives from the Midland OPP and Awenda Provincial Park.
DOG TAGS REVISITED: The bylaw officer says that dogs resident in Tiny need a license from Tiny Township, whether they live there just during the summer or right through the year. The rules say nothing about dogs briefly in the township, only that all dogs must have Tiny Township tags.


On 26 August, the final meeting of the PETRA-E Project was held in the Collège Européen des Traducteurs Littéraires de Seneffe. The Framework of Reference, now available in eight languages (Dutch, English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Spanish and Bulgarian – Portuguese to follow soon), was officially presented to Konrad Fuhrmann, a representative of the European Commission. Many institutions have already shown an interest in the Framework, and a number of launch events are being planned in different European countries. The project has also been evaluated very positively by all partners.
Following the official end of the project, on 1 September 2016, all of the partners (including CEATL) expressed a wish to continue the PETRA-E Network. The Network will aim to facilitate the implementation of the Framework and provide a space for discussion and collaboration. It will welcome new members, both academic and non-academic, who are committed to the PETRA-E Framework and its underlying principles, and wish to implement the Framework in their own institutions and programmes, contributing to its further development. The Network plans to hold regular meetings, the first of which is to take place in Spring 2017. The precise criteria for participating in the Network are yet to be determined.
Anyone interested can follow developments on the PETRA-E website (http://www NULL.petraeducation NULL.eu/) and its Facebook Page (https://www NULL.facebook NULL.com/petraeducationnetwork2016/).


OKI Europe Launches New High Volume A3 Colour Smart MFP | Industry Analysts, Inc.
Egham 13th September, 2017 – Designed for the demanding corporate business world where print volumes are large, deadlines tight and expectations of quality output are exceptionally high, the ES94x6 MFP Series of copier-based A3 colour smart multifunction printers (MFPs) are the latest addition to the ever expanding OKI Europe portfolio.
These stylish, high-powered MFPs with comprehensive paper input flexibility and full high capacity finishing capabilities are ideal for workgroups and departments producing reports, white papers and booklets as part of their day-to-day workflow. They are packed with up-to-the minute features such as a 9" tablet-style touch screen which includes, for example, swipe functionality, pinching in and out and drag and drop. Users can customise this screen, adding their own icons, including the company logo.
"With the launch of the ES94x6 MFP Series, OKI can truly say it has a device to meet the print workflow and document management needs of virtually every size and type of business, from personal A4 desktop printers to A3 departmental printers and MFPs. The ES94X6 MFP offers outstanding 1200×1200 dpi print quality and similar to our MC700/MB700 and MC800 Series, offers an impressive range of finishing options including inner finisher, inline multi staple and saddle stitch finishers." says Polfai Ng, Product Marketing Manager, OKI Europe Ltd.
OKI's new ES94x6 MFP comprises two models. The ES9466 MFP (35ppm) and the ES9476 MFP (50ppm) both stand out with super sleek black high gloss panels and are especially suited to high volume work with consumables designed to last longer to help reduce total cost of ownership. Despite their robust, heavy duty nature they have a smaller footprint than comparable MFPs and are super light-weight.
Multiple ES94x6 MFPs can securely share information such as user data, role data and the address book with others on the network. They also feature a multi-station print function option enabling 'pull printing' without the need of a server.
On the document management side, the option of an embedded OCR allows businesses to capture documents electronically so they can be managed digitally, and an embedded card reader makes the devices ideal for a managed print services approach.
Embedded sXP (smart Extendable Platform) enhances productivity by allowing users to electronically capture, distribute and manage document workflows.
300-sheet Dual Scan Document Feeder (DSDF) model scans documents at 240 images per minute (ipm) (300 dpi) in colour and mono.
100-sheet Reversing Automatic Document Feeder (RADF) model scans documents at 73ipm (300 dpi) in colour and mono.
Handles paper sizes from A6 to SRA3.
Prints on stock from 60 to 280gsm.
A4 printing and copying speeds: up to 50 pages per minute (ES9476 MFP).
High capacity toner cartridge delivers 38.4k mono and 33.6k colour output.
Finishing options include 2-tray Inner Finisher (IF), Multi-Stapling Finisher (MSF) and Saddle-Stitch Finisher (SSF).
Advanced security features including a secure hard disk drive with a secure data overwrite option, secure networking with SNMPv3 and SSL-Encryption preserve the confidentiality of sensitive data.
Eco features including sleep mode and reduced paper usage help reduce energy consumption, environmental impact and ongoing costs.
This entry was posted in OKI and tagged oki by IA Staff. Bookmark the permalink.


Nicholas McArdle began his career in repertory theatre before moving on to TV comedy where he worked with names such as The Goodies and Ken Dodd, and in numerous comedy series such as To the Manor Born and Terry and June. He has been heard as the voice of countless radio and television commercials, as well as many documentary and current affairs commentaries. His television appearances from Scotland include several single plays, serials — notably as Forbes in Strathblair and MacDougall Brown in Cloud Howe — and, of course, in Taggart. All in all, his television appearances total over 450.


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Tiny kitten with serious injuries beats the odds and is now loving life
Tati wasn't even a week old when she came to Best Friends with an injured leg, hip and dislocated knee, but today she's loving life with a kitty best friend
By:	Nicole Hamilton on December 30, 2019
Little Tati was just days old when she found herself facing a big obstacle. In fact, the kitten had barely begun to open her eyes when she came to the Best Friends Kitten Care Center in Salt Lake City. The tiny kitten had been found with serious injuries and she was brought to a municipal shelter in Sandy, Utah.
Life could only get better for Tati, and that's exactly what happened as soon as she arrived at Best Friends, where she got the medical attention she needed for her injuries and an unlimited supply of love in her foster home. Now Tati loves life so much that she wakes her adopter up every morning with licks when she's ready to start the day. Why sleep in when you could be having fun?
A lover and a fighter
When the Best Friends medical team examined Tati, they found that in addition to an injured rear leg and hip, she had a luxating patella — a kneecap that doesn't stay in its normal position. The best thing to do, the medical team decided, was to amputate Tati's leg. This would help her get around much easier, so she could finally get on with life as the fun-loving kitten she hadn't yet had the chance to be.
After Tati's surgery, she went to stay with Megan McCloud, the lifesaving lead at the Best Friends Lifesaving Center in Salt Lake City. She would remain under Megan's watchful eye while she healed.
It didn't take much time at all for Tati to start feeling better after her surgery. On her first night at Megan's place, Megan had to keep her in a cat tower because she kept trying to play with her fellow foster kitties. "She was always such a lover," says Megan. "She never let anything get in the way of getting petted or playing."
After about two weeks in her foster home, Tati was ready to head to the lifesaving center, where she met someone who decided to give her both a home and a best friend who would always be by her side.
A meaningful moment
Elena Zerkle visited the center planning to adopt a kitten, and it didn't take her long to decide who that would be. As soon as she started petting Tati, the kitten rested her little head on Elena's hand. In that sweet moment, Elena knew she wanted to adopt Tati.
There was another kitten there, however, who captured Elena's attention. Her name was Honeybear, and she was delightfully mischievous in the way that only kittens can be, and also very talkative and outgoing. Elena couldn't choose between Tati and Honeybear, so she adopted them both. It turned out to be a brilliant idea.
Stronger than she looks
At first, Tati was a bit shy in her new home, but with some coaxing from Honeybear, she started playing and running around with her. Elena hardly notices that Tati does everything on three legs. "She has no issues with jumping down from anywhere or jumping onto anything that isn't too tall," says Elena. "And she easily climbs on the cat tree and into a hanging shoe organizer that I have in my closet."
Today, Tati and Honeybear (now called Kikyo and Nyko) love to wake up Elena with purrs while gently pressing their faces against hers, which is a sure sign that life has come full circle for the kittens, and especially for little Tati. In fact, these days Tati feels comfortable enough to be herself, and she doesn't hold back.
"She has no problem knocking my phone out of my hand when she wants attention and always comes to lie on top of me. She loves sleeping on my chest or next to me under my blanket," says Elena. And Nyko likes to sleep on a pillow next to Elena's head.
Elena says her two kittens have brightened up her life. There's a new level of comfort around the house now, and Tati has taught her that looks can be deceiving. "She has shown me that even though she looks a bit more fragile, it definitely isn't the case," says Elena. "She is strong and very capable, just like any other cat."
Adopt a kitten (or two!) near you
kitten adoption, special needs


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Coroner: 5 Illinois warehouse victims shot multiple times
AURORA, Ill. — Autopsies on the five employees killed when a gunman opened fire in February at a suburban Chicago manufacturing plant have determined that all of them were shot more than once.
The (Aurora) Beacon-News reports that the reports released on Tuesday by the Kane County Coroner's Office concluded that none of the five victims was shot at close range.
The five employees of the Henry Pratt Co. in Aurora were working on Feb. 15 when fellow employee Gary Martin pulled out a gun and began firing after he was notified that he had been fired. Martin shot and wounded one other employee and five of the first police officers to arrive at the plant before he was killed during an exchange of gunfire with police.


A vocation to me means a call in our life to a holy living.
Whether one is called to be a nun or called to be a priest, brother or deacon, if you hear that calling, you must live it to the fullest.
But people cannot always hear this divine call by themselves. They need the help of religious leaders around them.
Priests play a huge role in spiritual growth for the youths around the Church.
Every homily or Gospel reading has the ability to reach out and touch a child or teenager, and open their eyes eternally to God's call to religious living.
Priests and deacons nurture the seed of the Word in every young adult's heart. Encouragement and nourishment may urge any youngster to become a priest, brother, deacon or nun.
Even if your vocation is to live in a faithful marriage and to raise your kids to know Jesus, a priest, deacon or nun may help. Religious leaders will always be there for help, advice and support.
Helping you recognize your vocation is what they do best. Advice-giving on how to fulfill a vocation is their specialty. They've been through this too, so support is the very best they can offer.
A life of prayer can help immensely in recognizing your call. Religious brothers and sisters can really help in this area of the faith. Picking out specific prayers and reciting them by your side is the least they can do to help.
The next step would be to go to them and write a prayer, pertaining to you, to help you hear God's call. The rest is up to you, your prayer life and God relaying his message.
Even if a person does not ask for help, a priest or another religious leader will be there willing to help. In Catholic grade schools, religious elders surround the young children with loving guidance and care.
In every parish or Church environment, a priest will be ready to help. Religious leaders show immense amounts of love, guidance and help in hearing God's call in your life.


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Abteilung für Funktionswerkstoffe der Medizin und der Zahnheilkunde
Tissue Engineering (2)
Adipose Tissue (1)
Colloidal Stability (1)
Fettgewebe (1)
Fibrin (1)
Functional hydrophilic polymers (1)
Gerichtete Erstarrung (1)
Gold-Nanoparticles (1)
Knochen (1)
Knorpel (1)
Feineis, Susanne (1)
Schmitz, Michael (1)
Schmitz, Tobias (1)
Stuckensen, Kai (1)
Wittmann, Katharina (1)
Fakultät für Chemie und Pharmazie (5) (remove)
Thioether-poly(glycidol) as multifunctional coating system for gold nanoparticles (2018)
Feineis, Susanne
The aim of this thesis was the development of a multifunctional coating system for AuNPs based on thioether polymers, providing both excellent colloidal stability and a variable possibility to introduce functionalities for biological applications. First, two thioether-polymer systems were synthesised as a systematic investigation into colloidal stabilisation efficacy. Besides commonly used monovalent poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-SR), its structural analogue linear poly(glycidol) (PG-SR) bearing multiple statistically distributed thioether moieties along the backbone was synthesised. Additionally, respective thiol analogues (PEG-SH and PG-SH) were produced and applied as reference. Successive modification of varyingly large AuNPs with aforementioned thiol- and thioether-polymers was performed via ligand exchange reaction on citrate stabilised AuNPs. An increased stabilisation efficacy of both thioether-polymers against biological and physiological conditions, as well as against freeze-drying compared to thiol analogues was determined. Based on the excellent colloidal stabilisation efficacy and multi-functionalisability of thioether-PG, a plethora of functional groups, such as charged groups, hydrophilic/hydrophobic chains, as well as bio-active moieties namely diazirine and biotin was introduced to the AuNP surface. Moreover, the generic and covalent binding of diazirine-modified PG-SR with biomolecules including peptides and proteins was thoroughly demonstrated. Lastly, diverse applicability and bioactivity of aforementioned modified particles in various studies was displayed, once more verifying the introduction of functionalities. On the one hand the electrostatic interaction of charged AuNPs with hydrogels based on hyaluronic acid was applied to tune the release kinetics of particles from three-dimensional scaffolds. On the other hand the strong complexation of siRNA onto two positively charged AuNPs was proven. The amount of siRNA payload was tuneable by varying the surface charge, ionic strength of the surrounding medium and the N/P ratio. Moreover, the biological activity and selectivity of the biotin-streptavidin conjugation was verified with respectively functionalised particles in controlled agglomeration test and in laser-triggered cell elimination experiments. In the latter, streptavidin-functionalised AuNPs resulted in excellent depletion of biotinylated cells whereas unfunctionalised control particles failed, excluding unspecific binding of these particles to the cell surface.
Functional hydrophilic polymers for chemoselective coupling (2016)
Schmitz, Michael
Chemoselective poly(oxazolines) (POx) and poly[(oligo ethylene glycol) acrylates] were synthesized. An initiator was produced for the preparation of poly(oxazoline)s capable of participating in click chemistry reactions which allows the functionalization of the polymer at the α terminus which was confirmed by 1H NMR spectroscopy. The initiator was used for the polymerization of hydrophilic 2 methyl 2 oxazoline (MeOx), whereby chemoselective, alkyne functionalized polymers could be prepared for Cu-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition. The desired molecular weight could be achieved through the living, ring opening cationic polymerization and was confirmed by 1H NMR, SEC and MALDI ToF measurements. Polymers were terminated with piperidine if no further functionalization was needed, or with an ester derivate for enabling amine attachment in a subsequent step. In addition, polymers were functionalized by termination with NaN3 in order to provide the counterpart to the azide–alkyne reaction. IR spectroscopy was suitable for the azide detection. The coupling of polymers showed the reactivity and could be confirmed by SEC, 1H NMR and IR spectroscopy. The composition of cysteine functionalized POx was completed by thiol–ene chemistry. Since the commercially available iso 2 propyl 2 oxazoline is not available for the cationic polymerization, 2 butenyl and 2 decenyl 2 oxazoline (ButenOx and DecenOx) were first prepared. The synthesis of both copolymers, based on MeOx could be confirmed by 1H NMR as well as with SEC, whereby narrow distributions with dispersities of 1.06 could be achieved. The cysteine functionalization of the copolymers was enabled by the creation of a thiazolidine component which could be synthesized by acetal and formyl protection of cysteine and subsequent functionalization with a thiol. The component enabled the reaction with a polymer by thiol–ene reaction which was started by the addition of dimethoxyphenyl-acetophenone and was catalyzed by irradiation with UV light. Both copolymers, with a shorter (polymers with BuenOx) and longer (polymers with DecenOx) hydrophobic sidechain could be functionalized. 1H NMR spectroscopic analysis showed a quantitative reaction with the thiazolidine derivate. After deprotection by acidic workup the desired, cysteine functionalized polymer could be isolated. Quantification of cysteine functions was ensured by a modified TNBSA assay, whereby the thiols were first oxidized in order to confirm an independent measurement of amine functions. Both, the TNBSA assay as well as the NMR measurement showed the desired number of cysteine residues. The cytotoxicity of functionalized polymers with different compositions was tested by a luminescent cell viability assay (LCVA). Both, the amount of cysteine functions (5–10%) in the copolymers as well as the length of the hydrophobic side chain were varied. All polymers did not show cytotoxicity up to concentrations of 10 mg∙mL-1. The cell activity and cell numbers only decreased below 50% and 20% respectively, when copolymers with 5% cysteine and longer sidechains were measured, which was attributed to a contamination of the sample itself. The cooperation partner performed Native Chemical Ligation (NCL) with model peptides and purified the products by HPLC. A sterically non demanding peptide was synthesized, consisting of an aromatic amino acid and four glycine units. The aromatic unit was used for the quantification of the polymer–peptide conjugate in the 1H NMR spectroscopy. A polymer having five cysteine side chains has been fully implemented by NCL to a conjugate of one polymer with five peptides. A sterically more demanding peptide was additionally used and MALDI ToF measurements confirmed the successful conjugation. Furthermore the cysteine functionalized polymer was used for nanogel synthesis. The thiol of the cysteine function was oxidized in an inverse mini-emulsion by H2O2, resulting in nanogels (~500 nm) which could be confirmed by SEM, AFM, DLS and NTA measurements. Besides POx, oligo (ethylene glycol)acrylates (OEGA) were polymerized; by copolymerization with the reactive pentafluorophenyl acrylate (PFPA) reactive and amphiphilic polymers were obtained. The synthesis of PFPA could be confirmed spectroscopically by 1H , 19F NMR, and by FT IR. Copolymers were synthesized by RAFT polymerization with narrow dispersities. Functionalization with an amine functionalized thiazolidine led to a hydrophilic cysteine functionalized polymer after acidic deprotection. Apart from this polymer, a thioester functionalization was successfully performed by reaction of the active polymer with a cyclic amine functionalized thioester which does not release a toxic by product (such as the resulting thiol) during NCL and thus features a very high potential to replace former thioester.
Fabrication of hierarchical cell carrier matrices for tissue regeneration by directional solidification (2016)
Stuckensen, Kai
The key hypothesis of this work represented the question, if mimicking the zonal composition and structural porosity of musculoskeletal tissues influences invading cells positively and leads to advantageous results for tissue engineering. Conventional approaches in tissue engineering are limited in producing monolithic "scaffolds" that provide locally variating biological key signals and pore architectures, imitating the alignment of collagenous fibres in bone and cartilage tissues, respectively. In order to fill this gap in available tissue engineering strategies, a new fabrication technique was evolved for the production of scaffolds to validate the hypothesis. Therefore, a new solidification based platform procedure was developed. This process comprises the directional solidification of multiple flowable precursors that are "cryostructured" to prepare a controlled anisotropic pore structure. Porous scaffolds are attained through ice crystal removal by lyophilisation. Optionally, electrostatic spinning of polymers may be applied to provide an external mesh on top or around the scaffolds. A consolidation step generates monolithic matrices from multi zonal structures. To serve as matrix for tissue engineering approaches or direct implantation as medical device, the scaffold is sterilized.	An Adjustable Cryostructuring Device (ACD) was successively developed; individual parts were conceptualized by computer aided design (CAD) and assembled. During optimisation, a significant performance improvement of the ACDs accessible external temperature gradient was achieved, from (1.3 ± 0.1) K/mm to (9.0 ± 0.1) K/mm. Additionally, four different configurations of the device were made available that enabled the directional solidification of collagenous precursors in a highly controlled manner with various sample sizes and shapes. By using alginate as a model substance the process was systematically evaluated. Cryostructuring diagraphs were analysed yielding solidification parameters, which were associated to pore sizes and alignments that were determined by image processing. Thereby, a precise control over pore size and alignment through electrical regulation of the ACD could be demonstrated. To obtain tissue mimetic scaffolds for the musculoskeletal system, collagens and calcium phosphates had to be prepared to serve as raw materials. Extraction and purification protocols were established to generate collagen I and collagen II, while the calcium phosphates brushite and hydroxyapatite were produced by precipitation reactions.	Besides the successive augmentation of the ACD also an optimization of the processing steps was crucial. Firstly, the concentrations and the individual behaviour of respective precursor components had to be screened. Together with the insights gained by videographic examination of solidifying collagen solutions, essential knowledge was gained that facilitated the production of more complex scaffolds. Phenomena of ice crystal growth during cryostructuring were discussed. By evolutionary steps, a cryostructuring of multi-layered precursors with consecutive anisotropic pores could be achieved and successfully transferred from alginate to collagenous precursors. Finally, very smooth interfaces that were hardly detectable by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) could be attained. For the used collagenous systems, a dependency relation between adjustable processing parameters and different resulting solidification morphologies was created.	Dehydrothermal-, diisocyanate-, and carbodiimide- based cross linking methods were evaluated, whereby the "zero length" cross linking by carbodiimide was found to be most suitable. Afterwards, a formulation for the cross linking solution was elaborated, which generated favourable outcomes by application inside a reduced pressure apparatus. As a consequence, a pore collapse during wet chemical cross linking could be avoided.	Complex monolithic scaffolds featuring continuous pores were fabricated that mimicked structure and respective composition of different areas of native tissues by the presence of biochemical key stimulants. At first, three types of bone scaffolds were produced from collagen I and hydroxyapatite with appropriate sizes to fit critical sized defects in rat femurs. They either featured an isotropic or anisotropic porosity and partly also contained glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Furthermore, meniscus scaffolds were prepared by processing two precursors with biomimetic contents of collagen I, collagen II and GAGs. Here, the pore structures were created under boundary conditions, which allowed an ice crystal growth that was nearly orthogonal to the external temperature gradient. Thereby, the preferential alignment of collagen fibres in the natural meniscus tissue could be mimicked. Those scaffolds owned appropriate sizes for cell culture in well plates or even an authentic meniscus shape and size. Finally, osteochondral scaffolds, sized to either fit well plates or perfusion reactors for cell culture, were fabricated to mimic the composition of subchondral bone and different cartilage zones. Collagen I and the resorbable calcium phosphate brushite were used for the subchondral zone, whereas the cartilage zones were composed out of collagen I, collagen II and tissue mimetic contents of GAGs. The pore structure corresponded to the one that is dominating the volume of natural osteochondral tissue.	Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and SEM were used to analyse the composition and pore structure of the individual scaffold zones, respectively. The cross section pore diameters were determined to (65 ± 25) µm, (88 ± 35) µm and(93 ± 42) µm for the anisotropic, the isotropic and GAG containing isotropic bone scaffolds. Furthermore, the meniscus scaffolds showed pore diameters of (93 ± 21) µm in the inner meniscus zone and (248 ± 63) µm inside the outer meniscus zone. Pore sizes of (82 ± 25) µm, (83 ± 29) µm and (85 ± 39) µm were present inside the subchondral, the lower chondral and the upper chondral zone of osteochondral scaffolds. Depending on the fabrication parameters, the respective scaffold zones were also found to feature a specific micro- and nanostructure at their inner surfaces.	Degradation studies were carried out under physiological conditions and resulted in a mean mass loss of (0.52 ± 0.13) %, (1.56 ± 0.10) % and (0.80 ± 0.10) % per day for bone, meniscus and osteochondral scaffolds, respectively. Rheological measurements were used to determine the viscosity changes upon cooling of different precursors. Micro computer tomography (µ-CT) investigations were applied to characterize the 3D microstructure of osteochondral scaffolds. To obtain an osteochondral scaffold with four zones of tissue mimetic microstructure alignment, a poly (D, L-lactide-co-glycolide) mesh was deposited on the upper chondral zone by electrostatic spinning. In case of the bone scaffolds, the retention / release capacity of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) was evaluated by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Due to the high presence of attractive BMP binding sites, only less than 0.1 % of the initially loaded cytokine was released. The suitability of combining the cryostructuring process with 3D powder printed calcium phosphate substrates was evaluated with osteochondral scaffolds, but did not appear to yield more preferable results than the non-combined approach.	A new custom build confined compression setup was elaborated together with a suitable evaluation procedure for the mechanical characterisation under physiological conditions. For bone and cartilage scaffolds, apparent elastic moduli of (37.6 ± 6.9) kPa and (3.14 ± 0.85) kPa were measured. A similar behaviour of the scaffolds to natural cartilage and bone tissue was demonstrated in terms of elastic energy storage. Under physiological frequencies, less than 1.0 % and 0.8 % of the exerted energy was lost for bone and cartilage scaffolds, respectively. With average relaxation times of (0.613 ± 0.040) sec and (0.815 ± 0.077) sec, measured for the cartilage and bone scaffolds, they respond four orders of magnitude faster than the native tissues. Additionally, all kinds of produced scaffolds were able to withstand cyclic compression at un-physiological frequencies as high as 20 Hz without a loss in structural integrity. With the presented new method, scaffolds could be fabricated whose extent in mimicking of native tissues exceeded the one of scaffolds producible by state of the art methods. This allowed a testing of the key hypothesis: The biological evaluation of an anisotropic pore structure in vivo revealed a higher functionality of immigrated cells and led finally to advantageous healing outcomes. Moreover, the mimicking of local compositions in combination with a consecutive anisotropic porosity that approaches native tissue structures could be demonstrated to induce zone specific matrix remodelling in stem cells in vitro. Additionally, clues for a zone specific chondrogenic stem cell differentiation were attained without the supplementation of growth factors.	Thereby, the hypothesis that an increased approximation of the hierarchically compositional and structurally anisotropic properties of musculoskeletal tissues would lead to an improved cellular response and a better healing quality, could be confirmed. With a special focus on cell free in situ tissue engineering approaches, the insights gained within this thesis may be directly transferred to clinical regenerative therapies.
Functional coatings by physical vapor deposition (PVD) for biomedical applications (2016)
Schmitz, Tobias
Metals are the most used materials for implant devices, especially in orthopedics, but despite their long history of application issues such as material failure through wear and corrosion remain unsolved leading to a certain number of revision surgeries. Apart from the problems associated with insufficient material properties, another serious issue is an implant associated infection due to the formation of a biofilm on the surface of the material after implantation. Thus, improvements in implant technology are demanded, especially since there is a projected rise of implants needed in the future. Surface modification methods such as physical vapour deposition (PVD), oxygen diffusion hardening and electrochemical anodization have shown to be efficient methods to improve the surfaces of metallic bulk materials regarding biomedical issues. This thesis was focused on the development of functional PVD coatings that are suitable for further treatment with surface modification techniques originally developed for bulk metals. The aim was to precisely adjust the surface properties of the implant according to the targeted application to prevent possible failure mechanisms such as coating delamination, wear or the occurrence of post-operative infections. Initially,  tantalum layers with approx 5 µm thickness were deposited at elevated substrate temperatures on cp Ti by RF magnetron sputtering. Due to the high affinity of tantalum to oxygen, these coatings are known to provide a self healing capacity since the rapid oxide formation is known to close surface cracks. Here, the work aimed to reduce the abrupt change of mechanical properties between the hard and brittle coating and the ductile substrate by creating an oxygen diffusion zone. It was found that the hardness and adhesion could be significantly increased when the coatings were treated afterwards by oxygen diffusion hardening in a two step process. Firstly, the surface was oxidized at a pressure of 6.7•10-3 mbar at 350 450 °C, followed by 1-2 h annealing in oxygen-free atmosphere at the same temperature leading to a diffusion of oxygen atoms into deeper parts of the substrate as proved by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The hereby caused mechanical stress in the crystal lattice led to an increase in Vickers hardness of the Ta layers from 570 HV to over 900 HV. Investigations into the adhesion of oxygen diffusion treated samples by Rockwell measurements demonstrated an increase of critical force for coating delamination from 12 N for untreated samples up to 25 N for diffusion treated samples. In a second approach, the development of modular targets aimed to produce functional coatings by metallic doping of titanium with biologically active agents. This was demonstrated by the fabrication of antimicrobial Ti(Ag) coatings using a single magnetron sputtering source equipped with a titanium target containing implemented silver modules under variation of bias voltage and substrate temperature. The deposition of both Ti and Ag was confirmed by X-ray diffraction and a clear correlation between the applied sputtering parameters and the silver content of the coatings was demonstrated by ICP-MS and EDX. Surface-sensitive XPS measurements revealed that higher substrate temperatures led to an accumulation of Ag in the near-surface region, while the application of a bias voltage had the opposite effect. SEM and AFM microscopy revealed that substrate heating during film deposition supported the formation of even and dense surface layers with small roughness values, which could even be enforced by applying a substrate bias voltage. Additional elution measurements using ICP-MS showed that the release kinetics depended on the amount of silver located at the film surface and hence could be tailored by variation of the sputter parameters. In a final step, the applied Ti and Ti(Ag) coatings deposited on cp Ti, stainless steel (316L) and glass substrates were subsequently nanostructured using a self-ordering process induced by electrochemical anodization in aqueous fluoride containing electrolytes. SEM analysis showed that nanotube arrays could be grown from the Ti and Ti(Ag) coatings deposited at elevated temperatures on any substrate, whereby no influence of the substrate on nanotube morphology could be observed. EDX measurements indicated that the anodization process led to the selective etching of Ti from Ti(Ag) coating. Further experiments on coatings deposited on glass surfaces revealed that moderate substrate temperatures during deposition resulting in smooth Ti layers as determined by AFM measurements, are favorable for the generation of highly ordered nanotube arrays. Such arrays exhibited superhydrophilic behavior as proved by contact angle measurements. XRD analysis revealed that the nanostructured coatings were amorphous after anodization but could be crystallized to anatase structure by thermal treatment at temperatures of 450°C.
Adipose Tissue Engineering - Development of Volume-Stable 3-Dimensional Constructs and Approaches Towards Effective Vascularization (2014)
Wittmann, Katharina
Adipose tissue defects and related pathologies still represent major challenges in reconstructive surgery. Based on to the paradigm 'replace with alike', adipose tissue is considered the ideal substitute material for damaged soft tissue [1-3]. Yet the transfer of autologous fat, particularly larger volumes, is confined by deficient and unpredictable long term results, as well as considerable operative morbidity at the donor and recipient site [4-6], calling for innovative treatment options to improve patient care. With the aim to achieve complete regeneration of soft tissue defects, adipose tissue engineering holds great promise to provide functional, biologically active adipose tissue equivalents. Here, especially long-term maintenance of volume and shape, as well as sufficient vascularization of engineered adipose tissue represent critical and unresolved challenges [7-9]. For adipose tissue engineering approaches to be successful, it is thus essential to generate constructs that retain their initial volume in vivo, as well as to ensure their rapid vascularization to support cell survival and differentiation for full tissue regeneration [9,10]. Therefore, it was the ultimate goal of this thesis to develop volume-stable 3D adipose tissue constructs and to identify applicable strategies for sufficient vascularization of engineered constructs. The feasibility of the investigated approaches was verified by translation from in vitro to in vivo as a critical step for the advancement of potential regenerative therapies. For the development of volume-stable constructs, the combination of two biomaterials with complementary properties was successfully implemented. In contrast to previous approaches in the field using mainly non-degradable solid structures for mechanical protection of developing adipose tissue [11-13], the combination of a cell-instructive hydrogel component with a biodegradable porous support structure of adequate texture was shown advantageous for the generation of volume-stable adipose tissue. Specifically, stable fibrin hydrogels previously developed in our group [14] served as cell carrier and supported the adipogenic development of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) as reflected by lipid accumulation and leptin secretion. Stable fibrin gels were thereby shown to be equally supportive of adipogenesis compared to commercial TissuCol hydrogels in vitro. Using ASCs as a safe source of autologous cells [15,16] added substantial practicability to the approach. To enhance the mechanical strength of the engineered constructs, porous biodegradable poly(ε caprolactone)-based polyurethane (PU) scaffolds were introduced as support structures and shown to exhibit adequately sized pores to host adipocytes as well as interconnectivity to allow coherent tissue formation and vascularization. Low wettability and impaired cell attachment indicated that PU scaffolds alone were insufficient in retaining cells within the pores, yet cytocompatibility and differentiation of ASCs were adequately demonstrated, rendering the PU scaffolds suitable as support structures for the generation of stable fibrin/PU composite constructs (Chapter 3). Volume-stable adipose tissue constructs were generated by seeding the pre-established stable fibrin/PU composites with ASCs. Investigation of size and weight in vitro revealed that composite constructs featured enhanced stability relative to stable fibrin gels alone. Comparing stable fibrin gels and TissuCol as hydrogel components, it was found that TissuCol gels were less resilient to degradation and contraction. Composite constructs were fully characterized, showing good cell viability of ASCs and strong adipogenic development as indicated by functional analysis via histological Oil Red O staining of lipid vacuoles, qRT-PCR analysis of prominent adipogenic markers (PPARγ, C/EBPα, GLUT4, aP2) and quantification of leptin secretion. In a pilot study in vivo, investigating the suitability of the constructs for transplantation, stable fibrin/PU composites provided with a vascular pedicle gave rise to areas of well-vascularized adipose tissue, contrasted by insufficient capillary formation and adipogenesis in constructs implanted without pedicle. The biomaterial combination of stable fibrin gels and porous biodegradable PU scaffolds was thereby shown highly suitable for the generation of volume-stable adipose tissue constructs in vivo, and in addition, the effectiveness of immediate vascularization upon implantation to support adipose tissue formation was demonstrated (Chapter 4). Further pursuing the objective to investigate adequate vascularization strategies for engineered adipose tissue, hypoxic preconditioning was conducted as a possible approach for in vitro prevascularization. In 2D culture experiments, analysis on the cellular level illustrated that the adipogenic potential of ASCs was reduced under hypoxic conditions when applied in the differentiation phase, irrespective of the oxygen tension encountered by the cells during expansion. Hypoxic treatment of ASCs in 3D constructs prepared from stable fibrin gels similarly resulted in reduced adipogenesis, whereas endothelial CD31 expression as well as enhanced leptin and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion indicated that hypoxic treatment indeed resulted in a pro-angiogenic response of ASCs. Especially the observed profound regulation of leptin production by hypoxia and the dual role of leptin as adipokine and angiogenic modulator were considered an interesting connection advocating further study. Having confirmed the hypothesis that hypoxia may generate a pro-angiogenic milieu inside ASC-seeded constructs, faster vessel ingrowth and improved vascularization as well as an enhanced tolerance of hypoxia-treated ASCs towards ischemic conditions upon implanatation may be expected, but remain to be verified in rodent models in vivo (Chapter 5). Having previously been utilized for bone and cartilage engineering [17-19], as well as for revascularization and wound healing applications [20-22], stromal-vascular fraction (SVF) cells were investigated as a novel cell source for adipose tissue engineering. Providing cells with adipogenic differentiation as well as vascularization potential, the SVF was applied with the specific aim to promote adipogenesis and vascularization in engineered constructs in vivo. With only basic in vitro investigations by Lin et al. addressing the SVF for adipose repair to date [23], the present work thoroughly investigated SVF cells for adipose tissue construct generation in vitro, and in particular, pioneered the application of these cells for adipose tissue engineering in vivo. Initial in vitro experiments compared SVF- and ASC-seeded stable fibrin constructs in different medium compositions employing preadipocyte (PGM-2) and endothelial cell culture medium (EGM-2). It was found that a 1:1 mixture of PGM-2 and EGM-2, as previously established for co-culture models of adipogenesis [24], efficiently maintained cells with adipogenic and endothelial potential in SVF-seeded constructs in short and long-term culture setups. Observations on the cellular level were supported by analysis of mRNA expression of characteristic adipogenic and endothelial markers. In preparation of the evaluation of SVF-seeded constructs under in vivo conditions, a whole mount staining (WMS) method, facilitating the 3D visualization of adipocytes and blood vessels, was successfully established and optimized using native adipose tissue as template (Chapter 6). In a subcutaneous nude mouse model, SVF cells were, for the first time in vivo, elucidated for their potential to support the functional assembly of vascularized adipose tissue. Investigating the effect of adipogenic precultivation of SVF-seeded stable fibrin constructs in vitro prior to implantation on the in vivo outcome, hormonal induction was shown beneficial in terms of adipocyte development, whereas a strong vascularization potential was observed when no adipogenic inducers were added. Via histological analysis, it was proven that the developed structures were of human origin and derived from the implanted cells. Applying SVF cells without precultivation in vitro but comparing two different fibrin carriers, namely stable fibrin and TissuCol gels, revealed that TissuCol profoundly supported adipose formation by SVF cells in vivo. This was contrasted by only minor SVF cell development and a strong reduction of cell numbers in stable fibrin gels implanted without precultivation. Histomorphometric analysis of adipocytes and capillary structures was conducted to verify the qualitative results, concluding that particularly SVF cells in TissuCol were highly suited for adipose regeneration in vivo. Employing the established WMS technique, the close interaction of mature adipocytes and blood vessels in TissuCol constructs was impressively shown and via species-specific human vimentin staining, the expected strong involvement of implanted SVF cells in the formation of coherent adipose tissue was confirmed (Chapter 7). With the development of biodegradable volume-stable adipose tissue constructs, the application of ASCs and SVF cells as two promising cell sources for functional adipose regeneration, as well as the thorough evaluation of strategies for construct vascularization in vitro and in vivo, this thesis provides valuable solutions to current challenges in adipose tissue engineering. The presented findings further open up new perspectives for innovative treatments to cure soft tissue defects and serve as a basis for directed approaches towards the generation of clinically applicable soft tissue substitutes.


Oh! blessed souls? samayik worship is of nouse without the sense of fraternity and impartiality therefore like kesari carry on samayik worship by which you can gain all the types of pleasures.
One who conducts samayik without the spirit of impartiality and fraternity is a big fool adding salt to milk.
There was a monarch named Ripumardan – a foefighter in the city named shreenivas where the goddess of wealth laxmi herself used to reside permanently. There was a master named samarsinh in the city. He was bent to noble deeds.
He had a son named kesari who by nature was jealous, arrogant addicted and perverted he was as if a disaster to the destiny of the family.
Therefore his father samarsinh drove out his son kesari from the family in the presence of the people. Now he became more unrestrained and started stealing from the people's houses.
He was thus stealing in the city. Once a king asked the courtiers, "Who is this thief ? Whose son is he ?
Kesari's father samarsinh seated in the court said with folded hands," Maharaj! this wicked is my son whom I have driven out from my family.
Not to eat without stealing is his motto. you can now understand everything regarding him.
Once upon a time wicked Kesari was standing on the bank of the tank and was thinking. Meanwhile an ascetie with padukasfoot wear came over there through the space. He began to bathe and wash keeping his padukas on the bank of the tank . Meanwhile kesari took away his padukas and disappeared soon.
By the effect of Padukas Kesari all alone used to steal safely. He therefore turned out for the public an incurable disease.
"Oh mother goddess! if, by your grace, I succeed to steal safely I shall donate s half of it it you' on hearing his words the goddess gave a consent to him. Then he became a seasoned thief.
On hearing his words the ruler realised the secret of the theft and with his mighty military sat stealthily in the temple.
In a shrt time the thieft arrived. Depending on no one he kept the padukas in his hands and began to worship the goddes. Meanwhile the king came and cried out, so the thief having wom padukas flied away like a bird.
"Oh! the thief fless, the thief fless' cried out the king so the soldiers shouting ran after him.
Certainly my vow will be violated because this day elapses without any theft.
Thus thinking and walking after that thief saw a wise and learned man on the land before conglomeration preaching thus sermons.
Oh souls! you should possess a divine diamond which can not be had even with a plenty of wealth you have therefore received such a diamond in the form of a human incarnation.
I have not stolen such a rare diamond until now, what should I do ? Thinking thus he made his ear alert to hear the monk.
Samayik is the only diamond which is rare even to the gods. Therefore it should be protected from the evils and enemies named Raga and Dwesh i.e. attachment and envy.
An outer show is demonstrated in the noble deeds like offering alms etc. But for samayik it is not essential Devotees day and night according to circumstances should conduct and camyon samayik.
On hearing the words of the wise monk he wished to observe samayik and made up his mind to start this vigilance.
Jineshwar Lords consider the mental spirit the best of all amidst brain, body and speech because the mental malice leads a soul a human being to the seventh hell and if the mind is pure and pious it helps him to have salvation..
That thief kesari being laghukarmi lucky to lead a noble life achieved externally complete knowledge leaers of the details arrived there and celebrated his realisation of the complete external knowledge.
Kevali kesari wore the special dress offered by the gods and sat on the golden lotus having a thousand petals. He also preached sermons before the gods.
Then the king came there on seeing the behaviour of kesari he was extremely astonished Oh! what a wonder of destiny and deeds! just you see!
Omniscient kesari said to the king, "Oh King! see the greatness of samayik. Through its observation within a half of the moment I could obtain spiritual bliss and blessing.
oblige the people he began wandering on the earth.
Thus preaching people for long kesari Muni having destroyed all the deeds including Ghati and Aghati realised salvation. The king and wise people should consider it the result of samayik vigilance.


text:
UN human rights chief: IDF uses disproportionate force at Gaza border
Bachelet made her statements about Israel in a speech on global inequity that she delivered to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, which is holding its 40th session this month.
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet. (photo credit: REUTERS)
Israeli soldiers act with disproportionate force against Palestinian protesters at the Gaza border, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said on Wednesday.
Bachelet noted that it is almost a year since the Hamas-led protests on the Gaza border, known as the March of Return, have begun.
"The end of this month will mark one year since the start of demonstrations which – as the Council's Commission of Inquiry reported – have been met with deadly, disproportionate force by the Israeli Security Forces, leading to a very high toll of killings and injuries," Bachelet said.
Bachelet addressed human rights issues in some 20 countries, including those stemming from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She spent more time talking about Israel than almost any other country and barely mentioned Iran.
Her speech came less than a week after the UNHRC's Commission of Inquiry on the Gaza border protests declared that it had determined that the protests were largely peaceful, with one investigator accusing the IDF of deliberately shooting children.
Israel asserts that the demonstrations are violent riots in which Palestinians are attacking military and civilian targets as they attempt to infiltrate into Israel through the Gaza border.
More than 220 Palestinians have been killed since those protests began on March 30 and one Israeli soldier was killed by IDF sniper fire. The UNHRC's Commission of Inquiry examined 189 of those deaths that occurred in the first nine months of the protest.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the report stating: "The council is setting new records for hypocrisy and mendacity out of an obsessive hatred of Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East. It is Hamas which fires missiles at Israeli citizens, throws explosive devices and carries out terrorist activity during the violent demonstrations along the fence."
Bachelet responded on Wednesday: "I was disappointed to see the immediate dismissal of that report by Israel without addressing any of the very serious issues raised. All parties concerned should exercise restraint as March 30 [the anniversary of the beginning of the March of Return protests] approaches."
Regarding Israel's restriction on the flow of goods into Gaza, Bachelet said that it has "led to negative economic growth; environmental degradation; over 50% unemployment, even higher for youth; and the reliance of more than 70% of people on humanitarian assistance, primarily food. It could be said that the major product of Gaza's economy is despair."
Bachelet, who views the West Bank as occupied territory, said that Israeli settlements there "affect all aspects of Palestinians' daily lives, including significant negative impact on freedom of movement and access to work, education and healthcare. Imposing economic hardship on Palestinians does not make Israelis safer."
She also said she regretted Israel's decision to end the mission of the Temporary International Presence in Hebron. Bachelet said the mission had "helped to prevent and mitigate some human rights violations in a frequently challenging context. It will be essential to ensure continued humanitarian access and protection."
Her speech also highlighted the Trump administration's treatment of migrants at the United States-Mexican border and its policy of separating children from their parents.
"In the United States of America, the new Migrant Protection Protocols which restrict access to asylum and other forms of human rights protection – and push migrants back across the border to wait for their proceedings without due process or safeguards – are a source of concern," she wrote. "A recent report by the inspector-general for the United States Department of Health and Human Services indicates that thousands more migrant children have been separated from their families than had been previously reported."


text:
Are umpires biased in favor of star pitchers? Part II
Last post, I talked about the study (.pdf) that found umpires grant more favorable calls to All-Stars because the umps unconsciously defer to their "high status." I suggested alternative explanations that seemed more plausible than "status bias."
Here are a few more possibilities, based on the actual coefficient estimates from the regression itself.
(For this post, I'll mostly be talking about the "balls mistakenly called as strikes" coefficients, the ones in Table 3 of the paper.)
1. The coefficient for "right-handed batter" seems way too high: -0.532. That's so big, I wondered whether it was a typo, but apparently it's not.
How big? Well, to suffer as few bad calls as his right-handed teammate, a left-handed batter would have to be facing a pitcher with 11 All-Star appearances.
The likely explanation seems to be: umpires don't call strikes by the PITCHf/x (rulebook) standard, and the differences are bigger for lefty batters than righties. Mike Fast wrote, in 2010,
"Many analysts have shown that the average strike zone called by umpires extends a couple of inches outside the rulebook zone to right-handed hitters and several more inches beyond that to left-handed hitters."
That's consistent with the study's findings in a couple of ways. First, in the other regression, for "strikes mistakenly called as balls", the equivalent coefficient is less than a tenth the size, at -0.047. Which makes sense: if the umpires' strike zone is "too big", it will affect undeserved strikes more than undeserved balls.
Second: the two coefficients go in the same direction. You wouldn't expect that, right? You'd expect that if lefty batters get more undeserved strikes, they'd also get fewer undeserved balls. But this coefficient is negative both cases. That suggests something external and constant, like the PITCHf/x strike zone overestimating the real one.
And, of course, if the problem is umpires not matching the rulebook, the entire effect could just be that control pitchers are more often hitting the "illicit" part of the zone. Which is plausible, since that's the part that's closest to the real zone.
2. The "All-Star" coefficient drops when it's interacted with control. Moreover, it drops further for pitchers with poor control than pitchers with good control.
Perhaps, if there *is* a "status" effect, it's only for the very best pitchers, the ones with the best control. Otherwise, you have to believe that umpires are very sensitive to "status" differences between marginal pitchers' control rates.
For instance, going into the 2009 season, say, J.C. Romero had a career 12.5% BB/PA rate, while Warner Madrigal's was 9.1%. According to the regression model, you'd expect umpires to credit Madrigal with 37% more undeserved strikes than Warner. Are umpires really that well calibrated?
Suppose I'm right, and all the differences in error rates really accrue to only the very best control pitchers. Since the model assumes the effect is linear all the way down the line, the regression will underestimate the best and worst control pitchers, and overestimate the average ones. (That's what happens when you fit a straight line to a curve; you can see an example in the pictures here.)
Since the best control pitchers are underestimated, the regression tries to compensate by jiggling one of the other coefficients, something that correlates with only those pitchers with the very best control. The candidate it settles on: All-Star appearances.
Which would explain why the All-Star coefficient is high, and why it's high mostly for pitchers with good control.
3. The pitch's location, as you would expect, makes a big difference. The further outside the strike zone, the lower the chance that it will be mistakenly called a strike.
The "decay rate" is huge. A pitch that's 0.1 feet outside the zone (1.2 inches) has only 43 percent the odds of being called a strike as one that's right on the border (0 feet). A pitch 0.2 feet outside has only 18 percent the odds (43 percent squared). And so on.*
(* Actually, the authors used a quadratic to estimate the effect -- which makes sense, since you'd expect the decay rate to increase. If the error rate at 0.1 feet is, say, 10 percent, you wouldn't expect the rate for 1 foot to be 1 percent. It would be much closer to zero. But the quadratic term isn't that big, it turns out, so I'll ignore it for simplicity. That just renders this argument more conservative.)
The regression coefficient, per foot outside, was 8.292. The coefficient for a single All-Star appearance was 0.047.
So an All-Star appearance is worth 1/176 of a foot -- which is a bit more than 1/15 of an inch.
That's the main regression. For the one with the lower value for All-Star appearances, it's only an eighteenth of an inch.
Isn't it more plausible to think that the good pitchers are deceptive enough to fool the umpire by 1/15 inches per pitch, rather than that the umpire is responding to their status?
Or, isn't it more likely that the good pitchers are hitting the "extra" parts of the umpires' inflated strike zone, at an increased rate of one inch per 15 balls?
4. The distance from the edge of the strike zone is, I assume, "as the crow flies." So, a high pitch down the middle of the plate is treated as the same distance as a high pitch that's just on the inside edge.
But, you'd think that the "down the middle" pitch has a better chance of being mistakenly called a strike than the "almost outside" pitch. And isn't it also plausible that control pitchers will have a different ratio of the two types than those with poor control?
Also, a pitch that's 1 inch high and 1 inch outside registers as the same distance as a pitch over the plate that's 1.4 inches high. Might umpires not be evaluating two-dimensional balls differently than one-dimensional balls?
And, of course: umpires might be calling low balls differently than high balls, and outside pitches differently from inside pitches. If pitchers with poor control throw to the inside part of the plate more than All-Stars (say), and the umpires seldom err on balls inside because of the batter's reaction, that alone could explain the results.
All these explanations may strike you as speculative. But, are they really more speculative than the "status bias" explanation? They're all based on exactly the same data, and the study's authors don't provide any additional evidence other than citations that status bias exists.
I'd say that there are several different possibilities, all consistent with the data:
1. Good pitchers get the benefit of umpires' "status bias" in their favor.
2. Good pitchers hit the catcher's glove better, and that's what biases the umpires.
3. Good pitchers have more deceptive movement, and the umpire gets fooled just as the batter does.
4. Different umpires have different strike zones, and good pitchers are better able to exploit the differences.
5. PITCHf/x significantly underestimates umpires in their opinions of what constitutes a strike. Since good pitchers are closer to the strike zone more often, they wind up with more umpire strikes that are PITCHf/x balls. The difference only has to be the equivalent one-fifteenth of an inch per ball.
6. Umpires are "deliberately" biased. They know that when they're not sure about a pitch, considering the identity of the pitcher gives them a better chance of getting the call right. So that's what they do.
7. All-Star pitchers have a positive coefficient to compensate for real-life non-linearity in the linear regression model.
8. Not all pitches the same distance from the strike zone are the same. Better pitchers might err mostly (say) high or outside, and worse pitchers high *and* outside. If umpires are less likely fooled in two dimensions than one, that would explain the results.
To my gut, #1, unconscious status bias, is the least plausible of the eight. I'd be willing to bet on any of the remaining seven, that they all are contributing to the results to some extent (possibly negatively).
But I'd bet on #5 being the biggest factor, at least if the differences between umpires and the rulebook really *are* as big as reported.
As always, your gut may be more accurate than mine.
Labels: baseball, bias, referee bias, status, umpires
At Tuesday, October 27, 2015 7:39:00 AM, Unknown said...
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1. Understand the dynamics between physics and evolution in the diversification of organisms.
2. Explore the marine environment and its effects on the evolution of movement and communication.
3. Probe questions and problems that transcend traditional fields of science and stimulate integration of scientific approaches and perspectives.
4. Illuminate new phenomena in biology and deepen our understanding of evolutionary processes.
5. Make our findings accessible to the broader public such that we stimulate interest in science, increase knowledge of biology, and thereby inspire a commitment to and protection of the biological world.