text:
Q: How many days in ISO8601 duration 'months' and 'years'? I need to represent a duration of 100 days.
From Wikipedia:

Durations are represented by the format P[n]Y[n]M[n]DT[n]H[n]M[n]S

But for a duration, how many days are in a month? Surely it depends on which month we're in... Ditto, days in a year.

A: Following up on my comment, it looks like it's perfectly legal to specify a count larger than the number of units that make up the next "larger" unit, so you could just use P100D. Wikipedia says:

The standard does not prohibit date and time values in a duration representation from exceeding their "carry over points" except as noted below. Thus, "PT36H" could be used as well as "P1DT12H" for representing the same duration. But keep in mind that "PT36H" is not the same as "P1DT12H" when switching from or to Daylight saving time.

While the example is for hours, it seems like days should be fine too (and as your problem illustrates, even more useful, since months and years aren't fixed quantities). That said, the standard doesn't specify the maximum number of digits for each unit, only:

Leading zeros are not required, but the maximum number of digits for each element should be agreed to by the communicating parties.

So whatever is consuming your durations must accept at least 3 digits per element for P100D to work; that doesn't seem like an unusually high level of required support.


LJJ Limited are responsible for the design, installation and commissioning of the Mechanical, Electrical & Public Health services to 5no. high end apartments and 3no. high end studios.
The services installed by LJJ Limited within the apartments include the lighting, small power, LV distribution, fire alarms, sprinkler systems, heating, hot and cold water services, BMS controls, cooling and ventilation.
The majority of the shell and core works have been carried out by others under a separate contract by others.
Each apartment has its own stand-alone controls/BMS system with the facility to connect to if required a central BMS system in the future, the system controls and monitors the Heat interface unit, MVHR and the fan coils and where installed the underfloor heating.


A number of our club members have an interest in astrophotography and our intent is to post their astro photos.
We encourage all club members to submit their astrophotos for posting. If possible, include the date, location, camera model and image settings. Email your digital photos to Jim Faux.


text:
// Copyright (c) 2015 The CSUTIL Authors. All rights reserved.
// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
// found in the LICENSE file.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <errno.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <unistd.h>
#include <stdint.h>
#include <assert.h>
#include <string.h>

#include "base/status.h"

#include "test_press_base/include/test_press_base.h"

class LoopPressObject : public test::PressObject
{
    public:
        LoopPressObject(const std::string &test_name) : test::PressObject(test_name)
        {
            num_ = 0;
        }

        virtual ~LoopPressObject()
        {
        }

    public:
        virtual test::PressObject* Create();

        virtual base::Code Init(const std::string &dst_ip);
        virtual base::Code ExecBody();

    private:
        int num_ ;
};

// NOTE: this is vary import! So register a press object
Register(LoopPress, LoopPressObject);

test::PressObject* LoopPressObject::Create()
{/*{{{*/
    return new LoopPressObject(*this);
}/*}}}*/

base::Code LoopPressObject::Init(const std::string &dst_ip_port_protos)
{/*{{{*/
    base::Code ret = test::PressObject::Init(dst_ip_port_protos);
    if (ret != base::kOk) return ret;

    return base::kOk;
}/*}}}*/

base::Code LoopPressObject::ExecBody()
{/*{{{*/
    if (num_ > 10000)
    {
        return base::kExitOk;
    }

    usleep(1000);

    num_++;

    return base::kOk;
}/*}}}*/

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Squad Photograph from the 2015/16 season, which saw Exeter achieve a mid-table finish in League Two, in 14th position. Exeter enjoyed a famous FA Cup run to the Third Round, holding seven-time winners Liverpool to a 2-2 draw at St. James' Park, but exited after a 3-0 replay defeat at Anfield. The Grecians also had a cup runs in the League Cup and Football League Trophy, exiting in the Second Round of both competitions.


A stunning and sophisticated babydoll Enchanting Bliss is proof that you can be both sensual and incredibly elegant. Top quality, soft tulle gently wraps itself around your body, and feminine embroidery underline beauty of your neckline. In this model, you can feel like a real lady ... For you we create a romantic and sensual lingerie, designed to seduce and impress. In the set with strings.


I injured my back lifting tiles and went through every possible treatment, including physical therapy, steroid injections and a host of other things before finally deciding to have surgery. I couldn't take the pain any longer.
After speaking with the neurosurgeon, I elected to proceed and had a 360 degree 2 level fusion at L4-S1 with plating and decompression. It was quite an extensive surgery lasting over 9 hours. I did okay for the first 6 months and was placed in physical therapy as part of my rehabilitation -- supposedly to get back to 80% of my normal health.
Well it fell apart shortly after that and I underwent another round of epidural injections in hopes of some sort of relief, but to no avail.
After being kicked to the curb by my neurosurgeon and being told of all kinds of different diagnoses which made absolutely no sense, I went to the Oklahoma University Medical Center because I was told I had a brain tumor by the crooked neurosurgeon's partners in crime.
Upon arriving at the hospital, I said I needed a brain scan because of what the doctors who did my spine surgery had told me. The doctors at OU pretty much laughed after a physical exam of me. They scheduled me for spinal imaging and that is the first time I ever heard of Arachnoiditis. My father is a nurse anesthetist and he was very concerned when he heard that word being used.
Suddenly everything started fitting into place as to what was happening to my body. Look at the before and after pictures of me. My heart goes out to everyone dealing with this.
I sent my MRIs scans to a very qualified physician who specializes in this disorder and went to visit with him after reviewing my scans. He confirmed it was Adhesive Arachnoiditis.
Folks, this disorder is so much more than a spine issue. It robs me of everyday life as I once knew it.
I'm 41 years old, but feel as if I'm 90. No disrespect to the elders, please don't misunderstand me, but it causes unrelenting pain throughout my entire body.
I just want to be able to enjoy life with my children again. I have a 17 and 8 year old who have basically had their father stolen from them.
This disorder needs to be on the front burner of every doctor doing any kind of spine surgery, as I was NEVER warned of anything even remotely close to this as a side effect. I question almost daily if tomorrow is even worth it. This is no way to live.
The spine surgeons keep getting richer at the public expense and when something of this nature occurs, you are like a tin can and kicked to the next doctor, who may or may not take you. From my experience no doctor wants to deal with Arachnoiditis once they hear the word. WHY?!?!? I am a human being!!!! Not a tin can that can just be kicked around and down the road because these doctors don't want to deal with it or own it!!!
It's so very frustrating, depressing, and my anxiety is through the roof. It's just HORRIBLE!!!
God bless anyone and everyone who has this disorder and has to deal with it on a daily basis. I am open to conversing with others in my shoes. I love and wish us all the best and thanks for reading.
Shane Schwartz lives in Oklahoma.


text:
<project
	xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0"
	xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
	xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd"
>
	<modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
	<artifactId>build-aggregate</artifactId>
	<packaging>pom</packaging>
	<name>Build - Aggregate</name>
	<modules>
		<module>../../dependencies/test</module>
		<module>../../dependencies/jersey</module>
		<module>../../settings</module>
		<module>../../api</module>
		<module>../../model</module>
		<module>../../restapi</module>
		<module>../../ui</module>
	</modules>

	<build>
		<plugins>
			<plugin>
				<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
				<artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
			</plugin>
		</plugins>
	</build>
	<parent>
		<groupId>de.jbiblio.serstapa</groupId>
		<artifactId>settings</artifactId>
		<version>0.0.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
	</parent>
</project>


text:
Perspective: A confession of faith
Home » Feature » Perspective: A confession of ...
By Anthony L. Jordan
For 110 years, the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (BGCO) has not had an official confession of faith. Interestingly, the BGCO has been, and continues to be, one of the most theologically conservative Southern Baptist bodies and remains united around the infallible, inerrant Bible as the foundation for faith and practice.
But times, they are a changin'.
With the recent assault on religious freedom, exacerbated by the recent legislation by the Supreme Court of the United States of America in the same-sex marriage decision, it is more important than ever for churches, conventions, and religious institutions to stake out their biblical beliefs in no uncertain terms. Unfortunately, in the context of government regulations, laws, and political maneuverings, it is not enough to say to the world, "We believe the Bible," and let that statement define us. There are individuals and organizations who make that same claim with radically diverse views from the views of the BGCO. As a convention, the BGCO must set forth clear and concise statements reflecting its understanding of the major teachings of Scripture. A confession of faith does just that; a confession of faith draws together the BGCO's biblical viewpoint on major doctrines that determine the convention's actions.
Therefore, for the first time in the convention's history, the BGCO Board of Directors has approved a recommendation to make the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 the confessional statement for the BGCO's "cooperative work" (see statement below). Why?
A confessional document gives the convention legal standing before government concerning the beliefs and actions of the BGCO. Therefore, regarding homosexuality and same-sex marriage, the convention's confession of faith sets forth its biblical belief of sexuality and marriage. This standard stakes out the convention's position on this subject and gives ground on which to stand in cases of discrimination based upon religious liberty.
The BGCO Board of Directors has concluded that a confession of faith must be set forth within the convention's constitution as a means to protect the convention and its affiliates. As a result, the BGCO Board of Directors approved the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 as the convention's confessional statement. With the approval of messengers during the annual meeting in November, the convention's affiliates will incorporate this statement in their governing documents as well, which will give them ground in cases of government regulations, discriminatory laws, and religious liberty issues.
How does this affect the local church? Will churches be required to adopt the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 to be a part of the BGCO? No. The adoption of a confession of faith by the convention does not create a new requirement for the local church. This statement of faith simply sets forth the doctrinal boundaries for the convention staff and cooperative ministries.
The BGCO's constitution clearly states that the convention will have no "ecclesiastical authority" over the churches. The convention serves the church, cooperates, and does not dictate. The convention is not hierarchical in its relationship to the church. The church is autonomous. The statement of faith provides a clear definition of the doctrinal parameters within which the convention staff and ministries serve the churches.
In the past, the convention has, by resolution, supported the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. With the approval of the BGCO Board of Directors at the recent board meeting and with the convention's approval in November, this statement will become the convention's constitutional standard.
Proposed recommendation to be presented to the messengers at the BGCO Annual Meeting in November:
"Constitution of the Baptist General Convention of the State of Oklahoma, Article II
Section 3. Statement of Faith. This convention declares the Bible as the foundation for its faith and practice, and affirms as its confession of faith the Baptist Faith and Message, as revised and adopted in 2000 by the Southern Baptist Convention, as the doctrinal parameter for its cooperative work."
(The full text of the BGCO Constitution and Bylaws can be viewed at http://www.bgco.org/about/bgco-constitution-bylaws.)
Author: Anthony L. Jordan
View more articles by Anthony L. Jordan.
A good, theological word on Haiti tragedy Jan 25, 2010
EDITORIAL: Why Attend Nov 1, 2007
Thom Rainer announces retirement from LifeWay Aug 28, 2018

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The International Languages Department offers courses that provide the foundation for German language study. These courses also satisfy either the humanities requirement for general education or the proficiency requirement in an international language when required for transfer. A bachelor's degree in an international language such as German can lead to a career in advertising, broadcasting, consulting, translating, teaching, international service, public relations, social work, and sales.
Note: Students educated in a non-English speaking country through high school or equivalent will generally not earn lower-division transfer credit in their language at most universities. Students who might be affected by this rule should consult a counselor and/or the International Languages Department Chair before enrolling in their language courses.
Enrollment Limitation: Not open to students with prior credit in GRMN 102, or GRMN 201.
This introductory course develops German language acquisition through listening, speaking, reading, and writing. It covers basic German pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. It also explores the history, geography, and customs of the German-speaking countries. This course corresponds to the first two years of high school German.
Prerequisites: GRMN 101 or two years of high school German with a C or better.
Enrollment Limitation: Not open to students with prior credit in GRMN 201.
This course continues to develop German language acquisition through listening, speaking, reading, and writing. It reviews and expands upon the vocabulary and grammatical structures introduced in GRMN 101, and it develops the student's ability to engage in casual conversation, express opinions, and make suggestions in German. The course also provides for increased awareness of the German-speaking world's history, geography, and customs, including its socio-political practices and cultural artifacts. This course corresponds to the third year of high school German.
This course introduces students to various aspects of German culture and civilization. Areas of study include history, music, literature, philosophy, political ideas, customs, and Germany's influence on and contribution to the civilization of America and the world. The course does not require prior study of the German language or culture.
Prerequisites: GRMN 102 or three years of high school German with a C or better.
This course continues to develop German language acquisition through listening, speaking, reading, and writing. It reviews and expands upon the vocabulary and grammatical structures introduced in GRMN 101 and GRMN 102, and it develops the student's ability to engage in casual conversation, express opinions, and make suggestions in German. The course also provides for increased awareness of the German history, geography, and customs, including its socio-political practices and cultural artifacts. This course corresponds to the fourth year of high school German.


text:
Q: Kendo Grid Single-Button Grid Column Menu to Show/Hide Grid Columns Instead of showing a column menu on each of the columns in my grid, I want a single menu on top of the grid with which I can control show/hide of columns & freeze/unfreeze of columns.
See reference image attached to get an idea.

A: Kendo UI framework has kendoColumnMenu widget.
Assuming 'grid' is a grid element, we have:
HTML (fa-... are font-awesome styles):

JS:
var $gridColumnMenuButton = $(".grid-column-menu").kendoColumnMenu({
    filterable: false,
    sortable: false,
    dataSource: grid.data("kendoGrid").dataSource,
    columns: true,
    owner: grid.data("kendoGrid"),
});

$gridColumnMenuButton.on("click", function(e) {
    $(this).find(".k-header-column-menu").click();

    return false;
});

CSS:
.grid-column-menu .k-header-column-menu {
height: 35px;
visibility: hidden;
position: absolute;
left: 0; }

This will allow you hide/unhide columns.

A: First, set id to kendo grid directive: <kendo-grid id="grid"><kendo-grid>, precisely kendo-grid;
Second, create your own html with checkboxes or what are you want, to get the fields name is hidden or not, example:

<input type="checkbox" id="Id" />Id

<input type="checkbox" id="Name" />Name

Then get it all :
 var columns = JSON.stringify({
                "Id":$('#Id').is(':checked');,
                "Name": $('#Name').is(':checked');,
            });

Then iterate them:
var grid = $("#grid").data("kendoGrid");
    angular.forEach(columns , function (value, key) {
                        if (value) {
                            grid.showColumn(key);
                        } else {
                            grid.hideColumn(key);
                        }
                    });

/////////////////////////////////////////////
grid.showColumn("FieldName"); // by column field
grid.showColumn(1); // by column index

Freeze/unfreeze: just add disabled attribute to inputs

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


We'd love to hear from you! Fill out the form below or email us at info@whiteterry.com and one of our team members will get back to you right away.
And be sure to follow us on Instagram @whiteterryhome to be the first to know about our latest news and promotions!


Dynamic Passenger Information System (Polish abbrev. SDIP) is an integrated information system, which delivers information on fulfilment of transport tasks using means of public communication to passengers and makes it available to management services. The main task of the SDIP system is to deliver information to passengers about estimated time of departure of vehicle operating a given run from a selected stop. Information on estimated time of departure is transferred to passengers and displayed using the system of stop information displays (LED/LCD). Messages are presented on electronic information media, including name of the stop, route number, estimated or/and scheduled time of departure, special announcements (information on traffic problems, detours, ticket prices, etc.) and advertising.
Mobile monitoring system developed by SiMS is designed for installation in vehicles. It increases passenger, driver and vehicle safety. Mobile monitoring system fulfils its task both inside and outside the vehicle. It is a very simple and innovative solution. Video footage is recorded on hard drives of the recorder in a special pocket with a shock-resistant system. Footage can be watched in real time in the vehicle or replayed from the recorder in the dispatch center. The monitoring system offered by our company is a perfect solution for both big carriers and small transport companies. It can be used widely on the automotive market, e.g. public transport, driving lessons, special services, emergency services, etc.
The main feature of vehicles manufactured these days is general use of advanced electronic technology. Microprocessors are essential components of automotive subassemblies, gradually replacing analog, mechanical and electromechanical solutions. Therefore, the possibility of identification of defects of these subassemblies becomes one of the basic requirements for carmakers. These tasks are performed by Vehicle Diagnostics Systems. They conduct ongoing diagnostic tests, making possible quick detection and location of defects. The defect code is saved in diagnostic equipment memory, from where it can be read by external diagnostic systems.


OK, we (the US) have 6 parks and we played a big role in your 2 parks, but many think you've improved upon Disney parks.
You have disciplined, outstanding employees. We have free spirits.
You have Duffy. He have Hope Solo.
who will win the World Cup on Sunday at 4pm, Pacific time?


Our cherry blossoms are long gone but everything else is burgeoning. Time to go outside to bury my face in roses. They don't last long, giving way to long elegant hips that brighten the fall, but wait, that's months away. And there's still honeysuckle to come, and tomatoes, and many dinners on that waiting table.
~ by theresakishkan on May 26, 2018.
Happy spring to you, Theresa, and happy writing.
This entry was posted on May 26, 2018 at 9:13 am and is filed under Uncategorized.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


text:
Let's shake the net !
Keith Kelly
GALWAY FC are on the road for the second successive week when they make what is, all things considered, the relatively short hop to City Calling Stadium tomorrow (Saturday) to take on Longford Town (7.30pm) as the second round of games gets underway in the SSE Airtricity League First Division.
The 140-mile round trip to Longford is the nearest thing to a derby for Galway FC this season, as this year's campaign will see them clock up almost 4,000 miles on away trips with the First Division inhabited by clubs from the league's outposts – Finn Harps in the North West, Cobh Ramblers in the South, and Wexford Youths in the South East.
"We gave the lads the weekend off after the Wexford game, it was 3am when we got home, it is a long trek, down there. They were back in on Monday and they trained Tuesday as well, and are training tonight (Thursday) so we're ready for Saturday's game," Dunne told City Sport yesterday.
That long journey home last Friday night was softened somewhat by the fact Dunne's side took all three points from their encounter with Wexford Youths thanks to Ryan Manning's clever header just past the hour mark which saw them record their second win in seven league games.
"It was a tough game, and to be honest for the first 20 or 25 minutes we were giving ball away, we weren't at pitch of match and were lucky to come in 0-0 at half time, but I know in other matches we have dominated and haven't got rub of green in regards of goals, so we'll take the win, and I think as the game went on, we were growing stronger all the time.
"That's why it was an easy decision to give the lads the weekend off after the long journey – fitness isn't an issue, you can tell the lads who were with Mervue and Salthill last year, they obviously trained well, and we just need to take that on a bit now but I don't think fitness is an issue for us," he said.
What has been an issue is his side's inability to take their chances – Dunne suggests his side has left at least four points behind them from their opening seven games purely because his side didn't take anywhere near enough of the chances they have been creating.
"We're still creating chances, we just have to be a little bit more fluent. We will look to maybe strengthen the squad in June or July, we have a couple of players in mind but to be honest, we'll only do it if it is within our budget.
"We have a budget and we will stick to that – there is no point putting things at risk by chasing things by bringing in a lot of players that we can't afford. I am happy with the squad we have, obviously there is always room for improvement, but if that improvement comes in the shape of new players, it certainly won't come at any cost," Dunne says.
As for tomorrow night's game, it marks the first in the second round of fixtures in the league – it is hard to believe that we are still in the month of April, and already the first quarter of the campaign is out of the way.
For more, read this week's Galway City Tribune
Related Topics:soccergalway city tribuneGalway FC
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Galway United's chance to close gap on table-toppers Shels
Friday the 13th – unlucky for some – and Galway United will be hoping it is an unlucky night for runaway leaders Shelbourne on Friday evening. Shels, who are currently 10 points clear of second place United, are still unbeaten in this year's First Division with 12 wins and six draws to their name.
The Tribesmen go into this week's pivotal fixture after a disappointing 3-2 defeat against Cork City last Friday at Eamonn Deacy Park. The game had a 'hit-and-run' feel to it as Colin Healy's side snatched all three points with ten minutes to go which ended United's seven-game unbeaten league run.
BY TOM BYRNE
Even so, United replaced Treaty United in second place on goal difference after the Limerick outfit were defeated 4-1 by Cabinteely at the Markets Field.
Shelbourne have been the team to beat this season as they look odds-on to win this season's First Division with nine games to go. Ian Morris' side were hampered by a number of Covid cases in their squad for last week's game against UCD, where they drew 0-0 at the UCD Bowl. It is expected that they will have players returning for their crucial clash against United at Terryland.
The two clubs have faced each other on 75 occasions. Shelbourne being victorious the more often with 39 wins, United defeating the north-Dubliners 17 times and 19 games ending in stalemate. United have hit the Shels net 86 times while the 2019 First Division winners have scored on 132 occasions against United.
The two teams played out a 0-0 draw at Eamonn Deacy Park in the first game this season, while Shelbourne had the upper hand in the reverse fixture when they overcame United 4-0 at Tolka Park in May.
Goal friendly Shels have struck 36 goals in 18 games so far this campaign, with former Shamrock Rovers man Ryan Brennan bagging ten of those. United will look to Wilson Waweru and Ruairi Keating for their main source of goals, with the latter hitting the net on seven occasions this season. Waweru brought his goal tally to six last week when he scored United's first equalising goal against Cork City.
This is a shortened preview version of this article. To read the rest of the soccer preview, see this week's Galway City Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.
Lomboto's late strike earns United share of the spoils
Galway United 2
Athlone Town 2
GALWAY United had to twice come from behind against basement side Athlone Town on Monday night to snatch a draw that was, on balance, probably a little harsh on the visiting side.
Completely outplayed in the opening 45 minutes, United had an absolute howler from visiting goalkeeper, Aaron Myles, to thank for going into the break on level terms; and then needed an equaliser five minutes from time to claim a draw against a side that came into the game having lost all four games they had played this season.
Alan Murphy's side already find themselves nine points behind the league leaders just four games into the season, and a major improvement is needed if they are to finish in the top half of the table and inside the play-off spots.
Their central midfield was way off the mark on Monday night – both Maurice Nugent and Sam Warde were hauled ashore before the final whistle – and having abandoned the 4-4-2 formation which delivered some decent results near the end of last season, they are struggling to get quality ball into the opposition box.
With Shane Duggan expected to return to central midfield after suspension for this Saturday's trip to Cobh Ramblers, it might be time to go with some out-and-out wingers and get some cohesion in the side.
The first couple of half chances on Monday fell to the home side, but Mikey Place didn't get any power behind his second minute effort; while Marc Ludden was well off target subsequently.
The visitors, who had the opening half's best player in their ranks in the guise of Galway native, Ronan Manning, went close a couple of times themselves in the ninth minute, United surviving thanks to Cian Murphy getting a block on Adam Lennon's shot; while Kevin Horgan pulled off a 'worldie' to deny Joel Coustrain from the subsequent corner.
By that stage, the visitors were starting to get on top, and they took a deserved lead in the 22nd minute when Manning's corner from the left was met by Taner Dogan at the back post to head home as the United marking was, not for the first time this season, shambolic at a set-piece.
Tempers were starting to fray a little, with both sides having two players finding their way into the notebook of Dublin referee, Oliver Moran, before United were gifted an equaliser in the 41st minute.
Full report in this week's Connacht Tribune
Doyle bags hat-trick in Galway WFC romp
Paul Corcorcan
GALWAY WFC notched a second win in a row in the Women's National League when they defeated Limerick 6-1 at the Markets Field on Sunday afternoon.
A McKenna Doyle hat trick and goals from Sadbh Doyle, Chloe Singleton and Aoife Thompson helped the Galway women to a resounding win. Five of the six goals for Galway were assisted by Lynsey McKey during what was a stellar performance by the experienced midfielder.
Galway WFC are back in action at Eamonn Deacy Park tomorrow (Saturday, kick off 3pm) when they welcome league leaders Peamount United.
See full match report in City Tribune Sport.
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text:
Oil Change International Response to Leaders Climate Summit
WASHINGTON – Today, world leaders have gathered virtually at a so-called "Leaders Summit on Climate" hosted by the Biden administration. These leaders provided statements and commitments to increase…
WASHINGTON – Today, world leaders have gathered virtually at a so-called "Leaders Summit on Climate" hosted by the Biden administration. These leaders provided statements and commitments to increase ambition on global climate action. With a few notable exceptions, however, largely absent from the discussions were commitments to a managed ramp-down of fossil fuel production, though some progress was made on shifting public finance out of fossil fuels and into clean. In response, Oil Change International experts provided the following statements:
David Turnbull, Strategic Communications Director:
"True climate leadership requires a full reckoning with the realities of what's driving our climate crisis: fossil fuels. Without a robust plan from rich countries in particular to ramp down fossil fuel production and ramp up support for communities for a just transition to a renewable energy economy, any conversation about 'climate leadership' is incomplete at best, or misleading at worst. We're pleased to hear countries recommit to the 1.5ºC Paris goal and ramp up their emission reduction commitments, however we are gravely concerned after today's statements that there is still limited willingness to actually stop digging the climate hole we find ourselves in.
"Continued fossil fuel production impacts those on the frontlines of extraction and related infrastructure every day, adding to the historic injustices our extractive economy has perpetuated. Today's session on ramping up ambition came up short, and we call on all world leaders to quickly catch up to the reality that we must stop spending public money on fossil fuels and start the fossil fuel production phase out and just transition for communities immediately."
Laurie van der Burg, Senior Campaigner:
"A bright spot of the climate summit is that it reconfirmed the momentum that is building on shifting public finance out of fossil fuels and into clean. Korea announced an end to coal financing, and, though woefully incomplete, the US reiterated it is taking steps towards ending overseas finance for fossil fuels. This follows the UK putting an immediate halt to new finance for fossil fuel projects overseas, not just coal, but also oil and gas, last month."
"As COP26 host and president of the upcoming G7 and having acted on this agenda itself, the UK is uniquely positioned to prioritize making 2021 the year in which the public finance balance tips from fossils to clean. It must encourage other governments to follow its example by the G7 to keep the ball rolling towards COP26."
Collin Rees, Senior Campaigner:
"Today's announcements from the Biden Administration were a welcome change from the Trump era, but they laid bare how important tackling fossil fuels will be to restore U.S. climate leadership on the global stage and end environmental injustice. President Biden must follow through on his pledges to end fossil fuel subsidies and move swiftly to end overseas public finance for fossil fuels, an area in which the U.S. risks falling drastically behind its peers. Biden has made some good first steps by rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline and pausing oil and gas leasing on public lands, but much more must be done to limit the expansion of the oil and gas industry. New decarbonization goals are difficult to take seriously until Biden takes immediate action to stop the Line 3 and Dakota Access oil pipelines and lays out a credible plan to ramp down fossil fuel production here at home."
Romain Ioualalen, Senior Campaigner:
"Today, the leaders of the world met to tout their climate action while presiding over the second largest increase in CO2 emissions in history. This disconnect between pledges and actions is the reason why we are failing to address the climate crisis. It is urgent for so-called climate leaders in the US, Canada, Norway and the UK to enact policies to phase out their production of fossil fuels, and to follow the example of countries such as Denmark and Costa Rica that have banned new oil and gas exploration and production. Distant carbon neutrality pledges and revised NDCs will continue to ring hollow as long as countries fail to address the root of the climate crisis: our continued reliance on fossil fuels."
Common Dreams | Peace (2023-01-30T09:05:32+00:00) » Oil Change International Response to Leaders Climate Summit. Retrieved from https://www.pea.cx/2021/04/22/oil-change-international-response-to-leaders-climate-summit-2/.
" » Oil Change International Response to Leaders Climate Summit." Common Dreams | Peace - Thursday April 22, 2021, https://www.pea.cx/2021/04/22/oil-change-international-response-to-leaders-climate-summit-2/
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Common Dreams | Peace - » Oil Change International Response to Leaders Climate Summit. [Internet]. [Accessed 2023-01-30T09:05:32+00:00]. Available from: https://www.pea.cx/2021/04/22/oil-change-international-response-to-leaders-climate-summit-2/
" » Oil Change International Response to Leaders Climate Summit." Common Dreams | Peace - Accessed 2023-01-30T09:05:32+00:00. https://www.pea.cx/2021/04/22/oil-change-international-response-to-leaders-climate-summit-2/
" » Oil Change International Response to Leaders Climate Summit." Common Dreams | Peace [Online]. Available: https://www.pea.cx/2021/04/22/oil-change-international-response-to-leaders-climate-summit-2/. [Accessed: 2023-01-30T09:05:32+00:00]
» Oil Change International Response to Leaders Climate Summit | Common Dreams | Peace | https://www.pea.cx/2021/04/22/oil-change-international-response-to-leaders-climate-summit-2/ | 2023-01-30T09:05:32+00:00
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Do you want fries with that? A new study provides a good reason to say "no," after finding that eating two to three portions of fried potatoes every week could raise the risk of early death by twofold.
Study co-author Luigi Fontana, of Brescia University Medical School and CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate - both in Italy - and colleagues came to their findings after analyzing the data of more than 4,400 adults from the United States.
In the U.S., potatoes are a diet staple, especially in processed forms. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), processed potatoes - including french fries and potato chips - accounted for 64 percent of total potato use in the U.S. during the 2000s, compared with just 35 percent in the 1960s.
While potatoes can form part of a healthful diet, some studies have suggested that eating too many may pose health risks. A study reported by Medical News Today last year, for example, found that eating four or more portions of potatoes each week may raise the risk of high blood pressure.
For this latest research, Fontana and colleagues set out to investigate the effects of potato consumption on mortality, which is a subject that they believe has been understudied.
Their findings were recently published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The study included the data of 4,440 adults who were a part of the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) cohort study.
Participants were aged between 45 and 79 years at study baseline, and they were followed up for an average of 8 years.
As part of the OAI study, subjects were required to complete a food frequency questionnaire. Fontana and colleagues used these data to determine participants' overall weekly potato consumption, as well as their weekly intake of fried and unfried potatoes.
During the 8-year follow-up, a total of 236 participants died.
Overall potato intake was not associated with mortality risk, the researchers found. However, when conducting a subgroup analysis, the researchers uncovered some interesting results.
Compared with adults who did not consume fried potatoes - such as french fries, potato chips, or hash browns - those who ate around two to three portions of fried potatoes each week were found to have double the risk of premature death, and eating more than three portions further increased this risk.
However, the researchers found no link between the intake of unfried potatoes and early death risk.
Since the study is solely observational, no firm conclusions can be made about how the consumption of fried potatoes influences the risk of premature death. Still, the researchers believe that their findings offer food for thought.
"The frequent consumption of fried potatoes appears to be associated with an increased mortality risk. Additional studies in larger sample sizes should be performed to confirm if overall potato consumption is associated with higher mortality risk."
Learn how the wastewater from sweet potatoes could aid weight loss.


HCC Signs MOU for 3 More Years. On July 10, 2015 the HCC officially renewed its relationship with Sagicor Life Barbados signing and extending Memorandum of Understanding for a further 3 years, 2015 – 2018. Three years ago a similar MOU was signed between the two organisations in which Sagicor Life committed to providing funds in support of the establishment of a Secretariat at the HCC to allow for the delivery of a wide range of programmes in chronic disease prevention and control throughout the Caribbean.
Today, we affirm our confidence in the HCC and our satisfaction with the results that have been achieved, by extending this partnership for three more years, until 2018.
The prevention and control of NCDs requires a multi-sectoral response with contributions from government and policymakers, civil society and the private sector. The private sector has several recognised roles to play in the response, which includes workplace health programmes for all members of staff, application of its several unique attributes and strengths to assist in creating an enabling environment for people to more easily live healthy lives and philanthropy. This monetary support to the HCC which will be provided by Sagicor is an excellent example of a significant philanthropic contribution by the private sector made in response to the epidemic of NCDs and is an example that I hope other private sector businesses in the region will follow as we all seek to prevent and control NCDs.
Maisha Hutton, Executive Director highlighted the significant achievements made by the HCC since 2012 as a result of their kind support and indicated that the HCC would shortly be published a 3 year report of programmes conducted by the HCC and supported by Sagicor. HCC partners were present to share successes of their respective programmes: Dr. Kenneth Connell PI of the GSHTP; Dr. Jamario Skeete and Dr. Addison St. John of the GSHTP and the BPCCA; and Shawn Hercules of Youth4NCDs.
The President, Board of Directors, Executive Director, and members of the HCC, would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Sagicor Life Inc., Barbados, for continued commitment to the prevention and control of NCDs in the region in general and to the HCC in particular.
Images from the signing event.


'The Second Life' Video Will Make You Gasp for Four Minutes!
A friend shared this on Youtube. I couldn't believe it. It's a montage of dash cam videos featuring near misses -- many of pedestrians! Each death-defying crash will make you audibly gasp in shock and disbelief!
Looking for treasure in a man-made lake is a dubious endeavor unless the endeavor IS the treasure.
Good Luck Mysterious Australian Road Warrior!
Andrew had a distinct Australian accent as we chatted about his vintage Triumph with hi-tech sports camera & GPS system enhancements. Yes, he still uses maps.


SUMMARY. Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) are common in the prodromal stage of dementia and can precede the onset of cognitive impairment. The presence of NPS in cognitively normal patients or in patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is associated with an increased risk of progression along the neurodegenerative process. The need to identify, in the early stages of the disease, the population at risk of cognitive decline has led to the formulation of the concept of Mild Behavioral Impairment (MBI). This neurobehavioral syndrome is characterized by late-onset sustained psychiatric symptoms, in patients without cognitive deficits or in those with MCI, identifying a condition associated with an increased probability of conversion into dementia. MBI represents the neurobehavioral axis of pre-dementia risk states, as a complement to the neurocognitive axis of MCI. For some, MBI may be the initial manifestation of neurodegenerative disease, observed before cognitive impairment is apparent. The Mild Behavioral Impairment-Checklist (MBI-C) was developed on the basis of the MBI diagnostic criteria, established by the International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment (ISTAART). The MBI-C allows to identify, in a standardized way, patients with MBI and to follow the course of their neurodegenerative disease. This article describes the creation of the MBI-C scale and presents its Italian version.
KEY WORDS: Mild Behavioral Impairment, Mild Cognitive Impairment, subjective cognitive decline, MBI-Checklist, dementia, neuropsychiatric symptoms.
RIASSUNTO. I sintomi neuropsichiatrici (NPS) sono comuni negli stadi prodromici della demenza, e possono precedere l'esordio dal declino cognitivo. La presenza di NPS in pazienti cognitivamente normali o con Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) è associata a un maggiore rischio di progressione della malattia neurodegenerativa. La necessità di individuare, in una fase precoce, la popolazione a rischio di deterioramento cognitivo ha determinato la formulazione del concetto di Mild Behavioral Impairment (MBI). Questa sindrome neurocomportamentale è caratterizzata da sintomi psichiatrici persistenti a insorgenza tardiva, in pazienti senza deficit cognitivi o con MCI, individuando una condizione associata con una aumentata probabilità di conversione in demenza. Il MBI individua la dimensione comportamentale dei quadri a rischio di demenza (asse neurocomportamentale), così come il MCI ne individua i disturbi neurocognitivi (asse neurocognitivo). Per alcuni l'MBI rappresenta la manifestazione iniziale della malattia neurodegenerativa, osservabile prima che il declino cognitivo diventi apparente. La Mild Behavioral Impairment-Checklist (MBI-C) è stata sviluppata sulla base dei criteri diagnostici dell'MBI, stabiliti dall'International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment (ISTAART). La MBI-C permette di identificare, in modo standardizzato, pazienti con MBI e di seguire il decorso della loro malattia neurodegenerativa. Questo articolo descrive la creazione della scala MBI-C e presenta la sua versione italiana.
Parole chiave: Mild Behavioural Imparment, Mild Cognitive Impairment, declino cognitivo soggettivo, MBI-Checklist, demenza, sintomi neuropsichiatrici.
Neuropsychiatric Symptoms (NPS) are behavioral disorders and psychiatric symptoms frequently associated with neurodegenerative diseases; this definition includes mood disorders, anxiety, psychotic symptoms, neurovegetative disorders (sleep and appetite disturbances) and behavioral alterations such as agitation and aggression1. NPS are considered as 'non-cognitive' symptoms of dementia and described in the Anglo-Saxon literature as Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD)2.
It has been calculated that 80% of patients with dementia have one or more NPS3 and their frequency increases with the course of the disease. NPS are associated with a more rapid disease progression4, a worse quality of life5, as well as a greater stress burden for family members and caregivers6,7. A working group of the International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment (ISTAART) is dedicated to the study of NPS8.
The appearance of NPS often precedes the onset of cognitive symptoms of dementia9; if the NPS are present, besides leading to high social and economic costs10, they seem to predict an evolution towards more severe forms of dementia and an earlier exitus11. Thus, ISTAART has published extensively on the importance of non-cognitive prodromes to dementia12.
Recent data indicate that the onset of NPS in the elderly, in the absence of cognitive deficits, may represent an early marker of cognitive decline and promote the risk of progression along the continuum of neurodegenerative pathology, from Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) to dementia13.
A prospective cohort study, the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging14, highlighted that the presence of NPS (particularly agitation, apathy, anxiety, irritability or depression), in a sample of cognitively normal elderly patients, increases the risk of developing MCI. From this same study it appeared that the presence of NPS is a predictive factor of MCI onset, more significant than the neuroimaging data of hippocampal atrophy. In another study conducted on 873 patients between 70 and 90 years, the Sydney Memory and Aging15, a significant association was observed between some NPS, in particular anxiety and agitation, and a cognitive decline in the following 2 years. Lastly, in a 4-year follow-up study of 644 cognitively healthy elderly patients, it was observed that the presence of depression and apathy was associated with an increased risk of conversion into dementia16. These results indicated the need for closer control over time in this type of patient.
NPS are very frequent in patients with MCI, from 50%17 to 59%18 of cases, depending on the studies evaluated (epidemiological or clinical); depression (27.0%), apathy (18.5%) and irritability (19.4%) are the most commonly reported symptoms19.
The presence of NPS in patients with MCI is associated with a greater severity of cognitive impairment and a greater impairment of functional adaptation, with a higher risk of progression towards dementia18,20,21. While the risk of evolution in dementia for patients with MCI is 12% per year22, the risk of evolution in dementia doubles, up to 25 % per year20 in the presence of one or more NPS (in particular apathy and depression)21.
Assumptions are made regarding the relationship between the presence of NPS symptoms and the incidence of the neurodegenerative disorder. It is possible that NPS (especially those in the affective sphere) could represent the early manifestation or the epiphenomenon of an underlying neurodegenerative disorder23,24. Alternatively, a common substrate (represented by the neurodegenerative process) could be the cause of both cognitive and NPS manifestations. The last possibility identifies the interaction between biological and neuropsychiatric factors as the cause of cognitive impairment14.
NPS are currently recognized as a central clinical manifestation of dementia; as early as 2011, the National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer's Association (NIA-AA) recommends including in the diagnosis of dementia the onset of «changes in personality, behavior, or comportment symptoms that include: uncharacteristic mood fluctuations such as agitation, impaired motivation, initiative, apathy, loss of drive, social withdrawal, decreased interest in previous activities, loss of empathy, compulsive or obsessive behaviors, socially unacceptable behaviors» 25.
The percentage of patients with NPS increases with the progression of dementia; a 5-year follow-up study reports that 97% of patients with dementia have at least one psychiatric symptom (Cache Country Study of Memory Health and Aging - CCSMHA)26; the most frequent neuropsychiatric disorders are apathy (36%), depression (32%) and agitation/aggression (30%)3.
The presence of neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia leads to a worse prognosis, a more rapid cognitive decline11, a greater impairment of daily functions27, an increased risk of auto/hetero-aggressive behavior1 and an early institutionalization6.
In the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (bv-FTD) the NPS symptoms may be the first manifestation28; also Alzheimer's dementia (AD), vascular dementia (VaD)29 and some subcortical forms, Lewy body dementia (LBD)30 and Huntington's disease (HD)31, can begin with behavioral disorders and psychiatric symptoms.
According to a recent review of the literature32 about 28% of patients with a neurodegenerative disease have previously received a psychiatric diagnosis, most often depression. A psychiatric disorder is more frequently diagnosed at the onset of bv-FTD (52% of cases), compared to semantic dementia (24%) and AD (23%). A misdiagnosis of a neurodegenerative disease can delay the application of the most appropriate investigation and treatment protocols for this type of patient, worsening the course and prognosis. Above all, the treatment of psychiatric syndromes associated with neurodegenerative diseases requires particular attention in the choice of drugs and in the management of therapy, to avoid both the risk of iatrogenic syndromes and the rapid progression of cognitive deficits. For these reasons, psychiatric symptoms that first appear in adulthood and older age always require an accurate multidisciplinary specialist evaluation (psychiatric, neurological, neuroradiological).
NPS are frequent not only in dementia, but also in patients with MCI and in elderly subjects without cognitive deficits. The presence of this symptoms worsens the prognosis for all these patients, increasing the risk of evolution in dementia and mortality33.
Proper early identification of NPS and their appropriate treatment could slow or mitigate both the severe psychiatric complications of dementia and the appearance of cognitive symptoms.
The concept of Mild Behavioral Impairment (MBI) was born initially in order to identify behavioral manifestations that precede frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and that for a long period of time may be the only clinical manifestations of the disease28.
Taragano et al.34 selected a sample of patients with NPS without cognitive impairment and monitored them for 3 years. At the end of follow-up, 36% of patients had developed a FTD, 28% an AD, 18% a VaD and 18% an another type of dementia. The authors defined MBI as a clinical presentation characterized by changes in behavior (in particular disinhibition) and mild psychiatric symptoms, which can not be classified in other mental disorders, lasting no less than 6 months. According to the authors, MBI represented an intermediate stage in the evolution between normality and dementia.
According to the diagnostic criteria of Taragano et al.34 a diagnosis of MBI also required a minimum age of 60 years, the absence of severe cognitive impairment and the ability to perform normal daily activities autonomously (Table 1).
De Mendonça et al.35, in part subsequently modified the initial concept of MBI34, proposing criteria for a FT-MCI in which cognitive, behavioral and neuroimaging parameters were combined. The diagnosis of FT-MCI was applied to subjects who presented symptoms indicative of a fronto-temporal deficit and impaired executive functions, who nevertheless maintained adequate functioning in daily activities. Neuroimaging examinations may be normal or indicative of frontotemporal atrophy (Table 2).
Criteria proposed by Taragano and Allegri34 and by de Mendonça et al.35 proved to be useful for early diagnosis of the bv-FTD which, as we have mentioned, at the onset is diagnosed and treated as a psychiatric disorder in about 50% of cases29.
Evidence that dementias other than FTD can also begin with NPS brought about the need to change the diagnostic criteria proposed for MBI, and to describe explicitly the relationship between MBI and MCI, in order to make this diagnosis useful in clinical practice and to identify earlier patients at risk of cognitive decline and dementia.
The initial discussion about the need to develop new criteria for MBI took place at the annual meeting of the NPS Professional Interest Area (NPS-PIA) of the ISTAART during the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) of 2012 in Vancouver, Canada.
After reviewing the literature, an international working group, led by Zahinoor Ismail, proposed new MBI diagnostic criteria, inspired by the criteria of Taragano and Allegri34, de Mendonça et al.35 and by those of the NIA-AA related to AD29. The underlying assumption of this working group, derived from both literature and clinical experience, was that neurodegenerative disease may occur even before cognitive impairment, with personality changes or behavioral and psychiatric symptoms. The new diagnostic criteria for the ISTAART MBI29 were refined over time and then presented at the AAIC 2015, in Washington D.C.
MBI refers to a late-onset syndrome (from the age of 50 onwards), in which the psychiatric symptoms/behaviors, not better classified in other nosological diagnoses, may be the early manifestations of a neurodegenerative disorder29.
To diagnosed MBI according to the ISTAART criteria29 (Table 3), at least a minimal functional impairment needs to be observed, due to the presence of NPS in the following main domains: reduction of motivation or drive, affective dysregulation36, impulse dyscontrol, social inappropriateness24 and abnormal perception or thought content37.
These alterations must persist for at least 6 months and must cause an impairment of interpersonal, social or work functioning, however not severe enough to compromise the independence of the patient, who manages to maintain his autonomy with minimal help or assistance.
MBI can also be diagnosed in cognitively normal subjects. While a diagnosis of dementia is a criterion of exclusion, diagnosis of MCI may be present, although functional alterations must be attributable to NPS and not to cognitive symptoms38.
In the criteria it is also specified that the NPS that arise after the diagnosis of dementia can not be considered as symptoms of MBI29.
The target of the MBI ISTAART criteria is to identify late onset psychiatric symptoms as a marker of a prodromal and preclinical stage of neurodegenerative disease and to obtain an instrument applicable in clinical practice for the validation of the MBI in terms of nosological, epidemiological, neurobiological and treatment response perspectives.
Furthermore, identifying the population with MBI, could represent a new approach to study strategies for the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, assuming that the use of existing drugs (and of those that will be available in the future) in the early stages can increase their efficacy in modifying the course of the disease.
Once the clinical concept of MBI was developed and the diagnostic criteria were listed, it became necessary to define and validate a tool for its evaluation.
The most used rating scales for the detection of NPS are the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q)39, the Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease (BEHAVE-AD)40, the Cohen Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI)41 and the Neurobehavioral Rating Scale (NBRS)42, but these are not sufficiently specific to identify behavioral and psychiatric symptoms in the patient with MBI, in part due to the short reference range (2-4 weeks) in these scales since MBI requires a 6-month symptom duration. Over that short time period (2-4 weeks), transient and reactive states can manifest as NPS and potentially provide false positive results. Furthermore, the rating scales listed above were developed for patients diagnosed with dementia, often not self-sufficient or functionally independent but rather who were institutionalized and with symptoms on average more serious than patients with MBI. Thus, in healthy patients or in patients with MCI, a new tool was needed in order to measure NPS and to diagnose MBI as described in the 2016 ISTAART MBI criteria.
Taking as a model the method used for the preparation of the other NPS focused rating scales41-44, a multidisciplinary international working group of 18 experts (psychiatrists, neuropsychiatrists, neurologists, neuroscientists, epidemiologists) was set up to create an evaluation tool, the MBI-Checklist (MBI-C)33, based on the diagnostic criteria of MBI developed by ISTAART. The aim was to make the concept of MBI operational and to allow early detection of individuals at risk of dementia, through an assessment scale that can be easily used in clinical and community settings.
The Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Clinician (NPI-C44, an extended version of the NPI45, used by the clinician in heterovalutation) was taken as a reference from which certain items were selected. Items were excluded that investigated the most typical aspects of dementia, in order to identify a reduced list appropriate for the assessment of NPS in a population without established cognitive deficits. The constant interaction between members of the working group, whose purpose was to create the scale, came about using a modified version of the Delphi method 46,47, an iterative process in which items were generated and added, removed or modified, based on group input on relevance to measurement of emergent NPS in preclinical or prodromal patients.
The final version of the scale consists of 34 questions, organized in the 5 MBI domains as defined by the ISTAART criteria: reduction of motivation, affective dysregulation, impulse dyscontrol, social inappropriateness and abnormal perception or thought content. Each of the 5 domains is preceded by a description of the content.
The 'reduction of motivation' domain consists of 6 items that evaluate cognitive, emotional and behavioral apathy. Also the 'affective dysregulation' domain is investigated with 6 items, 4 of which focused on the aspects of depression (sad mood, anhedonia, hopelessness, feelings of guilt) and the other 2 focused on aspects of anxiety and panic. The 'impulse dyscontrol' is the most investigated with 12 questions relating to the presence of agitation, aggression, impulsivity, eating dyscontrol, dangerous behavior and alteration of the reward system. The 'social inappropriateness' domain includes 5 items, which assess social graces, empathy and tact, as well as 5 items that explore the 'abnormal perceptions or thought content' (including suspiciousness, grandiosity, visual and auditory hallucinations). The answer to the questions is dichotomous: the presence or absence of the item is evaluated; if the symptom is present, the interviewee is asked to specify the severity (mild, moderate, severe). Examples are provided to facilitate the understanding of the question.
Behavior changes, observable by others, must have occurred in older age (≥50 years) and must persist for at least 6 months, determining a functional impairment and representing a change in the way the patient typically acts33.
The scale is designed to be used in both clinical and research settings. It should be administered preferably to a family member or to a caregiver and not to the patient. In any event the clinician can indicate on the form who supplied the information (the clinician himself, an informant, the subject).
No training is required to administer the scale.
In an epidemiological study on a sample of 1377 elderly people (between 72 and 79 years of age) was found that 34.1% of the patients met criterion 1 for MBI48. The highest prevalence was found in patients with MCI (48.9%), followed by cognitively normal patients at risk (43.1%) and by the group of the cognitively normal (27.6%). These results, comparable with those of the Mayo Clinic Study of Ageing19, supported the interpretation of MBI as a transition stage between normality and pathological aging. It was shown that MBI was more common in the men's group (52.65%), among which apathy and impulsive behaviors was double in prevalence to that of women. The prevalence of criterion 1 of the MBI (in accordance with the ISTAART criteria, assessed by the NPI-Q39) was evaluated in a series of patients with subjective cognitive decline and MCI, who accessed a memory clinic7. The prevalence of MBI in this study was high (81.5%) and associated with greater caregiver burden, with no significant differences between the two groups. Of note, these studies utilized the NPI or NPI-Q for symptom detection, with NPS transformed to MBI domains using an algorithm. The high prevalence likely reflects the short reference range of 4 weeks of the NPI.
Recently, administering the MBI-C by phone to a sample of 127 primary care patients with subjective cognitive decline, a lower prevalence of MBI was observed, equal to 5.8%49. This variability compared to the results of previous studies is due to the use, in different settings, of different evaluation scales and criteria. In particular, in this last study the prevalence of the MBI was estimated on the basis of all 4 ISTAART criteria and through the MBI-C, which, compared to the NPI-Q, analyzes a longer period of time and emphasizes the late onset, minimizing the inclusion of transient NPS and therefore false positives. Using ROC analysis, with a reference standard being a semi-structured clinical interview, family interview, and chart review, an MBI-C cut-point of 8.5 optimized sensitivity and specificity for MBI case detection 49. A related study in primary care patients with MCI found MBI prevalence of 14.2% with an MBI-C cut-point of 6.5 optimizing MBI case detection50.
MBI-C administration appears adequate in detecting MBI cases, however longitudinal data are needed to estimate if the scale is able to identify those patients who will subsequently develop cognitive decline.
Taragano et al.51 evaluated the risk of conversion to dementia of 358 patients with MCI and MBI during a 5-year follow-up, demonstrating that a greater and more rapid progression towards dementia was associated with MBI (70%), compared to patients with MCI (40%).
A prospective longitudinal study has recently confirmed a high conversion risk in patients with MBI. The study52 was conducted on a sample of 348 patients over 60 years of age, who attended the Neuropsychiatric Research Unit of CEMIC University Hospital. The participants of the study were divided into 3 different groups: 96 with MBI, 87 with MCI and 165 with psychiatric disorders. A further group was made on the basis of the presence of common features between MBI patients with cognitive symptoms and MCI patients with NPS (MBI-MCI group). The percentage of patients who developed dementia after 5 years was 71.5% in the MBI group, 59.6% in the MBI-MCI group, 37.8% in the MCI group and 13.9% in the group of psychiatric patients. The results of this latest study also show that the majority of patients with MCI tend to develop AD, while patients with MBI evolve in a wider range of neurodegenerative diseases, including FTD, followed by LBD and AD. Psychiatric patients develop LBD and FTD. No patient with MCI develops LBD. An important finding from thus study was the greater dementia incidence in MBI group compared to the late life psychiatric group, emphasizing the clinical and prognostic importance of differentiating later life emergent psychiatric symptoms (MBI) from psychiatric conditions in late life, thus validating the MBI concept.
For the development of the Italian version of the MBI-Checklist the first thing carried out by our research group was a translation from English into Italian. The second step was to translate the scale back into English. These two steps were carried out by two different members of our group (C.E. and L.L.), who worked on the translation process independently, as not to be influenced.
After the translation into English the scale was sent to its main author (Z.I.), who compared the back translation from Italian to the original English MBI-C. Discrepancies and suggestions were identified and relayed back to C.E. who incorporated them into an updated Italian translation, which was then back translated to English by L.L. and then compared again to the original by Z.I. and the process was repeated. This iterative process resulted in an Italian translation that best reflected the meaning and intention of the original MBI-C.
The Italian version of the scale is shown in Figure 1 (you can obtain information about the scale and its versions in different languages on the site www.mbitest.org). The MBI-C is freely available in the public domain for clinical and research use.
The nosographic and diagnostic systems used today in the psychiatric field (DSM, ICD) have revealed to be inadequate for the correct definition and classification of late-onset NPS, which often precede the beginning of the neurodegenerative disease and accompany its early stages. The availability of operative diagnostic criteria, modeled on the MBI, as defined by the ISTAART-AA working group, can allow the recognition and correct classification of these symptoms, often confused with affective or psychotic clinical presentation of the senile age.
The identification of a population at risk for neurodegenerative disease has important implications on the therapeutic management of affective, psychotic and behavioral symptoms and on the prevention of cognitive decline. The pharmacological choices in this population are based on avoiding all those strategies that can accelerate the progression of the disease (use of sedatives, anticholinergic drugs, high doses of antidepressants and antipsychotics, etc.).
Numerous studies have shown how it was possible in some countries to reduce the incidence of dementia thanks to prevention strategies, risk factor control, lifestyle modification and social changes53-55. The early detection of MBI, made possible by the MBI-C, could allow the study and implementation of new strategies for the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, at its early stage56. In particular, it will be interesting to verify if the early and correct treatment of late-onset NPS can mitigate, slow down or modify the clinical presentation of neurodegenerative diseases.
The MBI-C33 was developed to define, identify and evaluate late-onset NPS. The use of MBI-C allows researchers to investigate the presence of a selected list of NPS in order to identify the prodromal and/or preclinical stages of dementia, estimating the risk of evolution in a neurodegenerative disease. The use of a standardized diagnostic tool such as MBI-C contributes to the early recognition of psychiatric clinical presentation and behavioral disorders developed in patients at risk, in the pre-dementia development phase, allowing the use of present and future treatments in an early stage of the disease.
The reliability, validity and usefulness of MBI-C must still be evaluated and studies on different patient populations (healthy patients, patients with MBI and MCI) are necessary for this purpose. The ability of the MBI-C to accurately measure MBI domains as described in the MBI criteria is an important feature of this scale. Some symptoms may be risk factors for dementia, while others may be simple markers of cognitive decline. Different domains may confer different risks for different types of dementia, and may have different biomarkers or treatment approaches. Future studies, both cross-sectional and longitudinal will verify whether the symptoms identified by the MBI-C may represent a possible target for early pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapeutic interventions, as highlighted in the ISTAART MBI research agenda 12.
Authors contributions: CE, LL and ZI worked on the MBI-C translation process. CE, LL, GP and ZI wrote the paper; and SB, CM and PM revised the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Conflict of interests: the authors have no conflict of interests to declare.
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Strange scenes took place at offices in South Korea on Monday morning. Before work, workers crawled under their desks to pull LAN wires from computers to prevent infection with "ransomware", a malicious software which blocks access to data until a ransom is paid.
"Corporates and individuals should be cautious when opening emails from unknown sources," Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA), a state internet watchdog, issued a warning over the ransomware "WannaCry" which takes over computer control by using the security loophole of the Windows operating system. "Windows OS should be upgraded to Windows 7 or higher version," it said, suggesting the latest security patch should be applied.
The attack by WannaCry, a new form of ransomware, began last Friday in Europe and spread quickly across the world. In South Korea, eight corporates made inquiries to KISA over the weekend and five of them are receiving technical support. The watchdog speculates damage reports will spike during the week after many computers were turned on for work.
Ransomware attacks are mostly malicious codes hidden in Flash advertisements and web pages. Once activated, the ransomware encrypts files inside computers, leaving them inaccessible by users. The encrypted files can only be decrypted by paying the ransomware developer with cash or Bitcoin, a digital payment system.
WannaCry intrudes computers through ports used for sharing files and data inside separate networks in offices, cafés and public wireless accessing points. If a computer is infected, the malware quickly spreads and duplicates itself inside other computers.
KISA has issued manuals on how to change computer settings to block ports used by WannaCry.


The American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI) has been researching pitching biomechanics for over 25 years as highlighted in the ASMI research page. Their research programs have contributed significantly to the publicly available information regarding pitching biomechanics. However, I feel that the methodologies they employ for measurement of pitching arm side (PAS) kinematics are somewhat limiting from a quantitative performance and injury analysis standpoint as discussed in detail in the ASMI limitations page. To support my areas of concern, I will detail the methodologies used by ASMI on this page. At the end of this page is a link to online copies of some the ASMI studies for those that are interested.
Improving qualitative understanding of the pitching motion through high-speed videography.
Developing a clinical procedure for evaluating injured pitchers.
Conducting quantitative three-dimensional descriptions of upper extremity kinematics.
Analysis of the resultant joint forces and torques created in pitching.
Conducting appropriate cadaveric studies to assess the effects of these external loads upon the internal structures of the upper extremity.
The early ASMI research studies were based on the original studies of Feltner 1989 and Feltner and Dapena 1986 and 1989. As was stated in Dillman et al. 1993, "Our purpose was to replicate some of Feltner and Dapena's analyses as one part of a series of studies to improve understanding of upper extremity injuries (anterior subluxation, impingement, rotator cuff, etc.) to throwing athletes." In their methods section, they also stress that their series of studies "had a dual purpose – clinical and research." This had a direct affect on some of their methodology choices, some of which are still used today over two decades later.
ASMI uses a passive optical motion capture system for their pitching biomechanics studies. They have utilized a few different systems over the years as new and better hardware systems have come out with increased camera resolution. In their early studies (Dillman et al. 1993 and Fleisig et al. 1995) they used four high-speed charge-coupled device cameras with a sampling rate of 200 Hz. Later in studies such as Biomechanics of Pitching, Zheng et al. 2004 provide details on using six electronically synchronized charged-coupled device cameras (Motion Analysis Corp.) to collect data a rate of 240 Hz. In Fleisig et al. 2011 they even used an 8 camera system for an outdoor study.
As in all kinematics studies, a global coordinate system (GCS) needs to be defined before any data can be collected and analyzed. The figure below shows the ASMI laboratory convention (photo taken from Zheng et al. 2004). Once a GCS is defined, local coordinate systems (LCS) need to be defined for each body segment of interest. The figure below shows the ASMI LCS for the pitching arm side (PAS) shoulder (photo taken from Zheng et al. 2004).
The paper by Dillman et al. 1993 has a figure that is copied below that shows LCS segmental coordinate systems for both the shoulder and elbow. From the Methods section of the Dillman et al. 1993 paper, they write "To study arm motions about the shoulder, the body markers were used to mathematically construct a system of local (segmental) three-dimensional coordinate systems, which were used to calculate the motion of the arm in anatomical reference planes. This three-dimensional modeling technique required estimation of two coordinate axes and a translation from surface markers to joint centers. Although this technique may have less accuracy than the method of fixing three rigid markers for each arm segment, it was necessary since the resolution of the system did not allow both three markers per segment and total body analysis." The highlighted quote is discussed further in the ASMI limitations page and this sentence is one of my biggest concerns with their resultant PAS kinematic data.
In early studies like Dillman et al. 1993 and Fleisig et al. 1995 "a reflective marker was placed on the ulnar styloid process of non-pitching wrist and a reflective band approximately one cm wide was placed around the pitching wrist" as described in Cheng et al. 2004. Cheng et al. add "More recently, with improved camera image resolution, two reflective markers have been used to replace the reflective band around the pitching wrist." In Fleisig et al. 2011, they used a 21 marker setup which was different than any of their other studies for an outdoor study; they added markers for medial humeral epicondyle, radial styloid, and dorsal surface of the hand on the PAS extremity, in addition to 4 markers that were attached to the front, back, top, and right sides of a hat. Despite adding the additional markers on the PAS extremity, their Methods section does not indicate that they used the additional markers in their kinematics calculations. The following photo was taken from Zheng et al. 2004 showing a typical indoor ASMI marker set.
As discussed previously, one of the goals for the ASMI studies was to replicate the studies of Feltner and Dapena 1986. As such, the ASMI kinematics calculations are based upon that work. Feltner and Dapena used standard analytical geometry procedures for all of their vector operation for calculating joint angles. The following is taken from the Feltner and Dapena 1986 article: "To aid in the calculation of the abduction/adduction, horizontal abduction/adduction, and internal/external rotation angles at the shoulder joint, a noninertial reference frame R2, attached to the trunk, was defined (Figure 3). The values of its direction vectors (X2, Y2, , Z2) were calculated in terms of reference frame R1 for each output frame. X2 pointed from the suprasternale to the throwing shoulder; Y2 pointed anteriorly from the suprasternale, and was defined by the cross product of X2 and a vector pointing from the suprasternale to the mid-hip point; Z2 was defined as the cross product of X2 and Y2. It was also necessary to define two vectors, V1 and V2, that coincided, respectively, with the longitudinal axes of the upper arm and of the forearm (Figure 3).
The abduction/adduction angle at the shoulder joint (Ψ) was calculated as the angle formed by vectors V3 and X2, where V3 was the projection of V1 on the plane determined by X2 and Z2 (Figure 4a). The horizontal abduction/adduction angle at the shoulder joint (β) was calculated as the angle formed by vectors V4 and X2, where V4 was the projection of V1 on the plane determined by X2 and Y2 (Figure 4b). The internal/external rotation angle at the shoulder joint (γ) was calculated as the angle formed by vectors V5 and V6, where V5 and V6 were the projections of vectors Z2 and V2, respectively, on the plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the upper arm (Figure 4c). The angle of flexion/extension at the elbow joint (θ) was calculated as the angle formed by vector V2 and the reverse of vector V1 (Figure 4d)." The figure below shows the reference values and the signs for the four angles as defined by Feltner and Dapena 1986.
ASMI also uses projection angles in their analyses because they want to follow clinical definitions as described previously. From Zheng et al. 2004, "Clinically, shoulder motions are are defined as flexion/extension, abduction/adduction, horizontal abduction/adduction, and external/internal rotation. The first three rotations are not independent, as only two of them are needed to determine the position of the humerus. External/internal rotation is needed to determine the rotation of the humerus about its long axis. To avoid any confusion caused by the order of rotations, shoulder motion is defined as follows. Shoulder abduction is defined as the angle between the humerus and the inferior direction of the trunk (represented by the line connecting the middle point of the two shoulder markers and the middle point of the two hip markers) in the trunk's frontal plane. Shoulder horizontal abduction is defined as the angle between the humerus and a line connecting the two shoulder markers in the trunk's transverse plane. Third, shoulder external rotation is defined as the rotation of the upper arm about its own long axis." The figure below was taken from Zheng et al. 2004 and shows the PAS shoulder definitions, which are the same as the angles shown in the above Feltner and Dapena 1986 plot, but the absolute magnitudes are different based on how the neutral orientation is defined.
The steps listed below are very important for understanding how ASMI calculates shoulder kinematics. As in Feltner and Dapena 1986, they define segmental LCS using the body markers and cross products to ensure orthogonality. They specify the X axis first using the two shoulder markers, they then use a cross product of this X axis with the trunk vector, which is defined as going from the midpoint of the two hip markers to the midpoint of the two shoulder markers, to define the Y axis. Finally, the cross product of the X and Y axes is calculated to determine the Z axis. They then define two arm vectors just as in Feltner an Dapena 1986, defining the longitudinal axes of the upper arm and of the forearm. Analytical geometry techniques are then used to determine the 3 shoulder angles. The following figure shows the methodology used for calculating the shoulder LCS as taken from Zheng et al. 2004.
This process is repeated to define segmental LCS for the elbow, forearm/wrist, and trunk. See Biomechanics of Pitching by Zheng et al. 2004 for more details.
One key concept to understand about the ASMI methodology is that their external rotation calculation is not a true measure of humeral external/internal rotation. In the ASMI limitations page, I go into more detail about the ASMI marker set and how that affects this measurement specifically. However, there is another issue with this measurement as described in Section 9.4.2 in Biomechanics of Pitching by Zheng et al. 2004: "Because of how it is calculated, this maximum external rotation is actually a combination of glenohumeral rotation, sternoclavicular motion, and extension of the spine." This is also discussed in greater detail in the ASMI limitations page.
While the previous information is taken from published research articles, we do know that ASMI has changed their marker protocol. With camera technology advancements, they now have the availability to record data at up to 450 Hz and can use up to 38 reflective markers based on reports in the video below. However, no new research papers have been published with these updated marker protocols to determine if PAS kinematics have changed.


On Tuesday, the Kentucky Work Matters Task Force, formed in 2017, revealed its report focusing on helping people find employment and be a part of the workforce in Kentucky.
Members of the task force commended the partnership between the Council of State Governments, headquartered in Kentucky, the Kentucky Department of Labor, and the Disability Employment Policy and their State Exchange on Employment & Disability (SEED).
Adam Meier, Deputy Chief of Staff to Gov. Matt Bevin, said the recommendations made by this report provide the opportunity for Kentucky to succeed.
Kentucky has one of the nations highest rates of death due to drug overdoses and a high opioid prescription rate.
Gov. Matt Bevin mentioned Kentucky's low unemployment rate and increasing workforce participation rate, up 20% in two years, which means Kentucky has to look at other areas of the population for employment.
Foster youth being one of the five focus areas for employment opportunities, Gov. Bevin stated there are 9,000 children in the foster care system, with hundreds leaving the system at age 18 every year. Health and Family Services Secretary Cabinet acting Secretary Scott Brinkman explained what Kentucky is now and will be doing to prepare foster children to become adults and to enter the workforce.
The business community was represented on the Kentucky Work Matters Task Force by Kentucky Chamber Workforce Center Executive Director Beth Davisson.
Click here to download the Kentucky Work Matters Task Force Report.


text:
Thousands of demonstrators march to protest against security breakdown in Burkina Faso
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Ouagadougou on Saturday (27 November), demanding the departure of President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, as the country's security situation continues to deteriorate.
The demonstrations quickly escalated into a confrontation between the security forces and the demonstrators. Police fired tear gas at the few hundred demonstrators who wanted to reach Revolution Square, in the city centre. Some young people set fire to tyres and fired projectiles at riot control units. Others vandalised part of the registry office after trying to burn down the Ouagadougou town hall building.
Popular disturbances have raged unabated for two weeks in Burkina Faso, triggered by the worst attack on record against the army on 14 November. At least 57 people, including 53 gendarmes, were killed in Inata, in the north of the country in amid a jihadist surge of violence.
Speaking on national television on Thursday night, president Kabore promised a cabinet reshuffle and to put an end to the "dysfunctions" within the army. "I will watch scrupulously, more than in the past, on the questions of logistics, bonuses and reinforcement of the operational capacities of our combatant forces", he promised, announcing "disciplinary consequences" in the near future, following the Inata attack.
The government's decision to extend the suspension of mobile internet access, which constitutes 70% of national traffic, "for a period of 96 hours", or eight days of cut-off, "for security reasons", has added to the frustrations of the population in this poor Sahel country. "We have never seen this in Burkina Faso, we are prevented from informing ourselves and from working", said one protester whose livelihood depends on online sales.
The United Nations' special envoy to West Africa said on Thursday he was concerned about the situation in Burkina Faso and warned against any military takeover, following coups in three neighbouring countries over the past year.
source: commonspace.eu with Le Monde (Paris), Al Jazeera (Doha) and agencies.
photo: A gendarme stands as demonstrators protest against President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré in Ouagadougou; courtesy of Al Jazeera.