I have not been able to get to the movies recently, but I did watch a few on DVD in recent weeks. I thought I would offer you a few mini reviews today.
I had first heard about The Counterfeiters about a year ago when it won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. It is an Austrian film based on a true story about a man, Salomon (Sali), who was arrested in the late 1930's for forgery. He was in the process of preparing a fake passport for a Jewish woman seeking to escape Nazi Germany.
Sali ends up being sent to a concentration camp where he is housed alongside fellow criminals, Jewish people, and other victims of the Nazi regime. He puts his talents and wits to use in order to survive while those around him are not always so lucky. Sali is eventually moved to yet another concentration camp where his skills as a counterfeiter are in much demand. He is assigned to "Project Bernhard," which is designed to destabilize the economies of the United States and Great Britain by printing counterfeit money. The prisoners assigned to the project face a moral dilemma: do they go along with the plan for survival's sake or do they fight back through refusal or sabotage? It is not an easy choice and as events play out, it is clear that the decisions they make weigh heavy on their shoulders.
Karl Markovics plays the part of Sali, and he does a magnificent job in the role. He is tough and hardened, seemingly out to save only himself, and yet his actions toward others he meets along the way make him a natural leader, someone they trust and respect. The arresting officer who later reappears as the Nazi officer leading the project, Sturmbannfuhrer Friedrich Herzog, is played by Devid Striesow. Striesow takes a despicable man and adds a bit of vulnerability to the character making him almost, just almost, sympathetic during parts of the movie.
The Counterfeiters proved to be an interesting and thought provoking film. Sali may not be the most likable of protagonists, but his story is worth telling. I would recommend this film to those with an interest in World War II and Holocaust stories.
Eagle Eye is a fast paced action movie that proved perfect for an afternoon when I couldn't concentrate on much and lying on the couch was about all I felt up to doing. It is one of those movies that makes for fun brain candy. Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan play the leads; they are two strangers who are forced together by a voice on their cell phones who orders them to follow the instructions given to them or dire consequences will follow. Michelle's character, Rachel, fears for the safety of her young son, while Jerry, Shia's character, fears for his own life. The two have no idea who is giving them the orders nor do they know the plan in which they play a part. They know they are being asked to do something terrible, however.
I enjoyed this film more than I thought I would. It was fun and entertaining. However, I do have two minor complaints. I was disappointed in discovering who was pulling all the strings, a strictly personal bias of mine in regards to any film of this sort, and I think the movie could have ended sooner than it did. Explaining either of these in more detail would only serve to spoil the movie, I'm afraid. Still, I enjoyed the film. It served its purpose in the moment, and I am glad I took the time to watch it.
My husband and I sat down to watch Tropic Thunder one evening: he was excited to finally see it, me reluctant. Comedy films and I do not often get along, particularly these types of films. I was curious though. Robert Downing Jr. had gotten so much praise playing an Australian actor playing a black man and Tom Cruise was getting accolades for his performance as the overweight movie producer. I figured I should at least see what all the fuss was about.
For those who do not know, Tropic Thunder is about a film crew filming a Vietnam War movie. Everything that could go wrong with the film does. As a last resort, the actors are purposefully (unbeknowdst to them, however) stranded in the middle of the jungle in an effort to get some decent footage for the film, only to find themselves tangling with local drug dealers. The movie stars Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr, Nick Nolte, and Matthew McConaughey, among others. Tropic Thunder is a Hollywood parody and pokes fun at just about everyone and then some.
My husband enjoyed it quite a bit. I found it funny at times and did enjoy Robert Downey Jr.'s performance; however, I was underwhelmed when the final credits began to roll.
Sandy tuned me into The Bumbles Blog and their Movies Monday Meme. I thought I would try my hand at playing along.
This week's movie topic is all about Documentaries . . .
There is an awful lot of Reality T.V. out there these days. But we all know that the "Real World" is far from reality. That is what Documentaries are for and we are big fans. They can make you laugh or cry, angry or sympathetic - but they all serve to educate. Here are some that we encourage you to check out. Educate us about some of your favorites!
I am ashamed to say that my memory is quite poor in this area. My experience with documentaries is limited, and it has been awhile since I last sat down and watched one. Two documentaries that made an impression on me that immediately come to mind are Bowling for Columbine, which takes on the issue of gun violence in the United States, and the other is Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport, the story of the 10,000 children who were transported to Great Britain from Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia during the late 1930's, where the children were fostered and cared for during the Second World War. Both documentaries were eye openers, touching my heart, making me angry, and offering me insight into topics I did not know much about before.
Another one that comes to mind is March of the Penguins which I found fascinating. The documentary is about the migration of the Emperor penguins from the ocean to their mating and breeding place in Antarctica. The penguins survive through unbelievably harsh conditions. Their story is an amazing one. If you haven't seen this one, I highly recommend it.
What about you? Do you have a favorite documentary?
Wow, you have a fun-filled post this morning! I loved The Counterfeiters. I tend to be drawn to both foreign film and ones dealing with WWII. I also really enjoyed Tropic Thunder. It was the first time I'd watched a laugh-out-loud funny movie in quite a while. Comedy is a funny thing with me...in the wrong mood, I'm just annoyed! I found Downey Jr.'s performance amazing, and Cruise made me laugh.
I've not seen the second doc you mention, but I'm a doc-o-phile, so I'll have to put it in my Q. It sounds fascinating! I love docs primarily because I find that reality is better than anything made up!
We saw Tropic Thunder when it came out last summer, and I remember my comment to my husband at the time: "If there's a fine line between clever and stupid, this was on the wrong side of it too often." Having said that, parts of it were hilarious, and Robert Downey Jr. was great.
I sometimes read about documentaries that sound interesting, but I rarely end up seeing them.
I haven't seen any of the movies, but added The Counterfeiters to my Netflix queue! I already had Tropic Thunder there!
As for documentaries - Bowling for Columbine is one of the first I thought of. I also enjoyed March of the Penguins - it was great to watch!
Such nice reviews and synopsis you have provided! I have never heard of "The Counterfeiters" or "Into the Arms of Strangers" - will add them both to the Netflix queue - though it doesn't sound like we should watch them back to back - unless we mix in "Tropic Thunder" in between to lighten the mood. Thanks for playing along this week!
I had never heard of Counterfeiters before today! Thanks for the recommendation...it might just go along with that WWII reading I'm supposed to be doing.
I liked Tropic Thunder well enough, and Eagle Eye was ok...and I totally agree with the parts you are referring to...the movie could have been shorter!
Well, I have never heard of any of the movies that you watched... I am so out of touch when it comes to movies!
I liked Eagle Eye (I haven't gotten around to reviewing it yet) but I too was disappointed when I learned who it was.
My favorite documentary isn't going to surprise anyone. It's Walt: The Man Behind the Myth and its of course about Walt Disney.
Once I understood the opening 'credits' I loved Tropic Thunder, but I usually like Ben Stiller.
I really ought to watch more movies because they're really fun!
I want to see Eagle Eye, so I am glad to see that it is decent.
I really enjoyed this post as you've given me some new titles to get from the library for over the weekend viewing!!
I felt the same way about Eagle Eye. It seemed familiar.
As for documentaries, the CBC had a series on obsessions. I liked Chocolate and Shoes. They were a lot of fun and I learned a lot!
I loved Eagle Eye but action films are my cup of tea. Plus that Shia Labouf (I might have spelt that wrong) is such an interesting actor I am enjoying the movies he is in.
Tropic Thunder I felt was actually a little boring, and Ben Stillar actually annoyed me in it. I usually dont mind him but in this film, I dont know something did not gel for me.
I want to see Tropic Thunder because I heard that Tom Cruise was good in it. But, I did hear that the movie fell flat.
Thanks for doing Monday's Movie.
The Counterfeiters is actually an Austrian film.
I liked Tropic Thunder. Not all of it, but I'm glad I saw it.
I watched this year's short film oscar winner Spielzeugland (toyland) the other night and thought it was amazing. It is only 14 minutes, so if you have the chance, you should see it!
I also watch Lord of War about global arms sales. Depressing!
The Counterfeiters does sound good. I'll have to add it to my list of movies to watch.
I know what you mean about comedy movies, I don't get along with them very often either, especially American humour. I don't mind British or European comedies sometimes, they tend to be more subtle.
Sandy - Lots of movies to talk about. :-) I really enjoy foreign films too, although I don't watch enough of them.
Florinda - Haha! I'm right there with you in regards to Tropic Thunder.
I don't watch many documentaries either, I'm afraid.
Angela - March of the Penguins was really good. I can't believe what those penguins go through! I hope you enjoy The Counterfeiters when you get to it.
The Bumbles - I hope you will enjoy both films if you do see them! They are definitely worth watching. And, yes, maybe a little something like Tropic Thunder in between would be a good idea. :-) Thank you for hosting the Monday Movie Meme!
Serena - If you read the book its based on, I would love to know what you think, Serena. I hadn't realized it had been a book first--although I should have guessed.
Jen - You too? I see it as a cop out in a way, I guess. I look forward to reading your review of the movie!
Marie - Yes, I think you are right about the Counterfeiters. It did seem to be missing a little something. Still, as you said, it was good.
Nicole - It may not be the best movie, but it was fun. And sometimes, that's all a person needs.
Staci - Let me know what you end up watching and what you think!
Chris - That's a good way of putting it--familiar.
Chocolate and Shoes sounds like it would be interesting. I wonder if I can find that one . . .
Sheri - Tom Cruise definitely stepped outside of his comfort zone for Tropic Thunder. It was good to see him give something different a try.
Lenore - Thank you for the clarification. I couldn't remember and forgot to double check before posting. It was late; I was tired . . . No excuse.
I hope to watch Spielzeugland. I always want to watch the short film nominees every time I hear about them, but I rarely get the chance.
Nat - I hadn't thought of my problem with comedy films to be because of the American humor, but you may have a point there. I don't seem to mind British comedies. I definitely do prefer subtle humor to humor that's thrown in my face.
I remember going to see The Counterfeiters on my own, in London; I mean-- not many of my friends are interested in going to see Holocaust films in the middle of the afternoon.
But I was absolutely blown away by the movie. Very gripping and powerful.


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text:
The Top Ten Films of 2014 - (plus three quick reviews)
Before I get to the definitive list of the very best movies of 2014, I want to give a few quick-hit reviews of movies I saw this last weekend in cramming for the Oscars.
American Sniper is Clint Eastwood's dramatic look at real-life Navy Seal sniper Chris Kyle and his four-tour duty in Iraq. I enjoyed this movie and it was well acted by Cooper and well-shot by Eastwood but I wasn't blown away by it. While it did show the impact that war can have on the homefront, it didn't really do anything new. Cooper is excellent though and Miller is effective (and great to look at). A pretty-good 3.5 out of 5 JRs for a film that probably didn't deserve a Best Picture nomination.
The Theory of Everything chronicles the amazing life of Professor Stephen Hawking and showcases his battle with ALS that renders his entire body nearly paralyzed. Eddie Redmayne (a star in the making) gives the second best acting performance of the year in a physically demanding role. He manages to portray the demise of Hawking's muscle control without making the performance a caricature of the professor. Felicity Jones is lovely and believable as his loving partner who devotes much of her time to care for the ailing professor. While the movie did not get into the science and theories of Hawking as much as some people would like to have seen, I didn't really feel bothered by that lack of depth. The acting of Redmayne and Jones is enough to make this film worth seeing and earn it a 4 JR rating.
Still Alice should give Julianne Moore her first-ever and well-deserved Oscar win for Best Actress. Moore plays Alice Howland a linguistics professor at Columbia University who tragically is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. We watch as Alice travels down the sad path of forgetting everything that means so much to her. Moore is amazing in her ability to convey what's going on in her head without saying a word. You can see the gradual loss that she deals with and the way it impacts her family, particularly her husband (Alec Baldwin) and two daughters (Kate Bosworth and Kristen Stewart). 4 out of 5 JRs for a depressing but moving film that makes you cherish each and every day of life. Moore joins Reese Witherspoon in delivering the best female performances of the year.
Now on to THE LIST. What follows are the ten best films released in 2014 that I personally have seen. I managed to make it to a pretty healthy 34 movies this past year. A marked improvement over 2013. I'm sure many of you will question what is on the list and what was left off. I diverted from the Academy's view of the 8 Best Picture nominees by selecting only 3 films from that list. Feel free to voice your opinion as I reveal the list in descending order as always.
#10 - Noah
Darren Aronofsky's best movie in quite some time chronicles the biblical story of Noah (Russell Crowe) . I know many of you A: did not like this movie and B: forgot it was even released in 2014, but I really did enjoy the epic spectacle of Aronofsky's work and I thought Crowe, Emma Watson and especially Jennifer Connelly were all excellent and believable in their roles. If you missed it in the theater give it a try on On-Demand. I'm eager to see what Aronofsky decides to direct next.
#9 - Godzilla
The big bad lizard is back! Director Gareth Edwards made Godzilla relevant once again by making this visual-effects-heavy blockbuster that features a lot of epic monster-on-monster combat sequences. Bryan Cranston is effective in his first post-Breaking Bad role and the rest of the cast is adequate enough to let the real CGI heroes shine. This movie has a lot of Pacific Rim DNA but allows a lot of the action to occur during the day (especially in the final battle sequence) The LOTR effects team (Weta Digital) brings their A-game once again and I for one am looking forward to a sequel.
#8 - The Lego Movie
Everything is (kinda) Awesome! Except for the fact that the Oscar voters totally snubbed this film by not including it in the Best Animated Feature category. This was easily the best animated movie (and funniest film) of 2014 and featured a large voice cast at the top of their game. A mix of live action at the end of the film was a nice touch leaving a message for kids to be creative and think outside the box to succeed in life. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller brought a breath of fresh air to animation and the Academy should be ashamed of themselves for not honoring this achievement.
#7 - Wild
The true story of Cheryl Strayed's epic hike along the Pacific Coast Trail made for the perfect launch vehicle for Reese Witherspoon's comeback tour. Dallas Buyers Club director Jean-Marc Vallee takes us into the wild along with Witherspoon as we experience her struggles along the trail and find out about her troubling back-story that involves losing her mother (played with such enthusiasm and good nature by Laura Dern). The movie flows well and serves as a believable "finding yourself" story. Reese gives a powerful and authentic performance that has her in striking range for another Best Actress trophy. I'm glad that the Academy got the Supporting Actress category right and honored Dern's excellent performance with her second Oscar nomination.
#6 - The Imitation Game
One of these years, Benedict Cumberbatch is going to win an Oscar. I guarantee this. However, Eddie Redmayne or Michael Keaton are poised to snatch his prize next month despite a flawless performance from B.C. as English mathematician Alan Turing. Cumberbatch gives Turing a nuanced, brilliant yet troubled embodiment in his performance. Paired with excellent chemistry from Keira Knightley, the duo help provide the pulse of the code-breaking effort of the 1940's designed to end WWII. The group effort to break the Enigma code makes for fascinating film. Kudos for Alexandre Desplat's moving and powerful score which deserves the Best Original Score prize.
#5 - Into the Woods
Rob Marshall brings another Stephen Sondheim musical to the big screen and does it with an all-star cast on board. This film is a great example of extending the scope of a play to the larger canvas that a movie can provide. The inter-cutting between storylines in this musical is far more easier to execute with a full editing team at your disposal. Johnny Depp seems a bit out of place in his brief role as The Big Bad Wolf but that is a minor defect in a wonderfully produced film. All of the singing is performed remarkably (especially Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep and Anna Kendrick) and makes the journey into the woods a memorable experience for viewers of all ages.
#4 - Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Andy Serkis and his motion capture brethren help bring a race of living, breathing, emoting apes to life in this movie. The cast of characters (including Jason Clarke and Gary Oldman) are solid but maintain more of a supporting role in this movie. The effects team at Weta Digital (really... these guys are fucking GOOD!) perfectly transitioned the actor's movements into digital primate representations. It's amazing to see how many key scenes featured animated apes that actually deliver believable performances that make you as the audience feel their struggle. Adding real sympathy to CGI characters is starting to become a trademark for Weta and their work in this movie becomes the heart and soul of the narrative. This is one of the best action movies I've seen in some time and should be viewed by anyone who missed it in the theater.
#3 - Boyhood
I won't fault the Academy when they give the 2014 Best Picture to Richard Linklater and his team for their technical achievement in creating a blow-by-blow look at adolescence. This movie is REALLY good and powerful, especially for a divorced father like myself. It's amazing to see a child grow 12 years in the span of a few hours. Seeing this film reminded me both of my childhood and the journey that my own children are about to embark on. Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke give great performances and help ground the story during the decade-plus of narrative, but it's really Ellar Coltrane that makes Boyhood succeed as much as it does. Linklater totally lucked out in casting a young actor that doesn't try to be showy in his performance and appears on-screen as a regular average believable adolescent/teenager.
#2 - Whiplash
The best pound-for-pound fight I saw over the last year was held in an auditorium and featured furious drumming. Whiplash is Damien Chazelle's high-octane look at a fictional jazz conservatory and the battle that rages between star pupil (Miles Teller) and teacher (J.K. Simmons). It's incredible to see a movie about music (albeit a characterization and not what ACTUAL jazz performances are like) become such a visceral experience for the audience. Chazelle lets his two star performers trade barbs throughout the practice and performance sessions. Simmons is the early aggressor and you can tell he relishes this role he's been given. The character acting veteran finally found the perfect role for him and delivers the best performance of 2014 (most likely ending with his shoe-in Oscar win next month). Teller manages to hold his own as well and helps bring a manic energy to the epic final sequence of the film. This is a must-see movie (you'll probably need to wait for on-demand to catch it now) and is just a hair below the quality of...
#1 - Interstellar
...Christopher Nolan's latest masterpiece. Interstellar is a bold ambitious tale of exploration, love,pioneering and the human desire to delve into the unknown. Matthew McConaughey proves again that he is the "it-actor" right now in delivering a touching performance as Cooper that balances being a father with being an innovator. Nolan's wonderful plot leads us into the depths of space and time on a true adventure that has repercussions both abroad and at home for Cooper and his family. The theories of relative time and wormholes are put to good use in a film where the science comes to the forefront and is somewhat believable. Nolan's use of minimal CGI helps add to the realism of space discovery and his work with master composer Hans Zimmer (who is now solidly in the Big 4 with John Williams, James Horner and Howard Shore) perfectly sets the tension and drama. The surprise casting of a key character in the middle of the movie adds a nice touch. Like Gravity last year, the best film experience of 2014 can be found in outer space. Christopher Nolan has hit out-of-the-park homeruns with his last four films and I can't wait for the next one.
Giddy-Up TARS!
Thanks for reading over the past year. There are quite a few movies to look forward to in 2015 (Star Wars Episode 7 anyone??). Stay tuned for the 2nd Annual ARCademy Awards show I plan on doing with Omar Latiri at ARC where I will go over my list again and pick my favorites for the upcoming Academy Awards. If you missed last year's show you can re-listen here.
Posted by Jordan at 1/20/2015 05:32:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: movie review, movies, year in review
▼ January 18 (1)
The Top Ten Films of 2014 - (plus three quick revi...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
package org.kuali.rice.krad.messages;

import org.apache.commons.lang.StringUtils;
import org.kuali.rice.coreservice.framework.CoreFrameworkServiceLocator;
import org.kuali.rice.krad.util.KRADConstants;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Collection;
import java.util.List;

/**
 * Implementation of the {@link MessageService} that allows {@link MessageProvider} implementations
 * to be configured for exposing external message repositories
 *
 *

 * This message service implementation essentially delegates all calls down to one or more message
 * providers. When more than one message provider is configured, providers higher up in the chain will
 * receive priority. That is, when finding a message the first provider that has the message will be used
 * and no others will be consulted. When finding a collection of messages, if the same message (key) exists
 * from more than one provider, the message from the first encountered provider (in the List) will
 * be used.
 *

 *
 *

 * The default namespace and component are constants of the service implementation and may not be changed.
 *

 *
 * @author Kuali Rice Team (rice.collab@kuali.org)
 */
public class MessageServiceImpl implements MessageService {
    private static org.apache.log4j.Logger LOG = org.apache.log4j.Logger.getLogger(MessageServiceImpl.class);

    private List<MessageProvider> messageProviders;

    /**
     * @see MessageService#getMessage(java.lang.String, java.lang.String, java.lang.String)
     */
    public Message getMessage(String namespace, String component, String key) {
        return getMessage(namespace, component, key, getDefaultLocaleCode());
    }

    /**
     * @see MessageService#getMessage(java.lang.String, java.lang.String, java.lang.String)
     */
    public Message getMessage(String namespace, String component, String key, String locale) {
        Message message = null;

        // use default namespace and component if not given
        if (StringUtils.isBlank(namespace)) {
            namespace = DEFAULT_NAMESPACE_CODE;
        }

        if (StringUtils.isBlank(component)) {
            component = DEFAULT_COMPONENT_CODE;
        }

        if (StringUtils.isBlank(locale)) {
            locale = getDefaultLocaleCode();
        }

        for (MessageProvider provider : messageProviders) {
            message = provider.getMessage(namespace, component, key, locale);

            if (message != null) {
                // don't check with any additional providers
                break;
            }
        }

        return message;
    }

    /**
     * @see MessageService#getMessageText(java.lang.String, java.lang.String, java.lang.String)
     */
    public String getMessageText(String namespace, String component, String key) {
        return getMessageText(namespace, component, key, getDefaultLocaleCode());
    }

    /**
     * @see MessageService#getMessageText(java.lang.String, java.lang.String, java.lang.String)
     */
    public String getMessageText(String namespace, String component, String key, String locale) {
        Message message = getMessage(namespace, component, key, locale);
        if (message != null) {
            return message.getText();
        }

        return null;
    }

    /**
     * @see MessageService#getMessageText(java.lang.String, java.lang.String, java.lang.String)
     */
    public String getMessageText(String key) {
        return getMessageText(key, getDefaultLocaleCode());
    }

    /**
     * @see MessageService#getMessageText(java.lang.String, java.lang.String, java.lang.String)
     */
    public String getMessageText(String key, String locale) {
        Message message = getMessage(null, null, key, locale);
        if (message != null) {
            return message.getText();
        }

        return null;
    }

    /**
     * @see MessageService#getAllMessagesForComponent(java.lang.String, java.lang.String)
     */
    public Collection<Message> getAllMessagesForComponent(String namespace, String component) {
        return getAllMessagesForComponent(namespace, component, getDefaultLocaleCode());
    }

    /**
     * @see MessageService#getAllMessagesForComponent(java.lang.String, java.lang.String)
     */
    public Collection<Message> getAllMessagesForComponent(String namespace, String component, String locale) {
        Collection<Message> messages = new ArrayList<Message>();

        if (StringUtils.isBlank(locale)) {
            locale = getDefaultLocaleCode();
        }

        for (MessageProvider provider : messageProviders) {
            Collection<Message> providerMessages = provider.getAllMessagesForComponent(namespace, component, locale);
            mergeMessages(messages, providerMessages);
        }

        return messages;
    }

    /**
     * Merges the second collection into the first collection
     *
     *

     * If a message with the same key (namespace, component, and name) is found in both collections, the message
     * from first collection will remain. That is, the message in the second collection will NOT override
     *

     *
     * @param messages collection to be merged into
     * @param messagesToMerge collection that will be merged with first
     */
    protected void mergeMessages(Collection<Message> messages, Collection<Message> messagesToMerge) {
        for (Message message : messagesToMerge) {
            if (!messages.contains(message)) {
                messages.add(message);
            }
        }
    }

    /**
     * Retrieves the default locale code configured through a system parameter
     *
     * @return String configured default locale
     */
    protected String getDefaultLocaleCode() {
        String localeCode = CoreFrameworkServiceLocator.getParameterService().getParameterValueAsString(
                KRADConstants.KNS_NAMESPACE, KRADConstants.DetailTypes.ALL_DETAIL_TYPE,
                KRADConstants.ParameterNames.DEFAULT_LOCALE_CODE);

        // if not configured fall back to english US
        if (StringUtils.isBlank(localeCode)) {
            localeCode = "en-US";
        }

        return localeCode;
    }

    /**
     * Retrieves the collection of message providers configured with the message service
     *
     * @return List<MessageProvider> message provider implementations
     */
    protected List<MessageProvider> getMessageProviders() {
        return messageProviders;
    }

    /**
     * Setter for the collection of message providers that should be used by the message service
     * implementation
     *
     * @param messageProviders
     */
    public void setMessageProviders(List<MessageProvider> messageProviders) {
        this.messageProviders = messageProviders;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Science Magazine: When Ebola protection fails – Get the hard facts
Reposted from Science, Oct 3, 2014 issue – By Jon Cohen
In July, as Ebola was exploding in Liberia, Senga Omeonga worked as a doctor at St. Joseph's Catholic Hospital in Monrovia. Among the patients he cared for was the hospital's director, who had diarrhea and was vomiting repeatedly, but tested negative for the Ebola virus. "I was exposed to that patient day by day," says Omeonga, who originally is from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. When the director didn't respond to treatment, a second test was done, which came back positive. That was 10 days after his first test.
Omeonga wore what he calls "light" personal protective equipment (PPE) after he learned the man was infected, which included a surgical gown as opposed to a heavy plastic apron, gloves that he thought were too short, and a face shield and mask. By the last few days of the patient's life, he says, the staff was keeping its distance. "Everyone was afraid to touch him," Omeonga says. "He was screaming. I removed his nasogastric tube and he was fighting." On 2 August, the hospital director died and Omeonga himself came down with Ebola.
Omeonga, along with two other health care workers infected in Liberia, Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol, has received widespread media attention for receiving an experimental cocktail of antibodies called ZMapp. All three survived; none of them knows if the treatment helped. But all three wonder about another question that has important implications for other health care workers: How did they become infected?
Surprisingly, no one has a firm answer. "Every day I'm still thinking, When was I contaminated?" Omeonga says, although he suspects the hospital director was the source. Writebol, a clinical nurse associate who worked for a missionary group called SIM at the ELWA 2 EbolaTreatment Center in Monrovia and helped health care workers don and doff PPEs, is similarly stumped. "Nobody is really sure, least of all me," she says. Brantly, a doctor in the same center, also has only hunches but says, "I am fully convinced that I did not contract Ebola in my work in the treatment unit." (Read Q&A's with Ebola survivors at http://scim.ag/ebola14.)
As of 23 September, the outbreak had sickened 375 health care workers and killed 211, according to the World Health Organization. A clearer understanding of the risks could lead to better precautions and ease the minds of those thinking of joining the fight. But few studies have analyzed the relative risks of blood, urine, vomit, and other bodily fluids that health care workers encounter. And doctors and nurses rarely can pinpoint risky lapses in their behavior, says epidemiologist Daniel Bausch of Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, who worked inEbola units in Guinea and Sierra Leone when this outbreak surfaced.
"Very few people have anything specific to say," Bausch says, although many, like Brantly, doubt that they got infected in the Ebola unit itself, where precautions are most stringent. "There's a tendency to want to believe people get infected outside the ward because it makes us feel better. It's probably a mixed bag."
Brantly, Writebol, and Omeonga say they had ample training about how to protect themselves. "Our process was very safe," says Brantly, who worked for the Christian relief group Samaritan's Purse. "It is my opinion that during an Ebola outbreak, the safest health care job is working in the Ebola treatment unit." The hidden danger, they say, lies in patients whose status isn't known.
Brantly suspects he was infected while working in the emergency room, outside the treatment unit, and saw a patient who was diagnosed with Ebola only after she died. He wasn't wearing PPE at the time. "It is in clinics and emergency rooms and hospitals where you have to look at every patient and ask yourself 'Should I be concerned that this patient might have Ebola?'" he says. But it's a risk that is, in practicality, impossible to eliminate.
Omeonga, too, says new patients present a serious risk. "A lot of them were lying when they came to the hospital," he says. "They didn't even tell you they're having fevers. They'd say they fell down or were on a motorbike or someone pushed them or they went to work and passed out." He was one of 15 who became infected at his hospital, presumably all by the ailing director. Nine of them died. The hospital closed.
When helping staffers doff PPEs, Writebol says she wore gloves and a disposable apron; she was separated from workers exiting the treatment unit by a line that she never crossed. Thinking back, she believes a co-worker who did the same job may have infected her. He became ill with what he thought was typhoid; he died from Ebola. "I never remember touching him," she says—but it's possible she picked up a sprayer he had used.
When Writebol first developed a fever on 22 July, she thought she had malaria, which a test confirmed. Her husband, David, cared for her while they continued sharing a bedroom. But she could not shake the fever, and 4 days later, a doctor gave her an Ebola test "to relieve everyone." After the results came back positive, she was isolated, and David began speaking to her through a window near her bed. He did not develop Ebola.
An Ebola outbreak in Uganda in 2000, which Bausch helped bring under control, yielded some clues about the risks that infected people pose. Bausch and co-workers studied samples from 26 patients. In acute cases, the virus turned up most often in saliva but was also present in stool, tears, nasal blood, and breast milk. Although their sample sizes were small, the team did not find it in sweat or urine, and Bausch says he doesn't think people well enough to walk around the streets secrete the virus in those fluids—which means something like a handshake probably presents little risk. In one recovered patient, the virus turned up in semen 40 days after the onset of his disease.
Bausch says other studies have clearly shown that sicker people have higher viral levels. Corpses have the highest levels of all, and the virus "will seep into other tissues to saliva or sweat," he says, putting family members and burial teams at risk. Environmental surfaces—unless they're "grossly contaminated with blood"—are unlikely sources of transmission, he says. "It's not jumping off the walls or hanging around when there's not infectious bodily fluid there."
Rigorous training can bring down the risk of infection. Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which literally has written the book on operating an Ebola treatment unit, has so far had only one worker contract the disease despite taking care of the majority of patients in this epidemic. Last week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) held the first of what will be many 3-day training courses in Anniston, Alabama. It took place at an old Army base where working conditions resemble those in the affected countries, including a hot climate with no air conditioning. CDC's Michael Jhung, who is leading the program, says nearly every trainee had breaches of protocol, such as skin showing. Bausch attended the session, along with MSF staffers, to share some firsthand stories.
Adequately staffing Ebola treatment units also helps reduce the risk. At the training, Bausch recounted his work as one of two doctors in a 55-bed treatment unit. "You go into that ward and there are probably five or 10 patients who have fallen out of bed or are in delirium and have crawled out, there's blood and vomit and diarrhea everywhere," he says. "And there's no one with a sprayer behind you cleaning it up."
Still, when everything is done right, working in an Ebola treatment unit need not be a life-threatening endeavor, Bausch stresses. "Otherwise, I wouldn't do it myself and it wouldn't be ethical for me to counsel other people to do it."
SCIENCE INSIDER
Source: http://www.sciencemag.org/site/extra/ebola/
How does Ebola spread? Hard facts from key studies
Kelly is a staff writer at Science. Email Kelly. Jon is a staff writer for Science.
About 5 minutes into Tuesday's press conference describing the first U.S. Ebola diagnosis, Tom Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), segued from talk of on-the-ground aid in Africa by saying, "But ultimately, we are all connected by the air we breathe."
That comment—meant to express the importance of controlling the spread of the virus both overseas and in the United States—compelled Edward Goodman, an epidemiologist at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, who spoke after Frieden, to clarify: "Ebola is not transmitted by the air. It is not an airborne infection."
Many news stories have driven home the point that the virus is mainly transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids, people are only infectious when they develop symptoms, and it's unlikely that Ebola will evolve to become airborne.
But there's precious little data on some other practical questions: Which bodily fluids harbor the virus? Does it linger on objects touched by an infected person?
Hard data are scant in large part because Ebola outbreaks have been sporadic, and because every epidemic before the current one ended before even 500 people became infected. A few epidemiologic studies have interviewed infected people and their close contacts and clarified that it does not spread through the air. The studies also suggest that the main routes of transmission include touching an infected person, sharing a bed, and of course contact with bodily fluids. Funerals of Ebola patients also presented extremely high risks because of rituals that involve touching the body, group hand-washing, and communal meals.
One study examined skin from people who died from Ebola and suggested that sweat may play an important role. "One possible explanation for the role of direct physical contact in transmission is the presence of abundant virus particles and antigens in the skin in and around sweat glands," the authors concluded. But the most comprehensive analysis done to date notes that risk factors differ depending on the stage of disease, and that people at late-stage disease or death are far more likely to transmit the virus.
A crucial 2007 paper, published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, offers perhaps the best indication available of where the risks lie, and where they don't. It analyzed samples from confirmed cases during a 2000 outbreak in Uganda, including people who were acutely ill or recovering. It also looked for the virus on objects, such as desks, walls, and gloves, in an Ebola isolation ward. The study's numbers are small, but it's the most detailed analysis published to date.
Below are the 2007 study's key tables. One major takeaway: Infection is unlikely to come from a fateful encounter with a doorknob, or even from a handshake. The authors point out, however, that the methods they used to detect Ebola haven't been extensively tested for use on objects, and the virus could have been present at undetectable concentrations.
Where researchers found the virus in an Ebola ward in Uganda
Sample taken from …
Sample color
culture result
(+/-)
RT-PCR*
Outside of ward:
Changing room wall
Changing room desk (outside ward)
Exterior surface of door of isolation ward
Inside ward, "suspected" side:
Nurse's newly placed glove
Instrument tray for ward rounds
Inside ward, "probable" side
Air (tube opened and capped, negative control 1)
Sterile swab (negative control 2)
Intravenous fluid support pole
Handle of 0.05% bleach solution dispenser
Nurse's clean apron
Nurse's clean glove
Cle stethoscope
Stethoscope after use
Stethoscope after use and rinsing with 0.05% bleach solution
Bedside chair (2 different samples)
Spit bowl
Skin (hand) of patient attendants (3 different samples)
Clean glove of patient attendant
Corpse decontaminated with 0.5% bleach solution
Body bag decontaminated with 0.5% bleach solution (2 different samples)
Clean mattress
Intravenous tubing
Doctor's blood-stained glove (positive control 1)
Bloody intravenous insertion site (positive control 2)
% of all samples
*The Ebola Files: Given the current Ebola outbreak, unprecedented in terms of number of people killed and rapid geographic spread, Science and Science Translational Medicinehave made a collection of research and news articles on the viral disease freely available to researchers and the general public.
Posted in Africa, Health Ebola
The editors suggest the following Related Resources on Science sites
In Science Translational Medicine
RESEARCH ARTICLEEBOLAmAbs and Ad-Vectored IFN-α Therapy Rescue Ebola-Infected Nonhuman Primates When Administered After the Detection of Viremia and Symptoms
Xiangguo Qiu et al.
Sci Transl Med 16 October 2013:207ra143.
RESEARCH ARTICLEEBOLATherapeutic Intervention of Ebola Virus Infection in Rhesus Macaques with the MB-003 Monoclonal Antibody Cocktail
James Pettitt et al.
Sci Transl Med 21 August 2013:199ra113.
RESEARCH ARTICLEEBOLAFDA-Approved Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators Inhibit Ebola Virus Infection
Lisa M. Johansen et al.
Sci Transl Med 19 June 2013: 190ra79.
RESEARCH ARTICLEEBOLAImmune Parameters Correlate with Protection Against Ebola Virus Infection in Rodents and Nonhuman Primates
Gary Wong et al.
Posted in ebola and tagged ebola, Kent Brantly, Nancy Writebol, science on October 11, 2014 by Marc Maxmeister. Leave a comment


text:
Q: Google Spreadsheet using SpreadsheetService class for android While trying to access the Google Spreadsheet using SpreadsheetService class am getting ExceptionInInitializerError.
The below is my code:
I have included the following jar files to the file
gdata-client-1.0.jar
gdata-client-meta-1.0.jar
gdata-core-1.0.jar
gdata-spreadsheet-3.0.jar
gdata-spreadsheet-meta-3.0.jar
google-api-client-1.12.0-beta.jar
google-api-client-android-1.12.0-beta.jar
google-http-client-1.12.0-beta.jar
google-http-client-android-1.12.0-beta.jar
google-oauth-client-1.12.0-beta.jar
gson-2.1.jar
guava-13.0.1.jar

jackson-core-asl-1.9.9.jar
jsr305-1.3.9.jar
protobuf-java-2.4.1.jar

code is below:
SpreadsheetService service = new SpreadsheetService("ContactsApp");// Exception occured here
service.setProtocolVersion(SpreadsheetService.Versions.V3);
try {
service.setUserCredentials("abcd@gmail.com","pwd1234");
    } catch (Exception e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
ArrayList<ContactsModel> list = new ArrayList<ContactsModel>();
try {

String url=
 "https://spreadsheets.google.com/feeds/list/0AsaDhyyXNaFSdDJ2VUxtVGVWN1Yza1loU1RPVVU3OFE/default/public/values";

// turn the string into a URL
URL urlString = new URL(url);

// You could substitute a cell feed here in place of
// the list feed

ListFeed feed = service.getFeed(urlString, ListFeed.class);

for (ListEntry entry : feed.getEntries()) {
ContactsModel contact = new ContactsModel();
CustomElementCollection elements = entry.getCustomElements();
contact.EmpID = elements.getValue("Emp Id");
contact.Name = elements.getValue("Name");
contact.personalEmail = elements.getValue("personal email");
contact.workEmail = elements.getValue("work email");
contact.emergencyContact = elements.getValue("Emergency Contact");
contact.relation = elements.getValue("Relation");

list.add(contact);
}
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
} catch (ServiceException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}

A: Google ListFeed demo
http://code.metager.de/source/xref/google/gdata-java-client/java/sample/spreadsheet/list/ListDemo.java
The demo is basic and to the point, and I think includes all the ListFeed features. .
URL
But looking at it, I think your url is missing the sheet ID.
/**********************
 * Standard google urls for spreadsheet service
 * copied direct from google code
 *********************/
public URL getSpreadsheetsUrl() throws MalformedURLException {
    return new URL(
            "https://spreadsheets.google.com/feeds/spreadsheets/private/full");
}

public URL getSpreadsheetUrl(String key) throws MalformedURLException {
    return new URL(
            "https://spreadsheets.google.com/feeds/spreadsheets/private/full/"
                    + key);
}

public URL getWorksheetsUrl(String key) throws MalformedURLException {
    return new URL("https://spreadsheets.google.com/feeds/worksheets/" + key
            + "/private/full");
}

public URL getWorksheetUrl(String key, String worksheetId)
        throws MalformedURLException {
    return new URL("https://spreadsheets.google.com/feeds/worksheets/" + key
            + "/private/full/" + worksheetId);
}

public URL getCellsUrl(String key, String worksheetId)
        throws MalformedURLException {
    return new URL("https://spreadsheets.google.com/feeds/cells/" + key
            + "/" + worksheetId + "/private/full");
}

public URL getCellUrl(String key, String worksheetId, String cellId)
        throws MalformedURLException {
    return new URL("https://spreadsheets.google.com/feeds/cells/" + key
            + "/" + worksheetId + "/private/full/" + cellId);
}

public URL getTableUrl(String key, String worksheetId, String rowNumber)
        throws MalformedURLException {
    return new URL("https://spreadsheets.google.com/feeds/" + key
            + "/records/" + rowNumber);
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Oxalosis Associated With High-Dose Vitamin C Ingestion in a Peritoneal Dialysis Patient
Matthew R. D'Costa, Nelson S. Winkler, Dawn S. Milliner, Suzanne M. Norby, La Tonya J. Hickson, John C. Lieske
Nephrology and Hypertension
We report a case of systemic oxalosis involving the eyes and joints due to long-term use of high-dose vitamin C in a patient receiving maintenance peritoneal dialysis (PD). This 76-year-old woman with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease underwent living unrelated kidney transplantation 10 years earlier. The transplant failed 6 months before presentation, and she initiated hemodialysis therapy before transitioning to PD therapy 4 months later. During the month before presentation, the patient noted worsening arthralgias and decreased vision. Ophthalmologic examination revealed proliferative retinopathy and calcium oxalate crystals. Plasma oxalate level was markedly elevated at 187 (reference range, <1.7) μmol/L, and urine oxalate-creatinine ratio was high (0.18 mg/mg). The patient reported taking up to 4 g of vitamin C per day for several years. Workup for causes of primary and secondary hyperoxaluria was otherwise negative. Vitamin C use was discontinued, and the patient transitioned to daily hemodialysis for 2 weeks. Plasma oxalate level before the dialysis session decreased but remained higher (30-53 μmol/L) than typical for dialysis patients. Upon discharge, the patient remained on thrice-weekly hemodialysis therapy with stabilized vision and improved joint symptoms. This case highlights the risk of high-dose vitamin C use in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease, especially when maintained on PD therapy.
American Journal of Kidney Diseases
https://doi.org/10.1053/j.ajkd.2019.01.022
dialytic clearance
oxalate removal
oxalosis
peritoneal dialysis (PD)
10.1053/j.ajkd.2019.01.022
Dive into the research topics of 'Oxalosis Associated With High-Dose Vitamin C Ingestion in a Peritoneal Dialysis Patient'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Hyperoxaluria Medicine & Life Sciences 100%
Peritoneal Dialysis Medicine & Life Sciences 75%
Ascorbic Acid Medicine & Life Sciences 68%
Oxalates Medicine & Life Sciences 38%
Renal Dialysis Medicine & Life Sciences 25%
Dialysis Medicine & Life Sciences 16%
Ocular Vision Medicine & Life Sciences 16%
D'Costa, M. R., Winkler, N. S., Milliner, D. S., Norby, S. M., Hickson, L. T. J., & Lieske, J. C. (2019). Oxalosis Associated With High-Dose Vitamin C Ingestion in a Peritoneal Dialysis Patient. American Journal of Kidney Diseases, 74(3), 417-420. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.ajkd.2019.01.022
Oxalosis Associated With High-Dose Vitamin C Ingestion in a Peritoneal Dialysis Patient. / D'Costa, Matthew R.; Winkler, Nelson S.; Milliner, Dawn S. et al.
In: American Journal of Kidney Diseases, Vol. 74, No. 3, 09.2019, p. 417-420.
D'Costa, MR, Winkler, NS, Milliner, DS, Norby, SM, Hickson, LTJ & Lieske, JC 2019, 'Oxalosis Associated With High-Dose Vitamin C Ingestion in a Peritoneal Dialysis Patient', American Journal of Kidney Diseases, vol. 74, no. 3, pp. 417-420. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.ajkd.2019.01.022
D'Costa MR, Winkler NS, Milliner DS, Norby SM, Hickson LTJ, Lieske JC. Oxalosis Associated With High-Dose Vitamin C Ingestion in a Peritoneal Dialysis Patient. American Journal of Kidney Diseases. 2019 Sep;74(3):417-420. doi: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2019.01.022
D'Costa, Matthew R. ; Winkler, Nelson S. ; Milliner, Dawn S. et al. / Oxalosis Associated With High-Dose Vitamin C Ingestion in a Peritoneal Dialysis Patient. In: American Journal of Kidney Diseases. 2019 ; Vol. 74, No. 3. pp. 417-420.
@article{adaeb5b1af504b11ba9f2d70c402994f,
title = "Oxalosis Associated With High-Dose Vitamin C Ingestion in a Peritoneal Dialysis Patient",
abstract = "We report a case of systemic oxalosis involving the eyes and joints due to long-term use of high-dose vitamin C in a patient receiving maintenance peritoneal dialysis (PD). This 76-year-old woman with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease underwent living unrelated kidney transplantation 10 years earlier. The transplant failed 6 months before presentation, and she initiated hemodialysis therapy before transitioning to PD therapy 4 months later. During the month before presentation, the patient noted worsening arthralgias and decreased vision. Ophthalmologic examination revealed proliferative retinopathy and calcium oxalate crystals. Plasma oxalate level was markedly elevated at 187 (reference range, <1.7) μmol/L, and urine oxalate-creatinine ratio was high (0.18 mg/mg). The patient reported taking up to 4 g of vitamin C per day for several years. Workup for causes of primary and secondary hyperoxaluria was otherwise negative. Vitamin C use was discontinued, and the patient transitioned to daily hemodialysis for 2 weeks. Plasma oxalate level before the dialysis session decreased but remained higher (30-53 μmol/L) than typical for dialysis patients. Upon discharge, the patient remained on thrice-weekly hemodialysis therapy with stabilized vision and improved joint symptoms. This case highlights the risk of high-dose vitamin C use in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease, especially when maintained on PD therapy.",
keywords = "Ascorbic acid, case report, dialytic clearance, oxalate removal, oxalosis, peritoneal dialysis (PD), retinopathy, supplements, vision loss, vitamin C",
author = "D'Costa, {Matthew R.} and Winkler, {Nelson S.} and Milliner, {Dawn S.} and Norby, {Suzanne M.} and Hickson, {La Tonya J.} and Lieske, {John C.}",
note = "Funding Information: Matthew R. D'Costa, MD, Nelson S. Winkler, MD, Dawn S. Milliner, MD, Suzanne M. Norby, MD, LaTonya J. Hickson, MD, and John C. Lieske, MD. Investigators on this study were partially supported by the Mayo Foundation and the Rare Kidney Stone Consortium (U54KD083908), a member of the National Institutes of Health Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network, funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences. Drs Milliner (President) and Lieske (Vice President) are members of the Rare Kidney Stone Consortium. The authors declare that they have no other relevant financial interests. Received September 3, 2018. Evaluated by 2 external peer reviewers, with direct editorial input from an Associate Editor and a Deputy Editor. Accepted in revised form January 18, 2019. Funding Information: Investigators on this study were partially supported by the Mayo Foundation and the Rare Kidney Stone Consortium (U54KD083908), a member of the National Institutes of Health Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network, funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences . Drs Milliner (President) and Lieske (Vice President) are members of the Rare Kidney Stone Consortium. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019 National Kidney Foundation, Inc.",
doi = "10.1053/j.ajkd.2019.01.022",
journal = "American Journal of Kidney Diseases",
T1 - Oxalosis Associated With High-Dose Vitamin C Ingestion in a Peritoneal Dialysis Patient
AU - D'Costa, Matthew R.
AU - Winkler, Nelson S.
AU - Milliner, Dawn S.
AU - Norby, Suzanne M.
AU - Hickson, La Tonya J.
AU - Lieske, John C.
N1 - Funding Information: Matthew R. D'Costa, MD, Nelson S. Winkler, MD, Dawn S. Milliner, MD, Suzanne M. Norby, MD, LaTonya J. Hickson, MD, and John C. Lieske, MD. Investigators on this study were partially supported by the Mayo Foundation and the Rare Kidney Stone Consortium (U54KD083908), a member of the National Institutes of Health Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network, funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences. Drs Milliner (President) and Lieske (Vice President) are members of the Rare Kidney Stone Consortium. The authors declare that they have no other relevant financial interests. Received September 3, 2018. Evaluated by 2 external peer reviewers, with direct editorial input from an Associate Editor and a Deputy Editor. Accepted in revised form January 18, 2019. Funding Information: Investigators on this study were partially supported by the Mayo Foundation and the Rare Kidney Stone Consortium (U54KD083908), a member of the National Institutes of Health Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network, funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences . Drs Milliner (President) and Lieske (Vice President) are members of the Rare Kidney Stone Consortium. Publisher Copyright: © 2019 National Kidney Foundation, Inc.
N2 - We report a case of systemic oxalosis involving the eyes and joints due to long-term use of high-dose vitamin C in a patient receiving maintenance peritoneal dialysis (PD). This 76-year-old woman with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease underwent living unrelated kidney transplantation 10 years earlier. The transplant failed 6 months before presentation, and she initiated hemodialysis therapy before transitioning to PD therapy 4 months later. During the month before presentation, the patient noted worsening arthralgias and decreased vision. Ophthalmologic examination revealed proliferative retinopathy and calcium oxalate crystals. Plasma oxalate level was markedly elevated at 187 (reference range, <1.7) μmol/L, and urine oxalate-creatinine ratio was high (0.18 mg/mg). The patient reported taking up to 4 g of vitamin C per day for several years. Workup for causes of primary and secondary hyperoxaluria was otherwise negative. Vitamin C use was discontinued, and the patient transitioned to daily hemodialysis for 2 weeks. Plasma oxalate level before the dialysis session decreased but remained higher (30-53 μmol/L) than typical for dialysis patients. Upon discharge, the patient remained on thrice-weekly hemodialysis therapy with stabilized vision and improved joint symptoms. This case highlights the risk of high-dose vitamin C use in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease, especially when maintained on PD therapy.
AB - We report a case of systemic oxalosis involving the eyes and joints due to long-term use of high-dose vitamin C in a patient receiving maintenance peritoneal dialysis (PD). This 76-year-old woman with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease underwent living unrelated kidney transplantation 10 years earlier. The transplant failed 6 months before presentation, and she initiated hemodialysis therapy before transitioning to PD therapy 4 months later. During the month before presentation, the patient noted worsening arthralgias and decreased vision. Ophthalmologic examination revealed proliferative retinopathy and calcium oxalate crystals. Plasma oxalate level was markedly elevated at 187 (reference range, <1.7) μmol/L, and urine oxalate-creatinine ratio was high (0.18 mg/mg). The patient reported taking up to 4 g of vitamin C per day for several years. Workup for causes of primary and secondary hyperoxaluria was otherwise negative. Vitamin C use was discontinued, and the patient transitioned to daily hemodialysis for 2 weeks. Plasma oxalate level before the dialysis session decreased but remained higher (30-53 μmol/L) than typical for dialysis patients. Upon discharge, the patient remained on thrice-weekly hemodialysis therapy with stabilized vision and improved joint symptoms. This case highlights the risk of high-dose vitamin C use in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease, especially when maintained on PD therapy.
KW - Ascorbic acid
KW - case report
KW - dialytic clearance
KW - oxalate removal
KW - oxalosis
KW - peritoneal dialysis (PD)
KW - retinopathy
KW - supplements
KW - vision loss
KW - vitamin C
U2 - 10.1053/j.ajkd.2019.01.022
DO - 10.1053/j.ajkd.2019.01.022
JO - American Journal of Kidney Diseases
JF - American Journal of Kidney Diseases


text:
If you never read any other blog post here…
June 10, 2020 HackenblogGinger Mayerson
"…overview of the Posse Comitatus Act, which restricts the participation of the (US) military in domestic law enforcement activities under many circumstances."
Overview of the Posse Comitatu Act, by RAND, pdf
"…restricts the participation of the (US) military in domestic law enforcement activities under many circumstances." As in ALL circumstances, possibly excepting a foreign military invasion, as in circumstances especially restricted to misuse the US Military in a presidential election stunt. Honestly, I'm starting to wonder if America can recover from this presidency. And, no, that's not an invitation for a military coup, please, we've been very lucky, if not blessed, for a very long time. Let's try very much to keep it that way, thanks.
"'We must reject any thinking of our cities as a "battlespace" that our uniformed military is called upon to "dominate." At home, we should use our military only when requested to do so, on very rare occasions, by state governors. Militarizing our response, as we witnessed in Washington, D.C., sets up a conflict—a false conflict—between the military and civilian society. It erodes the moral ground that ensures a trusted bond between men and women in uniform and the society they are sworn to protect, and of which they themselves are a part. Keeping public order rests with civilian state and local leaders who best understand their communities and are answerable to them.'" General James N. Mattis, USCM (Ret.)
James Mattis Denounces President Trump, Describes Him as a Threat to the Constitution, by Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic, 3 June, 2020
"It is an attack on civil society and democratic accountability."
The Police Are Rioting. We Need to Talk About It., by Jamele Bouie, NYT, 5 June 2020
Norman Mailer had things to say about police riots in "Miami and the Siege of Chicago (NYT on the reissue). Mailer's book is worth reading if only to understand some of the reasons why we're where we are today, alas.
Also, cities and whatnot, really need to teach their law enforcement to police themselves. In my city, the majority of the LAPD are decent people like you and me; let's find a way for them to safely and effectively stop the few sociopaths in their own ranks. This is the police's job in society, and now it must be their job in their job, alas.
"One might imagine that there were appropriate checks and balances in place to establish guidelines and guardrails for this militarizing of US law enforcement. Yet the culture at the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, which for years were impossible to audit by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), appears antagonistic to oversight. It's hard to keep a publicly-funded program like 1033 accountable to the public if citizens are unaware of the program—and the Pentagon has largely succeeded at fending off auditing: there have only been two, in 2018 and 2019, and the agency failed both of them on compliance, inventory accuracy, and accounting issues. According to a survey by the Pentagon-affiliated think tank, the RAND Corporation, roughly half of respondents, or 48 percent, are unaware of programs that provide law enforcement agencies with surplus military equipment. In an effort to keep the 1033 program accountable, the GAO went so far as to initiate in 2017 an undercover sting operation, creating a fake law enforcement agency that was able to acquire more than a million dollars' worth of military equipment. Aside from the waste, fraud, and abuse this exposed, the episode showed how low the barriers are and how serious the lack of accountability is with the Pentagon program's supply of matériel to the thousands of law enforcement agencies across America."
How Police Became Paramilitaries, by Michael Shank, NY Review of Books, 3 June 2020
"…fake law enforcement agency that was able to acquire more than a million dollars' worth of military equipment." And if the GAO can do that, what clever criminal organizations might be doing that, too? Perhaps the US Military should get out of the arms business, y'know, as a vendor, completely OUT OF IT, thanks. I wonder how long the US Military has been an arms dealer; the North Hollywood Shoot-Out was in 1997.
Mike Davis explains why the LAPD is militarized, only partly due to the war on drugs, but mostly due to Parker and Gates deforming it because they were sentimental about their Marine days, well, Parker at least and Gates was at his feet for his entire career. Also David Graeber discusses the NYPD's militarization after 9/11 in "The Democracy Project," his book on Occupy Wall Street. Anyone remember Occupy Wall Street?
"Before he beheaded his 14-year-old daughter with a farming sickle, Reza Ashrafi called a lawyer. His daughter, Romina, was going to dishonor the family by running off with her 29-year-old boyfriend, he said. What kind of punishment, he asked the lawyer, would he get for killing her? The lawyer assured him that as the girl's guardian he would not face capital punishment but at most 3 to 10 years in jail, Mr. Ashrafi's relatives told an Iranian newspaper. Three weeks later, Mr. Ashrafi, a 37-year-old farmer, marched into the bedroom where the girl was sleeping and decapitated her."
A Daughter Is Beheaded, and Iran Asks if Women Have a Right to Safety, by Farnaz Fassihi, NYT, 7 June 2020
10 years? Reza Ashrafi is dangerously insane and should be locked up forever.
"The words were emblazoned in huge yellow letters on a piece of tarmac that stretched two full blocks. Just days before, protesters were brutally dispersed by teargas on the street so Trump could have a photo op in front of a church."
Washington mayor stands up to Trump and unveils Black Lives Matter mural, by Lauren Aratani, The Guardian, 6 June 2020
Ben Denzer, artist
I like this artwork. Too bad more of this blog post isn't about art.
"The popularity of comics in libraries has been one of the biggest stories in both sectors in recent years—but neither has been spared the effects of Covid-19. Library lockdowns have led to furloughs, layoffs, and uncertainty over future funding due to expected declines in state revenues. In the comics industry, stores have been closed temporarily (and in some cases permanently), and Diamond Comic Distributors, the dominant distributor to the direct sales market, halted shipments of new comics for seven weeks, leading to dramatically altered release schedules and cash flow issues for publishers. However, it isn't all bad news: in 2019, the newly organized Graphic Novel and Comics Round Table finished its first full year as an official ALA organization. The new unit accomplished many of its goals, and has many more on the table for its incoming board in 2020."
Libraries Offer Access to Graphic Novels in Pandemic, by Heidi MacDonald, PW, 5 June 2020
"Former President George W. Bush also weighed in on the side of the protesters, writing, 'The only way to see ourselves in a true light is to listen to the voices of so many who are hurting and grieving. Those who set out to silence those voices do not understand the meaning of America.' Bush didn't name Trump directly, but it's still a telling rebuke from a former president of the same political party."
If Republicans Are Ever Going To Turn On Trump, This Might Be The Moment, by Lee Drutman, 538, 4 June 2020
How interesting after Bush II, aka the Cheney Admin, ignored protests of the Iraq "war". However and nevertheless, kudos GWB, or to your writers, for sentiments that I approve of. God, blogging today is totally wearing me out.
"Today, librarians are all trying to understand how the novel coronavirus spreads and what that means for library environments. Coughing and sneezing? Speaking? Breathing? How does the virus travel on the airflow? We're desperate for an authoritative answer on how long the virus lives on different surfaces. We're learning more every day about the troubling role asymptomatic people play in spreading the disease, about contact tracing and how it works. We're trying to understand what the presence of antibodies really means in terms of immunity. And with a puzzling, Kawasaki-like inflammatory disease attacking young people, what can be done with our children's libraries, given that kids will never learn to practice social distancing?"
All By Ourselves, by Brian Kenney, PW, 5 June 2020
"The U.S. Marine Corps on Friday issued detailed directives about removing and banning public displays of the Confederate battle flag at Marine installations — an order that extended to such items as mugs, posters and bumper stickers."
U.S. Marine Corps Issues Ban on Confederate Battle Flags, by Jenny Gross, NYT, June 2020
Thank you, Marines.
Every particular in nature, a leaf, a drop, a crystal, a moment of time is related to the whole, and partakes of the perfection of the whole.
Every revolutionary ends up either by becoming an oppressor or a heretic.
Every sentence spoken by Napoleon, and every line of his writing, deserves reading, as it is the sense of France.
Every spirit makes its house, and we can give a shrewd guess from the house to the inhabitant.
Every time somebody speaks of my honesty, there is someone who quivers inside me.
Every wall is a door.
Everybody believes in something and everybody, by virtue of the fact that they believe in something, uses that something to support their own existence.
Everything in Nature contains all the powers of Nature. Everything is made of one hidden stuff.
Fate is nothing but the deeds committed in a prior state of existence.
Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world.
"The extermination of Amerindians, the persecution of Jews, the oppression of Mexican-Americans, and every other conceivable inhumanity done in the name of God and country—these brutalities can be analyzed in terms of the white American inability to recognize humanity in persons of color. If the oppressed of this land want to challenge the oppressive character of white society, they must begin by affirming their identity in terms of the reality that is antiwhite. Blackness, then, stands for all victims of oppression who realize that the survival of their humanity is bound up with liberation from whiteness.
"This understanding of blackness can be seen as the most adequate symbol of the dimensions of divine activity in America. And insofar as this country is seeking to make whiteness the dominating power throughout the world, whiteness is the symbol of the Antichrist. Whiteness characterizes the activity of deranged individuals intrigued by their own image of themselves, and thus unable to see that they are what is wrong with the world. Black theology seeks to analyze the satanic nature of whiteness and by doing so to prepare all nonwhites for revolutionary action.
"In passing, it may be worthwhile to point out that whites are in no position whatever to question the legitimacy of black theology. Questions like "Do you think theology is black?" or "What about others who suffer?" are the product of minds incapable of black thinking. It is not surprising that those who reject blackness in theology are usually whites who do not question the blue-eyed white Christ. It is hard to believe that whites are worried about black theology on account of its alleged alienation of other sufferers. Oppressors are not genuinely concerned about any oppressed group. It would seem rather that white rejection of black theology stems from a recognition of the revolutionary implications in its very name: a rejection of whiteness, an unwillingness to live under it, and an identification of whiteness with evil and blackness with good.
Reverend James H. Cone, A Black Theology of Liberation, Chapter 1, pp 7-8, 1986 edition, 1st ed. 1970
"American white theology has not been involved in the struggle for black liberation. It has been basically a theology of the white oppressor, giving religious sanction to the genocide of Amerindians and the enslavement of Africans. From the very beginning to the present day, American white theological thought has been "patriotic," either by defining the theological task independently of black suffering (the liberal northern approach) or by defining Christianity as compatible with white racism (the conservative southern approach). In both cases theology becomes a servant of the state, and that can only mean death to blacks. It is little wonder that an increasing number of black religionists are finding it difficult to be black and be identified with traditional theological thought forms."
Reverend James H. Cone, A Black Theology of Liberation, Chapter 1, p 5, 1986 edition, 1st ed. 1970
← Every blog I meet is in some way my superior.	For every minute you blog, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind →


text:
New Approach to Air Quality, Climate to be Discussed in Presentation
View all the posts from March 21, 2016
A national expert in atmospheric sciences and the environment will deliver the fourth lecture of the spring in the College of Engineering's Distinguished Lecture Series at 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 23.
Viney Aneja will give his talk, "The Impact of Agriculture on Air Quality and Climate: Is Nitrogen the Next Carbon?" in Room 622 of the Min H. Kao Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Building. Like other lectures in the series, his talk will be simulcast online.
Aneja is a professor in the Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences at North Carolina State University. He came to NC State in 1987 after conducting and supervising research at General Electric.
The main focus of his research is air quality, particularly in the agricultural sector, and how views on pollution are starting to take into account more factors than just focusing on carbon.
"Agricultural air quality is an important emerging area of environmental science which offers significant challenges to many aspects of research, policy, and regulatory frameworks," said Aneja.
Aneja pointed out that it's important to study not only different forms of pollution but also the different ways it impacts the world, from simple problems such as odor to more disconcerting ones such as pollutants that can cause illness through exposure.
He said that in the United States, ammonia, nitrous oxide, and reduced sulfur all pose particular threats overall, and that agriculture in particular is responsible for more than 90 percent of ammonia pollution. New approaches to agriculture could greatly reduce those totals, in turn helping the rest of the environment.
Aneja is a member of the US Environmental Protection Agency's Board of Scientific Counselors Executive Committee and chair of its Subcommittee for Air, Climate, and Energy Research.
He holds five US patents and has published more than 170 papers, forty-seven technical reports, and two books on his research.
Those viewing the live webcast will be able to ask questions at the end of the discussion, while those interested in the presentation but unable to attend can watch an archived video.
Kim Cowart (865-974-0686, kcowart@utk.edu)
Tickle College of Engineering
Wayne Davis


Thinking of a way you can download Freedom APK on your android smartphone? Well if the answer is yes then you have come to the right place. As you continue to read further in this article we will be sharing the download link for Freedom APK. Also, we'll tell you how to install the app on your smartphone. In the end, to help you out in using the app we will also be sharing the top features of it.
But before that let's just talk about what is Freedom APK. This way you will get a better idea of the app. So let's just head into the topic without wasting much of the time.
If you are an Android gamer then you probably have heard about the Freedom APK. It is an Android app that lets you unlock a game's premium features. Hence, as a result, you will be able to play popular games free of cost. Now the question is how does the app works?
Well, the app basically bypasses the payment gateway for a game or app. Like if you are planning to download some paid game from Google play store. Then simply go to the Play Store and tap on the download button and it will bypass the payment gateway. It kind of tells the Google Play that you have paid for the app.
However, the app is not a legal one and you cannot download it via the Google Play Store. Also, you will need to be a root user to use the application on your Smartphone. Without rooting your smartphone you will not be able to use the app. Better get your smartphone rooted first and come back here when you do. You may try 360 Super Root or any other popular rooting method you could find online.
So that was all about the Freedom APK. Now let's move to the next section where we will be discussing how can you install the app on your smartphone.
At first, go to the settings of your smartphone.
After that go to the Security and look for the option to enable "Unknown Sources"..
Here you have to enable the "Allow installation of apps from unknown feature" option.
Once you are done enabling the feature, You are all set to use the application on your Android smartphone.
Well, in some cases you may not find the option by following the above steps. So in such cases do consider looking into the security settings of your smartphone.
How to Download Freedom APK and install it?
First of all, root your smartphone if you have not yet.
Then click on the below download button and download the APK file.
Once the APK file is installed, tap on it to start the installing process.
After that click on the Install button. Now wait for a while and let your smartphone to install the app.
Once installed you will get to see the open button. Tap on it and you are done.
So those were the steps that you need to follow to download and install the app. Now let's just talk about the features of the Freedom APK.
You will be able to buy premium apps for free.
Freedom APK lets you buy app coins, tools or any other stuff.
So that was all for the Freedom APK. Now go ahead and install the app and see how it is working for you. Also, do comment on your questions if you have any.


HDD has been around for a while. Now it is time to replace it with more powerful and fast Solid State Drive commonly known as SSD. SSD uses integrated circuit to store data, unlike Hard Disk Drive it does not have any moving parts. Thus it is more power efficient and noise free. The speed is tremendous in SSD comparing with the traditional HDD. This is the single component that you can upgrade to get a huge performance difference. Although SSD's are more costly I would like to recommend you to a smaller SSD just for the operating system.


Artist quality handmade oil paint sticks. Natural wax gives you softer consistency and better film strength. No additives, extenders or facilitators. Prussian Blue is this stick''s color.
Deepest, reddest of all blues. Powerful and very, very velvety. Slightly grainy texture. May not be absolutely lightfast in tints.


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Q: Where to ask driving questions? Has a site including driving questions ever been attempted? Is there (or has there been) any SE site where I can ask questions about driving techniques, car handling, etc?
I couldn't find anything in the list of sites or on Area51. Close misses include travel.SE, which has a "driving" tag but which I believe understandably limits it to driving-related issues in long distance trips (e.g. driving abroad, rental cars, etc), and mechanics.SE, which doesn't allow driving questions. There's a "cars" Area51 proposal, but it's for car enthusiasts, not about driving, and it looks to be going nowhere/duped to mechanics.SE.
It'd be remarkable if we had sites for cyclists and pilots, and a proposal for a boating site, but not drivers or motorists. I was expecting to find something like a failed "Motorists" beta; I'm surprised to find nothing at all.

Here are a few example questions I'd be interested in seeing authoritative, fact-based, SE-style answers to - where people I know and sources I've tried online give a variety of contradictory or weakly reasoned answers. For some of them I've even had contradictory answers from different driving instructors:

*

*Is there any harm in changing gear to "2" or "L" in an automatic while moving at a speed suitable for that gear?

*Is there any difference between driving an automatic in "L" and "D" when you won't exceed 5-10mph (e.g. up a very steep hill)?

*Can an automatic engine stall? (and if it can, how to safely get going again without a clutch?)

*Is it ever safe to coast while moving downhill, e.g. at very low speeds? (in countries where it's legal)

*In regions where drivers expect the horn to be used during ordinary overtaking, at what point during overtaking will sounding the horn most reduce the risk of collisions?

*Why does driving a manual car (usually) use less fuel than an automatic with the same number of gears?

*What signs should a driver of an automatic look for that their transmission might be failing?

*Does driving an automatic at below the 1st gear tick-over speed by applying the footbrake cause wear to the breaks? (or does it behave like easing off the clutch in a manual?)

*Do "reverse" and "first" gears always have the exact same speed:power ratio?

*Is there any type of incident where a rear-facing dashcam could avoid a driver being unfairly blamed? (which wouldn't be presumed in their favour anyway)

Update: it sounds like there isn't one, so I'm expanding this question to - has any such site ever been attempted? I know that failed sites are often deleted from Area51, which might be why I'm not finding one. Also, might anyone be interested in starting one - "driving and motoring", maybe, covering all aspects of car ownership and use except those covered by mechanics.SE? (I'm not experienced enough to do it myself).

A: There was a site proposed two years ago called "On the Road" that was described as:

Proposed Q&A site for everybody affected by road traffic. This site should be used to ask/answer questions on a wide variety of traffic issues, ranging from local traffic question to question addressing driving amongst traffic abroad.

With 25 followers and 4 eligible "example questions", it was closed after 1+ year in Definition. If you have reason to believe this can work a second time around (typically coming up with an existing community who wants to build this thing), you are certainly welcome to try again.

A: Robert Cartaino♦ kindly emailed me some of the content of the now-deleted On the Road proposal.
It's pretty hard to see exactly what went wrong - looking at the stats and questions, I guess it never really grabbed or excited any community of experts. I didn't see any discussions in what I was sent; but here's the top voted example questions. These might be relevant to anyone thinking of trying again:

*

*+11 Which has a higher accident rate - roundabouts or traffic lights?

*+10 How to suddenly stop car when raining ?

*+10 Does sleep deprivation have the same effects on driving as drinking?

*+10 Can I have multiple drivers licenses from different countries?

*+10 What are the differences between the EU and USA regarding yielding at a cross road? [comments suggested it's too broad; it might be on topic at travel.se]

*+9 What is the optimal driving style on highways to prevent traffic jams?

*+6 Can you increase highway capacity by applying different road markers? [seems to be creeping towards town planning]

...and various others along similar lines.
Many of these seem a bit basic (could be answered from Highway Code or similar), which maybe supports my suspicion that to work, a "Driving and motorists" type SE site would need to aggressively target the experts and professionals (driving instructors, taxi drivers, etc), and engage them as the core question-answerers by actively seeking out interesting advanced-level and professional-driver-career content.
Then, it can allow everything from learner questions and car enthusiast questions to career questions around taxi licensing etc, and there will be a core rump of experts who can enforce quality.
This might be a challenge because I don't think there's much overlap between professional drivers and SE's current demographics. Aviation intersects via flight simulation enthusiasts, bicycles intersects via urban professionals/tech-hipsters, etc, but in my experience, driving professionals are rarely "computer-y", while SE tends to be disproportionately white-collar.


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Terry Notary
TERRY NOTARY started his Movie carrier with Ron Howard's 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas'. Howard then requested Terry to teach the actors movement and thus Terry's career in the film industry began. Through Terry's seventeen-year career, he has become an actor, director, creature performer, animal movement specialist, movement choreographer and stunt coordinator who has worked with the industry's leading directors, including, Ron Howard, James Cameron, Peter Jackson, and Steven Spielberg. As a movement choreographer, Notary works extensively with the cast to design and develop the signature character that is within a specific actor. Notary has served as movement choreographer and performed in a slate of films on the cutting edge of performance capture. He will next be seen in The Lion King, Avengers: Infinity War and Jungle Book: Origins. In addition to choreographing and appearing in Jungle Book, Notary also served as its 2nd unit director. Other films in which he appears and served as movement choreographer include Avatar, The Hobbit trilogy, The Incredible Hulk, Rise of the Silver Surfer, The Adventures of Tintin, The BFG, Warcraft and Suicide Squad. Notary recently played the iconic character, Kong in Kong: Skull Island and also previously portrayed the alpha chimp Rocket in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and the upcoming War for the Planet of the Apes where he also served as the stunt coordinator and movement choreographer for the ape-playing cast. Terry also enjoys teaching master class movement workshops around the world.


text:
Asia Newsday > UK News > US claims Russia planning 'false-flag' operation to justify Ukraine invasion
US claims Russia planning 'false-flag' operation to justify Ukraine invasion
UK NewsJanuary 14, 2022
The US has alleged Russia has already positioned saboteurs in Ukraine to carry out a "false flag" operation to use as a pretext for a Russian attack, which Washington says could begin in the coming month.
The allegations, following similar claims by the government in Kyiv, come after the failure of a week of diplomacy to defuse the crisis provoked by Russia's massing of more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine's borders. Moscow has persistently portrayed the crisis as a military threat from Ukraine against Russia, without providing any evidence.
"Russia is laying the groundwork to have the option of fabricating a pretext for invasion, including through sabotage activities and information operations, by accusing Ukraine of preparing an imminent attack against Russian forces in eastern Ukraine," a US official said.
"We have information that indicates Russia has already prepositioned a group of operatives to conduct a false-flag operation in eastern Ukraine.
"Russian influence actors already starting to fabricate Ukrainian provocations in state and social media," the official said, noting that Russia used similar tactics ahead of the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
"The Russian military plans to begin these activities several weeks before a military invasion, which could begin between mid-January and mid-February."
Ukrainian officials had claimed that the provocation could take the form of a violent incident at the Russian embassy or consulate, which Moscow could then blame on far-right Ukrainian extremists.
The US claim came on the same day Ukraine was hit by a "massive" cyber-attack, with the websites of several government departments including the ministry of foreign affairs and the education ministry knocked out.
The hackers left a message on the foreign ministry website, according to reports. It said: "Ukrainians! … All information about you has become public. Be afraid and expect worse. It's your past, present and future."
Andriy Yermak, the head of the presidential office in Kyiv said, "practically 90%" of the affected websites were back online by mid-afternoon.
"The most strategic infrastructure in Ukraine was not be destroyed by this attack. This is a very [well] protected," Yermak told a meeting of the Atlantic Council thinktank from Kyiv. He said Ukraine was working with the US and the UK to confirm who was behind the assault.
Earlier in the day, Ukraine's information ministry said "the first data suggest that the attack was carried out by the Russian Federation". The White House, however, could not immediately confirm that.
"We don't have an attribution at this time," a US official told reporters. "While we continue to assess the impact with the Ukrainians, it seems limited so far, with websites coming back online. We will consult with allies and partners including Ukraine."
See also Audi unveils the Skysphere: A futuristic, sinister-looking EV roadster concept car in new direction for automaker
Top US, Russian diplomats meet in Switzerland as tensions over Ukraine rise
US charges Belarus officials with air piracy over forced landing of Ryanair jet
UK's Liz Truss warns Russia of 'terrible quagmire' if it invades Ukraine
Serbia scraps plans for Rio Tinto lithium mine after protests
Is the Ukrainian military really a David against the Russian Goliath?
Teenager becomes youngest woman to fly solo around the world – video
Four jailed for trying to smuggle cocaine through Russia's Argentine embassy
Now is not the time to gamble on the health of Singaporeans and remove vaccination-differentiated measures: Ong Ye Kung
Police to reroute six KL roads ahead of #TangkapAzamBaki rally tomorrow


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Fifa must do more to protect footballers like legend Jeff Astle, MP says
The striker died from early on-set dementia caused by heading footballs
Helen KreftSenior reporter
The international football governing body Fifa must do more to protect footballers, like South Derbyshire legend Jeff Astle, from suffering long-term brain injuries, MPs have heard.
Former Labour minister Chris Bryant urged the sport's governing body to reform its concussion protocols to allow longer on-pitch assessments during games.
His remarks come following the death of former West Bromwich Albion and England striker Jeff Astle, who lived in Netherseal.
Mr Astle died in 2002 from early on-set dementia (CTE) caused by heading the ball during his playing days.
Jeff's daughter, Dawn, has always been convinced of the connection with footballers heading balls and dementia and headed up The Jeff Astle Foundation, which campaigns on the issue.
Mr Bryant spoke out after MPs debated controversial care proposals contained in the Mental Capacity (Amendment) Bill, which seek to make it simpler for care homes and hospitals to hold vulnerable people who cannot consent to treatment or care.
Former England and West Brom star Jeff Astle (Image: PA)
Speaking at report stage, Mr Bryant said: "I think it is wholly to be deprecated that Fifa still will not allow a full substitution for a brain injury during a match.
"You need 10 minutes to do a proper assessment on the pitch and at the moment you only get three minutes in a Fifa match with no substitution and of course it's therefore not in a team's interests to take the person off the pitch.
"This must change because the people we talk of as heroes, like Jeff Astle, who died because of heading the ball, if the people who are the heroes for our young people today end up suffering later in life because of what they sustained in their football career we will have done them a terrible disservice."
Tributes paid as England World Cup-winning goalkeeper Gordon Banks dies aged 81
Jeff, who was a dad of three, went on to launch an industrial cleaning business in Burton following his retirement from the game and was well known to many in the South Derbyshire area for his working activities after his football career ended.
He was a household name in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and went on to play for England in the 1970 World Cup after starring as a centre forward for West Bromwich Albion.
He scored the winning goal in the 1968 FA Cup final, when Albion beat Everton 1-0.
He was just 59 when he died.
Woman struck down by mystery illness
Norovirus warning
Mum's distress as son had no heartbeat
Midwives help families who lost babies
Mr Bryant, a long-time campaigner for more protection against acquired brain injury (ABI), said there was a "hidden epidemic" of ABI, which affected about 1.4 million people, but research was still "underdeveloped".
The Bill aims to reform the process in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 for authorising arrangements enabling the care or treatment of people who lack the capacity to consent to proceedings themselves.
The new regime created by the Bill would replace the existing authorisation process, known as Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), which were introduced in 2009.
Those arrangements have attracted significant criticism for being too complex and bureaucratic, but provisions in this Bill have been described as "deeply flawed".
Mums-to-be in Burton: This will protect you and baby from serious viruses
This is how YOU could own this football legend's shirt


GPS Visualizer is an online utility that creates maps and profiles from geographic data.
It is free and easy to use, yet powerful and extremely customizable.
Use it to see where you've been, plan where you're going, or quickly visualize geographic data (scientific observations, events, business locations, customers, real estate, geotagged photos, etc.).
After you convert or improve your tracks you can opt to upload them directly from GPS Visualizer to your Wikiloc account. Look for the Wikiloc banner on the GPS Visualizer web page.
How to edit a trail from a GPS file editor?


text:
Q: Looking for a very simple Bash script for automated key press I would like to write a very simple linux bash script that simulates the key-combination "ctrl+S" every 60 seconds and runs in the background.
Unfortunately I don't have any clue about Bash Scripts and couldn't find related topics. Could someone help me out?
Thanks!

A: Use xdotool in a loop:
while sleep 60
do
  xdotool key ctrl+s
done

A:
The script is just supposed to regularly save a google docs spreadsheet in the browser.

This is unnecessary. Google Docs spreadsheets save themselves automatically anyway.


The Expanding Capacity in the Indigenous Music Recording Industry program is intended to support emerging Indigenous recording engineers/producers and Independent Indigenous recording studios currently active within the B.C. music industry to engage in skill development and build professional capacity.
Independently owned Indigenous recording studios willing to offer an internship, mentorship or training to an emerging Indigenous recording engineer/producer.
The purpose of this initiative is to broaden applicant knowledge, skills, networking and business opportunities within the industry. Activities may include short-term and focused mentorship, internship or training opportunities through direct participation in a music recording project. Applicants will also have the opportunity, as a part of this program, to request funding for recording equipment and software enhancements.