text:
Midea Intends to Increase Its Stake in KUKA AG through Voluntary Takeover Offer
Midea Group
SHUNDE, China, May 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --
Offer at EUR 115 in cash per KUKA share
Premium of 59.6 percent over KUKA's unaffected closing price on February 3, 2016, the day before publication of the increase of Midea's stake to 10.2 percent
Mutual strategic benefits through complimentary businesses and joint development of robotics for applications in general industry and logistics as well as service robotics
Midea fully committed to KUKA's independence and status as a listed entity in Germany, and is committed to invest in KUKA's employees, brand, intellectual property and facilities to further support the company's development
Midea (Midea Group Co Ltd, SZSE 000333), one of the world's leading industrial groups in consumer appliances and Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) systems, announced today its intention to launch a voluntary takeover offer through its affiliate MECCA International (BVI) Limited for all shares in KUKA (KUKA AG), a leading global supplier of intelligent automation solutions, at EUR 115 per share. The decision confirms Midea's previously stated intention to increase its shareholding in KUKA. Currently, Midea indirectly owns 13.5 percent of KUKA's shares. In line with the applicable regulatory framework, the increase of the shareholding to more than 30 percent requires an offer for all issued shares in KUKA AG.
Midea is committed to maintaining KUKA's independence as a publicly listed company in Germany and has no intention of entering into a domination agreement regardless of the result of the takeover offer.
The all-cash proposal provides KUKA's shareholders with compelling and immediate value, as it represents a 59.6 percent premium over KUKA's unaffected closing price of EUR 72.05 on February 3, 2016, the day before the publication of Midea's 10.2 percent stake. The completion of the takeover offer will be subject to certain conditions. These include, in particular, achieving a minimum acceptance threshold of 30 percent of the issued shares of KUKA, including the shares already owned by Midea, necessary antitrust and other regulatory clearances and approval of the transaction by the shareholders' general meeting of Midea.
Paul Fang, Chairman and CEO of Midea, comments on the announcement: "As a customer and investor, we have been impressed by KUKA's management and employees and have had constructive dialogue since building our initial stake in the company. KUKA is in excellent condition today and we are committed to investing in KUKA's employees, brand, intellectual property and facilities to further support the company's development. We would like to have a meaningful stake in KUKA above 30 percent and have no intention of concluding a domination agreement or delisting the company. We believe that a larger shareholding strikes the right balance between an independent KUKA while also putting both companies in a position to drive further growth through collaboration, especially in China. The investment fits perfectly into Midea's 'Smart²' strategy, which aims to upgrade our manufacturing competencies and develop smart home devices."
Mutual strategic benefit through complementary businesses and joint development of robotics for applications in general industry and logistics as well as service robotics
One of KUKA's stated key strategic focus areas is the broader robotics market in China, an area in which Midea also sees substantial growth opportunities driven by rising labour costs and an ageing Chinese population. KUKA stated that by 2020, it plans to grow sales to EUR 1 billion in China from EUR 425 million in its most recent financial year.
As a leading industrial company in consumer products, Midea has an extensive network of distributors, suppliers and other constituents and is therefore an ideal partner to significantly strengthen KUKA's positioning, address local customer needs and increase its exposure to general industries in China, which has the largest and most diverse general industries sector in the world. Based on its excellent manufacturing capabilities, Midea will seek opportunities to support KUKA to fully utilize its capabilities and network and realise efficiencies in its supply chain.
Having serviced households both inside and outside of China for decades, Midea sees substantial potential, specifically in smart home appliances. In 2015, Midea launched its "Smart²" strategy, not only to further upgrade Midea's manufacturing and logistics automation via additional investments in robotics, but also to look into developing smart home devices based on robotics technology. Midea's goal is to raise its overall sales over the coming years to over EUR 25 billion, of which smart devices and service robotics will form a significant portion.
Andy Gu, Vice President of Midea, says: "Midea sees KUKA as its partner of choice in further enhancing its automation product and service offerings, while Midea makes an ideal partner for KUKA to develop, manufacture and market KUKA's robotics proposition. We look forward to leveraging our experience and additional financial resources to accelerate KUKA's strategy in China and support their expansion into general industries."
Midea also aims to enhance its manufacturing efficiency through KUKA's technology throughout its industrial base and supply chain, while KUKA can capitalize on Midea's manufacturing expertise to further develop innovative solutions. Moreover, there is a strong strategic rationale in an increased collaboration between KUKA's "Swisslog" business and Midea's broad logistics operations to drive warehouse and logistics automation in the growing Chinese logistics market. Midea sees significant opportunities to combine each company's strengths -- KUKA's robotics expertise and Midea's established position in customers' homes -- and jointly strengthen the footprint in the future service robots market by seeking opportunities to develop customized product lines, such as home and service robotics products.
Midea values KUKA's independence and proposes corresponding commitments
Midea fully supports the operational independence of KUKA's business. Midea regards the continued leadership of the current management team as critical to KUKA's continued success and is fully supportive of KUKA's current strategy, employment base and brand development.
"We intend to seek representation on the Supervisory Board in a manner which appropriately reflects our shareholding and look forward to working constructively with the other KUKA Board members and shareholders to support the company's future development. We are prepared to agree to specific commitments in this regard. We expect these to include continued support for KUKA's employment levels, brands and intellectual property. Moreover, we will look to support KUKA's additional investments in Research and Development and software to maintain its competitive advantage," said Midea Chairman and CEO, Paul Fang.
The transaction will be implemented through a voluntary takeover offer for all outstanding shares of KUKA. Midea has the financial capacity needed to implement the transaction. The financing of the transaction will be achieved by a credit facility.
Morgan Stanley is acting as exclusive financial advisor and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is acting as legal advisor to Midea on the transaction.
This announcement does not constitute an offer or an invitation to purchase any securities. The intended takeover offer will be made solely by means of the yet to be published Offer Document, which will contain the full terms and conditions of the intended takeover offer including details of how it may be accepted.
This document may contain certain forward-looking statements. Such statements are, in particular, indicated by terms such as "expects", "believes", "is of the opinion", "attempts", "estimates", "intends", "assumes" and "endeavors" and similar phrases. Such statements express current intentions, views, expectations, estimates and forecasts with regard to possible future events. They are, inter alia, based on certain assumptions, assessments and forecasts, are subject to risks and uncertainties and therefore they may turn out to be incorrect.
Notice to US holders of KUKA AG Shares:
The intended takeover offer is being made for the securities of a German company and is subject to German disclosure requirements, which are different from those of the United States. The financial information included in this announcement has been largely prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards and the generally accepted accounting principles of the PRC and thus may not be comparable to financial information of US companies or companies whose financial statements are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States. The intended takeover offer will be made in the United States pursuant to the applicable US tender offer rules, including Regulation 14E and relevant provisions on exemptions from the prohibition on purchases outside the intended takeover offer and otherwise in accordance with the requirements of the German Securities Acquisition and Takeover Act (Wertpapiererwerbs- und Übernahmegesetz). Accordingly, the intended takeover offer will be subject to disclosure and other procedural requirements, including with respect to withdrawal rights, offer timetable, settlement procedures and timing of payments that are different from those applicable under US domestic tender offer procedures and law.
To the extent permissible under applicable law or regulation, MECCA International (BVI) Limited (the Bidder) and its affiliates or brokers (acting as agents for the Bidder or its affiliates, as applicable) may from time to time before, during or after the period in which the intended takeover offer remains open for acceptance, and other than pursuant to the intended takeover offer, directly or indirectly purchase, or arrange to purchase, shares of KUKA AG, that may be the subject of the intended takeover offer, or any securities that are convertible into, exchangeable for or exercisable for shares of KUKA AG. Any such purchases, or arrangements to purchase, will comply with all applicable German rules and regulations and Rule 14e-5 under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act to the extent applicable. Information about such purchases will be disclosed in Germany to the extent required by applicable law. To the extent information about such purchases or arrangements to purchase is made public in Germany, such information also will be deemed to be publicly disclosed in the United States. In addition, the financial advisors to the Bidder may also engage in ordinary course trading activities in securities of KUKA AG, which may include purchases or arrangements to purchase such securities.
About Midea
Midea is a leading global player in consumer appliances and Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) systems, with diversified product offering, encompassing air-conditioners, refrigerators, laundry appliances, kitchen appliances and various small home appliances. Midea is committed to build a better life by adhering to the principle of "Creating Value for Customers". Midea is focused on continuous technological innovation, including robotics, to improve product and service quality, to make life more comfortable and pleasant.
Founded in 1968 in Guangdong, China, Midea has now established a global platform of more than 200 subsidiaries and nine strategic business units. Midea had total revenues of over EUR 18.7 billion in the fiscal year ending December 31, 2015 and approximately 100,000 employees worldwide. Midea runs 21 manufacturing sites globally and operates 260 logistics centres. Midea is listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (000333).
To learn more about Midea, please visit at http://www.midea.com/global/
To learn more about the takeover offer, please visit http://www.partnershipinrobotics.com/
Midea KUKA Partnership Factsheet: http://photos.prnasia.com/prnk/20160518/8521603191-a
Source: Midea Group
Related Stocks:
Shenzhen:000333
http://www.midea.com/global/
Keywords: Consumer Electronics Household/Consumer/Cosmetics HVAC
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Newsletters: October is Rose Month!
If you take any flower you please and look it over and turn it about and smell it and feel it and try to find out all its little secrets, not of flower only but of leaf, bud and stem as well, you will discover many wonderful things. This is how you make friends with plants, and very good friends you will find them to the end of our lives.
As I write this it is the 26th of September. Many of our roses are virtually in bloom – much earlier than I can recall or have ever recorded.
I so enjoyed taking photographs of the runners for FB during the 30th roses parkrun on Saturday on 22nd September. Finally the pictures could have flowering roses in the fore or back ground again.
A week later on 29th of September the rose farm was truly showing off.
The climbers on our rose mile create a wall of colour.
The roses started flowering so early this year!
Can you smell 'Arctic Ice's' sweet fragrance?
'Afrikaans' spicing things up with the orange explosion.
'Afrikaans' greeting all the parkrun participants.
As recommended in last month's newsletter, we have also carried out finger pruning so that the show will be prolonged.
The application of VIGOROSA helped to encourage basal shoots and additional sprouting.
Pinching staggers the flowering so that the plants carry buds of all stages.
Pinching and fertilising has encouraged all these new shoots and buds.
One can pick roses from this bed ongoingly.
Pinching some of the shoots 3 weeks ago has resulted in super blooms now.
As the first blooms fully open, the next stage of half open blooms can be admired.
Pinching in September most certainly generates this constant flow in Hybrid Tea's.
Here on the farm, roses that were pruned in August are only starting to have a few fully developed, unopened buds now. The roses pruned in July are much further along.
The difference would have been much smaller if the temperatures had remained very cold from early to end July, as they did in other regions.
Roses pruned in August are not showing much colour yet.
Last October, if you can remember, our annual rose festival was all about VW's.
This year we are so excited to surprise you with "The House of Roses"!
This is the big advantage of growing roses in containers from inception, as we do. They can be planted at absolutely any time of the year, from spring, summer autumn through to winter.
Some of the mountainous regions experienced snowfall and frost very recently. It will hold the flowering back, but the bushes are recovering with the expectation of an even more profuse flowering just a little later.
The water flow from the good rains that fell in the Western Cape region over the past three months is filling the dams. A great relief for farmers and gardeners, well of course EVERYONE!
The temperatures in the Western Cape during September have been fairly low and it seems that I will delay the flowering of the roses somewhat.
Of course, it just means that the blooms will be even larger. With the moisture on the leaves it is best to spray at least fortnightly with Ludwig's Cocktail and or in-between with Rose Protector.
If the roses suffered due to the drought and water restrictions, by now, they will have sprouted. You can apply 30g of Vigorosa to stimulate even more sprouting and maintain the nutrient balance needed to carry on producing quality blooms.
In Gauteng and surrounding areas the day temperatures in August were pretty steep between 25° to 30° and the roses are flowering almost everywhere. It is not a problem to the bushes at all.
In the regions around Durban the roses have always flowered so early. Although this year it has been much colder there and the roses will flower a bit later than usual.
Moths are busy laying eggs on the still folded up green flower buds. The tiny boll worms will hatch within a few days and burrow themselves into the bloom. They become fat worms that chew holes through all the petals before the blooms even open.
If you only have a few rose bushes, you can simply inspect the buds and wipe off the eggs.
Regular spraying with the Cocktail or Rose Protector should prevent the moths form laying their eggs or neutralise the worms as they hatch.
A boll worm egg laid by a moth onto the sepal.
A tunnel system of boll worm damage to the bloom.
Slight curling of the leaves of new shoots is an indication that thrips larvae have worked their way up the plant and have been munching on the soft, juicy tissue.
The winged adult thrips is about to converge and squeeze its way in-between the tight petals and will start sucking out the petal edges.
The damage makes, specially the lighter coloured roses, appear as if the petals of the opening blooms has been scorched by a constant dry, hot wind.
If you want to see the little critters, the easiest way is to unfold the petals and shake the bloom out onto your hand. You will see long, winged little insects run around. They areu sually yellow or black. They can jump and fly. Watch this video if you are interested in seeing their cycle close up.
Badly damaged blooms are best cut off and held in a plastic bag. Drenching with KOINOR at the end of August, early September would have prevented an outbreak and regular spraying kept it at bay.
Severe thrips damage on the new shoot.
Thrips damage can look like the leaf has dried out from a hot, dry wind.
The petal edges showing thrips damage. After spraying it stopped.
The large flower eating beetles only arrive later in the month. They are attracted by the scent of the opening blooms. The garlic content of the Ludwig's Insect spray in the cocktail camouflages the scent considerably. However, if they still arrive, either collect them by hand or spray separately with Rose Protector or Cyper onto the blooms and buds – best when they are busy feasting. I find that they stay away for around a week or two.
The dead heading and cutting of blooms is the "enjoyable" and relaxing task of rose growing.
Dead heading, cutting off the blooms that have faded or shed the petals is in a way good house keeping. The rose bed or bush looks neat and groomed, but it also encourages quick, new sprouting and by cutting higher up or lower down one can determine the quality or quantity of blooms for the next crop.
Since most varieties have their very own characteristics here are some images on how to proceed.
a few days after picking the bloom.
but it encourages the sprouting out of the two upper leaf axles.
They are unable to develop in to quality blooms.
Cutting slightly further down will activate the superior eyes.
For best results on a normal Hybrid tea, cut three to four leaves with the bloom.
Long stemmed blooms are best cut half way down.
Watch this video that explains a little more in depth on where to cut.
With some floribundas and especially with the colourscape types such as the "Grannies", Profusions and "Deloitte & Touche", grooming may be simplified by taking a hedge shear and trimming them occasionally.
WATERING: As I write this, a thunder storm poured 10mm rain over our roses and last night we had 4mm. For us it means one irrigation cycle, which is of course very nice, but it is the change in the weather pattern that is so very welcome at the start of the season.
Good rain showers with water penetrating deep and wide for the roots of trees and shrubs to not have their drinking limited to the rose beds will be excellent. We are very optimistic and hope for a good spread out rain pattern this summer.
FERTILISING: One must not under estimate the "Use Up" of available nutrition in the soil at the root zone.
With enough water available, the mineral nutrients in the soil are freely dissolved and pushed into the rose. They grow accordingly. It is easy to see in the stem length, thickness, leaf size and deep green colour.
The nutrients applied by fertiliser after pruning are quickly used up by rapid growth and applying VIGOROSA fertiliser by mid October forces the roses to re-sprout.
They have no choice but to re-flower, especially since the blooms have been cut off so the plant won't be able to form seed hips.
At this stage VIGOROSA is spread out over the estimated root zone and then watered in. Don't apply it as a heap. It needs to be scattered evenly.
WATER SHOOTS or basal shoots are still appearing, particularly now after the rain. It is still good practice to pinch out the tip once they have reached about knee height.
If not caught in time, they are best cut back a little not allowing them to produce a flowering head just now. Such stems keep on producing the best flowering stems to the end of the season and are then retained at next winter's pruning.
We cordially invite you to visit our annual spring festival on the farm.
We are totally excited to share this breathtakingly, beautiful display with you.
Gideon's Flowers & Functions is creating awe-inspiring arrangements.
Kings & Queens antiques will be for sale.
Come and taste Warwick Estate's The First Lady wines.
Enjoy a glass of Wilderer Distillery's world renowned gin.
The Rose Kitchen will be serving tasty refreshments.
Relax on a tractor train ride amongst the rose fields.
A new fleet of diggers, tractors and trucks await the little ones in our new sand pit.
We are grateful to Kings & Queens Antiques for supplying the furniture in the house.
Thank you to Vasco Stone for the statuary.
We appreciate 24 Carrots' event management.
The roses are in full bloom and their beauty is mesmerizing. We look forward to hosting you!
Our annual Bus Tour to private rose gardens in Johannesburg was planned for the 20th of October. Last year it was a case that a lot of the roses were not yet in full bloom. We visited them last week and it showed that the roses were far advanced in flower bud formation. We have decided to move the date of the tour a week earlier to the 13th of October.
Morningside Shopping Centre on 12 October.
Open to everyone to exhibit. Roses must have been grown in your own garden and have been planted at least 6 months before the show.
Accredited judges judge the best blooms (Ludwig is one of them). There are 16 different classes to exhibit in. 8 in Hybrid Tea's according to colour, 2 in Floribunda's, 2 in a beginners section, 1 in scented bloom, 1 in Old Garden Rose (heritage), 1 in 5 different roses and 1 for a retirement centre arrangement. A "Queen of the Show" is also awarded which is the rose that the judges determine is the best bloom on show.
Tour the Rose Gardens of the Cape!
Thursday 1 Nov – Sat 3 Nov 2018.
3 days of exploring private and public rose gardens and lunch at our favourite restaurants.
This beautiful rose graces the front cover of our latest catalogue, which has been printed. You should be receiving a copy in the post very soon.
We are well aware that it was our rose of the month in September too. We felt that it really and truly is such an astounding variety that it deserves to remain for October too.
It is was named for the centenary celebration of the St Dunstan College in Benoni.
October is rose month! Visiting any one of our branches country wide is well worth doing. We look forward to welcoming you to colour and fragrance only the Queen of flowers can provide!


Half dozen oyster & shrimp cocktail.
Choice of half dozen or dozen. Price may vary - market price. Please contact the runner or the merchant directly for more details.
Catch fried fish, shrimp, oysters, whitefish.
Chicken tenders, catch fried fish, shrimp, crawfish, whitefish & oysters.
Choice of Half Pound or Pound. Price May Vary - Market Price. Please Contact the Runner or The Merchant Directly for More Details.
Pound. Price May Vary - Market Price. Please Contact the Runner or The Merchant Directly for More Details.
With Toasted Gambino Bread. Served with Lettuce, Tomato, Pickle, Po Boy Dressing, Catch Fries & Hush Puppies.
Shrimp etouffee & fried or grilled shrimp.


It's common knowledge that smiles are infectious. Smiles resulting from pure joy make the entire face feel ecstatic. However, conditions exist that cause many people to feel self-conscious about their appearance when they smile. For instance, uneven teeth, gaps, and overbites can all put a damper on expressions of joy. Fortunately, an experienced orthodontist can fit you with braces that will leave you with a smile worth beaming about.
There was a time when braces were primarily for young teens, but modern Invisalign technology makes it possible for adults to get smile restructuring too. After all, those in professional positions or people who are active on the dating scene probably don't wan to be seen with a mouthful of metal. Your orthodontist can fit you with Invisalign products that discreetly straighten teeth without being noticeable to others. Because these products are removable, you can continue your dental hygiene program of brushing and flossing uninterrupted, and unlike teenagers who wear traditional teeth-straightening devices, you'll be able to continue enjoying your favorite foods for the duration of your treatment. Your friends, dates, acquaintances, coworkers, and business contacts won't see the braces in your mouth, but they will notice improvements in your smile as time goes by.
Your orthodontist will remove the aligner and replace it with a new one every two weeks. This process will continue for approximately two years, when you'll emerge with the dazzling smile you've always dreamed of having. You'll experience a customized treatment plan designed to meet your individual needs and preferences, and you'll recapture that feeling your had as a child when you smiled with joy without feeling a shred of inhibiting self consciousness.
https://childersbraces.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/siblings-smile.jpg 720 720 DrCAdmin https://childersbraces.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/logo-childers-orthodontics.png DrCAdmin2016-09-29 10:00:002019-03-01 08:41:46"I Have a Tickle in my Brain and it Keeps Making the Corners in my Mouth Point Towards the Heavens"
Orthodontic Fact #9 Irregularities of the teeth is one of the earliest writings about dental deformities, written by Hippocrates in 400 B.C.


Bringing some fun into your charitable campaigns via gamification and rewards is a great way to raise awareness for your cause, create an engaging experience for your fundraisers, and turn them into lifelong advocates for your cause.
To gamify your campaigns, let's first understand how gamification works, and then look at a few successful examples you can apply to your own campaigns.
To me, gamification isn't about buying a system and using it to get fundraisers to do things for you. Instead, it's thinking holistically about your goals and designing a gamified system to support them.
Game mechanics. This includes the elements you find in games. These come in the form of tasks, points, badges and levels.
Behavioural economics. This is about persuading fundraisers to set aside their time to do something for you. For example, are they motivated by competition? Will they do anything to win, or do they play so they can socialize with their friends?
What rewards will motivate your fundraisers?
In addition to the gamification elements discussed above, you will have to consider rewards as a criteria for motivating each person who raises funds for your organization. Selecting rewards that will drive them to take action—or offering a number of rewards that appeal to all of your donor types—is important for creating an effective game environment.
With my advocates, I like to use Gabe Zichermann's SAPS framework to create rewards. SAPS stands for Status, Access, Power and Stuff.
Stuff is tangible rewards such as gadgets, swag and free lunches. Giving away Stuff can be an easy way to express gratitude and engage fundraisers—especially your new fundraisers. These tokens of appreciation will motivate them to increase their involvement and learn more about your organization.
How does stuff relate to gamification?
They'll love to engage with you for points they can redeem for small prizes of their choosing.
People who want Access like the VIP treatment. They may be your long-term or top-performing fundraisers who don't want to be treated like just another donation check. If you go the extra mile and give them exclusive experiences, they can become your biggest advocates. Invite them to a private customer event, or give them a chance to speak with your executives so they feel truly valued.
How does access relate to gamification?
A level system that gives fundraisers access to more perks and bonuses as they advance will keep them engaged.
How does power relate to gamification?
Give these fundraisers special badges to highlight their knowledge, achievements or participation in certain campaigns.
Power and Status have some overlap. People who are motivated by Power and Status like to have influence over others. However, people who want Power don't mind being behind the scenes, while those who want Status want to be in the spotlight. Status seekers tend to have large networks and lots of influence over their community—which can make them great fundraisers. Offer them the chance to speak at events and share their experiences. This allows them to showcase the impact they are making and receive public recognition for it.
How does status relate to gamification?
Put these status seekers on a public leaderboard (based on their activity or fundraising level) and watch the competition to climb to the top ensue!
Now that we've gone through the definition of gamification, let's go over three real world examples to help you with your next campaign.
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was a great example of a gamified charity initiative. It used game mechanics and behavioural economics (the participants' desire to be social) to incite participation.
Participants didn't receive a huge reward for taking part. They simply proved to their peers that they did it (via social media), which appealed to their need for status. Having the power to request a friend (or five) take the challenge was another huge (and fun) motivator.
Another reason why the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was so successful was because it was easy to do. You didn't need special skills or equipment to complete the challenge. When it comes to gamification, the easier something is to do, the more people will do it.
The concept for this month-long November event is simple: men grow moustaches and ask for online donations from their friends and family on social media. By sharing funny photos of their mo's growth, they continuously remind their personal networks to help them reach a fundraising goal. The ease of participation and social aspects of the campaign taps into behavioral economics to drive engagement.
The event also uses game mechanics tools to entice fundraisers. Each Mo Bro and Mo Sista are given a personalized page that shows how close they are to achieving their fundraising goals, and they receive badges when they hit certain fundraising levels.
Top fundraisers are showcased on a public leaderboard and invited to a celebratory gala, giving them the chance to gain status amongst their peers.
You don't need a massive budget or thousands of viral shares to make a great gamified fundraiser campaign.
For example, the San Diego Zoo offers top-performing fundraisers access to a behind-the-scenes tour not available to the public. This awesome experience will stay with each person much longer than a free T-shirt.
This reward has an added benefit (thanks to behavioral economics). Any supporter who takes the tour will see how the San Diego Zoo is achieving their mission of saving species from around the world. Getting a first-hand taste of how their efforts have helped the animals will inspire fundraisers to give more in the future and become stronger advocates for the zoo.
Try it at your organization!
Use a mix of the gamification and rewards frameworks above to motivate, engage and create fundraising advocates!
Bond has a license to kill. Senior Marketing Manager Truman Tang has a license to create engaging experiences for Influitive's customers and advocates. He runs Influitive's advocate marketing program, Influitive VIP.


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Of the forty-four presidents who have led the United States, nine made mistakes that permanently scarred the nation. Which nine? Brion McClanahan, author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Founding Fathers and The Founding Fathers' Guide to the Constitution, will surprise readers with his list, which he supports with exhaustive and entertaining evidence. 9 Presidents Who Screwed Up America is a new look back at American history that unabashedly places blame for our nation's current problems on the backs of nine very flawed men.
Available wherever books are sold, or purchase an autographed copy below.
Buy Paperback On Amazon Buy Kindle Version On Amazon
In Praise of 9 Presidents Who Screwed Up America and 4 Who Tried to Save Her
"Every once in a while American historians will be polled regarding the men they consider the greatest presidents. Without fail, they choose those people most dedicated to the expansion of government. In this outstanding book, Brion McClanahan blasts these historians to smithereens, and reveals the true history of the dangerous men who are known as our great presidents. It's about time someone did!"
–Tom Woods, author of Nullification: How to Resist Federal Tyranny in the 21st Century and The Politically Incorrect Guide™ to American History
"This book is both a fascinating read by a master historian and a necessary guide for any voter."
–Kevin R. C. Gutzman, author of James Madison and the Making of America and The Politically Incorrect Guide™ to the Constitution
"Congratulations to Brion McClanahan. As a true American historian, he tells the truth about the rogues' gallery of US presidents, who have stolen our freedoms, and killed millions in the process. And what great prose!"
–Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr., founding chairman of the Ludwig von Mises Institute
"Mr. McClanahan has a hit on his hands, or should. He lays out a case, in plain English, how each of nine presidents "Screwed up" our country. It is a fascinating and factual accounting of presidential usurpation of power…This book is entertaining and educational – a feat which is all too difficult to achieve. I must say, I am smarter for reading it."
–Brent Smith, The Daily Caller
"Brion McClanahan presents a masterful and superbly-scholarly discussion of how nine presidents, beginning with George Washington himself, effectively destroyed constitutional government."
–Thomas DiLorenzo, LewRockwell.com
It Didn't Start with Barack Obama
America is well on her way to becoming a banana republic. With presidents signing patently unconstitutional legislation, refusing to enforce laws they don't like, and even making appointments without the advice and consent of the Senate, it's clear that the federal Republic our Constitution established is hanging by a thread. And yet the chances that a president who has flouted our founding document and the very rule of law will be impeached are slim to none.
Americans seem to have resigned ourselves to the exact form of government that the framers
and ratifiers of our Constitution feared most: the tyranny of an elected monarch. The executive branch of the U.S. federal government has grown so far beyond the bounds set for it in our
Constitution that Americans can no longer claim to govern ourselves. We only get the chance to pick the man who will spend four years legislating unilaterally with his pen, waging undeclared wars, and usurping still more powers that the people and the states never delegated to the federal government in the first place.
But how did we get here?
Step by unconstitutional step, as historian Brion McClanahan reveals in Nine Presidents Who Screwed Up America—And Four Who Tried to Save Her. McClanahan's ranking of the presidents is surprising—because he judges them on the only true standard: whether or not they kept their oath of office to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
More Books by Brion McClanahan

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Крим Веніамін Скійович (1877, Сімферополь — 1938) — український вчений, вуглехімік, професор. Багаторічний голова Донецького відділення Всесоюзного хімічного товариства ім. Д. І. Менделєєва.

Біографія

Закінчив математичний факультет Петербурзького університету і Петербурзький гірничий інститут (1896—1903).

З 1929 р. працював у Донецькому гірничому інституті. Завідувач кафедрою хімії твердого палива і фізичної хімії.

Сфера наукових інтересів: дослідження вугілля Донбасу, вуглехімія, підземна газифікація вугілля.

Науковий доробок
Автор монографії «Химия твердого тела». Як аналітик підготував і видав «Руководство к количественному и техническому анализу» (1934), яке витримало 5 видань. Із групою наукових працівників брав участь у розробці методу підземної газифікації вугілля (початок 30-х років).

Опублікував більше 50 наукових робіт.

Джерела
 М. П. Зборщик. Відомі вчені Донецького технічного університету

Література
 Зборщик, М. П. Відомі вчені технічної освіти і науки Донецького національного технічного університету (1921—2001) / М. П. Зборщик, Т. І. Овчаренко. — Донецьк, 2002.

Українські хіміки
Вуглехіміки
Випускники Санкт-Петербурзького гірничого університету
Випускники Санкт-Петербурзького університету
Викладачі ДонНТУ
Науковці ДонНТУ

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Broadway's 700 Sundays Will Be Taped To Air on HBO
By Jennifer R Jones | Posted on December 28, 2013 7:39 PM
Billy Crystal's return production of 700 Sundays, which is playing for a limited time at the Imperial Theatre through January 5, has proved to be a major Broadway hit this season. But if you haven't been able to score tickets to Crystal's one-man show, you will be able to see it on HBO next year. On January 3 and 4, 700 Sundays will be taped to broadcast in 2014 on the premium cable network. "Billy Crystal has been a beloved member of the HBO family for more than three decades," stated president of HBO Programming, Michael Lombardo. "It's thrilling to us that he decided to let us film this legendary theatrical event." 700 Sundays, which originally played on Broadway several years ago (and won a 2005 Tony Award for Special Theatrical Event), is Billy Crystal's dramatic memoir in which he talks about growing up in New York City and in particular the cherished Sundays that he spent with his dad.


text:
London Loves Thomas!
July 19th, 2012 Appearances No Comments
Thomas admiring @tdekkersource's shirt!
Thomas attended London Film and Comic Con between 6th-8th July 2012 and signed autographs, met fans, posed for photographs and participated in question and answer sessions. His usual charming, sweet self, Thomas impressed fans with his genuine interest and humility and is definitely wanted back for more!
If you have any pictures, videos or experiences to share then please send them in via the contact form or twitter, but for now here is the current update from the signing, along with a few snaps of myself and Thomas that I will treasure forever!
Personally, while I struggled physically with the event and the queues and location, I had a great time and enjoyed getting the opportunity to catch up with Thomas, old friends and even some new ones from my lovely twitter followers! As it turns out, once again when questions dry up during talks, yours truly is called upon by name for assistance and loves this! I also loved having you guys come up and chat to me about my Thomas shirts and the site!
My favourite image of myself & Thomas!
What we learned from LFCC:
Thomas is most looking forward to fans seeing "The Good Lie" (previously titled "Rose By Name") which will hopefully premiere at Toronto Film Fest this year. He is also looking forward to us seeing "Snap" and "Squatters" as these characters are "badly behaved".
A "big" project is shooting in August, however Thomas is not allowed to disclose details. (Please speculate away on the new forum!)
Thomas's favourite co-star to have worked with was his "naughty best friend Lena" and the Secret Circle cast as they were all away from home and bonded together. He added he liked everyone and has made most of his best friends at work.
When asked which characters he would like to play, Thomas answered "most are female, so I can't play them..well, I could…but…" and then settled for "a fiercely intelligent detective" because he's obsessed with "The Killing". Ripley in Alien is also one of his favourites as it has a duality he always looks for of sensitivity and harshness.
Thomas was asked what went wrong with The Secret Circle and described that his previous comments had been taken out of context. "I actually said my experience with my character didn't click. There was so much story developing that the writers kept changing direction and as it evolved, Adam's story was lost". As for the downfall of the show, he described both Terminator and The Secret Circle as very expensive shows that suffered from a large budget and lower viewing figures.
On working with Gregg Araki on "Kaboom": It was a fantastic but stressful and pressured experience for Thomas because he was passionate about the project, was a fan and wanted to do a good job. It was a challenge as he was "figuratively and literally naked" and had never done a sex scene before – and Kaboom was almost entirely sex scenes!He added that the experience of touring to promote Kaboom was the best, especially as Europeans freaked out about the movie (whereas Americans were scared of it). Thomas is actively campaigning with Araki to get himself a role in the new movie he's making.
"Adam the manwhore" was the nickname for his Secret Circle character, as he got around the circle. Thomas and Phoebe were never encouraged to flirt, but at one point went out of their way to show chemistry and interact and told the directors they were meant to be flirting! Thomas suspected he'd have moved on to the whole circle, perhaps even Jake! (How I wish).
Adam & Melissa: Thomas and Jessica Parker Kennedy had commented that they were the only two in the circle who had never spoken to each other on screen by midseason and in the latter half of the series, they were always interacting and there was a hint of romantic interest. In season two, Thomas suspected they would have developed this.
When I asked Thomas about working with Natasha Henstridge, who he famously had a childhood crush on, Thomas replied "my inner sci-fi geek is in love with Natasha Henstridge" and that his mother called him up when she had been cast to tell him the news and he thought she was messing with him. They are now good friends and he is also friends with her husband Darius.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles season two would have featured an interesting Summer-Thomas-Summer love triangle that hadn't really been done on television before. Thomas expressed his feelings that Josh Friedman is one of the best writers on television and that his two pilots being abandonned shows the state of American television – too simplistic and thoughtless, Josh is too smart.
Thomas has also dealt with cancellation of his favourite shows and can sympathise, as he loved Terminator but also was a fan of "Dead Like Me". In fact, the actress who played Delores in the show was a consultant on The Secret Circle!
Regarding photography, Thomas admitted he was "lazy" and also that he had been uninspired in Canada because it was too beautiful and he is inspired by "misery and darkness". Thomas is currently enjoying more muse for writing, which is something he has always had an interest in and has also had a photography table book made up to show friends and colleagues. He described himself as "schizophrenic" inside his head.
Thomas is a prankster and admitted to pulling practical jokes on The Secret Circle and Terminator sets. On TSCC he flubbed lines and scenes, giving bad takes to new directors and flirting with his on-screen mother on camera. The TSC scene where a hand reaches out for Cassie in the bloopers was his idea!
Regarding "Second City This Week" gig, it was "scary" and he was told to "prepare to be told you're terrible". It was written on the Friday night, rehearsed Saturday afternoon and performed Saturday evening as a group.
Walk of Fame is now in production and Thomas was meeting investors later in the week in London to try and secure additional financing. This is his main focus at present.
Thomas shared that he had history with many of the other LFCC guests, including Jewel Staite who was his first on-screen kiss on "Honey I Shrunk The Kids" aged 9 or 10 (yes, I remember this). Jewel's character was under a spell of some sort and thought she liked Nick (Thomas) and kissed him, despite being somewhat older.
When asked what Thomas preferred doing, he explained he loves being his own boss when making music in his own house, liking jumping from film to film like a kid and enjoying being a grown-up committing to television. Thomas loves to direct and write as well as act and make music and has always been encouraged by his parents, who supported his interest and didn't push him into anything.
Thomas's role in Foreverland is a cameo and he has no idea where it will be released aside from Vancouver Film Festival.
On preparing for Angels Crest role, Thomas said he spent 2 weeks before shooting living with his on-screen son and his family, fell in love with him and spent most of the movie crying. The pre-death scenes were filmed first and were easier emotionally, but he was going through a personal tragedy at the time and so there are moments in the movie where the grief is real and intertwined. It was very exhausting emotionally and physically and afterwards he needed lots of rest to recover. It's the role he's proudest of and thinks it's his best performance.
On working with Chris Zylka, Thomas said that they met on Kaboom in robes! Afterwards, they saw each other around and Thomas was apprehensive about another male joining the cast, but was pleased to hear Chris was auditioning and was pleased when he won the role. They have become like brothers and were planning on sharing a house in Vancouver while filming series 2 of The Secret Circle. Thomas joked they might have died from having too much fun!
On Terminator continuing: Syfy had investigated picking up the show after cancellation but reruns did not attract enough viewers. (Admin note: because everyone who loves it has it on DVD perhaps?). In terms of Brian and Thomas's previous announcement, he didn't have any updates.
Additional reporting & images by @mizmoni @juliaeason and @craigizzle
Unfortunately I'm having trouble with the gallery system but expect to see new images soon!


text:
package com.oculusinfo.tilegen.graph.cluster

import org.apache.spark.SparkContext
import org.apache.spark.graphx._
import scala.Array.canBuildFrom

/**
 * Execute the louvain algorithim and save the vertices and edges in hdfs at each level.
 * Can also save locally if in local mode.
 *
 * See LouvainHarness for algorithm details
 *
 * Code adapted from Sotera's graphX implementation of the distributed Louvain modularity algorithm
 * https://github.com/Sotera/spark-distributed-louvain-modularity
 */
class HDFSLouvainRunner(minProgressFactor:Double,progressCounter:Int,outputdir:String) extends LouvainHarness(minProgressFactor:Double,progressCounter:Int){

  var qValues = Array[(Int,Double)]()

  override def saveLevel(sc:SparkContext,level:Int,q:Double,graph:Graph[VertexState,Long]) = {
	  //graph.vertices.saveAsTextFile(outputdir+"/level_"+level+"_vertices")
      //graph.edges.saveAsTextFile(outputdir+"/level_"+level+"_edges")

	  // re-format results into tab-delimited strings for saving to text file
	  val resultsNodes = graph.vertices.map(node => {
			val (id, state) = node
			val parentId = state.community			// ID of parent community
			val internalNodes = state.internalNodes	// number of raw internal nodes in this community
			val nodeDegree = state.nodeDegree		// number of inter-community edges (unweighted)
			val extraAttributes = state.extraAttributes	// additional node attributes (labels, etc.)
			//val nodeWeight = state.nodeWeight		// weighted inter-community edges
			//val internalWeight = state.internalWeight	// weighted self-edges (ie intra-community edges)
			//val sigmaTot = state.communitySigmaTot	// analogous to modularity for this community

			("node\t" + id + "\t" + parentId + "\t" + internalNodes + "\t" + nodeDegree + "\t" + extraAttributes)
	  })

	  val resultsEdges = graph.edges.map(et => {
			val srcID = et.srcId
			val dstID = et.dstId
			//val srcCoords = et.srcAttr
			//val dstCoords = et.dstAttr
			//("edge\t" + srcID + "\t" + srcCoords._1 + "\t" + srcCoords._2 + "\t" + dstID + "\t" + dstCoords._1 + "\t" + dstCoords._2 + "\t" + et.attr)
			("edge\t" + srcID + "\t" + dstID + "\t" + et.attr)
	  })

	  val resultsAll = resultsNodes.union(resultsEdges)	// put both node and edge results into one RDD

	  resultsAll.saveAsTextFile(outputdir+"/level_"+level)	// save results to a separate sub-dir for each level

      // save the q values at each level
	  qValues = qValues :+ ((level,q))
      println(s"qValue: $q")
      sc.parallelize(qValues, 1).saveAsTextFile(outputdir+"/level_"+level+"_qvalues")
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Sports Betting In Washington
Mls Stance On Sports Betting
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Retail Sportsbooks
According to reports from the Gaming Control Board, FanDuel is responsible for around 40% of total online handle in the state. The most recent sports betting revenue numbers from PA show that FOX Bet attracts close to 10% of total online handle. While there's work to do to catch up with the big players, it's a great start for a platform that's still in its infancy. FuboTV isn't alone in its zeal to boost TV revenues through gambling. In March, Dish Network added a DraftKings app to its satellite TV boxes, letting users watch and bet on games at the same time.
Sports behemoth continues the trend of splitting the sports betting sponsorship category among multiple partners. Caesars will have signage on the sidelines and in areas of the arena, and BetMGM will have branding on the basketball stanchions and pole pads, MSG sources told Gaming Today. GamingToday.com is an independent sports news and information service. GamingToday.com has partnerships with some of the top legal and licensed sportsbook companies in the US.
Prices are eszamanli.com offered for each fighter to win the fight and in the event of a draw all bets will be void and stakes returned. If either fighter is replaced with another fighter all bets will be void and stakes returned. To Win Match – Prices are offered for each participant to win the duel and in the event of a draw all bets will be void and stakes returned.
Only one other sportsbook owns its own broadcast media outlet. With Bally Bet, users can earn trophies for placing and winning bets. Win enough wagers in certain sports or at select odds, and those trophies turn into free bets. One of the world's top casinos companies, MGM Resorts International, is behind BetMGM. The online sportsbook has expanded its reach from its Nevada roots into a variety of states from coast to coast.
Predict if the stated player will successfully break serve in the stated set. Predict who will win the current set with the stated handicap applied. Predict which player will achieve the next break of serve in the match. If there are no breaks of serve in the match all bets on the market will be settled as losers. Predict which player will fail to hold their service game first. Predict how many breaks of serve the stated player will be achieved in the first set.
Our partners provide the best odds out there and all you have to do is bet. That's because we really focus on various betting markets, not just only one, and you will always receive the latest betting odds. Indiana is a "Remote Registration" state, which means that you can sign up for one of the Indiana sports betting apps or online sportsbooks from anywhere, meaning inside the state or outside of the state.
Top Nfl Public Bets
Corners 1X2 Full Time is settled according to the corners taken during the whole match. Betting periods at the end of either half include any injury/stoppage time added on by the match official at the end of normal time. For Live Betting, if an own goal is scored, the next regular goal will be considered for settlement purposes. If both teams do score but not in both halves & if both teams do not score at all.
In 2019, over 40 million participants attempted to reach the Fortnite World Cup finals. The winner of this massive tournament, Kyle 'Bugha' Giersdorf, received $3 million in prize money. Call of Duty is one of the most popular and earliest first person-shooters with a long history among the gaming community.
If you're looking to bet on esports, you've come to the right place, step inside. Rivalry is an esports betting platform made by gamers for gamers. These stats set any sports bettor up for profits, making baseball the number one go-to sport to bet the underdog.
Below the table are this week's offers at sportsbooks for all members, not just new signups. Legal online sports betting launched in Illinois on June 18, 2020, but things are just getting started. Unlike other states that have gone live with multiple online sportsbook offerings, BetRivers is currently the state's lone online option. DraftKings built its brand during the daily fantasy surge of the early 2010s and has taken things to the next level in the infancy of U.S. legal online sports betting.


Jeremy Rocklin has worked as an associate producer and field producer on numerous documentary films broadcast nationally on PBS and various cable networks. His recent credits include Anti-Semitism in the 21st Century: The Resurgence (PBS, 2007), Dan Rather Reports (HDNet, 2007), Under Fire (Court TV, 2006), and The Armenian Genocide (PBS, 2006). In 2006 Jeremy founded Blue Saxophone Films in order to produce his own independent documentary films. He graduated from Northeastern University in 1997 with a degree in Sociology and Anthropology.


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Welcome to the website of Rialtobay Apartments.
The luxury apartment block and lifestyle centre, on the site of the famed art-deco Rialto Cinema, offer an opportunity to own a variety of luxury apartments, retail space and prime Strand beachfront property owned by the newly formed Rialto Bay (Pty) LTD.
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Cruise Vacations announced this week that 2018 was once again a year of awards and accolades for its small portfolio of luxury and niche cruise lines, both for the ocean and river cruise lines which they represent in South Africa.
Several of the cruise lines which Cruise Vacations represent, gained recognition in a variety of categories across a series of prestige and international awards.
Late last year the small team at Cruise Vacations were congratulated by Silversea Cruises for their efforts locally when it was announced that Silversea Cruises had been awarded Africa's Leading Cruise Line at the World Travel Awards. "Although the role we play as local General Sales Agents for Silversea Cruises is only a small part of this overall success, we were nevertheless very proud to have our contribution recognised" said Gaynor Neill, General Manager of Cruise Vacations.
World Travel Awards, which was established in 1993 acknowledges, rewards and celebrates excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries.
Star Clippers, another product in the Cruise Vacations portfolio picked up 2 World Travel Awards, World's Leading Green Cruise Line for the fifth time, as well as World's Leading Luxury Sailing Cruise Line, the sixth time the cruise line has received this award. Star Clippers ships are inherently green because their major source of energy, wind propulsion, is both abundant and emission-free. Itinerary planning is done using wind charts to maximise the amount of time they can travel under wind power. When the ships do need to navigate under power of their energy efficient engines, they only utilise very pure, high quality, low sulphur gas oil, for which the line was awarded the International Air Pollution Prevention Certificate. Star Clippers also picked up the 2018 Wave Award for Best Specialist Cruise Line, voted for by both the UK travel trade and public.
Also, in the UK, the Silver Travel Advisor Awards which recognises the best travel companies, experiences and destinations for over 50's, awarded Silversea Cruises, Best Luxury Cruise Line and Scenic Cruises, Best Luxury River Cruise Line.
In addition to these awards Cruise Critic 2018 Awards were received by Scenic Cruises for Best Shore Excursions, Emerald Waterways for Best Value for Money, Silversea Cruises (Expeditions) for Best for Adventure and Silver Spirit for the Best Ship Refurbishment. The Cruise Critic Editors' Picks Awards are chosen by Cruise Critic's international team of editors, based on the lines and ships they feel best represent excellence in each of the designated categories. Awards were announced in December 2018.
"The team here at Cruise Vacations are very proud to officially represent this collection of highly acclaimed cruise products locally", said Gaynor. "In consistently winning prestigious awards every year and across so many categories, definitely assists with endorsing our efforts when promoting these wonderful cruise lines to the South African travel industry and public".
For further information please contact Cruise Vacations, officially appointed General Sales Agents in South Africa for Silversea Cruises, Star Clippers, Scenic, Emerald Waterways and Carnival Cruise Lines.
This press release was accurate at the date of issuance. It is the reader's responsibility to verify its continued accuracy, as information contained in the release may have changed.


> How do arteries protect themselves from atherosclerosis?
Associated with an aging population and the development of metabolic syndrome, atherosclerosis is a leading cause of death worldwide. Researchers from Inserm Unit 970, the "Paris Cardiovascular Research Center" (Inserm/Université Paris Descartes), have succeeded in revealing the mechanisms underlying the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. In particular, they have discovered the protective role of autophagy, a mechanism for cleaning and recycling cell components, in the cells that line the inner artery wall. These results, published in PNAS on September 25, 2017, provide us with an improved understanding of the initial stages of plaque development, and open up the possibility of developing a preventive treatment.
Atherosclerosis is a cardiovascular disease characterized by the build-up of plaque primarily made up of lipids (atheroma) on the inner artery wall. While some of these plaques remain stable, others erode or break apart with dramatic consequences for the patient, including heart attack or stroke.
The risk factors for cardiovascular disease are multiple and include diabetes, obesity, smoking, and hypertension. Although these factors are general, atherosclerotic plaques primarily develop in very specific areas of the circulatory system: the arterial bifurcations and curvatures. These areas are subject to low frictional forces from the flowing blood. In contrast, areas of the arteries exposed to higher frictional forces are protected from atherosclerosis. The mechanisms involved in this protective role of the frictional forces on the development of atherosclerosis remain poorly understood.
A recent study led by Chantal Boulanger and Pierre-Emmanuel Rautou from Inserm Unit 970, the "Paris Cardiovascular Research Center", has filled this gap in our knowledge of atherosclerosis. Their research has shown the key role played by endothelial autophagy, i.e. the ability of the cells lining the inner wall of the arteries to break down and recycle their own components.
Autophagy is an intracellular process through which the cell breaks down part of its cytoplasm (the contents of the cell between the membrane and the nucleus) in response to stress or a lack of nutrients. The research team observed that the friction exerted by the blood strongly stimulates autophagy on the surface of the arterial wall. This phenomenon enables the endothelial cells to maintain a healthy physiological state, and prevents the development of atherosclerosis by protecting them from cell death, senescence, and inflammation.
The researchers then blocked the mechanism of autophagy on the surface of the arterial wall and observed increased plaque formation in the arterial areas usually protected from the development of atherosclerosis. Endothelial autophagy thus represents the previously missing link between atherosclerosis and the forces exerted by the flowing blood.
"These results prove that inhibiting autophagy is not beneficial in the case of atherosclerosis. Specific stimulation of autophagy, on the other hand, could enable us to prevent the formation of atheroma and thus reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, which are major public health challenges, " concludes Chantal Boulanger.
Healing a mother's skin lesions using her fetal cells?
1. -C.V. and M.K. contributed equally to this work.
2. M.B. and P.-E.R. contributed equally to this work.


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Islamic Outreach Group uses Mobile Quran to Win Hearts and Minds of Charlotte
Written by: Michael Ware
When we think about Islam, one of the first things that we think of is terrorism. There may be other things that come to mind, but usually that is the first. It is hard not to think in such a way with ISIS and Hamas dominating the Mainstream news. Well, there is a group of Muslims in Charlotte, North Carolina that is trying to change that perception.
Fox 46 reports:
The Quran Mobile is rolling around Charlotte and Muslims hope it educates people about their faith.
Concerned about the public's perception of Islam after radical Islamic terrorists like ISIS have dominated the news cycle, Charlotte Muslims with the American Islamic Outreach Center wanted to take action.
The group, American Islamic Outreach Center, is a part of the foundation by the same name. Their main headquarters are in Franklin, NC. This group has been quietly active in the Charlotte area. Working with Habitat for Humanity, distributing food to the needy, partnering with a Hindu group, and many other efforts. Now, the Outreach Center wishes to reach more people through the Mobile Quran.
Fox 46 continues:
The goal is to drive the Quran Mobile around Charlotte during busy hours. They hope to spread the message that Islam is a peaceful religion and the radical terrorists they see on television don't represent the 15,000 Muslims that live in Charlotte.
The problem is that though this might be the message they want to convey, it may not be a true message. It seems that we have a problem that needs to be addressed. First, to make such a statement, you would have had to poll all the 15,000 Muslims in Charlotte. I am sure they did not do this. Second, how does the reporter know that this is not an accurate representation? Well, the Outreach Center told them it was not.
46 continues:
"You got everything from book mobiles to bat mobiles so why not a Quran Mobile," Zahir Shaikh, director of the Quran Mobile said.
"Islam is portrayed in a very negative light because of the actions of some crazy people out there. But 99 percent of Muslims are good hearted just like any other denomination," Shaikh said.
When I read that statement, it seemed a little exaggerated. So, I did a little research. And for the sake of being fair, I went to a source that no one could say was leaning to my side.
CNN reported:
There are between 1.2 and 1.5 billion Muslims in the world. Half are women. While a substantial percentage of Islamic women support jihad, less than one in fifty Islamic terrorist acts is actually perpetrated by a female. That leaves us with a maximum pool of jihadists that is just over 50% of the total population.
The overwhelming preponderance of terrorist acts are conducted by young Muslim men 15 to 30 years old. This age bracket covers about half of the male population of the Islamic world, leaving us with a potential jihad pool of 25% of all Muslims – approximately 300 million people.
Wow! 25%! Now, hold on. This is a percentage of potential jihadists. This is not a percentage of the people who are and/or agree with the Islamist's cause. But when we look at the voter record for the Islamic world the numbers become frightening.
Therefore, based upon the most objective data available to us, at least 60% of all Muslims have the potential to be jihadists by way of their fundamentalist voting patterns. That is to say, Islam has grown substantially closer to its salafi, and thus terrorist, roots over the past decade. It is safe to say that 750 million Muslims are fundamentalists trying to follow Allah's orders and Muhammad's example. And as fundamentalists, they are potential jihadists.
The problem with the Outreach Center is it is like a sedative. These people are not terrorists. They may not agree with terrorism, but they serve to lull us to sleep. They do not do the cutting, they just serve us up to those who do, by lying about their religion. Make no mistake, just because they do not agree with ISIS's violent means, do not think that they do not have the same goal.
Dr. Alveda King: Liberal Race Baiting Is Tired and Wrong Next Post:
Denmark Bows to Sharia: Bans Geert Wilders' Muhammad Drawing Exhibition
About the Author: Michael Ware
Michael is a husband, father and elder in the church he attends. He also writes at ShadeTreeEconomist.com and FreedomForce.com


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From the Editor: After Zheng
BioPharm International, BioPharm International-08-01-2007, Volume 20, Issue 8
The corruption of China's food and drug sectors is not limited to one man. Likewise, real reform will require the efforts of many.
The execution of Zheng Xiaoyu, the corrupt head of China's State Food and Drug Administration, was a shock. Just weeks earlier, in writing for our July issue about the diethylene glycol contamination of excipients produced in China, I said the Chinese government's response to several related cases had ranged from "obstructive to inadequate." For example, Chinese officials declared that the deadly chemical was not toxic and was therefore permitted to be used as an ingredient in toothpaste. That they should turn suddenly to crack down so severely on their agency's corruption was, therefore, unexpected.
What Zheng did was itself shocking. In a country where the average worker earns about $2,000 a year, Zheng accepted bribes totalling more than $850,000. In return, he approved thousands of untested medications. All told, the agency approved 150,000 drugs under Zheng's tenure. (In a typical year, the US FDA approves fewer than 150). As a result of those approvals of fraudulent drugs, countless Chinese patients died or became seriously ill.
And all this happened on the watch of a man who started his career as a reformer. A recent New York Times article chronicles Zheng as an idealistic young man who eventually pushed for the creation of a federal food and drug oversight body, of which he became the director in 1998. He established good manufacturing standards and began to shut down companies that did not meet them. But at some point, Zheng changed. The cause remains a mystery. Was he overwhelmed by a system that is corrupt on many levels? Or was it just simple human greed?
If what happened to Zheng personally is impossible to ascertain, interpreting the government response is not much easier. It may have been only a symbolic move intended to show Western countries that China is serious about meeting international quality standards, following a series of recent contamination cases involving cough syrup, toothpaste, pet food, and seafood—all from China.
Perhaps the government was trying to send a signal domestically indicating that the pharmaceutical industry truly is going to have to clean up its act. Because clearly, the corruption of China's food and drug sectors is not limited to one man. It occurs at many levels, including the powerful regional politicians who defend companies in their areas against federal policy enforcement.
Likewise, real reform will require the efforts of many. It will take courageous reformers willing to put themselves on the line to speak the truth. It will take external pressure, both moral and economic, from foreign trading partners and even consumers, unwilling to overlook unscrupulous practices or accept poor quality goods in the realization that inexpensive is not always a bargain. And it will require significant political will in China to truly work toward change, including shifting the balance of power between the local and national levels.
After Zheng, the question that lingers is whether China is indeed on the path to reforming its pharmaceutical sector. I hope so. But only time will tell.
Laura Bush is the editor in chief of BioPharm International, lbush@advanstar.com
From the EditorOutsourcingRegulatory/GMP ComplianceQuality/GMPsRegulatory/GMP Compliance, Emerging MarketsQuality Control/Quality AssuranceBioPharm International-08-01-2007
Be The Match BioTherapies Launches CRO Services for Cell and Gene Therapy
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Our ADHD Story: You Are The Gift!
The "gift" of ADHD is not in the ADHD, it's in your own personal character to develop the skills to over come the adversities of the disorder. If your symptoms are so sever as to cause you jail time, broken family, drug abuse, failed education, lost jobs, etc, then, you have a lot of personal development to look into. And after you have modified your behaviors to compensate for your physiological disorder, and you have overcome all of the harmful effects, then you have redefined your personal character and have developed the gift. The disease is not a gift. It is your ability to overcome and grow. That is the gift.


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Q: How to compare this date in sqlite? I got some date from sql server like this: '2/23/2012' as HireDate.
Now when I was trying to filter records like this:
select * from employees where HireDate between '1/1/2012' and date()
It always returns empty. It seems it has problem on converting '2/23/2012' to a Date.
I tried something like these and won't work either!
select strftime('%m/%d/%Y', HireDate) from employees
select strftime('%m/%d/%Y', '2/23/2012')
Very confused. How exactly to compare those two dates?
Thanks.

A: Select * from employees where HireDate between '01-01-2012 00:00:00' and date('now')

This should return employeed hired since first of Jan 2012

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Toffee Talk
Eager for a new start under old manager Koeman
Morgan Schneiderlin became the second player to sign for Everton in the January transfer window. In this exclusive column, he says it is the Toffees' ambition, and the chance to play again for Ronald Koeman that lured him to Goodison Park.
MorganSchneiderlin
PHOTO: FACEBOOK/EVERTON
http://str.sg/4WWU
When I decided my time at Manchester United was over and Jose Mourinho gave me the green light to leave in January, it was important that I find a club with big ambition.
I wanted to be at a club that have the hunger to achieve big things, and that is what I have found here at Everton.
This is a club with a big history, a great tradition, and they are run by passionate people who want to get Everton back to the top of English football.
That's why I was keen to sign from the moment I knew Everton wanted me.
I was also attracted by the prospect of working with the manager, Ronald Koeman, who I know well from our time together at Southampton.
I played some of my best football in that season we worked together, so it was an easy decision to play for him again.
When he became the manager of Southampton, I won't pretend it wasn't difficult in the first few weeks because there were lots of speculation linking me with different clubs and I did try to leave.
But the manager sat me down and told me: "You're going to improve, you're going to enjoy your football, and I'm going to make you the key player in my team, so go out there and do your stuff on the pitch."
From that moment on, I played with freedom and with my mind free.
I know the manager has big ambitions for this football club, and he wants me to put my mark on this team and show the Everton fans what I can do - hopefully starting against Manchester City this weekend.
When you look at the Premier League table, there is a gap between Everton and the top six but we will do everything we can to close it over the next few months and I am sure we will in the years to come. This is what we are working towards and you can see it in the quality of the players we have at the club.
If we can have a strong second half to the season, it will give us a great platform for next season.
Ultimately, our aim must be to compete for the Champions League places and win some silverware. That's why the club are investing in new players.
As for challenging for the Premier League title over the next years, we saw it was possible last season when Leicester won the title, so why not?
We know success won't happen overnight. We need to take things one step at a time, but the fans expect success here - and rightly so.
It's up to us as players to live up to their expectations.
EVERTON V MAN CITY
Singtel TV Ch103 & StarHub Ch228, 9.25pm
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on January 15, 2017, with the headline 'Eager for a new start under old manager Koeman'. Print Edition | Subscribe


ICC Women's T20 WC India v New Zealand – will India come out on top?
The New Zealand women's team has always been a force to reckon with in the shortest format of the game. However, they are not going through the best of the patches as they have met with three losses in their last five matches.
India, on the other hand, are not known for their T20 exploits. But, they have given the spectators some confidence by putting up a good show in the practice matches. The White Ferns boast of one of the best opening combinations in the women's circuit. With Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine slotted at the top of the order and Amy Satterthwaite and Katie Martin to follow, it makes for a formidable batting line-up.
New Zealand have already stated that they know what India are going to throw at them and that is their spinners. Led by Poonam Yadav, India's bowling line-up is spin heavy which can work both ways. However, the fact that the World Cup is being helmed in the Caribbean where the pitches are expected to be slow may just go in India's favour.
The pace bowling trio of Arundhati Reddy, Pooja Vastrakar and Mansi Joshi have played a fair amount of matches to know what is expected of them. That being said, the Indian batting is their stronger suit with players like Smriti Mandhana and Mithali Raj at the top and Harmanpreet Kaur and Veda Krishnamurthy in the middle order. Harman is leading the team in her first ICC tournament and a lot would depend on how she marshals' her troops.
New Zealand too have two quality spinners in Leigh Kasperek and Amelia Kerr. Fielding is also a department where they can outplay India.
All in all, a victory for New Zealand is expected but then the shorter format comes with its own whims and fancies. OLBG.com reviews new betting sites like MoPlay and their free bet offering -So check them out before playing elsewhere.


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Thelotrema eximium är en lavart som beskrevs av R.C. Harris 1990. Thelotrema eximium ingår i släktet Thelotrema och familjen Thelotremataceae.   Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

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eximium


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Home > Journals > JUSSIBJORLINGSOCIETY > Vol. 3 (1998) > No. 1
II. An Interview with Andrew Farkas Regarding " Jussi"
Dan Shea
interview, Andrew Farkas
We recently called Andrew Farkas for news about his biography "Jussi," written with the tenor's widow Anna-Lisa. Although it was published barely 22 months ago, the book is already in its second printing - and may well need a third printing in early 1999. Sales seem to be strongest in the US and the UK, but surprisingly not so strong in Sweden. Mr. Farkas guesses that may be due to the existence of Mrs. Bjorling's earlier biography in Swedish. Since "Jussi" started from a translation of that work, and follows it closely in the early chapters about Jussi's youth, Swedish Jussiphiles may have thought that the new book is mainly a translation of hers.
Shea, Dan (1998) "II. An Interview with Andrew Farkas Regarding " Jussi"," Journal of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK: Vol. 3 : No. 1 , Article 3.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jussibjorlingsociety/vol3/iss1/3
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