text:
Home 2016 Boehner to launch Select Committee investigating Benghazi attack
Democratic News
Boehner to launch Select Committee investigating Benghazi attack
This move could be significant for a few reasons, some of them related to Hillary Clinton and her possible bid for the presidency in 2016. Aside from that, there could be more shoes to drop in the investigation if this committee has greater power than the current congressional committee, which it most certainly will.
Report from NBC News:
House Republicans announced on Friday their intention to form a special select committee on Benghazi, intensifying already highly-charged GOP scrutiny of the Obama administration's handling of the September 2012 attacks that left four Americans dead.
The committee will be led by GOP Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina.
"It's clear that questions remain, and the administration still does not respect the authority of Congress to provide proper oversight," House Speaker John Boehner said in a statement. "This dismissiveness and evasion requires us to elevate the investigation to a new level. I intend for this select committee to have robust authority, and I will expect it to work quickly to get answers for the American people and the families of the victims."
Past select committees have included members of both parties. A spokesman for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said that Democrats "have not been contacted by Speaker Boehner or the Republican leadership concerning a select committee proposal."
The announcement comes after newly released documents reignited the controversy over how the White House and the State Department crafted their response to the attack. Republicans allege that the White House knowingly misled the public about the origin of the assault in order to bolster claims that terrorist groups had been weakened during Obama's first term; Democrats say that the GOP has fueled the controversy for political purposes alone.
Will there be any further revelations as a result of this or have we learned all there is to know? Is this a witch hunt or a worthwhile endeavor? The answer to that question is typically based on your political views.
Select Committee
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Surfisher May 2, 2014 at 2:10 pm
Nate — "The announcement comes after newly released documents reignited the controversy over how the White House and the State Department crafted their response to the attack."
Post a link to these new docs — so we can read the text, in order to informatively respond to your post.
Goethe Behr May 5, 2014 at 7:00 pm
Surf: The link you're looking for is in the post above. Click on "newly released documents," which will take you to Fox–
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/04/30/white-house-on-defense-over-new-benghazi-emails-claims-controversial-prep-call/
Here's another link with an actual facsimile of the email:
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2014/04/jay-carney-lies-about-the-benghazi-email.php
BUT–Note that the emails are strictly in the communications department, not policy.
For instance, one "goal" is to "underscore that these protests are rooted in an internet video." Note that it does NOT say the ATTACK was rooted in the video.
Again, it's the internal communications people talking to other communications people. They just give the SPIN to use, not substance, and as such, they add nothing to any "investigation," and are irrelevant. Never-the-less, you'll be hearing about them for a long time. Sigh.
Goethe Behr — thanks or posting this.
It shows a clear coverup by the White House — Obama and Clinton, after the fact!
Heads should roll, and if justice is to be served, it will start with the top ones!
samreusser May 4, 2014 at 12:02 am
This goes so much deeper than a lie about why for election reasons – The White House is thrilled if they keep the focus on some stupid lie about a video vs reality instead of exposing the real, whole truth!! Benghazi was not protected and Steven's ass not covered because Stevens was supposed to be captured by al Qaeda and ransomed later. In addition the CIA / Stevens were taking guns from al Qaeda and running them to Syria. BHO and Clinton willingly and purposely left Stevens hung out to dry for what he thought was an undercover CIA gun running operation to Syria via Egypt. And it was al Qaeda's guns running away.
BHO & Clinton lied about their video scheme, it'll take a few huge important whistleblowers with immunity to confess to the Benghazi cover-up and get at the real truth!! After all it's only four American lives murdered – two State's Diplomats and two CIA's (by RPG – one shot for range and two shots for "effect").
Goethe Behr May 5, 2014 at 10:28 am
Sam: I remember when Benghazi first happened that I thought sending Rice all over the TV was a bad idea for the administration. It was unseemly, and appeared to be an effort to defend the Obama claim that al Qaeda was on the run. I was "shocked, shocked" that politics was going on in here.
But the critics have been playing a lot more politics. The worst example was that the ENTIRE issue was "Obama's fault" during the 2012 campaign. Hillary was not mentioned. Then, after the election, it's ALL "Hillary's fault," and Obama is hardly mentioned. Hypocrites.
I agree with you that there SHOULD be investigations of the CIA and any actions regarding Syria. But you know that is not at all what this is about. It's about making every possible claim and charge to keep the story going, hoping they'll find something that will make "the American People" care.
samreusser — Jail for Life without parole, for both!
or we no longer have Justice for All…!
Bob May 4, 2014 at 12:56 pm
For a President who is constantly preaching to others about being on the Right Side of History" the results of his stumbling foreign policy proves he seems to be caught flat-footed every time. In fact when recently asked by Fox News Ed Henry what his foreign policy was he was unable to give a response nor can anyone defend an accomplishment of Mrs. Clinton while Secretary of State. Our allies don't trust us, our enemies don't fear us and the Benghazi attacks cuts the administrations narrative of the al-Qaeda being dismantled.
But Thomas Friedman of the New York Times argues it isn't President Obama's fault that our foreign policy is inept but revives the Jimmy Carter excuse of a malaise in the American public. Well past administrations might have had a little to do with it also he says but the issues of the day aren't shaped by President Obama but by public views and the President is following those views.
The article entitled: "It's Not Just About Obama".
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/04/opinion/sunday/friedman-its-not-just-about-obama.html
Anyone out there buying this?
No: Obama and Hitlery Clinton should be jailed and put on Death Row for their complicity in the 4 Americans that died because of them!
Then, perhaps one of these two criminals in office, would bury the other one with FACTS to escape the Chair and vie for Life in Jail instead!
If you caused the deaths of 4 Americans, do you think you'll escape prison for life. or the electric chair? NO! But if the Gov's elites do it — they get a free pass, because they are more 'equal' than the rest of us??????!!!!!!!!!!!
How sick is this! Wake up America!
The many faces of pure evil:
http://blogs.suntimes.com/politics/Clinton%20Libya_Newm%20%281%29.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wpjMlpJ7i2o/UQIJIcIauqI/AAAAAAAAHD0/zQCUcSG1W7U/s1600/hillary+pounding+matters.png
http://dailybail.com/storage/hillary-clinton-benghazi.JPG?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1368078852878
and the worst of all: "What difference does it make, only 4 Americans died…!"
http://michellemalkin.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/whatdifference-e1376969577252.jpg
http://bloviatingzeppelin.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Clinton-Benghazi-Lies.jpg
Citizen are put in jail, because their children are selling lemonade of their parent's private property…! AND THE COPS will come in busting 10 year old's lemonade stands?!?!
But killers of Americans are not to be bothered, let alone arrested, since they are Top Gov officials…???!!!
Wake up Real Americans — what's wrong with this picture!
WATCH THIS (and cringe in disbelief)!
John Stossel's *Illegal Everything* (for Real Americans):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBiJB8YuDBQ
Bob: I think that's overstating it. Yeah, America is sick of war, but I don't think that's what our attitude about Ukraine is all about. Why SHOULD we care?
Let's look at it from the Russian side. Let's say we had an important military base on a small peninsula or island, right next door. And let's say our "enemy" suddenly has undo influence in the small body of land, turning them against us, which we find very threatening. Do you think we'd ever invade that small area?
Oh, wait. We did. Bay of Pigs, 1961. The difference was that the Cubans didn't speak English and didn't consider themselves Americans.
Ukraine is where the Russian state was born. They were always inseparable. Let's say Quebec somehow took over control of Canada and the English speakers were being mistreated. Might we get involved? Would anyone else in the world care if we did?
Goethe:
I'll assume you are referring to the Thomas Friedman piece and not mine above it. I don't agree with Friedman so you won't get any argument from me there or in favor of us invading the Ukraine for that matter.
I along with quite a few of our allies have a deep suspicion of the United States coming to anyone's aid if they were attacked. 1961 was a different time with different leaders and different circumstances. I don't believe we could use that scenario today. America today feels the same way you stated…."Why should we care?"
Bob: You are correct. I was referring to the article at the link you provided.
I should add an addendum. When I say "Why should we care?" That's not the same as "I don't care." The point is that I don't see why it's any of our business what Russia and its neighbor/former-integral-part do.
If someone can show me why I should care, I would consider it.
Staying out of other people's business is not the same as "isolationism."
The Gov elitists can get away with murder!
But real Americans can be jailed for having their kids sell Lemonade!
John Stossel's *Illegal Everything* (for Real Americans ONLY):


Mr. Joel Thomas Presby, CPA is Lead Independent Director of the Company. He retired in 2002 as a partner in Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, an accounting and consulting firm. At Deloitte, Mr. Presby held numerous positions in the U.S. and abroad, including the posts of Deputy Chairman and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Presby now serves as a director and chairman of the audit committee of Exam Works Group, Inc. and as a director of First Solar, Inc., where he chaired the audit committee for ten years. In addition, Mr. Presby served as a director and chairman of the audit committee of Invesco Ltd. from November 2005 to May 2015, of Tiffany & Co. from November 2003 to May 2012, and of American Eagle Outfitters from December 2005 until January 2011. Mr. Presby also previously served as a director and chairman of the audit committees of Greenpoint Financial Corp., Practice Works Inc., TurboChef Technologies, Inc. and the German Marshall Fund of the United States. He previously served as a trustee of Rutgers University and Montclair State University. Mr. Presby is a Certified Public Accountant and a holder of the NACD Certificate of Director Education. Mr. Presby was named one of the top 100 directors of 2011 by the NACD.


text:
Here's What to Expect Ahead of VMware's (VMW) Q3 Earnings
November 19, 2021, 9:44 AM ·4 min read
VMware VMW is scheduled to release third-quarter fiscal 2022 results on Nov 23.
For the quarter, the company expects total revenues to be $3.12 billion and non-GAAP earnings to be $1.53 per share.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for quarterly earnings is pegged at $1.54, unchanged in the past 30 days. The estimate suggests a 7.2% decline from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter.
The consensus mark for revenues is pegged at $3.12 billion, indicating a 9.1% increase from the year-ago quarter's number.
Its earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in all the last four quarters. VMware has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 8.3%, on average.
VMware, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise
VMware, Inc. price-eps-surprise | VMware, Inc. Quote
Let's see how things have shaped up prior to this announcement.
Key Factors to Note
Strength in VMware's product portfolio along with robust uptake of cloud and security solutions is expected to have driven the top line in third-quarter fiscal 2022. Continued momentum in the company's Tanzu platform across key verticals like financial services are likely to have acted as a tailwind.
Synergies from the buyouts of Pivotal Software, Carbon Black and SaltStack are expected to have positively impacted the top line for this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock.
The company is gaining from the ongoing cloud-based digital transformation, and increasing traction witnessed for subscription and software as a service (SaaS) offerings. The subscription and SaaS business is being driven by the robust uptake of modern applications, VMware Cloud Provider Program (VCPP), End-User Computing or EUC, Carbon Black and VMware Cloud on Amazon Web Services ("AWS").
VMware expects Subscription, SaaS and license revenues to be $1.47 billion in the fiscal third quarter, indicating 12% year-over-year growth.
Healthy uptick in VMware SASE solution bodes well. In April 2021, the company rolled out VMware SASE, which is a cloud-native offering designed to help enterprises manage security and network services at the edge. Incremental gains from the uptake of VMware Cloud Universal subscription service are likely to have driven performance in the to-be-reported quarter.
Continuation of work from home and the adoption of hybrid work innovation are likely to have driven demand for its latest VMware Anywhere Workspace solution.
The new solution helps clients manage multi-modal employee experiences and safeguarding the distributed edge network. VMware Anywhere Workspace combines VMware Workspace ONE, VMware Carbon Black Cloud and VMware SASE offerings.
In August 2021, VMWare rolled out new features to enable IT teams to seamlessly manage VMware Horizon deployments across on-premises and cloud environments. VMware Horizon is part of the company's VMware Workspace ONE solution.
Major Q3 Highlights
In November 2021, VMware announced that the spin-off from Dell Technologies DELL was complete and that each of the company's shareholders (as of close of business on Oct 29, 2021) received dividend of $27.40 per share on Nov 1. The spin-off from Dell Technologies will help VMware to boost its multi-cloud strategy.
On Oct 5, at VMworld 2021 event, VMWare rolled out VMware Edge product portfolio to help enterprises deploy, manage and safeguard edge-native apps across several cloud environments at edge and far edge locations.
On the same day, VMware debuted VMware Cross-Cloud services to facilitate customers with the ability to build, run and extend tight security to apps across multiple cloud locations with ample flexibility. The company also announced the addition of new functionalities to its Tanzu Platform.
Stocks to Consider
Here are some companies worth considering, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to beat estimates in their upcoming releases:
Lululemon Athletica LULU has an Earnings ESP of +1.44% and sports a Zacks Rank of 2, at present. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 (Strong Buy) Rank stocks here.
Costco Wholesale COST has an Earnings ESP of +1.00% and flaunts a Zacks Rank of 2, currently.
Shares of Costco have returned 38.9% in the past year compared with Zacks Retail Discount Stores industry's surge of 30.3%.
Shares of Lululemon Athletica have returned 36.9% in the past year compared with Zacks Textile Apparel industry's gain of 32.4%.
VMware, Inc. (VMW) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Dell Technologies Inc. (DELL) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) : Free Stock Analysis Report
lululemon athletica inc. (LULU) : Free Stock Analysis Report

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: What is the probability that the sum of the numbers drawn is $10$ at any point in the process? The question is...
"bag contains five chips numbered 2 through 6. Danya draws chips from the bag one at a time and sets them aside. After each draw, she totals the numbers on all the chips she has already drawn. What is the probability that at any point in this process her total will equal 10?"
and the official answer is...
"Danya can get a total of 10 with two or three chips if the first two chips drawn are 4 and 6, which can occur in 2 ways, or if the first three chips drawn are 2, 3 and 5, which can occur in 6 ways. There are 5 × 4 = 20 ways to randomly select two chips, and there are 5 × 4 × 3 = 60 ways to randomly select three chips. The probability that Danya's total will equal 10 at some point is 2/20 + 6/60 = 1/10 + 1/10 = 2/10 = 0.2".
The question said "at any point" which is to me when for example drew one chips or 2 chips or 3 chips or 4 chips ... etc.
But the way the question is answered is by assuming that she drew 2 or 3 chips only. without tacking into consideration that she might drew any number of cards rather than 2 or 3
So is this the correct answer? and if it is, why I am wrong?

A: The probability that the total is $10$ at some point is the probability that the total is $10$ after one draw OR $10$ after two draws OR $\ldots$ OR $10$ after five draws.
These five events are mutually exclusive since there is no ball numbered $0$.
So the desired probability is the sum of the individual probabilities of these events. Now the probability that the sum is $10$ after one draw (or four, or five) is $0$. And the probabilities that it is $10$ after two or three draws are (hopefully, clearly this time) respectively $\frac{2}{20}$ and  $\frac{6}{60}$.

A: Explicitly, the value of the five chips are as follows:  $$\{2, 3, 4, 5, 6\}.$$
The statement of the problem clearly implies that draws are performed without replacement.  Therefore, if $4$ chips are drawn, the least possible value their sum could be is $2 + 3 + 4 + 5 > 10$.  So if a sum of exactly $10$ is achieved at some point during the drawing process, it must occur before the fourth draw.
I trust that it should be obvious to the reader that one draw is insufficient to obtain a total of $10$.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


You won't build this stunning home for the listing price! From the moment you drive up and walk through the front door-be prepared to fall in love with this beauty! The style, finishings & design of this home is a show stopper & the WOW factor is throughout! This home screams quality and is being sold below its worth! The spectacular floor to ceiling stone two sided fireplace is a focal point in this open concept plan. A stunning kitchen with granite countertops, large island, stone surround gas stove, stainless steel appliances & walk through pantry make this a main feature of the home and a enjoyable gathering place for family and friends. Master bedroom is its own private retreat with sitting area, 3 sided fireplace and gorgeous ensuite. Party room in garage loft is great for hosting friends or for the hobbyist. Fully finished basement-media room, sports bar, 3 bedrooms, bathroom & family room. Huge pie shaped lot, fenced and landscaped-priced $100,000 below replacement cost.


The Society was formed in 1845 and for the first few years it published occasional Proceedings on specific topics. In 1883 the Society published its first volume of Transactions and these continued until 1961. From 1968 the Transactions were replaced by Hertfordshire Archaeology (now Hertfordshire Archaeology and History).
Most users have Microsoft Word which provides a simple way to look through the list and do basic search operations. The table is in four columns on landscape A4 pages.
... or download it to manipulate on your own computer.
Open it with Word, type Control_F, then fill in a word you want to find.
A table in a Word document can be sorted using up to three columns.
Column widths can be changed (within the total width of landscape A4) or columns deleted.
It can be printed – but check how many pages there are before starting a long print job!
This page was added by Brian Bending on 06/01/2011.


Abstract : Single-ISA heterogeneous multicore systems are emerging as a promising direction to achieve a more suitable balance between performance and energy consumption. However, a proper utilization of these architectures is essential to reach the energy benefits. In this paper, we demonstrate the ineffectiveness of popular OpenMP scheduling policies executing Rodinia benchmark on the Exynos 5 Octa (5422) SoC, which integrates the ARM big.LITTLE architecture.


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In addition to our work as quality painters in Surrey and Morgan Creek, we believe it is important that we are good community members and citizens. We proudly support the Surrey Eagles Junior Hockey Team and you will often find us cheering the team on at home games. We are active supporters of our local Surrey food bank and other charitable organizations as our way to give back to the community we live and work in.
Warline is a proud member of the White Rock and South Surrey Chamber of Commerce and Surrey Board of Trade.
So if you have seen our signs and are considering exterior, interior or cabinet painting, Surrey's Warline Painting is available by phone or email. We are more than happy to help another neighbour with their Surrey painting project.


text:
Q: In HTMX, how do I request a specific URL for each option within a select form element? I'm using HTMX and would like to have a <select> form field that automatically loads a specific URL into a
.
The "value select" example is similar to this idea, but it includes the value as a query parameter such as /models?make=audi.  I would like to use a specific URL for each <option> instead.
This is an approximation of what I would think should work.
<select name="make" hx-target="#models">
  <option hx-get="/models/audi">Audi</option>
  <option hx-get="/models/toyota">Toyota</option>
  <option hx-get="/models/bmw">BMW</option>
</select>

However, this does not work and I'm unable to find a way to implement what I describe.  How can I achieve the desired behavior?
Edit: Related Twitter thread

A: I had a conversation on Twitter and came to the conclusion that this does not yet exist.
I ended up playing with htmx:configRequest, resulting in this reusable JavaScript, which may make sense to contribute back to the HTMX library.
    document.body.addEventListener("htmx:configRequest", function (event) {
      let pathWithParameters = event.detail.path.replace(/:([A-Za-z0-9_]+)/g, function (_match, parameterName) {
        let parameterValue = event.detail.parameters[parameterName]
        delete event.detail.parameters[parameterName]

        return parameterValue
      })

      event.detail.path = pathWithParameters
    })

This is an example of how it is used:
    <select name="make" hx-get="/models/:make" hx-target="#models">
      <option name="audi">Audi</option>
      <option name="toyota">Toyota</option>
      <option name="bmw">BMW</option>
    </select>

A: I got it to work with some extra help from AlpineJS.
The complexity of this solution is because Chrome-based browsers don't trigger HTMX when the <select>'s value changes.
This solution uses Alpine to:

*

*react to the event (with the @change attribute)

*find the option element corresponding to the value (using document.evaluate and an xPath selector to look for children of the select element, $el.)

*then trigger HTMX on that element.

<select
  name="make"
  hx-target="#models"
  x-data="{
    renderXPathSelector(value) {return `.//option[contains(., '${value}')]`},
    getChosenOption(value) {return document.evaluate(this.renderXPathSelector(value), $el).iterateNext()},
    tellHTMXOptionChanged(event) { htmx.trigger(this.getChosenOption(event.target.value), 'click')}
  }"
  @change="tellHTMXOptionChanged($event)"
>
  <option hx-get="/models/audi">Audi</option>
  <option hx-get="/models/toyota">Toyota</option>
  <option hx-get="/models/bmw">BMW</option>
</select>

If you have selects whose values are different than the text, you can use select the option in a more simple way:
el.querySelector(`[value="${el.value}"]`)

You can support both cases by setting the chosenOption function to:
const chosenOption = el.querySelector(`[value="${el.value}"]`) ||
                      getChosenOption(event.target.value)

If you want to use this pattern several times across your app, you can create an "Alpine magic" to simplify the HTML:

...

<select
  name="make"
  hx-target="#models"
  x-data
  @change="$tellHTMXOptionChanged($event)"
>
  <option hx-get="/models/audi">Audi</option>
  <option hx-get="/models/toyota">Toyota</option>
  <option hx-get="/models/bmw">BMW</option>
</select>

A: You load the external page into iframe using javascript
Or use Ajax to append the loaded content to the

 based on selected value.


text:
/*
 * ndm.cpp
 *
 *  Created on: 22 Nov 2015
 *      Author: nick
 */

#include "ndm.h"
#include "threadpool.h"
#include "messaging.h"
#include "p2p.h"
#include "bcast.h"
#include "reduce.h"
#include "allreduce.h"
#include "barrier.h"
#include "groups.h"
#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include "data_types.h"
#include <iostream>
#include <unistd.h>

ThreadPool threadPool;
Messaging messaging;

bool continue_polling;
static int listenerThreadId;

void threadEntryPoint(void*);
static void awaitGlobalCompletion();

static const char alphanum[] = "0123456789ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz";

int ndmInit(int* argc, char*** argv) {
  continue_polling = true;
  threadPool.initThreadPool();
  messaging.init(argc, argv);
  initialiseGroupDirectory();
  initialise_ndmBarrier();
  initialise_ndmReduce(messaging, threadPool);
  initialise_ndmAllReduce(messaging, threadPool);
  initialise_ndmBcast(messaging, threadPool);
  listenerThreadId = threadPool.startListenerThread(threadEntryPoint, NULL);
  return 0;
}

void threadEntryPoint(void* data) {
  while (continue_polling) {
    SpecificMessage* m = messaging.awaitCommand();  // do inside a thread
    if (m != NULL) threadPool.startThread(messaging.handleCommand, (void*)m);
  }
}

int ndmLockMPI() {
  messaging.lockMPI();
  return 0;
}

int ndmUnlockMPI() {
  messaging.unlockMPI();
  return 0;
}

void ndmSend(void* data, int size, int type, int target, NDM_Group comm_group, const char* unique_id) {
  p2p_ndmSend(messaging, data, type, size, target, comm_group, unique_id);
}

int ndmRecv(void (*callback)(void*, NDM_Metadata), int source, NDM_Group comm_group, const char* unique_id) {
  p2p_ndmRecv(messaging, callback, source, NDM_ANY_MYRANK, false, comm_group, unique_id);
  return 0;
}

int ndmRecvStream(void (*callback)(void*, NDM_Metadata), int source, NDM_Group comm_group, const char* unique_id) {
  p2p_ndmRecv(messaging, callback, source, NDM_ANY_MYRANK, true, comm_group, unique_id);
  return 0;
}

int ndmRecvFromRank(void (*callback)(void*, NDM_Metadata), int source, int my_rank, NDM_Group comm_group, const char* unique_id) {
  p2p_ndmRecv(messaging, callback, source, my_rank, false, comm_group, unique_id);
  return 0;
}

int ndmBcast(void* data, int size, int type, void (*callback)(void*, NDM_Metadata), int root, NDM_Group comm_group,
             const char* unique_id) {
  collective_ndmBcast(messaging, threadPool, data, type, size, callback, root, NDM_ANY_MYRANK, comm_group, unique_id);
  return 0;
}

int ndmBcastFromRank(void* data, int size, int type, void (*callback)(void*, NDM_Metadata), int root, int my_rank,
                     NDM_Group comm_group, const char* unique_id) {
  collective_ndmBcast(messaging, threadPool, data, type, size, callback, root, my_rank, comm_group, unique_id);
  return 0;
}

int ndmReduce(void* data, int size, int type, NDM_Op operation, void (*callback)(void*, NDM_Metadata), int root, NDM_Group comm_group,
              const char* unique_id) {
  collective_ndmReduce(&messaging, &threadPool, data, type, size, size, 1, 0, operation, callback, root, NDM_ANY_MYRANK, comm_group,
                       unique_id);
  return 0;
}

int ndmReduceFromRank(void* data, int size, int type, NDM_Op operation, void (*callback)(void*, NDM_Metadata), int root, int my_rank,
                      NDM_Group comm_group, const char* unique_id) {
  collective_ndmReduce(&messaging, &threadPool, data, type, size, size, 1, 0, operation, callback, root, my_rank, comm_group,
                       unique_id);
  return 0;
}

int ndmReduceAdditive(void* data, int totalsize, int type, int contributionsPerElement, int thissize, int thisstartelement,
                      NDM_Op operation, void (*callback)(void*, NDM_Metadata), int root, NDM_Group comm_group, const char* unique_id) {
  collective_ndmReduce(&messaging, &threadPool, data, type, thissize, totalsize, contributionsPerElement, thisstartelement, operation,
                       callback, root, NDM_ANY_MYRANK, comm_group, unique_id);
  return 0;
}

int ndmAllReduce(void* data, int size, int type, NDM_Op operation, void (*callback)(void*, NDM_Metadata), NDM_Group comm_group,
                 const char* unique_id) {
  collective_ndmAllReduce(messaging, threadPool, data, type, size, operation, callback, NDM_ANY_MYRANK, comm_group, unique_id);
  return 0;
}

int ndmAllReduceFromRank(void* data, int size, int type, NDM_Op operation, void (*callback)(void*, NDM_Metadata), int my_rank,
                         NDM_Group comm_group, const char* unique_id) {
  collective_ndmAllReduce(messaging, threadPool, data, type, size, operation, callback, my_rank, comm_group, unique_id);
  return 0;
}

int ndmBarrier(void (*callback)(NDM_Metadata), NDM_Group comm_group, const char* unique_id) {
  collective_ndmBarrier(messaging, threadPool, callback, comm_group, unique_id);
  return 0;
}

int ndmGroupCreate(NDM_Group* newGroupHandle, int numberGroupEntries, int* groupGlobalRanks) {
  *newGroupHandle = addGroup(numberGroupEntries, groupGlobalRanks);
  return 0;
}

int ndmGroupCreateWithStride(NDM_Group* newGroupHandle, NDM_Group baseGroup, int numberContiguous, int stride) {
  *newGroupHandle = createContiguousGroupWithStride(baseGroup, numberContiguous, stride);
  return 0;
}

int ndmGroupExtractChunkContainingRank(NDM_Group* newGroupHandle, NDM_Group baseGroup, int extractionSize, int rank) {
  *newGroupHandle = extractGroupBasedOnSizeAndRank(baseGroup, extractionSize, rank);
  return 0;
}

int ndmGroupCreateDisjoint(NDM_Group* newGroupHandle, NDM_Group groupA, NDM_Group groupB) {
  *newGroupHandle = createDisjointGroup(groupA, groupB);
  return 0;
}

int ndmCreateVirtualRanks(NDM_Group* newGroupHandle, NDM_Group existingGroup, int virtualRanksPerProcess) {
  *newGroupHandle = createVirtualRanksInGroup(existingGroup, virtualRanksPerProcess);
  return 0;
}

int ndmGroupSize(NDM_Group groupId, int* targetSize) {
  *targetSize = getGroupSize(groupId);
  return 0;
}

int ndmGroupRank(NDM_Group groupId, int* targetRank) {
  *targetRank = getMyGroupRank(groupId);
  return 0;
}

int ndmIsRankLocal(NDM_Group groupId, int rank, int* flag) {
  *flag = isRankLocalToGroup(groupId, rank);
  return 0;
}

int ndmGroupLocalSize(NDM_Group groupId, int* flag) {
  *flag = getGroupLocalSize(groupId);
  return 0;
}

int ndmGetGroupsGlobalNthRank(NDM_Group groupId, int nthLocal, int* globalGroupRank) {
  *globalGroupRank = getLocalNthGroupRank(groupId, nthLocal);
  return 0;
}

void generateUUID(char* str, unsigned int random_num) {
  int i, random_stride = 1000;
  for (i = 0; i < NDM_AUTO_UUID_LENGTH; ++i) {
    str[i] = alphanum[random_num % (sizeof(alphanum) - 1)];
    random_num += random_stride;
    random_stride /= 2;
    if (random_stride <= 0) random_stride = 1000;
  }
  str[NDM_AUTO_UUID_LENGTH] = '\0';
}

int ndmFinalise(void) {
  awaitGlobalCompletion();
  continue_polling = false;
  messaging.ceasePolling();
  messaging.handleOutstandingRequests();
  while (!threadPool.isThreadPoolFinished()) {
  }
  messaging.finalise();
  return 0;
}

static void awaitGlobalCompletion() {
  bool continueToAwait = true;
  while (continueToAwait) {
    while (!threadPool.isThreadPoolFinishedApartFromListenerThread(listenerThreadId) || !messaging.readyToShutdown()) {
    }
    messaging.clearMessagingActive();
    sleep(2);
    continueToAwait = messaging.getMessagingActive();
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Part I of the Cognitive Battlefield series looks at identifying important themes and priorities, then rank-orders these priorities and uses them to evaluate the favourability of an actor (e.g. a political candidate) or an object (e.g. Coca-Cola).
Part II looks at how to package those priorities in a way that makes the message "sticky" to influence people's attitudes.
Confirmation of existing beliefs, source credibility, and hot cognition, are all strategies that can be used make messages compelling, the report found.
The packaging of the message can be used to unify people, or divide them. Authors Clifford Young and Katie Ziemer highlight this by looking at the messaging by the Republican and Democratic parties for strengthening the US economy.


text:
Hannah Corrigan
Fundraising for Alder Hey Children's Charity
raised of £6,000 target
by 156 supporters
Ladieswear's National Three Peaks & Triathlon!
We fund life-saving equipment & research to help patients and families across the UK
Last year Ladieswear completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks and managed to raise an amazing +£5,200 for Alder Hey Children's Hospital.
This year we want to go bigger and better, we have set ourselves the following challenges in hope to raise even more money for Alder Hey;
Coniston Triathlon – Saturday 7th July
10km Treak up the Old Man of Consiton
17km Bike Ride through the Grizedale Forest
3km Kayak across Coniston Lake
The National Three Peaks – Friday 27th & Saturday 28th July
A small Group of us from Ladieswear, Business Risk and our Fleet & Logistics Teams are hoping to complete this tough Challenge...
The National Three Peaks Challenge involves climbing the three highest peaks of Scotland, England and Wales, within 24 hours! The Total walking distance is 23 miles (37km) and the total ascent is 3,064 metres (10,052ft) – TWICE the ascent of the Yorkshire Three Peaks.
A HUGE THANK YOU to our Sponsors who we wouldn't be able to complete the challenge without;
JHA Driving Agency, Barker Boss Recruitment & Aura Graphics.
As a group we lost a total of +15 toenails last year, let's see how many we manage to lose this year.... Wish us luck!
Alder Hey Children's Charity raises funds towards the pioneering work of Alder Hey Children's Hospital. Your support will ensure the 275,000 children we see each year have access to the best facilities and equipment, and that the benefits of our innovating work are felt by families across the world.
Find out more about charity fundraising
£11,090.85 + £698.00 Gift Aid
Online donations £11,090.85


text:
Human albumin in the management of complications of liver cirrhosis
Mauro Bernardi1,
Caterina Maggioli2 &
Giacomo Zaccherini2
Human serum albumin is the most abundant plasma protein, representing about 50% of the total protein content (3.5-5 g/l). Albumin is a protein of 585 amino acids and molecular weight 66 kDa encoded by a gene on chromosome 4 and is exclusively synthesized by liver cells, which release it directly into the blood stream without storage. Under physiological conditions, only 20-30% of hepatocytes are committed to the production of 9-12 g of albumin per day; therefore, the liver has a large functional reserve, so that it can increase the synthesis of this protein by 3-4 times, if necessary. The production of albumin is mainly regulated by the osmolarity and oncotic pressure of interstitial fluid in the liver extravascular space, but it is also induced by hormonal factors (insulin, cortisol and growth hormone) and inhibited by acute phase cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α [1].
Because serum albumin scarcely crosses the majority of capillaries, it remains in the blood stream and generates about 70% of the plasma oncotic pressure. This feature is two-thirds because of a direct osmotic effect and one third because of the Gibbs-Donnan effect, as a result of the strong negative charges attracting positively charged molecules into the intravascular compartment. Albumin is, therefore, a main modulator of fluid distribution throughout body compartments [1].
The capacity of albumin to expand the plasma volume represents the pathophysiological background for the use of human albumin in many clinical conditions; nevertheless, its administration is often inappropriate, largely because of a common belief in its efficacy, whereas many indications are still under debate or have been disproved by evidence-based medicine. Indeed, the high cost, the theoretical risk of viral disease transmission, and the availability of cheaper alternatives should be carefully weighed when considering prescription of albumin [2]. At present, it is generally accepted that the administration of non-protein colloids and crystalloids represents the first-line treatment of resuscitation, and use of albumin in critically ill patients should be reserved for specific conditions, such as in patients with septic shock [3, 4]. Albumin administration is not recommended to correct hypoalbuminemia per se (i.e., not associated with hypovolemia) or for nutritional intervention [2, 5], but these indications are often disregarded in clinical practice. Albumin is also prescribed in certain specific conditions and diseases, such as kernicterus, plasmapheresis, and graft versus host disease [2], even though these indications are not supported by definite evidence.
Although the clinical use of albumin is mainly related to plasma volume expansion, albumin is more than a volume expander, having further biological properties: It binds and transports a variety of water-insoluble molecules, metals, and drugs, with implications for delivery and efficacy of drugs, including antibiotics, and for detoxification of endogenous and exogenous substances [5]. Furthermore, it constitutes the main circulating antioxidant in the body, being the major extracellular source of reduced sulfhydryl groups, potent scavengers of reactive oxygen species (ROS) (Figure 1) [6].
Non-oncotic properties of human albumin: binding, transport and detoxification capacities. CYS, cysteine; H2O2, hydrogen peroxide; LCFA, long-chain fatty acids; NSAIDs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; ONOO-, peroxynitrite.
Among the 35 cysteine residues of albumin, 34 are employed for intramolecular disulfide bonds, whereas cysteine 34 (Cys34) remains free. ROS react primarily with Cys34, leading to reversible, highly unstable derivatives: The sulfenic and sulfinic acids. The subsequent, final product of the reaction is the sulfonic acid-albumin complex. Oxidation alters the biological properties of albumin, which becomes more susceptible to proteinase digestion, undergoes faster degradation than the non-oxidized counterpart, and has reduced binding capacity to various substances, including bilirubin [6, 7]. In healthy adults, about 70-80% of Cys34 contains a free sulfhydryl group (human mercaptalbumin); about 25% forms a disulfide bond with small sulfhydryl compounds, such as cysteine, homocysteine or glutathione (human nonmercaptalbumin 1); and a small fraction is highly oxidized to sulfonic acid (human nonmercaptalbumin 2). In contrast, in chronic diseases, such as diabetes, renal failure, ischemic heart disease, and cancer, the oxidized form of albumin greatly increases, leading to an impairment of its biological activities [7]. Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) has the capacity to bind cobalt and other metal ions, a property that contributes to the anti-oxidant activity of albumin by preventing these molecules from catalyzing pro-oxidative reactions. Increased IMA levels have been proposed as a mortality predictor in renal failure [8] and myocardial infarction [9].
Human serum albumin and liver cirrhosis
Patients with advanced cirrhosis almost always have hypoalbuminemia caused both by decreased synthesis by the hepatocytes and water and sodium retention that dilutes the content of albumin in the extracellular space. Other factors likely contribute to the development of hypoalbuminemia, including an increased transcapillary transport rate [10].
Oncotic properties of albumin in cirrhosis
The therapeutic use of albumin in hepatology dates back to the 1960s when it was thought that hypoalbuminemia had a prominent role in the pathogenesis of ascites, because of alteration of the balance between the forces of Starling in the intrahepatic microcirculation. It was found that plasma albumin levels less than 3 g/l were almost constantly associated with the presence of ascites, which did not develop with plasma levels greater than 4 g/l [11]. Moreover, plasma oncotic pressure less than 20 mmHg significantly increased the probability of developing ascites in the presence of portal hypertension [10]. These findings may support supplementation with exogenous albumin in patients with ascites and hypoalbuminemia. However, the net flow of fluid from the vascular compartment to the interstitium is regulated by its transcapillary gradient rather than by its intravascular concentration alone. When the gradient between plasma and ascitic fluid oncotic pressure was taken into account, no correlation was found with the rate of ascites formation [12], indicating that hypoalbuminemia simply reflects a deterioration in liver synthetic function without playing a major, direct role in the pathogenesis of ascites formation.
From the 1990s better understanding of the cardiovascular alterations in patients with advanced cirrhosis led to a critical review of the clinical use of albumin. These patients typically have a hyperdynamic circulatory syndrome, characterized by a decrease in peripheral vascular resistance and a compensatory increase in cardiac output, which manifest at the clinical level with arterial hypotension, tachycardia and hyperkinetic arterial pulses. The primary cause of the hyperdynamic circulatory syndrome is arterial vasodilation, mainly localized in the splanchnic circulatory area, of sufficient magnitude to reduce the effective blood volume (i.e., the blood volume in the heart, lungs and central arterial tree that is sensed by arterial receptors). Arterial vasodilation in cirrhosis mainly results from the increased production of vasoactive substances, such as nitric oxide (NO), carbon monoxide, and endocannabinoids, which induce vasodilation and hamper the vascular response to vasoconstrictors. The ensuing effective hypovolemia evokes the compensatory activation of neuro-humoral systems, including the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone axis, sympathetic nervous system, and arginine-vasopressin, able to promote vasoconstriction and renal retention of sodium and water. As a result, from a functional point of view, patients with advanced cirrhosis are hypovolemic and exhibit cardiovascular hyporeactivity, even though their cardiac output is usually significantly elevated [13]. However, a decrease in cardiac output leading to an exacerbation of effective hypovolemia is observed in patients with severe disease, suggesting clinically relevant cardiac dysfunction in the more advanced stages of cirrhosis [13]. In addition to ascites, these cardiovascular alterations represent the pathophysiological background of several severe complications of cirrhosis, such as hepatorenal syndrome (HRS), precipitated or not by spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP), and post-paracentesis circulatory dysfunction (PPCD), which all share acute exacerbation of effective hypovolemia as the pathophysiological momentum.
Based on this background, preservation of central blood volume represents a major aim in the management of patients with advanced cirrhosis. Several controlled and/or randomized studies have shown that albumin administration is effective to prevent circulatory dysfunction after large-volume paracentesis [14] and renal failure after SBP [15], and to treat HRS when given together with vasocontrictors [16, 17]. Furthermore, it is currently believed that the capacity of albumin to expand the central blood volume in cirrhosis is superior to that of several other plasma-expanders [18]. In contrast, the chronic use of albumin to treat ascites is still debated, due to the lack of definitive scientific evidence supporting its clinical benefits. Thus, albumin is now given in patients with cirrhosis to expand effective volemia regardless of its plasma level.
Prevention of post-paracentesis circulatory dysfunction
Large-volume paracentesis is the treatment of choice for the management of patients with massive or refractory ascites. Although large-volume paracentesis is a safe procedure and the risk of local complications, such as hemorrhage or bowel perforation, is very low, it can favor the development of PPCD, which is characterized by the exacerbation of effective hypovolemia and is defined by an increase of more than 50% in the basal plasma renin activity 4-6 days after paracentesis. PPCD predisposes to rapid re-accumulation of ascites, hyponatremia, renal failure, and shortened survival [19].
The occurrence of PPCD is significantly reduced when large-volume paracentesis is combined with infusion of albumin (8 g/l of ascites removed). Albumin was more effective than other plasma expanders (dextran-70 or polygeline) for the prevention of PPCD when more than 5 l of ascites were removed; however, the incidence of PPCD was similar when less than 5 l of ascites were tapped [18, 19]. Moreover, use of albumin after large-volume paracentesis compared with alternative but cheaper plasma expanders appears to be more cost-effective because albumin post-paracentesis is associated with fewer liver-related complications within the first month [20].
Despite these findings, the clinical value of albumin administration as an adjunct to large-volume paracentesis has been questioned because a survival benefit could not be shown in individual randomized trials. However, a meta-analysis that included all available randomized clinical trials comparing albumin with alternative treatments showed that albumin infusion significantly reduces the incidence of PPCD, hyponatremia and mortality, providing evidence-based support for the well-accepted clinical practice of infusing albumin as first choice in patients requiring large-volume paracentesis (Bernardi M, unpublished results).
HRS is defined as the occurrence of renal failure in patients with advanced liver disease without another identifiable cause of renal failure, and is usually classified into two types according to the definition of the International Ascites Club [21]. Type 1 HRS is a rapidly progressive acute renal failure diagnosed when the serum creatinine increases more than 100% from baseline to a final level greater than 2.5 mg/dl within two weeks. It is usually precipitated by an acute insult often represented by a bacterial infection, although it may occur without any clear triggering event. Type 2 HRS is a relatively steady but moderate degree of functional renal failure with serum creatinine levels above 1.5 mg/dl. It is usually associated with refractory ascites and often hyponatremia. Patients with type 2 HRS may eventually develop type 1 HRS either spontaneously or following a precipitating event, such as SBP.
HRS can be seen as the final event of the hemodynamic disturbances characterizing advanced cirrhosis. The development of HRS is related to an extreme reduction in the effective arterial blood volume combined with a decrease in the mean arterial pressure (MAP). This condition results from either a marked vasodilatation mainly in the splanchnic arterial bed or an impairment of cardiac function as a result of cirrhotic cardiomyopathy. Thus, the cardiac output in patients with HRS may be low or normal (infrequently high), but always insufficient for the patient's needs [21]. Effective hypovolemia produces a very intense compensatory activation of the sympathetic nervous and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone systems which causes renal vasoconstriction and a shift in the renal autoregulatory curve, rendering renal blood flow much more sensitive to the negative effects of low MAP [22].
The prognosis of type 1 HRS is dismal with almost 90% of patients dying without therapy within 2 weeks. In the last decade, combined therapy with vasoconstrictors and albumin has proved to be effective in reversing HRS in approximately half of the cases [22]. The rationale for this approach is to improve the markedly impaired circulatory function by causing vasoconstriction of the extremely dilated splanchnic vascular bed and by antagonizing effective hypovolemia so that MAP and renal perfusion can increase [22].
Terlipressin, a vasopressin analog, is the most studied vasoconstrictor and two multicenter randomized trials have demonstrated the efficacy of increasing doses of terlipressin in combination with albumin (1 g/kg or 100 g on day 1 followed by 20-40 g/day) (Figure 2) [16, 17]. Albumin administration appears necessary to improve the efficacy of the vasoconstrictor as the rate of HRS reversal is significantly lower with terlipressin alone compared to combination therapy [23]. The most frequent side effects of treatment are cardiovascular or ischemic complications, which have been reported in more than 10% of patients treated [24].
Dose schedule of terlipressin and albumin in patients with hepatorenal syndrome (HRS). (Data from [16, 17].) i.v., intravenous.
Vasoconstrictors other than vasopressin analogs that have been used in the management of type 1 HRS include norepinephrine and midodrine plus octreotide, both in combination with albumin. Although the number of patients enrolled in the studies evaluating these vasoconstrictors is quite small, their use appeared to improve renal function in a consistent number of patients with HRS [25, 26]. Finally, a systematic review of randomized studies using terlipressin as well as other vasoconstrictors, always in combination with albumin, has shown that treatment is associated with an improved short-term survival [24]. This result may be of paramount importance to keep patients waiting for liver transplantation alive until an organ becomes available [27].
Prevention of hepatorenal syndrome after spontaneous bacterial peritonitis
All patients with cirrhosis and ascites are at risk of developing a bacterial infection of the ascitic fluid, called SBP, which is diagnosed when the neutrophil count in ascitic fluid exceeds 250/mm3 as determined by microscopy [19]. SBP, even without septic shock, may precipitate circulatory dysfunction with severe liver failure, hepatic encephalopathy and type 1 HRS, causing the death of the patient in approximately 20% of cases despite infection resolution with antibiotic treatment [19].
Administration of albumin at a dose of 1.5 g/kg body weight at diagnosis followed by 1 g/kg on day 3 significantly decreased the incidence of type 1 HRS from 30% to 10% and reduced mortality from 29% to 10% compared with cefotaxime alone in a randomized, controlled study in patients with SBP (Figure 3) [15]. If the efficacy of albumin administration in patients with advanced disease, as wit nessed by a serum bilirubin greater than 4 mg/dl and a serum creatinine greater than 1 mg/dl, appears to be undisputed, this is not the case for patients with moderate liver failure and without renal dysfunction at diagnosis as they show a very low incidence of HRS precipitated by SBP [15]. At the same time, it is not established whether crystalloids or artificial colloids could replace albumin, although equivalent doses of hydroxyethyl starch (HES) have not been found to be as effective as albumin in preventing the circulatory dysfunction caused by SBP [28]. Interestingly, albumin infusion was able to prevent the increase in nitrate levels and to reduce the elevated plasma levels of Von Willebrand-related antigen observed in patients with SBP treated with HES [29]. This finding suggests an effect of albumin on endothelial function that appears to be related to the non-oncotic properties of this molecule rather than to its activity as plasma-expander.
Effect of albumin infusion on the incidence of renal failure and mortality after spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in patients with cirrhosis. (Data from [15].)
The chronic use of albumin to treat ascites is still debated, due to the lack of definitive scientific evidence supporting its clinical benefits. When human albumin became available, studies performed several decades ago failed to show clear usefulness of this substance in relieving ascites and preventing its recurrence; however, these investigations were uncontrolled and/or included a small number of patients [30]. Thus, treatment of cirrhotic ascites with diuretics and albumin has been practiced on anecdote and experience for many years. More than a decade ago, a controlled clinical trial in hospitalized patients with cirrhosis and ascites randomized to receive diuretics associated or not with low-doses of albumin (12.5 g/day) showed that treatment with diuretics plus albumin was overall more effective than diuretics alone in determining the disappearance of ascites and reducing the length of the hospital stay [31]. However, this result was only achieved in patients who received the initial dose of diuretics, whereas the difference in the treatment response was not statistically significant in those patients who required higher doses of diuretics or were refractory to diuretic treatment. Albumin administration at home also reduced the rate of ascites recurrence and re-admission to the hospital due to ascites, but its prescription was very expensive and no effect on survival was observed [31]. More recently, the same research group showed, in an unblinded randomized trial, that long-term albumin administration is also able to increase patient survival and to reduce the risk of ascites recurrence [32].
No other controlled clinical trials have so far been performed to evaluate the effectiveness of prolonged albumin administration in the treatment of cirrhosis and ascites. Thus, the absence of confirmatory multicenter randomized studies, together with the high cost of human albumin, explains why albumin infusion is not usually included among the therapeutic options for difficult-to-treat ascites. A multicenter randomized clinical trial (NCT 01288794, http://www.clinicaltrials.gov) planning to enroll more than 400 patients is ongoing in Italy to cover this lack of information.
Non-oncotic properties of albumin in cirrhosis
In recent years, scientific interest into the non-oncotic properties of human serum albumin has progressively increased in the field of hepatology. Initial findings showed that patients with chronic liver disease have decreased amounts of circulating human nonmercaptalbumin (the 'good guy') and elevated levels of the oxidized form human nonmercaptalbumin 26 (the 'bad guy') [33, 34]. More recently, binding, transport, and detoxification capacities of albumin have been found to be severely impaired in cirrhotic patients, particularly in those with acute-on-chronic liver failure precipitated by bacterial infections [35]. As a result, endogenous and exogenous substances that are normally bound to albumin are free to react arbitrarily. The reduced detoxification capacity of albumin is especially important, as it suggests that the molecule cannot bind and remove waste products. Furthermore, IMA is significantly increased, suggesting an impaired metal chelation capacity that contributes to generate an environment of sustained oxidative stress by favoring radical formation through Fenton chemistry processes. Most important, the loss of albumin function and the increase in the IMA level were associated with poor survival [8, 9, 35].
From a clinical context, the non-oncotic properties of albumin have so far been exploited in extracorporeal albumin dialysis systems in patients with acute or acute-on-chronic liver failure. The two commercially available detoxification systems are the "Molecular Adsorbent Recirculating System" (MARS) and the "fractionated plasma separation and adsorption" (Prometheus), which are based on the association of a conventional dialysis membrane with a second dialysis circuit filled with a circulating 20% albumin solution in the case of MARS or with a second filter containing albumin in the case of Prometheus. In addition to the positive consequences associated with the removal of toxic molecules, early studies of these systems showed a favorable impact on systemic hemodynamics likely due to the purification of substances involved in the pathogenesis of the hyperdynamic circulatory syndrome, such as NO, and the pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IL-6 [36, 37]. Such systems, currently available only in specialized and transplant centers, have a potential therapeutic role in the following medical conditions: Acute fulminant liver failure, acute liver failure on chronic liver disease, primary dysfunction of the transplanted liver, liver failure after resection and intractable pruritus [37]. It has to be stressed, however, that the results of the first large-scale controlled trials that have employed either MARS or Prometheus in patients with cirrhosis and acute-on-chronic liver failure did not show a significant impact on major outcomes, such as survival [38, 39]. Likely, subgroups of patients who would actually benefit from these detoxification systems need to be identified, as suggested by the survival benefit observed in patients with severe cirrhosis (model for end-stage liver disease [MELD] score > 30) and HRS type 1 treated with the Prometheus system [39].
The use of human albumin in the setting of liver cirrhosis is supported by evidence arising from prospective randomized trials and meta-analyses. Albumin administration is, therefore widely accepted and recommended by current international guidelines for the prevention of PPCD and acute renal failure in patients with SBP, and the treatment of HRS as an adjunct to vasoconstrictors. All these complications share the common pathophysiological background of reduced effective volemia, mainly because of peripheral arterial vasodilation, and the rationale underlying the use of albumin is related to its activity as a plasma expander. However, it is likely that the beneficial effects of albumin are also linked to its non-oncotic properties, including binding capacity, antioxidant activity, and effects on capillary integrity. These effects represent the main fields of current and future research, from which will likely arise further and more appropriate indications for albumin administration in patients with liver disease.
CYS:
Cys34:
H2O2:
HRS:
i.v.:
IMA:
Ischemia-modified albumin
LCFA:
Molecular Adsorbent Recirculating System
MELD:
model for end-stage liver disease
NSAIDs:
ONOO-:
peroxynitrite
PPCD:
post-paracentesis circulatory dysfunction
SBP:
tumor necrosis factor.
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Alessandria C, Ottobrelli A, Debernardi-Venon W, et al.: Noradrenalin vs terlipressin in patients with hepatorenal syndrome: a prospective, randomized, unblinded, pilot study. J Hepatol 2007, 47: 499-505. 10.1016/j.jhep.2007.04.010
Caraceni P, Santi L, Mirici F, et al.: Long-term treatment of hepatorenal syndrome as a bridge to liver transplantation. Dig Liver Dis 2011, 43: 242-245. 10.1016/j.dld.2010.08.001
Sigal SH, Stanca CM, Fernandez J, Arroyo V, Navasa M: Restricted use of albumin for spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. Gut 2007, 56: 597-599. 10.1136/gut.2006.113050
Fernández J, Monteagudo J, Bargallo X, et al.: A randomized unblinded pilot study comparing albumin versus hydroxyethyl starch in spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. Hepatology 2005, 42: 627-634. 10.1002/hep.20829
Clermont RJ, Vlahevic ZR, Chalmers TC, Adham NF, Curtis GW, Morrosin RS: Intravenous therapy of massive ascites in patients with cirrhosis. Long-term effects on survival and frequency of renal failure. Gastroenterology 1967, 53: 220-228.
Gentilini P, Casini-Raggi V, Di Fiore G, et al.: Albumin improves the response to diuretics in patients with cirrhosis and ascites: results of a randomized, controlled trial. J Hepatol 1999, 30: 639-645. 10.1016/S0168-8278(99)80194-9
Romanelli RG, La Villa G, Barletta G, et al.: Long-term albumin infusion improves survival in patients with cirrhosis and ascites: an unblinded randomized trial. World J Gastroenterol 2006, 12: 1403-1407.
Watanabe A, Matsuzaki S, Moriwaki H, Suzuki K, Nishiguchi S: Problems in serum albumin measurement and clinical significance of albumin microheterogeneity in cirrhotics. Nutrition 2004, 20: 351-357. 10.1016/j.nut.2003.12.006
Oettl K, Stadlbauer V, Petter F, et al.: Oxidative damage of albumin in advanced liver disease. Biochim Biophys Acta 2008, 1782: 469-473.
Jalan R, Schnurr K, Mookerjee RP, et al.: Alterations in the functional capacity of albumin in patients with decompensated cirrhosis is associated with increased mortality. Hepatology 2009, 50: 555-564.
Oettl K, Stadlbauer V, Krisper P, Stauber RE: Effect of extracorporeal liver support by molecular adsorbents recirculating system and Prometheus on redox state of albumin in acute-on-chronic liver failure. Ther Apher Dial 2009, 13: 431-436. 10.1111/j.1744-9987.2009.00762.x
Karvellas CJ, Gibney N, Kutsogiannis D, Wendon J, Bain VG: Bench-to-bedside review: current evidence for extracorporeal albumin dialysis systems in liver failure. Crit Care 2007, 11: 215. 10.1186/cc5922
Bañares R, Nevens F, Larsen FS, Jalan R, Albillos A, Dollinger M, Relief Study Group: Extracorporeal liver support with the molecular adsorbent recirculating system (MARS) in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (AOCLF). The RELIEF Trial. J Hepatol 2010, 52: S459-S460.
Rifai K, Kribben A, Gerken G, et al.: Extracorporeal liver support by fractionated plasma separation and adsorption (PROMETHEUS) in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (HELIOS Study): a prospective randomized controlled multicenter study. J Hepatol 2010, 52: S3.
Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Cattinara Hospital, Strada di Fiume 447, Trieste, 34149, Italy
Mauro Bernardi
Department of Clinical Medicine, S. Orsola-Malpighi Polyclinic, Via Albertoni 15, Bologna, 40138, Italy
Caterina Maggioli & Giacomo Zaccherini
Caterina Maggioli
Giacomo Zaccherini
Correspondence to Mauro Bernardi.
Bernardi, M., Maggioli, C. & Zaccherini, G. Human albumin in the management of complications of liver cirrhosis. Crit Care 16, 211 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1186/cc11218
Human Serum Albumin
Selected articles from the Annual Update in Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine 2012


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36 Beagles In Lab Test Were Force-Fed Pesticides So Scientists Could Examine Their Corpses
By Marco Margaritoff
The whole goal of the study is to examine the horrific damage done to the dogs as they are surgically force-fed pesticides.
The Humane Society of the United StatesOne of 21 beagles killed in a test of two substances that have been on the market for years. The drugs were infused into the beagles' lung areas after they were surgically opened to expose the area.
Various industries have engaged in inhumane animal testing for decades with much of it conducted in secret or effectively wiped under the proverbial rug. But for Corteva Agriscience, an agriculture division of DowDuPont, a year-long experiment on innocent beagles has just been staunchly exposed by an undercover investigation — and it is truly disturbing.
According to HuffPost, three dozen beagles have been force-fed fungicides over the span of a year so that when they predictably die, researchers at Charles River Laboratories in Mattawan, Michigan can examine their corpses.
"The dogs who don't die from the poison throughout the tests are scheduled to be euthanized in early July," the Human Society of the United States added.
The Humane Society's footage of the captive beagles.
"Our investigator, who spent nearly 100 days at the facility, documented the dogs cowering, frightened, in their cages with surgical scars and implanted with larger devices," the Humane Society said of their undercover agent's experience.
"Dogs being force-fed or infused with drugs, pesticides and other products, using crude methods, many that are unlikely to ever be used in humans."
Well aware of the backlash by animal rights advocates, public organizations and social media users, Corteva Agriscience has issued an official response to these horrific practices. In a stunningly brazen turn of events, the corporation admitted to its activities and stated firmly that its choices are currently the best course of action.
"We agree that there are better ways to attain the data needed for this study," the company's statement read. It went on to explain that Brazilian authorities required these experiments, though why exactly Corteva Agriscience feels compelled to comply with Brazil's tests remains to be seen. "Once the industry receives confirmation that this test is no longer required, we will cease testing immediately and make every effort to rehome the animals."
The Humane Society was able to reveal through their undercover investigation last summer that the testing conducted on these 36 beagles is for Corteva Agriscience's new fungicide, Adavelt.
The Humane Society of the United StatesA beagle's torso, with a surgically implanted drug delivery device.
As it stands, however, the appalling experiments at Charles River Laboratories seem to be forging ahead. Meanwhile, Brazilian regulatory authorities told the Humane Society that "waiver requests from companies to forego this test" are readily available and routinely issued and that the U.S. government doesn't even require this kind of testing.
According to the organization, however, the primary reason Dow is continuing with this experiment is so that they can get a guarantee from Brazil to use the pesticide.
"Dow asked for a more formal assurance from Brazil to end the dog study already underway, which (Humane Society International) obtained, but Dow's regulatory affairs division now says they need additional confirmation that their specific pesticide product will be approved without the dog study results before ending this study," the Human Society said.
The Humane Society of the United StatesA dog being force-fed various substances.
Unfortunately, the organization's president and CEO Kitty Block explained that while this particular test is certainly disturbing, it's far more common than the public may think.
"Experiments are happening at hundreds of laboratories each year throughout the country, with more than 60,000 dogs suffering," she said. "But that does not have to be the fate for these 36 beagles. We must turn to the public to join us in urging Dow to stop the test immediately and to work with us to get these dogs into suitable homes."
The Humane Society published a petition on its website that demands Dow to release the captive animals from its lab and place them into caring homes. At the time of this writing, that petition has garnered over 200,000 signatures and supporters.
Next up, read about scientists creating a human-pig hybrid. Then, learn about the very first animal on Earth.
Marco Margaritoff
Marco Margaritoff is a Staff Writer at All That Is Interesting.
Excavations At Stonehenge Reveal It Was One Of The Earliest Large-Scale Celebration Spots In Britain
Immigrant Teen Overcomes Homelessness And Gets Accepted To 17 Different Colleges
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SK Innovation of South Korea announced that it will end a battery-pack joint venture with German partner Continental AG.
The cancellation of this joint venture is believed to be due to slow growth in demand for electric cars in Europe.
The ending of this joint venture does not impact SK Innovation's work in South Korea where it produces the battery that powers the 2015 Kia Soul EV.
1 Comment on "SK Innovation Ends Battery Joint Venture With Continental"
what a shame! Booked business in US but SK is not able to meet battery prices and ha no investment!


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Episodes	Last Updated 10/2/2015
Title Airs On
S2:E1	Storm of Dive and Dash!
Free! 07/02/2014 10:24 am EDT
At the start of a new school year, Haruka and the others meet up with Rin at Samezuka Academy for an event to send off the third	...read more At the start of a new school year, Haruka and the others meet up with Rin at Samezuka Academy for an event to send off the third year members, where they end up getting roped into a freestyle relay against the school. Afterwards, as the Iwatobi Swim Club struggle to recruit new members, Goro reveals he has reformed the Iwatobi Swimming Club, giving the guys a chance to use the indoor pool prior to its opening. Later, Rin, who has been made captain of the Samezuka Swim Club, participates in a race against Haruka, managing to tie for the lead. Later that evening, Haruka and the others invite Rin to the school pool, which they have cleaned and filled with cherry blossoms so that Rin could swim in it, only for rain to ruin the opportunity. The next day, Rin is surprised to find an old acquaintance of his, Sousuke Yamazaki, transfer into his class. show less
S2:E2	Stroke of Chance Encounter!
Rin reminisces with Sousuke, his classmate prior to transferring to Iwatobi during elementary school, who decided to spend his	...read more Rin reminisces with Sousuke, his classmate prior to transferring to Iwatobi during elementary school, who decided to spend his last year of high school in his hometown before swimming professionally. Meanwhile, Goro plans to put on a swimming festival for the Iwatobi Swimming Club for children, asking Haruka and the others to spread word and come up with a main event, with Haruka suggesting a relay event. With Rin asked to assemble a team of his own to swim against them, Sousuke asks to join on the condition he run in the freestyle leg. On the day of the event, one of Rin's team members is forced to drop out, but they manage to find the former team captain's brother, Momotarou Mikoshiba, to fill in for him. Prior to the relay, Sousuke confronts Haruka, telling him not to get in Rin's way. As the relay gets underway, both teams show strong form with Haruka's team narrowly managing to win. Afterwards, Rin invites Momotarou to join his swim club whilst Haruka becomes cautious of Sousuke's attitude towards him. show less
S2:E3	Butterfly of Farewell
Rin changes dorm rooms, moving in with Sousuke, whilst Momotarou takes his place as Aiichirou's roommate. Meanwhile, Iwatobi	...read more Rin changes dorm rooms, moving in with Sousuke, whilst Momotarou takes his place as Aiichirou's roommate. Meanwhile, Iwatobi holds a culture festival, where the swim club participates in a relay race against the other clubs, though their victory does little to attract new members. As the group turn their attentions towards the next national tournament, Rei worries about whether it is okay that he can only do butterfly. His worries increase when one of his old upperclassmen from the track team asks if he would like to return. Nagisa becomes concerned when Rei starts going off on 'errands' after school, with the others soon becoming suspicious as well. Spotting Rei speaking with the track team captain, the others get together to try and convince him not to quit the swim team. After Rei reveals he had no intention of quitting, the group follow him to his 'errand', where they learn Rei had been secretly taking swimming lessons from Rin to learn other styles besides the butterfly. show less
S2:E4	Somersault Turn of Promise
With the prefecturals approaching, Gou takes it upon herself to make balanced nutritional bento lunches for the team. Meanwhile,	...read more With the prefecturals approaching, Gou takes it upon herself to make balanced nutritional bento lunches for the team. Meanwhile, Sousuke recalls a promise that he had yet to ask of Rin before he left for Australia, before asking Rin what happened whilst he was away, hearing about how Haruka and the others helped pick himself up. When Gou's attempt at a nutritional bento proves to be effectively inedible, she compensates by putting together a tough training regime. Later that night, Sousuke tells Rin he should give up relays in order to focus on his dreams, but Rin states his determination to accomplish both. Despite having always preferred swimming individually, Sousuke asks to join Samezuka's relay team in order to find something he's missing, challenging Rin to a butterfly race to earn his spot. Admiring Sousuke's passion, Rin changes the way swimmers are selected for relays, asking only those who are serious about being in a relay team to step forward. show less
S2:E5	Head-Up of Decision
After the others notice him behaving oddly and insisting on sleeping over, Nagisa reveals he has run away from home, eventually	...read more After the others notice him behaving oddly and insisting on sleeping over, Nagisa reveals he has run away from home, eventually explaining that his parents told him to quit the swim club because of his poor grades. Wanting to avoid his mother, Nagisa and the others hide out at the swimming center to come up with a plan, where Nagisa laments how he doesn't find studying fun, having been forced to do it endlessly during middle school. As the group move further into the school when someone approaches, Rei tries to convince Nagisa to tell his parents how he really feels. Moved by everyone's words, Nagisa voices his true feelings to the pursuer, who turns out to be their teacher, Miho Amakata, who came after Haruka told her to let them handle it and gives Nagisa the courage to talk to his parents. In the end, Nagisa's parents allow him to stay in the club on the condition he work hard for the nationals. show less
S2:E6	Prime of Invincibility!
On the day before the prefecturals, Rin and Gou pay their respects to their father, where Rin gives Gou a photo of him to put up	...read more On the day before the prefecturals, Rin and Gou pay their respects to their father, where Rin gives Gou a photo of him to put up in the Swimming Club. The next day, Nagisa, Makoto, Rei, Rin and Momotarou all qualify in their respective individual events. Later, Makoto competes against Haruka in the 200m freestyle, wanting to have a real race against him before he graduates. Despite losing due to his pacing, Makoto feels happy to have been able to have a serious race with Haruka. Haruka and Rin then face off against each other in the 100m freestyle, with Haruka narrowly beating Rin by a split second, bringing the first day's events to a close. show less
S2:E7	Crouching Start of Revenge!
After Rin chose his team for the medley relay event, which includes Sousuke and Momotarou, Aiichirou feels downhearted over not	...read more After Rin chose his team for the medley relay event, which includes Sousuke and Momotarou, Aiichirou feels downhearted over not making the team, but receives some encouragement from Sousuke. The next day, as the relay gets underway, Samezuka manages to win the race, though Iwatobi manage to make it through to the regionals as well. Afterwards, as Haruka and Rin are both scouted, Rin confronts Sousuke about his recent behavior, to which he responds that he hasn't yet found what he is looking for. After receiving some encouragement from Rei, who tells him to be true to his 'free' self, Haruka comes up with a training regime to improve their relay times. Later, Gou spots Sousuke as he skips his team practice. show less
S2:E8	Locomotive of Crisis!
Makoto starts helping Goro at the Swimming Club, acting as a coach teaching children to swim. Meanwhile, Sousuke decides to help	...read more Makoto starts helping Goro at the Swimming Club, acting as a coach teaching children to swim. Meanwhile, Sousuke decides to help coach Aiichirou to improve his swimming. As Makoto notices one of his students, Hayato, struggling with swimming without a kick board, he discovers his brother is Kisumi Shigino, an old classmate from his and Haruka's middle school. As the two reminisce, Kisumi explains to Makoto how Hayato developed a fear of swimming after he nearly drowned after falling off a boat. Told by Haruka to think over his own experiences of learning to swim, Makoto teaches Hayato how to do a backstroke, helping him to overcome his fear. As Makoto's time as a coach comes to an end, he and Haruka learn from Kisumi that Sousuke had recently obtained an injury to his shoulder and had been competing in tournaments in spite of it. show less
S2:E9	Forming of Disruption!
On the day before the regionals, both Iwatobi and Samezuka end up staying at the same hotel. While Aiichirou is chosen to swim	...read more On the day before the regionals, both Iwatobi and Samezuka end up staying at the same hotel. While Aiichirou is chosen to swim in Samezuka's relay team thanks to his training, Haruka, who is in deep thought about being scouted, ends up sharing an elevator ride with Sousuke, confirming his shoulder injury. The next day, as Rin manages to pass his heat in the 100m freestyle, Haruka becomes overwhelmed by the pressure of performing in front of scouts and ends up stopping dead in his tracks. When Rin confronts him following the race, Haruka snaps at him, telling him that his dreams and his future are being forced upon him, and he's not choosing them of his own free will. Rei, Makoto and Nagisa overhear their fight, and as Haru tries to assure his friends he will swim in the relay with them, Sousuke continues to experience more pain from his shoulder injury. show less
S2:E10	Six-Beat of Tears!
After being informed by Aiichirou, Rin becomes aware of Sousuke's shoulder injury, learning that he had been harboring for	...read more After being informed by Aiichirou, Rin becomes aware of Sousuke's shoulder injury, learning that he had been harboring for two years and that all his talk of being scouted was a lie. As the two take their conversation outside, unaware that Haruka is nearby, Sousuke reveals that he been constantly training so that he could one day face against Rin, injuring his shoulder in the process. Resolving to quit swimming, he wanted to see Rin swim in last year's regionals and ending up seeing his breakdown, but gained new hope when he saw Rin pick himself up thanks to his friends, deciding he would only quit swimming after he became true friends with Rin. Despite Rin's objections, Sousuke states he wants to swim with everyone in the relay, with Aiichirou and Momotarou backing him up. Having heard the whole thing, Haruka asks his team to give everything they've got in the relay in response to Sousuke's dedication. As the match gets underway, Sousuke's shoulder acts up, but Rin encourages him to make it to the end of his leg, leading to the final showdown between Haruka and Rin, with Iwatobi winning by a fraction of a second. show less
S2:E11	The Open Turn of Destiny!
As both Iwatobi and Samezuka continue to train for the nationals, Rei worries about Haruka, who is unable to participate in the	...read more As both Iwatobi and Samezuka continue to train for the nationals, Rei worries about Haruka, who is unable to participate in the freestyle event. Later, Haruka is approached by Sousuke, who tells him to move forward so that Rin can improve alongside him. As Obon arrives, Makoto and the others confront Haruka that he isn't being his usual 'free' self, expressing their desire to help him find a dream. However, Haruka refuses to hear Makoto out, becoming further upset when Makoto reveals he plans to go to a university in Tokyo after graduation. As Haruka starts to seclude himself, he is approached by Rin, who decides to take him with him to Australia. show less
S2:E12	A Swim-Off in a Foreign Land!
Upon arriving in Sydney, Australia, Rin takes Haruka to the beach, where he talks about his experiences in the country before	...read more Upon arriving in Sydney, Australia, Rin takes Haruka to the beach, where he talks about his experiences in the country before taking him to meet his home stay parents, Russell and Lori. Upon checking into their hotel, the pair find they have to share a double bed for the night, though they manage to get through the night reminiscing about their time together. The next day, Rin takes Haruka to the Sydney International Aquatic Centre to swim alongside Australia's national swim team, reigniting Haruka's passion for swimming. As Rin states he came to Australia to approach his old coach about joining his team, Haruka states he has also found a dream to aim for. show less
S2:E13	The Eternal Summer of Beginnings!
Upon returning from Australia, Haruka gives his thanks to Rin and rejoins his teammates, deciding that he will start focusing on	...read more Upon returning from Australia, Haruka gives his thanks to Rin and rejoins his teammates, deciding that he will start focusing on times and winning for the sake of reaching his new dream to swim in the wide open world. He then apologizes to Makoto, who explains that he is going to a Tokyo university in order to become a swimming teacher. On the night before the national tournament, the group reminisce about the past two years together, with Nagisa and Rei becoming emotional about Haruka and Makoto's impending graduation, though Haruka assures them will always be connected. Following a memorable experience at the nationals, in which Iwatobi manage to win their heat and 6th place overall, it is graduation time. Rin passes on the position of Samezuka's captain to Aiichirou, before telling Sousuke that he'll wait until he returns to the world of swimming. Meanwhile, Iwatobi bury a time capsule containing the sights they saw at the nationals, before joining Rin in a petal-filled pool at Samezuka. Everyone soon goes their separate ways, with a flash forward to Haruka and Rin facing off against each other in the professional circuit. show less
TV Movie Jul 11, 2019
In Theaters Jul 12, 2019
The Last Mermaid
Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?
Elementary, My Dear Shaggy!
This Is One Strange Town
On the Scent


Mission Hills stay Our stay at Mission Hills was very good exceptional rooms, very clean and the golf course grounds is beautiful. However the walking distance (another building) to the buffet breakfast was too far and not marked very well. There isn't a very good restaurant option at this hotel.
very very convinient location for the airport...from T1 just crossing the road. From T2, you can get either airport shuttle bus (every 10 miin) or hotel shuttle bus every 20 min.
It is in a very beautiful park which provides peace and tranquility; a very rare occurrence in this country. The breakfast was fine if you went early but was not kept warm or replaced for a later breakfast.


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Home Tags Australian writing
LettersPaul Brecht, Evans Head - February 8, 2023 0
Santos – most of us are familiar with that coal seam gas (CSG) company? Well, remember it well. The coalition...
Far North Coast branch of NSW Farmers launches
The new NSW Farmers Far North Coast Branch, that will be representing farmers from the Tweed and Byron Shires, launched yesterday.
Byron EchoHans Lovejoy - February 9, 2023 1
With no consultation with either the Mullum Chamber of Commerce, the town's residents association or the community at large, Byron Council and the NSW Liberal-Nationals have announced a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding to develop the town's disused railway land.
Stories about "Australian writing":
Writing for wellbeing gets recognition
Byron Echo Aslan Shand - October 11, 2018 0
Sometimes all it takes is a hunch coupled with a good bit of work to create something successful. That is the case for former local journalist Stephanie Dale who has been working with people in rural and remote Australia encouraging them to write.
Writer Bob Ellis dies, aged 73
Local News The Echo - April 4, 2016 1
Prolific writer Bob Ellis has died at his home in Sydney at the age of 73 after a battle with liver cancer. A Seventh Day Adventist who grew up in Lismore, Ellis wrote speeches for Labor leaders including Paul Keating, Kim Beazley and Bob Carr.


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Christine Blasey Ford says she is '100%' sure Brett Kavanaugh attacked her
Video of 'Absolutely not' a case of mistaken identity: Ford
VIDEO: REUTERS
Sep 27, 2018, 11:10 pm SGT
http://str.sg/oeNt
WASHINGTON (BLOOMBERG) – Dr Christine Blasey Ford said she is "one hundred per cent" certain that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is the person who sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers, and she told a Senate committee that he and his friend laughed at her expense during the attack.
Speaking publicly for the first time about allegations that could derail Mr Kavanaugh's nomination and redefine the "Me Too" era, Dr Ford she conceded that she could not remember every detail, but did not waver on her core accusation.
She wrapped up her testimony at about 2.15pm Washington time.
Mr Kavanaugh, who will testify later on Thursday (Sept 27), has strongly denied allegations of sexual misconduct.
"With what degree of certainty do you believe Brett Kavanaugh assaulted you?" Democratic Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois asked Dr Ford during a Senate hearing that could determine whether the nominee is confirmed to the high court.
"One hundred per cent," she responded.
Dr Ford also told a nationally televised Judiciary Committee hearing her accusation was "absolutely not" a case of mistaken identity. She said the 1982 incident was "seared into my memory" even though she doesn't remember all the details.
Ford fights back tears as senator speaks of courage
Ford recalls 'uproarious laughter' during alleged assault
Ford details accusation against Kavanaugh
Brett Kavanaugh accuser arrives for high-stakes hearing
It was the first time the American public saw the person whose accusations had dominated the headlines for weeks, having only seen her before mostly in a single grainy photo in which she was wearing sunglasses. Her nerves were evident, and her voice cracked during her testimony.
Seating Mr Kavanaugh on the nation's top court – or not seating him – could affect the fight for control of Congress in the Nov 6 election. Republicans are looking for Mr Kavanaugh to cement a conservative majority on the court, while Democrats say he could provide the fifth vote to overturn the Roe versus Wade decision that legalised abortion.
President Donald Trump was watching the hearing from Air Force One, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said. He hasn't talked to Mr Kavanaugh in a couple of days, she said.
The California psychology professor said the incident has "haunted me episodically as an adult".
She said she was "terrified" to testify before the committee and that she she "agonised daily" about whether to come forward with her claim.
Dr Ford said Mr Kavanaugh's friend, Mr Mark Judge, was in the room during the attack and that the two were laughing at her. She said she had an "indelible" memory of "the uproarious laughter between the two, and their having fun at my expense".
Senate Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, brought Dr Ford to tears when he thanked her for coming forward.
"If we agree on nothing else today, I hope on a bipartisan basis we can agree on how much courage it has taken for you to come forward, and I think you have earned America's gratitude," Mr Blumenthal said.
Dr Ford silently mouthed, "thank you".
She cried again when Democratic Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey called her "heroic".
Drink until you pass out: Scandal-hit Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh's elite high school world
New accuser says she witnessed sexual abuses by Brett Kavanaugh
New allegation of drunken assault surfaces against Trump's Supreme Court pick Kavanaugh
Trump ready to pull Brett Kavanaugh nomination if convinced judge 'guilty'
Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh angrily denies assault allegation after Ford testimony
During a break, GOP Senator Orrin Hatch told reporters that Dr Ford was "an attractive, good witness" but that it was too early to make a judgment. "I don't think she's uncredible."
An aide said on Twitter that the senator meant to describe her personality, not her appearance.
Senator Hatch said he still expects the Judiciary panel to vote on Mr Kavanaugh on Friday and expects him to be voted out favourably.
Questioning of Dr Ford proceeded in five-minute chunks. Other than committee chairman Chuck Grassley, the committee's Republicans stayed mum, each instead having Arizona sex-crimes prosecutor Rachel Mitchell ask questions during his allotted minutes. The 11 Republicans on the committee are all men.
Ms Mitchell's questioning presented a stark contrast to the sweeping statements of support from Democrats. Ms Mitchell spent most of her time trying to clarify details of Dr Ford's story, covering the night of the alleged assault and the professor's decision to come forward by confidentially telling her congressional representative and the Washington Post.
Mr Kavanaugh's prepared statement said he doesn't question that Dr Ford may have been sexually assaulted by someone, but strongly denied that he was the attacker.
"I categorically and unequivocally deny the allegation against me by Dr Ford," Mr Kavanaugh said. "I have never done that to her or anyone. I am innocent of this charge."
Dr Ford said that though they went to different high schools, she had been friendly with a classmate of Mr Kavanaugh's and attended a number of parties that the future judge also attended.
She said the attack occurred after she went upstairs to use the bathroom. She said she was pushed into a bedroom and onto a bed and that Mr Kavanaugh got on top of her. Mr Judge was in the room and encouraged the attack, she said.
"I believed he was going to rape me," Dr Ford said.
Mr Kavanaugh put his hand on her mouth to keep her from screaming, she said, and because it was hard for her to breathe, "I thought that Brett was accidentally going to kill me."
She said Mr Judge, who has denied any part in such an attack, jumped on them and she was able to escape.
Asked what she remembers from that night, Dr Ford responded: "The stairwell, the living room, the bedroom, the bed on the right side of the room as you walk into the room – there was a bed to the right – the bathroom in close proximity, the laughter – the uproarious laughter – and the multiple attempts to escape and the final ability to do so."
Under questioning from Ms Mitchell, Dr Ford said she didn't know how she got home that night. She said the party took place "somewhere between" her home and the Columbia Country Club, about seven miles away.
The Washington Post previously reported she told the paper the party took place near the country club.
"Has anyone come forward to say to you, 'Hey, remember, I was the one that drove you home'?" Ms Mitchell asked.
"No," Dr Ford responded. She said she didn't have her driver's licence at the time.
'I WANT TO APOLOGISE'
In opening the hearing, Mr Grassley said, "I want to apologise to you both for the way you've been treated," referring to threats made against Dr Ford and Mr Kavanaugh after her allegation became public.
As she prepared to leave, he thanked her "for your bravery coming out and trying to answer our questions as best you could remember".
Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein of California thanked Ford for her "strength and bravery in coming forward."
"This is not a trial for Dr Ford," Ms Feinstein said. "It's a job interview for Judge Kavanaugh."
Ms Feinstein noted that two other accusers came forward in the last several days. They aren't scheduled to testify before the committee.
A second woman, Ms Deborah Ramirez of Colorado, claims Mr Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a drunken party when they were freshmen at Yale University. And in the most lurid allegation yet, Ms Julie Swetnick of Washington said in a sworn statement released on Wednesday that Mr Kavanaugh took part in efforts during high school to get girls intoxicated so that a group of boys could have sex with them.
Ford testimony 'moment in history': Alyssa Milano
Supporters, opponents line up for Kavanaugh hearing
Republicans are trying to get Mr Kavanaugh, 53, confirmed as early as next week. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has been preparing colleagues for a weekend session that would allow a final vote in a matter of days.
Republicans hold a 51-49 advantage in the Senate and can't afford more than one defection to ensure confirmation without Democratic support.
Several GOP lawmakers who remain publicly undecided – most notably Alaska's Lisa Murkowski, Maine's Susan Collins and Arizona's Jeff Flake – said they wanted to hear what Dr Ford has to say before making up their minds.
Capitol police imposed strict security measures to keep protesters at bay after about 70 people were arrested each day during Mr Kavanaugh's earlier hearing. At Dr Ford's request, the hearing was held in a smaller room with less space for media and the public, and protesters were being kept off that floor of the office building.


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The promenade of San Francisco will be transformed
"The first phase of Mission Rock planning in San Francisco has begun. The master plan developed by the San Francisco Giants and Tishman Speyer established four buildings designed by internationally renowned architecture firms such as MVRDV, Studio Gang, Henning Larsen and WORKac. The scheme also includes a 5-acre coastal park by SCAPE." – Archdaily
New 23-story building for Mission Rock, San Francisco
MoMa will have an extension
Cosmos Arena, an aeroespacial stadium
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Top 10 Universities when considering your Architectural Degree
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New Victorian block of flats in London
London has a new housing block. Thanks to the design of Peter Barber...