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Portland, Oregon, USA
Performance Evaluation of Photovoltaic Power-Generation System Equipped With a Cooling Device Utilizing Siphonage
Kaoru Furushima,
Kaoru Furushima
Yatsuhiro National College of Technology
Yutaka Nawata
Paper No: ISEC2004-65061, pp. 387-393; 7 pages
Published Online: December 17, 2008
Furushima, K, & Nawata, Y. "Performance Evaluation of Photovoltaic Power-Generation System Equipped With a Cooling Device Utilizing Siphonage." Proceedings of the ASME 2004 International Solar Energy Conference. Solar Energy. Portland, Oregon, USA. July 11–14, 2004. pp. 387-393. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/ISEC2004-65061
Recently, the photovoltaic (PV) power generation system has attracted attention as one of clean energies. Especially, residential roofing PV system connected with power grids has been popularized as a result of increasing concerns over global warming and continuing decline in PV manufacturing costs. The power generated by the PV module increases with irradiance, but it decreases as PV module temperature becomes high. The PV temperature depends on ambient temperature, and becomes more than 60°C in summer. Therefore, the power generated does not necessarily increase even if the irradiance increases in summer. However, if the PV modules were cooled under such a high PV temperature condition, more electrical power would be obtained from PV modules. In this study, a PV power generating system equipped with a cooling device has been developed. The major components of the system are an array of PV modules and cooling panels attached to the backside of the PV modules. The respective PV module is cooled with cooling water flowing through a narrow gap in each cooling panel. Hot water discharged from the cooling panel is delivered to a storage tank and can be reused in anywhere. In order to save energy for introducing cooling water into the panel, a siphonage from an upper level of a building to the ground level is utilized. A siphon tube is connected to a discharge port of the cooling panel, thus the pressure at the discharge port becomes negative. Cooling water enters into the bottom end of the cooling panel at atmospheric pressure and goes up to the top, discharge side. By adopting this cooling water system, we could spread the cooling water evenly over the entire backside of the PV module and thus realized an effective cooling device. In addition, we could make the cooling device light and smaller because no auxiliary pumping system is needed for introducing cooling water. To provide field performance data for the present PV power generation system equipped with the special cooling device mentioned above, long-term monitoring tests in a natural environment were conducted in summer for a test facility constructed at the Yatsushiro National College of Technology (YNCT), Japan. As a result, it was confirmed that the cooling of the PV modules increases the electric power and that the reuse of hot water from the cooling panel contributes very much for saving energy consumed for heating water.
Cooling, Energy generation, Performance evaluation, Water, Temperature, Electricity (Physics), Energy / power systems, Hot water, Atmospheric pressure, Climate change, Heating, Manufacturing, Photovoltaic power systems, Power grids, Pressure, Roofing, Storage tanks, Test facilities
Generation of Electricity Utilizing Solar Hot Water Collectors and a Tesla Turbine
Performance Evaluation of Photovoltaic Power-Generation System Equipped With a Cooling Device Utilizing Siphonage: 2nd Report — Improvement of a PV System Placed on a Residential Rooftop
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J. Energy Resour. Technol (June,2021)
Dynamic Cool Roofing Systems
Advanced Energy Efficient Building Envelope Systems


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White campion in bloom this week at the Rocky Mountain Botanic Gardens
by Jessie Berta-Thompson
in Features, Nature
Since there's still nothing officially planted in the Rocky Mountain Botanic Gardens (RMBG) yet, it's a bit early to be talking about what's blooming, but there are actually lots of flowers–on the weeds.
The bright bulbous blossoms of white campion (Silene latifolia, Pink family, Carophyllaceae) have popped out this week, along the river trail and behind the garden compost pile. This plant is a Eurasian native, introduced and now widespread across North America. In typical weedy fashion, it grows on roadsides, floodplains, disturbed areas, meadows, and cultivated land. The most distinctive part of a white campion flower is the calyx behind the petals, which inflates balloon-like around the developing seed capsule and is decorated with green or purple-red veins. A calyx (plural, calyces) is the structure that protects a flower bud. After a flower opens, the calyx on many species looks like a set of small petal-like leaves or leaf-like petals (known as sepals) at the base of a flower, but the calyx of white campion is prominent and fused into one piece. Each flower has five white petals with deep notches nearly splitting them in half, and there's a little extra frill of a collar at the flower's center. The plants are hairy, which makes new leaves soft to the touch, and the calyces, already striking at a distance, look even wilder under a magnifying lens.
In the heat of midday, white campion often looks crumpled. That's because these flowers bloom at night to attract moths as pollinators. They also release their fragrance at night. Certain other white flowers do this, too, so gardeners sometimes plant collections of fragrant white night-blooming flowers to enjoy after dark. The RMBG Prairie Grasslands garden (slated to be planted first) will include two species of native evening primroses, the prairie evening primrose, Oenothera albicaulis, and the white stemless evening primrose, Oenothera caespitosa. Like white campion, these flowers open in the evening, as their names suggest. Both grow low to the ground with stunning, large white flowers pollinated by night-flying insects.
Up close, white campion flowers don't all look the same. This species is dioecious–that is, each plant has either male or female flowers. This is one of the mechanisms that has evolved in plants to avoid self-fertilization and excessive inbreeding, increasing the flow of genetic material by requiring two parent plants for every seed. The flowers on male plants have bright clumps of yellow pollen at the center, while female flowers have a cluster of curving white structures to catch the pollen. Only the fruit-bearing female flowers have the ballooning calyces. On males they are still noticeable but don't puff up. Another dioecious species among local favorites is the rocky mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum). Some plants bear juniper berries, while others produce pollen-spewing male cones that give the plants a brownish-yellow look in spring.
White campion. Photo: Jessie Berta-Thompson
White campion is in the Pink family (Caryophyllaceae), named for the flowers called pinks, which are also known as dianthus and often are actually pink. Carnations and Sweet Williams are other cultivated members of this family. Colorado native Pink family species include the prairie mouse-ear, Cerastium arvense, which forms constellations of white flowers under ponderosas in spring, and the pink cushion-forming alpine favorite, moss campion, Sileneacaulis. At first glance, two other Pink family members introduced from Europe can look like white campion. Bladder campion, Silene vulgaris, has even larger bladders (calyces) that lack the dramatic veins of white campion, and bouncingbet or soapwort, Saponariaofficinalis, has petals without the deep notch, a slender calyx, and hairless leaves. Bouncingbet and white campion were both used historically as soap, their roots beaten to a lather for laundry. Keep an eye out for white campion blooming around town all summer long. It's certainly a plant worth a closer look, but don't expect to see it (much) in our lovingly weeded native garden beds.
In other garden news this week, our partners at the Town of Lyons have just completed the work for the garden to get irrigation water. Although we're planning to use as little water as possible, watering will be necessary for establishing young plants. This brings us one step closer to planting!
For more information about the gardens visit:
http://www.rmbg.org/
To learn more about white campion, take a look here:
https://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weedguide/single_weed.php?id=19
White campion in the Rocky Mountain Botanic Gardens.
Photo: Jessie Berta-Thompson
Jessie Berta-Thompson has lived just outside of Lyons for four years. She is an enthusiastic volunteer for the Rocky Mountain Botanic Gardens, with experience in biology research and outreach.
Tags: natureoutdoors
Tips to overcome stress caused by isolation
Lucky Lyons foxes
Jessie Berta-Thompson

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Free Wi-Fi a happy-to-serve staff and a corporate-central locale make Country Inn & Suites By Carlson Jacksonville I-95 South FL an ideal spot for business travelers to rest their weary heads. Though this five-floor 128-room hotel is great for the corporate crowd you don't have to be traveling on business to feel right at home. For starters those signature beds are a slice of heaven—premium pillowtop mattresses topped off with luxe linens and ultra-white fluffy duvets. All rooms are equipped with free Wi-Fi mini-fridges and microwaves. Hotel amenities include an on-site gym business center and outdoor swimming pool. Parking is free. Whether your trip to Jacksonville is for business or pleasure it won't take you long to get there from here. Conveniently located at the intersection of Southside's J. Turner Butler Blvd. (JTB) and I-95 this hotel makes for the easiest commute in town. It's just a three-minute ride to St. Luke's Hospital and about 10 minutes to the headquarters of Blue Cross Blue Shield Florida Vistakon and Landstar as well as the University of North Florida. Downtown Jacksonville is less than 15 minutes north. Ponte Vedra Beach 20 minutes east. And Jacksonville International Airport 23 miles north.


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Cultural Studies (19)
Postcolonial Studies (19)
Science, Technology & Society (19)
Joelle M Abi-Rached
ʿAṣfūriyyeh: A History of Madness, Modernity, and War in the Middle East
By Joelle M Abi-Rached
Publisher: The MIT Press
DOI: 10.7551/mitpress/12540.001.0001
View Abstract Hide Abstract
The development of psychiatry in the Middle East, viewed through the history of one of the first modern mental hospitals in the region. ʿAṣfūriyyeh (formally, the Lebanon Hospital for the Insane) was founded by a Swiss Quaker missionary in 1896, one of the first modern psychiatric hospitals in the Middle East. It closed its doors in 1982, a victim of Lebanon's brutal fifteen-year civil war. In this book, Joelle Abi-Rached uses the rise and fall of ʿAṣfūriyyeh as a lens through which to examine the development of modern psychiatric theory and practice in the region as well as the sociopolitical history of modern Lebanon. Abi-Rached shows how ʿAṣfūriyyeh's role shifted from a missionary enterprise to a national institution with wide regional influence. She offers a gripping chronicle of patients' and staff members' experiences during the Lebanese civil war and analyzes the hospital's distinctive nonsectarian philosophy. When ʿAṣfūriyyeh closed down, health in general and mental health in particular became more visibly "sectarianized"—monopolized by various religious and political actors. Once hailed for its progressive approach to mental illness and its cosmopolitanism, ʿAṣfūriyyeh became a stigmatizing term, a byword for madness and deviance, ultimately epitomizing a failed project of modernity. Reflecting on the afterlife of this and other medical institutions, especially those affected by war, Abi-Rached calls for a new "ethics of memory," more attuned to our global yet increasingly fragmented, unstable, and violent present. ʿAṣfūriyyeh is the first volume in the MIT Press's new Culture and Psychiatry series.
Administrative divisions of the Ottoman Near East until 1918
Book: ʿAṣfūriyyeh: A History of Madness, Modernity, and War in the Middle East
Chronology of Major Events
Transliteration, Translation, Terminology, and Monetary Values
Oriental Madness and Civilization
The Struggle for Influence and the Birth of Psychiatry
The Rise of ʿAṣfūriyyeh and the Decline of Missions
Patriarchal Power and the Gospel of the Modern Care of Insanity
The Downfall of ʿAṣfūriyyeh and the Breakdown of the State
The Politics of Health, Charity, and Sectarianism


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The Intersection of faith, culture, and politics
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The Democratic Party is having a rough time condemning anti-Semitism. Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota has, on several occasions, made classically anti-Semitic claims about American Jews, and the effort to formally denounce those statements in the House ruined a week in which the Democrats were supposed to talk about their agenda.
The gist of Omar's complaints is that the perfidious, string-pulling Hebraic hordes control Congress with their shady shekels, Israel has hypnotized the world, and American Jews are guilty of dual loyalty.
The controversies have been compounded by the fact that her apologies suggest she's not actually apologetic. Omar has claimed that the anti-Semitism charge is an effort to silence her because she wants to talk about the Jewish scheme to "push for allegiance to a foreign country." In an earlier sorry-not-sorry episode, she apologized for hurting anyone's feelings, which is not quite the same thing as recanting.
The whole issue of hurt feelings is a red herring -- which is precisely why so many Democrats want to focus on feelings rather than on the relevant facts. Indeed, if Omar had better facts on her side, she wouldn't be in this mess.
For instance, Omar seems to think the American Israel Public Affairs Committee is a political action committee that funds candidates on behalf of Israel. Inconveniently for Omar, AIPAC isn't a PAC, doesn't work for Israel and doesn't donate to political campaigns.
More interesting, however, is the Democratic leadership's fact problem -- namely the fact Omar simply isn't a fan of Jews, or at least Jews who support Israel. It's fine to be a critic of Israel, by the way. But when you hate the country so much that you can't explain criticism of Israel without resorting to bigotry, you have a problem. Or rather, the Democratic Party does.
Because it's not just Omar. If Omar had no sympathizers, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would probably have thrown her under the bus already. The younger, fresher and more radical fringe of the party led by New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez doesn't think Omar should be singled out for criticism or censure. In fairness, the primary reason is not that they all share Omar's hang-up with the Jews. Some are just anti-Israel. Others think it's unfair that Omar should be criticized when Donald Trump or other Republicans have said bigoted things.
Ocasio-Cortez called efforts to censure Omar "hurtful" because statements by other politicians, most obviously Trump, aren't similarly condemned. She has something of a point. I certainly wish Republicans did more to condemn many of the things Trump has said. But she seems to have forgotten that Republicans did condemn and punish Iowa Rep. Steve King recently for his on-brand racist blather.
So while Ocasio-Cortez is right to a point, that point doesn't take her very far. It's her party that has established a zero-tolerance-for-bigotry standard. And "whataboutist" arguments are the lowest form of defense. Some Republicans may be hypocrites for not condemning all bigotry equally, but that's a criticism of Republicans, not a defense of Omar.
The effort to avoid singling out Omar is putting Democrats in knots they will be hard-pressed to untie anytime soon. Pelosi has said Omar wasn't "intentionally anti-Semitic."
Asked if Omar's comment about Jewish dual loyalty was anti-Semitic, Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver of Missouri offered this profile in courage: "It may or may not be. I haven't thought deeply about it."
South Carolina's James Clyburn, the No. 3 Democrat in the House, offered a baffling defense of Omar by talking about -- surprise! -- her feelings. He says Omar's experience as a refugee from Somalia who spent time in a Kenyan refugee camp has to be taken into account.
"There are people who tell me, 'Well, my parents are Holocaust survivors.' 'My parents did this.' It's more personal with her," Clyburn told The Hill. "I've talked to her, and I can tell you she is living through a lot of pain."
Leave aside the fact that whatever happened to Omar in Kenya or Somalia, it has nothing to do with Israel or Jews. Are we going to have greater tolerance for bigotry based on a time-since-victimhood score? Slavery was even longer ago than the Holocaust. Does that make racist comments less outrageous than anti-Semitic comments?
On Thursday, Pelosi announced that the House would vote on a resolution condemning all forms of "hate." It's a transparent dodge to avoid condemning a specific kind of hate.
It might do the trick to turn the page. But it will almost surely be a temporary respite, because Omar (and others) come to their anti-Semitism honestly, and they're inclined to be honest about it. So we'll be here again.
(COMMENT, BELOW)
Jonah Goldberg is a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and editor-at-large of National Review Online.
© 2019 TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC. (Jewish World Review)


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Company Naftali Yosef is located in the city of TEL AVIV-JAFFA. The legal address of the company is 4 Hashomer, TEL AVIV-JAFFA 6560104. Other interesting information can be found on working days by phone +972-3-5173034. The scheme of travel to the company Naftali Yosef can be viewed on the interactive map.


Academy of Ideas | Events Archive | What is Religious Studies for in an increasingly secular age?
Despite the decline of faith in society it would appear that Religious Studies remains a critical if controversial subject for schools today. The topic of religion is rarely far from the news headlines in our multicultural society and it is still a compulsory subject in state schools. However, there is not a consensus about how religions should be represented, what the subject should be called and what should or shouldn't be contained in the curriculum, including in other subjects such as English, history and geography.
Should teachers be teaching that Britain is a predominantly Christian country or a multicultural one in which all faiths are represented? Should all religions be presented as equal or should pupils be encouraged to pass judgement about different beliefs, behaviours and ways of living? What should teachers say to pupils about acts of terror carried out in the name of fundamentalist Islam? Is Religious Studies for teaching morality or should it be based on values of tolerance and inclusion? Have government initiatives to counter youth radicalisation (e.g. Prevent and REsilience) helped or inhibited teachers to teach about religion?
It is also clear that some teachers are uncomfortable with the title of Religious Studies, with some schools re-naming the subject 'Philosophy and Ethics' or 'Beliefs and Values'. But if religion is being removed from the title, then what is the subject about? Last November a High Court judgement ruled that schools should teach atheism as part of Religious Studies (which was later over-turned by the Department for Education). Is the point of RS to represent all viewpoints, even non-religious ones?
Please join us for an open-ended discussion about the purpose and place of religious education in twenty-first century schooling.


Oscar Dell Lakin "Ozzie" loved by all.
Ozzie, 81, crossed over on Wednesday, April 27, 2005 at Edinboro Manor.
He was born in Salem, Ohio on September 20, 1923, the son of the late Oscar and Ora Dell Lakin. Mr. Lakin was national member of the V.F.W. Post #740. During World War II he served with the U.S. Marine Corp. as a radio repairman attaining the rank of sergeant.
Survivors include his loving wife of fifty-one years, Mary Louise Mowris Lakin; one daughter, Sandra Tolin ; two sons, Gerald and Darrell and one brother, Ira Lakin.
Ozzie will be missed by everyone that knew him. This site was created to give family and friends a place to come and visit and remember.
If you would like to share your memories of Oscar, please email us. And we will post them here.
As the holiday season approaches, let us remember the happy times. Keep Ozzie's family in your thoughts and prayers.
4/27/06 On the anniversary of Ozzie's passing, we send love and understanding to his wife and children. Time passes but the feelings are as strong as the day they left. I know that Bill and Ozzie are watching over us. Probably laughing and having a good time too.
As we celebrate the month of Oscar's birth, we share memories with his family.
This is so wonderful, I love coming to this site and seeing my dad. Thank you so much.
I remember all the times Anna Mae would come over to our house when I was growing up.
I cherish all those memories.
Planting potatoes, picking potatoes and having fun!!!
Its been 8 years since you left this world.
I know your family and friends remember this day and are missing you.
I have only fond memories of uncle "Oss". His sense of humor was second to none.
Happy Birthday Ozzie, I am sure that my dad and Willie and you are whooping it up today.
since you left this Earth. I know your family thinks of you today as everyday.
Say hi to my dad for me.
from all of us still here on Earth.


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Set up your business
Tourism in Sofia
Urban Environment
Accelerator Startup Sofia
Investment Incentives
Real Estate for Investment Promotion 2019
Annual Municipal Privatization Plan 2019
Office And Industrial Map of Sofia
Cooperations With Other Cities
Why Sofia
10 Reasons to Invest in Sofia
Digital Sofia
Start-up Ecosystem
Living in Sofia
Market Analyses & Business Insights
Business guide and brochures
Mission & Scope
Bulgaria Climbed One Position Up in the Global Competitiveness Index of WEF
Sofia Investment Agency Launches a Second "Sofia Meets" Project – Sofia Meets Denmark / Denmark Meets Sofia
Eighteen Bulgarian companies in Coface CEE Top 500
The number of Bulgarian companies included in the annual Coface CEE Top 500, an annual publication on the biggest companies in the CEE region is 18. The state-owned Bulgarian Energy Holding is the top ranking Bulgarian company and is the 25th ranking company in the index.
Traditionally the index is dominated by companies in the Energy, Automotive and Oil sectors. For another year, the Polish oil giant PKN Orlen is the leader in the ranking.
The revenue generated by the TOP 500 in 2016 was EUR 580 billion, a decrease of 0.6% from 2015. There was also a small decline in net profit – by 3.1% to EUR 26.3 billion, attributed to the drop in fuel prices.
The employment generated by the TOP 500 companies is rising sharply. The companies of the CEE Top 500 employed 4.5% of the total labor force in the region and significantly increased their workforce by +3.9% to 2.24 million people in the last year.
It is worth mentioning that most countries in the region recorded a steady decline in unemployment with some CEE countries reaching unemployment levels below that of most countries in Western European.
Bulgarian companies
Eighteen Bulgarian companies are in Coface CEE Top 500 in 2016.
The Bulgarian Energy Holding is the top listed Bulgarian company at 25th place, followed by Lukoil Neftochim Burgas (45th) and Aurubis (78th). The other Bulgarian companies by order of ranking are: NEK, Lukoil Bulgaria, Kaufland Bulgaria, CEZ Elektro, Advance Properties, Express Logistics and Distribution, Bulgargaz, Daphne Group, OMV Bulgaria, Sopharma, BTC, Kozloduy NPP, Saksa, and the new participants Huvepharma and Astra Bioplant.
The total turnover of the 18 Bulgarian companies in the ranking was EUR 16 656 million. Most of them, including the first four, recorded a slight decline in turnover, which was typical for the whole region. The number of employees increased, which was also in line with the trend across the CEE.
Coface Bulgaria commented that the assessment of the economic situation in Bulgaria was favorable with a growth in consumption and net export, as well as in employment recorded. Some sectors of the Bulgarian economy, however, remained overly dependent on European funding, according to the international group.
Overall conclusions from the ranking
There was a labor market boom, while the turnover and profits of the largest companies went down by 0.6% and 3.1%, respectively. Poland remained the biggest player with 168 companies in the ranking and growth in their total turnover of 3.3%. Hungary and the Czech Republic were also part of top 3.
The analysis by sectors shows that 9 out of 13 sectors increased their turnover compared to the previous year, despite the decline of 0.6% in the total turnover . The decrease in turnover can be attributed to four sectors: Oil and Gas (-5.4%), Energy (-7.3%), Mechanical engineering (-59.1%) and Metals (-6.4%). Their revenue losses were too large to be offset by the positive performance of other sectors.
Transport and Automotive were leading in terms of turnover, which totaled EUR 128 billion, and registration of new cars in the EU, recording a 7% increase. According to Coface's experts, the results for the entire CEE region led to a favorable economic environment and growing demand.
The full report is available here Bulgaria's Profile is on page 36.
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pl. "Petko R. Slaveykov" 6, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
12 "General Gourko", 4 fl., 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria


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NICHDevelopments – December 2022
by popcenters | Dec 15, 2022 | NICHD | 0 comments
Simulated driving program reduces crash risk for teens with ADHD in small study
A program that combines computer-based and driving simulator training may reduce the proportion of crashes and near crashes among teens with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a small study funded by the National Institutes of Health. Teens who took the training, which aims to reduce the number of long glances away from the roadway, had a nearly 40% lower risk for crash or near crash, compared to a similar group who did not undergo the training.
NIH-funded researchers examine uterine prolapse surgical trial outcomes
For women who experienced a recurrence of pelvic organ prolapse after a procedure called mesh hysteropexy, those who pursued additional surgery had symptoms early (most within 12 months after their initial surgery) and remained symptom-free after their second procedure, according to an analysis supported by the National Institutes of Health.
Common chemical may promote fibroid growth, small NIH-funded study suggests
Exposure to a chemical found in a wide variety of consumer products may trigger the growth of uterine fibroid cells and delay the rate at which they die, suggests a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The study provides a potential explanation for why women exposed to industrial chemicals known as phthalates—found in personal care products, food packaging, and medical products—have higher rates of fibroid tumors than other women.
NIH-funded study in mice suggests bacteria rely on metal tolerance to cause pregnancy-related infection
A bacterial species that causes chorioamnionitis—an infection of the placenta and fetal membranes that often leads to preterm birth—relies on a gene for metal tolerance to hijack immune cells, suggests a study in mice funded by the National Institutes of Health. The findings indicate that strategies to target the gene and its products could eliminate one of the most common causes of preterm birth.
Mouse model of rare disease highlights importance of balance between two opposing proteins
Reducing levels of the protein WAPL may partially correct disease traits caused by a deficiency of NIPBL, a protein with the opposite function, suggests a mouse study by scientists at the National Institutes of Health. Most cases of the rare developmental disorder Cornelia de Lange syndrome result from genetic mutations that reduce NIPBL's ability to load cohesin—a group of proteins with an important role in directing embryonic development—onto chromosomes. WAPL removes cohesin from chromosomes.
Requests for Applications, Announcements, and Notices
Request for Information (RFI): Developing Strategies to Strengthen Research on Stillbirth Prevention (NOT-HD-22-054)
Notice of Special Interest: Impact of Childhood Sexual Abuse on Gynecologic Health and Disease (NOT-HD-22-045)
Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Opportunities for HIV Cure Interventions at the Time of ART Initiation (NOT-AI-22-072)
Physiomimetics and Organoids for Reproductive Health (RFA-HD-23-024) (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Using Archived Data and Specimen Collections to Advance Maternal and Pediatric HIV/AIDS Research (RFA-HD-24-006) (R21 – Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NICHD's Data Sharing Resources
NICHD supports many resources and tools for researchers.
Featured This Month:
Privacy-Preserving Record Linkage (PPRL) for Pediatric COVID-19 Studies (PDF 4MB)
This report describes governance and technical approaches for PPRL based on an assessment of existing record linkage implementations. The assessment addresses pediatric COVID-19 use cases identified by the NICHD and NIH researcher communities.
For information on other resources, visit NICHD's Datasets & Research Resources.
NIH's Office of Extramural Research News
Update on Simplifying Review Criteria: A Request for Information
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Funding Data
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NICHD-Related Meetings, Conferences, and Events
NICHD Stillbirth Working Group of Council Listening Session (January 5)
For a full listing of previous and upcoming meetings and events, visit Scientific Meetings and Events.


Got my ticket today when I picked up the mail.
Thanks! yes you can mail it to me. Ill PM you my address could you please let me know if you got it I'm new a sending messages on here.
I go every year so a free ticket is always nice.
Perhaps confirm in some way that you got this note, not 100% sure i am using these forum feature correctly each time.
Where is your booth, I will be sure to stop by!
10:42 AM - giver hard mentioned WilgerIndustries in post Pwm systems for fusarium?
10:04 PM - giver hard mentioned WilgerIndustries in post Pwm systems for fusarium?
05:35 PM - WilgerIndustries mentioned giver hard in post Pwm systems for fusarium?
11:00 AM - WilgerIndustries quoted Don Boles in post Garlic powder for cattle fly control?
12:57 PM - WilgerIndustries quoted Northern Farmer in post Take that you pesky raven!
03:46 PM - WilgerIndustries quoted joesixpack in post Spraying Canola after sprayer has been down.
06:07 PM - WilgerIndustries quoted jazz in post Gonna get hot!
09:54 AM - WilgerIndustries quoted snoozer9 in post Boom drains when shut off after switching nozzles?
05:58 PM - snoozer9 quoted WilgerIndustries in post Boom drains when shut off after switching nozzles?
01:57 PM - WilgerIndustries quoted lanwickum in post Boom drains when shut off after switching nozzles?
12:22 PM - lanwickum quoted WilgerIndustries in post Boom drains when shut off after switching nozzles?
11:17 AM - WilgerIndustries quoted snoozer9 in post Boom drains when shut off after switching nozzles?


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6kW OzInverter - DIY Pure Sinewave Inverter hardware bryanhorology.com
via inactive-user 1 month ago | cached | 2 comments
mqudsi 1 month ago | link
There is no real technical content in the link, just vague hints and repeated (see the book for more info) all over. The page doesn't make it seem like it's a description of the book - it makes it seem like "here's how to build this" then doesn't deliver.
That and the fact that the page starts off by talking about how it's all open source and shared with the community was really incongruent. Flagged as spam.
inactive-user edited 1 month ago | link
I'm pretty sure that even Gmail spam detection system is better at detecting "spam". There are two links in this site to "backshed" forum detailing the circuit, pcb print, schematics and firmware. The main page is a showcase/summary. The book is just a comprehensive guide/compilation, you can build without it. It's mostly about wrapping the TF and best practices.


If there is one question that amateurs most often ask about my images, it's: "How do you get those clouds to pop out so much?" The alternative question is how I get the blue skies to render so… well, blue.
The short answer is that I use a polarizing filter probably 80% of the time when I'm shooting outdoors during the daytime. It's the not-so-secret ingredient that pros use all the time because our editors, and people who buy our images for their home or office, want to view landscapes where the colors are nicely saturated and clouds and skies are delineated.
A polarizing filter works by taking scattered light and filtering it so that you have more parallel rays getting through to the camera's sensor (or film, if you are still using a film camera). You don't need to know all the physics, but the effect is powerful. See the accompanying photos that I took on a recent trip down the Colorado River and you'll get an idea of how a polarizer can improve your photos.
If you are willing to invest in a polarizer, make sure you buy what is known as a circular polarizer. A circular polarizer consists of two pieces of glass that rotate relative to each other. You can dial in just the right amount of polarization to suit your creative vision. Polarizers also cut through some of the haze that ruins images on hot, humid days. Polarizers can also help make reflections more prominent.
Like any photographic accessory, polarizers have limitations. Due to the physics of light, they are most effective when they point 90 degrees away from the sun. As you face toward or directly away from the sun, they are pretty useless. And they have drawbacks. First, they are expensive. A good one for a DSLR will set you back at least $100 and can go up to $200. They also reduce light transmission by one or two stops, which can either help you capture that special image (think blurred water over a waterfall) or hinder your efforts. They also add a certain hassle factor, since there will be times when you are out shooting and as light conditions change you will invariably have to be screwing the filter on or off.
Every DSLR can accommodate polarizers, since the front of lenses for DSLRs have a screw thread. Unfortunately, due to the sheer variety of point-and-shoot cameras, few manufacturers make polarizing filters for them. In fact, a good polarizer could conceivably cost more than an inexpensive or even a moderately priced point-and-shoot. But even if your point-and-shoot does not accommodate screw-on polarizers, the good news is you can still use one. A cool feature of a polarizer is that you can hold it up to your eye and rotate the outer glass and you will see the effects immediately. Now, without changing the relative position of the polarizer, just hold it right up to your lens, point and shoot. I guarantee you will see dramatic improvements in your landscapes!


A function is a group of code (programming statements) specified to perform a particular task. A function must have a name and the code associated with the function is executed when it is called. It is used when a particular code is to be used many times in the same program. Instead of doing this, a function is made with that code and is called where it is needed.
A function needs to be called explicitly by the programmer (except the constructors and the main function).
Prototyping: Prototyping is telling the compiler about the function, the number and type of arguments passed etc. to the compiler.
Definition: Defining the function means specifying the tasks that a particular function will perform. The coding of function is done in the definition part.
Calling: To call a function, a calling statement must be generated. The call must be within another function or procedure.
1. Call by Value– In call by value, the value of variable itself is passed.
Any changes made to the variable in the function will not reflect outside the scope of that function.
2. Call by pointer– In call by pointer, the address of the variable is passed.
The address of 'a' is passed and formal arguments catches that address.
Any changes made to the variable in the function are reflected outside the scope of the function as the changes are made to that specific address.
3. Call by reference– This is a special type of calling introduced in C++ and is unavailable in C. In call by reference, an alias of the variable passed is made referring to the same memory location.
Since an alias is created, so the changes made to any of the variables will always reflect in the other variable.


Vahana Puja at Sri Balaji Temple of Great Lakes, has performed in a Grand Manner. There were 300 devotees participated in the Thirukalayanam and Perumal Procession in 3 vahanams - Sri Hanuman, Sri Garuda and Sri Sesha Vahanam.
No one would have forgot the two tall world center towers of New York coming down in few hours due to terrorist attacks. People throng at the ground zero area in this week to still remember that disastrous day. Without considering the cold weather and rain throughout the day we could see thousands of people visiting this place.
Some of the PSG 1986 Batch students met to celebrate the New Year on 30th December in SeaSpace Resort near Silicon Valley, San Francisco USA. Everyone was happy to meet each other to greet 2018. It was a full day outing with 10km hiking on the seashore with nice lunch, evening snack and dinner.
The terrorist attack on a Indian CRPF convey in Jammu & Kashmir's Pulwama in which 40 troopers were killed on February 14. This was one of a deadliest attacks in J & K.Many of them returning from leave to rejoin duty, what a pity !Just before a week or few days, they were with their loved ones. what was their mistake?


Prints and Photographs collects, preserves and makes available photographs and other image forms that document the people, history, culture and built environment of the District of Columbia. The Prints and Photographs Collection is organized into four core collections and comprises more than 1.3 million images.
Visit our Interim Access and Services page for details, or email wash.dcpl@dc.gov.
Contains the photo morgue, both published and unpublished images, of The Washington Star newspaper. The Star was the paper of record from the late 19th through the mid-20th century in D.C. (eventually superseded and later purchased by The Washington Post). Strongest coverage is for the 1960s and 1970s. The collection has been kept together intact, therefore national and international images can be found as well as local D.C.
Consists of a wide variety of image formats that have been arranged by subject and biographical categories.
Any group of images larger than 25 is regarded as a collection and considered for inclusion in the Archives. These collections are accessible by appointment.
Contains additional photographs specific to Georgetown and Georgetown properties. Please contact jerry.mccoy@dc.gov for information.


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Home > Defence > 1945-2020
by James Wilson 9 months ago May 08, 2020 0 Comments
Today marks the 75th Anniversary of the last major war in Europe, paving the way for the great peace project of the European Union which has stood firm for seven decades.
On his Twitter account Guy Verhofstadt states, "Today we remember those who gave their lives for our freedom and to secure peace on our continent, which we still enjoy today. 75 years ago the guns fell silent in Europe. Long may this continue."
One of the unsung heroes of the war is the nation of Ukraine which lost 8 million lives in the war, about 20% of the entire population. Victory in Europe would have been impossible without the contribution of Ukraine. 714 towns and villages were destroyed, and only 15% of the capital Kyiv was left standing; outstanding courage was demonstrated by Ukrainian troops in key battles. Many of them sacrificed their lives to liberate not only Ukraine but also all of Europe, more than 250,000 Ukrainians fought in the allied forces and some 7 million in the Soviet Red Army.
75 years later Ukraine still faces aggression from Russia's invasion and occupation of Crimea, and the Russian sponsored war against Ukraine in Donbass. Whilst in the West we continue to enjoy the fruits of peace bequeathed by our ancestors, let us not forget that this is an unfinished task. There is still much work to be done to continue peace efforts on our continent, to end military aggression and extend the benefits of a real peace dividend to all of the citizens of the continent in the West and the East.
Tagged #VEDay #Verhofstadt Ukraine
Reporting on the added value of EU spending
Can the IMF accept COVID-19-struck Lebanon's 'reform-for-support' request despite concerns over Hezbollah and Bassil?
Spanish Authorities Harass Kokorev Despite His Worsening Health
EPP Group Wants To Redefine Relations With Turkey
Halloween on the Streets of London


Thanking a nurse for her/his loving care, hospitality or generous hard working is a part of your humble attitude. They work hard to take care of their patients and their kind gesture helps patients feel batter soon. Really a good nurse leave no stone unturned to give support her/his patients during illness and give full effort to fast recovery. If you had any excellent experience with your nurse for getting help, support, special care or better service than don't forget to thank her/him for all the inspiration and being so kind. Here's the best Thank You Messages For Nurses and Notes to appreciate her/his priceless care and unforgettable support. Don't just think that Nurse Day is the perfect time to appreciate or thank the nurses but always you can make it to bring a cute smile on their face by sharing thank you messages with them.
Please accept my hearty thanks for nursing me without getting agitated for all the mess that you had to clean up so many times. I really appreciate it. Thank you so much.
I just want to thank you for fighting for my life, I just want to thank you for standing up for human rights, I just want to thank you for all the tears you've dried, Most of all I want to thank you for being the angel at my side.
Dear, You are a super duper nurse! You have compassion and knowledge and you know what needs to be done! Thank you!
Thank you for the care you give my mom. Your professionalism and compassion is beyond compare. Your value is appreciated by me and my family, now it's the government's turn to understand your worth!
Because your caring has touched so many lives, your skill has relieved those in pain, and your devotion has brightened the day of so many, here's thanking your for all you do!
You do more for your patients that people realize. Not only do you help them with their health issues, but you also give them the confidence and encouragement that you need to truly heal. Hats off to you!
In spite of all the tough time that I gave you as a patient, you never lost your cool and went about your duty with such loving care. I appreciate all that you have done for me.
It's just what you do your one of life's most precious helpers and your service to others is priceless. Thank you.
Can't begin to tell you how much the Nurses make a difference. They deal with us when we as patients are at our worst. Thanks for all your support and care!
A Nurse – gives comfort, care, and strength to others at a time when they are most vulnerable. Thank you for all you do.
I cannot thank you enough for providing me with the best nursing care that I could ever imagine. You are a supper nurse, thank you for all your love and care.
Your patients are so fortunate to have been cared for by you. I know this because you are one of the most caring friends that I've ever had. Thanks, you are rock!
Thank you for the difficult and often heartbreaking work that you do each and every day. You and other angels like you are loved and appreciated!
Nursing is a difficult, challenging, and sometimes thankless profession. Great nurses like you deserve appreciation like no one else.
The compassion with which you have nursed me is commendable. I will never forget your kind ways. Thank you so much dear.
Nurses are underappreciated. Most people don't realize their worth until they need something important for their health. Then, it seems they can't make it without them! Unlike them we appreciate you EVERYDAY!
Your nursing skills are second to none. Please accept my heartfelt thanks for taking care of my son/ daughter/ partner. I owe a lot to you nurse.
You give so much of yourself to give comfort and healing to someone else. You deserve to be honored not today but always.
Thank you to the dedicated, hard working Nurses. You roll with workplace challenges, keeping your patients as your top priority. Every day, ALL you make a big difference.
Sister, you have what so many only dream of intelligence, skills, kindness, and professionalism. You're an inspiration and a gift to your patients. We are so proud of you!
You are not called a nurse for nothing. Thank you from the depth of my heart for nursing me to good health. I really appreciate your dedication towards your work.
It was you who answered the phone at 3:00 a.m. like an old friend to comfort me and tell me that my husband was sleeping comfortably while I was home caring for our baby. Take my cordial thanks.
You don't get nearly as much gratitude sent your way as you deserve. Today, we celebrate you, your service, and your labor of love. You are a phenomenal nurse who deserves honor today and always.
Received care from nurses that you can not measure in dollars and cents. Thank you so much!
For a Special Nurse – It's so good to know that someone as reliable, trustworthy, skilled, and caring is out there making the world a better place, patient by patient. Thanks a ton!
Your unflinching nursing with the regularity with which you nursed me back to health is highly appreciated by me. I will always remember you.
Be the one who nurtures and builds. Be the one who has an understanding and a forgiving heart one who looks for the best in people. Leave people better than you found them. All you have and thanks for being.
You are so much more than your average "nurse". You're a gift to all of those who have been blessed to receive your care. Thanks for your kindness and loving care!
My family would like to thank the incredible nurses for the incredible care and compassion they have given to my mother in palliative care. You are each worth your weight in gold to us.
What you offer to your patients goes beyond basic care. It gets to the core of who they are and makes their journey to a healthier life more realistic and comfortable. You're wonderful.
Not once did you flinch at my gaping wounds while dressing me. Had it not been for your nursing I would still been holed up in that bed. I can never thank you enough.
Nurses are like angels on earth sent to care and comfort the sick. Thank you for being my angel.
I just want to say that you really did a good job of caring me when I was down. Your words inspired me. Thank you for being with me when I most needed it.
It was you who stayed long after your shift had ended because you were just as excited as I was to find out whether we were welcoming a boy or a girl. Thanks a lot for your generous support.
We thank you for providing an empathetic ear and compassionate hand when a life-changing diagnosis is delivered. We thank you for being a rock when waters get rough and we're fighting for our lives.
I'am thankful for meeting a nurse like you, thank you for loving your work. Your devotion to caring for your patients will never be forgotten.
You gave me the best care and calmed me when I was down. Your reassuring words meant a lot to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Constant attention by a good nurse may be just as important as a major operation by a surgeon. Thanks for being so caring nurse and dedicated on service.
So, take ideas from these thank you messages for nurses and go ahead with your kind gratitude to show how much you appreciate their all efforts and hard work that they perform to make a patient happy everyday. Hope these wordings will help you to write a heartfelt thank you message or a thoughtful appreciation notes to thank your favorite nurse.


Sixth month of the Julian and Gregorian Calendars.
Contains the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere.
1. Aliexpress: There have been a number of orders arrived this week. Now I find myself having a completely unexpected problem. Enough Orders are coming in now, that I am slightly lagging behind in testing the products.
2. Quick Questions - Linux Edition: Using the Linux shell, or command line, can some times be daunting. I will be highlighting a hopefully helpful command in each of these upcoming posts.
Which file is the real file?
How do I install the latest Node.js?
Where are the binary, source, and man pages for a executable?
3. Raspberry Pi: If you have been using NodeJS and Raspberry Pi for any length of time, you will continue to hear how you need to have nginx to maximize multi core capabilities.
4. DigiStump's DigiSpark: I have programmed a little "Happy Fathers Day" sketch which runs on DigiStump's DigiSpark. Using the DigiKeyboard library. At the moment all the functionality of this sketch is designed for using the DigiSpark on a Microsoft Windows machine.


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MLUI / News & Views / Articles from 1995 to 2012 / Two Lawmakers to DNR: Fore!
Two Lawmakers to DNR: Fore!
Legislators push state to sell its forestland for fourth Oscoda golf course
September 2, 2009 | By Glenn Puit
Two state legislators want to override the DNR's rejection of plans to sell 475 acres of forestland to Lakewood Shore Resort for its fourth 18-hole golf course.
Every hunting season, Vicki Good's husband, Lloyd, roams through 475 acres of well-preserved state forestland in Oscoda Township, in search of the perfect buck.
Tami Pullen, a conservation officer by trade, does the exact same thing. She takes her hunting dogs along and looks for deer, grouse, or wild turkey. Every single time, she says, she marvels at the beauty of the state-owned forest and its diverse wildlife.
"It's beautiful," Ms. Pullen said. "Different hardwoods, wildlife, and wetlands."
Yet despite the strong love many area residents have for the forest, which is near the Lake Huron shoreline, a pair of Michigan state lawmakers are trying to force the state to sell it to a wealthy golf course developer who already operates three golf courses in the area.
The actions of the lawmakers, state Representative Joel Sheltrown (D-West Branch) and state Senator Tony Stamas (R-Midland), have angered some Oscoda Township residents, who say that the two legislators are catering to golf course developer Boyd S. Aldridge and his sons instead of acting in the public's interest. They also point out that the legislators' push for the land sale flies in the face of repeated rejections of the idea by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
"We need to maintain this state land," said Susan Thiel, a DNR unit manager in Grayling who opposes the sale. "Fifty years down the road, we don't know what its use will be."
But Representative Sheltrown and Senator Stamas refuse to back down. Last month, Mr. Sheltrown introduced legislation that would force the DNR to sell the land to Mr. Aldridge. The bill passed out of the state House of Representatives with lightning speed and is now in the hands of the state Senate.
Township residents, as well as another state senator who believes his fellow lawmakers should stay out of the DNR's decision-making process, have responded. The residents are mounting a petition drive to stop the forcing legislation in the state Senate. Meanwhile, state Senator John Gleason (D-Flushing) is asking Michigan residents who oppose the forestland sale to send him written comments on the matter.
If the state Senate passes the bill, only a veto by Governor Jennifer M. Granholm could stop the sale.
Senator Stamas did not return a phone call or an email from the Great Lakes Bulletin News Service about the issue. Representative Sheltrown however, told the news service that the land sale is in the best interest of the public. In a rural area with unemployment near 20 percent, he says, the 60 jobs that the developers are promising for the new golf course makes a forced sale a good idea.
He added that Michigan already has massive amounts of state land that it struggles to maintain in the current terrible financial times.
"It's not tasteful for me to do," Mr. Sheltrown said of his attempt to force a sale. "But people are struggling for jobs. It's not just another golf course, and if it were that, I wouldn't have supported it."
Deep into Golf
Boyd "Stan" Aldridge, the developer seeking the land, is a man of wealth. According to an online article in Michigan Golfer, he once tried to purchase another of Michigan's cherished assets—the Detroit Red Wings hockey team—but was outbid by Mike Illitch.
"It's a good thing I didn't get it," Mr. Aldridge told Michigan Golfer. "I would've made George Steinbrenner look like a weenie."
Mr. Aldridge is widely respected in the state's golfing community, and those on both sides of the land purchase argument acknowledge that golfing draws many tourists to northern Michigan.
Mr. Aldridge's son Kevin is a golf course developer, and the elder Aldridge owns Indianwood Golf & Country Club, near Lake Orion, in southeast Michigan. The course has hosted two United States Golf Association U.S. Women's Open championships.
The debate, however, centers on the Aldridges' Lakewood Shores complex, which is located in Oscoda Township, near the unincorporated village of Oscoda, where 900 people live. It features three 18-hole courses. The Aldridges say they have special plans for the 475 acres of adjacent state land they want to buy: A replica of the legendary Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland, the site of many British Open Championships.
"The Lakewood Shores team has secured the complete topographical sketches of the historically renowned golf course," the developers stated in a presentation to the Oscoda Township Board of Trustees.
The developers added that the parcel, while large by most peoples' standards, is a very small portion of local state land.
"There is over 200,000 acres of nearby public forestland," the developers said, pointing out that the parcel comprises only ".2 percent of the nearby public land."
To help make its case in the state Legislature, the developers have reportedly hired Kelley Cawthorne, a highly influential lobbying firm co-founded by former state attorney general Frank Kelley.
Representative Sheltrown, who told the news service that he has not accepted a dime in political contributions from Mr. Aldridge, said that the state has too much state forestland that it can't maintain, and that the state is constantly adding new land to its stockpile. He also said that while he, too, appreciates the natural beauty of the north woods and supports conservation, he thinks that the state should sell this particular plot to develop jobs.
"We have no policy on how much land is enough land," Mr. Sheltrown said. "We don't know. No one down there (in Lansing) knows. They just buy more."
Then he repeated a phrase that is often thrown at opponents of new development in northern Michigan—one that he plainly does not wanted pointed at him.
"There are people in the southern part of the state who I say follow the 'three Ps' for northern Michigan," he said "Keep it pure, keep it pristine, and keep 'em poor."
Setting a Precedent?
The State of Michigan has 3.9 million acres of state forests and purchases roughly $30 million in land every year through the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund.
The trust fund is popular in Michigan; many state residents apparently see Michigan's natural landscape as irreplaceable and well worth protecting. In statewide elections, Michigan voters repeatedly support preserving more state land by approving higher caps on the amount of money the trust fund can hold and spend on new land acquisitions.
The state DNR is tasked with protecting those resources, and the agency clearly sees selling the 475-acres as a bad idea. The DNR's Mrs. Thiel said her agency has repeatedly reviewed the developer's purchase proposal and rejected it. Unlike a golf course, she said, the land's wetlands, diverse tree stands, and wildlife habitats can't be replicated.
"It's great wildlife habitat, and it has ridges of aspen and oak that have different age classes intermixed with small wetlands," she said.
And while Representative Sheltrown's desire for more jobs is widely shared by northern Michigan residents, many natural resource experts and a number of local citizens seem to view the lawmakers' attempts to force the DNR to sell the forestland against its wishes as a misguided attempt to force bad policy on the agency.
The Northwoods Call, a small biweekly newspaper for hunters published in Petoskey, called the proposed forcing legislation by Mr. Sheltrown, chair of the House Tourism, Outdoor Recreation and Natural Resources Committee, a state land "rip off."
The Michigan United Conservation Clubs said a legislatively forced sale is a bad idea because of the precedent it would set.
"MUCC opposes the sale not only because it would result in a 475-acre decrease in contiguous wildlife habitat and public hunting access, but because the legislature should not be interfering with resource management and public land sales when a fair and equitable process already exists for the sale and/or transfer of state public lands," the MUCC told its members in its online newsletter, Conservation Insider.
"The land in question is well utilized by hunters, contains quality wildlife habitat and valuable timber yields. Besides setting a poor precedent of legislative resource management, neither bill contains a reverter condition that would prevent a development change in heart from golf course to a different venture."
The club's statement added that concern about such a switch is reasonable, given that 20 of Michigan's 800 golf courses have closed since 2006.
Making Sense?
Ms. Good, the township resident whose husband hunts on the state land, said she's baffled by her legislators' actions and is very angry with Representative Sheltrown in particular. Ms. Good said he originally tried to force the sale through legislation last year, but withdrew it because of local public opposition. Now he seems to be bending over backwards to help a golf course developer get his way.
"We don't care if they develop a golf course, but they shouldn't sell state land to do it," Mrs. Good said, adding that there are multiple private acreage listings available for Mr. Aldridge in the immediate area if he really wants to build another golf course in the township.
Other local residents see their own township representatives doing Mr. Aldridge's bidding for the state land as well, and they don't like it.
Although the Oscoda Township economic development team publicly urged the DNR to sell the land to Mr. Aldridge, opponents point out that the township board neither voted on nor endorsed the proposal beforehand. When the township did act last month, trustees voted to supported developing another golf course, but not on state forestlands.
Township resident Rebecca Schirrick said the developers' economic argument makes no sense. She says that when she drives by Lakewood Shores, the parking lot isn't packed; often times, she said, it looks mostly empty.
"From a business standpoint, golf is an expensive sport, and there's been a lot of people who've had a lot of economic trouble keeping golf courses going," Mrs. Schirrick said. "It really doesn't really make good sense to me."
Ms. Schirrick also questions the promise of 60 golf course jobs. She notes that Lakewood Shores already has a full staff maintaining its three existing golf courses, and golf course maintenance is not her idea of new, quality employment in her community.
The DNR's Mrs. Pullen, meanwhile, insists that it's not a loss of hunting access that worries her.
"When you lose a piece of land like that, you yourself don't just lose it," she said. "You lose it for future generations forever."
Glenn Puit, a veteran investigative reporter, is a policy specialist for the Michigan Land Use Institute. Reach him at glenn@mlui.org.


New M&S boss Steve Rowe reshuffles womenswear team "to reflect way customers shop" | City A.M.
New M&S boss Steve Rowe reshuffles womenswear team "to reflect way customers shop"
Marks & Spencer's new chief executive Steve Rowe has reshuffled the retailer's womenswear teams after pledging to revive the fortunes of the troubled clothing division.
The company confirmed it has made some alterations to the way the teams are set up across design, buying and merchandising, resulting in changes to around 200 people's roles.
The change means that whereas before a buyer would have been responsible for buying a certain product across just one collection, such as M&S Autograph, for example, that person will now be responsible for buying across all collections.
A spokesperson said the move was aimed at bringing the womenswear team more in line with the way people shop. The change has not resulted in any job losses.
Read More: Has new M&S boss Steve Rowe done enough to impress shareholders?
"Our womenswear teams are now organised by product type rather than by brand and range. This better reflects the way our customers shop with us and puts our customers' view at the heart of our product decision making.
"In simple terms, it means that there will be one team responsible for designing and buying all of one type of product for our customers. For example, all of our trousers, whether they are M&S Collection, Autograph or per una, will be bought by the same team," the spokesperson said.
Steve Rowe replaced Marc Bolland as chief executive earlier this month as the company unveiled yet another set of declines in general merchandise, down 1.9 per cent.
The fourth quarter results were nevertheless better than expected, leaving the City hopeful that with a new chief executive at the helm, M&S can make a fresh attempt at turning its clothing business around.
Last week, M&S launched a range designed by model and TV presenter Alexa Chung, inspired vintage M&S designs. It has teamed up with celebrities including models Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, David Gandy and Twiggy although whether the latest tie-up will prove a hit with customers remains to be seen.
Speaking at the results, Rowe said its clothing division was his "number one priority" and there was still more to be done.
Alexa Chung for Marks & Spencer has dropped - but what's the verdict?
Marks & Spencer: New boss, same old story?


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text:
Peter Chianca: Color me unpredictable for 2008
Peter Chianca
As you might recall, this is the time when I like to look back to my predictions for the year just passed, and see if my prognosticative abilities had exceeded those of, say, a chimpanzee stringing random words together. (And before you judge me, please remember that this was the year Japanese researchers found out that chimps are wicked smart.)
So let's see what I had to say about 2007:
"For his efforts to curtail Iran's burgeoning nuclear weapons program, President George W. Bush will be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, causing Al Gore to sit in his Prius and sulk."
Of course, it turned out that Iran didn't have a nuclear weapons program, despite all of Bush's talk of an impending World War III. But the good news is, this time we found out before we invaded — that's progress! As for Gore, he won the Nobel and had a reception at the White House, where he reportedly finally put Bush in a headlock and gave him noogies.
"Malaise over the poor presidential candidate choices will evaporate with the entrance into the race of dynamic 'Law & Order' star Jerry Orbach."
I suppose this was unlikely, given that Orbach died in 2004. But I'd argue that even given that, he'd still be doing a better job than Fred Thompson.
"A new round of tests will show that Barry Bonds actually never used steroids, and that previous results were just false positives resulting from eating a poppy bagel."
Hmm … I guess I should know better than to make predictions based on statements from Barry Bonds' publicist.
"Britney, Lindsay and O.J. will finally clean up their acts and come roaring back with their smash-hit movie, a big-screen version of 'Three's Company.'"
This may have been wishful thinking, but admit it: You would go see that movie.
"The latest Harry Potter film, 'The Order of the Phoenix,' will shock audiences when Harry shows up to class at Hogwarts … completely naked!"
This one was close — of course it was in the play "Equus" that "Potter" actor Daniel Radcliffe got naked. But I did nail the one about Dumbledore being gay.
"The 'High School Musical' sequel will shock audiences when Ms. Darbus shows up to class at East High … completely naked!"
OK, this one was dead wrong. But in a related development, there were those photos of Vanessa Hudgens that supposedly turned up on the Internet … I don't think anyone really saw them, though.
"CNN and YouTube will revolutionize presidential candidate debates, particularly when Bill Richardson starts imitating the 'Evolution of Dance' guy."
Again, wishful thinking. It turns out the debates were more awkward and embarrassing than groundbreaking, particularly the moment when it looked like Mitt Romney might try to strangle that cartoon snowman. Oh, wait, that was Giuliani he wanted to strangle.
"Sorry, Sox. A late-season surge will push the dreaded Yankees over the top one more time. Go A-Rod!"
OK, OK, everybody knows what really happened — you can all stop egging my house now. (Oh, and the prediction about the Patriots having to take a backseat to an unstoppable Miami squad this year … Let's just keep that one between us.)
"The highly anticipated 'Sopranos' finale will end with Tony and his entire family getting whacked in a diner by Journey singer Steve Perry."
Damn. I knew Steve Perry would be involved somehow.
"Ellen Degeneres will break down on her daytime talk show, wracked with guilt over giving away Portia De Rossi to her hairdresser."
Another close one, but I should know just to steer clear of Ellen predictions — I haven't gotten one right since 2000, when I predicted she would give away Anne Heche to a straight guy.
"Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, will see his national profile skyrocket when he proposes landmark legislation to renovate the country's airport men's rooms."
Damn. I knew airport men's rooms would be involved somehow.
"Don Imus will end the year just like he started it, making juvenile remarks and talking about the Roosevelts with Doris Kearns Goodwin."
What the heck … I'm taking full credit for this one.
Peter Chianca is a CNC managing editor and the brains behind "The At Large Blog" (chianca-at-large.blogspot.com) and "The Shorelines Blog" (blogs.townonline.com/shorelines). To receive At Large by e-mail, write to info@chianca-at-large.com, with the subject line "SUBSCRIBE."


We offer hands-on habitat restoration training – invasive plant removal and native seed collection – plus enriching conservation education on the 3rd Saturday of every month between April and October from 9 a.m. until Noon. No experience necessary – we teach you! Participant names are entered into a drawing for a chance to win a prize!
Today we will remove invasive brush and plant greenhouse plugs. After our work is done, we'll participate in cliff exploration!


We are currently renovating a 3 story appt building built in the 1940's.
All floors/ceilings are built with wood where joists are 24" appart.
The primary objective is to comply to current fire code regulations.
Consequently existing suspended ceilings need to be redone with fireguard approved material.
We are using Armstrong 24" x 48" x 3/4" Fine Fissured Second Look II - Fire Guard - HumiGuard Plus.
Given the non-existent soundproof between ceilings/floors we decided for the 1st floor to isolate between the joist using SafeNSound. A thick polythene under the SafeNSound was laid out to prevent odors to run from 1st to 2nd floor (1 unit has a restaurant).
I am not totally clear yet on the SoundProofing gain since the units have not yet been occupied. However we could still feel a lot of noise reduction when some renos were going on on the 2nd floor.
Installation of the SafeNSound between the joist has been quite a daunting task.
There are so many things in the way that make it difficult to install the SafeNSound such as : cross bridges, plumbing from above floor, wiring, etc.
Now we are starting the 2nd/3rd floor and I am re-questioning our current approach (lengthy and costly).
1-Layout the SafeNSound right on top of the suspended tile ceiling making sure that each piece leans against each other. That may require adding more rods to hold the tees for the extra weight. I believe I read that this isn't recommended but I forget why other than the extra weight being added to the tile grid.
2-Build a wood framed suspended bed between the tile ceiling and existing joist. This suspended bed would be similar to the tile grid but only for the purpose of laying out the SafeNSound barrier. This approach has the benefit of having nothing in the way to layout the SafeNSound bed and making sure there are no cavities.
Any idea if someone has used the above approach before ?
Best to give me a call direct to discuss further in detail.


Home » So much to tell!
The book was good for me on a number of levels. It's very meditative. He gives three words he thinks describes good pastors–unbusy, subversive, and apocalyptic. (Not three I would have picked!) He writes poems and reflects on poems. He talks about "the ministry of small talk" and tells the story of a sabbatical he took to pray and play and write.
One of the most powerful ideas for me came when he was talking about John writing Revelation as a pastor to his churches: "St. John is terrifically urgent, but he is not in a hurry." I think that describes Jesus' and Paul's ministries as well: urgent, but not in a hurry. When I get in a hurry, I miss opportunities and do sloppy work. When I get in a hurry, I don't notice Zacchaeus up in the tree. When I get in a hurry, I get to the next challenge before God has fully prepared me for it. Please pray for me that I can match God's pace in my ministry and life with Him.
Lastly, a couple of stories. At our first FOCUS meeting at UTD this past fall, I got to meet an amazing young woman. She grew up in the Bahamas and completed her first two years of college at the University of Miami. She told me in that first encounter that she transferred to UTD because God told her to, but she didn't know why. Reminds me of Abraham picking up and moving because God said "Go!" No one had really discipled her up to that point, but the Lord had clearly been mentoring her. I've loved getting with her every week to discuss the scriptures and hear how the Lord is moving in her life. She's definitely one to watch–the Lord has big plans for her!
Part way through the semester, her boyfriend, who had already graduated, found a job in Dallas and moved here. After a few weeks, he asked if we could study the Bible together. He has a Christian background, but had never read the scriptures on his own. Each week I assign him a new book of the Bible to read, and each week it takes us nearly 2 hours to cover his questions and thoughts about it. I love reading and discussing the scriptures with him and seeing his sweet heart for the Lord. So far, he has read Matthew, John, Acts, 1 Corinthians (twice!), and now Genesis. After reading Matthew and John, I asked him what stood out to him most about Jesus. He said he noticed how Jesus didn't treat everyone the same–the ones who didn't know anything were treated with great mercy while a higher standard was applied to those religious leaders who should know better. I was blown away by such a profound insight into the heart of our very good and just God. He's an amazing young man, and I'm excited to develop this friendship in the Lord.