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The Algerian Republican Guard Band (; ) is a uniformed marching military band in the Algerian People's National Armed Forces, serving as part of the Algerian Republican Guard.

History
The first band was created during the Algerian War in 1960, on the East and West borders, with the aim of interpreting national songs. The musical group founded on the eastern border, in the Tunisian city of Melag. Following the signing of the Évian Accords, the music group moved to the city of Constantine. In 1963, after being transferred to "L'Ecole des Cadets de la Révolution à Koléa", certain elements continued their studies, whule others joined the National Radio Orchestra. After the cease-fire, the military band formed its first services in a large parade of the NLA in Oujda in honor of the members of the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic. In January 1963, this formation was moved to the Headquarters of the Ministry of National Defense, where it provided music training for the benefit of elements of the Armed Forces The first class, made up of 160 elements, was formed, in record time, in military music. Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser was the first foreign leafer to be honored by the band in May 1963, then the King of Morocco Hassan II in June of the same year. In 1964, the bagpipe band was created and continues, until today, to animate parades in traditional Algerian costumes by presenting the folklore of the popular culture and heritage. In March 1965, the band was transferred to El Harrach Barracks, which was the headquarters of the first military music school. It moved to its current location in January 1969. In September 1973, on the occasion of the holding of the 4th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, the band of the Republican Guard performed the national anthems of the member countries during the welcoming and departure ceremonies reserved for participating heads of state at Houari Boumediene Airport.

Characteristics and duties
The band plays the national anthem, "Qassaman, and other national songs on official occasions such as an official state visit by a foreign head of state, or during international events where military musical units gather. The band is divided into the harmonic orchestra and the rhythmic band. The rhythmic band consists of a variety of materials that consist of ensembles such as an oboe band. The musical units also play many instruments including the traditional bagpipe.

Participation in international events
 Sevastopol Military Tattoo (June 2011)
 13th International Festival of Military Bands in Veliko Tarnovo (September 2019)
 The Harmonic Ensemble of the Republican Guard and the Central Military Band of the Ministry of Defense of Russia jointly hosted a concert in Algiers as part of the celebrations of the 65th anniversary of the outbreak of the revolution (1 November 2019)

See also
French Republican Guard Band
Egyptian Armed Forces Symphonic Band
Italian Army Music Band
Ottoman military band

References

External links
 La fanfare de la garde républicaine algérienne à l'aéroport d'Alger
Orchestre De la Garde Républicaine Algérienne
الجزائرية الثالثة حصة " وعقدنا العزم "مدرسة الموسيقى للحرس الجمهوري

Cavalry units and formations
Military bands
Military units and formations of Algeria
Military units and formations established in 1960
Algerian Republican Guard


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What the Latest Controversy Really Means for SAVA Stock
As I discussed in my last article on Cassava Sciences (NASDAQ:SAVA), controversy continues to weigh on the performance of SAVA stock. Over the past week, shares in the clinical-stage biotech firm have traded wildly.
First pushed lower by a perceived potential bombshell, shares then zoomed higher, as the company took an aggressive step in fighting back against the short-seller that management believes are behind the much-discussed data manipulation allegations laid against Cassava.
So, what is the takeaway from these latest developments with SAVA? Is it time to bail on the stock, or does this remain a worthwhile opportunity for aggressive investors? I would say the latter rather than the former.
Although the most recent headlines underscore the highly-risky nature of this speculative play, said headlines from the past few days do not make this stock any riskier than it was a week ago.
SAVA Cassava Sciences $35.27
The Latest With SAVA Stock
As reported by InvestorPlace's Eddie Pan, a pair of concerning developments fueled a double-digit sell-off in Cassava shares on Nov. 2. First, an article from independent research group Probes Reporter stated that the company has been the subject of two undisclosed investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission (or SEC) in the recent past.
Second, an announcement from the Journal of Clinical Investigation (or JCI) that the publication planned to investigate allegations of misconduct in a scientific paper published in 2012. This paper is connected to Cassava's development of its flagship drug candidate, Alzheimer's candidate simufilam.
But almost as quickly as SAVA stock sank, it surged again. This was especially true on Nov. 3, when the biotech firm announced it was filing a lawsuit against short-sellers that it believes have engaged in a "short and distort" campaign against the company. SAVA has pulled back in price since then.
The uncertainty related to past data-manipulation allegations keeps affecting the stock's near-term performance. Expect this to continue.
Nevertheless, this doesn't mean investors who can stomach current and possibly future volatility should steer clear of Cassava. There's still ample upside potential if this stock's sole "make or break" catalyst ends up playing out.
Risk/Reward Remains Highly Favorable
As I've put it several times before, SAVA stock is a binary investment opportunity. Either Cassava Sciences brings simufilam to market, or it doesn't. If this drug makes it to market, there is a high chance the stock will re-hit its past all-time high ($135.30 per share), but climb to even higher prices.
If simufilam fails to obtain regulatory approval, and never makes it to market? You can count on shares falling back to the single-digits per share. That's what SAVA stock traded for a few years ago, before the simufilam catalyst really started to emerge.
However, while an extremely risky wager on the outcome of a still in-progress clinical trial, events over the past week have not increased the chances this stock experiences a "game over" moment. The data-manipulation controversy have been out there for over a year.
So far, little has come out to back these allegations. The aforementioned articles have just renewed attention to past concerns, rather than create new ones. In fact, instead of bolstering the bear case for SAVA, this latest news, and the resultant impact on the stock's performance (albeit mild) has created a slightly more ideal entry point for a speculative position.
Put simply, there hasn't been a material change in the risk/return proposition with Cassava Sciences. As such, the stock continues to earn a B rating in Portfolio Grader.
There's still a lot of upside potential if results from Phase 3 trials of Simulfilam (set to be released in 2024) point to high likelihood of this treatment obtaining approval from the Food and Drug Administration (or FDA).
Better yet, you may not have to wait for the Phase 3 "moment of truth" to drop in 2024. Shares could resume moving in the right direction much sooner.
Subsequent developments may finally put to bed the data-manipulation claims. If Cassava prevails in its counter-attack against the short-side, this too many give the stock a boost.
Headlines and controversy notwithstanding, consider SAVA stock to be one of the more promising biotech plays out there.
On the date of publication, neither Louis Navellier nor the InvestorPlace Research Staff member primarily responsible for this article held (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article.
Nvidia Stock Could Fall FAST in 2023
The first ETF is 30 years old this week. It launched a revolution in low-cost investing
Is NIO Stock a Buy or Sell? Here's My Call.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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ITRA Global News
ITRA Global Announces 2020 Board of Directors
ITRA Global recently announced their new 2020 Board of Directors. In gratitude for their willingness to serve, the organization is proud to provide an overview of the 2020 Board of Directors and their dedication and commitment to ITRA Global.
Serving as Chairman of the Board, Wayne Teig, ITRA Global l Minneapolis-St. Paul, came to ITRA Global in early 2015 and immediately began to contribute to the organization by serving on the ITRA Global Locations Committee, and later on the ITRA Global Marketing Committee. He was elected to the ITRA Global Board of Directors in 2018 and shortly thereafter, accepted the position of Secretary. Wayne uses his vast experience from having served on many corporate real estate committees and boards of directors over his twenty-five year career to contribute to the ITRA Global Board. He shares his diverse knowledge and expertise in the role of Chairman for both the ITRA Global Marketing Committee and the ITRA Global Newsletter Committee.
Marat Safir, ITRA Global l Chicago, serves as Vice Chairman of the organization and his firm joined ITRA Global in 2017. Marat is a Principal and one of the founders of ITRA Global/TMG Real Estate Advisors. Previously, Marat was the President of Taurus Realty Partners. Prior to Taurus Realty Partners, he was at UGL Equis (Cushman & Wakefield) for 10 years, where he was a Vice President. Marat has become a significant resource to corporate clients throughout the Chicago Metro area and North America's industrial & office markets. He specializes in assisting corporations to evaluate pro-active ways to reduce all facets of real estate costs, while increasing the utilization and productivity of their respective workplaces.
Mark Twentyman, ITRA Global l Northern New Jersey, serves as Secretary. Mark's firm became part of ITRA Global in 2011 and began his service as a board member in 2017. Originally from England, Mark adds a bit of jovial wit to the ITRA Board of Directors. Prior to becoming a member of the Board of Directors, he served as Regional Chairman of the Global Locations Committee, and in 2018 took on the challenge of Chairman of that committee, responsible for leading the effort in the recruitment of new members. For all of his efforts, Mark was awarded with the ITRA Global "Exemplary Service Award" at the Washington D.C. conference in October 2019.
Charles Tatham, SIOR, MRICS, ITRA Global l Paris, serves as Treasurer of the organization. Having over 30 years' experience in real estate, including a broad variety of tenant-related roles in major sectors, Charles firm joined ITRA Global in 2010. He has served on the Board of Directors since 2016 as both Chairman and Vice Chairman. Charles has been instrumental in growing the Non-North American Division of ITRA Global, currently serving as the Non-North America Regional Chairman of the ITRA Global Locations Committee. Originally hailing from London, Charles studied languages at Oxford University before taking his first jobs in real estate and marketing. In 1987 he moved to Paris, France and worked with one of the world's largest real estate brokerage firms before setting up the first "pure tenant-rep" firm in France in 2004.
Gordon Rasmussen, CCIM, ITRA Global l Phoenix, serves as a Director at large. His firm joined the organization in 2003 and is one of ITRA Global's longest standing members. Gordon became a board member in 2015 and has served as the ITRA Global Treasurer from 2016 through 2019. Gordon is a man of strong dedication and commitment. His diplomacy and insight have served him well in many other ITRA Global roles, including tenures on the Marketing and Newsletter committees.
Chairman Emeritus, Carrie Holstead, ITRA Global l Pittsburgh, joined the organization in 2004 and immediately became a strong contributor. Carrie is a leader in global business development. She was Chairman of the ITRA Global Business Development Committee for many years and serves today as the board liaison to the committee. Carrie began her service on the ITRA Board of Directors in 2009 and has served in every board officer position – Treasurer, Secretary, Vice Chairman, Chairman, and now serves in the advisory position of Chairman Emeritus. Carrie was the recipient of the "ITRA Global Exemplary Service Award" in 2017, and the following year became only the second person to be honored with the "Ronald R. Pollina PhD Leadership Award", the highest honor to be bestowed upon an ITRA Global member.
Chairman Emeritus, Debra Stracke Anderson, CCIM, SIOR, ITRA Global l Washington, D.C., joined ITRA Global in 2003. She has contributed extensively to the organization, having served on the Board of ITRA Global in many officer positions -- Chairman, Chairman Emeritus, and Secretary -- while serving as Chairman of the ITRA Global Conference Committee for several years. A 30-year veteran and leader in the commercial real estate industry, Debra has received many industry accolades, including induction into the "Hall of Fame" by ALM's Real Estate Forum in 2018. Debra was the recipient of the ITRA Global "Exemplary Service Award" in 2009 and the organization's most prestigious award, the "Ronald R. Pollina PhD Leadership Award" in 2016, highlighting outstanding leadership, mentorship and contributions to the organization. She is a frequent author and speaker on commercial real estate matters and has also served on the boards of organizations that work to improve the lives of at-risk children.
ITRA Global members appreciate the dedication and hard work of the Board of Directors, each of whom is committed to the best interests of each member and ensuring that the organization remains the leader in corporate real estate advisory services, site selection and tenant representation.
About ITRA Global
ITRA Global is one of the largest organizations dedicated to representing tenants and occupiers of commercial real estate. With experience in more than 300 markets around the world, ITRA Global consists of seasoned professionals specializing in representing tenants and buyers in the leasing, acquisition and disposition of office, industrial and retail real estate. Clients benefit by having an experienced professional as their trusted advisor, providing conflict-free representation with total objectivity.
For more information about ITRA Global, please visit the website or contact Beth Wade, ITRA Global Executive Director at +1.706.654.3202.
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Corporate Office Address:
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© 2020 ITRA Global
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Boon Snug Straw Universal Silicone Straw Lids & Cup is a set of 3 silicone lids, 3 straws, 1 cup. Made for kids who are old enough to drink through a straw but not old enough to stop spilling their drinks all over. But the real beauty is that it's perfect for just about anyone, including adults. SNUG silicone straw lids fit over any regular cup with a 2.5"–3.75" diameter. Just pop in a straw and start sucking.


text:
Q: Certain characters not being read fom file - Python I currently have a text file that looks like this:

But when I try to read it with:
file = open(filename, "r")
file = file.read()

It only reads "sc" out of the file.
Any help is appreciated.

A: Try file = open(filename, encoding='utf-8', "r")

A: It looks like a binary file.
So Try open that file using binary mode.
with open(filename,"rb") as fh:
    fh.read()

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


A non-collecting organization, SCC presents contemporary art in craft media by international, national and regional artists.
SCC's focus on multicultural diversity and non-mainstream art has evolved from the belief that contemporary artists working with traditional craft materials have a unique vocabulary for these materials.
Changing exhibitions are also shown at SCC's Satellite Gallery, located in the Steel Plaza T-Station Lobby at BNY Mellon Center.


As a DJ spun his tunes and children played fair games under a big white tent, dozens of linemen, tree trimmers and apprentices from around the region competed in the Lineman's Rodeo and Tree Trim Jamboree. These are the men and women who work long hours in all sorts of weather conditions to help provide safe and reliable power to customers year-round.
Aug. 4 marked the 25th anniversary of the Lineman's Rodeo, hosted by DTE Energy at its Training and Development Center in Westland. For the first time, the Tree Trim Jamboree was held simultaneously, allowing attendees the chance to see both groups in action together.
The International and Michigan rodeos are annual skills competitions for journeyman and apprentice linemen. Linemen's technical skills and safe work practices are showcased through a variety of challenges, such as a hurt-man rescue, pole climb and jumper change out. Journeyman linemen compete in three-person teams and apprentices compete as individuals.
The Tree Trim Jamboree provides a competitive learning environment and showcases best practices and new techniques for safe climbing and tree care. They are scored on activities including aerial rescue, work climb, ascent, belayed speed climb and throw line.
The top three tree trim apprentices and top three tree trim journeymen will advance to the Michigan Tree Trim Championship and Arbor Fair, which is being held in Traverse City in September. They include Journeymen Ramsey Tyler, Duke Carlos and Jacob Forella and apprentices Nick Bennick, Eric Beyer and Zach Wheeler.
Team #19, Deven Heimke, Tom Swayne, Keith Wilder; and apprentices Paul Vivian, Mathew Ruggles, Gran Kleweno, Andrew Butlin, and Billy Cruse.


This study aimed to assess the minimal clinically important differences (MCIDs) for the modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) using combined data from the Scleroderma Lung Studies (I and II).
MCID estimates for the mRSS at 12 months were calculated using three anchors: change in scores on the Health Assessment Questionnaire- Disability Index from baseline to 12 months, change in scores on the Patient Global Assessment from baseline to 12 months, and answer at 12 month for the Short Form-36 health transition question "Compared to one year ago, how would you rate your health in general now?" We determined the mRSS MCID estimates for all participants and for those with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc). We then assessed associations between MCID estimates of mRSS improvement and patient-reported outcomes, using Student's t test to compare the mean differences in patient outcomes between those who met the MCID improvement criteria versus those who did not meet the improvement criteria.
The mean (SD) mRSS at baseline was 14.75 (10.72) for all participants and 20.93 (9.61) for those with dcSSc. The MCID estimate for mRSS improvement at 12 months ranged from 3 to 4 units for the overall group (improvement of 20–27% from baseline) and was 5 units for those with dcSSc (improvement of 24% from baseline). Those who met the mRSS MCID improvement criteria had statistically significant improvements in scores on the Short Form-36 Physical Component Summary, the Transition Dyspnea Index, and joint contractures at 12 months.
MCID estimates for the mRSS were 3–4 units for all participants and 5 units for those with dcSSc. These findings are consistent with previously reported MCID estimates for systemic sclerosis.
Systemic sclerosis (SSc; scleroderma) is a multiorgan disease with a complex interplay of diverse pathological processes involving inflammation, fibrosis, and vasculopathy. While organ involvement in SSc varies, skin involvement is almost universal in SSc . The modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS), a measure of skin thickness, is the primary outcome measure in the majority of clinical trials of diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc). Measurement of skin thickness is used as surrogate measure of disease severity and mortality in patients with dcSSc. Specifically, an increase in skin thickening is associated with involvement of internal organs and increased mortality . It is generally accepted that the mRSS tends to worsen in the early part of the disease and to improve in late disease, although the time of peak involvement is poorly defined. The mRSS is feasible, reliable, valid, and sensitive to change in multicenter clinical trials .
To interpret change in the mRSS within a group of participants with SSc over time, or to interpret differences in the mRSS between two groups, it is important to first define whether the change or difference is clinically meaningful. The minimal clinically important difference (MCID) is defined as the smallest difference in a measure or instrument that is considered to be "worthwhile or important" to patients . For clinicians, the MCID helps guide treatment. While there are several methods for calculating the MCID, estimating the MCID using an external anchor is often preferred over other methods . Khanna et al.  previously published MCID estimates for the mRSS using data from the d-penicillamine trial, which involved a cohort of patients with early dcSSc. They found that an improvement of 3.2–5.3 units for the mRSS were the MCID estimates. However, they used physician assessment of change over time as the anchor to determine the MCID estimates; it is preferred that this information comes directly from patients . Thus, in this article, we analyzed data from two clinical trials in SSc-related interstitial lung disease—the Scleroderma Lung Studies I and II (SLS-I and SLS-II)—to calculate the MCID estimates for the mRSS using patient-reported anchors from participants with SSc.
All participants with any outcome data in SLS-I and SLS-II were evaluated in this post-hoc analysis. The study protocols for both SLS-I and SLS-II were approved by the local Institutional Review Boards, and written informed consent was obtained from all participants. The trial designs for both SLS-I and SLS-II have been published elsewhere [6, 7]. Briefly, participants meeting the 1980 SSc classification criteria were included. Participants in SLS-I were randomized to 1 year of oral placebo or oral cyclophosphamide, with the primary endpoint being change in FVC percent predicted (FVC%) at 1 year. Participants in SLS-II were randomized to 2 years of mycophenolate mofetil or 1 year of oral cyclophosphamide followed by 1 year of placebo. The primary endpoint for SLS-II was the course of the FVC% from baseline to 24 months using a joint model, which examined the repeated measurements of FVC%. The mRSS was captured as a secondary outcome measure in both trials  and was assessed by experienced rheumatologists at Scleroderma Centers for Excellence throughout the trials. We did not perform mRSS training sessions before each trial.
Participants' clinical data included age, gender, race, disease duration (from first non-Raynaud's symptom attributable to SSc), skin subtype of SSc (dcSSc or limited cutaneous SSc (lcSSc)), presence of tendon friction rubs (captured as yes or no at baseline and month 12), presence of small and large joint contractures (captured as yes or no at baseline and month 12), and the mRSS. In both studies, the patient-reported outcome measures included the Mahler Baseline and Transition Dyspnea Indexes (BDI and TDI), the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ-DI), the Medical Outcomes Short Form-36 (SF-36), and the Patient Global Assessment of Disease Activity (PtGA) .
The Mahler Baseline and Transition Dyspnea Indexes (BDI and TDI)  measured patient dyspnea. The BDI measured patient dyspnea at baseline, and the TDI measured their change from baseline to 12 months. Scores ranged from − 3 to + 3 for three domains, for a sum ranging between − 9 and + 9. Higher positive scores connoted less dyspnea (BDI) or an improvement in dyspnea (TDI). While both the BDI and the TDI were assessed using paper questionnaires in SLS-I, both indices were assessed using a self-administered, computer-generated format in SLS-II.
The Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ-DI) is a 20-item questionnaire assessing patients' functional disability in eight domains. Scores ranged from 0.0 (best) to 3.0 (worst) . It has been fully validated in SSc .
The Medical Outcomes Short Form-36 (SF-36) version 2 is a self-administered survey assessing patients' generic health-related quality of life. It generated a physical component summary and a mental component summary  and was scored on a t-score metric with a US population mean of 50 (SD 10); a higher score denoted better health-related quality of life. One item is a health transition question and asked the patient whether their health had got better or worse, as described in more detail in the following. The SF-36 has been previously validated in SSc .
Summary statistics were calculated for all demographic and clinical variables. Continuous variables are reported as mean and standard deviation (SD), and frequencies are reported for categorical variables.
To determine the MCID, we used three anchors directly from participants: the health transition question from the SF-36 answered at 12 months, the change in their HAQ-DI score from baseline to 12 months, and the change in their PtGA score from baseline to 12 month visit. We chose these anchors based on their relationships to the mRSS in previous studies  and because all of this information is provided directly by the patient. Additionally, experts recommend multiple anchors to get robust estimates . The SF-36 health transition question asks the patient: "Compared to one year ago, how would you rate your health in general now?" We used the "somewhat better" and "somewhat worse" responses as the anchors for calculating the MCID [16–18]. For the HAQ-DI, we chose a previously published MCID estimate of 0.14 units for improvement in SSc  and other arthritides [0.22], and we used an arbitrary cutoff point of 0.48 because large improvements in the HAQ-DI score may be greater than the MCID. For the PtGA, we used a cutoff point of 20 units (0–100 units) as the MCID, and we used an arbitrary cutoff point of 50 units as a change that is greater than the MCID.
We assessed the appropriateness of the anchors by calculating Spearman correlations between the anchors (changes in HAQ-DI scores, changes in PtGA scores, and the SF-36 health transition answer at 12 months) and changes in the mRSS from baseline to 12 months. Generally, a correlation coefficient of ≥ 0.30 is considered acceptable [4, 19]. If we did not achieve this threshold, we considered p < 0.05 as an acceptable alternative. We also sought to determine whether the MCID estimates for changes in the mRSS were associated with changes in several patient-reported outcomes (i.e., the SF-36 Physical and Mental Component Summary Scores and the TDI), and changes in physical examination (improvement in tendon friction rubs and joint contractures) due to their relationship with mRSS .
Student's t tests or chi-square tests were used to compare the mean difference in patient-reported outcomes or in percent difference between those who had improved mRSS as defined by the MCID estimates versus those whose mRSS scores did not improve as defined by the MCID. We calculated the effect size as the mean change in the mRSS divided by the SD at baseline. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant and no adjustment was made for multiple testing.
We evaluated data from 300 participants in SLS-I and SLS-II combined (158 participants in SLS-I and 142 participants in SLS-II; Table 1). The mean (SD) age of the pooled cohort was 50.3 (11.3) years, mean (SD) disease duration was 2.9 (2.0) years, mean (SD) FVC% at baseline was 67.4% (10.8%), and 59% of the participants had dcSSc in both trials (Table 1). While both studies were comparable in most baseline characteristics, those in SLS-II were older (p = 0.004), had shorter mean disease duration (p = 0.01), and had less baseline dyspnea as assessed by the BDI (data not shown; 7.2 vs 5.7, p < 0.001).
The mean (SD) mRSS at baseline for all participants was 14.75 (10.72), but the mRSS was higher for those with dcSSc and lower for those with lcSSc as expected (Table 1). The change in mRSS was − 2.84 (5.91) in the overall group, − 4.49 (6.75) in dcSSc participants, and − 0.37 (3.00) in lcSSc participants.
For our MCID analysis, the correlation coefficients between the anchors (SF-36 health transition at 12 month period and changes in HAQ-DI and PtGA from baseline to 12 months) and the change in the mRSS from baseline to 12 months did not meet the 0.30 threshold (Table 2). However, the correlations for the overall group were statistically significant, thus meeting our alternative criteria and indicating that the anchors are acceptable. To better understand this, we calculated the correlations separately for those participants with dcSSc and those with lcSSc. For those participants with dcSSc, the coefficients were also below the 0.30 threshold, but all three correlation coefficients were statistically significant. For those participants with lcSSc, the coefficients were very small and not statistically significant.
We provide unadjusted mRSS MCID estimates for both improvement and no change in all three anchors (Tables 3, 4, and 5). For the SF-36 health transition question, the mean mRSS MCID estimate for reported improvement (defined as answering "somewhat improved") was − 2.86 with an effect size of 0.27. This estimate was similar to the group that reported no change for the question, which had an estimate of 2.72 with an effect size of 0.25 (Table 3). Using the HAQ-DI cutoff points described earlier, the mRSS MCID estimate for HAQ-DI improvement was − 3.56 with an effect size of 0.33, and this was numerically larger than the HAQ-DI no change group (mean change of − 2.55 and effect size of 0.24; Table 4). Using the PtGA cutoff points described earlier, the mRSS MCID estimate for PtGA improvement was − 4.06 with an effect size of 0.38, and this was numerically larger than the PtGA no change group (mean change of − 2.94 and effect size of 0.27; Table 5).
For those participants with dcSSc, using the SF-36 health transition question, the mean mRSS MCID estimate for those who reported improvement was − 4.70 with an effect size of 0.49. This was similar to the group reporting no change, which had an estimate of − 4.61 with an effect size of 0.48 (Table 3). Using the HAQ-DI, the mean mRSS MCID estimate for HAQ-DI improvement was − 4.64 with an effect size of 0.48, and this was similar to the group with no change in HAQ-DI (mean change of − 4.8 and effect size of 0.50; Table 4). Using the PtGA, the mean mRSS MCID estimate for PtGA improvement was − 5.12 with an effect size of 0.53, and this was similar to the group with no change in PtGA (mean change of − 5.16 and effect size of 0.54; Table 5).
For those participants with lcSSc, the mRSS MCID estimates were small and within the measurement error of the mRSS (Tables 3, 4, and 5). Specifically, the mRSS MCID estimate was 0.67 for improvement on the SF-36 health transition question, − 1.58 for improvement in HAQ-DI scores, and − 1.0 for improvement in PtGA scores.
On average, the mRSS improved in participants who categorized themselves as "somewhat worse" on health transition, and using definitions of worsening in HAQ-DI and PtGA (Table 3, 4, and 5). These trends were also seen in those specifically with dcSSc.
We explored whether the participants whose mRSS scores improved by ≥ MCID over 12 months had parallel changes in patient-reported outcome scores (Table 6). We used an improvement of > 3 and 4 units of the mRSS for the overall group and > 5 units of the mRSS for those with dcSSc. For the participants who met these mRSS MCID improvement criteria, they also had significantly greater improvements for the SF-36 physical component summary and the TDI compared to those whose mRSS changes did not meet the MCID estimates (p < 0.05 for all comparisons), for both the overall group and for those with dcSSc. For those with dcSSc, a greater proportion of participants who met the mRSS MCID criteria had an improvement in their small and large joint contractures compared to those who did not meet the MCID improvement criteria (p = 0.008).
The mRSS is a surrogate of skin and internal organ involvement in SSc and is feasible, reliable, valid, and sensitive to change in multicenter clinical trials . Since the mRSS serves as the primary outcome measure in recent clinical trials, it is important to define which changes in the mRSS between two groups are clinically meaningful (not just statistically significant). Additionally, for the clinician, the MCID provides information on treatment response and can help guide treatment. Our data suggest that an improvement of 3–4 units in all SSc patients (an improvement of 20–27% from the baseline score) and an improvement of 5 units in dcSSc patients (an improvement of 24% from baseline scores) are appropriate MCID estimates.
Our data align with the mRSS MCID estimates from the dPenicillamine trial (based on physician report), where an improvement of 3.5–5.3 units was considered the MCID . Another study including the physician consensus exercise also defined an improvement of 3.0–7.5 units as the mRSS MCID estimates for improvement . Additionally, improvements of > 5 units and ≥ 25% have recently been considered clinically important estimates for the mRSS in dcSSc . Thus, our findings are very similar to published estimates. In addition, our MCID estimates are associated with statistically significant changes in the SF-36 physical component summary and TDI as well as improvement in small and large joint contractures, suggesting that these MCID estimates translate into how a patient feels and functions .
MCID estimates are calculated at a group level and should not be confused with change in a measure in an individual patient. At an individual level, a larger change is required to be considered a statistically significant change, and it is influenced by both measurement error and normal biologic variability over time . It may also be influenced by the severity of disease and skin involvement.
Our data highlight a few important things about assessing the MCID estimates. First, despite the large number of participants in the two trials, the lack of appropriate correlations between the anchors and the mRSS indicate uncertainty in the point estimates. This is highlighted by the similar mean changes in the mRSS for both the MCID improved and no change groups for those with dcSSc. Second, using the patient anchors of SF-36 health transition, HAQ-DI, and PtGA, patients who worsened on these anchors still had, on average, an overall improvement in the mRSS (with wide CIs that crossed 1). Although this seems surprising, this is likely due to the poor correlation coefficients between the anchors and the mRSS, as the SF-36 health transition question and the PtGA survey assess overall change in health (beyond improvement in skin) and the HAQ-DI asks about daily functional activities . In previous analyses from a dcSSc cohort, the mRSS had a larger correlation with the physician global assessment compared to the PtGA . Incorporating anchors that focus on change in skin involvement and its impact on function and other daily activities may be more appropriate and should be considered in future trials. Third, as expected, those with lcSSc had minimal change in the mRSS during the two SSc trials. In our analyses, the change in the mRSS for those with lcSSc was ≤ 1.0 units in a majority of the subgroups.
Our study has many strengths. We used prospective data from two large SSc randomized controlled trials (SLS-I and SLS-II) to determine MCID estimates. Although the mRSS was not the primary outcome measure, it was captured by expert centers in the USA and assessed by the same investigator for a given patient. Second, we have validated the MCID estimates for the mRSS using patient-driven anchors; all previous estimates were based on physician anchors  or consensus agreement. Our effect size in this analysis for the MCID groups (range of 0.48–0.53) is very similar to the estimates provided by Khanna et al. ( effect sizes for the MCID group were between 0.40–0.66). Third, MCID estimates are an approximation, and experts have suggested using multiple anchors to define a range for these estimates  so we included three anchors in the current analysis. Fourth, our analysis provided MCID estimates that correspond to patient-reported outcome changes over time, supporting the validity of these estimates.
Our study is not without limitations. First, the analysis was post hoc rather than a priori. Second, the correlation between the anchors and the mRSS was less than the proposed cutoff point of 0.30, adding to the uncertainty of these estimates. For example, the relationship between the SF-36 health transition and PtGA anchors versus the mRSS outcome may have been influenced by changes in variables unrelated to the skin, including lungs, gastrointestinal involvement, and other disease manifestations. Further analyses of ongoing clinical trials should explore other anchors that focus on skin involvement rather than global disease and that have better associations with the mRSS.
We report patient-based MCID estimates for the mRSS using data from two large randomized controlled trials. These mRSS MCID estimates can be used for interpretation of ongoing clinical trials in SSc and interstitial lung disease, and for sample size estimation in future trials.
The following people and institutions participated in the Scleroderma Lung Study I (SLS-I): University of Michigan, Ann Arbor: D. Khanna; University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles: P. J. Clements, D. P. Tashkin, R. Elashoff, J. Goldin, M. Roth, D. Furst, K. Bulpitt, W. L. J. Chung, S. Viasco, M. Sterz, L. Woolcock, X. Yan, J. Ho, S. Vasunilashorn, and I. da Costa; University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick: J. R. Seibold, D. J. Riley, J. K. Amorosa, V. M. Hsu, D. A. McCloskey, and J. E. Wilson; University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago: J. Varga, D. Schraufnagel, A. Wilbur, D. Lapota, S. Arami, and P. Cole-Saffold; Boston University, Boston, MA: R. Simms, A. Theodore, P. Clarke, J. Korn, K. Tobin, and M. Nuite; Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston: R. Silver, M. Bolster, C. Strange, S. Schabel, E. Smith, J. Arnold, K. Caldwell, and M. Bonner; The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD: R. Wise, F. Wigley, B. White, L. Hummers, M. Bohlman, A. Polito, G. Leatherman, E. Forbes, and M. Daniel; Georgetown University, Washington, DC: V. Steen, C. Read, C. Cooper, S. Wheaton, A. Carey, and A. Ortiz; University of Texas at Houston, Houston: M. Mayes, E. Parsley, S. Oldham, T. Filemon, S. Jordan, and M. Perry; University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco: K. Connolly, J. Golden, P. Wolters, R. Webb, J. Davis, C. Antolos, and C. Maynetto; University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham: B. Fessler, M. Olman, C. Sanders, L. Heck, and T. Parkhill; University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington: N. Rothfield, M. Metersky, R. Cobb, M. Aberles, F. Ingenito, and E. Breen; Wayne State University, Detroit, MI: M. Mayes, K. Mubarak, J. L. Granda, J. Silva, Z. Injic, and R. Alexander; Virginia Mason Research Center, Seattle, WA: D. Furst, S. Springmeyer, S. Kirkland, J. Molitor, R. Hinke and A. Mondt; Data Safety and Monitoring Board: Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA: T. Thompson; Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Brown University, Providence, RI: S. Rounds; Cedars Sinai Medical Center–UCLA Health System, Los Angeles, CA: M. Weinstein; Clinical Trials & Surveys, Baltimore, MD: B. Thompson; Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee: University of California, Los Angeles: H. Paulus and S. Levy; The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD: D. Martin.
The Scleroderma Lung Study II (SLS-II) Research Group includes the authors listed in the mast head and the following support staff: E. Kissin, F.Y. Cheong (Boston University); G, Marlis, J. Mason-Berry, P. Saffold, M. Rodriguez, L. Guzman, J. Brook, G. Ibrahim, K. Largaespada (UCLA); C. Fridley, M. Zulmastashvili, A. Manu, S. Moore (Georgetown University); L. Hummers, G. Leatherman (Johns Hopkins University); F.N. Hant, K. Gibson (Medical University of South Carolina); M. Morrison (National Jewish Health); H. Donnelly, C. Marlin, J. Gangar (Northwestern University); D.A. McCloskey (Rutgers University); A. Eller, D. Leong, M. Lalosh, J. Obata (UCSF); S. Arami, D. Franklin (University of Illinois); E. Schiopu, M. Benedict-Blue, V. Leone, J. Shaw (University of Michigan); F. Tan, M. Perry, J. Anderson, A Saulino (University of Texas, Houston); P. Carey, M. Esplin (University of Utah); P. Carlson (University of Minnesota).
Dr. Khanna was funded by a K24 from NIH/NIAMS (AR063120).
The authors take full responsibility for the scope, direction, content of, and editorial decisions relating to the manuscript, were involved at all stages of development, and have approved the submitted manuscript. The analysis reported in this manuscript was funded by Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Germany.
SLS-I was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (U01 HL60587, U01 HL60606, and R01 HL089758), and SLS-II was supported by grants from the NHLBI/NIH: R01 HL089758 and R01 HL089901. Study drug (cyclophosphamide) was supplied by Bristol-Myers Squibb for use in SLS-I and the study drug (mycophenolate) and matching placebo were supplied at no charge through Drug Supply Grant # CEL539 from Hoffmann-La Roche/Genentech in SLS-II. Both trials were registered with clinicaltrials.gov (NCT00004563 for SLS-I and NCT00883129 for SLS-II).
DK envisioned the project and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. PJC, ERV, DEF, MDR, OD, and DPT provided input on the drafted manuscript. HW and C-hT conducted the statistical analysis. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
The study protocols for both SLS-I and II were approved by the local Institutional Review Boards, and written informed consent was obtained from all participants.
Boehringer Ingelheim was not involved in directing the content of the manuscript and was only given the opportunity to review the manuscript for factual accuracy.


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Q: Emitting an event on a component so that a function of a distinct component is performed I have a component with several routes (home, app and navbar).
I intend that by pressing the navbar button, the encrementcalc() function will be executed. Is there any way to implement this? I tried to use the event emitter but without success :(
Can someone help me?
thank you.
Link to the example here Stackblitz
code

home

navbar

  <router-outlet></router-outlet>

A: You have to create a service, that shares informations between navbar and home component(or other component)
 this is an example of the service
    @Injectable({
    providedIn: 'root'})

    export class NavbarService {
      attttributeChange: EventEmitter<number> = new EventEmitter();
      constructor() {}

      emitAttributeChange(attribute: number) {
        this.sortAttributeChange.emit(sortAttribute);
      }
      getNavChangeEmitter() {
        return this.attributeChange;
      }
    }

So to your navbar copmponent you add
EncrementInHome(){
  this.navbarService.emitAttributeChange(5);
}

an then in your home component in your OnInit method you get the sent data
     ngOnInit() {
            this.subscription$ =
            this.navbarService.getNavChangeEmitter().subscribe(
          newChangeAttribute => {
          this.encrementcalc()
          });
      }

A: I would recommend using a service for communication in your case.
first create a increment.service.ts
import { Injectable } from '@angular/core';
import { Subject, Observable } from 'rxjs';

@Injectable({ providedIn: 'root' })
export class IncrementService {
  private calcSource = new Subject<any>();

  calc$: Observable<any> = this.calcSource.asObservable();

  increment(x: number) {
    this.calcSource.next(x);
  }
}

then in your NavbarComponent
  import {IncrementService} from '../increment.service'

  constructor(private _incrementService: IncrementService) {}

  incrementInHome() {
    this._incrementService.increment(7);
  }

finaly, in your HomeComponent
  import {IncrementService} from '../increment.service'

  calc = 5;
  constructor(private _incrementService: IncrementService) {}

  ngOnInit() {
    this._incrementService.calc$.subscribe(x => this.calc += x)
  }

A: By the way your components are set up, I would suggest you use a service. Inside the service you would have a property that maintains the state and other  methods to retrieve and modify it. You would then use this service from the nav bar to increment the property and from the home component to retrieve the current value.


When I was given the opportunity to try out the latest burgers of Village Tavern, I got curious but not exactly thrilled. Well, I mentioned it already here in this blog, but I seem to be not a burger person. Still, I wanted to put that into test by trying out some unique burgers by this restaurant in Bonifacio Global City.
Village Tavern is one of the restaurants under the Bistro Group, which include Friday's, Tonkatsu by Terezawa (read more), Italianni's and more. Similar to Friday's, the interior of Village Tavern is both modern and "chill". Just as the name suggests, the restaurant has the usual feel of a tavern but mixed with an air of classiness in order to be family-friendly as well.
Just like some of the other restaurants under the Bistro Group, Village Tavern offers a service bread as you wait for your orders. I appreciate restaurants doing this because it somehow helps in extending patience in waiting. However, for this particular experience, I didn't need that "extended patience" because dishes were served on time.
Now, before we head onto the burgers, let us first get to the appetizers and other entries.
The salad was a bit bland as for the overall taste but this simplicity may be seen as a good thing because flavors were non-intrusive. The tuna was fresh so it pulled the dish up. Anyway, just make sure to have a piece of the tuna in every bite so that the experience would be richer.
I wasn't able to personally try this one, but I'm sharing it because it looked really good!
The snapper was fresh which was something I appreciated. The noodles were nice and the oil-based sauce was tasty marked with veggy and herby zest.
Alright, it's now time to give you a preview of the World of Burgers series. I was able to take photo of the 3 out of 4 burgers under the selection, and tasted 2 out of 4.
This Monte Carlo Burger brought a tasty yet salty experience. Overall, it got this vintage cheesy tang that spiced up the burger. This created uniqueness in the overall blend of flavors. Given these characteristics, I believe that this burger is for those who have high tolerance for saltiness and for those who can appreciate bold sophisticated flavors.
The same thing as the Monte Carlo Burger applies to this Waldorf burger. However, this time, the saltiness was cushioned by the subtle sweetness and creaminess of the sauce and bits on top. Although, I still need to admit that the potency of the flavors are still there.
I wasn't able to try this burger myself, but I guess this has a friendlier taste for those just starting to appreciate bold flavors. I can only judge it by how it looks, so I still need to validate that one.
Alright, so that's mostly about my burger experience! Thanks for checking it out, and I hope it was able to help you even just a tiny bit!
Overall, I was able to appreciate our experience here in Village Tavern. I just had a realization that the Wagyu Burgers here may not be for foodie who are trapped in the traditional Pinoy world of flavors. This is because for the these new burgers of Village Tavern, you will need an openness and trained palate to be able to appreciate the strong and diversity of uncommon bold flavors. Hence, if you think you have a sophisticated palate, then by all means I encourage you to give this a try!


The host is fabulous and could not be more helpful and knowledgable about the immediate area for day trips.
Set in the heart of a picturesque village, with cycling and walking almost on the doorstep, is this lovely detached studio for two.
This cottage is perfect for those seeking a break in Nottinghamshire, with plenty to see and do in and around the local area.
Tucked away next to the owner's home, with off-road parking for 1 car, access can be gained via Queen's Walk just off the main street.
The exterior promotes an idyllic situation, with creeper plants growing up the stone walls and plant pots decorating its borders.
Step inside and enjoy this all-in-one accommodation ideally laid out for a romantic couple.
The kitchen is readily prepared for making breakfast and picnic lunches, with a modern set of units and worktop.
Catch your rest on the chaise longue positioned adjacent and throw open the patio doors to enjoy the breeze from outside.
The en-suite shower room and double bed are well-presented, with dual-aspect windows drawing in the natural light.
Outside, the delights of the garden await you, with a couple of benches to sit out and enjoy a pleasant afternoon with a drink in hand.
Nether Langwith offers a historic mill and local amenities including a shop, chemist, pub and restaurant.
Situated between the Peak District National Park and Sherwood Forest, this region is well known for a wide variety of landscapes and walking opportunities including English Heritage and National Trust Sites.
If you fancy something a bit different, experience a day together learning how to cook or develop your existing skills at the Welbeck Artisan Food Academy.
There is also the Welbeck Abbey Brewery and the historic Portland Collection of fine and decorative art.
Enjoy this romantic bolthole in a charming region of England.
Open plan studio room with 1 x double bed with kitchenette, sitting area and en-suite shower room with shower basin and WC.
Bolsover 5 miles; Chesterfield 10 miles; Nottingham 24 miles.
Nether Langwith is a picturesque village situated in Nottinghamshire 10 miles east of Chesterfield. The village location is ideal for keen cyclists, with easy access onto the national cycle route which leads to local heritage sites such as Clumber Park and Sherwood Forest. Sherwood Forest is a must-see and was once a Royal Hunting Forest but nowadays its 450 acres is brimming with activities, events, flora and fauna, making it a great day out for everyone. The village of Nether Langwith offers local amenities including a shop, chemist, pub and restaurant. The village is home to the historic Langwith Mill which was built in 1760 and was a four-storey cotton mill powered by the nearby River Poulter. Situated between the Peak District National Park and Sherwood Forest, this region is well known for a wide variety of landscapes and fabulous walking opportunities including English Heritage and National Trust Sites. Places of interest such as Bolsover Castle, Chatsworth House, Hardwick Hall and Thoresby Hall are all within a short drive and there is plenty to see and do. For something different why not take a trip to the Welbeck Artisan Food Academy for a great day learning how to cook or even develop your existing skills. Alternatively you can head over to the Harley Gallery to view the exhibitions on offer or visit Welbeck's historic Portland Collection of fine and decorative art which has been amassed over centuries by the Dukes of Portland and their families.


The ministry charged with keeping the nation healthy is apparently leaking money during a recession, and that is the real crime.
In these tough economic times, every single Government penny is needed in the service of the people and not in the side accounts and shady pockets of unscrupulous people, whether they lurk in ministries embezzling funds or break in at night and steal office equipment.
In January 2016, the Windhoek Observer reported about critically needed ARV medicines being ordered by the health ministry outside of the normal tender process. Tens of millions were sent in relatively short order to a foreign country to buy medicines from a company that was not a regular vendor; this raised flags for us. As a result of that article, we were lambasted by Health Minister Bernard Haufiku and effectively blacklisted for all MHSS ads, interviews and access.
We stood by our story which was written with the information provided by officials interviewed. Given the current revelations at the ministry, we are vindicated now regarding the overall issues we raised.
In that previous article, Permanent Secretary Dr Andreas Mwoombola said there was nothing amiss about the decision taken by the ministry to pay N$64 million to a Ugandan company for the emergency restock of ARVs without going to tender as the regulations require.
Those comments about the 'emergency' purchase were from the same Mwoombola who has now been suspended as the Anti-Corruption Commission investigates allegations of irregularly awarded tenders.
Who is watching the individuals that have the power to spend tens of millions of tax payer dollars outside of the checks-and-balances processes? We asked that question then and we are asking it again now.
Reports have surfaced that Mwoombola may have arranged over N$250 million in inflated tenders. The implicated officials are alleged to have created crises that resulted in the ministry paying higher prices for items than would ordinarily have been required.
To compound the cloud of corruption hovering over MHSS right now, a ministry official stands accused of stealing and selling ministry vehicles and pocketing the revenues.
The number of cars allegedly sold in this clandestine and illegal manner is 50, but the police who arrested the accused official, say that this activity had been going on for some time, implying that the final number of cars sold under-the-table may be far more than 50.
The discussion about the current scandal must include last year's arrest of eight employees on 426 charges of fraud involving over N$2 million.
The spectre of corruption is pervasive when people are caught-out and exposed; particularly if the chief financial officer of the ministry may be involved.
It begs the question of how many other incidences of theft, embezzlement or inflated procurements sent to companies owned by officials at MHSS have gone unnoticed by the system over time. We hope the ACC investigation will go back over many years to establish criminal patterns and uncover other cases.
The victims of any crime proven at MHSS or any other ministry or agency are the Namibian people who are desperately in need of proper services. Hospitals in the North have run out of health passports. Key medicines needed from pharmaceutical suppliers are once again running short as invoices are in arrears and restock is not ensured.
Nurses in State hospitals are complaining about lack of overtime payments, basic supplies are thin on the ground and the MHSS has insufficient funds for timely resupply.
The regions have been faced with shortages of fully equipped ambulances and drivers at health facilities and referral hospitals face a shortage of available beds. Budget cuts have made the ministry's already tight finances, even more untenable and the situation will likely get worse before it gets better.
Meanwhile, officials in the ministry are accused of lining their own pockets seemingly at the expense of the health and well-being of Namibian people. This is outrageous.
The healthcare system is the heartbeat of the nation. We need to support the Minister of Health and Social Services as he manages the difficulties his ministry now faces - it is not an easy task.
If our people cannot receive the healthcare services they need due to lack of funds, while thieves are enjoying their selfish benefits, what will happen to the Namibian heartbeat then?


text:
Emergency Fund life-saver for local sight loss charities
The Emergency Fund, launched last April to help support sight loss charities in the face of Covid-19, was "a life-saver" according to the many local organisations it helped to support.
A report evaluating the impact of the grant programme found the funding helped many charities to simply 'stay afloat' while others were able to adapt services and even establish new ones.
In April 2020 Thomas Pocklington Trust (TPT) suspended its regular grant funding programme and launched the Emergency Fund to support sight loss charities throughout the UK. These frontline charities needed financial support as other funding streams were cut and support services were needed more than ever.
£495k was awarded to 55 organisations which received a grant of up to £10k. All recipients submitted a report at the end of the 6-month grant period to evaluate the impact the funding.
Evaluation of the programme showed the fund enabled half to simply keep their doors open. Bradbury Fields Services for Blind and Partially Sighted People shared that: "The grant helped to fill an income shortfall of 45%".
Northumberland County Blind Association was just three months away from closure. It used the £10K from the Emergency Fund as seedcorn funding to lever a further £70K, securing the future of the charity (see case study 1).
New services to support local blind and partially sighted communities throughout the UK, set up as a result of the funding, included: virtual and telephone tech support services; delivery services for food, medication, specialist equipment and mobility aids; pet care; online cooking, fitness classes; and online activities children and families.
MySight York used the £10K grant from the Emergency Fund to launch its 'Keeping in Touch' telephone service which proved to be a lifeline for blind and partially sighted people in its community (see case study 2).
For those remaining open, adapting services that adhered to social distancing rules was priority number one. This meant many services moving to an online format, including: 1 to-1 and group support sessions; low vision clinics; accessible exercise classes; employment services; and child counselling sessions.
To reach blind and partially sighted people in the communities who were not on the internet, a large number of organisations set up telephone befriending services or doorstep welfare check networks, most of which were delivered by volunteers.
Essex-based Blind and Sight Impaired Society (BASIS) adapted its befriending service from face-to-face to telephone to ensure its community of blind and partially sighted people retained contact. It also launched online fitness and a hot meal delivery service to those shielding or unable to shop for themselves (see case study 3).
Through these services the Emergency Fund helped to support around ten thousand blind and partially sighted individuals. In some cases, the services provided by the supported organisations was the only contact many people have had during the pandemic, despite many of them being registered severely sight impaired.
And in addition to the direct contact with blind and partially sighted individuals, services delivered by the 55 charities also benefited hundreds of families and carers across all regions. Many of the local charities experienced an increase in volunteers.
Visionary, the membership organisation for sight loss charities, supported Thomas Pocklington Trust to reach many of these local frontline organisations which needed the grants.
Fiona Sandford, CEO of Visionary, said: "The funding from TPT and the speed at which it was disbursed made a huge and significant positive difference to the many visually impaired people who rely on local sight loss charities.
"Local charities provide essential and sometimes lifeline services within their local communities and being able to apply for this funding quickly and easily offered a very welcome helping hand at a difficult and challenging time."
Charles Colquhoun, Chief Executive of Thomas Pocklington Trust, said: "The fund was specifically set up to help charities across the UK to continue to provide critical services for the physical and emotional wellbeing of blind and partially sighted people."
View the full list of successful applicants.


text:
NPEF Launches Largest Citywide Educator Discount
How does Nashville show its love to its public school teachers? It lights up the city red and pink and launches the largest educator discount program in the Southeast!
Through its second annual Show Your Love for Teachers campaign, the Nashville Public Education Foundation, joined by the Mayor's Office and Metro Nashville Public Schools, announced today that more than 140 businesses are now providing discounts as part of this citywide effort to recognize and reward Nashville's 6,800 public school educators. This marks a sevenfold increase from 2016's participation.
"There is nothing more important to helping our schools succeed than recruiting, retaining and supporting great teachers," said Dr. Shawn Joseph, director of schools. "At MNPS, we want to show our support for educators in a very intentional way, and our amazing teachers must feel valued by the community. Our new strategic plan is focused on efforts designed to strengthen and improve our schools. But, the heart and soul of Nashville's ability to succeed in becoming the fastest-improving district in the country rests with keeping and growing the nation's best teacher workforce."


This is a draft paper written in 2009 by niclan and dipohl. It should be reviewed, completed (at least merged with the docs for plugin contributors, that were published on github) and then decreed by the developer team.
Purpose is to define requirements for quality plugins that get starred / recommended in the plugin gallery and also may be accepted for the official distribution of munin-node.
Vetted plugins should work well out of the box, and should autoconf correctly in most cases. The Concise guide to plugin authoring describes plugins methods autoconf and suggest.
Their graph should be significant and easy to comprehend. See the Guide for good plugin graphs.
Important demands should be added here..
Vetted plugins shouldn't conflict with plugins in other packages as well (ie: plugins in munin-node or munin-plugins-extra).
These plugins can go in $(DESTDIR)/usr/share/munin/plugins.


Hey guys, we've been testing out some new ideas for facebook challenge rewards/ backing incentives for when we launch. Here's one concept we had, this is a laser engraved wooden plaque with the artwork of JP:Origins fan Rob Miranda. He hand drew the Raptor featured on this wood plaque. We're thinking about looking into this kind of thing for big challenge rewards and for different levels of backing on the "Invest" page. What do you guys think?
Huge congrats to our Cryocan Contest winner, Daniel Scarpati! He made a video about winning/receiving the prop. Check it out :)!
Once we hit 1000 FB page "likes", or if one person manages to recruit 250 people to "like" the page, we will be giving away a screen-accurate Barbasol Cryocan! Watch the video to learn more and see the Cryocan! Please share this with your friends and let them know about this fun opportunity to win an awesome Jurassic Park Prop.


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Cardiac muscle consists of individual cells that are joined by complexcell-to-cell junctions to form a functional unit (fiber). As shown in Table 35.1 , the incidencein various pediatric studies is 2.5–12.7 % of venti-lated children, translating to 2.9–11.6 VAP epi-sodes per 1,000 ventilator days. The same study alsofound that psychiatrists operated a number of strategies to exert control over how the patient wasdealt with. Phase I clinical trial of mogamulizumab has been conducted in patients withCCR-positive PTCL, including ATL and assessed the safety, pharmacokinetics,recommended phase II dose, and its efficacy . This is sug-gested by the proposition of a seven-class model of social class, which more readily incorporatescontemporary social influences on social divisions. Molecular scanning ofthe gene for thioredoxin buy prednisone cheap an antioxidative and antiapoptotic protein, and geneticsusceptibility to type 1 diabetes. In many cases buy prednisone cheap it is clinically not clear whether endocarditis preceded or followedvertebral osteomyelitis.
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It contains two a and two 7 chains(a272) and is the principal form of hemoglobin in thefetus. The puncture revealed 10 ml of darkliquid with a leukocyte count of 6000/µl (76% neutrophils).


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What is the anatomy of the middle ear?
Admin 2022-09-12 Interesting
Also known as the tympanic cavity, the middle ear is an air-filled, membrane-lined space located between the ear canal and the Eustachian tube, cochlea, and auditory nerve. The eardrum separates this space from the ear canal. The area is pressurized.
What are the functions of middle ear?
What are the muscles in the middle ear?
Where is middle ear located?
What is the name of the eardrum?
How many muscles are in the middle ear?
What is the structure of the middle ear?
Which part of the ear is filled with air?
It is classical to ascribe three functions to the middle ear: the transmission of acoustic vibrations from the tympanic membrane to the cochlea, impedance matching between the air in the external auditary meatus and the labyrinthine fluids, and protection of the inner ear by means of the acoustic reflex.
What are the 6 middle ear bones?
The middle ear contains three tiny bones:
Hammer (malleus) — attached to the eardrum.
Anvil (incus) — in the middle of the chain of bones.
Stirrup (stapes) — attached to the membrane-covered opening that connects the middle ear with the inner ear (oval window)
What are the three tiny bones in the middle ear called?
The incoming sound waves make the eardrum vibrate, and the vibrations travel to three tiny bones in the middle ear called the malleus, incus, and stapes—the Latin names for hammer, anvil, and stirrup.
Two muscles are involved in this reflex: the stapedius, which attaches to the neck of the stapes, and the tensor tympani, which attaches to the neck of the malleus. When activated, these muscles attenuate sound levels in the middle ear by dampening vibration of the ossicular chain.
temporal bone
The middle ear lies within the temporal bone, and extends from the tympanic membrane to the lateral wall of the inner ear. The main function of the middle ear is to transmit vibrations from the tympanic membrane to the inner ear via the auditory ossicles.
What are the 3 auditory ossicles?
The middle ear consists of the tympanic membrane and the bony ossicles called the malleus, incus, and stapes. These three ossicles connect the tympanic membrane to the inner ear allowing for the transmission of sound waves.
What is malleus and incus?
The malleus ("hammer"), incus ("anvil"), and stapes ("stirrup") are the three bones, also known as ossicles, of the inner ear. The malleus is the largest and the outermost of the bones, which are part of the auditory system.
The tympanic membrane is also called the eardrum. It separates the outer ear from the middle ear. When sound waves reach the tympanic membrane they cause it to vibrate.
two muscles
There are two muscles within the middle ear that function to protect it from loud noses — the Tensor Tympani and the Stapedius.
How many middle ear muscles are there?
two middle ear muscles
There are two middle ear muscles (MEMs): the stapedius and the tensor tympani.
What nerve passes through the middle ear?
Of surgical importance are two branches of the facial nerve that also pass through the middle ear space. These are the horizontal portion of the facial nerve and the chorda tympani.
MIDDLE EAR 2. MIDDLE EAR is an AIR filled space with structures. The TYMPANIC MEMBRANE (ear drum) vibrates in response to sound. Attached to it are 3 bones: The MALLEUS (hammer), INCUS (anvil), and the STAPES (stirrup) are the smallest bones in the body.
A healthy middle ear is filled with air. It is a rectangular space with four walls, a ceiling, and a floor. The lateral wall consists of the tympanic membrane.
What separates the anterior and posterior wall of the ear?
The anterior wall separates the middle ear from the internal carotid artery and has two openings—one for the auditory tube and one for the tensor tympani muscle. The posterior wall is a bony partition that separates the middle ear and the mastoid air cells.
What are the anomalies of the middle ear?
ANATOMY OF THE MIDDLE EAR BY: DR. POOJA SANAL KUMAR 3. MECKEL'S CARTILAGE REICHERT'S CARTILAGE 4. Anomalies  Malformed ossicles  Ossicular agenesis  Malleus incus fusion  Ossicular mass  Incudostapedial joint disarticulation  Facial nerve  Stapedial artery 5.
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CLEVELAND, Ohio—The market for drones in safety and security applications in the U.S. has a bright future, according to a report from The Freedonia Group, a research firm based here. The company predicts the market to reach a value of about $1 billion by 2022.
Freedonia valued the safety and security drone market at $145 million in 2016 and the firm expects it to grow to $250 million, "then we're going to have it more than quadrupling from that point into 2022," Jennifer Christ, manager, consumer and commercial products group at Freedonia Group, told Security Systems News. Between 2016 and 2019 Freedonia predicts a CAGR of 19.9 percent in this market, Christ said.
Part of the growth anticipation stems from expected regulations changes around drones, as well as innovations that improve drone technology. "As the industry starts to grow, there's going to be more lobbying and more requests to have a more consistent regulatory framework across the country so that people know what to expect and they know what they can work with," Christ said.
"We started out by trying to figure out: Where are [drones] being used? Where might they be used? What are the opportunities? How many different ways can we think of that people are either using now or could be using it, based on the capabilities of these pieces of equipment?" Christ said.
Seeking to get more out of less "has been the dynamic overall between security services and security electronics anyway—this is just the extension of that idea," Christ said.
Freedonia looked at a broad view of current drone applications, according to Christ, including firefighting, safety inspections, 3-D modeling, border patrol and weather and climate analysis.
The report looked at three different areas of the market: equipment—the drone itself, separately sold software, and services—including drone operators, training and consulting.
High cost was identified as a potential inhibitor to the market. Though, cost for drones will come down, as companies begin producing more drones and different companies in the space start to compete on price, Christ said.
Among services, Freedonia sees consultants as important in the early steps of raising awareness and seeing where drones might fit into an application. The firm also recognizes the need for training services as demand for drone operators rises. "We also expect drone leasing and temporary contracting with a licensed operator to be the way to go for many potential users. Most applications, they don't have an ongoing need for a drone, but they need it for a special event," Christ said.


How dare you question my question of your reply to me.
Edit: How dare you interrupt me!
How dare you edit your post!
How dare you use a smiley!
How dare you flip a table!
How dare you question his not flipping a table.
How dare you how dare you times infinity!
How dare you only have 29 posts at this time?
How dare you have an ink blot test avatar that reminds me how the darkness of mortality is ever pressing in on me!
ɥõẅ đąŗĘ ўõµ ɥąćķ ўõµŗ †Ęx† ʃīķĘ †ɥą†?!
ąć†µąʃʃў, ɥõẅ đīđ ўõµ ĘvĘń đõ †ɥą†?
How dare you make your text so confusing to read!


We loved the dress! Your service was timely and the dress was lovely. Thank you!
We received the dress today, it is beautiful thank you very much!
I wanted to tell u we received the dress and my daughter tried it on and it fit. We wanted to thank u for the dress. We appriciate it.
Good Morning, thank you very much for the dress sent'm really pleased with the delivery and the parcel.
Thank you it arrived. that was excellent service. The dress is a little small in the back where you lace it up but everywhere else perfect.
Thank you for the beautiful dress! I loved it and it was beautiful! Worth every penny! I will definitely order again!
Almost all girls and women will have one or two or more evening parties to attend in their life, therefore,beautiful evening dresses are definitely necessary items for them, especially for some formal parties. Now that online shopping has became very popular, buying perfect evening dresses online has been a wonderful choice. Here at DressesABC.com, you can find cheap elegant evening dresses with many different color options and styling options. You can find red evening dresses or black ones, elegant long evening dresses or elegant short ones, lace perfect evening gowns or satin ones. All the evening gowns cheap here are available with various size options, so no matter what your body type is, you will find a perfect evening dress to fit you. Do add beautiful elegant evening dresses to your wardrobe for a special evening occasion. Perhaps your show up on a party will be a start for a new relationship.


Meaning and definitions of portend, translation in Bengali language for portend with similar and opposite words. Also find spoken pronunciation of portend in Bengali and in English language.
What portend means in Bengali, portend meaning in Bengali, portend definition, examples and pronunciation of portend in Bengali language.


If you really want to know what life is like at St. Paul's, our team of ambassadors are the best people to tell you all about it! Why not come and visit us, ask us your questions, and see what learning in action is like at St. Paul's?
We kindly ask that you book your visit a week in advance.


In August 2016, Taylor Otwell announced Laravel Valet, a minimalist development environment that extended Mac's built-in PHP server. While it isn't meant to serve as a replacement to tools like Docker or Vagrant, it does provide a quick and easy way to get a Magento 2 installation running on macOS with minimal effort.
To get started, we'll use Homebrew to install or update the current PHP version on our Mac. If you don't already have Homebrew installed, you can do so with the following command.
Next, we'll install PHP 7.0. At the time of this article, Magento 2 doesn't support PHP 7.1, so we'll stick with 7.0 for now.
You'll also need to make sure that the composer bin directory is in your system's PATH.
Finally, use valet install to finalize the installation. This will install the core valet components, DnsMasq, and setup services to launch on startup.
Change to your local Magento installation and run valet link magento2. This will setup a domain at http://magento2.dev where we can view our site.
This site is served by [Magento2ValetDriver].
Until Docker figures out a way to deal with latency issues on macOS, Valet seems to outperform a typical Docker configuration. If you plan on building a headless Magento integration, Valet provides a quick way to access the REST API locally without having to spool up separate environments for testing. The DnsMasq integration can help prevent ugly host file edits while still providing the same functionality.


text:
Martfű – miasto na Węgrzech, w komitacie Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok.

Przemysł obuwniczy
W latach 1941-1942 w miejscowości powstał jeden z zakładów Baty (Cikta Cipőgyár/Shoe Factory). Po upaństwowieniu w roku 1949 i zmianie nazwy na Tisza Cipőgyár stały się największym zakładem obuwniczym w kraju. W roku 2009 zakłady zbankrutowały.

Miasta partnerskie
  Tăuţii-Măgherăuş
  Tuchów

Przypisy

Bibliografia
 Węgierski Urząd Statystyczny

Miasta w komitacie Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Home/Others/Latest developments/Iran, Oman Stress Further Reinvigoration of Military, Defense Cooperation
Latest developmentsMiddle EastOthersRecovery servicesWorld News
Iran, Oman Stress Further Reinvigoration of Military, Defense Cooperation
syriatrMay 8, 2018
High-ranking Iranian and Omani military officials in a meeting in Tehran on Tuesday reiterated the need for the further development of defense ties and cooperation between the two countries.
During the meeting between Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami and General al-Balushi, the deputy commander of the Royal Army of Oman, the two officials underscored the importance of expansion of bilateral relations, specially in military and defense fields.
General Hatami, for his part, said that talks and collective cooperation among the regional states can pave the ground for peace and mutual confidence, and said, "Our message to the region is peace and friendship and we have always announced our preparedness to spread a positive and constructive atmosphere along with confidence and trust."
General al-Baloushi, for his part, described relations between Tehran and Masqat as highly strong and sustainable, and said that his country attaches much importance to the development of bilateral ties with Iran.
In a relevant development in April, Deputy Chief of the Iranian Armed Forces for International Affairs Brigadier General Qadir Nezami in a meeting with Commander of the Royal Navy of Oman Rear Admiral Abdullah al-Raisi in Tehran on Tuesday stressed the necessity for holding more joint military wargames by the two countries.
"Iran and Oman hold very important joint drills each year and we hope that these exercises continue and increase and we can even stage them in joint cooperation with other friendly and neighboring states," General Nezami said during the meeting on the sidelines of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) conference.
He expressed concern about insecurities and chaos in the region, emphasizing the need for further cooperation between the countries in different fields.
Rear Admiral al-Raisi, for his part, underscored that Oman's Sultan Qaboos is deeply willing to further expand ties with Iran, and added, "We are pleased that at present relations between the countries are in a very good situation."
Saudi opposition: Islamic alliance implementing Zionist project
Terrorist Al-Nusra Front Commander Killed in Lattakia in Syria
Haneyya: Nakba anniversary will be a catastrophe for Israel
Thousands of Palestinians barred from entering Quds for Friday prayer
Iran builds ME's 1st mobile power plant


Argh ! The correct use of articles is one of the most difficult points in English !
"I don't like the classical music".
I know that the article "the" is often dropped when we're talking about jazz, rock or classical music. But, that's it? Which is the proper rule in this case?


text:
The Growth of New Job Titles in the Tech World | TechWell
The Growth of New Job Titles in the Tech World
By Naomi Karten - December 3, 2012
The more things change, the more they keep changing—at least in the case of new tech titles.
Some titles, of course, have been around for decades, such as project manager, business analyst, help desk/technical support, programmer, software developer, systems engineer, database administrator, and systems programmer.
These jobs are expected to continue to be in demand. (I can hear a sigh of relief among those who hold these titles.) Other titles, such as web master, storage administrator, disaster recovery specialist, and data warehouse architect are of newer vintage.
But now, we're seeing new titles that couldn't have been imagined even just a few years ago, like director of cloud transformation, data scientist, chief agile officer, and health informatics expert.
And then there's social media architect, mobile technology expert, enterprise mobile developer, and cloud architect. These emerging roles, which to some extent represent the splintering of tech functions into more granular definitions, are seen as hot new jobs in IT.
My favorite of all the new titles is augmented reality specialist. This is the person who builds apps designed to enhance how we view the world around us. Augmented reality specialists will help us not only view a street, a mall, or a landscape on our smartphone or tablet, but also get information about the things we're seeing, such as nearby hotels or stores with the best prices on particular products. If I ever go back to being a techie, this is the job I want.
Of course, no one says you can't create your own title, at least up to a point. Joanna Pineda, the CEO of an interactive web design and development company Matrix Group, gave herself the additional title of Chief Trouble Maker. I can think of several people who'd qualify for that title.
If your own title is beginning to feel a little mundane, help is at hand with The Amazing Information Technology Title Generator. Just keep clicking till you find one you like. Or make up some titles of your own and let us know what they are.
Are there any dashing new titles in your workplace? Let us know in the comments section.
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Naomi Karten
Naomi Karten is a highly experienced speaker and seminar leader who draws from her psychology and IT backgrounds to help organizations improve customer satisfaction, manage change, and strengthen teamwork. She has delivered seminars and keynotes to more than 100,000 people internationally. Naomi's newest books are Presentation Skills for Technical Professionals and Changing How You Manage and Communicate Change. Her other books and ebooks include Managing Expectations, Communication Gaps and How to Close Them, and How to Survive, Excel and Advance as an Introvert. Readers have described her newsletter, Perceptions & Realities, as lively, informative, and a breath of fresh air. She is a regular columnist for TechWell.com. When not working, Naomi's passion is skiing deep powder. Contact her at [email protected] or via her Web site, www.nkarten.com.
http://twitter.com/naomikarten


text:
Call for Papers: Access to Justice in the Americas
A consortium of academic, public defender, and activist networks across the Americas have combined to bring together diverse perspectives on access to justice for vulnerable people. This innovative project aims at mapping the current debates facing institutional legal responses to a broad spectrum of issues ranging from chronic social problems to humanitarian crisis in the Americas. We are deeply interested in fostering an intercontinental debate in order to allow a better exchange of knowledge, experiences, and strategies acquired by professionals, activists, organizations, and researchers. This collaboration will contribute to analyzing the advantages and limits of current institutional designs, reporting leading-edge actions, enlarging the network of human rights defenders, and proposing original solutions for a more accessible justice system. Submissions will be peer-reviewed and, if selected, will be published in the first edition of the "Access to Justice in the Americas" e-book.
Read the Call for Paper - Access to Justice in the Americas in PDF.
The project seeks papers from professionals, researchers, and activists that address one or more of the following topics:
Models of access to justice – the history, evolution, and institutional challenges of the different models for organizing and delivering publicly funded legal services for vulnerable people in different countries and regions of the Americas (Ex.: legal aid certificates, community legal clinics, and the public defenders' offices)
Cases of strategic Human Rights litigation and advocacy that illustrate the strengths, weaknesses, and challenges of different models of access to justice;
Institutional reforms, innovative institutional designs, and proposals for effective access to justice for vulnerable populations and minorities (black people, indigenous peoples, immigrants, refugees, women, lgbti+, among others), and for democratic participation in the justice system;
The relationship between cultures of Human Rights and models of access to justice;
Access to justice in the Inter-American Human Rights System;
Legal pluralism and access to justice for vulnerable people;
Institutional politics and political relations between institutions dedicated to access to justice, government and civil society;
Authors can choose between a one-stage or two-stage submission. You can either submit an abstract only for the first deadline (December 31) and then, if approved, submit the full article for the second deadline (April 30) or you can submit both abstract and article for the first deadline (December 31) in order to have a faster response from the Academic Committee.
Abstracts should be written in at least two languages among English, French, Portuguese or Spanish in Times New Roman, single-spaced, 12-point font, maximum 500 words.
Articles should be written in English, French, Portuguese or Spanish in Times New Roman, double-spaced, 12-point font, and be between 6,000 and 8,000 words in length.
Submissions should include author(s) contact information, author(s) biography (maximum of 200 words per author), submission title, abstract, and article. If you already have a full article, you can submit it along with the abstract for a faster response to your submission.
Abstracts and articles must include word count.
Photographs and graphs should be on a separate page(s) following the last page of the article and before the reference page.
Photographs and graphs should include a figure number, description, and source.
Manuscripts should follow the APA Manual of Style author-date format for citations and references. Instructions in the link https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references
Abstracts and articles will be approved according to peer review
Each submission can have up to four co-authors.
Abstracts and papers should be submitted in Word format only via the link https://forms.gle/mdapbGjSspZRmgMZA.
Authors will retain the copyright of submitted material and grant the Academic Committee permission to publish articles under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 4.0 International license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Authors are responsible for securing copyright and fair use notices, if required, and must submit them prior to publication. The Academic Committee is not responsible for any loss or damage resulting from submission.
Fist deadline for Abstract submission: December 31, 2019
Answer to Abstract submission: February 29, 2020
Second deadline for full Article submission: April 30, 2020
Book release: December 2020
Do you have any questions to the editor, special request or need some early feedback on your manuscript? Please contact us by the e-mail: accesstojusticeamericas@gmail.com.
The Academic Committee is composed of experts from the
Central University of Ecuador
Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas de México
Fluminense Federal University
Instituto de Investigación y Estudios en Cultura de Derechos Humanos, Mexico
State University of Rio de Janeiro
This call for papers and the e-book is supported by the following institutions:
Bloc of Official Public Defenders of Mercosur - BLODEPM
Brazilian National Association of Public Defenders - ANADEP
Ceara State Association of Public Defenders - ADPEC
Fórum Justiça - FJ
Human Rights Research and Education Centre of the University of Ottawa - HRREC
Instituto de Investigación y Estudios en Cultura de Derechos Humanos - CULTURADH
Instituto de Pesquisa Direitos e Movimentos Sociais - IPDMS
Interamerican Association of Public Defenders' Offices - AIDEF
Projet Accès au Droit et à la Justice - ADAJ
Rio de Janeiro State Association of Public Defenders – ADPERJ


Or to re-phrase it: The UK courts are complete idiots and should pay closer attention to the judgements reached in the US and Germany which of course have far wiser judges. If I were that UK judge I would order Apple to pay "over one billion dollars" to the court and prohibit Apple from selling any products in the UK until it was paid.
You do have to wonder just how dumb the relevant executives at Apple are. When you are forced into publishing an apology, the sensible thing is to do just that … and not try and weasel out of the apology by saying "but ….".
Quite an amusing Internet rumour came about today: That Samsung had paid their fine to Apple by sending around 30 trucks filled to the brim with nickles (which is apparently a 5¢ coin). Of course it eventually transpired that this was all an amusing hoax, which makes more sense – after all Samsung is hardly going to pay Apple until after they have tried appealing.
But the popularity of this story may be some small indication that Apple's victory in the US courts over this patent dispute is not really seen as fair by most.
So apparently a US court with a US jury found against a Korean company and in favour of a US company. Well that is a surprise! Who would imagine?
The jury only spent 48 hours deliberating when the available evidence amounted to "hundreds of questions, 109 pages of jury instruction and the most complex muddle of law on the planet". Given the mind boggling complexity of this case, I would not be at all surprised if the jury colluded in coming up with a snap judgment that at least gets them out of jury service rather than a properly considered verdict.
The judge kept advising the two companies to come to a negotiated settlement but obviously Apple and Samsung ignored this.
This is just one legal battle; Apple and Samsung are fighting tooth and nail in many cases: As of December 2011, Apple and Samsung are fighting more than 20 cases in 10 countries. It would seem that it would be better by far if someone were to band the respective CEOs heads together and force both companies to make a negotiated settlement.
It is easy for an observer who does not pay close attention to technical matters to consider Apple to be a radical innovator in the smartphone arena; certainly at the very least the iPhone was a game changer. But not because itself was a dramatic innovation in technological terms, but because it brought previous technical innovations together into a well designed and easy to use product. And frankly a comparatively limited one – much smartphone functionality present in the original iPhone's competitors was missing from the original iPhone.
The "rubber band" effect that occur when you scroll a list by touch and hit the end of the list. This to a limited extent falls foul of the "obviousness" test – if you had used a scroll by touch interface without the equivalent of this, you would think "Hey! Someone ought to come up with something that tells me when the end of the list is".
The gestures "pinch to zoom" and "twist to rotate". I'm sorry but these really are too obvious to patent. Certainly "twist to rotate" is merely aping what we do in the real world to rotate – ever "twisted" a plate to rotate it so that the food you are going to dive into next is closer? And similarly "pinch to zoom" is effectively a touch-screen equivalent of dragging out a box onscreen using a mouse to zoom in on that particular area.
Touch to drag a document? Ever used drag and drop with a mouse?
The other elements in the list are in relation to physical design of the handset, but is a rectangle with rounded corners really so radical ? I'm pretty sure almost all of my phones have been rectangular with rounded corners since well before the original iPhone.
The trouble with this judgement is that whilst it may protect innovation to a tiny degree, it will also have the effect of limiting choice to the consumer in the US. Because Apple is going to look to ban imports of Samsung devices as soon as it can wheel a lawyer into court. Wouldn't it be better by far for the court to decide that yes Samsung has infringed the pinch to zoom function, so they should pay for a license for that patent at a rate of 10¢ per device? Rather than insist on Apple being paid a ridiculous amount of damages and allowing Apple to set a ridiculous license cost for use of the patent.
The whole issue of intellectual property rights is a complete mess, and I'm not sure that even the judge in this case would disagree. Patents were originally developed to protect inventors from companies simply stealing their ideas and going ahead and making money whilst the inventor gets nothing. They were not designed to stop competitors from using the ideas of an inventor – they would simply have to pay a fair price for the idea. And patents were not supposed to be blindingly obvious either.
It is also worth pointing out that Apple have already lost pretty much the same legal battle in the UK, Germany, and South Korea. So we have the ridiculous situation where Samsung "stole" ideas as decided by a US jury, but also didn't as decided by court victories elsewhere in the world. Who is right? Who knows?
Make the UN the deciding body for patent infringements. This will eliminate all the conflicting decisions that go on around the world, and reduce to a minimum conscious or unconscious bias that a US jury (or a US judge) might weigh against a South Korean company.
Review each patent rigorously to examine whether they are too obvious to patent.
Use an independent party to decide licensing fees, and make licensing fees a percentage of the final purchase price of the product. Want to make a Rolex replica exact in every way ? Well, the panel might decide you can do so … as long as you pay Rolex 100% of the purchase price. Want to use "pinch to zoom" on your device ? Expect to pay Apple a tiny amount like 0.5% of the purchase price.
Of course none of this is likely to happen. Intellectual property rights are too much of a cash cow for IP trolls and IP lawyers for any big changes.


You should punch people who're standing in front of you in long cues.
Microsoft and Rare have released a new video for the Xbox One Kinect-based title, Kinect Sports Rivals. The new video – the developer diary- shows the developers talking about how they like having a competitive spirit in every aspect of life and how they've tried to imbue that in their game too, making it fun and competitive at the same time.
The devs talk about the online aspect of the game and how the multiplayer factor will add to the competitive nature that this game, according to them, will give rise to. They say that it's a "great looking online game" that's not just fun to play, but is also highly- yes, it's that work again- competitive.
One of the people from the development team also says that he likes to punch people who're ahead of him in long cues.
… Does he really? I guess you'll have to watch the video, because I'm not telling you.