text:
Gender Transition Comes at a High Cost, but It's Priceless for Many People
by Kelly Anne Smith
Kyle Hollingsworth, who is a transgender male, gets his testosterone shot in his leg by Elizabeth Singh at Two Spirit Health Services in Orlando, Fla., on August 14, 2017. "This is the life I want," Kyle said. "I'm so close to being happy." Tina Russell/The Penny Hoarder
What I need to take:
TV/PS4/Games/Computer/Roku
NutriBullet, slow cooker, egg slicer, salad spinner, bundt cake pan 9X13 with lid, Tupperware
Kyle Hollingsworth stares at the whiteboard. His eyes scan the words he scribbled in a hurry, then turn toward the rest of his room.
It's July 25, a Tuesday. He's been renting the room in the quiet house in suburban Orlando, Florida, since January 2016, when he relocated from South Florida alone.
The room costs him $450 a month, a steal compared with other local monthly rentals. But even that's holding him back from his most pressing financial goal: saving enough money for the first surgery that will help him transition from female to male on Nov. 16.
He did the math; moving out of this house and into a free room at a friend's house will help him save the additional $4,225 he needs. If he doesn't save enough, he will have to pay for his surgery with a credit card.
Only a few boxes from Staples sit near his closet, but they're empty. He swears his list, be it short, contains everything he will need.
"It's crazy," says Kyle. "I did not think it would ever come down to this. But honestly, this is a game-changer."
Kristy Gaunt / The Penny Hoarder
The Shockingly High Costs of Physically Transitioning
Kyle started a GoFundMe campaign in April to raise money for his upcoming "top surgery," in which a surgeon will remove his breasts and contour a male chest. It will be his first gender reassignment surgery.
Kyle was less than a year into hormone therapy when he made the video, but already, a dark beard lined his jaw line. Wearing a light blue Tommy Hilfiger polo, hair pulled back into a tight bun, he explained why he needs the surgery.
"When your outsides don't match your insides, it can be brutal," Kyle said in the video. "It can seriously be brutal."
Kyle shaves his face for the second time in his life at his home in Orlando, Fla., on July 20, 2017. Facial hair is something new for Kyle since he started taking testosterone in April. Tina Russell/The Penny Hoarder
The campaign raised $1,845 in just two months, both from friends and anonymous donors.
But on this day in July, his campaign is stalled — it's been nearly 17 days since anyone has contributed.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports that 3,256 gender reassignment surgeries ranging from chest, face and genital transitions took place in 2016, a 19% increase from the year prior.
Some insurance companies consider sex reassignment surgeries, also known as gender confirmation surgeries, to be cosmetic, meaning they don't cover the costs. This often leaves patients like Kyle to fund their transitions out of pocket. With hospital and surgeon fees combined, his top surgery will cost $8,125.
Elizabeth Singh gets the testosterone shot ready for Kyle at Two Spirit Health Services in Orlando, Fla., on Aug. 14, 2017. Tina Russell/The Penny Hoarder
But for Kyle, these costs are small prices to pay.
"I feel very blessed," says Kyle. "I don't know how I lucked out to be in the situation I'm in with the people I'm with."
Growing up, Kyle would wish he was a boy, but he wasn't. He felt betrayed by himself, his female body, even by God — all things he didn't understand, having never been exposed to a transgender man.
He was 28 when he saw Aydian Dowling, a bodybuilder, activist and vlogger, compete to be the first transgender man on the cover of Men's Health magazine.
Until then, he had no idea transitioning from female to male was possible.
"I feel like, only recently in the last two to three years, female to male trans people have been visible," says Kyle. "Before, it was all male to female — that was all you saw."
His feelings finally made sense — he was born the wrong gender. About a month after his realization, his then-wife asked for a divorce for unrelated reasons.
The costs of physically transitioning go beyond surgery.
Some transgender people choose to take hormones and remain on them for life. Recently, Kyle's health insurance company started covering most of his hormone therapy, so his copay could soon be as low as $5 per vial. Depending on the type of hormones and the method of using them (injections, pills or gel), hormones can cost up to $1,500 a year.
Just to obtain hormones, Kyle needed a letter from a psychiatrist, who required four sessions at $70 each before she would write a letter stating he had received the appropriate clinical treatment.
Then, she charged him an additional $70 to write the letter.
What Happens When You Can't Afford to Physically Transition?
Kyle knows his situation is ideal. He has a steady job and friends willing to offer him assistance.
But the enormous costs of transitioning leads many people to seek cheaper alternatives.
Oftentimes, these alternatives are illegal and can put lives at risk.
Tia Milan relaxes in her home before heading to work in Orlando, Fla. "I just think of myself as a woman," Tia said. "I have to realize not everyone views me the way I do," she said when speaking about prejudices that exist against the transgender community. Tina Russell/The Penny Hoarder
When Tia Milan, now 33, purchased her hormones illegally as a teen, she knew she may not be ingesting what was advertised. But at the time, medical care wasn't widely available for those seeking to transition.
"There's a risk with everything you do in your life," she says. "But you have to live. And I wanted to live the way I was feeling inside, so I was willing to risk anything."
Tia didn't experience any dangerous side effects from the illegal hormones, but she didn't know she should have been taking testosterone blockers, as well. As a result, her emotions were heightened; she often found herself crying at stoplights or even while watching Budweiser commercials.
Tia talks to her regular customers at the piano bar inside Parliament House in Orlando, Fla. She started working there in 2012, and recently left for an opportunity to make more money at a different bar. "Going out and applying for jobs is the surest reality check for anyone living as transgender," Tia said. "It's the biggest wake up call to the prejudices that still exist." Tina Russell/The Penny Hoarder
Tia finally got insurance through the Affordable Care Act, aka "Obamacare," and is now able to legally get the health care she needs, including hormones.
For those seeking affordable body alterations, such as surgery, there's even more at stake.
Taliyah Cassadine, a 35-year-old trans woman from Atlanta, has performed as a female impersonator for most of her adult life. She entered pageants, but she always finished as first runner-up. It put an enormous amount of pressure on her to transition so she could win.
She scheduled consultations with multiple plastic surgeons for top surgery beginning in 2006; the moment they found out she was transgender, they instantly raised their prices by thousands of dollars, she says. Sometimes, they just wouldn't call her back.
So she went to an illegitimate provider known as a "pump doctor" for silicone injections. Compared with the thousands she would have spend for a real doctor, she paid only $300 per session for about five sessions.
Taliyah Cassadine of Atlanta underwent a double mastectomy after she went to an illegal provider known as a pump doctor for silicone injections. She works six days a week, sometimes even seven, to save up money to have the last bit of silicone removed.
The thing about pump doctors, though, is that the injections they offer are usually only part silicone. According to LiveScience, common additions to the mixture include cement, tire sealant and mineral oils. While the silicone is dangerous enough, these other ingredients can go straight to internal organs and begin to shut them down.
Taliyah started feeling sick. She could no longer walk long distances due to chronic fatigue and started performing poorly at work. Sometimes her temperature would rise to life-threatening levels of around 103 to 104 degrees. Between 2008 and 2015, she was admitted to the hospital at least once a year, but doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with her, even though she was upfront about seeing a pump doctor.
Finally, a CT scan finally revealed that her injections were putting her life at risk.
She quickly found a surgeon in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and had a double mastectomy. It cost her $9,000.
Taliyah was Miss Black Trans International 2016. She is an advocate for healthy and safe transitioning. Her campaign, "Say NO 2 Silicone Injections," aimed to raise awareness of the dangers of these injections. She created a grant for her campaign to help transgender women transition in healthy and safe ways.
"I learned the hard way that all of our issues have a reason," says Taliyah. "If you don't turn an issue into something positive, you've wasted an opportunity."
Aug. 11: The Countdown Begins
Kyle gets ready to throw Benjamin Fishberg, 7, up in the air while visiting him and Kimberly Fishberg. Tina Russell/The Penny Hoarder
Kyle's new room is cluttered with his belongings — clothes are draped over his bedframe. An overflowing laundry basket sits between his dresser and bed. His new room is much smaller than the one he lived in just a few weeks ago, and he still isn't completely done putting away his things.
Sitting on a sofa in the living room, he scrolls through his GoFundMe campaign and smiles. Over the weekend, an anonymous source donated $885. That, combined with the money he's saved on his own, puts him on pace to exceed his goal for his surgeon fees. With that donation, he believes he'll be able to cover the hospital fees on his own.
His family still hasn't donated, but he hopes they will before his campaign closes. He thinks his family's "weird money habits" are what's holding them back from donating. With a few exceptions, his family has been supportive throughout his transition.
After his top surgery, he hopes to use the money habits he's acquired on this journey — like opening a savings account and refusing to touch it, no matter what — to start saving for a home of his own.
After that, he hopes to start saving for bottom surgery, though he knows it'll take longer due to the high cost.
Kyle pretends to karate chop Benjamin while visiting him and his friend, Kimberly Fishberg, on Aug. 12, 2017. Tina Russell/The Penny Hoarder
For now, though, he's just excited his appearance will soon be more in line with how he wants to look. With the money aspect taken care of, his biggest obstacle now is losing 11 pounds for his surgery — something he knows he'll be able to do.
As he walks outside to the driveway, he asks what the date is. He pulls his phone from his back pocket. It's Aug. 11.
"You know what? I just realized I'm past the 100-day mark," he says. "There's only 97 days until my surgery!"
He stares at the countdown app on his phone, then adjusts his glasses.
"Sh*t is getting real now," he says. "I'm so ready."
Kelly Anne Smith is a junior writer and engagement specialist at The Penny Hoarder. Catch her on Twitter at @keywordkelly.


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Defiant Pence vows to be tough campaigner in re-election bid
Tony Cook tony.cook@indystar.com
A defiant Gov. Mike Pence pledged, despite poor poll numbers after a high-profile controversy over the state's new religious freedom law, to fight his political opponents — even if it means running a less positive campaign than the one he ran in 2012.
"I will ensure our state remains true to those ideals, but we will not cower to intolerance from any quarter," he told a friendly crowd of about 800 people at the Indiana Republican Party's Spring Dinner. "For those expecting a campaign like 2012, they will be disappointed."
During his 15-minute speech, he touted his administration's economic and education agendas, including the state's improved unemployment rate and his new alternative Medicaid expansion program.
But he also addressed the controversy over Indiana's new religious freedom law, which a new poll released Wednesday shows has cost him dearly. The new law set off a national firestorm over concerns that it could allow businesses to refuse services to gays and lesbians.
"Hoosier hospitality came under attack, and let me say from my heart as your governor, I bear some responsibility for that," he said. "Thoughtful debates are always welcome, they are always encouraged, but let me say those seeking to divide us and hurt our people, hurt our state, will not succeed."
Pence did not directly address a question likely to nag him throughout the campaign: Will he support statewide civil rights protections for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people?
Democrats and some moderate Republicans see such a measure as the only way to fully restore the state's reputation as a welcoming place after the Religious Freedom Restoration Act debacle, but Pence has traditionally opposed such laws.
"In Indiana, we won't tolerate discrimination against anyone. But Hoosiers also know, in the changing tides of popular culture, there must be room for faith," Pence said Thursday night.
"We will find our way forward as a state that respects the dignity and worth of every individual, and we will ensure that no government intervention, no government coercion will interfere with the freedom of conscience and freedom of religion enshrined in our state and federal constitution," he said.
He then turned to the topic of his critics.
"As much as our opponents want to dwell on the past, elections are about the future, and I believe our party must focus on hopes and aspirations of the people of this state," he said. "The truth is, the other side just really doesn't want to talk about their agenda."
He described that agenda as one of big spending, more taxes and overly stringent regulation.
"We're not going to allow liberals and special interests in Washington, D.C., undo all we've accomplished together," he said. "Because make no mistake about it, this is going to be a fight, but I'm ready."
Pence's speech came a day after a new poll showing the first-term governor's popularity has continued to suffer since he signed the controversial RFRA, which supporters said was needed to protect people of faith from government overreach.
The poll showed that a majority of Hoosier voters want a new governor, that Pence's favorability rating has fallen 6 points in recent weeks and that if the election were held today, he would be tied with two potential Democratic challengers, state schools chief Glenda Ritz and former House Speaker John Gregg.
It also showed a majority of voters support a statewide nondiscrimination law for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people.
The poll was conducted by Republican pollster Christine Matthews on behalf of former Angie's List CEO and RFRA opponent Bill Oesterle.
Talking to reporters earlier in the day, Pence dismissed the latest poll numbers.
"The only poll that really matters is going to happen in November of 2016," he said. "The campaign starts tonight. We're going to carry our message all across the state of Indiana."
Democrats are hoping to capitalize on the slide in Pence's popularity. They organized a protest outside the event, with several dozen people holding "Fire Mike Pence" signs and chanting "Pence must go!"
Cheryl Laux, a 64-year-old retiree from Danville, was among them. She said she disagreed with Pence on a number of issues.
"One of the big things is RFRA," she said. "I thought he was very disingenuous saying he didn't think it would affect LGBTQ people, when he had three of the biggest advocates against them at his signing."
She was referring to the private bill-signing ceremony Pence held in his Statehouse office. One photograph of the event featured three of the state's top socially conservative religious lobbyists and gay marriage opponents standing behind the governor.
Pence and Republican lawmakers later revised the law to prevent it from eroding local nondiscrimination ordinances.
Democrats have said the only way to fix Indiana's reputation post-RFRA is to pass statewide civil rights protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Pence narrowly defeated Gregg in 2012 in a campaign noteworthy for its lack of vitriol.
But Gregg launched his campaign this year with a video attacking Pence over RFRA — an attack he continued in a statement released after Pence's speech.
"Mike Pence does not deserve re-election," Gregg said. "His administration has been one of the most divisive, dysfunctional and disappointing in our state's history."
Ritz did not immediately comment on the speech.
Call Star reporter Tony Cook at (317) 444-6081. Follow him on Twitter: @indystartony.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Iraqi Forces Retake Three Districts Of Tal Afar From Islamic State
Iraqi Forces Battle To Retake Tal Afar From Islamic State Militants
WATCH: Iraqi Forces Battle To Retake Tal Afar From Islamic State Militants
Iraqi troops on August 22 recaptured from the Islamic State extremist group the first three districts of the city of Tal Afar, as U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis visited Baghdad in a show of support.
The United Nations said thousands of civilians had fled Tal Afar in the two days since the start of the broad offensive backed by the U.S.-led coalition fighting IS.
After meeting Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi in Baghdad, Mattis said IS militants were "on the run."
"Cities have been liberated, people freed from ISIS, from Daesh," Mattis said, using alternative names for IS.
The militants had not been able "to stand up to our team in combat, and they have not retaken one inch of ground that they lost," he said.
Iraqi troops backed by a U.S.-led international coalition dislodged IS from Mosul last month after a nine-month fight for Iraq's second city.
They launched an offensive August 20 to recapture Tal Afar, once a key IS supply hub between Mosul -- around 70 kilometers further east -- and the Syrian border to the west.
IS fighters inside Tal Afar are estimated to number around 1,000.
Based on reporting by AFP and AP


Edward Klein, author of a blockbuster new exposé about President Obama, offers a behind-the-scenes look at a White House dinner when Obama hosted nine presidential historians — and offered a "sneak preview" of his failed presidency.
The historians on hand — Doris Kearns Goodwin, Michael Beschloss, Robert Caro, Robert Dallek, Douglas Brinkley, H.W. "Billam" Brands, David Kennedy, Kenneth Mack, and Garry Wills — had for the most part supported the Obama campaign.
When one of the historians brought up the problems that President Lyndon Johnson faced trying to wage a foreign military venture while implementing an ambitious domestic agenda, "Mr. Obama grew testy," Klein writes.
"He implied that he was different, because he could prevail by the force of his personality. He could solve the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, put millions of people back to work, redistribute wealth, withdraw from Iraq, and reconcile the United States to a less dominant role in the world.
"It was, by any measure, a breathtaking display of grandiosity by a man whose entire political curriculum vitae consisted of seven undistinguished years in the Illinois senate and two mostly absent years in the United States Senate.
"There's no doubt that Obama has turned out to be a major enigma and disappointment," Klein quotes the historian as saying.
"For a long time, I found it hard to understand why he couldn't translate his political savvy into effective governance. But I think I know the answer now. Since the beginning of his administration, Obama hasn't been able to capture the public's imagination and inspire people to follow him.
"People don't feel that he's on their side. Obama doesn't connect. He doesn't have the answers. He's turned out to be a failure as a communicator . . .


Viaje al Parque Nacional Iguazú desde Buenos Aires en solo un día.
Excellent from the time of our pickup at our hotel, flight, pickup in Iguazu and return trip. Our guide Marisa was fantastic. She was with us the entire time, explained everything in detail. We felt very well taken care of. And the boat trip part was spectacular- very wet but so much fun. Wouldn't have missed this experience for anything.
Excellent professional service. The falls were amazing and breathtaking, we got a lot of additional informations from the guide. Thanks to viator local staff!


• Clear dirt and oil with Neutrogena Deep Clean® Invigorating Daily Cleanser, a refreshing foaming cleanser that tingles on contact.
• Deep Clean Invigorating Daily Cleanser's exhilarating gel transforms into a thick, foaming lather that completely cleans skin and washes away dead skin cells.
• With energizing beads it releases a refreshing cool wave that penetrates deep into pores, leaving your skin feeling refreshed for hours.
INR 349 for 198 mL.
The face wash comes in light blue-coloured see-through packaging, which is typical of all Neutrogena face cleansers. It has a pump dispenser which is good for easy dispensing of the product.
Here's the pump dispenser. We often appreciate such packaging which come with pump dispensers, even I do. Well, check the next picture.
On my visit to Mumbai, I came across this Neutrogena exclusive store and I immediately barged in as I badly wanted to try their toner. Unfortunately, it was out-of-stock. While I was just looking around the store, I saw this cool blue-coloured bottle. I have used Neutrogena's face washes for a long time and none of their products have disappointed me as yet, so I thought of picking this up.
Coming to the face wash, it's a slight blue coloured, clear gel type one with blue beads in it. The blue beads are soft and do not have any abrasive action, but you can still feel them a little when you are massaging your face with the face wash. It lathers up well and removes all traces of dirt, grime and greasiness on my face leaving my face squeaky clean, fresh and indeed invigorated. The face wash has this amazing cooling effect on the face and I feel as if I have just washed my face with loads of ice. The cooling sensation lasts for sometime even after washing off the foam. I think this will make an excellent face wash for those hot summer days. It doesn't leave any stretchy feel on my face post washing, makes my face soft and suits my oily skin well.
However, I notice this doesn't remove my eyeliner/kohl/eye makeup well. Also, I find the pump type dispenser makes it not-so-travel friendly. When I was packing my luggage, I packed this face wash very carefully in plastic bag and sealed its mouth with some tape, but a lot of the product still got leaked out and wasted. I think Neutrogena should work upon this, like by providing a cap to secure the dispenser. Since the pump dispenser of this bottle is already damaged, I will have to transfer the contents to a different bottle now.
:yes: Gentle face wash, did not irritate my sensitive skin.
:yes: Removes dirt, grime, oil/greasiness well.
:yes: Immediately freshens up my skin.
:yes: Makes skin soft without leaving behind a stretchy feel.
:yes: Great for summers as it has this amazing cooling effect on the face post washing.
:yes: Suitable for combination-oily skin.
:yes: Decent packaging (if the pump breaking apart issue is not considered).
:yes: One bottle will last atleast 3 months, so that justifies the price.
:no: I have not seen this particular face wash around stores here , so availability could be an issue.
:no: Doesn't remove eye makeup well.
:no: Not-so-sturdy pump dispenser which broke in just 1 fall.
Nupur..how r u? kaisa gaya weekend?
hello parita…me good, wht abt u?
I agree with Bhawana. so many options thanks to IMBB. am currently using the Neutrogena Deep clean normal to oily and like it very much. It has the same challenges that you mentioned – not the best to travel with for sure. Thanks for the review.
On a slightly different note I have suddeny gotten 3 mark types things on my face. Not sure if it is this clenser that has caused it or the Lacto calamine normal to dry skin face cream that i started using around the same time I started using the Neutrogena :chewnails . been using both these products for abt a week now.
it is red and they are all together. its like rashes. they get covered up pretty well with the concealer so… how long should I wait before I know if these products are working or not?
ya thats what I have started doing. Started using Oil of Olay 'Gentle' 7-n-1 anti-ageing cream. hope this works out better.
i thot this one has been around for a while. The Normal and Gentle 7-n-1 anti ageing have been around for some time. I think the one that says 'day cream' has been their new product.
i am major fan of thr products tho….
hey Nupur,i had the blue bottle of neutrogena deep clean wid pump.i had the same problem while travelling. then i started locking the pump..just the opposite. of how we open for the 1st time. press the ppump down and rotate it,just 1ce or a bit more till it reach the lock. but d con is,uu waste a deal of product. wat i do is 2 close it a night b4 travelin and store the oozed out product in washed clean empty containers of lip balm. its a mess. but the product was so effective 4 me that i went thru d whole mess.
The bottleooks so cute Nuuu. My hubby uses Orange anti acne one its great. Will reveiw that one.


text:
News > Medscape Medical News > Neurology News
New Treatment Benefits Children With Spinal Muscular Atrophy
Sue Hughes
Researchers are reporting positive results with a new treatment for spinal muscular atrophy, the most common genetic cause of childhood mortality.
The condition, which affects around 1 in every 11,000 births, is a progressive motor neuron disorder, causing muscle weakness and difficulties breathing and eating.
About 60% of patients with spinal muscular atrophy are born with the severe form — infantile-onset type I — developing profound limb and trunk weakness before 6 months of age and failing to roll over or achieve independent sitting. Less than a quarter of these infants survive beyond 2 years of age without dependence on ventilation support. There are no approved drug treatments.
The current research, published online in The Lancet on December 6, involves giving an antisense oligonucleotide aimed at increasing concentrations of the key protein — known as survival motor neuron (SMN) protein — which is underexpressed in spinal muscular atrophy.
In the phase 2 open-label study, multiple intrathecal doses of the drug, known as nusinersen (in development by Ionis Pharmaceuticals and Biogen) appeared to show remarkable efficacy, with improvements in motor function, achievement of motor milestones, and permanent ventilation-free survival as compared with published natural history.
"We observed remarkable improvement in muscle function. For instance, some babies undergoing treatment developed the ability to sit and roll over independently and improved their head control, kicking, grasping, standing, and even walking," lead author Richard Finkel, MD, Nemours Children's Hospital, Orlando, Florida, told Medscape Medical News.
He cautioned, however, that while their results are promising, this drug does not represent a cure.
"Although this type of improvement has not been observed before in infants with infantile-onset spinal muscular atrophy, the drug did not restore normal levels of muscle function. It's important to interpret these findings carefully as our study is relatively small and open-label, but this is an important first step."
"A New Dawn"
In an accompanying editorial, Thomas H. Gillingwater, PhD, Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research and Centre for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, describes the study as "a new dawn in developing safe and effective therapy options for spinal muscular atrophy that are urgently required."
The new open-label, phase 2 clinical study, he writes, "is a major milestone on the journey towards a viable therapy…. Although these findings need to be interpreted cautiously in the context of the limitations of a small, open-label, interventional trial, they should generate substantial encouragement that raising SMN protein concentrations could be of therapeutic benefit to patients with spinal muscular atrophy."
In the Lancet paper, the researchers explain that spinal muscular atrophy is caused by deletions or mutations in the SMN1 gene, rendering it incapable of generating functional SMN protein. However, there is a similar gene — SMN2 — that can also produce the SMN protein, but this gene has several nucleotide substitutions compared to SMN1 so that only 10% to 25% of SMN2 transcripts can generate functional SMN protein.
The key part of the gene needed to produce the SMN protein is known as exon 7. Nusinersen is an antisense oligonucleotide that binds to repressive sites within SMN2 exon 7, thus promoting exon 7 inclusion and increased production of functional SMN protein.
The current study included 20 infants aged 3 weeks to 7 months who had spinal muscular atrophy symptoms and were known to have SMN1 homozygous gene deletion or mutation. They received loading doses of 6 to 12 mg of nusinersen on days 1, 15, and 85, and then 12-mg equivalent doses on day 253 and every 4 months thereafter, for a total of 18 to 32 months.
All participants were followed up regularly in person, with additional monitoring by telephone for safety and ventilation status.
In terms of safety, 77 serious adverse events were reported in 16 participants, all considered by study investigators not related or unlikely related to the study drug. The most common were respiratory distress or failure or respiratory infections, which the authors say are commonplace in infants with spinal muscular atrophy.
One mild event of transient, asymptomatic neutropenia and one mild event of vomiting were both considered "possibly related to nusinersen."
Significant Efficacy Results
Efficacy results showed incremental improvements in developmental motor milestones on the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination-2 (HINE-2) scale in 16 of 19 participants (1 of 4 participants who started with loading doses of 6 mg and in all 15 of those starting on the 12-mg dose) at the last visit compared with baseline.
Change in HINE-2 score from baseline to last visit was significant for both cohorts combined (P =.0002) and for participants in the 12-mg dose group (P < .0001).
Improvements of two or more levels per motor milestone category on at least one category were observed in 13 participants and were most often observed for grasping (13 participants), ability to kick (9 participants), and sitting (8 participants) but were also evident for head control (6 participants), rolling (6 participants), standing (5 participants), crawling (2 participants), and walking (2 participants).
Motor function, assessed by using the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Infant Test of Neuromuscular Disorders scale, showed a mean increase of 11.5 points from baseline to last visit overall, with 14 of 18 infants having an improvement.
In the 12-mg group, 12 of 14 participants had an increase from baseline to last visit (mean increase, 15.2 points) compared with a natural history case series of infants with type I spinal muscular atrophy, in which a mean decline of 1.27 points per year was observed.
A score greater than 40, a value rarely observed for symptomatic infants with type I spinal muscular atrophy with two SMN2 gene copies, was observed in none of the 13 infants with two SMN2 gene copies at baseline and increased to 7 of 13 participants at last visit in the 12-mg group, the researchers report.
As of the date of analysis, a median age of death or permanent ventilation had not been reached because most participants were surviving without permanent ventilation. Four infants died of their disease during the study, including one who died too early to be included in the analysis.
Postmortem samples from the infants who died showed proof of target engagement and mechanism, as nusinersen altered SMN2 splicing, with an increase in full-length transcript that includes exon 7, and an increase in SMN protein in spinal cord motor neurons as compared with untreated infants with spinal muscular atrophy as control, the authors report.
The researchers conclude: "Our study shows favourable safety and tolerability, pharmacokinetics, proof-of-concept pharmacodynamics, and a promising clinical response of intrathecal nusinersen." They add that this study provides proof of principle for the use of antisense therapeutics in the treatment of neurologic disorders and that therapies that increase SMN protein might provide clinical benefit to patients with spinal muscular atrophy.
A large phase 3, randomized, sham-controlled study of nusinersen in infantile-onset spinal muscular atrophy is ongoing. Because no safety concerns were identified in the phase 2 study reported here, the phase 3 study has incorporated a more frequent dosing regimen, especially in the first few months of treatment, when infants with spinal muscular atrophy progress rapidly and are particularly vulnerable, the authors note.
They add that presymptomatic treatment might provide an even greater clinical response, and this hypothesis is being examined in an ongoing phase 2 study.
The current study was funded by Ionis Pharmaceuticals and Biogen. Dr Finkel reports grants and personal fees from Ionis Pharmaceuticals during the conduct of the study and grants and advisor fees from Biogen and Roche, outside the submitted work. He also serves in an advisory capacity to the nonprofit organizations the SMA Foundation, Cure SMA, SMA Reach (UK), and SMA Europe and serves on the data safety monitoring board for the AveXis gene transfer study. Professor Gillingwater is chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the SMA Trust and serves on scientific and clinical advisory boards for SMA Europe and Association Française contre les Myopathies. He is named on a patent application submitted by the University of Edinburgh for the use of β-catenin inhibitors for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy.
Lancet. Published online December 6, 2016. Abstract, Editorial
For more Medscape Neurology news, join us on Facebook and Twitter
Cite this: New Treatment Benefits Children With Spinal Muscular Atrophy - Medscape - Dec 15, 2016.
Freelance News Editor, Medscape
Disclosure: Sue Hughes has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
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Strong Link Between Muscle Strength, Mobility, and Brain Health
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Team: Dr Liz Jackson, Faculty of Education, Dr Lucy Jordan, Faculty of Social Sciences, Ms Yulia Nesterova, Education, Dr Gizem Arat, Social Sciences & Dr Zhou Xiaochen, Social Sciences.
The University of Hong Kong attracts research students from around the world due to its international outlook, unique sociocultural and economic position, and innovative practices. Internationalization and the resulting diverse body of students, however, pose challenges in terms of curriculum, teaching, learning environments, supervision, and other activities. Little is known about the experiences of non-local (Mainland Chinese and overseas) research postgraduate students. This Teaching Development Grant project examined the experiences of non-local students at HKU, incorporating qualitative and quantitative methods in an exploratory sequential research design. The project aims to develop recommendations for on-campus activities to enrich students' experiences and improve the multicultural community at the University.
In the past 28 years since regaining independence from the Soviet Union, Lithuania has transformed its society and the higher education system. Since joining the European Union in 2004, Lithuanian higher education has aligned its policies and practices with the EU. This integration created many opportunities as well as some challenges. In this presentation, we will examine how the system of higher education in Lithuania has developed from the Soviet to current times and how the integration into the European Union higher education community has created new possibilities for Lithuanian scholars.
The current research project, "Researching Specialist Training to Provide Holistic Help to People with Disabilities in the Health Care System while Improving Researcher Competencies" will be used as a telling case to ground the discussions of the history, developments, and needs in Lithuanian higher education.
Chair: Dr. Susan Bridges. Discussants: Dr. Liz Jackson, Dr. Anatoly Oleksiyenko.
Prof. Audra Skukauskaitė is a senior researcher at Klaipeda University, Lithuania, as well as an independent researcher and research consultant for the Lemelson-MIT program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the USA. Dr. Skukauskaitė resides in the US and serves as an adjunct professor of qualitative research methodologies in the College of Integrated Medicine and Health Sciences and the College of Social Sciences at Saybrook University in California, USA. Dr. Skukauskaitė has conducted seminars on varied qualitative research methodologies in Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, Australia and the US and has taught writing for academic publication in English for international scholars. Dr. Skukauskaitė has published numerous research articles and book chapters focusing on ethnography, research epistemology and transparency, transcribing and interviewing, as well as on the teaching and learning of research. Dr. Skukauskaitė serves on editorial boards of four journals and has an extensive experience of reviewing and supporting the writing of manuscripts for academic publications. Over the past 15 years, Dr. Skukauskaitė has served in multiple leadership positions in the American Educational Research Association. Currently, she serves as chair of the Qualitative Research section of the Measurement and Research Methodology Division (D) as well as chair of the John. J. Gumperz Lifetime Achievement Award committee of the Language and Social Processes SIG at AERA.
As a researcher, research consultant, and professor of research methodologies and qualitative research, over her career, Dr. Skukauskaitė has worked with diverse scholars and students across disciplines to develop, conduct, and support research studies in complex educational and transdisciplinary environments. Her recent work has explored invention education and ways of utilizing ethnographic and discourse-based research epistemologies to examine complex processes of constructing and publishing research in science and engineering education. Dr. Skukauskaitė's overarching interests focus on ways of utilizing research-based ways of thinking and knowing to develop deeper understandings and trustworthy representations of the complex processes and practices of learning, teaching, and living in dynamic academic, socio-historical, economic, and cultural environments.
Prof. Ingrida Baranauskienė is a professor of Education and head researcher at the Faculty of Health Sciences of Klaipėda University (Lithuania). For over ten years, the professor has been the dean of the Faculty of Social Welfare and Disability Studies of Šiauliai University. The field of her scientific interests: preconditions for success in social participation of people with disabilities. I. Baranauskienė is a co-author of two monographs on the participation of people with disabilities in the labour market, an initiator of five scientific studies presenting research on social exclusion. She is an author of many scientific articles on disability research. To make an impact on active practice of Lithuania and other European countries, the professor takes an active part in international projects, initiates and implements them. I. Baranauskienė was awarded the title of the honorary doctor of the university "Ukraine" for her practical activities and support to the Ukrainian system of higher education. The professor has been elected as an expert in the area of Education Science in Latvian Academy of Sciences for a maximum term of three years. I. Baranauskienė is the editor-in-chief of the journal "Social Welfare: Interdisciplinary Approach", member of editorial boards of several other scientific journals. Currently, in cooperation with other scientists, I. Baranauskienė is investigating the accessibility of the health care system to Lithuanian people with disabilities through participation in the high-level scientific research project "Researching Specialist Training to Provide Holistic Help to People with Disabilities in the Health Care System while Improving Researcher Competencies". Judith Green, professor emerita of the University of California in Santa Barbara, is the leader of this project. The project is funded by the Research Council of Lithuania jointly with the European Union.
Prof. Liudmila Rupšienė is a professor and senior researcher at Klaipeda University. The main scientific interest – research methodology. Author of a number of books with three of them focusing on research methodology: Methodology of Qualitative Research Data Collection (2007), Methodology of Qualitative Research (2008), Educational Experiment (2016). Published more than 100 scientific articles, made around 100 presentations in scientific conferences in Lithuania and abroad (Latvia, Poland, Spain, Denmark, Russia, USA and many other countries). Member or leader of international and national projects (ERASMUS+ and others), Lithuanian principal investigator in European scientific project ESPAD. Scientific supervisor of doctoral students, supervised for 7 defended doctoral dissertations, chairwoman, member or opponent of around 60 doctoral dissertation defense boards, member of habilitation procedure board, member of the committee for the joint education doctorate of four Lithuanian universities consortium (since 2011). Expert of the State Studies Foundation, Centre for Quality Assessment in Higher Education, the president of Lithuanian Educational Research Association, council member of European Educational Research Association. Member of editorial boards of two Lithuanian academic journals.
Date: Tuesday, 13 November 2018.
Venue: Room 203, Runme Shaw Building.
by Dr. Richard Heraud, Tutor, Faculty of Education, University of Waikato, New Zealand.
In the seminar, Dr Heraud will problematize how the concept of innovation is understood in tertiary institutions in New Zealand, with the intention of characterizing the collaborative conditions under which Chinese/Hong Kong and New Zealand institutions might collaborate more in the future, and how to best understand shared academic and commercial opportunities and benefits that should flow from such relations. The nexus of the discussion will focus on the difference between Technological Innovation and Technological Change, and how these concepts occupy our thinking in diverse ways regarding how innovation and change are realized in tertiary institutions.
Dr. Richard Heraud's research interests concern participation in the innovation process, open innovation, networked and collaborative relations in R&D, in particular involving relations between researchers and technologists in New Zealand and China. He is co-editor of E-Learning and Digital Media, managing editor of the Open Review of Educational Research, co-editor of the Encyclopedia of Educational Innovation, co-editor of Organization and Newness: Discourses and Ecologies of Innovation in the Creative University.
Date: Tuesday, 23 October 2018.
Venue: Room 402, Runme Shaw Building.
by Dr. Anatoly Oleksiyenko, Associate Professor of higher education, Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong and Dr. Wenqin Shen, Associate Professor of higher education, Graduate School of Education, Peking University.
CERC invites you to the book launch at which you will meet the scholars investigating global tensions between the movement to advance progressive university policies and practices and the countervailing forces for restoring old-style hyper-centralization and indoctrination. The cases of higher education systems in China and Russia provide intriguing insights into the anxiety generated by these tensions.
Book Launch special price: HK$200 (HK$250 market price).
Anatoly V. Oleksiyenko's research focuses on governance transformations in global higher education. Over the last decade, he has conducted studies on international competition and the collaboration strategies of research universities in Cambodia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Ukraine, and the United States.
Wenqin Shen researches training system and doctoral education in China and around the world, the history of higher education (history of the idea of liberal education and history of the field of higher education research), student mobility, and the internationalization of higher education.
Date: Monday, 15 October 2018.
You're cordially invited to the next CERC seminar co-hosted with the Faculty of Education on coming Thursday, 04 October 2018 at 12:45 – 14:00 in Room 203 of Runme Shaw Building.
This paper assesses the works of Paul Monroe, Isaac L. Kandel and the International Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University in the early 20th century. Drawing on Edward Said's notion of contrapuntal reading, it foregrounds the colonial and imperial realities of the time as constitutively significant to the early formation of the field. In so doing, the paper unsettles the comforting ways in which the founding histories of the field have been narrated. By illuminating colonial/imperial entanglements during the formative period, this paper reflects upon how the historical and geopolitical context sets limits on what knowledge we produce and how, when the relationship between our scholarship and international development agencies is closer than ever.
Dr. Takayama's research examines globalization of education both as an empirical and epistemic phenomenon. Recently, he co-edited two special issues in Comparative Education Review and Postcolonial Directions in Education. Currently, he serves the editorial board for Asia Pacific Journal of Education, Comparative Education Review and International Studies in Sociology of Education.
Date: Thursday, 04 October 2018.
You're cordially invited to the next CERC seminar co-hosted with the Faculty of Education on coming Tuesday, 18 September 2018 at 12:45 – 14:00 in Room 204 of Runme Shaw Building.
This seminar will present the findings of a CERC research project conducted in Myanmar under the auspices of UNESCO and with support from the Yangon University of Education (YUOE). A mixed-methods study collected data from students in Grades 9 and 11 and from teachers, parents and other stakeholders. Some features of shadow education resemble those in other places, but some reflect the regulations and socio-political culture of Myanmar.
Later this month the authors will discuss the findings with policy-makers in Myanmar's Ministry of Education. They will value suggestions during this CERC seminar on the ways to highlight the core issues most effectively.
Date: Tuesday, 18 September 2018.
Venue: Room 204, Runme Shaw Building.
In The Making of Indigeneity, Lopez interrogates how what is "indigenous," as a category of diversity, emerged, has been made, remade, and is taken up to fund discourses of multiculturalism and intercultualism. Through historical and ethnographic classroom research Lopez devices eventalizing as a methodological approximation to educational research at the limits of "the educational" to interrogate how liberal and progressive propositions for educating the "Indian" generate particular ways of organizing difference ostensibly meant to serve historically marginalized indigenous peoples. Asking questions of the historical and scientific involvement of anthropology, sociology, law, photography, and education in the making of indigenous as a kind of people, Lopez accounts for the aspirations, activities, and tactics that perpetuate violence on indigenous lives limiting their futurity as un-fixed being.
Ligia (Licho) Lopez Lopez is a McKenzie Fellow and Lecturer at the University of Melbourne in Australia. Her research interests are interrogating diversity, visual studies of difference, youth popular visual cultures, and Black and Brown affect as curricular trans-formation. Licho is the author of The Making of Indigeneity, Curriculum History and the Limits of Diversity (Routledge, 2017). Her work has appeared in Knowledge Cultures (Australia), PROFESSORADO (Spain), Journal of Curriculum and Theorizing (USA), and The British Journal of Sociology (UK).
Ren Youqun is Executive Vice Chairman of the University Council & Vice President of ECNU. He is also a professor in Educational Sciences.
His research interests include Curriculum and Instruction, Educational Technology, Teacher Education, and Learning Sciences. He has published 2 books and over 80 articles, and translated 10 English books into Chinese. Prof. Ren is a passionate teacher with abundant teaching experience in higher education.
Abstract: East China Normal University (ECNU) is one of the elite universities in China. Since 2017 the university has been sponsored by the 'National Double First-rate Program', a new impetus for the development of China's higher education. Its Faculty of Education has excelled in the national discipline-based evaluation led by the Ministry of Education. These achievements have brought ECNU both opportunities and challenges for its further development.
In this context, ECNU has launched a 'Five Plus' Action Plan: Education plus, Health plus, Ecology plus, Intelligence plus and International plus. This seminar will focus on the 'Education Plus' Action Plan.
Click here for the poster.
Using a psychological lens, this seminar will focus on the opportunities and challenges inherent in the educational sojourn experience of a considerable number of students engaged in international education. The discussion will be grounded in a developmental theory originally proposed by Urie Bronfenbrenner leading to a new perspective concerning the distinctive processes entailed in an educational sojourn, particularly the implications of co-existing multilevel ecological systems from both 'home' and 'host' countries. There is a strong argument that a greater appreciation of this less explored perspective of academic acculturation is not only central to the quality of students' educational experience but is equally crucial to the success or failure of these educational sojourns. The value of understanding academic acculturation warrants an important question with respect to the roles played by Higher Education Institutions, staff members and students themselves in maximising what international education can offer, not only to educational sojourners but equally, to realising 'internationalisation at home'.
Dr Dely Lazarte Elliot is a lecturer in the School of Education at the University of Glasgow convening Educational Psychology and contributing to other postgraduate courses. She has a strong interest in both the academic and non-academic acculturation encountered by postgraduate students learning in international higher education contexts.
She recently led two research projects: a) Academic acculturation through international education: The British higher Education experience (funded by Adam Smith Research Foundation), and b) Towards maximising international PhD students' experience in the UK (funded by Economic And Social Research Council IAA).
Dely regularly publishes and reviews in the areas of international education and doctoral education. She serves as an Associate Editor for the Higher Education Research & Development (HERD) Journal. Recent publications appear in Studies in Higher Education, Higher Education Research & Development, Oxford Review of Education and International Journal of Research & Method in Education.
Each year, UNESCO produces a Global Education Monitoring Report to assess progress towards the fourth of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which focuses on education and has a target date of 2030. In addition to statistical assessments, the report has a theme. For 2017/18, the theme is 'Accountability in Education'.
CERC will host a Round Table to discuss the Report, which can be accessed here.
Who: Mark Bray (Chair), Wesley Teter, Zhang Wei, Ora Kwo, Sherzod Khaydarov – and all other around the Round Table.
Come to learn about the Report and to discuss the themes with colleagues. All are welcome!
CERC is at CIES! Don't miss Anatoly and colleagues' book launch, and our book table this week! Books on discount for only US$20 or $10!
The next event for the CERC SIG on Peace, Conflict, and Sustainable Development will be held Monday, April 29th, where we will be sharing about..
Please join for an insightful and interesting evening.
Copyright © 2018 Comparative Education Research Centre.


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5 jaw-dropping moments from the 2016 Victoria's Secret show
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Site: Brittany Lane
The surprising and special moments from this year's coveted runway show
We were already expecting the drop-dead gorgeous bodies, the elaborate outfits, the intricately detailed wings, a star-studded lineup, and stunning hair and make-up at this year's Victoria's Secret show. But the 2016 runway was also full of surprising moments no one really saw coming:
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Bella Hadid's make-up artist reveals his top tips for summer
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Dissecting Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's first public appearance post-wedding
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Inside the Lancôme x Proenza Schouler make-up collection
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Lori Aitken: Bookkeeper to the Rescue!
Lucky for us, we've recently had the very talented and clever Lori Aitken join our team as our Bookkeeper Extraordinaire!
Lori was born and raised here in London, where she now lives with her childhood sweetheart and husband, Paul (read CBC's article about their love story!). In grade 8, Lori received the math award instead of Paul (who still carries a small grudge). The award now sits on her desk in her home office and the two joke that "since we reunited, at least he gets to live with the award under his roof now!" The couple live with their two miniature dachshunds, Hunter and Daisy, and a short walk away from her "sassy and super cool" daughter.
Outside their day jobs, Paul and Lori are both musicians; he's a professional guitarist and she is a developing bass player. In their home, Paul cooks 98% of all of the meals and Lori is the resident baker. Lori has often said "I'm fairly certain that cheesecake can get me through any crisis in life." She is currently experimenting on perfecting the Cruffin (inspired by Black Walnut Bakery) and the Cronut (which she discovered in Old Montreal last summer).
Lori began applying smart financial skills at a young age. She got her first babysitting job at age 12, and was taught by her uncle Gerry to divide her earnings into 3 jars: long term savings, short term savings and disposable income. Through high school, Lori's Mom taught her how she operated the household budget by divvying out cash from each paycheque into envelopes for each of their household bills to ensure everything was paid on time and then some. Using these money management lessons, Lori was able to buy a piano and pay for her own music lessons with her income from her first real job at McDonald's while she was still in high school. By the time she was married at 20 years old, she had enough money saved for the down payment on her first house.
Through her adult life, Lori has worked as a bank teller, credit analyst, scheduling/payroll analyst, productivity analyst and administrative assistant to two busy and well established financial planners. She hopes to help small businesses by giving them the knowledge and resources they need to reach their goals and turn a task they dislike into an achievable one that provides them with the information they need to make decisions that will help them further develop their business.
Executive Director Andrew Fleet has been a long time friend of Lori's and says "She has a keen eye for efficiency. No one works harder, or is more committed. She is fiercely loyal, fun, and she always has a pen. Lori is simply wonderful - and we are lucky to have her on our team."
We're so excited to welcome someone as kind, passionate, and dedicated as Lori to the GCO team! Visit her business Facebook page or newly launched website www.lorikaitken.com to get in touch!


We all have an impression that when a home smells bad, it is not clean. This is why we fill our space with heated oils, scented candles, and other aromatic products. While they can cover up the bad smell, they cannot fix what is causing the issue, nor make your home a safe place to stay.
The smell of smoke, whether from a cigarette or camp-out, is very hard to eliminate because it permeates your furniture, curtains, and carpets. Good thing, an air purifier can help you get rid of this problem. You can choose from an electronic air purifier, ionizer, or mechanical high-efficiency particulates filter. Each has their unique function, but their intended purpose is the same; to remove bad odors and pollutants in your home.
Pets unavoidably stink no matter how frequent you bath them. The furry family members including cats and dogs are in nature smelly and fill the home with dander and unpleasant odor. Not only that it can trigger allergic reactions, but it also brings great embarrassment if you want your friend or neighbors to come over your home. An efficient purifier can remove dander, hair, and odor all at the same time, so your home is safe and comfortable to stay.
Cooking fish can make your home stinky for days, but an air purifier can definitely help. Aside from eliminating the scent from your leftover fish dinner, it also removes other food odors, especially those delicious yet strong smelling spices. If you find your home having a bad smell, turn on your trusty air purifier to high speed and quickly give your home a fresh breath.
Have you forgotten to take the garbage out? You are probably dealing with great odor in your home right now. Instead of covering up the smell with air freshening spray, why not use an air purifier to remove even the particles that have escaped in the air that are causing a bad smell. You will notice a big improvement in your home's smell; we are sure of that!
There's nothing that can make your home smell stinky than an old-used diaper. Good thing, when you invest in an efficient air purifier, you can improve the odor in your baby's room and even your entire home. It will also make the air fresher and healthier for you and your little ones.
Let our professionals at North Texas Heating and Air Conditioning help you choose the right air purifier for your home. Give us a call to set an appointment!


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After 10 Years, Rickshaw Stop Still Thrives on Funkiness
Ian S. Port • 01/08/2014 4:00 am - Updated 02/23/2016 8:30 am
Christopher White wanted to call it simply "Rickshaw." He likes to travel, loves Southeast Asia. The name didn't have much resonance for San Francisco, but that didn't matter, because White liked it. "And then my partner Waldo said it would sound better if it was a place. He said, 'I think it should be Rickshaw Stop,' and I said, 'Okay.'"
And thus, 10 years ago this month, a music club was born among the forest of car-repair shops between Civic Center and Hayes Valley, at 155 Fell St., near Van Ness, and christened Rickshaw Stop. White and co-owner Waldo Williams flew in actual rickshaws from Vietnam and China to decorate the place. They reclaimed a lot of old building materials from a former Catholic fraternity that was being demolished down the street to make way for the new San Francisco Conservatory of Music. None of the trimmings matched. There was no coherent aesthetic. They didn't care.
A decade later, the fraternity's stately white marble bar is still inside the former auto repair shop and TV studio, just across from the actual Asian rickshaws, downstairs from where the claustrophobic smoking room with the crooked windows used to be (it recently became a bar), in a club that's both shabby and chic, self-made, independent, draped in red velvet curtains, happily weird. And still hosting some of the best independent bands and dance parties in the city, as it has more or less since it opened.
This week, Rickshaw Stop is holding a mini-festival to celebrate its 10th anniversary. It's six nights of special shows by bigger artists like Geographer, the Spits, Mikal Cronin, YACHT, and more, all of whom were handpicked by White and the staff of the Rickshaw according to certain criteria. "They had to have played with us before, and we had to have liked them as human beings," White says. "That meant everybody … including security guards." So if the band members were dicks to the doormen while loading out, they were off the list.
What White and the Rickshaw staff have created, though, is a big bright spot among the modest show calendars of mid-January, and a reminder of the important place that the compact but easygoing (and often all-ages) Rickshaw Stop occupies in the constellation of San Francisco music venues. Most of them specialize in either live bands or DJs, but Rickshaw hosts grubby punk outfits and thumping Saturday night bacchanals. On Thursdays, it opens to the 18+ crowd for Popscene, the long-running party of Live 105 Music Director Aaron Axelsen, who often books small bands everyone will have heard of in three years, and has his own way with the room's sound system. (We swear he sounds better on it than any other DJ.)
Hosting different kinds of events was always the goal, White says. "We wanted to do it all. We wanted to have a space where you could have a dance party, you could have a rock band, you could have a wedding." The hybrid arrangement is perfect for parties like Popscene, whose live acts and DJs cross back and forth over the rock/dance line. It doesn't really come at a price, either: In any given year, Rickshaw Stop will host plenty of the city's better small live shows. It often gets artists on their first stop in San Francisco, so the list of names that have played the room's compact stage is pretty impressive: M.I.A., Vampire Weekend, Grimes, Silversun Pickups, and more. And it has incubated parties so successful they outgrew the space — like Blow Up, the nationally known indie dance night thrown by Jeffrey Paradise and Richie Panic from 2004 to 2010, where local crunk-pop outfit Wallpaper, among others, got its start.
Those kinds of bookings didn't happen immediately — White says it took some time to figure out how to run a club, since this was his first — but they've kept Rickshaw Stop going through a tumultuous decade in the life of the city. There have been difficult moments, business-wise. Many improvements have been made. (Several years ago, Rickshaw had a reputation for getting too hot at crowded events, but cooling-system upgrades have since fixed that.) Asked how the club is doing, White points to the loyalty of his staff, many of whom he says have been there since it opened, and who usually stay until other pursuits draw them to New York or somewhere else. "We haven't had to change," he says proudly.
Even the club's location, on an unlikely street in the very heart of the city, has become a strength, with fewer concerns about noise and easy accessibility. Ask White why they chose to put the club on a quiet block of Fell, and you'll get the same answer you get when asking why they put in an old marble bar, or decided to name it after an Asian pedicab: "The wacky reasoning behind everything is what feels right at the moment," he says. And that same wacky reasoning has now kept Rickshaw Stop going strong for a decade.
Tags: Asia (Band), Christopher White, Feature, Hayes Valley, San Francisco
By Peter Lawrence Kane
By Tim Casagrande
Angst-Ridden Poppy Is Still a Glorious Oddball
By Brett Callwood


Here are some examples in how the calculator can be used. Just click on the links and you will go to the calculator interface, with input values filled in and the corresponding results of the various calculations.
Note that a unit in the calculator's interface and/or result table may be hidden for you when viewing these examples. If you want to see a specific unit, make sure that it is marked in your configuration page.
Distance between the Earth and the Moon (~384400 km).
Distance between the Earth and the Sun (1 astronomical unit).
5 minutes and 30 seconds per mile.
Examples of how distance and time are used for calculating pace (and also converting to other distance units).
A marathon in 4 hours.
10 kilometers in 42 minutes.
10 miles in 1 hour.
Examples of how distance and pace are used for calculating time (and also converting to other distance and pace units).
A marathon in 4 min/km.
15 miles in 10 ft/s.
Average time for light to travel from the Sun to the Earth.
Examples of how pace and time are used for calculating distance (and also converting to other pace units).
2 hours running in 7:30 minutes per mile.
50 minutes rowing in 3:15 per 500 m split.
Driving 4.5 hours in 80 kilometers per hour.
Examples of how target split times can be calculated from various sources of information.
Suppose you plan to run 5 km with a target pace of 4:30 /km. Then you fill in the pace (4:30 per km) and 5 kilometers in the distance field. You also define kilometers in the split distance in drop-down. Push the calculate/convert button and you can read the target split times (for 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 km) in the table below the calculator. You also see the target goal time, which is 22:30 in this example.
Fill in distance 10000 meters, split distance in 400m laps and 26:17.53 as time. Then you will see the target split times for 1, 2, 3, ..., 24 and 25 laps, that you'll have to beat for breaking Kenenisa Bekele's world record.
If you are a Swede you can first try to beat Jonny Danielson's Swedish record of 27:55.74 or Sarah Lahti's Swedish record of 31:54.87.


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EKU Suffers Setback Against Austin Peay in OVC Tournament
MARION, Ill. – Eastern Kentucky University's baseball team jumped out to a 3-0 lead, but No. 2 seed Austin Peay State University scored eight unanswered and held on to win 9-7 on Thursday at the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament at Rent One Park in Marion, Illinois.
The No. 6 seed Colonels will face No. 4 seed Belmont in an elimination game at 4 p.m. ET on Friday. The game will air live on ESPN+.
EKU got off to a strong start, bringing all nine batters to the plate in the first inning and chasing Austin Peay starter Josh Rye from the game. Will Johnson started the game with a single through the left side, stole second base and then scored on a single to center by Ryland Kerr. With two on and one out, Daniel Harris IV brought home Kerr with a single to left. Michael Brewer drew a bases loaded, two-out walk to force home the third run of the inning.
The Governors used the long ball to take control. David Martinez hit a two-run shot in the second to make it 3-2. Aaron Campbell hit a three-run dinger with two outs in the third to extend the margin to 6-3 and give APSU the lead for good.
With Austin Peay leading 8-3, the Colonels scored three times in the seventh to get back into the game. With the bases loaded and one out, Brewer doubled to center to score a pair. Charles Ludwick scored later in the inning on a dropped third strike to make it 8-6.
Eastern Kentucky (31-26) loaded the bases with one out in the top of the eighth, but couldn't bring in the tying runs. The Colonels drew within two again in the ninth, 9-7, on a two-out RBI single by Harris, but left the tying run at first base. EKU stranded 17 runners on base in the game.
Brewer finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Johnson had a 2-for-4 day with a walk and a run scored. A.J. Lewis went 3-for-5 and scored twice.
Parker Phillips was 3-for-4 with two runs for Austin Peay (32-23). Campbell went 3-for-5 with two runs and five RBIs.
"It was a good battle," EKU Head Coach Edwin Thompson said. "We came out early and kind of established ourselves, but they did a good job of silencing our bats through the middle of the game. They stayed consistent throughout the whole game. We couldn't get a stop until it was too late and offensively, we just didn't have enough big hits."
Fans can get a head start on the 2020 season by placing a non-refundable $40 deposit on season tickets that will be included in the overall price of the package. For questions or to place your deposit, call Alex Harrison at (859) 358-9272 or the EKUSports ticket office at 844-3-GOBIGE.


text:
Q: Expert system for android platform I would like to know what is the best solution to develop an expert system with a pretty large KB for android, should I simply use hundreds of if-else (suppose the user should choose just between YES and NO) or is there any engine that its generated KB can be used on in android.
Thanks in advance

A: Can you write a native C/C++ code for Android? If yes, so I can suggest you to look for CLIPS. There is a free .dll available http://clipsinterface.sourceforge.net/ .You can make a some sort of ontology if you need with Protege 3 and then export it into CLIPS. The only bad think is that this stuff in ten years old and very outdated (at least the site is outdated and there are a lot of broken links). So.. If you want to experiment - go ahead, if not - I can't give you any assurance for this method. Good luck!

A: Use expertise2go's e2gDroid Lite which is an Android port of the e2gRuleEngine Java applet: a rule-based expert system "shell" used in Decision Support and Expert System courses around the world for more than 10 years. e2gDroid delivers mobile, interactive decision making tools in the form of rule-based expert systems on Android devices that implement at least the version 2.2 "Froyo" OS.
You can also develop Java Applets which you can embed in any web site using expertise2go.
You can download it from GooglePlay for Free and the tutorial is available at the company's site.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Great American Beer Festival 2017 is a wrap! And it was another awesome, impeccably organized event, thanks to the Brewers Association, sponsors, volunteers, and the 800+ breweries from all over the country who brought over 3,900 beers to share with 60,000 eager beer lovers.
GABF isn't merely hundreds of booths pouring beer. It's a competition. It's seminars, talks and hands-on learning experiences. It's meeting and interacting with brewers. It's the Beer & Food Pavilion, Brewpub Pavilion, Brewers Studio Pavilion, CraftBeer.com #BeerTravel Pavilion, The Backyard, Protect Craft Guilds Pavilion, and much more.
Met these good dudes from The Bruery. Bruery Terreux won a a silver medal for Train to Beersel!
But when it comes down to it, it is all about beer. And here in Colorado it goes without saying that this great state produces some of the best beers in the country. While I'm very well aware of this, I must admit I was a bit surprised that more than half of my personal favorites from GABF this year were Colorado beers! And that's no small feat, considering there were nearly 4000 beers there!
Regrettably, I wasn't able to sample all 3900+ beers. If only the festival was longer! But I had as many as I could responsibly taste and enjoy. And of those, I ended up with 11 that were true standouts of everything I tried.
I attempted to narrow my favorites down to 10, but in the end there wasn't one I could boot off the list. Read on for my Top 11, six of which are from Colorado!
Oude Tart is already one of my favorite sours, but the addition of raspberry was the clincher. It tasted even more tart than usual, and the raspberry was so prominent. Delicious!
This is the first grape sour I've had. And when I saw it, I wondered 'why hasn't anyone done a grape sour (that I've come across)?!' Grape up front, a little funkiness on the back end. Amazing.
Strong imperial stout aged in rum barrels with hints of coconut, vanilla and cinnamon. One cannot go wrong with this flavor combination!
I'm a huge sour fan, and I'm pretty finicky about them. I stopped by City Star and tried the Scoundrel on a whim. What?! It's really, really sour. Wow. Back for another!
Part of its Wood Cellar Reserve series, Blackberry Oscar is a phenomenal sour. And Leopold's is one of the top distilleries in Colorado. I love the whiskey itself, so when a brewery ages a beer in its barrels…look out!
This was my first Jessup Farm beer. So. Much. Chocolate! Rich and savory. This could be my new dessert beer.
Pretty sure I'd only ever had IPAs from Boneyard; I was so impressed with this beer! Thick, flavorful…everything a barrel-aged barleywine should be.
So many people down on pumpkin beers. But I've always been a fan of dark pumpkin beers, and this one blew me away!
I've been drinking Bigfoot for years; it's an excellent beer! But aged in red wine barrels…? Gives it that little bit of extra smoothness and complexity.
This one made my list again this year. I know Weldwerks has many, many awesome dark beers. This one is just my favorite: two of the best flavors ever, coffee and maple, in an extremely well-done imperial stout.
I love Avery barrel-aged releases…stouts, sours, you name it. But I didn't make it up there during this brewery-only release. Imagine my delight when I found it at GABF. So sour…everything I could have hoped for!
Colorado breweries swept all 3 Pro-Am categories: Gold: Denver Beer Co. Silver: Black Bottle Brewery. Bronze: Odell Brewing Co.
This year there were 98 beer categories, covering 161 different beer styles (including all subcategories). Winners were chosen out of 7,923 competition entries from 2,217 breweries in 50 states, plus Washington, D.C. Colorado won a total of 39 medals (38 breweries)!
Rockyard American Grill & Brewing Co.
Previous Post Find Your #HoppyPlace at Great American Beer Festival 2017!


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Difference between revisions of ".Mjk4MzI.MTA3NDU5"
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5. The length of the beaten zone becomes shorter when the trajectory falls at right angles to the ground.
6. Machine gun fire may be classified with respect to the gun, the target, and the ground.
7. When the center of the cone of fire does not rise above the height of a standing man, the fire is called grazing.
8. Large numbers of enemy troops are approaching your gun position at close range. The most effective class of fire you could use, with respect to the gun, is called swinging traverse.
9. To cause a fairly dense overlap in the beaten zone a traverse of 2 mils is usually sufficient.
10. The three basic elements of a fire order are target designation, fire distribution, and fire control.
11. The three methods normally used to designate targets are oral designation, lay the gun and firing the gun.
12. The primary job of the gunner, in addition to the actual firing of the gun, is to observe the strike and adjust his fire whenever possible.
13. The primary job of the No. 2 man in a squad is to watch the section leader.
14. in the fire order, when a reference is used, it is necessary to precede the description of the target by the word target.
15. For the HMG the medium rate is 1/2 chest per minute.
16. Each graduation of the horizontal mil scale of the M3 binoculars is equivalent to 10 mils.
17. If a wide target can be designated only by use of a reference and mil measurements, the No. 2 gun normally would lay initially left half.
18. AAP data may be obtained by using either the gun or the binoculars.
TECHNIQUE OF MACHINE GUN FIRE DIRECT LAYING
1. The angle between the axis of the bore and the line of sight is the angle of elevation 2. The highest point reached in the trajectory is called the Max. ordinate 3. The pattern made by the cone of fire as it strikes the ground is called the beaten zone. Only 85% of the shots are considered effective. 4. The size of the beaten zone is affected by the range and by the slope of terrain at the point of impact. 5. The length of the beaten zone becomes shorter when the trajectory falls at right angles to the ground. 6. Machine gun fire may be classified with respect to the gun, the target, and the ground. 7. When the center of the cone of fire does not rise above the height of a standing man, the fire is called grazing. 8. Large numbers of enemy troops are approaching your gun position at close range. The most effective class of fire you could use, with respect to the gun, is called swinging traverse. 9. To cause a fairly dense overlap in the beaten zone a traverse of 2 mils is usually sufficient. 10. The three basic elements of a fire order are target designation, fire distribution, and fire control. 11. The three methods normally used to designate targets are oral designation, lay the gun and firing the gun. 12. The primary job of the gunner, in addition to the actual firing of the gun, is to observe the strike and adjust his fire whenever possible. 13. The primary job of the No. 2 man in a squad is to watch the section leader. 14. in the fire order, when a reference is used, it is necessary to precede the description of the target by the word target. 15. For the HMG the medium rate is 1/2 chest per minute. 16. Each graduation of the horizontal mil scale of the M3 binoculars is equivalent to 10 mils. 17. If a wide target can be designated only by use of a reference and mil measurements, the No. 2 gun normally would lay initially left half. 18. AAP data may be obtained by using either the gun or the binoculars.
Retrieved from "https://www.virginiamemory.com/wiki/index.php?title=.Mjk4MzI.MTA3NDU5&oldid=512180"


text:
from gi.repository import Gtk, Gdk, GdkPixbuf
import os
import os.path
from sys_handler import language_dictionary
# Folder use for the installer.
tmp = "/tmp/.gbi/"
installer = "/usr/local/lib/gbi/"
query = "sh /usr/local/lib/gbi/backend-query/"
if not os.path.exists(tmp):
    os.makedirs(tmp)
logo = "/usr/local/lib/gbi/logo.png"
langfile = '%slanguage' % tmp
lang_dictionary = language_dictionary()

Messages = """To run GhostBSD without installing, select "Try GhostBSD."

To install GhostBSD on your computer hard disk drive, click "Install GhostBSD."

Note: Language selection only works when selecting "Try GhostBSD."
      When installing GhostBSD, the installation program is only in English."""

cssProvider = Gtk.CssProvider()
cssProvider.load_from_path('/usr/local/lib/gbi/ghostbsd-style.css')
screen = Gdk.Screen.get_default()
styleContext = Gtk.StyleContext()
styleContext.add_provider_for_screen(
    screen,
    cssProvider,
    Gtk.STYLE_PROVIDER_PRIORITY_APPLICATION
)

class Welcome:

    # On selection it overwrite the delfaut language file.
    def Language_Selection(self, tree_selection):
        model, treeiter = tree_selection.get_selected()
        if treeiter is not None:
            value = model[treeiter][0]
            self.language = lang_dictionary[value]
        return

    def Language_Columns(self, treeView):
        cell = Gtk.CellRendererText()
        column = Gtk.TreeViewColumn(None, cell, text=0)
        column_header = Gtk.Label('Language')
        column_header.set_use_markup(True)
        column_header.show()
        column.set_widget(column_header)
        column.set_sort_column_id(0)
        treeView.append_column(column)
        return

    def save_selection(self):
        lang_file = open(langfile, 'w')
        lang_file.writelines(self.language)
        lang_file.close()
        return

    def install_system(self, widget):
        self.what = 'install'
        self.install_ghostbsd()

    def try_system(self, widget):
        self.what = 'try'
        self.try_ghostbsd()

    def get_what(self):
        return self.what

    def __init__(self, next_install_page, next_setup_install):
        self.install_ghostbsd = next_install_page
        self.try_ghostbsd = next_setup_install
        self.vbox1 = Gtk.VBox(False, 0)
        self.vbox1.show()
        main_grid = Gtk.Grid()
        Title = Gtk.Label('Welcome To GhostBSD!', name="Header")
        Title.set_property("height-request", 50)
        self.vbox1.pack_start(Title, False, False, 0)
        self.vbox1.pack_start(main_grid, True, True, 0)
        sw = Gtk.ScrolledWindow()
        sw.set_shadow_type(Gtk.ShadowType.ETCHED_IN)
        sw.set_policy(Gtk.PolicyType.AUTOMATIC, Gtk.PolicyType.AUTOMATIC)
        store = Gtk.TreeStore(str)
        for line in lang_dictionary:
            store.append(None, [line])
        treeView = Gtk.TreeView(store)
        treeView.set_model(store)
        treeView.set_rules_hint(True)
        self.Language_Columns(treeView)
        tree_selection = treeView.get_selection()
        tree_selection.set_mode(Gtk.SelectionMode.SINGLE)
        tree_selection.connect("changed", self.Language_Selection)
        sw.add(treeView)
        sw.show()
        vbox2 = Gtk.VBox(False, 0)
        vbox2.set_border_width(10)
        vbox2.show()
        pixbuf1 = GdkPixbuf.Pixbuf.new_from_file_at_scale(
            filename='/usr/local/lib/gbi/laptop.png',
            width=190,
            height=190,
            preserve_aspect_ratio=True
        )
        image1 = Gtk.Image.new_from_pixbuf(pixbuf1)
        image1.show()
        pixbuf2 = GdkPixbuf.Pixbuf.new_from_file_at_scale(
            filename='/usr/local/lib/gbi/disk.png',
            width=120,
            height=120,
            preserve_aspect_ratio=True)
        image2 = Gtk.Image.new_from_pixbuf(pixbuf2)
        image2.show()
        install_button = Gtk.Button(label='Install GhostBSD', image=image1,
                                    image_position=2)
        install_button.set_always_show_image(True)
        install_button.connect("clicked", self.install_system)
        try_button = Gtk.Button(label='Try GhostBSD', image=image2,
                                image_position=2)
        try_button.set_always_show_image(True)
        try_button.connect("clicked", self.try_system)
        text_label = Gtk.Label(Messages)
        text_label.set_line_wrap(True)
        right_grid = Gtk.Grid()
        right_grid.set_row_spacing(10)
        right_grid.set_column_spacing(2)
        right_grid.set_column_homogeneous(True)
        right_grid.set_row_homogeneous(True)
        right_grid.set_margin_left(10)
        right_grid.set_margin_right(10)
        right_grid.set_margin_top(10)
        right_grid.set_margin_bottom(10)
        right_grid.attach(install_button, 1, 1, 1, 5)
        right_grid.attach(try_button, 2, 1, 1, 5)
        right_grid.attach(text_label, 1, 6, 2, 5)
        main_grid.set_row_spacing(10)
        main_grid.set_column_spacing(4)
        main_grid.set_column_homogeneous(True)
        main_grid.set_row_homogeneous(True)
        main_grid.set_margin_left(10)
        main_grid.set_margin_right(10)
        main_grid.set_margin_top(10)
        main_grid.set_margin_bottom(10)
        main_grid.attach(sw, 1, 1, 1, 10)
        main_grid.attach(right_grid, 2, 1, 3, 10)
        main_grid.show()
        return

    def get_model(self):
        return self.vbox1

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
import org.apache.commons.lang3.ObjectUtils;

public class ObjectUtilsTest {
  String taint() { return "tainted"; }

  private static class IntSource {
    static int taint() { return 0; }
  }

  void sink(Object o) {}

  void test() throws Exception {
    sink(ObjectUtils.clone(taint())); // $hasValueFlow
    sink(ObjectUtils.cloneIfPossible(taint())); // $hasValueFlow
    sink(ObjectUtils.CONST(taint())); // $hasValueFlow
    sink(ObjectUtils.CONST_SHORT(IntSource.taint())); // $hasValueFlow
    sink(ObjectUtils.CONST_BYTE(IntSource.taint())); // $hasValueFlow
    sink(ObjectUtils.defaultIfNull(taint(), null)); // $hasValueFlow
    sink(ObjectUtils.defaultIfNull(null, taint())); // $hasValueFlow
    sink(ObjectUtils.firstNonNull(taint(), null, null)); // $ hasValueFlow
    sink(ObjectUtils.firstNonNull(null, taint(), null)); // $ hasValueFlow
    sink(ObjectUtils.firstNonNull(null, null, taint())); // $ hasValueFlow
    sink(ObjectUtils.getIfNull(taint(), null)); // $hasValueFlow
    sink(ObjectUtils.max(taint(), null, null)); // $ hasValueFlow
    sink(ObjectUtils.max(null, taint(), null)); // $ hasValueFlow
    sink(ObjectUtils.max(null, null, taint())); // $ hasValueFlow
    sink(ObjectUtils.median(taint(), null, null)); // $ hasValueFlow
    sink(ObjectUtils.median((String)null, taint(), null)); // $ hasValueFlow
    sink(ObjectUtils.median((String)null, null, taint())); // $ hasValueFlow
    sink(ObjectUtils.min(taint(), null, null)); // $ hasValueFlow
    sink(ObjectUtils.min(null, taint(), null)); // $ hasValueFlow
    sink(ObjectUtils.min(null, null, taint())); // $ hasValueFlow
    sink(ObjectUtils.mode(taint(), null, null)); // $ hasValueFlow
    sink(ObjectUtils.mode(null, taint(), null)); // $ hasValueFlow
    sink(ObjectUtils.mode(null, null, taint())); // $ hasValueFlow
    sink(ObjectUtils.requireNonEmpty(taint(), "message")); // $hasValueFlow
    sink(ObjectUtils.requireNonEmpty("not null", taint())); // GOOD (message doesn't propagate to the return)
    sink(ObjectUtils.toString(taint(), "default string")); // GOOD (first argument is stringified)
    sink(ObjectUtils.toString(null, taint())); // $hasValueFlow
  }
}


The Army Air Forces Combat Weekly Digests 21-25 WWII DVD contains five films of weekly air combat updates from the European, Pacific, and CBI Theaters.
Film #1 - Combat Weekly Digest 21: 13 March 1944 - Flying over the Hump at Jorhat, India. Converted sub mines and Americans landing on New Guinea. The bombing of Rabaul, a major Japanese military base in New Guinea, and Bougainville, which held several Japanese naval bases.
Film #2 - Combat Weekly Digest 22: 20 March 1944 - Ledo Road - later named the Stilwell road - was the the main Allied supply road from India to China via Burma. Blue Streak. Bombing of the White Cloud airdrome in Canton China. Bombing of French Indo-China, Bombing of Burma.
Film #3 - Combat Weekly Digest 23: 27 March 1944 - First American raids on Berlin, Burma front, automatic cameras on B-24s. Truck from salvage. AAF Kiddie car, Bombing of Italy.
Film #4 - Combat Weekly Digest 24: 3 April 1944 - Front line hospital in Burma, Search for a crashed Japanese Zero Fighter. New flak helmet, Berlin bombing, the bombing of the Cassino monastery in Italy. Operation Shingle - allied amphibious landing at Anzio, Italy (Battle of Anzio), P-40s at Anzio from the 79th Fighter Group.
Film #5 - Combat Weekly Digest 25: 10 April 1944 - Crashed Japanese fighter, New Guinea, Rescue of trapped Fiji scouts. Interrogation of Japanese prisoners, Bougainville, bombing of Rabaul, Harmonization of 50 caliber machine guns, Reclamation and salvage, Bari, Italy, Crew of B-24 after bailing out, Italy. Double header B-26 Marauder operations, England.
Total run time for Army Air Forces Combat Weekly Digests 21-25 WWII DVD is 1 hour, 54 minutes in B&W. Format is NTSC DVD and region-free.


text:
All municipal criminal courts closed, Broome County Courthouse open for emergencies only
BINGHAMTON, NY – With a spate of courthouse closures across the state, the wheels of justice are grinding to a halt.
Locally, all municipal criminal courts are closed and the Broome County Courthouse is only open for emergency proceedings such as arraignments where cash bail still applies, fugitives brought in on warrants and orders of protection.
Jury trials and grand juries have been suspended.
Anyone whose crime does not qualify for cash bail is no longer being arraigned and therefore is not being formally charged.
That includes drug and weapons charges.
In some cases, attorneys are being allowed to call in via the telephone during court appearances.
Broome County District Attorney Mike Korchak says he thinks the state court system may institute video conferencing.
"We're looking at a delay in the proceedings in court and we really don't know how long that's going to be. The local courts are shut down, county court is shut down, it's only open on an emergency basis. If a new case comes in, we'll address it when it comes in," says Korchak.
Korchak says that whenever the system gets back up and running, it will face an enormous backlog of cases to work through.


When people think Big Data, they think Big Questions and Big Answers. But not every piece of data has to big, it's more about questions and answers that range from small to medium to HUGE in: business, entertainment, politics, government, law, health, travel, genetics, biology, defense, history, friendship, social communications, public safety…the list goes on!
These answers come from the analytics and visualization side of Big Data. The data repositories created by Hadoop, Spark, Cloudera,Hortonworks, Hive, Splunk, Hunk, MapReduce and dozens of other infrastructure software products are important, however, once you get access to all the relevant internal data that in the cloud, that's when the real solution formation process begins.
Did you know the most highly funded Big Data start up is not a software company – but is an analytics company named Palantir which has over $550 million in funding? Almost two times as much as the closest software company in the Big Data space.
There is a trend forming of companies jumping head first into the deep end of "Big Data" Analytics using tools from R, SAS, SPSS and MatLab to tackle the hard "use cases" (aka: important questions) organization have such as: how do we sell more to our clients and what do they want? In an effort to answer, hypotheses are made and tested. The answers are presented in dashboards to decision makers proving that if they make pro-active offers to Y customers about Z they will buy more and everyone is happy.
But there is another side to the hypothesis and testing formula, a new frontier if you will. To stay ahead of competition, companies have to ask themselves, what about the questions and hypothesis we don't even suspect? New tools are on the rise that have the capability to visualize data in unique ways to find relationships that were previously unknown. On top of that, they can be seen in 3-D graphs to map out patterns. The other side of visualizations lies in the effective communication of complex answers that humans can quickly understand, because we understand visual information so quickly compared to rows of data.
The answers from Big Data, especially when it applies to public safety, medicine, engineering, or the all-important marketing reports to executives, require visuals that are understandable in real-time in order for people to make real decisions.
When the answers from Big Data all come together in an easily understandable visual format, everyone wins. This is the way Big Data is going. Companies are building, or have built, data warehouses, allowing the answers to flow for the big and small questions. But the key take-way is, all of that data doesn't mean a thing if it can't be communicated effectively to the people who need the answers – whether it's a student, a doctor or a CEO.