Gastric dilatation Volvulus complex also know as bloat is a medical and surgical emergency which is know to primarily affect large and giant breeds of dogs. The disease has also been reported in smaller breeds such as the Pekingese and Dachshund. Mortality has been estimated as high as 30 percent. There are no reliable estimates of how many dogs develop bloat in the United States each year, but in certain breeds such as Irish Setters and Great Danes owners reported an incidence of seven and ten percent respectively. It does appear that purebred dogs are more likely to develop bloat than are mixed breed dogs.
2) Approximately 29 percent of the dogs with gastric dilatation and 33 percent of those with dilatation and volvulus died.
3) Aging of the dog increased risk. Dogs greater than seven years of age are more than twice as likely to have bloat as dogs 2-4 years of age.
4) Purebreds were three times as likely to have bloat as mixed breed dogs.
5) Males are twice as likely to bloat as females yet spaying or neutering has no effect on the risk of bloat.
Several risk factors have been identified which may contribute to the establishment of bloat in purebred dogs.
Breed Bloat has been long reported to be more common in large and giant breeds of dogs yet until recently the prevalence of bloat was not compared to the dog population at large. When this data was analyzed statistically, it was found that the Great Dane, St. Bernard, Weimaraner, Irish Setter and Gordon Setter were breeds at greatest risk. An accompanying chart outlines the remainder of the breeds (Table 1).
Chest Conformation Although it is established that large and giant breeds are the breeds at greatest risk it has been shown there are profound differences in the risk of bloat within certain breeds. This possibility seems related to conformation of the animal's chest. For instance, breeds such as Irish Setters which are at high risk may weigh approximately the same as some of the Retriever breeds yet the Retrievers are at much lower risk than Irish Setters for developing bloat. When looking at this more scientifically it was found that the depth and width of the chest may be the key in predicting which animals within a certain breed may develop bloat. It appears that the chest depth/width ration is highly correlated with risk of bloat, ie. Those animals with deep, narrow chests within a certain breed are much more likely to develop bloat than those dogs with deep wide chests. In using external measurements of chest conformation it was found that within the Great Dane breed the depth/width ration may indeed be useful in identifying animals prone to bloat. Also, Great Danes with moderate and high abdominal height to width ratios were approximately 8 times as likely to develop bloat as those with low abdominal height to width rations. In Irish Setters the chest height to width ration also correlated with those dogs having a higher depth to width ration being much more likely to develop bloat than those animals with a lower depth to width ration. This information is obviously very significant in terms of selective breeding for the reduction of bloat in these breeds.
Diet Exact determinations of types of diet on risk for developing bloat still cannot be made. Although cereal-based diets have incriminated, it is difficult to compare groups since almost all large and giant breeds are fed cereal-based diets. Therefore, further controlled studies will be necessary to determine if cereal-based diets are in fact a risk factor. However, several interesting findings have come to surface with regard to the diet and nutritional management of breeds predisposed to bloat. For instance, it has been shown that dogs who eat one meal a day are almost twice as likely to develop bloat as those fed twice a day. The rate of eating is also very important. Those dogs characterized as slow eaters have the lowest incidence of bloat whereas those dogs characterized as moderately fast eaters have about 2 times the chance of developing bloat and those characterized as fast eaters have almost five times the chance of developing bloat as those being characterized as slow eaters.
Body weight may also be of some significance. Being overweight actually reduced the incidence of bloat compared to dogs that were optimum weight. However, those animals characterized as significantly underweight were about three times as likely to develop bloat as those animals characterized as optimum weight.
Gender It has been shown that males are approximately twice as likely to develop bloat as females. Neutering does not seem to have an effect on the incidence however.
Personality and Environment There does seem to be a direct correlation of the animal's temperament relating to its tendency to develop bloat. Those animals being characterized as unhappy or fearful were about 2 times as likely to develop bloat as those animals characterized as happy. In addition, the environment may play a role. Stress appears to also significantly increase the chance of the animal developing bloat. Therefore, animals who may undergo significant stress traveling to show, etc. are tow to three times as likely to bloat than those animals who are not significantly affected by the transport. Also activity level may be important with those animals characterized as hyperactive and those animals being categorized as less active were twice as likely to develop bloat than those animals characterized as having a normal activity level.
With regard to known epidemiologic factors affecting bloat some of the following recommendations can be made. It appears there is a correlation with chest and abdominal height/width ratio with those animals having tall thin chests and abdomens more likely to develop bloat than those with lower, wider chests and abdomens, there selective breeding may possible be recommended to diminish the incidence due to conformation.
With regard to diet and nutrition changes in feeding relating to twice a day feeding versus once a day feeding may be recommended. Also, changing the time of the meal is significant with those animals having constant changes in meal time being approximately 2 times as likely to develop bloat as those being fed at regular intervals. In addition, those animals undergoing a sudden increase in food intake are almost three times as likely to develop bloat as those animals kept on a regular food intake. Therefore, recommendations may be made to keep consistency and times of feeding regulated and to feed the moderate amount of food without sudden increases in the amount fed.
It also appears that reducing the amount of stress on the animal will decrease the chances of bloating. Although no specific recommendations can be made about tranquilization knowing the temperament of your dog may help you in minimizing the amount of stress encountered during travel to and from shows. It also appears that keeping physical activity to a moderate amount that is what the animal is used to, will be more helpful in reducing the chances of bloat than allowing extra activity than normally expected.
The exact etiology of GDV is unknown, but it is most likely a multifactorial disease. Ingestion of cereal based diets and water followed by exercise is reported in some but not the majority of cases. Stretching of the hepatogastric or hepatoduodenal ligaments from chronic overeating may allow transposition of the stomach. Gastric outlet obstruction by foreign bodies has been observed in some cases but delayed gastric emptying caused by pyloric hypertrophy is not conclusively proven as a cause of GDV. Splenic torsion or displacement occurs secondarily to GDV rather than initiating it, as was once believed. Gas production secondary to bacterial fermentation by clostridial organisms is a postmortem finding and is not a source of gas in live animals. Aerophagia is a likely cause since gas composition of the gastric lumen resembles atmospheric air and the onset of GDV often follows vigorous exercise, excitement and barking.
Recently there is evidence that gastric motility disorders may induce or follow GDV.
Dogs usually demonstrate hypersalivation, retching or unproductive vomiting on presentation. Cranial abdominal distention is apparent and gastric tympany is usually present on blunt percussion of the right anterior quadrant. Hyperpnea or dyspnea accompanied by open mouth breathing indicates hypoxia due to reduced diaphragmatic excursions. Shock is evidenced by pale or injected mucous membranes, prolonged capillary perfusion, tachycardia and weak rapid femoral pulse.
A lack of coordinated gastric contractions due to gastric myoelectric dysrhythmias may slow gastric emptying and contribute to the development of gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV). Food and fluid distension from overeating or gaseous distension from aerophagia causes intra-abdominal angulation of the gastroesophageal junction that prevents belching or vomiting.
Gastric dilatation results. Volvulus occurs when the dilated gastric fundus becomes displaced from a left dorsal to a right ventral position. The pylorus concurrently shifts from its right ventral position to a left, caudal and dorsal position. When viewed from the rear a clockwise rotation occurs in the majority of the animals. The spleen follows the greater curvature to the right. The gastrosplenic ligament and short gastric arteries are often torn during the volvulus.
as it has been shown to be beneficial in increasing gastric arterial perfusion. Treatment for acid- base status is controversial with one study indicating normal pH and another indicating the presence of metabolic acidosis in cases of GDV. However, with mild metabolic acidosis Na bicarbonate infusion is not necessary as long as adequate volume replacement with lactated Ringers solution is achieved. Hypokalemia is a common finding associated with GDV and potassium replacement is sometimes warranted. Corticosteroids are administered after initial treatment with intravenous fluids. They cause vasodilation and improved tissue perfusion if fluid volume is adequate. Cardiac dysrhythmias are commonly seen and require careful pre- and postoperative management. Paroxysmal vent4ricular tachycardia, and premature ventricular contractions are most commonly seen. Gastric decompression is accomplished using a pre-measured, well lubricated PVC plastic foal nasogastric tube. Ability to pass the tube into the stomach does not mean that gastric volvulus is not present. If intubation is not possible in the prone position it is attempted in a sitting upright position. Sometimes trocharization is necessary to reduce distension and facilitate tube passage.
The character of the fluid is sometimes important in predicting the status of the gastric lining. Black fetid smelling fluid with flecks of devitalized mucosa indicates that mucosal ischemia is present and often predicts the presence of gastric wall necrosis. After decompression, the stomach is lavaged with 4-5 liters of water using gravity flow, dose syringe or stomach pump.
Radiography is always postponed until after patient stabilization. With gastric dilatation the stomach appears as a grossly distended gas and fluid filled structure that occupies the cranial abdomen displacing all remaining viscera posteriorly. The spleen is usually not visible in its normal left ventral location and is often located in a right dorsal position. Gastric volvulus is suspected when the pylorus is located dorsal, cranial and to the left of the midline. After decompression it may take a classic upside down appearance. Left and right lateral views are recommended. On the right lateral view gas can be seen in the pylorus whereas on the left lateral view gas may be seen in the fundus. If stomach position is questionable barium sulfate is administered to identify the pylorus.
Definitive management of GDV involves 1) repositioning of the stomach with resection of any devitalized gastric wall and 2) a prophylactic gastropexy technique to prevent recurrence. UP to 80 percent recurrence of GDV is reported with gastric decompression or repositioning alone.
We now advocate laparotomy as soon as the patient is a reasonable anesthetic risk. This allows early derotation that increases circulation and allows assessment of gastric wall viability. Areas of necrosis are detected early and resected if possible. With 270o to360o clockwise gastric volvulus the dilated stomach is covered on its ventral aspect by omentum. Reduction is accompanied by passing the had down the left abdominal wall, grasping the pylorus in its left dorsal position and rotating it in a caudal and counter-clockwise manner to its normal right sided location.
Standard methods for gastrectomy involve ligation of branches of the left gastroepileploic arteries and veins allowing areas along the greater curvature of the stomach to be resected. The stomach is resected back to areas of healthy bleeding. Spillage is likely and prevented through the use of Babcock forceps or stay sutures. After resection is complete the stomach is closed in two layers. The mucosa and submucosa are closed with a continuous inverted Cushing pattern of 2-0 or 3-0 PDS or Maxon. The serosa and muscularis are then closed with a similar pattern.
Recently we have relied heavily on the autostapling equipment for rapid gastrectomy procedures with minimum risk of spillage. The TA90 autostapler is used with the green (4.8 mm) or blue (3.5mm) cartridge. Often several end-to-end staple lines have to be placed since each staple line is only 9 cm in length. The surgeon needs to overlap the staple lines by a few mm to prevent leakage between the staples.
By definition gastropexy describes the fixation of the stomach to nearby structures or body wall as a means of preventing recurrence of GDV. Although gastropexy procedures reportedly diminish the recurrency rate of DGV, their reliability in producing permanent adhesions between the stomach and abdominal wall is not well documented.
Most North American surgeons use an antral gastropexy procedure to fix the gastric antrum to the right abdominal wall. The three major categories of permanent antral gastropexies used in North America are the tube gastrostomy described by Parks (1976); the incisional gastropexy described by MacCoy (1982); and the circumcostal gastropexy described by Fallah (1982). In addition, two modifications of muscle flap techniques, one using a muscular flap from the abdominal wall (Shulman, 1986) and another using a belt-loop from the gastric muscularis (Whitney, 1989), have recently been described.
Potential advantages of the tube gastropexy are that 1) the surgery is rapid and easy, 2) the tube not only creates a permanent adhesion of the gastric antrum to the abdominal wall preventing recurrence of volvulus but also 3) allows for continued gastric decompression in the early postoperative period and 4) slurried food or medications can be offered through the tube. The main disadvantages of the technique are 1) the nursing care and long hospital period required for tube management and 2) the potential for fatal peritonitis secondary to leakage around the tube or early removal by the dog.
Advantages of the incisional gastropexy are that 1) the procedure is rapidly done, 2) the stomach lumen is not entered and 3) fibrous connective tissue enters the abdominal rectus muscle and stomach wall to form a strong mature adhesion. The potential disadvantage is that the gaseous decompression is not provided in the postoperative period. The incisional gastropexy is popular among many North American surgeons but unfortunately no good retrospective studies are available to determine its clinical efficacy.
The circumcostal technique has become popular for use in academic medicine because it probably forms a stronger adhesion. It is reported to be more difficult to perform than the other techniques but the author disagrees with this statement. Potential advantages include a 1) viable muscle flap adhesion as well as 2) a more proper anatomic placement of the stomach. Potential disadvantages include a prolonged surgical time, potential for rib fracture and potential for pneumothorax because of the close proximity to the diaphragm. Lieb (1984) reported on 39 dogs with circumcostal gastropexies to have a slightly lower recurrent rate (2.6 percent at 13.7 months) than dogs with tube gastrostomy.
Belt loop gastropexy offers similar advantages to the circumcostal and incisional gastropexies in that the gastric lumen is not entered and the risk of peritonitis is minimal. The technique is easily performed by an unassisted surgeon. Although the belt loop gastropexy has not been evaluated biomechanically one would suspect that breaking strengths would be superior to incisional or tube gastrostomy techniques but not quite as secure as circumcostal techniques since the base of the flap is narrower than the latter technique.
Diligent postoperative care is mandatory for successful outcome of the gastric dilatation volvulus patient. Most dogs that die in the postoperative period will do so within the first 3-4 days after surgery. After major gastric resection the animal is kept NPO for a period of 24-48 hours.
Maintenance fluid, electrolyte and acid base status is critical during this period. Maintenance fluid should be given at a rate of 40-60 ml/kg per day. Although many dogs maintain normal serum potassium levels following gastric dilatation volvulus a total body potassium deficit may exist because of the NPO status, vomiting, oral gastric innervation and removal of gastric secretions. Therefore, supplementation of 20 mEq of potassium chloride is usually added to each liter of fluids to help maintain a total body potassium. Hypokalemia can also contribute to the development of cardiac arrhythmias, and gastrointestinal ilius.
Mortality associated with gastric dilatation volvulus is most often due to gastrointestinal ischemia secondary to the large twisted stomach. It has been estimated that mortality can increase to 60 percent in the presence of gastric necrosis. Tissue ischemia to the gastric wall occurs due to reductions in arterial perfusion and venous stasis within the stomach wall. When the stomach is decompressed via the stomach tube and derotated via surgery there is rapid reperfusion of this ischemic tissue. Paradoxically, tissue ischemia followed by reperfusion with oxygenated blood may further increase tissue damage due to a phenomenon known as reperfusion injury.
Reperfusion injury is thought to be mediated through the activity of oxygen-derived free radicals that is based on an iron dependent mechanism. These free radicals result in cellular lipid peroxidation and cell death. Since GDV is associated with high mortality and since most deaths occur within 96 hours of surgical intervention it is plausible that treatment directed toward preventing or moderating reperfusion injury may improve survival following the correction of GDV. Studies in experimental dogs with GDV have shown that xanthene oxidase inhibitors such as allopurinol and iron chelators such as deferoxamine have been helpful in reducing the amount of free radical production consequently minimizing cellular damage due to reperfusion injury and potentially decreasing mortality associated with GDV. Although experimental results are preliminary, it is likely that within five years some of these now experimental drugs will be utilized in emergency centers for the clinical management of GDV.
included 1934 cases and 3868 controls.
†Risk significantly higher than for all dogs combined.
‡Risk significantly lower than for all dogs combined.
From Glickman LT2. Epidemiologic Studies on Bloat in Dogs. Purina Veterinary Previews,1992; 2: 10-15.
1) Glickman LT, Glickman NW, Shellenburg DB, et al.: Multiple risk factors for the gastric dilation volvulus syndrome in dogs: A practitioner/owner case control study. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc 33: 197-204, 1997.
2) Glickman LT, Glickman NW, Shellenburg DB, et al.: Epidemiologic studies of bloat in dogs. Purina Veterinary Previews 2: 10-15, 1997.
3) Badylak SF, Lantz GC, Jeffires M: Prevention of reperfusion injury in surgically induced gastric dilatation volvulus in dogs. Am J Vet Res 51:294-299, 1990.
4) Ellison GW: Gastric dilatation volvulus: Surgical prevention. Vet Clinics N Am 27: 513-521, 1993.
5) Glickman LT. Epidemiology of gastric dilatation-volvulus in dogs. Waltham Focus 7:9-11, 1997.


Steampunk is an object tag associated with steampunk themed furniture sold at the Frögg Furnishing merchant in the outpost. These objects are used for spawning steampunk fan tenants.
This page was last modified on 17 October 2017, at 18:37.


Store your documents and multimedia files on the 160 GB hard drive. Plus, Microsoft Windows XP Professional is pre-installed! With the CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive you can access CD and DVD media and burn CDs with ease. Surf the web, email and download files with the Gigabit Ethernet LAN! Expand with one PCI Express x16 slot, one PCI Express x1 slot, two PCI slots and four 240-pin DIMM sockets! With USB 2.0, PS/2, serial, VGA, parallel and audio ports, there's plenty of connectivity options for devices like printers, scanners, digital cameras and more!


Really happy with how the professionally filmed and edited version of this video turned out, and I hope it helps people start to think about designing their own gardens in a way that encourages both healing and a greater connection to the earth beyond aesthetics.
"I Practice" or "6 Minutes", a photo by killy on Flickr.
In case any of you have missed it, my baby boy suddenly became a man.


Tell us your situation and what do you need for your brand's digital promotion! Give us time, we will confirm and analyze it. We will send you our mock-up. And the detailed works will be finished after the contract has been dealt.
You can contact us through e-mail, we will send you our offer and tell you more about us. Because of our comitment to give the best service to our client. We will also filtering your pitching invitation or credential request.
© 2017 Ocentrum Digita Asia. All Rights Reserved.


NetVizura NetFlow Analyzer - Network Traffic Visualisation, Anomaly analysis, Bandwidth monitoring and Application monitoring/optimisation.
See More. Discover More. Do More.
NetVizura is the product family from software development company Soneco. Their mission: "To develop a suite of software tools which brings all network related data together in the most efficient way". Competitively priced yet feature rich, NetVizura solutions have been developed with the network administrator in mind, ensuring ease of use, simplicity and flexibility.
NetVizura has been deployed across a diverse customer base of Medium to Large Enterprise businesses, universities, public and government institutions. NetVizura products are supported locally and/or by the Customer Technical Support team depending on regional presence and support case classification.
NetVizura NetFlow Analyzer is used by a plethora of organisations both large and small to help them improve their network traffic visibility, trouble-shoot and detect anomalies and network traffic irregularities. NetVizura enables them to quickly identify network problems which results in reduce costs and administrative overhead.
NetVizura is a network management toolset specially tailored to meet IT Network Administrators needs in the most efficient manner.
Soneco is a Serbia based company that specializes in software development and ICT consulting. Since 2008, we have been growing steadily and our solutions have made a significant mark on some of the core ICT transformations in the region, and brought us a wider recognition as a reliable partner and a software developer consistent in quality. We have been Cisco Solutions Partners since 2011 and Oracle Gold Partner since 2010. Soneco continues to focus on client satisfaction and building strong relationships with partners. Our best recommendation is a number of successfully delivered projects, implemented in various industry verticals, and a strong reference list consisting of recognizable clients.
Since 1992, Networks Unlimited have been helping companies reduce costs, manage risk and increase business efficiency through improved IT operations. In addition to our long-standing and successful exclusive partner relationships, we continue to introduce innovative technologies, vendors and solutions to the UK and European markets. We act as Distributors/Resellers for a diverse vendor portfolio which focuses on providing solutions to your IT Management, Security and Administration needs.
Our client base comprises many highly respected end-user and partner organisations and is a clear testament to our success.


Status:827 Units in Stock, usually ships within 24 hours.
This mango-tinted stain beautifully blushes lipTs & cheeks with a tropical sunset hue. Smooch-proof & smudge-proof, this sheer stain will have you looking deliciously sun-kissed for hours.


text:
British Business Focus
Irish nursing home staff among first in Europe to use Health Passport Europe mobile technology to support vaccinations
Remote Work Strategy an Ambitious Vision for Future of Work- Chambers Ireland Calls for Acceleration of Broadband Plan
Tánaiste Publishes Remote Working Strategy
Econometric analysis of the Public/Private Sector pay differential 2015 to 2018.
This post was published by the Irish Business Focus editorial team
Downward trend shown in public/private sector pay differential for the period 2015 to 2018
Depending on the model applied, the pay differential for employees in the public sector ranged from -3.8% to 7.1% in the period 2015 to 2018, when compared to their counterparts in the private sector.
When compared to the private sector, and depending on the model applied, the pay differential for male employees in the public sector ranged from -10.8% to 1.0% in the period 2015 to 2018.
The corresponding differential for females showed that female workers in the public sector had a differential ranging from 3.3% to 15.8%, depending on the model applied, when compared to their counterparts in the private sector.
Go to release: Econometric Analysis of the Public/Private Sector Pay Differential 2018
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (15 November, 2019) issued a research paper which presents an econometric analysis of the public/private sector pay differential for the period 2015 to 2018. It has been prepared in response to user needs to inform discussions relating to the composition of earnings. Models including and excluding size of enterprise as a wage determining characteristic are presented and gross weekly earnings as well as weekly earnings after the deduction of the pension levy are considered.
Commenting on the release of the research paper, Morgan O'Donnell, Statistician, said: "Comparing pay in the public and private sectors is not a straightforward task. Complexity arises as the two sectors comprise of a variety of different industries, occupations and workers with differing education, experience and skill sets".
This analysis takes into account the differences in characteristics of both employees (e.g. length of service, occupation, education, etc.) and their employers (e.g. organisation size etc.) to explore the wage differential between the public and private sector. As no one agreed method exists to measure the public private sector pay differential, the research paper details a comprehensive range of results where several estimates of the wage differential are presented depending on the specification of methods used.
The methods used in these analyses are: Ordinary Least Squares Regression (OLS); and Quantile Regression. For each of these methods, results based on a range of specifications are presented.
Morgan O'Donnell (+353) 21 453 5269
Tánaiste Welcomes Credit Union Participation in COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme
The Irish Voice
5 Million new free postcards from An Post to brighten up January
Interview with Craig Young: "when we get the chance we will come back stronger in the next game"
The Latest News & Opinions from Ireland's Business Sectors
Irish Business Focus is a specialist digital news outlet serving Ireland's diverse and dynamic business community.
Press Release Submission & "The Irish Voice" Submissions Please use the following email: [email protected]
Irish Business Focus does not charge for PR Submission.
This does not apply to "link" requests within news items. This is covered by a yearly fee.
Enhanced news features are offered via "The Press Rooms" package.
Irish Business Focus is part of The Press Rooms Media Network.
Irish Business Focus – © 2019-2020. Website Hosting & Streaming Services by The Press Rooms. Website design by The Press Rooms.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Skip to main content D.C., Md. & Va. The District Maryland Virginia Local Crime & Public Safety Local Education Obituaries Local Transportation Capital Weather Gang
Virginians are almost evenly split on gay marriage, Post poll finds
By Rosalind S. Helderman and Jon Cohen
Virginians are closely divided over whether gay marriage should be legal, according to a new Washington Post poll, a striking result in a state that overwhelmingly agreed to amend its constitution to ban gay marriage just five years ago.
Forty-seven percent of Virginians say gay couples should be allowed to legally wed, and 43 percent are opposed, according to the poll. Fifty-five percent of Virginians say gay couples should be able to legally adopt children.
The results mirror a dramatic and rapid shift in national public opinion about gay rights in recent years. The evolving public opinion could create a challenge in the key political battleground for the commonwealth's Republicans, who are almost universally opposed to gay marriage, if voters think the GOP is falling out of sync with the electorate. But the results also present complications for Virginia Democrats, who have moved more slowly than their national counterparts to embrace liberal social stands for fear of alienating independent voters.
In 2006, 57 percent of voters agreed that Virginia should add language to the state constitution prohibiting marriage — or any approximation of the institution, including civil unions — between same-sex couples.
Changing the constitution in Virginia is cumbersome, requiring two votes by the General Assembly and a statewide referendum. The legislature, which overwhelmingly agreed to send the issue to voters in 2006, has shown no appetite to explore repealing it since.
Poll results are unlikely to prompt repeal, said advocates on both sides of the issue.
Claire Guthrie Gastanaga, a spokeswoman for the gay rights group Equality Virginia, said the political establishment's views lag behind those of the public on the issue. "We knew that public opinion was evolving," she said of opposition to the 2006 vote. "You end up leaving us in a posture where the public has moved and the policymakers haven't and won't."
Victoria Cobb, president of the Family Foundation of Virginia, countered that Virginians speak more clearly at the ballot box than in polls.
"Typically, people elect the officials they want to implement the policy they believe in," she said, noting that despite shifting poll results, voters in 31 states have agreed to prohibit same-sex marriage.
The views contrast with those on another hot-button social issue: abortion. Opinions on abortion in Virginia have remained similar in recent years. Fifty-three percent of Virginians say abortion should be legal in all or most cases; 40 percent say it should be illegal in all or most instances.
No matter where Virginians come down on gay marriage this year, views on the subject tend to be strongly held: About two-thirds of Virginians feel "strongly" on one side or the other. About 30 percent of all Virginians "strongly" support gay marriage, and 35 percent oppose it just as adamantly.
The Post poll numbers on gay marriage also reflect a big age gap, with broad support of gay rights among young adults potentially shaping policy on the issue for years to come.
The survey shows that nearly three-quarters of those ages 18 to 29 say gays should be able to legally wed. Only 22 percent of those ages 65 and older agree. Between the ages of 30 and 65, residents are split, with 44 percent saying same-sex marriage should be legal and 43 percent saying it should illegal.
Those results suggest a possible shift in recent years, even among young people. Exit polling conducted after the 2006 vote to amend the constitution indicated that a majority of voters in every age group supported the proposal.
Howard Racsid, 47, a retired Internet consultant from Fredericksburg, said that just a few years ago he opposed gay marriage. But he said his views have changed. Despite feeling uncomfortable with the notion, he says gays should be able to legally marry and adopt.
"My overarching theme is equal rights for everyone, and within that context, I have to support it," he said. "It's funny, life, as you go along, things aren't always what they seemed even a year ago."
The poll also indicates that majorities of Democrats (56 percent) and independents (53 percent) favor gay marriage, but 60 percent of Republicans are opposed.
Chris Mason, 43, an auto dealership employee who lives in Winchester, said his opposition to gay marriage is based on his belief in the traditional family structure.
But he said he agrees with gay couples receiving new recognition under the law.
"I am totally fine with homosexual couples having a civil union in which they're recognized as a couple and have every legal right — but it should never be called marriage," he said. "Words have meaning."
The poll also finds that 35 percent of Virginians say it should be illegal for gay couples to adopt. Virginia is one of 34 states where only married couples and single adults, whether gay or straight, can adopt. Virginia law bars adoptions by all unmarried couples, regardless of sexual orientation. And some private adoption agencies, including religious institutions, have their own rules regarding gay adoptions by single people.
Despite emotional pleas from gay-rights groups, the State Board of Social Services, which regulates adoptions in Virginia, recently declined to bar discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation by adoption agencies.
Virginia's shift on gay marriage reflects the nation's. In 2006, nearly six in 10 Americans opposed same-sex marriage, but by spring of this year, a majority for the first time supported it. A mid-March Post-ABC News poll found support for gay marriage at 53 percent nationally.
The survey also reflects strong regional differences on same-sex marriage. In the D.C. suburbs, 64 percent support gay marriage. Elsewhere in the state, that number falls to 43 percent.
In contrast to four years ago, about as many Virginians consider themselves to be liberal on social matters as call themselves conservative. Fiscal conservatism is on the rise, but on these social issues, it's liberalism that's ticked higher.
The poll was conducted by conventional phones and cellphones from April 28 to May 4 and included interviews with 1,180 adults. The full poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
Polling manager Peyton M. Craighill contributed to this report.


Fogbows in Greenland. Researchers found that very little of the snow and ice on the vast interior of the ice sheet is lost to the atmosphere through evaporation because of a strong thermal "lid" that essentially traps the moisture and returns it to the surface where it refreezes. Courtesy: Oregon State University.
Study finds limit on evaporation to ice sheets, but that may change. Researchers report that very little of the snow and ice on the vast interior of the Greenland ice sheet is lost to the atmosphere through evaporation because of a strong thermal "lid" that essentially traps the moisture and returns it to the surface where it refreezes.
Although the coastal regions of the Greenland Ice Sheet are experiencing rapid melting, a significant portion of the interior of that ice sheet has remained stable – but a new study suggests that stability may not continue.
Researchers found that very little of the snow and ice on the vast interior of the ice sheet is lost to the atmosphere through evaporation because of a strong thermal "lid" that essentially traps the moisture and returns it to the surface where it refreezes.
However, there are signs that this lid is becoming leaky as global temperatures increase. The researchers say there may be a threshold at which warming becomes sufficient to turn on a switch that will destabilize the snow surface.
Results of the study, which was funded by the National Science Foundation, are being published in Science Advances. New measurements from a research tower atop the Greenland ice sheet helped uncovered the mystery of how much snow piles up on this ice sheet.
Max Berkelhammer, a researcher at the University of Illinois and lead author on the study, said scientists have been aware of "accumulation zones" in high-altitude areas of the ice sheet, but they haven't been comprehensively measured because of the difficulty in analyzing evaporation and condensation over time.
The research aims to better understand how ice cores capture information about past temperatures in Greenland. The snow and ice on Greenland's interior originated from ocean water far to the south and is transported northward by weather systems and storms, and finally falls as snow on the pristine ice sheet.
The researchers are able to track the origins and fate of the water by the ratio of oxygen and hydrogen isotopes in the water.
Variations in the isotope ratios in layers of snow piled up on the ice sheet provide the team a history of Green climate that helps put recent warming into historical context, the researchers say.
To understand past climate, scientists must know how much precipitation fell and how much evaporated. Without the team's analysis, what fraction of falling snow accumulates and what fraction evaporates was difficult to determine. When they began to explore evaporation rates, they discovered this unique thermal lid, which effectively "recycles" water back onto the Greenland Ice Sheet.
This finding will allow previous estimates of Greenland's past water balance to be re-evaluated.
"When thinking about climate change, one often thinks about rising global temperatures," Noone said. "However in Greenland, as like here in Oregon, climate change is also a story of the changing water cycle and how we lose water because evaporation rates are increasing.
"Climate models suggest that as temperatures increase, more precipitation may actually fall in Greenland because warmer air can hold more water. Taken by itself, that could indicate that parts of the ice sheet may grow. However, if the lid becomes increasingly leaky, the evaporation process has become more effective and moisture will escape to the atmosphere.
Despite rapid melting in the coastal regions of the Greenland Ice Sheet, a significant area (~40%) of the ice sheet rarely experiences surface melting. In these regions, the controls on annual accumulation are poorly constrained owing to surface conditions (for example, surface clouds, blowing snow, and surface inversions), which render moisture flux estimates from myriad approaches (that is, eddy covariance, remote sensing, and direct observations) highly uncertain. Accumulation is partially determined by the temperature dependence of saturation vapor pressure, which influences the maximum humidity of air parcels reaching the ice sheet interior. However, independent proxies for surface temperature and accumulation from ice cores show that the response of accumulation to temperature is variable and not generally consistent with a purely thermodynamic control. Using three years of stable water vapor isotope profiles from a high altitude site on the Greenland Ice Sheet, we show that as the boundary layer becomes increasingly stable, a decoupling between the ice sheet and atmosphere occurs. The limited interaction between the ice sheet surface and free tropospheric air reduces the capacity for surface condensation to achieve the rate set by the humidity of the air parcels reaching interior Greenland. The isolation of the surface also acts to recycle sublimated moisture by recondensing it onto fog particles, which returns the moisture back to the surface through gravitational settling. The observations highlight a unique mechanism by which ice sheet mass is conserved, which has implications for understanding both past and future changes in accumulation rate and the isotopic signal in ice cores from Greenland.
Oregon State University news release.


MISSOULA (AP) — Officials say Montana's Clark Fork River will continue to decrease slightly until Monday because of cooler weather.
The river began to recede Saturday after cresting at its highest levels in a century and is now at the moderate flood stage level.
Cooler weather is re-freezing the mountain snowpack, which has slowed the snowmelt rushing into the river. However rising temperatures are expected to move the river from the moderate to major flood stage with another crest by Friday night or Saturday morning, possibly beating the most recent peak.
Authorities have ordered the evacuation of about 65 homes, though many have refused to leave, and more than 800 others are under an evacuation warning.
Moderate to major flooding is expected to continue for weeks.


Ylang ylang oil is either colourless or a very pale yellow.
This oil is used to create the fragrances that go into many of our products. Ylang ylang extra is the best grade and most stringent standard for quality.


Anot-so-impressive Ranji Trophy season, by his own standard and a forgetful Duleep Trophy campaign later, perhaps the only thing Priyank Panchal was looking forward to was to remain in contention.
However, the crisis at the top and the fact that selectors still had faith in the man from Ahmedabad who had a dream season not so long ago was enough to surprise the 28-year-old who was recalled for the India A team for the second Test against Australia A in Alur, Karnataka.
While a below par show by the Indian openers at Old Blighty might have sent the selectors in huddle to solve the problems at the top, Priyank stayed grounded to the fact that competition is tough.
"We have Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal doing extremely well at the top," Priyank said about the challenges. "And then we have players like Karnataka's Ravikumar Samarth and Bengal's Abhimanyu Easwaran. We have a healthy competition with some very talented players," he added. Known for his mental preparedness ahead of the games, Priyank said that he will prepare himself after having a look at the wicket itself.
"I had just arrived and I will be able to have a look at the wicket tomorrow. And only after that I will adjust my mindset accordingly," he said. "But I am looking not to set too many expectations. I am completely focussed on my performance. Australians are here with a very strong team with some Test match players and to be able to perform against them will be helpful to me," he summed up.


Alright. Today I want to put a focus on hidden agendas because the vibration, pardon me, we've got cat fur flying here. ROQ was just in here getting his lovey time. The hidden agendas are going to be surfacing during this particular week, especially so as the Sun goes into Scorpio. But we have Venus retrograde in Scorpio and a few other things going on. So you may have to be careful around those with tempers.
Remember that the personality at its functional level, very simply wants to get its way. And then you've got your Soul, your higher power operating, that wants to serve others and make the world a better place. Then you've got the Monadic influence which is really very connected to all of Creation and basic evolution of creation in a good way.
So you have different levels of the self operating. Certain people who tend to manipulate deliberately will probably be even more manipulative. People maybe with psychotic tendencies will go a little bit more viciously after a target, you know, or something that they have had recently.
So within your own consciousness, you can release any hidden agendas, even hidden from yourself of course, you can release being the hook and eye part, being the eye for someone else's hidden agenda hook, so they have nothing to grab onto within you.
And I would say also call in that Higher Power energy that you want from basically the Soul or the Monad level, and just keep overriding the personality, asking the personality to synchronize with your Divine Intent.


text:
The Matter of Dark Matter
Published by George Saoulidis on November 7, 2020 November 7, 2020
The gigantic alien girl sat on the planet. It was lush and ever-changing, covered in vast jungles and seas and mountains. It was a place where nothing happened, where nothing ever happened to you.
The giant alien girl was holding on to something that was made of pure energy. It was a sphere, two-dimensional in shape, about the size of a football. Well, a football according to her gigantic dimensions, at least. It was made of pure energy, of sorts, somehow. It was like the spheres on Encephalon 5, where you could aim them with lasers but never managed to hit them.
"You know I can sense you out there. Where are you, little girl?" the giant alien girl asked with her thick exotic accent.
"I am out there, exploring."
"Exploring, what? You're not out there yet?" the giant alien girl said with a big fishy mouth.
"I am in space, exploring."
"Okay, okay. I'm out there." The giant alien girl seemed to understand. "But you're bringing me back here. I was hoping you'd go into space and stay there."
"I am in space, exploring," the little girl repeated.
"I'm sorry I broke your habitat, I'm sorry," the giant alien girl said. She twirled her fingers together. "I really am, you have to believe me!"
The small girl also twirled her fingers. "It seems you are."
The giant alien girl raised her head up and blinked a few times. "Wow…"
The small girl's eyes shone, and shone like the sun. "Yes. I am a star."
"What's that?" the giant alien girl asked, her head tilted.
"It's a rating system. Stars are stars. They have properties, strengths and weaknesses. They're just numbers."
"Oh…" the giant alien girl said. "I'm pretty sure I'm a star too."
The star-alien girl squinted at her. "You're not a star. You're an energy star. Heck, you're a mini-star. You're a pale cousin of the sun, right?"
"Yeah…" the giant alien girl said, sounding even more confused now.
"What are you, dumb?" the star alien girl asked, her head tilted to the side.
"I'm not sure."
"You're so dumb. Stars are stars, you know."
"I will be a star, then. A tiny star."
The star-alien girl squinted at her. "Okay, star. What will you do with me?"
"I dunno…" the giant alien girl said. "I'm not sure yet. It's up to you."
"Okay. Do you want me or not?" the star-alien girl asked, waving her arms around.
"I guess I do."
See also How to Write a Scene With Machine Learning
"You can't be a star without the Sun."
"Oh…" the giant alien girl said, seeming out-there. "What's the Sun?" the she finally asked, her head nodding to the side. But her body language was weird. She was giving off a different sort of energy than normal all over the spectrum.
"It's the same thing. Look, the Sun is a star, and the stars are the same thing. But the way we see them is different. Look, for example, at the night sky. It's the same, but different. Look at the stars, but remember that they are far away. That's the night sky."
"Okay…" the giant alien girl said, opening her arms wide.
"Well…" the star-alien girl started, pushing herself up from the ground between the giant alien's legs. "I think I get it now. Stars are composed of atomic elements. We can't see them, but we can observe their properties. That's the way we learn about them."
"You can't observe them?" the giant alien girl asked, frowning.
"No, of course we can, that's ridiculous. We're talking about the dark matter, not the atomic stuff. The stars are made of that dark matter, the ones that stick around after you burn them. That's the way we understand them."
"So, the stars are made of dark matter?"
"Yes, of course. But that's not all. Look, at the core, you see two things: One, is the same thing as the core of all matter. That's why I call them stars, even though they're so far away. And two, the dark matter that holds them all together. That's the dark matter that forms the galaxies we see. It's impossible to observe that dark matter. It's invisible, but it's there. That's how we measure the distances between them."
"I see. Well, I don't see how it would be hard to figure out how much dark matter there is then."
The star-alien girl was taken aback. "You mean… You can measure the dark matter?"
"Yes!" the giant alien girl said, opening her arms wide.
"How can you measure the dark matter?" the star-alien girl asked, her head nodding slowly to the side.
"Why you silly girl. By sitting on it, of course," the giant alien girl said and wiggled her butt around to get more comfortable on top of the planet.
Categories: Machine George
Tags: aialien girldark mattergiant aliengpt-2machine learningreadingscifishort storyspace operastarweight
Finally Some Good AI Art Prompt Results
I played around last night with Midjourney AI until they stopped my free trial. I started playing after someone posted his prompt about a bar on a spaceship. There's a prompt for me that never Read more…
The Sounds of the Jaw
The girl picked up the bionic jaw and looked at it with what seemed like a new interest. "I don't know. I guess so. I can't imagine anyone doing that to anyone else.""Is there anything Read more…
Toss Me Like An Asteroid
The gigantic alien girl sat on the planet's surface. She easily lied down and the ground could only just barely support her weight, whoohoo! "Ha…" I panted on the ground as I struggled to catch Read more…


Perhaps more than any other problem, I am frequently asked about arthritis. "Is there anything you can do to help me with my arthritis?" "Is arthritis curable?" "Is arthritis related to diet?" "I've been told that arthritis is normal when you get to be my age, is that so?" An incredibly common disorder, it is found in people of all ages, varying both in type and severity. It is also one of many chronic disorders for which conventional drug therapy holds few answers beyond temporary alleviation of symptoms.


The County Council have advised us that the children will need to purchase a Kent Young Person's Travel Card. This will enable them to use the existing public bus services. For further information on the Kent Freedom Pass please visit the kent.gov.uk website.
Traveline (www.traveline.info ) is a dedicated local transport website. You will be able to input your location and your destination. All route options are displayed.
The drop off point for most of the services is either Riverhead Tesco or Knole Academy West. Go Coach provide a 'link' service between Knole Academy and Riverhead Tesco.
We understand that it will be necessary for some children to come to school by car. We would encourage parents to consider car sharing and if you are interested in this please contact the school office.
Parents are welcome to use our car park to drop off and collect their child. You must be aware that buses also use the entrance. We ask that children use the pavement and do not cross the bus bay for safety reasons.
Trinity have produced a School Travel Plan (STP), a document written and adopted by the school outlining the action it will take to encourage healthier, safer and sustainable travel to and from school for both students and staff. It includes a package of measures based on specific aims and objectives that are reviewed annually by an interested group within the school. There are targets, deadlines and people responsible for monitoring progress.
More information about School Travel Plans can be found on the Jambusters website.


text:
Sports, Rec + Wellness
Consulting & Planning
Facility Optimization
Sustainable & Resilient Design
NEXT Council
CannonDesign Life
Client Partnership
Awards + Rankings
A Vibrant Center Showcasing Arts Education
Adelphi University, Centers for Sport and Performing Arts, Garden City, NY
Adelphi University's Centers for Sport and Performing Arts is part of a major new facility for arts and recreation linking two of the campus' existing structures – the 1929 Woodruff Hall designed by McKim, Mead and White, and the experimental 1974 Olmstead Theater designed by Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates.
The overall complex is a "fusion" facility integrating the arts, athletics and recreation in the heart of the campus.
The Performing Arts Center houses the departments of dance, music and theater, and includes five performance venues: the 500-seat Concert Hall for chamber ensembles, the renovated 300-seat Olmstead Theater, the 200-seat Dance Theater comprised of two rehearsal studios, the 100-seat Black Box Theater and the 80-seat recital hall, an intimate wood-paneled venue that also acts as a recording studio. Education and support spaces include practice rooms, teaching studios, digital and electronic music laboratories, departmental offices and classrooms. Innovative sustainable practices including improvements to the campus infrastructure have given the $89 million project LEED certification.
Architecture | Engineering | Interior Design
265,300 sf | 24,647 sm
Awards + Distinctions
2012, Outstanding Sports Facility National Intramural Recreational Sports Association
2011, Outstanding Design American School and University, Architectural Portfolio
2010, Gold Medal Building of America/Real Estate & Construction Review-Tri-State New York Edition
DePaul University, The Theatre School
Capilano University, Nat and Flora Bosa Centre for Film and Animation
Onondaga Community College, Academic II Addition
Facility Optimization Solutions
Firm Leaders
Design Leaders
©2016-2019 CannonDesign all rights reserved
If you are unable to fully access the content, features or functionality of this website because of a disability, please send a request to reasonableaccommodation@cannondesign.com, or call 716-773-6800 and ask for the Human Resources Department.
Feedback relating to the delivery of our services to persons with disabilities, in adherence to the Accessibility with Disabilities Act 2005 (AODA) can be sent via email to aoda@cannondesign.com.


Fine cubic Zirconia jewelry set in brass, sterling silver and 14K gold.
High quality Sterling silver and pewter, Celtic products, jewelry, gift items, and much more at an competitive price! Featuring Ashling Aine® Celtic Designs (as seen on HSN) and SnowWonders® Snowflakes (as seen on QVC). Wholesale & Retail Welcomed.
Our quality wholesale jewelry supplies are competitively priced and proven to sell. Sterling silver jewelry has an excellent price point, and more style and design variation than jewelry made of any other precious metal.
Thailand high quality sterling silver & silver jewelry – your.satisfaction guaranteed. New designs and low prices every day.
Welcome to JewelzDirect, where beautiful jewelry is just a click away. Now you can instantly choose from thousands of elegant new looks and traditional favorites.
Plum Island Silver Company is a leading wholesale silver jewelry supplier. We have one of the largest selections of silver jewelry in the world. Our customer service is unexcelled. Give us a try and see why we are "America's Favorite Sterling Silver Supplier".


Nana Danso Abiam was a wizard on the Atenteben flute and a manual he wrote for the instrument will be launched on Sunday, April 24 in Accra as part of activities to mark the first anniversary of his death.
Three orchestras that he was influential in setting up: the Pan African Orchestra (PAO), the Accra Symphony Orchestra (ASO) and the Pan African Youth Orchestra (PAYO) will all perform at the book launch at the State House.
The PAO, which Nana founded in 1988, was a product of the cultural and political renaissance which swept post-colonial Africa in the 1960s and 1970s and the outfit created waves throughout the world in the late 1990s.
With the exploration, preservation and development of Africa's indigenous musical instruments as one of its objectives, the orchestra set out to incorporate diverse indigenous instruments from various cultures and countries throughout Africa.
With the release of its maiden album Opus One, the orchestra simultaneously offered an 'Afrocentric system of symphonic music as a substitute for western classical repertoire in Africa.
Undeniably, PAO managed to move the cultural climate some notches higher in the direction of the grail of true pan-Africanism.
The album was released through Peter Gabriel's Real World Records in 1995 and subsequently topped the international New World Music Charts for six weeks.
In 2001, PAO collaborated with the Adzido Pan African Dance Ensemble and toured the United Kingdom with the musical play titled 'Yaa Asantewaa - Warrior Queen' which was written by Margaret Busby.
Nana collaborated with a wide range of musicologists and musicians from Europe, Asia, the United States and several African countries. Despite the regular acclaim, keeping the orchestra of about 30 fulltime professional players together was often a difficult task.
The constant financial headache prompted Nana to explore other musical territories. He was happy when the International Central Gospel Church agreed for him to start and direct its symphony orchestra, ASO, which he did till the time of his death.


text:
Sexually transmitted penile amoebiasis in Iran: a case series
Alireza Abdolrasouli1,2,3,
Henry J C de Vries4,5,6,7,
Yahya Hemmati3,
Azita Roushan3,
Jason Hart1,
Michael Anthony Waugh8
1Department of Medical Microbiology, Charing Cross Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK
2Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunity, Medical School, Hammersmith Campus, Imperial College London, London, UK
3Department of Clinical Microbiology, Marie-Curie Medical Institute, Tehran, Iran
4Department of Dermatology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
5STI outpatient clinic, Cluster Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
6Centre for Infections and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
7Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
8Department of Out patients, Nuffield Hospital, Leeds, UK
Correspondence to Alireza Abdolrasouli, Department of Medical Microbiology, Charing Cross Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, 4th Floor, East Wing, Fulham Palace Road, London W6 8RP, UK; ali_reza878{at}yahoo.com
Objectives Four cases of penile amoebiasis (PA) presenting as genital ulceration seen among men who practiced unprotected insertive anal intercourse in Tehran are described.
Methods PA was confirmed by observation of motile trophozoites of Entamoeba histolytica from lesions examined by wet mount microscopy.
Results Ulcers were solitary, painful, irregular, discharging and increasing in size. Three heterosexuals and one bisexual had practised insertive anal intercourse in the 2 weeks before diagnosis. Bilateral inguinal lymphadenitis occurred in one case. Direct examination of lesions was positive for the presence of amoebic trophozoites. Complete resolution occurred after treatment with oral metronidazole 800 mg three times daily for 7–10 days.
Conclusions Clinicians need to be aware of cutaneous amoebiasis in sexually active men who practice unprotected insertive anal sex where intestinal amoebiasis is endemic. Wet mount microscopy is a rapid and useful diagnostic test.
E Histolytica
Genital Ulcers
Laboratory Methods
Modes Of Transmission
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/sextrans-2012-050577


Hey! Someone in my Myspace group shared this site with us so I came to give it a look. I'm definitely enjoying the information. I'm bookmarking and will be tweeting this to my followers! Great blog and brilliant style and design.