The opening slide on the big display screen at the Feb. 7, 2019, discussion on the new Issue Brief prepared by Rhode Island Kids Count.
From left: The Honorable Lia Stuhlsatz, Associate Judge, R.I. Family Court; Ana Novais, executive director at the R.I. Department of Health, Trista Piccola, director, R.I. DCYF, Susan Dickstein, president, R.I. Association for Infant Mental Health, and Elizabeth Burke Bryant, executive director, Rhode Island Kids Count.
A new Issue Brief by Rhode Island Kids Count on Infants and Toddlers in the Child Welfare System in Rhode Island opened the door to look beyond the data on how to be more expansive and inclusive in the conversation.
When will access to affordable housing become a top priority for investment by CommerceRI in Rhode Island? What are the data sources that exist that can document how poverty, housing and diversity are connected to issues of child neglect in Rhode Island? When do the voices of parents become part of the conversation when experts are convened to talk? How do health equity zones become part of the conversation around developing community solutions to child neglect? What is the nexus between substance use, childhood trauma and neglect? What are the opportunities to explore around integrated care in the new Neighborhood Health Center in Central Falls? In addition to screening for behavioral health and mental health issues, as well as for maternal depression, is there a need to resuscitate the idea of screening for toxic stress in Rhode Island? Will the R.I. General Assembly be willing to invest more in expanding the workforce for DCYF?
On Friday, Feb. 22, Gov. Gina Raimondo will be receiving an award at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., given by the Mental Health Association's Regional Policy Council, for her leadership on mental health issues. The award highlights once again the apparent difference in perceptions at the national level, compared to the state level, about Raimondo's performance, according to one long-time member of the mental health advocacy community.
Clearly, there is room for discussion on both sides about the merits of the award: the development of BH/Link, a 24/7 triage and counseling center, is a plus. So, too, are the efforts around developing parity for behavioral health and mental health insurance coverage.
On the not-so-good side, there is the continuing struggle of DCYF to manage its caseloads and interventions to prevent deaths and near-deaths from neglect and abuse in young infants and children. There is also the continued lack of funding for community mental health centers.
The question is: will there be any reporters from Rhode Island traveling to Washington, D.C., to cover the event? Will anyone ask what were the criteria upon which Gov. Raimondo was selected?
These were not startling findings or observations; the answers to the larger, more difficult questions remain a work in progress: What are the kinds of successful interventions that can prevent the high incidence of abuse and neglect in early childhood in Rhode Island? How do such interventions connect with the need for safe, affordable housing and good-paying jobs? And, how does early trauma experienced in a parent's life play out in his or her relationship with a child, where the trauma gets repeated?
Not surprisingly, under the definition of "neglect," which comprised some 77 percent of such allegations, exposure to domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse and lack of supervision were the most common types of neglect for children under the age of three.
That was the starting point for a response panel to reflect on the findings, which included an array of experts: Trista Piccola, director of the R.I. Department of Children, Youth and Families; The Honorable Lia Stuhlsatz, Associate Justice, Rhode Island Family Court; and Susan Dickstein, president, Rhode Island Association for Infant Mental Health.
For more than an hour, Piccola, Stuhlsatz and Dickstein shared their thoughts about the interventions that were now in place in Rhode Island to develop solutions to the problem, including the Safe and Secure Baby Court to support young, first-time parents, the Pivot to Prevention program to change the operational direction at DCYF, evidence-based home visiting, paid family leave, which left about 15 minutes for questions and dialogue.
Piccola began her brief talk by announcing: "I am not who you think I am," describing how a recent DNA analysis revealed that her heritage was not Italian. Rather, her father, an orphan, had been adopted into a large Italian family. The discovery by Piccola about the actual roots of her own identity, she said, reinforced her understanding about "how identity gets wrapped up in the early years of life," and how children respond to being in a nurturing environment.
Stuhlsatz, in turn, who described herself as "not a baby person," talked about her interactions with young parents, particularly young mothers, as part of the pilot program, Safe and Secure Baby Court, providing first-time parents with infants from birth to age 12 months with support services, focused on safety and attachment. Stuhlsatz likened the process to a scene from "The Lion King," with the parents often holding up their infants to her as the judge, in a rite of the pride that the new parents showed in successful bonding with their infants.
For the all the facts and data points contained in the "Issue Brief," the nuances shed far more light onto the art of parents nurturing infants, around the shaping of identify, around the call and response involved in parenting, in ConvergenceRI's opinion. The facts are nothing without their nuance, as Norman Mailer once wrote.
The audience attending the presentation of the new Issue Brief included many of the more knowledgeable members of the Rhode Island clinical- and community-based health and social services programs focused on children: Dr. Pamela High, professor of Pediatrics and director of the Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics at Brown University; Ana Novais, executive director at the R.I. Department of Health, along with her colleagues, Kristine Campagna and Blythe Berger; Dr. Patricia Flanagan, co-founder of PCMH-Kids; Lisa Guilette, the executive director of Foster Forward; and Peter Marino, executive director and CEO of Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island, among others.
There were questions about intergenerational trauma and if the children of parents who had been involved with DCYF represented a pipeline for potential neglect. Another question focused on the importance of including fathers as part of the care-giving equation.
Peter Wells, the editor of publisher of The Providence American, asked a respectful but penetrating question. Wells wanted to know how data around child abuse and neglect correlated with issues around poverty, economic well-being and diversity, which seemed to be missing from the issue brief. Elizabeth Burke Bryant, executive director of Rhode Island Kids Count, answered that they were still trying to get at that data.
Another member of the audience asked the panel of experts: how did access to safe, affordable housing fit into equation. Piccola responded by saying the problem around access to affordable housing was an enormous one in Rhode Island; at a recent meeting of Gov. Gina Raimondo's leadership team, when asked to name, in one word, the biggest issue, Piccola said she answered: "Housing," because it is such a significant issue, because it cuts across everything.
Call it serendipity. Earlier that morning, ConvergenceRI had met with Holly Cekala at Olga's Cup + Saucer, a hub of innovation in Providence, to learn more about her new efforts to create recovery housing for women and their children, under age six, under one roof, as part of a new enterprise, Trinity Inn, LLC, located in Portsmouth, with a target opening data in April.
Access to recovery housing for women and children, in many ways, appears to address one of the key gaps in many of the strategies related to addressing the complexities of child neglect and abuse and their connection to economic and substance use issues.
ConvergenceRI had suggested to Cekala that she meet with Barry Lester, the director of the Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, who is pioneering new strategies and treatments around neonatal abstinence syndrome [withdrawal from drugs by newborns after delivery].
Lester was also featured in the story, as part of a tandem duo with Dr. Adam Czynski at Women & Infants. Through his research clinic, Lester cares for and tracks the neonatal abstinence syndrome population, seeing five or six babies at any given time, helping with swaddling, feeding and sleep strategies. "About three-quarters of the clinic's babies are in foster care," according to Nilsson.
A similar statistic hovers over the work at Women & Infants nursery, regarding some level of DCYF involvement. In 2018, between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31, 51 Rhode Island infants were removed at birth due to their parents' drug use.
In addition to nuance, connectivity and convergence are vital to developing solutions to child neglect in Rhode Island, as well as being willing to include in the conversation the diseases of despair: deaths from alcohol, suicide and drugs, connected to economic displacement and family disruption, particularly for people between the ages of 25-34.
Surprisingly, one initiative not mentioned in the Rhode Island Kids Count "Issue Brief," featured in any of the recommendations, not discussed by any of the expert panelists were the ongoing efforts to create Health Equity Zones in the state. There are currently nine operating health equity zones in Rhode Island, with a plan to expand the number of HEZs recently announced.
The theory and practice of Health Equity Zones is to focus on developing community-based solutions to the issues of health equity and social disparity, given that only 10 percent of health outcomes are determined by what happens in a doctor's or nurse's office.
Last year, The Rhode Island Foundation invested some $3.6 million in the work of six health equity zones in Rhode Island, signaling a sea change shift toward prevention at the community level.
As an example, ONE Neighborhood Builders, a community housing corporation, the convener of a HEZ in Olneyville, recently launched a new HEZ project in January, working in Partnership with Project Weber/RENEW and The Center for Resilience. One program involves helping outreach workers to conduct Narcan trainings in areas designated as overdose hotspots; another program supports efforts to conduct mindfulness programs to increase coping skills and reduce risk behaviors among young parents.
Mindfulness training to increase coping skills and reduce risk behaviors among young parents. Now, that sounds like something that could easily be added to the recommendations section.
Also, investing in new initiatives such as Trinity Inn in Portsmouth, a recovery house for women with children under one roof.
The new "Issue Brief" on infants and toddlers in the child welfare system in Rhode Island is a good start to a much-needed, broader conversation, where the discussions can collide and converge, focusing on housing, economic opportunity, health equity, and community.


Hey everybody, Merry Christmas! Today we're featuring the art of DAKRI Sinclair. It's her first post as a Creative Team member and I know you are going to love what she's created.
DAKRI specializes in hand-painted gifts that include piggy banks, wall plaques, Easter baskets, and Christmas ornaments...lots of Christmas ornaments. At this time of year, she literally hand-paints and personalizes 1000's of ornaments. She's internationally known, her work has been featured in publications and department stores like Neiman Marcus, Macy's, Carson Pririe Scot and others...she is a powerhouse and a true inspiration for anyone who aspires to turn their art into a career.
This Christmas season, DAKRI has received requests for personalized frames...and she's been using my 11"x14" Mixed Media Photo Frames. The frames are perfect for her art, the board itself is a high density, archival quality board, it doesn't warp with wet media, and the front surface is covered with watercolor paper.
Today DAKRI is sharing frames that were created as personalized gifts for grandparents. Each frame has the name of all the grandparent's grandchildren and the frame has a pre-cut beveled 4x6 cut out that will hold a photo of all of the kids! It's a wonderful gift that is really personal.
DAKRI is known for her whimsical illustrative style...these frames are just too cute! She uses inks, pens, and a water brush to create her distinctive look. The ultra amooth surface of the Mixed Media Frame is perfect for her art!
I would love to see the look on the faces of the grandparents when they open these on Christmas day! If you'd like to see more of DAKRI's work, please visit her Facebook gallery...I think once you see her art you're going to be a fan too! Leave a comment below as I am sure DAKRI would love to hear what you think.
Thank you for stopping by today and I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and best wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!
You're right Ken, I absolutely love what she has created!!! Everything is just beautiful and I just want to look and look! What a very talented artist - thanks so much for sharing Dakri's work!!! Merry Christmas to all!


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text:
Le palladium (Pd, numéro atomique 46) possède 38 isotopes connus, de nombre de masse variant entre 91 et 128, et 16 isomères nucléaires. Parmi ces isotopes, six sont stables, 102Pd, 104Pd, 105Pd, 106Pd, 108Pd et 110Pd. Ils constituent l'ensemble du palladium naturel, dans des proportions variant de 1 à 27 %. On attribue au palladium une masse atomique standard de .

Parmi les 32 radioisotopes connus du palladium, les plus stables sont 107Pd, avec une demi-vie de , 103Pd (), et 100Pd (. Tous les autres radioisotopes caractérisés ont une demi-vie inférieure à une demi-heure, à l'exception de 101Pd (), 109Pd (), et 112Pd ().

Les radioisotopes plus légers que les isotopes stables (A < 102) se désintègrent principalement par émission de positron (β+) en isotopes du rhodium, à l'exception de 100Pd, qui, comme 103Pd, se désintègre par capture électronique, tous deux en isotopes du rhodium également. Les radioisotopes plus lourds () se désintègrent eux principalement par désintégration β− en isotopes de l'argent.

Isotopes notables

Palladium naturel
Six isotopes du palladium sont stables et constituent l'ensemble du palladium naturel, 102Pd, 104Pd, 105Pd, 106Pd, 108Pd et 110Pd. Parmi eux, 102Pd et 110Pd sont soupçonnés de se désintégrer très lentement par double , cependant ces désintégrations n'ont pour l'instant jamais été observées.

Palladium 103

Le palladium 103 (103Pd) est l'isotope du palladium dont le noyau est constitué de 46 protons et de 57 neutrons. C'est un radioisotope se désintégrant par capture électronique en rhodium 103, avec une demi-vie de . Dans la réaction, il émet un rayon gamma de . Le  est notamment utilisé en radiothérapie dans les cas de cancer de la prostate ou de mélanome de la choroïde. Il peut être produit à partir du palladium 102 ou du rhodium 103 en utilisant un cyclotron.

Palladium 107

Le palladium 107 (Pd) est l'isotope du palladium dont le noyau est constitué de 46 protons et de 61 neutrons. C'est un radioisotope se désintégrant par désintégration β pure (pas d'émission gamma) en argent 107. Le palladium 107 n'existe pas dans les échantillons naturels mais il était présent lors de la formation du Système solaire (radioactivité éteinte).

Le palladium 107 est produit en grande quantité dans les réacteurs nucléaires, comme produit des réactions de fission (avec un rendement de 0,14 %), ce qui en fait l'un des plus importants métaux de transition au sein des produits de fission trouvés dans les combustibles usagés et certains déchets radioactifs. Le taux de Pd d'un combustible irradié de référence est de  , mais sa concentration dans l'environnement ne semble jamais avoir été mesurée (ou non publiée).

Selon l'IRSN,  (les données radioécologiques parfois citées pour le palladium 107 ). Il n'y a pas de données spécifiques sur le , mais quelques indices toxicologiques peuvent être apportés par des travaux ayant porté sur le palladium stable des pots catalytiques automobiles qui montrent notamment que le palladium est le plus mobile parmi les platinoïdes.

Le palladium 107 est l'un des 7 produits de fission à vie longue, avec la seconde plus grande demi-vie ( d'années), mais est le moins radioactif (énergie de désintégration de , activité spécifique de ).

Son rendement par neutrons thermiques à partir de l'uranium 235 est de 0,1629 % par fission, soit un quart de celui de l'iode 129, ou un 1/40 de ceux du technétium 99, du zirconium 93, et de césium 135.  Son rendement à partir de l'uranium 233 est significativement plus bas, en revanche il est largement plus grand (3,3 %) à partir du plutonium 239. Les rendements sont aussi plus importants dans les réacteurs à neutrons rapides, ou par fission d'éléments plus lourds.

Du fait de la dilution, et du fait que la section efficace du 105Pd est onze fois plus importante, le 107Pd ne peut pas être traité par transmutation nucléaire. Cependant, comme c'est un métal noble, le palladium est moins mobile dans l'environnement que l'iode ou le technétium.

L'isotope radiogénique 107Ag est le produit de désintégration de 107Pd. Il a été découvert pour la première fois dans la météorite de Santa Clara en 1978.

Cette découverte a permis de poser l'hypothèse que la coalescence et la différenciation des petites planètes à noyau de fer se sont déroulées  d'années après la période de nucléosynthèse.

Table des isotopes

Remarques

 La précision de l'abondance isotopique et de la masse atomique est limitée par des variations. Les échelles de variations données devraient être valables pour tout matériau terrestre normal.
 Il existe des échantillons géologiques exceptionnels dont la composition isotopique est en dehors de l'échelle donnée. L'incertitude sur la masse atomique de tels échantillons peut excéder les valeurs données.
 Les valeurs marquées # ne sont pas purement dérivées des données expérimentales, mais aussi au moins en partie à partir des tendances systématiques. Les spins avec des arguments d'affectation faibles sont entre parenthèses.
 Les incertitudes sont données de façon concise entre parenthèses après la décimale correspondante. Les valeurs d'incertitude dénotent un écart-type, à l'exception de la composition isotopique et de la masse atomique standard de l'IUPAC qui utilisent des incertitudes élargies.

Notes et références

 Masse des isotopes depuis :

 Compositions isotopiques et masses atomiques standards :

 , résumé
 Demi-vies, spins et données sur les isomères sélectionnés depuis les sources suivantes :

Palladium
Palladium

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Welcome the Shen Drones Squirt V2 CineWhoop Kit. One of the most popular CineWhoop drones on the market the ShenDrones Squirt has been used to film some of the best HD footage we have seen in tight proximity areas. The TPU printed prop guards keep the propellers safe from hurting anyone or anything when flying in tighter spaces. Take your CineWhooping to the next level, get the ShenDrones Squirt V2 today!
Simply enter your details below and we will send you an e-mail when "ShenDrones Squirt V2 Kit with Adjustable GoPro Hero Mount" is back in stock!


PhpDock's settings are contained in a single file, named PhpDock.ini. PhpDock installation program places PhpDock.ini in the top level directory of PhpDock. The following section of this manual described various types of configurations and settings available in PhpDock.
How to make the brand of the applications deployed with PhpDock appear in PhpDock window?
use your own icon for both system tray and application icon.
Learn more about icon and Title directives in the description of phpdock.ini file.
PhpDock can be configured to run as a Kiosk - Full-Screen mode. You can invoke Kiosk mode with KioskMode=1 instruction in [Window] section of the config file.
How to handle errors in PHP Application?
PhpDock allows you to specify error handlers. If for example Application produces HTTP/404 File Not Found error, PhpDock can be configured to display pre-defined page or run pre-defined script. Latter one gets additional information about the error, such as URL, Filename and Error code. All errors starting with code 400 can be handled this way.
How to run PHP Scripts in background?
PhpDock allows you to specify scripts to be run in background. It's a useful feature for such tasks as online updates.
Can PhpDock handle different Mime types?
PhpDock supports about approx 140 file extensions and their mime types. These types can be changed so for example CSS will be handled as PHP if its type is changed from text/css to application/x-httpd-php.
Can PhpDock be configured to block popup windows?
You can instruct PhpDock to block popup windows if desired.
PhpDock configuration allows to bind its web server to a specific address with Bind instruction of [HTTPServer] section. If Bind is missing, the server will bind to localhost. You can use wild card * to bind to all addresses.
How to setup all configuration settings for PhpDock?
All PhpDock settings are stored in one ini file. This file controls every aspect of PHP Application's behavior when it is running in PhpDock. Learn more about PhpDock.ini - PHP Application deployment config file.
How to package User Application with PhpDock?
PhpDock is a deployment tool, so it is expected to be packaged for the distribution to multiple end users of the User Application. The developers are free to use the installation program of their choice to package PhpDock and the Application scripts together such that when installed the same directory structure is preserved under PhpDock installation directory. Typically the end user installer would unpacks PhpDock, PHP and the Application itself into a target directory and set up a link in the user's start menu.
In this tutorial you learnt how to configure PHP Applications to deploy them with PhpDock. You probably noticed that the syntax of the directives used in PhpDock.ini is very similar to that of php.ini - configuration file used by PHP. This is of course because the main goal of the entire design of PhpDock is reduce to a bare minimum the learning curve and the amount of effort needed to start using PhpDock for running PHP Applications.


Emotional Micha has a lot of things to write but no time to write them down. Instead she forcefully picks toys off her son's carpet while crying dramatically to her husband: "There's never enough time!"
Emotional Micha will not be posting again this week. Instead she will be planning the two parties she's hosting the day before movers arrive at her door.
Emotional Micha is crying every time she talks about 1) moving, 2) loving her friends, 3) loving her church, 4) loving her children, 5) loving her husband. So, basically, don't ask her about moving and/or love.
Emotional Micha will write all the posts she's been storing up in her little heart and will post them next week.
Until then, I'll be failing at keeping it together.


Bivalvia Synthesis is a small synthesizer toy based on Axoloti core, the open source hardware synth created by Johannes Taelman. The casing is handmade from wood and unfolds like a clamshell to reveal six dial/fader controllers combined with 15 high quality Cheery MX keys – 12 MIDI notes in chromatic scale, octave up/down and patch shifting. For output, there's stereo output on the back and a built-in full-range 15W speaker.
Combined with Axoloti Patcher software – a user friendly and very graphic modular environment, you can create your own effects and sounds using oscillators (from subtractive to FM), filters, modulation, and much more.
Simply connect the Bivalvia Synthesis to your computer via USB and start making objects. Build your own personal patch bank and store it on the built-in SD card.


text:
Domestic cats in China arrived 5,500 years ago independently of neighbouring lands
By Hannah Osborne
January 26, 2016 13:03 GMT
Early domesticated cats in China were leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis) muzina_shanghai
Cats were domesticated in China around 5,500 years ago independently of their neighbours in the Near East and Egypt. Analysis of fossilised cat bones from early agricultural settlements in China show the species of the first domestic cats differed from those seen in other areas – showing they were not brought to China from nearby lands, where cats had been domesticated thousands of years earlier.
The story of cat domestication goes back around 10,000 years, coinciding with the birth of agriculture. As mice were attracted to the grain being harvested, the cats were attracted to the mice – a partnership that was beneficial to both humans and felines. The first close relationship between cats and humans was found in the Near East from between 9000 and 7000 BC.
Cat bones dating to 3500 BC were discovered in Shaanxi province in 2001. However, whether this was the result of felines being introduced from the Near East or if they had built the relationship independently was unknown.
Now an international team of scientists from CNRS, the French Natural History Museum (MNHN), the University of Aberdeen, the Chinese Academy of Social Science and the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology have analysed the fossils to discover which species of cat they were.
Modern Old World distribution of the different wild cat subspecies (Felis silvestris) and the leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis), and location of the three Middle-Late Neolithic sites of the Shaanxi and Henan Provinces (China) analysed in this paper: (Vigne et al/PLOS One]
All modern domestic cats are descendent from African and Near Eastern forms of the wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica). However, the bones found in China came from the leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) – a distant relative of the western wildcat.
This species is still widespread in Eastern Asia today and is known to visit areas where humans live and authors believe they likely were attracted to early settlements because of the presence of rodents. The authors say this finding shows a domestication process similar to the one in the Near East took place in China independently. The findings are published in the journal PLOS One.
"These data clearly indicate that the origins of a human-cat 'domestic' relationship in Neolithic China began independently from South-West Asia and involved a different wild felid species altogether," they wrote.
Leopard cat Daran Kandasamy/Flickr
The leopard cat's domestic life was short lived, however. Today, modern cats in China are descendent from wildcats – possibly from the opening of the Silk Road, when links between the East and West were established. "The domestic cat ... appears to have completely replaced the leopard cat from its purported commensal niche in China, at some point after the Late Neolithic.
Although cat bones have been found in the Guangyangqing King burial, at Dabaotai, Beijing, dated to 45 BC (Han dynasty), the earliest historical record of the presence of domestic cat in China dates to the Tang dynasty (AD 618–907). At that time cats were kept as pets — as well as pest (mice) controllers — in the royal palaces and local official courts. Since then, cats constantly occur in both documentary and artistic sources.
"Were these later cats of the Han and Tang dynasties descendants of Neolithic commensal leopard cats or introduced western domestic cats? Only further archaeozoological discoveries and analyses of cat remains can answer these questions."
More about cats
Cat DNA Shows Domestication Arose from Reward-Seeking Genes
Cats prefer their owners to other people but don't need them to feel safe
Snow leopards no better adapted to living at high altitude than your everyday moggy
Cats Know Owners' Voice - But Couldn't Care Less [PHOTOS VIDEOS]
Were Cats and Dogs Prehistoric Allies?
Watching videos of cats on the internet really does make you happier

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
The Sahara: an ever-present challenge
R. ST. BARBE BAKER
RICHARD ST. BARGE BAKER is the founder of the Men of the Trees Society. In retirement, he now dives in New Zealand but he is as interested and active as ever in Saharan problems.
IT WAS SOON AFTER MY APPOINTMENT as an assistant conservator of forests in east Africa in 1920 that I became aware of the importance of attempting to arrest the advance of the Sahara in equatorial Africa.
Reports had arrived of what was happening to the north where the tribes had been caught in a wedge of vanishing forest with hundreds of miles of desert in front of them and desert closing in behind them. Chiefs had forbidden marriage and women refused to bear children for they were driven before the oncoming desert and could already see their end in sight.
This made a profound impression and I was determined to do what I could in my fairly responsible position in charge of thousands of square miles of Kenya, including near desert stretching north to Turkana and beyond, when it seemed that the steady advance of the Sahara was inevitable unless it were contained by a series of protective forest belts.
The planting grant was negligible and I was driven to the conclusion that it was essential to obtain the willing cooperation of the people to stem the tide of destruction.
Dance of the trees
It had been brought to my notice that, whenever any constructive effort was to be made, it started with a dance; for instance, there was a dance when the beans were planted and another when the corn was reaped. So I invited the captains of the dances to my forest station at Muguga to discuss the situation and arrange for a nationwide inauguration of a new dance -the dance of the trees-for tree planting.
It entailed much preparation, with the sending of runners to distant parts of the country. Eventually the great day of the first dance of the trees arrived and 3 000 morans or younger warriors turned up at my forest station, decked out in their war paint and carrying spears and shields as if prepared for battle, but on the point of each spear was a ball of ostrich feathers-a sign that they came in peace. At a given signal the warriors marched past the bungalow, clan by clan; on they came in a constant stream and fell into their ranks before a solitary, sacred mugumu tree-a ficus closely related to the banyan of India.
I should mention that, whenever the Kikuyu felled a forest to make a farm, they would leave a single mugumu tree to collect the spirits of the other trees so that these would not, as they put it, wander about and be uneasy. This thoughtful consideration for the spirits of the trees they were felling convinced me that at heart they were tree lovers and it would not be too difficult to teach them something of the biological contribution that trees make to life and their essential place in an agricultural community. At first when I had talked to them about the importance of tree planting, they said: that is shauri ya mungu-God's business. Trees just grow by themselves. It had not dawned upon them that, if they felled all the mother seed trees, there would be little chance of regenerating a new forest. Their nomadic methods of farming meant their having to go farther and farther afield to get sticks to cook their food. Whereas before a journey of an hour or two sufficed, now they might have to go two or even three days to meet their needs. It was their women who went to the forest to collect the firewood and it was the women who planted and cultivated the garden crops, such as beans, peas, yams, okra and sweet potatoes. And so to the first dance of the trees came women in their thousands with children and old folk.
All assembled on the clearing behind the forest station near the sacred mugumu tree. Never before in the history of their country had such a gathering taken place. It was a wonderful sight. From the platform that had been specially built for the occasion, I spoke through Chief Josiah Njonjo who, with his natural oratory and vivid imagination, amplified the appeal that I was so earnestly attempting to make to these nomadic cultivators who for generations had been felling the high forest to make their farms. That day, it was 22 July 1922, I called for volunteer planters of trees.
The volunteers were soon nicknamed: Watu Wa Miti -men of the trees. They had come forward and, like scouts, promised to do one good deed each day and, in addition, plant ten trees, seedlings or seeds each year and protect trees everywhere. The idea caught on, for in future no one was allowed to be present at the dance of the trees who had not fulfilled his planting obligation. Each branch of the Watu Wa Miti was under the supervision of a leader known as a forest guide. The trees were planted between their corn and sweet potatoes and left as a potential forest on the old farm when they moved on to cultivate a fresh clearing. In this way we were able to reestablish and improve on the original tree cover with such valuable species as mutarakwa (Juniperus procera), the Kenya pencil cedar and mutamaiyu, the Kenya olive, and other valuable timber trees. Incidentally it was of ecological interest to find that pigeons fed on the juniper berries and that the seeds that had passed through the guts of the pigeons germinated. The viability of the seeds was short and it was necessary for the outer covering or pericarp to be disintegrated before the seed could germinate. It was through studying nature's method that I was led to soak the seed in hot water with a small amount of sulphuric acid to approximate the effects of the gastric juices of the pigeon. When the juniper fruit was sown untreated, there was less than 5 percent germination. [Following nature, 95 percent germination was secured and soon there were tens of thousands of seedlings in the nurseries ready for transplanting. And this was at Muguga, meaning a treeless place.
FIGURE 2. - There were extensive forests of great trees of which ] and roots are found.
Muguga was one of the most beautifully situated forest stations in the world for soon after dawn I could usually see the 5 200 metre snowclad mountain of Kirinyaga, place of whiteness, for which Kenya is named, and to the south from the veranda was displayed the 5 800 metre flat-topped mountain of Kilimanjaro which looked like a giant breakfast table with real snow as a tablecloth.
To Muguga came members of the Watu Wa Miti whenever they could not think of a better good deed, to plant out small mutarakwa trees. This was a labour of love and undertaken as any other game or recreation, and in that first nursery they raised over 80 000 young trees.
I have mentioned these details because I believe so strongly in the voluntary cooperation of a people in contrast to any system of compulsion, especially with regard to large-scale afforestation under difficult climatic conditions when :much loving care is needed.
In appreciation of the :many years of devoted service of Chief Josiah Njonjo I invited him to come to London in ]953 as my guest for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. When his plane had touched down he was interviewed by the British Broadcasting Corporation for their daily programme, In Town Tonight:
" You are a Chief from Africa? " inquired the interviewer. " Yes " said Josiah, " I hold King George's Gold Medal for long service and now I have come to see his daughter crowned." " And what are the duties of a Chief? " asked the man from the BBC. " The Chief is the voice of the government to the people and the voice of the people to the government." " Tell us about this Mau Mau business," said the interviewer. " That is a long story," said the Chief, " and I am no politician but I can tell you this. In my part of Kenya we have had no trouble at all." " How do you account for that, Chief? " inquired the interviewer. " Because over 30 years ago a forester taught us how to plant and protect our native trees. We have kept the promise made to him and so we have plenty of timber, plenty of fuel, plenty of clear water and we have plenty of food, so no trouble."
Surveys to restore nature
In 1953 there were two great adventures in progress one was known as the conquest of nature- a group of brave and hardy men suffered great hardships anal risked their dives to stand on the summit of Mount Everest. The ascent was visualized as a fight between the brains, muscles and powers of endurance of man, and what was called the blind forces of nature. So, if man ever stood on the summit, he would claim to have conquered nature; but the life of the everyday world would flow on, entirely unaffected by this: heroic expedition.
In the other adventure, a party of four men went out to the Sahara to fight the evil which men had done to the soil of Africa and find ways to restore to nature the deserts created by man's ignorance. They, like the Mount Everest party, suffered great hardships and risked their lives. One died. The exploration survey was successful, but the full effect of its work, which will continue, may not show for years and will still go on for generations. Unlike the mountain adventure to conquer nature, the desert adventure to restore nature was carried out with the object of giving back to the human race thousands of square kilometres of food-bearing lands.
Ten thousand years ago the Sahara was apparently teeming with human, animal and plant life. The art galleries of wall painting at Tassili-n-Ajjer and elsewhere could indicate the drying up of the rivers and the shrinkage of lakes, for the earliest drawings depict elephants and hippopotami. Geologists and anthropologists have given them a tentative date of 5000 BC and it is known as the Period of the Hunters. Next comes the Period of the Herdsmen around 3500 BC followed by a well-defined stage of the horse, the dog and the wheel, with the four horse chariot about 1000 years BC.
It is of interest to find remains of trunks of trees and root systems. Sometimes curious mounds enclose all that remains of what was once a tree stump. But what concerns us most as foresters and land reclamationists is the speed at which the Sahara is advancing today. There are indications that it is advancing faster thin: an ever before, and not only along the southern perimeter but presenting an equal threat in the north after long droughts.
The findings of the 1952-53 Sahara expedition were reported in the book Sahara challenge, the last chapter of which presented an overall plan for Sahara reclamation. Another round of the Sahara expedition was organized in 1964 after a conference at Rabat to which all heads of state had been invited by the Sahara Reclamation Programme of the Men of the Trees. This has been briefly recorded in Sahara conquest, which invites cooperation on an international scale not only to combat erosion and contain the Sahara but to help the political climate of the nations.
Driving along the foothills of the Atlas mountains while carrying out the ecological survey, with over 3 000 kilometres of desert stretching away to the south -through which we passed on our way to Kano - we thought of the Alb or Albian Nappe, that vast subterranean source of water lying beneath our track. Its existence had been anticipated by explorers and geologists but it is only in more recent years, by means of magnetometer surveys, drilling for pilot development wells and periodic measurements of discharges, that its extent and formation have been identified. Geologists explain that these are deposits left by streams and rivers perhaps 50 million years ago. In the early chalk period, which preceded this continental epoch, these deposits were sealed in by marl and clay left by the sea. This is the geological explanation for the subterranean Sahara, lake, Nappe Albienne, which stretches l 000 kilometres southward from the southern foothills of the Atlas mountains, is bounded on the west by the Saouva valley and on the east by Tunisia and the Libyan Fezzan.
FIGURE 3. - When tree cover is removed, the desert takes over. Tassili Ajjer.
FIGURE 4. - Dune stabilization and reafforestation under-taken by the Libyan authorities with the help of FAO foresters.
FIGURE 5. - A row of olive trees at Sfax, where 36 million olive trees have been planted and are already yielding over 2 million tons of oil a year,
The area of this vast underground reservoir extends more than 650 000 square kilometres - the size of France. In some places it may be 90 metres deep. but in others from 500 to 2 000 metres. Justin Savorin called the Alb the finest hydraulic device in the Sahara; and because he did more than anyone else to explore it, the Saharans know it as Savorin's sea. Savorin estimated that the Alb contained over 10 million cubic metres of water. An hydrologist has estimated that it would take the Rhine almost 190 years to fill a reservoir of that capacity.
MOROCCAN STUDY
Our first study of the western and northern countries of the Sahara began in 1952 with Morocco when we had the opportunity of studying their nursery practices, plantations of eucalypts of various ages under different conditions, and an arboretum or eucalyptum of some 30 species being studied for their suitability. On an excessively eroded hillside where too little soil remained to establish eucalyptus, prickly pear cactus was being planted and frequently cut back and left to decompose to form a humus paving the way for the establishment of eucalyptus plantations. Later, in 1957, Sultan Mohammed V inaugurated the youth forests. He merely had to ride up a hill when he would be followed by thousands of young planters kept well supplied with lorry loads of transplants in polyethylene bags, and in his horse's footprints a forest arose; 36 000 people offered themselves and an average of 10 000 were at work planting trees over the weekends. Five months after planting one youth forest many of the trees, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, had grown over 30 centimetres a month. This was at Bu Soukra where 140 hectares had been planted with 80 000 trees on Sundays. The Governor of Casablanca had set a good example, taking off his coat and wielding a planting mattock with the rest.
It is fortunate that the Koran teaches respect for trees and makes special promises to planters of trees. but the goat is still the bête noire of the forest. It is no small task to educate people among whom flocks and herds have been regarded as wealth, to turn from an animal to a silvan economy.
FOREST PROTECTION IN ALGERIA
In Algeria the principal ways of -protection put into effect included the banquette system, with small banks; running at right angles to the slopes, descending like steps down the hillsides. They are protected from the upper extremity by a canal, diverting the water, furrowing the slopes in an almost horizontal network. Their cross section comprises a bottom which is flat or inclined upward, and an embankment which ensures that the mitigated flow of the torrential rain runs toward a natural outlet. The bottom of the banquette aerated by cultivation absorbs a fair amount of water, while it increases friction of the longitudinal stream which is able to establish itself and facilitate the deposits of the small amount of the material that comes from the banquette above. When the hillsides are too steep to grow cereals they are planted to trees such as aleppo pine, carob or olives. Each perimeter, each sloping basin, each piece of ground to be treated, becomes the object of a comprehensive plan which determines the method applicable to each part and leads to a combined use of different methods of treatment.
FIGURE 6. - Marginal palm, growth near Hun. Moving sand dunes are a threat even to the palm tree.
In Algeria I have since been impressed by the enthusiasm of young planters who devoted their weekends to repairing the ravages of war when so much damage was done to the cedar forests. Indeed, tree planting seems strongly associated with patriotism and love of their country, as it should be everywhere. It was in Algeria that an experiment in transpiration showed that a single Eucalyptus algeriensis, 14 metres high, transpired as much as 370 litres of water every 24 hours. Thus a forest of such eucalyptus trees would create a microclimate of appreciable influence. Rain-bearing winds from the sea would naturally be reinforced by such transpired moisture and tend to create clouds and precipitate dew or rain.
TRANSPLANTING IN TUNISIA
Foresters in Tunisia have demonstrated the value of the ridge system of planting devised in Algeria. To this ridge system has been added a method of using plastic bags for raising the young transplants. To release the roots from the bags the plastic is slit with a sharp knife or razor blade and after the young tree is planted the plastic is spread on the ground, a slit being made in the centre to allow the leading shoots of the young trees to come through. Afterwards swift touches are given, firming the earth with a slope toward the tree, before the plastic is covered with about 1 centimetre of soil. It has been found that, while allowing any rain to penetrate through the top slit, this plastic sheet prevents excessive evaporation of moisture and gives the transplant a good start. Watering is by injection under the soil direct to the roots with an exaggerated hypodermic needle. The moisture thus injected connects up with the capillary moisture. It is claimed that the first and only injection of water remains around the plant for many weeks, and the soil on the surface does not harden.
The reforestation institute set up by the Government of Tunisia at Ariana has been operated by FAO since 1965 with the help of funds of the United :Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It is now one of the most active research organizations in the country with over 30 arboreta. Another research station is in operation at Zerniza, in the northwestern coastal region.
One of the most spectacular plantings in Tunisia may be seen at Sfax where 36 million olive trees have been planted on sand dunes each in its own depression. These trees are already yielding nearly 2 million tons of olive oil a year.
FIGURE 7. -Successful dune stabilization has stopped the encroachment of sand near another clump of palms.
DISSING AND OIL MULCHING IN LIBYA
As in Tunisia so in Libya both Acacia and Eucalyptus grow vigorously shortly after planting, establishing firm roots and forming their own windbreaks. The Acacia becomes commercially useful at from 10 to 15 years and E. camaldulensis at from 15 to 20 years. The conventional method of planting is known as dissing, forming small hedges of grass to provide protection for the moving sand dunes, though this has to a great extent been superseded by spraying an oil mulch over the area after planting. Whenever there are moving sand dunes they threaten cultivations and even palmeries.
RECLAMATION IN THE UNITED ARAB REPUBLIC
Since 1953 I have witnessed the remarkable rehabilitation programme in the United Arab Republic; in Tahrir Province land that has been desert for 2 000 years is now coming into full production with the help of shelterbelts of Casuarina, Eucalyptus of many varieties, Acacia arabica and Tamarix articulis, both drought resistant and tolerant of salinity in the soil. Over 400 hectares will eventually be brought into this reclamation programme providing thousands of new farms and absorbing many Arab refugees. Huge cement, canals bringing water from the Nile, with a network of smaller ones, are used to irrigate the land and pro" vice fish for food. Mud has been brought with aquatic weeds, and Tilapia nilotica from the Nile, Tilapia galilea from the sea of Galilee, and Tilapia zillii from Lake Victoria Nyanza have been introduced. The bottom layer feed on the aquatic weeds, the middle layer feed on the spawn of the bottom ones and the top layer on the fry of the middle ones and themselves are lifter'! out in tons for human food. I have also visited the New Valley project consisting of a series of depressions III the Western Desert covering an area estimated at 4 to 5.6 million hectares, and seen 30 of the 150 gushers at Dakhla where water was rising under pressure from a depth of 1 100 metres with such power that the electronic computer gave it 200 years before the necessity for pumping will arise.
I am not so happy about the high dam of Sadd El Aali, for the evaporation over the 500 kilometre-long lake it will form will be equal to the amount that reaches the crops. The vast pressures may form a sump in the bottom allowing an ever-increasing volume of water to escape and join the subterranean Nile whose waters at present are largely lost in the Mediterranean Sea.
FIGURE 8. - Shaping banquettes with a caterpillar tractor or terraces after a rooter had torn. up the soil. Beni-Saf, Algeria.
FIGURE 9.- A few of the many Arab refugees who are finding new farms and homes in the Tahir Liberation Province, some 140 kilometres northwest of Cairo.
STEADY PROGRESS IN ETHIOPIA, KENYA AND THE SUDAN
Each time I have returned to Ethiopia, Kenya and the Sudan steady progress has been made in land reclamation and tree planting. Perhaps the most spectacular planting is in Kenya, where President Kenyatta is patron of the Men of the Trees and has inaugurated national tree planting weeks. The Kenyan Forestry Department has an enlightened and progressive planting policy.
In Ethiopia it was Menelik II who, when Addis Ababa was threatened with a wood famine, had the good sense and foresight to introduce into the area fast-growing eucalypt trees from Australia instead of moving his capital to a wooded area, as was the custom in those times. He presented young trees to his chiefs and elders who in turn raised trees for new seeds, and Addis Ababa was saved. His successor, Emperor Haile Selassie, has given his patronage to the Sahara reclamation studies and is himself encouraging a progressive planting programme in Ethiopia in which the perpetuation of indigenous species is not neglected.
Assistance by foreign commercial companies
It is encouraging to see how some of the petroleum companies have taken up the challenge of the Sahara. After several years of laboratory work and field experiments, ESSO in 1960 began experiments in Libya using a petroleum product to stabilize drifting dunes and assist growth of transplants. Initially spraying was done by hand using conventional tankers mounted on specially designed chassis. The latest is a toboggan-like vehicle towed or winched over the dunes by a caterpillar tractor. Sliding on the sand as a sled moves over snow, the unit carried cargoes in excess of 10 tons over some of Libya's most challenging dunes. It is estimated that 250 000 hectares in western Libya alone are suitable for afforestation using Acacia and Eucalyptus.
Another new method of large-scale afforestation in dune areas is in the process of being developed by an Austrian firm, Agrarflug-Glück; in February and March 1969 I visited Libya to study this latest effort to stabilize the drifting dunes and at the same time afforest with quick-growing species that will afford permanent protection and help to bring back natural vegetation. This method is by direct seeding from low flying planes using a fixative which has more or less the same function as an oil covering but with this difference-the chemical mixture used, derived from lignin, is a natural product and greatly stimulates the growth and function of the natural vegetation.
Perhaps the most sensational news from the Sahara is the discovery by Occidental Petroleum Corporation of an aquifer at Kufrah several hundred square kilometres in area and at least 750 metres deep. In some places it lies 90 metres below ground level. Since March 1968 five new wells have been drilled, the first crops were planted in October and harvested in January 1969. It is estimated that the Kufrah find will enable Libya to irrigate 80 000 hectares for the next 200 years. It is hoped that indigenous trees assisted by the soil improving casuarinas will create microclimates favourable to crop production and provide necessary fuel for the Libyan farmers who had been forced by the oncoming desert to move to Lake Chad and who are now coming back to Kufrah in droves. The 10 000 hectares already irrigated are producing wheat, alfalfa, barley, tomatoes, potatoes and beans, demonstrating -what can be achieved over ever-widening areas.
FIGURE 10. - Spraying toboggans designed by ESSO, towed by caterpillar tractors across the most difficult dunes.
FIGURE 11. - Twenty-four month old tree at Khallet Al Shorrfa, east of Tripoli, an area of sand dunes sprayed and stabilized for the Libyan forestry department by ESSO.
After forty years
At the Sixth World Forestry Congress in Madrid in 1966 participants from 92 countries supported proposals for calling upon all states members of the United Nations to use their manpower for large-scale planting; that the protection given by adequate tree cover be treated as a first line of defence, and that total war be declared against the oncoming deserts of the world. Forty years had taken their toll of delegates since the First World Forestry Congress in 1926 and on the final day of the Madrid conference only three of them answered the roll call - one American forester, one Spanish and myself, a veteran forester from Africa.
When visiting FAO recently I had the pleasure of meeting many old friends of past safaris and those who had closely cooperated with us in connexion with the Sahara reclamation research and studies. This visit inspired these flashbacks to the small beginnings of what I hope may become one of the most momentous events in the story of Africa. The Sahara affords a challenge not to Africa alone but, to the world. It, offers a glorious opportunity to sink the political differences and past exploitations of our planet into a new creative economy, a new way of living, a biologically correct way of life bringing health and security. The task is a gigantic one and it cannot be achieved overnight. It will need the dedication of generations of foresters and land reclamationists.
If our knowledge challenges us to explore space and put a man on the moon, let our wisdom lead us to accept the challenge of the Sahara and help the new states of Africa make it once again a garden wherein millions of people may live free from fear and hunger, in peace and prosperity- "Every man under his own vine and fig tree, with no one to make him afraid."


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Gene expression is the natural procedure in which the genetic codes also called the nucleotide sequence is directly used for the synthesis of the proteins. It helps in the production of cell structure. The genes that are used for coding the amino acids of the cell are known as the structural proteins.
There are two main stages of the gene expression.
In the process, the message RNA is produced with the help of the enzymes RNA polymerase and the result is the molecules of mRNA.
For the direct protein synthesis, the mRNA is used and it leads to the post translational processing of protein molecules.
There are some genes that are related to the production of the other types of RNA that helps in gene expressions like ribosomal RNA and transfer RNA.
Exons help in the determination of the amino acid sequence for the protein synthesis. In the final mature form of mRNA, these parts of the gene are represented.
In the beginning of the transcription process, the nucleotide sequence is attached with the promoter. It helps in controlling the transcription of the genes instead of being transcribed into the mRNA.
There are a few transcriptions factors that will bind with the enhancer region on the strands. It will help to increase the rate of the transcription process. From the coding sequence, there are thousands of nucleotides in this site and they often fall in the part in Introns. There are few enhancers that are conditional and so they will only work in the presence of special transcription factors.
To depress the rate of the transcription there are a few factors that will bind at the end of the strand and are called silencers.
The label of the cellular process is known as gene regulation that helps to manage the gene expression and control's its rate. The interactions between the RNA molecules, genes and proteins are very complex and there are other components of expressions that help to determine where the specific gene will be activated and when. It helps to control the production of protein products.
The stability of mRNA molecule will be regulated.
Some genes will be continuously expressed and they are involved in the basic metabolic functions of the proteins. The process of cell differentiation will be expressed through the genes regulation process.


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LIVE with Eric Stein After the Big Brother Double Eviction
Eric Stein knows Big Brother double evictions
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Rob Cesternino is joined by America's Player himself, RHAP Mount Rushmore inductee Eric Stein, to recap a WILD double eviction night on Big Brother 15.
Rob and Eric start by giving their immediate reactions to tonight's whirlwind of events. Rob asks if there has been a crazier moment in an eviction show than tonight's Jerry Springer style argument between Candice and GinaMarie. Eric thought it was entertaining, and liked that Candice went out with a bang considering final speeches never change anyone's minds. He understands why Candice wouldn't understand why she was considered a target. Julie Chen trying to rein everyone in during all the chaos throughout the hour also amused Eric.
Judd was the second evictee tonight, and Rob and Eric discuss what led to his demise, particularly the house's belief that he was the MVP the last three weeks. Eric did not like the MVP twist because viewer influence unknown to the houseguests can screw over a player, just as an America's Player vote did in Eric's season. He did not believe it was fair that a substantial amount of power was being awarded based largely on the edited footage that CBS was broadcasting.
Rob mentions that GinaMarie's HOH blog went viral this week. Rob believes she should write all future press releases for CBS, while Eric suggests she take a writing job for a sitcom a la Cochran. Eric also takes an opportunity to slightly defend GinaMarie's obsession with Nick. He says that the house is a pressure cooker of emotions and viewers don't realize how quickly strong bonds can be formed. He also says that Nick is a standup guy for agreeing to go on a date with her outside the house and for taking all of the fan reaction in stride.
Eric says he doesn't like many of the contestants this season. He liked Howard at least from his TV edit, and appreciated that at least Jessie is acknowledging that certain people are trying to control her. Eric is also sure to say nice things about everyone so they will want to align with him in a future all-star season. He does think that there is some good strategy this season, though. With Aaryn's third Head of Household win tonight,
Eric discusses a dramatic shift in gameplay in which becoming HOH is no longer the stigma it used to be. He mentions that Judd is the first HOH to be evicted this season, and believes that the Dr. Will and Dan Gheesling strategy of not winning the competitions and instead being friends with the HOH could be a thing of the past. While Eric says you can't dismiss anyone because people you think are nonfactors can suddenly change the game in a major way, he believes there are only four people in the house that are capable of winning the game.
Rob and Eric then discuss the newest Big Brother controversy, in which Spencer made "jokes" on the live feeds about child pornography. Rob's biggest problem is that the joke doesn't make any sense considering anyone could clearly see that Spencer was the one saying terrible things. Eric doesn't approve of the comments either, but also doesn't like the fans that come after houseguests with pitchforks. He compares the police probe of Spencer and his family to fans who made death threats against Shelly for voting out Jeff two years ago, and says two wrongs don't make a right. He also thinks that the diverse opinions are what Big Brother is all about, and it's always the goal of the show to put people in the house who are not going to get along and will not be comfortable living together.
Eric also weighs in on the Amanda/McCrae relationship and the game each is playing. Both he and Rob believe that having Amanda by his side only helps McCrae's game because he will never go home if the two are ever nominated together. Eric says Amanda is the first female bully ever on Big Brother, and that she's a villain but only in the eyes of the viewers. She's playing a very similar "make friends with everybody" game as Jessie, but the difference is that Jessie doesn't have a voice in the house. Can she steamroll her way to the end, or is she handing the game to one of her allies like McCrae or Andy? Rob wonders if Amanda has a firewall point: is there a line she can cross where no one can stop her? Eric compares her to Evel Dick and Kim Spradlin – someone on the other side would need to actually take Amanda out, but because there's just one big hierarchy, there's no clear person to make the move. Eric thinks someone dominating the game will eventually be the winner this season. Plus, Eric breaks down the lifespan of the Amanda/McCrae relationship post-Big Brother in great detail, with a shocking twist ending.
Lastly, Rob and Eric take viewer questions on whether a bigger jury will change the game, who's about to turn on their alliance, and whether or not a juror could receive a special power this season or even re-enter the house.
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Six-time podcast award winner, zero-time Survivor winner. Podcasting like a mofo about reality TV since 2010. Podcasting about Scripted TV at PostShowRecaps.com. I'm also on Twitter
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Address data quality is an essential topic for companies to tackle if they are to get the most out of their direct mail campaigns, an expert has claimed.
Rick Sherman, founder of Athena IT Solutions, warned Smart Data Collective that many issues are only detected when systems are tested immediately prior to going live.
He warned that the two mistakes many companies make are defining data quality too narrowly and assuming that the responsibility for data quality lies with the source system.
Mr Sherman said: "Bad data is certainly a problem, but it isn't the only problem. Good data quality programs also ensure that data is comprehensive, consistent, relevant and timely."
He added that a key step should be to ensure that the project undergoes a thorough pilot that has a good scope, as this provides the bigger picture.
Last month, Ruby Ring Technologies' Anthony Torreso told 8newsnow.com that records management security is essential for companies.


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SalariesUp to 1M THB 1M - 1.5M THB 1.5M - 2M THB 2M - 2.5M THB 2.5M - 3M THB 3M - 4M THB 4M - 5M THB 5M+ THB Up to £25000 £25,001 - £40,000 £40,001 - £60,000 £60,001 - £80,000 £80,001 - £100,000 £100,000 - £150,000 £150,000 + 360,000 - 480,000 HKD 480,000 - 600,000 HKD 600,000 - 720,000 HKD 720,000 - 840,000 HKD 840,000 - 1M HKD 1M - 1.2M HKD 1.2M - 1.5M HKD 1.5M - 2M HKD 2M + HKD Up to MYR 75,000 75,000 - 100,000 MYR 100,000 - 140,000 MYR 140,000 - 180,000 MYR 180,000 - 220,000 MYR 220,000 - 260,000 MYR 260,000 - 300,000 MYR 300,000 - 360,000 MYR 360,000 - 420,000 MYR 420,000 - 500,000 500,000 + MYR
Chris McCann is Promoted to Director in Dubai
06 Jan 12:00 by Victoria Emily Pearce
Argyll Scott is delighted to announce the promotion of Chris McCann to Director of its Dubai operations. Chris was one of the founding members of the Dubai office when he joined the business last year. He has been instrumental in driving the commercial success of the business and has been key in building what is now one of the strongest Accounting & Finance recruitment teams in the Middle East.
Chris will continue to lead the Accounting & Finance team whilst also taking on financial and operational management of the Argyll Scott business in Dubai. He is remitted with expanding the brand's reach in the region and strengthening its position in its core markets.
Chris comments "2016 has been memorable for a number of reasons, we have a fantastic team of individuals who have all contributed to a standout year, resulting in us surpassing our annual revenue target whilst sat celebrating our Christmas Lunch! The promotion is greatly appreciated, but its business as usual and the pipeline bodes very well for 2017. I'm very proud of the team we have and I'm excited to see what we achieve in the year ahead."
Sebastian Cavanagh states "I am delighted to announce the promotion of Chris McCann to Director of Argyll Scott Dubai. Having delivered an impressive personal NFI performance during 2016, Chris has led his team by example and demonstrated a methodical and consistent way of building a business and team. His energy, enthusiasm and outright commitment in a start-up environment has been commendable. Following changes in the business Chris has really helped in stabilising the business, creating rigour and a platform for success that I am sure we will reap the reward of in 2017 and onwards. Congratulations to Chris, this is a thoroughly deserved promotion."
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text:
Informatica PowerCenter: Product Overview and Insight
HomeBig Data
By Cynthia Harvey
Very highly rated by analysts and users, Informatica's data integration products are among the best in the market. PowerCenter's claim to fame is its metadata-driven management, which provides advanced capabilities and improves ease of use. Out of the box, PowerCenter is less full-featured than some of the other data integration platforms on the market, but Informatica offers plenty of add-ons and additional software that fill in the gaps. It's ideal for medium to large enterprises, particularly for those looking for a product that encourages collaboration between IT and business users.
See Informatica PowerCenter user reviews.
Jump to: Informatica PowerCenter Features Table
As an enterprise cloud data management vendor, Informatica focuses on big data, data security, data quality, data integration and master data management software. Founded in 1993, the company has its headquarters in Redwood City, California, and it has more than 3,900 employees. It boasts more than 9,000 customers, including 85 of the companies on the Fortune 100 list. Noteworthy customers include the AARP, Ace Hardware, the U.S. Air Force, BMC Software, BT, CA Technologies, the Chicago Cubs, Comcast, eBay, FannieMae, HP, Humana, Michigan State University, Nissan, PayPal, Qualcomm, Thomon Reuters, Thrifty Car Rental, Toshiba, Valero, Unilever, Verizon, Western Union and others. It processes more than 2.5 trillion cloud transactions every month.
The company was previously traded on the NASDAQ exchange under the symbol INFA. In 2015, it was acquired by Permira, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Microsoft and Salesforce Ventures for approximately $3.5 billion. Since then, it has been privately held. Informatica's annual revenue is more than $1 billion.
Informatica describes PowerCenter as "metadata-driven data integration platform." It promises business and IT collaboration, automation, universal connectivity, rapid prototyping, scalability, automated data validation testing, advanced data transformation, operations and governance oversight, zero downtime, cloud connectivity and real-time capabilities. It comes in three different versions: Standard, Advanced (which adds high-performance optimization and a real-time engine) and Premium (which adds comprehensive automatic data validation, unstructured and semi-structure data transformations and an early warning alert system for unexpected behaviors or resource usage). The company claims that most PowerCenter users reduce IT costs by more than 40 percent and increase staff productivity by more than 40 percent.
Informatica received the highest rating and was listed in the Leaders quadrant in the most recent Gartner Magic Quadrant for Data Integration Tools and the Magic Quadrant for integration platform as a service (iPaaS). The report added, "Informatica continues to be the vendor most referenced by Gartner clients. It appears in more than 75% of the contract review calls for data integration tools and features most frequently in competitive situations on our inquiry calls."
On premises or on Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Microsoft Azure
The on-premises version of PowerCenter runs on Windows, Linux or AIX and requires 6 GB RAM and 10 GB disk space. Additional requirements will depend on the configuration of the software.
PowerCenter connectors are available through an add-on called PowerExchange Connectors. It includes connectors for databases, data warehouses, Hadoop, messaging systems, enterprise applications, mainframes, midrange systems, social media networks and cloud applications. Additional add-ons are available for more cloud applications and change data capture.
Design and Development Environment:
Graphical, code-less environment
Business and IT collaboration features
Code-less development environment
Meta-driven data management
Zero downtime
Rapid prototyping, profiling and validation
Business glossary
Advance data transformation
Real-time engine
Support and Services:
Certification, training, support and services are available.
AWS pricing starts at $3.50 per hour ($24,528 per year). Azure and on-premises pricing not disclosed.
Informatica PowerCenter Features Table
Informatica PowerCenter
Deployment On premises, AWS, or Microsoft Azure
Operating System Windows, Linux, AIX
Processor Depends on configuration
Software Depends on configuration
Connectors Available through an add-on
Design and Development Environment Graphical, code-less
ELT Yes
ETL Yes
CDC Available through an add-on
Data Quality No (available through other Informatica products)
Data Governance No (available through other Informatica products)
Others Metadata-driven management, automated data validation testing, real-time engine, machine learning
Support and Services Certification, training, support, services
Gartner Magic Quadrant Rating Leader
Price AWS pricing starts at $3.50 per hour ($24,528 per year). Azure and on-premises pricing not disclosed.
BIG DATA ARTICLES
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10 Best Dashboard Software and Tools for 2023
Data Science Q&A With Aakanksha Joshi of IBM


text:
<?php
defined('BASEPATH') OR exit('No direct script access allowed');

class Welcome extends CI_Controller {
	public function __construct()
	{
		parent::__construct();

		if (!$this->ion_auth->logged_in())
		{
			redirect('login');
		}
	}

	public function index()
	{

		if($this->ion_auth->in_group('admin'))
		{
			$data['__menu']='/menu/adminMenuPartialView';
			$data['__match']='/match/adminMatchPartialView';
		}
		else
		{
			$data['__menu']='/menu/userMenuPartialView';
			$data['__match']='/match/userMatchPartialView';
		}

		$this->load->view('main_view',$data);
	}

	public function logout()
	{
		$this->ion_auth->logout();
		redirect('login');
	}

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Using our dedicated drainage clearance service, we, at 24/7 Drainage Marshside, can help you rid your drainage system of blockages and amassing debris. We will give your drainage system a proper and lasting clean; our immense expertise garnered through our many years of service in the drainage industry ensures that. Your drainage system will be free-flowing again when you contract 24/7 Drainage Marshside.
Behind our reputation as a drainage clearance authority in Marshside is our ability to identify and employ some of the best minds and skills in the trade.
Another reason reinforcing our position as a drainage clearance authority in Marshside is the innovative tools we work with. With our equipment (from our high-pressure jetting machines used for removing clogs to our HD CCTV units for drainage survey), we are able to precisely and thoroughly clear your drainage system in Marshside.
Our Drainage Clearance in Marshside Is Highly Rated at Rated People We always make good on our guarantee of a free-flowing drainage system, and our Marshside drainage clearance solution was designed with our customers in mind. This is evident in our listing at Rated People, and in the stellar reviews and quality ratings, we have so far received from our valued customers.
The fact that 24/7 Drainage Marshside made their listing hints at the quality of our drainage clearance in Marshside. To maintain that listing, we also follow the compliances and quality standards established by the body.
Our aim at 24/7 Drainage Marshside is to help to affordably get your pipework free-flowing again, not to drain your bank account. We don't inflate our rates; neither do we subject our customers to hidden charges. To deliver on this promise of cost-effectiveness in our drainage clearance service in Marshside, we use specialised equipment. These tools help us, not only to ensure precision in our work, but also to improve speed and hence minimise costs.
With 24/7 Drainage Marshside's drainage clearance solution, cleaning both your office and home drainage systems becomes simple. And the part of your drainage system in Marshside that you need to be cleaned (gutter, manhole, underground drain, sewer) is not a barrier.
If there is a reason we are named 24/7 Drainage Marshside, it's because our 24/7 emergency drainage clearance service in Marshside never fails. A drainage problem can happen anytime.
When it happens at an unsuitable hour, averting the inconveniences and hazards that can accompany it becomes simple when you have a drainage company at your beck and call. With our highly-equipped vans and HGV units alongside our squad of drainage professionals, 24/7 Drainage Marshside is always ready to attended to your drainage emergencies in Marshside.


A new zoom stereomicroscope offering powerful imaging capabilities at an economical price.
By optimizing the design of the Greenough optical system, Nikon was able to realize a 7.5x zoom and a total magnification from 3.35x to 300x. With the adoption of the new total reflection prism, the SMZ 745/745T allows bright and high contrast images to be obtained at any magnification.
In addition to high zoom ratio and magnification, the SMZ 745/745T offers an impressive 115 mm working distance, providing enough room for fabrication and manipulation on the sample.
The SMZ 745/745T is streamlined for maximum ergonomics. The zooming knob is equipped with a click stop for each magnification, and the optical switching lever makes digital imaging easier than ever.
The SMZ 745/745T offers ESD protection to prevent samples from being damaged by electrostatic discharge. Plus, the anti-mold design in the interior of the zoom body allows the microscope to be used in environments where the temperature and humidity are high.
The SMZ 745T is equipped with a camera port (trinocular type) and a built-in 0.55x C-mount adapter. This permits direct mounting of any Nikon DS Series Digital Camera and simplifies the process of digital imaging, image capture and observation via monitor. In addition, this model incorporates an optical path switching lever that enables easy switchover between eyepiece and camera.


I found this recipe yesterday doing a google.com search for eggplant, zucchini and quinoa–the ingredients I had on hand. Anyway, I added some ingredients and took away the oil and made it last night. It made a good bit, and it was very good and filling.
Combine the quinoa and 2 1/2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cover. Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until all of the water is absorbed.
In a large non-stick saucepan, heat the 3 tablespoons water. Add the green pepper, onion, zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, celery and garlic. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the cannelini beans, crushed tomatoes, 1/4 cup water and seasonings. Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
When ready to serve, fold in the cooked quinoa and cook for 5 minutes more over low heat, stirring frequently. Pass the Tabasco sauce at the table.


London is a city full of famous sights and sweeping views, ripe to be clicked, all for the taking. The big picture isn't everything here in the capital, though. Here is a trio of shots taken in the heart of this metropolis – but they do little to give this away.
A wooden barrier dappled with lichen with crafts on the River Thames beyond. This spot is close to Tower Bridge, The Shard and London's iconic waterside.
Sunlight floods through a glass and wooden skylight. This is at Leadenhall Market, an old trading area which is now filled with shops and eateries. It sits right in the heart of the city's financial district.
This is not just near a London landmark – it is part of one. The graceful coloured metalwork is part of Tower Bridge, much better recognised for its twin towers. It's now graced with a set of Olympic rings to mark the imminent arrival of the games in the capital.
The joy of living in a world-renowned city is to have the chance to explore it at length and take photographs of its less obvious side. There is a lifetime of those captures just waiting to be found.
Thank you very much, glad to hear it. There are so many of them here in London!
Much appreciated as are all your comments. Thanks!


text:
Q: pandas get the value of the margin/row/name/index from a single row slice of a df I'm sure this is an easy answer if I could find the correct word to search on. If I make a df
df=pd.DataFrame()
df['x']=[1,2,3,4,5]
df['y']=[3,4,3,4,3]

df = df.set_index('y')

I take a slice
test = df.iloc[-1]

I print it:
print(test)

x    5
Name: 3, dtype: int64

I want to get the 'Name', in this example corresponds to 3 but I can't find the keyword to get it?
I've tried:
test.index
test.index.values
test.values
test.index[0]

I note that with a normal df i can access any index 'n' with
df.index[n]

But once I have taken a single row slice this method no longer works? When I print 'test' there is a 'Name' value but I can't seem to access it?
please note 'test' is passed through other functions in my code so i don't really want to extract the index/Name value as a separate variable, it should be stored within 'test'?

A: It is Series.name attribute:
print (test.name)
3

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Jacqueline Fernandez FHM India April 2017 Cover - In the latest FHM issue, Jacqueline has posed upside down. She is looking stunning in her black and white attire. The cover announces her as the "Sexist woman in the world" and we totally agree.


text:
Q: What is the most efficient way to find the common intersection of given set of coordinates lies on x axis? For example :
(1,6) and (2,4) have (2,4) common.
(2,4) and (3,6) have (3,4) common.

There can be N numbers of coordinates and we have to find the common
intersection point among all those coordinates.

A: If the intervals have a common intersection it should be $(a,b)$ where $a$ is the maximum value of all the left endpoints and $b$ is the minimum of all the  right sides.
In case that the $b$ happens to be less than $a$ there is no common intersection.
Of course a graph will always be helpful.


text:
Q: How to code Caesar Cipher encryption using file in C For Caesar cipher encryption, I have this code. This program uses text written by the user. But I want this to be read from a text file and run.
#include<stdio.h>
#include <conio.h>
#include<string.h>

void main()
{
  int key,i;
  char [30];
  clrscr();
  printf("\n enter plain text : ");
  gets(data);
  printf("\ enter key value : ");
  scanf("%d",&key);
  {
    for (i=o;i<strlen(data);i++) {
      if (data[i]==' ') {}
      else
      {
        if (data[i]>='x')
        {
          data[i]=data[i]-26;
        }
        data[i]=data[i]+key;
      }
    }
  }
  printf("your cipher text is : %s",data);
  getch();
}

A: Did you just copy and paste this code from somewhere?
As everyone else has already pointed out, there are some pretty big problems with your code, so I'll try and touch on the ones they haven't mentioned throughout. To start though, you should declare main as an int. The return value tells you if the program exited correctly, it's not just convention.
Here is your original code, formatted. I removed conio.h because it's been deprecated for years and moreover you don't need it here. All it was doing was clearing the screen for you, which you can do with System("CLS");, although here is a great article that's been shared many times here on SO that explains why you should refrain from using it.
#include<stdio.h>
#include<string.h>

int main()
{
  int key,i;

  // original: char [30];
  // I'm guess you copied and pasted wrong?
  char plainText[30];

  printf("\n enter plain text : ");
  gets(data);
  printf("\nenter key value : ");
  scanf("%d",&key);

  // You had brackets here, essentially creating an unnecessary
  // block of code.
  for(i=o;i<strlen(data);i++)
  {
    // Where did the "data" variable come from? You haven't declared it
    // and you're trying to get its length in this for loop
    if (data[i]==' ')
    {
      // ?
    }
  else
    {
      if (data[i]>='x')
      {
          // Instead of this approach I would go with a modulus operation
          // If you're not familiar with modular arithmetic I really recommend you look
          // it up. It's absolutely essential in cryptography. It's central to both
          // symmetric and asymmetric key cryptography.
          data[i]=data[i]-26;
      }

    // This is the heart of the Caesar cipher right here. This is where you're actually
    // shifting the characters, so it's a literal Caesar cipher
    data[i]=data[i]+key;
    }
  }

  // Again, you haven't declared "data" so you can't call it. I'm guessing you didn't
  // try to compile this program because it is teeming with errors GCC, Clang, and VC++
  // would have caught immediately
  printf("your cipher text is : %s",data);
  getch();

  // Remember to make your "main" function return an int. This value is
  // very important, especially when your program gets called by another program because
  // it's how your program communicates that it ran successfully, or something went
  // wrong. In that case you could set a specific error code to know exactly
  // what went wrong and were

  // Example:
  int x = 1;
  if (x == 1)
      exit(4);

  // This program would now exit with a status of 4, which you would then know was due
  // to this function. This was a contrived example, but hopefully you get the gist
  return 0;
}


text:
Home Corcoran Student Explores Latin Identity through Photography
Corcoran Student Explores Latin Identity through Photography
Junior Mariana Rivera curated the Mexican Cultural Institute's newest exhibition on individuality, technology.
Junior Mariana Rivera curated "Contemporary Identities/Invisible Gestures" with the Mexican Cultural Institute.
In Yamina del Real's photograph "Casa Vacía," or "Empty House," the Mexican artist portrays an ubiquitous scene: In an unoccupied bedroom, someone has left her laptop alone on a rumpled bed. The room is bare, lit only by sunrays pouring in through a nearby window. To Mariana Rivera, a junior in the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, the image's quiet desolation communicates a sense of solitude generated by the digital age.
"To me, it's very realistic," she said, noting how common the picture is in her generation. "Who doesn't go to sleep with their computer in their bed? You wake up and the first thing you check is your laptop."
The photograph hints at a dichotomy Ms. Rivera observes when it comes to the cyber universe. The Internet unites people through billions of entwined networks, but in an era when your Mac is your first priority in the morning, have virtual connections weakened person-to-person interaction and sociability?
Ms. Rivera asked herself that question while curating the Mexican Cultural Institute's "Contemporary Identities/Invisible Gestures" exhibition, presented in collaboration with the Iberoamerican Cultural Attachés Association (AACIA) and in conjunction with Fotoweek D.C. Through images shot by artists from all over Latin America, Spain and Portugal, the show examines how the digital world has affected social identity in Iberoamerican society. The exhibition will run through Jan. 31, 2015.
"We become somewhat anonymous in cyberspace, where you can pick and choose what kind of identity you want to portray," Ms. Rivera said. "But our gestures, our voices, how we act—that's how we find our own individuality."
Ms. Rivera heard from Muriel Hasbun, a professor and program head of photography at the Corcoran School, that the Mexican Cultural Institute was looking for a curator for the exhibition. Although Ms. Rivera was only a sophomore at the time and had never curated a professional show on her own, she applied. She secured an interview, where she teemed with confidence and conviction.
"I told them that I might not have the biggest array of experience, but what I could give is my background, my passion, my commitment and a young person's view of what contemporary photography means," she said.
Interested in her perspective, the Mexican Cultural Institute chose Ms. Rivera over candidates with master's degrees. They asked her to think of a theme that would encompass all of Iberoamerica and represent artists from each country.
Ms. Rivera knew from the beginning that despite Latin American issues percolating in the news (gang violence, migration patterns, poverty), she wanted to explore each country through a broad, universal lens. She picked technology as her capacious subject and began looking for photographers from Mexico, Central America, South America, Spain and Portugal that could come together to build a mosaic of Iberoamerican experiences.
As a native of eastern Mexico's Veracruz, Ms. Rivera had some familiarity with artists and writers in the Iberoamerican region. To surface lesser-known photographers, she turned to her very theme: the Internet. Google searches returned the surrealist work of Guatemala's Luis Chay and the conceptual pieces of Paraguay's Ricardo Migliorisi.
Arranged in the Mexican Cultural Institute's rust-colored halls, the final exhibition is divided into four sections. The first includes images that show how individuals isolate themselves by relying on relationships "formed through screens." In "Invisibly Anonymous," Ms. Rivera puts a few pictures manipulated by Photoshop on display to question how authentic personalities are when they're created online.
"If you have Facebook," Ms. Rivera lists as an example, "it asks things like, 'What are your favorite movies? What's your relationship status?' These are set boundaries that they give you to construct your online persona around."
The final two parts of the exhibition, "Search for Independence" and "Freed Gestures," implore the viewer to find identity through real interaction. It isn't a plea to abandon technology altogether. Ms. Rivera emphasizes that cyber space is part of today's reality. She includes "Janine," images Ms. Hasbun took while talking on Skype to her late mother, who lived in El Salvador. The pictures are visibly pixelated and intentionally blurred—they feel a little artificial compared to real physical contact, but the telecommunication software helped bring the two closer together.
"A3," by Cuba's Raúl Cañibano, captures a little boy just after he's gone swimming in the ocean. He's covered in droplets of water and has turned toward the camera. His face is drawn in a slightly surprised expression as he looks at the lens pointed at him. Ms. Rivera said the picture embodies the spirit of the exhibition—she wants the show to encourage viewers to turn away from their screens and be present in their surroundings.
"I hope it inspires people to look into themselves and that it encourages a kind of introspection," she said.


text:
Q: Linux 4.4 kernel changes In last month Sles12 sp2 is released. In this release 4.4 linux kernel is being used whereas in sles12sp1 the kernel version was 3.12.
It is obvious that so many features and code changes are added in the sles12 sp2 kernel (i .e 4.4 kernel) .
I had written a driver for 3.12 kernel; now I want to make my driver workable for 4.4 kernel. The one way is to compile driver code for 4.4 kernel and fix the compilation error. But I want to figure out what are the exact changes made between 3.12 and 4.4 kernel, to utilize new features of 4.4 kernel in my driver efficiently.
Where can I find that what are changes made between 3.12 and 4.4 kernel and how make my driver workable for 4.4 kernel easily and efficiently?

A: I would use git to show the changes. You can clone the upstream git tree from https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git
Then you can use commands like:
git log (-p) v3.12..v4.4 -- (paths that you are interested in)
tig v3.12..v4.4
git diff v3.12..v4.4 -- (paths that you are interested in)

You can read about changes from https://kernelnewbies.org/LinuxVersions?action=show&redirect=Linux26Changes


text:
People: Charter Communications Inc (CHTR.OQ)
CHTR.OQ on NASDAQ Stock Exchange Global Select Market
414.63USD
Merritt, David
Mr. David C. Merritt is Independent Director of the Company. Mr. Merritt was appointed to the board of directors of Charter in December 2009, and was also appointed as Chairman of Charter's Audit Committee at that time. Prior to December 2009, Mr. Merritt previously served on Charter's board and Audit Committee from 2003 through November 2009. Mr. Merritt is a private investor and consultant. From March 2009 to December 2013, he served as the president of BC Partners, Inc., a financial advisory firm. From October 2007 to March 2009, Mr. Merritt served as Senior Vice President. and Chief Financial Officer of iCRETE, LLC. From 1975 to 1999, Mr. Merritt was an audit and consulting partner of KPMG serving in a variety of capacities during his years with the firm, including national partner in charge of the media and entertainment practice. Mr. Merritt sits on the board of directors of Taylor Morrison Home Corporation and serves as Chair of its Audit Committee and as a member of its Nominating and Governance Committee. Mr. Merritt previously served as a director and as the Chairman of the Audit Committee of Calpine Corporation until March 2018. He was also a director of Buffet Restaurants Holdings, Inc. until August 2015 and he served as a director of Outdoor Holdings, Inc. until May 2013. Mr. Merritt holds a B.S. degree in Business and Accounting from California State University — Northridge. We believe Mr. Merritt's qualifications to sit on Charter's board include his many years of experience with a major accounting firm, as a director and audit committee member, and in the media industry.
Total Annual Compensation, USD 200,000
Restricted Stock Award, USD 179,977
Long-Term Incentive Plans, USD --
All Other, USD --
Fiscal Year Total, USD 379,977
Thomas Rutledge
John Bickham
Christopher Winfrey
Richard DiGeronimo
Jonathan Hargis
Richard Dykhouse
As Of 31 Dec 2018