text:
3D Real-time Motion Correction in High Intensity Focused Ultrasound Therapy
Mathieu Pernot, Mickaël Tanter and Mathias Fink Laboratoire Ondes et Acoustique ESPCI, Université Paris VII, UMR CNRS 7587
10, rue Vauquelin, 75005 Paris, France corresponding author : Mathieu Pernot
mathieu.pernot@loa.espci.fr
Running title: Motion tracking for HIFU therapy
Abstract. A method for tracking the 3D motion of tissues in real-time is combined with a 2D High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) multi-channel system in order to correct for respiratory motion during HIFU therapy. Motion estimation is based on an accurate ultrasonic speckle tracking method. A pulse-echo sequence is performed for a subset of the transducers of the phased array. For each of these sub-apertures, the displacement is estimated by computing the 1D cross-correlation of the backscattered signals acquired at two different times. The 3D motion vector is then computed by a triangulation algorithm. This technique is experimentally validated in phantoms moving as fast as 40 mm s-1 , and combined with HIFU sequences. A real-time feedback correction of the HIFU beam is achieved by adjusting the delays of each channel. The sonications "locked on target" are interleaved with very short motion estimation sequences. Finally, in-vitro experiments of "locked on target" HIFU therapy are performed in fresh moving tissues.
Keywords:HIFU, focused ultrasound, therapy, motion tracking.
High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) is a promising technique for the treatment of tumours in a broad variety of organs, such as the liver (Ter Haar et al. 1989, Wang et al. 2002), the prostate (Chapelon et al. 1992, Foster et al. 1993, Chapelon et al. 1999), the kidney (Chapelon et al. 1992, Hynynen et al. 1995, Damianou 2003), the brain (Fry et al. 1954, Vykhodtseva et al. 1994) and the breast (Wu et al. 2003). In HIFU treatments, an ultrasonic probe generates a very small single lesion (usually about 1-3 mm lateral dimension). The treatment of a large tumour requires to scan mechanically or electronically the focus over the whole region of interest, interleaving the sonications with cooling periods to avoid near-field heating (Damianou and Hynynen 1993). However, accurate targeting of human abdominal tumours is difficult to maintain treatment can last several hours (Fan and Hynynen 1996). The displacement of abdominal organs due to breathing can be very large in comparison with the size of the focal zone. Several studies have shown that the pancreas, the liver and other abdominal organs can move as much as 20 mm over the breathing cycle with motion speeds of up to 15 mm s-1 (Bryan et al. 1984, Ross et al. 1990, Davies et al. 1994). Thus, the reliability and efficiency of treatment can be greatly reduced by breathing (Wang et al. 1994), and some cases of mistargeting have been reported recently by Allen et al. (2002) in HIFU treatment of liver metastases.
Motion tracking techniques have been widely investigated in medical applications such as radiotherapy and 3D imaging (MRI and CT). Respiratory gating is a conventional technique for addressing the problem of breathing motion in radiation therapy (Kubo and Hill 1996). External sensors (spirometer, strain gauge or infrared laser sensors on the patient's skin) are monitored during the treatment, and the therapeutic beam is switched off whenever the target is outside a predefined window. Internal metallic markers have recently been used in respiration gated radiotherapy (Shirato et al. 2000) to determine more accurately the 3D position of the tumour. But most of the current commercial systems allow the operator to monitor only the amplitude of displacement and not its direction. Indeed, although such systems can prevent a critical motion, no feedback is introduced in the therapeutic or imaging system to compensate for the motion.
In this study, we present an alternative ultrasound-based method for tracking and correcting the 3D motion of tissues in real-time during HIFU therapy. This technique is based on the tracking of temporal shifts in the backscattered RF signals (i.e. speckle) resulting from the displacements of the tissues. Speckle tracking techniques were widely investigated in diagnosis ultrasound (Bonnefous and Pesque 1986, Hein et al. 1993) and were successfully applied to various 2D motion estimation problems (Capineri et al. 2002, Tanter et al. 2002). In optics, a similar method based on the tracking of laser speckle has been developed to estimate the motion of a surface (Houghton et al. 1997) and is now used in the "padless optical mouse", a common input device for PCs.
The main advantage of ultrasound-based methods is the high penetration rate of ultrasound in the human body and their real-time capabilities. Hence, the natural ultrasonic scatterers in biological tissue can be used as markers to track the motion of tissues located deep within organs. In other words, unlike other motion tracking techniques, the method that we propose works without any implanted markers. This method can be easily integrated in a HIFU multi-channel system. Finally, another very important innovation of this method consists in using the 3D position information as a feedback for the HIFU system: the transmit delays are modified instantaneously in order to electronically steer the high-power ultrasonic beam towards the corrected location.
In this paper, the ultrasonic speckle tracking technique is adapted to the 3D motion estimation of a single location. The basic principles are presented and the 3D motion tracking technique is integrated into an existing HIFU multi-channel system with real-time capabilities. Simulations are performed to investigate the feasibility of the motion tracking technique. High power experiments coupled with real-time 3D motion tracking and correction are performed in tissue-mimicking (TM) phantoms and fresh bovine liver. Finally, the limitations of this technique are discussed, and improvements are suggested.
3D motion estimation principle
3D displacement estimation is achieved using successive 1D axial displacement estimation performed along at least three different directions. Of course, this concept can be applied to any particular array geometry. However, for the sake of simplicity, we will consider in this paper only the configuration used in our experiments: a phased array presenting a spherical section centred at the geometrical focus (see Fig. 1). A set of N sub-apertures of the array is used in pulse-echo mode. By applying different delays on the single elements, each sub-aperture is pre-focused at a chosen,
common location in the moving tissue. The normalized vector ai(aix,aiy,aiz)indicates the direction of the beam axis of the ith sub-aperture.
An ultrasonic wave is transmitted by one sub-aperture to the predetermined location. Then, the backscattered signals coming from the randomly distributed scatterers of the medium (i.e. the speckle) are received by the elements of the same sub-aperture. Using classical sum-and-delay processing (Jensen 2000), a focus is achieved in reception, and the resulting signal is recorded in memory. The axial displacement is estimated in the time-domain by implementing a classical speckle tracking technique on successive RF signals: a 1-D cross-correlation algorithm enables us to estimate the time- shift due to the tissue displacement. Thus, one time-shift is estimated for each sub-aperture of the
array, corresponding to the component of the 3D displacement vector d(dx,dy,dz) along the sub- aperture beam axis. For transducer i, the time shift ti is given by (where c is the sound velocity):
dz a dy a dx
ti2aix  iy  iz (1)
Once the N time-shifts have been successively estimated, the set of N linear equations given by eqn (1) is inverted in order to solve for the three components dx, dy and dz of the displacement vector. Of course, this set of equations would be completely determined if the time-shifts were estimated for at least three separate transducers. Although the estimation process would be faster in terms of insonification time, three transducers may not be optimal in terms of estimation robustness, and having
more sub-apertures would allow the estimation to be more stable. Indeed, if the displacement vector is normal to the beam axis of a sub-aperture, it induces a fast decorrelation of the speckle and the axial displacement becomes difficult to estimate accurately.
In order to avoid such a situation, we work with more than three sub-apertures and solve the over- determined set of linear equations by the least-square method. The set of linear equations is written in matrix form (see eqn (2)). In this formulation, a matrix A of size Nx3 is filled with the coefficients
(aij), the jth spatial component of the vector ai(aix,aiy,aiz). The vector t contains the N time-shifts, and d is the unknown displacement vector:
 
 
 
 
 

 
 c dA
The pseudo-inversion of the matrix A is computed using singular value decomposition (A=U.W.V where U is a Nx3 orthogonal matrix, W a 3x3 diagonal matrix and V a 3x3 orthogonal matrix), and the least-squares solution vector d is given by:
 
 
 
 d diagVc )/1( Tj tUw
The displacement estimation process is summarized in Fig. 2. It should be noted that in practical applications, the singular value decomposition is computed once, so that the vector displacement is obtained with one matrix multiplication, a very simple and fast operation.
To investigate the feasibility of this technique, simulations of the motion estimation process were performed. The goal of these simulations was to elucidate several considerations on the sub-aperture dimensions and the performance of the estimation. Indeed, the maximum measurable displacement of the scatterers between two successive echo acquisitions is highly related to the size of the sub- aperture's focal spot, in other words to the directivity of the sub-aperture. Moreover, as the 3D motion
estimation process is based on axial displacement estimations, the direction of the scatterers'
displacement with respect to the sub-aperture's beam axis is an important issue.
In order to optimise the configuration of the sub-apertures, the accuracy of the displacement estimation was investigated as a function of the sub-aperture diameter (from 10 mm to 50 mm). The sub-apertures were modelled using the impulse diffraction code PASS1 (Cassereau and Guyomar 1988). Each transducer worked at 900kHz central frequency with a bandwidth of 40%, and was pre- focused at a depth of 120 mm. Scatterers with non-uniform echogeneicity were distributed randomly in a 3D volume (50x50x50 mm3) with an average density of 1 mm-3. The impulse response of the scatterers was computed to simulate the backscattered signal received by the sub-aperture, taking into account the directivity pattern of each transducer. The scatterer distribution was then translated to other locations, and a collection of impulse responses was computed (see Fig. 3). The angle  between the displacement vector and the ultrasonic beam axis Oz could be varied from 0° to 180° and the displacement amplitude d from 0.15 mm to 3 mm (respectively /10 and 2, where  is the wavelength).
Axial displacements between the initial position and translated positions were computed using a cross-correlation algorithm. The correlation coefficient was also computed, providing a good index of confidence of the cross-correlation performance. Finally, the simulation of the displacement estimation process was carried out in a moving tissue. Four sub-apertures of the large ultrasonic sparse array used in our experiments were modelled using the impulse diffraction simulation (see Fig. 4).
Each subaperture was composed of 7 single-elements (8 mm in diameter, 900 kHz central frequency).
The mean distance between the centres of two neighbouring sub-apertures was 94 mm. The random distribution of scatterers was moved along a complex 3D trajectory with a time increment of 0.1s, and at each increment the axial displacement was estimated on the four sub-apertures. Eqn (3) was then solved to estimate the 3D displacement.
1 http://www.loa.espci.fr/pass/
Motion tracking/HIFU transducers set-up
Motion tracking experiments were performed using a 200-element ultrasonic sparse array. This high power ultrasonic probe was initially designed and optimised for HIFU transcranial therapy (Pernot et al. 2003). However, as described previously, the motion tracking technique can be used with most of the 2D ultrasonic multi-element arrays.
The 200 high-power piezocomposite transducers (8 mm in diameter, 0.5 cm2 active area, 900 kHz central frequency, Imasonic, Besançon, France) were mounted in a sealed, spherically curved holder with a 120 mm radius of curvature. The focal zone dimensions of the HIFU probe were measured at low acoustic intensity (< 5 W cm-2) in a tank filled with degassed water. A 0.4 mm PVDF (polyvinylidenefluoride)bilaminar calibrated hydrophone (Golden Lipstick model, SEA, Soquel, CA) was moved using a stepper-motor-controlled 3D positioning system (MM4006, Newport, Irvine CA).
The -6 dB focal zone was (1.21.27.5) mm3. The transducers were connected to a 200-channel electronic driving system. Each electronic channel was fully programmable and possessed its own emission/reception electronic board, which could deliver up to 16 electrical Watts. A more detailed description of this multi-channel system is given in previous works (Pernot et al. 2003). In water, the ultrasonic array could generate an acoustic intensity of 30 kW cm-2 at focus for 5s. Moreover, the transducer distribution was optimised for electronic beam steering in HIFU applications and the focus could be moved +/-15 mm radially and +/-20 mm axially from the geometric focus (Pernot et al.
Taking advantage of the great versatility of the multi-element technology, sub-apertures of variable size and shape could be designed for the array using clusters of small transducers. Four round shape sub-apertures of approximately 25-mm in diameter were designed for motion tracking applications (see Fig. 4). In this configuration, each sub-aperture is composed of 1 central element surrounded by 6 elements, and the diameter could be easily increased by adding more elements. In addition, in order to ensure the accuracy of the displacement estimation (Tanter et al. 2002), the angles between the beam axis of each sub-aperture were maximized.
Real-time motion tracking and correction
In emission mode, a pulse was focused at a predetermined location by one sub-aperture. This location was not exactly the heating focal spot of the array, but rather a few millimetres in front of the heating zone. This choice was made to avoid speckle modifications or thermal lens effects due to heating or necrosis, as will be explained in the discussion section. In this case of course, the motion estimated at this location was assumed to be the same as the motion of the heating focus. For the case of more complex spatial distributions of displacements vectors, a solution is proposed in the discussion section.
The backscattered signals coming back from the "motion control" spot were received by the transducers of the same sub-aperture and recorded by the electronics. The whole process was repeated for the three other sub-apertures focusing at the same location. The signals were collected on a computer, beamformed, stored in memory, and the axial displacements were estimated. The whole process lasted about 5ms, including the cross-correlations and the vector displacement estimation.
Hence, 3D displacement could be estimated at frame rates as high as 200 Hz. Moreover, the low bandwidth of the connection between our electronics and the computer highly limited this frame rate.
While it is not a critical issue at this time, vector displacement estimation could be implemented in hardware if one desired to increase the frame rate of motion estimation.
Once the displacement was estimated, a real-time correction was achieved on the therapeutic system. A phase shift was calculated for each of the 200 elements in order to electronically steer the HIFU beam to the new location. The phase shifts were transferred to the electronic system, and a sonication was performed at this new location. The successive sequences are shown in Fig. 5. The duty cycle, defined as the fraction of time the array is transmitting at high intensity, reached a value of 90% during the treatment. Small changes in the hardware to avoid communication between the PC computer and the HIFU system during the acquisition process would enable the duty cycle to reach levels much higher than 90%.
In-vitro experiments
In order to investigate the accuracy of the displacement estimates, motion tracking experiments were first performed in phantoms. A piece of PVA (Polyvinylalcohol) polymer of approximately 70x70x70 mm3 was mounted on a stepper-motor-controlled 3D positioning system (MM4006, Newport, Irvine CA). The phantom could be translated at a maximum speed of 50 mm s-1 inside a tank filled with degassed water. A computer was used to program and control the 3D trajectories. Motion estimation sequences were performed at a frame rate of 20 Hz during the displacement.
Real-time motion tracking experiments coupled with HIFU sonications were also conducted in bovine liver. A piece of fresh degassed bovine liver was mounted on the stepper-motor-controlled 3D positioning system. In these experiments, the focus of the motion tracking sub-apertures was steered electronically 10 mm in front of the geometrical focus of the array. This was done to avoid speckle modifications caused by heating or necrosis at this location. The tissue sample was moved along simple 3D trajectories: linear displacements along the 3D axis directions or square displacements in planes defined by the axis directions. The motion estimation sequences were performed at a repetition rate of 10 Hz. Between two successive sequences, the displacement was calculated, the HIFU beam was steered electronically, and a sonication of 90 ms was performed at maximum power.
The correlation coefficient of the axial displacement estimation is plotted in Fig. 6 for transducers of different dimensions, as a function of the angle between the ultrasonic beam axis and the displacement direction. The correlation coefficients reach a maximum when the displacement vector is parallel to the beam axis (i.e. =0° or =180°) ; in this configuration the backscattered signals are time-shifted with very little signal decorrelation. On the other hand, when the displacement vector is perpendicular to the beam axis (i.e. =90°), the backscattered signals are strongly decorrelated and the correlation coefficient reaches a minimum. Of course, the value of this minimum depends on the ratio between the displacement amplitude and the size of the focal zone. As shown in Fig. 6, for a given perpendicular
displacement, the smaller the transducer (i.e. the larger the focal zone), the better the correlation.
Indeed, if the displacement is larger than the lateral focal spot, two successive backscattered echoes correspond to two uncorrelated random scatterers distributions and the correlation coefficient between the two successive backscattered echoes drops dramatically (see Fig. 6c).
Because the displacement vectors may be in any direction, the whole range of available angles must be considered. On the one hand, in order to maximize the correlation coefficient in every direction, transducers or sub-apertures must be chosen so that the focal zone is sufficiently large compared to the displacement. Moreover, by using relatively small sub-apertures, their relative distance can be increased and this improves the robustness of the triangulation process as seen in the research field of vector Doppler for flow imaging (Capineri et al 2002) or vector motion estimation for ultrasound based elastography (Tanter et al 2002). On the other hand, the focal zone should be reasonably small in order to confine the tracked region to a zone of a few wavelengths. As seen in Fig. 6a, the 20-mm diameter sub-aperture at 1 MHz can be considered a satisfactory compromise. Its focal zone lateral dimension corresponds to approximately 9 times the wavelength, and for displacements below 2 mm, the smallest correlation coefficient found in the displacement estimation was 0.9. As a consequence, tissue displacements in any direction at speed of 20 mm s-1 could be measured with a repetition rate of 10 Hz. Higher speeds could be estimated by simply increasing the repetition rate.
Finally, a complete sequence of 3D motion estimation was performed. The scatterers were moved along a 3D curve shown in Fig. 7, and the whole displacement lasted 10s. 3D displacement estimation was performed with a repetition rate of 10Hz, using the sub-apertures designed in Fig. 4. A very good agreement was found between the motion of the scatterers and the displacement estimates, as shown in Fig. 7. The distance between the final positions was found to be 1.15 mm, which is smaller than the HIFU focal zone dimension.
Phantom experiments
The accuracy of the displacement estimation was experimentally investigated in a piece of PVA phantom moving at a constant speed between 1 mm s-1 and 50 mm s-1. The displacement was estimated at a frame rate of 20Hz and compared to the position recorded by the motion controller system. The average error on the estimated position is plotted in Fig. 8 as a function of the motion speed. The average correlation coefficient on the 4 sub-apertures is also plotted in Fig. 8. This coefficient provides a confidence index for the estimation performance. For speeds below 40 mm s-1, the relative error increases slowly from 1% to 6%, and the correlation coefficient is quite good (>0.9). Above 40 mm.s-1, the acquisition frame rate is not fast enough, the relative error increases rapidly, and the correlation coefficient falls below 0.9. However, simply increasing the acquisition frame rate can overcome this decorrelation effect.
HIFU experiments coupled with real-time motion correction
HIFU experiments coupled with tissue motion were performed in a bovine liver sample. Firstly, the sample was displaced along a straight line in the lateral direction at a speed of 10 mm s-1. During the heating process, the sample was moved 10 mm to the left, then to the right, and finally to the left.
During the complete displacement, which lasted 3 seconds, the tissue was sonicated with a focal intensity of 3000 W cm-2. A necrosis of approximately 10 mm x 1.5 mm was achieved (see Fig. 9.a).
Then, the same sonication was performed at another location of the liver sample, but this time, the displacement estimation and motion correction were performed with a frame rate of 10Hz in a zone located 10 mm in front of the focus. Fig. 9.b clearly shows the improvement of the necrosis localization. The lateral dimensions of the lesion are approximately 2 mm x 1.7 mm. It should be noted that although the sonication duration was the same in the two experiments, the necrosis was attained in a much shorter time at the targeted location in the motion corrected experiment since the heat deposit is locked on target.
In a second experiment, a piece of liver was moved along a two-dimensional curve. A 10-mm side square-ring lesion was achieved by moving the tissue in the focal plane at the speed of 8 mm s-1. This
"square-ring motion" of the liver sample was repeated three times for a total sonication duration of 15 seconds. Fig. 10.a shows the square ring necrosis. Then, a second sonication was performed with real- time motion tracking and correction. As Fig. 10.b shows, the lesion is well defined and localized since all the acoustic energy has been deposited at the target location. It should be noted that the necrosis size is quite important (~3 mm). This is not due to poor precision on displacement estimates, but rather to the fact that the heat deposit at the focus is much more important in the motion corrected experiment. Due to heat diffusion, it results in an enlarged necrosis area. This point is very important and illustrates another major advantage of the motion correction technique. As the acoustic energy is optimally deposited in space, the sonication time and power can be strongly decreased.
To address this point, the previous experiment was done again with a lower intensity at focus.
Sonications with and without motion correction were performed with an intensity at focus of 800 W cm-2. Fig. 11.a shows that in the uncorrected experiment, the square ring necrosis no longer appeared.
Motion prevents the attainment of the necrosis threshold. In contrast, a very small necrosis of about 1.3 mm in diameter was achieved in the motion-corrected experiment as the whole heat deposit was applied at the same location (Fig. 11.b).
The goal of this work was to propose and demonstrate the feasibility of 3D real time motion tracking and feedback correction of the HIFU beam during ultrasonic treatments. The ability of transducer arrays driven by multi-channel electronic systems to provide a heating beam locked on target was demonstrated experimentally for in vitro moving tissue samples. Such motion correction is particularly important for the treatment of abdominal tumours where it is well known that respiratory motion induces important consequences. Firstly, correcting motion is the only way to ensure that the entirety of the targeted volume has been properly and totally treated. Secondly, it is also the only way to ensure
that no other unwanted location has been damaged. Thirdly, the "first proof" experiments presented in this paper allow us to open new discussions regarding the importance of motion correction in terms of HIFU treatment times. Indeed, it was clearly shown that the "locked on target" heating beam was much more efficient in terms of acoustic energy deposit at the targeted location than a non-corrected beam. The combination of organ motion and heat diffusion phenomena acts as an aberrating effect for the heat deposit. The motion correction technique can be seen as a way to correct such an aberration and optimise the heat deposit at the target. For a single focal spot target and a typical respiratory motion, we have shown that the HIFU treatment coupled with motion correction enables one to reach necrosis much more quickly than without this correction. Thus, treatment times and, consequently, the total acoustic intensity delivered to the body could be decreased by more than 3 times. In the case of a larger target volume, the motion correction technique can be coupled to any kind of existing "spot by spot" treatment procedure. Of course, the gain in terms of insonification time for larger volumes will have to be addressed carefully in future works.
A cause for potential concern is the effect of local changes in the speed of sound caused by the heating process. Indeed, because the motion tracking technique is based on detecting time-shifts, the displacement estimates depend on the sound speed in the medium and the dependence of sound speed on temperature must be addressed. First of all, in order to decrease the influence of the speed of sound variation with temperature, the displacements in our experiments were estimated in a zone located 10 mm in front of the focus (a non or slightly heated area). However, even in this configuration, the near field overheating may be a concern, especially for long treatments. To address this question, we considered the case of motion tracking in a tissue that undergoes a global temperature elevation. The variation of the speed of sound with temperature depends on the tissue type and the fat content (Miller et al. 2002), but is typically =1m/s/°C in a liver of normal fat content. A temperature increase T of
the tissue would result in an apparent displacement of
l L 
 
~ , where L is the thickness of the penetrated tissue. For a 50 mm penetration depth the apparent displacement between two backscattered echoes would be 0.07 mm.°C-1 per 1°C temperature increase along the beam axis. This
order of magnitude remains very small compared to the various motions caused by breathing.
Moreover, for a typical temperature increase of 30°C at the focus, an increase of 5°C is found 10 mm in front of the focus. Thus, estimating the 3D motion in this region should prevent the influence of this heating term.
The 3D motion tracking and correction process assumes that the displacement vectors of the heating target and the control focal spot are identical. In other words, it is assumed that no local rotations of the tissue are involved between these two points. However, even if we wanted to take into account this refinement for certain configurations, this point would not be a major issue. Indeed, in the case of such complex motion which mixes translations and rotations, the displacement field can be estimated at three different "motion control locations" instead of only one single location. In transmission mode, the number of emission pulses is multiplied by a factor three, but it does not really affect the HIFU beam duty cycle. The 3D motion tracking principle presented in the Method section can be applied to three different locations surrounding the heating focal spot. Fig. 12 illustrates such a process.
The estimation of motion vectors at three different locations surrounding the heating spot allows one to deduce the change of coordinate system (translation and rotation) of the medium from two
successive acquisitions. First, the displacement vector di(dix,diy,diz) is deduced from eqn (3) at each location i. The matrix D = {dij} is then defined as the transfer matrix between two coordinate systems. Second, from the knowledge of D, and the spatial coordinates of the control points (F1, F2, F3), the displacement of the heating spot can be easily computed and finally used for the feedback correction.
An ultrasound-based technique for real time 3D motion tracking and feedback correction in HIFU therapy was proposed and validated. This "first proof" study shows the ability of a multi-channel electronic platform driving HIFU multi-element arrays to provide a heating beam locked on a selected target. The 3D real-time motion tracking process was demonstrated experimentally for in vitro moving tissue samples. Phase shift corrections were applied in real-time on each element of the HIFU array in
order to electronically steer the beam and correct the tissue displacements. Interleaving fast 3D motion tracking sequences with longer heating sequences at a typical repetition rate of 10-50 Hz allowed us to ensure a "locked on target" HIFU beam. The motion correction technique wasted only a few percentage of the heating time, as the heating duty cycle reached more than 90 % in our experiments.
Beyond the evident interest of motion correction for the improvement of HIFU targeting in abdominal organs, it was also shown that motion correction should lead to an important reduction of the treatment duration and total acoustic intensity deposit in the body.
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Vykhodtseva NI, Hynynen K, Damianou C. Pulse duration and peak intensity during focused ultrasound surgery:
Theoretical and experimental effects in rabbit brain in vivo. Ultrasound Med Biol 1994;20;9: 987–1000.
Wang H, Ebbini ES, O'Donnell M, Cain CA. Phase aberration correction and motion compensation for ultrasonic hyperthermia phased arrays: experimental results. IEEE Trans. Ultrason., Ferroelec., Freq. Contr.
1994;41;1:34-43.
Wang Z, Bai J, Li F et al. Study of a "biological focal region" of High-intensity focused ultrasound. Ultrasound Med Biol 2003;29;5: 749-754.
Wu F, Wang Z, Cao Y et al., Changes in biologic characteristics of breast cancer treated with high-intensity focused ultrasound, Ultrasound Med Biol., 29, 10, 2003, 1487-1492.
Fig. 1: 3D Motion tracking set-up using three transducers or sub-apertures distributed on a spherical section.
(dx,dy,dz) is the displacement vector of the scatterers.
Fig. 2: 3D vector displacement estimation process using N transducers or sub-apertures. At time t, N backscattered signals are recorded and stored in memory. At time t+t, N new signals are recorded and cross- correlated with the previous ones. N time-shifts are determined and used in a trangulation algorithm to compute the displacement vector.
Fig. 3: Sub-aperture configuration. The backscattered signal is analysed as a function of the sub-aperture diameter L and the scatterers distribution displacement vector (d,).
Fig. 4: Four sub-apertures designed on the quasi-random phased array used in motion tracking experiments.
Fig. 5: HIFU sonications interleaved with motion tracking sequences. After each motion tracking sequences delays are applied to the electronic channels, in order to electronically steer the HIFU beam.
Fig. 6: Correlation coefficients as a function of the displacement directions and displacement amplitude (  0.1 ;
 0.5 ;  1 ; . 1.5 ; .. 2 ;  2.5 mm). Different size of transducers are investigated a) 20 mm, b) 30 mm and c)
Fig. 7: Tracking of a complete 3D motion:  scatterers motion,  displacement estimates.
Fig. 8: Displacement estimation accuracy as a function of the motion speed. The  curve is the relative error on the displacement estimates, and the -- curve is the correlation coefficient.
Fig. 9: Necrosis induced in liver moving at 10 mm/s a) without motion correction b) with motion correction.
Fig. 10: Square shaped necrosis induced in liver moving at 8 mm/s in the focal plane a) without motion correction b) with motion correction. The intensity at focus was 3000 W cm-2.
Fig. 11: Square shaped necrosis induced in liver moving at 8 mm/s in the focal plane a) without motion correction b) with motion correction. The intensity at focus was 800 W cm-2.
Fig. 12: Three "motion control locations" set-up in the case of complex motion (Translation + Rotation). The 3D motion estimation process achieved using at least three sub-apertures, is applied to three different locations F1, F2 and F3.
Download (DOC - 27 Page - 592.50KB)
The road to clinical use of high-intensity focused ultrasound for liver cancer:...
For example the 2010 Treatment Guidelines for hepatocellular carcinoma from the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease [3] stated that radiofrequency ablation should be
Photoacoustic guidance of high intensity focused ultrasound with selective optic...
14 , 15 In this work it is proposed to use photoacoustic signals for the guidance of HIFU treatment by attaching an exogenous op- tically selective contrast agent to the target region
Transcostal high-intensity-focused ultrasound: ex vivo adaptive focusing feasibi...
Instead of emitting a spherical wave (no correction) with the same phase and the same amplitude on each element of the array, one can thus set the amplitude to zero on the
3-D real-time motion correction in high-intensity focused ultrasound therapy.: M...
The backscattered signal is analysed as a function of the sub-aperture diameter L and the scatterers distribution displacement vector (d,). 4: Four sub-apertures designed on
Using a toroid transducer for thermal ablation by high-intensity-focused ultraso...
2D sparse array optimization and operating strategy for real-time 3D ultrasound...
Les avantages de l'intégration de simulations acoustiques réalistes dans un cadre général d'optimisation des sondes 2D parcimonieuses sont les suivants : une meilleure capacité à
Horner's Syndrome During High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Ablation for a Benign...
Abbreviations: BTN, benign thyroid nodule; CSC, cervical sympathetic chain; EU- TIRADS, European thyroid image reporting and data system; HIFU, high-intensity focused ultrasound; HS,
Cyclocoagulation of the ciliary bodies by high-intensity focused ultrasound: A 1...
Fifty-two patients with primary and secondary glaucoma of various etiologies (Table 1), including primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) with a history of previous failed filtering surgery,
High Intensity Focused Ultrasound ( HIFU) Therapy Guidance System by Image-based...
As a proof of concept we developed the following evalua- tion framework on a numerical phantom: 1) because the probe is under development we define a ground truth (GT) initial pose
A 2D-3D Model-Based Approach to Real-Time Visual Tracking
Unité de recherche INRIA Rennes, Irisa, Campus universitaire de Beaulieu, 35042 RENNES Cedex Unité de recherche INRIA Rhône-Alpes, 655, avenue de l'Europe, 38330 MONTBONNOT ST MARTIN
Real-time Target Tracking of Soft Tissues in 3D Ultrasound Images Based on Robus...
In the following experiments, we demonstrate the performance of the original method that combines mechanical simulation and dense motion estimation on nominal conditions by using
Figure 5: Tracking initialization: (a) selected points in the first image and the CAD model of the object (the registration is done manually by "clicking" a point in the image and the
Modulation of brain activity with low intensity focused ultrasound
On the Feasibility of Photoacoustic Guidance of High Intensity Focused Ultrasoun...
Real-time tracking of deformable targets in 3D ultrasound sequences
Real-time needle detection and tracking using a visually servoed 3D ultrasound p...
Intensity-based Visual Servoing for Instrument and Tissue Tracking in 3D Ultraso...
Real-time Tracking of Deformable Target in 3D Ultrasound Images
3D optical imagery for motion compensation in a limb ultrasound system
Real time 3D US-tagging combined with 3D phase-based motion estimation
Lithium niobate ultrasound transducers for high-resolution focused ultrasound su...
Treatment of liver metastases using High Intensity Focused Ultrasound: clinical...
Salvage Hemiablation High Intensity Focused Ultrasound for unilateral radio-recu...


text:
/****************************************************************************
 * Generated by Hottentot CC Generator
 * Date: 01-02-2016 01:45:06
 * Name: echo_service_request_handler.cc
 * Description:
 *   This file contains implementation of service's request handler class.
 ****************************************************************************/

#include <string.h>

#include <naeem/hottentot/runtime/request.h>
#include <naeem/hottentot/runtime/response.h>

#include "echo_service_request_handler.h"
#include "abstract_echo_service.h"
#include "../echo_service.h"
#include "../echo_request.h"
#include "../echo_response.h"

namespace ir {
namespace ntnaeem {
namespace hottentot {
namespace examples {
namespace win32 {
namespace echo {
namespace service {
  void
  EchoServiceRequestHandler::HandleRequest(::naeem::hottentot::runtime::Request &request, ::naeem::hottentot::runtime::Response &response) {
    if (request.GetMethodId() == 165906122) {
      ::ir::ntnaeem::hottentot::examples::win32::echo::service::AbstractEchoService *serviceObject =
        dynamic_cast< ::ir::ntnaeem::hottentot::examples::win32::echo::service::AbstractEchoService*>(service_);
      /*
       * Deserialization and making input variables
       */
      ::ir::ntnaeem::hottentot::examples::win32::echo::EchoRequest req;
      req.Deserialize(request.GetArgumentData(0), request.GetArgumentLength(0));
      /*
       * Calling service method
       */
      ::ir::ntnaeem::hottentot::examples::win32::echo::EchoResponse result;
      serviceObject->DoEcho(req, result);
      /*
       * Serializiation of returned object
       */
      uint32_t serializedDataLength = 0;
      unsigned char *serializedData = result.Serialize(&serializedDataLength);

      response.SetStatusCode(0);
      response.SetData(serializedData);
      response.SetDataLength(serializedDataLength);
      return;
    }
    char errorMessage[] = "Method not found.";
    response.SetStatusCode(1);
    response.SetData((unsigned char*)errorMessage);
    response.SetDataLength(strlen(errorMessage));
  }
} // END OF NAMESPACE service
} // END OF NAMESPACE echo
} // END OF NAMESPACE win32
} // END OF NAMESPACE examples
} // END OF NAMESPACE hottentot
} // END OF NAMESPACE ntnaeem
} // END OF NAMESPACE ir

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: How to get the approvalURL for PayPal Plus integration? I followed the official instructions: https://www.paypalobjects.com/digitalassets/c/website/marketing/emea/de/de/paypal-plus-center/PayPal_PLUS_integration_guide.pdf
08. Integrating PayPal PLUS

Prior to rendering the payment wall a payment resource must be
  created. The  corresponding API call is "create payment". When
  creating the payment resource  am ount, currency and items details
  must be submitted.

..Okay. Understand. So i need to Create a Payment, grab the Url and then i can render the PayPalPlus-Object finally.
I followed https://github.com/paypal/PayPal-PHP-SDK/blob/master/sample/payments/CreatePaymentUsingPayPal.php as example script and one ohter. But i cant receive anything from $payment->getApprovalLink()
am i completely wrong?
which example can i use to create a payment and render the paypal-plus thing?

A: <?php
require '../vendor/autoload.php';
$apiContext = new \PayPal\Rest\ApiContext(
new \PayPal\Auth\OAuthTokenCredential(
'xxx',     // ClientID
'xxx'      // ClientSecret
)
);

$apiContext->setConfig(
array(
'mode' => 'sandbox'
)
);

$item1 = new \PayPal\Api\Item();
$item1->setName('Test item')
->setCurrency('USD')
->setQuantity(1)
->setPrice(1);

$itemList = new \PayPal\Api\ItemList();
$itemList->setItems(array($item1));

$payer = new \PayPal\Api\Payer();
$payer->setPaymentMethod('paypal');

$amount = new \PayPal\Api\Amount();
$amount->setCurrency('USD');
$amount->setTotal('1');

$transaction = new \PayPal\Api\Transaction();
$transaction->setAmount($amount);
$transaction->setItemList($itemList);
//$transaction->setInvoiceNumber(uniqid());
//$transaction->setDescription('Description');

$redirectUrl = new \PayPal\Api\RedirectUrls();
$redirectUrl->setReturnUrl('http://localhost');
$redirectUrl->setCancelUrl('http://localhost');

$payment = new \PayPal\Api\Payment();
$payment->setIntent('sale');
$payment->setPayer($payer);
$payment->setRedirectUrls($redirectUrl);
$payment->setTransactions(array($transaction));

$payment = $payment->create($apiContext);

$approvalUrl = $payment->getApprovalLink();

echo $approvalUrl;

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
import * as React from 'react';
import { TabsProps } from './TabsProps';

const SizeTabsContext = React.createContext<Exclude<TabsProps['size'], undefined>>('md');

export default SizeTabsContext;


a more loyal customer following.
When a customer uses the BrewFund to buy their friend a gift, the money goes directly into your account. No waiting for them to redeem their gifts!
Your customers are your best brand advocates. Enable them to share the brewery experience that you worked so hard to create.
A single gift of beer easily turns into 2+ purchases and 75% of the time the recipient brings at least 1 friend if not a whole group with them.
Your customers already share the experience of your brewery. Now enable them to grow your revenue through digital sales. Turn your customers into digital sales associates and they get the rewarding experience of sharing the environment that you have worked so hard to create! Turn your customers into brand advocates.
The BrewFund was developed from the brewery and taproom operator perspectives. We understand that adding new technology needs to be simple, easy to use, and doesn't get in the way of your business flow.
We keep it simple so you can focus on whats really important.
The BrewFund platform gives you access to a suite of tools to help track sales, taxes, and even your inventory.
Already have a system in place that works? No problem! The BrewFund is also built to work right along side your current systems. You choose what works best for you and your business.
Joining the BrewFund Platform means you have a new partner in your brands digital world.
This free platform is open to breweries, cideries, and tap houses!


text:
Where Are They Now: Louisville City's Original Starting XI
March 28th, 2015 is a notable day in Louisville City history. For the first time, a team was fielded for regular season USL play. The match up against regional rivals, St Louis FC, ended up being a 2-0 win setting the tone for the success the club would have for the next several years. You can catch the match online here. The starting eleven that Coach James O'Conner selected is quite a bit different than the team we have today (although not entirely). I wanted to take a look back at the squad and see how their careers had progressed since that first match.
Scott Goodwin (#1) – Scott Goodwin was Lou City's first man between the sticks and subsequently earning the clubs first clean sheet with the 2-0 win over St Louis. Scott would go on to record 35 total appearances with the club during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Scott ended his professional soccer career early after having been accepted into Harvard Medical School. He did, however, make an encore appearance on the pitch late in the 2016 season. Jason Ence did a nice peace on the end of Scott's professional soccer career. Check out some of his best saves in purple here.
Scott Goodwin's Twitter
Niall McCabe (#11) – Little could he know at the time, but Niall's appearance on the pitch for the first match at Slugger was the first of many to come. Since the 2015 season, Niall has remained with Louisville City. He has made over 135 appearances and has scored 18 goals and helped to earn the 2017 and 2018 championships. At the age of 29, it seems that he is likely to continue to be seen on the pitch for the next several years (hopefully still sporting our purple). Given the Irishman's long tenure at the club, he has become one of the faces of the franchise and has likely already solidified his place as a club legend. Here is a little profile put out on him by the club.
Niall McCabe's Twitter
Juan Guzmán (#8) – Juan Guzmán is a Colombian midfielder who was a part of JOC's first season at Louisville City. He was, along with Guy Abend and Kadeem Dacres, was one of the first 3 signings in club history (announcement video here). Juan made 27 appearances for the club during the 2015 season scoring one goal that April against the future title winning side, the Rochester Rhinos. After the 2015 season, he left the league and join Colombian side Boyacá Patriotas FC. In 2017, he would return to the USL with Oklahoma City Energy FC seeing 29 appearances and 2 goals over 2 seasons. As of 2019, Juan has been with New Mexico United notching up 28 appearances with the club.
Juan Guzmán's Twitter
Guy Abend (#19) – Guy Abend found himself apart of the inaugural side and would stay with the club through the 2016 and 2017 season ending his time with City as a champion. He totaled 63 appearances and 6 goals. Since leaving Louisville, the Israeli player has seen himself feature with Reno 1868 in 2018 and with St Louis FC from 2019 to present. While now a part of a rival club, Guy still receives a positive reception from the Louisville City fanbase. He was featured in a club produced "get to know" video found here.
Guy Abend's Twitter
Kadeem Dacres (#7) – Kadeem was one of our starting eleven in our first ever match up against St Louis FC, a club he would later end up playing on. Kadeem spent the 2015 and 2016 seasons with the club making 49 appearances and scoring 8 goals. He would later sign with FC Cincinnati (ugh) for the 2017 season making 22 appearances. In 2018, Kadeem would rejoin his old teammate, Guy Abend, in St Louis and has since made 60 appearances and 5 goals. Like Guy, many fans still remember and appreciate his time with our club. Check out his top moments from the 2015 season here.
Kadeem Dacres' Twitter
Magnus Rasmussen (#10) – Magnus not only started in that first match but ended up become Louisville City's first goal scorer. His name will forever be etched into the club's history. The Danish playmaker made 40 appearances for Los Morados and scoring 11 goals. After 2016, however, Magnus left the league to return home and play for BK Frem where he saw only 7 appearances. In 2018, Maggie returned to rack up an additional 52 appearances and 14 goals. With the onset of the global pandemic and the birth of his first daughter back in Europe, Magnus and Lou City mutually terminated his contract with the doors still open for his much needed return for the 2021 season. I am sure I'm not alone in hoping the he does in fact return. Here is a little throwback highlight reel of Magnus in action in 2015.
Magnus Rasmussen's Twitter
Bryan Burke (#2) – Bryan Burke was included as part of the defensive setup during that first match. Bryan made 28 appearances and scored one goal during the 2015 season. He earned several accolade during the season including All League First Team, Assists Champion, and Defender of the Year. In 2016, Bryan left Louisville to join the Jacksonville Armada FC in the NPSL. After only 15 appearances, he then spent the 2017 season with San Francisco Deltas in the NASL where he made 13 appearances, scored 13 goals, and helped his team to secure Soccer Bowl 2017 beating the New York Cosmos 2-0. Unfortunately, the club folded less than 2 weeks after that victory. Bryan then hung up his boots and called it a career. Here is a 2015 highlight reel of him providing service to Matt Fondy and the rest of the squad.
Bryan Burke's Twitter
Conor Shanosky (#5) – The DC United product was featured in City's original starting eleven and would see himself total 41 appearances and 4 goals over the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Conor then joined the USL Championship side Richmond Kickers who he was loaned to earlier in his career. The Kickers would later drop to the 3rd tier USL League One in 2019. Since joining them in 2016, he has made 67 appearances and has score twice. He was with Richmond until August 2020. Conor has earned his USSF C Coaching License so perhaps Lou City will play a side managed by him in the future. Check out his signing video here.
Conor Shanosky's Twitter
Adam West (#3) – Adam West was also selected for James's O'Conner's first team. Adam only made 13 appearances for the club in the 2015 season. In 2016, he join Arizona United (now Phoenix Rising) where he had 12 appearances. Since 2015, he has also been with the Tacoma Stars in his home state of Washington, who are part of the Major Arena Soccer League, where he has made 37 appearances and 29 goals. At the age of 34, he is still currently on their roster.
Tarek Morad (#6) – Tarek was another defensive fixture of the original squad. From 2015 through 2017, Tarek made 72 appearances for the club and netted 4 goals. After helping to take down Swope Park Rangers (now Sporting Kansas City 2) to secure the clubs first star above the crest, Tarek was not resigned and ended up with the Tampa Bay Rowdies. He would go on to make 46 appearances in the yellow and green in 2018 and 2019. Currently, Tarek is without a club. You can get to know him a little better here with this short interview.
Tarek Morad's Twitter
Matthew Fondy (#9) – Matt Fondy found himself on the pitch for the first match in what would become a historic season. In 2015, Matt made 28 appearances and scored a record-breaking 22 goals. Earning All-League First Team, Scoring Champion, the Golden Boot, and Most Valuable Player honors. It was a performance to remember. Matt did not stay with Lou City and split his 2016 season between Jacksonville Armada FC and the Carolina RailHawks (now North Carolina FC). While only seeing the pitch 8 times in Jacksonville between 2016 and 2017, he made 40 appearances and scored 13 times. In 2018, he was with the Oakland Leopards. His 2019 season was split between San Francisco City FC and Olympic Club. As of 2020, he is with NISA side Oakland Roots SC. You can catch all 22 goals of his 2015 campaign here.
Matthew Fondy's Twitter
Louisville City's 2023 Storylines
Which Season Was Louisville City's Best?
Louisville City's 2022 Season Review

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
New Gear: Fender Rumble 800 Amp
New Gear: MonoNeon Jazz Bass V
New Gear: Fender Aerodyne Special Precision and Jazz Bass
GITC Speaks With Industry Veteran Paul Damiano about Music Education and Market Development
Valery Amador
Music Products Industry Veteran Paul Damiano Advocates Greater Support For Market Development, Music Education and Guitars In The Classroom.
In addition to his prolific career with the KAMAN Corporation, Paul Damiano was one of the principal architects of the game-changing merger between KAMAN and Fender that created KMC Music and he is currently KMC's Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing. In both his professional and personal life, Paul has also been a tireless, dedicated advocate for music education and market development; serving on the boards of NAMM, GAMA, IAKEM and PMC as well as several other music industry associations. Guitars In The Classroom had the opportunity to sit down with him for a quick conversation at the KMC booth during the recent NAMM Show.
GITC: You and Kaman have supported and participated in the music industry's expansion efforts on many levels. Has the merger with Fender changed that commitment?
Damiano: Both KAMAN and Fender have always been aware of the need for market development and very involved with industry efforts. We believe that we have a social responsibility that extends beyond merely making and selling musical instruments. Now that Fender and KAMAN are all one company, we're even more united in that fundamental philosophy.
GITC: Has the economic slowdown affected the market development movement?
Damiano: The need is the same if not greater now but, unfortunately, with less fat in the economy, one company, no matter how big it is, can't do as much of the heavy lifting. However, (Fender CEO) Bill Mendello has given us specific guidance that even though times are tough we should continue to support programs that are working. Certainly Guitars In The Classroom is one of the programs that is working and one that we continue to support.
GITC: What do you say to encourage companies that haven't supported the industry's market
development efforts to step up?
Damiano: Companies that, for whatever reasons, don't see the benefits of market development efforts don't contribute to them. But these efforts would be more effective if we could get more participation. The time for standing on the sidelines is past. If we don't develop more players and build our own industry, who will? No one's going to do it for us, but us. Those of us in the music instrument industry who are waiting for the next Beatles to happen are going to be awfully disappointed.
GITC: Young people have never had as many distractions as they have today. How do we do we get their attention and continue to increase the number of music makers?
Damiano: Today, there are so many things that divert young people's attention from music. At the same time, today's kids are very much part of what I call the Sesame St. generation; a generation that has come to believe in music as a positive and fundamental part of everyday life. We may not be able to see it now but I think 5 years from now we are going to look back and say that music video games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero were a major factors in generating new players.
There are also gaps in music education that we need to address. A lot of kids want to play guitar but it's not offered as part of traditional music education programs. This is another reason why guitar manufacturers need to support programs like GAMA and GITC. Where GAMA reaches kids and music teachers through the band program, GITC reaches kids and general classroom teachers.
GITC: What else can the music products industry do to move things forward?
Damiano: NAMM and the industry have done a lot but NAMM is limited by its charter and government regulations and has had to maintain an arm's-length relationship with the alphabet soup of music associations. It's important that we get more music retailers and music teachers involved, too. To be successful, these types of projects require organization as well as grass roots support.
These things don't happen without the vision and hard work of people like (GITC founder and Executive Director) Jessica Baron who are passionate about the cause. I applaud Jessica and the work she and Guitars In The Classroom are doing to create more musicians and improve their quality of life.
There's an ongoing discussion among music advocates about the roles that recreation, retention and relevance play in our business and how much we should support music education vs. music integration. But I've never seen creating more music makers as being an either/or situation. There are many opportunities for growth and we all need work together and support each other so we don't miss any of them.
Guitars In The Classroom is a non-profit organization that provides innovative musical training for classroom teachers so all students can experience the joy and essential benefits of making music. Its programs deliver ongoing instruction, access to instruments, and educational materials that weave music across the academic curriculum in sustainable, grassroots programs, nationwide. For further information or to get involved, please contact GITC at 858-755-2239 or go online at www.guitarsintheclassroom.org.
Related Topics:Fender, Music Education, Music Marketing, NAMM
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Pjotter – the fun tasting experience.
Pjotter Vodka is a smooth premium quality vodka, which is best enjoyed straight on the rocks. Pjotter Red Citrus is a combination of sweet oranges, grapefruit and crystal clear vodka. Pjotter Violet Black Fruit is a crystal clear vodka combined with the bittersweet taste of black berries and the sweetness of cassis.
Pjotter Red and Pjotter Violet taste best served straight on the rocks or mixed with champagne.


Dr. Paolo Bartolomeo, MD, PhD trained as a clinical neurologist and as a neuroscientist. He is head scientist of the research team investigating the Cognitive Neurosciences of Attention at the Brain and Spine Institute in the Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France, and full professor of Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neuroscience at the Catholic University, Milan, Italy. By using advanced behavioural, neuroimaging and neurostimulation methods, Dr. Bartolomeo has developed high impact work revealing the structural and functional neuroanatomy of attentional functions in normal individuals and in brain-damaged patients.
Laurent Cohen, Lionel Nacache and Paolo Bartolomeo's team is devoted to the study of cognitive functions with an exclusive or prevalent development in humans, namely language and conscious cognition. The study of brain-damaged patients occupies a central position in its methodological approach. For the study of both language and consciousness, and with both patients and healthy subjects, it resorts to state-of-the-art behavioural methods and multimodal brain imaging.


Anchor: Charter schools have become very popular... But are charter schools a wise addition to your investment portfolio? Well let's ask David Brain, President and CEO of Entertainment Properties Trust. David, why would I want to add charter schools into my portfolio?
DB: Well I think it's a very stable business, very recession-resistant. It's a high-demand product. There's 400,000 kids on waiting lists for charter schools, the industry's growing about 12-14% a year. So it's a high-growth, very stable, recession-resistant business. It's a public payer, the state is the payer on this category, and if you do business with states with solid treasuries then it's a very solid business.
Anchor: Well let me ask you about potential risks, here, to your charter school portfolio, because I understand that three of your nine "Imagine" schools are scheduled to actually lose their charters for the next school year. Does this pose a risk to investors?
I don't—there's not a lost of risk...the fact is this has bipartisan support. It's part of the Republican platform and Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education in the Obama Administration, has been very high on it throughout their work in public education. So we have both political parties are solidly behind it, you have high demand, high growth, you have performance across the board...it's our highest growth and most appealing sector right now of the portfolio. It's the most high in demand, it's the most recession-resistant. And a great opportunity set with 500 schools starting every year. It's a two and a half billion dollar opportunity set annually.


... But I have fallen in love.
With the couch of my dreams.
I didn't know it existed in real life but I have dreamed of it.
I have loved bamboo and wicker and rattan as long as I can remember.
I mean like from childhood.
or binge watching Downton Abbey or Parenthood.
And then, somehow through the magic of blogs and Pinterest, I found this dream sofa.
How did I not know about you??
You are everything I love in a sofa.
The caning and wood combo of my dreams.
and comfy for binge watching Netflix or snoozing.
In fact I love everything in the Stuart Membery Collection.
I want to work for that company.
I practically have been because it's cold and I want to be where these pictures were taken.
This couch will remain the couch of my dreams because, you see ,this couch starts it's life in Indonesia. And you can buy it directly from the factory and have it shipped. If you win the lottery. It's a lovely website and they clearly explain how to go about purchasing their goods and finding a shipping company.
I have not shipped product from Asia before - Can you help?
If you do not have a shipping company we can recommend our preferred shipping company in Indonesia. We have built a solid relationship with them. We will liaise with our preferred shipping company on your behalf.
I, also, have not shipped from Asia.


text:
Exhibition project by Elena Giulia Abbiatici. Artists: Luca Coclite, Federica Di Carlo, Matteo Nasini. 22 - 25 March 2019 Milan.
It opens on March 22th in the context of Mia Photo Fair, a collective exhibition of three multimedia artists - Luca Coclite, Federica Di Carlo, Matteo Nasini - aimed at questioning the concept of wave in its physical-atmospheric, socio-anthropological and oneiric-biological declinations. The artists go beyond the traditional photography and open the medium to its linguistic transformations and evolutions, with a great elaboration and aesthetic effectiveness.
Albert Einstein said "Everything is relative". A century later, we can say that everything is, in a large measure, made of waves. The breakthrough into the understanding of the universe, for what we can, dates back to 2016, when the LIGO Gravitational Waves Observatory team reported the passage of a gravitational wave through a black hole, thus revealing those deformations in the curvature of space time, which determine the relativity of space and time and would be constituted, in fact, by waves. All the matter in transformation is crossed by waves, like body or movement, but only the waves produced on water and by water have monopolized the collective imagination of the wave concept, as well as the artistic iconography, which has become attentive to the mimesis of the wavy water movements. The Venus of Botticelli (1484) seems to dance on a shell, which floats on thin stylized waves, while a Zephyr blows on her auburn hair and on the clothes that Hora is offering her.
When we arrive at Turner, three centuries later, the surrender of the waves of a stormy English sea, is subject to the painter's intention to make the decomposition of light equally. Another great discovery had recently been demonstrated: the corpuscular and undulating nature of light, freeing it from a mono - particle destiny and giving it the theophany of being photon and wave together.
The wave in Luca Coclite's video installation The Hall / Ledwall, goes beyond the classical recording of the sea: it breaks up, it breaks down that Mare Nostrum which unites and divides us, on which we base our post-Punic civilization and we have forgotten to had been a battle ground, to overcome those mythological Pillars of Hercules. The horizon breaks, refracts itself into an ostensible wave, in a clash within the chaotic movement of the sea, and the camera sublimates this mysterious moment - the technological unconscious of the medium. Along the coast, Regina Pacis reigns, from a home colony to a welcoming home to a luxury hotel, converts that concept of home, unrolling a red carpet towards the sea and evoking a cursive suggestion to the Oscar runways or the red carpet in Grand Hotel Budapest, where the joke and the bitter history proceed together to exorcise each other. If it is true that history shapes and changes the landscapes we observe, actual history imprisons the wave in a deceptive hall and we still do not know how it will return it to the sea. Perhaps (mindful) place, perhaps (limiting) space, or (negationist) horizon.
Federica Di Carlo's blue wave is caged inside a salvific and lethal grip. The movement of the sea is obtained by locking up the print of a blue sky in a vice, at the exact point of resistance, beyond which the shell, carefully inserted as guardian of the wave, would shatter. The vice translates the 2° atmospheric degrees above which scientists predict uncontrollable environmental cataclysms. "Somewhere along the way, that pleasure turned to madness," Julian Casablancas used to say in his Out of the Blue; madness will hit the earth, no longer able to support itself and do the same for us. The temporal vulnerability of A. Sassolino has become together the human unconsciousness and arrogance towards the two extremes in which we move: the sky and the sea. "But where is the border?", these works seem to ask us, while they are compressing the two extremes of our world. In a game of references between the blue of the sky and the blue of the sea, Federica has charged the telescopic image of an interstellar cloud with blue, identifying, in this chromatic wheel (cyanometer), all the blue scales of the sky, according to the classification of the astrophysicists, with whom she shared the days of hrs residence in Montpellier, to unveil with the inhabitants, if the sea is blue because the sky is blue. La mer est bleue parce qu'on veut savoir pourquoi la mer est bleue.
The vagueness is the result of a very precise measurement and understanding of the parts, it is the linguistic form of exactness, which, once achieved, can dip into the vague of the poetic and imaginative land, of the dream, and can be codified again, as exact science, without losing its metaphysical nature. Because the dream territory is personal, as long as an electroencephalography does not transcribe the shapes of our sleep and some modern Apps do not monitor our nocturnal brain activity to regulate rest for higher productivity. Sparkling Matter by Matteo Nasini is the attempt to sound and formalize levels of oneiric consciousness or subconsciousness, through a mysterious and haunting EEG recording path of our brain waves during sleep and / or dreams. In 2016, at the Marselleria Space in Milan, the artist started a nocturnal navigation, translated into soundtracks, and then into 3D ceramic prints of the synaptic waves' sound. Sparkling Matter potteries are not the transposition of Inception, just as the respective dream books are not the transposition of Freud's milestone issue, yet the spirit passing through them is the same: revealing the latent content of our sleep. Or rather the part which we can not bring to consciousness and which takes on conical, cylindrical forms, of irregular parallelepipeds and rough surfaces, made for once by the real substance of dreams.
Waves, like photography, always record images of what they hide.
A100 GALLERY
WAVES OBSERVATORY
Exhibition project by Elena Giulia Abbiatici
Artists: Luca Coclite, Federica Di Carlo, Matteo Nasini


text:
Q: Directory.GetFiles() with C: and C:\ I'm simply using Directory.GetFiles() to get all files in that directory.
What I found out is, that C: as a parameter is giving back all files which are in my release folder (at least it seems so).
C:\ gives me the real C:\folder like I assumed.
Why is this happening?

A: C: refers to the current directory on the C drive, which happens to be your release folder. C:\  refers to the root directory on the C drive.
You can also use paths like C:..\test.txt which is a relative path to the current directory on C, or \test.txt which is an absolute path on the current drive
See this MSDN article about naming files and paths for details


Carbon monoxide gas leaks, electrical fires, flooded basements, and frozen pipes are all possibilities in a Charter Oak residence. Vivint Smart Home's high-quality security equipment helps you monitor your home inside and out, but no homeowner is able to watch their home around-the-clock, which is why we have a professional in-house monitoring team to do the job. We offer 24/7 monitoring and industry-leading response times, so whether an alarm is sent through the central monitoring station or you've signaled for assistance through the Vivint Key Fob or the Vivint Panic Button, we can ensure that you have the help you need when you need it.
Charter Oak can get extremely cold; all residents know that. We have the solution! With Sky, the intelligence layer of Vivint Smart Home Cloud, you can actually save money on your home heating and cooling costs, without compromising on your comfort. Over time, your Sky will learn how you use your home by integrating data from your in-home sensors, devices, and user profiles. Sky will gradually begin to adjust your wireless thermostat to set your home at your preferred temperature while you're at home and conserve energy while you're away. Wondering what else Vivint Smart Home provides?
Vivint Smart Home wants to make your life as simple and secure as humanly possible. We provide a free one-on-one consultation so that you get the smart home of your dreams, customizing your system to fit the needs of your household. We will also send our Vivint Smart Home Pros directly to your Charter Oak house to set your system up and teach you how to use it for no additional cost (regularly $199). Doesn't your family deserve the many advantages of having a Vivint Smart Home system? Call Vivint Smart Home today and and see how easy it can be to upgrade your Charter Oak home into the smart home of the future.


Lets face it, things around us breakdown a lot. The service industry is making billions thanks to faulty phones, laptops, gadgets, cars, machinery and pretty much everything else. We are nearly tuned to expecting things to breakdown around us all the time. How many times have we seen the out of order sign in our life? More times than we can count Im sure. It would at least be great if these signs had a bit of thought put into them so that they can distract us from the reality of life. Here is a list of 10 out of order signs with a sense of humor.
This freezer isnt out of order, its out of control. Only a maverick will be able to stop it now.
This sign pretty much sums up all the out of order signs in the world in just one word Nope.


If a child is born in Georgia without the marriage of the parents' then the Father should seek to legitimate the child. Legitimation gives the child the rights to inherit and in some cases the right to receive benefits from the Father as if the parents has been legally married.
A Father must legitimate before seeking custody or parenting time with his child. The status of joint custody allows the Father certain legal rights to be informed about education and medical information regarding the child and to have a say in major decisions made for the child. The Father can always Petition to Court for custody of the child/children. The law concerning custodial rights is complex but the Court always considers what is in the best interest of the minor child/children. Cara Sprouse Rowe has over twenty (20) years of litigation experience which enables her to navigate the Courtroom in her client's case.
Cara Sprouse Rowe has been litigating for Father's in Family Court Cases for over a decade and has been granted for her client's the Father's custody of the child/children. Remember, in a custody Petition the Court must be gender neutral at all times.
To schedule a free initial consultation with our lawyer, call us at 706-250-7509, toll free at 800-647-2532 or contact us online. We offer short-term payment plans and accept all major credit cards.


text:
package com.example.x_project;

import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.InputStream;
import java.io.PrintWriter;
import java.io.StringWriter;
import java.io.UnsupportedEncodingException;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

import org.apache.http.HttpEntity;
import org.apache.http.HttpResponse;
import org.apache.http.HttpStatus;
import org.apache.http.NameValuePair;
import org.apache.http.client.ClientProtocolException;
import org.apache.http.client.HttpClient;
import org.apache.http.client.entity.UrlEncodedFormEntity;
import org.apache.http.client.methods.HttpPost;
import org.apache.http.impl.client.DefaultHttpClient;
import org.apache.http.message.BasicNameValuePair;
import org.apache.http.util.EntityUtils;

import android.animation.Animator;
import android.animation.AnimatorListenerAdapter;
import android.annotation.TargetApi;
import android.app.Activity;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.os.AsyncTask;
import android.os.Build;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.support.v4.app.NavUtils;
import android.text.TextUtils;
import android.view.KeyEvent;
import android.view.Menu;
import android.view.MenuItem;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.inputmethod.EditorInfo;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.EditText;
import android.widget.TextView;

import com.example.login.activity.MainActivity;
import com.example.login.activity.UserStruct;
import com.tx.util.UtilJson;
import com.tx.util.common;

/**
 * Activity which displays a login screen to the user, offering registration as
 * well.
 */
public class LoginActivity extends Activity {
	/**
	 * A dummy authentication store containing known user names and passwords.
	 * TODO: remove after connecting to a real authentication system.
	 */
	private static final String[] DUMMY_CREDENTIALS = new String[] {
			"foo@example.com:hello", "bar@example.com:world" };

	/**
	 * The default email to populate the email field with.
	 */
	public static final String EXTRA_PHONE = "com.example.android.authenticatordemo.extra.LoginPhone";

	/**
	 * Keep track of the login task to ensure we can cancel it if requested.
	 */
	private UserLoginTask mAuthTask = null;

	// Values for email and password at the time of the login attempt.
	private String mPhone;
	private String mPassword;

	// UI references.
	private EditText mEdtPhone;
	private EditText mEdtAuthCode;
	private Button mBtnAuthGetCode;
	private View mLoginFormView;
	private View mLoginStatusView;
	private TextView mLoginStatusMessageView;

	@Override
	protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
		super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);

		setContentView(R.layout.activity_login);
		setupActionBar();

		//»ñÈ¡±¾µØµÄÊý¾ÝÐÅÏ¢
		// Set up the login form.
		mPhone = getIntent().getStringExtra(common.EXTRA_USERID);
		mEdtPhone = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.edt_phone);
		mEdtPhone.setText(mPhone);

		mEdtAuthCode = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.btn_getCode);
	}

	/**
	 * Set up the {@link android.app.ActionBar}, if the API is available.
	 */
	@TargetApi(Build.VERSION_CODES.HONEYCOMB)
	private void setupActionBar() {
		if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.HONEYCOMB) {
			// Show the Up button in the action bar.
			getActionBar().setDisplayHomeAsUpEnabled(true);
		}
	}

	@Override
	public boolean onOptionsItemSelected(MenuItem item) {
		switch (item.getItemId()) {
		case android.R.id.home:
			// This ID represents the Home or Up button. In the case of this
			// activity, the Up button is shown. Use NavUtils to allow users
			// to navigate up one level in the application structure. For
			// more details, see the Navigation pattern on Android Design:
			//
			// http://developer.android.com/design/patterns/navigation.html#up-vs-back
			//
			// TODO: If Settings has multiple levels, Up should navigate up
			// that hierarchy.
			NavUtils.navigateUpFromSameTask(this);
			return true;
		}
		return super.onOptionsItemSelected(item);
	}

	@Override
	public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
		super.onCreateOptionsMenu(menu);
		getMenuInflater().inflate(R.menu.login, menu);
		return true;
	}

	/**
	 * Attempts to sign in or register the account specified by the login form.
	 * If there are form errors (invalid email, missing fields, etc.), the
	 * errors are presented and no actual login attempt is made.
	 */
	static public void attemptLogin(UserStruct user) {
			// Show a progress spinner, and kick off a background task to
			// perform the user login attempt.
		UserLoginTask mAuthTask = new UserLoginTask();
		mAuthTask.execute(user);
	}

	/**
	 * Shows the progress UI and hides the login form.
	 */
	@TargetApi(Build.VERSION_CODES.HONEYCOMB_MR2)
	private void showProgress(final boolean show) {
		// On Honeycomb MR2 we have the ViewPropertyAnimator APIs, which allow
		// for very easy animations. If available, use these APIs to fade-in
		// the progress spinner.
		if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.HONEYCOMB_MR2) {
			int shortAnimTime = getResources().getInteger(
					android.R.integer.config_shortAnimTime);

			mLoginStatusView.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
			mLoginStatusView.animate().setDuration(shortAnimTime)
					.alpha(show ? 1 : 0)
					.setListener(new AnimatorListenerAdapter() {
						@Override
						public void onAnimationEnd(Animator animation) {
							mLoginStatusView.setVisibility(show ? View.VISIBLE
									: View.GONE);
						}
					});

			mLoginFormView.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
			mLoginFormView.animate().setDuration(shortAnimTime)
					.alpha(show ? 0 : 1)
					.setListener(new AnimatorListenerAdapter() {
						@Override
						public void onAnimationEnd(Animator animation) {
							mLoginFormView.setVisibility(show ? View.GONE
									: View.VISIBLE);
						}
					});
		} else {
			// The ViewPropertyAnimator APIs are not available, so simply show
			// and hide the relevant UI components.
			mLoginStatusView.setVisibility(show ? View.VISIBLE : View.GONE);
			mLoginFormView.setVisibility(show ? View.GONE : View.VISIBLE);
		}
	}
}


text:
London ruins
Lost London – Church of St Alban, Wood Street…
by exploringlondon October 2, 2015
This church, which survived until it was largely destroyed by bombing in World War II, isn't completely lost – its tower still survives in the middle of Wood Street in the City.
The church, one of a number dedicated to St Alban (Britain's first Christian martyr) in London throughout its history, was medieval in origin although it has been argued its foundation dates back to the 8th century Saxon King Offa of Mercia who is believed to have had a palace here with the chapel on this site (Offa is also credited as the founder of St Alban's Abbey).
The church had fallen into disrepair by the early 17th century and was demolished and rebuilt in 1630s. It proved unfortunate timing for only 32 years later it was completely destroyed again, this time in the Great Fire of London.
Following the Great Fire, the church, now combined with the parish of St Olave, Silver Street, was among those rebuilt to the designs of Sir Christopher Wren and completed in the mid-1680s.
It was restored in the late 1850s under the eye of Victorian architect Sir George Gilbert Scott and the four pinnacles on the tower, which stood on the north side of the church, were replaced later that century.
It survived until World War II when the building was burnt out and partly destroyed on a single night during the Blitz in December, 1940. The remains, with the exception of Wren's Perpendicular-style tower, were later demolished in the 1950s (by which time the church had been united with the parish of St Vedast, Foster Lane).
The Grade II*-listed tower was converted into a rather unusual private dwelling in the 1980s.
Blitz Christopher Wren Churches City Great Fire of London Medieval Twentieth century VictorianCity of London George Gilbert Scott King Offa of Mercia London churches London ruins Lost London Sir Christopher Wren St Alban Wood Street St Olave Silver Street St Vedast Foster Lane The Blitz
10 small, 'secret' and historic gardens in central London…3. St Dunstan in the East Garden…
by exploringlondon August 5, 2015
Located amid the remains of the medieval church of St Dunstan in the East, the garden was created in the late 1960s after the church was finally – and irrevocably, apparently – destroyed in the Blitz of World War II.
The church's origins went back to around 1100 and it was subsequently extended with a new south aisle in the late 14th century and repaired in the early 17th century before being severely damaged in the Great Fire of 1666.
Patched up, with a new steeple and tower added to the building between 1695-1701 by Sir Christopher Wren, the building stood until the early 19th century when much of the church – with the exception of Wren's additions – had to be rebuilt (for more on the history of the church, see our earlier Lost London post here).
The 'new' building was, however, badly damaged during bombing in 1941 and it was decided not to rebuild the church in the aftermath of the war.
The City of London opened a garden, sympathetic with the remains of the Grade I-listed building, on the site in 1971 (although Wren's tower remains). They won a landscape award only a few years later.
Features in these atmospheric gardens – which seem to capture the essence of the Romantic idea of what ruins should look like – include a fountain which sits in the middle of the nave. In 2010 it was one of five public gardens in the City where award-winning 'insect hotels' were installed.
Maintenance works were carried out in 2015 and new plantings put in (the picture, above, was taken before this).
WHERE: St Dunstan in the East, between Idol Lane and St Dunstan's Hill, City of London (nearest Tube stations are Monument and Tower Hill); WHEN: 8am to 7pm or dusk (whichever is earlier); COST: Free; WEBSITE: www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/green-spaces/city-gardens/visitor-information/Pages/St-Dunstan-in-the-East.aspx
10 small 'secret' and historic gardens in central London Blitz Christopher Wren Churches City Gardens Great Fire of London Medieval Twentieth centuryBlitz City of London Great Fire of London London ruins Sir Christopher Wren St Dunstan in the East Garden St Dunstan-in-the-East


Monday – July 9, 2012 – 7 P.M.
Public Act 4 and the Detroit "Consent Agreement" are nothing but union busting!
Hundreds of unionized city workers are about to be laid off even though their jobs are fully funded by the federal government through the Head Start, CSBG and Workforce Development grants and thus don't cost the city one dime. The city plans on replacing these long-time city workers through the creation of a new non-union agency.
The union contracts for City of Detroit and Detroit Public School workers are being arbitrarily eliminated as the Public Employee Relations Act is superseded by the Emergency Manager Act.
Not to be out done, Better Made Potato Chips workers, one of the few union factories left in Detroit, is attempting to impose a union-busting, two-tier, regressive contract on its east side workers.
These attacks are spearheaded by the banks who are actually running the city, first destroying our neighborhoods through their racist foreclosures, and now extorting $16.9 billion from the city treasury through debt service guaranteed by Public Act 4 and the "consent agreement" at the cost of the destruction of all city services and jobs.
Come to an organizing meeting to discuss how to beat back this union-busting attack on city workers in the public and private sector. The courts have shown they will not stop these attacks. It's time to hit the streets to stop the war on the workers and community.
Only a united fight back can stop these attacks!
Don't let the bankers and their lackey politicians get away with this!


A buzz circulated on Facebook on Thursday night as local subscribers to "People" magazine saw a familiar face in its pages.
The feature is about local entrepreneur Ami Vitori, founder of Torchlight Pass, and her story of returning to Middletown and building her business that was the focus of a Starbucks "Upstanders" video last fall. The Starbucks series is a collection of 11 stories from across the nation to prove change can happen when community members take action.
Vitori's "Upstanders" episode, entitled "Saving Middletown," was a five-minute feature about the founding of Torchlight Pass and her move from a successful big-city career, as she tapped her retirement fund to rebuild her struggling Rust Belt hometown, according to Starbucks. The film also includes a number of Middletonians, such as J.D. Vance, Ken Cohen, Wilbur Cohen, Heather Gibson and Richard Isroff.
The one-page feature in "People" is in the Jan. 15 edition of the national magazine that will appear on newsstands this week.
Vitori, who began her first term on Middletown City Council this week, said "People" saw the Starbucks "Upstanders" video last fall and had reached out to her in mid-November.
She said friends who subscribe to the magazine saw it and have been tagging her in various social media posts.


text:
A: It's funny, I don't remember much about that night. I think the thing that sticks out to me now looking back is how excited my parents and having everybody — a whole bunch of my family members — there. I remember seeing them on TV after and seeing how excited they got. That's the memory that sticks with me. Obviously, the game was awesome. It was great to get a win and great to break the record that night against an in-conference rival like Michigan. But what sticks with me is my family.
Q: You wore No. 22 at Penn State, and then after Akeel Lynch wore it, it was retired. What kind of an honor was it to wear the number associated with Penn State's lone Heisman winner, John Cappelletti?
A: It was a great honor. It was one of those things that made me nervous at first as a freshman when I heard it. I really wasn't too familiar with Penn State and the history that came with it. But I was quickly educated on it. It was one of those things that I just have to live up to that number, and luckily I was able to have a pretty good career.
Q: Being a key member of the 2008 team that went to the Rose Bowl, what was your favorite part of that season? What sticks out to you?
A: I think we just had a good group of guys, and that Rose Bowl experience of being out there and actually taking part in the festivities that surrounded the Rose Bowl was cool. Obviously the Ohio State game, winning at The Shoe, was pretty cool.
Q: This is one I like to ask a lot of the guys. In college or pro, who was the toughest guy you went up against or had to game-plan around?
A: It's funny, I didn't play that much as a pro (laughs). I'm going to stick with college here. A guy who probably didn't get the hype that I think he deserved, a guy that I remember playing against vividly and a guy that I remember thinking like, "This guy is really good," was Greg Jones from Michigan State, the linebacker. I just remember him being a great side-to-side runner, great tackler and great all-around player.
Q: Now that you're out of football, what are you up to these days? How have you transitioned from your playing career?
A: So I work in an education technology company called EverFi. I'm actually partnered with the NFL and United Way right now where we implement one of our core courses, a healthy relationships course, into middle schools. We bring out players to talk with them and things like that. I'm very much still tied to football, but at the same time very disconnected from it. The transition has been interesting to say the least. At first, it was very difficult. I didn't know what I wanted to do after football. I just stumbled upon this opportunity through some Penn State connections actually, and it really helped me out and helped me make that transition at a time when I really didn't think I was going to be able to.
Evan Royster — Penn State's all-time leading rusher and a former Washington Redskins tailback — said wearing John Cappelletti's No. 22 was a "great honor." (AP Photo/Brian Blanco) Brian Blanco AP
Evan Royster — Penn State's all-time leading rusher — joined us for "5 Questions" to discuss John Cappelletti, life after football and more. CDT/Christopher Weddle
Evan Royster — Penn State's all-time leading rusher — joined us for "5 Questions" to discuss John Cappelletti, life after football and more. CDT/Nabil K. Mark


text:
Panthers to face Buccaneers in London, team announces
Photo Credit: Carolina Panthers
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (FOX 46 CHARLOTTE) - The Carolina Panthers are headed to London, the team announced on Monday.
The Panthers will play overseas for the first time in franchise history this fall, taking on NFC South foe Tampa Bay. Carolina, Green Bay and Houston are the only franchises not to play in London since the NFL launched the international games in 2007.
Dates, kickoff times and venues for the 2019 international games will be announced in conjunction with the release of the full NFL schedule this spring.
The contest is a home game for the Buccaneers, meaning the Panthers will have eight regular season games at Bank of America Stadium per usual.
For more on this story, please click here.


On Wednesday, 21st February, Year 5 went to Stibbington Education Centre and took part in the workshop, Source to Sea. The children had a brilliant day taking part in activities where they looked at erosion and landscaping. They also got their hands dirty by heading down to the River Nene and pulling on their waders! The pupils were tasked to measure the speed of the water flow and map the shape of the river bed. Both tasks were challenging and required teamwork as they really tested the children's geography and science knowledge!


Church of the Good Shepherd: Art Thou Weary?
There seem to be three kinds of religious lyrics. The first are lyrics that are so general that any religion can own them. "God, you are worthy to be praised!" Any religion, even ones that believe the universe is god, even polytheistic religions can sing this. Second, we have the lyrics that are specifically Christ-centered, because they have details about his life, teaching, and even death, but they lack the correct attitude about ourselves. They are the "Jesus is awesome!" songs. Jesus did something incredible for me. He can do the same for you. Just realize how amazing he is.
Finally, we hymns like that above. They are Christ-centered. They have details about Jesus, AND they have details about ourselves. They contain the problem of sin. They contain trials and tribulations. They focus on Jesus as savior, Lord, and comforter. They are complete, and they are specifically Christian with proper Christian theology. More specifically, they draw the curiosity of the unbeliever, because he is not used to hearing the struggles and trials of being a Christian. Jesus' salvation is made clear and is given depth.
Are you weary? Are you sickly and faint? Is life a struggle? These aren't lyrics to your typical praise tune. Are you sore distressed? Come to Christ and you will find rest, but you will know him by wounds and a crown of thorns. Will following him be awesome? No, actually. Your earthly rewards for following Jesus are sorrow, labor, and tears. But if you hold him close to the very end, all the sorrows and labors go away forever. He will not reject you, and throughout all your struggles he will bless you. Can you hear a more comforting and inspiring praise song than that?
I think it all boils down to the parable of the Good Samaritan. Who do you see yourself as in the parable?
Religious and non-religious people alike see themselves as the Good Samaritan. They at least set themselves the goal of becoming like the Samaritan. Even Jesus tells us to go and do likewise. Actually, we are all more like the priest and Levite because of sin. We try to creep into the Samaritan realm, but mostly we are firmly in that priest and Levite category. Until we put a true, penitent faith in Christ. And then we become the beaten man. We are suddenly aware of our true state and we cry out for someone to help us. We await the Samaritan. But the Samaritan is not another sinful man. The Samaritan is Christ.
The Christian walk is that of a man beaten by robbers. We are weary, laden, sore distressed. We are left half-dead. The world rises against us. If we hide that fact from our praise music, we are hiding the most important part of Christianity: the need for Christ. We need him to deliver us from this life of sin that is killing us. Sin is the robbers. The Levite and priest are those who believe they have no sin. They are lost. The New Christianity believes it has no sin either. It is lost. Jesus can't help those who have no sin.
But Christ goes out of his way to help the needy and the downtrodden. The Christian is the one who has been beaten down by the world, the devil, and his own flesh. Christ picks us up, binds our wounds, brings us to the Church and bids it--fellow beaten men and women--to care for us until he returns, and return he will. He shall return to save all the weary and distressed children and separate out the wicked for all eternity. He will lead us to eternal life by his wounds and his crown of thorns. He will not deny us. He will bless us.
Isn't that worth singing about?