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Triple win for Endeavour at Retail Drinks Industry Awards
It was a triple celebration for Endeavour Group this week following the announcement of the winners of the Retail Drinks Industry Awards 2021.
The Retail Drinks Industry Awards, hosted by Retail Drinks Australia, are the peak national awards for Australia's retail liquor industry.
Shorty's Liquor was named Online Liquor Retailer of the Year, Dan Murphy's Alphington received the accolade for Large Format Liquor Store of the Year and BWS store manager Matthew Schier, 31, was named Liquor Store Manager of the Year.
"This is by far my biggest achievement," Schier (above) said. "It was amazing to be nominated let alone win an award on a national level. It's still sinking in – when I look back at the caliber of people who have won this award in previous years, it feels very humbling.
"I'd like to thank my peers and managers at BWS, who have supported and helped me over the years," he added.
The awards are judged by a panel of leading industry experts. For the Liquor Store Manager of the Year awards, the panel evaluates the nominee's leadership skills, commitment to continued development and overall success of the business.
The panel recognised both the outstanding work that Matt has done as the store manager for BWS Parap Tavern, in the Northern Territory, but also his ability to maintain a high level of responsible service and compliance in the most regulated jurisdiction in the country.
"Our BWS stores also go above and beyond regulations with several self-imposed restrictions and practices in place like certain products we won't sell and our own MUP on specific products. As a manager, you need to ensure all these policies and restrictions are always followed," he explained.
During the COVID-lockdown, Schier was also able to help team members from sister business ALH hotels – which had to close – to find work in the 16 BWS stores in the NT.
"It was great to be able to supply work to six casual employees that otherwise would have had no work due to the venues closing. This involved significant training, consultation and open communication to ensure the transition was successful," he said.
"2020 was a challenging year in the industry, with things changing constantly and having to be very agile to keep up with constant safety and process changes, so it's very rewarding to receive an award at the back of a year unlike no other," he added.
Schier said that he is also passionate about creating a great team.
"I get the most fulfillment in my role by seeing my team and my peers succeed. This year I developed my team by having open conversations around their needs, giving them confidence to provide feedback, giving consistent feedback in return and recognising great behaviour, ideas and contribution," he added.
Schier has been the manager of Parap Tavern BWS for 18 months, and has been employed by BWS in the NT for almost eight years.
BWS Managing Director Scott Davidson said: "We are incredibly proud of Matt, and he always receives a lot of internal recognition for his achievements, so it's wonderful to finally see him being celebrated for his achievements and at such a big, prestigious national awards show nonetheless!"
"We are always supporting our team members to develop and achieve their goals, so we look forward to continuing supporting Matt on his very successful journey with BWS."
Regarding the win for the Dan Murphy's Melbourne store, Endeavour said: "It's the pinnacle of awards for retail drinks, recognising the efforts of our Alphington team …Congratulations to Store Manager Chris Brown and the entire team"
Meanwhile, Shorty's noted: "What a year it's been! We are thrilled to have been awarded Online Liquor Retailer of the Year.
"We are so proud of our team and partners who have gone above and beyond to help our customers through COVID, including the launch of a world-first virtual gifting experience. This year Shorty's celebrates 20 incredible years in the business. We can't wait to see what the next 20 hold for us!"
2021 Retail Drinks Industry Awards winners
Liquor Store of the Year: Bermagui Cellars
Large Format Liquor Store of the Year: Dan Murphy's, Alphington (Endeavour)
Online Liquor Retailer of the Year: Shortys, (Endeavour)
Liquor Store Owner of the Year: Scott Towers, Red Bottle Group, NSW
Liquor Store Manager of the Year: Matthew Schier, BWS Parap Tavern, NT (Endeavour)
Young Liquor Retailer of the Year: Tegan Clemow, Retail Liquor Specialists Group ACT
Beer Supplier of the Year: CUB
Wine Supplier of the Year: TWE
Spirits Supplier of the Year: Diageo
National Supplier of the Year: CUB
Beer Representative of the Year: Liam Thomson, Capital Brewing
Wine Representative of the Year: Steve Carrero, Berton Vineyards
Spirits Representative of the Year: Luca Losapio, Campari Australia
National Sales Representative of the Year: Luca Losapio, Campari Australia
This is Australia's liquor store of the year
Categories: Business
New craft beer range scoops five medals at the AIBAs
Why it's time to start sipping premium rum


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Osaka and Keys in QF at Japan Women's Open
Naomi Osaka is on pace for a much needed title after an early R16 loss in the US Open. Her quest for the first title of the year began with a win over Viktoriya Tomova 7-5, 6-3 today. With a inconsistent ground game, Naomi is looking to iron out weaknesses with new coach Wim Fissette who is a proven WTA professional with Azarenka, Kerber and Clijsters as former students of his. Recent news broke five days ago on Twitter announcing the split with Jermaine Jenkins after a slew of poor results in major grand slam events this season.
Sloane Stephens is also riding the coaching change wave after accepting Kamau Murray back into her team. The two have earned multiple titles in 2017/2018 so it can only be upside from here as she now faces Camila Giorgi in the R16 of the Japan Women's Open. This will be a tough test for Sloane as the aggressive Italian has been on a roll with her most recent final run (losing to Magda Linette in 3 sets) at the New York Open that lead into the US Open late last month.
Update: Sloane fell 6-0, 6-3 to Camila in the R16 match which did not live up to the hype. Sloane will look to recover quickly as she prepares for the WTA Finals later this year.
Madison Keys is a favorite to win here in Osaka Japan, but she has to get past the high ranking vet, Angelique Kerber. Madison has a 8:2 win/loss record against Kerber and is healthy enough to get her third win against such a quality opponent. Madison most recently defeated Kerber in the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati last month 6-4 in the third set.
For more scores click here…
How Naomi Got Her Groove Back
Gauff becomes fan favorite
2021 Calabasas Championships
Gauff wins first WTA title in Linz
Cori "CoCo" Gauff made a huge turnaround at the Linz Open this week after losing in the final qualifying round to now reach the main draw finals.
Putting the "luck" in lucky-loser, CoCo was able to inherit Maria Sakkari's draw and defeat the number one seeded, KiKi Bertens in straight sets 7-6, 6-4.
Coco was the favorite going into today's final against Jelena Ostapenko, but it was not easy as Jelena had been playing inspired tennis over the last couple weeks after defeating Karolina Pliskova 7-5 in the third set at the R64 China Open last month.
CoCo had to grind out the win in three long sets to capture the final round against Jelena 6-3, 1-6, 6-2.
This was the first encounter for these two on tour, but CoCo had the slight advantage as the more steady player. Jalena is known for up and down roller coaster play from match to match making the former French Open champion the underdog in this final.
Jalena must now recover in Linz as she must face CoCo's doubles partner, Caty McNally, next in the first round of the Luxembourg Open early next week. Its assumed that this doubles team (Linz Open semifinalists) will definitely be sharing notes on Jalena's game over the next couple of days.
The key to CoCo's success were mixed balls with flat power and slices, a high first serve percentage and being calm under pressure. With this win today, Coco became the youngest American WTA Tour title winner since Jennifer Capriati in Puerto Rico (1990).
Coco is sure to break more records while on her path to winning her first grand slam, but for now she can celebrate a huge Tour title win before she prepares for the holiday season.
When asked about her recent success in Linz, CoCo's response was accurate and simply put,
"It's crazy."
Naomi Osaka seems to have found her rhythm late in the season after letting go of her most recent coach, Jermaine Jenkins. After several rumors, now it appears that her Dad, Leonard Francois, has the right formula for success after winning two major WTA events in a row – Japan Open and China Open.
Naomi did it in dramatic fashion as she defeated the 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu and world number 1 Ashly Barty both in tough 3 set matches.
Many feared that coaching changes and off-court distractions may have ruined what appeared to be a great season for Naomi after winning the Australian Open in January. The sports community questioned the decision to part ways with Sascha Bajin after back to back wins in an abrupt fashion after leaving Australia with the championship trophy.
The general media was not informed of any scandal or rationale for the change. Jermaine was thought to have been a good substitute after being the right-hand man for Serena over the last several years on tour. But not all was peachy for Naomi as she was not able to fulfill her true potential under the direction of Jermain.
Rolling into the Asian swing, Naomi appeared to have been mailing it in and preparing for her next coaching transition heading into the 2020 season – choosing her Dad as a bridge.
It was evident that maybe Naomi needed time to unwind from the structure of a tradition coaching team. Unforced errors and patience were added to her stellar shot making ability especially down the stretch late in the third set.
Regrouping after being a set down and making adjustments when needed against the Tour's top ranked players are definite signs that Naomi has her sights set on regaining her position as world number one.
The way forward should be filled with opportunity for Naomi. With a new home in Los Angeles, CA and some time off after the WTA Finals should enable her to totally regroup for the 2020 season.
Cori "CoCo" Gauff played some inspired tennis today in her US Open main draw debut as she was able to hold off the young Russian star Anastasia Potapova 6-4 in the final 3rd set.
In somewhat of a roller coaster match, CoCo regained her composure and played great tennis down the stretch when it counted. Going back to the basics she would eventually dominate points which proves that she is capable to making adjustments during big matches.
Her next round match is against Timea Babos – a tour veteran – who is sure to give her a tough match. However, Coco should be able to use her momentum and confidence to carry her into the next round. Timea has a few matches under her belt as a qualifier, but the more steady play and mix of power should allow CoCo to come through victoriously.
Coco's side of the draw also includes Naomi Osaka who was able to narrowly escape her first round match today. These two would face each other in the 3rd round if both are successful on Thursday. As former practice partners, Naomi sees the future of women's tennis in Coco as she recently stated,
"I have actually been trying to talk to her recently, because I feel she's a little bit like me," said the 21-year-old Osaka, who last year became the youngest U.S. Open champion since Maria Sharapova in 2006. "This is such a good experience for her. She obviously deserves to play here."
With a growing fan base, Coco should be able to stand a chance against the current world number one.
In regards to the fans Coco mentioned after the match, "At Wimbledon, my first match, I mean, people were still rooting for me, but obviously there was, like, a lot of people rooting for Venus, where this match it was entirely for me," said Gauff, the youngest singles player to win a U.S. Open match since countrywoman CiCi Bellis in 2014. "This is my first match where people actually had a chant for me."
"It's mostly upside," Gauff said of the fame. "The amount of people and kids especially that come up to me saying I inspire them is honestly, I guess, better than any match I could win, just to know that I inspire another kid maybe to pick up a racket or go through something they're facing at school."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Public Citizen Sues Trump Administration Over Workplace Safety Records
U.S. Department of Labor Refuses to Release Records of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Trump administration is illegally withholding records about workplace injuries and illnesses, Public Citizen said in a lawsuit filed against the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Public Citizen filed the suit late Friday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Under OSHA's injury and illness reporting rule titled "Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses," which was finalized on May 12, 2016, employers with 250 or more employees and certain employers in high-risk industries with 20 or more employees are required to electronically submit their 2016 summary report of all injuries and illnesses to OSHA by December 31, 2017.
The rule provides that OSHA will make the data public to encourage employers to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses and to enable research into workplace safety. Now, though, OSHA is trying to weaken the rule by eliminating some of its provisions, and OSHA has not made the summary injury and illness data public.
In October, November and December, Public Citizen submitted Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for the summary injury and illness records submitted under the rule. Public Citizen intends to use the data to conduct research on workplace health and safety.
OSHA denied Public Citizen's October and November requests. It stated that it had identified 23,461 records that are responsive, but it claims that they are exempt from FOIA because their release would "disclose OSHA's techniques and procedures for law enforcement investigations."
Public Citizen appealed, arguing that the records are not exempt from FOIA because they were not compiled for law enforcement purposes, the release of the records would not disclose techniques and procedures for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions, and disclosure of the records could not reasonably be expected to risk circumvention of the law. OSHA has not responded to the appeal or to Public Citizen's December FOIA request.
"When OSHA issued the final rule in 2016, it said that it would publicly disclose these records to encourage safety," said Sean Sherman, the Public Citizen attorney handling the suit. "For OSHA to now claim that releasing these same records could somehow compromise law enforcement is absurd."
The lawsuit asks the court to find that the agencies' failure to provide the requested records is unlawful and to order the agencies to provide the records.
For more information, visit the case page.
Taking on Trump
HHS Sued Over Unlawful Termination of Grants Implementing Evidence-Based Programs to Reduce Teen Pregnancy
Six Months of Damage: Trump's Corporate Presidency Delivers Benefits to Business, Harms Public
Trump's 'Fake Facts' About Regulation Could Lead to Real Catastrophes
Trump's Likely Picks to Head OIRA Would Unleash Corporate Predators and Polluters


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1.2 Puretech 130 Ultra Prestige 5dr Eat8
Ds Ds 3 Crossback Hatchback 1.2 Puretech 130 Ultra Prestige 5dr Eat8
117 G/KM (Band C)
HC+NOx
TURBO DIRECT INJECTION
Ultra Prestige
Tyre Size Front
Tyre Size Rear
Max. Towing Weight - Braked
Max. Towing Weight - Unbraked
Registration Fee£55.00 Delivery£583.33
The money being asked here seems a lot for a supermini-based 'B'-segment SUV bu the DS brand isn't alone in putting forward that kind of proposition. And it's not one that's done similar crossovers like Audi's Q2 and the Volkswagen T-Cross any harm. But those brands have market recognition. DS is still seeking that - but ought to find more of it courtesy of this car. It has a special feel lacking from its German rivals - and its hybrid E-Tense electrified technology is ahead of them too. This car, like its brand, is aspirational. If you are too and you're shopping in this segment while looking for something a bit different, you might well like it.
Here's an interesting stat. it won't be long before SUVs account for a quarter of all car sales. And premium brands account for 11% of all worldwide car production but 37% of automotive segment profits. Which explains why the Peugeot/Citroen conglomerate needs the DS brand. And why the DS brand needs this car, the DS 3 Crossback. It's taken the DS marque some time to get off the ground. The DS3, DS4 and DS5 hatches the company kicked off with were re-badged Citroens that struggled to justify premium pricing. But we were promised bespoke DS designs that would. The mid-sized seven-seat DS 7 Crossback was the first of these. This smaller DS 3 Crossback is the second.
Under the bonnet, things are fairly familiar - in the case of the combustion engines anyway. DS offers the PSA Group's usual three cylinder 1.2-litre PureTech unit in 100hp manual form (a six-speeder),or with 130 or 155hp mated to EAT8 eight-speed automatic transmission with column-mounted shift paddles. There's also a manual 1.5-litre BlueHDi 100 diesel, which is interesting because diesel power is rapidly becoming a novelty in the SUV 'B' segment. You might buy the diesel for its economy but its pulling power (250Nm) isn't very much different to what you'd get from the PureTech 155 petrol unit. As usual amongst premium models, you get a driving modes system, this one offering 'eco', 'normal' and 'sport' settings. The alternative to all these units is the all-electric 'E-Tense' variant you can ask your dealer about. This develops 132bhp and uses a 50kWh battery pack (mounted in an 'H' configuration below the front and rear seats) that allows for a claimed 186-mile WLTP-rated driving range. Torque of 260Nm allows the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense to sprint from rest to 30mph in just 3 seconds and reach 62mph in 8.7s. As is the current trend, there's plenty of semi-autonomous driving technology on offer (most of it optional). The 'DS Drive Assist' package combines 'Active Cruise Control' and 'Lane Keeping Assist' in a form that sees the vehicle managing both steering and speed.
Styling's an emotive subject but most will probably agree that this car offers a more interesting take on 'B'-segment supermini-based SUV design. It's 4.17-metres long, 1.79-metres wide and 1.53-metres high, which means that it sits amongst the bigger contenders in this segment - cars like the Honda HR-V and the Audi Q2. The DS 3 Crossback sits on the PSA Group's new CMP platform, the same as that used for new-era versions of the Peugeot 208 and the Vauxhall Corsa. Inside, there's an over-riding diamond-shaped theme - the digital instrument pack, the dashboard switches, the air vents and many other interior fitments all bear this shape. Cabin trim is based around your choice of five 'Inspiration' packages - 'MONTMARTRE', 'BASTILLE', 'PERFORMANCE Line', 'RIVOLI' and 'OPERA'. You get a reasonable array of storage compartments including cup holders and a broad, functional sliding armrest. The seats are particularly comfortable thanks to a special bi-density foam the brand has developed. But over-the-shoulder vision is somewhat compromised by the rear 'D'-pillar. In the rear, the window line in the rear is rather high, so if you've got kids, you might want to make sure they're OK with that. And the boot capacity, though reasonable at 350-litres, is a little down (50-litres) on what you'd get in a rival Audi Q2.
DS 3 Crossback pricing ranges from around £21,500 to nearly £33,000. There are four standard trim levels - 'Elegance', 'PERFORMANCE Line', 'Prestige' and 'Ultra Prestige' - which feature distinctly styled interior packages (DS calls then 'Inspirations'),most themed and styled around the perceived ambiance of various Parisian districts. Even 'Elegance' variants are well equipped, featuring 17-inch Grey Anthracite diamond-cut alloy wheels, rear parking sensors and a 'Safety Park', which includes an Emergency Braking System, Lane Keeping Assist, Speed recognition and Intelligent Speed Adaptation. Other standard features include an alarm system, a space saver spare wheel, air conditioning and a 7 inch touchscreen, with 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto' smartphone-mirroring, Bluetooth and a DAB digital radio with eight speakers. Further up the range, there are larger wheels and classy stitched leather interiors. The next trim level up, 'Performance Line', gives you power folding mirrors, dark tinted rear windows, 3D LED rear lights, part-alcanatara seat trim and aluminium sports pedals. 'Prestige'-spec adds climate control and a larger 10-inch centre-dash touchscreen with 3D navigation. Top 'Ultra Prestige' variants include a head-up display, keyless entry and start, LED VISION headlamps, a reversing camera, Nappa leather seats with a 'watchstrap' design
Let's get to the exact figures that the DS 3's various engines can produce, all of which are helped by the light weight of this car's underlying CMP PSA Group platform. We'll quote WLTP fuel figures and NEDC emissions readings. The base 1.5-litre BlueHDi 100 manual diesel model manages up to 62.7mpg on the combined cycle and up to 97g/km. The alternative PureTech 100 petrol derivative manages up to 52.0mpg and up to 105g/km of CO2. For the auto PureTech 130, the figures are up to 47.1mpg and up to 109g/km. And for the auto PureTech 130 variant, you're looking at up to 45.7mpg and up to 121g/km. Few direct rivals can better these figures. If you want to do better in a DS 3 Crossback, you need to be looking at the all-electric 'E-Tense' version, which uses a 50kWh lithium-ion battery that can be re-charged to 80% of its capacity in just 30 minutes from the right plug point. The 11kW wallbox that owners will want to fit in their garages will re-charge the car in five hours. When out and about, a 100kW public fast-charging point will perform a full charge in 90 minutes. With a fully replenished battery, 186 miles of WLTP-rated driving range is possible.
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This poster provides insight into the major shift from library technician to reference librarian by examining the differences and similarities in each position, the factors influencing the decision to change careers and the experiences encountered by new librarians. What should a staff member consider when considering the leap to professional librarian? How can one prepare for the challenges and what can libraries do to support the transition? Some library assistants may work closely with librarians and, therefore, have a better understanding of the differing roles and responsibilities. The decision to become a librarian is a significant one, because of the large and costly commitment to obtaining a graduate degree. It is vital that library technicians, considering a professional change, have a realistic understanding of the work expectations they will encounter as librarians. The author of this poster provides firsthand experience, having first worked five years as a library technician and now two years as a librarian. Inspired by his desire to make a greater contribution to the intellectual growth of students and his interest in providing information literacy instruction, he earned his Masters of Library Science while working full-time.
McRae, Jerry, "Transitioning from a Paraprofessional to Professional Librarian" (2018). AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library Staff Publications. 28.


Roating images represented Friends' activities in years past. Here, the Blue Goose with Rob's Ford at the Concert for the Birds 2015.
Pauline Handy, this year's Blue Goose, struggled into the costume.
A hidden Friends rotated the display of the years, beneath a clock showing the 50 years.
The NEW Blue Goose read to the children from her iBirds Tablet.
A fellow float from the Dept of Transportation had a showplow with living snow on this warm evening.
A standin for the Blue Goose tries on the multi-part costume.
The white-bearded OLD Blue Goose read to the kids from a paper book.
The Blue Goose hugs a tiny friend.


text:
Az apartmanszálloda egy olyan, a kereskedelmi szálláshelyek csoportjába tartozó szálloda, amelyben az ágyak több mint 80%-a berendezett és felszerelt háló- és nappali szobával, valamint konyhával rendelkező apartmanban található,
megfelel a garniszálloda felépítésére előírt követelményeknek azzal az eltéréssel, hogy a kétszeres alapterületű szobaegységek méretébe az erkély és a terasz alapterülete is beleszámít, és
legalább 11 szobaegységgel rendelkezik.

Az apartman (a francia appartement szóból) eredetileg gazdagon felszerelt lakosztályt jelent.

Ebben a vendéglátási formában saját étkezéséről általában a vendég maga gondoskodik. Egy apartmanban alapkiépítettségben konyha, terasz, WC, fürdőszoba is található, amelyeket csak az adott szolgáltatást élvező vendég használhat.

Vonatkozó magyar jogszabályok
54/2003. (VIII. 29.) GKM rendelet
45/1998. (VI. 24.) IKIM rendelet

Források
45/1998. (VI. 24.)  IKIM rendelet  a kereskedelmi és a fizetővendéglátó szálláshelyek osztályba sorolásáról, valamint a falusi szálláshelyek minősítéséről

Szálláshelytípusok

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
iOS Simulation Video Games
Simulation games. These titles put emphasis on simulating authentic (or fictional) actions in the most realistic manner possible. They allow the player e.g. to control civil (digger, crane, bus) or military vehicles (plane, tank, warship). Life simulation games (especially The Sims series) are very specific example of titles in this category, because they can simulate almost infinite number of aspects of human lives. more
iOS is the name for the operating system which Apple is using in its own smartphones and tablets (iPhones and iPads) since 2007. iOS is a more popular platform among the mobile developers than Android, despite the fact that the latter is used in a greater number of mobile devices. Apple's success is a result of bigger revenues for developers creating iOS games and greater performance of iPhones and iPads, among other things.
Released Games 80 Upcoming Games 5
The Sims 3: World Adventures (iOS)
Simulation 02 April 2010
The first large expansion for the third installment in the bestselling The Sims series by EA Maxis. The expansion titled World Adventures allows your Sims to leave the noisy city for a while and relax in several fictional locations — although all of them were based on real-life places.
The Sims Mobile (iOS)
Simulation 07 March 2018
Another mobile installment in the life simulation game series by Electronic Arts. As per tradition, The Sims Mobile focuses on simulating and shaping the lives of your virtual characters. You can choose their appearance, personality, and life goals, from career paths to hobbies. During the game, the Sims' living quarters can be modified by choosing from a wide range of furniture, decorations and accessories, as the game progresses, you unlock additional activities and locations.
House Flipper (iOS)
Simulation 22 October 2020
A unique investing and building construction simulation game by Empyrean. You play as a businessman, who buys housings in need of renovation. As such property often features many nasty surprises, you have to refurbish, clean and furnish the flat, so that you can sell it for profit. This involves tearing down unnecessary walls, getting rid of any pests or fixing damaged wiring. In House Flipper you use various tools, including an irreplaceable hammer.
The Sims: Medieval (iOS)
Simulation 22 September 2011
The Sims: Medieval is a spin-off installment of the popular life simulator The Sims. The title was developed by Maxis. As the title suggests, the game takes place during the Middle Ages, albeit with a humorous spin. Similarly as in the other Sims games, the player must take care of the needs of the virtual characters. Depending on selected profession (for example king, knight, wizard, bard, blacksmith), the events are shown from different perspective and the available missions vary.
MudRunner Mobile (iOS)
Simulation 15 July 2020
An advanced off-road truck simulator – Spintires: MadRunner is an enhanced version of Spintires. The game has been published by Focus Home Interactive and allows the player to drive various vehicles designed for extreme road conditions. Throughout the game, one can modify the available machines (the MadRunner edition features 13 new vehicles) and install new parts. The game delivers several large open maps located across Siberia, waiting for the player to explore.
The Sims 3 (iOS)
Simulation 02 June 2009
The third major installment in a life simulation game series, The Sims. The title was developed by The Sims Studio in cooperation with Maxis and Electronic Arts. As per usual, The Sims 3 lets you take control of a life of a virtual character from the cradle to the grave. Your job is to provide for the needs of your family of Sims when it comes to their social interactions, family matters, and career.
Truck and Logistics Simulator (iOS)
Simulation June 2021
Truck and Logistics Simulator is a simulation game in which we play the role of an employee / owner of a logistics company. The player is responsible for transporting goods, loading, as well as developing the fleet and infrastructure. The game was developed by Simula Games company.
Alaskan Truck Simulator (iOS)
Simulation 2021
An unusual production, combining a truck driving simulator with a survival game. Alaskan Truck Simulator has the official Discovery Channel license. The game was developed by the Polish studio Movie Games, and PlayWay is responsible for its release.
Farming Simulator 18 (iOS)
Another installment in the annually released farming simulator series developed by GIANTS Software. This time, however, the creators decided to develop a game exclusively for handheld devices like PS Vita or Nintendo 3DS. In terms of mechanics, Farming Simulator 18 highly resembles the previous installments, especially the handheld version of Farming Simulator 16. The game sees the players running their farms in an attempt to make a profitable business out of it.
Her Majesty's Ship (iOS)
Simulation May 2021
Her Majesty's Ship is a simulation game, in which we manage a sailing ship. As an aspiring captain of British Royal Navy, we must perform tasks given by the command, sink countless ships in naval battles, but also take care of every aspect of daily life of our ship. If a crew has no food or, even worse, lacks rum, sailors might rebel and thus instantly end our career.
Car Mechanic Simulator 2014 (iOS)
Car Mechanic Simulator 2014 is a simulation game, in which you play as a car mechanic. The game was produced by Polish studio Red Dot Games, known from e.g. American LowRiders, Rally Poland and Need for Russia 4. In the game, you'll be given the opportunity to fix several car models. There are over 70 repair scenarios, in which you have to find out what's broken and take care of it. Each virtual vehicle consists of about 150 components, and to disassemble them you need specialist tools.
The Sims 3: Ambitions (iOS)
The Sims 3: Ambitions is an extension to The Sims 3 simulation game released in 2009. The expansion introduces a number of new career paths, so that player-controlled heroes can become scientists, architects, detectives, firefighters and even ghost killers, among other things. Developers from Electronic Arts also took care of a number of new locations where the game takes place.
Pou (iOS)
Simulation 26 November 2012
Pou is a popular mobile game based on the cult toy-block Tamagotchi. The game is about taking care of the title creature: we have to feed our virtual pet, play with it or buy new outfits for it.
Ice Lakes (iOS)
An ice fishing simulator with a sandbox approach to the subject. During the game we visit several open locations, catching nearly 30 species of fish and making use of a wide range of fishing gear.
Construction Simulator 3 (iOS)
The fifth part of the series of construction work simulators with elements of economic strategies. In Construction Simulator 3 we run a construction company and take on further orders, doing the work requiring the use of specialized machines and vehicles.
A continuation of the mobile construction simulator with strategy elements, developed by weltenbauer studio from Germany. Construction Simulator 2 takes place in a fictional state in the USA, Westside Plains. In the game we play as an owner of a company that builds roads and buildings. The game is set in an open world, in which you can complete 60 different jobs.
EVE Echoes (iOS)
Simulation 13 August 2020
Extended MMO, prepared for mobile devices. EVE: Echoes tries to offer on the screen of a phone or tablet the depth that is associated with EVE: Online. The production was created by NetEase Games studio (in cooperation with CCP Games).
SimpleRockets 2 (iOS)
Simulation April 2021
SimpleRockets 2 is a continuation of the space simulator released in 2015. As in the case of the first part, the fun is focused on the construction of various types of vehicles. Jundroo studio is responsible for production and release.
Bus Driver: Pocket Edition (iOS)
Simulation 27 February 2014
Bus Driver is a virtual simulator that allows you to become a bus driver. Therefore, when driving a large vehicle, we must be mindful not only of maintaining road safety, but also of ensuring the comfort of travel for passengers.
Fishing Clash (iOS)
A mobile fishing game that allows you to catch fish in a variety of fisheries in the United States. The game was developed and released by the native studio Ten Square Games from Wroclaw.
I Am Bread (iOS)
Yet another joke simulation game, a genre which, contrary to any logical reasoning, keeps gaining crowds of fans. The hero of this game, developed by an independent team at Bossa Studios, is a slice of bread, and the player's job is to take it all the way to a toaster. Gameplay mechanics in I Am Bread are pretty complex, the biggest difficulty being controlling all four corners of the toast separately. With these mechanics the "hero" can perform simple moves on any flat surface.
The Sims FreePlay (iOS)
Simulation 15 December 2011
A spin-off of the bestselling series The Sims. It is available as a free-to-play title. The Sims FreePlay was developed by Firemonkeys, a studio that specializes in mobile games. Similarly as in the main installments of the series, the main objective is to control the life of virtual characters and decide what they will do, where they will live and who will they befriend.
Bus Simulator 17 (iOS)
Bus Simulator 17 is a bus driving simulation developed by Alexandru Marusac, an experienced mobile app developer. The creator prepared a number of varied vehicles – from a school bus to an urban double-decker. We drive the vehicles, transporting people not only throughout a city but also in the mountains, on a desert, or other rural areas. The game features advanced physics and destruction system, which forces us to drive carefully.
911 Operator (iOS)
911 Operator is a game, a strategy-simulator developed by Polish studio Jutsu Games, which is a reiteration of a project which won the Indie Showcase competition held during Digital Dragons 2016. In 911 Operator you become a rescue service operator, and your job is to answer calls from people in danger. The story campaign takes place in 10 cities – you will face many different challenges; some of them amusing, some serious, some frustrating.
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp (iOS)
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is a summer camp manager simulator developed for mobile devices. The player creates his or hers character and must care for the needs of the visitors, become friends with them and gather resources in order to construct new objects.
Univoyager (iOS)
A sandbox space simulator developed by a lone designer, Damiano Vitulli. The action of NovaVoyager is set in a distant future, when humanity colonizes new planetary systems. Starting out, we receive our first ship and then decide whether we want to pursue a career of a mercenary, a pirate, a pioneer, or a miner. We can also combine all of these to create our own path. The fun takes place in a galaxy that teems with life, recreated in 1:1 scale on the basis of genuine astronomical data.


EPL Index > Betting Tips > How Manchester United Improved since Solksjaer's Takeover?
Manchester United is surely very glad having Ole Gunnar Solksjaer as its English club's caretaker manager. This Norwegian football manager and former player have greatly helped the club to improve during his role.
After parting ways with Jose Mourinho, the Old Trafford hierarchy turned to one of their prior players to help stable the ship. Since Ole's first appointment, he has done just that and some.
If you're a bit new in the world of football games, then allow me to dig bit information about this competent Norwegian man.
Ole Gunnar Solksjaer was a super fan favourite all throughout his playing era. Thanks to his amazing skills to score a vital goal, with the most important victory in the 1996 UCL final. He is even one of the favourites in lay betting sites, with thousands of people craving for his wins.
Ole has cut his teeth in management upon retirement, which enabled him to create a name on his own at the hometown club in Molde. Old Trafford was impressed with his record, winning 6 out of 6 matches – the club and the Manchester United really need him.
Although he lacks the expertise needed to handle a club of the United calibre, Solksjaer still proved that he is the right man for the job. Proofs are the notable improvements in Manchester United after he took over.
What are these improvements we are talking about?
Manchester United now boasts four six wins from six. Thanks to the transformation made by Ole Gunnar Solksjaer. It has made some improvements in just a short span of time, and we can expect more improvements while he is still the manager of Manchester United's club.
There has been an increased mentality all around the club, from fans attending every game match to players wearing firm confidence and looking to hit goals and scores as possible. The likes of Fred, Nemanja Matic, and Victor Lindelof all looked much better when chosen by Ole.
Each player's opinions and standpoints have been well-respected. For instance, Pogba said Manchester United must look to attack, attack, and attack in order to win the game. And, that's exactly what Ole has permitted his players to do.
Unlike Mourinho's takeover, players are no longer afraid to make mistakes. They are enjoying themselves yet again and are more persistent to take home the bacon.
Football enthusiasts might have already know that United is home of the attacking icons like Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, Sir Bobby Charlton, and George Best. Thus, in his appointment, Solksjaer decided to bring back the free-flowing attacks.
This game style is now regular in the opposition half. Ole really made a good decision in returning the fullbacks because it allowed numerous players, such as Jesse Lingard, Marcos Rashford, Tony Martial, and Paul Pogba to thrive once again in the field. They are continuously building a notable name on their own.
With Ander Herrera and Nemanja Matic in deep midfield, the defence has enough protection to support the attack. The forwards of Ole Gunnar Solksjaer can rove upfield with a peace of mind knowing there are players for counter-attack prevention.
Manchester United had 7 counter attack shots in just 5 Premier League games under the belt of Solksjaer, having only 3 in 17 matches under the name of Mourinho this last season. The club embarks on nearly 20 more sprints for every game than Mourinho's.
Another crucial improvement during Ole Gunnar Solksjaer's takeover is that each player was able to show and boost their inner skills, allowing them to land on their own rank. Among the players who displayed an excellent gaming record so far is Marcus Rashford and of course, Paulo Pogba.
Marcus Rashford played as a winger one week and then a lone striker afterwards. This man did not disappoint, with Solksjaer giving his all-out support and faith. Rashford possesses what a good striker should have.
Probably one of the most talked about players in Manchester United; Paul Pogba proved his anti-believers that he could make it to the top. And, he is now reaping all the rewards he deserves. Part of his success is the managerial skills of Solksjaer as well as his support.
Upon Ole's appointment, Pobga has been a man recreated. He returned to his prime best which made Manchester United compensate such megabucks for him. In 6 Premier League matches, he has scored 5 goals and given 5 assists, which comes at an outstanding 0.8 per cent rate for each.
Since getting a role as a caretaker manager, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer asserts Manchester United has a lot of things to work on in spite of the consecutive matches winnings.


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Home News COVID-19 Vetting a COVID-19 Drug: A Q&A with Immunologist Dr. Hooman Noorchashm
Vetting a COVID-19 Drug: A Q&A with Immunologist Dr. Hooman Noorchashm
Hooman Noorchashm, MD, PhD
As the global count of COVID-19 cases continues to climb, researchers, scientists and drug makers are working quickly to find a potential treatment. Several clinical trials are currently underway to find drugs for hospitalized COVID-19 patients, and many companies are working to develop vaccines.
Finding safe and effective treatments for COVID-19 is critical to preventing more deaths, keeping people safe and reopening economies around the world.
One of the researchers who have joined the fight against COVID-19 is Dr. Hooman Noorchashm, a cellular immunologist, thoracic surgeon and patient advocate. Noorchashm has been studying the immune system for years and has received grants for past research from the National Institutes of Health.
He has assembled a team of international experts, including medical professionals from Novartis, Baylor College of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Iran and India, in an effort to highlight the potentially important role of the generic immunomodulatory drug cyclosporine in preventing critical illness in COVID-19 patients.
According to Noorchashm, the drug has the potential to block progression of COVID-19 disease and is a well-established, generic drug used successfully to treat other diseases for decades. He has filed a request for an emergency use authorization (EUA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and hopes to start using the drug in trials on noncritical, hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
In this Q&A, Noorchashm explains the process of developing drugs for COVID-19, how COVID-19 leads to fatalities, the research on cyclosporine and what consumers can expect from potential treatment candidates.
Q: Because of the urgency of developing treatments for COVID-19, the FDA has issued emergency use authorizations (EUA) for certain medications and medical devices used to treat the disease. Can you explain what an EUA is and what the process is for obtaining one?
It's useful to think of an EUA as kind of a temporary FDA label to use a known drug for a new disease indication. Typically, EUA approvals are granted to establish efficacy for a new use in an emergency situation. Of course, for an EUA application to be approved, FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) requires good scientific justification and a reasonable clinical safety justification — either based on phase 1 trial (i.e., safety trial) or based on reasonable precedent in the literature or in clinical experience. In other words, for an EUA to be issued to determine efficacy of a known drug for a new indication, typically FDA needs to first be convinced that there is a real emergency situation and that the drug in question is reasonably safe to use.
Q: The FDA has rigorous testing and clinical trials for drugs that may take years to determine safety and effectiveness. During a pandemic, regulators and researchers have had to alter this process. In this case, you are an advocate for real-world data (RWD) collection. Can you explain what RWD is and how it's being implemented to develop a COVID-19 treatment?
Well, under normal nonemergency circumstances the gold standard is to perform well-controlled, well-powered, randomize prospective clinical trials. I totally agree with this approach. Such trials are the gold standard in evidence-based medicine because, in theory, they reduce the probability of biased conclusions and give us a best opportunity to establish both safety and efficacy of therapeutics, be they drugs or medical devices. But these kinds of trials are incredibly time and resource intensive, some taking years to complete. Obviously, in the case of the current pandemic, we don't have the luxury of time with thousands of people dying across the world daily and many economies starting to falter. So, we have to intelligently re-evaluate our approach to triaging treatments. Taking a few lessons from combat medicine may be wise, but I digress.
Even now, in this global health emergency circumstance, it's important not to abandon science. What's important now is identifying critical therapeutic targets based on our best scientific understanding of the disease process, assessing our existing arsenal of drugs to match up the best scientific fit to hit the target and then efficiently assessing both safety and efficacy of the drugs.
The 21st Century Cures Act, passed into law in 2016, provided a clear mechanism for rapid and efficient evaluation of drugs (and devices) in the exact public health catastrophe the COVID-19 pandemic is posing. That is the use of real-world data (RWD) and real-world evidence (RWE) to establish safety and efficacy. These mechanisms allow for real-time collection of safety and efficacy data under the exact type of time- and resource-limited circumstance we are in now.
The idea is that if there is a threshold level of scientific and clinical rationale for deploying a drug (or device) against a disease, FDA is well within its legal jurisdiction to provide an EUA approval based on real-world data and evidence. In other words, clinicians can be authorized to use a drug (or device) for an off-label use, while collecting both safety and efficacy data using parameters negotiated with FDA's CDER. The data collection could be easily streamlined and use simple and novel data collection systems to acquire the necessary information quickly.
Q: In the case of COVID-19, researchers have found that some people become sicker than others. One of the theories is that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, causes a hyperimmune response called cytokine storm. What is cytokine storm, and how does it relate to your research with cyclosporine?
It's become increasingly clear that SARS-CoV-2 has a specific "kill mechanism" that has been causing many thousands of deaths daily across the United States and abroad. Scientific data is pointing to the fact that this kill mechanism is a hyperimmune response the virus triggers. This leads to production of a lot of "inflammatory juices" called cytokines by the cells of the immune system — predominantly, by cells known as T-cells and macrophages.
When this kind of hyperimmunity leads to enough cytokines being produced in a COVID-19 patient, a syndrome known as cytokine release syndrome (CRS) or "cytokine storm" is caused. Cytokine storm is a life-threatening illness that can lead to respiratory failure and multi-organ system failure. If the hyperimmunity isn't cooled-off, the cytokine storm can kill the patient — as it does in somewhere around 1 to 5 percent of COVID-19 patients.
Cyclosporine is a generic and vastly available drug that's traditionally been used to dampen a spectrum of different hyperimmunity diseases. In fact, it does so by blocking a central pathway in T-cell and macrophage activation, known as the calcineurin pathway. Most importantly, as it relates to the cytokine storm syndrome caused by SARS-CoV-2, cyclosporine is one of the main drugs that has been used for many years to treat other types of cytokine storm syndromes.
When it comes to blocking the T-cells and macrophages that cause cytokine storm, cyclosporine is mechanistically and clinically very specific. We should already be testing or using it to block COVID-19 hyperimmunity.
Q: How did you come to identify cyclosporine as a potential treatment candidate for COVID-19?
As a cellular immunologist and prior heart and lung transplant surgeon, I am very familiar with cyclosporine. I've prescribed it and its sister compound tacrolimus to many patients over the years. This drug is a generic drug that can be delivered in both intravenous and oral forms. It is used to prevent organ transplant rejection and really transformed that field of transplantation in the 1970s by cooling off the immune response to the transplanted organs.
It is also used in several other common disease processes where the immune system flares, including ulcerative colitis, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. In all these cases, it does so by dampening T-cell and macrophage responses. Of course, as I mentioned before, cyclosporine is also an effective drug against two specific cytokine storm syndromes caused by macrophages and T-cells: hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and macrophage activation syndrome (MAS). These latter two are rare diseases that are providing a window of insight into this drug's potential use for COVID-19 cytokine storm. So really, as soon as it became clear that SARS-CoV-2 is causing critical illness by inducing a T-cell and macrophage mediated cytokine storm, cyclosporine should be front and center in the minds of every reasonable clinician as a defensive drug to dampen the deadly disease.
Cyclosporine has a widely established safety profile. It's been around for nearly 40 years now and is a generic drug used for the indication I described before. In fact, probably millions of people are currently taking this drug across the world daily in oral form for one reason or another. Its main side effects with long-term use (i.e., on the order of months to years) are kidney failure and uncontrolled hypertension. With very long-term use it's also been associated with development of certain skin and blood cancers, but we're talking with many years of use for these adverse events to be seen. Really this drug has an excellent safety profile for long-term use as an immune dampening drug targeting T-cells and macrophages. For the type of short-term use we could anticipate using to treat COVID-19 disease, the safety profile is expected to be even better.
In terms of scalability, not only is cyclosporine a generic drug, it's not a biologic. It's one of the most abundant and easy to produce drugs in the global arsenal, which can be used in intravenous and oral forms. From the cost and scalability perspectives, this drug can easily be scaled to a global level in developed and developing nations. Unlike some biologic alternatives like anti-IL6 which are very expensive, unavailable on a mass scale and time consuming to produce en masse, cyclosporine is readily available and can be distributed rapidly and distributed globally — including to developing nations.
Q: In recent media, we've heard a lot about hydroxychloroquine, a malaria and lupus drug that was an early potential treatment for COVID-19. How does cyclosporine compare to hydroxychloroquine?
Hydroxychloroquine was basically chosen as a candidate drug by FDA and others based on studies that originally came from China. The recent data indicating that this drug may be harmful to critically ill patients is very concerning, but since FDA has gone down this path of testing this drug's efficacy, I think we'll find out. My prediction is that hydroxychloroquine will be proven ineffective or even harmful in the treatment of COVID-19 disease, but we will see.
What it comes down to is that the original choice of hydroxychloroquine was not based on verifiable science, mechanistic clarity or even reasonable clinical precedent. On the other hand, in all those categories, cyclosporine is a seriously logical choice to be assessing.
Q: There are bound to be a lot of stories coming out about potential treatments for COVID-19, and it can be overwhelming for a consumer. What should consumers keep in mind when they hear about potential treatments?
Unfortunately, patients are in between a rock and a hard place with COVID-19. There is some good news, though. The truth is that the majority of people don't get sick from SARS-CoV-2. So that should be reassuring. Of the folks who do get sick, most recover. That's good too.
But because the number of people susceptible to this virus is so large, even a 1 to 5 percent mortality risk from critical illness means that our hospitals and our society can take a catastrophic blow. So it's critical for people to understand that the immediate target of treatment should be keeping patients out of getting critically ill and ending up in the ICU.
As of right now, there are no known effective treatments to keep people from getting critically ill. But any patient with COVID-19 illness who is not improving or is worsening ought to consider any clinical trials being offered to them. Really, the Achilles heel of this pandemic is going to be blocking patients from getting into a cytokine storm situation and becoming critically ill. The body can take care of the rest very well.
Disclaimer: Views, thoughts and opinions expressed in the Q&A belong solely to the interviewee and not necessarily to the author, editor or Drugwatch.com.
https://www.drugwatch.com/news/2020/04/28/covid-19-drug-qa/
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