text:
Startups Features
Can Axial3D transform surgery with 3D-printed anatomical models?
The Belfast-based startup uses machine learning to convert medical scans into 3D prints
Thomas Macaulay
Tom is a senior online editor across Computerworld UK, Techworld & CIO. He studied English Literature and History at Sussex University before gaining a Masters in Newspaper Journalism from City University. He's particularly interested in the public sector and the ethical implications of emerging technologies.
By Thomas Macaulay | Jan 08, 2020
The healthcare sector has been exploring applications of 3D printing for decades, but the cost and complexity of scaling the technology has stunted its path to mass adoption. Axial3D is hoping to overcome these barriers by incorporating machine learning into the process.
The Belfast-based startup has developed a system that uses computer vision algorithms to automatically label CT and MRI scans and then converts the images into 3D-printed models of an individual patient's anatomy. Using machine learning to produce the models helps cut the time to create and deliver the 3D-printed files from up to eight weeks down to 24-48 hours, the startup claims.
© axial3D
"The challenge is really to identify the anatomy within an MRI or CT scan," Axial3D CTO Niall Haslan tells Techworld. "There are people that are offering that as a service, but typically what they'll do is they'll have a radiologist or a biomedical engineer who has to go through the CT scanner and turn the 2D images into the 3D model. What we've done is automate that process by applying machine learning."
Doctors already using the system have reported impressive results. Andrew Bowey, a spinal surgeon at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals, said it made a complex spina bifida procedure 120 minutes faster, while Michael Eames, an orthopaedic surgeon at the Ulster Hospital, noted a saving of more than 200 minutes.
In Belfast City Hospital, the technology has been used in a world-first, life-saving kidney transplant from a 45-year-old man with a renal cyst to his 22-year-old daughter, who was suffering with end-stage renal failure. Axial3D created a model of the donor's kidney that the surgeons used to successfully guide the transplantation.
The models also allow patients to provide better-informed consent for operations as the 360 degree-view prints are easier to conceptualise than the traditional, grayscale 2D scans. This helps patients to understand both complex conditions such as cancer, as well as more straightforward orthopaedic procedures.
"We've had a couple of examples where the surgeon has been able to show the patient the extent of the damage in their trauma and really help them understand what's needed from physiotherapy and ongoing interventions to help them recover," says Haslan.
"Because they're thinking, 'it's fine, I'm up and walking again,' and then when the surgeon shows them the model, they really understand the extent of the damage and are much more cautious in terms of the activity that they will want to undertake."
Axial3D initially began working with NHS organisations in Northern Ireland and the Health Service Executive (HSE) in the Republic of Ireland, before moving to sites in England from Newcastle to Southampton.
At University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, the startup is providing 3D-printed models of patients' hearts that clinicians can use to personalise treatment, plan operations and provide additional insights to patients and their families. At Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, it has created an in-house 3D printing lab that gives orthopaedic and spinal surgeons immediate access to patient-specific models for pre-surgical planning.
Haslan credits the speed of the company's expansion to the support of Digital Catapult's Machine Intelligence Garage, a government-funded programme that provides members with computation power and expertise from the likes of Amazon Web Services, Nvidia and Newcastle University.
"Being a regional startup, you need to tap into these bigger networks in order to get out there, and having a body like Digital Catapult that's connected across the UK and across the region was really useful for unlocking some of that potential," he says.
It now plans to use the $3 million it raised from a funding round last year to expand into the USA, where 16 of the country's top 20 hospitals have a 3D-printing strategy in place.
"That's where we see the majority of the market for this kind of technology," says Haslan. "The funding we've received will allow us to set up sales staff in the US and the product development will continue to be done here in the UK."
Axial3D was one of eight companies recognised in the 2019 Digital Catapult Platinum Awards. Techworld helped with the judging of the awards, which recognise and celebrate the most innovative advanced digital technology startups and scaleups that Digital Catapult has supported in the past year.
Case Study: An NHS IT success story Dassault's virtual heart gives cardiologists individualized 3D models


Welcome to another year of the TPSNFL update. This is where you come to listen to a bunch of TPSSers talk about fake sports and dog each other.
This first week is all about the draft that took place after the BoomPodcast Super Show. Dreams were crushed and hope was dashed.
Listen and find out if Panterdown2's team autopick will have enough to take him to the championship. Did franchise254 pick the blackest team in the league? Will ediddy999 continue to over-hype his team as they under-perform All of these questions and more in the season opener of the TPSNFL Update!
In the battle to end all battles the TPSN Ruff Ryderz team celebrated a championship in style. With their decisive win on Metro in BF3 over the BZTP team, it's clear the best team won.


text:
Man critically injured in Bishop Ford crash
A person was critically injured in a rollover crash on the Bishop Ford Freeway early Saturday on the Far South Side. | Fire Media Affairs
CHICAGO (STMW) -- A man was critically injured in a rollover crash early Saturday on the Bishop Ford Freeway on the Far South Side.
The single-vehicle crash happened about 3:45 a.m. in the outbound lanes of the Bishop Ford (I-94) near 104th Street, according to Illinois State Police.
A man, who was the only occupant of the car, was pinned in the vehicle following the crash and was taken in critical condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, said Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, police said. As of 4:20 a.m., all lanes of the freeway were open to traffic.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The first trip I took to Russia was in December 1977 through January 1978. I was a college student, and my Russian history teacher took a group of us on a trip to what was then the U.S.S. R. At times over the years, I thought about–you could say fantasized about–getting a higher degree and specializing in Russian history. It was one of many interests, and as is the case with most of my interests, it led to lots of book buying and reading.
But I have not had the occasion to give sustained attention to that vast, troubled, harsh, and beautiful land. Its history is fascinating and its literature is rich. I could have, at many points, diverted time and attention from the American South, the Reformation, England, Scotland, the Twentieth Century, Presidential Politics, the World Wars, and other vying interests and gotten lost on the vast steppes of Russian history and literature.
Without planning or intent, I have recently found myself detoured pleasantly into some Russian matters. I have several books I am reading or reviewing that have a common denominator–Russia.
The first book is the novel Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev. When I have mentioned this book and author, several people have said, "I have never heard of it (or him)." American knowledge of Russian literature is usually confined to Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. Those are two great pillars, but they don't encompass the whole story. It would be like assuming that Mark Twain and Herman Melville were the whole of American literature. There are many other Russian writers. I know, at least indirectly, because I often thought about how wonderful it would be to teach Russian literature. There are Anton Chekov, Nicolai Gogol, Alexander Pushkin, and Boris Pasternak, just to name a few. And there is Turgenev, a contemporary of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky.
I first read this book about 30 years ago. I remember liking it then, and I am enjoying this long overdue second reading. The book deals with the clash of generations, of changing worldviews, of the young and the old, of philosophy and everyday life. As its title indicates, it deals with fathers and sons.
Now one might think such a quote indicates a remarkably depressing book. But it was the new philosophy, the idea of the sons, which was Nihilism, a rejection of values and traditions, that turned out to be the failed way. The book affirms the older, more spiritual, more rooted ways.
Another book I have been looking into is Zhukov by Otto Preston Chaney. This book, recently published by the University of Oklahoma Press, is a revised edition of a biography originally published in 1971. It is a biography of a largely overlooked, but key general in World War II. Marshal Georgi Konstantinovich Zhukov was once proclaimed the hero of Leningrad and the defender of Moscow and Stalingrad, and was the commander of the victorious Red Army that captured Berlin. He was the most decorated soldier in Soviet history and then he fell in disfavor with the ruling authorities in the Soviet Union and became an "unperson." For a time, he was erased out of Soviet history.
Survival was the key to success in Soviet Russia. Zhukov barely survived the waves of trials and executions that Stalin instigated in the 1930s. Then Zhukov survived the war itself. The Germans on the front were probably not as much threat as Stalin and his ways in the Soviet system. Then Zhukov fell afoul of the rulers, went into internal exile for years.
When I was in high school, I read a book by Marshal Zhukov. I think it must have been Marshal Zhukov's Greatest Battles. The Russian front was an amazing and vast battlefront in and of itself. The vast scope of miles, the Russian landscape, the Russian climates (particularly the winters and the spring thaws), and the ferocity of the fighting all add to the incredible scope of that part of World War II.
A student of history has to give the affirmative nod to the pluck of the British holding out for so long, almost alone. The American involvement in that war, chronicled by such authors as Stephen Ambrose and Rick Atkinson, exhibits character, innovation, and success. But the Nazi war machine was truly broken on the steppes of Russia. The war was won by the Allies because of the endurance of Leningrad under siege, the counter-attack at Moscow in December 1941, the great and horrible defeat of the Germans at Stalingrad in December 1942, the great armored battle of Kursk, and the counter-attack that took the Russian army into Berlin.
Marshal Zhukov was there, organizing, leading, and directing the Soviet war machine that brought Russia from near defeat to its greatest era of triumph. In America, we know many of the key generals and leaders through biographies and movies. George Patton, perhaps overrated, is still a popular figure due to the many biographies and the George C. Scott rendition in the movie. British General Montgomery usually comes across a bit too stiff, too British, too arrogant in the American interpretations, but his boss, Winston Churchill is still a hero to many (of us). Generals MacArthur and Eisenhower, President Roosevelt, and many other great figures of World War II are known.
Zhukov is a vague figure. Large, stern, emotionless, and fogotten, Zhukov may have been the greatest general in World War II.
I hope Alexander Solzhenitsyn does not suffer the fate of Turgenev and Zhukov. I first learned of him in high school when he was under threat after a manuscript he had written had been discovered. After a few tense weeks, during which time I got extra points in Mrs. Rumsey's English class for news articles about Solzhenitsyn, international pressure led the Soviets to exiling this Nobel Prize winning author.
In those years, I read his powerful short novel One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. Then The Gulag Archipelago came out in English translation. I eagerly devoured it, and later discovered that it was the first of three volumes. Through the years, I read more of Solzhenitsyn and collected books by and about him.
I recently learned of this new book The Other Solzhenitsyn: Telling the Truth about a Misunderstood Writer and Thinker by Daniel J. Mahoney. This book is published by St. Augustine's Press, which publishes a number of scholarly books from Christian perspectives.
At first, I thought this was another Solzhenitsyn biography. There are already some fine works on his life, including Michael Scammell's Solzhenitsyn: A Biography and Joseph Pearce's Solzhenitsyn: A Soul in Exile. Instead, this book is a study of the man and his writings and a defense against his critics.
Solzhenitsyn fell afoul of the Soviet authorites back in the 1940s. He lived his years serving time in a Soviet Gulag, enduring internal exile in Siberia, and undergoing cancer, divorce, and censorship. He lived for a long while in Vermont after he was kicked out of his country. When Communism fell apart, he returned to the land he loved.
Solzhenitsyn never sought to please the crowds or the elites. One of Gerald Fords greatest blunders as President was his refusal to meet with the great Russian author in the White House. Because Solzhenitsyn was neither a modern liberal nor a Communist, he was attacked by both. He was also a Christian, and that has been a point of controversy and a cause of attacks and distortions.
Like many of the greater authors, Faulkner and Walter Scott for example, Solzehnitsyn believed in and alluded to what Faulkner called "the old verities," that is, the old truths. The past was never perfect, and progressives are enamoured by the latest new thing, so those who find wisdom in the older ways are often under attack.
I have just begun reading this book, and it is not an easy read. I figure it will strongly reinforce all the reasons why I have long loved the life and work of Alexander Solzhenitsyn.
Side Note: I was pleased to find a really nice copy of The Russian Question At the End of the Twentieth Century by Solzhenitsyn at a cheap price at the local Friends of the Library Sale. This Russian detour may take a little longer than expected.
The problem with mixing one's vocation with his advocation is that you never know when you are working and when you are relaxing. Sometimes, it is a healthy ploy to avoid other work. "I have work to do," I say, as I head off with a book, leaving innumerable household chores to my faithful family. Robert Frost pondered this issue with wit and whimsy in his poem "Two Tramps in Mud Time." The matter goes beyond poetry and may be indicative of a mental disorder.
At any rate, I have certain books that I read because they relate to and inform what I am teaching in school. I have other books that I read for other reasons. Those reasons include spiritual growth, broadening of horizons, and diversions from the necessities of life. I will comment on a few on-going reading ventures.
I regularly check the Internet sources, particularly realclearpolitics.com, for on-going political news. As both a government teacher and citizen, I need to be more informed on current political happenings. Right now, I am intensely interested in Senate races and am cheering Congressman Tom Cotton in his race for the U. S. Senate here in Arkansas. But political thought involves having each foot planted in different realms. One foot needs to be right in the middle of whatever is the currentl political storm. There is certainly no lack of political powder to create lots of artillery fire in our time. Political news and views feeds the political junkee in me, but then again, I am a government teacher.
The other foot of the political reader needs to be far from the current hustles and hassles. It needs to be burrowing deeply in the roots and foundations, the philosophy, of political thought. For that reason, Plato's Republic, Aristotle's Politics, Machievelli's Prince, The Federalist Papers, and the speeches of Ronald Reagan all must be pored over like they were the daily news. Of course, there are many more books besides those.
For the Christian, especially one devoted to Christian worldview thinking, political philosophy must not merely cross paths on occasion with Biblical thought, but must be rooted in it. This goal, by the way, is a large part of the agenda of the Center for Cultural Leadership and particularly the work of P. Andrew Sandlin and Brian Mattson.
A great, but sad to say too little noticed, resource for Christian political thought is found in the work of the intellectual leadership of an amazing trio of Dutchmen. I have praised, although not highly enough, the work of Dutch Christians in previous posts. I have also given talks about the Dutch thinkers in such varied locations as Virginia, Alaska, south Texas, and Lewisville, Arkansas.
Guillame Groen van Prinsterer, Dutch historian and political thinker. He was every bit as aristocratic as this picture looks, but he had a love for the common man, or as the Dutch called it, the kleine luyden.
Abraham Kuyper (left), Herman Dooyeweerd (center), and a third Dutchman, D. H. Th. Vollenhoven, Dooyweerd's brother-in-law and yet another pivotal Dutch thinker.
I am still learning from and gleaning insights from Groen van Prinsterer, Abraham Kuyper, and Herman Dooyeweerd.
Even I might concede that the title of this book, Lectures on Calvinism, is unfortunate. It gives the impression that the book is on the soteriological 5 Points of Calvinism or some aspects of either Calvin's Institutes or of the varied ways that Calvin's disciples have thought through and applied his thinking. I don't object to those things, but this book is actually about having a Christian worldview. The lectures were given in 1898 at Princeton Seminary by Kuyper who was both a leading theologian and a leading political leader. For that reason, he had meetings with two of the most important men in America at that time. He met with his friend and fellow theologian Benjamin B. Warfield, who was president of Princeton Seminary, and with President William McKinley, who was, incidentally, a Christian of Methodist persuasion.
My government class is reading the chapter on Politics from this book. Kuyper also deals with art, science, and other areas of life. For developing a political philosophy, the chapter on Politics is vital reading. Kuyper will continually make reference to the three most important revolutions (changes in history) that were Christian based. Those were the Glorious Revolution in England (1688), the American War for Independence, and the long war that the Netherlands waged against Spain during the 1500s-1600s (an 80 year battle for freedom). In contrast to those faith and law based revots against tyranny, Kuyper shows how the French Revolution ushered in a totally different worldview.
One of the great blessings of our time is the increasing number of works by Abraham Kuyper that are being translated into English. Currently, the Christian's Library Press is putting out a number of Kuyper volumes with more to come. For our purposes, I will mention the recently published Guidance for Christian Engagement in Government by Kuyper.
This book involves a bit of informed negotiating. It consists of articles Kuyper wrote in the midst of the political battles he was waging. It is not a how to book for moderns to find specifics in. Rather, it is a historical primary source showing how a Christian thought through, communicated, and led other Christians in political action. Along with Groen van Prinsterer and others, Kuyper was involved in the creation of a political party known as the Anti-Revolutionary Party. This political party delved into the roots of the political issues of their time and built upon Reformational thinking in opposition to the non-Christian aspects of Enlightenment thought.
The most important thinker who built upon the foundations of Kuyper was Herman Dooyeweerd. Dooyeweerd was a philosopher whose labors resulted in a massive construct of Christian philosophical thought. His impact was felt in the Netherlands, but also far beyond the dykes and dunes of that country. In the United States, Canada, Britain, South Africa, Australia, and many other lands, there have been serious and key Christian thinkers who have mined the vast quarries of Dooyeweerdian thought. Just recently, the popular British theologian N. T. Wright commented on Dooyeweerd's influence.
More and more of Dooyeweerd's vast writings are being translated and appearing in print in affordable editions. The book called The Struggle for a Christian Politics is volume 17 of Series B of the Collected Works of Dooyeweerd. (May my children and children's children own the whole set.) I have only just begun reading from this book, but see already that it is a must have and must read for Christians seriously interested in political thinking and in developing a Christian worldview.
A little knowledge of Flannery O'Connor could be a dangerous thing.
To only know that this writer's most famous story involves a gunman killing a grandmother is disturbing.
There are plenty of other unsettling elements in O'Connor's fiction.
For years now, I have been singing the praises of the historian Christopher Dawson. It is with shame that I admit to walking across a stage in 1978 and picking up a college degree with a major in history and NO knowledge of Dawson. Rather than a phase of education ending, it was just beginning. I would expect, require, demand that any history major, especially anyone focusing on European history, be well aware of and deeply read in the books and essays of Dawson.
Back at that time, there were few, if any, Dawson books in print. Access to used books was very limited. So, I might be granted a pardon for my ignorance. The first time I heard of Dawson was on an Easy Chair Talk with R. J. Rushdoony. He and Otto Scott, both widely read, ventured off into a brief discussion of Dawson. My ears perked up, and for the 200th time, I began searching for a particular author and particular books simply because Rushdoony mentioned them.
Through the years, I have acquired more than a dozen of Dawson books. I have quite a few of the more recent paperback editions, but have also focused on acquiring the older hardback Sheed and Ward editions. Along with that, I have two biographies of Dawson. One was written by his daughter, while the other, a more scholarly work, was written just a few years back by Bradley Birzer. I included a chapter on Dawson in my own book, and have quoted, read, and taught from him on many occasions.
Dawson was a contemporary with and acquaintance of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. He lived a very sheltered and withdrawn life. Most of his life and labors were spent in close proximity to heavy-laden bookshelves. He once said, "It is an old and hackneyed idea to have a library in one's house; it is a new and rewarding idea to have a house in one's library." I like his sense of adventure.
For a historian seeking how to integrate the Christian faith and vision with historical research, Dawson is an unsurpassed model. His insight into the problems of his age and ours remains pertinent to modern discourse.
Anyone wanting to peruse a bit more about him, can look over these past posts from my old blog, found here.
Herman Dooyeweerd at different stages in life.
I really wish that I were totally at home with reading and discussing the Christian philosopher Herman Dooyeweerd. Among my dozen or so Dutch Calvinist heroes, he is near the top, being bested perhaps only by Abraham Kuyper. But much of the time, I am only able to appreciate Dooyeweerd's life and thought without being able to really interact with it. I am a junior high and high teacher. I don't know much, but I point a lot. I point at this novel, that event in history, this theologian, and that philosopher. If my students listen and watch where I am pointing, they will be ready to move on with their learning. Along with pointing to Melville, Homer, Kuyper, Calvin, Dante, Shakespeare, Dickens, Louise Cowan, Faulkner, and many others, I point to Herman Dooyeweerd.
For years, I knew little more than the name of Dooyeweerd. But I began noticing a common denominator among the people I read and admired. Cornelius Van Til had high praise for Dooyeweerd. R. J. Rushdoony showed great appreciation for him and quoted him often. Nancy Percey referenced him in her books and bibliographies. H. R. Rookmaaker was radically changed by reading Dooyeweerd. Others like Francis Schaeffer, Gregg Singer, Hebden Taylor, and Francis Nigel Lee mentioned, praised, quoted, and honored him.
Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company published Dooyeweerd's New Critique many years ago. I treasure my edition of this set.
Some years back, I worked on and delivered a series of lectures on significant Calvinistic worldview thinkers. Many roads led back to this Dutchman. I finally pulled my copy of In the Twilight of Western Thought off the shelf and read it—twice. I acquired copies of The Christian Idea of the State, Roots of Western Culture, and the magnum opus, A New Critique of Theoretical Thought.
Dooyeweerd's books were only available in used copies or in some very expensive reprints a few years back. Now, Paideia Press has been publishing very affordable copies.
Below is a very great excerpt from Dooyeweerd's New Critique. This isn't your normal morning devotional thought, but it is far easier to negotiate than much of Dooyeweerd's writing. I love it, but need to keep reading it over and thinking about it. Thanks to Gregory Baus for finding and posting this on the Herman Dooyeweerd FaceBook Page.
" One cannot attain to true self-knowledge without true knowledge of God, which cannot be gained outside of the Divine Revelation in Christ.
At this point, many a reader who has taken the trouble to follow our argument will perhaps turn away annoyed. He will ask: Must epistemology end in a Christian sermon or in a dogmatic statement? I can only answer by means of the question as to whether the dogmatic statement with which the supposed autonomous epistemology opens, viz. the proclamation of the self-sufficiency of the human cognitive functions, has a better claim to our confidence as far as epistemology is concerned.
It rests on our trustful acceptance of Divine revelation in the indissoluble unity of both its cosmic-immanent sense and its transcendent-religious meaning; an acceptance with our full personality and with all our heart. It means a turning of the personality, a giving of life in the full sense of the word, a restoring of the subjective perspective of our experience, enabling us to grasp reality again perspectively in the light of Truth. This does not mean a kind of mystical supernatural cognitive function, but it refers to the horizon that God made for human experience in the cosmic order created by Him. The subjective perspective has been obfuscated by sin and distorted and closed to the light of the Divine Revelation.
I have been diagnosed with Library A.D.D. I am always wanting to add to my library, add to my reading, add to my interests. I have a few specialties, but my attempts at focus are distracted by sideroads and vistas and unexplored horizons. The end result is always more books accumulated, more books started, and more books wanted.
Although my reading preferences are more rooted in things Southern, I have an interest in the American west and in that broad field of books and movies and television shows called Westerns. I am out of place in that world. I don't live on a ranch, ride a horse, battle the elements of wind and weather, herd cattle, fight off outlaws, pack a pistol, or any of the other things that characterize our understanding of the west. I do have a cowboy hat which I enjoy wearing in the winter, but I always feel that I don't fit the part. I am the guy sent over from central casting that should be the telegraph operator in a western movie rather than the cowboy, outlaw, or hired gun.
I have had an increasing interest over the last few years in western movies, T.V. series, and novels. My interest starts with the man I credit for developing the American western, James Fenimore Cooper. It is odd, but the first westerns, like The Deerslayer and The Last of the Mohicans take place in upstate New York. Only later in life does Natty Bumpo and his Indian companion Chingachgook head westward. Natty Bumpo dies in The Prairie, the last book in the chronological order of the Leatherstocking Tales.
I have enjoyed reading a couple of other westerns in the last few years, such as True Grit by Charles Portis and Boone's Lick by Larry McMurtry. In terms of television series, my favorites are Wanted Dead or Alive and Rawhide. Favorite movies include John Wayne in Red River and The Cowboys, both movie versions of True Grit, and Open Range with Robert Duval and Kevin Costner.
All this brings me around a book I just received from the University of Oklahoma Press. The book is The Wister Trace: Assaying Classic Western Fiction by Loren Estleman. Originally published in 1987, this is a new and expanded edition of the book.
True westerns are built around a code. The conflict is that of chivalry in a lawless region. Many westerns echo the themes of the King Arthur stories or retell the justice of the Robin Hood legend in difficult times. There is always something more civil, more decorous, more safe in the world back east. But the people in the westerns are compelled by history, destiny, circumstance, opportunities, and enhancements to stake out claims in the ever tumultous world out west.
Speaking of the villain in The Virginian, Estleman writes, "He stands as a mundane symbol of a greater evil, threatening an unspoken system of honor in a way no mere challenge between men can approach. If he lives, decency dies." page 14 (That statement alone convinces me that I want to read The Virginian after I finish this book and that westerns have a message for our time.
This book is going to be a fun read.


text:
Letter from the Chairman: $27 Million!
Letter from the Chairman: $27 Million
Greetings Citizens,
First the Xi'an and now the Banu – Star Citizen's backers are making it possible to greatly expand the user experience! Here's the stretch goal you unlocked at $27 million:
Banu Merchantman Unlocked – Banu traders are renowned for their merchant prowess, traveling the spacelanes and trading with everyone from humans to the Vanduul! Their sturdy, dedicated trading ships are prized beyond all other transports, sometimes passing from generation to generation of Banu. At $23 million we dedicated additional resources to making Xi'An spacecraft a unique experience. At $27 million, we will expand that same thinking to the Banu! Starting with the merchant ship, the design team will expand Banu technology to offer players a completely different way of experiencing their universe.
We're eager to get to work building out the Banu spaceflight systems… watch this space to learn how we're going to make it a distinct experience from flying a human-designed ship. And since we hit this goal before November 26th, the Banu merchantman will be one of the ships available during the sale (you heard it here first!)
Now that we've reached $27 million, the Banu merchant ship will be sent to top concept artists for further development. In the meantime, I'd like to share with you some of the art that has resulted from the previous Xi'An stretch goal: the first concept painting of a Xi'An capital ship!
We're going to devote the $29 million stretch goal to more resources for the single player game, Squadron 42. With Erin Roberts and the other veterans at Foundry 42 hard at work on the game, you can trust that it's going to be great. Now we'd like to give them some extra resources to work with!
Enhanced Mission Design for Squadron 42 – The team at Foundry 42 has big plans for Squadron 42, and we're going to provide extra funding to make it a true spiritual successor to Wing Commander! Squadron 42 can go above and beyond anything you've seen before. From opening with an epic battle instead of a training patrol to missions that seamlessly combine boarding and space combat, we aim to put you right into the action! Additional funding will let the team realize this, with enhanced mission design and more resources and animations to enhance fidelity.
Big publishers haven't been willing to invest this kind of money to improve PC games in a long time… we're going to prove it's worth it. That wouldn't be possible without your support; thank you to all backers for helping make this game possible.
— Chris Roberts
$3 Million! - Update from Chris Roberts
$3.5 Million Unlock!
$5.5 Million - On to the Stars!
$10 Million!
Letter from the Chairman: The Hangar Module
Letter from the Chairman: Hangar Store Launched
$22 Million and Hangar Patch Live!
Letter from the Chairman: $29 Million! Squadron 42!
Letter from the Chairman: On Dogfighting
Flight Model and Input Controls
Note from the Chairman
Note from the Chairman: EVERSPACE
Letter from the Chairman: The Road Ahead


Well appointed kitchen and bathroom with shower.
overlooks the proposed golf course.
only three minutes walk from the villa.
Jan, Feb, Nov, Dec £225/Week.
July, Aug & Christmas £350/Week.
(BBC, ITV etc) also Spanish, German and French channels.
CD/Radio. Hot/Cold air conditioning and ceiling fans.


(WJBK) - On the style file, we are checking out some spring looks for less.
Joining FOX 2 is fashion blogger Grace Liang from Color and Grace and Jillian Lankford from the Salvation Army.
They'll be joined by four models: Mycha Draper, Ashley Kandow, Jordan Dent and Robert Jones.


This week in conjunction with International Women's Day, our blog will offer 'Learnings From' some of our top female employees from around our global offices. Find out more about IWD (which falls on Tuesday 8th of March) and how you can participate here.
I'm celebrating my 4th year in Teads this month. I was hired to produce content and insights for Ebuzzing and was then offered the position of Marketing Director in France. I'm now in charge of research globally for Teads and I manage a team of very talented and motivated people. Matt Engstrom in the US, who coordinated the Ad Blocker study, Charlotte Diemer and Ana da Silva, based in the London office, who built our vertical expertise from scratch and Clotilde Bernard in France, who is my right-hand man on the GRP converter. I also work closely with Bérengère Weber who is Head of Communication in France.
At Teads now I head up the global research projects around the world. My job is to produce research and content that support our business and build up our thought leadership, so that we are perceived as the experts and a leader in the video landscape.
I started my career at Mediamétrie which is the research company that operates TV and digital audience measurement for the French market.
From there I worked for two years for Nielsen Ireland where I was in charge of the recruitment and the statistical balance of the TV panel. Returning to France in 1998, I got a job at Carat as a Research Manager for digital. This was in the early days of the online advertising industry and I spent a wonderful time there educating our clients on digital as well as learning from my TV peers.
I've found that digital has been completely creative in creating a new language that is self-referential. As I can speak both languages (TV and digital) I can translate.
After 12 years at Carat, I left for Ebuzzing: the company reminded me the pioneer spirit of the start-ups before the Internet bubble burst in 2001. When I arrived, we were the clandestine in the video advertising market. Four years later, our platform has the largest reach globally.
I feel really lucky to work in Teads as the company is truly driven by a vision to reinvent video advertising. We're always trying to push the limits and get things moving forward, extending the boundaries of the existing market to a new frontier. It naturally attracts people that have an entrepreneurial spirit and want to change the game in the industry.
The lack of curiosity and knowledge is holding back growth of our digital industry. Distributing TV spots in pre-roll ad is the most obvious way to deal with video advertising online, but it's not the only one and far from being the most suitable. Educating the market to the opportunities offered by digital is a never-ending job.
Video is going to disrupt mobile advertising, which is still very performance focused. It's a fantastic creative challenge for brands who will have to adapt their communication to mobile both in terms of formats and messaging.
How do you see the role of research changing and influencing the digital advertising industry?
Research is paramount for our fast moving industry. Being able to understand user behaviour, anticipating trends, and measuring audience and proving ad effectiveness are crucial for a player like Teads.
What advice would you give for those wanting to start a career in Research?
I wish I could speak more languages and better!


text:
HomeTop Republican Senator Says Tearing Up Iran Nuclear Deal 'Not Going To Happen'
Top Republican Senator Says Tearing Up Iran Nuclear Deal 'Not Going To Happen'
ReutersJanuary 6, 2017Image by getty images
The head of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee said on Friday that Washington abruptly rejecting the Iran nuclear deal could create "a crisis" and said he did not expect that approach under President-elect Donald Trump's administration.
"To tear it up on the front end, in my opinion, is not going to happen," U.S. Senator Bob Corker told reporters at a breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor.
Instead, he said he expected strong enforcement of the international agreement, in which Iran agreed to curtail its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief
bob corker


While much is written on how organizations can address this new talent reality, a great starting point is an understanding of what people look for in an employer. Talented people want to work for organizations with a purpose they can understand and be proud of, where their work contributes to the organization's success and where their careers will grow. In a previous post, Attracting and Retaining Great People in 2017, I described several steps top employers are taking to attract and retain the best people, with special attention given to shared purpose and values, career development opportunities and cultural fit.
We love our people. While most leaders say people are their most important asset, we believe it and show it.
You'll feel the difference from the first time you visit our website. Our values, which guide our business decisions and relationships with our people, are stated clearly so we all know where we stand with each other.
Our goals are also published. We know where we're headed and how we'll get there – through our people. We share our goals so our people will be as excited about our future as we are. We're also as excited about our people's future as they are, even if their future is not with us. We help our people grow their careers while they help us reach our goals. We give them important work, provide great work space and technology, help them succeed, listen when they have a better idea and reward them every step of the way.
We also understand our people have lives outside work. We encourage our people to bring their whole selves to work, and spend guilt-free time away from work. We cheer their victories, share their sorrows and take joy in their happiness. We accept them as they are and support their dreams. We trust each other like family.
As with real families, we have our occasional differences. Most differences are easily resolved through open communications that are grounded in our shared values, goals and trust.
If ours sounds like a culture you can thrive and be happy in, please let us know. We would love to get to know you, and promise to treat you like family along the way. Even if we are not right for each other today, we are still interested in getting to know you. Tomorrow will be here before we know it.
If you were open to opportunities, would this letter appeal to you? Hopefully you would view this with enough interest to start a career conversation.
While a Talent Philosophy Statement like this can be a great employment branding tool, the culture, plans and programs supporting the philosophy must also be in place.
At Future State Talent, we help our clients create Talent Philosophy Statements, develop Employment Brands and embrace the new workplace reality. Please contact me to discuss the Future State of your Talent.
Does 'Talent Acquisition' Have a Dirty Little Secret?
Randy Samsel on The Talent Challenge – A Matter of Corporate Survival?
Sign up to receive updates by email!


text:
1910: Suffragette and writer Julie Lipman, with her banner demanding the vote for women
1913: Suffragette Emily Davidson throws herself under the horse of King George V at the Epsom Derby.
Early 1900s: Women hold protest signs during a demonstration against child labor in New York.
1917: A woman pickets holding a sign reading "To Ask Freedom For Women Is Not A Crime."
1935: Feminists burn election posters to fight for women's suffrage in Paris, France.
1968: Women hold up signs demanding equal rights during a demonstration for women's liberation in New York City.
1969: Pauline Bercker joins a women's demonstration for equal pay in Trafalgar Square, London.
1970: Two women hold signs reading "Vote Baby Vote" and "Voting Is People Power."
1977: Women take part in a demonstration in New York demanding safe, legal abortions for all women.
1974: Young men and women gather at a park with a sign that reads "Our Right To Decide" at a reproductive rights demonstration in Pittsburgh.
2005: Protesters gather to voice their disapproval of proposed law changes at Federation Square in Melbourne, Australia.
2006: Pro-choice activists (left) argue with pro-life activists (right) over abortion issues in front of the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC.
2014: A woman with a sticker on her head bearing the slogan "Bring back our girls" marches for the release of the more than 200 abducted Chibok schoolgirls in Lagos, Nigeria.
2015: Anti-abortion advocates stage a "die-in" protest at Lafayette Square near the White House.
2016: Activists rally during a protest against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump over his "treatment of women" in front of Trump Tower in New York.
2017: A rally for International Women's Day in Melbourne, Australia
2017: A woman strikes a pose in front of a statue titled "Fearless Girl" in New York City.
The day in photos: March 7, 2017
A brief history of women's rights protests


Don't go to your local DMV office until you have tried this free California motorcycle permit test Simulator! We have designed a tool that will help you learn all of the 2019 motorcycle permit test answers in a blink of an eye and have fun in the process! Loaded with free multiple choice questions on driving rules for motorcycles, shaped just like the real exam, based on the latest version of the California drivers manual and the real knowledge test - it does not get better than this! Go ahead and start working towards your motorcycle endorsement right now!
To those who have just arrived to this motorcycle permit test Simulator - if you have not taken a single California motorcycle practice test previously, now would be a good time to circle back and do that. The reason why starting with the Simulator may not be such a great idea is because the Simulator was designed as a testing tool, a beacon to show you where you stand right now and it lacks any of the awesome study aids a regular California DMV motorcycle practice test has. It won't give you any hints, it won't limit the number of answers for you and it is likely to present motorcycle permit test questions that may be a little too hard for you right now. We always recommend that you start with the very first California motorcycle practice test and work your way up to the Simulator!
Ready to get started? Awesome! A few quick facts about this 2019 CA motorcycle practice test. The Simulator was built in the image of the real DMV permit test and so it present 25 questions every time you open it. However, don't let the number fool you - these questions change every time the DMV practice test is restarted. Just like with the real California motorcycle DMV written test, you never know what questions you will get and so you have to be prepared to answer any of them! Twenty correct answers or more is considered a pass, however we recommend that you continue working on this M1 license test Simulator until you are able to score no less than 90% every time. Remember the space cushion you need to keep around the motorcycle? Well, these higher grades are your space cushion for the real permit test!
Have fun working on our free California motorcycle permit test (CA) Simulator 2019 and good luck at the DMV office!


text:
Home›News›Mars Landers - A Chronology of Successful Landings on Mars (and some that weren't..)
by Joel Ammons
13 Mars Landers - 7 Successful Mars Landings
Since the early 1960's, the people of Earth began sending probes to explore the Red Planet.
The first were simple fly-bys - high speed passes of the planet with the hope of catching a few images up close.
Then came the orbiters - probes that would slow down by aerobraking in the thin Martian atmosphere in the hope of achieving a successful orbital capture.
And then came the landers. 13 of them in all, including the most recent -- ExoMars 2016 Schiaparelli lander.
And, as Schiaparelli has shown, not all of these Mars landers were successful.
Getting to Mars orbit is very difficult and has had its share of successes and failures. Landing on the Red Planet is worse.
Of the thirteen Mars landers sent so far, only seven have successfully reached the surface and performed their mission.
Here's a brief history of those landers.
Mars2 and Mars3 - 1971
Mars 6 - 1974
Mars 3 Replica
Starting in 1960, the Soviet Union launched a series of probes to Mars. Most were designed as orbiters, along with a couple Phobos probes and landers, but only a handful were meant to actually land on the Red Planet.
In 1971, the first of these Mars landers arrived and began their descent.
Mars 2 arrived on November 27, 1971 but failed during descent.
Status - FAILED
Mars 3 arrived a few days later, on December 2, and actually achieved a soft landing.
Mars 3 spacecraft
The descent module entered the Martian atmosphere at roughly 5.7 km/s. Through a combination of aerobraking, parachutes, and thrusters, Mars 3 became the first Mars lander to achieve a soft landing when it touched down at 45°S 202°E.
Unfortunately, after just 14.5 seconds, transmission from the lander stopped for unknown reasons and Mars 3 was never heard from again.
The cause was never determined. Was it a fault with the lander? Or perhaps the communication relay on the orbiter? Maybe it was simply that this particular Mars lander reached the surface during a huge dust storm, which may have caused a coronal discharge and fried the electronics.
No one knows.
Although the lander did achieve a soft landing and actually transmit for a brief moment, and since no useful data was ever received, this attempted MArs landing must also be listed as a failure.
In the next launch window a couple of years later, the Soviet Union sent another probe to Mars in an attempt to achieve the first successful Mars landing.
Two previous orbiters, Mars 4 and Mars 5, were launched in 1973 and would relay data for the subsequent Mars 6 lander, but Mars 4 failed to reach orbit and, although Mars 5 did achieve orbit, it failed a few days later.
On March 12, 1974, the Mars 6 lander separated from the flyby bus. As with Mars 3, a combination of aerobraking and parachutes, followed by a retrorocket burn just prior to touchdown, were meant to slow the lander down for a soft landing.
The Mars lander did return data for 224 seconds during its descent, but, just as the lander was about to fire its thrusters, all contact was lost. In addition, due to a design flaw, a chip aboard the spacecraft degraded during the mission and most of the data returned during descent was unusable.
Viking 1 and 2 - 1976
Not to be outdone, the American Viking program launched from Earth in 1975 with arrival targeted for 1976.
Viking Mars Lander
As with the Soviet Mars landers, the Viking landers used a combination of aerobraking, parachutes and retrorockets to touchdown. On July 20, 1976, the Viking 1 Lander separated from its associated orbiter and became the first spacecraft to land successfully on Mars and perform its mission.
The Viking 1 Lander touched down in western Chryse Planitia at 22.2848°N 49.5812°W and continued operations for 6 years (2307 days, or 2245 sols). That record stood for nearly 24 years until it was broken by Opportunity in 2010.
Status - SUCCESS
Just a couple of months after Viking 1, Viking 2 and its associated orbiter arrived at Mars, and Viking 2 began its descent to the surface on Spetember 3, 1976.
The Viking 2 Lander touched down in Utopia Planitia about 200 km west of the crater Mie at 47.97°N 225.74°W. The lander operated on the surface for 1316 days, or 1281 sols, until April 11, 1980 when its batteries failed
Pathfinder - 1997
After a 20 year hiatus in exploring Mars, NASA finally sent another probe in 1997 to the Martian surface.
Pathfinder (later renamed Carl Sagan Memorial Station) was a designed as a scientific base station that was accompanied by a small, robotic rover called Sojourner.
Launched December 4, 1996, this particular Mars lander touched down on July 4, 1997 at 19°7'48"N 33°13'12"W and ended September 27.
Although the mission lasted a modest 85 days, it was noted for its comparatively low cost ($150 million versus $3.5 billion for Viking in 1997 dollars) and scientific accomplishments.
Mars Polar Lander - 1999
As part of the Mars Surveyor '98 program, NASA launched the Mars Polar Lander and Deep Space 2 Orbiter on January 3, 1999.
11 months later, on December 3, 1999, the probe arrived at Mars. After the descent phase was expected to have been completed, however, the lander failed to establish a link back to Earth and it was deemed lost.
A post-mortem analysis determined that the most likely cause of failure was a premature engine cutoff and a high velocity impact on the surface.
Beagle 2 - 2003
Beagle 2 Replica
Early at the turn of the century, the European Space Agency got into the game with its Beagle 2 Mars lander.
Named after the ship Charles Darwin used (HMS Beagle), Beagle 2 was a British lander that was part of ESA's 2003 Mars Express mission. The spacecraft successfully deployed from the Mars Express probe, but, during descent, lost contact and was declared lost in February 2004.
The fate of the lander remained a mystery for nearly 11 years until NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter HiRise camera found it intact on the surface.
Turns out the solar panels failed to completely deploy, blocking the communications antenna and dooming the mission.
Spirit and Opportunity - 2004
In 2004, NASA launched a pair of Mars landers to opposite sides of the planet as part of their Mars Exploration Rover program.
The Spirit Mars lander and rover arrived on the Martian surface January 4, 2004. The landing site was the Gusev crater, which may have once been a lake, at coordinates 14.5684°S 175.472636°E.
Initially scheduled for a 90-sol mission, Spirit kept operating until March 22, 2010, approximately 2208 sols or almost 5 years and 4 months in Earth time.
Opportunity, an identical twin to Spirit, landed on January 25, 2004, three weeks after its identical twin, on the opposite side if the planet at coordinates 1.9462°S 354.4734°E.
Opportunity was also designed for a 90-sol mission, but it did even better than Spirit. After operating over 50 times its planned mission, Opportunity continues to function and is one of only two rovers still active on the surface of Mars.
Phoenix - 2008
Phoenix Mars Lander
In 2008, NASA, in partnership with multiple universities around the world, launched another probe to explore the the Martian polar regions. This time they would target the North Pole with another one of their Mars landers - Phoenix.
Phoenix touched down on May 25, 2008 at coordinates 68.22°N 125.7°W. Its primary mission goals - search for sites where microbial life might survive and to research the history of water at the pole.
As with the Spirit and Opportunity Mars landers, Phoenix was only designed for a 90 sol mission duration. It continued to operate for 157 sols, though, before the Martian winter set in and the power dropped below nominal levels. The mission concluded November 2, 2008.
Curiosity - 2012
Curiosity Rover self portrait
Another of NASA's successful Mars landers, Curiosity was launched November 26, 2011 aboard the Mars Science Labratory (MSL) spacecraft and landed on Aeolis Palus in the Gale Crater (coordinates 4.5895°S 137.4417°E) on August 6, 2012.
The rover's primary goals are to investigate the Martian climate and geology, including the history and presence of water, looking for sites that might be favorable to microbial life, and to assist planetary habitability studies in preparation for future human missions.
As with the rover Opportunity, Curiosity's operations continue to this day.
Schiaparelli - 2016
Schiaparelli Mars Lander
In 2016, ESA returned to Mars, in partnership with Russia this time, with their ExoMars 2016 mission.
The mission had broad, bold goals to search for traces of life by looking for methane sources in the martian atmosphere and mapping water deposits from the TGO, or Trace Gas Orbiter. In addition, a technology demonstrator, Schiaparelli, was to be the first of a pair of Mars landers that would investigate the surface (the second lander is scheduled in the ExoMars 2020 Mission.
Schiaparelli separated cleanly from TGO and began its descent October 19, 2016, but never established communication back to Earth. An orbital pass from NASA's MRO was also unable to communicate with the lander. Preliminary findings suggest the thrusters may have cut off prematurely.
The fate of the lander remains unkown.
Tagscuriosity rovermars landersOpportunity roverSchiaparelli
Mars Exploration - 50 Years and Counting
Rocks Rich in Silica Present Puzzles for Mars Rover Team
NASA Moves Closer to 3D Printing Rocket Engines
China develops next-generation crew vehicle


Founded in 2011, Naples Global Advisors is an SEC Registered Investment Advisor serving individuals, families, trusts, retirement plans, and charitable foundations and endowments. As an employee-owned LLC, we operate as a fiduciary and manage our clients' portfolios with complete accountability. Whether you have an established portfolio or are investing as a result of a life event, our team is consistently seeking ways to put the odds of investment success in our clients' favor.
If your objective is to maintain your wealth and legacy, grow your nest egg or fund your ideal retirement, Naples Global Advisors can help you get there through strategically diversified portfolios that match your goals and your risk tolerance comfortability.
Each of the professionals at Naples Global Advisors operates on three main principles to achieve the best outcomes for our clients.
Understand each client's financial goals and capacity for risk. We tailor our portfolio construction and management within these parameters to achieve our client's desired outcome without sacrificing comfort. Time horizon, cash flow needs, and tax circumstances are evaluated and factored into the asset allocation decisions.
Build a customized and logically diversified portfolio specific to each client's objectives and desired level of risk. Each publicly traded security will be vetted and strategically assembled in the portfolio using a fundamental valuation discipline.
Administer portfolios focused toward long-term absolute returns and principal stability, with an on-going awareness of and sensitivity to the changing dynamics of global economies, capital markets, tax efficiency and personal circumstances.


Australia's Sevens teams will face some tough competition in Rio, with their pool opponents officially confirmed on Wednesday.
For the top seeded women's team, USA, Fiji and Colombia are the teams that will stand between them and progressing through the competition, which runs from August 6-8.
New Zealand, France, Spain and Kenya will fight it out in Pool B, while Canada, Great Britain, Brazil and Japan round out the contenders, facing off in Pool C.
The men's side will face South Africa yet again this season after clashing with heir fierce rivals in a number of pivotal matches during the World Series.
Seeded fifth overall, the Aussie men also take on France and Spain as they vie to make it through to the knock out phases of the Rio tournament.
The Sevens competitions will run over the first six days of the Olympics, with the women's tournament kicking things off.
Incoming World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont, who begins his new role on July 1, said the Olympics would expose rugby to a whole new audience.
"Our top men's and women's players are excited about becoming Olympians and representing their nation and our sport at the Olympic Games," he said.
"I anticipate that it will be one of the highlights of Rio 2016 as we showcase this great sport to a new audience of hundreds of millions around the world and inspire the next generation to get into rugby.
"It's an exciting time to be involved in rugby and I know that all our member unions are ready to make the most of this opportunity as we continue to grow the game across the globe.
Seedings are based on total points over the last two World Series, though the top four men's finishers from 2014-15 were guaranteed a top four seeding in the Olympics.


text:
Despite plant-based boom, beef burgers still reign supreme
Lauren Manning
Dan Gold via Unsplash
Beef burgers are still the most popular type of burger with 6.4 billion ordered at QSRs during the year ending May, but growth is flat compared to a year ago, according to research emailed to Restaurant Dive from NPD Group.
Customers ordered 228 million plant-based burgers at QSRs, an increase of 10% compared to the previous year, primarily due to more QSRs offering a plant-based option.
Vegans and vegetarians are a small factor in the growth of plant-based burgers. Beef burger buyers who purchased burgers roughly 18 times during the year purchased a plant-based option at least two times during that same period.
The increasing number of QSRs offering plant-based burger swaps is making it easier for curious consumers, including carnivores and vegetarians, to try the new food. Demand is so high for these products that Impossible Foods, which recently raised $300 million in funding, has struggled to keep pace. It supplies Burger King, White Castle and Red Robin with plant-based patties. Chicken-focused chains like Chick-fil-A and KFC are now scrambling to find a plant-based poultry substitute so they can offer similar products.
Several factors have increased the popularity of plant-based foods, including the fact that 60% of U.S. adults want more protein in their diets, concerns for animal welfare and how meat products are distributed, sustainability and the perception that plant-based is healthier, according to the NPD Group. Countless headlines discussing the virtues of plant-based are also making consumers more aware of the trend.
Whether consumers continually order the plant-based option is another story. Americans love a good burger, with over half of diners eating a burger at least once a week. Burger prices have climbed in recent years, however, as demand for premium products like grass-fed and organic meat are on the rise.
While vegans and vegetarians will more consistently purchase the items, carnivores will be the true test. Data from NPD Group suggests that meat eaters are curious about plant-based swaps, but do not plan to stop ordering real beef even when a plant-based option is available. Ultimately, it's too early to tell if the plant-based burger trend has long-term traction beyond the initial hype.
For that very reason, some major players are staying on the sidelines of the plant-based burger race, including McDonald's and Shake Shack. McDonald's has been incredibly mum about why it hasn't added a plant-based burger option in the U.S., but has admitted that it's keeping an eye on the space. It did recently release a vegan burger in Germany. Other QSRs like Arby's and Taco Bell have made it clear that they have no intention of going plant-based anytime soon.
Filed Under: Consumer Trends, Corporate Operations, Operations