Onion (Allium cepa L.) is member of the family Alliaceae and the most widely grown herbaceous biennial vegetable crop. Quality planting material is one of the major inputs to successful vegetable production. However, it is one of the major constraints in Ethiopia. Northeastern Ethiopia has suitable agro-climatic condition for onion seed production. However, onion seed production packages, including its appropriate planting time, are not yet determined. Evidences on effects of the different planting time on quality and yield level are not well explored. Therefore, this experiment was conducted at Jari small-scale irrigation scheme from September 2015 to April 2016 to determine an appropriate planting time for a better plant growth, yield components, seed yield and quality of Adama red onion variety.
The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications. Treatments were nine planting dates: September 1st, September 16th, October 1st, October 16th, October 31st, November 15th, November 30th, December 15th and December 30th. Data were collected on growth, yield components, seed yield and quality parameters and analyzed using SAS version 9.2 statistical software.
Analysis of variance revealed that plant height, number of leaves per plant, number of scapes per plant, scape diameter, scape height, days to 50% flowering and maturity, umbel diameter, number of seeds per umbel, 1000-seed weight, seed yield and germination percentage were significantly influenced by planting time. The highest seed yield (1032.7 kg/ha) and the highest germination percentage (94.3%) were recorded from bulbs planted early (September 1st). On the other hand, the lowest seed yield (29.7 kg/ha) and germination percentage (15.3%) recorded from bulb planted late (December). The correlation values explain the apparent association of the planting time parameters with each other and clearly indicated the magnitude and directions of the association and relationships.
The September 1st is recommended as appropriate planting time for onion seed production at Jari, northeastern Ethiopia.
Onion (Allium cepa L.) is one of the most important vegetable crops grown in Ethiopia. It ranks first among Allium species grown in Ethiopia both in area coverage and total production . Its area coverage was 24,357.7 ha, and total annual production was 219,735.3 tons with average productivity of 9 t/ha during 2013/14 cropping season . The area coverage of onion is steadily increasing mainly due to its high profitability, ease of production, and the expansion of irrigation infrastructure in different parts of the country . Likewise, the demand for quality onion seed is steadily increasing over time . However, seed supply is inadequate, its price is increasing, and onion seed available in the market is poor in quality . Onion seeds lose viability within a year, and hence, they are poor in maintaining quality. Owing to these challenges, onion seed production gradually started by smallholder farmers in different parts of the country.
Onion seed production is influenced by many factors, among which varieties, bulb size, soil, climate, spacing, fertilizer application and date of planting are important. Cool weather with ample moisture supply is required for flower stalk initiation. Then, drier conditions with good sunshine are required for pollination, seed maturity, harvesting and processing . High temperature during flowering results in flower abortion and subsequently results in lower seed yield. On the other hand, very low temperature, foggy weather and rainfall during flowering time affect the movement of honey bees and the pollination process. Rainfall during harvesting time adversely affects the quality of onion seed. Therefore, selection of appropriate planting date to align the time of maturity during dry season is crucial for onion seed production in a given locality.
The effect of planting time on onion seed production and its significant effects on both productivity and quality was studied and reported by several researchers in different parts of the world. The effect of different planting dates on onion seed production in Bangladesh was done, and October 30th was recommended as the best planting date . Similarly, November 15th identified as the best planting date for onion seed production on Borga region of Bangladesh with a total rain fall of 351 mm  and Giza region of Egypt with mean minimum and maximum temperature of 15.60 and 29.8 °C, respectively . In Iran, the best planting dates for onion seed production was from September 22nd to October 6th and from October 21st to November 5th for onion varieties Texas Early Grano 502 and Germez Iranshah, respectively, with mean minimum and maximum temperature of 21.48 and 9.09 °C, respectively .
Although Ethiopia has very diverse agro-ecology, studies on the effect of planting time on onion seed production are limited. Studies in Central Ethiopia showed that onion seed production is best if mother bulbs are planted in September and October which helped to align the time of flowering on the months of January and February, during cooler and drier months . However, in Kobo October 25th was recommended as the best planting time for onion seed production with mean annual rainfall of 668 mm and mean minimum and maximum temperature of 15 and 31 °C, respectively . These findings depict the importance of identifying appropriate planting date for onion seed production in each locality and variety. Therefore, the present study was conducted to identify the appropriate planting time for onion seed production and associated selected quality indicators in Tehuledere district, northeastern Ethiopia.
The experiment was conducted at Jari small-scale irrigation scheme, Tehuledere district in northeastern Ethiopia during the period of September 2015 to April 2016. Geographically the experimental site is located at 11°14′N latitude and 39°40′E longitude and at an elevation of 1700 m above sea level (masl). The soil of the experimental site is sandy loam in texture, and its mean annual rainfall is 1204.6 mm . The mean maximum and minimum temperature during the growing season was 28.0 and 6.0 °C, respectively. Monthly temperature and rainfall data of the trial site during the experiment period are given in Table 1.
Monthly temperature (°C) and rain fall (mm) at Jari northeastern Ethiopia during the trial period.
The experiment was conducted under irrigation from September 2015 to April 2016. Onion cultivar 'Adama Red' was used as experimental material for this study. Recommended bulb size with a bulb diameter ranging from 4.1 to 5 cm and free from insect, disease and mechanical injury was selected and used for the study. Treatments of the experiment were nine planting dates such as September 1st, September 16th, October 1st, October 16th, October 31st, November 15th, November 30th, December 15th and December 30th.
The experiment was laid out using randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The size of each experimental plot was 2.1 m wide and 3 m long. Each plot had six rows. The spacing between irrigation furrows, planting rows and plants within a row was 50, 30 and 20, respectively. A spacing of 1 and 1.3 m was maintained between plots and blocks. Oxen plowing method and manual harrowing were used for land preparation and fine seedbed preparation, respectively. About one third of the growing portion of mother bulbs was cut for easy and quick sprouting of growing buds. The lower portion with disk-like stem and roots was dusted with ash to prevent decay due to fungal infection and used for planting. Mother bulbs were planted by hand. The recommended fertilizer rates of urea 100 and 200 kg/ha DAP  were applied. DAP was applied at the time of planting, and urea was applied in two split doses of equal amounts, at planting and 45 days after planting. The field was irrigated 3 days after planting to facilitate for easy germination of bulbs. Then, it was irrigated every 7 days until full flowering and then at every 10-day interval followed by 10–15-day interval near maturity . Weeding was done from 15 days after planting up to harvesting within 7–14-day interval at each growing phases.
The central four rows of each plot and ten plants from each plot were used for data collection. Data were collected for different plant characters such as plant height (cm), number of leaves per plant, number of scapes per plant, scape height (cm), scape diameter (at the base), umbel diameter, number of seeds per umbel, seed yield per plant (g) and thousand seed weight (g). On the other hand, data on days 50% flowering and maturity and seed yield per hectare (kg) were collected on net plot size basis. Seed germination (%) test was conducted at Dessie seed laboratory, and seed germination percentage was calculated . Data collected on various parameters were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using SAS version 9.2 software . Differences among treatment means were compared using the least significant difference test (LSD) at 5% probability level.
Both plant height and number of leaves per plant were significantly (p ≤ 0.01) affected by planting date (Table 2). Plant height ranged from 61.8 to 82.6 cm with an average of 74.1 cm. The maximum plant height (82.6 cm) was recorded from bulbs planted on September 1st, and the lowest plant height (61.8 cm) was recorded from bulbs planted on December 30th (Table 2). Number of leaves per plant ranged from 15.4 to 54.4 with an average of 31.6. The maximum number of leaves per plant (54.4) was recorded from plants planted in September, while the minimum number of leaves per plant (15.4) was recorded from bulbs planted in December.
Planting time highly significantly (p ≤ 0.01) influenced scape number per plant, scape height and scape diameter (Table 2). The number of scapes per plant ranged from 2.7 to 6.3 with an average of 4.4. The height and diameter of scapes ranged from 49.9 to 72.5 cm and from 0.58 to 1.48 cm, respectively. The maximum number of scapes per plant, scape height and scape diameter was recorded from bulbs planted early such as on September 1st. On the other hand, bulb planted late such as on December 15th and 30th had short and minimum number of scapes per plant with small scapes diameter.
Planting time was significantly influenced onion seed yield and seed yield-related parameters such as umbel diameter, number of seeds per umbel, 1000-seed weight, seed yield per plant and seed yield per hectare (Table 3). Bulb planted in September and October had significantly higher umbel diameter, number of seeds per umbel, 1000-seed weight, seed yield per plant and seed yield per hectare compared to those planted in November and December.
Planting time significantly influenced the umbel diameter, which was ranged from 3.3 to 5.8 cm with a mean of 4.8 cm. The highest umbel diameter (5.8 cm) was recorded from bulbs planted on September 1st but was not significantly different from those planted on September 16th, October 1st and November 15th. On the other hand, the smallest umbel diameter (3.3 cm) was recorded from bulbs planted on December 30th.
Planting time significantly influenced (p ≤ 0.01) number of seeds per umbel which ranged from 47.4 to 533.3 seeds per umbel with an average of 214.0. In the earlier studies, number of seeds per umbel (256.6–515.3) and (93.0–299.9) were reported in Ethiopia (Kobo area) and Bangladesh, respectively [5, 8]. However, in the present study, the highest number of seeds per umbel (533.3) was recorded from September 1st planting date. On the other hand, the minimum number of seeds per umbel (47.4) was recorded from December 30th planting date, but it was statistically on par with December 15th and November 15th plantings dates.
Planting time significantly influenced (p ≤ 0.01) thousand seed weight (Table 3). Similarly, the significant effect of planting dates on thousand seed weight was reported in other studies [6, 8]. Thousand seed weight ranged from 2.2 to 3.6 g with an average of 2.8 g. The maximum thousand seed weight (3.6 g) was recorded from early planting time such as September 1st and September 16th. On the other hand, the minimum thousand seed weight (2.2 g) was recorded from bulbs planted on November 15th and it was statistically on par with those planted on December 15th, December 30th and October 31st.
Seed yield per plant was significantly influenced by planting time (Table 3). The average seed yield per plant ranged from 0.3 to 10.0 g with an average of 3.2 g. The highest seed yield per plant (10.0 g) was obtained from bulbs planted on September 1st. On the other hand, the lowest seed yield per plant (0.25 g) was recorded from bulbs planted on December 30th but not significantly different from those planted on December 15th, November 15th and October 31st.
Planting dates significantly influenced seed yield per hectare and ranged from 29.7 to 1032.7 kg/ha with an average of 381.8 kg/ha (Table 3). The maximum seed yield (1032.7 kg/ha) was obtained from September 1st planting. On the other hand, the least seed yield (29.7 kg/ha) was recorded from December 30th planting, but the seed yield was on par with December 15th, October 31st and November 15th plantings. Therefore, early planting dates are suitable for higher onion seed yield at Jari irrigation scheme.
The germination percentage of onion seeds produced significantly influenced by planting time (Table 3). The percentage of germination ranged from 15.3 to 94.3% with overall average of 42.8%. The highest germination percentage was recorded from seeds harvested from bulbs planted on September 1st. On the other hand, low germination percentage was recorded from seeds harvested from those planted on December 15th, but there was no significant difference with those planted on November 15th.
Correlation coefficient (r) values computed to determine the relationships between and within the planting time and parameter are depicted in Table 4. The correlation values explain the apparent association of the planting time parameters with each other and clearly indicated the magnitude and directions of the association and relationships.
Plant height (r = −0.915), number of leaves/plant (r = −0.858), number of scape/plant (r = −0.834), diameter of scape (r = −0.905), scape height (r = −0.929), days to 50% maturity (r = −0.901), umbel diameter (r = −0.861), number of seed/umbel (r = −0.916), thousand seed weight (r = −0.855), seed yield/plant (r = −0.881), seed yield/hectare (r = −0.895) and germination percentage (r = −0.876) were negatively but strongly correlated with planting time (Table 4).
Bulb planted in September showed vigorous vegetative growth (plant height and number of leaves) compared to those planted in December. The increase in plant height could mainly be due to early planting which might have provided plants with relatively cooler period compared to the latter eight plantings. The cooler period stimulates cytokine and gibberellins' accumulation, modifying the hormonal balance and leading the plant to increase the plant development and responsible for elongation of flower stalk . The taller plant height provides more photosynthetic capacity to the plant than shorter height with more number of leaves compared to those planted in November. This could be attributed to the increase in the vegetative growth of the onion plant through the effect of planting time, and the cooler time was important for the synthesis of different growth component of onion stem and seed. This good foliage indicates higher growth, development and productivity of plant. Similarly, in other study, in Kobo area, the significant effect of planting dates was recorded, where bulb planted in October had maximum plant height compared to those planted in November . Likewise, the significant effect of planting dates on plant height and number of leaves per plant was also reported . In this study, bulbs planted in September were longer and with more number of leaves compared to those planted in November. On the other hand, other study indicated that bulb planted in November was longer and with more number of leaves per plant compared to those planted in October . This could be attributed to climatic variation among the study sites.
The maximum number of scapes per plant, scape height and scape diameter was recorded from bulbs planted early such as on September 1st. These showed that early planting resulted in vigorous plants. In agreement with this, the maximum number of scapes per plant, scape length and scape diameter was recorded from early planting dates [6, 8].
Concerning flowering date, the bulb planted in December 30th took maximum number of days for flowering but no significant difference with bulb planted in September and November 30th. This might be attributed to the coincidence of growth stage of the crop and occurrence of cold weather to induce bolting. Similarly, other report indicated that planting time had marked influence on the number of days required for 50% flowering . In the present study, the bulb planted in September 16th took maximum number of days to mature although bulbs planted in December 30th required minimum number of days to reach maturity. This indicates that bulb planted in relatively hot season mature early condition matured early compared to those which were planted in relatively cold season .
Bulb planted in September had significantly higher umbel diameter but not significant different with planted in October 1st and November 15th. In the same way, September 1st had significantly different with other planting time for number of seeds per umbel, seed yield per plant and seed yield per hectare compared to other planting dates.
Similarly, umbel diameter was recorded with a range of 3.0–6.9 cm in Bangladesh  and from 4.8 to 6.0 cm in kobo, Ethiopia . The highest umbel diameter recorded from bulb planted in October compared to in November  and in November compared to those planted in December and January . This shows that early planting increases umbel diameter compared to late planting. On the other hand, in Bangladesh the maximum umbel diameter was recorded from onion bulbs planted in November compared to those planted in October . This difference might be attributed to the climatic variability among the study sites.
The number of seeds per umbel ranged from 47.4 to 533.3 with the highest number of seeds per umbel (533.3) was recorded from September 1st planting date. The variation in number of seeds per umbel might be due to flower abortion, indicating the time when high temperature caused such even, lack of efficient pollinators of all the flowers in the umbel, shortage of nutrition which caused high competition and death of the weak florets in the umbel . So, selection of appropriate time in a given location is crucial in onion seed production.
Thousand seed weight ranged from 2.2 to 3.6 g with the maximum thousand seed weight (3.6 g) was recorded from early planting times (September 1st and September 16th), the minimum thousand seed weight (2.2 g) was recorded from onion bulbs planted on November 15th, and it was statistically on par with those planted on December 15th, December 30th and October 31st. This might be attributed to climatic condition prevailing during the seed filling stage. Therefore, early planting results in well-filled seeds compared to late plantings. In addition, the seed filling period of late planting dates was significantly shorter than early planting time. However, in Bangladesh, heavy 1000-seed weights from bulbs planted in November compared to those planted in October .
The average seed yield per plant ranged from 0.3 to 10.0 g with the highest seed yield per plant (10.0 g) was obtained from bulbs planted on September 1st. Similarly, the effects of planting dates on seed yield per plant were significant [4–6]. Therefore, early planting time resulted in higher seed yield per plant. Cool temperature for flower development in early planting time and subsequent favorable temperature could have increased the final seed yield per plant on early planting dates. High atmospheric temperature causes early maturity of bulbs before attaining sufficient growth of plant, thereby resulting in low seed yield in onion. The difference in seed yield per plant might be due to the number of scapes per plant, number of seed per umbel and cool temperature for flower development in early planting, and subsequent favorable temperature could have increased the final seed yield per plant. Similarly, in Kobo area, higher seed yield per plant was recorded from bulb planted in October compared to those planted in November .
The maximum seed yield per hectare (1032.7 kg/ha) was obtained from September 1st planting, while the least seed yield (29.7 kg/ha) was recorded from December 30th planting which is not significantly different with December 15th, October 31st and November 15th plantings. Similarly, in Bangladesh higher seed yield was recorded from bulbs planted in October compared to those planted in November . In late planting, it might be resulted in reduced cycle and less yield, because the plants received stimulus for bulb development before reaching full vegetative development. Therefore, early planting times are suitable for higher onion seed yield at Jari irrigation scheme.
In the same way, the germination percentages were ranged from 44 to 84% and from 77.1 to 97.6% in Bangladesh and Ethiopia (Kobo area), respectively [5, 8]. The highest germination percentage was recorded from seeds harvested from bulbs planted on September 1st. On the other hand, low germination percentage was recorded from seeds harvested from those planted on December 15th, but there was no significant difference with those planted on November 15th. The reason for increasing the percentage of seed germination in early planting may be due to the highest seed size and seed weight. Therefore, early planting is suitable to produce high-quality onion seed at Jari irrigation scheme. Similarly, early planting date is recommended to produce high-quality seed at Kobo area .
With increase in time of planting (from September 1st to December 30th), there was increase in temperature. Onion requires ample moisture with cool environment. So the increase in temperature influences flower stalks development, flowering and seed maturation.
Plant height (r = −0.915) and number of leaves/plant (r = −0.858) were negatively but strongly correlated with planting time (Table 4). Both plant height and number of leaves/plant could mainly important for photosynthesis and pollination. This implied that the cooler time was important for the synthesis of different growth components of onion stem and seed. This good foliage indicates higher growth, development and productivity of plant.
Umbel diameter (r = −0.861), number of seed/umbel (r = −0.916), thousand seed weight (r = −0.855), seed yield/hectare (r = −0.895) and germination percentage (r = −0.876) were negatively but strongly correlated (Table 4). For that reason, it is possible to say that umbel size of the onion plant is one of the major characters highly demanded for flower and seed production and positive relation with seed yield. The result indicated that the above-mentioned parameters can be increased by early planting in which the plant can accumulate high seed yield and quality due to the extended vegetative growth of the plant. Similarly, parameters can be increased by extending crop cycle by early planting .
The tallest scape height was associated with the highest yields and the greatest number of seeds per plant. The taller scape height might have provided more photo-assimilates to the plant causing the weight of each seed to be greater than the weight of seed from plants with short scape. The highest seed yield (1032.7 kg/ha) as well as the highest germination percentage (94.3%) was recorded from onion planted on September 1st. On the other hand, the lowest seed yield (29.7 kg/ha) and germination percentage (15.3%) recorded from onion planted in December. It was evident that plants sown in September 1st exhibited superior performance both in growth, yield and quality characters. This may be because there was enough time for the early planted onion plants to complete both their growth and developmental stages, which in turn enhanced the production and partitioning of photo-assimilates, thus leading to an increase in growth and yield characters. Plants sown late (December 30th) had no adequate time to complete their life cycle fully.
The finding showed significant differences among the different planting dates with regard to growth, yield and quality parameters, viz. number of leaves/plant, number of scape/plant, scape diameter, days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, number of seed per umbel, thousand seed weight and seed yield/plant. The highest seed yield/plant, seed yield per hectare and germination percentage were obtained from early planting date, while significantly the lowest values were recorded from late planting. Therefore, based on the finding of the current study, early planting (September 1st) can be used for high yield and better quality of onion seed. Several growth, yield component and quality parameters were negatively but strongly correlated with planting time of bulbs. Hence, September 1st was identified and recommended as the optimum planting time for seed production of "Adama red" at Jari irrigation scheme, Tehuledere district of northeastern Ethiopia.
MT initiated the research, wrote the research proposal, conducted the research, did data entry and analysis and wrote the manuscript. DB and YD involved in methodology, writing, reviewing and editing of research proposal and manuscript; and GS did data entry and analysis and writing the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
We would like to acknowledge ILRI-LIVES project funded by Global Affairs of Canada for the financial support to conduct this study.
Collected and analyzed data during the current study are available upon on reasonable request from the corresponding author.
Not applicable since the study involved onion plants.
The research funded by ILRI-LIVES project which funded by Global Affairs of Canada. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript.


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Q: How to hard reinstall PyCharm and Python? I have been using Python with PyCharm with virtual environments and GitHub and there has been a lot of trial and error. I want to start fresh. I uninstalled Python and PyCharm with Windows's remove apps.
When uninstalling PyCharm I clicked option to delete everything there was to delete. Then I reinstalled restarted Windows and installed Python again and then PyCharm. When I launched PyCharm everything was exactly the same as before: same projects, same interpreters / virtual environments, same dependencies and same git capabilities.
I would really like to start fresh since now I have at least some more knowledge of these things, but can't seem to do so. I am not worried about losing my projects since the important ones are on GitHub.

A: You will have to manually delete a few directories used by the IDE and individual projects. This is an important fail-safe so you don't lose all your work and configurations should you need to reinstall PyCharm or uninstall it by mistake.
See the documentation:

Directories used by the IDE
By default, PyCharm stores user-specific files for each IDE instance (configuration, caches, plugins, logs, and so on) in the user's home directory. However, you can change the location for storing those files, if necessary.

This JetBrains blog post is also worth considering Directories used by the IDE to store settings, caches, plugins and logs.
For example,

same interpreters / virtual environments

An interpreter is just a directory with a Python executable and installed libraries. Although the PyCharm IDE can index and keep track of your interpreters they are independent and you'll have to delete them separately when needed.

same projects

Each individual project contains a directory called .idea where the IDE settings for that project are stored. You can delete the .idea directory and keep the source code.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: How are deciles defined when you have very few records to compute it? How are deciles defined when you have very few records to compute it?
For ex: ntile(10) as defined by standard frameworks, over, say, [1,2,3,4] gives us [(1,1), (2,2), (3,3), (4,4)]

A: Personally, I'd say that deciles are silly if you have N < about 40 and utterly silly if N < 10. R offers 9 different variations of quantiles and deciles gives different results with different types for (1,2,3,4).  E.g. for type 1 it gives:
1   1   2   2   2   3   3   4   4

but for type 3 it gives
 1   1   1   2   2   2   3   3   4

is the third decile of this 1 or 2? Who knows? Who cares? Why ask?  It's a case where taking deciles gives less information with more numbers!


text:
Connecticut Residents Once Again Urged to "Pick Up the Phone!" to Support Largest-Ever Survey – Over 75 Leading Foundations, Hospitals, and Local Agencies Join DataHaven Initiative
by Mark Abraham Mar. 19, 2018 Comments
Contacts: Mark Abraham, info [at] ctdatahaven.org, 203.500.7059, www.ctdatahaven.org
Connecticut Residents Once Again Urged to "Pick Up the Phone!" to Support Largest-Ever Survey on Neighborhood-Level Quality of Life, Health, and Happiness – Over 75 Leading Foundations, Hospitals, and Local Agencies Join DataHaven Initiative
At least 15,000 randomly-selected residents of all towns and cities in Connecticut will participate in the 2018 DataHaven Community Wellbeing Survey's live, in-depth interviews
NEW HAVEN, CT, March 20, 2018 - How happy are you? Have you seen a dentist lately? Are local government officials responsive to your needs?
Those are just a few of the questions being asked by friendly survey-takers helping DataHaven and dozens of leading community and charitable groups throughout Connecticut complete what is believed to be the largest neighborhood-level well-being survey in the United States. A record number of participants will pick up the phone and complete an interview - over 15,000 by the time the 2018 DataHaven Community Wellbeing Survey is complete.
"Our initial feedback from residents and our previous experience with this survey shows that people like to answer these questions," says Mark Abraham, Executive Director of DataHaven. "They are answering questions about their own happiness and health, their family's financial security, and how their communities and neighborhoods are faring. These questions show that we care about how they feel."
DataHaven, the nonprofit group leading the collection and study of neighborhood-level public data on key social and economic indicators, announced the first statewide Community Wellbeing Survey in 2015 (see https://www.ctphilanthropy.org/news/datahaven-announces-completion-largest-ever-survey-neighborhood-level-quality-life-health-and). The 2018 Community Wellbeing Survey will allow unprecedented tracking of regional and local trends over the past three years, as well as create an even more in-depth portrait of Connecticut's neighborhoods, when updated results are shared this fall.
After seeing the impact of the 2015 survey results, over 75 of Connecticut's leading hospitals, government agencies, and charitable organizations have decided, once again, to support the 2018 Community Wellbeing Survey with major donations. Supporters joining DataHaven include regional community foundations, United Ways, and health care providers located in Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford, Waterbury, Norwalk, Danbury, New Britain, Greenwich, Meriden, Middletown, New London, Derby, and other cities and towns.
Residents throughout Connecticut and several areas of New York State will receive phone calls from survey-takers at the Siena College Research Institute - generally appearing as a 203 or 518 area code - beginning this month. Calls continue this spring and summer.
DataHaven's 2018 Community Wellbeing Survey implores residents to, "Make a difference: Pick up your cell phone or home phone, help your community learn more about your needs, and tell us what you want to see to promote greater happiness and well-being in your neighborhood," says Abraham.
"UNITED BY DATA": FUNDERS AND SUPPORTERS FOR THE 2018 COMMUNITY WELLBEING SURVEY
Unlike most statewide and national surveys, the DataHaven program brings together grassroots efforts across the state - effectively unifying dozens of existing regional surveys into a single, exceptionally high-quality program that covers the entire state. The mission of the initiative is to produce reliable neighborhood-level information on issues that are most meaningful to local residents, and to foster collaboration between the hundreds of organizations, institutions, businesses, and agencies that are working to build stronger communities. This nationally recognized program provides neighborhood- and regional-level information not available from any other source on community vitality, health, family economic security, and individual happiness. Other topics such as civic engagement, transportation, housing, and employment - even satisfaction with government and community life - are included.
"We believe the 2018 Community Wellbeing Survey, the most comprehensive local-level survey of its type in the United States, will continue to be of great value to neighborhoods and organizations striving to make our cities and towns even better places to live and work," says Abraham.
Results from the survey will be published in a series of local and statewide reports throughout 2018 and 2019, helping to shed light on progress being made toward community priorities, including financial security for families, access to affordable health care, public health and safety, and opportunities for children to succeed, as well as on current challenges, such as the opioid epidemic, housing instability, and limited transportation options. Dozens of reports and studies have used data from the Community Wellbeing Survey, including many that are posted on the DataHaven website.
"The ability to collect and track community-level data over time helps Connecticut's philanthropic organizations more deeply understand the issues they aim to address, target solutions, and measure progress made over time," said Karla Fortunato, president of the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy. "We're delighted to see so many philanthropic and other organizations come together to support DataHaven's work to understand how Connecticut's residents experience quality of life, health, and happiness, neighborhood by neighborhood."
DataHaven designed the 2018 Community Wellbeing Survey with support from over 120 government, academic, health care, and community partners, about 75 of whom are supplying funding for its expansion. Partners providing the over one million dollars required for the program are representative of each region:
• In Fairfield County and the Greater Danbury area, organizations including Fairfield County's Community Foundation, Greater Bridgeport Primary Care Action Group, Stamford Hospital, Greenwich Hospital, Western Connecticut Health Network, Newtown-Sandy Hook Community Foundation, United Way of Coastal Fairfield County, United Way of Western Connecticut, Norwalk Health Department, City of Stamford, and the City of Danbury are funders.
• In the Greater New Haven and Naugatuck Valley areas, funders include The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, Connecticut Community Foundation, Valley Community Foundation, Yale New Haven Hospital, Griffin Hospital, Waterbury Hospital, Saint Mary's Hospital, Carolyn Foundation, City of New Haven, City of Waterbury, Town of Wallingford Health Department, United Way of Greater New Haven, United Way of Greater Waterbury, Milford Health Department, Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, Greater New Haven Green Fund, and others.
• In Greater Hartford and New Britain, the program has drawn support from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center, Hartford HealthCare, Johnson Memorial Medical Center, City of Hartford, Central Connecticut Health District, Trinity College Center for Urban and Global Studies, Capitol Region Council of Governments, Hospital for Special Care, and others.
• Additionally, DataHaven has secured funding to ensure that residents of Connecticut's smaller cities and rural areas are included to the same degree as those living in its major metropolitan areas. Support has been committed from organizations including Connecticut Health Foundation, Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, Ledge Light Health District, Middlesex Hospital, the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut, Eastern Highlands Health District, Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, Pomperaug Health District, Liberty Bank Foundation, the Foundation for Community Health Fund of the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation, the Meriden Health Department, Day Kimball Hospital, and Northeast District Department of Health.
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For more details and interviews, please contact Mark Abraham at 203.500.7059, info [at] ctdatahaven.org
DataHaven is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization with a 25-year history of public service to Greater New Haven and Connecticut. DataHaven's mission is to improve quality of life by collecting, sharing, and interpreting public data for effective decision-making. Since 1992, DataHaven has worked with area organizations and agencies to develop reports and tools that make information more useful to the community. DataHaven maintains extensive economic, social, and health data, including information collected through its Community Wellbeing Survey. DataHaven is a formal partner of the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership, a collaborative national effort by the Urban Institute and approximately 40 local partners to further the development and use of neighborhood information systems in local policymaking and community building. For more information, visit www.ctdatahaven.org.
Data Reveals Hidden Concerns Amid Upturn
Survey: Jobs Make The Difference In Hamden Happiness
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Fusioncharts custom color based on object attribute I'm trying to hack into the FusionCharts object to control color of each data element independently of the basic "paletteColors" object.
I need to modify it so that, for example all items with label "New" get the same color (red for example). And all items with the label "Complete" get a specific color (gray for example).
So, I can have multiple charts, each with different data (one chart may have "New" and "Complete" data labels and another chart may have "Funding" and "Errors" label) but the color values will be distinct for each data point across multiple charts.
$.each(jsonDataPoints, function (index, obj) {
            var hoverText = obj.label + " (" + obj.value + ")";
            obj.toolText = hoverText; //This sets the text to display when a pie chart is hovered.
            obj.displayValue = hoverText; //This sets the chart labels.

                if (obj.label = "New") {
                    obj.color = "#ff0000";
                }
                else if(obj.label = "Complete") {
                    obj.color = "#cccccc";
                }
                else if(obj.label = "Funding") {
                    obj.color = "#888888";
                }

                else{
                    obj.color = "#000000";
                }
        });

var pieChart = new FusionCharts({
            type: 'pie2D',
            renderAt: containerId,
            registerWithJS: '1',
            dataFormat: 'json',
            dataSource: {
                "chart": {
                    "enableRotation": "0",
                    "animation": "1",
                    "showToolTip": "1",
                    "showPercentInTooltip": "0",
                    "showBorder": "0",
                    "showLegend": "0",
                    "decimals": "1",
                    "formatNumber": "1",
                    "formatNumberScale": "0",
                    "inthousandSeparator": ",",
                    "indecimalSeparator": ".",
                    "enableSmartLabels": "1",
                    "height": "100%",
                    "width": "100%",
                    "bgColor": "#FFFFFF",
                    //"paletteColors": "E58403,60CA9E,8F5097,569C3F,2D6CA2,5B6770,8F6A2A,5F407A,872B4B,572C5F,244C5A",
                    "chartBottomMargin": "5",
                    "chartTopMargin": "5",
                    "showPlotBorder": "1",
                    "plotBorderColor": "#FFFFFF",
                    "plotBorderThickness": "1",
                    "startingAngle": "90"
                },
                "data": jsonDataPoints
            }
        });
        pieChart.render();

In other words, I don't want "Funding" to have the same chart color as "New". I want "Funding" to always be the same color no matter which chart it appears in (I have a dashboard with 3-4 charts)
Am I on the right track with the code below? Obviously I'm missing something because it's not working (all values are red, which is the same as the "New" label. New should be red but each subsequent data point should have its own unique color as specified in my if/else code branch below)


crusher association in kollam Details of crushers in Kollam District An indefinite strike launched by the All-Kerala Quarry Association Wayanad district committee . View quotes >> All Kerala Crusher Owners Association, Kerala Contacts.
IMA Kollam, (Indian Medical Association, Kollam Branch) is a local branch under IMA Kerala State. It is one of the oldest branches in Kerala established as an association of doctors in 1942. It was one of the 5 branches of Travancore Medical Association which later intergrated with IMA.
Get the list of companies in Kollam with contact details. We provide list of top companies in Kollam , MNC Companies in Kollam, Private Limited Companies in Kollam , Public Limited Companies in Kollam , Govt Companies in Kollam. Also avail accurate database with contact details of CEO/MD, CIO, CFO, HR, Sales, Marketing head, Admin Head,Purchase head of these companies.
Kerala Cricket Association was formed in the year 1951 and is affiliated to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Kerala State Sports Authority (KSSA) in the State. There are fourteen district cricket association affiliated to it.
The Cashew Export Promotion Council of India(CEPC) was established by the Government of India in the year 1955, with the active cooperation of the cashew industry with the object of promoting exports of cashew kernels and cashewnut shell liquid from India.
Crushers In Kollam Our crushing plant manufacturers design and sale jaw crusher, impact crusher, cone crusher, VSI crusher etc.Chat Now crusher association in kollam Chat With Sales Crusher Jobs in Cochin KollamCrusher Openings in Cochin .
Kollam District Kickboxing Association is on Facebook. To connect with Kollam District Kickboxing Association, join Facebook today.
The 8 hours boat ride from Kollam to Alappuzha is the longest cruise in Kerala and is delightful ride with lotuses and water lilies all around The historic Thangasseri Fort is near Kollam, which is situated 71 km north of Thiruvananathapuram.
khsmsa. Kerala Health Services Ministerial Staff Association is the one and only organization for the ministerial staff of Health Services Department ,irrespective of party politics. It stands for the overall development and welfare of its members.
Quilon Management Association, is a prestigious apex body of professional management in Kollam. QMA is affiliated to All India Management Association. Helping managers and organizations to meet corporate challenges is the prime objective of QMA.
Chess Association Kollam, in association with Prakash Kalakendram decided to organize Kerala State One Day Open Prize Money Chess Tournament for the registered players of Chess Association Kollam & Chess Association Kerala for the year 2018, on 5 th August 2018 at Prakash Kalakendram Neeravil, Kollam.
Kollam District Kickboxing Championship 2017-18 ,😍🙋👍👍💪💪💪 🙏💥💥💥💥💥 #Championship #KKA #KDKA #KOLLAM 9 Autharized Kickboxing training centre of Kerala Kickboxing Association KKA ( WAKO Kerala) in Kollam District.
Signet Association is one of the fastest growing consumer goods marketing firms in Kerala. Located in Madamnada, Kollam district of Kerala, Signet has been growing since its formation in the year 2011 and has branches at Kollam and Trivandrum.
Aug 13, 2015· AKITDA Kollam district recently held a zone meet to review the activities of the association in the region. E Commerce, taxation and southward trend in the business were some of the prominent topics discussed in the event.


text:
Hurricanes have to overturn Sixers' record
Scott BaileyAAP
Sun, 22 January 2017 10:33AM
Hobart will have to overturn a daunting zero-and-five record against the Sydney Sixers if they are to make their first Women's Big Bash League final.
After entering the tournament as outsiders, the Hurricanes shocked the competition by reaching their second consecutive finals series on Saturday after a final-over win against the higher-profile Melbourne Stars.
Brisbane meet Perth in the first semi-final on Wednesday as the Hurricanes deal with a case of deja vu .
After qualifying second last year, Hobart were trounced by 10-wickets in a rain-affected match by the Sydney side last summer.
They have also been beaten by them twice in this season's tournament, as well as in both their meeting's during last summer's regular season.
They'll be particularly weary of seamer Sarah Aley at the Gabba on Wednesday afternoon., who has claimed 12 wickets in their five clashes at an average of 6.8
Meanwhile, Saturday's win over the Stars at Bellerive Oval consigned the Melbourne side to miss their second-consecutive finals series despite their star-studded line up.
Coming into the final day of the regular season in third position, the Stars needed to either defeat Hobart, or have Brisbane lose to Adelaide, to qualify for the top four.
However those hopes began to eradicate when both the last-placed Strikers and Heat were tied on 127 at the end of their 20 overs.
Adelaide then endured a difficult super over, scoring just 3-4 before Brisbane chased down the target in two balls.
The Stars then still remained in the hunt, when they had the Hurricanes 6-124, in pursuit of 136 for victory, heading into the last over.
However Corrine Hall and Emma Thompson both struck boundaries straight of the wicket to wrap up the Hobart win with a ball to spare, sealing the Stars' fate.
The Sixers path to the finals and top spot was much simpler after they easily accounted for the Melbourne Renegades by 35 runs on Saturday, Alyssa Healy top scoring with 84 off just 56 balls.
Meanwhile Brisbane will take on Perth at the WACA on Tuesday, after the Scorchers stumbled against defending-champions Sydney Thunder on Saturday to throw away the minor premiership.
After posting 4-131 from their 20 overs, and watching the Thunder fly to 1-84 in the 13th over, the Scorchers claimed 3-2 late in the innings to send flutters through the Sydney team's camp.
However they eventually chased own the target with five balls and five wickets to spare, meaning Perth were left second on the ladder, eying a fixture with the fast-finishing Heat who have won three of their last four.
The two teams have split their two matches between them so far this summer.
Smith, Finch, Maxwell dropped by IPL teams
Shakib back for Bangladesh in style
'Admin arrogance' to blame over Gabba scheduling
Rajasthan drop captain Steve Smith in IPL
Selectors to stew on Aussie XI for SAfrica


text:
Plastic injection tech speeds up DOST, Bataan Peninsula StateU's face shields production from 50 to 5k daily
Eldan Sambatyon
The collaboration between DOST and Bataan Peninsula State University has raised face shields mass production quantity from 50 to 5,000 daily.
Face shields production by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and Bataan Peninsula State University has been ramped up with the use of plastic injection technology.
The Bataan Peninsula State University – Additive Manufacturing Research Laboratory (BPSU-AMREL) created a process that combines 3D printing and injection molding in creating face shields at a faster pace but in a more customizable manner.
The project is funded by the DOST – Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development.
Two research and development institutes of DOST and the research laboratory in the state university devoted their resources to creating the face shields to be distributed to various hospitals in the country.
DOST Metals Industry Research and Development Center (DOST-MIRDC), led by its Executive Director Engr. Robert O. Dizon, is now doing mass production of face shields using injection mold.
"Initially, we produced 3D printed face shields as our stop-gap measure. But we wanted to help meet the high demand for face shields, that is why we geared up for mass production. We fabricated the mold for the face shield frames at the DOST-MIRDC, and we mass produce using a technology called the plastic injection.
"The frame and the acetate together make up the face shield, these are secured with a garter. We have technology partners who joined us in this cause, and so now we are able to ramp up our production to around 5000 face shields per day," said Executive Director Dizon.
MIRDC initially produced 40-50 face shields per day through the Additive Manufacturing Center that used five (5) 3D printers.
BPSU-AMREL Project Leader Dr. John Ray Dizon said that they looked at the process of using 3D printing, for creating customizable molds, and injection molding, for mass production of the face shields. He further said that this process can be used as well for other items that need customization but in a smaller quantity.
Photo from DOST.
The Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI), another DOST research and development institute, initially delivered to the Philippine Heart Center 100 3D printed face shields. Led by ITDI Director Dr. Annabelle V. Briones, the agency worked 24 hours to produce the face shields and more will be produced by the Philippine Science High School Main Campus with the materials provided by DOST-ITDI.
PSHS had recently lent its facilities to house patients and health workers from the Philippine Children's Medical Center.
Face shields have been created by various groups to help protect our health workers and frontliners from COVID-19 infection, among them Batangas State University and UP Visayas students.
The DOST and many more groups have leveled up the face shield production to provide hospital frontliners more protective equipment in their fight against COVID-19. Pooling resources, talent, and ingenuity have helped to support our healthcare workers in battling the coronavirus pandemic.
SEND CHEERS in the comments below to the DOST-Bataan Peninsula State University collaboration to provide more face shields to our health workers.
Want to know how to be a Proud Pinoy? Like, Follow, Subscribe to GoodNewsPilipinas.com and our socials Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Good News Pilipinas! TV on YouTube, for new story notifications and e-mail newsletters for updates on more Filipino Pride stories.
Bataan Peninsula State University
DOST Face shields
face shields production 50 to 5k daily
frontliners
Plastic injection
speeds production
Eldan is an experienced online content writer who finds fulfillment in sharing the good side of the news to Filipinos.
Filipino scientist invents alternative to LPG-fueled cooking stove
Alternative to plastic packaging using Philippines' plants wins Global Innovators Grand Prize
6 Ways To Do Digital CleanUp


text:
package com.evolveum.midpoint.model.common.expression.evaluator;

import java.util.Collection;

import javax.xml.bind.JAXBElement;
import javax.xml.namespace.QName;

import org.apache.commons.lang.Validate;

import com.evolveum.midpoint.model.common.ConstantsManager;
import com.evolveum.midpoint.prism.ItemDefinition;
import com.evolveum.midpoint.prism.PrismContext;
import com.evolveum.midpoint.prism.PrismValue;
import com.evolveum.midpoint.prism.crypto.Protector;
import com.evolveum.midpoint.repo.common.expression.ExpressionEvaluator;
import com.evolveum.midpoint.repo.common.expression.ExpressionEvaluatorFactory;
import com.evolveum.midpoint.schema.result.OperationResult;
import com.evolveum.midpoint.task.api.Task;
import com.evolveum.midpoint.util.exception.ObjectNotFoundException;
import com.evolveum.midpoint.util.exception.SchemaException;
import com.evolveum.midpoint.xml.ns._public.common.common_3.ConstExpressionEvaluatorType;
import com.evolveum.midpoint.xml.ns._public.common.common_3.ObjectFactory;

/**
 * @author semancik
 *
 */
public class ConstExpressionEvaluatorFactory implements ExpressionEvaluatorFactory {

	private Protector protector;
	private ConstantsManager constantsManager;
	private PrismContext prismContext;

	public ConstExpressionEvaluatorFactory(Protector protector, ConstantsManager constantsManager, PrismContext prismContext) {
		super();
		this.protector = protector;
		this.constantsManager = constantsManager;
		this.prismContext = prismContext;
	}

	@Override
	public QName getElementName() {
		return new ObjectFactory().createConst(new ConstExpressionEvaluatorType()).getName();
	}

	/* (non-Javadoc)
	 * @see com.evolveum.midpoint.common.expression.ExpressionEvaluatorFactory#createEvaluator(javax.xml.bind.JAXBElement, com.evolveum.midpoint.prism.PrismContext)
	 */
	@Override
	public <V extends PrismValue,D extends ItemDefinition> ExpressionEvaluator<V,D> createEvaluator(Collection<JAXBElement<?>> evaluatorElements,
																									D outputDefinition, String contextDescription, Task task, OperationResult result)
					throws SchemaException, ObjectNotFoundException {

        Validate.notNull(outputDefinition, "output definition must be specified for 'generate' expression evaluator");

        Validate.notNull(outputDefinition, "output definition must be specified for path expression evaluator");

		if (evaluatorElements.size() > 1) {
			throw new SchemaException("More than one evaluator specified in "+contextDescription);
		}
		JAXBElement<?> evaluatorElement = evaluatorElements.iterator().next();

		Object evaluatorElementObject = evaluatorElement.getValue();
		 if (!(evaluatorElementObject instanceof ConstExpressionEvaluatorType)) {
		        throw new IllegalArgumentException("Const expression cannot handle elements of type "
		        		+ evaluatorElementObject.getClass().getName()+" in "+contextDescription);
		}

		return new ConstExpressionEvaluator<V,D>((ConstExpressionEvaluatorType)evaluatorElementObject, outputDefinition, protector, constantsManager, prismContext);
	}

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Afrika
 Ägypten
 König: Ptolemaios II. (285–246 v. Chr.)

Asien
 Bithynien
 König: Nikomedes I. (280–ca. 254)

 China
 Han
 Marquis: Xi (295–273 v. Chr.)
 Lu
 Herzog: Qing Gong (279–256 v. Chr.)
 Qin:
 König: Zhaoxiang (307–250 v. Chr.)
 Wei
 König: Anxi (277–243 v. Chr.)
 Zhou
 König: Nan (314–256 v. Chr.)

 Iberien (Kartlien)
 König: Parnawas I. (299–234 v. Chr.)

 Indien
 Maurya-Reich
 König: Bindusara (297–268 v. Chr.)

 Japan (Legendäre Kaiser)
 Kaiser: Kōrei (290–215 v. Chr.)

 Korea
 Go-Joseon
 König: Goyeolga (295–239 v. Chr.)

 Pergamon
 König: Philetairos (302–263 v. Chr.)

 Pontus
 König: Mithridates I. (281–266 v. Chr.)

 Seleukidenreich
 König: Antiochos I. (281–261 v. Chr.)

Europa
 Bosporanisches Reich
 König: Pairisades II. (284/283–245 v. Chr.)

 Epirus
 König: Pyrrhos I. (297–272 v. Chr.)

 Griechenland
 Sparta
 König der Agiaden: Areus I. (309–265 v. Chr.)
 König der Eurypontiden: Eudamidas II. (275–244 v. Chr.)

 Makedonien
 König: Antigonos II. Gonatas (277–239 v. Chr.)

 Odrysisches Königreich
 König: Cotys II. (295–270 v. Chr.)

 Römische Republik
 Konsul: Gaius Fabius Dorso Licinus (273 v. Chr.)
 Konsul: Gaius Claudius Canina (273 v. Chr.)

 Sizilien
 Syrakus
 Herrscher: Hieron II. (275–215 v. Chr., ab 260 v. Chr. als König)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Understanding the provenance of ice-rafted debris (IRD) provides a means to link the behavior of individual ice sheets to proxy records of climate change. Here we present a new approach to determining IRD provenance using U-Pb geochronology of detrital minerals rutile and zircon. We characterize potential source regions from Scotland using detrital rutile from modern fluvial systems, and demonstrate that their unimodal rutile U-Pb ages reflect the timing of the last amphibolite facies metamorphism of the source rocks, imparting a distinctive source signature. Contrasts between these spectra and the bimodal IRD (ca. 470 Ma and ca. 1800-2000 Ma) rutile age signatures rule out Scotland as the sole source and suggest a Laurentian contribution; IRD zircon ages further support this view. U-Pb mineral dating has the potential to provide new insight on IRD provenance, because it allows linkage between IRD and individual source terranes based on their differing magmatic and tectonothermal histories. The occurrence of Laurentian-sourced IRD proximal to Scotland demonstrates widespread and rapid dispersal of debris across the subpolar North Atlantic during the Older Dryas cold oscillation, and implicates the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation as a control. This highlights the sensitivity of some IRD records to rapid climate change during the last deglaciation and supports the interpretation of Heinrich events as time-parallel marker horizons.


Bile acids, synthesized by hepatocytes from cholesterol, are specific and quantitatively important organic components of bile, where they are the main driving force of the osmotic process that generates bile flow toward the canaliculus. The bile acid pool comprises a variety of species of amphipathic acidic steroids. They are not mere detergent molecules that play a key role in fat digestion and the intestinal absorption of hydrophobic compounds present in the intestinal lumen after meals, including liposoluble vitamins. They are now known to be involved in the regulation of multiple functions in liver cells, mainly hepatocytes and cholangiocytes, and also in extrahepatic tissues. The identification of nuclear receptors, such as farnesoid X receptor (FXR or NR1H4), and plasma membrane receptors, such as the G protein-coupled bile acid receptor (TGR5, GPBAR1 or MBAR), which are able to trigger specific and complex responses upon activation (with dissimilar sensitivities) by different bile acid molecular species and synthetic agonists, has opened a new and promising field of research whose implications extend to physiology, pathology and pharmacology. In addition, pharmacological development has taken advantage of advances in the understanding of the chemistry and biology of bile acids and the biological systems that interact with them, which in addition to the receptors include several families of transporters and export pumps, to generate novel bile acid derivatives aimed at treating different liver diseases, such as cholestasis, biliary diseases, metabolic disorders and cancer. This review is an update of the role of bile acids in health and disease.
Keywords: SIGNALING PATHWAYS; VESICULAR TRAFFICKING; URSODEOXYCHOLATE; cAMP; HEPATOCELLULAR TRANSPORTERS; CHOLESTASIS; BILE SALTS; Inmunología; Medicina Básica; CIENCIAS MÉDICAS Y DE LA SALUD.
Estradiol-17β-d-glucuronide (E17G) induces acute endocytic internalization of canalicular transporters, including multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (Abcc2) in rat, generating cholestasis. Several proteins organized in at least two different signaling pathways are involved in E17G cholestasis: one pathway involves estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), Ca2+-dependent protein kinase C and p38-mitogen activated protein kinase, and the other pathway involves GPR30, PKA, phosphoinositide 3-kinase/AKT and extracellular signal-related kinase 1/2. EGF receptor (EGFR) can potentially participate in both pathways since it interacts with GPR30 and ERα. Hence, the aim of this study was to analyze the potential role of this receptor and its downstream effectors, members of the Src family kinases in E17G-induced cholestasis. In vitro, EGFR inhibition by Tyrphostin (Tyr), Cl-387785 or its knockdown with siRNA strongly prevented E17G-induced impairment of Abcc2 function and localization. Activation of EGFR was necessary but not sufficient to impair the canalicular transporter function, whereas the simultaneous activation of EGFR and GPR30 could impair Abcc2 transport. The protection of Tyr was not additive to that produced by the ERα inhibitor ICI neither with that produced by Src kinase inhibitors, suggesting that EGFR shared the signaling pathway of ERα and Src. Further analysis of ERα, EGFR and Src activations induced by E17G, demonstrated that ERα activation precedes that of EGFR and EGFR activation precedes that of Src. In conclusion, activation of EGFR is a key factor in the alteration of canalicular transporter function and localization induced by E17G and it occurs before that of Src and after that of ERα.
Keywords: ABC TRANSPORTERS; CHOLESTASIS; MRP2; SRC KINASE; Inmunología; Medicina Básica; CIENCIAS MÉDICAS Y DE LA SALUD.
Objective: The endogenous, cholestatic metabolite estradiol 17ß-d-glucuronide (E217G) induces endocytic internalization of the canalicular transporters relevant to bile formation, Bsep and Mrp2. We evaluated here whether MAPKs are involved in this effect. Design: ERK1/2, JNK1/2, and p38 MAPK activation was assessed by the increase in their phosphorylation status. Hepatocanalicular function was evaluated in isolated rat hepatocyte couplets (IRHCs) by quantifying the apical secretion of fluorescent Bsep and Mrp2 substrates, and in isolated, perfused rat livers (IPRLs), using taurocholate and 2,4-dinitrophenyl-S-glutathione, respectively. Protein kinase participation in E217G-induced secretory failure was assessed by co-administering selective inhibitors. Internalization of Bsep/Mrp2 was assessed by confocal microscopy and image analysis. Results: E217G activated all kinds of MAPKs. The PI3K inhibitor wortmannin prevented ERK1/2 activation, whereas the cPKC inhibitor Gö6976 prevented p38 activation, suggesting that ERK1/2 and p38 are downstream of PI3K and cPKC, respectively. The p38 inhibitor SB203580 and the ERK1/2 inhibitor PD98059, but not the JNK1/2 inhibitor SP600125, partially prevented E217G-induced changes in transporter activity and localization in IRHCs. p38 and ERK1/2 co-inhibition resulted in additive protection, suggesting complementary involvement of these MAPKs. In IPRLs, E217G induced endocytosis of canalicular transporters and a rapid and sustained decrease in bile flow and biliary excretion of Bsep/Mrp2 substrates. p38 inhibition prevented this initial decay, and the internalization of Bsep/Mrp2. Contrarily, ERK1/2 inhibition accelerated the recovery of biliary secretion and the canalicular reinsertion of Bsep/Mrp2. Conclusions: cPKC/p38 MAPK and PI3K/ERK1/2 signalling pathways participate complementarily in E217G-induced cholestasis, through internalization and sustained intracellular retention of canalicular transporters, respectively.
Keywords: Estradiol 17ß-D-glucuronide cholestasis;; P38 MAPK; ERK1/2; Canalicular transporter internalization; Toxicología; Medicina Básica; CIENCIAS MÉDICAS Y DE LA SALUD.
Keywords: AC; Abcb11; Abcc2; GPR30; PKA; cAMP; Fisiología; Medicina Básica; CIENCIAS MÉDICAS Y DE LA SALUD.
BACKGROUND: Estradiol-17β-D-glucuronide (E17G) induces cholestasis in vivo, endocytic internalization of the canalicular transporters multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (Abcc2) and bile salt export pump (Abcb11) being a key pathomechanism. Cyclic AMP (cAMP) prevents cholestasis by targeting these transporters back to the canalicular membrane. In hepatocyte couplets, glucagon and salbutamol, both of which increase cAMP, prevented E17G action by stimulating the trafficking of these transporters by different mechanisms, namely: glucagon activates a protein kinase A-dependent pathway, whereas salbutamol activates an exchange-protein activated by cAMP (Epac)-mediated, microtubule-dependent pathway. METHODS: The present study evaluated whether glucagon and salbutamol prevent E17G-induced cholestasis in a more physiological model, i.e., the perfused rat liver (PRL). Additionally, the preventive effect of in vivo alanine administration, which induces pancreatic glucagon secretion, was evaluated. RESULTS: In PRLs, glucagon and salbutamol prevented E17G-induced decrease in both bile flow and the secretory activity of Abcc2 and Abcb11. Salbutamol prevention fully depended on microtubule integrity. On the other hand, glucagon prevention was microtubule-independent only at early time periods after E17G administration, but it was ultimately affected by the microtubule disrupter colchicine. Cholestasis was associated with endocytic internalization of Abcb11 and Abcc2, the intracellular carriers being partially colocalized with the endosomal marker Rab11a. This effect was completely prevented by salbutamol, whereas some transporter-containing vesicles remained colocalized with Rab11a after glucagon treatment. In vivo, alanine administration increased hepatic cAMP and accelerated the recovery of bile flow and Abcb11/Abcc2 transport function after E17G administration. The initial recovery afforded by alanine was microtubule-independent, but microtubule integrity was required to sustain this protective effect. CONCLUSION: We conclude that modulation of cAMP levels either by direct administration of cAMP modulators or by physiological manipulations leadings to hormone-mediated increase of cAMP levels (alanine administration), prevents estrogen-induced cholestasis in models with preserved liver architecture, through mechanisms similar to those arisen from in vitro studies.
Keywords: Colestasis; AMPc; Abcb11; Abcc2; Fisiología; Medicina Básica; CIENCIAS MÉDICAS Y DE LA SALUD.
In previous studies, we showed that the pro-oxidant model agent tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tBuOOH) induces alterations in hepatocanalicular secretory function by activating Ca2+-dependent protein kinase C isoforms (cPKC), via F-actin disorganization followed by endocytic internalization of canalicular transporters relevant to bile formation (Mrp2, Bsep). Since mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) may be downstream effectors of cPKC, we investigated here the involvement of the MAPKs of the ERK1/2, JNK1/2, and p38MAPK types in these deleterious effects. tBuOOH (100 µM, 15 min) increased the proportion of the active, phosphorylated forms of ERK1/2, JNK1/2, and p38MAPK, and panspecific PKC inhibition with bisindolylmaleimide-1 (100 nM) or selective cPKC inhibition with Gö6976 (1 μM) prevented the latter two events. In isolated rat hepatocyte couplets, tBuOOH (100 µM, 15 min) decreased the canalicular vacuolar accumulation of the fluorescent Bsep and Mrp2 substrates, cholylglycylamido fluorescein, and glutathione-methylfluorescein, respectively, and selective inhibitors of ERK1/2 (PD098059), JNK1/2 (SP600125), and p38MAPK (SB203580) partially prevented these alterations. In in situ perfused rat livers, these three MAPK inhibitors prevented tBuOOH (75 µM)-induced impairment of bile flow and the decrease in the biliary output of the Bsep and Mrp2 substrates, taurocholate, and dinitrophenyl-S-glutathione, respectively. The changes in Bsep/Mrp2 and F-actin localization induced by tBuOOH, as assessed by (immuno)fluorescence staining followed by analysis of confocal images, were prevented total or partially by the MAPK inhibitors. We concluded that MAPKs of the ERK1/2, JNK1/2, and p38MAPK types are all involved in cholestasis induced by oxidative stress, by promoting F-actin rearrangement and further endocytic internalization of canalicular transporters critical for bile formation.
Keywords: ACTIN CYTOSKELETON; CANALICULAR TRANSPORTERS; HEPATOCELLULAR CHOLESTASIS; MITOGEN-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASES; OXIDATIVE STRESS; Inmunología; Medicina Básica; CIENCIAS MÉDICAS Y DE LA SALUD.
In estradiol 17β-d-glucuronide (E17G)–induced cholestasis, the canalicular hepatocellular transporters bile salt export pump (Abcb11) and multidrug-resistance associated protein 2 (Abcc2) undergo endocytic internalization. cAMP stimulates the trafficking of transporter-containing vesicles to the apical membrane and is able to prevent internalization of these transporters in estrogen-induced cholestasis. Hepatocyte levels of cAMP are regulated by hormones such as glucagon and adrenaline (via the β2 receptor). We analyzed the effects of glucagon and salbutamol (a β2 adrenergic agonist) on function and localization of Abcb11 and Abcc2 in isolated rat hepatocyte couplets exposed to E17G and compared the mechanistic bases of their effects. Glucagon and salbutamol partially prevented the impairment in Abcb11 and Abcc2 transport capacity. E17G also induced endocytic internalization of Abcb11 and Abcc2, which partially colocalized with the endosomal marker Rab11a. This effect was completely prevented by salbutamol, whereas some transporter-containing vesicles remained internalized and mainly colocalizing with Rab11a in the perinuclear region after incubation with glucagon. Glucagon prevention was dependent on cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) and independent of exchange proteins activated directly by cAMP (Epac) and microtubules. In contrast, salbutamol prevention was PKA independent and Epac/MEK and microtubule dependent. Anticholestatic effects of glucagon and salbutamol were additive in nature. Our results show that increases in cAMP could activate different anticholestatic signaling pathways, depending on the hormonal mediator involved.
Keywords: AMPc; Colestasis; Estrógenos; Tansportadores canaliculares; Fisiología; Medicina Básica; CIENCIAS MÉDICAS Y DE LA SALUD.
At present, it has not been systematically evaluated whether the functional alterations induced by cholestatic compounds in canalicular transporters involved in bile formation can be reproduced in sandwich-cultured rat hepatocytes (SCRHs). Here, we focused on two clinically relevant cholestatic agents, such as estradiol 17β-dglucuronide (E17G) and taurolithocholate (TLC), also testing the ability of dibutyryl cyclic AMP (DBcAMP) to prevent their effects. SCRHs were incubated with E17G (200 μM) or TLC (2.5 μM) for 30 min, with or without pre-incubation with DBcAMP (10 μM) for 15 min. Then, he increase in glutathione methyl fluorescein (GS-MF)-associated fluorescence inside the canaliculi was monitored by quantitative time-lapse imaging, and Mrp2 transport activity was calculated by measuring the slope of the time-course fluorescence curves during the initial linear phase, which was considered to be the Mrp2-mediated initial transport rate (ITR). E17G and TLC impaired canalicular bile formation, as evidenced by a decrease in both the bile canaliculus volume and the bile canaliculus width, estimated from 3D and 2D confocal images, respectively. These compounds decreased ITR and induced retrieval of Mrp2, a main pathomechanism involved in their cholestatic effects. Finally, DBcAMP prevented these effects, and its well-known choleretic effect was evident from the increase in the canalicular volume/width values; this choleretic effect is associated in part with its capability to increase Mrp2 activity, evidenced here by the increase in ITR of GS-MF. Our study supports the use of SCRHs as an in vitro model useful to quantify canalicular transport function under conditions of cholestasis and choleresis.
Keywords: Sandwich-cultured rat hepatocytes; Mrp2 transport activity; Canalicular volume and width; Choleresis; Cholestasis; Otras Medicina Básica; Medicina Básica; CIENCIAS MÉDICAS Y DE LA SALUD.


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Top Scientist Who Emailed Fauci About Lab Leak Theory in 2020 Deactivates Twitter Account After Publicized Emails
Since January 2020, a virologist at California's Scripps Research Institute, Kristian Andersen, has been emailing Dr. Anthony Fauci about the possibilities that the coronavirus may have been engineered. But after a trove of Fauci-related emails were obtained by Buzzfeed last week under a Freedom of Information Act, Andersen deactivated his Twitter account. With the unusual turn of words in Andersen's emails and the uncertainty surrounding the origin of the virus, corruption runs deep and scientists are growing quiet.
Just days before a release of Dr. Fauci's emails, Andersen responded to a claim by News host Sharri Markson that Fauci had been part of a "cover-up" and argued that it's not a 'massive cover-up' but just science. "I know it's supermundane, but it isn't actually a 'massive cover-up' Sharri. It's just science. Boring, I know, but it's quite a helpful thing to have in times of uncertainty," he wrote.
But in released email exchanges from January 31, 2020, Andersen had asked Fauci to look at some of the unusual features of the COVID-19's virus, which he said: "(potentially) look engineered." He said that the virus makes up a really small part of the genome and that there's a good team looking critically at the evidence. He wrote to Fauci that they should know much more by the end of the weekend.
Mid-march 2020, Anderson published a paper in Nature Medicine claiming that COVID-19 was not created in a lab or "purposely manipulated." He explained how a 'preliminary look' at the virus suggested that it could have been engineered or manipulated but that the data suggests otherwise. He defended his paper again last month and said that the Wuhan Virology lab leak was based on speculation and that there was no credible evidence to back up any of his claims.
"All statements in our article were supported by the evidence available at the time, and they have only since been further strengthened by additional evidence, of which there is a great deal," Andersen said.
After the release of Fauci's emails, Andersen began deleting thousands of Twitter posts and even tried to excuse his actions by saying that his old tweets "auto-delete." His emails gained attention, in particular, for showing that the lab leak was taken exceedingly seriously and was never labeled a "conspiracy theory" from the start.
National Pulse editor-in-chief wrote that this opens up questions of an unprecedented global cover-up and that the establishment politicians and corporate media look worse than ever.
In the wake of the email reveals, Andersen began blocking Twitter users who were questioning the emails. Users were asked to elaborate on some of the phrases he used with Dr. Fauci such as "inconsistent with expectations from evolutionary theory" and what "some features look engineered" means. He began deleting thousands of anti-lab-leak replies and posts before March 7, 2021, arguing that his tweets auto-delete.
"Yeah, like of a sudden 5000 of your tweets go *poof* because they were auto-deletes? Wouldn't *auto*-deletes be deleted on a rolling bases? Or did you just change 5000 of your old tweets to be auto-deleted today? Maybe you should auto-delete your Proximal Origins paper?" One Twitter user wrote.
After dozens of users called out Andersen's lies and tweet excuses, he deleted his Twitter account entirely. But his disappearance from the web proves that Fauci knew, he knew, and a ton of other elite politicians and scientists knew that gain of function research was occurring at the Wuhan Institute of Virology right under their noses – and that they funded it themselves. The radical left will do anything to follow the money.
The post Top Scientist Who Emailed Fauci About Lab Leak Theory in 2020 Deactivates Twitter Account After Publicized Emails appeared first on American Conservatives.
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Kenwyn quits after 20 years to focus on new band Goldray
Reef guitarist Kenwyn House has quit Reef after 20 years.
He'll concentrate on his psychedelic rock band Goldray, who last year released their debut mini album.
House says: "After much deliberation, I've come to the decision to follow my own solo musical direction.
"I want to say thanks to all the Reef fans for their support over the last 20 years. That's been a truly great thing. I'm very proud to have been a part of it all, and that won't ever change.
"I also want to say what a blast it's been with the guys in this band, and that I wish them all the best going forward with Reef."
Remaining members Gary Stringer, Jack Bessant and Dominic Greensmith say: "There have been sad vibes as we come to terms with Kenwyn's decision. It's not all sad, mind you – we've also been remembering the great memories we share together, as well as all the music we made and tours we've done all over the world."
House makes his last appearance with Reef at Donington Park on April 20. Auditions will be held after that to find a replacement, ahead of two shows at the end of May.
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Posted on January 13, 2021 by Christopher Cudworth
Perhaps it's time we uncorked a few truths about love and joy and loneliness and sex and sex and sex and sex.
If you know the Rolling Stones song Shattered, you'll recognize the headline of this blog today. That album came out the summer between my junior and senior year in college. I'd sing parts of that song as we ran mile after mile in the autumn heat in pre-season cross country practices.
Love and hope and sex and dreams
Are still surviving on the street
Look at me, I'm in tatters!
That summer I'd cut off the super-long hair that I'd worn all junior year. Then I shaved my Lasse Viren beard and got fitted for contact lenses. When I showed up at our fraternity party that first week of school, no one knew me.
I'd also broken off a somewhat toxic relationship from the previous year and had used that summer to reinvent myself. Upon return to an RA Retreat late that summer, I'd fallen in love at first sight with a woman. It was a period of personal transformation not uncommon to many people going through their college years.
Yet as dramatic as those events all seem in retrospect, I have also thought what it must be like to experience even more dramatic personal changes, such as acknowledging that you are gay.
My son came out during his freshman year in college. I recall making a drive downtown with him to the University of Chicago late that fall. He told me that he felt like there was an anvil of pressure on his chest. Yet he wasn't quite ready to talk about whatever was going on in his mind, and his life.
At the same time, his mother was going through intense chemotherapy treatments for the ovarian cancer that struck her in 2005. Our entire family was experiencing immense changes in real time.
But Evan did come out to us at a family dinner that winter. His mother was surprised. In the moment, she had difficulty processing what our son was saying. She turned to my daughter Emily at one point and said, "What do you think about this?"
To which Emily replied, "I think we both like good-looking guys."
That night I called our neighbor and friend Bob, a quietly gay man who took care of his aging parents who lived in the house next door to us. Upon my call, he rushed over to our house and showed up with a look of great concern on his face. When I told him that Evan had come out to us, and I wanted some advice, he looked at me seriously and said, "Oh, I was worried Linda was sick again. I thought it was something serious."
I love the transcendence of his counsel in that moment. Years before I'd noticed when shutting down the family computer in our kitchen that my son had visited a gay Internet site and left a tab open. I talked with my brother that day and told him, "I think Evan might be gay."
"If he is, he is," my brother told me. He meant that in a good and accepting way. I replied, "I know. It's all good. I just want him to be happy in life. That's all."
His mom felt the same way, but perhaps it didn't come out exactly that way when she told him, "I just don't want you to get hurt." That's a mother's natural reaction, protecting her child. Without much knowledge from our experience what it means to be gay, it was her way of inquiring how he felt.
Prior history
My son Evan on a beach somewhere "Levantating" as only he can.
One of her closest friends in grade school came out as a gay man years later. We met him at a reunion for that school and talked all night. He was engaging, funny and smart in ways that my wife adored. That night, we talked about that friend of hers and how hard it must have been to be raised in a radically conservative Christian congregation when you sense that you are gay.
Recently I've read accounts by several gay people, including Anderson Cooper, stating that they knew by the age of six or seven years old that they were "different" in some way. My daughter, the keeper of family history, transferred a number of videos from their youth onto CD from VHS tapes. While watching those videos she noticed that even at an early age, my son operated on a couple different planes of awareness. You could see that in his attention and expressions.
He was always aware, and self-aware. He started talking at six months old, saying his first word, "Bird" upon seeing a sparrow on the gutter of the house next door. My late father once said that he'd never seen a child so observant at such an early age.
As he grew up, there was a keenly social side of my son. He loved parties and social events. He was also diverse in his interests. During his high school years, he played soccer and ran track his freshman and sophomore years. He had talent, running a 2:02 800 meters at fifteen years old. Yet somewhere after his sophomore year, he turned to me and said, "Dad, when I'm doing track, I'm 25% happy. When I'm doing drama, I'm 100% happy."
"Then the decision's made," I replied.
He moved further into acting and directing plays, including serious drama, Black Box Theater, musicals and Shakespeare. That journey continued through his college years where he led a production of "Midsummer Night's Dream" held outdoors in the round on the college campus. His directing brought out all-new layers of humor in the play that I'd never seen.
But it was his performance as Mercutio during his senior year in high school that was a "coming out" of sorts that I'll never forget. He'd auditioned for the lead role but someone else got the part. Thus he threw himself into the role, a curious and mischievous part that Sparknotes describes this way:
"With a lightning-quick wit and a clever mind, Mercutio is a scene stealer and one of the most memorable characters in all of Shakespeare's works. Though he constantly puns, jokes, and teases—sometimes in fun, sometimes with bitterness—Mercutio is not a mere jester or prankster. With his wild words, Mercutio punctures the romantic sentiments and blind self-love that exist within the play. He mocks Romeo's self-indulgence just as he ridicules Tybalt's hauteur and adherence to fashion. The critic Stephen Greenblatt describes Mercutio as a force within the play that functions to deflate the possibility of romantic love and the power of tragic fate. Unlike the other characters who blame their deaths on fate, Mercutio dies cursing all Montagues and Capulets. Mercutio believes that specific people are responsible for his death rather than some external impersonal force."
That rather aptly describes the plight of a still-closeted gay man in high school society, does it not? I was not naive to my son's interests and orientation all that time, but I respected his choices and his needs. He most definitely ran his own life, but felt it necessary to live with the specter of repression through those scholastic years. Because coming out was still not that well accepted in those years.
Bold performance
Yet his fine performance of Mercutio tossed all that repression around like a ragdoll. Using a knotted rope as a "sword" during the production, he whipped it between his legs like a giant twisting cock. The audience both reeled and roared. Evan plowed across the stage with abandon, because if he was going to go out without the lead role, he was going to leave a mark on the memories of all those watching the play. That's what Mercutio is supposed to do. In many ways, I think it's what gay people in many walks of life are supposed to do.
All of life is a competition like that. For centuries, gay men and women have been cast in societal roles that force them to hide their true character. Gay athletes only recently started to "come out," and the first pioneers in that endeavor suffered castigation. Gay military still have to play strange games within the ranks and all the way up to the Commander-in-Chief. Gay musicians are more readily accepted because they are part of an embracing arts community. Yet artists like Ricky Martin and others were advised to protect their heterosexual images in order to make more money.
Thankfully, the next generation in this world, our Millennials, don't seem to give two fucks if someone is gay or not. That's why I've been thinking about the lyrics from the Stones song Shattered lately.
"Laughter joy and loneliness and sex and sex and sex and sex and look at me! I'm in tatters! I've been shattered."
To compare those lyrics with interpretation of the Second Amendment is quite instructive. People too easily forget the first part of the phrasing "A well-regulated militia, being necessary for the security of a free state…" in order to emphasis the second, "The right to bear arms shall not be infringed."
It is salacious to emphasize a desired prejudice to deny the more responsible and rational qualifying phrase. That's how society gets shattered.
Shattered…shedoobie
No one deserves to be shattered for their sexual orientation, their transgender physicality or their gender fluidity. Because like the song lyrics intimate in their sarcastic repetition, it's not all about sex and sex and sex and sex. But the people who fear the sex part of homosexuality and find it abhorrent make it all about that. They love to use the taboo to distract from the humanity of gender and sexual orientation. The laughter, joy and loneliness part. It matters too.
So here's the truth about all sexual orientation: Life is also about companionship, love, respect, trust and acceptance.
One might note that those are all quite Christian values, yet a significant segment of the Christian world clings to just a few Bible verses to paint homosexuality as a sin. That legalistic take on scripture is rife with anachronism, ignorance and prejudice. I've known so many gay Christian people who love their God I've lost count. So many of them carry out the virtues of scripture better than their dismissively bigoted counterparts it is perversely comic to suggest that the "holier than thou" crowd is worth its weight in yeast or dough.
I love my son and I love all those who love him. I understand. There have been times in my life when I've looked at another man and thought to myself, "He's handsome, and funny, and smart, and if I were gay, he'd be the one." It's not a far leap for me to realize that sexual orientation is just that, a desire for people of the same gender. There's no sin in that, as far as I'm concerned.
This blog is a bit long because there's a ton to say about this matter. As our country reels from attacks on its institutions and the Constitution, I think about all the social and civil progress our nation is trying to make and why so many people fight back against it.
It is because, secretly, they are the people that are most afraid in this world. But they're not alone. Even the people who wrote the words in the Bible were afraid in many ways. Yet so were the religious authorities who threatened and conspired against Jesus. They were afraid of him. So they reacted with controlling words and violence. They conspired with political leaders to do their vicious bidding. For thousands of years after those actions, Christian leaders adopted the same legalistic practices once they got control and imparted the same sort of vicious repression to which Jesus so objected.
This is what happens in the world when people who are afraid of others are allowed to take control of society. For two thousand years the bravest people in the world are those that have stood up against these fears that get turned into violence through religion, politics and selfish desires.
Sins of Scripture
As Bishop John Shelby Spong wrote in his book The Sins of Scripture, even the Apostle Paul was a deeply repressed man struggling with instincts he both refused and denied in himself.
Spong wrote: "Yes, I am convinced that Paul of Tarsus was a gay man, deeply repressed, self-loathing, rigid in denial, bound by the law that he hoped could keep this thing, that he judged to be so unacceptable, totally under control, a control so profound that even Paul did not have to face this fact about himself. But repression kills. It kills the repressed one and sometimes the defensive anger found in the repressed one also kills those who challenge, threaten or live out the thing that this repressed person so deeply fears."
I think you can ascertain that there are other people in this world who are engaged in deep states of denial about themselves and others. As a result, people are suffering and dying because despots of that kind would rather punish others he considers weaker than himself than admit some sort of weakness.
Yet it is those precisely those supposedly "weak" or "inferior" people that are some of the strongest human beings. That's what Jesus promised, "The meek shall inherit the earth." Wise words all around. Glad Jesus could come out with them.
Christopher Cudworth is a content producer, writer and blogger with more than 25 years' experience in B2B and B2C marketing, journalism, public relations and social media. Connect with Christopher on Twitter: @genesisfix07 and blogs at werunandride.com, therightkindofpride.com and genesisfix.wordpress.com Online portfolio: http://www.behance.net/christophercudworth
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