Imagine the fun you are going to have here driving these insane rage buggies and then shooting the living daylights out of a pile of Clay targets. Awesome time guaranteed.
Double trouble in Bournemouth- Rage Buggies and Clay Shooting!
Our top two activities all rolled into one action packed session. This is one of the few centres in the UK that still offer rage Buggy driving.
Rage buggies are powerful and mean. They should be kept behind bars because they have far too much attitude and can bite if you are not careful. The rage buggies are 400 cc monsters that will career you round the teeth chattering and bowel testing track. Drive them to the limit if you dare- very few will- perhaps you have the bottle!
If you have any nerves at all left- head to the shooting range where those clay pigeon are your next target. As the shotgun comes up into your shoulder for the first time picture the scene as the clay target explodes into a thousand parts right in front of everyone. Magic.! target after target now bites the dust swelling your ego and your score!
The days lasts 2 hours and includes 2 different activities.
The day will rotate between Rage buggies 400cc on track and clay shooting (14 shots only).
This is a brilliant day out and you get to have have individual as well as team games.


text:
Banka humanog mlijeka je ustanova u kojoj se pohranjuje, obrađuje i testira humano mlijeko koje majke izdoje za svoje dijete ili koje žene daruju banci kako bi ga mogla iskoristiti djeca kojoj je potrebno. Optimalna prehrana za novorođenčad i dojenčad je majčino mlijeko.

Dobrobiti majčinog/humanog mlijeka
Zaštitna uloga majčinog mlijeka osobito je važna u prehrani vrlo male i nezrele nedonoščadi ispod 1.5kg i dobi manje od 32 tjedna, tada dojenje dokazano poboljšava zdravstvene ishode i štiti od pojave nekrotizirajućeg enterokolitisa, kasne sepse, bronhopulmonalne displazije i retinopatije nedonoščeta. Humano mlijeko idealan je izvor hranjivih tvari. Znatno smanjuje pojavnost crijevnih infekcija te obnavlja sluznicu crijeva u slučaju da do infekcije ipak dođe. Usto pomaže u sazrijevanju crijevnog tkiva, suzbija infekcije i potiče razvoj mozga. Ako majka ne može dojiti, tada je prema SZO najbolji izbor darovano mlijeko druge majke.

U osiguravanju takvog mlijeka glavnu ulogu ima Banka mlijeka koja neonatalne jedinice intenzivnog liječenja opskrbljuje sigurnim, pasteriziranim doniranim mlijekom.

Povijest
Podrijetlo doniranja humanog mlijeka može se pratiti u daljoj prošlosti, kada su djecu koju majke nisu dojile, dojile prijateljice, rodice i druge žene. Već u Hamurabijevom zakoniku (18. st. pr. Kr.) navodi se detaljan popis kriterija koja mora zadovoljiti zamjenska dojilja. Kriteriji se navode i kasnije u različitim tekstovima kroz stoljeća, naime tada se smatralo da djeca nasljeđuju tjelesne, mentalne i emocionalne osobine od žene koja ih je dojila, pa se odabir zamjenske dojilje smatrao izuzetno važnim.

Od 11. stoljeća, djecu europske aristokracije hranile su svojim mlijekom isključivo zamjenske dojilje jer se dojenje smatralo nepristojnim i neprimjerenom radnjom za visoke društvene slojeve. Takav stav se zadržao do 18. stoljeća, a tijekom tog razdoblja, zanimanje zamjenske dojilje bilo je u financijskom smislu najisplativiji posao za žene na području današnje Europe. Dok su hranile tuđu djecu za novac svojim mlijekom, njihova djeca su često bila hranjena mlijekom drugih životinja.

Popularnost hranjenja djece mlijekom zamjenskih dojilja počela je opadati tijekom 19. stoljeća. Početkom 20. stoljeća je Theodor Escherich s katedre za pedijatriju na Sveučilištu u Beču proveo istraživanja koja su dokazala da su crijevne bakterije dojene dojenčadi bile značajno različite nego u dojenčadi hranjene na druge načine. Njegovi napori rezultirali su izgradnjom Carskog instituta za majku i njegu dojenčadi te otvaranju prve banke humanog mlijeka u Beču 1909. godine.

Banke humanog mlijeka u Europi i svijetu
U Europi je u ovom trenutku aktivno 280 banaka humanog mlijeka, a najviše ih je u Italiji, 39.

Europska udruga banaka mlijeka (EMBA) službeno je osnovana 15. listopada 2010. Udruga ima sjedište u Milanu u Italiji, a njene članice su banke mlijeka, udruge banaka mlijeka i pojedinci i pojedinke. Europska udruga banaka mlijeka je neprofitna organizacija osnovana radi promicanja darivanja humanog mlijeka u Europi i poticanja međunarodne suradnje između banaka humanog mlijeka u zemljama Europe.

Procjena je da u 2021. postoji oko 750 banaka humanog mlijeka u 66 zemalja svijeta. Njihov broj raste kako raste i broj dokaza o važnosti prehrane novorođenčadi, osobito one prijevremeno rođene i/ili male rodne mase, majčinim mlijekom ili izdojenim mlijekom druge žene.

Banka humanog mlijeka u Hrvatskoj
Svake se godine u Hrvatskoj prerano rodi više od 2.000 djece, a 400 ih treba intenzivnu skrb. Manje od polovine majki koje prijevremeno rode može dojiti.

Prva Banka humanog mlijeka u Hrvatskoj je otvorena 15. studenoga 2019. godine i djeluje u okviru Banke tkiva i stanica KBC Zagreb. Banka humanog mlijeka djeluje na adresi Petrova 13 u Zagrebu. U okviru banke ustrojen je i Odjel za promidžbu dojenja. Riječ je o projektu koji je ostvaren kao rezultat suradnje Ministarstva zdravstva RH i Ureda UNICEF-a u Hrvatskoj.

S radom je počela u siječnju 2020., nakon što je nadležno tijelo izdalo odobrenje za rad prema Zakonu o primjeni ljudskih tkiva i stanica.

Neprofitni status banaka humanog mlijeka
Banke mlijeka u Europi imaju neprofitni status, majke darivateljice za darovano mlijeko ne dobivaju novčanu nagradu, a djeca koja mlijeko primaju, isto dobivaju preko zdravstvene uputnice, prema unaprijed zadanim kriterijima. Neprofitnost rada banaka osigurava da će mlijeko dobivati ona djeca kojoj je najpotrebnije, da će mlijeko biti ispravno te da darivateljica mlijeka neće, zbog financijske koristi, lišavati vlastito dijete najboljeg načina prehrane, kao što se događalo u prošlosti.

Uvjeti za darivateljice
Banke humanog mlijeka pridržavaju se strogih standarda probira i testiranja darivateljica te testiranja i obrade darovanog humanog mlijeka. Zamrznuto darovano mlijeko koje stigne u banku, prvo se otapa, zatim mu se analizira sastav hranjivih tvari, uzima bakterijske kulture, miješa ga se i utače u bočice koje se zatvaraju aluminijskim folijama i plastičnim čepom. Zatim se pasterizira na 62,5 °C/30 minuta u automatskom pasterizatoru. Pasterizirano mlijeko naglo se hladi, a zatim zamrzava na -20 °C i pohranjuje do upotrebe. U Banci Humanog mlijeka u Zagrebu tako zamrznuto mlijeko se čuva do šest mjeseci.

Banka mlijeka osigurava najvišu razinu sigurnosti mlijeka za djecu koje će ga koristiti. Većina zdravih majki može darivati mlijeko, no postoje neki razlozi koji ih u tome mogu spriječiti. Za darivanje mlijeka u Banci humanog mlijeka u Hrvatskoj nisu pogodne majke koje (su):

 pozitivne na HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C ili sifilis ili je njihov partner u riziku od zaraze HIV-om,
 puše ili koriste nikotinske pripravke,
 piju napitke bogate kofeinom,
 redovito piju više od dvije čaše alkohola dnevno,
 koriste droge,
 primile organ, tkivo ili transfuziju krvi u zadnjih četiri mjeseca.

Banka će od potencijalne darovateljice tražiti uzorak krvi za testiranje na hepatitis B i C, HIV i sifilis, te ovisno o epidemiološkim okolnostima, testirati darovateljicu na još neke uzročnike zaraznih bolesti.

Kome je namijenjeno mlijeko iz Banke mlijeka
Darovano humano mlijeko daje se djeci čije majke ne proizvode dovoljno mlijeka. Do toga može doći iz raznih razloga:

 majci mlijeko kasni zbog okolnosti poroda ili trudnoće, uključujući prerani porod,
 majka ne proizvodi dovoljno mlijeka za svoje dijete ili svoju djecu (npr. blizanci ili trojke),
 stres ometa proizvodnju mlijeka, npr. majka hospitaliziranog djeteta ne može držati ili izravno dojiti svoje dijete,
 majci su potrebni lijekovi koji bi kroz njezino mlijeko mogli naštetiti njezinu djetetu,
 majka ima bolest zbog koje ne smije dojiti.

Izvori
Prehrana
Pedijatrija

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
package reign

import (
	"fmt"
	"log"
	"testing"
)

// A ClusterLogger is the logging interface used by the Cluster system.
//
// The clustering system uses Info for situations that are not problems.
// This includes:
//  * Address resolution progress of remote cluster nodes. (Common DNS
//    problems or misconfigurations can cause excessive times for
//    resolution. This should give enough visibility into the resolution
//    process to rapidly identify the problem.)
//
// The clustering system uses Warn for situations that are problematic
// and you need to know about them, but are generally "expected" and may
// resolve themselves without any direction action. (That is, in general,
// losing network connections is "bad", but also perfectly normal and
// expected.) The clustering system uses Warn for:
//  * Connections established and lost to the other nodes
//  * Attempts to update the cluster configuration that fail due to
//    invalid configuration
//
// The clustering system uses Error for situations that prevent connection
// to some target node, and will most likely not resolve themselves without
// active human intervention. The clustering system will user Error for:
//  * Handshake with foreign node failed due to:
//    * Remote said they had a different NodeID than I expected.
//    * Incompatible clustering version.
//    * Failed SSL handshake.
// The goal is that all Errors are things that should fire alarming
// systems, and all things that should fire alarming systems are Errors.
//
// You can wrap a standard *log.Logger with the provided WrapLogger.
type ClusterLogger interface {
	Error(...interface{})
	Errorf(format string, args ...interface{})
	Warn(...interface{})
	Warnf(format string, args ...interface{})
	Info(...interface{})
	Infof(format string, args ...interface{})
	Trace(...interface{})
	Tracef(format string, args ...interface{})
}

// WrapLogger takes as standard *log.Logger and returns a ClusterLogger
// that uses that logger.
func WrapLogger(l *log.Logger) ClusterLogger {
	return wrapLogger{l}
}

type wrapLogger struct {
	logger *log.Logger
}

func (sl wrapLogger) Error(args ...interface{}) {
	_ = sl.logger.Output(2, "[ERROR] reign: "+fmt.Sprint(args...)+"\n")
}

func (sl wrapLogger) Errorf(format string, args ...interface{}) {
	_ = sl.logger.Output(2, fmt.Sprintf("[ERROR] reign: "+format+"\n", args...))
}

func (sl wrapLogger) Warn(args ...interface{}) {
	_ = sl.logger.Output(2, "[WARN] reign: "+fmt.Sprint(args...)+"\n")
}

func (sl wrapLogger) Warnf(format string, args ...interface{}) {
	_ = sl.logger.Output(2, fmt.Sprintf("[WARN] reign: "+format+"\n", args...))
}

func (sl wrapLogger) Info(args ...interface{}) {
	_ = sl.logger.Output(2, "[INFO] reign: "+fmt.Sprint(args...)+"\n")
}

func (sl wrapLogger) Infof(format string, args ...interface{}) {
	_ = sl.logger.Output(2, fmt.Sprintf("[INFO] reign: "+format+"\n", args...))
}

func (sl wrapLogger) Trace(args ...interface{}) {
	_ = sl.logger.Output(2, "[TRACE] reign: "+fmt.Sprint(args...)+"\n")
}

func (sl wrapLogger) Tracef(format string, args ...interface{}) {
	_ = sl.logger.Output(2, fmt.Sprintf("[TRACE] reign: "+format+"\n", args...))
}

// StdLogger is a ClusterLogger that will use the log.Output function
// from the standard logging package.
var StdLogger = stdLogger{}

type stdLogger struct{}

func (sl stdLogger) Error(args ...interface{}) {
	fmt.Println("[ERROR] reign: " + fmt.Sprint(args...))
}

func (sl stdLogger) Errorf(format string, args ...interface{}) {
	fmt.Printf("[ERROR] reign: "+format+"\n", args...)
}

func (sl stdLogger) Warn(args ...interface{}) {
	fmt.Println("[WARN] reign: " + fmt.Sprint(args...))
}

func (sl stdLogger) Warnf(format string, args ...interface{}) {
	fmt.Printf("[WARN] reign: "+format+"\n", args...)
}

func (sl stdLogger) Info(args ...interface{}) {
	fmt.Println("[INFO] reign: " + fmt.Sprint(args...))
}

func (sl stdLogger) Infof(format string, args ...interface{}) {
	fmt.Printf("[INFO] reign: "+format+"\n", args...)
}

func (sl stdLogger) Trace(args ...interface{}) {
	fmt.Println("[TRACE] reign: " + fmt.Sprint(args...))
}

func (sl stdLogger) Tracef(format string, args ...interface{}) {
	fmt.Printf("[TRACE] reign: "+format+"\n", args...)
}

type testLogger struct {
	t *testing.T
}

func (tl testLogger) Error(args ...interface{}) {
	tl.t.Log("[ERROR] reign: " + fmt.Sprint(args...))
}

func (tl testLogger) Errorf(format string, args ...interface{}) {
	tl.t.Logf("[ERROR] reign: "+format+"\n", args...)
}

func (tl testLogger) Warn(args ...interface{}) {
	tl.t.Log("[WARN] reign: " + fmt.Sprint(args...))
}

func (tl testLogger) Warnf(format string, args ...interface{}) {
	tl.t.Logf("[WARN] reign: "+format+"\n", args...)
}

func (tl testLogger) Info(args ...interface{}) {
	tl.t.Log("[INFO] reign: " + fmt.Sprint(args...))
}

func (tl testLogger) Infof(format string, args ...interface{}) {
	tl.t.Logf("[INFO] reign: "+format+"\n", args...)
}

func (tl testLogger) Trace(args ...interface{}) {
	tl.t.Log("[TRACE] reign: " + fmt.Sprint(args...))
}

func (tl testLogger) Tracef(format string, args ...interface{}) {
	tl.t.Logf("[TRACE] reign: "+format+"\n", args...)
}

// NullLogger implements ClusterLogger, and throws all logging messages away.
var NullLogger = nullLogger{}

type nullLogger struct{}

func (nl nullLogger) Error(args ...interface{})                 {}
func (nl nullLogger) Errorf(format string, args ...interface{}) {}
func (nl nullLogger) Warn(args ...interface{})                  {}
func (nl nullLogger) Warnf(format string, args ...interface{})  {}
func (nl nullLogger) Info(args ...interface{})                  {}
func (nl nullLogger) Infof(format string, args ...interface{})  {}
func (nl nullLogger) Trace(args ...interface{})                 {}
func (nl nullLogger) Tracef(format string, args ...interface{}) {}

var (
	_ ClusterLogger = (*nullLogger)(nil)
	_ ClusterLogger = (*stdLogger)(nil)
	_ ClusterLogger = (*testLogger)(nil)
	_ ClusterLogger = (*wrapLogger)(nil)
)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


What better way to stand out ?
Unconventional types of visual communication are the best eye catcher there can be.
What better way to draw the attention than a perfectly renovated, yet classic Peugeot 203, subtly "stamped" by Ideogram Design with the info about the real estate agency SpecialImmo.
The challenge was to reproduce the Special Immo's graphic identity, without sacrificing the "retro" style of this vehicle. Appropriate typography, use of the agency's mascot and the little tech bonus: the QR Code.


FC Rapid Bucuresti have announced the appointment of Razvan Lucescu as their new coach.
AFC Rapid Bucuresti have announced the appointment of both a new coach and a new club president. Razvan Lucescu, who coached FC Brasov last season, has signed a three-year contract to become their fourth manager in six months, while Dinu Gheorghe will take the helm in the boardroom.
The 35-year-old Lucescu, a former goalkeeper at the club, gained plaudits last season when in his first coaching post, he led a struggling Brasov side to top-flight safety. His father is the experienced and well-respected coach of FC Shakhtar Donetsk, Mircea Lucescu, who had spells at FC Internazionale, Galatasaray SK and Besiktas JK, before moving to the Ukraine.
"I advised him to stay at Brasov for another year to gain experience and not to risk going to a big and difficult club like FC Rapid so early in his coaching career. But he didn't listen me," said Lucescu sr, who won a championship title with Rapid himself in 1999. His son explained that: "There are opportunities in life that you shouldn't miss, because you might not be given them again."
George Copos, the major shareholder at the club, has targeted at least second place for next season and qualification for European club competition, after the club finished third and failed to secure a European berth last term. Rapid had three coaches during the season, starting with Mircea Rednic and then Dan Petrescu before ending the season with Viorel Hizo, whom Lucescu replaces.
Meanwhile in the boardroom, Gheorghe has regained the presidency he previously held from 1998 to 2000. He will replace Ioan Becali, who has stepped down after only six months.


text:
/*        XBee AVR Node Example
       Ken Sarkies (www.jiggerjuice.info)
            23 September 2014

version     0.0.0
Software    AVR-GCC 4.8.2
Target:     Any AVR with sufficient output ports and a timer
Tested:     ATMega48 at 8MHz internal clock.
            ATMega168 at 8MHz internal clock.
            ATTiny4313 at 1MHz clock.

*/
/****************************************************************************
 *   Copyright (C) 2013 by Ken Sarkies (www.jiggerjuice.info)               *
 *                                                                          *
 *   This file is part of XBee-Acquisition                                  *
 *                                                                          *
 * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");          *
 * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.         *
 * You may obtain a copy of the License at                                  *
 *                                                                          *
 *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0                           *
 *                                                                          *
 * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software      *
 * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,        *
 * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. *
 * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and      *
 * limitations under the License.                                           *
 ***************************************************************************/

#ifndef _XBEE_NODE_EXAMPLE_H_
#define _XBEE_NODE_EXAMPLE_H_

#include <inttypes.h>

/* 0.256ms clock from 8MHz clock
Timer clock scale value 5 gives scale of 1024, (see timer.c)
This gives a 16ms overflow interrupt.*/
#define RTC_SCALE           5

/* Xbee parameters */
#define RF_PAYLOAD  63

#define RX_REQUEST              0x90
#define TX_REQUEST              0x10

/* Prototypes */

#endif /*_XBEE_NODE_EXAMPLE_H_ */


Last night, 35 of DC's top creative and technical volunteers showed up to The Web Development Group's office in Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia for what many have deemed a nearly impossible task: building three websites from the ground-up in 72 hours. Nearly 70 volunteers applied to be a part of this great event. The carefully vetted and hand-selected volunteers represent the best of creative and technical talent in the DC area.
These volunteers were divided up in three teams to build new WordPress powered websites for local nonprofits in the GiveBack DC initiative. Over 40 non-profit organizations applied for this amazing opportunity and the competition was fierce. It came down to financial status (based on 990), current web presence, and the power a new web presence will have in spreading the organization's reach.
The selected organizations are: Borromeo Housing, DC Diaper Bank, and Phoenix Bikes.
The new webdesigns have been finalized, and the development is underway! Currently, WDG offices are full of volunteers, energy, and coding. They just finished up a quick lunch of sandwiches from Chadwick's and Bruegger's Bagels and are back at their computers. We are expecting to launch tomorrow afternoon, beating our deadline of 72 hours. All teams will be here late into the night and back at it again early in the morning. This is a great opportunity for local nonprofits, developers, designers, and strategists.
Check WDG out on Facebook to learn more.


Clear Water, Light Waves & Relaxation at Indian Rocks Beach - Top Ten Travel Blog | Our experiences traveling throughout the US.
What better way to enjoy a weekday afternoon than a relaxing afternoon of reading, swimming, and listening to the waves? Indian Rocks Beach, a hidden gem on the Gulf Coast of Florida, is the perfect place to escape for a day of R&R.
Take a refreshing dip in the clear waters of the Gulf. The water here was much clearer than the more popular Honeymoon Island and much cooler as well. As you can see in the photo below, I can actually see my feet in the water! You can see the fish swimming around as well, which is pretty neat. And, the light waves made the swimming a bit more exciting.
The sand was white, although not very smooth, a bit too rocky and too many cigarette butts lying around to enjoy walking barefoot. Don't they strain the sand at any of these beaches!? Frustrating to say the least!
On the other hand, I did enjoy a nice leisurely jog down by the water. It is often too hot to run outside in Florida, especially during the sunny, humid afternoons. Being able to run with a fresh breeze, great view, and the cool waters splashing against my feet and legs is a definite plus in my book. It enabled me to take a jog without worrying about the high temperatures overheating me and slowing me down.
During my jog, I noticed that the beach becomes less crowded the further you walk away from the main area by the parking lot. Because most of the beaches on the Gulf coast of Florida are a bit narrow compared to California beaches, there often isn't enough room to spread out and enjoy the views.
It is worth it to lug your chairs and umbrellas down for the peace and quiet. Next time, we will definitely walk down further. Overall, the beach wasn't overly crowded, and we were able to enjoy a leisurely day of relaxing, taking in the beautiful views, and listening to the waves.
Indian Rocks is a great beach pick for a relaxing, carefree day. There are no fancy amenities or much in the way of recreation (no bike paths, boardwalks, volleyball nets, etc.). However, if you are looking to get away from it all, then I recommend stopping by and enjoying the 3 mile shoreline along the blue-green waters of the Gulf.
Indian Rocks is located at 1700 Gulf Blvd in Indian Rocks Beach, about 20 minutes from Clearwater and 40 minutes from St. Petersburg. Parking is $1.25 per hour.
Have you ever visited Indian Rocks? What other area beaches would you recommend?


Nearly every culture has used the eye as a important symbol of religious or spiritual significance. A mesmerizing object with extraordinary meaning - the Sky Illumination Ring is surrounded by bursts of light and color to depict divinity and celestial wisdom. The eye is a reminder of the existence of a higher being, perhaps the great architect of the universe watching over us -- which is why it also serves as an ornament of protection from any malevolent glares.


New research has shown overwhelming public backing for tough action against anyone who assaults social care staff. More than half the people questioned would support benefit cuts and Anti-Social Behaviour Orders for those responsible. At the same time figures show there were more than 4,000 assaults on care staff in just 12 local authority areas in a single year.
The Local Government Association says that if that pattern were to be replicated across England it would put attacks on care workers at more than 50,000 a year. It is calling for more to be done to protect staff.
The LGA says local councils already operate a number of initiatives to protect care staff from assaults, including self defence training and policies to help defuse potentially dangerous situations. Some also provide mobile phone and panic alarm loan services but, says the LGA, many social service departments are having to balance other demands on their budgets.
Authorities have a legal duty to assess potentially hazardous situations but workers are still subjected to assaults and Councillor Rogers said this was unacceptable. "Social care staff should not be treated as the public sector pariahs they are so often depicted as. Only last month the secretary of state awarded nearly 100 million pounds to NHS community nurses providing them with personal safety alarms and a promise to 'get tough' on their assailants . It is high time this token was extended to social care staff to stamp out this unwanted menace and equip workers with the confidence to go about their work without fear of intimidation," he added.


text:
Streamline Transparency
Making it easy to clean up our world.
2018 Transparency Trends
December 31, 2018 Rachel Schohn
Doing good pays; more retailers created their own chemical priority lists; grassroots petitions worked; and 'single-use' has been identified as the WOTY. Throughout 2018, we highlighted these and other events related to chemical management and product transparency, which were captured in our monthly newsletter, and via social media. Topics are arranged into categories, vs chronologically, to differentiate between the gains in transparency, as well as the areas for improvement in 2019. Cheers to an innovative and prosperous 2019! (links to all articles found on our LinkedIn page)
+ Positive Trends:
Corporate Responsibility makes Great Business Sense.
In January, a Harvard Study reported that "Green Buildings Provide Nearly $6 Billion in Benefits to Health and Climate". The study examined buildings over sixteen years across six countries. On average, for every dollar saved on energy costs by green buildings, another $0.77 was saved in health and climate benefits.
In October, the USGBC released a survey showing that employees working in LEED-certified green buildings are happier, healthier and more productive.
And to round off the year, in December we were bombarded with articles affirming that doing good makes money. Are you following us on social media? If so, you'd see that lately we've been re-posting from a variety of sources about how the power of doing good impacts the bottom line. In the latest one, the headline couldn't be more blunt: Good corporate behavior boosts sales. Consumers vote with their dollars and are thirsty to understand what's in your products, and what you're doing to create healthier, safer choices.
Everyone is Talking about Materials Health.
In February, Greenbiz hosted the first Supply Chain Transparency Summit, a year after announcing that Transparency is the fourth supply chain metric (after cost, quality, and on-time delivery). In April, ILFI sponsored a Human Health and Materials Summit within their unconference. In August, we learned about the Materials Health dangers we're consuming. The American Academy of Pediatrics warned about chemical dangers in food (directly through food additives and indirectly from chemicals used on food processing equipment) and food storage products- just in time to fluster parents as they started to prep for their children's school lunches.
Chemical Regulations for the Win.
We celebrated 10 Years of EU REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals)- the regulation that shifts the burden of proof onto industry. In July, the European chemical industry declared its' love for EU REACH. By adhering to its standards, European chemical companies find themselves to be more competitive in the global market, touting some of the safest option in the world with fewer barriers to trade.
In September, there was US bipartisan Congressional support for the US EPA to act faster to bring more of the country's most hazardous industrial chemicals and substances under tighter regulation. In October, the US EPA released its Working Approach for Identifying Potential Candidate Chemicals for Prioritization under TSCA (Toxic Substances Control Act). It identifies both a short- and longer-term approach for identifying potential chemicals for prioritization.
Retailers Take Action.
In April, another major retailer, REI, announced new sustainability standards; Rite Aid announced an expanded Restricted Substances List in September, bringing the number from 8 up to 69. Four years after announcing a chemical policy, Walgreens announced it was adopting it in November. In December, 3M announced a formal requirement for all its new products to include sustainability value.
In April, we also saw an (ultimately successful) grassroots petition begin, asking Lowe's to remove paint thinners containing methylene chloride. In later months, Walmart, Home Depot, Sherwin Williams and others followed suit.
Circular Economy concept goes mainstream.
"Single-use" was chosen as the 2018 Word of the Year by the Collins Dictionary, signaling a global trend of the realization that some products are only meant to be used once before being discarded. It's a positive step towards a circular economy gaining momentum.
- Needs Improvement:
Chose substances with the end in mind
In June we learned that despite good intention, the circular economy isn't thriving yet. Insufficient sorting of plastics at end-of-life can lead to dangerous substances finding their way into recycled food storage containers. The circular economy only works when we use safer substances at the onset. It's imperative to understand what's in your products and use safer substances from the beginning; you don't know how they may be used after their intended use.
US Regulations on chemicals.
In May, a coalition asked the EPA to stop the "Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science" rule as, counterintuitively, it would actually limit the use of scientific evidence in protecting human health and the environment. The EPA is still reviewing the more than 590,000 comments received.
In November, Samsung, the world's largest ship maker, delivered an apology and promise of compensation to its workers who developed serious illnesses after working in its factories. Also, 3M has been named in several new lawsuits this year, related to its manufacture of PFAS. 3M had already been sued by individuals, towns, water districts and some states; in February, 3M paid $850M to settle a suit in Minnesota over natural resource damages.
Despite the feeling that developing safer substances, updating chemical policies and demanding change is an uphill battle, it's heartening to reflect on the many of successes of 2018, and learn from past mistakes. By continuing to work together, we can make health and sustainability a necessity for products, the build environment and facilities. We're looking forward to continuing the positive changes in 2019. Are you ready to tackle your chemical management issues? Try Toxnot for Free.
Please visit our LinkedIn page for additional information on the topics mentioned above or email Rachel Schohn.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Student Jessica Taylor was shocked to see her late-night gefilte fish snack light up the kitchen of her north London family home by glowing bright green and yellow.
Well, it's no burning bush, but it will do.
If anything comes out of the refrigerator glowing trust me, I'm not going to eat it. Glowing Gefilte wbagnfa(kosher)rb.
I'd eat it, but only if the water in the sink was parted and the fries caught fire and spoke to me.
I'd like to see the guy from Moshe's who said that eat the fish.
I'm with cindy: if it glows, out it goes.
Glow-in-the-Dark gefilte fish? Two thumbs down.
When told he had to pay for the bagel, the officer claimed he didn't have his wallet, said "If it's not free, I don't want it" and drove off.
So, what's so wrong about a little light snack?
BFF, I hear there's a cream for that burning bush problem.
Don't tell her that Siouxie. Last time she had that cream she brushed her teeth with it.
Didn't Debbie Boone sing about this?
nursecindy - I told my step sister about brushing w/ the cream, and she informed me that she, too, had mistaken a tube of Desitin™ for toothpaste! Ick!
I think the Desitin would be worse. I can't imagine the taste. Yuck!
It tastes like gefilte fish.
...from one whose been there, and lived to tell about it, eh aw?
Nope, Siouxie told me. I wouldn't touch gefilte fish with a ten-foot Pole.
I want the wheat, the whole wheat, and nothing but the wheat.
And the truth shall set ye back $1.39.
What didn't he pay, and when didn't he pay it?
He didn't pay $1.30 for a bagel, as he thought they were a free courtesy for cops. It turns out doughnuts are free, and bagels are somewhat costly. It sounds like a misunderstanding to me.
The conference center on Star Island, NH uses sea water in the toilets. Sometimes at night, little glowing critters dart around the bowl.
Or you could eat a little pickled herring by Vita.
Just a misunderstanding. The officer was a Bagel Rights Activist. What he actually said was, "If it isn't free-RANGE, I don't want it."
"I'm a qualified micro-biologist and I have never heard of this. I think it was an act of God." Qualified how exactly?
I just love your writing! Very well written and nice thoughts of you. Thanks and hope to read more from you.


Getting to the top of Google may not be as easy as it sounds but again, it isn't something you can't achieve given that there is an endless list of strategies you can effectively employ to that effect.
Everyone treading the SEO way has a dream that entails get to the top of Google search.
However, many of us fail to achieve our goals for a number of reasons including not employing the best strategies. We have singled out the most recent SEO factors that we believe if followed to the latter; will help to improve your site's ranking in search engines. Getting to the top of Google may not be as easy as it sounds but again, it isn't something you can't achieve given that there is an endless list of strategies you can effectively employ to that effect.
Let's explore some of the best ways to enhance your site's ranking in SE.
The Google machine-learning Al system incorporated in one of the 3 high ranking signals by Google, comes with a wide range of important factors designed to take your site to another level. The system is utilized by Google to handle unique or imprecise queries. Statistics indicate that new questions form 15 percent of the total number of searches per day. Considering that Google handles 3 brand new searches per day, then there are 450m unique searches conducted daily by Google. In this case, machine learning is very handy when it comes to coping with the vast demand and while marketers may find it daunting to optimize for it, there are a number of ways you can effectively utilize it.
First and foremost, you will require coming up with content that responds to new queries that relate to your audience. Here, you will require to practice a bit of patience as the whole process takes time and an in-depth research. Once you have sufficient amount of references and relevant information in your content, you can start realizing more online presence for related search queries.
Google considers "micro-moments" critically important in the current content marketplace as they determine the final results of the consumer journey. Mobile plays an important role when it comes to local search and how efficient you need to optimize for the same. According to Chris Lake, mobile searchers are not only active, but also not limited to brand. This offers a great opportunity considering that quite a great number of businesses tend to remain behind attributing to lack of mobile user-experience. The point here is about relevance, simple to use and anticipation.
Yet, another important SEO factor is ensuring that you have as many visible customer reviews as possible. According to Graham Charlton, these are very important especially for your local business regardless of whether you sell online or not. This is attributed to the absolute prominence in the local search engine results.
According to Mary Meeker, Google Search queries have grown considerably since 2008 (35 times). Considering the fact that voice input is four times faster as compared to typing, chances of obtaining results faster are higher. There exist a number of accessibility issues. While many people may find it hard typing on some devices, others tend to shy away from the more confusing menus. Hence, regardless of whether your site is mobile optimized, mobile search remains tricky.
Bottom line: We all understand how important it is getting your site to the top in Google. By simply using the above tips, you can rest assured that your site will sooner or later get there.


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The 800-mile Trans-Alaska pipeline snakes its way through the tundra north of Fairbanks, Alaska. (Al Grillo, AP Photo)
Increased employment and higher wages from oil booms do not appear to benefit permanent residents in the regions where drilling occurs, instead going mostly to outsiders, according to a new study that casts doubt on arguments used to justify natural resource extraction.
The paper, published in the November issue of Resource and Energy Economics, showed that a mid-2000s oil boom in Alaska's North Slope Borough led to a 50% increase in total employment in the region that was not accompanied by a statistically significant change to the employment rate or wages for local residents.
"Aggregated effects do not equal residential effects," said co-author Alexander James, an economics professor at the University of Alaska, Anchorage, in an interview. "Not only are these employees not from the North Slope, they're not from Alaska."
The only noticeable shift in employment patterns for permanent residents was a shift from the public to private sector, according to James and co-author Mouhcine Guettabi.
James said the pair's research is applicable to other regions in the U.S. that have experienced resource-related upheavals in population and employment. He referenced North Dakota, where a fracking boom has caused the population of some towns to double or triple over the past decade, driven largely by out-of-state workers.
"Alaska is a unique state, so it is a fair question to ask, 'Is this a uniquely Alaskan thing?'" said James. "My bet is that it's not."
The data the researchers used was, however, uniquely Alaskan. People who have lived in Alaska for at least a full calendar year and intend to live in the state indefinitely are eligible for yearly dividends -- from the Alaska Permanent Fund, a state-owned fund that invests oil fund revenues.
The eligibility structure of the fund means that the state keeps more detailed information about whether people are permanent residents, giving the researchers a uniquely clear demographic picture.
"Other people have tried to do this, but we argue in our paper that our data is unique and that we're better able to identify actual residents from people that have recently moved," said James, who earned a PhD in economics from the University of Wyoming. "It's more difficult to do in the lower 48 because you don't have the [Permanent Fund Dividend] data."
An argument that natural resource extraction leads to more jobs and higher wages has been successfully used to convince state and local leaders across the country to approve projects that can also have massive social and environmental downsides. Those same leaders may not be aware that most of the economic benefits of an oil project will go to people who will leave as soon as the wells dry up, James said.
"You're looking at these estimates like, 'This is how many jobs are going to be created locally,'" he said. "That might not be the effect on your constituents."
Yet there are ways for governments to better retain the economic benefits of oil booms even if workers are from out of state, according to James. Some of the most oil-rich U.S. states, including Texas and Alaska, have no income tax. That means that much of the money earned by temporary workers eventually leaves the state.
"They're earning large salaries," said James. "They're earning $100,000 a year and they're going back to Nebraska."
"In our view, policymakers should be considering this when they're setting tax policy," he added.
Much of James' other work has centered on the "resource curse" — the idea that regions with abundant natural resources are more likely to have weak economic growth and less democratic politics.
Although the term is often applied to resource-rich developing countries like Nigeria, James told The Academic Times that he has an upcoming paper, called "Oil politics and corrupt bastards," shedding light on the resource curse in the U.S.
"We find that oil-rich states experience higher levels of corruption than oil-poor states -- especially, and sometimes only when oil prices are low," he said. "That suggests that oil might be causing, rather than being correlated with, corruption."
The paper, "Who benefits from an oil boom? Evidence from a unique Alaskan data set," was published in the November issue of Resource and Energy Economics.
The authors were Mouhcine Guettabi and Alexander James from the University of Alaska, Anchorage. Guettabi was lead author.
US wages held steady early in pandemic despite drop in labor demand
US presidents use White House imagery to boost their reelection bids. It might not work.
Endangered killer whales of all ages still dying as a result of humans


Our maple farm, located on the edge of the Adirondack Mountains, has been family owned and operated by the Parkers since 1889. Five generations of Parkers have worked hard to provide quality maple products. We are open all year round with mail order to provide you with prompt, quality service with a family farm touch. We take pride in our maple products and in our service to you.


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Country pop singer/songwriter/producer Rhea Francani has partnered with VH1 Save The Music to launch her new single I'm More.
For each download of the song, debuting March 23 on all digital streaming platforms, VH1 Save The Music will receive a donation. The "Download To Donate" program is expected to generate thousands of dollars to improve music education in schools. Francani's highly anticipated new song follows her I'll Go single that was released in July and has earned thousands of digital streams. Her newest single blends classic country with bluegrass, pop and rock sounds to create a distinctive country brand of music, style and fun.
"I am humbled to be invited to support the amazing work that VH1 Save The Music does," Francani said. "As a music teacher, I understand the vital role music plays in uniting communities and giving all children a shot at a brighter future."
Almost one third of American students don't have access to a music education program. An overwhelming majority of those students come from lower-income families or schools that lack resources to provide musical instruments and full-time music teachers. Francani, who holds a Masters' degree in Music and Music Education from Columbia University, built a world-class performing arts program for the middle school at Florida Atlantic University while simultaneously creating her own music.
The New York native turned Nashville rising star cites Maren Morris, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and Boyz II Men as her influences. Her own sound takes those inspirations, dials back the pop, adds Americana and fine-tunes the style with carefully deliberate songwriting. Similar to Kelsea Ballerini and Carly Pearce, Rhea's cosmopolitan sound blurs the lines between country and pop. Her bold energy has been compared to Carrie Underwood and Chris Stapleton. Her soulful spirit is reminiscent of classic hits from Lady A and Little Big Town. With an emphasis on clarion singing, subtle accompaniment and heartfelt performances by Francani and her instrumentalists, I'm More has something for every fan of contemporary country music. Recorded at Blackbird Studio, Nashville's premiere recording facility, the song's lyrics convey a heartfelt message that will convince listeners they are more than enough. The single was created with a prominent line-up of seasoned session players – including Mike Rojas, who last month was nominated for the Academy of Country Music's Piano/Keys Player of the Year and Evan Hutchings, nominated for ACM's Drummer of the Year.
Francani's first major success as a solo artist was her self-penned 12-track debut album "Now or Never". Recorded at OmniSound Studios, the album features singles Is This Love, Shotgun Baby and Dizzy, which reached #11 on the global HotDisc chart and enjoyed circulation on All Access Nashville radio services, as well as international acclaim. Rhea Francani has performed at sold-out events including the WYRK Acoustic Show featuring Maren Morris, Chris Janson and Big & Rich; enjoyed tremendous television coverage; played live on numerous radio stations; and produced her own music showcases in prominent country music venues.
I'm More by Rhea Francani on the Limestone Records independent music label is now available online worldwide from quality digital music retailers or go to https://www.rheafrancani.com/.
VH1 Save The Music Foundation, Inc. is a New York 501(c)(3) nonprofit that helps kids, schools, and communities realize their full potential through the power of making music. Since 1997, the Foundation has donated $56M worth of new musical instruments to more than 2,100 public schools in 261 school districts around the country—impacting millions of students. Get involved at https://www.savethemusic.org.
‹ Sabi Pitt "Change The World" Released To AC Radio: Download Now	› Why-Axis Releases Upbeat New Single "Shoulders"
7 − four =


This project is another collaboration with House of Riddim, Austria and Clinark's record label, Nurture Projects Music Bermuda/UK. The video was filmed on location in Bermuda and UK. Cast: Clinark, Debrina, Jazzy and Daqaio Stewart.


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A pompás szabalpálma (Sabal pumos) a pálmafélék (Areacea) családjába tartozó faj.

Elterjedése
Dél-Mexikóban a Balsas folyó menti száraz erdők endemikus faja. Az eredeti élőhelyének elvesztése fenyegeti.

Leírása
A pompás szabalpálma egy nagy, impozáns fafaj sűrű lombkoronát alkotó levelekkel és viszonylag karcsú, 20 m magas törzzsel. A fiatalabb fákon jellemzően végig a törzsön még sokáig megmarad a letisztuláskor lehullott levelek levélnyeleinek egy rövid nyélrésze. Termése a szabalpálmák közül a legnagyobb és ehető, íze markáns.

Fordítás

Források

Szabalpálmák
Növényfajok


You can choose 4 constellations – spring or autumnal equinox and summer or winter solstice. When in use, the lamp projects a magnificent and exact view of the night sky to the walls. Thin, subtle lines drawn on the inner surface of Starry Light help users in the identification of different constellations.
The lamp is manufactured by hand, it is suitable to customisations according to a given date, time and geographical location.


text:
Previous Issues - 2011 Onwards
Previous Issues - 2004 - 2010
Home > September 2012 - Volume 35 - Issue 3 > Renal corpuscle alterations induced by gentamicin in adult m...
Thought you might appreciate this item(s) I saw at Egyptian Journal of Histology.
Article as PDF (1.04 MB)
Renal corpuscle alterations induced by gentamicin in adult male albino rats and a possible protective role of ginger: histological and biochemical study
Selim, Assmaa O.; Selim, Sally A.; Wahadan, Rania A.
The Egyptian Journal of Histology: September 2012 - Volume 35 - Issue 3 - p 520–531
doi: 10.1097/01.EHX.0000418502.12452.d3
Introduction Gentamicin is a widely used effective antibiotic with a possible risk of nephrotoxicity. Ginger is an antioxidant that could play a protective role in models of experimentally induced nephropathies.
Aim of the work The aim of this work was to study the possible histological and biochemical changes induced by gentamicin on renal corpuscles and evaluate the possible protective effect of ginger on gentamicin-induced renal damage in adult male albino rats.
Materials and methods Twenty-four adult male albino rats divided into four groups (six rats each) were used in this study. Group I served as the control group. Rats of group II received only an aqueous extract of ginger at a daily dose of 1 ml for 7 days through a gastric tube. Rats of group III were injected intraperitoneally with gentamicin sulphate at a daily dose of 80 mg/kg for 7 days. Rats of group IV were given both ginger and gentamicin at the same doses and through the same routes as the previous two groups. At the end of the experiment, the rats were sacrificed after ether inhalation and blood samples were subjected to chemical assay for assessment of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Renal tissue samples were processed for light and electron microscopic examination. An immunohistochemical study was also performed for assessing α-smooth muscle actin to demonstrate mesangial expansion. The obtained results were analysed morphometrically and statistically.
Results Gentamicin caused several focal glomerular changes in the form of congestion and rupture of capillaries and also atrophic changes. Mesangial hyper-cellularity and increased inter-capillaries mesangial matrix were observed. Destroyed blood renal barrier was observed ultrastructurally. There was a highly significant increase in serum urea, creatinine and MDA, whereas SOD decreased. Ginger normalized the gentamicin-induced increase in serum BUN, creatinine, MDA and SOD. This was also evidenced by histological studies.
Conclusion Gentamicin induced injurious effects on renal corpuscles. Coadministration of ginger during gentamicin treatment can ameliorate both the functional and histological changes induced by gentamicin.
Departments of Histology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
Correspondence to Assmaa Othman Selim, Departments of Histology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt Tel: +20 010 015 42580; e-mail: assmaatarek@yahoo.com
Received February 2, 2012
Accepted March 25, 2012
Biochemical analysis
Histological analysis
Light microscopic study
Immunohistochemical study
Electron microscopic study
Morphometrical analysis
Biochemical results
Morphometrical results
Histological results
Control group Ia, b and II
Light microscopic findings:
Electron microscopic findings:
Gentamicin-treated group III
Gentamicin-treated and ginger-treated group IV
The kidney is a vital organ for a healthy life and kidney disease can lead to life-threatening consequences. Many environmental contaminants and chemical variables, including drugs, alter the functions of the kidney. Intoxication of both acute and chronic nature has been reported to cause nephropathies with various levels of severity ranging from tubular dysfunctions to acute renal failure [1,2]. Nephrotoxicity is of critical concern when selecting new drug candidates during the early stage of drug development because of its unique metabolism [3].
Mesangial cells (MCs) form a supporting framework that maintains the structural integrity of the glomerular capillaries. Both the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) and the MCs establish a biomechanical unit capable of developing wall tension against a higher intraglomerular pressure and of changing the geometry of glomerular capillaries following mesangial contraction or relaxation. Moreover, MCs express several kinds of receptors for vasoactive agents such as angiotensin-II, vasopressin and endothelin [4].
Gentamicin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic that is very effective in treating life-threatening Gram-negative infections [2]. Unfortunately, 30% of patients treated with gentamicin for more than 7 days show some signs of nephrotoxicity [5]. The specificity of gentamicin for renal toxicity is apparently related to its preferential accumulation in the renal proximal convoluted tubules (50–100 times greater than serum) [6]. The exact mechanism of gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity is unknown. However, gentamicin has been shown to enhance the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that cause deficiency in intrinsic antioxidant enzymes [7–9].
Recently, much attention has been focused on the protective effects of antioxidants and naturally occurring substances against oxidative stress damage. Oxidative stress was reported to be induced by reactive intermediates produced by various chemicals and drugs [10,11].
Medicinal plants have been known to play an important role in pharmacology and medicine since many years. Today, it is estimated that about 80% of the world's population relies on botanical preparations as medication to meet their health needs [12]. Zingiber officinale Roscoe, known as ginger, is one of the most commonly used spices in the world. Ginger contains active phenolic compounds that have anti-inflammatory [13] and antioxidant properties [14]. Among the pharmacological effects demonstrated are antiplatelet, antioxidant, antitumour, antihepatotoxicity and antiarthritic effects [15–17]. Ginger has been found to have a hypocholesterolaemic effect and reduces body weight, blood glucose, serum total cholesterol and alkaline phosphatase in adult male rats [18].
Many studies revealed episodes of acute tubular necrosis and/or acute interstitial nephritis attributed to gentamicin medication and determined the incidence to be 18.3% [19]. However, little is known about its effect on glomeruli. Hence, the aim of the present study was to detect the effect of gentamicin on renal Malpighian corpuscles and to assess the protective role of ginger as an antioxidant on renal function, histology and immunohistochemistry.
The study was conducted on 24 healthy adult male albino rats (5–7 months) weighing 200–250 g. These rats were obtained from the animal house of the Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, and kept under controlled laboratory conditions under a 12/12 h light/dark cycle at 25°C and provided with standard rodent pellet diet and water ad libitum. The experiment was conducted according to the norms of the Ethical Committee of the Zagazig University (Egypt).
The rats were divided into four groups (six rats each):
Group I (the control group): The rats in this group were divided into two subgroups (three rats each):
(a) Group Ia: The rats in this subgroup were given no medications to measure the basic parameters.
(b) Group Ib: The rats in this subgroup were injected intraperitoneally with normal saline.
Group II (the ginger group): The rats in this group were given only an aqueous extract of ginger at a daily dose of 1 ml through a gastric tube for 7 days [17]. One kilogram of fresh ginger rhizome was cleaned, washed under running tap water, cut into small pieces, air dried and powdered. The concentration of the extract was 24 mg/ml [20].
Group III (the gentamicin-treated group): The rats in this group were given gentamicin sulphate intraperitoneally at a dose of 80 mg/kg/day for 7 days [21,22].
Group IV (the gentamicin and ginger group): The rats in this group were given an aqueous extract of ginger and gentamicin at the same doses, through the same route and for the same time periods as the previous groups.
At the end of the experiment and after ether inhalation, venous blood samples were drawn from the retro-orbital sinus. The blood samples were allowed to clot at room temperature before being centrifuged at approximately 3000 rpm for 15 min. The serum was stored at −20°C until it was assayed for biochemical parameters [23]. The following markers were measured in the serum and plasma:
Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine assessment in serum using a commercially available spectrophotometric enzymatic kit (Thermo Trace BECGMAN, Germany).
Oxidative marker plasma superoxide dismutase (SOD): SOD was assessed colorimetically (absorbance 450 nm) using a commercially available kit (Biovision, cat. No. K335-100, San Francisco, USA) following the manufacturer's instructions.
Lipid peroxidation marker malondialdehyde (MDA): MDA was assessed colorimetically (absorbance 532 nm) using a commercially available kit (Biovision, cat. No. K739-100) following the manufacturer's instructions.
At the end of the experiment, all studied animals were sacrificed after ether inhalation. The two kidneys of each rat were excised and prepared for the following studies:
The specimens were fixed in 10% neutral-buffered formalin, dehydrated, embedded in paraffin, cut at 5 μm and stained with H&E for routine histological examination and PAS stains [24].
Paraffin sections of 5 μm thickness were stained with modified avidin–biotin peroxidase for α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) to demonstrate MC expansion. Primary antibodies were purchased from Thermo Scientific Company. Sections were deparaffinized and subjected to hydration. They were treated with 0.01 mol/l citrate buffer (pH 6.0) for 10 min to unmask antigen. Thereafter, the sections were incubated in 0.3% H2O2 for 30 min to abolish endogenous peroxidase activity before being blocked with 5% horse serum for 1–2 h. The slides were incubated with the primary antibody (1 : 100 monoclonal mouse anti-α-SMA) at 4°C for 18–20 h, and then washed and incubated with biotinylated secondary antibodies and then with the avidin–biotin complex. Finally, sections were developed with 0.05% diaminobenzidine. The slides were counterstained with haematoxylin, dehydrated, cleared and mounted [25].
Specimens from the kidney cortex were taken. They were immediately fixed in 2.5% glutaraldehyde buffered with 0.1 mol/l phosphate buffer at pH 7.4 for 2 h and then postfixed in 1% osmium tetroxide in the same buffer for 1 h at 4°C. The specimens were processed and embedded in Embded-812 resin in BEEM capsules at 60°C for 24 h. Semithin sections (1 mm thick) were stained with 1% toluidine blue for light microscopic examination [24]. Ultrathin sections were obtained using Lecia ultracut UCT, (Germany) and stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate [26] and were examined with a JEOL JEM 1010 electron microscope (Tokyo, Japan) at the Electron Microscope Research Laboratory (EMRL) of the Histology and Cell Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, and with a JEOL 1010 electron microscope at Mycology and Regional Biotechnology Center, Al Azhar University (Cairo, Egypt).
The image analyzer computer system Leica Qwin 500 (Cambridge, UK, Leica Microsystems Imaging Solutions Ltd) in the image analysing unit of the Pathology Department, Faculty of Dentist, Cairo University (Egypt), was used to evaluate α-SMA surface areas (mesangial expansions). The area percentage and standard measuring frame of a standard area equal to 118 476.6 mm2 were chosen from the parameters measuring 10 readings from five sections from each rat of the randomly chosen five rats. In each randomly chosen field, the section of the kidney was enclosed inside the standard measuring frame; then, α-SMA immunoexpression was masked by blue binary colour to be measured.
Statistical analysis was performed on all parameters. The obtained data were expressed as mean values ± SD and analysed using analysis of variance.
All the examined parameters in the ginger group were similar to those of the control group. There was no significant change in BUN, creatinine, SOD and MDA (Tables 1–4 & Histograms 1–4).
Histogram 1
Gentamicin-treated rats showed a highly significant increase in BUN and serum creatinine levels. Treating animals with gentamicin and ginger induced a significant decrease in both BUN and serum creatinine levels when compared with the gentamicin-only group (Tables 1 and 2 & Histograms 1 and 2).
With regard to evaluation of oxidative and antioxidant enzymes, there was a highly significant increase in the levels of MDA, whereas the SOD was significantly decreased in animals treated with gentamicin compared with controls. Animals treated with both gentamicin and ginger showed a significant decrease in MDA and increase in SOD levels compared with the gentamicin-only group (Tables 3 and 4 & Histograms 3 and 4).
For evaluation of mesangial expansion, there was a highly significant increase in the α-SMA immunoexpression surface area in the gentamicin-treated group and a significant increase in the group treated with gentamicin and ginger compared with controls (Table 5 & Histogram 5).
The renal cortices of rats in the control subgroups and those of ginger-treated rats were similar.
H&E-stained sections showed the renal corpuscles formed of glomerular capillaries surrounded by Bowman's capsule. Also, peritubular blood capillaries could be seen (Fig. 1a). Positive reaction for PAS showed thin basement membrane of Bowman's capsule, thin GBM and diffuse inter-capillaries mesangial matrix (Fig. 1B). Faint or no reaction for α-SMA appeared in a few MCs (Fig. 1c).
Toluidine blue-stained semithin sections showed the renal glomeruli formed of an anastomosing network of blood capillaries. Endothelial cells with flat nuclei were bulging into the capillary lumens. MCs and their matrix were seen between the capillaries. Bowman's capsules had regular parietal layers of attenuated flat cells and irregular visceral layers of podocytes (Fig. 2).
Ultrastructurally, podocytes were seen to have euchromatic indented nuclei. Their cytoplasm contained mitochondria and a few rough endoplasmic reticulum. Primary (major processes) and secondary foot processes (pedicles) were observed. The spaces between the pedicles (filtration slits) were clearly seen and laid on a thin regular GBM. Fenestrations in the endothelial lining of the glomerular capillaries could be observed (Fig. 3).
H&E-stained sections showed variable focal changes in the structures of renal corpuscles. Some corpuscles appeared with congested glomerular capillaries and also with peritubular capillaries (Fig. 4a). Rupture of some glomerular capillaries with extravasated blood, an obvious thick irregular parietal layer of Bowman's capsule and periglomerular cellular infiltration were detected in other areas (Fig. 4b). Glomerular hypocellularity (a few MCs), clear swollen vacuolated parietal cells and obvious haemorrhage were observed (Fig. 4c). Other corpuscles showed glomerular hypercellularity (numerous MCs) (Fig. 4d). Glomerular hypercellularity with intertubular cellular infiltration was detected (Fig. 4e). Empty corpuscles with atrophic glomeruli and thick acidophilic basement membrane of Bowman's capsule were observed (Fig. 4f). Positive reaction of PAS appeared in the mesangial matrix of abundant intercapillaries (Fig. 5a). Atrophic glomeruli with a very thick basement membrane of Bowman's capsule and also GBMs were observed (Fig. 5b).
Immunohistochemical staining for α-SMA showed strong positive reaction in numerous MCs (Fig. 6).
Toluidine blue-stained semithin sections showed renal corpuscles with congested glomerular blood capillaries. Prominent endothelial cell nuclei were seen in some capillaries. MCs and their matrix were seen between the glomerular capillaries. Bowman's capsule had a regular parietal layer of flat cells and a visceral layer of large podocytes (Fig. 7a). Other distorted renal corpuscles with ill-defined glomerular capillary walls were detected. A few MCs and their matrix were observed between the capillaries. Bowman's capsule had a swollen parietal layer and a visceral layer of darkly stained podocytes (Fig. 7b).
Podocytes with heterochromatic nuclei and distorted fused foot processes were detected. Irregular thickening of the GBM with lack of fenestration of glomerular capillaries was seen (Fig. 8). Lysosomes, phagolysosomes, dense bodies and vacuoles were observed in the cytoplasm of some podocytes (Figs 9 and 10). Numerous MCs with irregular heterochromatic nuclei were also observed (Fig. 10).
H&E-stained sections revealed most of the corpuscles as normal, whereas some of them were distorted. Numerous MCs (glomerular hypercellularity) were present (Fig. 11a). Positive reaction for PAS showed relatively thin basement membrane of Bowman's capsules and distributed inter-capillaries mesangial matrix (Fig. 11B). Also, positive reaction for α-SMA appeared in some MCs (Fig. 11c).
Toluidine blue-stained semithin sections showed renal glomeruli with anastomosing networks of blood capillaries. The capillary walls were lined by endothelial cells with flat nuclei. MCs and their matrix were seen between the capillaries. Bowman's capsule had a regular parietal layer of flat cells and a visceral layer of large podocytes (Fig. 12).
Ultrastructurally, some podocytes appeared with euchromatic indented nuclei and well-defined primary and secondary foot processes. The filtration slits in between the foot processes were preserved. Small mitochondria and few rough endoplasmic reticulum were seen in the cytoplasm of podocytes. Regular relatively thin GBMs were detected. Thickened areas lacking endothelial fenestrations were observed in some GBMs (Fig. 13).
Aminoglycosides have been known as highly effective antimicrobial agents for more than 50 years. They are considered to be very effective against many life-threatening infections, especially those caused by Gram-negative bacteria, as they display many highly desirable properties including low rate of true resistance, low cost of therapy and rapid concentration-dependent bactericidal effects [27,28]. Gentamicin is one of the most important and effective aminoglycoside antibiotics used widely for treatment of serious infections. Adverse effects such as nephrotoxicity constitute one of the major limitations to their use [29,30]. Several studies have shown that gentamicin causes other infections such as hepatotoxicity [30] and testicular toxicity [31].
The nephrotoxicity induced by gentamicin is because about 5% of the administered dose is retained in the epithelial cells of the proximal convoluted tubules after their filtration. They are located in endosomal and lysosomal vesicles and also within the Golgi complex. Moreover, renal toxicity can be the result of a direct toxic effect, haemodynamic changes, inflammatory tissue injury and/or obstruction of renal excretion [19]. This nephrotoxicity manifests clinically as nonoliguric renal failure with a slow rise in serum creatinine and a hypo-osmolar urinary output developing after several days of treatment [32].
Renal toxicity of gentamicin is believed to be related to the generation of ROS in the kidney. ROS are considered as important modulators of renal blood flow and glomerular infiltration rate. Also, production of excessive amounts of ROS causes oxidative stress, which results in alterations in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, depletion of ATP, an increase in intracellular Ca and activation of protein kinases, proteases and nucleases, leading to loss of cellular function/integrity [29]. Therefore, several antioxidants such as ginger have shown a protective role in models of experimentally mediated nephropathies caused by alcohol [33] and by metalaxyl fungicide [23].
In the current work, all the examined parameters in the ginger group were similar to those of the control one. These results were in line with those of other investigators [23], who concluded that ginger is probably a safe medicinal plant as there were no significant harmful changes in BUN, creatinine, SOD and MDA levels. BUN and serum creatinine were estimated to assess the extent of nephrotoxicity. This agreed with other results [34]. In the current work, gentamicin-treated rats showed a highly significant increase in BUN and serum creatinine. This goes in hand with the results of many other researchers [35,36], who considered this increase to be a result of nephrotoxicity. It was previously reported that the increase in BUN and serum creatinine is because of the decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR) even if there is no glomerular damage [32]. The GFR reduction is because of the autocrine and paracrine action of contracting factors such as angiotensin II, endothelin I and platelet-activating factor produced by endothelial and MCs [37]. This decrease in GFR will aggravate tubular damage. This impairment in kidney functions may be because of tubular degeneration as a result of oxidative stress induced by gentamicin and evidenced by decreased SOD level with increased MDA [23]. In contrast, in group IV, ginger can suppress the gentamicin-induced increases in serum BUN and creatinine levels. This is in agreement with the results of other investigators [19], who found that the ability of ginger to enhance the mitochondrial antioxidant system is likely related to the nephroprotection against gentamicin toxicity.
All the biochemical changes in the current work were concomitant with histological changes in the renal glomeruli. These lesions were represented by congestion and rupture of the glomerular capillaries. The glomerular lesions may be related to the interaction of the biological membranes with gentamicin during its passage through the filtration barrier [19,29]. In the present study, thickening of the GBM and excessive extracellular matrix were observed. It was previously found that the basement membrane changes in diethylstilbestrol-treated rat kidneys included modulation and thickening in many areas and deterioration in others. The researchers correlated this to the change in ultrafiltration and Na/H2O balance disorder in these rats [38]. Moreover, the thickening in the basement membrane is a sign of damage because of ROS [39]. ROS are involved in the production of extracellular matrix proteins, especially fibronectin [29]. However, many authors [19] stated that endothelin-1 release from MCs as a result of glomerular injury stimulates hypertrophy, proliferation and extracellular matrix accumulation in the kidney, primarily through endothelin type-A receptor stimulation.
In the current work, features of apoptosis were seen in some podocytes, which appeared small with darkly stained nuclei. Their cytoplasm contained multiple lysosomes and vacuoles. They had distorted fused foot processes. This was in accordance with other previous findings [29,40]. The researchers mentioned that cellular damages could be referred to renal ischaemia caused by toxic effect of gentamicin on renal blood vessels; they added that gentamicin leads to generation of ROS, which are important modulators of renal blood flow. Moreover, the fusion of pedicles after administration of adriamycin in rats was suggested to be a result of loss of electrical load in podocyte pedicles [11]. Also, gentamicin chelates mitochondrial iron, forming a very oxidant Fe-II gentamicin complex capable of causing cell death and triggering the apoptotic pathway [32]. The increased number of lysosomes found in experimental animals administered gentamicin could be explained by their uptake and accumulation of gentamicin as previously reported [29]. In addition, the external surface of podocytes is covered with a sialic acid rich in glycocalyx known as podocalyxin. Podocalyxin is the target of glomerular diseases that affect the shape of foot processes and reduce the components of slit diaphragm with subsequent development of albuminuria [41].
Cellular infiltration was observed in this study. This result is in accordance with those of previous investigators [42,43], who stated that gentamicin evokes an inflammatory response in experimental animals and in humans with cell infiltration, increased cytokine production and increased capillary permeability. They added that the inflammatory response initially appears as a defense mechanism, but after that it contributes to renal damage progression.
In the present work, alterations in the renal corpuscles of gentamicin-treated rats appeared in the form of a hydropic change or swelling with cytoplasmic vacuolization in the parietal cells. This is in agreement with the results of other researchers [28] who observed the same in tubular epithelial cells. This was attributed to the fact that toxic potential of individual aminoglycosides agents is directly related to its ability to bind and disrupt the plasma membrane.
MCs resemble smooth muscle cells; they can modulate glomerular haemodynamics by controlling the glomerular capillary surface area. Only activated proliferating cells express α-SMA in mesangial injury and that was thought to be a sign of activation [44]. In the current work, immunoexpression for α-SMA was not detected in normal glomeruli. Also, mesangial hypercellularity was confirmed by extensive positive PAS staining of the mesangial matrix and strong positive α-SMA immunoexpression in MCs. Moreover, hypertrophy and proliferation of endothelial and MCs were recorded. This is in agreement with previous studies [2,28,44,45]. Those researchers reported that MCs secrete endothelin-1 in response to glomerular injury. Endothelin-1 acts by autocrine and paracrine mechanisms on MCs, causing their proliferation and excessive accumulation of its matrix. Hypertrophy and proliferation of MCs occurred because of the mitogenic effect of endothelin-1 and by mediating the proliferative effect of other growth factors such as angiotensin II. They added that endothelin I increased fibronectin, type IV collagen and type I collagen by MCs.
The immunohistochemical assessment of α-SMA was carried out to determine the role of MCs and glomerular myofibroblasts in the progression of gentamicin glomerular injury and to assess their value in determining long-term renal outcome. Increased expression of α-SMA in glomerulonephropathies was previously observed by many authors [44], who regarded this increase as a sign of mesangial activation and proliferation at sites of mesangial injury. They suggested that the possible myofibroblast migration from the interstitium to the damaged glomeruli could be associated with mesangial injury. Recently, smooth muscle protein was seen to be expressed in glomeruli during glomerulogenesis and to decrease with glomerular maturation. It is increased again in some glomerulopathies and this correlates with a worse disease prognosis as a higher rate of apoptosis and lower rate of proliferation occurred with it [46].
In this study, administration of ginger with gentamicin resulted in a significant alleviation of kidney injures as evidenced by biochemical indices and improvement in the histological profile. These improvements were attributed to the antioxidant protective and scavenger effects of ginger. This agreed with the results of other studies [19,23,33] and also confirmed the protective role of ginger in alcohol and metalaxyl fungicide-induced nephrotoxicities. Ginger-free phenolic and ginger-hydrolysed phenolic fractions exhibited free radical scavenging, inhibition of lipid peroxidation and DNA protection, indicating strong antioxidant properties [47]. Moreover, the young rhizosome of Z. officinale had a higher content of flavonoids with high antioxidant activity [48].
In conclusion, results of this study revealed the injurious effects of gentamicin on renal corpuscles. Coadministration of ginger during gentamicin treatment can ameliorate both the functional and histological changes induced by gentamicin. These findings may be of major importance for the introduction of a safe, inexpensive and feasible method for attenuation of gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity.
There is no conflict of interest to declare.
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biochemical; gentamicin; ginger; renal corpuscles; ultrastructure
© 2012 The Egyptian Journal of Histology
Egyptian Journal of Histology35(3):520-531, September 2012.
Articles in PubMed by Assmaa O. Selim
Articles in Google Scholar by Assmaa O. Selim
Other articles in this journal by Assmaa O. Selim
renal corpuscles
ultrastructure
biochemical, gentamicin, ginger, renal corpuscles, ultrastructure
Histological study of the role of stem cells on experimentally induced diabetes mellitus
Effect of stem cell therapy on amiodarone-induced liver injury in albino rats
Comparative study on the effects of grape seed extract and telmisartan on doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in adult male rats: light and electron microscopic study
Histological study on the effect of sodium azide on the corpus striatum of albino rats and the possible protective role of L-carnitine
The effect of mesenchymal stem cell therapy on ischemia–reperfusion-induced injury of the rat pancreas: a histological and immunohistochemical study


text:
Courthouse savings now may be costly down road
By bobliocatt,
May 14, 2004 in Jacksonville
bobliocatt
By MARY KELLI PALKA
The Times-Union
By cutting space to meet current budget requirements for a new Duval County Courthouse, Jacksonville could be setting taxpayers up to pay as much as $37 million to expand the main building within as few as five years after completion.
Mayor John Peyton is expected within the next couple weeks to decide how to cut more than $50 million in costs from the courthouse complex being built downtown a couple blocks from Hemming Plaza. City leaders were planning on some expansion down the road, but the current design was supposed to meet Jacksonville's space needs until at least 2020.
Peyton has promised to keep the project at its current $232 million budget, but an independent audit recently showed that costs are much higher now.
One option for cutting costs includes deferring the construction of two wings on the north and south sides of the building. It would save about $12 million, city officials have estimated.
The city then could build the wings in the future when there's a need for more space. If that day comes in 2013, about five years after it's expected to open, it could cost between $28 million and $37 million to add the wings, the city's project manager, Chris Boruch, wrote in an undated document.
Mayoral aide Susan Wiles said no budget cuts have been approved by Peyton.
"It's fair to say that 232 means 232 for a while and he recognizes that it's not necessarily prudent to defer for such as short time into the future," Wiles said.
Peyton said he wants a cost-effective, functional and effective design for $232 million and an expansion is expected at some point because the community will continue to grow, causing a need for more space.
Earlier in the week, Peyton learned about five options that incorporated various degrees of cuts, but Chief Operating Officer Dan Kleman said the one being given the most consideration is the last option, with almost $57 million in reductions.
The cuts include cutting off the dome, eliminating the rotunda, simplifying the design of the concrete panels on the outside of the building, eliminating the seventh floor and deferring construction of the two wings. It could reduce the square footage of the main courthouse from a high of 909,052 to about 700,000, according to records from the architect, Cannon Design.
Clerk of court personnel and court administration staff were expected to work in the two wings. If the wings are eliminated, one option city officials are considering is moving the staff to the fifth floor of the building, Kleman said.
The fifth floor had been planned to be mostly empty space that, when needed, would hold up to 12 additional courtrooms without having to build onto the structure. Another 31 courtrooms are expected to be complete when the building opens.
The city would save about $12 million by not building the wings now, according to city records.
Kleman and Boruch said no one knows for sure when an addition might be needed.
"We're trying to build the highest quality building we can build within a $232 million budget," Kleman said.
He said to do that, some features will have to be cut.
City officials have been talking to judges and other courthouse users to get their input on potential cuts. The judges have declined to comment to the news media.
KBJ Architects, one company that competed to design the courthouse, said it offered the city this week another option to save money.
KBJ's Thomas Rensing said his firm still is able and willing to use its design for the courthouse, keep it within the $232 million and not have to shelve any space. The KBJ design has eight floors, would be about 935,000 square feet and include 43 courtrooms, Rensing said. Plus, he said it would take up less space so the city could sell about two blocks of land.
Kleman said he's not anticipating a change in architects.
Voters approved a half-cent sales tax in 2000 to fund the Better Jacksonville Plan, which includes the courthouse, other public buildings, road improvements and land conservation. The courthouse originally was expected to cost $190 million.
How to make budget
The new Duval County Courthouse is over its $232 million budget proposed by Mayor John Peyton. Here's one scenario to cut $56.7 million in costs:
Major design changes: $23.5 million
Defer building north and south wings, which also reduces the basement size.
Eliminate dome.
Eliminate rotunda and change the east entrance.
Simplify design of concrete panels on the outside of the building.
Combine the sixth and seventh floors.
Mechanical, electrical, plumbing, security and elevator changes:
Eliminate some elevators.
No extended warranty for heating, ventilating and air-conditioning system.
Reduce fire alarm terminal cabinet locations.
No soft water system.
Civil, structural and architectural changes:
Use asphalt instead of concrete in some areas outside the building, n Use carpet instead of stone in most inside areas.
No wall paneling in courtrooms and other locations.
Use flush stain maple doors instead of cherry doors.
Eliminate all stone wall surfaces.
Delete benches in public areas.
After reading this, I truley believe that its in the best interests of the taxpayers, for this thing to go back to the drawing board or at least consider some of the old proposals. KBJ's plans & offer look like a pretty good option to consider right now.
Urban_Legend
Location: Nashville, TN
I'm glad KBJ offered. I doubt the city would ever change architects, but it would be in their best interest. If they decide to go with the current design, I think that all the changes should be interior changes. Not everyone will go inside the courthouse, but everyone will see the exterior. The dome and open rotunda should be left alone, and decorative concrete paneling on the outside should remain as well. It shouldn't become a box. Also, if they have to change something on the outside, they should eliminate the part that will close off the streets. I was disappointed when I found out that they were closing streets.
prahaboheme
So basically this is going from a pretty decent courthouse that could really add something to the architectural database of the city to a shotty and cheap design..sux.


I like Fog. Yesterday I was driving back from work in the South Bay, sweating in the 80 degree heat. Like clockwork, when I got within 10 miles of San Francisco, WOOSH - a wall of Fog blanketed everything around me. I've come to really like it though. Time seems to slow down when you're walking through the mist, like the witch from Sleeping Beauty has cast her spell on this city.
The cool, damp weather means certain plants thrive here. The Nasturtium and Ferns in my garden are very happy.
For warm weather flowers, I rely on my buds growing in sunnier conditions both North and South of the city.
This week's bounty was Fragrant Evelyn Garden Roses and Distant Drums Roses from Petaluma; Cerinthe, Foxglove, Marjoram, Cosmos, and Helichrysum buds from Soquel.


Obviously there were a bunch of other things that happened through the year including new nephews, job promotions, lots and lots of fun friend times, lots and lots of fun niece & nephew times, lots and lots of fun family times, baking, discovering Black Milk, heaps of new nail polish adventures, lots of amazing books and movies and music and all round good times.
I think 2011 was a fun and amazing year with lots of ups and downs (as any with any year) but overall things turned out pretty well. It was a year of bravery and change and personal growth - I've learnt a lot of different things from so many unexpected sources.
I'm ready for 2012 - the year of achieving goals and having adventures.
Thanks for sticking with my sporadic posting and adventures this year.


text:
namespace Zhigly.Code
{
    public class Hashing
    {

        private static string GetRandomSalt()
        {
            return BCrypt.Net.BCrypt.GenerateSalt(12);
        }

        public static string Password(string password)
        {
            return BCrypt.Net.BCrypt.HashPassword(password, GetRandomSalt());
        }

        public static bool Validate(string password, string correctHash)
        {
            return BCrypt.Net.BCrypt.Verify(password, correctHash);
        }
    }
}