Lithium Australia's recent newsletter reports on the Rolls Royce Spirit of Innovation project. Rolls Royce Motors, the Spirit of Ecstasy ornament that has adorned its vehicles since the early 20th century was, and is, a symbol of energy, elegance and beauty.
One hundred plus years on, it seems Rolls-Royce, the legendary aero-engine manufacturer (now an entity in its own right), is embracing a similar ethos with The Spirit of Innovation, a platform designed to smash the all-electric aircraft speed record. Scheduled to become airborne in Great Britain in 2020, the novel concept craft will reach a speed of 300 miles per hour, possibly more, making it the fastest all-electric plane ever.
A monumental undertaking, it's part of a Rolls-Royce initiative known as 'ACCEL' ('Accelerating the Electrification of Flight'). If the company's plan succeeds, it will parallel their success during the 1931 Schneider Trophy, when a Rolls Royce-powered Supermarine racer smashed speed records for powered flight and led to the development of the most successful fighter aircraft of the era – the Supermarine Spitfire.
More conservatively, Rolls-Royce is also collaborating with Airbus and Siemens to develop the E-Fan X hybrid plane, in a move designed to propel electrically-powered commercial aviation into the future.
The latest edition of The Power of 3 is a précis of those and other recent advances in electric aviation. You can find it, and previous issues of the newsletter, on the Lithium Australia website.
Lithium Australia is facilitating evolution in the sphere by developing high-performance cathode powders for the next generation of lithium-ion batteries, at its VSPC plant in Brisbane, Australia.


text:
Q: Why isn't my git pre-commit hook running? Up until recently -- I only noticed this a couple days ago -- my git pre-commit hook was working. I'm writing a react app and using Husky, TSLint, and Prettier to clean and lint my code before committing. Now, when I change and commit files, the pre-commit hook doesn't run.
My project structure looks like this:
- project
  - .git/
  - react/   <- the frontend
    - node_modules/
    - src/
    - package.json
    - (other files)
  - nodejs/  <- the server
    - node_modules/
    - src/
    - package.json
    - (other files)
  - package.json
  - (other files)

If I manually execute the hook, it seems to run fine:
[/project/react] # git status
On branch fixHusky
Changes to be committed:
  (use "git reset HEAD <file>..." to unstage)

    modified:   MyFile.ts

[/project/react] # ../.git/hooks/pre-commit
husky > pre-commit (node v12.6.0)
  ↓ Stashing changes... [skipped]
    → No partially staged files found...
  ✔ Running linters...

[/project/react] #

But when I actually try to commit, husky doesn't run:
[/project/react] #  git commit -m "testing husky"
[fixHusky cf17a6b] testing husky
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

[/project/react] #

Any idea why it isn't running?

A: Check if git config core.hooksPath has been set to a different path than its default: $GIT_DIR/hooks
Check also that GIT_DIR (environment variable) is not currently set.
In both cases, Git would look for that hook not where you would expect (and currently have your pre-commit hook)

A: Updating Husky by running yarn add --dev husky fixed the problem. I have no idea why it stopped working, but husky was very out of date anyways.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
How Scotland's children are designing a better future
Flodden
By Matthew Knight
Curator of Prehistory
In 1999 a Bronze Age spearhead was donated to the National Museums Scotland collections by Professor Charles Thomas on the occasion of his Rhind Lectures for the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. At first glance, there is nothing unusual about the spearhead. It has a socket for inserting the shaft and a loop on each side for securing the shaft with binding. This style was very common around three and a half thousand years ago (1400–1100 BC: the Middle Bronze Age).
The Chisholme spearhead
This particular spearhead has a remarkable story to tell though. Professor Thomas bought it from an auction house in Sussex. Hidden inside the socket, he discovered a handwritten paper label, which reads:
"The spearhead of the Pennon carried by Robert Chisholme of that Ilk Roxburghshire in the Battle of Flodden in which he was slain".
The label found inside the spearhead
There are several things to unpick with this label. Let's start with the easy stuff.
Firstly, the Battle of Flodden was fought near Branxton in Northumberland on 9 September AD1513, some three thousand years after the spearhead was made.
Secondly, the label refers to a specific clan: the 'Chisholmes of that Ilk' from Roxburghshire. Later known as the Chisholmes of the Stirches, they are well-documented in clan histories. It seems this spearhead belonged to that family at some point and was claimed to be part of the clan standard (or 'Pennon') that was carried into battle.
But if Robert Chisholme was slain, how was the spearhead recovered? More sceptical readers may even be asking: is this label true or just a figment of someone's imagination? This is where some good old-fashioned research helps us understand the picture a bit better.
With some help from the National Library of Scotland, we can establish that the label was probably written some time in the 18th or 19th century. It's clear that the label was not written at the time of the Battle of Flodden – it was added much later on. So we now have a 3500-year-old spearhead, carried into a 500-year-old battle and a 200-year-old label stuck inside the socket.
This points towards a fanciful story attached to the spearhead during the 18th or 19th century – an era where myths and legends surrounding objects are rife.
Still, it's worth finding out whether there may be any truth in the label, and when we delve into the clan history of the Chisholmes, we are not disappointed. In 1902, the historian J.J. Vernon wrote a history of the Chisholmes of that Ilk and of the Stirches. This was published in the Hawick Express, following the death of the last male in the family lineage – John James Scott-Chisholme. In his account, Vernon says:
" Robert and John Chisholme, accompanied their overlord, Sir William Douglas of Drumlanrig, to Flodden Field in 1513. Robert, the eldest son, died with Drumlanrig fighting beside the king, but John, the second son, survived and brought back the family pennon, the lance-head of which is still in the possession of the present representatives of the family."
Here, then, we have an explanation for how the spearhead supposedly came back from the Battle of Flodden! It also suggests the Chisholmes did fight in the Battle of Flodden. It seems that by 1902 the Chisholme family owned a spearhead, possibly even the one now in the National Museum, with the tale attached that it was carried into the Battle of Flodden. Whether true or not, it was clearly considered part of the family history.
This begs the question: how did the spearhead end up in an auction house in Sussex? Again, family history can help us with this mystery, and work by Dr Margaret Collin has been especially informative. By 1902, only three members of the Chisholmes of that Ilk and of the Stirches are known to have been living, all female relatives of John James Scott-Chisholme. Two of these three women are recorded by the national census to have lived in Sussex in 1881 and 1901. If this important family heirloom was in the possession of one of them, it may well have ended up in the care of an auction house, perhaps following their deaths. It may be that the label was written and inserted into the spearhead around this time, as the family lineage was in decline, to preserve some aspect of the family history. True or not, it was important that the mythology surrounding the spearhead lived on.
There's one final thing to consider. Where did the spearhead come from? We will never know, but we can speculate. We know that the Chisholmes owned lands in Roxburghshire so it's most likely that the spearhead was found on the family estates at some point. The form of the spearhead is in keeping with other discoveries of Bronze Age objects from this area.
Bronze Age amber beads believed to cure blindness
We also know that beliefs, magical properties, and special histories were often attached to objects found by chance. Bronze Age amber beads found on the Glencoe estatewere believed to cure blindness. In Kincardine, Inverness-shire, a hoard of Bronze Age weapons found under a boulder includes an axehead said to have been attached to Colonel John Stewart's flagstaff and carried into the Battle of Culloden. The Chisholme spearhead could be a similar type of object.
Let's sum up what we know. It seems that by the late 18th/early 19th century the spearhead was a Chisholme family possession, perhaps found on their lands. At some point, someone who knew the Chisholme family history wrote a label, recording the story that this spearhead was carried into the Battle of Flodden. It seems likely the spearhead was a treasured family possession, perhaps passed down as an heirloom, until sadly the last of the lineage died and it ended up at an auction house.
It would be easy to dismiss this associated story as fiction, but this misses the point. This spearhead allows us to think about the connections between people and objects, and challenges us to wonder about what makes objects special. Is it the age of an object? Or is it the stories that cling to them? Using the Chisholme spearhead, we can connect with the mythologies of a 19th century family with a proud border history in a way we can rarely hope to achieve. Was this just a story? Or was an ancient object indeed carried into a medieval battle?
This blog post draws on research conducted with Trevor Cowie due to be published in the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, volume 148, later this year. I am grateful to Margaret Collin for allowing access to her ongoing research into the Border Chisholmes.
Post by Matthew Knight
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By Sarah Rothwell
Munich Jewellery Week
Back in March, I was extremely lucky to be awarded a Jonathan Ruffer Curatorial Research Grant from Art Fund, to…
Solar What?! Shining a light on a new innovation
National Museums Scotland is excited to have recently welcomed a "Solar What?!" into its energy collection as an example of…
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a technique that can systematically modify behaviour by inducing changes in the underlying brain function. In order to better understand the neuromodulatory effect of tDCS, the present study examined the impact of tDCS on performance in a working memory (WM) task and its underlying neural activity. In two experimental sessions, participants performed a letter two-back WM task after sham and either anodal or cathodal tDCS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC).
Results showed that tDCS modulated WM performance by altering the underlying oscillatory brain activity in a polarity-specific way. We observed an increase in WM performance and amplified oscillatory power in the theta and alpha bands after anodal tDCS whereas cathodal tDCS interfered with WM performance and decreased oscillatory power in the theta and alpha bands under posterior electrode sides.
The present study demonstrates that tDCS can alter WM performance by modulating the underlying neural oscillations. This result can be considered an important step towards a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in tDCS-induced modulations of WM performance, which is of particular importance, given the proposal to use electrical brain stimulation for the therapeutic treatment of memory deficits in clinical settings.
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a technique that stimulates the cerebral cortex with a weak constant electric current in a non-invasive and painless manner . The current flows from an active to a reference electrode, a part being shunted through the scalp and the rest being delivered to the brain tissue , thereby inducing diminutions or enhancements of cortical excitability . The direction of the tDCS-induced effect depends on the current polarity: Anodal tDCS typically has an excitatory effect on the local cerebral cortex, while cathodal tDCS decreases the cortical excitability in the region under the electrode [3, 4]. The mechanisms underlying these neuromodulatory effects are not well understood . Animal studies suggest that anodal tDCS, via an extracellular negative sink, causes a depolarization of the resting-membrane potential and increases the firing rates of many perpendicularly oriented cortical neurons in the tissue under the electrode. Cathodal stimulation has the opposite effect, causing a hyperpolarisation of the resting-membrane potential and a decrease in firing rates [6, 7]. Thus, tDCS seems to modify spontaneous neural excitability by tonic de- or hyperpolarization of the resting-membrane potential . However, the effects of tDCS are not limited to modulations in cortical excitability during stimulation, and may outlast the stimulation period by several minutes or even hours [3, 4, 6, 8]. These after effects of tDCS are associated with a number of different mechanisms, including local changes in ionic concentrations (hydrogen, calcium) and levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), alterations in protein synthesis, and modulation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor efficacy [5, 9–14].
The neuromodulatory changes induced by tDCS have been associated with modifications of a variety of behavioural brain functions. In animal studies, anodal tDCS of the cortical surface has been linked with facilitation of an unconditioned response [15, 16] and improved learning . In humans, the effects of tDCS have been demonstrated on various motor, visual, and somatosensory cortex functions (see  for a recent review). In particular, previous studies have reported enhancements in motor [19, 20] and visuo-motor learning  for anodal tDCS, while impairments in auditory learning have been observed for cathodal tDCS . Similarly, anodal tDCS improves language learning , picture-naming  as well as implicit grammar learning , whereas cathodal tDCS has been shown to impair verbal learning abilities [26, 27]. Analogous polarity-specific effects of tDCS have been reported for working memory (WM) functions, suggesting that anodal but not cathodal tDCS can improve WM performance [8, 28, 29]. However, the nature of the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying this cognitive enhancement is not yet well understood, because modifications of WM functions by tDCS have never been studied in combination with neurophysiological methods.
In general, WM refers to a set of basic mental operations that define the ability to hold an item of information transiently in mind, in order to recall, manipulate and associate this information to incoming new information . WM is crucial to many higher-order strategic functions and has been linked to frontal [31, 32] and parietal lobe functioning . A commonly used WM paradigm is the n-back task which activates a fronto-parietal network, including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) [34–37], and the posterior parietal cortex . While the DLPFC is involved in the processing of stimulus information during retention times , the parietal lobe participates in the storage of perceptual attributes . Furthermore, the prefrontal cortex seems to be functionally lateralized, with the right hemisphere being recruited in particular during spatial WM tasks, and the left hemisphere being crucial for the processing of non-spatial (i.e., verbal) WM tasks . The critical role for the left DLPFC in verbal WM performance has been confirmed by lesion studies and studies using TMS, showing that focal damage and temporary disruption of the left but not the right DLPFC is related to impairments in verbal WM task performance [42, 43].
The present study examined the impact of tDCS on WM performance and the underlying neural activity. In particular, we explored the effect of tDCS applied over the left DLPFC on oscillatory brain activity during a letter n-back WM task. Based on previous findings we hypothesized tDCS-dependent alteration of WM performance [8, 29]. Furthermore, we predicted tDCS-related modifications of the underlying rhythmic neural activity in the alpha and theta frequency range, given the view that alpha and theta oscillations play an important role in memory functions . To our knowledge this is the first study investigating the modulatory effects of tDCS on oscillatory brain activity in the context of a WM task. The better understanding of the neuromodulatory effects of tDCS is also of clinical interest, since electrical brain stimulation seems to have potential as a therapeutic tool applied for several neurological and psychiatric disorders [45–51], and particularly for the treatment of memory deficits in stroke patients , patients with Parkinson's disease , and patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease [53, 54].
Pre-to-post measurements revealed that all participants improved their performance during the experiment. Table 1 shows the results of one-sample t-tests separately for the tDCS-treated group in each stimulation condition (delta anodal Δ A, delta cathodal Δ C) and for the control group (delta Δ CG). The behavioural improvement from sham to active tDCS was stronger after anodal than after cathodal stimulation (cf. Figure 1). This polarity effect was statistically significant for the comparison of Δ A-d' > Δ C-d' (t15 = 2.14, P < 0.05). Analysis of reaction times (RT) showed that tDCS-treated participants responded faster after active tDCS compared to sham for Hits, but not for False Alarms (cf. Table 1). Similarly, pre-to-post measurements for the control group showed faster RT for Hits but not for False Alarms. Interestingly, the decrease of RT in the tDCS-treated group did not differ between anodal and cathodal stimulation (Δ A = Δ C), neither for Hits (t15 = 0.11, P = 0.9) nor for False Alarms (t15 = -0.13, P = 0.9).
Table lists result of one-sample t-tests for d', RT-Hits (reaction time for Hits), and RT-FA (reaction time for False Alarms). Results show a general improvement in behaviour from pre- to post measurements for anodal (ΔA) and cathodal stimulation (ΔC), and in the separate control group (ΔCG).
Behavioural Data: Plots show performance in the WM task after anodal and cathodal tDCS in relation to preceding sham stimulation as well as the performance of the separate control group. Top: The d' increased more after anodal than after cathodal stimulation with an intermediate effect for the control group, demonstrating a polarity effect of the tDCS-induced behavioural improvement. Bottom: Participants responded generally faster from sham to tDCS measure and pre-to-post measure in the control group for Hits (left) and False Alarms (right), respectively. Asterisks indicate statistical significance (P < 0.05).
In order to separate tDCS-induced alterations of WM performance from repetition-related learning effects, we compared the behavioural pre-to-post measurements between the tDCS-treated group and the control group (cf. Figure 1). The comparison revealed for the tDCS-treated group a stronger, but statistically non-significant d' increase after anodal stimulation (Δ A-d' > Δ CG-d', t30 = 0.99, P = 0.33), and a weaker d' increase after cathodal stimulation (Δ C-d' < Δ CG-d', t30 = -1.39, P = 0.17) compared to the control group. Analysis of RT showed that pre to post decreases did not differ between the control group and the tDCS-treated group for the anodal or cathodal session, either for Hits (Δ A = Δ CG: t30 = 1.29, P = 0.2, Δ C = Δ CG: t30 = 1.1, P = 0.3) or for False Alarms (Δ A = Δ CG: t30 = -0.3, P = 0.8, Δ C = Δ CG: t30 = -0.14, P = 0.9).
Figure 2 illustrates the event-related potential (ERP) data for anodal, cathodal and the two sham conditions (shamA, shamC) averaged over 16 subjects for the occipito-parietal region of interest (ROI) and electrode Pz. Visual stimulation consistently evoked a P1 component at 118 ms which was followed by the N1 component at 174 ms. A P3 component was elicited consistently in all tDCS conditions with a mean latency of 336 ms. Paired t-tests were performed to statistically compare the active and corresponding sham conditions (anodal vs. shamA, cathodal vs. shamC), and the anodal and cathodal conditions (shamA vs. shamC, anodal vs. cathodal). Statistical analyses of ERP amplitudes revealed no significant differences between conditions for the P1, N1 and P3 components. Regarding latencies, no significant differences were found between the two sham conditions. However, N1 latencies were significantly longer for the anodal than for the cathodal (t15 = 2.58, P < 0.05) and for the anodal compared to the shamA condition (t15 = -2.28, P < 0.05), and P3 latencies were significantly shorter for the cathodal compared to the shamC condition (t15 = 2.24, P < 0.05).
Event-related potentials: Grand average event-related potentials (ERPs) are shown for each condition at the occipito-parietal ROI (above) and at channel Pz (below). Topographies of overall grand averages (computed across all participants and conditions) are shown at P1, N1, and P3 latencies.
Figure 3 shows the event-related spectral perturbation (ERSP) time-frequency plots for the sham conditions (shamA, shamC) and the active stimulation conditions (anodal, cathodal), plus the corresponding differences at the occipito-parietal ROI. Statistical comparison of ERSPs between the shamC and cathodal stimulation condition revealed a decrease in the theta and alpha band (5 - 15 Hz), at the latency range of 14 - 710 ms (t15 ≥ 2.13, P < 0.05). Anodal tDCS as compared to cathodal tDCS increased the total power in the theta, alpha, and lower beta band (7-24 Hz) at the latency range of -72 - 380 ms (t15 ≥ 2.13, P < 0.05). Finally, a significant cluster (t15 ≥ 2.13, P < 0.05) was found for the overall differences between sham and stimulation conditions ((anodal - shamA) vs. (cathodal - shamC)). This cluster had a latency range of -34 - 710 ms and revealed a significant increase in the theta, alpha, and lower beta band (6 - 19 Hz) for the anodal (anodal - shamA) compared to the cathodal session (cathodal - shamC).
DC stimulation effect on oscillatory brain activity: Event-related spectral perturbation (ERSP) time-frequency plots are given separately for the two sham conditions (A: sham anodal; D: sham cathodal) preceding the two active stimulation conditions (B: anodal, E: cathodal). Differences between the conditions were computed by subtracting the sham ERSPs from the ERSPs of the active conditions (C: active anodal - sham anodal; F: active cathodal - sham cathodal) and by subtracting the cathodal ERSPs from anodal ERSPs (G: sham anodal - sham cathodal; H: active anodal - active cathodal). Subplot J illustrates the overall contrast between the differences obtained for the anodal and cathodal conditions (subplot C - subplot F) and for the active and sham conditions (subplot G - subplot H). White contours indicate significant differences between the conditions (P < 0.05, corrected for multiple comparisons). Note that the statistical analyses revealed no significant differences between the two sham conditions.
We assessed the impact of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on working memory (WM) performance and the underlying neural activity. In two experimental sessions participants performed a letter two-back WM task after sham and either anodal or cathodal tDCS. The results showed that WM performance was generally enhanced from the sham to the active stimulation condition, indicating a repetition-related learning effect on WM task performance. Importantly, this regular improvement in WM performance was influenced by active tDCS in a polarity-specific way. The improvement in WM performance was significantly stronger after the application of anodal than after cathodal tDCS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), while the WM improvement was intermediate when participants received no electrical stimulation. Thus, anodal tDCS improved the regular repetition-related increase in WM performance, whereas cathodal tDCS interfered with this effect. These tDCS-induced effects were reflected in the neural oscillatory activity, showing polarity-specific alterations as a function of tDCS. Anodal tDCS increased whereas cathodal tDCS decreased the event-related oscillatory power in the theta and alpha range. Our results suggest that tDCS altered WM performance by modulating the underlying oscillatory brain activity in the theta and alpha frequency bands. These results we consider an important step towards a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the tDCS-induced modulations of WM performance, which is particularly relevant as electrical brain stimulation has been proposed as a useful therapeutic modality for the treatment of memory deficits in a clinical context [28, 52]. More specifically, the present results of tDCS-induced modulations of neural oscillations in specific frequency bands suggests that the combination of tDCS and EEG might provide a useful approach for the investigation of the functional significance of several oscillatory bands in human cognition. Furthermore, our results may provide additional explanations for tDCS-related therapeutic effects in patients suffering from Parkinson's disease or Alzheimer' disease. Based on our findings we predict that beneficial effects of tDCS in these patients may be associated with modulations in oscillatory brain activity, in particular in the alpha and theta frequency range. In addition, our results may inspire future research on tDCS-related therapeutic applications, in particular with respect to pathologies that have been associated with alterations of oscillatory brain activity in specific frequency bands.
The effect of tDCS on WM performance is consistent with recent findings on the modulatory effects of tDCS on WM functions [8, 28, 29, 52]. Similar to our results, anodal but not cathodal stimulation over the left DLPFC has been shown to increase performance in a sequential-letter WM task [8, 29]. Likewise, a beneficial effect of anodal tDCS over the left DLPFC on WM has been observed in patients with Parkinson's disease , and in patients suffering from stroke . Our study further revealed that the general decrease in response time (RT) from sham to active tDCS did not vary with tDCS polarity. Similar RT insensitivity to tDCS has been previously reported [8, 28, 29, 52], although one former study has observed increased RT after both anodal and cathodal stimulation over fronto-cortical regions . This discrepancy between behavioural findings might be explained by the fact that the latter study evaluated the effects of bilateral and intermittent tDCS, while our study investigated unilateral and continuous tDCS. Furthermore, the difference in results between the studies may be a consequence of differences in electrode size, position and applied current intensities, and duration of the washout period between the active tDCS sessions. Computational approaches using spherical [2, 56] and realistic finite element head models  have demonstrated that the size, location and shape of the stimulating electrode can influence the electric field in the underlying brain, thereby affecting the level of modulation of tDCS. Overall, our behavioural results, even though not novel per se, provide further evidence for a modulatory capability of tDCS on WM performance. Our results confirm previous findings by showing that tDCS can reliably induce alterations in WM performance in a polarity-dependent manner. More specifically, our results suggest that repetition-related improvement in WM performance is elevated by anodal tDCS, but diminished by cathodal tDCS.
In this study we assessed oscillatory brain activity during the WM task in order to investigate the underlying neural mechanisms mediating the tDCS-induced behavioural effects. To date, reports of electrophysiological correlates of tDCS effects are sparse. Using visual event-related potentials (ERPs), a previous study has demonstrated that the amplitude of the N70 ERP component is increased by anodal tDCS, while it is decreased by cathodal tDCS . The opposite effect has been reported for the visual P100, showing reduced amplitudes for anodal and increased amplitudes for cathodal stimulation . Polarity-specific changes have also been observed for ERPs in the somatosensory modality [60–62], and for motor cortex excitability . Furthermore, previous studies have shown that cathodal tDCS over the visual cortex decreases beta and gamma activity in response to visual stimulation , whereas cathodal tDCS over the motor cortex increases resting state theta and delta oscillation . However, the study of oscillatory brain activity in the context of tDCS-induced WM alterations addresses a research question that has been under-investigated so far. Given that electrical brain stimulation can be a useful therapeutic tool for the treatment of cognitive deficits , a better understanding of tDCS-induced effects on the underlying brain activity seems to be of clinical relevance. In the present study we show that tDCS over the left DLPFC modulates theta and alpha band activity during WM performance in a polarity-specific way. Oscillatory power in the theta and alpha range was increased after anodal stimulation, while it was decreased after cathodal tDCS.
Changes in oscillatory brain activity play an important role in the formation of perception and memory and thus are essential for higher cognitive functions [66, 67]. Accordingly, WM representations seem to be sustained by oscillatory brain activity [68, 69]. Indeed, WM operations have been related to oscillatory brain activity in multiple frequency bands, including the theta (4-8 Hz), alpha (8-12 Hz), and beta (12-30 Hz) range . In particular the performance in visual n-back tasks has been specifically associated with alterations in event-related theta and alpha band activity . In this regard alpha band activity is assumed to reflect a general inhibition of non-task relevant areas [71, 72] and may index the degree of inhibition necessary during internally, as opposed to externally, directed attention . In contrast, theta band activity has been associated with memory encoding and retrieval [74–77] and may thus be particularly related to the function of the central executive of the WM system [78–80]. In the context of a WM task, theta band activity seems to reflect the continuous maintenance and manipulation of information required during the performance of an n-back task . Interestingly, a power increase has been previously shown for both the alpha and theta band as a function of practice in a WM task .
In sum, previous studies have shown that alterations of rhythmic activity, specifically in the theta and alpha range, are associated with proper WM performance. These oscillations increase with behavioural enhancement. In the present study we show that tDCS over the left DLPFC induces altered WM performance by modulating its underlying theta and alpha activity. This result further highlights the importance of the left DLPFC and the specific role of theta and alpha activity during WM performance. Even though this interpretation implies that the modulatory effects of tDCS on WM are specifically related to the responsiveness of the left DLPFC, it may be assumed that altered local cortical excitability in one part of the responsible network influences the whole neural network associated with WM functions beyond the site of stimulation. Indeed, widespread tDCS-induced changes in cortical activity have been demonstrated by a previous neuroimaging study . Thus, it is likely that by influencing one component of the WM network, the electrical stimulation of the left DLPFC had an influence on the functioning of the entire WM system.
The present investigation studied the impact of anodal, cathodal or sham tDCS over the left DLPFC on the oscillatory brain activity associated with higher-order cognitive processing. Our results show that tDCS can change the organized cortical activity associated with WM in concert with systematic alterations of WM performance. To our knowledge, this is the first study investigating the effects of tDCS on oscillatory brain activity in the context of a WM task. The results of the study will provide a better understanding of the neuromodulatory effects of tDCS and demonstrate its potential both at fostering knowledge on the functional significance of brain oscillations and for therapeutic application.
Sixteen university students (10 females, mean age 25 ± 2 years) participated in the tDCS study. All participants were consistent right-handers  and had no metallic implant and no history of neurological or psychiatric illness. An intelligence test  showed that IQ levels of all the participants were in or above the range of the norm (mean 115 ± 13). Each participant gave written, informed consent prior to the experiment. All procedures in the study were approved by the ethics committee of the University of Zurich. In an additional control experiment a separate sample of 16 participants (12 females, mean age 24 ± 4 years) was investigated to measure the repetition effect on WM task performance without tDCS. This control group undertook one experimental session and performed the same behavioral task twice but without receiving any tDCS-treatment during the 15 min break in between. Experimental setting as well as instruction to the participants of the control group was identical to the stimulation group, except that no tDCS was applied and no EEG data were recorded. IQ levels of the participants in the control group were similar to those in the stimulated group (mean 117 ± 14).
The participants were seated comfortably in a recliner in front of a personal computer screen in an electromagnetically shielded room. TDCS was delivered by a battery-driven constant current stimulator (Eldith, NeuroCon GmbH, Germany) using a pair of rubber electrodes in a 5 × 7 cm saline-soaked synthetic sponge. For stimulation of the left DLPFC the active electrode (to which the term anodal/cathodal stimulation refers) was placed over F3 according to the International 10-20 system for electroencephalography (EEG) electrode placement . The use of EEG electrode positions for DLPFC localisation has been applied before in studies using tDCS [8, 26, 29, 52, 86] and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) . Since both the left and right prefrontal cortex have been shown to subserve the WM system [41, 88], and the left hemisphere seems to be particularly crucial for the processing of verbal WM tasks [42, 43], we used an ipsilateral reference electrode over the left mastoid in order to avoid confounding biases arising from tDCS effects over the right hemisphere. In using this ipsilateral stimulation, we accepted the possibility that this mounting might reduce the tDCS-related effects on the underlying cortex, since it could cause current to be shunted to a greater degree through skin and cerebrospinal fluid. A constant current of 1.0 mA was applied for 15 min, with a linear fade in/fade out of 10 s. Each participant performed one anodal and one cathodal tDCS session separated by at least one day. The session order was counterbalanced across participants. Within each session, participants underwent one sham condition and one stimulation (i.e., anodal/cathodal) condition, and the sham condition always preceded the stimulation condition to avoid carry-over effects of tDCS (cf. Figure 4, top row). For the sham condition, the same electrode placement was used as in the stimulation condition, but the current was applied for 30 s, and was then ramped down without the subject's awareness. This procedure ensured that in both the sham and stimulation condition, participants experienced the initial itching that recedes over the first seconds of tDCS . Accordingly, none of the participants was able to determine whether or not they received real or sham stimulation.
Experimental design. Top: After mounting EEG and tDCS electrodes, the experiment started with a 15-minute Sham-tDCS. For the next 10 minutes, participants performed a letter two-back working memory (WM) task while EEG was recorded. Subsequently, a 15 minute active-tDCS (anodal or cathodal) was applied, followed by a further 10-minute WM task. EEG recording was stopped during the stimulation periods. Each participant performed one anodal and one cathodal tDCS session separated by at least one day. The session order was counterbalanced across participants. An additional control group underwent one experimental session performing the similar WM task twice but without receiving a treatment during the 15 minute break in between. Bottom: Schematic description of the letter two-back working memory task.
After each sham and stimulation condition, participants performed a two-back letter working memory (WM) task with concurrent EEG recording. Stimulus presentation was controlled by the Presentation software (Neurobehavioral Systems, USA). Participants were stimulated with a sequence of white letters (A, B, C, D, E) which were presented on a black background in the centre of the screen. Each letter was presented for 500 ms with an interstimulus interval of 2 s. Each letter was followed by a white fixation cross that remained until the next letter was presented. A target letter was any letter repeated after one intervening letter. Participants were asked to respond to each letter as quickly and accurately as possible and to indicate whether the currently presented letter matched (left button) or did not match (right button) the letter which was presented two trials before (cf. Figure 4, bottom row). A brief practice sequence of 100 trials was given before the actual test. The test sequence consisted of 300 letters, with 77 matching letters (targets) and 223 non-matching letters (rejections).
During the WM task, EEG was recorded continuously with thirty-two electrodes (Fp1, Fp2, F7, F3, Fz, F4, F8, FT7, FC3, FCz, FC4, FT8, T7, C3, Cz, C4, T8, TP9, TP7, CP3, CPz, CP4, TP8, TP10, P7, P3, Pz, P4, P8, O1, Oz, O2) located according to the International 10-20 system . The electro-oculogram was recorded from two bipolar electrode pairs placed above and below the left eye, and on the outer canthi of each eye, respectively. A QuickAmp amplifier system (BrainProducts, Munich, Germany) was used for EEG recording. EEG data were recorded against the grand average reference and sampled at 500 Hz, and impedances were kept below 10 k Ω. EEG preprocessing and data analysis were carried out in Brain Vision Analyzer 2.0 (BrainProducts, Munich, Germany), EEGLAB 6.01  and FieldTriphttp://fieldtrip.fcdonders.nl/. EEG data were off-line treated with a 24 dB zero-phase Butterworth filter from 0.1 to 30 Hz and were segmented into epochs from -312 to 712 ms relative to stimulus onset. After baseline correction (-312 to 0 ms), epochs were automatically screened for unique and non-stereotyped artifacts using a probability function built into EEGLAB . With this procedure, epochs that contained signal values exceeding three standard deviations were removed. Independent component analysis (ICA) was then applied to remove ocular artifacts [92, 93]. After artifact removal, averages were computed for all remaining correct target responses (i.e., hits) for each of the four conditions (anodal, cathodal, sham preceding anodal (shamA), sham preceding cathodal (shamC)). In order to avoid multiple comparisons between neighbouring electrodes and to increase the signal-to-noise ratio, data from selected electrode sites (Pz, P3, P4, Oz, O1, O2) were pooled into an occipito-parietal ROI.
To evaluate performance in the context of signal detection theory, d' was analyzed. As recently demonstrated, d' has the advantage to capture executive skills needed to perform n-back WM tasks without being influenced by demographic variables or IQ . Values for d' were estimated for each subject by dividing the difference of Z(false alarms) and Z(hits) by the root mean square of 2. The discriminability measure d' captures the ability of the participant to discriminate between the two stimulus types, here the two-back target letters and the non-target letters. Additionally, reaction times (RT) for Hits and False Alarms (FA) were analyzed. To evaluate the impact of tDCS on the repetition-related increase in WM performance, we analyzed the pre-to-post measurements by computing the difference between the behavioural values assessed after active stimulation (anodal/cathodal) and the preceding sham stimulation (shamA/shamC), separately for the anodal (delta anodal, Δ A) and cathodal session (delta cathodal, Δ C). We compared these pre-to-post measurements, Δ A and Δ C, for each behavioural parameter using paired t-tests. Prior to this calculation, we evaluated the equality of the two sham conditions using paired t-test. This statistical analysis revealed no significant difference between the two sham conditions for d' (t15 = -0.34, P = 0.7). Similarly, RTs for Hits (t15 = 0.74, P = 0.5) and False Alarms (t15 = 0.27, P = 0.9) were not significantly different between the two sham conditions. To determine tDCS-induced modulations on the repetition-related increase in WM performance, we compared the pre-post differences (Δ A and Δ C) of the tDCS-treated group with pre-post measurements of a separate control group (Δ CG) that also performed the WM task twice but without receiving a tDCS treatment during the break in between (Δ A vs. Δ CG, and Δ C vs. Δ CG). Again, prior to this calculation, we evaluated the equality of the two experimental sham conditions of the tDCS-treated group and the pre-measurement (i.e., first repetition of the WM task) in the control group by means of independent-samples t-tests. This statistical analysis revealed no significant differences between the sham conditions of the tDCS-treated group and the pre-measurement of the control group (cf. Table 2).
Table shows results of independent t-tests comparing the pre-measurements for d', RT-Hits (reaction time for Hits), and RT-FA (reaction time for False Alarms). Results show equivalence of pre-measures between the two experimental groups (shamA: sham condition preceding the anodal tDCS, shamC: sham condition preceding the cathodal tDCS) and control group (CG).
Event-related potentials (ERPs) were measured relative to the pre-stimulus baseline (-312 - 0 ms) for each condition (anodal, cathodal, sham preceding anodal (shamA), sham preceding cathodal (shamC)). Peak detection was performed for the occipito-parietal ROI (P1, N1 component) and for the Pz electrode (P3 component). This procedure entailed the detection of the most positive (P1, P3 component) or negative (N1 component) peaks within specific latency bands (P1: 80-140 ms; N1: 120-250 ms; P3: 230-500 ms). The time windows for peak analysis were defined on the basis of the global field power.
For each subject and each channel, event-related spectral perturbation (ERSP) was calculated using a wavelet-based analysis implemented in Brain Vision Analyzer 2.0 software. We used a continuous wavelet transform (WT) with complex Morlet wavelets (morlet parameter c 3.8; 30 frequency steps from 1 to 30 Hz) to examine the frequency composition of single-trial epochs. The magnitudes of the WTs of single-trial epochs were then averaged to compute the total power of activity, which contains signal components that are phase-locked and non-phase-locked to the stimulus event. For each scale of the WT a baseline correction was applied by subtracting the mean amplitude within the -200 to -100 ms time window from each data point after stimulus onset. Similar to the procedures used in the ERP analysis, the data were subsequently pooled into an occipito-parietal ROI by averaging the ERSPs across different electrode sites (Pz, P3, P4, Oz, O1, O2).
TDCS effects on oscillatory brain activity were analyzed by computing ERSP differences between the separate conditions. For statistical comparisons, we used a nonparametric cluster-based randomization approach built into FieldTrip. This procedure defined clusters on the basis of the actual distribution of the data and tested the statistical significance of these clusters using a Monte-Carlo randomization method with correction for multiple comparisons . The clustering used 500 randomizations and was performed in time and frequency simultaneously. The t-statistic of paired t-tests was calculated on a cluster-level by taking the sum of the t-values within the respective cluster.
Tino Zaehle, Pascale Sandmann contributed equally to this work.
This study was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB/TR31-TPA9) (TZ, CSH) and the Swiss National Foundation (PBZHP3-128462) (PS).


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Podcast: COVID-19 Vaccines and Cancer
How do COVID-19 vaccines work and are they safe for cancer patients? Listen to the recent episode of CancerCast for what to know about the latest updates in COVID-19 prevention and treatment.
COVID-19 Vaccination Considerations for Pregnant People
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)—the professional membership organization for obstetrician–gynecologists—has developed initial guidance for COVID-19 vaccine use for pregnant and lactating patients. Laura E. Riley, MD, chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Given Foundation Professor in Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, helped draft the evolving recommendations.
How To Schedule Your COVID-19 Vaccine Appointment
Weill Cornell Medicine, in partnership with NewYork-Presbyterian, is preparing to vaccinate our eligible patients against COVID-19, as the State of New York recently approved vaccinations to more population groups. The following step-by-step guide is for existing eligible WCM patients for scheduling their vaccine appointments.
Expanding COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution in Phase 1B
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently announced that New York State will begin Phase 1B of the COVID-19 vaccination distribution process. Eager to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, many New Yorkers ask questions about their eligibility.
Podcast: The Innovative Center for Nutrition and Gastroenterology (ICHANGE)
As the only program of its kind in New York City, Sonal Kumar M.D., MPH and Carolyn Newberry M.D. discuss the coordinated care methods to treating gastrointestinal issues and weight loss at The Innovative Center for Nutrition and Gastroenterology (ICHANGE).
Understanding the Approach to Integrative Health
As it is practiced at The Integrative Health and Wellbeing Program at NewYork-Presbyterian, in collaboration with Weill Cornell Medicine, integrative health doesn't happen instead of diagnostic studies and tests. It is an adjunct to what is considered the "typical" Western medical approach. Care is centered on evidence-based approaches, and making them available all in one place so patients can reach them sooner.
Obesity & COVID-19
"An important finding is that obesity is a risk factor for worse outcomes in COVID-19 patients," says Louis Aronne, MD, Sanford I. Weill Professor of Metabolic Research and professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. "Patients with obesity are more likely to end up in the intensive care unit, more likely to be intubated, and more likely to die."
David Cartwright's Kidney Transplant Journey Through COVID-19
David Cartwright's eight-year journey to his kidney transplant caused him to require dialysis, the process by which waste, salt and extra water are removed from the body by machine, since the kidneys can no longer perform this function. But this timing landed David in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Podcast: The Importance of Childhood Vaccines
David Laufgraben, M.D. discusses the importance of childhood vaccines. In this time of COVID-19, your child's vaccinations are more important than ever. He discusses the immunization schedule used to ensure that your child receives all their necessary vaccines, as well as the common immunization myths and misconceptions.
Continuing Care For Breast Cancer Survivors
Women with a history of breast cancer are living longer--and better. In the United States alone, there are more than 3 million breast cancer survivors. When Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM) and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital looked at the trend--and its own care resources—they asked what the medical community is doing to support those longtime survivors. The answer? Establishing the Iris Cantor Breast Cancer Survivorship Program, which offers medical care, education, and support to survivors.


Chin, Lautu language. Evangelism tools, church planting resources, Christian songs and audio bible study materials. Download free MP3s.
Audio-visual Bible lessons in 40 pictures, with Bible overview from creation to Christ, and teaching on the Christian life. For evangelism and church planting. (A80830).
Other information: (Probably dialect of ZYP, CAT, or between the two.


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Open windows to help stop the spread of coronavirus.
By Susan Roaf
On how Covid-19 can float on the air and spread, why so few modern buildings have opening windows, and what conflict of interest needs to be addressed.
First published in August 2020.
Over 200 scientists, including myself, signed a letter that was published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases on July 6 2020 saying that COVID is not only spread by touch and droplets sprayed from the mouth and nose but, importantly, via a third route too.
The third infection pathway is in very tiny airborne particles of liquid and material, known as aerosols, that stay suspended in the air for a long time. If the virus attaches to these tiny particles, it can float on the air and spread much further.
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An effective way to reduce this spread is to purge the air containing those aerosols from rooms by simply opening the windows, as shown below.
It is time to address airborne transmission of COVID-19. / Clinical Infectious Diseases
This illustration shows that by opening a window to let the virus escape, the amount of it in a room can be reduced, leading to a lower risk of infection.
Three days after our letter was published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, the World Health Organization admitted that aerosol transmission can't be ruled out, given the growing evidence of disease spread in poorly ventilated venues such as restaurants, nightclubs and places of worship.
Aerosol spread was shown in late January in Guangzhou, China, where ten people fell ill with the novel coronavirus after eating lunch in a fifth-floor restaurant without windows. The virus had probably been spread in aerosol form by an air conditioner – although the study has yet to be peer-reviewed.
To prevent COVID from spreading:
Medical experts promote hand washing, protective clothing, cleaning surfaces, spatial distancing, fewer people in lifts, and the wearing of face masks – all practical and effective actions.
Heating, ventilating and cooling (HVAC) engineers recommend limiting the spread of the virus with expensive, high-efficiency particulate air and ultraviolet filters for climate-control systems in buildings that work well for those who can afford them.
Architects, when looking at the impacts of COVID on buildings often deal with issues of social and physical distancing within buildings, and toy with the idea of the "end of tall buildings", or the effect of the shift to home-working on the energy efficiency of our homes.
Very few of the above groups even mention the importance of simply opening windows, or the added benefits of the thermal, emotional and sensual delight of a cooling breeze on the skin on a warm day. Or the relief of clean, fresh air pouring into a stuffy room.
Building designers today often don't understand that they have been cheated by not being taught how to ventilate buildings naturally. Modern, fast, cheap, design has three key drivers. One, the architectural fantasy that their main professional contribution to society is in sculptural art. Two, what the building regulations require. And three, the limits imposed on designers by the almost universal use of flawed building simulation models that steer designers away from naturally ventilating buildings.
Building designers today often don't understand that they have been cheated by not being taught how to ventilate buildings naturally. / Flickr – Tristan Ferne
Building regulations are written largely by HVAC engineers, including in the US and the UK. HVAC engineers are typically paid according to the amount of HVAC equipment that goes into a building, which is a conflict of interest issue that needs to be addressed globally.
Given that engineers write the rules, it is hardly surprising that buildings are required to have ever more machinery installed in them to comply with those rules. No wonder architects now earn less than HVAC engineers, bricklayers, plumbers and even scaffolders.
If you are sitting in an overheated, stuffy room, with windows that don't open, or are finding it difficult to pay for the rising air-conditioning bills, don't worry. Things are about to change.
The future will have to be about buildings that are naturally ventilated for as much of the year and the day as possible, for many excellent reasons, including energy costs, carbon emissions and the basic health and safety of occupants.
Windows must be a life-saving feature of safer, better buildings in a less predictable future – never more so than during a pandemic when the power grid fails.🔷
[This piece was originally published in The Conversation and re-published in PMP Magazine on 9 August 2020, with the author's consent. | The author writes in a personal capacity.]
(Cover: Pixabay.)
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AnalysisAerosol TransmissionArchitectsArchitectureCoronavirusCovid-19Expert AdviceHVACHVAC EngineersPublic HealthWorld Health OrganisationVentilationWindows
Pompeo's plan for a hierarchy of human rights could serve to undermine them all – including religious freedom.
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Nurses report PTSD symptoms due to the pandemic.
Brexit trade problems: What's gone wrong and can it be fixed?
One year since we first reported on this coronavirus – What we've learned, and still need to know.


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Facebook CAPI: What It Is, and How to Set It Up
Justin Buckley
Facebook's Conversions API (CAPI) is a powerful marketing enablement tool that helps direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands track and optimize their marketing efforts on the social media platform. It was created in response to the recent changes in iOS14, which have made it more difficult for brands to track conversions using traditional methods.
Looking ahead, we'll explore what Conversions API is, why it was created, and why it's critical for DTC brands. We'll also dive into the core differences between Conversions API and server-side conversion tracking, and provide a step-by-step breakdown of how to implement Conversions API.
What is Facebook CAPI?
Before the release of iOS14, businesses could use Facebook's tracking pixels to track user behavior on their website or mobile app. However, with the release of iOS14, Apple introduced new privacy measures that limit the data that can be collected by tracking pixels. This has made it significantly more difficult for businesses to track conversions, understand user behavior on their site, and interpret efficiencies and opportunities of their advertising efforts.
Conversions API was created as a solution to this problem.
The API provides digital marketers and brand owners with more accurate and reliable data about the performance of their ads. It also allows them to continue to track user behavior on their website or app, even if users have turned off third-party cookies or limited data tracking on their devices. This is particularly important for businesses that rely on Facebook and Instagram for advertising and customer acquisition.
The difference between server-side tracking and CAPI
Facebook's Conversions API and server-side tracking are both used to track conversions on a website, but they work in slightly different ways.
Conversions API is a JavaScript-based tracking method that is added to a website's front-end code. It works by sending data from the user's browser to the Facebook servers, where it's used to track conversions and build custom audiences. The API is typically used to track conversions that occur on a website, such as a purchase or a sign-up.
Server-side tracking, on the other hand, is a tracking method that is implemented on the website's back-end. It works by sending data directly from the website's server to the Facebook servers, bypassing the user's browser. This method is typically used when the data being tracked is sensitive or personally identifiable, or when the user's browser is unable to support the JavaScript required for Conversions API.
It's worth noting that server-side tracking is more secure than client-side tracking methods because the data is transmitted directly from the website's server to Facebook servers, bypassing the user's browser, which reduces the risk of data being blocked or malformed. The downside is that server side tracking is significantly more difficult to set up than Facebook's Conversions API.
Why Facebook Conversions API is critical for DTC brands
For direct-to-consumer brands using Shopify, Facebook Conversions API is incredibly important for a few key reasons.
First, it allows for more accurate conversion tracking conversions for direct to consumer brands that rely on Facebook advertising to drive sales. If you're not accurately tracking your conversions, you're likely missing out on valuable insights that could help you optimize your marketing and sales efforts.
Second, Facebook Conversions API can help you better understand the customer journey. By tracking conversions from start to finish, you can see exactly which ads and campaigns are driving the most sales. This can help you make more informed decisions about where to allocate your advertising budget.
Third, Facebook Conversions API can help you identify and target high-value customers. By tracking conversions, you can see which customers are most likely to make a purchase, and then target them with personalized ads and offers.
How to set up Facebook Conversions API
So, now that you know why you need Facebook Conversions API in your life, how do you implement it? Facebook has made the process very simple and can be broken down into a few easy steps.
Note: if you already have a Facebook Business Manager and Pixel set up on your site skip to Step 5.
Step 1: Set up a Facebook Business Account
The first step in implementing Facebook Conversions API is to set up a Facebook Business account. This will give you access to the Facebook Ads Manager and Facebook Pixel, which are necessary for tracking customer interactions.
Step 2: Create a Facebook Pixel
Once you have a Facebook Business account, you'll need to create a Facebook Pixel. This is a small piece of code that you'll need to place on your website in order to track customer interactions.
Step 3a: Install the Facebook Pixel on Your Shopify Store
Once you have a Facebook Pixel, you'll need to install it on your Shopify store. This can be done by going to the "Online Store" section of your Shopify dashboard and selecting "Preferences." From here, you'll be able to add the Facebook Pixel to your website.
Step 3b: Install the Facebook Pixel on Your WooCommerce Store:
Install the Facebook for WooCommerce plugin: Go to the WordPress plugin repository and search for the "Facebook for WooCommerce" plugin. Install and activate the plugin.
Connect the plugin to your Facebook account: Go to the plugin settings and connect it to your Facebook account. This will allow the plugin to access your pixel and other Facebook features.
Configure the plugin settings: Go to the plugin settings and configure the settings to your preference. Make sure to enter the pixel ID from step 1 in the "Facebook Pixel ID" field.
Configure the Conversion API: Go to the plugin settings and find the "Conversion API" section. Here, you can enable the Conversion API and configure the settings.
Step 4: Test the Facebook Pixel
After you've installed the Facebook Pixel on your store, it's important to test it to make sure it's working properly. You can do this by using the Facebook Pixel Helper, a free tool that allows you to test the Facebook Pixel on your website.
Step 5: Set up Facebook Conversions API
Once you've tested the Facebook Pixel and ensured that it's working properly, you can set up Facebook Conversions API. This can be done by going to the "Ads Manager" section of your Facebook Business account and selecting "Conversions API." From here, you'll be able to set up and configure the Facebook Conversions API for your website.
Now that you've set up Conversions API you'll need to set up events in Conversions API is a simple process that can be done in a few steps:
Create an event in your website or mobile app.
In order to track conversions using the Conversions API, you first need to create an event in your website or mobile app. An event is a specific action that you want to track, such as a purchase or sign-up.
Get your Facebook pixel's ID.
In order to set up events in the Conversions API, you will need your Facebook pixel's ID. You can find this in the Facebook Ads Manager by going to the "Pixels" tab and selecting the pixel you want to use.
Set up the event in the Facebook Events Manager.
Once you have your pixel's ID, you can set up your event in the Facebook Events Manager. Go to the "Events Manager" tab and select "Create Event." Select the pixel you want to use and enter the details of your event.
Add the event code to your website or mobile app.
After setting up your event in the Facebook Events Manager, you will be given a code that you need to add to your website or mobile app. This code will send information about the event to Facebook when it is triggered.
Test the event.
Before you start using the Conversions API to track your event, it's important to test it. You can do this by triggering the event in your website or mobile app and checking the Facebook Events Manager to see if the event was registered.
Track your event: Once your event is set up and working correctly, you can use the Conversions API to track it. You can view the event data in the Facebook Events Manager and use it to optimize your ad campaigns and target users more effectively.
Now that your events are set up you'll need to prioritize them. There are a variety of events that you can set for Facebook's Conversions API, including:
Purchase events: This event tracks purchases made on your website or mobile app.
Lead generation events: This event tracks when users sign up for a newsletter, request more information, or complete a form on your website or mobile app.
Content view events: This event tracks when users view specific pages or content on your website or mobile app.
Add to cart events: This event tracks when users add items to their cart on your website or mobile app.
Add payment info events: This event tracks when users add payment information on your website or mobile app.
Initiate checkout events: This event tracks when users initiate the checkout process on your website or mobile app.
Search events: This event tracks when users search for specific items on your website or mobile app.
Custom events: You can create custom events to track specific actions on your website or mobile app.
You are not limited to a certain number of events that you can set for Facebook's Conversions API. However, it is recommended to limit and prioritize the events you are tracking on those that are important to your business, so that you don't get inundated with a bunch of useless data.
It's also important to note that when you create an event, you should set up custom parameters to track additional information such as product IDs, item names, and prices. This information can be used to focus your retargeting efforts based on specific actions users take on your site.
In summary, Facebook's Conversions API is a powerful tool that allows digital marketers and brand owners to track conversions and understand user behavior, optimize ad campaigns, and target users more effectively. But if you want to have even better understanding of your customers behavior try Triple Pixel - Installing the Triple Pixel on your site will bridge the gap that Apple's privacy policy has created between your website and digital ad platforms.
Co-Founder at ATTN Agency | Activating Brand's Potential through Performance & Growth Digital Marketing | Over $180mm Revenue Driven YTD | Forbes Agency Council
Your Complete Guide To Facebook Ads For Ecommerce
Pia Mikhael
Cost Caps Bidding: What It Is & Why It Should Be A Part Of Your Facebook Ads Strategy
7 Strategies to Make Facebook Ads Work in 2023


During the decade, learn on Pseudomonas syringae pathovars and similar pathogens has improved quickly, commencing up many new avenues. the applying of molecular genetics has supplied new insights into determinants of pathogenicity and virulence. development has additionally been made in elucidating the chemical constructions and modes of motion of phytotoxins from Pseudomonas syringae; by means of setting up novel suggestions for affliction keep an eye on; in biotechnological purposes; through learning the resistant response of the plant with a mixed biochemical and genetic method; and within the improvement of recent detection and identity methodologies as instruments in epidemiological stories. With such quick advances it turns into an increasing number of tricky to maintain abreast of the advancements and ideas inside of disciplines, all regarding study on pathovars of P. syringae.
In an try to offer a balanced evaluation, fresh advancements in those swiftly increasing fields were significantly reviewed in the beginning of every bankruptcy through the world over popular specialists. Our complete insurance has been made attainable simply because all of the individuals to this quantity offered their most recent findings on the `5th foreign convention on Pseudomonas syringae Pathovars and comparable Pathogens' in Berlin, September 3-8, 1995. during this method, it used to be attainable to collect contributions from quite a lot of fields together with phytopathology, genetics, bacteriology, plant breeding, plant security, and taxonomy. This booklet isn't really meant easily as a list of the complaints of the Berlin convention, yet as an extension of contemporary findings and hypotheses recommend on the assembly. All papers released during this quantity were reviewed by means of the Editors.
This quantity comprises the court cases of the 3rd in a sequence of biennial NEC Symposia on basic ways to New fabric stages backed through the NEC company, Tokyo, Japan. The symposium was once held from October 7 to eleven, 1990, on the Hakone Kanko H9tel in Hakone. approximately forty invited contributors stayed jointly, grew to become curious about severe discussions, and freely exchanged principles either out and in of the convention room, which confronted Mt.
Very lately it has develop into attainable to supply and symbolize huge clusters containing a precise, predetermined variety of atoms. via those efforts it has develop into transparent that clusters containing whilst many as 20,000 atoms can't but be regarded as being tiny crystals. Their constitution is usually icosahedral.
This e-book offers a most desirable source on figuring out the ribosome's crucial nature and the way it interacts with different proteins and nucleic acids to regulate protein synthesis. As one of many crucial foundations in our figuring out of the biology on the molecular point, this subject appeals to a large viewers, from bench researcher to clinician.
High blood pressure is famous to be one of many significant hazard elements for the improvement of peripheral vascular disorder. the decade has witnessed a number of significant advances in remedy for high blood pressure, together with the improvement of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and calcium channel blockers. those compounds have vastly more desirable the power to manage blood strain and to minimize the effect of this possibility issue on morbidity and mortality.
The hrp gene locus of Pseudomonas solanacearum, which controls the production of a type III secretion system, encodes eight proteins related to components of bacterial flagellar biogenesis complex. Mol. Microbiol. 15:1095-1114. B. S. 1994. Characterization of a gene, pi/V, required for twiching motility but not phage sensitivity in Pseudomonasaeruginosa. Mol. Microbiol. 13:1079-1091. Wilson, M. and Lindow, S. 1994. Coexistence among epiphytic bacterial populations mediated through nutritional resource partitioning.
1992: Effect of soil moisture on the transmission of pea bacterial blight (Pseudomonas syringae pv. pis/) from seed to seedling. Plant Pathology 41, 136-140. ; Peach, L. and Brough, J. 1996: Transmission of pea bacterial blight (Pseudomonas syringae pv. pis/) from seed to seedling: effects of inoculum dose, inoculation method, temperature and soil moisture. J. Appl. Bacteriol. (in press). Shortley, G. and Wilkins, J. 1965: Independent-action and birth-death models in experimental microbiology. Bacteriological Reviews 29, 1.


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Oxalis smithiana är en harsyreväxtart som beskrevs av Eckl. & Zeyh.. Oxalis smithiana ingår i släktet oxalisar, och familjen harsyreväxter. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

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Christmas Trees remind us so much of home and that warm feeling they bring when you're together with your loved ones during the holidays. Why not bring a piece of it with you with our very own Christmas Tree Cupcakes? One bite of our cupcakes will surely get you reminiscing about those cherished moments spent with your family.
Do away with the same old boring traditional Christmas cakes and pick something that will surely make your Christmas table spreads and dinners shine brighter this yuletide season. Our Christmas Tree Cake is here to wow your guests and bring out their inner kids as they marvel at our beautiful handcrafted Christmas toppers atop your dream holiday cake!
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Can't wait to get hold of our tasty desserts? Our cakes and mini-cupcakes are readily available for delivery in Sydney. Live outside New South Wales? Our designer cupcakes are available for national delivery! Please do note that our Darlinghurst store will be closed from December 24th to January 3rd. We aim to only give you the best. Our team of cake experts is waiting to make your Christmas wishes come true. Send through an email to info@bvsydney.com or chat with our customer support at the bottom-right section of this website for more details!


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Papua New Guinea bishops urge Catholics to remember compatriot Blessed To Rot
Continue to emulate To Rot's example of family life just as he did during the lockdown of WW II, where even then restrictions on Church activities persisted
By La Croix International staff | Papua New Guinea
Catholic bishops in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands have hailed Blessed Peter To Rot, a second generation local Christian, as a model for family life during the trying times of the COVID-19 related lockdown.
The bishops remembered Blessed To Rot at the end of the annual general assembly of the Episcopal Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands July 2.
About 50 people took part in the celebration. They included 17 bishops, men and women religious and lay people, Fides reported.
The Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Anton Bal of Madang, the newly elected conference president. It was dedicated to the life of Blessed To Rot on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of his beatification and 75th of his martyrdom.
The homily was delivered by Archbishop Rochus Tatamai, a close descendant of To Rot's family.
He recalled Blessed To Rot's life, testimony and example as a man of courage and fortitude in faith, as well as determination to follow Jesus Christ, dying at a concentration camp during the Japanese occupation of World War II.
Blessed To Rot was born to parents who were baptized as adults. He was a family man, catechist, teacher. He defended the values of marriage and resisted the traditional culture of polygamy and the laws of the Japanese imperial army, and died supporting his faith, the archbishop recalled.
Lay people in particular are challenged to continue his example especially in the difficult and uncertain times of today, the archbishop said, highlighting the parallel of lockdown during the Second World War, where even then restrictions on the activities of the Church persisted.
Archbishop Tatamai urged Catholics to be persistent and continue to grow in faith in this period of lockdown caused by COVID-19 pandemic, following in the footsteps of their compatriot.
Although COVID-19-related curfew for the National Capital District and Central Province has been lifted and restrictions relaxed, gatherings still remain banned.
Pope's prayer intention for July: that families be loved
Sagrada Familia re-opens, but further construction put on hold
Hagia Sophia: church, mosque or museum?
Africans trust religious leaders more than politicians, poll says
Beyond these limits…


00:02 – Bombardeos de MRLS "Grad" provenientes de la zona del aeropuerto en la calle del 50 aniversario del Ejército Rojo en Donetsk.
01:00 – Bombardeada la posición del ejército de la DPR en Dokuchayevsk. Sin bajas.
01:45 – El pueblo de Petrovskoye fue.bombardeado con MRLS "Grad". Sin bajas.
02:18 – Bombardeo con artilleria contra el Donbass-Arena Stadium en Donetsk desde la dirección del aeropuerto.
03:10 – Bombardeo con MRLS "Grad" contras las posiciones de Vargan's.
04:18 – Bombardeo con disparos de mortero contra el bloque de apartamentos en Oktyabrskyi, proveniente del pueblo de Peski.
10:50 – Bombardeo de artillería contrs el pueblo de Kirovskoye .
10:55 – Bombardeo de una penitenciaría en el pueblo de Kirovskoye.
11:00 – Bombardeo de artillería contra un block-post en el peublo de Kirovskoye proveniente de la dirección de la población de Shyrokoye.
11:10 – Bombardeo de SPG (obuses) contra la posición del ejército del la RPD cerca de la localidad de Prokhorovka.
11:55 – Bombardeo de artillería contra el block-post de Putilovskiy en Donetsk.
12:25 – Bombardeo de la localidad de Vodyanoye proveniente de la dirección del aeropuerto de Donetsk.
12:55 – Ataque contra unidades del ejército de la RPD por la ssuperiores fuerzas del enemigo: 4 tanques, 9 APCs, desde la dirección de Opytnoye – el aeropuerto.
13:30 – Tanques abrieron fuego desde la dirección de la localidad de Opytnoye. Dos milicianos fueron heridos.
13:40 – Se reanudó el bombardeo contra el block-post de Putilovskiy en Donetsk.
14:10 – Bombardeo de posiciones del ejército de la RPD desde el aeropuerto de Donetsk.
14:50 – Bombardeo de posiciones del ejército de la RPD desde la localidad de Opytnoye.
14:55 – Bombardeo de posiciones del ejército de la RPD desde el aeropuerto de Donetsk.
15:05 – Reanudado el bombardeo de posiciones del ejército de la RPD desde la localidad de Opytnoye.
15:10 – Bombardeo de posiciones del ejército de la RPD cerca de Granitnoye.
15:15 – Bombardeo de mortero contra zona residencial está cercano al cruce entre la calle Kolkhoznyi y la calle Stratonavtov desde el aeropuerto de Donetsk.
15:30 – Bombardeo de artillería contra el pueblo de Kirovskoye.
15:30 – Un intento de avance desde Zhdanovka a Kirovskoye.
16:10 – Bombardeo de posiciones del ejército de la RPD desde el aeropuerto de Donetsk. Tres milicianos fueron heridos.
16:20 – Shelling of the DPR army positions from tanks and APCs from the direction of locality Spartak.
16:20 – The enemy's attack from the direction of locality Vodyanoye.
16:45 – Shelling of Makeyevka from MRLS "Tochka-U".
16:50 – Shelling of Shakhtersk and Khartsyzsk from heavy artillery.
17:35 – Mortar-gun shelling of the Yelenovka block-post.
17:40 – Fierce fighting in locality Yelenovka.
17:45 – Tank attack with the support of infantry at Dokuchayevsk.
17:55 – Mortar-gun shelling of Smolyanka district from the airport of Donetsk.
18:00 – Mortar-gun shelling of the DPR army positions from the airport of Donetsk.
18:15 – Mortar-gun shelling of the DPR army positions from the airport of Donetsk still went on.
18:20 – Mortar-gun shelling of Oktyabrskyi block of apartments from the direction of locality Peski.
18:25 – Shelling from MRLS "Grad" from the direction of the airport of Street of the 50th anniversary of the Red Army in Donetsk.
18:30 – Shelling of Putilovskiy Bridge and the Chamber of Commerce in Donetsk.
18:35 – Shelling by artillery of Donbass-Arena Stadium in Donetsk from the direction of the airport.
18:40 – Shelling from MRLS "Grad" of the DPR army positions in the area of Panfilovskiy Bridge.
18:45 – Shelling of Kalininskiy district of Donetsk from tubed artillery from the direction of the airport.
18:50 – Shelling of the residential are in the area of the airport.
19:00 – Shelling of the DPR army positions from tanks in the area of the DPR army positions in the area of locality Peski.
19:15 – Mortar-gun shelling of the DPR army positions in locality Mogila-Ostraya.
General observation: in spite of the fact that the enemy totally ignores the ceasefire agreement, the DPR army obeys the order and does not open retaliatory fire.
10:15-Fire of Donetsk from the side of Marinka and Krasnogorovka.
11:15- The taxi bus was hit, there was one killed person and three injured civilians.
16:30-Group of intelligence support reached the enemy, in time of the battle one our fighter was injured, in enemy's army were killed three soldiers, and one was injured.
17:00-Fire at DPR's positions from the side of the airport.
20:15-Artilerry fire at the village Rasipnoy from the side of Nikishino.
07:35-From the side of new terminal was attempt to penetrate to Avdeevka. The penetration was prevented with a help of DPR's artillery.
08:20-From the side of the airport was hit at the positions of DPR.
08:30-Intelligence support of DPR was fired in Harzizsk and Nizhnya Krinka.
09:00-Massive fire of Nizhnya Krinka from the side of Zhdanovka.
09:15-Mortar fires of Zuevka, there were injured people and one man was killed.
09:35-Fire at DPR's subdivision under Putilovskiy Bridge.
09:40-Artilerry fire at Donetsk from the side of Marinka.
11:05-Artillery fire at burial hill on the road Hanzhenkovo-Harzizsk.
11:55-Mortar fire of Donetsk from the side of Marinka.
13:00-Mortar fire was at the mine 21 from the side Nizhnya Krinka.
13:15-Near the airport from the e Svyato-Iverskiy women cloister is working sniper.
13:50-Fire forom the GRAD at the positions of DPR in a village Rasipnoe, Kirovskoe, Putilovskiy Bridge.
15:00-Art. Fire at positions of DPR.
15:30- Fire forom the GRAD at the positions of DPR in a village Rasipnoe, Kirovskoe, Putilovskiy Bridge.
16:00-Art. fire from Marinka to Staromihaylovka.
16:05-DPR's positions were hit from the mortars.
16:15-Mortar fire at DPR's positions from Vodnoe.
16:20-Intensie fire of Petrovskiy district.
17:15-Fire of DPR's positions near the airport from mortars and tanks. Attack of and troops from Peski.
17:45-Attack of DPR's positions near the airport from the side of Vodnoe: 2 tanks, 2 APCs.
18:52-Missile launching was fixed of unknown type to the side of area of Volynzevskiy water basin.
19:20- Art. fire at the position of DPR in a village from the side of v. Kommubnar.


1. Gluten-free meals and cheese. These noodles are made of red lentils. I bought them at Costco. They have a lot of fibre so be prepared (that's the nice way to say our family was gassy). When Gary and I wrote our vows, we did not share them with each other until our wedding day. We both talked about cheese. He made fun of me for only eating Gouda (Dutch cheese) and cheddar and I promised to be a little wilder and try more. Here I am with fresh Parmesan cheese, thank you very much.
2. Brothers. These two can fight but they also spend a good 1-2 hours a day playing sports together. I am so thankful for that. They have learned a lot from each other in regards to leadership, compromise and teamwork.
3. Father daughter moments. Nya usually prefers to be with me but oh does she love her Daddy Bear! I love seeing Gary's softer side with Nya.
4. A night out! I went to I Mom So Hard. It was nice to get out for the evening and do something different. I would say it was 7/10 funny but nice to catch up with sisters and friends and laugh a little.
6. DNA testing. I don't even know if these kits are legit or what but I ordered one to test for the BRCA 1 and 2 genes (linked to breast cancer). I'll know in four weeks.
7. Great overnight visit with our first foster son. I love him like my own child and he still calls us Mommy and Daddy. So thankful that we get to be in his life and see him doing well.
8. Secondhand clothes. I don't know how we would cloth our kids otherwise! Great winter clothes found at VV this week–they love their hoodies.
9. Koey cuddles. Koen loves physical touch (from us) more than anyone in our family. I hope it lasts forever!
10. Deodorant making. I've been wearing natural deodorant for 3 years and recently started making my own! Much more affordable and I can make it for the whole family as the get older. Ingredients are: coconut oil, baking soda, corn starch and arrowroot powder (and essential oils).
Also a big thank you to Reece Montgomery for her interview for my BC Hydro post as I don't know a lot about electric vehicles! Reece is gifted in sewing and you can visit her creations on Facebook or her website.


Bluefire Consulting | Web / Multimedia Developer : "web developer" "flash developer" "strong multimedia skills "
Experienced web developer with strong multimedia development skills required for an expanding company based on the outskirts of Leeds.
You should be an experienced, creative flash developer with strong multimedia skills and we would be looking for a good amount of commercial experience on top of any academic background.
This is an expanding, stable business that offers a forward thinking and enjoyable working environment. On site facilities include a free gym with personal training facilities along with secure, free staff car parking.
"web developer" "flash developer" "strong multimedia skills "


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Tag Archives: psn
July 18, 2011 by KingSigy
Downloadables: Crazy Stairs and Stretching "Boys"
When I got my Xbox 360 in April of 2006, I hadn't fully come to terms with downloadable content or games. I was almost going to buy some of it on Xbox, but then I figured I wouldn't keep the console forever (it didn't help that PGR 2 charged $6 for car packs).
After plowing through "GRAW" and tinkering around with "Burnout: Revenge" for some time, I figured I would finally browse through the Xbox Live Marketplace. I saw "Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved" and remembered how damn fun the little game was in "PGR 2." $5 was unbeatable for me, so I downloaded it and had a blast.
Over the years, downloadable games have gotten much better in quality than Geometry Wars (which is saying a lot). When mainstream, retail games seem to be sticking to the same patterns, colors and game design, downloadable games are constantly giving gamers new ways to think about their gaming careers.
While I have no preference for XBLA, PSN or Wii Ware (though I only have 2 games on Wii Ware), today I'll be talking about some PSN titles; namely, "Echochrome" and "Noby Noby Boy." Both titles are wholly unique from each other and offer things I've never really ever played before.
"Echochrome" is one of the most original ideas for a puzzle game I've seen since Tetris. The game has a style similar to M.C. Escher and tasks the player with moving through a series of platform based puzzles to collect things called "echos". The key trick to these puzzles is that the player can manipulate the game world to fill in holes, create jumps or make bridges.
If that description makes no sense, it's because the game takes a long time to fully understand. The short tutorial that the player goes through does little to prepare you for the later challenges. Your little "echo" guy (who looks like a wooden artist mannequin) has to jump off of pads while the world rotates around him so that he can land on a ledge in the distance.
Some puzzles leave you stranded on a small piece of walkable terrain and require you to move the camera so the game thinks the level is one big bridge. It's ingenious and mindbending, but when all the pieces come together, you feel like a damn god.
How the f*#@ do I get out of here?!
The music is also quite comforting. Fully orchestrated and using a lot of violins and cello's, the aural experience is almost as engulfing as the logical one. The music swoons and thunders with smooth sound that hasn't really been exploited in gaming (as far as I know). It's wholly uncommon and I love it.
What makes the whole package better is that Sony incorporated an entire level editor into the package. Not only does the game ship with 54 levels, but there are endless amounts of user created challenges waiting at your fingertips.
While I can't say that I delved much in making my own challenges, I've played through quite a few out there and some make the main challenges look tame. It's awesome when players will come up with tasks more insidious than the developers could have ever dreamed of.
"Echochrome" really helped change my perception of downloadable games. Before this came out, I really only saw these services as ways to re-release old classics. After I finally opened up and let this title into my life, I started to notice how creative and fun such smaller titles could be.
I know that in Asia and Europe, "Echochrome" was released on UMD for PSP, but in North America, the only way to get the game is through the PSN store. The game exists on PSP and PS3 and goes for $6 and $10 respectively.
"Noby Noby Boy" is more of an experience than a game. Developed by the creator of "Katamari Damacy," the whole goal of "Noby Noby Boy" is to experiment with this weird hotdog shaped creature called "Boy."
You can bend and stretch him to different sizes and you can even devour the entire town around you (not unlike Katamari). The left control stick moves the front of your character and the right controls the back. It's a bit awkward at first, but the lack of any overbearing goals means experimentation takes over and you never find yourself getting frustrated.
The scoring system is rather interesting for a downloadable title. Players submit their scores to a character called "SUN," which is essentially a massive online leaderboard. The player totals were given to a database that unlocked extra levels in the game based on how high everyone's cumulative total was getting.
As of now, the game is entirely finished, but the race to eat people and explore different worlds was something akin to an MMO, but without the grinding or isolation that often sets in during those titles.
And you thought you had it bad…
The graphics are a bit goofy, but they have a clever charm and are very bright. It's not difficult to just stare at the game world around your "Boy". The music was also very charming and the folk guitar track is easily one of my favorites from this generation.
To this day, I've wasted maybe 80 hours playing this game. I've never experienced anything with so little to do, yet so much to explore. It's very therapeutic and relaxing. Booting this up just lets me forget about the day.
I suppose the major downside to this game is how little there really is to do. While I have no problem aimlessly roaming in games, some people may find that off putting or wasteful. I think it's relaxing, especially when mixed with the character designs and music.
The PS3 version does have trophy support, but even those can be banged out in about an hour. The price, though, makes the title worth a shot. $5 is something you can't beat for any type of experimental gameplay.
I know there are plenty of other downloadable games I've partaken of, but these two are just some of the examples of games that have really stuck with me. It's a shame that we don't get such originality in our $60 titles, but maybe those have a place in helping the indie devs get some great content out to us gamers?
If nothing else, I know that I can finally say I've pooped out a sheep while two mail men road on my character and I floated through the air. I don't think I'll ever be able to do that in another game.
Tagged burnout, cheap, discussion, downloadable, echochrome, gaming, geometry wars, ghost recon, graw, highlight, indie, microsoft, noby noby boy, pgr 2, ps3, psn, Review, sony, tom clancy, XBLA, xbox 360
Digital Distribution: I Sure Love Steam!
Digital Distribution is a relatively new idea that is beginning to take the video game industry by storm. While Valve launched the idea back in 2003 with Steam and access to "Counter-Strike 1.6," most developers didn't even bother considering the idea as viable until Microsoft launched the Xbox 360 in late 2005.
Since then, we've seen a huge influx of downloadable titles (of varying quality) and re-releases of classic titles. Is this good? To me, I think it's fucking fantastic, but there is always a potential downside (just look at the PSN crash).
Let me start by saying that I didn't get fully into Steam until after "Half-Life 2." That was the first retail released game that required a Steam account, something I had already tinkered around with just to try "Counter-Strike 1.6." I was pretty pissed off at the lack of quality control on the service and how it made me wait to play a game that I had a physical copy of.
Over the years, Steam grew. Boy did it grow. I didn't buy anything else until "Half-Life 2: Episode One," and even then I noticed changes. The server download speeds were upped; the amount of download servers was dramatically increased; the Valve Anti-Cheat measures were phenomenal. From that day forward, I vowed to always buy Valve games from the Steam client.
How the hell can you offer this for $7.50?!
"Orange Box" and "Left 4 Dead" came along and I was just sold on how seamless the experience was. I could wake up, buy a title, go to work and come home to game. It was awesome as hell. I never needed to deal with stupid customer service reps or wait in lines for highly anticipated titles. You never need to worry about running out of copies, either, as it's impossible to do so.
Then Valve hit upon a gold mine; Why not broaden the service to other game developers. Soon EA, Ubisoft and Activision were jumping aboard and bringing their flagship titles to the service. "Call of Duty 4" launched on Steam and sold more copies than the boxed retail version.
What really got me hooked, though, were the sales. Valve, in another stroke of genius, decided to allow developers to sell their games for half-off during specifically timed events. This would get people buying and playing faster, quicker and with less of a dent to their wallet.
Not only was that a benefit to the player, but a lot of indie developers saw huge turnarounds. Introversion Software nearly went out of business, but the Steam sale of "DEFCON" and "Darwinia" saved them from closing down. That's just brilliant.
That's right, I have 139 games on Steam.
In the last few years, I've nearly repurchased my entire PC game collection (which was upwards of 200 titles). I love the fact that I can click a game's name, wait for a 30 minute download and then start playing. I also love when I can talk to Jim about an old title and then gift him the game from the Steam client. It's absolutely outstanding.
Better yet, Valve is starting to incorporate cloud based storage for a lot of their titles. They even let developers include Steam cloud support for their own titles. This lets you play on one PC and resume your progress on another (you can even do it between PC and Mac; genius!). The PS3 version of "Portal 2" lets you do it between consoles! That's leaps and bounds ahead of Sony's own solution to cloud based information (stupid PSN Plus).
The only downside I can think of with Steam is how easy the internet can be hacked. I know Valve keeps improving the measures they have to safe guard your account, but the recent PSN hacking has shown that no one is safe. If I ever lost my Steam account, I'd be out a few thousand dollars of purchased content. That would not make me happy.
I suppose the other problem I have is that my old games can't just be registered without me paying more. I know developers love money, but it would be a strong showing of faith to allow me to just digitize my previous collection. I guess that's asking a bit much, though.
Xbox Live Arcade and PSN have a lot of learning to do from Valve and Steam. Instead of trying to rip gamers off by barely discounting your titles, you should hold random sales on a consistent basis to garner up interest in your service. When Valve can offer their entire catalog for $50 (the price of Portal 2, currently!), there is no reason why I should have to pay $15 for premium games on XBLA.
Nintendo also has a bunch to learn, but even copying XBLA for them would be a huge step up. Valve just knows business and customer loyalty unlike anyone else. If they keep their current trend going, I will never feel sorry for having turned my PC to digital distribution only.
I think the best part is that I can finally dump all of my boxes (I unloaded 8 bags one weekend at the dump. That's fucking nuts!).
Tagged AAA, digital, discussion, gaming, indie, microsoft, pc, portal 2, psn, sales, sony, steam, steam sale, valve, XBLA, xbox live


Most of the time, the kids are lounging, napping, or playing. When I check up on them, it usually includes a belly rub, kiss, and covering them with their favorite blanket. Or, sometimes one of them is by the back door waiting to be taken out. Other times, Willa may need an extra 22 games of fetch before she settles down.
Once in a blue moon, I'll walk into a room and see THIS.
Lobo and Willa standing there.
The look of, "Mommy. Since the last time you checked on us 30 minutes ago, we got into a bit o' mischief. We love you."
This time around, they had pulled all the blankets and pillows out of the Bodacious DIY Indoor Dog House.