text:
Policy Brief: The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021
By Nasscom Community on March 5, 2021 Comments Closed / 352 views
On 25 February 2021, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (IL & DMEC Rules) under Section 87 read with Section 79(2) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
The long-awaited rules, which are in supersession of the Information Technology (Intermediaries Guidelines) Rules of 2011 (IL Rules) carry forward some of MeitY's key proposals towards tackling the issue of rapid dissemination of illegal content and misinformation on social media and communications platforms, as indicated in the draft Amendments to the IL Rules released for public consultation in 2018.
The IL & DMEC Rules aim to address many of the concern areas of grievance redressal, fake news, online safety, and parity with existing laws. NASSCOM had been working closely with its members to share feedback on the draft Amendments IL Rules, and some of these recommendations have been accepted in the IL & DMEC Rules announced by the Government.
From a user perspective, strengthening the grievance redress mechanisms, the option of voluntary self-verification of user accounts and the right to receive explanatory notification on removal or disablement of access and to seek remedy against the action being taken by the intermediaries should be helpful. This will require the right implementation and should not become onerous for the social media platforms.
In this context, the enclosed Policy Brief analyses the key positives of the IL & DMEC Rules, and provides an overview of the issues that require further consideration from an implementation perspective. It also provides an overview of the tiered obligations imposed upon intermediaries and significant social media intermediaries.
Should you have any questions in relation to the Policy Brief or NASSCOM's engagement on these issues, please reach out to indrajeet@nasscom.in.
The post Policy Brief: The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 appeared first on NASSCOM Community |The Official Community of Indian IT Industry.
Empowering Organizations with Talent-as-a-Service Model
Prioritizing AI opportunities in the BFSI sector – Identifying right AI use cases
Composable Enterprise
Transforming Customer Experience With Tech In A Digital World
The Future of DevOps Automation
Salesforce Integration – Single unified customer experience
Admission Lead Management System
Are AI-powered Contact Centres a Hype or Reality?
Reevaluating your omnichannel customer experience (CX): What matters most


Sarcoidosis is a systemic inflammatory multi-organ disease almost always affecting the lungs. The etiology remains unknown, but the hallmark of sarcoidosis is formation of non-caseating epithelioid cells granulomas in involved organs. In Scandinavia, > 30% of sarcoidosis patients have Löfgren's syndrome (LS), an acute disease onset mostly indicating a favorable prognosis. The impact of dysregulation of lipid mediators, which has been investigated in other inflammatory disorders, is still unknown.
Using three different liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry targeted platforms (LC-MS/MS), we quantified a broad suite of lipid mediators including eicosanoids, sphingolipids and endocannabinoids in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from pulmonary sarcoidosis patients (n = 41) and healthy controls (n = 16).
A total of 47 lipid mediators were consistently detected in BAL fluid of patients and controls. After false discovery rate adjustment, two products of the soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) enzyme, 11,12-dihydroxyeicosa-5,8,14-trienoic acid (11,12-DiHETrE, p = 4.4E-5, q = 1.2E-3, median fold change = 6.0) and its regioisomer 14,15-dihydroxyeicosa-5,8,11-trienoic acid (14,15-DiHETrE, p = 3.6E-3, q = 3.2E-2, median fold change = 1.8) increased in patients with sarcoidosis. Additional shifts were observed in sphingolipid metabolism, with a significant increase in palmitic acid-derived sphingomyelin (SM16:0, p = 1.3E-3, q = 1.7E-2, median fold change = 1.3). No associations were found between these 3 lipid mediators and LS, whereas levels of SM 16:0 and 11,12-DiHETrE associated with radiological stage (p < 0.05), and levels of 14,15-DiHETrE were associated with the BAL fluid CD4/CD8 ratio.
These observed shifts in lipid mediators provide new insights into the pathobiology of sarcoidosis and in particular highlight the sEH pathway to be dysregulated in disease.
Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease of unknown etiology . The primary impacted organ are the lungs in > 90% of the patients, but virtually any organ can be affected . In Sweden, a prevalence of 160 cases per 100,000 individuals has been estimated . In 20–40% of the cases the disease may start suddenly with an acute manifestation known as Löfgren's syndrome (LS), with high fever, erythema nodosum and/or bilateral ankle arthritis, and bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy [2, 4–6]. However, the majority will have an insidious onset with fatigue, dry cough, dyspnea, low-grade fever, chest pain and sometimes weight loss (non-LS). The pathogenesis is still unknown, but some evidence indicates that causative antigen(s) enter the host and are phagocytosed by antigen-presenting cells (APCs), predominantly macrophages or dendritic cells. The APCs subsequently present the antigen via human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II molecules primarily to a restricted set of CD4+ T lymphocytes . The development of sarcoidosis seems to involve the intricate balance in the trimolecular complex consisting of an antigen, HLA class II molecules and T-cell receptors . A genetic influence is evident as increased familial occurrence as well different disease modes in different ethnic groups have been shown . The strongest genetic association is found within the HLA alleles that clearly associate with disease risk and phenotype . For example, patients with the HLA-DRB1*0301 allele are known to associate with LS and a good prognosis with complete resolution within 2 years without treatment [10–12].
In the absence of a causative agent, sarcoidosis remains a diagnosis of exclusion of other diseases. There are no definitive diagnostic blood or radiologic imaging tests specific for the disorder, but there are several tests that aid in diagnosis , such as increased levels of serum ACE , chitotriosidase  or sIL-2R . A cell pattern typical of lymphocytic alveolitis and a T-cell CD4+/CD8+ ratio > 3.5 have also been recognized . However, no single biomarker of sarcoidosis has been reported that has sufficient specificity, sensitivity and reproducibility to reliably diagnose the disease . Given the need for a molecular signature of the disease, this study was designed to investigate potential dysregulations of lipid mediators in patients with sarcoidosis. Lipid mediators are biologically active molecules that possess multiple physiological roles including cell structure, innate immune defense, homeostasis and in particular play a distinct role in inflammatory processes . The role of lipid mediators in the etiology and pathology of respiratory diseases has been demonstrated, including asthma [18, 19], COPD  and cystic fibrosis . Accordingly, in this study, three lipid mediator classes, eicosanoids, endocannabinoids and sphingolipids, were quantified in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from sarcoidosis patients and healthy controls. To our knowledge, the current study is the first to perform metabolic profiling of lipid mediators in newly diagnosed sarcoidosis.
This cross-sectional study consisted of 41 patients with sarcoidosis and 16 healthy volunteers as controls. Due to its influence upon lipid mediator levels , smoking was set as an exclusion criterion. All patients were referred to the Respiratory Medicine Unit at the Karolinska University Hospital (Stockholm, Sweden) on the suspicion of sarcoidosis for diagnostic investigations, including bronchoscopy and the morning collection of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid as previously described . The investigations were performed as close to onset of symptoms as possible and as soon as sarcoidosis was suspected. All patients were HLA-typed (Additional file 1) and diagnosed with sarcoidosis through typical clinical and radiographic manifestations, findings at bronchoscopy with biopsies revealing granuloma (not required for LS) and/or BAL fluid including an elevated CD4/CD8-ratio (> 3.5). Diagnoses were in accordance with the criteria established by the World Association of Sarcoidosis and other Granulomatous Disorders (WASOG) . Chest radiography was classified as stage I (bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy, BHL) and stage II (BHL with parenchymal infiltrates). Lung function was analyzed with regard to FEV1 and FVC. All patients had symptoms compatible with an active disease, two of them were on prednisolone treatment at the time of BAL sampling, while four patients were on treatment with local steroids. Only two patients declared use of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) at the time of sampling. Healthy controls were recruited by announcement on a website used for recruiting healthy volunteers at the Karolinska University Hospital. A clinical examination was performed and blood was drawn for analyses of CRP, blood status and electrolytes. All volunteers had a normal chest X-ray at least 3 weeks prior to bronchoscopy and none showed signs of infection. Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects. None of the subjects had signs of any airway infection or allergy symptoms at the time of BAL sampling. Subjects diagnosed with asthma, COPD, and other lung diseases, or other inflammatory conditions were excluded from the study. The Regional Ethical Review Board in Stockholm approved the study. Samples were aliquoted and stored at -80 °C until analysis. On the day of extraction, after thawing at 4 °C (nmax = 24), samples were aliquoted for independent extractions of eicosanoids and endocannabinoids (Section 2.3.1) and sphingolipids (Section 2.3.2).
Eicosanoids and endocannabinoids were purchased from Cayman Chemical (Ann Arbor, USA), with the exception of 12(13)-EpODE, 9,10,13-TriHOME and 9,12,13-TriHOME from Larodan (Solna, Sweden) and LTB5 from Enzo (Solna, Sweden). Sphingolipids were purchased from Avanti Polar Lipids (Alabaster, USA). A complete list of lipid mediator nomenclature is provided in Additional file 2. Methanol, acetonitrile, isopropanol, acetic and formic acid were of LC-MS grade from Fischer Scientific (Stockholm, Sweden). Ethyl acetate and chloroform were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich (St. Louis, USA).
For eicosanoids and endocannabinoids, a volume of 3 mL (n = 53) and a minimum volume of 2.5 mL (n = 4) of BAL fluid was spiked with 10 μL of isotopically labeled internal eicosanoid and endocannabinoid standards (Additional file 3) and extracted with HLB Oasis solid phase extraction columns (3 cc/60 mg, Waters) as previously described . Detailed information on the extraction is provided in Additional file 4.
For sphingolipids, a volume of 200 μL of BAL fluid in Eppendorf tubes were spiked with 10 μL of sphingolipid internal standards (Additional file 3) and subjected to a modified Bligh & Dyer extraction as previously described . Detailed information on the extraction is provided in the Additional file 4.
Eicosanoids, endocannabinoids and sphingolipids were screened using 3 separate targeted liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) lipid mediator platforms. Chromatographic separation was performed on an Acquity™ UPLC system from Waters (Milford, MA, USA). Detection was carried out on a Xevo TQ-S (Waters) mass spectrometer with electrospray ionization operating in selected reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. Detailed information of the separation and general MS conditions is provided in Additional file 5. Retention times and SRM transitions for each compound can be found elsewhere [22, 25, 26].
Values below the lowest limit of quantification (LLOQ) were replaced by the 25% of the lowest detected concentration for that compound (Additional file 1). Univariate statistical analyses were performed using R (version 3.4.0). Fold changes were calculated by using the median between groups. A two-tailed Mann-Whitney U-test was used for comparisons between two groups. Multiple hypothesis testing was controlled according to Storey (q-value) using the QVALUE software . A q-value lower than 5% was considered statistically significant. Correlation analyses were performed using Spearman's correlation (two-tailed). Trends in the shifts of lipid mediators with chest radiography stages were evaluated using the Cochran-Armitage trend test for linearity. The median value among the healthy controls for each lipid mediator was used as a cut-off limit for all three groups and all trend-based p-values were one-tailed.
Cohort demographics are summarized in Table 1. A total of 21 subjects had LS and the patients presented with lower FEV1 and FVC scores relative to controls. No differences were observed in lung function between LS and non-LS patients or with regard to radiographic stage.
A total of 47 lipids (eicosanoids: n = 26, sphingolipids: n = 17 and endocannabinoids: n = 4) were consistently detected in the samples and are summarized in Additional file 6.
A total of 2 eicosanoids differed (q < 0.05) between controls and patients with sarcoidosis (Fig. 1 a, b, Additional file 6). The arachidonic acid-derived (Fig. 1f) 11,12-DiHETrE (p = 4.4 × 10− 5, q = 1.2 × 10− 3) and its regioisomer 14,15-DiHETrE (p = 3.6 × 10–3, q = 3.1 × 10–2) were increased (6.0- and 1.8-fold median change, respectively) in patients with sarcoidosis relative to controls. Additionally, three linoleic acid-derived eicosanoids, 13-HODE (p = 3.3 × 10− 2, q = 1.2 × 10− 1, FC = 1.6), 9(10)-EpOME (p = 3.9 × 10− 2, q = 1.2 × 10− 1, FC = 0.6) and 12(13)-EpOME (p = 4.5 × 10− 2, q = 1.2 × 10− 1, FC = 0.7) were dysregulated in patients with sarcoidosis relative to controls (p < 0.05), but were above the FDR threshold (Fig. 1 c-e).
One sphingolipid (SM 16:0 [p = 1.3 × 10− 3, q = 1.7 × 10− 2, FC = 1.3] was found increased in patients with sarcoidosis relative to controls. Additionally two sphingomyelins (SM 18:0; p = 2.7 × 10− 2, q = 1.3 × 10− 1, FC = 1.2 and SM 24:1; p = 3.6 × 10− 2, q = 1.3 × 10− 1, FC = 1.5), and one hexosylceramide (HexCer 16:0; p = 1.6 × 10− 2, q = 1.0 × 10− 1, FC = 1.6) (Fig. 2), were elevated in patients with sarcoidosis relative to controls (p < 0.05), but were above the FDR threshold.
There were no differences (p < 0.05) between patients with sarcoidosis and healthy controls in endocannabinoid levels (Additional file 6). None of the compounds that were dysregulated between the groups correlated with age in either the healthy or sarcoidosis groups (Additional file 7).
For lipid mediators differing between controls and patients with sarcoidosis after false discovery rate adjustment (q < 0.05), associations with LS, CD4/CD8 ratio, chest radiograph stage, %FEV1 and %FVC were performed (Figs. 3 and 4). Due to the exploratory nature of this study, associations of lipid mediators with p < 0.05 were also performed and are presented in Additional file 8. For these compounds, a weak correlation was found between levels of 14,15-DiHETrE (rs = 0.33, p = 3.4x10E− 2) and CD4/CD8 ratio (Fig. 3b). No differences were found between patients with or without Löfgren syndrome (Fig. 3d, e). Levels of 11,12-DiHETrE (p = 2.2 × 10− 4) and SM 16:0 (p = 2.5 × 10− 2) increased with radiography stage according to the Cochran-Armitage test (Fig. 3g and i). Weak associations with %FVC were found between levels of 14,15-DiHETrE (rs = 0.41, p = 3.1x10E− 2) and SM 16:0 (rs = 0.50, p = 7.0x10E− 3) (Fig. 4).
Given the known role of lipid mediators in inflammation [18, 19], and specifically pro-inflammatory eicosanoids and sphingolipids , in respiratory disease, this exploratory study was designed to profile these lipid mediators in BAL fluid of patients with sarcoidosis. We hypothesized that the findings would identify molecular descriptors of the disease. In addition, it was expected that increased knowledge of the dynamics surrounding lipid mediator production in sarcoidosis would provide improved understanding of disease processes in the organ most commonly affected by the disease.
Multiple lipid mediators were quantified in the BAL fluid, further supporting that this material is useful for monitoring biochemical process in the lung. The primary observed shifts in lipid mediators were increases in the BAL fluid concentrations of 11,12-DiHETrE and 14,15-DiHETrE with sarcoidosis (Fig. 1). Interestingly, the concentration of 11,12-DiHETrE also increased with radiography stages I and II in patients with sarcoidosis. These compounds are formed via the cytochrome P450-mediated oxidation of arachidonic acid to the corresponding epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EpETrEs): 11(12)-EpETrE and 14(15)-EpETrE . Out of the 4 regioisomers of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids screened (Fig. 1f), only 11(12)-EpETrE was observed, but this compound was not altered in patients. The EpETrEs can be metabolized via multiple pathways , with the soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) being the dominant pathway in most tissues . The EpETrEs are generally considered to exert anti-inflammatory properties, while the DiHETrEs are pro-inflammatory [30, 31]. These opposing effects have been observed in models of pulmonary diseases . A combination of sEH inhibitors and EpETrE treatment reduced tobacco smoke-induced inflammation, with an concomitant decrease in DiHETrE in a smoking rat model, demonstrating that sEH inhibition can attenuate at least part of the acute inflammation associated with tobacco exposure . Accordingly, the observed increase in DiHETrEs suggests an inflammatory response, which is also in agreement with other reported markers of an ongoing inflammation in sarcoidosis . The sEH pathway has also been suggested as a potential therapeutic target in cystic fibrosis , COPD  and asthma . Clinical trials are currently underway to investigate how cytochrome P450 epoxygenase pathway enzymes, including the sEH, affect macrophage function in the lungs and inflammatory responses (clinicaltrials.gov NCT02743468) as well as in COPD (clinicaltrials.gov NCT01762774). Interestingly, the linoleic acid-derived 9(10)- and 12(13)-EpOME (structural analogs of the arachidonic acid-derived EpETrEs) were decreased in patients with sarcoidosis. Though these compounds are also metabolized via the sEH to form the corresponding vicinal diols, no differences were found between patients and controls in the BAL fluid levels of the downstream products (9,10-DiHOME and 12,13-DiHOME, respectively). These data suggest that the lipid mediator dysregulations in sarcoidosis are specific for the arachidonic acid pathway, as opposed to COPD , which demonstrates dysregulation in the linoleic acid-derived mediators.
Changes in sphingolipid metabolism involved multiple lipid species, including SM (16:0, 18:0, 24:1) and HexCer (16:0). Sphingomyelins have been previously reported to increase in the BAL fluid of sarcoidosis patients . These sphingolipids are biochemically linked, with ceramides acting as the intermediate for the formation of both sphingomyelins and hexosylceramides (Fig. 2e). Sphingolipids have an essential role as structural components of membranes, but also serve as critical signaling molecules . They are also involved in the pathophysiology of many diseases including microbial infections , Alzheimer's disease  and respiratory disease . For example, in asthma the ORMDL genes have been identified as a risk factor for childhood asthma . Moreover several biosynthetic intermediates in the sphingolipid biosynthesis, including ceramides and sphingosine-1-phosphate have been shown to affect immune-cell trafficking, mast cell degranulation and airway hyper-responsiveness in asthma-associated inflammatory processes [40–42]. In the current study, a weak association between SM 16:0 and radiography stage was observed. Further studies should include patients with advanced disease stages to more closely investigate possible associations of sphingomyelins with disease development.
There are some limitations in this study. First, there is an age imbalance between sarcoidosis patients and healthy controls. However, none of the dysregulated metabolites was associated with age in patients or controls. Two patients were on prednisolone treatment and four more were on local steroids at the time of sampling, but they did not exhibit different profiles in the reported lipid mediators (data not shown), which does not suggest a strong effect of steroid treatment upon lipid mediator profiles. Additionally, patients with more advanced stages of the disease would be needed in order to confirm the association of the identified markers with the sarcoidosis radiological stage. On the other hand, this study explored the lipid mediator profiles close to disease onset, minimizing any potential effects associated with ongoing treatment, and highlighting disease-specific processes. In addition, the specificity of the observed dysregulations in lipid mediator levels need to be established relative to other respiratory diseases. Lastly, an obstacle to working with BAL fluid is the lack of clear protocols to perform data normalization. Previous attempts have been made to normalize the data using for example recovery volume  or metabolite markers , but there are of as yet no commonly accepted protocols.
This is the first study to profile lipid mediators in sarcoidosis, providing useful information on the levels of these potent biological mediators in this disease. The findings suggest that arachidonic acid-derived products of the sEH pathway as well as some sphingolipid species (particularly SM 16:0) may serve as molecular descriptors of sarcoidosis. Of particular interest are the observations that the primary altered pathways are similar to those observed in other respiratory diseases, including asthma, COPD, and cystic fibrosis, suggesting that the diseases share a similar inflammatory component. The predominant shifts were in sEH products of arachidonic acid metabolism, further stressing the potential role of this pathway in the inflammatory process in lung pathology and highlighting the targeting of this enzyme for disease treatment. It is of particular interest that these sEH products also correlated with radiological stage, further strengthening their association with more advanced disease. These findings suggest that the sEH pathway should be further investigated in sarcoidosis, both from the standpoint of potentially being involved in disease etiology and representing a novel therapeutic target for disease control.
Marcus O. D. Sjödin, Antonio Checa, Johan Grunewald and Craig E. Wheelock contributed equally to this work.
The authors would like to acknowledge Stuart Snowden for assistance in extracting the samples and Johan Kolmert for aid in analyzing the samples. The authors thank research nurses Heléne Blomqvist, Margitha Dahl and Gunnel de Forest as well as biomedical analysts Benita Dahlberg and Benita Engvall for skillful assistance with sample collections and preparations.
This work was supported by the Swedish Heart Lung Foundation (HLF 20170734, 20170603 and 20160300), the Swedish Research Council (2016–02798, 2016–01209), The Stockholm County Council, the Swedish Association for Chest Physicians, and the ChAMP (Centre for Allergy Research Highlights Asthma Markers of Phenotype) consortium which is funded by the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, the Karolinska Institutet, AstraZeneca & Science for Life Laboratory Joint Research Collaboration, and the Vårdal Foundation.
All data generated or analyzed during this study are included as supplementary information files.
ÅMW, JG and CEW contributed to the study conception and design. MODS and AC acquired the LC-MS data. AC and MY performed the statistical analyses. MODS, AC, SED, ÅMW, AE, JG and CEW conceived and wrote the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
This study was approved by the Regional Ethical Review Board in Stockholm. Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects.


Police officers come into contact with many dangerous substances on a daily basis.
As the opioid epidemic continues to ravage our nation, you don't have to look far for stories about officer exposure to illicit drugs on scene. In August 2017, 18 Pa. cops were hospitalized after possible fentanyl exposure and in December 2017, three Mass. police officers were possibly exposed to fentanyl.
Cops may also have to assist or interact with individuals who are bleeding or covered with bodily fluids, risking potential exposure to infectious disease.
On September 1, 2017, San Diego County issued a health emergency in response to the local hepatitis A outbreak. The outbreak, which was spread person-to-person and through contact with fecally contaminated environments, resulted in 586 cases, with 401 hospitalizations and 20 deaths. The majority of people who contracted hepatitis A were homeless and/or illicit drug users.
In San Diego, where San Diego PD responds with its Homeless Outreach Teams, health officials washed streets with bleach in the most acutely affected areas and installed dozens of hand-washing stations to help prevent the spread.
In all of these situations, single-use gloves are a critical piece of personal protective equipment (PPE) for law enforcement.
Surprisingly, a significant number of police departments opt not to provide gloves or officers choose not to wear them.
Departments may feel that the added cost is not worth the expenditure and officers may choose not to wear cheap gloves that tear easily. It becomes a vicious cycle when police departments purchase the lowest-priced glove, and then officers are forced to use an inferior product that offers little protection.
With many glove options available, selecting the right glove for the challenges of the law enforcement can seem overwhelming. In some situations, choosing the wrong type of glove can be harmful to the individual.
Examination-grade gloves are powder-free, single-use gloves that act as a reliable protective barrier against potentially infectious materials and other contaminations.
It is recommended that at least a 6 mil (at the fingertip) nitrile glove be worn to protect the wearer from tear and puncture. Six mil gloves offer a high level of force of break, which is the amount of force that it takes to puncture or tear a glove.
The force of break standard is based on CE testing criteria EN388, which assesses the amount of force required to pierce the sample with a standard size point.
A high-quality, third-party, barrier-tested glove is essential to protect the wearer from accidental transdermal exposure to fentanyl, heroin and other dangerous substances.
Avoid latex gloves as individuals can experience allergies from the proteins that are found in natural latex. Also, latex doesn't create a significant protective barrier and can allow substances to absorb into the glove that eventually migrate to the wearer's skin. Nitrile examination gloves provide the best protective barrier against chemicals and blood-borne pathogens.
Today's first responders face serious threats from exposure to dangerous drugs and bloodborne pathogens. When thinking about personal safety, wearing high-quality, single-use nitrile gloves should be part of your daily uniform.


If you love to write, chances are you have (tried to) read books about writing, in hopes of learning how to write better.
But have you noticed that many writing books are, well, boring? I too have tried to read so many books on the craft of writing that are so dry I didn't learn anything because I was just trying to get through the next page.
If you're looking for a few books to breathe life into your writing, look no further! These five fun titles I recommend below will fit the bill–without boring you.
If you don't yet know about this little book, stop right here and order it. It's a must, not just for your bookshelf, but for your desk! The Elements of Style is a very practical rule-book. This short guide covers everything from sentence structure to misused words to using the active voice. I've underlined 50% of my copy, and I highly recommend it to every writer I meet.
I first read this book in college, and I've read it over and over again since. Not only is it the most entertaining writing book I've ever read, it's also probably the easiest read. Whereas I recommend you order The Elements of Style right away to be your desktop staple, I recommend you start with On Writing Well if you're burned out from other writing books and need to enliven your love of reading about writing. Let Zinsser teach you how to be the best writer you can be.
Second only to On Writing Well's story-driven structure in entertainment, this funny book provides various tasks and writing challenges. So it's like a workbook where you get to practice what you learn along the way! Bell fashioned The Art of War for Writers after Lao Tsu's classic war-guide, but don't worry: you'll be battling only with words as you receive training in the best way to wield words.
While a junior in college, I took a rhetorical composition course. This was the assigned textbook of that class, but don't let that intimidate you. Rhetorical Grammar taught me to understand grammar. Even better, it taught me to love grammar. If you're a fan of grammar and love to read about it, I recommend this book as a more comprehensive guidebook than, say, mine.
More accessible than Rhetorical Grammar, my latest release, Write Well, is a short ebook designed to walk you through what you need to know so you can get back to the real work: actual writing! After all, writing isn't all heart and art. It's structure and syntax, too.
I hope you never have to read a dry, dull book on writing ever again. Instead, pick up one of these titles to help you grow in your writing journey!
My tattered copy of The Elements of Style rests on my desk ready for me to thumb through at any given writer's moment!


text:
UNIFY - UNIversity For You - Our main task
Login To Get Access Our Site
Fontys University of Applied Sciences
HAN University of Applied Sciences
Hanze University of Applied Sciences
HZ University of Applied Sciences
Saxion University of Applied Sciences
NHL Stenden University of Applied Science
Inholland University of Applied Sciences
Windesheim University of Applied Sciences
Zuyd University of Applied Sciences
HAS University of Applied Sciences
Ranking of the Dutch education system
Rankings of the universities of applied sciences
Dutch research universities in the world rankings
Deadline for Application
Holland Day Fair
Home About us Study Programs Universities - University Map - Applied Sciences -- Avans University of Applied Sciences -- Fontys University of Applied Sciences -- HAN University of Applied Sciences -- Hanze University of Applied Sciences -- HZ University of Applied Sciences -- Breda University of Applied Sciences -- Saxion University of Applied Sciences -- NHL Stenden University of Applied Science -- Inholland University of Applied Sciences -- Windesheim University of Applied Sciences -- Zuyd University of Applied Sciences -- HAS University of Applied Sciences - Research Universities -- Radboud University -- Tilburg University Ranking - Ranking of the Dutch education system - Rankings of the universities of applied sciences - Dutch research universities in the world rankings Application - Application process - Deadline for Application - Tuition Fees Open Days Holland Day Fair Contacts For Universities
Universities /
/ Avans University of Applied Sciences
Avans University of Applied Sciences was founded on 1 January 2004 following a merger of Hogeschool Brabant and Hogeschool 's-Hertogenbosch. Avans stands for:
• Inspiration
• Sincerity
Avans Univeristy is located in three cities in the southern part of the Netherlands:
• Breda
• 's-Hertogenbosch
• Tilburg
At Avans University of Applied Sciences, around 24,000 students study 60 different courses and the school has around 2,000 employees taking the best care of the students.
AVANS is NUMBER 1 in the Netherlands!
We are immensely proud that Avans University of Applied Sciences has once again been proclaimed the best major university of applied sciences in the Netherlands. Every year, the Dutch Centre for Higher Education Information examines the quality of higher education in the Full-time Higher Professional Education Options Guide 2019. The international study programmes of Avans are amongst the best in the Netherlands.
Avans once again has been ranked the top large university of applied sciences in the Netherlands by leading higher education guide Keuzegids Hbo. Avans was ranked as number 1 for the sixth consecutive year in 2019.
The International Business programme offered at Avans UAS is ranked as the best in its category.
Students, lecturers, professors and education professionals together form a lively network within our educational institution. Knowledge and competency development is the driving force and the connecting factor behind this.
Our varied and modern learning environment enables each student to develop his or her skills and ambitions to their maximum potential.
Our inspiring lecturers are experts in their fields and have a thorough knowledge of learning processes, enabling them to challenge students to push their boundaries and excel.
The schools have structured their curricula, teaching and examinations based on our educational vision. We collaborate with a wide range of companies, professions and organisations as part of its teaching and research activities.
International Business (prev. Int. Business and Languages)
Environmental Science for Sustainable Energy and Technology
Finance & Control
Master of Animation
Master of Visual Arts and Post-Contemporary Practice
About Holland
Why choose to study in Holland?
Myths about studying in Holland
Scholarship and Study Loan
F. A. Q.
Dayana Atanasova
I have applied at NHTV University with the help of UNIFY and I would reccommend it to every student who wants to study in Holland!
Deya Tsoneva
I would reccommend UNIFY to everybody! My application process went very smoothly and without any problems, because of the support of UNIFY. Thank you!
Katya Pateva
I am absolutely satisfied from UNIFY! Agents of UNIFY are awesome proffessionals and they were next to me during each step of the application process...
Nadezhda Nacheva
The information which UNIFY gave me was decisive for choosing university in Holland. I can't imagine to go through the application procees without UNI...
Get updates directly to your inbox
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Skype: unify14
Nikolay Haytov 2, vh.G, fl.11, office 36 Sofia, Bulgaria
elitsa@unify,bg
44 Tsar Osvoboditel Str., 3 floor, office 5, Varna , Bulgaria
Copyright © 2013 UNIFY Ltd., All rights reserved.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The pressure cooker makes short work of pea soup, cooking the dried peas in half the time it would traditionally take and doing all the work of the blender as well. Rich, creamy comfort is just half an hour away.
The pressure cooker cuts the peas' cooking time in half, while adding more flavor.
Rapidly releasing the pressure causes the contents of the pressure cooker to vigorously boil, turning the soup creamy with no need for a blender.
Melt butter in a pressure cooker over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and ham and cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds.
Add peas, chicken stock or water, and bay leaves. Stir to combine, then cover pot and bring to high pressure. Cook for 20 minutes, then rapidly release pressure by opening the air valve. Open pot lid, stir contents until smooth, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve. Carefully clean the pressure cooker's gasket and valves as soon as the pot is cool enough to handle; pea soup can easily clog valves, which can cause your cooker to over-pressurize the next time you use it. Soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
You can use a whole cured or smoked ham hock in place of the diced ham, or bacon or pancetta, if you prefer. If you use a hock, pick off the meat after cooking in step 2 and add it back to the soup, discarding the bone.


Ruth lived in a time of famine and death. Her husband, father-in-law, and brother-in-law died. In times of famine and death, it's natural to have a survivor mentality and to make self-preservation the top priority. However, Ruth put aside her self and her needs in returning with her mother-in-law to Bethlehem.
We also live in a time of famine and death. The millions starving throughout the world are a symptom of spiritual starvation. God's people are spiritually anorexic. By stuffing ourselves with the things of the world, we have lost our appetite for the things of God (see Prv 13:19; Gal 5:17). We are being paid the wages of sin, that is, death (Rm 6:23).
Under these circumstances, we are tempted to focus on ourselves, but that's the worst mistake we can make. If we try to preserve our lives, we will lose them. However, if we lose our lives for Jesus, we will preserve them (Lk 9:24). We must do what Ruth did. We must commit ourselves even more strongly to the Lord and to one another. In these times of starvation and death, we need even deeper commitment to God, the Church, our spouses, our parents, our children, and our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Prayer: Father, make me a Ruth.
Praise: St. Rose, like Ruth, served her family and her God all the days of her life.


text:
White House Criticizes Corporate Tax 'Inversions' as Squabble Escalates
Jim Randle
President Barack Obama speaks about the economy and requests "economic patriotism" from American corporations that seek overseas mergers to avoid U.S. taxes, at the Los Angeles Trade-Technical College in Los Angeles, July 24, 2014.
The White House says it has no timeline for executive action on so-called corporate inversion deals, in which some American companies are buying foreign companies to reincorporate abroad and pay a lower tax rate.
Billions of dollars are at stake in the squabble over a tax tactic called "inversion," and President Barack Obama believes is not fair to their American competitors or the hard-working American taxpayer.
"They [these large companies] don't want to give up the best universities and the best military and all the advantages of operating in the United States. They just don't want to pay for it," said the president.
The practice is legal, however, and it brings added income for the companies, the bankers and others involved in the structure.
Increased maneuvering
Many large U.S.-based companies, including drug makers and a fast food giant, already have moved or are considering moving their legal corporate residence from the United States to other nations with lower corporate tax rates.
The president has said the growing trend is hurting the economy. Others say a more sensible U.S. tax system, though, would solve this and other problems.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Tuesday that if Congress refuses to act, the Obama administration is looking at possible options to respond to the problem of "corporate deserters."
The White House's comments on inversion deals come ahead of Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew's speech Monday, September 8 about corporate inversions deals.
Northwood University economics professor Tom Nash said the complicated maneuver is driven by the 35 percent U.S. federal tax rate on corporate earnings, a bill that can be raised even higher by state taxes. "We are the highest corporate tax rate system in the industrialized world," he said.
Nash said unlike most other developed nations, Washington also taxes corporate income earned outside the United States. He said high U. S. taxes also slow investment at home by major companies. When foreign firms have lower expenses, they can offer lower prices than American firms. That hurts the 25 percent of the U.S. economy tied to exports.
Some experts suggest the administration and Treasury could slow the current pace of corporate inversion deals by counting a company's U.S.-issued debt as equity. The change would make it harder for companies to achieve the necessary majority foreign equity ownership required for reincorporation abroad in an inversion deal.
U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont, also has said companies that do inversion deals should not be allowed to compete for federal contracts.
Some Republicans and former U.S. President Bill Clinton say the inversion deals are a symptom of the larger problem, which requires comprehensive tax reform to resolve. Obama has agreed to discuss major tax reform.
American Enterprise Institute scholar James Pethokoukis said political bickering will block fundamental tax reform for a while, even though there is wide agreement among economists and members of Congress that U. S. tax laws need change.
"That's probably [tax reform] not going to happen between now and the end of the year. Not much is going to happen between now and the end of the year, so it becomes kind of a 2015 or 2016 thing," said Pethokoukis.
In the meantime, Pethokoukis said the president may use executive actions to try to make it harder for companies to use inversion to avoid taxes, but Pethokoukis thinks that will have a limited impact.
Obama: Fight for a Stronger Middle Class
US Economy Expanding Rapidly
More Entrepreneurship news
Is Tipping Getting Out of Control? Many US Consumers Say Yes
How Will We Know if the US Economy Is in a Recession?
With New Deep Sea Port, Nigeria's Focus Turns to Better Road, Rail Connections
US Economy Showed Solid Growth at End of 2022


"It's not really cheating!" These are words that seem to be uttered increasingly in our intimate relationships. There was a time when philanderers knew where they stood. Cheating was clearly defined as an intimate physical interaction with someone outside of your monogamous relationship. However, times have changed and our definition of cheating has also evolved. We are now aware of the devastating effects an emotional affair can have upon a relationship, and in recent times, we broadened the definition of infidelity even further by including micro-cheating.
Micro-cheating inhabits the grey area of infidelity. It consists of seemingly benign interactions that shift your focus from your partner to someone outside of your relationship. These interactions can be physical or emotional and often cause the erosion of trust and safety in a relationship.
As the nature of micro cheating is ambiguous and mainly up to individual boundaries of what is and is not okay behaviour with others outside of your relationship, many of us do not know if our behaviour would fall under the label of micro-cheating. Is adding a heart emoji to someone's Facebook post really micro-cheating or is it maintaining some autonomy?
There are three red flags at the threshold of any physical and/or emotional affair and they are present in micro-cheating as well. Emotional intimacy is the first and most powerful bond of all. This is when you are sharing with the other person more about you than you are with your partner. Secrecy then waxes the slippery slope into cheating. The secrecy may be in deleting flirty messages so they are not discovered by your partner, or lying about your relationship status online. The last red flag is chemistry and not the kind that you find in a science lab. The kind of chemistry that is present in cheating is the kind that may have you flirting and fantasising about what it would be like to be with the other person.
If your partner views your behaviour in a way that is negatively impacting their perception of your loyalty, you have a problem that has the potential to possibly end your relationship.
Micro-cheating is not really new, in fact it has always been around. The only element that is different to previous generations is the medium that we use to micro-cheat. In the past we engaged in flirty eye contact over the water cooler or passed hand written notes to each other. In the age of digital we now use social media and text messages. It has never been easier to micro-cheat, but in doing so we create a digital footprint and as such, it has never been easier to be caught micro-cheating.
So where is the line when it comes to micro-cheating and are we making a mountain out of a molehill? Can micro-cheating actually damage a relationship in the short and long term? As I see it, the problem is that most of us don't even realise that we are micro-cheating, especially when it is done online. It seems harmless and sometimes, it even is. What is important to consider is the intention behind the interaction and how it makes your partner feel. If your intention is to engage in behaviours that you know your partner would not appreciate, then you are micro-cheating. A good rule of thumb is to think to yourself, "would I do this if my partner was watching?" If the answer is no, then it's likely that you are micro-cheating. If your partner views your behaviour in a way that is negatively impacting their perception of your loyalty and commitment to your relationship, then you have a problem that has the potential to damage and possibly end your relationship.
In order to address the grey area of micro-affairs, we need to look at relationship boundaries. Every person in a relationship should have their own set of boundaries on what is acceptable and not acceptable behaviours for themselves, and also from their partner. What is critical is that your partner is aware of and agrees to your boundaries. If he or she strays outside of the agreed upon boundaries, this constitutes a betrayal of trust by your partner. You can call it micro-cheating or anything else you choose, but a betrayal of trust is still a betrayal none the less and once trust is gone, it can be very difficult to recover.


So, if you wish to get these magnificent pics about (Elegant Leasing Contract), simply click save icon to download the images for your personal pc. They're ready for down load, if you'd prefer and wish to get it, just click save logo on the article, and it will be immediately downloaded to your notebook computer. At last if you need to find unique and recent picture related to (Elegant Leasing Contract), please follow us on google plus or save the site, we try our best to offer you daily up-date with all new and fresh images. Hope you like staying here. For most up-dates and recent information about (Elegant Leasing Contract) shots, please kindly follow us on tweets, path, Instagram and google plus, or you mark this page on book mark section, We try to present you up grade periodically with fresh and new photos, like your searching, and find the best for you.
Thanks for visiting our site, articleabove (Elegant Leasing Contract) published by at . Nowadays we're delighted to announce that we have found an incrediblyinteresting contentto be reviewed, that is (Elegant Leasing Contract) Lots of people trying to find details about(Elegant Leasing Contract) and of course one of these is you, is not it?


Find a variety of native Texas plants that use less water and provide habitat for wildlife. Members of Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center get early admission at 9:30am.
Build your iNaturalist skills as we search for as many organisms that we can find.


text:
BLOG | OFFICE OF THE CTO
In the Future, the A in API will Stand for Automation
API stands for Application Programming Interface. Over the years, it has evolved from a tightly coupled imperative specification to a loosely coupled declarative model. The most common APIs today are RESTful and used to enable integration. Regardless of implementation and the mode of invocation, APIs tend to be associated with app development.
But another API economy has been steadily expanding. It lies within operations. And in that domain, the "A" in API stands for automation.
What APIs in the operational demesne represent is the ability to automate onboarding, configuration, and operation of infrastructure and application services. Thus, the interfaces—the APIs—needed to support operations needs to focus on simplifying automation.
This focus is important as organizations fully enter the second phase of digital transformation and begin to expand automation across the delivery and deployment pipelines. To scale automation requires the ability to develop consistent, repeatable, and predictable processes that embody the deployment pipeline for an app.
A report from Kentik on the State of Automation in 2019 indicated that more than half of organizations (53%) were already using automation for network configuration, and another 40% automated policy management. Our own research shows that percentage much higher—at a super-majority of 86% automating the network. The same research, State of Application Services 2020, has also found increasing consistency in the state of automation across the deployment pipeline.
The tools organizations are using, too, is shifting. While Python is still one of the most popular options, we are seeing the influence of DevOps and cloud-native apps on IT. The deployment pipeline is increasingly driven by tools like Jenkins and Ansible and triggered by repositories like GitHub and GitLab Enterprise. Looking into the future, infrastructure and app services will be driven by actionable insights produced by advanced analytics.
It is systems, not people, that will invoke APIs across the deployment pipeline. Thus, there is an imperative to design operational APIs specifically with automation in mind. That means several considerations.
First, it may be necessary to consider the system from which an operational API might be invoked. The data available from Jenkins or a repository will no doubt be markedly different than that coming from traditional network automation tools and services. That might mean obtaining data from elsewhere or defaulting to standardized values where possible.
Second, it is critical that we address the need for 'credentialed machine' invocation of APIs as separate from 'credentialed user' invocation. Most of our authentication systems today assume a "user" that is human. API keys may be a good option but will require some learning on the operational side of IT to deploy, operate, and manage a system that is designed to maintain machine-only credentials. Still, this is critical as we move toward the third and final phase of digital transformation, where AI-assisted application services and ops will shoulder a larger share of operational burdens.
It's great that we can use tools to build scripts from which operations can be automated today. But it is important to recognize that in the future, the A in API will almost exclusively refer to automation—at least in the context of operations—because of how it will impact interactions and invocation between machines instead of people.


text:
The Column, The Column-11-20-2014, Volume 10, Issue 21
Incognito goes back to basics with standard laboratory skills. How do you use your pipette properly?
Who taught you basic laboratory skills such as using a balance, a glass or automatic-pipette, or a pH meter? Were you shown the "proper" way? But, what is the "proper" way and who decides what this is? I originally intended this instalment to be about statistics and uncertainty of measurement with reference to the way we use "control" samples in chromatography; however, a simple piece of research turned into one of my most eye-opening experiences in the laboratory.
Photo Credit: Cultura/GIPhotoStock/Getty Images
While writing a worked example on error propagation, I wandered into the laboratory and asked a colleague to confirm his perception of the accuracy of a Grade A 10 mL pipette. He answered: "Depends which way you use it." I said: "Pardon?" He said: "Depends if you blow all of the liquid out of the bottom of the pipette." I know we have a basic skills training module, and I know that I regularly show new folks in the laboratory how to carry out basic operations, so where could this misunderstanding have come from?
I asked three other colleagues to pipette 10 mL of water into a volumetric flask. Every single one of them did something incorrectly, and it turned out that for two of these three I had signed their competency assessments. I guess people get lazy, forget things, learn the bad habits of their peers, and, dare I say it, don't care about the basics as much as they should. Furthermore, I have seen many de facto operating procedures for volumetric and gravimetric analysis, with senior laboratory personnel willing to argue hard that their version is absolutely the way to do it. Who specifies the way you should use glassware and balances? Do you know?
Most volumetric glass pipettes these days are Grade A, which means that they are highly accurate, with a 10-mL bulb pipette and a tolerance of around ±0.012 mL and a repeatability of around ±0.004 mL.1 These figures can be used in calculations of uncertainty and, because the price of volumetric glassware is relative low, most laboratories standardize on Grade A equipment. Of course, many factors have to be considered when assuming the above accuracy and intermediate precision:
1. The liquid being measured is at ambient temperature using the correct equipment.
2. The glassware is calibrated and free from chips, defects, and adsorbed solids.
3. The pipette is used correctly.
Most pipettes are made of borosilicate glass and don't suffer from a great deal of thermal expansion or contraction. An error of ±0.01% at ±10 °C around the 20 °C standard temperature is fairly typical. The major problem with temperature is impatience and not allowing the measured liquid to cool (or warm) to the ambient temperature. As a result, major quantitative volumetric errors can occur when pipetting hot or cold liquids — the magnitude of the error depending upon the liquid temperature and its coefficient of expansion.
Bulb pipettes are the most accurate, followed by graduated pipettes, automatic pipettes, burettes, and measuring cylinders. The label on the glassware, or its corresponding certificate, will give details such as those shown in Figure 1:
Figure 1: Typical label markings on a Grade A pipette.
Ex indicates the volume "expired" rather than "in", which would indicate the volume included within (held by) the pipette. TD means "to deliver", which is the volume delivered by draining over 20 s at 20 °C (which depends upon the orifice size at the pipette tip). BS is the quality standard under which the pipette is produced and calibrated. Check the certificate for details of the calibration, which will usually state something like 10.01 mL with a calibration accuracy of ±0.012 mL
Onto my second point, do you know when the pipette is out of calibration? Do you have a calibration department or process within your organization? Do you know when— or if — a pipette should be recalibrated? If not then I suggest you find out!
Using a volumetric glass pipette is relatively straightforward; however, one needs to know the potential pitfalls and the best experimental technique. For a glass bulb pipette follow these steps:
1. Select a clean pipette with clear graduation marking. Don't dry glassware in an oven as this can affect their accuracy. Make sure the graduation mark is not faded. Ensure there are no chips and that the internal surface is dust, particle, and grease free. If you are unsure, dispense water from the pipette and look for discrete droplets of retained liquid — this indicates that the pipette is not clean enough and should be washed with a surfactant, thoroughly rinsed, and allowed to air dry.
2. Transfer the liquid to be pipetted to a clean, dry beaker (don't pipette directly from stock or reagent bottles).
3. Immerse the pipette tip into the liquid to a sufficient depth to prevent air ingress during aspiration and use a pipette filler to fill the pipette 5 to 20 mm above the graduation mark.
4. Discard the solution to waste. Repeat with a second washing of the pipette.
5. Avoid handling the pipette bulb as heat transfer from hands may affect the accuracy of the measurement.
6. Aspirate the solution to 5–20 mm above the gradation mark and wipe any excess liquid from the outside of the pipette tip with laboratory paper.
7. Remove the pipette filler and use a dry finger or the release valve on a three-way filler bulb to dispense liquid to waste until the bottom of the solution meniscus within the pipette is tangential to the pipette graduation mark (measure at eye level with the pipette vertical to avoid parallax error).
8. Remove any drop of liquid adhering to the pipette tip by gently touching it against the side of the beaker or container.
9. Discharge the liquid into the receiving vessel, with the tip of the pipette touching the wall of the vessel at an angle between 10° and 45°.
10. Allow the liquid to run out under gravity and check that the time taken to empty the pipette approximately corresponds to the emptying time stated on the label — if not then there may be a problem with the pipette.
11. Once the flow has stopped, leave the pipette tip in contact with the vessel wall for 3 s.
12. DO NOT agitate or blow out the remaining liquid; this is not part of the graduated volume.
Easy and straightforward? How does this compare with your own technique? The accuracy of an automatic/micropipette will be less than a glass pipette but these instruments are routinely used for the quantitative measurement of solutions less than 1 μL. A 100 μL pipette may be used to dispense volumes between 10 μL and 100 μL and a typical accuracy would be ±0.8 μL. These pipettes are calibrated to standard ISO 8655 and their calibration status and accuracy should be regularly checked. Operating guidelines do vary between manufacturers; however, shown below is a typical protocol that serves to highlight the important aspects of volumetric measurement with these devices:
1. Select the correct pipette and tip volume. Fit the tip with a slight twisting motion to ensure a good seal.
2. Holding the pipette vertically, press the plunger to the first-stop position and immerse into the liquid to the required depth to avoid droplet formation on the outside of the tip or vortexing during sample aspiration (immersion depth is typically between 1 and 7 mm — see instructions from the manufacturer).
3. Release the plunger to aspirate into the tip, withdraw, and discard to waste. Repeat several times with a new tip to wet the inner tip surface.
4. Aspirate the required volume by depressing the piston to the first stop, immersing the tip into the liquid to the required depth, and slowly releasing the piston, waiting for a few seconds at the top position to allow more viscous liquids to fill into the tip.
5. Withdraw from the sample and remove any excess liquid from the tip by gently touching against the vessel wall.
6. Dispense by holding the pipette vertically and tilting the receiving vessel to an angle of 10° to 40° and depress the piston to the first-stop position. Wait one second and then depress the piston to the second-stop position to "blow" the remaining liquid from the pipette tip.
7. Remove from the receiving vessel by sliding the tip up the vessel wall.
So, there we are, a short primer on using pipettes. I know the vast majority of you will have SOPs to cover this subject. When was the last time you read them?
Some of you will be saying "That's not right!", but on what basis and whose regulatory standards are you basing your challenge? Did you ever measure your own accuracy or precision by dispensing and weighing water? Give it a try, you'll be surprised at how much better you can become.
I haven't had a chance to tell you how bad my conversations got when discussing weighing and pH measurement (!) — more on that next time.
1. Richard Lawn and Elizabeth Pritchard, Practical Laboratory Skills Guide, Measurement of Volume (Royal Society of Chemistry Publishing, 2003).
Contact author: Incognito
E-mail: admin@chromatographyonline.com
This article is from The Column. The full issue can be found here:http://images2.advanstar.com/PixelMags/lctc/digitaledition/November20-2014-uk.html


text:
#include "GrGLVertexArray.h"
#include "GrGLGpu.h"

void GrGLAttribArrayState::set(GrGLGpu* gpu,
                               int index,
                               GrGLuint vertexBufferID,
                               GrGLint size,
                               GrGLenum type,
                               GrGLboolean normalized,
                               GrGLsizei stride,
                               GrGLvoid* offset) {
    SkASSERT(index >= 0 && index < fAttribArrayStates.count());
    AttribArrayState* array = &fAttribArrayStates[index];
    if (!array->fEnableIsValid || !array->fEnabled) {
        GR_GL_CALL(gpu->glInterface(), EnableVertexAttribArray(index));
        array->fEnableIsValid = true;
        array->fEnabled = true;
    }
    if (!array->fAttribPointerIsValid ||
        array->fVertexBufferID != vertexBufferID ||
        array->fSize != size ||
        array->fNormalized != normalized ||
        array->fStride != stride ||
        array->fOffset != offset) {

        gpu->bindVertexBuffer(vertexBufferID);
        GR_GL_CALL(gpu->glInterface(), VertexAttribPointer(index,
                                                           size,
                                                           type,
                                                           normalized,
                                                           stride,
                                                           offset));
        array->fAttribPointerIsValid = true;
        array->fVertexBufferID = vertexBufferID;
        array->fSize = size;
        array->fNormalized = normalized;
        array->fStride = stride;
        array->fOffset = offset;
    }
}

void GrGLAttribArrayState::disableUnusedArrays(const GrGLGpu* gpu, uint64_t usedMask) {
    int count = fAttribArrayStates.count();
    for (int i = 0; i < count; ++i) {
        if (!(usedMask & 0x1)) {
            if (!fAttribArrayStates[i].fEnableIsValid || fAttribArrayStates[i].fEnabled) {
                GR_GL_CALL(gpu->glInterface(), DisableVertexAttribArray(i));
                fAttribArrayStates[i].fEnableIsValid = true;
                fAttribArrayStates[i].fEnabled = false;
            }
        } else {
            SkASSERT(fAttribArrayStates[i].fEnableIsValid && fAttribArrayStates[i].fEnabled);
        }
        // if the count is greater than 64 then this will become 0 and we will disable arrays 64+.
        usedMask >>= 1;
    }
}

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

GrGLVertexArray::GrGLVertexArray(GrGLint id, int attribCount)
    : fID(id)
    , fAttribArrays(attribCount)
    , fIndexBufferIDIsValid(false) {
}

GrGLAttribArrayState* GrGLVertexArray::bind(GrGLGpu* gpu) {
    if (0 == fID) {
        return nullptr;
    }
    gpu->bindVertexArray(fID);
    return &fAttribArrays;
}

GrGLAttribArrayState* GrGLVertexArray::bindWithIndexBuffer(GrGLGpu* gpu, GrGLuint ibufferID) {
    GrGLAttribArrayState* state = this->bind(gpu);
    if (state) {
        if (!fIndexBufferIDIsValid || ibufferID != fIndexBufferID) {
            GR_GL_CALL(gpu->glInterface(), BindBuffer(GR_GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER, ibufferID));
            fIndexBufferIDIsValid = true;
            fIndexBufferID = ibufferID;
        }
    }
    return state;
}

void GrGLVertexArray::notifyIndexBufferDelete(GrGLuint bufferID) {
    if (fIndexBufferIDIsValid && bufferID == fIndexBufferID) {
        fIndexBufferID = 0;
    }
 }

void GrGLVertexArray::invalidateCachedState() {
    fAttribArrays.invalidate();
    fIndexBufferIDIsValid = false;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Home Breaking News How Pharma Got Doctors to Prescribe Risperdal, Wellbutrin, Bextra, Neurontin, Prempro and...
How Pharma Got Doctors to Prescribe Risperdal, Wellbutrin, Bextra, Neurontin, Prempro and More
Feb 17, 2014: 6:07 pm
Martha Rosenberg
RINF Alternative News
Until 2010 when the Physician Payments Sunshine Act which requires disclosure of Pharma payments passed, the only thing better than working for Pharma was being a doctor wined and dined by Pharma. Pfizer jetted 5,000 doctors to Caribbean resorts where they enjoyed massages, golf and $2,000 honoraria charges Blue Cross & Blue Shield to sell its painkiller Bextra ( withdrawn from the market in 2005 for heart risks). GSK sent doctors to lavish resorts to promote Wellbutrin, charges theJustice Department . Johnson & Johnsonbestowed trips, perks and honoraria on Texas Medicaid officials to get its drug Risperdal preferred on the formulary, charged a state lawsuit. Bristol-Myers Squibb enticed doctors to prescribe its drugs with access to the Los Angeles Lakers and luxury box suites for their games, say California regulators . In China GSKis charged with using a network of 700 middlemen and travel agencies to bribe doctors with cash and sexual favors and Victory Pharma , an opioid drugs maker, was charged with treating doctors to strip shows. Nice.
Of course, Pharma reps did as well as the doctors. Thanks to their Barbie and Ken doll looks and the free samples, gifts and lunches they would bring medical staff, they would often waltz in to see the doctor before waiting and sick patients . Some had their own lounges at medical offices. Pharma reps were so famous for feeding their prescriber prospects, during a question and answer period at a medical conference about cutting financial ties to Pharma, a doctor asked in all earnestness, "but what will we do for lunch?"
The shameless schmoosing of Pharma reps even sparked jokes like these.
The Devil offered a Pharma rep $3 million a year if he would consign his wife and children's souls to hell. "What's the catch?" he asked.
A doctor was drinking at the bar and every few minutes took a picture out of his pocket and looked at it. "What are you doing?" asked the bartender. "I have my drug rep's picture in there," said the doc. "When he starts to look honest, I've had enough to drink."
Trips to resorts and strip clubs will likely continue to diminish under the Physician Payments Sunshine Act but there are many other ways, often sneaky, that Pharma can entice doctors to prescribe its expensive, patent drugs.
Spying on Prescribing
Like the NSA spying program, shameless spying on doctors' prescribing habits spares almost no one. Recently, the full sweep of IMS Health Holdings' prescription data mining was revealed by ProPublica who reported that IMS' collection includes over 85 percent of the world's prescriptions and "comprehensive, anonymous medical records for 400 million patients." In 2007, there was a backlash against another seller of medical information: the AMA itself. By selling the names, office addresses and practice types of almost every doctor in the US to marketing firms the AMA netted almost $50 million a year the American Medical Student Association and the National Physicians Alliance charged atthe AMA's convention . The database of 900,000 doctors does not violate privacy, counters the AMA, since doctors can opt out.
Psychiatrist Dan Carlat wrote in the New York Times that he was "astonished at the level of detail that drug companies were able to acquire about doctors' prescribing habits" and that his drug reps told him "they received printouts tracking local doctors' prescriptions every week." A 2011 Supreme Court ruling found the collection and dissemination of prescribing behavior was "speech" and protected by the First Amendment. (See: a corporation is a person")
CMEs
In order to keep their state licenses and satisfy insurance regulations, doctors must enroll in a certain amount of CMEs– continuing medical education courses. Not surprisingly, these classes are often "taught" for free by Pharma funded specialists sparing doctors from having to pay for them but providing the objectivity of a time-share presentation. One such class, called "Atypical Antipsychotics in Major Depressive Disorder: When Current Treatments Are Not Enough," funded by Seroquel maker AstraZeneca was taught by former Emory University psychiatrist Charles Nemeroff, who lost his department chairmanship due to unreported Pharma income. Another CME called "Bipolar Disorder: Individualizing Treatment to Improve Patient Outcomes," was "taught" by Trisha Suppes, who admits to funding by Abbott, AstraZeneca; GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Wyeth, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Shire and four more Pharma companies. Another CME, "Individualizing ADHD Pharmacotherapy with Disruptive Behavioral Disorders" was taught by the Johnson & Johnson-funded Robert L. Findling and refers to Risperdal or its generic version, risperdone, 13 times. Many CMEs teach doctors about the lucrative new disease category of Adult ADHD and how to keep kids from going off their ADHD meds when they get to college. Ka-ching.
Being published in medical journals is essential to academic doctors but researching, writing and reworking papers is a formidable job. Luckily for doctors, Pharma is willing to help–as long as the doctors write what Pharma wants. In just three years, medical writers associated withParke-Davis, which became Pfizer, wrote 13 papers extolling the benefits of Neurontin, including in the prestigious Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine , in the names of the "author" doctors. Medical writers at Wyeth, also now Pfizer, wrote more than 50 papers pushing the now discredited Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) in the names of doctor "authors."
"Is There an Association Between Hormone Replacement Therapy and Breast Cancer?" asked one article in the Journal of Women's Health . Guess what it concludes? "The Role of Hormone Replacement Therapy in the Prevention of Postmenopausal Heart Disease," another ghostwritten paper, is titled, despite HRT's established heart risks, appearing in the Archives of Internal Medicine . And despite HRT's links to dementia, another paper, which also ran in the Archives of Internal Medicine, was titled "The Role of Hormone Therapy in the Prevention of Alzheimer's disease." Maybe there needs to be a new joke about the Pharma-funded papers. The Devil tells doctors they can contribute to medical journals if they're willing to write marketing messages instead of about medical research. "What's the catch?" some ask.
Pharma-funded clinical trials can be paydirt to doctors, yielding as much as $10,000 per patient in some cases . In 2010, Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) addressed the frequent conflict of interest of doctors accepting major Pharma revenue while also accepting NIH money , our tax dollars. The medical institutions where the doctors work also are swimming in Pharma money, of course. It is a situation exacerbated by the "technology-transferring" Bayh-Dole Act of 1980 which dangled the riches of "industry" before medical institutions just as the former were floundering and the latter was booming, says Marcia Angell, former editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine. " Harvard's Clinical Research Institute (HCRI), for example, originally advertised itself as led by people whose 'experience gives HCRI an intimate understanding of industry's needs, and knowledge of how best to meet them,'" writes Dr. Angell, "as though meeting industry's needs is a legitimate purpose of an academic institution."
And not all clinical trials are kosher. Another sneaky way Pharma gets doctors to prescribe its drugs is to set up faux clinical trials. A 1995 study billed as assessing the safety, efficacy, and tolerability of Neurontin was nothing but a ruse to get the 772 participating doctors to prescribe the drug themselves, said an article in the Archives of Internal Medicine, because it gave them familiarity and experience with the drug. In addition to misleading the doctors who thought the trials were valid, the study also misled the patients who did not know it was a marketing, or "seeding" study, and whose participation was overseen by investigators with insufficient training and clinical experience. Eleven of the 2,759 patients in the trials died, 73 suffered severe adverse events and 997 experienced less serious side effects.
Read more about unethical drug company practices in Martha Rosenberg's award-cited Random House expose, Born with a Junk Food Deficiency–How Flaks, Quacks and Hacks Pimp the Public Health. click here
Martha Rosenberg is a health reporter and commentator whose work has appeared in Consumers Digest, the Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, New Orleans Times-Picayune, Los Angeles Times, Providence Journal and Newsday.


You may now filter your discussions via case domain – Patents, Trade Marks, Designs, PVR, or Proceedings – in addition to case and discussion type.
Requests for Continued Processing for NZDs may now be made via the IPONZ online case management facility. This supersedes the existing method for submitting continued processing requests via mail@iponz.govt.nz.
For more information on Requests for Continued Processing, please refer to the practice guidelines.
When responding to a Patent Examination Report after the deadline set in accordance with section 67 of the Patents Act 2013, the 'Respond to Examination Report' screen of the IPONZ online case management facility will now make it clear that your submission includes a request for an extension of time under regulation 78(2) of the Patents Regulations 2014.
You may now explicitly choose to withdraw a patent application with the effect of leaving no rights outstanding, including the right to claim priority under the Paris Convention on the basis of the application.
Confirm withdrawal of the Patent Application(s).
Confirm withdrawal of the Patent Application(s) leaving no rights outstanding including with regard to claiming a right of priority under the Paris Convention.
Choosing the second option will effectively prohibit restoration of a withdrawn application in the future.
Specifications of New Zealand patents published from 1891 to 1979 have now been digitised and uploaded onto the IPONZ online case management facility. This completes a project to transfer all historical patents onto the contemporary register.


On September 5, 2017, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, on behalf of the Trump administration, announced the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. While this news has left many of us distraught, we want to let our undocumented community we stand in solidarity with you.
Reality Changers cares about this issue because we know that legal status for immigrants not only allows access to health care and jobs, but also to education. We have put together a list of resources we hope you will find helpful.
Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego—Offers free DACA information sessions every Tuesday at 8:00AM at their Chula Vista Office (293 H Street, Chula Vista). Please view their website or call for more information about the workshops and what to bring.
Immigration Law Help: Resources for free or low-cost nonprofit immigration legal services providers across the U.S.
National Immigration Law Center: offers comprehensive information, FAQs, and resources on immigration issues, including DACA.
Immigration Legal Resource Center: offers comprehensive information, FAQs, and resources on immigration issues, including DACA.


text:
Previous Story Cyberlink overhauls photo, video apps with 64-bit support, new features aplenty
Next Story This is the first Holga image from the edge of space!
Photographer captures spectacular shot of NASA launch against the Empire State Building
astrophotography nasa space
posted Monday, September 9, 2013 at 12:16 PM EST
Ben Cooper/LaunchPhotography.com
On Friday night, East Coast inhabitants from North Carolina to Maine were afforded the privilege to watch as NASA launched a rocket moonwards. And photographer Ben Cooper was able to capture that launch from the middle of New York City, showing it right against the Empire State Building.
The launch was of the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE), which is on a robotic mission to orbit the Moon, and send back info on lunar environments. For 160 days, it'll give us information that we previously lacked on what the Moon's atmosphere is like, and is also a breakthrough in that it was able to be designed and built extremely quickly due to its modular design, and is the first mission using the new Minotaur V rocket.
For the photograph, Cooper shot from the top of the Rockefeller Center, some 200 miles away from the launchpad, with the Empire State building lit up for the US Open. Here's how he describes the shot:
LADEE TO THE MOON! As seen from the Top of the Rock, Rockefeller Center, about 200 miles north of the launch pad, the first Orbital Sciences Minotaur V rocket sends NASA's LADEE spacecraft on its way to the moon! The Empire State Building is lit up green and blue in honor of the US Open of tennis, being played in Flushing, Queens this week.
From the EXIF info, we're able to glean that Cooper shot with a Nikon D700, a 5s exposure at f/8, ISO 400, and an 80mm focal length.
While Cooper's shot may be the best of the night, he certainly wasn't the only one with their cameras aimed skywards. You can see more images on Flickr, Space.com, and EarthSky.
"LADEE heads to moon aboard Minotaur V" Ben Cooper/LaunchPhotography.com


President of National Assembly (NA) Samdech Akka Moha Ponhea Chakrei Heng Samrin has recently received newly appointed Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to Cambodia at NA Palace here in Phnom Penh.
With warm hospitality, Samdech Heng Samrin expressed his optimism that the Ambassador H.E. Vu Quang Minh's mission will contribute positively to the on-going good cooperation between the two neighbours.
Cambodia and Vietnam diplomatic tie turns 51 this year, leading to over 190 Vietnamese investment projects in Cambodia with registered capital of almost US$3 billion.


text:
ACCEPTED

#### According to
International Plant Names Index

#### Published in
null

#### Original name
Discocactus araneispinus Buining ex J.Theun.

### Remarks
null


Keep your wine chilled for longer with this stylish stainless steel cooler.
If you love to savour a really well-chilled glass of your favourite white or rose wine without worrying about the rest of the bottle warming up, this wine cooler is just the ticket.
The VonShef Wine Cooler is stylish and functional. It makes a perfect centrepiece for your dinner party and saves you the trouble of popping to and from the fridge every time a guest needs a top up. Ideal for home or restaurant use, the cooler has an effective double-wall construction which insulates your wine, helping to keep it cooler for longer.
All you need to do is slip your chilled bottle of wine into the cooler then place on the table – you don't need to add ice. The elegant design will complement any home and will last for years to come.


text:
Q: Magento: different URLs for different StoreViews? in our Magento Shop we have 2 StoreViews for 2 different languages. Since both StoreViews uses the same URLs, only one Storeview is beiing indexed by Google in the correct country. Is it possible to automatically change the URLs of the one StoreView to make it unique for both StoreViews?
Thanks,
Toby

A: You can change your store url and can have a different url for different stores.
Go to System -> configuration -> Select the Store view in the drop down (Default config) -> Go to Web -> Uncheck the Use default option and Enter the URl for the Store view..
Hope this helps you

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Tag Archives: Newfoundland
Anthologies, Engen Books, Newfoundland, Sci-Fi from the Rock, Sci-Fi on the rock, writing
Sci-Fi from the Rock welcomes Peter Foote
February 2, 2016 matthewledrew	Leave a comment
In addition to established all-stars like Jay Paulin (Super Galactic Space Explorers) and Scott Bartlett (Taking Stock), April's Sci-Fi from the Rock will feature the initial publication of several soon-to-be well-known Atlantic Canadian authors!
Bringing his short story "The Silence Between Moons," Engen Books is proud to announce Peter Foote!
Born and raised in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia, the son of an apple farmer, Peter Foote studied archaeology in university, is employed as a boiler and refrigeration operator, and runs a used bookstore out of his basement in his spare time.
Believing that an author should write what he knows, many of Peter's stories are a reflection of his personal life.
"The Silence Between Moons" is Peter's first published story.
Check out Sci-Fi from the Rock in print and digital formats April 1, 2016 and stay tuned for more announcements!
NewfoundlandPublishingSci-Fi from the RockSci-Fi on the RockWriting
Sci-Fi from the Rock, Sci-Fi on the rock, short stories
46 Days Left: Last Chance to See!
November 15, 2015 matthewledrew	Leave a comment
There are only 46 days left to submit your short story to the Sci-Fi from the Rock anthology title, being published by Engen Books and in cooperation with that Sci-Fi on the Rock Convention on April 1, 2016. Deadline for entry is December 31, 2015.
The amount of talent and pedigree on tap for this volume is already impressive, including a short prose story by Jay Paulin taking place in his fuzzy and expansive Super Galactic Space Explorers Universe (with ornamental by series creator Ariel Marsh), a tale by multiple-award winning Newfoundland author Scott Bartlett, a non-fiction retrospective on Sci-Fi on the Rock from the award-winning author of A Daughter's Gift Jacqui Tam, and introducing sure-to-be fan-favorite author Erin Vance, who is introducing a new story set in an exciting new fantasy multiverse!
There will also be stories by Matthew LeDrew, Ellen Curtis, Steve Lake, Melanie Collins, Darren Hann, and an amazing new cover by the talented Kyle Callahan of Kyle Callahan Photography, the people behind those amazing photo-realistic geek-culture artwork prints that have been showing up at the last few Sci-Fi on the Rock conventions!
A new development recently leaked is that December 31 2015 also represents the "last chance to see" for the existing Sci-Fi from the Rock titles.
"The original Sci-Fi from the Rock (2010) has been out of print for some time, as one of the three authors featured wished to have their short expanded into a full novel via another publisher not long before we made the jump to an international distributor," reminded Engen Partner Ellen Louise Curtis in an interview last Sunday. "After 2015 we will be taking More Sci-Fi from the Rock and Sci-Fi from the Rock out of active print. They won't be available for ordering via Amazon or any of our other affiliates, and we'll sell off the remaining stock."
"The reason for the change is simple," chimed in Engen founder Matthew LeDrew. "Those were wonderful volumes but much smaller, sometimes only 70 pages. We're going to be taking most of that material, that we still have the rights to print, and it's going to be made available in the new Sci-Fi from the Rock volume. We're hoping that that, combined with the new material to make one mammoth volume that really celebrates 10 years of Sci-Fi on the Rock.
Got a story to tell? We think everyone does! Especially the talented staff and attendees of Sci-Fi on the Rock! That's why Engen Books produces the Sci-Fi From the Rock anthologies, highlighting short stories from our region, written by the staff a guests of everyone's favorite Sci-Fi convention! This year is Sci-Fi on the Rock's 10th Anniversary, and we're going to ring it in in style with a new anthology celebrating the Con's decade of history bringing science-fiction to our region…but Sci-Fi on the Rock isn't just made possible by its staff and guests: it's made possible by you! So between now and December 31st 2015, Engen Books will be accepting submissions for publication in the 10th Anniversary Sci-Fi From the Rock from anyone who attends the convention or wants to help celebrate its ten-year history!
Eligible entrants will be entered into a draw to win a free weekend pass to Sci-Fi on the Rock 10! And with guest like Robert Picardo, Eugene Simon, JM Frey and Kirby Morrow (plus more to come!) that's a heck of a great prize!
Send all entries to submissions@engenbooks.com by December 31st, 2015, with the following information: Your Name, the title of your story, the genre of your story, and the length (approximate is fine). Please note: if selected we will need some further information on the author, please provide a reliable e-mail address.
For this specific collection, we're going for an equivalent of PG to PG-13. That's mainly because this book, more than the previous three, will be linked to the convention itself in that it's celebrating 10 years of the Sci-Fi on the Rock convention.
FeaturedGet PublishedNewfoundlandPublishingSci-Fi from the RockSci-Fi on the Rockshort storiesSt. John's Newfoundland
I Always Forget How Beautiful Newfoundland Is
October 5, 2015 erinvance	Leave a comment
Part One: St. Johns to Stephenville
As some of you may know, there's a river that runs by my property. It goes through a circular culvert (or, it was circular until 2 months ago), under the road, and then out past this open field we've always called The Meadow. When I was a kid, I used to run through this culvert in my rubber boots, with Mom calling out encouragements from the other end. I tried to do this 18 months ago, and I understood why Mom never ran through it with me; it's cramped!
Anyways. My point is that last night as I lay in bed, my chest felt like it was that culvert, except it was getting smaller and smaller. Every breath was a push through this shrinking space, and the more I thought about it, the smaller the cavity became.
Yes, I was freaking out. I was singing the first verse of Anastasia's "Journey to the Past" over and over again, crying on my mom's shoulder, and texting one of my best friends trying to explain that my laptop could potentially be squashed by some crazy accident on the ferry ride and that would be terrible. (Thanks for listening, btw.)
My dad calls it The Law of Inertia. You know the one: an object at rest stays at rest, an object in motion stays in motion. Basically this means that that old cliche about the first step being the hardest one is completely accurate. I didn't want to leave my house this morning. No matter how much I have shook the last couple of days (with excitement, mind you), I decided that it wasn't worth it and I should just hide in my house for the next 7 weeks.
Continue reading I Always Forget How Beautiful Newfoundland Is →
Epic JourneyNewfoundlandTravelVance Blog
Atlanticon, Conventions, Ellen Curtis, Matthew LeDrew, Newfoundland, writing
Atlanti-Con 4: A very successful distraction
September 29, 2015 matthewledrew	Leave a comment
Atlanti-Con 4 swept through the city of Corner Brook this past weekend, September 25-27 at the Corner Brook Convention Center and was once again wildly successful. It is to my deep regret that I missed this event in its first two years: it's a great con run by amazing people, and always a ton of fun that is also — somehow — quite relaxing. There's something of a very chill vibe that I get from Atlanti-Con that I do not get at other conventions on my standard circuit: Atlanti-Con is the cool surfer-brother of the Atlantic Provinces Convention family.
While many Engen authors, including Steve Lake (author of the Full Moon series of short stories), Darren Hann (author of Time Diamond, Holy Troll, and The Imagination Journals) and Tara Murphy (author of HagRidden) all came out together along with other members of the Sci-Fi on the Rock community, myself and fellow Infinity author Ellen Curtis came out a few days earlier on September 23, carpooling with award-winning author Scott Bartlett (author of Royal Flush, Taking Stock, and Finished with Life) to stay with friend and co-author Sarah Thompson and her wife Erica Green on the west coast of the province for a few days before the convention really geared up.
Sarah and Erica are some of my very best friends. Their wedding last year was an amazing night with laughter and friends and fun that will be remembered for years to come, and they are wonderful hosts. Sarah herself is a person of many talents, not only working as an Employee-of-the-Year-winning announcer on K-Rock and helping at the Engen booth with sales, but also penning an amazing short story for the Engen light|dark anthology, Reamers.
After a few days of fun in the surprising amount of sun, with good food and lots late nights, Atlanti-Con took full affect in its new venue, with guests that included Michael McCluskey (also known by his stage name, Fat Apollo), voice-actor Erin Fitzgerald (most famously of the Monster High series), and comic-artist/author Richard Comely.
Now I don't fan-gush much at conventions. It is very rare that I meet a celebrity that flusters me: I tend to be of the mind that we're all people, and that getting excited over meeting a celebrity is a little silly: your life-partner, that's someone to get excited about meeting. But while I don't think I was nerding too badly at Atlanti-Con, I will say that meeting Richard Comely was a big moment for me.
For anyone who isn't familiar with the name, Richard Comely was the creator and main creative influence on the Captain Canuck series of comic books that ran from 1975 to 1981 and formed a large part of the cultural and pop-cultural heritage and history of Canadians in that time and to the present day. The first issue of Captain Canuck sold over 200,000 copies in 1975, and was one of the first Canadian super-hero comic success stories.
To put it into perspective: that was the same year that Giant-Sized X-Men #1 came out and relaunched the X-Men with Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and the like. And even then, many mainstream comics were not hitting the numbers that Comely's comics were.
For me personally, I remember finding back-issues of Captain Canuck in a longbox in St. Johns. I didn't know it then in those pre-internet days of 1990, but I had found almost the entire 14-issue series in one sitting. I remember reading through each issue, and Comely editorials at the end of each one, feverishly. I'd read superhero comics for some time, but even those set in Canada had been written and produced south of the border. Something about reading Comely's evocative stories gave me, as a Canadian, permission to write and imagine writing in that genre. The series is available now in an Omnibus (called a Compendium) that collects all 14 issues, an previously unrepresented 15th issue, and several one-shot issues leading up to the recent relaunch. Everyone should check it out.
I picked up the 1975-1981 Compendium immediately, and later Richard was interested in what he was seeing across the hall at the Engen booth and proposed a swap: the first three issues of the new series for the anthology title light/dark, which highlights many of the Engen authors. A very good trade. Artist Kevin Kendall and I ended up getting in a bit of a nerd-off competition for who could get more Captain Canuck merchandise, as we're both big fans.
Speaking of Kevin Kendall, Atlanti-Con also was host to some of the best artists in the province, including Kevin's Kendallight Studios and Kyle Callahan from Kyle Callahan Photography. Both do amazingly detailed work in very different ways, and the body of their work is often stunning. Atlanti-Con is always great for building connections and relationships: I met Kevin at a Convention on the West Coast in 2009, and he ended up doing the cover art for the revamped international edition of Black Womb for us. Keep your ears open for more collaborations between Engen and Kendallight Studios in the future, as well as with Kyle Callahan Photography.
Engen Books sold well as always, with the new-to-the-West-Coast Cinders and Infinity being the best sellers. We can't wait to start getting feedback from the wonderful, creative people we met at Atlanti-Con this year: art isn't art without input from the viewer!
Here's to another great year at Atlanti-Con next year! Special shout-out to Scott Bartlett for driving this year and getting the three of us there (and back) safe and sound in an environmentally-friendly way! 🙂
AtlantiConConventionsCorner BrookDarren HannEllen CurtisFeaturedKevin KendallLeDrew BlogMatthew LeDrewNewfoundlandPublishingScott BartlettSteve LakeTara MurphyWriting


Rob Dunn is one of the true pioneers of Citizen Science and in Citizen Science projects involving microbes. And here is another fascinating project from Dunn and colleagues.
You can sign up to possibly be a participant in the project and join Dunn and colleagues in learning about the microbes lurking in showerheads.
Hi,is it possible to find the protocol of further analysis somewhere?
what aspects of the protocol?