The weight loss supplement industry in America is doing very, very well. Americans spend roughly $2 billion on weight loss supplements each year. Considering that more than two out of three Americans are either overweight or obese, I think it's safe to assume that these supplements aren't doing their job.
1 What is BIO X4?
2 But does it work?
3 Okay, but will it work for me?
4 The jury is still out.
Wow. That sounds amazing! I mean, I would love to feel better than ever. Who wouldn't? And all I need to do is take a pill before each meal.
BIO X4 isn't cheap. A (discounted) 180-day supply ordered from their official website will run you close to $500. At this price, you would certainly want it to work.
Well, not so fast. Online reviews of the product are quite varied. On Amazon, 64% of consumers gave it a perfect five-star rating. However, the average score is only three. Some of the positive reviews indicate that the supplement did result in weight loss. But many stated that BIO X4 was only helpful in improving digestion and eliminating bloating and abdominal discomfort after eating.
Almost all the negative reviews reported that there was absolutely no weight loss – or any effect at all, for that matter – after taking the supplement for well over a month.
Okay, but will it work for me?
So, how do we know whether BIO X4 will work for you? There probably is no way of knowing for certain without actually trying the product.
Probiotic Blend. Each capsule of BIO X4 contains 4 billion CFU of five different probiotics. That's a hefty amount, considering you're taking three per day for a total of 12 billion CFU.
Probiotics have long been taken to help support the immune system. This Harvard Health Publication reports that taking probiotics will, indeed, help support immune function as well as improve nutrient absorption.
Research on whether taking a probiotic can help with weight loss is conflicting at best, however. Some studies have found a definite link between gut flora numbers and body weight. It seems that obese subjects in these studies had far fewer "good" bacteria than people who were a healthy weight. This does not, necessarily, mean that taking a probiotic leads to weight loss.
One promising study found that taking probiotics did lead to weight loss in female participants. Unfortunately, the men in the study didn't experience any weight loss as a result of taking supplemental probiotics.
Digestive Enzyme Blend. BIO X4 contains 43 g of amylase, bromelain, and lipase combined. They help break down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, respectively. Digestive enzymes have been shown to offer some health benefits. As a result of breaking down food into smaller particles, nutrients are more readily absorbed by the digestive tract. This can result in an increase in energy levels, especially if nutrient absorption has been an issue.
Digestive enzymes can also help prevent bloating and abdominal discomfort after eating which lends some credibility to the manufacturer's claim that BIO X4 will enhance your digestion.
Weight Management Blend. This "blend" is really just 100 mg of green tea extract. Nucific, the makers of BIO X4, claim that 50% of it is EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate). This compound is said to help reduce appetite by lowering the body's "hunger hormone" levels.
Unfortunately, research results are inconclusive at best. One promising study found modest results with three daily doses of 90 mg each. This, however, is far more than the mere 150 mg you'd be consuming when taking BIO X4 at the prescribed dose.
Craving Control Blend. This "blend" (again, only one ingredient) refers to 166 mg of Slimaluma, the trademarked name for Caralluma Fimbriata, a cactus found in warm climates such as India. Traditionally, it has been used by Indian tribes as an appetite suppressant during long hunts.
While studies indicate that this plant extract might take inches off your waist and decrease your appetite and, therefore, your calorie intake, it seems that body weight and body fat levels remain unaffected.
With so much conflicting information, it is difficult to determine whether BIO X4 is consistently effective in helping consumers lose a significant amount of weight. Furthermore, many of the online testimonials also claim that the supplement was taken in combination with a new, healthy diet as well as an exercise plan.
This makes it difficult to determine whether any beneficial effects were as a direct result of taking BIO X4, or because of a positive lifestyle change.
This might be BIO X4's saving grace. Who doesn't love getting their money back when something doesn't work? BIO X4 comes with a money-back guarantee. Nucific's website states that you will receive a full refund if you return the product within 90 days. This is definitely a bonus.
It's been said time and time again that there is no magic weight loss pill. It seems that the most commonly experienced positive results from taking BIO X4 involve improved digestion. This is great unless, of course, your main objective is to lose weight – the main purpose for which the product is marketed.
And again, while some people do report that they were able to lose weight while taking this supplement, it is difficult to determine whether BIO X4 or a positive change in lifestyle led to their weight loss.
So, should you try BIO X4?
If you have some pounds to lose and would like to improve your digestion and energy levels, it's probably worth a shot. Just be sure to keep your receipt and keep an eye on the calendar so that if you need to, you can return it before the 90-day deadline.


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Homepage / Brands / Dodge / 1969 Dodge Charger CAPTIV by Ringbrothers
Ringbrothers, the world-renowned custom car builder and parts manufacturer, unveiled its latest creation – a custom 1969 Dodge Charger known as "CAPTIV." The Charger makes an impressive yet "streetable" 707 horsepower from its Mopar Hellcat crate engine mated to a Tremec six-speed manual transmission. The build was completed for New Zealand-based motorsports legend and TV personality Greg Murphy. Among a litany of Ringbrothers billet parts incorporated into the build was the newest product to come from their shop: a custom Ringbrothers steering wheel. The new line of steering wheels incorporates the latest in materials technology, including a 3D-printed horn button, carbon fiber hoops and billet aluminum spokes and hub. Ringbrothers offers several billet aluminum parts for enthusiasts to customize their own Charger.
"This marks the second time this car was built in America, first in Detroit in 1969 and now in Spring Green, Wisconsin in 2021," Mike continued. "We couldn't have pulled this off without the help of our partners at Motul, Holley, BASF, HRE Wheels, GFS, and so many more."
"This project has been years in the making," said Ringbrothers co-owner Jim Ring. "The project was started more than 8,000 miles from where it was finished with work being carried out on either side of the Pacific. Greg and his team did phenomenal work before it came here, and it was a joy to work on such an amazing build together."
Disassembly and prep began in New Zealand before the build made its way to Ringbrothers to bring Murphy's vision to life. The Ringbrothers team completed the extensive metalwork, including making the Charger unibody and integrating the Flowmaster exhaust system. A custom BASF "Pile Up Yellow" paint job was then applied and the Hellcat crate engine was installed and filled with Motul engine oil for protection and performance. Other highlights of the build include custom HRE wheels, a QA1 carbon fiber driveshaft and adjustable shocks, Baer six-piston brakes, and a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. The build was also fitted with a top-of-the-line MoTeC engine management system and gauges.
Source: Dodge, Reviews
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Justia Patents With Lamina Formation By Molding Or CastingUS Patent for Method of making a medical electrode Patent (Patent # 4,722,761)
Method of making a medical electrode
Mar 28, 1986 - Baxter Travenol Laboratories, Inc.
A method of making an electrosurgical patient electrode includes the steps of initially providing an electrode body having a recess defined therein with an electrically conductive bottom surface, and then casting a quantity of uncured hydrogel material into the recess. The gel material is sufficient in volume to fill the recess and is subsequently cured in situ.
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The present invention relates to a method of making a medical electrode and, more particularly, to a method of making a disposable electrosurgical patient electrode which includes a layer of cured, electrically conductive hydrogel material.
In various types of medical procedures, it is necessary to establish good electrical contact with the skin of a patient. During electrosurgical procedures, for example, an electrosurgical generator produces a high frequency electric current which is supplied an active electrode. The active electrode is used by the surgeon to cut tissue, and to coagulate blood vessels, and the like. To provide a return path for the electrosurgical current to the generator, an indifferent, or patient, electrode is placed in contact with the skin of the patient and connected by a lead to the return terminal of the generator. By maintaining a large area in contact with the electrode, the current density is held to a sufficiently low level to avoid damage to the skin at the indifferent electrode attachment site.
Various types of electrodes have been utilized in the past. Disposable, single-use electrodes have become increasingly popular for electrosurgical procedures. Such electrodes are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,848,600, issued Nov. 19, 1974, to Patrick et al and U.S. Pat. No. 3,601,126, issued Aug. 24, 1971, to Estes. The Patrick et al patent discloses an indifferent electrode which includes a sponge pad which is soaked with an electrode jelly material. Similarly, the Estes patent discloses a porour sheet of spongy material which is soaked with a viscous saline solution. Although providing good electrical contact with a patient's skin, disposable electrodes, carrying a pad soaked with an electrolyte paste, are somewhat messy and require that the application site be subsequently cleaned. Additionally, some types of electrolyte paste may tend to dry out if improperly stored, resulting in a loss in conductivity.
Medical electrodes for use as diagnostic electrodes and as surgical electrodes have been developed using various hydrogel materials. Such a hydrogel material is a three dimensional network of hydrophillic polymer material, which is generally covalently or ionically cross-linked and which contains a high level of water. Hydrogel materials are advantageous in that they can be made to be tacky, providing good adhesion to and electrical contact with, a patient's skin, while at the same time being sufficiently cohesive such that a residue of hydrogel material is not left on the skin of a patient when the electrode is removed and discarded. Due to the nature of such hydrogel materials, however, they have previously been difficult to handle in the electrode manufacturing process.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved method of making a medical electrode for providing electrical contact with the skin of patient, which includes a quantity of cured hydrogel material.
The above need is met by a method according to the present invention for making an electrosurgical patient electrode, which includes the steps of providing a flexible support layer of electrically non-conductive material, and mounting a layer of flexible, electrically conductive material on the support layer to produce a flexible backing layer having an electrically conductive surface on one side thereof. The method further includes the step of mounting a flexible, apertured layer of electrically non-conductive material on the one side of the flexible backing layer. The apertured layer defines an aperture through which at least a portion of the electrically conductive surface is exposed, thereby producing a recess having an electrically conductive bottom surface. The method further includes the steps of pouring a quantity of uncured, substantially fluid, electrically conductive hydrogel material into the recess so as to fill the recess, and then curing the hydrogel material.
The step of providing a flexible support layer of electrically non-conductive material may include the step of providing a flexible layer of electrically non-conductive foam material. The foam material may be a polyethylene foam.
The step of mounting a layer of flexible, electrically conductive material on the support layer may include the step of mounting a layer of flexible, electrically conductive foil material on the support layer. Alternatively, the step of mounting a layer of flexible, electrically conductive material on the support layer may include the step of mounting a layer of plastic having a metal coating on the support layer with the metal coating exposed. The layer of plastic may be a polyester layer having an aluminum coating thereon.
The flexible apertured layer may be approximately 100 mils in thickness so as to define a recess approximately 100 mils in depth.
The layer of flexible, electrically conductive material may define a connection tab. The step of mounting a layer of flexible, electrically conductive material may comprise the step of mounting the layer with the connection tab extending laterally from the backing layer, whereby electrical connection may be made to the tab. The method may further include the step of attaching a relatively thin layer of electrically non-conductive material over a portion of the tab to facilitate making electrical connection to the tab while preventing direct contact between the skin of a patient and the tab.
The layer of flexible, electrically conductive material may be adhesively mounted on the support layer and the flexible, apertured layer may be adhesively mounted on the flexible backing layer.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of making a disposable medical electrode of the type including a quantity of cured, electrically conductive, hydrogel material, in which the material is cast onto an electrically conductive support surface in an uncured state and subsequently cured; to provide such a method in which the electrically conductive surface is defined by the bottom of a recess, said recess holding the uncured hydrogel material prior to curing; to provide such a method in which an apertured layer is mounted on a backing layer to define the recess; and to provide such a method in which the hydrogel material is cured in situ.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a disposable electrosurgical electrode of the type produced by the method of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken generally along line 2--2 in FIG. 1; and
FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 are sectional views, similar to FIG. 2, illustrating the steps by which the electrode is made.
Reference is made to FIGS. 1 and 2 which illustrate a disposable, electrosurgical patient electrode of the type which may be made according to the present invention. The patient electrode is shown in FIG. 1 facing downward, that is oriented for application to the skin of a patient beneath the electrode, whereas FIG. 2 depicts the electrode facing upward. As may be noted, the electrode is made up of a number of different layers of material.
A flexible support layer 10 of an electrically non-conductive material and a layer 12 of flexible, electrically conductive material, mounted on the support layer 10, together consititute a flexible backing layer having an electrically conductive surface 14 on one side thereof. The flexible support layer 10 may be a polyethylene foam layer which is secured to layer 12 on upper surface 16 by an adhesive therebetween, as seen in FIG. 2. The layer 12 of flexible, electrically conductive material may consist of a layer of plastic 18 having a metal coating 20 thereon. Layer 18 may be a layer of polyester material coated with a thin layer 20 of aluminum. Alternatively, layer 12 may comprise a layer of metal foil, such as an aluminum foil.
The flexible, electrically conductive layer 12 may define a connection tab 22 for attachment to an electrical connector securing one or more electrical leads to the tab 22 so as to provide an electrical path from the surface 14 through the leads to the electrosurgical generator. As shown in FIG. 1, the support layer 10 may also include a tab portion 24. Holes 25 extend through layers 10 and 12 for securing a connector to the tab.
A relatively thin layer 26 of electrically nonconductive material, such as an adhesive coated Mylar tape, may be mounted across a portion of the tab 22 and the support layer 10 so as to cover a portion of the tab. Layer 26 thereby prevents this portion of tab 22 from making direct contact with the skin of a patient to which the electrode is applied.
A flexible, apertured layer 28 of electrically non-conductive material is mounted on the flexible backing layer by means of an apertured layer 29 of thin non-conductive material carrying adhesive on both sides thereof. The apertured layer 28 defines an aperture 30 through which at least a portion of the electrically conductive surface 14 is exposed. As best seen in FIG. 3, the backing layer and the apertured layer 28 thereby define a recess 32 having an electrically conductive bottom surface 34. The apertured layer 28 may preferably comprise a polyethylene foam layer which is approximately 100 mils in thickness so as to define a recess 32 approximately 100 mils in depth. Layer 28 is secured to surface 16 of the flexible support layer 10 and to portions of the flexible electrically conductive layer 12 which it may overlie by the adhesive coated apertured layer 29. Layer 12, if desired, may be no larger than aperture 30 and centrally locating within aperture 30, such that layer 29 is not attached to layer 12. It will be appreciated that it is desirable that the conductive coating 14 not extend to the edges of the layer 10, in any event. Coating 20 need not be coextensive with layer 18 if, for example, layer 18 is generally the same size as layer 10.
Positioned within the recess 32 is a quantity of a cured, electrically conductive, hydrogel material 38. Material 38 may be any one of a number of known gel materials which provide a tacky surface 40 for good electrical contact with the skin of a patient. A pressure-sensitive adhesive coating may be provided on upper surface 42 of the apertured layer 28, as seen in FIG. 2, so as to hold the electrode in position on the patient's skin. As a consequence, an electrical path is provided by the electrode from the surface 40 of the material 38 to the electrically conductive layer 12, such that the electrosurgical current may be returned to the electrosurgical generator through a lead wire or wires attached to tab 22 by an appropriate connector.
A tab 44 may be mounted across an end of the apertured layer 28. Tab 44, which may consist of a relatively thin strip of electrically non-conductive polyester film, covers a portion of the adhesive on surface 42. When a sheet of release material 46 (FIG. 5) is positioned to cover the hydrogel material 40 prior to use of the electrode, one end of the release sheet layer 46 may therefore be easily raised. This facilitates the stripping away of layer 46 to reveal the hydrogel material 38 prior to the application of the electrode to the skin of a patient.
The method according to the present invention for making an electrosurgical patient electrode is illustrated in FIGS. 3-5. As shown in FIG. 3, an electrode body 48 is provided having a recess 32 defined therein with an electrically conductive bottom surface 34. As noted previously, surface 34 is electrically connected to tab 22.
The electrode body 48 may be assembled by adhesively attaching the various layers 10, 12, 26, 38, and 28. All of the layers may have been cut previously into the shapes illustrated in FIG. 1. Alternatively, some of the layers making up the electrode body 48 may be cut in subsequent operations, after assembly.
After the body 48 is assembled to define the recess 32, the recess is filled by pouring or casting a quantity of uncured hydrogel material 50 therein. The hydrogel material 50 may be a mixture of a number of components stored in separate tanks 52 and mixed in conventional static mixing apparatus 54 just prior to being supplied to recess 32. Since the hydrogel material is at this point uncured, it flows sufficiently to form a level surface 40 adjacent the top surface 42 of the body 48. Next, the hydrogel material 50 is cured, resulting in the cured hydrogel material 38 being appropriately positioned in the electrode to function in the manner described above. Depending upon the type of hydrogel material utilized, curing can be effected in a number of ways, for example through the action of a catalyst or by exposure to microwave radiation.
Advantageously, a release sheet 46 may then be placed over the hydrogel material 38, and held in position by the adhesive on surface 42. Tab 44 may be added at this time. Alternatively, tab 44 may have been added prior to filling the recess 32 with the uncured hydrogel material.
It will be appreciated that by curing the material 38 in situ in the electrode body, handling of the tacky, cured hydrogel material is eliminated, and manufacture of the medical electrode is thereby facilitated.
Having described the invention in detail and by reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.
1. A method of making an electrosurgical patient electrode, comprising the steps of:
providing a flexible support layer of electrically non-conductive material,
mounting a layer of flexible, electrically conductive material on said support layer to produce a flexible backing layer having an electrically conductive surface on one side thereof,
mounting a flexible, apertured layer of electrically non-conductive material on said one side of said flexible backing layer, said apertured layer defining an aperture through which at least a portion of said electrically conductive surface is exposed, said backing layer and said apertured layer thereby defining a recess having an electrically conductive bottom surface,
pouring a quantity of uncured, substantially fluid, electrically conductive, hydrogel material into said recess so as to fill said recess, and
curing said gel material.
2. The method of claim 1 in which said step of providing a flexible support layer of electrically non-conductive material includes the step of providing a flexible layer of electrically non-conductive foam material.
3. The method of claim 2 in which said foam material is a polyethylene foam material.
4. The method of claim 1 in which said step of mounting a layer of flexible, electrically conductive material on said support layer includes the step of mounting a layer of flexible, electrically conductive foil material on said support layer.
5. The method of claim 1 in which said step of mounting a layer of flexible, electrically conductive material on said support layer includes the step of mounting a layer of plastic, having a metal coating, on said support layer with said metal coating exposed.
6. The method of claim 5 in which said layer of plastic is a polyester layer having an aluminum coating thereon.
7. The method of claim 1 in which said flexible apertured layer is approximately 100 mils in thickness so as to define a recess approximately 100 mils in depth.
8. The method of claim 1 in which said layer of flexible, electrically conductive material defines a connection tab, and in which the step of mounting a layer of flexible, electrically conductive material comprises the step of mounting said layer with said connection tab extending laterally from said backing layer, whereby electrical connection may be made to said tab.
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of attaching a relatively thin layer of electrically non-conductive material over a portion of the tab to facilitate making electrical connection to said tab while preventing direct contact between the skin of a patient and said tab.
10. The method of claim 1 in which said layer of flexible, electrically conductive material is adhesively mounted on said support layer, and in which said flexible, apertured layer is adhesively mounted on said flexible backing layer.
11. A method of making a medical electrode including a cured gel material for providing electrical contact with the skin of a patient, comprising the steps of:
providing a flexible backing layer having an electrically conductive surface on at least a portion of one side thereof,
mounting a flexible, electrically non-conductive layer on said one side of said backing layer, said non-conductive layer defining an opening such that at least a portion of said conductive surface is exposed through said opening, and a recess, having an electrically conductive bottom surface, is defined,
pouring a quantity of an uncured, electrically conductive gel material into said recess, and
12. The method of claim 11 in which said uncured gel material fills said recess and conforms to the shape of said recess.
13. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of covering said recess with a sheet of release material.
14. The method of claim 11 in which said electrically non-conductive layer and said backing layer are adhesively bonded together.
15. A method of making a disposable electrode of the type which includes a quantity of electrically conductive, cured gel material for contacting the skin of a patient, comprising:
providing an electrode body having a recess defined therein with an electrically conductive bottom surface, said bottom surface being in direct electrical communication with a connection tab extending from said electrode body,
casting a quantity of uncured hydrogel material into said recess, said hydrogel material being sufficient in volume to fill said recess, and
curing said hydrogel material.
16. The method of claim 15 in which said electrode body carries a layer of pressure sensitive adhesvie thereon, surrounding said recess, and further including the step of placing a layer of release material over said recess, secured to said pressure sensitive adhesive.
3601126 August 1971 Estes
3848600 November 1974 Patrick, Jr. et al.
4303073 December 1, 1981 Archibald
4365634 December 28, 1982 Bare et al.
4367745 January 11, 1983 Welage
4539996 September 10, 1985 Engel
4554924 November 26, 1985 Engel
Assignee: Baxter Travenol Laboratories, Inc. (Dayton, OH)
Inventors: James V. Cartmell (Dayton, OH), Michael L. Wolf (West Milton, OH)
Primary Examiner: Caleb Weston
Law Firm: Killworth, Gottman, Hagan & Schaeff
Current U.S. Class: With Lamina Formation By Molding Or Casting (156/242); 128/30313; 128/640; 128/798
International Classification: B32B 3112;


Works included custom water-proof outdoor gaming machine screens, custom indoor gaming machine screens, feature entry screens to gamoing room, timber cladding to new bar and resturant, custom made wine racks, soldi timber counter tops, and re-vamping the TAB lounge with new furniture.
Barman stools, Sara chairs, custom indoor and outdoor poker machine screens.
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Q: windows workflow 4.5: Get all idle workflows I am using windows workflow 4.5. I have several stages where I break the flow and persist the information. I Have one service with 3 RecieveAndSend activities. I want to be able to start up a lot of workflows and then I want to to be able to query the persistence database to see all idle workflows and the points at which they are blocked. I would then be able to see the workflows get some correlation number and enter it and then resume that workflow.
Thank you!

A: From experience, using the persistence database other than to persist/re-hydrate workflows is a pain.
To monitor and record what a workflow is doing (or its persistence state) you use Workflow Tracking

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Client Story: Is Diabetic Shock a Defense in a Car Crash?
Our nice, middle-aged client was driving through an intersection when her car was suddenly struck by another vehicle barreling through a red light. The force was enough to spin her car into the next lane where it was hit a second time. Our client sustained numerous injuries including fractures in her neck that required fusion surgery. Before running the red light the driver managed to hit another vehicle, drive onto an exit ramp, and plow through a snow bank. Our client didn't expect to be hit by a car as she legally drove through the intersection, yet the defendent's insurance company was denying liability! They claimed the defendent had an unavoidable medical emergency. She came to GoldenbergLaw seeking to answer the question so many victims of negligence ask – what should I do?
The driver of the other vehicle had gone into diabetic shock. Diabetic shock is the result of blood sugar dropping to a level that is dangerously low. This can often be the result of not eating enough, exercising too much, or drinking alcohol without eating food. If someone is entering a diabetic shock they become dizzy, shaky, sweaty, anxious, and irritable. If nothing is done to even out blood sugar levels, the individual becomes severely confused and can lose consciousness. Doctors often take care to educate diabetics about the signs and symptoms that arise if blood sugar levels are not carefully monitored. But is diabetic shock a defense for causing a car accident?
In the case of the driver who hit our client, we challenged this defense and litigated the case. After taking depositions and examining records, we proved the defendent had been diabetic for all of his adult life and aware of the signs and symptoms associated with low blood sugar levels. On this particular day, he woke up with extremely low blood sugar levels, something unusual for him, but did nothing to remedy the issue throughout the day. In fact he had not checked his levels for many hours. He got behind the wheel with these low levels and went into diabetic shock while traveling at highway speeds.
To further challenge this defense we obtained a diabetes expert report which stated: "Just like someone who has had too much to drink, the defendent chose to get behind the wheel with diminished capacity." This ultimately led to the defendent's insurance company paying their policy limits and our client recovering the Underinsured Motorist (UIM) limits as well.
In this case, diabetic shock was not a defense.
We have successfully resolved thousands of car, truck, pedestrian, and bicycle collisions including a number of settlements over $1 million dollars and over 50 jury trials. We pride ourselves in understanding and finding all available insurance coverages. Please call us if you have been seriously injured in an automobile accident at 612-333-4662.


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/Science
/Determination of the Equilibrium...
Determination of the Equilibrium Constant for a Chemical Reaction
Essay by tamer00087 • March 6, 2016 • Lab Report • 871 Words (4 Pages) • 426 Views
Essay Preview: Determination of the Equilibrium Constant for a Chemical Reaction
Tamer Almajid
Chem216
Section:05
Experiment 4:
Every chemical reaction has a characteristic condition of equilibrium at a given temperature. If two reactants form products until a state is reached where the amounts of reactants and products n longer change. such conditions the and products are in chemical equilibrium and will remain so until the system is altered in some way. Associated with the equilibrium state there is a number called the equilibrium constant, Keq, the necessary condition on the concentrations of reactants and products for the reaction.
The extent of the equilibrium for a given reaction is expressed by the equilibrium constant, Kc. For the general reaction:
aA + bB cC + dD (1)
The expression for the equilibrium constant is as follows:
Keq= (C)c (D) d/(A) a (B)b (2)
Where [A], [B], [c], and [D] are the concentrations that expressed in terms of molarity. any given temperature, the value of Kc for a reaction is fixed. If A, B, C and D are mixed in arbitrary amounts in a container they will tend to react until their concentrations satisfy the equilibrium expression. In this experiment we will study the equilibrium properties of the reaction between the iron (ll) ion and thiocyanic acid (HSCN):
Fe3+ (aq) + HSCN(aq) = FeSCN2+(aq) + H+(aq) (3)
When solutions containing Fe3+ n and HSCN acid are mixed, reaction occurs, forming the FeSCN2+ complex ion, which has a red color, and H+ ion while, all other species are colorless. According to the general law, Keq for reaction 3 takes the following form.
Keq= (FeSCN2+)(H+)/ (Fe3+) (HSCN)
Objective: is to measure keq for several mixtures of Fe3+ and HSCN-made up in different ways.
Experimental: In the following experiment, 5 different volumes of the HSCN will be reacted with the same amount of Fe3+, to show the relationship between the concentration of the reactants and products, and the equilibrium constant.
Data and result: See data sheet.
Calculations:
The equilibrium concentration of the [FeSCN2+] is found by creation a calibration curve, comparing absorbance (y-axis) vs. [FeScN2+](x-axis) the slope of the graph can be used find the concentration at any absorbance of each of the 5 solutions.
y=4245x.157=4245x x=[FeSCN2+]= 3.70 X 10-5M
With this concentration once it is converted to moles and since the initial moles of the reactants are known, the final moles of the product are subtracted from the initial moles of the product, which is 0 because no product has formed, to find the change in moles, shown as:
Equilibrium moles FeSCN2+ = O.010 L X (3.70 X 10-5M) = 3.70 X 10-7 mols
Change FeSCN2+ = 3.70 X 10-7 mols - 0 mols = 3.70 x 10-7 mols
When the change in moles is known it is added to the reactants, since the reactants are being used up the change is negative, giving you the equilibrium moles for each reactant:
Equilibrium moles Fe3+ = 1.00 X 10-5mols Fe3+ + (-3.70 X 10-7) = 9.30 X 10-6mols Fe3+
This is done for both reactants of the reaction. When all equilibrium moles are found, the
equilibrium molarity can then be found by dividing by the total mixture in liters:
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Purpose: To understand how single displacement and double displacement theories apply to real life situations. Procedure: See Pg. 244-245. Observations: Experiment Results a)sodium chloride
Observing Chemical Reactions (Can Be Used For Assessment Layout Or For Actual Prac)
Writing Practical Reports Aim: To observe what happens during and after a chemical reaction. Equipment: * Concentrated nitric acid in a glass dropping bottle *
Investigating The Factors Affecting The Rate Of A Chemical Reaction.
Investigating the factors affecting the rate of a chemical reaction. Introduction: In my coursework I will be mainly concentrating on the reaction between dilute
Determination Of The Equilibrium Constant Of An Unknown
Determination of the Equilibrium Constant of an Unknown Ester Hydrolysis Reaction Abstract The experiments to follow determined that the equilibrium concentrations of the reaction: ester
Experimental Report Of Facrtors Influencing The Rate Of A Chemical Reaction.
Factors Influencing Rate of Reaction Aim To investigate several effects believed to influence rate of reaction, concentration of a substance and temperature, and observe the
The Wonderful World Of Chemical Reactions
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Chemical Reaction Exam
Pearson science 10 Chapter 5 Test Chemical reactions Name: _____________________ Class:__________ Date:__________ Instructions: Write answers in the right-hand column. Score: ___________ / 63 marks Section
Equilibrium Constant
Introduction Reactants react to form products, during the chemical reaction. However reactions are reversible so the rate of reaction increases, concentration of products build up.
Complexometric Determination of Water
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Football is a sport that never ceases to produce epic drama. On Tuesday night my beloved Liverpool faced the mighty Barcelona at Anfield, aiming to somehow overturn a 3-0 deficit from the first leg of their Champions League semi-final. The score line flattered Barcelona but given the quality of the Spanish side, it looked to be a very tough ask to somehow win. If there is one lesson Liverpool's players have never learned, it's how to give up – and with the remarkable, intense Anfield atmosphere, it didn't take long for the Reds to open the scoring. Divock Origi has been something of a backup player at Liverpool, but he added to his important match winner against Newcastle at the weekend with an early poacher's goal to give Liverpool hope. At half-time it was still only 1-0, with the Reds needing two more goals to force extra time and three goals to win outright, whilst hoping to keep Barca at bay.
In the second half came the arrival of Georginio Wijnaldum. He'd come on as a substitute for the injured Andy Robertson, scoring two quick-fire goals to stun Barcelona and level the tie. From then on Liverpool were relentless and the fans were electric – Barca were rattled and just looked unable to cope. Origi settled matters with twelve minutes to go, seeing to it that Liverpool were into their second consecutive Champions League final. I'd considered the tie dead and buried after the first leg, yet somehow we'd silenced the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Coutinho at Anfield.
If that comeback was epic, I'm honestly not sure it can be compared to last night. Tottenham Hotspur, the team my mother, father, brother, wife, father-in-law and brother-in-law all support, went to Ajax trailing the Dutch side 1-0, having conceded an away goal. Ajax had knocked out Real Madrid and Juventus from the competition and would soon reaffirm their status as the tournament's surprise package, moving into a 2-0 lead at home and leaving Spurs needed three goals in 45 minutes. Impossible? Not for Lucas Moura!
It was a case of another two quick goals to put Spurs to within touching distance, which left Ajax and their fans nervy and anxious. Still, time was ticking by and it seemed like it would run out, until the last minute of injury time – virtually the last kick of the game – when Moura completed his hat trick and put Spurs into the final.
For me personally, I naturally want Liverpool to win. They are my team. I want nothing more than to see them emerge victorious. If that is not to be, I'll settle for Spurs, for I know how delighted it would make my loved ones. Either way, win or lose, I am incredibly proud of the Reds!
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This week's column comes to you via the Internet from the Kingwing Hot Spring International Hotel in Beijing, where I am with the first of three groups of educators and their families touring Bejiing, Shanghai and several other cities, including visits to elementary and high schools. This week's group includes daughters Stacy and Jodi, son-in-law Zach Drysdale and his mother Vicki, and teachers from Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, the Orange County Department of Education, New York and places in between.
Robert Kobzi's students are learning two things simultaneously in their fifth-grade classroom at Arroyo Elementary School: parts of speech, and freedom of speech. Kobzi, who teaches mostly English-learner students at the school in Pomona, leads his class through a unit in constitutional law every year. When he gave a presentation Saturday in UCI's educational conference on the 1st Amendment, he pinned some samples of his students' work on the classroom wall — including a poster from three girls who wrote, "It's important to know our purposes because if we didn't know them the governor would take advantage of us." "They got an A," Kobzi told the group of fellow educators who had come to learn new tactics for working civil liberties into the classroom.
State Sen. Tom Harman criticized Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for signing a bill that prohibits lesson plans that negatively portray people based on their gender, sexual orientation or religion. Harman believes the law, which he said should already be covered in state codes, will leave educators open to discrimination lawsuits. ?Since the Education Code already specifically protects against the type of discrimination targeted in [Senate Bill 777] this legislation is unnecessary and will have many adverse consequences on the moral and religious teaching within families,?
Danette Goulet NEWPORT-MESA -- Gov. Gray Davis is on the right track in his support of education, but it just isn't enough, say local educators, parents and students. "It's good bits and pieces of what needs to be a comprehensive plan," said Linda Mook, president of the Newport-Mesa Teachers Federation. In his state of the State address Wednesday night, Davis called on students to enter the teaching profession, proposing forgivable college loans, teaching fellowships and cash bonuses as incentives for teachers working in schools that rank in the lowest 50%. "You need qualified teachers in a classroom, and it would be really great if lawmakers woke up and said, 'Lets at least bring California up to the national average and put resources into the schools where they can actually use them,"' Mook said.
PUBLIC SAFETY: Scribner wants officials to place a top priority on public safety in areas that they can control, Scribner said. He wants police to focus on violent crime, property and personal crimes and corporate fraud, instead of wasting time on "pot smokers." Something is wrong with a system that punishes a marijuana offender more harshly than a murderer, Scribner said. Officials need to reprioritize to make California safer, he said. "Rapists and murderers belong in jail," Scribner said.
BACK TO SCHOOL AGAIN 1Orange Coast College will host a daylong conference on adult reentry education from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today in the Student Center and Captain's Table. The conference is meant for community college and university reentry educators and students. There will be a workshop and seminar on relating topics. The campus is at 2701 Fairview Road. Registration is $40, $15 for students and $35 for CARE members. (714) 432-5162. A HIP HALLOWEEN HAPPENING 2The Masquerade Ball for the Arts will be held from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday at the Orange County Museum of Art in Newport Beach.
The eighth annual Costa Mesa-Wyndham, Australia Sister-City Education Exchange got off to a wonderful start this week with the arrival of Australian educators Jane Motley and Diana Pongrac. Motley, a primary reading and transition from pre-school to kindergarten specialist, and Pongrac, a primary art specialist and classroom teacher, will spend two weeks in Costa Mesa learning about our education system and sharing information about theirs. In the days since their arrival, Motley and Pongrac have spoken at the Harbor Council PTA and been introduced at the Costa Mesa City Council.
After giving birth to her second child by cesarean section in 2010 at Newport Beach's Hoag Hospital, Kimberlee Streiff felt something wasn't right. She and baby Rhone, now a curly-headed 3-year-old, were fine; it was the process, and her sense that the birth was out of her hands, that had unsettled her. Streiff, whose oldest son was also born by cesarean, had hoped to attempt a vaginal birth after C-section, or VBAC, she said. But when her labor didn't progress fast enough, her doctor quickly ushered her into surgery.
I first heard the phrase "to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable" in church. A pastor used it to describe the responsibilities of church pastors. I thought it a fitting description of pastoral duties. More recently, I learned the phrase probably originated with early 20th century humorist Finley Peter Dunne in a half-joking description of the role of a journalist. I think the phrase could be applied beneficially in education as well. After all, when dealing with systems and programs as large and unwieldy as education in California, how we frame the conversation can have an effect on experience and outcomes.
In a single week last October, 11 colleges sent representatives to Newport Harbor High School, providing a diverse geographic and academic sampling for students to peruse. The visitors hailed from prestigious four-year schools, such as Pomona College, New York's Barnard College and Middlebury College in Vermont, as well as from local campuses, such as Orange Coast College. By the end of January, nearly 100 colleges had sent recruiters to meet with interested Newport Harbor students.
A Newport-Mesa Unified School District educator and Huntington Beach community program were honored Wednesday for their affect on education. Janine Frendo, an instructional aide at TeWinkle Middle School, and the group Huntington Beach Reads One Book, were among four honorees presented with Outstanding Contributions to Education awards during the Orange County Board of Education meeting in Costa Mesa, according to a news release. The awards, which began in the 1980s, were started to acknowledge those who have dedicated their time to support education in Orange County schools.
Every Christmas I take time to remember my parents. They came from vastly different backgrounds: Dad had a hardscrabble upbringing in the dusty Southwest, while Mom was a frail, bookish New York City girl. Yet these opposites forged a partnership that lasted more than 40 years. Despite their differences they were kindred spirits when it came to the essential stuff. And what mattered to them, perhaps more than anything, was education. My parents fervently believed in the power of a good education and they suffused my early years with that commitment.
The Newport-Mesa Unified School District has made the numerous repairs identified by the Orange County Department of Education in September, the board of trustees acknowledged this week. A report from the department outlined 40 problems at five elementary schools in Costa Mesa, including broken sinks, drinking fountains and playground equipment, as well as loose televisions in classrooms. Each year, the Department of Education conducts site visits at Orange County's lower-achieving schools to ensure that there are adequate books and teachers for students and that facilities are in good condition.


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A Guide to Wine for Those Who Stay in With Takeout This Valentine's Day
Image credit: Emanuel Feruzi | Unsplash
Tracy Byrnes
Principal, Wine on the Street
Here's a tip for my Valentine: Skip the life-size teddy bear and grab a bottle of Champagne. Oh, and get the takeout menus too because there's no way I'm fighting the crowds for a restaurant prix fix menu.
I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in this.
So for those of you who don't want to deal with it all like me, order in your favorite food and read on for some great wine suggestions. Just be sure to pop a bottle of Champagne while you are waiting for the delivery.
If you are ordering sushi, then keep pouring the Champagne because they are match made in heaven. "A German Riesling could work well too, but there's something so sexy about the Champagne cork popping," says Sharon Sevrens, sommelier and owner of Amanti Vino wine shop in Montclair, N.J.
Related: From Candy, to Flowers to Cards, Valentine's Day Is Good Business (Infographic)
Sure is. She suggests Pierre Gimonnet "Belles Annees" NV.
But if Champagne is not in the budget, try a Chenin Blanc from South Africa. It'll go great with the fish and is much more reasonably priced.
If you're ordering Chinese, consider a Rosé, says the staff at Gary's Wine & Marketplace, in Wayne, N.J., who suggest the 2015 Grain de Glace Le Rose de L'Hiver.
A Riesling works great with Asian food too, says Jessica Norris, wine director at Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse in New York City, who was recently included in Wine Enthusiast's list of America's Top 40 Under 40 Tastemakers list.
Otherwise, keep pouring that Champagne, especially if you ordering fried foods, such as shrimp tempura, says Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan, a master of wine who manages the wine team at Wine Ring. Piper Heidsieck Champagne is one of her go-tos.
Related: 1-800-Flowers Boss Determined to Avoid Breaking Customers' Hearts This Valentine's Day
The spiciness of Indian food calls for a sweeter Moscato, says Simonetti-Bryan, who suggests the Michele Chiarlo Nivole Moscato d'Asti. But again, a German Riesling would work here too.
Spicy, sexy Thai food needs a German Riesling as well, says Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen, authors of Wines of California Deluxe Edition.
Or try something new and grab a Gewürztraminer. The wine is highly aromatic wine, and together, with the spice of Thai food, you create romance.
If you're going old school and doing pizza and a movie, grab a Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, says Shawn Dore, owner of Sommelier Services. Avignonesi's Vino Nobile is one of my long-time faves.
For those of you in young relationships, consider this Valentine's Day tip: If you're looking to impress, go with white wine so your lips and teeth don't get stained.
"Nothing like leaning in for a kiss and you've got reddish black teeth," says Simonetti-Bryan.
True. But if your Valentine can't handle a little wine stain, maybe you've got the wrong Valentine.
Related: 8 Chain Restaurants With Valentine's Day Deals
New York Times bestselling author Nicole Lapin can help you pitch your brand to press and strengthen your media training.
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From Rock God to Master Rosé Winemaker: a Conversation With Jon Bon Jovi
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The orchid family (Orchidaceae) is probably the largest family of flowering plant in the world. Only the Asteraceae (daisies) has a comparative number of species and genera.
Generally when the word "orchid" is mentioned one tends to think of tropical rainforests or the Orient, when, in fact we have some beautiful indigenous species occurring in our area!
However, don't expect the kind of flower one buys in a pretty pot in a shop, but see and appreciate them for their own beauty and because they are from here, our special World Heritage site! At this stage none of them are on any endangered lists, but with the problem of urban sprawl, their habitats are becoming more and more threatened. As individuals living in the Cradle, we must each try to see if these flowers occur on our properties and try to protect and conserve them. They certainly are beautiful and deserve protection.
When is a plant an orchid or how are they defined? Well, those of you who are really interested in knowing a lot more, should get a guide where proper, botanical descriptions are given. I did not wish to write lengthy descriptions and with our photos and descriptions, we merely wanted to introduce you to the species found here so you can look out for them and help protect our floral heritage.
So far we have identified seven different species and, of course, our database will be updated should we find more. Here they are in alphabetical order, and, please note, with very brief descriptions. An excellent guide if you want to know more is the Field Guide to the Orchids of Northern South Africa and Swaziland, 2008 (Douglas McMurtry; Lourens Grobler; Jolisa Grobler; Shane Burns).
Description: The stems and leaves are grey-green to blue-green and this orchid grows to a height of between 450 and 800 mm. The flowers appear densely and the colours are spring-green and white.
The Bonatea antennifera are most commonly found as individual plants growing in leaf-litter, always under the shade of trees and shrubs like the Acacia karroo, Acacia robusta, Acacia caffra, Euclea crispa and Gymnosporia buxifolia. In our area we have also found quite a few around the entrances of caves and the excavations made by the calcite miners of the late 1800's and early 1900's. The flowers are without scent during the day but become strongly perfumed at sunset to attract their hawk moth pollinators. The fragrance is intense, sweet with coconut overtones after 18h00.
Prior to the 1980's this orchid was common and abundant in and around the Johannesburg area but huge urban expansion has reduced its habitat considerably.
Description: Grows to a height of between 270 and 650 mm tall and flowers appear fairly densely. The sepals are greenish with the outer surface overlaid in olive-brown to reddish brown and the inner pale olive. Petals' outer surface pale cream-yellow and veined. The lip is cream-yellow with a deep yellow crest faintly veined brownish and/or purple. Eulophia bainesii is found in open grassland, often rocky areas, also in acacia savannah or quartzite areas in Gauteng. The flowers do not have detectable fragrance. This orchid species has a widespread distribution and is found all over Sterkfontein Country Estates.
Description: Slender terrestrial growing between 150 and 400 mm tall. Inflorescence laxly flowered and the sepals are reddish-brown to dark purple. Petals' outer surface pale pink to purple-pink and the inner is darker often lightly veined with a bluish tint.
Eulophia hians flowers in very early spring, in the pre-rain period, presumably using reserves stored in the chain of underground pseudo-bulbs. It is often found growing along quartzitic ridges and outcrops. Although the flowers open, this species always sets seed prodigiously and apparently by self-pollination. They have no detectable fragrance. They have a huge distribution area, but in our Estate are fairly rare.
Description: This slender terrestrial grows to between 140-350mm tall. Inflorescence laxly flowered. Sepals' outer surface yellow to greenish yellow, variously suffused reddish brown to chocolate. The inner surface is a clear greenish yellow. The petals and lip is a bright yellow and lip sides often veined bluish. The spur is 4 to 7 mm long, prominent and reddish.
This is another orchid of the pre-rain flora flowering even before the surrounding grasses. The pseudo-bulbs (swollen with stored reserves and fleshy roots) tide this species over in winter. The longer days and rising temperatures prompt the raceme to appear. It is usually found growing on rocky slopes in grassland. Fragrance faint, sweet, vanilla detected in the afternoon.
This orchid's existence is seriously threatened by urbanisation.
Description: Eulophia ovalis grows to a height of 200 to 550 mm tall. Leaves at anthesis are fully developed and inflorescence fairly laxly. Sepals' outer surface purple-maroon and inner greenish suffused pinkish lilac, veins often darker. Petals' outer surface white, often suffused pink, inner suffused pinkish lilac, veins often darker. The basal crests are yellow becoming paler on the apical lobe.
The E. ovalis is found in a variety of different habitats from damp high altitude, sour grassland with high rainfall to areas in its western range that receives less than 600 mm rain per year. They are often found growing sympatrically with E. bainesii (especially in Gauteng) but they are definitely two different species as no intermediates have been found. Generally E. ovalis has shorter leaves and smaller flowers than E. bainesii. They have no detectable fragrance.
They have a huge distribution range with numerous localities, but north of the Olifants River it becomes very sporadic and rare. They are also much scarcer in our Estate than E. bainesii.
Description: This orchid is moderately slender and grows to a height of between 200 and 400 mm. Approximately 10-20 flowers appear per plant. The flowers are light green (tinged with white) and has distinctive long thin spidery puberulous (To make it easier – it looks like long thin, beard-like tendrils hanging from each flower). Petals are divided and lower lobes between 30-45mm long. Mid-lobe about 11-13mm long; side lobes about 23-38mm long. The spur is gently incurved and between 35-45mm long.
This orchid is found in typical open grassland and is endemic to KZN, Gauteng and Limpopo. No fragrance is detected.
Very little is known/written about this graceful orchid. At a quick glance, one might confuse it with the Bonatea antennifera orchid, but it is actually very distinctive with its long beard-like tendrils hanging from the lower petals. Up until the mid 1970's it was common, but due to urbanization and neglectful town planning it has now become very scarce.
On SANBI's red data list it is described as "near threatened" as only 5-10 known locations exist. According to our book on orchids it is seen as "rare" and "endangered". And now, we can say with confidence it is also found on our property!
Habenaria kraenzliniana, the entire plant becomes all but invisible in the veld!
Description: Grows to a height of 400 and 830 mm tall. Florescence somewhat laxly and appears at first sight to be overall white. However the lateral sepals are green as are the tips of the petals, lip lobes and the stigmas. Spur 33 to 43 mm long, almost straight to gently incurved and easily visible. The "spur" of an orchid is a long tube protruding from the rear of the flower, often filled with nectar and used to lure its pollinators.
This species occur in open, sunny damp, but well-drained grassland and from available records does not seem to grow in vlei-land areas. Recorded sightings are from Protea grassland, dolomite grassland and between rocks near a river. As the flowers start to open, the associating grasses may be as tall or taller than this orchid. However, it seems well adapted to fairly dense and tall grassland. The fine head of flowers is conspicuous from a distance, but like most Habenaria species, it presumably relies on perfume from dusk onwards to lure its hawk moth pollinator. Fragrance however not checked and nocturnal research is needed.
Although recorded from widespread and numerous localities and not currently threatened, it deserves protection wherever it occurs.
Description: Slender terrestrial growing between 120 and 295mm tall. Inflorescence varies from laxly to densely. The flowers are yellowish green. Petals are bi-lobed and the upper petal concealed by and adherent to dorsal sepal. The spur is 8 to 11 mm long, slender, straight and apex inflated.
The H. lithophila is a true grassland species that seem to cope with different dominant grass species. This probably contributes to its large distribution range. It is often found in rocky situations and has adapted to areas receiving frost in winter as well as areas, which are frost-free. No fragrance detected during daylight but needs checking at night.
Occurrence is widespread and if suitable remaining grassland is conserved, this species will be safeguarded. As is the case with Bonatea antennifera, many examples of this species are found around the excavations made by the calcite miners of the late 1800's and early 1900's. Incidentally, the calcite was used to make cement for the gold mining industry in the nearby Witwatersrand.


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The Statue of Liberty
Lady Liberty by the numbers
The Statue of Liberty was built as a monument commemorating the centenary of the Declaration of Independence
Constructed by the French, the Statue of Liberty was designed as a colossal copper statue. Gustave Eiffel, the designer of the Eiffel Tower, was asked to build a massive iron pylon and a skeletal framework to act as the support for the sculpture.
While remaining fixed to its steel frame, the structure was able to move in the wind – subsequently, wind speeds of 50 miles per hour have been recorded, and the statue has been known to sway up to three inches under pressure.
The statue's full name is "Liberty Enlightening the World"
The pedestal, crafted from Scottish sandstone, was built in the USA. Once this was erected, it was time to assemble the statue proper. Parts of the statue were shipped from France. They arrived in 350 pieces and were packed into 214 crates. It took four months to assemble the statue and secure it on the pedestal.
The pedestal is supported by two sets of iron girders which are connected by iron tie beams – these extend upwards into the framework of the statue creating a strong link from the ground. The Statue of Liberty was originally designed as a lighthouse and functioned as such from 1886 to 1902. It housed an electric light that could be seen several miles out to sea.
Take a tour of one of New York's most famous attractions (click to zoom)
How many different ways has Hollywood destroyed the Statue of Liberty? (click to zoom)
Discover more amazing science in the latest issue of How It Works. It's available from all good retailers, or you can order it online from the ImagineShop. If you have a tablet or smartphone, you can also download the digital version onto your iOS or Android device. To make sure you never miss an issue of How It Works magazine, make sure you subscribe today!
Plus, make sure you also check out our digital-only specials, such as Amazing Inventions, Book of Extreme Survival and How Drones Work, available to download onto your digital device now!
Five amazing George Washington facts
How was Mount Rushmore sculpted?
On this day – 4th July
Next story Inside the US Capitol Building
Previous story Take a tour of the White House


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Etkinlik: "Blockchain as a Database and Cryptocurrencies"
Bilkent Üniversitesi, 7 Ocak 2019'da Abdullah Uz Tansel'i misafir edecek. Tansel, "Blockchain as a Database and Cryptocurrencies" başlıklı özel bir sunum gerçekleştirecek.
Gerçekleşecek etkinlik ile alakalı bilgiler şu şekilde;
Etkinlik Tarihi: 7 Ocak 2019, 13:40 – 14:30
Etkinlik Yeri: Bilkent Üniversitesi, Salon EA-409, Ankara
Katılım Kayıt: BCTR okuyucuları ve üyeleri info@bctr.org adresine LCV yapabilirler.
Blockchain as a Database and Cryptocurrencies
Abdullah Uz Tansel
Thammasat University, Pattaya Campus, Thailand
Baruch College and The Graduate Center
City University of New York, USA
Throughout the history, exchange of trusted information among people played an essential role in every aspect of their lives: socially, economically and politically. Traditionally, data and information are recorded in books and recently in databases. Blockchain is an innovation in database technology for record keeping in a permanent, immutable, decentralized, global, and trustless ledger. It combines distributed computing, databases, networks and cryptography and is relatively new, and rapidly evolving. It allows people to digitize their current relationships as well as forming new secure digital ones that were impossible before, since data is disclosed, secured and recorded differently in a blockchain database system. A revolution is taking place where individuals are being empowered in a strong system of digital identity in managing their individual data from social and economic interactions to health care records. At the same time, seamless and prompt inter-organizational data flow and data sharing is reshaping the organizations, both public and private. In this talk, we will examine the blockchain as a database and cryptocurrencies as one of the applications of this innovative technology.
Abdullah Uz Tansel received his BS in management, and his MS and PhD degrees in computer science from the Middle East Technical University, in Ankara Turkey. He has also received his MBA degree at the University of Southern California. After being a faculty member at the Middle East Technical University, Dr. Tansel joined Baruch College, the City University of New York (CUNY) where he is currently a professor of information systems and also a professor of computer science at The Graduate Center of CUNY. Professor Tansel's research focus is on temporal databases and he has made significant contributions in this field. He also headed the editorial board that published the first book on temporal databases 'Temporal Databases: Theory, Design, and Implementation' (1993). Dr. Tansel has a patent on adding temporality to RDF. His research interests are Database Management Systems, Temporal Databases, Semantic Web, and Blockchain Databases. Dr. Tansel has published many articles in the conferences and journals of the ACM, IEEE and other organizations. He is a frequent speaker on time in databases and blockchain as a database. He is also a member of the ACM and the IEEE Computer Society.


The state's Air Resources Board passes new measures that double down on its stringent vehicle emissions rules—and maintain its collision course with the Trump administration.
The tech industry lobby has made it clear that they want changes to California's sweeping privacy protections—and they've got plenty of time left to get them made.
The law will give Californians more control over the data that companies collect on them than ever before.
Lawmakers in California have introduced a sweeping privacy bill that could reign in the power of their Silicon Valley neighbors.
While the EPA moves to roll back vehicle emissions standards, Colorado's using a legal loophole to follow California's much stricter rules.


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Home News DK's Mary-Clare Jerram to retire
DK's Mary-Clare Jerram to retire
Published January 14, 2020 by Katherine Cowdrey
DK publishing director Mary-Clare Jerram is retiring at the end of April after three decades with the company.
Jerram, now 60, joined DK in 1989 as a project editor and went on to become publishing director of Life, leading DK's lifestyle publishing programme for 16 years. Central to both the local and global list in the Life division, she had responsibility for growing DK's gardening list and creating food, gardening and fitness bestsellers, working with authors such as Mary Berry and Monty Don, as well as with the Royal Horticultural Society. Among her recent acquisitions were Huw Richards' bestselling gardening book Veg in One Bed and YouTube star Lucy Wyndham-Read's 7-Minute Body Plan.
Rebecca Smart, managing director, Publishing, said: "Mary-Clare has decided that now is the time to step back and enjoy all the wonderful hobbies that she so passionately publishes. I would like to thank her for her outstanding contribution and the lasting impact she has made to DK's lifestyle publishing during her tenure; Mary-Clare's talent and creativity will be sorely missed by us all."
Jerram added: "I have hugely enjoyed 30 years of creativity and innovation at DK, publishing lifestyle titles for the global market and working with dedicated, talented and fun colleagues and authors from around the world. It's hard to imagine everyday life outside the DK family."
DK will be starting a recruitment process for Jerram's successor.
Mary-Clare Jerram
Penguin Random House UK
Rebecca Smart
'Eat Well for Less' presenter Bavin to pen solo book
DK signs seven-minute workouts from YouTube fitness guru Wyndham-Read
PRH's Rebecca Smart tackles Brexit concerns at Global Publishing Summit
PRH Children's Ronnie Fairweather to retire after 30 years
Monty Don's Gardening Wisdom to DK


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You Need to Know Every Trick and Removal Spell in Hour of Devastation Limited
By Neal Oliver / July 26, 2017 October 10, 2019
One of the most important things you can do when you break down a Limited format is observe the quantity and quality of tricks and removal. Hour of Devastation gets a little more complicated than that because you also have all the removal and tricks from Amonkhet as well. Studying these spells lets you figure out what to play around from your opponents, but it also lets you get a better picture of what's possible. For a clear example, look at the following two removal spell variants:
If Forced Worship is present in a set, it makes it more defensive. The card leads to naturally longer games, and even lets you upgrade the target to the biggest foe. Cast into Darkness does exactly the opposite. A creature can't block and suddenly the game is more about racing. The power shrink encourages the race even further because the player who casts the Aura is more likely to win the race, and initiate it in the first place.
This is a pretty polarizing extreme, but it paints a clear picture of why specificity matters. The statement, "there's good removal and pump spells in the set" doesn't actually say very much. If the removal is all expensive but wipes out multiple creatures that might be "good," or if the removal is extremely efficient like Magma Spray, it can also be good. But the distinction here is what they punish. In the former example you want to go under the removal spells. They're bad versus combat tricks because they're so expensive and if you have cheap but bad creatures then your opponent won't have good targets for their removal. Against Magma Spray, creatures with 3 or more toughness are king. It would have still been good in AKH with fewer X/2s, but it was especially impressive within the context of the format. When it was in Shards of Alara, the card was good, but wasn't the clear best common because that set was about 3-color creatures that were large for their cost.
Without further ado, let's look at the tricks and removal of HOU, and then I'll talk briefly about how that impacts the format in contrast to triple-AKH. Rather than sort by color I'll sort by cost to paint a clearer picture of what's available at each point in the game.
1 Mana
Unsummon is an awesome addition to the format. It allows fast decks to get further ahead, but also allows slower decks like U/G and U/B the opportunity to catch up. This means it's going to be fought over by blue drafters, but is also the type of card the gets worse in multiples because it becomes heavy card disadvantage when you lean on it too hard. The first copy is very valuable in almost any blue deck, though you do want a decent number of creatures to press an advantage, or card draw in slower decks to help offset the cost.
Other than that, the 3 Mardu Defeats are very important to remember in post-board games. If you're playing a red mirror post-board and have the option of playing roughly equivalent red or green creatures, you'll want to lean green simply because they'll be less likely to get gunned down. There's not a truly great way to play around the Defeats because they're so cheap, which is why they're such excellent sideboard cards in the first place.
There aren't any combat tricks at 1 mana, unlike AKH, and only Act of Heroism, Gift of Strength, and Without Weakness at 2 mana. This marks a pretty clear shift from AKH where combat tricks were more efficient and plentiful. You can have too many 2-mana combat tricks, since they'll simply clog up your hand, and these two aren't so good that you need to prioritize them. It's easy to get them when you want them, but you also have the possibility of getting better tricks from pack 3 if you need them. Of these I think Without Weakness is quite bad because it doesn't actually affect your creatures' stats, but is still 2 mana (as opposed to Djeru's Resolve, which was a similar but better card).
Saving Grace functions as a combat trick too, although a much more unique one that also has plenty of other uses. The card is often a blowout and extremely important to remember as a card your opponent can have. It punishes early blocking when creatures would otherwise trade, but is also very good late unless you have a removal spell to break it up, so you'll just have to bite the bullet and make your opponent have it.
Jace's Defeat isn't particularly good in tap out decks or in U/R Spells decks because it won't trigger prowess when you want it. In addition, it can be played around if your opponent sniffs it out because they can just play another color card when you have mana up. This is a good one to know about in post-board blue mirrors, but is also a much lower priority when drafting than the Mardu Defeats.
Abrade and Blur of Blades are the first instances of damage-based removal, though they function very differently. Abrade is high quality, while Blur ranges from bad to slightly good in the matchup. You also have to care about the damage it deals for it to be at all playable.
Blue gets a huge upgrade with Unquenchable Thirst. Illusory Wrappings always disappointed, but now blue has an actual Doom Blade, though admittedly at sorcery speed and with the downside of Auras. Neutralizing embalm and eternalize creatures is a big upside, though. You can sometimes tell if your opponent has many of these if you see a lot of Deserts. There aren't many other reasons for the Deserts in blue outside of this card, which can let you play differently. You can still windmill slam creatures like Archfiend of Ifnir into this because you don't really care if they attack or block.
The only hard removal here is Desert's Hold and Lethal Sting. Everything else is damage-based or can be played around. This indicates that big creatures gain quite a lot with this set and a slower environment overall. That said, Open Fire and Ambuscade are still massive beatings even if they can't always kill everything. Ambuscade defines green's interaction in a big way but it can be countered by removal. I've already Ambuscaded in response to my opponent's, and that's a game-winning play all on its own.
Banewhip Punisher is one of the few ways to kill the wide variety of X/1s in the set, but is a 4-mana removal spell at worst. It's not exactly the type of card you can play around either, other than leading with 2+ toughness creatures when possible. Usually you can't do this though because you're almost always going to lead with X/1s like Oketra's Avenger or Initiate's Companion. You'll lose more percentage if you live in fear of the Banewhip, unless you've already seen it earlier in the match and can afford to wait.
You also see the first wrath here. Wraths aren't usually worth playing around in Limited, but there are so many in this set that it's worth thinking about, especially when your opponent is in a Mardu combination.
3 is the magic number here again. Sand Strangler and Torment of Venom can't stop truly great things, though Torment does at least help team up versus big problems or shrink otherwise unstoppable evasive threats. Puncturing Blow is almost hard removal but still doesn't stop a few of the format's threats like Rampaging Hippo. The Hippo is such a good finisher because its 6 toughness dodges almost all the removal in the format.
Here you see wrath number 2 and the Deadlands, which I classified as 5 mana since that's what it costs to use. It's obviously more than that because it's also a land up until the point you use it. Spell lands give you such flexibility and this is no different. If possible, try and wait to show the Deadlands until you plan to use it so your opponent can't wait to deploy good utility creatures like Fan Bearer until you've used it. Sometimes you'll just have multiple Deserts though, and then good luck to your opponent.
Wrath number 3! Whaaaat?!? And in a small set too! All the things are certainly dying here and the wraths are even rare. This means you'll encounter them far more frequently than in a normal set. Any time your opponent is a non-U/G color combination (and sometimes even U/G too because of splashes) you should be thinking about an incoming wrath. But there are spots where you'll lose because you didn't play your creatures for fear of a wrath. Ultimately, this is a classic tightrope walk. I tend to err on the side of running into the wrath because you'll win with your board more often than your opponent actually has it, but if you are already winning and can beat a wrath by rebuilding your board, consider doing so. This is the perfect set to help build up this skill.
Let me know if this breakdown of tricks and removal was helpful. I know that for myself, it's a useful lens to help understand each Limited environment, and allows me to make more informed decisions.
• Pump spells are less plentiful now, and worse. They existed at many mana costs before, but only cost 2 now. This makes 1-mana tricks and big blowout spells like Synchronized Strike even better than they were before because they're much rarer.
• Most removal is damage based now, and most often deals 3 damage. This means big flyers with 4 or more toughness are much better than they were before. Blue gets the hard removal spell in Unquenchable Thirst, which means big creatures with abilities such as Ominous Sphinx will almost always live to do something. Puncturing Blow is the exception, and even that can't kill truly big things like Rampaging Hippo.
• There are a lot of spells that you can't effectively play around like the red and black defeats or Banewhip Punisher because these spells are so efficient that they'll always be good (when they have targets, of course).
• There are many spells you can play around like Doomfall, Sandblast, and Jace's Defeat. Being strategic about playing through what you can will give a huge edge.
• There are a lot of wraths in the format. You should still play enough to the board so that you win when your opponent doesn't have a wrath, but also identify spots where you can hold back your creatures when you're far enough ahead.
Tags: Combat Tricks, HOU, Hour of Devastation, Removal, Tricks
Neal Oliver
Neal Oliver made his Pro Tour debut at PT Theros after his big win at Grand Prix Las Vegas 2013. Since then he's been building up his game trying to break through at the PT level, and has an avid interest in Limited. He hopes his future success will match his love for the game, but appreciates learning and becoming the best he can be above all else.


text:
Food and drink exports grow 8.5%
In Latest News
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The first half of 2017 saw exports of all UK food and drink grow to £10.2bn, up 8.5% on H1 2016. This represents the highest first half exports value on record. The UK's top 3 export products are whisky, salmon and beer. Contrary to recent export trends, stronger growth was reported to EU countries (+9.0%) than to countries outside the EU (+7.6%).
Ireland, France and the United States are the top three destinations for UK food and drink in terms of overall value. Positive growth was reported in all top 20 markets, apart from Spain and Japan. Spain saw a 17.6% decrease compared with H1 2016 due to a drop in commodity exports such as wheat and barley, while Japan was marginally down by 2%.
The three export markets that saw the greatest percentage growth in value in H1 were South Korea (+77%), China (+35%), and Belgium (+39%). The rapid growth in exports to growing East Asian markets was led by South Korea fast gaining a taste for British beer, and overall exports surged to £156.3m.
The US is the UK's top non-EU market for exports of branded food and drink, reaching £91.5m in H1 2017, up from £87.8m in 2016. Top UK branded goods sold to the US in H1 included food preparations, bread, pastry, cakes, puddings and sweet biscuits. The US has been identified by the Government as providing significant opportunities for a trade deal post-Brexit.
While the fall in the price of the pound had helped to boost UK export competitiveness, this currency weakness has also led to an increase in the cost of many essential imported ingredients and raw materials. This has resulted in the UK's food and drink trade deficit increasing by 16% to -£12.4bn in H1 2017.
FDF recently commissioned Grant Thornton to undertake an economic contribution report, which identified China (£274.3m in H1), India (£50.7m in H1) and the UAE (£164.8m in H1) as the top 3 target markets that food and drink companies would like to target. These countries were prioritised by the companies surveyed based on their scale which affords a sizeable middle class target customer base with strong and growing demand for quality Western products.
Ian Wright CBE, Director General, FDF, said: "The growth of food and alcoholic drink exports is very encouraging. We want to work with Government to take advantage of increased demand for UK products overseas and the opportunities that leaving the EU is expected to create.
"It is great to see such strong growth in our exports to EU Member States. The EU remains an essential market for UK exports as well as for supplies of key ingredients and raw materials used by our industry. We believe there are significant opportunities to grow our sector's exports further still. The continuing weakness of sterling is a concern. However, we hope that with the determination of businesses and the assistance of Government, we can open more channels and provide a further boost to the UK's competitiveness on the world market."
Meanwhile, f
Food Minister George Eustice MP said the figures show that the UK's high quality foods and standards are sought after around the world.
"We have ambitious plans to produce and export more of our fabulous foods around the world and more businesses are trying exporting for the first time," he said, adding: "We will continue to work with industry to open new opportunities."
Meanwhile Elsa Fairbanks, Director, FDEA, said it was core markets in the EU and North America are showing healthy growth, which was something we should protect and build on.
"Asian markets have also seen impressive growth and this is clearly a region we should turn our attention to further as exporters in the future," she said.
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