text:
Phoenix cathedral's policy change on altar servers ignites discussion
PHOENIX – When the news broke that Father John Lankeit, rector of Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral, was changing policy on altar servers, secular media outlets were quick to offer their take on the development.
From now on at the Phoenix Diocese's cathedral, only boys will be altar servers. Girls who are currently serving in that capacity will have the opportunity to train as sacristans.
"There were about five or six girls who were still serving and I called their parents to explain there would be a transition," Father Lankeit said. "I invited them, told them they are welcome right away to begin training as sacristans."
The news may have come as a bit of a shock to some local Catholics, but Father Lankeit attributes that to those who are, unknowingly perhaps, more influenced by society rather than by church teaching.
The decision, he said, is a way to honor the God-given dignity of both men and women. It's also one way to encourage more vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
"If you look around the church – and I'm talking about the overall church – if you look at dioceses, if you look at religious orders and you look at parishes where they have the clear honoring of the distinction and the complementarity of men and women, you see both vocations flourish," Father Lankeit told The Catholic Sun, the diocesan newspaper.
"And when I say both vocations, I mean to the priesthood as well as vocations to the consecrated religious life."
He pointed to a parish in Ann Arbor, Mich., as one such example. In 2008, the parish had 22 seminarians, Father Lankeit said. He also mentioned the Diocese of Lincoln, Neb., which similarly reserves altar service to boys and has seen strong growth in vocations to the priesthood.
Father Lankeit understands his decision regarding altar servers may be upsetting to some.
"If the question is approached just from an emotional standpoint, I can understand why people would be upset because they're looking at it in terms of a question of rights – and they're interpreting it in such a way that somebody's rights are being denied," he said.
The fact is, Father Lakeit said, becoming an altar server is not at all about rights. The same goes, he said, for the priesthood.
"Prior to my ordination, as a single, Catholic man, I had no right whatsoever to the priesthood. And so when I went into the seminary, I was determining whether or not Jesus Christ was calling me to be a priest, but the Church was likewise discerning me and the ultimate decision was the church's," Father Lankeit said. "Even if I felt very, very strongly at the bottom of my heart that I was called to be a priest and the church didn't recognize that, I had to accept that."
Unfortunately, when the secular world steps in to comment on whether altar servers should only be male, the issue is examined from an emotional point of view, rather than considered in light of the reasons behind the decision, he said.
Father Lankeit pointed to paragraph 47 of the 2004 liturgical instruction, "Redemptionis Sacramentum" ("The Sacrament of Redemption"), promulgated by the Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacrament. The text, he said, confirms something he already knew: The vast majority of men who are priests were once altar servers.
"It is altogether laudable to maintain the noble custom by which boys or youths, customarily termed servers, provide service of the altar after the manner of acolytes, and receive catechesis regarding their function in accordance with their power of comprehension," the instruction reads in part. "Nor should it be forgotten that a great number of sacred ministers over the course of the centuries have come from among boys such as these."
While the "Redemptionis Sacramentum" says girls or women may be admitted as altar servers, it leaves the decision to the local bishop's discretion.
Father Paul Sullivan, director of vocations for the Phoenix Diocese, said that pastors, such as Father Lankeit, must decide what is best for their parish.
Where there is strong formation of young men, Father Sullivan said, there are more vocations to the priesthood. He said that such formation stresses service and avoids a false egalitarianism and false clericalism.
In other words, he said, it's not about power or competition between the sexes – it's about serving God and forming young people in the faith.
Father Lankeit said that the decision regarding altar servers at the cathedral is only one of many factors in encouraging vocations.
"Don't get me wrong – this alone will not be the be-all and end-all of increasing vocations," Father Lankeit said. He'd also like to establish perpetual adoration at the cathedral.
"It's a high priority for me and I'm trying to discern how to make that happen here," he said.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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## Protractor

* [Introduction](#introduction)
* [How It Works](#how-it-works)
* [Installation & Configuration](#installation-configuration)
* [Links](#links)

----
## Introduction

Protractor is an end-to-end test framework for AngularJS applications and its main features are:

- Protactor is open source and is developed and maintained by Google team.

-  Protractor is a integrator solution for testing, through combining powerful tools and technologies such as NodeJS, Selenium, webDriver, Jasmine, Cucumber and Mocha.

- Protactor has a lot of customizations from Selenium to easily create tests for AngularJS applications.

- Protactor allows test like a real user, using native events and browser-specific drivers to interact with your application as a user would.

- Protactor works with the most popular test frameworks: Jasmine, Mocha, Cucumber...

- Protactor can run the test in real browsers  through Selenium.

## How It Works
Protractor works in conjunction with Selenium to provide an automated test infrastructure that can simulate a user's interaction with an Angular application running in a browser or mobile device.

![](https://angular.github.io/protractor/img/components.png "Protactor in Action")

When working with Protractor, it's important to keep the following in mind:

 - Protractor is a wrapper around WebDriverJS, the JavaScript bindings

 - WebDriver commands are asynchronus. They are scheduled on a control flow and return promises, not primitive values.

 - Test scripts send commands to the Selenium  Server, which in turn communicates with the browser driver.

####  **Process Communication**
A test using Selenium WebDriver involves three processes - the test script, the server, and the browser. The communication between these processes is shown in the diagram below.

![enter image description here](https://angular.github.io/protractor/img/processes.png)

## Installation & Configuration

Protractor requires the installation and configuration of various things:

  - Protractor
  Protractor is a Node.js program and to run Protactor must need to have Node.js installed.  Use npm to install Protractor globally or locally.

   The complete guide of Protactor installation and configuration can be found [here](https://angular.github.io/protractor/#/protractor-setup).

  - Selenium
In Protractor, you need to specify how to connect to the browser drivers which will start up and control the browsers you are testing on. You will most likely use the Selenium Server. The server acts as proxy between your test script (written with the WebDriver API) and the browser driver (controlled by the WebDriver protocols).

  The server forwards commands from your script to the driver and returns responses from the driver to your script. The server can handle multiple scripts in different languages. The server can startup and manage multiple browsers in different versions and implementations.

  The complete guide of Selenium installation and configuration can be found [here](https://angular.github.io/protractor/#/server-setup).

  - Browsers Drivers
Protractor works with Selenium WebDriver, a browser automation framework:
   - Selenium WebDriver supports several browser implementations or drivers.
   - Protractor supports the two latest major versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and IE.
   - Protractor allows use Mobile Browsers.
   - Protractor includes a mechanism for adding Chrome-Specific Options.
   - Protractor allow us testing against multiple browsers at the same time.

 The complete guide of browsers drivers installation and configuration can be found [here](https://angular.github.io/protractor/#/browser-setup).

  - Frameworks
Protractor supports three behavior driven development (BDD) test frameworks:

   - Jasmine.
   Jasmine is a behavior-driven development framework for testing JavaScript code. It does not depend on any other JavaScript frameworks. It does not require a DOM. And it has a clean, obvious syntax so that you can easily write tests.

		```javascript
		describe('Controller: BeevaApplicationController', function(){

		    beforeEach(module('beeva.angularApp'));
		    var NavigationCtrl, scope;

		    beforeEach(inject(function ($controller, $rootScope){
		        scope = $rootScope.$new();
		        NavigationCtrl = $controller('BeevaApplicationController', {
		            $scope: scope
		        });
		    }));

		    it('Test 1. Is system enabled?..', function (){
		        expect(scope.systemEnabled).toBe(true);
		    });

		    it('Test 2. Is there authenticated user?..', function (){
		        expect(scope.user!=null).toBe(false);
		    });
		});
		```

   - Mocha.
  Mocha is a feature-rich JavaScript test framework running on Node.js and the browser, making asynchronous testing simple and easy. Mocha tests run serially, allowing for flexible and accurate reporting, while mapping uncaught exceptions to the correct test cases.

     If you would like to use the Mocha test framework, you'll need to use the BDD interface and Chai assertions with Chai As Promised.

		```javascript
		var assert = require('assert');
describe('Array', function() {
		  describe('#indexOf()', function () {
		    it('should return -1 when the value is not present', function () {
		      assert.equal(-1, [1,2,3].indexOf(5));
		      assert.equal(-1, [1,2,3].indexOf(0));
		    });
		  });
		});
  })
		```

   - Cucumber.
   Cucumber is a tool for the definition and execution of functional tests based on behavior. Cucumber lets describe how software should behave in plain text. The text is written in Gerkin, business-readable Domain-Specific Language and serves as documentation, automated tests and development-aid.

		```html
		Feature: Some terse yet descriptive text of what is desired
		  In order to realize a named business value
		  As an explicit system actor
		  I want to gain some beneficial outcome which furthers the goal

		  Scenario: Some determinable business situation
		    Given some precondition
		    And some other precondition
		    When some action by the actor
		    And some other action
		    And yet another action
		    Then some testable outcome is achieved
		    And something else we can check happens too

		  Scenario: A different situation
		```

The complete guide of frameworks  installation and configuration can be found [here](https://angular.github.io/protractor/#/frameworks).

## Links

 -  Protactor Home
     http://angular.github.io/protractor

 -  Protactor Getting Started
     https://angular.github.io/protractor/#/getting-started

 -  Jasmine Home
	 http://jasmine.github.io/

 -  Mocha Home
	 https://mochajs.org/

 -  Selenium Home..
	 http://www.seleniumhq.org/

 - WebDriverJs Wiki..
     https://github.com/SeleniumHQ/selenium/wiki/WebDriverJs
___

[BEEVA](https://www.beeva.com) | Technology and innovative solutions for companies

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
THE BERLIOZ "FANTASTIQUE"
Pacho Flores, Trumpet
Pablo SARASATE, Aires Gitanos. Op. 20 No. 1
Soloist: Pacho Flores, Trumpet
Efraín OSCHER, "Mestizo" - Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra
Hector BERLIOZ, Symphonie Fantastique, Op.14
Thursday, February 23rd, 8:30 PM
"The subject of this musical drama was none other than my love for Miss Smithson and the anguish and 'bad dreams' it had brought me."
With these words, the French composer Héctor Berlioz described the inspiration for his Symphonie Fantastique, entitled "Fantastical Symphony: An Episode in the Life of an Artist, in Five Parts", Op. 14. The OFJ will interpret this work under the baton of its Music Director, Marco Parisotto, on Thursday the 23rd and Sunday, the 26th, of February.
In these concerts, the OFJ will warmly welcome outstanding Venezuelan trumpet player Pacho Flores, considered by many to be one of the greatest in the world today. For his Jalisco debut, Maestro Flores has prepared an arrangement of Aires gitanos, by Spanish composer and violinist Pablo de Sarasate, in addition to the Guadalajara premiere of Mestizo, the trumpet concerto written by Efraín Oscher and dedicated to Pacho Flores: a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Tapatio public to delight in some of the best trumpet playing on Earth.


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text:
Snippet of Science
A blog about medical innovations and news.
Snippet #8 | The state of biomarker testing in Europe
The promise of precision medicine - a targeted treatment approach based on an individual's genetic profile - is that it could lead to better health outcomes for patients and substantial healthcare savings through more effective therapies with reduced toxicities. The number of precision medicine drugs has grown over the past two decades, from 5 in 2008 to 132 in 2016, for a wide range of cancers (e.g. chronic myeloid leukemia, melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, etc.)
The development of such targeted treatments goes hand in hand with the development of related companion diagnostics known as cancer biomarkers - molecules produced by cancer cells that are detected in fluids or tissue. Such biomarkers are essential to predict which particular patients may benefit from specific targeted drugs, and to monitor the course of a disease. Biomarker testing is now possible for numerous cancer types, but its adoption in clinical practice varies by region. In Europe, adoption has been slow, uneven, and underfunded. Although companion diagnostics (e.g. biomarker testing) influence 60% of clinical decision-making, they account for less than 2% of total healthcare spending. The unavailability of companion biomarker testing has at times even prevented patient access to certain approved targeted drugs.
Several challenges have hindered widespread equitable clinical adoption in the EU. These include unequal access to biomarker testing across countries; uneven availability of infrastructure for diagnostic testing, such as laboratories with advanced next generation sequencing capabilities; delays in getting test results (results can take from 6 days in Germany to up to 30 days in Romania); inconsistent reimbursement and limited healthcare budgets allocated for testing; slow updating of guidelines for clinical decisions; a lack of stringent, uniform regulatory requirements regarding approval of both drugs and their companion diagnostics; and uneven physician knowledge about biomarker testing. In fact, a survey conducted in 2016 by The European Cancer Patient Coalition (ECPC) found that biomarkers are largely unknown by patients and underutilized by physicians: 30% of patients were not familiar with biomarkers, and 60% were not proposed biomarker testing by their physicians.
What can be done to address these challenges? Several efforts are currently underway. New medical legislation set to go into effect in 2022 is expected to harmonize regulations across EU states, improving the timing and uniformity of approvals for targeted drugs and their companion diagnostic testing. Other solutions proposed by stakeholders include adapting regulatory frameworks to account for the importance of biomarkers; reallocating healthcare expenditures to biomarker testing, education and infrastructure; adapting reimbursement frameworks to include biomarkers; updating testing guidelines in a timely manner; and improving physician knowledge about biomarkers.
Such measures are critical for realizing the full potential of precision medicine, by translating research advances into actionable measures that could benefit both patients and healthcare systems.
Snippet #7 | Feeling the pressure?
February is American Heart Month, a federal event dating back to 1964 to raise awareness about cardiovascular health. This year, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) is putting the spotlight on hypertension (high blood pressure) and its role in heart health. The World Health Organization estimates that 1.13 billion people around the world have high blood pressure, and that fewer than 1 in 5 of them have it under control. This is an alarming figure, since hypertension is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. And this number could be even higher, as proper blood pressure monitoring is often a challenge. To obtain more accurate and valuable data, novel technologies have recently been developed that enable people to easily and continuously monitor blood pressure (e.g. Aktiia's novel medical-grade blood pressure monitoring bracelet), which can provide better estimates and improve treatment decisions.
Blood pressure is caused by a complex interplay of common lifestyle factors (e.g. diet, exercise, alcohol, smoking), but also, importantly, genetic ones. In fact, genetics account for 40% of the variation in blood pressure among people - and the genetics are complex, with a multitude of genes playing a role in blood pressure. Scientists have been working on discovering those underlying genes for years and using them in the development of novel treatments. In 2000, The Millennium Genome Project for Hypertension was launched to understand the root causes of hypertension and identify responsible genes, and in 2017, more than 100 new genes associated with hypertension were discovered.
But what does this all mean for people with hypertension? For one thing, identifying underlying genes can form the basis for new treatments. For another, it can play a crucial, and more immediate role, in predicting people's responses and side effects to existing treatments. With five major classes and more than 60 medications to choose from to treat hypertension (e.g. diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), beta-blockers, and calcium channel blockers (CCB)), identifying the most effective and best tolerated treatments is currently a challenging process characterized by trial and error. As responses to different medications vary among patients, for reasons that include genetic variation, exploiting genetics has the potential to improve treatment effectiveness, leading to better health outcomes for patients and cost savings for healthcare systems.
In recent years, pharmacogenomics – the study of how genetics affects drug response – has grown rapidly in the field of hypertension, and a 2019 study of a large genetic database in the United Kingdom showed that genetic variants can be used to investigate the effectiveness and side effects of hypertension medications.
How quickly will these research innovations make it into clinical practice where they can help patients? Some of them already have, with genetic testing for hypertension having increased in the last couple of years. Geneticure, a personalized medicine company, is a pioneer in using genetic testing to guide hypertension treatment decisions. Blood pressure in patients prescribed medication recommended by Geneticure's genetic testing strategy was substantially lower than in patients whose medication did not match this recommendation. Meanwhile, more applications of genetics in hypertension are currently in the works in this rapidly growing field, with many new developments on the horizon in the upcoming years.
Snippet #6 | Toward a molecular taxonomy of cancer
In the 2008 book "The Innovator's Prescription," authors Clay Christensen, Jerome Grossman and Jason Hwang argued that a key factor for medical advances is the identification of root causes of complex diseases, such as cancer. To date, cancer has routinely been classified according to the organ in which it originates (e.g. breast, lung, prostate), and this classification serves to guide treatment decisions. More recently, scientists have been working on understanding the root causes of cancer, exploring it from a molecular, rather than organ of origin, angle. This is pushing the field of oncology toward a more molecular taxonomy of cancer.
The Pan-Cancer Atlas, a collaboration launched in 2012 with the support of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), has conducted over the past few years one of the largest analyses of the molecular origins of cancer. Researchers involved in the initiative analyzed more than 11,000 tumors from 33 types of cancer, comparing tumors based on cellular and genetic makeup to understand how different cancers relate to each other. Findings to date have revealed that cancers originating in different organs can share molecular commonalities. This is especially important given research and therapeutic advances in precision medicine, a model of medicine in which a patient's underlying genetic makeup informs diagnostics and treatment decisions.
Precision medicine drugs are developed to target specific molecular-level mutations that may be common across cancer types, meaning that treatment options developed for one type of cancer could be applicable to other types if shared mutations are discovered. An example is the precision medicine drug Lynparza (olaparib), originally approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in 2014 to treat advanced ovarian cancer for patients with mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. It was later approved for metastatic BRCA-mutated breast cancer, and most recently, in 2019, for BRCA-mutated metastatic pancreatic cancer. The discovery that different types of cancer may have an underlying BRCA genetic mutation widened the applicability of Lynparza.
As the field of precision medicine continues to develop rapidly, it is becoming increasingly important for patients diagnosed with cancer to undergo tumor profiling (the testing of a tumor's genetic and biomarker makeup) in order to understand the most appropriate treatment options.
Snippet #5 | The emergence of liquid biopsies
When doctors suspect that a patient has cancer, they generally perform a tumor biopsy, which involves removing a tissue sample from the tumor. Tissue biopsy is currently the gold standard in cancer diagnosis and treatment, providing important information about tumor composition. However, this tool also has some drawbacks. The procedure is typically invasive, costly, and, depending on tumor location and patient condition, difficult to collect. It can also be challenging to maintain the genetic integrity of the sample for testing, as preservation agents may alter the sample's DNA. Moreover, since tissue biopsy samples are taken from certain areas of a tumor, they may not capture the heterogeneous genetic makeup of a tumor, preventing potentially effective precision medicine treatments.
In recent years, liquid biopsies, which are collected through a simple blood test, have emerged as potentially valuable complementary testing tools, since cancer sheds some of its cells and DNA into the blood. Liquid biopsies are less invasive, cheaper, and more representative of overall tumor heterogeneity. They can therefore be performed more frequently and may be used for early detection, treatment decisions, and patient monitoring. However, more research is needed before liquid biopsies can be widely adopted in clinical practice. In particular, more studies are required to evaluate the sensitivity of liquid biopsies (i.e. their ability to correctly identify individuals with a disease), since tumor cells and tumor DNA circulating in the blood are relatively rare compared to other blood molecules.
In 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first two liquid biopsy diagnostic tests that use next-generation sequencing technology (NGS), for use alongside tissue biopsies in clinical practice. The first is Guardant 360 CDx, a test developed by Guardant Health, and the second is FoundationOne Liquid CDx, developed by Foundation Medicine. They are primarily used to detect non-small cell lung cancer and solid tumors, by identifying mutated cancer cell DNA circulating in the blood.
While tissue biopsies still provide important information directly from the tumor, liquid biopsies are emerging as increasingly valuable complementary tools in the detection and treatment of cancer.
Snippet #4 | DNA could hold the key for data storage
Genomic data, which contains information on individuals' sequenced genetic codes (DNA), plays a key role in advancing precision medicine - the approach of developing therapies that take into account one's underlying genetic makeup. But finding storage space for the vast amounts of genomic data produced is increasingly challenging. It takes roughly 100 GB of space to store one individual's DNA, and scientists are estimating that 1 billion people will sequence their genomes by 2025. Genomic data could soon generate up to 40 exabytes of data annually (one exabyte equals 1 billion GB). Genomic data are currently stored in physical storage facilities, or through cloud services, which are housed on physical servers throughout the world.
Amidst these growing data storage demands, the concept of DNA storage stands out as a potentially promising solution. Scientists at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology have recently discovered a way to encode digital data directly onto DNA itself. Though DNA storage technology is still in the early stages of development, it holds a lot of potential: DNA can store enormous amounts of data in a very small space (1 gram of DNA holds up to 455 exabytes of data), it is highly durable (lasting tens of thousands of years compared to the 50 years of current digital storage systems), and it does not need electricity. As with any new technology, there are obstacles to overcome to achieve the full potential of DNA storage. Presently, storage costs are still very high ($12,400/MB stored), and the process of encoding data onto DNA is slow. But scientists believe that both cost and encoding time will decrease significantly over the next decade.
How exactly does DNA storage work? Computers use binary code (1s and 0s) to store data digitally. In order to store it onto DNA, such digital data is converted into the language of DNA (a four letter alphabet - A, C, G, T - representing the four nucleotides that make up DNA). A machine then reads this sequence to produce a DNA molecule. To turn it back into readable digital data, a sequencing machine reads back the DNA language, and a computer program converts that language into binary code that computers can interpret. See more here.
DNA storage has vast applications (an excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech and William Shakespeare's sonnets were recently stored onto DNA), and its potential for the field of genomics, when realized, could be huge.
Snippet #3 | Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine brings hope
Earlier this week, as COVID-19 cases continue to soar around the world, Pfizer and BioNTech, a German cancer precision medicine biotech company, announced that their vaccine is 90% effective at preventing the disease. Scientists have expressed cautious optimism that this news could signal the light at the end of the tunnel for the ongoing pandemic, which has ravaged economies around the globe and has so far led to 1.31M deaths worldwide.
The Pfizer - BioNTech vaccine is an mRNA vaccine. It operates by injecting parts of the virus' genetic material (mRNA) into our cells, which leads to the creation of proteins that mimic the SARS-CoV-2 virus and train our immune systems to build a defense to it. It accomplishes this through two doses, which are spaced three weeks apart.
Despite the positive news, many open questions still remain, regarding the vaccine's strength and length of protection, its production, storage, and distribution, vaccine uptake, who should be vaccinated first, and whether the vaccine can effectively block transmission, i.e. stop vaccinated people from being contagious to others if infected. More time, analysis and vaccine trials are necessary to answer these questions, which are crucial to ending the pandemic.
The Pfizer - BioNTech vaccine is only one of a number of vaccines in late-stage trials around the world in the race to end the deadly pandemic, aiming to receive emergency authorization from the FDA by the end of November. Other vaccine candidates currently under development come from Johnson & Johnson; Moderna Therapeutics and NIH; AstraZeneca and University of Oxford; and Medicago and GSK. Among other things, such as contact tracing and therapeutics, the success of these vaccines, developed at unheard-of-before speeds, will play a vital role in ending the pandemic.
Snippet #2 | PanCAN to accelerate pancreatic cancer research
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal forms of cancer. With few discernible symptoms in its early stages, it is often caught late, when curative surgery is no longer an option. Standard chemotherapies that are effective against other cancers often do not work well against pancreatic tumors, and newer targeted therapies that fight specific genetic mutations also have limited success. This is because unlike some other cancers that are predominantly caused by one genetic mutation, pancreatic cancer tumors tend to have many cancer-causing mutations. This makes it difficult to enroll enough patients in traditional clinical trials, and it also means that pharmaceutical companies have few incentives to develop therapies for small subsets of patients. (For more information, see https://www.mskcc.org/news/why-pancreatic-cancer-so-hard-treat)
The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN), founded in 1999, is a patient advocacy organization whose mission is to fight pancreatic cancer. It does so by supporting research and clinical initiatives, and by providing free, personalized patient support. One of its services, called Know Your Tumor, offers patients biomarker testing of tumor tissue to help determine their best therapeutic options.
To address the challenges associated with developing therapies for pancreatic cancer, PanCAN, in collaboration with Novartis, has launched a new, innovative adaptive clinical trial approach, called Precision Promise. Its goal is to disrupt the current clinical trial system and accelerate progress through a quicker, more efficient and patient-centric approach to drug development. The trial is open and enrolling patients at multiple top cancer institutions in the United States.
To find out more, see: https://www.pancan.org/
Snippet #1 | How citizen science helps advance Alzheimer's research
Citizen science has emerged as a practice through which the public can make real contributions to scientific knowledge. Stall Catchers is an exciting citizen science initiative to help accelerate research on Alzheimer's disease. Scientists at Cornell University found initial evidence of links between clogged blood vessels that reduce blood flow in the brain (or stalls), and Alzheimer's disease.
But to further understand this connection and explore whether it could ultimately lead to new treatments, they needed to analyze enormous amounts of brain scan data, more than they could feasibly do on their own. The scientists enlisted the help of crowdsourcing experts from the Human Computation Institute, and together they launched the online game Stall Catchers to harness the power of citizen scientists worldwide to identify stalls in brain images.
To date, the project has been hugely successful in attracting millions of contributors, leading the effort to analyze in one hour what scientists in the lab could analyze in one week, and providing training data to teach machines to contribute as well and speed up research even more.
For a recent research update from scientists using the efforts of Stall Catchers volunteers, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7WGg6-cZF8.
Play Stall Catchers and contribute to Alzheimer's research: https://stallcatchers.com/main


"The mail will be a little full this week."
Students and parents in Knox County are now writing letters to their school board members concerning the upcoming budget vote for all of 2019.
This is a new method they're using to ask the school board not to cut funding for Project GRAD, the magnet program, or the gifted (GTE) program.
"The mail will be a little full this week," said Vivian Shipe, who wrote several letters to school board members on Sunday.
"Please do not de-fund Project GRAD," Shipe's letter read. "Keep funding GRAD, the magnet program and Gifted and Talented Education. All children are important. Please help our children's future."
Shipe is one of the hundreds of people who attended last week's over-packed school board meetings to defend funding for these three programs.
Now she's encouraging everyone to take their passion for schools to pen and paper.
"When you take the time to write a letter, what you're doing is you're saying my time is valuable and this issue is important to me," said Shipe.
She believes eliminated funding for the three programs will hurt students, like 12-year-old Josh Martinez.
"This is not right," said Martinez. "We are not going to stand back and let all our funds be just taken away."
Josh is a fifth grader in the gifted program at Cedar Bluff Elementary School.
In his three years in the program, Josh said he's been able to create new projects and ideas to help the community.
He wants other kids to experience that, too.
"My brother is in third grade and he is in [the gifted program] and knowing that he won't be able to get those next two years of experience is just very sad," said Josh.
That's why he and Shipe are writing to their school board members, and hope other kids will, too.
"I think that if she hears the words of a fifth grader that is actually in GTE i think she'll know more of like what it feels like," Josh said of his district's school board member.
"People are listening and you have to understand Knoxville is awake," said Shipe. "And we gonna stay woke."
The school board is still working to come up with the best solution for their budget. They will vote on the budget on April 30.


Summary: Google Docs is a useful digital tool for composing and editing text, as it combines the features of a word processing program with the option of online collaboration, editing, and publishing.
Go to Letters to the Next President: Writing Our Future to take part in a project co-sponsored by NWP and Google that uses Google Docs in the classroom.
Google Docs is a free Web-based program that allows teachers and students to create and share documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.
Writing project teachers and their colleagues have found Google Docs to be a useful addition to their digital toolbox because it allows for collaborative editing, tracking of revisions, and Web-based publishing of text in a shared online space. You can control who has access to a document, whether it's just yourself, one student, or the entire class.
Google Docs has the familiar look and feel of a typical word processing program.
Google Docs makes it easy for students to collaborate on their writing when they're composing and when they're revising each other's work.
Google Docs saves changes to documents automatically and allows teachers to review document revisions showing exactly who changed what, and when.
When pieces are ready to be published, the program allows for the publishing of documents online, as normal-looking Web pages, without the need to learn new tools.
Because all Google Docs documents are stored online, they can be accessed by teachers and students from any computer with an Internet connection and a standard browser.
Users must create a free Google account to use the program, and since the documents are stored online in a shared Web space, users must have Internet access to use the Google Docs applications.
This video features Susan Ettenheim, who is is on the leadership team for the New York City Writing Project's technology work.


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'Iron Cat' #2 doubles down on the heartache
Black Cat has a plan, but so does the all-new Iron Cat!
Following up on the events of Jed MacKay and Pere Pérez's opening issue, this feels very much like a middle chapter, concerned with getting all of their players into place. But that doesn't mean it doesn't dazzle in its own way! The new issue puts all of our players on the board by following a similar structure to last month's installment: by couching flashbacks within flashbacks to show us how the new Iron Cat's plan came together while also providing a bit of forward momentum in the present day sequences. This can be a bit unwieldy in some moments when the narration from a flashback pops over into the present, but it's overall easy to follow and keeps the flow of the narrative from feeling too static.
Much like last issue, we get a good bit of exposition to catch readers up to speed on where Felicia and Tony are at in their lives. However, this issue really packs it in up top with a ton of dialogue. It's helpful to get some context for Tony's apprehension regarding the Iron Cat armor's continued existence, but it also does feel like it kills a bit of the momentum at the start of the story.
Even so, Pérez does an excellent job of showing us Felicia's inner struggle. She's been put up against someone she really cares about, and you can see that all over her face and in her body language. She's clearly upset having to tell Tony more about Tamara, but it seems she's reluctant to pursue this case. After all, it's only going to end with more heartbreak.
And speaking of heartbreak and Tamara, we get a closer look at Tamara's own inner turmoil and feelings toward Felicia, courtesy of a handy flashback and some especially conflicted narration. This sequence is easily the highlight of the book, showcasing just how different she and Felicia are, but also making it very obvious why they'd be drawn to one another. In many ways, they seemed to have balanced each other out in their days working for the Black Fox.
But that only makes the battle to come more heartbreaking. It's still not entirely clear what Tamara wants beyond good old fashioned revenge, but it's interesting to see how tightly this plot connects Felicia and Tony's gallery of villains. And while Tony Stark occasionally feels slightly one-note in parts of this issue, it also makes sense that he'd have very little reason to trust Black Cat. It's a great choice on MacKay's part to base Tony's motivations around protecting his tech and making sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands, even if it means he has to play nice with Felicia Hardy for a while. And of course, I got a great laugh out of Felicia's willingness to use Tony's wallet for all it's worth when laying a trap.
It seems the pieces are all in place for a big showdown, but with multiple issues left in this miniseries, there are sure to be more twists and turns. At the moment, I'm enjoying the flashbacks a lot more than the main event, but that may change when Iron Cat makes her next move!
Iron Cat #2
As new villainous alliances brew, 'Iron Cat' continues its fascinating exploration of Felicia Hardy's early days as a super thief. This is shaping up to be an interesting chapter in Black Cat history.
The "good old days" flashbacks are the best part of the issue, showing us more of the painful history between Felicia and Tamara
Plays to Felicia's strengths outside of costumed vigilantism -- she knows how to use Tony Stark's bank account to her advantage
Builds on both Black Cat and Iron Man's recent history in interesting ways and ties them together
Feels heavy on the exposition in a few sequences, which squashes a teensy bit of momentum
In this article:iron cat, Marvel
'Department of Truth' #19 invokes El Dorado


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South Africa issues 'red alert' to stop Grace Mugabe from leaving country
By Alasdair Sandford • Updated: 17/08/2017
South African police say they are waiting to see whether Grace Mugabe is granted diplomatic immunity before taking the next step in their inquiry into alleged assault by the Zimbabwean first lady on a young model. A senior police source said their investigation was complete but they were not preparing an arrest warrant at this stage.
Other reports said police had put a "red alert" on South Africa's borders to prevent any attempt by Grace Mugabe to flee the country. "We had already put tabs on the borders, in relation to her leaving the country, so there's no question about that, Police Minister Fikile Mbalula told reporters.
The 52-year-old has asked for diplomatic immunity, although she has not been charged. Her whereabouts were not known to the authorities.
The alleged victim, 20-year-old Gabriella Engels, appeared at a news conference on Thursday alongside her mother and a prominent lawyer who said he was ready to represent her.
Gerrie Nel, a former state prosecutor who secured the murder conviction of athlete Oscar Pistorius, said the family had been kept in the dark about the investigation and implied that it had been offered a bribe.
"The family has even been approached via a third party to accept an amount of money to settle this. And the family is not interested in doing that and we will definitely assist," Nel told reporters.
Engels has accused Zimbabwe's first lady of barging into a Johannesburg hotel where the model was meeting with Mugabe's sons, and whipping her with an electric cord. The alleged victim's mother Debbie has released graphic pictures of her daughter's injuries, showing gashes to the head and bruises on her body.
Police say Grace Mugabe was due in court on Tuesday under a deal struck with the authorities, but failed to turn up.
The issue is causing diplomatic waves at the highest level. On Wednesday police said Grace Mugabe would be "processed through the legal system".
President Mugabe, 93, arrived in Pretoria late on Wednesday for a regional summit.
Cape Town Minstrel Carnival returns after two-year Covid-19 hiatus
Watch: Thousands of delegates of the African National Congress to elect new leader
South Africa: At least nine people dead in flash flood near Johannesburg
SOUTH AFRICA ROBERT MUGABE ZIMBABWE


This study examines how English-Spanish code-switching (CS) has evolved throughout time in American mainstream TV shows. More specifically, it looks at the frequency of CS in shows from the past, 20th century, versus shows from the present time, 21st century. Furthermore, it also investigates which gender (males or females) is employing CS more frequently in both time periods. The study focuses on four American TV shows that include English-Spanish bilingual speakers and that are representative of both the past and the present time. The purpose of this study is to observe if the presence of English-Spanish CS is growing or declining in American mainstream TV shows overtime and how gender is playing a role in CS frequency. Results indicated that on average, based on the shows observed only, CS usage has decreased in 21st century TV shows in comparison to their 20th century counterparts, and that males are employing CS more frequently than females on average. The first outcome could have been influenced by the number of shows observed being small, therefore, only serve as a representation of CS patterns overtime. Lastly, the second outcome could be attributed to the fact that research (e.g. Fischer 1958, Lavob 1966, Trudgill, 1972) has demonstrated that males tend to utilize more non-standard forms of language than females.
Quinonez, Mariel, "Spanish-English Code-Switching in American Mainstream TV Series" (2018). Culminating Projects in English. 140.


I am looking at making a full upgrade. I want to get back into gaming like BF1 and do general web browsing. I also tend to keep my computer for several years, my current system is about 7 years old. I may do a little overclocking but nothing extreme. I am just running a 24" 1080p monitor right now but may upgrade that to a 4k monitor down the road.
My budget is around 1500 usd but can go over just a bit if worth it. Of course cheaper the better too without losing performance or quality. Don't include windows, monitor, keyboard, mouse or optical drive in that price.
Now I am having a hard time deciding which route to take, Intel or AMD. I know the AMD ryzen series may be the better option since it has more cores which may be better for the long run. But I am mostly gaming and currently people say the 7700k does better. I know years down the road, games will start to utilize more cores better and the ryzen might be the better option.
I know this is a crazy thought but since I have a 4 core cpu now, seems odd to upgrade to another 4 core cpu, 7700k. Now I know the 7700k will be a big improvement over the i7 920 but still seems odd.
Also thought about waiting for Coffee Lake since it may be released soon. I would kind of like to get something done soon but is not a necessity.
I've got the 1700 and i love it. The stock cooler is even good (enough). I rarely max it out on all cores, even playing games. So i'm not going to say you NEED 8 cores, unless you plan to stream your gameplay live.
I think if i were building one now, I'd wait and get the coffee lake 8700k, since the 7700k edges out even the ryzen 1800x in gameplay. Though, since you're going with the 1070, you might be able to get away with an i5, and then upgrade it whenever intel does its next die shrink to (?)10nm.
That build looks good, I would change that 850 Pro for an 850 EVO, since it's a lot cheaper and there is not a lot of difference, and maybe get a better GPU, if you are serious about getting a 4K monitor. And if you are only gaming, and not playing CPU intensive games (Like Ashes of the Singularity), then an I5 would be perfect. Also that cooler seems a bit overkill, if you are not doing a lot of overclocking, unless you live in India or somewhere else that's hot.


When the owners of the Tennessee natural gas pipeline decided to expand the pipe in the Marcellus Shale region of Pennsylvania's northern tier, the federal safety rules they had to follow filled a book.
For this interstate transmission line running north from the Gulf Coast, the regulations covered everything from the strength of the steel to the welding methods to how deep the pipeline must be buried.
Also in Bradford County, another company - Chesapeake Energy - is building a pipeline the same size as the Tennessee line, 24 inches in diameter. And it's designed to operate at even higher pressure - up to 1,440 pounds per square inch.
But for this line, in this rural section of shale country, there are no safety rules at all.
Because the second line is classified as a "gathering" pipeline, carrying gas from well fields to transmission lines, safety rules are less stringent. And because that line is in a rural area, it's totally unregulated.
Bill Wilson lives in neighboring Wyoming County, another crossroads for the new generation of powerful Marcellus gathering lines. He made a study of pipeline rules in his role as president of a group of landowners who negotiated gas and pipeline leases.
He says the calculation that balances safety regulations against population numbers treats rural residents as "collateral damage."
"It's all about money. You know that as well as I do," he said.
This loophole in the law, a legacy of the industry's influence in Washington, has been evident for decades, but the mighty Marcellus gas strike in Pennsylvania has changed the rules.
The new wells, using the technique of hydraulic fracturing, generate tremendous torrents of gas that need big pipes, running at pressures far greater than traditional gathering lines.
That has federal regulators and some members of Congress once again pushing to extend safety rules to the 200,000 miles of gathering lines in rural America - with gas and pipeline companies pitted against them.
"I believe when a pipeline is put in the ground, there has to be some regulation," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, whose agency oversees pipelines through the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, PHMSA.
"Someone has to have some enforcement over them, some oversight on construction and safety - but also transparency, so people in these communities know when a pipeline is going through their front yard," he said.
This high-stakes battle - now playing out in Harrisburg, as well - has engaged politicians, environmentalists, and legions of lobbyists, arguing over arcane details in law offices, committee rooms, and before the state Public Utility Commission.
As Pennsylvania takes its place among the major gas-producing states, it is perhaps appropriate that a key figure in these regulatory debates is a congressman from Pennsylvania - Bill Shuster.
When Republicans gained control of the House in the 2010 elections, Shuster became chairman of a subcommittee with oversight of pipelines. He's hesitant to add rules that might slow natural gas development - including ones on gathering pipelines.
"If there's a glaring problem out there, we ought to take a look at it, but I haven't heard there's a problem," he said. "If it's not broke, why fix it?"
Gas and pipeline companies say that the oversight gap has no effect on public safety, and that their new gathering lines in the Marcellus are "state of the art."
Chesapeake Energy says the 24-inch line it is building in Bradford County, like its other pipelines, meets or exceeds all safety regulations.
"I would be surprised to find anybody building gathering lines out there that are not up to the highest integrity standards," said David J. Spigelmyer, vice president of Chesapeake and chairman of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, the leading industry trade group.
Though the industry insists accidents on gathering lines are rare, the stakes are high when the pipes do rupture. In recent years, they have blown up in Texas and Oklahoma, killing workers and burning one woman in her home.
"It doesn't matter what you call this thing," said Richard Kuprewicz, an engineer and consultant for the Pipeline Safety Trust. "You've got high diameter and high pressure - guess what? There needs to be more regulation."
But industry representatives, here and in Washington, are once again pushing back. Bills pending in Harrisburg say the state rules can't be tougher than the federal ones.
"It simply increases the cost of doing business in the area without really accomplishing much," said W. Jonathan Airey, a lawyer for the industry. He and others say the money could be better spent on protecting the public in more populated areas.
He was doubtful the move would gather much steam, especially given the long history of wrangling over the issue. "I don't know how enthusiastic DOT [the Department of Transportation] is to reopen something that took 30 or 35 years" to settle, he said.
As pipeline rules have become stricter, they have required companies to focus their greatest attention on what regulators officially term "high-consequence areas" - places where the injury or death toll would be massive.
That's of little comfort to Emily Krafjack, who lives in Mehoopany, in rural Wyoming County.
"We're of no consequence, that's what I always say," said Krafjack, who has become one of Pennsylvania's most persistent advocates for stronger pipeline regulations.
Much of the pipeline mileage in her county is designated "Class 1," the least-populated and least-regulated of four areas under PHMSA regulations. That means there are 10 or fewer homes along a one-mile section of pipeline within a quarter-mile right-of-way. No federal or state safety regulations apply to gathering lines in Class 1.
Pipeline companies building gathering lines in Wyoming County say they are following stricter standards anyway, using stronger steel and painstaking inspection procedures.
Krafjack said that's a welcome step - but she says it should not be voluntary. She says the Class 1 loophole must be closed - .
"While these run through the fields or the hills, eventually they go by people's homes," she said.
"All of these lines are being installed in a very short window of time. They can use shallower depth, they can use thinner pipe. They can do no inspections."
Though firms pledge to build to the best standards, she says, "We have no way of knowing."
For many other residents, though, these gathering lines represent more promise than peril. Many landowners now have wells drilled and "fracked" on their property - but won't start getting royalty checks until the pipes are hooked up and the gas starts flowing.
"We're pretty sure the black river runs right through here," said Phil Beardslee, 65, a truck driver from Springville, in Susquehanna County, saying the wells in his area had been big producers.
"And I hope so," he said. "We hope. It's my retirement."
He says he is unconcerned about pollution from the well pad near his home or safety problems from the pipelines. As he spoke, a crew from Williams was laying a pipe across the street from his house.
"They come in, do a good job, cover them up, and they're gone," Beardslee said. "By the time they get it all graded off, you don't know it's even here."
Lower safety standards for rural areas have been enshrined in federal rules since the dawn of federal pipeline regulation.
In 1965, a transmission pipeline fractured outside the small town of Natchitoches, La. The explosion killed 17 and prompted President Lyndon B. Johnson to call for the first time for federal pipeline regulation. The same pattern has been repeated ever since - explosion, deaths, reform.
With a push from Johnson, Congress enacted its first oversight laws in 1968.
But from the start, industry lobbyists made sure the rules explicitly exempted a huge segment of the pipeline infrastructure - the ones running from wells in more remote areas.
Soon, it became apparent that the exemption had created a massive regulatory gap.
"Although several serious accidents have occurred in recent years involving . . . gas gathering lines in rural areas, safety regulations governing these pipelines have not been issued," federal auditors warned in 1978.
Prodded by Congress, the Transportation Department tried to draft new rules in 1974 and 1986 and again in 1991. Each time, the industry fought back..
Companies questioned whether the lines were really that dangerous, and whether the extra expense of regulations would discourage natural gas exploration.
Each time, the agency ended up retreating.
One of the biggest obstacles has been an inability to solve the most basic question of all: When is a pipeline a gathering line?
For pipeline companies, names mean a lot: They pay user fees to the government, $70 million this year, based in part on how their pipes are defined. More important, tougher regulations mean more compliance costs.
Generally, gathering lines run from well fields and feed into bigger "transmission lines" that cross the country, and deliver gas to the utilities that pump it into homes and businesses through "distribution lines."
For years, the official definition was circular - a gathering line was one that, in the supply chain, came before a transmission line. A transmission line was one that came after a gathering line.
"We all used to make jokes that we'd all retire before we figure out what that is," said Johnny Dreyer, a spokesman for the Gas Producers Association, the major trade group for gathering pipeline firms.
In 2006, PHMSA essentially gave up: It simply instructed companies to use a guide produced by the American Petroleum Institute.
"It's a joke," said Bill Kiger, of Pennsylvania One Call, the 811 number that construction crews can call before they dig to avoid striking a buried gas line.
"The problem with all that kind of stuff is the definitions are produced by the user group," he said. "If you were a user, would you make the definition tough? It's like setting your own parking fee."
But that didn't settle anything. In August, federal regulators admitted the guide was full of "conflicting and ambiguous language," with 20 bewildering diagrams that can result in the same pipeline system being classified in different ways.
"The regulations, as I look at them, begin starting to look like the tax code," Jeffrey D. Wiese, associate PHMSA administrator for pipeline safety, said at an agency meeting.
Some companies have gamed the system, regulators say, exploiting the confusion so their lines escape regulation - even though they may run as far as 76 miles from the gas well.
In fighting new rules, the industry has leaned on numbers. There are fewer accidents on gathering lines, the argument goes, so new rules would be overkill.
But critics say that's something of a Catch-22. Since the lines aren't regulated, there's no requirement that companies report incidents or accidents. Reliable statistics are hard to come by.
"It's hard to move forward with a rulemaking based on data when there's no data and no requirement for anybody to give us data," one PHMSA official said in an interview, speaking on condition that he not be named.
In fact, the only real attempt to study accidents on gathering lines was done by an industry trade group in 2004. The Gas Processors Association surveyed 40 operators and found 58 incidents during the previous five years, including one death and three injuries. The group said this showed the lines posed less threat than transmission lines.
The study was cited by PHMSA when, in 2006, it decided against tougher rules.
At the request of Congress, the Government Accountability Office is now trying to collect statistics on gathering-line accidents; auditors recently toured Pennsylvania.
In the effort to extend regulation, safety advocates and regulators have had to contend with opposition not only in the industry, but from elsewhere in the government.
In 2004, Energy Department officials cited a policy of President George W. Bush to protect domestic energy production and echoed industry lobbyists in warning that regulation would harm "marginal" operators.
The move to increase safety could force companies to shut down wells or discourage the drilling, wrote James Slutz, who was then deputy assistant secretary for natural gas and petroleum technology.
Lobbyists joined in, saying new regulations would have a "devastating impact" on gas exploration, and "drag producers into a regulatory scheme . . . with little or no benefit."
These worries found a sympathetic audience among regulators.
"We are very concerned that we not bring additional costs," Stacey L. Gerard, the chief safety officer at the time, said during a 2006 meeting with a PHMSA technical advisory panel heavy with industry representatives. "We are very sensitive to the limited margins of profit."
In the end, the agency in 2006 dropped its bid to push regulation into Class 1 rural areas, saying its proposal "does not appear to be a reasonable use of available resources." The agency tightened some rules on gathering lines but relaxed others.
The net result: No change in miles regulated.
Near the town of Alex, in the oil-field plains southwest of Oklahoma City, a noise that sounded like a bomb shook people awake in the middle of the night three years ago.
The explosion, from a 20-inch gas gathering line, rattled their walls and sent up a 50-foot ball of flame that turned 3 a.m. as bright as afternoon. Three homes were destroyed, and a woman, Mildred Hull, suffered second- and third-degree burns.
Grady County Fire Chief Perry Wenzel said the blaze was ferocious, so intense that it melted the back of one of his fire trucks.
"It totally destroyed three homes that were there," Wenzel said in a recent interview. "It burned them to the ground."
The line was 32 years old. The company that owned it, Enogex Inc., said at the time an inspection the year before had turned up no problems. No one hit the line during an excavation.
What caused the pipe to blow up remains a mystery. The area, a center of oil and gas production since the 1920s, was rural, meaning pipes there fall outside any regulations. Oklahoma did not investigate.
"Our pipeline safety division didn't have jurisdiction over it," said Matt Skinner, a spokesman for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.
"In terms of this agency, there were no reports," Skinner said.
Enogex conducted its own review but won't discuss the results.
"They just don't want to reveal that information," said Enogex spokeswoman Sandra Longcrier. She did say that since the accident, the company has begun to use internal devices to inspect larger gathering lines for corrosion: "That was a good lesson learned."
Two years later, another Enogex gathering line exploded in another town in the same county, injuring three workers doing maintenance on the line. One suffered a broken leg, burst eardrums, and second-degree burns over half his body.
Like the first line, this one was unregulated, and state officials did not investigate the accident. Longcrier said the company would not reveal that cause, either.
"More and more, these lines are not in a rural area - they get built up around the line after it's in," she said, stressing that the company's workers have a personal stake in safety: "All our men live and work in those areas where they have lines."
After the Alex accident, the Oklahoma Legislature took up a bill that would have given the state authority to regulate these rural gathering lines. It would have removed a legal ban on the state imposing any pipeline rules more stringent than federal ones.
But it drew fire from pipeline firms and died.
"The industry felt like it was a little too burdensome," said Republican State Sen. Brian Bingman, the sponsor.
With its long history of oil and gas production, Grady County is now a "spiderweb of pipelines," Wenzel, the fire chief, said.
"They should be regulated," he said. "Mainly for the safety of the people. These things are running next to towns and everything. They're everywhere.
"I wish there was a lot more support on this," he said. "But when it comes to the pipeline companies, they take that over."
In Pennsylvania, like other oil and gas states, shallow gas wells - and pipelines - have been around for decades, dating to the first pioneering wave of oil and gas development that began 150 years ago.
About 350,000 conventional gas wells have been drilled in Western Pennsylvania, and 70,000 are still producing. Those types of wells generally require much smaller pipelines, six or eight inches in diameter. Pressures are lower.
The new natural gas rush has changed everything.
In the Marcellus, drillers pump water at high pressure to blast the gas loose from shale, a process known as hydraulic fracturing, and send as many as 16 wells underground horizontally from the same well pad.
Gas bursts from these wells at pressures as high as or higher than is typical for even the big interstate lines. Within a year or two, the pressure drops significantly.
A considerable amount of Marcellus gas arrives ready-made for the big interstate lines. Some companies operating in Pennsylvania, including Williams, typically use 24-inch for their gathering lines in the state. Some lines are even larger.
As a result, "the framework for regulating gas gathering lines may no longer be appropriate," PHMSA announced this year. In August, the agency once again opened a study on whether to close the rural regulation loophole.
"We're worried, too. We would like to have jurisdiction over those lines," said Cynthia L. Quarterman, PHMSA administrator.
For starters, officials proposed dumping the convoluted American Petroleum Institute guidebook and drafting a new definition.
More sweepingly, the agency asked for comment on whether it should impose "new, risk-based requirements for large-diameter, high-pressure gas gathering lines in rural locations."
"It's a little tough to defend to say that we don't regulate Class 1 locations," PHMSA official DeWitt Burdeaux told an industry conference in March. "That those folks that are in a little more rural areas are not as important as those in the higher-density population areas."
A pipeline-safety bill now close to passage in Washington once again brings up the issue of ending the exemption for rural gathering lines. Just as before, the bill calls only for yet another study - due in two years.
Industry representatives are still skeptical. Jeff Applekamp, director of government affairs for the Gas Producers Association, said he wasn't aware of the higher-pressure gathering lines in shale regions.
As for the possibility of new rules, he said: "All I can say is it would take more investigation" regarding the need to regulate in "these far-out remote areas."
In Pennsylvania, regulators were caught unprepared for the massive rollout of pipeline construction. Everywhere but Alaska and Pennsylvania, the perennially short-staffed PHMSA relies on state agencies to inspect gathering lines in gas-well fields.
Even before the Marcellus pipeline construction began in earnest, PHMSA had been imploring the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to take on that role, said Paul Metro, who oversees gas regulation for the PUC.
But the agency was slow to respond. Former commissioners said it just wasn't on their radar.
Starting in 2010, the PUC began holding hearings on what regulation should look like. The commission, industry, and legislators hashed out a rough consensus: Pennsylvania, like other states, would begin to enforce the federal rules.
As in Oklahoma and other states, legislators included a provision that would prohibit Pennsylvania regulators from adopting any rules more stringent than federal ones. The upshot: no rules for rural gathering lines.
"The industry wanted some assurances" that the PUC would not try to overstep federal law, said Fran Cleaver, staff director of the state Senate Consumer Protection Committee.
"I think this is what we could negotiate to get a consensus right now," she said. "This was as much as we could do."
The Pennsylvania House and Senate each passed versions of a pipeline regulation bill earlier this year. The two versions are similar, and a reconciled version is expected to become law soon.
The legislation will likely include a provision for a state registry for all gathering lines - but still no safety rules in rural areas.
That hasn't gone over well with landowners, activists, and some government officials in the shale fields.
"The safety of a selected class of citizens will be deemed expendable," Lynn Senick, a resident of Montrose in Susquehanna County, a center of shale drilling, testified before the PUC.
Those protests have apparently helped sway some players in Harrisburg.
Over the summer, Gov. Corbett's Marcellus Shale advisory commission voted, 27-0, to recommend extending rules to rural areas.
"Those citizens in those areas are saying, 'We want regulation,' " Robert Powelson, the PUC chairman and commission member, said in an interview.
"We heard them loud and clear."
State Sen. Lisa J. Baker, sponsor of the Senate version of the pipeline-regulation bill, said she was preparing another measure that would have the PUC oversee all lines, rural or not.
Her Luzerne County district is a hotbed of protest against pipelines.
"These are high-pressure lines carrying gas near their homes," Baker said of her constituents, "and they think they should have the same protections as people who live in more urban areas."
Even so, any move to extend regulation may face opposition from the industry and its supporters in Harrisburg.
State Rep. Matt Baker, a Republican from Tioga County who is a leader on pipeline issues in his chamber, said he remained opposed to having the state take the lead and regulate Class 1. Baker, no relation to Lisa Baker, represents a district that includes parts of Bradford and Tioga Counties, areas laced with well pads and pipelines.
"The reason the feds don't do it is that with the cost-benefit analysis, there just isn't a substantiated need to do so," he said.
The Marcellus Shale Coalition agrees. The influential trade group says the question of regulation in rural America should be settled at the federal level, not by every state passing its own rules.
The coalition chairman, Spigelmyer, says all Pennsylvania gas pipelines, rural or not, should be listed in a registry, but he stopped short of endorsing new regulation.
"We're trying to do what's right in the field," he said. "Let's face it - the Marcellus is being developed with the highest integrity standards."


I recently had a great conversation with a friend who was from a different denomination than I and she noted that they didn't celebrate Christmas.
After further discussion, I understood why they felt that way but I didn't necessarily agree wholeheartedly.
I agreed that Jesus was not born on 25 December, the day a majority of the Western world celebrates Christmas but I disagreed that his birth should not be celebrated.
Clearly, the bible does show that HIS birth was celebrated and rejoiced over (Luke 2:8-20) and gifts were given (Matthew 2:1-12).
The question though is how do you celebrate Christmas?
Is your focus on the gifts or THE Gift.
Is it on rushing to buy presents, planning the parties or the usual crazy?
Today, we celebrate the day by being busy, spending money we may not have and in many cases never singing, rejoicing and praising God for THE Gift of HIS Son.
That is what Christmas should be. It should be about rejoicing and giving our Father all the praise. It should be about displaying the love of Jesus Christ with our fellow humans by giving to the poor, oppressed and orphans.
Food for thought: There is no problem with giving gifts and eating with family, the real issue is where in our priorities does that live with Jesus coming first. If Christ is not first in your motivations and actions for Christmas then it really isn't CHRISTmas at all.
May God's mercy, grace and peace be with you.


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Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren raised $6 million in 2019's first quarter, her campaign announced Wednesday, helping to ease concerns that her grassroots fundraising capabilities were lagging behind her counterparts in the 2020 field.
The fundraising haul is competitive with her fellow 2020 Democratic hopefuls. But Warren stands out in the field for her decision to forego high-dollar fundraisers and donor dialing, a decision that prompted worries about her ability to fundraise competitively.
"Grassroots donations are the only reason Elizabeth can keep setting the tone for this race with substance and determination for big structural change," her campaign manager, Roger Lau, wrote in an email sent Wednesday afternoon.
In that same email from her campaign, Lau cautions looking "at the number of grassroots donors — and donations — other candidates report" — a subtle dig at the rest of the field, and a reminder that Warren is not just talking the talk on forsaking donors or corporate PAC money, but living her principles.
Warren boasted a $28 overall donation average from 135,000 grassroots donors making more than 213,000 donations. According to the campaign, ninety-nine percent of donations were less than $200. She heads into the next phase of the 2020 race with $11.2 million cash on hand, with a large amount of that transferred over from her Senate account.
That cash-on-hand number suggests she spent more than $5 million this cycle.
The full accounting of candidates' first quarter fundraising will be available by April 15, when the campaigns have to file reports with the Federal Election Commission.


A SWAT team arrives amid a standoff in northeast St. Louis County with a gunman who shot a U.S. Marshal.
A U.S. Marshal was reportedly shot in the chest while trying to serve a search warrant Monday at a home in northeast St. Louis County, prompting a brief standoff with police and a SWAT team.
The marshal, who is currently being treated at a hospital, is believed to be "OK" and a bulletproof vest he was wearing stopped the bullet, a source told KTVI.
The U.S. Marshals Service told the station the suspect opened fire at officers as they got out of their vehicles in the Glasgow Village area, and they returned fire.
The shooter, identified by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch as William Watson Jr., is wanted for first-degree assault and domestic assault.
An arrest warrant was issued for Watson after he failed to show up at court in November following a domestic assault conviction in September.
During the trial, a woman testified that Watson choked and body-slammed her, while Watson said she came at him with a knife.
Live images broadcast by KTVI showed a heavy police presence and a SWAT team in the area.
But as of 12:30 p.m. local time, the standoff ended, according to KMOV.
It was not immediately clear if the suspect is in custody and what his condition is.


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Jackery Serial Number Location – My Honest Opinion
Is the Jackery Solar Generator worth the hype? Or is it just another scam? Check out our Jackery review, and make your own decision. The Jackery solar generator uses the latest technology to produce clean energy in remote places. It works with Apple Pay, MasterCard, PayPal and GooglePay. What are the pros and disadvantages of Jackery? Below are our answers to your questions. And as always, let us know in the comments section.
Jackery Brand remains committed to providing sustainable, portable power solutions. The company has set new standards in solar charging technology and renewable energy with the innovative solar chargers it makes. The company's extensive global footprint spans the US and Canada, and its products have now been sold in over 1.5 million homes around the world. Visit Jackery.com to learn more about the Jackery Brand. Here is a brief description of the brand's product lines.
Jackery Brand portable generators are the ideal outdoor power solution. They offer a superior alternative for gas-powered generators with their powerful output and efficient design. Jackery also makes high-quality panels. These products can power electronics without a wall outlet. These products are great for outdoor activities, emergency situations, and camping. Visit their website to learn more about Jackery Brand and how they could help you in your outdoor adventures.
We're looking for Jackery solar generator reviews. The portable generator can be run on only the sun so you don't have to worry about running low on fuel. The generator will not emit carbon dioxide or other pollutants. It will also not need any maintenance, so you'll be able to enjoy the benefits of solar power without worrying about the environmental impact. This review will take a closer look into the Jackery solar panel's capabilities.
Our Jackery solar panel generator review started with a comparison of similar units. The Jackery Explorer 1000 was our favorite. It offered several great features, including a large battery capacity and an inverter. It was affordable and could keep our phone charged during blackouts, despite its low price. Besides, it also had plenty of ports for charging. It also had a 12V outlet that could be used to charge the device in case of power outages.
The Jackery Explorer 1500 Portable Power Station includes an 1800W AC inverter, 3600W surge, and 23% conversion-efficient solar panels for recharge and portable off-grid power. The 1800-watt power station can recharge and power all of your devices, including your cell phone, laptop, and tools plugged into its USB ports. It can also be used as an AC power outlet. It has a patented design that makes it last longer than a regular power outlet.
The Jackery 1500 comes with several input accessories for charging your devices. These include a carrying case and a 300W AC wall adapter. The system cannot charge your phone via USB-C, but can be charged from a car's 12-volt DC socket. This device also includes an adapter to Jackery Solar Saga panels. Overall, this portable power station is well-equipped to support your mobile lifestyle and will give you plenty of electricity.
The Jackery 1000 is a great choice if you are looking for a portable charger. It can be connected to your car's DC adapter, home outlet, or both. It can surge up to 2000 watts and charge a 500-watt hairdryer with its lithium-ion battery power station. The Jackery is quieter and comes with two-year warranties.
The price is also right! I have been a customer of this product since it was first introduced to me by a respected review site. It's only recently that I've had the opportunity to use it. Nevertheless, I've been skeptical about its quality. It's possible that I'm missing something crucial to a fair evaluation, so I'm glad to present my Jackery 1000 review. Listed below are my findings.
Chong Dian Hui Sho Gei, or "shi Jini," is the Chinese name. It's a Chinese character that translates as "renewable energy." The name sounds interesting, but I couldn't really find any other information on it. I'm willing to give it a go. After all, I've heard that it's a reputable source of energy, so it's worth a shot.
This Jackery solar panel review will focus on some of the key features. The product is lightweight and portable, with a conversion efficiency of up to 23%. It also comes with a convenient carry handle. This makes it easy to use on the go, whether you're camping, hiking, or simply need some extra electricity. The best part about it? It's right in the middle of the price range.
The Jackery Power Station comes with an integrated kickstand for easy transport. The kickstand can be extended to support the panel when the power station is not in use. It also features a protective laminate layer to prevent dust and moisture from getting inside. It also has a zippered pouch on the back for the 3m cable. The other end plugs into the Jackery's charging port. Lastly, it is compatible with USB-C devices.
The Jackery generator is a great option for those who need a portable power source while on the road. The portable power pack includes four solar panels, which can keep your equipment charged even if you are away from the grid. While gas generators may be cheaper, they do require you to purchase gas over time. The Jackery uses a high-quality inverter. Moreover, it does not produce dirty electricity, unlike other generators.
There are a few things to remember before you purchase this generator. First, ensure the battery can last at least 100 cycles. A lithium-ion batteries will last you longer than a NiCd. A Jackery battery is very light so you don't need to worry about its weight. You should also make sure that it is fully charged. Otherwise, it could cause damage.
In addition, the Jackery should be more honest in its advertising. It claims it can charge 500 watts, but the actual solar input is only 306 watts. It is also not capable of charging more than two solar panels. The manufacturer should be more upfront and state whether or not the Jackery will use a solar panel. The company should also inform customers about the cost of spare parts and their availability. Consumers can then make an informed choice about whether to purchase this generator.
A portable power station such as the Jackery has many benefits. You can easily charge your gadgets by plugging them into the power supply. The time it takes to charge your device will vary depending on its size and current charge. This is why it is important to ensure that your device is regularly charged. For most people, this is the best portable power station. It is not a perfect solution for emergency situations, however.
Both chargers can charge your gadgets via USB but they come with different types of batteries. Both the Jackery Explorer 150 (Goal Zero Yeti 400) and Jackery Explorer 150 (Jackery Explorer 150) use lead-acid battery. Lead-acid batteries are heavy and inconvenient. The Jackery Explorer 150 is lighter and more portable than the Goal Zero Yeti 150. Both portable power station come with a USB C port, but the Yeti lacks one.
Jackery products are the best choice for those who need a solar charger that can withstand the elements. The Solar Generator concept was the result of years of research into solar energy. In addition, the Explorer series was the world's first lithium portable power series. The innovative battery management system has been a key design feature of each model. Today, the company offers a wide selection of Explorer models including the popular Explorer 240.
The company's range of solar panels is gaining popularity and the Solar Generator is a popular choice to use outdoors. It's not surprising to see that the solar generator concept was popular, as it combines the features of a solar panel with a portable power station. Jackery has created a great outdoor brand and product line. He also set a standard for solar and renewable charging. Whether you're camping out in the woods or backpacking in the desert, solar power products will give you the energy you need to keep yourself warm and comfortable.


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'Grey's Anatomy': Bailey Receives Shocking News & Meredith Further Jeopardizes Her Career
October 17, 2019 9:33PM EDT
Mad Men's Christina Hendricks Splits From Geoffrey Arend After 10 Years Of Marriage
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Cassie Gill
Evening/Weekend Editor
Christina Hendricks and Geffrey Arend announced their split in a joint statement posted to Instagram on Oct. 17. The couple tied the knot in 2009, and were together for 12 years.
Christina Hendricks, 44, and Geoffrey Arend, 41, are going their separate ways. "Twelve years ago we fell in love and became partners. We joined our two amazing families, had countless laughs, made wonderful friends and were blessed with incredible opportunities," the Mad Men actress shared on her Instagram account Tuesday, Oct. 17. "Today we take our next step together, but on separate paths. We will always be grateful for the love we've shared and will always work together to raise our two beautiful dogs." The statement also added they will be "taking time to rediscover ourselves in this transition and we thank you for your patience and support in giving us the space to do so." Christina and Geoffrey tied-the-knot on Oct. 11, 2009 at New York City's Il Buco Restaurant after a year-long engagement.
Christina, who is best known for her role as Joan on Mad Men, was actually introduced to Geoffrey by her former co-star Vincent Kartheiser back in 2007! "Geoffrey walked in and I was like, 'Who is this guy?' He had amazing hair and was all disheveled…he just came in [to Vincent's house] with this very high energy. He was just charming, funny and very magnetic. I got his number that night under the pretence of, 'We could just be friends," the buxom redhead gushed to Cosmopolitan UK back in March 2012. She even joked that she thought she would scare him off when she said she wanted "babies" but knew that he was "the one" almost immediately.
Though the gorgeous actress talked about having a family, she later confirmed the pair had decided against having kids."We've decided that we are not really interested in having children. It seems like it's expected that you'd want to have kids…it doesn't bother me though," she revealed to Health magazine in 2014. Geoffrey even spilled to HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY that the couple were "dodging the kid question" back in 2010!
A post shared by Christina Hendricks (@actuallychristinahendricks) on Oct 17, 2019 at 2:00pm PDT
Geoffrey is best known for his roles in rom-com 500 Days of Summer, though he's also appeared on the television series' Body of Proof and Madam Secretary. Christina has kept busy since Mad Men wrapped in 2015, currently starring on NBC's Good Girls as Beth Boland. She also appeared in Amazon Prime Video's The Romanoffs and as the voice of Gabby Gabby in Toy Story 4.
More Christina Hendricks News:
Billy Bob Thornton & Christina Hendricks Have Wild Sex In'Bad Santa 2' -- Watch
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Christina Hendricks Joins SundanceTV's 'Hap & Leonard'


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Affordable housing crunch moves inland to modest-sized U.S. cities
When Nashville Mayor Megan Barry was campaigning last year, she made increasing the city's stock of affordable housing a big part of her platform. It's not hard to see why: Home prices in the cradle of country music have jumped 58 percent over the past three years as workers flocked to the city's thriving economy. One in four renters there spends at least 50 percent of his or her income on rent.
Bloomberg News
While soaring real estate prices and ludicrous rents have ceased being news in places called Pacific Heights or Park Slope, the dual tsunamis of gentrification that submerged both coasts are moving inland, threatening small and midsize U.S. cities where the idea of spending half of your pay on rent was once inconceivable. No more.
Since taking office, Barry has earmarked $10 million in city money to encourage the construction of affordable units and pioneered a program to donate vacant city-owned land to nonprofit developers. She also pushed the City Council toward a vote on what has come to be called "inclusionary" zoning. It's a policy that requires developers to build units reserved for residents earning less than the median area income if they want permission to build higher-density projects.
The state legislature delivered a preemptive strike against Barry's plan, recently voting to ban mandatory inclusionary zoning. On one level, the vote reflected the partisan clash between the city's Democratic leadership and Republicans who dominate Tennessee's legislature. (Two years ago, state legislators blocked the city's plan to build a new bus system.) But the ban also reflects the delicate balancing act required to pass inclusionary zoning, a decades-old tool that has enjoyed renewed interest in recent years as cities seek to make affordable housing palatable to developers.
"We want to create mixed neighborhoods, avoid concentrating poverty," said James Fraser, a professor at Vanderbilt University who has consulted on Nashville's housing plan. That's invited pushback from neighborhood groups that shun new affordable units, as well as from local developers. "They're going to use the state legislature to try keep it from happening," he said.
Created to meet two goals
Inclusionary housing emerged from the suburbs of Washington, D.C., in the early 1970s to meet two goals: Create affordable housing at low cost to local governments and mix housing reserved for low- and moderate-income residents with higher-priced rentals and for-sale units. The particulars vary, but the main idea was to tie the construction of housing for working-class households to market-rate projects. That often means granting a variance to build more units than zoning codes typically allow or offering tax abatements and other incentives.
About 500 local jurisdictions, from New York City to West Palm Beach County, Fla., have adopted these kinds of policies over the years. But now, as developers rush to build new, market-rate apartments in cities big and small, some local officials are considering inclusionary zoning for the first time, while others seek to add teeth to existing programs, said Erika Poethig, director of urban policy initiatives at the Urban Institute.
These moves come as local real estate markets continue to recover from a recession that caused construction to grind to a halt, constraining supply and driving up rents.
As new projects did come up, the first to move forward were designed to luxury specs, famously targeting a new breed of affluent city-dwellers on the coasts. Median gross rent, including utilities and adjusted for inflation, increased 6 percent from 2001 to 2014, according to the Center on Budget & Policy Priorities; median renter household income fell 9 percent.
If rents continue to rise faster than pay, 15 million Americans could be spending half their income on rent by 2025, according to a report last year.
Contentious policy
Earlier this year, the Oregon legislature overturned the state's 17-year-old ban on inclusionary zoning with strong backing from Portland officials. A June ballot measure will give San Francisco voters a chance to increase from 12 percent to 25 percent the share of affordable units that developers must include in market-rate construction. And in November, Los Angeles voters will decide whether to require developers who seek zoning changes to dedicate as much as 20 percent of all units to affordable housing.
New York City, which passed a beefed-up inclusionary-zoning policy in March, might provide a case study on how contentious the policy can be. Mayor Bill de Blasio sought to make 30 percent of new units affordable to residents earning less than the area median income. That ambitious plan triggered opposition from housing activists, who said the new units would end up being unaffordable to many renters. The local business community meanwhile complained that lowering income levels would make the program more expensive for developers, leading to the construction of fewer units over all.
In Atlanta, where Mayor Kasim Reed proposed setting aside 10 percent of units in new residential buildings for affordable housing, there are a different set of obstacles. Philip Tague, president of developer AMLI Residential, said most local builders think inclusionary zoning will depress land values by limiting income from new projects. Meanwhile, there's not enough demand for higher-density zoning to make the horse trade worthwhile, especially since there are good building sites in suburban counties outside Atlanta.
Fostering a diverse mix of residents makes for better neighborhoods and cities, said Tague: "If you're a long-term owner of real estate, that's a net positive for you." He added, however, that he thought Reed's plan is a long shot.
Source: Bloomberg News
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REACTION: It was a game where they all wanted to work
Paul Murray with his thoughts on the Oldham away game
@officialcufc
First team coach Paul Murray gave us his reaction to what had been a very entertaining game against Oldham Athletic on Tuesday afternoon as a mix of youth and first team players came out on top in a seven-goal thriller.
RESERVES: Summary from the Oldham game
"That game was exactly what a few of our lads needed," he said. "It was a bit hairy at times, especially when they got it back to 3-3, because we really should have been three or four up in the first half.
"Their keeper made some great saves, but we should have been a little bit more ruthless, to be honest. We played some great stuff in the first half, and we had a back four of kids who all did really well, so it was pleasing.
"When it got to 3-3 we did wonder whether we'd be able to come back and win it, and it was a screamer from Taylor [Charters] that did that in the end. I'm pleased for all of the lads."
"We had an experienced midfield, with Jones, Kennedy and Glendon, so we knew they'd keep the ball well on a difficult pitch," he continued. "I thought the work ethic was there, and that's what we demand. You've got to work, and you've got to want to work, and that's what they all did in this game.
GALLERY: Images from the Oldham reserves game on Tuesday
"The second half was a little bit disappointing, a couple of young lads came on a gave the ball away simply, which you can't do. I don't mind one or two times but when it's a regular occurrence it's a bit disappointing. The majority of the younger lads did really well, which was good to see.
"Overall it was a good performance, which is what it's all about, because we're interested in what we do, and how we went about it. I thought some of our goals were brilliant.
"Liam McCarron was excellent at times, as was young Jarrad Branthwaite. We did really well as a unit and the older lot showed good examples which was pleasing.
"It was good to get another 90 minutes into JK, and Mark Cullen had an hour, which is important for him. He's also trying to claim he got a goal, but I'm not sure whether it came off his shorts or the only hair he has on his head!
"All strikers want to score goals in any game, and he even had a word with the ref to make sure he put it down as a goal from the number 9! We all want him to do that for the first team so hopefully that will give him a bit of a boost."
And on a trial appearance for former Brentford and QPR forward Kingsley Eshun, he said: "He did well even though he hasn't played out on the right before. He's more of a hold-up man down the middle.
"He scored a good goal at the back stick and he did ok throughout the game. He'll stay with us for the rest of the week and we'll take it from there."
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