text:
Evolving Field of CAR-T-Cell Therapy
Strategies and challenging aspects in the treatment of haematological malignancies and solid tumours
Haematologic malignancies; Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy
Following the success of CAR-T-cell therapy for the treatment of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (B-ALL), many investigators are currently designing strategies to obtain similarly successful results in the treatment of other haematological malignancies and solid tumours. Challenging aspects include the careful selection of target antigen, the management of 'on-target, off-tumour' toxicity, and the modulation of the immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment. The ongoing clinical trials and strategies that can increase the antitumour efficacy and safety of CAR-T-cell therapy are discussed by a group of researchers from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in a paper published recently in the Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology.
The engineered expression of chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) on the surface of T-cells enables the redirection of T-cell specificity. Early clinical trials using CAR-T-cells for the treatment of patients with cancer showed modest results, but the impressive outcomes of several trials of CD19-targeted CAR-T-cells in the treatment of patients with B-cell malignancies have generated an increased enthusiasm.
All CAR designs contain an antigen-recognition domain and a signalling domain that provides signal to activate T-cells. Only this signalling domain is present in first-generation CARs. However, a co-stimulatory signalling domain is added in second-generation CARs, and in third-generation CARs two co-stimulatory signalling domains are added.
CAR-T-cell design
The signalling domains stimulate T-cell proliferation, cytolysis and cytokine secretion to eliminate the target cell.
The patients' own T-cells (or those from an allogeneic donor) are isolated, activated and genetically modified to generate CAR-T-cells, which are then infused into the same patient. This approach carries a very low risk of graft-versus-host disease and enables lipid, protein and carbohydrate antigens to be targeted by T-cells in an MHC-unrestricted fashion. Additionally, one CAR design can be used to treat all cancers expressing the same antigen. The need to generate T-cells for each patient was once considered to be a financial and technical obstruction to this therapeutic approach, but the success of CAR-T-cell therapy for the treatment of B-ALL has demonstrated that CAR-T-cells can be produced efficiently and for a reasonable cost.
In the article, the authors discuss successful CD19-targeted CAR-T-cell therapies, CAR-T-cell designs targeting other molecules for the treatment of haematological malignancies, and novel targets proposed for the treatment of solid tumours. They limited discussion to approaches with registered clinical trials.
Clinical trials of CAR T-cell therapy for the treatment of cancer have mostly been conducted in patients with CD19-positive haematological diseases, such as B-ALL, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, follicular lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and mantle-cell lymphoma. Novel CAR targets are required for the effective treatment of patients with haematological malignancies that do not express CD19. A subset of patients treated with emergence of CD19-specific CAR-T-cells experience disease relapse with CD19-negative tumour escape variants. Examples of the most-promising CAR-T-cell targets for the treatment of haematological malignancies include: CD22, CD20, ROR1, and Igκ for the treatment of B-cell malignancies; BCMA and CD138 for plasma malignancies; and CD33, CD123 and LeY for myeloid malignancies.
Several researchers are investigating the use of CAR T-cell therapy for the treatment of solid tumours. These studies require the prior identification of new antigens and the development of preclinical models of solid tumour in which to characterize therapies based on these antigens. A second-generation CAR targeting prostate specific membrane antigen is investigated for the treatment of prostate cancer. Mesothelin-specific CAR-T-cells were investigated in a first-in-man clinical trial for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. Investigators plan to treat patients with mesothelioma using T-cells expressing a CAR targeted at fibroblast activation protein alpha. CARs specific for EGFR and EGFR variant receptors are undergoing clinical evaluation in patients with glioma. CEA-targeted CAR-T-cells are currently being tested to treat patients with adenocarcinoma liver metastases. CAR-T-cells targeted at the form of CD171 expressed on malignant cells are being investigated for the treatment of refractory or recurrent neuroblastoma. Tumours of neuro-ectodermal origin, including neuroblastoma, overexpress the disialoganglioside GD2; CAR-T-cells targeted at GD2 have been investigated in clinical trials. A third-generation glypican-3 specific CAR has been tested preclinically and will be investigated for clinical efficacy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. A clinical trial conducted to test third-generation HER2-specific CAR-T-cells in patients with metastatic cancers was terminated after a patient with colon cancer died of severe acute respiratory failure as a result of the treatment. Despite this severe toxicity, other trials with HER2-specific CAR-T-cells are planned in sarcoma and glioblastoma. First-generation CAR-T-cells targeted at IL-13Rα have been tested clinically in patients with glioblastoma.
Several approaches have been developed to improve the antitumour efficacy of CAR-T-cell therapy and they extend beyond the choice of a target antigen. In their article, the authors discuss the strategies that are currently being translated to the clinic:
Engineered CAR-T-cells that secrete pro-inflammatory cytokines (armoured CAR-T-cells)
Dual receptor expression to target tumour cells and convert tumour-derived cytokines into T-cell activators
Using natural killer (NK)-cell-based recognition domains in CARs
Combination therapy with monoclonal antibodies targeting immune-checkpoint inhibitory receptors to relieve immunosuppression
Infusion of two populations of CAR-T-cells to eradicate B cells and enable increased persistence of tumour-specific CAR-T-cells by preventing antibody responses against their foreign antigen components
Targeting the tumour vasculature with CAR-T-cells, such as VEGFR-2-specific CAR-T-cells.
Cytokine-release syndrome
The serious risk of toxicity associated with CAR-T-cell therapies is becoming increasingly apparent. One of the probable causes of cytokine-release syndrome (CRS) is the release of inflammatory cytokines produced by large numbers of activated CAR-T-cells.
The symptoms of CRS include hypotension, fevers, and reversible neurological complications, such as delirium and seizure-like activity.
Currently, most CRS toxicities are manageable with high-dose steroids, vasopressors, ventilatory support, and supportive care. An increase in IL-6 levels has been associated with severe CRS, and an anti-IL-6R antibody, tocilizumab, has been used in the clinic to dampen the effects of CRS in many patients, but this approach has not been effective in all cases of CRS.
A correlation has been found between the levels of C-reactive protein in serum and CRS severity. In addition, CRS severity can be associated with tumour burden at the time of treatment, which indicates that patients with lower tumour burden could have a reduced risk of severe CRS.
Jackson HJ, Rafiq S, Brentjens RJ. Driving CAR T-cells forward.Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology 2016; 13, 370–383. doi:10.1038/nrclinonc.2016.36
Last update: 22 Aug 2016


I am an experienced pet sitter and I share my home with my five year old Cavoodle named Plootle. Plootle has a very quiet and gentle nature. I live in the beautiful suburb of Jane Brook which has plenty of open spaces and a bush reserve for our morning walks. We go for a walk every morning to start the day and regularly go to the river and different parks to keep our day interesting. My backyard is secured by high fences and has a huge patio and paved area as well as a large grassed area for when we are at home. Your pup will have plenty of room to explore and play when we are not snuggled up on the lounge. Plootle is my constant companion and your pet will be treated just like my own. My house is pet friendly so your dog is welcome on the furniture and everywhere we go. Your fur baby will be coming with me to cafe's, Bunnings, everywhere! While you are away you will receive photos throughout the day of our adventures to give you piece of mind your pup is receiving the love and care you would provide yourself. Your dog will be sharing a home with a vaccinated and wormed dog and I require that your dog is also vaccinated and wormed for the health and safety of our other four legged visitors. I look forward to meeting your fur baby soon!
Bradley had a great time and was given lots of love and attention. will definately have him stay again if we go away!
Thank you so much for making our first experience with a pet sitter an amazing one. Nimbus could not have been cared for better by any other family.


text:
May 6, 2021, 06:30am EDT
Get Vaccinated? How Trust In Institutions Determines COVID Vaccination Rates In The EU
Feb 9, 2021, 08:23am EST
Clubhouse's Future Depends On Data - How To Build A TikTok Like Algorithm
President Biden Is Man, Woman And 40 Years Old - Why We Need Algorithmic Transparency
WhatsApp: We Should Discuss What Our Data Is Used For, Not Who Has It
Oct 29, 2020, 02:19pm EDT
Three Things You'll Need Before Starting A New Business
How Do Employee Needs Vary From Generation To Generation?
Where Is There Still Room For Growth When It Comes To Content Creation?
Here Is Some Good Advice For Leaders Of Remote Teams
How Can Tech Companies Become More Human Focused?
Jan 4, 2016, 09:45am EST |
30 Under 30 In Science: Exploring New Worlds In The Stars And In Our Cells
Alex Knapp
I write about the future of science, technology, and culture.
Jeroen Cappaert (Jamel Toppin/Forbes)
When he first started working on space engineering, Jeroen Cappaert, 27, probably didn't expect to fight pirates one day. But that's just one of the applications the satellites he's designed are being put to use for by the company he cofounded, Spire Global. The company was founded in 2012 and has launched eight satellites so far which focus data collection on the oceans - "The three quarters of the world that almost nobody looks at," says Cappaert.
Cappaert is just one of the standouts on this year's Forbes 30 Under 30 in Science list, which features a group of people across an astonishing array of different sciences, from astronomy to marine biology to psychology to artificial intelligence and more.
Other standouts include Lujendra Ojha, 25, whose studies of geological formations on Mars have provided the best evidence yet that liquid water may flow on the surface of the Red Planet. The Nepalese-born Ojha is currently a grad student at Georgia Tech and when he's not busy studying Mars, he's a guitarist in a heavy metal band.
Iliana Vargas
And with all the new scientific information coming in daily from people like those on this list, the research of Iliana Vargas, 28, could come in handy. She's a cognitive neuroscientist whose research focus is on how long-term memories form. She's been testing ways to use sound to improve people's memories as they sleep, which could be applied to make it easier to learn things. (And also hopefully keep you from losing your keys.)
That research might then be used one day by Alexander Lavin, 26, a researcher at artificial intelligence company Numenta, which is looking to develop artificial intelligence by reverse-engineering the human neocortex. Lavin is something of a polymath, having been a literal rocket scientist at NASA and Blue Origin before turning his hand to AI development.
Lavin isn't the only polymath on this year's list. There's also Matt Gaidica, 28, who started out as an electrical engineer, founded a software company, then left that company to write a book about asymmetries in the brain. Now he's purusing a PhD in Neuroscience, with a research focus on Parkinson's Disease.
A number of members of the list this year found their interest in science sparked early. For example, there's Embriette Hyde, 28, a project manager at the American Gut Project who became interested in science at a young age when she tried to figure out why yawns are contagious. Colin Carlson, 19, famously graduated from college at age 15 and now studies how parasites interact with ecosystems. And Arnav Chhabra, 24, published his first peer-reviewed paper while he was in high school.
Both Dieuwertje Kast, 27, and Sarah Guthals, 27, are already helping spark the imaginations of the scientists of tomorrow. Kast is the STEM programs manager for the USC Joint Educational Project, where she helps develop science curricula for grades K-12. And Guthals is a cofounder of ThoughtSTEM, which teaches students to code. She's also published several papers in the area of educating young students about science.
Gallery: 2016 30 Under 30: Science
For the complete list of the Science 30 Under 30, flip through the gallery above or check out the landing page here.
The FORBES 30 Under 30 in Science list was created using nominations from a variety of sources, and was reported by Sarah Hedgecock, Matthew Herper and Alex Knapp. The judges for this category were Sarah Parcak, Associate Professor at University of Alabama, Birmingham; Feng Zhang, Assistant Professor at MIT; and Konstantin Batygin, Assistant Professor at CalTech. Thanks to all of them and to everyone who nominated candidates.
Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website. Send me a secure tip.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Uploading a file means that you are sending a copy of the file from your local computer (e.g. your hard drive) to the web server. This is a necessary step before you may use a file, image, document, etc. on your website.
Log into the Admin Console and go to files & media > file manager.
Choose a folder where you want to place your new files.
In the lower left corner of the File Manager screen, click the "Select Files" button. This will open a file selection dialog box on your local computer. NOTE: you may also drag multiple files from your personal desktop into the Upload Files box.
In the lower left corner of the File Manager screen, add your first file by clicking the "Select" button. To add more files, click the "Add" button to create additional fields.
After adding your file(s) to the queue, click the "Upload Now" button. You will see a status indicator while the files are being copied. Upon completion, you will see a success message at the top of the File Manager window. The files are now copied to the web server.
NOTE: if your upload batch contains any JPG image files, you will be asked whether or not you wish to process the images further. You can say OK to this option, if you wish to add the images to a scrapbook or staff directory. Otherwise, just click CANCEL.
See Editing Image (JPG) files and Create a Photo Scrapbook for more information.


text:
InterviewsFeaturesCompaniesVideosListsMagazine
#Ooredoo#digital transformation#Algeria#telecommunications
Timos Tsokanis: powering Algeria's digital transformation
Timos Tsokanis, CTO at Ooredoo Algérie, discusses the company's role in enabling a societal digital transformation — and its response to COVID-19
|Sep 7| 6 min read
|Read in Magazine
Timos Tsokanis
Ooredoo Algérie
Timos Tsokanis is the CTO of Ooredoo Algérie, the regional branch of international telecommunications firm Ooredoo. It's a role that he sees as a calling. "I love telecommunications. I enjoy working with people, innovating continuously to revolutionise the lives of the people around us. Only telecommunications can achieve that. Most of the technological advances we have experienced in the last 10 years wouldn't reach the average citizen of this planet if it were not for the wide reach and breadth of networks." He has extensive experience in the industry, having worked for such firms for 20 years across three continents and five countries. "I couldn't be happier to see the companies I worked for and the teams I worked with change how people interact, how they work and how they entertain themselves — it's fun. Every day is a new day to learn and innovate."
While the world is experiencing challenging times, Tsokanis' approach to leadership has not altered. "Leaders need to be compassionate. They need to be open. They need to reach out to everyone, listen, learn, and then collect feedback blended with a vision formulated into a simple, actionable strategy that is then communicated and managed towards successful execution. During these times leaders should see the challenges that are arising daily and turn them into opportunities." Those opportunities, Tsokanis explains, include virtual presence, digitalisation and transforming the ways in which we work. "I'm always driving for novel techniques to influence strategy, take ownership, assume accountability and mentor my team to follow the highest professional and ethical standards. I make demands on my team, but I'm approachable, honest, trusting and fair."
In line with that, Tsokanis promotes a culture that is simultaneously respectful and intense. "There is no time to waste. The world is advancing by the day and our competition must always be respected. So we need to move fast. Taken together, the women and men who work for Ooredoo Algérie are the key to its success." Tsokanis attributes that fact to the capabilities Ooredoo employees possess. "It is with Algerian talent and local skills that we have been, and will continue to be, able to meet all current and future challenges. It is important for the leadership of Ooredoo to reveal the hidden talents and abilities inside everyone, to mentor, motivate and grow our people."
Tsokanis believes that the maintenance of such a culture is just as much his responsibility as the technology he implements. "One cannot change only the culture or only the technology. The two are very tightly linked. When we embarked on this journey we realised training would be a big part of it. Training exposes people to new technologies and methodologies, and makes them think about everyday problems under a different light. Then, slowly, you start changing mentalities. The changing world in which we all live truly highlights the importance of communication."
"We contribute to the economic development of the country through an ambitious growth strategy"
Timos Tsokanis | Ooredoo Algérie
Niall Strachan
Head of Product Strategy
Clive White
Abdallah Nassar
Orange Cameroon
Director of Engineering and Network Development
Rodrigo Araujo
PhilTower Consortium
Jan Hruska
Virtyt Koshi
SVP and General Manager, EMEA
Colin Willcock
5G IA
Puneet Garg
Smartfren Business
CTO Enterprise
Technology & AI
Mobile Magazine is the 'Digital Community' for the global Telecoms industry. Mobile Magazine covers 5G, IoT, Technology, AI, Connectivity, Mobile Operators, Wireless networks and Media - connecting the world's largest community of Telecoms executives. Mobile Magazine focuses on telecoms news, key telecoms interviews, telecoms videos, the Mobile Magazine Podcast series along with an ever-expanding range of focused telecoms white papers and webinars.


So now it would seem, from watching Balls of Fury, that Christopher Walken has joined the legion of stand-up comics, student actors and bar-stool mimics trolling for laughs by doing bad Christopher Walken impressions. This isn't necessarily a complaint. If anyone's earned the right to pan-fry his image, it's Walken.
Even when hip-deep in the throes of broad self-parody, Walken almost justifies the existence of a fumble-footed knockoff like Balls of Fury. He plays Feng, a villainous outlaw table-tennis kingpin who dresses like Fu Manchu and talks like somebody doing a bad impression of ... well, we don't have to pound it into the floorboards, do we?
Balls of Fury (Rogue Pictures) Starring Christopher Walken, Dan Fogler, James Hong. Directed by Ben Garant. Rated PG-13. Time 90 minutes.


text:
Kilkenny to Enjoy 'The Company of Wolves' 01st – 31st October
Few animals capture people's imagination quite like the wolf. For thousands of years, the wolf has fascinated us, frightened us, and drawn us in. Perhaps it's because there's a part of us that identifies with that wild, untamed spirit we see in the wolf. The wolf features prominently in myths and legends, but from 1st October Kilkenny is embracing the very essence of the Wolf with a month long series of events and exhibitions dedicated to the creatures, entitled 'WolfWalkers Month'. WolfWalkers is an animated feature created by Kilkenny based four-time Academy Award nominated animators 'Cartoon Saloon'. The feature received rave reviews when it premiered this month at the Toronto International Film Festival and such is the response, it is now 'tipped' as an Academy Award winner. To celebrate its upcoming launch, Kilkenny Animated in conjunction with Fáilte Ireland and Kilkenny County Council have organised 'WolfWalkers Month' - a series of outdoor and indoor exhibitions and events throughout October:
WolfWalkers Walks & Talks
Join WolfWalkers creators Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart in a series of interactive, illustrated talks or wrap up for a series of fun walking tours tracing the movies locations through Kilkenny with some of the film's artists."
WolfWalkers Sketching Tour of Kilkenny
Kilkenny Castle
Saturday 3rd October – 10am – 11:30am | 10:30am – 12:00pm
Sunday 4th October – 12:30pm | 11:30am – 1pm
Take a pad and pencils or charcoal and join some of artists from WolfWalkers in a leisurely stroll around Kilkenny city's most evocative historic sites, discover some of the ancient buildings and streetscapes that have inspired the work of the animators and sketch your impressions of the sights of Ireland's medieval capital.
Tour starts at time stated
Meet under Arch gate at Kilkenny Castle (opposite The Design Centre)
Age 12+ (under 16's must be accompanied by a parent/guardian, ticket required)
Bring your own Sketching Materials
Groups are limited to 12 max
Participants are encouraged to wear a face covering for the duration of the walk.
Price: €10
WolfWalkers Workshops
There are also 6 kids workshops over the festival weekend hosted by Cartoon Saloon artists, they will be held in Butler Gallery.
Workshop with Fabian Erlinghäuser (Ages 6-12)
Location: Butler Gallery
Saturday 3rd October – 10:30am – 11:30am
Sunday 4th October – 11:30am | 12:30pm
In this jam packed workshop you will learn the essentials of animation with Cartoon Saloon's Fabian Erlinghäuser.
Over the 60 minutes, Fabian will use his 20 years of industry experience to guide you through the basics of visual language, character design, storyboard and animation principles.
Price: €6:19
Workshop with Rory Conway (Ages 6-12)
Sunday 4th October – 1:30pm – 2:30pm | 3:00pm – 4:00pm
Join Cartoon Saloon's Rory Conway to learn how to design and create your own characters for animation.
Sketching Materials supplied
WolfWalkers Street Art Exhibition
Working with local young people's groups, Kilkenny Animated will facilitate a project to create works of street art in Kilkenny city that celebrate the film and the art of animation. Kilkenny County Council will also work with partners to create visually vibrant installations in vacant shop windows and sites throughout the city.
Spectacular WolfWalkers Illuminations At Kilkenny Castle
Kilkenny Animated has commissioned Algorithm to produce a spectacular projection mapped illuminations, with an animated loop of scenes and characters from the film, playing on the expanse of the external river walls of Kilkenny Castle. These illuminations will run for a number of hours every evening in the month of October. This spectacle can be viewed from John's Bridge, Canal Walk and from the terrace of the River Court Hotel. Because the presentation loop will be about 10 minutes' duration and will run repeatedly, no mass gathering of people will happen.
Bringing WolfWalkers to the Big Screen
Location: The Watergate Theatre
Sunday 4th October – 4:00pm – 5:00pm
In this mix of discussion and behind the scenes clips, WolfWalkers directors Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart are joined by Assistant Director Mark Mullery and art director Maria Pareja to delve into the last six years of bringing WolfWalkers to the big screen.
With Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart, Maria Pareja and Mark Mullery.
Hometown Premiere - Screenings of WolfWalkers
The highlight of the festival weekend will be the Irish premiere of WolfWalkers, with multiple screenings of the film across the weekend of the Kilkenny Animated festival with free tickets available to the public.
IMC Cinema, Barrack Street, Kilkenny
Sunday 4th October 4:30pm | 5:15pm | 6:00pm | 6:45pm
In a time of superstition and magic, a young apprentice hunter, Robyn Goodfellowe, journeys to Ireland with her father to wipe out the last wolf pack. While exploring the forbidden lands outside the city walls, Robyn befriends a free-spirited girl, Mebh, a member of a mysterious tribe rumored to have the ability to transform into wolves by night. As they search for Mebh's missing mother, Robyn uncovers a secret that draws her further into the enchanted world of the Wolfwalkers and risks turning into the very thing her father is tasked to destroy.
(Limited tickets available)
WolfWalkers Original Artwork Exhibition At Butler Gallery
The month long festival will culminate with the opening of The WolfWalkers Exhibition hosted by the new Butler Gallery.
"In a time of superstition and magic, when wolves are seen as demonic and nature an evil to be tamed, a young apprentice hunter, Robyn, comes to Ireland with her father to wipe out the last pack. But when Robyn saves a wild native girl, Mebh, their friendship leads her to discover the world of the Wolfwalkers and transforms her into the very thing her father is tasked to destroy."
Butler Gallery continues its successful partnership with Cartoon Saloon in presenting an exhibition in response to Wolfwalkers, Cartoon Saloon's new film. The exhibition highlights the strengths and messages of this animated film whose story is based in medieval Kilkenny and includes core working drawings and backgrounds. This interactive and immersive exhibition is designed by Stephen McNamara of Roji and will coincide with the Irish premier of the film.
As with previous collaborations with Cartoon Saloon, Butler Gallery will deliver an extensive programme of public engagement including animation workshops for professionals, general public and children; film screenings; storytelling and a Medieval Ireland Talk Series connecting the film to medieval Kilkenny.
WolfWalkers – The Art of Voicing Animation
Saturday 3rd October – 5:30pm – 6:30pm
Join some of the voice cast of WolfWalkers, including Eva Whitaker (Mébh) as they discuss the process of bringing the characters to life with directors Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart as they show behind the scenes footage of early drafts right through to the final sequences in the film. Also joining them are Niamh Moyles who worked on the voice recording sessions for WolfWalkers. The panel is hosted by Lighthouse Studio's Gilly Fogg who is no stranger to the art of voicing for animation.
With Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart, Eva Whitaker, Jon Kenny, John Morton, Niamh Moyles and Gilly Fogg


It's been 11 years since legendary snowmobile journalist CJ Ramstad and his son J.J. died in a tragic automobile crash.
Today would have been CJ's 73rd birthday. I'm remembering his life by sharing this awesome column he wrote in his Letter From Pops column for the November 1982 edition of Snowmobile magazine.
Letter From Pops and his book The Collected Works of Pappy were mainstays of his early career, as well as entertaining reading for snowmobilers all over the world.
I grew up reading this stuff and it's still very dear to my heart.
Happy Birthday CJ. And thanks for the gifts you gave us.
I don't need a calendar to know when winter's just around the corner. Even if the weather's been nice and warm, I have an infallible clue that alerts me to the soon-to-come (and always welcome) cool winter weather, snowfall and frozen lakes.
The way I know for sure the white stuff is on the way is the appearance on the doorstep of my lonely dyno station or at the entrance to my Secret Pops Cave of two or more dirty, belt dust-covered snowmobile carburetors. This event is as sure as sunrise, as sure as age.
I've always regarded these buggers as relatively simple, easy-to-understand fuel mixers requiring very little repair or maintenance beyond the occasional replacement of a worn inlet valve or re-jet for temperature but, judging by the mail trundled up her each fortnight by pack mule, there are many, many sledders who do not share this view. For sure there are some members of the elite High Plains Drifters who think otherwise. If I didn't nurse their carbs for them, our club would be decimated.
Carburetors got their reputation for complexity in the snowmobiling during a dark age in the sport we now call the epoch of the pumper. The disgusting little number called the pumper carburetor came into our lives because the early factories had this attitude about being able to flow fuel at any carb angle. This was the main reason for using pumpers, worthy only for lawnmowers in my opinion. Unfortunately, the tiny fuel reservoir in most pumper designs was a set-up for vapor lock. Remember vapor lock? The multitude of little diaphragms and inlets inside one of these babies made repair next to impossible. This is not to mention the idea of tuning.
But, as usual, I'm off the track again. This communiqué is not about the old times, but about the modern float bowl style carb and how to make life with one easier. I'll describe my method of maintenance and suggest a way to familiarize yourself with the typical slide/float bowl Mikuni so the myth of complexity can be dissipated.
First think I do when confronted with a dirty, malfunctioning Mikuni is filtch a shoebox from the Mz and completely disassemble the carb into it. I mean removal of every part (there aren't that many) down to the needle jet screwed into the center of the main nozzle. Get your jeweler's screwdriver out and do it...make notes if you have to.
Next, I wait for the Mz to go shopping and sneak into the kitchen. Using some Lovely Hands dish soap, I fill the sink with suds and carefully wash the carb body and all the other parts. Sometimes, when grit and belt dust has been spotted inside the carb during disassembly, I use an old toothbrush to make sure the screw threads and so forth are completely clean. If I suspect plugged orifices in any of the jets I'm cleaning, I take a fine piece of wire and run it up and down through the orifice to make sure it's completely clear.
Used to be, the soap and water method was all I ever needed to be sure of total cleanliness. In fact, I believe it still is, save on exception. Sometimes varnish from the pitiful fluid we laughingly call gasoline today will buildup varnish to critical mass. In this case, I sometimes use a solvent like acetone to put the final spit shine on the jets. Be careful here because some solvents can ruin the foam plastic your floats are made out of. The floats need never come close to any solvent anyway, so keep them out of the way if you use solvent.
After a thorough cleaning, you're most of the way home. 99% of slide valve carb faults come from plugged jet orifices so, if yours aren't, you'll have only a 1% chance of further problems.
Reassembly is as easy as the take-apart. One thing to watch is the float lever. It's easy to get this upside down and foul up the fuel level. Other than this little glitch, no one should expect assembly difficulties. While assembling your carb, watch carefully for signs of wear, particularly at locations of moving parts. The inlet valve (sometimes erroneously called the "needle valve") that opens to let fuel in can wear and allow a trickle to get by. This will cause flooding while the sled is shut off, especially when warm. The throttle slide can wear and cause siticking and hard pulling. Scratches here are the clue. Look carefully also for worn or deteriorated rubber O-rings.
If my mail is any indication, and you can be sure it is, lots of my readers suffered from the dirty carb syndrome last season. Big reason for this, and one of my pet peeves, is the lack of effective air filtration on sleds. They just get dirty in use and must be LTC-ed.
After a sheepish confession and solemn promise never to do it again, I asked what tipped her off. Seems my fingertips looked like prunes. Beware The Dishpan Hands, that's my motto.
the pops and pappy things were great reading. they made him seem like he was and old grandpa but he must have actually been pretty young. thanks for the memories.
Rode the first bus down from Proctor to Spirit Mt. a couple of times with CJ. Always think about him now every time I make that trip to our Mecca. Hope to see you next week John!


text:
Utterly Fascinating: Denver, the New Home of Speedy Gonzales – By Sam Accardo
After stringing 3 wins together, the Denver Nuggets snapped the Lakers' win-streak in a 119-108. Just about every player talked about how the Nuggets ran them out of the gym. On every missed shot, rebound, or turnover, the Nuggets had a track meet against the aging Lakers. They couldn't keep up with Denver, but does that mean the Lakers can't keep up with the West? I don't think so.
From the start of the season everyone knew the Lakers were older and slower. The addition of Steve Nash who will be 40 in his next season upped the average age of the team. While younger players like Jodie Meeks, Earl Clark, Devin Eabanks, and Jordan Hill have all done their part to help, they are in no way the key players to winning a championship. Well, I take that back for Clark and Meeks. I honestly believe if the Lakers get into the playoffs, both Clark and Meeks have the ability to be strong role players to help them get a few Ws.
But does age really matter that much? Has the West been won by the young guns? Well for the naysayers who think that losing in Denver is a sign of the Lakers not making it this year, keep in mind that Denver has always matched up well with the Lakers. And it was the second night on a back to back. And Denver is 24-3 at home. Well if a win from LA over OKC means anything, then I think the Lakers still have the ability to make a deep run in the playoffs. Sure, the win was weeks and weeks ago. And they have had bad losses to some mediocre teams. And they're still 1 out of 10 against top 4 teams in the West. (I heard that from Mason and Ireland on the radio; Blame ESPN if it's wrong.) But ever since the win over the Oklahoma City Thunder and a loss over the Los Angeles Clippers, the Lakers are 1 out of 2 against top 4 teams since they've seemed to find an identity and have started to gel. When you consider that they're only playing 4 more games against the current top four Western Conference teams it will be a good test for them to see how far they've come in this season.
I mean, any way you slice it, the Lakers have played better basketball leading up to the all-star break and coming away from it. The team looks like it has an identity with Howard rolling to the basket, and Kobe playing the facilitator roll quite well. But what's the best part about the Lakers playing recently? Well, remember at the beginning of the year how everyone loved throwing around the stat that when Kobe scored over 30 points the Lakers lost at least 80% of their games. Well, coming out of the break Kobe has had 2 games where he scored over 30 points, and they won each time. Dwight Howard has been playing very well and his effort has been consistent. He has been contesting shots on D, grabbing boards, and playing the pick and roll on offense. If the Lakers continue to win 3 out of every 4 like this, then I don't see why they can't get into the playoffs. But it takes some help from Houston and Utah. But when you consider the fact that both teams are on a losing streak and 5 of 5 in their past 10 games, it looks like they might be answering the call.
Sam Accardo is a writer for Hefferbrew. He thinks that the Lakers can go undefeated for the rest of season (emphasis on "can"), but he doubts they will. He does believe that they will make the playoffs and avoid a similar end to the season that the Dodgers had last year. Follow us @hefferbrew and like our page on facebook.
← Jimmie Johnson Wins the Daytona 500- by Dustin Brewer
→ Movies That Rule: The Master – By Cameron Heffernan


text:
San Jose homeless encampments cleared along…
San Jose homeless encampments cleared along Union Pacific railroad tracks
The city threatened to sue the railroad operator if it didn't take care of the blight
SAN JOSE, CA - DECEMBER 13: Crews hired by Union Pacific clean up the railroad tracks in San Jose, Calif., on Dec. 13, 2019. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - DECEMBER 13: Adriana Medina, 60, who was living along the Union Pacific railroad tracks near Japantown, spends time in an area just next to the tracks, where she recently moved her tent to, on Dec. 13, 2019, in San Jose, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - DECEMBER 13: Trash left by homeless individuals along the Union Pacific railroad tracks, are visible as crews hired by the railroad company clean up near by, on Dec. 13, 2019, in San Jose, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - DECEMBER 13: A homeless person, who wished to remain anonymous, spends time in her makeshift shed as crews hired by Union Pacific clean up the railroad tracks nearby in San Jose, Calif., on Dec. 13, 2019. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - DECEMBER 13: Adriana Medina, 60, who was living along the Union Pacific railroad tracks near Japantown, talks about her living situation from inside her tent on Dec. 13, 2019, in San Jose, Calif. Medina recently moved her tent to the other side of a fence that is next to the railroad tracks after Union Pacific workers told her and her family they must go. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - DECEMBER 13: A homeless person, who wished to remain anonymous, organizes her belongings in front of her makeshift shed as crews hired by Union Pacific clean up the railroad tracks nearby in San Jose, Calif., on Dec. 13, 2019. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
By Maggie Angst | mangst@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: December 14, 2019 at 6:00 am | UPDATED: January 16, 2020 at 3:54 pm
Click here if you're having trouble viewing the slideshow on your mobile device.
After years of complaints from San Jose residents and threats of lawsuits from city officials over the nuisance, blight and homeless encampments along the Union Pacific tracks, the railroad operator is finally doing something about it.
For the first time in years, Union Pacific has launched an extensive, citywide cleanup and abatement effort along its San Jose tracks — affecting hundreds of homeless residents who have sought refuge in the somewhat secluded and undisturbed area amid the region's deepening homelessness crisis.
The cleanup effort, which started last month and is expected to last until the end of the year, is just the first step toward what city officials hope will be a long-term solution to the tents and trash that have long lined the tracks.
SAN JOSE, CA – DECEMBER 13: Trash left by homeless individuals along the Union Pacific railroad tracks, are visible as crews hired by the railroad company clean up near by, on Dec. 13, 2019, in San Jose, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
The city and Union Pacific are finalizing an agreement that will require the railroad operator to cleanup its right of way roughly once a month. The agreement will also allow the city to lawfully enter the tracks so that law enforcement can respond to calls and homeless outreach teams can engage with homeless residents on the railroad's property.
Since the city does not have jurisdiction over the railroad operator's right-of-way, the hands of city officials have historically been tied. But as the homeless population and ensuing complaints have spiked in recent years, city officials have grown increasingly frustrated by Union Pacific's failure to maintain its property.
"At any given conference of mayors, you won't hear anyone expressing confidence that Union Pacific will respond nimbly or collaboratively," Mayor Sam Liccardo said. "But we are hopeful that the (memorandum of understanding) will turn a page on Union Pacific's behavior in the past to enable a more collaborative relationship going forward."
Liccardo said that although forcing vulnerable, homeless residents to relocate is the "last thing the city wants to do", the vicinity around railroad tracks is "nowhere for a human being to live."
Union Pacific would not say whether the large-scale cleanup effort was a result of the city's litigation threat, but they did say in a statement that they "continue to encourage community leaders to come together with ideas to help identify long-term solutions to solve this crisis."
"While always an area of concern, the issue of homelessness has become an ever-increasing issue over the past year, along our right-of-way and across the state. It's a societal issue that the city, state and railroad industry have struggled to get their arms around," the statement said.
Earlier this week, crews commissioned by Union Pacific swept the tracks in the Hensley and Japantown neighborhoods, telling those who were still staying there that they needed to leave and using trucks and backhoes to get rid of the belongings and trash left behind. The city, meanwhile, sent outreach teams to engage with the affected residents and try to sign them up for the county's waiting list for affordable housing.
Jason Muehring, a resident in the Hensley neighborhood who walks his dog by the tracks every day, said he has grown increasingly disappointed as illegal dumping and homeless encampments have accumulated in recent years.
"(Union Pacific) has not been a good neighbor of San Jose," Muehring said. "But hopefully, this is a turning point. It's good for now, but we don't know what it'll look like in a few months from now."
Adriana Medina, 60, was living on the tracks across from the Northside Community Center near Japantown with her boyfriend and son for about two years before employees from Union Pacific came by last month and told them they must go.
SAN JOSE, CA – DECEMBER 13: Adriana Medina, 60, who was living along the Union Pacific railroad tracks near Japantown, spends time in an area just next to the tracks, where she recently moved her tent to, on Dec. 13, 2019, in San Jose, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
Weighed down with belongings and happy with their location close to the community center and other social services, Medina and her family decided to merely move to the other side of the fence lining the railroad, on a patch of dirt near an apartment parking lot.
"They were nice," Medina said about the Union Pacific workers. "But I had nowhere to go and I knew that they wouldn't come to the other side, so I just went there."
Councilmember Raul Peralez said that kind of relocation is an inevitable consequence of abatement.
"I'm happy that they're being responsive, but on the other hand, I know it doesn't solve the problem," Peralez said about Union Pacific. "All it's going to do is move them from the encampments where they're at to somewhere else in our community.
"And in this case, when you do one large sweep, I don't like that you're going to have a lot of homeless individuals displaced all at once."
How San Jose plans to spend funds raised by its proposed real estate property tax
San Jose leaders support Liccardo's plan for a customer takeover of PG&E
San Jose residents against senior housing project don't pass 'common-sense test,' official says
Peralez said he's especially concerned that Union Pacific will see this as its 'good deed' for the year and continue to take up to nine months to respond to individual complaints.
"That's not what we wanted," he said. "What we wanted was for them to be more responsive on a timely basis and more consistent as well, not just do one large clean up and walk away."
Blight along the Union Pacific tracks is not the only issue residents and city officials have raised with the railroad operator in recent months. The loud, blaring sound of horns from trains passing through in the middle of the night has also become a major point of contention.
Although the city has yet to find a resolution for the noise complaints, it is studying the possibility of quiet zones, which would require installing gates or other devices to prevent people from wandering onto the tracks.
Maggie Angst
Maggie Angst covers government on the Peninsula for The Mercury News. She's a Chicago native and previously covered breaking news for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and education for the Island Packet in Hilton Head, S.C.
Follow Maggie Angst	@MaggieAngst
Ask Amy: My houseguests left in a huff — was I wrong?
49ers prediction: Why the Niners will blow out the Packers
More in Transportation
Massive Oakland airport pot smuggling case: Courier avoids additional jail time
Francisco Carrasco was sentenced to time already served for his role in a huge conspiracy to traffic drugs to Hawaii through the Oakland airport.
Letter: Firefighters risk their lives due to nation's negligence
Australia had received the ruthless 'I told you so' climate disaster in response to its promotion of fossil fuels.
Teachers priced out? School your kid online. Calling 911? The EMT has to drive in from where she can afford rent.
SFO among US airports to screen passengers from China for new illness
More than 40 cases of the newly identified coronavirus have been confirmed in Asia, including two deaths — at least one involving a previous medical condition.


text:
Communicable Diseases Intelligence Volume 38 No 4 - December 2014 /
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease surveillance in Australia, update to December 2013
The Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease Registry (ANCJDR) was established in October 1993 to monitor possible medically cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and subsequently all forms of prion disease including sporadic, familial and the potential occurrence of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in Australia. This report provides data collected prospectively from 1993 to 2013 and retrospectively to 1970.
Introduction | Methods | Results | Discussion | Acknowledgements | References
Genevieve M Klug, Alison Boyd, Shannon Sarros, Christiane Stehmann, Marion Simpson, Catriona McLean, Colin L Masters, Steven J Collins
Nation-wide surveillance of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies including Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, is performed by the Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry, based at the University of Melbourne. Surveillance has been undertaken since 1993. Over this dynamic period in transmissible spongiform encephalopathy research and understanding, the unit has evolved and adapted to changes in surveillance practices and requirements, the emergence of new disease subtypes, improvements in diagnostic capabilities and the overall heightened awareness and understanding of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and other transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in the health care setting. In 2013, routine surveillance continued and this brief report provides an update of the surveillance data collected by the Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry prospectively from 1993 to December 2013, and retrospectively to 1970. The report highlights the recent multi-national collaborative study published that has verified the correlation between surveillance intensity and reported disease incidence. Commun Dis Intell 2014;38(4):E348–E355.
Keywords: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, prion disease, transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, disease surveillance
In 1993, the Allars inquiry1 into the use of cadaver-derived pituitary hormones under the Australian Human Pituitary Hormone Program and the association with 4 medically acquired (iatrogenic) Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) deaths recommended the formation of an Australian surveillance unit to monitor further cases of iatrogenic CJD in Australia. The Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease Registry (ANCJDR) was established in October 1993 within the department of pathology at the University of Melbourne. The monitoring of further Australian iatrogenic CJD cases related to pituitary hormone treatment for infertility or short stature and contaminated dura mater grafts remains one of the core objectives of the ANCJDR; however, the ANCJDR's activities have changed to encompass the surveillance of all types of CJD including sporadic, genetic and variant CJD and other transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) such as Gerstmann Sträussler-Sheinker syndrome and fatal familial insomnia.
As described previously,2 human prion disease can arise sporadically or from genetic or iatrogenic aetiologies. Detailed evaluation of each suspected case added to the register is undertaken to determine whether a case can be excluded from suspicion or classified as a definite, probable or possible TSE case according to World Health Organization (WHO) diagnostic criteria.3 CJD was made a notifiable disease in all states and territories of Australia as of June 2006. Most initial notifications to the ANCJDR arise through diagnostic testing available through the Registry and this occurs prior to health department notification.
The global incidence of CJD is commonly reported to be 1 case per million per year; however, in most countries with long-standing surveillance systems in place such as France and Switzerland, annual incidence has been reported above this quoted figure.4 Incidence rates as high as 1.2–2.4 cases per million per year have been reported.4 Temporally, human prion disease incidence has increased in most countries including Australia, as surveillance mechanisms have evolved, diagnostic testing capabilities have improved and there is generally greater awareness of this rare disease in the health care setting. A recent multi-national collaborative study has verified that surveillance intensity positively correlates with reported disease incidence.5
In 2013, several changes have occurred that have or will influence the level of suspected case notifications and possibly future incidence rates of CJD in Australia. These include more discerning practices in relation to suspected case referrals, in part due to ever increasing demands through the diagnostic testing; the suspension of the Queensland autopsy service since January 2013; and an increased number of genetic prion diseases classified in 2013 returning the proportion of genetic cases closer to expected levels. In this report, updated surveillance figures to 31 December 2013 are provided for all retrospective (to 1970) and prospective cases ascertained from 1993 onwards and discussed in relation to these changes and how these may influence case notifications, classifications and overall incidence.
Patients with a suspected human prion disease are notified to the ANCJDR predominantly through referral for diagnostic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) 14-3-3 protein detection. Other mechanisms include personal communication with clinicians, families, hospitals and CJD-related groups, and health record searches through hospitals or health departments. Once notified to the ANCJDR, referrals are assessed and if the suspicion of prion disease is supported, the case will be added to the register as a suspected case for continued investigation with the aim of exclusion or classification according to World Health Organization diagnostic criteria. Investigation of register cases can be prolonged as the ANCJDR requires the next-of-kin consent to access and compile the appropriate clinical information from various health information sources for comprehensive evaluation. Response times can vary as the information can be extensive or sources numerous. Medico-demographic questionnaires are offered and forwarded to families if they are willing to contribute, providing valuable information for analysis and evaluation.
The classification of a register case remains as 'incomplete' until the investigation is completed or a definitive result from neuropathological assessment is obtained. Cases may be excluded from the register on the basis of neuropathological examination or after thorough clinical history evaluation. A 'definite' classification requires brain tissue examination, including immunohistochemically and 'probable' and 'possible' cases are reliant on specific clinical profile and diagnostic test outcomes being met as previously described.3 In this report, the total number of confirmed CJD cases include those that have been classified during 2013.
In conjunction with the ANCJDR's surveillance responsibilities, the Registry provides a diagnostic platform for ante- and post-mortem diagnostic testing for human prion diseases. The testing of CSF for the presence of a family of low molecular weight proteins called 14-3-3 is performed weekly by the ANCJDR. This test, first introduced in 1997, has been readily utilised by the health community and since its introduction referrals have increased substantially to around 400 referrals each year. As described previously, the test provides an increasingly larger proportion of initial notifications of suspected human prion disease to the ANCJDR each year. The ANCJDR also offers services for genetic testing, and Western blot analysis of tonsil and brain tissue from biopsies or autopsies to supplement immunohistochemical assessment. The ANCJDR actively promotes these diagnostic tests so that these options are available to clinicians and families to facilitate the most accurate diagnosis and classification of suspected cases should they wish to pursue these avenues of investigation.
Annual human prion disease incidence rates were calculated using direct age-standardisation, based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2000 estimated resident population for Australia and for each state and territory.6 Population based rates of post-mortem examination in suspected human prion disease were calculated using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 1993–2013 Australia demographic statistics for specific states.7–11'Health information is collected through a combination of public health and surveillance responsibilities, based on the national notification of communicable diseases. Surveillance activities for the period reported were conducted under ethical approval granted by The University of Melbourne Human Research Ethics Committee.
Statistical analysis (Log-Rank test) was performed using Stata (Intercooled Stata 7, Stata Corporation, College Station, TX).
Fifty-two suspected human prion disease cases were added to the CJD surveillance register in 2013. Cases were notified via request for 14-3-3 CSF test (40 cases), personal communication from clinicians (7 cases), hospitals (2 cases), the CJD Support group network (1 case), and direct health department notifications (2 cases). The proportions of these initial notification sources are consistent with those in previous years and the overall trends for all register cases (Table 1).
Table 1: Source of initial notification of suspected transmissible spongiform encephalopathies cases ascertained between 1993 and 2013
Register cases*
Cases removed from the register†
CSF	Cerebrospinal fluid
*	Register cases; includes all cases currently on the register as classified cases or cases still under investigation.
†	Cases removed from the register; includes all suspected cases excluded from the register after detailed investigation.
CSF 14-3-3 protein test request
(Since September 1997)
Personal communications
Neurologists (mail-out reply cards)
Neuropathologists
Neuropathologists (mail-out reply cards)
Pituitary Hormones Task Force
Hospital and health department searches
Hospital medical records
Health department search/state
Morbidity data
Direct health department notification
CJD counselling service
Combined CSF/genetic test request
Genetic test request
Victorian brain bank network
Coroner's post mortem request
CJD support group
UK surveillance unit
While the suspected case notifications added to the register in 2013 were consistent with those observed in 2012 (n=53 cases), notifications were 37% lower compared with the long-term average for the years 1993 to 2012. By the same comparison, fewer notifications from Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania were received during 2013 (Figure 1), continuing the trend observed during the previous year. Notifications were also lower in Queensland in 2013. Although lower notifications than the long-term average were observed in New South Wales in 2013, there was a modest increase from the previous year returning notifications closer to expected levels. The remaining states and territories remained unchanged from the previous year. Overall, it is estimated that the number of cases added to the register in 2013 was about 20 cases lower than the long-term average of case notifications for 1993 to 2013 (about 70 case notifications per year). While fluctuations are to be expected with annual CJD notifications, it should be noted that since 2009, notifications have been consistently declining in Western Australia. During this period, CSF 14-3-3 protein testing referrals from Western Australia have remained stable; however, there have been fewer cases within this referral group where the suspicion for CJD warrants formal addition to the register and therefore lower case notifications.
Figure 1: Prospective notifications of suspected transmissible spongiform encephalopathies cases notified to the ANCJDR, 1997 to 2013, by state or territory and year
Text version of Figure 1 (TXT 1 KB)
As of 31 December 2013, the majority of the 52 suspected cases added to the register in 2013 were classified as incomplete. Eleven cases were excluded after detailed clinical follow-up (2 cases) or neuropathological examination (9 cases); 9 cases were classified as definite and 1 as probable prion disease.
Excluding the post-mortem rate in 2013 where figures are still provisional, the average post-mortem rate for all suspected cases on the register who died between 1993 and 2012 is 62%. Over this period, the rate of post-mortems being performed has steadily increased from around 50% during 1993 to 1995 to 70% since 2005. This high post-mortem rate underpins the strong and consistent number of confirmed Australian human prion disease cases recorded since 2005. A comparison of the post-mortem rates in the 5 most populous states in Australia indicates that the overall trend in post-mortem rates has been positive from 1993 to 2012 (Figure 2) with the exception of South Australia where rates have been variable over this period. Excluding the rates shown for 2013, where results are provisional as some post-mortem results are still pending, it is apparent that the post-mortem rate has been declining in Western Australia since 2010. While decreases in New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria are also seen in 2012, they are not as substantial as in Western Australia. Queensland post-mortem rates in contrast, continued to increase from 2005 to 2012 until the CJD autopsy service in that state was suspended. In the other states and territories, post-mortem rates are variable over the surveillance period and show no clear trends due to low population and low numbers of post-mortems being performed.
Figure 2: Rate of post-mortem examination in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies suspected case deaths per million population in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, and Western Australia
As of 31 December 2013, there were 989 cases on the register with 757 of these being classified as probable or definite CJD cases. An additional definite iatrogenic case who was treated in Australia, and died in the United Kingdom is included in Table 2; however this case is not classified as an Australian case due to the location at death and is thereby excluded from the overall statistical analysis of Australian CJD cases. Since the start of surveillance, 663 suspected prion disease cases have been excluded from the register after detailed follow-up, with 25 of these being excluded in 2013 (19 after neuropathological examination).
Table 2: Classification of Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Register cases, Australia, 1970 to 2013
Iatrogenic
Variant CJD
*	Includes 1 definite iatrogenic case who received pituitary hormone treatment in Australia but disease onset and death occurred while a resident of the United Kingdom. This case is not included in statistical analysis since morbidity and mortality did not occur within Australia.
†	includes 136 living cases.
Possible
216†
In 2013, 20 cases were re-classified from incomplete to definite prion disease, 4 cases to probable and a single case who died in 2002 was re-classified as possible sporadic CJD, bringing the total number of possible cases to 15. Fourteen of these cases were sporadic and one was iatrogenic CJD (Table 2). Of the 216 incomplete cases, 136 are presently alive. In 2013, the number of incomplete cases under evaluation by the ANCJDR has remained consistent with the number of incomplete cases in 2012. In contrast, there has been a 50% reduction in the number of cases excluded from the register and a 35% reduction in the number of cases classified from incomplete to definite, probable or possible in 2013 compared with 2012.
Age-standardised mortality rates show that the rate of human prion disease mortality in Australia during the period of 1970 to 2013 is increasing, except in 2013, where case evaluation is pending for the majority of deaths (Figure 3) and incidence is therefore provisional. In 2013, the age-adjusted mortality rate was 0.44 deaths per million per year and this would be expected to increase after further investigation and classification of incomplete cases. The mean annual age-adjusted mortality rate during the period from 1970 to 2012 was 1.0 death per million (range, 0.1–1.8). For the prospective surveillance period of 1993 to 2012, the mean annual rate is 1.3 deaths per million (range, 0.7–1.8). By state and territory, the majority of regions in Australia have a mean age-adjusted mortality rate above 1 case per million per year between 1993 and 2012 (range, 1.0–1.5). The exceptions are Tasmania and the Northern Territory with 0.7 and 0.9 deaths per million respectively. Restriction of the surveillance data to the period between 2003 and 2012 allows comparisons between states and territories during a timeframe of relatively consistent surveillance practices, diagnostic capabilities and utility with the exception of MRI diagnostics. (Table 3). During this period, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and Queensland have lower than expected mean mortality rates, while Western Australia and Victoria have the highest TSE mortality in Australia.
Figure 3: Number of definite and probable transmissible spongiform encephalopathies cases and age-standardised mortality rate,* Australia, 1970 to 2013, by classification and year
*	Age-standardised mortality rates were calculated using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2000 estimated resident population for Australia.
Table 3: Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies deaths and age-adjusted mortality rates, 2003 to 2012, by year and state or territory
Mean age-adjusted mortality rate†
(deaths/million/year)
*	Provisional figures.
†	Age-standardised mortality rates (2003–2012) were calculated using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2000 estimated resident population for Australian states and territories.
Aus.
The proportions of human prion disease aetiologies represented on the register have remained similar to previous years, with the exception of genetic cases. Previously we have reported that the annual number of genetic cases had declined in recent years.2 In 2013, 6 cases were classified as genetic definite or probable prion disease. Two of these were new cases confirmed as definite genetic cases in 2013, whereas the remaining four were re-classified from definite or probable sporadic cases to genetic cases after further investigation or information was provided to the ANCJDR. The classification of these cases has returned the proportion of genetic TSE closer to the levels expected in the Australian population (Figure 4). Overall, the vast majority of human prion disease cases are sporadic (91.0%) while genetic and iatrogenic cases represent 7.9 and 1.1% respectively of all definite and probable cases.
Figure 4: Definite and probable human prion disease cases, 1970 to 2013, by aetiology and year
Based on 757 definite and probable human prion disease cases, 53% per cent were female. Similar proportions for gender exist for all human prion disease aetiologies. Median ages at death for the overall case group or by specific aetiology are largely unchanged from the previous reporting period. Sixty-six years is the median age at death for all cases overall with only a single year difference between males (66 years) and females (67 years). For sporadic cases, 67 years is the median age at death overall and for both males and females. For genetic prion disease, there is a 4 year age difference between males (58 years) and females (62 years) and overall the median age of death from genetic prion disease is 60 years. As there have been no further iatrogenic cases identified since the last reporting period at 31 December 2012, there has been no change to the previously reported median age at death for iatrogenic cases.2
Duration of illness is typically short for human prion disease, especially sporadic CJD, with the median length of illness duration for all cases combined being 3.9 months. By aetiology, median duration was found to be 3.5 months for sporadic cases (range, 0.9–60 months), 6.25 months for iatrogenic cases (range, 2–25 months) and 5.8 months for genetic cases (range, 1.25–192 months). Within 6 months of disease onset, 70% of all TSE cases were deceased. By aetiology, 72% of sporadic, 53% of genetic and 56% of iatrogenic human prion disease were deceased 6 months after the onset of symptoms. Survival is significantly shorter in sporadic CJD than the genetic form (P < 0.0001 by Log Rank Test).
Between 1 January and 31 December 2013, no variant CJD or further iatrogenic CJD cases were identified in Australia.
The reduced numbers of formal prion disease notifications to the ANCJDR observed in 2012 and 2013 has prompted a review of internal and external factors that may be contributing to the lower number of notifications. One likely factor is a more clinically discerning approach by the ANCJDR before formally adding cases to the register for investigation. This has been necessary due to improved clinician awareness of diagnostic capacity with consequent increased number of suspected case notifications based on suggestive diagnostic investigation results. These include notifications received by the ANCJDR through CSF 14-3-3 protein detection but especially MRI, straining human resources. It is also clear that there are fewer notifications from some states and territories, specifically Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania in both 2012 and 2013. It is unclear why the numbers from Victoria have decreased and this will be closely monitored in 2014.
In Western Australia, a greater reliance on local health services to manage case investigation and in particular those cases that proceed to post-mortem examination, may contribute to the reduced number of notifications. This may limit the involvement and ability of the ANCJDR to ascertain the true level of suspicion for these cases. The ANCJDR will assess options for improving ascertainment in Western Australia during 2014.
Another important and possibly contributing factor to declining notifications is the suspension of the Queensland CJD autopsy service, which ceased in January 2013 and still remains suspended as of 31 December 2013. It is unclear when the service may be resumed. During 2013, the ANCJDR was aware of several suspected CJD cases in Queensland where autopsies were requested by clinicians and/or families. The effect of this suspension will be marked, particularly on incidence rates in Queensland but also on the overall Australian incidence rates in 2013. Furthermore, notification rates may be lowered as a consequence. As there is only a single year of data with lower notifications in Queensland, notification rates will need to be reviewed during 2014 to determine whether the 2013 data was an isolated fluctuation.
Monitoring annual suspected human prion disease notifications is of importance due to the relationship of this parameter with overall incidence. The ANCJDR led a multi-national collaborative study and demonstrated that greater surveillance intensity incorporating suspected case notifications, referrals for diagnostic testing and post-mortem examination correlates with increased reported disease incidence.5 In 2013, the ANCJDR published an analysis of datasets from 10 countries with similar surveillance systems and determined a predictive relationship between surveillance intensity and disease incidence. It is therefore of concern that there has been a sustained change to notification levels and these need to be monitored and assessed carefully in the context of the ANCJDR and local state services activities and processes.
The number of cases classified as definite and probable prion diseases in 2013 (24 cases) is smaller than the number classified in 2012 (39 cases). Definite case classification declined marginally (16% decrease) in 2013 and probable case classifications were 70% lower. An explanation for the lower levels of classifications and exclusion of register cases is in part due to the inflation of the number of cases classified or excluded in 2012 due to concerted efforts by the ANCJDR to classify outstanding cases. After an exceptional year of case classification in 2012, classifications were expected to be lower in 2013 in comparison and return to pre-2012 levels. The ANCJDR aims to maintain a consistent level of case classification with attention focused on probable case classification in 2014.
Despite the decrease in suspected case notifications in 2012, the incidence rate in 2012 has been maintained at expected levels (1.1 cases per million per year). This provides some reassurance that while case notifications have been lower in 2012, the ANCJDR has maintained the ability to detect the expected annual number of prion disease cases in the Australian population despite changes to ANCJDR approaches. No firm conclusions can be made regarding whether these trends will continue in 2013 as the incidence rates are provisional at the time of reporting; however the number of definite cases are predicted to be lower than expected in 2013 due to the suspension of the Queensland autopsy service.
The proportion of annual TSE cases due to genetic prion disease has returned to expected levels during 2013. This is pleasing given the concerns in 2012 that genetic prion disease was under-ascertained between 2009 and 2012, possibly due to the de-centralisation of genetic services to external laboratories and a disconnect with the ANCJDR regarding genetic testing outcomes. Processes have been established in order to redress this issue by genetic services (in conjunction with the CJD support group network), and this has in part contributed to an increased number of genetic prion disease cases classified in 2013. While these processes will prove valuable for case classification in future, the majority of the genetic prion disease identified in 2013 was classified after case investigation, underscoring the utility and importance of comprehensive case evaluation by the ANCJDR.
The ANCJDR wishes to thank families, as well as medical practitioners and associated staff for their generous support of Australian CJD surveillance. The ANCJDR also thanks Dr Handan Wand, Dr Matthew Law and Professor John Kaldor (The Kirby Centre at the University of New South Wales) for their expert epidemiological and statistical support, as well as the CJD Support Group Network for their assistance in surveillance activities.
Genevieve M Klug, Research Assistant1
Alison Boyd, Registry Co-ordinator1
Shannon Sarros, Research Assistant2
Christiane Stehmann, Administrative Assistant2
Marion Simpson, Neurologist1
Catriona A McLean, Neuropathologist1,3
Colin L Masters, Director2
Steven J Collins, Director1
1	Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry, Department of Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Victoria
2.	Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry, The Florey institute of Neurosciences and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria
3.	The Alfred Hospital, Department of Anatomical Pathology, Victoria
Corresponding author: Ms Genevieve Klug, Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry, Department of Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia. Telephone: +61 8344 1949. Facsimile: +61 9349 5105. Email: gmjak@unimelb.edu.au
Allars M. Report of the inquiry into the use of pituitary derived hormones in Australia and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Canberra: AGPS, 1994.
Klug GM, Boyd A, Zhao T, Stehmann C, Simpson M, McLean CA, et al. Surveillance for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in Australia: update to December 2012. Commun Dis Intell. 2013 Jun 30;37(2):E115–E120.
World Health Organization. WHO manual for surveillance of human transmissible spongiform encephalopathies including variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, 2003 [Online]. Accessed on 11 April 2013. Available from: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2003/9241545887.pdf
EUROCJD, European Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance Network: EUROCJD Surveillance Data. [Online] Accessed on 10 April 2014. Available from: http://www.eurocjd.ed.ac.uk/surveillance%20data%202.htm
Klug GM, Wand H, Simpson M, Boyd A, Law M, Masters CL, et al. Intensity of human prion disease surveillance predicts observed disease incidence. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2013;84(12):1372–1377.
Australian Bureau of Statistics. Population by Age and Sex, Australian States and Territories, Jun 2000. ABS Cat. No: 3201.0. Accessed on 8 April 2014. Available from: http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/3201.0Jun%202000?OpenDocument
Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Demographic Statistics. Table 51. Estimated Resident Population by Single Year of Age, New South Wales. ABS Cat. No: 3101.0. Accessed 8 on April 2014. Available from: http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/3101.0Jun%202013?OpenDocument
Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Demographic Statistics. Table 53. Estimated Resident Population by Single Year of Age, Queensland. ABS Cat. No: 3101.0. Accessed on 8 April 2014. Available from: http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/3101.0Jun%202013?OpenDocument
Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Demographic Statistics. Table 54: Estimated Resident Population by Single Year of Age, South Australia. ABS Cat. No: 3101.0. Accessed on 8 April 2014. Available from: http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/3101.0Jun%202013?OpenDocument
Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Demographic Statistics. Table 51: Estimated Resident Population by Single Year of Age, Victoria. ABS Cat. No: 3101.0. Accessed on 8 April 2014. Available from: http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/3101.0Jun%202013?OpenDocument
Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Demographic Statistics. Table 55. Estimated Resident Population by Single Year of Age, Western Australia. ABS Cat. No: 3101.0. Accessed on 8 April 2014. Available from: http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/3101.0Jun%202013?OpenDocument
Communicable Diseases Intelligence Volume 38 No 3 - September 2014
Enter the second, fifth and last digits of 723171


text:
<?php

namespace Hybrid;

/**
 * Hybrid
 *
 * A set of class that extends the functionality of FuelPHP without
 * affecting the standard workflow when the application doesn't actually
 * utilize Hybrid feature.
 *
 * @package     Fuel
 * @subpackage  Hybrid
 * @category    Cli
 * @author      Ignacio Muñoz Fernandez <nmunozfernandez@gmail.com>
 */

class Cli extends \Fuel\Core\Cli
{
	/**
	 * An alias for Cli::write() to output $text only when specify -v or --verbose options
	 *
	 * @static
	 * @access  public
	 * @param   mixed    $text         the text to output, or array of lines
	 * @param   mixed    $foreground   the foreground color
	 * @param   mixed    $background   the background color
	 * @return  void
	 */
	public static function verbose($text = '', $foreground = null, $background = null)
	{
		if (null !== static::option('v', static::option('verbose')))
		{
			static::write($text, $foreground, $background);
		}
	}

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Engaging individuals and groups in policy design and development, including consultation, collaboration and participatory decision-making.
Public participation in policy allows those who are affected by a decision to be involved in policy design, development and decision-making.
empowering – placing decision-making in the hands of the public.
Public participation encompasses a range of traditional techniques that agencies use regularly (for example, providing information through a website or reports, consultation on draft policies or concepts), as well as leading techniques that are evolving (for example, online discussion forums or online voting).
Public participation is not limited to engagement with individual citizens – it also covers engagement with community groups, stakeholder and representative groups, businesses, academic institutions and more.
Public participation can improve policy quality. Policy and services are increasingly being designed and delivered through greater collaboration with users or the broader public. This helps to better understand problems and risks, and to craft solutions that are more likely to meet user needs.
Participation can improve legitimacy and impact. Decisions that arise from open and collaborative processes with strong user input can be more credible.
Participation is important when hard choices have to be made, when disruption may result, or when we want to govern what people and organisations can do.
It may be an administrative requirement, or strong recommendation. For example, the New Zealand Cabinet Guide and Cabinet Manual discuss the role of public consultation in respect of the role of Ministers and Cabinet. Consultation is also a component of Treasury's Guide to Cabinet's Impact Analysis Requirements, which relate to regulation.
It may be a legislative requirement. Public participation is required in a number of Acts, for example the Treaty of Waitangi, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act 2011, Local Government Act 2002, Land Transport Act 1993, Resource Management Act 1991 and New Zealand Public Health and Disabilities Act 2000.
Public participation covers a range of activities that engage with the public. Each of the activities will have its own strengths and weaknesses, and its own rationale for use.
Establishing a clear purpose – ensuring that the aims and boundaries of the participation are clear to all, and expectations and risks are managed.
Committing to process – following through and using the outcomes of participation in the way that you said you would.
Demonstrating ethical treatment, respect and sensitivity – understanding the individuals and groups involved in the participation and interacting with them in ethical ways that reflect awareness of their culture, circumstances and values.
Ensuring diversity, accessibility and inclusiveness – ensuring equal and fair access to the participation process by all appropriate groups and individuals.
Communicating and feeding back – providing accurate and timely information, and ensuring that participants understand how their participation has been translated into action or change.
Importantly, poor public participation can be worse than no participation at all. Policy practitioners need to carefully consider the risks and benefits, skills and competencies, timing and approach.
Specific approaches include public engagement, discourse, deliberation, digital engagement and participatory decision making.
Higher quality policy options, informed by a greater understanding of participants' needs, concerns and priorities. In methods that involve higher levels of participant leadership, public participation can also lead to new options, and a greater confidence in the ranking of options.
Reduced political and operational risk, through improved 'road-testing' of policy options, and improved legitimacy through public engagement in the design process.
Engagement can be self-reinforcing, creating greater legitimacy and involvement in future engagement – especially when there is clear evidence of the link between participation and action.
You are required to by law, or by administrative requirement.
You need to meet the obligations of the Treaty of Waitangi.
You need to gather perspectives on the problem, and ideas for solutions.
You need to test and refine ideas for creating more robust solutions, and to iron out potential issues in implementation.
You want to build legitimacy for tough or complex decisions, showing that the challenges and trade-offs were thoughtfully considered.
Consideration needs to be given in situations where decision-makers have not fully endorsed public participation, where issues are ethically or morally sensitive, or when other processes (e.g. Select Committees) are already considering the issues.
Consideration should also be given to the risks of 'consultation fatigue' amongst participants.
Informing – including providing information online and offline, providing 'open data', live streaming and broadcasting.
Consultation – including seeking feedback though working papers and drafts, community forums, group consultation and online consultation.
Deliberation – including citizen juries, 'town halls', physical and online debates, online discussion forums.
Collaboration – including online collaboration, shared workspaces, workshops, 'design jams' and 'hack days' and community co-design facilities.
Participatory decision-making – including plebiscites, online and offline voting.
The Department of Internal Affairs leads on online engagement tools and approaches. Contact info@digital.govt.nz.
EngageTech Forum Conversation Tracker - The Policy Project produced this conversation tracker, which explores the key themes discussed by a panel of six people.
Online Engagement Advice - Department of Internal Affairs guide to online engagement.
Principles of Engagement - NZ Government principles for public engagement.
CabManual and CabGuide – Guidance from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet on matters relating to Ministers and Cabinet, including requirements on public consultation.
Regulation - Impact Analysis - The Treasury's guide to Cabinet's requirements for regulatory proposals, including requirements and guidance on consultation.
Case Study – Christchurch Community Forum - Information about the Christchurch Community Forum which ran from 2011 to 2015, including its operation, challenges and successes.
Regenerate Christchurch - Regenerate Christchurch is an example of an agency using public participation techniques, ranging from traditional consultation to 'design jams'.
Ready Reference Engagement Guide - Office for the Community & Voluntary Sector - Supporting government agencies to engage effectively with citizens and communities.


TOKYO (REUTERS) - United States President Donald Trump on Saturday (Sept 2) spoke by telephone with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to discuss the escalating threats from North Korea, the White House said.
The conversation between the American and Japanese leaders came as North Korea said it had developed a more advanced thermonuclear weapon that possesses "great destructive power".
Pyongyang said the weapon would be loaded on a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that experts believe has the range to hit much of the US.
"The two leaders reaffirmed the importance of close cooperation between the United States, Japan and South Korea in the face of the growing threat from North Korea," the White House said in a statement.
Trump spoke to Abe while flying back to Washington after visiting storm-ravaged Houston.


text:
package org.medimob.orm.annotation;

public enum CascadeType {

  DELETE
}


It's been a while since I wrote one of these XML cookbook entries. Here's some info on a common problem: Really big XML files.
One of the common use-cases of XML literals is creating HTML. However, HTML entities cannot be used in XML literals since LINQ to XML directly supports only the Data type definitions (DTD) defined in the XML 1.0 spec.
When using LINQ to XML why don't I get results if I don't import a XML namespace (Daniel Walzenbach)?


text:
Chris Hemsworth to appear on tvN's 'Amazing Saturday' to greet his Korean fans ahead of his movie premiere
Chris Hemsworth will be on tvN's 'Amazing Saturday' to meet and greet his Korean fans.
According to reports, Chris Hemsworth will make a surprise appearance in 'Amazing Saturday' on June 25 at 7:30 PM KST. According to sources, the Hollywood star intends to meet South Korean fans via a variety performance ahead of the release of his new film 'Thor: Love and Thunder.'
Chris Hemsworth has stated that "'Thor: Love and Thunder' contains everything fans want." It is also predicted that the actor will display his wit and comedy on the show.
Meanwhile, Thor: Love and Thunder' will premiere on July 6.
Season 2 of the blockbuster drama 'All of Us Are Dead' has been confirmed by Netflix
Lee Joon Gi reportedly tests positive for COVID-19 + Again My Life halts filming
Jeon Yeo Been of "Vincenzo" and Park Jung Min are in talks to join Hyun Bin in a new action thriller set in the 1990s


We recommend checking out our discussion threads on the ALVA OK1000PRO Professional Toslink Optical Cable OK1000PRO, which address similar problems with connecting and setting up Optical (Toslink) Cables ALVA.
The user manual for the ALVA OK1000PRO Professional Toslink Optical Cable OK1000PRO provides necessary instructions for the proper use of the product TVs & Entertainment - Cables & Accessories - Optical (Toslink) Cables.
The Alva OK1000PRO Professional Toslink Optical Cable (10 m) is a professional lightpipe cable for ADAT or SPDIF format. It is compatible with all RME products with ADAT I/Os or optical SPDIF I/Os.
If you own a ALVA optical (toslink) cables and have a user manual in electronic form, you can upload it to this website using the link on the right side of the screen.
Box Dimensions (LxWxH) 10.6 x 6.8 x 1.4"
The user manual for the ALVA OK1000PRO Professional Toslink Optical Cable OK1000PRO can be downloaded in .pdf format if it did not come with your new optical (toslink) cables, although the seller is required to supply one. It is also quite common that customers throw out the user manual with the box, or put the CD away somewhere and then can't find it. That's why we and other ALVA users keep a unique electronic library for ALVA optical (toslink) cabless, where you can use our link to download the user manual for the ALVA OK1000PRO Professional Toslink Optical Cable OK1000PRO.
The user manual lists all of the functions of the ALVA OK1000PRO Professional Toslink Optical Cable OK1000PRO, all the basic and advanced features and tells you how to use the optical (toslink) cables. The manual also provides troubleshooting for common problems. Even greater detail is provided by the service manual, which is not typically shipped with the product, but which can often be downloaded from ALVA service.
If you want to help expand our database, you can upload a link to this website to download a user manual or service manual, ideally in .pdf format. These pages are created by you – users of the ALVA OK1000PRO Professional Toslink Optical Cable OK1000PRO. User manuals are also available on the ALVA website under TVs & Entertainment - Cables & Accessories - Optical (Toslink) Cables.


Outlook is one of the most well-known email clients. It stores its data in Personal Storage Table, PST files. These PST files store messages, attachments, calendar events, contacts, notes, and various other items. Sometimes, these files face many errors which disrupt the entire emailing activities. There might be ample of reasons why these errors occur. Our present topic deals in why these errors occur and how we can avoid them from corrupting our PST file.
While portability of PST files is one of its advantages, the transportation from one location to another might cause PST file corruption. Basically, the causes can be many, and generally, they are divided into two categories, namely, corruption resulting from hardware failure and corruption resulting from software failure.
In Case of a Data Device Failure: In case your hard disk develops some bad sectors, and your Outlook PST file is stored in these bad sectors, you might not be able to access the data.
In Case of a Faulty Networking Devices: When the Outlook PST file is located on a network, and you try to access these files remotely, you'll need to make sure that your network interface cards, cables, routers, hubs as well as other devices have no problems or issues that disrupt their proper functioning. If they do have problems, the remote access of your PST file might end making the file corrupted.
In case of a Power Failure: At times while accessing a PST File, you might come across a power failure, which in turn might leave your PST file severely damaged. As a result, you have a case of PST file corruption.
There are many techniques which you might use to eradicate the PST corruption because of hardware problems. For example, UPS helps against power failure. Another example might be using proper and reliable hardware devices which might serve to reduce the probability of PST file corruption.
Software related issues are basically categorized into three, namely, virus attacks, incorrect settings, and abnormal closure of Outlook.
Sometimes, you might open an email attachment in your MS Outlook after which your Outlook data becomes inaccessible. This is a virus attack! This requires a prudent check to eliminate the virus.
If your Outlook shuts down suddenly, you might end up with a corrupt PST file because the sudden closing of the file might prevent PST file from saving the data accurately. The next time you try opening the file, it'll have inconsistencies. This, in turn, will cause errors while trying to access the PST File.
Another cause of this corruption is an oversized PST file. In this case, the PST file crashes and then hangs the application.
Having learned everything about the PST corruption, you might be wondering how you can fix these problems and completely eradicate this corruption. The following passage elaborates on this matter.
Corruption in the PST File creates several additional problems including the disruption of work. There are basically two different ways to avoid PST file corruption, namely, Scanpst.exe and a third-party tool. The methods that follow are easy and most of the times provides quick means to do away with the corruption.
Windows Explorer opens the folder where MS Outlook had been installed. Scanpst.exe is mostly present in that same folder.
When you have located Scanpst.exe, you can now repair your corrupt PST files.
Many times, ScanPst.Exe fails to help, and then you have to search for some third-party tool to avoid PST file corruption. Many different companies seem to have come up with tools to help with this matter. One among them has created an excellent clientele and has generated positive remarks from its users. Recoveryfix! This company has a PST Repair Tool which enables its users to deal with the PST file corruption issues.
Having installed the software, press 'Browse' to select file you wish to repair. Also, select the mode you wish to use to repair PST file. Now, press Next.
Select from the folder(s), the item/items you wish to repair. Click on Save.
Select the location to save the repaired files, select; click Ok.
After getting all the information, if you aren't prepared to buy it directly, you could use the freely available Trial Version. Please note that this version of the Tool converts only 30 items in one go. Moreover, if you have any confusion pertaining to this tool, you can always chat online with the Recoveryfix support team that is online twenty-four hours and seven days a week. You can also connect with them via email or via telephone.
If you are looking for Tips to Avoid Outlook PST File Corruption? Follow the above instructions; you will be able to undo the ill-effects of the PST file corruption and avoid a further occurrence of the same.


For five years Hope, a 6-year-old tiny toy poodle, was forced to deliver litter after litter so the owners could sell the puppies for a profit. The last litter was not the money producer her owners had hoped for; instead it nearly took her life and left her orphaned with nowhere to go. After four days of heavy labor, Hope was taken to the vet, who found that the four puppies inside her had died and were poisoning her from within. Without surgery she would die; without much thought, her owners chose to have her euthanized.
The Santa Cruz SPCA was notified of her situation and decided to delve into its Second Chance Fund and provide her with the surgery she needed. The SPCA then took her in. She now lies comfortably in her bed, recovering from surgery.
She"s quiet and patient and would make the most amazing lap dog for someone seeking out a small and calm companion. She has no problem being in the company of other dogs or cats and doesn"t mind being held or picked up.
Hope is in great health but is still on a few medications that will be provided to any future adopter. This sweet girl deserves only the best and will give you so much more. When all else failed, a little hope was found.
For information call the Santa Cruz SPCA at 465-5000, or visit www.santacruzspca.org. The SPCA is at 2685 Chanticleer Ave. in Santa Cruz and is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
The SPCA"s adoption package for dogs and cats includes spay/neuter, vaccinations, micro-chipping, an ID tag, collar and more.


text:
Driving Nails into Coffins
The noise you're hear is hammering. President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry are driving nails into the lids of two coffins.
One coffin will carry the votes of a demographic group the Democrats took for granted. The other is for the eight year foreign relations record of Obama. This one is destined to be buried below the remains of all of Obama's predecessors.
Jews are the demographic group in play. Generally, Jews were considered to be among those minority groups that could be called "Yellow Dog Democrats."
Democrat candidates need not bother to spend time and campaign efforts on Jewish communities, because they could be counted on to vote Democrat even if the candidate was a yellow dog.
When, however, Obama and Kerry threw Israel under the Palestinian and Arab bus two weeks ago, there must have been shock waves rumbling through the Jewish community.
The creation of Israel within the British mandate of Palestine in 1948 was, to some degree, a reaction to realizing the extent and horrors of the Holocaust and the refusal of Britain and others to accept boat loads of Jewish refugees. The initial attempt was to create separate Jewish and Palestinian states.
The borders established, however, were doomed to failure. The map of those borders gives gerrymandering a whole new look. Even without the Palestinian refusal to accept a state of Israel, those borders could not be sustained.
Accordingly, there have been constant tensions to adjust the borders requiring Israel to withstand repeated attacks and acts of terror. The US stood behind and backed Israel against all these assaults until the last month of the Obama Administration.
Kerry's 70 minute attempt to explain the sudden abandonment of Israel coupled with his unsupported and unsupportable claim that the Obama Administration had done more for Israel than any other administration was incomprehensible.
There seems to be no understanding of the effects of Israel abandoning earlier "settlements," Israel's historical claims to, and needs for, the Western or Wailing Wall and Jerusalem, and its repeated offers to negotiate a two state solution.
Tie this with Obama's and Kerry's earlier agreement to assure Iran's acquisition of nuclear weapons in ten years and the result is that Israel is the most precarious state since its creation.
This leaving of an old friend and ally hanging in the wind follows on the heels of another childish attempt to muddy the water for the incoming Trump administration.
After years of Russia hacking into various computer systems in the country, including probably the totally unsecured system of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Obama decides to sanction Russia for the relatively minor hacking of various Democratic National Committee (DNC) executives. He does this months after the hacking was discovered, but just weeks before Trump is inaugurated as his successor. Why now?
Russia was allowed to annex the Crimea, invade Ukraine, ally with Iran and Turkey to replace the US. in Iraq and Syria, and hack into computers all over the place. All this after Obama tells Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (the predecessor of Vladimir Putin) that he would have more flexibility after the November 2012 election to deal with contentious issues such as missile defense.
Russia was allowed to do what it liked and Israel was encouraged to do what it thought necessary to defend itself until the Democrat party was embarrassed. Once enough voters walked to the polls and installed Republican majorities in Washington, D.C., and two-thirds of the states, Obama decides he will make it as hard as possible for his successor to give the voters what they want.
Democrats have been looking in the mirror and asking, "What happened?" They do not like what the mirror is answering.
The reflection was President Obama campaigning for Hillary Clinton with a slogan of "Let's continue my legacy," emailing leaks of a dishonest DNC, and taking their traditional groups—minorities, blue collar workers, Jews, etc.—for granted.
These truths are hard to accept, so the decision is made to ignore them and blame someone and something else.
The fall guys chosen are Israel, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. Their punishment will be to find waters so rough and muddied that it will be hard to negotiate.
Whether flowers and memorials will be provided as Obama and Kerry lower the coffins they are sealing into their final resting place, and who sends flowers and memorials, will be interesting.