text:
class Pantograph < ActiveRecord::Base

  include Pantographable

  belongs_to :pantographer

  validates_presence_of :text, :external_created_at, :tweet_id
  validates_uniqueness_of :text, :tweet_id

  default_scope { order('external_created_at DESC') }
  scope :by_self, -> { where(pantographer_id: pantography_twitter_user.id) }

  def self.alphabet
    NB.pantography_alphabet
  end

  def self.first_text
    alphabet.first
  end

  def self.last_text
    max_length.times.map { alphabet.last } .join
  end

  def self.max_length
    NB.pantography_max_length.to_i
  end

  def self.total_texts
    # Wrong! This does not take into consideration skipped texts
    # Total texts should be the sequence number of last text
    # ERROR: At the moment: Pantograph.|last_text|.sequence < Pantograph.total_texts => false
    (alphabet.length ** max_length) - 1 - skipped(last_text)
  end

  def self.skipped(text)
    # Calculate the number of pantographs that have been skipped due to repeated spaces.
    #  This is basically a triangular function on the length of the string - 1.
    #  So, for a string that is five letters long, we do 4 + 3 + 2 + 1.
    return 0 if text.length == 1 && alphabet.index(text.last) > alphabet.index(' ')
    return 1 unless text.length > 1
    use_length = text.length - 1
    use_length -= 1 unless alphabet.index(text.last) > alphabet.index(' ')
    # We add two for when the space appears in the beginning or the end
    #  This is the standard formula for calculating a triangular number
    #  Test with this more literal approach: (1..use_length).inject(:+) + 2
    use_length  * (use_length + 1) / 2 + 2
  end

  def self.total_duration
    (total_texts / (((60 * 60) / NB.pantography_frequency.to_i)  * 24 * NB.pantography_sidereal_year_in_days.to_i));
  end

  def self.sanitize(text, pantographer_id = nil)
    text = self.spamify(text) if pantographer_id == self.pantography_twitter_user.id
    text.truncate(NB.pantography_max_length.to_i, omission: '')
        .gsub(/"|"|"|\'|\'/, "'")
        .gsub(/\&/, '+')
        .gsub(/\[\{/, '(')
        .gsub(/\]\}/, ')')
        .downcase
        .gsub(/[^#{ NB.pantography_alphabet_escaped }]/, '')
  end

  def self.publish_next
    next_pantograph = calculate_next
    while !tweet(next_pantograph) do
      # If the next pantograph fails, we log it and try the following one
      next_pantograph = calculate_after(next_pantograph)
    end
    next_pantograph
  end

  def self.tweet(text)
    # Replace @ and # characters before tweeting to avoid spamming other users
    #  These characters are unchanged as far as Pantography itself goes; they are stored intact.
    text = self.unspamify(text)
    tweet = authenticated_twitter_client.update(text)

    if tweet.text == text
      true # Tweet was successful
    else
      report_error("Twitter rejected message #{ text } with no error message.")
      false
    end

    rescue Twitter::Error => error
      if error == 'Over capacity'
        true # Although the tweet failed, we do not skip a pantograph
      else
        report_error("Twitter rejected message #{ text } with error, \"#{ error }\".")
        false
      end
  end

  def self.unspamify(text)
    text.gsub(/@/, 'A').gsub(/#/, 'H')
  end

  def self.spamify(text)
    text.gsub(/A/, '@').gsub(/H/, '#')
  end

  def self.report_error(error_message)
    PANTOGRAPHY_LOG.error error_message
    PantographMailer.tweet_failed(error_message).deliver
  end

  def self.calculate_next
    next_candidate = calculate_after(last_by_self_text)
    next_candidate = calculate_after(next_candidate) while Pantograph.where(text: next_candidate).exists?
    next_candidate = calculate_after(next_candidate) if looks_like_direct_message?(next_candidate)
    next_candidate
  end

  def self.last_by_self_text
    return '' if pantography_twitter_user.blank?
    last_pantographs = where(pantographer_id: pantography_twitter_user.id)
    last_pantographs.blank? ? '' : last_pantographs.first.text
  end

  def self.calculate_before(current)
    return first_text if current == first_text
    alphabet = self.alphabet.split('')
    return alphabet.first if current.blank?

    letters = current.split('')
    cursor = letters.size - 1
    solved = false

    until solved
      if letters[cursor] == alphabet.first
        letters[cursor] = alphabet.last
        if cursor > 0
          cursor -= 1
        else
          letters.shift
          solved = true
        end
      else
        letters[cursor] = alphabet[alphabet.index(letters[cursor]) - 1];
        solved = true
      end
    end
    letters.join
  end

  def self.calculate_after(current)
    return last_text if current == last_text
    alphabet = self.alphabet.split('')
    alphabet_without_space = alphabet - [' ']

    return alphabet.first if current.blank?

    letters = current.split('')
    cursor = letters.size - 1
    solved = false

    until solved
      if letters[cursor] == alphabet.last
        letters[cursor] = alphabet.first
        if cursor > 0
          cursor -= 1
        else
          letters.unshift(alphabet.first)
          solved = true
        end
      else
        # Prevent leading, trailing and multiple spaces
        if cursor == 0 or cursor == letters.length - 1 or letters[cursor - 1] == ' '
          letters[cursor] = alphabet_without_space[alphabet_without_space.index(letters[cursor]) + 1]
        else
          letters[cursor] = alphabet[alphabet.index(letters[cursor]) + 1]
        end
        solved = true
      end
    end
    letters.join
  end

  def self.looks_like_direct_message?(text)
    # Tweets that look like direct messages are refused silently by Twitter
    !text[/\b(d|m)$/i].nil?
  end

  def self.update_saved_timeline
    min_id = first.nil? ? 0 : first.tweet_id
    get_timeline(min_id)
  end

  def self.escape_text(text)
    URI.escape(text, /[\.,;:_@!?\/#()%'-+= ]/)
  end

  def to_param
    self.class.escape_text(text)
  end

  def previous_pantograph
    self.class.calculate_before(text)
  end

  def next_pantograph
    self.class.calculate_after(text)
  end

  def first_path
    Rails.application.routes.url_helpers.pantograph_path(self.class.first_text)
  end

  def last_path
    Rails.application.routes.url_helpers.pantograph_path(self.class.last_text)
  end

  def previous_path
    Rails.application.routes.url_helpers.pantograph_path(previous_pantograph)
  end

  def next_path
    Rails.application.routes.url_helpers.pantograph_path(next_pantograph)
  end

  def twitter_url
    pantographer.nil? ? '' : "http://twitter.com/#{ pantographer.twitter_screen_name }/status/#{ tweet_id }"
  end

  def scheduled_for
   (NB.pantography_start_date.to_datetime + (sequence * NB.pantography_frequency.to_i).seconds)
    .strftime('%A, %e %B %Y CE at %H:%M UTC')
    .gsub(/([\d]{9,})/) { |d| "#{ d.to_f.to_s.gsub(/(\d)\.(\d+)+e\+(\d+)/, '\1.\2 x 10\3') }" }
  end

  def sequence
    # Sequence number for this text (decimal)
    decimal = 0
    radix = self.class.alphabet.length
    text.split('').reverse.each_with_index do |letter, position|
      decimal += (self.class.alphabet.index(letter.to_s) + 1) * (radix ** position)
    end
    decimal -= self.class.skipped(text)
  end

  def percentage
    # Sequence as a percentage of total texts
    #{ }"#{ (sequence * 100) / self.class.total_texts }"
    (sequence * 100) / self.class.total_texts
  end

  private

  def self.get_timeline(min_id)
    tweets = authenticated_twitter_client.home_timeline(trim_user: true, min_id: min_id)

    # Notify if no Pantographs have been found
    # FIXME: This is only being trigerred when there are a lot of
    #  non-Pantography tweets to pad the list. Maybe something is wrong with
    #  min_id above.
    unless tweets.any? { |tweet| tweet.user.id == NB.pantography_twitter_user_id.to_i }
      Slack.ping("No new pantographs detected!", icon_url: NB.logo_url)
    end

    tweets.each do |tweet|
      user = Pantographer.where(twitter_user_id: tweet.user.id).first_or_create
      create(
            text: sanitize(tweet.text, user.id),
            external_created_at: tweet.created_at,
            tweet_id: tweet.id,
            pantographer_id: user.id
          )
      end
  end

  def self.pantography_twitter_user
    Pantographer.where(twitter_user_id: NB.pantography_twitter_user_id.to_i).first
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


In the opening credits of Michael Moore's latest documentary, Sicko, we're introduced to a man who accidentally cut the tops of his middle and ring fingers off on a table saw. Being a middle class man with few financial resources, he had a choice, pay $60,000 to reattach his middle finger, or pay $12,000 to reattach his ring finger. Later in the film Moore takes us to Canada, where a man cuts almost all of his fingers off, again in an accident. Only the Canadian's fingers are immediately reattached because that is what's best for him. The cost: nothing. I doubt there's a single American that hasn't had some beef with his or her health insurance. Myself, I just got a bill for $223 from an appointment nine months ago where the doctor cleaned my ear passage. I called and asked why; they said because it was an "unusual" procedure. Is our healthcare system based on normality? If getting sick or injuring ourselves in an accident was normal, then we wouldn't need doctors, therefore wouldn't need healthcare. But it isn't, so we do. Many of the people interviewed by Moore say their health insurance companies denied them coverage because the recommended treatment was "experimental." Does this mean all treatment must be established treatment? Who are these insurance companies to be dictating what is necessary or best over our doctors? And why do countries like France, England, and Cuba have better healthcare than the U.S.?
But isn't that what America is all about—freedom? Ha-ha-ha, Moore would laugh. It's hard to disagree when we're constantly told to be afraid, advertised to "ask our doctor" about this disease, or if we might have that condition. We've become a nation of hypochondriacs and most of us don't even realize it. I think Americans know the medical field is a business; that's no secret. Anyone who thinks otherwise is kidding themselves. We're number 37 in worldwide healthcare, as Moore points out. But aren't we the richest country in the world? Aren't we the freest country in the world? Don't I always hear how this is the best country in the world? If so, why is it that volunteer rescuers and cleanup crews at Ground Zero were denied healthcare by the federal government, even though they're just as heroic as the NYFD and NYPD? The reason: the government didn't ask them to help.
Then again, as Moore points out (with obvious reference to the Iraq situation), "We're Americans, we go into other countries when we need to." Socialized medicine has been viewed as a communist ploy, at least in American politics—crazily seen as a plot to slowly turn out country into a socialist one. Moore outlines first how our own healthcare system works, and then moves on to other countries sporting universal healthcare. It's sobering, depressing, and hurtful, given the truth to what Moore is saying. The American media and politicians claim that the Canadian, French, and British get free healthcare, but they have to wait months before they get an operation—by that time they could be dead. Moore follows one 22-year-old American woman who finds herself denied coverage for treatment of cervical cancer because her insurance company says "she's too young to have cervical cancer." She goes to Canada, where she pretends to be common-law wife of a Canadian friend of hers, and she's treated the same day. So what were U.S. politicians talking about when they said Canadians had to wait for months?
Particularly shocking was Moore's time in Cuba, another country supporting universal healthcare, this one considered third-world. Moore brings along some of his American interviewees with health problems, ones poorly treated or not treated at all in America due to their financial constraints. In Cuba they needed only fill out their name and birth date; within moments they're in hospital rooms, getting tests, crying because it's all free. One woman, a 9/11 volunteer, finds that her inhaler, which costs $120 in America, costs only 5 cents in Cuba. All of these countries with socialized medicine are similar: no cost, little paperwork, and concentration on what's best for the patient. Moore doesn't sweeten the argument too much, however, at least not for white collar folk. Taxes in countries with socialized medicine are higher for those who have the money, paying for those who do not have the money. But that's partly why countries like Canada, England, and France have more communal societies; there's a general caring for one's countryman that is absent from present-day America. It was a brief side-effect of 9/11, surely, but it has since dissipated.
Moore avoids his usual stunts and absurdities for the most part. Yet he cheapens the film by taking his group of ill interviewees to Guantanamo Bay prison, where the U.S. keeps political prisoners behind 9/11, who according to reports, get free state-of-the-art healthcare, better than any of Moore's interviewed Americans are getting. On a boat with a bullhorn, shouting to the Guantanamo Bay tower that these 9/11 volunteers just want to get medical attention equal to the "evildoers", Moore pulls down his credibility. He further lowers himself by referencing an anti-Michael Moore website owner whose wife became ill and had to choose between his website and his wife; Moore self-promotes by pointing out the fact that he anonymously cut a $12,000 check so the guy could keep spouting Moore hatred online (although it's not exactly a secret now, is it?). Even with these two distracting-yet-exclusive moments of self-indulgence, his universally human argument isn't lost.
Though Michael Moore has been attacked for being anti-American, I think his heart is in the right place. He weaves a clever piece of propaganda, in the best possible way; and even if you don't buy every statistic or bit of information he offers, no one can deny the credibility of his thesis. Moore doesn't blindly follow whatever our government decides. He recognizes our country was founded on revolution, and in way, I think he hopes for a similar response to today's problems. Perhaps not a violent one, but a general compassion by Americans for themselves and their own country. He asks several times, "What have we become?" or "Who are we?" I'd challenge anyone to answer that question without an "um" in there at some point. He asks that we care enough to stand up against our government's open hand to insurance company's lobbying and payoffs. Moore points out how the French love their country enough to protest when something is wrong, that France's government fears its people, whereas Americans fear their government. Given America's origins, that doesn't quite seem right, does it?


Welcome to Shalizaar, a rare and undoubtedly the best Persian restaurant in the Bay Area. We have served the most delectable authentic Persian cuisine for over 23 years now, and we are loved unconditionally by our customers. Over 70,000 people visited Shalizaar last year. Shalizaar has a long list of loyal customers that have visited us for almost as long as we have been in business. In fact, we have people who once came here as babies and now drive their own cars to our restaurant.
Norooz, which means " New Day" is not only the beginning of New Year in the Solar Calendar, but also celebrate "Bahar" or Spring. The celebration lasts twelve days, but preparation begin about two months before.
What makes us such a huge favorite among the food lovers of San Mateo, Belmont and the rest of Bay Area? Our delicious cuisine, an enviable collection of the finest wine; the warm, friendly and deferential service; the classy, elegant and bright ambience? While all of these things are true, they are only the beginning.
The food is really great, the starter plate of bread, cheese, walnut and herbs is such a good idea, the environment looks very nice and the service was good.
Excellent food excellent service proposed to my girlfriend here on Mother's Day and they made it just perfect thank you to the shalizaar team you made it happen!!
Shalizar is our inly destination every time we are going to a concert in Cupertino, they are the best. The food was great as always and we LOVED it!
Best Persian restaurant in the area, fair prices, high quality and authentic Persian dishes. There is a stove at the end of restaurant where they cook bread and serve it fresh.
I strongly suggest shislik which is lamp chops and rice plate. Family friendly and warm place to eat and have a good time. I'm sure that i will come back again.
If you are around the Bay Area, drop by any day of the week, 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and treat yourself to the best Persian cuisine in the world.
We are a family owned and operated restaurant, and we treat every guest like family. You are welcome with your family and kids.
We bake our bread right within the restaurant, so you get the freshest, most scrumptious bread in town.
We use the freshest seasonal and locally sourced ingredients to bring you the healthiest, most delicious recipes. We ground our own meat in-house. You only get the best food here.
Our bar has the best wine. In fact, we are one of the very few restaurants to have received the Award of Excellence given out by the prestigious wine magazine Wine Spectator, for 5 years in a row. If you look closely, we are the only Persian restaurant to feature in Wine Spectator, while other cuisines feature 20-30 restaurants each.
Recommended by Michelin, which is a company that recognizes the best restaurants from around the world.
KQED highly recommended Shalizaar on the program "Check Please," with all three guests unanimously in favor.
We have had the honor of catering at Narsai David's fundraising event held at Ritz Carlton, twice, in 2009 as well as 2012. Narsai David is a highly reputed author, television personality and one of the most respected food critics in the Bay Area.
We have state of the art digital menu apps designed by Bridge Consulting, that allow you to view images of the food and read more about it in up to 3 different languages prior to ordering.
Accountability is very high and one of the owners is always in-house to hear anything a customer may have to say. Also, we have a great banquet hall with a 180-person capacity, for all events and functions.


text:
Get the iPhone App
Character Introductions
Character Development: Introduction – Writing Tips & Exercises
Are you struggling to introduce a new character in your novel, short story, or play? Would you rather skip over the introductions and get straight to the action?
There are a ton of different ways to start a story and introduce a character, but ultimately, characters are the most important part of your story and need to be well-developed to really connect with an audience.
Character Introductions Video
The Road to Deep Character Development
If your character is going to evolve, he or she needs to start out in one place and head to another, so establishing your character is critical to successful storytelling.
The Importance of Character Introductions
Your characters are the heart of your book. When someone says they love a book, they usually mean they love the characters. They connected in a deeply personal and emotional way. Writing has that power. A strong introduction gets your reader invested in the story right away.
Like any first impression, character introductions have an oversized impact on how people will feel about your character. What is your goal with this introduction?
Do you want readers to like your character?
Root for them?
Hurt with them?
Hate them?
Action is character
F. Scott Fitzgerald had that written above his writing desk when he was working on his last novel. There are a lot of details you can add to a character, but the true heart of a person is seen through two things: Action and motivation. In that order.
Action is first. Characters aren't what they wished they'd done. Characters are what they do. Did your character do something especially brave, noble, or self-sacrificing?
Motivation is second. Why did they do what they did? Motivation is where you'll sink your hooks into the readers' hearts.
To Plan or Not to Plan?
Some writers choose to write by the seat of their pants, and that's great, but I like to know where I'm going as I write. If you know what the big action/decision is going to be later in the story, you can foreshadow and really hammer home where your character is at the start of the story.
The above is an example from my second novel, Room for Shadows. Each chapter of the book has a story set in the novel's present, and a flashback sequence to a related event earlier in my main character's life.
In the second chapter, I introduce Charlie, an important supporting character. I want the reader to see him as an honest, hardworking Chicago Police detective. He helps Ed out of an interrogation, and introduces a central component of the plot – someone is abducting young women from the North Side of the city, taking them to a remote area in a Michigan forest and crucifying them.
There are a number of important details about the case I want readers to know, but this chapter is more about Ed and Charlie's friendship, and how that friendship has evolved over time.
The flashback sequence goes back to their first meeting. They were in the Army, and Ed was brought in by his commanding officer to take Charlie under his wing. When they first met, Charlie needed Ed's help. By the present day, Ed is the one in trouble and needs Charlie to bail him out. The reason for this switch will be explored throughout the story as Ed tries to rediscover hope and redemption.
So I'm introducing Charlie twice, and the different situations help bring both Charlie and Ed to life, while also (hopefully) enticing the reader to learn more.
Character Introduction Writing Tips
Go easy on physical descriptions. Unless you happen to have a flair for pretty prose, whether someone's hair is wavy or straight is probably not terribly important to the character or story.
Include conflict right off the bat – Your character has to WANT something, and there should be some obstacle to getting it. Kurt Vonnegut, one of the great writing teachers of all time, said it doesn't matter what your character wants, it could be a cup of coffee, but they have to want something.
Start with action, let us learn why later – Action doesn't mean "He walked down the stairs and around the corner" but rather a real decisive action like breaking up with a girlfriend, quitting or accepting a job, which is how I introduced Chris in my first novel, Auto Clarity, as the first story is him learning about a new company and their software, and while he tells himself he's just going to listen and not take the job, he ultimately does. This sets him up as a believer, as someone who can get caught up in the dream, or in dreaming, and take a job he maybe shouldn't.
Character Introduction and Development Writing Exercises
Introduce a character without any physical description
Introduce a character with only dialogue
Introduce a character with no dialogue
In media res – Add a short intro short story to the beginning of your novel to fully explain all the things you want to say about your character. Continue the novel as if people got everything from that short story, then don't include it in the story. Make it superfluous and kill your darling. In media res stories, which start in the middle of the action, can quickly immerse readers in a story. Write the first part, chop it off, and let your readers catch up. Make sure you cut right before something really exciting early in your story so your readers are immediately thrown into the story.
Introduce your character through one trait or piece of clothing – Detail on exactly how a character gets themselves ready in the morning, or how they tie their tie meticulously, etc., can be intriguing and draw in readers. Try to make the item or trait important to the story as well as reflective of the character.
Hear It is a publisher and bookstore for a new kind of book. Get the iPhone and Android app today!
@2020 Hear It LLC. All rights reserved.
Email: brian@hearitstudio.com
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Looking to Buy Fascinators in Australia versus Hiring Millinery?
You have so many options when it comes to choosing headwear for a special event or race day. You can purchase millinery directly from a local Australian milliner / designer, buy it online from a hat and fascinator store like Headonista or department stores such as David Jones and Myer. The additional choice is hiring a headpiece.
I was interested to learn more about what's involved with hiring millinery so I checked out a few stores and here's what I found.
When you use a site such as Millinerymarket.com.au you can hire a hat or fascinator from $35 per week for a simple piece. The more elaborate the headwear, the more expensive the weekly rental fee is and you can be looking at over $300 per week for a really elaborate headpiece, but worth the cash if you really want to enhance your look.
Generally, you'll pay 15-25% of the retail value of the headwear in rental fees. In addition, you will need to pay for return postage and parcel tracking. Expect to pay $15-$20 depending on where you live. And if you decide to take out insurance it's $1.50 per $100 rental value.
So as a minimum for a $35 piece, you'll pay $56.50.
When you put your bid in for hire, the renter has up to 3 days to respond. So with the 7 day hire, up to 5 days approx. for shipping, you're probably looking at a 2 week turnaround period for this option. Not great if you are looking for a last minute fascinator solution.
On top of that, you will need to consider late return fees, minor or major damage fees, cancellation policy fees and replacement fees.
Another smaller Millinery Hire company is Angie Jackman from angiejackman.com where all of the millinery is created by Angie so you are hiring directly from the Milliner.
After choosing your fascinator, you contact Angie direct with the dates that you need the headwear. On approval, you pay the hire fee plus a bond which is the full RRP of the headwear. The hire period is for 4 days and when your fascinator has been returned in its original condition your bond is returned. In the event of any damage or late return, this fee is taken from your bond.
Unique handmade piece by some of the world's top Milliners.
Cheaper than buying the original RRP hat or fascinator.
Given 4-7 days of use which excludes shipping time.
Can have a different fascinator every time you wear one.
With Millinery Market if you don't like the piece when you get it, generally can't get a refund so you need to choose carefully.
If your headwear gets damaged, you need to pay for the damage or replacement.
In the event of postage being delayed, headwear might not arrive in time so you'll need to plan this option carefully.
Additional fees are involved for late returns, damage and replacement and cancellation fees.
If you are entering Fashions on the Field, the headwear potentially may have been entered previously so you'll need to do your homework.
As your headwear is second hand, make sure you are aware of any imperfections before hiring to avoid being liable for them.
On the flipside, when buying a piece of millinery, this also has pros and cons.
One of the most convenient parts of this option is that you can try the headpiece on and return if you don't like it prior to your special day.
If you damage it, as it's yours, there are no additional fees to be paid.
Multi-use. You'll be able to repurpose your piece to different events over its lifetime. Add and edit as you go to create a new look.
Shop to budget. You can find a hat or fascinator to fit your budget and know that it's all-inclusive.
When your headwear is mass produced, someone else could be wearing it.
Allow for delivery times with postage when purchasing online particularly if you live in regional Australia.
With all options, the key is to set a budget and timeframe. When you need a last minute fascinator then hiring might be a great option if you are close to the hire company. With some savvy planning, purchasing online can also be a great option when you want to wear your headpiece more than once. I always calculate my purchases on a 'cost per wear' basis - helps me justify the upfront investment!


June 7th is Election Day and I need your support.
There are various Polling Stations across Mississauga-Streetsville that you can vote at between 9am to 9pm.
Thank you for your support, together we will Get Ontario Back on Track.


text:
Samson and Delilah is a 1629–1630 painting by Rembrandt, now in the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin. It is first recorded in Frederick Henry of Orange's collection in the Hague in 1632 and passed down through the family until Huis Honselaarsdijk and its contents were bequeathed to Frederick I of Prussia on the death of William III of Orange. Frederick's son Frederick the Great probably moved the painting to Berlin in 1742. In 1793 it was mentioned as a work by Govert Flinck in the inventory of the Berlin Stadtschloss, and it remained there until moving to its present home in 1906.

Sources
Simson und Delila, Marburg Picture Index (Bildindex der Kunst und Architektur, German)

Paintings in the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin
Paintings depicting Samson
1630 paintings
Paintings by Rembrandt

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


While humanity has a close connection with the ocean, it can also be called a world that has much left to uncover. As much as the ocean is unknown, so too does it hold great potential, and it used not only as a food store, but also holds great energy resources.
The Basic Act on Ocean Policy is the law governing Japan's ocean rights, and under this basic policy, there are articles concerning the development of marine resources and the promotion of their utilization, as well as the promotion of the development of our exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Our country is quite small in land area at 370,000 square kilometers, but our exclusive economic zone includes a vast marine area of 4.47 million square kilometers, sixth largest in the world, and the deposits of rare earth metals discovered on the ocean floor around Minamitori-shima Island are also located in these waters.
If Japan can establish the technologies for utilizing this exceptional EEZ effectively and harvest these metals from the seawater, not only will it be a major solution to our resource problems, it will certainly have a significant positive impact on our energy security.
The minerals from ores in the deep ocean floor are evenly dissolved in the seawater, and there are many types of metals. Including metals at low concentrations, it is said that there are 77 elements present, and many useful rare metals lay there.
In a resource-poor nation such as ours, we are dependent on foreign nations for much of these resources, but if we look to the ocean, it presents the ability to meet those needs on our own.
For example, useful rare metals such as uranium, titanium, and vanadium are present at extremely low concentrations of 2 to 3 mg per ton of seawater, but multiplied by the total volume of the world's oceans, it adds up to 4.4, 8.5, and 2.8 billion tons respectively. In the case of uranium, calculates to 1,000 times the estimated amount of actually recoverable land-based uranium reserves, and the surface layer of the ocean floor contains an additional 1,000 times as much, so even if uranium is harvested from the seawater, it is believed that leaching from the ocean floor would maintain the water concentration at a stable level.
In order to extract useful metals such as uranium efficiently and inexpensively, the development of materials with high adsorption ability (adsorption materials) and a system suitable for ocean conditions was an important task.
At the Quantum Beams Science Directorate of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (formerly Takasaki Advanced Radiation Research Institute of the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute), research on adsorption materials for extracting uranium from seawater has been underway since the 1980s, and a fibrous adsorption material possessing amidoxime groups with a strong affinity for uranium was developed through the use of radiation graft polymerization.
In 1999, marine tests were conducted off the coast of Mutsu-shi, Aomori Prefecture, using the floating mooring method (Photo 1), succeeding in collecting 1 kg of uranium (yellowcake conversion) as well as vanadium (Photo 2).
Therefore, in order to reduce the cost of the moored floating body, which accounted for the majority of collection costs, they devised and tested a braided adsorption material (Photo 3) that combined both the adsorption function and the mooring function in the adsorption material itself. Development of this new adsorption material commenced in 2000, and concurrent evaluation through marine tests began in the following year.
Based on predictions that warmth would inhibit plankton and lessen the effects of microbes clogging the adsorption material, marine tests were transferred to the waters surrounding Okinawa, where it was expected that performance would be improved. As the seawater temperature of the ocean surrounding Okinawa is 30℃, 10℃ warmer than the waters off the shore of Mutsu, when they compared it with the adsorption ability of 2.0 g of uranium per 1 kg of adsorption material (with a weight conversion per kg of adsorption material, 2.0 g of uranium were collected) in Mutsu waters, they found that the performance was improved 1.5 times by the seawater temperature being 10℃ warmer.
Additionally, the improvements to the structure of the adsorption material increased adsorption ability by three times compared with the adsorption performance of 0.5g of uranium per 1 kg of adsorption material in Mutsu waters. Taking into consideration that an increase in seawater temperature of 10℃ resulted in an increase in adsorption ability of 1.5 times, it can be said that the improvements in the structure of the adsorption material improved contact efficiency with the seawater, doubling performance.
Furthermore, in small scale trials, they achieved performance of 3.0 g of uranium per 1 kg of adsorption material over 30 days of immersion, meaning that it was possible estimate adsorption performance over 60 days of at least 4.0 g of uranium per 1 kg of adsorption material.
As well, in the anchoring method using the braided adsorption material, a float is incorporated into the core of the adsorption material and it is anchored to the ocean floor, so that the installed anchor does not present any obstacle until 40 m below the surface of the water, giving it the advantage of not hindering navigation by boats except when immersed for collection, as well as lacking susceptibility to the effects of waves, even the tidal bore, due to the characteristics of this anchoring method, making it very feasible in terms of safety as well.
In a realistic consideration of this sort of extraction method, one challenge is coexistence with the fishing industry, that is to say, it is feared that immersion of the adsorption materials will change the living conditions of fish. As has been said, the higher the water temperature the greater the adsorption efficiency of the adsorption materials, so warm waters are desirable.
Therefore, considering the main route of the warm Kuroshio Current, it is evident that there are suitable locations such as the waters between Iriomote-jima and Miyako-jima, the western waters between Okinawa and Amami Oshima, between Tanegashima and Yakushima, Hyuga-nada Sea, and Tosa Bay. Fishing that would be disrupted by the anchored adsorption materials include fixed net fishing and fish farms.
Fishing methods that operate while in motion, such as longline fishing, trawl fishing, gill net fishing, and round haul net fishing are a challenge for the future, but it is thought that they could be able to adjust to the waters where the adsorption materials are anchored. As for communications and electrical cables on the ocean floor, as they are not laid or pulled up frequently, it is believed that they will be able to coexist with the adsorption material's anchors, which would be pulled up every two to three months.
The next subject to consider is, while they are able to coexist more and more with fishing and marine recreation and leisure, the point of view of whether it will indeed be possible for them to guarantee energy resources.
Currently conservation and management of marine resources is carried out through efforts such as catch limits on fishing and resource recovery projects, but as for the state of the marine resources in the oceans surrounding our country, especially bioresources such as fish and shellfish, of those resources that have been assessed, the conservation and management of half of them is as yet at a low standard. In addition to the effects of the marine environment, the development of coastal waters and the loss of seaweed beds and tidal flats, the spawning and rearing areas for many marine products, are offered as primary factors.
There are also worries that the marine testing in order to recover rare metals from seawater will affect fish and shellfish. In the testing off the coast of Mutsu-shi, in addition to confirming that seaweed was affixed to the mooring line of the adsorption material and mollusks were living on the anchor, the adsorption material was pulled up, fish appeared from within the adsorption material, and I confirmed with my own eyes that it was truly a fish reef.
Furthermore, in the testing off the Okinawa coast, it was confirmed that squid eggs had been laid in the knots in the adsorption material (Photo 4), and that it could become a spawning area for fish and a rearing area for fry. As for the braided adsorption material, around the rope, which is offered as an element of a good fishing ground, a swirling current is produced, which makes it easier for fish to remain in place, and provides a structure that allows fish to protect themselves from predators, giving it high potential to be a design that is indeed well-suited to fish.
Taking into consideration these data and test results, by expanding the scale of extraction and further improving the extraction technology, in the future, it should be possible to reduce the cost of harvesting to as low as few tens of thousands of yen per kilogram of uranium. When one considers the current circumstances in which Japan has almost no uranium self-sufficiency, harvesting uranium from the inexhaustible ocean can be said to be an effective step for energy in the use of nuclear power. Even in comparison with uranium ore, it is possible to make sufficiently profitable uranium fuel with uranium from seawater.
There is no need to limit future options for Japan's energy policy. Coexisting with thermal power, hydro power, as well as shale gas, even from the point of view of the lead time for development, the harvesting of uranium from seawater is certainly not unrealistic, and it appears to be a method with great potential for implementation.
Moreover, the extraction is not only for uranium. It can also be used for other rare metals. Technologies for rare metals dissolved in seawater aside from uranium have been established at the laboratory level. They can be used as though they were extremely practical underground resources which above all require no effort to find. Through extraction, it was possible to gather rare metals such as vanadium, nickel, and cobalt.
Even if, for the sake of argument, the extraction areas for metal resources are fishing grounds and the use of the ocean is restricted, would it not be possible to develop them into a collaborative means of energy production with marine wind-power generators on the surface?
In the wake of the Fukushima nuclear accident, we have been forced to cease nuclear power generation. However, as researchers, we have high expectations for new possibilities using our EEZ. This may lead to new business chances for Japan, such as exporting uranium and other mineral resources.


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Home › Laika
Author(s): Nick Abadzis
Eisner Award Winner: Best Publication for Teens | Eisner Award Nominee: Best Reality-Based Work
Laika was the abandoned puppy destined to become Earth's first space traveler. This graphic novel follows her journey.
Nick Abadzis masterfully blends fiction and fact in the intertwined stories of three compelling lives. Along with Laika, there is Korolev, once a political prisoner, now a driven engineer at the top of the Soviet Union's space program, and Yelena, the lab technician responsible for Laika's health and life. This intense triangle is rendered with the pitch-perfect emotionality of classics like Because of Winn Dixie, Shiloh, and Old Yeller.
Abadzis gives life to a pivotal moment in modern history, casting light on the hidden moments of deep humanity behind history.
Laika's story will speak straight to your heart.
"Following the story of plucky Laika -- the first dog in space -- the reader experiences her entire life from a mongrel living in the streets to the tragic loss of her canine companion, her captivity in the government lab, her endearing relationship with the unwavering caretaker Yelena and her tragic fatal mission. The strong ties between Laika (renamed after her breed type) are exceptionally well defined; in fact, Laika has the ability to touch every character's life, even the most emotionally indifferent social-climbing Russian politicians. Evincing the cruelty and sadness of her life, Laika's striving to be loved echoes, and the strong bond between man -- or woman -- and his best friend resound off every page of her journey. The striking palette of earth tones works in concert with the compelling historically fictive prose a luminous masterpiece filled with pathos and poignancy. (afterword, bibliography, author's note) (Graphic novel. YA)" —Kirkus, Starred Review
"Dead dog books used to be a dime a dozen. Time was a kid couldn't walk into a bookstore without getting whacked over the head with "Old Yeller", creamed in the kisser by "Sounder", and roughed up royally by "Where the Red Fern Grows". Recently, however, dogs don't die as often as all that. You could probably concoct some magnificent sociological explanation for this, citing changes in the political and emotional landscape of our great nation leading to the decrease in deceased literary pups, but as I see it, a good dead dog story is as hard to write as an original paper on Moby Dick. What else is there to say? Man's best friend dies and everyone feels bad. In this jaded culture it would take a pretty steady hand to find a way to write a dead dog tale that touches us deeply. Not a dog person myself, I direct your attention today to Nick Abadzis. I don't know how he did it. Laika, the world's most famous real dead dog (a close second: the dead pooch of Pompeii), is now presented to us in a graphic novel format. Though I prefer cats through and through, Laika the novel grabs your heart from your chest and proceeds to dance a tarantella on the remains. The best graphic novels are those books whose stories couldn't have been told any other way. Laika has that honor.
Her story was more than just her own. It encapsulated a vast range of people, many of whom you may have never heard of. As the book begins we see a man named Korolev leaving a Russian gulag in a freezing night. Eighteen years later, he is the Chief Designer of Sputnik and his success is without measure. Buoyed by the success of the successful launch, Khruschev demands that his space program launch a second orbital vehicle within a single month. Enter Laika. An unwanted pup, abused and abandoned on the street, she's eventually caught and taken to the Institute of Aviation Medicine. There she is one of many dogs, trained for flight travel. Laika bonds immediately with her caretaker Yelena Alexandrovna Dubrovsky and endears herself to the other scientists as well. As it stands, however, no dog is better suited for space travel and Laika is slated to make a trip from which she will never return. Abadzis deftly describes the people who care for the little dog and the process by which she was ultimately abandoned and killed by both science and Cold War mechanics.
I admit it. You'd think that at this point I'd have learned to trust the First Second imprint of Roaring Brook Press. In the past two years they've managed to churn out consistently engaging, entertaining, fascinating graphic novels. But when I heard that they were doing Laika I was incredulous. You work as a children's librarian long enough and you see far too many complex issues simplified and sad stories made light, all in the name of the kiddies. I looked at Laika and wondered whether or not the book would even touch on her death. I thought to myself that maybe the author would put it in an Afterword or something. I mean, what child/YA GN is going to actually show a dog die? After finally finishing Laika, you will be pleased to hear that I gave myself a rousing series of slaps to the face. The death of the dog is practically the point of the entire enterprise from the book's start.
Laika's entire story, as conceived by Abadzis, is heartbreaking but there are certain moments towards the end that I found particularly easy to identify with. When Comrade Yelena visits Laika for one last time she can hear the dog saying her name with every bark, even when Yelena is too far away to hear them. She dreams that Laika is calling out to her for help. That she's scared and uncomfortable and just wants to get out and play. Anyone who has ever owned a pet will be familiar with this feeling. When the pet is missing or in pain, it's difficult to keep from emphasizing with it. How much worse then when the dog in question is imprisoned in a capsule and shot into the sky? Abadzis doesn't just show Laika's plight. He makes you feel it in the core of your being.
The art is interesting as well. For the most part Abadzis chooses to maintain a simplified cartoony style. At moment of great importance, however, he will make the figure of Laika more three-dimensional. In terms of visual storytelling this is a remarkably interesting choice. As Laika sits in the red light of her capsule, mere moments before takeoff, she becomes vastly realistic. Other portions of the book were just as interesting. Sometimes scenes will be black and white, like stills from a movie. Other times they're vast two page spreads that drill home the wonder or the horror of a given moment. And in dreams the lines that make up a panel will grow soft and colorful. There are all kinds of interesting stylistic choices taken in this book if you're just willing to look for them. As with any good graphic novel, these choices make up a significant portion of the storytelling as well.
I am happy to report that at the end of this book you will find an extensive Bibliography, replete with book, video, and Internet sources. Abadzis obviously took a great deal of time researching his subject, a fact mentioned in an after word by Alexis Siegel. He has gone from, "the stacks of the British Library to Korolev's house in Moscow." These facts are then combined with fictional details and the result is this book. To what extent does he hold himself accountable for accuracy? To my delight, Abadzis includes a final Author's Note that I've seen in children's books before, but that always amuses me when I spot it again. To quote: "In this book, all phases of the moon depicted on specific dates are accurate to the day - although I may have erred on the side of drama about the time of moonrises." Beautiful.
The last page of this book contains a quote that offers a 1998 statement from Oleg Georgivitch Gazenko. In it, he laments the way that Laika was misused. "We did not learn enough from the mission to justify the death of the dog." It's a dead dog book. Anyone who knows the story of Laika will be aware of that. But above and beyond the obvious this is an ode to dogs themselves. To the animals that we befriend and love and, ultimately, destroy. It's also about history, humanity, and the price of being extraordinary. No one can walk away from this book and not be touched. Consider Nick Abadzis a name to watch from here on in." —School Library Journal Blog
"When most people think of the space program, it's images of stalwart, clear-eyed astronauts roaring into the skies on rockets of destiny that come to mind -- not Laika the dog. A Samoyed-Husky mutt caught off the streets and impressed into the Russian space program, Laika became in November of 1957 the first sentient being to leave Earth's orbit, inside the Sputnik 2 satellite. The plan was only to monitor her in her few hours of life, though, not to bring her home -- a sacrifice for which one of the scientists later expressed deep regret. Abadzis's tear-inducing and solidly researched graphic novel treatment of Laika's surpassingly tragic story is a standout, not just for its sympathetic point of view but for its refusal to Disnify or anthropomorphize the undeniably cute dog at its heart. The humans around Laika -- her protectors and tormentors from the fictionalized early sections, as well as the rocket scientists and her doting handler, Yelena all try to imprint their own diverse desires on her eager-seeming face. Although the tightly packed and vividly inked panels of Abadzis's art tell an impressively complex tale (buttressed by a helpful bibliography at the end) where the dog becomes a pawn in larger political and bureaucratic scheming, Laika's palpable spirit is what readers will remember." —Publisher's Weekly, Starred Review
"Classic dog-story themes such as loyalty serve as a backdrop for this fictionalized account of Laika, the first living creature launched into outer space. A charming and scruffy little dog, Laika survives an uncaring master and life as a stray before becoming part of the Russian space program circa 1956, just as the Soviet Union had achieved a huge victory over American competition. With a stilted romanticism that doesn't fit the story's tone, Laika is established as "a very special dog," but soon the focus of the complex tale turns away from the dog to Yelena Dubrovsky, the trainer responsible for preparing Laika and other dogs for the rigors of testing. Through Dubrovsky, the progress of the program and the incredible pressure on the scientists are given effective form. The rough-hewn art, similar to the Joann Sfar's work on the Dungeon books, makes the characters appear constantly nervous and uncertain, lending immediacy to the all-pervasive atmosphere of strict formality and enforced patriotism. An extensive bibliography of sources is appended." —Jesse Karp, Booklist
"Immediately following the collective international gasp that greeted Sputnik 1 in 1957, Premier Khrushchev gave Sergei Korolev and his design team approximately one month to outdo their triumph just in time for the fortieth anniversary of the Russian Revolution. Sputnik 2 would send a live passenger into orbit, but due to time constraints, the designers were unable to devise a re-entry system, and the canine cosmonaut was doomed to die in space. Here Abadzis reconstructs the planning, politicking, and flight, following activities of the dog handler, the trainer, the chief designer, and the dog who came to be called Laika (barker). At its best, and particularly when contextualizing the ambitions of the Russian space program that dropped the temperature on the Cold War, this exemplifies how imaginatively and engagingly the graphic novel format can deliver information. However, in his well-intentioned effort to support team member Oleg Gazenko's conclusion that, " we did not learn enough from the mission to justify the death of the dog," Abadzis spins a hanky-wringer of a backstory for Laika, tracing an imagined life of neglect, abuse, and dashed hopes that would make the stray dog anxious to please its trainers and willing to undergo any discomfort in experimentation to gain their approbation, and thus elevates the callousness of the program to villainous treachery. Ultimately this authorial decision is as unnecessary as it is emotionally manipulative, since almost any reader with a beating heart will sympathize with Laika merely by observing her training ordeal, the affection of her handlers, and her sad destiny. Space enthusiasts will nonetheless appreciate how much of the drama unfolds not only in dialogue bubbles but in the meticulous visual detail within wordless frames that captures the complex emotional responses of human participants pressured to sacrifice a dog they've come to treasure. A bibliography leads readers to up-to-date materials for further research." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Gr 7 Up -- During the Cold War, Russia and the U.S. were entrenched in a battle to be first in space. Laika tells the tale of one special soldier in that battle, the dog who flew in Sputnik II. Former Gulag prisoner Korolev has ascended to the rank of Chief Designer, and, after the successful launch of Sputnik I, he is called upon to send a live creature into space within one month's time. Laika, also known as Kudryavka (curly tail), is a down-and-out stray caught by local officials and sent to the canine lab at the Institute of Aviation Medicine. Higher-ups notice the dog's special ability to withstand g-force, environments without gravity, and the special gel food given to the test subjects. When the time comes to select a dog to go into space, she is the obvious choice. Abadzis's artwork genuinely captures the Cold War atmosphere, while the youth-friendly textual take on the politically dangerous USSR compares favorably to that of Marjane Satrapi's depiction of unstable Iran in Persepolis (Pantheon, 2003). Abadzis provides enough historical content to make Laika a valuable teaching tool, but teachers using the graphic novel with middle schoolers may need to explain some of the subtle nuances of politics in the USSR. Those with a special fondness for dogs may wish to have some tissues handy." —Sarah Krygier, Solano County Library, Fairfield, CA., School Library Journal
"With communism's triumph over capitalist science via Sputnik, Soviet Premier Khrushchev wanted an in-your-face sequel: a living creature sent into space.
The lucky gal is Laika, an accommodating street mutt that captured her handlers' affections. The plucky dog survives training, and her story is juxtaposed with a flashback of the space program director's earlier hairbreadth escape from a gulag. Indeed, the director chooses Laika for launch partly because of his feelings of empathy for her. But Laika does not survive her mission, and the unsavory details are hidden initially. The entire account leaks tragedy -- not just Laika's death and the director's harrowing experience but also the tragedy of the other characters and, indeed, all the Russian people struggling to maintain their humanity while enmeshed in suffocating bureaucracies. Drawn in grimy-colored naturalism, Laika is a powerfully emotional reading experience, easily the match of the starred First in Space, about chimps in the U.S. space program (Xpress Reviews, 8/1/07). Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik, both well-researched titles fictionalize turning points in the space race. While fine for ages 13+, Laika has more narrative subtlety than First in Space and would be appreciated by adults. Highly recommended for public and school libraries. The title needs appropriate nonfiction catalog entries." —Martha Cornog, Library Journal
"Laika (First Second, 205 pp., paperback, $17.95) is the tale of the Moscow street mutt that served as the first guinea pig of space travel. Strapped into Sputnik II, which the Communists launched 50 years ago to herald the 40th anniversary of the Russian Revolution, Laika died of stress and overheating after mere hours in space. By braiding and embellishing her story and those of chief Sputnik II designer Sergei Pavlovich Korolev and Yelena Dubrosky, the nurse who came to be Laika's chief caretaker, Abadzis conjures the complex, scary period known as the Cold War. His colors are vivid, his pages dense - most are 12 frames deep though varied in verbosity and his line is vigorous, if not detailed. Verve and variety, not finesse, are his watchwords. So is the emotional genuineness that makes this kind treatment of an iconic dog so strong." —Boston Globe
Winner Eisner Award Winner (2008), Winner NYPL Books for the Teen Age, Long-listed Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year (2008), Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books of the Year (2008), Kirkus Best Book of the Year (2008), Eisner Award Winner, St. Louis Post-Dispatch Best Graphic Novel of the Year, Books for the Teen Age, New York Public Library (2008), Long-listed YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens (2008), Long-listed YALSA Great Graphic Novel for Teens (2008), Winner NYPL Books for the Teen Age (2008), Long-listed Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year, Long-listed Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year (2008), Long-listed Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year


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Who fights? Who flies? Who falls?
Derek Heemsbergen
System: PC
"For those we have lost. For those we can yet save." I am no fledgling mercenary, no doe-eyed squire oblivious to the perils of adventure. With six years of travails writ large in Final Fantasy XIV's history books, I am a proud member of an online role-playing community that—having recently surpassed a record registered user count of 16 million—only continues to grow with unstoppable momentum.
I am grateful for the many opportunities that have come my way throughout my career in the gaming industry, but I seem to be especially favoured by the Twelve when it comes to Final Fantasy XIV. I lie at the exceptionally fortune intersection of fan and critic, meaning that the numerous occasions I've availed to interview game director Naoki Yoshida—at the 2018 Fan Festival, at the 2019 media tour, and most recently at E3 2019—have been gratifying on a deeply personal level, my professional responsibilities notwithstanding. It is with that same passion that I approach my critique of Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers, the game's latest expansion and a full-fledged tale of heroism besides.
It is everything I wanted and beyond what I expected. Armed with as much information as I was, I was still gobsmacked by everything Shadowbringers had (and still has) to offer.
Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers – Square Enix
This latest chapter in the ongoing saga of Final Fantasy XIV adds an extradimensional bent to the proceedings. Having saved myriad realms time and again from forces both malevolent and imperialistic, the player-controlled Warrior of Light is beckoned to an entirely new world known as the First—a "reflection" of their homeworld on the verge of being consumed by a primeval force called the Flood of Light. Taking up the new mantle of the Warrior of Darkness, the player is tasked with redressing the balance of Light and Dark by defeating nascent monstrosities known as "Sin Eaters," restoring the night sky to the world in the process.
To delve further into the narrative specifics of Shadowbringers would be a disservice, as its powerful moments are best experienced firsthand, particularly by players who've been writing their own tales within Final Fantasy XIV over the past six years. Shadowbringers avails itself of a certain potency in storytelling only present in a persistent medium like the MMORPG—it gradually builds upon itself organically, touching back to plot points established literal years ago and leveraging their significance with aplomb. Adding to that is the excellent characterization of the entire supporting cast, whose role in the story is heightened more than ever thanks to a new "Trust" system that allows players to tackle story dungeons alongside their favourite characters and nigh-universally masterful writing that flows with elegant panache. The entirety of the thirty-to-fifty-hour campaign is rife with exciting twists, memorable moments aplenty, and one hell of a satisfying finale. Balk as I might at the oversaturation of the word, "epic" describes Shadowbringers more aptly than most.
Yet the story is not the only thing Shadowbringers has to offer. As an MMORPG, Final Fantasy XIV is an evolving service that continues to add new gameplay options and readjust existing content to keep the adventure alive. This expansion adds two new playable jobs: Gunbreaker, a gunblade-wielding tank class with abilities that call back to Final Fantasy VIII, and Dancer, a long-requested ranged attacker with powerful supportive abilities. Both of these put a new spin (in Dancer's case, literally) on existing role archetypes, giving players new tools to use across Final Fantasy XIV's many dungeons, raids, and boss battles. Of the two, Gunbreaker appeals to me more, being a replacement for my Warrior with more interesting flavour and utility. I've long wanted a better "gap closer" on my tank class, and the ability to shield my teammates with magical bullets makes me feel like I'm in better control of their welfare. I haven't played Dancer yet myself, but I've partied with enough to know that their area-of-effect potential is huge, as is their buffing utility. By designating a "dance partner" and executing dances with the correct sequence of button presses, Dancers empower their allies to fight even harder, making them an invaluable addition to any party.
For all the many, many things Shadowbringers does oh-so-right, I (and the community, it would seem) yet have a handful of lingering concerns related to job balance. My main job, Summoner, was significantly retooled in Shadowbringers with the removal of independent pet actions, which were melded into player-activated abilities. I have no objection to this change, but the sweeping battle system adjustments that have affected every job made Summoner feel impotent and clumsy on the climb up to the new level cap of 80. Until I had access to Demi-Phoenix, I couldn't get a good handle on my new ability rotation of weaving pet abilities in between my slower spells—and once I did get it, the entire rotation changed due to the way Demi-Phoenix functions. In simpler terms, Summoner (and several other jobs, if what I'm reading on Reddit is accurate) feel busier, but not necessarily more powerful. New abilities were added in Shadowbringers, but more still were excised from the game entirely, particularly those relating to the damage output of healer classes. Yet I find myself pressing more buttons than ever to stay on top of my class functions, and as willing, as I am to adjust to its flow, I have to wonder if some of the battle adjustments went a little too far in the name of "streamlining." But such is the nature of the MMORPG. Jobs shift and change like the rise and fall of the tide. Balance will come in time.
But back to singing its praises: Shadowbringers, as I previously mentioned, takes players to "the First," its continent of Norvrandt the last bastion of habitable land in a world on the cusp of oblivion. Its new areas and dungeons are a delight to explore and a feast for the senses. From the tree boughs of the Rak'tika Greatwood, towering above in their hoary splendour, to the wrought iron structures of the effulgent Crystarium, the whole of Norvrandt stands in fascinating contrast to the comparatively grounded aesthetics of the Source. Composer Masayoshi Soken has absolutely outdone himself with the soundtrack accompanying these gorgeous areas. Words fail me in expressing how taken I am with his work, and Shadowbringers might just encompass his best efforts yet—a tremendous feat in light of everything he's achieved already. There is an incredible sense of atmosphere present in Norvrandt, and Soken displays a masterful knowledge of how to speak each area's visual language into existence by playing with the arresting motifs he composes. Somebody get the man a lifetime supply of Lawson kara-age kun already.
Given how much easier I imagine it would be to forge ahead by reusing the same formula to develop Final Fantasy XIV content instead of constantly reinventing the wheel, the development team remains committed to fine-tuning the player experience. Despite being an MMORPG, somewhere around 90% of the Shadowbringers story can be experienced as a completely solo effort thanks to the aforementioned Trust system, which undoubtedly comes as a relief to players with social anxiety. Important milestones in job growth now come more easily; acquisition of new abilities is automatic as players rise in level, and each job's visually distinct "relic armor" is freely given by a centralized NPC following the completion of a series of side quests tailored to each role. By not gating these essentials behind job quests right when the story is approaching its climax, as has been the case in the past, players can focus on their efforts to save the world without being waylaid by chores. Innumerable other quality-of-life changes continue to refine the Final Fantasy XIV experience: UI adjustments (including a new crafting interface and the addition of an alternate color scheme), new rewards for doing open-world FATE battles, a furnishing preview function for player housing, the removal of the TP resource to streamline combat, an upcoming "New Game+" feature for replaying past story content… All this and much, much more await players as Final Fantasy XIV grows month after month after month.
Should my meandering exaltation of Shadowbringers up to this point have failed to make it clear, I'll speak simply: this is probably Final Fantasy XIV's best expansion ever. It's an accessible, well-written, audiovisually decadent Final Fantasy that just so happens to be online. In Naoki Yoshida's hands, the future of this franchise shines brilliantly with potential.
Shadowbringers is more than just a masterful arc in a beloved tale; it's one of the best Final Fantasy stories ever realized, showcasing an MMORPG at the apex of its craft.
Played On: PC
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 4


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All posts tagged in: Tangled
Neil Raymundo · Disney
Tangled: Before Ever After Spring Creativity Kit
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Tangled Before Ever After Makes Its Way to DVD This April
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WATCH: First 5 Minutes of Disney's Tangled Before Ever After
This coming Friday, March 10 at 8 PM ET, the Disney Channel will debut a feature length special for Tangled, titled Tangled Before Ever After. The TV movie will see stars Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi reprising their roles as Rapunzel and Eugene/Flynn Ryder, and is notable for using a 2D animation as opposed to CG. Familiar characters such as the loyal chameleon Pascal, the acerbic horse Maximus, ...
Tangled: The Series' 2nd Season Greenlit Ahead of Series Debut
It's a testament to how good the upcoming Tangled TV series is that Disney Channel has already ordered a second season, even though they have yet to air the first season. It is an indication that the broadcaster is confident that the series will find its mark with the audience when it premieres on Friday, March 10, immediately after the airing of the music-filled Disney Channel Original Movie ...
Cecilia Cordero · Other Cartoons
Tangled Before Ever After Cast Revealed
Voice cast members for the new Disney Channel animated series Tangled: Before Ever After has been announced. Joining the stars Mandy Moore (Rapunzel) and Zachary Levy (Eugene) are Ashley Judd (Rapunzel's mother Queen Arianna), Eden Espinosa (Rapunzel's handmaiden and confidant Cassandra), Jeff Ross (Hook Foot) and Richard Kind (Uncle Monty). Jeffrey Tambor as Big Nose, Paul F. Tompkins as ...
Tangled to Get its Own TV Series
Disney has recently announced that a new animated TV series based on the hit CG animated film Tangled has just begun production. The series is targeting a 2017 worldwide premiere and will feature the return of original voice cast members Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi, who played Rapunzel and Eugene, respectively. The Tangled TV series will be set between the events of the film and the 2012 short ...
Tangled and Bolt's Byron Howard to Direct New Disney Animated Film
Arrested Development star Jason Bateman is currently in talks to work on a new Disney toon, which will be directed by Tangled and Bolt's Byron Howard. Before the two Disney pics, Byron Howard has also worked on a number of the studio's films, including Mulan, Pocahontas, Lilo & Stitch, and Brother Bear. ...
Neil Raymundo · Disney · Other Cartoons
Tangled Ever After 2nd Trailer
The 2nd Trailer for the Tangled Ever After short is out now on Disney's official movie trailer youtube channel. The trailer shows a key scene as Rapunzel marches towards the altar in her wedding gown, while Flynn waits with bated breath. Unfortunately, Pascal and Maximus (the flower chameleon and ring bearer, respectively) accidentally lose the gold bands in the least dignified way possible: ...
Neil Raymundo · Beauty and the Beast · Disney
Tangled Ever After to Premiere in Beauty and the Beast 3D screenings
People who will watch Beauty and the Beast in 3D on January 13, 2012 will be treated to a screening of a new Tangled short, according to an announcement made by Walt Disney Studios. The new short, entitled Tangled Ever After, will serve as a epilogue for Tangled, and will show the royal wedding of Rapunzel and Flynn Rider (a.k.a. Eugene). ...
ToonBarn Rob · Disney · Naruto
Discuss Disney's Tangled with Byron Howard and Nathan Greno
We're lucky. We're smack dab in the middle of a golden era of animation. There are dozens of cartoon channels, all types of animated films, and even a variety of animation formats, from CG to stop motion to traditional cel animation. As fans, this is a glorious time for all of us. So just imagine how amazing it must be to be part of the animation process! That's just what ...
ToonBarn Rob · Disney · Other Cartoons
Pixar and Disney launch The Incredibles on Blu-ray and DVD
Today, April 12th, is a good day. For all of you Disney fans out there, for all of you Pixar fans out there, for the Super Hero fans out there… The Incredibles are coming home to Blu-ray and DVD. There have been a number of comic book style films over the years, and The Incredibles are difficult to overlook for being amongst the Dark Knights and X-Mens of our day. The same can be said ...
Review: Disney's Tangled on Blu-ray and DVD
Tangled has the weight of Cinderella's castle on it's shoulders, as the film has the honor, and pressure, of being the 50th animated feature in Disney's classic line. From Snow White to Bambi, Lion King to Princess and the Frog, the entire long line leads squarely to this modern day look at the Rapunzel fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm. After 5 years of development, a ...
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Feinstein Calls for Additional Essential Workers Such as Grocery Clerks, Agricultural Workers to Receive Protective Equipment
Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today sent a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom in support of his efforts to procure personal protective equipment and urging him to make that equipment available to all frontline workers during the outbreak.
"I write in support of your leadership in procuring 200 million masks a month, so that essential workers on the frontlines across California are protected during the coronavirus pandemic," wrote Senator Feinstein.
"Outside our hospitals and clinics, nursing home aides, grocery clerks, agricultural workers, public transportation operators, and educators running school meal programs, among others, are putting themselves at risk to provide necessary resources for the public and they should have access to the state's masks supply and other PPE."
Full text of the letter is available here and below.
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Dear Governor Newsom,
I write in support of your leadership in procuring 200 million masks a month, so that essential workers on the frontlines across California are protected during the coronavirus pandemic. In addition to health care workers and first responders, I ask that you ensure all workers at high-risk of exposure to COVID-19 have access to much-needed personal protective equipment (PPE) as the pandemic continues.
Thanks to the first-in-the-nation steps taken to limit the spread of the coronavirus by you at the state level as well as in counties and cities, we're already seeing positive early signs that these measures are working. While these interventions are helping to slow the spread, securing additional PPE like masks for all essential workers in high-risk environments is vital to shore-up our response.
Outside our hospitals and clinics, nursing home aides, grocery clerks, agricultural workers, public transportation operators, and educators running school meal programs, among others, are putting themselves at risk to provide necessary resources for the public and they should have access to the state's masks supply and other PPE. I urge you to consider all essential workers at risk who may need masks to ensure their personal safety on the job.
Thank you again for your leadership during this national public health crisis.


65%63°44°Mostly cloudy with a high of 64 °F (17.8 °C) and a 40% chance of precipitation. Winds variable at 4 to 12 mph (6.4 to 19.3 kph).Night - Cloudy with a 75% chance of precipitation. Winds variable at 4 to 11 mph (6.4 to 17.7 kph). The overnight low will be 47 °F (8.3 °C).
Today - Mostly cloudy with a high of 64 °F (17.8 °C) and a 40% chance of precipitation. Winds variable at 4 to 12 mph (6.4 to 19.3 kph).


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Correction: Earns-AeroVironment story
MONROVIA, Calif. (AP) - In a story Thursday about AeroVironment Inc.'s earnings - generated by Automated Insights using data from Zacks Investment Research - The Associated Press reported erroneously that the company posted revenue of $47.1 million in its fiscal second quarter. Revenue was $73 million.
AeroVironment: Fiscal 2Q Earnings Snapshot
MONROVIA, Calif. (AP) - AeroVironment Inc. (AVAV) on Thursday reported fiscal second-quarter earnings of $6.1 million.
The Monrovia, California-based company said it had net income of 25 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted to account for discontinued operations, came to 29 cents per share.
The results exceeded Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of four analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 16 cents per share.
The maker of unmanned aircrafts posted revenue of $73 million in the period, missing Street forecasts. Four analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $74.8 million.
AeroVironment expects full-year earnings to be $1.30 to $1.50 per share, with revenue in the range of $300 million to $3
AeroVironment expects full-year earnings to be $1.30 to $1.50 per share, with revenue in the range of $300 million to $310 million.
AeroVironment shares have increased 63 percent since the beginning of the year. In the final minutes of trading on Thursday, shares hit $91.68, more than doubling in the last 12 months.
Elements of this story were generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on AVAV at https://www.zacks.com/ap/AVAV
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Home Entertainment Coronavirus: Bollywood Singer Kanika Kapoor tests positive for COVID-19 for 5th time
EntertainmentNews Reports
Updated: 31 March, 2020
Coronavirus: Bollywood Singer Kanika Kapoor tests positive for COVID-19 for 5th time
Dr RK Dhiman dismissed all social media claims of her being sick and added that Kanika Kapoor was asymptomatic and stable.
'Baby Doll' singer Kanika Kapoor (Photo Credits: The Week)
Bollywood Singer Kanika Kapoor has been tested positive for the Wuhan Coronavirus yet again. This was her 5th test in past 10 days. As per procedure, sample tests are carried out on COVID-19 patients every 48 hours.
Kanika Kapoor is the first person from the Bollywood fraternity to have tested positive for the Coronavirus. As per reports, she allegedly tried to hide her travel history, had defied self-isolation protocols and even evaded screening. She also stayed at a 5-star hotel in Lucknow and threw a dinner party.
#Breaking | Coronavirus: Singer @theKanikaKapoor tests positive for 5th time.
5 tests in 10 days & the result remains positive.
Details by Amir Haque. | #BharatWillDefeatCorona pic.twitter.com/0exAhtRmpF
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) March 31, 2020
Ahead of her 5th test, she had uploaded a post on Instagram thanking her followers for their concern. She had also expressed her hope of being tested negative so that she can meet her kids and family.
A post shared by Kanika Kapoor (@kanik4kapoor)
Kanika Kapoor is currently undergoing treatment at the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) in Lucknow. Director Dr RK Dhiman dismissed all social media claims of her being sick and added that Kapoor was asymptomatic and stable. The doctor had earlier lashed out at her for throwing the tantrums of a star and refusing to behave like a patient.
Kanika Kapoor (in file pic) is asymptomatic(no symptoms), stable and doing well. She is taking food normally. Information circulated in the media that she is very sick is false: Dr RK Dhiman, Director, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS), Lucknow pic.twitter.com/7gTb0GyKoH
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 31, 2020
On 20th March, a case was registered against singer Kanika Kapoor, who had tested positive for Coronavirus, at Sarojini Nagar police station in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh for negligence (IPC Section 269), disobedience of an order issued by a public servant (IPC Section 188) and spread of the deadly Wuhan virus, COVID-19 (IPC Section 270), following a complaint filed by the Lucknow Chief Medical Officer.
Sonal Mehrotra Kapoor, an anchor working with the controversial channel NDTV, had self-quarantined after singer Kanika Kapoor, who is also the sister-in-law of the anchor, was tested positive for coronavirus. Taking to Twitter, Sonal Mehrotra Kapoor confirmed that she had been in self-isolation after she caught a cold. She also said that she was maintaining at least 15 feet distance from the family.
Earlier, BJP MP Dushyant Singh, who attended Kanika Kapoor's dinner party along with his mother Vasundhara Raje has been tested negative in the first sampling taken to test for coronavirus infection. Singh and Vasundhara Raje, the former Chief Minister of Rajasthan, self quarantined themselves when the news of Kanika Kapoor being isolated due to infection by the novel coronavirus came out.
'Took his penis out and asked me to feel it': Actress Sherlyn Chopra accuses Sajid Khan of sexual harassment
Sherlyn Chopra has come forward and alleged that Sajid Khan took his penis out of his pants when she went to meet him in 2006


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O PS10 é um jipe rústico de porte médio da  Santana Motor.

PS10


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Professor Paul Turner
pault@tropmedres.ac
Infectious diseases are prevalent in Cambodia, a country that is struggling with poor infrastructure. Streptococcus pneumoniae causes the most severe form of pneumonia and is now targeted by the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. Dr Paul Turner is studying the effect of this vaccine in field conditions in SE Asia, as well as other direct applications such as the evaluation of a new diagnostic test for Typhoid and interventions to reduce the burden of infections acquired within hospitals.
View podcast transcript
MB BS, PhD, FRCPCH, FRCPath
Senior Clinical Research Fellow
Consultant in Microbiology
Director of the Cambodia Oxford Medical Research Unit
Clinical microbiologist with a focus on paediatric infections
Paul Turner is based at the Cambodia-Oxford Medical Research Unit (COMRU), Angkor Hospital for Children in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
His research interests include:
Antimicrobial resistance surveillance and control;
Paediatric healthcare associated infections;
Pneumococcal colonisation and disease and the impact of pneumococcal vaccines;
Utilisation of bacterial colonisation data.
His non-research work focuses on development of human and laboratory capacity for diagnostic microbiology in low-resource settings.
Dense genomic sampling identifies highways of pneumococcal recombination
Chewapreecha C. et al, (2014), Nature Genetics, 46, 305 - 309
Improved Detection of Nasopharyngeal Cocolonization by Multiple Pneumococcal Serotypes by Use of Latex Agglutination or Molecular Serotyping by Microarray
Turner P. et al, (2011), Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 49, 1784 - 1789
Evolution of antibiotic resistance is linked to any genetic mechanism affecting bacterial duration of carriage
Lehtinen S. et al, (2017), Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114, 1075 - 1080
Antimicrobial Resistance in Invasive Bacterial Infections in Hospitalized Children, Cambodia, 2007–2016
Fox-Lewis A. et al, (2018), Emerging Infectious Diseases, 24, 841 - 851
Impact of low blood culture usage on rates of antimicrobial resistance.
Lim C. et al, (2020), The Journal of infection
Genomic surveillance for hypervirulence and multi-drug resistance in invasive Klebsiella pneumoniae from South and Southeast Asia
Wyres KL. et al, (2020), Genome Medicine, 12
Leapfrogging laboratories: the promise and pitfalls of high-tech solutions for antimicrobial resistance surveillance in low-income settings.
Okeke IN. et al, (2020), BMJ global health, 5
MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry for sub-typing of Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Kann S. et al, (2020), BMC microbiology, 20
Antimicrobial resistance surveillance: can we estimate resistance in bloodstream infections from other types of specimen?
Vihta K-D. et al, (2020)


In fact, ADE is one of the events artists look forward the most and selling their brand and advertising their work is the main goal once you're there. Nina Kraviz took a step further and sold a three part vinyl трип series exclusively on the event.
There were some copies available for purchase and if you wanted one, you should have gone to the Clone Records pop-up shop or Rush Hour. As it was expected, not all copies were sold and the remaining ones are now available online. But if you truly want one, you must act quick.
As this was a three part vinyl, you had to buy them separately and, as usual, some sell out faster than others and the second and third part are indeed out of stock. On the other hand, the first one is still available, but not for long.
Being the first part filled with content from Roma Zuckerman, the second one from Nina herself and finally the third part with various artists such as The Mover, PTU, Nikita Zabelin and Vladimir Dubyshkin, if you want to have a трип vinyl series exclusive copy to yourself, grab it while you can on the Clone website or click here.


This 3-part creative endeavor discusses the relationship between our identities and our life's work.
A research-based essay builds the framework for the second and third parts. Drawing from interviews with notable designers as well as personal experiences around a university campus, this essay concludes that our life's work is most fruitful and fulfilling when we involve our personal identities.
A big book of personal reflection inhabits the envelope and guides readers through my past and present, noting fundamental experiences that ultimately led me to creative work. Sharing my story opens the door for others to share their stories as well.
As a designer who loves physical materials and manufacturing functional pieces, I knew the output of this project needed to be not only designed, but constructed. Each part takes physical form to engage the audience in a tangible, content-driven experience; all three parts are handmade.


MOSCOW/CARACAS — Quiet diplomacy among the world's biggest oil producers has heated up this week, yet observers see few signs that renewed discussion among Russia, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and others will lead to action on output.
On Wednesday, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said Moscow has been holding "unprecedentedly active" consultations with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and Latin American producers. The energy minister said he had spoken to OPEC's secretary general several days ago.
Saudi state news agency SPA reported Tuesday that Saudi Arabian oil minister Ali al-Naimi discussed oil markets with Russia's ambassador to Riyadh, Oleg Ozerov.
And Venezuela's oil minister Asdrubal Chavez met in Caracas with the local ambassadors of eight OPEC members plus Indonesia on Wednesday, the ministry said. Officials later said it was a "courtesy visit" aimed at stimulating investment in the Orinoco Belt. The Russian ambassador was not present.
Although there is no indication the diplomatic huddles were in any way related, the meetings may be a sign of stepped-up pressure for OPEC — and specifically Saudi Arabia — to move toward cutting production when it next meets on June 5.
Nearly four months of sub-$60 a barrel crude oil prices is weighing heavily on cash-strapped producers such as Venezuela and Russia, who failed to coax OPEC into cutting output last November.
Russia stepped up contacts with OPEC after oil prices plunged last year, but has dismissed any suggestion it might cut output to prop up prices, saying it is technically impossible to idle production due to the harsh climate in Siberia.
"Until and unless I hear a producer say they're willing to contribute cuts, I think this is all about trying to spook or shame Saudi Arabia into doing what it has steadfastly said it will not — cut unilaterally," says Bob McNally, president of The Rapidan Group energy consultancy.
An OPEC delegate from a Gulf oil producer also poured cold water on Moscow's statements on cooperation.
"The Russian comment does not mean a joint cut in production. It just means that there is concern over price, but in the end, there might be no action taken," the official said.
Yet the meetings have piqued the interest of oil traders after several months of relatively muted discussion. U.S. oil jumped nearly 6 percent to the highest price this year, with some dealers pondering the implications of collaboration.
"If OPEC and other producers were to come to some sort of agreement, then that would be a game changer," said Gene McGillian, senior analyst at Tradition Energy in Stamford, Connecticut.
Iran, another hard-pressed producer and price hawk, called on OPEC on Tuesday to cut production at least 5 percent, or about 1.5 million barrels per day.
Venezuela has been keen on OPEC action to shore up oil prices amid its deep recession, shortages of basic goods and sky-high inflation. Yet it has largely refrained from public calls to cut output, preferring instead to blame the United States for a prolonged slump.
"We've done everything but unfortunately the incorrect strategy of President [Barack] Obama's advisers has led to fracking. …flooding the world's oil markets," Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro said Monday night.
The Oil Ministry's Twitter feed said the ambassadors discussed Venezuela's oil-rich Orinoco belt in the presence of the president of state oil company PDVSA Eulogio del Pino and Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez.
Russia, one of the world's top oil producers, expects its economy to shrink 3 percent this year, following an almost 50 percent drop in oil prices since in last June.
In November, Russia said after meeting a number of OPEC ministers that it would not cut output, even if prices fell below $40 per barrel. Energy Minister Alexander Novak said the current oil price of $60 was comfortable for Russian producers.
On Wednesday, Novak said he had spoken to OPEC Secretary General Abdulla al-Badri several days ago.
"On the whole, we are in a dialogue, it has been formalized As you know, we meet twice a year, discuss the perspectives for oil market development," he said.
"We discuss various issues, local [issues], the ones which relate to shale oil production, oil refining, tax changes in different countries."
Novak also met Venezuela's Chavez in Moscow last month.
Foreign Minister Rodriguez also met Russian ambassador Vladimir Zaemskiy in Caracas earlier on Wednesday.
OPEC's headquarters in Vienna had no comment on Wednesday.
OPEC has been annoyed by the Russian position and steadfast in its refusal not to act alone.
"In the past, OPEC has often shouldered the burden of ensuring oil market stability alone," the organization wrote in a commentary in the latest edition of the monthly OPEC Bulletin.
"In the current situation, which should be of great concern to ALL, is it not time for this burden to be shared?"
Russia's No.2 oil producer LUKoil may see its crude output decline by less than 2 million tons in Russia this year, a company official said Wednesday.


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Daily Ratings & News for CytRx
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Head-To-Head Review: Adverum Biotechnologies (NASDAQ:ADVM) & CytRx (NASDAQ:CYTR)
Posted by Linda Flegge on Dec 8th, 2019
CytRx (OTCMKTS:CYTR) and Adverum Biotechnologies (NASDAQ:ADVM) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, institutional ownership, risk, profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations and earnings.
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This table compares CytRx and Adverum Biotechnologies' top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
CytRx $250,000.00 33.64 -$12.71 million ($0.29) -0.86
Adverum Biotechnologies $1.61 million 458.53 -$72.63 million ($1.18) -9.69
CytRx has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Adverum Biotechnologies. Adverum Biotechnologies is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than CytRx, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
This is a breakdown of current recommendations for CytRx and Adverum Biotechnologies, as provided by MarketBeat.com.
CytRx 0 0 1 0 3.00
Adverum Biotechnologies 0 4 2 0 2.33
CytRx currently has a consensus target price of $5.00, indicating a potential upside of 1,900.00%. Adverum Biotechnologies has a consensus target price of $9.50, indicating a potential downside of 16.89%. Given CytRx's stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe CytRx is more favorable than Adverum Biotechnologies.
CytRx has a beta of 1.88, meaning that its stock price is 88% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Adverum Biotechnologies has a beta of 2.68, meaning that its stock price is 168% more volatile than the S&P 500.
This table compares CytRx and Adverum Biotechnologies' net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
CytRx N/A -31.45% -27.75%
Adverum Biotechnologies N/A -33.49% -28.81%
2.2% of CytRx shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 76.6% of Adverum Biotechnologies shares are owned by institutional investors. 6.9% of CytRx shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 4.2% of Adverum Biotechnologies shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.
CytRx beats Adverum Biotechnologies on 8 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.
CytRx Company Profile
CytRx Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the research and clinical development of novel anti-cancer drug candidates that employ linker technologies to enhance the accumulation and release of drug at the tumor. The company is developing its pipeline of oncology candidates at its laboratory facilities in Freiburg, Germany, through its LADR (linker activated drug release) technology platform, a discovery engine designed to leverage its expertise in albumin biology and linker technology for the development of anti-cancer therapies. Its lead drug candidate is Aldoxorubicin, an improved version of anti-cancer drug doxorubicin out-licensed to NantCell, Inc. Aldoxorubicin is in late-stage clinical development for the treatment of relapsed soft tissue sarcoma, as well as evaluating in various other cancer indications with unmet clinical need, including small-cell lung cancer. CytRx Corporation was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.
Adverum Biotechnologies Company Profile
Adverum Biotechnologies, Inc., a clinical-stage gene therapy company, engages in developing gene therapy product candidates to treat ocular and rare diseases. Its pipeline of product candidates includes ADVM-022, an adeno- associated virus (AAV). 7m8-aflibercept for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration; ADVM-043, an investigational gene therapy candidate for the treatment of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency; and ADVM-053, a preclinical gene therapy product candidate for the treatment of hereditary angioedema. The company has collaboration agreements with Editas Medicine, Inc. to leverage its proprietary AAV vectors for genome editing technologies to treat up to five inherited retinal diseases; and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for the development of up to eight distinct ocular therapeutic targets. The company was formerly known as Avalanche Biotechnologies, Inc. and changed its name to Adverum Biotechnologies, Inc. in May 2016. Adverum Biotechnologies, Inc. was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Menlo Park, California.
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