There has always been a call for a simple non adjustable writing platform and over the years the Metro Wedge has found a ready use where an angled platform is only required intermittently. With the growing demand for our Crystal range of products it was inevitable the old MDF board should be superceded by light clear acrylic.
The new Crystal Wedge is set at 13 degrees with the front touching the desk surface and the rear at 80mm. It still has a generous size at 570mm x 320mm with 250mm long centre ledge. Customer feedback suggested we should provide a higher ledge and this we have done by increasing it to 25mm high while still retaining a centre position to not restrict writing.
Of real benefit is the ease of moving it around your desk as the Crystal Wedge is only 1.25 kg in weight and packed in its individual carton weighs in total 1.8Kg.
The most economical ergonomic surface available Crystal Wedge 13 degrees is clean, clear, light and low priced.


US Senator and presidential hopeful, Kamala Harris has announced she raised $12 million over the first quarter of 2019, setting an early high bar for the sprawling Democratic field challenging President Donald Trump in 2020.
Half of the total haul for Harris was raised online, including more than $1.1 million in the final week of March, when she spent heavily to attract more donors ahead of the financial deadline.
Harris' overall average donation was $55, while her campaign said the average online contribution was $28.
Harris' number is likely to be eclipsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and former Rep. Beto O'Rourke of Texas, who each raised about $6 million in the first 24 hours of their campaigns, but it establishes a benchmark for the other Democrats competing for donors in a crowded environment.
Harris' campaign stressed that she's seeking donations only for the primary election — and that 99.45 percent of her donors can contribute again because they didn't hit the maximum for the primary and general elections.
In a news release, Harris said she had received 218,000 individual contributions during the first quarter and 98 percent of those contributions came in amounts smaller than $100.
Harris was born in Oakland, CA, to a Tamil mother and a Jamaican father.


Las Cruces, N.M. - In an ongoing effort to provide top-notch constituent service, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich's (D-N.M.) staff will hold Mobile Office Hours on Monday, December 10, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Truth or Consequences Senior Center. Staff will be on hand to assist residents who have questions regarding Social Security benefits, Medicare, immigration, veterans benefits, student loans, and other federal programs. All are encouraged to attend.
WHEN: From 1o:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.


Thank you for your interest in helping the campaign, If you wish to donate time, experience or financial support to our cause please read the following options. And again, we thank you in advance for any and all support.
Click here to see the dates/venues for upcoming events where you can support Jim.
Simply click the Donate button to safely and securely contribute to Jim's campaign using Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Discover or your PayPal account. Small or large, we appreciate your helpful financial support for a great cause.
Please fill out the form below and we will contact you with more information on dates, times and details to be sure we can offer you opportunities that best fit into your schedule.


text:
Vinyls (1)
Character 0 selected
Tina Belcher (1)
Tiny Belcher (2)
Character Series 0 selected
Bob's Burgers (3)
Clothing Type 0 selected
Hoodies and Sweatshirts (2)
Price Range Selected £10 - £90
The Bob's Burgers Music Album Vol. 2 3xLP Deluxe Box Set (Red, Green & Yellow)
Quick Buy The Bob's Burgers Music Album Vol. 2 3xLP Deluxe Box Set (Red, Green & Yellow)
Tina Belcher Pride Edition Funko Pop! Vinyl
30% off - code: POP30
For a limited time only get 30% off this amazing list of Funko Pop! Vinyl! Enter code: POP30 for the discount to apply!
Quick Buy Tina Belcher Pride Edition Funko Pop! Vinyl
Bobs Burgers Tina Butts Christmas Sweatshirt - Black
Bobs Burgers Tina Butts Women's Christmas Sweatshirt - Black
Bob's Burgers Merchandise
Get ready to flip some burgers with Zavvi UK's wide range of Bob's Burgers merchandise, inspired by the hit animated TV show.
For fans of the series, there's never been a better time to step back into the kitchen. This is the final stop on your way to Ocean Avenue, and we guarantee our prices will leave you with a pleasant aftertaste.
Start browsing today to take advantage of our exclusive offers, including limited-time deals and massive discounts on a huge line-up of products!
Cooking Up A Storm
Created by Loren Bouchard, Bob's Burgers is an animated sitcom series that debuted in 2011. The show revolves around the Belcher family: Bob, Linda, Tina, Gene, and Louise. Together, they run a burger shop called — you guessed it — Bob's Burgers.
Bob Belcher (voiced by Jon Benjamin) takes the starring role in the show. He is the owner of Bob's Burgers, and Linda's husband. Audiences have come to recognise Linda Belcher for her signature red glasses, fun-loving personality, and optimistic outlook on life — contrasting significantly with Bob's pessimistic attitude.
While Bob may not always see the bright side of things, the show never fails to send audiences into fits of hysterics thanks to its weekly shenanigans.
Serving Up The Best Deals
Turn your home into a real-life burger restaurant with our fantastic line-up of Bob's Burgers merchandise. We've got a mix of products for you to browse: collectables, clothing, homeware, and more.
These are best gifts for a Bob's Burgers fan, featuring all your favourite characters from the show. If you've got a special occasion on the horizon (a birthday, Christmas, or other event), make sure to book your table.
Don't wait until closing time. Our Bob's Burgers merchandise is flying off the grill quicker than the Belchers can cook patties!
Sub Category Clothing (2) Figures (1) Vinyls (1)
Character Tina Belcher (1) Tiny Belcher (2)
Character Series Bob's Burgers (3)
Clothing Type Hoodies and Sweatshirts (2)
Colour Range Black (2)
Clothing Size 5XL (2)
Savings Up to 25% (1)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Dr. Drew Reveals Intense Security Measures Behind Keeping His 'Masked Singer' Secret (Exclusive)
By Zach Seemayer 8:04 PM PDT, October 10, 2019
Dr. Drew Spills 'Masked Singer' Secrets! How Contestants Keep Th…
'Off the Record' Sneak Peek: Celine Dion on the First Time She S…
'1883's Isabel May on Faith Hill and Tim McGraw Being 'Mom and D…
John Stamos Opens Up About How He's Been Coping With Bob Saget's…
'The Family Chantel': Pedro Wonders If He's 'Subconsciously' Usi…
Tiffany Haddish Shares Her Reason for Wanting to Adopt and How S…
'Cheer' Season 2: Morgan Simianer Explains Why She Left Navarro …
Jennifer Aniston Reveals She Had to Walk Off 'Friends' Reunion S…
Michael B. Jordan and Lori Harvey Share Rare PDA in Sweet Birthd…
'90 Day Fiancé': Big Ed's Love Interest Kaory Feels Pressured By…
Kanye West Calls Kim Kardashian His Wife and Says He Wants to 'B…
Kanye West Explains Alleged Altercation, Wants to Be in Control …
Shannen Doherty on 'Connecting' With Bruce Willis While Filming …
Britney Spears Reacts to Sister Jamie Lynn's Emotional Book Inte…
Britney Spears Slams Diane Sawyer for 2003 Interview Following S…
Tiffany Haddish Breaks Down in Tears Recalling Moments With Bob …
Tim McGraw and Faith Hill on Their Steamy '1883' Love Scene! (Ex…
After donning a massive eagle costume and belting out Meatloaf, Dr. Drew Pinsky was unmasked and became the latest celeb to get sent home on Wednesday's The Masked Singer. Now, the longtime talk show host is opening up about the bizarre, unique and incredibly secretive experience.
Pinsky sat down with ET's Lauren Zima on Thursday to talk about his big reveal for the episode -- which was taped months ago -- and how far the show went to keep its costumed cast of contestants as top secret as humanly possible.
"The moment you leave your front door you're in a hoodie and a mask," Pinsky recounted. "They won't let you show skin, you have white clothes on so they don't know what race you are or anything, and you're not allowed to speak."
"You do not speak when spoken to, you don't say a word until you enter your trailer," he added.
"Then somebody comes into the trailer, you leave the trailer and go to the stage, and you're not allowed to speak to anybody until you start singing."
For Pinsky, it got really weird when he wanted to just express simple platitudes and appreciation to members of the crew.
"There were people I wanted to thank, that I was grateful for, and I couldn't do that," he recalled. "I'd have to find a producer and they would go thank so and so, otherwise I couldn't even communicate to anybody. It's weird."
Pinsky wasn't able to tell anyone about his new role on the show, except for his wife, Susan, and even she had to sign a legally binding non-disclosure agreement.
He didn't even plan on telling his 26-year-old triplets -- daughter Paulina and sons Douglas and Jordan -- but he eventually had to spill the beans when they got suspicious and confused at the vocal coaches that kept showing up to his house to help him prepare.
"They started showing up three days a week, [and my son] said, 'What's going on here?' I went, 'Sign this non-disclosure agreement and then I'll tell you,'" Pinsky shared. "[The producers] are pretty clear that if it leaks anywhere, get the [NDA] out and make them sign."
For Pinsky, the only thing that came close to how strange it felt to have to keep a massive secret from people he knew and loved was to be performing on the show at all, especially in a crazy costume.
The eagle costume itself, with its red bandana and '60s fringe jacket, gave off an old classic rocker vibe, which really changed what he'd planned for his performances.
'The Masked Singer' Season 2: Panelists on Why This Year Is 'Bigger and Better' (Exclusive)
"I trained classically and I was sort of expecting [to] sing some Bublé or some Sinatra," Pinsky explained. "Then, I put that damn eagle costume on, and I was like, 'Oh no, it's a rock eagle, we have to go a totally different direction!' And that was even more uncomfortable for me."
While he ended up singing Meatloaf's 1993 hit "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" he also got a chance to sing Sinatra -- just not Frank Sintara. During the Smackdown Round against The Penguin, he belted out a rendition of Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" which was slightly closer to the kind of music Pinsky had trained to sing in his younger years.
"I started [singing] in college opera, and I did it all the way through residency, and I never really did anything with it," he shared. "I thought about doing it for real for about five minutes and very wisely thought otherwise."
Ultimately, despite the weirdness and awkwardness of the show, Pinsky says he's most disappointed that he didn't get to do more of it.
"It was nerve-racking and intense and fun and, I can't say enough, this is such a high quality production. Everyone is great. It's upbeat, it's a lot of fun," he said. "One of my great regrets in getting kicked off is I wanted to hang out with those people more, but otherwise I was relieved."
The Masked Singer airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Fox.
'The Masked Singer' Episode 3: Reveals, Theories and New Clues!
GET THE ET NEWSLETTER
'The Masked Singer': Week 3 Brings Brand New Clues, Epic Performances and a Surprising Celeb Reveal
'The Masked Singer': Eagle Sent Soaring Home -- See Who's Under the Mask!
'The Masked Singer': Our Best Guesses at the Secret Identities
Laila Ali Says Her 'Mom Cool Factor' Is Much Higher After 'The Masked Singer'
Dr. Drew


Please enter the email address you signed up with and we'll send you password reset link.
Recovery email sent. Please check your inbox to initiate the password recovery process.
Freedom to work from Anywhere! Anytime!
98Fit is all-in-one fitness management software that enables you to optimize, grow and nurture your business that you have worked so hard to build.
Auto generates customised Workout & Diet Plans based on body parameters of your members. In compliance with Global Food and Health Standards.
Your clients deserve the best, give them an experience to rememeber.
Let 98fit do the heavy lifting so you can get back to the gym floor.
98fit is a powerful, easy-to-use gym management software designed for fitness centre owners & trainers. Our software provides all the tools you need to run your centre smoothly and efficiently, saving time and money.


Conor Rooney tallied 5 goals and added 2 assists while leading Shawsheen Tech past Nashoba Tech, 14-1, in a Commonwealth Athletic Conference boys lacrosse game.
Other local winners were Chelmsford, Billerica, Tyngsboro and Lowell Catholic.
Owen Sullivan potted 3 goals for Shawsheen (3-0).
Dan Lee notched 2 goals and 2 assists. Shawsheen goalie Jonah Varallo made 13 saves.
Matt Lucozzi scored Nashoba Tech's goal. Kyle Desjardin made 18 saves in goal for the Vikings (1-1).
Brothers Christian and Ben Gastonguay had 3 goals each to power the Lions past MVC rival Lowell.
Ben Pitts tallied his first varsity goal and had 2 assists for Chelmsford. David Gagnon was dominant in faceoffs and had a goal.
Chelmsford's defense was aggressive and pole Michael Regan recorded an assist to midfielder Quinn Briere.
Goalie Tommy Hopkins was solid in net while also recording a long-range assist to Bobby Turner.
For Lowell, Brendan Tighe (3 goals) and Jack Frediani (2 goals) led the way on offense.
Can Trull Jr. and Thomas Carolan played well defensively. Lowell goalie Andrew Carrabis made 8 saves.
Matt Milano paced Billerica's explosive attack with 5 goals.
Garrett Murphy fired home 4 goals for the Indians (2-1). Nate Young, Cole Longuemare, Nick Gualteri, Connor Doherty, Jake Marani, Johnny Caserta and Brendan Cook netted 1 goal each.
Jack Hutchings dished out 5 assists, while Alex Hughes added 4 assists.
Ian Gibbons (5 saves) and Jacob Oliver (4 saves) combined for the win in goal.
James Giblin, Nick Sawyer and Christian Ruggiero scored 3 goals each while leading Lowell Catholic past Matignon in a Catholic Central League Small School game Monday.
Colin Gleason chipped in with 1 goal, 3 assists and came away with 8 ground balls.
Mike Brodgon won 12 of 16 faceoffs and had 12 ground balls. Rowan Ruggiero scored a goal.
Zach Savoie scored 4 goals as Tyngsboro improved to 2-0.
Josh Fairbanks and Dillon Hyland added 2 assists each. Dan Paulaskas (10 saves) had a strong game in goal for the Tigers.
Despite a strong offensive game by Nathan Townsend, the Crusaders fell on the road in Holden.
Townsend figured in all of the goals for Groton-Dunstable (1-1) with a 2-goal, 2-assist performance.
Kyle Zimmer and Deaglan Garside scored 1 goal each for the Crusaders.


Spook is a smart-phone application for children that aims to make their relationship with traditional museums more fun and enjoyable.
Children, along with families or their school, often visit museums which are very relevant from a cultural point of view, but they cannot appreciate the value of what they see because of how the exhibition is organized: spaces and contents are usually designed with adults in mind.
To make children remember the beauty of what they see and the importance of the experience, it is fundamental to give them a new point of view, a different layer of information that catches their attention.
The game is about helping Spook, a detective ghost who investigates people who lived in a time and place related to the current exhibition. Hints about their lives are hidden inside the exhibited artworks.
Five Flash demos emulate the range of activities in available in Spook. These activities are like mini-games to be played in order to get hints. They differ according to the tyopology of the artwork, the sensorial approach and the type of interaction with the smartphone.
Spook is based on the Constructivism approach in the museum pedagogy. That means it doesn't want to teach an absolute truth, but otherwise it encourages personal interpretation and curiosity, other than leave to the learner total control about what artworks he wants to engage with, in which order and for how long.
Other than that, to give more varitey to the game structures, the five activities are based on Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences. That helped me to build a game which stimulates the whole mind of chidren and, at the same time, shows them different ways to approach an artwork, keeping their attention high thanks to the variety of the games.
The project has been prototyped in two different ways. The Flash demos that emulates the five activities have been tested with children and shown to parents.
There's also a section of the game (the Tutorial, which teaches the child how to play Spook) which has been developed in Java on a smartphone (Nokia N97), to test how the different sensors would actually react during the gameplay.


text:
Guilty unless proven Innocent is the motto of the security agencies in mineral-rich Jharkand
Written by Stan Swamy | Published on: December 28, 2015
Third Finding: The Victims of this Incarceration are the poor from Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes: These two groups make up 69% of the under trials in the Bagaicha-conducted sample study. With low literacy rates and high poverty rates, the SCs and STs in Jharkhand are economically weak and socially on the margins of society. Their life runs on a day-to-day basis. Despite many of the 'development plans' proclaimed by different governments, their economic and social conditions have not improved. The study finds that even the funds allotted specifically for these plans have been diverted to general infrastructural projects. Their insecure socio-economic condition has made these victims further and easy prey to exploitation. They are vulnerable because they are voiceless and hence false cases can be conveniently lodged against them, they can be arrested and they can be subject to prolonged legal proceedings, effectively destroying their personal, family and communitarian life.
Fourth Finding: The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison: It is crucial to note that 97% under tribal families have an income less than Rs. 5000 per month thus falling under the BPL (Below Poverty Line) category. Most of them are not yet the beneficiaries of The Right to Food Act the implementation of which the Jharkand State Government has been dilly-dallying over implementing, for over a year. Their old ration cards have been declared invalid but new cards have not yet been given to most. A visit to interior tribal villages in Jharkhand reveals a heart-rending situation: people living without their basic needs met and the complete apathy of the local administration.
On the one hand, there is apathy and laxity of providing social security decreed by law; on the other hand there is over-zealous performances by the police and paramilitary when "illegal searches are carried out: surrounding villages, breaking into houses, destroying vessels, molesting women, throwing out food grains etc." " Any and every male member regardless of their age becomes a suspect and thrashing them mercilessly and marching them to the police station, keeping them herded like cattle for long periods without food or water, and finally releasing some and jailing others is the normal practice," says the report. "All this is done in the name of containing Naxalism".
Fifth Finding: Were these alleged Naxal-suspects caught after a hot pursuit by the police, asks the report? That is the impression given by the media coverage in general. The fact is (says the Bagaicha Research report) a total of 87% were arrested in 'normal' circumstances, 57% were arrested from their homes when they were resting or having their meal or spending time with their family, and 30% from nearby towns or on travel. They were certainly not running away from the police!
"The government must be open and transparent about its motives. The motive of the government seems to be not ending Naxalism but opening up the mineral-rich Adivasi land to mining companies. The so-called 'Red Corridor' is also the 'Mineral Corridor' of India," states the report. There is need for national attention, and analysis, of numbers of arrests in these parts of central India compared to those areas of the country where there is no mineral mining. There is also need for media attention and national attention on the issue of the curtailment of democratic rights of the people in terms of freedom of assembly, freedom of speech and movement, all of which are being sorely restricted, unlawfully and un-Constitutionally.
The situation has resulted in the mass migration of young men to far off States like Kerala as casual labour, simply to enable money to be sent home. The migration of Adivasi girls to metropolitan cities as domestic help also carries on, unabated. Despite these local conditions, local residents, Adivasis, have been valiantly keeping the struggle for jal, jangal, jamin (water, forests, and land) alive through local as well as broader people's resistance movements. The result is that despite the repression, few corporate houses are able to make inroads in Jharkhand.
"It is to break this resistance that corporate pressure on the State Government is increasing. And Government repression on the poorest of the poor is carrying on, unabated."
Chief Ministers of Jharkhand since the State's Creation in year 2000
Name Period Party
Babulal Marandi Ramgarh
Arjun Munda Kharsawan
Shibu Soren
Madhu Koda Jaganathpur
President's rule
Hemant Soren Dumka
Raghubar Das Nov 15, 2000
Dec 28, 2014 Mar 17, 2003
Present BJP
Source: http://www.mapsofindia.com/jharkhand/chief-ministers.html ; The state has been thrice under President's Rule in 15 years of its existence
(The author is part of the research group that conducted the study)
Stop Harssment of Rights Activists in Jharkhand
Torture as practice dominates Indian law enforcement
Another Raid on Activist, Stan Swamy in Jharkand
How the State hounded Stan Swamy, the Man who made People his Religion
I raise my voice for Adivasis, am I a Traitor?
Implementation of FRA 2006 must become a Political Programme: Public...
When a builder becomes a party chief And a poet makes a case for motorists
NRC: No Further Re-Verification
US House condemns Donald Trump's racist tweets – why his language is so dangerous
Faiz's poems reverberate contemporary pathos: Turbulent and marked with historical changes
Raja Dhale: A Giant Has Gone
As Real Incomes Improved, Farmers' Children Became Less Likely To Take Up Farming
The Union budget is silent on economy's transition to interlinked and clean energy needs


This new product line of inverters converts 24V-DC or 48V-DC energy from battery (within an PV Off-Grid system) into clean, stable 110V/60Hz or 230V/50Hz power, that is ideal for powering demanding home appliances. Phocos inverters are designed for high efficiency. Integrated advanced microprocessor technology combined with pure sine wave output makes them the perfect choice for use with high-end electronics and electrical equipment. Thanks to their low weight and long lifespan, the SI series is also ideal for mobile and outdoor applications (e.g. RVs, cars, and many more).
Please choose one of the available DC input and AC output parameters. Within the SI-1500 series are 4 different devices available, separately for specific parameter (24V/110V, 48/110V, 24V/230V, 48V/230V). see product data-sheet.


Converting a farm from beef to dairy is a tough task, but few could handle it better than Meander farmers Fiona and Tim Salter. They were named the 2019 Tasmanian Dairy Business of the Year for their work on Clear Springs Dairy, where they have increased the amount of dry pasture harvested on the farm by almost two tonnes per hectare in the last three years. DairyTas executive officer Jonathan Price said the Salters' continuous push for excellence in their dairy business was a model for the industry. "The Salters honed their pasture management skills at the Meander Discussion Group's measuring and monitoring boot camp," he said. "They also hold monthly safety meetings for all Clear Springs Dairy staff." The Salters were not the only Northern Tasmanian farmers to win awards at the Tasmanian Dairy Awards. Rushy Lagoon farmers Damien and Brooke Cocker took out the Share Dairy Farmers of the Year category. Since beginning share farming five years ago, the Cockers have increased production on both farms by 40 per cent, and in 2017/18 the farms yielded close to eight million litres of milk. Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture senior dairy extension officer Symon Jones said the award recognised strong growth in equity as well as skill in financial, pasture and cow management. "This is a very good result for a large dairy business. Improved herd, feed and irrigation, along with excellent staff management, have played a major part in their success," he said. "Damien and Brooke encourage their staff to upskill, and subsequently, one employee has progressed through his farming apprenticeship to become a share farmer himself."
Converting a farm from beef to dairy is a tough task, but few could handle it better than Meander farmers Fiona and Tim Salter.
They were named the 2019 Tasmanian Dairy Business of the Year for their work on Clear Springs Dairy, where they have increased the amount of dry pasture harvested on the farm by almost two tonnes per hectare in the last three years.
DairyTas executive officer Jonathan Price said the Salters' continuous push for excellence in their dairy business was a model for the industry.
"The Salters honed their pasture management skills at the Meander Discussion Group's measuring and monitoring boot camp," he said.
"They also hold monthly safety meetings for all Clear Springs Dairy staff."
The Salters were not the only Northern Tasmanian farmers to win awards at the Tasmanian Dairy Awards. Rushy Lagoon farmers Damien and Brooke Cocker took out the Share Dairy Farmers of the Year category.
Since beginning share farming five years ago, the Cockers have increased production on both farms by 40 per cent, and in 2017/18 the farms yielded close to eight million litres of milk.
Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture senior dairy extension officer Symon Jones said the award recognised strong growth in equity as well as skill in financial, pasture and cow management.
"This is a very good result for a large dairy business. Improved herd, feed and irrigation, along with excellent staff management, have played a major part in their success," he said.
"Damien and Brooke encourage their staff to upskill, and subsequently, one employee has progressed through his farming apprenticeship to become a share farmer himself."
Discuss "Northern success at Tasmanian dairy awards"


text:
Q: QuickBlox Attachment issue in Android In group chat I am attaching single file, while sending the QBMessage object has on 1 attachment but on receive that QBMessage object the same attachment comes twice.
This happens only in group chat. In private chat it works properly

A: Seems like you are using samples from here as a starting point for your application: https://github.com/QuickBlox/quickblox-android-sdk
I had the same bug with it, so my quick solution was override sendMessage method in GroupChatImpl.java
@Override
public void sendMessage(QBChatMessage message) throws XMPPException, SmackException.NotConnectedException {
    if (qbChat != null) {
        try {
            qbChat.sendMessageWithoutJoin(message);
        } catch (SmackException.NotConnectedException | IllegalStateException e) {
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
TOHO Announces Record Year in Profits
Shin Godzilla Interactive Exhibit Now Open On Awaji Island
Premium Bandai Announces Defo-Real Shin Godzilla (2016) 2nd Form / 3rd Form Clear ver. Set
Life-Sized Replica Of Shin Godzilla Coming To Japan
Toho Releases New Godzilla Puppet Series "Gojiban" On YouTube
TOHO announces record year thanks to major releases in 2016.
TOHO, the film distributor and studio behind the Godzilla franchise, announced via its earnings reports that 2016 was its most profitable year on record.
The distributor has operated since 1932 and released numerous films in Japan throughout the years.
Thanks in large part to Makoto Shinkai's anime film your name. and Hideaki Anno's Shin Godzilla, TOHO earned a profit of 50.2 billion yen for the fiscal year ending February 2017. This marks the third consecutive year of record highs but also the biggest jump in profits, marking a 23.4% jump over the previous year.
Shinkai's your name. has gone on to become the second most successful Japanese film, only behind the Oscar winning Spirited Away, from Studio Ghibli. Shin Godzilla marked the first Japanese Godzilla film in over a decade, with the film going on to become the most successful in the series' history and the highest grossing live action Japanese film of 2016.
Source: Yomiuri Shimbun via AnimeNewsNetwork
Related Topics:anime, Shin Godzilla, Toho, your name.
One of the founding members of The Tokusatsu Network. Jorge serves as an editor, writer, and regular podcast panelist.
Kamen Rider Den-O Announcement Teased By Producer Shinichiro Shirakura
Denji Sentai Megaranger US DVD Release Revealed


text:
THREE THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND
Looking for something to do this weekend?
The Little River Band will perform at 8 p.m. Friday in the Turning Stone Resort Casino Showroom, WWE Live will return to the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Easy Money will perform from 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday at the Old Forge Lakefront.
1. The Little River Band will perform at 8 p.m. Friday in the
Turning Stone Resort Casino Showroom at 5218 Patrick Road, Verona. The Australian band made their big break in America in the 1970s with their song "It's a Long Way There." Tickets are $44 to 74 and are available by calling 800-771-7711 or visiting www.turningston.com.
2. WWE Live will return to the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. This is the second time the WWE will visit the Adirondack Bank Center this year. The card, subject to change, will feature WWE Champion Kofi Kingston against Dolph Ziggler, Smackdown Women's Champion Bayley against Charlotte Flair and Intercontinental Champion Finn Balor against Andrade. Randy Orton, Smackdown Women's Tag Team Champions The IIconics, Big E, Elias, Ali, Rusev, Shinsuke Nakamura, Matt Hardy, Aleister Black and R-Truth are also set to appear. Tickets start at $15 and are available online at empirestatetix.com, in person at the Adirondack Bank Center Box Office or by calling 315-790-9070.
3. Easy Money will perform from 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday at the Old Forge Lakefront on Lakeview Avenue in Old Forge. The performance is part of the hamlet's Summer Concert Series. Easy Money is a 15-piece band that plays big band music from Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Stan Kenton, Buddy Rich, Frank Sinatra and more. Free. Attendees are asked to bring a chair or blanket.


The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), which represents tens of thousands of platinum workers, earlier on Tuesday appeared to soften their position, saying their hoped-for wage demand could be spread over three years.
The R12 500 minimum monthly wage "can now be achieved over the three years, not at once", said Amcu president Joseph Mathunjwa. "We are not exactly reducing our demand. Our move is meant to give the employers a breather," he added.
The revised offer was the first hint of compromise by the union since stop-start negotiations in January.
But the top platinum producers – Anglo American Platinum, Impala Platinum and Lonmin – rejected the rejigged demand, saying it still remained unrealistic.
The new demand "translates into an average annual increase of between 30% to 40% year-on-year and remains unaffordable," they said in a statement.
"Our proposed offer, tabled on January 29, and which starts with a 9% increase at the lowest level, is already significantly above the inflation rate," stressed the companies, which have all seen production halted by the strike.
The companies have offered staggered increases of 7% to 9% over the next three years.
The union previously vowed that it was determined to achieve its demand "however necessary".
A government mediator submitted the offer to the employers last week and Mathunjwa was expecting a positive response, saying earlier that "for us it's a way forward".
Still recovering from a series of stoppages that have hit the sector since 2011, the companies maintained that the union's wage increase of up to 150% was unaffordable.
The demand by the union was at the centre of the 2012 deadly strike at Lonmin, when 34 mineworkers were killed by police on August 16 2012.
On Thursday, the union will march on Union Buildings in Pretoria to deliver a petition to President Jacob Zuma over what it calls government's soft approach to the workers' plight.


text:
1000 Shillings | Helping Ugandan women out of poverty
I have been blessed to be a part of a group of women called "The Global Team of 200".
Together we are working to spread the word about causes around the world that affect women. Each month we will be talking about different causes.
This month, we would love to inform you about
1000 Shillings, which has beautiful jewelry for a wonderful cause.
1000 Shillings is helping 6 Ugandan women earn a living through their handiwork to support their family. According to the 1000 Shillings website, they " aim to connect people around the world through storytelling and high-quality artisan products."
The name "1000 shillings" is based on how much an average woman in the Ugandan Namatala slum lives on per day. 1000 shillings would be .40 cents. Can you imagine trying to feed your entire family for 40 cents a day? My heart breaks for these people. And in so many ways it's easy to feel helpless to do anything. That's where 1000 Shillings comes in.
The founders of 1000 Shillings were working with women, creating paper bead jewelry. They decided to give those women a chance to tell their stories and be connected with the world. If you are purchasing from 1000 shillings, the website gives you a chance to get to know the woman who created the jewelry. And it gives the artisan a chance to become a self-sufficient businesswoman who can support her family.
You can meet the 6 women at the 1000 Shillings Website. Read their stories by clicking on their names.
Aidah
I have always been a huge fan of buying things from websites that give back. It makes me feel good that if I buy one of these necklaces, one of these six women will be on their way toward a better life for their family.
Labels: gifts, Giving Back, global team of 200


text:
High on Life game review
By Madhupriya
When Game Pass launches on December 13, 2022, High On Life will be available.
Can you play High On Life now?
High on Life will be available for the Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. If you wanted to play it on the PS4, PS5, or Nintendo Switch, you're out of luck for the time being, as this one is limited to Microsoft's ecosystem.
Is High On Life on PS4?
Game Pass is included. With Game Pass, you can play High On Life and hundreds of other high-quality games for one low monthly fee. JOIN GAME PASS ARE YOU AN EXISTING MEMBER? PS4, PS5, or Nintendo Switch, you're out of luck for the time being, as this one is limited to Microsoft's ecosystem.
Is High On Life Coming to Game Pass?
High On Life is a single-player game that does not support multiplayer or cooperative play. As a result, you cannot join friends in any PvP or co-op mode.
Is High On Life co op?
It is set in a science fiction world and includes talking guns. Justin Roiland, J.B. Smoove, Tim Robinson, Tom Kenny, Zach Hadel, and Michael Cusack lend their voices to the game. It was released for $60 on December 12, 2022 at 7:00pm for Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Will High On Life be on PC?
The planned release date is December 13, 2022.
Is High On Life out on PC?


Want to know what our newest, most limited brews are? Subscribe to our newsletter to get all the fresh-off-the-farm news direct to your inbox.
What is an Imagination Station beer? In 2017, we started creating new brews on a 5-barrel pilot brewhouse that's an exact replica of our 30-barrel production brewhouse. We use the pilot to test new ideas and get creative, so stay tuned for lots of unusual brews.
It's our birthday, so we made ourselves an effervescent, citrusy "beermosa" to celebrate! Orange tangerine puree was added to mimic the flavor of a mimosa, and extra carbonation gives it the mouthfeel of champagne. Try the actual GLITTER version on Saturday, 4/13!
This double dry-hopped flavor explosion is named for Hildegard von Bingen, a 12th century abbess who wrote about the preservation power of hops in beer, paving the way for today's IPAs. Talk about a #bossnun. Brewed to benefit the Pink Boots Society, a non-profit that supports women in the beer industry.
Brewed in collaboration with Dwinell Country Ales, this hazy Pale Ale was hot-fermented with a special native Norwegian yeast called Kviek, which has been used for generations in Norway to create traditional, farmhouse-style ales. Grapefruit gummy bears, hint of baking spices.
Inspired by the classic sign on I-82 which welcomes visitors to the sunny side of Washington State. Lemon, Green tea, Pilsner malt. All PNW ingredients. Crisp, refreshing, easy-drinking. Collab with Modern Times Beer! AVAILABLE IN CANS!
This overachieving beer is the hardworking, successful golden sibling of those lazy hazies, always bragging about its fancy new experimental hop and showing off its dense foam and beefy body. Tangerine, lemongrass, dank, wheat.
Some people say that the west coast IPA is dead, murdered by the hazy IPA. We've been making clear, hoppy, flavorful west coast IPAs for six years, and we have no intention of stopping now. Juicy fruit bubblegum and pine.
Hitch a ride to hop country with this aromatic, sun-packed IPA, the first of our three-part rotator series. With a hop bite like a rattlesnake, this bucking bronco of flavor showcases Simcoe, Mosaic, and Ekuanot. AVAILABLE IN CANS!
Conditioned on locally-roasted coffee from Yakima's Lincoln Ave. Coffee, this rich, dark brew reminds us that good things still happen while hop fields lay dormant in the off-season. Pronounced aroma and flavor intensity. Coffee. Chocolate. Malt. AVAILABLE IN CANS!


Almost any parent would travel to the ends of the earth to stop their child from suffering.
Migraines are one of the five most prevalent chronic diseases that children suffer with. They can lead to missing days at school, less participation with sports, less socializing with friends, and can leave a significant impact on the family members who are taking care of the child. But, unfortunately, migraines are underdiagnosed and undertreated in children and adolescents. Sadly, much of the time the underlying cause is not found through standard medical evaluations.
I'm here to change that! It's time to shed some light on childhood migraines and more importantly to show there is hope for those who suffer from them.
In this video, two mothers share their stories about how their children suffered from migraines. Both had tried everything and were skeptical at first about trying chiropractic care. Now they are so incredibly thankful for Dr. Dale and the transformation in their happy kids. Both of these children have healed from migraines naturally and have their life back, thanks to chiropractic care.
You can call 931-591-2010 to set up an in-office consultation.
If you would like to hear more testimonials, you can visit MarathonChiro.com or just click "The Clinic" tab in the menu.


ARCHgallery is pleased to present the work of Dale Wilson in his first solo show. His works are created from overlaid strands of audiotape, arranged and adhered to plywood panels almost evoking the look of industrially manufactured sheet vinyl. This immediate industrial aesthetic is in contradiction with the steady labour and multiple repetitive actions taken to make the work, just as the limited duration of the audio contained on the surface undermines the work''s inherent production time. The duration of this audio also determines each piece''s surface area, and therefore the sizes of 15, 30 or 60 Minute Compositions; the titles of which also allude to working within the constraints of time, scale and format. The notion of documenting time within an artwork is inherent in these pieces. Wilson graduated from Camberwell College of Arts in 2009. He was included in the first selected group show at ARCHgallery ''the public gets what the public wants''. As the title suggests, visitors to the gallery were invited to vote for one piece of work. Wilson was the outright winner of this public vote.


This Co-Working Space near Anna Nagar Chennai has 25 Hot Desks Available for Night Shift on a Monthly Basis.
This Shared Space in Chennai or Night Shift near Poonamallee High Road Available on Hourly, Daily & Monthly Basis. It provides some of the best-shared office environments in Chennai.
Coworking Space has modern chairs. This venue has good connectivity to Wifi. The lighting system is up to the mark. The Flooring is quite decent. This Coworking space is also available on Saturday. Such Coworking Space is ideal for Independent contractors, Freelancers or people who need to travel frequently for their work.


text:
<?php namespace App\Http\Controllers\Emails;

use App\Events\ConfirmationEmailResent;
use App\Events\UserConfirmed;
use App\Models\User;
use Illuminate\Http\Request;

use App\Http\Requests;
use App\Http\Controllers\Controller;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Validator;

class EmailTransactionController extends Controller
{
    public function confirmEmail(Request $request)
    {
        $email = $request->input('email');
        $validator = Validator::make($request->input(), [
            'email' => 'required|exists:users,email',
            'token' => 'required|size:30|exists:email_confirmations,token,email,'.$email
        ]);

        if ($validator->passes()) {
            event(new UserConfirmed($email));
            return redirect('app');
        } else {
            return view('errors.confirmation_emails_error')->with('showHint', false);
        }
    }

    public function showConfirmationEmailPage()
    {
        return view('errors.confirmation_emails_error')->with('showHint', true);
    }

    public function resendConfirmationEmail(Request $request) {
        $this->validate($request, [
            'email' => 'required|exists:users,email'
        ]);

        $user = User::where('email', $request->input('email'))->first();

        if ($user) {
            event(new ConfirmationEmailResent($user));
        }

        return redirect('app');
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
The Hurting
This killer British pressing boasts outstanding Double Plus (A++) sound or close to it on both sides
Classic tracks like Mad World, Pale Shelter, and Change have stood the test of time - they're played in TFF's concerts to this day (we saw them just a few months back)
Forget the dubby domestic pressing - with top quality Hot Stamper sound, this copy is sure to trounce anything you've ever heard
4 1/2 stars: "...powerful pieces of music, beautifully executed in an almost minimalist style...an exquisite sonic painting sweeping the listener up in layers of pulsing synthesizers, acoustic guitar arpeggios, and sheets of electronic sound..."
More Tears for Fears
Sku # : tearshurti_1902
Prog Rock and Art Rock
Tears For Fears - The Seeds Of Love
A Near Perfect Pop Masterpiece
Product DetailTrack ListingAMG ReviewLearning the Record
Folks, take it from us, it is not every pressing that can manage to get rid of the digital harshness and congestion that so many copies suffer from, and then go on to open up its soundstage to be as wide, deep and tall as the enormous soundstage that you will hear on this very copy. When you have at your disposal a pressing like this one -- notably richer, smoother and sweeter than many-- the minor shortcomings of the recording will no longer interfere with your enjoyment of this groundbreaking music.
What the best sides of The Hurting have to offer is not hard to hear:
No doubt there's more but we hope that should do for now. Playing the record is of course the only way to hear all of the above.
Size and Space
We often have to go back and downgrade the copies that we were initially impressed with in light of such a standout pressing. Who knew the recording could be that huge, spacious and three dimensional? We sure didn't, not until we played the copy that had those qualities, and that copy might have been number 8 or 9 in the rotation.
Think about it: if you had only seven copies, you might not have ever gotten to hear a copy that sounded that open and clear. And how many even dedicated audiophiles would have more than one of two clean British pressings with which to do a shootout? These records are expensive and hard to come by in good shape. Believe us, we know whereof we speak when it comes to getting hold of British pressings of Pop and Rock albums.
One further point needs to be made: most of the time these very special pressings just plain rock harder. When you hear a copy do what this copy can, it's an entirely different - and dare I say unforgettable -- listening experience.
If you have five or ten copies of a record and play them over and over against each other, the process itself teaches you what's right and what's wrong with the sound of the album. Once your ears are completely tuned to what the best pressings do well that the others do not do as well, using a few specific passages of music, it will quickly become obvious how well any given pressing reproduces those passages.
The process is simple enough. First, you go deep into the sound. There you find something special, something you can't find on most copies. Now, with the hard-won knowledge of precisely what to listen for, you are perfectly positioned to critique any and all pressings that come your way.
Those of you looking for quiet vinyl will have to settle for the sound of later pressings and Heavy Vinyl reissues, purchased elsewhere of course as we have no interest in selling records that don't have the vintage analog magic of these wonderful originals.
Pale Shelter
Ideas As Opiates
Memories Fade
Suffer The Children
Watch Me Bleed
Start Of The Breakdown
AMG 4 1/2 Star Review
The Hurting would have been a daring debut for a pop-oriented band in any era, but it was an unexpected success in England in 1983, mostly by virtue of its makers' ability to package an unpleasant subject -- the psychologically wretched family histories of Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith -- in an attractive and sellable musical format.
Not that there weren't a few predecessors, most obviously John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band album -- which was also, not coincidentally, inspired by the work of primal scream pioneer Arthur Janov. (But Lennon had the advantage of being an ex-Beatle when that meant the equivalent to having a box next to God's in the great arena of life, where Tears for Fears were just starting out.)
Decades later, "Pale Shelter," "Ideas as Opiates," "Memories Fade," "Suffer the Children," "Watch Me Bleed," "Change," and "Start of the Breakdown" are powerful pieces of music, beautifully executed in an almost minimalist style. "Memories Fade" offers emotional resonances reminiscent of "Working Class Hero," while "Pale Shelter" functions on a wholly different level, an exquisite sonic painting sweeping the listener up in layers of pulsing synthesizers, acoustic guitar arpeggios, and sheets of electronic sound (and anticipating the sonic texture, if not the precise sound of their international breakthrough pop hit "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"). The work is sometimes uncomfortably personal, but musically compelling enough to bring it back across the decades.
For our shootout for The Hurting we had at our disposal a variety of UK pressings we thought should have the potential for Hot Stamper sound. (The domestic pressings have always sounded dubby to us so we had long ago given up on them,)
We cleaned the records carefully, then unplugged everything in the house we could, warmed up the system, Talisman'd it, found the right VTA for our Triplanar arm (by ear of course) and proceeded to spend the next hour or so playing copy after copy on side one, after which we repeated the process for sides two, three and four.
If you have five or ten copies of a record and play them over and over against each other, the process itself teaches you what's right and what's wrong with the sound of the album. Once your ears are completely tuned to what the best pressings do well that the other pressings do not do as well, using a few carefully chosen passages of music, it quickly becomes obvious how well a given copy can reproduce those passages. You'll hear what's better and worse -- right and wrong would be another way of putting it -- about the sound.
This approach is simplicity itself. First you go deep into the sound. There you find a critically important passage in the music, one which most copies struggle -- or fail -- to reproduce as well as the best. Now, with the hard-won knowledge of precisely what to listen for, you are perfectly positioned to critique any and all pressings that come your way.
It may be a lot of work but it sure ain't rocket science, and we never pretended it was. Just the opposite: from day one we've explained step by step precisely how to go about finding the Hot Stampers in your own collection.
Do It Again
As your stereo and room improve, as you take advantage of new cleaning technologies, as you find new and interesting pressings to evaluate, you may even be inclined to do the shootout all over again, to find the hidden gem, the killer copy that blows away what you thought was the best.
You can't find it by looking at it. You have to clean it and play it, and always against other pressings of the same album. There is no other way to go about it if you want to be successful in your hunt for the Ultimate Pressing.
For the more popular records on the site such as the Beatles titles we have easily done more than twenty, maybe even as many as thirty to forty shootouts.
And very likely learned something new from every one.


Feb 13 What Ever Happened to the "Paperless Office"?
Apr 2 What Do You Mean, "You Like To Write"?
While I sit in front of a computer most of my working day and use the keyboard and mouse a lot, when I have to write something I usually write it out by hand using one of my fountain pens, a gel pen, or a pencil. I'm not a very good typist. Besides, I enjoy writing things by hand since I think it helps my thought process. But what happens to the paper after I write something?
Why do I use cursive? The answer is simple: I like to write.
These days there is no shortage of ways to express ideas in a variety of media, ranging from less-than-140-character Twitter messages to self-produced Flip camera snippets complete with sound.
I ordered a book from Amazon today that I heard discussed on a recent podcast. I think this transaction is a good example of how challenging it can be to trace the influence different media can have on a purchasing decision.
Dec 11 Who Is Writing and Reading Online Tech Magazines?


text:
Connolly's Grist and Saw Mills were formerly located at East Point, Georgia.

Joseph Connolly migrated from his native Ireland to Dekalb County in the mid-1830s. He settled lands that were ceded by the Creek (Muscogian) Indians to Georgia in 1821.  The local government known as Fulton County was created out of part of DeKalb County in 1853. Mr. Connolly established two mills along the tributaries of Utoy Creek.  The first was a grist mill on the Connolly family plantation farm that supplied local farmers with the means to grind dried corn into meal and grits. This mill was mentioned in the reports of Lowery's Confederate Brigade. Major General Patrick Cleburne's  Infantry Division of Hardees Confederate Army Corps was posted along a ridge adjacent to the mill.

The saw mill was built three-quarters of a mile away from the grist mill, on the main branch of South Utoy Creek—now the middle of GA Hwy 166.  The large millpond supported the local lumber business. During the American Civil War, this millpond was noted as an obstacle to the US (Union) Forces of the XXIII Army Corps, Hascall's division, who attempted to break the line near the Connolly Grist Mill on August 18, 1864.  The local Hopewell Church was destroyed by Union Army artillery fire during this engagement as the spire was used to aim at the opposing line.

The two mills were in operation until 1910–1911, when the discovery that malaria was carried by mosquitoes led to the draining of the millponds by the US Army. Flash floods had destroyed the Connolly Grist Mill on three previous occasions.

A third Connolly mill was established on a smaller tributary of Utoy Creek, adjacent to the current Headland Road in the "Frog Hollar" community. It was also destroyed by a flash flood and never rebuilt.

References

Buildings and structures in Fulton County, Georgia
Sawmills in the United States
Grinding mills in Georgia (U.S. state)
East Point, Georgia

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Dr. Debra Pepler, PREVNet's scientific co-director, was invited to speak at the TedX York University series on March 4th 2014. In her talk, "How Can We Grow Healthy Children?" Dr. Pepler shares her wealth of learning as a distinguished professor and world-renowned researcher in the field of child psychology.
Dr. Pepler explains the critical importance of healthy relationships on the genes, and developing minds of children. She'll share the latest research on brain development and how violence and aggression can lead to physical, life long changes that leave children at risk for physical and mental health issues even as they grow into adulthood. You'll be surprised, and probably shocked to see how poorly Canadian children rank compared to other children in wealthy countries. While we are strong on education measures, our children are far behind left in regards to bullying prevention and healthy relationships with parents & peers. Today, more than ever, children and youth are in desperate need of healthy relationship models.
There is something we can do: all adults have a role to play in ensuring all children have healthy and safe relationships. it is up to adults to help children learn from their social mistakes, correct their behaviour, and teach them to interact in a more positive manner. It does take a village to raise a child.


After spending a few minutes sitting at the Dutch Square and appreciating the surrounding buildings,I decided to go inside one of them.I acually didn't know what's inside, I just saw people going there so I followed suit.Turns out that it is the entrance to Stadthuys building where the MELAKA History & Ethnography Museum is housed.
The first thing you notice upon entry is this lighted hole on the floor.I thought it's something creepy but I found out that it's actually a cross section of one of the drainage system of the building (Stadthuys).
Ceramics and more ceramics from different parts of the world mainly from China,Japan and the middle East.
This is where you get a better glimpse at house Malacca changed trough time under the Portuguese, Dutch, British and Japanese occupation to national independence in 1957.
.....a colorful display of cultures and traditions of the diverse ethnic groups living in Malacca—namely, the Malays, Chinese, Indians, Peranakans, Chetty and the Portuguese.
Fee is RM10.At least in my case.Saw othe rblogs though and the latest being June 2012 saying it's only RM5.Or maybe that is for the locals.They usually get discounts in government establishments.The ticket that I got I understand entitled me to enter other museums within St.Paul's Hill area but I missed the others.That the price of not asking.Or maybe I overheard the guy at the entrance when he told me.
Anyhow, the tour of MELAKA History & Ethnography Museum in itself is a worthy experience. It's hundred years of Malacca and Malaysian history before your very eyes!


How many times a day do you touch your smartphone? According to a survey taken late last year by tech protection company Asurion, Americans check their mobile phones, on average, once every 12 minutes. And 10% of those surveyed check their phone every four minutes.
The reliance on mobile devices is actually changing consumer behaviors—not just in our personal lives—but in how we shop and buy goods. But this dependence affects you—every business owner needs to understand the impact it has on how, where and when you do business.
Alibaba.com noticed the shift by its users. In 2014 12% of the traffic to the website was from mobile devices, 82% from computers. In three short years, these numbers changed with 51% of site traffic coming from mobile and 49% from computers.
The change in buyer behavior is even more startling. In 2014 8% of active buyers accessed Alibaba.com via mobile, while 92% came via computers. In 2017, 57% of buyer used mobile devices to access the site, while computer users have decreased to 43%.
That's the power millennials have to impact businesses. To further appeal to this market (and to help all buyers and sellers) Alibaba.com has added some new features. One allows buyers to follow some suppliers in feeds, and grow a relationship with them. Order fulfillment is updated in real time and pushed to buyers, so you don't have to waste time searching for this data. And Wang says, short videos are a very strong tool for suppliers right now, enabling them to show their products.
As an example of mobile's impact, Wang cites Singles' Day (an Alibaba-created shopping day in China) when Alibaba.com generated $16 billion in sales (yes, in one day) and 90% of those were mobile transactions.
Mobile is just a part of the technological advances that are driving businesses. Alibaba.com broadcast a live stream during CES that actually increased sales for the featured suppliers. Advances in video conferencing and VR (virtual reality) are making businesses more productive. Wang says Alibaba.com has a strong foundation, and all these innovations are just new ways to utilize that foundation.
While he was referring to Alibaba.com, that's sound advice for any business owner. How can you enhance what you've built, grow sales, add new markets? No business can succeed if it's stagnant.
As a mobile expert Wang says it's going to get even better. With the coming of 5G in the next 1-2 years, he says we'll see even more rich media being used.
And, as entrepreneurs, we have to take advantage of that. Wang says mobile users have higher expectations and less patience today. They want what they want, and they want it now. They expect to be able to consume in the moment.


text:
Music & Dementia
The Effects of Music on Bathing Cooperation for Residents with Dementia
ByGary Jones February 4, 2021 February 23, 2021 Music & Dementia
The task of bathing uncooperative patients with middle to late dementia constantly challenges caregivers who must balance the important ethical concerns of maintaining patient autonomy/dignity while also meeting basic physical needs. The agitation associated with bathing is expressed in a multitude of behaviors ranging from physical and verbal combativeness to avoidance and hiding. The purpose of this study was to evaluate music's effect on bathing cooperation among a group of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. A convenience sample of 14 residents was selected by the nursing staff of a 119-bed nursing facility based on behaviors that demonstrated resistance to bathing and a premorbid interest in music as disclosed by family members. A quasi-experimental design was employed with each subject receiving three pretreatment observations, three treatment observations and three posttreatment observations. Data was analyzed using Cochran's Q nonparametric test for related samples to determine if matched sets of frequencies for the dependent variables differed significantly among the nine recording times. The results of the data analysis showed no significant differences among the nine recording times for the dependent variables of hiding/hoarding (Q = 6.700; p = .570). physically nonaggressive behavior (Q = 7.600; p = .473), and verbally agitated behavior (Q = 34.511; p = .000). Significance was found with the independent variable of aggressive behavior. Results of this study suggest that the discretionary use of music may have some effect on delaying the onset of more severe forms of agitation. Furthermore, reducing physical aggressiveness may have the dual effect of improving the patient's quality of life while also increasing job satisfaction among primary careproviders.
Click here to view original web page at academic.oup.com
The effects of playing music during surgery on the performance of the surgical team: A systematic review
Next Continue
Keep Your Brain Young with Music
Dementia Category | Music & Dementia | Music & Wellbeing
Positive physical and mental outcomes for residents in nursing facilities using music: a systematic review
ByMichael Mileski, Matthew Brooks, Alison Kirsch, Fengmei Lee, Amanda LeVieux, Alexandra Ruiz January 12, 2021 February 23, 2021
The objective of this study was to investigate the applicability and effectiveness of the use of music in providing for positive physical and mental outcomes in nursing facilities. Problem: Lack of quality of life (QOL) has been a significant issue within nursing facilities. With the rise in […] Click here to view original web page…
Dementia Category | Music & Dementia
Receptive Music Therapy Is More Effective than Interactive Music Therapy to Relieve Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
ByKelvin K F Tsoi, Joyce Y C Chan, Yiu-Ming Ng, Mia M Y Lee, Timothy C Y Kwok, Samuel Y S Wong January 5, 2021 February 23, 2021
Music therapy is demonstrated to be effective to relieve the agitation among people with dementia, but the comparative effectiveness of methods of music engagement for people with dementia is uncertain. Objective: To evaluate the effects on cognitive functions and behavioral symptoms between interactive and receptive music therapies […] Click here to view original web page…
Study: Memories of music cannot be lost to Alzheimer's and dementia
ByGary Jones February 11, 2021 February 23, 2021
Some music inspires you to move your feet, some inspires you to get out there and change the world. In any case, and to move hurriedly on to the point of this article, it's fair to say that music moves people in special ways. If you're especially into a piece of music, your brain does…
Melody Processing Characterizes Functional Neuroanatomy in the Aging Brain
Melody Processing Characterizes Functional Neuroanatomy in the Aging Brain Click here to view original web page at www.frontiersin.org 1Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom 2Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom 3Department…
© 2023 MediMusic - All Rights Reserved.


text:
Irish Surnames »
Surnames of County Meath
/ Irish Surnames
For everyone out there from the Royal County – County Meath! Here we have a photo of Trim Castle – recently listed by National Geographic as one of the top ten visits in the WORLD that will change your childs life!
Irish Surnames and Their Counties
Is There Such a thing as Irish DNA?
An Irish Placename Travels Abroad to the City of Baltimore.
A Journey from Ireland to Scotland
Lisa Osborne says:
I have pictures of my Irish ancestors getting married in front of an Irish castle in Meath, County. It says that my ancestors the Osborne's are the owners of the castle but I can't find our last name in the surnames?
William Meehan says:
Lisa, It is over five years since you posted this comment. Their are Osbornes in the records for Meath. Trim, Drogheda and Mitchelstown are three locations.
Dardistown Castle
The castle then passed via Samuel Henry Osborne to Henry St. George Osborne, who died 1899 and after him to his son Henry Ralph Osborne, who died in the 1970s. In 2003 it was owned by Lizanne Allen.[6]


Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/Fe3O4 magnetic hydrogels had been fabricated by freezing-thawing (F-T) cycle technique, employing natural iron sand as the raw material for the magnetic micro- and nano-sized fillers. An exploration of the durability and magnetoelasticity as well as PVA hydrogel applications in the assessment of human brain tumor was also intensively conducted. The performance of the PVA and magnetic hydrogels mainly depends on the structural dynamic properties, such as polymeric crystallization and particle size. The durability of PVA/Fe3O4 magnetic hydrogels affecting the magnetoelasticity is determined by the concentration ratio of PVA and water, number of F-T cycles, and the concentration of Fe3O4 particles. By controlling those parameters, it was found that hydrogels had PVA: water ratio of 23:100 and four times F-T cycles possessed good mechanical properties. Due to the biocompatible character, the PVA hydrogel was used in the assessment of the human brain tumor, analyzed from the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value representing the diffusion coefficient of a biological tissue. It was found that the abnormal tissue has a low ADC value compared with the normal one. Moreover, the higher b-value of the diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) measurement is more preferred in obtaining a good contrast of the data imaging.
The hydrogel is one of the smart polymeric gels consisting of (physically or chemically) cross-linked polymer in water. Due to its hydrophobicity and biocompatibility properties, hydrogel has been an interesting biomaterial used commonly for biotechnological applications [1, 2, 3] and drug delivery systems [4, 5, 6]. The physically cross-linked hydrogels can be constructed by hydrogen bonds, crystallization, and ionic and protein interactions, whereas the chemically cross-linked hydrogels can be built by complex chemical reaction (aldehydes), high energy radiation, polymerization, and enzymes [1, 7, 8, 9]. There is a disadvantage for the hydrogels prepared by the chemically cross-linked agent and gamma irradiation, namely a toxic residue that might be harmful to biological tissue. Therefore, the physically cross-linked hydrogels are more preferable to be applied for biomedical purposes . Basically, hydrogels are sensitive to some environmental variables, such as acidity level (pH), temperature, electromagnetic signal, light, pressure, and other stimuli, so that they can be applied based on the proper environmental condition [10, 11]. A review of a particular number of synthetic hydrogels for biomedical applications and tissue engineering has been discussed [4, 12, 13].
Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a biocompatible, water-soluble, and nontoxic synthetic polymer, which can be prepared to be a flexible material called PVA hydrogel. A physically cross-linked PVA hydrogel can be achieved by freezing-thawing (F-T) cyclic process [14, 15]. The networking gel structure, crystallinity, stability, and viscoelastic properties of the PVA hydrogels have been investigated [16, 17, 18, 19]. The properties of PVA hydrogels prepared by F-T process depend on the molecular weight and concentration of the aqueous PVA solution, temperature, time duration, and number of F-T cycle processes . For instance, Li and coworkers have successfully produced a reversible gel using poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPA) and polyacrylamide (PAM), which can be controlled by external stimuli such as temperature .
It has been found that cross-linking density and crystallinity of PVA hydrogel influence the overall mechanical properties of a hydrogel. Gupta et al.  had studied the effect of PVA concentration on both modulus elasticity and tensile strength of PVA hydrogel. They found that both mechanical properties increased with increasing PVA concentration up to 16% due to a higher degree of crystallinity and developing hydrogen bond interaction in the PVA hydrogel. In contrast, it has also been shown that higher crystallinity of the hydrogel (obtained by increasing PVA concentration) may cause the increase of optical contact angle, indicating the decrease of water affinity . This is one parameter that should be concerned for producing a stable PVA hydrogel. Moreover, it is revealed that the number of cyclic processes in the F-T method affects the degree of cross-linking density. A higher number of repeated cycle results in the decrease in the amount of not incorporated PVA in the networking structure of hydrogel meaning that the polymer chains of PVA are dispersed and unrelated each other .
In the tissue engineering, a transparent PVA hydrogel has been successfully developed as soft tissue substitution due to the similar microstructure and mechanical properties to that of the biological cells and organs . PVA-based composite gels have been also intensively studied for wound healing, tissue replacement, and magnetic-controlled drug delivery devices [26, 27, 28]. Liu et al.  have demonstrated PVA hydrogel produced by the F-T process as one of the potential materials for an artificial blood vessel. Furthermore, the F-T process can be used widely for preparing and storing cell-laden hydrogels with adjustable mechanical properties .
One important key for organ replication in tissue engineering is a complete knowledge of microscopic, physical, and chemical properties based on the desired organ. Recent development of hydrogel technologies for mimicking natural tissue has been briefly reviewed . It is crucial for constructing a tissue from hydrogel without causing significant cell damage. Investigation on a transparent PVA hydrogel as tissue-equivalent material in the surgical application has been conducted . They have found that PVA hydrogels could be applied for a suitable substitution for soft tissue accuracy and surgical purposes. Forte et al.  have successfully developed a composite hydrogel (PVA hydrogel) to mimic brain tissue. They tried to vary the PVA concentration in order to tune the mechanical response of brain tissue within a wide range of stress/strain and testing conditions. In the brain tissue replica, it is important to study accurately the brain shift phenomenon between the abnormal and the normal one.
The magnetic hydrogel, or so-called ferrogel, is one of the "smart" polymeric composite gels containing micro- or nano-sized magnetic particles as filler in its polymeric matrix. There are some magnetite hydrogels (ferrogels) that have been successfully developed recently, namely PVA-Fe3O4-based hydrogel , Fe3O4-polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogels , and Fe3O4-polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) hydrogels . They have found that those magnetic nanocomposites forming magnetic hydrogels have superparamagnetic behavior due to the presence of dispersed magnetic nanoparticles in the polymeric matrix. The properties of superparamagnetic of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles itself have been investigated intensively . A simulation study of deformation, elasticity, and magnetic response of magnetic nanoparticles cross-linked in a gel (polymeric matrix) has been conducted . They have found that the degree of networking chains plays an important role in determining the stiffness and magnetosensitivity of the magnetic hydrogels. The sensitivity of magnetic response in the external magnetic field depends strongly on the volume fraction of both magnetic nanoparticles and polymeric base matrix influencing the interacting energy in the ferrogel . They found an optimum magnetosensitivity with Fe3O4 and PVA concentration in the range of 17–34% and 10–12.5%, respectively.
Ferrogel is a new type of polymeric matrix composites, in which they are physically (or chemically) cross-linked polymer network containing dispersed magnetic particles. Zrínyi et al.  have synthesized ferrogel as a new promising material for magnetic-responsive applications. Ramanujan and Lao  and Reséndiz-Hernández et al.  have developed composite gels based on PVA and magnetite (Fe3O4) particles by conventional F-T process. Moreover, Hernández et al.  have reported the viscoelastic properties of PVA hydrogel and ferrogel prepared by F-T cyclic process. It has been revealed that the reinforcement effect from the magnetic particles, as well as the mechanical properties, of the PVA-Fe3O4 ferrogels depends on the size, possible agglomeration, and concentration (volume fraction) of the magnetic particles . It has been noted that the concentration of Fe3O4 nanoparticles affects the thermal stability of the ferrogels . As for the mechanical properties of the PVA-Fe3O4 ferrogels, it has been shown that the deflection and elongation parameters are dependent on the Fe3O4 concentration and external magnetic field strength  and the deformation is independent on the shape of ferrogels . Experimentally, the magnetodeformation of the ferrogels with highly concentrated particles (approximately above 30%) is due to the effect of short range order and magnetic interaction among the particles [45, 46]. Furthermore, the structural and magnetic behavior of ferrogels has been intensively studied with the dispersed magnetic particle having average size less than 10 nm [47, 48].
Sunaryono et al. have shown that the hydrogels owing the threshold PVA concentration of 23% in water content have the best mechanical properties . Moreover, the lower Fe3O4 concentration has been found to be responsible for a weak magnetic response due to the increase of particle free volume and the decrease of interaction energy between magnetic nanoparticles and the cross-linked PVA hydrogel . However, Sunaryono et al. [48, 49] stated a crucial problem is related to the durability of the PVA hydrogels and ferrogels prepared by F-T cyclic process.
In this chapter, at first, we provide a study of PVA hydrogel application in tissue engineering. Then, it is continued by investigation of the durability of ferrogels prepared by F-T cyclic process. Finally, the structural and magnetic properties of ferrogels are discussed briefly.
The PVA polymeric powder (Mw = 60,000 g/mol, Merck Schuchardt OHG, Germany) with a degree of hydrolysis ≥98% was used for PVA solution. PVA hydrogels were fabricated by F-T cyclic process. First, the PVA polymer was dissolved in distilled water with a variation of weight compositions, namely 7.5, 10, 12.5, and 15 wt%. The solution was mixed and heated at 70–90°C to improve the solubility of the PVA polymer in water, as suggested in the previous papers [48, 50, 51]. Once the mixture was perfectly dissolved, indicated by a physical change from liquid to paste, it was then loaded into a cylindrical plastic mold followed by F-T process. The solution was cooled and kept at the frozen state at –10°C for 3 h. The process was continued by thawing at room temperature for 1 h. This F-T process was repeated to obtain PVA hydrogel samples up to five cycles. The PVA hydrogel samples were also prepared by varying the composition ratio of PVA and water as mentioned earlier.
The 1.5-T scanner (Signa Horizon; GE Medical Systems, Milwaukee, WI, USA) was used for the study of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI). Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value was obtained from MRI with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) method following Stejskal-Tanner sequence. The ADC value was calculated by Functool software (GE Medical Systems) for each sample. The characterization steps were similar to the previous reports [50, 51].
The consistency measurement was conducted using a penetrometer (Precision 73,515, Petroleum Analyzer Co., San Antonio, TX, USA) using a pressure sensor. The penetrometer was set under gravity force for 5 s, and the depth of penetration was measured in tenths of millimeters. The depth of penetration depended on the kinetic energy applied to the penetrometer and the sample resistance. The resistance data were collected to obtain the consistency value describing the required mechanical force to decelerate from its initial velocity to zero velocity.
Fe3O4 nanoparticles were prepared by coprecipitation method employing natural iron sand as a raw material. The preparation was the same as explained in the former papers [48, 52]. First, iron sand was extracted by permanent magnet several times to obtain microsized Fe3O4 powders. HCl and NH4OH were used as dissolving and precipitating agents, respectively. Fe3O4 nanoparticles produced by the coprecipitation method were based on the following chemical reaction [52, 53].
Both reactions were maintained at room temperature. A complete reaction was indicated by the color change of the solution and the formation of black precipitation. Finally, the precipitated powders were rinsed several times using distilled water and then dried at 100°C for 1 h for ferrogel fabrication.
Ferrogel was fabricated by distributing the prepared Fe3O4 nanoparticles in the PVA hydrogel paste solution, and then, they were stirred to obtain a uniform gel. Furthermore, the mixture gel was placed into a cylindrical mold to perform the similar F-T cyclic process as in the PVA hydrogels fabrication. The ferrogel samples were prepared by varying the concentration of PVA and Fe3O4 nanoparticles, as well as the number of F-T cycles.
Basic characterizations using X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were conducted to analyze the crystal structure and particle morphology of Fe3O4 nanoparticles and ferrogels, respectively. Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) measurements were taken to investigate the magnetic properties of the PVA ferrogels. Particle size and the distribution of Fe3O4 nanoparticles in the PVA hydrogels were analyzed using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) instrument as in the reported paper .
The ferrogels were exposed to the external magnetic field of an electromagnet apparatus, which is able to generate a magnetic field up to 460 mT. The response of the ferrogel was measured by the extent of deflection and elongation. The top end of a ferrogel sample was fixed, whereas the lower end was free to deflect and elongate during the application of the external magnetic field. Variation in the magnetic field was obtained by changing the electric current of the electromagnetic apparatus. The Young's modulus was measured using a universal mechanical tester.
PVA hydrogels fabricated through a number of F-T cycle processes have the ability to mimic a complex structure of human body. In a normal condition, water can be diffused into organic tissue during body's metabolism. However, the diffusion of water can be disturbed if water molecules are passing through an abnormal tissue due to swelling of the tissue, for example in tumor tissue. Moreover, about two-thirds of the human body consist of water, in which water molecules have hydrogen atoms that allow for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) observation. Diffusion-weighted MRI (DW-MRI) is a device with high sensitivity in detecting "Brownian motions." The diffusion of water molecules caused by heat energy associated with the temperature of the human body can be used for analyzing a variety of brain diseases including brain tumors . Additionally, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is a technique that can be used to measure diffusion of water molecules in biological tissue such as white matter in the brain. In the MRI observation, the value of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) is used widely for describing the diffusion coefficient of the material.
In order to investigate the diffusion properties and the consistencies of the fabricated PVA hydrogels applied for tissue replica, several PVA hydrogel samples have been produced by variation number of F-T cycles and PVA concentrations. ADC values of the PVA hydrogels were obtained by performing the DW-MRI measurement. Sari et al.  have shown the ADC values versus PVA concentration for PVA hydrogels with the F-T process of three to five cycles. It has been found that the increase of PVA concentration from 7.5 to 15 wt% decreases the ADC values corresponding to the diffusion coefficient of all PVA hydrogels.
The enlargement of the tumor cells causes a reduction in the volume of extracellular space, increases the intracellular viscosity, and then inhibits the movement of water molecules described by the decrease of ADC value. Moreover, for PVA hydrogel fabricated by cryogelation process, the decrease of ADC value is described by swelling indicated by the significant increase of crystallization of hydrogel with increasing the number of F-T cycles. ADC value helps to distinguish a tumor tissue from a nontumor tissue. However, the abnormal tissue of brain tumor has a variety of classifications depending on the location and type of tumor tissue. Therefore, in the application of DW-MRI, it is necessary to find the most aggressive area at first to identify the highest cellularity and the most restrictive for the movement of water molecules. The use of higher b-value is to obtain a brighter contrast and has the impact on the easiness of diffusion imaging. The higher b-value can produce images on the high value of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Otherwise, at 1.5 T or lower, a low b-value may produce a poor image quality and lower value of SNR .
Figure 1 displays the ADC values of the PVA hydrogels measured from DW-MRI with b = 1000 and 3000 s/mm2 as a function of F-T cycles and different PVA concentration. It has been found that the greater the concentration and number of cycles, the lower the diffusion coefficient of the PVA hydrogels. The crystallization, the degree of the physically cross-linked network, and the stiffness of hydrogel increase with the increase of the F-T cycle [15, 56]. The increase of crystallization indicates that the diffusion of water may be inhibited, so that the value of diffusion coefficient, described by ADC value, decreases. This is general diffusion behavior of a hydrogel, in which the diffusivity of a hydrogel decreases as cross-linking density increases and as the volume fraction of water within the hydrogel decreases . It has also been indicated that the linearity of the ADC value as a function of F-T cycles at b = 3000 s/mm2 is better than that at b = 1000 s/mm2. This result is in a good agreement with the former result .
ADC value of PVA hydrogels on the DW-MRI at b-value of 1000 s/mm2 (closed symbols) and 3000 s/mm2 (opened symbols) as a function of the number of F-T cycles and PVA concentration.
Figure 2 shows the consistency measurement as a function of F-T cycles and different PVA concentration. The data show that the higher PVA concentration and a number of F-T cycles cause the lower consistency and ADC value . These results are consistent with the former paper . The Pearson correlation method was used to correlate the data and are presented in Table 1. It is shown that the average value of ADC at b = 3000 s/mm2 is good and slightly smaller than that at b = 1000 s/mm2. The data have a good correlation (correlation number of 0.92—0.99), so that it can assess the abnormal tissue consistency .
Consistency measurement using digital penetrometer as a function of the number of F-T cycles and PVA concentration.
The Pearson correlation result for both data of PVA hydrogels with different F-T cycle and PVA concentration.
Generally, ADC values of the human brain for both normal and abnormal cases are different significantly. In the DW-MRI analysis, ADC value in the normal human brain is about 0.75 mm2/s and the higher b-value results in the lower ADC value. A tissue having low ADC value eliminates signals faster than that on the tissue having higher ADC value, and therefore, the contrast should increase. Sari et al.  have analyzed some cases for human brain tumor from the DW-MRI images at b-value of 1000 and 3000 s/mm2. They also found that the tissue having low ADC value indicates lower consistency or harder than the tissue having high ADC value. The ADC measurement using b = 1000 s/mm2 can distinguish the harder tissue with the normal one and provides a clearer image, although the ratio of normal and abnormal tissue is not as high as the use of b = 3000 s/mm2. A better value of correlation with the physical parameters gives a suggestion that the use of DW-MRI 1.5 T with b = 1000 s/mm2 provides a better image and the use of penetrometer is necessary for additional information for determining surgery. Otherwise, the use of DW-MRI 1.5 T with b-value higher than 1000 s/mm2 is more preferred to examine the swelling that occurs around the area of the abnormal tissue because it provides more contrast image.
In order to study the stability and durability of ferrogel, a number of ferrogel samples have been fabricated with a variation of PVA and water ratio, the concentration of Fe3O4 nanoparticles, and a number of F-T cycles. The stability was investigated by observing the increase of the required external magnetic field to elongate and deflect the ferrogels until a certain length and distance over a particular time. The observations were conducted from the first day since the ferrogels fabricated until the fifth day. The ferrogels can be called relatively stable if the change of required magnetic field is considerably small over the time to get the same deformation condition.
Table 2 shows ferrogel samples with a variation of PVA and water ratio together with their elasticity moduli. It can be seen from the elasticity properties that the stiffness of ferrogel depends on the PVA concentration in water. Higher PVA concentration causes the increase of stiffness. The stability of ferrogels is shown in Figure 3. Figure 3 demonstrates the time dependence of the required external magnetic field to elongate ferrogel up to 1 mm. It indicates that ferrogel becomes stiffer with the passage of time due to the decrease of water content. The ferrogel with PVA and water ratio of 23:100 (PA.23) shows a relatively small change of the required magnetic field up to five days indicating a relative stability compared to the others. This stability relates to the optimum portion of water inclusion binding in the PVA hydrogel.
Ferrogel samples prepared with different PVA and water ratio, together with the modulus elasticity.
Required magnetic field to elongate ferrogel up to 1 mm as a function of time for ferrogels with different PVA and water ratio.
Figure 4 presents magnetic field dependence of ferrogel deflection with different PVA and water ratio. Figure 4 displays interesting hysteresis loop in which the deflection increases with increasing magnetic field and returns to its original length through a different path, thereby decreasing the magnetic field. These noncontinuous deflection behaviors have also been observed by Zrínyi et al.  and modeled by Snyder et al. . The hysteresis loops tend to shift day by day, indicating a rigid gel character due to the decrease of water content.
Hysteresis curves of the deflection behavior of ferrogels with PVA and water ratio: (a) 13:100, (b) 18:100, (c) 23:100, (d) 28:100, and (e) 33:100.
Ferrogels with different concentration of Fe3O4 nanoparticles and the modulus elasticity are presented in Table 3. It appears that there is no significant change in the modulus of elasticity with the increase of Fe3O4 concentration from 5 to 12.5 wt%. This result is consistent with the former report , in which the obtained elastic modulus was in the range of 0.17–0.75 MPa for a magnetoactive elastomer. Figure 5 shows the stability characteristic of the ferrogels with various Fe3O4 concentrations associated with Table 3. It implies that the increase of nano-sized Fe3O4 concentration tends to decrease the required magnetic field to elongate ferrogel up to the same length for each day, indicating the decrease of water content and stiffer ferrogels. Ferrogel with Fe3O4 concentration of 10 wt% (FP.10) appears to be moderately stable compared to the others. For the ferrogels with Fe3O4 concentration less than 10 wt%, the trapped magnetic particles in the PVA chain were less and therefore the distribution was inhomogeneous, creating more spaces which were filled with water. According to the structural model of hydrogel described by Goiti et al. , the trapped, free and linked water molecules attached to the PVA chain may cause a soft ferrogel and dry quickly due to rapid evaporation of the water. On the other hand, for ferrogels with Fe3O4 concentration more than 10 wt%, there might be a space filled by Fe3O4 nanoparticles so that the water is suppressed. The Fe3O4 nanoparticles could directly coincide with the polymer chain. For the ferrogel with Fe3O4 concentration of 10 wt%, it is expected to have a proportional amount of solids and liquid, resulting in a good cross-linked hydrogel and then the trapped water can maintain flexibility of the gel.
Ferrogel samples prepared with different Fe3O4 concentrations, together with the modulus elasticity.
Required magnetic field to elongate ferrogel up to 1 mm as a function of time for ferrogels with different Fe3O4 concentrations.
Figure 6 shows magnetic field dependence of ferrogel deflection with different concentration of Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The hysteresis behavior of the deflection curves depends on the concentration of Fe3O4 nanoparticles and the elasticity of ferrogel itself. It should be noted that the hysteresis behavior observed in ferrogel is not consequences from the magnetic particles . It appears that ferrogels with Fe3O4 concentrations of 10 and 12.5 wt% have no significant change in the hysteresis loops up to the fifth day. The change and the distortion of hysteresis shape are influenced by magnetostatic and magnetostriction mechanisms in the ferrogel . Sample geometry may also be one parameter for determining the mechanical behaviors (elongation, deflection, etc.) of the ferrogel in the external magnetic field .
Hysteresis curves of the deflection behavior of ferrogels with Fe3O4 concentration of: (a) 5 wt%, (b) 7 wt%, (c) 10 wt%, and (d) 12 wt%.
The modulus elasticity of ferrogels with a different number of F-T cycles was also investigated as shown in Table 4. In general, the greater the number of F-T cycles, the more rigid ferrogels will be obtained due to the evaporation of water. Figure 7 shows the durability of ferrogels produced by 4, 8, and 12 times F-T cycles. It is also clear that ferrogel produced by four times F-T cycles has better stability as indicated by relatively small changes of the external magnetic field required to elongate ferrogel up to the same length until the fifth day. The stability of the ferrogels can also be studied by observing the hysteresis loop of elongation as shown in Figure 8. Ferrogels fabricated by more than four cycles are generally unstable, implying that there is a reduction of water in the ferrogels during F-T cycle processes. This result is consistent with the previous papers [34, 49]. Through the F-T cycles, crystallites will be formed and act as the cross-linking points in the polymer matrix. The amount and size of these crystallites depend on the number of F-T cycles, as well as composition and concentration of the initial solution .
Ferrogel samples prepared with a different number of F-T cycles, together with the modulus elasticity.
Required magnetic field to elongate ferrogel up to 1 mm as a function of time for ferrogels with a different number of F-T cycles.
Hysteresis curves of the deflection behavior of ferrogels with the number of F-T cycles for: (a) 4, (b) 8, and (c) 12 times.
In addition to the substantial biomedical and biomechanical applications of PVA hydrogels and ferrogels, respectively, a basic study of structural and dynamical properties of ferrogel has to be investigated in detail. Structural studies using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurement of PVA hydrogel and ferrogel have been reported by Puspitasari et al.  and Sunaryono et al. , respectively. Puspitasari et al. have confirmed that the crystallization of PVA hydrogel has a radius of approximately 2.9–3.3 nm and an average distance between polymer crystallites of 15–17.5 nm . This result is consistent with the recent paper . Moreover, Sunaryono et al. have illustrated the size distribution of Fe3O4 nanoparticles in the PVA hydrogel obtained by F-T cyclic process . They have found that there are so-called primary particles (approximately 3 nm) and secondary particles as well as the clusters of magnetic nanoparticles in ferrogel observed by the synchrotron radiation (SAXS technique) with global fitting analysis data. The cluster size of the Fe3O4 in the ferrogel system was observed to be significantly reduced with decreasing concentration of the magnetic nanoparticles.
Ferrogel has potential application for an artificial muscle or a soft actuator due to the combined properties of good elasticity and flexibility from PVA hydrogel and specific magnetic behavior from the magnetic particles. Ramanujan et al.  have proposed two possible approaches of an artificial finger synthesized from PVA hydrogel and microsized iron oxide. First, they found that the deflection of ferrogel can be controlled by adjusting the concentration of magnetic particles. The second one is by coating manipulation of ferrogel. They demonstrated a finger-like motion based on instantaneous elongation and defection under external magnetic field.
As mentioned previously, in order to apply the ferrogel as an artificial tissue, one should understand the behavior of magnetoelastic properties. Based on numerous references [40, 48], the magnetoelasticity of ferrogel basically depends on the particle size and concentration of the magnetic particles in the polymeric matrix. Due to the particle size effect, the magnetization of microsized Fe3O4 particles in the ferrogel is generally higher than that of the nano-sized one. This may affect the threshold value of the magnetic field which is the minimum magnetic field required to start a large and instantaneous elongation or deflection of ferrogel. Figure 9 shows the dependence of Fe3O4 concentration on the threshold magnetic field for both elongation and deflection of ferrogels with micro- and nano-sized Fe3O4 particles. It is found that the threshold magnetic field tends to decrease with increasing concentration of Fe3O4 particles. This result is consistent with the former report . This result implies that the ferrogels are more sensitive to the external magnetic field with the increase of Fe3O4 concentration. Figure 9 reflects the magnetic response for both variation of ferrogels, in which the ferrogel with microsized Fe3O4 particles has smaller threshold value than the ferrogel with nano-sized Fe3O4 particles as a consequence of the higher magnetization.
The threshold of magnetic field versus micro- and nano-sized Fe3O4 fillers for ferrogels during (a) elongation and (b) deflection. The solid lines are for the eye guidance.
Figure 10 displays the Fe3O4 concentration dependence of elongation and deflection behaviors for both ferrogels with micro- and nano-sized Fe3O4 particles as fillers. It indicates that ferrogel with microsized filler is more sensitive to deform ferrogel under external magnetic field. This result can be explained by the lower threshold value of the magnetic field as illustrated in Figure 9. Figure 11 shows the magnetoelastic hysteresis loops for ferrogels with different concentration of microsized Fe3O4 particles from 2.5 to 15%. The hysteresis loops are found to be narrower and smaller with decreasing magnetic filler concentration. This is attributed to the different magnetic response of ferrogel to be deformed and returned to its original length and position. This behavior is also associated with a magnetic remnant of the ferrogels. A higher magnetic concentration leads to a higher ferrogel ability to deform even under a low external magnetic field. Moreover, a wider hysteresis loop for ferrogel with microsized filler was observed, indicating a stronger magnetic saturation. This is in a good agreement with the previous paper  that the ferrogel with large particle size has the best magnetosensitive effect, so it can be applied for drug release system.
(a) Elongation and (b) deflection of ferrogels under 329 mT versus the concentration of micro- and nano-sized Fe3O4 particles as fillers. The solid lines are for the eye guidance.
Hysteresis loops of the deflection versus electric current (proportional to the magnetic field) for ferrogels with different concentrations of Fe3O4 microparticles: 2.5 wt%, 7.5 wt%, and 15 wt%.
In the biomedical application, a study of hydrogen (water molecules) diffusion behavior in the PVA hydrogel by analyzing the ADC value can be used as a parameter of brain tumor grading. The b-value of 1000 s/mm2 and higher providing a better image quality and contrast is recommended for brain tumor grading.
The time dependence of the elongation and deflection curves as a function of PVA concentration, particle concentration, and a number of F-T cycles can be used to determine the durability and performance of the ferrogel under certain external magnetic fields. It has been suggested that ferrogel with PVA and water ratio of 23:100 and four times F-T cycles, respectively, has the best elastic properties. Ferrogel fabricated by a F-T cyclic process has the best magnetoelastic response when it has a relatively large magnetic particle size as the filler with a concentration of 10–15 wt% in the PVA hydrogel.
This chapter is based on research funded by several schemes of research grants, provided by LPPM ITS, DP2M—Ministry of National Education, and DRPM—Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education, Republic of Indonesia, 2006−2016.