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IBM Storwize V7000 Unified Disk System
IBM Redbooks Product Guide
Published 15 August 2012
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In storage management today, breaking the cycle of increased complexity and explosive data growth can be a big challenge. Due to resource constraints, both physical storage resources and human resources in IT organizations must act quickly to optimize and simplify their infrastructure. Unchecked complexity and growth will only become bigger problems over time. To stand up to these challenges and allow businesses to respond to a rapidly changing marketplace, IBM® Storwize® V7000 Unified and IBM Storwize V7000 are virtualized storage systems that complement virtualized server environments by providing unmatched performance, availability, advanced functions, and highly scalable capacity never seen before in midrange disk systems.
The IBM® Storwize® V7000 Unified Disk System is the most powerful and easy-to-use innovative disk system in the storage marketplace. The powerful storage system combines hardware and software components to provide a single point of control to help support improved storage efficiency. By enabling virtualization, consolidation, and tiering in your organization, the IBM Storwize V7000 Unified Disk System helps to improve application availability and resource utilization. The system offers easy-to-use, efficient, and cost-effective management capabilities for new and existing storage resources in your IT infrastructure.
Storwize V7000 Unified is virtual storage that offers greater efficiency and flexibility through built-in solid-state drive (SSD) optimization and thin provisioning technologies. The advanced functions of the Storwize V7000 Unified system also enable rapid deployment without additional resources, nondisruptive migration of data from existing storage, simplifying implementation and minimizing disruption to users. By using the IBM Storwize V7000 Unified Disk System, you can virtualize and reuse existing disk systems, supporting a greater potential return on investment (ROI).
The IBM Storwize V7000 Unified Disk System consolidates block and file workloads into a single storage system for simplicity of management and reduced cost. The Storwize V7000 systems are also available for block-only workloads. Figure 1 shows a Storwize V7000 with block only support and a Storwize V7000 Unified with block and file support.
Figure 1 IBM Storwize V7000 and Storwize V7000 Unified
Did you know?
The IBM Storwize V7000 is at the heart of the new IBM PureFlex™ Systems. This IBM family of expert computing systems integrates server, storage, networking, and management systems for IBM Power Systems™ and IBM System x® architectures. Storwize V7000 storage systems, integrated into PureFlex Systems, are easy to use and enable rapid deployment. They support performance and flexibility through built-in SSD optimization and thin provisioning technologies. With nondisruptive migration of data from existing storage, you benefit from simplified implementation, minimizing disruption to users.
In storage management today, breaking the cycle of increased complexity and explosive data growth can be a big challenge. The old ways of buying and managing storage have become less effective. Due to resource constraints, both physical storage resources and human resources in IT organizations must act quickly to optimize and simplify their infrastructure. Unchecked complexity and growth will only become bigger problems over time.
Small and midsize organizations can also suffer from a range of challenges:
- Disruptive migrations
- Difficulty deploying tiered storage
- Inability to share storage among servers
- Reduced productivity and increased cost caused by isolated server and storage management tools
- Inability to use virtualized storage, such as virtual servers, as a tool for optimizing expenditures, resources, and capabilities
To stand up to these challenges and allow businesses to respond to a rapidly changing marketplace, IBM Storwize V7000 Unified is a virtualized storage system. It complements virtualized server environments by providing unmatched performance, availability, advanced functions, and highly scalable capacity never seen before in midrange disk systems. With its virtualized storage design and tight affinity with technologies, such as IBM PowerVM® and VMware, Storwize V7000 Unified is the ideal complement for virtualized servers that are at the heart of cloud deployments.
The Storwize V7000 Unified offers the following support:
- Delivers sophisticated enterprise-class storage function for businesses of all sizes
- Supports your growing business requirements while controlling costs
- Provides up to 200% performance improvement with automatic migration to high-performing SSDs
- Allows you to purchase only the disk capacity you need with thin provisioning
- Enables near-continuous availability of applications through dynamic migration
- Integrates instant copy capabilities for critical business needs
- Supports faster and more efficient data copies for online backup, testing, or data mining
- Replicates data synchronously or asynchronously between systems for backup efficiency with Metro Mirror and Global Mirror
- Supports SSDs for applications that demand high speed and quick access to data
- In block only, clustered systems, supports growing business needs while controlling costs
- Supports RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, and 10
- Consolidates block and file storage in a single system for simplicity and greater efficiency
- Includes policy-based file management
- Offers flexible server and storage management with an easy-to-use graphical user interface (GUI) for block and file storage management
- Integrates with McAfee and Symantec Antivirus to isolate or delete compromised files and take to advantage of the most commonly deployed ISV antivirus applications
The IBM Storwize V7000 Unified Disk System includes several advanced features.
Clustered systems
For block-only configurations, two control enclosures (each with up to nine expansion enclosures) can be clustered together in a single system for even greater capacity and performance growth potential. This feature enables growth from the smallest configurations up to systems with 480 drives.
The Storwize V7000 includes an integrated, robust IBM FlashCopy® function that creates an almost instant, point-in-time copy of active data. Up to 256 copies of each volume can be created for backup or for parallel processing activities. This type of copy, called a snapshot, can help improve overall storage utilization and reduce the amount of capacity that is required for copies. Incremental FlashCopy operations can save time and resources. This capability improves efficiency by copying only the portions of the source or target volume that have been updated since the FlashCopy function was last used and it avoids making copies of copies.
By using IBM System Storage® Easy Tier® technology included with the Storwize V7000, you can confidently and economically make effective use of SSDs by continuously monitoring disk performance and dynamically moving frequently accessed data from hard disk drives to high performing SSDs. Microsoft Exchange environments can optimize SSD deployment and realize improved application throughput by using the high-performance characteristics of SSDs without requiring costly analysis or manual administration.
Thin provisioning on the Storwize V7000 helps optimize the amount of storage capacity in the storage network. Because the thin provisioned volumes consume only the space that they actually use, thin provisioning can ensure that you have the storage capacity you need for high availability and disaster recovery scenarios. When combining FlashCopy with thin provisioning, for example, you can create copies by using only a fraction of the amount of storage that is required for a full physical copy. Using thin provisioning with Metro Mirror and Global Mirror similarly results in more efficient high availability and disaster recovery operations within a smaller maintenance window.
The following advanced features and products are also available with the IBM Storwize V7000 Unified Disk System.
IBM Active Cloud Engine
IBM Active Cloud Engine™ can reduce costs with policy-based management of files by using tiered storage and can also improve data governance. Active Cloud Engine automates movement of less frequently used files to lower-cost tiers of storage, including tape in an IBM Tivoli® Storage Manager system. It also automates the deletion of unwanted or expired files.
For organizations that need to manage physical and virtual server infrastructures and the storage that they use (including provisioning and monitoring for higher availability, operational efficiency, and infrastructure planning), Storwize V7000 Unified is integrated with IBM Systems Director Storage Control. A single administrator can manage and operate IBM servers (IBM System x, IBM Power Systems, and IBM BladeCenter®) with a networking infrastructure and IBM storage (including Storwize V7000 Unified) from a single management panel.
IBM Tivoli Storage FlashCopy Manager can help deliver the highest levels of protection for mission-critical IBM DB2®, SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Exchange, and Microsoft SQL Server applications by using integrated application-aware snapshot backup and restore capabilities. It uses advanced IBM storage hardware snapshot technology to create a high performance, low impact application data protection solution. With custom application support, FlashCopy Manager capabilities can be extended to any application or file system on the supported platforms.
Storwize V7000 Unified has specific exploitation and integration with IBM Tivoli Storage Manager to provide efficient and fast backup and restore processes, in addition to file movement to external disk or tape.
For organizations that are looking to improve the operational efficiency of storage specialists, IBM Tivoli Storage Productivity Center provides a storage area network (SAN)-wide perspective of storage health, I/O path performance analytics, and capacity use for Storwize V7000 Unified and the surrounding storage infrastructure.
Tivoli Storage Productivity Center for Replication helps administrators to manage Storwize V7000 block level Copy Services. It also applies Storwize V7000, IBM XIV®, IBM DS8000®, and SAN Volume Controller in the same environment.
Tivoli Storage Productivity Center for Replication simplifies management of Copy Services in the following ways:
- Automates administration and configuration of Copy Services functions with wizard-based sessions and copy set definitions
- Provides simple operational control of Copy Services tasks, which includes starting, suspending, and resuming Copy Services Tasks
- With the optional high availability feature, continues replication management even when one Tivoli Storage Productivity Center for Replication server goes down
- FlashCopy
- Synchronous mirrors, known as Metro Mirror
- Asynchronous mirrors, known as Global Mirror
An effective data replication solution provides both local failover and remote data center recovery. With multiple copies of data available, the reliance on traditional backup and restore solutions can be reduced. The Storwize V7000 provides remote copy capabilities by using Metro Mirror and Global Mirror functions that operate between the disk systems to create copies of data for local failover and remote recovery:
- Metro Mirror maintains a fully synchronized copy at "metropolitan" distances, up to 300 km.
- Global Mirror operates asynchronously for maintaining a copy at greater distances, up to 8,000 km.
By using these replication services, you can set up a relationship between two volumes so that updates made by an application to one volume are mirrored on the other volume. The volumes can be in the same Storwize V7000 system or on two different Storwize V7000 systems at local or remote locations. Both functions support Microsoft Exchange 2010 environments to ensure high availability and help speed disaster recovery. IBM storage-based replication services deliver flexible and robust high availability and disaster recovery solutions as alternatives to the server-based replication services of Microsoft Exchange. Current users of Metro Mirror and Global Mirror functions can consolidate and streamline data replication efforts with the Storwize V7000, while removing the load from network and server resources.
External storage virtualization is the ability of the Storwize V7000 Unified system to manage capacity in other disk systems. When Storwize V7000 Unified virtualizes a disk system, its capacity becomes part of the Storwize V7000 Unified system and is managed in the same way as capacity on internal drives within Storwize V7000 Unified.
Several solutions are available with the IBM Storwize V7000 Unified Disk System.
IBM PureSystems: A new family of expert integrated systems solutions
IBM PureSystems™ offerings are optimized for performance and virtualized for efficiency. These IBM offerings have a no-compromise design with system-level upgradability. They are also built for cloud computing with flexibility and simplicity. The IBM PureFlex Systems are one of the first PureSystems family members.
IBM PureFlex Systems: Integrated with the Storwize V7000 Unified System
The PureFlex Systems combine compute, storage, networking, virtualization, and management into an expert single infrastructure system that senses and anticipates resource needs to optimize your infrastructure.
PureFlex Systems expert computing systems integrate server, storage, networking, and management systems for Power Systems and System x architectures. IBM Storwize V7000 storage systems, integrated into PureFlex Systems, are easy to use and enable rapid deployment. At the heart of the PureFlex System, Storwize V7000 can become part of your highly efficient, highly capable, next-generation information infrastructure. It offers the following features:
- Integration by design. A single user interface manages and virtualizes internal and third-party storage that can improve storage utilization up to 30 percent.
- Built-in expertise. Built-in tiering and advanced replication functions improve performance and availability without constant administration.
- Simplified experience. A single user interface simplifies storage administration so that your experts can focus on innovation.
Tight integration between the Storwize V7000 Unified Disk System and VMware allows for simple configuration and consolidated management in addition to increased performance and improved efficiency. It also allows for for block data, interoperating with VMware vCenter, VMotion, VMware Site Recovery Manager, and VMware APIs for Array Integration (VAAI). With this integration, you can benefit from more centralized management for IT administrators by using VMware management solutions with the Storwize V7000 Unified storage system. You can manage actions, from snapshot creation to virtual machine migration across hosts to disaster recovery, by using VMware solutions, and you can physically start them with the Storwize V7000 Unified system.
For more information about creating a smarter storage infrastructure for virtualized and cloud deployments, see IBM Storwize V7000 Unified with VMware vSphere, an IBM Systems and Technology Solutions Brief, at:
Virtual storage with virtual systems client solution
A financial services client experienced high member growth that triggered an explosion of client data. It needed to modernize its information management system to cope with increasing data volumes and continue providing an excellent quality of service to its expanding customer-base. The client already had virtual servers so the next logical step was to virtualize the storage. IBM worked closely with the client to implement an IBM Storwize V7000 virtualized data storage solution, using thin provisioning to maximize efficiency savings and reduce future IT expenditure. In addition to centralizing and simplifying the management of its storage and being able to reuse existing storage hardware, the client improved utilization by 30 percent.
Figure 2 illustrates the advantages of thin provisioning in terms of storage allocation.
Figure 2 Example of how thin provisioning makes unused storage available for other projects
A computer services client was using various backup processes and products for its clients. Storage administration became difficult and time consuming to keep track of all the client requirements and the tape locations for all the backups. Data was stored on Linux, IBM AIX®, and Microsoft Windows with various backup windows based on the type of data. The client needed a way to streamline their backups into one solution that automated the requirements through policies and meet the service agreements for backup windows and restore times. One of the requirements was to store the backup data at the backup location several kilometers away.
The client chose IBM to provide the backup solution, which included backup software and storage. IBM Tivoli Storage Manager gave them the ability to back up their heterogenous systems data and meet the backup and restore requirements of their clients by using policies. The Storwize V7000 was selected to hold the storage pools for IBM Tivoli Storage Manager at the offsite location. The production data of the client is backed up directly to the Storwize V7000 at the backup location several kilometers away, over 10 Gb fiber connections. The incremental backups provided by Tivoli Storage Manager reduced the amount of data that was backed up and transferred to the backup location and shortened the time to back up the data. The V7000 disk system contained three tiers (SSDs, Fibre Channel disk, and SATA disk) to provide the appropriate price performance for each environment. Depending on the policies, the data can move down the hierarchy to IBM TS1120 tape drives from the Storwize V7000.
Figure 3 shows the high-level architecture view of the remote backup solution using Tivoli Storage Manager, Storwize V7000, and TS1120 Tape Drives.
Figure 3 Remote backup solution using Tivoli Storage Manager, Storwize V7000, and TS1120 Tape Drives
The client now has a unified backup solution that uses backup policies for different clients to meet diverse regulatory requirements. The client also reduced administrative overhead by 75% by implementing the Tivoli Storage Manager and the Storwize V7000 backup solution.
A professional services company needed to expand its storage infrastructure with a solution that offered enterprise-class capacity, performance, and reliability at an affordable price. The company was running out of storage. Across its two data centers, it had a 200 terabyte storage environment. It was also interested in moving from a tape-based backup solution to a disk-to-disk backup solution, which increased the need for more storage. The company chose two Storwize V7000s with 43 terabytes each, one for each data center. The two IBM Storwize V7000 units were integrated into an existing heterogeneous storage infrastructure, providing the flexibility to expand capacity and virtualize the SAN. The IBM solution improves storage performance, availability, and reliability; reduces storage costs compared to the previous solution; and provides advanced features to increase storage efficiencies.
Figure 4 shows how the Storwize V7000 units virtualized the company's SAN and gave the storage administrator control of all of the disk storage.
Figure 4 Storage administrators now have single homogeneous view of all their disk storage
The Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) analyzed the IBM Storwize V7000 Unified in depth and describes how it fits into the ESG virtualization maturity model. For more information, see the ESG white paper "IBM Storwize V7000 Unified Unleashes the Power of Server Virtualization" at:
The Taneja Group describes how core next generation storage solutions from IBM for open systems support the Microsoft Exchange storage infrastructure. For more information, see the report, called "Three critical questions for the selection of Microsoft Exchange Storage Infrastructure," which includes the Storwize V7000, at:
Physical characteristics of the Storwize V7000
The IBM Storwize V7000 has the following physical characteristics:
- 2U rack-mountable control enclosure
- Twenty-four 2.5-inch drive bays (model x24) or twelve 3.5-inch drive bays (model x12)
- Up to 36 TB of physical storage per enclosure, using 3 TB near-line SAS disk drive modules, or up to 21.6 TB physical storage per enclosure, using 900 GB SAS disk drive modules
- SAS disk drives, near-line SAS disk drives, and SSDs
- Redundant dual-active intelligent RAID controllers
- 16 GB cache memory per control enclosure (8 GB per internal RAID controller) as a base feature
- For each control enclosure, eight 8 Gbps Fibre Channel host ports (four 8 Gbps FC ports per RAID controller) and four 1 Gbps or optionally four 10 Gbps iSCSI host ports (two 1 Gbps and optionally two 10 Gbps iSCSI host ports per RAID controller)
- Support for RAID controller attachment of up to nine storage expansion units with configurations up to 360 TB physical storage capacities (720 TB in clustered systems)
The Storwize V7000 Unified includes the hardware configuration of the Storwize V7000 plus two 2U rack-mountable File Module enclosures. File Modules are always deployed in pairs for redundancy. Each enclosure contains the following features:
- Two drive bays with 500 GB NL SAS drives
- Dual-port Fibre Channel host bus adapter (HBA)
- Dual-port 10 GbE Ethernet network interface card (NIC) with SFP+ Connectors
- Dual power supplies
- Redundant cooling
- Rack mounting rails
- IBM File Module Software Version 1.3, or later (preloaded on the server)
Table 1 outlines the specifications of Storwize V7000 Unified and Storwize V7000.
Table 1 (part 1 of 2) Storwize V7000 Unified and Storwize V7000 specifications
|Host interface
|User interface
|Graphical user interface (GUI)
|Supported drives
|3.5-inch disk drives:
2.5-inch disk drives:
|RAID levels
|RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, and 10
|Maximum drives supported
|240 per control enclosure; 480 per clustered system
|Fans and power supplies
|Fully redundant, hot swappable
|Rack support
|Standard 19 inch
|Management software
|Storwize V7000 and Storwize V7000 Unified software
|Cache per controller/control enclosure/clustered system
|8 GB, 16 GB, or 32 GB
|Advanced features included with each system
|Additional available advanced features
Replication services
Control and expansion enclosures
File Modules (Storwize V7000 Unified)
12-bay enclosures:
24-bay enclosures:
File Modules (Storwize V7000 Unified)
Supported systems
For a list of currently supported servers, operating systems, Storwize V7000 and Storwize V7000 Unified software levels, HBAs, clustering applications, and SAN switches and directors, see the System Storage Interoperation Center at:
For more information about the supported hardware, device driver, firmware, and recommended software levels, see IBM Storwize V7000 and Storwize V7000 Unified Disk Systems at:
ISV solutions
For a list of high-quality solutions with IBM partner independent software vendors (ISVs), including access to solution briefs and white papers, see the ISV Solutions Resource Library at:
Figure 5 shows a Storwize V7000 Unified system that includes the Storwize V7000 controller, two file modules, and nine disk expansion enclosures, each with twenty-four 2.5-inch drives.
Figure 5 Storwize V7000 Unified with nine disk expansion enclosures, each with twenty-four 2.5-inch drives
Why IBM
The performance and availability of your storage environment can either enhance or hamper your business processes, which is where IBM comes in. As a market leader in the storage industry, IBM can help you handle the challenges, whether you are a small to midsize company or a large enterprise.
Innovative technology, open standards, excellent performance, a broad portfolio of proven storage software, hardware, and solutions offerings, all backed by IBM with its recognized industry leadership, are just a few of the reasons to consider storage solutions from IBM, including Storwize V7000 Unified.
With IBM, you get some of the best storage products, technologies, services, and solutions in the industry without the complexity of dealing with different hardware and software vendors and system integrators.
The IBM Storwize V7000 Unified includes world-renowned IBM service and support. This service and support includes a standard three-year service agreement, with next-business-day replacement, software fixes, and telephone support.
Related publications and videos
- IBM PureFlex System Announcement Letter (11 April 2012)
- IBM Storwize V7000 Disk System Announcement Letter (7 October 2010)
- IBM Storwize V7000 introduces new disk drive and solid-state drive options Announcement Letter (11 October 2011)
- IBM Storwize V7000 Unified: A feature-rich environment for VMware vSphere 5.0 by the IBM Systems and Technology Group ISV Enablement (January 2012)
- IBM Storwize V7000 Unified adds file storage capability to IBM Storwize V7000 Announcement Letter (11 October 2011)
- IBM Storwize V7000 Unified V1.3.0 offers file storage Software Announcement Letter (11 October 2011)
- IBM Storwize V7000 Midrange Disk System Overview
- IBM Storwize V7000 Information Center
- IBM Storwize V7000 Unified Information Center
- Implementing the IBM Storwize V7000, SG24-7938
- Implementing the IBM System Storage SAN Volume Controller V6.3, SG24-7933
- IBM Storwize V7000 Business Advantage Calculator
- The Clipper Group Navigator: IBM Brings Enterprise Functionality to Mid-Range Storage
- IBM Storwize V7000 GUI Animation
- Five essential storage technologies
Others who read this publication also read
- Implementing the IBM Storwize V7000 Unified Disk System, SG24-8010-01
- Implementing the IBM Storwize V7000 with IBM Spectrum Virtualize V8.2.1, SG24-7938-07
Special Notices
This material has not been submitted to any formal IBM test and is published AS IS. It has not been the subject of rigorous review. IBM assumes no responsibility for its accuracy or completeness. The use of this information or the implementation of any of these techniques is a client responsibility and depends upon the client's ability to evaluate and integrate them into the client's operational environment.
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text:
Borderland identity and traditional community autonomy affect the practice of illegal
logging and the impact of regional autonomy among the Iban along the upper Kapuas
borderland in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. We examine these issues with attention to
the historical development of the Kalimantan Iban as a border people, their struggle to
maintain control over their traditional forest resources under the fluctuating power of the
Indonesian state and their approaches in dealing with regional and cross-border interests
in the harvesting of their forests.
Topic: illicit logging,logging,decentralization,regional government,boundaries,ethnic groups,Iban,anthropology
Geographic: Indonesia,Malaysia,Kalimantan,West Kalimantan
Publication Year: 2005
Source: Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology 66(1): 19-34

subset: commoncrawl


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I graduated from Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Lisbon, in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), in 1992. I obtained the M.Sc. and the Ph.D. degrees in ECE, respectively, in 1996 and 2000, from the Technical University of Lisbon and the 'Agregado' degree ('Habilitation' degree), in Electronics, in 2012, from the NOVA University of Lisbon (NOVA).
I have been with the Department of Electrical Engineering (DEE) of the Faculty of Sciences and Technology (FCT) of NOVA, since April 1998 where I am currently a Full Professor and, since July 2012, I am heading the Department. From 1998, I have been a Senior Researcher at the Centre for Technology and Systems (CTS), at UNINOVA, and responsible for the Micro and Nanoelectronics research Unit. From Nov. 2012 until Dec. 2017 I was the Director of CTS.
In Sep. 2003 I co-founded and served, for 4 years, as the CTO (and Board member) of ACACIA Semiconductor SA, a Portuguese engineering company specialized in high-performance data converter and analog front-end products (acquired by Silicon and Software Systems, S3, in Oct. 2007, now ADESTO). Since Nov. 2007 I do my lectures and carry out my research with part-time consultancy work for S3.
From March 1997 until March 1998 I was Project Manager at Chipidea SA (which was, in 2007, acquired by MIPS and then by SYNOPSYS, in 2009). I was the first engineer hired.
From December 1993 to February 1997 I worked as a Senior Researcher at Integrated Circuits and Systems Group (GCSI) at IST doing research on data converters and analog filters. Since 1992 I participated and led several National and European projects in science, technology, and training.
I have supervised (concluded) 12 Ph.D., 24 M.Sc. Theses, and 9 Graduation Projects. I published over 180 papers in international journals and leading IEEE conferences (ISSCC, VLSI, CICC, ESSCIRC and ISCAS), and I am co-author of 8 books and several chapters in both, technical scientific and educational editions.
I am Senior Member of IEEE since 2009 (Member since 1995) and Member of the Circuits and Systems (CASS) and Solid-State Circuits (SSCS) Societies. I also was the Chairman of the IEEE CASS Analog Signal Processing Technical Committee, ASPTC, (the largest within CASS) for the term 2014-2015.
I have been serving as Program co-Chairman, Organization co-Chairman and Technical Program Committee (TPC) Member for numerous conferences, such as, ISCAS (IEEE), PRIME (IEEE) IMSTW, AMICSA (ESA) and DoCEIS (DEE/FCT/UNL). I was the TPC co-Chairman of IEEE ISCAS'2015, held in Lisbon in 2015 (www.iscas2015.org) and I was the TPC co-Chairman of PRIME'2016 (http://prime2016.lx.it.pt). I have been Associate Editor of IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems - II, TCAS-II, for the terms 2016-2017 and 2018-2019.


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BoarsHead Theater: General Auditions 2009-2010 Season
September 8, 2009, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m
General auditions will be held for BoarsHead Theater's 2009-2010 season on Tuesday, September 8, 2009, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – by appointment only. Auditions will take place at the theater, which is located at The Center for the Arts building, 425 S. Grand Avenue, Lansing, Mich., 48933.
These auditions are only for non-Equity actors.
Appointments may be made by calling 517-484-7800 ext. 107 or by e-mail at email@example.com. Please leave a message with your name, phone number, union status and day and time preference.
Please prepare two contrasting monologues (one comedic, one dramatic) that can both be performed in a total of 3 minutes. If you would like to sing, please prepare 16-24 bars of a song. All singing will need to be done a cappella or with a CD of pre-taped music. A CD player will be available on site. Your time for the music is considered outside of the general audition time. Please prepare ONLY 16-24 bars.
Please be prepared with two headshots and resumes.
Parking is available in the upper lot of BoarsHead Theater or in the lot across the street at the Michigan Banking Association.
SEEKING: Male and Female Actors for 2009-2010 Season
Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol by Tom Mula
The Nerd by Larry Shue
Wait Until Dark by Frederick Knott
My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra conceived by David Grapes and Todd Olson


text:
Ed. Note: Updated to include scenes from Set It Off and Big Bad Mama.
It's been quite a summer for bank robberies in the Bayou City. It seems like more banks are being plundered than ever before by a rogue's gallery that includes the XXXL Bandit, the "Master of Disguise" and the Bicycle Brigands. Whether coincidence or felonious response to a dismal economy, the situation reminds Rocks Off of those heady lawless days of the Old West.
Okay, not really. The recent explosion of bank jobs haven't exactly been high-intensity affairs: A note is passed, money is handed over, and the perpetrator(s) shamble off to disappear into the Houston summer.
Pretty boring. Even worse, there's no music. Maybe we've seen too many heist flicks, but in our opinion just about any crime can be spiced up by a little dramatic musical accompaniment. Especially bank robberies. Don't believe us? Check out this selection of a few of our favorite scenes.
The lively accompaniment to the activities of Los Bandidos Yanquis as they pillage most of the wealth of Bolivia would be the last light-hearted portion of the movie. Darker times, in the form of a botched payroll delivery and an...unpleasant encounter with the Bolivian Army were just around the corner.
The execution of the obnoxious American hostage in Roger Avary's debut film serves as a positive counterbalance to the unfortunately similar fate that befalls Ron Jeremy earlier in the scene.
This isn't an actual robbery soundtrack so much as it is a medley of unfortunate circumstances, providing a backdrop to the unhappy fates that befall would-be armored-car thieves Cleon, Skip, Kirby and Anthony. And while the Vietnam War and the difficulties facing returning veterans are all well-worn themes, better to listen to Curtis Mayfield and Al Green than "Paint It Black" for the 100th goddamn time.
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MIX 96.5 Deck The Hall Ball: Rob Thomas
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World War II purists will probably find elements of Kelly's Heroes a little jarring. There's this song, for starters, which sounds more like something you'd hear on one of those Sid and Marty Krofft shows. And we won't even get started on Donald Sutherland's character, "Oddball." Rocks Off knows hippies didn't exist during the war, because if they had our grandfather would've gone to Leavenworth for murder.
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We had to cheat on this one, since -- as with a surprising number of bank heist movies, actually -- there often isn't any music playing during the actual robbery scenes. We're just sorry this movie came out before star Jada Pinkett (she wouldn't add the "Smith" until the following year) had joined Wicked Wisdom. We feel quite sure they would have rocked.
Fine, we don't actually have a song in question for this clip. We just loves us some Angie Dickinson.


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Surajpur is based in the Surguja district of Chattisgarh. It is situated 41 km away from Ambikapur and 295 km away from Raipur. Ramanujnagar, Bhaiyathan, Premnagar and Odagi surround Surajpur. The cities close to it are Chirmiri, Ambikapur, Pasan and Kotma.
Places to Stay
There are many budget-friendly hotels in Surajpur. These include Baba Om Hotel (Tariff – Rs. 600) and Hotel Grand Basant (Tariff – Rs. 800.)
The official spoken language of Surajpur is Chattisgarhi. Hindi and Bharia are also spoken here.
Some of the festivals that are celebrated in Surajpur include Mati Puja (April), Dussehra (October), Diwali (November) and Holi (March.)
Places of Interest
The Durga Mandir, the Gayatri Mandir, Shiv Park, the Mahamaya Mandir (4 km) and the Shyam Baba Mandir are some of the popular tourist attractions of Surajpur.
How to Get There
The nearest airport is the Raipur Airport. It is located 277 km away from Surajpur.
Surajpur has its own railway station which is located 6 km away from the city centre. There are daily trains to almost all cities in India.
There are daily buses to Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kanpur and Raipur (among others) from Surajpur. Some of the best bus operators in this region include Shri Sahajanand Travels and Ajay Travels. Bus booking online facility enables travellers to get to popular destinations without any hassle.


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The cruise.. in a nutshell.. Flew to NYC, and then got on the big bird, 777, to London, man that beast looks big, especially when you sit in row 42 of 43 rows.. LOL. Tiny seats, no leg room.. the body curves so you really don't have ... Read More
The cruise.. in a nutshell.. Flew to NYC, and then got on the big bird, 777, to London, man that beast looks big, especially when you sit in row 42 of 43 rows.. LOL. Tiny seats, no leg room.. the body curves so you really don't have much legroom on the window seat, but we figured it beats the 5 seats in the middle... let the time warp start! The sun was up and then it was DOWN and then it was UP. We moved our watched up SIX hours today... We arrive at Heathrow, the passport check went very quickly.. then we got our luggage, pretty easy... and found our van for the trip to Dover.. nice trip over.. saw a bit of the landscape in England, looks like any other place really.. some like Nebraska.. rolling hills... rainy day. Arrive at Dover, cruise terminal, we check in and sit for 3 hours.. heck had we known this we would have given up all our luggage and done something in Dover, it looks like a small place.. Around 2 PM we finally get on the ship, but not to our room, not until around 2:30.. the lifeboat drill is at 3:30.. so we hang out until then... did a bit of unpacking. room is great, lots of good shelves and drawers, no problems there... scads of room and plenty of hangers.. just right actaully. Ship is nice, big and clean..... immediately we notice the ages, we are YOUNG very young.. really young, VERY young.. and we are thinking this may not be a good thing.. LOL. Looked like the average cruising age for this trip was in the 70 to 75 range. And we found out 400 on the ship had been on the ship for 12 nights already, with the Baltics cruise, which we hear is wonderful... maybe one day, but not for a couple of decades.. LOL. We find the Garden Cafe and get a bite to eat, food looks good enough... we are really tired, so we skip the first night of entertainment, which we heard later was a good comedian... . The Freestyle cruising is different. you eat when you want, but to go to the Tzars palace you must dress up a bit, (no jeans)... mostly we went to Azure, same food, and shared big tables, which is very interesting when you eat with Americans, lots of Canadians and mix in some Europeans... kind of fun. Fish... first night on the ship I ordered the Red Snapper, it was so tough I couldn't get a knife into it.. really I had no idea one could cook fish long enough to make it like a rubber ball, our table of 8 was very impressed with it.. we all played with it. Our waiter didn't think it was very humorous and he took a long time to bring me a replacement dish.. this was my first impression. The two nights they offered Lobster (tiny tail) it was very tough, the second time one the waiters asked me how my food was, so I told him, " my lobster is very tough".. so he kindly brought me another, which was also very tough, so hubby got three lobster tails that night. The fish was generally very overcooked. the fish and chips in the Blue Lagoon was very good. This is how tea works. the doors open at 3 PM you file in and sit wherever you want.. and everyone is served at the same time.. we enjoyed it, the little cucumber sandwiches are really tasty... the English however noted that this is not how high tea is served.. no gloves ect.. for us it was fine. Never did meet our steward in person, we saw several in the halls, but never did one introduce himself... (Carnival cruise we met our Steward three times the first day and we were given a card with his name and number in case we needed anything). Room was kept very clean and nice, we didn't get to enjoy many towel animals though.. we got two rabbits and a snake in our 11 nights.. we are funny we enjoy those little extra's.. Room service: one night we skipped the big restaurants and they had coconut cream pie, later on I was hungry for it.. and we called for it and we were told, "sorry it is not on the menu"... (doesn't it all come from the same galley)... so we didn't order anything.. the room service menu is set in stone, never changes... so next day at the Garden Cafe I enjoyed a nice piece of Coconut Cream Pie......... it wasn't like I asked them to make ME a coconut cream pie, it was already being served in the two nice dining rooms. Free style dining, pros and cons...... con you never get the same waiter even if you go to the same table two nights in a row.... pro you eat when and where you want... we enjoyed sharing most nights... depending on the menu's we would decide to eat in a dining room or the cafe. Tzars is nicer, but we found the service to be very slow at times... Azure quicker. The entertainment, we heard a lot of complaints about it, but we personally found it to be OK, all fairly enjoyable, the dance shows were really great and the Cirque show the last night is one not to miss, very well done even in very rough seas. The seas were very rough at times, and it was bit nauseating, so we drank water, and skipped the alcohol, and I took off my damn scopolamine patch it was making me very dry.. and I did just fine without it.. but now I know, we can both handle very rough seas, I was really amazed at no one lost their balance, but the staff was good to help folks out if they needed it, carrying their food etc... The side to side roll and up and down of the ship was quite evident at times.. you'd sit in the theatre with the curtain closed waiting for a show to start and the curtain would sway significantly from side to side.. Stay well hydrated and just keep eating.... I did feel badly for two young sisters, they were in the dining room at lunch and clearly green with sea sickness, so the waiter offered gingerale, and then collected $1.95 for each one... now I realize the ship needs to make $$ and they can't help the rough seas, but really it seems like they could have just let them have two free cans of gingerale. The conversations were interesting.. one day we sat with a French lady, and it was hard to understand each other, but we had an interesting conversation about many things. Some of the cruisers were very well traveled, they have been everywhere twice! In fact many seemed bored with the ports of call, they prefer the days at sea... many read all the time, saw Kindles everywhere.. and people playing cards, dominio's etc.. some never left the ship at all. Each port was interesting, Iceland wasn't as interesting as I had dreamt, but the Blue Lagoon was a big highlight for us... we only had about 90 minutes there, but it really was enough. Lerwick was sweet, quaint. Halifax was very, very interesting, it was nice to do a half day of exploring on our own, we covered a lot of ground on foot, and boy we felt it. The next day was nice getting on a bus and going to Peggy's Cove, had a wonderful narrator who was born and raised in Nova Scotia, and she loves her city... that is a one beautiful place, and the rain Gods were kind to us, it poured rain all the way over, stopped when we arrived, and started again as we left. The seas there are fascinating to watch, and the huge smooth rocks very cool to walk on. Then the city tour the hop off and on buses was nice, we just sat and listened to our narrator talk about the city... Halifax is a very livable city. Canada is nice, and the people are very nice. Iceland we did a gray line tour, at a much cheaper price than what NCL offered... and in Lerwick we just walked around, in Halifax we booked two NCL tours which were comparable in price to Gray Line. One of the big highlights was getting up very early and watching the Statue of Liberty as we sailed by her... really it gives you a feeling for what our forefathers saw as they traveled into NYC to immigrate here.. of course not on a great ship such as ours.. but still pretty neat... We slid under one of the big bridges, it really looks like you won't make it under, very cool to see... and then to watch the sun rise up over New York City.. way cool... the pics don't do it justice. A great trip, no big problems, we had jet lag for days, and shared a cold back and forth a bit... and at times the trip was a bit dull, but enjoyable.. The ship was exquisitely clean, and they sprayed our hands before entering the buffet or any restaurant... nice. The cruise lines are big on getting you to book another cruise or put down a deposit.. at once of the events. the cruise director asked for a show of hands on how many put down deposits or rebooked.. and ONE person raised their hand.. it was rather telling. The speciality restaurants, if you walk by them, no one is dining there... and we noticed every day they had a special for them, buy one get one free, etc.. they really don't get any business to speak of and those who did use it complained they would try to get a 7PM reservation but they could only get a 6:15 or 8PM slot, so when they would arrive at say 8 PM they would be the ONLY diners, the guess is it has to do with staffing.. We heard Cagneys' had tough steaks, but that Mama's pasta is delicious. The Garden Cafe does stay really busy and then you have those travelers who seem to show up at 0700 for breakfast and then they set up a table for dominos near the window and never move till the sun sets. We saw one couple (two people) setting at the same window table for 8 every day... this is OK when the place is not busy, but during dining times they should give it up .... The food is fairly bland, but tolerable, the older folks couldn't get enough salt to come out of the shakers... (we found it to be salted just fine). The chilled soups are good and offered daily. The vegetable consume was wonderful on a rough sea day. The cappucino/latte machines are great. The lounges are nice, as is the entertainment they provide, the Spinnaker lounge is really nice, too bad it's used for everything from bingo to trivia, it'd be nice to just be able to sit and relax in there and lounge around a bit. The dance troupe is wonderful, I was surprised they didn't utilize them more in the entertainment.. I think in the 11 nights we saw them three times. It was interesting to hear conversations about the stars... the hypnotist talked about his "Vegas show".. and all his CD's.. it makes one wonder why is he in the middle of the Atlantic selling his CD'sx for "half off"... Everything with NCL seems to have a selling point.. the Chinese medicine guy (from Brazil) ended his talk about Chinese Medicine selling his "special formula's for life"... After a while it makes you not want to go to a lecture because you feel like it's going to be a marketing scheme for something. The $25 laundry bag is costly! Not having a guest laundry is definitely a way to make more $$$ off your guests.... we packed enough to last. The cabin had plenty of room for everything. The Showers are great!! no curtain, rather a nice door, so you don't have a wet bathroom everyday. Plenty of good bathrooms all over the ship, and very clean and nice. We noticed in the last three nights of the cruise the staff became much more friendly and conversational... in the first nine nights they were just doing a job. and many looked rather worn down... The crew entertainment on the last night was hilarious!! And we missed the Liars club, we heard it was also hilarious. NCL didn't get our $250 for another cruise, but we'd use them again, this cruise was unusual in that it was repositioning 11 night trip, so the clientele will be older as not many in the 40 to 50 age range can take off that long from life. If you prefer a cruise with no or very few kids this is the one.. we saw maybe 12 children on the ship, and about that many teenagers. The chocoholic buffet is a must go, as it is some of the best dessert you will get on ship.. the souffles were good, but most of the desserts were not worth the calories, especially the jello type cheesecake, not the touted New York Style cheesecake which is clearly is not. The ice cream is good and can be had at anytime in the Garden Cafe. And my one big complaint is when we would go to a lounge to enjoy a show, the waiters would come along and take our drink order, often we would order Ice water, they would smile and say OK and never come back. one night we had three different waiters take our drink order and finally one gal brought us ONE glass of water (no ice) to share... One guy during trivia actually brought us water on the first try and we got a $5 tip from me... he was so pleased and he gave us great service all through that event. The waiters should bring whatever you order, as we may then order a real drink later.. or we may give them a real tip for water.. but many assumed incorrectly. Also if they put a napkin down in front of you, that seems to be a signal to other waiters, of "don't bother they aren't ordering real drinks"... Iceland's port offered 15 minutes of intenret for $2.. $3 for 30 minutes.. NCL is slow and costly. Really this is about ICELAND .. (not listed in the offering).. we stopped in Reykjavik.. do the Blue Lagoon.. it's wonderful!!! We did the city tour in the am.. and Blue Lagoonin the afternoon.. via Gray Line.. the cost was much more reasoanble and we felt very safe.. The port building at Reykjavik has internet for $2 for 15 and only $3 for 30 minutes.. very useful.. Read Less
Sail Date September 2009


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I had't gone in intending to buy brand new. But the deal was just too good to pass up. And now I'm in something that I know I will be driving for a long long time! :)
The Weekend
I had't gone in intending to buy brand new. But the deal was just too good to pass up. And now I'm in something that I know I will be driving for a long long time! :)
11 comments
Love your new car! We currently have a Corolla but will likely need a second car soon, and that Rav4 looks great! It looks like you had a great weekend. I found your blog through Ashley's weekend recap, and I'm excited to start following along with another Texas blogger! :)ReplyDelete
Congratulations on your new car!! That is wonderful! What a great blogger filled weekend!! xo, biana -BlovedBostonReplyDelete
Congrats on your new car-- it looks awesome! So jealous of your blogger meetups, it's always the best to spend time with people in person :)ReplyDelete
This weekend really was the best, and it was filled with so much blogger time too! Your new car is so pretty, and I have to admit it makes me want to get a new one, even if it's just for that new car smell! I can't wait to have another blogger meet up!ReplyDelete
Your new car is gorgeous!!! Congrats!ReplyDelete
Congrats on the new car, she's so pretty! And yay for a blate with Ashley and Nikki, I was lucky enough to meet up with Nikki twice, and have meet Ashley as well while she was here in Orlando. Fabulous ladies <3ReplyDelete
Green Fashionista
First off, YAY for the new car!! It looks like I may be in the market for a new car earlier than expected due to complications on my current car and a Toyota Rav-4 is one of the top cars on my short list! Love the sporty look of it! Also yay for blates, looooved meeting you and Ashley and can't wait to do it again soon!!ReplyDelete
Oh, i love the new car! A Toyota will last you forever, sometimes it is great just to have a piece of mind. I want to attend a blogger meet up i think that would be so much fun, i am just too shy. It sounds like you've had a great weekend!ReplyDelete
yay for a new car and blogger dates! best weekend ever for sure!ReplyDelete
Congratulations on your new car!ReplyDelete
I know Nikki from Wedding linkups! That's so crazy! When I come to visit we will have to go meet up with her again.ReplyDelete


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Despite Taiwan's efforts of to maintain a peaceful and stable relationship across the Taiwan Strait, several events have shown that China is still not a trustworthy "friend," and that Taiwanese should be cautious when faced with China's so-called "friendliness."
Since the launch of her election campaign, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has advocated a friendly relationship with China, while also adhering to the the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) fundamental tenet that Taiwan is a sovereign and independent state.
Tsai has repeatedly said that she would strive to maintain the cross-strait "status quo" and pursue the peaceful and stable development of the cross-strait relationship.
Tsai has avoided doing anything that might make Beijing feel "sensitive." She used the term "Republic of China" (ROC) instead of Taiwan — probably more than any other DPP leader has, she promised to act within the framework of the Constitution, which critics see as a de facto facsimile of the so-called "1992 consensus" that is so important to China.
In addition, when Minister of Health and Welfare Lin Tzou-yien (林奏延) attended an annual meeting of the World Health Assembly meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, he did not mention "Taiwan," but used "Chinese Taipei" throughout his speech, a move calculated to avoid offending China, that drew criticism from some Taiwanese lawmakers and members of the public.
However, China is still not satisfied.
Like a willful child, China canceled the performance in China of a Taiwanese children's choir — seemingly in retaliation for a recitation of the the ROC National Anthem at Tsai's inauguration ceremony.
However, in some ways, China behaves more like a gangster than an innocent and immature child.
A few days ago, Hong Kong bookseller Lam Wing-kei (林榮基) described to reporters how China had kidnapped him, put him under house arrest and forced him to make a confession on TV.
Lam worked for Hong Kong-based Causeway Bay Books, which sold books that are banned in Mainland China.
Lam said that several of his colleagues who also "disappeared" last year suffered similar fates.
On Friday, Chinese human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng's (高智晟) daughter, Grace Geng (耿格) held a news conference in Taipei to promote her father's memoir, which details his kidnap and torture by Chinese authorities for defending human rights.
At the launch, Geng urged Tsai to save her family and all Chinese people.
These examples indicate how common political persecution is in China, and no matter how Taiwan tries to avoid upsetting China, Beijing still imposes "penalties" — even on a children's choir — because it is impossible for Taipei to acquiesce to all of its demands.
Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) often brags about how he created a basis for peaceful relations across the Taiwan Strait during the eight years he was in office, but, apparently, the "peace" that he created was only a mirage. In Beijing's eyes, there can be no peace across the strait unless Taiwan surrenders and becomes part of "China."
Well, even that would not be enough for Beijing: Chinese are still being arrested and tortured for not being obedient enough, Tibetans are forced to give up their freedom of religion that Beijing once promised them and Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang are forced to eat in daylight hours during Ramadan to show their loyalty to Beijing.


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Fisetin Flavonoid May Be The Secret To Longevity11 months, 2 weeks ago
Posted on Dec 30, 2018, 5 p.m.
Reducing the burden of damaged senescent cells has been shown in previous studies to extend lifespans, and improve health, even if treatment is initiated late in life. Now the researchers from the Mayo Clinic and University of Minnesota Medical School faculty Laura J. Niedernhofer and Paul D. Robbins have demonstrated aged mice treated with Fisetin to have had positive effects on health and lifespan.
When cells get to a certain level of damage they go through an aging process called senescence, as people age these cells accumulate and release inflammatory factors that tell the immune system to clear them, however with age the immune system isn't able to clear them as effectively, thus they accumulate and cause low level inflammation releasing enzymes that can degrade tissue.
Fisetin was been found to help reduce the level of these damaged senescent cells within the body, as published in EBioMedicine. Treating mice near the end of their lifespans with Fisetin was observed to significantly improve and extend health and lifespans.
Fisetin is a natural flavonoid compound present in many fruits and vegetables, that no adverse effects have been reported from, even at high doses. According to the team supplementation or intermittent treatment with it could help to improve healthy aging, even among the elderly. Fisetin can be found in apples, grapes, persimmon, strawberries, onions, and cucumbers among others.
Fisetin hasn't been used like this before due to limitations in figuring out how a drug will act on different tissues and different cells in an aging body, and largely due to scientists not having a way to identify if a treatment was attacking the particular senescent cells until recently.
The team used mass cytometry technology and applied it to aging research under guidance of Professor Edgar Arriaga of the University of Minnesota in a technique unique to their research, in the first demonstration showing the effects of the specific drug on specific subsets of these damaged cells within a given tissue in addition to showing that the drug works.
The same team demonstrated the combination of dasatinib and quercetin to be potent senolytics, showing the cocktail to improve various age related conditions such as frailty, CVD, and osteoporosis in previous studies. Fisetin was compared against other compounds including rutin, luteolin, curcumin, resveratrol, epigallocatechin, apigenin, catechin, myricetin, and pirfenidone.
Aging processes are complex and account for numerous pathways, as well as both genetic and environmental components including: 1) Chronic sterile inflammation; 2) Macromolecular changes in lipids, proteins, carbohydrate, DNA, and mitochondria; 3) Stem cell and progenitor dysfunction; and 4) Increased cellular senescence. Senescent cells for example accumulate with age and at sites of pathogenesis in chronic diseases. Such processes are linked in that interventions that target one appear to attenuate others such as senescent cells accumulating with age and at pathogenesis sites in chronic disease; reduction in burden of senescent cells can lead to decreased inflammation, macromolecular dysfunction, and enhanced function of stem/progenitor cells; adult stem cells also become dysfunctional with age displaying evidence of senescence.
The compound was tested against a panel of other flavonoids and was demonstrated to have had the most potent senotherapeutic effects in several cell types in vitro, as well as showing strong anti-geronic effects in vivo. The compound is natural product commonly found in many foods as well as being available in oral dietary supplements which has had no reported adverse side effects, according to the team.
The team's preclinical data suggests it should be imminently translatable and could have significant benefit to the health of to elderly populations. Based on their findings clinical trials are underway to evaluate short term benefits of intermittent fisetin treatment on certain aspects of aging such as frailty.
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Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


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The BBC presenter, whose career spanned five decades, passed away at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington after a period of ill health.
He is credited with pioneering a searching interview style on Radio 4's Today programme while also fronted popular game shows including Ask the Family, Call My Bluff.
After beginning his career television and film critic, writing for papers including The Sunday Telegraph, Mr Robinson started working as a journalist on television in 1955. He later went on to chair the talk show Stop the Week.
Following his death, his daughter, Susie Robinson, told the BBC: "He had a very long, productive and successful life and we'll all miss him terribly."
Mr Robinson was born in Liverpool and went on to study at Oxford University where he met his wife of more than 40 years, the actress Josee Richard.
He began his career in magazines and newspapers, before moving into broadcasting and in 1974 was named Radio Personality of the Year following his tenure on the Today programme.
However, it was hosting quiz shows – what he referred to as his "humble calling" – that most will remember him for.
While as a journalist on the Today programme he earned many critics who described him as rude due to his combative performances, he is more warmly remembered for his role as a quizmaster.
He only stood down as the host of Radio 4's Brain of Britain last year after 38 years at the helm, handing the reins over to Russell Davies.
At the time Mr Robinson described leaving the show as feeling like "running away from home".
At his retirement the then-Radio 4 controller, Mark Damazer, said: "The brilliant Robert Robinson defined the art of the quiz show host.
"He presided over Brain Of Britain with sympathy for the contestants, wit and panache."


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The Vienna State Opera is arguably the most important opera house in the world. It is closely linked to the famous Vienna Philharmonic, whose members are recruited from here.
The Opera is located on the Vienna "Ringstrasse", making it very central and near other city attractions.
Building of the original structure took place in 1861, and although not entirely popular with the local population, it grew on them enough to restore it to its original state after damage in World War 2.
One tip if you are visiting Vienna on short notice and have not pre-booked tickets, or if you are short on money, is that cheap, standing tickets can be bought before each show. These tickets are only sold at the last minute, immediately before the show. Unfortunately, long lines can develop for these tickets, so it's best to arrive early and wait if you are intent on seeing the show.
When no performances are taking place, it is also possible to have a guided tour of the building and of the Opera museum.
Performances of Opera and Ballet are performed every day from September to June. There are no performances in July or August.
More details about exact performances can be found on the State Opera's website (see attraction information box on the right).
Vienna State Opera Reviews
The tours start hourly in several languages.Come early to take some character pictures in costume as you enter the lobby. Allow approximately one hour for the tour. During the off season we experience the back stage which is usually closed to the viewing public. Not as spectacular since the entire main opera seating area was rebuilt in the 50's. Several original rooms were able to be viewed and were extraordinary. Photography is allowed. On a one to ten scale I would rate the Opera a4/10. Great cool place to see if you have a short amount of time.
Seria convenientec que las autoridades de Viena intervinieran de una Manera importante para evitar que los mafiosos contin
Write Review
Have you already visited the Vienna State Opera? If so, let everyone know what you thought about it by writing a review! No registration necessary. Just click here to start writing!


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"Grenora Swayback," "Screwdrivers," and "Dredge Cut Chair: water colors By Leith Howard DeWeese
Location: The Northwest Art Center's Hartnett Hall Gallery
Date: June 6th - June 22nd
Closing Reception: June 22nd
Time: 7:30a.m. - 4:00p.m.
Closing Reception: 6:30p.m. - 8:30p.m.
It is our mission to promote, preserve and perpetuate the arts in North Dakota.
1600 East Century Avenue, Suite 6
Bismarck, ND 58503-0649
(701) 328-7590
(701) 328-7595 (Fax)
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Hours of business are:
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed on National Holidays
Copyright 2014 North Dakota Council on the Arts


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Whether your mother is stylish, classical, whimsical or humorous, Hallmark has the card to reflect and celebrate your special relationship.
'Our cards capture the spirit of Mother's Day, giving you the chance to say so much, even before personalising the card with your own message," Jennifer Nolch, Hallmark Australia Marketing Director said.
'Cards are for keeping, which is why it can be daunting trying to choose the most appropriate card. To make it easier, this year's fresh and modern designs focus on four different areas – Classically Crafted, Casually Imperfect, Vivid Modern and Lighthearted Whimsy."
The Classically Crafted range of cards are stylish, opulent and refined, featuring some beautiful gem embellishments.
Looking for something uplifting and inspirational, then check out the Casually Imperfect range, while Vivid Modern offers a collection of dramatic, expressive and modern cards with plenty of impact.
Celebrate what's beautiful and loving about your relationship with the Lighthearted Whimsy selection.
'We know that all mums are superheroes, so we thought it apt to include five Wonder Woman cards in the range," Nolch said.
There are 187 cards in the Mother's Day collection. Available at Kmart, Coles, Target, NewsXpress, The Lucky Charm and independent retailers, retailing from $5 to $12.
For more information about the range visit hallmarkhelper.com.au/
facebook.com/HallmarkAustralia @hallmark_au #HallmarkMothersDay


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29.3849697 76.9715887
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Here is some Quality Advice to ring in Christmas and New Year on a good note
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Some of you might have seen this already via twitter or in the Toronto newspaper.
This is definitely a moment for me :)
To this date, haven't seen the hard copy of the feature because I'm currently in Hong Kong.
I'm lost in words how excited and honored I feel!
July 21, 2011
Toronto Star - Living Section
Article written by Derick Chetty
Electronic Copy of the Print from Toronto Star.
Purchased from www.pressdisplay.com
No infringement intended.
Not a Full Article, but hey, you see my face =)
A printscreen of the Online Article from Toronto Star
Twitpic of the Print Article. Thanks Michele!
Thank you!
Special thanks to Jeffrey Spivock! :)


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Federally Approved Standard Intergovernmental Child Support Enforcement (CSE) Forms
DATE: Jan. 29, 2008
TO: State and Tribal Agencies Administering Child Support Enforcement Plans under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act and Other Interested Individuals
SUBJECT: : Distribution of Federally Approved Standard Intergovernmental Child Support Enforcement (CSE) Forms
BACKGROUND: The last set of standard interstate CSE forms was distributed via OCSE-AT-05-03. In addition to publishing the required 60-day notice in the Federal Register on June 21, 2007 in Volume 72, Number 119 on pages 34252-34253, we solicited comments from the CSE community to provide suggestions for form revisions via DCL-07-19.
The Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) also established a work group to review the forms. The group was comprised of State and Tribal representatives in addition to OCSE Regional and Central Office staff.
The changes were endorsed by the National Council of Child Support Directors, and were limited to minimize changes to State automated systems. The changes are as follows:
- Changed the title of the forms to "Intergovernmental" to reflect their use by States, Tribes, and foreign countries.
Provided Paternity Establishment Percentage (PEP) documentation, which addresses audit issues by:
- adding a label to transmittals for Born Out of Wedlock Y/N, Paternity Established Y/N, Date Paternity Established; and
- adding instructions for these new fields.
Provided Tribal affiliation to identify Tribes to facilitate Tribal and State communications by:
- adding a label to transmittals for Tribal Affiliation; and
- adding instructions for this new field.
Updated instructions on Transmittal #1 - Initial Request, Transmittal #2 - Subsequent Actions, and Transmittal #3 - Request for Assistance/Discovery as follows:
- made the instructions which are common to Transmittals #1, #2, and #3 consistent on the Uniform Support Petition, Registration Statement, Locate Data Sheet, Notice of Determination of Controlling Order, Affidavit in Support of Establishing Paternity, and General Testimony forms; and
- made minor changes to label names contained in Transmittals #1, #2, and #3 as recommended by the work group, e.g., Social Security No. and Social Security Number to SSN, E-mail to E-Mail, consistent use of Fax/FAX.
- Highlighted policy information that is included with the instructions so it is distinct.
REFERENCES: 42 U.S.C. 666(f) required all States to enact the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA) by January 1, 1998. UIFSA, at section 311(b) requires the use of federally approved forms in interstate CSE proceedings. Tribal IV-D agencies are not required to use these forms.
EFFECTIVE DATE: These revised forms are effective January 31, 2008. States will need time to make changes to their forms. Therefore, please continue to honor previous forms and implement the revised ones as soon as possible.
INQUIRIES: ACF OCSE Regional Program Managers
Margot Bean
Office of Child Support Enforcement


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The Archives produces online exhibits periodically that explore Travis County history in a visual and interactive way.
Please check back here or at our blog for updates on new exhibits.
This Exhibit features a history of the Travis County Sheriff's Office and a timeline providing a biography of each Sheriff.
This exhibit looks at places and communities that no longer exist in Travis County using an interactive map.


text: Here is another example of the kinds of lines you can build using Herbie's Eighth note groupings. The chord progression is a II-V7-I turn around. Note that it is possible to displace the beginnings of the groupings. You can basically start on any of the 3 triplet subdivisions. Also by combining eight and quarter note triplets you can create larger grouping. This quickly becomes complex as it modulates the meter. So make sure when you're practising longer phrases that you teach yourself how to resolve metrically modulated phrases. As you'll see the more complex your rhythmic concept the more easily it is to train wreck your solo!


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Thank you for your interest in our store.
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Welcome to EarthTurns
Metagenics Tran-Q is a natural stress remedy used in maintaining a calm spirit. Tran-Q helps the body to relax and reduce tension.
A sustained state of emotional stress, according to Chinese herbology, causes disharmony between the heart and liver energy and causes mild changes in mood and nervousness. Tran-Q helps in preventing this disharmony.
Tran-Q is a natural herbal remedy that uses a synergistic blend of herbs to support inner peace. A normal sense of well being and relaxed state of mind is promoted.
Metagenics Tran-Q is made in America to ensure quality, safety and purity.
Directions: Take one tablet three times daily or as directed by your healthcare practitioner.
WARNING: If pregnant or nursing or taking medication, consult your healthcare practitioner before use.
CAUTION: Keep out of the reach of children.
Other Ingredients: Microcrystalline cellulose, cellulose, croscarmellose sodium, stearic acid (vegetable), and silica.
This product is non-GMO, gluten free, and vegetarian.
Write Your Own Review


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In her latest Nature's Pathways, Shannadora Hollis explores researchers' ongoing efforts to understand and realize the clinical potential of plant products, telling of the history, biochemical origins and continued chemical studies of valerian.
In this month's Q&A, Tiffany Oliver at Spelman College talks about how the Minority Access to Research Careers program and practicing grantsmanship at the predoctoral and postdoctoral levels influenced the trajectory of her career. She offers this bit of wisdom to young people considering careers in science: "My persistence has gotten me much further in life than my intellect. So my advice is to keep pressing on: Even when your knowledge fails you, persistence will kick in and help you achieve your goals."
This news roundup was compiled by ASBMB Today contributor Teodora Donisan. Send links of interest to email@example.com for possible inclusion in future issues.
More from the current issue


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"Te Piki Oranga Ltd" Health Services
Te Piki Oranga is a regional Maori Health Provider set up in collaboration with the Nelson Marlborough DHB and existing Maori Health Providers, with a governance board and charitable trust status.
All services are free, confidential and available to all people in our community and the greater Tasman Bay area. Our staff are friendly, helpful and always approachable.
Based at 117 Pah Street, Motueka.
Free Phone 0800 672 642
03 528 1046
- Ngā Pukenga Atawhai
- Kaiārahi
- Hauora Hinengaro
- Tamariki Ora
- Whānau Kaimahi-a-Iwi
Ngā Pukenga Atawhai
Ngā Pukenga Atawhai- Qualified, experienced nurses. Cardio Vascular disease, diabetes, chronic obstructive airways / asthma, cancer, prevention, assessment, treatment and referral.
Nga Pukenga Toitu Te Ora a Waipiro me Tarutaru Kino - Alcohol and other drug counsellors. Prevention, assessment, treatment, referral and reports.
Hauora Hinengaro
Nga Pukenga Manaki - Experienced, community support / navigators. We provide personal and mental health facilitation and advocacy.
Nga Pukenga Hauora Hinengaro o nga tamariki me rangatahi - Child and adolesent mental health clinicians. Prevention, assessment, treatment and referral.
Tamariki Ora
Mothers with babies under five years of age. Immunisation, well child checks, breast feeding and smoke free environments are all service provided.
Whānau Kaimahi-a-Iwi - Social Worker
Advocacy with government agencies, i.e. WINZ, Justice, CYFS, and education. Budgeting, family violence, child protection, support, advocacy information and referral.


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The first in a series of posts in which we ask writers about the cultural influences on their work.
When I wrote "The Interestings," which follows a group of friends from an arty summer camp for teen-agers in 1974 up through their adult lives, tracking their talents, expectations, and disappointments, I suppose I was off in a kind of extended fantasy. But it's difficult to remain in such a state for too long when the demands of daily life are constantly upon you like the winged monkeys in "The Wizard of Oz." Shaking off the monkeys while still staying in the fantasy is a goal of mine whenever I'm in the thickest part of writing a novel. I use a variety of means to manage this, some of them easily understandable, and some of them food-related and pretty childlike—the "give yourself treats" school of writing. (Not to be confused with the Iowa Writers' Workshop.)
Actual inspiration for a novel can come from various pumps and nozzles, and sometimes it can't even be perceived as it's happening but can only be examined later, when, in a more lucid and practical state, you try to figure out exactly how you managed to generate all those pages. Sometimes, right after I've finished a novel, I hardly remember even having written it. It's as if my not really evil but certainly productive twin wrote it, while I was off doing something light and indulgent, like getting a two-year facial. But someone wrote it—someone, apparently, with my exact sensibility. Now, though, with the book published and recently out in paperback, I find that I'm able to think back on a few of the things that pushed me into or carried me through the experience. Because this novel deals with young characters, at least in its first part, some of what I consider to be influences come from an earlier time in my life. Here are a couple of them, along with related distractions:
- Michael Apted's "Up" films." The British filmmaker famously shot footage of the same group of people every seven years. The films started in 1964, when the subjects were all seven years old, and followed them as they aged out of childhood and entered early adulthood and then mid-life, and then continued as they waded into the soft pudding that lies beyond. The "Up" series (the most recent entry, released last year, was "56 Up") affected me a great deal. When I started writing "The Interestings," my impulse was not to look at my characters every seven years, but to watch them age slowly, letting them sprawl out over time.
A good chunk of what you need to know about the characters in the "Up" films is right there in their childhoods, and I suppose that's true in many novels, too; and yet you often still need life to just continue to unspool like an old Bell and Howell projector gone amok in order to get the whole story. This inevitably includes the deaths of parents and/or friends, sexual crises, small reliefs, and various repeating tics and predilections that will be present forever, regardless of how much people always hope to be able to reinvent themselves.
Novels. I always want to read during bouts of writing, though the reading tends to happen in short, hard bursts. I found time to re-read Jane Gardam's astonishing book "Old Filth" while I was working, and of course I loved it all over again, and wondered how it was possible to handle time so nimbly and beautifully. I have no idea how Jane Gardam did it, but whatever keeps you excited and thinking about fiction is probably a good thing to read while you're writing your own novel.
Doodling. One of my main characters is an animator named Ethan Figman. At the start of the novel, he's a fifteen-year-old boy at summer camp who draws short animated films that depict an alternate universe he's created, called Figland. Later in the novel, he grows up and becomes wildly successful when "Figland" gets turned into a hit animated nighttime TV show. I know that animation and comic books are different entities, but I couldn't help but think about comic books a little bit when I was writing. Comic books and comic strips have become a nostalgic province of some very talented fiction writers, often but not always male; and sometimes I fantasize about having grown up with a similar transference toward superheroes. But I was never a superhero girl, only a Harvey Comics girl, and then, finally, an Archie Comics girl. Harvey Comics published "Casper," "Richie Rich," and two girl-centered series, "Little Lotta" and "Little Dot," both of which I loved. Dot, who naturally only wore dresses with dots on them, had various aunts who lived all over the world, and she was always off visiting them. Lotta's claim to fame was that she was fat. (Her full name, cruelly, was Lotta Plump.)
The world of all these easygoing, polka-dotted or checkered-haired, teen-age or younger non-superhero characters lived inside me throughout my childhood, and when I was writing "The Interestings" I sometimes drew crude, Harvey- and Archie-inspired images of my characters, in keeping with the spirit of Ethan Figman and Figland, although he (and it) are supposed to be brilliant. Not so my doodles. But I did the best I could, thinking back on how I always liked to lie on the rug in my bedroom and draw with Magic Markers for a long time when I was a girl, not yet afflicted with self-consciousness, which would certainly arrive soon enough.
- Listening to folk music. Because my novel begins in the nineteen-seventies, and the mother one of my main characters is a famous folksinger, there's an acoustic soundtrack to the whole thing, at least in my head. When I was writing, I'd work for a long jag, then go for a walk around the neighborhood with earbuds pushed into my head, listening to Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell and very early, precocious Janis Ian, and the Roches.
At times, the act of writing a novel can seem so difficult that you long to shift the medium and turn yourself and your work into someone and something else. Of course folk music is complex and varied, but it often seems to have an innocence about it: I picture a solitary girl playing a guitar, plaintively expressing her tale of woe. Though when I think about it, that sounds a little bit like someone (me) writing a novel.
Meg Wolitzer is a novelist whose works include "The Interestings," which has just come out in paperback, "The Uncoupling," "The Ten-Year Nap," "The Position," and "The Wife."
Illustration, top, by Hannah K. Lee.


text: MOVIES Magnolia Takes North American Rights to 'Blackthorn' 11:28 AM PDT 4/28/2011 by Gregg Kilday FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Pablo Paniagua Western stars Sam Shepard as Butch Cassidy, and will be released later this year. Magnolia Pictures has acquired North American rights to Blackthorn, director Mateo Gil's study of the last days of legendary outlaw Butch Cassidy, and will release the film theatrically later this year. Playwright and actor Sam Shepard plays Cassidy and heads a cast that also includes Stephen Rea, Eduardo Noriega and Nicolaj Coster-Waldau. READ: Blackthorn: Film Review The film, which had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival and will also be offered at next month's Cannes market, was written by Miguel Barros and produced by Ibon Cormenzana and Andres Santana. The Spanish-born Gil has written such films as Open Your Eyes, The Sea Inside and Agora. Blackthorn is the first film he's directed in English. "With an amazing cast and incredible locations, Mateo Gil has created a western for the ages," Magnolia svp Tom Quinn said. "Sam Shepard is unforgettable as Butch Cassidy, with a command performance that is a high point in an amazing career." The deal was negotiated by Quinn with Marina Fuentes of 6 Sales. FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Gregg Kilday firstname.lastname@example.com gkilday


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Returns a Boolean value indicating whether the device supports deferred location updates.
- iOS 6.0–13.0Deprecated
- macOS 10.9–10.15Deprecated
- Mac Catalyst 13.0–13.0Deprecated
- Core Location
Return Value
YES if the device supports deferred location updates or
NO if it does not.
Deferred location updates are a way for the location manager to avoid frequently waking up a background app to deliver location changes. Normally, when an app wants location updates in the background, the app must be woken up whenever a new event arrives. Waking up the app consumes power, which in some situations might be wasted if the app cannot do anything with the location information other than log it and go back to sleep anyway. Deferring location updates gives you the ability to wait until a time when your app can do something useful with the data and then process the updates all at once.
Deferred location updates require the presence of GPS hardware and may not be supported on all iOS devices.


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Well-known angel investing partners Marc Andreessen (pictured) and Ben Horowitz have finished raising money for what has become a $300 million venture fund, according to an article in BoomTown that cites "numerous sources close to the situation."
Andreessen, who co-founded Netscape and build-your-own-social-network startup Ning, first announced the fund in an interview on the Charlie Rose Show. At the time, he didn't reveal the total size of the fund, but Andreessen said the goal is to "preserve and extend" the model he has been using for his angel investing with Horowitz, a former Opsware executive. The investments will range from $200,000 to $1 million, with $500,000 as "typical" — so we're still talking about young, probably web-focused companies.
Andreessen's angel investments include the impressive lineup of Facebook, Digg, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Backers for the fund include "institutional investors" (such as universities) and "a spate of Silicon Valley luminaries," BoomTown says, and it has been given the rather unimaginative name of Andreessen Horowitz.
I've emailed Andreessen for confirmation but haven't heard back yet.


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By Elizabeth Dilts
NEW YORK (Reuters) - UBS AG's (UBSG.VX) Wealth Management America on Thursday made it easier for brokers to earn a key bonus in 2015 under its revised compensation package, which could boost top advisers' overall pay to an all-time high.
Advisers who bring in $1 million in assets from one new client, or $10 million in net new assets, are eligible for the bonus. In 2015 the benchmark was $5 million in net new assets.
A broker who has worked for UBS for more than 10 years, meets all the new sales goals, and generates $3.5 million or more in revenue could take home as much as 62 percent of that amount, up from 60.15 percent in 2014.
"It's the most we've ever created for advisers to earn," said Jason Chandler, head of UBS's Wealth Management Advisor Group for the eastern United States.
UBS pays advisers a base amount, which is a percentage of the revenue they earn for the firm, under a payout grid system common among securities brokerages.
UBS's grid, unchanged from 2014, starts at a 28 percent payout for advisers who produce less than $200,000 of revenue and rises to as much as a 45 percent payout for advisers who produce $3.5 million or more in revenue.
Bonuses based on wealth management fees, productivity, length of service, net new assets and financial planning awards can add as much as 17 percent to the grid payout, up from 15.15 percent in 2014.
The firm's wealth management award, which is a percentage of advisory, insurance, lending and financial planning fees, gives advisers up to 6 percent of their revenues in the 2015 plan.
While UBS focuses on high net worth and ultra high net worth clients, it will continue to pay advisers for accounts with $100,000, Chandler said.
(Reporting By Elizabeth Dilts; additional reporting by Jed Horowitz)


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Dear OTS Solicitors, I just came across your website as I was searching for a good and efficient solicitor. So far, I trust that I like what I see.
Would appreciate if you can furnish me in detail on how do I go about the application process. I have read your brief Immigration requirements as well.
I would also like to have a full detail of the service charges as well. Thanking you in advance.
Areas of Expertise:
Public Answer:
Dear Sir,
Thank you for your question regarding a spouse visa application and the procedures.
Your case raises certain complex matters regarding your marriage which our specialist Immigration solicitors, who are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority would be confident to advise you on. We would be able to offer you assistance as part of a one-off consultation or otherwise as part of our full representation service. Your query relating to your leave to remain in the UK, and residence requirements in the UK has been forwarded to the relevant department and our Immigration lawyers will be in touch with you within 24 hours to explain how to proceed for the best outcome in your Immigration case.
Kind regards
OTS Solicitors
Posted on Thursday, 21 January, 2016


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The government on Monday published its final report into the events at Winterbourne View Hospital, which has come after findings of severe abuse of patients at the privately run hospital near Bristol.
The final report into the events at Winterbourne View Hospital states that staff routinely mistreated and abused patients, and management allowed a culture of abuse to flourish. The warning signs were not picked up, and concerns raised by a whistleblower went unheeded.
The report also reveals weaknesses in the system's ability to hold the leaders of care organisations to account. In addition, it finds that many people are in hospital who don't need to be. People with learning disabilities or autism, who also have mental health conditions or challenging behaviour can be, and have a right to be, given the support and care they need in the community, near to family and friends.
In its response, the government has set out a programme of action to transform services so that vulnerable people no longer live inappropriately in hospitals and are cared for in line with best practice.
Amongst the goals set by the government are:
By spring 2013, the department will set out proposals to strengthen accountability of boards of directors and senior managers for the safety and quality of care which their organisations provide; By June 2013, all current placements will be reviewed, everyone in hospital inappropriately will move to community-based support as quickly as possible, and no later than June 2014; By April 2014, each area will have a joint plan to ensure high quality care and support services for all people with learning disabilities or autism and mental health conditions or behaviour described as challenging, in line with best practice; As a consequence, there will be a dramatic reduction in hospital placements for this group of people; The Care Quality Commission will strengthen inspections and regulation of hospitals and care homes for this group of people, including unannounced inspections involving people who use services and their families; A new NHS and local government-led joint improvement team will be created to lead and support this transformation;
This programme is backed by a concordat signed by more than 50 partners, setting out what changes they will deliver and by when. The government will publish a progress report on these actions by December 2013.


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Q. In my efforts to be diligent and keep my computer updated with all the latest security patches from Microsoft, I suddenly find that I must log into my computer. Prior to the updates I could turn my computer on and it would load up and take me straight to the desktop. Do you know what caused this and, more importantly, how I can rid myself of the login screen?
A. This is fairly common. It turns out that one of the updates is for the .NET Framework and it actually creates a user on your computer called ASP.NET. You can see it in the User Manager.
This is normal and is not a cause for concern so you can leave the patch in place as well as the new user account.
To rid yourself of the login screen all you need to do is go to the Microsoft site and get .NET Framework 1.1 Service Pack 1 and install it. This will fix the bug that causes Windows to mistake the hidden ASP.NET account for an actual user of the computer.
You can also use the Microsoft Powertoy TweakUI to re-automate your login process. This is handy if you have more than one real user on your computer but mostly login to one account.
Once TweakUI is installed you just open TweakUI and expand the logon branch and click Autologon. Activate "Log on automatically at system startup" and supply your user name and password and click OK and you're all set!


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KIEV, February 19 (RIA Novosti) – At least 25 people, including nine police officers, were killed Tuesday in bloody clashes in the Ukrainian capital that are threatening to tip the former Soviet nation into civil conflict.
With police engaged in an overnight battle to clear central Kiev of anti-government protesters, fears abounded that the death toll could rise as eyewitnesses reported seeing bodies not apparently accounted for by the authorities.
The scale of the violence prompted UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to appeal for restraint and "genuine dialogue" between authorities and the opposition. Russia, which has staunchly backed President Viktor Yanukovych, accused Western governments of fanning tension by interfering in Ukraine's internal affairs.
Unrest erupted in the middle of the day as thousands of people marched on the parliament building, where a standoff was taking place over proposed constitutional reforms the opposition said could provide a way out of the political crisis paralyzing the country.
Groups of mainly young men in masks and helmets wielding shields were confronted by riot police, who deployed rubber bullets, stun grenades and tear gas. Pictures from the front lines showed rioters ripping up cobblestones to hurl at police.
The violence that ensued lasted for hours and resulted in numerous deaths and hundreds of injuries.
Kiev city law enforcement officials said that nine policemen were killed during the fighting and that almost 300 were injured, 35 of them critically.
Police said protesters initiated the escalation in violence by using firearms.
By 11 p.m. local time, health officials reported that 25 people had been killed during the clashes. Police had earlier stated that three were shot dead and two died of heart failure. Another person was killed in a car accident, while one person perished in a fire, police said.
Police earlier said one person was also killed at the headquarters of the ruling Party of Regions, which was stormed by demonstrators Tuesday. After midnight in Kiev, Wall Street Journal reporter James Marson wrote from his Twitter account that he had seen another two bodies being carried into a church in the center. It is yet to be established that these reported deaths were counted among the civilian casualties confirmed by the Interior Ministry.
As darkness descended Tuesday evening, riot police pushed crowds back to the central Independence Square, which has served as the focal point of the largely peaceful protests that have been taking place since late November.
Anti-riot forces attempted to disperse the crowd using stun grenades and smoke pellets, and water cannons were also deployed to douse flaming piles of tires ignited to deter police advances. Eyewitnesses reported online that at least one water cannon had been set alight.
Opposition leaders urged demonstrators on the square to stand their ground and resist the onslaught of riot police.
Several eyewitnesses reported that a trade union building overlooking the square that has been used as an opposition headquarters was set alight and that several people were trapped on the ninth floor.
With the widening violence gripping his nation's capital, Yanukovych was reportedly uncontactable by several European leaders. Local media reported that he had been due to meet opposition leaders, but kept them waiting for an hour before cancelling the talks.
Justice Minister Yelena Lukash earlier Tuesday blamed opposition leaders for the worsening instability, saying that they bore "personal responsibility" for the day's events.
Video footage posted online throughout the day showed sustained attacks by rioters on police, as well as incidents of police savagely beating prone protesters. Several journalists covering the day's events also reported being attacked by police.
In a reversal of an opposition concession from a few days earlier, crowds seized the Kiev city hall, which had served as the headquarters of the anti-government protest for nearly two months. The building was vacated Sunday in recognition of the authorities' decision to free all the demonstrators that had been detained since the unrest erupted.
Kiev police said a group of young people, armed with truncheons, on Tuesday also attacked the Canadian Embassy, where they "smashed property and attempted to hurt employees of the diplomatic mission."
While violence was escalating on the street earlier in the day, opposition deputies in parliament blocked the speaker's rostrum in protest against pro-government deputies' refusal to register a bill introducing reform to the constitution.
The bill was eventually registered, the opposition Svoboda party said later Tuesday on Twitter.
Opposition forces want the restoration of the 2004 constitution, which they say would transfer more powers to parliament from the president.
A parliament spokesperson said none of the draft resolutions to restore the earlier constitution submitted for consideration had met the requirement of 150 signatures to bring them to the floor.
Large-scale street protests erupted in Kiev and other Ukrainian cities at the end of November after the government backed away from deals to deepen political and economic cooperation with the European Union and instead opted for closer ties with Russia.
Although initial discontent was focused on that about-face move on EU ties, protests have since taken on a more general anti-government quality and demonstrations have latterly focused on demands for the president's ouster and early elections.
Updates casualty figures, Adds details throughout.