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Adrienne Barbeau is an American actress, singer and the author of three books. Barbeau came to prominence in the 1970's as Broadway's original Rizzo in the musical Grease, and as Carol Traynor, the divorced daughter of Maude Findlay (played by Bea Arthur) on the sitcom Maude.
In the 1970's and 1980's, Barbeau was a sex symbol, and in 1980 began appearing in horror and science fiction films, including The Fog, Creep show, Swamp Thingand Escape from New York.
During the 1990's, she became known for providing the voice of Catwoman on Batman:The Animated Series and subsequent
Batman cartoon series.In the 2000's,she appeared on the HBO series Carnivale as Ruthie the snake dancer.
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Provided by www.ACkits.com
We've updated our forums!
Click here to visit the new forum
Year: 2012
Make: Ford
Model: Focus
Engine Size: 2.0
Refrigerant Type: 134a
Ambient Temp: 49
Pressure Low: 100
Pressure High: 100
Country of Origin: United States
I have a 2012 Focus SEL with Electronic Climate Control. Suddenly, the A/C Compressor does not engage. Blower motor and all associated HVAC controls work.
1. Confirmed there is the proper amount (21.1 oz.) 134a Static is 100 PSIG both High and Low Side.
2. Confirmed Fuses #23 / #27 are good.
3. Confirmed Relay Operation
4. Confirmed Wiring and Connections
5. Confirmed PCM Command to Circuit
6. There are no codes for HVAC CAN indicated.
7. Transducer has 5VDC Ref Voltage, Signal, and Ground (Pin#1 4.8 VDC Pin#2 5.7 VDC Pin#3 4.8 VDC)
8. KOEO HVAC CAN Test shows no problems
I can power the clutch manually (-) Side with 12VDC, the compressor works as it should. If I cycle (manually) at about 28 PSIG it makes ice cubes.
You can review the scan data here. Maybe it will help: https://www.dropbox.com/s/bn3c5wwhra...ndata.jpg?dl=0
Anyone seen this prior?
Thanks! Link to Scan Data
Edited: Mon December 29, 2014 at 7:20 PM by thomas.white
Swap out the relay. There is usually another relay in the box of the same type for the rear defogger or something which you can use for a test. Look for melted / burnt relay or fuse sockets.
Next step would be to pull the relay and jumper across the two contact terminals (not the coil terminals) in the socket. If that doesn't make compressor engage, check that there is continuity from one terminal to a power source, and the other terminal to the compressor.
Edited: Mon December 29, 2014 at 8:09 PM by mk378
I've done all the troubleshooting in the Factory Manual.
Verified all wiring to the PCM and to the HVAC Electronic Controller Bus.
Removed, cleaned, and tested the entire circuit to include the Body Distribution Panels, PCM, and HVAC CAN Bus.
I've been on the phone with Engineering and they suggest replacing the HVAC CAN Module Board. I suggested the EVOS Temp Sensor. But, it's "periodically" loosing communications with the PCM during testing and shutting down (protection mode) the PCM when entering the HVAC CAN Test. It only does it on that specific test. It doesn't do it during an entire CAN Test. And, it does the same using an entirely different IDS VCM-II hardware and Cables. Other than that, they have no reference tickets for this condition on the Focus. But, sounds eerily similar to the Fusion - Hope not, they're a nightmare.
So, I took it down a bumpy road on a test drive and "thought it kicked in" for second but after reviewing the data it did not.
I'll post after the part comes in what the results are.
Until next Monday, I'll take whatever suggestions anyone has. Usually its an hour or so to diagnose and repair. This is pushing 8 + hours with no real results.
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subset: commoncrawl


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I stumbled on the following a while ago on Blissblog:
"Along with the many cross-contaminations between rock-etc and s.f., one thing that Heller's book reminded me of was that many of the very earliest rock criticism publications were started by people who had previously done science fiction fanzines.Simon Reynolds | Blissblog
Intensely self-reflexive fields, rock criticism and science fiction share a strange mix of inferiority and superiority complexes. Painfully aware of their marginal position vis-à-vis "proper" journalism and "respectable" literature, they nonetheless believe that they are doing the Most Crucial Writing of Our Time. I can remember from my own days as an adolescent s.f. fanatic being struck by the s.f. writer's culture of workshops and conventions – by how the writers loved to write essays defining s.f. as a genre, proclaiming its unique contribution to literature. There were even a few volumes of essays by s.f. writers debating s.f. that I remember reading.
This. This exactly describes me during High School. Except replace music with comics. I took pains to let everyone know that comics were the most important thing. I'm sure it was very annoying. Whenever I had to write essays about books in English class, I tried to convince my teachers to let me write about X-Men, Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, and whatever else I was reading at that time. Most of the time I was shut down, but a few teachers indulged as long as I could 'prove' to them that comics weren't just kid's stuff. Actually that was crucial. It challenged me to look at comics somewhat differently, and probably led to my actively seeking out better comics to impress my teachers.
Every Page a Painting
I have a pretty intense memory of showing Kid Eternity to my teacher. This is the Grant Morrison & Duncan Fegredo 90's revamp with fully painted art. I remember challenging my teacher to look closely at the art. "It's all painted" I'd say. "EVERY page is a full painting! Imagine if Michaelangelo had to paint the Sistine Chapel, over and over again, and tell the whole story in that famous painting." I was definitely already a Science Fiction fan at this point. In Poland, I'd collected the magazine Fantasyka, which serialized sci-fi novels and comics. In the US, I read whatever sci-fi my library had on hand. Harry Harrison, Asimov, Pohl, Piers Anthony, David Eddings, Heinlein, Lem, etc.
Sub-Genre of Utopia
To speculate wildly here… if we follow Fredrick Jameson's assertion from Archaeologies of the Future, and think of Science Fiction as a sub-genre of the utopian novel (not the other way around), then sci-fi retains a utopian imaginary somewhere underneath all of the technological dress up. Sci-fi at it's core imagines and extrapolates different worlds/futures based on different customs, different technologies, different environments (planets), etc. It's easy to imagine young brains blown to bits by science fictional speculations.
I don't think that I was consciously doing this at the time, but in retrospect, I must have been thinking about comics as some kind of major human innovation. The comics I was reading were not perfect, but I imagined a different future, where comics were the dominant literature. It's a science fictional extrapolation. Take something small and insignificant from today, and imagine it as a dominant form in the future. Or at least, as something that has the capacity to become that.
Inventing a Future
I imagine young Gary Groth in a similar mode. He takes over The Nostalgia Journal, a fantasy, sci-fi, comics, fanzine, and turns it into The Comics Journal, the most important magazine in the world. There was an inkling there already, a belligerent insistence on the importance of the medium. And all this without clear evidence for that importance, as The Comics Journal kept reminding us, while frequently berating the industry for failing to make great comics. It comes out of that same era. Sci-fi fanzines, pop/rock fan-zines, comics fanzines – popping up everywhere – creating new critical appreciation for debased art forms; art forms that were new and vital and popular. There was no rule book on how to write about these things. They had to invent it in real time. They were inventing the future in real time.


text: Blog Posts in August, 2016 Posted By Gerri D. Marshall, Attorney at Law 11-Aug-2016 P-1 Visa Petition Approved Today for the Pocoyo Show LIVE! We are happy to announce that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service has approved a P-1 Visa Petition for our client "The Pocoyo Show LIVE." As you may already be aware, The Pocoyo Show is an international educational ... Continue Reading Posted By Law Offices of Michael M. Felix 10-Aug-2016 Our Firm Works on TN Visas Too! As you may already be aware, our law firm has successfully prepared several TN Visa applications presented directly to the American Consulates and Embassies in Mexico and Canada. In addition, our office has successfully switched the work visa ... Continue Reading Posted By Law Offices of Michael M. Felix 9-Aug-2016 Expansion of Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver to Spouses and Parents of Lawful Permanent Residents Good news everyone! The Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver has been expanded to Lawful Permanent Residents. This benefit has been expanded to spouses and parents of Lawful Permanent Residents. This new rule has not yet taken effect and therefore, ... Continue Reading


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Battery Reconditioning
- Bring Old Batteries Back To Life Again
- Save Money And Buy Less New Batteries
- People all over the world are already using the EZ Battery Reconditioning™ Method
- Learn how to purchase old batteries, recondition them, and sell them for a nice profit
Battery Reconditioning
Dead Batteries Back To Life Is Simple!"
The EZ Battery Reconditioning™ course is the easy to follow, step-by-step system to recondition all kinds of old batteries with just simple supplies you probably already have in your home.
The course is made up of step-by-step guides that show you how to recondition each type of battery. And each guide is full of pictures and diagrams so you not only read exactly what to do …you see exactly what to do as well!
It's like having me and Frank (aka "The Battery Man") standing there with you, guiding you every step of the way as you recondition your batteries.
And it doesn't matter if you're not technical or don't know the first thing about batteries …because our course is incredibly easy to follow and absolutely anybody can use it.
To date, we have already had over
19,000 People Use EZ Battery Reconditioning
Product Description:
Our product teaches people how to recondition all types of old batteries and bring them back to 100% of their working condition again. This saves people money and has a wide appeal.
This is a product that truly helps people. And it's a product you can feel proud that you're promoting because the EZ Battery Reconditioning program saves people money and helps the Earth (because it keeps batteries out of landfills).
Most people spend $15,000+ on batteries over their lifetime and this number continues to grow each day because people are using more and more batteries, and batteries continue to get more expensive. But our course helps reduce this huge cost because people can reuse old (reconditioned) batteries instead! We also teach people all about proper battery maintenance so their new batteries last much longer.
So what's in the program?…
We have step by step instructions that make reconditioning batteries easy for people.
We teach people how to recondition these batteries:
– Car batteries
– Computer and phone batteries
– Rechargeable batteries
– Long life batteries
– Batteries used in alternative energy systems
– Other types of lead-acid batteries
– Deep cycle marine batteries
– Golf cart batteries
– Forklift batteries
– And many other kinds of common batteries!
All of these reconditioning guides (for the batteries listed above) are conveniently located in the online members area. After a customer purchases our program, they get immediate access to the members area (we also send them their login username and pw to access these guides at a later date if they want to re-download them).
Our program is also just a one-time payment and the customer gets free lifetime access to the guide and any updates we ever make.
Customers really love our product and our refund rate is quite low. We regularly get testimonials and we take great pride in helping so many people.
Additionally, because people can now collect dead batteries from around their home or get them from the many places we show in our program (for free), they can have a nearly endless supply of free batteries because they can recondition and reuse these.
Another benefit of our program is that people will never be without important battery power when they need it most (like in a power outage) because they'll be able to bring an old or dead battery back to life if it happens to go out when they really need it (like in a storm).
As an added bonus, the customer also gets our "Battery Business Guide." This product teaches people how to get old batteries in bulk (for free at times), then how to recondition these batteries and sell them for large profits.
We go over all kinds of different selling methods for these batteries, where to get old batteries, where to sell the batteries, who to sell them to, battery business ideas, and also how to set up a battery servicing business.
This bonus guide provides a lot of additional value to people and we have many customers making great income following this guide!
We also know that one of the best things we can do for our affiliates and the long term health of our product is to really treat our customers right. That is why we have a highly trained support staff that is always ready to help our customers with any order or technical questions they may have. This ongoing support comes with their purchase. Basically, once we sell our product… our work and relationship building is just getting started with the customer. We truly appreciate them (the customer) and we truly appreciate you (the affiliate). 🙂
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General Inquiries
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Saturday I took down all the Valentine's Day reds and replaced them with St. Patrick's Day greens. Today, I am sharing my mantel at Tabletop Tuesday and Nifty Thrifty Tuesday. Stop by and see what other bloggers are doing in their homes.
First, this vignette cost me $4.80. The beer stein with the Irish toast was only $1 at Goodwill. The toast?
|Pulling it all together


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The National Careers Institute (NCI)
The National Careers Institute (NCI) was established to ensure people have access to authoritative and accurate careers information and support irrespective of their age or career stage. Visit the Your Career website to be connected to further education, training or work options to support your current career needs or goals.
My Skills connects individuals and employers looking to undertake training with training organisations that best suit their needs. Searches can be performed on both training and training organisations.
Department of Employment and Workplace relations
The Department 's website is a great source of up-to-date information on Australian Government funded programs and news relating to the vocational and skills industry. There's plenty of information about apprenticeship opportunities, links to related resources and programs.
The Australian Training Awards are the peak national awards for the vocational education and training (VET) sector, and provide a great benchmark for organisations and individuals to work towards. There are a number of categories and awards available, including Apprentice of the Year, and the site includes all the information you need to know, including selection criteria, how to apply, as well as containing interesting information and stories from past award winners and finalists, their career highlights and advice.
The Australian Apprenticeships website it a useful resource for current and potential apprentices as well as their employers. It provides a range of useful information for anyone considering and /or taking on an apprentice or apprenticeship, information on awards and incentives, guidelines, contacts and much more.
SkillsOne website is your resource for entertaining and educational videos about all kinds of professions in any skill area.
Australian Apprenticeships Pathways
This is your one-stop-shop for everything 'Apprenticeships'! Here you'll find information on what an apprenticeship consists of, tips for finding apprenticeships, information on wages, tips for attending interviews, career resources, workplace guide by state, apprenticeships search engine and more.
Australia's national online career information and exploration service that assists career planning, career pathways and work transitions. The service provides support for individuals, and for those who support or influence career choices. The myfuture service contains over 620 occupation profiles with direct links torelated courses, videos, case studies, current earnings and more.
NAEN has produced a tool for employers who are looking for an apprentice, as well as career seekers looking for employment. Search for a Group Training Organisation (GTO) by state and industry or browse all. It's optimised for iPad and tablet use, and responsive design allows use on a computer or smart phone. It identifies GTOs who offer School Based Apprenticeships.
If you are a student or job seeker this online guide will help you to find out about occupations and careers within the service industries. You can find information about what it is like to work in each career, as well as how to get the right qualifications for the job you want.
Jobted is an initiative of the Construction & Property Services Industry Skills Council (CPSISC). It has its origins during the Government's Career Advice Australia (CAA) program when CPSISC was contracted to provide industry career information to a national network of Regional Industry Career Advisers.
AgriFood Skills website provides you with extensive information on careers and pathways in the agriculture industry as well as advice on how to get started.
Adult Learners' Week is celebrated annually with hundreds of events and activities designed to promote the benefits of learning and to highlight the many options available in the home, at work, and in the community. Check out the website for ideas and resources.
Open Colleges – Developing your Career in Information Technology
A job in Information Technology is continuously evolving as businesses look to keep themselves at the top of their game. Visit the Open Colleges website, Australia's leader in online learning, for a free course guide or for more information on the hundreds of other courses on offer.
The NSW Department of education is responsible for overseeing government-funded vocational education and training (VET) in New South Wales. It also offers a one-stop shop for vocational education advice, information and services in NSW.


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Local gyms and studios welcome furloughed government employees to sweat away their stress at a discounted rate—and in many cases, for free. Make sure to bring your government ID if indicated.
Roam Fitness
2505 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 202-813-9555
All furloughed government employees can work out for free with Roam Fitness during the shutdown. Bonus: You can use the free wi-fi in the lobby.
Lil Omm Yoga
4708 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 202-248-6304
Government employees who e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com will get a discounted rate or scholarship.
Athlete Studio
1730 Connecticut Ave., NW; 202-506-5780
Take the 7 PM class at this Dupont Circle studio for just $20 (usually $40). Register online.
Flow Yoga Center
1450 P St., NW; 202-462-3569
Flow is offering some free and discounted classes throughout the week, and will continue updating their schedule via Facebook. The next discounted class is this Saturday at 9 AM at Whole Foods on P Street.
Off Road DC
905 U St., NW; 202-681-1319
Take a free power yoga class at this indoor cycling studio on U Street this Saturday and Monday. Sign up online.
Balance Gym
Thomas Circle, Glover Park, and Foggy Bottom
All furloughed government workers are welcome to all Balance Gym locations for free between 1 and 4 PM. Bring your government ID.
Past Tense Studio
3253 Mount Pleasant St., NW; 202-462-9642
Show your government ID and get $10 yoga classes during the shutdown.
Circle Yoga
3838 Northampton St., NW; 202-686-1104
Furloughed government employees can drop in to any yoga classes this week for $5 off the drop-in rate of $21. Must show government ID.
Potomac Pilates
Shops at Wisconsin Place, the Palisades, Potomac Tennis Club
Register for an account at PotomacPilates.net, then e-mail email@example.com and indicate your position and department. Furloughed government employees will receive two free classes.
3260 Wisconsin Ave., Arlington; 1215 Connecticut Ave., NW
Furloughed government employees who show their government ID can take a Doonya dance class for free tonight at 6:30 PM in Clarendon and 7:30 PM in DC.
Studio DC
Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan
Studio DC is offering furloughed government employees the chance to take their $10 yoga classes for free. Must show government ID. Check out the schedule here.
Extend Yoga
12106 Wilkins Ave., Bethesda; 301-3330
Furloughed government employees with a valid ID can take classes at Extend Yoga for $10 throughout the shutdown.
YMCA of Metropolitan Washington
Eight locations in Washington
If you're a furloughed government employee, visit any of the eight full-service YMCA gymsfor a complimentary guest pass, which can be used for the duration of the shutdown.
Xtend Barre DC
1228 Blagden Alley, NW; 202-289-2020
Head to this barre studio in Blagden Alley with a valid government ID and take a drop-in class for $15. Classes are cash-only and no online sign-ups offered.
Go Figure Barre Studio-Potomac
12500 C Park Potomac Ave, Potomac; 301-838-5569
Furloughed government employees, with a valid government ID, can participate in any of the studio's Figure Method classes at the discounted rate of $15 per class (ordinarily $25 per class) for the duration of the shutdown. For every five classes purchased, receive one class free.
Fuse Pilates
2008 Hillyer Place, NW; 202-525-3767.
Fuse Pilates will offer a free mat class today at 4 PM with instructor Ayelet for furloughed employees. Or, take a drop in class (mat, Reformer, or chair) this week for half the normal price. First come, first served with government ID.
Yoga District-Glover Park
2201 Wisconsin Ave., NW
Furloughed government employees can take yoga classes at Yoga District in Glover Park by donation basis.
Rock Creek Sports Club
8325 Grubb Rd, Silver Spring; 301-587-4447
This Silver Spring gym is letting furloughed government employees use their facilities for free during the shutdown.
Sculpt DC
950 F St., NW; 202-885-9950
The cycling-yoga studio in Gallery Place-Chinatown will offer a furlough cycling class on Thursday from 12:30 to 1:15 PM, and a yoga class on Friday from 4:15 to 5:15 PM. Sign up online and present a valid government ID when you arrive.
Bar Method
750 Ninth St., NW; 7710 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda
Furloughed government employees new to Bar Method can purchase 30 days of unlimited classes at the discounted rate of $99 (normally $125). Sign up online and use the promo code SHUTDOWN2013 to receive the discount. Show valid government ID at the studio.
Zengo Cycle
4866 Cordell Ave., Bethesda; 301-312-6658
Throughout the shutdown, furloughed government employees can walk-in to any noon or 1:30 PM class from Monday to Friday and receive 50 percent off the $15 class. Present your valid government ID at the front desk. No online sign-ups permitted for this special.
Willow Street Yoga
6930 Carroll Ave., Takoma Park; 8561 Fenton St., Second Floor, Silver Spring
Government employees and contractors can drop-in to any yoga and Pilates class at these studios for $10 for the duration of the furlough. Show valid government ID at the studio.
Zumba Classes
5207 Wisconsin Ave., NW
Instructor Elena Menshutkina is offering furloughed government workers free and discounted Zumba classes for the duration of the shutdown. Thursdays at 10 AM are free, and Saturdays at 10 AM and Sundays at 11 AM are $10 (normally $15). Bring valid government ID.
Sport & Health
Multiple locations
Sport & Health is offering furloughed government employees free access to their clubs for two weeks. Just show your valid ID. Access to group fitness classes included. (Offer not valid for current members.)
Dancing Mind Yoga
929 W. Broad St., Falls Church; 703-237-9642
Beginning Friday, October 4, furloughed government employees can drop-in to various classes at this Falls Church studio for half the price of drop-in rates. Visit the studio's Facebook page for a list of classes offered.
Tranquil Space
1632 17th St., NW; 3528 Wilson Blvd., Arlington
Furloughed government employees can receive a 15 percent discount to one-, six-, or 10-class passes. This does not include memberships or the newbie package. Come into either studio to purchase the pass and present a valid government ID.
Biker Barre
738 Seventh St., Southeast; 202-733-1009
All federal employees will receive a discount at Biker Barre during the shutdown. Classes are $15 and must be purchased on a walk-in basis with a valid federal employee ID. Instructor Kendra Kosko, a furloughed federal employee, will teach two free training classes at the studio on Tuesday, October 8 and Thursday October 10 at 1 PM.
Balance Studio
4719 Rosedale Ave., Bethesda; 301-986-1730
This Bethesda studio will continue offering free classes to government employees during the shutdown. Visit it's Facebook page for regular schedule updates.
Down Dog Yoga
1046 Potomac St., NW; 202-965-9642
Beginning Monday, October 7 through Friday, October 11, all 9:30 AM and 4 PM classes at the Georgetown studio are free for furloughed government employees. A valid government ID is required.
If you are a local gym or studio offering deals for furloughed government workers and are not on this list, please e-mail email@example.com with details.
*Editor's note: This article has been updated from a previous version.


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Satara prides itself on supplying high quality products for Indoor Outdoor Living. In the event that you have a warranty claim please see our Warranty Information below.
Satara Australia Warranty: Satara Australia Pty Ltd ABN
("Satara Australia" or "we" or "us" or "our" ), of 13 Cochranes Road, Moorabbin Vic 3189 provides this warranty ("Warranty") for its products that have been purchased in Australia. This Warranty is subject to the Australian Competition and Consumer Act 2010 ("Australian Consumer Law"). The benefits provided in this Warranty are in addition to other rights and remedies of a consumer under the Australian Consumer Law, and any other laws in relation to the products to which this Warranty relates. The Warranty period commences from the date of sale. The period of the Warranty will be:
(a) 3 years for indoor furniture (residential use only)
(c) 3 years for outdoor furniture (residential use only) ; including synthetic weave,framework and welds but excluding outdoor fabrics
(d) No warranty for homewares, picnic and home decor items for claims later than 7 days from purchase of goods.
Sataras' liability under this warranty is to replace, repair or refund (at its discretion) any product that has a manufacturing or material defect that is not the result of normal wear and tear, or a natural characteristic of the material used. This Warranty is not transferable and does not cover products used for commercial purposes unless previously specified. Warranty excludes any freight costs associated with the return of faulty goods and re-supply of replacement items.
Exclusions: Subject to the Australian Consumer Law, this Warranty does not apply to any products sold as seconds, floorstock, clearance items, or products that have a defect where this has been drawn to the customer's attention before the purchase of the product.
In addition, this Warranty will not apply if the product has been repaired; has been subject to abnormal wear and tear; has been exposed to extreme temperatures or has been modified or tampered with in any way.
Please note that the majority of Satara's products are made from natural materials which gives them a unique look and feel. Naturally occuring variances in the product such as wood knots , minor cracks in timber and colour variations are part of the character of the product and are not deemed as product faults.
To claim under the Warranty, first contact Satara Australia for further information. You will require proof of purchase.
Satara Australia
13 Cochranes Road
Moorabbin Victoria 3189
e: firstname.lastname@example.com
Tel: +613 9587 4469


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Isabel Rib Tank
In Midnight Stripe
Our best-selling essential staple. The Isabel is a form-fitting, ribbed racerback tank with a high neckline and cutaway armholes. Crafted in a lightweight, breathable cotton with the perfect amount of stretch for all day wearability and support. Designed to be worn on its own or styled as a layering piece, season to season.
This fit is true to size.
Looks Like: Navy and pearl white stripes tank
Feels Like: Ultra-soft rib knit that holds the body
Shoulder to Shoulder: 10 1/4"
Chest: 27 1/4"
Waist: 26"
Model is 5'10" and wearing a size Small
Fabric: 96% Viscose 4% Spandex
Care Instructions: Machine wash cold
Made in USA with imported materials


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A peaceful park, a cemetery and a gallery
One day when we were visiting Macau we headed into the north-western corner of the peninsula. This was a bit of unknown territory for our hosts, but I'd spotted a couple of things in the guide book which I wanted to visit. It meant suddenly getting off the bus and plunging into some very Chinese back alleys. I was looking for a small park, which turned out to be perched on a plateau rather like Arthur Conan Doyle's Lost World.
The steps up to the park on the northern side were an open air temple. As you looked back it was an amazing view across the traditional temple to the modern tower blocks behind - a real mix of the old and the new. A lot of places on Macau seem a lot more run-down than they actually are. This is because the high humidity of the summer discolours concrete buildings much faster than normal.
The park itself was very peaceful, apart from the pagoda full of old men playing the Chinese equivalent of Backgammon. There were some statues of Portuguese poets who had written about Macau in the past, and a beautiful fountain. Like a lot of Macau's open spaces, there were also free exercise machines.
I was rather struck by the contrast with British culture. I suspect that if you put up some exercise machines in a local park in London within a couple of days they would have become a hanging-out spot for the local hoodies, and covered in graffiti. In Macau, they are almost constantly in use by people as part of their fitness regime.
After the park, we headed to the Protestant Cemetery. This was was erected in the 1800s, and prior to that only Catholics had a decent burial place in Macau. There was a small chapel there, with a simple but beautiful stained-glass window illustrating the gospel in Chinese.
The cemetery itself was an oasis of calm. Most of the graves we saw seemed to date from the 1850s, and some of the headstones told interesting stories. I've written on currybetdotnet already about one grave, which belonged to an American engineer who had assisted in bringing the first magnetic telegraph to Japan, and then died in Macau.
Our next stop was right next door - an old Portuguese villa which had been converted into an art gallery. We stepped through the gates, and it seemed deserted. We weren't sure at all if it was open, and then a security guard emerged from the building and waved us in. We still had to get past the guard dog - possibly the biggest and laziest St. Bernhard in China. He was sprawled across the steps of the Casa, fast asleep and drooling! You can see him in this photo.


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Comes with main blades and tail blades! (380mm and 70mm)
The all new Goblin Buddy 380! This is based off of the original, well proven, Goblin 380 design that now features some design improvements. The landing gear is wider and more stable, making it easier for taking off and landing. The side frames are now 1.5mm thick making them even stronger and more robust! The ESC and battery placements have been raised to improve the CG and overall performance of the model.
The perfect heli to maximize your fun!


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List of Top Mobile App Development Frameworks
Today mobile applications have become part and parcel of our lifestyle. We see people performing personal to professional tasks using these apps. The advantages of mobile application entice entrepreneurs to affiliate with a reputed mobile app development company to get the most out of their businesses.
The ever-increasing usage of the mobile application is gradually ensuring that new and established businesses take advantage of this latest fad and launch their mobile app. People are looking for services and solutions that assist them with the development process. This has resulted in the emergence of app development frameworks.
Every year, we see new application designing platforms emerging in the market. There are, in fact, a wide array of platforms available, which makes it difficult for most of the mobile developers to find and select the best framework.
If you are facing a similar confusion, this blog post is specifically for you! In the forthcoming sections of this write-up, we will throw light on a wide array of top mobile app development frameworks in the year 2019. We promise after reading this piece of content; you will be in a far better situation to streamline your app coding and design process. This can be achieved by selecting the right mobile app development framework for creating mobile apps.
React Native
Source: medium
React Native is one of the most robust mobile app development frameworks created by Facebook. The fantastic thing is, Baidu, Airbnb, Tesla, Walmart, Instagram, and other Fortune 500 companies are using it. It is an extraordinarily original and compelling version of Facebook's React JavaScript framework.
This will surprise you for sure: React Native employs the similar UI building blocks as most of iOS and development framework for Android applications. This particular facet makes it very difficult to differentiate between a React Native app and an application developed by employing Objective-C and Java.
This robust mobile app development framework enhances the speed of development and saves resource costs. It requires developers to write only one code which assists them to save time on development and sustenance of maintenance once you hire react native app developers. Affiliate with a reputed react native app development company and create amazingly creative mobile applications for your business!
Source: Ionicframework
It is an open-source framework that has been licensed under the MIT license. Through this robust framework, it is possible to get a comprehensive library of gestures, software tools, and elements. With the help of Ionic, developers can create cutting-edge web and native mobile applications for all major app stores by including a single codebase. This is achieved, thanks to the premier native plugins present in Ionic. Developers can employ it straightforwardly by availing features like Bluetooth, fingerprint authentication, and health kit.
As of now, there are approximately 3 to 4 million apps that have been developed by 4 to 5 million Ionic developers on a worldwide basis. The thing that makes it different from other mobile app development frameworks is the fact that it supports cross-platform functionalities and features. Developers even get to choose between alternatives to assimilate with Angularjs for developing contemporary apps.
Ionic maximizes the effectiveness of Cordova plugins that assist developers in getting diverse components of the adaptable framework. Some of the examples, include GPS, camera, and much more. To make the most of this trending mobile app development framework, we suggest you join hands with a professional Ionic app development company and hire Ionic app developers who are God-gifted in this technology!
Source: wenndersantos
Source: medium
Flutter is one of the most powerful mobile app development frameworks created by Google. It assists in creating scintillating and immersive UI that makes it look class-apart from other frameworks. In comparison to hybrid apps that employ web views or React Native apps that employ native components, Flutter apps utilize native code.
It compiles with native ARM code which ensures there is no layer between framework and the CPU. This helps in providing Flutter a native feel. There is also a graphic engine known as Skia in Flutter. It is a widely known 2D graphics engine that has been developed by Google. It employs Dart, an object-oriented programming language.
Flutter apps perform at a very swift pace of approximately 60 fps. Since, this mobile app development framework employs singular code, lots of time and money gets saved. Since Flutter is open-source, it is freely available to use.
Final Thoughts
Selecting the right mobile application development framework takes time. You need to consider lots of different things. If you are looking to develop a game or an app that needs truck-loads of device-specific functions, we recommend you go with Native. However, if you wish to create a mobile app with a simplistic appeal, cross-platform can be a better option especially as it saves your precious time and money.
So, which of the mobile app development frameworks are you going to choose for your app? Contemplate hard and then select the best of the best from the ones that we have mentioned in this blog.
We hope that the list that we have provided helps you to select the best mobile app development frameworks to create scintillating mobile apps that can ease the development process and give you amazing results! If you wish to develop ingenious mobile apps using cutting-edge mobile app development frameworks, this is your chance to affiliate with us!


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On Tuesday 12th March Cedar class performed poems as part of a poetry competition.
They all preformed poems they had written themselves along with some of their favourite poems as a class. Poet John Stammers kindly came in to judge the competition along with Mr Day and although all of the poems were fantastic, Jonathan M was awarded first prize for his poem full of humour! Well done and congratulations to Cedar class.


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Cernos Gel
Manufacturer – Sun Pharmaceuticals
Drug form – 14 sachets of 5g
Active ingredient – Testosterone gel (Testogel)
Cernos Gel (Testosterone gel 1%) is a drug containing testosterone, used exclusively for external use. As a rule, this drug is prescribe to men if they have a lack of testosterone in the body. Such a gel with testosterone is quite effective and absolutely safe. However, it is important to follow the instructions from the manufacturer and take the product properly. To maintain the level of the hormone testosterone at the required level, you need to use the drug daily.
Advantages and disadvantages
Today, Testosterone gel reviews are mostly positive. This is due to the presence of a number of advantages of the drug:
If you compare the gel with a similar drug in the form of injections, then it is much more comfortable to use the gel, as its use does not cause pain and discomfort;
You can use the gel on your own, there is no need to consult a doctor;
The gel with testosterone rarely provokes the appearance of any adverse reactions, so it is very easily tolerate.
The use of the gel cannot lead to an overdose. However, there are also some disadvantages of Testosterone gel. First, it must be apply very carefully, strictly following the instructions. Secondly, within 5 hours after application, you cannot touch other people. This is due to the fact that the gel can enter the human body and disrupt its hormonal balance. This phenomenon can be especially harmful for pregnant women, as well as for young children. If there is an accidental touch, it is urgently necessary to wash the area of the skin on which the gel was transfer with water and soap.
Method of using the drug
To begin with, it should be noted that Testosterone gel is a male drug, its effect on women has not been evaluated by the manufacturer in any way. Testosterone gels are prescribed as hormone replacement therapy exclusively for men. There are some rules for the use of Testosterone gel:
After the gel package is opened, it must be applied immediately, it is not recommended to store it in this form.
Apply one sachet of the drug per day to washed and dried skin;
Do not apply the drug to the genital area, because there is a risk of allergic reactions;
Do not apply the gel in places of damage, wounds or scratches;
It is recommend to apply Testosterone gel on the abdomen, forearms and shoulders.
There are some restrictions on combining the drug with other medications. For example, it is a taboo to use the gel together with insulin, drugs to enhance the activity of the thyroid gland, as well as various anticoagulants.


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Etiquette, expectations, entitlement...@autoexec_bin | #magiclantern | Discord | Reddit | Server issues
I hope you guys enjoy//www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_ud5lXRJDg
Awesome work you guys do ! I also get inspired by all the good videos, especially by Ilia Sibiryakov.So I bought a used 5D and went for holidays to fool around a little bit.The newest build worked pretty well for me.I hope you guys enjoy//www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_ud5lXRJDg
Also what was the lens? Think you should buy another one if want to shoot in 4k, because in my opinion the lens resolution here is not enough for it.
I see some strong "ghosting/blurring" on moving objects. Why is it so?
You need to include the OB range , even thou the final resolution is 3008x1080 there more area to consider here .Code: [Select]Default Crop Size : 3016 1080Active Area : 52 160 1132 3176as you can see the real size is 3016x1080 but because of mod8 rules the mlv_rec only save as 3008 .Now in the raw image dump to dng you can see the OB area included now 3176x1132 , the 52 160 is the crop offset52lines for vertical & 160 lines horizontal = 3016x1080 (mlv_rec cropped 3008x1080) .So let figure out the math for the over all size with OB to MP/s3176*1132*23.976 = 86.19 MP/s so there less then 10 MP/s left for total available of 96 MP/s so theremust be a little overhead there in headtimers , so I think that really the limit unless there a way to increase the frequency from 24MHz to let say 32MHz , that would give us 128MP/s good enough for 3520x1350 @ 23.976(114 MP/s) with OB it would be (3680*1402*23.976=123.7 MP/s)
Default Crop Size : 3016 1080Active Area : 52 160 1132 3176
"ghosting/blurring" on moving objects
Probably bad project settings and export...
i think its the shutter speed problem. double of your frame rate is all you need
What a wonderful video. Good colour and composition. And nice lens choice, I once had a sigma 15-30 I thought the Helios 44's softness looked really nice actually, a pleasing glow. The shots at 0:44 1:49 and 3:03 in my opinion are examples of that.If MLV App was used, "smooth aliasing" filter was probably enabled on export. I have seen a few videos affected by it before. @masc it should have a warning label so people don't accidentally use it on shots with moving objects. It doesn't even do much for tripod shots anyway.I see. So OB is just black area? Maybe that could be reduced somehow. Sad to know that maybe it really is reaching the limit now.
@shiro_hh Hi, here at 2:34 - this footage with kite in sky also shot in 4k? And what was the FPS and shutter speed did you use? Every moving objects are so blurred. Also what was the lens? Think you should buy another one if want to shoot in 4k, because in my opinion the lens resolution here is not enough for it.
sure , I'll let you know when it's ready
Playing around with the 1:1 3.5k centered crop_rec preset , I can push the vertical to 2784x1160 @ 23.976fpsI have to reduced the vertical to 1160 from 1200 , so you lose 40 lines vertical but gain 192 lines horizontal .A.R. is 2.40 , so is this something that would be used ? I'll put up a test build later on . So it seems that 86 MP/s is as far I can go currently , unless I can find where the overhead is limiting the total output of 96 MP/sSo for the one's follow alone , the raw dump image is 2952x1213 with offset crop 52 vertical & 160 horizontal = (2792x1161) mod8 rules =2784x1160 FYI 2.952*1.213*23.976=85.85 MP/s .
@Reddeercity, so, maybe you already knew it, but i just noticed that if you select 14 bits and global Draw is "on" with Ml Grayscale preview, then the lifeview become lifeview =) It's around 1 fps, but better then nothing. And it freezes when selecting 12 or 10 bpp. Why is it happening?
On 5D2, the syntax is: call("lv_save_jpeg", 1)
for 5D2c0f04008: 4000080 <-- HD buffer
Magic Lantern crop_rec-4k-5D2-eXperimental.2019May30.5D2212Camera : 5D2Firmware : 212Changeset: 8bfbb0ca228e+ (crop_rec_4k_5D2) tipBuilt on : 2019-05-31 05:50:42 by david@reddeercitydiff -r 8bfbb0ca228e src/raw.c--- a/src/raw.c Sat Sep 08 11:26:34 2018 +0200+++ b/src/raw.c Thu May 30 23:50:42 2019 -0600@@ -32,6 +32,11 @@
Hacking the hack. Let's take one of the builds from first post:It contains a single file: crop_rec.mo. Put it in your magic-lantern/modules directory and run:Code: [Select]./module_hginfo_dump.sh crop_rec.moResult:Code: [Select]Build date : 2019-04-05 04:19:36 UTCBuild user : david@reddeercitydiff -r 8bfbb0ca228e modules/crop_rec/crop_rec.c...< what follows is the complete source code of crop_rec, displayed as diff from changeset 8bfbb0ca228e >Changeset 8bfbb0ca228e is public (exactly where reddeercity indicated). The diff embedded in the binary module (crop_rec.mo in our case) contains all changes to that module, since the reference changeset.Et voilà, you've got the complete source code.
./module_hginfo_dump.sh crop_rec.mo
Build date : 2019-04-05 04:19:36 UTCBuild user : david@reddeercitydiff -r 8bfbb0ca228e modules/crop_rec/crop_rec.c...< what follows is the complete source code of crop_rec, displayed as diff from changeset 8bfbb0ca228e >
Page created in 0.036 seconds with 24 queries.


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Does anybody know of free/open source tools to regionate vector (kml) data, like the regionate tool in Google Earth Pro (see http://support.google.com/earth/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=175007)?
I have only found one, which is Regionator (http://code.google.com/p/regionator/). It is a set of Python scripts and I am not sure how to get it to work so perhaps if anybody has a link to tutorials or the like?.


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Aqueous Extract of Black Maca (Lepidium meyenii) on Memory Impairment Induced by Ovariectomy in Mice
The present study aims to test two different doses of aqueous extract of black maca on learning and memory in ovariectomized (OVX) mice and their relation with malonalehyde (MDA), acetylcholinesterase (Ache) and monoamine oxidase (MAO) brain levels. Female mice were divided into five groups: (i) naive (control), (ii) sham, (iii) OVX mice and OVX mice treated with (iv) 0.50 g kg−1 and (v) 2.00 g kg−1 black maca. Mice were orally treated with distilled water or black maca during 35 days starting 7 days after surgery. Memory and learning were assessed using the water Morris maze (from day 23–27) and the step-down avoidance test (days 34 and 35). At the end of each treatment, mice were sacrificed by decapitation and brains were dissected out for MDA, Ache and MAO determinations. Black maca (0.5 and 2.0 g/kg) increased step-down latency when compared to OVX control mice. Black maca decreased MDA and Ache levels in OVX mice; whereas, no differences were observed in MAO levels. Finally, black maca improved experimental memory impairment induced by ovariectomy, due in part, by its antioxidant and Ache inhibitory activities.
1. Introduction
Lepidium meyenii Walp., known as maca, grows over 4000 m altitude in the central Peruvian Andes. Previous studies were focused to demonstrate the traditional fertility-enhancing properties of the hypocotyls of maca [1–3]. In addition, maca has been demonstrated to have antioxidant properties in vitro and in vivo [4, 5].
Epidemiological studies found a significant correlation between dietary intake of vegetables and improvement in cognitive function in elderly people [6]. For instance, aging women consuming cruciferous vegetables (e.g., broccoli and cauliflower) showed less cognitive decline than those not consuming them [7]. Members of the genus Lepidium, including maca, belong to the cruciferous (Brassicaceae) family and it is possible that this plant may have effects on cognitive functions. In fact, many reports have claimed other non-traditional properties of maca including its capacity to reduce menstrual and menopausal symptoms in women, promote mental clarity, restore hormonal balance in women and improve memory [8–10]. Previously, when different varieties of maca (red, yellow and black) were compared for its capacity to induce memory improvement, black maca showed the greatest effect [11]. In addition, it was demonstrated that black maca improve memory impairment induced by scopolamine, a muscarinic cholinergic receptor antagonist [12].
Ovariectomy is a well-known animal model to induce memory impairment in rodents [13]. It was previously demonstrated that ovariectomized (OVX) rodents showed a lower performance in spatial tests such as water Morris maze and eight-arm radial maze [14] and reduced latent time in the step-down avoidance test [15]. Moreover, other studies showed that the deleterious effect of ovariectomy on memory could be related to its capacity to induce oxidative stress [16], cholinergic and monoaminergic dysfunction [17, 18] in brain.
Considering that: (i) maca is used for its capacity to improve memory, (ii) maca has antioxidant activity, (iii) black maca shows the greatest effect on cognitive function, (iv) black maca showed acetylcholinesterase (Ache) inhibitory activity and no effect on monoamine oxidase (MAO) levels in male mice and (v) ovariectomy is an female animal model that induce memory impairment related to an increased oxidative stress and cholinergic and MAO dysfunction, the present study aims to evaluate the effect of black maca in ovariectomy-induced memory impairment in female mice and its effect on malonalehyde (MDA), Ache and MAO brain levels.
2. Subjects and Methods
2.1. Animals
Female mice of 3-months old from the Kunming strain (28.29 ± 0.28 g) were used for the study. Mice were maintained at ambient temperature (23.0 ± 2.0°C) with a 12 : 12 h light/dark cycle in the animal house of the Institute of Medicinal Plant Development (IMPLAD). Mice were provided with laboratory chow and tap water ad libitum. All animal experiments were conducted in compliance with "Guide of the care and use of laboratory animals" [19].
2.2. Ovariectomy
Naive mice were anesthetized with 50 mg kg−1 of pentobarbital (ip). Bilateral ovariectomies were performed using a dorsolateral approach. Ovaries and surrounding fat tissue were removed and the incision was closed by suturing the muscles and skin. Similar surgical procedures were carried out for the sham operated animals except that the ovaries were not removed. Experiments were performed one week (7 days) after they were ovariectomized.
2.3. Preparation of Aqueous Extract of Black Maca
The dried hypocotyls of black maca were obtained from Carhuamayo, Junin at 4000 m altitude. Irma Fernandez, a botanist of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, authenticated the identity of the plant (voucher number IFV1885). The aqueous extract was prepared according to the traditional method. In brief, the pulverized dried hypocotyls were placed in a container with water and boiled. The preparation will be left standing to cool, filtered, freezed (−70°C) and lyophilized (Lyophilizer freeze Mobile12). One gram of dried black maca hypocotyls produced 0.46 g of lyophilized black maca.
2.4. Treatments
In all experiments, a feeding needle N°18 (Fisher Scientific, Pittsburgh, PA, USA) for oral administration was used to administer aqueous (0.5 and 2.0 g kg−1) extract of black maca or vehicle (distilled water) for 35 days between 9:00 h and 12:00 h. Animals were divided in the following groups (n = 10): naive, sham, OVX control groups and two groups of OVX mice treated with two doses aqueous extract of black maca (0.5 and 2.0 g kg−1). No differences between groups regarding body weight were observed at the beginning of the experiment (data not shown).
2.5. Water Morris Maze
This task was adapted for mice from the paradigm originally described by Morris [20]. The water maze was a circular pool (65 cm diameter, 25 cm deep), filled with water (26 ± 1°C) and made opaque with black ink, to the depth of 20 cm. The pool was divided into four quadrants. An escape platform was placed in the middle of one quadrant, 1.0 cm below the water surface, equidistant from the sidewall and middle of the pool. The platform providing the only escape from the water was located in the same quadrant on every trial. Three different starting points for mice were placed around the perimeter of the pool. On each of the four training days, all three start points were used once each in a pseudo-random sequence, so the starting point was different in every session. All assessments were performed using a CRE camera that was suspended over the center of the pool. The swimming activity of each mice was recorded using an automated tracking system (China's Cosmonaut Training Center and Institute of Medicinal Plant Development) [21] coupled to a personal computer. The water maze was always located in a large room and the experimenter was always sat at the same position. All experiments were carried out between 10:00 h and 16:00 h.
2.5.1. Escape Acquisition
A trial began by placing the animal in the water facing the wall of the pool at one of the starting points. If the animal failed to escape on the platform within 120 s, it was gently placed there by the experimenter and allowed to stay for 15 s. The inter-trial interval was 5–10 min. Three escape trails were given to all mice per day for four consecutive days (days 23–26 of each treatment). The escape latency(s), swim distance and average speed (cm s−1) to reach the platform were recorded during these trials.
2.5.2. Spatial Memory Test
Twenty four (day 27) hours after the last training trial in the escape acquisition test, mice were submitted to the probe trial in which the platform was removed. In the 60-s probe trial, the time in the target quadrant (s; the quadrant in which the platform was located in the training sessions) and the number of target crossings (number of crossings over the former location of the platform) were obtained as a measure for spatial memory.
2.6. Step-Down Avoidance Test
The apparatus was a plastic box (27 × 15 × 12 cm3) whose floor was made of parallel bronze bars. The left end of the grid was occupied by a 4 cm diameter, 5 cm high wooden platform. The behaviour of mice was recorded in a personal computer using an automated tracking system (China's Cosmonaut Training Center and Institute of Medicinal Plant Development; [22]) coupled to an infrared sensor located in the apparatus. The experiments were carried out from 10:00 to 14:00 h.
The step-down avoidance test was performed 6 days after the Morris water maze as previously described [23]. Before the beginning of the training session, mice were placed on the apparatus to adapt for 3 min. In the training session (day 34), mice were put on the grid floor and then a continuous electric shock (0.4 mA) was delivered to the grid floor by an isolated stimulator. When the electric shock was delivered, mice escape from the grid floor back up onto the platform. The duration of training test was for 5 min and the shock was maintained for this period. Twenty-four hours after training (day 35), mice were placed on the platform for the retention test. The electric shocks were still delivered for 5 min. Step-down latency and the number of error were recorded with improved retention reflected by increased latency and reduction in errors.
2.7. Biochemical Determination of MDA, Ache and MAO Levels
At the end of the experiments, mice were sacrificed by decapitation and the brains were dissected out. The brains were homogenized in 10.0 ml of saline (NaCl 0.9%), centrifuged at 3500 g for 15 min and the supernatant obtained for biochemical determinations (MDA, Ache and MAO levels). The determination of MDA, Ache and MAO levels were performed using commercial kits (Nanjing Jiancheng Bioengineering Institute, P.R. China). All samples were run in a same assay to avoid between-assay variation. Protein concentrations were determined by the Lowry method [24] using bovine serum albumin as a standard.
2.8. Statistical Analysis
Data were analyzed using the statistical package STATA 8.0 for personal computer (Stata Corporation, Texas, USA). Data are presented as mean ± SEM. Homogeneity of variances was assessed using a Bartlett test. Variables with homogeneous variances (body weights and those corresponded to water Morris maze) were analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA). If the P-value in the ANOVA test was significant, post hoc Scheffé test was run when indicated. When variances were not homogeneous (latency and number of errors in the step-down test and MDA, Ache and MAO brain levels), the Kruskal-Wallis test was used to assess differences between groups. If the result was statistically significant, differences between pair of medians were assessed using the Mann-Whitney U-test. A value of P < .05 was considered to be statistically significant.
3. Results
3.1. Body Weight
No differences among groups were observed in body weight at the beginning of the experiments (F4,44 = 1.80, P = NS). At the end of the study, differences in body weight gain were observed between groups (F4,44 = 4.68, P < .05). OVX mice showed a higher body weight increase than mice in naive (14.65%; P < .05) and sham (16.70%; P < .05) groups. Black maca did not alter the effect of ovariectomy on body weight (24.74 and 22.29% for 0.5 and 2.0 g kg−1 black maca, respectively; F4,44 = 4.68, P > .05). In fact, the increase in body weight in OVX mice treated with black maca was higher than naive and sham groups (P < .05).
3.2. Effect of Black Maca on Escape Acquisition and Spatial Memory in OVX Mice
During the acquisition test, no differences between groups were observed during the first day in swimming distance (F4,44 = 0.13, P = NS). When OVX control group was compared against naive and sham groups, OVX mice showed longer swimming distance than naive and sham groups during days 2 (F2,26 = 5.27, P < .05), 3 (F2,26 = 6.81, P < .05) and 4 (F2,26= 5.29, P < .05). No differences between mice in naive and sham groups were observed (P > .05). From day 2 to 4, mice treated with 0.5 and 2.0 g kg−1 of black maca showed a reduction in swimming distance than OVX mice in control group reaching similar values to those of naive and sham groups (F4,44 = 3.73, P < .05; F4,44 = 4.29, P < .05; F4,44 = 3.78, P < .05 for days 2, 3 and 4, resp.) (Figure 1(a)).
All groups showed no significant changes in escape latency during the first day (F4,44 = 0.12, P > .05). Ovariectomy significantly increased the time to reach the fixed platform with respect to naive and sham mice in days 2 (F2,26 = 15.22, P < .05), 3 (F2,26 = 14.25, P < .05) and 4 (F2,26 = 9.85, P < .05). Black maca reduced the escape latency when compare to the OVX control group during day 2 (F4,44 = 6.53, P < .05), 3 (F4,44 = 8.98, P < .05) and 4 (F4,44 = 7.07, P < .05) (Figure 1(b)).
Average speed was not affected by any treatment (F4,44 = 1.87, P = NS).
OVX mice showed lower time in the target quadrant (F2,26 = 5.69, P < .05) and lower number of crossings (F2,26 = 4.09, P < .05) than mice in naive and sham groups. Both doses of black maca prevented the decrease in the time spent in the target quadrant (F4,44 = 5.58, P < .05) and the number of crossings of the previous location of the platform (F4,44 = 7.47, P < .05) (Figures 2(a) and 2(b)).
3.3. Effect of Black Maca on Step-Down Avoidance Test in OVX Mice
Non-parametric analyses showed that OVX mice presented lower step-down latency than mice in naive and sham groups (P < .05). OVX mice treated with both doses of black maca showed higher values of step-down latency than OVX mice treated with vehicle (P < .05) (Table 1).
3.4. MDA, Ache and MAO Brain Levels
MDA and Ache brain levels were increased in OVX mice when compare with naive and sham groups (P < .05). No differences were observed between naive and sham groups (P > .05). OVX mice receiving two different doses of black maca showed lower MDA and Ache brain levels than OVX mice (P < .05). MDA and Ache levels in black maca groups were similar than values in control groups (naïve and sham). OVX mice treated with 0.5 g kg−1 of black maca showed higher Ache values when compare with naive group (P < .05). No differences in MDA and Ache levels were observed in OVX mice treated with black maca (P > .05) (Table 2). In addition, no differences in MAO levels were observed between groups (P > .05).
MDA, Ache and MAO values for each group were log-transformed for correlation analyses to determine the relation between these variables and those from the memory tests. Negative correlations were observed between MDA and Ache values and total time in the target quadrant (r = −0.48, P = .002; r = −0.36, P = .021, resp.) and number of crossings (r = −0.47, P = .003; r = −0.43, P = .005, resp.) in the spatial probe of the water Morris maze. No correlations were observed between MDA and Ache brain levels and latency (r = 0.04, P = .83; r = −0.03, P = .872, resp.) and number of errors (r = 0.29, P = .08; r = 0.28, P = .083, resp.) in the step-down test.
4. Discussion
Maca is naturally present in different varieties which are characterized by their external color and different biological effects were described for yellow, red and black maca [25]. In fact, the effect of black maca on memory was previously elucidated using OVX mice [11].
Ovariectomy is characterized by progressive memory deficits, central cholinergic nerve system degeneration, excessive oxidative stress and differentiation/apoptosis imbalance [26]. This model has been a widely used in vivo model to mimic post-menopausal pathophysiological changes in women related to learning and memory [14], brain oxidative stress [13] and cholinergic and monoaminergic function [18, 26]. In the present study, ovariectomy resulted in impairment on memory function as observed in the water Morris maze and step-down avoidance tests. These results are in accordance with those described in previous studies [15]. Although hormone deprivation due to ovariectomy causes spatial memory deficits, it is important to notice that estrous cycle may influence the performance in memory tests [27]. We do not discard the possibility that gonadal steroids or other substances produced by ovaries may have some influence on our results, the lack of differences between gonadally intact and OVX groups during the first day of training in the water Morris maze and step-down avoidance test suggests that gonadal estrogens are not biasing our results. In addition, a possible estrogenic activity of black maca on memory should be discarded due to the fact that it was previously demonstrated that black maca did not have estrogenic activity [25].
In the water Morris maze, black maca was able to alleviate the effect of ovariectomy. It is important to notice that water Morris maze investigated spatial learning and memory [28]. From this, it is reasonable to suggest that black maca may improve spatial learning and memory deficits induced by ovariectomy. During the step-down avoidance test, black maca in OVX mice increased latency time and reduced the number of errors. Although black maca did not fully reverse the effect of ovariectomy during the test, black maca treatment partially attenuates its effect by giving to OVX mice similar behaviors to naive and sham mice. Step-down latency is taken as a measurement of retention [9] and for this reason it is possible to suggest that black maca diminished the effect of ovariectomy related to retention.
Antioxidants play an important role in preventing or alleviating chronic diseases by reducing the oxidative damage to cellular components caused by reactive oxygen species [29]. Naturally occurring polyphenolic constituents are potential antioxidants [30]. For this reason, researchers focused in the finding and screening of natural products from different plant species to identify new antioxidants in order to avoid synthetic antioxidant products and their secondary toxic effects [31, 32]. In addition, the brain is susceptible to be peroxidated by free radicals [33]. Lipid peroxidation (LPO) readily decomposes to liberate carbonyl fragments, the most prominent being MDA, which are highly reactive and responsible for cytotoxic effects and neuronal death [33]. From this, MDA levels can be taken as an indicator for the state of LPO. The reported abnormal alteration in MDA levels and its relation to memory impairment have been showed in previous studies [34]. Our results confirmed the capacity of black maca to reduce oxidative stress. So, black maca may improve learning and memory in OVX mice by its capacity to reduce oxidative stress.
Cholinergic dysfunction is the primary effect observed in progressive loss of memory and dementia in the elderly (i.e., Alzheimer disease) [35]. For instance, Ache inhibitors are the first group of compounds for Alzheimer disease treatment [36]; however, long-term treatment can cause adverse side effects (mainly by the activation of peripheral cholinergic systems; [37]). The latter open the opportunity to search new long-acting Ache inhibitors with minimal clinical side effects. In fact, previous studies observed that green tea polyphenols exhibited an inhibitory effect on Ache activity and significantly reversed scopolamine-induced retention deficits, both step-through passive avoidance and spontaneous alternation behavior tasks [38]. Outcomes from the present study showed that black maca present Ache inhibitory activity in OVX mice. This finding is supported by the fact that black maca reduced Ache activity in mice treated with scopolamine [12].
As observed previously [12], results from the present study showed that black maca extracts did not alter MAO activity. From this, it is suggested that the neuroprotective effect of black maca do not result from direct MAO inhibition as observed with other products [39, 40]. This finding is important since it has been suggested the possibility that (1R,3S)-1-methyltetrahydro-β-carboline-3-carboxylic acid, a molecule which is reported to be present in maca, may affect the central nervous system negatively [41]. Tetrahydro-β-carbolines arises from a Pietet-Splenger condensation between L-tryptophan and aldehydes and this reaction is temperature- and pH-dependent [42]. The latter makes it possible to suggest that the traditional preparation of maca may be not related to the occurrence of tetrahydro-β-carbolines in the aqueous extract. Data from this study and that from others [11, 12] suggest that black maca may be neuro-protective.
The neuro-protective effects of plants containing polyphenolic compounds such as quercetin [43] and anthocyanins [44] have been previously reported. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that polyphenolic compounds have Ache inhibitory activity and antioxidant effect on brain [38, 45, 46]. It was previously demonstrated that polyphenolic compounds are able to cross the blood brain barrier and localize in various brain regions (including cerebellum, cortex, hippocampus or striatum) being this localization in brain significantly correlated with good performances in the water Morris maze and passive avoidance tasks [47]. Previous studies demonstrated that maca hypocotyls contain polyphenolic compounds such as quercetin [5] and anthocyanins [48]. The compounds in black maca related to its neuroprotective effect have not been elucidated yet, but it is suggested that the effect of black maca on memory and learning may be due to its content of polyphenolic compounds such as quercetin and anthocyanins.
In the present study, 7 days after ovariectomy no differences in body weight were observed between groups as previously reported [49]. An increase in body weight in OVX mice was observed at the end of the experiments. These results are in accordance with other authors that found that body weight in OVX animals was increased after 4 and/or 6 weeks after surgery due to hyperphagia [50]. Similar to our results, Zhang et al. [51] found that maca did not alter the body weight increase due to ovariectomy. Other authors found that estradiol and soy phytoestrogens significantly decreased body weight and adipose tissue deposition by increasing metabolism [52]. The latter is in accordance with the previous finding that maca had neither estrogenic nor androgenic activities in vivo [25, 52].
Finally, these results demonstrated that black maca can enhance learning and memory in OVX mice and this effect might be related, at least in part, to its ability to reduce LPO and Ache in OVX mice.
National Nature Science Foundation of China, NSFC in 2004 (30472016/C03020701); International Technologic Collaboration Project, grant no. 2006DFA21740; Peruvian National Council of Sciences, Technology and Innovation (CONCYTEC) through the grant PROCOM 2005.
The authors acknowledge the assistance of Sandra Yucra, Peng Bo, Hu Qin, Gong Mengjuan, Xiaming Wen and Yang Keli. Julio Rubio was on leave from the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH) through the Memorandum of Understanding between IMPLAD, CONCYTEC and UPCH. His travel was supported by CONCYTEC.
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The following are academic posters displayed various conferences. Please cite my scholarship appropriately if you chose to use these illustrations and visualisations with your students.
Using the following reference style: Presenter Surname, Initial(s). (Year, Month). Title of poster. Poster session presented at the meeting of Organisation Name, Location.
Click on the poster to download a high-quality PDF version on the same.


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Are you missing out on R&D tax credits?
R&D Tax Credit claims have more than doubled – so why are so many companies still missing out?
Latest figures published by HMRC on R&D Tax Credits suggest that more small businesses are finally tapping into this valuable relief, with the number of SME claims so far for periods ending in 2016 and 2017 topping 34,000 – more than double the 15,585 claims made for 2013-14.
According to the statistics published in September, that represents £1.83billion of tax credits claimed by SMEs. Whilst this figure is already more than the £1.75billion claimed for 2015-16, it will undoubtedly increase as it only accounts for claims made in the first six months of 2018. Businesses can make a claim up to two years after the end of their accounting period, so the final total for periods ending in 2016 and 2017 is expected to be well in excess of £2billion.
While the report headlines are undoubtedly encouraging, deeper analysis into the figures would suggest that thousands of companies are still missing out on funding worth an average of £50,000 to each business.
What are R&D Tax Credits?
The basic principle of R&D tax relief is to reward companies that invest in developing new products, processes or services – or enhancing existing ones – via either a reduction in tax or a cash repayment. The credits can be significant, in some cases up to 33p for every £1 of qualifying spend.
Companies can claim R&D tax relief on a range of revenue expenditure – such as employee and subcontractor costs, materials and consumables, and computer software – if that expenditure was incurred as part of a qualifying R&D project. This is one which, according to HMRC, "seeks to achieve an advance in overall knowledge or capability in a field of science or technology through the resolution of scientific or technological uncertainty".
There are separate schemes for SMEs and large companies (who have more than 500 employees, and either an annual turnover in excess of €100million or a balance sheet total over €86million). If your company and project meet the criteria, then you could qualify for up to 230% tax relief on those R&D costs. This means that for every £100 of qualifying cost, your company could reduce its taxable profits (or increase a loss) by an additional £130 on top of the £100 spent. If your company is loss-making, you can choose to claim tax credits rather than carry the loss forward, and receive a cash payment of up to 33p for every pound spent on R&D.
Who is missing out and why?
While there are several reasons why companies may be missing out, most of them are based on a lack of awareness of the scheme and who is eligible – issues already acknowledged by HMRC.
The Taxing Times report, published by the Federation of Small Businesses earlier this year, found that awareness of tax reliefs generally is fairly low among small businesses, with 55% of SMEs saying they were unaware of R&D Tax Credits. Perhaps more worryingly, only 7% of those who were aware had actually claimed them.
A misconception amongst businesses about the nature of research and development may be partly responsible for this low take up. For many business owners, the concept of R&D is something carried out in a laboratory by technicians and researchers in white coats. However, HMRC's definition is deliberately wide-ranging, and "the resolution of scientific or technological uncertainty" could include anything from manufacturing processes to building techniques and food production.
The perception that R&D Tax Credits are not for us is reflected in the business sectors making successful claims. While manufacturing and information and communication accounted for more than half of the successful claims so far for 2016-17, sectors such as health, education and transport accounted for only around 1% of claims each. Mining and quarrying, real estate, accommodation and food, and electricity, steam, gas and air conditioning accounted for less than 0.5% of claims each. Any company in those underrepresented sectors which pays UK corporation tax and is trying to "resolve technological or scientific uncertainty" in its work could have a valid claim.
Some businesses may also still be unaware of the changes introduced in April 2012, which removed the minimum threshold of R&D expenditure of £10,000. Although first-time applicants claiming R&D tax relief R&D tax relief, given the general level of awareness there are likely to be many businesses who believe the relief is for major research projects rather than the lower level, sub-£10,000, activity they carry out.
What can you do to claim?
The good news is that if you're a qualifying company that has carried out R&D work which meets the scheme's criteria over the past two years, you should still be eligible to claim R&D tax relief. As you have until two years after the end of the accounting period to submit your claim, work that was undertaken during a 2017 year end can still qualify for relief.
The important thing is to seek advice as soon as possible. The claim and calculation process itself can be complex, so talk to your professional advisers about the steps you need to take.
This article was written by Gemma Thake, Tax Manager at Price Bailey. If you would like further information on any of the above please feel free to get in touch with Gemma using the contact form below.
We always recommend that you seek advice from a suitably qualified adviser before taking any action. The information in this article only serves as a guide and no responsibility for loss occasioned by any person acting or refraining from action as a result of this material can be accepted by the authors or the firm.
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Colin Sherlock
Isabelle & Gracie are Swimmers of The Month Nov 2017
And the award goes to.....Isabelle Carpenter-Clay and Gracie Bull. You have massively impressed the coaches this month with your hard work and dedication. Jolly well done to both of you.
And because it's nearly Christmas, here's a cute dog in goggles.


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Working bee progress
Two working bees were held on 15th January and 19th February 2017. Both were a great success. A solid group of twenty plus turned up to give their time and energy beginning the process of restoring the Williams River and focusing favourite spot for people in Dungog – Frank Robinson Park.
The work involved weed clearing to get ready for new planting to compliment a new designated RV area that Dungog Council is planning. While the workers enjoyed a sausage sizzle, local business man Jim Olsen spoke to the group about his memories of growing up in Dungog when the park was a popular swimming spot with a diving board and even lights at night.
The Dungog Chronicle covered the second event The Sustaining the Williams Valley group's first project at Frank Robinson Park is taking shape


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written by Echo student, Anna Steinmetz
May 31, 2018
Today, we woke up and prepared a breakfast buffet of yogurt, cereal, and bagels. After breakfast, we headed to shore on Cooper Island. On the island, we explored the boutiques and shops as well as the beautiful beach. We then headed back to the ship for a lunch of pesto chicken pitas.
After lunch, the crew gathered together to dinghy over to Cistern Rock to snorkel and later stand up paddled boarded near to our moored boat. Just before dinner, we went over to Salt Island for a sunset hike and took in the breathtaking views from the peak. After heading back to the boat, we showered and had a delicious dinner of pasta Bolognese to end the night!
More photos coming soon!
The greatest challenge during the program was staying entertained during the quarantine period. Not being able to leave your boat and not having a phone, which was a crutch against boredom, it was difficult at first to stay entertained.