text: Distribution box NAJDM56.WB, three-phase in is branched with white couplers into three single-phase outputs L1, L2 and L3 and second in with black couplers into three single-phase outputs L1, L2 and L3 in the same box. The distribution box can be fixed e.g. to the installation plate by screws, max. ø 6 mm, two holes in the middle (distance between holes 75 mm) or four holes in the corners of the box. The boxes can also be fixed with two cable ties from the clamps on the box base. The third way of fixing is by using the so-called snap-on pins, for which there are four fixing holes on the box base.


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Science and Pseudoscience in Adult Nutrition Research and Practice
News & Comment
Reynold Spector
Skeptical Inquirer Volume 33.3, May / June 2009
Human nutrition research and practice is plagued by pseudoscience and unsupported opinions.
A scientific analysis separates reliable nutrition facts from nutritional pseudoscience and false opinion.
In recent years, nutrition research and practice have lagged behind many other biological and medical fields.1-5 In part, this lag is due to many pseudoscientific beliefs and practices mistakenly regarded as being based on scientific methods.1-5 By nutrition I mean all the foods, fluids, and "natural" supplements humans ingest.1,2 By pseudoscience, I mean the use of inappropriate methods that frequently yield wrong or misleading answers for the type of question asked. In nutrition research, such methods also often misuse statistical evaluations.4 My purpose here is to definitively (wherever possible) or tentatively (where the data are incomplete or nonexistent) answer a series of key questions about adult human nutrition using relevant rigorous scientific principles and methods. The data clearly show that much current advice about dietary pyramids, food supplements, megavitamins, and weight loss regimens is frequently unproven, erroneous, or even harmful and is often based on pseudoscience or derivative incorrect professorial opinion.1-7
But before coming to the answers, we should frame the general questions precisely:
- What do we know about adult human nutrition that meets the standards for truth?
- Is there an optimum body weight? Is the ancient wisdom of Aristotle correct? He preached a sound mind in a sound body and, most importantly, moderation in all things, including diet. Or are current (immoderate) claims that large amounts of certain nutrients (e.g., vitamins, lycopene, fruits, and vegetables) and avoidance of others (e.g., saturated fats like butter, rapidly absorbed carbohydrates like rice and potatoes) the "way" to prevent bodily harm and promote health?1,2,6, 7
- Why are there so many confusing or contradictory data and opinions in the literature, news media, and books on the following points?1-5
- Are food supplements such as megavitamins—defined as greater than five times the recommended daily allowance (RDA)—helpful? Specifically, are megavitamins E, C, and carotene healthful or harmful? That is, will they prevent disease and aging alone or in combination? Is there even one supplemental nutrient (nutraceutical) proven to prevent disease and possibly prolong life?
- Are certain common foods (in moderation) harmful? For example, are dietary saturated fats really harmful? Or are such fats useful fuel burned in the body to harmless carbon dioxide and water to provide energy as described in the biochemistry textbooks? Are processed rice and potatoes really bad for you? Do rice and potatoes really strain insulin production by the pancreas and lead to diabetes as alleged?6 Or are rice and potatoes a reasonable source of calories ingested by billions without harm? In other words, are there some nutrients that can cause disease and others that can prevent disease and illness?1,2,6 Are there "fountain of youth" nutritional approaches or do the body's homeostatic mechanisms counteract "over-consumption" or "under-consumption" of most nutrients? Obviously, everything can be harmful in excess, even salt and water.
- Are there comparative studies that show that certain classes of foods are better or worse than others for adult human health? Are diets high in saturated fats worse than diets high in rapidly absorbed carbohydrates or animal proteins?
- Which weight-loss diets, if any, work?
To answer these four general questions, we need to understand the methods required to prove hypotheses conclusively in human nutrition and human health. We must apprehend the assumptions, methods to establish causality, clinical trial design, hierarchies of evidence, and statistical concepts so we can evaluate nutritional studies correctly,3-5,8 i.e., to separate pseudoscience from science, falsehood from truth. Also, we need to understand the methods involved in extrapolating data from nutritional studies to inferences about populations. For example, data in children or young adults may not be transferable to the elderly (e.g., milk tolerance and vitamin B-12 absorption are different in children than in the elderly).
Finally, we must understand what the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other regulators require for assessing and approving nutritional claims and drugs.3-5,8 Within the limits of its jurisdiction (see below), the FDA generally evaluates claims of the type "X causes Y" based on rigorous scientific standards before accepting a causal claim.1-4,8 This is in contrast to many journal editors, academic and governmental nutritional committees (e.g., the Department of Agriculture), and the media, which often have weak scientific standards.1,2 I will briefly review the FDA standards below.
With a rigorous scientific approach, we can then distinguish "true" nutritional claims with some certainty—separate facts and reasonable inferences from false claims and unproven hypotheses where there is inadequate, incorrect, or misinterpreted data.
In an accompanying document entitled "Methodological and Statistical Issues in Adult Nutritional Research," available on the Skeptical Inquirer Web site, I describe in some detail the relevant methodological and statistical issues. This analysis is critical to understanding the results of much nutritional research, and I recommend it to interested readers. For example, many EOS widely used to assess causality (e.g., that megavitamin E decreases cardiovascular risk) are methodologically unable to do so.4,5,7 Yet they are frequently performed and published. I explain this strange phenomenon and other methodologically important issues in the "Methodological and Statistical Issues . . ." document.
What Do We Know?
In fact, we know a lot about adult human nutrition. As shown in Table 1, there are a number of nutrients and minerals humans must ingest for health and well being throughout life. For most adults, except as noted below, these nutrients and minerals are readily obtained from a balanced diet without the need for supplements.9 Lack of these will lead to poor health and even death. However, it is true that in four- to six-week experiments in obese subjects, only water, vitamins, and minerals, especially potassium chloride, were required. In fact, very obese patients can survive in excellent health for many months on only water, vitamins (in RDA doses), and potassium chloride.1 Potassium is required to make up for its obligatory loss through the kidney. In these starving, obese people, calories are mainly obtained through fat mobilization with attendant weight loss. But over the long term, the nutrients and minerals in Table 1 must be ingested. As noted in Table 1, however, the need for calories (fuel) can mainly come from carbohydrate, fat, protein, or combinations of these three. The need for the essential substances in Table 1 is not controversial.1,6, 9
Table 2 shows three important principles of biochemical and physiological nutrition. First, a healthy person (given RDA intake of the substances in Table 1) can proceed with a normal (see below), stable weight by eating predominantly fat or carbohydrates or protein or various combinations of these because of the body's ability to interconvert and utilize carbohydrates, fats, and proteins (amino acids) as needed. In other words, fat, carbohydrate, or protein can serve as the principal source of calories.
Second, the body has a remarkable ability to maintain relatively constant blood levels (homeostasis) of many nutrients. Even more remarkable is the ability of the central nervous system, testicles, and ovaries to maintain nutrient homeostasis. For example, in two carefully studied cases, even huge fluctuations in (orally) ingested potassium or vitamin C barely changed the concentrations of these substances in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or the brain.10 We now understand the biochemical, molecular, and genetic bases for such remarkable homeostasis in the CSF and brain.10,11 This has profound implications for attempting to prevent cognitive decline with certain nutrients as discussed below.
Finally, with aging, there are large changes in nutritional needs and metabolism. For example, there is approximately a 1 percent decrease per year in energy requirements after age thirty. As we age, there are also major changes in many functions in some individuals, for example, decreases in the enzyme lactase (in the gastrointestinal tract), which splits lactose to easily absorbed galactose and glucose. Also, in some elderly persons, the ability to absorb certain essential substances, such as vitamin B-12, declines. These changes must be understood when talking about diets in the young versus in the elderly.
Is There an Optimum Weight for Adult Humans?
The answer is probably yes.12 There is a large amount of epidemiological, pathological, and clinical data that suggests a body mass index (BMI) (defined as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters) of approximately 20-25 is optimal. A BMI of greater than 30 is termed obese. There is also a large body of controlled evidence showing that animals fed a low-calorie diet (that keeps them "thin") live longer and are healthier than heavier animals fed an "ad libitum" diet. These human and animal data satisfy Hill's criteria noted in the "Methodological and Statistical Issues" document.2-4,12 However, in humans there has never been a randomized controlled trial of food intake to keep BMI at 20-25 versus greater than 30 with morbidity (disease) and mortality the end points.12 But, for this article, I accept the notion that obese humans, on average, are less healthy and/or die sooner than people with a BMI of 20-25, all other things being equal, although it is formally possible that obese individuals are "doomed" for reasons independent of obesity.
Controversial Questions Answered
Are food supplements helpful? Are there particular nutrients that will prevent illness and disease and possibly prolong life?
The answer, notwithstanding thousands of positive EOS and, in some cases, small inadequate clinical trials, is there is no rigorous scientific evidence for the utility of dietary supplements, including megavitamins in normal-weight (nonpregnant) adults with a stable BMI of 20-25 eating a diet containing adequate amounts of the nutrients in Table 1. See Table 3 for representative examples of false claims based on erroneous EOS.2-5,9,13-21 As you can see, the EOS have been frequently in error, yielding false-positive results. In general the clinical trials in Table 3 are examples of controlled, randomized studies done with very large numbers of people often versus placebo. (It is true, however, that in certain populations the RDA of a few vitamins might be slightly higher than in normal adults, e.g., vitamin D and possibly calcium for nursing home residents and others who do not go out in the sun, and vitamin B-12 for elderly people or for those on proton pump inhibitor drugs.) In fact, there is some evidence in controlled trials that megavitamins (e.g., E, C, and A) may actually increase mortality.14 Clear exceptions to the general lack of utility of megavitamins are extremely rare patients with genetic abnormalities, e.g., those with vitamin B6-responsive seizures.10,11 Yet, notwithstanding the lack of evidence of benefit and potential harm, megavitamins and supplements are still recommended by some nutrition "experts."9 It is worth noting that the nutraceutical (supplement) industry is a multibillion-dollar enterprise.9,14 Dan Hurley summarizes the pseudoscience in this area in his excellent book Natural Causes.9
Focusing on the lack of scientific rationale for so many nutritional claims, many people ask why and how this sad state of affairs developed. For example, based on what has been known for over thirty years about brain and CSF vitamin homeostasis, how could so many EOS investigators hypothesize and then accept EOS (Table 3) that suggested that megavitamin E, C, and/or B could prevent cognitive decline in adults on diets adequate in the essential substances in Table 1?10,11 Consumers and the public correctly ask: If you can't increase brain levels of these vitamins by even large oral doses, how could they "work?" The Hill criterion for biological plausibility is clearly negative.3-5 In fact, after spending hundreds of millions of dollars on scientific controlled trials, it is now clear that megavitamins do not work (Table 3).
What then is the reason for so many erroneous EOS? Is there a systematic bias? First, as discussed in the "Methodological and Statistical Issues" document, because they are not randomized, EOS are prone to bias and confounding. In many studies, one type of bias is healthy-person bias. In other words, healthier, more health-conscious people tend to take supplements. These people tend to have less disease regardless of the supplements. So, in such EOS it looks like the supplements help. If randomized studies had been conducted, this would not happen (Table 3).
Are certain foods, minerals, or supplements harmful?
Excess amounts of anything can be harmful. Especially noteworthy are vitamins A and D, which can be very toxic in high doses. Aristotle was generally correct—all things should be in "moderation." He actually took this advice from an inscription on the temple of Apollo in Delphi, Greece. As I noted earlier, even widely used supplements such as vitamins E, C, and carotene in "standard mega-doses" (greater than five times the RDA) may indeed be harmful.14 The potential for harm for many other types of supplements has not been systematically studied, although there are convincing data that certain supplements may damage the liver, kidney, or heart or alter drug metabolism.9 For example, the amino acid tryptophan (used to induce sleep) and ephedrine-containing herbs (for asthma) were removed from the over-the-counter market because of severe toxicity, including deaths in some people.9 Unfortunately, the FDA does not generally evaluate supplement claims for safety and efficacy nor does not it regulate the content of most supplements.9 Hence, it is difficult to know the true content of these supplements. Moreover, when carefully measured, there are many examples of supplement labels not reflecting the true content, a deplorable situation.9
Are certain classes of foods better or worse than others?
In healthy people who ingest the essential nutrients in Table 1 and have a normal stable weight (BMI approximately 20-25), there is no convincing comparative outcome evidence (as I defined above) that common foodstuffs, e.g., saturated fats like butter, rapidly absorbed carbohydrates like white rice and potatoes, or animal proteins, are especially helpful or harmful. The notion that some diets (e.g., low-fat or low-carbohydrate) are better than others is not based on sound science but instead on flawed EOS.1 The USDA food pyramid of the past (which prescribed what you should eat, how many portions, and disparaged certain nutritious foods like eggs and butter) was unscientific.1,2,6 That food pyramid was based, in part, on EOS so flawed as to be almost ludicrous.1,2 Specifically, there are no scientific outcome data (as defined above) that five daily servings of fruits or vegetables as per the original USDA food pyramid are better than two or that apples are better than pears (notwithstanding Ben Franklin) in normal-weight adults who consume the essential nutrients in Table 1. Let the proponents of such dietary advice prove the value of their advice with real outcome data from well-managed randomized controlled trials. Similarly, recent attempts to create new food pyramids are also flawed, for example, those that disparage rapidly absorbed carbohydrates (e.g., processed rice and potatoes) and recommend megavitamin E.6 Let the anti-potato and anti-rice proponents scientifically prove to billions of normal-weight adults or millions of older citizens with delayed gastric emptying (on diets adequate in the essential nutrients in Table 1) that potatoes or white rice per se are more harmful than whole wheat in scientific controlled outcome trials.
However, in obese individuals (BMI > 30), there is some evidence that not only do they eat too many calories but they may also be eating a diet (e.g., rapidly absorbed carbohydrates) that does not "satiate" them and leads to more rapid fat deposition.1 This hypothesis remains to be proven.
Do weight-loss diets in obese people work?
None work well. On average, over the long term, obese humans do not lose much weight on voluntary low-calorie diets of any kind. (There are of course a few obese individuals who have "self discipline" and can lose weight and keep the weight off. Their "secret" is obscure.) There is, however, some evidence that low-carbohydrate diets "work" best at least for periods up to one year,22 but this has not been replicated in a two-year study.22a Notwithstanding thousands of weight-loss articles and books, there has been very little progress in this area outside of surgical intervention.
Why is so much erroneous and pseudoscientific nutrition research and commentary published? Why do contradicted claims persist in the literature?
While the methodology to approach the truth in nutrition research has been known for decades, it is often either not followed or scientific data are resisted.1-5,7,9 In attempts to understand why this happens, sociologists often employ a balanced analysis. A useful part of such an analysis is the question: who benefits from a particular event or behavior?4,5,7 To begin to answer that question, it is necessary first to review past publication policies of leading medical journals.
In 1994, in a revealing editorial, the editors of the New England Journal of Medicine (who have published many erroneous EOS), in an Apologia in response to highly critical newspaper articles, attempted to justify publication of many conflicting (EOS) dietary studies on vitamins as chemo-preventive agents and the whole issue of dietary advice (e.g., butter vs. margarine).23 Unfortunately, the editors did not claim that the goal of research should be the search for truth using the best available methods.2-5,23 They did not acknowledge the hierarchy of evidence and the great value of well-conceived and executed experiments.2-5,23 The editors seemed unaware that a few clear, convincing, well-conducted trials, when widely disseminated and followed, can change the practice of nutrition and medicine definitively, unlike hundreds of inconclusive studies, especially EOS.2-5,7,23
Instead, the editors stated, "Thus, nearly every clinical research study would be seen as preliminary. . . . Doctors know that clinical research rarely advances in one giant leap; instead, it advances incrementally."23 The editors did not blame themselves (and other editors) for publishing low-quality or uninterpretable papers. Instead, the editors blamed the media, which should "improve the way they interpret science." Angell and Kassirer then stated that "the public at large needs to become much more sophisticated about clinical research, particularly epidemiology" because "what medical journals publish is not received wisdom but rather working papers."23
Thus, they as journal editors placed the burden on the student, nutritionist, medical scientist, physician, public, and media to determine what is valid, important, and meaningful, sometimes with the help of editorials.23 This is not a realistic expectation as can be seen in the chaotic state of nutritional research and practice.1-5,7,9
Who benefits from such an editorial policy so profoundly dissonant with the scientific and regulatory principles described earlier?3-5 Table 4 provides a tentative analysis of who benefits from poor-quality nutritional research and why.5 Table 5 reveals a similar tentative analysis of who is harmed and how.5
As I described earlier, unless proper studies are done (randomized, single variable, hypothesis-driven, with validated instruments and proper statistical analyses), the literature is doomed to potential, often-unknown bias and confounding.4 Although it is difficult and expensive to do long-term adequate nutritional studies, it is possible, and scientific studies have been done with megavitamins (e.g., E, C, folate, carotene), certain diets, and supplements9 with definitive results (Tables 1,3).
In view of the nutritional chaos I have described, it is a sad commentary on American regulatory authority that the FDA does not have the authority to regulate nutraceutical content and claims except when egregious safety concerns become apparent.9 Thus, the public is at the mercy of the media, journals, and company advertising (Tables 4,5), which is often misleading—from the subtle to the outrageous. This unfortunate state of affairs has recently been expertly reviewed.9
Finally, untrue claims that certain nutrients and nutraceuticals reduce cardiovascular risk and prevent cognitive decline or cancer (Table 3) steer patients away from safe, proven treatments that are often cheap and generic.3-5 For example, generic aspirin, ACE inhibitors, and statins have been unequivocally proven to decrease cardiovascular risk and death in selected populations.3-5
The issue of why there is such persistence of contradicted nutritional claims is discussed at length by J.P.A. Ioannidis's group using megavitamin E as an example.7 They focus on "wish bias."7 But the unwillingness of investigators who perform pseudoscientific studies to concede error and the role of commercial profit-driven interests cannot be underestimated.3-5,9 It is worth noting that Walter Willet of the Harvard School of Public Health was still recommending megavitamin E in 2005 (at ten times the RDA),6 notwithstanding the overwhelming evidence that, if anything, megavitamin E is harmful.9,14
In summary, the critics of nutritional research and practice suggest that much nutritional research and practice is, to paraphrase Thomas Hardy, science's laughingstock, for two reasons: much of the research, especially EOS, is pseudoscientific for the reasons I have discussed and second, many practitioners and commercial interests do not readily acknowledge the truth.1-5,7-9
Conclusions and Recommendations
The value of following the scientific principles noted above is well established.1-5; 7-9
- Readers of medical reports and journals should focus on studies that employ methods that test a hypothesis definitively. Readers should be skeptical of the results of EOS that test a contributory causal hypothesis and draw causal conclusions unless they satisfy the Hill criteria.3-5 Such studies must be considered at best hypothesis-generating. Moreover, unless such studies have a clear "upfront" hypothesis and prespecified data analysis plan and are not the result of "data-dredging," they merit even less credence.3-5
- Readers and viewers should encourage journals and the media to reform their publication and reporting standards. Journals should publish only scientifically sound studies and label most EOS as, at best, hypothesis-generating. Journals should have a section where authors who have published incorrect studies or nutritional advice can correct their views—analyze where they erred and discontinue defending erroneous and misleading publications.7 Journals should carefully edit opinions on nutritional and therapeutic advice, rather than leaving such advice mainly to authors. The criteria for recommendations should include "substantial evidence" for efficacy and safety (as per the FDA) as well as chemically defined ingredients to avoid disasters like the tryptophan recall described earlier.9
- Readers should encourage journal editors, academicians, and funding agencies to support quality studies (e.g., randomized controlled studies) rather than those unlikely to answer questions definitively (e.g., EOS, case-control studies, or cohort studies). Special recognition should be accorded investigators who do difficult but definitive studies.
In the end, as Socrates pointed out, the big question is: How should one live one's life? To decide, one needs good data! In terms of nutritional advice:
- Demand scientific studies.
- Follow the FDA criterion: only follow nutritional advice if proven to be safe and effective.
- View the nutritional advice of "experts," like those who prepared the agriculture department's original food pyramid1 and the newer food pyramids,6 with a hypercritical eye. Their track record is poor.1-5,7,9,10
- Unless there is sound evidence, follow Aristotle's principles:
- Aim for a sound mind in a sound, stable body with a BMI between 20-25.
- Practice moderation in nutritional matters.
- Observe Table 1—especially elderly people and those on certain drugs (e.g., diuretics that can deplete the body of essential substances) or others (e.g., proton pump inhibitors that can interfere with nutrient absorption).
- Eat what works for you—especially as you age. For example, the elderly should often avoid lactose in milk products and should be careful to ingest enough vitamins and minerals, especially vitamins B-12 and D.
- In life, there are often special situations, such as early pregnancy, where special nutritional needs arise (e.g., folate).
I wish to thank Michiko Spector for her help in preparation of this manuscript.
- Taubes, G. 2007. Good Calories, Bad Calories. New York, Alfred A Knopf.
- Taubes, G. 2007. "Do We Really Know What Makes Us Healthy?" New York Times Magazine, p. 52, Sept. 16.
- Spector, R., and E.S. Vesell. 2000. "The Pursuit of Clinical Truth: Role of Epidemiology/Observation Studies." Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 40: 1205-1210.
- Spector, R., and E.S. Vesell. 2006. "Pharmacology and Statistics: Recommendations to Strengthen a Productive Partnership." Pharmacology 78: 113-122.
- Spector, R., and E.S. Vesell. 2002. "Which Studies of Therapy Merit Credence? Vitamin E and Estrogen Therapy as Cautionary Examples." Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 42: 1-8.
- Willett, W.C. 2005. Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy. New York: Free Press.
- Tatsioni, A., N.G. Bonitsis, and J.P.A. Ioannidis. 2007. "Persistence of Contradicted Claims in the Literature." Journal of the American Medical Association 298: 2517-2526.
- Spector, R., and E.S. Vesell. 2006 "The Power of Pharmacological Sciences: The Examples of Proton Pump Inhibitors." Pharmacology 76: 148-156.
- Hurley, D. 2006. Natural Causes. New York: Broadway Books.
- Spector, R., and C. Johanson. 2006. "Micronutrient and Urate Transport in Choroid Plexus and Kidney: Implications for Drug Therapy." Pharmaceutical Research 23: 2515-2524.
- Spector, R., and C. Johanson. 2007. "Vitamin Transport and Homeostasis in Mammalian Brain: Focus on Vitamins B and E." Journal of Neurochemistry 103: 425-438.
- Byers, T. 2006. "Overweight and Mortality among Baby Boomers-Now We're Getting Personal." New England Journal of Medicine 355: 758-760.
- Spector, R., and E.S. Vesell. 2006. "The Heart of Drug Discovery and Development: Rational Target Selection." Pharmacology 77: 85-92.
- Moloo, J. 2008. "Dietary Supplements Don't Prevent Cognitive Decline, CVD, or Infections." Journal Watch 28: 7-8.
- Yaffe, K. 2007. "Antioxidants and Prevention of Cognitive Decline: Does Duration of Use Matter?" Archives of Internal Medicine 167: 2167-2168.
- Peters, U., M.F. Leitzmann, N. Chatterjee, et al. 2007. "Serum Lycopene, Other Carotenoids, and Prostate Cancer Risk: A Nested Case-Control Study in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial." Cancer Epidemiological Biomakers and Prevention 16: 962-968.
- Kang J.H., N. Cook, J. Manson, et al. 2006. "A Randomized Trial of Vitamin E Supplementation and Cognitive Function in Women." Archives of Internal Medicine 166: 2462-2468.
- Espeland, M.A., and V.W. Henderson. 2006. "Preventing Cognitive Decline in Usual Aging." Archives of Internal Medicine 166: 2433-2434.
- Jamison, R.L., P. Hartigan, J.S. Kaufman, et al. 2007. "Effect of Homocysteine Lowering on Mortality and Vascular Disease in Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease and End-stage Renal Disease." Journal of the American Medical Association 298: 1163-1170.
- Cook, N. R., C. M. Albert, M. Gaziano, et al. 2007. "A Randomized Factorial Trial of Vitamins C and E and Beta Carotene in the Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Events in Women." Archives of Internal Medicine 167: 1610-1618.
- Brunner, E. 2006. "Oily Fish and Omega 3 Fat Supplements." British Medical Journal 332: 739-740.
- Gardner, C.D., A. Kiazand, S. Alhassan, et al. 2007. "Comparison of the Atkins, Zone, Ornish, and LEARN Diets for Change in Weight and Related Risk Factors among Overweight Premenopausal Women." Journal of the American Medical Association 297: 969-977.
- . Katan, M.B. 2009. "Weight-Loss Diets for the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity." New England Journal of Medicine 360: 923-925.

subset: commoncrawl


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Mushroom Macro Nature Stock Photography Download or Print, Mushroom Gill Closeup Fungi Nature Photography Art Decor Download
Mushroom Macro Nature Stock Photography Download or Print, Mushroom Gill Closeup Fungi Nature Photography Art Decor Download
$10.00Ask a question
♔ This large mushroom formed part of a "fairy ring" in my yard during early summer. I had to take advantage of such an occasion, by lying on the sidewalk to get a closeup shot of the delicate gills underneath.
♔ This listing is for a single image, instant download, high-resolution 1MB, digital file ready for a variety of personal uses such as printing cards, journaling, small prints (up to 8x10; 4x6, 5x7, or 8x10), blogging, scrapbooking, personal crafts, or even putting them on a mug, keychain, etc. as gifts.
♔ Borders, quotes, or other custom items can be added to this or other images, please convo me for more info. Watermark will not be on your downloaded image.
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Why You Should Log Your DNF's – Geocaching.com Weekly Mailer
To DNF or Not To DNF?
Geocaching is full of codes and clues to decipher. You can offer other geocachers a clue about a cache before they even begin their search. When you log a DNF (Did Not Find), you're telling geocachers that the cache may be more difficult to find than anticipated or may even be missing. You're also letting the cache owner know that they may need to check if their cache container is still at the posted coordinates.
If you're a geocacher who logged any of the 8,530,163 DNF's posted to Geocaching.com so far, thanks from the geocaching community. It's a small way to help ensure the quality of geocaching. So maybe DNF means more than "Did Not Find" — maybe it also means "Doing (the) Next (cacher a) Favor."
Go to the official Geocaching.com Facebook page to discuss your thoughts on logging DNF's.
International Geocaching Day Success
You did it! You made International Geocaching Day the biggest day in Geocaching.com history. More than 94,000 geocachers from around the world charged into the wilderness or perhaps walked casually down the sidewalk to find a geocache on August 18. A souvenir for the day could be earned by logging a "Found it" for a physical geocache or an "Attended" on an Event Cache. Thank you to all those cachers who organized the more than 250 events, including 3 Mega-Events, on International Geocaching Day this year.
International Geocaching Day is the third Saturday of August each year. Next year it will be commemorated on August 17, 2013


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Looking for a fresh summer salad to make for you and your family?
Shelby Cashman has your back with how to make a a tomato-watermelon salad with feta and toasted almonds that tastes great and is great for you in today's Tasty Tuesday.
8 cups 1 1/4-inch chunks seedless watermelon (about 6 pounds)
3 pounds ripe tomatoes (preferably heirloom) in assorted colors, cored, cut into 1 1/4-inch chunks (about 6 cups)
1 teaspoon (or more) fleur de sel or coarse kosher salt
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons chopped assorted fresh herbs (such as dill, basil, and mint)
6 cups fresh arugula leaves or small watercress sprigs
1 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 5 ounces)
1/2 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted
Combine melon and tomatoes in large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon fleur de sel and toss to blend; let stand 15 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons oil, vinegar, and herbs to melon mixture. Season to taste with pepper and more salt, if desired.
Toss arugula in medium bowl with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Divide arugula among plates. Top with melon salad; sprinkle with feta cheese and toasted almonds and serve.


text: Pool table pendant light fixture inspired by the Taliesin School of Architecture, emulating Frank Lloyd Wright's Tree of Life Design. A beautiful craftsman style light with espresso finish brings the room to life and the design will certainly get positive reviews from friends. The combination of mild yellows and browns make the olive green strips look vibrant with color. This light would make a perfect addition to your pool room.


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May 5 "Revolver Pleads the Fifth" tickets NOW ON SALE! Jan 30 - 09:20 pm EST
Live Report by natestein
May 5 "Revolver Pleads the Fifth" tickets NOW ON SALE!
Seven Flags Event Center, Clive, Iowa
TICKET LINK: ProWrestlingRevolver.com/tickets!
So far announced:
- Former WWE star Alberto El Patron and Billy Gunn!
- Impact Wrestling's ABYSS and Sienna!
- Lucha Underground's Johnny Mundo (formerly known as John Morrison) Joey Ryan, Mr GMSI Brian Cage, Sami Callihan!
- Alpha-1 Wrestling stars Ethan Page and Space Monkey!
- International stars Keith Lee, Jason Cade, ACH, and more!
facebook.com/pwrevolver - twitter.com/pwrevolver - instagram.com/pwrevolver


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Ontario County sheriff's deputies said a Canandaigua woman was charged Monday with aggravated driving while intoxicated and first-degree vehicular manslaughter following a fatal crash on New Michigan Road in Farmington.
Deputies said Alexa C. Irvin, 20, of 5041 W. Ridge Run, was driving north on New Michigan Road at about 4:30 a.m. Monday when she allegedly lost control of the vehicle, which went off the east side of the highway, into a ditch and through a yard before striking a tree. The vehicle then rolled, and front-seat passenger Nicholas A. Furfaro, 22, of 4675 Ontario St. Extension, Canandaigua, was ejected, deputies said.
Furfaro was pronounced dead at the scene, deputies said.
Deputies said it does not appear that Furfaro was wearing a seatbelt.
The accident is being reconstructed by the sheriff's office, and the investigation is continuing, deputies said. Irvin was charged and arraigned in Farmington Town Court, then sent to the Ontario County Jail on $10,000 cash bail or $20,000 bond. She is scheduled to appear in Farmington Town Court.
Victor-Farmington Volunteer Ambulance and Farmington Volunteer Fire Association crews also responded to the scene.


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Tractor sales in the United States for 2009 are expected to be strongest for 4-wheel-drive tractors and the 100-horsepower-and-over 2-wheel drive tractors, with Canadian sales strongest for 2-wheel-drive tractors in the under-40-horsepower range, according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers in its annual forecast for U.S. and Canadian agricultural machinery sales, a snapshot of manufacturers' predictions for 2009 business.
For combines, stronger growth is seen for the U.S. market than for Canada, according to the AEM survey predictions.
For other types of farm-related equipment covered in the AEM survey, demand is expected to be mixed for both the U.S. and Canada. Machinery component sales, except for engines, are anticipated to increase during 2009 for both countries.
AEM is the North American-based international trade group for the off-road equipment manufacturing industry, and it annually polls its agricultural machinery manufacturers on sales predictions for a variety of farm field and farmstead type equipment. These companies account for a majority of agricultural equipment sold in the United States and Canada.
Each forecast in the AEM survey is the average of responses from companies in each product line, predicting industry-wide expectations rather than individual company performance, and unit sales rather than company profitability.
The AEM ag industry outlook for 2009 covers 24 types of farm field and farmstead type equipment.
Charlie O'Brien, AEM vice president of agricultural services, provided some perspective:
"At the time of this forecast, the market remained strong especially for 4-wheel-drive and the larger 2-wheel-drive tractors, as well as combines. Growth in these product sectors had been fueled by increased energy demands (in part being met by ethanol production), increased commodity prices and increased net farm income.
"Net farm income is a driver of equipment sales, and producers' balance sheets overall are strong as a result of increases in net farm income, as well as increased asset accumulation and debt management. Farm debt-to-asset ratios are at an all-time low.
"The expectations were that farm equity would grow $283.5 million in 2008. Of course, the world has changed with the collapse in financial markets and continued fallout from the housing market collapse in the United States.
"Certainly, recent economic conditions are testing the market's confidence. But, people need food. The global population is growing, and is expected to increase 23 percent by 2025 and total 9 billion by 2050. It is predicted food production will need to increase by 50 percent by 2025 and double by 2050. Also, the demand for energy continues to rise.
"Equipment will be needed to plant and harvest crops to meet both food and fuel needs. Consequently, while we will certainly see some short-term impact as a result of the overall economic slowdown, agriculture can rely upon these sound fundamentals for business longer term."
Tractor and combine sales
Combine sales are expected to increase 9.3 percent in the U.S. and gain 1 percent in Canada, according to the AEM 2009 ag outlook survey
Sales of 4-wheel-drive tractors are predicted to increase 4.4 percent in the U.S. but show no growth for Canada.
U.S. sales of 2-wheel-drive tractors are expected to gain 3.3 percent for the 100-HP-and-over range; remain level (down 0.1 percent) for the 40-100-HP sizes; and decline 11.2 percent for 2-wheel-drive tractors under 40 HP. Canadian sales of 2-wheel-drive tractors are expected to increase 5.6 percent for the under-40-HP range and grow 1.6 percent for the 40-100-HP tractors, and remain level (up 0.3 percent) for tractors 100 HP and over.
Other ag equipment
For farm field equipment other than tractors and combines, 2009 U.S sales are predicted to be the strongest for planters, with a 9.3 percent increase, and for self-propelled sprayers, with a gain of 6.3 percent. Sales gains are also expected for windrowers/swathers (up 3.3 percent), field cultivators (up 2.0 percent), chisel plows (up 1.7 percent), post hole diggers (up 1.6 percent), forage harvesters (up 1.5 percent) and rotary cutters (up 1.5 percent).
U.S. sales in 2009 are expected to be essentially flat for several equipment types: rectangular balers (down 0.5 percent), box scrapers (down 0.5 percent), disk harrows (down 0.3 percent), mower conditioners (up 0.1 percent) and tractor backhoes (down 0.7 percent).
Declines are foreseen in U.S. sales for farm loaders (down 2.8 percent) and round balers (down 2.3 percent).
Canadian ag equipment sales in 2009 will be on the plus side, according to the AEM survey, for self-propelled sprayers (up 4.3 percent), forage harvesters (up 4 percent), rotary cutters (up 2.7 percent), round balers (up 2.0 percent), box scrapers (up 2.0 percent), rectangular balers (up 1.7 percent) and tractor backhoes (up 1.3 percent).
The 2009 Canadian sales of other equipment in the AEM survey are predicted to be essentially flat: chisel plows (up 0.5 percent), disk harrows (up 0.5 percent), farm loaders (down 0.7 percent), field cultivators (up 0.7 percent) and mower conditioners (up 0.4 percent).
For component sales in 2009, the electronic components segment is anticipated to increase 8.8 percent for both U.S. and Canada. Hydraulic components are predicted to gain 7.8 percent for the U.S. and 6.7 percent for Canada. Sales of powertrains are predicted to increase 2.5 percent for the U.S. and 1.5 percent for Canada. Engine sales (air cooled/diesel) are predicted to be flat for both markets — down 0.7 percent for the U.S. and down 0.3 percent for Canada.
Factors affecting growth
The AEM ag equipment industry outlook asks farm equipment manufacturers to rate anticipated changes in more than 15 factors that have emerged as significant influences on machinery sales.
For the United States, more than 60 percent anticipate an increase in planted acreage and an increase in grain exports. The outlook for Canada is more subdued, with 34 percent expecting gains in planted acreage and 43 percent predicting grain exports to increase in 2009.
For U.S financial factors, slightly more than 50 percent of respondents anticipate credit availability to remain about the same, with another 32 percent expecting a modest decline. Some 52 percent expect interest rates to remain the same, with 35 percent saying they will increase modestly.
Some 47 percent predict U.S. farm cash receipts will be modestly up, and 30 percent say they'll stay about the same. Net U.S. farm income is anticipated to be modestly up by 55 percent of respondents, while 24 percent predict a modest decline.
Looking at the financial situation for the Canadian ag equipment market, 79 percent of survey respondents predict no change in credit availability, and 13 percent expect a modest decrease. Some 58 percent expect interest rates to remain the same, and 33 percent predict a modest increase.
Net farm income is expected to stay the same for Canada, say 17 percent of respondents; 67 percent see a modest increase; and 17 percent predict a modest decline. For Canadian farm cash receipts, 21 percent forecast no change; 62 percent see a moderate increase; and 17 percent expect a moderate increase.
Replacement demand for equipment in the United States is expected to remain the same (44 percent of respondents) or increase modestly (47 percent). For Canada, replacement demand for machinery is anticipated to stay the same, say 39 percent of respondents, while 35 percent predict modest increases and 22 percent expect a moderate decline.


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Adamschran necesitaba un nuevo diseño de página web y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 58 diseños de 14 diseñadores freelance.
I am a successful entrepreneur based in the U.S. creating an eye movement meditation site to help people using techniques I've found useful. Looking to work with a star designer on this exciting project.
People who are serious about and enjoy improving their lives.
Creative Brief: Mind enhancement program community site. Through the power of patent-pending left-right brain synchronization online programs created by members of a web community, visitors and members can help the user get through emotional and psychological roadblocks, enhance performance, and achieve any kind of success. I have created a prototype site at EyeAmReady.com (without any community features) where people can go to create mind enhancement programs using the power of left-right brain synchronization via a simple but powerful moving shape. The idea for version 2.0 of this site is to enhance the prototype site with a better design and presentation, and create a social community around it, so anyone can go there, sign in, and create an eye exercise program. These programs really do work to help people get to the next level in some aspect of their life. Visitors and members can also use and comment on other's programs for free, but signin is required to create a new program. In the program itself (as shown on the eyeamready.com prototype), different types of shapes, speeds, paths, etc can enhance different aspects of a person's life such as romance, wealthbuilding, business, dealing with stuff from the past, and that sort of thing.
I would like a design that makes it easy for people to understand the concept, create their program, or view and use someone else's program. As for social media features, I would like people to be able to "star" or "like" their own programs and others' programs, and add comments on each other's programs, and feature the most popular programs by top topics on the home page, with a link to "more topics" of life enhancement for people who want to access programs that have had good results for other topics. (Similar to twitter's "trending topics"). EyeAmReady.com is just a temporary name, so even better if you can suggest a new name to work off of that's available for the site, and what to call the "program" itself that people create.
Pages needing development include (1) the home page, (2) what the user sees when they're signed in, and (3) the user page as viewable by the public (showing their programs). Also (4) the program page and perhaps (5) a complete "topics" page. Design and language should be clean, friendly, and market the concept well to get signups and usage. The program page can work off of the existing prototype but should include a "share bar" that can be used to share the program on twitter and facebook, let the user title their program, and that sort of thing that's not in the prototype right now that's at eyeamready.com.
bare bones prototype site is on eyeamready.com
Look to the most successful community sites such as facebook, twitter, etc. for inspiration. Perhaps the design could be a bit more welcoming and friendly than those sites without being "overdesigned", similar to what's showcased on the 99designs home page.


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The Golgi apparatus, which is also known as the Golgi complex, was one of the first organelles ever identified with a light microscope. Indeed, the relatively large size and regular configuration of the Golgi apparatus makes it a very prominent cellular feature. Existing as a group of flattened sac-like structures known as cisternae, each of which is surrounded by a membrane, the appearance of the Golgi complex has often been compared to that of a stack of pancakes or pita bread. The number of cisternae in a Golgi stack varies and multiple stacks may be found in the same cell. In some types of cells, several Golgi stacks are connected to one another via tubular linkages, resulting in a sizable complex typically located near the centrosome adjacent to the nucleus. Vesicles concentrated in the area surrounding the Golgi apparatus are generally in the process of transferring material between the organelle and other cellular structures.
In order to examine structural features of the Golgi complex and nucleus at relatively high magnification, a log-phase culture of normal African green monkey (Vero; illustrated above) cells was fixed, permeabilized, blocked with normal goat serum, and then treated with rabbit anti-giantin (Golgi protein) primary antibodies followed by goat anti-rabbit secondary antibodies (IgG) conjugated to Alexa Fluor 568. The nuclei were counterstained with Hoechst 33258. Images were recorded in grayscale with a QImaging Retiga Fast-EXi camera system coupled to an Olympus BX-51 microscope equipped with bandpass emission fluorescence filter optical blocks provided by Omega Optical. During the processing stage, individual image channels were pseudocolored with RGB values corresponding to each of the fluorophore emission spectral profiles.
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Absolute Guitars accept all major credit and debit cards, via Sage Pay a secure payment gateway. For direct credit or debit card payments, simply click on the checkout button within your shopping cart and follow the steps through the payment process. All payments are via secure payment gateways and Absolute Guitars do not hold any confidential card details.
All items displayed on our website are in stock and ready for immediate dispatch. Unlike many other websites, we do not accept web orders on products we do not have in stock as we cannot guarantee dispatch times due to availability from the manufacturers. Although we are happy to order any other products we ask that you contact us so that we can check availability before taking your order.
Absolute Guitars is a guitar shop close to Bristol on the A370 Bristol to Weston Super Mare road with good M4 / M5 links. We offer a complete range of Fender electric, bass guitars and acoustic guitars, ESP/ LTD bass and electric guitars, Spector bass guitars, Gretsch guitars, Jackson and Squier guitars Takamine Acoustic guitars, Tanglewood Acoustic Guitars, Ovation Acoustic Guitars, Hamer Electric Guitars as well as amplifiers and effects from Line6, Randall, Blackstar, Electro Harmonix and Ashdown. We also stock a wide range of guitar spares and accessories including guitar strings, straps, tuners and much more. You are welcome to come and visit us at our shop at 10 Dark Lane, Backwell, North Somerset If you have any questions relating to any of our products featured on our website then please email us at firstname.lastname@example.com


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yahoo photo number one:
|Two residents wade through chest-deep water after finding bread and soda from a local grocery store after Hurricane Katrina came through the area in New Orleans, Louisiana.
yahoo photo number two:
|A young man walks through chest deep flood water after looting a grocery store in New Orleans on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005. Flood waters continue to rise in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina did extensive damage when it made landfall on Monday.
This one is too easy. I never knew "finding bread and soda from a local grocery store" could be made so innocuous or menacing based on the switching of one word and skin tone. For shame.
(shamelessly stolen from this quality livejournal)


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Saudi Man of Letters and Cautious Reformer
The sight of Saudi Minister of Labour Ghazi Algosaibi serving hamburgers at a snack bar in Jeddah in 2008 for a full three hours was a major sensation in the Saudi media. The debate about the "Saudisation Programme", launched by the minister a couple of years before, was at its height. The ministry had introduced a mandatory quota for Saudi employees, in order to decrease the rising unemployment rate among Saudi youth.
Algosaibi was caught between the striking number of jobless Saudis and the urging of the rapidly growing economy, unable to find young locals willing to work in the lower service sector and hence pressing the minister to allow more Asian workers into the county to meet workforce needs.
The minister's publicity coup was aimed at the arrogant attitude held by many of his fellow countrymen, who considered these jobs undignified und dishonourable: "We don't have blue blood running in our veins. Everyone works for his livelihood. Even the holy prophets worked as carpenters, farmers and shepherds!" Algosaibi said on this occasion.
A witness to social change
Ghazi Algosaibi was born in 1940 into a long-established family of tradesmen in the town of Hofuf in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province. The renowned Saudi author Abdulrahman al-Munif described quite vividly the changes this oil-rich area experienced during these early years of the oil boom in his five-part work Cities of Salt (partly available in translation).
Algosaibi was educated in Bahrain, at that time under British protectorate, and commenced his law studies in Cairo, later studying in California and London, where he earned his doctorate. His experiences in quasi-colonised Bahrain and especially his years in the political and social hotbed of early 1960s Cairo affected him strongly.
Like many literary figures of his generation, he was deeply shocked and influenced by the Arab defeat of 1967, which had a lifelong impact on both his writing and his political beliefs. Yet his intercultural encounters also left him with a strong enthusiasm for observing and understanding other cultures.
Caught between literature and politics
On concluding his education, Algosaibi quickly advanced into Saudi Arabia's political circles, appointed Minister of Health under King Khalid in 1975. In his 35-year political career he was to hold many political posts – and would be discharged at least twice due to his often highly critical literary works – only to later gain other major posts.
In 1984 Algosaibi was dismissed as a minister after publishing a poem criticising the corruption and privileges of the Saudi elite under King Fahd. He subsequently quickly left Riyadh to become the Saudi ambassador to Bahrain.
In 2002, Algosaibi was ambassador in London, from where he was summoned home after a poem about the Palestinian suicide bomber Ayat Akhras became known to the public. In the poem, Algosaibi glorified the young woman who had killed herself and two Israelis at a market place. The poem also addressed the political and intellectual elite of the Arab world, who Algosaibi accused of turning their backs on any responsibility with regard to the Palestinian question.
A society built upon consensus
Upon his return to Riyadh, Algosaibi became Minister of Labour, a post he was to hold until his death. While the most pressing issue during his administration remained the exploding youth unemployment, Algosaibi also tried to tackle the low employment rate among women. His comparatively liberal political and religious ideas often scandalised the Saudi public, his popularity decreasing during these years.
Reforms, said Algosaibi in the course of the first (and to this day also last) Saudi municipal elections in 2005, are a slow business in Saudi Arabia. "You have to wait for a viable consensus to reform before you go ahead."
The thin line Algosaibi was balancing as politician and author becomes painfully clear when considering that the same government Algosaibi was part of for many years banned his works – an irony that only demonstrates the need for very careful equilibration on side of the Saudi political elite.
Romance and nationalism
Algosaibi published approximately 60 novels, poetry collections and philosophical-political works. His more important works include the novels Shuqqa al-Hurriya (An Apartment Called Freedom, Kegan Paul) and Saba'a (Seven, Saqi Books).
Love, taboos and the condition of the Arab states were the prevailing issues in his literature. The relationship between "the West" and the Arab cultures played a key role. Algosaibi criticised the blind acceptance of concepts and consumer goods that originated in other cultures. In Saba'a, he openly denunciates the Western-educated Arab elites who feel superior to the simple man rather than using their training to improve the situation in their home countries.
Delayed tribute
Only the week before last, the new Saudi Minister of Information, Abdulaziz Khoja, published a declaration on his Facebook page – a paradox indeed – that finally made Algosaibi's works available in the kingdom. Meanwhile Khoja's own works (the Minister of information is himself a poet) remain banned. Literally overnight, Algosaibi's works filled the shelves of the big Saudi booksellers.
Ghazi Algosaibi died of a prolonged illness in Riyadh last week. The 70-year-old was regarded as one of the most enigmatic Saudi figures, an important Arab author and fairly liberal thinker. He had successfully managed to walk the difficult tightrope between reform and traditions in Saudi Arabia for nearly 35 years.
Hanna Labonté
© Qantara.de 2010
Editor: Lewis Grop/Qantara.de
Interview with the Saudi Arabian Writer Abdo Khal
The Discovery of Arabic Literature in the Gulf
In an interview with Qantara.de the winner of this year's Arabic Booker Prize Abdo Khal talks about the significance of this major award for the Gulf region, as well as the division of Arab culture into a centre and a periphery. Loay Mudhoon spoke to him
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Policy under King Abdullah
Growing Challenges, Limited Room to Manoeuvre
Since King Abdullah ascended the throne five years ago, Saudi Arabia has distanced itself from the United States and pursued a more active regional policy than in the past. According to Middle East expert Guido Steinberg, however, despite this change in policy, the kingdom has not been able to stop Iran becoming the leading power in the region
The Saudi Arabian Legal System
Firm Alliance between Rulers and Scholars
When a woman who had been raped was sentenced to imprisonment and strokes of the lash in Saudi Arabia in November, the Saudi leadership found itself confronted with a wave of criticism. But how realistic are demands for reform? The Islam scholar Guido Steinberg examines the Saudi legal system


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For a limited time only we are offering $30 off when buying any of our apps. Just enter coupon SAVE30 at checkout.
Custom craft emails and newsletters that display nicely everywhere.
Design visually with the Bootstrap and Foundation frameworks. Intuitive CSS style controls. Ultimate creativity.
Bye-bye boring form designs. Build interactive forms that are irresistible to the viewer to fill out.
Step safe into The Grid with this app. Create future proof layouts with CSS Grid. Add fallbacks for older browsers using Feature Queries.
Visually design Wordpress themes. Simple yet powerful.
Scripting freedom with the friendliest HTML Editor. Code connoisseurs will love the working with this award winning editor.
I have tried a lot of #RWD tools, but this is a stellar app! [RLM]Art Graham on Twitter
Loving the RSD software!Simon Roadhouse
Like my first chemistry class, sometimes it takes awhile for the proverbial light to go on. RSD is bad ass stuff. Thanks for your guidance. I have some learning to do but love the way it works.Edward Croft
Loving RSD! A site that would have taken weeks will be done in days.Angie Mulligan
RSD is an amazing product! It eclipses all of the other Coffee Cup products in the value it brings to the user.Randy Luening
One of a kind, ground-breaking software application. I give this app a 10 out of 10 score. [RLM]Steve Kolish in forums
You're definitely on the way to a truly amazing program. [RSD]Jacques Chatenay
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I'm very, very impressed with RSD and amazed at how quickly I managed to get the site up and running.John Kemp
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Definitely enjoying so far. It's nice to see my litmus tests light up across the board with great-looking HTML! [RED]Jorden Beatty in forums
I just want to say that this software (RED) is amazing! It has been such a game changer for me. I have been pulling my hair our trying to find a free/affordable way of designing emails for company. Nothing else compares to what you guys offer.Eric Gzimalowski
Just over the moon with your products; very happy & impressed.Raymond den Otter in forums
It's true, we were born in an actual coffee shop back in 1996. There we developed one of the most popular and widely used web design tools in the industry: the HTML Editor.
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text: The Scottish DNA Project now has a profile on Google+. The platform is increasingly used as a tool for genealogical networking, although the change in the way Google ranks pages is also an important factor in now having a presence. Just search for Scottish DNA and include the project in your Circles.


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Bauer has done it again…made another sweet lookin' Limited Edition hockey stick, and this time with the red hot Total One stick. Bauer has kept all of the tech specs the exact same on the TotalOne stick but with an eye catching translucent red paint. So that includes the TeXtreme carbon fiber, power core 3 blade core, pure shot blade profile, tac-spiral shaft texture, and amplified mid kick point. One addition to the TotalOne LE stick we did not see with the X60 LE stick is that the TotalOne LE comes in a grip and matted non-grip. The design of this stick actually came from the Patrick Kane winter classic special make-up stick. Which was a one95 stick with translucent paint making the white graphics red.
The Bauer Supreme Total One LE hockey stick has June 15 deliver at Ice Warehouse but is available now for pre-sale.


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Silco15 needed a new other design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 47 designs submitted by 15 freelance designers.
I'm totally re-constructing our current website and need a header (and possibly a coordinating footer!) to create a professional & welcoming look & feel!
Silco Plumbing & Heating
We are an established service company north of Boston that provides plumbing, heating and drain cleaning services to residential customers. My father started the company over 20 years ago. Our tag line is "Clean & Courteous Technicians"
We have a website that I am currently working to re-construct with XSitePro2. My goal for the site is to ultimatly turn viewers into customers. I would like to not only provide information about the services we provide but I'm also interested in including inductry-related atricles and tips. I would like to eventually include Google ads and turn the site into an online business itself that can produce income on it's own.
I am in need of a professional header (and possibly coordinating footer!) to give my site a welcoming look & feel. It should incorporate our logo in some way. I want to keep the same look of our logo for branding reasons (it is on our trucks, billboards & direct mail) but would gladly welcome slight updating.
It be nice to have an image included - possibly of a classy faucet, an enticing shower head or even a beautifully remodeled bathroom or kitchen. I'm open for suggestions!
- our company colors are teal (not too bright), black & white - I would like these colors incorporated somehow
- our logo - can be found on the site we are currently re-constructing http://www.silcoplumbing.com please keep the same idea with the "S" shape ---- a larger version of the logo http://www.silcoplumbing.com/silco-logo.html
- I do NOT want cartoon images


text: In these archives, you'll find a wealth of Andrew Wommack's materials that will encourage, instruct, and bless you. You can listen to any or all of his teaching albums, single teachings, and Gospel Truth radio broadcasts. You can also find Today's Radio Offer uploaded onto our website. Product offers are connected with the aired messages available through CD, DVD, book, or study guide format. Audio teachings make it convenient to listen to teaching while driving on the road, working out, or simply needing to listen to something hands free. To complement the audio sermons, teaching articles have been posted online to reinforce the messages currently being uploaded. Check the Radio Broadcast Schedule to find out when Andrew will be on a radio station near you, or use our free online radio. Through the Gospel Truth podcasts, you will develop the mind of Christ, discover the amazing promises of God, and know the truth of God's Word. Whether you are wrestling with your faith for healing, in finances, or just needing edification, these teachings will minister to you. Take advantage of these free resources today!


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Doctor Who - Dark Eyes - Coming Soon
Sorry, no releases could be found that matched your search.
'Recently, on TV, we saw how the Paul McGann Doctor died - now it's time to find out he lived.' Steven Moffat
The Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann) is an enthusiastic figure who explores the universe for the sheer love of it: though always ready to tackle problems when they arise, he relies on brilliant improvisation rather than elaborate plans.
He is passionate, direct, sympathetic and emotionally accessible, yet this is balanced by occasional feelings of self-doubt and weariness of his endless battles against evil.
After the shocking end of The Eighth Doctor Adventures: To the Death, he's a man dealing with loss and hunting for new meaning in his life. He found some solace in the company of Molly O'Sullivan, a voluntary aid detachment First World War nurse, but where will his travels take him next, who will he meet, and what enemies will he be facing?


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Approval for Limited Submissions
Sponsors of all types are increasingly limiting the number of submissions an organization may make to any given program. This helps the sponsor manage workflow, but places an additional responsibility on the submitting organization. The articles below describe processes for the internal review and approval of certain limited submission programs in which RIT participates. For programs not described below, please use the Intent to Submit Form.


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Introducción a la programación funcional usando Haskell
Prentice Hall, 1998 - Computers - 433 pages
After the success of the first EDITION, Introduction to Functional Programming using Haskell has been thoroughly updated and revised to provide a complete grounding in the principles and techniques of programming with functions. The second EDITION uses the popular language Haskell to express functional programs. There are new chapters on program optimisation, abstract datatypes in a functional setting, and programming in a monadic style. There are complete new case studies, and many new exercises. As in the first EDITION, there is an emphasis on the fundamental techniques for reasoning about functional programs, and for deriving them systematically from their specifications. The book is self-contained, assuming no prior knowledge of programming and is suitable as an introductory undergraduate text for first- or second-year students.
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abstr apply approx Arblnt argument binary heap binary search tree binary tree Bool Btree calculation Char characters computation concat constructor datatype declaration define a function definition denote digits efficient elements empty eval evaluation example exercise Expr expression False filter finite flatcat flatten foldl foldn foldr Fork xt functional programming functor getChar Haskell height hiext implementation induction infinite list inits insert instance Integer isEmpty iterate laws lazy evaluation Leaf list comprehensions list of length lists xs map f Meertens mkBtree MkOut monad monad transformer natural numbers newtype Node nonempty list Null operations pair parser proof prove putChar qsort queue quicksort recursive reduction representation result reverse scanl Section sequence sortby square steps Stree String subtrees Succ Succ Succ Zero takes takeWhile tuple type class x:xs xmatchlist xs h xt yt


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(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
Contact us for information about using this image.
This article in the Greenfield, Massachusetts Recorder was printed just a few days before the 1963 civil rights March on Washington. The march, organized to build support for federal civil rights legislation, would be the scene of the Reverend Martin Luther King's historic "I Have A Dream" speech. This article focuses on the contrast between the affluent capital area, where the rally will take place, and the poor African-American sections of the city. The reference to a recent football riot "bristling with racial overtones" reflects fears that the civil rights march itself might result in violence. No such violence occurred, enhancing the reputation of King and the protest movement.
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"Break-Through Accomplished" editorial from Greenfield Recorder-Gazette newspaper
"Leaders of March Still Have Not Attained Goal" article from Greenfield Recorder-Gazette newspaper
"King's Dream Speech In 1963 Urged Full Rights For Negroes" article from Greenfield Recorder newspaper
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PRAGUE (Reuters) - Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek put defending champions Czech Republic into the Davis Cup final by beating Argentina's Carlos Berlocq and Horacio Zeballos in the doubles on Saturday.
World number five Berdych and U.S. Open doubles champion Stepanek defeated the Argentines 6-3 6-4 6-2, giving the Czechs an unassailable 3-0 lead in their semi-final and a place in their third final in five years.
They will face either Canada or Serbia on November 15-17.
The Czechs' all-time best doubles pairing with a 13-1 record were playing together for the first time this season and, after winning their singles matches on Friday, looked more at ease than the Argentines with the faster play on the hard court at Prague's O2 Arena, in front of more than 11,000 fans.
"It feels great; this competition means a lot to us," Stepanek said at the courtside after the match.
"It is an honor to play in front of our home crowd, our home fans... We would like to keep that trophy because it's beautiful."
The Czech duo showed their experience in the first set, fighting off a break point to go up 4-3. They then broke the Argentines before serving out the set.
The second set played out similarly before the Czechs were able to break Berlocq's serve for the second time to go up 4-3. The Argentine pair got back to 5-4 but Berdych served well and finished off the set with a smash.
Berdych, the Czechs' top player, broke Zeballos in the third set to go up 3-2 when he fired a forehand winner from the baseline that made Berlocq step out of the way.
The Czechs never looked back and Berdych sent the team through to the final on his first match ball.
"We played a great game," Berdych said. "Everything was in the right place today. We didn't drop a serve. We were taking our chances."
The Czech Republic also defeated Argentina in Buenos Aires in last year's semi-finals on their way to lifting the Cup for the first time since Czechoslovakia won it in 1980.
The South Americans were without their top player, world number seven Juan Martin Del Potro, and their best doubles player, David Nalbandian, who underwent shoulder surgery in May.
Reporting by Jason Hovet; Editing by Clare Fallon


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- Crooked Nest TerrariumsSan Francisco based designers, Crooked Nest, hope to bring peace and serenity to the 9 to 5 by infusing lush greenery into urban workspaces. Their gorgeous terrariums bring miniature gardens to desk tops, lobbies, retail spaces and even art galleries. These artful plantings help create a warm environment- and can pop up just about anywhere!1
- Crooked Nest TerrariumsCrooked Nest takes their terrariums and living walls very seriously, calling them foliar juxtapositions, an idyllic name for infusing nature into an otherwise devoid space.2
- Crooked Nest TerrariumsRather than battling the concrete jungle, the company re-enlivens these spaces by introducing plants and plant materials. These pieces help nurture with nature- connecting people with the space they work in, as well as one another.3
- Crooked Nest TerrariumsEach of Crooked Nest's bulbous terrariums are artfully made from hand blown glass, made in the San Francisco Bay area.4
- Crooked Nest TerrariumsIn general shapes of round, squat and tall, each is totally unique thanks to the hand crafting. Around 12 inches in diameter, the terrariums are large enough to afford a lively garden, but small enough to sit on a countertop or desk without disturbing workspace.5
- Crooked Nest TerrariumsSucculents, ivy, edible herbs and even flowering plants can thrive in each terrarium, which are easy to maintain through a "hand hole" on the end. You can rely on Crooked Nest's expert design and horticulture skills and get an inspiring pre-made terrarium. Or, if you're feeling creative they sell empty glass bubbles, to design your own miniature garden.6
- Crooked Nest TerrariumsCrooked Nest understands the power of plants, and provides the tools to have a harmonious space, even in the middle of the city.7


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This blog discusses current weather, weather prediction, climate issues, and other topics
Monday, May 25, 2009
Sound Breeze!
Official definition: the Sound Breeze is the northerly wind that develops during the midafternoon over the northern half of Puget Sound and which maintains itself until approximately 8-9PM. Over the central Sound the breeze can blow 15-20 knots, with less winds over land.
The sound breeze is important for everyone like to sail, fly kites, or bike home after work. Many an afternoon I have to bike right into it...slowing me down considerably. And it makes kite flying wonderful during the late afternoon at kites hills at Magnusson or Gas Work parks. And it is heaven for early evening sailors.
The Sound Breeze is really a big sea breeze circulation. Remember the sea breeze? Cool, ocean air moving towards the heated land during the day? In this case, we have the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Georgia Strait full of water and the Puget Sound basin mainly land. As the PS basin heats, the pressure falls and the northerly sea breezes pushes in.
Above are two maps of surface winds on May 23...one early in the day and the other at 4 PM. You can see a real strengthening of the northerly flow in time..the Sound Breeze in action.
5 comments:
- Carl said...
Heaven for sailors, but not so much for powerboaters. :)
- May 25, 2009 at 6:37 PM
I must say I am missing the more frequent posts.
I am wondering why hot temperatures in May are labeled as "abnormally high" when it seems to me that we can pretty reliably predict a string of hot, 75 degrees-plus, days in May almost every year. Is this based on average daily temperature for the whole month? In that case, cold temps in early May would be "abnormally low".
- May 27, 2009 at 7:00 AM
Max temp stats: xmACIS database gives me an average of 3.5 days of 75 degrees or higher in May. Data goes back to 1948. In 1958 and 1992 there were ten days, but coming in first was May 1995 with 14 days with a max temp of 75 or better. 1955, 1962, 1965, 1974, 1977, 1991, 1996 and 2000 all show no days of 75 or better. So far this year two days, plus a couple or several more looking likely. June thru September averages are 7.1, 15.5, 14.8, and 7.4 each, and the rest of the months thru April have less than a day. 48.6 is the total for an average year.
The '09 May mean temp should come out pretty close to average after a few more warm days, -0.7deg as of now, but with an extra 2" of rain in the bucket.
- May 27, 2009 at 12:17 PM
- Joe said...
Cliff, great blog!
I spend a fair amount of time on Puget Sound racing sailboats, where we can usually count on the northerly "Sound Breeze" during good weather. At a regatta last year (May 17, 2008) on Shilshole Bay we witnessed a really odd wind phenomena with what appeared to be southerly "Sound Breeze". This particular weekend was characterized by abnormally warm weather (80+ degrees) and a fairly consistent southeasterly breeze that built in velocity throughout the day, similar to the typical northerly "Sound Breeze" described in your post, but coming from the south not the north. Any thoughts on this; 'HOT Shilshole southeasterly'? Maybe, just a localized thermal breeze? Or could this unique event been based on the unseasonably warm early May temperatures?
- May 27, 2009 at 12:48 PM
Thanks, Mike! Those stats totally ring a bell for me. A few 75+ days in May, more in a good year, few more in June, better July and August. September is a little better than June. By better, I mean I like the heat but rather it was closer to 75 than 80. :)
- May 27, 2009 at 11:13 PM


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New tune, recorded as a test of my #gurdy's pickup: OWLS WITH TENTACLES
New tune, recorded as a test of my #gurdy's pickup: OWLS WITH TENTACLES
Last night's @hakkavelin #gurdy
mutilation repair work worked perfectly! I now have a rather nice sounding electro-acoustic hurdy gurdy.
Next steps: wire up the internal microphone, put a plate over the hole in the back, fit the raspberry pi and power supply.
Sad news about the George Sand committee on rencontresdeluthiers.org — I don't know exactly what this means for Chateau d'Ars but I'm assuming it's either not going to continue, or will continue in a diminished form.
Attending for the first time last year was one of the most intense and enjoyable trips I've ever been on, filled with wonderful instruments, music and even more amazing people. Whatever happens to the festival, those things will remain.
Spent the evening at a dj. flugvél og geimskip concert, which, for those who have not witnessed this genius at work, looks and sounds something like this:
#listening to NASA + CC-licensed ambient music youarelistening.to/nasa @ Vísar HQ #spaaace
Project for Chateau d'Ars (and maybe Halsway) in 2014: fit gurdy with wheel speed measuring device, record traces of different peoples' trompette styles.
On the first day of Christmas Steve Knightley gave to me the Keys of Canterbury
On the second day of Christmas Phil Beer gave to me two Tracks of Words…
On the third day of Christmas Steve Knightley gave to me three Cutthroats, Crooks and Conmen…
On the fourth day of Christmas Phil Beer gave to me four Beaten Bushes…
On the fifth day of Christmas Steve Knightley gave to me five Bristol Slavers…
On the sixth day of Christmas Phil Beer gave to me Six O'Clock Waltzes…
On the seventh day of Christmas Steve Knightley gave to me seven Galway Farmers…
On the eigthth day of Christmas Phil Beer gave to me eight Blind Fiddlers…
On the ninth day of Christmas Steve Knightely gave to me nine Silver Daggers…
On the tenth day of Christmas Phil Beer gave to me ten Preachers on islands…
On the eleventh day of Christmas Steve Knightly gave to me eleven Crazy Boys…
On the twelfth day of Christmas Show of Hands gave to me twelve Twats Twittering…
Rejected lyrics included "sallys free and easy", "gallons of red diesel", "inane youtube videos", and "old jokes". Songs: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Lots of good, if a little bizarre, #gurdy playing in this video (fr):
Found this lovely chart of 17th century Viol ornaments (notation+equivalent notation) in The Division Viol:
Learnt about the Txalaparta from @begoesti — a rather wonderful Basque percussion instrument.
Looking to join/start a casual recorder consort in Reykjavík — anyone know of one, or people who might be interested in joining? Preferably with a focus on early music, not vital though.
"Council can now steal instruments from #buskers. civil disobedience campaign begins" [1] — @indyrikki via Jovian Salak
As reported by: Ham&High News Change org
Threatening to fine someone £1000 is bad enough, but for musicians, confiscating instruments is much more than theft — an instrument is an extremely personal extension of your body.
Of course, no-one wants excessive noise pollution, but charging buskers a yearly fee and holding legal threats above them is going to achieve the exact opposite goal, by putting acoustically playing children and amateurs off, leaving more room for the serious buskers - the ones who can make troublesome noises with all their amps and equipment.
As a long-time busker in the UK I've always found the police to be supportive and helpful (once memorably dragging a drunkard off me at Christmas late night shopping). Hopefully the police in Camden are equally reasonable and won't strut around intimidating children.
Bag romance — still a better love story than Twilight: #clangers
The Clangers is so synaesthetic. Everywhere there's physical/visual representations of music.
Whether or not you like the song, the photos in this video of The Devil Went Down To Georgia are hilarious. There's even a catbus at the end!
Recorded an unnamed #gurdy tune yesterday + saw #aurora for the first time today = easy tune name! Lights In The Sky:
Want to play it? Have a peek at the sheet music.
Trying to find some creativecommons.org licensed folk/trad recordings — any ideas?
Ordered a bunch of #raspberrypi stuff — let's create the future of musical instruments and personal devices.
Heading over to Bergsson Delhi — I'll be demoing my hurdy #gurdy! Pop over if you want to hear it. Also they have good sandwiches.


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|HIV Disclosure Without My Permission
Apr 10, 2010
I couldnt find an answer to my question on any forum. my new boss recently told me that my hiv status was disclosed to her when she first became my manager. she wouldnt tell me who it was but i have a feeling it was my district manager. is it legal for my district manager or anyone in higher management to disclose my serostatus without first asking me? i think it happened because the dist manager thought my new boss would appreciate being told. im livid and cant seem to find a straight answer. is there something legal i can do?
Response from Ms. Breuer
No one at work has the right to disclose your diagnosis to anyone else. You don't say why you told your district manager in the first place, but yes, they have violated your medical confidentiality and yes, you need legal advice. Since they are your employer, I encourage your and your legal advisor to come at this from an educational point of view, warning them that any further disclosure will be followed up with legal action.
Please do not disclose to anyone else at work. It rarely leads to good.
Positive College Student Many Questions...
Can department of health & human services harrass me for medical information?
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Talk:Merit Badge Numbering System (BSA Advancement ID)
From MeritBadgeDotOrg
| Please familiarize yourself with Help:Talk pages before posting on discussion (a.k.a. talk) pages.
— Use headings, indentations; and please, always sign (~~~~) your posts. (See Help:Talk pages for details.)
— Ask your Scouting/advancement-related questions on our forums... several Scouters will be happy to help you.
Table formatting
Suggestion: See (use) {{Prettytable}}. —RWSmith (Bureaucrat), 10:18, December 4, 2010 (EST)


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A few days back, we had organised a Twitter-inspired get-together -- a TweetUp -- at our appartment in Mumbai. The evening has been captured wonderfully in a blog-post by the lovely Naren Shenoy.
I was seeing India with a different lens.
And then, there would be some deeper frustrations.
Until a few weeks back that is, when, in response to a meeting request, I had the person at the other end of the line saying, "I think that in all probability that date-time would be possibly ok!" Now, I can buy one option on a future cancellation. But I counted at least four in that particular form of extreme dithering!
So on the appointed day, my local driving school piled on 15 of its test-ready candidates into 4 cars. It is a surprise that these cars traveled 20 meters! However, somehow the 4 cars managed to reach the RTO office in a place called Wadala, located some 20 kilometers away! We were warned the previous day that we had to get there "on the dot" at 10.30am. "We cannot keep the inspector waiting," we were told.
The inspector finally made an appearance at 2.30pm. By then I had already devoted 5 hours to this utterly useless exercise, and that was already 4 hours and 45 minutes too many. I was quite irritated -- especially considering the fact that I stood out in the rain and alongside an open/smelly ditch.
Portly guy asked me to sit behind the wheel and drive. I was quite irritated by then. Frankly, by then, I didn't care if I got my licence or not.
As I got down from the test-car, I asked Portly Guy in my broken Hindi:
PG: "ab aur kya hoga? Licen mil jayega do hafte mein". ("What else can happen now? You will get your LICEN in 2 weeks")
Pleased as punch, I pressed on, innocently:
PG (looks at form and then at me and says in a brusque and angry tone): "aaapko ek hi chahiye naaa?" ("You want only one no?")
Me: "haaaan, ek hi chahiye". ("Yes, only one")
PG "to theek hai. Licen hi hai. Ek Licen, do licens" ("So that is right. One Licen. Two Licens")
I had my licen in two weeks. But more importantly, I was finally able to figure out why the traffic cops call it a LICEN in these parts. One licen. Two licens!


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Choquequirao (which means "Cradle of Gold" in Quechua) is thought to be a sister city of the much more famous Machu Picchu. More remote, harder to get to and in an equally spectacular setting high in the Andes, it was actually discovered before Machu Picchu in the early 19th century though has only recently started to attract adventurous tourists. Photograph � James Brunker. Reproduction, transmission or use in any form (print, website, uploading to social media sites, Pinterest etc) without prior written permission strictly prohibited.
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