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Advances in Consumer Research Volume 3, 1976 Pages 447-448
George J. Szybillo, New York University
Administrative responsibilities are often cited as including problem definition and specification of how information relevant to the problem can be acquired. Regardless of umbilical association (e.g. consumer marketing, industrial manufacturing, government, non-profit organization), administrators have similar needs with respect to these responsibilities. The group interview -- the direct verbal interviewing of respondents in groups rather than individually -- is a research technique with implications for each of these responsibilities. Group interviews highlight what factors are associated with problems and often suggest strategies for how information on these factors can be collected. Group interviews are descriptive, focusing on words rather than numbers. They describe the what and why of a problem with little concern for how many or how much. Emphasis is placed on the quality of responses rather than the quantity of responses. How does this principal characteristic of the group interview relate to the functions for which group interviews are used? What procedural steps in group interviewing should the administrator be aware of? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this research technique?
There are at least three general functions which the group interview may serve individually or collectively. Goldman (1975) suggests that the qualitative aspect of group interviews may address consulting, creative or research needs. His categorization suggests that the qualitative aspect of group interviews may address a multiplicity of needs. His categorization suggests that group interviews do not necessarily have to serve the purpose of further research.
Administrators are often confronted with problems with which they are unfamiliar. In these situations the administrator's principal objective may be to learn about the problem. For example, consider the product manager in a package goods firm with responsibility for rice products who is to be promoted to group product manager for staple products. However, the firm presently has no staple products other than rice. Our manager needs an understanding of what factors are perceived as assets and liabilities of present and, perhaps, potential staple products. Where a thorough orientation to a new area of inquiry is the administrator's principal objective, group interviews can be said to serve a consulting function (Goldman, 1975).
Group interviews can also serve a creative function. Holtzman (1975) illustrates that copywriters often need guidance on not only what to say in an advertisement, but how to say it. Early quantitative research for the women's shaver market stressed the importance of functional characteristics of electric shavers (e.g. handling, closeness of shave, etc.). Yet the advertisements stressing these features in conjunction with femininity and daintiness did not stimulate the market for years. Group interviews for Remington indicated that a large part of the women's shaver market wanted not only functional features, but some resemblance to the male counterpart. Emphasis was changed in the message context from femaleness to maleness and sales increased.
Group interviews can also serve to directly and indirectly guide quantitative research (Johnson, 1975; Dupont, 1975). In this function they can: 1) suggest or reconfirm hypotheses to test, 2) provide language for question structure which is most likely to be familiar to respondents, and 3) suggest advantages and disadvantages associated with other data collection methods. For example, Dupont (1975) found that approximately 1,000 recent new car buyers had to be contacted by phone to recruit 20 group respondents of Volvo considerers. Phone or personal interviews were therefore judged to be beyond the cost Volvo had anticipated for the quantitative phase of the study and direct mail was used.
Administrators should be involved in defining the problem to the group interviewer or moderator. This is important for the moderator not only interacts with respondents, but interacts with them for a purpose. Mutual understanding between moderator and administrator clarifies, why the study is to be done, what specific areas are to be covered, how the results are to be used, and how and to who the results will be presented (Payne, 1975). After defining what questions are to be addressed a guideline is frequently developed to place questions in a logical sequence and to provide a frame of reference for how both the administrator and moderator believe the group should proceed.
An administrator's involvement with the project should not stop at guideline preparation. He must specify who he wants in the group and who he does not want in the group. Considering the first point, a baby food manufacturer once used the description "mothers with young children" and found that the recruiter had assembled his group respondents from a list of Leche League members. These women breast feed their babies and were not respondents the manufacturer had hoped to address. This example illustrates that recruiters often use sources other than telephone or door to door recruiting. Such variability in recruiting practices leads to variability in recruiting costs. Lists of respondents also may lead to groups composed of "professional respondents'' and "friends". Neither of these types of groups may be acceptable to the administrator. Further exclusions could include marketing research, advertising agency, and competitor or corporation personnel.
Group size and number of groups should be of concern to the administrator. Most facilities and moderators seem to accommodate groups of seven to ten respondents (Payne, 1975; Wells, 1975). It is a good idea to over-recruit for groups. At any time respondent concerns (e.g. little Johnny has a runny nose) can become more important to the respondent than an administrator's research. The number of group interviews varies depending on the scope of the study. Generally, analyses are performed on two to four group interviews. Studies which demand analysis for different groups determined by a number of factors (e.g. age, income, marital status, etc.) necessarily involve more groups.
There are different interviewing styles for the moderation of groups. Aspects of nondirective interviewing have been detailed elsewhere (Goldman, 1963). Both Axelrod (1975) and Wells (1975) have discussed aspects of the directive style. Elements in a directive oriented introduction may include: overview of where the discussion will go, instructions on participation, stress of importance of reactions as participants, and a request for general background information on participants. Each of these elements deserves further comment.
By presenting an overview of the discussion outline the moderator gives the participants an idea of the scope of the discussion and the boundaries associated with the discussion (Wells, 1975). Instructions requesting that respondents speak up highlights the tape recording of the session. This can be explained by indicating that the respondents' responses will remain anonymous, and that the tape is used only to facilitate later analysis. It also is easy to explain in this context that while spontaneous reactions are appreciated, multiple conversations within the group, at any one time, will mitigate the usefulness of the tape. Stress on participant reactions, as participants, informs the respondents that their own reactions are sought; not their interpretation of the problem as they would adopt the role of a manager or advertising executive. Request for general background information from the respondents enables them to speak first on a subject they should know well; themselves. It also allows them to warm up to the moderation process and gives them an idea of how the moderator may lead the discussion.
Axelrod (1975) notes that the moderator should set: 1) a tone that impels respondents into the discussion, and 2) a pace that allows covering the specific areas of research interest. Emphasis should he placed on probes which simulate an interplay of thought rather than an attack (Axelrod, 1975). Administrators may argue for the same conclusion; "silent" research helps no one.
Respondents are generally informed of the duration of the interview (e.g., 2 hours) prior to participating. Therefore, to allay rushed answers, the interviewer must pace the session so that areas of interest get appropriate "air time". In the most desirable type of interview, the moderator also balances "air time" for respondents. This means that the moderator should be capable of eliciting responses from reticent group members and thwarting dominance of discussion by the more aggressive group members. The first situation may be alleviated by such probes as "What about someone else?" :What do the rest of you think on that topic?" The second situation may be alleviated by the same probes but tactics such as breaking the respondent's train of thought or nonverbal presentations (e.g., moderator boredom, avoid eye contact) may be necessary.
Analyses and Report Preparation
Analyses of group interviews and report preparation can range from a one paragraph account of what prevalent verbalizations occurred in the groups to a multi-page report describing and interpreting multiple levels of group responses including verbalizations. Where the administrator has had intensive participation in the study and when respondent reactions appear to be uniform, a report beyond the obvious may not be desirable. On the other hand, where administrator participation has been low, respondent reactions diversified, and organization of previous research findings poor, an extensive, integrated and interpretive report may be called for (Templeton, 1975). Extensive reports generally include discussion of what was said, how it was said and description of respondent reactions when it was said. It becomes readily apparent at the analysis stage that if similar research topics were not discussed across groups, few comparative statements can be directly made. A moderator with good topic area control of "air time" is greatly appreciated here.
As with most things we can discern good and bad characteristics. The following can be considered disadvantages and advantages associated with group interviewing. Among the disadvantages are: 1) the findings of group interviews are often not projectable, in a statistical sense, to the population from which they were recruited due to limited number of participants and non-random processes associated with recruitment; 2) it provides less detailed information on a person than the individual interview; and 3) group respondents may overly favor concepts or objects presented to them if they perceive them as being associated with a friendly moderator.
Among the advantages are: 1) group interviews can be conducted very quickly and at relatively low cost; 2) group interviews provide the opportunity for the research professional and administrator to directly observe respondent reactions to the problem; 3) group interviews are more flexible than many other research techniques; 4) group interviews expose the contingencies on behavior or the dynamics of decision-making; 5) group interviews often foster the interchange of stimulating ideas; and 6) group interviews provide information to an administrator in a form that they can understand and appreciate. Rather than a basket of percentages and unexplained tables, typical of many survey reports, the group interview report provides the administrator with the reality of how respondents view hi-! problem in their own words.
Axelrod, Myril D., "The Dynamics of the Group Interview," in Beverlee Anderson (ed.), Advances in Consumer Research, 3(1976).
Dupont, Thomas D., "The Exploratory Group Interview in Consumer Research: A Case Example", in Beverlee Anderson (ed.), Advances in Consumer Research, 3 (1976).
Goldman, Alfred E., "The Group Depth Interview," Journal of Marketing, 26 (1963), 61-68.
Goldman, Alfred E., "Development and Application of the Group Interview," in Beverlee Anderson (ed.) Advances in Consumer Research, 3(1976).
Holtzman, Eleanor, "Love, Sex and Intent to Buy," in Beverlee Anderson (ed.), Advances in Consumer Research, 3(1976).
Johnson, Deborah, "The Shopping Crisis: the Focus Group Method as a Way to Examine Changing Trends," in Beverlee Anderson (ed.), Advances in Consumer Research, 3(1976).
Payne, Melanie S., "Preparing for Group Interviews," in Beverlee Anderson (ed.), Advances in Consumer Research, 3(1976).
Templeton, Jane, "Presearch as Giraffe: An Identity Crisis," in Beverlee Anderson (ed.), Advances in Consumer Research, 3(1976).
Wells, William D., "Group Interviewing," in Robert Ferber (ed.), Handbook of Marketing Research, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, (1974).


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Some days you just need guacamole. It's been one of those days for me for about 5 days now. I finally got some avocados on Sunday and made up a big ol' bowl of guac...which I have been eating for pretty much every meal ever since!
I had asked my local Twitter friends for some advice on where to buy avocados here in Salem and they mentioned Winco (which is where I eventually bought mine), Cash & Carry, and Safeway for good produce options. I also wondered if Morrow's on Silverton might have some, but I didn't get over that way to check.
Here's my guacamole recipe, which I have perfected after several trips to Mexico and watching my Mexican born friend make it for her family.
Caution: This makes a lot, but since it's pretty addicting that's usually a good thing. It'll be gone before you know it!
4 avocados
4 medium tomatoes (I used vine-ripened Roma's from my sister's plentiful garden)
1/2 an onion (I used red onion because that was what was in my fridge)
1 and a 1/2 fresh jalepenos (medium/hot spiciness, use more or less depending taste)
1/2 cup or so of fresh chopped cilantro
The juice of one lime
Chop it all up, mix it together, and then eat it all up! Yummmmmm. Happy tummies!
Swedish Visiting Cake
3 weeks ago

subset: commoncrawl


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What Trevor Noah said about Donald Trump on the Daily Show
Dear Professor Savings fans,
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Category Archives: Education
Who's Sitting in Your Classroom?
About three and a half years ago, my dad ran into my seventh grade social studies teacher. Her first question was, "So what penitentiary is that Rodney Jordan in today?" My dad responded, "My son is a school teacher now." … Continue reading
A Letter to a Former Teacher
Dear Mrs. Street, I still remember the first day I walked into your class. You had it all set up nice and neat. It was obvious you took time to prepare it for lost kids like me. Your room was … Continue reading
What is your backup plan, young man?
"What time is it?" "Game Time!" "What time is it?" "Game Time!" "Any dawgs in da house?" "Woo Woo Woo Woo?" "Any dawgs in da house?" "Woo Woo Woo Woo?" If you're a big sports fan, you may remember this … Continue reading
Just Because I'm Angry: A note from a young black male school teacher
Over 32 million adults in the United States can't read! More than 21% are reading below a fifth grade level. Sadly, that number has been on the rise since those statistics were published in 2013. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/06/illiteracy-rate_n_3880355.html. I can't tell you … Continue reading
Young Black Male School Teacher: Success or Sellout?
Some say I'm a success, others call me a sellout. I'm a role model in the eyes of many yet my own race questions my blackness. "Who does he think he is?" they ask. "Why does he say what he … Continue reading
Tired of Being Black: "So Disgusted I Can't Perform"
Tired of Being Black: "So Disgusted I Can't Perform" Disgusted with a racist video? Are you serious? Boy, do we black men have some nerve! Who are we to get mad at other races for using the "n" word? Who … Continue reading
Talk is Not Cheap…Depending on Who You Are
His pockets have been shaken for thousands of dollars. Six figures according to some sources. During the 2013-14 season, after being slapped with a $50,000 fine for skipping out on the media which was later bumped up to $100K, he … Continue reading


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WANTED: Knight Chair in Digital Advertising and Social Media
The Knight Chair in Digital Advertising and Social Media will be a leading expert in digital advertising, social media platforms and business strategies with a foundation in advertising theory and practice. The successful candidate will be expected to conduct research and teach existing advertising courses, including one dedicated to digital advertising and marketing.
The position includes funding for applied research support and a variety of teaching, research, outreach and travel opportunities. The successful candidate will be expected to reach out to an international and professional community with solid ideas about the future of digital advertising.
The chair will be a colleague of the Knight Chair in Journalism and Digital Media Economics at the UNC School of Media and Journalism. This professor focuses on the implications of the digital revolution for news organizations, information needs of communities and the emergence of news deserts in the United States.
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It is said that one has to understand the problem to effectively deal with it. Is it not true that one has to be aware of the enemy before proper defensive can be launched against him/her? Cholesterol is nothing short of a foe. Cholesterol is the forbearer of heart diseases and goes hand in hand with obesity.
So what exactly is cholesterol ?
Well cholesterol is not all villainy. Yes. We have 'lipids', in layman's term 'fats'. Throughout the body and cholesterol is a form of lipid. The liver produces this waxy substance, which is used to repair cell walls of the body and the problem is that the amount it is produced in the 1000 mgs is enough for the body requirement. We need not supplement it with extra cholesterol from outside.
How does cholesterol harm us ?
Whenever we eat any of those greasy things; like the juicy hamburger, the cheesy fries, what we are actually doing is that we are accumulating more and more cholesterol in the body. The major food sources of cholesterol are the ones we obtain from animals, meat and eggs and whole dairy products are laden with cholesterol. When it enters the blood it stream since it cannot travel on its own, cholesterol mixes up with the proteins and they helps in transporting it throughout the lengths and breadths of the body.
Good and bad – when does it get ugly ?
There are majorly two types of cholesterol :- the good cholesterol which is the HDL, high density lipo-proteins (lipids + proteins) cholesterol and the bad cholesterol which is the LDL, low density lipoproteins, cholesterol.
HDL helps in the removal of cholesterol from the blood vessels, which is then again transported back to the liver to be broken down. While the LDL cholesterol leads to deposition of cholesterol, which takes the form of plaque, on the walls of the arteries leading to immense pressure on the heart. The deposition and hardening of arteries leads to deficient functioning in letting the blood pass and leads to a condition known as the 'atherosclerosis'. Serious conditions leads to complete blockage of blood to the vital body organs.
How to avoid all this ?
Well think twice, thrice no well a million times before you reach out for that hamburger next, take a good care of the diet with increase in the age. However, in some cases, it becomes difficult to avoid because of hereditary linkages.


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Coming off a win in Super Bowl 50, the Broncos didn't expect to lose both Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler this offseason. As if that was bad enough, C.J. Anderson could've been on the move as the Miami Dolphins offered the restricted free agent a 4 year deal worth $18M.
As you'd expect, the Broncos decided to match that offer, keeping Anderson in their backfield. However, the team is still in search of a QB – Mark Sanchez isn't the ideal successor on a Super Bowl winning team.
Last season Anderson suffered from inconsistencies early in the season, but was solid down the final stretch on the road to the Super Bowl – I'm sure you remember his early TD in Super Bowl 50.
Fantasy Impact
What's next for Miami? I do like 2nd year Jay Ajayi out of Boise State who is currently a top 20 RB heading into next season – unless the Dolphins add a pair of legs to the backfield, which they likely will.
I can see them pursue a guy like Arian Foster. You know the front office doesn't shy away from past prime veterans, as they proved with their signing of Mario Williams.


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"Being mindful is not a matter of thinking more clearly about experience; it is the act of experiencing more clearly." – Sam Harris
Most of the stress we face in our lives is due to habitual, reflexive thought patterns. These thought patterns are not useful or productive and often lead to distress and anxiety. One way to free yourself from destructive thought patterns is to practice a simple form of mindfulness: observe your thoughts instead of getting involved in their content.
Try this experiment: simply observe your thoughts for a while. Where do they go? Do you think about the things you've done in the past, or perhaps consider the future?
This, of course, is all perfectly natural. People spend a lot of time worrying about the future and brooding about the past. It might not surprise you that these thoughts aren't doing anyone any favors.
The problem, however, is not caused by the worries themselves. Rather, because you identify with these worries, they dominate you—and your emotional state. So, when you're stressed out, you don't think "I am now aware that I am experiencing certain feelings of despair," but rather, "Oh my God, everything is terrible, and there is no way out."
But there is a way out: by employing the meditative technique of mindfulness, you can separate your thoughts and worries from your identity. Instead of thinking, "I am anxious," you think, "there is anxiety in my body." The difference is subtle but also very powerful.
When you meditate, you become aware of the contents of your consciousness—your impressions, feelings, and thoughts. Not only do you become aware of them; you also begin to recognize that they don't represent reality. They are merely constructs of your mind.
It's like watching a horror film: if you allow yourself to become engrossed in the film, then you'll be more likely to be constantly looking behind and jumping at unexpected noises.
However, when you remember that it's just an image on a screen, the horror will lose its power. You may still be frightened, but you will have more control.
By Jon Brooks at highexistence.com


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- Nano Express
- Open Access
The effect of colloidal solution of molybdenum nanoparticles on the microbial composition in rhizosphere of Cicer arietinum L.
© Taran et al.; licensee Springer. 2014
- Received: 12 December 2013
- Accepted: 23 May 2014
- Published: 9 June 2014
The use of colloidal solutions of metals as micronutrients enhances plant resistance to unfavorable environmental conditions and ensures high yields of food crops due to the active penetration of nanoelements into the plant cells.
Microbiological examination of rhizosphere soil have revealed that combined use of colloidal solution of nanoparticles of molybdenum (CSNM, 8 mg/l), and microbial preparation for pre-sowing inoculation of chickpea seeds stimulates the development of 'agronomically valuable' microflora. It was shown that combined seed treatment with colloidal solution of Mo nanoparticles with microbial preparation have stimulated nodule formation per plant by four times compared to controls. Single treatment with CSNM increased the number of nodules by two times, while the treatment of microbial preparation have not significantly affected the number of nodules per plant.
Colloids, 82.70.Dd; Ecology, 87.23.-n
- Nanoparticles
- Colloidal solution
- Molybdenum
- Chickpea
- Microorganisms
- Catalase
- Symbiosis
Creation of materials easily assimilated by living creatures and not harmful to the environment is one of the important issues of modern nanotechnologies. These are the requirements that can ensure materials functionality as nanobiomaterials. For the last years, lots of experiments were performed in order to define the effect of nanobiomaterials on crop production [1, 2]. Thus, it is known that nanoparticles have positive morphological effects like enhancement of seed germination rates, improvement of root and shoot formation and their ratio, as well as accumulation of vegetative biomass of seedlings in many crop plants [3]. Nanoparticles influence on the cell level thus increasing the pace of physiological processes in plants. Nanoparticles of zinc, cuprum, iron, etc., received by now are up to 40 times less toxic than the salts [4, 5]. They are gradually absorbed while their ionic forms are immediately included into the biochemical reactions. By taking part in electron transfer, nanoparticles increase the activity of plant enzymes, promote conversion of nitrates to ammonia, intensify plant respiration and photosynthesis processes, synthesize enzymes and amino acids, and enhance carbon and nitrogen nutrition and thus have a direct influence on the plant mineral nutrition [6–8]. Chickpea, an annual plant of the legume family, is widespread in countries with subtropical and tropical climates - India, Pakistan, Turkey, Iran, Australia, etc. Among the legumes, chickpeas are characterized by high nutritional value, amount of vitamins, and other biologically valuable substances which in turn causes high demand for this grain crop used for food and feed purposes [9]. Resistance to high temperatures and global climate changes have created the favorable conditions for the formation of high yields of chickpea and attract the attention of producers of agricultural products. Chickpea plants are drought tolerant and are able to fix atmospheric nitrogen by forming the symbiotic relationships with nitrogen fixation microorganisms that not only meet the requirements of plants in nitrogen but also bring it into the ground [10].
Most biotechnologies developed for the southern regions do not give the desired effect in other climatic zones [5, 10]. The colloidal solutions containing biologically active metals are now being widely used along with traditional biological preparations. There are preliminary conclusions about the positive effects of these preparations on the productivity and plant resistance to adverse environmental factors [11]. This is especially important for growing plants on problem soils, i.e., soils which have vital mineral elements in inaccessible to plant forms that lead to inhibition of plant growth and decrease of yields [1, 10].
The level of productivity of crops is largely determined by the soil microbial communities and their function [12]. Processes specific to each group of soil microbiota are complicated and usually are closely related to the population activity of bacteria. Reported toxic effects of nanoparticles even more determine the necessity of the comprehensive research of colloidal solutions of metals prior to their use in agriculture.
Taking this into account, we considered that an important step is to compare the impact of the traditional techniques of biotechnology (microbial preparation) and application of colloidal solution of metals, as well as the complex use of conventional and nanotechnology on the composition of microbiota of the plant rhizosphere.
where m is the concentration of nanoparticles of metal (mg/l) and V is the volume of 1 mole of metal atoms (cm3/mol).
The colloidal solution of nanoparticles of molybdenum was used in the dose of 1 microliter per gram (μl/g).
Microbial preparation used in our experiments is registered in Ukraine trademark and is included into the list of pesticides and agrochemicals permitted for use in Ukraine. As an active agent, the highly competitive strains of Bradyrhizobium japonicum were used, adapted to the soil and climatic conditions of Ukraine. The concentration of bacteria in 1 g of preparation is not less than 6 × 108 cells. The preparation was used in accordance to the manufacturer's instructions in a dose of 200 g per 1.2 l of water per hectare of seed rate that corresponds to 106 of bacteria cell concentration per single seed.
Experiments were performed in stationary conditions at the Agronomy Department of Plant Experimental Station of National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine on typical gray, light sandy loam soils. Chickpea seed inoculation was carried out for 1 to 2 h before sowing. The seeds were dampened with water (2% by weight) in control variant, aqueous suspension of microbial preparation, colloidal solution of molybdenum nanoparticles alone and in combination with microbial preparation.
- 1.
Control (water treatment)
- 2.
Colloidal solution of nanoparticles of molybdenum (CSMN)
- 3.
Microbial preparation
- 4.
Microbial preparation + CSMN
Determination and quantification of basic physiological groups of microorganisms in rhizosphere soil of chickpea plants was performed using standard microbiological methods [14]. Sowing of microorganisms on culture media are made of 10−3 dilutions (fungi and cellulose destructive bacteria) and 10−4 (other microorganisms). Sowing of each dilution was performed at least three times. Calculation of the total number of microorganisms on nutrient media was performed on the third, fifth, and seventh day of incubation. After counting the number of colonies on the surface, the number of microorganisms in 1 ml of the appropriate dilution was determined. In the estimation of the number of cells of microorganisms in 1 g of wet soil, the result obtained was multiplied by the degree of dilution (103, 104, 105, etc.). To determine the number of microorganisms in 1 g of dry soil, the respective number of cells in 1 g of wet soil was multiplied by a correction factor of soil moisture [12, 14].
Direction of microbiological processes in rhizosphere soil of chickpea plants was determined using the coefficient of mineralization, which allows to characterize the processes and intensiveness of mineralization processes and oligotrophic index that characterizes the oligotrophic degree of microbial communities. The direction and intensity of individual microbial transformation processes of nitrogen was estimated by the ratio of the number of microorganisms of respective ecological trophic groups, which were determined by cultivation of soil suspensions on solid culture media In the index of mineralization, immobilization was calculated by the ratio of the number of microorganisms that metabolize mineral and organic nitrogen (KAA/MPA); the oligotrophic rate is the ratio of oligotrophic microorganisms and the total number of microorganisms on the MPA and KAA media. The rate of microbial transformation of organic matter of the soil was calculated by the total number of microorganisms on the MPA and KAA and mineralization rate [12, 14].
Formation of symbiotic systems was determined by calculating the weight and number of nodules formed on roots of chickpea plants.
Formation of plant resistance to phytopathogens was determined by the activity of oxidoreductase enzyme catalase using the spectrophotometric method by Aeby [15]. In this method, the 250 mg of plant tissue was comminuted in frozen mortar with 0.5 extraction buffer (50 mM K, Na-phosphate buffer, рН 7.8). Homogenate was centrifuged for 5 min at 12,000 g and placed into the refrigerator (4°C). Then, 30 μl of plant extract was added to 2.95 ml of 50 mМ K,Na-phosphate buffer (рН 7.0). The reaction was initiated by adding 20 μl of 0.6 M hydrogen peroxide to the reaction mixture. Determination of decay rate of hydrogen peroxide by catalase in studied sample was determined by measuring the changes of absorbency of the mixture at 240-nm wavelength for each second within the 100-s time frame.
where A is the enzyme activity; ΔD is the absorbency fluctuation; X is the final dilution of plant extract in cuvette; T is the reaction time, s; L is the layer width, mm; and С is the protein content in sample, mg.
Statistical analysis of the results was performed using the software package Sigma Stat - 6.0 and Microsoft Excel 2010.
Results and discussion
Development of soil microorganisms of various ecological and functional groups at plant emerging stage
Number of microorganisms, millions of CFU/1 g of dry soil
Spore forming
Microorganisms that utilize mineral forms of nitrogen
Cellulose destructive
No. 1
25.23 ± 1.26
4.59 ± 0.23
32.88 ± 1.64
19.12 ± 0.96
10.71 ± 0.54
3.06 ± 0.15
31.35 ± 1.57
5.35 ± 0.27
16.06 ± 0.80
9.18 ± 0.46
No. 2
43.82 ± 2.19
14.85 ± 0.74
63.87 ± 3.19
11.14 ± 0.56
14.85 ± 0.74
7.43 ± 0.37
65.35 ± 3.27
4.46 ± 0.22
36.39 ± 1.82
11.14 ± 0.56
No. 3
22.64 ± 1.13
7.20 ± 0.36
54.88 ± 2.74
22.64 ± 1.13
17.15 ± 0.86
2.06 ± 0.10
65.17 ± 3.26
4.12 ± 0.21
34.30 ± 1.72
13.03 ± 0.65
No. 4
57.10 ± 2.86
16.53 ± 0.83
15.03 ± 0.75
38.32 ± 1.92
6.01 ± 0.30
11.27 ± 0.56
62.36 ± 3.12
7.51 ± 0.38
31.56 ± 1.58
12.77 ± 0.64
Development of soil microorganisms of various ecological and functional groups at plant flowering stage
Number of microorganisms, millions of CFU/1 g of dry soil
Spore forming
Microorganisms that utilize mineral forms of nitrogen
Phosphorous mobilizing
Cellulose destructive
No. 1
6.68 ± 0.33
8.91 ± 0.45
5.94 ± 0.30
8.91 ± 0.45
3.71 ± 0.19
3.71 ± 0.19
1.49 ± 0.07
14.85 ± 0.74
No. 2
14.41 ± 0.72
4.12 ± 0.21
25.38 ± 1.27
8.23 ± 0.41
66.54 ± 3.33
5.49 ± 0.27
9.60 ± 0.48
6.86 ± 0.34
39.79 ± 1.99
No. 3
24.47 ± 1.22
0.76 ± 0.04
15.29 ± 0.76
19.12 ± 0.96
33.65 ± 1.68
8.41 ± 0.42
3.06 ± 0.15
1.53 ± 0.08
4.59 ± 0.23
52.00 ± 2.60
No. 4
9.02 ± 0.45
0.75 ± 0.04
23.29 ± 1.16
8.26 ± 0.41
122.47 ± 6.12
6.01 ± 0.30
11.27 ± 0.56
6.01 ± 0.30
2.25 ± 0.11
19.53 ± 0.98
The pre-sowing seed treatment of chickpea plants with colloidal solution of nanoparticles of molybdenum had promoted the development of oligotrophic bacteria in the rhizosphere which exceeded the control value by 94% at plant emerging and by 3.2 times - at flowering stage. Concomitant use of CSNM with microbial preparation also had the positive influence on the number of oligotrophs during the flowering stage increasing their number by 2.9 times in comparison to the control variant. However, bacteria count during the plant emerging stage had showed the decrease of a number of oligotrophic microorganisms by 54% comparing to control.
In the use of nanobiotechnologies, the number of phosphorous-mobilizing bacteria during the emerging stages was two times higher than that in the control, while that in the combined use of CSNM with microbial preparation also increased. During the flowering stage, the number of phosphorous-mobilizing microorganisms was negligible. Thus, they were not determined in the control variant and in plants treated with the CSNM but only in variants with microbial preparation - their number was between 2.25 and 4.58 million CFU per 1 g of dry soil.
The study of changes in the number of microorganisms that break down cellulose in variants with CSNM application had revealed the increase number of bacteria and fungi by 21%. The combined use of CSNM and microbial preparation had promoted 39% increase of this number as compared to the control during the emerging stage. During flowering stage, the number of cellulose-destructive microorganisms had steadily increased in the variants with nanoparticle treatment. Thus, the number of cellulose-destructive bacteria in soil of plant treated with CSNM was 1.6 times greater than that in the control, while that at joint use with microbial preparation, by 31.5%.
The total number of ammonifiers in the variants with CSMN was higher only by 0.5%, while that in the combined treatment had doubled their number in comparison with that in the control. During the flowering stage, no significant changes in the quantity of microorganisms of this group were observed. Quantification of pedotrophic bacteria also indicates the growth of microorganisms of these groups.
The 2 to 2.5-time increase of the number of microorganisms that utilize mineral forms of nitrogen was observed in variants with CSNM during the whole vegetation period.
The number of actinomycetes in variants with application of CSNM was 1.4 to 2.7 times higher than in controls. During the flowering stage, these figures had exceeded the control by 48% to 61%.
The number of spore-forming microorganisms had varied between the plant developmental stages. Thus, at the emerging stage in variants with CSNM application, the number of spore-forming microorganisms was higher, 2.2 to 2.6 times, while the opposite numbers were obtained during the flowering stage - the quantity of spore-forming microorganisms was reduced by 53% to 91% compared to that of the control.
The number of microscopic fungi in variants with CSNM at the beginning of the growing season (emerging stage) had exceeded the control value by 84%, and during the flowering stage - 3.1 times. Joint use of colloidal solution of nanoparticles of molybdenum with microbial preparation had also a positive effect on the number of micromycetes. Thus, this number had increased by 20% during the emerging stage and by 52.9% at the flowering stage compared to that of control.
The performed comprehensive microbiological examination of soil had showed that pre-sowing inoculation of chickpea seeds with CSNM at a dose of 8 mg/l in combination with microbial preparation was the optimal system for enhancement of the plant root nutrition by the optimization of microbiological fertilization of plants and effect of colloidal solution of nanoparticles of molybdenum through the promotion of development of active 'agronomically valuable' microflora.
Direction of microbiological processes
The application of colloidal solution of nanoparticles of molybdenum had enhanced the development of almost all groups of microorganisms two to three times relative to the control, mainly due to bacteria that metabolize mineral nitrogen, associative nitrogen fixation and associative oligotrophic microorganisms, that was also confirmed by the mineralization and oligotrophic indices.
The application of CSNM in combination with bacterial preparation had a positive effect on the rate of transformation of organic matter, which increased threefold compared to that of the control, followed by the enhancement of mineralization processes and oligotrophic rates, indicating the improvement of trophic regime of the soil. These patterns can be considered as valid in all investigated soil samples.
Formation of symbiotic systems
Plants of the legume family are able to form symbiotic systems with nitrogen-fixing rhizosphere microorganisms. Formation of legume-rhizobial symbiosis includes a number of successive stages from adsorption of bacterial cells on the surface of root hairs and infection to the formation of special symbiotic forms, bacteroides, where the complex enzyme complex, nitrogenase, is synthesized. It catalyzes the reduction of molecular nitrogen from the atmosphere [11]. This complex consists of two enzymes: the actual nitrogenase (so-called MoFe protein or dinitrogenase) and dehydrogenase (Fe protein) [17]. The MoFe protein cofactor consists of two atoms of molybdenum, which determines the relevance of a given study of influence of colloidal solution of nanoparticles of molybdenum on nodulation - central link of legume - and rhizobial symbiosis, providing the necessary conditions for the formation and functioning of the enzyme complex and nitrogen-fixing system [11, 18].
Number and mass of nodules formed on the roots of chickpea plans
Number of nodules, pcs./plant
Mass of nodules, mg/plant
Control (water treatment)
0.6 ± 0.03
90 ± 0.45
Colloidal solution of nanoparticles of molybdenum
6.7 ± 0.033
560 ± 2.8
Microbial preparation
3.3 ± 0.0165
770 ± 3.85
Microbial preparation + CSMN
12.8 ± 0.064
780 ± 3.9
Plant resistance to pathogens
Plant resistance to pathogens depends on many factors, including the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which is one of the least specific reactions of living organisms. ROS can promote eradication of plant pathogens by oxidative explosion and as a result of hypersensitivity reaction, there is formation of a zone of dead plant cells rich in antimicrobial compounds around the infection area. Regulation and generation of ROS is controlled by the oxidoreductase enzymes. Catalase is one of the key antioxidant enzymes of plants [19].
Effect of colloidal solution of nanoparticles of molybdenum on catalase activity of chickpea plants
Concentration, М
Catalase activity, μmol/mg protein
0.47 ± 0.0235
Colloidal solution of nanoparticles of molybdenum
0.91 ± 0.0455
1.23 ± 0.25
1.23 ± 0.25
0.92 ± 0.046
The proposed method of regulating plant nodulation chickpea Cicer arietinum L. enhances the formation of 'agronomically valuable' microflora and promotes positive changes in the orientation of microbiological processes in the soil, stimulation of symbiotic systems formation, and increase of antioxidant protection of chickpea plants as a result of the pre-sowing seed treatment with complex colloidal solution of nanoparticles of molybdenum and microbial preparation. The given approach is unique not only in Ukraine, but also globally in the practice of nanoparticle application in agriculture, not just in the cultivation of chickpea plants.
Authors' Affiliations
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This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited.


text: As the fierce violence in Syria continues to force families to flee the country, another crisis is looming: winter. Temperatures are plummeting, making living conditions even more precarious. Over 4 million Syrian refugees and 8 million internally displaced people have been forced to flee their homes since the conflict, most with no possessions but the clothes on their backs.


text:
Azure Storage Options
Part 1: Why Create a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) Solution?
Part 2: Storage Options with PaaS
Part 3: PaaS Architecting: Designing Apps for the Cloud
Part 4: PaaS Security (coming soon)
Deciding which Azure storage medium to use for your Azure PaaS solution can be a little disconcerting. There are several options and it's likely you haven't used most of them. Traditionally, organizations have used relational storage technologies (RDBMS) like SQL for their data storage needs. SQL Server, MySQL, and Oracle are just three of the many SQL options. SQL has become a standard choice for data storage due to its powerful query features (and where it gets its name). However, there are scenarios where SQL is not the best option. There are certainly faster and more flexible data storage technologies. In some cases, you should look at NoSQL storage technologies. Before jumping into the PaaS-specific storage options, it's beneficial to understand what the various storage technologies are.
Relational storage technologies tend to be the go-to option for most organizations because it's what everyone is familiar with. SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, SQL Lite and many others fill this category. They allow for complex searching criteria and are designed to ensure the integrity of the data. Relational storage requires considerable design planning. It's a good idea to design your table structures early in the your development process. Understanding your core search and query needs will inform these structures.
NoSQL options are varied. There are four categories of NoSQL options: Key/Value, Column Family, Document, and Graph. Key/Value offers a great solution when you have a lot of data and only need to retrieve a single item given a particular key value. It's not a good solution when you need to find data based on various queries or multiple values. Azure table storage and blob storage are typical key/value storage options. Table storage is highly scalable and cheap but does not provide a lot of flexibility beyond querying against its key. Blob storage also uses key/value and is a great storage medium when you need to store files. Blob storage is essentially file storage in the cloud where the key value is based on the folder and file name. Column family storage is great for keeping huge amounts of data. In fact, column storage handles large amounts of data much better than RDBMS does. Column family storage keeps data in columns unlike relational DBMS which store data in rows. Its limitation is that you cannot do complex querying for data, you are limited to querying against the key value. This makes it fast and efficient but not as flexible. Document storage is built for semi-structure data or 'document-oriented' data. Unlike a traditional RDBMS where the schema must be predefined and all data must have the same format as every other, document storage allows for unique properties in each document. It also allows a little more flexibility to querying because it does not limit you to search on just the primary key, but extracts and indexes various metadata which makes finding content in the documents much easier. Graph Storage stores data as objects and their corresponding relationships. Its primary purpose is to allow you to query based on the relationships of the objects themselves.
When building an Azure PaaS application you have three PaaS options: Azure SQL storage, Table Storage, and Blob storage. Using one of these options means you do not need to install, configure, or manage the database infrastructure. All that management is done for you, behind the scenes. If you need Document storage, Graph storage, or Column family storage, or you want to use a specific RDBMS technology, then you will need to use Azure's Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and install it, or choose one of the pre-built images from the Azure gallery.
Choosing a data storage technology is one of the important first steps when building an Azure PaaS application. As you can see, there is no single 'best choice' when it comes to data storage technologies. Each has their purpose. Take the time to better understand the various technologies before taking too big a step. Or, make sure you have built your applications in a way that allows you to modify your data storage technologies should you find that the current solution doesn't suit your application needs.
For more information, check out this overview by Tom Dykstra, Rick Anderson and Mike Wasson.


text:
This is the sun on a leap day in a leap year. Some might call it "quantum." I am reminded of Marta, my first meditation teacher in Arcata, CA. "How do we hold our core during times of chaos and quantum leaps?"
I want to touch the sun. Swipe my fingers across the sky. Touch the center of it all.
This is the end of Gram's deathtime and the beginning of Dad's. This is the end of February and the beginning of another month in love with the sky. No matter how dark and cold, now. The trees begin to shake and shed their winter coats.
On a morning before the beginning of March, I am reminded that this milky orb shining through cloud-fields will only be this way for this moment, for you, for me, for us, and the darkness that lies below will become filled with golden light. I am trying to remember a precious memory. I am trying to remember what it feels like to be at home.
And how to keep going on.


text:
18 steely volunteers, and two of the boys in blue (PCSOs) braved the cold and beavered away clearing the area of 45 bags of rubbish.
Apart from what seemed like a million plastic bottles, the haul included a lorry tyre, a plethora of footballs, Lego figures, plastic crates, traffic cones as well as dozens of needles which were also collected and disposed of safely.
Treasure, in the form of a box of gold (plated) cuff links, was also recovered and has been stored should the owner recognise it and want to be reunited.
Patrick McElhinney from the Harbour Authority said "The volunteers have done a fantastic job and have made a huge difference to this eyesore area. They have done a superb job in tidying up this area in only a couple of hours, well done Cardiff Rivers Group!"
You can see the full set of photos for the day on the CRG Flickr site, here:
Cardiff Rivers Group are supported by Keep Wales Tidy and the Tidy Towns initiative that is funded by Welsh Government. If you would like to get involved, please contact Louise Tambini, email@example.com


text:
DISCLAIMER: Criminal Minds and its characters are the property of CBS. No infringement intended.
SPOILERS: 2x17 Jones, 3x19 The Crossing, 3x20 Lo-Fi
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
Better As A Memory
By gilligankane
i. I move on like a sinner's prayer
You catch her eye from across the room, and you can't help but smirk. She blushes and your smirk blossoms, spreading across your face and it feels unfamiliar, but like smiling is something you've been missing out on for the last thirty-odd years of your life.
"Prentiss." Morgan nudges you in the ribs and you take your time looking at him, content to keep your dark eyes locked on her light ones. You smirk once more, for good measure, because you know exactly where that blush disappears to under her shirt.
"Yeah?" He's smirking too, but for an entirely different reason, because here's to hoping he's not thinking about getting out of the office and making JJ scream his name for the rest of the night, because that's why you're smirking.
"Wanna go get those files from Hotch for me?" He's halfway out of his seat, expecting you to say "no" like every other time he's asked you, but you nod and get out of your chair before he can comment on it. You sway past JJ and she averts her eyes.
She can never keep herself from watching you walk.
ii. I let go like a levee breaks
When you land in New Orleans, you can see right away that this bottom-feeder wanna-be has his eyes on her, watching the tilt of her head and the slight lift of her lip when she smiles. You watch how he studies her, memorizes every step she takes and every word, ever letter, she says. You can almost see the wheels in his head turning furiously, trying to catalogue every movement she makes and you'd find it funny if you didn't consider her yours.
She isn't though.
So when you see them come back from the bar, after scouting the area, you see the way she's blushing and the way he struts a little taller than before and you know, you know, that he probably put a move on her.
When you're finished for the night, lying boneless beside her and breathing heavy, you force your body to move and you stand, gathering your clothes and slipping into your pants and shirt, sans underwear. You don't look back at her when you leave, but you know she's probably just staring at you.
iii. Walk away as if I don't care
When you wake up in your own bed (for the first time in a long time) and the sheets on the other side are cold and lonely, you realize you were being an idiot, because she obviously wasn't interested in him. At least, she wasn't when she was panting your name and biting down on your shoulder, coming apart in your hands.
So you walk into the office, ready to pack up your bags and get the hell out of Dodge, because you're sick of this place that smells like alcohol and infested with creepy, skin-crawling Cajun men, and because you've never done it with her on the plane before and you're up for trying new things.
But when you walk into the precinct, a smile on your face and an apology on your tongue, you see her leaning a little too close to him; see him smiling a little too eagerly; see her slip him her business card, smooth and with a secret smile.
You shrug your shoulders for anyone watching and board the plane by yourself.
iv. Learn to shoulder my mistakes
It was your fault, and you don't need Hotch to tell you that. Your gun wavered for that spilt second and you nearly got yourself killed. Your gun wavered because you could see the white's of the unsub's eyes and you knew you knew she wasn't a killer, she was just a desperate mother but your gun wavered all the same and the bullet only missed you by inches.
Usually, on days like these, when you compromise a situation, or almost die, you end up outside her apartment, with a cocky, fake grin and your own "Bette Davis" eyes.
Usually, you let her take care of you for five minutes, maybe ten, before you kiss her solidly, and before you end up tangled in her sheets, her slight body wrapped in your arms.
But this isn't a usual day, because at the same time as she's watching the EMT bandage your arm where the bullet seared through your flesh, she's smiling giddily at her cell phone and you know it's from him and you know what that means.
So instead of showing up at her door, you open your liquor cabinet, because it was your mistake and you can take care of it yourself.
v. I'm built to fade like your favorite song
She comes around a couple days after your recent brush with death, just to check up on you, because she was "concerned when you didn't show up for work" but you smile and shake your head and tell her that Hotch gave you a few days off and that you're fine, just a scratch.
"Scratch," she scoffs and you can't help but smile wider.
The truth is, your arm aches bad, just like your leg ached the last time you were shot, and you're a little woozy because you haven't eaten too much lately and you can still feel the whiskey clinging to your skin and your mouth. But you tell her you're fine and you press her against the back of your front door, laughing into her mouth as she accidentally grabs your arm. You laugh into her mouth and run your hands along her stomach, feeling the muscles ripple under her shirt and you know that after this, you're going to be okay and the world will stop spinning.
And when it's over, instead of lying in your arms the way she always does, she checks her phone. She's missed a call and she calls him back. You kind of just fade into the background and she sits at the edge of your bed, still glowing. And when you can feel her look back at you, you feign sleep.
And she leaves.
vi. Get reckless when there's no need
There is no reason for running into the house, especially without your gun and your vest and your backup, but that son of a bitch is holding JJ in there and no one is doing anything about it.
"Prentiss!" Hotch comes to life first.
"Emily!" Morgan yells half a second later.
But you don't hear them, because that bastard has JJ and no one is doing anything about it. So it's up to you. And you're ready for him, so when he comes at you, hand-to-hand combat, you bring your leg up in such a blur that you're not sure how he ends up on the floor, but JJ is in your arms, arms wrapped around your shoulders, hanging on for dear life.
Hotch gives you a glare that translates to "I should have your badge you impulsive little brat," but he keeps quiet because JJ's eyes are fluttering open and closed.
He knows why you went in there. You know why you went in there. But he's right. You were impulsive and you were stupid and you should have waited.
But it's JJ.
And calculated seems to fly out the window where she's concerned.
vii. Laugh as your stories ramble on
Garcia calls you on a Friday night, just as you're pulling on your flannel pajama pants and your tank top, getting ready for bed, and you almost don't pick up.
"Hey gorgeous. Listen, I would call someone else, but Morgan is in Chicago and Reid is my last choice," she rambles and you find yourself stopping her, because as much as you love the crazy blonde, it's been a long week and you just want to sleep the entire weekend away.
"I'm at this bar with JJ and I have a date in an hour, but I don't want to leave her here and " You shake your head and pull your pants down again with one hand, trying to find your jeans.
"Just tell me where you are." You grab your jacket and your keys and leave the warmth of your apartment, heading into the cool night.
You find her on the edge of a barstool, talking animatedly to the barkeep who clearly has better things to do. Mercilessly, you glide over and step in.
"Emily!" and she launches in, telling you something about a pineapple and a coconut and she's laughing so hard that the words don't make sense, but you smile anyways and eventually you start laughing.
Maybe you don't need sleep. Maybe you just needed to see her.
viii. Break my heart, but it won't bleed
Today, you're going to do this right. You're going to ask her on a date and bring flowers to her doorstep and buy dinner and walk her to her doorstep. You're going to do this right and maybe even ask her if you can do it again sometimes, because you maybe sorta kinda might be falling for her.
"Hey, Emily, you remember Will, right?" She's smiling happily, clutching his arm and you find it ironic that she holds your arm the same way when she screams your name.
You put on a brave face. "Yeah, 'course. Hey," you offer in his direction, your hand holding the card with the name of the restaurant on it stuffed into your coat pocket.
Maybe some other time.
"We were going to grab a few drinks with the rest of the team," she says, beaming her beacon of light in your direction. "You in?"
"Maybe some other time," you say, the card crumpling into a ball of anger. You smile anyway and turn on your heel, trying to ignore the way she laughs at him the way she used to laugh at you.
ix. My only friends are pirates
You're trying to forget the sound of her voice, so you seek solace in the only real friends you have: Jack and Morgan.
They burn your throat as they slide down, smooth as ever, but you welcome it. It's better than the burning of your skin where her hands used to be.
Jack and Morgan.
Morgan and Jack.
They never seem to let you down.
x. Never sure when the truth won't do
"Are you hey." She waves a hand in front of your face, because she thinks you aren't playing attention to her.
"What?" If she thinks you sound annoyed, it's because you are.
"I was just wondering what you're doing tonight, that's all." She's got that look in her eyes, the same one you've been dreaming of for a couple of nights now. "If you're busy," she clarifies.
"Yeah. I am." Busy dreaming about you, you say to yourself.
"Oh." She pauses, looks across the bullpen, and sighs deeply. "Do you think he's " She leaves the question open-ended.
"What? A good guy? A nice friend?" She smiles.
"Good for me," she says, and you quirk your eyebrow, as if you're trying to say "are you really asking me this question?" But she is, and what's worse is that she's looking for an honest answer.
So you lie.
"Of course I do."
xi. I'm pretty good on a lonely night
When he leaves to go back home, you realize he's only been here a week the longest week of your life.
And, unsurprisingly, she gets lonely quick and ends up on your doorstep with a sheepish smile and a bottle of wine a truce offering. And you've missed her so much, without actually realizing that you've missed her, so you don't even look at the bottle of wine.
You ignore the fact she tastes like smoke.
"Hey," she whispers against the side of your mouth and you don't smile this time, because you know what she's here for and if that's how she wants it, then that's how you're going to give it to her.
"You're amazing," she whispers later, her hair spread across your sheets.
You pretend to be sleeping, because you know you're amazing, and you're just waiting for her to really figure it out.
xii. I move on the way a storm blows through
You know he's back in town, the entire Bureau knows, but she still wants you to meet her in front of her house. You delete the text message and roll over in your empty bed, closing your eyes.
"I texted you," she says in the morning, nonchalantly, looking at you over the rim of her coffee cup.
"Did you?" You don't look up, because she'll be able to read your eyes, so you focus on finishing the report in front of you and you hear her sigh loudly.
"Want to go for drinks later? You, me, Garcia?" You look up at that and nod once.
You get there early, because you've got nothing else to do, and when she strolls in, clutching Garcia's arm, her head thrown back in laughter, you see her stop short out of the corner of her eye. Involuntarily, you tense up.
"Baby?" The redhead on your arm, the one you just met a half an hour ago, leans close and whispers the question into your ear. You smile reassuringly, toss a "raincheck?" over your shoulder and lead the woman out of the club, your smile fading as the neon lights of the bar get smaller and smaller in your rearview mirror.
xiii. I never stay, but then again, I might
He's gone again and it's only a matter of time before he comes back. You don't talk about the redhead because it's none of her business and because nothing happened and she doesn't talk about him either. A silent agreement.
She's arched against her mattress, and you're finishing up. You give yourself a minute to breath, closing your eyes at the way her fingertips scrape against your stomach. This is your routine, at least when you're in her bed.
You come.
You conquer.
You leave.
Except that when you let the sheet fall off of your body and you reach down to grab one of your socks, her arm snakes around your waist and holds you against her.
"Stay," she murmurs with her mouth pressed to your back. "Just stay for a little while."
Maybe she just wants a warm body. Maybe she really wants you.
You never stay, because it's not in your routine, but her sheets are warm and her body is shaking and you can play hero for a night.
So you nod and you settle back against the pillows. You'll stay.
xiv. I struggle sometimes to find the words
"Do you think I'm making a mistake?" The question breaks your concentration and the SUV swerves slightly to the left and you're too caught off guard to grab it quicker than she does.
"Excuse me?" You place your hands back on the steering wheel, avoiding the places she's holding it and keep your eyes focused on the dirt road in front of you.
"Do you think that me and Will the long distance thing. Is it a mistake?" A part of you wants to hit her, smack her across the face, because she has no right to be asking you a question like this. Not when she's going to coming apart in your hands later. Not when she's going to be thinking of him.
"I uh " You sigh and keep your eyes on the road.
"Sorry, stupid question," she says after a minute of silence. She turns to look out the window and you watch her out of the corner of her eye.
xv. Always sure until I doubt
It's been what, months, since she started seeing him, and you were so sure he'd be a distraction, because she belongs between your sheets and nowhere else.
But he's back again and it's the 5th weekend in a row and he's starting to be a pain in your ass.
"He won't last," Garcia mumbles next to you, and you raise an eyebrow over your beer mug. She's out there on the floor with him, and it sure as hell looks like it's going to last. "Please. I'm not blind Emily. I can see the way you look at her, and the way she looks at you. He won't last," she repeats softly.
You used to believe that too. You used to believe that he was a small distraction and that he was going to just kind of disappear if you closed you eyes and held them shut long enough.
You used to be so sure he'd "get some and get gone" but he's still hanging around and you're not so set in your ways anymore.
xvi. Walk a line until it blurs
You've always gone the same way, done the same thing, every day of your life. And it's been good, because it's routine and you like routine and you like having everything the same as it was the day before.
Except that she stops calling you.
And routine goes right out the window.
There was always a fine line between the two of you, and you've always straddled it dangerously.
And now that line, the one you used to walk, because it was routine, is gone and you're all turned around and she's not calling you anymore so you lose yourself in your work and your liquor cabinet and laugh at the shadows that dance on the walls of your empty apartment.
xvii. Build walls too high to climb out
You're sinking. You're sinking and she walks by you every day and smiles in your direction, but one of those distracted smiles, because you know she's thinking about the baby growing inside of her and she's not really concerned with the way you're slowly sliding into withdrawal and you're not even fighting it.
You're having withdrawal's from her from her voice and her smell and her real smile.
But you still let yourself slide, because maybe she'll come and reach out her hand and pull you up from the wreckage.
But she keeps walking by and the walls around you get higher and higher and higher and you sink lower each day.
xviii. But I'm honest to a fault
The ring is on her finger, sparkling in the fluorescent lights of the bullpen and she's staring at you expectantly, as if she wants you to say something about the sheer size of the ring, or what it means, or what it doesn't.
You glare at her, dark eyes peering out from under your bangs. "Well what?"
"Well, what do you think?" You can't name the look in her eyes, but you're hoping it's the look that says "please, kiss me now." It's not.
"I think," you sigh loudly, running a hand through your hair and trying to breathe her in. You're the only two here, and you can tell her now, tell her how it's wrong and how that ring looks so out of place on her hand. "I think you'd be a great wife."
It's the truth; she would.
And you love her too much because now you know you love her to tell her anything but the truth. Even if it's not the truth she wants.
xix. I see you leaning, you're bound to fall
You've been home for two minutes, just enough time to take off your jacket and your shoes and walk into your kitchen slowly, when the doorbell rings frantically followed by incessant pounding on the door.
It's only open an inch when she comes barreling through, eyes rimmed with red and shaking hands grab your collar as she pulls you into her. The ring cuts into your neck, digging into your skin, but it almost feels good, and she's kissing you.
Really kissing you.
And even if she's crying, you can still make out the words she's whispering to you and you can still feel her breath against your cheek.
"I love you Emily."
And you kiss her hard, with her engagement ring digging into your neck and her tears coating your cheeks, you kiss her and try to remember she's not spoken for.
xx. I don't wanna be that mistake
You're gone before the sunlight hits her eyes though, because you're not going to be the reason she doesn't get her happy ending, the one everyone knows she deserves. You can't give that too her because you're not the settling down type and she deserves someone to come home to.
The highway stretches on for a long time, and you're heading straight, because straight gets you away from all of it faster and farther.
You don't want to be the reason for her pain and her suffering and her disappointment, so you pack a bag while she's still sleeping and you leave.
You don't leave a note, even though she'll look for one. You shut off your cell phone, even though she'll call you. You don't wake her up, even though she'll hate you for it later.
You just drive.
xxi. I'm just a dreamer, and nothing more
Days later, you finally stop in Boston, even though you've been in the city since the morning you left. You drove around and around and only stopped for gas, but now you're tired because exhaustion is catching up with you. You pick the most elusive hotel and rent a room for the night, crashing down into the hard mattress.
And you dream of her.
Of white picket fences and golden retrievers and little blonde towheads with sparkling eyes and their mouths turning up at the corners.
Of 9-5 workdays and coming home to help cook dinner and teaching multiplication tables and reading over English assignments and routine and happiness.
When you wake up only two hours later you close your eyes against the bright yellow peeling wallpaper and sigh.
You try and close your eyes again, trying to dream of her.
xxii. You should know it before it gets too late
You call her a week after you leave her in your bed, not really sure what you're going to say, but listening to the ringing and hoping she doesn't pick up.
She does and she doesn't say a word, because she knows it's you calling. You hear her breathing softly and you sigh into the receiver.
"What?" she asks coldly.
"I wanted you to know that I'm I " the wallpaper is still peeling in this rat trap hotel and your eyes roam over the walls, because you wrote your entire apology on them on in black Sharpie and she wasn't supposed to say "what" and it's throwing your entire speech off.
"I don't love you." The words come out on their own volition and they're a defensive mechanism and a complete lie. But you've opened this can of worms and if it'll get her her happy ending, then that's what you'll do.
"I just wanted you to know that." You hang up before she can say anything and you stare at the walls.
That wasn't in the script.
xxiii. 'Cause goodbyes are like a roulette wheel
Garcia calls you and tells you that she's leaving, going to live in New Orleans so that when the baby is born, she's already settled in, and even if she won't tell anyone, she wants you there.
So you come home and you stand in the bullpen obediently and you watch as Hotch gives Will a friendly clap on the shoulder and you watch Garcia cling to JJ and try not to cry.
You watch Reid stare a Will's outstretched hand part of you is thrilled that Reid seems to hate Will as much as you do and you watch Morgan wrap JJ in his arms and you watch her slender form seem to disappear in his embrace and you watch as she comes closer and closer to you.
Neither of you say a word. To them to all of them except for Garcia you guys were best friends and they know that this is going to be hard for you, so they avert their eyes, suddenly busy with other things to do.
"Bye," she says, standing too far away for you to hug.
"See ya," you throw back at her.
She walks out the door and he follows her. You ignore the way Garcia is staring at you.
It doesn't matter anyhow.
xxiv. You never know where they're gonna land
You're standing outside her door and hoping he doesn't answer it. She opens it still looking over her shoulder and when she turns to face you, her smile falters.
"What are you doing here?"
But you're not sure what to say to her. "Is he still here?" you find yourself asking.
"No," she says after a couple seconds of silence. "Why?"
"I just wanted to say goodbye," you tell her, your voice cracking. "I just wanted to say goodbye. I just wanted " She cuts you off, raising her hand.
She slams the door in your face.
xxv. First you're spinning, then you're standing still
Months fly by, night creep by, bottles of whiskey disappear, and the mail comes. She's getting married, and she wants you to come see her take his name.
Like hell.
You shove the envelope to the back of your desk, buried under your bar receipts and when Garcia calls, you don't pick up.
She wants you to come to her wedding. She wants you to watch her marry the father of her child and the man who promised her everything. She wants you to watch her as all her dreams come true.
Well, fuck that.
You take another swig of Jack Daniels and repeat it out loud. "Fuck that."
xxvi. Left holding a losing hand
Still, Garcia drags you onto the plane and you find yourself ransacking the mini bar when she's not looking, and you're throwing your head back and swallowing the burning liquid when Morgan turns his head for a fraction of a second.
You reach your peak somewhere over North Carolina and by the time you touch down in Louisiana, you're three sheets to the wind, and it's only getting better from here.
She's standing at the airport, a two month old attached to her slender hip, and smile on her face that's stretching from ear to ear and god she's never looked so good. She looks relaxed and just a little shorter now that she's not wearing heels and she looks older, but good. She's never looked so good.
You smile for a second as she yells "Over here!" because she's waving her arm excitedly and grinning, but then you see his arm, wrapped securely around her waist and they look so perfect you can't think straight.
They're just so perfect, and she's never looked so good.
You're so drunk.
xxvii. But one day you're gonna find someone
The church is beautiful, you'll admit that much.
You feel wrong though, because you're nursing a hang over, but you're "being supportive." Actually, you're really just trying to get her to look at you, because she won't and she hasn't since you got off the plane.
Garcia hasn't tried to tell you that you can win her back because even if she was always rooting for you two, she can't lie to you: they're perfect for each other. You see the way he smiles at her and the way she smiles back at him and you finally get it.
She's got someone. Someone who isn't you.
And she seems happy.
And she looks like she belongs at the end of this aisle, and you can almost see her in her white dress. And it's not you she's marrying and for the first time you get it.
And it hurts.
xxviii. And right away you'll know it's true
She laughs and your heart stops. It literally stops beating right there in your chest and you can feel your entire body shut down. The chair you're sitting in is the only thing keeping you upright, but somehow you force yourself to stand and move away from the table and through the throbbing crowd because New Orleans has amazingly packed nightclubs and towards the bathroom in the back. You barely hear the sound of a chair scraping across the floor, but you feel his hand grab your arm.
"Hey, can we talk?" You throw a glance back at the table and all eyes except hers are on you, so you nod and he leads outside into the cool New Orleans night.
"She said no, at first." He tells you after a couple minutes of silence. You look up from where you were staring at the ground. "She said no, because she was still in D.C. and she still worked and she was still pregnant and," he pauses. "And she still had you."
"She said yes." That's all you can think to tell him.
"Yeah," he says, grinning suddenly as the group comes out of the bar. "Yeah, she did."
God, they're so perfect.
xxix. That all of your seeking's done
"Oh, sorry," she automatically says as she enters your hotel room. She was obviously looking for Garcia, so you pretend like this isn't awkward and you smile coyly.
"She never came back from Morgan's room last night," and you watch as she can't help but smile.
"Well, well, well."
"They've been trying to hide it from us for the last couple of months but "
"But you're profilers," she says, finishing the sentence for you.
"Yeah, something like that." You're not sure what to say now, so you fumble. "He's a good guy."
"Don't talk about him," she all but growls. You nod.
"Okay." She gets up from where she had sat down and goes to the door, stopping for a second before turning the knob, but then she's out the door. "I just think you've finally found the right one, is all," you say to the empty room.
xxx. It's just a part of the passing through
The ceremony is going to start in a few minutes and you're standing outside the double doors of the church, staring at the angry, grey sky. It's a nice day for a white wedding. Or something like that.
"Hey." You half-turn and she's standing in front of the doors, looking at you with amusement.
"Shouldn't you be inside?" She stares at you and blinks a couple times before answering.
"Did you mean it?"
"Mean what," you ask, eyes clouded with confusion.
You watch her sigh and watch her fingers twist themselves. "When you told me you didn't love me. Did you mean it?"
"Hey, JayJ, we got's to boogie," Garcia sticks her head out from behind the door. "You too Em."
You smile softly at her in her perfect white dress and move around her to go into the church, because you don't have the nerve to say no. Because you didn't mean it then, and you don't mean it now.
xxxi. Right there in that moment, you'll finally understand
She looks at you, then looks at him, and back and forth until you feel dizzy and you see the room spinning. You're trying and failing to look tough and strong and indifferent. Her eyes are telling you that if you've got something to say, say it now, but you only see it for a second, because you catch sight of his face and you can't move.
He looks so hopeful and his smile is so wide and his eyes are telling you, when he looks at you, that he's amazed this woman agreed to spend the rest of her life with him.
And you can't help but smile back at him and accept that you're taking backseat in this one.
You can feel her eyes on you still, but then you see her look at him and she stops and really looks at him.
And she sees the same thing you do.
And you watch her fall in love with him, in that one second, that one glance, and you know she doesn't want an answer to that question, because she's answering her own:
"I do."
xxxii. That I was better as a memory than as your man
At the reception, you watch her hug people she doesn't know and laugh and smile with the people she does. You stand off to the side, watching with hooded eyes, because even though you couldn't stand up and object back in the church, you're kicking yourself for it now.
You grab champagne off a random table and down it in one swallow, ignoring the way the bubbles feel sliding down your throat. Breathing deeply, you head in her direction, intent on telling her that it's not too late to get an annulment, and that there have been shorter weddings than this and that
But they're dancing now, and her head is resting on his shoulder and her eyes are closed in contentment.
They're so perfect.
You smile and tip your empty glass at Garcia when she makes a move to come see you, because you know she feels like she should say something, anything, that might make you feel better, but the truth is, the blonde in the wedding gown is the only one for you.
You're a good memory she can look back on someday and smile about.
Except that you don't want to be a memory.
One day though, she'll remember you and what you had and maybe she'll come back to you and you'll get your happily ever after, you think to yourself.
You sneak a last glance before you turn on your heel and leave, because there's a plane leaving in one hour and you're going to be on it and you see her staring at him not at you and she looks she looks happy.
Maybe not.
The End
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Ten Bells Restaurant & Cocktail Bar
Siem Reap - Angkor - Cambodia
Internationally inspired Cocktail, Champagne & Wine Bar located in Alley West, Pub Street area, Siem Reap, Cambodia. At first The Ten Bells serves a combined classic, modern Champagnes, Cocktails and caters world class Tapas and Food while using both local meats such as meat from the famous La Ferme de Bassac. The Ten Bells friendly staff will make you feel at home while spending your time with friends and colleagues over a cocktail. Open daily from 6pm till late accompanied by Live Music Saxophonist Misha, one of the best Ten Bells' musician, resident at Ten Bells!nsectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
The Ten Bells Restaurant is located in the Alley West, just behind Pub Street. You can avoid the large crowds and noise in Pub Street to enjoy a high class bar with delicious cocktails, where we use only original brand alcohol. We have live music each night with one of the best saxophonists in town, Misha.
We provide a friendly and professional service, comfortable seats and a perfect place to enjoy an evening and have fun with your friends enjoying the live music, fine food, and great drinks!
We are a classy and cosy wine bar which serves tapas, cocktails, wine, and more. We are a hidden gem of a bar in the popular tourist town of Siem Reap.


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Product Details:
Granada Leather Sofa - Custom Made
This customer loved the Granada Leather Sofa, but they made a few alterations to suit their requirements. The final product looks sleek and very contemporary.
- Fabric - Leather - Pista/Hazelnut - Full Grain - Light Print - Italian Leather
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Stylish contemporary furniture created and designed here in Christchurch, New Zealand.


text:
Restoring the Everglades
The 2000 Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) law signed by President Bill Clinton called for a $7.8 billion dollar 30-year effort to restore the Everglades. Implementation was hindered in a number of ways, mainly lawsuits and stakeholder disagreements. Eleven years after CERP was implemented, a new coalition, led by the Army Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District, initiated the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEEP). Devon Neary MP'16's thesis evaluates CEEP. Devon argues that this plan successfully integrates certain mitigation measures and emphasizes resiliency as well.
If you are interested in learning more about ecosystem resilience, make sure to download Devon's thesis here.
Posted on April 21, 2017, in reslienecy, Uncategorized and tagged CERp, clinton, ecosystem resilience, environment, everglades, florida, mitigation, water management. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.


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GAYLORD — No. 1 in the state.
That is the distinction bestowed to the Gaylord girls cross country team as the Blue Devils earned the top spot in Division II in the first rankings of the season.
"It's a huge compliment," said coach Jeff Kalember. "To be ranked that high this early in the season tells me we have girls who prepared well this summer. Summer miles get you good early rankings."
The Blue Devils finished fourth in the state last season and return three all-state runners in senior Sloan Secord and juniors Sammy Hunt and Amber Kassuba.


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Aghanistan becoming a 'narco state': US Democrats
The Democrats called for a "bottom-up review" of US, Afghanistan policies and an increase in funding to fight narco-traffickers.india Updated: Sep 20, 2006 12:11 IST
Democrats in US Congress wrote to President George W Bush, expressing concern about spiralling violence and drug-trafficking in Afghanistan, which they said is quickly becoming a "narco-state."
"The huge profits from the opium trade are funding the implements of terror for the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and criminal gangs that are preying on the innocent and killing our people, coalition allies, and Afghan soldiers, officials and civilians," the lawmakers wrote on Tuesday.
"They are well on their way to creating the world's first true 'narco-state', whose economy and politics are almost completely dominated by the drug trade," read the letter signed by Tom Lantos, top Democrat on the House International Relations Committee, and other Democratic committee members.
"The dreams of the Afghan people for peace, security and a better life are drowning in a sea of violence, corruption and opium poppy," the lawmakers wrote, blaming a weak and corrupt central government, and a resurgent Taliban Islamist group, among other factors.
"It is clear that the United States and its coalition partners are simply not doing all that is necessary to prevent Afghanistan from lapsing back into lawlessness and a sanctuary for terrorists," they wrote.
The Democrats called for a "bottom-up review" of US Afghanistan policies and programmes and an increase in funding to fight narco-traffickers and narco-warlords.
First Published: Sep 20, 2006 12:11 IST


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Thanksgiving 2010
Julie and Carlos walked in with Julie's FIRST homemade pie!!!
|It was DELICIOUS and she made it look SO pretty with the extra touches!!!
|Julie made the most scrumptious, delicious, delectable, mouthwatering, tasty, delightful, gorgeous, lip smacking turkey for Thanksgiving! This was their first Thanksgiving as Mr. and Mrs.!!!
|Look at this MASTERPIECE!!! It looks like it's right out of "Home and Garden" magazine!
|After dinner we had coffee and dessert in my backyard with my new roaring fireplace! (l. to r.): Dorotha, Julie, Carlos, Pat (under blanket), Denny, and Susie with Buddy.
|After a long day of lots of food and game playing, we were all pretty exhausted. Denny konked out pretty early!


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HISS has developed the DARS 1500 (Deployment and Retraction System) for fixed wing aircraft,
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altimeter as the altitude reference to ensure retraction of the external payload at a specific altitude.
The design is readily scalable to accommodate larger and/or heavier payloads and different aircraft configurations.


text: An essential requirement of health and well-being is proper skin care as we grow-up. Children can let several days pass without washing their face and achieve away from it. However, adults will suffer breaking-out should they attempt now you should. Of course the diagnosis of which skin care products perform best for you is on the little slight challenge.