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Shadows of State Socialism
By MALCOLM MUIR, President and Publisher of Newsweek; formerly President, McGraw-Hill Publishing Co.
Delivered at the Institute of Public Affairs, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, June 27, 1941
Vital Speeches of the Day, Vol. VII, pp. 759-764.
FOLLOWERS of the Red party line who now find themselves remarkably confused by the fresh relationship between Hitler's Germany and Stalin's Russia, are not alone in their confusion.
Confusion of thinking about the problems raised by the current World War and what is certain to be its difficult aftermath, is common among even the respectable elements of our society.
Active Communists and Nazi-Fascists can console themselves by name-calling, but American patriots do not find their answer in their emotions.
Thoughtful Americans fall into three groups.
There are those who have seemed with almost utter violence to oppose the domestic policies of the New Deal, but who now with equal ardor support the Administration in its foreign policy.
There are those who with similar heat supported the Administration's domestic program but who are at least lukewarm toward, if they do not actively impede, the President's international practice.
There are those between, who do or do not approve of the New Deal's domestic innovations, but who seriously question the wisdom of this country's having anything to do with this war at all.
There are of course also those who follow the Administration without question in everything it does, but they are outside the present discussion.
The first three groups have this in common. Each passionately believes that its way is the way to save democracy from destruction.
It is scarcely a secret that most conservative people have viewed with steady and unassuaged apprehension the domestic experiments of the New Deal.
Yet now that this country is entangled in this war, with rare exceptions these same conservative people are in complete support of the battle against despotism.
That is not surprising. For quick definition, conservatives may be called those who believe in the economic, political, ideological system of free private enterprise. Once such men were called revolutionaries, because they revolted against tyranny to make man and his opportunities free. Once they were called liberals, because of their efforts to nurture freedom's fruits, which are all the country's traditional liberties, all freedom everywhere.
For freedom is composed of inseparable parts. Democracy as we in this country have developed it, is freedom of worship, each man to practice the religion of his choice. It is freedom of thought and its free utterance. It is free political institutions, with the right to counsel and to criticize freely chosen officers of government, as well as to acclaim. And it is freedom to do work of one's choice, and to enjoy the rewards of one's labors, within the limits of social decency.
The testimony of experience is that none of these freedoms is fully gained unless the others are gained too; and that if any one is lost, the whole structure collapses.
But the quickest way, the history of modern despotism shows, for a dictator to destroy all freedom, is to gain control of a people's economic life, while without that control dictatorship fails.
The great bulk of the people who now back the Administration's foreign policy are convinced that the way to save democracy is to defeat Hitler before his army invades, his agents infiltrate, or his economy blockades the Western hemisphere.
But no one whose business it is, like mine, to gather, to analyze, and to report the news as objectively as possible in times like these, can question that there is serious apprehension in many quarters that while dictatorship is being fought abroad, the price of war may be state socialism at home.
Consider, for example, the attitude of the businessman. No one can question that American business hates war, almost as much as it hates dictatorship. That loathing for war is etched indelibly on the record.
Business hates war because war is anti-economic Its wages throughout history have been death, debt, depression, and despair. Wartime profits inevitably turn out to be fool's gold; and the bloody pap on which war babies feed is poison, not nourishment, to an economy which lives on peace.
That is the common experience and the professional wisdom of free private enterprise . . . It was the banker, not the soldier, in Sherman who coined the truism, "War is hell".
So friends of democracy are faced with the twin horns of dilemma. It is democracy that we are out to save. What is wise?
There is the danger of losing democracy if Hitler is not stopped.
The great bulk of our people are convinced by the implacable argument of events that if freedom is to live Hitler must be defeated.
But there is real—there is authentic—danger of losing democracy here while we are helping to save it abroad.
The logical step is to stop Hitler as quickly as can be done, while we watch with jealous eye encroachments on democracy at home.
If we are wise and intelligent enough to be able to give up temporarily some of our democratic processes, but in such a way as to make sure that we will get them back again when war is done, democracy will survive.
The duty of the watchdog is especially that of the representatives of free private enterprise. For it is in that field that, in a war economy, controls are necessarily first applied. If they become permanent, other controls follow. Control of the press. Control of free speech. Including the pulpit.
Unless the controls necessary to a war economy are abandoned in a peace economy, state socialism is an accomplished fact.
What safeguards can be applied?
First, for Congress to write into the laws that these regulations are only temporary and to set a term upon them.
Industry's first duty is all-out production—of the goods of war for Hitler's defeat, and as many as possible of the goods of peace for the service of the people's morale.
Why not be realists and admit, that while we are still short of shooting, we are in this war. We are long past there being any sense in talking about whether shipments of American-made war materials to Britain should be protected by convoys or patrols; we were past that when we gave Britain fifty destroyers.
We are past talking about whether our territorial defense starts where the Atlantic touches these continental shores, we were past that when we took naval bases on British territory in return.
We are in this war, because a President freely chosen to express the people's will, and advised by an astute and informed and cold-minded State Department, has found that necessary. And consequently each successive step the Administration has taken in foreign policy has been backed by industry's productive machine.
The tanks, the ships, the airplanes, the guns, the ammunition, are forthcoming. American industry has been named the arsenal of democracy, and industrial management has single-mindedly accepted the commission. Sabotage shall not stop, nor strikes more than impede, the force of production. The tale of the assembly line is that while there is no ground for complacency there is no reason for fear on that score.
As a dozen returned war correspondents who have been out to see American industry at armaments work have re-
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which has made this the greatest industrial nation, and given its people the highest standard of living, enjoyed on the broadest base, that the world has ever known.
No matter which of the three is true, the end result is the same.
One might hesitate to raise these questions each by itself lest that further the schismatic class-consciousness which, whether by design or not, many in the Administration have falsely created.
And I have not searched out these questions. They are alert in the mind of every believer in free private enterprise. In his last speech to the world, the President declared that defense of that system is one of the major aims of the American Defense effort. Now I refer to these questions as an aid to the accomplishment of that aim.
But—do they all pattern together into an over-all Design-for-Power which can be exercised only as state socialism?
And Communist Russia, Fascist Italy, Nazi Germany, and prostrate France, each learned in its own sorry way that state socialism can operate only when the economy of liberty is safely dead.
The diplomatic skill and courage with which the President has pursued his international policy is a matter in which all Americans can take pride. His outstanding diplomatic feat is the fashion in which he has hemmed in anti-American reaction by Hitler. He has accomplished this by the process of piecemeal advance.
This technique of bit-by-bit aggression, no one step by itself enough to alarm the Nazi people to the point that would permit Hitler to act, is straight out of "Mein Kampf"—if you will. But poker is an American game.
It would not be surprising if economic engineers of the New Order are poker players too. And it may be also that they have studied the technique of creeping advance as state socialism has applied it elsewhere, so that they have used it to the advantage of a well-planned Design-for-Power—if such there be.
It does not make much difference if there is no such purposeful design, if the effect will be the same.
The point is this: Do all of the pieces fit together into a pattern ever more formidable, ever more threatening to liberty as America has known it?
Consider the matter of administrative law as a possible part of this pattern. In such a complex society as ours has become, it has persuasive theoretic advantages. Board after board, commission after commission, bureau after bureau, has been created with extra-juridical powers until now, stopping to count up, we find 140 of them exercising functions free from democratic review.
More than a hundred of these now can, and do, institute regulations, and act as investigating agency, prosecutor, jury and judge, in cases which in some way affect our American economy. No matter how whimsical these regulations, there is no appeal.
In some cases whimsy is given latitude by ambiguous law. The outstanding example is, of course, Mr. Thurman Arnold's methods of enforcing his notion of what the antitrust laws should be, by criminal indictment and consent decree; and the Federal Trade Commission's use of the "cease-and-desist" order. If the first has been called blackmail, the second is worse. It could be called blacklist; and there is no defense against it. For all the FTC has to do is to issue a "cease-and-desist" order, for any reason or for no real one at all, and the affected concern promptly loses all of its customers, long before an appeal can be tried.
The effect of such practice of course is simply this: Our economic system is softened up, as the managers and tosome extent the owners of American business are made fearful and non-resistant to the next encroachment, whatever it may be.
That is how Hitler operates.
What such encroachment can do is illustrated by the combined effect of the Wagner Act as it has been interpreted by the National Labor Relations Board, and as interpreted by the new Supreme Court.
From the Consolidated Edison Case, decided in December, 1938, wherein the Court sanctioned the NLRB regulation of companies in which neither employers nor employees were engaged in inter-state commerce; through the Fainblatt Case in which the Court decided that the Labor Act was applicable to employes who neither bought nor sold anything; on down to the Frankfurter decision in the Phelps-Dodge case, wherein employers were told that they must hire and give back pay to an applicant for a job that they had failed to hire because of union affiliations—these decisions have stopped only at the "brink of state socialism."
These are decisions, now bearing the force of the law, which are as contrary to the American tradition as any which might be handed down in Europe. For by these decisions Congress is short-circuited and a philosophy is enacted into law, and judges are given unlimited latitude in applying the philosophy to specific cases regardless of precedent.
But the basic principles of Anglo-American law is that law shall be specific in its intent and that judges, in passing upon cases, shall be limited by the law in the light of precedent. The difference is a difference between government of laws and a government of men.
Such a government—all democratic tradition has agreed—is tyranny. Current vocabulary calls tyranny, dictatorship.
Thus the stage was set for the Seizure Bill now being debated in Congress.
As it was introduced, it charted the last mile to Communism.
For its grant of power was so broad that it would have permitted the President to take the celluloid rattle out of an infant's hand; and strip the wedding ring from its mother's finger; and pry the dental plate out of its grandsire's mouth.
The President might take anything at his whim, for any sort of national use, and pay for it what he deemed proper.
The bill was so drastic that no one admitted its fatherhood. It was so drastic that the War Department's Judge Patterson, who brought it over for introduction to Congress, has this week agreed to certain modifications.
But the fact that it was introduced proves that someone believed that the time was ripe for the kill.
The stage had been set for the death stroke to the right to own private property. Someone believed—someone high enough in power to persuade Judge Patterson to act as departmental messenger, and a responsible Congressman to introduce the bill—that this was the power that everything before had been building up to.
It must be remembered that our war controls are not truly emergency measures. They are called emergency measures—those that have not already been enacted into law—but no limit has been put on the emergency.
If we were formally at war, the emergency automatically would be done when peace is declared. But we are not formally at war.
The Seizure Bill will not be passed in the form in which it was introduced. Net yet. Perhaps never.
But the introduction of that bill was state socialism's full shadow, complete to its last part, thrown sharp and plain across the threshold of every American home.
It was a spool or so ugly that seen it was scarcely believed. But there it was. Something was behind it.
It was the shadow of a reality; a plan as real as a battleship's and the whole blueprint can be found in the testimony of the New Order experts before the TNEC.
But it may be fortunate that the Seizure Bill, in its bland and outright form, was prematurely introduced. Public reaction was so swift and absolute that the White House disclaimed it; Congress hooted it in the public press. It may be that the public now is aroused, and that Congress is armed with alarm.
It may be that this will in fact arouse not only the entrepreneurs of the American economy, but everyone, to thinking seriously about the economic future of America; about the shape our economic life may safely re-assume when peace is finally come.
For if this is not a purposeful pattern which I have briefly sketched, if it is merely the collective results of the experimental efforts of a variety of well-meaning theorists, it shows that they can do by accident what subversion seeks to do by design.
When the war ends we face the danger of another great depression. History shows that serious depressions usually follow wars. But they do not follow so closely that they must occur.
Steps should be taken at once to ameliorate the dangers of the transition period to come. A sound governmental fiscal policy now, and realistic relaxation of laws and administration not directly connected with defense, which improperly hamper business in its healthy operation, will serve to clear the way for practical men to save the economy by which we all live.
Practical men learned practical lessons from the troubled history of the last war's boom and its bitter aftermath. The moment the present war in Europe began to call on this country's productive capacity, the appropriate committees of the National Association of Manufacturers instituted studies as to how to mitigate the effects of post-war depression if the depression could not be staved off.
In an effort to arrive at further understanding of the problem, the N. A. M.. through its standing committee on economic policy, wrote to every member of the American Economic Association to ask his candid opinion as to whether there will be a post-war depression, and if so what form it would be likely to take.
Every shade of economic opinion, from extreme left to furtherest right, was represented by the 480 economists who answered. But their answers boiled down to four points.
1. Agreement was general that if depression comes it will first appear in the heavy-goods industries.
2. Old maladjustments in our economic system will have a vicious influence once the stimulant of armaments production is removed. These are maladjustments which our economy was working out, within the limits imposed by unrealistic government regulation, when the armament period began.
3. Depression may be hatched in dislocation of workers and expansion of industries made necessary by the defense program and general unleashing of inflationary tendencies.
4. Lack of foresight, coupled with the weakening of the profit motive, will retard private initiative and risk-taking in the establishment of new industries and the conversion of armament industries to peacetime use.
Forewarned should be forearmed. What to do about it? The economists think that here government can help.
1. By building postponed useful public work; perhaps byproviding subsidies for residential construction; even subsidies to some industries to help in maintaining employment.
2. By tax revision to encourage private business activity, and relaxation of government controls not directly related to defense, rationalization of anti-trust activities, and similar permission of smoother operation of business, to be reflected in ultimate general price reductions.
3. And as immediate action, such anti-inflationary policies as increased taxation to pay for defense, economy in non-defense spending, and curtailment of private spending in durable consumer goods until the defense period is over.
Most of the economists urged that the country should plan so as to be prepared when the depression first threatens. This should include industrial research projects, to be conducted by industry and protected by an unimpaired American patent system, in readiness for an expansion of peacetime production.
Clearly there are those who will be disappointed in the economists. For a program for state socialism did not emerge. Instead, government is recognized as a proper partner in the effort to avoid depression while the method cumulatively recommended is to encourage free private enterprise.
Students of history, rather than addicts to leftist philosophy, recognize that the economists were correct. The doctrine of economic scarcity can be abandoned if the specter of wasteful spending and profitless thrift is laid. For consider the backlog of unfilled wants and needs which will await the products of industry when the war is done. The country will need certainly more than 30 billions of dollars worth of capital improvements, both producers and consumers durable goods. In the forefront will be housing, manufacturing plants to be converted, railroads to be modernized, heavy household equipment to be bought or replaced.
New industries, to emerge from the laboratories, can find use for enough new crops to make agricultural over-production seem the nightmare of a happily lost world. If the government does postpone all public works until the transition period, and does not divert effort and money which should be used for defense, to their building now, there will be highways to be constructed, rivers and harbors to be improved, quantities of other legitimate, productive public jobs.
The defense against a post-war depression will put to the test the ability of the American people to save their freedoms, in a way that this war cannot. Enterprise, initiative, morale and energy will be needed to a degree that perhaps it has not been needed since the conquest of the frontier.
The best defense against depression is enterprising attack. And the only defense against state socialism is a healthily expanding economy.
There is no problem, social or political, that expanding free economy cannot cure.
There is no social or political malady that state socialism does not make worse. That is not a matter of opinion; it is a matter of fact, spread since the last war on the record of a Europe now bitterly essaying suicide.
But the danger is that when this war is done, and unemployment threatens, theorists will point to the armaments period as a gigantic pump-priming time, proof that the only trouble with pre-defense paternalism was that it did not go far enough.
If deficit spending for the materials of war cured unemployment, they will say, now spend an equal rate of borrowed billions for public works. If private industry is not economically able to keep its factories full, let government take them over and crowd the assembly lines with goods made for use, not for profit.
It can't be done. That means living on the nation's capital. Hitler has taken the steady subtraction out of the worker's livings as he reduced the worker to the status of serf. The only technical change in definition is that the worker is bound not to the land, but to the job. Mussolini has killed off the excess employables in futile wars. And Russia—there even idealistic socialism has met its death.
Socialism is a dream that has bemused many good men. But state socialism is a monster that scoffs at dreams while it devours those lured by the will-o'-the-wisp. And there is no such thing as a little state socialism.
Social legislation which cuts too close to the edge is the invitation to disaster. Much legislation now on our books flicks over the edge. The warning signs are the shadows
which obscure the beacon of free private enterprise. State socialism is the ultimate pessimism, the expression of the conviction that human man is not worth his soul.
Its fruits are all continental Europe, and much of Asia and of Africa, on short rations or starving; continents laid waste. It is the proven power and virtue of our American economy which now makes this nation the storehouse and arsenal of all the democracy the world has left.
There is no social gain except freedom. And freedom is state socialism's natural prey. The power that has made America great is the free power of creative production. It is the man secure in his personal dignity doing the best with his life that he can.


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Products and solutions, 2006-03-16, 01:02 PM
Explosion-proof: Spark-free cutting with water
2006 In itself, there's nothing special about laying glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) pipelines. However, the process becomes interesting from the technical point of view if the new plastic pipe has to be connected to existing steel pipework under absolutely explosion-proof conditions while refinery operations continue. To make this possible, the maintenance team of ThyssenKrupp Xervon applies a special water jet cutting process.
Responsible for everything from pipework to boilers, ThyssenKrupp Xervon has been - since 2001 - the sole maintenance provider for the Emsland oil refinery in Lingen, which joined the BP Group in February 2002. The tasks of the roughly 50-strong core team include not only the inspection and repair of all heat exchangers, vessels and tanks, but also the maintenance of all existing pipes and the installation of new ones. This also covers the laying of GRP pipes, for which the company is certified. In refinery environments in which explosion-proof conditions are essential, the corrosion-free, lightweight alternative pipe made of plastic can be laid hazard-free without welding and, depending on the medium flowing through it, often has a longer service life than the classical steel pipe or the expensive stainless steel variant with its complicated installation method.
Plastic beats steel
A recently replaced, 60 m long hydrocarbon line made of GRP is expected above all to have a longer service life. The line (nominal diameter DN 200, nominal pressure PN 16) carries the exhaust gases of gasoline and oil products to a collection point where they are then processed further. Although the predecessor steel pipe was only five years old, it already showed corrosion damage. Because the pipe system doesn't form a closed circuit, the exhaust gas mixture accumulates oxygen, and rust and pitting develop relatively swiftly in a steel pipe. For this reason, it was decided to replace the corroding steel line with a GRP pipeline and integrate it into the existing pipework.
Razor-sharp spark-free cut
Although, as Rudolf Schreyer of the Xervon Lingen site explains, the laying of GRP pipes on a refinery site is a run-of-the-mill job for his specially trained staff, this was the first time they'd worked under such special conditions. What Schreyer means in particular is the cutting of the old steel pipes without any sparking whatsoever, as demanded by the operator. They therefore resorted to water jet cutting, which is always adopted when highly explosive pipelines have to be cut. With a maximum pressure of 1200 bar and a flow rate of 7.5 l/min with 10 percent added abrasive, a cutting jet is generated with a maximum width of 0.6 mm. The result is an absolutely razor-sharp cut without any sparking at all.
Another special difficulty with the new GRP hydrocarbon pipe is its routing, which demanded several bends during laying. The laws of physics state that the gentler a bend is, the faster the exhaust gases can be discharged. For a pipe with a diameter of 200 mm, the safety regulations demand a bend radius of 1000 mm. And this bend the Xervon maintenance experts laminated themselves. After all, the employees are certified for the processing of GRP and have a command of the various joining techniques required according to material composition. These can be bonding, lamination, flanging, push-fit socketing and mechanical connection methods.
GRP waste water line
In the meantime, a 660 m long GRP waste water line has also been laid on the refinery site by the Xervon maintenance experts. The pipeline's material with a nominal diameter of DN 100 (nominal pressure 16) is precisely adapted to the conditions of its use. It has to be resistant to the waste water flowing through it, which covers the entire spectrum from alkaline to acid (pH 2 to 12). Rigid foam insulation and a 0.8 mm thick jacket of aluminum sheet also protect the electrically heatable pipe from frost.
"Although GRP pipelines call for shorter distances between supports and thus for a larger number of rests, we can still lay them very quickly," concludes maintenance expert Schreyer. This is due partly to the ease of handling the lightweight pipes and also, and particularly, to the trouble-free joining of the individual pipe sections, which does entirely without welding. "This naturally makes a big difference in refineries, where safety has top priority," explains Schreyer who, from his daily work, is familiar with the enormously elaborate task of encapsulating craftsmen's workplaces.
Because of the positive experience with GRP pipes, the Emsland refinery intends to adopt this pipe-laying procedure as standard in its construction and materials specifications. Further orders are due to follow. There are already plans to lay the entire fire-extinguishing system in plastic. Schreyer: "This means a 100 percent guarantee of rust-freedom and eliminates the risk of nozzles becoming blocked by rust deposits."

subset: commoncrawl


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Interview with Mayowa Owoeye, Founder Watchaven.com-The Online retail store for quality Wristwatches12:00:00
GeneAfrique BusinessBox is a section focused on spotlighting African entrepreneurs who are making an impact in their chosen field. The purpose of this section is to promote and encourage entrepreneurship among young Africans. We are excited to interview this young online Nigerian retailer selling quality time pieces to Nigerians at an affordable rate.
GeneAfrique: How did you come up with the concept of watchaven.com?
MO: I realized there was a general gap in the market for the sale of affordable, good, and durable time pieces, and decided to fill the gap by creating an easily accessible online store where people could purchase affordable time pieces and pay at their convenience.
GeneAfrique: How would you describe Watchaven to a potential customer?
MO: As the name suggests, it's a safe and quality worthy store where you can purchase your time pieces
GeneAfrique: When did you get started?
GeneAfrique: How was the business funded?
MO: Personal income and with the help of a few investors
GeneAfrique: How long did it take to move the business from idea to reality?
MO: About 2 years
GeneAfrique: How did your educational background and experience help contribute to the vision and growth of the company?
MO: As a technology professional with many years of experience in IT systems integration, I was able to create a haven where class meets style on a simple technology platform
GeneAfrique: How did you market the business when you first started and how do you promote it now?
MO: By word of mouth, social media and old media
MO: We get almost a thousand visitors daily on an average
GeneAfrique: What is it like managing your business?
MO: We are lean, mean and strong!
GeneAfrique: Security is a major concern for internet transactions, particularly in Nigeria. What security do you have in place on your site, and how would you reassure customers that their financial information is safe?
Captcha codes on signup
Secure login via HTTPS
SSL certificates
GeneAfrique: How active are you within the social media world with promoting your website?
MO: We have an e-team responsible for that and they are doing a great job.
GeneAfrique: What has been the one biggest challenge getting the site to where it is today?
MO: My biggest challenge initially was making people accept online shopping as a culture, also convincing people that we aren't like other online stores. So many people were worried that they wouldn't receive the same product viewed on the website or their package would be delivered late, etc. Once we were able to convince them and cross this huddle, we were set to go. So far we have received nothing but positive reviews
GeneAfrique: What kind of feedback have you gotten so far? What is the worst review you have received so far?
MO: As mentioned earlier, it has been nothing but good reviews and we are strategizing to make sure it stays that way.
GeneAfrique: How do you differentiate your business from competition?
MO: Watchaven is built on integrity, customer relationship, and trust. For us, it's not all about the money, it's about making the customer happy
GeneAfrique: Which entrepreneur/person has inspired you the most and why?
MO: Jesus & Jimi Tewe.
© 2013, GeneAfrique. All rights reserved.
1 comments
- Oreoluwa Adekoya6 August 2013 at 08:20
Yayyy! That's ma big bro right there ;)ReplyDelete


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Technology Options for energy recovery from municipal solid waste.
Waste disposal, energy production and the minimisation of pollution are the key problems that must be addressed for the sustainable cities of the future. In a world of finite resources and witnessing a population explosion, much effort is being made to change the way in which developed societies consume energy and materials and dispose of waste. Renewable sources of energy can make an important contribution to securing sustainable and diverse energy supplies and are therefore an essential element of a cost-effective climate change programme.
The use of biofuels in controlling carbon build-up in the biosphere and the potential benefits of creating new industries and job opportunities, particularly in the rural areas, are now adding impetus to the development and commercialisation of advanced biomass energy conversion methods. Developing a thriving renewables industry in the UK therefore represents a real opportunity for UK plc.
Our research for the last 25 years has been designed to study the key enabling technologies for environmentally friendly recovery of energy from that part of waste that cannot be economically recycled or reused. This work has successfully addressed a seriously neglected area of scientific research resulting in new fundamental understanding of the process and significant benefits to the related industries. The mission of the centre has been to achieve the international goal of environmentally sustainable development of our civilisation through the provision of applied research and development, technical services and specialist consultancy.
The work of the centre provides a most important part of the scientific material underpinning the Government's policies on environmental protection, ranging from the treatment of solid wastes and the management of disposal of unreclaimed residues, to the control of pollutants emissions to the atmosphere, and problems with liquid effluents. In particular the development of novel economic process routes, process intensification, improved process control and the use of waste as a raw material contributes to environmental protection through reduced pollution and greater energy efficiency. The centre's work in this area is undertaken with clients from both the public and private sectors at UK and international level. The Centre is also committed to providing education and training in this field.
SUWIC is based in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Sheffield.
The Department has recently undergone a major multi-million pound refurbishment which has provided new laboratories, office space and the Ideas Space.


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This top from Thistle and Finn is one of my favorites for Spring. I am crushing hard on anything crochet and lace- the perfect feminine touch. I also live in these leopard heels because although they are patterned, they are the perfect neutral option away from black or tan. And of course, this gorgeous bag I swooped up from Trendlee. Chanel has always been my dream bag, and I love how delicate and feminine this one is, not to mention goes with just about everything. If you are looking into investing in a designer bag, I would highly suggest checking out Trendlee to purchase a gently loved one at a discounted price. All of the bags come highly inspected and are guaranteed authentic.
Hope everyone has a great Tuesday! xoxo
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Liberator TD is a glorious mix of tower defense and top down shooter genres set in a sci-fi world. Tasked with the mission to establish a new colony on a distant planet, you find yourself in grave danger of the local wildlife.
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UntetheredBook - 2016
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After reading her other novel"5 Days Left" and was anxious to read this story. It did not disappoint. This delved into the life of a step mother, who after her husband's death, didn't feel that any longer was anything in her stepdaughter's life. This goes on to look at her complex feelings and she tries to "step" aside and let the girls mother take first place in the daughter's life. However things do not work out as she expected and they all get involved in the life of the 10 year old adopted girl, who came out of foster care. They are all on a journey of discovery as to where they all fit together. Enjoyed this story and looking forward to any other books that she writes. If you have not already read "5 Days Left" please do it is an extremely well written story.
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The Hotel Sayaji is opposite the Meghdoot Garden, in Vijay Nagar, Indore. The Airport is 14 kms away, Railway Station is 8 kms away and the Bus Stand is 8 kms away
In all, there are 207 luxurious rooms available at the Sayaji Hotel in Indore. The rooms here offer the plush surroundings with modern amenities for the guests.
Sayaji Hotel has nine exclusive venues for conferences and conventions, which can cater to 25 to 2500 people. The enchanting pool side and the manicured lawns offer unparalleled venues for most of the occasions. Indoor venues of Mahala, the largest pillar less hall of M.P., coupled with Board Room, Ruby, Emerald, Topaz, Jade and Sapphire offer other venues of distinction. For the recreation of the guests, a gamut of recreation facilities, comprising of sports, entertainment and virtual games have been installed. The six-lane bowling alley, bumper car zone, billiards, snooker and pool, lawn tennis, squash and badminton and an array of computer and video games are there for the recreation of children. A hi-tech salon and spa offers the guests ultimate relaxation. Central India's first Food Court and fully equipped shopping arcade are the other hangouts for a nice break.
RESTAURANT & BAR : The Sayaji Hotel boasts of three multi-cuisine and specialty restaurants, a coffee shop and two bars. The guests at the hotel can have an ultimate treat of the delicacies and specialties from every region in India.


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Kung Fu Panda is a 2008 American computer-animated action comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by John Wayne Stevenson and Mark Osborne and produced by Melissa Cobb, and stars the voice of Jack Black along with Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Angelina Jolie, Ian McShane, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Randall Duk Kim, James Hong, Dan Fogler, and Michael Clarke Duncan. Set in a version of old China populated by humanoid talking animals, the plot revolves around a bumbling humanoid panda named Po who aspires to be a kung fu master. When an evil humanoid kung fu warrior is foretold to escape from prison, Po is unwittingly named the chosen one destined to bring peace to the land, much to the chagrin of the resident kung fu warriors.
Although the concept of a "kung fu panda" has been around since at least 2003, work on the film did not begin until 2004. The idea for the film was conceived by Michael Lachance, a DreamWorks Animation executive. The film was originally intended to be a parody, but director Stevenson decided instead to shoot an action comedy Wuxia film that incorporates the hero's journey narrative archetype for the lead character. The computer animation in the film was more complex than anything DreamWorks had done before. As with most DreamWorks animated films, Hans Zimmer (collaborating with John Powell this time) scored Kung Fu Panda. He visited China to absorb the culture and get to know the China National Symphony Orchestra as part of his preparation. A sequel, Kung Fu Panda 2, was released on May 26, 2011.
Kung Fu Panda premiered in the United States on June 6, 2008, and has since received very favorable reviews from critics and most of the movie-going public, including Chinese audiences who were impressed with the film's faithfulness to their culture. The film currently garners an 88% "Certified Fresh" approval rating from review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Kung Fu Panda opened in 4,114 theaters, grossing $20.3 million on its opening day and $60.2 million on its opening weekend, resulting in the number one position at the box office. The film became DreamWorks's biggest opening for a non-sequel film, the highest grossing animated movie of the year worldwide, and also had the fourth-largest opening weekend for a DreamWorks animated film at the American and Canadian box office, behind Shrek 2, Shrek the Third, and Shrek Forever After.
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Report: Liverpool eye summer move for Juventus starlet?
by admin • March 2, 2017 • Italy, Juventus, Liverpool, Premiership, Serie A • 0 Comments
According to Il Bianconero, Juventus teenager Francesco Cassata is being watched closely with Liverpool are reportedly considering a summer bid upto £10m to secure the teenager.
The Merseyside outfit had reportedly lodged a bid of around €10 million for the 19-year-old midfielder back in January but were rebuffed by the Serie A champions, who see the Italian international as a key player for the future.
However, Il Bianconero claim, the Reds will continue to scout Ascoli's Francesco Cassata with a view to signing him at the end of the season.
He joined the Old Lady after beginning his career with Empoli in February in a deal reportedly worth €1.5m. Later he was loaned out to Serie B outfit Ascoli in order to allow him to progress.
Cassata is regarded as one of the most promising talents under 20 years of age and it seems unlikely that the Italian champions will allow him to leave permanently.


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This modern
and efficient centre is situated right in the heart of Calicut (Kozhikode)
city to provide ultra modern facilities in investigations and therapy of
arthritis to a larger section of population.
Dr. Binoy J
Paul completed MBBS and MD (Medicine) From Medical College, Kottayam.
He completed a PhD in Rheumatology from Calicut University. He also
did a fellowship programme in Rheumatology from Manchester, UK. He is
a Diplomate of National Board – DNB.
He worked
in Govt. Medical College, Calicut for more than 20 years. Presently
working as Managing Director- Dr. Binoy's Arthritis & Rheumatism
Centre (BARC), Calicut.
He is a
Member of British Society of Rheumatology and Member of Asia Pacific
League Against Rheumatism (APLAR).
He was the former secretary of IMA – AMS Calicut Branch, Former National
Secretary of Indian Rheumatology Association.
Detailed clinical assessment of all
rheumatology problems by a senior Rheumatologist with the aids of
computerised scoring systems to evaluate disease activity or damage and
response to therapy.
Laboratory facilities for all immunological
tests like Rheumatoid factor, Anti CCP, AWA, Anti dsDNA, AWA profile, ANCA
Excellent pharmacy specialized to cater the needs of arthritis patients.
All costly or imported biological drugs are provided at the lowest possible
rates. Other facilities going to be available soon.
Laboratory services are available in BARC. We
collect samples from 10am to 6pm. Routine Lab reports are available in 3
hours time after obtaining the samples on the same day. This facilitates
quick and prompt care. Special tests like synovial (joint) fluid analysis,
musculoskeletal ultrasound can also be done.
Arthritis & Rheumatism Centre


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Contact: MaryEllen Snyder, 724-329-8131
Western PA is the home to five National Parks that showcase the history of the region and beauty of the outdoors. If you're planning a "Staycation" check out the five National Parks right here in our own backyard; Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, Flight 93 National Memorial, Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Friendship Hill National Historic Site and Johnstown Flood National Memorial. The sites have new offerings and events for family and friends of all ages and interests. Visiting the Western PA National Parks, you will encounter inspiring stories of native people, immigrants, first citizens and founders, and heroes of our nation.
In addition to daily programs the park service offers from June through August, over 50 special events are planned in western Pennsylvania's five National Parks sites. Whether by hiking the trace of one of America's early engineering triumphs, by quiet contemplation of tragedy highlighted by luminaries for lives lost, to taking in an summer's evening VFW Band concert on a patriots lawn, talking tactics with soldiers and warriors from the French and Indian War, or honoring the heroes of Flight 93 near Shanksville there are endless opportunities for learning and recreation in western Pennsylvania's National Parks.
Five special events you won't want to miss include:
On Friday May 31 the National Park Service will commemorate the 124th Anniversary of the Great Johnstown Flood of 1889, from 9:00 am through 10:00 pm. All park facilities will be open and admission is free. Come meet the main players in the Park story as costumed interpreters greet visitors at the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Clubhouse. Visitors can view the award winning film, "Black Friday," at the Visitor Center near the remains of the Dam. At the end of the day the public is invited to join park volunteers as we honor the memories of those who perished in the Flood, with the lighting of 2, 209 candles from 7:30-10:00.
On June 29, Allegheny Portage Railroad will conduct "Living History Day", and present an "Evening on the Summit." Learn about life and work from the days of the Allegheny Portage Railroad. The National Park Service presents this special day of demonstrations and programs to show skills and daily activities of the 1830s and 1840s. Events will last from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM and will include stonecutting, rope making, log hewing, spinning & weaving, clothes washing, cooking, historic weapons demonstrations, a recreated workers encampment, and children's games & activities.
On July 20 and 21, Fort Necessity, will commemorate the 150th Anniversary of Pontiac's Rebellion. Visit Fort Necessity, and learn about Pontiacs Rebellion. Visitors will tour an encampment of Warriors and British Soldiers in the Great Meadows and watch historic weapons demonstrations. Pontiac's Rebellion tells the story of Chief Pontiac, a powerful and respected leader of the Ottawa, Chippewa and Potawatomi who led a rebellion of many tribes against the British and the colonists. Many of the American Indian Nations , primarily from the Great Lakes region, had close trading relationships with France and were appalled to find that at the end of the French and Indian War their lands were now under the control of the British. Pontiac's Rebellion was an attempt by an alliance of American Indian Nations to prevent Great Britain from occupying the land previously claimed by France.
In September, Flight 93 National Memorial will conduct the 12th commemoration of the tragic events of September 11, 2011. This year the event will be held on Wednesday, September 11 at 9:30 am. This outdoor event is open to the public and traditionally includes reading the names of the passengers and crew on Flight 93 while the "Bells of Remembrance" are tolled. On the evening of September 10 at sundown, the Friends of Flight 93 will sponsor a display of luminaries at the Wall of Names, lighting the forty names until a special late closing at 9:00 pm. Other programming will take place on the weekends before and after September 11.
For a great fall weekend on September 21 and 22, plan to attend FestiFall & Market Fair at Friendship Hill NHS. This event is co-sponsored with the Friendship Hill Association and celebrates the life and times of Albert Gallatin, the original owner of Friendship Hill. This free event includes demonstrations of historic trades and crafts and live period music, providing the perfect ambiance for a peaceful afternoon of good food and family fun. While children explore historic toys, the family can enjoy eighteenth century foods that have been the staple of FestiFall since its inception in 1988.
In addition to the individual park events National Park Service celebrates its 97th birthday on Sunday August 25. To commemorate this special day all entrance fees will be waived at National Parks nationwide. Celebrate by visiting the five Parks in Western PA. For updated information and times of events visit www.nps.gov/flni.
About the National Parks in Western PA: To obtain driving directions, fee information and obtain a listing of the special events presented at the five National Parks located in Western PA visit the park websites, or Facebook. You may also email the park, or write to Superintendent, Fort Necessity NB, One Washington Parkway, Farmington PA 15437 Attn: Special Events Calendar.
Last updated: February 26, 2015


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Confused and have questions? We've got answers. With Chegg Study, you can get step-by-step solutions to your questions from an expert in the field. If you rather get 1:1 study help, try 30 minutes of free online tutoring with Chegg Tutors.
Parsonage-turner syndrome
From Biology-Online Dictionary | Biology-Online Dictionary
A neurologic disorder generally of unknown cause and characterized by the acute onset of shoulder pain usually beginning at night followed by weakness and wasting of shoulder girdle muscles.
This is an inflammation of the brachial plexus, which causes severe arm pain.


text: [#iframe:https://www.youtube.com/embed/5CbyZCinUBA](560x315)|||\\n\\n\\n\\nFor the first time in the show's history, a transgender bride will get to *[Say Yes to the Dress](http://www.brides.com/blogs/aisle-say/2015/08/jennifer-aniston-wedding-dress-say-yes-to-the-dress.html)*. The TLC guilty pleasure,* Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta* just hosted its very first transgender woman at its famous Georgia bridal showroom. Precious Davis, a motivational speaker from Indiana, stopped by the luxurious salon to [find her dream wedding dress](http://www.brides.com/wedding-dresses-style/wedding-dresses/2015/08/wedding-dress-shopping-tips\\\\#slide=1) for her upcoming summer nuptials — and inspire some viewers, while she's at it!\\n\\n\\n\\n\\"It's such a moment in time, to be able to share our love story in this moment of trans-visibility, resilience and equality,\\" Davis told [Entertainment Tonight](http://www.etonline.com/news/180114_first_transgender_bride_precious_davis_on_say_yes_to_the_dress_atlanta/) of her monumental appearance on the show. \\"Our love story challenges people to step outside that stereotypical notion.\\"\\n\\n\\n\\nDavis and her fiancé, a transgender man named Myles Brady, are slated to tie the knot in an opulent [Chicago ceremony](http://www.brides.com/blogs/aisle-say/2015/11/chicago-themed-wedding-ideas.html) this summer. \\"This is a moment for people to see that trans is beautiful and that we have hopes and dreams just like everyone else,\\" the bride-to-be explained.\\n\\n\\n\\n \\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n[#instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BAkQic4S2ka/]\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n \\n\\n\\n\\nAnd just like any other bride who's ever walked into a [bridal boutique](http://www.brides.com/blogs/aisle-say/2015/07/best-bridal-salons-wedding-dresses-new-york-pennsylvania-boston-northeast.html), Davis hoped to say those three little letters to [the gown of her dreams](http://www.brides.com/wedding-dresses-style/wedding-dresses)! \\"I grew up as a gender non-conforming child, always playing with dolls and being a diva and loving Whitney Houston and tying blankets around my waist, belting out 'I Will Always Love You' and envisioning myself as beautiful,\\" shared Davis. \\"So, all my life I've had a vision of what my wedding and dress would be like.\\"\\n\\n\\n\\nAnd just what was that bridal vision? \\"I went into it thinking I wanted a dress that was [sweetheart cut](http://www.brides.com/wedding-dresses-style/photos/sweetheart?primaryfacet=neckline), and a mermaid cut at the bottom. But I ultimately went in there and said I wanted something grand. I want something opulent,\\" Davis told *[Us Weekly](http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/say-yes-to-the-dress-is-featuring-its-first-trans-bride-w161801)*. This bride-to-be ended up saying \\"yes\\" to a custom [Lazaro](http://www.brides.com/wedding-dresses-style/bridal-runway-shows/2015/10/new-lazaro-wedding-dresses-2016-fall) ball gown. Totally swoon-worthy! \\"I was trying not to full-on ugly cry,\\" she said. \\"I remember standing there closing my eyes thinking, Don't fully break down. Still be pretty.\\" Trust us — we know the feeling!\\n\\n\\n\\n__See More:__ [8 Times You Should Say \\"No\\" to the Dress](http://www.brides.com/blogs/aisle-say/2015/03/times-to-say-no-wedding-dress.html)\\n\\n\\n\\nDespite finding a gorgeous gown to walk down the aisle in, Davis ultimately wanted to make a statement to viewers watching the TLC \\"BrideDay/Friday\\" staple. \\"I hope that they will see two human beings in love, and that love doesn't come in the package that we think it does.\\"\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n [#cneembed: script/video/54e6592761646d382d060000.js]||||||


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Abstracts and summaries from some of my (first-author) papers are below, a full list of publications is here.
Line-scanning fiber bundle endomicroscopy with a virtual detector slit
Michael Hughes and Guang-Zhong Yang
Biomedical Optics Express, Vol. 7, Issue 6, pp. 2257-2268 (2016)
Show AbstractHide Abstract | Show SummaryHide Summary | View PDF | View on Publisher's Site |
Coherent fiber bundles can be used to relay the image plane from the distal tip of an endomicroscope to an external confocal microscopy system. The frame rate is therefore determined by the speed of the microscope's laser scanning system which, at 10-20 Hz, may be undesirably low for in vivo clinical applications. Line-scanning allows an increase in the frame rate by an order of magnitude in exchange for some loss of optical sectioning, but the width of the detector slit cannot easily be adapted to suit different imaging conditions. The rolling shutter of a CMOS camera can be used as a virtual detector slit for a bench-top line-scanning confocal microscope, and here we extend this idea to endomicroscopy. By synchronizing the camera rolling shutter with a scanning laser line we achieve confocal imaging with an electronically variable detector slit. This architecture allows us to acquire every other frame with the detector slit offset by a known distance, and we show that subtracting this second image leads to improved optical sectioning.
Non-Technical Summary
One of the key features of confocal endomicroscopes, or indeed confocal microscopes, is that they provide optical sectioning. This means that out-of-focus light (i.e. light from above and below the plane on which the objective is focused) is rejected. In a conventional non-confocal microscope, by comparison, this out of focus light would make it through to the camera, adding some background blur to the image.
In a confocal microscope, the light is rejected by using a laser to illuminate one very small point (a few µm in diameter) on the sample at a time, and imaging that point through a pinhole in front of a photo-detector. Only in-focus points on the sample will be successfully focused through this pinhole to reach the detector, while light from out-of-focus points will be blocked.
To build up a 2D images, this point then has to be scanned over the sample in 2D dimension, usually achieved by a pair of scanning mirrors. This limits the image frame rate to about 10-20 frames per seconds. This low frame rate is a hindrance when trying to build up large area tissue maps by stitching together images frames as the endomicroscope probe moves across the surfaces (known as mosaicking). An alternative approach is to illuminate a line on the sample instead, and image through a slit rather than a pinhole. This speeds things up, as now scanning is required in one direction only. However, more of the out-of-focus light gets through to the image than for a point-scanning microscope.
In this paper, we showed an efficient way to build a line scanning confocal endomicroscope, in which, rather than having a slit in front of the detector, we use the rolling shutter of a camera as a 'virtual slit'. By carefully controlling the parameters of certain types of CMOS cameras, we can arrange so that only pixels aligned with the scanning laser line are exposed at a given time, providing the same function as physical slit moving in front of the camera. Crucially, this allows us to implement a technique to improve the optical sectioning by acquiring a second image with the virtual slit offset slightly from the scanning line, and then subtracting this from the first. In the paper we show how this reduces residual out-of-focus blur and so improves the quality of the endomicroscopy images.
High speed, line-scanning, fiber bundle fluorescence confocal endomicroscopy for improved mosaicking
Michael Hughes and Guang-Zhong Yang
Biomedical Optics Express, Vol. 6, Issue 4, pp. 1241-1252 (2015)
Show AbstractHide Abstract | Show SummaryHide Summary | View PDF | View on Publisher's Site |
A significant limitation of fiber bundle endomicroscopy systems is that the field of view tends to be small, usually only several hundred micrometers in diameter. Image mosaicking techniques can increase the effective image size, but require careful manipulation of the probe to ensure sufficient overlap between adjacent frames. For confocal endomicroscopes, which typically have frame rates on the order of 10 fps, this is particularly challenging. In this paper we demonstrate that line-scanning confocal endomicroscopy can, by use of a high speed linear CCD camera, achieve a frame rate of 120 fps while maintaining sufficient resolution and signal-to-noise ratio to allow imaging of topically stained gastrointestinal tissues. This leads to improved performance of a cross-correlation based mosaicking algorithm when compared with lower frame-rate systems.
Non-Technical Summary
Endomicroscopes allow human tissue to be imaged at very high resolution through an endoscope. While endomicroscopes can be made to have a very narrow diameter through use of fibre imaging bundles, this also means that the size of each image is small. This can make diagnosis difficult, as the clinician can only see a small portion of the tissue at any one time. One potential solution to this is a technique called mosaicking. The idea is to move the probe slowly across the tissue, acquiring a sequence of images. These are then stitched together to form a larger image, similar to how a panorama is built-up using a digital camera.
To be able to stitch the images, there needs to be some overlap between them. In practice it can be quite difficult to move the endomicroscope speed slowly enough so that there is sufficient overlap. This maximum speed that the probe can be moved at depends on the frame rate of the endomicroscope – i.e. the time between acquisition of each image. A typical endomicroscope only acquires around 12 frames per second, which means that the maximum speed of motion is limited to less than 1 mm per second. To tackle this problem we developed an endomicrocope with a frame rate of 120 images per second. To do this we sacrificed some image quality, particularly the degree to which the endomicroscope can reject out of focus light.
Color reflectance fiber bundle endomicroscopy without back-reflections
Michael Hughes, Petros Giataganas and Guang-Zhong Yang
Journal of Biomedical Optics, Vol 19, Issue 3, pp. 030501 (2014)
Show AbstractHide Abstract | Show SummaryHide Summary | View PDF | View on Publisher's Site |
Coherent fiber imaging bundles can be used as passive probes for reflectance-mode endomicroscopy providing that the back-reflections from the fiber ends are efficiently rejected. We describe an approach specific to widefield endomicroscopy in which light is injected into a leached fiber bundle near the distal end, thereby avoiding reflections from the proximal face. We use this method to demonstrate the color widefield reflectance endomicroscopy of ex vivo animal tissue.
Non-Technical Summary
Fibre bundle endomicroscopy normally uses fluorescence labelling of tissue. This is partly because selective binding of the fluorescent agents generates contrast in the image, but also because it gets rid of the problem of light reflected from the fiber bundle ends interfering with the image. Fluorescence emission has a longer wavelength than the illumination light we use to excite the fluorescence, so it's easy to separate the emission from the back-reflections by using a wavelength selective filter. To perform reflectance endomicroscopy, where we rely on light reflected or scattered from the tissue without a wavelength shift, we have to have some other way to separate this signal from unwanted back-reflections.
One solution, presented in a previous paper of mine, is to use a separate fibre for illumination, but this has some disadvantages in the way the tissue is illuminated. There are other approaches, such as trying to match the refractive index of the fibre bundle to as to reduce reflections, or trying to separate the signals using polarisation, but these only reduce rather than eliminating the reflections. In this paper we described a new approach specifically for a type of fibre bundle called a leached bundle. In a leached bundle, the fibre cores are separate strands along most of the length of the bundle, with each fibre having its own core and cladding. This makes it possible to couple light into the cladding of the fibre near the tissue-end of the bundle. The tissue is therefore illuminated without reflections from the bundle. In the paper we show that this allows colour endomicroscopy, so that we can use coloured stains to enhance contrast.
Fiber bundle endocytoscopy
Michael Hughes, Tou Pin Chang and Guang-Zhong Yang
Biomedical Optics Express Vol. 4, Issue 12, pp. 2781-2794 (2013)
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Endocytoscopy is an optical biopsy technique which uses a miniaturized camera to capture white light microscopy images through an endoscope. We have developed an alternative design that instead relays images to an external camera via a coherent fiber bundle. In this paper we characterize the device and demonstrate microscopy of porcine tissue ex vivo. One advantage of our approach is the ease with which other bundle-compatible imaging modalities can be deployed simultaneously. We show this by acquiring quasi-simultaneous endocytoscopy and fluorescence confocal endomicroscopy images through a single fiber bundle. This opens up possibilities for multi-modal endomicroscopy, combining white light and fluorescence imaging.
Non-Technical Summary
Microscopy of human tissue allows pathologists to diagnose a wide range of diseases. However, the disadvantage is that a small sample of the tissue needs be removed from the patient and then prepared for imaging. Endomicroscopy and endocytoscopy aim to improve things by allowing microscopy to be conducted inside the body, using miniaturised microscope probes. Fibre optics, or more specifically a bundle of around 30,000 fibres, are a good way to make these probes small and low cost, and have been used extensively for fluorescence microscopy. In this paper we showed that fibre bundles can also be used for white light microscopy, which is known as endocytoscopy. The particular challenge to overcome was avoiding the illumination light from being reflected from either end of the fibre bundle. We solved this by using a separate illumination fibre and relying on the tissue being illuminated by scattered light. We also showed that we could rapidly switch between white light and fluorescence imaging.
Speckle noise reduction in optical coherence tomography of paint layers
Michael Hughes, Marika Spring and Adrian Podoleanu
Applied Optics, Vol. 49, Issue 1, pp. 99-107 (2010)
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We present and characterize a sequential angular compounding method for reducing speckle contrast in optical coherence tomography images of paint layers. The results are compared with postprocessing methods, and we show that the compounding technique can improve the speckle contrast ratio in B-scans by better than a factor of 2 in exchange for a negligible loss of resolution. As a result, image aesthetics are improved, thin layers become more distinct, and edge-detection algorithms work more efficiently. The effect of varying the angular scan size and number of averages is investigated, and it is found that a degree of statistical correlation between speckle patterns exists, even for relatively large changes in angle of incidence. Angular compounding is also performed on three-dimensional data sets and compared with a method whereby en face slices are averaged over depth.
Non-Technical Summary
One of the problems with optical coherence tomography (OCT) images is a type of noise known as speckle. It arises because the sample has scattering structures which are too small to be resolved in the image. Light scattering from these structure interferes with itself, causing a pattern of random light and dark patches on the image. The average size of these patches, known as speckles, is approximately equal to the resolution of the system, making it hard to differentiate the speckle from real image features. One way to reduce speckle is to average over different speckle patterns. However, for static samples such as paintings, the speckle pattern doesn't change in time. Moving the sample will change the speckle pattern, but it then becomes difficult to average the patterns without introducing blurring. Changing the angle of illumination will also change the speckle pattern, and providing it is done carefully, can be done without introducing motion blur. In this paper we demonstrate an improved method for this 'angular compounding' method of speckle reduction, specifically aimed at imaging non-biological (and non-moving) samples such as paintings. We show a significant reduction in speckle and improved imaged quality.
Control of visibility profile in spectral low-coherence interferometry
Michael Hughes, Daniels Woods and Adrian Podoleanu
Electronics Letters, Volume 45, Issue 3, pp 182-18 (2009)
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It is demonstrated that, by obstructing half of one of the two beams from a low coherence interferometer before it is incident on the diffraction grating in a spectral interferometry setup, an asymmetric profile can be generated for the visibility of the channelled spectrum (V) with optical path difference (OPD). Together with a lateral shift of the beam, as inspired by Talbot bands studies, this can be used to optimise V(OPD). The model for the visibility of Talbot bands is improved by considering the spectrometer resolution and an improved Talbot band experiment is demonstrated. It is also shown that it is possible to obtain regions of no interference around zero OPD.
Non-Technical Summary
Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) allows us to obtain high resolution optical cross-sections through tissue at high speed, and with high sensitivity. However, one of its disadvantages compared the older time domain OCT is that the sensitivity falls off with depth. This means that signal from deeper in the sample is noisier than we would expect simply from light being attenuated. This is related to the use of a spectrometer in calculating the image. The spectrometer is used to measure the individual wavelength components of light (the spectrum) returning from the sample, and it's from this spectrum that the depth structure of the sample can be extrapolated. The fall-off in sensitivity with depth is due to the limited resolution of this spectrometer. Essentially, signal from deeper in the sample is encoded in higher frequency variations in the spectrum, which the spectrometer cannot fully resolve. In this paper, which follows on from earlier work by Podoleanu and Woods, we demonstrate the sensitivity fall-off can be adjusted by careful re-design of the spectrometer. In particular, we show the interesting result that the sensitivity can be made to peak at some depth within the sample, or even be set to zero at the point where it would normally be at a maximum. This has some potential applications in dealing with problems known as 'mirror terms'.
Simplified dynamic focus method for time domain OCT
Michael Hughes and Adrian Podoleanu
Electronics Letters, Volume 45, Issue 12, pp 623-24 (2009)
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A new optical arrangement for performing dynamic focus in time domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) is demonstrated. Unlike previously reported schemes which require mechanical coupling of the object and reference arms, this method is confined to the object arm only and therefore does not impose design constraints on the OCT system layout. The scheme is tested on a high lateral resolution OCT system (NA = 0.13) and it is shown that the effective depth of focus is extended from 200 mum to better than 2 mm. The optimum correction is for media with a mean refractive index of 1.4.
Non-Technical Summary
Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) allows us obtain cross-sectional images through tissue, often down to a depth of around 2 mm. However, to achieve this full depth range we need to sacrifice some resolution in the plane parallel to the tissue surface. This is because high resolution optics also have a small depth of field – meaning that only a relatively thin layer of the sample will be in focus at any one time. One way to tackle this is with dynamic focus, a scheme where the focus is moved through the sample during the acquisition of a cross-section, so that each depth layer is in focus when it is imaged. This tends to make OCT systems more complex, as two scanning mechanisms are required (one for the OCT depth scanning, and a second for focusing). In this paper we demonstrated a way of achieving dynamic focus using only a single scanning mechanism. A similar method has been published previously, but we demonstrated some technical improvements and simplifications. The method works best for material with a specific refractive index (1.4), a value which is close to the average refractive index of tissue. It is not so relevant for the most modern OCT systems, for which dynamic focus is not possible, but may have applications for anyone wishing to build a low cost system that offers both a large imaging depth and high resolution.


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Summer cooking
I haven't shared a recipe in a while. Last night, I was looking to create something tasty, satisfying with some summer colors and flavors.
Simply steam asparagus and top with poached eggs (soft boiled or fried work too). I added some beautiful sweet cherry tomatoes from the farmers market and a bit of avocado. Pepper, Maldon salt (my go to salt) and lemon zest. I like to keep the eggs a bit soft so that that the yolk breaks over the asparagus creating the perfect sauce.
Ideas for your next meal or pretty enough for a dinner party. Bon appetit!
4 Comments
Looks beautiful, healthy, and best of all, easy! I've got to make this.
Oh YUM!!!!
Sounds great!
I made this last night with a little bit of balsamic vinegar added. Just wonderful and so easy! Thank you!


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Between Senate disputes and uncertainty in the House, K Street has been tossed and turned by the rocky trajectory of pension legislation — and speculation continues over who's in control of overhauling the nation's employee benefit system.
The compromise brokered by Sens. Chuck GrassleyCharles (Chuck) Ernest GrassleyTrump mulling visit to ethanol refinery later this month: report Nursing home care: A growing crisis for an aging America Senate chairman says bipartisan health care package coming Thursday MORE (R-Iowa) and Mike EnziMichael (Mike) Bradley EnziKudos to the legislators trying to fix our broken budget On The Money: Mnuchin signals officials won't release Trump tax returns | Trump to hold off on auto tariffs | WH nears deal with Mexico, Canada on metal tariffs | GOP fears trade war fallout for farmers | Warren, regulator spar over Wells Fargo Budget chairs pick former Bush official to head CBO MORE (R-Wyo.), chairmen of the committees with jurisdiction over pensions, was imperiled first by pleas from bankrupt airlines for help in paying their unpaid benefit bills, then by a hold placed by Sen. John CornynJohn CornynCollins offering bill to boost battery research as GOP pushes energy 'innovation' Hillicon Valley: Google delays cutting off Huawei | GOP senators split over breaking up big tech | Report finds DNC lagging behind RNC on cybersecurity Trump officials say US efforts to deter Iran have worked MORE (R-Texas) on behalf of healthy airlines concerned about giving an unfair advantage to foundering competitors.
In the House, Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John BoehnerJohn Andrew BoehnerTrump adviser expected to leave White House, join Juul The Hill's 12:30 Report: McGahn inflames Dem divisions on impeachment Amash storm hits Capitol Hill MORE (R-Ohio) continues to wait on Ways and Means Chairman Bill Thomas (R-Calif.) as Thomas adds savings provisions to BoehnerJohn Andrew BoehnerTrump adviser expected to leave White House, join Juul The Hill's 12:30 Report: McGahn inflames Dem divisions on impeachment Amash storm hits Capitol Hill MORE's pension template. Thomas has long desired to tackle the ambitious "three-legged stool" of retirement security, but the controversial third leg, legislation to overhaul Social Security, will likely be postponed to keep the bill moving.
"The cagey Ways and Means Committee is being the cagey Ways and Means Committee, as it does very well," said Janice Gregory, senior vice president at the ERISA Industry Committee, which represents employer pension sponsors. "They have in their heads that they're going to do something after Columbus Day recess, and still talking in terms of this mega-bill thing. What's in it is anybody's guess."
Given Thomas's penchant for poker faces and surprise moves, especially after recesses, anything can happen. But the equally tenacious Boehner has begun to hint that he expects his pension bill to move to the floor by month's end.
As for Ways and Means members, Boehner said last week: "They'll do what they'll do."
Adding Social Security to the mix, he added, "is like asking Congress to eat a bowl of cold green peas. They won't do it. … The American people don't seem to have any appetite for it."
Lobbyists still pressing Congress to take up Social Security private accounts went into pushback mode, a sign that Boehner's statement had roiled the industry. But Boehner had reason to be confident that the Ways and Means Committee would forgo Social Security to produce a pension bill quickly enough to maintain momentum for what is sure to be a hard-fought conference with the Senate.
Thomas is an original co-sponsor of Boehner's bill, but he has not signed onto the "GROW" bill, House conservatives' plan for diverting Social Security surpluses to private accounts. The Ways and Means Committee has set a Nov. 4 deadline for consideration of the pension bill, leaving enough time for a conference before the target adjournment date of Nov. 18.
"It's important that pension reform move forward," Rep. E. Clay Shaw (R-Fla.), a senior member of Ways and Means, said late last week.
As for retirement-savings add-ons, Shaw said, "It's nice to have that as a carrot to move other legislation forward, but there's got to be a limit" to how long the committee can wait on Boehner's bill.
Rob Leonard, a former Ways and Means chief counsel who now lobbies for Clark Consulting Federal Policy Group, said Boehner and Thomas are prepared to jettison the White House's top priority of earlier this year to move forward.
"The important thing is, they do appear ready to move fairly soon, meaning this month, rather than putting this off for a broader retirement-security package," Leonard said.
Leonard said to expect a few savings items in the bill, such as changing 401(k) accounts to opt-out status rather than opt-in, but he all but ruled out Social Security language.
"That's going to be moved on to another day," he predicted.
Boehner has been emphasizing the need to overhaul pension premium payments and the use of credit balances by companies in poor financial health since before the Enron defaults of 2002 focused public attention on pension-funding rules. Two major airline bankruptcies in the past month have led Grassley to add industry-specific amortization to his pension bill, but so far Boehner has not followed.
"It's not just these two airlines that have instilled a sense of urgency," said a GOP committee aide close to Boehner.
There are going to be lot of hard choices to come in conference, he said, particularly on cash-balance plans, the hybrid pensions that have become increasingly popular among companies exiting the traditional defined-benefit system.
Neither the House nor Senate pension bill addresses benefit retroactivity for workers whose employers have already converted to cash-balance plans. At least one senator, Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), has indicated support for Boehner's push to include retroactivity language, but unions and other employee-interest lobbyists are certain to resist it.
"We can't go retroactively blessing plans that have been discriminatory and deny people benefits," said David Certner, federal-affairs director at AARP. Even though he is gearing up for a fight, he echoed predictions of two October votes: "Once the Senate completes its bill, there will be incredible pressure on the House to act."
Yet another question mark is what impact budget reconciliation, which the post-hurricane frenzy pushed back for at least a month and remains less than a sure thing, will have on the timing of the pension legislation.
"Can you deal with it in this political climate?" Boehner told reporters last week. "I don't know."
If reconciliation continues, sources said, premium increases and other revenue-generating provisions of Boehner's pension bill could be moved through Ways and Means to meet the committee's $1 billion savings target. But committee Democrats have yet to caucus on the pension issue, sources said.
Lobbyists with the deepest stake in pension changes continue to watch for clues from the Bush administration, where Labor Secretary Elaine Chao has unabashedly and publicly argued for pension changes so restrictive that critics allege they will force less-than-profitable businesses to end defined-benefit pension payments permanently.
Then there is the looming possibility that Boehner could jump into a House GOP leadership race, which could throw a wrench in the humming cooperation between himself and Thomas. Both Boehner's and Thomas's leadership PACs are ranked in the top 6 percent in total gross receipts, according to PoliticalMoneyLine, but neither lawmaker has directed PAC money to the other in the past three election cycles.
"Winning is important" if Boehner hopes to mount a leadership bid, said one lobbyist with ties to Boehner's inner circle, "because it shows other members, if they have any questions, that he can put deals together."
Even so, the lobbyist added: "I'd be surprised if this is all going to be wrapped up by mid-October."


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There's really not much to say. You see him there for yourself picking and singing along like he does. Like some roadside poet wandering about with no real place to go or come from. You meet a guy like this ever so often in life and can only hope you'll meet again. And you wonder what will become of his music in between. Where it comes from. Where it's going.
There's something soulful about Flynn and it carries over to his music, something cutting you can't help but think it comes from a place close to dark. But then it gets all pretty again. He smiles crookedly. There's blues in that song. A folk blues ramble, I guess.
That old guitar from the 1934 hums along like some antique harp an old woman strums at a cafeteria in Kansas. Flynn's music covers lots of ground for me. And so has this wordsmith musician after only one album and a limited time playing. He's come from the stage of William Shakespeare. It reflects in his lyrics, no doubt.
The Wrote & The Writ came out flying along a sidewalk full of cars and bumps and dark shadows. The one song we wondered if it was even worth trying for. I think it came out as a favorite. That dangling shadow and guitar. The little Scottish jig. The look of where the hell are we and where are we going.
There's something about the underbelly of Buenos Aires that's so damn charming. Flynn's music certainly got us in the mood. And Flynn too. He's a friendly chap. Smart and full of energy. Humble. I have feeling we'll meet again. And I also have a feeling Johnny Flynn is on to something that comes from something real. No frizz, no frazzle. Just good, poetic music from the soul. And as long as he's pickin' and singin' I'm happy to listen.


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Scouse brow taken to the very edge?
No, just my most treasured beauty treatment bar none.
Eye brow tint followed by threading is making such an enormous difference to my face. Just perfect for a complete natural and groomed look. Not that you can tell by this picture, taken whilst lying down in the very comfortable chair.
I have it done every second month and sometimes I also get my eyelashes tinted. The eyebrows get a brown-grey mix and eyelashes are coloured blue black. It only takes about 20 minutes and looking in the mirror is a happier experience afterwords.
I go to Malika for this treatment. All therapists are really good, I have never been disappointed and they play Indian Chants in the salon. So good for a little impromptu mini meditation in the middle of shopping mayhem.


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From IRIN:
"During the bitterly contested Zimbabwe elections between President Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF and Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), the country's rural areas became effective no-go areas. There were numerous reports of politically motivated killings and widespread rapes, allegedly by members of Zimbabwe's national army, veterans of the country's liberation war and members of the ruling party's youth militia.
The violent campaign led Tsvangirai to withdraw from the presidential race, after he had won the first round of voting, although not by the required 50 percent plus one vote. Mugabe, who came to power at independence in 1980, became the sole candidate and claimed an overwhelming victory in the poll. The international community refused to recognise the result.
A power sharing deal has since been negotiated by the former South African President Thabo Mbeki. While the attention has shifted to whether or not the politicians can make the unity government work, the victims of political violence remain traumatised and will never forget the events of 2008"


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In our naïveté as new owners, we put out our sign when we first bought the Heart & Hearth property. Leila's sister stopped by to check us out and decided that this was the place for Leila to come. Leila was living in Florida, but her mother had recently died, and Linda, Leila's sister and her new guardian, needed Leila to be closer.
Linda was very patient with our process, and when we finally opened our doors a year later on June 5th 2007, Leila was our first resident. Being a middle-aged woman with a cognitive delay, Leila lived with the exuberance of a child and the wisdom of her years. She loved coloring books and storybooks. She was also an artist whose works have been in galleries in the area. Leila was very social. She loved people. If she was really taken with someone or happy to see them, she would sidle up, lean in a bit and declare "I'm gonna take you to the movies!" When anyone came to Heart & Hearth, from inspectors, to nurses, to others' family members, Leila would always say "Oh, thank you for coming to see me!"
Leila loved music and she loved to dance. We took her to the drumming circle at Pritchard Park in downtown Asheville on a Friday night. She danced until we had to stop her. On music nights when Steve and I got out our guitars, her first request was always "Puff the Magic Dragon." We now know that song by heart!
Leila would never allow us to get away with missing any holiday. Halloween was her favorite. Not only did she get to dress up, but her birthday was two days before, so she had plenty to celebrate. The last year of her life, Leila was in heart failure and had to go to the hospital right before Halloween. She had planned to be Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz that year, and her sister had already gotten her the costume. On Halloween day, Linda took the costume to the hospital and Leila was able to Trick or Treat on the heart floor with the tremendous support and love from the hospital staff. Serendipitously, the staff from the pediatrics floor had all dressed in the Wizard of Oz theme that year as well. Leila was thrilled to see them and be a part of their celebration.
Leila was terrified of doctors, needles, and hospitals, yet during these last days when she was sick, she was so gracious, patient, funny, and tolerant of all that she had to endure. Everyone that she encountered fell in love with her.
Leila came back to Heart & Hearth and died there quietly and peacefully soon after. We were truly blessed with Leila's presence and forever grateful to her sister for choosing us to care for her.


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FULLERTON, Calif. — Levi Jordan was 3 for 4 with two RBIs to extend his hitting streak to eight games and Washington beat Cal State Fullerton 8-5 on Friday in the Huskies' first NCAA Tournament super regional.
Washington scored two runs in the fifth inning — including Jordan's sacrifice fly — for Fullerton's only deficit this post-season. Freshman Kaiser Weiss hit a two-run double in the ninth after entering as a defensive replacement.
Washington (34-23) came in 0-8 against Fullerton.
Washington freshman starter Lucas Knowles struck out three while allowing five hits and one earned run. Closer Alex Hardy entered in the seventh and slated Game 2 starter Joe DeMers pitched the ninth.
Fullerton (35-24) was undone by five errors.
Sahid Valenzuela hit a two-out RBI triple in the seventh and scored on Jace Chamberlin's single to pull Fullerton to 6-5. Fullerton left the bases loaded in the eighth.