text: man bash ¤Č info õ¤·¤Ć¤ß¤ż¤Ţ¤·¤ż¤¬ˇ˘ %(...)T °Ęł°¤Ď¤Ţ¤ŔÍŃĹӤʤ¤¤ß¤ż¤¤¤Ç¤ąˇŁ ``` printf [-v var] format [arguments] Write the formatted arguments to the standard output under the control of the format. The -v option causes the output to be assigned to the variable var rather than being printed to the standard output. The format is a character string which contains three types of objects: plain characters, which are simply copied to standard output, character escape sequences, which are converted and copied to the standard output, and format specifications, each of which causes print- ing of the next successive argument. In addition to the standard printf(1) format specifications, printf interprets the following exten- sions: %b causes printf to expand backslash escape sequences in the corresponding argument (except that \c terminates output, backslashes in \', \", and \? are not removed, and octal escapes beginning with \0 may contain up to four digits). %q causes printf to output the corresponding argument in a format that can be reused as shell input. %(datefmt)T causes printf to output the date-time string resulting from using datefmt as a format string for strftime(3). The corresponding argument is an integer representing the number of seconds since the epoch. Two special argument values may be used: -1 represents the current time, and -2 represents the time the shell was invoked. If no argument is specified, conversion behaves as if -1 had been given. This is an exception to the usual printf behavior. Arguments to non-string format specifiers are treated as C constants, except that a leading plus or minus sign is allowed, and if the leading character is a single or double quote, the value is the ASCII value of the following character. The format is reused as necessary to consume all of the arguments. If the format requires more arguments than are supplied, the extra format specifications behave as if a zero value or null string, as appropriate, had been supplied. The return value is zero on success, non-zero on failure. ``` 2015ÇŻ5·î4Ćü 14:01 Nobuyoshi Nakada <nobu / ruby-lang.org>: > > > 2015ÇŻ5·î4Ćü·îÍËĆüˇ˘Tanaka Akira<akr / fsij.org>¤µ¤ó¤Ď˝ń¤¤Ţ¤·¤ż: >> >> bash ¤Î printf ¤Çˇ˘%(DATEFMT)T ¤Č¤¤¤¦Îă¤Ď¤˘¤ë¤č¤¦¤Ç¤ąˇŁ >> >> $ printf '%(%F %T %z)T\n' 946652400 >> 2000-01-01 00:00:00 +0900 > > > ¤Ę¤ë¤Ű¤ÉˇŁ¤Č¤ł¤í¤Ç%(...)¤ĎT°Ęł°¤Ç¤â»Č¤¨¤ë¤Î¤Ç¤·¤ç¤¦¤«ˇŁ


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- The Jockey® Active Sport Leggings offer light compression and work well layered under shorts for a cool workout ensemble.
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- Measurements:
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Ford Flex range comprises three trim levels: SE, SEL, and Limited. All three models come standard with a 3.5-liter Ti-VCT V6 engine that produces 287 hp and 254 lb-ft. Paired with a six-speed automatic gearbox that directs power to the front wheels. All-wheel-drive is available on the SEL and Limited, while the 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 is only available on the Limited. This engine delivers an impressive 365 hp and 350 lb-ft and can only be paired with the all-wheel drivetrain.
The entry-level SE comes standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, halogen headlights, 50/50 split third-row seats, 60/40 split second-row, six-way power driver's seat with manual lumbar, four 12-volt power outlets over all three rows, single-zone climate control, power accessories, a 4.2 LCD infotainment display, and a six-speaker sound system with AM/FM/CD/MP3 capability. The climate control is upgraded to dual-zone on the SEL, and the driver's seat gets 10-way power adjustability and power lumbar, the passenger seat gets six-way power-adjustability, and both front seats get heating. The infotainment receives a bigger eight-inch screen, SiriusXM, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A remote-start system is also installed. The top-tier Limited trim rides on 19-inch alloy wheels and receives blind-spot alert, cross-traffic alert, and rain-sense wipers. The driver's seat gets memory functionality and the second-row seats get a fold-down armrest. A 110-volt power outlet is made available and the infotainment system is upgraded to a 12-speaker Sony sound system.


text:
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On the eve of Waitangi festivities, will the Nats leader become the National Party leader we need?
The first thing to say about the National Party right now is that they'd be nuts to change their leader. They're doing so well in the polls. None of the previously declared alternatives to Simon Bridges, the sensible ones, I mean, is likely to be any more popular than he is.
Their best leader-in-waiting is Nikki Kaye and she genuinely doesn't seem to want it right now. And then there's Judith Collins.
Collins would be a more popular leader than Bridges. He sags beneath 10 per cent and she'd probably rise over 20 and maybe over 30. But party support under her would sink to the same level.
Put that another way, there's a fan base for Collins out there, but it's not nearly a majority and there's nobody in the middle. You love her or hate her, and that's that.
Collins as National leader would invite the entire enormous centre-ground of New Zealand voters to accept, at least for now, that Labour is the natural party of government. She would turn her own party into a rump.
This is one of the many splendid things about this country. The politician most like Donald Trump - populist and more comfortable at war than at peace - is unelectable. Even better, she belongs to a party that, unlike the Republicans in the US, is not going to enable her because it knows what she's like. The National caucus are not craven opportunists.
The Nats don't stand for very much. "Responsible economic management" is about the extent of it, and for many people that's not a criticism at all. But they have consistently drawn the line, for decades, at nasty populism. They're better than that.
But the question is, how much better? On the eve of a week of Waitangi festivities, here's a big question: how good is Simon Bridges's National Party going to be?
The potential is far larger than Bridges seems to realise. National, right now, has the chance to forge a new, historic identity. To become a major, purposeful political force in this country and, as a bonus, a leader of a desperately needed movement around the world.
The breath-of-fresh-air conservatives.
It's true. Half the world is watching in horror as their formerly sensible conservative parties are captured by extremists: unprincipled, mean, duplicitous, violent, hateful, narcissist, stupid, short-sighted, shockingly opportunist and corrupt politicians.
Who's going to stand up to them? Who's going to say, we're here to make a better, more decent world? Without punishing the vulnerable because they're the easy scapegoats. By opposing the government without demonising it. By restoring to politics the value of facts and logic and meaningful debate.
How about the National Party?
Where's Bill English when you need him? Will Bridges be the guy who stands on principle, with sound policies to match?
I'm not trying to say English was doing a great job for New Zealand. I don't think that. I thought he lagged way behind on social reforms and his nine-year commitment to creating a budget surplus, at whatever cost, ruined of tens of thousands of lives.
But he pursued a coherent and entirely appropriate policy for a centre-right party. You didn't have to like it to appreciate that it wasn't the work of a vain, tub-thumping megalomaniac.
And there was more to English than "fiscal prudence" and moral conservatism. His "social investment" welfare strategy had an outstanding goal: to reduce poverty based on evidence-based policies, targeted assistance and whatever-it-takes wrap-around support.
Yes, you can argue it didn't do those things, but that's about the quality of implementation more than it is about the strategy itself.
You can argue the motivation was cost-cutting rather than social good, but so what? Economic prudence that delivers social value is a common definition of good government, isn't it?
You can argue the social profiling it requires is unreliable and intrusive – but it's hard to argue against the underlying idea. If we know which little kids are most susceptible, as they grow older, to crime, substance abuse, falling out of society, and if we know what support they need to help them not do that, isn't it the duty of governments to ensure they get that support?
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said she rejects social investment but her government hasn't really articulated an alternative strategy. There's a reason for that: far more social investment programmes than you might think are embedded in government services already. Labour has trimmed the approach and refocused, but it has not shut it down.
Social investment was and still is a world-leading welfare strategy. Conservative governments around the world were watching with interest – some, undoubtedly, still are.
Unfortunately, in his state of the nation speech this week Simon Bridges gave a good impression of having never heard of it.
WE'VE LONG been proud of our brave reformist tradition. First country to give women the vote, a welfare state that arose from the depression, the nuclear-free policy, the genius of the accident compensation scheme, and there's much more. If we have a national political character, that tradition is what it's based on.
Largely, the reforms have come from Labour and Labour-led governments, and the Liberal Party before it, but they have rarely been undone by National. Great battles are fought at the time – there was such a fuss over marriage equality. But when it's all over the antagonisms quickly dissolve – turns out no one is bothered about marriage equality after all.
National beds in the reforms. It asserts its preferred view of itself as the best party to manage the economy by incorporating those reforms into the job of economic management.
It's happening again today. That $1 billion a year regional growth fund National loves to complain about? The party has already announced it will not be abolished. They just want to spend the money more "wisely". The forthcoming Climate Change Commission? You can bet that will stay, too.
It'll be the same with the new legal requirement to report on poverty reduction. And with the Living Standards Framework for measuring the economy and planning the budget, as set out by Finance Minister Grant Robertson and Treasury Secretary Gabriel Makhlouf. This year that framework will produce a Wellbeing Budget, integrating the values of social, human, natural and economic progress, and if it works it will transform economic planning here and around the world. There's no way National will shut it down.
Instead they'll do it better, as will Labour if it gets another term. Bold experiments take time to get right.
The pioneer of this kind of thinking is a former National MP, the brilliant Marilyn Waring. But where's her legacy – where's that quality and stature of thinking – in the party now?
It's worth noting that Waring herself doesn't think much of the Treasury work. She finds it superficial – perhaps her old party will accept the challenge to make it better?
Despite the barrage of criticism, National won't dismantle the Housing and Urban Development Authority or stop the light rail projects. Nor will it reinstate National Standards or Tomorrow's Schools.
The reason for all this? There's progress under way right now and it's good for New Zealand. Certainly, there are a thousand problems with the implementation of the Government's plans. Some are the figments of fevered Opposition imaginations but many are very real.
Despite that, these reforms introduce changes to the way we live that are long overdue and much needed.
But are they great reforms? Does the Labour-led Government stand today in the fundamentally transformative tradition of Kate Sheppard and Mickey Savage and the Rainbow Warrior?
The Living Standards Framework fits that bill. In the end-of-year wash-ups of political achievements, Robertson won my prize for Most Important Politician Who Got Overlooked By Almost Everybody.
Many of the Government's other signature programmes have that potential, too: regional development, public transport in Auckland, mass housing construction and the grand climate change coalition of Greens' co-leader James Shaw.
More could be waiting in the wings, although we really don't know yet. Will we develop a new society-wide commitment to ending domestic violence? Will we do that for sexual abuse? Will we make real progress on reducing crime by dealing with its complex relationship to mental illness and substance abuse?
Will we reinvent schools as community hubs, centres not only for children's education but for social programmes, adult education, health clinics and everything else that might create a whānau-integrated whole-of-society approach to bringing up kids?
If it takes a village to raise a child, as we're always fond of telling each other, will we really commit to what that means? Will the Labour-led Government lead the way?
Or will National? They could do it, too.
SIMON BRIDGES could be our Angela Merkel. Standing up for decency on a world stage crowded with bullies. Seriously, he could be the leader who says, we're the conservatives who care.
Because there's nothing inherently left-wing about putting an end to domestic violence or reducing poverty. Or fighting climate change.
But what actually is National's response to the reforms of the current government? And, to be answered on the back of the same postcard, what's their response to Donald Trump? And to all the mini-Trumps popping up in Europe, South America and even, almost but not quite unbelievably, in Australia?
In this corner of the world, Bridges could say, we're going to demonstrate how not to fall victim to the bullies of the right or the nutjobs of the left – or whatever epithet he thinks will stick to Ardern and Robertson and co.
We'll create a platform of long-term economic, environmental and social planning. We believe in fiscal responsibility, evidence-based policy, an inclusive society and conservative values, and we're going to show everyone just how well those things will serve the modern world.
What are conservative values? That's for him to say. But they don't require him to cling to every old idea. Conservatism, in every age, sifts tradition to find its relevance to the new.
If Bridges doesn't want to be Merkel, he could be Boris Johnson. The bicycle-riding Boris Johnson, I mean, the guy who has more fun, warming hearts and caring not a fig for tired old stereotypes about what cars are doing to cities. Not the loony Brexit opportunist, though – we don't need one of them.
And yet Bridges does say some loony things – it's as if, sometimes, the only people he's listening to are social media whackos, sniggering endlessly about "Cindy", crying incompetence at everything her Government does. There truly is a streak of Johnsonian populism in Bridges, complete with the aura, shared by Johnson and Trump himself, that you never quite know if he believes what he's saying.
In his big speech this week Bridges promised to roll back a capital gains tax, if one is implemented, and he repeatedly characterised the Government's approach to crime and corrections as "taking the side of criminals". That's poor-quality thinking.
On both those issues, the Government is doing the electorally difficult work of digging the country out of a hole. Bridges should be grateful: he won't have to do that work himself. Instead, he took the chance to say he would push us back into it.
I know, it's not easy being a sensible centre-rightist. The far right hates you as a traitor and tries to pitchfork you out of office. The centre-left is chasing the same votes as you, because by definition they're in the centre. In a fevered world, trying to sound sensible can easily mean you make no sound at all.
Doesn't mean it's the wrong thing to do.
IT'S AN EXCITING time to be Simon Bridges. He is starting to roll out policy platforms and that's good news, because it should provide an answer to the great mystery dogging New Zealand politics: just who is Simon Bridges?
Is anyone surprised his personal polling is so low? It's not that we don't like him at a personal level. He's obviously a decent guy. But, as David Cunliffe, another obviously decent guy, will surely attest, what we hate, whatever our politics, is a politician who seems not to care what he believes.
Who is Simon Bridges? Is he the guy who's going to let Judith Collins define his party for him? Dealing to her leadership ambitions would be a great way for him to show us who he is.
Or is he a young fogey – a member of Parliament's strong new generation doing his best to disguise himself as the muddled old? That's what he does whenever he tells us, "Look at this stage I'm not sure about ... [insert any perfectly sensible and much-needed piece of social reform]."
Or is he going to be the leader who finds a way to forge his party as a new conservative force for good, at home and in the world?
New Zealand needs a centre-right party brimming with imagination, integrity, responsibility and enterprise. A party with vision and the skills to bring the country together to achieve it. A breath of fresh air.
And the world needs leaders on the centre right who reject Trumpism in all its guises. Wouldn't it be great if we had one of them?
Is that Simon Bridges? He's not a lost cause. He told Leighton Smith on NewstalkZB before Christmas that "man-made global warming" was a real thing. That's a very low bar to clear, but he did clear it.
A few days later, though, on RNZ's Morning Report, he said he agreed climate change was "an issue". But then he said "we've got a bit of time" and he was not especially worried about the future for his children. And this week he implied but didn't say that National will re-start new fossil-fuel exploration.
Who in this world understands climate change is a real issue but thinks we've got lots of time to fix it? It that all Bridges will be - the guy who agrees about the problem, agrees the old solutions haven't worked, then says no to whatever new solution is proposed and doubles down on the old?
There's no future for National, doing that. No future for Bridges, either. If the party really does want a populist bozo for leader, they've got a better one in Judith Collins. If he doesn't stop that nonsense, history will pass him by, and so, perhaps more to the point, will his caucus.


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The school half-term was spent on the Norfolk coast between Titchwell and Cley covering the usual sites.
Titchwell yielded many chances for bird photography and Wells once again provided many close-up views of Brent Geese, Curlew and Gulls as well as Starlings. In future it may be better to locate at Wells so as to make full use of low tides etc rather than Holkam (very close to Titchwell).
It was a shame we didn`t manage to visit the seals at Blakeney this year.
Many of the better photo`s can be viewed on my flickr feed.
I suppose the `best` shot though will be this - of a juvenile Marsh Harrier at Cley...
|Marsh Harrier at Cley.
|Curlew at Wells.
|Brent Goose at Wells Harbour.
|Brent at Titchwell beach through ATX.
|GBBGull at Wells with a starfish - which it had to abandon.
|Brent Geese over Cley/Blakeney.
|Brent Geese over Cley/Blakeney.
|The Marsh Harrier again at Cley - it appears to have made passes in front of the hide each day.


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Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo
versão On-line ISSN 1806-9657
Rev. Bras. Ciênc. Solo vol.36 no.6 Viçosa nov./dez. 2012
Isotope determination of sulfur by mass spectrometry in soil samples1
Determinação isotópica de enxofre por espectrometria de massas (irms) em amostras de solo
Alexssandra Luiza Rodrigues Molina RosseteI; Josiane Meire Toloti CarneiroI; Carlos Roberto Sant Ana FilhoI; José Albertino BendassolliII
IPost-Doctoral Program in Science at Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura - CENA/USP. Caixa Postal 96. CEP 13416-000 Piracicaba (SP), Brazil.E-mail: email@example.com; firstname.lastname@example.com; firstname.lastname@example.com
IIAssociate Professor, Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura - CENA/USP. E-mail: email@example.com
Sulphur plays an essential role in plants and is one of the main nutrients in several metabolic processes. It has four stable isotopes (32S, 33S, 34S, and 36S) with a natural abundance of 95.00, 0.76, 4.22, and 0.014 in atom %, respectively. A method for isotopic determination of S by isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) in soil samples is proposed. The procedure involves the oxidation of organic S to sulphate (S-SO42-), which was determined by dry combustion with alkaline oxidizing agents. The total S-SO42- concentration was determined by turbidimetry and the results showed that the conversion process was adequate. To produce gaseous SO2 gas, BaSO4 was thermally decomposed in a vacuum system at 900 ºC in the presence of NaPO3. The isotope determination of S (atom % 34S atoms) was carried out by isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). In this work, the labeled material (K234SO4) was used to validate the method of isotopic determination of S; the results were precise and accurate, showing the viability of the proposed method.
Index terms: sample preparation, soil samples, isotopic dilution, labeled material, stable isotope, 34S.
O enxofre tem papel essencial em plantas, sendo um dos principais nutrientes em diversos processos metabólicos; ele apresenta quatro isótopos estáveis (32S, 33S, 34S e 36S), com abundância natural de 95,00, 0,76, 4,22 e 0,014 % em átomos, respectivamente. Desenvolver um método para determinação isotópica do S por espectrometria de massas de razão isotópica (IRMS) em amostras de solo foi o objetivo deste trabalho. A oxidação de S orgânico a sulfato (S-SO42-) foi avaliada utilizando a oxidação via seca com agentes oxidantes alcalinos. A concentração S-SO42- foi determinada pelo método turbidimétrico, e os resultados mostraram que o processo de conversão foi adequado. A obtenção do gás SO2 foi por decomposição térmica do BaSO4 em uma linha de vácuo a 900 ºC, em presença de NaPO3. A determinação isotópica do S (% em átomos de 34S) foi realizada em um espectrômetro de massa (IRMS). Neste trabalho, a utilização de material marcado (K234SO4) teve como propósito validar o método para determinação isotópica do S; os resultados obtidos foram exatos e precisos, mostrando a viabilidade do método proposto.
Termos de indexação: preparo de amostras, amostras de solo, diluição isotópica, isótopos estáveis, 34S.
Sulphur is present in the soil in two basic forms; inorganic and organic S. In the inorganic form (sulphate S), S is available for plant uptake, but organic S accounts for 95 % of the total sulphur in most soils. This is due to the close relation of organic S with organic C and total N. Organic sulfur has two forms: organic S that is not bonded directly to C, consisting largely of S in the form of ester sulfates (organic sulfates containing C-O-S linkages) and organic S that is directly bonded to C (C-S), consisting largely of S in the form of S-containing amino acids, such as methionine and cysteine (Tabatabai, 1982; Freney, 1986; Havlin et al., 2005).
The method for S isotopic determination in soil samples involves several steps such as: converting all S-organic to sulfate (BaSO4); preparation and purification of SO2 (g) in a high-vacuum system and isotopic analysis of S (atom % or δ 34S ‰) by isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS).
The conversion of organic S to sulphate by various methods was described elsewhere (Krouse et al., 1996; Menegário et al., 1998; Rossete et al., 2008a), but the complexity of the organic matrix of the soil hampers the procedures of sample preparation for isotope analysis of S. Most methods employed for sulfur oxidation in soil analysis involve wet or dry-ash oxidation (Rossete et al., 2008a). In comparison with wet oxidation, digestion by nitric and perchloric acids is more frequently used, but requires safety measures against explosion and fire, aside from possible material losses, that can make the method unserviceable (Tabatabai, 1982).
The conventional method for oxidation of organic S to sulphate uses nitric acid and liquid bromine (Krouse & Tabatabai, 1986; Krouse et al., 1996). This method is seldom recommended due to the risks of Br2 and toxic waste generation. The biological action of bromine in its liquid and gaseous states is highly noxious. Bromine causes strong irritation in eyes and skin, necroses, and inflammation of the breathing system.
In the preparation of SO2, a gas suited for studies on isotope determination by isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (Hamilton et al., 1991; Bendassolli et al., 1997), procedures of combustion, purification and preparation of the gas in vacuum system were used, avoiding isotopic fractionation of the sample (Fritz et al., 1974; Schoenau & Bettany, 1988; Krouse et al., 1996).
Of the known isotopes of Sulfur, four are stable: 32S, 33S, 34S, and 36S, with natural abundances of 95.02; 0.75; 4.21 and 0.02 atom %, respectively (Krouse et al., 1996). Some researchers used the radioisotope 35S as tracer, especially in studies involving the dynamics of this nutrient in the soil-plant system (Lal & Dravid, 1990; Arora et al., 1990; Sharma & Kamath, 1991; Bansal & Mortiramani, 1993; Patnaik & Santhe, 1993; Fitzgerald et al., 1999). However, compounds labeled with the stable isotope 34S have some advantages over the radioisotope, because the experiments are not related to the decay rate and if there is no exposure to radiation, no safety measures against radiation are required. The first studies using the 34S isotopic tracer were developed by Hamilton et al. (1991) and Awonaike et al. (1993) and in Brazil by Trivelin et al. (2002), who used sulphate-34S in studies on sulphur in soil under rice and sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea).
In a study addressing the isolation of the 34S isotope, Bendassolli et al. (1997) were able to produce a series of different labeled compounds, e.g., ammonium sulfate, gypsum, potassium sulfate, and single superphosphate (Maximo et al., 2005; Rossete et al., 2006, 2008b). Recently, the stable isotope 34S has been used to study sulphur uptake and distribution in wheat plants (Zhao et al., 2001). These compounds motivate the use of the isotopic technique (34S) in many research studies, and shed light on a number of aspects related to isotope determination (sample preparation) (Carneiro, et al., 2008).
In this context, the objective of this work was to develop a method for isotopic determination of S (atom % 34S) in different soils by Isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). The proposed method was validated by the use of labeled material (K234SO4).
The Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer (IRMS), model CH4 ATLAS-MAT, is equipped with a molecular-flow admission system and Faraday-cup ion collector. The analytical system comprises a vacuum system with a mechanic vacuum pump, a diffuser vacuum pump, an active vacuum measurer and a vacuum filament sensor.
Sample preparation and total sulfur determination in soil
Different soil types with sandy and clayey texture, were used to evaluate the total S determination method (Rossete et al., 2008a). Soil samples were collected from the surface horizon (0-20 cm), at different locations in the State of São Paulo. The soils were classified according to the Brazilian Soils Classification System (Embrapa, 2006).
Organic S in soil samples was oxidized to sulphate to determine S by dry-ash oxidation, using NaHCO3 (alkaline medium) and Ag2O as oxidizing agents (Rossete et al., 2008a). The soil sample (5.0 g) and NaHCO3/Ag2O mixture (2.0/0.2 g) were mixed in a porcelain mortar. Thereafter, the material was combusted at 550 ºC in a muffle for 8 h, inducing the oxidation of organic S to sulphate. To establish the analytical calibration curve for 2.5; 5; 10; 15; and 20 mg L-1 S-SO4-2, the proportional quantity of NaHCO3/Ag2O mixture was burned under the same conditions as the soil. Then, the samples were cooled to room temperature and the resulting sulphate was solubilized in 30 mL of 0.15 % (w/v) CaCl2 solution and 1.0 g of activated charcoal. All soil extraction solutions were shaken on a horizontal circular shaker at 200 rpm for 15 min. Finally, 20 mL of 0.15 % (w/v) CaCl2 solution were added and the extract was filtered through cellulose ester filter (diameter 45 mm, mesh 0.45 ∝m). The S-SO42- concentration was then determined by turbidimetry (Tabatabai & Bremner, 1970; Andrade et al., 1990; Cantarella & Prochnow, 2001).
Soil labeling procedure
The labeled material (K234SO4) was used in this study to validate the proposed method. In experiments analyzing isotopic dilution, the diferente isotope values of the labeled material (K234SO4) were 6.15 ± 0.07; 8.97 ± 0.01; 12.51 ± 0.01 and 15.03 ± 0.04 atom % 34S. The labeled potassium sulphate (K234SO4) was produced at USP/CENA Stable Isotope Laboratory.
For this purpose, 5.0 g of Nitossolo Vermelho eutroférrico (NVef) and 5.0 g of Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo distrófico soil (AVAd), were mixed with approximately 700.0 and 400.0 µg of S contained in the labeled material (K234SO4), respectively.
The theoretical isotopic abundance (Abt) should be calculated by equation 1. The value obtained for total S should represent the sum of total initial S (STo) and 34Sl. Based on the results obtained by the isotopic analysis (Abexp) after adding the labeled material; it was possible to evaluate the method for organic S oxidation (dry-ash) by applying equation 1. Using the values for experimental isotopic abundance (Abexp) and theoretical isotopic abundance (Abt), the analytical error can be calculated by:
m0soil = total S in the sample (µg S); ST0 = total initial S (∝g g-1); Ab0 = natural isotopic abundance of S (atom % 34S); 34Sl = spiked amounts of K234SO4-labeled material (µg 34S); Abl = isotopic abundance of labeled material (K234SO4 (atom % 34S); Abt = theoretical isotopic abundance (atom % 34S).
Sample preparation for isotopic determination of S (atom% 34S)
Soil-extractable SO42- was acidified and subsequently precipitated as BaSO4 by adding 10 mL of 10.0 % (w/v) BaCl2.2H2O solution under agitation. After this procedure, the precipitated BaSO4 was washed with deionized water and centrifuged at 2500 rpm for 5 min. This procedure was repeated three times to eliminate impurities of BaCl2.2H2O excess. Then the precipitate was dried to constant weight at 60 ºC and 5.0 mg BaSO4 precipitate was mixed with 15 mg NaPO3 (Halas & Wolacewicz, 1981). NaPO3 was obtained by burning NaH2PO4.H2O in a muffle at 200 ºC for 2 h. This step is necessary to remove the structural water from the compound and to eliminate possible organic impurities.
For SO2 production, the BaSO4/NaPO3 mixture was placed in a quartz tube (QT) (length about 30 cm). A copper metal ring (about 2 g) and quartz wool was always placed in the tube approximately 2 cm above the mixture (sample/reagents). Copper is used to retain oxides formed during combustion and to convert possible SO3 into SO2, avoiding isotopic fractionation (Rafter, 1957; Yanagisawa & Sakal, 1983). Next, the QT was connected to a vacuum system by mechanic (MP) and diffuser (DP) pumps. A cylinder with dry ice/ethanol (-70 ºC) and another with liquid N (-196 ºC) were introduced around the traps Tr1 and Tr2, respectively, which were used to purify and separate the gases (SO2, N2, CO) in the vacuum system. The traps Tr1 and Tr2 were designed to trap vapors of water and SO2, respectively, formed during combustion. The vacuum system configuration was based on the method developed by Bailey & Smith (1972) (Figure 1).
In the next step, the MF heated to 900 ºC was shifted upwards to the QT, where it was maintained for 10 min for the combustion of BaSO4 and further SO2 gas formation (Equation 2).
BaSO4 + NaPO3 NaBaPO4 + SO2(g) + 1/2O2(g) (2)
Depending on the conditions (O2 partial pressure), SO3 gas could be produced, which is undesirable, since it could cause isotopic fractionation in analysis. Equations 3 and 4 show the conversion of SO3 to SO2 by reduced copper introduction.
SO2(g) + 1/2O2(g) SO3(g) (3)
SO3(g) + Cuº SO2(g) + CuO (4)
The SO2 formed after combustion was transferred into the stock flask (B) by replacing the bottle containing liquid N2 from trap Tr2 by the stock sample tube (ST). Next, the ST containing the SO2 was transferred to the mass spectrometer admission system and the isotopic abundance of S (atom % 34S) was determined.
Isotopic determination of (atom % 34S)
The 34S isotope was determined (in atom %) in the mass spectrometer (Bendassolli et al., 1997). The analysis based on isotopic ratios or atom % (abundance) of light elements is frequently carried out using properly purified gaseous samples. The proposed method involved procedures for chemical transformation in order to eliminate gas interferences, and the combustion process for SO2 production was carried out in a vacuum system to avoid interferences of atmospheric gases.
The intensities of the ion peaks of the species SO2+ and SO+ were high and both could be used for the determination of isotopic S. Therefore, it was decided to work with SO+ species for having a lower number of combinations between S and O elements. For SO molecular species, ion currents appear at m/z 48 (32S16O); 49 (32S, 17O and 33S16O); 50 (32S18O; 33S17O and 34S16O); 51 (33S18O and 34S17O); 52 (34S18O and 36S160); 53 (36S17O) and 54 (36S18O). For analysis, the mass spectrometer worked with an admission system heated to 70 ºC due to the polar nature of the SO2 and SO molecules, thus avoiding a memory effect. A cryogenic trap containing dry ice and ethanol (-70 ºC) was placed below the mass spectrometer admission system to retain undesirable residual water from samples. The tests were carried out with five replications, in a completely randomized design, in factorial combination. The means were subjected to statistical analysis (Tukey 5 %) (SAS, 2008).
In experiments related to the use of metallic copper in the quartz tube, it was observed that 2 g of material was necessary to avoid undesired oxide formation (BaO and CaO) in the vacuum system. In the assessment of the time required for SO2 formation in the high-vacuum system, the oven-burning time of BaSO4 varied from 4 to 10 min. Results indicated that combustion was complete after 10 min, and no alteration of the signal was observed after longer periods. Therefore, 10 min was determined for this step, for improving parameters related to volatile compound formation. For the isotopic determination of S, the peaks in the mass spectrum were related to the species SO+ (Figure 2).
Results for isotopic determination of 34S in SO2 samples obtained applying the BaSO4 p.a. (natural abundance) was 4.23 ± 0.02 atom % 34S. The corresponding values of samples with natural variation are in agreement with the expected values, demonstrating that the process for SO2 production in presence of NaPO3 and the method for isotopic determination of S in the mass spectrometer were suitable. Validation of the proposed method was accomplished by analysis of different soil types classified according to the Brazilian System of Soils Classification (Embrapa, 2006). The initial amount of S (µg g-1 of S) and isotopic abundance (atom% of 34S) was evaluated (Table 1).
The 34S (atom %) in soil samples was determined in three replications and in the isotopic results evaluation the natural variation from -30 to +30 ‰ was taken into account (Krouse & Tabatabai, 1986). These natural variation values correspond to a variation of 4.15 - 4.38 atom % 34S. The analytical precision of the mass spectrometer is approximately 1 %. After addition of 700.0 and 400.0 ∝g of S in labeled K234SO4 to 5 g of Nitossolo Vermelho eutroférrico (NVef) and Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo (AVAd), respectively, the values for experimental isotopic abundance (Abexp) and theoretical isotopic abundance (Abt) were determined (Table 2). The values of Abt and Abexp were obtained by equation 1 and by IRMS, respectively.
Results indicated no significant difference between experimental isotopic abundance (Abexp) and theoretical isotopic abundance (Abt) for the Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo (Table 2). However, for the Nitossolo Vermelho eutroférrico, the statistical analysis indicated significant differences (p < 0.05) when K234SO4, labeled on 6.15 atom % 34S, was used.
Based on results obtained for S isotopic determination (atom % 34S) by using 34S-labeled K2SO4, the analytical error was calculated as about 1.1 %. This result was considered low, considering the number of steps in the proposed method, and the complexity of the analytical process.
1. The use of a high-vacuum system for conversion of Ba34SO4 to SO2 using NaPO3 and combustion is suitable for the proposed method. Based on the results obtained in the validation experiments (isotopic dilution), it was verified that dry oxidation is feasible for the conversion of organic S to sulphate.
2. The results obtained in isotopic determination of S by isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) were precise and accurate, showing the viability of the proposed method.
The authors wish to thank FAPESP for the partial financial support and the fellowships.
ANDRADE, J.C.; FRIGUETTO, S.R.; BACCAN, N.; CANTARELLA, H. & BATAGLIA, O.C. Determinação turbidimétrica de sulfato em solos mediante análise por injeção em fluxo. R. Bras. Ci. Solo, 14:119-124, 1990. [ Links ]
ARORA, B.R.; HUNDAL, H.S. & SEKHON, G.S. Utilization of fertilizer sulphur by oat (Avena sativa L.) in different soils of Ludhiana. J. Nuclear Agric. Biol., 19:92-96, l990. [ Links ]
AWONAIKE, K.O.; DANSO, S.K.A. & ZAPATA, F. The use of a double isotope (N-15 and S-34) labeling technique to assess the suitability of various reference crops for estimating nitrogen-fixation in Gliricidia sepium and Leucaena leucocephala. Plant Soil, 155/156:325-328, 1993. [ Links ]
BAILEY, S.A. & SMITH, I.W. Improved method for the preparation of sulfur dioxide from barium sulfate for isotope ratio studies. Anal. Chem., 44:1542-1543, 1972. [ Links ]
BANSAL, K.N. & MOTIRAMANI, D.P. Uptake of native and applied sulphur by soybean in vertisols of Madhya Pradesh. J. Nuclear Agric. Biol., 22:42-46, l993. [ Links ]
BENDASSOLLI, J.A.; TRIVELIN, P.C.O. & CARNEIRO JUNIOR, F.C. Stable sulfur isotope fractionation by anion exchange chromatography; production of compounds enriched in 34S. J. Braz. Chem. Soc., 8:13-17, 1997. [ Links ]
CANTARELLA, H. & PROCHNOW, L.I. Determinação de sulfato em solos. In: RAIJ, B.van; ANDRADE, J.C.; CANTARELLA, H. & QUAGGIO, J.A., eds. Análise química para avaliação da fertilidade de solos tropicais. Campinas, Instituto Agronômico de Campinas, 2001. p.225-230. [ Links ]
CARNEIRO, J.M.T.; ROSSETE, A.L.M. & BENDASSOLLI, J.A. Isotopic determination of silicon by mass spectrometry in plants and soils labeled with 30Si. Anal. Letters, 41:1640-1647, 2008. [ Links ]
EMPRESA BRASILEIRA DE PESQUISA AGROPECUÁRIA - EMBRAPA. Centro Nacional de Pesquisa de Solos. Sistema brasileiro de classificação de solo. Rio de Janeiro, 2006. p.306. [ Links ]
FITZGERALD, M.A.; UGALDE, T.D. & ANDERSON, J.W. Sulfur nutrition changes the sources of S in vegetative tissues of wheat during generative growth. J. Exp. Bot., 50:499-508, 1999. [ Links ]
FRENEY, J.R. Forms and reactions of organic sulfur compounds in soils. In: TABATABAI, M.A., ed. Sulfur in agriculture. Madison, American Society of Agronomy. 1986, p.207-232. (Agronomy Monograph, 27). [ Links ]
FRITZ, P; DRIMMIE, R.J. & NOWICKI, V.K. Preparation of sulfur dioxide for mass spectrometer analyses by combustion of sulfides with copper oxide. Anal. Chem., 46:164-166, 1974. [ Links ]
HALAS, S. & WOLACEWICZ, W. Direct extraction of sulfur dioxide from sulfates for isotopic analysis. Anal. Chem., 53:686-689, 1981. [ Links ]
HAMILTON, S.D.; CHALK, P.M.; UNDOVICH, M.J. & SMITH, C.J. The measurement of fertilizer-S uptake by plants using radioactive and stable isotopes. Appl. Radiat. Isot., 42:1099-1101, 1991. [ Links ]
HAVLIN, J.L.; BEATON, J.D.; TISDALE, S.L. & NELSON, W.L. Soil fertility and fertilizers. 7th ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, 2005. 515p. [ Links ]
KROUSE, H.R.; BERNHARD, M. & SCHOENAU, J.J. Applications of stable isotopes techniques to soil sulphur cycling. In: BOUTTON, T.W. & YAMASAKI, S., eds. Mass spectrometry of soil. New York, Marcel Dekker, 1996. p.246-285. [ Links ]
KROUSE, H.R. & TABATABAI, M.A. Stable sulphur isotopes. In: TABATABAI, M.A., ed. Sulphur in agriculture. Madison, America Society of Agronomy, 1986. p.169-205. [ Links ]
LAL, K. & DRAVID, M.S. Sulphur utilization by mustard as influenced by P, S, K2SiO3 and FYM in Tupic Ustipsamment. J. Nuclear Agric. Biol., 9:87-91, l990. [ Links ]
MAXIMO, E.; BENDASSOLLI, J.A.; TRIVELIN, P.C.O.; ROSSETE, A.L.R.M.; OLIVEIRA, C.R. & PRESTE, C.V. Produção de sulfato de amônio duplamente marcado com os isótopos estáveis 15N e 34S. Quím. Nova, 28:211-216, 2005. [ Links ]
MENEGÁRIO, A.A.; GINÉ, M.F.; BENDASSOLLI, J.A.; BELLATO, A.C.S. & TRIVELIN, P.C.O. Sulfur isotope ratio (34S:32S) measurements in plant material by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. J. Anal. Atomic Spectrom., 13:1065-1067, 1998. [ Links ]
PATNAIK, M.C. & SANTHE, A. Influence of N, P, CaSO4 on utilization of sulphur by rice in red sandy loam soil. J. Nuclear Agric. Biol., 22:75-79, l993. [ Links ]
RAFTER, T.A. The preparation of sulfur dioxide for mass spectrometer examination. J. Sci. Technol., 38:849-857, 1957. [ Links ]
ROSSETE, A.L.R.M.; BENDASSOLLI, J.A.; MAXIMO, E.; SANT ANA FILHO, C.R. & IGNOTO, R.F. Production of 34S labeled gypsum (Ca34SO4.2H2O). Sci. Agric., 63:399-404, 2006. [ Links ]
ROSSETE, A.L.R.M.; BENDASSOLLI, J.A. & TRIVELIN P.C.O. Organic sulfur oxidation to sulfate in soil samples for total sulfur determination by turbidimetry R. Bras. Ci. Solo, 32:2547-2553, 2008a. [ Links ]
ROSSETE, A.L.R.M.; CARNEIRO, J.M.T.; BENDASSOLLI, J.A.; TAVARES, C.R.O. & SANT ANA FILHO, C.R. Production of single superphosphate labeled with 34S. Sci. Agric., 65:91-94, 2008b. [ Links ]
SAS Institute Inc. The SAS system [programa de computador]. version 9.2. Cary, 2008. [ Links ]
SCHOENAU, J.J. & BETTANY, J.R. A method for determining sulfur-34 abundance in soil and plant sulfur fractions. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 52:297-300, 1988. [ Links ]
SHARMA, V.K. & KAMATH, M.B. Effect of sulphur, phosphorus and calcium on sulphur utilization by mustard (Brassica juncea L.) and Pea (Pissum sativum L.). J. Nuclear Agric. Biol., 20:123-127, l991. [ Links ]
TABATABAI, M.A. & BREMNER, J.M. A simple turbidimetric method of determining total sulfur in plant materials. Agron. J., 62:805-806, 1970. [ Links ]
TABATABAI, M.A. Sulfur. In: PAGE, R.L.; MILLER, R.H. & KEENEY, D.R., eds. Methods of soil analysis: Chemical and microbiological properties. 2.ed. Madison, American Society of Agronomy, 1982. Part 1. p.501-538. [ Links ]
TRIVELIN, P.C.O.; BENDASSOLLI, J.A.; CARNEIRO JUNIOR, F. & MUROAKA, T. Sulfur utilization by rice and Crotalaria juncea from sulfate - 34S applied to the soil. Sci. Agric., 59:205-207, 2002. [ Links ]
YANAGISAWA, F. & SAKAL, H. Thermal decomposition of barium sulfate-vanadium pentaoxide-silica glass mixtures for preparation of sulfur dioxide in sulfur isotope ratio measurements. Anal. Chem., 55:985-987, 1983. [ Links ]
ZHAO, F.J.; VERKAMPEN, K.C.J.; BIRDSEY, M.; BLAKE-KALFF, M.M.A. & McGRATH, S.P. Use of the enriched stable isotope 34S to study sulfur uptake and distribution in wheat. J. Plant Nutr., 24:1551-1560, 2001. [ Links ]
1 Part of the first author's doctoral dissertation, presented to the Graduate Program in Science, Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura - CENA/USP. Study funded by FAPESP. Received for publication in October 26, 2011 and approved in Sptember, 13, 2012.


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Mavado Gully has doled out a new record which he called "Dancehall Prophecy", a top level rendition that should entreat you to use the repeat button for constant play.
Dancehall Prophecy arrived alongside a video treat which scene Mavado and Vybz Kartel kids – act of unification.
Listen/download the song below, watch video, like, share and enjoy!


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Forbes ranks U. No. 5 among "America's Top Colleges," No. 2 among "Best Value Colleges"
Forbes' "America's Top Colleges 2019" rankings, released on Thursday, place the University fifth, the same ranking it received in 2018. However, Forbes moved the University up six spots on its "Best Value Colleges" list, from eighth to second.


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Fletcher praises Giles for great show
England coach Duncan Fletcher praised Ashley Giles after the left-arm spinner produced his best bowling figures in the Test against Sri Lanka.india Updated: Dec 06, 2003 13:50 IST
England coach Duncan Fletcher praised Ashley Giles after the left-arm spinner produced his best ever bowling figures in the first Test against Sri Lanka on Friday.
Giles claimed four second-innings wickets as Sri Lanka were dismissed for 226, completing a match analysis of eight for 132.
"Ashley bowled exceptionally well," Fletcher told reporters. Not only did he get four wickets which was great but they struggled to score off him.
"We have said before that if our spinners are given decent spinning wickets and they get a lot of overs under their belt, they are good spinners."
Giles's success followed a barren spell, in which he took nine wickets in his last eight Tests, that had left him under pressure for his place in the side.
"His performance showed the character of the man after all the criticism," Fletcher added.
The 30-year-old spinner's previous best was seven for 132 against Pakistan in Karachi in 2000-01, and his success contrasted sharply with the ineffectiveness of seamers Matthew Hoggard and Richard Johnson, who took only one wicket each.
Fletcher admitted that England might have benefited from an extra spinner.
"There was a strong case for three spinners," he said. "When we went into the second innings we were talking about whether we needed three spinners.
Fletcher was hoping England's inexperienced lower middle order batsmen would fare better against Muttiah Muralitharan in the second innings.
"When you talk about a strategy without facing him it is very hard, but the guys can now sit down and think about strategy more clearly," he said.
"It's going to be a big battle to tomorrow, but since losing a crucial toss the guys have never given up, they have kept going in the heat and the body language has been good."
Mahela Jayawardene, the hosts' top scorer with a patient unbeaten 86, was delighted with his first major contribution in 18 months.
"I was a bit under pressure and the team was struggling so it was very satisfying," he said.
"It was very difficult out there as Ashley bowled very well, putting it in the right areas and making it very difficult to score."
Jayawardene was confident of a Sri Lanka victory, with England chasing 323 on the final day.
"If we get a couple of early wickets and Murali starts his magic then we should be in business," he said.
First Published: Dec 05, 2003 19:10 IST


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Before Robert Kraft turned a downtrodden, money-losing football team into the NFL's best franchise, he acquired it in a most ingenious way. I know of no other owner in any of the major sports who bought a team, its stadium and nearby real estate the same way as Kraft. The foresight and tenacity in which he acquired and subsequently operated these assets enabled the him to build a team worth $2.6 billion--second-most valuable among the league's 32 teams.
In 1985, Kraft bought a ten-year option on 300 acres surrounding Sullivan Stadium, the home of the New England Patriots, from a group of over a dozen Boston businessmen. Terms: Kraft would pay $1 million a year to lease the land and would also have first dibs to buy the land during the 10-year term for $16 million.
In 1986, Victor Kiam bought the Patriots without the stadium from the Sullivan family for $87 million.
Then, in 1988, Kraft and a partner paid a bankruptcy court $25 million for Sullivan Stadium--a decrepit building built for just $6.7 million in 1971 (in 1993, Kraft bought out his stadium partner for a small premium, placing Kraft's total price for complete ownership at about $27 million). But this was a clever purchase because the stadium came with an operating covenant that required the Patriots to play there until 2001.
In 1992, Kiam sold the team to James Busch Orthwein for $110 million (Kiam was in debt and Orthwein was one of his creditors). In 1993, Orthwein offered Kraft $75 million to get out of his lease at what was now named Foxboro Stadium. Kraft refused. Even without the team, his option on the land and ownership of the stadium was generating Kraft $2 million a year in revenue from parking and concessions.
In 1994, Kraft bought the football team for $172 million (believe the deal consisted of $158 million paid to Orthwein plus assumption of $14 million of debt) from James Busch Orthwein--the highest price ever paid for a sports team at that time (a group that was put together, which included Kraft's son Jonathan, to determine a reasonable price for the team alone came up with $115 million. Kraft told his wife he might possibly go as high as $125 million).
In 1995, Kraft exercised his option on the 300 acres of land and then spent $325 million of his own money to build a new stadium. In 2002, the Patriots opened CMGI Field next to Foxboro Stadium (torn down in 2002), which soon became
But the man was far from through. In 2007, Kraft opened Patriot Place, a $350 million shopping and entertainment complex adjacent to Gillette Stadium with 1.3 million square feet of retail space. Kraft used $250 million of his own money on the project. The complex includes the Patriots Hall of Fame presented by Raytheon, a Renaissance Hotel, more than 10 restaurants, and dozens of retail stores, including
How Kraft turned his $550 million investment into $2.6 billion (excluding Patriots Place) is not only a result of his business acumen, but how the man thinks about life. His purchase of the Patriots and the team's success financially and on the gridiron--seven Super Bowl appearances and four Lombardi Trophies--are a reflection of his beliefs. How the man thinks. Check out my interview with Kraft in the video, in which he discusses much more than sports.
Also on Forbes:


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China triples down on its long game after Trump doubles down.
Strike 2 - Friday 10 May, the Don's double-down.
The war of blunt instruments continues - with Strike 1 being the original imposition of US steel and aluminium tariffs on July 6 last year (see my last year blogs).
Last Friday, US tariffs on about US$200 billion of Chinese products were increased from 10% to 25%.
This 'Strike 2' retaliation by the Don was in direct response to China's reported roll back on certain agreements and a trade deal -something that the US equities market (and many others) had prematurely factored in.
Along with Friday's increase, Donald Trump also threatened to extend tariffs over the entire estimated US$540 billion of annual Chinese imports.
The behaviour of the US equities market last week was proof that too many traders/investors have not taken the tariff war seriously enough, and tonight's session which started around 1.7% down at the open (with the DOW down >2% as I write) is further proof.
China-exposed Apple is about 5% down and Boeing and CAT are showing 4% to 5% declines.
Tariff income to purchase US food for the poor - that's gotta upset China.
Interestingly, during last week reports from CNN and Fox seemed to indicate that the tariff revenue the US Government would generate on about US$200 billion of goods would be used to support the US farm sector - by purchasing food from farmers and sending it off as aid to 'poor countries'.
This probably incensed Chinese authorities.
Strike 3 (not out) - China triple-down.
When leaving the Washington trade talks on Friday, the Chinese Vice Premier tripled down on the conditions that would have to occur to end the trade war, namely:
Remove all extra tariffs.
Set purchases of goods in line with real demand.
Ensure the text of the deal is 'balanced' to ensure the 'dignity' of both nations.
As we know, there are certain fundamental issues that the US requires (including changes to Chinese Law) that China finds repugnant.
However, the US position appears resolute given this President has chosen to draw his line in the sand in relation to decades of US IP theft by China.
Strike 4 - Monday 13 May, retaliatory tariffs.
Prior to the planned release of new tariffs on US$300 billion in Chinese imports from the White House, China responded today with retaliatory tariffs.
These will apply to about US$60 billion of US goods. Most items will see tariff rates at least double, with 5% items moving to 10%, and 10% items to 20% or 25%.
Reportedly, these will take effect on 1 June 2019.
Statements from China today included words such as 'a response to unilateralism and trade protectionism', and that China is simply seeking to meet the US at the 'half-way' point with a 'win-win' outcome.
Steeeeeeeeerike 5 - About to land.
Strike 5 is about to land as I write this late Monday night Perth time, with the imposition (not removal) of 'all extra tariffs' that China has warned against.
This would mean extra US tariffs on the remaining US$340 billion of Chinese imports.
It seems to me that the past 10 months have been a warm up to the main game of tariff bludgeons which started yesterday, with Strike 4.
Equities are off significantly, Gold is still to break out of the 1,300 range, volatility is up but most of all Bitcoin continues to rally.
To the extent US markets again expect/hope for interest rate cuts (in light of the potential for an escalating trade war) bonds might also rally.
Maybe the Don gets his way with Jerome Powell - and perhaps this was the plan from the get-go, but that's just speculation.
As to whether there will be any effect on China's demand for West Australian iron ore - this is still opaque and remains to be seen.
Stay tuned.
NextLevelCorporate is a leading strategic corporate advisory firm with a multi-decade track record which speaks for itself. We inject independent and conflict-free Senior Advisor experience and expertise directly into private and public M&A, debt and equity transactions/strategies.


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Webcast – Migration and Health Webinar 2: Mental health of refugees and migrants: myths and realities
Read the event announcement for more details about the webinar.
Live streaming starts at 12:30 CEST, 5 September 2017.
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Tables were turned at SGC Mall as participants honed their culinary skills prepared delectable dishes for celebrity Chef Sanjeev Kapoor. Organised in association with Wonderchef Home Appliances Pvt. Ltd., over 100 women participants from Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and the adjoining districts took part in 'Cook for Me' contest at the mall. Upon tasting each and every dish, he announced Kusum Sailega (winner), Manisha Shah (1st runner up) and Jaya Malawade & Geeta Kharat (2nd runners up) as the three real 'Wonderchefs'. The winners were gratified by both Wonderchef and Seawoods Grand Central Mall.
You are being re-directed to FYND. It is a third party website which will fulfill the order, process the payment and ensure customer satisfaction


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- 8 ears of white corn
- 2 quarts cherry tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons high-quality balsamic vinegar
- 1 medium red onion
- 1 quart sugar snap peas (optional)
- 1 handful roughly chopped basil or flat-leaf parsley (optional)
- Salt, preferably a large, coarse sea salt like Maldon.
- Pepper
- Strip raw corn from ears. Yep, raw. You can use a fancy corn stripper or just run your chef's knife down the side of each ear about 8 times.
- Slice all cherry tomatoes in half or quarters depending on your preference.
- Chop the red onion into a large dice.
- If using the sugar snap peas (they can be hard to find when the corn and tomatoes are available — their seasons barely overlap, and even then you're likely getting corn and tomatoes from the south and sugar snaps from the North.) Anyway, if using them, cut in half or thirds to make more bite-sized. If you're not using them, and you want a little green for visual appeal, some roughly chopped basil or flat-leaf parsley will do the trick.
- Toss all vegetables in a bowl, along with the vinegar, salt, and pepper.
- That's it. Enjoy!


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The five-time world champion is competing in the Carlsbad 5000 on Sunday, and he hopes to make his fifth Olympic track team this summer.
Bernard Lagat breaks masters 5K road world record.
Julia Bleasdale is dominant winner of women's race.
The two were key players in a USA Indoor track DQ controversy.
The two were key figures in controversial USA Indoor 3000.
Lagat will also look to break American 5K road record.


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The 20th International European Overtone Choir Project Week for choir singers from all over Europe will take place in the 3rd week of April 2020 in the Seminarhaus Stiftsberg in Kyllburg in the Eifel. Kyllburg is located in western Germany near the border to Luxembourg.
Registration information will be available here from the end of summer.
Easter Monday 13.04.2020 until Sunday 19.04.2020
Stiftsberg – Education and Leisure Centre
Auf dem Stift 6
54655 Kyllburg


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#100DaysOfWeb in Python Transcripts
Chapter: Days 45-48: Build a simple Django app
Lecture: Day 2: practice yourself
Login or purchase this course to watch this video and the rest of the course contents.
0:00 Congratulations, you made it through
0:02 half of the videos of Django.
0:06 And instead of moving on and introducing more concepts
0:10 I mean, there's still some work to do
0:12 to get that Quotes app working
0:14 I think we should pause now
0:16 and start touching some Django yourself.
0:19 So, after going through the videos yesterday
0:22 I suggest that you get Django installed
0:26 do these common configuration settings I showed you.
0:29 Try to follow along with the example app you are building
0:33 or if you have something cool you want to build for the web
0:37 start your own app.
0:38 We have two code challenges linked in the ReadMe.
0:41 You can start those on the platform
0:44 and the idea is just to get setup
0:46 make your model, send it to the database
0:48 and play around with Django, play around with the ORM
0:52 start adding, editing, deleting objects.
0:55 See how that works.
0:56 Get a good foundation.
0:58 And starting tomorrow, we continue the lessons
1:00 by making the full CRUD application
1:04 interacting with the database
1:05 building out the views, using templates and more.
1:08 Good luck, have fun.
1:10 And feel free to share your progress using #100daysofwep
1:14 and copy us @TalkPython and @pybites.


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Inside Sweden
Coming up in today's programme:
The ongoing conflict in Lebanon sparks a debate - What can Swedes expect in the way of assistance from Swedish embassies and consulates abroad?
September's general election looks too close to call - and it's first-time voters, including some 90 000 Swedes of foreign origin - that might make the difference..
Scrap the organisation responsible for integrating migrants to Sweden. That's the view of Sweden's discrimination commissioner, Massoud Kamali who talks to us on the programme.
Closing music: "Nevermore", Soundtrack of Our Lives


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Florian Mayneris (Sandra Poncet (Tao Zhang
Journal of Development Economics, 2018, vol. 135, issue C, 20-42
We here consider how Chinese firms react to higher minimum wages, exploiting the 2004 minimum-wage Reform in China. After this reform, we find that the wage costs for surviving firms that were more exposed to minimum-wage hikes rose, but also that their productivity significantly improved, allowing them to absorb the cost shock without any change in their profitability and with limited job losses. Our results are robust to pre-existing trend analysis and an IV strategy. However, the survival probability of the firms that were most exposed to minimum-wage hikes fell after the Reform. Firm-level productivity gains partly came from better inventory management and greater investment in capital, at the cost of a reduction in firm-level cash.
Keywords: Minimum wages; Firm-level performance; Productivity; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J38 O12 O14 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1) Track citations by RSS feed
Downloads: (external link)http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304387818304620
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Related works:Working Paper: Improving or disappearing: Firm-level adjustments to minimum wages in China (2018)Working Paper: Improving or Disappearing: Firm-Level Adjustments to Minimum Wages in China (2016) This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.
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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DinnerOnDemand #CollectiveBias
Enjoy a classic home-cooked meal made easy, with Barilla Pronto Pasta and Barilla Marinara Sauce.
Looking for a traditional homemade meal made easy? Ever wish you could cook delicious lasagna in a third of the time? Today, you are in luck!
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Personal injury includes many things from car accidents, wrongful death, to falls. After an accident, we need a doctor first, and everything else comes after. Later on, if the insurance company rejects your valid insurance claim, consult an attorney at the West Law Firm to fix the issue. Here we'll share some statistics with you related on different kinds of personal injury.
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Many people choose not to describe themselves as a carer – it's just something they do for someone they care about. This is an opportunity to do something for them.
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.Net/SQL developer within IT Trading Regulatory Reporting Team
Do you want to play a role in our exciting and transformational journey to create a world class Regulatory Reporting IT team? The team consists of skilled and dedicated persons who are located in Stockholm, Sweden and transforming some knowledge and responsibility to Riga, Latvia.
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Dr. Cliff Pickover, a resident of Yorktown, just published his 50th book, entitled Artificial Intelligence: An Illustrated History, From Medical Robots to Neural Networks. I thought it might be interesting to spend some time with him. He graciously agreed to answer my questions.
Q: Tell us a little about yourself.
Cliff: Jim, thanks for this excellent conversation. I'm a book author who has published 50 books, been granted 620 patents, and have 35,000 Twitter followers. I often tweet about subjects covered in my books.
Q: Why did you pick AI as the focus of your recent book?
Cliff: I've always had a fascination for topics on the borderlands of science and science fiction, which makes us question the limits of thought and the future of humanity. The applications of AI seem limitless, and the history of AI is loaded with surprises. For example, readers of my book will also learn about humanity's ancient fascination with automatons and lifelike machines.
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Q: You are a delightfully inquisitive person who is in a constant state of wonder and, therefore, it's not a surprise that you intend to cultivate the same sentiment in your readers. In the responses you have received over the years, do you feel that your work has succeeded.
Cliff: I'm delighted by the feedback I receive from readers, and on Twitter. People of all ages tell me that I've shaped or inspired them. I view my book-writing career as a means of reaching others, and the dozens of foreign-language translations of my books also increase that connection.
Q: On page 97 you touch upon the topic of transhumanism. You raise the idea that if we lived for one thousand years, we may very well become different people. You would not be "you." In your opinion, at what point would that happen? What is the dividing line between me and a new, completely different me?
Cliff: If your body or mind could survive indefinitely, would "you" actually persist? All of us are changed by our experiences-and these changes are usually gradual, which means that you are nearly the same person that you were a year ago. However, if your normal or enhanced body survived continuously for a thousand years, gradual mental changes would accumulate, and perhaps an entirely different person would eventually inhabit the body. The thousand-year-old person might be nothing like you. You would no longer exist. There would be no moment of death at which you had ceased to exist, but you would slowly fade away over the millennia, like a sand castle being transformed by an ocean of time.
Q: What is the line of demarcation, in your opinion, between machine and human? If our entire consciousness and neural networking is duplicated into a computer, is that still a human?
Cliff: Today, there are obvious differences between AI machines, with electronic circuitry, and us. However, we may wonder if all intelligence is actually a form of "machine intelligence," just operating on different forms of hardware. If so, perhaps an electronic machine will one day have most of the attributes we associate with people, such as emotions and consciousness.
Q: Some scientists believe that if robots, or other AI systems, took over that they couldn't do a worse job than we humans are doing. What's your take on this?
Cliff: Although there are certainly concerns about the rapid rise of AI, I generally take a positive outlook in which these AI entities will become our partners, inspiring us to undertake and understand new areas of research, improving our health through enhanced medical diagnoses, creating safer vehicles and transportation, and helping us evolve smarter decisions to preserve our planet. However, as you alluded to, we'll need to be careful that bias and errors are minimized in AI systems, just as we do with people.
Q: On page 139, you focus on Searle's Chinese Room test. I was curious why you didn't include this in your Turing test (page 83) since this was Searle's supposed refutation of Alan Turing?
Cliff: The Chinese Room is a fascinating thought experiment that makes us wonder about minds, consciousness, and understanding-so much so that I wanted to devote an entire, separate, chronologically dated entry to it. The book entries are ordered in time, so that readers may glimpse an evolution of the subject matter.
Q: Can you tell us a little about the so-called "AI death predictor" and how it can be so accurate?
Cliff: The AI-based death predictors make use of medical records to estimate the longevity of a patient. You also asked about accuracy. The workings of machine learning, which can be used to discover patterns in our world and make predictions, can yield amazing, yet sometimes mysterious, insights. In other words, AI systems can find patterns in large amounts of information, through a technique called "deep learning," but we often do not fully understand how they reached their useful conclusions. The systems inspire us to learn more about the hidden patterns in our reality.
Q: You and I have often talked about the idea of living in a computer simulation. Why do you think it's okay to do so if it makes you happy?
Cliff: I once asked on Twitter (@pickover) the provocative question: "If you were offered the opportunity to leave this life, enter a computer simulation, and be guaranteed hundreds of years of adventure, bliss, happiness, contentment, peace, romance, and perfect health, with no pain, would you consider taking the offer?" Fifty percent (50%) of the respondents said "yes." I am not sure I could turn down years of happiness, health, adventure, and bliss. Could you?
Q: There is a raging philosophical debate about whether science describes or explains the world. What is your opinion?
Cliff: I tend to focus on scientific models of phenomena, and on how these models and theories fit observations or make predictions. Knowledge moves in an ever-expanding, upward-pointing funnel. From the rim, we look down and see previous knowledge from a new perspective as new theories are formed. Today's conjectures mutate, new theories evolve, and yesterday's impossibilities become part of everyday life.
Q: Thank you so much for your time and responses....Oh, by the way, what's the easiest way to order your book?
Cliff: Readers can visit my webpage, Pickover.com, to learn more about my books and where to find them.