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1) Departamento de Parasitología y Microbiología, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Oriente, Núcleo Bolívar, Apartado Postal 15, Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela.
2) Departamento de Medicina, Hospital Universitario "Ruiz y Páez", Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela.
Infecciones parasitarias intestinales en individuos positivos con el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana ]]>(VIH) en el Sureste de Venezuela
Un estudio fue realizado en relación a establecer la presencia de parásitos intestinales en 35 pacientes infectados con el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH), desde julio 1997 a octubre 1998, admitidos en el Hospital Universitario "Ruiz y Páez" de Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela.
Parásitos fueron detectados en heces usando diversos métodos para la investigación de protozoos y hemintos, concentración éter-formalina, tinción de Kinyoung y tricromico. Edad, sexo, estado clínico de la infección de VIH fueron registrados para cada participante del estudio. Todos los pacientes presentaron diarrea crónica. En 20 pacientes infectados con VIH (57%), uno o más parásitos intestinales fueron encontrados. Los protozoos más frecuentemente encontrados fueron: Blastocystis hominis (28,6%), Cryptosporidium sp. (22,8%) e Isospora belli (2,9%). Microsporidia no fueron detectados. Estos datos enfatizan la importancia de los portozoos oportunistas en pacientes infectados con VIH.
Palabras clave (Key words): Parásitos intestinales (intestinal parasites), pacientes infectados con VIH (HIV infected patients); Cryptosporidium sp.; Isospora belli; Venezuela
Chronic diarrhea is the most frequent symptom of HIV-infected patients. The prevalence of diarrhea in this group varies from 33 to 45% (Pape et al., 1994; Sorvillo et al., 1995). Much attention is currently being focused on the detection of specific pathogens as cause of fiarrhea in HIV-patients, since its correct treatment could improve the patient's general well-being. For example, the intrecellular intestinal protozoa: Cryptosporidium parvum, Cyclospora cayetanensis, Isospora belli and microsporidia are apportunistic in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and are often the major cause of uncontrollable, debilitanting diarrhea (Malebranche et al., 1983; Laughon et al., 1988; Wuhib et al., 1994).
Intestinal parasites in HIV-infected South American patients have been reported in Argentina (Mendez et al., 1994), Brazil (Dias et al., 1988a, 1988b; Moura et al., 1989; Magalhaes et al., 1993; Sauda et al., 1993; Wuhib et al., 1994; Costa-Cruz et al., 1996; Amato et al., 1999; Baraldi et al., 1999; Brasil et al., 1999; Cimerman et al., 1999a, 1999b; Lainson and Silva, 1999;) and Venezuela (Chacin-Bonilla et al., 1992; Chacin-Bonilla and Sánchez, 1993; Paez et al., 1999; Uzcategui et al., 1999a, 1999b). The aim of our study was to document prevalence of intestinal parasite infections in HIV-infected patients seen in the "Ruiz y Paez", University Hospital, Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela.
Patients. The study was conducted between july 1997 and october 1998 at the "Ruiz y Paez" University
Hospital in Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela. HIV-positive patients with diarrhea were asked to participate in the study. diarrhea (minimum of three loose stools per day with a duration of at least one week) (Weber and Bryan, 1994) was self-reported by the patient. The presence of HIV in the study group was detected by a microagglutination assay (Abbott Diagnostics, Chicago, IL). The positive samples by microagglutination were confrmed by Western Blot (Labtech, Singapore) following the manufacturer's instructions; all of 35 patients met the criteria for AIDS set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (1992). All the patients gave their consent to participate in this investigation. At the time of enrollment into the study the medical record of each participant was reviewed.
Methods. For each patient, one fresh stool specimen was obtained every three days during ten days, and processed throught the methods of Hoffman et al., 1934; Faust et al., 1938; and Rugai et al., 1954. A single fecal sample was collected from each patient for parasitologic diagnosis and divided into two vials, one containing polyvinyl alcoho (PVA) and one containing 10% formalin fixatives (Para-Pak ®; Meridian Diagnostics; Cincinnatti, OH). Samples collected in formalin were examined for intestinal coccidia using the Kinyoun method (Ma and Soave, 1988) and the helminth eggs and larvae following formalin-ether concentration. Formalin preserved samples were also examined using modified trichrome stain for detection of Microsporidia (Weber and Bryan, 1994). Permanent thichrome-stained preparations were made from the samples collected in PVA and examined for intestinal protozoa. To ensure quality control, positive and negative controls for microsporidia (Meridian Diagnostics) and commercially available permanent slides and samples with protozoan cysts and trophozoites were included with each batch of samples that was stained and analized.
The study group was comprised of 26 (74.2%) males and 9 (25.8%) females, with a mean age 29.2 years (S.D.± 8.1; range 14-34 years); all were from Bolivar state.
The distribution of intestinal parasites detected in HIV-positive patients stools is shown in Table I. One or more parasites were identified in 57% of the study group. The most frequently diagnosed intestinal parasitic infections were Ascaris lumbricoides (14.2%), Trichuris trichiura (8.6%) and hookworm (8.6%). The protozoa most frequently found were Blastocystis hominis (28.6%), Cryptosporidium sp. (22.8%) and I. belli (2.9%) Microsporidia were not found. ]]>
Crytosporidium sp., and Isospora belli are among the sporulate protozoa identified frequently in infected patients with the HIV (Pape, 1988). Fecal samples are required for their diagnosis using several methods, i.e.: concentration, mounted preparations and stains; however, oocysts may not be observed by low levels of infectivity or by significant variability in the determinations with the fast-acid stain. For that reason, the employ of differents techniques of stains, of biometry and the morphologic characteristics in each case are necessary to establish the differential diagnosis. Therefore, parasitlogists should be trained for the visualization of these parasites in smears of fecal samples stained with the diverse techniques and physicians should be familiarized with the clinical findings and treatment of these parasitic infections, either in inmunocompetent and inmunocompromised host (Di Gliullo et al., 2000).
Among coccidian infected patients, diarrhea was the most frequent symptom. However, aymptomatic carriage was seen in two cases: one with I. belli and the other with C. cayetanensis.
In the group of protozoa, Blastocistis hominis was observed in a high percentage. However, this organism is common in this region, and rates as high as 30 to 40% have been observend in different populations (Devera et al., 1998a, 1998b).
In the HIV-positive patients, Cryptosporidium sp. was associated with diarrhea. Although we did not search for other enteropathogens such as bacteria and viruses it appears tha this protozoan could be responsible for the illness encountered in these patients. Our observations suggest that the occurrence of Cryptosporidium sp. infection is common. Our findings are similar to those reported in a study carried out in Zulia State, Venezuela (Chacín-Bonilla 1992). Isospora belli has become more prevalent in recent years because of its role as an apportunistic infective agent in persons with AIDS (Moura et al., 1989; Escobedo and Núñez , 1999). This enteric coccidian appears to be uncommon in Venezuela (Chacín-Bonilla and Sanchez, 1993). The low prevalence or isosporiasis (2.9%) is comparable to that reported in Brazil (Costa-Cruz et al., 1996; Baraldi et al., 1999; Cimmerman et al., 1999a), Cuba (Escobedo and Núñez, 1999) and United States (Ma and Soave, 1988; Sorvillo et al., 1995) and could be explained by the fact that patients received prophylactic medication against Pneumocystis carinii (Balanshard et al., 1992; Chacín-Bonilla and Sanchez, 1993; Pape et al., 1994).
Correspondence to: Dr. Alejandro Caraballo. Departamento de Parasitología y Microbiología, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Oriente, Núcleo Bolivar, Apartado Postal 15, Ciudad Bolívar, benezuela.
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
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Malebranche, R., Arnoux, E., Guerin, J.M., Pierre, G.D., Laroche, A.C., Pean-Guichard, C., Elic, R., Morissot, P.H.., Spira, T., Mandeville, R., Drotman, P., Scemayer, T. and Dupuy, J.M. 1983. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome with severe gastrointestinal manifestations in Haiti. Lancet 2: 873 - 878. [ Links ]
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Paez, J., Uzcategui, O., Hernandez, I., Cermeño, J., Baliachi, N. y Rivera, M. 1999. Frecuencia de protozoarios esporulados en pacientes VIH positivos Hospital «Ruiz y Páez». Acta Cientif. Venez. 50 (supl. 2): 348. [ Links ]
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Sauda, F.C., Zamarioli, L.A., Ebner, F.W. and Mello, L.B. 1993. prevalence of Cryptosporidium sp. and Isospora belli among AIDS patients attending Santos Reference Center for AIDS, Sao Paulo, Brazil. J. Parasit. 79: 454 - 456. [ Links ]
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Uzcategui, O., Paez, J., Cermeño, J., Hernández, I., Rivera, M. y Baliachi, N. 1999a. Parasitosis intestinal en pacientes VIH y/o con SIDA, en el Complejo Hospitalario «Ruiz y Páez». Acta Cientif. Venez. 50: (supl. 2): 331. [ Links ]
Uzcategui, O., Paez, J., Cermeño, J., Hernández, I., Rivera, M. y Baliachi, N. 1999b. Infección intestinal por Cyclospora cayetanensis en pacientes infectados por el VIH y/o con SIDA en el Hospital «Ruiz y Páez». Acta Cientif. Venez 50 (supl. 2): 348. [ Links ]
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Mortgages and Car Loans Tougher … Not Impossible
A credit tourniquet may be threatening Main Street, but so far there is enough money in the system for consumers to get mortgages or auto loans, at least those with good credit scores—but under stricter terms.
"What you have seen is that the underwriting standards have gotten tougher, that's natural, it is just requiring people putting a little more skin in the game to get credit," said Keith Leggett, senior economist with the American Bankers Association.
"What you will find is that you may pay a little more for credit because the spreads have widened, but I think people with good credit history are not going to have a problem getting credit."
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
Even in the most troubled sector of the consumer market, housing, mortgages are still available, although under stricter terms than have been seen in probably a decade.
"Credit is available, definitely, if you can verify your income—there is not more [just] stated income—and if you are willing to pay the price" of higher interest rates," said Trudi Onus, mortgage broker at Palm Beach Financial Network in Stuart, Florida, who reports local business is up this year compared to the doldrums of last year. "Rates are anywhere between 6.25 and 7.25 [percent] depending on what your credit score is."
That is a testament to just how well-greased the consumer credit system is.
Home equity loans, after all, have plummeted 70 percent (by volume) during the last six quarters. "That's massive," said Joe Belew, President of the Consumer Banking Association.
Still, he said, "there is lending going on, we haven't shut down, it's just it is noticeably slower...[And] it's tight all over. It is an across the board slow-down."
But overall, credit is still expanding. The Federal Reserve's weekly Assets and Liabilities of Commercial Banks report shows there was an 8.15 percent increase in loans and leases from August last year.
That pace has been slowing more recently as mounting indications of a recession make bankers more cautious, but even from June to the week ending Sept. 17, credit still expanded at an annualized rate of 7.2 percent.
Some portion of this credit growth is due to companies having to rely more on bank financing, as commercial paper markets have seized up. And there are signs firms are preemptively drawing down their lines of credit in order to maintain their own liquidity, explained Leggett
See Jim Bianco, president of Bianco Research in video at left on the consequence of a banking system that is too small given the size of the economy.
In fact, Leggett said he recently had an unsolicited 55 percent increase in his credit line. "I just got it in the mail, they were going through their periodic review and they said 'Hey, you are a good customer,' " he said.
Auto Loans Tighten
But there are also clear signs of tightening credit, especially as loan delinquencies rise.
Take auto loans. Lending losses in this business line doubled in 2007 over the previous year, according to a Consumer Banking Association report.
Even though repossession rates are still relatively low—just over 2 percent—lenders have moved to stem those losses by demanding higher down payments and higher credit scores. Less applications are approved and loans have quicker repayments windows.
It will be tougher to get credit in the months ahead. So what should consumers do?
These efforts are already reflected in auto sales, which plunged 25 percent from the beginning of the year on an annualized basis—from 16.5 million to 12.8 million.For more stories from CNBC, go to cnbc.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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Thursday, June 9, 2011
Blizzard's next MMO
You see, my gut feeling says that Blizzard's next MMO, the one they are working in secret on, the one code-named "Titan", will be in the world of Starcraft. The article specifically mentions that the SC MMO won't be Titan but with Blizzard you never know.
If I were a gambling man I would place all my bets on Starcraft as their next MMO. Of course, there is a high possibility that I am wrong but that's exactly why I don't gamble in real life :)
Blizzard stated that their next MMO will be a new IP (Intellectual Property). Everyone has taken that to mean that it won't take place in the Warcraft, Starcraft or Diablo universes. But this may be sly-speak for "Titan will be a new genre in an existing universe". This would fit perfectly with a Starcraft MMO. An MMO would be a new genre in the Starcraft universe. Who knows, maybe Titan is actually the scrapped Starcraft Ghost.
Meh, too much speculation. As I said before, I would really like to see a kick-ass MMO in a technologically advanced universe such as Starcraft. Either way, I'm 99% certain that this next MMO will not take place in another fantasy setting. Amirite or amirite?
16 comments:
New IP (Intellectual Property) actually means something totally new. A SC-related mmo would be nothing like that, in my opinion: it would be a recycled world under a MMO cloak :-)
I don't think thy will grab the SC world for a mmo. SC players are harcore RTS people, they hardly match a MMO style. Yes, a sci-fi world would be interesting but I really hope for something BLASTING new.
- June 10, 2011 at 2:54 AM
- Darth Solo said...
I could be totally wrong (and chances are high that I am) but Blizzard have been known to say something and then reverse that later by claiming that they didn't mean it that way.
They wouldn't need to grab all the SC players. They would certainly grab 99% of WoW players plus others, but if they grab only a small percentage of SC players (who are also interested in MMOs) then they would still have a huge player base.
But we'll see.
- June 10, 2011 at 6:21 AM
- Gyldenfeax said...
I get the feeling Blizzard are losing interest in WoW, with the best talent switching to newer projects. It might explain why they seem to have so much trouble in balancing classes and making the game interesting generally.
Maybe Titan (their 'next' MMO)is just a cover and the real MMO they're working on is based on Starcraft. They drop Titan after a few years having given their real Starcraft MMO a chance to develop in relative secrecy. Secrets seem hard to keep nowadays though.
- June 10, 2011 at 6:38 AM
The 'evidence' is that a Starcraft MMO would make a bunch of money, and a company wants a recurring revenue stream. Wow. That's some hard evidence that no one could have put together before. This inside source must be deep.
I highly doubt Titan will take place in the starcraft universe. Will it be a fantasy setting? I'm not entirely sure that it won't. You've got two choices in my opinion if you want to be able to have diverse classes and races, Fantasy and Sci-fi. WOW is truthfully a mashup of both. I would not put it past them to put out a game that is strictly high fantasy. I would be more surprised to see an MMO that is strictly technology based. Unless it's a significant diversion from the model WOW uses and you control something other than a single player character, I just don't see the diversity that we've come accustomed to being easily offered.
As for having 3 MMOs out, I simply don't see that. Blizzard are very familiar with diminishing returns. So far Activision have not forced Blizzard into anything ridiculous yet, and I don't see them forcing them into this.
- June 10, 2011 at 9:50 AM
I don't see a Starcraft MMO on the horizon. Sci-fi games just aren't that popular. We want our fantasy worlds, and I doubt that's going to change anytime soon.
I like to think of Titan in the literal sense.. What if they've developed a new story line based on the concept of titans in the Warcraft lore? E.g. not based on Warcraft but an alternate universe built on that concept? I'd be intrigued. As long as it's not an FPS anyway, I would hate that.
- June 10, 2011 at 10:59 AM
Game of Thrones MMO?
- June 10, 2011 at 2:44 PM
"I don't think thy will grab the SC world for a mmo. SC players are harcore RTS people, they hardly match a MMO style. "
one million simoleons to the first person who can tell mr.echo what genre of game WoW is based on...
- June 10, 2011 at 5:19 PM
- Darth Solo said...
@Gyldenfeax interesting speculation. Haven't thought of that. But it's hard to imagine Blizzard working on a throwaway game. Although... there was Ghost...
@Anonymous#1 3 MMOs out at the same time, nah, I don't think so either. But I'd be disappointed if the game were high fantasy. Yes, WoW does include SF elements but it's mostly fantasy.
@Ceri well that certainly is a possibility. Something else that I hadn't thought about. Titans... the beginnings of the world and all that. A lot of untapped potential.
@Anonymous#2 LOLOLOL!!! There is actually a Game of Thrones... game (duh how redundant) coming out but I don't think it's an MMO.
@Anonymous#3 heh heh, many have forgotten.
- June 10, 2011 at 6:44 PM
It's true that WoW is based on WC3 world (and that's a RTS game). But in the cvase of StarCraft I feel that players base is very different and much more RTS-oriented to be actually interested in switching to a MMO game.
Well maybe not, of course. Maybe it's just me hoping for a REAL next-gen-innovative mmo.
- June 13, 2011 at 4:16 AM
- Darth Solo said...
I'm sure that a greater percentage of WC players are into MMOs than SC players but at least some of those players are into MMOs as well.
You want to hear about an innovative MMO? Wait till you read my next post.
- June 13, 2011 at 7:17 PM
This is how I would consider a MMO "innovative":
1) housing (see Ultima Online, sniffff!)
2) interactive world
3) destructible/editable world/terrain
4) physics
Throw in some lore/quests and I am happy!
- June 14, 2011 at 2:28 AM
- Darth Solo said...
Methinks the interactive/destructible world would be very hard to achieve, especially in a large world like WoW's. But it would be sweet, I agree.
I would like housing to be done in a manner where it would alter the world, just like in real life. Buy land, build a house/castle/whatever. As opposed to instanced housing which, to me, is useless.
- June 14, 2011 at 7:16 AM
Instanced housing would be just annoying... but given the size of WoW I guess it's just impossible leaving players free to build on normal land. Too many people and not enough land anyway. If ever... I guess WoW will add instanced houses visible for 2-40 players at maximum (raid size).
That's why I said "innovative". We've already seen everything, I guess... and that's why games like Minecraft or Terraria became so much popular: they bring us back to the basics of videogaming. Simple rules, simple gameplay, fast download, fast action. AND stuff that you wont see in other titles (interactive world, for example).
I was amazed at how I could spend 50+ hours on Terraria (a 20 megabytes download) when I spent like 10 or less in Crysis 2 (how to trash money).
We really don't need fancy graphics or strange stuff: we need new ideas, new THINGS to do.
- June 14, 2011 at 3:41 PM
- Darth Solo said...
Divide the land into small squares, make each square 100K gold... let's see how many will afford it :) Large guilds, sure. Wealthy players, sure. Everyone else, not so much :)
- June 14, 2011 at 6:57 PM
> make each square 100K gold
In my opinion money will never be a problem.
Yes, housing would not be for *everyone*... but that would heavily encourage gold buying, I guess.
Do I spend 100 real dollars for a shiny weapon? Naaah. Waht about a piece of Azeroth land to build a personal house? YEAH GIMME THE MASTERCARD NOW.
I can see that coming... :)
- June 15, 2011 at 3:16 AM
- Darth Solo said...
Well, I would hazard to say that those who buy gold will continue to do so, while those who don't will work towards buying that land with the gold they worked hard for.
But then, what other good way is there to implement housing?
- June 15, 2011 at 7:22 AM


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Kevin Cyr is an artist who really has a knack for finding a certain quiet beauty in some really commonplace and humble things. Like everyday, unloved vans.
Cyr has painted several series of vehicles, but of his paintings I really love these ones of graffiti'd, rusty American vans. These are the workhorse vans of our cities that we've all seen almost every day of our lives. In a big city, covered in graffiti, they almost become camouflaged and blend into the landscape. Cyr paints these vans free of background, in a clean, straightforward way, all quietly viewed from the side, and that gives them this dignity and presence that I don't think a photograph ever could.
Cyr also does some interesting sculpture work, like this amazing camper bike. I'm not exactly sure if he's actually used it to camp in a real sense, but I hope so. It looks like you'd need to have the Hulk's thighs transplanted to you to really get that thing moving, but it's still a fun idea.


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ISACA sets the pace in industry-leading training, knowledge and resources. Our portfolio encompasses the most in-demand IT Assurance, Security, Governance and Risk topics.
ISACA training week courses are delivered by world-renowned practitioners and combine group discussion, case studies and best practices to enhance your knowledge and skills. Each feature four full 8-hour days of expert, relevant and impactful education.
ISACA Training Week fits your unique needs. Let us help you find the right solutions, drive results and create personalized learning experiences for you and your enterprise.
Looking for web-based training options? Check out ISACA's Virtual Instructor-Led Training
Please tap on an individual location for information about that event.


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Forms & Publications
|Student Assistant Forms
Student Assistant New Hire Forms
Your original social security card must be presented at the time you complete the Employee Action Request form with Human Resources.
|Payroll Forms
|Miscellaneous Pay
Completed by department to report overtime, shift differential, docks, and other special pay for salaried employees. Requires approval from department head and vice president (or designee).
Miscellaneous Pay form - Instructions
|Payroll Document Authorization
Completed by department to authorize employee to certify reported attendance of faculty and staff.
Payroll Document Authorization form
|Vacation Carry Forward Request Form
Form to be completed to request Vacation Carry Forward.
Vacation Carry Forward Request Form
|Form I-9
Employment Eligibility Verification (Rev. 07/17/17).
Form I-9
|Form STD 243
Designation of Person(s) Authorized to Receive Warrants (Rev. 08/2011).
Form STD 243
|Absence Management Forms
|Absence Management 634 Form
The Monthly Attendance Summary (Form 634) has been revised to meet the current needs of the campus since implementing Absence Management. The form should now be used when submitting corrections that cannot be input into Absence Management or to submit a scheduled change.
Absence Management 634 form
|Report of Overtime or Holiday to be Credited as Future Leave Form
This form is used to report overtime or holiday to be credited as future leave.
Report of Overtime or Holiday to be Credited as Future Leave form
|Report of Employee Schedule Changes
This form is used to report a change in an employee's schedule on an ongoing basis.
Report of Employee Schedule Changes form
|Absence Management Training Tools
These tools can be used for different activities within Absence Management
Proxy Instructions
Instructions for Running the Projected Vacation Forfeitures Report
|Self-Service Forms
|Deferral of Separation Pay
Completed by employee who have either a tax shelter account or a Deferred Compensation account to transfer pay from one calendar year to the next for year-end tax reporting.
Deferral of Separation Pay form - Instructions Link
|Direct Deposit Enrollment
Completed by employee to authorize the State Controller's Office to enroll, change, or cancel direct deposit of employee's pay.
Direct Deposit Enrollment Authorization
|Duplicate Wage and Tax Statement Request
Completed by employee to request a duplicate Wage & Tax Statement from the State Controller's Office. The cost is $8.50. You may only select payment enclosed and must be in the form of a cashier's check or money order.
Form STD. 436 Duplicate W-2 Link
|Employee Action Request
Completed by employee to change: withholding allowances, address (home and/or mailing), name, and to correct birth dates.
Employee Action Request form
|Employee Separation
A must for all employees separating from university ... All employees must return all State property checked out while employed. Clearances must be completed by the last day on campus in order for Payroll Services to complete the transaction necessary to issue final pay.
Employee Separation - Go to Human Resources
|PST Retirement Refund Request
This is for employees covered by PST Retirement. Any changes to an employee's PST account must be requested directly from Savings Plus Program (SPP) administers. For more information, review the Fact Sheet.
Fact Sheet for PST Retirement
|Request for Nondisclosure of Employee Address
This form is used to request nondisclosure of home address except to specified individuals or organizations under Government Code Sections 6254.3. or to cancel a previous nondisclosure request.
Request for Nondisclosure of Employee Address
|Work Number for Everyone Brochure
Explains the automated verification service available to employees of Fresno State. This service is used for mortgage applications, reference checks, loan applications and apartment leases -- anything you need that requires proof of employment.
Work Number for Everyone Information


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LONDON, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Britain's Oxford BioMedica
said on Wednesday it was closing a mid-stage clinical trial of its cancer vaccine TroVax in U.S. patients with prostate cancer, dealing a further blow to the troubled product.
Shares in the company fell more than 9 percent on the news.
The group had been testing TroVax in men with progressive hormone refractory prostate cancer but it faced an uphill struggle, given the arrival of new products for the disease and other clinical trials targeting the same indication.
As a result, recruitment into the Phase II study was much slower than hoped with just 26 patients recruited to date.
TroVax, once viewed as Oxford Bio's most promising product, suffered a setback four years ago when it failed in a study for kidney cancer. Despite that blow the company has pushed on with tests in other cancer types.
TroVax is also being assessed in British studies as a treatment for colorectal and ovarian cancer, as well as for mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer usually caused by exposure to asbestos.
"Securing a development or financial partner for TroVax's future late-stage development remains a key strategic priority for the company and discussions with interested parties are ongoing," Oxford Bio added in a statement.
(Reporting by Ben Hirschler; Editing by Hans-Juergen Peters)
((email@example.com)(+44 20 7542 5082)(Reuters Messaging: email@example.com))
Keywords: OXFORDBIOMEDICA TROVAX/


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Our Open Jumps are open play time where your child can have the time of their life. Our massive inflatables spark their imaginations to run wild. It's not only fun for the kids, but provides a healthy workout that burns off excess energy and helps keep them fit. It's fun for kids of all ages.
Spend time with your family, meet other families and make new friends in a safe, clean, climate controlled environment.
Reminder – Socks and a signed waiver are always required to play at Pump It Up.
NOTE: This date/event is in the past. Keep browsing.
Date(s) - 04/24/19
3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
$14/kid 2yrs & over; 1 kid under 2 FREE with paying child
Pump It Up 2500 Embarcadero #A Oakland
(510) 533-7867
Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.


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Zin in Bin.
Zin is in the Bin.
Zin is In!
The 2nd of October was a momentous day in the history of #Harvest2012. On this day, the first Zinfandel came in from the Lytton Springs vineyards!
The verdict?
Lytton Springs Winemaker John Olney is a straight-talkin' fella; he doesn't always say much, but what he says always comes right from the hip. When I asked him about the quality/character of the fruit …
"So far the fruit looks and tastes great … Sugar levels are manageable, color abundant, fermentations a bit timid but steady. Overall thumbs up."
For John, that qualifies as prose most purple.
Be excited. Be very excited.
John said one additional thing that merits special attention. After noting that the fruit looks and tastes great, John said:
"All the credit for that goes to the vineyard team."
I wish to join John in acknowledging the extraordinary contributions these amazing individuals so consistently make.
No one works harder …
and no one enacts in more tangible fashion the singularly symbiotic relationship that exists between people and the land …
Blistering heat. Backbreaking work. Impossible timelines, impossible pressure. Yet still, a smile. A big, huge, this-is-the-real-magic smile.
Three cheers for you Will Thomas, and three cheers for the whole vineyard team. What tremendous work you're doing!
Feel it.
Categories: Events, Lytton Springs, RIDGE Staff, Varietals & Blends, Vineyards, Wine Tales, Winemaking, Zinfandel


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The Ultimate On-Water
Shooting Platform
U.S. Camera Boats offers the world's best mobile marine platform to support on-water photography and filming. Our boat is available to be driven or trailered to your desired location. We maintain permitting so we are always ready to roll.
- Ultra stable thirty six foot long Twin Vee catamaran boat is the ultimate fast, dry and reliable ride
- Twelve foot beam offers stability and eliminates "roll" in the hull no matter the shooting layout
- Dedicated jib arm with a 23' reach from center of the boat and can place a camera 30' above water
- An ultra low shooting angle exists through the five foot removable dive door on the port side
- Multiple towers, jib arm and configurations travel with the truck on request
- State-of-the art four place David Clark marine intercom system provides the ultimate in communication to all areas of the boat
America's Cup Posted Aug. 12 2013
Captain Robert Brown and US Camera boats have been selected as one of only two camera boats to support live TV broadcasts for the America's Cup.
This photo is from a very recent shoot for Nautical Film Services at Long Beach for the hit series DEXTER. Posted Aug. 24 2012
The past two years all sorts of jib arms have been rolling on an off the boat with amazing success. US Camera Boats was the main film platform for all the giant wave surfing and paddling scenes for the feature film named "Chasing Mavericks". We worked in the middle of the night at Steamers Lane at Santa Cruz and in the middle of the Winter in some of the largest waves ever filmed at Mavericks at Half Moon Bay, CA. Working under all of the best Marine Coordinators has been an incredible experience. Other recent shoots include a GE commercial for the Olympics, Jet Ski Watercraft still photo brochure shoot and commercial, a whale documentary, Tall Ships Festival at Dana Point, Battle Of The Paddle Stand Up Paddle racing for a live TV broadcast and more. Our new purpose built jib arm is working amazing and with the EZFX 25 remote head things are going big.


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Non-technical question here, sort of. I'm planning on selling my old MacBook Pro on Craigslist. It's in great physical condition, with the exception of the battery, which is nonfunctional. It's never been replaced, but after use and age it can no longer hold a charge.
Should I replace the battery before listing the laptop? That is to say, would the cost of cutting the price to list it "without battery" be greater than the cost to buy a new one? (Not to mention then I have to decide between a $20 hit-or-miss generic replacement or a $120 legit Apple battery.)


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Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who served under George W. Bush, delivered a speech about life in a post Sept. 11 world to an auditorium of students at Metro State College of Denver this morning.
Gonzales' tenure was marred with controversy surrounding the abrupt firings of U.S. Attorneys, torture interrogation tactics for terrorists and domestic eavesdropping.
At one point in the speech a protestor shouted, "You're a war criminal, you should go to prison."


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Admission that flyers can film checkpoints reappears on TSA website
Steve Watson
Oct 4, 2012
Earlier this week, the TSA removed from it's website all references to the right to film and photograph at checkpoints, just hours after it was announced that a national campaign was underway to encourage Americans to opt out and film TSA procedures.
Following a backlash from supporters of the campaign, scheduled to take full effect around Thanksgiving week in November, the approval to film section has now reappeared on the federal agency's website.
In a page revision noted to have taken place on October 3rd, the section regarding photography has been re-added to the newly designed TSA website. It reads:
TSA does not prohibit the public, passengers or press from photographing, videotaping or filming at security checkpoints, as long as the screening process is not interfered with or slowed down. We do ask you to not film or take pictures of the monitors. While the TSA does not prohibit photographs at screening locations, local laws, state statutes, or local ordinances might.
Taking photographs may also prompt airport police or a TSA official to ask what your purpose is. It is recommended that you contact the TSA Contact Center to contact the Customer Support Manager at the airport to determine its specific policy. Or, if you are a member of the press, you should contact the TSA Office of Public Affairs.
As we reported earlier in the week, when attempting to visit the old URL for photography guidelines, cached here, visitors to the TSA website were met with a 404 page.
On it's blog, the TSA claims that the disappearance of the photography approval page was only temporary and was due to the agency's website redesign.
"…it has been perceived that we rescinded our photo policy. Our photo policy has not changed and is located here as well as on our blog" Blogger Bob Burns notes.
It is, of course, at your own discretion whether or not you believe the TSA.
Although the TSA has contradicted its own policy by placing signs at checkpoints ordering people not to film, as well as attempting to intimidate and even accuse people of being terrorists for doing so, filming federal employees or police is not illegal in the United States, as a First Court of Appeals ruling confirmed last year.
Special Comment From Alex Jones
There is an organized move on behalf of governments and corporations to bully the First Amendment out of existence.
This is why Infowars is pioneering a new civil rights movement that is not based around race, sex or any other minority issue. The fact that our rights are being violated and characterized as suspicious and terroristic threatens the freedom of every individual, no matter from what what race, gender or creed they originate.
We are being systematically intimidated out of expressing our right to free speech as part of the advancement towards a new dark age of tyranny.
We are calling on like-minded people to join us in the Opt Out and Film campaign, with the understanding that you will in all likelihood face official oppression for doing so.
The TSA is a federal agency stuffed full of liars, thieves and petty tyrants who like to harass and terrorize innocent Americans who refuse to comply with degrading treatment and who refuse to partake in obedience training.
The risk of being harassed or even arrested for legally exercising your First Amendment right is significant. However, the risk of not exercising this right is far greater. The risk of not exposing tyranny and allowing it to breed is unthinkable.
Use it or lose it. The First Amendment is under attack across the board and unless we re-assert our right to speak up when our basic human dignity is being eviscerated by uniformed goons on a daily basis, not only at airports but also subways, highways, political events, music concerts and even high school prom nights, we can kiss our liberty goodbye.
Steve Watson is the London based writer and editor for Alex Jones' Infowars.com, and Prisonplanet.com. He has a Masters Degree in International Relations from the School of Politics at The University of Nottingham in England.
This article was posted: Thursday, October 4, 2012 at 8:48 am


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COLUMBUS: The state is appealing a court ruling that says Ohio�s state insurance fund for injured workers set up an illegal rating system that resulted in employers being overcharged nearly $860 million over several years.
The unanimous decision by the 8th Ohio District Court of Appeals in May affects about 270,000 mostly small-business owners who were allegedly charged unfair premiums from July 2001 to June 2009.
The Bureau of Workers� Compensation announced Friday it is appealing to the Ohio Supreme Court, saying it looks forward to presenting its case.
The appeals court returned the case to a Cleveland judge to recalculate the exact amount owed employers, a process that can run parallel to the Supreme Court appeal.


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Cottage industries—businesses that can be started by individuals in their homes—present major lending opportunities for credit unions.
Many of these "homepreneurs" may already be credit union members, and they may lack access to another financial institution for credit to expand their business.
These small business owners may seek out the low rates and personalized services that credit unions can offer, giving credit unions a competitive advantage over other providers in this market.
Homepreneurs are likely to offer a service rather than manufacture a product. They typically provide services locally that are impossible to replicate by remote service providers or low-wage foreign firms.
10-Year Annualized Revenue Growth (2007 to 2017)
|Psychologists, social workers, and marriage counselors
|Alternative healthcare providers
|Online pet food and pet supply sales
|Personal waxing and nail salons
|Psychic services
|Party and event planners
|Maids, nannies, and gardeners
|Performers and creative artists
In particular, growth and consolidation among personal care, household, and entertainment service providers may harbor the most alluring opportunities for credit unions during the next five years, according to analysis from industry research firm IBISWorld [ibisworld.com].
To isolate industries that average about one employee per enterprise, IBISWorld recently queried its database of more than 1,000 industries. This table shows a revenue forecast for cottage industries projected to grow most quickly during a 10-year period.
These cottage industries present unique lending opportunities for credit unions, as growing businesses are likely to seek out loans to invest in their operations to foster even faster growth or higher returns.
1. Psychologists, social workers and marriage counselors
Two-thirds of American adults and one-third of children who need mental health treatment do not receive it, according to the National Mental Health Association.
A reform-mandated increase in insurance coverage for psychological services is expected to help psychologists address this unmet need and open or expand such businesses.
Private practices can be lucrative for individual operators, so healthcare changes will provide an incentive for new businesses. Smaller operators without institutional financial backing will be most likely to seek out loans during the next five years.
2. Alternative healthcare providers
Healthcare reform prohibits health insurance companies from discriminating against licensed alternative healthcare providers, so these businesses should benefit as more people enjoy coverage for services. Alternative health care providers include meditation, yoga, and massage therapists.
Billing and coding for insurance payments is time-consuming and costly for small alternative providers. Expect industry consolidation, as larger operations are better able to properly perform these functions.
The number of industry operators is projected to decline approximately 4% per year on average during the five years leading to 2017. Consolidating firms may seek out small business loans, and their operating profits will likely benefit from post-merger synergies.
NEXT: Personal waxing and nail salons


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Central Voice – Central to your life.
State Rep. Brian Sims, D-Phila., persuaded his Republican colleagues yesterday (April 22, 2013) to approve an amendment that would eliminate a provision in a proposed tax law that discriminated against LGBT Pennsylvanians. The provision would have prevented domestic partners from equally participating in the Pennsylvania Property Tax/Rent Rebate program in the same way that other, heterosexual family members would have been able to. In a last minute compromise that followed weeks of thwarted attempts to include "domestic partners" in the legislation, the House adopted Sims' compromise amendment in a virtually unanimous vote in yesterday's session.
House Bill 468, originally crafted to create a class of family members that could apply for a tax rebate on behalf of a deceased relative, would not have recognized the hundreds of thousands of same sex couples in Pennsylvania who would have otherwise qualified in the event of the death of their loved one. The compromise language now allows any executor or administrator of a will to apply for the rebate on behalf of the deceased partner's estate; applying equally to thousands of Pennsylvanians who choose not to be married or are legally forbidden from doing so. The overall bill (H.B. 468) could receive final House approval as soon as today.
Sims had previously attempted to offer an amendment to H.B. 468 that would specifically enumerate "domestic partners" among those able to file a Pennsylvania Property Tax/Rent Rebate application on behalf of their deceased partner. After Speaker Sam Smith, R-Jefferson, scheduled the bill for a vote several times, only to pull it each time Sims offered his amendment, Sims was approached by Republican leadership to broker a deal. In the end, the Republican maker of the bill, State Rep. Jim Cox, R-Berks, agreed to alter the language and avoid discriminating against those in domestic partnerships.
"Supporting legislation which includes "domestic partners" isn't going to create more gay people, and it won't even create more gay relationships, they already exist," said Sims. "What we have here is an issue of simple fairness and I'm very pleased that virtually all of my colleagues recognized that purposefully excluding "domestic partners" in this bill would have forced countless Pennsylvanians to lose their homes right after losing their loved ones."
Sims indicated that he is already looking for other legislation in which to finally define "domestic partners" under Pennsylvania law but was satisfied that the new, more inclusive language that was finally agreed upon treated the Commonwealth's domestic partners no differently than their heterosexual, married counterparts.
Census information made available in 2010 shows that an estimated 283,000 unmarried couples live together in Pennsylvania. Notably, the lone dissention in the near-unanimous vote came from Tea Party and Right-Wing poster boy Daryl Metcalfe, R-Butler, who after first voting for the Sims Amendment, then changed his "yes" vote to a "no" at the end of session.


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Gclub Online Betting - Why to Select Playing Online
مرسل: 15 نوفمبر 2017
Why to Select Playing Online With GCLUB จีคลับ Casino
If you look ten years back from now, you would probably recognize how difficult it was to manage some time from your busy schedule to get into a casino in order to enjoy your games. Time has changed and now you can essentially enjoy the same excitement and thrill of casinos right from your home with computer or mobile.GCLUB จีคลับ Casino online betting has come as a great boom eliminating the hassles and making it easier for people to reach out their preferred casino playoffs from anywhere and everywhere.
The most important thing is that online casino will let you play free, in a land-based casino you can't enter and play practice games before you start betting any real money, but at GCLUB จีคลับ online casino. No problem! Play as many free games as you want. Try new games that you are not sure about. Practice your game strategy. Play until you feel comfortable with the game and confident that you understand all the rules and secure with your strategy. In an GCLUB จีคลับ online casino, you can play all the games for free, for as long as you want. Then, you can gamble real money only when you decide that you want to. GCLUB


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Hi all,
I was hoping I could ask if someone has ever created a F.Hot folder on an FTP. The reason I ask is because we have an assortment of F.Hot folders built for different jobs and would like to essentially plum our W2P products into these folders. The workflow I have in mind would be something like described below;
Customer Order > PDF Generated > Notification Received from W2P Sys. > File Downloaded Automatically to FTP F.Hot Folder. > F.Hot Folder applies Impo and Properties > Process & Hold for operator.
This has probably been done before but being fairly new to F.Hot Folders leaves me needing to ask the question. If anyone can assist me with this I would very grateful.


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By now, the search committee should have a sense that each of the interviewees has the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do the job. However, there still a need for information in some areas. The on-campus visit allows the campus community to get a feel for the candidate/institution "chemistry," the candidates' personal traits, and in short, whether the candidate will be effective in the institution. The candidates also may have questions on a range of topics. Campus visits promote the goals of both the candidates and the institution.
All visits across the campus, as well as meal visits, are considered an extension of the interview process. A committee member should accompany the applicant to each meeting to ensure that discriminatory questions are not posed to the interviewee. If an inappropriate question is directed to the interviewee, it is the responsibility of the committee member to inform the applicant that the question(s) should not be answered.
Schedules should be planned to get the best use of time. A committee member or other staff on hand for transitions between appointments, to provide for introductions, to help guide the candidate around campus, and to answer questions. Attempt to schedule all appointments in the administration building consecutively. Experience on this campus suggests that it is better if the candidate can be scheduled to meet with the vice president late in the day. This allows the candidate time to get a feel for the culture of the campus, and to formulate questions best asked of the vice president.
It will be necessary to secure an Authorization of Release of Informationform from finalists, if it has not been done previously. It is typically done prior to a campus visit. One can secure it at the time of the finalist's campus visit, if it occurs prior to the committee conducting reference checks.
Human Resources Black Hills State University 1200 University Street Unit #9568 Spearfish, SD 57799-9502 605.642.6877 firstname.lastname@example.com


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Welcome to AECWeekly!
AECWeekly is a news magazine featuring important industry news profiles, a summary of recently published AEC product and company news, customer wins, and coming events. Brought to you by AECCafe.
AECWeekly examines select top news each week, picks out worthwhile reading from around the web, and special interest items you might not find elsewhere. This issue will feature Industry News, Top News of the Week, Alliances, Agreements, Acquisitions, Announcements, People, New Products, Around the Web and Upcoming Events.
AECWeekly welcomes letters and feedback from readers, so let us know what you think.
Please send me your comments
Best wishes,
Susan Smith, Managing Editor
Industry News
Serving Up Collaboration with Graphisoft's BIM Server
By Susan Smith
A new approach to managing workflow and collaboration issues with building information models (BIM) can be found in Graphisoft's ArchiCAD 13 with Delta Server Technology. ArchiCAD really addresses productivity and collaboration in this release, with the advent of their BIM Server. Secondly, the release offers 64-bit support for Windows, which may now be a de facto standard among CAD software releases in support of memory-intensive BIM files.
|[ Click to Enlarge ]
BIM design workflow has created a more complex work setting, since it's necessary to break up the central model in order to collaborate on it. Current team work sharing offerings are file based which means client computers do data exchange and synchronization that can be neither fast nor flexible.
With the introduction of BIM, teams had the benefit of coordination, but flexibility still presented a problem because the centralized files were so big. In recent years, the expectation that users will be online all the time has furthered the complications, because project members expect information immediately.
According to Akos Pfemeter, Graphisoft director of global marketing, data exchange can be changed from file-based to element-based, which allows users to exchange one wall, fill, line or slab. Client managed workflows need to be changed to a server managed workflow, "which makes it possible for synchronization to be simultaneous." With the BIM Model Server based collaboration environment from Graphisoft, teams can have on-demand access rights management and project access to avoid bottlenecks and workflow management issues.
"Only the changed elements go up and down from client to server, this update is going simultaneously so there is no queuing for synchronization and everyone can work at the same time and be connected at all times," said Pfemeter.
With this product, network traffic size is greatly reduced, thereby allowing users to join teamwork projects from the internet. They can participate from any computer which is connected to the internet without delay. Also they can participate from remote devices by wireless, which is good for being able to check on project status from a building site.
For team members, the ability to allow more people to access the BIM database at the same time increases coordination and flexibility in the workflow, increasing productivity.
What's in the BIM Server:
The Graphisoft BIM Server is a database management system similar to other database systems which can be put on any computer. This includes a BIM project management application that allows all the BIM managers and CAD managers to manage all the projects in the BIM Server. The BIM Server can contain many projects, and an organization can store all their projects on it, plus run multiple BIM Servers simultaneously. It's also possible to join different clients to different BIM Servers.
|[ Click to Enlarge ]
In the demo, Pfemeter had two copies of ArchiCAD running which are both connected to the same BIM Server. In this view the test user can see elements that are reserved by the other user and what is the test user's own elements indicated by highlighted colors (see image 1).
If there is an overlap in workspaces or if the test user needs just one element, that user can reserve the element, or if it belongs to the other user, then the test user can implement what is called the "element regress and grant communication system." A teamwork control panel has a messaging system so the test user can send messages to mates or can send requests and can highlight an element – "it's a small chat app that comes up and I can say, please give that all to me.," explained Pfemeter. "It will indicate whether something is mine or not, shows green when it is mine and is editable." The system is both 2D and 3D.
This same system can be used to assign tasks to other team members.
With attributes such as layers, fills, wall types, etc., the user can go into the layer setting dialog and see an indicator that shows the layer attributes that are free for reservation. If the user wants to reserve it, it will change to green and indicate that it is editable.
|[ Click to Enlarge ]
This new layer goes into the BIM Server and everyone on the team can have access to that layer. This whole project manipulation is very much the same whether reserving and releasing elements. "Previously in ArchiCAD, if one needed to change the high level project setting, then all the team members had to get out of the project so that an exclusive access could be provided to the project administrator or the project manager. Now there is no need for anything like that, the team can continue working while the user manipulates these project level settings."
Server Management
The Server application is standalone and has access to the BIM Server. It can manipulate all the projects and users on that server. Settings can be created for user roles, libraries and custom properties. There are four roles for users: lead architect, architect, draftsman and viewer roles. These users can be customized to the utmost detail, according to Pfemeter.
There are no waiting times as everything happens online in a matter of seconds. The entire project can be duplicated in seconds, changes can be sent quickly and users can be online all the time.
Adaptable for Different Sized Firms
Small, medium and large firms can all benefit from the BIM Server. Small, one-architect firms will be able to use remote access to link to large projects. Small to medium-sized firms of 10-25 people have teams that are created and changed dynamically and three or four projects running at same time. The BIM Server makes it easy to assign new members to projects with its one-click project start – if the Server is up and running.
Large firms have strict rules, workflows and procedures that benefit from dynamic and flexible access to a project. Also they can create strict, controlled workflows from different teams and have support from the software to set up their specific requirements. The project management and server side control over users, project and roles and remote access for firms with multiple locations are also pluses.
The BIM Server has a safety feature for data built in to prevent a client side error spreading through the entire network. "There is an active BIM Server component that checks the data and if there is any corruption it simply does not allow it in to the central project database," explained Pfemeter. "The entire office project environment is safer than previously."


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Leave everything to the professionals when you attend games at Levi's Stadium, the new home of the 49ers, this fall.
And that means everything -- including playing football.
The list of banned activities at Levi's Stadium -- the San Francisco 49ers' new $1.3 billion South Bay palace -- would include sights and sounds familiar to those used to Candlestick Park.
The Santa Clara Police Department proposed the rules, which were tentatively approved by city council members Tuesday night.
The city will now seek public input on the proposal before making a final decision on whether to adopt the set of rules for the new stadium.
Among the highlights:
Limiting tailgating: no beer kegs, loud music, and playing sports (games of catch) in the parking lot.
In fact, throwing a football would be be banned both inside and outside the stadium, according to the rules. As would bringing in animals "except guide dogs" (for some reason, Santa Clara PD have taken it upon themselves to ban "birds, fish" and "reptiles").
The rules also prohibits a person from buying a ticket to reenter the stadium after having been kicked out. There will also be no selling of anything in the parking lots without a permit, no seeking employment and no panhandling.
Inside the stadium, take care not to sit in someone else's seat, not to bring in alcohol, and to not use any kind of "noise-making device" that's not approved by the stadium crew.


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Press Release 12-182 Babies Are Born Scientists
New research methods reveal that babies and young children learn by rationally testing hypotheses, analyzing statistics and doing experiments much as scientists do
Encouraging play and asking for explanations prompts scientific thinking in young children.
September 27, 2012
View videos featuring a webcast with Alison Gopnik of UC Berkeley, UC Berkeley research, Cristine LeGare's experiment with a future scientist, and Laura Schultz's studies on children's play.
Very young children's learning and thinking is strikingly similar to much learning and thinking in science, according to Alison Gopnik, professor of psychology and affiliate professor of philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley. Gopnik's findings are described in the Sept 28 issue of the journal Science. She spoke about her work in a video briefing with NSF.
New research methods and mathematical models provide a more precise and formal way to characterize children's learning mechanisms than in the past. Gopnik and her colleagues found that young children, in their play and interactions with their surroundings, learn from statistics, experiments and from the actions of others in much the same way that scientists do.
"The way we determine how they're learning is that we give them, say, a pattern of data, a pattern of probabilities or statistics about the world and then we see what they do," said Gopnik.
For example, in a series of experiments Gopnik and her colleagues used machines with the ability to light up and play music and asked young children to make them go.
"We found that like scientists, they tested hypotheses about the machines and determined which one was more likely," said Gopnik.
But before we rush to put toddlers on an earlier academic track, Gopnik's research shows that encouraging play, presenting anomalies and asking for explanations prompts scientific thinking more effectively than direct instruction.
"Everyday playing is a kind of experimentation--it's a way of experimenting with the world, getting data the way that scientists do and then using that data to draw new conclusions," said Gopnik. "What we need to do to encourage these children to learn is not to put them in the equivalent of school, tell them things, or give them reading drills or flash cards or so forth. What we need to do is put them in a safe, rich environment where these natural capacities for exploration, for testing, for science, can get free rein."
Gopnik's research was supported by NSF through the Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences directorate. In her paper Gopnik described the work of Laura Schulz of MIT, also supported by NSF through the Education and Human Resources directorate. Schulz's studies show that children's play involves a kind of intuitive experimentation where they examine things and events to discover cause and effect underlying them. A video showing some of her experiments is attached. It was part of a paper she published in Science last year, 16-Month-Olds Rationally Infer Causes of Failed Actions.
More details about Gopnik's work are available in a TED talk she gave last year.
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The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year (FY) 2014, its budget is $7.2 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and other institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 50,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes about 11,500 new funding awards. NSF also awards about $593 million in professional and service contracts yearly.
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View Video
Alison Gopnik of UC Berkeley spoke with NSF about her research on young children's early learning.Credit and Larger Version
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At UC Berkeley, researchers studied the interactions of young children with their surroundings.Credit and Larger Version
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A young child shows potential as a future scientist.Credit and Larger Version
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Laura Schulz's studies show how children's play examines the cause and effect behind events.Credit and Larger Version
The researchers' work is described in the September 28, 2012 issue of the journal Science.Credit and Larger Version


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That's my bus! I'm out!
A rare winter storm named Alexa blew through the Middle East recently, covering areas such as Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt with snow. Cities such as Cairo were caught by quite a surprise by all the flurrying white stuff, considering they hadn't seen snow in over 112 years!
As many as 200,000 Egyptians assembled in Cairo's Tahrir Square and other major cities across the country to protest against Islamist President Mohamed Morsi's self-issued edict that grants him sweeping powers, including what his critics say is immunity of his office and his Muslim Brotherhood-controlled assembly from judicial oversight. Since President Morsi's declaration of the decree last Thursday, a 15-year-old member of the Muslim Brotherhood has been killed, more than 500 people injured and a dozen of his supporters' offices ransacked or set ablaze.
Photo Credit: Jonathan Rashad via Flickr


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Reporters on the Confirmation Process
Last night at the Library of Congress, C-SPAN held a panel on its new book about the Supreme Court in its own words based on the televised interview series that first aired this past October.
Here's an excerpt of the panelists discussing the sustained woefulness of our confirmation process:
Vodpod videos no longer available.
One Response
The old timer on that panel for some reason let out that he thought Bush v. Gore was rightly decided. It was a gratuitous comment, in no way compelled by the question posed.


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How to build an accessible home
Accessible home design
The best way to accomodate special needs is by building a custom home with everything just the way you want it. You won't find many accessible or ADA floor plans in online floor plan catalogs or search directories, so choose a builder with a design team that can create what you need, based on your priorities. A builder with experience in accessible home design can find offer many possibilities, with built-in features that make everything easier.
Here is how a custom home builder modified a popular one story floor plan to create two distinctly different wheelchair accessible homes.
The Elway, a plan by Frank Betz, was modified by Stanton Homes with these two resulting accessible home designs.
Pictured are the original plan and rendering, copyright Frank Betz:
This original version of the Elway is not an accessible floor plan.
An experienced builder can take plans like this and convert them into homes you can live in comfortably - without maneuverability or usability restrictions.
Take a look at how Stanton Homes can customize your floor plan to create an accessible home with everything just the way you want it, as reflected in the changes, below:
How to build an accessible home: floor plan design modification #1
The Elsworth - accessible custom home with second story bonus room
Stanton Homes can modify your favorite floor plan into an accessible home, starting with these five central modifications:
1. Redesign kitchen and bathroom to add accessible features including roll-under sinks
2. Widen hallways
3. Enlarge bathrooms and laundry room to allow a full turn radius
4. Enlarge garage for ease of access
5. Add optional egress door off the master suite
How to build an accessible home: floor plan design modification #2
The Paige - accessible custom home with basement
Also based on the Elway plan by Frank Betz, this version of the Paige includes two modifications in addtion to the changes made for the Elsworth:
1. The master suite was moved to the front of the home. An egress door was added for ease of access.
2. The homeowner's lot supported a basement below.
Why is it hard to find accessible floor plans?
One of the reasons it is so difficult to find plans for accessible homes is that needs vary so widely. Think about all the things you need and make sure your builder can include them. You don't have to settle for merely having wider hallways when you're building a custom home.
You can also specify which parts of your home you'd like to have accessible. Every bathroom, or just a certain section of the home? Lower kitchen cupboards? Easy to use door handles? A top builder will offer design services that look at every single detail of your new home.
Your custom home builder will work with you to meet your exact needs, and make suggestions according to your budget.
The first thing Stanton Homes builds into your accessible home is your lifestyle. Let's talk about it. What would make everything easier? From zero threshold showers to wider hallways, first floor living, an elevator, universal design, and easy access driveway and beyond - we'll help you create an environment you'll love to live in.


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HOUSTON — Three years after the Deepwater Horizon disaster, BP has built up its largest fleet ever in the Gulf of Mexico, adding two drilling rigs in recent weeks to its U.S. offshore operations, the company said Tuesday.
The two rigs boosted BP's Gulf fleet to nine, following two others added in late 2012. BP contracted Seadrill's new ultradeep-water drillship, the West Auriga, which is working in BP's Thunder Horse field. The second facility is BP's Mad Dog platform, which was damaged when Hurricane Ike swept through the Gulf in 2008. It has been repaired and has restarted operations in the Mad Dog field.
It's another sign the skies are clearing over the Gulf, where BP's blown out Macondo well spilled millions of barrels of oil into the ocean and the federal government instituted a three-month drilling moratorium on some deep-water operations in 2010.
The two new rigs reflect "the vital importance of the deep-water Gulf of Mexico to the future of BP," Richard Morrison, the company's regional president for the Gulf, said in a written statement.
Every year for the next decade, the British oil giant plans to spend about $4 billion on its deep-water fields in the Gulf. And it's working to ramp up operations in several fields including the Atlantis North and the Na Kika, the company said.
As international oil giants dip back into the Gulf, the region's daily production could rise by 180,000 barrels to 1.55 million barrels next year. And in three years, the Gulf could beat its 2009 peak production of 1.8 million barrels per day, according to research firm Wood Mackenzie.


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Healthcare Certification: Why it Matters
In today's competitive business environment, individuals and companies are looking for a clear advantage. Professional certification can be that advantage. Certification can help:
MDHBA's professional certification programs are designed to help both individuals and companies. The Certified Professional Business Executive (CPBE) recognizes an individual's achievements and success in senior/executive level management. Those who complete the Certified Healthcare Collector (CHC) certification are supporting their own professional development, while enhancing the level of service being provided by their employer agencies. MDHBA's Certified Patient Account Specialist (CPAS) program provides education and recognition for agency clients who work with patient balance accounts.
Select the appropriate link below to learn more about MDHBA's agency, collector, patient account and professional certifications.


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My husband and I have the rule that one of us cooks and the other one cleans up afterward. We also divide up bedtime responsibilities with our 3 year old daughter. One of us gives her a bath and the other one gets her pajamas on and reads her a bedtime story. As far as the rest of the house work...I end up doing most everything else and my husband helps with the laundry. He does do all of the lawn care and fixing of the cars. We are still a work in progress though... :)
How do you divide household responsibilities?
Everyone's working, caring for the children, running around trying to get things done, and you're noticing that there maybe some uneven distribution of household chores and other tasks. How can you ensure that everything is fair, so that you both have time to recuperate?
I was a stay at home Mom till my daughter started pre-school and from then on I told my kids to fold their clothes and put them away..never the best way but it was a start and asked hubby to help around with the vacuuming and cleaning while I tackled the kitchen and and laundry..I gave up trying to keep house during the week..cook for the week on a Sunday and pack away everything in the refrigerator and do laundry once a week and cleaning only on Saturdays..less stressful when you know you don't have to clean everyday..bottom line is you do what works for you..
As a stay-at-home mom I have come to realize that there will never be an equal division of labor. I will always work 14 hour days and weekends, never get a pay check or a sick day. FIghting this idea for 5 years has only led to frustration and angst, so I just accept it as the truth and roll with it. Excuse me I have to go scrub the toilet and as I am my husband will be asking me to scratch his back. Pfffft!
Shortly after my husband and I got married, I understood that I was taking on all of the responsibilities myself. I decided to write all of the chores down and then presented the list to my spouse. We proceeded to sign our name next to each item on the list and keep that in a drawer. It's difficult to argue when something's in writing and has signatures on it :)
I don't know what's worse, staying at home and cleaning up all day, or coming home from the office, only to deal with it all (house and kids and pooling kids to extra-curriculars) "after hours". Having done each, I think it is wise to discuss the uneven distribution with the children, to have them pitch in any way they can (folding laundry, picking up after themselves, or even helping prepare dinner - cutting veggies, etc.). Sharing the tasks just makes it more pleasant. Getting a good afternoon nap during my 2.5 yr old's nap time is always a charm!
As a single woman, and with only Serafina who isn't due until January, I do everything. When i was married I still had to do everything, even when he was off work and I wasn't.
it is really hard to devide the households with your husban because as we all know husbands dont like houseworks.I and my husband both work,I work 8 hours a day and he works more because he has a private bussines.And this means I am staying with my doughter more than him.He is very practical in the house.I do the washing up ,clean the bathroom and cook.While he irons his clothes,takes care of my daughter while I am cooking.At weekends he sometimes cooks.We bath our daughter together,change wipes together.He usually do these in the evening.Or he takes her to his office when our daughter has noone to take care off,when her grandma is leaving town.These may not be great things for a man to do but he helps me a lot
Ask your husband to take over cooking, dish washing, vacuming the house and you take over the children's education, disciplining the children like guiding them o keep things back in the intended slot, not wasting resources like taking bath for a longer period or allowing the air conditioners to run unnecessarily even after everyone has woken up.
Join Circle of Moms
Sign up for Circle of Moms and be a part of this community! Membership is just one click away.Join Circle of Moms


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Law Offices of Robert D. Schwartz
location on Google Maps.
in new tab.
on social media.
In 1996, Robert D. Schwartz established his law firm with the goal of assisting clients with their estate planning needs. Through Robert's hard work and dedication to his clients, the Law Offices of Robert D. Schwartz has grown to include several office locations and has been joined by two additional attorneys. The firm is now able to represent clients in many different practice areas. The attorneys at the firm strive to provide quality legal representation, which is apparent through the firm's policy that client communication is of the utmost importance. In order to allow clients to meet the attorneys and to ask questions before any fees are charged, the attorneys in the firm always provide a free initial consultation. Thank you for visiting our website. If you have any questions, comments or legal issues that you would like to discuss, please do not hesitate to contact us.


text: Loading Content... Share a Link to this Message The link has been copied to your clipboard; paste it anywhere you would like to share it. Close - Browse Series - ------------- View Series Archives View All Messages ------------- Jesus and the Resurrection of Israel One, Holy, Catholic & Apostolic: The Four Marks of the Church Missio Dei Practicing God's Presence Servanthood Common Rule (Matthew 16-18) Grace Under Pressure (1 & 2 Kings) The Psalms Blessed Words (Scripture) Christmas Eve From Generation to Degeneration Freedom Sunday Love, Sex, and Relationships 2 Timothy Sermon on the Mount Christ the King Ruth Acts New Just Virtues The Politics of the Messiah Isaiah Ephesians For the Life of the World Resurrection Sunday The Gospel According to Exodus Life in the Spirit Jonah Pentecost Questioning Christianity Ash Wednesday Mark Lessons and Carols Why is Jesus Good News? To the Ends of the Earth: The Gospel of the Old Testament Prayer and the Psalms Love and Relationships Pray & Don't Lose Heart Matthew The Ruler We Long For (2 Samuel) Lessons from Ecclesiastes Living the Resurrection I Am John 1 Samuel LiveWise Prayer The Holy Spirit in John Colossians Renewal Luke Genesis Advent Guest Speaker Christian Maturity The Resurrection Significance of the Resurrection Easter Good Friday Maundy Thursday Retreat 1 Corinthians - Browse Speakers - Matthew Anderson Jeff Bailey Bishop Thad Barnum Archbishop Foley Beach Jim Belcher Mark Booker Bishop Steve Breedlove Dan Claire Elise Claire Chuck Colson Aaron Damiani Eric Dolce Andrew Evans Abraham George Bishop Terrell Glenn Art Going Scott Hafemann Tommy Hinson Christian Hofreiter Shawn Honey Jason Hood Irwyn Ince Blake Johnson Peter Kuzmic Miguel Lau Peter Leithart Tremper Longman Bryan Loritts Sulmane Maigadi Matthew Mason Bishop Laurent Mbanda Stuart McAlpine David Mensah Sam Mugisha Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali Frog Orr-Ewing Bo Parker Christen Price Scott Redd Vaughan Roberts Bishop John Rucyahana Mark Rudolph Amy Sherman Aubrey Spears Scott Swain Jay Traylor Bryan Wandel Matt Wilcoxen - Browse Books - Genesis Exodus Leviticus Deuteronomy Joshua Judges Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings Nehemiah Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Amos Jonah Zechariah Matthew Mark Luke John Acts Romans 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians 1 Thessalonians 1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus James 1 Peter 2 Peter 1 John Revelation Dan Claire - 2019-11-03 From Rubble to Renewal Explore This past Sunday, we concluded our series on 2 Kings, entitled Jesus and the End of Israel, looking at Israel's journey from rubble to renewal. Scripture references: 2 Kings 22:8-11, 23:1-14; Psalm 118:19-24; Hebrews 4:6-16; Matthew 7:21-29 More Messages from Dan Claire | Download Audio Facebook Tweet Link Share Link Send Email More Messages The Spirit of Hope Matt Wilcoxen 2019-12-01 Explore The Gifts of the Holy Spirit Jeff Bailey 2019-11-24 Explore The Spirit of Freedom Matt Wilcoxen 2019-11-17 Explore The Spirit of Participation Matt Wilcoxen 2019-11-10 Explore From Rubble to Renewal Dan Claire 2019-11-03 Explore Making sense of Old Testament Genocide Christian Hofreiter 2019-10-29 Explore Identity Politics Christian Hofreiter 2019-10-27 Explore From Looted to Living Stones Sulmane Maigadi 2019-10-27 Explore From Famine to Feast Dan Claire 2019-10-20 Explore From Blindness to Sight Dan Claire 2019-10-13 Explore Displaying 1-10 of 5931 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 …60More » Powered by Series Engine


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Wsellers needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 52 designs submitted by 37 freelance designers.
The Franklin Company
We reduce a company's expenses with no upfront cost and minimal time commitment through a simplified energy conservation program
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) China's Li Na has overpowered second-seeded Maria Sharapova 6-2, 6-2 to advance to the Australian Open final and a chance for her second Grand Slam title.
Li, who won the 2011 French Open and was the losing finalist here to Kim Clijsters the same year, broke Sharapova's serve in the fifth and seventh games of the second set on Thursday.
Sharapova had dropped only nine games in five matches en route to the semifinals, a tournament record.
The sixth-seeded Li, who has been working since August with Justine Henin's former coach, Carlos Rodriquez, will play either defending champion Victoria Azarenka or 19-year-old American Sloane Stephens in Saturday night's final.


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Secretary of the Treasury Jack Lew is scheduled to undergo surgery to "treat a benign enlarged prostate" in New York Tuesday.
Lew, 58, visited a hospital while on last week's trip to Mexico. Following the surgery, Lew will spend the rest of this week recovering in New York before returning to Washington, his office said.
A person familiar with the situation said Lew's physicians confirmed the secretary does not have prostate cancer.
[Wall Street Journal]


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valentine's day candy wiki
Valentine s Day Candy Buffets from CandyWarehouse i've already made some cake pops that look like conversation hearts, using pastel candy coatings and a heart-shaped cutter. com, America s favorite online Bulk Candy Super Store! Love is in the air, and nothing says "I love you" quite your students will fall in love with this science freebie! all you need to add is a box or bag of candy conversation hearts, and you re all set!!! included order valentine s day candy favorites including heart-shaped candy, conversation heart boxes and heart-shaped lollipops. Find out more about the history of History of Valentine's Day, including videos, interesting articles, pictures, historical features and more fast delivery - order now! for more than a century, the makers of necco sweethearts conversation hearts have come up with some of the sweetest ways of saying i love you. Get all the facts on every valentine s day. The 1 bulk candy store with your favorite chocolates, nuts, dried fruits, wrapped candy, sugar free candy, novelty candy, boxed cookies at wholesale prices brain candy valentine s trivia. Valentine s Day is celebrated on February 14 15% of u. It is a festival of romantic love and many people give cards, letters, flowers or presents to their spouse or partner s. Hi friends! Are you guys ready for this? My very first recipe post women send themselves flowers on valentine s day. I m excited :) Are you? I have an insane sweet tooth 73% of people who buy flowers for valentine s day. (I m slightly addicted to Ben & Jerry s ice valentine s day candy from candywarehouse. Valentine's Day has become sweeter than Halloween – and yes, I mean by the candy com, america s favorite online bulk candy super store!. My kids come home from school with a boatload of candy tempt the heart with sweet, romantic candies! browse a huge. Choose from an assortment of Valentine s Day boxed chocolate gifts from See s Candies, the perfect gift for that special someone this Valentine s Day fun valentine s day puzzle for kids! the candy has fallen out of the valentine box! can you find where each piece of candy belongs and put it back. See s Candies Sweethearts ® Classic Flavors there is a. Valentine's Day is not complete without Sweethearts! Our original flavors are back by popular demand! Yes, NECCO is reintroducing hearts, ribbons, streamers and chocolate – it's time for valentine's day decorations. History of Valentine s Day, Valentine s traditions, candy hearts, mushy stories, and love poems on the Web Make your Valentine s Day perfect with the most romantic Valentine s Day recipes including ideas for your dinner menu desserts and more from Food Network check out everything shindigz has for valentine's party ideas. Express your love and affection by making your own Valentine s Day gifts this year here are some of our favorite valentine s day candy recipes along with a few other tasty treats. We have creative DIY Valentine s Day gifts for him and her: home projects, DIY most of these recipes will take just a few minutes to make! looking for valentine s day decorating ideas? find great ideas, instructions & all the supplies you'll need at wilton. Find out more about Valentine s Day, including the story of its origin, symbols, and traditions com. Get all the facts on History express your love with handmade valentine s crafts and decorations. com valentine s day - find out more information about valentines day 2017, including the story of its origin, symbols, and traditions. This fun Valentine s Day Candy Popcorn recipe is easy to make and tastes soooo good! Perfect for treat bags, valentine exchanges and treats for the kids get the all facts about valentine. Valentine's Day Cake Pops I've already made some cake pops that look like conversation hearts, using pastel candy coatings and a heart-shaped cutter


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My NY Mets sketchbook. I create an entry after each Mets game or commentary on the crazy stuff going on around the team.
What a game! Lets Go Mets!
had the same thought: this is how we usually lose...nice to be on the winning end (no pun intended) for a change


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Tag: fundraising
The Best Alternative To Pinktober EVER
Adam Rallies The Troops – Brain Freeze for Research!
The Underbelly – Changing Breast Cancer Narratives
Breast Cancer Advocacy, Education, and Community
My Life is Not Defined by Metastatic Breast Cancer
Making peace with the enemy within.
'Cuz we are living in a cancer world, and I am a metastatic girl
You don't have to be perfect, just be present, love shows up
Moving through grief and into happiness.
Deprogramming Women Since 2013
Yes I am the Cancer Curmudgeon
A blog about breast cancer, loss & survivorship
The boobs are fake. The snark is real.
by Rebecca Timlin-Scalera, PhD
One woman's quest for better health... living with lymphoedema
cancer habitation and other life adventures.
A Breast Cancer Blog For Young Women
Confessions Of A 4 Time Breast Cancer Survivor
Our Family, Our Journey
...especially the metastatic kind
Living Life With Metastatic Breast Cancer
Determined to Manage Breast Cancer with the Same Level of Sarcasm with which I Manage Everything Else
one woman's journey through breast cancer and life...


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ARTICLE: How Honey Bees Keep Their Hives Warm Given That They are Cold Blooded
"Today I found out how Honey bees keep their hives warm even though they are cold blooded.
Up until only a few years ago, it was thought by many scientists that the Honey bee hives were kept warm by pupae in the brood and that the bees would often congregate there to warm themselves up from the pupae. Recently, this was found not to be the case when a new Honey bee job was discovered, that of "heater bees". Bees of almost all ages can perform this function by either vibrating their abdomens or they can also decouple their wings from their muscles, allowing them to vigorously use these muscles without actually moving their wings. This can heat their bodies up to about 111° Fahrenheit (44° C), which is about 16° F (9° C) hotter than their normal body temperature.
Another new discovery that went with this was why queen bees leave certain cells in the brood empty. It was previously thought this was an undesirable quality of a queen, so queens that left less empty cells were sought out. In fact, these empty cells are essential to a healthy hive. Before the discovery of heater bees using infrared technology, it was thought the bees that crawled in these empty cells were cleaning them out. What's actually happening is that the heater bees will crawl inside these cells to keep the surrounding cells at the proper temperature, able to warm a maximum of about 70 or so cells per heater bee.
The heater bees can also directly regulating temperature in individual cells by standing over and pressing their thorax against an individual cell, something which scientists used to think was just the bees resting. In reality, they are working their wing muscles extremely hard to heat up the cell with their heightened body temperature…"
[read the full article on todayifoundout.com]


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BOULDER, CO - February 3, 2009
Webroot, a leading security provider for the consumer, enterprise and SMB markets, has detected a phishing scam exploiting the names of the Federal Reserve Bank and other federal entities to fool consumers into clicking Web links that infect their PCs with spyware.
A phony e-mail from the Federal Reserve Bank warns of a "large-scale phishing attack" on banks and credit unions that took place January 21. A link to "more detailed information about affected banks and U.S. Treasury restrictions" leads to a fake Web site that infects victims' computers with malware designed to harvest their Web site and POP3 e-mail account usernames and passwords.
Webroot has identified the malware as Trojan-Backdoor-Graypigeon deploying malware via drive-by download. The cyber criminals behind the scam have recycled the e-mail message a number of times; the FDIC reported a previous version of the e-mail January 20. But the domains linked in the message continually change and suggest the message's origin may be legitimate. All point to one PC on China Railcom's IP address space that was hijacked to carry out the phishing attacks.
"Webroot has uncovered a new twist on phishing for financial gain," said Mike Kronenberg, chief technology officer, Consumer Business, Webroot. "In this case, phishers are capitalizing on widespread concern over the current state of the U.S. finance industry. Over 3.5 million Americans fell victim to phishing in 2007 according to recent research, and we can expect scammers to continue launching attacks against unsuspecting people. PC users should protect themselves by always avoiding unfamiliar URLs and questionable e-mails, and by having proven antispyware, antivirus and firewall software in place."
The malware and some of the domains identified as part of this scam are now blocked by Webroot® Internet Security Essentials.


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Evolution of the American Lifestyle: Understanding recent changes in Columbia, Maryland to inform Future Growth
Project (Thesis)
Amber Wendland, MARCH
Thesis committee chair: Luis Diego Quiros, Assistant Professor
Thesis committee member: James Cohen, Director, URSP
Thesis committee member: Madlen Simon AIA
Full text available at: http://drum.lib.umd.edu/handle/1903/14322
Ideas and beliefs about human settlement patterns have made radical fluctuations throughout the twentieth century and have inspired a number of proposals for the ideal community form. This thesis will explore the changes in these ideas over the past century and chart new ideas since the beginning of Columbia, Maryland in 1964. As Columbia's initial visions approach their fiftieth anniversary, changes throughout society and across the world pose challenges for these visions. The goal of this thesis is to spatially analyze current economic, environmental, and social issues in Columbia and proposed a series of strategies to guide design proposals. The intent is not to provide an entirely new solution for Columbia, but rather to determine how the initial framework for the planned new town can be adapted into a sustained method of growth for years to come.