text:
Toxin Triggers Epilepsy In Sea Lions And Humans
Toxin Triggers Epilepsy In Sea Lions And Humans
Just one exposure to the algal toxin domoic acid can trigger epilepsy in sea lions and humans. NOAA scientist John Ramsdell discusses the one known human case of epilepsy from domoic acid poisoning, and what scientists can learn from similar cases of epilepsy in sea lions.
IRA FLATOW, host:
You're listening to TALK OF THE NATION SCIENCE FRIDAY from NPR. I'm Ira Flatow.
You know, it's not unusual to hear that people can get sick by eating shellfish. Maybe you've done that yourself, but there are a couple of famous incidents, and one in particular in Canada in 1987, when over 100 people got sick eating some bad mussels harvested off the coast of Prince Edward Island.
Their symptoms were by and large what you'd imagine seafood poisoning to be. You know, it's got that abdominal cramping stuff and all the stuff that goes along with it. But in this case, some symptoms were not what you might expect, like short-term memory loss, seizures, and one elderly man recovered from the poisoning was diagnosed a year later with temporal lobe epilepsy.
Now fast-forward a decade. In the late 1990s, wildlife biologists started spotting sea lions on the coast having seizures also. And then later it started to look like some had developed epilepsy themselves, the sea lions.
So was it something in the water? Did the sea lions have something in common with those seafood swallowers?
Well, my next guest has been one of the detectives, so to speak, trying to figure out this mystery of epilepsy from the ocean. John Ramsdell is chief of the Harmful Algal Bloom and Analytical Response branch Of NOAA's National Ocean Service in Charleston, South Carolina, and he's with here today in the program. Thank you for being with us today.
Mr.�JOHN RAMSDELL (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration): Thank you, Ira.
FLATOW: This is weird-sounding. Was it unusual, that unusual to you, John, about what happened?
Mr.�RAMSDELL: Yes, indeed. You know, harmful algal blooms and the toxins they produce have always been seen largely as causing poisoning. You know, either a person or animal gets very sick, as you described, or in terrible situations they die, but then it's pretty much gone. And the fact that actually poisoning can translate into a disease, which is a long-term process, is indeed surprising.
FLATOW: And how did you give us the you're the detective working on this. Tell us how you tracked down what was going on here. How did you discover what the cause was?
Mr. RAMSDELL: Well, actually the tracking actually was done by wildlife biologists out of the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, and what they had done is, you know, over the last decade there have been probably about eight major events that had led to poisoning of sea lions. Sea lions are a great sentinel for many other animals that are affected as well, we believe.
And what they found was about, you know, three-quarters of the animals that strand corresponded to harmful algal bloom events.
FLATOW: What is a harmful algal bloom event?
Mr.�RAMSDELL: Okay, harmful algal bloom is a microscopic algae that, you know, grows and it concentrates, and they're harmful because, you know, they can, as you mentioned, poison seafood. They can poison animals, and they cause a mess of our environment. So that's why we call them harmful.
FLATOW: And so sea lions - sicknesses was associated when one of these algal blooms would happen.
Mr.�RAMSDELL: Yeah, absolutely, and what the wildlife biologists noted, that over time that about, you know, 20 percent of these animals that were stranding were stranding when there's no bloom present.
That was kind of odd, and you know, we would measure the urine or the fecal matter from the animals and show, hey, wait a minute, there's no domoic acid there. That's kind of strange.
The other thing they noticed was that these animals that were stranding when there were not blooms, the number that was stranding was increasing over time. And so what they did is they looked more carefully at the symptoms, and they saw the symptoms differed a little bit too.
They found that the animals that, you know, were associated with the blooms sort of had an acute poisoning. They showed seizures and they had damage to the brain that was kind of limited to a region called the hippocampus, whereas the animals that were stranding outside the blooms showed recurrent, spontaneous seizures, meaning that the seizures would happen spontaneously well after the poisoning event.
These animals also showed a lot of unusual behaviors. They would strand in atypical places, and they many times were much more aggressive, and they had more extensive brain damage.
And so they proposed that there are two effects here. One is an acute poisoning, and one is a chronic, neurologic disease, and knowing that single human case study that you mentioned, Ira, it suggested that maybe this was, indeed, epilepsy.
FLATOW: So the sea lions were getting epilepsy.
Mr.�RAMSDELL: Well, that was the thought, but of course, you know, it was because it was so long after the bloom event, we couldn't show that the animals actually were poisoned, and so scientists for some time had tried to see whether or not domoic acid, the toxin, would actually, you know, lead to...
FLATOW: And that's what's produced by the algal blooms, domoic acid?
Mr.�RAMSDELL: Yes, absolutely. Domoic acid is the toxin, is a modified form of glutamate, which is an amino-acid building block and also a neurotransmitter, it excites brain cells.
FLATOW: And so they found that the domoic acid would cause the epilepsy, even though the bloom was gone? It would retain the nerve damage for, what, months, days, years later?
Mr.�RAMSDELL: Well, you know, the epilepsy would appear, you know, months later, and it was interesting in that regard. It wasn't clear that it was necessarily domoic acid. The evidence sort of suggests that, but the issue was that previous research had tried to determine that domoic acid in experimental animals would lead to epilepsy, and it found that it did not.
And the case was pretty much forgotten until the sea lions starting beaching again and seemed to have epilepsy, and that's why we tried to revisit it with a different model to study it.
FLATOW: So do you actually know now that it was domoic acid that was causing...
Mr.�RAMSDELL: Yes.
FLATOW: Yes. And does that mean that anything that's in the ocean where these algal blooms are happening, that swimming in a sea of domoic acid - could it be dolphins, whales, other things that suck up the water besides the sea lions?
Mr.�RAMSDELL: Well, yes, in a sense, but it's not swimming with the domoic acid in the water. The domoic acid needs to be concentrated, and that's the real key.
You know, in the case of the human poisoning, the shellfish were concentrated, but out on the California coast there is another (unintelligible) that concentrates it even more, and these are small fish. These are anchovies, and these anchovies act like little vacuum cleaners out there. They just, you know, vacuum up all the toxic algae.
And the other thing of interest is that these anchovies have very, very dense schools of fish, and so it's not like a fish, you know, a sea lion or a dolphin or whale going up and chewing on one or more of these. This is a feeding frenzy, and you know, NOAA observers out there will note that, you know, there might be, you know, several whales, and there might be 100 sea lions, and there might be 100 dolphins of different varieties, there might be 1,000 sea birds out there.
And so they're getting this just concentrated amount of toxin that's being accumulated by these anchovies.
FLATOW: So just to make sure, if people are swimming in the ocean, they're not eating the anchovies and getting the domoic acid?
Mr.�RAMSDELL: Right, and so the risk to swimming in the ocean is really quite minimal.
FLATOW: But if you're eating the seafood that has the domoic acid in it, that's another story.
Mr.�RAMSDELL: That's another story.
FLATOW: And that's the connection between the human, this one case can we say just because it's just one case that it really could apply to other people?
Mr.�RAMSDELL: Well, again, it's a little difference between, you know, the risk for human versus the risk for dolphin, whale or sea lion. The mussels can accumulate the toxin, but they don't accumulate the toxin quite like the anchovies. The anchovies are much more efficient.
And also, you know, a human can eat a plate of mussels, and you know, that's nothing compared to what, you know, one of these magnificent animals is chowing down on in the ocean with these feeding frenzies.
FLATOW: But do we test for it? I mean, do people test the domoic acid in seafood?
Mr.�RAMSDELL: Absolutely, and you know, ever since that incident in Montreal, in Canada, there's been very extensive testing, and the testing in California is phenomenal, in Washington it's phenomenal, and many areas throughout the U.S.
FLATOW: And there's a strange twist to all this, is there not, about domoic acid was actually used as a medicine in Japan at one point.
Mr.�RAMSDELL: Yes, that's an interesting story. Actually, the Ryukyu Islands, which is a chain of islands that goes south of Japan, goes all the way to Taiwan, the native folks there for a long time had known about the use of domoic acid, not knowing it's domoic acid, but there it's found in a seaweed.
And one of the northerly islands noted that when the seaweed died on the beach and flies landed on it, the flies died almost immediately on contact. Domoic acid is a very strong insecticide, stronger than DDT, for that matter.
FLATOW: Wow, no kidding.
Mr.�RAMSDELL: And then a group down on another island down, called Tokashikijima(ph), actually used this as a tea to treat their children for intestinal worms, and it's been used for a long time that way, all the way past World War II, for that matter.
FLATOW: So how can you further the study, the connection, learning more about epilepsy then, from studying these cases?
Mr.�RAMSDELL: Oh, there's a tremendous amount to know. One is learning about the behavior of the animals. You know, so much attention in disease oftentimes is given to the end point of the disease, you know, and but there's much more to it, the progression of the disease and what's happening. And these are important both for human health as well for understanding animal health.
You know, the sea lions, for example, we know have very unusual behaviors. You know, the strand in atypical places. They have been found 100 miles upland in an artichoke fields. They've been found in a car dealership. They're found on highways.
FLATOW: Well, you know, I'm just getting this thought. We see whales beaching themselves all over the place for strange reasons. Could this be part of the reason why they're doing this?
Mr.�RAMSDELL: Well, it could be, but it's I don't think the data really points to that quite yet. Whales and dolphins are a little bit of a different story because wildlife biologists are really not sure that they actually will survive the domoic acid seizures out in the ocean to really become epileptic.
The sea lions are maybe a little more of a special case because, you know, they're just as happy on land as they are in the ocean. They get up on the beach, and they go to the clinical facilities, and they can be helped out.
FLATOW: So there are sea lions - are out there now, could be hundreds of thousands of them with epilepsy?
Mr.�RAMSDELL: Well, there could be. I think the numbers are you know, at least from what the clinicians have found, are in the hundreds right now. For example, in the study where they examined 715 animals that were clinically diagnosed as being poisoned by domoic acid, I saw about 20 percent, or about 155. So maybe tens of thousands might be a high number.
FLATOW: Yeah, but can you look at a sea lion and say that it's been poisoned, or it's suffered from epilepsy?
Mr.�RAMSDELL: Yeah, the clinicians definitely can.
FLATOW: But you can't if I'm going out to the harbor someplace, I can't, myself as a layperson, tell?
Mr.�RAMSDELL: Well...
FLATOW: Maybe I can, you're saying?
Mr.�RAMSDELL: Maybe if it's chasing you up the beach, you might. I don't know.
(Soundbite of laughter)
FLATOW: That's a symptom? In other words, an erratic behavior that you're not expecting of a sea lion. You know, I'm thinking, like, you can tell a rabid animal it's doing things it shouldn't be doing at that point because of the brain damage there. So it's the same thing that's happening with a sea lion.
And is there anything is there any cure for them, or are they just going to live out their lives with this?
Mr.�RAMSDELL: You know, unfortunately, there's not a cure, and I think that's one of the difficult things in human epilepsy as well. You know, the type of epilepsy that's in the sea lions probably translates a little more closely to what happens in early childhood with fevers, and these (unintelligible) seizures and then, you know, later on it develops into temporal lobe epilepsy.
And I think the research there has shown that, you know, even though many of the drugs are, you know, can stop the acute-term seizures, they don't work so great in terms of stopping the prognosis to the disease. And so I think the prognosis for, you know, stopping the development of epilepsy in a sea lion at this point in time is not so good.
But I think on the other side of the coin, what this does do is it tells wildlife managers more what their options are. For example, before our research, the question was, you know: Are sea lions getting this epilepsy because of repeated poisonings, because now we have more and more harmful algal blooms?
But what we can see in the rats that, you know, 94 percent of the animals will develop epilepsy within six months, you know, if they've had a single bout of seizures.
So at least we can say no, it's not the repeated poisoning. If an animal comes in and...
FLATOW: It could be just one, yeah. I have to (unintelligible) so we have to take a break. I want to thank you for that was really informative. I don't think most of us have ever heard about that.
John Ramsdell, chief of Harmful Algal Bloom and Analytical Response branch of NOAA National Ocean Service in Charleston. Thanks for being with us today.
Copyright © 2010 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio record.


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Milisa Galazzi
String Theory. M.101.102.103, 2020
paper, thread, encaustic, 36 x 13 x 6 inches. Photo: Dan Michel
Galazzi: Sewing and Tortellini
I am from a long line of Italians who came to the United States in the late 1800s during the first large wave of Italian immigration. My father's family moved to the Boston area and mother's to rural Pennsylvania. Both my paternal and maternal grandmothers were first-generation Italian Americans born in the early 1900s in the United States. Each of my grandmothers profoundly influenced me, yet both in quite different ways.
When I was five my father's mother taught me to embroider and needlepoint, providing me with seemingly endless amounts of materials with which to work. She helped me organize my threads in a beautiful mahogany cigar box given to me by my grandfather, and she frequently reminded me that "good girls learn to sew." My father is an only child, so relating to a young girl was not my grandmother's strong suit. I found these interactions annoying at best, yet I appreciated learning the sewing skills.
My mother's mother, my Nona, came from a large family and she had four children, the youngest of whom is my mother. Nona was a fabulous cook, and she made all of our large holiday meals not from recipes but from memory. I had nine first cousins so Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners frequently sat 25 people at her dining room table. Nona often began folding handmade tortellini in the late summer in preparation for these winter holiday meals. Before I was allowed to learn to fold the tortellini, my job was to crank the pasta machine evenly and slowly, rolling out the three-foot-long lengths of flour, egg, and olive oil dough.
For my 13th birthday in early August, I requested that Nona come visit me for a few days so that I could learn to fold the tortellini. At the time, I lived in a very small house on Cape Cod with my mother and brother. With little room in our galley kitchen, we set up shop in my upstairs bedroom where Nona also slept when she visited. Together, we rolled and folded the delicate noodles for three days straight, talking and laughing. She loved me in a pure and simple way and I truly adored her. She understood me. Each year, I handmake the tortellini. My two sons and three nieces help me now, so the tradition continues.
My ongoing series of shadow drawings, called String Theory, is directly influenced by both of my Italian grandmothers. When I hand sew the delicate stitches, I remember learning to embroider and needlepoint. Once the sewing is complete, I cut the paper away from the stitching. Handling the long pieces of hand sewn paper and dipping them into molten beeswax wax feels just like maneuvering the delicate pieces of long pasta as they make their way from the rolling machine to the cutting and filling table. In a deeply familiar way, my hands remember these early skills. When I am making artwork in my studio, my body knows what to do and my head and heart follow my hands.
String Theory for Nancy and Ron, 2020, 48 x 20 x 4 inches; Super String Theory, 2015, 93 x 40 x 22 inches
Both paper, thread, encaustic; photos: Karen Philippi
Milisa Galazzi
Photo: Karen Philippi

subset: commoncrawl


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The American Rescue Plan, signed into law by President Biden on March 11, includes critical relief to older adults in need as the nation continues to recover from the coronavirus pandemic. Nearly 30 million Americans have contracted COVID-19, with the death toll now surpassing 532,000. Eight in 10 deaths reported are adults aged 65+.
The $1.9 trillion relief package is a step forward in ensuring resources are targeted to the most vulnerable. The law is expected to contribute to greater economic stability—potentially reducing the adult poverty rate by more than a quarter and the child poverty rate by half. The National Council on Aging, which advocates for older Americans in Washington, DC, provided a detailed summary of the final package, including several of NCOA's priorities.


text:
1 in stock
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By entering I agree that I am over the age of 18+, if I am not and still enter, Urban Enterprises will not be held accountable for my actions. Displayed are various Adult Toys & Products which are not suitable for minors! Warning: Some products may contain nicotine derived from tobacco. Nicotine is a highly addictive chemical!
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3 sets of interchangeable, non-stick and heat resistant cooking plates:
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According to Smartcom's Customer Care centre, one of the biggest concerns regularly raised by customers is the disappearance of airtime. More often than not, the disappearance is due to WASP subscription on a customer's cellphone number.
If you are a regular reader of Rafiki's blog, you might recall previous articles explaining what WASP services are. If you missed those, you can recap here. In short, WASP services are mostly content based services that customers subscribe to. These content services are vast and can include things like receiving ringtones or images or receiving updates about information like the weather or lottery numbers. Subscribers pay for these services with their airtime on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.
The problem is not the WASP services themselves, the problem arises with the way that people get subscribed to these services. By law, WASP service providers need to make it very clear to potential customers that they are about to subscribe to a service and what the cost implications will be. Sadly, this process is not always followed and results in mobile customers having unwanted WASP services deducting their airtime.
WASPA, South Africa's Wireless Application Service Provider's Association, has announced that in the first 6 months of this year, 156,285 people requested to have unwanted WASP services removed from their mobile numbers. This just shows that there are still many South African's unaware of subscribing to services they do not want.
If you suspect that your airtime is disappearing (it usually happens in small amounts) this is what you should do:
1. Find out if your cellphone number is subscribed for any WASP services
Vodacom and Cell C customers can contact Smartcom's Customer Care centre to find out if they are subscribed for any WASP services. Alternatively, you can also contact your service provider.
2. Cancel unwanted subscriptions
Once you know what (if any) services you are subscribed to, you can request for those services to be cancelled. The WASPA website offers an Unsubscribe Query System (WUQS) here: http://old.waspa.org.za/mtncc/
The WASPA website also contains a list of contact details for all the WASP service providers in South Africa.


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We develop and manufacture prototypes and special machines for textile and related processes in individual production and small series according to your wishes.
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text:
Coming Next
Series Theory
in the 1970s:
Part I: The Long Goodbye
of Age
11, 2013
Ross M. Miller
Miller Risk Advisors
October 18, 2004
Things haven't been the same since The X-Files went off the air. I'm
almost certain that I'm a distant relative of David Duchovny and Gillian
Anderson seems oddly familiar, too. I only started watching the show
because I happened across a few of the "funny" episodes written
by Darin Morgan. And ever since this reality fad hit, they don't make
television shows the way they used to. I don't miss watching network TV
and it gives me time to post commentaries to the Internet. My favorite
X-Files episode is one Darin Morgan wrote about alien abductions called
"Jose Chung's From Outer Space," with cameos by Alex Trebek and
Jesse Ventura that even had an allusion to Vladimir Nabokov's Pale Fire.
Despite all the studies by Harvard psychiatrist John Mack, believing
that one has been abducted by aliens, especially repeatedly, is seen by
most people as a sure sign of deficient mental health. It is not, however,
the belief that aliens have abducted that makes you crazy. What makes you
crazy is talking to others about the experience. Or writing about it in a
book, unless the book sells really well and Christopher Walken plays you
in the movie version. And
if you are concerned about having strange devices "implanted" into
you, Applied
Digital Solutions may pose a bigger threat than those creatures who
not seem to realize that they must submit register their implants to the
FDA for rigorous testing.
I see no need to pass judgment on those whether those who join the
growing cadre or alien abductees have gone out into space or out of their
minds, not that it won't be a real thrill to see an alien ring the opening
bell on the New York Stock Exchange now that Dick Grasso is gone and
Maria's moved on to a new gig. I have no doubt that lots of strange stuff
is going on in the universe, but without hard evidence, the
government-sponsored alien conspiracy on the X-Files has as much
credibility as the government-sponsored enterprise in Washington, D.C.
that can magically make their numbers down to the hundredth of a cent per
share when that is what it takes to get their managers the highest
possible bonus. (Microsoft Word has alerted me that the two sentences in
this paragraph are too long. You will just have to suffer.)
But I'm not about to bash Fannie Mae for a third straight week,
especially given that someone at the company has finally discovered this
site after more than five years on the Internet. (Greetings, Earthling.)
What I really want to discuss is a matter of financial philosophy. This
week's commentary was inspired by a claim that I saw made by a respected
member of the community of technical analysts. You know, the guys who look
for heads and shoulders and dandruff and all that in stock charts. And
just so they would made sure that I don't forget them, I've starting
receiving what I assume are free copies of Technical Analysis of Stocks
and Commodities out of the blue.
I have a history of tolerance toward those of the technical persuasion.
I do believe that the past price behavior of stocks contains useful
(though not necessarily profitable) information about the dynamics of
supply and demand. I remain, however, unconvinced that the current methods
of technical analysis are, except by total accident, the right way to get
at that information. (Also on my wish list: models of option valuation in
which volatility is endogenous to the model rather than sometime that
falls from the sky. I am an equal opportunity skeptic.) So when I see a technical system claim to make 29
consecutive correct calls, I have my doubts. Especially when one considers
that the prior odds of each correct call is about 50-50. Such a run is
longer than a two in a billion shot.
It seems obvious that a high success rate is neither necessary nor
sufficient for success of any kind, much less financial success. Take
Microsoft, for example. Their success rate with products is certainly less
than 20%. Their success rate with patches may not even be that high.
Microsoft Bob may have been their biggest and most visible flop, but there
were lots of other less-heralded failures. But when Microsoft has a
success, as it eventually did with Windows (I was among the dissatisfied
users of Windows 1.0), it knows how to milk that success for all it is
worth. Similarly, it is common for top traders lose more often than they
win but to ride their winning trades to enormous gains. It seems logical
that that is how speculative gains in a fiercely competitive market should
manifest themselves. In a world were all the easy money was taken off the
tables ages ago, the winnings bets should require a lot of digging and
hard work and look more like dumb luck than like improbably good luck.
Then again, if I were to were to look deep into my psyche, rather than
find repressed memories of flying through space, being strapped to a table
surrounded by tall gray beings with big heads, slits for eyes, and long
spindly fingers, and, well, I'd rather not discuss it, I might find a hint
of jealousy. (Ha ha, Microsoft, that one wasn't long enough for you, was
it?) As a trained economist, I'm used to being wrong most of the time. At
least I was until I saw the light. Still, I am happy if I am right (or
least not wrong) about anything two times in a row.
An important thing that I may have been right about was the growing
importance of factor models to the stock market, especially when it comes
to the changing variance-covariance structure of the market. Having
recently been hit with a deluge of requests (I think I counted three) for
basic information about factor models, next week's commentary will be a
primer on the subject entitled, "Factor Models 101."
Copyright 2004 by Miller Risk Advisors. Permission
granted to forward by electronic means and to excerpt or broadcast 250
words or less provided a citation is made to www.millerrisk.com.
Risk Advisors


text:
Dancing drawings
Discover Pinterest's 10 best ideas and inspiration for Dancing drawings. Get inspired and try out new things.
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designer D&M saved to Szablony
Yenthe Joline Art — Some dancer sketches. For some I used some photo's...
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Some dancer sketches. For some I used some photo's from pinterest to practice.
53+ Ideas For Dancing Poses Reference #dancing 53+ Ideas For Dancing Poses Reference #dancing
Andrigo Silva saved to desenhos


text:
Coleen Rooney is said to have been so fuming with husband Wayne after his latest arrest that she told him he's ruined their new lives in America.
The former England striker, who went to the US to play for Washington soccer team DC United, was arrested by armed police for public intoxication and swearing in Washington on December 16, 2018.
He committed the offence in the US State where he now lives.
It is understood he was arrested by the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority at Dulles airport, which is near the club's stadium, for a class four misdemeanour before being released without bail.
A hearing was due to take place on January 24, but this has been waived after he paid a $25 fine with another $91 in costs earlier this month.
And it came less than 18 months after he was arrested in the UK for drink-driving, while driving a woman he met in a bar home in her car.
Now, it's said that he and Coleen got into a huge row, and that she yelled at him: "How many times do you need to be told?"
An insider told heat magazine: "She told him he wasn't to go out of the house again without supervision. Coleen was really p****d off with Wayne for getting into trouble again.
"She was mortified when she got the call and wanted him straight home. She called him an idiot for doing something so stupid."
Wayne, 33, who shares sons Kai, nine, Klay, five, Kit, two, and Cass, 11 months, was flying back from a promotional event in Saudi Arabia and, according to his spokesman, was left "disoriented" after mixing three cocktails with sleeping pills.
A spokesman for Loudoun County Sheriff's Office said: "He was booked into the Loudoun County Adult Detention Centre on December 16, 2018, on a charge of public intoxication stemming from an arrest by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police (MWAA).
"He was later released on a personal recognizance bond."
Mirror Online has contacted Wayne and Coleen's representatives for comment.
Do you have a story to sell? Get in touch with us at email@example.com or call us direct 0207 29 33033


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Configuring SAML single sign-on between SuccessFactors IDP and SAP HANA (MDC) on SAP HANA Cloud Platform
When you run applications in corporate environment, it is common requirement that they are integrated, with company Identity Provider (IDP). The integration allows users to login to all applications with same credentials (user and password) regardless where they are hosted. Common protocol for establishing single sign-on on world wide web is SAML 2.0. In this article, we describe how to setup SAML single sign-on between SuccessFactors and SAP HANA XS Applications. The tutorial was tested using SAP HANA MDC Instance hosted on SAP HANA Cloud Platform, but should be valid also for on premise SAP HANA instances.
Note: The described tutorial is valid and tested on HANA SPS12 (version 112.03). At the moment of writing this article the SAP HANA MDC Free Developer Edition Edition offered by SAP HANA Cloud Platform is SPS10 (102.03), on which this tutorial will not work. There is dedicated article for configuring SAML single sign-on trial SAP HANA MDC instances: "Play It Again, SAML" – How to Set Up SAML Authentication For Your SAP HANA Cloud Platform Trial Instance.
These are the things you will need in order to complete the tutorial:
- a web browser (we are using Google Chrome)
- a tenant SAP HANA database hosted on SAP HANA Cloud Platform
- a SAP HANA Studio (Eclipse + SAP HANA Tools): follow the instructions on the SAP HANA Tools site.
- access to SuccessFactors trial/demo tenant. Such you might already have if you are SuccessFactors customer or as part of SAP HANA Cloud Platform Innovation Package
- (optional) provisioning access to SuccessFactors trial/demo tenant
Required additional roles besides default SYSTEM user already have:
- sap.hana.security.base.roles::HANACertificateAdmin
- sap.hana.security.base.roles::HANACertificateView
- sap.hana.security.cockpit.roles::DisplayCertificateStore
- sap.hana.xs.lm.roles::Developer
- sap.hana.ide.roles::Developer
- sap.hana.xs.admin.roles::SAMLAdministrator
- sap.hana.xs.admin.roles::RuntimeConfAdministrator
- sap.hana.xs.admin.roles::TrustStoreViewer
Note: in case you want to create a new user for administration of certificates, you also need to grant the system privilege CERTIFICATION ADMIN and TRUST ADMIN. The SYSTEM user already has this by default.
Creating sample application
In order to demonstrate the scenario, we would need HANA XS application protected with SAML authentication. Building such simple demo application can easily be done using the SAP HANA Web-based Development Workbench.
It is accessible through SAP HANA cloud cockpit database overview page:
To open web based application development tool, click the Editor tab from the SAP HANA Web-based Development Workbench window.
Inside the editor create new empty application (with XSAccess and XSApp).
Choose application package "com.sample.test".
In "com.sap.test" package create new file (right click – New > File) and name it loggedInUser.xsjs.
After the file is created insert the following code in the loggedInUser.xsjs.
function isSAMLSSO() {
return (!!$.session.samlAttribute);
function getDatabaseUsername(){
return $.session.getUsername();
function getUsername(){
return $.session.samlAttribute.loggedinuserid[0].value;
function getCompanyID(){
return $.session.samlAttribute.companyid[0].value;
function getUserLocale(){
return $.session.samlAttribute.locale[0].value;
function getCompanyUUID(){
return $.session.samlAttribute.companyuuid[0].value;
var loggedInUser = {};
loggedInUser.databaseUser = getDatabaseUsername();
if (isSAMLSSO()) {
loggedInUser.saml = true;
loggedInUser.user = getUsername();
loggedInUser.locale = getUserLocale();
loggedInUser.companyID = getCompanyID();
loggedInUser.companyUUID = getCompanyUUID();
} else {
loggedInUser.saml = false;
This XS service would return the logged in user and all user attributes provided by SuccessFactors IDP. Since in the beginning it will not be using SAML, additional logic is added that shows the logged in user, but skips SAML attributes.
Run the service (F8), and in the new window opened it should show the logged in database user and flag indicating that SAML authentication is not used.
Next step is to configure the SuccessFactors as trusted IDP in SAP HANA.
Configure SAP HANA trust to SuccessFactors IDP
As first step, we need to obtain the SAML metadata from the SuccessFactors IDP. This can easily be fetched in a browser.
In order to construct the proper url we need the SuccessFactors landscape host and company id.
The format is
- https://<landscapeHost>/idp/samlmetadata?company=<companyID>
For example:
- landscape host (salesdemo4.successfactors.com)
- company id (I0024)
Would produce SAML metadata URL:
Opening the URL in the browser, would result in immediate download of file called "samlmetadata".
It is advisable to save it (or rename it) as samlmetadata.xml.
Open it with text editor, and it should look like in the screenshot.This is important step since we would have to be able to copy it from there in order to complete the next step.
Now are we need to open XS Admin Tool and import the SuccessFactors IDP settings.
- Go to the XS Admin Tool in your tenant database (appending "/sap/hana/xs/admin/" to the URL of your HANA instance)
- Go to SAML Identity Provider and click on +
- Open the metadata.xml file you downloaded from the IDP in a text editor and copy and paste it to the Metadata input area
- Click away from the text editor in order to trigger processing
- Name the IDP something proper like "saml2_company_<companyId>"
- Set "Dynamic User Creation" flag to true. This is important in order to be able to login with IDP users that are not defined as database users.
- There will be one empty field, that prevents you from saving, SingleLogout URL (RedirectBinding). Copy the value of SingleLogout URL (PostBinding) "/sf/idp/SAML2/slo/POST" in that field:
- Click Save.
Important ! The IDP Metadata Import might fail with "Certificate Import Error" when import is done for the first time. In order to correct that, please remove the IDP and re-do the operation.
After the import check that the SuccessFactors company certificate is imported in SAML Trust Store.
Configure SuccessFactors IDP to trust SAP HANA SP
As a next step, we need to configure the SuccessFactors IDP to trust the SAP HANA Service Provider.
- In XS Admin Tool go to SAML Service Provider tab and click Edit
- Under Service Provider Information tab, set the "Name", "Organisation Name", "Organisation Display Name" and "Organisation URL" to the URL of the SAP HANA host. Save the settings. By default the values are not configured.
- From Service Provider "Metadata" tab we need to extract three values from the corresponding XML. It does not matter which binding (HTTP-Redirect or HTTP-POST) you chose – the URLs are the same.
- "Location" property of AssertionConsumerService tag
- "Location" property of SingleLogoutService tag
- "entityID" property of EntityDescriptor tag
- Contact SuccessFactors to request enabling the Single Sign-On Functionality for your company instance giving the properties from above
- Assertion Consumer Service URL
- Single Logout Service URL
- Audience URL – this is the "entityID"
- In case you have Provisioning Access to your SuccessFactors Company, you can do it yourself
- Go to Company Settings -> Service Provider Settings -> Authorized SP Assertion Consumer Service Settings
- Select "Add another Service Provider ACS", add the values described above
XS Application configuration
We need to change the XS Application configuration to use SAML Authentication. This can be done using XS Admin Tool.
In XS Admin Tool, select XS Artifact Administration and select "com.sample.test" package. Click "Edit" and select SAML as authentication mechanism. Pick the configured SuccessFactors IDP, from the drop down. You can also "Prevent Public Access For Sub-Packages" and disable Form Based and Basic authentication. Save the changes and you are almost done.
Making it work
Opening our application in new window would greet us with SuccessFactors login screen.
However you will get blank screen after the login and will not be redirected back to the application.
What is wrong ? After debugging a bit, it seems the reason for the trouble is a missing ACS URL property in SAML Assertion issued by HANA Service Provider.
As mentioned above the ACS URL is used by SuccessFactors IDP.
Fortunately there is a fix in HANA SP configuration, for that issue.
We have to use SAP HANA Studio for changing this configuration. We need to add cloud MDC instance in Systems view.
Open the Configuration tab and type "saml" as configuration filter. Change is "add_assertion_consumer_url" configuration value to "yes".
Increase the assertion timeout from the default value of 10 seconds to more reasonable value. Set the parameter assertion_timeout to 30 seconds or more.
Change and save the settings. You might need to restart HANA process so changes take effect.
Re-open your simple application:
Congratulations! You have setup SAML single sign-on for your HANA XS application to SuccessFactors IDP. Below is the JSON response of the service.
"databaseUser" : "DEV165USER001",
"saml" : true,
"user" : "dev165user001",
"locale" : "en_US",
"companyID" : "I0024",
"companyUUID" : "1b1f94fd_b6bf_4c29_a635_9afcea251be3"
Inspecting the XS service code and response, you will see the available SAML attributes provided by SuccessFactors. The real logged in User ID can be taken from SAML attributes. For additional user information you can query SuccessFactors API. More information on SuccessFactors APIs you can find here : SuccessFactors HCM Suite APIs.
We have setup SAML single sign-on between HANA XS Application and SuccessFactors IDP and demonstrated the identity propagation with sample application. We hope, that this information helps you take better advantage of HANA in the context of SuccessFactors.


text:
July 13th - Ezra (Esdras)
How many times will God pull us out of darkness, out of slavery, out of exile, and restore us to fullness of life?
We know of this person from the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Ezra seems to have swept in like a second Moses with perhaps the same effectiveness. The book of Ezra ends rather abruptly with a very specific list of those who transgressed some derivative law, and really has no resolution. Some scholars believe that the books of Ezra and Nehemiah are one work, following from 1 and 2 Chronicles, so it may help to read them all together.
Ezra travels back to the promised land, rebuilds Jerusalem and the Temple, and calls the people to renewed adherence to the Covenant. The people promise to reform but, as the end of the book appears to indicate, it seems like - as usual - it did not last long.
So I guess the answer to the first questions is "forever" and that is because it is we who fail, not Him for He is faithful forever.
In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to issue a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom, both by word of mouth and in writing: "Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia: 'All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD, the God of heaven, has given to me, and he has charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Those among you who belong to any part of his people, may their God be with them! Let them go up to Jerusalem in Judah to build the house of the LORD the God of Israel, that is, the God who is in Jerusalem. Let all those who have survived, in whatever place they may have lived, be assisted by the people of that place with silver, gold, goods, and livestock, together with voluntary offerings for the house of God in Jerusalem.'"
After these events, during the reign of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, Ezra, son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, the high priest— this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe, well-versed in the law of Moses given by the LORD, the God of Israel. The king granted him all that he requested, because the hand of the LORD, his God, was over him.
Ezra had set his heart on the study and practice of the law of the LORD and on teaching statutes and ordinances in Israel.
-- Ezra 1:1-4,7:1-6,10
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SignalGeneriX's LARA project featured in the research EU results magazine
LARA project's developments and results are presented at the research EU results magazine. Mr. Konstantinos Smagas of GeoImaging Ltd, coordinating party of LARA project, gave an extensive interview for the 59th issue of the research*eu.
The research*eu results magazine is published 10 times per year by the Community Research and Development Information Service of the European Union in English. It covers a wide range of scientific domains and features highlights from EU-funded research and development projects.
You can download the research*eu issue here.
For more information you can visit the project's dedicated website: http://www.lara-project.eu/


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BERTRAM, Texas -- A Central Texas community is getting a four-legged officer to assist in stopping the flow of drugs through their community.
"The I-35 corridor is hit pretty heavily by law enforcement so what we realized was a lot of these folks are now taking detours from San Antonio and going around Austin coming through the county roads," said Bertram Police Chief JJ Wilson.
Wilson said he and his officers have seen a noticeable increase in drug activity as drug runners use State Highway 29 through Bertram. Their solution: A K-9 German Shepard named "Bock."
Born in Belgium, trained in San Antonio, Austin and in Williamson County, the department is already making him part of their own. His original name (Bach) was spelled like the German composer, but now it's spelled with a Texas flavor.
"We're changing it to Bock after Shiner Bock because we had a big donation of Shiner Bock beer to celebrate his arrival," said Wilson.
Bock's arrival was only possible thanks to a $2,000 donation by Bertram business owner Danny Floyd.
"Just part of being in a small community, you pitch in and do what you can," said Floyd.
That money pays for Bock's training at Pacesetter K9, a training facility in Liberty Hill that is DEA certified. There, Bock can train with real narcotics instead of synthetic compounds.
The 6-year-old canine spent the past several years working with the Williamson County Sheriff's Office. Once his handler retired, Bock was considered too aggressive to work with a new handler, so he was sent to Pacesetter's trainer Brad Langham.
"He's recovered tens of thousands of pounds of narcotics already," said Wilson.
By the end of January, Bock will begin working with the Bertram Police Department where Wilson hopes he can become a front-line defense in the war on drugs.
"Bock has that extra sense where he can find those hidden compartments in these vehicles," said Wilson.
Many people in the community have also chipped in financially to help pay for Bock's medical care and food.


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AWS Resources Integration with Azure DevOps Pipelines
Cloud Workloads are becoming increasingly hybridized over time. Some companies do not want to be tied to a single cloud provider for cost, feature set, or disaster recovery, but many times the reasons for hybrid cloud workloads is simply logistical. We recently had a customer whose entire CI/CD pipeline ran in Azure DevOps. The customer wanted to run AWS workloads, but retain their mature workflows in Azure. Granted, we could have ported over all of their environments and pipelines and code bases into a native AWS service such as AWS CodeBuild, CodeDeploy, and CodeCommit, however, this would require considerable overhead of not only building out the aforementioned resources but also training developers to alter their workflows and testing the new resources. We opted instead to leverage their current CI/CD pipeline in Azure Devops against new AWS resources while making a few quality of life improvements along the way.
In this article you will create a basic Autoscaling setup with EC2 instances, create an Azure Environment and Pipeline, configure Userdata scripts to join EC2 instances to the Azure Devops Environment automatically. Before you dive into the procedure, you'll need to create Azure and AWS accounts. To get your accounts up and running you'll need to provide email and billing information for your respective accounts.
- Create AutoScaling Group with EC2 instances (Create a Load Balancer in front of your EC2 Autoscaling group, Optional: create a UserData script to change the hostname (this is what will appear in the Azure Devops Pipeline Environment))
- Create Azure DevOps Pipelines
- Integrate AWS plugins with Azure
- Create Personal access token with updated expiration date
- Create a Environment
- Retrieve the Azure Devops Environment Join script (Create UserData file using this script as a template)
- Optional: Create a Azure Devops Pipeline proxy in EC2 to access private non-EC2 or RDS resources
- Test your Azure Pipeline to deploy code to your Autoscaled EC2 Instances
Procedure Details
Step 1.
Create all the necessary resources for a fully integrated AutoScaling Group. This includes a Launch Configuration/Template, AutoScaling Group, Elastic Load Balancer, Target Group, Listeners, and Security Groups. You will need to add a UserData Script to join the Azure DevOps Environment (more on this later). See here for more details.
Step 2.
Create an Azure DevOps Pipeline. The procedure is documented in more detail here. In brief, the procedure is as follows:
- Sign in to your Azure DevOps organization and navigate to your project.
- Go to Pipelines, and then select New Pipeline.
- Walk through the steps of the wizard by first selecting GitHub as the location of your source code.
- You might be redirected to GitHub to sign in. If so, enter your GitHub credentials.
- When the list of repositories appears, select your repository.
- You might be redirected to GitHub to install the Azure Pipelines app. If so, select Approve & install.
When the Configure tab appears, select Python package. This will create a Python package to test on multiple Python versions.
- When your new pipeline appears, take a look at the YAML to see what it does. When you're ready, select Save and run.
- You're prompted to commit a new azure-pipelines.yml file to your repository. After you're happy with the message, select Save and run again.
- If you want to watch your pipeline in action, select the build job.
- You just created and ran a pipeline that we automatically created for you, because your code appeared to be a good match for the Python package template.
- You now have a working YAML pipeline (azure-pipelines.yml) in your repository that's ready for you to customize!
- When you're ready to make changes to your pipeline, select it in the Pipelines page, and then Edit the azure-pipelines.yml file.
Step 3.
- Go to the Extensions for Azure DevOps Visual Studio Marketplace and search for AWS Toolkit for Azure DevOps. (The following URL is a direct link to the AWS Toolkit for Azure DevOps: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=AmazonWebServices.aws-vsts-tools.)
- Choose Get it free and sign in to your Azure DevOps account, if prompted.
- Choose Install to install the toolkit into your Azure DevOps account, or choose Download to install it on an on-premises server.
Step 4.
Create a personal access token and update the expiration date. Details here.
- From your home page, open your user settings, and then select Personal access tokens.
- And then select + New Token.
3. Name your token, select the organization where you want to use the token, and then choose a lifespan for your token.
4. Select the scopes for this token to authorize for your specific tasks. For this exercise we will use Full Access, however this is not recommended in a production setting.
5. When you're done, make sure to copy the token. For your security, it won't be shown again. Use this token as your password.
Step 5.
In our customers' previous setup, every target machine, in this case a virtual machine running Windows Server with IIS installed, needed to be manually added to the appropriate environment. The pipeline would then be configured to target this environment of Azure VMs. In our new configuration, our EC2 instances would replace these Azure VMs by way of an AutoScaling Group. This ASG would spin up new EC2s instances which would then run a UserData script to bootstrap the necessary software as well as join the appropriate environment in Azure using a modified agent install script.
Every target machine in the environment requires an installed build and release agent. You can do this using the script in the environments tab of Azure Pipelines. You can choose the type of agent to suit the target operating system and platform; such as Windows and Linux. This can be done manually, but for this exercise we will be taking a copy of the agent installation script, modifying it with some variables such as our Azure Account Name, Personal Access Token, and environment Name, then integrating this into our Userdata so that any new EC2 instances which are launched will automatically join our Azure Devops environment. We can then deploy our code to instances in this AutoScaling Group. Details here.
Step 6.
Now it is time to retrieve the Agent In Installation Script and modify it so that it runs in the Userdata script of our Launch Configuration. Here is an example, note the bolded variables:
echo "Attempting to join Azure Environment"
$ErrorActionPreference="Stop";If(-NOT ([Security.Principal.WindowsPrincipal][Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent() ).IsInRole( [Security.Principal.WindowsBuiltInRole] "Administrator")){ throw "Run command in an administrator PowerShell prompt"};If($PSVersionTable.PSVersion -lt (New-Object System.Version("3.0"))){ throw "The minimum version of Windows PowerShell that is required by the script (3.0) does not match the currently running version of Windows PowerShell." };If(-NOT (Test-Path $env:SystemDrive\'azagent')){mkdir $env:SystemDrive\'azagent'}; cd $env:SystemDrive\'azagent'; for($i=1; $i -lt 100; $i++){$destFolder="A"+$i.ToString();if(-NOT (Test-Path ($destFolder))){mkdir $destFolder;cd $destFolder;break;}}; $agentZip="$PWD\agent.zip";$DefaultProxy=[System.Net.WebRequest]::DefaultWebProxy;$securityProtocol=@();$securityProtocol+=[Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol;$securityProtocol+=[Net.SecurityProtocolType]::Tls12;[Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol=$securityProtocol;$WebClient=New-Object Net.WebClient; $Uri='https://vstsagentpackage.azureedge.net/agent/2.186.1/vsts-agent-win-x64-2.186.1.zip';if($DefaultProxy -and (-not $DefaultProxy.IsBypassed($Uri))){$WebClient.Proxy= New-Object Net.WebProxy($DefaultProxy.GetProxy($Uri).OriginalString, $True);}; $WebClient.DownloadFile($Uri, $agentZip);Add-Type -AssemblyName System.IO.Compression.FileSystem;[System.IO.Compression.ZipFile]::ExtractToDirectory( $agentZip, "$PWD");.\config.cmd --environment --environmentname "${azure_env}" --agent $NewName --runasservice --work '_work' --url 'https://dev.azure.com/${azure_org}/' --projectname '${azure_proj}' --auth PAT --token ${azure_pat} --unattended; Remove-Item $agentZip;
Our Terraform script will render this userdata script and add it to the launch configuration. Our Terraform Module includes required variables such that we can define what Azure Environment, Organization, Project and Access tokens to which we are deploying.
Step 7. (Optional)
Given the way Azure Devops environments work, it is possible to use practically any Virtual Machine provided that this VM can reach out to the public internet to receive the agent package files and communicate with Azure Devops Pipelines. In our implementation, our EC2 instances reside in private subnets with NAT Gateways. But, what if you have a private resource such as an RDS instance where you do not have access to the underlying Operating System with which to install the agent, or your resources reside in a restricted subnet without access to the internet? In this case you would need to deploy a self-hosted Azure DevOps agent in an EC2 instance that has access to your RDS instance. More Details here. Effectively what this means is that instead of your pipeline executing in a Azure hosted VM, you can instead execute your pipeline in a VM of your choosing, in our case, a proxy EC2 instance which resides in the aforementioned private subnet with NAT Gateway access to communicate with Azure DevOps.
Step 8.
Now we will do a test run of deploying our code to our AutoScaled EC2 instances. We can simply increase the Desired number of instances in our AutoScaling group.
As our EC2 instances come into service they will now join the Azure Devops Environment:
We can now execute a pipeline with our EC2 instance(s) as targets.
We've created a set of AWS resources including a fleet of EC2 instances that integrate with an Azure Devops Pipeline. We created a long lasting Personal Access token along with a customized Environment Join script so that EC2 instances seamlessly join an Azure Devops environment which is run via the Userdata script in our Launch Template.
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Annie Saunders is a director and immersive experience-maker. Her award-winning company, Wilderness, has presented original work at The Public Theater's Under the Radar Festival, REDCAT, the 14th Factory, Soho House Malibu, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Opera Omaha, the San Francisco Playhouse, Edinburgh's Summerhall, the Powerhouse season for New York Stage and Film, and more. Commissions include the City of Santa Monica Dept of Cultural Affairs and the Getty Villa. She is a core performer with Lars Jan's Early Morning Opera, and has appeared in Holoscenes, The Institute of Memory (TIMe), and Abacus. She is a participant in the 2017/18 Devised Theater Working Group for next-generation performance-makers at the Public Theater in New York. She is represented for commercial projects and commissions by HELO, and has created unique large-scale experiential works at Cannes Lions, for MasterCard, and for ASICS Worldwide.
ANNIE SAUNDERS x HPInterview


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The world is undeniably facing a new, challenging and an unpredictable event with the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, known as the coronavirus. So far, it has affected more than 1.4 million people worldwide and has left business fearing total collapse.
BlueDot, the Canadian startup, picked up on the cluster of unusual pneumonia cases several days before the WHO released their official statement warning people about the emergence of the novel virus. However, Kamran Khan, founder and CEO of BlueDot and professor of medicine and public health at the University of Toronto says they had no idea that the outbreak of COVID-19 would become something of this magnitude.
And three months after the first cases, the whole world finds itself in an unprecedented lockdown with borders closed, quarantines, restrictions on labour mobility and travel, stock market volatility, overall financial crisis and every industry in the world affected.
Apart from China, which has reported sharp falls in industrial production, sales and investment, the pandemic and economic crisis has also shifted to the western countries which are taking massive hits from the domino effect of the coronavirus.
The biggest reason for the major, catastrophic social and economic consequences we are experiencing is that we are fighting with a previously unknown predicament that hasn't been recorded and couldn't be accounted for or predicted.
The black swan event
What we are experiencing at the moment is what in data lingo is known as the black swan event – a term dreaded by data professionals. This kind of rare event that can't be found in our data, but when it emerges, it causes catastrophic consequences. The black swan is the biggest enemy for AI and data analytics, as insights from the newly emerged data can't prepare us to act accordingly.
The COVID-19 outbreak can be seen as a black swan event for every aspect of human life with major socio-economic impact.
In the decade of AI and data industrialisation, companies were expecting to reap the fruits from their AI piloting and pioneering stage. But instead, they were met by an unforeseeable and unavoidable crisis.
Professor Diego Galar has extensively discussed the topic of the black swan in his presentations at the Data Innovation Summit and Maintenance Analytics Summit. He refers to black swans as the biggest enemies for AI and data analytics – unpredictable events that can be explained only after they happen, which is why they cause major disruptions in the systems.
Some of the other characteristics of black swans Diego mentions are:
- Rarity – the black swan is an outlier, as it lies outside the realm of regular expectations because nothing in the past can convincingly point to its possibility.
- It carries an extreme impact.
- Retrospective (though not prospective) predictability—In spite of its outlier status, human nature makes us concoct explanations for its occurrence after the fact, making it explainable and predictable.
Similarly, any attempts to forecast on the spread of the virus are questionable, because just like the black swan, the coronavirus holds too many unknowns:
- The coronavirus' properties are not fully understood and could change.
- The role of asymptomatic patients is still not understood.
- The real rates of infection and immunity are also uncertain, as testing is limited.
- The reactions of companies and households are uncertain.
The only certainty is that any attempt at a definitive forecast will fail.
Possible black swan economic scenarios
Nevertheless, experts have tried to make predictions about the direction of the crisis.
In his article in the Harvard Business Review, Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak examines three possible scenarios based on the shock of the 2008 financial crisis which led to different progressions and recoveries in three sample countries and tried to forecast where COVID-19 fits in this shock geometry:
- V-shape – Despite the global financial crisis, Canada avoided a banking crisis. Credit continued to flow, the capital formation was not significantly disrupted, and their GDP dropped but substantially climbed back to its pre-crisis path. With the "V" shape, the output is displaced, but growth eventually rebounds to its old path.
- U-shape – The United States experienced a different path. Their growth plummeted and never regained the pre-crisis path. Although their growth did recover, the gap between their old and new path remained marked with damaged supply and output, caused by their banking crisis. The successive recession did damage to the labour supply and productivity. The U.S.'s U-shape is a more harmful version than Canada's V-shape.
- L-shape – Represents Greece's worst case. The country never recovered to its previous output path and their growth has declined. The gap is continuously widening. The crisis caused irrevocable damage to the economy's supply side, capital inputs, labour inputs, and productivity. Greece's L-shape is the most detrimental scenario.
As Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak explains, the shock geometry is driven by the shock's ability to damage an economy's supply side, and more specifically, capital formation. Based on the previous shock scenarios, can we establish where the coronavirus shock fit?
"The intensity of the shock will be determined by the underlying virus properties, policy responses, as well as consumer and corporate behaviour in the face of adversity. But the shape of the shock is determined by the virus' capacity to damage economies' supply side, particularly capital formation," highlights Philipp.
So far, we've dealt with a fair share of the financial crisis and policymakers know how to deal with them. The financial crisis cripples the economy's supply side, but coronavirus extends liquidity and capital problems to the real economy — and does so at an unprecedented scale, says Philipp. What's more, the double risk of financial and real liquidity shocks are interrelated, which also raises the stakes.
According to him, at this point, both a deep V-shape and a U are plausible. But the goals is to prevent a clear U trajectory.
There are two possible paths for COVID-19 to cause damage in a U-shaped scenario:
- Financial system risks. – The stress in capital markets that COVID-19 has caused, combined with the persistent liquidity problems, may cause real economic problems that lead to write-downs. This, in turn, can cause capital problems. The capital formation would be gravely affected by the financial crisis, causing prolonged slump with damage to labour and productivity.
- Extended real economy "freeze." – This is what Philipp terms as a truly unprecedented possibility, caused by months of social distancing that could disrupt capital formation and ultimately, labour participation and productivity growth. An extended freeze of this degree would be new territory for policymakers.
The combo of financial and real economic risks could cause economic damages of massive proportions. A prolonged COVID-19 crisis could lead to real economy bankruptcies, which makes it even harder for the financial system to manage. Meanwhile, a financial crisis would starve the real economy of credit.
Philipp warns that while there are policy guidelines for dealing with financial crises, there's no such thing for a large-scale real economy freeze. Unfortunately, there is no off-the-shelf cure for liquidity problems of entire real economies.
However, not all countries will sustain the same degrees of damage or go through uniform scenarios as the ones above. The ability of a country to cushion the black swan effect of the coronavirus depends on two reasons: the structural resilience of economies to absorb such shocks ("destiny"), and the capacity of medical researchers and policymakers to respond in new ways to an unprecedented challenge ("innovation"). The survival of every country depends on their ability to create novel interventions that will break the tradeoff between lost lives and creating economic misery, states Philipp.
How can companies deal with the black swan crisis
The impact of the coronavirus impacted the global supply chain at all levels. Businesses of all sizes are feeling the effects of the pandemic. Some of them experience delays in production, while others see increased demand and drops in sales.
But one thing is certain: Only those companies that will find a way to innovate through this unprecedented black swan event will stay afloat and persevere.
Henrik Larsson-Broman shared some tips in his article on how companies can emerge as winners from the global crisis we are currently in, based on lessons learned from the previous financial crisis.
1. Don't see yourself as a victim, but send a clear message throughout your organisation that you choose to see the opportunity in the crisis and be a winner.
2. Don't let negative thoughts set foot, inspire your employees to have faith for the future.
3. Remember that the crisis is not forever; it will eventually end. Therefore, don't make any drastic changes that will affect long-term opportunities.
4. Whatever you do, don't cut on sales and marketing costs. Sure, it's logical that leaders would want to cut unnecessary expenditure, but sales and marketing are part of the crucial ones. As Henrik states in his article, "companies that maintained or increased their marketing during the recession enjoyed an average sales growth of 275 per cent over the preceding five years, while those that had decreased their advertising had to settle for an average sales increase of only 19 per cent."
5. Offer diversified offerings and widen your target groups. This gives you greater strategic flexibility and spreading the risk by selecting target groups that have not been hit so hard by the crisis.
6. Play offensive, instead of trying to survive. Henrik says that the companies that emerged as winners from the 2008 financial crisis reinvested early and selectively for commercial growth. They acted early in the recession, which gave them a priority with customers, as opposed to the losers who waited to see what would happen and were too late to adjust.
7. Provide your customers with the right value. As people are risk-aware and short-term oriented, they will choose companies that solve the problems they are facing. That doesn't mean offering lower prices though. It's essential to manage customers' perceptions of risk and value and adapt your offerings accordingly.
Do we have what it takes to survive the crisis of COVID-19?
Henrik based his tips on the research of the previous crises, assuming we'll experience the same pattern after this global crisis is over. However, as we saw previously, the combination of financial and real economic risks we are experiencing creates the black swan scenario, which is uncharted territory for business and government leaders.
According to The Guardian, the shock from COVID-19 has been faster and more severe and the 2008 global financial crisis and even the Great Depression. If in the previous crises, stock market collapse, credit markets froze, massive bankruptcies followed, unemployment rates soared, and GDP contracted at an annualised rate of 10% or more in the course of three years, the current coronavirus crisis saw similar detrimental effects in just three weeks. The coronavirus pandemic has delivered the fastest and deepest economic shock in history.
So, will actions that proved successful in the previous crises apply in the current global crisis as well? Is this unprecedented black swan event of the coronavirus going to bring about a total collapse of the global economy, just like it does when it appears in AI systems?


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Contributed by: Doug Webb
Updated on: August 26, 2022
Preventing termite damage is essential for any homeowner. The first step starts with a termite inspection. However, the cost of a termite inspection can vary based on the company, location, reason for the inspection, and other factors. Therefore, it's best to speak to a pest control professional for termite inspection prices in your area.
Although some companies charge for termite inspections, with Terminix, initial termite inspections are always free. Schedule one for your home today.
Read on for information on termite inspection costs, why other companies may charge you to get one, and how to prepare for a home termite inspection.
Understanding termite inspection costs
Several factors go into the cost of a termite inspection. Your geographic location is one factor. Another factor is whether you need a residential termite inspection vs. a commercial property inspection. Inspection costs may also differ based on whether you currently own the property or you are getting an inspection to fulfil the requirements of a real estate transaction.
Let's take a closer look at the individual factors that determine termite inspection costs.
Different states in the U.S. have different inspection regulations. For instance, if you're purchasing a home in South Carolina, your lender will require you to have a South Carolina Wood Infestation Report, which costs roughly $150. Also, your geographic location may influence the cost of a termite inspection due to differences in taxes, labor and fuel costs.
Real estate transaction or property owner maintenance
If your termite inspection is part of a real estate transaction, the cost could be included as part of the final cost of the property.
In the case of a home loan, some states require the buyer to pay for the termite inspection. On the flipside, other states require the seller to pay for the inspection. In those states, sometimes the seller will offer to pay for a termite inspection as an incentive to prospective buyers.
A property owner requesting a termite inspection as part of the standard maintenance of the property will likely have a different price than a buyer or seller in a real estate transaction.
Loan and property type
The type of home loan you are taking out can also influence the cost of the termite inspection. Requirements for a standard loan are different from pest inspection requirements for someone taking out a VA loan or an FHA loan.
In the case of a VA loan, if the property you want to buy is in a location where termite infestation probability is rated moderate to very heavy, you may be required to get a termite inspection as part of the loan process.
FHA loans generally require a home appraisal, and if the appraiser sees evidence of termite damage, you will likely be required to get a professional inspection. Furthermore, repairs likely need to be finished before the loan is approved. The buyer usually pays for the appraisal and inspection, but the seller is usually responsible for the repairs.
Home inspection bundles
Home inspectors usually do not have the necessary qualifications to perform a professional termite inspection. However, they may partner with professional pest control companies, offering discounts and bundle it into the total cost of their home inspection.
Termite bonds and letters
Generally, a termite letter is a letter written by a certified termite inspection company stating that a home has been inspected and shows if there is evidence of termite activity. If there were previous reports of termites in the home, the letter will tell what repairs have since been made to fix the damage. A termite letter may be required before obtaining certain types of loans or if the property is in a high-risk area for termites. A termite letter can cost between $100 and 200. However, the cost may be waived by the inspection company if they are hired for termite control treatments.
If termites are discovered in a house that you are planning on buying, many lenders will require you to have a "termite bond." Although sometimes used interchangeably with "termite agreement" or "termite contract," a termite bond is something entirely different. In other words, the lender is really looking for a termite agreement or a termite contract. On the other hand, a bond is simply a fee that a pest control company pays to a regulatory agency when it establishes it's business. If the pest control company goes bankrupt and owes customers money, the bond (usually a few thousand dollars total) is split among claimants.
Termite bonds do not cost the homeowner or potential termite customer any money but are rather a regulatory requirement for termite control companies to operate their business.
Residential or commercial termite inspection
Most termite control companies charge different fees based on the type of property they are inspecting. A residential termite inspection will likely be less costly than a commercial property inspection. Commercial properties include apartment buildings, condominiums, duplexes, office buildings, restaurants, and retail stores.
Why should you get a termite inspection?
As the saying goes, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Termite damage can cost you thousands of dollars in household repairs. By contrast, a timely termite inspection by qualified professionals can be worth every penny when you weigh it against the cost – and headache – of repairing termite damage.
Signs of termites
Recognizing signs of termites in your house could mean the difference between a small amount of damage and a large amount of termite damage. These signs include blisters in wood flooring, wood damage, discarded termite wings, mud tubes where your property meets the ground, and mounds of drywood termite droppings (called "frass"). If you notice any of these signs, you should call a professional right away.
Annual inspections and prevention
Scheduling an annual termite inspection for your home is a fairly inexpensive way to help prevent costly termite damage, especially if your home is in a high-risk area for termites.
Buying or selling a home
Generally, homeowners insurance does not cover the costs of termite inspections and treatments because it is considered preventable. If you are buying a house, your lender may require a termite inspection as part of your loan process, and termite inspections can give you valuable peace of mind.
Is the termite inspection cost worth it?
So, do you need a termite inspection? The answer to that question involves considering the consequences of not getting a termite inspection. Termites are destructive, causing about $5 billion in damage yearly in the United States, according to the National Pest Management Association. Fortunately, taking the right precautions can reduce your chances of suffering termite damage due to an infestation.
How often should I schedule a termite inspection?
The first step to avoiding a termite problem is having your home regularly inspected for termites, at least annually. We also recommend that you have your home inspected anytime you suspect termite activity.
How to prepare for a termite inspection
When you schedule your termite inspection, ask your inspector what you should do to prepare. The termite inspector will need access to your garage and exterior walls, attic, crawl space, sinks, and other areas in your home to assess any structural damage. Before the inspector arrives, move household items and restrain your pets to provide easy access to:
Garage walls. Move items two feet away from the garage walls so the inspector can see where the walls meet the slab floor. Expansion joints in the garage provide entry for termites.
Underneath the house. If you have a raised foundation, the inspector will go under your house. The inspector needs access to the crawl space, usually through the crawl space access door on the outside of the house. Remove items that block the opening to the crawl space.
Attic. Clear items away so the inspector can get into your attic. If the attic access is in a closet, remove clothing and other stored items so the insulation doesn't fall on them.
Sinks. Remove items under your kitchen and bathroom sinks. The inspector will check for leaks and termite evidence.
What to expect during a termite inspection
What does a termite inspection consist of?
The inspector will be looking for signs of termite activity or infestation in your home, including:
- Termite droppings
- Evidence of termite swarms (such as discarded wings)
- Mud tubes
- Hollow or damaged wood
- Buckling or bubbling paint
- Brittle drywall
- Live termites
Signs of termites can be difficult to spot. That's why it's important to have a termite control professional perform a termite inspection to your home annually. A trained technician knows which species of termites are present in your area, what signs of termites to look for and exactly where to look for them.
A termite professional will also assess your home for potential termite access points:
- Cracks in the foundation around plumbing
- Expansion joints (found in the garage and other places)
- Hollow block walls
- The side of foundation walls and piers
Additionally, they'll also look for any conditions that may lead to future termite infestations in your home, including plumbing leaks and wood-to-soil contact.
Questions to ask your termite inspector
Your termite inspector will work with you to come up with a plan to help get rid of existing termites and guard against future infestations. Having a list of questions prepared beforehand can help you to better understand the nature of your infestation and take a more collaborative approach alongside your termite technician. Here are just a few questions to consider asking during your termite inspection:
- Which termite treatments do you recommend?
- How long will the termite treatment take?
- Where is the termite activity or infestation?
- How can I help prevent future infestations?
- What will the initial treatment cost?
- What is the cost to extend protection?
- What type of guarantees do you provide?
Terminix® offers a free termite inspection. If you have termites, Terminix can recommend one of several treatment systems. If you don't have termites, Terminix can help protect your home against future infestations.
Free termite inspections from Terminix
A free homeowner's inspection is different from a real estate transaction termite inspection, which is usually required by the mortgage lender and/or insurer. With this type of inspection, the termite professional inspects for termites and other wood-destroying insects and organisms and issues a formal report.
On the flipside, if you're already a homeowner and suspect termites, there's good news: Some termite inspection companies, like Terminix, offer free initial termite inspections for homeowners. Keeping your home free from termites is a part of regular home maintenance and can save you thousands of dollars in repairs.
During a free initial termite inspection from Terminix, a termite control professional will inspect your home to look for common signs of termites and any existing termite damage. If termite activity is found, Terminix can customize a treatment plan to fit your needs. If termites are not found, Terminix can recommend a plan to help protect your home from the damage a potential termite infestation could cause.


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New furniture orders for January were 8 percent higher than in January 2018, accounting and business consulting firm Smith Leonard PLLC in High Point, N.C., reported March 29.
"The good news for January was that shipments were up 14 percent over January 2018 and some 75 percent of the participants reported increased shipments for the month," the firm said in a summary of its monthly survey results. "New orders are critical but shipments and subsequent collections pay the bills."
"The not so good news is that everyone was not participating in these good results. In January, only one-half of the participants reported increased orders for the month. This was up from approximately 45 percent reporting increases last month. There were a good number of participants reporting only slight declines, but clearly these results do not reflect the rising tides that we would hope for."
In a commentary, partner Ken Smith offered this: "Spring time is coming and so is an early High Point Market. We hope all retailersand designers will come. While business may be not all that great, it is hard to imagine being in the furniture business and not coming to see the latest in the best fashions available anywhere. We hope to see you."


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Avionics is a specific system made up of electronic, electrical and IT equipment. It is used to fly and control an aircraft. Among other elements, this equipment covers the vital accessories (sensors, telecommunications media) and detection tools such as radar. It also features navigation tools (GPS, manoeuvring software).
Aviator 300/350 connectivity brochure
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An electronic music revolution is brewing in the offices of RCRDSHP.
Fortune favors the daring in the weird and wonderful world of EDM, and the ambitions of this platform match the profile. And as electronic music artists are shaping the NFT landscape as we know it, the RCRDSHP is in a unique position to trigger a paradigm shift at the intersection of music and cryptocurrency.
The music industry is a technological powder keg in 2021, and the EDM community is playing the game. The IMS 2021 activity report found that 76% of all music DTVs were issued by electronic music artists. It's over $ 50 million.
âI think EDM artists are inherently innovators, explorers, and very tech-savvy,â said Obie Fernandez, Founder and CEO of RCRDSHP. EDM.com. âIt's part of what makes us who we are. Electronic. It's just our nature. "
With a workforce and C suite made up of dance music industry veterans, RCRDSHP (pronounced "record store") is a platform where people can buy and sell digital collectibles. rooted in the culture of electronic music. The company runs digital âpacksâ of content in the form of NFT, which are released as exclusive songs, music videos, visuals, exclusive behind-the-scenes content and other multimedia developed by top artists and brands.
It's like being a kid in a blockchain-powered candy store.
âOur values ââare the fun and authenticity of music,â said Fernandez, who estimates that 80% of CPRNHP employees are DJs or electronic musicians. âOne is the community. It's really intense,â he continued. "To put it mildly, actually. They love meeting our artists, becoming new fans and showcasing those they discover."
Longtime DJ Fernandez understands the limits of artists when it comes to connecting with their fans. The breakneck pace of shorthand content platforms like TikTok has shattered the relationship, leading to a new kind of glass ceiling for musicians who can't keep up with the Marshmellos on the stage. They have massive fan bases that function like virality machines, propelling them to levels of success – and financial stability – that unannounced musicians just can't achieve.
So Fernandez launched RCRDSHP in the hopes of offering creators new sources of income as well as a new way of designing fan experiences. Inspired by Best shot in the NBAWith NFT's electrifying video moments ushering in the crypto era in sports, he set out to develop an ecosystem with a similar approach in the EDM space.
And it seems to be working. In just a few months, the company made over $ 2 million in sales, Fernandez says, and they've distributed âa huge amountâ to creators who have deposited NFT packs on the platform.
The RCRDSHP allows artists to directly reward their most avid fans in endless ways. They can stream owners of any NFT exclusive music, fan experiences, video posts, guest list access, and more.
âRCRDSHP appeared on my radar at exactly the right time,â said The Scumfrog, an iconic Dutch DJ and electronic music producer. âI was looking for a way to have a more personal relationship with my audience than what streaming platforms can offer. I made a 65-minute film made up of nine new tracks, made with eight collaborators. particular project (it's more of a film than an album) I was looking for a platform that could put the best possible spotlight on the project, not only on myself, but also on my collaborators. "
âThe RCRDSHP understood right away what I was doing, and they were very creative and accommodating in winning everyone over on this project, by combining my supporters with theirs,â continued The Scumfrog. âIt is very easy for my crypto-beginner followers to start dabbling in NFTs, as RCRDSHP handles crypto-conversion, making the threshold much more accessible to join. They only need Paypal or a card. credit."
The advent of fan-owned digital assets has led to a somewhat saturated market in the music industry's crypto gold rush. So what is the competitive advantage of RCRDSHP?
âWe built a very well connected team in the music industry and among artist circles, and we started to attract big names,â Fernandez explained. "That's why we have Markus Schulz and Coldharbour Recordings, a whole bunch of house legends like Juan Atkins, Todd Terry, Crystal Waters, Mark Knight and Toolroom Records."
The company also counts trance music superstar Gareth Emery, Juno Award-winning techno artist Tiga and historic label Iboga Records as partners, among nearly 100 others.
âWhat we're trying to do is activate a mainstream audience. We believe in the future of fandom,â Fernandez added. âIt's based on that closer relationship between artists and fans. And at the moment the existing platforms don't allow that. For me, success means having rabid fans who are crazy about the music you do. create. Because it moves them. "
Artists have found solace in CPRNHR, which Fernandez says challenges the status quo in a modern music industry that expects too much from its artists to remain relevant.
"It is very difficult to cross borders," he said. "I think there is a pervasive fear that if you step out of your limits as an artist, your fans will reject you and move on."
The core of RCRDSHP's value proposition, however, is that it democratizes emerging technologies for the creator economy. Half of the company's model is its software, but the other half is anchored in a robust and practical "creative suite" that rigorously educates about NFTs and makes them more accessible to the everyday EDM fan.
The hub allows creators to upload assets and navigate the entire collectibles development and deletion workflow. The RCRDSHP also has a production department that works directly with artists to create compelling content and help them develop visuals, define exclusivity parameters and other obstacles associated with the challenges of activating new ones. fans.
The RCRDSHP is also launching a âcraftâ branch to help creators flesh out unique packs to give to fans. Fernandez invokes "combination mechanics," a phrase that relates to a kind of chemical bond where multiple assets consolidate to unlock unique rewards.
A practical example, Fernandez explains, is a record company that drops a song in the form of an NFT and includes its stems. A music producer could own the song and combine it with another RCRDSHP asset, which would unlock the ability to remix the song and upload it directly to the label, which could then consider releasing it. Fernandez says cases like this are just one of hundreds of "mini-games" that CPRNHR has planned.
Ultimately, the objective of the RCRDSHP is to become a major player in the metaverse.
âI think we'll be the primary musical presence in the metaverse,â Fernandez said. "My particular philosophy of the metaverse is that there is a metaverse – not much. So I think we'll be one of the major providers of music-related assets in this metaverse. "
You can learn more about the RCRDSHP here.
Website: bit.ly/3cUHvJo
Facebook: facebook.com/rcrdshp
Twitter: bit.ly/3DU8noB
Instagram: bit.ly/3CZOco2