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This is a grim land. Summers are short. Winters are long. The towns are overcrowded. Food is expensive. Guilds control trade. Nobility control the taxes. Priests pray for our damned souls.
Out there, beyond those walls, are things: creatures, spirits, and monsters. They inhabit the forests, live under the fields, dwell in the ruins of burned out fortresses. They kidnap the lone wanderer, harry our caravans, and when they are bold, they attack our towns. This land is wild, untamable, and in it we struggle to survive.
Most of us crowd into our walled towns and make do with what's been given to us. Some hardy folk brave the long nights and, far behind our defenses, work the soil at dawn. A few of us—those with nothing left—take up the torch and sword and stride forth into the wastelands.
For underneath the roots are the ruins of those who came before us. A once grand empire now sits crumbling like a pile of corpses. The people of Asloth thought they could bend Mana to their will. They failed.
But in failure, they left us hope. They left us gold, artifacts, secrets, knowledge. Those brave or foolish enough to bring back these treasures are richly rewarded. Those successful enough can even can rise above their station.
We can become heroes.
…if we survive.
"For how many years have I stood on this wall, looking to the west. Each morning I climb the rickety steps and stand here while the wind blows my beard and I stare. I look into the desolation, into the endless wasteland. I look to see the faces of friends returning, but they never do.
"The wastes are not empty… In dark crevices and the shadows of gnarled trees, there are eyes. They stare back at me. They think I do not see them, but I do. I know what horrid creatures crouch in hidden places. I know what depraved acts of lunacy take place out there.
"I was there, when I was young and foolish. I went with a brave band; we thought we were invincible… we were not."
—- Excerpt from the journal of Tol Brandt commander of the Karthik guard
"Once Asloth was a shining empire… now it is a ruin, an endless wasteland of overgrown nature twisted by madness and magic."
—- Emul Thul, the Blind Sage
"Welcome to Karthik," the grizzled soldier growls at you. "The trade way is closed for a few weeks. Either turn back or get a room and wait." His eyes narrow dangerously, "you're not here to take the trade way are you? You've come her 'cus some charlatan told you a story of riches, ancient ruins, and nymphs easy for the taking… Well there is all of that, but nothing in the wastelands is easy or just for 'the taking.'" He spits on the ground and points to a crumbling tower above the canopy. "Last month a group of sods like yourselves headed for that tower, thinking it was easy pickings. Two never returned, another came back as a corpse, and the last one… well you'll see'em soon enough. He's just a raving lunatic now."
The Life
Adventurer is a dirty word. You're a scoundrel, a villain, a wastrel, a vagabond, a criminal, a sword-for-hire, a cutthroat.
Respectable people belong to guilds, the church or are born into nobility. Or barring all that, they're salt of the earth and till the land for the rest of us.
Your problem is that you're none of that. You're a third child or worse. You can't get into a guild—too many apprentices already. You're sure as hell not nobility—even if you are, your older brothers and sisters have soaked up the inheritance. The temples—they'll take you, but they have so many acolytes, they hand you kit and a holy sign and send you right out the door again: Get out there and preach the word and find something nice for the Immortals.
And if you ever entertained romantic notions of farming, think again. You'd end up little more than a slave to a wealthy noble.
So there's naught for us but to make our own way. There's a certain freedom to it, but it's a hard life. Cash flows out of your hands as easily as the blood from your wounds.
But at least it's your life.
And if you're lucky, smart and stubborn, you might come out on top. There's a lot of lost loot out there for the finding. And salvage law is mercifully generous. You find it, it's yours to spend, sell or keep.
"Once the world was different, humans had a great empire, it spanned thousands of leagues. They had feared the elves and slaughtered them. They needed the skills of the dwarves and enslaved them. Then Asloth fell, the humans scattered, the elves rose up. Now we all bow to an elven king; our dear and benevolent overlord."
—- Rugnant Cur; human ranger.
"The elves are scary and dangerous."
"Elves live by a ridged caste system. The top echelons are the rulers and bureaucrats. Those on the bottom, well there just like the rest of us sorry lot."
"It's good to have a dwarf around. They built it all generations ago, they know how it works and they know how to fix it. Dwarves are gruff but can work with anyone to get a job done."
"We were once great, now we're shite… we're not even shite, we're shite that got conquered by shite!" The humans once had a great empire built on the backs of slaves. They worshiped magic and they thought they could control it, they were wrong.
"For hundreds of years they raped our mothers, we are proof of that legacy. Half victim, half assailant." Half-elves live in the shadows of society, there is no place for them in the heart of civilization, but they can find a life on the fringe.
Nobody wants a half-orc around. If they can find honest work, its doing something disgusting that no one else will do or it's guarding the borders of civilization. Their barbarism keeps the wastelands at bay and the people safe within.
Creation - Bards
Destruction - Barbarians
Time - Monks
Balance - Druids
Energy - Sorcerers
Faith - Clerics
Strength - Fighters
Fury - Rangers
Cunning - Rogues
Intelligence - Wizards
Magic is different in the wastelands. It can drain you in odd ways, give you peculiar boots or sometimes kill you. You can't survive the wasteland without magic… but use it cautiously.
The gods of Asloth are long forgotten. They do not seem to hear our prayers and certainly do not respond. The devout have traded gods for ideals.
The Wastelands
It's dangerous… no it's deadly! Filled with unnatural things and sickening things. But there is beauty there too. The magic permeated and warped all things, most for the worst, but a few for the better.


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As a business owner you deal with clients and suppliers all the time, so when it comes to choosing a web host you want all your ducks in a row. You need to know all of your options, so you can decide what type of hosting package is best for your business and you need to make the right choice straight off the bat.
The type of hosting package you select can have a huge difference on the quality of your online presence, so here are three questions you must ask any potential hosting company.
Do they have servers located in Australia?
If your business is located in Sydney and all of your customers are either in Sydney or around Australia, then you want a web host who has servers located in Australia. This is because many web hosts actually have their servers located in the US, which means that your website will load fast over there, but much slower in Australia.
Be wary here, because even if the web host is an Australian business, unless you specifically ask them, they won't tell you that they use servers in the US, not in Australia. The location of the servers will make a huge difference to the loading speed of your website, with a subsequent knock-on effect to your traffic, sales, and conversions.
Consumers want faster loading websites, so if your website isn't up to speed, one of the contributing factors can be the location and the type of the server that hosts your website. So go for Australian servers every time and you are setting yourself up for success, not failure—iiNet provides fast web hosting in Sydney, which might be the ideal solution for your business.
What type of customer support do they offer?
Many web hosts only offer email support, which is fine if you are tech-savvy or you have staff onboard who can fix any problems you might have with your website. The problem is that when your website crashes or your customers can't download your discount coupons, you want the problem fixed today.
You don't want to have to wait 24 hours for a response to your email from customer support. Time is money and 24 hour turnaround, or even longer in some cases, is just not acceptable. So one of the most important questions you need to ask is, do they offer telephone support and is it 24/7?
Do they own their own infrastructure?
Web hosting is a very lucrative business and lots of people are jumping on the bandwagon. Anyone can set themselves up as a web hosting company by simply reselling hosting space from larger suppliers. There is nothing wrong with this business model, and you can sometimes find some really cheap packages available.
The problem is that if there is an issue with the servers, then resellers usually don't have direct access to the servers, so they can't fix the problem. They have to wait until their supplier fixes the problem, which means you have to wait as well.
So, sourcing a web hosting company that has direct access to its own servers located in Australia, and who offer 24/7 phone support is the only sensible option for a growing business.
While these are aimed at Australians, the same ideas can be extrapolated worldwide. Is the server located near where your clients are, what is the customer support, or do they own the infrastructure themselves? Having an idea of the answer to these questions will help you make an informed choice about your web host and ensure that you know any of the trade offs you are making.

subset: commoncrawl


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TUESDAY, Oct. 13 — Comedian/writer Brooks Wheelan, probably best known for his recent stint on "Saturday Night Live," brings his comedy tour to Lansing tomorrow.
Wheelan, 29, was a last minute addition to the show's 2013-2014 season, joining the cast just weeks before the season premiere. His run on the show ended after just one season when his contract was not renewed.
"I'm totally honored to be able to make this next joke," the comedian posted on Twitter. "Fired from New York it's Saturday night!"
The firing caught Wheelan off guard, but he found an outlet in comedy to help him deal with the disappointment.
"I wasn't expecting it at all. It was a bummer," Wheelan said. "So I talked about it and made light of the situation. I'm not going to shy away from it. My job is to talk about my life. I think the best comedians are very vulnerable."
After his departure from the show, Wheelan moved to Los Angeles to focus on screenwriting and standup comedy. By his account, post-"SNL" life has treated him pretty well.
"It's been kind of great," Wheelan said. "I just got engaged to a real cool lady. I shot a travel show in Europe — that was the most fun thing I've ever done. I recorded a half-hour special, and now I'm working on an hour special. That's what the tour is about, getting this hour special to where it can be shot."
Tonight, Wheelan kicks off a tour of the Midwest — he jokingly refers to it as his "Central America Tour" —with a stop at Pontiac's Crofoot Ballroom. The tour hits the Loft in Lansing tomorrow, and then takes a zig-zagging route through the nation's midsection, ending in Houston on Nov. 17. The choice to stop at the Loft and the Crofoot, two live music venues, is part of the tour's design.
"I'm not doing any comedy clubs. It's all rock venues," Wheelan said. "I wanted to get out of comedy clubs, because that's where our parents go. They're great, and they're stable, and it's nice to do them, but I'd rather do a venue where nobody shows up on accident. With a comedy club, you might have some people who have a babysitter and they're like, 'Let's go see comedy,' and they come to your show. And then they might not like you — which is totally OK — but they just didn't know what they were getting into. But with these small rock clubs, everybody who's there, even if it's not that many people, are there on purpose. You don't just accidentally walk into that show. It makes for the best possible audience, because everybody's on board."
The tour will bring Wheelan, an Iowa native and graduate of the University of Iowa, back to his old stomping grounds. One might think that would make him more comfortable, but that's not necessarily the case.
"When I'm in the Midwest, I'm always kind of afraid my parents will come in," Wheelan said. "They'll walk in the back like, 'Surprise!' and I'll be like, 'Oh shit, I didn't know you guys were going to be here. Let me not tell some jokes that I was going to tell.'"
Being a writer and comedian was never a given for Wheelan, who pursued a safer career path in college.
"I've got a biomedical engineering degree. I was still a biomedical engineer until the day I got hired at 'SNL,'" Wheelan said. "That was my day job in LA for four years. I never quit until I got the call and moved to New York. I never took the job very seriously. I worked at Papa John's in high school, and I treated biomedical engineering with the same amount of no respect."
City Pulse talked with Wheelan a few weeks before the show, and he was still brushing up on regional references to work into his act.
"You guys are good at football right now, right? That's cool," he said. "If you come to the show, just know I will probably mention Kid Rock a lot."
Brooks Wheelan
With Matty Ryan and Mike Lasher
8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14
$15/$10 adv.
The Loft
414 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing
(517) 913-0103, theloftlansing.com


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Welcome to the City of Erie web site for Earned Income Tax and Local Service Tax.
In the spring of 2006, the City of Erie contracted Berkheimer Associates to be the collector of record for both the Earned Income Tax and the Local Service Tax.
The Berkheimer office in the City of Erie Municipal Building at 626 State Street is located in Room 108.
The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.
The Berkheimer phone number is (814) 455-2710 and the fax number is (814) 838-0751.
For more information regarding these taxes, please visit Berkheimer's web site at www.hab-inc.com.


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Residents were turned away from a meeting in Joppatowne Thursday at which they sought answers about cockroach infestation from a nearby rubble fill.
A handful of residents turned out at Towne Baptist Church on Trimble Road for an update on efforts by Pappy's Inc., which owns the Oak Avenue rubble fill, to curb cockroaches infesting nearby homes since August.
Instead, they were told the meeting was closed to the public and were turned away by a state administrator and citizen members of the committee, formed to study the problem.


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It is another milestone in my life of turning my dream to become a public speaker became a reality. What matters is neither of how big is my office nor the title I am holding. To me it is the impact, inspiration and influence I can make to change/improve the world better that counts.
It is just the beginning of my journey and still a long way to go.
Thank you very much for my parents and my family members for tolerating and supporting me every way they could.
Also I am grateful to all my strategic partners, friends and mentors who encouraged me to reach this goal in my life.I also wish to express my gratitude to our mentors, Madam Teoh Poh Yew, Peter Ong, Ahmad Zakie, Grace Tan, Hashim and many other mentors throughout my entire Toastmaster journey.Special thanks to Lawrence Loh for his creative editing skills of all my speaking scripts.
I must say that we all form part of this dream team that make my dream comes true. My greatest challenge now is whether I am able to bless others with my experience, know-how and skills that I had acquired.
In line with our custom to save the best for the last, we hereby acknowledge and honour the presence of the Higher Being above from whom we receive abundance of gifts and enlightened insight.


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Is Jaisnavi a female or a male name and where does Jaisnavi originate from?
Jaisnavi is Girl/Female and the name originates from Bengali, Gujarati, Indian, Marathi, Tamil
Jaisnavi means: Goddess of Victory
Is the gender of the name Jaisnavi male or female and what people use it most often?
The name Jaisnavi originates from Bengali, Gujarati, Indian, Marathi, Tamil and Jaisnavi is a Girl/Female name
Jaisnavi means: Goddess of Victory
Jaisnavi is a Girl/Female baby name and origin is Bengali, Gujarati, Indian, Marathi, Tamil
Jaisnavi, Girl/Female means: Goddess of Victory
In Bengali, Gujarati, Indian, Marathi, Tamil, the name Jaisnavi is most often used as the name of a Girl/Female. And in Bengali, Gujarati, Indian, Marathi, Tamil, the Girl/Female name Jaisnavi means Goddess of Victory
Like to add another meaning or definition of Jaisnavi?
Horoscope/Zodiac/Astrological meaning of Jaisnavi. Jaisnavi means: With a name number 4, you're administering planet is Uranus. You have a midly unstable character with numerous one of a kind perspectives. Likes to analysis and attempt new encounters. You think ahead, are creative furthermore have numerous superb companions. You get exhausted effortlessly by routine things, so you attempt to have numerous moving exercises to puntuate your life. You are frequently pioneer, with an innovative and inventive personality. Here and there you are willful and resolved on occasion in seeking after your objectives. Unanticipated occasions throughout your life influence you more emphatically than adversely.
Dependable. You are the sort of companion everybody swings to when they have a question about something or need assistance to alter their PC or move their stuff. You could never let it be known, however you blossom with being required! Your qualities lie in the way you can imagine every one of the parts of the entire, and assault an issue with both instinct and precise logic.Dark side? Possibly somewhat unshakable when you know you are correct!
Jaisnavi name means:
J: Meaning of J in the name Jaisnavi means: You favor having a portion of the things others appreciate lavishly. Instinct is helpful, depend on it. Expressiveness communicates skilled personality. Business plans are risky, be careful. Creativity, very much oversaw, brings riches and high position. Channel vitality into helping other people.
You are honored with a lot of physical vitality. At the point when utilized for affection making, there is nothing to stop you, aside from possibly the stamina of your accomplice. (you could have moved throughout the night.) You react to the excite of the pursuit and the test of the mating diversion. You can bear on awesome sentiments in your mind. On a fundamental level you are a rover and need to set out all alone now and then. You will bear on long-separate associations easily. You are optimistic and need to put stock in affection. The sex demonstration appears to fulfill a should be supported profound inside.
A: Meaning of A in the name Jaisnavi means: You can be tranquil when you have something at the forefront of your thoughts. Imperativeness and eagerness, move others, inclined to sick wellbeing, sound judgment defeats, fractiousness and "nerves", make money related and local issues. Taking part in new exercises, defeats timidity, unanticipated occasions may bring about startling move to faraway place. Travel generally, may live a long way from home. You could endure claim whimsicalness. Desire accomplished through application and aptitude.
You are not especially sentimental, but rather you are keen on activity. You mean business. With you, what you see is the thing that you get. You have no tolerance for being a tease and can't be annoyed with somebody who is attempting to be bashful, adorable, shy, and inconspicuously tempting. You are an in advance individual. With regards to sex, its activity that matters, not dark indications. Your mate's physical allure is imperative to you. You discover the pursuit and test of the "chase" fortifying. You are energetic and sexual, and in addition being considerably more audacious than you show up, be that as it may, you don't circumvent publicizing these qualities. Your physical needs are your essential concern.
I: Meaning of I in the name Jaisnavi means: You could be unstable some of the time. Endeavors remunerated by excellent family life. Inverse sex can be a disturbance. Ability in your most noteworthy love and motivation. Capriciousness causes awesome anguish. Sympathy and human comprehension bring rewards. Keenness may meddle with physical goals. Try not to mistake erotic nature for adoration for family. Take after your beliefs.
You have an incredible should be adored, acknowledged… even loved. You appreciate extravagance, exotic nature, and joys of the substance. You search for partners who recognize what they are doing. You are not keen on a novice, unless that beginner needs a guide. You are fastidious and demanding about having your longings fulfilled. You will trial and attempt new methods of sexual expression. You bore effortlessly and therefore require sexual enterprise and change. You are more arousing than sexual, yet you are now and again out and out lewd.
S: Meaning of S in the name Jaisnavi means: You appreciate liberality. Ability is awesome, however don't exaggerate. Seek after most prominent ability and fortunes is next to you. Talented, you bring exhilaration into lives of others. Captivating identity, help other people toward success and also yourself. Courage and flexibility bring astounding profession, accommodate seniority. Try not to dream about implausible objectives, be down to earth and cut out a profession. Awesome vision, don't ignore what is as of now achieved. Creativity, don't diffuse vitality or ability impulsively. Well-spoken, disordered and mean, look for exhortation in all exchanges.
For you, it is business before joy. In the event that you are in any capacity irritated via vocation, business, or cash concerns, you think that its difficult to unwind and get into the state of mind. You can be impractically optimistic to a blame and are prepared to do much sexiness. Be that as it may, you never lose control of your feelings. You are exceptionally watchful and careful before you give your heart away-and your body, so far as that is concerned. When you make the dedication, however, you stick like paste.
N: Meaning of N in the name Jaisnavi means: You get a kick out of the chance to work, yet you generally need a break. Hesitation most exceedingly terrible foe, no one but you can overcome. Beat intrinsic feelings of dread independent from anyone else advancement and inactive ability. Imprudent nature could get you into genuine inconvenience. Beat inclination to unconventionality and fractiousness, them numerous companions and flourishing. Nonexistent issues could overpower, remain in the without a moment's hesitation.
You may seem blameless, unassuming, and timid; yet we realize that appearances can lie. With regards to sex, you are no learner however something of a gifted specialist. You can without much of a stretch go to extremes however, running the extent from voracity to weariness with the entire thought of sex. You can be very reproachful of you mate, looking for flawlessness in both of you. It is difficult to discover somebody who can meet your principles. You experience issues communicating feelings and gravitating toward to mates.
V: Meaning of V in the name Jaisnavi means: You are exceptionally verbal. Irregular perspectives, frequently right, remain quiet about them. Liking with land could bring flourishing through land. Music and verse express reflective, despairing nature. Apply numerical capacity to another science, notwithstanding question. Conquer unsociability, lead a cheerful life. Commonsense instead of studious, a great job. Keep away from transcendentalism, hold fast to family values.
You are individualistic, and you require flexibility, space, and energy. You hold up until you know somebody well before submitting yourself. Knowing somebody implies psyching him out. You want to get into his make a beeline for see what makes him tick. You are pulled in to capricious sorts. Regularly there is an age contrast amongst you and your partner. You react to risk, rushes, and anticipation. The gay scene turns you on, despite the fact that you yourself may not be a member.
Zodiac Sign Names, sentences and phrases similar to Jaisnavi
Jaisnavi means: Goddess of Victory
ZED means: Short form of English Zedekiah, ZED means "righteousness of the Lord."
SHERILL means: Variant spelling of English Cheryl, possibly SHERILL means "darling beryl."
ONESIPHOROS means: (Ονησίφορος) Greek name ONESIPHOROS means "bringer of profit." In the bible, this is the name of a Christian praised by Paul for his courage and kindness.
EFIM means: (Ефим) Russian name EFIM means "holy, pious."
Sheila means: Little mountain
Gerty means: Strength of the Spear; Spear Maiden; Diminutive of Gertrude
Bushur means: Good News
Pariishna means: A Sweet Little Angel; Dynamic Personality
Prithi means: Love
Prakruti means: Nature
Tags: Horoscope & Zodiac Meaning of Jaisnavi. Meaning of Jaisnavi. Did you find the numerology meaning of the name Jaisnavi? Please, add a meaning of Jaisnavi if you did not find one from a search of Jaisnavi.
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"The older I get, the more difficult I find it to take the world seriously. At close quarters it can appear merciless, almost threatening, but with increasing distance it looks more and more comical." — From the Introduction
Notker Wolf takes a lighthearted, refreshing approach to life that any reader will find delightful! Each of his anecdotes and stories has a nugget of wisdom that will resonate especially with anyone who has struggled against the outward signs of aging. As Wolf says, the soul doesn't age; it's timeless and measures itself by a different standard than the body.
If we focused on the state of our soul—a soul which is resolutely vibrant, cheerful, and full of zest for life—we wouldn't resist aging at all. We would speak of growing fulfillment and joy. A wonderful collection of food for thought on a topic that each of us will face in the second half of life!
"The author rescues aging from the darker side of the human condition...finding entertainment and humor where some of us might have given up hope."— Luci Shaw


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Ask any of the tourists who mob Istanbul in the summer months if the city wants for greenery, and you'd get a blank look. No greenery? What about the glorious Gülhane Park, which winds its way around the walls of the 15th century Topkapi palace? Or the huge, leafy park between the Aya Sofya and the Blue Mosque? How about all the shady pocket parks that shelter mosques, tea gardens, and the tombs of long-dead sultans?
On the other side of the Golden Horn, however, where the tourists rarely venture, it's a different story. The heart of modern Istanbul, the Beyoglu district, with its steeply sloping streets and commercial avenues, is a virtual desert of concrete and stone. Most of these streets ultimately converge on the largest (and possibly the ugliest) expanse of concrete of them all, Taksim Square. The only relief from the monotony is Gezi Park, a verdant oasis that is perched on a knoll at the north end of the square.
For two and a half weeks, the square was occupied by local environmentalists protesting plans by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to raze the park in favor of yet another shopping mall, along with a replica of an Ottoman-era army barracks. This weekend, the occupation ended in a brutal assault by riot police, which sparked more antigovernment protests and continuing unrest.
I got to Gezi Park a little after 7 p.m. on Saturday. Over the weeks of the occupation, the original nucleus of environmentalists had been swelled by one group after another who feel disenfranchised by Erdogan's idiosyncratic mix of rampant free-market consumerism, centralized authority, and conservative Islam. The prime minister's obsessive micro-management of the redevelopment of Gezi Park only seemed to further crystallize the disgust at his increasingly high-handed exercise of power. It would be as if President Obama, rather than Mayor Michael Bloomberg, decided to oversee a construction project in a New York City park or dictate the police tactics for the removal of Occupy Wall Street demonstrators.
By last weekend Gezi Park had morphed into an enormous tent city. The mood was more festive than militant. People of all ages, including entire families, strolled around under the trees, enjoying the balmy summer evening. Vendors did a brisk trade in roasted corn and chestnuts. On a professionally erected stage, two folk singers strummed patriotic anthems as a crowd of thousands sang along.
Yes, there were booths where small groups were hawking literature for the Turkish Communist Party and the Kurdish separatist movement. I saw a black anarchist flag and a banner with Alberto Korda's famous portrait of Che Guevara, though these were hugely outnumbered by red Turkish flags and portraits of Kemal Atatürk, the founder of Turkey's secular republic 90 years ago. Erdogan, however, equated the entire movement with its radical fringes and never showed any willingness to see it as anything but a terrorist conspiracy.
He had already given the occupiers an ultimatum earlier in the week: clear the park or be removed by force. They had simply ignored it. But as dusk fell on Saturday evening, it was clear that the threat this time was for real. Long lines of riot police formed ranks on the east and west sides of Taksim Square. Three trucks mounted with water cannon lumbered into position. Hundreds of people began strapping on gas masks and goggles. At about 8:45, after the crowd had disregarded three final warnings to disperse, the first water cannon opened up, its high-pressure spray laced with burning chemicals. Volleys of tear gas followed. The police surged forward and charged up the steps to the park. A few yards away from me, they grabbed a man who had refused to retreat from the water cannon and beat him savagely to the ground. Five minutes later, the first of the ambulances arrived to collect him, and after that it was a chaos of screeching sirens and flashing blue lights as police chased us from street to street around the square. The spraying and the gassing and the beatings went on deep into the night, and in the morning the bulldozers rolled in to demolish the tent city.
By the time the occupation was over, Taksim Square might not have risen quite to the level of Tahrir or Tiananmen. But it may still prove to have been a watershed for Turkey, thanks to Erdogan's epically stupid response, attacking not only his peaceful opponents, but the medics who treated them, the hotel staff who sheltered them, and the lawyers who sought to represent them -- treating them all as part of a grand international terrorist/media conspiracy, of which, I suppose, by virtue of writing this, I must now be a member in good standing.
In the end, whatever the multiple motives of those who joined in -- socialist revolution, Kurdish independence, freedom of expression, greater gender equality in a society of mosques and headscarves -- it has to be remembered that the catalyst for all that happened was the desire to protect an island of green in a city of concrete. I wondered if the occupiers might have read a recent report by researchers at Exeter University, based on a long-term study of 12,000 people over an 18-year period and the mapping of more than 32,000 areas of the U.K., which found a clear and consistent correlation between closeness to a park and mental well-being. Crunching a lot of demographic and sociological data, the study showed that living near a park, in fact, accounts for about a third as much added happiness in a person's life as getting married. Ultimately that's what the battle for Gezi Park was about: the belief that it is green space, not shopping malls, that defines the essence and the humanity of a great city.
This story was originally published by OnEarth.


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This post brought to you by Truvia® Natural Sweetener . All opinions are 100% mine.
Lately I've been indulging in this mid-morning snack:
This is my very necessary iced coffee, and its companion is some plain yogurt with a few banana slices.
I have quite the sweet tooth, so the banana slices alone aren't enough to make this yogurt yummy to my tummy. But by adding a packet of Truvia®, the no calorie sweetener that I also added to my coffee, I'm in business!
The snack idea is super easy to make, but it isn't the real reason I'm writing this post. I want to talk about Sharing a Sweet Future. This is a charitable initiative that Truvia® has launched, and it is poised to make a huge difference in the country of Bolivia, where 2/3 of the population lives below the poverty line, and where every single day, 40% of Bolivian parents struggle to meet the most basic needs for their children.
As a parent, that statistic sends me reeling. Nutritional deficiencies are rampant in Bolivia, and so are health problems associated with smoke inhalation from primitive stoves that are used to prepare meals.
Truvia® has partnered with World Food Program USA, and they have already made life sweeter for so many in Bolivia. To date, 37,405 children in Bolivia have received more balanced school meals, and 68 fuel efficient stoves have been distributed, which have allowed more than 3,500 students to eat in safer environments.
Truvia® wants to do so much more, though, and they need your help! you can Learn even more about the Truvia® brand's initiative here and then spread the word like wildfire! The Truvia® team created a video series that details the life of some of the Bolivian citizens they are seeking to help. Please consider helping Truvia® get the word out about their #SweetFuture campaign. Share the Truvia® brand's video to support their Sharing a Sweet Future initiative. $1 feeds 4 kids. You can also Share the Truvia® brand's video on Facebook to support their Sharing a Sweet Future initiative. $1 feeds 4 kids.
You can also Follow Truvia on Twitter to stay updated on all the latest with Sharing for a Sweet Future. Who knew that using a zero calorie sweetener could have an impact like this???


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Friday, October 12, 2012
Library History Buff Google Images
Pinterest has become a popular Internet program to group and share images on a wide variety of topics in an interesting way. One of my favorite Pinterest boards is the American Libraries Bookmobiles board. A Google image search also offers a way to do this in a less sophisticated manner. Almost all of my blog posts include an image that is related to the post. I did a Google image search using the term "library history buff blog" and it resulted in most of the images that I have used on the blog. It also retrieved some images from my Library History Buff website and from other blogs and websites that have linked to the Library History Buff blog.The Google image search provides a visual index to the Library History Buff blog that offers an alternative method to access the blog's content. It also let's me know who is linking my blog and website. One of the images retrieved (see below) led me to an interesting post on Cosmopolitan Scum, a blog "about architecture, urbanism, and design from a humanistic perspective". The post uses images of Library of Congress souvenir china in the Norman D Stevens archive at the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal as the starting point for a larger essay on the role of libraries. It includes a link to my web page on the Stevens collection.
Posted by Larry T. Nix at 8:36 AM
Labels: librariana, Norman D. Stevens
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Johannesburg: South Africa handed a test recall to batsman JP Duminy and dropped Ashwell Prince for next month`s tour to New Zealand, Cricket South Africa announced on Wednesday.
Duminy played the last of his 12 tests against India in February 2010 and is the only change to the 15-man squad that beat Sri Lanka 2-1 in a recently-completed test series.
The Proteas also recalled all-rounder Justin Ontong to their ODI and T20 squad. The 32-year-old`s last international appearance came in an ODI in July 2008.
Fast bowler Marchant de Lange, who has played just one test, and uncapped batsman Richard Levi have both been included in the T20 squad as the Proteas continue to look at various options ahead of the World Twenty20 in September and October in Sri Lanka.
"Ontong fully deserves this latest call-up. He has shown outstanding domestic form this season and I believe he has developed into a more mature cricketer," CSA selection convenor Andrew Hudson said in a statement.
"He is the complete limited overs package, being a fine batsman who will strengthen our fielding disciplines and also give us another bowling option.
"We have decided to try out some exciting new options in the T20 squad such as Levi, Ontong and De Lange. There are only 11 matches left in this format before we travel to Sri Lanka for the World Twenty20 and this is really the last chance to explore the talent we have at our disposal," he added.
South Africa`s tour to New Zealand encompasses three T20 internationals, three one-day internationals and three tests.
Test squad - Hashim Amla, Mark Boucher, Marchant de Lange, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, Jacques Kallis, Morne Morkel, Alviro Petersen, Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander, Jacques Rudolph, Graeme Smith (capt), Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.
ODI squad - Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, JP Duminy, AB de Villiers (capt), Francois du Plessis, Jacques Kallis, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Justin Ontong, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Graeme Smith, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.
T20 squad - Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, Marchant de Lange, AB de Villiers (capt), JP Duminy, Colin Ingram, Richard Levi, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Justin Ontong, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Juan Theron, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.
Bureau Report


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Is Google adsense the new paper round?
I met with Peter Sive, MD of Catalysis Communications last week and he shared with me an interesting story about his 14 year old daughter Alex that I thought was worth repeating.
Apparently his daughter is into blogging about fashion and like me, she watches the statistics on the site closely to see what content resonates with her audience.
She has noticed that when she blogs about herself, the stats drop. If she blogs more broadly, the hits increase.
The site she has set up alexandemilystyle with a friend of hers is closely focused on fashion, and the latest posts have a 12 days of Christmas theme.
Her ultimate aim is something that shows a very entrepreneurial streak in her. Apparently she wants to "get more followers" so that she can monetise the blog with Google Adsense and therefore "not have to take up a paper round" (paper route if you are American).
This got me thinking – will the ability to monetise blogging replace the traditional way of making money for a teenager – the paper round?
The times they are a changing! By the time Miss Madeleine is 14, perhaps there will be other ways to make money beyond those we know of now.
Hats off to Peter's daughter for spotting an opportunity, and also being aware as an author of what drives her audience, and adapting accordingly.
If you are interested in fashion, why not take a look at alexandemilystyle, give her some more traffic, become a follower and make sure that the Google adsense revenue can supplement the need for Alex to take up a paper round.
At the time of posting, she had 2,948 hits, so let's see what happens when we unleash the London Calling readers on her blog!


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Contact Us
Browse by:
Organ stimulator
Organ stimulator
Patent Drawings:
(4 images)
Rasor, et al.
Date Issued:
August 12, 1980
September 15, 1976
Rasor; Ned S.
(Sunnyvale, CA)
Spickler; Joseph W.
(Lakewood, CO)
Rasor Associates, Inc.
(Sunnyvale, CA)
Primary Examiner:
Kamm; William E.
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney Or Agent:
Phillips, Moore, Weissenberger, Lempio & Majestic
U.S. Class:
Field Of Search:
International Class:
U.S Patent Documents:
Foreign Patent Documents:
Other References:
Hopps et al., "Surgery" vol. 36, No. 4, Oct. 1954, pp. 833-849..
Frei et al., "Medical Research Engineering", 4th Quarter, 1966, pp. 11-18..
A stimulator device for insertion in a living body and having particular advantage for intra-cardiac use comprising a structure having a body form of a size and configuration to enable its transvenous or transarterial insertion, the surface of said body form providing electrode means for contact with a portion of the living body to be stimulated by said electrode means, and means mounted to project outwardly of and peripherally of said body form including anchor portions locating in a position displaced from said electrode means and providing means for engaging in portions of said living body to establish said electrode means in a required position of use, said electrode means having in connection therewith means to energize the same once said body form is located in its required position of use.
What is claimed is:
1. A stimulator device for insertion in a living body and having particular advantage for intracardiac use comprising a structure having a body form for transvenous ortransarterial insertion, electrode means on the surface of said body form for contact with a portion of the living body to be stimulated by said electrode means, and means mounted to project outwardly of and peripherally of said body form includinganchor portions locating in a position displaced from said electrode means and providing means for engaging in portions of said living body to establish said electrode means in a required position of use, said electrode means having in connectiontherewith means to energize the same once said body form is located in its required position of use.
2. A stimulator device as in claim 1 wherein said means to energize said electrode means includes a power source positioning in a location remote from said body form.
3. A stimulator device as in claim 1 wherein said means to energize said electrode means includes a power source embodied within said body form.
4. A stimulator device as in claim 1 wherein spaced surface portions of said body form define separate electrode means.
5. A structure as in claim 1 wherein said anchor portions are defined by wire like segments connected with and biased to normally project outwardly from said body form to facilitate the establishment of a connection thereof with said living bodyin an area displaced from said electrode means.
6. A stimulator device as in claim 1 wherein said electrode means have a fixed positioning in respect to said body form and comprise at least two electrodes, and said body form includes insulator means separating said electrodes.
7. A stimulator device as in claim 1 characterized by said body form being a unitized structure having means for guiding the same for transvenous or transarterial insertion. .Iadd. 8. A stimulator device for insertion against a portion of aliving body, comprising:
a structure having a body form;
electrode means supported by said body form for non-attaching contact with a portion of the living body to be stimulated thereby; and
anchor means proceeding from said body form, said anchor means including anchor portions for location in a position in said living body, said anchor portions providing means for piercing and thereby engaging in said position of said living body,said anchor means including means for mounting said anchor portions to project outwardly of said body form and away from all portions of said electrode means for preventing formation of significant non-excitable tissue such as fibrotic tissue adjacent tosaid electrode means due to irritation of said living body caused by said anchor means to establish said electrode means in a required position of use, said electrode means having in connection therewith means to energize the same one said body form islocated in its required position of use. .Iaddend..Iadd. 9. A stimulator device is in claim 8, wherein in use said structure, electrode means and anchor means fit against a single side of an organ of said living body. .Iaddend..Iadd. 10. Astimulator device as in claim 9, wherein said organ comprises a heart. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 11. A stimulator device for insertion in a living body, comprising:
a structure having a body form;
electrode means supported by said body form for non-attaching contact with a first surface of an organ in a living body, which organ is to be stimulated by said electrode means; and
anchor means, said anchor means including anchor portions locating in a position in said first surface of said organ, said portions providing means for engaging in said first surface of said organ, said anchor means including means for mountingsaid anchor portions to project outwardly of and displaced from all portions of said electrode means a distance sufficient to prevent significant formation of non-excitable tissue such as fibrotic tissue adjacent to said electrode means due to saidanchor means to establish said electrode means in a required position of use, said electrode means having in connection therewith means to energize the same once said body form is located in its required position of use. .Iaddend..Iadd. 12. Astimulator device as in claim 11, wherein in use said structure, electrode means and anchor means fit generally against said first surface of said organ without passing piercingly through said organ from said first to a second surface thereof. .Iaddend..Iadd. 13. A stimulator device as in claim 12, wherein said organ comprises a heart. .Iaddend.
Implanted Pacemaker devices are now commonly employed for the long-term treatment of atrioventricular (A-V) block. Such Pacemaker devices commonly employ flexible leads which connect a remotely positioned power pack with electrodes which areplaced in contact with or attached to the myocardium. The techniques of implanting and using such Pacemakers, and many Pacemaker which have been used experimentally and in practice, are described by Siddons and Sowton, Cardiac Pacemakers (1967),published by Charles C. Thomas, Springfield, Illinois, Library of Congress Card No. 67-12042. Pacemakers having energy sources responsive to heart movement are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,358,690 and 3,486,506.
Such Pacemakers, or other biological stimulators working on these principles, have inherently suffered from certain disadvantages. The leads to the electrodes are commonly routed through veins leading into the heart itself. The movement of theheart and normal activity of the individual tend to put a strain on these leads and may result in lead breakage or dislodgement of the electrodes. The leads themselves, retained in situ, are frequently a source of irritation and infection. Further,since the electrical contact with the heart is made at the point or region of mechanical support or implantation, the normal fibrosis of tissue at these regions often results in a marked increase power required to pace, known as an increase in threshold. For example, the threshold has been found to increase on the order of ten times its original value until a plateau is reached over a period of two to three weeks. This requires a correspondingly greater power input to the electrodes, in the minimum of3:1 over threshold, in order to achieve consistent pacing.
The remote power pack itself is a cause of discomfort and often a cause of difficulty. It is commonly implanted in a subcutaneous pocket beneath the pectoralis major or within the abdomen. Again, this provides a further opportunity forinfection. Difficulty has been encountered in preventing migration of the power pack. Further, surgery is required from time to time to expose and replace the power pack due to exhaustion of the mercury cells. Prior pacing devices which derive theirenergy from the heart movement or pressures have commonly required thoracic surgery for attachment to the epicardium, and have employed flexible leads to the electrodes.
The present invention is directed to a wholly selfcontained stimulator which is particularly adapted for use as a Pacemaker. It is contained within a package or housing which is sufficiently small to be implanted by catheter insertion(transvenous or transarterial) into a chamber of the heart where it is attached to the endocardium. The stimulating electrodes are formed integrally with the unit, without external leads, and thus make contact with the endocardium. As used herein,"catheter" refers to an inserting device embodying a sheath-like element of small bore tube form.
A Pacemaker device made according to the present invention is intended primarily for long-term use. It can be used without discomfort to the user. The likelihood of a failure due to dislodgement of electrode contact, increase of threshold, oroccurrence of infection is substantially reduced. Failure due to electrode lead breakage is eliminated entirely. The device can be implanted by a catheter device and technique which require only minor surgery and temporary discomfort to the patient. It can be recovered if desired or, if failure should occur it may simply be left in place and a new device inserted.
In one form of the invention a nucleonic battery is employed for providing a power source to the pulse generator circuits contained within the housing. This arrangement provides for an overall life which may be well beyond the normal lifeexpectancy of the patient. For example, Pu-238 has a half life of 86 years, while Pm-147, which may be preferred because of lower costs, has a half life of 2.7 years. Suitable electronics in the converting and pulse generating portion are availablewhich operate efficiently over three or more half lives. Operation over such a large power range is made possible in part by the fact that the device of the present invention does not cause a material or significant increase in threshold, and thereforecan continue to operate after decay to very low power levels.
Three forms of the invention are disclosed which employ a biologically energized power source and thus derive their power requirements from the body itself. Prior attempts have obtained insufficient power from normal heart activity to providereliable and continuous pacing. However, the apparatus of the present invention is one which does not result in a significant increase in threshold power and accordingly reliable pacing may be affected over an extended period of time with modest lowerpower requirements. The energy required for each stimulation pulse may be in the order of one microjoule or less, corresponding to a total power input to the electronics on the order of six microwatts or less. The mechanical work which is availablesubstantially exceeds this.
In one form of the invention, a movable wall or diaphragm transforms hemodynamic pressure into electric energy by means of a suitable transducer. In other forms of the invention, a mass is suspended in such a manner that movements of the heartset up a sympathetic or harmonic movement of the mass, and this movement may be electromechanically coupled to produce energy. For example, the transducer may comprise a permanent magnet in combination with a non-moving electric coil. In another form,the mass may be connected to stress a piezoelectric crystal.
The body or housing structure of the present invention may also be used as the electrode structure for existing Pacemakers, as it offers certain advantages over the endocardial electrodes which are presently in use.
Another important object of the invention is the provision of a bioelectric stimulator which is fully selfcontained and implantable at the site of simulation, and an improved electrode structure therefor.
A further object of the invention is the provision of a stimulator, heart Pacemaker, or an electrode structure for a Pacemaker, in which the region of attachment is spaced from the region of stimulation to avoid the adverse effects of tissuefibrosis at the region of attachment.
A further object of the invention is a provision of a catheter for inserting the Pacemaker or electrode assembly therefor, as described above, and the further provision of the combination of a novel catheter and Pacemaker or electrode assemblytherefor. The catheter is preferably a triaxial arrangement in which one of three concentric elements is removably secured to the body of the device, a second element forms a torque tube which may be used to assist in implanting the device and forremoving the first element from the device, and the third element comprises an outer removable sheath which preferably extends at least partially over the body of the device during transvascular passage and may be employed to retain the body-attachingmembers on the device in a retracting or inoperative position until the device has been positioned, as desired. Thereafter, the sheath may be retracted to expose the body of tissue-attaching members, or extended to cover these members for removal of thedevice from the heart.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.
FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the stimulator and catheter devices of the invention;
FIG. 2 shows parts of FIG. 1 in an assembled condition;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view, partially in diagrammatic form, of the stimulator of FIG. 1 adapted particularly for use as a heart pacer;
FIG. 4 is an end view of the device of FIG. 3;
FIGS. 5a, 5b and 5c are, respectively, diagrams illustrating the method of implanting the pacer using the catheter device of this invention;
FIG. 6 is a schematic drawing showing a pulsing circuit which may be used with this invention;
FIG. 7 is a diagram of a modified form of the circuit of FIG. 6 particularly adapted for use with a nucleonic or other varying power source;
FIG. 8 shows a modified form of the invention adapted to respond to hemodynamic pressure changes;
FIG. 9 is a block diagram of the pacer of FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 is a further modification showing a biologically powered pacer according to the present invention;
FIG. 11 is a still further modification showing another form of the biologically powered pacer; and
FIG. 12 is a modified catheter and an improved Pacemaker electrode assembly according to the teachings of this invention.
Referring to FIGS. 1-4, a self-contained stimulator 10, particularly is adapted as a heart pacer, and a catheter 11 is adapted for use with such pacer. The pacer 10 is formed with an elongated capsule-like, generally cylindrical body 12. Preferably, the body 12 is formed exclusively on its outer surfaces of biologically compatable materials, the major portion of which may be stainless steel. While the outer surface of the body 12 is shown in the drawings as being formed essentially ofsmooth inert material, such as stainless steel, it is within the scope of this invention to provide the body with a compatible flocking material, such as a .[.dacron.]. .Iadd.Dacron .Iaddend.weave to promote the formation of neointima once the unit hasbeen implanted.
The device can be implanted in any of the four chambers of the heart where patho-physiology would be optimum for a particular patient. However, the preferred embodiment herein will emphasize implantation within the right ventricle where thegreatest clinical and experimental experience has been concentrated to date. When the stimulator, or pacer 10, is adapted for implantation directly within a heart ventricle, it should have a maximum overall length not substantially exceeding 30 mm andpreferably in the order of 18 mm or less. The diameter of the body 12 should not substantially exceed 10 mm and is preferably 8 mm or less. Such dimensions provide a self-contained Pacemaker which is sufficiently small to permit catheter transvascularinsertion into a ventricle, and permit it to be received within such ventricle without disturbing the proper function of the heart.
The forward end of the body 12 is provided with means for attaching the pacer 10 to the myocardium. A preferred form of the attachment comprises a pair of oppositely directed spiral stainless steel attaching points or wires 15 and 16, as bestshown in FIG. 4. The wires have inner ends attached to the circumference of the body 12 and free outer ends. These attaching wires are adapted to be retained in a retracted position in closely surrounding relation to the circumference of the body 12,but when released, spring out to the expanded or operative position, as shown.
Catheter means for transvenous implanting of the Pacemaker 10 preferably consists of the triaxial device illustrated generally at 11 in FIGS. 1 and 2. This arrangement comprises a central rod 22 which is formed with a threaded end 23 which isadapted to be attached or received with a suitable internally threaded nut 24 formed on the rear wall 24' of the body 12, as shown in FIG. 3. A torque tube 25 is slidably received over the rod 22 and, at its forward end, is formed with an internalsocket portion 26 adapted to be received over the nut 24 in driving engagement with the Pacemaker 10. The catheter is further provided with an axially slidable sheath 27 which has a forward metallic end portion 28 of a diameter sufficiently to bereceived at least partially over the body of the Pacemaker 10. In use, the sleeve 28 substantially covers the Pacemaker and retains the attaching wires 15 and 16 in their retracted position substantially as shown in FIG. 2. The use of the catheter 11is further described in connection with the illustration of FIGS. 5a-c.
This entire catheter system may be rigid with defined bends or may be flexible or may be steerable. In the preferred form, a central rod 22 and the torque tube 25 are flexible, while the forward end of the sheath 27 is formed with apredetermined bend as indicated at 27' in FIG. 5a. The bend which may be formed within 2-4 inches of the end of the catheter assembly, may have an angle of approximately 30.degree. in order to permit the catheter and the attached Pacemaker to besteerable around corners and bends.
Referring particularly to FIG. 3, the Pacemaker 10 is shown as including a forward body portion 12a and a cylindrically continuous rear body portion 12b. The forward portion 12a is hollow and contains the electronic pulsing circuit 30,illustrative examples of which are shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. It has been found that relatively simple circuits are totally satisfactory and are in fact preferred over the more complicated circuits shown, for example, in the reference text referred tounder the Background section of the specification. The simpler circuits generally have lower losses and greater overall reliability. Such circuits can easily be fitted within the activity defined with the body section 12a without the necessity ofreverting to microminiature or integrated circuits. However, such circuits permit even further miniaturization, but the overall size of the stimulator of this invention is dictated not so much by the circuit requirements but by the space requirements ofthe power source.
The body sections 12a and 12b may be threaded together and sealed as shown at 31, but it is within the scope of this invention to make the body 12 of simple one-piece construction. The rear wall 24' is preferred welded to the case 12b byelectron beam welding. There is some advantage in the two-piece body construction of FIG. 3 in that it permits the body parts to be separated and adjustments to be made to the circuit prior to insertion.
One of the important advantages of the stimulator of the present invention resides in the fact that the pacing electrodes are formed integrally with outer surfaces of the body 12. To this end, the body portions 12a and 12b themselves define thepositive pulsing electrode which, as previously noted, may be formed preferably of stainless steel. The negative pulsing electrode 32 is formed preferably of platinum and supported on a forwardly extending dielectric pedestal 33. The pedestal ispreferably formed of an inert ceramic, defining a hollow co-axial insulator. The insulator 33 may thus have an outer curved surface 34 leading smoothly from the electrode end 32 and flaring outwardly at the body 12a to assist in guiding the deviceduring insertion. A tubular portion 35 extends into the interior of the body 12a. The forward end of the body 12a is formed with an annular ledge 36 to provide support for the insulator and for the electrode 32.
The stimulating electrode 32 may also be of the differential current density type, known as the "Parsonnet Electrode" and described by George H. Myers and Victor Parsonnet in Engineering in the Heart and Blood Vessels. (1969) John Wiley & Sons,New York, N.Y.
The arrangement as shown has several important advantages. In the first place, it will be noted that, unlike prior devices, the electrodes do not themselves form or comprise the attaching devices. Rather, the pacing electrodes are well spacedaxially from the barbs 15 and 16. Thus, once these electrodes have made reliable pacing contact with the heart tissue, they do not transmit the destructive forces of attachment and retention to this tissue, and they remain free of the adverse affects offibrosis which invariably occurs at the regions of attachment or forcible retention. In devices where the electrodes themselves are directly attached or are forcibly retained by pressing against the tissue, an approximately 10 times increase in thethreshold is not uncommon. This occurs over approximately a two to three week period subsequent to implanting and then reaches a plateau. Such a substantial increase in threshold requires a corresponding increase in power requirements simply toovercome the threshold and to effect reliable stimulation. The elimination of the cause of threshold rise permits reliable pacing with substantially lower power consumption.
Another important advantage of the construction of FIG. 3 is the total elimination of external flexible leads between the pacing circuit and the tissue to be stimulated. This then results in the elimination of the lead placement and breakagedifficulties which are inherently associated with remotely positioned pacer circuit.
A further important advantage of the pacer of this invention is the fact that it can be reliably powered from a suitable nucleonic power source 40. There are available in the present state of the art a number of nucleonic conversion deviceswhich may be contained within the physical dimensions of the body portion 12b, and suitably shielded and sealed therein. A preferred form of such device is a betavoltaic converter which is, in effect, a stack of semiconductor photocells which are coatedwith a radioactive material and which are irradiated by beta particles to produce an unidirectional current electric output. Beta sources may include Pm-147 which has a 2.7 years half life. It is within the state of the art to provide an electroniccircuit which will operate effectively over more than three half-lives of such power sources within the volume available. The use of tritium, with a half life of 12.6 years, is also possible.
A power source 40 using radioisotope fuel may also be of the thermionic type, the thermoelectric type or the double conversion type. In the thermionic and thermoelectric types, heat from the radioisotopic fuel is transformed into electric powerby electron transport through a thermionic diode or thermocouple respectively. In the double conversion type, radiation from the radiosotope fuel is employed to excite a light-emitting phosphor, and the photons in turn excite a semiconductor photocell. All three of these types can use Pu-238, which is a desirable fuel for biological applications and has a half life of 86 years. The choice of fuel and type of convertor will depend upon the cost of the source material and fabrication, the half life, andthe efficiency of conversion as well as the shielding required. Suitable radioisotope-fueled batteries are made by Donald W. Douglas Laboratories, 2955 George Washington Way, Richland, Washington and sold under the tradenames "Betacel" and "Isomite,"representing beta-voltaic and thermionic types respectively. While nucleonic power sources are preferred by reason of long life, it is within the scope of the invention to employ rechargeable batteries, or mercury cells. The latter may be satisfactoryfor short term pacing, in view of the relatively high overall efficiency of the device.
As shown in FIG. 3, an insulated plate 41 in contact with the power source is hermetically sealed by an insulator 42, and leads 43 extend to the circuit contained within the body section 12a. The case 12 is negative with respect to the powersource but is positive with respect to the biological load.
The diagram of FIG. 6 illustrates one form of the pulsing circuit in which a power source 40 is shown as providing an output voltage of approximately 39 volts. This output is applied through charging resistor 44 and through the load 45 to acapacitor 46. The time required to charge the capacitor will depend upon the charging time constant of the circuit, and since the biological load 45 is normally less than 1,000 ohms it forms a small part of the total resistance in the charging circuit. However, as long as the load 45 is present the circuit will charge.
The transistors 48 and 49 comprise a transistor switch. This switch automatically becomes conductive to connect one side of the capacitor 46 to ground at some predetermined potential during the charging of the capacitor 46, and thus provides alow impedence grounding circuit permitting a discharge of the capacitor through the load 45. The peak load voltage may be 1.3 volts, and the transistor switch may be conductive for 3 ms. Thereafter, the current through the switching circuit drops tothe point where it becomes nonconductive, and recharging of the capacitor 46 resumes through resistor 44, at a repetitive rate depending on the R-C constant.
It might also be noted that since the capacitor 46 is charged through the biological load a current reversal takes place between the negative pulsing electrode 32 and the case 12 which has the effect of reducing or eliminating polarization whichotherwise occurs when electrodes are pulsed in the same direction in an electrolytic solution.
The diagram of FIG. 7 is essentially for the same circuit as shown in FIG. 6 except for the addition of a constant current element 50 which may comprise a constant current transistor. This circuit is useful to maintain a constant pulse heightand rate when the pulsing circuit is used with nucleonic power source whose output decays with time, or with biologically activated power sources whose output varies with the amount of biological activity.
The method of implanting the Pacemaker of the present invention using the improved catheter is illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 5. The Pacemaker is assembled with the catheter 11 as shown in FIG. 2. The catheter is formed with a fixed orpredetermined bend 27' about two to three inches from the end, of about 20.degree.-40.degree. to enable it to turn corners while it is being inserted. The insertion technique itself is essentially the same as currently in use for the transvenousimplantation of endocardiac electrodes and other cardiac catherization procedures. The Pacemaker may, for instance, be inserted in the right external jugular vein and advanced through the superior vena cava and through the right atrium into the apex ofthe right ventricular cavity. This is the position illustrated in FIG. 5a. This is accomplished, of course, under fluoroscopic observation.
Prior to attaching the Pacemaker, the effectiveness of its resting position may first be observed with an electrocardiograph to assure that it is functioning normally and that it has captured the heart. The end 28 of the sheath 27 is preferablymade of conductive material, such as stainless steel, so that the electrode formed on the body 12 will conduct through the sheath.
Having determined a proper position, the sheath may be partially retracted as shown in FIG. 5b to expose the barbs, and the torque tube 25 rotated clockwise to imbed the barbs in the myocardium. The entire Pacemaker, in this condition, will bewedged into the trabeculae making contact both with the case and with the tip electrode 32.
Once attachment in this manner is made, the torque tube 25 may be held against rotation and the rod 23 unscrewed from the internal threads in the nut 24. The entire catheter may then be extracted leaving the Pacemaker imbedded essentially asshown in FIG. 5c. The Pacemaker can be extracted from the heart by reversing the foregoing procedure.
The invention is not limited to heart pacing as such. Other examples of the direct implantation of the selfcontained stimulator at the site of the stimulation without separate electrical leads include baropacing (stimulation of the baroreceptorsin the neck or aortic arch), stimulation of the diaphragm for breathing (stimulation of the phrenic nerve), stimulation of the numerous sphincter muscles which control the flow of various body fluids and solids (at the sphincter site), and other suchfunctions which have been shown to respond to electrical stimulation and which small size and absence of electrical leads would render feasible or more practical. In most such cases the self-contained stimulator described in FIG. 3 would deliver a pulseapproximately every 20 milliseconds during activation of the biological function instead of about one pulse per second as in the cardiac Pacemaker. Activation of the pulse train could be accomplished by external command via an electromagnetic ormagnetic signal from outside the body.
The invention is not limited to an arrangement which contains as internal source of power. In FIG. 8 there is illustrated an embodiment of the invention which is responsive to hemodynamic pressure. The body section 12b is replaced by a flexibleor movable section which incorporates a rubber diaphragm or metal bellows 60 which moves under the influence of pressure changes within the heart cavity. Forces and motions arising from such pressure changes are applied to an electromechanicaltransducer 62 the output of which may be applied to a suitable energy storing circuit 63. The transducer may be of the magnetic induction type or may be a piezoelectric generator. The storage device 63 may be a diode-isolated full-wave rectifier withcapacitor storage. The energy thus stored is available for subsequent release to the stimulation electrodes by a pulse forming circuit substantially as previously described. The storage device will be kept charged by the succession of heart beats andtherefore serves the function of the power source previously described.
For example, if the effective area of the movable section 65 is about 1/2 cm.sup.2, and moves 1 mm under the influence of a 20 torr average pressure pulse, each beat would produce about 130 microjoules of mechanical work. Since less than 10microjoules of electric energy is required for each pulse, a large margin of reserve power is available.
A circuit diagram at FIG. 9 shows an arrangement of the pacer of FIG. 8 adapted as a synchronous pacer, to obtain the benefits from synchronous pacing by slaving the unit to the atriol systole. After storing the large power pulse generated bythe transducer during the ventricular contraction, the pulse-forming circuit is "armed;" i.e. it reaches a condition in which the next significant electrical signal from the transducer will cause the circuit to "fire" and deliver an electrical pulse tothe stimulating electrodes. Therefore, the pressure impulse from the next atrial contraction is transmitted through the tricuspid valve to generate an electrical signal from the transducer which fires the circuit. The stimulated ventricularcontractions thereby become synchronized with the atrial contractions. It may be desirable to construct the circuit so that "arming" is delayed until after the refractory period of the heartbeat to avoid premature firing by reverberations from theventricular construction. Also it may be desirable physiologically to provide a delay between the signal from the atrial contraction and the Pacemaker output pulse, similar to the delay in the A-V node.
FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate additional arrangements by means of which the heart movement itself can be used to provide a suitable source of energy. Observation has shown that an implanted Pacemaker undergoes transient displcements of about 1 cmwithin a 24th of a second. Assuming constant acceleration, a 5 mm displacement relative to the capsule over 1/24th second of an armature weight 4 grams would produce a force of about 2500 dynes acting over this distance, to produce about 120 microjoulesof work per beat, again substantially in excess of the requirements of the Pacemaker. Referring to FIG. 10, a mass 70 is mounted in the manner of a pendulum on the end of a leaf spring 72. The natural oscillation rate of the mass 70 on the spring 72may be that of the paced heart rate. The lower end of the spring 72 is joint with a magnetic armature 75 received between the poles 76 and 77 of a permanent magnet 78.
The lower end of the armature is retained in a V-shaped recess 79 by the magnetic attraction and is correspondingly formed with a knife or V-edge 80 to provide a pivotal movement. The poles 76 and 77 are spaced apart so that the armature 75 canassume either one of two stable positions, as shown by the full lines and broken lines. In one position, the flux is induced through the armature in one direction while in the other position it is induced in the opposite direction.
Since the pendulum formed by the mass 70 and spring 72 oscillates in resonance with the sinus rate of the heart, the bending moment of the spring 72 lifts the armature 75 from one pole face whereupon it abruptly moves to the opposite pole face,resulting in a sudden reversal of the flux and inducing an electric current in the surrounding coil 82. The coil output may be applied to the storage device 63, as described in connection with FIG. 8. FIG. 11 is similar to FIG. 10 except that the mass70' and spring 72' are connected to stress a piezoelectric crystals 85. In this embodiment, the periodic rate of the mass and spring may be substantially greater than that of the heart, to produce a "ringing" effect with each beat.
Certain of the teachings and advantages of the present invention may be used to improve the performance of existing pacemakers which presently use endocardinal electrodes. The body Pacemaker 10 may be modified for this purpose to perform thefunction of the electrodes only and an arrangement for this purpose is illustrated at 100 in FIG. 12. In this case, the cartridge body 112 is made similarly to the body 12 except that it does not contain any pulsing circuitry or power source, but merelycomprises means for making electrical contact. Thus, the body 112 may conveniently be made to a smaller length and/or diameter than that which has previously been described. The outer surface of the body 112 thus comprises one of the electrodes, whilestimulating electrode 132 may be made and supported on a ceramic pedestal spaced from the body 112 in the manner which has been described in connection with the electrode 32 of FIG. 3.
The electrode assembly 100 will be connected by flexible leads to a conventional remote pacer by means of a flexible electrical conduit or lead 122. The lead 122 may be a coaxial conductive cable, which has one of its leads connected to the caseor body 112 and the other connected to the electrode 132. The assembly 100 may be used with remote pacers which employ a single electrode lead or a pair of leads. Where a single lead is used, it would be connected inside the body 112 to the electrode132.
The electrode assembly of this invention is provided with a somewhat modified form of attachment comprising a pair of generally axially extending retaining wires 115 and 116. The forward ends of the wires are attached or secured to the body 12. The wires extend rearwardly and outwardly, and are movable between a retracted position in which the wires lie adjacent to the outer surface of the body, to a spread apart position, substantially as shown.
The general technique of inserting and implanting the electrode assembly 100 does not differ substantially from that described in connection with the pacemaker 10. The torque tube 25 and the sheath 27 may be used, with the rod 22 removed. Thecylindrical conductive end 28 would be received partially over the body 112 with the attaching wires 115 and 116 collapsed and retained within end 28. The electrical lead 122 is threaded through the hollow torque tube 25.
It would be expected that the electrode assembly would be inserted well into the apex of the ventricle cavity accompanied by some stretching of the heart muscle. The torque tube 25 could be employed to provide axial forces as well as rotationalalignment. The sheath 27 would then be retracted exposing the ends of the attachment wires 115 and 116, and when the axial force is released the ends of the wires would tend to imbed themselves within the heart muscle. If necessary, some pull could beplaced on the lead 122 to complete the attachment, and then the catheter may be extracted leaving the electrode assembly 100 in place.
The electrode assembly 100 provides to a remote Pacemaker certain of the advantages of the present invention. Principally, the electrodes, which are formed as integral and discrete surface portions of the assembly, are not prone to dislodgement,movement, penetration or breakage. Further, they define regions of stimulation which are spaced from the region of attachment, as in the case of the Pacemaker 10, and thus remain free of the adverse affects of fibrosis.
It is accordingly seen that this invention provides a novel self-contained biological stimulator, which is particularly adapted for use as a Pacemaker, and an electrode assembly useful with existing Pacemakers. It is intended for long-termtreatment of partial or complete A-V block. Synchronous pacing may be used, as desired, and the circuit can be modified as known in the art for demand pacing. For synchronous pacing of devices of the types of FIGS. 3, 10 or 11, a short sensing ortrigger electrode wire may extend axially from the rear wall 24' of the body 12b through the tricuspid valve into the right atrium to pick up the atrium pulse as a control signal for the circuit 30. For demand pacing, the surface electrode 32 may beused to pick up the ventricle pulse and suppress the trigger circuit in the manner taught for example by Keller U.S. Pat. No. 3,431,912 or Greatbatch U.S. Pat. No. 3,478,746. The physical size of the capsules which form the bodies is sufficientlysmall to permit long-term treatment, such as in the case of a child. The apparatus and method of the attachment and implanting is one which results in minimum discomfort to the patient. In the event of failure, the size of the Pacemaker is sufficientlysmall to make is feasible to simply leave it in place and to insert a new one, although intervenous removal by catheter also is possible.
While the forms of apparatus herein described constitute preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise forms of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departingfrom the scope of the invention.
* * * * *
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text:
leggings are love1/28/2009 02:05:00 PM
i am so in loooove with leggings. i cant stop buying legings, so tell me if you know good stores to find them. all of thesee have never worn...
i am so in loooove with leggings. i cant stop buying legings, so tell me if you know good stores to find them. all of thesee have never worn before and i'm waiting the right time to wear them out.
leopard thights : glitz
gold top : secret
cardigan : zara
skirt : rusty
ankle boots : zara
metallic wet look legging : (ordered)
24 dialogues
well just going by the pics, my fav one is the skull one.ReplyDelete
in answer, i just painted them cuz i got an idea and felt like it! I don't think i'll be putting them for sale on etsy.
Love these leopard tights!!ReplyDelete
Thanks for the comment!
Hey thanks for the comment in my blog!!I love the 3 styles of leggings but the metallics are my favs.Your so lucky with your new camera!!Bye sweety!!;)ReplyDelete
Ahh you pull off all these crazy tights very well!!! :)ReplyDelete
thanks for the comment. :) I am turning 6 this February. My mom does my blog for me. Check her blog out at: princessfoofoo.blogspot.comReplyDelete
audrey anne
i am absolutely in love with leggings too! they're just irresistable. thanks for visiting my site!ReplyDelete
oh hello daghling.. thanks for visiting my blog and drop by some comments on it. ;)ReplyDelete
well you looked so stunning with that leopard leggings. but i love most that peacock ornament on your room. very beautiful! wanna have one in my room too.. ;)
nice legging sist! love them all! but my favo is absolutely the metalic one! where did you order it? i wannnt it sooo baaadd :)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 29, 2009 at 11:23 PM
sis.marvelloux itu dimana si??ReplyDelete
@ evita nuh: order pas itu orang lagi trip ke thailand sis.. hohohoReplyDelete
@ anonymous / sky (in chatbox) : ada di mangdu wilayah butik lantai 5. itu barang" di sana import an hongkong sis.
@ all thanks for the comments :) heheReplyDelete
*continue blogwalking*
happy belated chinese new year ya..ReplyDelete
oooowhhh I'm a legging lover too!
btw I'm so envy you with the canon! argh.. mauu!!
I agree I have a total obsession with legwear. Socks, leggings, leg warmers, thigh highs, the list goes on and on. Out of all three of your outfits I like the glam one. As for makeup smashbox photofinish is a godsend. It goes on under foundation or just by itself and it makes your skin look flawless.ReplyDelete
thank you for your comment! You are very sweet! :) I love the silver leggings!ReplyDelete
Thanx for your comment.. love the leopard, I have similar tights.ReplyDelete
hey. cute blog!ReplyDelete
Check out http://vintage-tea.blogspot.com/
- AnonymousFebruary 2, 2009 at 2:48 AM
love the peacock thingReplyDelete
Love your Leo-tights!ReplyDelete
Maybe you can take a look at http://www.topshop.com
ur put the tights together well... i dont know many who can pull the patterns off lolReplyDelete
Thanx for the comment, cool blog
visit agian
Vi from Cali
You look more skin...!ReplyDelete
You're such a lovely girl baby. I love your blog it's so sweet and cute. I love how you look in those shiny leggings. It's so hard to pull those off but you do so well.ReplyDelete
Kiss, China L.
i love the pattern legging. argght it's so hard to find printed legging these days. bkan di zara, topshop, forever21 aj ga ad. huhu. itu km bli dmana?ReplyDelete
is this the dslr you mentioned? i'm green with envy of course. congrats on owning such a fine piece of photo equipment.ReplyDelete
hello! thanks for adding your thoughts, i really appreciate it! you can follow my instagram @stylefrontier too!


text:
Two years ago I started my own St. Patrick's Day tradition – Egg's St. Patrick. Here's a flashback:
The hollandaise sauce is creamy and rich. The poached eggs are tender with silky, rich yolks. The corned beef is hearty, pleasantly spiced and rich. If you haven't caught the pattern yet, pretty much everything about this dish is rich except the English muffins, and when you get down to it their sole purpose is sop up all the hollandaise, egg yolk and corned beef juice that you can't get with a fork.
Although it's a play on Eggs Benedict – typically a breakfast dish – this is perfectly suited for any time of day. And in true St. Paddy's day spirit, no matter what time of day it is, it should be accompanied by Guinness.
At the time I couldn't think of any way it could be better. But with age comes wisdom, and this year's version was different enough that it merited a new, revised recipe.
Adding Guinness to the sauteed corned beef builds on the stout framework (see what I did there?) of the dish. It imbues it with dark and roasty undertones that add a subtle bite to counteract the natural richness of the hollandaise. Similarly, the caramelized cabbage cuts through the heaviness with notes of sweetness and earthiness.
Seriously, make this next St. Patrick's Day. Or, you know, this weekend.


text:
A bunch of lawyers belted out "Happy Birthday" outside an L.A. courthouse to celebrate a landmark victory involving the song, and ... they might wanna stick to the law.
The group performed Monday morning in downtown L.A. where a judge is set to approve a class action lawsuit settlement. The court already ruled Warner/Chappell doesn't own "Happy Birthday" ... so it can't charge licensing fees for it.
Now the parties have settled on a $14 million refund to anyone who did pay. Bottom line here -- expect to hear more of this in public. Thanks a lot, Lady Justice.


text:
Firefighting nozzles and monitors
Published: 01 January, 2006
As was demonstrated at the UK Buncefield depot fire in December 2005, firefighting monitor excels not only in its striking power but also in its ability to gain maximum 'reach' advantage during its application of water and foam.
As was demonstrated at the UK Buncefield depot fire in December 2005, firefighting monitor excels not only in its striking power but also in its ability to gain maximum 'reach' advantage during its application of water and foam.
Accordingly, the tactical use of high-flow nozzles & monitors covers a broad range. Obviously the greatest need for high performance monitor systems exists in the industrial and petrochemical sectors and equipment is specifically designed to match the risk.
Petroleum and chemical installations may be covered by systems ranging from fixed hydrant-mounted installations to jetty-side and mobile/afloat options. There is now an ever-increasing amount of support available from the manufacturers in terms of project and design engineering.
Monitors & tank fires
The Williams Fire and Hazard Control organisation is an innovators in what it terms 'Footprint Technology' (US Patent) - which is a method for extinguishing flammable and combustible liquid tank fires.
Using the more traditional 'surround & drown' techniques, the footprint technology concentrates on specific features of a tank fire, noting that the fire will actually be 'breathing' in an area known as the 'sweet spot' - this is where the fire takes in air (oxygen).
The fire pulsates adjacent to this 'sweet spot' - and so a combination of sweet spot, breathing and thermal drafts would normally drive foam back and away from the middle of the tank surface. Williams' firefighters report that that this 'sweet spot' normally lies just off the centre of the tank and 'footprint technology' methods aim to place the foam predominantly toward this area. This takes into account not only a fire stream's reach but also its maximum 'run-time' (as foam) along the surface of the flaming liquid (approximately 30 metres).
This approach involves the strategic placing of monitors around a tank fire so that effective 'footprints' of foam, adjusted for the height of the liquid in the tank, are placed onto an imaginary grid. This effect ensures the maximum coverage of the tank surface under the limitations of maximum foam runs.
What about high performance?
These monitors are categorised by their flow-rate capability, which can range from anything as low as 55 lpm (15 gpm) to over 50,000 lpm (13,225 gpm).
A monitor's range begins above 1,500 lpm (400 gpm) where the firestream is unmanageable or unsafe in hand-held terms. Top quality mid-range portable monitors popular with industry include the Task Force Tips Vector (Crossfire) 5,000 lpm which houses a unique safety valve (SafeTak) that automatically reduces flow to safe levels should the monitor lift while being flowed. This is a feature which prevents any likelihood of such equipment becoming a danger, enabling it to be left freestanding whilst operating on the fireground.
Other competitors to the Task Force Tips Vector would be the Akron Apollo, flowing at around 3,000 lpm (800gpm) and Elkhart's Stinger which flows up to 3,800 lpm (1,000gpm).
Along with a wide range of connection options these monitors also come with 3" waterways and safety stops below 35°. The units can also be attached as Deck Guns or as remotely-controlled extensions from an appliance roof.
Going with the flow
The next group, fixed mid-range monitors, include the Elkhart Spitfire which flows up to 7,500 lpm (2,000 gpm) and the Akron StreamMaster with similar flows. Groupe Leader (France) has a range which can offer the higher flow 9,000 lpm (2,400 gpm) Projet version or the Task Force Tips waterway of the Petro-Jet (Protector) monitor flowing up to 4,700 lpm (1,200 gpm). All monitors work within a range of 50 - 75 metres horizontal throw capability.
At the extreme end of monitor technology are the flows achieved by monitors such as the Angus Mega-Colossus 40,000 lpm (10,500 gpm) high-capacity foam system - an exceptional aspirating foam cannon delivering stable amounts of foam 90-100 metres from the monitor. The smaller Colossus version throws its 15,000 lpm (4,000 gpm) of foam 85 metres ground-to-ground.
The Chubb Fire Slimjet range of foam/water monitors offers 'mortar' looking designs capable of flowing straight streams in excess of 43,000 lpm (11,400 gpm) of aspirated foam or 7,275 lpm (2000 gpm) of water over 100 metres horizontally and 60 metres vertically. In the same league, the massive 17,000 lpm (4,500 gpm) Hyper-Projet from Task Force Tips can discharge its water-fog or jet stream up to 100 metres on the horizontal.
The highest flows are reserved for the Williams Fire & Hazard Control Trailer mounted monitor - Bigfoot - which at 53,000 lpm (14,000 gpm) will discharge its monumental 'tower' of water in excess of 135 metres horizontally and 35 metres vertically.
What about oscillating options?
Oscillating monitors may be either fixed, portable or trailer mounted. A wide range of oscillating type monitors is available which provide a powerful, sweeping waterstream for high-performance attack and protection. The unique water-driven motor of Akron's Ozzie sweeps back and forth in a smooth wave-like motion, discharging a capable 1,420 lpm (375 gpm) in an arc up to 30° either side of centre and 35-90° above horizontal. The Ozzie Master oscillating monitor uses an Apollo ground base and provides even greater flow capabilities.
The OT500W from Chubb Fire has speed control over the oscillation of up to 15 cycles per minute. The 2000 lpm (530 gpm) JCS 1901 available from Strebor operates at 6-cycles-per-minute and the Spectrum range from Firegard offers different models with flow-rates ranging from 380 - 1,890 lpm (100 - 500 gpm).
Monitors & appliances
Varying styles of monitors can be fixed to fire appliances and pumpers. There are roof-mounted manually-operated or remote-controlled deck guns, telescopic extending monitors and bumper-mounted turrets for wildland operations.
The Akron Deckmaster is an electric remote-control monitor with an automated elevating capability to 600mm above the base of the flange, flowing 4,800 lpm (1,250 gpm) at 90° above and 45° below the horizontal for 'blitz' style attacks on rapidly escalating fires. A natural competitor may be found in the Groupe Leader hydraulic remote control range of Projects: Hyper-Projects and hydraulic telescoping Top-Gun masts (to 56cm elevations) where flows range from 500 - 20,00 lpm (130-5,300 gpm) are available. PAUL GRIMWOOD
Nozzles for firefighting
If you haven't got your firestream design right, you cannot expect to extinguish a fire, writes Richard Ellis. After mastering issues such as friction loss, hydraulics, pump & hose operations, attention must be paid to the nozzle or discharge appliance. Let us consider different applications and the technology available.
Is your discharge correct?
Consider the example of a 1 1/4" solid tip handline nozzle which is 2 1/2" at the connection point to the hose and tapers to the 1 1/4" discharge opening at the end of the nozzle. The water stream is forced into a smaller and smaller passageway as it flows from the hose into the nozzle. The effect is to discharge a high velocity stream with a solid column of water, with a decent range of stream reach.
Fog stream nozzles also starts out with a tapered design with the inbound cross- section of the nozzle's interior being larger than the cross-section within the nozzle. The difference is that in a fogstream nozzle a dispersion plate/device is installed in the water pathway within the nozzle barrel.
Water is forced through to to hit the plate, which then breaks the solid column of water into droplets. The droplets flow around the outside edge of the plate and continue through the nozzle to the discharge orifice. The result is a stream of droplets being discharged from the nozzle rather than a solid column of water.
Taking the adjustable approach
Most fog stream nozzles have the ability to be adjustable in the width and the form of their discharge stream. With an adjustable fog stream nozzle patterns can be set from a very wide (+100°) angle to a straight stream, where the discharge stream is approximately the diameter of the attack hose.
While a straight stream form is still a fog stream, while it appears to be straight, like a solid stream, the discharge is still made up of droplets of water rather than a solid column of water.
Fire teams often ask - which type or design of nozzle should we use (especially for interior attacks), fog or solid tip? In truth, both designs have their pluses and minuses. Ideally, the local authorities can assess their potential firefighting situations and equip appropriately. On a daily basis you may carry one design of nozzle pre-connected to the attack hose, yet, you have several of the alternative design nozzles on the fire engine/ pump.
According to the type and volume of fire, you may switch the nozzles prior to or during the suppression efforts. Knowledge of which nozzles perform the best under different fire situations is the critical key.
A solid tip nozzle streams allows for deep penetration into the fire and flame zone immediately above the fuel with minimal steam conversion occurring as the stream penetrates the superheated air above the fuel area. The lack of steam conversion taking place allows for more water to actually strike the target area, thereby increasing the cooling effect on the burning fuel itself. The reach and penetration benefits can be very helpful when trying to cool a fuel source directly.
Nozzle advice
On a large fire, solid tips are dramatically more effective in penetrating large thermal columns and impacting the fuel itself. The use of Master streams (streams flowing over 400 GPM ) usually requires solid tips to penetrate the superheated environment above the fuel sources.
Fog Stream nozzles provide a very fast absorption of heat in an atmosphere. The droplets in the stream allow for more surface area of the water discharge to be exposed to heat simultaneously. This additional surface area causes the heat to be absorbed much quicker and the conversion of water into steam takes place in seconds.
If you have to cool down superheated air currents and reduce the chance for a flashover, fog streams work very well. By placing a fog stream in the straight stream position, one can provide a concentrated stream of water droplets onto the fuel source as well.
In the past 15 years we have increased the flow rates through the traditional hand attack hose lines, by increasing the diameter of the smaller hose lines (formerly 1'/2") to 1 3/4" or 2". This slight increase in diameter has allowed us to double the flow rates.
Choices for initial attack lines
The typical flow rates for a 1 3/4" attack hose line is 200 GPM, with the standard 2 '/2" attack line flowing between 250 GPM and 300 GPM. With most brigades being limited on personnel, the 1 3/4" hose, which can be handled by two firefighters, has become the common choice for an initial attack line. As interior crews begin their attacks with 200 GPM per hose line, one could justify in many cases that the total volume of the stream being delivered through the fog steam is adequate to cool fuels.
Most interior fires can be suppressed by using a 1 3/4" attack line with the appropriate fog nozzle. Using two 1 3/4" attack lines side by side gives a considerable knock down effect in interior structural attack operations. The ability to quickly adjust a nozzle to the wider fog pattern can also provide some personal protection for the attack crew in the event of a flash over or a flare up of fuel materials.
A wide fog pattern can absorb fast moving heat and prevent the firefighters from taking as much of a thermal hit as they would have with out the cooling effect. As applied to Masterstream operations the fog nozzle has a place for cooling exposures (the droplets have less impact and tend to damage property less than a solid stream), dispersing vapour clouds of toxic materials, knocking down fire brands and can, in some cases, be used to suppress the fire and flow foam.
Some firefighters prefer to keep hand attack lines fitted with large volume (200 GPM or more) fog nozzles with solid tips available if needed. The high volume flows accompanied by an aggressive ventilation effort to remove the excess heat and steam produced by the attack have given very good results.
Master streams can be kept with with solid tip nozzles attached, as they are the main suppression punch required in the majority of large fire attack exterior operations. It is very important to keep in mind though that when using either solid or fog stream nozzles, the pump operator must be accurately supplying the nozzle with the correct pressure to meet the required flow for the nozzle to operate correctly and for the Incident Commander's suppression strategy to work.