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"He was a good man, quiet," said one parent, speaking outside the school.What utter nonsense!
"When I told my daughter she said 'no, he can't do something like that.
"I had to go and buy the paper and show her."
The incredibly dangerous implication of, "I had to go and buy the paper and show her", is that the paper might have contained some semblance of truth in it over the last 8 days and that we should all be enlightening our loved ones by jolly well going out, buying a paper, and showing everyone just how the paper says things are.
To assume that the papers have been printing anything with any semblance of truth in them with regard to the events of 7/7 is beyond ridiculous and provably so. Just spend a few minutes reading this blog and see if you don't agree.
It's not just the 'news' papers that are guilty of this mass-deception of the public either. The same is true of almost every single news report on television, on radio, in magazines, on web sites and on just about every blog that has devoted most of its time to regurgitating the same bullshit myths that are inciting fear and racial hatred all around the UK while doing nothing to explain the tragic events of July 7.
All of this incitement to fear and racial hatred (technically illegal) by the mass media is occurring on the basis of evidence of terrorists so overwhelmingly convincing that the Metropolitan Police Commissioner has to retract a statement containing the word 'bombers' immediately that he issues it.
What are we allowing to happen here?
Is opinion, speculation and rumour the function of our national and international news media?
Could it perhaps be that the news media should be doing something a little more constructive like investigating all the anomalies in all the unsubstantiated stories they are recycling, and which always seem to come from un-named 'police sources' or equally anonymous 'security experts'?
Maybe the media should be the ones investigating why the Number 30 bus that exploded had been diverted at the last minute, and one and half hours after disaster on the Underground, from its normal route along Euston Road to end up in Tavistock Square right in front of Fortress GB who now appear to have been part of Peter Power's 1,000 man security rehearsal operation in Central London?
Maybe the media should perhaps even mention that there are some huge anomalies in the story of 7/7 that are hitherto unexplained coherently anywhere other than here?
If the media isn't undertaking useful investigative journalism and asking questions such as this about issues as important as these, The Antagonist would like to suggest that it shuts the fuck up until such time as it has any discernible facts to report. And, no, this doesn't mean that the media should go quiet until it can cobble together a coherent story which doesn't fall apart at the slightest bit of questioning.
This way we can all turn our televisions and radios off, save a whole bundle of increasingly precious energy, and go about getting on with our lives as best we can until such time as there is anything vaguely useful to be learnt from doing otherwise.
For the time that the media isn't reporting facts that aid the enlightenment and understanding of all, we have to ask ourselves quite why they might be trying to confuse us so hysterically with stories that are nothing more than mindless speculation, lies and propaganda.
The Antagonist believes that a news media which serves these misguided purposes is not a news media that serves its viewing, listening and reading public any longer, and that such a media either needs to reform itself radically and start dealing in the business of facts, or we all are forced to assign the same value to the content that we view as the media does to the the content that it produces. Zero.
If anyone's got a problem with this, go and explain quite how you arrived at your errant notions and points of view to Sir Ian Blair who, at the time of writing, didn't want to use the word 'bombers' in relation to what happened on July 7.


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By Peter Hoskin
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It's mornings like this when I think of a conversation I had with a Downing Street adviser at the beginning of this year. We were discussing the prospect of a cut in the 50p tax rate, when he laughed grimly. 'In the face of a Eurozone collapse,' he said, 'even measures such as cutting the 50p rate would be like bringing a peashooter to a gunfight.'
Well, today, with the news being broadcast from Spain and the credit-rating agencies, is seems as though we're staring ever more intently into the face of Eurozone collapse, or at least heightened economic torment. And we all know, by now, the story that tends to follow: economic trauma in Europe bleeds over the Channel to Britain, lowering our growth forecasts and making the task of deficit reduction even more difficult and prolonged. The run-up to the Autumn Statement will no doubt be like the run-up to the Budget. George Osborne will scratch around for growth measures, mindful all the time that he is getting closer to missing his debt and deficit targets.
Which is difficult enough, even if day-to-day politics wasn't to impose itself on Osborne's decision-making. But this is the problem: cutting the 50p tax rate was a great political struggle, both within the Coalition and without. If even more radical measures — such as, say, regionalising the minimum wage; an idea which has been floating around Downing Street for some time — are to be implemented, then than political struggle is only likely to become more bitter. Chalk it up as another reason why Europe could fray the ties that bind the Coalition together.

subset: commoncrawl


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It's Too Yummy Tuesday!
On select Tuesdays I share delicious recipes either inspired by my books or that are just plain delicious!
Summer is here! One of the hallmarks of summer is a vegetable that produces like mad: the humble zucchini. By summer's end you'll be hiding it in sauces, sneaking it into bread, and leaving anonymous bags full on your neighbor's porch.
I love zucchini and eat it year-round, whenever I can find it available. It's quite versatile, but my favorite way to eat it is to sautee it up super fast as a pasta substitute. This is perfect when I'm busy writing and barely want to come up for air, let alone to cook. I frequently tuck it into my lunch when I'm working the day job.
1/4-1/2 onion, diced small
1 handful mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thin
1 zucchini, washed and then cut into thin strips with a vegetable peeler (a spiralizer works too)
salt to taste
garlic powder to taste
a dash of cayenne
Heat oil in fair-sized skillet over medium heat. Saute onions for 1 minute; add mushrooms and cook until they are beginning to reduce in size. Add zucchini and toss/stir until everything is combined. Sautee for a couple of minutes until wilted and soft. (This goes quick thanks to the thin peels.) Season to taste.
For an alternate flavor, sprinkle with Italian seasoning and a bit of Parmesan/Romano/Asiago.
I eat this as a side accompaniment to meat, chicken, etc. You can double/triple the recipe, make narrower peels, and top with a pasta-style sauce as well.
Serves 2. Unless I'm one of the two, in which case I'll eat it all. Ha!


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Regarding your Oct. 20 editorial "The three R's - and character": Although character education in schools can have a tremendous effect on children, morals and values taught in schools will not be remembered or exercised unless they are also taught in homes. The home should be the main center for character education.
I recently graduated from a public high school, and I have witnessed firsthand the neglect of values in my generation. Many teachers possess and exemplify integrity and morality, and thus students pick up some of these behaviors. Nevertheless, after school, several students go to homes where the values their teachers have just displayed are mocked.
If families will sit down each day for a short time and eat dinner together, lines of communication will open. Parents need not lecture their children on values, but as they talk, the topics of conversation will eventually drift to a point where moral teaching can be integrated.
Schools should not have to teach values. Schools should only have to reinforce them.
Meisha McMullin Rexburg, Idaho
Thank you for bringing National Character Counts! Week (Oct. 15-21) to our attention with your editorial on character education in schools.
My children, who are in high school, regularly deal with issues of honesty and lying, have been offered money to falsify sports scores, and have been aware of a student who offered to sell a gun to another student.
Students spend a lot of time at school. All adults who work with students should help them understand that honesty is their biggest asset, now and in the future. Society is built on trust. Every effort by parents and schools to work together on character education will pay off for our society as a whole.
Carla Stillman Clarendon Hills, Ill.
Guatemalan adoptions reviewed unfairly
Your Oct. 17 article "Adoption vs. trafficking in Guatemala" is disturbing. Were you aware that for US parents to adopt a child from Guatemala, DNA testing is required to ensure that the woman relinquishing her parental rights is in fact the mother of the child? That the birth mother is interviewed by a Guatemalan Family Court social worker and must restate her desire to relinquish her rights? And that the birth mother must agree four separate times over the course of four to six months that she indeed desires to relinquish those rights?
I can't say for certain that there are no coerced or illegal adoptions in Guatemala, and that any such adoption should be condemned. However, to paint all adoptions in Guatemala with such a broad brush is simply wrong.
Kathy Eccles Arlington, Mass.
Russian tourism has future
It was with great interest that I read your Oct. 18 article about tourism in Russia ("Roadblocks slow effort to make Russia a tourist mecca").
I have visited Russia four times now, and I agree that it has the potential to be a top tourist destination. Unlike most visitors to Russia, I don't have any Russian ancestry or personal links; I first went simply out of curiosity, and fell in love with the place. I want to urge people to go there.
However, the difficulties in actually going to Russia are immense compared with travel in almost any other European country. The worst part is the visa process, which is slow and inflexible. I feel that if the bureaucracy became more traveler-friendly (e.g., stop visa requirements for European Union/North American visitors at least) this would help the country immensely.
Gillian Gala London
The Monitor welcomes your letters and opinion articles. Due to the volume of mail, we can neither acknowledge nor return unpublished submissions. All submissions are subject to editing. Letters must be signed and include your mailing address and telephone number.
Mail letters to 'Readers Write,' and opinion articles to Opinion Page, One Norway St., Boston, MA 02115, or fax to 617-450-2317, or e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.com
(c) Copyright 2000. The Christian Science Publishing Society


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About our Program
CEA/MNY is proud to offer a Teacher Certification Program (TCP), a uniquely well-rounded, nationally-recognized course that produces instructors who are engaged, informed, and passionate about enriching and improving the experiences of birthing women and their families.
The TCP is a rigorous, part-time program that takes between one and two years to complete. Students work at their own pace with the guidance of a CEA/MNY mentor. Attendance of all CEA/MNY workshops is required for certification--these day-long workshops are held once a month between September and June of each year. You may begin taking CEA/MNY workshops before applying to the program. Any workshops taken in the six months prior to submitting your application will be counted towards certification. Other requirements for certification include touring hospitals and observing births, attending breastfeeding groups and childbirth classes. There is a comprehensive reading list and take-home exam.
Rather than promoting particular methods of giving birth, CEA/MNY instruction provides information on anatomy and physiology of pregnancy, labor and birth, nutrition, obstetric procedures and drugs, as well as breastfeeding and newborn care. CEA/MNY supports childbirth as a normal, natural, physiological process and encourages women to recognize their innate ability to cope with the unique challenges of childbirth.
Upon completion of the program, you will be a Certified Cooperative Childbirth Educator, (CCCE) qualified to work in a variety of settings including education centers, hospitals, birth centers or privately. Some graduates use their certification in conjunction with other advanced degrees, such as midwifery, nutrition, or public health.


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Being a member of the ALBC,we try to live up to their standards of raising livestock that is endangered of being lost to future generations. We chose the animals we did because of that and from their we also tried to choose the livestock that had superior taste. These animals have won numerous tasting contests. We are pleased to make a difference in the future of this country. Raising endangered animal helps to protect them from extinction.
These breeds are designed for a sustainable grass-fed operation. This is the way farms used to raise their livestock. Healthy for them and healthy for you.


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They replaced it with the Gregory Zulu 30.
The Gregory Z30 is a fully featured daypack on the larger side, providing exceptional comfort and versatile load carrying capacity. Very similar in features to the Osprey Stratos 24, the Z30 has a ventilated back panel and a clever pole/ice axe attachment. Unlike the Stratos, the Z30 can hold additional weight comfortably without throwing the weight too far back and putting you off balance. The Z30 also has easier to access pockets for organization. It is more than twice the weight of a pack like the Deuter Speed Lite 20, which is smaller but can carry things lashed to the back. The Z30 is not as convenient for travel as the Patagonia Refugio, but it is one of the most comfortable packs for carrying larger loads while day hiking.


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Tania's Wordshere is an empty shell- a resonant shadow- waiting
Archive for facebook
25 things you may or may not know about me.
I saw that Holly had posted a note on facebook with this in it- I liked it. You are to list any 25 about yourself that you want. I found that the more I listed, the more I really thought about where I am in my life and how I have gotten here. 25 sounds like an easy #, but I found myself struggling by about #15.
1- Despite the fact that I think purple is a little girl's colour, it is my favourite colour. I find this slightly embarrassing.
2- I am a cat person. When I was little and we lived in Mexico City, my mother bred Persian cats. At any given time our house had as many as 16 cats and kittens running around.
3- I am afraid of dogs unless a) they are tiny and b) they don't jump up on you (such as a chow, which doesn't have knees and therefore stays comfortably on its feet most of the time.) No matter how much Dan begs for a lab, I don't think I'll ever be comfortable with getting one.
4- My heroes include Martin Luther Kind Jr. , Abraham Lincoln, Sharon Olds, and my father. Don't worry, there are more. Those just came to mind first.
5- It really irks me when people use religion to judge others. I've seen more judgment coming from professed Christians than anyone else. I was taught that Jesus wants me to have compassion and understanding, and that it is God's job to pass judgments because only he can know the true heart of a man.
6- I've allowed three people in my life to undermine my confidence and self esteem.
7- If I could do anything at all with my life I would a) become a professional student and b) join the peace corps.
8- I don't smoke. I've lost my father, grandmother and uncle to lung cancer in the last three years. I don't think it is ever too late to quit and spare your family. Helping a family member through lung cancer is truly awful.
9- I believe that I've mad a lot of big mistakes in my life, and despite my desire not to make any more, I realize I will. I think everyone makes mistakes big and small, and the most important thing we can do is to learn from them, and forgive ourselves.
10- I was told that I didn't make a good middle school teacher because my expectations for how students should behave were too high. I was praised for being a good middle school teacher because my expectations for what they could learn were very high. I am still puzzled by this.
11- I hate unloading the dishwasher. I will do anything within my power to avoid it. I will even wash an entire load of dishes by hand in order to avoid the dishwasher.
12- My toes are extraordinarily long. My second toe (which is longer than my big toe) is as long as my pinky. I have trouble finding shoes that fit due to my toes. Complete strangers have remarked on how long my toes are before.
13- I am watching the inaugural festivities as I type this. I'll probably cry about four times today. I am inspired and awed by the changes I see taking place. When I was studying for my history degree, I read a study about how when we examine the US from a global perspective, it is considered one of the more deeply divided countries when considering race. Anyone who doesn't think that what is taking place today is a huge historical moment needs to study some American History a little more.
14- my darling son, Parker, is currently fighting his nap. I've had to stop typing three times already to get his pacifier which he keeps spitting out because he knows it will make him sleepy.
15- My favourite CD of all time is The Ugly Organ, by Cursive. It isn't for everyone. In my humble opinion, it is a masterpiece of song writing and music. It won't play in my car though, and I don't know why.
16- I often wish I was taller, or smaller. If I was a few inches shorter, it might be kind of cute. I'd fit in your pocket. If I were taller I'd be able to reach things on top shelves at work. Climbing things to reach some mustard when you are 35lbs over weight isn't graceful.
17- I tried very hard not to gain too much weight when I was pregnant, but failed miserably. Pregnancy was not my favourite thing. I'm not sure I would do it again. If I have the desire later for more children, I think I might want to convince Dan to adopt.
18- I cannot wait to get back to the gym and continue my Couch to 5K workout. I've been looking forward to it since Thursday.
19- I cannot wait to go back to Mexico for some vacation. It might take a few years, but I am determined that I will get there. I will. I will get Sandy there too. I might have to adjust my five year plan (or whatever it was.)
20- I do not like talking on the phone. It makes me sleepy. So does driving in inclement weather and bright sunshine. I love talking face to face, and I love the internet, but the phone is not my thing.
21- I've worked in food service in one capacity or another since I was 17. I know how to do almost any job at Max and Erma's. I loved being the office manager because that job required a lot of problem solving and presented new and changing challenges all the time.
22- I am a pansy. I hate confrontation. I don't like telling people when they have upset me. I will probably talk about something you've done to make me mad with friends behind your back before I will approach you. I know this is awful, and I swear I am trying to change.
23- I was born in Brasil. My father was born in Michigan but was raised in Venezuela. Somehow, his being raised in Venezuela qualifies me as hispanic, but my being born in Brasil does not. I think that no matter what some matrix tells you, you are what you feel in your heart.
24- I am incredibly hard on myself. I was raised in a house with extremely high expectations, and I have carried those into adulthood with me. By my own standards, I am a huge failure and disappointment. It is so hard for me to overcome this feeling of failure in order to move on and succeed (according to my standards of success).
25- The hardest thing I have ever done is tell my father that he was dying and we were no longer chosing to continue treatment, and hearing him tell me that I was killing his hope. I was with my father when he asked that we not continue treatment if it no longer going to help so that he could have some quality of life before death. At the moment when the Dr. told us it was over, I felt as though I had betrayed my whole family by standing firm when they wanted to try any other treatment they could find. I sometimes wonder if that is the last memory he has of me.


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I wish to condemn in the strongest possible terms the leaking of some details of the Commission of Investigation's Report into how allegations of child sexual abuse against priests were handled by the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin and agencies of the State between 1975 and 2004. It is wholly inappropriate that those of us who have worked so hard over the years to ensure that the Government held this Inquiry should now be reading extracts of the Report in a Sunday newspaper before we have even been notified of a date and time for publication.
I am also particularly annoyed as I wrote to Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern TD in July of this year requesting that I be given an embargoed copy of the Report 24 hours before its eventual publication and this request was refused. It is inappropriate that any victim should have been denied this request only to then read details of the Report in today's Sunday Independent.


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Marina Bay Sands Pte Ltd
Singapore, Singapore
Telephone: 65 6305 6900
Marina Bay Sands Pte Ltd is an affiliate of Las Vegas Sands Corp. It is currently developing the integrated resort at the Marina Bay, Singapore. Upon its opening in late 2009, Marina Bay Sands aims to be Southeast Asia's foremost MICE destination, ... more


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Acotec Drug-Coated Balloon CatheterRandomized, Multicenter, Controlled Clinical Study in Femoropopliteal Arteries: Evidence From the AcoArt I Trial
Author + information
- Received May 4, 2016
- Revision received June 6, 2016
- Accepted June 20, 2016
- Published online September 26, 2016.
Author Information
- Xin Jia, MDa,
- Jiwei Zhang, MDb,
- Baixi Zhuang, MDc,
- Weiguo Fu, MDd,
- Danming Wu, MDe,
- Feng Wang, MDf,
- Yu Zhao, MDg,
- Pingfan Guo, MDh,
- Wei Bi, MDi,
- Shenming Wang, MDj and
- Wei Guo, MDa,∗ (pla301dml{at}vip.sina.com)
- aChinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
- bRenji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- cXiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- dZhongshan Hospital Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- eThe People's Hospital of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China
- fThe First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
- gThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- hThe First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
- iThe Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China
- jThe First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- ↵∗Reprint requests and correspondence:
Dr. Wei Guo, Vascular Surgery Department, Fuxing Road 28, Beijing 100853, China.
Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of a new paclitaxel-coated balloon catheter in the treatment of stenotic or occluded femoropopliteal arteries.
Background The incidence of restenosis can be reduced by the use of drug-coated balloons. However, dose, coating composition, and technology are decisive for efficacy.
Methods Two hundred Chinese patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease were prospectively randomized to treatment with new paclitaxel-coated or standard uncoated balloon catheters. The primary endpoint was angiographic late lumen loss at 6 months, measured by a blinded core laboratory. Secondary angiographic endpoints (6 months) and specific clinical endpoints (1 year) were binary restenosis, ankle-brachial index, Rutherford stage, clinically driven target lesion revascularization, and amputation.
Results Patients' mean age was 66 years, 74% were men, 31% were smokers, and 55% had diabetes. Patients were in Rutherford stages 2 through 5, with a mean lesion length of 150 mm; 25% had in-stent restenosis, 55% had occlusion or partial occlusion, and 20% underwent provisional stenting. Late lumen loss at 6 months was available for 89%, and clinical follow-up was available for >95% per group. Mean late lumen loss was 0.05 ± 0.73 mm with coated balloons and 1.15 ± 0.89 mm with uncoated balloons (p < 0.001). Correspondingly, the rates of restenosis were 22.5% and 70.8% (p < 0.001). After 1 year, the rates of target lesion revascularization were 7.2% and 39.6% (p < 0.001), and Rutherford class and ankle-brachial index improved more markedly in the coated group (p < 0.046 and p = 0.023, respectively). One major amputation was recorded in the control group. No coating-related adverse events were observed for doses of up to 43 mg paclitaxel per patient.
Conclusions In this medium-sized trial with long superficial femoral artery lesions, the use of paclitaxel-coated balloon catheters markedly improved angiographic and clinical outcomes of interventions despite advanced disease in the majority of patients.
The treatment of stenotic and occluded arteries by minimally invasive endovascular methods provides fast relief from symptoms with low risk to many patients and contributes to cost reduction. Several methods are available (1), and the choice depends on the patient, the vessel territory, the kind of disease, and physicians' experience and preferences. All interventional endovascular methods cause vessel injury, which may result in neointimal proliferation and restenosis soon after treatment. The use of drug-coated balloons (DCBs) offers a convenient approach for the prophylactic delivery of a high local concentrations of antiproliferative drugs (2), while the overall dose is less than levels that are associated with risk for systemic adverse effects (3). For some products, convincing clinical results have been published (4–8), but further information is desirable. The questions that remain to be answered pertain to the efficacy of some products on the market outside the United States and application modes, as well as the use of DCBs in specific patient populations, vessel territories, and lesion types, including severe disease such as chronic occlusions and long lesions (9–11).
The present study may help advance our understanding of the use of DCBs in femoropopliteal lesions because of its design, the enrollment of a sufficiently large number of patients for subgroup analysis, the high proportion of long lesions and total occlusions, and the specific population.
Study design, data quality, and ethical considerations
The aim of this prospective, multicenter randomized controlled clinical study was to compare the efficacy, safety, and tolerance of paclitaxel-coated balloon catheters with commonly used uncoated balloon catheters in a typical patient population affected by significant peripheral arterial occlusive disease. After passage of the lesion with a guidewire, each patients was randomly assigned (1:1) to treatment with either an Orchid paclitaxel-coated peripheral balloon catheter (Acotec Scientific, Beijing, China) or an Admiral Xtreme peripheral balloon catheter (Medtronic, Minneapolis, Minnesota) by a central randomization computer system. The Orchid DCB is coated with paclitaxel (3 μg/mm2), and magnesium stearate is used as a carrier. Magnesium stearate displays lubricant activity at very low content of the composition. This carrier can reduce friction and minimize drug loss during insertion and transit to the target area.
Patients were treated according to the standardized study protocol and followed up with interim clinical examinations for 12 months. The primary endpoint was late lumen loss (LLL) in the treated vessel segment after 6 months, or earlier in case of clinically required target vessel revascularization.
Because of the difference in appearance and packaging between the test and control products, a complete double-blind design could not be achieved. However, angiographic parameters, including the primary efficacy endpoint, were evaluated by the quantitative angiography center at the Chinese PLA General Hospital Vascular Center, which was blinded to the treatment performed in the individual patients (DCBs vs. uncoated balloons).
The software used for measurement was the QVA system (Pie Medical Imaging, Maastricht, the Netherlands). Videos from each study site were identified by random numbers. Trial monitoring was performed by Beijing Bionovo Pharmaceutical Technology Development, and data management and statistical analysis of the trial were performed by the Medical Research & Biometrics Center, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, China.
The trial was conducted in conformity with the Declaration of Helsinki and the provisions for the conduct of clinical trials of medical devices issued by the China Food and Drug Administration. The study was approved by the Chinese PLA General Hospital Ethics Committee and the local ethics committees of participating hospitals. Patients were informed about the purpose, treatment, and conduct of the study and their right to withdraw their consent at any time. Patients were enrolled after providing written informed consent.
Patients, treatment, and follow-up
Adult patients could participate in the study if they provided written informed consent; if they had significant claudication, rest pain, or ischemic lesions typical of Rutherford stages 2 to 5; if they had severe (≥70%) stenosis or total occlusion in the superficial femoral artery or popliteal artery; if the total lesion length did not surpass 40 cm; and if inflow lesions, if any, were successfully treated. Exclusion criteria were intervention of lesions beyond single superficial femoral artery at the same time; significant renal insufficiency (creatine level >150 μmol/l); acute thrombosis; complete lack of runoff vessels; and relevant safety issues, such as pregnancy or lactation, life expectancy <2 years, and allergy to aspirin, heparin, clopidogrel, paclitaxel, or contrast agent.
Antiplatelet therapy with 75 mg/day clopidogrel and 100 mg/day aspirin was started 3 days before the intervention. The heparin dose during the intervention was 0.5 to 0.6 mg/kg body weight and, if required, an additional half dose after 2 h. After passage of the lesion with the guidewire, patients were randomized to 1 of the treatment groups. Except for the use of uncoated versus paclitaxel-coated catheters, treatment in both groups was basically identical. Pre-dilation of the lesion with uncoated balloon catheters was not mandatory but recommended. The length of the balloon had to be sufficient to cover at least 1 cm distal and proximal to the lesion. If the lesion length (plus 2 cm) surpassed the balloon length, an overlap of 1 cm between balloon-treated segments was recommended. As well, 30 to 60 s of inflation time was recommended. Post-dilation as well as the implantation of self-expanding stents was allowed in case of an unsatisfactory primary result or flow-limiting dissection. In addition to angiograms of the treated vessel segment before and after treatment, radiographs showing the inflated balloons in at least 2 orthogonal views were documented. Post-procedural therapy included aspirin and clopidogrel for 6 months.
Clinical examinations were performed before the intervention, before discharge from the hospital, 12 weeks after the procedure, and at 6 and 12 months. A control angiographic study was scheduled at 6 months (20 to 36 weeks after the index procedure). Used balloon catheters were collected and analyzed for residual paclitaxel using high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (2).
The primary endpoint was LLL, defined as the difference between the minimal luminal diameter after the procedure and at 6-month follow-up angiography or at the time of clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TLR).
Secondary efficacy endpoints were angiographic indicators of restenosis of the treated lesion, such as minimum luminal diameter and restenosis rate of the target lesion (stenosis ≥50% of reference diameter) and clinical indicators such as clinically driven TLR, changes in Rutherford classification and ankle-brachial index (ABI), and major amputation of the treated leg. At 12-month follow-up, primary patency, defined as freedom from TLR and restenosis as determined by Doppler ultrasound peak systolic velocity ratio ≤2.4, was recorded.
Safety evaluation included adverse events, such as thrombosis, allergy, and bleeding, occurring during and after the intervention and before discharge, clinically significant changes in laboratory test results, and major adverse events, such as all-cause death and major amputation of the target limb.
Statistical analysis
Analysis of the data for all endpoints was performed for the per protocol population. Continuous variables are expressed as mean ± SD. Categorical variables are expressed as frequencies or ratios. Normally distributed continuous variables were compared by using 2-sided Student t tests, and continuous variables not normally distributed were compared by using the Wilcoxon rank test. Categorical variables were compared using the 2-sided likelihood ratio chi-square test or Fisher exact test. For the intergroup comparison of the primary endpoint, the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel chi-square test with the central effect adjusted was used. The McNemar test was used for the intragroup comparison of categorical data, the paired Student t test was used for intragroup comparison of normally distributed continuous data, and the Wilcoxon signed rank test was used for intragroup comparison of continuous data that were not normally distributed.
All statistical analysis were performed at a 2-sided significance level of 0.05. The statistical analysis software used was SAS version 9.4 (SAS Institute, Cary, North Carolina).
Overall, 200 patients were enrolled between April 2013 and June 2014 in random order at 10 clinical sites: 100 patients each in the control arm of the study treated with conventional uncoated balloon catheters and in the investigational arm treated with a similar paclitaxel-coated balloon catheter (Figure 1). Patient populations in the 2 groups were very similar, with no statistically significant differences (Table 1). In both groups, more than 50% of patients had diabetes, 40% were classified in Rutherford stage 4 or 5, 25% had involvement of the popliteal artery, and 25% underwent the intervention for treatment of in-stent restenosis. The mean lesion length was 152 ± 109 mm in the control group and 147 ± 110 mm in the DCB group (p = 0.78). Within the scope of the study, only 1 lesion per patient was treated. Balloon diameters ranged from 3 to 6 mm, the length of the uncoated Admiral balloons ranged from 20 to 150 mm, and the length of the drug-coated Orchid balloons ranged from 40 to 300 mm. If the treated vessel segment surpassed the length of a single DCB, a second catheter had to be used. Therefore, in many patients, more than 1 coated balloon was used. All but 2 patients in the control arm (uncoated balloon from a different manufacturer) were treated according to the protocol. In more than 80% of patients, crossover access was chosen (Table 2), and in >90% of patients, stenotic or occluded segments were pre-dilated. In 52% of patients in the control group and 54% in the DCB group, total occlusions were treated. No device failures were observed. Stents were implanted in 21% and 19% of patients, respectively. Still, residual stenosis of 35% in the control group and 33% in the DCB-treated patients was observed.
Patients with lesion lengths up to 40 cm were treated with up to 4 coated balloons per lesion. The mean paclitaxel dose per patient was 13 mg, and the highest dose was 43 mg. Mean residual paclitaxel on balloons after deployment was 11.4 ± 5.8% of the original dose.
A total of 36 adverse events from intervention to discharge from the hospital after treatment were reported, none serious, and the majority of events were judged to be unrelated to the specific treatment. Adverse events were randomly distributed between patients treated with the uncoated (n = 22) and coated (n = 14) balloon catheters and ranged from reactions to contrast medium administration to hemorrhage at the puncture site. The most frequent events were unrelated common infections. Although in some patients various hematologic abnormalities were observed, there were no changes suggesting myelosuppression, which is known to be associated with high-dose paclitaxel treatment in patients with tumors.
During the period between treatment and 6-month follow-up, 2 patients in each treatment group died of causes unrelated to peripheral arterial occlusive disease (Figure 1, Table 3); 1 patient in the DCB group died shortly after the 6-month angiographic control, but the death was reported at 6 months. Two patients in the control group were excluded because of treatment with nonassigned balloon, and 1 patient in the DCB group was lost to follow-up after 6 months. In each group (control and DCB), 89% of patients underwent angiographic follow-up, allowing LLL measurement at 6 months, and for 99% and 98% of patients, respectively, clinical information was available.
Overall, patients treated with the paclitaxel-coated balloons had clearly better angiographic and clinical outcomes up to 6-month follow-up (Figure 2). The primary endpoint of the study, LLL, averaged 0.05 ± 0.73 mm in the DCB group compared with 1.15 ± 0.89 mm in the control group. Binary restenosis rates were 22.5% and 70.8%, respectively. The TLR rate mirrored LLL: 6.1% of patients in the DCB group required repeat treatment of the target lesion compared with 38.8% in the control group. Corresponding statistically significant differences were found for minimal luminal diameter after 6 months or at the time of reintervention. Of concern, vascular positive remodeling was seen in both arms on the basis of a distribution analysis of LLL (Figure 3), in which the value of LLL was negative, and this finding was more frequent in the DCB group.
Clinical outcomes at 6 months were more favorable in patients treated with paclitaxel-coated balloons. Rutherford class was significantly lower in these patients (p < 0.001). The proportion of patients whose Rutherford class improved was 79% in the coated-balloon group and 57% in the uncoated-balloon group (p < 0.01). ABI was higher in patients treated with coated balloons (p < 0.001), and the improvement over baseline ABI was greater (p < 0.001) than in the patients treated with uncoated balloons. In addition, the difference between the treatment groups with regard to the incidence of clinically driven TLR was statistically highly significant in favor of patients treated with coated balloon catheters (6 of 99 patients vs. 38 of 98 patients, p < 0.001). It is interesting that 6 patients in the control group had TLR before 6-month control angiography compared with 1 patient in the group treated with the DCB.
Subgroup analysis was performed for sex, diabetes, lesion length, total occlusions, and treatment of in-stent restenosis (Table 4). The number of patients per subgroup ranged from 20 to 51. In each of the subgroups, LLL following treatment with DCBs was significantly less than LLL following treatment with conventional balloons (p < 0.001).
No difference was found between the two treatments in terms of safety, defined as the occurrence of major adverse events, both for the sum of death from any cause and major amputation of the treated leg taken together and for each parameter separately (Table 3). Neither clinical chemistry nor hematology revealed a difference between treatment groups. Adverse events were either unrelated to the treatment or known and pre-defined risks of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, such as bleeding at the puncture site or deposition of thrombotic material in patients not responding to anticoagulant agents.
Twelve-month results did not indicate much change (Table 2). The difference in TLR between patients treated with drug- coated balloons and those treated with conventional uncoated balloons remained almost unchanged. Primary patency, Rutherford class, and ABI all indicated statistically better outcomes for patients treated with the coated balloons.
Drug coating of medical devices has significantly improved long-term outcomes of angioplasty in several vessel territories (12–14), while improvement in others is under debate (15,16). However, devices and their coatings differ from one another. Whereas large controlled trials have become the standard when investigating coronary interventions, sufficiently large, prospective multicenter randomized studies indicating angiographic as well as clinical benefits in a relevant patient population are still scarce for other vessel territories and have only recently been published (17,18). In these larger trials, primary endpoints were measured by Doppler ultrasound, which is less precise than the angiographic control used in smaller trials.
The present study, in which we investigated a new paclitaxel-coated balloon catheter in femoropopliteal lesions, is unique in that it meets the aforementioned criteria with regard to study design and enrolled a patient population that comes closer to clinical practice than that of any comparable study conducted before: approximately 40% of the patients had advanced disease corresponding to Rutherford class 4 or 5, a quarter of the patients had popliteal involvement, more than 50% of lesions were chronic total occlusions, and the mean lesion length was 15 cm, longer than in any comparable trial.
The paclitaxel dose on the balloons was 3 μg/mm2 balloon surface, close or identical to other coatings for which satisfactory efficacy has been shown in randomized trials. Furthermore, a wide range of investigational balloon lengths of up to 30 cm was available for the trial, reducing the need for overlapping and the risk for untreated gaps between balloons. Treatment was the same as in clinical practice, with the possible exception of the initial inflation time, which was approximately 3 min in both treatment groups. Pre-dilation was not mandatory but was performed in more than 90% of procedures. The study protocol also allowed post-dilation with prolonged inflation time as well as provisional stenting when flow-limiting dissection occurred or residual stenosis was unacceptably high.
Provisional stenting was performed in 20% of cases, which differs from the LEVANT (Lutonix Paclitaxel-Coated Balloon for the Prevention of Femoropopliteal Restenosis) 2 study, in which patients with flow-limiting dissection or clinically significant residual stenosis were excluded from randomization (19), and from the IN.PACT SFA (Randomized Trial of IN.PACT Admiral Drug-Eluting Balloon vs. Standard Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty for the Treatment of Atherosclerotic Lesions in the Superficial Femoral Artery and/or Proximal Popliteal Artery) (17) and THUNDER (Local Taxane With Short Exposure for Reduction of Restenosis in Distal Arteries) (19) studies, with about 10% stenting in each. A reason for the higher stenting rate may be the longer target lesion length and the high percentage of total occlusions in the present study.
Vascular positive remodeling was found in both groups, especially in the DCB group, which is similar in the PACIFIER (Paclitaxel-Coated Balloons in Femoral Indication to Defeat Restenosis) study (2). Positive remodeling is a typical phenomenon for vessel compensatory response to injury caused by the balloon dilation, potentially resulting in mild luminal enlargement. It is caused by the disruption of the diseased intima-media complex during balloon dilation, followed by a vascular healing process. In patients treated with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, the luminal gain achieved by positive remodeling is frequently minimized by neointimal proliferation. Therefore, LLL values are typically positive, indicating net lumen loss. Negative LLL values corresponding to a net luminal gain are rarely observed in percutaneous transluminal angioplasty arms. In patients treated with DCB, the paclitaxel effect of inhibiting the proliferation of smooth muscle cells effectively reduces this lumen loss because of neointimal proliferation. Consequently, we found more patients with a net luminal gain in the DCB arm, which underlines the treatment effect of the coating.
The 6-month safety and efficacy results indicate a substantial beneficial effect of the coating: as in other trials of paclitaxel-coated balloon catheters in the superficial femoral artery, there was no difference in safety compared with uncoated balloon catheters. Local administration of paclitaxel inhibits neointimal proliferation, which was convincingly shown in the 6-month angiographic control by reduced LLL as the primary endpoint and increased minimal luminal diameter, reduced binary restenosis rate, and increased primary patency. The biological effect displayed on radiography translates into equally significant improvements in Rutherford class and ABI and a largely reduced need for repeat TLR.
Study limitations
Like every clinical trial, this study had limitations. The most significant limitation is the problem of blinding. In this study, the mode of randomization precluded the selection of patients according to treatment arm. However, as in other trials of DCBs, the coating is visible. Although follow-up was not necessarily done by the physician who treated the patient, no specific measures were taken to blind the person who performed repeat angiography, made the decision about TLR, or reported other efficacy parameters and adverse events, whereas quantitative evaluation of the angiograms was performed by a core laboratory blinded to the type of treatment the patients had received.
In the recent discussion of potential bias regarding the decision to perform TLR, the ratio of TLR to binary restenosis rate has been brought up. In this trial, the ratio was 6 TLRs to 20 binary restenoses in the DCB group and 38 TLRs to 63 binary restenoses in the control arm. Taking the distribution of LLL into account, this is an expected ratio, because more of the restenoses in the control group were of higher grades, whereas a higher proportion of the binary restenoses in the coated-balloon group were closer to the 50% stenosis limit (Table 2) and did not necessarily require revascularization.
The present study demonstrates the effective inhibition of restenosis following angioplasty with paclitaxel-coated balloons in a broad range of patients and lesions, with no recognizable adverse effects.
WHAT IS KNOWN? The use of DCBs for femoropopliteal occlusive disease is associated with significant reductions in late restenosis, and the coating technology is decisive.
WHAT IS NEW? This study has verified that a new paclitaxel-coated balloon can markedly improve angiographic and clinical outcomes despite advanced diseases in the majority of investigated subjects.
WHAT IS NEXT? Real-world clinical trials of the new DCB are needed to confirm the outcomes.
This study was supported by an unrestricted grant from Acotec. All authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose. Drs. Jia, Zhang, and Zhuang contributed equally to this work. Drs. Guo and Fu have overall responsibility.
- Abbreviations and Acronyms
- ankle-brachial index
- drug-coated balloon
- late lumen loss
- target lesion revascularization
- Received May 4, 2016.
- Revision received June 6, 2016.
- Accepted June 20, 2016.
- American College of Cardiology Foundation
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- Rogers J.H.,
- John R.,
- Laird J.R.
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- Scheller B.,
- Speck U.,
- Abramjuk C.,
- Bernhardt U.,
- Böhm M.,
- Nickenig G.
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- Freyhardt P.,
- Zeller T.,
- Kröncke T.J.,
- et al.
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- Werk M.,
- Albrecht T.,
- Meyer R.-D.,
- et al.
- Scheinert D.,
- Duda S.,
- Zeller T.,
- et al.
- Scheinert D.,
- Schulte K.-L.,
- Zeller T.,
- Lammer J.,
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- Liistro F.
- Laird J.R.,
- Schneider P.D.
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- Scheinert D.
- Jaff M.R.
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- Stabile E.,
- Virga V.,
- Salemme L.,
- et al.
- Fanelli F.,
- Cannavale A.,
- Boatta E.,
- et al.
- Katsanos K.,
- Karnabatidis D.,
- Kitrou P.,
- et al.
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- Liistro F.,
- Porto I.,
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- et al.
- Zeller T.,
- Baumgartner I.,
- Scheinert D.,
- et al.
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- Tepe G.,
- Laird J.,
- Schneider P.,
- et al.
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We've been discussing the myth that simply increasing R&D funding will propel an organization from innovation collapse to innovation crescendo. I call it the "Let's throw money at R&D" solution.
However, as discussed in my previous post, studies reveal such an approach seldom works1. In that post I explored the types of R&D spending that make sense, focusing primarily on investing in R&D "organizational infrastructure" before investing in innovation spending and R&D project execution. We looked at investing to improve efficiency and create capacity through maintaining and developing the R&D culture, the alignment of the company's innovation strategy with the corporate strategy, the structure of the R&D organization, the NPD governance system and the R&D processes.
Here I focus on the role of investing in talent as you move from innovation collapse to innovation crescendo.
In my experience within the industry, I rarely came across a situation where a really good idea wasn't funded or where vitally needed equipment wasn't funded because of lack of budget. What was more of a problem was not being able to add headcount or reorganizing R&D optimally to reduce the size of some groups and increase the size of others in response to new project requirements and changes in the portfolio. It was always easier to get more operational budget money than to get additional headcount. While it appears that merely increasing R&D project spending is rarely a successful solution for growth, focusing on R&D talent and improving the talent base in R&D on the other hand is often overlooked, but is a critical, key component for innovation crescendo and hence growth.
Getting the "right" people in R&D is extremely difficult. While organizational infrastructure can foster an environment for innovation I believe there are "innovative" qualities that individuals bring to R&D that contribute to an innovation crescendo. The difficulty is identifying those qualities beyond the old stand-by of "I'll know it when I see it."
Creative Innovators + Adaptive Innovators = R&D TALENT
I believe in hiring a mix of people ranging from "creative innovators" to "adaptive innovators" as described by Susan Robertson2 … think of "Leonardo da Vinci" types of people as "creative innovators" and "Thomas Edison" types as "adaptive innovators". Leonardo da Vinci generated a vast number of ideas in many different fields, some centuries ahead of his time, but few of them were executed in his time. Edison, on the other hand, did not conceptualize the ideas in many of his patents, but refined and modified them until he produced practical products that consumers wanted. Both types of innovators are essential for a good innovation culture.
Steve Jobs famously wanted to hire only "A" people in his organization and would rate employees as either "great" or "bozos". He also said that "Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have". The implication of Steve Job's comments is that getting the right people, empowering them and having the right organization to execute projects is more important than the level of R&D spending alone.
How you test for "innovative" qualities in your hiring process is also difficult. In some industries you will be able to go to open innovation sites and check out ideas, work etc. In science you will be able to check patent authorship, publications and conference presentations, etc. In the technology area, an enthusiastic programmer may bring examples of their work that they can show. And sometimes it's a simple "gut check" response, based on the projected passion of the applicant. I would be interested to hear your suggestions and experience in this area.
- See my previous post, "Investing for Innovation Crescendo Part 1: Improving Organizational Infrastructure"
- http://www.ideastogo.com/find-your-hidden-innovators?mgs1=f7659AaNRl
Images obtained from Google
© Dennis Nelson 2013


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If, like me, you have been enjoying Joanna Lumley's recent television series and fascinated by the wonders of the countries she visited on her journey along the Great Silk Route's Path across Central Asia, then you too can experience a section of her journey as our Travel Partner, Saga, has an Escorted Tour to Uzbekistan: Heart of the Silk Route.
Uzbekistan is an extraordinary country where you will step into another world exploring the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Khiva, Bukhara, Somarkand and Shakhrisabz. Embark on Saga's 10 night eastern adventure to these exotic cities on historic crossroads, across a landscape where little has changed since the days of Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great and where towering minarets, glazed arches and gleaming turquoise domes etch the skyline
Your experience commences with Saga's included UK VIP door-to-door travel service to the airport from where you will fly overnight to Tashkent. The following day you will fly to Urgench before transferring to Khiva.
Once the last resting post for merchants preparing to tackle the desert sands en route to Persia, Khiva's inner fortress, Itchan Kala is protected by brick walls some 10 metres high. Although few very old monuments still remain it still remains an architectural treasure trove of carefully restored mud-walled monuments and is a coherent and well-preserved example of the Muslim architecture of Central Asia. There are several outstanding structures such as the Djuma Mosque, the Ismail Khodja Mausoleum, the 16th-century Kunya-Ark Castle and 19th-century Muhammed Amin Khan Madrassah.
Travelling on across the Kyzyl-Kum or Red Desert, a route that once took camel caravans laden down with silk, spices and other exotic goods a month to make, you will arrive at Bukhara, one of the best examples of a medieval city in Central Asia, a centre of trade and education for more than 2,000 years and central Asia's holiest city. Its buildings span a thousand years of history and the old, lived in centre hasn't changed too much in two centuries still giving the best glimpse of pre-Russian Turkestan.
Most of the centre is an architectural preserve, full of medressas and minarets, a massive royal fortress, the 10th-century Samanids Mausoleum, the remnants of a once-vast market complex and the 15th to 16th-century domed bazaars where merchants still ply their trade
Travel beyond the heart of the city to the magnificent 16th to 19th-century Naqshbandi Mausoleum, built for the founder of the Naqshbandi Sufi order with its beautiful blue-glazed tiles adorning the facade of this domed, multi-arched masterpiece. Also visit the summer residence of the last Emir of Bukhara, Sitorai-Mokhi-Hossa, a reminder of Uzbekistan's era of Russian rule.
The next visit is to Samarkand where you will visit the Afrosiyab Museum located at the historical site of Afrasiyab, one of the largest archaeological sites in the world and the ancient city that was destroyed by the Mongols in the early 13th century. Admire the colourful mosaics, blue domes and lofty arches of Registan Square, this grand plaza is bordered on three sides by a group of splendid structures spanning the 14th to 16th centuries, built by the Timurid dynasty.
Prospering from its location on the Silk Road between China and the Mediterranean at times it was one of the greatest cities of Central Asia and by the time of the Achaemenid Empire of Persia, it was the capital of the Sogdian satrapy and is also noted for being an Islamic centre for scholarly studies.
Travel on to the penultimate visit through the Tahta-Pass to Shakhrisabz to discover 14th to 15th-century Timurid mosques, mausoleums and the ruined gateway of Ak-Saray Palace. Shakhrisabz is one of the most beautiful and colourful Uzbekistan cities, which is located 80 km south of Samarkand, beyond the alpine pass of Takhta-Karacha and whatever time you visit you will discover the beauty of this great, green garden.
Its well-groomed modern appearance making it difficult to believe that this city is 2700 years old, formerly the capital of the ancient state of Sogd it had the name of Kesh and was the famous centre of culture, trade and handicrafts. In 329 BC Alexander the Great conquered the city which was the beginning of the cult of the Greek gods and the Hellenistic culture appearing there. Over the centuries Shakhrisabz was under the reign of various dynasties and in the 8th century it was the centre of anti-Arab and anti-Islam rebellion.
The final journey is the two-hour Afrosiab high-speed train journey to Tashkent where you will explore the modern city and visit the Museum of History, the Museum of Applied Art and the Khast-Imam complex before your return flight to the UK on the following day and your included UK door-to-door travel service home
Tailor Made Travel can fulfil your dreams and aspirations so contact us for help in planning your Silk Route Escorted Tour with our Travel Partner, Saga.
Call 0333 3441786 or visit your local Tailor Made Travel agency – for telephone numbers and addresses of our branches please see our website.
Don't forget without a Travel Agent you are on your own.
Images and some content supplied by Saga
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Terms & conditions apply.
Tailor Made Travel Ltd act as Agents on behalf of Saga (Atol No.0308)


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Blemish is another problem that we encountered for a long time. Even though many expensive methods are being sought, the end result may not be what we expect. Today, we have put together a few articles near the lime that are used to treat blemishes because they are both easy to find and available for use every season as well. Here are 7 ways to safely treat blemishes with lemon. What are some. Let's see.
- Very basic with applying or slice the lemon into pieces, put on the face with the blemish. Do 3-4 times a week for about 1 month, then see results.
- Self-made mask 1 by mixing lemon and honey with a 1: 1 ratio. In addition to reducing blemishes, it can also reduce scars and acne. Just leave it on the face for 10-15 minutes before rinsing off. Not long after that it became effective. Importantly, can also be done often.
- Self-made mask 2 by using lemon juice Orange juice and yogurt mixed in equal proportions. This formula focuses on nourishment rather than wound healing. Formula 1 formula. The method of use is the same. Just don't forget to wash it out, otherwise the ant will definitely come.
- Lemon juice and chalk Another formula that should be called a mask. Especially chalk, which is based on the maintenance and treatment of various marks on the surface already well. Using lemon juice also makes skin toning more effective.
- Easy scrub with salt Olive oil and lemon Of course, lemons are still the stand for toning the skin. But salt will help kill bacteria and exfoliate dead skin cells While olive oil helps to retain moisture on the skin as well
- Blending lemon into skin cream Currently, creams are produced in which we can select the desired substance to increase efficiency. Although the price is not expensive, but must order from abroad Or only buy by the brand in the mall at this time
- Lemon and Aloe Vera These two things are a good way to blend together before leaving the mask. The main effect is to tone the skin, increase moisture and reduce various wounds. Leave it on until it is tight before washing it off. But the important thing is that aloe vera has to be washed completely before using it. To prevent irritation
Not difficult at all, right? With lemon treatment Therefore, for anyone who has a lot of heart problems Try these methods together. Guarantee that the blemish is completely he wished Also being gentle on the skin and 100% safe as well
Safely Treat Blemishes Lemons


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The Hydran 201Ti is a small on-line early warning transmitter. It is permanently mounted on the transformer and will provide personnel with a single reading in ppm of a composite value of various fault gases to alert them to a potential issue.
This value can be downloaded and alarms can be set at pre-determined levels to alert personnel and enable monitoring of the developing fault condition.
- Small and medium sized transformers.
- Lower risk and/or consequence of failure.
- Ideal for Transmission transformers.
- Much better than relying on manual oil sampling.
- Real-time single composite fault-gas measurement system.
- Local and remote alarms set at pre defined levels or on rate of change.
- Remote visibility of the gas reading and trend via serial port communication.
- Easy to install on a single valve.
- No moving parts, no pumps and no extra piping required.
- No field calibration required.
- Composite gas sensor which responds 100%
- to Hydrogen(general fault gas) and is sensitive
- to Carbon Dioxide (overheated paper insulation).
- LCD display.
- RS-485 connection as standard.
- Modbus or Hydran protocols available.
- Vacuum-resistant gas extraction membrane.
- Full system self test and self-diagnostics.
- User-friendly client/server graphical user interface software (GUI).
- Local logging of data and significant events for up to a year.


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Shortage of masks preventing approximately 30 Ottawa paramedics from working with patients
OTTAWA -- Nearly three dozen Ottawa paramedics have been reassigned to duties that don't involve patient care because the City can't get enough properly fitting masks for them.
General Manager of Emergency and Protective Services Anthony Di Monte told reporters on Friday all paramedics are equipped with N95 masks--even before the COVID-19 pandemic--but each mask must be fit-tested and there are some members who can't use the standard model.
"It has to fit your particular face and seal appropriately," Di Monte said. "We always have, because the physiology of each of us is different, a certain number of people that can't get a complete fit and there's approximately 30 of our 700 paramedics who have to use a different one."
Di Monte said the vast majority of paramedics use the 3M 1805 model. The ones who can't use the 1805 have to use the 3M 1870+ model mask; however, the 1870+ is produced in smaller quantities and has become harder to obtain because of the pandemic.
"I heard a physician give an example this morning: if you have size 14 feet, it's difficult to find those kinds of shoes. The same with these masks," he said. "We don't have 'em."
Di Monte said, as soon as they realized they were running out of the masks, the service began looking at other options such as encapsulated respirators, but that requires different training to ensure each paramedic uses the new masks properly.
"In the interim, those 30 paramedics are assigned to other functions because they can't do patient care functions or we'd be putting them at risk," he said. "We're continuing to work to try to get the ones that they would require, but we're not waiting for that to happen in the market. They'll get training for full-face respirators and then they'll be able to return to patient-care activities.
The encapsulated respirators, also known as Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPR), are full-face covering masks with hoods that connected to a battery-powered air purifier.


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The annual Customer Engagement Summit returns on 13th November at the Westminster Plaza Hotel in London, now firmly established as Europe's premier and most highly regarded customer engagement conference.
Speakers will share their ideas and experiences and discuss a range of key topics including:
- Customer Engagement Transformation Part One & Two
- CX Strategies For The Customer Journey
- Customer Engagement In Financial Services Part One & Two
- Artificial Intelligence And Robotics
- Customer Engagement In Retail Part One & Two
- Engaging With The Digital Customer Across The Enterprise
To plan your day or find out more about the event view the agenda and follow the event on twitter @EngageCustomer
Keynote speakers on the day include Seth Ellison from Levi Strauss and John Upton from Leon and other sectors represented through the rest of the speaking panel include financial services, the third sector, utilities and travel and leisure.
KCOM's Darryl Beckford will be presenting a session discussing "CX service design – evolution or revolution?" so come and join the debate with us on stand 7 in the exhibition area. You can meet our experts and explore how we could help you to make informed decisions and chose the best approach for your business when it comes to designing your 'perfect' customer experience.
If you are unable to attend and want to know more you can get in touch using the form below.


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Check out this short video from Focusrite, which helps describe what the VRM Box can do in a rather unique and comedic way!
The Focusrite VRM Box allows you to monitor your mixes in your headphones, as if you were listening back to them through a pair of speakers in front of you! What's more is that you can choose from a variety of different speakers to monitor through, and you can also select what environment you want to monitor in (untreated room, home studio or professional recording studio), allowing you to get the perfect mix every time, without having to spend a fortune on equipment!


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Home > NRC Library > Document Collections > Generic Communications > Generic Letters > 1981 > GL81023
INPO Plant Specific Evaluation Reports (Generic Letter No. 81-23)
UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555 June 4, 1981 TO ALL PLANTS WITH AN OPERATING LICENSE OR A CONSTRUCTION PERMIT (Generic Letter No. 81-23) Gentlemen: Because of tinued interest by the ACRS and NRC staff management in the plant specific evaluation reports issued by the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) we requested that a copy of any such report issued for your Station be placed on your docket. Please submit the reports through normal docketing channels. The staff must be familiar with these reports in order for us to be responsive in appearances before the ACRS and in our obligations to answer questions fully when requests from the public are received. We have already found the Crystal River 3 Evaluation Report very informative. It was issued in April 1981 and a copy was hand delivered to us by Florida Power Corporation management following a recent ACRS Subcommittee meeting. Sincerely, Darrell G. Eisenhut, Director Division of Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regualtion ccs: Mr. E. P. Wilkinson President and Chief Executive Officer Institute of Nuclear Power Operations 1820 Water Place Atlanta, Georgia 30339
Page Last Reviewed/Updated Friday, May 22, 2015


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To pledge, or not to pledge
At many universities, the question is unavoidable. If your friends and fellow students are joining fraternities and sororities, you might reach a point where you too have to decide if you want to join in. To that end, here are the pros and cons of Greek life:
The pros:
1. Social benefit
Developing a steady social life and strong friendships is an inherent part of Greek life. In addition to your own brothers or sisters, you'll meet and converse with members of other fraternities and sororities at mixers and other social events.
2. Professional benefit
The connections made in Greek life are not necessarily limited to current members. Since you have entered a national brotherhood or sisterhood, you develop a social tie to anyone who has ever been in your fraternity or sorority throughout the U.S. This can serve as a great foot in the door when searching for a job.
The cons:
1. Time commitment
From initial pledging requirements to the various events that are held by your potential frat or sorority, there is a substantial time commitment to pledging. If you love your frat/sorority, this shouldn't be a problem, but if you hope to vastly diversify your social life, you might want to reconsider pledging.
2. Possibility of hazing
Hazing is the ritualistic initiation of new members. The rituals are sometimes unpleasant. Although it is against school code and not every fraternity/sorority does it, many continue to haze. If you are worried about hazing but still want to join a fraternity or sorority, do some research and try to figure out if the particular brotherhood or sisterhood you are interested in participates in hazing.
Although Greek life can be an amazing social entry point to a school and possibly even a future career, it is not for everyone. There are many other ways to diversify your social life and plenty of other students who are seeking friendships outside the world of Greek life. In the end the decision should be based on your personal preferences, interests and goals.


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It's hard to imagine the likes of Jennifer Lopez shunning makeup, VIP status and creature comforts for a punishing triathlon, but to J Lo's credit the 39-year-old completed the Nautica Malibu Triathlon yesterday raising over $100,000 for charity.
"Thank you guys so much," she told the crowd just moments after crossing the finish line, "This is an amazing day. I feel really great and so glad I finished and that I made it out of the water but more amazing than that, I feel really great that we raised $127,000 for the Children's Hospital (of Los Angeles) and hopefully it'll go to good use," After finishing, Lopez joined her family and Matthew McConaughey, who came in before her, in the VIP area.
Lopez was inspired to run a triathlon whilst eight months pregnant with twins Max and Emme, who were born in February. "I was beached like a whale," she said on ABC's Good Morning America last month, "I was watching TV, and I saw a triathlon and I said, 'You know what? I think I could do that, that would be great for me to do. Maybe I'll do it this year!'"


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Training, Consultancy & Resources
Recovery Cymru offers a range of training and consultancy packages to support your organisation. Our packages are based upon over seven years of experience in developing and delivering:
- a grass roots recovery community organisation
- peer -led recovery programmes
- training packages for staff and service users across Wales, primarily in partnership with NewLink Wales, a leading training provider in Wales
- co-writing the Recovery Framework for Wales which describes the best practice approach to running recovery oriented services and systems in Wales
- co-writing a peer audit tool for peer involvement in service evaluation
- service user consultations
Select from a range of training programmes. These can be delivered 'in house' in your area or spaces can be spot purchased periodically.
Our main training programmes are:
- Embracing recovery
- Recovery Framework for Wales training in partnership with New Link Wales
- Training in service user involvement including a specific peer audit tool to be used in service evaluation in partnership with New Link Wales
Recovery resources
We offer a range of recovery resources and accompanying training or guidance documents to offer you genuinely member-led programmes within your organisation or group. These have been developed with the recovery community, written by experienced programme writers and piloted within the recovery community environment. Changes have been made and resources updated based on peer feedback from individuals and other organisations.
These include:
- Running peer led recovery groups –the principles of running peer led groups and guidance to run support groups, weekend preparation, and weekend reflection.
- Educational self-help A5 workbook which covers a number of topics including: goal setting, recovery capital, irrational thinking, managing relapses and a copy of a relaxation CD designed for individuals' to practice with at home
- Relapse prevention 9 week course dealing with relapse cycle and all aspects of relapse and relapse prevention
- Recovery coaching – working with individuals on a 1:1 basis for up to 6 sessions following a structured format
- Sleep and recovery course – 3 week course examining myths around sleep, how to improve your sleep routine and sleep plan/diary.
Member Quotes
"Recovery Cymru helped me tremendously when I was struggling last year. If it wasn't for this place I don't know where I would be – I'd probably have been dead or in prison."
"Becoming part of the Recovery Cymru Community has enabled me to feel as if I belong, like a happy fragment of society once more. I have made new friends, am able to structure my day by getting out instead of hiding myself away and enjoying participating in different activitieswhich help with my feelings of self-worth"
Do you have a project or programme that needs developing to meet your specific needs? We can design a package based upon your specification
- Peer led programmes
- Peer resources
- Service user consultations
- Provider consultations and evaluations
For further information please contact Susie Boxall at Recovery Cymru


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KMG International (Rompetrol) continua programul de internship "Pregatit pentru Cariera"
Sr. Game Designer
Acest job nu mai este activ!
Vezi toate job-urile AMBER STUDIO active.
Vezi toate job-urile Sr. Game Designer active pe Hipo.ro
Vezi toate job-urile in IT Hardware active pe Hipo.ro
Vezi toate job-urile in IT Software active pe Hipo.ro
|Tip job:
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Amber Studio is the largest independently-owned Romanian game development studio, offering premium creative and development services.Cerinte
+5 years professional experience as Game Designer having at least 1 mobile title published.
Strong knowledge of Game Design basic rules (gameplay, learning curve, directing, difficulty balancing, pacing, reward, accessibility).
Able to convey ideas concisely and as part of a detailed analysis, and to clearly formalize complex concepts and ideas.
Able to illustrate and/or prototype your ideas visually using standard industry production tools (Photoshop, Flash, Powerpoint, 3D Studio Max, Unity, Blitz, etc.).
Knowledge of classic console and freemium mobile game market, their flagship titles and their audience.
Knowledge of main KPIs of the video game industry.
Good experience of freemium video games for mobile.
Excellent level of English.
Excellent presentation skills.
And above all, motivation and a passion for video games!
Generate and share game ideas with designers, developers and artists, and help creatively focus the team to make a great mobile game.
Act as one of the lead game designers of projects.
Review current game designs on a per project basis.
Mentor other junior members of the team.
Collaborate with the project cross functional team, to brainstorm, design, implement and balance game experiences.
Keep an eye on industry trends including new game genres and design breakthroughs.
Design fun and immersive gameplay mechanics, features and story.
Develop and maintain design documentation, including mechanics, story and guidelines.
Intelligent behavior design, using general game concepts to create inspired and original environments.
Work closely with product managers and producers to design and prototype new gameplay.
Collaborate with the business intelligence departments and create data-driven design solutions.
A diverse portfolio of worldwide games to work on
An ideation team where you can bring your creative ideas to bear
Great work environment, awesome people to work with
An attractive salary package with private medical services and meal tickets
Easy-to-access headquarter located in Charles de Gaulle Plaza


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Eldorado Gold Corporation to de-list from Australian Securities Exchange
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA–(Marketwire – May 30, 2012) – Eldorado Gold Corporation ("Eldorado") ("the Company" or "We") (TSX:ELD)(NYSE:EGO)(ASX:EAU) today confirmed its intention to be removed from the official list of the Australian Securities Exchange ("ASX") effective at the close of trading on August 31, 2012 (Sydney time). Eldorado had previously announced on February 24, 2012 that it intended to de-list from the ASX (see news release 12-09).
Eldorado was admitted to the official list of the ASX on December 4, 2009, following the successful acquisition of Sino Gold Mining Limited by way of scheme of arrangement (Scheme). Only Eldorado common shares represented by Chess Depository Interests (CDIs) are quoted on the ASX. At the time of listing on the ASX the CDIs represented approximately 21.56% of Eldorado's issued share capital.
Since listing, increasing numbers of CDI holders have sought to convert their CDIs to common shares. CDIs now only represent approximately 1% of Eldorado's issued share capital.
Eldorado's decision to de-list is a result of: the low level of CDIs representing Eldorado common shares now quoted on the ASX compared to Eldorado's current issued share capital and the low level of trading on the ASX compared to the TSX and the NYSE. Eldorado has concluded that the financial, administrative, and compliance obligations of maintaining the listing are no longer justified.
The de-listing of Eldorado from the ASX is not expected to have any material impact on Eldorado's financial position and operating results.
Following the de-listing, Eldorado common shares will continue to trade on the TSX and the NYSE.
De-listing Process
Holders of Eldorado CDIs registered on Eldorado's Australian share register ("CDI Holders") will shortly be sent an information package which contains details of the de-listing process. A copy of the information package is also available at www.asx.com.au under the Company's name.
About Eldorado Gold
Eldorado is a gold producing, exploration and development company actively growing businesses in Turkey China, Brazil, Greece and Romania. With our international expertise in mining, finance and project development, together with highly skilled and dedicated staff, we believe that our company is well positioned to grow in value as we create and pursue new opportunities.
Paul N. Wright, President and Chief Executive Officer
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain of the statements made herein may contain forward-looking statements or information within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements and forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negatives thereof or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements or information herein include, but are not limited to, Eldorado Gold Corporation to De-list from Australian Securities Exchange.
Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. We have made certain assumptions about the forward-looking statements and information and even though our management believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements or information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statement or information will prove to be accurate. Furthermore, should one or more of the risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements or information. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among others, the following: gold price volatility; discrepancies between actual and estimated production, mineral reserves and resources and metallurgical recoveries; mining operational and development risk; litigation risks; regulatory restrictions, including environmental regulatory restrictions and liability; risks of sovereign investment; currency fluctuations; speculative nature of gold exploration; global economic climate; dilution; share price volatility; competition; loss of key employees; additional funding requirements; and defective title to mineral claims or property, as well as those factors discussed in the sections entitled "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Information Form & Form 40-F dated March 30, 2012.
There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements or information contained herein. Except as required by law, we do not expect to update forward-looking statements and information continually as conditions change and you are referred to the full discussion of the Company's business contained in the Company's reports filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada and the U.S.
Request for information packages: [email protected]
Image from JeremyR


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SCImago Institutions Rankings 2016: Polytechnic University is in Top Three Research Universities in Russia
Scimago Laboratory has published a 2016 issue of SCImago Institutions Rankings (SIR). It is an international scientific organization ranking based on Scopus database. Saint Petersburg State Polytechnic University was ranked the 3rd among Russian universities and 556-th in the global rankings of research institutions.
Rating evaluates the universities and research institutions in three areas: the first indicator - a performance of the research work (publication activity indicators, web-of-science citation search and others). The results of the university innovation activities are also estimated. The source of information in this case is PASTAT (European Patent Office) database. The third indicator is based on the university attractiveness appraisal in the web-space and is expressed in the number of inbound links to a SPbPU domain via Google and Ahrefs.
More than five thousand universities and research institutes from around the world participated in this ranking in 2016. 138 of these organizations represented our country. Peter the Great Saint Petersburg Polytechnic University has significantly improved its position in comparison with 2015 (15-th place). Now our university is among the top three leading scientific organizations in Russia.
In the seven year period SPbPU has risen from the 844-th to the 556-th place among all the world's scientific institutions. This year, SPbPU shares this position with Saint Petersburg State University. Among Russian universities, the first place in the SIR ranking belongs to Moscow Sate University (357-th place in the overall ranking), Saint Petersburg State University is on the second place (556-th place in the overall ranking) and SPbPU takes the third position.
SIR Rating is published every year. It includes the results obtained in the past five years. The results collected two years before the rating publication are not taken into account. For example, if the year of publication is 2016, the results used in the rating are taken for the period from 2010 to 2014. Only Web indicators are evaluated for the past year.
For reference:
SCImago Institution Rankings (SIR) is a platform for the analysis, evaluation and ranking of the research universities and research organizations results worldwide. SIR Platform aims to develop analytical tools to help agencies in monitoring and evaluating the results of their research and decision-making in order to improve research efficiency.
Media Center, SPbPU


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Writing up word problems from yesterday. We believe this helps the kiddos review what they learned/learn it if they didn't get a chance the first time around, and helps them pick out key points, summarize (a little) and explain their thinking. Peep those diagrams.
What do you notice? What do you wonder?


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Life In Paradigm
Church Street Black Leather Belt
A must-have is a good durable leather belt for any persons closest, made from 100% Italian leather that fits like a dream. Our go-to is pairing them with a classic Black Monkee Jeans tuck in a classic Ben Sherman Chambray Shirt.
Handcrafted in London, the Brown Church Street Belt is of top quality full-grain Italian leather which will relax and darken with age and most certainly won't let you down during your adventures.
- Top-quality Italian leather
- Handmade In London
- 1in / 2.5cm Thick Belt
- Refrain from contact with water
A brand filled with adventure, curiosity and no fear. This brand takes a classic style and put an old-school twist of speed, rebellion. inspired by those before us while always learning and always growing we strive to create the best product and the best men out of our clothing. We believe in building, creating and looking good while always looking for our next adventure.
For express delivery, orders before 2pm GMT will be sent out the same day.
UK Delivery:
Standard Shipping ( 3-5 days ) Free
Express Shipping ( 2-3 days ) £5.99
Standard Shipping ( 5-7 days ) £8.99
Express Shipping ( 3-5 days ) £12.99
Standard Shipping ( 7-10 days ) £15.99
Standard Shipping ( 7-10 days ) £15.99
Easy Returns & Exchanges
Have you received something you want to return? No worries!
You can return any item if you are not completely happy with for a full refund, within 10 days of receiving them. All you need to do is send us an email we will send you a Free (UK only) shipping label for your return.


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'Weather Cat Bob' Takes One Look at the Snow in Boulder and Turns Around
After another light dusting of snow on December 5 in Boulder, Colorado, 'Bob the Weather Cat' – described as such by his owner – took one look at the snow and went right back inside his home.
An eastbound storm system dropped snow and light rain on western Colorado on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service Boulder.
The National Weather Service said between one and two inches was expected before 8 pm local time, after which the chance of snow showers was forecast to decrease to 40 percent. Credit: Marc Livolsi via Storyful


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Exit euthanasia blog analyses end of life issues, euthanasia, self-deliverance and assisted suicide. .........................................................
Exit does not give you a "quick answer": it gives you a responsible one, based on multidisciplinary study and embodying the latest research from around the world since 1980.
Please note the blog does *not* include detailed "how-to" information on methods of self-euthanasia or rational suicide. (see "About Exit" on the main menu.) But we publish the most extensive, scientifically supported and detailed information from any source you are likely to find.
If you have enjoyed reading this blog or found it helpful in any way, consider supporting us if you can please, with a small donation. There is no obligation, ever. You are free to enjoy the blog and receive all our email alerts if you wish, free.
photo credit: NMIH
Five Last Acts II
"Five Last Acts, at over 400 pages, marks what may be the most comprehensive guide to self-deliverance techniques available."
- World Right-to-Die Newsletter
Available from Amazon and good bookshops.
>>> Over 400 pages
>>> Over 40 illustrations
>>> Over 450 key references
Use of helium, drugs, compression, plastic bags, starvation and other means, as well as other key resources including authoritative information on the legal position. It's comprehensive analysis and step-by-step explanation of methods of self-deliverance is far-reaching and probably unrivalled, both for the individual seeking peace of mind and for other researchers in the area.
Main link (Amazon U.S.):
Also available from Amazon uk:
The complete reference, over 800 pages, The Exit Path, is also available. Please click the image below to order, or see the Publications page at the top menu.
For even more: Five Last Acts – The Exit Path (2015 edition)
The first purpose of this blog is to update our members and supporters. We'll also post some news stories of interest. Anyone can join, read the posts, and send comments or questions on specific stories.
The most extensive volume on self-deliverance ever published, Five Last Acts: The Exit Path covers every method in encyclopedic detail, answering questions on different approaches for researchers and lay-persons alike. The Exit Path contains all the material from Five Last Acts II plus new and exclusive material.
Main categories
Recent Posts
Top Posts
- Rational suicide (including helium)
- Nitrogen & helium: airing differences
- Lighter than (only some) air . . .
- Suicide by painful chemical gas - not the way to go!
- About EXIT
- Methods of suicide
- Important: Gladd bags discontinued
- Chemicals suicide vs helium gas death
- The essence of a good death
- A less than glad end
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Highlights from the latest print edition
The third issue of our new all-colour magazine is proving popular with our supporters. Time to share some snippets with all our online visitors and subscribers! Our cover story looked at the ancient Egyptian Queen Hatshepsut who had some very … Continue reading
Life in dying
No-one can really feel the pain of another when a loved one dies. Or the the moment that another experiences and feels in the minutes and seconds before that person dies. But does it have to be such a bad … Continue reading
Our first all colour issue
Print subscribers were treated to our first all-colour issue last month and feedback so far has been great! We have to balance costs carefully so every penny we spend has t0 be justified under the benefits it brings to our … Continue reading
Death becomes human (last chance!)
Death: the Human Experience is available now and until March 13th 2016 at the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery. With spectacular artefacts, it asks visitors to consider the science, ethics, attitudes and process of death, as well as the variety … Continue reading
"I'm Not Afraid"
For two and a half years, documentary filmmaker Fadi Hindash followed a psychiatrist as he assists one of his patients with her suicide. It is her story, as well as that of her doctor, facing the reality that helping his … Continue reading
What is "appropriate" dying?
Instead of a set of rules where "one size fits all", or wordily-phrased "rights", psychologists have looked at a different model: one of, "Is this an appropriate death?" The most common scenario, where laws are proposed based on certain check-boxes … Continue reading
A small site update (we've added a few FAQ's)
Just a quick post to let regular readers know we have updated the reference pages on the top menu to include an FAQ. These Frequently Asked Questions will be updated or added to occasionally. If you have a question that … Continue reading
The right to change your mind
As another American state gets to grips with fielding right-to-die legislation, Joe Mathews, a Californian editor, puts forward some interesting ideas. The new legislation would allow mentally competent California residents with six months or less to live to obtain a … Continue reading
The Exit Path 2015: The most complete reference published, out now. Fully updated on nitrogen.
Five Last Acts: The Exit Path 2015 edition. § 822 pages. § over 100 illustrations and 'how-to' diagrams. § Over 1000 references. § tables & charts . § Tips and checklists § scientific evidence. Over 100 pages on helium, completely … Continue reading
Why self-deliverance? A short history
I had joined Exit in the early '80s as part of some research for a small publishers that particularly concerned itself with human rights. The editor-in-chief asked me to investigate a group in Scotland that looked at the rights of … Continue reading
Euthanasia and the Golden Palm
The Palme d'Or is the highest award at the world's most important festival of cinema. Founded in 1946, it is the most prestigious and publicized film festival on the planet. And this year, the Palme d'Or was won by the … Continue reading


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MAS plane shot down in Ukraine
Passports found among MH17 wreckage
SEPANG - White hearses arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport's Bunga Raya Complex at 7.30am Friday as the nation prepares to receive the remains of 20 victims of the ill-fated flight MH17.
Media personnel, dressed in black or dull colours, converged at the site from as early as 5.45am in anticipation of the arrival of the special flight.
The flight is expected to touch down at 9.55am and the national mourning over the tragedy will be led by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah, who is scheduled to arrive at the complex at 9.45am.
Malaysians have been urged to catch the live announcement for the exact time of the one minute of silence, which will be observed nationwide.
The ceremony will be broadcasted live.
The special flight carrying the first set of remains left Amsterdam at 9.40pm Thursday.
The one minute of silence will be observed any time between 10.30am and 11.15am as a mark of respect for the victims.
Friday is the day of mourning for the Malaysian victims of MH17, which was shot down at 1415GMT (10.15pm Malaysian time) on July 17, some 50km from the Russia-Ukraine border. All 298 on board, including 43 Malaysians, were killed. MH17 was enroute from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.