Translation-invariant optical neural network for image classification
In practical applications, the misalignment of components and translation of inputs images greatly affects the classification performance of all optical Convolutional Neuronal Networks (CNNs). This paper proposes a free space all-optical CNN named Trans-ONN that accurately classifies images translated in horizontal, vertical or diagonal directions. Trans-ONN uses an optical motion pooling (OMP) layer to provide translation invariance by implementing different masks in Fourier plane. Trans-ONN uses global average pooling to improve translation invariance.


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Miller and Alkema receive Gates Foundation Exploration GrantDate Posted: 08/19/09
Stephen Miller an assistant professor of biochemistry & molecular pharmacology and Mark Alkema an assistant professor of neurobiology have been awarded funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Through its five-year, $100 million Grand Challenges Explorations initiative, a commitment to promote innovation leading to improved global health, the Gates Foundation is making one-year, $100,000 grants to explore how unique approaches can be used to prevent infectious disease. Drs. Miller and Alkema were awarded one of 81 grants to researchers in 17 countries to explore bold and largely untested hypotheses. In the course of informal lunchtime discussions about their work, they conceived of a collaborative project, “Inhibition of Octopamine Biosynthesis in Invertebrates,” proposing an unusual approach to infectious diseases spread by parasitic invertebrates. When professor of medicine and lunch companion Neil Aronin, MD, whose daughter contracted malaria while working in Africa, heard their idea, he urged them to apply for funding.
Found only in invertebrates, the neurotransmitter octopamine plays a crucial role in invertebrate behavior and fertility. Miller and Alkema’s study will attempt to design drugs that disrupt the biosynthesis of octopamine as a new strategy to interfere with the lifecycle of invertebrate parasites that carry and spread devastating infectious diseases such as malaria and yellow fever. The project will utilize Alkema’s understanding of neurotransmitter mechanisms and Miller’s expertise in synthesizing compounds to disable disease-carrying parasites without harming their human hosts.
Miller, who came to UMMS in 2004 following a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard University in the laboratory of distinguished biologist Timothy J. Mitchison, PhD, earned his doctorate at the University of California San Francisco. Alkema, at UMMS since 2005, earned his PhD at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, and completed post-doctoral training at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the laboratory of Nobel Laureate H. Robert Horvitz, PhD. “Our project is a great example of what makes UMMS special,” said Alkema. “It’s not everywhere you can get support for an unusual project you created over discussions at lunch,” agreed Miller. “If we achieve favorable results with this introductory grant, we will apply for additional funding from the Gates Foundation to expand our approach.”

domain: medical


text:
I work as the Marketing Art Director at UAG currently managing their in-house creative team in Orange County California.
My portfolio showcases my projects with a focus on lifestyle and product marketing campaigns.
The full breadth of my creative tool kit ranges from Graphic Design, Photography, and Video.
I am very grateful that I have had the opportunity to learn and utilize multiple creative disciplines in my career.
As a result, my passions lie in leading a team and helping others obtain their creative goals.
The emphasis of my work ranges from concept to completion.

domain: artistic


SI provides Técnico’s community with Voice over IP (VoIP) service that can be used on computers and/or smartphones.
It is due to this service that it is possible to make voice calls within Técnico’s network (free between Técnico’s network numbers and internal extensions), provided that you have a properly configured VoIP client.
VoIP on Técnico uses the Simple Initiation Protocol (SIP) to establish voice calls.
In order to make or receive a call, users must have a SIP address. These addresses are similar to e-mail addresses, so in Técnico, SIP addresses have the format (Técnico ID)@tecnico.ulisboa.pt, where the Técnico ID is the user’s username.
Each user can consult information about the personal use of VoIP service and the history of calls made in the last year.
Click to Dial – C2D
The Click to Dial or C2D service is a VoIP subservice, which allows:
- save phone and VoIP contacts, working just like a phone book on the web;
- make a VoIP call, without the user dialing the number himself: C2D connects to both the sender and the receiver simultaneously, and connects the two parties to each other;
- each user has their own phonebook.
Técnico’s VoIP service allows that, in case the call recipient is not available when the call is made, the caller leaves a voice message, which will be delivered to the recipient’s mailbox, in an audio format compatible with the generality of systems.
To configure the softphone application on your computer, tablet or smartphone, you must configure the SIP account with the following generic parameters:
- Domain: tecnico.ulisboa.pt
- User ID: (Técnico ID)
- Password: (matching password)
- Display Name: (A display name)
- Authorization Name: (Técnico ID)
- Enable Outbound Proxy Usage: Yes
- Proxy Server Address: voip.tecnico.ulisboa.pt
In the case of users who use NAT boxes or certain firewalls, they may detect problems, which they must communicate to SI, via e-mail.


text:
Rolla is a small town with about 16,300 inhabitants in the state of Missouri, USA and is located about 100 miles south-west of St. Louis. The city is still relatively young. The settlement began in 1818, the oldest building dates back to 1860.
The economic development of the region began with the extraction and processing of iron (1826), the construction of the railway and the Missouri Mining School (1870).
Rolla lies on the legendary “Route 66”, has a university with 5,500 students and a diverse economic structure. Due to many immigrants of German descent – for example the wine-growing town of Herman is nearby – the desire for a German twin town grew.
Partnership relations between the two cities have existed since 1998. Since its foundation in 2003, the “Verein für internatonale Städtepartnerschaften Sondershausen e.V.” has felt responsible for the development of all city partnerships.
City of Rolla, Missouri901 North Elm StreetP.O. Box 979Rolla, MO 65401USA
Pecquencourt is a small town of miners in the north of France, in the region Nord- PAS de Calais, with the capital Lille. The city of Pecquencurt has about 6 900 inhabitants. They used to live from agriculture, which was the most important economic factor in the region until the beginning of the 20th century, when coal mining began in 1912. Through the coal industry, the city experienced an economic upswing, which ensured good incomes for many families until 1984. With the closure of the mines in 1971 and 1984, unemployment increased and many people had to reorient their careers.
The signing of the agreement on town twinning relations between the towns of Sondershausen and Pecquencourt took place on 6 October 1969. With the reunification of Germany, the possibilities of cultivating mutual contacts reached a new quality. For the first time, guest visits could be made to Pecquencourt; members of the city council, former miners of the potash plant, senior citizens, pupils, sportsmen, children and young people got to know and appreciate the hospitality of French friends. Partners from France are also welcome in Sondershausen.
The territory around Pecquencourt, once dominated by coal mining, developed from coal blackening to greenery of hope. Environmental projects, renaturalisation and the greening of dumps improved people’s living environment. The city offers some interesting sights with the S. Gilles church from the 12th century, two 18th century hunting castles and a coal mining museum in Lewarde.
Almost 50,000 visitors are attracted annually by the Salon de LAMOTTO, an international motorcycle show. The cities of Pecquencourt and Sondershausen jointly participated in the European forums of the twin cities in 1996 and 1997. The city of Sondershausen was awarded the European Medal by the Institute for European Partnerships and International Cooperation.
In the sense – Youth for Europe, trinational children’s and youth camps have been carried out in partnership cooperation since 2001.
MunicipalityMaire de PecquencourtPlace du General de Gaulle59146 PecquencourtFrance
Telephone: +33 327 944980Fax: +33 327 865957
Yousseff ManhabCentre Social FrancoiseDolto 4, rue Estienne dÒrves59146 PecquencourtFrance
Phone: +33 327 861433Fax: +33 327 869229
The territory of Kazlu Ruda is located in the southern part of Lithuania. Kazlu Ruda is an independent town in the Marijampole district and has about 16 thousand inhabitants with the surrounding villages. The territory covers 554 square kilometers, about 60% of the area is covered with forests.
Kazlu Ruda is a peculiar city with old traditions. Historical sources from 1744 indicate that the settlement was involved in the extraction and processing of iron ore (Lithuanian: ruda). Only after 1861 did the construction of the Kaunas-Königsberg railway line bring about a visible development.
In 1950 Kazlu Ruda got city charter. In 1996 the Lithuanian president handed over the confirmed coat of arms and the city flag. After the municipal elections in 2000, the new legal status was established.
Lithuania, like many Eastern European countries, has become a member of the European Union. In the spirit of European integration, a partnership agreement was concluded in December 2000 between the cities of Kazlu Ruda and Sondershausen. With this agreement, the cities want to take steps towards cooperation for the benefit of their citizens. Encounters between people have led to the growth of friendly relations and improved mutual understanding. Children’s and youth projects in the sense of youth for Europe, cultural events in the cities and exchange of experiences at the municipal level promote rapprochement.
Those who have already visited Kazlu Ruda are impressed by the hospitality of the people, the folk art, the wooden sculptures, the old cemeteries and churches.
The territory of Kazlu Ruda is crossed by the VIA BALTICA motorway and the Vilnius – Karaliaucius and St. Petersburg – Warsaw railway lines.
Cultural CentreS. Daukantostr. 19, Kazlu RudaTelephone: +370 343 95117
Forest MuseumMiskininkustr. 1, Kazlu RudaTelephone: +370 343 96195
Guest room and guesthouse (Motel)Gudeliai, near Kazlu Ruda(on the road Marijampole-Azuolu Buda – Kaunas, 24 km from Marijampole)Telephone: +370 343 36288, +370 343 8 687 41922
Restaurant, CafesGudeliai, near Kazlu Ruda, (on the road Marijampole Kaunas)Phone: +370 343 36288
Cafe BALTAS BARASS. Daukantostr. 19, Kazlu RudaPhone: +370 343 95142
Municipality Kazlu RudaMayorMr Vytautas Kanevičius4500 Kazlu RudaLithuania

domain: history


Click the link below for Dr. Kerr’s resume, click to view or download.
When an incident occurs in the oilfield, it can impact many lives – physically and financially. The litigation process typically tries to resolve multiple issues: What happened, why, and who is ultimately responsible? To answer these questions, you need an expert familiar with the many disciplines of oilfield life. Signa provides professional Petroleum Engineers who have served as expert witnesses in dozens of onshore and offshore litigation cases. Our experts represent both Plaintiffs and Defendants. Our references and case histories are available by request.
Tubulars are the lifeline between your downhole resources and the surface. When casing or production strings are mishandled in the field, that lifeline can be severed. Other times, an improperly-drilled well can lead to premature parting. Or, if the tubulars weren’t manufactured up to spec, they can fail despite proper care. Signa engineers analyze the root cause behind casing failures, and then explain the fine details in an easy-to-understand report. Our expert witnesses provide testimony for their opinions in deposition and trial.
The energy industry is composed of many moving parts. So when a worker’s health is compromised during an oilfield operation, it’s important to tell the entire story. You need to explain the details in a clear, concise manner to ensure a fair and honest judgment. Signa engineers determine the root cause that led to the death or injury, and then explain everything in an easy-to-understand report. Our expert witnesses provide testimony for their opinions in deposition and trial.
Patents are what protect your unique contributions to the energy industry. Our patent expert engineers have extensive experience working with patent cases, including being a named inventor on a patent. We understand the process from claim construction to claim limitation. Our experts have done prior art searches for numerous cases and understand how to prove invalidity, or to demonstrate that certain prior art is not applicable. Our expert witnesses have provided testimony in deposition and in the courtroom, including Markman hearings. Signa has experience with the Inter Partes Review process, having provided reports or expert witness testimony in several IPR cases.
Mr. Rick Stone, P.E., started Signa Engineering Corp. in 1992 and remains as Chairman/CEO. As such, he was involved in the startup of a globally recognized, registered, petroleum engineering company. This included the development (and subsequent protection) of intellectual property unique to Signa. Mr. Stone, along with Executive Vice-President George Medley, P.E., understand the importance of such property to a company’s success. Together, they have worked for numerous operators and service companies (such as Anadarko, Halliburton, and Schlumberger) with trade secrets that necessitate confidentiality agreements. Likewise, they have represented plaintiffs and defendants in multiple cases involving intellectual property, including expert reports, depositional testimony, and trial appearances.
Understanding oilfield equipment can be difficult, especially for those who haven’t operated any (or even seen it). Explaining how these tools work is vital for gaining an edge in the depositional and trial phases of a lawsuit. Since 1992, Signa engineers have designed the layouts for leading-edge technology, and operated equipment on location, around the globe. This experience allows our experts to explain the mechanisms to all legal stakeholders. The details are spelled out in a concise, easy-to-understand report, which utilizes elementary graphics to tell the entire story. Our expert witnesses also provide testimony for their opinions in deposition and trial.
In the event of a catastrophic loss at the wellsite, there are often disagreements over which parties share in the liability. Signa has managed drilling projects for operators and vendors around the globe. We also provide onsite consultants who act as the operator’s representative. This gives us insight into their responsibilities and culpability during field operations. In legal cases, we determine all factors that contributed to the operational error, and then explain everything in an easy-to-understand report. Our expert witnesses provide testimony for opinions in deposition and trial.
Since 2011, Texas has experienced 78 blowouts and well control events, leading to at least 13 injuries and two deaths. In the Gulf of Mexico, 109 incidents were recorded from 1980-2011, the highest profile being the deadly Macondo disaster of April 2010. Well control events can also lead to equipment damage, environmental pollution, and loss of reserves. Evaluation of well control events, blowouts in particular, requires a highly technical analysis to understand what happened, why it happened, and who is responsible. Signa experts have testified and provided litigation support for dozens of blowout cases over the past decade, including the Macondo disaster.
Flame Retardant Clothing (FRC)
In the last two years, at least three multiple-fatality incidents have occurred at Texas oil and gas wellsites. In some cases, regulatory agencies have cited the operating company for not ensuring the use of fire-resistant clothing (FRC) by personnel. Signa has represented clients with litigation involving equipment failure, operational errors, and usage of FRC. Understanding these difficult concepts is vital for depositional and trial phases. Signa also manages projects for operators and vendors on drilling, workover, and completion projects. We provide onsite consultants who act as the operator’s representative, which gives us insight into their responsibilities and culpability during field operations.
Root Cause Analysis
To determine liability in oilfield litigation, it’s imperative to identify the “root cause” of the incident, or why it occurred in the first place. A problem-solving method called Root Cause Analysis (RCA) can be used to determine the exact origin of a problem. RCA uses a step-by-step approach to find the individual cause-and-effect sequence of events leading up to an incident. Signa uses RCA as a framework to assist attorneys in questioning witnesses and analyzing witness depositions. Frequently, there is a great deal of information that must be organized and cross-referenced. Signa uses the RCA event sequence as a basis for comparing individual witness statements. This helps to resolve conflicts by demonstrating which statements are supported by evidence. The final result is a defensible engineering opinion, supported by technical analysis and eyewitness accounts.
By Signa Engineering Corp.
Operators have traditionally used experts from several disciplines to implement Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD). Subject matter experts (SMEs) and drilling engineers create a drilling program. MPD engineers were generally utilized for design and process application. They examine objectives, determine functional requirements, and evaluate pros and cons of each MPD variation. Risk mitigation is always at the forefront. After determining the optimal MPD equipment spread, operators rent equipment from large oilfield providers, and rely on qualified service personnel to install and operate the spread onsite. The end result has historically been successful application of complex technology.
The recent downturn, however, has changed how some operators view and apply MPD.
The sharp reduction in oil prices led to significant pay cuts for some, while others were laid off or retired early. Some left the industry for greener pastures. Some banded together to start their own MPD service companies, usually by making an MPD manifold or two. The owners of these companies typically have some experience in MPD operations.
However, they often spend most of their time in marketing or management, not overseeing wellsite operations.
This shift in roles and responsibilities has resulted in a reduction of trained, experienced personnel. And it presents a possible major risk for our industry. Just because someone is listed as an “MPD expert” doesn’t always mean they have the necessary skills to apply MPD. And if a catastrophic HSE event occurs, the “MPD” name could be tarnished (especially to those outside our industry). This could lead to increased regulatory restrictions, a stall in MPD prospects, or even a setback in MPD technology.
The commoditization of MPD means cheaper prices for operators; this much is undeniable. It’s convenient to have a “cradle-to-grave” company that can provide every component that appears to solve the MPD equation. However, a large portion of these companies have limited engineering capabilities to provide complete wellbore analysis.
Equipment hands may be capable of performing computer simulations to evaluate a range of pressure scenarios. However, they might not know how to react to unknown pore pressure/frac gradient variances. They operate surface equipment to manage backpressure, but might not understand the actual implications downhole. In MPD, new formations are constantly being exposed. It might be a fracture, fault, sandstone, or tight rock.
To fully mitigate these risks, an experienced and qualified MPD engineer should be involved in every MPD project. The engineer anticipates everything downhole. They analyze formations and test their conclusions against engineering principles, then specify parameters and equipment settings.
Many operators now believe they don’t need engineering to apply MPD. They will forego hazard identification/hazardous operations (HazID/HazOP)s and downhole investigations. They don’t think about switching from conventional to MPD and back again. They don’t consider crucial elements like:
• How to kill a well during trips
• How to handle a hole in the drillstring high in the wellbore
• What to do if pipe gets stuck
• Breaking down a shoe with too much backpressure
• Rotating Control Device (RCD) pressure ratings
The real danger is operators that don’t understand (or don’t want to know) the importance of doing application engineering prior to spudding an MPD well. One anomaly feeds this misconception: Most current domestic prospects are shale, which is tight rock. Shale plays allow for limited engineering analysis because they are typically “tight” and may not flow when slightly underbalanced. Combined with a self-healing type of formation, the need for precise ECD management is greatly reduced. Since the formations are relatively passive and forgiving, these techniques and limitations will provide satisfactory results in a large majority of land-based shale projects, perhaps even 85-90%. However, the remaining 10-15% presents issues like well control (kicks), severe mud losses, and other non-productive time (NPT).
MPD is typically useful when fractures exist, but may not be really applicable for tight rock. However, many operators are running an RCD to keep gas off the rig floor. Since an RCD is being used, many consider this to be “MPD,” which leads to a false sense of security. The truth is that they have gotten lucky by avoiding negative incidents. They might not have experienced lost circulation or kicks. And even if they were underbalanced, the well typically didn’t flow because the rock was so tight. But when drilling a real MPD candidate well, many won’t know how to react to the dynamic (and potentially dangerous) environment. At the very least, operators are setting themselves up for disappointment in the technology.
Without professional engineering, service companies might try to make the drilling program fit the capacity of their equipment. This presents a significant risk. The equipment should always be made to fit the drilling program, not the other way around.
Some smaller service providers have limited equipment spreads and will try to utilize these for all their projects. Typically, they’re designed to suit the majority of passive, land-based MPD projects, but may not be the best solution for complex MPD well programs. Financially, it wouldn’t be in the best interest for the MPD service company to acknowledge any shortcomings that the equipment spread may have.
Conversely, equipment operators may bid on every MPD job that comes available, and attempt to get their entire equipment spread on the job, regardless of the application. A “complete” MPD package consists of many parts, which might be overkill.
So what’s the solution? As with most risk mitigation, the easy answer is training and use of SME MPD engineers for project design and execution. All involved personnel should have an in-depth understanding of MPD operations, both surface and downhole. They need training on the MPD process as well as equipment operation. MPD personnel need to be more than just “equipment hands.” They need to be application savvy. They should understand how to manage dynamic problems that occur during MPD. Training, combined with engineering, will result in optimal equipment and personnel placement and application engineering. The savings will easily cover the cost of the training and engineering.
For an MPD drilling program, all MPD elements should be addressed, including: planning and design, advanced hydraulic design, hole cleaning and cuttings transport, required equipment, MPD variations (Constant Bottomhole Pressure [CBHP], MudCap, etc.), hydraulic simulation, pore pressure and frac gradient variations, fluid selection, connections and tripping, and completions.
In a commoditized market, goods that have economic value – and are distinguishable by uniqueness or brand – end up becoming simple commodities. Hence, the pricing power of the manufacturer is weakened. When products become more similar from a buyer’s point of view, they will tend to buy the cheapest.
By commoditizing MPD, we are entering a dangerous phase that may ultimately hinder its adoption. MPD has been confirmed to manage difficult wells, and has become somewhat familiar to the “rank and file” of our industry. In so doing, manufacturers and service providers can provide equipment and personnel at a reduced rate.
But at what price? Is the risk reasonable?
For further information, contact Signa Engineering Corp. at 281.774.1000 or email@example.com
- Signa experts provided research that showed theft of trade secrets regarding blowout preventer (BOP) technology.
- A team of Signa engineers and graphics specialists reviewed several multilateral drilling processes to determine if a patent had been infringed upon. Extensive application studies were conducted with an economist on economic projections (10-year span) to demonstrate the monetary setback suffered by the patent holder.
- Signa researched and answered technical questions involving the use of numerous patented well-treatment services. Experts analyzed well treatment service records to determine the patent had been infringed upon.
- Our team represented a client in the Macondo blowout that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico in 2008. Signa was deposed and our client was dismissed as a defendant.
- Signa demonstrated that a service company was not responsible (either by omission or commission) for a personal injury/fatality incurred by a third party.
- Signa engineers demonstrated that an operator was not responsible for personal injury/fatality after a wellhead was damaged by forklift operator error.
- Our team investigated casing that fell out of position during makeup. Signa demonstrated the derrick was not centered over the hole, making casing handling hazardous.
- Signa showed how a failure in a BOP stack element occurred during Managed Pressure Drilling, resulting in a blowout, extensive property damage, and injuries to the crew.
- Signa engineers testified at trial to demonstrate how an injury was not caused by the client or client’s equipment during tripping operations at the rigsite.
- A Signa expert was deposed and testified at trial regarding regulatory changes in the wake of the Macondo blowout.
- Signa conducted multiple research projects to clearly define industry-accepted practices with regards to operators in the oilfield.
- Signa’s team of experts investigated a contract lawsuit in which the operator had spent tens of millions in the client’s money without performing the objectives in the development plan. Our engineer testified at trial to prove the operator had not performed according to operator standards as outlined in the contract.
- Signa testified as to the exact cause of a blowout and destruction of an oil well. Testimony involved clarifying drilling fluids, drillstring depth, downhole equipment, and illustrating the destructive elements that caused the fire.
- Signa investigated a groundwater and soil contamination case on a sensitive oil and gas operations site. Our team of engineers and writing/graphics specialists combined petroleum engineering, geology, environmental science and geo-hydrology to resolve the case.
- Signa investigated a case regarding a defendant’s right to dump waste in a specified area.
- Our team analyzed a multi-well drilling operation in a severe sour gas field (H2S, CO2) to determine if the operator was performing the necessary safety initiatives required by law.
- Signa testified for a case in which a blowout preventer (BOP) stack element failed during Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD), causing extensive property damage and injuries.
- Signa testified as to the exact cause of a blowout and destruction of an oil well. Testimony involved clarifying drilling fluids, drillstring depth, downhole equipment, and illustrating the destructive elements that caused the fire.
- Our team demonstrated that extensive surface damage and downhole damage to a well was caused by equipment failure, not improper operation.
- Our engineers reviewed an HIS coupling failure and performed torque and drag analysis to show the root cause of the failure.
- Signa analyzed a case in which a tubing part had occurred, but demonstrated that operational error had actually caused the loss of the well.
- Signa demonstrated a section of the bottom hole assembly (drilling jars) failed and caused a profit loss for the turnkey contractor.
- Signa has been represented both plaintiffs and defendants for numerous recent failures of P-110 grade casing and connections. Some were due to manufacturing issues; however, our experts have shown that a high number of failures can be traced back to errors in hole design and operational misuse.
- Signa proved that an operator did not perform a formal casing design. The operator simply used a cookie-cutter casing design from an offset well without reevaluation. Through research and testimony, Signa proved P-110 was the incorrect grade for the downhole environment.
- Our team of experts showed improper casing-running resulted in excessive stresses. In this case, the stresses caused cold-working of the steel, which led to premature failure. The operator was responsible for the excessive operational issues that damaged the
- A Signa expert witness testified that P-110 casing is highly susceptible to acid gases such as H2S and CO2. In this case, the operator improperly used high-strength casing in the sour gas environment. Using graphics and written verbiage, Signa explained the limited P-110 envelope in the presence of either CO2 or H2S.
- Signa has shown (in reports and testimony) that P-110 casing and connection failures resulted from operational errors rather than manufacturing oversights, including:
- Downhole pressure, temperature, and chemical environment
- Tensile, compression and collapse loads, in conjunction with buckling, impact or vibration
- Operational stress condition at the time of failure
- Premature connection or seal failure due to improperly applied torque
- Mud chemistry, such as free hydrogen contribution to hydrogen embrittlement or stress corrosion cracking
- Coupling failures from improper application of thread profile or non-optimal makeup
- Frac stimulation failure due to improperly specified pipe or high-risk wellbore geometry
- Casing wear during operations
- Improper handling (loading, trucking, unloading) between the mill and well site resulting in premature failure
- Signa showed that a number of downhole tool patents were infringed upon, and that a person of ordinary skill in the art (POSITA) would have understood the relevant technology in the accused’s submitted patents was infringing upon that technology.
- Our team demonstrated the true inventor of an air drilling process after a patent was issued for that technique.
- Signa’s team of engineers and graphics specialists reviewed several multilateral drilling processes to determine if a patent had been infringed upon. Extensive application studies were conducted with an economist on economic projections (10-year span) to demonstrate the monetary setback suffered by the patent holder.
- Signa engineers answered technical questions in a patent case involving the use of numerous patented well-treatment services. Signa analyzed well treatment service records to determine the patent had been infringed upon.
By George H. Medley, Dennis Moore, and Sagar Nauduri, Signa Engineering
Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) has gained widespread popularity and a great deal of media coverage in recent years. By applying MPD techniques, it is possible to drill holes that simultaneously expose formations with pore pressures very close to the frac pressures of other exposed formations with minimal formation influx or mud losses.
Complex and expensive systems have been designed and implemented to maintain pressure on the wellbore using hydraulics modeling software, automated chokes and continuous surface circulating systems, often working in conjunction with one another. These systems usually require specially trained operators. This aggregation of personnel and equipment increases both the footprint and housing required, as well as substantially increasing costs.
MPD replaces the pressure exerted by static mud weight with dynamic friction pressure to maintain control of the well without losing returns. The objective is to maintain wellbore pressure between the pore pressure of the highest pressured formation and the frac pressure of the weakest. This is usually done by drilling with a mud weight whose hydrostatic gradient is less than what is required to balance the highest pore pressure, with the difference made up using dynamic friction while circulating. That sounds quite simple but has been made extremely complicated.
The big problem is maintaining constant wellbore pressure while transitioning between circulating with little or no annular pressure and shut-in with proper annular pressure to maintain balance. A great deal of time and money has gone into trying to do this with no change in wellbore pressure throughout the process. Field experience has shown that this is not necessarily cost effective, demanding an answer to the question:
“Is all this complexity really necessary?” The answer in many cases is “No.”
As wells are drilled deeper, in deeper water, through additional and more severely depleted intervals, it becomes increasingly advantageous to be able to drill with smaller and smaller differences between pore and frac pressures that are simultaneously exposed to the wellbore. To accomplish this, lower kick and frac tolerances are necessary, as are lower margins between the actual mud weight and the pore pressure equivalent.
This allows extending casing points and, in some cases, makes the difference between being able to drill the well to the desired depth or not.
The managed pressure concept is quite simple. So long as the combination of the hydrostatic pressure exerted by the fluid column plus some other pressure is as high as the highest formation pore pressure exposed in the wellbore, the well will not flow. This other pressure can be either in the form of a circulating friction component of equivalent circulating density (ECD) while drilling or circulating, or surface pressure imposed on the annulus while the rig pumps are shut down to make a connection.
Once an accurate pore pressure is established, it is a simple matter with an accurate hydraulics model to determine what circulating friction will be and what mud weight should be used. With this done, the well can be exactly balanced while either circulating or while shut down.
Dynamic To Static
The first issue that must be addressed is how to go from static balance to dynamic (circulating) balance without either losing returns or taking a kick. This can be done by gradually reducing pump speed while simultaneously closing a surface choke to increase surface annular pressure until the rig pumps are completely stopped and surface pressure on the annulus is such that the formation “sees” the exact same pressure it saw from ECD while circulating. Note that the bottomhole pressure is constant at only one point in the annulus.
To keep bottomhole pressure constant during this transition from dynamic to static (or from static to dynamic), a variety of methods have been employed. Hydraulics models have been used to calculate a casing pressure schedule to follow while decreasing the pump rate. Computer-controlled chokes have been developed that can be employed to automate following the required pressure schedule. Circulating loops have been constructed with dedicated pumps to maintain continuous surface circulation through a choke in an attempt to make it easier to precisely control annular surface pressure.
In certain cases a conventional rig pump has been utilized as the dedicated pump, giving the added benefit of pump redundancy. Equipment has been developed to maintain continuous circulation through the drillstring during connections, thus eliminating the transition by eliminating the static situation altogether. With these methods, the well is typically never completely shut in, as any required surface pressure is imposed through a partially closed choke. All these techniques require specialized equipment that is complicated, expensive and, in many cases, unnecessary.
To demonstrate why these complications are unnecessary, examine a simplified case where it is not used. Instead, a simpler method, and the most basic available outside of conventional drilling, is used to trap pressure at the surface by closing the choke while simultaneously reducing circulation rate to zero, similar to that described above, but in such a way that the choke is completely closed and the well is completely shut in once pump speed is slowed to a stop.
First, a mud weight is selected that will balance the well at the desired drilling circulating rate but may be underbalanced when static unless additional pressure is imposed. Several very accurate hydraulics models are commercially available that can be run both during planning and in the field to determine ECD and bottomhole circulating pressure (BHCP) for various pump rates with the mud that is actually in the hole. These models have been confirmed with PWD data and proven quite reliable.
Using one or more of these models, either a curve or a stepwise annular pressure and pump rate table is generated for use when shutting the pumps down or bringing them on. Figure 1 shows how the annular pressure should increase as the circulating rate (pump speed) decreases for a particular situation.
All that is necessary to avoid taking influx from the well is to make sure that the annular pressure always exceeds the required, calculated pressure. It is immediately apparent that this can result in BHP exceeding the desired pressure during this transition. The question to ask is, “By how much?” and more importantly, “Does it really matter?”
To illustrate, consider a very simple, easily used technique.
A hydraulics model is used to develop a schedule of required surface annular pressure to maintain balance at several pump speeds, and each point will be reached stepwise. First, reduce the choke opening until the annular pressure reaches the next required pressure, then reduce the pump speed to the one matching that annular pressure. Reduce the choke opening until the annular pressure reaches the next required pressure, reduce the pump speed to the one matching that annular pressure, and repeat until the annular pressure is at the maximum calculated value and the pumps are stopped.
Note that the process does not result in equal increments of pressure increase (or decrease) at the end points. This is due to the way chokes and pumps function, as well as the way pressure change is exerted when mud gel-strength is broken (or, we could say, the way shear stress is affected by changes in shear rate.)
The amount by which the ECD exceeds the desired pressure with each increase in annular pressure is small and short-lived, as are any associated mud losses. If this overbalance is greater than desired – for example, if it exceeds the frac gradient – the size of the steps will be reduced until the losses are minimal. The process is reversed to bring the pumps up to speed. First, bring the pump to the first speed in the schedule. Open the choke until the annular pressure matches what is required for balance at that pump speed. Take the pump to the next speed, open the choke until the annular pressure matches what is required for balance at that pump speed, and repeat until drilling circulation rates are reached.
Again, overbalances are small and short-lived, as are associated mud losses. Even with the cost of the most expensive mud systems in use today, if this procedure is repeated every time the pumps are shut down, the cost of the mud lost can be much less than the cost of a complex computer-controlled choke and surface circulating loop system. At least as important, the equipment requirements and system complexity are greatly reduced, reducing the probability of failure.
Several events may occur that cause failure or confusion when depending on fully automated computer-controlled systems. Many of these events happen as a matter of course during drilling operations and should be anticipated during planning:
• Tool joints passing through rotating control device rubber element. As the larger-diameter tool joint passes through the stripping element, the upward force exerted on the drillstring increases because the force equals back pressure at the wellhead multiplied by the cross section area of the element being stripped. As the tool joint “jumps” through the element, wellhead pressure may be lost in small increments. In more than one case, this has resulted in automatic choke oscillation as the software tries to make allowance for the pressure change. This choke oscillation then requires manual control of the choke.
• Auxiliary pump problems often result in failure to maintain constant back pressure. Again, as the automatically controlled choke valve attempts to compensate for the variation in pressure, manual control may be required. Pressure surges and vibrations resulting from inconsistent pump action require pulsation dampeners in the system at the very least.
• Equipment failure in any part of the system can force the operation to revert to manual control at any time. This occurrence must be planned for and mitigated by training the operations personnel to handle the situation.
• Contingency events of an operational or procedural nature may occur without warning that result in a change of annular pressure or of one or more components of annular pressure. While some of these can be handled easily with software adjustments, many cannot, resulting in reversion to manual control.
• Failure to calibrate software-modeled ECD to PWD tool readings or unavailability of PWD brings into question the advisability of utilizing software-controlled back pressure systems.
• Software failure or computer “lock-up” is a common contingency that must be addressed through manual application of annular back pressure. This may be as perplexing as “the blue screen of death” or as simple as power failure to the computer.
These events will be planned for and hopefully mitigated during the HazID/HazOP process, but avoidance of hazards is always to be preferred over mere mitigation. Because all these things can occur, on-site personnel must be properly trained in manual control methods even if automated systems are employed.
Field experience has shown that the mud loss rate when fracture propagation pressure is exceeded is consistent. The rate of mud loss is directly related to how much above fracture extension pressure the circulating pressure is. These loss rates are manageable and repeatable. Therefore, if the amount and duration of overpressure when the fracture pressure is exceeded is very small, so are the associated mud losses.
Field experience also reveals that some of this mud lost on connections is often recovered when the BHP is again reduced below fracture extension pressure. This means is that it is often less expensive and much less complicated to manually control annular pressure with a choke to make connections when using MPD than it is to utilize software-controlled chokes and surface systems. All that is required is proper training for field personnel to correctly implement MPD with tools and equipment already available on most rigs.
In addition to a rotating head, a second choke manifold is indicated to prevent undue wear and tear on the rig’s well control equipment, but this choke manifold should be relatively inexpensive and does not require a large footprint, especially compared with the space requirements of a surface circulation loop with dedicated pumps.
Trapped Pressure vs Imposed Pressure
To demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach and its relative ease of application, the following is an example where both complex and simpler methods were applied on the same well.
The subject well was drilled in South Texas to approximately 16,500 ft. Cypress E&P employed MPD in two sections of the wellbore: 8 ½-in. intermediate hole and 6 ¼-in. production hole (approximately 11,100 ft TVD to approximately 16,500 ft). Anticipated pressure window in the intermediate hole was 17 ppg to 18 ppg equivalent mud weight (EMW) and was chosen as a candidate for MPD as much to provide personnel training and calibration of the MPD system as to apply constant bottomhole pressure (CBHP) MPD techniques.
This wellbore section allowed for practice before the anticipated pressure window in the bottom section of hole. The production hole pressure had a potentially much narrower gap (18.5-18.9 ppg). The application of
CBHP MPD to the prospect was complicated by the addition of a rebuilt drilling rig and the presence of grossly inexperienced rig crews accompanied by an attrition rate that exceeded two to three crews per week.
At the beginning of the MPD operation, the software-aided equipment package was fully operational, and approximately eight connections were made with no real problems. However, an auxiliary pump failure required that the next 37 connections be made using trapped pressure on the annulus to replace dynamic friction pressure applied by circulation rate during connections. The auxiliary pump was repaired and became available to assist in maintaining back pressure below 13,400 ft.
Figure 2 shows the time required to perform each connection vs depth. The connections made while trapping back pressure with the choke fully closed are in the shaded area between 12,200 ft and 13,400 ft. The graph shows no significant difference in the time required to trap pressure to make connections and the time required to impose back pressure using a third pump. Figure 3 shows actual back pressure applied during connections and while drilling when using both auxiliary pump assistance and when trapping pressure while the auxiliary pump was incapacitated. Again, the interval where trapped pressure was utilized is shaded in the figure.
The initial connections with the fully operational system demonstrated some fluctuation in back pressure, both upon initiation of MPD and when the auxiliary pump was reintroduced below 13,400 ft.
The data clearly show that the auxiliary pump-imposed pressure eventually can be applied more smoothly than the more manual attempts. However, even when using trapped pressure, the variation in BHP at any point below the intermediate casing shoe remained within 0.1 ppg EMW. As seen in Figure 4, the only time the BHP was not held within a 0.1 ppg EMW range was on one connection soon after the auxiliary pump was restarted and during an interval drilled near section TD where additional BHP was useful as a safety factor during connections.
Not every candidate for MPD can justify the cost of an elaborate, fully automatic annular pressure control system. Fortunately, a complex system is not always required, and often a more simple, historical method of controlling the annular pressure manually within a close tolerance can be employed.
While improvements in fully automated annular pressure control systems are continually being made, allowance for disruption in the operation must still be made. When disruptions occur, the same simple, historical methods of manually controlling annular pressure can be employed effectively to handle such contingency events. It is possible in most cases to adequately manage downhole pressures within acceptable limits using simple, historical, manual surface controls in lieu of complex, expensive surface pumping systems and software controls.
SPE/IADC 113689, “Simplifying MPD: Lessons Learned,” was presented at the 2008 SPE/IADC Managed Pressure Drilling and Underbalanced Operations Conference & Exhibition, Abu Dhabi, 28-29 January.


Pentax Centrifugal Pumps
Pentax CM High flow, low pressure pumps, clean water use with no abrasives. The CM 50 has a technopolymer impeller and the CM 100-61 has a brass impeller. CR High flow, low pressure pumps centrifugal brass open impeller capable of handling up to 10mm soft solids. Cast iron pump body and carbon mechanical seal.


Wednesday Cloudy. Patchy rain, mainly near the Victorian border. Light winds becoming NE 15 to 20 km/h in the evening.
Thursday Patchy rain in the morning, mainly in the south. Mostly sunny afternoon. Winds N/NE 20 to 30 km/h turning NW 25 to 35 km/h in the late morning then decreasing to 15 to 25 km/h in the late afternoon.
Friday Partly cloudy. The chance of showers in the late morning and afternoon, mostly in the south. Winds NW 15 to 20 km/h turning W 15 to 25 km/h in the middle of the day.
Saturday Partly cloudy. Areas of morning fog. Light winds.
Sunday Mostly sunny. Light winds becoming NW 15 to 20 km/h during the day.
||forecast||min||max||chance of rain||rain amount||frost risk||9am||3pm|
||6||18||70%||< 1mm||Nil||NE 19||91||N 19||51|
||8||18||5%||< 1mm||Nil||NW 22||61||NW 29||42|
||9||20||40%||< 1mm||Nil||NNE 19||75||NNW 23||38|
||7||17||60%||< 1mm||Nil||N 21||84||NW 22||63|
||6||20||60%||< 1mm||Nil||NNW 20||68||NW 25||41|
20:10 EST Melbourne Airport hadn't experienced a colder night since 1997, as the mercury plummeted to -0.4 degrees early this morning.


text:
Michigan’s highway M-20 intersects with US 131 in Big Rapids, bringing east-west traffic through the area. The Mecosta County is located along West Michigan’s major transportation route, US 131. With this expressway running from the Indiana Border to the northern lower peninsula, we can be quickly reached by travelers and cargo carriers. Central north-south M-66 provides an excellent route to the south-central part of the state.
Convenient to US131, a major north/south corridor, and M20, an east/west Michigan highway, it is easy to get people and supplies to and from businesses in Mecosta County.
Major airlines and cargo carriers provide service at Gerald R Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, located one hour to the south. Air transportation services are also available at Roben Hood Airport in Big Rapids.

domain: geography


It occurred to me while at the theatre that probably a good proportion of the people there had never seen the original Planet of the Apes. They work in one of the most ultra-famous lines from the original at one point, and aside from me, only about five people reacted. This is probably not the reaction the filmmakers might have hoped for, but really, you don’t have to know the first film very well.
It occurred to me while at the theatre that probably a good proportion of the people there had never seen the original Planet of the Apes. They work in one of the most ultra-famous lines from the original at one point, and aside from me, only about five people reacted. This is probably not the reaction the filmmakers might have hoped for, but really, you don’t have to know the first film very well. If you know that one day, astronaut Taylor (Charlton Heston) wakes up to discover himself on a world run by chimpanzees, orangutans, and gorillas, and that the Statue of Liberty takes on huge significance, you’re all set.
While it’s technically a remake of something called Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, which I’ve never seen, I’m guessing that the original didn’t mention any multi-billion- dollar companies involved in genetic engineering. This one has Gen-Sys, run by Steven Jacobs, played by David Oyelowo of the Last King of Scotland. His star scientist is Will Rodman, played by James Franco, also known as Harry Osborn from the Spider-Man franchise, who is here trying to take over the world in a slightly different fashion. Okay, he isn’t trying to take over the world at all, really, but I think Jacobs might be trying to. He certainly wouldn’t mind taking over all the world’s money. So when Will says that he’s found the cure for Alzheimer’s and all sorts of other dread neurological diseases, you can just about see the dollar signs in his boss’ eyes.
Will has a very specific reason for wanting a cure to Alzheimer’s: namely, his father, Charles, played by John Lithgow. He thinks his son is still in high school and can no longer manage to play “Clair de Lune” on the piano, even though he once taught music. Will thinks that ALZ-112 will get him his father back — but of course there’s a catch. There always is. Will unceremoniously has the funding yanked out from under him after a certain incident in the lab, and is told he has to go back to the molecular drawing board. But the good news — at least mostly good news — is Caesar.
Andy Serkis, who was King Kong in the 2005 remake of the movie of that name, here plays Caesar, at least the grown-up Caesar. They did some very cool stuff with motion capture of the actors playing the various apes, to give them all a more realistic look, and it is mighty realistic. I shudder to think of all the money and effort that cost, but the overall effect is excellent.
Caesar is raised much like a regular kid, albeit a kid that isn’t allowed to go outside and play with the other kids because of overprotective parents or some health problem or something. But he’s happy enough inside, since he has a fair amount of room to romp — at least for the first few years. When growing pains hit, Will introduces Caesar to the redwood forests of California — the movie’s set in San Francisco. Caesar also introduces Will, albeit inadvertently, to pretty veterinarian Caroline (Freida Pinto). Apparently a chimpanzee is a great way to pick up girls. Well, not literally pick up, hopefully, though chimps are strong, as we shall see.
Everything goes along mostly all right, until a confrontation with nasty neighbor Hunsiker, played by David Hewlett of Splice, and apparently the most hated man in the Stargate series, or rather his character is. Then Caesar ends up in prison — I mean, in the San Diego Primate Shelter — and is subjected to the tender mercies of the Landons, father and son, who run the place. Dad John Landon is played by Brian Cox, most recently in Red, while Tom Felton, aka Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter franchise plays son Dodge Landon. This is a tip of the hat to the characters Dodge and Landon, who were Charlton Heston’s fellow astronauts in the original flick, so there’s your official fun MCND trivia for the day.
Anyway, things just go from bad to worse after that. Caesar at least makes friends, like Maurice, a former circus orangutan played by Karin Konoval of 2012, which we won’t hold against her. Maurice is named after Maurice Evans, the actor who played the orangutan Dr. Zaius in the original flick. That’s official trivia; unofficially, I think the chimp Cornelia was named after Cornelius, the character Roddy McDowall played.
I’ve gotten so caught up in talking about the apes I’ve neglected the humans, and that’s pretty much how the movie goes, too. James Franco does a good job, but any actor would be bound to be overshadowed. Never work with animals, kids, or outrageously good special effects, I guess. The apes are just like people, for better or for worse — some of them are really cool and you feel sorry for them, but some are just as rotten as nasty neighbor Hunsiker… though even so, you kind of feel sorry for them. You’re also never bored or dwelling on the fact that you’re looking at special effects. For a lot of the film, you are, but you don’t notice.
It’s pretty easy to notice, though, that you’re also looking at the start of a new franchise for the Apes movies, and I think the timing on this is probably just about perfect. Technology has caught up with the idea and can now present it believably, so I think they’re on to something here. Four and a quarter out of five. I think Charlton Heston might have liked it.


Company name: Introtech Inc
Products & Services made or distributed: 3M freeze watch, cold, coldmark freeze indicators, cool shipping, cool storage, duo temperature indicators, freeze indicators, heat indicators, product protection, shipping protection, temperature indicator, temperature limit indicators, temperature sensitive products, warm shipping, warmmark heat indicators
Company Website: http://www.introtechinc.com
Country: United States
Brief description: Introtech Inc is a distributor of variety of temperature indicator products for various industrial applications.
Extended description: Introtech Inc specializes in distributing variety of temperature indicator products for various industrial applications. Their products include warmmark temperature indicators and coldmark temperature indicators.
This company profile was initially compiled from the information contained on the home page of the company's website. If you are an authorized person from this company with an email address associated with the company www.duoleng.com, you may update this listing by following the link Update This Listing.


text:
A Sermon for Christmas Eve, December 24, 2018
St. Dunstan’s Anglican Church, Largo, FL
The Very Reverend J. Michael Strachan
Who is this infant in the manger? Who is this child of whom the angels sing? Who is this baby whom the shepherds greet? To answer these questions on Christmas Eve is something like trying to explain who Aragorn is only from the opening chapters of the Return of the King. There is so much story that has come before. There is so much story still to tell. And yet tonight we must give some answer.
You can’t explain who this child is without speaking about what’s to come. His story includes a ministry to the people of God, rejection, a cross, an empty tomb, and a throne at the right hand of God, but those are stories for another day.
You also can’t explain who this child in the manger is without speaking about what’s already occurred in the drama of our redemption. His story includes a Garden, a flood, and a promise made to Abraham that through him God would bless every family on earth. His story includes slavery in Egypt, delivery through the parted sea, and wandering in the wilderness. His story includes a Promised Land overflowing with milk and honey. It includes conquest and judges, prophets and a King named David who descendant was to be the ruler of the world.
His story includes corporate sin, a divided nation, a Temple abandoned by its God, conquest by foreign nations, and the people of God living in a foreign land. His story includes the prophets’ hope for the end of the exile, the decree of Cyrus, a return to the land that doesn’t feel quite right, a longing for the return of the God of justice, and the prophet’s warning that when the Lord returned he would come to his people like a refiner’s fire.
The simplistic and overused line is that history is his story, but when it comes to this child in the manger, we cannot begin to understand who he is without understanding that all of human history is about him. It’s his story. He is its creator, redeemer, and judge. He is its alpha and its omega, its beginning its the end. He is the one from whom all things come and the one in whom all things hold together.
He is our God and our savior, and not some distant, remote god far above the heavens, beyond space and time that we cannot see or know, but a God who stoops down from heaven to earth and has united himself with his creation forever by becoming one of us and being born in a lowly manger. In doing so, he gives new meaning to what it is to be human, and he validates what the Father said at the foundation of the world when he looked out over everything that he had made and said that it was very good.
The incarnation begins at the Annunciation and is celebrated at Christmas as what was brought to life in Mary’s womb by the power of the Holy Spirit is now wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. God incarnate, the King of Israel, the Lord of Heaven and Earth, rests in a manager as one of us. He who made us from the dust now joins us in our dust-filled existence, and by this gift he says to us that we are more than the dust from which we are made and more than the dust to which we shall return.
Human history isn’t his story just because of how significant he is in its drama. Surely that would be enough to say that history is his story. But we can say so much more than that. Human history is his story because he has wrapped himself in the tragedy of our narrative, like the swaddling clothes that wrapped his fragile body two millennia ago. He has clothed himself with our frailty, united himself with our weakness, joined us in our pain and suffering, and become one with us in this existential crisis we call human life. His story is our story. Our story is his story.
By becoming one of us, not only has he validated our existence and given new meaning to what it is to be human, but he has made our fate his fate, and his fate our fate. In the Old Testament, there is the story of God and the story of his people. Those stories intersect and relate to each other surely, but there is God on the one side and humanity on the other. But now, as the angels sing and as the mother of our Lord kisses the infant’s cheek, the story of God and the story of his people have become inseparably intertwined. This is the miracle of Christmas. It’s not just that our Lord comes to us as savior, although certainly that is true. That God would save his people from their sins was always the plan. There’s nothing particularly surprising there. What is surprising, what caught the world off-guard that night and still does to this day, is that God chose to save his people by becoming one of them, sharing in our fate, our weaknesses, and our dust-defined existence. The child in the manager, God in human flesh, is just like us. His life, his story, his fate is now inseparably intertwined with the life, story, and fate of the descendants of Adam and Eve.
This is no small thing. To be a child of Adam and Eve is to live in a world subjected to futility. It’s to know an existence ruled by the second law of thermodynamics, which says that all things are wearing out. It’s to know that one day we will die, and we will need the power of God to raise us from the dead. When God became one of us, he subjected himself to this futility from which all human beings, all creation, must be saved.
To say that Jesus needed to be saved might seem counterintuitive, but to say anything less is to deny at its core what it is we celebrate this evening. His story is our story. Our story is his story. Jesus doesn’t come to us as Superman. He doesn’t come to us as the child of Jor-El and Lara but as the child of Adam and Eve, as the child of those placed under a curse, as the child of those who know that to live is to die, as the child of those who live by faith in a God who has promised to give life back to our mortal bodies.
The incarnation is the opposite of escapism. The incarnation is God’s great shout of affirmation about the goodness of creation. It’s not about abandoning this world and our material existence for something better up in the heavens. It is the opposite of the superhuman man come to rescue us mere mortals. Christmas, the incarnation, is about the God of heaven and earth becoming one with us forever and thereby affirming our human existence and the goodness of this life. The incarnation isn’t a thing that happened and then was undone at a later date. Jesus doesn’t take on our humanity for a time and then cast it aside as he ascends to heaven. He sits there at the right hand of God wrapped in our humanity, clothed in our weakness, and united in our suffering and sorrow.
He sits there before God in the heavenly places united forever with my story and with your story because his fate is our fate, and our fate is his fate. That’s the miracle. That’s the mystery. God and humanity, your story and his story, inseparably intertwined forever and ever. The child in the manger, the one of whom the angels sing, the one whom the shepherds greet, he is Emmanuel, God with us, in a way that the prophet could never have imagined. So, don’t you ever feel abandoned. Don’t ever feel like God doesn’t care. Don’t ever feel like God doesn’t understand what it means to be weak, broken and frail. All of who you are, all your self-doubt, all your weakness, all your frailty, all your fears, all your failures, all your faults, everything that you are is there in the manger with the infant child. He will live. He will grow. He will take all that you are with him to the cross, and there he will die, and on the third day God will raise him up, and on the last day he will raise you up too. For his story is our story, and our story is his story. We are forever inseparably intertwined.

domain: christianity


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text:
Trousers are taking a step back in time this year with styles at every end of the spectrum. For wide leg lovers, quirky culottes make a comeback while form fitting females will take on tapered and get skinny in cigarettes. On those lazy days, kick back in quilted joggers and textured track pants for a sports luxe vibe. Mix and match on top and clash with hot hologram heels .
These granite marl, cotton blend joggers from Hygge are ideal for creating a relaxed and chic look. Cut in a slim fit, theyre complete with a contrast black grosgrain on an elasticated waistband for a flattering silhouette. Inside leg is 67.5cm/26.5in
Model wears size 10 and is 59 This grey twill crombie style coat is a great addition to your Winter wardrobe for seasons to come. Be bang on trend and wear with jeans and heels to complete your look. Relaxed Fit Twill Sits just above the knee 56% Acrylic,29% Polyester,12% Wool,2% Nylon,1% OTHER. Dry Clean Only.
Ready to work it gurl?! In a soft grey hue these luxe utility joggers have all the boxes ticked. Featuring a wrap styled finish to the front, elasticated waistband and ankles, style this perfect pair with a white shirt and strappy heels to get a chic and elegant evening party look. Approx inner leg length 75cm/29.5 (Based on a UK size 8 sample) 100% Polyester Cindy wears a UK size 8/ EU
Silver grey velvet drum shade. For use on a base or a ceiling pendantDimensions:H20 DIA30cmComposition:Linen, SteelSelf assembly requirements:1 x 60W GLSCare Instructions:Wipe clean with a soft dry cloth
These beautiful Mesola curtains are made from a wonderfully soft velvet making them the perfect winter warmer and will add a touch of luxury to your home.. The Mesola Luxury Velvet Grey Eyelet Curtains will make a stylish addition to any home and will ensure your decor will have the wow factor.. Product Specifications:. ; Colour: Grey. ; Material: 100% Polyester. ; Machine Washable. All sizes
ellesse was established in the 1960s as a key leader in sports clothing. Now they are back with a sports fashion collection, which includes these womens chaperone jogging bottoms that come in a soft fleece with a drawstring tied waistband, twin side pockets and branded tape detailling down the legs.. Material: 84% Cotton/11% Polyester/5% Elastane
Our Bea sofa is certainly something to behold. This rich velvet upholstered sofa is designed with a deep seat, luxe tufting and Lucite legs. Bea adds style and color to any room. This charming piece will surely make any room stand out. Handmade by skilled furniture craftsmen Kiln dried solid wood frame with shapely Lucyte legs Comfortable velvet upholstery with a tufted seat and back
Women's joggers from the 'Sister' line at Paul & Joe with soft fleece construction. Collaborating with Disney, the 'Lepote' sweatpants feature an embroidered silkscreen 'Mickey Mouse' graphic to the right leg and a comfortable elasticated waist. Complete with tapered legs and elasticated cuffs. - K.N. 62% Cotton, 38% Polyester
Walk from block to block in this Publish Two-Tone Jogger Pant.Modern color block jogger pant is crafted from a cotton-stretch twill fabrication.Drawstring at elastic waistband.Five-pocket design with signature quill embroidery at left hip.D-ring at left hip.Tapered fit throughout leg.Elastic cuffs at ankle.97% cotton, 3% spandex.Machine wash cold, tumble dry low.Imported. Measurements:Waist
Comedy actress Valerie Stanton (Rosalind Russell) and her producer Gordon Dunning (Leon Ames) are the toast of Broadway with a host of smash-hit shows behind them. They are also secret lovers. Now Valerie wants to work with someone new and has met architect Michael Morrell (Leo Genn) and fallen head over heels in love with him. Gordon however is unwilling to let her go and threatens Valerie
Give your pet a place to escape the elements with the Trixie Natura Nantucket Grey Dog House Medium. Solid wood is attractively pre-stained inside and out with a weatherproof finish for added durability. Tongue and groove exterior protects against heat loss and draft. Composite saddle shingled roof that will stand up to the elements. The dog house features a raised floor not found in many other

domain: design


REVIEW – It’s a Wonderful Life re-released in a new edition, digitally altered to take into account Donald Trump’s victory.
Released seventy years ago, It’s a Wonderful is a delightful life affirming comedy directed by Frank Capra. However, it has been digitally edited to more accurately reflect the USA under the impending presidency of Donald Trump.
The Frank Capra comedy tells the story of Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore), a kindly avuncular capitalist. Libtard George Bailey (James Stewart) attacks Mr. Potter’s smart business practices unfairly. When Low Energy George – a loser – screws up his own business, embezzling funds some people say, he decides to commit suicide. Which he does. Very sad.
Finally, Mr. Potter kicks out the garlic eaters, and renames Bedford Falls Potterville as Mr. Potter wins biggley, taking over the old Savings and Loan. He knocks down all the low cost housing and makes a golf course. Here, Mr. Potter’s Russian friend Vladimir Rasputin helps him a great deal.
|‘The size of a healthy penis’
As the holiday season approaches actor, raconteur and functioning alcoholic Sir Edwin Fluffer pours himself a large cognac, and introduces us to his Top Ten Christmas movies.
When Frank Capra rang to offer me a role in this Christmas classic I jumped at the chance. Unfortunately I landed awkwardly on top of Lionel Barrymore. Luckily I wasn’t seriously hurt, but poor old Lionel ended up having to film all of his scenes from a wheelchair. It was a simple accident and could’ve happened to anyone after a few large brandies, but I’m afraid that darling Lionel did rather hold it against me. I won’t go as far as to say that he had me fired from the picture, but he certainly wrote a long letter to Frank pointing out my many failings both as an actor and a human being.
In all fairness some of the points he raised were hard to disagree with and as I read on I soon found myself nodding in agreement.
Jimmy Stewart took it a step further by asking the rest of the cast and crew to sign a petition requesting that my services be no longer required and I mistakenly signed it thinking it was a birthday card for Donna Reed! We did laugh about that!
Even to this day I still can’t think about this film without getting a tear in my eye.
I’ve not actually seen this film myself, but the lady who comes in to do my cleaning assures me that it’s very good. The box says it has an all-star cast so there’s every chance that I could be in it. If there’s a smartly dressed gentleman with an eye for the ladies making witty remarks while pretending not to notice the bunch of mistletoe sticking out of his trousers then that’s probably me. People including my lawyer say I’m far too old for that kind of behavior, but try telling that to dear old Ollie Reed or darling Dickie Harris.
Of course Peter O’Toole’s given up on all that sort of thing now, and have you seen the state of him? He looks dreadful!
Wait! I have seen this one!
Has it got Charlton Heston doing the chariot racing? That’s on every Christmas, and very good it is too.


2017 Jaguar F Pace – new Jaguar SUV
We are all waiting for the Jaguar’s first-ever SUV that had its official appearance at 2015 Frankfurt Auto Show this September, whilst its masked check specimens are already caught every one of the in early 2014. New Jaguar SUV will take along the “F-Pace” name. As being a reminder on the list of company’s founders stated lengthy ago that all Jaguar models required “grace, pace and space.”
2017 Jaguar F Pace – Design and Platform
As expected, new 2017 F Pace styling will be inspired from the C-X17 series of concept vehicles that have been introduced back in 2013. The front finish with the new SUV is like other present day Jaguars, getting a rather egg-shaped grille with two snake-eye-like headlamps, as the front fender is bundled to the full front styling. The side of new Jaguar F Pace 2017 seems extremely agile, which helps make the car searching a lot more coupe-like. The rear end seems really much like the Shooting Brake model on the F-Type Coupe, and it seems excellent. New F-Pace is built around the aluminum-intensive platform that also supports new XE model. Obviously this platform is going to be carefully adjusted to meet an SUV physique. Interior will provide pure luxury and newest tech and safety attributes, as all versions from this car manufacturer.
2017 Jaguar F Pace – Drivetrain and Overall performance
New Jaguar F Pace will get the finish engine range through the XE sedan, even though the sole difference will likely be the R variant, whose drivetrain continues to be unconfirmed. As a result the base engine is going to be a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder, diesel which makes 163 hp and 280 pound-feet of torque. The top 2017 F-Pace S model can have a 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 unit beneath the hood, which will make 340 hp and 332 pound-feet of torque.
2017 Jaguar F Pace – Price and Release
New Jaguar F Pace 2017 is going to be out there while in the 1st half of 2016, although price range really should be among $ 38,000 and $ 50,000.


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The Oregon State Capitol and Historic Downtown are located within 2 miles of this Salem hotel. Free Wi-Fi and a daily breakfast featuring biscuits and gravy, fresh waffles and more is included. A flat-screen HD cable TV with premium channels is offered in each room at La Quinta Inn & Suites Salem. A microwave and refrigerator are provided for convenience. Coffee-making facilities are included. An indoor swimming pool is featured at the pet-friendly Salem La Quinta Inn & Suites. A business centre and a modern fitness centre are provided. A guest launderette is available. The Salem Riverfront Park is 10 minutes’ drive away. Willamette University and Corban University are within 3 miles of La Quinta Inn & Suites Salem.
Numero di camere : 113

domain: travel


text:
Albacor has locations across North America, Europe and Russia. It set up operations in Canada and the U.S. in 1998, expanding to Europe in 2003 and, most recently, to Russia, where it acquired eight operating locations. BNSF Logistics president Ray Greer said the move expands the company's North American presence while making possible its first foray into new foreign markets on behalf of North American clients. BNSF Logistics is targeting companies in the mining, civil engineering, oil and gas, renewable energy and power-generation industries. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Burlington Northern Santa Fe LLC, a Berkshire Hathaway company.
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domain: economics


text:
“In this series Anna Savino from Piemonte is sharing inspirational Italian recipes”
Pesto Filled Ravioli With Potato Cream and Green Beans Recipe from Chef Margherita | Trés – Trezzo Tinella
This tiny restaurant called Très, is an off the beaten path treasure. Located in the Alta Langa above Barbaresco, you will be welcomed with big smiles and exquisite food.
Margherita and husband Luca have chosen a vegetarian fresh pasta recipe. This dish is summery yet rich Pesto is a great sauce to go with mineral whites yet the fresh pasta calls for something a bit richer.
TRéS RECIPE FOR PESTO FILLED RAVIOLI WITH POTATO CREAM AND GREEN BEANS
INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE
400 grams ( 2 cups) of all-purpose flour
300 grams ( 1 1/4 cups) of egg yolks (approx. 12 yolks) *
Extra virgin olive oil
250 grams (l large) Russet potato
100 ml (1/2 cup) heavy cream
Handful of green beans
*What do I do with all those egg whites? You can definitely use the egg whites for meringues for dessert or you can use a traditional fresh pasta recipe (1 egg for every 100 grams)
Our suggested wine pairing:
NOBLE RIDGE 2019 Reserve Pinot Grigio
Flavours reminiscent of orange slices, orchard fruit, and tropical melon. The fruit is elevated by a refreshing and balanced acidity with a lingering finish.
Anna Savino contributor to our #TasteItalia Food &Wine Pairing Articles is now happy to announce a fantastic online project with some of the best guides around the world called Guide Collective www.guide-collective.com be sure to check it out!
Bottle shots and tasting notes courtesy of the winery.
If you would like to be featured on MyVanCity.ca please email email@example.com for details. Wine samples accepted for review.

domain: food


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|Check In:||3:00 pm|
|Check Out:||11:00 am|
|Year of Last Renovation:||1999|
|Corridors:||All Rooms Have Interior Hallways|
|Non Smoking Rooms:||100|
|Room Windows:||Windows Don't Open|
|Meeting Rooms:||1 View Spaces|
|Meeting Space:||598 sq. feet|
|Dist. to Food/Bars:||0.3 Mi|
|Dist. to 24hr Restaurant:||0.5 Mi|
|Dist. to Nearest Gym:||0.3 Mi|
Or indoor heater pool is open from 6am-10pm
Individual-24 hr prior to arricalGroup- negotiated in contract
|Total Misc Fees:||$0.00 USD |
(mandatory resort fees/taxes)
|Porterage Fee:||4.00 Per Item (only offered to bus group)|
Nearby Airports- Allentown/ Bethlehem International, Wilke-Barre/ Scranton AirportAirport Shuttle? Sorry, no airport shuttle available.
Complimentary On the House Hot Breakfast
Complimentary wifi access
The Hampton Inn highlights above are subject to change without notice.
The chart above shows fluctuations of prices for both our group prices and the best individual traveler prices our system could find at the time the group bid was submitted. The best group discount displayed is 25.9% in the month of January 2018 and the highest average individual rate is $174 in the month of August 2018. This chart will show past seasonality and also project future months. If you are flexible with dates, you may want to consider staying at Hampton Inn Stroudsburgpoconos in a month when rates are lower.
Below are the meeting, banquet, conference and event spaces at Hampton Inn Stroudsburgpoconos.
Feel free to use the Hampton Inn Stroudsburgpoconos meeting space capacities chart below to help in your event planning. Hotel Planner specializes in Stroudsburg event planning for sleeping rooms and meeting space for corporate events, weddings, parties, conventions, negotiated rates and trade shows.
|Meeting Room Name||L x W x H |
|Crescent ||Classroom ||Hollow |
|U-Shape ||Boardroom ||Convention |
|Theater ||Reception ||Regist. |
|Stroud Meeting Room||21 x 25 x 8||550||25/--||--||25||--||16||13||--/--||30||55||--|
Stroud Meeting Room
General Meeting Room
550 Sq. Mi
21 x 25 x 8 Ft.
Built In Screens?
Built In Stage?
Built In A/V?


Elles Bailey (support: phil king)
Thursday 28 october 8pm
Last few tickets remaining
Elles is a smoky-voiced human dynamo, who straddles the worlds of Americana and the blues, garnering accolades in both. 2020 started with a bang for the far-touring chanteuse when “Little Piece of Heaven” written with storied Memphis and Nashville giant Bobby Wood, & Dan Auerbach (of The Black Keys) picked up ‘UK Song of the Year’ at the UK Americana Awards. It’s taken from her chart topping sophomore album ‘Road I Call Home’ which was released to rave reviews and awarded ‘Album of the Year’ at the UK Blues Awards. The album charted in both the Official UK Country Charts & Americana charts, has gained over 4 million streams since its release and reached No.1 on the Amazon Blues Bestseller chart. Adding to Elles’ string of awards she also picked up the high accolade of ‘Artist of the Year’ two years in a row at the UK Blues Awards 2020 and in 2021.
As a self-confessed ‘rolling stone’ – Elles continued her wide-ranging headline touring throughout the UK and Europe in 2019 and early 2020 as well as being special guest support for Grammy Award winner Mike Farris, The Kris Barras Band and King King. She also shared the stage with Beth Hart at Ramblin’ Man, The Temperance Movement at Swing Wespelaar and appeared at Nashville’s Americana Fest as part of the ‘House of Songs’ collaboration. She featured at selected festivals throughout the summer of 2021 including Love Rocks, a headline slot at Cheltenham Music Fest and the British Country Music Festival and she is back out on the road for Autumn 2021.
The first offering ‘Cheats & Liars’ from Elles new album Shining in the Half Light, due in 2022, dropped on August 20th and has earned airplay and critical praise. The single enjoyed a world exclusive on ‘The Blues Show with Cerys Matthews’, on BBC Radio Two and was added to Planet Rock’s A-List and was the most played track on Planet Rock in September 2021.
“Incredibly listenable, filled with passion and that feeling of injustice,” said Music News, awarding ‘Cheats and Liars’ 5 stars, “one of the best singles I’ve heard this year and it suggests her upcoming album will be something very special.”
2022 is looking bright – a brand new studio record, touring Europe and joining Joe Bonamassa on his Keeping The Blues Alive at Sea Cruise. Miss Bailey really does call the road home & when she arrives near you, don’t think twice, get there. A great evening and a long musical friendship will be waiting.
“Absolutely Superb” Bob Harris BBC Radio 2
saturday 30 october 7:30pm
Marc Bolan, with his band T.Rex, was one of the most flamboyant and charismatic stars of the original glam rock era. With Bolan’s special ingredient of Rock-a-Boogie songs, the band had a string of huge hits throughout the 1970s including Love to Boogie, Telegram Sam, Jeepster and 20th Century Boy.
T.Rextasy have been performing around the world for over 25 years, a career that ironically out lives Marc’s very own T.Rex. The band is now accepted as the world’s only official live tribute band dedicated to Marc Bolan & T.Rex, and the only band endorsed and approved by Marc Bolan’s family, estate, original ex-members of T.Rex, and Bolan’s catalogue management. The band has been described by many as ‘beyond the boundaries of tribute’.
Truly a rock’n’roll concert for all ages – If you would like to know exactly what a Marc Bolan concert was like in the 1970s, this show is for you.


text:
(MENAFN- Jordan News Agency)
Amman, Nov. 21 (Petra) -- Eight people were killed and several more were injured when the Israeli occupation army bombed an apartment in Hamad City in Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip, local media in Gaza reported Tuesday evening.
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.

domain: topicality


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A World War 2 close reading activity book with six activities that look into six of the key leaders from World War II. Each activity has an informational text with comprehension and grammar questions followed by an extension task. The NO PREP reading comprehension activities are perfect for students in fifth grade or sixth grade. Students will learn about key leaders whilst developing their comprehension skills.
This book contains the following close reading activities:
1 – Winston Churchill
2 – Adolf Hitler
3 – Franklin D. Roosevelt
4 – Benito Mussolini
5 – Joseph Stalin
6 – Hirohito
Included in this PDF printable resource:
- Six informational texts
- Each with a comprehension activity with ten questions
- Each with grammar questions about the text
- Each with an extension writing activity
- Answer sheets for self-assessment or teacher use
This resource is great for:
- In class learning
- Independent work
- Guided reading sessions
- Assessment practice
- Reading interventions
- Emergency sub plans
The activity requires NO PREP; it has a body of text that students need to read through thoroughly; then they can use the text to find the comprehension and grammar answers. All texts then have an extension activity for those fast finishers and answers, for teacher use, are on the final page of the document.
Time allowance to complete:
5 minutes - read through the text individually.
40 minutes - answer questions using the text as guidance (including extension activity)
15 minutes - Teacher and students go through the text and answers.
Created by Creative Primary Literacy

domain: library


Pakistan unveils new strategy for the oil and gas sector by petroleum division
ISLAMABAD-Cognizant of the country’s existing and future energy needs, the Petroleum Division (PD), during the year 2020, has aligned its strategy to streamline the matters related to the oil and gas sector. It introduced the ease-of-doing-business plan and took radical measures to ensure a level-playing field for all competitors in the energy sector.
For the purpose, as many as 10 unnecessary steps, out of 24, were abolished to encourage investment in the petroleum sector. Recounting the government achievements in the oil and gas sector, a senior official privy to the petroleum sector developments told APP that the PD started importing Euro-5 standard petrol and diesel for the first time in the country’s history. Accordingly in June-2020, Minister for Energy Omar Ayub Khan inaugurated a Euro-IV and V standard fuel testing laboratory in Islamabad at the Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan (HDIP), a body responsible to ensure the provision of quality petroleum products across the country.
The facility was set up in line with Prime Minister Imran Khan’s directives to ensure availability of high-grade fuels conforming the latest vehicles and tackle environmental issues like smog and air pollution. During the one year, the official said the government also implemented a ‘Platts based’ formula, under which it started determining the prices of petroleum products fortnightly instead of a monthly basis. Besides, the PD drafted a new Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) policy, which was now in the final phase of completion. The PD, he said, had also completed dualization of the White Oil Pipeline, from Karachi to Sheikhupura, for smooth supply of petrol and diesel to Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) and reducing reliance on the traditional mode of transportation through tankers. “Currently, the pipeline is in the testing phase and will be operational soon.”
He said the pipeline would be expanded to Peshawar for which a contract had been awarded to the Frontier Works Organization, which had completed its necessary work. Hopefully, the practical work on the expansion project would start in the next few months and complete in 18-24 months, he added. With the completion of the project, known as Machike-Tarujabba oil pipeline, the official said all imported diesel and fuel besides local production in the south of the country, would move through the pipeline from Karachi to Peshawar instead of oil lorries. However, he said, onward distribution from OMCs’ oil depots to petrol pumps would remain intact through tankers. “It will greatly help reduce traffic congestion, environmental pollution and transportation cost.”
Under the project, a 427-kilometre pipeline from Sheikhupura to Peshawar would be laid aimed at ensuring a smooth supply chain of petroleum products from Karachi to Peshawar.
The pipeline had been conceived after frequent incidents of oil tankers’ overturn, especially Ahmedpur Sharqiya tragedy in 2017, to ensure safe, efficient and reliable mode of supplying petroleum products across the country. The project consists of three sections, including Machike-Chak Pirana (135-km), Chak Pirana-Rawat (117-km) and Rawat-Tarujabba (175-km), which would be capable of transporting dual oil products like High-Speed Diesel and Motor Spirit Oil to different depots. The official said the government also started the process of upgrading existing oil refineries and establishing new facilities to achieve self-sufficiency in the crude oil refining sector to bring down the country’s oil import bill.
Commenting on the gas sector, he said significant progress had been made on Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) and North-South gas pipeline projects, adding physical work on the North-South gas pipeline would start in 2021. He said the PD also finalized a plan to establish Strategic Underground Gas Storages (SUGS) and hopefully its feasibility study would complete by May and construction to start in August 2021. The official said the government also expedited the pace of awarding new exploration blocks after seeing constant depletion in the existing reservoirs and non-discovery of any major deposit since long.
In a first, he said, the PD developed an advanced and innovative dashboard application for effective assessment of real-time E&P data information and taking timely remedial measures, in case of any decrease or delay in oil and gas production. Besides, the system was devised to maintain daily sales data of oil marketing companies and petrol pumps to avoid hoarding or any shortage, he added. During the year 2020, he said, the government reconstituted boards of directors of 10 companies, working under the Petroleum Division, besides appointing professional chief executives and managing directors in Pakistan State Oil, Oil and Gas Development Company Limited, Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation, Pak-Arab Refinery Company, Sui Southern Gas Company and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited, to improve their efficiency.
The Petroleum Division also held several activities and seminars to discuss ways and means to exploit the country’s full potential in oil and gas and achieve autarky in the energy sector.


Techmer Engineered Solutions
1 Quality Cir.
Clinton, TN 37716 US
- Visit Company Website
As Seen In Plastics Technology
Materials at NPE: New Solutions to Enhance Processing, Performance, Sustainability & Cost
There was no shortage of new thermoplastics and additives covering the full range of end-use applications.
MATERIALS AND ADDITIVES AT NPE: Spotlight on Performance, Economy, and Sustainability
Lots of news in engineering thermoplastic compounds, TPEs, and purging agents, plus a wide range of colorants and additives.
Techmer Buys TP Composites
Color and additives masterbatch supplier Techmer PM, Clinton, Tenn., has expanded its engineering thermoplastics portfolio with the acquisition of custom compounder TP Composites, Ashton, Pa.
News in Medical Tubing & Materials
Two innovations in medical tubing and more than a dozen new materials, coatings, and adhesives were on display at June’s Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) East show in Philadelphia.
Techmer PM Buys TP Composites
WEB EXCLUSIVE: Color and additives masterbatch supplier Techmer PM, Clinton, Tenn., has expanded its engineering thermoplastics portfolio with the acquisition of custom compounder TP Composites, Ashton, Pa.
Lots of News in Engineered Compounding
Three companies, two of them domestic masterbatch suppliers, and one a German compounder, recently made new moves in engineered compounds for the U.S. market.•Americhem expands: Color and additive concentrate producer Americhem Inc., Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, has acquired Infinity Compounding, LLC of Swedesboro, N.J.
Nano-Lubricated and Conductive Compounds at NPE
WEB EXCLUSIVE Recently developed engineering compounds based on nano-additives will be highlighted at the NPE show in Chicago by Techmer Lehvoss Compounds (TLC), Clinton, Tenn., a joint venture of Techmer PM and Lehmann & Voss Co. of Germany.
New FR ABS for Static Dissipation
A new flame-retardant ABS from Techmer Lehvoss Compounds, Clinton, Tenn., offers static dissipation for housings and enclosures of consumer appliances and office and industrial equipment.
Nylon 66 with 60% Glass
A high-strength nylon 66 with 60% glass loading is new from Techmer Lehvoss Compounds, Clinton, Tenn.
New Nylon Compounds Are Laser Weldable
Glass-filled nylons are the first in a series of new laser-weldable compounds from Techmer Lehvoss LLC, Clinton, Tenn.
New Contender Seeks a Niche in Specialty Engineering Compounding
The U.S. compounding business is getting intensely specialized as OEM manufacturers ship commodity work to China and focus more on value-added products here.