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2 March 2012
The next phase of the Tropical Legumes II project will focus on gender specific aspects of legume production, marketing and consumption.
Smallholder farmers to benefit from second phase of tropical legumes project With US$ 21 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Tropical Legumes II project will get a boost in implementing research-for-development initiatives to overcome productivity constraints and nonavailability and lack of access to quality seed of improved legume varieties, thereby improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and their families in 15 countries in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
second phase of an agricultural research for development project aimed at improving the livelihoods of poor farmers in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia has been recently agreed on. This is one of seven grants which Bill Gates announced on 23 February in Rome at the 35th Session of the Governing Council of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). This announcement, nearly US$ 200 million in grants, brings the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundationâ€™s total commitment to agriculture to more than $2 billion since the program began in 2006.Â
The three-year, US$ 21 million project known as Tropical Legumes II (TL II), is part of a ten-year plan which seeks to improve the livelihoods of 60 million smallholder farmers and their families in 15 countries in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. It is also expected to bring about US$ 1.3 billion in added value to the productivity of the target crops, namely: chickpea, common bean, cowpea, groundnut, pigeonpea and soybean. Grain legumes contribute to the livelihoods, health and nutrition of more than 700 million poor people in the dryland tropics of sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. to page 2 ...4
Second phase of tropical legumes project....from page 1 The project will help smallholder farmers overcome productivity constraints such as drought, pest and disease problems, and nonavailability and lack of access to quality seed of improved legume varieties. With this additional support from the foundation, ICRISAT and sister Centers, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), together with several national program, private sector, and NGO partners will work closely with smallholder farmers to ensure that seed of improved varieties from the project reach farmers’ fields. “If you care about the poorest, you care about agriculture,” said Bill Gates, co-chair of the foundation. “Investments in agriculture are the best weapons against hunger and poverty, and they have made life better for billions of people. The international agriculture community needs to be more innovative, coordinated and focused to really be effective in helping poor farmers grow more. If we can do that, we can dramatically reduce suffering, and build self-sufficiency.” The first phase of the TL II project has already made valuable impact. More than 60 new varieties of tropical legumes have been released in several countries and 93,000 metric tons of seeds of improved legume varieties produced have reached 240,000 smallholder farmers, who together with extension workers, have been trained on improved farming practices. In particular, the role of women in producing food and making decisions about family nutrition needs has been recognized. Likewise, the project has
A beaming farmer in his groundnut field. 2
ICRISAT Happenings 2 March 2012/1508
Ms Dabi, a smallholder farmer in Ethiopia, proudly shows off her harvest of a new high-yielding variety of chickpea in her store.
strengthened the capacities of national agricultural research systems in partner countries. The next phase of the project will focus on gender specific aspects of tropical legume production, marketing and consumption. Moreover, particular emphasis will be given to location-specific monitoring and evaluation, impact assessment, data management and increased seed production and delivery. The project will also emphasize sustained capacity strengthening of national agricultural research systems in the two regions. According to Director General William Dar, the second phase, spread over three years, is a very important step to share economic and nutritional benefits to poor farmers in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. “By the end of 2014, we will have reached an additional 10 million smallholder farmer households. This is a very significant achievement, and we appreciate the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for our work and that of our partners,” Dr Dar stressed. g
Participatory action research on climate change
ICRISAT and ICRAF to develop community-based climate-smart agriculture in West Africa
iming to develop options of climate-smart agriculture that could be upscaled for smallholder farmers, ICRISAT and ICRAF-The World Agroforestry Centre, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to implement the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) project on “Developing communitybased climate smart agriculture through participatory action research in West Africa.” The signing took place during a two-day planning workshop held in Bamako, Mali on 15-16 February. In partnership with rural communities and other stakeholders, the three-year project seeks to test and validate a climate-smart model for agricultural development integrating a range of innovative agricultural risk management strategies. The project cuts across the four CCAFS research themes, using a three-pronged approach: (1) stock-taking of ongoing projects and activities, (2) identification of gaps and opportunities (SWOT analysis), and (3) community identification and prioritization of activities to address these gaps. In his opening remarks during the workshop, Dr Antoine Kalinganire (Coordinator, ICRAF Sahel Node) recalled the African Ministerial climate-smart agriculture conference held in Bamako in September
Participants at the workshop in Bamako.
2011. The meeting communiqué, he said, emphasized the need to integrate solutions to climate change, food security and poverty challenges and the importance of climate-smart agriculture in building resilient landscapes and communities. Dr Robert Zougmoré (CCAFS Program Leader, West Africa), meanwhile, presented the CCAFS program and the participatory approach. The project, he said, will build on and link-up with existing CCAFS activities in each country. These include household-, village- and organizational-level baseline studies, and projects like the seasonal climate forecasting implemented by AGRHYMET and ANAMS (Agence national de la météorologie du Senegal), including participatory monitoring and evaluation. The workshop provided an opportunity for sharing and learning from past and ongoing experiences in the pilot countries. Each multidisciplinary country team came up with a work plan that will be refined and validated during a national workshop involving all stakeholders. The workshop was attended by 20 delegates from the NARS (IER, Mali; INERA, Burkina Faso; and CSIR, Ghana), NGOs (Langmaal Centre for Rural Development Initiatives, Ghana; Association Malienne D’Eveil au Développement Durable, Mali; TreeAid, Burkina Faso), IUCN-PACO, ANAMS (Senegal), CIAT, CCAFS/ICRISAT, ICRAF and AGRHYMET. g
A country team discussing its work plan. ICRISAT Happenings 2 March 2012/1508
Scientist shares challenges and opportunities in pigeonpea breeding
s part of the Institute’s seminar series to promote knowledge sharing and capacity building, Dr Isabel Vales, ICRISAT Principal Scientist, gave a comprehensive presentation on the topic “Pigeonpea Breeding: Challenges and Opportunities” on 23 February at Patancheru.
The world average yield of pigeonpea has been hovering around 700 kg per ha for the Dr Isabel Vales elucidating on the challenges in pigeonpea breeding. past 35-40 years. According to Dr Valez, cytoplasmic nuclear male sterility (CMS)-based In order to ensure the success of the CMS hybrids, it pigeonpea hybrids offer great promise to significantly is essential to have pure parental lines, to involve improve yield by up to 2-4 tons per ha. Higher both public and private sectors, and to enhance yields combined with resistance/tolerance to training, monitoring and promotion efforts. important diseases such as sterility mosaic and Knowledge from recent successes in genome Fusarium wilt make CMS hybrids highly beneficial to sequencing has to be harnessed, along with farmers. This technology could bring even higher coordinated efforts from multiple disciplines and benefits when combined with small dal machines partners to increase pigeonpea productivity. that would add value to the crop and enhance market opportunities, consistent with ICRISAT’s The seminar has been recorded, and will be Inclusive Market-Oriented Development (IMOD) available at all ICRISAT locations for viewing by approach. interested scientists. g
Madurai malli (jasmine) to enter global market through incubation
he famous ‘Madurai malli’ (jasmine) will soon be promoted as a global commodity jointly by the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) and ICRISAT. A comprehensive field study in Madurai District of Tamil Nadu done by TNAU and the Agri-Business Incubation (ABI) Program of ICRISAT has put forward
TNAU Vice-Chancellor P Murugesa Bhoopathi (3rd from left), Madurai District Collector U Sagayam and SM Karuppanchetty of ABI-ICRISAT releasing the strategic plan for jasmine growers. 4
ICRISAT Happenings 2 March 2012/1508
a set of recommendations to promote Madurai malli in both the domestic and international markets. Primarily, the plan calls for the development of an incubator for Madurai malli similar to the Timbali incubator for gerbera in South Africa. SM Karuppanchetty, COO, ABI-ICRISAT, presented his team’s survey findings to Madurai District Collector U Sagayam and others at the Madurai Jasmine Stakeholder’s meeting held at the Agricultural College and Research Institute. According to him, the area under jasmine production in Madurai district is 1,220 hectares yielding nearly 10,000 tons per year. If Madurai malli has to catch up in the global market, the skills of garland makers have to be enhanced, he added. “This study will aid government authorities in developing policies and providing a strategic framework for the establishment of a Madurai Malli Incubator (MMI) and Madurai Malli Development Council (MMDC) to promote entrepreneurs in the jasmine industry,” the survey report said. g
NFSM monitoring team evaluates DAC-ICRISAT projects on pulses
he national level monitoring team of the DAC-ICRISAT collaborative projects on pulses under the National Food Security Mission (NFSM)-Pulses Program visited Patancheru on 29 February – 1 March to review the progress in ICRISAT’s chickpea and pigeonpea research and development initiatives.The monitoring team was composed of Dr Anupam Barik (Additional Commissioner, Crops), Dr RK Gupta (National Consultant, NFSM), Dr K Manoharan (Director, Directorate of Oil Seed Development), and Dr Narender Kumar (Joint Director, NFSM). Six projects on chickpea and pigeonpea were evaluated in the review meeting. Progress reports were presented by the following ICRISAT Principal Investigators: HC Sharma (Pod borer resistance), KB Saxena (Hybrid pigeonpea), I Vales (Pigeonpeawater logging), S Pande (Chickpea in RRFL), and Dr PM Gaur (Extra-large seeded kabuli chickpea and heat tolerance in chickpea). The team also visited project-related activities in the field and greenhouse, and acknowledged the Institute’s high-quality science investigations on
The NFSM projects’ monitoring team with ICRISAT staff.
Helicoverpa management, chickpea diseases, tolerance for water logging in pigeonpea, and heat tolerance in chickpea. Drs Barik and Gupta highly appreciated the progress made by ICRISAT scientists and partners in the NFSM-funded projects. They encouraged ICRISAT to develop project proposals for funding under the DAC-NFSM’s estimated budget of `300 crores (about US$ 60 million) for pulses in the Government of India’s 12th five-year plan. g
Students, academic management team visit ICRISAT-Niamey
he Ministry of Secondary and Higher Education and Scientific Research of Niger organized a trip for a group of 30 school students from Lycée Issa Korombé, Lycée Kassai and Lycée Mariama, to ICRISAT-Niamey on 16 February. The group was led by Mr Guero from the UNESCO Office. The students were welcomed by ICRISAT’s Country Representative Mahamadou Gandah, and were taken on a tour of the nursery, African Garden Market, genebank and library.
School students visit the soil laboratory.
Meanwhile, the new Niamey University Academic Management Team composed of Dr Barazé Moussa (Vice Rector), Dr Diallo Bouli (President of Scientific Council) and Dr Bakasso Yacouba (Vice Dean) visited ICRISAT-Niamey on 21 February. The visit aimed to revitalize the research cooperation between the university and ICRISAT, particularly in the area of training. g
The Niamey University academic management team during their visit. ICRISAT Happenings 2 March 2012/1508
New tools create a community of mungbean breeders
acebook can link friends, but new online collaborative tools developed as part of a joint ICRISAT-AVRDC project can also link crop breeding programs across the world, avoiding duplicated efforts and speeding up global progress. A three-day workshop on 27-29 February showcased online tools to speed up progress in collaborative international breeding of mungbean. It involved participants from AVRDC-The World Vegetable Center and ICRISAT as well as national partners from Thailand, the Philippines and India.
With a global area of over 6 million ha, mungbean is one of the most important legume crops in Asia. Fast and drought-hardy, it is widely used for dahl, sprouted as a vegetable or processed into noodles and snack foods. The workshop was the final activity of a joint project “Bioinformatics for Breeding: Data Management” between ICRISAT and AVRDC. The project has organized breeding data for mungbean and sorghum, allowing it to be shared online. Dr Trushar Shah from ICRISAT’s Bioinformatics group who led the project said that the workshop provided a strong foundation for future work that will strengthen the work of all partners involved. Building on tools from the Integrated Breeding Program of the Generation Challenge Program, all AVRDC mungbean pedigree information and characterization data can now be shared online. National mungbean breeders were enthusiastic to join the program. As they have become more
Participants of the international mungbean workshop held at Patancheru.
sophisticated, there is a greater need for international coordination to improve efficiency. Past collaborative breeding programs among 29 national and international partners produced the world’s most successful mungbean varieties, and Dr Ram Nair, AVRDC mungbean breeder said that these new online tools lifted such international collaboration to a new level. AVRDC Regional Director for South Asia, Dr Warwick Easdown said that collaborative breeding work will continue to be a central part of international cooperation that also involves improving seed systems for mungbean, agronomy, mechanization and value adding. This active community of interest is vital to the future of one of the world’s most important legumes. g
Workshop for safety wardens at Patancheru
VS Reddy of CO shares his ideas about safety measures. 6
ICRISAT Happenings 2 March 2012/1508
he Environment, Health and Safety Committee (EHSC) conducted an interactive Workshop for Safety Wardens (Team-9) at Patancheru on 1 March, moderated by Mr Hector V Hernandez, HRO Director and Chair of EHSC. The workshop adopted a team-based approach to discuss pending issues and come out with the best possible solutions through group deliberations. Among the issues discussed and solutions shared were water quality and prevention of wastage, lighting, fire safety hazards, cleanliness, repairs/maintenance, and rat and termite menace. g
Sports Day at Sadoré ICRISAT-Niamey celebrated its 4th Sports Day at Sadoré station on 24 February. In his inaugural message, Dr Gandah emphasized the importance of sports to help maintain balance between physical and mental health. Staff members competed in several sports and games such as walking, football, volleyball, petanque, ball in the tire, scrabble, cards, ludo, and others. g Drs Gandah and Rodolfo signal the beginning of the events.
A football match in progress.
Planning the next move...
ISRC News: Devil’s XI are 2012 T20 Champions!
The top two teams – Devil’s XI and Charger’s XI – pose after the T20 finals. Devil’s XI won the match beating Charger’s XI. Devastating bowling spells by T Muralidhar (4 for 15) and Anil (3 for 23) curtailed the Charger’s XI score to 95. Devil’s XI reached the target in 12.4 overs with a good knock of 57 (not out) by Ramesh, and a loss of just two wickets. Well done, Devil’s XI!
ICRISAT Happenings 2 March 2012/1508
Visitors’ log 27 February: H.E. Stewart Beck, High Commissioner of Canada; 100 students from Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul International School, Hyderabad; and participants from SAARC and Africa through the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE). 29 February: Twelve participants from the National Institute of Micro- Small- and MediumEnterprises, Hyderabad; 41 biotech students from KAU, Kerela; and 10 students from ISH. 01 March: Dr Manish Raozada, Associate Professor and International Relations Officer from the University of Guelph, Canada; and 30 participants through Water and Land Management Training & Research Institute (WALAMTARI).
Canadian High Commissioner Stewart Beck (center) during his visit.
02 March: Students from Sardar Bhagwan Singh PG Institute of Biomedical Sciences and Research, Balawala, Dehradun.
New Publication Towards a Prosperous, Food-secure and Resilient Dryland Tropics: A Compendium of Speeches by William D Dar, January-December 2011.
Thought for the week Be the change you want to see in the world.
– Mahatma Gandhi
Published on Mar 1, 2012

domain: agronomy


ALEXANDRIA, Va.—Elon Musk hosted Tesla’s much touted “big battery” event this week, promising cheaper EV batteries and lower prices for Tesla’s future cars, as well as announcing a new ultra-fast version of the Model S, CNN reported.
After enumerating improvements in Tesla’s own battery designs and manufacturing advancements that drastically reduce the price of electric batteries, Musk promised a $25,000 Tesla electric car would be available in about three years. That price is considerably cheaper than any car Tesla has made yet and closer to the budget of the average consumer, which could lead to a higher number of electric vehicles on the road eventually needing to find charging stations. When Tesla promised a $35,000 electric car, the Model 3, it was available at that price only briefly.
Musk also said that the $25,000 car would be capable of driving fully autonomously, a difficult feat because the sensors and other equipment needed for even partly autonomous driving are expensive. He also admitted that the company’s fully autonomous driving software experienced unforeseen challenges, prompting a “fundamental rewrite” of the “entire software stack,” though he did not say when that occurred.
In the past, Musk predicted that Teslas equipped with the company’s "Full Self Driving" hardware would be capable of a "coast-to-coast" autonomous trip by the end of 2017, but those deadlines were pushed back.
Musk outlined Tesla’s improvements in battery design and manufacturing capabilities. These advancements could lead to massive reductions in battery costs per kilowatt hour, a measure of a battery’s energy-holding capabilities.
Musk also predicted that future Tesla batteries will be fully recyclable so that mining lithium will no longer be necessary. Ultimately, the manufacturer hopes to make 20 million vehicles a year, a greater number than all passenger vehicles sold in the United States last year. By comparison, Volkswagen Group, which sells Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche and other brands, sold 11 million vehicles worldwide in 2019.


JUICE, the European Space Agency's JUpiter ICy moons Explorer mission, has successfully passed its latest milestone: space engineers at Airbus’ satellite integration centre in Friedrichshafen (Germany) have attached the magnetometer boom (MAGBOOM) to the spacecraft. The MAGBOOM carries five magnetically sensitive instrument sensors to keep them far from any disturbances from the main spacecraft. The sensors are part of the magnetometer J-MAG and the Radio and Plasma Wave Investigation (RPWI) scientific instruments.
J-MAG is a magnetometer package to study the Jovian magnetosphere and its interaction with the three icy moons, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto, in particular with Ganymede´s intrinsic magnetic field. The RPWI instrument will investigate the radio emissions and plasma environments of Jupiter and its icy moons.
The MAGBOOM is made of non-magnetic materials, such as carbon fiber, various titanium and aluminum alloys, and bronze and weighs 44 kilograms (including the sensors). The boom must withstand temperatures from -210° to +250° Celsius. Once deployed its total length is 10.6 metres.
The 6.2 ton JUICE spacecraft will set off in 2022 on its near 600 million-kilometers-long journey to Jupiter. The spacecraft will carry 10 state-of-the-art scientific instruments, including camera, spectrometers, a sub-mm wave instrument, an ice-penetrating radar, a laser altimeter, a radio-science experiment and instrument packages to monitor the magnetic and electric fields and charged particles.
JUICE will spend more than three years around the gas giant, completing a unique tour that will include in-depth studies of three potentially ocean-bearing moons, Ganymede, Europa and Callisto and collecting data to provide answers on the conditions for emergence of life around a giant planet. It will perform a multidisciplinary investigation of the Jupiter system as an archetype for gaseous planets. It will spend nine months orbiting the icy moon Ganymede analysing its environment, surface, interior and its potential habitability.
As prime contractor, Airbus is leading an industrial consortium of more than 80 companies across Europe.


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Green Class are preparing for a busy term ahead learning about the stone age. Many different activities are planned across the curriculum to help support this.
We will also be supporting the children as they continue to develop their social behaviour. Trips to local shops are planned to help the pupils feel comfortable in their community.
Different sensory activities will take place. These help the children to improve their fine motor skills, as well as being plenty of fun!

domain: topicality


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domain: game


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The Microbudget Conversation: The Journeymen
As most of us receive our early morning Sundance rejection email (which literally makes us the 99 percenters…again.) we should all take a moment and reflect: what drove us to this? What brought us to this moment where a single email is either enormously heartbreaking, or just another bump on the dirt road of DIY/micro filmmaking? I’ve asked fellow columnist, and bi-coastal filmmaker, Gregory Bayne to shed a bit of light on his practice of treating each project as the first uphill battle of many, and how that journey is essential for the career independent filmmaker.
We have an almost perverse obsession with the idea of overnight success in this country. It permeates the network television line-up, which provides an un-ending stream of opportunities for under prepared, starry-eyed dreamers to embarrass themselves on a national (perhaps international) stage. In creative communities we constantly talk of getting that “big break,” and if the numbers are correct — 11,700 submissions this year — it appears we filmmakers still believe that a birth at Sundance is the end-all to launching our very lucrative filmmaking careers.
This obsession is like some strange disease for which the only cure, truly, is staying the course long enough that you finally realize there is no “one big success,” only a series of little successes and small triumphs, intermingled with some failures and the occasional tragedy. The brass tacks are, if you are going to make your way as an independent artist, you are committing to a life’s work that will always be, in one way or another, a sustained campaign.
I know this all too well, as I currently embark on my next film and with it another public funding-campaign to get it off the ground. The film is BLOODSWORTH: An Innocent Man (http://kck.st/vpqcgc), a feature documentary about Kirk Noble Bloodsworth, who after being charged, convicted and sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, became the first death row inmate to be exonerated by DNA evidence in the US. Even though I begin this work with some level of track record behind me, this project begins as they all do, at ground zero.
This fact, I think, is likely the biggest enemy to our being able to maintain that sustained effort that finally enables us to one day look back at a body of work we can feel good about (hopefully), or at least hold up as proof of accomplishing something in our lives. Each new project represents a journey from ground zero in which we start with our singular vision that we must definite and refine, then rally support for, day after day, wearing numerous hats as we endeavor to bring together far reaching elements, both creative and business, in order to move our ideas and projects forward. This is not a new phenomenon, and not wholly born of the DIY movement that has come of age in the past couple years. It’s the reality that has been here all along, but never included in those fantastical stories of “overnight success” which fueled many a desire to get into this racket.
Even though we’re at a moment in time where the independent film economy seems to be on a rebound, I’m going to state that the era of overnight discovery is dead and gone and we are now living in the time of the journeyman. Ours is a blue-collar profession that requires astute attention to craft, a broad understanding of all the elements that go into the development, finance, production, marketing and distribution of our work, and a willingness to go to the mat for it on a near daily basis.
The latter is most certainly true when you thrust yourself into a all-or-nothing crowd-funding effort via a platform such as Kickstarter.com, as I have done with BLOODSWORTH. It is a day-in, day-out commitment to the story you want to tell, and eventually to those that would help you tell it. It requires a lot of stamina and an unwavering belief in the work that you are trying to accomplish.
As we all know the crowd-funding space has become somewhat, well, crowded, which sadly creates a lot of noise which is difficult to break through at times. That said, and even with its detractors, I would argue that the public fund-drive is generally a positive, and the very crystallization of the campaigning we have to do for our work. It’s not just about raising the money (which is of course key), it’s about the presentation of the entire endeavor, and most importantly the opportunity to build a strong community around it from day one.
You see, when you go public for a concentrated period of time with a specific purpose, it narrows your focus onto the project and if you’re doing it right, inevitably makes it better. First off, the funding campaign itself brings attention to what you are doing, and if it’s worthwhile, sustained attention. That said, we all know we live in a very short attention span world, especially online where much of this work occurs, so to continue to grow and keep attention on the project over a 30-day funding campaign you have to present your message, not just often, but in several new ways throughout the endeavor. This is a lot of hard work, but it leads to the focusing of your message, helps guard against you becoming a broken record (though you still do a little), and has the added benefit of leaving you with a bunch of new work to show for it at the end of the day. Since beginning the campaign for BLOODSWORTH, I’ve produced several new video clips, written numerous updates, answered several emails, and done a couple of interviews, all of which have served to both make me think specifically about what I am really looking to accomplish with this film, while elevating the awareness of its existence.
Ultimately the new reality is no matter whether you’re a seasoned producer, or scrappy filmmaker from the State everyone thinks is Iowa, if you are going to embrace a career in this field, you’re also decidedly embracing the active campaigning for your work day-in, day-out, one project at a time, every time.
Luckily, what the DIY movement, which I feel is quite synonymous with micro-budget, coupled with the exponential growth of technology has accomplished in the past couple years is to inspire high level of creative thinking about these new mechanics of production and distribution, how one sustains as an artist, and possibly most intriguing the function of cinema in our connected world.
As I’ve worked to develop BLOODSWORTH, and in the launching of this funding campaign, I’ve thought a lot about this new reality we find ourselves in, where in order to create sustainable work we need to be out in front of it always, as well as increasingly format, if not form, agnostic, and truly embracing of community if we want to go the distance. This may scare the hell out of some, but I find comfort in knowing the future belongs to those who invest in their craft, can produce quickly, and at less expense, are used to thinking on their feet, and who have spent the time getting to know the community they carry with them throughout all their work.
Gregory Bayne is a filmmaker living and working in Boise, Idaho. His most recent film, JENS PULVER | DRIVEN, is now available on several cable and internet Video on Demand platforms including iTunes & AmazonVOD. His current film, BLOODSWORTH, is currently near its campaign end on Kickstarter.com which closes on December 5, 2011 at 5pm EST to fund initial production of the project.
We are still running our sound mix contest here until December 13th. Get your film in and win a chance to have it mixed by a pro!
We’d never turn down the chance to hear from you, especially microbudget fans and filmmakers. To become part of the conversation please send us your thoughts, responses, and questions.

domain: artistic


The collaboration between Bosch Rexroth and Messina University has given birth to C.E.R.I.S.I., new excellence research centre when the most advanced technologies and systems in Europe will allow the study of seismic events and of all devices and equipment for their prevention.
Messina University, established in 1548, is one of the most ancient Italian Universities. Situated inside a territory affected by high seismic risk, struck in the past by disastrous events, is also one of the Italian Centres where researchers coming from all over the world study solutions that allow protecting us from the effects of earthquakes. Studies that today can be carried out on an even wider spectrum, in a further developed laboratory, inaugurated at the end of last year, for whose implementation Bosch Rexroth Italia has played an active and decisive role.
«An upgrading – explained prof. Eugenio Guglielmino, Scientific Manager of the project – that has permitted also the building of new operational premises for the execution of special tests in the ambit of the Structural and Geotechnical Engineering. I am referring in particular to a machine for tests on anti-seismic devices, to a machine for tests on metal cables and to a vibrating table equipped with shear stack for the execution of tests on small-scale models of geotechnical works».
In this context, Bosch Rexroth won the call for tenders for the technical equipment of the three testing and research systems issued by Messina University. In particular, it took part in the implementation of a testing system for supports, dampers and seismic isolators, which allows simulating the motion imposed on site by a seismic event and applying the forces acting on the devices in real scale. Besides, it has manufactured a test bench, dedicated to the testing of a broad range of suspension systems used in the implementation of big infrastructures and a vibrating table, which allows simulating the motion imposed on site by a seismic event and assessing its effects on small-scale models of structures and infrastructures.
Among the studies in course on a world scale of the solutions that can protect us from seismic events, it turns out to be very promising the one consisting of seismic isolators that, in case of earthquake, damp the vibrations exerted on the foundations: a sort of “shock absorber” for the entire building.
«Until now – explains Mr Giuseppe Ricucci, Project Engineer of Bosch Rexroth Italia – it was possible to test isolators “upside down”, i.e. imposing the building motion induced by the earthquake with apposite hydraulic cylinders»
Actually, earth moves and not the building. Starting from that assumption, some scholars of Messina University conceived the idea of implementing an earthquake simulator that was finally able to test isolators under realistic conditions. Besides the technical plant design, Bosch Rexroth itself took care, in this ambitious project, also of the entire system management and of the global work coordination. Activities that were carried out in record times, in the lapse of slightly more than one year since the task entrustment.
To reach the exacting machine performances, fundamental was also the development of the mathematical models for the simulation that Bosch Rexroth itself faced and the development of the control software. Moreover, the implementation of a scale prototype has also allowed testing different algorithms and optimizing the control system.
Testing system for anti-seismic isolators
Designed and implemented by Bosch Rexroth (according to the indications of the minimal performance parameters that allow executing tests on the almost totality of the production of anti-seismic devices in Europe), the test system for the characterization of passive seismic insulation systems consists of a table with 6 degrees of freedom.
«The machine– explains the engineer Ricucci – is essentially composed by 6 main parts: a table sliding on a hydrostatic film, four vertical actuators for the Z-axis, four horizontal actuators for the X- and-Y axes, an upper metal beam, two reinforced concrete pillars and a system for the hydraulic energy accumulation».
The 4 vertical actuators are based on low-friction hybrid technology, they are equipped with 2 three-way Bosch Rexroth servo-valves with high flow rate and high dynamics: one small, for the retraction chamber and a big one for the extension chamber, instead of a standard 4-way servo-valve.
Still 4 are the actuators for the X- and Y-axes (2 for each axis), executions with double rod, still based on low-friction hybrid technology, connected with the table by backlash-free ball joints. Higher speed X-axis actuators are equipped on-board with 4 Bosch Rexroth high-dynamics parallel servo-valves while the Y-axis ones are provided with 2 servo-valves. Highly performing equipment in terms of dynamics, precision and motion stability. «On each actuator – further adds Mr Ricucci – they have provided also for a small-size servo-valve that, besides executing low-speed motions for the set-up, improves the system precision in the phases of motion inversion or for the control with low loads».
Concerning the accumulation system, due to the high pulse rate of the machine, it was necessary to provide for a hydraulic energy one that, at the highest performances, can (even if for a short time) perform a flowrate in the order of 20,000 litres per minute in a range of variable pressure from 22 to 31.5 MPa.
Earthquake simulation and cable testing system
To simulate the motion imposed on-site by a seismic event and to assess its effects on small-scale models of structures and infrastructures, as already underlined, Bosch Rexroth has implemented an apposite vibrating table with 1.5 x 7 m surface.
«Peculiar element of this equipment – comments Mr Ricucci – is the presence of a container with deformable walls, called Shear Stack, which, through opportune procedures, is filled with ground. The deformable walls of the container simulate an effect of not-confinement of the earth and allow executing seismic tests that strictly approach reality».
In addition to the two above-mentioned testing devices, at Messina University Bosch Rexroth has implemented another important test bench, dedicated to the testing of a broad range of suspension systems used in the building of big infrastructures, such as suspended and stayed bridges and the big cable transport lines (like for instance cable cars, cableways etc.).
«The most important characteristics of this test bench – highlights Mr Ricucci – consist not only in the exceptional tensile load that can be applied but also in the sizes of the specimen undergoing tests that actually make it a unique device currently available in Europe».
We are referring to a test bench for the mechanical characterization of great-light bridge cables and stays (up to 109 strands for 22 m of length) for fatigue and breaking tests with an axial load of about 34,000 kN. A machine composed by three patented Tandem Bosch Rexroth servo-actuators equipped with load cell and position transducer, a trench with 30.6 metre length and a mobile carriage on which the cable is fixed.
«The operation– explains Mr Ricucci – provides for a static force generated by the major actuator chamber, which can reach 31,000 kN, and a dynamic component superimposed by the minor chamber that can reach 3,100 kN».
Research, development and industrial innovation
An ambitious and unique project in which times, management optimization and highest coordination of the involved players have played a determinant role for the good final result. All that taking also into account some logistic-operational troubles that have involved for instance the organization, too (cared by Bosch Rexroth itself) of two exceptional transports from North Italy to Messina, with the addition of an enormous crane coming from Palermo for the positioning of some elements such as the vibrating table and the contrast beam. An impressive sequence of activities coordinated by the researchers of the Engineering Department and Bosch Rexroth engineers, which last December allowed the inauguration of C.E.R.I.S.I. (Centre of Excellence for the Research and Innovation on large dimensions Structures and Infrastructures).
The project, for which were invested 22 million Euros, springs from the cohesion and the inter-exchange of 4 areas of the Scientific Research of Messina: Construction Science and Technique (Manager: Giuseppe Ricciardi), Geotechnics (Manager: Ernesto Cascone), Naval-mechanical engineering (Manager: Vincenzo Crupi) and Earth Science (Manager: Giovanni Randazzo). In addition to the research activity, the Centre is also characterized by the offer of scientific and technological services. The target markets are generally represented by subjects that design, implement, manage and monitor the large infrastructures in the world and by subjects entrusted with the safeguard and protection of environments particularly subjected to seismic events. The main potential customers are all those economic and social players that are called to monitor ex ante, in itinere and ex post the environment and the existing infrastructures, subjected to dangers springing from atmospheric, mechanical and seismic stresses. The Centre of Excellence C.E.R.I.S.I. allows also executing tests in scale 1:1 on large-size structures subjected to real dynamic load conditions while operating. The test equipment of the “Test laboratory for large structures” consists of a frame standing out for high resistance and stiffness. The sizes provided for the gridded floor (15×8 m – h = 0.3 m) and for the frame (9×7 m – h = 5 m) and the performances of the actuators (maximum dynamic force of 1,000 kN for a single actuator) and of hydraulic power units allow performing dynamic tests on big-size components, equipping naval and railway structures, automotive, aeronautics and aerospace. The choice of different typologies of actuators (dynamic performance of: 100 kN, 250 kN, 500 kN and 1,000 kN), with the possibility of applying at least 5 actuators simultaneously and the presence of opportune structures (gridded plan, portal and test benches) allows carrying out very versatile tests on components with various sizes on which can be applied, in definite points, different stresses by amplitude, frequency and imposed displacement.
Sicilian excellence and international innovation
At the presence of the On. Gian Luca Galletti, Ministry of the Environment and the Protection of Land and Sea, last December took place the Ceremony of inauguration of C.E.R.I.S.I. Laboratory, a centre of excellence born from the cohesion of 4 areas of the scientific research of Messina University: Construction Science and Technique, Geotechnics, Naval-Mechanical Engineering and Earth Science What are the reasons that have guided the University in the implementation of this project, what the expectations?
«The core idea – comments prof. Eugenio Guglielmino, Scientific manager of the project – was integrating the University with the entrepreneurial world, highlighting the competences of the academic world outside, providing industries with services and consulting, in an economic context that extends on an international scale».
Starting from the local criticalities, concerning the seismic risk, and with the competences gained in this sector by Messina University, they have developed the Structural Engineering area, implementing in the Eurolab laboratory of C.E.R.I.S.I. machines able to provide services all over the world for the certification and the acceptance of anti-seismic devices (isolators and dissipators).
«The market in this sector – goes on prof. Guglielmino – lives a strong expansion, especially in the areas with high seismic risk like California, Japan, China, New Zealand, Turkey and manufacturing companies are very active. Due to a consolidated relationship with the laboratory of S. Diego University, where they have installed a similar machine, we know that the test demand is very high, with wait periods of over two years. This demonstrates that the market is favourable. Addressing also the sector of the construction of large infrastructural works (great-light bridges, cable transport lines, big lifts, editor’s note) we have developed the ambit of tests on cables and stays as well. Like for anti-seismic devices, the demand of executing characterization tests is imposed by building regulations in all Countries in the world».
This grants the market soundness, since, moreover, the availability of these machines in the world is limited (for instance, only 2 other testing machines on anti-seismic devices are present in the world with the same performances as the one operating at C.E.R.I.S.I., as well as the machine for fatigue tests on cable is unique by performances in Europe).
What are the expectations and the growth opportunities after the starting up of the new simulator?
«With these preliminary conditions – ends prof. Guglielmino – expectations are promising. In an Italian context where the available resources for the University world have been drastically reduced, the laboratory will constitute an important resource to allow the Messina University to prosecute its research activity and to give young graduates an additional chance in the labour world. We hope we will further develop C.E.R.I.S.I. with new equipment soon, exploiting other resources coming from the European funds (PON 2014-2020, editor’s note). We are already ready to do that, since we rely on the available enlargement project of the Eurolab laboratory, with all necessary authorizations already attained». www.unime.it


text:
“It Chapter Two” is the main premiere of the fall and such an expected
Jackie (2016) with Natalie Portman: review of the film about the tragedy of
The first season of the psychological thriller “You”
The black mirror is a mirror of your smartphone, laptop or laptop.
The 2016 biopic “The Crown” tells us about the life of the Princess
The mini-series “Chernobyl” takes second place in the ranking of
Why is Get Out (2017) the best horror film by RottenTomatoes?
What’s Wrong With Season 3 of Strange Things: If you love “

domain: movie


text:
DO WEIGHT LOSS SUPPLEMENTS WORK?
Weight Loss, a subject in many health-related forums, is a global challenge that has hit the headlines over the last few years around the world. There are several flouted solutions that act as preferred methods of weight loss, but effectively, conveniently and shading off that excess weight remains to be a challenge.
One of the widest weight loss methods currently in use is dietary supplements. The nutritional supplements come with mixed results but promise to be one of the most effective and preferred ways of losing weight. There are numerous types of nutritional supplements that serve as a perfect fit for weight loss. This feature highlights some of the nutritional supplements in use, with proven results as a useful weight-loss tool;
People looking for a quick and effective weight loss fix find solace in the fantastic Lipozene dietary supplement. In addition to acting as a fantastic weight loss tool, Lipozene, with glucomannan as the main ingredient, has additional health benefits that include gut health improvement and the prevention of constipation because of the high fiber content. The supplement comes in the form of a capsule, with a maximum dosage of six pills, take two pills thirty minutes before meals. There are many numerous success stories for those who have previously and are still using Lipozene as a weight-loss tool, a prove that weight loss supplements do work.
Chitosan is a widely used weight-loss dietary supplement whose benefits are widely known and appreciated. An extract of the outer skeleton of shellfish, Chitosan use comes with several health benefits that include management of overweight, cholesterol reduction, and treatment of Crohn’s disease, among many other uses. The supplement is safe and effective, taken either orally or applied on the skin. Chitosan ranks among the best dietary weight loss supplements worth checking out.
Learn more about Chitosan Through Wiley
Green Tea Extract
Arguably one of the most used and oldest weight loss supplements, Green Tea Extract, comes as no surprise as an effective weight management measure. Green Tea Extract is known to contain a healthy amount of caffeine and catechins, which effectively work in ensuring that the body burns calories. When the body efficiently burns down calories, the result is weight loss. Green Tea Extract is readily available, easy to use as a beverage, making it one of the best weight loss supplements available.
Learn More About Green Tea Extract Through Health Line
Garcinia Cambogia is a fruit that finds its origins in the tropics, conveniently and widely used by many people as a weight loss supplement. Reports indicate that the fruits work by blocking the body’s ability to make fat and helps in the reduction of appetite, effectively leading to weight loss.
Learn more about Garcinia Cambogia Through NIH
Hydroxycut is a dietary weight loss supplement used widely around the world. The safe to use supplement contains coffee extract as its main ingredient with other organic compositions. The use of Hydroxycut is well documented with numerous health benefits attributed to this wonder herb.
The above weight loss supplements are both safe to use, effective, and comes with assured results to the user, proof that weight loss supplements do work.
Learn more about Hydroxycut Through The Hub Post

domain: health


text:
Sehemu za upangishaji wa likizo huko St. Louis
Pata na uweke nafasi kwenye malazi ya kipekee kwenye Airbnb
Sehemu maarufu za kukodisha wakati wa likizo mjini St. Louis
Wageni wanakubali: sehemu hizi za kukaa zimepewa makadirio ya juu kwa upande wa mahali, usafi na zaidi.
Nyumba ya kupangisha huko Soulard
Historic Elegance in the Heart of St. Louis City!
Classical elegance with a modern twist. This apartment is nestled in the heart of St. Louis City. Walking distance to Anheuser-Busch, amazing restaurants and bars. Very short Uber ride to the historical Cherokee Antique Row shopping district and only 5-10 min ride to downtown! Free parking in front makes arriving easy. We live in the area and can respond/resolve to any questions or concerns you may have. Notice: Laundry is down slightly steep stairs to basement, please consider before booking!
$70 kwa usiku
Chumba cha kujitegemea huko Central West End
Clean&Comfy:Forest Park, Zoo, Museums, Wash U,Arch
Welcome to St. Louis! This quiet and safe place is only minutes of walking distance to the Cathedral, Forest park, Zoo, grocery store, and some of the finest restaurants in St. Louis. It is also 7 min drive to Delmar loop, 8-min to Clayton, 7 min to downtown. You will get a cozy bedroom in the basement to stay for the night. We will share the kitchen, dining room, and the living room, which are all clean and tidy. Metrolink stop, bus stops, are close and easy to find in the neighborhood.
$31 kwa usiku
Chumba cha kujitegemea huko Forest Park South East
Grove Master: Forest Park, Zoo, Downtown, Wash U
Welcome to St. Louis! This quiet and safe place is only minutes of walking distance to the finest restaurants in St. Louis, Forest park, Barnes Hospital, Zoo, and grocery store. It is also 8 min drive to Delmar loop/The Pageant, 9-min to Clayton, 8 min to downtown. You will get a cozy bedroom on the 2nd floor. We will share the kitchen, dining room, and the living room, which are all clean and tidy. Metrolink stop, bus stops, are close and easy to find in the neighborhood.
$29 kwa usiku
Sehemu za kukodisha wakati wa likizo kwa kila mtindo
Pata nafasi ambayo ni sahihi kwako.

domain: geography


Baader Safety Cool Ceramic Herschel Prism 2" Mark II with ClickLock 2" Clamp, PHOTOGRAPHIC version
incl. 27% VAT
Including 27% VAT:688.80 € (258 300 HUF)
Net price (for non-EU customers):542.36 € (203 386 HUF)
Delivery:Please contact our colleagues before ordering: +36-1-202-5651
Budapest shop:Under procurement
Product code: BA2956510P
Baader Safety Cool Ceramic Herschel Prism 2" Mark II with ClickLock 2" Clamp, PHOTOGRAPHIC version, incl. 4 ND-filter 2" 0,6/0,9/1,8/3,0 & Solar-Continuum Filter 2"
More about the product
- 2" wedge prism according to Herschel - one-sided Phantom Group® anti-reflective coating, with ceramic solar finder and 2" ClickLock® eyepiece holder
- Integrated rotation mechanism for polarising filters – the best method for brightness adjustment in visual solar observation and solar photography in white light
- Stepless brightness adjustment is made possible in combination with the optional Baader Single Polarizing Filter 2" (#2408342 , )€ 72 and the included Neutral Density Filter. The polarizing filters are not included in the scope of delivery
- Including our Baader 7.5 nm Solar Continuum Filter 2" (540nm) (#2961581 , )€ 198 for an uncompromisingly sharp solar image
- S58 dovetail and Safety Kerfs on the 2" nose-piece, New 3-point adjustment system preset in the factory
- Available in visual and photographic versions, please choose from dropdown
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The product comes with 2 years warranty (excluding electric parts)
Delivery:Limited stock (1 piece). Please contact our colleagues before ordering: +36-1-202-5651
Budapest shop:Limited stock (1 piece). Please contact our colleagues before ordering: +36-1-202-5651
You are eligible for accessory discount only when purchased tugether with a main product.


The ProneOne Head Support is a fantastic addition to your surgical table. Single use provides prevention of infection while the included mirror helps monitor ET tubes and patient's eyes.
- Foam face cushion evenly distributes pressure in face
- Eight (8) head supports per package
- Mirror helps monitor patient's eyes and ET tubes
- Single use aids infection control


In the first part of this study, these TL and AD models are applied in the strong constraint in the GDAS to improve dynamic balance in the regions where moist processes are important. Differences in analyses before and after applying the moisture physics in strong constraint are compared and impacts in the forecast skills are discussed.
In the second part of this study, specific issues such as observations errors, bias correction, and quality control processes in assimilating cloudy radiances are discussed. Radiance data assimilation in cloudy regions requires rapid and accurate radiative transfer and radiance gradient models. For a vertically stratified scattering and emitting atmosphere, the Community Radiative Transfer Model (CRTM) was developed at the Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation (JCSDA). This CRTM is employed in this study to calculate radiances and Jacobians at various wavelengths for radiance assimilation under all weather conditions. Moisture physics model generated jacobians combined with CRTM generated jacobians are applied in GDAS system and preliminary impact studies are implemented.


text:
For many years, Microgaming has been one of the leading online casino software providers in the industry. This company was actually the very first to introduce online cash games and since 1994, players all over the world have experienced a thrilling gambling outing each and every time they visit a Microgaming online casino. In 2002, the company added Viper software to their line up and now, players will enjoy an enhanced experience with outstanding graphics, sounds and animations to create the most realistic gambling effects online. Microgaming is one of the most trusted names in the industry and casinos using this software will proudly accept cash players residing in Australia.
Microgaming casinos offer the largest selection of games in any online casino and there are some sites that will feature more than 400 tiles. Players will also have the ability to choose from a complete casino download or play the instant play games through a web browser. Many online casinos also have a mobile platform. Microgaming has been working to offer HTML5 mobile games and soon, all mobile sites using this software will present players with the best mobile games online.
Microgaming casinos are best known for their selection of pokie machines, including the top paying progressive games. This software company is always developing new and exciting games to offer and even provides access to live dealer games that will bring players close toe the action. With so many choices and some of the most amazing payout opportunities, Microgaming casinos have become a top choice for any cash player from Australia. The sites also offer impressive player incentives in the forms of bonuses, promotions and loyalty rewards. As the first software provider, Microgaming has set a standard in the industry and remains the top rated provider in any online casino. Players who access these sites will always play trusted and reliable games and enjoy a secure setting.

domain: gamble


text:
As the efforts for increased sustainability at Knox continue to rise, students are becoming conscious of the way their food choices impact the world around them.
Food for Thought is an organization that helps students and those in the Knox-Galesburg community learn what they can do to change how they think about food to help the world become more sustainable.
Food for Thought hosts events to support local farmers and educate students, faculty, and staff about:
Things you can do to be more sustainable and food-conscious:
The group strives to provide opportunities to discuss emerging ideas about becoming food-conscious and how the Knox-Galesburg community can respond to the current and upcoming issues facing food and the environment.
Food for Thought meets weekly and is open to everyone who wants to learn more about food and what the local community can do to become more sustainable.


text: Patches is a lovely miniature horse mare who came to us in 2019 as an 18 year old. She is very friendly and stands 38” tall. She was born with a stifle issue and she walks slightly bowlegged but it doesn’t cause her any pain. She is also severely allergic to bugs bites and requires some extra care during bug season. She was with us for about a year before finding her forever home. She was adopted along with her buddy Aranda.

domain: pet


text:
VAUXHALL Motors were staring FA Cup humiliation in the face at Northern League club Billingham on Saturday.
Trailing 1-0 with barely five minutes to play, the Conference North side were indebted to goalkeeper Tim Dittmer for pulling off four tremendous saves to keep them in the contest, when suddenly the Motormen found their touch to book their passage into the third qualifying round.
Billingham took a fifth-minute lead, when Ure turned in Ainsley's drive from close range. Ainslet then went close before he forced the first decent save from Dittmer on 18 minutes. Moments later, Dittmer was there again to deny Ure who had another effort superbly saved.
The Motormen improved after the interval and should have equalised on 64 minutes, when Flood opened up the home defence but Wright shot wide.
Olsen fired home a leveller after good work by O'Donnell with just five minutes remaining.
With 88 minutes on the clock, O'Donnell ran through a stunned home defence to put the Motor-men in front and right on the final whistle, McDermott chipped a third.
VAUXHALL: Dittmer, O'Brien (McDermott 55), Flood, Glendenning, Spellman, Brazier, Griffiths (Woodyatt 23), Lawton, Wright (O'Donnell 64), Olsen, Cumiskey. Subs: Nesbitt, Duffy.

domain: sports


text:
Over half of social media logins are fraudulent
Social media sites are a popular target for cybercriminals. It shouldn't come as too much of a surprise therefore to find that 53 percent of logins on social media sites are fraudulent and 25 percent of all new account applications are too.
These are among the findings of a study by anti-fraud platform Arkose Labs which analyzed over 1.2 billion transactions spanning account registrations, logins and payments from financial services, e-commerce, travel, social media, gaming and entertainment industries, in real time.
"We are in an era where online identity, intent, business, metrics and content can all be faked. This can have serious security and ﬁnancial repercussions for any business with an online presence, especially as they try to balance risk management with the delivery of exceptional customer experience," says Kevin Gosschalk, CEO of Arkose Labs. "Meanwhile, the risk landscape is quickly becoming increasingly complex because fraudsters have easy access to sophisticated tools and resources. This means that they can tweak their attack patterns as long they remain profitable."
The study shows automated attacks represent the bulk of the traffic, ranging from large-scale account validation attacks, to bots blocking seats on an airline to scripted attacks that scrape user data and inventory. Further analysis found that most attacks from China (59.3 percent) are human driven, which is more than four times higher than the US, Russia, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
Where social media is concerned more than 75 percent of attacks are from automated bots. Unlike other industries, account takeover attacks are more common for social media, with logins twice as likely to be attacked than account registrations. This is driven by the fraudsters looking to harvest rich personal data from the accounts of legitimate users.
"The extremely high attack rate on social media logins is indicative of the value placed on the data fraudsters extract from compromised social accounts," adds Gosschalk. "Because more than 50 percent of social media logins are fraud, we know that fraudsters are using large-scale bots to launch attacks on social media platforms with the goal of disseminating spam, stealing information, spreading social propaganda and executing social engineering campaigns targeting trusting consumers."
The full report which also looks at attack trends in the technology, retail and financial sectors is available from the Arkose site.

domain: statistics


text:
Best odds slot machine winning
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4 Ways to Beat the Slots - wikiHow
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A slot machine ( American English), known variously as a fruit machine ( British English), puggy ( Scottish English),  the slots ( Canadian and American English), poker machine/pokies ( Australian English and New Zealand English), or …
The Boulder Strip is generally where you find the best slot odds in Las Vegas. There are two exception from this rule. One is USD25 machines that have better odds Down town and on the strip. The other exception is 1c machines where the odds are marginally better in North Las Vegas than they are on the boulder strip. Slots Tips - Strategy To Win More On Slot Machines Slot Machine Odds Explained. Before slot machines were designed with computer chips, it was easy to calculate slots odds for hitting a jackpot. It was a matter of multiplying the number of symbols on each reel by a factor of the number of reels. Suppose, for example, you’re playing a single-payline slot which has 3 reels and 20 symbols on ... Before you go gambling: The best and worst casino game odds So we turned to Forbes Magazine, which in a report about Best Bets at the Casino, said two popular games -- the Wheel of Fortune and the ever-popular slot machines-- have the lowest odds of ...
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text:
Experimental results show that benzil (1,2-diphenyl-1,2-ethanedione), an achiral compound that crystallizes as a racemic conglomerate, yields by solidification polycrystalline scalemic mixtures of high enantiomeric excesses. These results are related to those previously reported in this type of compounds on deracemizations of racemic mixtures of crystal enantiomorphs obtained by wet grinding. However, the present results strongly suggest that these experiments cannot be explained without taking into account chiral recognition interactions at the level of precritical clusters. The conditions that would define a general thermodynamic scenario for such deracemizations are discussed. Chirality 25:393-399, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
|Publication status||Published - 1 Jul 2013|
- asymmetric amplification
- circular dichroism
- phase transition
- racemic conglomerates

domain: chemistry


text:
The NBA playoffs are times when basketball players showcase some incredible, and sometimes surprising, things. Boston Celtics' guard Rajon Rondo turned in another one of those performances on Saturday night. Rondo may have had a historic stat line, but the legendary play really started with 4:16 left in Game 7 when Paul Pierce fouled out.
For the Philadelphia 76ers, Pierce's charge on Thaddeus Young seemed like a game-changing play. In the second half, Pierce hit a number of clutch jump shots while draped by Andre Iguodala or Evan Turner. The Sixers' swingmen played outstanding defense; but the Celtic captain had more incredible offense for them.
Paul Pierce was killing the Sixers.
When Iguodala drew Pierce's fifth foul with 5:16 remaining, I thought Philadelphia would immediately get Iggy the ball the very next possession. I thought 'Dre would attack Boston's forward and force him to commit his last foul, or play softer defense.
Surprisingly, Iguodala got the ball but did not go at Pierce. Instead, he hit a huge three-pointer. Can't complain too much with that.
But then I was shocked when Pierce barreled into Young and fouled out. The momentum was clearly on Philly's side.
Quiet for most of the game, Rajon Rondo turned it up to a level I had never seen him take his game before.
Rondo went on a personal 9-0 run after that play; scoring on a layup, toe-on-the-line two-pointer, 27-foot three-pointer and two free-throws.
The rest of his fourth quarter included two more free-throws with 53 seconds remaining, and his 10th rebound to give him a triple-double.
Rondo's complete stats in that roughly four-minute stretch: 3-for-3 from the field, 4-for-4 from the line and 1-for-1 from three for 11 points. He also grabbed three rebounds.
To put this into perspective, Rondo is shooting 61.9 percent from the line in the 2012 postseason and in his career overall. He shot 44.8 percent from the field in this shortened regular season, and his career three-point success rate is 24.1 percent.
Yet he did not miss when Pierce fouled out. I can't even remember if he ever hit rim.
Boston, and NBA fans in general, would expect something like that out of Paul Pierce (Mr. Clutch) after all he's done for the C's over the years.
People may look at the stat sheet and see Rajon Rondo recorded a triple-double with his 18 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
His ninth NBA playoff triple-double tied him with Wilt Chamberlain for fourth all-time; behind only Larry Bird, Jason Kidd and Magic Johnson. He's 26 years-old by the way.
If you weren't able to watch, what did you miss?
Oh, well see, Rajon Rondo was missing layups. He had seven turnovers and just seven points. Then Paul Pierce fouled out with over four minutes left.
Rondo then decided to become Pierce since the Captain wasn't on the court anymore. Yeah, he basically won Game 7 and the series for Boston.
You didn't miss much.


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Images of Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton stared out into the crowd of Plattsburgh State staff and students. Their history of activism raises questions about white feminism in today’s world.
Columbia Student Rachel Cargle presented the foundation on which the ideals of white feminism were based on. She talked about the fight for women’s suffrage being the first wave of feminism. She pointed out that women like Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and many more only fought for the advancement of white women while black women were excluded and discredited for the work they’ve done in the fight for women’s rights.
One of the most powerful things Cargle pointed out during the event was to examine how people view feminism and how they pursue the fight for equal rights. If a woman’s goal is to be equal to the white man, it is being done wrong. This is because white men have gained all the power they have today by stepping on and oppressing others to climb to the top.
Rokhiya Ngom is a sophomore biomedical science major and the senator of student affairs & diversity.
“Black women were not allowed to march with white women,” Ngom said. “So if this is supposed to be a woman’s march, why are you still segregating them?
While covering the second wave of feminism, Cargle talked about “The Feminine Mystique”, a book written by Betty Friedan in 1963. Cargle said that once again, Friedan only touches on the progression of the white woman, meaning that black women are continually being erased from the feminist movement throughout history.
Cargle brought awareness to the fact that black women were taking care of white women’s children while they were out marching.
“That means that only white women would be allowed to vote, not including women of color,” Ngom said. “I feel like sometimes the whole entire movement in this country revolves around white women because honestly, I’ve never been to a march because when I look at pictures it’s just white women marching all the time. What are they marching for? They’re not marching for all of us, they’re marching for themselves.”
Shivangi Nakrani is a biology major and the senator of student service.
“We are going forward. I see it,” Nakrani said. “I believe that we are going forward but it’s a slow process.”
Kira Paulemon is a political science and latin american studies major and the vice president of student affairs and diversity.
“It’s a choice to call out or to engage in conversations around race, and it’s a choice not to do so,” Paulemon said. “So I think ignorance has its limits and then it becomes a choice at a certain point.”
Cargle had PSUC students, faculty and staff participate in an activity to engage with others sitting at their tables. She asked the audience to answer the questions of who they speak about race with and how they would feel if they woke up as a white/black student on PSUC’s campus. They were also asked to identify what their culture is based on their race in addition to listing three things that are important to them.
At the end of this activity, she asked all of the white people in the room to stand up and share their answers on how they would feel if they woke up as a black person on this campus.
The feelings of being scared, afraid and invisible were the most common that were shared. She expressed how she was near tears because this is how white people are telling black people how they should feel on PSUC’s campus. She fervently expressed how it is their job as white people to advocate for the black people on campus and to be an active member in making the effort to make inclusive spaces.
“I really hope all the white people in this room were really f–king uncomfortable,” Cargle said.

domain: sociology


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To avoid the extra cost of creating a new gown from scratch, many gowns in the 18th were restyled to suit the latest fashions. (Hallie has a great series of posts about that on her blog, Sign of the Golden Scissors.) When creating my silk sacque I wanted a gown that dated to about 1750. The gown was made with large wing cuffs, a matching silk petticoat, and no trim. I have worn the gown a few times now and while I still like the simplistic look of the 1750s, I would really like to update the gown.
I plan to remove the cuffs and replace them with sleeve flounces. So far I have only succeeded in finishing the new stomacher. Eventually I will add matching trim the gown skirts and petticoat. The inspiration for my stomacher came from this example at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. As there are no events coming up anytime soon when I might be able to wear my updated gown, I've not been in any hurry to finish it. It's nice to have deadlines to finish a project but at the same time I enjoy not being rushed.
The overall look that I hope to achieve is seen in the images below. I love the serpentine trims of the 1760s. I will probably only have one tier on my petticoat instead of the 3 seen in the yellow gown from the MET.
Here you can see the trim for the new stomacher pinned in place. I found that extra long quilters pins were helpful in holding the trim in place. I used pinking shears to cut fabric strips about 1 1/2 “ wide then ran a long gathering stitch down the middle. I played with the fabric for a while to get the look I wanted.
To make the circular trim I used the same technique but placed my gathering stitches along the edge of the fabric strips. I gently pulled the thread gathering the fabric to create each circle. The short ends of the fabric were then sewn together and the circles tacked to the stomacher. To create the different sized circles I varied the width of the fabric. Below you and see the finished stomacher. Also my new stays! (well new as of about 2 years ago anyway. ;) )

domain: fashion


All PS SYSMON sensor channels and the internal PL SYSMON channels use a unipolar sampling circuit. The PL SYSMON external sensor channels can use unipolar or bipolar mode, selectable on a per channel basis. Operational details of the sampling circuit are discussed in the UltraScale Architecture System Monitor User Guide (UG580) [Ref 6]. PS SYSMON uses only unipolar mode. PL SYSMON uses unipolar mode on its internal sensor channels, and unipolar or bipolar mode on its external sensor channels.


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Russia has slammed the United States for “shameless” interference in cash-strapped Venezuela as the country’s leader kicked off a second presidential term this week.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was sworn in on Thursday, defying critics in the United States and Latin America. The United States decried a "usurpation of power," and Venezuela's opposition-run Congress called Maduro a dictator in charge of a “de facto” government.
“Washington's shameless unconstitutional formation of alternative government structures ... represents an overt encroachment on the sovereignty of Venezuela,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement published on its website Friday.
The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions targeting a Venezuelan currency exchange network scheme that siphoned off billions of dollars to corrupt insiders of the Venezuelan government.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry described the “tightening of the sanctions” as a “noose that hurts ordinary Venezuelans” and blamed them for fueling economic chaos that has led to a humanitarian crisis.
The South American country is entering a sixth year of recession caused by a crash in oil prices and an unraveling socialist economic model. Three million Venezuelans have fled violence, hyperinflation and shortages of basic goods, most since 2015, according to the United Nations.
Last month, Maduro said Venezuela and “brother country” Russia had signed a $6 billion investment deal in Venezuela’s oil and gold sectors.
Reports in Russian media have also suggested that Moscow was considering deploying strategic bombers full-time in Venezuela.
Reuters contributed reporting to this article.

domain: politics


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Jeff and Shelly Irvin could not be more proud of their son Cory.
A 2009 graduate of Bell High School, Cory recently graduated from Airman Leadership School at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. Because he excelled under the demands and pressures of Airman Leadership School, Cory was recognized as the John L. Levitow Award recipient.
Airman Leadership School consists of 192 curriculum hours over 24 academic days, the course covers three broad academic areas: profession of arms, communication skills and leadership and flight chief time and collateral curriculum.
“The course is extremely demanding and designed to develop Airmen into effective front-line supervisors , and is the first level of professional military education that an enlisted Air Force member encounters,” explained Shawn L. Drinkard, Command Chief Master Sergeant. “Cory is doing great things here in the 509th Bomb Wing and has succeeded in a very competitive environment.
The command chief master sergeant told Jeff and Shelly that they should be very proud of their son’s accomplishments.
“It’s because of airmen like him that our nation is able to bring stability to different areas of the world,” CMSgt. Drinkard said. “We are thankful to have Cory on our team and thankful that you support his service in the United States Air Force.

domain: aerospace


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A new study shows that brain circuitry makes some people more susceptible to becoming addicts. Researchers found that a pocket near the top of the brain stem may be key in determining whether someone is likely to engage in compulsive behavior or become hooked on drugs like cocaine, which is currently abused by an estimated two million Americans. The finding could help prevent addiction by predicting those predisposed to such behavior and could also lead to new ways to treat it.
Researchers at the University of Cambridge in England report in this week's Science that a lower number of specific types of receptors that bind the neurotransmitter dopamine—a chemical central to the brain's reward system—in the front (or ventral) section of the striatum (a midbrain region implicated in planning and movement as well as executive function) correlates to increased impulsive behavior in rats. In addition, they found that the more impulsive animals, when given the option, consumed more cocaine than the calmer rats did.
"Our data provide a link between impulsivity and compulsivity," says lead author Jeffrey Dalley, an experimental psychologist at Cambridge's Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute. "We have formulated a strong working hypothesis that dopamine dysfunction in the ventral striatum mediates impulsivity and encourages increased intake of cocaine. Increasing use of cocaine eventually affects the entire striatum, including the dorsal [or hind section of the] striatum, which is heavily implicated in compulsive habit-based learning."
At the outset of the experiment, the researchers tested the visual attention and anticipatory behavior of rats, and segregated the most impulsive animals. They then gave six impulsive rats, along with six laid-back ones PET (positron emission tomography) scans that focused on the striatum. The scientists specifically probed the nucleus accumbens, a ventral (front) section of the striatum associated with pleasure processing, to determine the number of D2 dopamine receptors there. (Previous studies have shown a dip in the number of the D2 family of dopamine receptors in cocaine-addicted monkeys.) The Cambridge team found that impulsive rats had 10 percent fewer receptors in their ventral striatum. Next, the rats were hooked up to a catheter and allowed to self-administer cocaine. (This is typically done by the rat depressing a lever.) Researchers observed that all of the rats consumed some amount of the drug, but that the impulsive ones consumed it at twice the rate of the normal (or less impulsive) animals
The findings suggest that a lack of D2-family receptors may predict both the risk of anticipatory impulsivity as well as a predisposition to behaviors like drug and other addictions such as compulsive gambling and shopping. "This is probably one of several 'vulnerability' markers, for future drug addiction," Dalley says. "What determines the final 'tipping' point is obviously very complex [involving] genes and environment, etc."
Steven Grant, a researcher at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, says that the new findings will help untangle a "chicken and egg problem" with human addiction studies: Previous research found a correlation between the D2-family receptors and drug abuse, but it was unclear whether fewer receptors contributed to addiction or if chronic drug use led to a drop in the number of receptors. "This allows us a framework to interpret the human studies," says Grant.
Diana Martinez, a research psychiatrist at the Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, disagrees that the study has direct human implications. "We have done the same study in actual cocaine dependent subjects and we have seen no predictive value of D2/3 receptor binding potential," she says. Martinez adds that, "lower quantities of these receptors have also been reported in a number of human traits that are not generally associated with impulsivity: social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social detachment and increased age."
The real value of the new research may be that these receptors can provide new and more effective therapies for current addicts, says Michael Nader, a physiologist and pharmacologist at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C. "This identifies a target," he says. "If you have low D2 levels you're more vulnerable; if you change the environment, you can increase those levels." He suggests that treatments that stimulate production of D2 receptors could be beneficial.
"Most licensed treatments are substitution therapies"such as methadone in the case of heroin addiction"so they maintain the addicted state, but more safely," says Dalley. "We feel that newer treatments should aim to prevent relapse." He notes that the behavior of the impulsive study rats normalized after they went through withdrawal from cocaine. "The potential here," he says, "is [in] treatments that retard the return of impulsivity in post-cocaine addicts, [which] may be an important contributor to relapse."

domain: psychology


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Marvel brought a lot of surprises at their Comic Con panel this year. But nothing excited fans more than the studio’s plans for the upcoming Captain Marvel movie. Did the positive response inspire the studio to make more films about female superheroes? Will a female member of the Avengers finally get her very own movie soon?
Rumors of a Black Widow solo film have gone around for a while now. Scarlett Johansson’s take on the iconic comic book hero has proven quite popular among fans throughout the years. Marvel has yet to confirm if they’re making a film all about Natasha Romanoff sometime in the future or not. However, Avengers director Joss Whedon did admit he wants to direct Black Widow’s standalone film if the studio ever decides to make it.
Whedon has floated the idea of directing a female-led superhero flick before. However, this is the first time he singled out Black Widow as the character he wants to work with. The director thinks his choice is a no-brainer.
“I think [Black Widow as a] character really is very interesting and very earthbound… [She brings] the kind of action that I got to do less of with somebody like Thor or The Vision,” the Marvel director told IGN. “When you get into your Superman territory it’s harder to maintain that sort of gritty action. And she’s got that kind of thing… [We can] do a spy thriller, really do a good, paranoid sort of John LeCarré on crack sort of thing. ”
Whedon also thinks it’d be a fun movie to shoot since actress Scarlett Johansson is “delightful” to work with. He isn’t the first director to express interest in doing a standalone Black Widow movie, though. The Russo brothers also talked about the possible Avengers spin-off earlier.
Fans might not know if and when Black Widow will get her very own film. But Marvel’s first female superhero movie in years already does have a screening date. Fans might have to wait a few years more for it, though. The Captain Marvel movie won’t hit the big screen until March 8, 2019.

domain: entertainment


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- Grocery delivery startup Imperfect Foods is getting acquired by rival Misfits Market.
- The combined business plans to reach $1 billion in sales and achieve profitability by 2024.
- The company lost its way after a pandemic bump in sales, employees told Insider in 2021.
Editor's Note: On Wednesday, Misfits Markets said that it would acquire Imperfect Foods for an undisclosed amount. Misfits CEO Abhi Ramesh will lead the combined company, which expects to reach $1 billion in sales and reach profitability by 2024. Some Imperfect Foods executives will join Misfits' leadership team.
Like many grocery delivery startups, Imperfect saw sales balloon early in the pandemic as shoppers looked for ways to buy food from home. The article below, originally published in October 2021, investigates how Imperfect faltered after early success, as well as how the company strayed from its early focus on fighting food waste.
Imperfect Produce launched in 2015 as a crowdfunded startup with a mission to eliminate food waste.
Six years and $239 million in funding later, the company has lost its way, seven employees who left within the past year said. It has also lost two CEOs, half its C-suite, and its pandemic sales bump.
Imperfect's founders Ben Simon and Ben Chesler started by selling fruits and vegetables that didn't meet supermarkets' standards, often because they were small or discolored. Imperfect's offerings varied depending on the harvests of its growers and suppliers.
Imperfect "attracted people who were drawn to sustainable things," said an employee who joined under Simon and left the company recently. Customers and employees could feel good about how much food the company had diverted from landfills.
In 2019, Philip Behn, who'd formerly worked at Walmart and McKinsey, replaced Simon as CEO when Simon stepped down because of health reasons. Chesler served as the chief innovation officer until 2020 and remains on the company's board.
Behn had bolder ambitions than the founders. Early on he told employees he wanted to make Imperfect "the first and favorite" grocer for its customers, according to interviews with former employees and an all-staff-meeting presentation Insider obtained. At the time, Imperfect had raised $57 million in funding.
In September 2019, the company changed its name, swapping "Produce" for "Foods." It was a nod to new types of food it planned to add to its website, including milk and eggs.
Misshapen fruit with glued-on googly eyes — once the amusing focus of Imperfect's website and ads — disappeared. Imperfect added photos of chicken sausages, plant-based cheese, and roasted artichokes against pastel backgrounds.
Imperfect also recruited talent from retailers like Trader Joe's and Amazon to match its wider range of products.
Imperfect declined to respond to Insider's request for comment for this story. Behn, Simon, and Chesler did not respond to Insider's request for comment.
'There's only so much ugly stuff you can buy'
But insiders say Imperfect couldn't keep up with its original mission, let alone its loftier sales goals.
Selling only surplus and scratch-and-dent food is not enough to run a full-service grocer, former employees told Insider. Imperfect was at the mercy of what didn't sell elsewhere.
One former employee recalled a point during the pandemic when Imperfect wasn't able to source enough carrots — a staple grocery item.
"There's only so much ugly stuff you can buy," a former corporate employee told Insider.
During the pandemic, "perfect order rate," or the share of orders that made it to customers without any damage or missing items, stood at 80%, meaning one in five orders would have a problem, the former corporate employee said.
Items delivered to customers "would be broken or damaged or moldy," the former corporate employee said. "We were not able to deliver a really solid mass-market experience."
Still, Imperfect kept expanding the range of products it stocked. Former employees said these products weren't actually prevented from becoming waste — or, as people inside Imperfect called it, "saved from lesser outcomes."
In its quest to keep items in stock, Imperfect regularly listed normal groceries as "surplus," multiple employees said.
Behn and his team were scrambling to fix scaling issues created by the pandemic but had no "strategy to meet the moment as the pandemic waned" and people returned to in-store shopping, the former corporate employee said.
Mass-market ambitions draw in investors
By the end of 2020, sales had reached more than $400 million, according to internal documents Insider obtained, but sales and order volume were already losing momentum by the third quarter of that year.
In an October 2020 presentation to employees that Insider obtained, executives said their long-term ambitions included adding alcohol, frozen foods, and ready-to-eat options to its platform.
The type of customer Imperfect was trying to attract also changed. "Instead of being this very granola, mission-oriented person, it became more mass-market," the former corporate employee said.
Imperfect's mass-market ambitions were attracting big-name investors.
In May 2020, Imperfect closed its $72 million Series C round, led by the venture-capital firm Insight Partners.
This February, Imperfect raised another round, also led by Insight: a Series D worth $110 million that valued the company at $700 million. The company said it would use the new funding to accelerate growth.
'We are not a sustainability company'
In January, Imperfect said it would win with its low-price, sustainable groceries and be as good as Trader Joe's and local farmers' markets, according to a presentation from an all-hands meeting that Insider obtained.
Imperfect continued to expand its product selection in 2021. In January, it unveiled three private-label personal-care products.
But new products weren't enough to prolong the pandemic sales boom that investors and board members were betting on.
In June, Behn and much of the C-suite were pushed out, Insider reported.
The board replaced Behn with Steve Nave, a former Walmart e-commerce executive who'd become the executive chairman in the spring.
In August, Nave announced layoffs across the company. Nave did not respond to Insider's request for comment.
In an August 25 staff memo Insider obtained, Nave attributed the job cuts to "many of last year's new customers reverting back to shopping in stores this year."
He thanked the "Imperfectionists" for their hard work while assuring the remaining employees that Imperfect was still interested in "building a better food system for all."
Some employees remained skeptical, particularly after an all-hands meeting earlier that summer. At that time, Nave fielded an employee question about the sustainability metrics that Behn had championed, including tracking carbon emissions and other effects of the food that Imperfect prevented from being thrown away.
His response, according to an employee who was at that meeting, was, "We are not a sustainability company."
"When he said that," the employee said, "people kind of broke."

domain: economics


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