text:
"""
Plane wave solution and initializer.
"""

import os
import math
import pickle

import numpy as np

from solvcon import anchor
from solvcon import hook

class PlaneWaveSolution(object):
    # FIXME: THIS GUY NEEDS UNIT TEST.  Debugging in these classes is like pain
    # in the ass.
    def __init__(self, **kw):
        wvec = kw['wvec']
        ctr = kw['ctr']
        amp = kw['amp']
        assert len(wvec) == len(ctr)
        # calculate eigenvalues and eigenvectors.
        evl, evc = self._calc_eigen(**kw)
        # store data to self.
        self.amp = evc * (amp / np.sqrt((evc**2).sum()))
        self.ctr = ctr
        self.wvec = wvec
        self.afreq = evl * np.sqrt((wvec**2).sum())
        self.wsp = evl

    def _calc_eigen(self, *args, **kw):
        """Calculate and return a :py:class:`tuple` for eigenvalues and
        eigenvectors.  This method needs to be subclassed.
        """
        raise NotImplementedError

    def __call__(self, svr, asol, adsol):
        svr.create_alg().calc_planewave(
            asol, adsol, self.amp, self.ctr, self.wvec, self.afreq)

class PlaneWaveAnchor(anchor.MeshAnchor):
    """Use :py:class:`PlaneWaveSolution` to calculate plane-wave solutions for
    :py:class:`LinearSolver <.solver.LinearSolver>`.
    """

    # FIXME: THIS GUY NEEDS UNIT TEST.  The coupling with Hook isn't really
    # easy to debug.
    def __init__(self, svr, planewaves=None, **kw):
        assert None is not planewaves
        #: Sequence of :py:class:`PlaneWaveSolution` objects.
        self.planewaves = planewaves
        super(PlaneWaveAnchor, self).__init__(svr, **kw)

    def _calculate(self, asol):
        for pw in self.planewaves:
            pw(self.svr, asol, self.adsol)

    def provide(self):
        ngstcell = self.svr.blk.ngstcell
        nacell = self.svr.blk.ncell + ngstcell
        # plane wave solution.
        asol = self.svr.der['analytical'] = np.empty(
            (nacell, self.svr.neq), dtype='float64')
        adsol = self.adsol = np.empty(
            (nacell, self.svr.neq, self.svr.blk.ndim),
            dtype='float64')
        asol.fill(0.0)
        self._calculate(asol)
        self.svr.soln[ngstcell:,:] = asol[ngstcell:,:]
        self.svr.dsoln[ngstcell:,:,:] = adsol[ngstcell:,:,:]
        # difference.
        diff = self.svr.der['difference'] = np.empty(
            (nacell, self.svr.neq), dtype='float64')
        diff[ngstcell:,:] = self.svr.soln[ngstcell:,:] - asol[ngstcell:,:]

    def postfull(self):
        ngstcell = self.svr.ngstcell
        # plane wave solution.
        asol = self.svr.der['analytical']
        self._calculate(asol)
        # difference.
        diff = self.svr.der['difference']
        diff[ngstcell:,:] = self.svr.soln[ngstcell:,:] - asol[ngstcell:,:]

class PlaneWaveHook(hook.MeshHook):
    # FIXME: THIS GUY NEEDS UNIT TEST.  The coupling with Anchor isn't really
    # easy to debug.
    def __init__(self, svr, planewaves=None, **kw):
        assert None is not planewaves
        #: Sequence of :py:class:`PlaneWaveSolution` objects.
        self.planewaves = planewaves
        #: A :py:class:`dict` holding the calculated norm.
        self.norm = dict()
        super(PlaneWaveHook, self).__init__(svr, **kw)

    def drop_anchor(self, svr):
        svr.runanchors.append(
            PlaneWaveAnchor(svr, planewaves=self.planewaves)
        )

    def _calculate(self):
        neq = self.cse.execution.neq
        var = self.cse.execution.var
        asol = self._collect_interior(
            'analytical', inder=True, consider_ghost=True)
        diff = self._collect_interior(
            'difference', inder=True, consider_ghost=True)
        norm_Linf = np.empty(neq, dtype='float64')
        norm_L2 = np.empty(neq, dtype='float64')
        clvol = self.blk.clvol
        for it in range(neq):
            norm_Linf[it] = np.abs(diff[:,it]).max()
            norm_L2[it] = np.sqrt((diff[:,it]**2*clvol).sum())
        self.norm['Linf'] = norm_Linf
        self.norm['L2'] = norm_L2

    def preloop(self):
        self.postmarch()
        for ipw in range(len(self.planewaves)):
            pw = self.planewaves[ipw]
            self.info("planewave[%d]:\n" % ipw)
            self.info("  c = %g, omega = %g, T = %.15e\n" % (
                pw.wsp, pw.afreq, 2*np.pi/pw.afreq))

    def postmarch(self):
        psteps = self.psteps
        istep = self.cse.execution.step_current
        if istep%psteps == 0:
            self._calculate()

    def postloop(self):
        fname = '%s_norm.pickle' % self.cse.io.basefn
        fname = os.path.join(self.cse.io.basedir, fname)
        pickle.dump(self.norm, open(fname, 'wb'), -1)
        self.info('Linf norm in velocity:\n')
        self.info('  %e, %e, %e\n' % tuple(self.norm['Linf'][:3]))
        self.info('L2 norm in velocity:\n')
        self.info('  %e, %e, %e\n' % tuple(self.norm['L2'][:3]))

# vim: set ff=unix fenc=utf8 ft=python ai et sw=4 ts=4 tw=79:


text:
Updates on Thompson Ridge, Tres Lagunas and Calf Fires
Panoramic view of the Thompson Ridge Fire taken at 3:30 p.m. today east of Redondo. Photo by Brian McCool
Helicopters get water from Fenton Lake at 3 p.m. today. Photo by Brian McCool
Thompson Ridge Fire
Time/Date Reported: May 31, 2013, 2:40 p.m.
Location: 8 miles northeast of Jemez Springs near La Cueva
Legal Description: T19N, R3E, Sec 9
Cause: Human, downed power line
Fuels: Grass, Ponderosa Pine, Brush, Mixed Conifer
Size: Approximately 1,200 acres
Percent Contained: 0
Resources Committed: 4 Type 1 Interagency Hotshot Crews, 1 Type 1 Helicopters, 1 Type 3 Helicopter, 9 engines various other overhead with a total of approximately 108 personnel. The fire is currently being managed by the Northern New Mexico Incident Management Team. The Arizona Central West Zone Incident Management Team assumed management of the fire at 6 a.m. today.
Today's Weather: Partly cloudy with isolated showers and thunderstorms in the morning and then numerous showers in the afternoon. Temperatures will range from 64 to 69 degrees and relative humidity between 21 to 31 percent. Winds will be out of the south at 15 to 20 mph shifting to the southwest in the afternoon with gusts up to 30 mph.
Evacuations: Homes along Rancho de la Cueva and Elk Valley
Road Closures: none
Summary: Saturday, the fire was active with growth around the entire perimeter of the fire. The calmer winds and lower temperatures helped crews establish a hand and dozer line around the western side of the fire. Air support was able to make several water drops throughout the day.
Smoke: Smoke will be visible tomorrow from Jemez Springs, La Cueva, Ponderosa and surrounding communities. Jemez Springs residents will experience dense smoke tomorrow morning from smoke inversion in the valley but it is expected to lift as temperatures rise. Information on wildland fire smoke and your health can be found on the New Mexico Department of Health's website at https://nmtracking.org/fire.
Acres: 6,249 Start Date: May 30, 2013
Cause: downed power line Location: 10 miles North of Pecos, NM
Containment: 0 percent
Fuels: Ponderosa pine and mixed conifer
Total personnel: 411 Terrain: steep, rugged
A helicopter gets water from Fenton Lake at 3 p.m. today. Photo by Brian McCool
Tres Lagunas Fire
As of 6 a.m. today, management of the Tres Lagunas Fire was turned over to the Type 2 New Mexico Incident Management Team with John Pierson as Incident Commander. The Incident Command Post is at the Pecos National Historical Park.
Summary: The fire was active on the northwest corner of the fire, which hindered the ability of firefighters to construct or scout for possible areas to construct line in that area. On the northern perimeter the fire crossed Davis Creek and pushed north over Forest Road 646. On the northeast area of the fire, the fire advanced further to the northeast toward Elk Mountain. Progress was made to protect structures in the Holy Ghost Summer Home area. Structure protection also went well along the Highway 63 corridor. The status of evacuations has not changed. To date, no structures have been burned.
Today's Weather: There is a 40 percent chance of wetting rain is possible potentially bringing up to one tenth of an inch of precipitation. Lightning is possible throughout the general area in and around the fire. Storms could produce gusty, erratic winds.
Structures/threats: 225 residences and 75 outbuildings
Road Closures: Highway 63 beginning at mile marker 12, north toward Jacks Creek Campgrounds
Emergency Closure: An emergency fire closure has been issued for the fire area. For specific information please visit: http://www.fs.usda.gov/santafe/.
Fire Restrictions: Forest users are reminded that Stage 1 fire restrictions remain in place on the entire Santa Fe National Forest, the Valles Caldera National Preserve, all State owned lands and private, non-municipal, non-federal and non-tribal lands. The Santa Fe National Forest will move to Stage 2 fire restrictions next week, midweek.
Smoke Outlook: The most significant smoke impacts from the Tres Lagunas fire are predicted to be in the Santa Fe Metro area and areas north towards Espanola this evening as a back door cold front could push potentially heavy smoke west and north of the fire. Potentially unhealthy conditions could occur in these communities as well as communities in Pecos Canyon overnight and into the early morning. During these conditions, people with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should avoid prolonged or heavy physical activity outdoors. Everyone else should minimize prolonged or physical activity outdoors. Information on wildland fire smoke and your health is on the NM Dept. of Health's website https://nmtracking.org/fire.
Calf Wildfire, Pecos-Las Vegas Ranger District
The Calf fire is 100 percent contained. Firefighters hit it hard and kept it small. The cause of the fire is unknown and under investigation.
Fire Name: Calf
Time/Date Reported: 2 p.m. June 1, 2013
Location: Pecos-Las Vegas Ranger District, Santa Fe National Forest; northwest of Las Vegas.
Legal Description: T17N, R13E, Sec 13
Cause: Unknown-under investigation
Fuels: Mixed conifer, ponderosa pine
Size: .5 acre
Percent Contained: 100 percent
Resources Committed:a seat and an air tanker—dropped 5,000 gals.
Structures/threats: None
Evacuations: None
Summary: Fire was burning in mixed conifer.
Smoke: White

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
OSS Titles To Bax, MacDonald
Published: December 2, 2022 12:30 pm EST
Trainer John Bax and driver James MacDonald claimed the top spots in the Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) over the 2022 season, taking home the 2022 Johnston Cup and Lampman Cup titles as the leading OSS trainer and driver.
The Johnston Cup was established in 1993 in memory of Bruce Johnston, publisher of The Canadian Sportsman magazine. It is awarded annually to the leading trainer in the Ontario Sires Stakes program based on a point system that awards one point for each start, four points for each win, three points for each second and two points for each third.
In a career year, veteran John Bax earned his first OSS training title after sending 81 starters to the track and collecting 14 wins, 12 seconds, 15 thirds for earnings of $916,138 and a Johnston Cup point tally of 203. Gregg McNair (177 points) finished second in the Johnston Cup standings with Rob Fellows (169 points) finishing in third.
"Everybody chase Bob McIntosh for a lot of years and he's kind of the he's gold standard," said Bax on winning his first Johnston Cup. "What I'm most proud of is being consistent; I've been likely been in the top 10 for the last 20 years or most of the last 20 years or so.
"Sometimes it's a bit of a numbers game...this year it just so happened that we had a fair number of them and a lot of them turned out. Like I've said before, some years you're lucky to get one Gold [horse] and this year we had a number of them. And they performed well."
The star of the Bax stable in 2022 was two-year-old trotting filly Righteous Resolve, who topped standings in her division with four wins and one second in five OSS starts, earning $290,675 and 175 points. A daughter of Resolve and Motown Muscle, Righteous Resolve boasts an overall record of 8-1-1 and $623,704 in 10 starts with a mark of 1:53.1 in her freshman campaign. Righteous Resolve is owned by breeders Bet Max Stables Inc. and Benenati Inc., and she's the frontrunner for the 2022 O'Brien Award in her division.
Other top point earners from the Bax outfit included Righteous Resolve's full sibling Duly Resolved, who placed second in the OSS Gold standings for three-year-old colt trotters with 116 points; and Snowpiercer, who earned 111 points for the third best total among two-year-old colt trotters.
The Lampman Cup has been awarded annually since 1987 and honours the memory of long time Ontario Jockey Club publicist Jim Lampman. Like the Johnston Cup, drivers are awarded one Lampman Cup point for each start, four points for each win, three points for each second and two points for each third.
Canada's leading driver again in 2022, James MacDonald collected his second straight Lampman Cup with a whopping 542 points. MacDonald piloted 193 starters collecting 52 wins, 27 seconds, 30 thirds, and $2,312,257 in earnings in the 2022 season.
MacDonald sat in the sulky behind numerous standout OSS horses this year, including Gold Series Leader for three-year-old trotting fillies Adare Castle (6: 4-2-0, $408,375), Gold Series Leader for three-year-old trotting colts Twin B Archie (5: 2-2-1, $251,928), and stablemate pacing fillies Prohibition Legal (4: 1-2-0, $157,379) and Savethelastdance (5: 3-0-1, $148,980).
"I'm just a lucky guy to have so many great owners and trainers that support me in the OSS," MacDonald told Trot Insider. "The last few years I've been blessed with great horse after great horse. Hopefully it carries into 2023."
Doug McNair (374 points) edged out Louis-Philippe Roy (370 points) to finish second in the running for the Lampman Cup.
John Bax
Johnston Cup
Lampman Cup
Ontario Sires Stakes


text:
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We speak a lot about defining the customer, and we hardly speak about defining teams, processes and systems needed to support the business. Entrepreneurs and business owners are often unsure where to start with this, particularly when you are limited by financial resources.
Just because you cannot hire or buy today, it does not mean you cannot make plans.
Clearly defined roles and responsibilities remove any ambiguity in how to operate the business. Knowing the skills needed in the business will influence the recruitment and training of teams.
"Irrespective of where your business is today, you can start planning for a more effective and efficient business".
To start defining teams, processes and systems ,start noting all the processes you follow to complete various tasks. If you don't have a team, you currently play multiple roles and do things a certain way. If you have a team, you will soon realize what needs to be improved.
List the skills you need to do each group of activities. E.g. if you need use software or an app, you need to be computer literate.
This will make you aware of the processes, systems and skills you have or need to run the business. It will influence recruitment and training. For recruitment, you will know what skills people need and what to ask during interviews. You will know what training you need to provide current and future staff.
To further understand the impact of documented business processes, read the article on Business Process Manuals.


In honor of the sweet upcoming holiday, National Chocolate Chip Day (May 15th) I'm throwing back to a post featuring a dozen ways to celebrate! See the tasty post in its entirety HERE.
Wishing you a sweet day ahead! Hope to see you back here tomorrow morning for a fresh batch of Five Loves on Friday!
We made chocolate chip zucchini muffins!
When I first saw the post I though darn it, I missed it. Glad to see that isn't true, lololol!


text:
https://www.incomeinvestors.com/should-income-investors-consider-this-16-percent-dividend-yield/36262/	Should Income Investors Consider This 16% Dividend Yield?	Jing Pan, B.Sc., MA Income Investors 2018-03-02T11:16:13Z 2018-03-02 11:16:13 sanchez midstream partners lp sanchez midstream partners NYSE American SNMP snmp stock This is a look at Sanchez Midstream Partners LP (NYSE American:SNMP), a high-dividend stock that is currently paying a 16% yield. Dividend Stocks,News,Sanchez Midstream Partners Stock https://www.incomeinvestors.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/SNMP-Stock-Offers-a-Big-Payout-150x150.jpg
Should Income Investors Consider This 16% Dividend Yield?
By Jing Pan, B.Sc., MA | March 2, 2018
iStock.com/bluebay2014
Little-Known Stock Offers a Big Payout
Most people have never heard of Sanchez Midstream Partners LP (NYSEAMERICAN:SNMP), yet the partnership offers one of the highest yields in the current stock market.
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Sanchez Midstream Partners is a master limited partnership (MLP) that owns, develops, acquires, and operates midstream and other energy-related assets in North America. The partnership's portfolio consists of oil and natural gas gathering systems, natural gas pipelines, and a natural gas processing facility.
In today's market, a five-percent payout would qualify as high yield. Sanchez Midstream Partners, on the other hand, pays quarterly distributions of $0.4508 per unit, giving SNMP stock a jaw-dropping annual yield of 16%.
The Stock Market's Secret Source of Big, Safe Yields
Of course, an ultra-high yield could simply be a sign of trouble. And for income investors with a long-term horizon, few things are worse than a dividend cut.
For instance, Frontier Communications Corp (NASDAQ:FTR) was offering investors a staggering 26% annual dividend yield, but could not make enough profits to cover its payout. When the company finally suspended its dividends altogether earlier this week, its share price plunged 24% in the next trading session. So not only did FTR shareholders lose their income stream, but they also suffered a double-digit loss in the value of their investment. (Source: "Frontier Communications Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2017 Results," Frontier Communications Corp, February 27, 2018.)
So the big question now is, will Sanchez Midstream Partners be able to sustain its generous dividend policy? Well, let's take a look at its financials.
In the MLP business, a key metric to focus on is cash flow. In the case of Sanchez Midstream Partners, the partnership reports something called cash available for distribution, which is calculated by taking adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (adjusted EBITDA), then subtracting cash interest expense, distributions on preferred units, and maintenance capital.
According to SNMP's most recent earnings report, the partnership generated adjusted EBITDA of $17.8 million in the third quarter of 2017, representing a 16% increase year-over-year. After deducting a cash interest expense of $2.0 million, maintenance capital of $0.6 million, and $8.8 million in preferred distributions, the partnership had left $6.4 million of cash available for distribution. (Source: "Sanchez Midstream Partners Reports Third Quarter 2017 Operating and Financial Results," Sanchez Midstream Partners LP, November 14, 2017.)
For the third quarter, the Partnership declared a cash distribution of $0.4508 per common unit. And since it had 14,778,192 common units outstanding, SNMP's common unit distributions totaled $6.7 million. In other words, Sanchez Midstream Partners' cash available for distribution did not quite cover its actual distributions for the third quarter.
Usually, when a company can't generate enough cash to meet its dividend obligations, it's heading towards a dividend cut. But note that in SNMP's third-quarter earnings report, management said that, "with the additional cash flow expected from the Raptor Gas Processing Facility expansion and SECO Pipeline, we currently forecast a distribution coverage ratio in excess of 1.0x in the fourth quarter 2017." (Source: Ibid.)
At the same time, keep in mind that the partnership is willing to return cash to investors in the form of regular distributions. Since Sanchez Midstream Partners initiated regular distributions in November 2015, it has raised its payout on eight different occasions. (Source: "Distribution History," Sanchez Midstream Partners LP, last accessed February 28, 2018.)
As a matter of fact, during the latest investor presentation, the partnership showed that it was still targeting annual distribution growth of six percent. Whether SNMP will actually deliver this kind of distribution growth in 2018 is yet to be seen, but one thing is for certain: if the partnership can generate substantially higher cash flow, it will translate to higher cash distributions to unitholders. (Source: "Investor Presentation," Sanchez Midstream Partners LP, last accessed February 28, 2018.)
Sanchez Midstream Partners is scheduled to report fourth-quarter and full-year 2017 earnings on Friday, March 9 before the market opens. If the partnership can achieve a distribution coverage ratio of over 1.0x, its 16% yield will likely find more interest among income investors.


text:
2018 Reflections and 2019 Predictions for Application Security
|By Venkatesh Sundar
Data breaches and cyber-attacks have become an everyday reality owing, mainly, to the rise in volume, relevance, and centrality of data. The past few years have shown us that, big or small, profit-making or not, every kind of organization is vulnerable to data breaches and attacks. This, in turn, has led to the rising need and indispensability of cybersecurity. The swelling number of data breaches and cyber-attacks in 2018 have taught us and reiterated some important lessons. In this piece, we are going to reflect on application security in 2018 and predictions for 2019.
2018 Reflections on Application Security
Top players faced/disclosed data breaches, zero-day threats, and cyber-attacks:
Facebook faced one of its biggest breaches since its inception, affecting over 50 million users. Attackers leveraged not-in-use features and multiple bugs to breach into Facebook accounts and platforms that allow Facebook login such as Instagram, Spotify, Airbnb, etc.
Marriott International and Starwood's Guest Reservation Database was hacked by stealing access keys and decrypting it, resulting in confidential information such as passport details, credit card, and banking details, arrival-departure dates, personal information, etc. of 500 million customers being exposed. The company later revealed that this breach had impacted customers as early as 2014.
Exactis, a marketing and data aggregation company, left 2TB of customer data on publicly accessible cloud storage, exposing 340 million customers' data including 400 variables of personal characteristics.
Panera Bread compromised credit card and other confidential information of 37 million customers by storing these in plain-text. The flaw was neither disclosed nor fixed until an expose was made 8 months later.
Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor: A bug installed in the Point-of-Sale systems of the two luxury brands led to the credit and debit card details of 5 million users being compromised. The company becomes aware of the breach only when a security research firm found and informed about the data being on sale in the black market.
Delta Airline and Sears Holding Corporation faced breaches that impacted 100,000 customers. The breach was a result of a security lapse in a third-party chatbot service that both companies were using.
The Uber breach which compromised personal information of over 20 million users from 2016 inwards was disclosed by the company only in 2018. The vulnerabilities were neither fixed nor were the customers informed about the breach for 2 years. The company tried to cover it up by paying off the hackers.
Big players such as Microsoft, Java, Adobe Flash Player, Adobe Acrobat, etc. faced major zero-day threats in 2018. These companies were quick to release patches and work on fixing the vulnerabilities.
These major breaches apart, 50-60% of small and medium businesses in the USA have experienced some form of data breach or cyber-attack. A majority of these business owners did not know how to secure their apps and digital assets from such attacks.
2018 data breaches have reiterated the indispensability of application security for businesses of all kinds. Even big players like Facebook who pride themselves for their cybersecurity capacity and capabilities are vulnerable to attacks and breaches. It taught us these lessons:
Web applications are only as strong as their weakest links.
Your organization's application security relies on your third-party service providers' security. They must be chosen after careful consideration.
Due diligence and proactive attitude towards security along with a strong strategy are crucial for every organization.
Disclosure and transparency in application security are highly valued by customers.
Investment in cybersecurity and not just high-tech infrastructure and processes is vital.
The big players can recuperate from breaches using their resources, infrastructure and might. However, the same cannot be said about small and medium businesses.
Cloud Adoption:
In 2018, cloud has emerged as a must-have technology and is being widely adopted by more and more organizations, not just small and medium businesses. Cloud is not limited to inexpensive storage and cheap servers anymore. It offers speed and scalability apart from cost-effectiveness. It empowers disruptive companies to innovate and grow by leveraging cloud-based tools and technologies. This, in turn, helps them gain a competitive edge in the market and compete with the big players.
However, cloud services and cloud-based technology come with their own set of cybersecurity risks and issues. Most providers of cloud services rely on Open Source Code and common infrastructure. So, one vulnerability somewhere could potentially set off a chain reaction, putting users of the organization's technology/service and their users and so on at risk. This was the case with Sears Holding Corporation and Delta Airlines (discussed in the previous section).
Even though private clouds are growing continuously with companies building on-premise cloud platforms in their own data centers, it is noteworthy that over 60% of businesses in the US depend on public cloud platforms. Public cloud platforms, by definition, mean you are sharing the space with several others, putting your digital resources at risk. Whether public or private, the responsibility of putting in place cybersecurity measures and securing data and other digital resources rests is on the organization and not the cloud provider.
Business agility comes with a higher risk:
In the face of waning attention spans of users/customers/clients and a growing sense of impatience, speed and agility have become essential for organizational success. To achieve business speed and agility, organizations are adopting various technologies including cloud computing, cloud-based services, anywhere/anytime connectivity, IoT, software-as-a-service (SaaS), software-based automation, etc. Along with all the benefits, these technologies also bring big risks for the organization. Security personnel and developers often find themselves under immense pressure to ensure that the cybersecurity measures do not reduce business agility.
2019 Predictions for Application Security
Managed services and specialist have a greater role to play: Most of the data breaches in 2018 reiterated that comprehensive and sound cybersecurity strategies along with regular scanning, penetration testing and security audits of web applications could have saved millions of dollars for organizations. Automation, despite its lower time and hassle cost, will not be sufficient by itself and will need to be augmented with human expertise for best results. By hiring the services and human expertise of certified security professionals through managed services, organizations will be able to be prepared for the unknown, include custom rules and customized strategies, better identify business logic flaws and so on and use those human insights as a foundation to further improve the automation. Therefore, 2019 will see managed services and certified security specialists playing a greater role in application security and continuing to be a breeding ground of innovation for further automation.
Cloud adoption is not going to stop in 2019. This is a fact. Organizations will invest more in the cloud to revolutionize their web applications and processes. The growth of private cloud platforms will continue to surge, and organizations will work towards turning their data centers into cloud powerhouses. With many more cloud-related breaches and cyber-threats and the increasing cost of data breach, organizations must and will invest time, energy and resources on security data, digital assets, etc. on different cloud platforms.
Convergence of security and performance: Even though the trend has started already, 2019 will see a greater convergence of security and performance. Agility and performance do not have to be at loggerheads with security. Seamless application security that keeps agility and performance intact is available through comprehensive cloud-based security services such as AppTrana.
Hire a managed, cloud-based security service like AppTrana and ensure that your business agility, performance, and growth are not compromised for security and vice-versa.
Lessons from Poor Vulnerability Protection by…
Reasons Why Your Business Needs Penetration Testing
Everything You Need to Know About Cyber Insurance
Venkatesh Sundar
Founder & Chief Marketing Officer, Indusface
Venky has played multiple roles within Indusface for the past 6 years. Prior to this, as the CTO @indusface, Venky built the product/service offering and technology team from scratch, and grew it from ideation to getting initial customers with a proven/validated business model poised for scale. Before joining Indusface, Venky had 10+ years of experience in security industry and had held various mgmt/leadership roles in Product Development, Professional Services and Sales @Entrust.


Summers are always known for heat, and it is doubtful that this one is going to be an exception. It sure has already started out very warm this year. Whether you stay at home or travel, there are many ways you can beat the heat this summer.
Traveling is a great way to beat heat, but you want to be sure to go to the right destination. If you travel abroad, be aware that many countries can be considerably hotter than here in the summertime. You will want to be prepared for it if it is warmer there, or choose a cooler destination in the mountains, or go to Alaska or the Scandinavian countries.
Choosing a place near the beach or with a pool will also help you stay cool, too. If you're pregnant, be sure to keep cool and hydrated – but not too much, says WedMd. You can put a cool and damp washcloth on your neck or forehead to help keep your body cooler.
Many homes in the northern United States simply do not have air conditioning. It largely was not needed for the few warm days they had in the past. The past couple of years, however, have seen very warm temperatures affect them, too, making it miserable with little they could do about it.
One way to cope with the heat if you do not have air conditioning is to go somewhere where they have it. This can be a mall, a grocery store, a public or private pool, fast-food restaurant, a friend's house, a library, or other public place. Sometimes, a front or back porch may have a frequent breeze that can provide some relief, too.
One more thing you can do would be to take two, two-liter bottles and fill them with water and freeze them. Keep two more in the refrigerator. Then put two at a time in front of a fan and blow the air on you. This will definitely help you stay cooler, says DisasterPrep101. Keeping a fan on to circulate air in the room will also make it seem cooler.
Keeping curtains closed longer in the day will help block out the sun's rays. These rays can really heat up your home faster, but by blocking them when that side of the house faces the sun, you can keep your house cooler longer.
Placing trees around your home so that they provide shade on the sunny side can help you save money by keeping your house cooler. Energy.gov says that it will help you save $100 to $250 annually. Putting awnings over the windows will also help.
If you do not have a central air conditioning unit, you might want to try a stand-alone floor unit. These units can run off a standard 110-volt outlet, or a generator – or even from your car if you have a power inverter. With an additional fan, you do not need to cool it as much, and the fan can blow the air right on you.
It will also help to keep your home cooler longer during the day, if you pull in cooler air at night. Wait until it gets below 75 degrees, and then use a fan to pull in air from other open windows by blowing it out – not in (works better).
Keep devices away from the thermostat that generate heat. This can include a TV set, a lamp, or other device. By putting one near the thermostat, it will keep it warmer longer – which means the air conditioner is going to run longer than necessary, says SafeElectricity.org.


0°) Introduction , News since last meetup.
One mentor, one secretary by group.
3°) Short talk , 5' for each group. results, published kernel.
Please put your remarks and suggestion in the discussion page.
Please bring your laptop for the hands-on session (notebooks will be available to illustrate the main talks).


text:
Lorenzo Natali Media Prize
Team Europe steps up delivery of COVID-19 recovery package up to €38.5 billion for partner countries
Meddelelse24 November 2020Generaldirektoratet for Internationale Partnerskaber
Half of Team's Europe global recovery package to help partners address the COVID-19 pandemic, which has increased to €38.5 billion, has already been disbursed, showing the EU is delivering on its commitments. The package, combining resources from the EU, its Member States, the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, is supporting emergency needs linked to the pandemic, crucial health services, economic recovery and social support measures, for the short and long term.
High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell, commented: "The European Union has proven to be a reliable partner in tackling the COVID-19 crisis globally. From vulnerable people to small businesses, many around the world have already benefited from our joint Team Europe commitment. We have shown that cooperation and partnerships are crucial for a global recovery and that only a collective action will allow us to build a better post-COVID world."
Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, stated: "Today we have reached a new milestone in Team Europe's collective response, which now stands at €38.5 billion, to pave the way for a sustainable recovery. It shows that we act stronger together, in a more efficient and coherent way, to deliver our commitments and address better the needs of our partners. We are building a global response to create sustainable opportunities for people now and in future years and build more inclusive and resilient societies."
Team Europe delivery and future
Team Europe action combining resources from the EU, its Member States, the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, is making a difference in three key areas: emergency response to humanitarian needs; strengthening health, water and sanitation; addressing the social and economic consequences of the crisis.
EU Member States agreed in June to establish a joint monitoring system to track the progress in the commitments made in the framework of the Team Europe's global response to COVID-19. In the six months between April and October 2020, almost 50% of the commitments has been disbursed.
On the emergency response to humanitarian needs, Team Europe has delivered over 80% of funding, a total of €2.86 billion spent of €3.49 billion committed. Amongst others actions, in Botswana, Team Europe together with Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Botswana Red Cross Society, handed over Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and medical supplies: including 40,000 surgical masks and 6,250 respiratory N95 masks, infrared thermometers, disinfectants and sanitizers.
Other examples of the emergency response are in the Eastern Partnership countries, where the EU delivered over 11 million personal protective equipment items, medical equipment supplies and diagnostic tests to frontline health workers. From this total, Ukraine received more than 1 million pieces of personal protective items, enhanced tests for covid-19 laboratories and training for healthcare professionals. In the Western Balkans, the EU provided 10 million pieces of Personal Protective equipment, more than 80.000 COVID tests, 300 ventilators, ambulances, and ICU monitoring equipment. The EU Humanitarian Air Bridge facilitated 68 flights to 21 countries in Africa, Asia and the Americas, delivering more than 1,115 tons of vital medical and humanitarian equipment and 1,700 medical and humanitarian staff and other passengers transported.
With regards health, water and sanitation, Team Europe has deployed around 40% of funding to ensure life-protecting equipment and services, a total €3.11 billion spent of €8.37 billion committed. For example, Team Europe is supporting health recovery in Burkina Faso, where the EU's budget support helps finance health facilities and preserve essential public services to the populations most affected by the crisis. In Bangladesh, the Team Europe package supports vulnerable Bangladeshi host communities and Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar with health, nutrition, water and sanitation actions. Other actions by Team Europe include: supporting agricultural response plans in Sierra Leone and Togo, supporting agribusinesses in Armenia and Moldova, and actions to tackle the increased risk of food insecurity and malnutrition due to the pandemic's impact on livelihoods, food systems and supply chains.
Moreover, on recovery from the social and economic consequences of the crisis, Team Europe has released already half the funding, a total €13.26 billion spent of €26.63 billion committed. Examples include providing urgent budget support to Ghana to allow fiscal space for provision of basic services like education and health, supporting micro/small businesses through loans in the Western Balkans and the Neighbourhood countries; using existing small-medium enterprises (SME) support programmes in Honduras; and through support to employment in the SME sector in South Africa. Actions have also focused on supporting social protection systems to protect the most vulnerable in society, such as in Malawi and Gambia through a social cash transfer programme, or in Timor Leste through a focus on strengthening public service delivery.
Work is also underway to establish future Team Europe Initiatives, which will be large-scale projects that can bring transformative impact in partner countries, including under the envisaged Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI). Team Europe members are closely coordinating, and will jointly design, implement and monitor Team Europe Initiatives in an inclusive manner in the next programming cycle.
The 'Team Europe' package was launched on 8 April 2020 to support EU partner countries in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences. The financial support initially pledged was for some €20 billion and combined resources from the EU, its member states, and financial institutions, in particular the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
As of 1 November 2020, Team Europe has mobilised €38.5 billion and disbursed €19.23 billion in payments.
Team Europe webpage and figures
Generaldirektoratet for Internationale Partnerskaber
Dette website administreres af Generaldirektoratet for Internationale Partnerskaber


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All of The Natural History Museum repositoryCommunitiesTitleAuthorsIssue dateAvailable dateSubjectsTypesJournalPublisherThis CommunityTitleAuthorsIssue dateAvailable dateSubjectsTypesJournalPublisher
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Science: Recent submissions
A new metriorhynchid crocodylomorph from the Oxford Clay Formation (Middle Jurassic) of England, with implications for the origin and diversification of Geosaurini
Foffa, Davide; Young, Mark T; Brusatte, Stephen L; Graham, M; Steel, Lorna (Taylor and Francis, 2017-10-02)
Metriorhynchids are an extinct group of Jurassic–Cretaceous crocodylomorphs secondarily adapted to a marine lifestyle. A new metriorhynchid crocodylomorph from the Oxford Clay Formation (Callovian, Middle Jurassic) of England is described. The specimen is a large, fragmentary skull and associated single ramus of a lower jaw uniquely preserved in a septarian concretion. The description of the specimen reveals a series of autapomorphies (apicobasal flutings on the middle labial surface of the tooth crowns, greatly enlarged basoccipital tuberosities) and a unique combination of characters that warrant the creation of a new genus and species: Ieldraan melkshamensis gen. et sp. nov. This taxon shares numerous characters with the Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous genus Geosaurus: tooth crowns that have three apicobasal facets on their labial surface, subtly ornamented skull and lower jaws elements, and reception pits along the lateral margin of the dentary (maxillary overbite). Phylogenetic analysis places this new species as the sister taxon to Geosaurus. The new taxon adds valuable information on the time of origin of the macrophagous subclade Geosaurini, which was initially thought to have evolved and radiated during the Late Jurassic. The presence of Ieldraan melkshamensis, the phylogenetic re-evaluation of Suchodus durobrivensis as a Plesiosuchus sister taxon and recently identified Callovian Dakosaurus-like specimens in the Oxford Clay Formation, indicate that all major Geosaurini lineages originated earlier than previously supposed. This has major implications for the evolution of macropredation in the group. Specifically, we can now demonstrate that the four different forms of true ziphodonty observed in derived geosaurins independently evolved from a single non-functional microziphodont common ancestor.
An overlooked contributor to palaeontology—the preparator Richard Hall (b. 1839) and his work on an armoured dinosaur and a giant sea dragon
Graham, M; Radley, Jonathan; Lomax, Dean; Brewer, Pip (Geological Curator, 2020-11-12)
The work of Richard Hall, a fossil preparator at the British Museum (Natural History) in the late 19th century, has been largely unrecorded. It included the excavation, preparation and restoration of two important specimens: the dinosaur Polacanthus foxii and the ichthyosaur Temnodontosaurus platyodon. The painstaking reconstruction of the dorsal shield of Polacanthus took seven years to complete and enabled a supplemental note redescribing the specimen to be published in 1887. The significance of the discovery in 1898 of the Temnodontosaurus to the town of Stockton in Warwickshire was such that it featured in an article in Nature. It has entered the local folklore and remains celebrated on the town's road signage and features as the logo of Stockton Primary School.
The air-abrasive technique: A re-evaluation of its use in fossil preparation
Graham, M; Allington-Jones, L (Coquina Press, 2018-08-02)
This paper outlines the history of air-abrasion (also known as airbrasion) as a paleontological preparation technique and evaluates various powders and their properties. It explores the rationale behind the selection of abrasive powders and presents, for the first time, trench-scatter experiments through Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) photography and three-dimensional (3-D) profiling. This article also offers general practical advice and details the results of an international survey of practising fossil preparators.
Evolutionary history of the Galápagos Rail revealed by ancient mitogenomes and modern samples
Chaves, Jaime A; Martinez-Torres, Pedro J; Depino, Emiliano A; Espinoza-Ulloa, Sebastian; García-Loor, Jefferson; Beichman, Annabel; Stervander, Martin (MDPI, 2020-11-12)
The biotas of the Galápagos Islands are one of the best studied island systems and have provided a broad model for insular species' origins and evolution. Nevertheless, some locally endemic taxa, such as the Galápagos Rail Laterallus spilonota, remain poorly characterized. Owing to its elusive behavior, cryptic plumage, and restricted distribution, the Galápagos Rail is one of the least studied endemic vertebrates of the Galapagos Islands. To date, there is no genetic data for this species, leaving its origins, relationships to other taxa, and levels of genetic diversity uncharacterized. This lack of information is critical given the adverse fate of island rail species around the world in the recent past. Here, we examine the genetics of Galápagos Rails using a combination of mitogenome de novo assembly with multilocus nuclear and mitochondrial sequencing from both modern and historical samples. We show that the Galápagos Rail is part of the "American black rail clade", sister to the Black Rail L. jamaicensis, with a colonization of Galápagos dated to 1.2 million years ago. A separate analysis of one nuclear and two mitochondrial markers in the larger population samples demonstrates a shallow population structure across the islands, possibly due to elevated island connectivity. Additionally, birds from the island Pinta possessed the lowest levels of genetic diversity, possibly reflecting past population bottlenecks associated with overgrazing of their habitat by invasive goats. The modern and historical data presented here highlight the low genetic diversity in this endemic rail species and provide useful information to guide conservation efforts.
A proposed solution to a lengthy dispute: what is Leptinaria (uni)lamellata (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Achatinidae)?
Breure, ASH; Ablett, J; Audibert, C (Cernuelle, 2020-11-01)
The taxonomic position and the publication dates of both Achatina lamellata Potiez & Michaud, 1835 and Helix unilamellata d'Orbigny, 1835 are discussed. The dispute concerning the correct publication date of Potiez & Michaud is analysed and a collation of their Atlas is compared to the sheets of their main text, leading to the most likely scenario that the name Achatina lamellata became available in October 1838. The discovery of material ex auctore of this taxon enables us to establish it as a junior synonym of d'Orbigny's taxon, which was published in March 1838. The correct name is thus Leptinaria unilamellata (d'Orbigny, 1838).
Late Silurian zircon U–Pb ages from the Ludlow and Downton bone beds, Welsh Basin, UK
Catlos, EJ; Mark, DF; Suarez, S; Brookfield, ME; Giles Miller, C; Schmitt, AK; Gallagher, V; Kelly, A (Geological Society of London, 2020-09-21)
The Ludlow Bone Bed (Welsh Basin) is a critical stratigraphic horizon and contains a rich assemblage of fish scales. Units above provide insights into the early evolution of animal and plant life. The bed has not yet been radioisotopically dated. Here, we report 207 secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) ages from 102 zircon (ZrSiO4) grains from the Ludlow (n = 2) and stratigraphically higher Downton (n = 1) bone beds. SIMS ages are middle Ordovician (471.6 ± 20.7 Ma) to late Devonian (375.7 ± 14.6 Ma, 238U–206Pb, ±1σ analytical uncertainty). Cathodoluminescence images show that the youngest ages appear affected by alteration. Chemical abrasion isotope dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry (CA-ID-TIMS) U–Pb geochronology was utilized to improve precision. Detrital zircon grains from Downton yield 424.91 ± 0.34/0.42/0.63 Ma and from Ludlow 424.85 ± 0.32/0.41/0.62 Ma (n = 5 each, 238U–206Pb, ±2σ analytical, tracer or systematic uncertainty). These ages provide a maximum deposition age. Results overlap the basal Přídolí age (423.0 ± 2.3 Ma) in its stratotype (Požáry Section, Reporyje, Prague, Czech Republic). The Ludlow Bone Bed marks the base of the local Downton Group, which has previously been correlated with the base of the Přídolí Series. The CA-ID-TIMS ages are older than those for other land arthropod-bearing sediments, such as the Cowie Harbour Fish Bed and Rhynie Chert.
The influence of fractionation of REE-enriched minerals on the zircon partition coefficients
Zhong, Shihua; Li, Sanzhong; Seltmann, Reimar; Lai, Zhiqing; Zhou, Jie (Elsevier, 2020-11-05)
Zircon is widely used to simulate melt generation, migration and evolution within the crust and mantle. The achievable performance of melt modelling generally depends on the availability of reliable trace element partition coefficients (D). However, a large range of DREE values for zircon from natural samples and experimental studies has been reported, with values spanning up to 3 orders of magnitude. Unfortunately, a gap of knowledge on this variability is evident. In this study we model the crystallization processes of common REE-bearing minerals from granitic melts and show that the measured zircon DREE would be elevated if there is crystallization of REE-enriched minerals subsequent to zircon. Nevertheless, compared to zircon DREE values measured from experimental studies, this mechanism appears to have a less significant influence on those from natural granite samples since the quantity of crystallized REE-enriched minerals is very low in natural magmatic systems and/or most of them crystallize prior to zircon. Combined with recently published studies, this work supports that analysis of natural zircon/host groundmass pairs provides more robust DREE values applicable to natural systems than those measured from experimental studies, which can be used to constrain the provenance of detrital zircons.
Cooling and exhumation of the Late Paleozoic Tulasu epithermal gold system, Western Tianshan, NW China: implications for preservation of Pre-Mesozoic epithermal deposits
Zhao, Xiao-Bo; Xue, Chun-Ji; Zhao, Wei-Ce; Seltmann, Reimar; Symons, David T.A.; Dolgopolova, Alla; Zhang, Yong (Geological Society of London, 2020-11-22)
Epithermal gold deposits are rarely well preserved in pre-Mesozoic terranes because their low-temperature mineralization in shallow crust levels, and easily destroyed by subsequent erosion or depleted by tectonic events. However, several significant late Paleozoic epithermal gold deposits have been found in the Tulasu volcanic basin in NW China, forming one of the largest gold districts in the western Tianshan orogen. Here, we report new 40Ar/39Ar age from a monzonite porphyry enclave hosted in andesite and apatite fission track (AFT) data for 10 volcanic rocks from the Tulasu basin. These data, combined with the previous dataset, are used to perform inverse thermal modelling to quantify the district's cooling and exhumation history. Our modelling indicates a phase of burial reheating during late Paleozoic sedimentation following the mineralization, and subsequent a rapid exhumation in the Jurassic to Early Cretaceous (∼196–128 Ma), and a slow exhumation until to present. The Mesozoic exhumation is likely related to the far-field effects of the Cimmerian orogeny along the southern Eurasian margin. Therefore, we suggest that the quick burial by thick sediments and the slow protracted exhumation after mineralization were crucial for the preservation of the Paleozoic epithermal gold system at Tulasu.
Synthetic and semi-synthetic fibre ingestion by mesopelagic fishes from Tristan da Cuhna and St Helena, South Atlantic
McGoran, Alexandra; Maclaine, James; Clark, Paul; Morritt, David (2020-11)
As part of the Blue Belt Programme, a marine survey of British Overseas Territories funded by the UK Government, RRS Discovery trawled at depths of between the surface and 1000m around Tristan da Cuhna and St Helena. Fishes were examined for microplastic ingestion. This work was supported by the National Environmental Research Council [grant number NE/L002485/1] with co-sponsorship from a Fishmongers' Company Fisheries Charity Trust CASE Partnership. Specimens were collected onboard RRS Discover as part of the Blue Belt Programme, which is funded by the UK Government in collaboration with CEFAS and BAS.
Extended Pelagic Life in a Bathybenthic Octopus
Villanueva, Roger; Laptikhovsky, Vladimir V; Piertney, Stuart B; Fernández-Álvarez, Fernando Ángel; Collins, Martin A; Ablett, J; Escánez, Alejandro (Frontiers Media SA, 2020-11-20)
Planktonic stages of benthic octopuses can reach relatively large sizes in some species, usually in oceanic, epipelagic waters while living as part of the macroplankton. These young octopuses appear to delay settlement on the seabed for an undetermined period of time that is probably longer than for those octopus paralarvae living in coastal, neritic waters. The reason for this delay is unknown and existing information about their biology is very scarce. Here we report on the presence of juvenile and subadult forms of the bathybenthic octopus Pteroctopus tetracirrhus in oceanic waters of the South and North Atlantic and its association with the pyrosomid species Pyrosoma atlanticum, apparently used by the octopus as a refuge or shelter. The relatively large size of the P. tetracirrhus living in oceanic waters as the individuals reported here, together with the morphological characteristics of this bathybenthic species including its gelatinous body, minute suckers embedded in swollen skin and the deep interbrachial web, indicates that P. tetracirrhus may be considered a model of a transitional octopus species that is colonizing the pelagic environment by avoiding descending to the bathyal benthos. This process seems to occur in the same way as in the supposed origin of the ctenoglossan holopelagic octopods of the families Amphitretidae, Bolitaenidae, and Vitreledonellidae, which have arisen via neoteny from the planktonic paralarval stages of benthic octopuses.
A molecular palaeobiological exploration of arthropod terrestrialization
Lozano-Fernandez, J; Carton, R; Tanner, AR; Puttick, MN; Blaxter, M; Vinther, J; Olesen, J; Giribet, G; Edgecombe, GD; Pisani, D (The Royal Society, 2016-07-19)
Understanding animal terrestrialization, the process through which animals colonized the land, is crucial to clarify extant biodiversity and biological adaptation. Arthropoda (insects, spiders, centipedes and their allies) represent the largest majority of terrestrial biodiversity. Here we implemented a molecular palaeobiological approach, merging molecular and fossil evidence, to elucidate the deepest history of the terrestrial arthropods. We focused on the three independent, Palaeozoic arthropod terrestrialization events (those of Myriapoda, Hexapoda and Arachnida) and showed that a marine route to the colonization of land is the most likely scenario. Molecular clock analyses confirmed an origin for the three terrestrial lineages bracketed between the Cambrian and the Silurian. While molecular divergence times for Arachnida are consistent with the fossil record, Myriapoda are inferred to have colonized land earlier, substantially predating trace or body fossil evidence. An estimated origin of myriapods by the Early Cambrian precedes the appearance of embryophytes and perhaps even terrestrial fungi, raising the possibility that terrestrialization had independent origins in crown-group myriapod lineages, consistent with morphological arguments for convergence in tracheal systems. This article is part of the themed issue 'Dating species divergences using rocks and clocks'.
The first next-generation sequencing approach to the mitochondrial phylogeny of African monogenean parasites (Platyhelminthes: Gyrodactylidae and Dactylogyridae)
Vanhove, Maarten PM; Briscoe, Andrew G; Jorissen, Michiel WP; Littlewood, T; Huyse, Tine (Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2018-07-04)
BACKGROUND:Monogenean flatworms are the main ectoparasites of fishes. Representatives of the species-rich families Gyrodactylidae and Dactylogyridae, especially those infecting cichlid fishes and clariid catfishes, are important parasites in African aquaculture, even more so due to the massive anthropogenic translocation of their hosts worldwide. Several questions on their evolution, such as the phylogenetic position of Macrogyrodactylus and the highly speciose Gyrodactylus, remain unresolved with available molecular markers. Also, diagnostics and population-level research would benefit from the development of higher-resolution genetic markers. We aim to offer genetic resources for work on African monogeneans by providing mitogenomic data of four species (two belonging to Gyrodactylidae, two to Dactylogyridae), and analysing their gene sequences and gene order from a phylogenetic perspective. RESULTS:Using Illumina technology, the first four mitochondrial genomes of African monogeneans were assembled and annotated for the cichlid parasites Gyrodactylus nyanzae, Cichlidogyrus halli, Cichlidogyrus mbirizei (near-complete mitogenome) and the catfish parasite Macrogyrodactylus karibae (near-complete mitogenome). Complete nuclear ribosomal operons were also retrieved, as molecular vouchers. The start codon TTG is new for Gyrodactylus and for Dactylogyridae, as is the incomplete stop codon TA for Dactylogyridae. Especially the nad2 gene is promising for primer development. Gene order was identical for protein-coding genes and differed between the African representatives of these families only in a tRNA gene transposition. A mitochondrial phylogeny based on an alignment of nearly 12,500 bp including 12 protein-coding and two ribosomal RNA genes confirms that the Neotropical oviparous Aglaiogyrodactylus forficulatus takes a sister group position with respect to the other gyrodactylids, instead of the supposedly 'primitive' African Macrogyrodactylus. Inclusion of the African Gyrodactylus nyanzae confirms the paraphyly of Gyrodactylus. The position of the African dactylogyrid Cichlidogyrus is unresolved, although gene order suggests it is closely related to marine ancyrocephalines. CONCLUSIONS:The amount of mitogenomic data available for gyrodactylids and dactylogyrids is increased by roughly one-third. Our study underscores the potential of mitochondrial genes and gene order in flatworm phylogenetics, and of next-generation sequencing for marker development for these non-model helminths for which few primers are available.
The Genomic Footprints of the Fall and Recovery of the Crested Ibis
Feng, Shaohong; Fang, Qi; Barnett, Ross; Li, Cai; Han, Sojung; Kuhlwilm, Martin; Zhou, Long; Pan, Hailin; Deng, Yuan; Chen, Guangji; et al. (Elsevier BV, 2019-01-10)
Human-induced environmental change and habitat fragmentation pose major threats to biodiversity and require active conservation efforts to mitigate their consequences. Genetic rescue through translocation and the introduction of variation into imperiled populations has been argued as a powerful means to preserve, or even increase, the genetic diversity and evolutionary potential of endangered species [1-4]. However, factors such as outbreeding depression [5, 6] and a reduction in available genetic diversity render the success of such approaches uncertain. An improved evaluation of the consequence of genetic restoration requires knowledge of temporal changes to genetic diversity before and after the advent of management programs. To provide such information, a growing number of studies have included small numbers of genomic loci extracted from historic and even ancient specimens [7, 8]. We extend this approach to its natural conclusion, by characterizing the complete genomic sequences of modern and historic population samples of the crested ibis (Nipponia nippon), an endangered bird that is perhaps the most successful example of how conservation effort has brought a species back from the brink of extinction. Though its once tiny population has today recovered to >2,000 individuals [9], this process was accompanied by almost half of ancestral loss of genetic variation and high deleterious mutation load. We furthermore show how genetic drift coupled to inbreeding following the population bottleneck has largely purged the ancient polymorphisms from the current population. In conclusion, we demonstrate the unique promise of exploiting genomic information held within museum samples for conservation and ecological research.
Metabarcoding unsorted kick‐samples facilitates macroinvertebrate‐based biomonitoring with increased taxonomic resolution, while outperforming environmental DNA
Pereira-da-Conceicoa, Lyndall; Elbrecht, V; Hall, Andie; Briscoe, AG; Barber‐James, H; Price, BW (Wiley, 2020-07-21)
Pereira‐da‐Conceicoa, L, Elbrecht, V, Hall, A, Briscoe, A, Barber‐James, H, Price, B. Metabarcoding unsorted kick‐samples facilitates macroinvertebrate‐based biomonitoring with increased taxonomic resolution, while outperforming environmental DNA. Environmental DNA. 2020; 00: 1– 19. https://doi.org/10.1002/edn3.116
Ahead of the curve: three approaches to mass digitisation of vials with a focus on label data capture
Dupont, Steen; Humphries, Josh; Butcher, Alice Jenny; Baker, E; Balcells, L; Price, BW (Pensoft Publishers, 2020-04-27)
There has been little research on novel approaches to digitising liquid-preserved natural history specimens stored in jars or vials. This paper discusses and analyses three different prototypes for high-throughput digitisation using cheap, readily available components. This paper has been written for other digitisation teams or curators who want to trial or improve upon these new digitisation approaches in liquid preserved collections.
An urban Blitz with a twist: rapid biodiversity assessment using aquatic environmental DNA
Hupało, K; Majaneva, M; Czachur, MV; Sire, L; Marquina, D; Lijtmaer, DA; Ivanov, V; Leidenberger, S; Čiampor, F; Čiamporová‐Zaťovičová, Z; et al. (Wiley, 2020-10-24)
As global biodiversity declines, there is an increasing need to create an educated and engaged society. Having people of all ages participate in measuring biodiversity where they live helps to create awareness. Recently, the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) for biodiversity surveys has gained momentum. Here, we explore whether sampling eDNA and sequencing it can be used as a means of rapidly surveying urban biodiversity for educational purposes. We sampled 2 × 1 L of water from each of 15 locations in the city of Trondheim, Norway, including a variety of freshwater, marine, and brackish habitats. DNA was extracted, amplified in triplicate targeting the barcoding fragment of COI gene, and sequenced. The obtained data were analyzed on the novel mBRAVE platform, an online open‐access software and computing resource. The water samples were collected in 2 days by two people, and the laboratory analysis was completed in 5 days by one person. Overall, we detected the presence of 506 BINs identified as belonging to 435 taxa, representing at least 265 putative species. On average, only 5.4% of the taxa were shared among six replicates per site. Based on the observed diversity, three distinct clusters were detected and related to the geographic distribution of sites. There were some taxa shared between the habitats, with a substantial presence of terrestrial biota. Here we propose a new form of BioBlitz, where with noninvasive sampling effort combined with swift processing and straightforward online analyses, hundreds of species can be detected. Thus, using eDNA analysis of water is useful for rapid biodiversity surveys and valuable for educational purposes. We show that rapid eDNA surveys, combined with openly available services and software, can be used as an educational tool to raise awareness about the importance of biodiversity.
Conservation challenges for a microscopic world: Documenting desmids
Wilbraham, Joanna (British Phycological Society, 2020)
Freshwaters are amongst the most threatened habitats in the world. Many waters in the UK have irreversibly changed or disappeared and those that remain are under immense pressure largely due to habitat loss, pollution, recreation, abstraction and the introduction of nonnative species. Climate change is also becoming a major concern for freshwater life. The conservation of biodiversity associated with freshwaters has for obvious reasons focused on the larger animal and plant species, however, microorganisms such as the algae play a fundamental role in these ecosystems and constitute rich assemblages which are also threatened. Desmids are a diverse group of freshwater microalgae which dominate the algal flora of nutrient poor, lentic waters and are particularly diverse in such oligotrophic habitats as moorland pools and shallow lakes. They are ecologically highly sensitive, acting as useful indicators of water quality. The conservation of microscopic organisms poses many difficulties due to taxonomic impediments and lack of knowledge of ecology and distribution. To gain a better understanding of desmid distribution patterns across the UK and Ireland this project has undertaken the digitisation of 50 years worth of biological recording data collated by desmid expert David Williamson. Reliable datasets of species occurrence are essential to biodiversity research and conservation so these data, in conjunction with published literature, will provide a basis for developing a more robust checklist of verified desmid taxa known to occur in the UK and Ireland and provide distribution information for these taxa. Furthermore, this will enable us to review the conservation status of the desmid flora and provide data of practical use in the designation and management of protected freshwater habitats.
Zircon-hosted apatite inclusions: A powerful tool for reconstruction of Cl contents in melts
Tuffield, L; Buret, Y; Large, S; Spratt, J; Wilkinson, JJ (Mineral Deposits Studies Group, 2020-01)
Chlorine in the exsolved volatile phase plays an important role in complexing with metals in the extraction and concentration of metals in magmatic-hydrothermal ore deposits. Therefore, tracking the concentration and evolution of Cl in the parent melt is of particular importance in understanding how such deposits form. In theory, the incorporation of Cl into apatite could be used to track the volatile content of melts; however, low closure temperatures and the rapid diffusion of halogens in apatite make it susceptible to sub-solidus re-equilibration by later thermal events and hydrothermal fluids. This susceptibility compromises its ability to retain the primary halogen signature. However, the common occurrence of apatite as an inclusion phase in zircon crystals, together with the refractory nature of zircon, open up the possibility that such inclusions may preserve primary Clmelt compositions [1]. The Rio-Blanco-Los Bronces porphyry copper district is located in central Chile and hosts several world class porphyry copper deposits as well as barren intrusions [2]. This makes it an excellent area for an investigation of the role of Clmelt in the formation of porphyry copper deposits, as well as the effect of sub-solidus re-equilibration of Cl in apatite. For this study we analysed apatite crystals that occur both in the groundmass and as inclusions in zircons in four samples from the Los Bronces porphyry copper district using EPMA for halogen and major elements and LA-ICP-MS for trace elements. These samples include a barren intrusion unrelated to mineralisation that precedes mineralisation by around 10 Ma, and pre-, syn- and post-mineralisation porphyries. Apatite inclusions hosted in zircon crystals typically exhibit a large range in Cl concentrations (<0.5 –2.5 wt.% Cl), with all inclusion data exhibiting polymodal distributions of Cl concentrations. By contrast, groundmass apatites from all samples are characterised by uniformly low Cl concentrations (<0.5 wt.% Cl). These results are consistent with the apatite crystals in the groundmass having experienced sub-solidus re-equilibration related to the pervasive hydrothermal alteration in the district. The wide range in Cl concentrations recorded by the apatite inclusions is interpreted to reflect changing Clmelt for the duration of apatite and zircon crystallisation, perhaps linked to volatile saturation and preferential partitioning of Cl into the aqueous phase. Additionally, the apatites hosted in zircon crystals show significant inter-sample variations, evolving from low Cl concentration (<0.5 wt. % Cl) in the barren intrusion, to higher Cl concentrations (0.5 – 2.5 wt.% Cl) in the samples closely temporally associated with porphyry Cu mineralisation. These data suggest that Clmelt was significantly higher (0.05 – 0.40 wt.% Clmelt) in the melts associated with porphyry copper mineralisation compared with the precursor barren magmatism (~0.04 wt.% Clmelt) [3]. We conclude that due to the rapid diffusion of halogens in apatite in the presence of melt or hydrothermal fluid, the study of apatite inclusions hosted in zircon crystals is required to reconstruct primary melt compositions and to track the evolution of Cl concentrations in porphyry-forming magmas. This study reveals high Clmelt concentrations in the magmas related to mineralisation in the Los Bronces district, a property that would have facilitated the efficient extraction and concentration of metals. References: [1] Brugge, E. et al. (2019). Proc. 15th SGA Biennial Meeting, Vol. 2, 983-986. [2] Toro, J.C. et al. (2012). SEG Special Publication 16:105-126. [3] Li, H. and Hermann, J. (2017) Am. Mineral. 102:580-594.
Did Captain Scott's Terra Nova Expedition discover fossil Nothofagus in Antarctica?
Chaloner, WG; Kenrick, P (The Linnean Society of London, 2015-10-01)
Preparing detailed morphological features of fossil brittle stars (Ophiuroidea, Echinodermata) for scanning electron microscopy using a combination of mechanical preparation techniques.
Graham, M; Ewin, Timothy; Brewer, P (Geological Curators Group, 2020-01-27)
In order to facilitate detailed SEM analysis of recently available, undescribed fossil ophiuroid material from the Aptian, Lower Cretaceous, Atherfield Clay Formation of the Isle of Wight, Hampshire, UK a combination of careful mechanical preparation techniques was employed to great effect. Specimens were initially exposed using standard air abrasive techniques, but the final few millimetres of matrix were removed using pins. To get individual arm pieces exceptionally clear of matrix, they were removed from the blocks using a mini pedestalling technique and then further cleaned using an ultrasonic pen. This combination of techniques fully exposed all the elements required for full taxonomic study without causing severe damage to the plate surfaces and greatly improved the overall aesthetic of the specimens. These techniques could be more widely applied in fossil preparation.
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Pondicherry Travel Guide Pondicherry Trips Puducherry : Budget Trip To French Riviera Of East
Puducherry : Budget trip to French Riviera of East
By Namita Singh
Pondy, our own french town on the southern coast of India or the french riviera of the east. Whole city is pleasant mix of East and West. Cosmopolitan flair of many nationalities in a small but varied town. Tree lined boulevards, colonial heritage buildings, Tamil quarters show contrasting architectures and cultures. Food offered here also display this vast difference. Quiet beaches and peaceful resorts in the north and south of the city balance the town's busy, yet easy going life.
The French Quarter
Tamil Colony
The Fishermen
One can cover all main points of Puducherry on a day-trip (about 8 hours) in a private vehicle. Two days are more than enough to cover all spots leisurely. If you want to take things very slow and enjoy the city then plan for more days. I took 3 days to enjoy this town leisurely. First day spent on covering major tourist attractions, second was spent enjoying various beaches and third on gastronomic adventures (French and Indian).
Serenity Beach
Chunnambar Boat House
Transportation: (Outside) Buses and trains are available from Bangalore and Chennai. I must say direct bus from Bangalore is quite cheap. I took comfortable sleeper bus for just INR 450 and returned by train which took longer but, was economical too.
(Within) Stay in/near French colony (Mission Street and MG Road), so you can cover major attractions on foot or by renting out a "pedal cycle" (INR 50-100 per day). You must rent "motorcycle" or "gearless scooter" (INR 250-300 per day) for exploring further points like Serenity beach, Paradise beach, Botanical garden and Auroville. You will need to provide some identification document as collateral. Hotels arrange these for you and many of the rentals also provide delivery and pickup at the hotel which is very useful. (Note: Usually the number of days for these vehicles are calculated from 9.00 AM to 9.00 PM. ). Auto-rickshaws are common and easily available mode of transport too but, it is very expensive.
Stay: Puducherry has a wide choice of hotels to choose from: Beach resorts for tourists and families, Heritage hotels for those who want to experience something out of the ordinary, high class commercial hotels for the corporate visitors and the neat Ashram Guest Houses for the spiritual seekers. Restaurants serve a rich variety of French, Indian, Asian and continental food and has many international chains of fast food.
Puducherry is fast becoming a favorite shopping destination of the southern metropolitan cities. It is easy on your purse with low or no taxes. Although it is known for its traditional doll-making, textiles and silks, it is also the birthplace of several world class brands in leather, pottery, aromatics, fashion and handmade paper.
PS: All shopaholics and foodies, be aware, this place will make you bewildered with options without pinching your pockets.
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#Puducherry#Villupuram#Tamil Nadu#India#Nonankuppam#Yanam#Pondicherry#shopping#shopping


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MiningGold & silver
Angela Harmantas
05:30 Tue 23 Jul 2019
Follow Angela on:
viewKlondike Gold Corp.
Klondike Gold commences new drilling program at Lone Star zone in Yukon
The exploration company is planning to drill between 15 and 20 holes at the Lone Star Zone, where two holes drilled in 2018 intersected extended lengths of near surface gold mineralization
Lode Star was a significant source of alluvial placer gold back in the Klondike gold rush era of the 1890s
Klondike Gold Corp (CVE:KG) (OTCMKTS:KDKGF) said it has begun a new drilling program at a highly prospective zone on the company's Klondike District Property in Yukon.
The Vancouver-based company is planning to drill between 15 and 20 holes at the Lone Star Zone, where two holes drilled in 2018 intersected extended lengths of near surface gold mineralization.
The new program is designed to double the previously drilled length of gold mineralization by targeting a one kilometre strike length on the eastern portion of the zone near two holes drilled in 2018 that intersected 0.8 grams per ton gold at 4.6 metres and 0.9 g/t gold at 25.4 metres.
READ: Klondike Gold expecting series of assays from Yukon exploration in coming months
Klondike is currently anticipating drilling between 1,500 and 2,000 metres of drilling at Lone Star, which is located 20 kilometres along a government-maintained road from the mining town of Dawson City, Yukon.
(Photo: Lone Star Zone with proposed 2019 drill sites)
Lone Star was a significant source of alluvial placer gold back in the Klondike gold rush era of the 1890s, as Klondike determined through ongoing work in the area. Prospectors panned for gold from Bonanza Creek since its discovery in 1896.
Recent work at the zone saw 102 of 114 holes drilled that intersected extended intervals of gold mineralization. Newly discovered gold mineralization includes three prospecting rock grab samples from the west end that assay from 0.6 to 6.8 g/t gold and 10 prospecting samples from the east end that assay from 4.1 to 38.5 g/t gol
Drilling at Lone Star is part of Klondike's C$2 million 2019 exploration program on the company's Klondike District property that spans 576 kilometres in Canada's north.
In an interview with Proactive, CEO Peter Tallman said he was excited about drilling Lone Star.
"It's the first target we identified a couple of years ago that had around a million-ounce potential in terms of size and scope," he said.
Earlier this month the exploration company said that it has sunk 47 holes across the property, with a majority of holes sunk at the Nugget zone. Further drilling to expand known targets or test new areas of interest will be targeted as assay results are received.
Drill assays are expected beginning by the end of July and continuing through August and September.
--Updated with CEO quotes--
Contact Angela at [email protected]
Follow her on Twitter @AHarmantas
Quick facts: Klondike Gold Corp.
Price: 0.3 CAD
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Market: TSX-V
Market Cap: $33.93 m
Gold & silver Klondike Gold Corp.
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Top 25 GameCube Games of All-Time
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Released in November of 2001, the GameCube is home to some of the most addictive games of the past four years. Don't be fooled by the itty-bitty form factor: there's a lot of big fun locked away in there, particularly when it comes to multiplayer throwdowns. After a lot of internal debate GameSpy is pleased to list our picks for the Top 25 GameCube Games of All-Time. Think we missed something? Got rants or raves? Hit the Forums or Contact Us!
F-Zero GX
Since the GameCube was released, a number of Nintendo®'s most popular series have made their way over to the system. We've seen games featuring Mario (and friends), a few new Metroid titles, and, of course, a Legend of Zelda game. One series that's often forgotten, however, is the one that was doing high-speed futuristic racing long before WipeOut hit the track: F-Zero. The series premiered on the SNES and made a brief stop on the N64 before landing on the GameCube in August of 2003.
The first thing one notices about F-Zero GX is how gorgeous its visuals are. The colors are bright, the graphics are crisp, and everything moves along at a buttery 60 frames per second. The track designs are amazing, too, offering up some truly extreme moments. In addition to the standard loops and jumps, you'll find yourself rotating around a circular track (similar to a cork screw) and rocketing through an underwater tunnel.
Of course, you probably won't have much time to admire the visuals as you're hurtling along the tracks, just trying to stay alive. One of the biggest knocks against F-Zero GX is that the difficulty really ramps up as you progress deeper into the game. This is largely due to the fact that the speeds get higher when you move up from one level to the next, and your A.I. opponents will do everything they can to knock you off the track.
If you are looking for a racer that will blow you back against the wall, look no further than F-Zero GX. The game looks great, runs smoothly, and will test your patience as much as your reflexes. If you can get over the tough difficulty level, you'll feel like an accomplished racer.
Will: Even though it's one of the toughest games you'll ever play (yes, the hyperbole is all true!), it's tough not to fall in love with F-Zero GX, since it just looks so damn good. The developers must have made some sort of deal with the devil, as the game manages to squeeze every last ounce of processing power from the GameCube.
As far as the whole "is this game too tough?" argument goes, I'm on the side that says no game is too tough. You just have to practice, practice, and practice some more. Sure, there's a bit of luck involved, but you'll be able to make your way through the game if you just give it enough of your time. I know you can do it. I have faith in you!
Phil: Even since the first F-Zero game for the Super NES, I've been a fan of the series. I never got to the point where I was anxiously awaiting the next entry, but when one came along, I was always happy to play it. So when GX was announced, I was anticipating it, but I certainly wasn't bouncing off of any walls waiting for it to come out. What did end up bouncing off walls, though, was my GameCube controller when I finally sat down to play this game. Wow, is it ever tough! Even with the high difficulty, I wanted to keep playing because the game is just that good. The expanded, story-based single-player mode combined with the decent multiplayer mode give you a lot to play. And it's hard to ignore just how good GX looks. This is still one of the most graphically impressive GameCube titles ever.
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PARALEGAL DIVISION OF THE UTAH STATE BAR
Division Info
Standing Rules
Leadership-2021-2022
Shalise McKinlay
Katie Lawyer
Lexi Balling
Peter Vanderhooft
Cheri Christensen
Suzanne Potts
Tally Burke
Julie Eriksson
Kathryn Shelton
Shari Dirksen
Tonya Wright
Heather Finch Memorial Scholarship Fund
Licensed Paralegal Practitioner
Utah State Bar Group Benefits
Job Bank Postings
, SUZANNE POTTS
Ethics and Professional Service Chair | Region 4 Director
Suzanne Potts - Suzanne has been a paralegal for over 30 years. She is currently employed as a paralegal at Clarkson & Associates, LLC, in St. George, Utah. Previously Suzanne was employed by Clarkson Draper & Beckstrom in St. George, Utah, working primarily in civil litigation. Suzanne is a mediator having completed basic Mediation Training through the Utah State Bar, Alternative Dispute Resolution in 2001. She is a past member of LAAU, having served as the Southern Regional Director. She is currently a member of the Paralegal Division of the Utah State Bar and previously served as a Regional Director. She presently serves as the Secretary on the Board for Leadership Dixie. Suzanne is very active in the community and was previously a public panel member for the Supreme Court Ethics and Discipline Committee, volunteer for the Southern Utah Community Legal Center as well as a paralegal member of the Board of the Southern Utah Bar Association.
Suzanne has a son, Matthew who works in the diesel performance industry. She enjoys motocross racing and sports; she is a lifelong Cubs fan. Suzanne has a great appreciation for classic cars and making them fast and truth be told she loves racing whether it is a car or truck.


I'm one who prefers fiction (sci-fi or fantasy) but this book sparked my interest when I read the back cover. And it didn't disappoint me either I was quite fascinated by all the information gleaned from England 1000 years ago.
It was remarkable to see the similarities between 21st century man and 11th century man. The same human issues they dealt with back then are the ones we are still dealing with now... especially the commotion over the 'end of the world' when the calendar turned over to 1000. Definitely worth the read.


Can't make it to New Orleans during Mardi Gras? Don't worry! I just found the next best thing – Mardi Gras World.
I can sum up this place with one word – WOW!
Sarah, from New Orleans CVB, made this attraction one of her top recommendations. She made it sound so good that I had to go.
I wasn't sure about what it was going to be like but I surely wasn't expecting a humongous stadium-sized warehouse devoted to making Mardi Gras art works and floats. For some reason I always thought that every organization that participates in it made its own float. So this turned out to be a huge surprise and a great educational trip.
1. This is not just an exhibit hall that someone invented to attract visitors. This is a full-on working factory. All sorts of artists work here year round.
2. The only time Mardi Gras World is closed is – obviously – during Mardi Gras.
3. Mardi Gras World allows you to see authentic Mardi Gras costumes and floats and learn how they are created.
4. The entrance fee includes the tour and a short video of how Mardi Gras started and how Mardi Gras World began.
5. The whole tour is about 45 minutes long and you are welcome to stay as long as you want after it is over.
6. There is a free Mardi Gras shuttle that picks you up at a pick up station and brings you back to your hotel.
INSIDER TIP: You can tour the place on your own, but you really won't get the history and fun facts of it. So wait for the guided tours.
• More than 80% of the floats that go down New Orleans' streets during the Carnival season are designed and built here.
• It all begun in 1947 by float designer and builder Blaine Kern.
• Blaine was an out of work artist who started as a helper with the floats, but people loved his work so much that each year he got more requests.
• In 1984, Mardi Gras World was opened as a tourist attraction to give visitors a behind-the-scenes look at float building.
• They create floats for over 40 parades from all over the world.
• The origins of Mardi Gras can be traced back to Rome.
• The tradition was then transferred to medieval Europe where during the 17th and 18th centuries Venice and the French House of the Bourbons were the most famous groups of people who celebrated it.
• Then the traditional revelry of "Boeuf Gras," or fatted calf was introduced to the French colonies.
• On 1699, French-Canadian explorer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville arrived south of New Orleans, and named it "Pointe du Mardi Gras" because he and his crew arrived on the eve of the holiday.
• In 1702 the settlement of Fort Louis de la Mobile celebrated America's very first Mardi Gras on North American grounds.
• In 1704, Mobile established a secret society (Masque de la Mobile), similar to those that form the current Mardi Gras krewes.
• In 1710, the "Boeuf Gras Society" was formed and paraded from 1711 through 1861.
• By the 1730s, Mardi Gras was celebrated openly in New Orleans.
• In the early 1740s, Louisiana's governor, the Marquis de Vaudreuil, established elegant society balls, which became the model for the New Orleans Mardi Gras balls of today.
• The earliest reference to Mardi Gras "Carnival" appears in a 1781 report to the Spanish colonial governing body.
• In 1856, six young Mobile natives formed the Mistick Krewe of Comus, invoking John Milton's hero Comus to represent their organization.
• Each of these designers' work was brought to life by Parisian paper-mache' artist Georges Soulie', who for 40 years was responsible for creating all of Carnival's floats and outfits.
• 1872 was the year that a group of businessmen invented a King of Carnival, Rex, to preside over the first daytime parade. They did this as a way to honor the visiting Russian Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff.
• In 1783, floats began to be constructed entirely in New Orleans instead of France.
• In 1875, Governor Warmoth signed the "Mardi Gras Act," making Fat Tuesday a legal holiday in Louisiana.
• Popular practices during Mardi Gras include: wearing masks and costumes, overturning social conventions, dancing, sports competitions, parades and debauchery.
• Mardi Gras is also called Fat Tuesday, a name given to the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after the Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday.
• Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday"; it was a day when ancient Romans had a last chance to eat rich, fatty foods before fasting of the Lenten season started.
• Celebrations are concentrated for about two weeks before and through Fat Tuesday.
• Usually there is one major parade each day (weather permitting) but there might also be several smaller parades in one day.
• The largest and most elaborate parades take place the last five days.
• The parades in New Orleans are organized by Carnival krewes.
• Krewe float riders toss throws to the crowds. The most common throws are strings of colorful plastic beads, doubloons (aluminum or wooden dollar-sized coins usually impressed with a krewe logo), decorated plastic throw cups, and small inexpensive toys.
Hours: 7 days a week, from 9:30am to 5:30pm. The last tour begins at 4:30pm.


Badge of Honour takes its concept from The Chapel of St Lawrence's previous use as a Grammar School. Libertarian, activist and journalist Richard Carlile (b.1790) was an ex-pupil of the school and a campaigner for civil rights, women's suffrage, freedom of speech and expression, and a 'free press'.
The hand painted, 'alternative' school crests were chained to the railings, and based on the old Ashburton School badge and Carlile's social statements.
The work formed part of the inaugural Ashburton Art Festival.


For Father's Day...Give him the Control!
The remote control is something he can feel in his hands and see with his eyes. It occupies space and possesses mass. Maybe it's a man's way of trying to hold on to things that disappear.


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Radnor family assaulted and robbed, possibly because they are Asian
Lisa Lee, 17, thought she was dreaming at 3 a.m. Wednesday when she opened her bedroom door in Radnor Township to find a stranger wearing a bandanna across his face and holding a gun.
Lisa Lee said police told her that two businesses owned by her uncles - including Brewers Outlet, a beer distributor at 48th and Spruce streets - may be the link to the robbers. She said the bandits may have followed her uncles home. (Source: Google Street View)Read more
by By Bonnie L. Cook, Inquirer Staff Writer
"Make a noise and I'll hurt you," said the intruder, pointing the gun to her head.
Struggling to emerge from sleep, Lee heard the sound of a scuffle downstairs and her father, Jei Lee, crying out in pain.
"I began crying and screaming, 'Don't hurt my dad,' " she said Thursday during a doorstep interview in the three-generation family's tree-lined neighborhood near Bryn Mawr Avenue and Glenwyn Road.
"Tell your dad to cooperate, or I'll hurt you," the bandit said. "Give me the money."
And the family did, Lee said, handing over to four armed and masked bandits $3,000 in cash from Jei Lee's wallet and $23,000 saved by Lee's aunt in her room upstairs.
In all, the four men escaped with $26,000, a computer owned by Lee's brother, the family's jewelry, and a 52-inch TV. The men were described by police as wearing dark clothing with white or black-and-white bandannas, with two more than six feet tall.
Jei Lee, who works at a dry cleaners in Wayne, was pistol-whipped by one of the intruders and was bleeding profusely from a scalp wound when officers arrived, his daughter said. He required treatment at a nearby hospital, but was able to work Thursday.
John Chin, executive director of the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corp., said Thursday that Asian American business people were being targeted by criminals, and that the activity seems to run in cycles.
"I'm not sure why they come in spurts, but they do, and it's unfortunate. Part of the pattern is that the criminals follow the merchants home," he said.
Investigators spent from 3:37 until 9 a.m. Wednesday processing the house, but could find few clues because the intruders wore gloves, Lee said.
Police Sgt. Andrew J. Block, of the Radnor investigations unit, said by e-mail Thursday that no arrests had been made. No one saw a fleeing vehicle, Block said, and the TV had not turned up.
He said that officers were trying to learn if the family was targeted because it is Asian. All four robbers were described as African American.
But Lisa Lee said she had been told by police that the businesses her two uncles own - a dry cleaners at 15 W. Seventh St. in Chester, and Brewers Outlet, a beer distributor at 48th and Spruce Streets - may have been the link.
"If you have an OK-looking car and own a business, they think you might have money," Lee said she was told, adding it was possible the bandits followed her uncles home.
Other Asian families have been targeted for home invasions in recent years. One resulted in the death of businessman Robert Chae, who suffocated after being bound too tightly with duct tape by intruders on Jan. 9, 2009.
Chae, 58, of Montgomeryville, owned a beauty supply store in Center City. He and his family were tied up and robbed of $15,000 to $20,000 in cash, jewelry, and a bank book.
Seven people were arrested in connection with the crime. Two are serving life prison sentences for second-degree murder, a third is serving 16 to 32 years, a fourth was acquitted, and the others, including Chae's nephew, are awaiting sentencing.
Chin said part of the problem may be the economic downturn. Another piece, he said, may be the reluctance of recent immigrant merchants to call police when they see suspicious activity.
"Maybe these perpetrators know this," Chin said. In Chinatown, neighborhood watches are being formed, but it's difficult to protect merchants who are targeted at home, Chin said.
He called Wednesday's crime at the Lee home "brazen."
"It's one thing to rob a house where nobody is home," Chin said. "It's another thing to break into a house where people are sleeping."
What struck Lisa Lee about the home invasion was the viciousness of the attack and the way the men tied up frail family members with telephone cords and corralled them into a room upstairs.
Lee would not disclose her family's names, but said that her father, two uncles, aunt, brother, grandmother, and grandfather reside in the house. Lee, who lives in Massachusetts with her mother, was visiting her relatives.
The grandfather, 96, and the grandmother, who walks with a three-point cane, were made to lie facedown on the floor with their hands tied behind their backs, Lee said. Her aunt and uncle were forced to lie face down on a bed.
The bandits gained entry through an unlocked basement door that opens to Lee's brother's apartment. Lee said the intruders tied her brother up before casing the rest of the house.
As the bandits left, they made sure her aunt's and an uncle's hands were tied loosely enough to allow them to get free and call for help, Lee said. Once they were gone, her father crawled upstairs to help the others, Lee said.
Asked if she had any advice in the wake of the attack, Lee didn't hesitate.
"Lock your doors," she said. "You never know what will happen anymore."
Radnor police are asking anyone with information to call 610-688-0503.
By Bonnie L. Cook, Inquirer Staff Writer