As the biologics (and now biosimilar) markets continue to grow, pressure increases on biomanufacturers to reduce cost of goods sold (CoGS). One way they can reduce cost is by increasing protein productivity in terms of protein titer per volume of culture. Media optimization is a key strategy for increasing protein productivity. In the past few decades, average titers across the industry have increased greatly — from <0.5 g/L in the 1980s to >3 g/L today, and it is not uncommon now to see titers of ~5 g/L (1). Despite those improvements in protein output, the drive to continue optimizing processes remains, not only to further increase expression titers, but also to improve protein quality.
As biomanufacturers continue to improve their production processes for increased protein titers, they also must ensure that protein stability, solubility, and efficacy are not negatively affected. Other challenges to increasing yield include scalability, downstream process efficiencies, and changes to the metabolic profiles of expression-system cells. If increased protein productivity leads to decreased protein efficacy, then clones that express proteins with desired efficacy will be chosen over those that exhibit high output.
Key to optimizing protein production without affecting protein quality is managing the health of cells in culture, specifically their metabolism. To create an optimal culture medium, many companies have started creating their own internal serum-free media that are specific to their operations. It is important to evaluate the culture media scheme to ensure that cells have access to critical components, such as lipids and cholesterol, which are necessary for their metabolism.
Lipids have many important functions for cells. They are an energy source, they are involved in cell signaling, and they serve as the building blocks for cell membranes. Lipids are critical to bioproduction because many steps of protein synthesis, posttranslational modification, and secretion occur on those membranes. Although cells can synthesize cholesterol and some fatty acids on their own, providing lipids from an outside source can improve their growth and metabolism in culture. Studies show that cells supplied with lipids in their culture media demonstrate improved function, which results in higher levels of protein expression per cell (2–5). Thus, many bioproduction scientists supply lipids to their cultured cells. However, fatty acids and cholesterol can be insoluble in media, they can be oxidized, and they can stick to bioproduction vessel walls. Therefore, bioproduction scientists often observe minimal impact on protein productivity — or worse, reduced cell viability — associated with providing lipids in cell culture media (6–7).
We sought to determine whether Cell-Ess media containing lipids can be used across different serum-free media and different stably transfected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell clones to attain increased titer.
As the biopharmaceutical industry has evolved, suppliers have developed commercial media to meet its changing needs. An example of that evolution is the shift from using fetal bovine serum (FBS) to serum-free culture media and subsequent movement toward chemically defined formulations. Several serum-free chemically-defined media formulations are commercially available. To extend production run times, the same vendor companies also have developed feed supplements that are specifically optimized to their basal media. Although the media companies spend a significant amount of time optimizing basal and feed media, biopharmaceutical companies often acquire those products and then perform their own additional optimization. Thus, many approaches are used to achieve different bioproduction goals.
It is important to understand the specific goals of media optimization, which will dictate how a study is designed and how its outputs are measured and reported. Optimizing serum-free media based on clone performance has become more sophisticated thanks to the availability of increasingly advanced technologies. Modern assays to test metabolic byproducts and investigate proteomics are used to better optimize a given culture medium for a given cell line (e.g., CHO). Such assays can help companies determine the use rate of amino acids or glucose as well as identify the constituents rapidly used during a production run and those that may need replenishment (usually in the form of a feed and or feed supplements).
Although assays do exist for lipids and cholesterol, they are difficult to perform and thus do not constitute part of a standard panel for metabolic analysis. It has been reported that essential fats can be beneficial for cell health and protein production (2–5). Further, the manner in which assay outputs are measured also depends on the goals of the study. Protein output can be reported as titer, productivity, and/or yield, with each measurement providing a different level of information.
In this study, we analyzed a lipid supplement for its ability to improve protein titer when used as a feed in different commercially available media systems for CHO cells. Although most feeds are optimized for use with a specific basal medium, this lipid supplement was designed for use in conjunction with a range of basal media and feeds.
Cell-Ess feed supplement was previously shown to improve protein production at a specific concentration (8). In this case study, we optimized the feed concentration for each of three independent clones at three separate locations with three different types of culture media. We cultured DG44 and GS0 clones (from Thermo Fisher Scientific and Sigma-Aldrich, respectively) in their corresponding basal media and associated feeds, if applicable. Commercial media we used include SAFC media supplied by Sigma-Aldrich, and CD FortiCHO and CD OptiCHO supplied by Thermo Fisher Scientific. We followed the appropriate user guide for each commercial medium.
Each clone received 1% (v/v) initial lipid-containing supplement on day 0. Once we'd identified the optimal feed concentration for each clone, we measured the increase in monoclonal antibody (MAb) titer with the added lipids and reported the results as a percent increase over the control titer.
We optimized the amount of lipid supplement needed for each clone. The titer increase over control was 20% for clone 1 in SAFC media, 25% for clone 2 in FortiCHO media, and 50% for clone 3 in OptiCHO media (Figure 1). Those increases came across three different Cell-Ess concentration ranges. We found an increased yield regardless of starting titers (which were 540 mg/L for clone 1, 125 mg/L for clone 2, and 3.2 g/L for clone 3). The increase in titer also occurred with three different base serum-free media systems and at three different locations (Figure 1).
Fatty acids and cholesterol are critical to cell function. Therefore, providing fatty acids and cholesterol in culture can offer many benefits in bioproduction (e.g., increased protein productivity and improved protein efficacy). However, it is a challenge to provide stable, soluble fatty acids and cholesterol to cells. Bioprocess scientists have attempted to overcome those challenges through labor-intensive titrations and dilutions along with careful monitoring of cell health and productivity. A supplement or feed that provides stable and soluble essential fats would reduce the time spent preparing media and could improve protein productivity and quality. We found that addition of a lipid-containing feed supplement as a tool for media optimization did not depend on the culture media system in use.
For this study, we used titer as the measure of protein output. Defined as the amount of protein per volume and typically represented in grams per liter (g/L), it is a common measurement used during bioprocess development. Productivity is another measurement defined by volume. However, by contrast with titer, it measures protein made per viable cell at a single titer point. Productivity is a valuable measurement for considering the amount of biomass that will be passed on for recovery and purification in downstream processing. A third measure of protein output is yield, which expresses the total protein made in a bioproduction run. It is critical to biomanufacturing because it drives the basic formula for how many liters and/or bioproduction runs will be needed to achieve a desired protein output.
When you measure protein output by titer or productivity, it is important to remember that such measurements are taken at a fixed volume. Therefore, it is important to take volume into account when evaluating different feed and supplement conditions. In this study, the control conditions received a volume of nonlipid supplement media that was equivalent to the amount of lipid supplement added for the experimental conditions. That allowed for a true comparison of titer between the experimental and control conditions.
Considerations about volume also are important with systems such as TAP Biosystems ambr microbioreactors (sold by Sartorius Stedim Biotech), where the volume may be fixed. If a feed supplement is added, then an equivalent volume will need to be removed from a microculture to maintain its volume. Whereas the volume in each culture vessel remains the same from day to day, the media composition changes as some cells and protein are removed, and the added volume dilutes the remaining cells and protein. In such cases, an equivalent volume should be removed from control vessels and an equivalent volume of control media added to have a comparable impact on media composition.
Additionally, it is important to evaluate the time point at which a measurement is taken. It is common to take titer measurements at the end of a bioproduction run, as we did during this study. However, when you're evaluating different bioprocess conditions, end-of-run measurements may not tell the whole story. For example, a specific condition may increase the protein output sooner in the culture than another, and that could provide a biomanufacturer with operational advantages. If titer is measured only at the end of a run, then such information would be lost. Depending on the goals of your study, it may make sense to measure titer at different time points throughout the culture run and thus capture more information.
In our study, the goal was to measure protein output using different media systems when adding a lipid supplement. We found that the supplement was successful in increasing titer for each system when compared to control conditions. The method of measurement (titer) and the time points collected were important considerations in this study design. Additionally, it was necessary to add control media to the control conditions in equivalent volume to the lipid supplement medium that was added for the experimental conditions. That aspect of the study design ensured that final titer readings would reflect an accurate comparison between the two conditions. Attention paid to those nuances in study design ensured that our results truly indicated what could be expected in a biomanufacturing environment.
1 Rader RA, et al. Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing: Historical and Future Trends in Titers, Yields, and Efficiency in Commercial-Scale Bioprocessing. Bioprocessing J. 13, 2015: 447–454.
2 Li F, et al. Cell Culture Processes for Monoclonal Antibody Production. MAbs 2, 2010: 466–479.
3 Jeon MK, et al. Development of a Serum-Free Medium for In Vitro Expansion of Human Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes Using a Statistical Design. BMC Biotechnol. 10, 2010:70.
4 Van der Valk J, et al. Optimization of Chemically Defined Cell Culture Media: Replacing Fetal Bovine Serum in Mammalian In Vitro Methods. Toxicol. In Vitro 24, 2010: 1053–1063.
5 Sato JD, et al. Cholesterol Requirement of NS-1 Mouse Myeloma Cells for Growth in Serum-Free Medium. Mol. Biol. Med. 2, 1984: 121–134.
6 Okonkowski J, et al. Cholesterol Delivery to NS0 Cells: Challenges and Solutions in Disposable Linear Low-Density Polyethylene-Based Bioreactors. J. Biosci. Bioeng. 103, 2007: 50–59.
7 Altaras GM, et al. Quantitation of Interaction of Lipids with Polymer Surfaces in Cell Culture. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 96, 2007: 999– 1007.
8 Elhofy A. Novel Cell-Ess® Supplement Used As a feed or As an Initial Boost to CHO Serum Free Media Results in a Significant Increase in Protein Yield and Production. Comput. Struct. Biotechnol. J. 14, 2016: 319– 324.
Corresponding author Stacey Treichler, PhD, is senior product manager, and Adam Elhofy, PhD, is chief science officer of Bio-Ess Laboratories, LLC (previously part of Essential Pharmaceuticals, LLC); 100 Princeton South Corporate Center, Suite 140, Ewing, NJ 08628; 1-609-323-7838; streichler@bioess.com; www.bio-ess.com.


text:
The toxic cocktail that fuels South Africa's xenophobia
Wednesday, October 02, 2019 — updated on July 03, 2020
Looters take items from an alleged foreign-owned shop during a riot in the Johannesburg suburb of Turffontein on September 2, 2019 in a new wave of violence targeting foreign nationals in South Africa. PHOTO | GUILLEM SARTORIO | AFP
Deadly assaults rocked South Africa's relations with its neighbours but especially with Nigeria, whose president, Muhammadu Buhari, begins a state visit here on Thursday.
Analysts say that the violence -- the latest in a rash of such attacks over the past decade -- is mainly rooted in a sickly economy and faltering politics, stirring rivalry for jobs, especially in manual labour.
Gang leaders use the hardship of townships to stoke anti-foreigner sentiment and "reinforce their authority at the local level."
A witch's brew of unemployment, inequality and poverty, mixed with South Africa's violent past, are to blame for attacks on foreigners that so tarnished the country's image last month, experts say.
The deadly assaults rocked South Africa's relations with its neighbours but especially with Nigeria, whose president, Muhammadu Buhari, begins a state visit here on Thursday.
At least 10 South Africans and two foreigners were killed after mobs descended on foreign-owned stores in poor districts in and around Johannesburg.
Analysts told AFP that the violence -- the latest in a rash of such attacks over the past decade -- is mainly rooted in a sickly economy and faltering politics, stirring rivalry for jobs, especially in manual labour.
South Africa is a magnet for poor migrants from neighbouring Mozambique, Lesotho and Zimbabwe, but even further afield, including Nigeria and even South Asia.
"South Africa has a terrible combination of extremely high unemployment... and the highest inequality rate in the world," said Nicolas Pons-Vignon, economic researcher at Johannesburg's Wits University.
STOKING THE MOOD
Competition for jobs, social services and housing "create a fertile terrain for mobilisation along identity lines," he said.
Reliable figures are sketchy, but the last census in 2011 counted just over 2.1 million "international migrants", around four percent of South Africa's population at the time.
Joblessness hit a record 29 percent this year, reaching above 50 percent for youth.
Loren Landau, a researcher for the African Centre for Migration & Society, said the country's politicians were also indirectly to blame for stoking the mood.
"It's anti-immigrant but it's not an immigrant issue," Landau told AFP.
Rhetoric tinged with xenophobia ran high in the run-up to elections this year. Both the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and rival Democratic Alliance (DA) pledged to crack down on irregular migrants.
Politicians are failing to create jobs, and "when you don't have things to offer, you turn to blaming others," Landau said.
Human rights lawyer Sharon Ekambaram pointed out that most tensions played out in densely populated, poorly serviced townships.
"We cannot understand the xenophobia of today without locating it in deep, deep poverty" and the government's failure to "transform society" after apartheid, she told AFP.
DEEPLY WOUNDED SOCIETY
Another factor is South Africa's own troubled past, whose trauma is felt today, said Verne Harris, head of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
"In 1994 we inherited a deeply wounded society," Harris said.
"Old patterns of power, property and wealth haven't been fundamentally transformed. That translates into deep-seated anger and high levels of violence."
That brutality is also a legacy of the anti-apartheid struggle.
"Townships were deeply politicised and organised by groups that used violence as part of their anti-apartheid campaign," said Landau.
Those people remained and "didn't give up their violent ways."
But researcher Savo Heleta also noted the irony of xenophobia in a country that was helped by other African states during the struggle.
Many gave the ANC arms, money and political support, allowing it to topple the regime and win every election since.
The liberation movement was an illustration of "African unity", said Seleta, who works for the Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth.
"There is a failure to speak about this solidarity."
Successive governments have since failed to fill the gaps in social provision created by white supremacy.
"In many of our communities, failures of the state have led people to rely on informal systems of power," said Harris.
With rampant crime levels and a thin police force, those who cannot afford to live in privately secured areas are confronted with thugs and mob justice.
Gang leaders use the hardship of townships to stoke anti-foreigner sentiment and "reinforce their authority at the local level," said Landau.
"And they get away with it," he added.
Amnesty International has condemned the government's failure to prosecute suspected perpetrators of xenophobic crimes.
The attacks are "a direct consequence of years of impunity and failures in the criminal justice system," it said in a statement earlier this month.
Former president Jacob Zuma has been charged with 16 counts of corruption during his time in office. The accusations prompted his resignation last year, although prosecution has been sluggish.
"South Africa is a very bad example of people doing terrible things and getting a get-out-of-jail-free card," said Heleta.
"When no one gets arrested, that's when people start to realise that they can do terrible things."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Unpack return value from length-1 tuple Let's say I have a dummy function which returns exactly what give as a parameter:
def dummy_single(arg1):
    """Repeat the same argument."""
    return arg1

I can use this function on the following way:
same_obj1 = dummy_single(obj1)

Now, if I want to allow this function to take several arguments, and return the same, I can pack and unpack the arguments:
def dummy_multiple(*args):
    """Repeat all given arguments."""
    return args

Please note that this function happens to be the identity, but this is not the core of the problem. You can imagine any function returning a variable-length tuple.
It works pretty well when called with multiple arguments:
same_obj1, same_obj2 = dummy_multiple(obj1, obj2)

However, this won't work as expected:
same_tuple = dummy_multiple(obj1)

same_obj1 contains a (packed) tuple, as opposed to the object in the two previous example. I thought about fixing this behavior on the following way, but it does not look clean as the returned type is different depending on the arguments.
def dummy_multiple_fixed(*args):
    """Repeat all given arguments."""
    if len(args) == 1:
        return args[0]
    return args

This is not a critical issue and is easily fixed. But I cannot find a clean and elegant way to fix this issue.

A: You should not make a special case out of the length-1 tuple. A function should have one well-defined return type.
Although,  know that you can unpack a length-1 tuple:
def dummy_multiple(*args):
    """Repeat all given arguments."""
    return args

same_obj1, = dummy_multiple(1)
#        ^ notice the comma here

print(same_obj1) # 1

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The Baine family has been proudly serving Southern Illinois for 4 generations. My sons are now continuing the family tradition.We promise we will give you the best roof job available with attention to every detail.
We are a factory authorized installer for Carlisle, Versico and Durolast roofing products. We are able to provide manufacturers warranties to the building owner.
You will always be able to talk to a Baine.
You will always have a Baine on your roof.


text:
Q: Java - multithreaded access to a local value store which is periodically cleared I'm hoping for some advice or suggestions on how best to handle multi threaded access to a value store.
My local value storage is designed to hold onto objects which are currently in use. If the object is not in use then it is removed from the store.
A value is pumped into my store via thread1, its entry into the store is announced to listeners, and the value is stored. Values coming in on thread1 will either be totally new values or updates for existing values.
A timer is used to periodically remove any value from the store which is not currently in use and so all that remains of this value is its ID held locally by an intermediary.
Now, an active element on thread2 may wake up and try to access a set of values by passing a set of value IDs which it knows about. Some values will be stored already (great) and some may not (sadface). Those values which are not already stored will be retrieved from an external source.
My main issue is that items which have not already been stored and are currently being queried for may arrive in on thread1 before the query is complete.
I'd like to try and avoid locking access to the store whilst a query is being made as it may take some time.

A: It seems that you are looking for some sort of cache. Did you try to investigate existing cache implementation, maybe some of them will do?
For example Guava cache implementations seems to cover a lot of your requirements - http://code.google.com/p/guava-libraries/wiki/CachesExplained.


text:
sales@winyards.co.uk
Mon-Fri: 8:00am - 17:00pm
Moulton Mill Restoration
Winyards
news mill restoration
At a more peaceful pace than our usual food industry projects, we were tasked by the Friends of Moulton Mill to design & manufacture a replacement gear set to enable the Ogee cap of the mill to be rotated by hand.
Having spent time at the mill to understand the project fully (and to climb up and down the numerous flights of stairs in the tallest mill in the country), we set to work on a hand operated gearbox with a geared ratio that would make rotating the cap a considerably easier task than it had been in previous generations.
After much heavy lifting, this project was completed in November 2013 and will be utilized to turn the cap in times of high winds, or when the mill needs to be maintained.
Winyard Engineering Ltd are proud to be associated with the ongoing restoration of Moulton Mill and wish the Friends of Moulton Mill every success in their ongoing efforts.
Moulton Windmill in the Lincolnshire village of Moulton, between Spalding and Holbeach is a restored windmill claimed to be the tallest tower mill in the United Kingdom. The nine-storeyed mill is 80 ft to the curb and 100 ft to top of the ogee cap.
This content is being blocked by a 3rd-party plugin such as an ad blocker.
Looking For Some Bespoke Machinery?
Serving the food industry
Our support available to help you from 08.00 - 17.00, Monday to Friday. Monday - Friday @ 08.00 - 17.00 Saturday - Sunday - Closed
Address:2/3 Cresswell Close, Pinchbeck, Spalding, PE11 3TY
Email: sales@winyards.co.uk
© Winyard Engineering 2022. All Rights Reserved.


There were three major events in 1964 in Jacksonville: the destruction caused by Hurricane Dora, being able to buy a $5 ticket to see The Beatles perform in the Gator Bowl and the establishment of a nonprofit organization that has become The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida.
That history lesson was delivered Monday to the Rotary Club of Jacksonville by Nina Waters, president of the foundation.
She reviewed some of the organization's five-decade history of supporting hundreds of charitable efforts by administering the philanthropy of donors.
Waters also talked about how philanthropy is changing and how the foundation can adapt to serve the needs of its benefactors in the future.
Since its beginning, the foundation has awarded more than $275 million to more than 400 charities through the contributions of 434 donors. Grants awarded in 2013 totaled $36 million.
The foundation has assets of nearly $300 million and may surpass that mark by Dec. 31, said Waters.
Sixty-eight percent of the foundation's grants and awards are made to organizations in the five Northeast Florida counties and in Putnam County.
Organizations outside the local area in Florida have received 6 percent of the foundation's grants and 26 percent of grants go to entities outside Florida. Most of the awards that cross the state line are to institutions of higher learning attended by donors, Waters said.
Programs supported include public education initiatives, neighborhood revitalization, services for aging adults and veterans and the arts.
Waters said one of the newer programs for the foundation works with people who will one day inherit their family's wealth. She said some members of the younger generation do not wish to administer their family's future philanthropy, so donating to The Community Foundation allows the wealth to contribute to the community in the areas of interest for each individual donor by designating an organization or a cause to support.
"With a lot of our donors, their children don't want to manage a private family foundation. Donors can give to The Community Foundation and the children can advise the funds," Waters said.
Another advantage of The Community Foundation that appears to appeal to the next generation of donors is anonymity, she said. Since the 750 community foundations in the U.S. are not bound by many of the disclosure requirements mandated by the IRS that apply to other types of philanthropic organizations, donors have the option to make contributions without publicly disclosing personal information.
One of the most unusual gifts the foundation has received in its history was Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver's riverfront home in San Jose. If the property sells for the $4.7 million listed price, the Weavers will endow $1 million in the buyer's name and then donate the balance to the Weaver Family Fund within The Community Foundation.
"The biggest question we are asked is if we can rent out the home for wedding receptions. We can't," said Waters.
While the Weavers' donation of their home is one of the largest non-monetary donations the foundation has received, it's not the first time an unusual gift has been made.
"We can take all types of gifts. We own a restaurant in Palatka and we've got some interesting pieces of art we're not quite sure what to do with," said Waters.


text:
Q: Error launching git when using git command prompt When i try any git command  in command prompt, it shows error .
I tried "git branch" command in command prompt shows below error.
error launching git: %1 is not a valid Win32 application.

I have tried googling,but didn't get any proper result for resolving this issue.
Do i need to update Git or is it related to code.
Please Help!

A: After lot of struggle , got the way to resolve this issue.
Problem with old version of Git, When i re-installed new version of Git it got resolved.


text:
Halil Altıntop (; born 8 December 1982) is a Turkish former professional footballer. He is a trainer scout for Bayern Munich. During his playing days, he was deployed as an attacking midfielder, centre-forward, or winger. Halil is the identical twin brother of Hamit Altıntop.

Career
Altıntop started his professional career in the local German club Wattenscheid 09 along with his brother. As successful performances grabbed the attention of bigger clubs, Altıntop was transferred to 1. FC Kaiserslautern, and his brother to Schalke 04. Altıntop, who played as a striker, finished third highest scorer in the Bundesliga for the 2005–06 season with 20 goals.
At the end of that season he joined his brother at Schalke 04 on a free transfer. However, after only one season, his brother Hamit Altıntop joined Bayern Munich on another free deal. On 27 January 2010, he terminated his contract with Schalke 04 and joined Eintracht Frankfurt.

After Eintracht Frankfurt were relegated in the 2010–11 season Altıntop was transferred to Turkish side Trabzonspor signing a three-year contract.

Altıntop joined FC Augsburg in summer 2013. He finished the 2016–17 season with 6 goals and 2 assists in 31 matches. At the end of the season he announced his decision not to renew his contract with club. In this time at Augsburg, he made 116 appearances in the Bundesliga scoring 20 goals and contributing 12 assists.

In June 2017, Altıntop moved to SK Slavia Prague of the Czech First League.

On 31 January 2018, Altintop returned to 1. FC Kaiserslautern on a year-and-a-half contract until 2019.

Career statistics

Club
.

International goals

Managerial statistics
As of 30 June 2020

References

External links

1982 births
Living people
Association football forwards
Citizens of Turkey through descent
Turkish footballers
Turkey international footballers
Turkey youth international footballers
Turkey B international footballers
Turkey under-21 international footballers
German footballers
German people of Turkish descent
Turkish expatriate footballers
SG Wattenscheid 09 players
1. FC Kaiserslautern players
FC Schalke 04 players
Eintracht Frankfurt players
Trabzonspor footballers
FC Augsburg players
SK Slavia Prague players
Bundesliga players
Süper Lig players
2. Bundesliga players
Czech First League players
Identical twins
Sportspeople from Gelsenkirchen
Expatriate footballers in Germany
German twins
Twin sportspeople
Turkish twins
Footballers from North Rhine-Westphalia

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Kota Kinabalu is a popular destination with tourists and it is the capital of Sabah state in East Malaysia. The city is served by Kota Kinabalu Airport, which is located about 8 km southwest of the city centre. This beautiful city is located on the northwest coast of Borneo opposite the South China Sea. The city is visited by thousands of tourists every year. It offers something for all age groups and is full of tourist attractions. Opting for car rental makes a great deal of sense as it is so convenient.
Kota Kinabalu is well known among tourists for its beautiful beaches, historic buildings, museums, art galleries and parks. Major attractions of the city include the Filipino Market, Kota Kinabalu Waterfront, the Atkinson Clock Tower, Kota Kinabalu Wetland Centre, the Green Connection Aquarium, Monsopiad Cultural Village, Tanjung Aru Beach, Sabah State Museum and a lot more. You can also find a lot of hotels and restaurants in the city, so food and accommodation is never a problem here. Car hire has many benefits for tourists and a vehicle can easily be collected from the airport when you arrive.
The Atkinson Clock Tower, built in 1902, is one of the most popular attractions of the city. It is dedicated to the first district officer of Jesselton (former name of Kota Kinabalu). The Filipino Market is a fantastic place to buy cultured pearls, handicrafts and souvenirs as well as ideal for those who want to meet some of the locals. The Kota Kinabalu Waterfront offers scenic views of the sunset. You will also find a number of bars and restaurants here. The Marlin Statue is located in the heart of the town and is a beautiful place to take some nice photographs. The Kota Kinabalu Wetland Centre is a great place for nature lovers, where they can witness mangrove wildlife.
The Green Connection Aquarium is a great place in the city to see a large number of aquatic animals including sharks, snakes, turtles and many others. Tanjung Aru Beach is the most popular public beach in the city, where tourists can enjoy a great time with family and friends. Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, City Park and Lok Kawi Wildlife Park are a few notable parks of Kota Kinabalu. The Sabah State Museum will definitely be a favourite among history buffs, which tells of the history of Kota Kinabalu and Sabah in an impressive way. The Islamic Civilisation Museum, the Science and Technology Museum and the Sabah State Library are a few sites which are worth a visit.
Car rental is a must in this area as there are also many sites outside the city which are worth the trip. A vehicle can be reserved online and waiting for you when you arrive in the city.
Rentalcargroup.com compares car rental prices for Kota Kinabalu Airport). We work with many car rental companies so the quality of the cars is guaranteed. This way you will be sure to get a rental car that suits you the best and for a competitive price.
Most major car rental agents in Kota Kinabalu Airport offer one way rentals. One-way rental is when you collect the car in one place and return the car in another location. In most cases the car rental agent will charge an extra fee if you wish to return the vehicle at a different location. In the terms and conditions will state if the one-way fee is included in the rental price. If the one-way charge is not included in the rental price, the one way charge needs to be paid on arrival directly to the car rental agent.
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Last month, the average car rental length at Kota Kinabalu Airport was 3 days.
The average rental car length at Kota Kinabalu Airport is 3 days.
The most booked rental car type currently at Kota Kinabalu Airport is ECONOMY cars.
Last year, the most booked rental car type at Kota Kinabalu Airport were INTERMEDIATE ELITE cars.
How much does it cost to rent a car at Kota Kinabalu Airport? Last month, the average car rental price was 110 USD.
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What is the current average daily price to rent a at Kota Kinabalu Airport? Last month, the average rental price was 39 USD per day.
How much did it cost to rent a car at Kota Kinabalu Airport over the past 12 months? Last Year, the average rental price was 52 USD per day.
The car rental companies available at Kota Kinabalu Airport are: .
See below last 5 customer reviews. Our customers rated Kota Kinabalu Car Rental with an average of 10.00 based on 1 ratings.
Deposit On Cresit Card, It Was Safe.
Car rental companies in kk,sometimes not refund your deposit.


I am working on my car so i am sorry if you guys dont see a lot of me in here or on xbox. I will be posting pics and progress pics a long with the stories to it, and advice.
Sorry was using phone to post, but we all get the pic.


text:
Volume: 2 | Issue: 5
The Challenges of Processing and Transporting Heavy Crude
Keefe Borden, Oil And Gas Facilities Assistant Editor | 12 September 2013
Heavy oil/tar sands
Production chemistry
Photo courtesy of FMC Technologies.
The world's first deepwater subsea separation system for heavy oil (19°API) is installed in Petrobras' Marlim field offshore Brazil.
heavy oil
Looking forward, many of the world's oil producers will have to think more carefully about heavy crudes and the challenges they pose for processing, storage, and transportation. To date, most of the world's ongoing demand for crude has focused on lighter grades, which until relatively recently have been the primary, commercially available resource. However, those lighter, premium resources are in decline, leaving a growing percentage of the world's oil supply to increasingly heavier grades. And supplies of the heavier grades remain plentiful. Current production accounts for less than 3% of the discovered heavy oil originally in place.
Most heavy oil is found at the margins of geologic basins and is believed to be the residue of what was once light oil that became dense through degradation by bacteria, water washing, and evaporation. The world's supply of recoverable oil is about 434 billion bbl, about 69% of which is in the Western Hemisphere, according to estimates from the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
Compared with light oil, heavy oil is more costly to produce, process, and transport. In many cases, extra heavy oil must be chemically upgraded to lower density. In the Venezuelan Orinoco heavy oil belt, for example, about 1 bbl of diluent is required for every 3 or 4 bbl of extra-heavy oil.
There is no universally accepted definition of what constitutes heavy oil; however, it generally has a high density, with an API of between 10°API and 22°API and a viscosity above 100 cp. Almost all heavy oil is an alteration of products of conventional oil. Worldwide, the total known accumulations of heavy oil are around 3.4 trillion bbl of oil in place, of which about 30 billion bbl are considered prospective as additional oil, according to data from the USGS.
Heavy oil also has a high proportion of asphaltic molecules, including resins and asphaltenes. Asphaltenes are those in the crude fraction that precipitate upon the addition of an alkane, usually pentane or heptane, but remain soluble in toluene or benzene. A sample of heavy crudes showed that asphaltenes account for 12.7% of heavy crudes by weight, based on USGS data. Metals, including aluminum, iron, nickel, vanadium, and their residues, were high by comparison to conventional and medium-grade oil (Table 1). Each of these elements presents challenges to processing. Further, viscosity for heavy oils is generally higher at any given temperature than conventional and medium-grade oil.
Crude Characteristics and Facilities Design
Wally Georgie, principal consultant of processing and flow assurance at Maxoil Solutions, said engineers need to consider the unique characteristics of the fluids when designing treating facilities for them. The production of heavy oil poses numerous processing challenges, which need to be considered when deciding factors such as the size of separators, the internal design of the vessels, vessel configuration, and the optimum means of handling solids and water. Fluids from a given reservoir are generally tested so that engineers have an idea of the effects of solids production, asphaltenes, paraffin, naphthenates, inorganic scale, and emulsion stability before they design the vessels that will treat them. An improper design can lead to higher than expected operating expenses once production begins.
It is common for many heavy crudes to show similar characteristics, including high total acid number, low hydrogen/carbon ratios, high viscosity, high carbon residues, and a generally high level of asphaltenes, sulfur, heavy metals, and nitrogen. Because there is no universally accepted definition of what constitutes heavy crude, the term is relative in different regions. In the North Sea, for example, heavy crude is typically between 15°API and 20°API. In Canada, heavy crudes are as low as 8°API. In Alaska's North Slope, many current production crudes fall between 18°API and 21°API, and are known as "high-viscosity crudes." However, potentially there is more lower-API, heavier crude with lower fluid temperature that can be extracted with the correct technology and design.
In general, the best separation is enabled by gravity, which takes time and heat. "The reality is that if we start from scratch and we know we have heavy crude, the best thing to do is to provide enough time for separation," Georgie said. The vessel needs to be large enough to allow for separation. It is a common practice to heat heavy oils to reduce viscosity, so most heavy crudes go through a heat exchanger before they enter the separator at one stage of the process.
Fig. 1 shows the decreases in viscosities associated with heating for some Alberta, Canada, oil samples.
Fig. 1 - Response of viscosity to change in temperature for some Alberta oils in Canada
(Raicar and Proctor 1984).
For greenfield developments, engineers design the facilities to the correct size and configuration for the crude emerging from the field based on field tests done before production. Brownfield developments are more complex. There are cases in which a given facility can be upgraded to take on heavier crude. "Sometimes that is not feasible … sometimes you have to remove and replace," he said.
Although vessels that process heavy crude are larger and therefore require more material, they do not necessarily cost more to make than those for lighter crudes. Lighter crudes generally come from higher pressure reservoirs, which require vessels built to withstand those pressures. Emulsions are part of the separation. Heavier crudes have more stable and complex emulsions that are difficult to separate. Lighter crudes generally have less stable emulsions that are easier to separate.
Facilities design is essential, particularly when working with fields that produce from multiple reservoirs. Defining the nature of the crude is crucial as part of an optimum new design. In many cases, one field may draw crude from two or three reservoirs, each with different characteristics. The equipment must first be optimized before the treatment of the crude can begin. There are different oils produced from different reservoirs and sometimes they must be processed through the same facilities. And they have different characteristics. Sometimes the crude oils are compatible and sometimes they are not. The design of treating facilities must take into consideration the characteristics of the crude that passes through them. Occasionally, crudes cannot be commingled without damaging the overall value of the mix. In those cases, they are usually kept separate. "Sometimes you can commingle, but you can lose a premium price if you do," Georgie said.
The higher viscosities found in heavy crudes make flow assurance a challenge to operators. Phaneendra Kondapi, an engineering manager of flow management at FMC Technologies and an adjunct professor of subsea engineering at the University of Houston, said there is a range of mature technologies designed to keep production flowing. Many of these technologies allow production to flow from reservoirs that previously could not be produced economically. Asphaltenes in heavy crude is one example of a naturally occurring substance that originates in the fluid itself. "You cannot eliminate these issues. They are going to happen. You have to have some kind of remediation method or some kind of prevention method," he said. Other challenges from heavy crude stem from the removal or reduction of unwanted substances. "They are naturally occurring from the fluid. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) for example, is part of the fluid. You cannot stop it from coming out," he said.
In response to these naturally occurring issues, operators have developed a range of technologies designed to keep the fluids flowing. Thermal insulation of flowlines is a mature technology, which is designed to prevent hydrates and waxes from building up. The technology itself is mature, but there is an ongoing evolution in the materials used to prevent the buildup. Materials that are strong enough to sustain pressure at 3,000 to 4,000 ft may not be suitable for deeper depths. Operators began using foamed polypropylene on subsea insulation systems starting in the mid-1980s. Other operators working in the US Gulf of Mexico (GOM) in water depths between 2,000 and 7,600 ft have encased their equipment with an epoxy-based syntactic insulation. "Thermal insulation is an established technology, but there is still a lot of research into new materials," Kondapi said.
Direct electric heating is a mature technology for shallow water applications and pipelines that are shorter than 50 km in length. "It is still an emerging technology for deepwater applications," he said. "They are doing research for deep water and for longer pipelines." The technology is designed to reduce or prevent the formation of hydrates by keeping fluid temperatures above the hydrate formation temperature and above the wax appearance temperature. It is most actively applied in North Sea fields.
Although many of the chemical applications used to keep fluids flowing are mature, they are tailored to the specifics of a given field, Kondapi said. "Any chemical application is manufactured based on the fluid properties of a field. It all depends on the behavior and composition of the fluid. … You don't get the same chemical for two different fields," he said.
Low-dosage hydrate inhibitor (LDHI) is a mature chemical technology designed to prevent hydrates. In use since the late 1990s, it is used in projects worldwide, with the exception of the Norwegian North Sea. LDHI is a replacement for other thermodynamic hydrate inhibitors, such as methanol and monoethylene glycol. Its application requires a lower dosage.
Defoamers are another mature chemical technology that operators have applied to onshore operations in the US and Canada and some offshore applications. The chemicals are designed to reduce oil and gas condensate droplets in the gas stream, help separators operate more efficiently, increase oil and gas production rates, and reduce the formation of deposits, which means less downtime and cleaning costs.
Paraffin inhibitors have been used since the early 1990s, and the technology continues to mature as researchers look for ways to apply it in colder regions, where it can be applied through umbilicals in ultradeepwater and Arctic applications. A paraffin inhibitor was applied to a field offshore Norway with three wells to treat wax deposits and to meet environmental regulations set by the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority. In general, paraffin inhibitors keep pipelines and tubing strings clear of wax plugs that reduce flow rates, prevent higher pressure drops that wax deposits can cause, and reduce the frequency that pipeline needs to be pigged for wax removal. The application is customized to the behavior of the fluid from any given field, but Kondapi said it is typically applied downstream from the choke. "It's completely dependent on the temperature," he said.
Operators have the option of applying H2S scavengers, which is a mature technology that is seeing ongoing development. Some H2S scavengers have been discontinued amid stricter environmental regulations, while others have been developed. The chemicals improve the safety of facility personnel by reducing H2S concentrations and help control corrosion, which extends the life of system piping, vessels, and processing equipment.
Although the use of subsea separation technologies is growing, it is still developing. The technology is attractive because subsea separation units are designed to increase recoverable reserves and to accelerate current production. The emerging technology, however, still faces serious challenges when separating liquids and gas from liquids in heavy crudes. Researchers are also working to make the units more compact and to dispose of the separated water. Despite those challenges, operators have installed subsea separation projects in the North Sea and GOM, and offshore west Africa and Brazil. The units are designed to reduce backpressure on wells, accelerate and increase recovery, reduce reservoir uncertainty, and improve flow assurance in harsh environments.
Kondapi also described other emerging technologies. Subsea coolers and subsea compressors are embryonic technologies that are often used alongside subsea separators and multiphase boosting. Subsea technologies are rapidly evolving because of potential savings in operating expenditures by moving some of the traditional fluid processing activities to the seabed. Operators have used real-time online monitoring and flow assurance advisory systems for nearly 20 years and the technology has been applied around the world. The systems allow the operators to know in real time when flow problems arise based on pressure readings acquired throughout the fluids' transportation.
Demulsification Technologies
Other technologies also address demulsification. Oil and water separation or "demulsification," for which Baker Hughes scientist William Barnickel was the first to be awarded a patent in the early 1900s, is a well-known technology. Asphaltenes are a common component of heavy crudes and are usually stable in solution as long as they are undisturbed in the reservoir. However, when the reservoir is produced and a pressure reduction is applied, they can become unstable and precipitate, fall out of suspension, and eventually block flowlines and separators (Fig. 2).
Fig. 2 - Asphaltene inhibitors can prevent the buildup of asphaltenes in pipe.
Photo courtesy of Baker Hughes.
From a chemical solutions perspective, asphaltene problems can be resolved by using inhibitors and dispersants. Asphaltene dispersant chemicals work by breaking up the solids already formed by the precipitated resins, and sending them back into the oil. However, asphaltene inhibitors work by preventing the precipitations in the first place. "It's better to try to inhibit a problem rather than try to remedy it afterwards," said Adrian J. Wiggett, technical operations manager for the Middle East at Baker Hughes. Advanced inhibitors allow heavier crudes to be produced that would otherwise stay in the formation. "We've developed products that can deal with the asphaltenes and help reduce viscosity," he said.
Baker Hughes has developed a practical inhibitor technique that works to maintain the asphaltene in solution, making it easier to demulsify. The inhibitors help prevent precipitation of the solids that can gum up separators and flowlines. The purpose of these chemicals is to optimize processes and keep production flowing.
Baker Hughes tested both asphaltene dispersants and inhibitors with certain demulsifiers and found that the best resolutions came from the inhibitor, which can also be applied by capillary injection to prevent downhole precipitation. Without asphaltene inhibitors, the disruption of the reservoir could lead to blockage and loss of well production.
Operators are seeing more heavy crudes, bringing with them the high viscosity and higher asphaltene contents. "These aren't the easy crudes from 20 odd years ago," Wiggett said. Today, the crudes are heavier and more viscous. "If operators don't apply a chemical treatment program at a point upstream of where you have the problem, then it's difficult to produce these fields," he said. "After a relatively short period of time, the wells can block up."
The technology exists for widespread commercial use of asphaltene inhibitors, although their application is customized to a specific formation and crude. "Different crudes need to be tested to see how they will perform," he said.
In one test case, the company was working with an operator that was investigating how to pump heavy crude with 17% asphaltene content by weight and an emulsion of 40% to 46%. The operator needed to find a way to lower the viscosity, and one way was to control or eliminate asphaltene precipitation.
The idea behind the test was to stop asphaltene precipitation before it reached the treating facilities. "If you don't deal with the asphaltenes early enough, they will precipitate out, possibly making it necessary to dig out vessels," Wiggett said. "The concentration of the asphaltene inhibitor needs to be maintained from the wellhead or downhole by continuous injection."
Asphaltenes tend to precipitate when there is a pressure change, so it is best to get the inhibitor as far upstream as possible, either in the well or in the formation itself. Asphaltenes are stable until pressures around them start to change. "If you're doing a gas lift or any kind of artificial lift recovery method, you can destabilize the asphaltene resins, causing the asphaltenes to precipitate out pretty readily," he said.
Like the asphalt on a highway, asphaltenes can gum up a wellbore or a flowline and can slow or halt production. Heat treatment generally does not work and mineral acids do not break them up. "It's better to try and keep them in solution," he said. Many chemical applications are best when used as a continuous process, while others lend themselves more to batch applications. Asphaltenes and demulsifiers lend themselves more to a continuous process, said George Murphy, business development manager for the Eastern Hemisphere at Baker Hughes. "Continuous injection is much the preferred way to apply the product," he said, adding that it allows production to flow uninterrupted. The inhibitor is oil-soluble and stays in the crude all the way to the refinery. Dispersants tend to be used in batch processes, because they are used to clean up wellbores and other downhole items.
The application of asphaltene inhibitors is a necessary business cost for producing many of the crudes today. Without them, many of the heavier crudes would never come to market.
In the past, chemical treatment using a capillary injection tube inside a well was expensive and difficult. "But today, as operators produce more and more difficult crudes, they need to put in these capillaries and electrical submersible pumping systems to recover the crude," Wiggett said. As a result, injecting an asphaltene inhibitor is not considered expensive when compared with the cost of drilling wells in challenging formations and with using other artificial lift technologies.
In many cases, the challenge is predicting when asphaltenes will precipitate. They are not discrete molecules, but are a series of molecules with a micelle around it. If the micelle is broken, the asphaltene precipitates and gums up vessels and flowlines. Refiners, for example, regularly blend multiple grades of crude. They might buy one crude with a high asphaltene content, which is not a problem because the asphaltene is stable and suspended in solution. If they mix and blend that crude with one that is paraffinic in nature, they run the risk of disturbing the solubility and the asphaltenes can precipitate. So a precipitation problem may not occur in the production or processing facilities, but it can crop up in refining farther downstream, depending on the type of crude it is blended with. "The solutions need to be tailored to the particular conditions of pressure and stability of the asphaltenes," Murphy said.
OTC 24250 Today's Top 30 Flow Assurance Technologies: Where Do They Stand? by P. Kondapi and R. Moe, FMC Technologies.
Raicar, J. and Procter, R.M. 1984. Economic Considerations and Potential of Heavy Oil Supply from Lloydminster–Alberta, Canada. In The Second UNITAR International Conference on Heavy Crude and Tar Sands, 7–17 February 1982, Caracas, ed.
R.F. Meyer, J.C. Wynn, and J.C. Olson, 212–219. New York: McGraw-Hill.SPE 142475 Heavy Oil Characteristic Assessment For Field Facilities Selection Steam EOR: Case Study in Oman by A. Nengkoda, Schlumberger; M. Hajri, H. Armstrong, et al. Petroleum Development Oman.
SPE 164184 Asphaltene Precipitation From Crude Oils: How To Predict And To Anticipate Treatment? by N. Passade-Boupat, H. Zhou, and M. Rondon-Gonzalez, Total Exploration and Production.
Addressing the Gaps in Subsea Produced Water Treatment
Operators are looking for ways to better handle water coming from subsea wells, which is typically treated at topside facilities. Subsea separation systems are not equipped to discharge water back into the reservoir, so how do companies close the gaps?
Neural Networks Plus CFD Speed Up Simulation of Fluid Flow
High-fidelity 3D engineering simulations are valuable in making decisions, but they can be cost-prohibitive and require significant amounts of time to execute. The integration of deep-learning neural networks with computational fluid dynamics may help accelerate the simulation process.
Imperial Delays Canadian Oil Sands Project
The decision to ramp down production on the Aspen project comes months after the Alberta provincial government imposed production cuts to handle pipeline bottlenecks. Aspen is projected to produce 75,000 BOPD upon startup.
New Pipelines Needed to Meet Surge in Permian Crude Demand
Water Outside the Permian: How Are Other Basins Handling the ...
Africa Takes the Lead in Record Year for LNG
Leviathan Platform Sets Sail From Texas to Israel
Total To Sell UK North Sea Assets to JV
EXPLORE ARTICLES BY TOPIC
Arctic/extreme environments
Carbonates
Casing/cementing/zonal isolation
Coiled tubing
Continued service of fields
Data and information management
Decommisioning/site remediation
Drilling operations
Enhanced recovery
Facilities planning and maintenance
Faculty/engineering education
Field start-up/commissioning
Gas conversion (LNG/GTL)
H2S/sour gas
HP/HT
HR/people management
HSSE-SR
Intelligent fields/surveillance
Management and Information
Marginal/aging fields
Petroleum economics/production forecasting
Petrophysics/geophysics
Processing systems/design
Production and well operations
Projects, facilities & construction
Risers/flowlines/pipelines
Risk management/decision-making
Sand management/control
Separation/metering
Social responsibility/sustainability
Subsea systems
Tight gas/shale gas/coalbed methane
Topsides/floating production systems
Water treatment and management
Well intervention/recompletion


text:
Viewer's Guide
Game of Thrones Will Return in April
David Benioff & D.B. Weiss, David Nutter and Miguel Sapochnik will be the directors for the new season. Writers for the new season are David Benioff & D.B. Weiss, Bryan Cogman and Dave Hill.
The executive producers of the series are David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Carolyn Strauss, Frank Doelger and Bernadette Caulfield. Co-executive producers are Bryan Cogman, Guymon Casady, Vince Gerardis and George R.R. Martin.
Your Guide to Game of Thrones
Whether you're starting for the first time or looking to dive deeper, we've got you covered.
IF YOU'RE: A BEGINNER
5 Reasons to Start Now
What's all the fuss about winter coming? With the final season fast approaching, now is the perfect time to finally start Game of Thrones. Here are five reasons why.
IF YOU'RE: A DEEP DIVER
Explore the Viewer's Guide
Seven seasons can be hard to keep straight. Let the Viewer's Guide help: Tell it where you are in the series and explore recaps, videos and images.
IF YOU'RE: A DEVOTED FAN
What Would You Do for the Throne?
For seven seasons you've watched characters lie, bleed, and sacrifice for the Iron Throne. As the final season approaches, only one question remains: How far will you go?
IF YOU'RE: LOOKING FOR MORE
Visit the Official Blog
Stocked with interviews, storyboards, prop photos and facts from seasons past, use Making Game of Thrones to go deeper inside the epic series.


Quebecor faces serious penalties if it ignores order. Because the CRTC also registered its order with the Federal Court, Quebecor could be held in contempt of court if it decides to again ignore the CRTC's directives. "Taking TV viewers hostage by unilaterally cutting off service is not the way to change regulations you don't like." Origins of the dispute. The dispute stems from negotiations between Bell and Quebecor over pricing for a range of specialty TV channels. As part of the negotiations, Quebecor demanded that Bell pay more to access its TVA Sports channel than Quebecor would pay for Bell Media's RDS sports network. However, RDS is a far more popular French-language sports channel with 67% more viewers in 2018 than TVA Sports, according to industry-standard Numeris audience measurement. Founded in Montréal in 1880, Bell is Canada's largest communications company, providing advanced broadband wireless, Internet, TV, media and other communication services to consumers and business customers throughout the country, and a proud partner of the Montreal Canadiens and their home, the Bell Centre.
Instead, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission late Thursday afternoon issued a mandatory order requiring the company to maintain its TVA Sports signal for Bell subscribers as a dispute continues between the two companies over the terms of carrying the channel. The CRTC warned Quebecor to comply with its regulations repeatedly last week as well. However, a mandatory order is registered with the federal court – meaning it becomes a court order rather than simply a directive from the regulator. It asked that TVA be prevented from running ads during those games and that Quebecor be barred from running campaigns that "disparage" other TV providers. The fight came to a head last week when Quebecor launched a public relations campaign accusing Bell of "unsportsmanlike conduct" and threatening to pull the signal.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission said the order will be registered with the Federal Court and may result in contempt of court proceedings, including possible fines, if it is not respected. "In addition, should TVA Group again withhold or interfere with the TVA Sports signal before the dispute is resolved, TVA Sports' licence will automatically be suspended for the duration of time that the signal is not provided to Bell Canada," it said in a news release. "Holding a licence is a privilege, not a right. With privileges come certain obligations, and we expect TVA Group to fulfil these obligations." Quebecor has criticized Bell for not paying it royalties that reflect the fair value of its specialty channels, especially TVA Sports, which is suffering because the Montreal Canadiens missed the playoffs for a second consecutive year.
TORONTO, April 18, 2019 /CNW/ - Unifor cries foul at Bell Canada's decision to layoff technicians and outsource major Wireless to the Home project. "By issuing layoff notices with one hand and contracting out work with the other, Bell is continuing its long history of job erosion at Bell Canada," said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. "The launch of a program like Wireless to the Home should be good news for people who work at Bell, but instead the company chose to exclusively hire non-union contractors." Bell's Wireless to the Home project is a large-scale investment connecting rural Canadians with wireless high-speed internet, launching first in Ontario and Quebec. "Canada's telecommunications sector should support good jobs, where you don't have to worry if your job will be outsourced or eliminated even in times when the company is thriving," said Renaud Gagné, Unifor Quebec Director.
CGI (TSE:GIB.A) (NYSE:GIB) had its price objective lifted by Royal Bank of Canada from C$95.00 to C$100.00 in a research note issued on Tuesday, BayStreet.CA reports. Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. The stock had a trading volume of 342,565 shares, compared to its average volume of 766,117. CGI Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides information technology (IT) and business process services in Canada, Northern Europe, France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, and the Asia Pacific.
Pot price, breast implant illness, and Bell bill battle: CBC's Marketplace consumer cheat sheet. CBC's Marketplace rounds up the consumer and health news you need. Fake account leads to 6-month fight with Bell over bill. When Wing Sum Tang received a notice of overdue payment for a Virgin Mobile account, she knew something wasn't right. Our investigation into the marketing of breast implants includes a woman's ordeal with breast implant illness, and her journey to have them surgically removed and tested for ruptures or tears.
Quebecor head office is seen in downtown Wednesday, May 6, 2015 in Montreal. Quebec Superior Court Justice Claude Champagne refused, however, to prohibit the media company from making negative publicity about Bell, as its rival had requested, citing freedom of expression. The ruling came after lawyers for Bell Canada and rival Quebecor Inc. were in court Friday, battling over three French-language sports channels that Bell TV subscribers haven't received since the NHL playoffs began this week. Bell lawyer Francis Rouleau said that Quebecor planned well in advance to cut the signal on Wednesday as the National Hockey League playoffs began.
This report provides an outlook on the telecoms and ICT services market in Canada for businesses of all sizes. This report contains:. forecasts for operator services to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and large enterprises including fixed and mobile voice and data services, IoT connectivity services and other business services such as security and co-location and hosting. It also provides brief profiles of operators active in the Canadian business market including Allstream, Bell, Eastlink, Rogers Communications, SaskTel, Shaw Communications, TELUS and Videotron. 4. Forecast methodology and assumptions. Forecast methodology and assumptions: presentation of results. Forecast methodology and assumptions: market definition. Forecast methodology and assumptions: modelling approach. Forecast methodology and assumptions: mobile services. Forecast methodology and assumptions: fixed services. Forecast methodology and assumptions: other business services. Forecast methodology and assumptions: broader IT categories.
MONTRÉAL, April 12, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - BCE Inc. (BCE) (BCE) will hold its first-quarter 2019 results conference call with the financial community on Thursday, May 2, 2019 at 8:00 am eastern. Participants will include George Cope , President and Chief Executive Officer, and Glen LeBlanc , Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. A replay will be available until midnight June 6 , 2019 by dialing 1-800-408-3053 or 905-694-9451 and entering passcode 7915771#. BCE is Canada's largest communications company, providing advanced Bell broadband wireless, TV, Internet and business communications services alongside Canada's premier content creation and media assets from Bell Media.
Court grants Competition Bureau access to records of complaints against Bell. Canada's competition watchdog says a court order issued Thursday will allow it to see customer complaints filed against Bell Canada. The Federal Court of Canada has granted the Competition Bureau's request for records from the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services. A statement from the CCTS says it's aware of the Competition Bureau's investigation of Bell Canada and its affiliate, Bell Aliant, and will co-operate as required by the court order.


Brick 3BR Home in Trendy Neighborhood in Baltimore is a holiday home with 3 Rooms.
Brick 3BR Home in Trendy Neighborhood is an accommodation set in Baltimore, 2 km from Fell's Point and 2.2 km from Korean War Memorial. It is situated... 2.6 km from Power Plant and provides free WiFi. The holiday home has a flat-screen TV, a seating area, a kitchen with an oven, and 3 bathrooms. Pier Six Concert Pavilion is 2.8 km from Brick 3BR Home in Trendy Neighborho. Baltimore - Washington International Airport is 20 km from the property.
When would you like to stay at Brick 3BR Home in Trendy Neighborhood?
Guests are required to show a photo identification and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply. Please inform Brick 3BR Home in Trendy Neighborhood in advance of your expected arrival time. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly with the contact details provided in your confirmation.


CEBU, Philippines - Luis Miguel "Igimax" Maximo made his debut in duathlon a memorable one by grabbing bronze medal in the second leg of the 2012 Powerade Philippine Duathlon Series over the weekend in Daang Hari, Alabang.
Igimax, who raced in the men's 16-19 age group, dealt with an unfamiliar route that prevented him to speed up.
Inspite of that, Igimax managed a podium finish with a time of one hour and 40 minutes.
"I was lagging behind in the run legs but I made up for it during the bike portion. The Campagnolo 11-speed groupset and shifters installed in my YKK time trial bike made a big difference during the bike race because I have more gears to choose from and the shifting was fast and easy which resulted in a faster time," said the two-time SAC awardee.
Igimax now looks forward to joining more duathlon competitions including the final leg of the Philippine Duathlon, Clark Duathlon and the Asian Duathlon Championship scheduled late this year.
Road races, however, will remain a top priority for Igimax among all the other sporting events he is joining in.
"I never thought I can climb the podium on my first duathlon race. The competition was tough with the presence of elite and seasoned athletes. All I was after for was to gain experience and exposure since there were no road cycling races in the meantime," said Igimax.


Challenges within the water sector can be solved through good governance. Efficient institutions with balanced regulation are key for sustainable management and enforcement of water resources. The structure of governance arrangements within and across national borders and through interbasin transfers, is critical to promote effective communication and strong partnerships. At a regional and local scale, stakeholder and community engagement are having greater applicability in the provision of water services, specifically in the delivery of community based water services. An understanding of social engagement structures continue to deliver alternative governance solutions and tools. Water Stewardship remains a significant tool in promoting responsible management of water resources. Information and Communications Technology (ICT) are trending consistently and offer opportunities to utilities and services authorities to engage and communicate with their customer base for improved service delivery.
Are relevant institutions getting the basics right and is this a prerequisite to advancing the delivery of services and stakeholder engagement?
What can we learn from collective action which includes the private sector and their supply chains more actively engaged in water governance, and how can this be scaled up and out?
What can be learnt and applied by sharing water stewardship objectives across government, business and community sectors?


text:
package ai.elimu.dao.jpa;

import java.util.List;
import ai.elimu.dao.NumberLearningEventDao;
import ai.elimu.model.Device;
import ai.elimu.model.Student;
import ai.elimu.model.admin.Application;
import ai.elimu.model.analytics.NumberLearningEvent;
import org.springframework.dao.DataAccessException;

public class NumberLearningEventDaoJpa extends GenericDaoJpa<NumberLearningEvent> implements NumberLearningEventDao {

    @Override
    public List<NumberLearningEvent> readAll(Device device) throws DataAccessException {
        return em.createQuery(
            "SELECT event " +
            "FROM NumberLearningEvent event " +
            "WHERE event.device = :device " +
            "ORDER BY event.calendar DESC")
            .setParameter("device", device)
            .getResultList();
    }

    @Override
    public List<NumberLearningEvent> readAll(Application application) throws DataAccessException {
        return em.createQuery(
            "SELECT event " +
            "FROM NumberLearningEvent event " +
            "WHERE event.application = :application " +
            "ORDER BY event.calendar DESC")
            .setParameter("application", application)
            .getResultList();
    }

    @Override
    public List<NumberLearningEvent> readAll(Student student) throws DataAccessException {
        return em.createQuery(
            "SELECT event " +
            "FROM NumberLearningEvent event " +
            "WHERE event.student = :student " +
            "ORDER BY event.calendar DESC")
            .setParameter("student", student)
            .getResultList();
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Regular publication every Month - 12 issues per year. ( JCDR previously published every two months, it became monthly in Aug 2012 ).
Disclaimer:Authors must be aware of Journal's present indexation. The indexing agencies take articles post-publication after a small time lag. The mutual agreement between the indexing agencies and Journal provides for termination of agreement by either party without any notice or reason. The authors must be aware and agree to, if any such termination of agreement happens in future the journal shall not be responsible for third party action.
There is no dearth of journals published around the world. Many standard journals are published from the Indian subcontinent itself. However, JCDR is unique and aimed at being very different. The editor-in-chief felt challenged when he worked in a western setup after spending almost a decade in the Indian private sector. He realised that although physicians in developing countries witness a range of disease spectrums, and acquire a wealth of knowledge because of high clinical exposure, they do not publish their experiences. As a result, medical practitioners in developing countries are often rendered speechless while discussing in an international forum. Lack of motivation, lack of time and a busy schedule prevent these practitioners from publishing their findings. Many feel strongly motivated to express and narrate their opinion, but to write the same most lose the motivation. The lack of scientific writing skills among young researchers and postgraduate students leads to failure of their research thesis reaching any journal of repute.
We aim to use this journal to publish the findings of doctors working at the ground level and that of young researchers. Very soon, we will provide commentaries from senior experienced physicians. The first step will involve helping physicians and researchers to draft and write articles. We will make constructive changes to the original draft submitted. For authors whose second language is English, we will provide English editorial services as well.
Although this journal has been started in India, we believe such needs exist with many researchers in various countries and openly welcome original articles and case reports from around the world. We promise to provide similar unbiased service to every one who wishes to use our services.
Articles in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research are Open Access articles under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND). This license permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, is not changed in any way, and is not used for commercial purposes.
There exists a memorandum of understanding between the Premchand Shantidevi Research Foundation and JCDR Research and Publications Pvt Limited which allows the latter to publish Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research having complete editorial control , however the former remains the main entity and custodian of the Journal.
JCDR Research and Publications (P) Limited has primary objective to stimulate and facilitate research publications.


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Sarah Jaffe is the author of Necessary Trouble: Americans in Revolt, which Robin D.G. Kelley called "The most compelling social and political portrait of our age." She is a Type Media Institute reporting fellow and an independent journalist covering labor, economic justice, social movements, politics, gender, and pop culture. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Nation, the Guardian, the Washington Post, The New Republic, the Atlantic, and many other publications. She is the co-host, with Michelle Chen, of Dissent magazine's Belabored podcast, as well as a columnist and New Labor Forum.
Sarah is currently at work on her next book, on the "labor of love"–how we all came to love our jobs, or at least to be forced to pretend to, and how this drains the security, bank accounts, and happiness of workers from restaurant servers to NFL players, nannies to nurses to Hollywood actors. It will be out in 2020 from Bold Type Books.
Sarah was formerly a staff writer at In These Times and the labor editor at AlterNet. She was a contributing editor on The 99%: How the Occupy Wall Street Movement is Changing America, from AlterNet books, as well as a contributor to the anthologies At the Tea Party and Tales of Two Cities, both from OR Books, and Nasty Women: Feminism, Resistance, and Revolution in Trump's America, from Picador. She was also the web director at GRITtv with Laura Flanders.
She was one of the first reporters to cover Occupy Wall Street and the Fight for $15, has appeared on numerous radio and television programs to discuss topics ranging from electoral politics to Superstorm Sandy, from punk rock to public-sector unions.
She has a master's degree in journalism from Temple University in Philadelphia and a bachelor's degree in English from Loyola University New Orleans. Sarah was born and raised in Massachusetts and has also lived in South Carolina, Louisiana, Colorado, and Pennsylvania, and currently calls New York home.


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Call of the Wolf (2017)
Kidnapped and trapped by a winter storm, this slow burn thriller follows two strangers who must outsmart an unseen killer.
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Director: R.D. Womack II
Actors: Aleksander Ristic, Cynthia Bravo, Matthew Oliva
Gunga Din (1939)
In 19th century India, three British soldiers and a native waterbearer must stop a secret mass revival of the murderous Thuggee cult before it can rampage across the land.
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, War
Dark World (2010) Full Movie Online
In Russia, the mystic student of linguistic Marina Leonova is in love with her boyfriend Artur. However, he blows her off and dates their schoolmate Vika. When their class travels…
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery
2012 Doomsday (2008) Full Movie Online
On December 21, 2012 four strangers on a journey of faith are drawn to an ancient temple in the heart of Mexico. For the Mayans it is the last recorded…
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Horror
Jeremiah Johnson (1972)
A mountain man who wishes to live the life of a hermit becomes the unwilling object of a long vendetta by Indians, and proves to be a match for their…
Genre: Adventure, Western
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) Full Movie Online
A skirmish in Shanghai puts archaeologist Indiana Jones, his partner Short Round and singer Willie Scott crossing paths with an Indian village desperate to reclaim a rock stolen by a…
Solomon and Sheba (1959)
After becoming king of ancient Israel, Solomon faces threats coming from his jealous dispossessed brother Adonijah, the Egyptian Pharaoh and the scheming Queen of Sheba.
Genre: Adventure, History, Romance
The Transformers: The Movie (1986)
The Autobots must stop a colossal planet consuming robot who goes after the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. At the same time, they must defend themselves against an all-out attack from…
Country: Japan,USA
Genre: Action, Adventure, Animation, Family, Science Fiction
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) Full Movie Online
It's Harry's third year at Hogwarts; not only does he have a new "Defense Against the Dark Arts" teacher, but there is also trouble brewing. Convicted murderer Sirius Black has…
Battle for Terra (2007) Full Movie Online
A peaceful alien planet faces annihilation, as the homeless remainder of the human race sets its eyes on Terra. Mala, a rebellious Terrian teenager, will do everything she can to…
Best of the Best 4: Without Warning (1998) Full Movie Online
A group of Russian mobsters have stolen a huge supply of paper for printing U.S. currency, and are now flooding the market with conterfeit bills. When one of the mobsters…
Lost in the Pacific (2016) Full Movie Online
A story centered around a group of elite passengers on board an inaugural luxury, transoceanic flight that turns into a disaster.
Genre: Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) Full Movie Online
Four kids travel through a wardrobe to the land of Narnia and learn of their destiny to free it with the guidance of a mystical lion.
Trailer: Call of the Wolf (2017)


Goalfinder classes UGC / CBSE NET SET Communication subject covers in detail the syllabus of UGC / CBSE NET SET paper 1 Communication exam. Material covers types of communication, models, barrier to classroom communication with examples and exercises. Total number of Pages is 115.
All terms and concepts in communication are explained thoroughly to cover the communication syllabus.
Point wise explanation help remember the subject better.
Diagrams and pictures are used to explain concepts.
A- On the basis of the number of participants.


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The Battle for balmaghie
'Above Dee Water is a Kirk; and about that again there is a dearer kirkyard. It is a lonesome spot, at least for those who love not to look down upon broad water meadows in which the Lammas floods spread wide, or who cannot be content with the sough of the leaves for company about the old Manse.'
An evocative place, Balmaghie Kirk has a long history. The current building was completed in 1794. It was renovated in 1894. But long before that, it was the kirk of John Macmillan – ordained minister of Balmaghie in 1701. He was a covenanter. He is buried in the kirkyard.
The Kirk of Balmaghie is situated on the very edge of the parish, most inconveniently for pastoral work, though to the advantage of the minister's quiet when preparing his sermon. All who would know more of the truth about Balmaghie Kirk must get Professor Reid's very excellent little book, 'The Kirk above Dee Water.' It tells of the Kirk, its ministers, of the martyrs also, and the many saintly folk who lie buried in that solitude.
The local writer S.R.Crockett wrote the introduction to Reid's book. He is also buried in the Kirkyard.
The life of Macmillan, its famous minister, has been for the first time worthily written by Dr. Reid. 'The Cameronian Apostle' cannot be recommended too often or too highly. It is, in my humble opinion, one of the most successful pieces of sympathetic biography ever written. And having made an attempt of the same kind in fiction, I know of what I do speak. I will return to plunder Dr. Reid's book presently. Meantime I give the words of Macmillan as they were imagined with regard to his parish.
'Balmaghie was a parish greatly to my mind (so he is represented as writing). It lies, as everyone knows, in the very heart of Galloway, between the slow, placid, sylvan stretches of the Ken and the roaring, turbulent mill-race of the Black Water of Dee.
'From a worldly point of view the parish is most desirable; for though the income in money and grain is not great, nevertheless the whole amount is equal to the income of most of the smaller lairds in the neighbourhood. So at last I was settled in my parish, which was indeed a good and desirable one as times went. The manse had recently been put in order. It was a pleasant stone house, which sat in the bieldy hollow beneath the Kirk Knowe of Balmaghie. Snug and sheltered it lay, an encampment of great beeches sheltering it from the northerly blasts, and the green-bosomed hills looking down upon it with kindly tolerant silence.
Crockett wrote poignantly of Balmaghie.
'Close by the highway is an unforgotten little elbow of road. The loaning runs straight up and down now, but you can still see the bend of the old path and the green bank—nay, only I know where to look for that—the bank on which my mother sat and sang me 'The Lord's my Shepherd' on Sabbath afternoons.
For of all those who were a part of these things, only one now remains upon the earth. The rest are over the hill yonder, in the Balmaghie kirkyard, the sweetest and the sunniest God's Acre in Scotland, and since such things must needs be, doubtless a right desirable place for any tired wanderer's resting-grave.'
'To some among us Balmaghie Church appeals more nearly still. Dear dust lies in that kirkyard, and as the years pass by, for many of us, more and more of it gathers under the kirk on the hill. The tides of the world, its compulsions, its needs, and its must be's, lead me up the loaning but seldom. Indeed I am not often there, save when the beat of the passing bell calls another to the long quiet rest.
But when the years are over, many or few, and our Galloway requiem, 'Sae he's won awa',' is said of me—that is the bell I should like rung. And there, in the high corner, I should like to lie, if so the fates allot it, among the dear and simple folk I knew and loved in youth. Let them lay me not far from the martyrs, where one can hear the birds crying in the minister's lilac-bushes, and Dee kissing the river grasses, as he lingers a little wistfully about the bonny green kirk-knowe of Balmaghie.'
Crockett also revisited history in his fictional work 'The Standard Bearer' which gives a fictional version of the life of John Macmillan.
Balmaghie Kirk was closed in 2015. The Church of Scotland are looking to sell it off, along with the hall. In 1703 the locals under John Macmillan put up a fight for Balmaghie Kirk. S.R.Crockett fictionalised this in 'The Standard Bearer'
Is history destined to repeat itself? Surely a more fitting tribute to the rich cultural contribution of people and places (including S.R.Crockett) would be keeping these buildings in community ownership. I hope the Church of Scotland sees sense and does the right thing this time around.
Crockett is still vastly underappreciated even in his native parish. Perhaps if we were better at paying tribute to our own and appreciating our local culture and heritage a value would be placed on Balmaghie Kirk over and above that of its sale price. I can think of no better place to keep the Crockett archive and 'stories' alive than here right next to where he is buried.
If you want to find out more about Balmaghie Kirk in fact and fiction you can download 3 free ebooks (in pdf format) as 'The Balmaghie Bundle' from the unco store. HERE
your chance to interact with Galloway Raiders and what's going on.


As an active member of a strong community healthcare network, referrals for additional services can be provided if a need is assessed. All services are strongly focused on educating families and enabling them to become responsible for their health care and that of their children.
Immunizations - provides scheduled vaccines for children beginning at six weeks of age through 18 years old through the Vaccine For Children (VFC) program for uninsured, Medicaid/All Kids recipients and those with insurance that does not cover immunizations. Also, adult vaccines for 19 years of age and older who are uninsured or those with insurance that does not cover vaccines.


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Blog Right
PROLITE "Be a leader, not a follower"
It would be fair to say that Pickleball would not be enjoying the success it is today without three decades of valuable contributions from PROLITE. Founded in 1984, PROLITE Sports created the very first composite pickleball paddle. This paddle was the first of its kind - an innovation that revolutionized the sport of Pickleball and the industry in general. While their original company name changed from ULTRA-LITE Paddle Co., the steadfast commitment to building innovative products made from the finest materials has remained the same over the years.
PROLITE is a family-owned business led by owner, Neil Friedenberg – himself a 5.0 player. The company manufactures pickleball paddles along the scenic shores of Lake Michigan in Port Washington, Wisconsin. A strong dedication to the sport, commitment to its players, and a stout Midwestern work ethic were founding principles that continue to drive PROLITE'S growth. It doesn't hurt that they are some of the nicest people you will ever meet.
At PROLITE, the goals are crystal clear; produce paddles geared for a variety of player types, made of the best materials available, supported by stellar customer service, and back it all with a solid warranty and distinct identity. PROLITE never backs down from being different and thinking much differently than the competition. The "Be a leader, not a follower" is embedded in every ounce of their identity, and it shows in the distinct feel and look of the PROLITE products.
As true ambassadors of the game, PROLITE gives back to its community in several ways. They teach the sport at all levels, including numerous free clinics, are proud sponsors of many grassroots clubs across the United States, back dozens of smaller regional and state tournaments, help grow the sport internationally and donate gear to schools, veterans programs, and other worthy causes.
While much of the game's demographic and influence have changed, becoming more mainstream across the world, the philosophy at PROLITE has remained constant. Be a leader, not a follower, Research. Develop and Innovate. Enhance the player's experience with pickleball paddles leading to confident, controlled, powerful shot selection. PROLITE does just that and has been leading the pickleball market with newly developed paddles that have unique and superior technology.
Here is a quick summary of some of PROLITE'S game-changing technology:
CARBON FIBER TECHNOLOGY - BLACK DIAMOND SERIES
Carbon fiber does not absorb energy. Carbon fiber disperses energy. This means when it strikes the surface, it disperses the energy throughout EVERY FIBER on the paddle. This is important in our sport where it is so important to play controlled, take a hard hit, and actually get the ball back softly across the net. Poly carbons appear to have the same effect, but they react almost opposite of that. Poly carbons will bend, and the energy from the hit will trampoline off the surface. PROLITE'S exclusive carbon fiber is superior to control a hard hit coming at you and slowing the ball down, with control. Carbon fiber at high speed creates less friction and can feel harder/stiffer when you hit the ball. So, when you wind up and hit a high ball from the net, or a strong baseline stroke if hit hard, it is hit with superior power.
POWERGRIT TECHNOLOGY
PowerGrit Technology is the first of its kind in the pickleball paddle industry. Many companies strive to add roughness to the surface of their paddle models. PROLITE decided to go a step further and develop the Surface paddle. Their goal was to develop a surface that not only pushed the limits of roughness allowance; it actually had a gritty surface technology not seen in the industry. They worked relentlessly until they had it right. The result was PROLITE's exclusive PowerGrit Technology.
MICROEDGE GUARD TECHNOLOGY
In 2016, PROLITE began the development of a brand new, highly durable edge guard for their paddles. They recognized that their edge guard at the time needed improvement, but they also knew that the edge guards being produced by most brands were inferior. Edge guards were breaking or cracking unnecessarily. The edge guard is critical to preventing premature cracks and scrapes, as well as to provide a solid heavyweight to your paddle necessary for power and control. The result was the polished, super-narrow, and tapered Microedge you see on PROLITE paddles today.
No-Sweat Diamond Grip
PROLITE has their own grip patent. The No-Sweat Diamond grip. This grip feels very firm but soft, and it does not loosen up when your hands are sweaty. The patented No-Sweat Diamond grip comes standard on many PROLITE paddles and can be purchased separately as an overgrip.
PROLITE offers a wide range of products. Options include various composite and graphite paddles of varying widths, lengths, and grips. Many of the top athletes in the professional pickleball tournaments play with PROLITE paddles. Whether you are new to Pickleball or an avid player looking for your next "best" paddle, you can select a paddle perfect for your game. PROLITE paddles also come at price points for everyone - from the $39.99 Bolt for entry-level to the $169.00 Rebel Pro Black Diamond. So when you are ready to buy, check out PROLITE for a great selection of quality paddles made and sold by some of the nicest folks in the business.
Prolite Pickleball


The Christmas Flounder is a Yuletide custom unknown outside Southeastern North Carolina, according to Paul Jennewein, the late veteran newsman who was the world's only authority on the matter.
As is the case with many traditions, the origin of The Christmas Flounder is obscured in the mists of memory, but according to Mr. Jennewein it apparently began during the Great Depression, when people in this area were even poorer than usual.
And so it came about that one Christmas Eve in the reign of Franklin the King for Four Terms, the merry glow of kerosene lanterns and � for those who could afford the Ray-O-Vacs � flashlights gleamed over the waters of the sound.
Westward wading, still proceeding, went wise men who knew that dull-witted fishes would be sleeping in the mud at that time of night.
Suddenly the sharp splash of steely gigs shattered the starry stillness.
Next day, the unfortunate flounders, lovingly stuffed with native delicacies such as oysters, crabs, collards and grits, graced Christmas tables all over the area. Non-Baptists who knew a reliable bootlegger accompanied the humble dish with a jelly glass of high-octane cheer.
This piece was composed by former Editorial Page Editor Chuck Riesz from tales told by late StarNews reporter and columnist Paul Jennewein. A version of this editorial first appeared in the Wilmington StarNews, a Halfax Media Group newspaper.


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Guide to the Langeleik
The langeleik is a stringed musical instrument that originated from Norway. Among the several mountains and valleys of Norway, the only areas where the langeleik instrument has a living tradition were the Vardal and Valdres. Most commonly, the langeleik was used for domestic rural music until the 19th century. Afterward, when the use of this instrument became widespread, a significant number of the langeleik can be found in Telemark and Oppland, Norway.
This Norwegian chordophone droned zither-plucked has about eight drone strings and one melody string. Under the langeleik' s melody strings are its seven frets that formed diatonic major scales per octave. Meanwhile, its drone strings are tuned in a set of three notes, called a triad. This instrument, also known as langeleik, is tuned to an A, although the significant C key is used as if it is tuned in the key of C. This is to simplify both reading and writing to avoid the use of accidentals, a note pitch that is not a member of the scale.
Moreover, since the langeleik cannot play the twelve-tone scale and cannot be tuned in to other pitches, its ability is limited to play along with other instruments. As well as that, its ability to play more complex music is also limited. However, despite that, the tone melody and drone strings of the langeleik gives it a unique rich sound.
The earlier characteristic of the langeleik features a rectangular shape instrument with an open bottom.The langeleik usually has five or six strings that often have unique traditional scales aside from the modern major scale that uses ¾ tones. Furthermore, the third scale degree and the leading-note tend to be different. The third scale, also known as the third, often lies between the major and minor third. In addition to that, the seventh or leading note tends to be lower than the modern seventh. In comparison to the earlier langeleiks, the modern ones are more curved and broader in the middle. With this, modern langeleiks have a louder sound. They are also tuned to a significant scale and is made of wood or metal. The dimension of the standard langeleik is about 112.1 centimeters (length), 13.1 centimeters (width), 9.6 centimeters (depth of soundbox), 85.4 centimeters (longest string), and 52.2 centimeters (shortest string).
According to history, there are a variety of zither boxes that can be found in Europe. In fact, the traditional German stringed instrument called scheitholz was said to be the predecessor of the langeleik. However, some historians also stated that the Swedish Hummel was one of the predecessors of the langeleik. In 1980, a langeleik that was discovered in early 1524 was uncovered on a farm in Gjovik, Norway. This langeleik predates the occurrences of other similar instruments, the German scheitholz and the Swedish Hummel.
The older langeleik that was discovered was tuned after a system of musical tuning, in which frequency ratios are based on ratio 3:2. Although the langeleik was tuned to the system called Pythagorean tuning, the langeleik's pitch was easy to move between low intervals to brighter significant notes. The fixed recognizable major scale of the langeleik is dated back after the year 1850s. Subsequently, this instrument had changed its tonation. With that, many performers had to change their melodies. Some are also opted to find new ones since the older repertoire is no longer fitted to the instrument's more modern system.
In playing this instrument, the players must hold the instrument's plectrum, most commonly known as pick, using their right hand. With the use of the plectrum, the player would be able to hit the strings and form a beat or rhythm. On the other hand, the performer's left hand, particularly the index, middle, and ring finger, are used to hold down the melody in order to execute a melody beat or rhythm. Additionally, when a note is wanted in between the basic notes, either the middle or index finger is used to pull-off or hammer-on the melody strings. The types of music and tunes that are usually played in the langeleik are the Norwegian folk musical dances such as in springar, halling, mazurka, vals, gangar, and reinlender.