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Mexico: UFOs over Leon, Guanajuato
According to a newspaper article in MILENIO written by Marlene Santos, UFOs were reported in Leon, Guanajuato on Sunday, September 28, 2008.
While the article states that the sighting took place in the vicinity of the Leon Cathedral, it should be noted that on that same date, the traditional parade conmemorating the 198th anniversary of the capture of the Alhondiga de Granaditas (a turning point in the Mexican War of Independence - Ed.) took place.
According to the article, the sighting involved three unidentified flying objects looking like white spots in the sky, with the peculiar detail that one of them seemed to change shape and could occasionaly be seen as a horseshoe.
Were UFOs once again visible during a parade, or are we wrong, and the witnesses were merely confused by balloons?
posted by Inexplicata (IHU) at 1:51 PM
Venezuela: A UFO Destroyed by Lightning?
By Héctor Escalante – Ovnivenezuela
On September 17 of this year, Jairo Esparragoza managed to capture the flight of an alleged unidentified object that appeared to vanish after being struck by a bolt of lightning.
The event was recorded between 6 and 7 p.m. using the camera of a Motorola Motoraz V3 cellphone as the witness drove along the Guarenas-Guatire Expressway in the vicinity of the Buenaventura Shopping Mall in the state of Miranda in north-central Venezuela.
"The human capacity for astonishment is unending," was the initial statement that opened Jairo Esparragoza's story. He explained that he began recorded the lightning bolts in the sky out of sheer curiosity, following a torrential downpour that drenched the Venezuelan capital and its environs for several hours. He became aware of the strange presence only a few minutes later.
"It rained heavily and there was considerable lightning. This drew my attention, and as I was stuck in traffic, I began recording what was going on. But after a while, I was able to see one or two orbs suspended in the sky through the telephone camera."
Startled by what he was seeing through the screen of his cell phone, Jairo Esparragoza stopped focusing the device skyward to concentrate it directly on the strange phenomenon, but was unable to see anything. However, upon resuming focus, the object became visible once again on the mobile phone's screen. "I wasn't able to see it with the naked eye, but when I trained the camera on it once more, there it was, suspended and motionless. I checked to see if it was a light post and it wasn't. It wasn't the camera either," he explained.
The situation remained thus for several seconds, and Jairo Esparragoza, seemingly the only witness to this unusual scene as it played out in the rush-hour tumult common to that time schedule between Caracas and Miranda, still couldn't believe what his cell phone camera was picking up.
Suddenly, a lightning bold struck close to the UFO, causing its apparent and final disappearance.
"Even though there was only a little bit of power left in the cellphone, I kept recording and after a few seconds, a lightning bolt struck and the object vanished immediately from the sky," he stated.
The still images drawn from the video show how this lightning bolt quickly chances color when it approaches the UFO, changing from bluish white to pale violet.
An analysis was performed on the stills taken from Jairo Esparragoza's video shows that there was no trickery involved and that it possibly shows a technological device of unknown aspect and behavior, discarding the possibility of airplanes, helicopter or other known aircraft.
In the opinion of Jorge Luis Figueiras, a specialist in digital content for the Fundacion Argentina de Ovnilogia (FAO) presided by Luis Burgos, "there's not much that can be done with these photos, since their resolution is too low (0.025 megapixels)." He added, however, that after increasing the resolution level on the image, he was able to see two apparent objects that remain visible in several frames, where they can be seen as "luminous and having a spherical shape."
(Translation (c) 2008, S. Corrales, IHU)
Mexico:Possible UFO During Mexican Military Parade
Mexico: Possible UFO During Mexican Military Parade
A video taken by Lic. Daniel Sanchez Rosales over Mexico City on September 16 [2008] during the air show that conmemorated the 198th Anniversary of Mexico's independence from Spain.
The equipment used was a Sony DCR-TRV190 camcorder
While we are not altogether dismissing the possibility of a logical explanation, it should be noted that the object descended and then ascended again on its own.
UFOs have been recorded during air shows in past years.
Video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWXGr8jV3Gw
(Translation (c) 2008, S. Corrales (IHU). Special thanks to Ana Luisa Cid)
posted by Inexplicata (IHU) at 12:03 PM
Argentina: Mutilated Sow Report from 09.03.08
By Silvia Perez Simondini
In the Abadia District, the time being 07:00, a female member of Mr. Marcelo Nievas's family went to feed the family sow, as is her custom at that time of day. The animal had last been seen in perfect condition at 18:00 hours on the previous day.
The woman could not believe her eyes: the poor animal [had been mutilated] but remained alive, missing the outer ear, although the entire auditory system could be missing. It is not possible to ascertain this at this time given the sow's aggressive state as a result of suffering from the injury produced.
These incisions are characteristic of the ones we have been seeing in mutilations since 2002: an excision of the outer ear, extraction of the eye and its socket, horseshoe-shaped incision on the face, and the inability to diagnose internal injuries to the mouth due to the suffering this inflicts to the animal. Elements of high-strangeness, common to other cases, are also present. There a seven dogs on the premises that bark at the slightest disturbance, but appear to have heard nothing in this instance. There are other sows in the pen, as well as piglets, but none of them experienced any harm.
We are trying to find a veterinarian to take over this investigation to establish a diagnosis. It is imperative to keep the animal alive, but this diagnosis would also tell us if the animal should be sacrificed to avoid further suffering. Antibiotics were administered after the event to contain infections and scar-forming medications and analgesics are being administered under the recommendation of Dr. Alberto Pariani, pathologist from the University of General Pico, Province of La Pampa. Dr. Pariani is following up on the case with Dr. Daniel Belot.
We visited the site with Pablo Puchet to conduct a survey of the area. A print was found on the ground next to the pen, having characteristics similar to the ones found in the Rosario and La Pampa cases, and sixty centimeters from the fence bordering the field.
No traces of blood were found inside the pen, nor were its structural components affected. We paid particular attention to the possibility of finding substance residue on the zinc roof, on the wooden struts or any heat alteration of the nylon that covers part of the pen, but with negative results.
A survey of the surroundings was conducted without positive results. The animal's owners were interviewed to ascertain if they detected strange animal behavior the night before or strange sounds, without positive results. The heard and saw nothing that night. Local residents were also interviewed without positive results. We will continue providing updates on this case.
Mutilations: An Interview With Raul Oscar Chaves
An Interview With Raul Oscar Chaves of CiufosLaPampa
Readers of Inexplicata have become familiar over the years with the reports provided by Raul Oscar Chaves, one of Argentina's most prominent researchers of cattle mutilations and UFO activity. He took time from his busy schedule this week to answer a few questions regarding the current wave of animal mutilations occurring in his country.
What is Ciufoslapampa and how did it come about?
This organization, whose visible heads are Rosa Ester Urban and Raul Oscar Chaves, was created in 2002 immediately following the manifestation of the cattle mutilation phenomenon in Argentina, particularly in La Pampa, playing a role in the research of early cases at the provincial level and in the province of Buenos Aires. The reason for this was the need to know the details of the phenomenon in its various manifestations, that is to say, its implications and even its consequences from the standpoint of research.
Are animal mutilations common in your area?
They were and are customary. Although they have decreased at the present time, having reached their peak in the year 2002, when over 1500 cases of large cattle mutilation were reported. Lesser species were also mutilated, such as rabbits, chickens, cats, dogs, pigs, wild boar, deer, foxes, sheep, etc. Cases are being reported at this time, although the number is not significant in this province, and they involve beef cattle and pigs. There is a certain concern among cattlemen regarding the particular characteristics displayed by the phenomenon this time.
Is there any connection between mutilations and UFOs?
In cases that have been detected since 2002, finding mutilated carcasses invariably followed sightings of strange lights, particularly in rural areas. The emerging theory indicates the intervention of other Intelligences operating over highly specific sectors or areas. Veterinarians and former members of the School of Veterinary Medicine of La Pampa were unable to find answers to the following during their research into the phenomenon:
· The precision and neatness of the incisions, both under cold and hot conditions, after having performed lab tests using electric scalpels and thermocauterizers, without being able to come "even close" to results similar to the ones obtained in mutilations. This was evidence of the use of unknown technologies and procedures, according to experts.
· The nearly total absence of blood in some cases, with the flesh itself being found bloodless.
· The absence of corneas, in certain cases.
· The absence of fetuses or neonates in cases of pregnancy established by palpation and in the final months of gestation, without any deterioration to the birth canal.
· Absence of muscular mass in unopened bodies, with minor incisions (jawline only) attesting to the absence of Longinis Dorsis in a 40 cm tract, with signs of exposure to microwave radiation.
· Preservation of mutilated carcasses for up to 20 days under death conditions occurring within 24 hours.
· Changes in the coloration and consistency of pastureland in areas adjacent to the animal, attesting that even microfauna had been affected, detection of very high temperatures or some type of radiation in the soil, which acquires a notorious compacting and consistency.
· Detection of a crystalline, viscous, gelatinous element on the animal that changed to the liquid state, followed by crystallization and subsequent disappearance, presumably of exogenous or unknown origin and playing a role in the mutilations.
· Detection of a bluish-green pathogen inside various parts of the mutilated bodies, without any origin being established.
It was also established that the flesh of a mutilated animal exposed to the open air was preserved up to some 40 days with evidence of a slight fetid odor, with only some flies present. The work of these experts was highly important despite the absence of results from a rational standpoint and given the lack of adequate technology for research of this nature.
What is the popular opinion about this phenomenon?
Although the most critical and vivid stage is behind us (2002-2003), which left a powerful impression on public opinion, the uncertainty is experienced by rural livestock farmers, especially those who had significant losses (12-15 animals) and are trying to glean more details about the phenomenon's manifestation in this instance.
Many thanks, Raul. We look forward to more reports on this disturbing phenomenon.
Argentina: The Santa Rosa Pig Mutilation
Date: September 4, 2008-09-05
By Salvatore Carta
http://ufopampa.blogspot.com/2008/05/chancha-mutilada.html
In the morning hours of Monday, May 19, 2008, a small farm located some 15 kilometers northeast of the locality of Santa Rosa was in a stir as several nervous pigs and their piglets were being placed in a truck for an early morning transfer to another field.
At daybreak, the farm's occupants were stunned by the scene that confronted them: only a few meters away from the vehicle, they found one of the sows and her young, displaying deep incisions and with no apparent explanation as to how they managed to jump over the 1.80 meter tall siding that surrounded the truck.
The pig farmer contacted Quique Mario of CEUFO and the undersigned as well, and we visited the location. We are displaying photographs of the pig as well as a video that presents other details. At first sight, the incisions are completely different from the ones reported as part of UFO case histories in this region. They are not mechanical and appear irregular under the microscope. The entire rear section of the sow's skull was missing, along with muscular mass and a piercing incision in the area within the legas, as well as strange scoring from what appear to be claws. Regarding this last detail, the pig farmer's son found some strange prints similar to those of a ñandu or ostritch. He and his cousin photographed them with their cellphones.
This animal has been sent to veterinary experts. We shall be forwarding a report on the results shortly.
We compared photographs with our friends from VISION OVNI, comparing the characteristics of our strange case with one that occurred only days earlier in the city of Rosario.
A priori conclusions lead us to believe that the entities operating here are different from the ones that the case histories had presented us with.
(Translation (c) 2008, S. Corrales, IHU. Special thanks to Guillermo Gimenez and Salvatore Valentin Carta)
Argentina: Sheep Mutilation Report by Andrea Perez Simondini
Source: VISION OVNI and Clarin.com
A Sheep Mutilation Report from the City of Rosario, Santa Fe Province, Argentina, March 24, 2008
By Andrea Perez Simondini and Elias Kolev
The case occurred on the premises of a marine company that does barge construction and repair work, located near the old facilities of the Swiff packing plant. The premises border on the north with a unit of the Naval Subprefecture, on the south with the Saladillo Creek and on the east with the Parana River.
The events took place on the evening of April 23, 2008 according to information furnished by Mr. Claudio Petri, watchman of the premises. Before leaving his shift at 20:00 hrs, he saw the sudden motion of what he defined as "a shadow" through his office window. When he went out to investigate, he saw nothing unusual. When the shifts changed, he turned over his post to his relief and went away.
Matters developed normally until 02:00 hrs., when then watchman saw a shadow through the window. Arming himself with a pistol for protection, he went out to investigate. He headed toward a light panel located between the vessels. At that location, he saw a shadow facing him, and according to the remark he later shared with his co-workers, he heard a voice that said: "Mátate" (kill yourself) over and over again, imperatively. At that moment, his wife reached the site (she had been keeping him company during the late shift) and she managed to pull away the gun that the watchman was pointing at his head. At no time did the wife see or hear any of the things reported by the watchman. Returning to the office, the watchman headed for the restroom, babbling "kill yourself" over and over. When the officer-in-charge arrived, he asked the watchman to taka few days off, in view of the state he was in.
Our witness, Mr. Petri, remarks that upon entering at 06:00 shift on 04/24/08, his co-workers apprised him of what had transpired the night before, adding that the sheep they kept at work had also died overnight. Upon seeing the animal, he became aware that it was a highly unusual event. The specimen was missing its upper lip and upper front teeth; its entire right eye was gone, along with the front right leg and muscle mass ner the upper joint nearest the body, forming a hole with a depth and diameter greater than 10 cm. Also gone were its right rear nipple and anus. There were signs of hair sheared off in the areas affected by the alleged mutilation, similar to the shaving done during animal sterilization surgeries, but missing all types of fur (sic). There was no tearing of the muscular mass, broken or splintered bones.
Also noteworthy was the fact that there was no sign of a struggle or defense on the part of the animal. Despite the magnitude of the phenomenon, there was no blood spilled on the floor, or traces of blood on the animal itself, or any sign that it was dragged. Even more surprising were the prints found at the site, which were photographed by the witness along with the mutilated carcass. The prints were approximately 15 cm long and have a rear base of support (the point of support that sunk 2-3 cm into the sandy soil) with a front part consisting of three fingers ending in nails or claws. The middle part of the print is not perceptible. The distance between one print and another is of approximately 50 cme. Following the corresponding analysis, it was determined that whatever left the prints walked erect and measured between 1.80 to 2 meters.
We consider this case to be very important by virtue of having occurred within the city limits, along with the chance to have found the "prints".
(Translation (c) 2008, S. Corrales, IHU. Special thanks to Andrea Perez Simondini, Elias Kolev and Vision OVNI)
Argentina: Pig Mutilation in Victoria
Source: Planeta UFO and Diario Victoria (Entre Rios, Argentina)
It's alive. Chilling photographs.
The animal was found with half of its face mutilated. There are no signs of violence in its pen, nor any bloodstains. The animal is alive. This case can be added to the cow mutilation cases discovered this morning in the town of Antelo. UFO researcher Silvia Perez Simondini is analyzing the event.
The Enrique family, residing on Avda. Esteban Lone, Barrio de la Abadia, was startled this morning when they awoke to find their pig had had half of its head mutilated. The animal was in perfect shape last night, according to the family. However, around 7:00 a.m. this morning, when they went to feed the animal, they were startled by its mutilated features.
The animal, a 6 month old porker, was locked in a small pen, walking around and showing no signs of violence or bloodstains. It did not complain, and half of its jaw was mutilated to reveal its teeth; an ear was also missing. This case is added to reports involving mutilated cows in Antelo. UFO researcher Silvia Pérez Simondini is looking into the case.
(Translation (c) 2008. S. Corrales, IHU. Special thanks to Guillermo Gimenez, Planeta UFO)
Argentina: Mutilated Cow Discovered East of Santa Rosa
By Raul Oscar Chaves
A dead and mutilated red Heresford cow was discovered some 45 km to the east of Santa Rosa on August 25, 2008, in the locality of Uriburu.
The owner of the rural propert indicated that the cow was in its last months of pregnancy. The animal was missing all of its udders and half of the cow's unborn calf was still inside the cow, adding that the calf's ears showed signs of having been mutilated.
It should be noted that numerous mutilation incidents have occurred at this location since 2002, and these new episodes have been a source of concern to the cattleman. He requested that his identity be kept anonymous.
(Translation (c) 2008, S. Corrales, IHU. Special thanks to Raul Oscar Chaves, CIUFOS-LaPampa)
Argentina: Mutilated Dog in Cordoba
Source: Diario Popular
http://www.popularonline.com.ar/nota.php?Nota=329336
Date: Sunday, August 31 2008
Mutilated dog enigma is added to a series of similar phenomena throughout the country.
Commotion in Cordoba over mutilated dog.
"It is very important for mutilation witnesses to gather up the courage to report these episodes – it is the only way to get to the truth," says researcher Andrea Pérez Simondini.
ARGENTINA: A Mutilated Dog in Cordoba
By Pachi LaFata
The case was qualified as a true "oddity" by the foremost experts in cattle mutilation cases, on account of the "neatness of the incision." This is a case that occurred in late July, but which remained unknown until now, involving a dog from the locality of Villa Giardino, Cordoba. The animal's carcass presented strange claw-marks and surgical manipulation. The mysterious event can be linked to dozens of similar situations recorded in several provinces over the past few months, resulting in a permanent state of alert within the UFO community.
The incident involving the mutilated dog became known through a report from residents of Villa Giardino itself, who went as far as to file a report with local police authorities in the light of the "exceptional" quality of the situation. This was followed by a court-ordered investigation that included detailed analysis by a team of local veterinarians. Furthermore, contact was made with the specialist from the Vision OVNI Group.
Andrea Pérez Simondini, a respected member of this organization formed by researchers of UFO-related phenomena and paranormal subjects, said "aside from UFO sightings, the trend in 2008 has clearly been the discovery of mutilated animals, mirroring the peak number of cases recorded in mid-2002. Fortunately, we have a large number of experts and scientists committed to studying mutilations. They even work with a fixed protocol that enables them to react swiftly and not lose valuable evidence, which is the only thing that can lead us to the truth."
Regarding the case of Cordoban dog, Simondini wrote a detailed report to which Expedientes Secretos was given access: The animal was discovered on July 29, when the local police became involved in the matter, and the case was forwarded to the veterinarian clinic of Dr. Maria del Rosario Ahumada. According to Simondini, "veterinarians advised us of the events, clarifying certain points about the canine's death. They told us that the animal died from natural causes. The dog's owners had been aware of its death the day before, but there had been no incisions performed on the body. On the 29th, the animal was found with visible incisions, which left local residents bemused."
As far as the details of the necropsy on the animal, Simondini pointed out that "the carcass presents an incision measuring 16 centimeters in diameter on the right rib cage with no extraction of organs," adding that "the expert believes that it was done in a single act, causing a rupture of the diaphragm (in the separation of the abdominal cavity and the thorax) as though a socket punch had been used, and its action caused the aforementioned disruption of the diaphragm."
The researcher also said that according to the operation's results "the dog has an incision between its 6th and 9th ribs, whose ends appear as though filed down in the visible ends of each nail, while in turn leaving a square with regard to the incision. It should be noted that the incision on the rib did not occur at the joint."
Adding further mystery to the case, Simondini stated that "the veterinarian believes that the absence of three ribs are due to the use of a small saw, with a technique that he classifies as very good and masterfully executed."
The incisions "were flat, but when informed that serrated cuts had been observed in other cases, the veterinarian believed that he could identify similar cuts in the dog, undertaking to provide a more detailed report in this regard."
As to what was described as perforations to the body, the expert explained, "these were drops and stains of blood on the fur. No perforations, hematomas or any alterations other than what was described in the cut, were present. He mentioned that there are no injuries to be found on the opposite side of the animal's carcass, or on the face or muzzle."
Concluding her report, Simondini maintains "the veterinarian did not seem to have a clear opinion on what caused the animal's injury, but emphatically stated that he was unaware of any similar cases, and that he dismissed the possibility of involvement by carrion animals from the area. He was emphatic about the use of a cutting element that he could not define, as it was unknown to him."
It would now seem that the mutilation enigma has extended down to dogs.
(Translation (c) 2008, S. Corrales, IHU. Special thanks to Guillermo Gimenez, Planeta UFO)


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October 1, 2020 - 6 minutes read
SQL Course of the Month – How to INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE Data in SQL
LearnSQL.com Team
So, you've started learning SQL, and you already know what the SELECT command is and when to use it! Congratulations! Now, it's time to take the next step towards becoming an expert. You need to know the SQL UPDATE, INSERT, and DELETE commands to modify data in your tables. These are the basics that will allow you to work with tables. But what's the best way to learn them? I asked Agnieszka Kozubek-Krycuń, Chief Content Officer at Vertabelo. In this article, she answers your questions about our October SQL Course of the Month: How to INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE Data in SQL.
Let's start at the beginning. INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE are SQL commands, right?
Yes. They are SQL commands in the same way that SELECT is an SQL command. As you probably know, SELECT allows you to retrieve data from a database, filter it, and perform computations on it. INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE allow you to modify data in tables. INSERT adds new rows to a table, UPDATE modifies existing data in a table, and DELETE removes rows from a table.
In computer programming, we use the acronym CRUD—create, retrieve, update, and delete—to describe the four basic operations you can do on data. The four SQL commands SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE allow you to perform these four basic data operations in SQL databases.
So, the topic of the course is the basis of SQL, without which you can hardly write queries?
The INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE commands are essential for working with data and databases. They are the commands used to populate data in a database. Without these commands, you'd have no data in the database and your queries would not return anything.
These commands can be used by database operators to add or modify data manually. However, most frequently, these commands are used by applications and scripts to add data into a database automatically. So, the knowledge of INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE is essential for software engineers, database administrators, data engineers, and anyone who works with the technical side of databases.
That said, not everyone will use INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE in their job. Depending on your role, you may not need these commands. If you're a Data Analyst and your role is to prepare reports and get insights from data, you may only use the SELECT command in your job. The data will be given to you. In fact, you may not have permission to use INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE on your database.
Either way, it's good to know INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE, or at least be aware of their existence to have a fuller understanding of how a database works. It is always worth knowing how something works and be able to apply it if necessary.
Can you show me the use of these commands with specific examples?
Suppose we have a table with LearnSQL.com courses and it contains only one course, SQL Basics.
1 SQL Basics basic
We want to add a new course How to INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE Data in SQL into the table. We can run this INSERT command:
INSERT INTO courses (id, title, category)
VALUES (2, 'How to INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE Data in SQL', 'basic');
And voila, a new course is now present in the courses table.
2 How to INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE Data in SQL basic
This is of course the simplest example. But imagine you have a website. Every minute someone creates a new account. Their login, password hash, and other data must be in the database to be able to verify them later when logging in.
Each time a user registers on the website, the SQL INSERT and UPDATE commands are run behind the scenes. When the user wants to delete an account, the DELETE command is used.
We are talking about thousands or, as in the case of global servers, millions of users. Here, databases and SQL save the day.
What will I learn from this course? How long does it take?
There are 52 exercises in the course, divided into four parts. We estimate that it takes about eight hours to complete the course.
We start with the basic syntax of the INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE commands. You'll learn how to add new rows to a table with INSERT, how to modify existing rows in a table with UPDATE, and how to remove rows from a table with DELETE.
Then we discuss the less frequently used features of these commands: working with NULLs, inserting data from one table into another table, updating using values from another table, and working with default values. Finally, we wrap up with a short quiz for you to review everything you learned in the course.
Is it part of a larger track?
Yes, this course is part of our SQL From A To Z track. This is a complete SQL learning track for beginners who are looking for a comprehensive set of courses to learn all features used in modern SQL, including those used frequently and infrequently. We chose this track to be the SQL track of the season for Fall 2020.
The course is also part of the SQL Fundamentals mini-track. This track is for beginners who want to learn the foundations of SQL and quickly become productive in SQL.
The course will be useful for current or aspiring IT professionals: programmers, software engineers, data engineers, database administrators (DBAs), database designers, essentially anyone who plans to work with data. Does this describe you? Doing our course will increase your skills and make you a more aware SQL user.
The course can also be helpful to computer science students taking database classes. Additionally, the course will be beneficial to anyone working with databases: data analysts, data scientists, testers, hobbyists.
Anyone who wants to have the complete picture of SQL, including data manipulation commands, will benefit from completing this course.
Will I receive a certificate to post on my LinkedIn profile?
Yes. As with all our courses, after completing the exercises in the course, you'll receive a PDF certificate that you can publish on your LinkedIn profile. See how easy it is to do by reading our short guide.
Do you remember working on this course?
Not many people know this, but this was the first course we worked on for the platform. Five years ago, when we had the idea to create an interactive platform for learning SQL, we started with a course on INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE commands as a "proof of concept" for the idea.
We wrote the first part of the course just to see if the whole thing made sense. Our main SQL course, SQL Basics, was the second course we started to work on.
This course was initially shorter: it consisted of what is now the first part of the course and had less than 20 exercises. After some time, we extended the course with three more parts to offer a comprehensive course on the INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE commands.
Special Offer for "How to INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE Data in SQL"!
Yes! We have something special for our users. Throughout October, the course How to INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE Data in SQL is FREE!
You can get full access to this great interactive course without paying anything. Sign up and start learning today! Learn how to create reports and effective analysis using SQL. Become a pro and achieve more!
SQL Course of the Month – Analyzing Revenue Trends in SQL
During the month of September, the course on Analyzing Revenue Trends in SQL is free. Learn how to create the best SQL reports.
SQL Course of the Month – PostGIS
PostGIS enables efficient processing of large geographic data sets. Find out why you should take our interactive course.
SQL Course of the Month – SQL Practice Set
How to remember SQL functions and write better queries? Practice, practice, practice. Learn how to practice SQL the right way.
SQL Course of the Month – Window Functions
Find out why you should learn SQL window functions in April and why you should do it in our course.
SQL Course of the Month – Creating Basic SQL Reports
Do you want to do better in business? Get more from your data by learning to create SQL reports.
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2020 UIW News
UIW News
UIW CARES Act Funding headed to Students
University has Distributed Over 90% of $2.6 Million in Emergency Funds
San Antonio – May 14, 2020 – The University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) has announced it has already disbursed more than $2 million in funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to more than 4,500 current eligible students. The funds are part of the $2,609,844 received by the University from the CARES Act for direct student grants. The Federal CARES Act funds are intended to provide financial support to students who are eligible to receive Title IV aid based on FAFSA requirements.
"UIW is committed to the success of our students and recognized the opportunity to financially support our students by participating in the CARES Act," says Chief Financial Officer & Vice President for Administrative Services Dr. Darrell Haydon. "UIW moved quickly to get CARES Act funding into the hands of our students. We applied for the funds on 4/10/20, received the funds on 4/20/20, and began disbursing the funds to students by 4/29/20. We have distributed over 90% of the funds, and we still have $207,987 available to support future student requests."
Current eligible students enrolled in Spring 2020 with 12-plus hours received $400 and those enrolled in less than 12 hours received $300. Students could then apply for additional costs associated with COVID-19.
The CARES Act directs institutions to use funds received under the act to provide emergency financial aid grants to students for expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those expenses include but are not limited to food, housing, health care, childcare, technology, and course materials. Eligibility requirements include but are not limited to U.S. citizenship or eligible non-citizens, a valid Social Security number, registration with Selective Services, and a high school diploma, GED, or completed high school in an approved homeschool setting.
For more information and on how to apply for emergency funds go to: https://www.uiw.edu/finaid/emergency-aid.html


Kasdan, Lippsmith, Weber, Turner LLP came to Furniture Plus Design for help in furnishing their new Honolulu Office. They had acquired a wonderful, open office with fantastic views of downtown Honolulu with roughly 2400 SqFt of space including several private offices on the perimeter and a great open area in the center. The Company wanted furniture that was modern, functional and had features that would complement their new office space without obstructing the views. We worked with them and assisted them in developing a floor plan that fit their needs and desires while remaining within their planned budget and timeframe.
We incorporated a benching system into the open area to provide a more collaborative area for the attorneys when working together on a case while taking advantage of the wonderful views. We also provided casegoods furniture in three private offices to promote "head down" work. Also included was a reception area with desking and privacy panels and a seating area adjacent for a casual waiting/meeting area. The client wanted some vibrant color in the space so the lounge seating in both areas was done in a bright cheerful color which really adds to the space.
Additionally, there was a great opportunity to capitalize on the views by providing a small seating area near the windows for quick meetings to discuss agenda or other items. For the conference room, we provided a table which incorporates power and data in the center of the table.
The client was pleased that we could complete the installation in a timely manner and allow them to utilize their new office space.


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BRU VS MNC: Referee Decision That Needed A Review By The VAR
By Contii (self media writer) | 3 months ago
Another disappointing performance from the Video Assistant Referee and the Center Referee In the UCL match between Club Brugge and Manchester City.
Manchester City started the game with high pressing counter attacks from the likes of Debruyne, Mahrez, Foden and Silva in the attack.
Pep Guardiola played the match with no top striker and Kevin Debruyne was used as a false nine. City dominated the game from the beginning of the match to the end of the first half.
Manchester City scored the first goal of the match in the first 15 minutes of the game but a controversial decision by the VAR ruled the goal offside. The Video Assistant Referee was wrong to cancel Rodri's goal for offside because the Spanish International was onside before receiving the pass.
It was a brilliant assist from Laporte to Rodri from a set piece attack from Kevin Debruyne. The Spanish International wasted no time to score the goal but VAR cancelled it.
The VAR system should work on their consistency because that was a wrong decision.
Manchester City scored the first goal of the match through Cancelo in the 30th minutes of the game after converting a brilliant assist from Foden.
City doubled the lead in the 43rd minutes of the game from the penalty spot through Mahrez.
It was a well deserved first half victory for Manchester City who controlled the game from the start to finish. Both team started the second half of the game with brilliant performance but City overpowered Club Brugge with the likes of Debruyne and Foden.
City rapped the game up with 3 second half goals from Walker, Palmer and Mahrez before Club Brugge scored a consolation goal.
Drop a comment for the VAR decision against Rodri's goal
Content created and supplied by: Contii (via Opera News )
BRU Foden Manchester City Pep Guardiola Spanish International


Show your face. We're all joined at the hip to our electronic devices, but communicating with and being available to your clients via email and social networking is no substitute for face time. "It's the best way to keep connections alive," says Michael Jurken, CEO of Majic Enterprises an event production company in Brookfield, WI. "Just last week I had lunch with a client that I hadn't seen a quite a few months. Three hours later she was on the phone requesting a new project. It works every time!" Jurken keeps track of client interaction through his customer database and makes sure to reach out to clients who he hasn't seen in a few weeks. "Clients' minds start to drift if they are seeing me as MIA," he says.
Ask customers what they need. Josh Shipp, teen advice guru and the founder of Hey Josh, uses online surveys to ask customers what they want, then creates new products based on the results. For instance, he recently asked customers to complete a three-question online survey regarding common problems with teen behavior, and presented them with four options for addressing those issues. He then produced a YouTube video to discuss the results of the survey and to pitch customers on his self-esteem instructional program, an existing product that he tweaked to address their needs. "400 people took the survey," says Shipp. The results generated 46 orders and $5,000 in sales for his product. More importantly, Shipp sent the message to customers that they're in the driver's seat when it comes to new product development.


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Q: Creating network listener on glassfish causing to bomb on startup I have a network listener that i listening to port 8181 for one website www.aaaa.com that is securely accessing a module aaa.war on my glassfish server.  I have another website www.bbbb.com that is also to be securely accessing a module bbb.war on a glassfish server.  I have created a virtual server for each module but each server has its own secure SSL ticket.  In glassfish as far as I can tell each listener can only have one certificate nickname.  So thusly i need two listeners...but if i create a network listener for the virtual server www.bbb.com to use, it fails when i restart glassfish cause that second network listener also needs to listen on 8181 doesn't it?  so it says the port is binded and in use.  Is there some critical step I am missing to using network listeners in glassfish and virtual servers?
I believe the issue has something to do with what is brought up here:
http://www.java.net/forum/topic/glassfish/glassfish/glassfish-301-cannot-be-configured-use-ssl-certificates-different-internet-domain-names

A: It seems that Glassfish does not support yet SNI (Server Name Indication) a new TLS feature that allows to indicate the host name during SSL handshaking. So now you can only have one certificate per port.
See this JIRA ticket. If you want you can vote this issue up.
Anyway, if you have multiple ip addresses you can create multiple listeners for the same port and then bind multiple SSL certificates.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Michigan Sales Representative Commission Act
May 14, 2013 By Eric Misterovich
If you are a sales representative in Michigan that gets paid by commission, then Michigan law has you covered! Michigan's Sales Representative Commission Act (SRCA) protects sales representatives' rights to their commissions by giving them legal recourse if their employer does not pay. Sales representatives qualify for protection under the SRCA if they are employed or contracted to sell tangible goods to customers and are paid by commission off the sales. The SRCA covers: (1) when payment on an expected commission is due and (2) the compensation the sales representative is entitled to in the event of nonpayment.
Under the SRCA, payment of a commission is due based on whatever terms are laid out in the employment contract. If the contract does not specify a due date, then the history of the parties will control the due date. For example, if Bob has always paid Andy's commissions within 7 days of the sale, then Bob will have to continue to pay Andy's commissions within 7 days. If the parties did not specify a due date in the contract and have no prior history, then the custom of the industry will determine when payment for the commission is due. Once the due date of the commission is determined, the employer has 45 days to make payment.
If the employer does not pay within 45 days, a sales representative can file a lawsuit against the employer. This is where the SRCA really protects sales representatives. Sales representatives are entitled to the actual commission due, and they might also be entitled to additional compensation of double the commission due or $100,000—whichever is less. So, a sales representative owed a commission of $15,000 could win a judgment of $45,000!
The additional compensation becomes available if the employer "intentionally failed to pay." According to the Court of Appeals of Michigan in Peters v. Gunnell, Inc., this language does not require the sales representative to show that the employer acted in bad faith—only that the employer acted purposefully.
The SRCA is not done yet, though! Under the SRCA, a sales representative who brings a successful claim could also be entitled to reasonable attorney's fees!
If you are a sales representative who is expecting payment on a commission, the SRCA and the attorneys at Revision Legal have you covered. Contact us today, and we would be happy to evaluate your claim! Going to court can be a headache, but the SRCA makes it worthwhile—literally!


The United States has called on Russia to immediately release Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko, who is on a "dry" hunger strike without water to protest against her unlawful detention in Russia, as well as other political captives kept in this country.
Permanent Representative of the United States to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Ambassador Daniel Baer said this in a statement at a meeting of the Permanent OSCE Council in Vienna, own Ukrinform correspondent reports.
"The United States once again is calling on the Russian Federation to immediately release all Ukrainian political prisoners kept in Russia. We are still very concerned about the issue of Nadiya Savchenko and we urge the Russian Federation to release her as soon as possible," the US diplomat said.


Long before our times, humanity fought against an grievous of unimaginable power. The unenlightenment was broken only by the Seekers, person capable to arouse legendary creatures -the Titans -into their own level of existence. With the Titans corporal punishment their all order, the first-born Seekers fought against the darkling forces of the class and against themselves.
Lok and Sophie happen upon a journal near by Lok's father. The Organization, a unit of grievous Seekers, is after the book, and to overcome they requirement join a sort of acceptable Seekers low belligerent somebody Dante and unsocial wolf Zhalia.
Long before our time, humanity fought against an evil of out of the question power. The darkness was fragmented only by the Seekers, humans able-bodied to invoke fabled creatures -the Titans -into their own plane of existence. With the Titans corporal punishment their all order, the initial Seekers fought against the darkening forces of the hel and against themselves.


At the top of the list is the day I married Gwynne on January 20, 1991. The love of my life.
I Can't do the things I used to do, so Gwynne takes care of all our animals, she is the farm hand, gardener, builder, maintenance person, etc. and most of all my caregiver.
I have 3 Kids, 12 Grand and 7 Great Grand ( at the moment ). Some of which like or love me, others not so much.


The Western Collection by David R. Bindel was presented by the Marjorie Evans Gallery at Sunset Center in June.
It was the first and long-awaited showing by Bindel who was born and raised in Carmel. Art has always been in his bloodline. His first daughter, known professionally as Courtney Jordan, is an accomplished artist and interior designer for her L.A. based interior design team, Jordan Design Crew.
The owner of twelve restaurants, his focus was all about the art of food. Designing the menu, the décor and ads for the restaurants, he was inspired since childhood, having come from an artistic family.
Today, in his real estate career at Sotheby's, his art continues with designing ads and photographing properties, as he continues to create by producing beautiful living spaces for his clients.
* The Western Collection may be viewed at Sotheby's on Ocean between Dolores and San Carlos.


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GPSC decides not to make statement regarding end of DACA, will await administrative action
Members of GPSC meet for the first time this fall on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017, at the Student Center. (Daily Egyptian file photo)
By Francois Gatimu
At its first regularly scheduled meeting of the fall semester Tuesday, the Graduate and Professional Student Council decided not to make any statements or take action in response to President Donald Trump ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
DACA was launched in 2012 following an executive order issued by President Barack Obama to protect students who were brought into the country before reaching age 16. After wrestling with the decision for months, Trump called on Congress earlier that day to find a way to replace the policy with legislation before the program fully expires on March 5.
The government will no longer accept new applications to shield young immigrants from deportation, but officials announced the current recipients of the program will not be immediately affected.
Council members expressed doubt about whether the statement would do any good without having a subsequent action to back it up.
"I will not take any steps until I know that the administration is making actionable steps that GPSC can participate in," said Johnathan Flowers, GPSC president and a doctoral candidate in philosophy.
The council, which fought last year to make SIU a sanctuary campus for undocumented students, plans to continue voicing concerns for marginalized groups this semester.
"I am not going to try and make SIU a sanctuary campus since it's covered by the TRUST Act," Flowers said, referring to recently passed state legislation that prohibits local law enforcement officials from detaining undocumented immigrants solely because of their immigration status.
The body expressed concerns that making a statement about Trump's decision would give students false hope.
"We just don't want to tell students we can do this and not be legally allowed to do it," said council member Lauran Schaefer, a doctoral candidate studying communication studies.
The graduate student governmental body will continue to support all students nonetheless, Flowers said, but will do so within their administrative limitations.
"If there is a statement, it needs to focus on student safety, and that safety on campus is always a priority," said Sheena Hart, a law student and one of GPSC's Graduate Council representatives.
Hart suggested offering DACA students a "know your rights" workshop as a way to back up a supportive statement by the council.
Flowers said the council will work closely with administration this semester to make sure undocumented students and other minority groups are protected and to determine the administration's limitations in carrying out the TRUST Act.
The group also discussed its goals for the school year. Flowers said he will focus on recognizing the diversity of the graduate student body, which will include ensuring graduate students from lower socio-economic statuses are "getting the same opportunities."
Flowers said he wants to increase student participation in shared governance, which he has begun to do by soliciting university administration for opportunities to involve the student body in major decisions that affect them.
"I want to ensure that the administration provides every opportunity for graduate and professional students' participation in shared governance," Flowers said.
He said the administration has already taken a step in this direction by adding five additional seats on the university's Higher Learning Commission reaccreditation subcommittees.
Also discussed was a possible meeting with Chancellor Carlo Montemagno. Flowers said the meeting, slated tentatively for Sept. 21, would be held in conjunction with the Undergraduate Student Government to provide students an opportunity to air their questions and concerns to Montemagno in a public setting.
"Every chancellor search requires open forums with the candidates — something that we didn't have during this chancellor search," Flowers said.
Flowers added the process of selecting Montemagno did not sufficiently involve the student body because it occurred over the summer.
Correction: An earlier version of this article said GPSC voted on a motion to make a statement regarding the end of DACA. The topic came up during the open comments portion of the meeting and never came to a vote.
Staff writer Francois Gatimu can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @frankDE28.
Francois Gatimu
graduate and professional student council
Lauran Schaefer
Sheena Hart


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Home News & Analysis Deals Carlyle debuts in Mexico
Carlyle debuts in Mexico
The global private equity firm, in Mexico since 2003, has acquired its first portfolio company there by investing in the country's rapidly expanding higher education field.
Judy Kuan
The Carlyle Group, a global private equity firm headquartered in Washington DC, has bought out a majority share in Universidad Latinoamericana SC (ULA), one of Mexico's private universities.
Financial details for the investment were not disclosed. The firm acquired the stake from existing shareholders and expects the transaction to close by the end of this year upon receiving regulatory approval.
The acquisition of ULA is Carlyle's first investment focused purely on Mexico. Carlyle, which set up its Mexico City office at the end of 2003, previously indirectly invested in the country when the Carlyle Partners III LP fund acquired Loews Cineplex Entertainment Corporation – which operates some theatres in Mexico – in July 2004.
ULA, established 30 years ago, is one of Mexico's smaller private universities, with around 4000 students enrolled. According to Luis Téllez, a managing director at Carlyle's Mexico City office, ULA has a "good name" but charges half the tuition rate of Mexico's elite colleges. Carlyle's plan for ULA is to give the university more of a technology focus and to build up infrastructure for teaching. The private equity firm also plans to open new campuses in addition to ULA's current three campuses. Further down the road, the firm expects to exit the ULA investment through a trade sale to strategic investors seeking to enter Mexico's education sector.
Through the ULA acquisition, Carlyle will enter Mexico's higher education private sector, which Carlyle expects to experience explosive growth in the coming years. "There are two forces at work: demographics and per capita income," says Téllez.
"In the next 10 to 15 years, the high school and college age population will be the highest in Mexico's history, and Mexico's per capita income – which is higher than Argentina and Chile, where a greater proportion of the population attends college – is also expected to increase," says Téllez.
Meanwhile, publicly-funded higher education institutions in Mexico have limited capital and therefore is unlikely to be able to cater to the rising demand for college admissions, says Téllez.
Varel Freeman, managing director of New York-based private equity firm Baring Latin America Partners, identifies with the draw of Mexico's education sector. "Prominent local businessmen have made a good business out of education, and our firm has looked at a number of investment opportunities in the education field," says Freeman.
The Carlyle Mexico team, co-led by managing directors Téllez and Joaquin Avila, will focus on leveraged buyout opportunities in Mexico. A firm spokesperson confirmed The Carlyle Group manages a Mexico fund but declined to comment further.
SFERS approves $50m commitment


The stir that was caused by M.I Abaga's latest single 'You Rappers Should Fix Up Your Lives' settled down now but the conversations are still ongoing. The latest personality to wade into the conversation is Nigerian rap veteran Ill Bliss. The rapper/label exec shared his thoughts during an interview with Sound City's VJ Adams.
For Ill Bliss, who has dabbled a few times into the singing route through the help of industry hook makers such as Rundown and Reekado Banks insisted that hip-hop is a dynamic genre and rappers who possess the ability to sing should not be begrudged for it.
'To be honest, if you look at it closely, I've never really been the guy to sing. I'll get the guy on the hook to do the hook coz that's what they know best. But I've never begrudged anybody that could do both', Ill Bliss said.
He also stated that cooperate sponsors and brands contributed to the decline of hip hop in Nigeria as very little opportunities are available for rappers who stick to making only rap records.
'I think the cooperates failed hip-hop. They haven't supported the art form as much'.
While Ill Bliss points the cooperates as being responsible for the failings in Nigerian Hip-hop, other people have blamed the rappers, the media and even the fans for contributing to the decline of the genre.
It remains uncertain whether core hip-hop will ever thrive in Nigeria as even the official music video to the much talked about 'You Rappers should Fix Up Your Lives' song has been able to garner a mere 45, 000 Youtube views since being released three days ago. That's definitely a small figure for a song that stirred so much reactions.


I have always loved Julia Stainton's style, and she is the muse at Case Study Challenge Blog for the month of October. I LOVE her sample card for challenge #112! This is my take on her lovely style.
Here is Julia's "Sew Trendy" Card!! Sew crafty!! Click on over to the Case Study Challenge Blog to see what the rest of the design team, and those of us playing along, created this week. TFL!
Love your card! Are the dots and scallops stamps or patterned papers?
Thank you! The dots are stamped with an old background stamp from CTMH, and the scallops are a new Hero Arts stamp" Lacey Background " co-branded with Basic Grey / Paper Cottage line.


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Q: Basic Server-Protocol Relationship I am fairly new to networking and understand that a server is a host that handles requests made by clients. I also understand that protocols are the guidelines for handling these requests, however I do not understand why servers are described as (for example) SSH servers or FTP servers. My question is this: Are servers limited to a specific protocol type or can the same server be able to use multiple protocols?

A: A server - roughly assimilated to a socket - is attached to a TCP or UDP port to listen for a (single) particular protocol on that port. Indeed once the socket is opened both parties need to agree on a common language to understand each other, otherwise communications magic will not happen.
Nonetheless multiple protocols can be stacked on a server as soon as both parties agree (and are aware of that). Think about TCP + SSL + HTTP + REST. Imagine also some kind of "master/super" protocol allowing parties to select a sub-protocol. This is possible ... but at the beginning one could say that this is a single protocol.


Char has been weaving for over 25 years and teaching for the last 15 years. She weaves Mainly with reed and loves playing with color placement to get many different and interesting patterns. She teaches at home, at guild gatherings, and many weaving conventions where she is passing down weaving techniques to all.


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HIV/AIDS > HIV/AIDS
HIV Prevention: Are Doctors the Problem?
— Patients say they struggle to prescribe PrEP
by Sydney Lupkin, Reporter, VICE News/MedPage Today August 6, 2015
Jake Mason, a sexually active gay man, will never forget the response he received when he asked for a Truvada prescription to prevent HIV at a clinic in Los Angeles.
The doctor used a crude synonym for a promiscuous person and then said: "I just think you want to be on it so you can sleep with whoever and not use condoms," Mason recalled. MedPage Today chose not to name the clinic because Mason did not make a formal complaint when the slur occurred, and the clinic said it was unlikely, but it had no way of checking without more information.
"I said, 'First, that's not the reason why, and second, it's none of your business,'" Mason said.
He left without a prescription.
Emtricitabine/tenofovir (Truvada) has long been used to treat people already infected with HIV. But in 2012, the FDA approved Truvada (tenofovir and emtricitabine) for use as a "pre-exposure prophylaxis," or preventive drug treatment, to reduce HIV transmission. When used in this way, it's called PrEP.
In 2014, the CDC recommended the daily pill for anyone who uses injectable drugs or has unprotected sex with partners of unknown HIV status.
"The guidelines are based on strong evidence from clinical trials of [pre-exposure prophylaxis] use in high-risk populations," the CDC wrote on its website.
Last summer, the World Health Organization recommended that all men who have sex with men consider using PrEP.
Despite the broad recommendations, those who want to take Truvada as a preventive measure say there are obstacles to actually getting the drug. For some, it's stigma. For others, it's that their primary care physicians say they don't know enough about the drug to prescribe it. And once they get a prescription, the price-tag can be prohibitive.
'Failure of the System'
Infectious disease specialist Joel Gallant, MD, associate medical director of specialty services at Southwest Care Center in Santa Fe, N.M., said he's prescribed Truvada as PrEP to about a dozen patients, but ideally primary care physicians should be doing this. Men come to him as a last resort, and he's heard his fair share of "crazy stories" from them about their other doctors' refusals.
"I view these situations as a failure of the system if people come to HIV clinics to get PrEP," Gallant said, adding that he prescribed the drug to a patient this week who had been trying to get a prescription for three years.
Only 8,512 people started taking Truvada as a preventive treatment for HIV from January 1, 2012 to March 31, 2015, excluding study participants, according to Ryan McKeel, a spokesperson for Gilead Sciences of Foster City, Calif., the pharmaceutical company that manufactures Truvada. Gilead made headlines last year for its hepatitis C treatment that costs $1,000 per pill.
PrEP only works if patients take it every day.
In a clinical trial funded by the NIH, uninfected men taking Truvada were 44% less likely to contract HIV than men taking a placebo. But when researchers looked only at men who had detectable levels of the drug in their blood, indicating that they took it regularly, they found that there was a 92% risk reduction. In other words, those who skipped doses were significantly less well-protected against HIV.
The same group of researchers estimated that PrEP is 99% effective at preventing HIV transmission when taken every day as directed.
Still, PrEP is by no means a panacea, and it's not for everyone, said Patrick Wilson, PhD, a professor of sociomedical sciences at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York City. He also said people using it should be cautious and use condoms.
Jim Pickett, who directs prevention advocacy and gay men's health programs for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, said that the negative connotations surrounding Truvada's rollout as PrEP reminded him of the early days of the women's birth control pill. Gallant and Wilson agreed.
"There was a lot of attitude and a lot of shaming," Pickett said. "If you were the kind of woman who wanted oral contraception, you were a bad person."
Pickett said PrEP comes with the same kind of judgment. He started a blog for people to share their experiences with the drug, which includes a number of horror stories like Mason's. One man described a verbal ping-pong match with his doctor, who told him PrEP was only for sex workers, and if he took it, he could break a hip and die.
But the stigma surrounding PrEP can be more subtle.
Lee Knight, 55, of San Diego, said that as he was undergoing testing and counseling to get a PrEP prescription at a Kaiser Permanente clinic, he was given a piece of paper that said if he tested positive for a sexually transmitted infection while on the drug, his doctors reserved the right to discontinue the prescription.
"I think I felt that there was a huge narrow judgment about me as a gay man that was informing that decision," he told MedPage Today, adding that even among gay men, taking PrEP is mistakenly associated with promiscuity. "It's a stereotype that's in people's heads. I think that informed the whole process where they gave me...the grilling about my sex life."
Knight complained to the clinic's management, who he said were receptive to his complaint and eventually changed the forms. Kaiser was unavailable for comment.
Although doctors should tell patients to wear condoms, telling them to "behave themselves or else they don't deserve PrEP is the wrong approach," said Gallant, who is a past chair of the HIV Medicine Association.
"We need PrEP because people aren't always using condoms," he said, stressing that the drug is for people who are at the highest risk of contracting HIV.
Physician Uptake
Mason eventually went to his primary care physician and demanded that the doctor look up Truvada as a preventive treatment for HIV. The doctor listened, conducted some research, and eventually wrote the prescription.
A common refrain among doctors who don't want to prescribe PrEP is that it doesn't prevent other sexually transmitted diseases or infections, but Mason said comparing HIV with infections like gonorrhea isn't right.
As a gay man growing up amid the AIDS epidemic, Mason said there's an ingrained fear that having sex can kill you.
"It's not even comparable," Mason said. "I had a condom break and cried for 4 days straight. I went to the doctor and got tested a million times."
The CDC told MedPage Today that new drugs can take time to become mainstream, but it's working to promote awareness about PrEP among clinicians on several fronts. Still, uptake has been slow.
"I could definitely see that as a potential stumbling block, particularly if men have doctors who aren't as familiar with PrEP and the use of ART [antiretroviral therapy] as a preventive tool," Wilson, who has studied attitudes toward PrEP and condom use, told MedPage Today.
MedPage Today spoke to a Dallas nurse who wanted to obtain PrEP so she and her husband, who is HIV positive, could have a baby. But the process took nearly 8 months, and several doctors turned her down, including her primary care physician and her obstetrician/gynecologist.
"They used verbiage of 'This is hairy territory,' and 'This is really not supported,' even though it is FDA approved," said the woman, who chose to remain anonymous. "One of the doctors basically just said, 'Nobody supports doing this.'"
They told her they would only perform intrauterine insemination to help her get pregnant, but it would have cost more than $10,000 for the procedure alone, which insurance doesn't cover. Moreover, she would have needed to pay for drugs and sperm-washing. She couldn't afford it.
Eventually, she found an infectious disease doctor willing to provide her with PrEP and she found out this month that she's pregnant.
"We did ultimately end up getting PrEP, but, I mean, the road to getting it was not the easiest," she said, adding that at times they wondered if a baby wasn't in the cards for them.
Pickett said there's also a lot of misinformation surrounding the drug, and doctors sometimes overstate the risks associated with it.
Side effects typically include upset stomach and loss of appetite, which both eventually subside, according to the CDC. Gilead's website says less common, but more serious side effects, can include liver problems and lactic acid build-up. Decreases in bone density were also reported.
Knight said it took weeks for him to get a preventive prescription for Truvada, not to mention hundreds of dollars in lab work. Once he got it, the pharmacist told him it would cost him $1,400 out of pocket. He decided to go home without it.
Another patient, Z'ev Hadash, 42, of South Florida, said he initially was able to get Truvada for $60 a month from his longtime doctor, but when the Affordable Care Act passed, he had to switch plans, find a new provider, and "come out" all over again. Then, he asked for PrEP again.
"He said, 'I've never heard of such voodoo' and I was left to find another doctor," Hadash said. "It took me five doctors to find one willing to write the prescription."
When he finally found a doctor who would prescribe the drug, there was a $717 co-pay and he couldn't afford it. He said he didn't qualify for assistance because he made $300 too much per year.
"Changes in my healthcare made PrEP impossible for a time," he said.
Two years later, after he petitioned the drug company, doctors, insurance companies, and his congressman for better access to PrEP, he found and enrolled in a study that provided the drug to patients for free.
"I don't think my challenge is over yet; I merely won a battle," Hadash wrote in an email to MedPage Today. "The study will stop providing Truvada sometime next year and I will have to start over. My hope is that there will be better avenues established by the government, insurance companies, and Gilead by then."


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Home > SPJ News > SPJ effort leads to improved prison access
SPJ effort leads to improved prison access
Clint Brewer, President, (615) 301-9229
Beth King, Communications Manager, (317) 927-8000, ext. 211
INDIANAPOLIS -- SPJ leaders are pleased that on Tuesday, the 7th U.S. Court of Appeals judges reversed a district court's ruling that banned face-to-face interviews with federal death-row inmates.
In August, SPJ joined the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the Hoosier State Press Association in an amicus brief to the Seventh U.S. Court of Appeals in Hammer v. Ashcroft, which challenged a Bureau of Prisons' policy banning face-to-face interviews with federal death-row inmates.
The case initially filed in federal court by David Paul Hammer, who is currently awaiting his death sentence in the federal prison in Terre Haute, Ind., attacked the BOP policy, which Hammer said infringed upon his First Amendment rights. The district court granted summary judgment for the government and Hammer appealed to the 7th Circuit.
The brief argued that the in-person interview ban was implemented for impermissible reasons -- the BOP enacted the policy after Ed Bradley's interview with Tim McVeigh on 60 Minutes, which sparked outrage from various high-ranking government officials, including then-Attorney General John Ashcroft. The BOP's stance on the appeal, however, was that the restrictions had nothing to do with criticism it received about the McVeigh interview and that they were put in place for "security reasons."
The 7th Circuit reversed the district court's ruling, holding that "Hammer raised a genuine issue of fact as to whether the defendants' proffered justification for the policy banning face-to-face interviews is pretextual." With that issue decided, the case will be sent back to the district court.
"We're pleased that the Federal Appeals Court recognizes the principles of open government and the First Amendment," said SPJ President Clint Brewer. "Although death-row inmates lose many of their privileges inside prison walls, the press's ability to report on death-row should not be compromised, simply because it makes others in high-ranking government positions feel uncomfortable. Oversight of our nation's prison systems is one of the most important functions of the American media."
Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, the Society of Professional Journalists promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. For further information about SPJ, please visit www.spj.org.