Bill Gates has made his largest charitable donation since 2000.
Bill Gates just gave away 5% of his fortune.
$4.6 billion, to be exact. According to a Securities & Exchange Commission filing released on Monday and picked up by Bloomberg, Gates donated 64 million shares of Microsoft on June 6. The report notes that this is the billionaire's largest donation since 2000, when he donated stock valued at $5 billion to create the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
While the SEC filing did not specify the gift's recipient, it is expected that the money will go to Gates' charity. The Chronicle of Philanthropy estimates that this would bring the total of Gates' donations to the foundation to more than $18 billion.
As a co-creator of the Giving Pledge with Warren Buffett, Gates has committed to giving a majority of his wealth to charity. His latest donation represents 38% of his Microsoft holdings (his stake is now down to 1.3% from 24% in 1996), but it's still only a small fraction of his total wealth, estimated at over $85 billion by Bloomberg. Not including this latest donation, the foundation currently has an endowment of $40.3 billion—augmented in no small part by a $36.1 billion donation made by Buffett in 2006.


To make sure the example Absence Request process runs correctly, do the procedure in this topic.
If there is an error, click Icon for the details of an error. Then fix the error.
On the Process Builder screen, click Validate .
The message Process Model Validated Successfully shows.
The validation of the Absence Request process is complete.


Many times I meet students who are intermediate or advanced students because they have been taken lessons for long time, and many times I figure out that they don`t know what the verb "Soler" means. For example, I say to them an easy phrase like: "Yo solía dar clases en esa escuela", and they start to look at me very confused until they finally say "Sorry, I don´t understand".
So, let´s explain the verb "Soler".
It´s a verb that indicates frequency, so, when I say this verb I want to tell that the next verb is an action that is frequent or it was frequent. We can use this verb in Present or in Preterite Imperfect Tense.
Present: Yo suelo, vos solés (tú sueles), él-ella-usted suele, nosotros-as solemos, ustedes-ellos-as suelen.
Imperfect: Yo solía, tú-vos solías, usted-él-ella solía, nosotros-as solíamos, ustedes-ellos-as solían.
"Yo suelo tomar mate por la mañana" (I usually drink mate in the morning).
Share the post "About the verb "Soler""


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Q: Using for_loop to combine multiple subset datasets I want to select the same 3 variables from dflist 1-4. dflist is the list containing 4 datasets I have already loaded. i wrote a code to achieve it. My code like this:
dfmul<-rbind(dflist[[1]][,c("siteid_public","childid_public","round")],
                dflist[[2]][,c("siteid_public","childid_public","round")],
                dflist[[3]][,c("siteid_public","childid_public","round")],
                dflist[[4]][,c("siteid_public","childid_public","round")])

But this looks very chunky and not efficient. Can someone help to figure out how to I simplify it? Thanks a lot~~!

A: You can loop over your list using lapply, select your variables and bind all resulting rows.
dfmul <- do.call(rbind, lapply(dflist, "[", c("siteid_public",
                                              "childid_public",
                                              "round")))

A: Another option:
library(tidyverse)

dfmul <- map_dfr(dflist, ~select(.x, siteid_public, childid_publicm, round))

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


When do you start them?
Home › When do you start them?
Unlike other companies, we do not run a set time table for when we put on a sale so this is not a question we can give a firm answer to. However, do not worry when we do start one we will shout about it via our site, newsletter and social media.


The man who invented a really interesting early system of transmitting information over long distances was born in France back in 1763. He is considered the father of modern telecommunications, because his system was the first practical long-range communication system.
His name was Claude Chappe and was born as the grandson of a French baron. By the year of birth he belonged to a generation approximately between Mozart and Napoleon Bonaparte. He was born in an era when the opulent aristocratic elite ruled France, and when he was 25 years old the famous French Revolution broke out.
Claude Chappe, along with his brothers, laid the first distant messaging system in 1792. It was a series of towers that were arranged in a line from Paris to Lille. At the top of each tower was a device with two arms connected by a cross-arm that could be moved and were visible from a great distance. An operator in the tower used binoculars and watched the neighboring tower and, when he saw the sign that it sends, he would also set up such a sign at the top of his tower. Thus, the information quickly spread hundreds of kilometers.
Chappe's device was named "Telegraph opulent" (from Greek: tele – "at a distance", and graphein – "to write"). It was actually an optical telegraph, unlike the later electric ones. The name "semaphore" was used for the same system, but this word later changed its meaning to signify the device for traffic lights.
The system from Paris to Lille was over 200 kilometers long, and it was important because the city of Lille was located on the northern border of revolutionary France, and from it the news of an attack from a foreign country could be sent. Already two years later, the news about the Austrian attack was really swiftly sent to Paris. Later, even longer lines were built – from Paris to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Chappe's communications network in France was in total as much as 4,800 kilometers long and contained 556 nodes, so it is referred to by some as a "mechanical internet".


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Sybil Campbell
Sybil Campbell was the first woman to be appointed to the professional judiciary full-time in Britain, when she became a stipendiary magistrate at Tower Bridge Magistrates' Court in 1945. She remained the only full-time female professional magistrate or judge in England until she retired in 1961.
The eldest of three daughters, Sybil was born in Ceylon, Sri Lanka in 1889, where her father worked as an agent for the Anglo-Ceylon General Estates Company. Her mother was the daughter of Sir William Bovill, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. Initially taught by her mother, Sybil went to school in North Berwick when she was thirteen. After a few months at a finishing school in Paris, she went to Girton College, Cambridge in 1908. She read Natural Sciences before transferring to Economics, achieving a Third. She also acted as president of Girton College's debating society.
Upon leaving Cambridge, Sybil worked as an investigating officer from 1913 to 1918 with the Trade Boards. Her work involved investigating working conditions in the 'sweated trades' in deprived areas, and enforcing minimum wages. Her parents were concerned for her safety, and insisted that she carry a gun during her inspections, which she kept hidden and unloaded. During the First World War, Sybil worked as an enforcement officer with the Ministry of Food in the Midlands, helping to prosecute black marketeers. It was here that she met Gwyneth Bebb, another trailblazer in the legal profession, and Sybil became the godmother of Gwyneth's first daughter in 1919.
Sybil continued to work for the Ministry of Food until 1921. After the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919, she joined the Middle Temple in 1920, and was one of the first ten women called to the Bar at the Middle Temple on the 17th November 1922. Afterwards, Sybil practised as a barrister in the chambers of H. H. Joy on the Midlands circuit. At the time, it was a struggle to succeed as a woman in the very masculine environment of the Bar. One contemporary observer remarked that women were not doing as well at the Bar due to the fact it was "an eminently selfish profession, marked by ruthless personal ambitions", which relied upon public school links of patronage.
In 1929 she was appointed a member of the Trade Boards, and later she was given a position on the Court of Referees. During the Second World War, Sybil returned to work at the Ministry of Food, becoming Assistant Divisional Food Officer (Enforcement) for London. The Daily Express described her as "Britain's number one food detective" and "the directing brain behind the organisation that trapped food profiteers and black market racketeers" She was awarded an OBE in 1942 for her work.
Sybil returned to the Bar and Referees Courts in 1944, and in March 1945 she applied for the vacant position of metropolitan police magistrate in the Tower Bridge police courts. By 1945 there were around 3,700 female justices of the peace, but no woman had ever been appointed as a professional judge. The Home Secretary at the time, Herbert Morrison, was keen to appoint a woman to the judiciary, and supported Sybil's application.
Sybil's appointment was announced on 3rd April 1945. While the press was generally positive, the Law Journal voiced doubts, questioning whether "the hearing of very unpleasant matters" was "the most suitable judicial appointment for a woman". The appointment was also questioned by members of the Bar in a letter to The Times and in Parliament, with Russell Thomas MP asking the Home Secretary "on what grounds he departed from precedent". Formal objections that Sybil had not worked as a barrister long enough masked underlying beliefs that women were not suited for the judiciary.
Within a few months, the national press were criticising Sybil for the severity of her sentences, which was almost double the national level for first offenders. Henry Lucas, who had worked for his employer for 35 years, was jailed for stealing four small Christmas puddings. After Sybil gave Arthur Whiffen six weeks in prison for stealing three bars of soap, 5,000 factory workers participated in a demonstration against her. The Sunday Pictorial published a full-page attack of Sybil entitled 'The Lady of Tower Bridge', leading to angry letters from individuals describing her as a 'fiendish vixen'.
However, a police report supported Sybil's higher sentences due to the nature of crime in the Tower Bridge area, and the Home Office concluded that "Miss Campbell's sentences are severe but we have no evidence that her findings are unfair." Despite this, Sybil was booed as she walked to work, and called names such as 'the beast of Belsen', enduring the criticism with stoicism.
Later in her career, Sybil gained a reputation for fairness. She visited prisons and probation houses to witness their conditions, and was sympathetic in her use of probation. She also served as honorary secretary for the David Isaacs Fund for the Poor of London. Sybil continued as stipendiary magistrate until she retired aged in 1961 aged 72, having remained the only woman to be appointed a full-time judge in Britain. A year after Sybil's retirement, Elizabeth Lane became the first female county court judge.
Sybil was a fervent supporter of women's education. She served as Honorary Secretary of the British Federation of University Women from 1921 to 1933, and Honorary Vice-President from 1947 to 1977. Her duties included acting as delegate to conferences in Madrid and Budapest. She also spearheaded the campaign for the establishment of Crosby Hall of Residence for international women postgraduates in Chelsea.
After her retirement to her family home in Argyll, Sybil devoted herself to gardening and her duties as Churchwarden. She died on the 29th August 1977 in Glasgow, remembered for her wit, determination, and sense of duty.
Written by Annabel Twose, Project Coordinator for First 100 Years
Image © National Portrait Gallery
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The Fifth Decade: 1959 – 1969
Nilema Bhakta-Jones: from Barrister to General Counsel
Barry Matthews, Deputy GC at ITV and the woman who inspired him
Barry Matthews, deputy General Counsel at ITV, in conversation with Mrs June Foote, his school headmistress and a magistrate, who inspired...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I'm so excited for you! Are you kidding me? I'm a Disney Cruise Line addict, and you will be too once you sail on the beautiful Disney Magic. Get ready for the best time of your life....you're going to be sooo spoiled....the service is exceptional! I've sailed on the Magic three times, and number 4 is coming up soon...my family and I never get tired of sailing on that ship.
You are correct...you've done your online check in; all you have to bring is your identification and your signature form. You will also be asked for a credit card to put on file for any purchases you make onboard. I know that you've already entered that information during online check in, but they do ask for one anyway. I believe they keep a copy of it for billing purposes.
I hope this helps. Please let me know if I can answer anything else for you. Congratulations on your cruise....bon voyage Peter!


text:
Somalia 2019
Mogadishu Cathedral, Somalia
The Mogadishu Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Mogadishu, Somalia. When still operational, it served as the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mogadishu.
The Mogadishu Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Mogadishu, Somalia. When still operational, it served as the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mogadishu. Built in 1928 by Italian colonial authorities, much of the building was destroyed in 2008 by Islamic radicals.
Epic Somalia Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/somalia/safety-and-security


The high volume printer that delivers performance, reliability and multiple paper handling options for medium to large network printing environments. The HP LaserJet 8000 printer reaches print speeds of up to 24ppm with 1200 dpi resolution and provides a practical, innovative printing solution to any workgroup needs. Along with the ability to produce outstanding output with a variety of media, the LaserJet 8000 comes with HP's unparalleled reputation for quality, reliability and compatibility.


Psychic Self-DefenseAfter finding herself the subject of a powerful psychic attack in the 1930's, famed British occultist Dion Fortune wrote this detailed instruction manual on protecting oneself from paranormal attack. This classic psychic self-defense guide explains how to understand the signs of a psychic attack, vampirism, hauntings, and methods of defense. Everything you need to know about the methods, motives, and physical aspects of a psychic attack and how to overcome it is here, along with a look at the role psychic elements play in mental illness and how to recognize them. This is one of the best guides to detection and defense against psychic attack from one of the leading occult writers of the 20th century.
Dion Fortune (1891-1946), founder of The Society of the Inner Light, a Society for the study of Metaphysical Religion, Mysticism, and Esoteric Psychology, is recognized as one of the most luminous figures of 20th-century esoteric thought. A prolific writer, pioneer psychologist, and powerful psychic, she dedicated her life to the revival of the Western Mystery Tradition. She was also a member of the Order of the Golden Dawn, whose members included A.E. Waite, Aleister Crowley, and W. B. Yeats.


Tara & Rama (together): Greetings!
Tara: Greetings, Everyone! Thank you, Mother Sekhmet.
Tara: Yes, and for that high tone. So, I can just say, stay in the Joy, stay in our Hearts, stay with Mother Sekhmet's Love. This is the most powerful time we are in, and every day I get the opportunity to go deeper into my heart. I believe that's the nature of our coming together in these days. And today Rama, you got to sit with Lady Master Natasha.
Tara: She took both of you in her car up the mountain to where the fairy ring is, where Rama went on October 24, 2017 as Susan was being honored on that day as having made her transition.
Tara: Praying Mantis People, great, great healers. And I'd just like to urge people to read El-An-Ra the story of the Orion War and our Ascension ultimately, very powerful, by Solara.
Okay, so there in Natasha's car, Rama and Natasha sat together and they listened to a whole YouTube by Allison Coe that was recommended to listen to, out there. I think it's called "Before, During and After The Event." Natasha said to Rama, "This message is very, very subtle mind control." Whether or not Allison is aware of that or not - this is not about pointing fingers - it's what's going on in the background. And it is being couched in flowery phrases that promise a New Heaven and a New Earth, at times. At other times whether Allison Coe is aware of what she is saying or not, the dark forces are using her to connect to the dark agenda. For example, the phrase "the Event" or the phrase "currency exchange," another way of saying the "global reset." These are injected mind controls programs into the report. This entire YouTube is again taking us down a zig-zagged road to nowhere.
Yes, there indeed will be and already have been and are ongoing ship landings. And yes, indeed, there will be and already have been ongoing ship counselors who have come and are continuing to arrive here on the ground. Yet they are not connected at all to this YouTube report which is connected to the dark ones, and of which they intend to use holographic images to project in the sky as if we were visited by these off-planet Beings, which is not the case and will not be allowed to happen. Another concept that was referred to in this YouTube report was the idea of "the Flash" or again, as mentioned above "the Event," being equated with instantly stopping all these weapons of war from working. Not so! Rama asked Natasha "what do you say about that idea". What Natasha said is that as the energies go higher and higher, the people that run the war machines have the opportunity to respond to these good vibrations coming in and to listen, listen, listen to their heart's song or not. That being said, though there are no dates, resisting these increasing, every higher incoming vibrations causes more and more severe challenges to remain in one's body as one continues to resist this type of Love, higher Love.
On the opposite end of this spectrum Natasha reminded Rama of his visit the other day with Anonymous Seven and Half and his two friends. Briefly, Rama was witness to, you might say, super-human abilities demonstrated by one of Anonymous Seven and a Half's two friends, who with one hand and the use of higher consciousness lifted the back of our 'Rosie,' our Lincoln town car shuttlecraft over his head with not an ounce of trouble and back down again. Natasha said the two Beings, friends of Seven and a Half, come from Mother Sekhmet's contingency forces who are here to ensure the old reptiles are ushered out of here, in collaboration with Earth's laws.
And people all over the world are joining together and persisting, commanding and demanding and requiring Peace now. As the saying goes, 'build it and we will come.' What Natasha explained to Rama is that these higher energies pouring in are giving to everyone the power of The Force within our own Being. Developing that power is a choice and that's where we come in, to begin to know more about who we really are. As all these powers are within us, as we go out into the world and we touch the trees, the rocks, the soil, the water, the breeze, the sky air, the messages from the higher realms come to us in the form of telepathy and the Solex Mal language. And for many of us we can visually see the changes that are happening across the planet.
Tara: Yes, war crimes, the CIA's controversial interrogation and this was written actually back in May 2013 in the Washington Post Greg Miller Report, that the head of the CIA's clandestine service was being shifted out of that position as a result of a management shakeup by then Director John Brennan, as Mueller documented, this official whom the paper did not name because she was a covert agent at the time, was certainly involved in the worst abuses of the CIA-Bush torture regime. And I'll just say she was also directly involved in ordering up the torturing of many, many people at a Thailand black site. And what's her name again, Rama?
Tara: Mr.T-Rex. And just to know that Mr.Pompeo is a massive killer, murderer mobster for his whole life, and he's the number one receiver of Koch brother money, of all the people that we can know that are getting Koch brothers money, and always has been. So as Mother said, the house of cards has to completely fall and it has to show in front of our very eyes. And another very, very dark story here is that Senate leader Chuck Schumer, Diane Feinstein, Sheldon Whitehouse and Tim Kane all voted to confirm Pompeo, knowing full well the full aspect of what that means. This means the Koch brothers are running the world as Nazis- 100%. This where we're going - the Fourth Reich.
Do not go anywhere except in the Joy of this coming forward at this darkest hour of time - and we bring the Joy and we stay in Love - all of us who covered this whole time of our lives witnessing our fractal of energy and bringing it together with all of the others that we are together, One Beingness, are making this change with Consciousness.
The characters doing their dirtiest of deeds are all being exposed to the ever increasing light. Allison said she had written 12 pages of notes from various clients who came to her for hypnosis. And under hypnosis she asked them about "the Event." So as Natasha said, this limits the whole discussion in this YouTube to Faction 2 level. NESARA goes higher, to Faction 3 level which includes the Ashtar Command, all the Angels, Archangels, and Heaven's Host along with the Ground Crew, meaning the sovereign world militia forces 20 million strong. It must be that we do this together with Ashtar. We must be included. This is where the true intervention lies. This is the true Ashtar Command and Mother Sekhmet, Archangel Michael, Lady Master Nada and her beloved KOS [King of Swords]-Sananda Kumara in his seventh incarnation and initiation can help bring NESARA in with us all.
Natasha said in her final statement, "Be persistent and joyful on this walk on the Good Red Road." In Mother Sekhment's words, "Love is the greatest healer, Joy is Love's most perfect expression." She said everything changes of the twinkling of an eye. May that Force be with us always, remembering that full disclosure is a simulcast with NESARA's enactment, meaning that people will be informed about the cloning operation. The de-cloaking will occur of all the ships present. Therefore in that story on-screen, people will become aware that there is an Ashtar Command that cloaked them and they will be seeing and filmed on-screen all those people who have been arrested there. It's not like we are waiting for a million years for these things to happen, those have already happened.
And then we'll have not Mueller bringing this full force forward; it will have to be Patrick Fitzgerald, because it will have to be covered that 9/11 was an inside job and who did it. And that will be that people will be informed about Hillary Clinton being head of the CIA through all of this since 1991. And that's the establishment in both parties, and all of the parties will be shut down. There will be no more party system; that was not what the Constitution presented to us. That was not what the Founding Fathers were guided to do by Saint Germain. And we are going to go then to divine government. There is nothing in the middle of that. We're not preserving anything of this old stuff.
And the focus of this story will have to be publicly told. You must be fully aware of our past in order to be able to know the difference, which is Love and anything less than that. So, what is our sister is saying in the end of all this, Rama? She said keep looking up?
Tara: Anything else from your heart that you remember from the vibrations that you shared?
Tara: Oh, yeah, just the other day on Watching the Hawks they went back to 2015 I believe, and they showed these pictures which our State Department took of a UFO that was what they called it 'gold bat' because it was going so fast they couldn't keep up with it. And Rama was told that what they didn't say on there when they showed the footage is that the people in the planes that were following it, the plane was deleted by whatever technology that ship had, and the people on the plane were boarded onto the ship and, you might say, the Galactic Forces of the Ashtar Command said, "Are you interested? Class is now in session." And that's been happening not just once in one piece of footage. It has happened multiples and multiples of times over the years, and years and years. So many, many, many, I don't know how many, people have joined the forces of light.
Tara: This has also been going on behind the scenes. So, let's call in, Michelle for President, NESARA now, and Patrick Fitzgerald, we are welcoming you to the stage! And keep looking up!
Tara: Namaste. We pass the talking stick back to you.


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text:
Stazione di Santi Cosma e Damiano-Castelforte-Suio Terme 1944-ben bezárt vasútállomás Olaszországban, Santi Cosma e Damiano településen.

Vasútvonalak
Az állomást az alábbi vasútvonalak érintették:

Kapcsolódó állomások
A vasútállomáshoz az alábbi állomások vannak a legközelebb:

Kapcsolódó szócikkek
 Lazio vasútállomásainak listája

További információk

Források

Bottal létrehozott olasz vasútállomás cikkek
Lazio vasútállomásai
1944-ben bezárt vasútállomások

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Good morning all! Wishing you all a fantastic Thursday (and TGIT if you are a Shonda fan)! Did you have a lovely Valentines day? I celebrated by being exhausted and running around like a crazy person all day and night preparing for being a way for the rest of the week. I know sob story. Tough life! At least I am lucky enough to have the life I have. My husband had a great V-day with and was given a large gift bag full of candy. He is a happy boy and that should tide him over while away.
My intention with this post is to bring some (high)light to your day and review my the top 5 highlights that I reach for.
I have multiple shades in this formula but these are my three favourites, so we are all this 3! Shown are Amethyst, Champagne Pop and Rose Quartz. I love the way the powder is pressed in these pans, it's so different and pleasing to the eye.
The formula is long wearing, and gives a perfect sheen without being overpowering. Another feature I love with these highlights is they can be built up to be seen from the sky! All important points in a great highlight. These are probably the three best highlighters in my collection. You win this round Becca.
This is not your conventional highlight. It's not powder, it's not liquid. It's putty. It's mushy… but that is part of it's charm. (We have that in common). This is the shade kitten, which is a Stila classic and a shade you really can't go wrong with on any skin tone.
If you are looking for a natural hydrating looking highlight, this is the one you have been looking for! There are two other shades available as well.
Next postPalettes I Didn't Buy and Why!
Great picks! Becca Prismatic Amethyst is one of my faves too. On the high end side of things I really love the Benefit Dandelion Twinkle, Urban Decay Aura, Hourglass Strobe Light Iridescent Light and my Nars Albatros.
I only have one UD highlight I should see which other ones I can get!
They have three colors I believe! Definitely worth a shot.
Becca – Opal & Ofra – Rodeo Drive!
Cant go wrong with becca!
I love Becca Highlights! I have Amethyst, Champagne Pop, Prosecco Pop, and Opal. I also really enjoy Rodeo Drive from Ofra and Flexitarian from Colour Pop!
Highlighters – one of my favourite makeup products!
Becca definitely dominates in the highlighter department – I would love to own a few more from them eventually! That Stila one is gorgeous. Great picks!
The Becca highlighters are amazing! I love that I can get a blinding or a natural highlight from them.
I want to try the Becca highlighters, they're so pretty!
I love the Becca highlighters. Opal is my fave. I also have Moonstone, Champagne Pop & Rose Gold.
I love the Lorac highlighters. They're super soft & can pack a punch.
Benefit's Watts Up is another fave. I love the cream to powder formula. It can be subtle or you can build it up.
Becca is always top of the list. I bought the LE Nars Banc de Sable highlighter palette and it is beautiful. Some honorable mentions: Milk Makeup Holographic Powder quad, Melt Cos Digital Dust highlighting powders, and KVD Metal Crush in Thunderstruck. My go to highlighters lately have all be affordable/drugstore brands.
I can't believe you just named three things I don't own that's incredible lol I will definitely give them a go. I have the milk highlighting sticks I wonder if they are similar?
I'm not sure but I've had my eye on the peach toned blur stick so I'm gonna have to get it. The powders have a soft texture, not powdery or chalky, more silky and they blend well. I like that they aren't glittery! I can't do a glittery highlighter. I prefer a sheen which these give off. I caught the quad on sale at Sephora, total score!


text:
The Daily Texan • November 28, 2016 • https://thedailytexan.com/2016/11/28/familial-abuse-victim-seeks-financial-independence-through-sex-work/
Familial abuse victim seeks financial independence through sex work
Lex Rojas
Mae Hamilton
While some independent students age out of foster care, others can be emancipated minors or classified as homeless. Most are financially responsible for themselves and do not receive the family support a majority of students find comfort in. This story is one in a three-part series aiming to bring attention to the independent student experience. The name in this story has been changed to protect the subject's identity.
When she came to UT, electrical engineering senior Jasmine Miller was racked with guilt and fear. Back home, there would be no one to protect her mother and younger sibling from her abusive father, but Miller knew getting an education was the only way she could save them.
Miller grew up in an abusive household where she felt nothing in life was certain. After her father lost his job in Georgia due to violent behavior, Miller was forced to leave all her friends behind and move to a small town in Texas. Throughout years of struggling to cover up bruises and faking happiness, Miller said her only hope was school. Despite working two jobs while taking classes, Miller was still unable to support herself and, on top of struggling with PTSD, depression and anxiety, felt like she would never be able to get her family or herself away from her father.
"I knew as long as I did well in school, I could get myself out of that situation," Miller said. "That was the only thing that kept me from killing myself. I threw myself into academics. I could only handle so much, from getting beat up and being treated like that and trying to be the perfect sister, perfect daughter, things like that. For once in my life, I could be selfish."
One day, Miller was approached by a man in a coffee shop seeking an arrangement for a "sugar baby." Sugar babies are sex workers who receive a monthly allowance from their "sugar daddy" in exchange for companionship and sex. Initially, Miller was horrified. But after spending a summer hiding from her father in a shelter for domestic abuse victims with her mother and brother, she saw sex work as a way to not only become financially independent but as a means to get her mother and brother away from her father. She has worked for her sugar daddy ever since.
"At some point you realize the police aren't going to help you, the law isn't going to help you, and lawyers are going to help you only if you have the money," Miller said. "I was so desperate."
Miller said it's tough dealing with the stigma around sex work. People often misunderstand her situation and think her life is jet-set and glamorous, but for Miller, being a sugar baby is a way of survival.
"The money he gives me, most of it I save," Miller said. "I save for emergency situations or for a divorce. This lifestyle, it's so far removed from me. It's a job. I wouldn't want to do this if I had a stable family. If I was financially OK, this would never be something I would consider."
Miller said despite the emotional toll sex work takes on her, the pros outweigh the cons. Financial freedom gives her hope for a better future. Her mother and brother are living on their own now, and her mother is currently trying to divorce their father.
"I want to go on and pursue grad school," Miller said. "I just want to know that my family's OK while also not neglecting myself. To remember to love and nurture myself in addition to taking care of my family."
This story has been updated since its initial publication.


Find a git repository here: https://bitbucket.org/wintersdesign/jetpack-portfolio-extensions/, or download the latest version.
Masonry Layout: To enable a tiled, masonry-style layout, tick the Use Isotope box in the options. For live filtering, place a list_project_types shortcode right above your jetpack_portfolio shortcode.
The plugin also adds classes for Jetpack Project Tags to the project entry markup of the jetpack_portfolio shortcode.
This plugin adds two shortcodes that display jetpack project types and tags.
list_project_types Prints a list of all Jetpack 'Project Types'. CSS .project-type-list.
the_project_tags Prints a list of Jetpack 'Project Tags' associated with a single portfolio item. CSS .project-tag-list.
The plugin is comprised of just three files and contains virtually no template code. It includes a minified version of Isotope via cdn.
It's meant to be very lightweight and flexible, and should work well with many different themes.
Note that this plugin is currently compatible with Jetpack's Photon CDN but not the new Lazy Load images module.


text:
Definitions for "Spy"
Keywords: secretly, espionage, enemy, russians, watcher
Related Terms: Espionage, Covert, Secret, Fifth column, Clandestine, Underground, War, Assassination, Terrorist, Fight, Enemy, Chickenhawk, Belligerent, Conscientious objector, Information warfare, Foe, Hugger-mugger, Raid, Soldier, Mercenary, Mole, Conquer, Collateral damage, Traitor, Guerrilla warfare, Assassinate, Struggle, Prisoner of war, Combat, Subversion, Espy, Conflict, Engagement, Soldier, Rebel, Warrior , Ku klux klan, Terrorist, Capture, Rally, Defeat, Terrorist, Lord's resistance army, Terrorism, Overcome, Ninja , Recruit, Assassin, Arms
To explore; to view, inspect, and examine secretly, as a country; -- usually with out.
ftp.uga.edu
A person sent secretly into an enemy's camp, territory, or fortifications, to inspect his works, ascertain his strength, movements, or designs, and to communicate such intelligence to the proper officer.
secretly collect sensitive or classified information; intentionally do something in a hidden way that people will not know about, "spy for the Russians using a spy camera".
spycam4u.com
(military) a secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors
a secret watcher; someone who secretly watches other people; "my spies tell me that you had a good time last night"
watch, observe, or inquire secretly
secretly collect sensitive or classified information; engage in espionage; "spy for the Russians"
A person who obtains secret information from the enemy, usually in disguise
score.rims.k12.ca.us
See espionage and terrorism
mtnhomesd.org
Keywords: etf, spdrs, amex, graydon, kurt
Related Terms: Big board, American stock exchange, Ishares, Philadelphia stock exchange, Nyse, Toronto stock exchange, Etfs, Euronext, New york stock exchange, London stock exchange, Tse, Exchange-traded fund, Warren buffett, Ase, Pacific stock exchange, Qqq, New york futures exchange, S & p 500, Exchange traded fund, Webs, Gem, Dow jones index, S&p/tsx composite index, Asx, Bse, Wall street, Ftse 100 index, Wilshire 5000 equity index, Nyfe, Stock exchanges, Regional exchange, Black monday, Exchange traded funds, Chicago board options exchange, Australian stock exchange, Etf, Nyse composite index, London international financial futures and options exchange, Exchange-traded funds, Regional stock exchanges, Aim, Cboe, Exchange, S&p 500, Dow jones, Bourse, Consolidated tape, Alternative investment market, Ftse
AMEX tracking stock that represents the S&P 500
woodingtrading.com
First and largest ETF, Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts (SPDRs) track the S&P 500 and are pronounced just like the name for arachnid.
etfzone.com
Amex-traded ETF tracking the "large-cap" S&P 500 Index.
telusplanet.net
The S&P 500 index tracking stock and first of the SPDRs. This is one of the largest and most popular Exchange Traded Funds (ETF).
intelli-timer.com
Spy magazine was a satirical monthly founded in 1986 by Kurt Andersen and E. Graydon Carter, who served as its first editors, and Thomas L. Phillips, Jr., its first publisher.
Keywords: elektra, carly, songwriter, simon, ninth
Spy is singer-songwriter Carly Simon's ninth album, and eighth studio album, released in 1979. It is also her last album for Elektra Records.
Keywords: squeak, squash
squash squeak
firstschoolyears.com
Keywords: bbc, pact, cinema, alliance, decade
Spy is a British television programme originally made by Wall to Wall for BBC Three in 2004. It has been one of the most-exported UK television shows of the present decade; according to the Producers' Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT), it had been sold to 129 countries by April 2005.
Keywords: sight, espy, discover, concealment, catch
To gain sight of; to discover at a distance, or in a state of concealment; to espy; to see.
To discover by close search or examination.
catch sight of
Keywords: scrutinize, narrowly, search
To search narrowly; to scrutinize.
Keywords: mock, mimics, stub, elaborated, degenerate
A class or method that mimics an object under test, but whose only function is to report on values observed. So a spy is a somewhat elaborated stub or degenerate mock object.
jxcl.sourceforge.net
Keywords: inportant, info, mac, menu, extra
Spy is a Mac OS X menu extra displaying inportant info about your computer
Keywords: constant, conduct, keeps, watch, others
One who keeps a constant watch of the conduct of others.


Fu-Shun Huang, Hsin-Lan Chen, Wan-Jen, Chang, Ya-yin, Lin(2009,December). The contents and characteristics of Taiwan's Agricultural Village Revival and its impact on rural community. In Saemaul undong in the globalizing world:Sharing the theories, and practices. Daegu, Korea(2009.12.9-10).


This question stands at the center of theology and economics, which give different kinds of answers. Theology, once called the queen of the sciences, shapes the education of the clergy. Economics (a.k.a. the dismal science) influences everybody else, making it difficult sometimes for congregation leaders to understand each other when they think about motivating people.
Read more of Why We Do What We Do.
What is the Mission of "Missions"?


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Q: javascript pass eval variables i have eval function, which needs to execute javascript from php. but i need to pass element, so i can put mouse over tips on the link user clicked on.
var globalEval = function globalEval(src, element) {
        if (window.execScript) {
            window.execScript(src);
            return;
        }
        var fn = function(element) {
            window.eval.call(window,src);
        };
        fn(element);
    };

im using following way to pass $(this) element
globalEval(js_code, $(this));
// js_code is = alert(element);

i get error of undefined element, which is defined in globalEval(); how can i fix this?

A: If all you want to do is have this set when you evaluate some code, try:
// Code you want to evaluate
var code = 'return this.whatever'

// What you want "this" bound to:
var that = { whatever: 69 }

// Now do this:
var result = new Function(code).call(that)

Using the Function constructor means you'll get what you expect; There is a lot of baggage that comes along with global eval, some of which might surprise you. Best to avoid it if you don't need it.
Now if you really wanted to call it element, the Function constructor can do that as well:
code = 'alert(element)'
var use_element = 69
result = new Function("element", code).call(this, use_element)

A: This is a scoping issue as the global eval isn't invoking the code in the same scope as the variable element.  If you must use eval even though eval is evil, you'll have to do it in a way that lets you invoke your code in the environment you want. One way to do this is to wrap it as an anonymous function which you give parameters for the environment variables of choice.
For example
window.eval.call(window,'(function (element) {'+src+'})')(element);

This means the src string is parsed but not invoked by the eval as it returns an anonymous function. You then invoke it, passing your data, in this case element.
Test it with var element = document.body, src = 'console.log(element.tagName)'; and you'll see it log "BODY". Please note that if you want to set global variables (or functions) this way they have to be stated as global explicitly (window.foobar = ...) or they will be GCd after the anonymous function finishes.

A: if the callback function is in the same dom, then set a global variable as repo before eval which will keep the variable. then use the global variable in the function you gonna call.
var response_repo;
function someFunc($callback){
 ....
 success: function(result) {
            response_repo = result;
            eval($callback+'();');
        },
 ....
 }

 callBackFunc(){
  $data=response_repo;
 }


For organizations that have prioritized the Risk Management Framework, there still remains much work to be done, particularly when it comes to optimizing visibility for systems governed by this Framework. Without broad and deep visibility, the output of this model can be glaringly inaccurate, especially considering that the greatest challenges for security experts aren't the known issues but rather the unknown issues that have not yet even been discovered.
This paper will explain how real-time wire data visibility can shorten the feedback loop of a Risk Management Framework, greatly increasing its responsiveness and effectiveness, and provides the strongest and most accurate posture when addressing risk: an unbiased, real-time view into what is actually happening on a network.
This real-time visibility supports five Risk Management Framework steps: Categorize, Select, Implement, Assess, and Monitor.
Baselining, Characterizing, and Documenting existing or new systems in output formats such as Visio, PDF, or Excel.
Developing a comprehensive Security Assessment Plan by using wire data analytics and reports.
Risk Assessments during various stages of the RMF process, leveraging a common data source that produces output formats specifically tailored for different stakeholders.
Report (SAR) and other activities such as an Operational Authorization to Test (OATT), Authorization to Proceed (ATP), and Authorization to Operate (ATO).
Arming multiple levels of stakeholders with a definitive source of information to aide in the development of risk mitigation strategies, solutions and recommendations.
Other Assessment activities such as "Red/Blue Team" activities can be supported with wire data metrics and documentation.
Real-time visibility into wire data supports five of the Risk Management Framework functions, including assessments for Categorize, Select, Implement, Assess, and Monitor.
With the ability to explore and report against wire data in a number of different ways, teams can support Risk Management Framework (RMF) functions above and beyond risk assessments as described in the sections below.
together with corresponding transaction-level details. This zero knowledge approach conclusively determines what devices, services, and data comprises a system, as well as helps defines the security level and boundary of a system based on detected device interactions and dependencies. Device attributes such as IP and MAC addresses, along with PPS and relevant Layer 7 transaction information such as username, database query, application request/reply details, files, and many others, are captured and transformed into wire data that can be visualized, explored, reported on, or shipped off to an external platform. A robust wire data analytics platform will support a broad range of industry standard protocols as well as the ability to add new custom protocols as needed.
After baselining an "as-is" or "to-be" information system, the collected wire data metrics are used to support decisions for the selection of mitigating controls in step 2 of the RMF process. These metrics are rich and encompass a wide spectrum of attributes within the network and application layers of the Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) stack and can provide valuable insights into what's transacting within your environment.
Real-time wire data analysis provides organizations with a comprehensive view of all activity in their environment.
Wire data analytics supports two aspects of the Select step: 1) The use of a third-party to provide observed artifacts gathered during the Categorize step to support the selection of appropriate security controls to reduce the identified attack surface and, 2) Providing an objective continuous monitoring solution for all data-in-transit for the system under evaluation. Selecting controls based on the results of real-time wire data analytics yields far more accurate results than relying on sporadic system assessments, synthetic transactions, or outdated documentation.
implemented by configuration review or point-in-time synthetic transactions. With a passively obtained set of metrics you can effectively measure and report against the efficacy of these controls.
Wire data analytics can be used to continuously monitor all aspects of transactions seen on the network in support of RMF Step 6: Monitor. For example, in a "zero trust" environment, ExtraHop continuously audits thousands of metrics for both allowed and disallowed transactions, and provides an easy way to produce the relevant reports in the BOE that support what was authorized to transact.
As an example, the table below shows what was allowed, or not allowed, between specific zones, network segments, or enclaves. These could align with authorization boundaries or segments within the same boundary. This table could serve as the BOE artifact that notates what was approved to transact on the network, with definitive metrics coming from all observed transactions.
For increased monitoring, wire data metrics can be sent to third-party tools to enrich their data by adding insights into all network and application transactions. This is achieved with a rich set of open-standard APIs, allowing for both PUSH and PULL capabilities. Wire data can be streamed continuously, or selectively when certain conditions arise either through the manual configuration of thresholds or using ExtraHop's built-in trending and alerting functions. Automation and Orchestration can be achieved by integrating ExtraHop with other tools that also support open-standard APIs such as REST, SNMP, and SMTP.
SSL Certificates – Check the validity of certs and find any expired certs. Are they self-signed?
Encryption – Are connections compliant with Federal data-in-motion encryption requirements? What cipher suites and SSL/TLS versions are being used and which hosts and applications are using non-FIPS compliant ciphers/protocols?
Unusual DNS Requests – Why is that workstation making 19,000 DNS requests a minute, and why are most of them TXT records? Why are there 14 DNS servers in your environment when there should only be 4? Is DNS tunneling occurring?
Map and Diagram Network, Host and Application Relationships/Data Flow – Which devices are communicating with each other? Using what protocols and how often? How much data is transferred, and in which direction?
New Device Reports and Actions – Alert when a new device shows up on the network and use an ExtraHop API call to trigger a command on a NAC system which can scan, interrogate, or block the new device.
All IP addresses transacting on the network – Visibility of devices should not be dependent on their ability to be configured to support logging or SNMP. All devices which transact on the network should be immediately discovered.
Wire data analytics can be leveraged across IT organizations, even outside the realm of security. In a DevOps scenario, the wire data analytics platform can monitor staging and production environments and provide real-time and historical context around changes to applications, security parameters, and even network components. Wire data empowers application, networking, and engineering teams to easily monitor and measure security and performance across all stages of an application's lifecycle. Wire data promotes collaboration and breaks down silos, allowing teams to quickly determine whether a performance problem was due to infrastructure, misconfiguration, a rolled-out security patch, or even a code issue. Real-time analysis of all transactions provides the data that cross-functional AGILE teams can rely on where incremental, iterative work cadences between teams and systems happen at a rapid pace.
With noninvasive monitoring for wire data in the staging environment, engineering teams can observe the behavioral impact of new code against baselined performance and continuously tune for performance and security. Operations teams will be able to accelerate application updates and rollouts because they know the expected behavior before a release and have full dependency understanding during and after the release, dramatically reducing risk.
Wire data can be utilized during many System Development Lifecycle activities. For example, when assets are scheduled for decommissioning, Organizations can objectively validate that the hardware and software tied to those assets are indeed gone. By examining and reporting against any remaining activity tied to those assets, stakeholders can be assured that the assets are no longer participating on the network.
Architectures and systems change constantly. Transformational endeavors take shape such as cloud migration, data center consolidation, or disaster recovery and planning. Wire data provides a means to baseline, measure, test, assess, and report on the activities surrounding these initiatives. For example,, a dashboard can be created to uses wire data to provide insights to engineering, operations, and management teams on application performance in the "cloud" as it relates to the legacy data center. Both front- and back-end transactions would be monitored to include all application dependencies. Security posture can be assessed using these same techniques to ensure that no data is "leaking" outside of the cloud and that no other hosts are connecting to the services when they should not be (e.g. external IP addresses).
Effectively perform interactive, active threat hunting with a comprehensive and intuitive workflow, allowing visibility into all devices and protocols on a network without a high learning curve.
Support large and dynamic environments with real-time analysis up to 40 Gbps sustained throughput on a single appliance.
Wire data analytics can be used for indexing, trending, and delivering predictive alerts. As metrics are indexed, the analytics platform classifies newly discovered devices based on heuristic analysis of machine information and behavior. For example, if a device responds to database requests, then it is a classified as a database server. If it is also responding to DNS requests, the device is also classified as a DNS server.
The platform automatically builds activity baselines for all clients, systems, applications, and infrastructure so that you can receive predictive trend-based alerts when something is out of the ordinary. You can also customize alerts based on behaviors like anomalous network activity, web application and database errors, unusual payload size, slow transactions, poor end-user experience, and expiring SSL certificates.
Detect devices and applications traversing the network.
ExtraHop Networks, Inc. is an enterprise technology and analytics company headquartered in Seattle, Washington and is the global leader in real-time wire data analytics. ExtraHop has been in business since 2007, and began shipping products to customers in 2009. ExtraHop has been selling into Federal Agencies since 2011 and has production units supporting a number of Federal Civilian, DoD, and Intelligence Agencies. All engineering and support for the ExtraHop platform resides within the United States, and ExtraHop has dedicated Federal sales and product management teams located within the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area.
The ExtraHop platform is a simple turnkey solution that empowers you to make sense of all data passing over the network. All technologies and applications transact and communicate on the wire, and if you want to gain visibility and control risk, it all starts there—by analyzing your data in real-time while it is in motion.
Data passing over your network is data in motion, as opposed to data at rest, which is stored for offline analysis. Your data in motion is the most valuable source of information that your organization can mine for insights. But to access your data in motion, you need a platform for transforming large volumes of unstructured network packets into structured wire data. The ExtraHop platform is built to do exactly that at an unprecedented scale.
It is important to understand that the ExtraHop platform is a completely passive out-of-band solution, requiring no agents, no host configurations, and no credentialed access. It will provide maximum visibility into the transactions occurring within your network with no degradation or disruption to the existing systems, applications, or users. It will not actively interrogate any devices, nor will it add any additional traffic to the networks that it is monitoring. ExtraHop is agnostic in this sense, and being fluent in industry standard protocols such as TCP/IP, it can monitor activity involving any devices using these protocols, such as mobile devices, Internet of Things, and legacy devices and systems.
As an information security professional, you can't tolerate reduced insight due to increased scale, dynamism, and complexity in your environment. Limited visibility results in a loss of compliance control, inability to assess and report, but even more importantly, data breaches and frustrated analysts.
appliances is achieved via lightweight communications secured with SSL (TLS 1.2), making the platform ideal for enterprises with limited-bandwidth remote sites.
The ExtraHop platform supports the entire environment across datacenters, remote offices, and the cloud.
Provides a global view of the environment. Feed it network traffic from a tap or port mirror, and it transforms packets into structured wire data for highly scalable real- time IT and business analysis.
analysis. Allows you to search and explore every interaction via an intuitive visual user interface.
Traces activity back to the source. Provides the ability to filter down to just the packets you want to analyze tied to specific events, delivering a simplified rapid workflow from top down or bottom up.
Take command of your data streams from Discover appliances across datacenters, the cloud, and branch offices. Merges data to create a centralized view and the ability to manage all your data in one place.
How easy is it to collect data and make sense of it?
The breadth and depth of visibility each solution offers.
The impact monitoring can have on the environment itself.
How susceptible is your system to be altered by malicious actors?
Can the information be obtained and acted on rapidly?
The ExtraHop platform is purpose-built to address all of these considerations, and greatly strengthens the security posture and level of visibility within a Risk Management Framework.


Welcome to the Healthy Home Gardening Community!
Your Username is the name you go by in Healthy Home Gardening.
Both (username and password) must be between 8 and 16 characters, ie: abcd1234.
Your Username doesn't have to have numbers.
Your password is case sensitive: "G" is different than "g".
* This must be a working e-mail to activate your account.
* Your information will never be shared with any other entity.


Sources of Error In Physics Lab?
We did a lab in which we attracted a mass to a string that went over a pulley and then attached to a train (a small plastic thing) on an air track (frictionless surface). We then used photo gates to find initial and final velocities to find experimental acceleration. My numbers have between .5 and 1.5% errors from... show more We did a lab in which we attracted a mass to a string that went over a pulley and then attached to a train (a small plastic thing) on an air track (frictionless surface). We then used photo gates to find initial and final velocities to find experimental acceleration. My numbers have between .5 and 1.5% errors from the theoretical, but I still have to put down possible sources of error. Anything but equipment not measuring correctly, air resistance, and human error are excepted. I need two. Any ideas? Please help fast!
Best Answer: Did you measure the mass of the string? It gets accelerated along with the falling mass and the train.
How about friction in the pulley bearing? It may be small but it won't be zero. A bigger issue may be the moment of inertia of the pulley itself -- its rotation rate increases as the mass falls, so some of the energy goes into that as well.
Another important source of error is an unlevel track. Did you try to level it out before you did the tests?
Don't use the vague term "human error." Sources of experimental error don't mean that sort of thing. What you are looking for are things in the real experimental situation that your simplified model of it ignores.
There is friction in the pulley you attached the string to. Although you might consider the air track "theoretically frictionless", you can't neglect the fact that the pulley has friction (and so does the air track if you want to get technical).
Sources of error in Physics Lab ?
Physics lab: sources of error?
Source of error for physics lab? Help!?
Need help with this relativity question?
Homework Physics Problem. Don't know how to do this?


text:
Neurology Year in Review, Neurology 2018 Year in Review
Researchers Glean New Clues About Neurological Disorders from Vision-Related Biomarkers
Dr. Steven L. Galetta and Dr. Laura J. Balcer and are examining the connection between optic nerve lesions and multiple sclerosis to see if such lesions could be used to screen for the condition.
dvanced neuro-ophthalmic research has identified changes in the condition and function of the eye that could lead to enhanced diagnosis and management of neurological disease and brain injury.
Research into optic neuritis as a manifestation of multiple sclerosis (MS) took a major step forward in 2018 with the publication of a pilot study by NYU Langone researchers establishing a threshold for the amount of retinal thinning considered predictive of an MS-related lesion in the optic nerve, the pathway connecting the eye with the rest of the brain.
Using optical coherence tomography (OCT), a high-resolution retinal scanning technique pioneered by investigators at NYU Langone, the new study builds on earlier research aimed at identifying patients with a history of optic neuritis. The higher resolution of OCT scans may be better able to detect both asymptomatic and symptomatic MS-related optic nerve lesions—a defining MS symptom currently omitted from standard diagnostic criteria—and measure the progression of MS and response to treatment over time.
The 2018 study, published in the Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology, compared OCT scans of 124 individuals diagnosed with MS to scans of healthy controls.
It found that an inter-eye difference of five to six microns in retinal nerve fiber layer thickness most closely correlated with patients who had an optic nerve lesion, which was defined for the study as a clinical history of prior optic neuritis.
This NYU Langone–based investigation led to an international, multisite study of 1,500 patients with MS, which confirmed these inter-eye difference thresholds for the identification of an optic nerve lesion within a larger and more diverse study cohort.
"Virtually every patient with MS eventually develops optic nerve lesions—which is why we feel strongly that the presence of such lesions should be one of the imaging criteria used in diagnosing MS," explains Steven L. Galetta, MD, the Philip K. Moskowitz, MD, Professor and Chair of Neurology and professor of neurology and ophthalmology. "The next step is to see how our OCT data fares in modeling and predicting who ultimately gets MS by establishing a meaningful benchmark for retinal nerve thickness and monitoring the outcomes of those with clinically isolated demyelinating syndromes."
Using OCT to Diagnose and Monitor Other Neurological Disorders
In light of OCT's relative ease of use and low cost as a diagnostic tool, the division is expanding the applications of OCT to the evaluation of other conditions, such as suspected chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in contact sport athletes.
"The goal is to determine whether this visual pathway can serve as a potential living biomarker for CTE or cognitive decline among those who have a history of contact sports exposure," notes Laura J. Balcer, MD, MSCE, professor of neurology, ophthalmology, and population health, and vice chair of the Department of Neurology.
This research joins other ongoing OCT studies of patients with Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, all with the common goal of providing new insight into the effects of these disorders on the eye and visual pathway, and potentially helping predict disease progression.
MULES Adds to Concussion Assessment on the Sidelines
As concussion continues to grow as a concern in youth, collegiate, and professional sports, the Mobile Universal Lexicon Evaluation System (MULES), a vision-based picture naming test developed by doctors in NYU Langone's Neuro-Ophthalmology Program, is proving to be an effective tool for the sideline assessment of concussion and it could be effective in identifying other neurodegenerative conditions as well.
Designed as a series of 54 grouped color photographs that integrate color perception, eye movements, and contextual object identification, MULES is a subtype of the rapid automatic naming measures that have been used for more than 80 years to capture vision-based aspects of cognition.
"We're employing the test on a research basis with a number of local athletes," notes Dr. Galetta. "By comparing sideline performance with an athlete's preseason score, we've found that it identifies concussion with a high level of sensitivity."
MULES also has potential as a vision-based assessment tool for other neurological disorders since it captures a wide distribution of neural networks, involving color vision, object recognition and categorization, and speed of object identification.
One study, published in 2018 in the Journal of the Neurological Sciences, correlated MULES performance with vision changes found in patients with MS. The study found a link between slower MULES picture-naming times and low-contrast letter acuity, the perception of gray letters on a white background—established for two decades as a marker of MS-related visual dysfunction.
Researchers are now studying the effectiveness of MULES in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, and investigators in the Eye Movement Testing Lab have added the test to their groundbreaking repository of data linking eye movement abnormalities with various neurological conditions to look for new patterns and potential diagnostic clues.
The expanding applicability of vision-related evaluation tools suggests that changes in visual structure and function truly reflect what is happening with the rest of the patient's nervous system. "The eyes are a window into the brain, and we're continuing to explore that connection," notes Dr. Balcer.
Neuro-Ophthalmology Program