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Ecuador Rainforest Jaguars Under Threat
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The Rainforest Jaguar in Ecuador
The Rainforest Jaguar can be found in greater number in Ecuador than in almost any other place on earth. The jungle is their home, but as reported in a recent article in the Guardian UK, human intrusion is endangering the largest cat in the Americas. This in turn has serious implications for the balance of the whole rainforest ecosystem.
Keep reading to learn more about the majestic rainforest jaguar in Ecuador. Why are they under threat? How many jaguars live in Ecuador? Plus lots of fun rainforest jaguar facts along the way.
Ecuador rainforest: Exploitation vs Conservation
The clash between conservation and profit in the jungle is longstanding. The riches of Ecuador's jungle go beyond the incredible flora and fauna above the ground, there are large oil deposits that propel the country's economy below the soil. In Yasuni National Park, considered the most biodiverse place on the planet, there are an estimated 1.7 billion barrels of crude oil. Oil operations have brought roads, and the new access gave way to logging and agriculture. More than a million acres of deforestation resulted, and has shrunk dramatically causing the elusive cat to retreat to less traversed areas of the Oriente jungle.
It seems inevitable that Ecuador's Amazon habitat will come under mounting pressure in the future. Ecuador is a developing country and simply cannot afford to leave the oil and minerals underground. An ex-president went as far as to compare Ecuador to a beggar sitting atop a pot of gold. The creation of Yasuni National Park does protect a 9,823 square kilometers swathe of virgin forest, but the surrounding rainforest is still open to exploitation. Tourism and rising environmental awareness do provide hope for the future, but the trade-off between conservation and exploitation remains a difficult balance to find.
The Ecuador jaguar population
Today there are around 2000 jaguars in Ecuador. Most live in the eastern jungle region of the country, protected by dense rainforest. Ecuador's west coast jaguar population is considered critically endangered after shrimp farms depleted their forest habitat.
The World Wildlife Fund and Ecuadorian conservationists have set up camera traps that are helping with research to maintain a census of Jaguars in Ecuador. In Yasuni National Park there have been regular sightings of 21 different jaguars, with several migrating cats passing through as well. This confirms that north-east Ecuador boasts the highest rainforest jaguar density in the world!
This information is being used to urge the powers that be to help conserve important areas of the rainforest where jaguars live. But with the advent of new oil fields and mining operations on the horizon, the struggle to preserve the current population of the cats is at a crucial stage.
Why are jaguars so important to Ecuador's rainforest habitat?
As dominant predator, the jaguar has always been culturally respected by local indigenous in the Amazon rainforest. Jaguars are revered for their strength, power and intelligence. They are even considered as protectors of forest knowledge & secrets by some. Statues and figures of rainforest jaguar have been uncovered by archaeologists since Pre-Colombian times, providing insight into the jaguar´s position as a divine figure in those times.
Ecologically too the jaguar plays a very important role in maintaining the intricate balance of the rainforest ecosystem. Take the jaguar out of the equation and the food chain below will be adversely affected, from large & small mammals to plants and insects. Jaguar's help to control the rainforest balance, and are often used as a measurement to the health of the whole eco-system. These big cats feed on anything they can catch, and commonly target small rodents. So a thinning of the jaguar population leads to an over-population of rodents, which in turn eat more insects and seeds, thus affecting the vital regeneration of the forest. In essence, the jaguar is a species that helps to preserve many other species below it.
So jaguar habitat conservation is more important today than ever.
Interesting rainforest jaguar facts
Individual Jaguars have a very wide range. Males have been known to travel 50 square miles when traversing territories of a female.
Unlike domestic cats, rainforest jaguars love water. They are sometimes spotted swimming or on the banks of the Napo River and its tributaries during the dry season when the lack of rain brings them to the water's edge to fish and hunt.
Young jaguars are without sight until two weeks after birth. They stay with their mothers for 6 months before leaving the den to explore and practise hunting together. After two years they are ready to set off on their own into the forest, and fend for themselves.
The jaguar is the third biggest cat in the world (after lions and tigers), and has an average lifespan of up to fifteen years in the wild.
In addition to being great swimmers, Jaguars can travel at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour on land. They are highly skilled climbers, and will often scale trees to ambush their prey from above.
How to see a rainforest jaguar in Ecuador?
Naturally, it is extremely difficult to spot jaguars in the wild in Ecuador, or indeed anywhere else in the world. Imagine just 2000 jaguars roaming such a huge territory of dense forest, it can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Bear in mind too that jaguars are renowned for stealth and camouflage, so even if you do cross paths with one you may not realise it.
Jaguars are among the most difficult rainforest species to spot. A few lucky tourists do very occasionally catch a quick glimpse of a jaguar disappearing into the forest, but this is in truth an unusual occurrence.
To increase your chances the Happy Gringo Jaguar Tracks tour takes visitors deep into the rainforest, to the land of the Huaorani tribe. This area of forest is home to jaguars, and even if you don't see one in person (which is rare), it is common to see signs of their passing such as paw prints and scat. Listen out at night and you might even hear a Jaguar roar.
For more information about visiting the jungle of Ecuador and discovering the incredible plants, animals, and people who live there, contact a member of our team for a FREE RAINFOREST TOUR QUOTE.
In conclusion, the rainforest jaguar is a creature of legend, and plays a vital role as apex predator in the jungle ecosystem. Ecuador still has a healthy jaguar population, but lessons do need to be learned from the disappearance of the coastal jaguar. The pressure to exploit the oil and minerals under the Ecuadorian rainforest will only increase as time goes on, so action is required now to preserve habitat and protect this wonderful species.
Jon Jared
Jon Jared first experienced the itch for travel during summer trips with his grandparents to England, Scotland, and Wales. After visiting Zambia and traversing the mountain towns of Colorado, he moved to Ecuador in search of a new understanding of the world around him. In Ecuador, Jon has worked at hotels, restaurants, and bars; served as a local guide, and a freelance writer and editor. His work in print includes Delta Sky Magazine and the 2015 Moon Ecuador and the Galapagos guidebook.
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We will be back as soon as we feel it is safe for our employees and customers to do so. Thanks for your comprehension.


If you want to recover your bond back in full as effectively as possible, then you may give a go to bond cleaning. Before you move out, ensure it is perfect and clean. This implies you have to make sure the walls, floors, and carpets of your home are not messy or grimy. The kitchen is more important than other regions of the house as people give more significance to keeping this room clean. Remove cobwebs off all the rooms, particularly the kitchen.
A bond cleaning company can enable you to get your deposit in full. This means you can employ them to get your leased house cleaned in a professional manner. Obviously, they won't do it for free. You may likewise clean your house alone however you may wind up completing a poor job. Professionals make utilization of steam cleaning in order to rid carpets and floors of stubborn grime and dirt. Besides, they can finish the job in a few hours rather than a few days. So, this can spare you a lot of time.
Most bond cleaners make utilization of best products and technique to do the best job. After completing the job, some providers even send their cleaners back to clean something that has been left unclean unintentionally. The beneficial thing about this is they won't charge you anything for this additional service. It is better if you could hire a provider offering the services mentioned above.
Expert cleaners offer bond cleaning services that may incorporate cleaning carpets, cabinets, drawers, wiping floors to give some examples. Ensure the one you have contracted completely cleanses and cleans showers, toilets, and kitchen. An oven is the most vital equipment in the Kitchen, so make sure it is cleaned appropriately. There ought to be no dust or oil on the stove. Spider webs in rooms leave a terrible impact on the guests. So, ensure there are no spider webs in any room of the house.
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One thing that every romance writer faces especially when writing a series, is how to keep a couple apart. It's a difficult thing to accomplish and readers hate it, but it's a necessary thing. Otherwise the tension is gone and your readers walk away disappointed.
I am a huge fan of a television show called Moonlighting with Bruce Willis and Cybill Sheperd. I loved, loved, loved watching every week to see if they were finally going to be together. For years they dangled the relationship and tantalized viewers until we finally got what we wanted and the couple got married. Then, guess what happened? The ratings fell and the show was cancelled.
This is something nobody wants. I love Happily Ever After endings as much as the next person but to get there too early is to kill the romance. For me, this happened in Twilight. When Edward and Bella got married in the beginning of Breaking Dawn, I felt like Edward disappeared and mainly became a tortured man wringing his hands on the couch.
Thankfully Jacob was still around.
So, without further ado, here is the list I've compiled from various internet searches and from my own experience, not personal experience. At least not all of them. I meant my experience as a writer. I've basically divided the list into two categories-Physical Barriers and Emotional Barriers.
I hope this lists helps. I know I often wrack my brain trying to come up with yet another way to torture my star-crossed lovers. This list is a work in progress so if you have thought of something I've missed, please leave a comment and let me know what it is.
Great lists! You've pulled this together in such a handy, user-friendly way. Thanks!
Thanks this list is really really helpful! I'll be using this to create a high tension love between my characters.
Hey, girl! Fantastic list. I am glad I'm using romantic tension. My first couple kept hitting the "you're a liar" and "circumstances" wall, then the big one where I completely separate them due to external conflict. My second couple have numerous emotional issues. One is a woman-hater the other has history of abuse and makes romance lowest priority. They're driven apart through internal and external conflicts, death included, as well as a jealous antagonist. Bwahahaha. Fun stuff. Romance definitely helps the reader care about the characters more, and keeps them turning pages for that glimmer of hope through the turmoil. Love this article. Thanks!
As someone who knows nothing about writing romance, thank you! I'll definitely be saving this as a resource.
Great list! Would self-sabotage be a good one to add to the top half?
Great idea! I'll add it now.
Thanks for this list! It is super helpful. Another physical barrier can be difficulties with immigration to a new country.
I actually laughed when I saw 'doppelganger'. Reminded me of The Vampire Diaries.
Love this list! Thank you for sharing.
Amazing list, thank you so much for sharing!
Maybe memory loss is another one?
Thanks so much for your list! It's exactly what I need—very timely too. I submitted my last novel, and the reply was that I depended too much on misunderstandings and secondary characters to keep my hero and heroine apart, and to put them in competition with each other. With your list, I now have a great reference. Many thanks!
Feel free to add to it. I'm sure there's a lot more out there.
I read though this list and was thinking, yeap that sounds like Kelsey's love story, and that's Lilly's or even a little hint of Ember's. Thank you for sharing this list, it is full of inspirational ideas. Also reincarnation could be one as well. It plays into the memory lapse a bit because the soul can remember the love but not the details. When one or both is reborn into a new life their soul is drawn to the other but they may not have the memories of past lives to know why.
I also want to say thank you for your amazing series. Growing up I never liked reading much but several years ago I picked up Tiger's Curse and fell in love. I actually went to Walmart at midnight when Tigers Voyage was due to be released and complained about not having a midnight release in books as they did with video games from time to time. A manager went back and found the shipment to get me one lol. Since then I have been reading constantly and now I am playing with writing myself. Thank you for inspiring me to be a reader and maybe one day a somewhat decent writer!
Hi Jennifer. I never thought to go up to a manager and ask for a midnight release of a book. We should do that more often. =) You'll have to let me know when you finish your first book!


If you are travelling to the Commemoration on 23rd September and require a lift or can provide a lift we have created a car pooling page on Ridevu.
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text:
What is Office Delve?
Office 365, Microsoft's popular cloud-based productivity suite, is constantly growing in popularity, especially with small to medium businesses. However, as with many other software suites, the amount of data associated with Office 365 is also constantly growing and it can be tricky to keep track of all your data and connections. To help, Microsoft has introduced the Office Delve feature.
The idea behind Office Delve is that it's a tool that helps business users get the most out of their data and information related to Office 365. According to Microsoft, Delve will allow you to:
Discover new information – Delve has been designed to show you information from different sources in Office 365 that you may find useful for what you are currently working on.
Discover what you need – Documents you have seen before, or have recently worked on, are highlighted and made easier for you to find, regardless of where they are stored. This makes it less taxing to find work you have been doing in the past, and continue from where you left off.
Discover new connections – Typing a name in Office 365 will allow you to see what a user is working on, their connections, and even connect with them to build relationships and share information.
In order to provide the information and data that users will likely find useful, Delve is powered by a tool Microsoft calls Office Graph. Graph maps the relationships between the various Office 365 users in your company, and the content/information related to them.
This 'map' is then used by Delve to provide users with what they need, when they need it. Content and information is displayed on a card-based screen, which can be found under the Delve tab in the main Office 365 launch screen.
Aside from content such as profile information, links to documents, or information, users can also see: Likes, views, comments, and tags, which brings a deeper social integration into Office 365.
Delve also orders content a number of different ways, including:
What you've recently worked on – Shows you content in card-form that you have recently opened or worked on.
Content that has been shared with you – Shows the content your colleagues have shared with you.
Content that has been presented to you – Shows content that colleagues have presented recently, or content that has been sent to you.
While this idea works great on the desktop, many Office 365 users access their systems from their mobile devices. Delve will also be available to mobile users. On your device you can browse the cards with files, swipe left or right on each card to view files, and even search for colleagues and view files they have shared with you and their recent activity.
When is Delve available?
Microsoft has noted that Delve is currently rolling out for businesses who have subscribed to the Office 365 Enterprise level plans (E1-E4) and have joined the first release program. Over the following months, it will roll out to all E1-E4 customers. In 2015, Microsoft has noted that they will introduce Delve to Business Essentials, Business Premium, Small Business, Small Business Premium and Mid Sized Business customers.
If you are looking to learn more about Delve, contact us today.
Published on 9th July 2016 by Jeanne DeWitt.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: How to have same header definition in two different namespaces (but written once), with different implementations for namespaces? Let's say my program consists of two components trusted and untrusted. I would like to have to code class A's declaration only once but in two different namespaces, but their implementation can be different based on the namespace with only coding the common API once. I do not want to use macros for implementations like #ifdef UNTRSUTED .etc.
I do not want to use abstractions and inheritance to achieve different behavior. I'm just curious if it's possible.
In the header A.h I will have
// A.h
#pragma once
namespace app {
 // I know I can't get what I want with naming the same namespace twice
 namespace untrusted, trusted {
  class A {
    doDifferentFoo();
    doCommonBar() // this one is common between two impls;
  }
 }
}

And in the implementation, I will have A-common.cpp (to implement common interface for both namespaces only once), A-untrusted.cpp (to implement doDifferentFoo for untrusted namespace) and A-trusted.cpp (to implement doDifferentFoo for trusted namespace)

A: I guess the simplest way to do this, is to move the common declarations into an extra file and then include it twice:
A_detail.h:
// No `#pragma once` here!
class A {
    doDifferentFoo();
    doCommonBar(); // this one is common between two impls;
};

A.h:
#pragma once
namespace app {
    namespace trusted {
        #include "a_detail.h"
    }
    namespace untrusted {
        #include "a_detail.h"
    }
}

A-untrusted.cpp:
#include "a.h"
namespace app { namespace untrusted {
    // ...
} }

A-trusted.cpp:
#include "a.h"
namespace app { namespace trusted {
    // ...
} }

A-common_detail.cpp (maybe choose different file ending; should not be compiled as translation unit):
// common definitions/declarations without `namespace`

A-common.cpp:
namespace app {
    namespace untrusted {
        #include "A-common_detail.cpp"
    }
    namespace trusted {
        #include "A-common_detail.cpp"
    }
}

I am not sure that this is worth it. Alternatively you could (in each file with common code) use a macro for all common code and call that twice for the two namespaces. However you did say that you didn't want to use macros.
There is no way to do this without the help of the preprocessor, because every declaration (with only one declarator) declares exactly one name in one scope.

A: // A.h
class A {
    void doDifferentFoo();

    void doCommonBar()
    { // ...
    }

};

//  A_trusted.h
namespace app
{
namespace trusted
{
#include "A.h"

void A::doDifferentFoo() // can be moved to cpp-file if needed/wanted
{
}

}
}

// A_untrusted.h
namespace app
{
namespace untrusted
{
#include "A.h"

void A::doDifferentFoo() // can be moved to cpp-file if needed/wanted
{
}

}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Thoroughly deserved win after a really good team performance. Leicester having 78% possession and only mustering one shot more than Newcastle and both had the same number on target. Newcastle now above Bournemouth but a win tomorrow sees us move up above them. Interesting times.
RIP Tommy Smith, a real character who, as hampstead says, was uncompromising but did what he did very well.
A Liverpool legend who won 4 League Championships, the European Cup, UEFA Cup x 2, UEFA Super Cup and the FA Cup twice in a Liverpool career spanning 16 seasons.
I think that we should sign James Forrest from Celtic. What a team with Wood, Woods, Forrest and two Ash(es) playing ---very solid!
As spice says, he wants to return down south and this has been common knowledge up this area for some considerable time. He has been fairly regular in the team for the last 15 matches but the Newcastle fans think as much of him as many Burnley fans think of Jeff Hendrick.
The last and only time that Watford were in the FA Cup Final, one of the goals which beat them was scored by Gray and that was 35 years ago.
Watch this space to see if Andre can emulate Andy.
Really good hat trick and the last one was well set up by Defoe when he could have shot. Well done Scott, he has had a good season.
I am amazed that there is a shortage of trained doctors and nurses in the NHS, most of those with the necessary qualifications seem to be posting on here.
Colin ranting and raving but forgets the offside goal scored by Bamba against Brighton in November which gave them all three points. Swings and roundabouts until VAR puts everyone out of their misery and prevents managers from having heart attacks ----not!!
nyclaret wrote: England won 5-1.
How many more points did England get for winning 5-1 as opposed to Irealnd's 1-0? Results are what matters --- and that is all.
CaptJohn wrote: There's a lot of people who have sailed as passengers on cruise liners posting on here. How many have actually worked on the cruise liners? Just interested.
I have depped in a few bands and have completed two world cruises and also travelled as a passenger on many cruises since 1989.
Leeds won at Colchester tonight to clinch the Northern Group title.
He came off injured the other day because he had been kicked a few times in that match. He is definitely not in tonight's squad because his squad number is 7.
Missed a penalty just after half time when the score was 1-1 and then they scored 2 minutes later.
According to the FA website the kick off is 1800hrs.
Topic: A great couple of hours!
A great couple of hours!
Cracking win --great to see ---now for the next round!!
I see that that was Agyei's 22nd goal in competitive football this season ---can't argue with that and he has scored the winner in the last two PL Cup games!
ontario claret wrote: What are you lot going to say after Toronto gets in the Super League next year?
Can you get us any cheap flights and tickets to the matches? Remember that I asked first ---I love Canada!!
Good finish and Chelsea are in front 2-1 ---more goals to come in this I think!
Big game for Leeds these days!
Yes, as per the link below which lists the teams that had gone through before today's game. http://www.uptheclarets.com/all-or-nothing-today-for-the-under-23s I missed that CT ---in the process of moving house for the 24th time and had forgotten about the game until I saw your reports coming through.
Silkyskills1 wrote: Presumably it's a straight knock out competition from now on.
It is! We topped our group with a minus goal difference because of our big defeat in the first match.
Many thanks for the updates which are always appreciated by those of us that can't get to the matches.
Well done to the lads. Good achievement getting through to the last 16 particularly after the hiding that we got in the first game at Bournemouth!
When I originally saw the group with Liverpool involved I thought that we would have to go some to get through but -----we have!! Congratulations!!
I have just realised that their last win at the Turf was just 4 months before I watched my first game as a 5 year old in 1952!!
They are going down and I definitely don't want to play them next season, in spite of their record at the Turf!!


Outdoor technical sock brand Bridgedale needed to put their foot down to keep competitors at bay retain number one position in the UK and to grow in a wider global market.
Bridgedale have heritage going back over 100 years and manufacture the worlds most technical socks for the outdoor market from their factory in Newtonnards in Northern Ireland. We were bought in by the Sales & Marketing Director to carry out a brand review to establish what Bridgedale needed to do to meet their 5 year objectives.
We interrogated the market by engaging consumers online and in focus groups, interviews with retail buyers and in-country distributor visits. We crafted a new brand strategy that included a new identity and positioning for Bridgedale, reduced SKU's with an increase in the women's specific range, new packaging and in-store POS, lifestyle photography in Europe and a new website.
We beta tested the new range in a London store of Cotswold Outdoor and over 70% of consumers chose the new branded packs over the existing brand and competitors. Following the full brand re-launch, sales of ski socks in the US rose by 60% and sales of outdoor socks rose 30% in the UK.


A news item involving 2015 French Open was featured on Wikipedia's main page in the In the news section on 11 June 2015.
This article is within the scope of WikiProject Tennis, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of articles that relate to tennis on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.
Return to "2015 French Open" page.


text:
THERAPY OF PATIENTS WITH ANXIETY DISORDERS AND METABOLIC SYNDROME X
Olena V. Kaushanska Department of Internal Medicine, Clinical Pharmacology and Occupational Diseases, Bukovynian State Medical University, Chernivtsi, Ukraine
Olena V. Zaliavska Department of Internal Medicine, Clinical Pharmacology, and Occupational Diseases, Bukovynian State Medical University, Chernivtsi, Ukraine
Olha M. Nika Department of Nervous Diseases, Psychiatry, and Medical Psychology, Bukovynian State Medical University, Chernivtsi, Ukraine
Keywords: metabolic syndrome, mental disorders, tranquilizers, Spielberger-Khanin scale, Afobazole
Objective of the research: to investigate the efficacy and safety of Afobazole in the treatment of adult patients with anxiety disorders and metabolic syndrome X.
Material and methods of research. The study included 60 adult patients (18–65 years) (36 men, 24 women), whose clinical picture revealed mild and moderate forms of neurotic disorders observed in the therapeutic hospital and outpatient service. The main group (30 people) and control group (30 people) were formed on the basis of representativeness by gender and age (χ2emp <χ2krit, p ≤ 0.01). The sample consisted of patients who signed a written informed consent to participate in the study. The average age of the patients in the control group was 44.81 ± 2.17, in the main group – 45.13 ± 2.34 (p < 0.01); the average age of onset of mental disorders in the main group was 33.2 ± 3.1 years; in the control group it was 34.1 ± 3.4 years (p < 0.05); the average duration of psychopathological symptoms in the main group was 5.6 ± 0.6 months, in the control group – 5.8 ± 0.3 months (p < 0.05). The duration of treatment equaled 1 month of active therapy (later, the patients were transferred to maintenance therapy outside this study). Afobazole containing 0.01 g of active substance per tablet was used for treatment. The drug was prescribed 3 times a day (morning, afternoon and evening); the dose of the drug was increased: 1–1–2 (number of tablets per administration).
Research results. There were changes in psychometric scaling, i.e. a significant decrease in state (by 57.2 and 42.9%; p ≤ 0.001) and trait (by 23.8 and 23.3%; p ≤ 0, 01) anxiety on the Spielberger–Khanin scale in the main and control groups at the end of treatment. In all groups of patients, we noted complete recovery (38.4%) or a significant improvement (37.9%); for most patients with mild manifestations, complete recovery was observed in 92% of cases. Among patients with moderate manifestations, a good response was recorded in 75% of cases; for the rest, moderate and minimal effects were observed, respectively. The changes in the severity as compared with baseline values were significantly positive (p < 0.05) already after 7 days of Afobazole therapy; similar changes were noted in the indicators of the overall effectiveness of therapy. No positive changes after Afobazole therapy were observed in 3.3% of cases, deterioration was registered in 3.3% of cases, while in the control group these values were 6.6% and 3.3%, respectively. The changes in somatic indicators also had positive trends in the control and main groups – SBP reduced by 11.0% and 18.0%, respectively (p ≤ 0.05); DBP – by 4.4% and 14.9% (p ≤ 0.05).
Conclusion. The therapeutic effect of Afobazole is the reduction of viscero-vegetative manifestations of anxiety disorders, including relief of breathing, normalization of blood pressure and heart rate, reduction of muscle tension and pain, sweating and dizziness.
Olena V. Kaushanska, Department of Internal Medicine, Clinical Pharmacology and Occupational Diseases, Bukovynian State Medical University, Chernivtsi, Ukraine
Olena V. Zaliavska, Department of Internal Medicine, Clinical Pharmacology, and Occupational Diseases, Bukovynian State Medical University, Chernivtsi, Ukraine
к-т мед. наук, асистент кафедри внутрішньої медицини, клінічної фармакології та професійних хвороб, Буковинський державний медичний університет, Театральна пл., 2, м. Чернівці, Україна, 58002
Olha M. Nika, Department of Nervous Diseases, Psychiatry, and Medical Psychology, Bukovynian State Medical University, Chernivtsi, Ukraine
к-т мед. наук, асистент кафедри нервових хвороб, психіатрії та медичної психології, Буковинський державний медичний університет, Театральна пл., 2, м. Чернівці, Україна, 58002.
1. Meydan C, Shenhar-Tsarfaty S, Soreq H. MicroRNA Regulators of Anxiety and Metabolic Disorders. Trends Mol. Med. 2016;22(9):798-812. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmed.2016.07.001
2. Kraemer F, Ginsberg H, Reaven G. Demonstration of the central role of insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Diabetes Care. 2014;37(5):1178-1181. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc13-2668
3. Girvalaki C, Vardavas C, Papandreou C. Trends in metabolic syndrome risk factors among adolescents in rural Crete between 1989 and 2011. Hormones (Athens). 2014;13(2):259-267. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf03401340
4. Inzucchi S, Viscoli C, Young, L. Pioglitazone prevents diabetes in patients with insulin resistance and cerebrovascular disease. Diabetes Care. 2016;39(10):1684-1692. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc16-0798
5. Martino F, Pannarale G, Puddu P. Is it possible a new definition of metabolic syndrome in childhood? Eur. Rev. Med. Pharmacol. Sci. 2015;19(22):4324-4331.
6. Vishram J, Borglykke А, Andreasen A. Impact of age and gender on the prevalence and prognostic importance of the metabolic syndrome and its components in Europeans. The MORGAM Prospective Cohort Project. PLoS ONE, 9. 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0107294
Olena V. Kaushanska, Olena V. Zaliavska, & Olha M. Nika. (2021). THERAPY OF PATIENTS WITH ANXIETY DISORDERS AND METABOLIC SYNDROME X. Eastern Ukrainian Medical Journal, 9(3), 262-267. https://doi.org/10.21272/eumj.2021;9(3):262-267


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Thumbs Down & No Stars For ALEC as Facebook and Yelp Leave
by JD Sullivan · September 25, 2014
San Francisco, CA – Facebook and Yelp have become the latest technology companies to leave the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) over concerns about the special interest group's reputation of denying climate change and their influence on the democratic process in the United States.
The Sierra Club has announced today that Facebook and Yelp have joined other high tech firms in which have recently departed from ALEC. The Sierra Club describes ALEC as "a right-wing clearinghouse for dangerous legislation pushed on the state and local level to attack worker's rights, civil rights, voting rights, and clean energy solutions across the country."
The news of the Facebook and Yelp rejection of ALEC comes on the heels of an announcement by Google on Monday that it would also be leaving ALEC due to pressure from a coalition of groups.
[dropshadowbox align="none" effect="lifted-both" width="400px" height="" background_color="#ffffff" border_width="1″ border_color="#dddddd" ]"Fossil-fuel backed groups like ALEC are on the wrong side of nearly every effort to tackle the climate crisis and on the wrong side of history." ~ Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune[/dropshadowbox]
A coalition of 50 labor, environmental, religion, free speech, civil rights and other groups said in a letter addressed early this month to Google executives, "Over the last year, hundreds of thousands of Americans have signed petitions asking Google to end its ALEC membership because of their concerns about the harmful role ALEC has played in our democratic process."
Thank green activists for asking Google to leave ALEC
[Tweet "TY @LCVoters @energyaction @MTEIC for asking Google to leave ALEC http://bit.ly/reALECty"]
According to the Center for Media and Democracy, ALEC works behind closed doors with no press or public allowed to see the votes or deliberations in order to push legislation templates benefiting corporate profits at the expense of our environment and our health by making it easier for polluters to spoil water and air.
[color-box color="red"]
The web site Alecexposed.org describes the following examples of ALEC legislation:
• ALEC's "Resolution in Opposition to EPA's Regulation of Greenhouse Gases from Mobile Sources" opposes a Supreme Court decision that allowed the EPA to regulate carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases as pollutants.
• ALEC's "Resolution in Support of the Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act" supports the REINS Act, legislation that would give Congress the authority to block the enforcement of numerous federal protections, including clean air and water laws, safeguards for mine workers, rules that prohibit the sale of tobacco to children, and even protection from discrimination.
• ALEC's "Resolution in Opposition to EPA's Regulation of Greenhouse Gases from Mobile Sources" opposes a Supreme Court decision that allowed the EPA to regulate carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases as pollutants. The resolution dismisses climate change concerns through misleading rhetoric.
• ALEC's "Resolution in Support of the Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act" supports the REINS Act, legislation that would give Congress the authority to block the enforcement of numerous federal protections, including clean air and water laws, safeguards for mine workers, rules that prohibit the sale of tobacco to children, and even protection from discrimination. [/color-box]
In response to Google's announcement of their intention to also depart, ALEC CEO Lisa B. Nelson, said in a press release Monday, ""It is unfortunate to learn Google has ended its membership in the American Legislative Exchange Council as a result of public pressure from left-leaning individuals and organizations who intentionally confuse free market policy perspectives for climate change denial."
[Tweet "TY @NewEnergyNM @sierraclub for asking Google to leave ALEC http://bit.ly/reALECty"] [/color-box]
ALEC has not made a press statement about the departure of Yelp and Facebook as of yet.
Nelson said, "The conversations held in Dallas were intended to build understanding and pioneer future policy approaches where organizations could find common ground on issues of climate change, energy generation and government mandates."
However the coalition which put pressure on Google to leave ALEC stated that, "During their recent meetings in Dallas, ALEC officers and corporate lobbyists held training seminars to teach legislators how to block legislation that encourages clean energy solutions."
[Tweet "TY @climateparents @ForecastFacts for asking Google to leave ALEC http://bit.ly/reALECty"] [/color-box]
In response to the recent ALEC departures of Facebook and Yelp, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune released the following statement:
"Climate deniers are the new tobacco executives — nobody wants to be seen with them. With Google, Facebook, Yelp, and Microsoft all dumping ALEC, it's increasingly obvious that you can not run a successful 21st century company while associating with ideologues from the stone age. Fossil-fuel backed groups like ALEC are on the wrong side of nearly every effort to tackle the climate crisis and on the wrong side of history. That's why the Sierra Club and our coalition partners will continue to pressure those in the technology industry and elsewhere who fund ALEC and stand in the way of healthy communities and a prosperous economy powered by clean energy."
[color-box color="grey"]The coalition includes: American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), American Family Voices, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Americans for Democratic Action (ADA), Americans United for Change, Alliance for Retired Americans, Center for Effective Government, Center for Media and Democracy/ALECExposed, Christopher Reynolds Foundation, Citizens for Responsible Ethics in Washington (CREW), Climate Parents, ColorofChange.org, Common Cause, Communication Workers of America (CWA), Courage Campaign, CREDO Action, Democracy for America, Demos, Energy Action Coalition, Forecast the Facts, Free Press, Friends Fiduciary Corporation, Good Jobs First, Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters, U.S.A., In the Public Interest, International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), Jobs With Justice, League of Conservation Voters, Money Out Voters In (MOVI), Montana Environmental Information Center, MoveOn, New Energy Economy, Northwest Coalition for Responsible Investment, People For the American Way, Progress Now, Progress Florida, Progress Missouri, Province of St. Joseph of the Capuchin Order Milwaukee, Public Campaign, Public Citizen, RootsAction, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Sierra Club, Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Share Action, Social Security Works, Stand Up to ALEC, SumOfUs
United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), United Steelworkers (USW), USAction and We Act Radio[/color-box]
Tags: Policy & Politics
Renewable Energy Across the Globe: Africa
Breaking News: US Navy to End Sonar Testing In Key Pacific Habitats
Keystone XL Defeated by Senate Democrats; 59 to 41
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Thursday Themes – Miriam Drori
May 16, 2019 May 16, 2019 Jo Fenton
I'm delighted to welcome Miriam Drori back to my blog today to discuss the themes of her exciting new novel, brilliantly titled 'Cultivating a Fuji'.
Thank you, Jo. I'm delighted to be able to bring the themes of my brand-new novel, Cultivating a Fuji, to your esteemed blog.
The main theme of the novel is social anxiety. As an introduction to this topic, I would say that social anxiety is a fear of people – in particular of what those people think of the "sufferer". For more information, from multiple points of view, see my non-fiction book, Social Anxiety Revealed.
Martin has social anxiety. The people he meets don't know that, and even Martin doesn't know that for most of his life. All he knows is that he doesn't fit into society. Other people see him as different… not normal. Their reactions range from bullying to raised shoulders and smirks. Very few attempt to draw him out or include him in social activities.
It was important for me to drill into the heads of these other people and examine why they have little room for empathy. There are the schoolchildren, always striving to remain popular and lacking guidance from those who should provide it. Teachers and parents have other agendas. One woman is juggling work and childcare, and another's partner has just dumped her. Fellow office workers are fearful they might lose their jobs.
Another theme of the novel is place, in particular Bournemouth (UK) and Japan. Bournemouth is where Martin lives. It's a town he loves to explore on his solitary walks. It also very nearly becomes his downfall. Japan, with all its strangeness, is the place that could save him from his humdrum existence, although it could also do the opposite.
Cultivating a Fuji
Convinced that his imperfect, solitary existence is the best it will ever be, Martin unexpectedly finds himself being sent to represent his company in Japan. His colleagues think it's a joke; his bosses are certain he will fail. What does Martin think? He simply does what he's told. That's how he's survived up to now – by hiding his feelings.
Amazingly, in the land of strange rituals, sweet and juicy apples, and too much saké, Martin flourishes and achieves the impossible. But that's only the beginning. Keeping up the momentum for change proves futile. So, too, is a return to what he had before. Is there a way forward, or should he put an end to the search now?
Gradually, as you'll see when Martin looks back from near the end of his journey, life improves. There's even a woman, Fiona, who brings her own baggage to the relationship, but brightens Martin's days. And just when you think there can be no more surprises, another one pops up.
Throughout his life, people have laughed at 'weirdo' Martin; and you, as you read, will have plenty of opportunity to laugh, too. Go ahead, laugh away, but you'll find that there's also a serious side to all this…
Miriam Drori has decided she's in the fifth and best stage of her life, and she's hoping it'll last for ever. It's the one in which she's happiest and most settled and finally free to do what she wants. Miriam lives in a delightful house and garden in Jerusalem with her lovely husband and one of three children. She enjoys frequent trips around the world. She dances, hikes, reads and listens to music. And she's realised that social anxiety is here to stay, so she might as well make friends with it. On top of that, she has moved away from computer programming and technical writing (although both of those provided interest in previous stages) and now spends her time editing and writing fiction.
Neither Here Nor There, a romance with a difference set in Jerusalem, was published in 2014. The Women Friends: Selina, co-written with Emma Rose Millar, is the first of a series of novellas based on the famous painting by Gustav Klimt. Social Anxiety Revealed (non-fiction) provides a comprehensive description of social anxiety from many different viewpoints. Cultivating a Fuji is an uplifting tale of combating difference. Future books will include a sequel to Neither Here Nor There.
Miriam Drori can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, Instagram, Wattpad and on her website/blog and social anxiety blog.
Cultivating a Fuji is available as a paperback or an ebook from Amazon.
Tagged Authors, Bournemouth, bullying, Fuji, Japan, Sake, Social Anxiety, Thursday Themes
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Thank you so much for posting this, Jo. 🙂


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Energy transition gathers momentum
Published: 14 February 2018 14 February 2018
The Global Wind Energy Council released its annual market statistics. The 2017 market remained above 50 GW, with Europe, India and the offshore sector having record years. Chinese installations were down slightly - 'only' 19.5 GW - but the rest of the world made up for most of that. Total installations in 2017 were 52,573 MW, bringing the global total to 539,581 MW.
Cratering prices for both onshore and offshore wind continue to surprise. Markets in such diverse locations as Morocco, India, Mexico and Canada range in the area of $US 0.03/kWh, with a recent Mexican tender coming in with prices below $US 0.02. Meanwhile, offshore wind had its first 'subsidy-free' tender in Germany this year, with tenders for more than 1 GW of new offshore capacity receiving no more than the wholesale price of electricity. In Asia, China continues to lead. India had a very strong year, but will be the 'victim' of a policy gap in 2018. Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam all continue to show promise, and there are stirrings in the laggard markets in Japan, and particularly in South Korea as a result of policies being enacted by the new government.
Europe had its best year ever, led by more than 6 GW in Germany, a very strong showing in the UK, and a resurgence in the French market. Finland, Belgium, Ireland and Croatia also set new records. Offshore installations of more than 3,000 MW are a harbinger of things to come.
The US had another strong year with 7.1 GW, and a very strong pipeline for the next few years. Direct corporate purchase of renewables plays an increasing role in that market, as the litany of household brand names (Google, Apple, Nike, Facebook, Wal-Mart, Microsoft, etc) signing wind and solar PPAs continues to grow. Canada and Mexico both had modest years in terms of installations, but a new government in Alberta is breathing life into the Canadian market and the solid policy foundation in Mexico will make it a substantial growth market for the coming decade.
In Latin America, Brazil chalked up more than 2 GW, despite political and economic crises which are not yet fully resolved. Uruguay completed its build-out and is nearing the 100% renewable energy target in the power sector. The results of 2016 and 2017's auctions in Argentina will start to result in strong installation numbers in 2018 and beyond.
There was a lot of activity in Africa and the Middle East, but the only completed projects were in South Africa, where 621 MW of new capacity was added to the grid. Big projects in Kenya and Morocco are awaiting grid connection this year.
The Pacific region remains quiet, and although a lot of new contracts were signed in 2017. Australia, the only active market in the region, put up a modest 245 MW.
GWEC
GWEC to ramp up activities in south east Asia with new task force
Global offshore wind sector has potential to grow to 200GW of capacity by 2030
Wind Industry creates Africa Task Force to speed up development
Global Wind Day 2019: celebrating the future of wind energy around the world
20,641 wind turbines installed in 2018, produced by 37 manufacturers
Global Wind Report forecasts over 300GW capacity to be added in next 5 years
GWEC and World Bank to cooperate on development of global offshore wind markets
Africa and Middle East installed 962MW new wind capacity in 2018
Americas install 11.9GW wind capacity in 2018
GWEC creates taskforce to accelerate global offshore wind deployment
MHI Vestas Offshore Wind joins the Global Wind Energy Council
GWEC appoints Ben Backwell as its new CEO
Excitement About Floating Offshore Wind
GWEC's Global Wind Report: Cost-competitiveness puts wind in front
The evolution of wind power interactive map 2017 released
FOWIND publishes offshore wind feasibility studies for Gujarat and Tamil Nadu
FOWIND publishes offshore wind outlook for Gujarat and Tamil Nadu in India
FOWIND Commissions India's First LiDAR for Offshore Wind Resource Assessments in Gujarat
FOWIND launches new report on grid integration for offshore wind in India
800GW of Global Wind by 2021


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Sunnyvale - 7 jobs in August 2015
DAQRI is looking for talented Developers and Engineers to join our growing family - everything from Data Scientists to Android Developers. DAQRI is the leading augmented reality/4D company focused on transforming the Future of Work. We deliver the most innovative hardware and software that is bridging the gap between potential and experience. DAQRI works with the world's largest and most respected companies to enhance human abilities by seamlessly connecting people to their environments and providing relevant information instantaneously. The DAQRI SmartHelmet and 4D Studio authoring platform deliver cutting-edge enterprise solutions in industrial, manufacturing, oil & gas, aerospace, and more. DAQRI is headquartered in Los Angeles with an R&D facility in Sunnyvale, CA and a development center in Dublin, Ireland.
daqri.com/careers
HealthExpense — Sunnyvale, CA — Lead/Senior Engineers — Backend & DevOps — FULLTIME, ONSITE
HealthExpense (http://www.healthexpense.com) is looking for experienced engineering hands to round out our core team and to help us build the next great healthcare technology startup. If you are interested in joining a dynamic early-stage startup that is already seeing significant traction — there are already 1M+ employees using our platform — we'd love to talk to you.
You can reach us at jobs@healthexpense.com (or me at sthomas@healthexpense.com). There's no resume "black hole" here — you'll get a prompt, respectful reply.
OUR STACK: Backend — Scala (we'll help you get up to speed), C++. DevOps — AWS, Chef. More here: http://stackshare.io/healthexpense/healthexpense
ABOUT HEALTHEXPENSE:
In healthcare, $600B (that's a B) is wasted every year. The HealthExpense platform (think "Mint for healthcare") helps consumers and benefits administrators make the most of their healthcare dollars — tackling the mundane and often unnecessarily-complicated tasks like submitting insurance reimbursement claims, paying bills, and tracking deductibles and flex-spending caps. Our fast-growing network is quickly becoming the platform of choice for large employers and third-party administrators, and we're already helping over 1M employees make better and more cost-effective healthcare decisions.
A few key details: - We're well-funded and stable: we offer great salaries, medical/dental/vision coverages, and generous bonuses. - We're off to great start. Our platform is already in use by millions, and we're just getting started. - We set you up for success: We never skimp on the best hardware or tools money can buy. - We want you to share in our success. Every offer includes a healthy dose of stock options. - We're building for the long-term. Our key executives have been around the block, and understand the importance (and sustainability) of true work-life balance.
Niara | Full Time | Immigration Sponsorhip Available | San Francisco Bay Area
Niara is an early stage venture startup hiring core technology engineers and UI/UX/Product Designers in Sunnyvale, USA to build its next generation security intelligence platform. Check us out at: http://www.niara.com. You can apply through the website or send a mail to me at riteshn AT gmail
Full Stack Engineer (Member of Technical Staff)
This is the job for you if you like to work on every aspect of a product. As Niara's, MTS, you will be working on the frontend, middleware, and backend. You would work with frameworks like AngularJS backed by a Python backend. We prefer simple, elegant solution to complex problems, so bonus points for having a history of getting things done.
UI/UX, Product Designer
As a UI/UX designer, your defined user experience is critical to Niara's success. You will work on concepts, wireframes, story boards to final user interface. Your solutions will help visualize highly technical problems in an easy to understand manner for the customers.
NCC Group (formerly Matasano Security, iSEC Partners, and Intrepidus Group) - Austin, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and Sunnyvale, CA
Maybe you've been a builder, but have always thought breaking seemed more fun? Maybe you're a seasoned information security veteran looking for dedicated research time? Maybe you've always been intrigued by security, but never had a clear path for how to get started? Maybe you are an infosec wunderkind looking for a place where you can be exposed to a myriad of technologies and products over the course of a year? Maybe you mistyped a web address and somehow wound up here? With the exception of that last example, we'd love to hear from you!
Many of you will be familiar with NCC Group's legacy US names - Matasano Security, iSEC Partners, and Intrepidus Group. We're now all officially integrated under the NCC Group name and one happy family.
The bottom line: if you love security and research, NCC Group just may be a perfect fit for you.
What do we do exactly? Penetration testing, security analysis, and cutting-edge research into current technologies and attacks (breaking things). You spend most of your day thinking about security systems and how they can break. You get to be creative and have a lot of freedom to be clever while learning new technologies at a very fast pace. Engagements are usually 2-4 weeks long and in a year you will be exposed to 15-20 products and technology stacks. Your work will typically initiate person-months of security improvements in products millions of people use. You will have access to senior engineers/architects and your findings/ideas will be heard by senior decision makers. You will have enormous impact in making the software people use safer. All of our consultants are also security researchers, with dedicated research time. Not too shabby!
If you want to learn more about us check out our:
Blog - https://www.nccgroup.trust/us/blog/
Cryptopals - http://cryptopals.com/
Microcorruption - http://microcorruption.com/
Research - https://isecpartners.github.io/
If you're ready to apply, contact us at: https://www.nccgroup.trust/us/careers/. We'd love to hear from you!
Approximately 100 open positions for all kinds of things (soft/hard engineering, supply chain, operations, sales, everything!!!) at Daqri. LA, Sunnyvale and Dublin offices.
We're building Augmented Reality tools that are used by Industrial organizations to provide context to workflows. In particular, we're designing and deploying a Smart Helmet which will help Industrial teams work smarter.
Check out open positions here: http://daqri.com/careers/
We work on a lot of hard computer vision problems (think state-estimation without an external sensor pointed at the user). If that sounds interesting, consider applying :D.
Yahoo Developer Network | Sunnyvale, CA | https://developer.yahoo.com | Full Time | Onsite
We're hiring frontend hackers who are passionate about developer communities. You will be working on building developer tools and interfaces using nodeJS, react, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. An ideal candidate will also act as a guide to our partners, helping them to integrate Yahoo Developer technologies in their products.
To apply, please email your resume to the following address ydn.jobs@yahoo-inc.com.
Learn more: https://developer.yahoo.com/jobs/
GoDaddy is hiring a front end engineer in Sunnyvale/San Francisco or remote.
We're a new product in the GoDaddy ecosystem to connect WordPress developers to our 13m small business customers.
You're working with a team who joined as part of an acquisition on a fresh Rails code base. We're agile, customer centric and well-resourced.
If you're interested drop me a line at ned@godaddy.com


Mothers can be a competitive bunch at the best of times – but where food is concerned, their killer instinct really kicks in. Now, mothers in Japan are taking competitive culinary prowess to new levels – via their children's lunchboxes.
Kyaraben (meaning character lunchboxes) is the name given to this extreme lunchbox artistry, where rice balls, sushi, salad and fruit is shaped into cartoon characters like Hello Kitty or SpongeBobSquare Pants, or animals.
that national competitions are held to give awards to the best.
American mothers have jumped on the bandwagon too – with one making a perfect Miss Piggy out of pasta shapes.


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Katie Valentine Friday, May 17, 2019
/ Categories: Research Headlines, Marine Science
The DNA found in sea turtle poop could be scientists' newest monitoring tool
Tracking the signal of environmental DNA, or eDNA, can be used to track animals themselves.
By Katie Valentine
Sea turtle poop may not sound like the most scientifically interesting subject. But it could turn out to be a useful tool in monitoring populations of sea turtle species, according to results from a recent pilot study from NOAA researchers.
That's because the poop of sea turtles — and every other animal — holds DNA that contains bits of information about the animal. When animals shed skin, urinate, or defecate, DNA is released into the environment around them. Tracking the signal of this environmental DNA, or eDNA, can be used to track the animals themselves. Analysis of eDNA can be done more quickly, easily and inexpensively than traditional scientific sampling methods, which often involve physically capturing animals.
"eDNA is tissue-free," said Kelly Goodwin, a microbiologist at NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML). "So instead of having to take a biopsy or a tissue sample, or physically capture the animal, the idea is that you can just use seawater to figure out where animals live."
eDNA is being tested as a way to monitor the populations of a variety of marine animals, including whales, porpoises and fish. Compared to fish and marine mammals, which have more skin surface area to shed eDNA, sea turtles have large shells, which made scientists unsure whether their eDNA signals would be too weak to detect in their seawater habitats.
To find out, Goodwin and a team of researchers, led by Peter Dutton from NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center, set up an experiment in the San Diego Bay. Kirsten Harper, a postdoctoral associate working with Goodwin and Dutton, looked at whether eDNA samples from endangered green sea turtles would match up against visual sightings. Dutton's team set up a traditional sampling technique — net capture — in which sea turtles swim into large nets and are brought to shore for data collection, then released.* Harper took samples of seawater in the places they captured sea turtles, to see whether turtle eDNA could be detected from the water sample. As part of the study, Harper also took samples from a turtle exhibit, comparing seawater taken near turtles to areas without turtles. Overall, the study showed that eDNA could be detected from sea turtles and the signal was consistent with visual sightings.
"The data are encouraging that eDNA could be used for monitoring these turtles," Goodwin said. "With continued development, we should be able to look at the eDNA signal and tell you where the animals frequent and track whether their habitat usage is changing."
That's important, because knowing where green sea turtles are means being able to accurately advise Naval, commercial and recreational boating operations the areas that should be avoided so as to not pose a risk to the turtle, whose populations are listed as threatened or endangered — depending on their location — under the Endangered Species Act.
There's still work that needs to be done to optimize the technique, including tweaking the eDNA testing method so that scientists can detect green sea turtles even when there's only very small amounts of eDNA in the water. But using eDNA is a promising technique that could save scientists time, money and manpower when compared to traditional sampling, and also make for a less invasive sampling experience for the turtles.
For more information on NOAA scientists' use of eDNA to study marine animals, check out this story from NOAA Fisheries. It explores how eDNA is being used to monitor harbor porpoises, which are extremely difficult to monitor using traditional biological sampling methods.
*NMFS Research Permit #18238
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Next Article Former NOAA employee Christina Koch greets NOAA from the International Space Station
Tags: AOML Green Sea Turtle Endangered Species SWFSC eDNA Omics
NOAA teams up with Viking to conduct and share science aboard new Great Lakes expedition voyages
From hurricanes to seal pups: 4 ways drones are helping NOAA scientists conduct research
Robots probe ocean depths in mission to fine-tune hurricane forecasts
NOAA taps weather program leader to head NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Lab
This Earth Day, Explore the Ways NOAA Research is Tackling the Planet's Biggest Questions


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Uncertainties of a Beacon of Democracy in Africa
No Comments on Uncertainties of a Beacon of Democracy in Africa
BBC Radio is one of my favourite channels. I love the phone-in-sessions especially World Have Your Say and other personal stories about overcoming difficulties. As I write this piece, I cannot but recollect a BBC Sports program about a certain period of the African Cup of Nations. In that session of the BBC Sports program, there were jokes about the African countries. And this was how the joke went: all African countries meet at a pub and they display their manliness by requesting a smorgasbord of strong drinks. When it was Ghana's turn, in a quiet voice like that of a child, it said, "Can I have a glass of milk?" This of course set off a round of raucous laughter among the panelists.
The juxtaposition of Ghana to a child, in my view is not necessarily a denigration. It portrays Ghana as pure and innocent. Qualities which sum up the stage Ghana finds herself in several decades surrounded by countries of which have fallen into the very pit of hellish civil war. The kind which Dante would have been proud to use in his "Inferno". Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Togo; countries that are the immediate neighbours of Ghana have always experienced one form of altercation or another but not Ghana. The consequences of the Liberian civil war exist in Ghana in the form of the Liberia Camp, occupied by refugees who have went through the psychological and emotional trauma of war, refusing to go back to Liberia after two decades. Just as some Liberians found Ghana to be a haven, the children I teach from Syria, Egypt, Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, Lebanon, etc. see Ghana as a haven of peace. Ghana indeed has been the most peaceful place in the African continent.
This is not to say Ghana has never had challenges. Like all Africa countries, Ghana has been marked by the indoctrination of European colonialism but has weathered it quite well. Despite that Ghana has not felt the serrating and the destructive effect of the underbelly of civil war (which have been felt by the Rwandans, or Nigerians with Boko Haram, to name but a few). Thus, the comparison of Ghana to a child is apt, an innocence of the devastating nature of civil war.
My fear however is that this child is gradually losing her innocence, the consequences would not be pleasant, thus the trepidation and uncertainties. In 2016, Ghana elected a new political party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) with Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo Addo as its flagbearer. The previous governing party, National Democratic Congress (NDC) led by John Dramani Mahama, was booted out of office because of the reported canker of corruption. Prior to its election, the then opposition party (NPP) which went on to win the 2016 election, fervently promised to drastically deal with corrupt politicians and act of corruptions. Upon its assumption of office, nothing has changed much, except some would say corruption is at its very peak. Perhaps the words of a Special Prosecutor for corruption, Martin Amidu, (appointed to prosecute all involved in corruption in politics and the economy) that his employer is the "mother serpent of corruption" affirms the horrifying state the country faces.
During the rule of Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo Addo, there were rumours and videos of civilians being trained in military warfare. This was reported by private media. The civilians trained in military tactics were called the Delta Forces. During the 2020 election, it was soon to become apparent why the Delta Forces were recruited and why the government appointed his relatives to the positions of the Electoral Commissioner, the justices, and key functions (who could have put a stop to any fracas the country experiences) in government. Indeed, for four years (2016-2020), the ruling government led by Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo Addo was playing a game of chess with rules the opposition (NDC) was not aware of. The result leading the opposition (NDC) to having their hands being tied, effectively being handed a checkmate.
The civilian militia, Delta Force, had a role to play in the 7th December 2020 election. It is alleged it stole and burnt ballot boxes at opposition strong-hold and put into force other skirmishers which resulted in the death of nine people of which the media reported. This is unheard of in the history of Ghana's elections. The justices appointed by the government shows clear nepotism and their necessity in the election is clear. The current opposition (NDC) who have disputed the 2020 election are faced with challenging the result of the election in front of judges appointed by the ruling government. On the 6th of January 2021, the Members of Parliament had to propose and vote for a Speaker of Parliament, when the ballot papers were being countered, a member of the incumbent NPP government, tried to do away with ballot papers cast, to have a person of their (NPP) choice as the Speaker of Parliament. To some this is just a confirmation that that the incumbent government led by Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo Addo, rigged the 2020 election. And the very public figures who previously, could have expressed their views concerning the errors in the election have their hands tied, because they have been appointed by the government in several positions and therefore one cannot bite the hand that feeds it. Indeed this is almost admirable; it took foresight, effective planning and the ability to believe in one's own lies to make this possible.
As a confirmation of the unease the country is experiencing, a movie, "Freedom and Justice" by a Ghanaian actor, dancer, musician, Kobby Rana was banned from its 25th December 2020 debut. A trailer of the movie portrays almost effectively, the corruption that has brought about the snail-pace or even a halt to the progress and development of the country. A country which gained independence at the same period as the likes of Malaysia, to use a comparative measure of development. With all that is occurring, the consequence is an undertone of unrest and uncertainties. Can Ghana continue in the midst of the lies, armed civilian militias (at the detriment of trained and qualified security officers), a disputed election, a government that practices Machiavellian and mafia-like tactics? Will Ghanaians be willing to unify as the newly sworn in government of the Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo Addo hopes for in his inauguration speech? Is this beacon of democracy in Africa losing its glow?
by Ali I. M.
Tags africa, civil war, corruption, debate, democracy, discourse, election, ghana, government, politics


A striped T-shirt is a wardrobe must-have! This shirt is even more covetable, as it features the Petrol Industries logo on the chest. With a black rounded neckline, shot sleeves, and subtle white marl stripes. Pair with cool jeans and plimsolls. A belt adds the finishing touch!
A striped T-shirt is a wardrobe must-have!
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Genre:BODY, MIND & SPIRIT
SubGenre:General
ME, MY DREAMS AND I
by Daniel J. Joseph
"Me, My Dreams and I" is a unique piece of literature that illustrates the synchronicity between dreams and reality while elaborating on what dreams could truly mean and how every individual can recall more of their dreams and greatly learn from them.
Do YOU dream? Of course you do, we all do. It is one of the great traits that we as human beings all share in common. Dreams are powerful, influential and more significant than anyone truly comprehends. "Me, My Dreams and I" is a unique piece of literature that illustrates the synchronicity between dreams and reality while elaborating on what dreams could truly mean and how every individual can recall more of their dreams and greatly learn from them. This book is comprised of several components which include an eighteen month dream journal by the author that will help you understand dreams further and assist you in discovering more from your dreams. Other elements of this book will cover topics such as how to recall your dreams better, what some notable people say about dreams, where dreams have influenced past history and how ones dreams illustrate the commonality of everyones dreams. "Me, My Dreams and I" will evoke you to become more in touch with your dreams and allow you to visualize the intertwined weavings of dreams and reality. Forever dream, dream forever.
Daniel J. Joseph has been acting and making independent films since the age of nine and has produced over fifty movie projects as an independent filmmaker. He has received filmmaking and producing certificates from Vancouver Film School and has been involved with the entertainment industry for twenty years. www.danieljjoseph.com Daniel is currently putting the finishing touches on his first book entitled, "Me, My Dreams and I". This piece of unique literature illustrates the synchronicity between dreams and reality while elaborating on what dreams truly mean and how every individual can recall and learn from their dreams. "Me, My Dreams and I", will be published later this year with the possibility of a following sequel. He has upcoming plans on several motivational, inspirational and poetry books within the next few years as well. www.memydreamsandi.com DANGEROUS aka The Deadly MC aka The Lyrical Miracle is the Origin of Original. This creative poet auditioned as a rapper on Star Search at age 11 and has been a very active and dedicated emcee since the year 2000. He has been a finalist for the: The Beat 94.5 'Stand Out or Get Out' Contest & The Beat 94.5 Kokanee Summit Sound Off Competition. DANGEROUS has been a semi finalist for the: The Beat 94.5 Starmaker Competition, The Sonar Emcee Battle Royale and has been a finalist for numerous freestyle battle competitions in Vancouver, BC. DANGEROUS has recorded "The Deadly MC," (2004) his debut album which was in dozens of record stores and received radio play on The Beat 94.5fm and CFRO 103.9fm. His most recent album release is "Complex Poetry" (2006) which is a true underground Hip Hop album that highlights his unique lyrics and his own produced beats. He created his own studio where he also released two mix-tapes and produced music for other artists. He then linked up with his brother Jo Blunt, along with Spit Lyrics who represent Rhymists and has featured on their projects for the past few years . These three emcees now perform monthly at various venues in British Columbia. Recently, DANGEROUS has collaborated with Moka Only, formerly of Swollen Members and is branching out to various talented artists internationally such as Planet Asia and his idol, the legendary Canibus. DANGEROUS is currently finishing his latest album, "The Dream Catcher" and a collaboration album with his brother, "Blunt Bros". www.reverbnation.com/dangerousthedeadlymc www.myspace.com/dangerousthedeadlymc
eBook - $14.99 (AZW, EPub, PDF)


A 20-year-old woman was burnt alive by her in-laws in Rajasthan's Nagaur district after her parents failed to give in to their demands of additional dowry. No arrests have been made in this regard as of yet.
Jaipur: Almost six decades after the Dowry Prohibition Act came into effect in 1961, the practice of torturing and even murdering a woman with the intention of punishing her for her failure to give more dowries continues to be a rampant one in present-day India. One such horrific incident has come to light from the Nagaur district in Rajasthan where a woman was allegedly burnt alive by her in-laws.
The incident took place on Tuesday when 20-year-old Kismat Kanwar was set ablaze allegedly by her mother-in-law in the Kukrod village under Makrana police station's jurisdiction. In a statement she gave to the police before succumbing to her burn wounds, the victim told police that kerosene was poured on her by her in-laws before they set her on fire for failure to give in to their demands of more dowries.
Kanwar told local police officers that she was starved for two days by her in-laws who demanded Rs 5 lakh cash and a car from her parents as dowry. Parents of the victim who got married to one Balraj Singh about 18 months ago gave her in-laws 400 grams of gold and one lakh cash as dowry. Our daughter was ill-treated and tortured after we failed to give in to her in-laws' demands of dowry.
The victim was rushed to the SMS hospital in Jaipur around 9.30 pm on Tuesday night with 95 per cent burn injuries. Police officials suggest that her family recorded her statement the same night around 8.17 pm. A case has been filed against the accused under section 498 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), however, no arrests have been made in this regard as of yet.


Learn where the React framework came from, why it is component centric, and what React Fiber is from Dan Abramov and Burke Holland. Why does React make state and components first class concepts? Why does Burke think he is a component? Does Facebook really have 30,000 components in production? Should you use Redux? Why isn't Burke cool enough to get the latest version of React? Learn these and more in this episode of Five Things!


Looking for a hotel in Lincoln, NE that you can bring your pet to? We made sure that each one of the hotels below are pet friendly, so you can enjoy your trip with your pet by your side! Once you have found a pet friendly hotel, you can book your stay instantly from our website or call 866-212-1803 to speak with a pet travel agent.
AmericInn by Wyndham Lincoln North allows pets to accompany their people at their pet friendly accommodation. Up to 2 pets are welcome. The pet fee is $15 per pet, per night.
Americas Best Value Inn-Lincoln welcomes pets at their pet friendly accommodation.
Baymont by Wyndham Lincoln welcomes four-legged guests at their pet friendly accommodation. Up to 2 70 pound or less pets are allowed in each room. The pet fee is $15 per pet, per night.
Best Western Plus Lincoln Inn & Suites welcomes four-legged guests at their pet friendly accommodation. Up to 2 pets are allowed in each room. The pet fee is $25.00 per pet, per day. Only Dogs Are Allowed.
Cloverleaf Suites Lincoln Nebraska welcomes four-legged guests at their pet friendly accommodation. Up to 2 25 pound or less pets are allowed in each room. The pet fee is $10 per pet, per day.
Comfort Inn Airport is pet friendly. The pet fee is $20.00 per accommodation, per night.
Comfort Suites East welcomes four-legged guests at their pet friendly accommodation. Up to 2 40 pound or less pets are allowed in each room. The pet fee is $20 per pet, per stay.
Comfort Suites University welcomes four-legged guests at their pet friendly accommodation. Up to 2 pets are allowed in each room. The pet fee is $10 per pet, per night.
Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Lincoln Airport, NE welcomes four-legged guests at their pet friendly accommodation. The pet fee is $25.00 per pet, per day.
Pet guests are welcome at pet friendly Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Lincoln North Hotel and Conference C. The pet fee is $40 per accommodation, per stay.
Countryside Suites Lincoln allows pets to accompany their people at their pet friendly accommodation. Up to 2 pets are welcome. The pet weight limit is 50 pounds and the pet fee is $15.00 per pet, per day. Only Dogs Are Allowed.
Econo Lodge Lincoln welcomes pets at their pet friendly accommodation. The pet fee is $10 per pet, per day.
Graduate Lincoln accepts 2 pets.
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Airport - Lincoln welcomes four-legged guests at their pet friendly accommodation. The pet fee is $50 per pet, per night.
Pet guests are welcome at pet friendly Holiday Inn Express & Suites South - Lincoln. The pet fee is $50 per pet, per night.
Hyatt Place Lincoln / Downtown - Haymarket is pet friendly. Guests are welcome to bring 2 pets no more than 50 pounds of pet. The pet fee is $75 per pet (varies based on length of stay). Only Dogs Are Allowed.
Pet guests are welcome at pet friendly Luxury Inn & Suites. The pet fee is $10 per pet, per night.
The pet fee starts at $25 per night/pet depending on size of pet. Pets under 25 pounds are welcome, and guests may have up to 2 pets per room. Pet amenities include plenty of places to sniff and explore!
Pet guests are welcome at pet friendly Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Lincoln. Each room can have pets which can be up to 50 pounds. The pet fee is $10 per pet, per night.
New Victorian Suites allows pets to accompany their people at their pet friendly accommodation. Up to 2 pets are welcome. The pet weight limit is 25 pounds and the pet fee is $15 per pet, per day (maximum $150 per stay). Only Dogs Are Allowed.
Oasis Inn and Suites allows pets to accompany their people at their pet friendly accommodation. Up to 1 pet is welcome. The pet fee is $20 per pet (varies based on length of stay). Only Dogs Are Allowed.
Quality Inn & Suites welcomes four-legged guests at their pet friendly accommodation. The pet fee is $10 per pet, per night.
Pet guests are welcome at pet friendly Residence Inn by Marriott Lincoln South. The pet fee is $25 per accommodation, per night.
Pet guests are welcome at pet friendly Rodeway Inn. Each room can have no more than 2 pets which can be up to 20 pounds. The pet fee is $10 per pet, per night.
Staybridge Suites Lincoln I 80 welcomes four-legged guests at their pet friendly accommodation. Up to 80 pound or less pets are allowed in each room. The pet fee is $25.00 per accommodation (varies based on length of stay).


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Mildred Waltrip (1911–2004) was an American artist and illustrator.

Waltrip suffered from polio during her lifetime, and wore leg braces. She received her art education at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Waltrip took part in the Works Progress Administration's art program, completing the murals World Map and People and American Characters in 1938 at the Hatch Elementary School in Oak Park, Chicago. In 1995 the murals were removed, as they portrayed Africans stereotypically, "carrying spears, wearing loincloths and sporting prominent red lips". The removed murals were placed in storage.

By the mid 1950s she was illustrating children's books, including Molecules Today and Tomorrow and Research Adventures for Young Scientists.

Books illustrated
Your World in Motion: The Story of Energy, 1956
The First Book of Submarines, 1957
The Adventure Book of Stars, 1958
The Science Book of Jets And Rockets, 1961
Science Projects for Young People, 1964

Museum collections
Her work is included in the collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Baltimore Museum of Art,
the Art Institute of Chicago,
the National Gallery of Art, Washington and the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

References

1911 births
2004 deaths
School of the Art Institute of Chicago alumni
Works Progress Administration in Illinois
20th-century American women artists
21st-century American women artists

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
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CANADIAN VIMY RIDGE MEMORIAL AND ANNIVERSARY - 1967 - HD Clip ID: 90923
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Description: Excerpts from a report marking the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge that took place on April 9-12, 1917 between the German imperial forces and Canada and Britain. The opening scene depicts the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France. The scenes include a look at the trenches and the cemetery for German soldiers. Direct transfer from film, Apple Pro Res 422 HQ 1080p.
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Month of Cool Avengers/X-Men Comic Book Moments - All-New, All-Different X-Men in Freefall!
Very cool sequence. Claremont and Cockrum were in fine form here, as was inker Sam Grainger. Although it is kind of funny if you read Banshee's lines as him trying to hit on Cyclops.


I think the one of the top leftovers after a holiday meal, especially Thanksgiving is Mashed Potatoes. While they are not good cold like many other leftovers, they are tricky to warm back up to the correct consistency.
Well after 3 days of eating leftovers in sandwiches, I could not bare to throw out the mashed potatoes. I thought of making a shepards pie but did not have all the ingredients. I had already bought tuna steaks for dinner so I thought I would spice up the potatoes into Wasabi potatoes.
The recipe really depends on how much of the potatoes you have left over. I used this FOOD NETWORK recipe as a basis, obviously only following the seasonings suggestions. Start slow you can always add more wasabi powder but challenging to take away.
Extra Cranberry Sauce, try this recipe for pork chops.
To warm them back up, I used the microwave and added some extra water until they came back to a creamy consistency.
The kids even ate them as they were not too spicy.
Here is a salad we made for Thanksgiving. I am not sure where my mother found the recipe but it has been traditional at our holiday meals. I remade it for dinner since I had left over dressing. You can make the dressing days in advance.
Be sure to toast the almonds for an extra level of flavor.
BIG YAY to you for slicing the grapes! Whole grapes are a choking hazard for young children.


Suddenly, spring is in the air. It's mid-February and there may well be further cold snaps ahead, but on the walk to my bus stop this morning, the earth is awakening from its slumber. There are purple crocuses out and a blackbird flies past with twigs in his beak: nest-building is underway. And so, my thoughts turn to boys. They do call it 'the mating season', after all.
1. Whether am meeting MediaChap tomorrow night and if not then, when.
2. Which day Seb is coming: he said 'towards the end of the week' but need him to confirm. Thursday is best as Friday 6.10pm have to see my breast surgeon and have plans Saturday (theatre). Sunday is OK too.
They had better not both choose the same day. Really the best plan is MediaChap on Wednesday then Seb on Thursday which leaves Friday free for parentals, breast surgeon and orange cuddles with the fluffy monster.
"Thursday is best. Or Sunday," I reply.
"OK. Thursday sounds best then," Seb replies.
*Seb appeared in this play at drama school.
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Poland's biggest online shopping site is up for sale.
With more than 12 million monthly unique visitors and brand recognition that's riding high among the Polish public, Allegro is by far the largest e-commerce site in the country. And now it appears to have been put up for sale by its South African owners, together with its entire collection of e-commerce services.
As a result, the world's e-commerce giants are now quietly lining up to have a stab at acquiring the service that successfully beat off a domestic challenge from auction giant eBay in 2008.
It is not hard to see why owner Naspers is keen to sell off the Poznan-based Grupa Allegro, the company of which online auction site Allegro is by far the most important part. Current estimates put the value of Grupa Allegro at up to $3 billion, which is a little over twice what the South African media group paid for it back in 2008.
Online shopping has changed our expectations around customer service and bricks-and-mortar retailers are changing in response.
"They're obviously selling Allegro to cash out," Marek Molicki, regional manager of internet traffic and e-commerce analyst house Gemius, tells ZDNet.
"Naspers does generally not keep hold of companies just to have them, but usually sells them on. Apparently, they've decided now is the time to cash out. We are, however, basing that on rumors."
It is not the first time speculation about a possible sale has surfaced. There was already talk last year. However, this time around Bloomberg reported at the start of the summer that Naspers had hired Goldman Sachs to prepare a sale of their Polish subsidiaries.
Reuters later reported that firms, including eBay, Chinese giant Alibaba, and CVC Capital Partners, have even tabled bids.
Allegro was founded in 1999, inspired by the international successes of eBay, and was bought by Naspers nine years later, around the time that eBay also entered the Polish market. However, eBay's first attempt to gain a foothold in Poland failed, and its offices were closed in 2013.
According to Molicki, fending off eBay's entry shows Allegro's strength in the Polish market, even if it has made some avoidable mistakes.
He does not think Naspers has much to complain about the performance of Allegro. The service has mainly remained stable, but he isn't really surprised by that. "They're already the largest in the region, and there simply is not much room to grow," he says. "I call them the Polish definition of e-commerce: they have been here from the very beginning, they are very developed, very strong, and it is very hard to find a single Pole who has never used Allegro."
According to a report by Gemius, brand recognition among Polish internet users stands at 70 percent. Still, Molicki reckons a new influx of global companies into the $8 billion Polish market inevitable. By selling Allegro, Naspers would not have to deal with that emerging competition and would put itself in a position to focus elsewhere.
With Allegro up for sale, eBay might be tempted to seize the opportunity of a second attempt by just buying their former rivals. However, other players should be interested as well.
We conclude our week long series on Amazon innovation with the service that started it all: Amazon's incredible online store.
"It is between Amazon, Alibaba and eBay," Molicki says. "As Poland is the most developed country in central and eastern Europe, expansion from there is easiest, so it would be an investment in the whole region rather than in a single country."
With two warehouses already established in Poland, Amazon already has some infrastructure in place. Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba is narrow favorite, according to Molicki, because it is looking to get a foot in the European door: "Yes, I know they communicated that they're not interested. But, strategically, it would be a very sound acquisition."
He points out that none of the parties, which also include the Axel-Springer backed Onet, and local player Wirtualna Polska, have been silent about their potential interest.
"Business likes silence, especially when it comes to the sale of Poland's largest e-commerce platform. They know that a bigger buzz will mean a larger valuation. And Naspers could create the buzz, but they know there are not many players who are able to afford Allegro," Molicki says.
"Their strategy has always been muted when it comes to communication, and there's no reason to change that as the attractiveness of Allegro is apparent."


An eco print scarf made with leaves and flowers .
Steamed into crepe de chine with oils and colours from the fauna, each scarf is are definitely a one of a kind. The images appear sometimes bold and colourful or photographic and diffused with subtle shadows.
The standard scarf measures 270 x 1800mm .
This makes a beautiful gift for people of all ages , some like to simply hang on their wall or display as a table runner.


text:
Richard Farmer's chunky bits
The punters are yawning
Bookies are still backing Rann to win the next SA election, the Greens could have a hot year -- both literally and electorally -- next year, and climate modeling explained.
Richard Farmer
The punters are yawning. So you think the affairs of South Australian Premier Mike Rann are of political significance? Then hop straight on the phone to your local bookie and back the Liberals for next year's election because the price about Labor has hardly changed at all. The money says the Rann-led government is still a good thing to win.
The Crikey Election Indicator, which looks at the markets on these things and takes out any profit margins to give a probability to 100%, still has Labor as an 80% chance to 20% for the Liberals.


Port Louis comments only. Don't discuss the hostels here, post a review on the hostel's page instead.
Port Louis is the capital of Mauritius and its only city with a metropolitan atmosphere. If you want to get away from the touristy beaches, spend some time experiencing the authentic Mauritian life in Port Louis.
On the west coast between resort towns lies Mauritius' vibrant Port Louis. Although the city is not very big, it can feel like a busy African metropolis. Especially compared to all the beach towns, this city seems very hectic. Nonetheless, it is an interesting place to visit during your stay in Mauritius.
There are currently very few hostels in Port Louis, but the city easily can be visited during a day trip from a nearby destination. The major beach town of Grand Baie is only a 30-minute bus ride away, while Flic en Flac is only 45 minutes away. So you might as well stay in a hostel in one of those beach villages. If you prefer to remain in the capital, however, you can choose from a few Port Louis hostels and budget accommodations.
The capital is definitely a good place for shopping in Mauritius. There are plenty of shops in the city centre with lower prices than in any of the beach towns. The market is also worth a visit. Apart from the basic variety of fruits, vegetables and goods, this is a great place to find souvenirs as well as try some of the typical Mauritian snacks and dishes.
If you have the chance to visit Port Louis on a Saturday, then the horse racing events at Champ de Mars are a must-visit. The races can be attended for free, or you can buy a ticket for the stand. It is the oldest horse racing track in the Southern Hemisphere. Watching the crowd cheering for the horse they put their bets on is a unique experience.
Hi, I'm Martin Straatman, the Hostelz.com local expert for Port Louis hostels. Welcome.