text:
For four decades, ABS Group has delivered technical service and expertise across the globe, and our leadership team has helped set the standard for safety and reliability for a wide range of industries.
Customers in these global market sectors turn to ABS Group as a trusted partner and experienced advisor to guide the process of achieving operational excellence in safety, reliability and integrity. Here's how.
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ABS Group provides independent engineering inspection and verification services to assess the condition, operation and efficiency of structures and their critical safety equipment and systems.
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We help organizations comply with regulations and develop data-driven strategies that improve safety and reduce risk. In the event of an incident, we'll manage the investigation, identify the root cause and help you recover.
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Whether we're assessing maintenance and asset management practices or providing expert counsel on Enterprise Asset Management systems, ABS Group helps companies develop and optimize their capabilities.
Utilizing management systems certification, verification, assessment and training, ABS Quality Evaluations helps assure companies that people, systems and supply chains are performing at optimal levels.
Our software, data insights and enterprise asset management services address regulatory compliance and drive greater efficiency and effectiveness in global operations. Discover our fleet management, process hazard analysis and risk management software solutions.
We're committed to sharing our knowledge, lessons learned and best practices to support safer, more reliable assets and operations. Explore our project experience, register for webinars and discover more insights into the markets we serve.
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Read more about ABS Group's milestones and other news related to the industries we serve and important regulatory updates, as well as select industry events where you can find out more about our range of services.
Our training experts deliver hundreds of hours of world-class public and onsite training courses that will help you improve the safety, security and efficiency of your organization. Discover the courses that we offer.
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ABS Appoints Global Head of Cyber Security to Meet Increasing Industry Challenges
Maritime Digitization Driving Demand for New Approaches to Cyber Security
ABS has appointed well-known cyber expert Ian Bramson as its Global Head of Cyber Security. In this role, Bramson will lead the development of a cyber security risk reduction program to meet increasing demand for improved control and visibility of cyber risks.
"Cyber security is a business imperative as our world transforms rapidly and becomes more digital," says Christopher J. Wiernicki, ABS Chairman, President and CEO. "The more connected our people and systems become, the more our industry's operations are exposed to emerging risks."
A recognized leader with a strong track record of success in cyber security, Bramson has been solving cyber security challenges for more than 20 years. He is a recognized and respected thought leader, market developer and change expert that brings solid and effective strategies to meet these challenges.
Ian Bramson,
ABS Global Head of Cyber Security
Bramson has helped organizations solve cyber-related business challenges, such as managing the convergence of information technology with operational technology (OT), supporting risk management and enabling digital transformation. Before joining ABS, Bramson was the Global Head of Cybersecurity Sales and Strategy for Siemens AG. In this role, he worked with top leaders across the energy market to develop strategic cyber security solutions to meet their OT needs.
"As maritime becomes more digital, and cyber attackers increasingly move from traditional IT targets to actively disrupting, delaying and destroying core operations, it is critical that our clients and industry have the right knowledge and tools to reduce the likelihood of an incident and its impact on operations," says Bramson. "I look forward to working with leaders in the Global Marine and Offshore industries to build an efficient and effective solution for sustainable, secure operations."
Bramson's work will build upon the award-winning ABS FCI Cyber Risk™ method. This innovative method is an easily understandable and scalable approach to measuring and managing cyber security risk for a single asset or an entire fleet.
Learn more about our Cyber Security solutions and the FCI Cyber Risk model.
Read more insights and follow Bramson on his Cyber Security Blog.
Source: American Bureau of Shipping
About ABS Group
ABS Group of Companies, Inc. (www.abs-group.com), through its operating subsidiaries, provides data-driven risk and reliability solutions and technical services that help clients confirm the safety, integrity, quality and efficiency of critical assets and operations. Headquartered in Spring, Texas, ABS Group operates with more than 1,000 professionals in over 20 countries serving the marine and offshore, oil, gas and chemical, government and industrial sectors. ABS Group is a subsidiary of ABS, one of the world's leading marine and offshore classification societies.
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text:
Q: Why isn't the offset of Samoa +13 or +14 when using pytz? I've just read

BBC: Samoa and Tokelau skip a day for dateline change, 30.12.2011

I wanted to see this with pytz, but everything I tried only showed an offset of -11, but not of +13 or +14:
>>> import pytz
>>> tz = pytz.timezone('Pacific/Samoa')
>>> tz_us = pytz.timezone('US/Samoa')
>>> import datetime
>>> datetime.datetime(2011, 12, 30, 9, 00, tzinfo=datetime.timezone.utc).astimezone(tz).isoformat()
'2011-12-29T22:00:00-11:00'
>>> datetime.datetime(2011, 12, 30, 10,00, tzinfo=datetime.timezone.utc).astimezone(tz).isoformat()
'2011-12-29T23:00:00-11:00'
>>> datetime.datetime(2011, 12, 30, 11, 00, tzinfo=datetime.timezone.utc).astimezone(tz).isoformat()
'2011-12-30T00:00:00-11:00'
>>> datetime.datetime(2011, 12, 31, 15, 00, tzinfo=datetime.timezone.utc).astimezone(tz).isoformat()
'2011-12-31T04:00:00-11:00'
>>> datetime.datetime(2015, 12, 31, 15, 00, tzinfo=datetime.timezone.utc).astimezone(tz).isoformat()
'2015-12-31T04:00:00-11:00'
>>> datetime.datetime(2011, 12, 31, 15, 00, tzinfo=datetime.timezone.utc).astimezone(tz_us).isoformat()
'2011-12-31T04:00:00-11:00'
>>> datetime.datetime(2015, 12, 31, 15, 00, tzinfo=datetime.timezone.utc).astimezone(tz_us).isoformat()
'2015-12-31T04:00:00-11:00'

Why can't I see the offset +13 / +14?

A: Both Pacific/Samoa and US/Samoa are aliases of Pacific/Pago_Pago, representing American Samoa, which is UTC-11 and did not skip that day.

*

*For American Samoa, use Pacific/Pago_Pago

*For the Independent State of Samoa, use Pacific/Apia

*For Tokelau, use Pacific/Fakaofo
Personally, I prefer to only use canonical zone names.  See the list on Wikipedia for reference.
See the timezone change with pytz
UTC time with offset:
>>> import pytz
>>> tz = pytz.timezone('Pacific/Apia')
>>> import datetime
>>> datetime.datetime(2011, 12, 30, 9, 59, tzinfo=datetime.timezone.utc).astimezone(tz).isoformat()
'2011-12-29T23:59:00-10:00'
>>> datetime.datetime(2011, 12, 30, 10, 00, tzinfo=datetime.timezone.utc).astimezone(tz).isoformat()
'2011-12-31T00:00:00+14:00'

Local time:
>>> '{:%Y-%m-%d %H:%M}'.format(datetime.datetime(2011, 12, 30, 9, 59, tzinfo=datetime.timezone.utc).astimezone(tz))
'2011-12-29 23:59'
>>> '{:%Y-%m-%d %H:%M}'.format(datetime.datetime(2011, 12, 30, 10, 00, tzinfo=datetime.timezone.utc).astimezone(tz))
'2011-12-31 00:00'

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


What Paint Color Should You Choose for Your Custom Vehicle?
If you are looking to customize your Jeep or truck in the Southeast region of the country, you need to check out Carolina Custom at Lake Norman Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM in Cornelius, North Carolina. When we say customize, we mean mind-blowing, "vehicle of your life" customization. Our shop offers the most comprehensive and sophisticated variety of customization options in our region. When we say there are no limits what we can do for your vehicle, we mean it!
Creating the Jeep or truck of your dreams will, in most cases, mean that you want to change the color of its exterior. Choosing the color is a critical part of this upgrade, so let's delve into the philosophical and emotional parameters of the color you pick for a truck or Jeep.
1. Thirty-two percent of women find drivers of pickup trucks most attractive, according to Amy Denise, editorial director of Insure.com. Sports utility vehicles, such as Jeeps, come in third (after sports cars) at 16 percent. The same survey shared that black was the top most favorite color that women liked to see a man driving. Denise added that a full-size truck owner could likely fix a leaky pipe. And those men who are not upset by a $100 fill-up are probably not finance-obsessed. It also shows their the type of guys that regularly have a $100 bill in their pockets.
She also thinks that a Jeep Grand Cherokee, in whatever color, is a chick magnet.
2. In 2017, CBS News reported that men had become interested in the colors yellow and orange for their vehicles. Women's choices for 2017 were teal and gold. Men favored yellow more than women by 33.9%.
1. Neutral colors, such as grey, white, or black, hold their value because of their broad appeal. White has a reputation for being difficult to keep looking clean.
2. Neutral colors help by keeping your car's value where it should be. But less favorite colors, like, let's say, purple, orange, yellow, can vary your resale price from hundreds to thousands of dollars.
3. Not only the color of your vehicle but also the quality of the exterior paint job will make a difference in the way potential buyers view your automobile and in keeping your resale value stable.
Some individuals make it their business to find how the influence of color, in all parts of an individual's life, matter. In the 1970s, to discover how color influences people's mood and behavior, studies were performed by scientists. Many major international companies, government institutions, and design entities trust the accuracy and power of these studies.
At Carolina Custom Wheels, we know what customization is all about, and we love what we do. Our exclusive Assault Guard Finish takes protective finishes to the next level. The coating adds protection to your on-or-off-road vehicle. And we use the ultimate application system to ensure the spray precisely covers the entire surface of your car. The result is that your truck, automobile, or van is textured, robust and protected from dents, scrapes, abrasions, chemicals, fading, sun damage, and moisture. You may choose from several custom colors we'll be happy to show you.
Finding the color you want for that customized look is not a problem. The most excellent resource for color is our custom vehicle gallery where you can visualize what you want for your new custom rig. You can scroll through our gallery to see the vast array of paint colors offered; choose one of our rim styles, and pick the tires that look best on your vehicle and have the best on-road performance.
It is an excellent idea to visit our gallery before finalizing your customization. We can personalize your fender flares, your grille guards, light bars, front bumpers, and more. As for your accent paint job, Carolina Custom has you covered. The overall paint color choices for your ride are extensive and just about any color of your choice can be duplicated, as well.
To get an idea of how innovative and creative, we can be, take a look at some of our prize monster machine customizations. We're pretty sure you will like our ideas.
Contact us today to make an appointment for your ride's make-over.


Bungalow – Anhatomirim 860 Sqft.
The split-level design integrates a generous living area and a bedroom with a clean style of decoration and a delicious double bed fitted with 300-thread sheets. There are approximately 860 square feet of space with a functional, light and airy feel, that is cosy and welcoming. There are two decked areas with views of the sea along the Emerald Coast, one accessed via the bedroom and the other through the living room. The terracotta tones are relaxing in combination with the lavish use of wood and glass, result in a charming and embracing space.
We stayed in the Anhatomirim bungalow, eight hundred and sixty square feet of pure luxury, with a stunning view!


text:
class CreateBillCreditMemos < ActiveRecord::Migration
  def change
    create_table :bill_credit_memos do |t|
      t.integer :user_id
      t.integer :affiliate_id
      t.decimal :amount, scale: 2, precision: 10, null: false
      t.string :description, null: false
      t.decimal :used, scale: 2, precision: 10, null: false
      t.timestamps
    end
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
require_relative 'gpkg'

describe 'ST_SRID' do
  it 'should return NULL when passed NULL' do
    expect('SELECT ST_SRID(NULL)').to have_result nil
  end

  it 'should return the -1 if SRID was not specified' do
    expect("SELECT ST_SRID(GeomFromText('Point(1 0)'))").to have_result (mode == :spl4 ? 0 : -1)
  end

  it 'should return the actual SRID value if specified' do
    expect("SELECT ST_SRID(GeomFromText('Point(1 0)', 20))").to have_result 20
  end

  it 'should raise an error on invalid input' do
    expect("SELECT ST_SRID(x'FFFFFFFFFF')").to raise_sql_error
  end

  it 'should return an update geometry when called with two parameters' do
      expect("SELECT hex(ST_SRID(GeomFromText('Point(1 0)', 20), 10))").
          to have_result(
                 mode == :gpkg ?
                     '475000010A0000000101000000000000000000F03F0000000000000000' :
                     '00010A000000000000000000F03F0000000000000000000000000000F03F00000000000000007C01000000000000000000F03F0000000000000000FE'
             )

      expect("SELECT ST_SRID(ST_SRID(GeomFromText('Point(1 0)', 20), 10))").to have_result 10
  end
end


text:
[UNFILTERED] Churches Host Students During Oklahoma Teacher Walkout
Thursday, April 5th 2018, 11:28 AM CDT
Tuesday, April 10th 2018, 9:59 AM CDT
By Amina Switzer
Oklahoma City, OK - Local churches in Oklahoma open their doors to elementary school students during the teacher walkout this week.
Public schools across Oklahoma closed April 2-3 as teachers marched at the state capitol for higher education funding, and the strike is planned to continue. Parents needed a place to send their kids during the school day, and churches responded with impromptu with daycare programs.
"This is a way to serve the parents," said Heather Brim, children's ministry coordinator at Paradigm Church in Norman.
Paradigm Church has been offering daycare for kids ages pre-K to fifth grade. From large-group worship to small-group Bible teaching, crafts and even an organized trip to a Norman fire station, the kids have plenty to keep them busy during the days off.
Elementary school students gather for praise and worship at Journey Church in Norman, Oklahoma, on April 3 during the teacher walkout.
As the walkout continues, more parents call to ask for childcare during the school day. Brim said they will accept as many kids as the can get.
Journey Church in Norman has also been taking in students during the teacher strike for "Have a Blast Days." They welcomed elementary school kids to attend and participate in games, praise and worship and Bible teachings.
"We had 100 kids the first day," said Pastor Alan Sample. "Another 40 registered before Tuesday morning, and we won't turn anyone away."
Journey Church also invited middle school and high school students to come serve the elementary school kids.
"This is a great way for all of us to come together and serve the community," said Pastor Alan.
Both churches plan to continue providing childcare as long as the teacher strike continues.
OU Covers story by Josie Logsdon
[UNFILTERED] is a partnership between News 9 and Mike Boettcher, a veteran journalist, News 9 alum and visiting professor at the University of Oklahoma. The goal of [UNFILTERED] is to provide the most thorough coverage possible of stories that matter to Oklahomans. We believe that a transparent, unfiltered approach to community journalism will embody the new era of digital storytelling.
We'd love to hear what you think: good, bad, or maybe you have an idea for a story in your community you'd like to tell. Email us at unfiltered@news9.net.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Barnsley Football Club badge - Link to home
Barnsley Football Club
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Reds Memberships 2019/20
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iFollow - FAQ
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Executive Box Hospitality
Premier Lounge
Concourse Advertising
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Oakwell Events
Funeral Tea Receptions
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Reds in the Community
Lee Johnson's Fleetwood Town Reaction
Barnsley Head Coach Lee Johnson gave his thoughts after an entertaining first-leg tie at Oakwell, against Fleetwood.
The first half was relatively quiet, but the second half saw two goals and end to end stuff, to set up a second leg at Highbury that everyone will be eagerly anticipating.
"It's an okay result." Explained Johnson. "It's half time and we know that, but it's a better result having been 1-0 down. If I was to analyse the performance I would say the first half we didn't do enough.
"Second half we were able to get some good tactical advice in during half time, and second half we were in the ascendency. We were unlucky to go behind, they can count themselves lucky not to
have anyone sent off as well."
Ryan Williams had some chances today to put the Reds ahead, but he couldn't take them, but Johnson explained his feelings about that.
"I don't mind anyone missing chances because they're in there to miss them. Ryan got in good areas, on another day he could have had a hat-trick. I was most disappointed in his reaction, he spent 30 seconds on the floor banging his head into the ground. I don't mind mistakes but they must react quickly to it."
After Ben Pearson leaving and Josh Scowen still being out injured, another academy product Brad Abbott was given his chance today in the starting line-up.
"I have to say I thought Brad was fantastic." Emphasised Johnson. "He's only been training with the first team for four weeks properly. We thought this situation might arise, he took his opportunity and I have nothing but praise for him.
"We contemplated other options but we felt he deserved his chance. To take Pearson out of the team, a player who's so influential and for Brad to come in and play like that I'm really pleased."
Ashley Fletcher had a debut to remember in today after joining on loan from Manchester United in mid-week, and the Reds Head Coach wanted to praise him as well.
"We thought about starting him (Fletcher) but Ryan (Williams) had been chomping at the bit and Fletch had been in a day, he didn't even know everyone's name today. If you bombard them with too much information too early it can have a negative affect and take away from the game.
"We told him he'd go on with 20 mins to go and the lads gave him a big round of applause for his first senior goal, he's walking around with a smile like a Cheshire cat. It was a great header. I see good movement and a great header, but it was horrid to watch because it took too long to get over the line!"
Johnson does admit he's trying to get new faces in, and gave us an update on that.
"If we don't sign anyone we've got two top players coming back for the next leg, Marley Watkins and Josh Scowen! I'm sure we will add one or two by then though.
"Reece Wabara is 80/20 against him staying. We're trying to do something with him, but he's had a decent offer from a club higher up in the division."
Finally, Johnson gave his thoughts on the second leg away at Fleetwood in a few week's time.
"I'm positive about the second leg, our fans have been brilliant today and away we'll probably have as many as them, they've been superb away as well.
"I heard the fans today they were great. They kept going till the end, like the players! There is a good rapport at the minute between the fans and players. We're in a good place.
"We know we've got the quality in the side to unlock teams, but you have to give Fleetwood credit as well. They were very organised and disciplined. It will be interesting, and we're thoroughly looking forward to it."
Reds Membership Collections
Collection dates for this season's Reds Membership packs.
WATCH  Bochum Vs Barnsley
Our hosts are streaming the fixture LIVE this evening, and you can watch the action here...
Club Statement | Chief Executive Officer
Barnsley Club Football Club can confirm the appointment of a new CEO.
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There's no doubt we've all had that same dream of leading out the Reds at Oakwell, and very few of us have done it. So here's your chance to give your child an unforgettable day as a mascot here at...


Skiing is a popular sport during the winter months. Many skiers are recreational skiers who hit the slopes when the snow has fallen. Unfortunately, a carefully planned ski trip can come to an unfortunate end due to injury.
Even as the technology to make equipment becomes more and more advanced, unfortunately, injuries still occur. In the early days of skiing, ankle injuries were common. The development of improved hard shelled boots helped to decrease those injuries, but knee injuries have increasingly become more common.
Falling while skiing can also lead to fractures and concussions. Proper safety equipment like a helmet, good bindings, and properly fitted boots can help to decrease risk of injury.


I know this is off topic when it comes to the pic lol but did you ever have trouble with insulin absorption while being muscular ?
@davidfmvaughn I wish I still had that shirt.
Happy Afternoon!!! What a freakin'Awesome morning in the books!!! Got my good mate off to #belize predawn. Tested out my ankle on a beautiful trail before my 1st and 2nd awesome clients of the AM. Took a walk with my last AM client around the lake.
@luisyoung_ thanks. Will u be following back?
High Waist Leggings With Pocket. Wear your most fun leggings today and stay fit!  . 50% off Until SOLD OUT - only 100 available to ship!, hurry and get yours . LINK IN BIO @fitnesssaren . . . .
Check out @shamikshahfit he is interesting!!
This is what really gets me going!


text:
Developing LGBT talent
Category: Pro-Opinion, diversity, WORKPLACE, development, colleagues
Ogilvy Pride's Andrew Barratt on nurturing LGBT talent
Andrew Barratt, head of Ogilvy Pride, is the latest to share his perspective in our 'Talent is Talent' series.
I am thankful for years of hard work by so many LGBT predecessors. Because of their efforts, I can be open and honest about who I am in the workplace. I made a decision to make my formative years in the workplace authentic from day one. I make sure that I am always comfortable with myself, and consequently I find my colleagues to be comfortable with me. This is a recipe for success.
Being out at work is so important to career development. Authenticity is one of the most important things in life to uphold, bringing happiness, success and, most importantly, friendships.
I founded the Ogilvy Pride UK LGBT & Straight Ally Network last year. We are the first advertising agency in London to have a global partnership with Stonewall's Global Diversity Champions Programme. We were awarded a 100 per cent perfect score as a Best LGBT Place to Work in the Human Rights Campaign for 2016 and 2015 Corporate Index.
We are proud of our achievements in an industry which has traditionally not had diversity at the forefront of its business model. However, this is just the beginning and there is a still long way to go.
While it is brilliant that there is a strong number of LGBT people working in the industry, looking at the data from the Diversity Census, there are still very few visible LGBT role models in the industry.
Furthermore, the pipeline of LGBT talent does not reach senior leadership in many instances and so this needs to be addressed. In comparison to other industries, the advertising and marketing industry do not have the same level of investment in professional networks that foster diversity and inclusion.
For example, Deutsche Bank, IBM, EY, Barclays, Reed Smith and Thomson Reuters all have made strong progress to promote LGBT inclusion within their business, implementing the key areas of investment, role models and tracking to drive change, which is led in part by strong LGBT networks.
Tags: clicking on links loads other articles with the selected taglgbtq Barclays workplace Reed Smith pride LGBTI Development LGBT Diversity & Inclusion colleagues authentic
Aon: Preparing for Pride 2021
Aon participating in London Pride 2019 Pride Month is usually celebrated with parades and marches, but with social distancing still in place, things will be different for a second year. We spoke to E...
Aon are leveling the LGBTQ Playing Field
Aon's partnership with Manchester United has advanced the conversation on LGBTQ inclusion on and off the field. "Coming out is a unique experience and people do it in different ways. Looking back,...
#ProudToBeMe
Fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce benefits our people and our company. We want every Arcadian to feel proud to be themselves at work. #ProudToBeMe is shorthand for our commitment to create a...
EIS Performance Lifestyle Advisor Josh Rudd on the Pride in Water initiative
English Institute of Sport (EIS) Performance Lifestyle Advisor Josh Rudd hopes British Swimming's Pride in Water initiative can help reinforce that elite sport is about more than medals. The launch of...


text:
Reliability and acceptance of dreaMS, a software application for people with multiple sclerosis: a feasibility study
Original Communication
Tim Woelfle ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-6279-41581,2,
Silvan Pless ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-9660-90771,2,
Oscar Reyes ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-0169-297X3,
Andrea Wiencierz ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-8786-79154,
Anthony Feinstein ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0132-09095,
Pasquale Calabrese ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-3347-51871,6,
Konstantin Gugleta ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-3520-27917,
Ludwig Kappos ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-4175-55092,
Johannes Lorscheider ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-1100-25061,2,8 na1 &
Yvonne Naegelin ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-1315-41001,2 na1
Journal of Neurology volume 270, pages 262–271 (2023)Cite this article
There is an unmet need for reliable and sensitive measures for better monitoring people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) to detect disease progression early and adapt therapeutic measures accordingly.
To assess reliability of extracted features and meaningfulness of 11 tests applied through a smartphone application ("dreaMS").
PwMS (age 18–70 and EDSS ≤ 6.5) and matched healthy volunteers (HV) were asked to perform tests installed on their smartphone once or twice weekly for 5 weeks. Primary outcomes were test–retest reliability of test features (target: intraclass correlation [ICC] ≥ 0.6 or median coefficient of variation [mCV] < 0.2) and reported meaningfulness of the tests by PwMS. Meaningfulness was self-assessed for each test on a 5-point Likert scale (target: mean score of > 3) and by a structured interview. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04413032.
We included 31 PwMS (21 [68%] female, mean age 43.4 ± 12.0 years, median EDSS 3.0 [range 1.0–6.0]) and 31 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers. Out of 133 features extracted from 11 tests, 89 met the preset reliability criteria. All 11 tests were perceived as highly meaningful to PwMS.
The dreaMS app reliably assessed features reflecting key functional domains meaningful to PwMS. More studies with longer follow-up are needed to prove validity of these measures as digital biomarkers in PwMS.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system leading to a broad variety of neurological symptoms and increasing disability over time [1, 2]. Movement, balance, dexterity, cognition, vision, fatigue, sensory, and autonomic functions are major disease domains typically impaired by MS and traditionally quantified by overall assessment tools such as the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and its functional systems [3, 4], as well as tests capturing specific domains, such as the Timed 25-Foot Walk (T25FW, short distance ambulation speed) [5]; Nine Hole Peg Test (9-HPT, dexterity of upper extremities) [6] and Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT, cognitive processing speed) [7]. Tests like these are useful in clinical practice, but objective assessment of additional and more detailed features of disease-related functional impairment, such as balance or step regularity, could add valuable information. More importantly, more frequent or even continuous non-intrusive assessment in the patients' respective natural environment would complement the relatively infrequent assessments in clinical practice. In the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote assessment in the natural environment of people with MS (PwMS) became even more important.
App-based tests can use smartphone sensors to capture objective, quantifiable measures of physiology and/or behavior. Algorithms transform them into features, also called digital measures, which in turn might serve as digital biomarkers once validated for complementary clinical value to traditional measures [8]. Recent reviews highlight the potential benefits of digital assessments [9, 10] and digital therapeutics [11], and several industry-led initiatives to develop digital biomarkers for PwMS are underway (e.g., Konectom and Floodlight [12, 13]).
The smartphone app "dreaMS" is developed in the framework of an academically led project to create and validate generally accepted digital outcomes. The objective of this feasibility study was to determine test–retest reliability of features captured through 11 active tests included in dreaMS and to assess their acceptance and perceived meaningfulness to PwMS.
The study protocol was approved by the local ethics committee (Ethikkommission Nordwest- und Zentralschweiz (EKNZ), Basel, Switzerland, on July 17th 2020/project-ID 2020–01,515). All participants gave their written informed consent. This study conforms with World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki and was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04413032.
PwMS and age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers (HV) were included into this feasibility study, performed at the MS Clinic, University Hospital Basel from October 5th, 2020, to February 28th, 2021. Inclusion criteria for both PwMS and HV were: age 18–70, possession of a dreaMS compatible smartphone (iOS ≥ 11.0/Android ≥ 5.0), hand motor skills sufficient for using a smartphone, corrected binocular near visual acuity of ≥ 0.5, being able to walk without aid, ability and willingness to follow the study procedures. PwMS additional inclusion criteria were: diagnosis of MS according to the revised McDonald criteria 2017 [14] irrespective of disease course, EDSS ≤ 6.5, being in a stable phase of their disease at the time of inclusion and throughout the 6 weeks of study duration confirmed by two Neurostatus-EDSS examinations. As this study focused on the reliability of the measures, PwMS who experienced a relapse or clinical progression during the study (defined as any EDSS worsening at the end-of-study visit compared to baseline) were excluded. Exclusion criteria for both PwMS and HV were: other clinically significant concomitant diseases, known or suspected non-compliance, drug or alcohol abuse, and pregnancy or breast feeding.
No formal sample size calculation was performed for this first feasibility study due to the two-step project setup with a larger validation study currently underway (NCT05009160). The pre-planned sample size (30 PwMS and 30 HV) was estimated based on published results of similar research in the field [15, 16].
Study procedures
Study duration was 6 weeks per participant, and 3 study visits were performed: screening, baseline, and end-of-study. At the screening visit, written informed consent was obtained from all participants. At the baseline visit, demographic data were collected. PwMS underwent a standardized Neurostatus-EDSS examination [3], and all participants performed T25FW, 9-HPT, and SDMT. Best corrected near visual acuity was assessed using a validated 40 cm chart [17] and low contrast vision with a Pelli-Robson Trans-Illuminated Contrast Sensitivity Chart for Low Vision and Peak CS with Landolt C optotypes for an ETDRS Illuminator Cabinet (Model 2425E) [18] at three meters distance. Additionally, a consumer wearable device (smartwatch Fitbit Versa 2™) was handed out to all participants at baseline and was connected to their smartphone. Data collected by this device were accessed securely through the Fitbit web application programming interface. The study participants were asked to wear the smartwatch continuously during the study. At the end-of-study visit, Neurostatus-EDSS was repeated to confirm clinical stability and user feedback was collected by questionnaires and a structured interview.
Participants were asked to repeatedly perform 11 tests over the first 5 weeks of the study at home using the dreaMS app that was installed on their smartphones (iOS or Android) at baseline. They were carefully instructed by a study nurse to ensure that they performed all tests correctly. Data collected by smartphone sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer at 50 Hz as well as touchscreen usage) during the performance of these tests were transferred to a secure cloud data base and processed through algorithms which transform the continuous sensor data into features. An overview of the 11 tests and examples of extracted features are shown in Table 1. A full list of all extracted features is provided in Table S1. Example screenshots of the app can be found in Supplementary Figure S3. In the 6th week of the study, patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) were obtained within the dreaMS app: Fatigue Severity Scale [19, 20], MSIS-29 (The Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale) [21], and MSWS-12 (Twelve Item MS Walking Scale) [22].
Table 1 Overview of domains, tests and examples of extracted features
The dreaMS app and its in-app tests were designed together with Healios AG, Switzerland, our technical development partner and manufacturer. For cognition, an adaptation of the auto-SDMT [23] was implemented into dreaMS (without demographic information and integrated vision tests). As the fully automated speech recognition did not work sufficiently, mp3-audio files were analyzed manually.
DreaMS also provided a deep link to selected adaptive cognitive games of a commercial app covering main domains of cognition expected to be compromised in PwMS [24]; results to be reported separately.
Objectives, outcomes & statistical analysis
The primary objectives were to identify features that are both measurable and technically reliable, and to select tests that are user-friendly and meaningful for PwMS. Hence, the primary study outcomes were (a) reliability of features across all scheduled test repetitions as defined by an intraclass correlation (ICC) ≥ 0.6 [25] or by a median coefficient of variation (mCV) ˂ 0.2 [26]; and (b) user acceptance and meaningfulness of tests as reported on a questionnaire (˃ 3 on a 5-point Likert scale). Ten repetitions were scheduled for movement, balance, and dexterity tests (twice weekly), and 5 for cognition and vision tests (once weekly). Reliability was calculated from all available test repetitions. Some tests consisted of several subtests (e.g., left hand/right hand, eyes open/eyes closed), in which case the ICC and mCV were calculated separately for each of those subtests. Every test fulfilling the above-mentioned criteria for at least one feature was selected. For the primary analysis, outliers were identified stratified by user, feature, and subtest (if applicable) and were excluded based on Tukey's fences [27], with the rationale that they most likely reflect errors in test performance (e.g., a dropped smartphone or distraction of the user). A sensitivity analysis including outliers was also performed. 95% confidence intervals (CI) provided for ICC were derived from bootstrapping with 1000 repetitions. Additionally, we assessed differences between platforms (iOS/Android) with Wilcoxon rank-sum tests as "platform separability". Undesirable systematic platform differences were assumed if absolute (unsigned) rank-biserial correlation (|r|) between iOS and Android was ≥ 0.4.
We assessed the following exploratory outcomes: a) Correlations of subject-wise median test features with established functional reference tests for their respective domains (e.g., "Catch-a-cloud" and 9-HPT), the EDSS, and PROMs were calculated using Spearman correlation. 95% CIs were calculated using the Bonett & Wright correction [28]. (b) Separability of subject-wise median test features between PwMS and HV on a group level was tested with Wilcoxon rank-sum tests and reported as rank-biserial correlation r. For each test, we selected a best-performing feature based on reliability and exploratory analyses as outlined above.
Smartwatch usability was assessed as a post hoc additional exploratory analysis. Mean proportion of time per day during which heart-rate data from the device was available per user (mean-daily-wear-fraction) was assessed as a marker of adherence. Group differences for standard smartwatch features were assessed with Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. Activity lasting at least 10 min above 3 metabolic equivalents (METs) was defined as "fairly active" and above 6 METs as "very active" [29].
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
This work was supported by the Swiss Innovation Agency (Innosuisse, project-ID 33535.1 IP-ICT).
31 PwMS (21 [68%] female, mean age 43.4 ± 12.0 years, median EDSS 3.0 [range 1.0–6.0]) and 31 age- and sex-matched HVs (21 [68%] female, mean age 42.8 ± 11.9 years) were included in this study (see Table 2 for a detailed description of the baseline characteristics). In total, 31 different smartphone models were used (14 iOS and 17 Android). All participants completed the study according to the protocol, and all PwMS remained stable without relapses or signs of progression (as confirmed by EDSS at baseline and end-of-study). No serious adverse events occurred. One person participated at baseline visit despite a recent relapse, who was considered a screening failure and excluded from all analyses.
Table 2 Baseline characteristics of participants
In the main analysis, 89 of 133 features (66.9%) extracted from the 11 tests met the target criteria of ICC ≥ 0.6 or mCV < 0.2, see Fig. S1 and Table S2. In the sensitivity analysis, which included outliers, 72 out of 133 features (54.1%) were selected, see Table S3. ICC, mCV, and platform separability are presented in Table 3 for the best-performing features, the complete list for all features is shown in Table S4. Platform separability |r| among the best-performing features was ranging from 0.00 to 0.59 (lower numbers being better) and was below our cutoff of 0.4 for at least one subtest for all tests except Catch-a-cloud.
Table 3 Best-performing feature per test
Meaningfulness
All 11 tests were perceived as meaningful by PwMS and met the predefined target (≥ 3) with mean Likert scale scores between 4.27 (Standing balance) and 4.67 (Arm balance). Overall impression and willingness to perform the tests in the future was good (mean score 4.09 ± 0.23 and 3.82 ± 0.21, respectively). For detailed meaningfulness and acceptance scores, see Table 4; for exact wording of the questions, see Table S5.
Table 4 Meaningfulness and user acceptance by mean ± SD Likert scale response (1–5)
All 11 tests met our adherence target of ≥ 80% with a mean percentage of completed tests of 96% (range 91%-99%).
Exploratory outcomes
Correlations of Test features with established assessments
Correlations of the best-performing features with the respective preselected reference tests ranged from 0.03 to 0.77 (see Fig. 1 and Table 3). Most 95% CIs did not include 0, except for the correlation of Two-minute walk with T25FW (ρ = −0.24, 95% CI − 0.47 to 0.01), and Standing balance with Neurostatus-EDSS Romberg subscore (ρ = 0.34, 95% CI − 0.04 to 0.64). The strongest correlation between test feature and clinical reference test was observed between Mean response time in the m-SDMT and the number of correct responses within 90 s of the classical SDMT (Spearman ρ = −0.77). An overall similar picture was seen when analyzing correlations of the best-performing features with the EDSS (absolute range 0.01–0.66); 95% CI not including the indifference value 0 except for Arm balance, Standing balance, Screen-to-nose, Near vision, and Low contrast. The strongest correlation with the EDSS was observed for the dexterity assessment Catch-a-cloud (Number of successful touches, ρ = –0.66), followed by U-Turn (Number of U-turns, ρ = −0.63), Climbing stairs (Mean step regularity, ρ = −0.62), and Two-minute walk (Mean step regularity, ρ = −0.42). The best-performing features from Climbing stairs and U-Turn also showed the closest correlations with the respective PROM, the MSWS-12 total score (ρ = −0.54 and −0.44 respectively). Overall absolute correlations of reliable features with PROMs were ranging from 0.06 to 0.54. The 95% CIs were not including 0 for U-Turn, Climbing stairs, Arm balance, and Catch-a-cloud (see Table 3).
Correlation of top features with clinical reference tests: Spearman ρ (with 95% CI) for top features of (A) movement tests, (B) balance tests (only among PwMS), (C) dexterity tests, (D) m-SDMT, and (E) vision tests
Comparison of test features between PwMS and HV on a group level
The rank-biserial correlation between PwMS and healthy volunteers of the best-performing features ranged between |r|= 0.03 and 0.57 (Table 3) with most CIs including 0. The best group separability was achieved by the Mean step regularity feature from the Climbing stairs test (r = 0.53; 95% CI 0.29–0.71).
Additional exploratory analysis of smartwatch usability
For 7 out of 62 users (11%), no smartwatch data (Fitbit Versa 2) were available at all because of problems with device synchronization. Mean-daily-wear-fraction of the remaining 28 PwMS was 94.1% (median; IQR 86.4–95.9%, range 57.2–97.7%) and of the remaining 27 HV 93.3% (median; IQR 87.8%-96.1%, range 21.5%-97.8%). PwMS had shorter median proportions during which they were "fairly active" or "very active" during the day compared to HV (proportion fairly active: 0.3% (IQR 0.0–1.0%) vs 0.8% (IQR 0.4–1.5%), respectively, rank-biserial r = 0.37, 95% CI 0.08–0.60; proportion very active: 0.4% (IQR 0.0–0.8%) vs 1.1% (IQR 0.5–1.7%), respectively, r = 0.50, 95% CI 0.23–0.69). Similarly, the estimated median daily energy consumption as measured in METs (metabolic equivalents) was lower for PwMS vs HV (21,632 METs 23,128 METs, r = 0.31, 95% CI 0.02–0.56), as well as the median number of steps (7188 steps for PwMS vs 10,338 steps for HV, r = 0.51, 95% CI 0.24–0.70) and estimated median walking distance per day (5.3 km for PwMS vs 7.3 km for HV, r = 0.48, 95% CI 0.21–0.68; Table S6 and Supplementary Fig. S2).
With the availability of more and increasingly efficient treatments with different mechanisms of action and differing risk–benefit ratios, the need for sensitive and reliable measures of disease activity and progression—a prerequisite of individualized therapeutic decisions—becomes more urgent. Neurological examination and established standardized assessment scales like the EDSS or MSFC capture selected aspects of function but neglect many relevant features of disease-related limitations. Smartphones and smartwatches provide options for comprehensive, frequent to quasi-continuous, and objective measurement of key neurological functions affected by MS in the patient's natural environment.
In this feasibility study, we focused on the assessment of test–retest reliability of active tests covering 5 functional domains typically affected by MS (movement, balance, dexterity, cognition, and vision) applied through dreaMS, a smartphone application specifically designed for PwMS. We showed that they allow for reliable, unsupervised, remote measurement of neurologic functions in the "natural" patient environment. The features extracted from these tests met the predefined reliability criteria. Importantly, PwMS rated all tests highly for user friendliness and meaningfulness.
Out of the 133 features extracted from all 11 tests, 89 (after exclusion of outliers; 72 when outliers were included) proved to be reliable and all of the 11 tests produced at least one reliable feature. The criterion chosen to define feature reliability was a combination of ICC and CV in order to overcome their respective shortcomings: ICC is known to be low in homogeneous groups, even when test–retest reliability is high, as it is based on the proportion of the between-group variance over total variance. On the other side, ICC tends to be high in heterogeneous groups even when the heterogeneity stems from systematic bias, such as platform separability. CV is more robust in this respect but does not incorporate between-group variance at all. Reflecting the different characteristics of these measures, slightly more features met the mCV target (n = 75) than the ICC target (n = 63).
Reported data on reliability of other smartphone applications with similar scope are scarce or not directly comparable. For Konectom, only data from one repetition 30 days apart were reported, both done under medical supervision [12]. For Floodlight, the aggregated reliability of daily tests over multiple two-week windows was reported [13]. This approach reduces within-group variance and thus may inflate the assessment of reliability. In addition, we must take into account that all other studies presented up to now used one selected "standard" device that was provided to study participants (e.g., Samsung S7 in [13]). With the aim of reflecting the real world situation as closely as possible, participants in our study used their own devices (31 different models).
Keeping these differences in mind, most ICCs in our study were comparable to those reported for similar tests in Floodlight [13]: 0.76 for dreaMS m-SDMT vs 0.55-0.85 for Floodlight e-SDMT, 0.92 for dreaMS Catch-a-cloud vs 0.71-0.81 for Floodlight Pinching test, 0.89 for dreaMS U-Turn vs 0.45-0.83 for Floodlight U-Turn, and 0.63 for dreaMS Two-minute walk vs 0.78-0.85 for Floodlight Two-minute walk.
All 11 tests were perceived as meaningful among PwMS. Lower popularity was seen for m-SDMT and for the two vision tests, most probably attributable to issues with user experience that in the meantime have been resolved.
The high adherence (96%; range 91–99%) should be interpreted with caution as the study lasted only 6 weeks per participant and longer studies have shown severe drops in adherence [30]. In addition to automated reminders of the test schedule within the dreaMS app, the study nurse called the participants if tests were not performed as scheduled.
This study was not designed for analyzing correlations with functional reference tests, the EDSS, or PROMs, but the exploratory analyses showed promising correlations for all tests except Standing balance. The study was also not designed and powered to detect group differences between PwMS and HV. In the exploratory analyses, Climbing stairs was the only test whose features differentiated significantly between PwMS and HV on a group level, which might be explained by the overall low disease severity of patients (median EDSS 3.0). Climbing stairs thus seems to be among the most sensitive tests to detect subtle gait pathology.
The additional exploratory analysis of the data obtained through passive monitoring with the commercially available smartwatch Fitbit Versa 2™ showed very high adherence levels with a median subject-wise mean-daily-wear-fraction of 93.7%. The standard smartwatch features step count, walking distance, and daily energy consumption separated PwMS and HVs on the group level, supporting the high potential of passive monitoring. Moreover, passive monitoring best reflects spontaneous, everyday function and thus may ensure complementary ecological validity in addition to monitoring through active tests like those used in dreaMS.
In a recent study, motor features detected through passive monitoring with an accelerometer were better correlated with PROMs than with the EDSS [16], while our motor features correlated better with the EDSS than with PROMs. This apparent discrepancy may result from the fact that the active tests included in our app focus at specified deficits in neurological function, which are also the focus of neurological measures like the EDSS or T25FW. Passive monitoring as in the study by Abbadessa et al. reflects the respective everyday activity level, which is dependent on several other factors besides specific neurological deficits. Similarly, PROMs are also dependent on other factors like mood or environment.
Limitations of our study include the low number of participants not reflecting the full range of impairment, especially regarding higher disability. Given the voluntary nature of study participation, we cannot exclude a selection bias that may have favored the high meaningfulness reported by the participants. Additionally, the relatively short study duration did not allow the assessment of long-term adherence and long-term practice effects, which have been described for mobile tests of cognition and dexterity [31]. Finally, the algorithms used for feature extraction and for detection of outliers unrelated to the disease need further improvement.
Overall, the observed reliability and high grade of perceived meaningfulness of the tests included in dreaMS encourage further development of this software application as an important future monitoring tool for PwMS. As with other proposed applications for monitoring MS, longer-term studies, for example in well-documented large cohorts of PwMS, must follow to support sensitivity to change and concurrent as well as content validity as digital biomarkers [32]. A first validation study is currently recruiting (NCT05009160).
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We thank all study participants. This study was performed in collaboration with Healios AG, Basel, Switzerland.
Open access funding provided by University of Basel.
Johannes Lorscheider and Yvonne Naegelin are equally contributing last authors.
Department of Neurology and MS Center, University Hospital and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
Tim Woelfle, Silvan Pless, Pasquale Calabrese, Johannes Lorscheider & Yvonne Naegelin
Research Center for Clinical Neuroimmunology and Neuroscience Basel, Basel, Switzerland
Tim Woelfle, Silvan Pless, Ludwig Kappos, Johannes Lorscheider & Yvonne Naegelin
Healios AG, Basel, Switzerland
Oscar Reyes
Clinical Trial Unit, Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
Andrea Wiencierz
Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
Anthony Feinstein
Neuropsychology and Behavioral Neurology Unit, Division of Molecular and Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
Pasquale Calabrese
Ophthalmology, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
Konstantin Gugleta
Department of Neurology, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, 4031, Basel, Switzerland
Johannes Lorscheider
Tim Woelfle
Silvan Pless
Ludwig Kappos
Yvonne Naegelin
Correspondence to Johannes Lorscheider.
The research activities of Tim Woelfle's institution, RC2NB (Research Center for Clinical Neuroimmunology and Neuroscience Basel), are supported by the University Hospital and the University of Basel and by grants from Novartis and Roche. One of the main projects of RC2NB is the development of a new comprehensive MS Digital solution. Silvan Pless has nothing to disclose. Oscar Reyes is Senior Data Scientist of Healios AG. Andrea Wiencierz has nothing to disclose. Anthony Feinstein has nothing to disclose. Pasquale Calabrese has received honoraria for speaking at scientific meetings, serving at scientific advisory boards and consulting activities from: Abbvie, Actelion, Almirall, Bayer-Schering, Biogen Idec, Celgene, EISAI, Genzyme, Lundbeck, Merck Serono, Novartis, Pfizer, Teva, and Sanofi-Aventis. His research is also supported by the Swiss Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Swiss National Research Foundation. Konstantin Gugleta has nothing to disclose. Ludwig Kappos has received no personal compensation. His institution (University Hospital Basel/Foundation Clinical Neuroimmunology and Neuroscience Basel) has received the following exclusively for research support: steering committee, advisory board and consultancy fees (Abbvie, Actelion, AurigaVision AG, Biogen, Celgene, Desitin, Eli Lilly, EMD Serono, Genentech, Genzyme, Glaxo Smith Kline, Janssen, Japan Tobacco, Merck, Minoryx, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi, Santhera, Senda, Shionogi, Teva, and Wellmera; speaker fees (Celgene, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, and Roche); support for educational activities (Biogen, Desitin, Novartis, Sanofi and Teva); license fees for Neurostatus products; and grants (European Union, Innosuisse, Novartis, Roche Research Foundation, Swiss MS Society and Swiss National Research Foundation). Johannes Lorscheider's institution has received research grants from Novartis, Biogen and Innosuisse as well as honoraria for advisory boards and/or speaking fees from Novartis, Roche and Teva. Yvonne Naegelin's institution (University Hospital Basel) has received financial support for lectures from Teva and Celgene and grant support from Innosuisse (Swiss Innovation Agency). The research activities of RC2NB (Research Center for Clinical Neuroimmunology and Neuroscience Basel) are supported by the University Hospital and the University of Basel and by grants from Novartis and Roche. One of the main projects of RC2NB is the development of a new comprehensive MS Digital solution.
Supplementary file1 (DOCX 1053 KB)
Woelfle, T., Pless, S., Reyes, O. et al. Reliability and acceptance of dreaMS, a software application for people with multiple sclerosis: a feasibility study. J Neurol 270, 262–271 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-022-11306-5
Revised: 21 July 2022
Digital biomarkers


HÀ NỘI — Nguyễn Thị Hằng, of Dịch Vọng Hậu Ward, Hà Nội's Cầu Giấy District, said she applauded a new policy of the capital People's Committee, allowing districts to set up teams to catch dogs without muzzles that play or walk freely in streets or public areas.
However, the uniforms of the teams should be widely publicised so that local people could distinguish the official dog catchers from those who wanted to exploit the chance to steal dogs of local residents, she added.
Dogs, especially large ones without muzzles, playing or walking in the streets or public areas were very dangerous for road users, especially, children, he said.
Nam said he hoped the policy would be implemented quickly city-wide to raise awareness for dog breeders.
Hằng and Nam are two among many who welcomed the team's operation.
Thanh Xuân District becomes the first district of the city to deploy several teams since November after the People's Committee gave the green light to every district to set up dog-catching teams following a recent proposal of the city's Department of Health Animal, the Lao động (Labour) newspaper reported.
The pilot is scheduled to last until the end of this month. Then the team's activities would be assessed before being officially implemented city-wide early next year.
According to a representative of the department, the proposal aims to prevent rabies as well as raise dog breeders' awareness in the city.
Mai Thị Lan Hương, head of the district's animal health station, said each team has five members, driving motorbikes along streets, carrying iron cages and tools to catch dogs.
However, the teams had yet to be provided with specialised vehicles, she said. If the programme was officially launched, the station would ask the district to equip vehicles for them.
Phạm Văn Bình, a member of Hạ Đình Ward's team, said when the team patrol the streets, a police officer from the ward would go with them.
Nguyễn Thị Hà Phương, vice chairwoman of the People's Committee of Khương Đình Ward, said the ward informed local residents about the team before it was set up. All members of the team had been vaccinated against rabies.
An owner of a miniature Pinscher showed his surprise when his dog was caught early morning last week, when the dog was walking without muzzle in an alley of Khương Đình District.
Lê Bá Mão, head of the team, explained to the dog owner that the team was implementing the pilot programme under the city's policy. If the dog owner wanted to get their pet back, he had to come to the ward's station then pay a fine.
The man at first showed his annoyance but finally agreed.
Nguyễn Thuỳ Dung, an animal health staff of the ward's animal health station, who co-operated with the team in checking the dogs' health, said at first, dog owners had strongly reacted with the team, later they accepted to pay the fine and committed to not violate the regulations after understanding the issue.
The number of dogs caught by the team has also been reduced day after day, she said.
Dogs found with rabies would be destroyed; others would be kept at a local animal health station until their owners came to bring them home, they would receive a fine, said the representative from Thanh Xuân District's animal health department.
Previously, the Government issued the Decree No 90/2017/NĐ-CP in July 2017, saying that owners of dogs without muzzles playing or walking in public areas will receive a fine of VNĐ600,000-800,000 (US$26-34). The same fine will be applied for owners of dogs with no rabies vaccination.
Under the article 295, of the 2017 Penal Code, owner of dogs without muzzles, which bite people at public areas causing serious injuries will face a fine of VNĐ20-100 million ($860-4,300) and suffer a non-custodial reform of up to three years or face a prison sentence ranging from one to five years.


Assistant Professor of Physiology and Neurobiology Alexander Jackson is pushing the boundaries of what we know about one of the most complex regions in the brain: the hypothalamus, which controls vital functions like hunger, thirst, sleepiness and wakefulness.
Hunger, thirst, sleepiness, wakefulness, and a host of other essential bodily functions are all controlled by a small structure in our brains called the hypothalamus. This highly interconnected brain area is a vital link between the body's nervous and endocrine systems, and is essential for survival.
So, disruptions to neural pathways in this area of the brain are often implicated in chronic human health problems like sleep disorders, obesity, stress and diabetes.
Now, new UConn Assistant Professor of Physiology and Neurobiology Alexander Jackson is tackling these neural pathways, using electrical recordings and a recently developed technique called optogenetics to control individual brain cells with light. Jackson and his students are shedding light – literally – on how neurons in the hypothalamus control fundamental aspects of physiology and behavior.
It's part of growing momentum at UConn to understand the intricate workings of the brain, beginning at the cellular level and extending to cognitive function.
The hypothalamus has been a challenging region of the brain to study, says Jackson, due in part to its exceptionally diverse, intermingled cell populations, and the complex pathways they use to communicate with other brain regions.
Jackson's recent work, which began when he arrived at UConn in 2013, focuses on the lateral hypothalamus, a small but critically important region that controls sleep and appetite, among other functions.
"As small as it is, disruptions in neural circuits in the lateral hypothalamus can profoundly affect our health and well-being – so even small populations of neurons found here can have a huge impact on us," says Jackson.
Advances in mouse genetics, optogenetics, and other tools, he says, help his team to see and control how specific populations of neurons talk to one another. Optogenetic tools allow them to selectively activate or silence genetically-defined cells using pulses of light.
With millisecond precision, they can then examine the patterns of connections between neurons in mouse brain slices, and listen in on their synaptic conversations.
Miryam Wilson '15 (CLAS), who studied physiology and neurobiology and worked in Alexander Jackson's laboratory, used this machine, called a cryostat, to prepare sections of mouse brain for study. Wilson is now a first-year student at the UConn School of Medicine.
Miryam Wilson '15 (CLAS), a physiology and neurobiology major and now a first-year student at the UConn School of Medicine, spent her junior and senior years doing research in Jackson's lab as part of her honors thesis project.
Wilson was intrigued by the idea that even a small population of neurons could have such a profound impact on human health. In her research, she did an anatomical characterization of two genetically-modified mouse lines that label a specific population of hypothalamic neurons, which regulate sleep and wakefulness. These mice were engineered to express a fluorescent protein in a specific cell population that allows their identification under a microscope.
Her work involved creating thin sections of frozen mouse brain tissue, staining them with antibodies and imaging them with a confocal microscope. The cellular mechanisms underlying the function of these neurons are important, says Jackson, as they control fundamental behavioral states, like sleep, and could be a potential target for therapies to treat sleep disorders and neuropsychiatric illness.
Her project laid the groundwork for further research in the lab, using these transgenic mice for electrical recording and optogenetic control of their activity, he says.
It also helped to earn Wilson the Margaret F. Ertman Award – the most prestigious award given to a UConn senior studying the biological sciences. She credits Jackson's leadership as integral in her current successful path.
The opportunity for undergraduates to take on this type of graduate-level research is one of the many things that makes UConn unique, says Joe LoTurco, professor of physiology and neurobiology and associate director of the new Connecticut Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences at UConn.
Jackson's work has earned him a three-year Pathway to Independence Award from the National Institute of Mental Health, a highly competitive research award that supports the work of promising post-doctoral researchers in their first years as tenure-track professors.
He says UConn is a fertile place to do neuroscience research, citing excellent colleagues and students and access to interdisciplinary resources as drivers of his own continued research success.
"Basic neuroscience research is so important in laying the foundation for our understanding of brain function, which will pave the way to illuminating how these mechanisms go awry in disease," he says.


Craft beer and Boulder… almost as popular as weed and Boulder… Almost.
It's OK to eat raw fish in a landlocked state… honest.
Stop in for one of the best gluten-free pizza crusts in Boulder… you may even run into President Obama.


This is a detailed character figure from Super Sonico featuring our favorite Sonico. The figure is made with great quality, bright colors and durable material.
A great looking figure with incredible detailed outfit. The figure is officially licensed and imported directly from Japan.


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U.S. Gas Giant Downgraded To Junk Status
America's largest natural gas driller…
Is Europe's Latest Gas Deal A Win-Win?
The recent gas transit deal…
Why U.S. LNG Can't Win In Europe
Competition in EU gas markets…
Dr. John C.K. Daly is the chief analyst for Oilprice.com, Dr. Daly received his Ph.D. in 1986 from the School of Slavonic and East European…
Can TANAP Pipeline Unlock EU Membership for Turkey?
By John Daly - Aug 29, 2012, 4:33 PM CDT
Pipelines carry political consequences.
Now energy-rich Azerbaijan is dangling a massive political carrot in front of its western neighbor Turkey, as a new report asserts that Building the Trans-Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) could boost Turkey's chances of joining the European Union. It is an enticing prospect for Ankara, to say the least.
Gulmira Rzayeva of the Center for Strategic Studies of Azerbaijan (SAM), a research center sponsored by the Azerbaijani government, one of two analysts who wrote the "Strategic Imperative: Azerbaijani Gas Strategy and the EU's Southern Corridor" report, published last month in the 5th issue of the "SAM Review Journal" said, "Turkey can achieve political gains with this pipeline; it can be an ace in terms of its European Union membership negotiations. With the finalization of this project, Turkey will have a whole new position within the region."
Rzayeva and fellow author Theodoros G.R. Tsakiris, Senior Analyst and the journal's editor for Iran and the Caspian Sea Region at the "Middle East Economic Survey" wrote that both TANAP and the Nabucco West natural gas offer significant value to both Azerbaijan and the government owned State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR). The authors concluded that TANAP is perceived as the more commercially viable project, which nevertheless lacks the solid political support that Nabucco West enjoys not only from transit states but also from the European Commission itself. Rzayeva noted, "TANAP completely changed the game. The new pipeline will be built parallel to the existing lines. It will need to have a capacity of 30 to 60 billion cubic meters (bcm) per year." In discussing TANAP's projected $7 billion price tag Rzayeva said, "This is not a definite number. It could be more than this or less than this. The pipeline will be built in three stages. It will start with 16 billion cubic meters, continue with 20 billion to 30 billion cubic meters and at the end reach 60 billion cubic meters. This is a long-term perspective."
Adding a further incentive to the project's construction Rzayeva added, "It will also allow for the connection to Central Asian gas."
As envisaged, the 1,240-mile long TANAP pipeline will transport natural gas from Azerbaijan's Caspian offshore Shah Deniz field through Georgia and will be sold and forwarded through Turkey. The project's first phase will see the sale of 6 billion cubic meters of the initial 6 bcm of natural gas to Turkey, with the remaining 10 bcm being transported onwards to Europe. Pipeline construction is expected to begin in 2014 and finish in 2018.
SOCAR currently holds an 80 percent stake in TANAP, Turkey's natural gas distributor Botas a 15 percent stake and Turkey's national oil and gas company TPAO the remaining 5 percent. According to the "Strategic Imperative: Azerbaijani Gas Strategy and the EU's Southern Corridor" report, SOCAR would like to retain at least a 50 percent stake in the pipeline, but this could prove difficult if new partners come on board. Signifying potential change in the ownership percentages, BP's president Bud Fackrell said that his company is following TANAP developments and that that BP wants to take part in the project by acquiring some of SOCAR's shares.
Fackrell said in a statement that Turkey and Azerbaijan, by signing the TANAP agreement for the Southern Gas Corridor, will open a new European transport corridor and is "an important step."
The geostrategic reality is that Azerbaijan needs Turkey as a transit corridor for its rising volumes of oil and natural gas. TANAP would both help to meet Turkey's rising energy needs and provide lucrative transit revenues.
And the EU is desperately seeking to lessen its dependency on energy imports from the Russian Federation, and TANAP could assist that. According to the European Commission, Russia is the third trading partner of the EU and the EU the first trading partner of Russia. Because of its energy imports the EU runs a trade deficit with the Russian Federation, in 2011 exporting $135.6 billion of goods and services to Russia, while EU imports from Russia in 2011 cost $249.6 billion. The main EU imports from Russia were oil (crude and refined - $162.6 billion) and natural gas ($30 billion.)
It is lessening this dependency that the report's authors see as bolstering Turkey's EU accession chances. Furthermore, the EU ongoing recession means that an annual energy tab of $249.6 billion is something it can ill afford.
Finally, the political gravitas in Brussels towards Turkish membership has shifted with the electoral defeat of French President Nicholas Sarkozy, one of the most vociferous opponents of Turkish EU membership.
The irony is that Brussels may have overplayed its hand by forcing Turkey to wait so long as other members leapfrogged their way into the EU. Turkey's European Union Minister Egemen Bag?s blamed the EU's endless prevarication over its membership application for producing a precipitous drop in Turks' confidence in eventually joining the EU, remarking in the wake of a recent poll that reported that the number of Turks who believed that Turkey would become an EU member within the next decade had decreased from 34.8 percent to 17 percent in the past 12 months, telling reporters, "The situation is not related Turkey's credibility, but it is related to the EU's."
Accordingly, it looks like Brussels will be writing those checks to Moscow for some time to come, even though European energy companies are rushing to partner with Turkey and Azerbaijan to provide alternatives. And as for the Turkish electorate, currently enjoying a booming economy, Turkish EU membership has apparently definitely lost its luster.
By. John C.K. Daly of Oilprice.com
Romania and Russia, Sparring over Energy
It's Official - China Embraces Oil Shale and Fracking
Bob Berke on August 30 2012 said:
It's a huge strategic mistake to think Europe's annual trade deficit of $135 billions would be reduced by substituting Azari energy for Russian energy. Energy is sold at world prices, and if history offers any lessons, the past ten years shows energy prices on the rise.
Philip Andrews on August 31 2012 said:
The other strategic mistake is to imagine that importing Azeri energy will somehow 'reduce EU dependance on Russia'.
Look at the geography; azerbaijan is surrounded
by Russian controlled territory; Dagestan to the North, Georgia (nominally independant but with a significant Russian military presencr in the breakaways), Armenia (Russian dominated) and Iran. Iran is an 'ally' of Russia and supplies up to 1/3 Turkey's oil.
There is no way that Azeri oil supply will not depend on Russian acquiescence.
Secondly Russia mainly through Gazprom is actively buying up oil and gas infrastructure and related faciklities in E. Europe and Germany. And investing in energy related financial services. While the EU is actually importing more Russian oil and gas, it is also becoming infrastructurally tied in to Russia through these acquisitions and joint ventures.
In another generation, Russia will have far more influence in European corridors of power than the US. Esp. as the US is turning East to the Pacific.
In reality the Azeri Alternative is as much a pipedream as Nabucco.
I missed the second point. Turkey's membership of the EU. Doubtful to imposible.
While France, Greece and Cyprus are in the EU they will block. Germany is becoming more nationalist (from Euro to Deutschmark?) and tired of 3 million Turks in Germany. Multikulti in Germany is dead. So no more Turks in Europe please.
Turkey sees a bigger and more significant role for itself in the ME. Why bother with Europe as the Moslem tide continues to resurge. Turkey has to find a role for herself independant of other criteria. South looks far more promising eventually than north. Except perhaps for her former stomping grounds in the Balkans.
For Turkey the world has become far more complex and challenging than merely chasing an illusory EU membership.
James Shepperd on September 05 2012 said:
Indeed, I think it is a false hope to believe that Azeri gas is somehow independent of Russia's wants and needs in the wider energy picture.
That said the 'specter' of Russian control of energy is just that, a mask. Russia is not trying to jeopardize Europe's consumption of its product, nor can it fundamentally change the market price for its oil and gas.
What remains, uncomfortable for Europe are the political implications of having to make political compromises with Russia to grease the wheels of business and business progress.
In the short term, bringing Romanian and Bulgarian Gas On-line and integrating LNG into the fuel supply chain are more practical goals and are likely to better address Russia's firm grip on European energy.


Rolling greens are just a part of the landscape here in Southeast Montana, so golf courses fit right in. Plus, we happen to love golf. If you do too, you'll find there's nothing more satisfying than driving a golf ball against the Southeast Montana landscape in the fresh mountain air.


Homey Food, Seasoned with LOVE!!!!
Mix all salad ingredients. Separately mix all the dressing ingredients and combine well. Mix all together and refrigerate. Serve cool.
Welcome to all those who are passionate about cooking for their loved ones. I believe there is nothing strange as an "Authentic Recipe". Everyone has their OWN TYPICAL versions of food and I'm sure you are going to love "my" version of many cuisines, prepared with ease & love.


¿Y si las empresas las montan los propios salmantinos? Así no estamos pendientes de si se van o se quedan. Estamos todavía esperando a que caiga la Renault del cielo a dar trabajo a 10000 charritos.Ideas, imaginación, un poco de dinero, un poco de añoyo, ganas, valentía… ¿Hay de eso por esta provincia? Creo que estamos todos esperando a que una gran empresa nos haga un contrato fijo y nos resuelva la vida, o mejor: Ser funcionario.
Pour le tableau de Savinio, je vois une étoile de David, et un @, ce qui me semble soit prémonitoire soit j'ai besoin de nouvelles lunettes de lecture, et il ne s'agit que d'un escargot rose?
Si Pavesi però Luca presentava il suo discorso sulla Contemporaneità , attraverso un ingannevole NOI , tra l altro "noi piace pensare" ed il che lascia trapelare in ché di contemporaneità , bello e quieto da raggiungere ed al di fuori del singolo che si pone la domanda.Per farle meglio intendere, un qualcosa ovvero non dissimile da una ideologia.E da tutte le ideologie o ci si libera oppure con esse ci si annulla.Saluti.L.M.
> Anyone born in Hawaii around the time of little Obama should offer their birth certificate for comparison purposes.Well, WND had one up from two weeks after Obama was born. However they obscured the registration number because it would've shown numbers aren't assigned in ascending order of birth date (the number was way lower than both Obama's and the Nordykes', despite the child being born much later). It would've shown numbers are assigned in alphabetical order by month, disproving the "out of sequence" claim for Obama's.
There isn't that much soy flour in the recipe, so I'm sure if you tried replacing it with all purpose or whole grain flour it wouldn't change the structure all that much. Most of the structure is coming from the eggs in this case anyways since there isn't any gluten in the soy flour. Give it a try and let me know how they turn out! There was a lot of maillard browning in these as well!
Yes I have had arguments with the evangelicals who run this diocese. If they bothered to read his sermons or other writings they would be in total agreement. But they won't believe me or read for themselves. They are just blinded by their homophobia.
aloh……….muka x cantik taik lalat selambak besar ada hati nak sombong dahlah x glemer..pandai2 la ko bw dr kalo nk sm taraf ngan maya karin,berlakon pun selalunya jadi bdk terencat akal je pun…kalo aku jumpe dia pun x ingin nk pg dkt..
Annuities as a whole are not bad. However annuitizing an anuinty is absolutely nuts. Some annuities now have what are called living benefits. These allow you to draw money and yet still have a death benefit for your heirs. After the market fall in 2000-2001 their were annuities out there that may only have a contract value of 75,000 and yet a death benefit of 500,000. These new living benefit annuities were put into place to protect against this happening. More details upon request.


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© 2010-2019 Elevated Thought ®
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Michael T. is a photographer, graphic designer, and filmmaker based out of Lawrence, MA. He works to capture and document as much content through his perspective as he can.
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Q: No proper responses to a bounty question I don't want to award a bounty if I feel that the user hasn't answered the question in the right fashion. How do I prevent it?

A: According to the SO FAQ

If you do not award your bounty within  7 days, the highest voted answer created after the bounty started with at least 2 upvotes will be automatically accepted. Half the bounty amount will be awarded to the owner of that answer.

That is, you cannot prevent an answer from being automatically awarded. Note, this has nothing to do with the "Accepted Answer Checkmark", it simply means that the bounty will be auto-awarded after seven days to the highest voted answer that fulfills the criteria:

*

*at least two upvotes

*created after the bounty was started

If an answer has been created and received at least two upvotes, then there is nothing you can do to prevent it from getting awarded (half) the bounty value.
EDIT As Andy E notes in his comment, you can downvote any answers which are at 2 votes and do not fulfill what you need, however you should leave a comment explaining why you do not approve of their answer, so that they can attempt to improve it. Remember that these people are volunteering their time to try to help you, so you should give them every chance to do that.

A: Remember, bounty can only be auto-awarded to questions

*

*answered after the bounty started

*with a score of 2 or higher

.. so you only need to worry about auto-award if these 2 conditions are met on your question.
If they are, and you're still worried about a "bad" answer getting accepted, answer the question yourself, and award the bounty to your own answer. Of course there will be no bounty award for this, but at least you'll have avoided an auto-accept -- if you're that worried about it.

A: If you don't want to award it to anyone do nothing and let it expire.
If none of the answers posted after you put up the bounty have at least 2 upvotes then no one will get the reputation (it will be lost), which I believe is what you want.
However, if at least 1 answer reached 2 upvotes, there is nothing you can do and half the amount will be awarded to the highest voted answer (counting only the ones posted after the bounty). You cannot prevent this but at least they get only half and not the full amount; better than nothing.


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There is a whole genre of utilities written as quickly as possible, to satisfy a short term need, never to see the light of day past next week. But somehow they persist eternally as the worst example of the author's code, simply because they are the only thing that fills that need, and no one has the motivation to re-write them.
I suspect that Orca was probably written as such a utility. Somehow it ended up in the SDK, and now is the tool de rigueur for editing msis when you just want to make a quick change, or find some info quickly.
One unfortunate decision when it was written was to use the listview in non-virtualised mode. A virtualised listview basically means the listview is responsible for layout of the items, but not for managing the memory of the data in the listview. The big advantage is that items don't need to be added to the listview. When items are added to the listview in a non-virtualised mode, they are added one by one, and the strings for each cell are copied (i.e. memory is allocated off the heap, the data is copied, and likely the original string is de-allocated by the listview owner). This happens field by field, with the scrollbar details being updated after each row.
If you open a table in Orca that has thousands of rows, you can often see the thumb tab in the vertical scroll bar visibly shrink as the table is loaded into the listview. This is an indication that the rows are being added one by one.
In a virtualised listview, the rows and fields aren't "added". The listview is simply told: "there are 11654 rows and 9 columns".
At that point the listview adjusts the scrollbar, and calls back to the parent window to get the strings for rendering into the visible cells. The parent doesn't have to copy the strings for the listview to render them, it can simply pass a pointer to it's own copy of the string, saving on heap allocation and de-allocation.
So, why am I blogging about this boring topic? While recently testing some new field editors in InstEd Plus, I pulled out my largest handy msi, and ran some speed tests in Orca and InstEd. Orca loads it very quickly, which is nice. My guess is that is simply enumerates the tables and puts them into the listview on the left.
As you scroll down the tables on the left, the memory usage increases. Presumably Orca is loading the table data from the msi to put into the listview. As I clicked on the File table, there was a 12 second wait for it to load approximately 40000 rows. However the rub comes when clicking on another table and back onto the File table. It's another 12 second wait. So, in my test msi, moving from the File table to the FeatureComponents table and back again is a 17 second round trip. Every time you do it. That can take it's toll on the "quick" editing that you want to do.
In comparison, InstEd completely loads the msi into memory ready for near instantaneous rendering of the tables in less than 3.5 seconds (over a network). It calculates the entire range of relationships in 6 seconds. The soon to be available InstEd Plus field editors can generate a smart editor complete with 80000 file table entries and 22000 registry table entries available for auto-completion in about 1 second.
Don't get me wrong. I understand the choice to use a non-virtualised listview when Orca was written. It was probably never intended to become such a popular tool for editing databases. But it was an unfortunate decision, one that doesn't take much work to fix, and probably needs fixing given Orca's popularity over the years.
Or just use this: InstEd.


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The meaning of jasper stone is in the essence of its energy. Jasper is a very nourishing, warm and protective stone no matter what colour you find the jasper in - be it yellow, green, blue, purple or the deep earthy red. Jaspers are the nurturers, the healers and the spirit stones of courage and wisdom. They all carry a strong connection to the Earth's energy, making the jasper healing properties very beneficial for grounding, stability and strength.


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ABS-CBN partners with Dean Devlin to produce Hollywood series
The Kapamilya network signed a deal with Electric Entertainment to produce a Hollywood crime series!
Rhovin Maglaqui
ABS-CBN just made its first foray into Hollywood television production!
Last Friday, September 20, the Kapamilya network signed a partnership with the American film and television outfit Electric Entertainment to produce the crime series "Off Tropic," which will air in the U.S. through the cable company WGN America. The project will be set in Cebu, with production slated to start in November.
ABS-CBN Chairman Mark L. Lopez, President and CEO Carlo L. Katigbak, International Scripted Formats and Co-Production Division Head Ruel S. Bayani, and Chief Operating Officer for Broadcast Cory V. Vidanes welcomed the people behind Electric Entertainment including its CEO Dean Devlin, actor Christian Kane, and Executive Producer Francis de la Torre.
In a press statement released by the network, Dean explained why they decided to partner with ABS-CBN.
He said, "They have been so instrumental in the development of talent here both in front and behind the camera. I think they have the most experience and they have just been amazing partners. This is going to change the way people perceive the entertainment business in the Philippines."
This is not the first time ABS-CBN has partnered with an international production outfit. The network currently has existing collaborations and partnerships with other companies based in Southeast Asia, U.S., and Europe.
Just last year, the Kapamilya network inaugurated two of its new sound stages which were built to make local production at par with the international scene.
For more related stories and features, do not forget to check these out:
COMPILED: All the glam ABS-CBN Ball 2019 videos featuring Kapamilya stars and couples!
PHOTOS: Artist recreates ABS-CBN Ball looks into art!
2018 vs. 2019: See how your favorite stars and love teams slayed their ABS-CBN Ball outfits!
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Opening of TCU's new basketball arena delayed until December
Associated PressNov 3, 2015, 8:00 PM EST
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) TCU will have to wait a little longer to play games in its new basketball arena.
The school said Tuesday that weather and other unforeseen circumstances led to construction delays. The $72 million arena will not be ready for the men's and women's teams to play their openers on Nov. 13.
The season-opening doubleheader will be played at the University Recreation Center across the street.
After that, the men will play five home games at Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center, the Fort Worth high school facility the Frogs used last season. The Lady Frogs will play six more home games at the rec center, where they played last season.
The opening event in the arena will be fall commencement Dec. 19, and a day before the basketball teams make their debuts there.