1992-08-17 Application filed by Andrews; Winston A. filed Critical Andrews; Winston A.
An atherectomy catheter including an expandable cutter head having spaced apart blades radially extending from a cutter sleeve at a leading end of the cutter head. A torque tube is attached to and surrounds the blades at an expanding end of the cutter head opposite the leading end. An expander cable is attached to a bushing within the cutter head adjacent to the cutter sleeve and blades with the expander tube axially displaceable through the torque tube. A guide wire slidably extends through the bushing and expander tube. A guiding catheter substantially encloses the torque tube with the torque tube rotatable and axially displaceable within the guiding catheter, to rotate the cutter head as it engages a blockage in a blood vessel, An inflatable low pressure balloon around the torque tube applies a bio-active agent directly to tissues of the blood vessel cut during atherectomy. A stent with bio-active agent promotes healing of the vessel.
This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/826,258, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,724, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 07/523,216, abandoned.
Atherosclerosis is a disease of the circulatory system characterized by fatty or calcified deposits or fibrous tissue growth which occlude blood vessels. It is a leading cause of death by disease in the United States. The atherosclerotic stenoses or blockages tend to reduce cross sectional area of the blood vessels thereby impeding blood circulation. In severe cases, the entire vessel may be significantly narrowed or blocked by the deposits, thereby causing or contributing angina pectoris, stroke, myocardial infarction and other conditions.
Atherosclerosis may be treated through coronary by-pass surgery wherein an autogenous vein or synthetic graft is used to by-pass the diseased artery. Of course, this technique involves a major surgical operation at substantial risk and expense to the patient, and a significant recovery period.
Balloon angioplasty is another method for treating atherosclerosis. With this technique a balloon catheter is routed through the artery to the site of the blockage. Once in position, the balloon is inflated to compress or displace the blockage. Balloon angioplasty requires only local anesthesia and avoids many of the risks, expenses and prolonged recovery associated with by-pass surgery. However, if the blockage or stenosis is asymmetrical or fully closed, this technique may be unavailable or ineffective. Similarly, balloon angioplasty may not work with highly calcified or fibrous blockages.
Various atherectomy catheters having mechanical cutting edges for cutting blockages have also been proposed. While these devices have met with varying degrees of success in principle and application, certain disadvantages remain. If a single cutting device is unable to remove a wide range of blockages, then a series of cutting devices of varying size and perhaps shape must be employed. This requires the surgeon to repeatedly locate the blockage, guide a first cutting device to it, perform the cutting operation, withdraw the cutting device from the patient, replace it with the next size cutting device in sequence--and then repeat the operation for as many times as is necessary. Repeatedly inserting and removing the cutting devices from the patient is time consuming and increases risk to the patient. In addition, with all cutting devices there is a need to prevent inadvertent cutting into or through healthy arterial walls.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved atherectomy catheter. It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved stent for use in blood vessels having undergone blockage removal procedures.
To this end, an atherectomy catheter includes an expandable cutter and a torque member attached to the cutter. The cutter is reversibly expandable by the surgeon using controls remaining outside of the patient. The cutter is expandable into a generally conical shape.
The torque member, or a balloon on the torque member may include a surface provided with a bio-active material to promote healing of the vessel surfaces cut by the cutter.
Also to this end, a method for removing an obstruction in a blood vessel includes the steps of locating the obstruction and guiding an expandable cutter to the obstruction using a guide wire. The cutter is expanded and rotated while it is directed to engage the blockage. The cutter may make repeated passes through the blockage removing additional blockage material with each pass.
A dual balloon atherectomy catheter has two spaced apart balloons behind a cutter, for treating cut tissues of a vessel.
A stent is coated with a bio-active agent to promote healing of a vessel.
Other and further objects will appear hereinafter.
FIG. 3 is a section view fragment of the interior end of the present atherectomy catheter in the fully closed position.
FIG. 16 is a side elevation view of a stent.
Turning now to the drawings, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a patient 10 lies on an operating table. A fluoroscope 20 is provided to enable the surgeon to "view" the position of the interior end of the atherectomy catheter 30 after it is inserted into the patient 10.
The exterior end 36 of the catheter 30 includes a torque tube drive motor 44 and vacuum pump 42 connected to a guiding catheter 40. An expander control 46 with a rachet or screw mechanism 48 adjoins to a branch junction 49 connected to and are part of the guiding catheter 40.
Referring to FIG. 3, the interior end 50 of the catheter 30 has an expandable cutter head 62 having a plurality of cutter blades 66 joined at the front end 63 of the cutter head 62 to a cutter sleeve 64. The cutter blades 66 are rigid and remain essentially straight during use. As shown in FIG. 6, preferably the cutter head 62 has 4 equally radially spaced apart cutter blades 66 with each blade having a leading or sharpened cutting edge 68. At the back end 65 of the cutter head 62 the cutter blades 66 are attached to a torque tube 52. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a tension cable 56 extends through the torque tube 52 and attaches to the back side of a bushing 72 within the cutter sleeve 64. A guide wire 58 extends through a bore in the bushing 72 and through the tension cable 56. The guide wire 58 preferably has as silicone coating to facilitate sliding within the tension cable 56. The cutter head 62 and torque tube 52, as well as the tension cable 56 and guide wire 58 contained therein are axially and slidably positioned within the guiding catheter 40. Similarly, the guide wire 58 is slidably displaceable within the tension cable 56 which itself may also be displaced axially within the torque tube 52.
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 12, the cutter blades 66 have a front flexure 70 where each of the cutter blades 66 joins with the cutter sleeve 64. The cutter head 62 may be configured and dimensioned to have a maximum expanded size of up to 8 times the original diameter.
The tension cable 56 is preferably a braided metal cable, with the guide wire 58 and cutter head 62 made of stainless steel or other suitable metal. The torque tube 52 is preferably made of rubber with the guiding catheter 40 made of plastic. The back ends of the cutter blades 66 are bonded to the torque tube 52 at interface 76 behind a rear flexure 71 in the cutter blades 66.
As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 11 and 12, the cutter head 62 has a fixed diameter at its leading or front end and a variably expandable diameter at its trailing or back end. The back end of the cutting head is discontinuous which allows for variable expansion of the cutter head into generally conical configurations.
A split ring assembly 73 having wire coils or loops is attached to the inside of the front opening of the torque tube 52 outside of or around the back segments 65 of the blades 66. During expansion, the split ring assembly 73 keeps the front opening of the torque tube 52 substantially round or circular, even though the expanding force is applied at the four discrete locations of the back segments 65.
An annulus 54 is formed in between the inside of the torque tube 52 and the tension cable 56. The annulus extends from the cutter head 62 through the torque tube 52 and guiding catheter 40 to the vacuum pump 44. The torque tube 52 similarly extends back through the guiding catheter 40 and is attached to the torque tube drive motor 42. The guide wire 58 and tension cable 56 also extend through the guiding catheter 40 with the tension cable 56 connecting to the expander control 46. The guide wire 58 comes out of the torque tube 52 and is joined to a manipulator 59 (FIG. 2).
In operation, the patient 10 is placed under the fluoroscope 20 and the interior end 50 of the atherectomy catheter 30 is guided through an incision 15 in the patient 10, into a blood vessel. Using the fluoroscope 20 to visualize and determine the position of the interior end 50 of the catheter 30, as well as the location of the targeted blockage, the interior end 50 of the catheter 30 is guided through the blood vessel to the blockage. This is achieved by feeding the guiding catheter 40 through the incision 15 and by guiding or steering the interior end 50 of the catheter 30 by turning the manipulator 59 to maneuver the guide wire 58. While the interior end 50 is guided to the blockage, the cutter head 62 is in the closed or unexpended position as shown in FIG. 3, with the cutter head 62 fully contained within the guiding catheter 40.
After the interior end 50 is in position adjacent to a blockage 103 extending from the vessel wall 105, the guiding catheter 40 is pulled back to expose the cutter head 62 as shown in FIGS. 7-11. The guide wire 58 is pushed out of the cutter head 62 using the manipulator 59 so that the end of the guide wire passes all the way through the blockage 103, as shown in FIG. 7. The torque tube drive motor 42 and vacuum pump 44 are turned on causing the cutter head 62 to rotate and causing fluid and material in the annulus 54 to be drawn out.
While viewing the position of the guide wire 58, cutter head 62 and blockage 103, the surgeon then operates the expander control 46 which pulls back on the tension cable 56. This causes the cutter head 62 to expand with the cutter blades 66 flexing outwardly into a generally truncated cone-like configuration. The forward end of the torque tube 52 similarly flexes outwardly, as shown in FIG. 4. The amount of expansion of the cutter head 62 is determined by the amount the tension cable 56 is retracted by the expander control 46. A rachet mechanism 48 facilitates incremental retraction of the tension cable 56 for incremental expansion of the cutter head 62. Alternatively a screw mechanism may be used for an infinitely variable embodiment. The cutter head is reversibly expandable from a fully closed position where the blades are generally parallel to the cutter axis, to a fully expanded position where the blades form an angle with the cutter axis ranging from approximately 5° to 75°.
Referring to FIGS. 4 and 7-10, the torque tube 52 is pushed forward out of the guiding catheter 40 while it is rotated. The bushing 72 in the cutter head 62 tracks on the guide wire 58 to maintain the cutter head 62 on course through the blockage 103 and to prevent inadvertent cutting into the vessel wall 105. The torque tube 52 is advanced to engage the cutter head 62 into the blockage 103. The guiding catheter 40 does not move. The spinning cutter blades 66 cut or shave off material from the blockage 103 as the cutter head 62 moves forward by pushing the torque tube from the exterior end.
Referring to FIG. 11, the material cut away from the blockage 103 by the cutter blades 66 is drawn through the cutter head 62 into the annulus 54 and is evacuated from the patient by the vacuum pump 44. A small amount of blood 101 within the vessel is also drawn into the annulus 54 along with the cut away material.
The cutter head 62 is passed entirely through the blockage 103 in the first partially expanded position 62 as shown in FIG. 7. With the guide wire 58 and guiding catheter 40 remaining substantially in position, the torque tube 52 is withdrawn so that the cutter head 62 is pulled back through the blockage 103 in preparation for a second pass. Using the expander control 46, the tension cable 56 is retracted by a second increment thereby causing the cutter head 62 to expand to a second position as shown in FIG. 8. The cutter head, now in the second expanded position, is then again passed through the blockage 103. The technique is repeated as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, with the cutter head 62 being incrementally expanded with each consecutive pass through the blockage 103. Depending upon the nature of the blockage 103, a single pass may be sufficient or multiple passes may be required. Since the guiding catheter 40 remains in position through the repeated passes of the cutter head 62, the risk of damage to blood vessels by movement of the guiding catheter 40 is minimized, and the guiding catheter 40 need only be guided into position once to remove the blockage 103.
A bio-active surface 53 having biologically active compounds such as epidermal growth factor (EGF); transforming growth factor (TGF), alpha and beta; platelet derived growth factor (PDGF); fibroblast growth factor (FGF); and insulin-like growth factor (IGF), bound to it is provided on the leading cylindrical edge of the torque tube 52. As the bio-active surface 53 contacts the freshly cut tissues of the blockage 103, the bio-active compounds on the bio-active surface 53 are brought into contact with the tissues to promote healing or inhibit recurrent growth. The bio-active material may be covalently bonded to the torque tube 52.
After the blockage has been substantially entirely cut away, as shown in FIG. 10, the vacuum pump 44 and torque tube motor 42 are turned off, and the tension cable 56 is released or pushed forward by the expander control 46 causing the cutter head 62 to contract to approximate the original closed configuration shown in FIG. 3. The torque tube 52 is withdraw into the guiding catheter 40 and the guide wire 58 is similarly pulled back into the tension cable 56 with the interior end 50 of the atherectomy catheter 30 in the position as shown in FIG. 3. The guiding catheter 40 containing the cutter head 62 is then withdrawn from the patient.
An application lumen or tube 41 may be attached to the guiding catheter 40 to facilitate providing a biologically active compound, such as EGF, TGF, PDGF, FGF or IGF directly to the intervention site. The biologically active compound in solution, is injected or otherwise pumped into the application lumen 41 which joins to and leads into the guiding catheter 40. The solution flows through the guiding catheter 40 to the interior end 50 where it is released immediately adjacent to the intervention site or the tissue cut by the atherectomy catheter. Since the biologically active compound is released virtually directly onto the intervention site, therapeutic levels of the compounds can be reached with the administration of an extremely small quantity of the compound.
In a second embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14, an application balloon 110 is provided around the outside of the torque tube 52 behind the cutter head 62. An inflation line 111 extends from the balloon 110 to an inflator 43 located outside of the body. The balloon 110 has a surface having a bio-active agent. As shown in FIG. 14, after the blockage has been removed, the balloon 110 is expanded under low or high pressure to present the bio-active agent on the surface 112 against the cut tissue of the vessel. The balloon 110 advantageously places the bio-active agent in intimate contact with the tissue. With repeated extensions of the balloon 112, the bio-active agent has enhanced opportunities to react with the appropriate biological components in the tissue.
Another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 15, has two low or high pressure balloons to be inflated on either side of tissue cut during atherectomy. The dual balloon catheter 120 has a front balloon 122 adjacent to the cutter head 62. A second or rear balloon 124 is spaced apart from the front balloon. Both balloons 122 and 124 are attached around the torque tube 52 and linked to a low or high pressure inflation line 111, to inflate the balloons from a source outside of the body. An infusion port 126 positioned in between the balloons 122 and 124 connects to an infusion port line or hose extending within the guiding catheter 40, either inside or outside of the torque tube 52, to an infusion source outside of the body. Similarly, a suction port 128 positioned in between the balloons 122 and 124 is connected to a suction line leading to a vacuum source outside of the body.
In use, the catheter 120 is positioned as shown in FIG. 15 with the balloons 122 and 124 straddling the cut tissue. The balloons 122 and 124 are then inflated, substantially sealing off the cut tissue area. A bio-active agent may then be flushed through the space between the expanded balloons, by introducing the bio-active agent into the space through the infusion port 126 and withdrawing it through the suction port 128, to provide an efficient lavage technique. In addition, the cut tissue area can be flushed with sterile saline to remove potentially interfering components such as blood (both plasma components and the formed elements). Moreover, highly elevated concentrations of bio-active agents can be used in the space in between the balloons, which if otherwise infused systemically would be toxic. After the bio-active agent has been in place for a sufficient time, it can be flushed out to minimize toxicity to the patient when the balloons are deflated and blood flow restored. In the embodiments of 13-15, the torque tube 52 is not rotated when the balloons are inflated and the cutter head may be in the closed position as shown, e.g., FIG. 3.
FIG. 16 illustrates a stent which may ordinarily be placed into a partially occluded vessel and expanded in place, e.g., with a balloon, to mechanically hold the vessel open. The stent of FIG. 15 is coated with a bio-active agent such as a growth factor or wound healing agent. After a blockage is removed, the stent is positioned and expanded against the cut tissue remaining after removal of the blockage, with the bio-active agent in intimate contact with the tissue. The stent is woven of fibers, which for a non-resorbable stent, may be titanium or titanium-aluminum-vanadium alloy. In resorbable embodiments, the strands of the stent may be made of a resorbable polymer such as poly L-lactide, poly L-lactone, poly lactic acid or polyglycolic acid. The strands cross each other at angles of approximately 15°-75°. The bio-active agent is covalently bonded onto the strands. The non-resorbable materials form a stent which is a permanent implant. The resorbable materials form a stent which is resorbable by the body and disappears after the wound is healed, leaving a vessel with no obstruction and no implant.
Thus, although several embodiments have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that may other embodiments and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
a first tube leading to the first port and a second tube leading to a second port.
2. The atherectomy catheter of claim 1 further comprising an inflation line supported by the torque tube and leading into the first balloon and the second balloon.
3. The atherectomy catheter of claim 1 wherein the cutter head includes a cutter sleeve, a plurality of substantially rigid and straight blades, and a front flexure linking each blade to the sleeve.
4. The atherectomy catheter of claim 3 further comprising a rear flexure linking each blade with the torque tube.
5. The atherectomy catheter of claim 1 further comprising a split ring assembly attached to an inner surface of the torque tube adjacent the cutter head.
6. The atherectomy catheter of claim 1 further comprising a guiding catheter substantially overlying the torque tube.
7. The atherectomy catheter of claim 1 wherein the first tube is an infusion tube and the second tube is a vacuum tube.
8. The atherectomy catheter of claim 1 further comprising means for reversibly and variably expanding the cutter head.
a first tube leading to the first port and a second tube leading to second port, for infusing and removing a fluid into a space in between the first balloon and the second balloon.
a first tube leading to the first port and a second tube leading to the second port.
Hinohara, et al., "Directional Atherectomy--New Approaches for Treatment of Obstructive Coronary and Peripheral Vascular Diseases", Supplement IV Circulation, vol. 81, No. 3, Mar. 1990, pp. IV-79 to IV 91.
Roubin, et al., "Intracoronary Stenting During Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty", Supplement IV Circulation, vol. 81, No. 3, Mar., 1990, pp. IV-92 to IV-100.


text:
Greens rip W on 9/11 air
By Frank Lombardi and Tamer El-Ghobashy, New York Daily News, August 19, 2004
The Bush administration repeatedly misled New Yorkers on air quality around Ground Zero and played down the health problems suffered by residents and workers after the 9/11 attacks, an environmental group charged yesterday.
A report by the Sierra Club cites dozens of studies that show hundreds of people were sickened after the attacks on the World Trade Center because the government made mistakes during the cleanup effort.
"The federal government should have a duty to protect the public from the aftermath of an attack such as this," said Suzanne Mattei, the author of the 185-page report. "What happened instead is that the harm was prolonged."
Mattei accused the Bush administration of ignoring evidence that the air around Ground Zero may have been toxic and wrongly encouraging people to continue to work and live there after the attacks.
According to a study cited in the report, a Chinatown clinic saw a 67% spike in asthma-related visits among children after 9/11.
The Sierra Club also cited a 2002 study of Health and Human Services Department workers showing that those working at 290 Broadway, several blocks from Ground Zero, suffered worsened symptoms of coughing, shortness of breath and severe headaches than their counterparts in Dallas.
The Environmental Protection Agency called the Sierra Club report a "scare tactic."
"The American public should see this report for what it is a blatant attempt to use this tragedy for political gain," an EPA statement said.
But Mattei said the EPA failed to publicly disclose the hazards and was under direct orders from the Bush administration to play down the risks.
All contents © 2004 Daily News, L.P.
http//www.nydailynews.com/news/local/story/223495p-192021c.html

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Luke holds a Bachelor of Surveying degree from the University of Otago and a Master's degree in Urban Planning from the University of Auckland.
Luke has 3 years of experience in transport planning, including an internship with Auckland Transport's Public Transport Network Management Team. His experience is focussed on public transport planning, and he has worked on significant projects in Auckland, Christchurch, Brisbane and Canberra.
He has experience in public transport network planning, analysing bus route performance using patronage and travel time data, understanding and presenting complex bus circulation and capacity issues, patronage forecasting and bus lane prioritisation.
Luke has also been involved with walking and cycle planning including on university campuses and in rapid transit station catchments.


Seed Grants of up to $7500 per project will be awarded by the College of Education to individual faculty members or small groups of faculty who are beginning significant new projects in teaching, service, or scholarship.
aspects of scholarship that contribute to current knowledge or that make what we know more useful to the educational community.
Although tenure-track faculty members at all levels (assistant, associate, and full) from the College of Education are eligible for the grants, preference will be given to applicants who are untenured. Faculty members who have received a Seed Grant are not eligible for another Seed Grant award for two years.
Proposals that help the recipient make significant progress toward promotion and tenure are essential. Therefore, applicants should carefully explain the evidentiary source targeted by the project. Further, applicants should carefully explain the expected impact of the project when completed, including the influence it will have on current scholarship; the impact on the college, university, and/or wider educational community; and/or the influence on curriculum and teaching. Seed Grants are competitive and directed toward significant projects that will establish a line of inquiry or begin long term engagement in an aspect of teaching, service, or scholarship. Faculty members are encouraged to explore other funding sources within the university for short term or less significant projects.
Funds are available July 1 and must be expended by May 31. Budget expenditures will be monitored by the COE Administrative Coordinator for Budget. Two reports (written and oral) are required of all recipients, as described below.
Written Report -- Recipients are required to submit a final written report within 60 days of when the project is completed or the end of the funded period, whichever occurs first. The final report should include a description of the objectives, success in completing the objectives, other accomplishments, and impact on the relevant fields. The report also should include an expenditure report. A copy of any document, model, or other artifact with explanation of how it addresses the targeted evidentiary source and how it will be used for the promotion and tenure dossier should be included with the report.
Oral Presentation - Recipients are required to work with the College of Education Faculty Development, Mentoring, and Retention (FDMR) Committee to provide an informational session on the Seed Grant Program featuring reports from Seed Grant recipients. This faculty development session ordinarily will be scheduled for Spring semester.
Proposals will be reviewed and ranked by a Selection Committee comprised of five representatives from the College of Education, four who are tenured. Two additional non-voting members of the committee will be available to mentor applicants as they prepare the grant proposal. Selection Committee members will serve staggered, two-year terms, appointed by the Dean in consultation with the FDMR Committee. The Selection Committee reports to the FDMR Committee. Mentors will serve in that capacity one year, and as voting members of the committee the other year of their service. At least one member of the selection committee must be a member of the FDMR Committee, and serve as chair of the Selection Committee. Funding recommendations will be made to the FDMR Committee, which will make subsequent recommendations to the Dean. Final funding decisions will be made by the Dean of the College of Education.
*Non-consumables and equipment purchased from grant monies are the property of the College of Education, not the investigator.


This page contains Cheats for Fortress: Destroyer organized by sections for iPhone - iPad. This game has "Role-Playing Action RPG" as genre, made by Ninja Kiwi, released on Dec 8, 2015. If you can't find a hint or secret in our list, then please check this page periodically for the latest updates.


Free You is a new-generation art software instrument created in collaboration with our talented community. Free You was partially created by 200+ sound designers and partially created in-house by 8DIO. The instrument is best described as a deeply personal and unique textural composition tool. You can literally touch and feel the library at times – from the brightest heavens to the darkest of nightmares.
Free You contains over 4.5GB of heavenly sound designs divided into three core sound categories, including Tonal Textural Melodic Tools, BPM-Synced Rhythmic Pads and a unique Stuttery Rhythms. The Tonal Textural Tools are designed to add sustained and plucked textures to your music. The Rhythmic Pads are fantastic for a momentum and pulse – propelling the music to new places. The library contains over 300 organized presets – that each contains 3 unique sound layers that you can freely sculpt between. Free You contains 26 core banks that each contain 12 different patches. You can move and choose patches in real-time, since they all come pre-loaded.
Free You is not a conventional sample library. We would rather call it a piece of art software – liberated from normal and orthodox conventions of how things should be. It is beautiful, wild and free, yet completely organized easy to use. It is a library that is designed to surprise you and we added a variety of randomization features that can bring you into another dimension with a single click.
Free You is a follow-up to our popular Free Angels and Free Radicals libraries, which were done in collaboration with our awesome community of users. The idea with our Free You Project was to create the most personal collection of memorable sounds. All we asked was that people recorded/created the 5 most important sounds in their life. The 5 sounds that stood closest to their heart. We took all the contributions and put them into one samples library. We edited, programmed, designed and distributed the entire collection and also added a large chunk of personal materials to it. No restrictions, no rules no limits.


text:
The Partita No. 3 in E major for solo violin, BWV 1006.1 (formerly 1006), is the last work in Johann Sebastian Bach's set of Sonatas and Partitas. It consists of the following movements:
 Preludio
 Loure
 Gavotte en Rondeau
 Menuets (I and II)
 Bourrée
 Gigue

It takes about 15–18 minutes to perform.

Bach transcribed the Partita as a suite, cataloged as BWV 1006.2 (formerly 1006a). The music critic Wilhelm Tappert claimed in 1900 that this arrangement was for lute solo, but present research indicates that it was for an unspecified instrument.

The Preludio consists almost entirely of semiquavers (i.e. sixteenth notes). The Preludio was also transcribed by Bach for use in two cantatas:
 the sinfonia which opens the second part of the 1729 cantata .
 the opening sinfonia, scored for obbligato organ, oboes, trumpets and strings, of the 1731 cantata , in D major

The "Gavotte en Rondeau" is included on the Voyager Golden Record and often heard in TV or radio programs.

In 1933 Sergei Rachmaninoff transcribed for piano (and subsequently recorded) the Preludio, Gavotte, and Giga from this partita (as TN 111/1). An arrangement of the Preludio for jazz trio by Jacques Loussier appeared on his Reflections of Bach album of 1987 and was used as the theme of the BBC Radio 4 music quiz show Counterpoint.

References

External links

 Manuscript (fair copy) in Bach's hand of the Partita at the Bach Digital project

 Performance by violinist Karen Gomyo from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in MP3 format
 , Arthur Grumiaux

Bach3
Suites by Johann Sebastian Bach
Compositions in E major
Contents of the Voyager Golden Record

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
\section{Introduction}
We consider the coefficients of the expanded form of this expression:
\begin{align}
(1+x+x^2)^n=\sum_{j=-n}^{n}\left( n \choose j \right)x^{j+n}.\label{new-1}
\end{align}
The coefficients in \eqref{new-1} are called trinomial coefficients.
Two simple formulas for the trinomial coefficients (see \cite[page 43]{sills-b-2018}) are
\begin{align*}
\left( n \choose j \right)=\sum_{k=0}^n{n\choose k}{n-k\choose k+j},
\end{align*}
and
\begin{align*}
\left( n \choose j \right)=\sum_{k=0}^n(-1)^k{n\choose k}{2n-2k\choose n-j-k}.
\end{align*}

In 1987, Andrews and Baxter \cite{ab-1987} introduced six apparently distinct $q$-analogues of
the trinomial coefficients, such as
\begin{align}
\left({n\choose j}\right)_q=\sum_{k=0}^{n}
q^{k(k+j)}{n \brack k} { n-k \brack k+j},\label{new-2}
\end{align}
where the $q$-binomial coefficients are defined as
$$
{n\brack k}={n\brack k}_q
=\begin{cases}
\displaystyle\frac{(1-q^n)(1-q^{n-1})\cdots (1-q^{n-k+1})}{(1-q)(1-q^2)\cdots(1-q^k)}, &\text{if $0\leqslant k\leqslant n$},\\[10pt]
0,&\text{otherwise.}
\end{cases}
$$
These $q$-trinomial coefficients play an important role in the solution of a model in statistical mechanics (see \cite{ab-1987}). In 1990, Andrews \cite{andrews-jams-1990} investigated some interesting properties for the $q$-trinomial coefficients, which leads him to finite versions of dissections of the Rogers-Ramanujan identities into even and odd parts.

In 1999, Andrews \cite{andrews-dm-1999} showed that Babbage's congruence \cite{babbage-epj-1819}:
\begin{align}
{2p-1\choose p-1}\equiv 1\pmod{p^2}\label{new-3}
\end{align}
possesses the following nice $q$-analogue:
\begin{align}
{2p-1\brack p-1}\equiv q^{\frac{p(p-1)}{2}}\pmod{[p]_q^2},\label{new-4}
\end{align}
for any odd prime $p$. Notice that Wolstenholme \cite{wolstenholme-qjpam-1862} proved that \eqref{new-3} holds modulo $p^3$ for any prime $p\ge 5$, which is known as the famous Wolstenholme's theorem.

In order to understand \eqref{new-4}, we recall some necessary notation.
For polynomials $A_1(q), A_2(q),P(q)\in \mathbb{Z}[q]$, the $q$-congruence $$A_1(q)/A_2(q)\equiv 0\pmod{P(q)}$$ is understood as $A_1(q)$ is divisible by $P(q)$ and $A_2(q)$ is coprime with $P(q)$. In general, for rational functions $A(q),B(q)\in \mathbb{Z}(q)$,
\begin{align*}
A(q)\equiv B(q)\pmod{P(q)}\Longleftrightarrow
A(q)-B(q)\equiv 0\pmod{P(q)}.
\end{align*}
The $q$-integers are defined as $[n]_q=(1-q^n)/(1-q)$ for $n\ge 1$, and the $n$th
cyclotomic polynomial is given by
\begin{align*}
\Phi_n(q)=\prod_{\substack{1\le k \le n\\[3pt](n,k)=1}}
(q-\zeta^k),
\end{align*}
where $\zeta$ denotes an $n$th primitive root of unity.

Recently, Straub \cite[Theorem 2.2]{straub-pams-2019} established a $q$-analogue of Wolstenholme--Ljunggren congruence:
\begin{align*}
{ap\choose bp}\equiv {a\choose b}\pmod{p^3},
\end{align*}
for any prime $p\ge 5$, i.e.
\begin{align}
{an\brack bn}\equiv {a\brack b}_{q^{n^2}}-(a-b)b{a\choose b}\frac{n^2-1}{24}(q^n-1)^2\pmod{\Phi_n(q)^3}.
\label{new-5}
\end{align}
The simple case $a=2$ and $b=1$ in \eqref{new-5} reads
\begin{align}
{2n\brack n}\equiv 1-q^{2n^2}-\frac{n^2-1}{12}(q^n-1)^2\pmod{\Phi_n(q)^3},\label{a-3}
\end{align}
which is an extension of \eqref{new-4} (notice that ${2n-1\brack n}={2n\brack n}/(1+q^n)$).
We remark that Pan \cite[Lemma 3.1]{pan-mm-2013} obtained another interesting $q$-analogue of Wolstenholme--Ljunggren congruence and Zudilin \cite{zudilin-ac-2019} extended both Straub and Pan's $q$-congruences.

In the past few years, congruences for $q$-binomial coefficients as well as basic hypergeometric series attracted many experts' attention (see, for example, \cite{bachraoui-rj-2021,goro-ijnt-2019,guo-aam-2020,gs-rm-2020,gz-am-2019,lw-2020,liu-crm-2020,lp-a-2020,tauraso-aam-2012,WY2,wei-jcta-2021}).
Nowdays, there is also an extensive literature on congruences for trinomial coefficients (see, for instance, \cite{al-integers-2020,np-amc-2018,ws-a-2019,sunzw-scm-2014}).
It is worth mentioning that Gorodetsky \cite{goro-ijnt-2019} investigated congruences for the $q$-trinomial coefficients $\left({n\choose 0}\right)_q$.
However, the literature is still sparse on congruences for $q$-trinomial coefficients.

The first aim of the paper is to prove the following congruence for the $q$-trinomial coefficients $\left({n\choose 0}\right)_q$.
\begin{thm}\label{t-1}
For any positive integer $n$, the following congruence holds modulo $\Phi_n(q)^2$:
\begin{align*}
\left({n\choose 0}\right)_q\equiv {\begin{cases}
\displaystyle (-1)^m(1+q^m)q^{m(3m-1)/2}, &\text{if}~~n=3m,\\[10pt]
(-1)^mq^{m(3m+1)/2}, &\text{if}~~n=3m+1,\\[10pt]
(-1)^mq^{m(3m-1)/2},&\text{if}~~n=3m-1.
\end{cases}}
\end{align*}
\end{thm}

The elegant $q$-congruence \eqref{a-3} motivates us to establish the following congruence for the $q$-trinomial coefficients $({2n\choose n})_q$, which generalizes a conjectural $q$-congruence due to
Apagodu and the author \cite[Conjecture 1]{al-integers-2020}.
\begin{thm}\label{t-2}
For any positive integer $n$, the following congruence holds modulo $\Phi_n(q)^2$:
\begin{align*}
\left(2n\choose n\right)_q \equiv {\begin{cases}
\displaystyle 2(-1)^m(1+q^m)q^{m(3m-1)/2}-3m(1-q^{3m}), &\text{if}~~n=3m,\\[10pt]
2(-1)^mq^{m(3m+1)/2}-(3m+1)(1-q^{3m+1}), &\text{if}~~n=3m+1,\\[10pt]
2(-1)^mq^{m(3m-1)/2}-(3m-1)(1-q^{3m-1}),&\text{if}~~n=3m-1.
\end{cases}}
\end{align*}
\end{thm}

The rest of the paper is organized as follows. In Section 2, we shall mainly establish an auxiliary congruence on sums of central $q$-binomial coefficients, which is interesting by itself. The proofs of Theorems \ref{t-1} and \ref{t-2} will be presented in Sections 3 and 4, respectively.

\section{An auxiliary result}
In order to prove Theorems \ref{t-1} and \ref{t-2}, we first recall the following two lemmas.
\begin{lem} (See \cite[Lemma 2.3]{liu-cmj-2017}.)
For any non-negative integer $n$, we have
\begin{align}
&(1-q^n)\sum_{k=0}^{\lfloor n/2\rfloor}\frac{(-1)^kq^{k(k-1)/2}}{1-q^{n-k}}{n-k\brack k}\notag\\[10pt]
&={\begin{cases}
\displaystyle (-1)^m(1+q^m)q^{m(3m-1)/2}, &\text{if}~~n=3m,\\[10pt]
(-1)^mq^{m(3m+1)/2}, &\text{if}~~n=3m+1,\\[10pt]
(-1)^mq^{m(3m-1)/2},&\text{if}~~n=3m-1,
\end{cases}}\label{b-1}
\end{align}
where $\lfloor x \rfloor$ denotes the integral part of real $x$.
\end{lem}

\begin{lem} (See \cite[Lemma 3.3]{tauraso-aam-2012}.)
For $k=1,\cdots,n-1$, we have
\begin{align}
{2k-1\brack k}\equiv (-1)^kq^{k(3k-1)/2}{n-k\brack k} \pmod{\Phi_n(q)}.\label{b-2}
\end{align}
\end{lem}

We also require the following congruence on sums of the central $q$-binomial coefficients ${2k\brack k}$, which is interesting by itself.
\begin{prop}\label{p-1}
For any positive integer $n$, we have
\begin{align}
\sum_{k=1}^{\lfloor n/2 \rfloor}\frac{q^{-k(k-1)}}{[2k]_q} {2k\brack k}\equiv \frac{(1-q)(1-\mathcal{R}_n(q))}{1-q^n}\pmod{\Phi_n(q)},
\label{a-1}
\end{align}
where $\mathcal{R}_n(q)$ denotes the right-hand side of \eqref{b-1}.
\end{prop}

{\noindent\bf Remark.} Sun \cite[Theorem 1.1]{sunzw-scm-2011} proved that for any prime $p\ge 5$,
\begin{align}
\sum_{k=1}^{(p-1)/2}\frac{{2k\choose k}}{k}\equiv (-1)^{(p+1)/2}\frac{8p}{3}E_{p-3}\pmod{p^2},\label{new-6}
\end{align}
where $E_0,E_1,E_2,\cdots$ are Euler numbers. Notice that \eqref{a-1} is a $q$-analogue of \eqref{new-6} (the modulo $p$ version).

{\noindent\it Proof of \eqref{a-1}.}
By \eqref{b-2} and $q^n\equiv 1\pmod{\Phi_n(q)}$, we have
\begin{align}
\sum_{k=1}^{\lfloor n/2\rfloor}\frac{q^{-k(k-1)}}{[2k]_q} {2k\brack k}&=(1-q)\sum_{k=1}^{\lfloor n/2\rfloor}\frac{q^{-k(k-1)}}{1-q^{2k}} {2k\brack k}\notag\\[10pt]
&=(1-q)\sum_{k=1}^{\lfloor n/2\rfloor}\frac{q^{-k(k-1)}}{1-q^{k}} {2k-1\brack k}\notag\\[10pt]
&\equiv (1-q)\sum_{k=1}^{\lfloor n/2\rfloor}\frac{(-1)^kq^{k(k+1)/2}}{1-q^{k}} {n-k\brack k}\notag\\[10pt]
&\equiv (q-1)\sum_{k=1}^{\lfloor n/2\rfloor}\frac{(-1)^kq^{k(k-1)/2}}{1-q^{n-k}} {n-k\brack k}\pmod{\Phi_n(q)}.\label{b-3}
\end{align}

We can rewrite \eqref{b-1} as
\begin{align}
\sum_{k=1}^{\lfloor n/2\rfloor}\frac{(-1)^kq^{k(k-1)/2}}{1-q^{n-k}} {n-k\brack k}
=\frac{\mathcal{R}_n(q)-1}{1-q^n}.\label{new-7}
\end{align}
Substituting \eqref{new-7} into the right-hand side of \eqref{b-3} gives
\begin{align}
\sum_{k=1}^{\lfloor n/2\rfloor}\frac{q^{-k(k-1)}}{[2k]_q} {2k\brack k}\equiv
\frac{(1-q)(1-\mathcal{R}_n(q))}{1-q^n}\pmod{\Phi_n(q)},\label{new-8}
\end{align}
as desired.
\qed

\section{Proof of Theorem \ref{t-1}}
For $1\le k \le \lfloor n/2 \rfloor$, we have
\begin{align*}
{n\brack k}&=\frac{(1-q^n)(1-q^{n-1})\dots (1-q^{n-k+1})}{(1-q)\cdots(1-q^k)}\\[10pt]
&\equiv \frac{(1-q^n)(1-q^{-1})\dots (1-q^{-k+1})}{(1-q)\cdots(1-q^k)}\\[10pt]
&=\frac{(-1)^{k-1}q^{-k(k-1)/2}(1-q^n)}{1-q^k}\\[10pt]
&\equiv \frac{(-1)^{k}q^{-k(k+1)/2}(1-q^n)}{1-q^{n-k}}\pmod{\Phi_n(q)^2},
\end{align*}
where we have used the fact that $1-q^n\equiv 0\pmod{\Phi_n(q)}$.
It follows from \eqref{new-2}, \eqref{new-7} and the above that
\begin{align*}
\left({n\choose 0}\right)_q&=\sum_{k=0}^{\lfloor n/2 \rfloor}
q^{k^2}{n \brack k} { n-k \brack k}\notag\\[10pt]
&=1+\sum_{k=1}^{\lfloor n/2 \rfloor}
q^{k^2}{n \brack k} { n-k \brack k}\notag\\[10pt]
&\equiv 1+(1-q^n)\sum_{k=1}^{\lfloor n/2 \rfloor}
 \frac{(-1)^{k}q^{k(k-1)/2}}{1-q^{n-k}}{ n-k \brack k}\pmod{\Phi_n(q)^2}\\[10pt]
 &=\mathcal{R}_n(q).
\end{align*}
This completes the proof of Theorem \ref{t-1}.

\section{Proof of Theorem \ref{t-2}}
Note that for $1\le k\le \lfloor n/2\rfloor$, we have
\begin{align}
{2n \brack k}&=\frac{(1-q^{2n})(1-q^{2n-1})\cdots(1-q^{2n+1-k})}{(1-q)(1-q^2)\cdots(1-q^k)}\notag\\[10pt]
&\equiv \frac{2(1-q^{n})(1-q^{-1})\cdots(1-q^{-k+1})}{(1-q)(1-q^2)\cdots(1-q^k)}\pmod{\Phi_n(q)^2}\notag\\[10pt]
&=\frac{2(-1)^{k-1}(1-q^{n})q^{-k(k-1)/2}}{1-q^k},\label{c-1}
\end{align}
and
\begin{align}
{2n-k \brack n+k}&={2n\brack n}\frac{(1-q^{n-2k+1})\cdots(1-q^n)}{(1-q^{n+1})\cdots (1-q^{n+k})(1-q^{2n-k+1})\cdots(1-q^{2n})}\notag\\[10pt]
&\equiv \frac{(-1)^k q^{-k(3k-1)/2}}{2}{2n\brack n}{2k-1\brack k}\pmod{\Phi_n(q)},\label{c-2}
\end{align}
where we have utilized the fact $q^n\equiv 1\pmod{\Phi_n(q)}$.

It follows from \eqref{new-2}, \eqref{c-1} and \eqref{c-2} that
\begin{align}
\left(2n\choose n\right)_q&=\sum_{k=0}^{\lfloor n/2\rfloor}
q^{k(k+n)}{2n \brack k} { 2n-k \brack n+k}\notag\\[10pt]
&={2n\brack n}+\sum_{k=1}^{\lfloor n/2\rfloor}
q^{k(k+n)}{2n \brack k} { 2n-k \brack n+k}\notag\\[10pt]
&\equiv {2n\brack n}-(1-q^{n}){2n\brack n}\sum_{k=1}^{\lfloor n/2\rfloor}
\frac{q^{-k(k-1)}}{1-q^k}{2k-1\brack k}\pmod{\Phi_n(q)^2}\notag\\[10pt]
&={2n\brack n}-\frac{1-q^{n}}{1-q}{2n\brack n}\sum_{k=1}^{\lfloor n/2\rfloor}
\frac{q^{-k(k-1)}}{[2k]_q}{2k\brack k}.\label{c-3}
\end{align}

From \eqref{a-3}, we deduce that
\begin{align}
{2n\brack n}&\equiv 1+q^{n^2}\notag\\[10pt]
&=2-(1-q^n)(1+q^n+q^{2n}+\cdots+q^{(n-1)n})\notag\\[10pt]
&\equiv 2-n(1-q^n)\pmod{\Phi_n(q)^2}.\label{c-5}
\end{align}

Finally, substituting \eqref{a-1} and \eqref{c-5} into the right-hand side of \eqref{c-3} gives
\begin{align*}
\left(2n\choose n\right)_q&\equiv
2\mathcal{R}_n(q)-n(1-q^n)\pmod{\Phi_n(q)^2},
\end{align*}
as desired.

\vskip 5mm \noindent{\bf Acknowledgments.}
The author would like to thank Ofir Gorodetsky for discussions on $q$-trinomial coefficients and useful suggestions regarding the paper. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant 12171370).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


Most guests spend approximately 4 to 9 hours in the park.
The Six Flags Great Adventure, situated in the New York City, offers a gala time amidst an attractive range of adventurous rides. Located next to Hurricane Harbor, this theme park offers you the chance to have a great fun-filled time with the world's tallest and fastest rides that make you twist and turn in your seat! Enjoy mind blowing live shows and explore the delicious dining options available at the theme park. The major fun areas of the theme park include Wiggles World, Fantasy Forest, Loony Tunes Seaport and Main Street. Wait! That's not the end! The theme park has much more in store for you including The Dark Knight Coaster which is new for 2008. The play areas offer a fun-filled atmosphere to one and all. This amazing theme park will surely add a spark to your New York City vacation.


Metasploitable is an intentionally vulnerable Linux virtual machine.
This VM can be used to conduct security training, test security tools, and practice common penetration testing techniques.
Network File System (NFS) is a distributed file system protocol originally developed by Sun Microsystems in 1984,allowing a user on a client computer to access files over a network in a manner similar to how local storage is accessed. NFS, like many other protocols, builds on the Open Network Computing Remote Procedure Call (ONC RPC) system. The Network File System is an open standard defined in RFCs, allowing anyone to implement the protocol.
You are on notice, that continuing and/or using this lab outside your "own" test environment is considered malicious and is against the law.
Click on "Network Adapter NAT"
Select the radio button "Bridged: Connected directly to the physical network"
By changing from NAT to Bridged opens the VM and network up to potential attacks.
To maintain a safe network, you could (1) skip this section and only use the host-only network, (2) unplug your router from the internet, (3) use an ACL to not allow traffic into your network, etc.
Password: msfadmin or whatever you changed it to in lesson 1.
This is the IP Address of the Victim Machine.
My IP Address is 192.168.1.112.
Replace 192.168.1.112 with the Metasploitable IP Address obtained from (Section 2, Step 2).
This intense NMAP scan could take 3 to 5 minutes to run.
nfs runs on port 2049 for both TCP and UDP.
ssh runs on port 22.
rpcbind runs on port 111 for both TCP and UDP.
Replace 192.168.1.112 with metasploitable's IP address obtained from (Section 2, Step 2).
The rpcinfo command makes an RPC call to an RPC server and reports the status of the server. In this case, we are asking metasploitable's RPC server show us all of its RPC problems that are running. (e.g., nfs, mountd, status, portmapper, nlockmgr).
showmount queries the mount daemon on a remote host for information about the state of the NFS server on that machine.
The "/" filesystem is owned by root for most flavors of Unix and Linux. Allowing the world to mount to the "/" file system opens up Paradora's box to an unlimited amount of exploits.
This is not necessary. I do this to prevent a potential man-in-the middle known_host message.
nolock � Disables file locking.
Notice we have successfully mounted up metasploitable's "/" filesystem to BackTrack's /mnt directory.
Since metasploitable's "/" file system is writable to the world, we are able to append BackTrack's ssh public key to metasploitable's authorized_keys file.
The "Are you sure ... (yes/no)?" message only occur during your very first connection.
Notice after we un-mount from metasploitable's share that BackTrack's IP address is no longer present.
ssh -i /root/.ssh/hacker_rsa root@192.168.1.112 "cat /etc/exports"
ssh -i /root/.ssh/hacker_rsa root@192.168.1.112 "date"


Most of the articles you read online are focused on people that have money. This presents a problem, since it puts a wall up against equal opportunity, which my goal is intended to bust the issues wide open by addressing issues that are more extensive.
The fact is many people in the world are suffering from pain. It does not matter if they are rich, poor, old, young, etc, the point is all of us are subject to pain. Not one person is obsolete; therefore, the focus of this article is to assist those living in pain, by helping them to find their way through self-determination.
When someone is in pain it makes it is difficult to think straight, focus, or feel good about whom they are. This is because the pain affects their emotional, mental, and physical status. It sometimes seems that no one cares about the people in the world that is suffering.
We all need support. We are all equal despite of what people may think and it is time people started to realize this. When you are suffering with pain and striving to find ways to build self-determination, it is time to turn in the natural direction. Many tactics have proven to assist people with minimizing pain. Some of these tactics include physical exercise, meditation, yoga, and biofeedback.
Physical exercise will not only reduce pain, it also reduces your risks of various diseases. You build confidence and self-esteem, which directs you toward building self-determination. When you feel good about whom you are, and you are not living with pain, it often changes the way you think. You feel more positive about whom you are, and you can take control of your life. Some of the basic exercises you can benefit from, reduce pain, and build self-determination are the basic stretch workouts. Pilate's is a good workout solution, which you do not need as much exercise equipment. Stretch each morning, afternoon, and before you go to bed. You will train your muscles to relax and contract naturally, which reduces the pain.
All the solutions I have to offer you have helped me as well. Exercise three times each work. Start out a routine of 15 interval workouts and gradually work up to 45 minutes. In time, you will feel much better.
Before you can start building self-determination, you must reduce the pain. The pain will get you down and eventually tear you down. Men with prostate cancer are encouraged to meditate daily. Mediation will build your confidence, awareness, etc. You start focusing on a brighter tomorrow, rather than consume your mind focusing on the pain. Pain often develops because the muscles are unable to contract and relax naturally. You want to keep the muscles mobile, since this is what they expect to stay healthy.
Meditation is a great way to train your mind to focus on what you must do to develop self-determination. You have other options as well, but staying in the natural course will put you on a quicker road to recover.
Before you start an exercise, routine be sure to consult with your medical expert. I cannot think of one doctor in the entire world that will discourage you against exercise. The doctor that does probably does not have the latest news on fitness and health.
You can go online and research the market as well to find other ways to reduce pain and build motivation. For the most part, eliminating or reducing the pain is a great start. Do not allow procrastination or negative thinking hold you back from progressing. Use meditation if you have a nap to think negative often. You want to retrain your mind to think positive.


Loops and recursion are equivalent – a language with only one is just as powerful (meaning it can solve as many problems, no comment about speed) as one with both. The functional paradigm encourages using recursion, but there are times when iteration is simpler or faster.
In the Julia set example, we use recursion to build a 3-dimensional list to represent an image. This function is provided on the left. On the right is an alternative. It creates a 2-dimensional array and iteratively assigns a 3-list to each cell.
Though these two functions look very different, they use approximately the same amount of memory. The CMUCL implementation of Lisp prints out the garbage collection events as they occur, and both functions require about 50 collections.
This is not to say that all forms of iteration are equal. The CMUCL manual points out that apply and mapcar , which are functions to iteratively modify the contents of an array or list, are slower than some iterative alternatives.


text:
Ballot Pages
Initiative Fiscal Analyses (pre-ballot)
Proposition Analyses
Ballot Measures by Type: 1974 to Present
Ballot Bonds
Summary of General Obligation Bonds—Election Results 1986 to Present (Excel File)
Related LAO Publications
A.G. File No. 2021-037
Pursuant to Elections Code Section 9005, we have reviewed the proposed statutory initiative that would raise personal income taxes for certain households to fund zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) programs and wildfire-related activities (A.G. File No. 21-0037, Amendment #1).
State ZEV Programs. The state has several goals related to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and local air pollution, including state law that requires statewide GHGs are 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. To help achieve these goals, the state has a variety of programs meant to promote the adoption of ZEVs, which are generally defined to include battery-electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. This includes programs to promote light-duty ZEVs (such as cars and passenger trucks), medium-duty ZEVs (such as delivery vans), heavy-duty ZEVs (such as large commercial trucks), and off-road equipment (such as agricultural equipment). For example, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) administers programs that provide subsidies for people, businesses, and governments to purchase ZEVs, and the California Energy Commission (CEC) administers programs that provide financial incentives to install ZEV fueling infrastructure, such as electric vehicle charging stations and hydrogen fueling stations. In recent years, state spending for ZEV programs generally has been in the hundreds of millions of dollars annually, though the state's 2021-22 budget included $3.9 billion over three years for these purposes. The state also has established a variety of regulations meant to promote ZEV adoption, such as requiring automobile manufacturers to sell increasing numbers of ZEVs and requiring ride-sharing companies (such as Uber and Lyft) to use more ZEVs.
Wildfire Suppression and Prevention Programs. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) is the primary entity responsible for wildfire suppression activities in California. These activities are intended to limit the spread of large wildfires and stop them from damaging communities and residents. Over the past several years, CalFire has spent about $2 billion annually on wildfire suppression activities, with higher amounts in recent years. CalFire and other state and local agencies also administer programs intended to help reduce the severity of future wildfires and reduce damages from those fires—also known as wildfire prevention. These prevention activities include undertaking forest resilience projects (such as conducting prescribed fires and thinning overgrown forests) and creating defensible space—generally through the maintenance of areas free from dead and excess vegetation—around buildings and communities. In recent years, the state has spent about $300 million annually on wildfire prevention, which increased to about $1 billion one time in 2021-22.
California Taxes Personal Income. The state collects a personal income tax on income earned within the state. In the most recent fiscal year, the personal income tax raised over $120 billion. Most of the revenue is deposited into the General Fund—the state's main operating account—which pays for education, prisons, health care, and other public services.
Increases Income Taxes for High-Income Taxpayers
The measure increases the personal income tax for taxpayers earning more than $2 million. These taxpayers would pay an additional tax of 1.75 percent on their income above $2 million. This tax increase would end the earliest of: (1) January 1, 2043 or (2) beginning January 1, 2030, the January 1 following three consecutive calendar years in which statewide greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced by 80 percent below 1990 levels.
Allocates Additional Revenue to Support ZEVs and Wildfire Activities
The additional revenue generated from the increased income taxes would be deposited in a new fund called the Clean Cars and Clean Air Trust Fund (CCCATF). After allocating a small portion of the funds to support periodic state audits (discussed below), the remaining revenue would be allocated to ZEV programs and wildfire-related activities.
ZEV Incentives and Other Mobility Options (45 Percent). Forty-five percent of revenue would be allocated to CARB for programs to promote the purchase and use of ZEVs, as well as other mobility options intended to reduce GHG emissions and air pollution. For at least the initial five years of the programs, at least two-thirds of the overall funding must be targeted to programs that support the deployment of passenger ZEVs, with the remaining funding available for other types of vehicles and mobility options.
In addition, the measure requires that half of the overall funding for ZEV incentives and mobility go to programs that primarily benefit residents who live in or near low-income and disadvantaged communities. Eligible programs could include those that support (1) zero-emission school and transit buses, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, and off-road equipment; (2) financing assistance for households that cannot secure a loan to buy a new or used ZEV; (3) retirement of old polluting vehicles and replacement with ZEVs; (4) incentives to buy or lease new passenger ZEVs; and (5) other mobility options, such as electric bikes and protected bike lanes.
The other half of the funding must be dedicated to a new program established in the measure that provides incentives to purchase or lease new passenger ZEVs. When providing these incentives, CARB must prioritize applications in the following order: (1) individual residents, (2) businesses and state or local governments that are expected to drive the vehicles at least 25,000 miles annually, and (3) remaining businesses and local governments.
ZEV Fueling Infrastructure (35 Percent). Thirty-five percent would be allocated to CEC for programs to increase the availability of ZEV infrastructure. During the first five years of the program, the measure requires that at least half of the ZEV infrastructure funding be targeted specifically to multifamily dwelling charging stations (20 percent), single-family charging stations (10 percent), fast fueling infrastructure for passenger vehicles (10 percent), and medium-and heavy-duty fueling infrastructure (10 percent). CEC would determine how the rest of the funds would be allocated to support ZEV infrastructure. In addition, the measure requires that at least half of the total ZEV infrastructure funding be dedicated to projects that benefit residents in or near low-income and disadvantaged communities.
Wildfire Suppression and Prevention (20 Percent). Twenty percent would be allocated for various wildfire-related activities. Of this amount, 75 percent would go to CalFire for such things as (1) hiring and training firefighters; (2) purchasing wildfire detection and monitoring systems; (3) improving fire suppression and safety infrastructure; (4) improving defensible space; (5) retrofitting homes in low-income communities to make them less likely to catch fire (referred to as home hardening); and (6) expanding forest resilience programs, such as prescribed fires and forest thinning. Top priority for CalFire funding must be given to hiring and training firefighters, and no more than 25 percent can be used for defensible space, home hardening, and forest resilience programs in the first six years.
The remaining 25 percent of overall funding for wildfire-related activities would go to the Office of the State Fire Marshal for wildfire suppression and prevention activities.
Other Provisions. The measure includes several other provisions related to CCCATF oversight and spending, including:
Continuous Appropriations. The measure continuously appropriates the funding to CARB, CEC, and CalFire—meaning the Legislature would not allocate the funds as part of the state's annual budget process.
Cap on Administrative Costs. The measure establishes a 5 percent cap on administrative costs for CARB, CEC, and CalFire. Expenses for public outreach are not counted as administrative costs.
Periodic Audits. Requires the California State Auditor to conduct a financial audit every two years and the California State Controller to conduct a performance audit every four years. The measure allocates up to $600,000 per audit.
Fiscal Effects
Increased State Personal Income Tax Revenues Dedicated to ZEVs and Wildfire Activities. The measure's new tax on high-income earners likely would raise $3 billion to $4.5 billion in most years. As discussed above, these new revenues would be dedicated to ZEV incentives and other mobility options (45 percent), ZEV fueling infrastructure (35 percent), and wildfire-related activities (20 percent).
Potential Decrease in State General Fund Revenue. The measure's new tax could have many impacts on the state's economy. One likely impact is that some taxpayers probably would reduce their income in California to avoid paying more taxes. This would reduce existing state General Fund revenues from the personal income tax. The amount of these revenue losses is unknown.
Potential for Additional State Costs for Program Administration. The measure caps the amount of CCCATF monies that can be used for administrative costs at 5 percent. Historically, administrative costs for state ZEV and wildfire programs have been higher than 5 percent of total program costs—exceeding 10 percent in some cases. Actual administrative costs to implement this measure are uncertain, but if, for example, they were 10 percent, the additional costs would have to be covered by other state funds and could be a couple hundred million dollars annually. We estimate the additional state costs for program administration could reach tens of millions to the low hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
Net Decrease in State and Local Revenue From Transportation Taxes and Fees. The state and local governments assess various transportation-related taxes and fees to support transportation programs. The largest source of revenue is the state gasoline excise tax, which generates about $7 billion annually. About two-thirds of these revenues are used to pay for state highway maintenance, rehabilitation, and related administration. The remaining one-third of the revenues are provided to cities and counties to support their streets and roads. The state also assesses a $100 per year fee on ZEVs to raise funds to support state and local transportation infrastructure.
To the extent this measure encourages consumers to purchase ZEVs when they otherwise would have purchased gasoline-powered vehicles, state and local governments would likely generate less overall revenue from transportation-related taxes and fees. The precise magnitude and timing of the decrease is uncertain and would depend on such things as: (1) what other state ZEV policies would be adopted with and without this measure passing and (2) how effective future ZEV programs and policies are at encouraging consumers to purchase ZEVs. We estimate a net decrease in state and local transportation tax revenues that could reach several tens of millions of dollars annually within in the first few years, and potentially grow to a few hundred million dollars annually after several years.
Potential Decreased State and Local Costs for Wildfire-Related Spending. This measure could decrease some future state and local government costs related to wildfires in a couple of ways. First, the additional funding for prevention and suppression activities provided by this measure could help prevent or reduce the severity of damage caused by future wildfires. To the extent this were to occur, it would reduce clean-up and recovery costs. Second, the additional firefighters that would be funded by this measure could reduce costs associated with overtime for fire suppression activities. The magnitude of these potential cost decreases is uncertain, and would depend on the severity of wildfires in a particular year and the effectiveness of the prevention and suppression activities that ultimately are funded by the measure. Cost decreases could range from minor in low-severity fire years, but reach hundreds of millions of dollars in high-severity fire years.
State Appropriations Limits Consideration. The State Constitution limits how much tax revenues the state can spend each year, with exceptions like spending on infrastructure and emergencies. In recent years, the limit has been an important consideration in state budgeting decisions. Because this measure would significantly increase tax collections and some of the spending required by the measure likely would not be excludable from the limit, the measure would somewhat increase the chances that the state would spend revenues in excess of the limit. Revenues in excess of the limit, over a two-year period, trigger a requirement for the state to make taxpayer rebates and additional school payments.
Summary of Major Fiscal Effects. This measure would have the following major fiscal effects:
Increased annual state tax revenue ranging from $3 billion to $4.5 billion, with the additional revenue used to support zero-emission vehicle programs and wildfire-related activities.
Potential increased state administrative costs paid from other funding sources that could reach tens of millions to the low hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
Net decrease in state and local transportation revenue of up to several tens of millions of dollars annually in the initial years, and growing to up to a few hundreds of millions of dollars annually after several years.


Greetings from the Friends of Music & the Arts in the Scarsdale Schools! Now that we're solidly into the second half of the school year, we wanted to give you an update on some of our students' musical and artistic experiences these past few months. See below!
We also hope you will consider offering your support with a membership donation to Friends of Music & the Arts for 2016-17, because it is definitely not too late for your contribution to have a positive impact for all our students! As you can see on this website, we accept online donations via PayPal, or you can print out a membership form and send your check to FMA, P.O. Box 171H, Scarsdale, NY 10583.
This school year, approximately 140 Scarsdale Middle and High School students participated in All-County and Area All-State Band, Chorus and Orchestra Festivals at Purchase College. These students were selected based on their excellent NYSSMA scores last spring. The first weekend in December, 4 students were invited to participate in the All State Festival in Rochester, NY, and 2 students were chosen as alternates. Congratulations to all!
As of this writing, approximately 300 Scarsdale students of all ages are scheduled to audition in the 2017 NYSSMA Solo and Ensemble Festival, and another 150 students are planning to audition in the Piano Festival. Best of luck to all!
Approximately 85 Fourth and Fifth Grade strings players joined forces at the high school in February to be recorded playing the theme from Dvorak's New World Symphony. They were participating in an exciting outreach project sponsored by the New York Philharmonic. See the kids on video here.
From late November through January, parents were kept busy attending Chorus, Band and Orchestra concerts at each school in the district. In December there were 7 concerts at the Middle School alone!
The High School Drama Club entertained us with the musical Grease in November, the student-directed play Almost Maine in January, and the play The Servant of Two Masters this past weekend. Congratulations to all who contributed to these efforts, both on stage and behind the scenes.
From September until now, 7 high school students have been chosen as Artist of the Month by the art department, and another 13 students have had their works chosen for display at the StArt Regional High School Art Exhibition and the Katonah Museum of Art 2017 Young Artists Exhibition. Kudos to all!
FMA hosted a Winter Festival at the Scarsdale Library on January 21, featuring musical performances by a number of Scarsdale students (and one brave parent!), and artwork on display which was selected for inclusion in the Festival by the art teachers at each school in the district. If you were not able to attend the Winter Festival but would like to see the artwork, check out the photos here!
During the February break, SHS Band, Chorus and Orchestra members traveled overseas to Australia, Italy and Germany respectively, performing in a variety of historic and other interesting venues and taking in the sights and sounds of foreign countries.
Throughout the year, grant money from FMA has been put to good use. New items purchased by each school with FMA funds include: a stringed instrument storage rack at the high school, mobile drying racks for student artwork in a number of our elementary schools, iPads for use in art research at the middle school, display shelves for student artwork at the high school, and more.
Musically and artistically speaking, it's been a great year so far! Still ahead: a teacher appreciation luncheon for the arts faculty later in the spring, hosted by FMA; year-end concerts at every school in the district; and once again FMA will make year-end grants to each school for the purchase of "wish-list" items to enhance our children's instruction.
FMA is proud to be a "cheerleader" for the arts in Scarsdale. Your membership donation this year would go a long way toward helping FMA continue to offer support for the arts in our schools.


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Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection Review – Familiarity Breeds Contempt
December 16, 2017 PTdrivers Gaming 0
For many individuals, the Uncharted sequence was the deciding issue that led to their buy of a PlayStation three (PS3), and who might blame them? Out of Sony's complete roster of exclusives – starting from shooters like Resistance and Killzone to extra inventive fare like LittleBigPlanet – the Indiana Jones-like exploits of Nathan Drake resonated most with a era of players who wished greater than the brutal motion of God of Conflict, or the tremendous heroic trappings of Notorious.
Even after three more and more bombastic video games on the PS3, and a strong moveable outing (Uncharted: Golden Abyss) on the PS Vita, it is arduous not to consider Nathan Drake as video video games' everyman – a relatable common man with no superpowers, who finds himself in a bunch of unlikely conditions involving the occult, abominable snowmen, and at occasions, hanging from the tip of a practice bogey that is about to fall off a cliff.
Nonetheless, whereas the sport is among the most recognisable PlayStation exclusives, developer Naughty Canine claims staggering 80 p.c of the PlayStation four viewers has not performed the Uncharted trilogy on the PS3. This made the sequence a major candidate for being remastered. Out now as Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Assortment, the remaster brings all three PS3 video games to the PS4 with up to date graphics.
However graphics alone do not make a recreation, or on this case, video games. Because of the PS4's added muscle, you may traipse by means of all of it at a gentle 60 frames per second (fps) with a way of fluidity that is not too dissimilar to The Final of Us Remastered, or Tomb Raider: Definitive Version.
The Nathan Drake Assortment Evaluate
And on the subject of Tomb Raider, it is a well-known undeniable fact that the exploits of Nathan Drake have been influenced by Lara Croft's early outings, with its settings and emphasis on exploration, platforming, and puzzles. These stay untouched on this remaster. You may soar throughout chasms, resolve well-designed puzzles, and take pleasure in strong gunplay that is harking back to Gears of Conflict – popping out and in of canopy to shoot mercenaries and pirates galore.
The formulation modifications little or no throughout the three remastered video games. The expertise is definitely pretty repetitive, and the distinctness of the sport comes not from gameplay, however from the cinematically directed cutscenes that information the narrative. Throughout the video games, for essentially the most half you may anticipate the next – you may first discover a picturesque location, then resolve a puzzle or two by activating levers or transferring statues, after which cope with the implications of your actions. These are normally booby traps akin to big, rolling boulders or slowly rising water ranges that'll kill you, however transfer slowly sufficient to offer you an opportunity to get away from hazard unscathed.
That is leavened with fight, the place you might be largely going through off towards a seemingly infinite variety of disposable enemies, from modern-day pirates to skilled ex-soldiers. The gunplay is fairly good for an journey recreation, and you may crisply duck out and in of canopy, taking potshots at enemies as you go. And the entire recreation will get tied along with witty banter between characters (that also holds up in spite of everything these years) and you'll watch as an intriguing narrative progresses.
Uncharted is a heady mixture of parts that work effectively. You by no means really feel that one a part of gameplay is favoured over the opposite, and also you're at all times transferring ahead. Suffice to say, the gameplay and controls in Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Assortment are as competent as they have been when the primary recreation launched in 2007.
Talking of the primary recreation, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, that's the one which advantages essentially the most from this remaster. Whereas some may argue that the steep worth of this assortment (which we'll come to in a minute) is justified by Uncharted 2: Amongst Thieves by itself, Drake's debut within the first recreation truly sees essentially the most enchancment.
From beautiful water results to lush jungle foliage, there's barely a pixel misplaced. That is to not say that Uncharted 2 and three aren't as technically competent, as a result of they're. And very like The Final of Us Remastered, there is a photograph mode right here that offers you full management at any time to save lots of and share your favorite moments.
However not like The Final of Us Remastered, which retailed for Rs. 2,750, Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Assortment is on the costly facet (bicicletas motor). To benefit from the adventures of Drake and buddies for the primary (or probably second) time, you are spending Rs. three,999. In case you personal a PS3 you may decide up all three video games at round Rs. 2,844. Plus there is no multiplayer on this assortment, not like The Final of Us Remastered, or discernible gameplay additions like in Gears of Conflict: Final Version. Although one benefit of getting the remaster is that you simply do get entry to the Uncharted four multiplayer beta when it hits later this 12 months.
When it comes to extra options, there's little or no new. Nonetheless, the sheer quantity of content material with its three video games does considerably make up for it should you've by no means performed it earlier than.
In case you're one of many 80 p.c that Naughty Canine claims has not skilled the Uncharted trilogy, then there is no motive so that you can miss out. Although if in case you have performed by means of the video games earlier than, then the improved graphics and body price are good additions, however not good sufficient to make it price spending Rs. three,999, simply to verify the video games out for the second time.
Professionals:
Appears to be like good
Clean because of improved framerate
Gameplay is unbroken
Not a lot worth for followers
Score (out of 10): 7
The Crew: Wild Run Review
Wickedleak Wammy Titan 5 Review


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NJAES Office of Research Analytics > Selected Staff Publications
Williams, C.A., Kenny, L.B., Weinert, J.R., Sullivan, K.P., Robson, M.G., Meyer, W. "Effects of Twenty-Seven Months of Rotational vs. Continuous Grazing on Horse and Pasture Condition." Journal of Animal Science, (submitted April 2020).
Campo, M., Auermuller, L. M., Herb, J., Marxen, L., Kopp, R. E., & Lathrop, R. "Making User Tools Resilient: A Case of Incorporating Changing Climate Science into Exposure Mapping Tools in New Jersey." AGUFM 2019 (2019): PA31A-06W.
Schilling, B.J., Sullivan, K.P., Esseks, J. D., Lynch, L., Duke, J.M., & Gottlieb, P.D. "Farmland Owners' Satisfaction with Agricultural Conservation Easements." Society & Natural Resources, (2019).
Duke, J., Schilling, B., Sullivan, K., Esseks, J.D., Gottlieb, P. & Lynch, L. "Illiquid capital: Are conservation easement payments reinvested in farms?" Applied Economic Perspectives & Policy Vol. 38, No.3 (2016).
Attavanich, W., Schilling, B., & Sullivan, K.P. "Measuring the effects of preservation on farm profits in a continuous treatment setting." Applied Economics, Vol. 48, No. 60, 5850–5865 (2016).
Schilling, B. & Sullivan, K. "The economic impact of New Jersey's food system in 2012" Rutgers Cooperative Extension fact sheet E355. (2016).
Baskin, C., Roarty, H., Marxen, L., Glenn, S., Whelan, C., & Barrick, D. (2015, October). High Frequency radar measurement resiliency with bistatics. In OCEANS 2015-MTS/IEEE Washington (pp. 1-7). IEEE.
Schilling, B. J., Marxen, L. J., Everett, J. C., Miller, C. L., Kimmel, D. A., & Cook, J. C. (2015). Helping Farmers Access Farmland: New Jersey's New Land Link Website. Journal of Extension, 53(6), n6.
Gottlieb, P., Schilling, B.J., Sullivan, K.P., Essex, J.D., Lynch, L., and Duke, J.M. "Are preserved farms actively engaged in agriculture and conservation?" Land Use Policy, Vol. 45 (2015).
Schilling, B.J. & Sullivan, K.P. "Characteristics of farms engaging in agritourism." Journal of Food Distribution Research, Vol. 45 No. 2 (2014).
Schilling, B., Sullivan, K., Komar, S. & Bamka, W. "Budgeting for a corn maze." Rutgers Cooperative Extension publication E343. (2013).
Schilling, B., Attavanich, W., Sullivan, K. and Marxen, L. "Measuring the Effect of Farmland Preservation on Farm Profitability." Land Use Policy. Volume 41, November 2014, Pages 84-96.
Schilling, B. and Marxen, L. "Developing a customized GIS-based spatial statistics tool: An application to emergency planning and response." Journal of Extension, Vol 51, No. 5 (2013).
Schilling, B.J., Sullivan, K.P. & Duke, J. "Do Residual Development Options Increase Preserved Farmland Values?" Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics. December 2013.
Schilling, B.; Bamka, W.; Komar, S.; Sullivan, K. "Conventional Corn Grain Production vs. Corn Maze Production: Implications for Enterprise Budgeting." Journal of the National Association of County Agricultural Agents, Vol 6, No. 1 (2013)
Schilling, B.J., Sullivan, K.P., and Komar, S.J. "Examining the Economic Benefits of Agritourism: The Case of New Jersey." The Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, Vol. 3, No. 1 (2012).
Schilling, B.J., Sullivan, K.P., Komar, S.J., and Marxen, L.J. "The Economic Contributions of Agritourism in New Jersey." Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Bulletin E333, March 2011.
Adelaja, A., Sullivan, K.P., and Hailu, Y.G.. "Endogenizing the Planning Horizon in Urban Fringe Agriculture." Land Use Policy Vol. 28, No.1 (2011).
Adelaja, A., Sullivan, K.P., Hailu, Y.G., and Govindasamy, R. "Chemical Use Reductions in Urban Fringe Agriculture." Agricultural and Resource Economics Review Vol. 39, No. 3 (2010).
Non-Peer Reviewed Papers and Reports
Sullivan, K.P.; Brennan-Tonetta, P.; Marxen, L.J. "Economic Impacts of the Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics (RCSB) Protein Data Bank." RCSB Protein Data Bank. 2017.
Gottlieb, P. D., Lubeck, M., & Marxen, L. (2016). " Too small to farm, too big to mow": The impact of large-lot zoning on the exurban landscape (No. 333-2016-14566).
Rabin, J., Jany, R., Schilling, B. & Marxen, L.. "Characterizing the modern New Jersey farm landscape: A 2009 Assessment". Food Policy Institute Report No. R R-0909-019. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Food Policy Institute. 2010.
Sullivan, K.P. and Schilling, B. J. "The New Jersey Blueberry and Cranberry Industries: 2008 Economic Impact." New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. July 2010.
Marxen, L.J. "New Jersey WIC Services Efficiency and Effectiveness Study: WIC Site Suitability Analysis Report." Prepared for the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services – Division of Family Health Services/Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, 2008.
Marxen, L.J. "New Jersey WIC Services Efficiency and Effectiveness Study: WIC Site Efficiency Analysis Report." Prepared for the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services – Division of Family Health Services/Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, 2008.
Schilling, B., Sullivan, K.P., Marxen, L. & Brennan, M. "Evaluating Changes in the Eligibility Provisions for Farmland Assessment in New Jersey." New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Food Policy Institute submitted to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. September 2008.
Brennan, M., Specca, D., Schilling, B., Tulloch, D., Paul, S., Sullivan, K.P., Helsel, Z., Hayes, P., Melillo, J., Simkins, B., Phillipuk, C., Both, A.J., Fennell, D., Bonos, S., Westendorf, M. & Brekke, R. "Assessment of Biomass Energy Potential in New Jersey." (New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station Publication No. 2007-1.) New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. July 2007
Gottlieb, P., Schilling, B. J., Sullivan, K. P., Malinowski, K., and Orban-Brown, D. "The New Jersey Equine Industry 2007: Economic Impact." Rutgers University, New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station and the Rutgers Equine Science Center. June 2007.
Brennan, Margaret, Gal Hochman, Brian Schilling. 2014. "Impact of Political Economy Constraints on Assessments of Biomass Energy Potential: New Jersey as a Case Study". Modeling, Dynamics, Optimization and Bioeconomics I, edited by Alberto Pinto and David Zilberman, Springer Proceedings in Mathematics & Statistics (In print).


nab-P + Gem demonstrated superior efficacy over Gem alone in the MPACT trial of patients with metastatic PC. An updated analysis confirmed the superior OS (primary endpoint) of nab-P + Gem vs Gem alone (8.7 vs 6.6 mo; HR 0.72; P < 0.001). This analysis examined efficacy outcomes by geographic region.
Previously untreated pts with metastatic PC were randomized 1:1—stratified by performance status, region (Australia [AU], Eastern Europe [EE], Western Europe [WE], or North America [NA]), and the presence of liver metastases—to receive nab-P 125 mg/m2 + Gem 1000 mg/m2 on d 1, 8, and 15 of each 28-day cycle or Gem 1000 mg/m2 weekly for 7 weeks followed by 1 week of rest (cycle 1) and then d 1, 8, and 15 of each 28-day cycle (cycle ≥ 2).
The analysis included 861 pts. An updated OS analysis (data cutoff 9 May 2013) revealed that OS was longer for nab-P + Gem vs Gem alone in each region, although the difference was not statistically significant in all cases (table). Similar trends were observed for PFS and ORR. White blood cell growth factors were used at the following rates (nab-P + Gem vs Gem): NA, 28% vs 16%; EE, 16% vs 13%; AU, 16% vs 12%; WE, 37% vs 11%. The safety profile of each treatment arm was similar across the regions. Differences in the proportion of pts receiving post-progression therapies were noted for some regions (nab-P + Gem vs Gem): NA, 40% vs 42%; EE, 20% vs 31%; AU, 39% vs 41%; WE, 45% vs 55%. The rates of use were different across regions for 5-FU/capecitabine-based therapies (NA, 26% vs 31%; EE, 17% vs 26%; AU, 26% vs 22%; WE, 42% vs 47%) and FOLFIRINOX (NA, 6% vs 7%; EE, 0 vs 2%; AU, 2% vs 2%; WE, 3% vs 8%).
nab-P + Gem was associated with improved survival compared with Gem alone in pts with metastatic PC, regardless of region. Variations in postprogression therapy use were noted across regions.
R.K. Ramanathan: a consultant/advisor to Celgene, receives honoraria and research funding from them as well; D. Goldstein: is a consultant/advisor for Celgene and receives research funding from them; A. Romano: is a Celgene employee and owns stock; D. Penenberg: is a an employee of Celgene and owns stock; D.D. Von Hoff: is a consultant/advisor for Celgene and receives honoraria from them. He also receives research funding from TG Clinical Research. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.


The ECU Junior were all in action last week in PS4NPLWA and Football West games below is a wrap of the games: Well done to everyone!!!!!
The Steven McGarry Football Coaching Holiday Clinics are back.
It was a busy weekend last week with ECU Joondalup SC junior PS4NPLWA teams, all involved in Cup and league games Saturday and Sunday, while the Football West sides were in league action.
ECU Joondalup SC juniors were in PS4NPLWA and Football West action last week – Below are the results.
The ECU Junior were all in action last week in PS4NPLWA and Football West games below is a wrap of the games and comments on the games: Well done to everyone!!!!!


Haym Salomon Memorial Park & Community Mausoleum is a bronze memorial park that offers family and private burial estates, community and private mausoleums, and a columbarium for cremated remains in beautiful Frazer, Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Nowhere in the Philadelphia region will the memory of your loved one be surrounded by more peace and beauty than at Haym Salomon Memorial Park. Our caring and dedicated staff will assure your loved one a magnificent place for all eternity.
Select a location in our unique, picturesque, all-bronze memorial gardens or choose an elegant crypt in our community mausoleum. We feature a columbarium for cremated remains.


The sulfamethazine ELISA is used for the quantitative analysis of sulfamethazine residues in tissue (muscle, liver, kidney), milk, plasma/serum, and urine samples.
The kit uses a polyclonal rabbit antibody which shows the following cross-reactivities: sulfamethazine (100%), N4-acetyl sulfamethazine (130%), and sulfamerazine (15%). The cross-reactivity of each of ten other sulfonamides, i.e. sulfadiazine, sulfadimethoxine, sulfadoxine, sulfaguanidine, sulfamethoxazole, sulfamethoxydiazine, sulfapyridine, sulfaquinoxaline, sulfathiazole, sulfatroxazole is <0.5%.
The limit of detection (LOD) is 3 ng/g for tissue (extraction), 8 ng/g for milk (dilution), 1 ng/g for plasma/serum (dilution), and 3 ng/g for urine samples (dilution).


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This short video turned up on an art blog that I follow. Three things struck me – the catchy tune, the pretty amazing playing from a lady who doesn't even seem to realise she is talented, and the comments from rebloggers.
Comments included (copied exactly as they were posted):
"She just shat all over every guitar player in the top 40 with a bent guitar that's not even tuned correctly (and missing its top e string)"
"Oh my goodness. Wow. Ive never seen something so amazing. Who is this woman?"
"That. Was. Fire"
"I don't know music, so I don't understand what I'm looking at (though I do like it), but I just showed this to my husband, and his jaw hit the floor."
"Lovely slide bits, by the way …"
I wasn't able to find out where the video originated.
Music GuitarLeave a comment
Vale Pete Seeger
January 30, 2014 John Silby
"Pete Seeger was a messenger of universal love and peace. He was my first inspiration to write songs and share music in my own way. God bless," tweeted Neil Diamond on January 28.
The grand old man of the protest movement died in New York, aged 94, earlier this week. It seems like he had been around for ever, and that his influence in music and activism spread far and wide and inspired many people in all walks of life. He was a member of the Almanac Singers (1940s) and the Weavers (1950s), but also performed as a solo artist and with various friends and colleagues. He counted some of the most famous folk singers among his friends, including the great Woody Guthrie.
During his career Pete recorded prolifically and his discography includes fifty-two studio albums, twenty-three compilation albums, ten live albums, and five singles. Little Boxes, written by his friend Malvina Reynolds and recorded as a single was a hit for him in 1963.
His compositions include Where Have All the Flowers Gone? (with contributions from Joe Hickerson and the children at Camp Woodland), If I Had a Hammer (co-written with Lee Hays of The Weavers), Kisses Sweeter Than Wine (also with Lee Hays), and Turn! Turn! Turn! (lyrics adapted from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). His songs have been sung and recorded by some of the best-known names in the music world – among them Bruce Springsteen, The Byrds, Joan Baez, The Kingston Trio, Marlene Dietrich, Johnny Rivers, Peter, Paul & Mary, and Trini Lopez.
I discovered Pete Seeger in the early 1970s. If I remember correctly I was ambivalent about his political views and his social action agenda, but I fell in love with his music, and in 1971 I bought a CBS LP, Pete Seeger's Greatest Hits. Pete himself wrote the cover notes. He began with, 'These are my "hits"? CBS Records picked the title of this album, not me. Now read the truth: Some of them were hits by the Weavers. Some songs were made hits by Peter, Paul and Mary, The Byrds, the Kingston Trio, Marlene Dietrich, Trini Lopez, and others. But none of them by me. My own records were collectors' items – no one but collectors ever bought them.' I think he was being rather modest, because the first song on the album is Little Boxes, which really was a hit, whichever way you look at it. The rest were a mix of his own compositions, protest songs, songs adapted from folk songs from various traditions, and songs which started life as poetry. Pete Seeger's Greatest Hits became one of my favourite albums. I still have the original vinyl LP, but now I also have it in MP3 format and it plays regularly on my computer. It's still one of my favourites, and I long ago gave up that ambivalence.
Many tributes have been written since Pete Seeger's death. I liked:
Pete Seeger, songwriter and champion of folk music, dies at 94 – New York Times.
Pete Seeger: 10 great songs – The Telegraph (UK).
Watch Bruce Springsteen's Moving Birthday Tribute to Pete Seeger – Rolling Stone.
Pete Seeger at Wikipedia.
Music, People activism, Pete SeegerLeave a comment


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Keep Tyler Beautiful awards 92-year-old volunteer
Keep Tyler Beautiful is a non-profit organization that does just that, encourage beautification, waste reduction and recycling activities in the community. The
By Lexi Vennetti
Published: Oct. 7, 2022 at 6:45 PM CDT
TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - Keep Tyler Beautiful is a non-profit organization that does just that, encourage beautification, waste reduction and recycling activities in the community. The organization created an award to honor one special volunteer.
Jim Chewning served in the United States Army for 21 years, and hanging in his garage in Tyler is a flag that says, "still serving". An accurate description of the 92-year-old Tylerite.
"I just like to do things for other people," he said.
Chewning has volunteered at a handful of organizations including Habitat for Humanity, East Texas Food Bank, and Lighthouse for the Blind.
"I volunteer because its, it's in my blood. I volunteer for everything," he said.
His favorite thing is volunteering outside.
"I can do anything outside," he said.
In his 22 years in Tyler, Chewning has attended every restoration project with Keep Tyler Beautiful, apart from when he had surgery.
"I see him at all of our events and have really gotten to know him over these past few years and I absolutely adore him," said Erin Garner, Keep Tyler Beautiful Community Coordinator.
Garner says the organization has events to beautify the city like cleaning or repairing parks.
"Whenever we assign him, wherever he can help, he just gets in there and gets it done. You know, you don't really have to check up on him, he just gets in his spot and gets it finished and says, 'What's next?'" Garner said.
On September 17, Keep Tyler Beautiful Awarded Jim the Difference Maker Volunteer Award, an award that was created just to honor his service.
Reflecting on his service, he says he has over 115 shirts like this one he is wearing that he has received from his volunteer missions, but 115?
"I can do better than that," he said.
When asked how long he will volunteer?
"As long as I have her around to take me to all these places and what have you," "Oh I'll keep taking you daddy," he said.
Garner says Keep Tyler Beautiful will now name the "Difference Maker Volunteer Award" in Jim Chewning's honor.


The award winning PHOENIX professional rescue harness is a specialist quick connect rescue harness developed in collaboration with the UK fire service.
Rescue harness features quick connect leg strap buckles and easy adjustment shoulder strap buckles.
Material: Polyamide, Stainless Steel and Plated screwlink.


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RTS2FONI
50th NAACP Image Awards - Show - Los Angeles, California,... more
50th NAACP Image Awards - Show - Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 30, 2019 - Omari Hardwick reacts after winning the award for outstanding actor in a drama series for his role in "Power." REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
https://pictures.agency.thomsonreuters.com/archive/AWARDS-IMAGE--HP1EF3V05B3Y0.html
HP1EF3V05B3Y0
Entertainment - NAACP Image Awards
Mario Anzuoni


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Spiritual Souls – Inner Peace Flow
Write Your Own Book
Book / Writing Packages
Susan Buchanan
Susan Kaye Quinn
Sara Downing
Kate Chisman, Creator of Literature Bitch
Tasha Harrison
Becky Monson
Caitlin McKenna
Cathy Bramley
Emmy Yoshida
Erin Brady
H.C. Elliston
Joanna Penn
Joanne Phillips
Julie Ryan
Why I've set-up 'The Story Explorers Club'!
by Vicky | Oct 2, 2015 | Articles, The Book Explorers Club, Usborne Books, Usborne Children's Books | 0 comments
Credit: What's Rahni's Reading
The Story Explorers Club's mission:
To help build awareness of the importance of reading and writing, not just for educational purposes, but for children's personal development; by encouraging them to express their feelings through creative writing and reading which in turn allows them to build on their self-esteem and self-confidence.
Combining my MA in Creative Writing and being an Independent Usborne Organiser, 'The Story Explorers Club' was born.
(A huge thank you to my girlie friends for helping to choose a good name! A huge thank you to Kelly Fairhurst, from Page2Stage Performing Arts/Parties, it has to be said she is a creative genius!)
Credit: Minette Riordan
The books that have been created by Usborne work perfectly with The Story Explorers Club, not only were they awarded the IPG Children's Publisher and Independent Publisher of the Year awards, the mission of the company is the reason I'm proud to be part of the Usborne Books at Home and School Team:
The future of our world depends on the education of our children. Usborne Books & More delivers educational excellence one book at a time. We provide economic opportunity while fostering strong family values. We touch the lives of children for a lifetime.[1]
As I've stated in my Primary Times editorial (which will be coming out soon): One of the things I love about Usborne is their ability to follow the curriculum but still have a range of books that hold the attention of the reader. However, although it's important to follow the curriculum, there has been plenty of research on reading and it was found that, 'Reading enjoyment has been reported as more important for children's educational success than their family's socio-economic status (OECD, 2002)'[2]
Jonathan Douglas, the director of the NLT (National Literacy Trust), also states, 'The reading for pleasure habit, I firmly believe, can only be built by giving youngsters the sort of books that interest them. So school libraries, for instance, should not only stock books that support the curriculum, but also books that match pupils' own interests, sparking their enthusiasm for reading and books. If that means car manuals or books about football, then so be it.'[3]
Credit: Pintrest
It is important that the books from school, that do follow the curriculum, are read and discussed, but there is an added advantage of reading other books with your child that will not only widen their knowledge but stimulate their passion for learning.
I'm really hoping 'The Story Explorers Club' will bring passion to young people for reading and enable them to find their own inner strength to be as creative as they would like to be. Thank you for reading.
[1] http://www.usbornebooksandmore.com/home/NewConsultant.aspx
[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/284286/reading_for_pleasure.pdf
[3] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationopinion/10035473/The-importance-of-instilling-a-need-to-read.html
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