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The Relationship Between Anaemia and Frailty: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies
WP4 of the Joint Action Advantage
Background: There is increasing evidence that frailty may play a role in chronic diseases, but the associations with specific chronic disorders are still unclear. Objectives: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis assessing the association of anaemia and frailty in observational studies. Methods: The review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase from 01/01/2002-10/09/2017. Pooled estimates were obtained through random effect models and Mantel-Haenszel weighting. Homogeneity was assessed with the I2 statistic. Publication bias was assessed with Egger's and Begg's tests. Results: Nineteen studies were included; two longitudinal, seventeen cross-sectional. All studies except three reported an association between anaemia and frailty. The pooled prevalence of prefrailty in individuals with anaemia was 49% (95% CI=38-59%; I2=89.96%) and 24% (95% CI=17-31%; I2= 94.78%) for frailty. Persons with anaemia had more than a twofold odds of frailty (pooled OR=2.24 95% CI=1.53-3.30; I2=91.8%). Only two studies longitudinally examined the association between anaemia and frailty, producing conflicting results. Conclusions: Frailty and prefrailty are common in anaemic persons. Older persons with anaemia have more than a two-fold increased odds of frailty. These results may have clinical implications, as they identify the need to assess frailty in anaemic people and investigate any potential negative effects associated with the co-occurrence of both conditions. Longitudinal research that examines temporal changes in anaemia and effect of treatment are needed to further clarify the relationship between anaemia and frailty.
Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging
WP4 of the Joint Action Advantage (2018). The Relationship Between Anaemia and Frailty: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies. Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, 22(8), 965-974. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-018-1049-x
The Relationship Between Anaemia and Frailty : A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies. / WP4 of the Joint Action Advantage.
In: Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, Vol. 22, No. 8, 01.10.2018, p. 965-974.
WP4 of the Joint Action Advantage 2018, 'The Relationship Between Anaemia and Frailty: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies', Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, vol. 22, no. 8, pp. 965-974. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-018-1049-x
WP4 of the Joint Action Advantage. The Relationship Between Anaemia and Frailty: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies. Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging. 2018 Oct 1;22(8):965-974. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-018-1049-x
WP4 of the Joint Action Advantage. / The Relationship Between Anaemia and Frailty : A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies. In: Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging. 2018 ; Vol. 22, No. 8. pp. 965-974.
@article{937626313d05478bba025b305163f6d9,
title = "The Relationship Between Anaemia and Frailty: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies",
abstract = "Background: There is increasing evidence that frailty may play a role in chronic diseases, but the associations with specific chronic disorders are still unclear. Objectives: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis assessing the association of anaemia and frailty in observational studies. Methods: The review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase from 01/01/2002-10/09/2017. Pooled estimates were obtained through random effect models and Mantel-Haenszel weighting. Homogeneity was assessed with the I2 statistic. Publication bias was assessed with Egger's and Begg's tests. Results: Nineteen studies were included; two longitudinal, seventeen cross-sectional. All studies except three reported an association between anaemia and frailty. The pooled prevalence of prefrailty in individuals with anaemia was 49{\%} (95{\%} CI=38-59{\%}; I2=89.96{\%}) and 24{\%} (95{\%} CI=17-31{\%}; I2= 94.78{\%}) for frailty. Persons with anaemia had more than a twofold odds of frailty (pooled OR=2.24 95{\%} CI=1.53-3.30; I2=91.8{\%}). Only two studies longitudinally examined the association between anaemia and frailty, producing conflicting results. Conclusions: Frailty and prefrailty are common in anaemic persons. Older persons with anaemia have more than a two-fold increased odds of frailty. These results may have clinical implications, as they identify the need to assess frailty in anaemic people and investigate any potential negative effects associated with the co-occurrence of both conditions. Longitudinal research that examines temporal changes in anaemia and effect of treatment are needed to further clarify the relationship between anaemia and frailty.",
keywords = "ageing, anemic, chronic diseases, Frail, hemoglobin, vulnerable",
author = "{WP4 of the Joint Action Advantage} and Katie Palmer and Vetrano, {D. L.} and A. Marengoni and Tummolo, {A. M.} and Villani, {E. R.} and N. Acampora and R. Bernabei and G. Onder",
journal = "Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging",
publisher = "Springer Paris",
T1 - The Relationship Between Anaemia and Frailty
T2 - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies
AU - WP4 of the Joint Action Advantage
AU - Palmer, Katie
AU - Vetrano, D. L.
AU - Marengoni, A.
AU - Tummolo, A. M.
AU - Villani, E. R.
AU - Acampora, N.
AU - Bernabei, R.
AU - Onder, G.
N2 - Background: There is increasing evidence that frailty may play a role in chronic diseases, but the associations with specific chronic disorders are still unclear. Objectives: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis assessing the association of anaemia and frailty in observational studies. Methods: The review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase from 01/01/2002-10/09/2017. Pooled estimates were obtained through random effect models and Mantel-Haenszel weighting. Homogeneity was assessed with the I2 statistic. Publication bias was assessed with Egger's and Begg's tests. Results: Nineteen studies were included; two longitudinal, seventeen cross-sectional. All studies except three reported an association between anaemia and frailty. The pooled prevalence of prefrailty in individuals with anaemia was 49% (95% CI=38-59%; I2=89.96%) and 24% (95% CI=17-31%; I2= 94.78%) for frailty. Persons with anaemia had more than a twofold odds of frailty (pooled OR=2.24 95% CI=1.53-3.30; I2=91.8%). Only two studies longitudinally examined the association between anaemia and frailty, producing conflicting results. Conclusions: Frailty and prefrailty are common in anaemic persons. Older persons with anaemia have more than a two-fold increased odds of frailty. These results may have clinical implications, as they identify the need to assess frailty in anaemic people and investigate any potential negative effects associated with the co-occurrence of both conditions. Longitudinal research that examines temporal changes in anaemia and effect of treatment are needed to further clarify the relationship between anaemia and frailty.
AB - Background: There is increasing evidence that frailty may play a role in chronic diseases, but the associations with specific chronic disorders are still unclear. Objectives: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis assessing the association of anaemia and frailty in observational studies. Methods: The review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase from 01/01/2002-10/09/2017. Pooled estimates were obtained through random effect models and Mantel-Haenszel weighting. Homogeneity was assessed with the I2 statistic. Publication bias was assessed with Egger's and Begg's tests. Results: Nineteen studies were included; two longitudinal, seventeen cross-sectional. All studies except three reported an association between anaemia and frailty. The pooled prevalence of prefrailty in individuals with anaemia was 49% (95% CI=38-59%; I2=89.96%) and 24% (95% CI=17-31%; I2= 94.78%) for frailty. Persons with anaemia had more than a twofold odds of frailty (pooled OR=2.24 95% CI=1.53-3.30; I2=91.8%). Only two studies longitudinally examined the association between anaemia and frailty, producing conflicting results. Conclusions: Frailty and prefrailty are common in anaemic persons. Older persons with anaemia have more than a two-fold increased odds of frailty. These results may have clinical implications, as they identify the need to assess frailty in anaemic people and investigate any potential negative effects associated with the co-occurrence of both conditions. Longitudinal research that examines temporal changes in anaemia and effect of treatment are needed to further clarify the relationship between anaemia and frailty.
KW - ageing
KW - anemic
KW - chronic diseases
KW - Frail
KW - hemoglobin
KW - vulnerable
JO - Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging
JF - Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging
S.CAMILLO - RIABILITAZIONE NEUROPSICOLOGICA, DEL LINGUAGGIO E DEL COMPORTAMENTO


text:
Skip to contentUniversitywide | New Brunswick | RBHS | Newark | Camden | Online
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The Joint Graduate Program in Toxicology
PharmD/PhD Program
Program Progression
Learning Goals & Objectives
Research Tracks
Fellowships for Predocs
Fellowships for Postdocs
Recent Alumni
There is a growing interest among clinicians to gain critical thinking and research skills to advance their careers in academia, government and industry. The Joint Graduate Program in Toxicology (JGPT) has designed a PharmD/PhD curriculum that begins in the third professional year (P3) of the PharmD program at the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy.
How does the Pharm.D./Ph.D. Program work?
During the P3 and P4 years, students are full-time PharmD students and part-time PhD students.
In the P3 year, students pursue a research rotation and take PhD levels classes as electives.
Research will be conducted in a JGPT laboratory or as part of a toxicology internship at a pharmaceutical company during the summer following the P3 year.
For the P4 year, students have specialized Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs) that allow them to be near campus in the Fall (APPE Cycles 4-6) or Spring (APPE Cycles 7-9) semester. This will include the off cycle during which time PhD research credits can be earned. One APPE in Clinical Toxicology will be conducted with a registered pharmacist, Lauren Aleksunes, PharmD, PhD.
During the P3 and P4 years, PharmD/PhD students receive additional scholarship support.
Upon graduation with the PharmD degree, students will become full-time PhD students in the Joint Graduate Program in Toxicology and receive stipend, tuition, and health care benefits.
Typically, students loans incurred during the PharmD program can be deferred while a full-time PhD student.
Tips for applying to the PharmD/PhD Program:
Participate in a research project through the Honors Program and/or the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program.
Meet with Drs. Lauren Aleksunes and Andrew Gow during the P1 and P2 years.
Complete your application by December 1st of the P2 year.
In addition to this dual degree program, the JGPT has alternate tracks for students wishing to complete the Pharm.D. prior to entering the Ph.D. program or who receive their Pharm.D. degree from a different institution.
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Page last updated by The Joint Graduate Program in Toxicology at 1:16 pm September 28, 2018 .
This page was printed from http://jgpt.rutgers.edu/pharmd-phd/ at 2:27 PM Saturday, July 13, 2019.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Music Still Makes You Wait and Other Thoughts
Author: Chris Fox Published Date: January 4, 2018 Leave a Comment on Music Still Makes You Wait and Other Thoughts
Music Still Makes You Wait
We live in a world with instant access to almost anything we can consume. Amazon, Netflix, Spotify, etc…has brought in an age where retail and media consumption is quick and easy, and it's only going to get quicker and easier. Few things make you wait these days, and even fewer will in the future…but music will always be an exception. Sure your ability to listen to anything and everything is now at the touch of your fingers, but the ability to truly consume it, isn't; that only comes with time. You pretty much get the whole product when you watch a TV show or movie. Clothes, gadgets, food, etc… don't leave a whole lot of room for continual discovery, but music does. In fact, the first time you listen to, or hear, a song is when you consume it the least. You have to become familiar with it. Anticipate it. Then it really begins to open up and reveal itself. And it always be that way. There's something very special about that.
Texas Country, Red Dirt, Texas Music
Whatever you call it, it's bigger than Texas and it's bigger than the region. Hell our guys are playing and being listened to not only all over the US, but all over the world. Look at tour schedules, look at those Spotify year-end reports, look at how many of our guys are doing runs over seas and playing venues and music festivals outside of the region. As the musical landscape and technology continues to change, it will only open up more opportunities for our scene to expand. It's slowly emerging as a national/international independent music scene with loyal fans all over the world, and if that doesn't excite you about the future, then I don't know what will.
Don't Force Genres and Style
I hear a lot of discussion from up-and-comers about what style they should be going after. Should I go Americana? Should I go heavier? What's in? What are people responding to? The truth is, it doesn't really matter. Sure you have some strict genre enthusiasts, but most people don't really care. They're multi-paleted. If it's good, it's good. Things like authenticity, a harmonious relationship between message, vocals, and music, songwriting, and the ability for the listener to connect, are what makes a band worth listening to. Follow where the music takes it. Don't worry if it comes out "too country" or "too far out there" or "not what's in". Let the songs and natural progression help you find the sound. Don't force it. There's nothing that will turn people off quicker than something forced and/or fake.
Traditional Country Music Is Not Dead
There's still a big demand for traditional and neo-traditional country music. If you don't believe me, go ask Aaron Watson and Cody Johnson how they're doing. In fact, they're the #1 and #3 most streamed artists in our scene, with a combined 1.3 Million monthly listeners on Spotify. Regardless of what mainstream radio would have you believe, there are still plenty of people who want to hear meaningful traditional and neo-traditional country music and there are plenty of artists still making it.
In our scene alone, not only do we have established acts like Josh Ward, Jon Wolfe, Curtis Grimes, and Bri Bagwell, among others, we also have a plethora of young up-and-comers like Randall King, Jake Worthington, Hunter Hutchinson, and Kensie Coppin who will be keeping it churning for years to come! Country music is alive and well; both in consumption and production.
There's Room For It All
Americana, Southern Rock, Roots, Singer/Songwriter, Southern Soul, Southern Alternative Rock, Texas Country, etc… can all fit in our scene. As long as it's lyric driven, requires real instruments, authentic, and tells stories of love, life, and struggle then there's a place for it.
It's the artists who can either make listeners connect with their music or impart their own deep connection to their music on to the listener, that stick around. There will always be a place for people who can tell relatable stories, stir emotion in people, provide substance , and help the listener express themselves.
Good Albums and Live Shows
You have to have both. It's a two-fronted war, and with the amount of talent out there, if you don't have both, it's a big uphill battle hoping one will compensate for the other.
Likes, Streams, Spins
Facebook likes, Spotify streams, radio spins, etc… don't really matter, compared to ticket sales. Butts in seats tells the story. Everything else is just a signpost.
Facebook is being opted out of by the younger generation, SnapChat is in financial trouble and experiencing stagnant growth, and there's nothing new on the rise. Twitter and Instagram are the way to go at the moment and probably for a while.
Organic Word of Mouth is Still King
People recommending music to others (in person, on social media, through a text, etc…) is still the most powerful way for music to spread. Get out there and make people talk about your music. Give them an album and live show that compels them to tell their friends. Marketing and press can be great, but are nothing compared to peer recommendation.
← New Ray Wylie Book in the Works!
Maren's Support of Music Ed →


This bright and cheerful quilted tea cosy will keep your teapot warm as toast and will brighten up any table and is part of our Cead Mile Maps kitchen textile collection. Irish themed Cead Mile Maps collection feature an unique and vibrant design with a repeat pattern of the Map of Ireland Hairy Fruit style with overall colour scheme based on the colours of the Irish flag i.e. green, white and orange. Cead Mile Maps means 100,000 maps as gaeilge, a play on the old Irish saying Cead Mile Failte, 100,000 welcomes. Team it up with our matching napkins, apron, tea towel and oven gloves to make a truly special gift.


Welcome to the 2019 MODS Middle School & MHSAA High School Provincial Championships!
This years event will be played at IJL Ultimate Park, Maple Grove Rugby Park and Dakota Collegiate for the first time will host games on their turf field as we look to expand the event to more teams and programs!
Cost to all teams is $210 + GST and all members of the team must have MODS memberships. We are happy to help any coach or program out with event registration or athlete membership, please call into Corey Draper in the MODS office for support at (204) 925-5665 or you can email him at OpsDirector@mods.mb.ca .
We will have music on site both days, food service for teams and guests and we will see a disc central with VC merchandise for sale, Layout Ultimate Gloves, Discraft Discs and more! We are also hoping to have some cool resources on hand like coaching clipboards (dry erase ultimate) and the support of Manitoba Athletic Therapists Association to help with athlete injuries or concerns!
Teams will play 3-4 round robin games on Saturday and then playoffs will be set with divisions of 8 teams for Sunday, guaranteeing all teams another 3 games (times can be found below).
Pools and opponents will be released on Tuesday May 22nd, following the holiday Monday and leading up to the event that weekend.
Good luck to who Gray Academy, Kelvin Clippers, SJR Eagles and Westgate Wings who are heading to Ottawa, Ontario for the Ultimate Canada High School Ultimate National Championships this May!
*With 8 divisions we will need to sort out seeding and more details before we can release specific division times. That information will be out the week of May 13th to 17th.
How for Fans - Parents, Friends and Family come down to the park and use one of the two free parking lots to access more than 21 ultimate fields.
No spectator fees for parking or event entry!
MODS is happy to provide extras for this event!
Big Day Media - Our friends at Big Day will be on site Sunday and will set up a 3 camera system and play by play booth for the middle school and high school finals. Both games will have colour commentary and will be edited and recorded to be shared online and through social media so everyone can celebrate the finals no matter where they are the in the world and so those competing have a digital memory of the experience!
VC Merchandise - Our sponsors at VC will be on site at Disc Central, offering a wide array of shirts, hoodies, shorts and gloves for sale!
Discraft Discs - Our sponsors at Discraft will be on site at Disc Central and will be selling 175 Ultrastars for any athlete looking to add new discs to their bag or collection.
Food Vendor - We are in the final stages of having a local food purveyor on site for the event. They will offer sandwiches and snacks both days at Disc Central and we will be sharing a pre-order form for schools to secure lunches on site if they wish.
A huge thank You to IJL of Winnipeg for being the Event Sponsor. Without them we wouldn't be able to showcase the finals and keep costs frozen as they have been for the past 5+ years! Thank you IJL Winnipeg for everything you do to help support our youth programming and community!!!


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Chemical Today
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Flavours & Fragrances
Inks/Dyes/Pigments
Fluids/Fuels
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IT In Chemicals
Air Liquide to acquire Airgas for $13 billion
10:05 AM, 18th November 2015
Benoit Potier, chairman and CEO, Air Liquide. (File photo)
PARIS, FRANCE/RADNOR, US: Air Liquide SA said it will acquire Airgas Inc for $13.4 billion with a purchase price of $143 per share in cash, representing a premium of 50.6 percent to Airgas' one month average share price. Airgas shares surged from about $106 per share to about $114 per share after a trading halt, at the New York stock exchange.
The deal will create one of the largest industrial gases firms in the US and it will increase Air Liquide's sales in gases and services by about 30 percent, Air Liquide said.
Also Airgas will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Air Liquide, the company said.
"This combination offers significant benefits for all of our stakeholders due to the highly complementary nature of the two businesses. This acquisition increases our geographic reach in the resilient US market and offers continuous growth opportunities," said Benoit Potier, chairman and CEO, Air Liquide.
"Airgas customers and employees will benefit from Air Liquide's unrivalled global footprint and strength in technology, innovation and operational efficiency, while Airgas is ready to bring the entrepreneurial culture and packaged gas excellence that have driven our success to date," said Peter McCausland, executive chairman, Airgas.
Air Liquide will fund the acquisition with a refinancing, comprising of a €3-4 billion ($3.2-4.25 billion) capital increase, as well as US dollar and euro-denominated long-term bonds. Cost savings from the deal are expected to total about $300 million/year, pre-tax, within the first three years.
Barclays Bank Plc and BNP Paribas are acting as financial advisors to Air Liquide, and also as underwriters of the bridge financing. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP and Bredin Prat are acting as legal advisors to Air Liquide.
Goldman Sachs and Bank of America Merrill Lynch are acting as financial advisors to Airgas and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is acting as legal advisor to Airgas.
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Lipperscheid (en luxemburguès: Lëppschent; en alemany: Lipperscheid) és una vila de la comuna de Bourscheid situada al districte de Diekirch i el cantó de Diekirch. Està a uns 34 km de distància de la ciutat de Luxemburg.

Referències

Cantó de Diekirch

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Medium, medium-plus colour. The initial aroma is of a slightly mushroomy red fruit, but slowly, slowly the fruit becomes purer and more interesting. In the mouth there's good weight of fruit and a fine balance too – yet – there's just a little lack of energy here – the wine is tasty though. Today, this bottle, doesn't show any impressive 'Clos St.Jacques-ness' but it's still a good wine for the price paid en-primeur – less-so for today's market-price though.
Michel Esmonin is a great grower and producer of Clos St. Jacques and I have had many bottles which are still stellar. Could be storage? Good post.


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Bavarian election puts Merkel on defensive
CSU's Horst Seehofer (l) led party's failed anti-immigrant campaign (Photo: sbamueller)
Brussels, 15. Oct 2018, 09:28
Voters in Germany's largest and wealthiest state hived off to the left and right of the ruling conservatives in Sunday's (14 October) elections, posing questions for German chancellor Angela Merkel.
The centre-right CSU party won the Bavarian vote, with 37.2 percent.
But that was its worst result since the 1950s, as conservatives put off by its new anti-immigrant slogans voted for the Greens (17.5 percent), while those who wanted real hardliners voted for the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, party (10.2 percent).
"If you copy the far right, you lose," Greens' co-leader Annalena Baerbock said in Berlin.
"Trying to trick voters doesn't pay," AfD national co-leader Alice Weidel said.
The outcome left the CSU, the Bavarian sister party of Merkel's CDU, needing to form a new coalition, after the centre-left SPD party, which rules with Merkel at national level, also did badly (9.7 percent) on Sunday.
"The main priority is to form a stable government for Bavaria as quickly as possible," the CSU's Bavarian state premier Markus Soeder said.
He accepted the "painful" result with "humility" and wanted to "learn from it", but the CSU had still "received a clear mandate to govern," he said.
The party chief, Horst Seehofer, who had led its failed anti-immigrant campaign, and who is expected to face calls to resign, appeared to dig in his heels.
"As party leader, I bear responsibility for this result, but it's a joint responsibility," Seehofer said.
Questions for Merkel
The Bavarian election posed questions for Merkel's authority, in what Germany's mass-selling Bild newspaper called a "debacle" for her coalition allies.
"A lot of trust has been lost," Merkel said at a business conference on Monday.
The government "must better ensure that this trust is there and also make the results of our work visible," she said.
The CSU lost votes because it had failed to shift attention from immigration to "the very good situation of the state's security, the excellent position of its economy, and job market," the CDU party's secretary general, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, said on Sunday.
The SPD did badly because Merkel's government was doing badly at national level, the centre-left party's chairwoman, Andrea Nahles, said.
"One reason for our [the SPD's] poor performance in Bavaria was the poor performance of the 'grand coalition' here in Berlin," she said.
The Greens, which might now enter the Bavarian government, and which had campaigned for a liberal approach to migration, said the regional result was a sign of a wider shift in German society.
The liberal FDP party (5.1 percent) and the non-aligned but right-leaning association of Free Voters of Bavaria (11.6 percent) also made gains in the regional poll.
The Bavarian vote came one day after some 250,000 people marched in Berlin on Saturday to protest against racism.
"We will change the whole federal republic," Anton Hofreiter, a Green MP in Berlin, said on Sunday.
The far right, which is to enter the Bavarian parliament for the first time, said the result meant Merkel ought to resign.
"Those who have voted for AfD in Bavaria today also say 'Merkel must go,' dear ladies and gentlemen," the AfD's Weidel said.
"Thirty three percent for the CSU and 10 percent for the SPD - that's a mini-coalition, not a grand one. The partners in the national coalition should clear the way for fresh elections," she said.
Europe's far right also gloated from further afield, with Matteo Salvini, Italy's deputy prime minister, congratulating the AfD from Rome.
"In Bavaria, change has won", he said, adding "goodbye" to Merkel.
Their schadenfreude aside, Merkel's CDU party has already fielded two candidates who want to take her place at its congress in December.
'Muddling through'
"She [Merkel] will have to continue muddling through, but she is dependent on two badly beaten coalition partners [the CSU and SPD]," Carsten Nickel, an analyst at Teneo Intelligence, a political consultancy in London, told the Bloomberg news agency.
"The Bavarian result further destabilises Merkel and her government," Heinrich Oberreuter, a German academic, told The New York Times newspaper.
"Society has changed, Bavaria has changed, and Bavarian voters have changed, but the mainstream parties have slept through that change," he said.
The shift meant the Greens had become "the liberal antidote to the right-wing AfD" in Germany, the EU's most populous member state, Arne Jungjohann, a German political analyst, told Deutsche Welle, a German state broadcaster.
Seehofer's CSU faces historic flop at Bavarian polls
German asylum row renews threat to unseat Merkel
Merkel's woes cast shadow on EU's future
Clock change and Merkel's fortunes top This WEEK
Merkel's rule in doubt after new election drubbing
CDU election - Merkel's big gamble or master move?
Merkel's key coalition ally, the Bavarian Christian Social Union is expected to suffer a major loss at Sunday elections, as voters flee to either the far-right or the Greens.
Merkel's interior minister Horst Seehofer has threatened to resign over asylum. The bitter dispute risks tipping the historic balance between the centre-right CDU party and its Bavarian sister party, the CSU.
The possibility of the German chancellor's fall or lasting weakening is 'the elephant in the room' in all current EU discussions.
Time will be on the agenda of transport ministers as much of Brussels empties out for Halloween. Meanwhile, Merkel's CDU party is facing a hard test in local elections.
German chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition partner, the centre-left SPD party, has said it might quit government after another drubbing in a regional election.
6. Dec 2018, 07:26
As the functions of Christian Democratic Union party leader and chancellor have historically always been held by the same person, the next CDU leader could take over Merkel's main job as well.
EU pushes back against rising homophobia
The EU Commission plans a proposal to ensure recognition children-parent relations in cross border situations, and legislation to support the mutual recognition of parenthood between member states.
Hungary plans gay adoption ban, amid second corona wave
Rights group say the government was targeting LGBTQ people to divert attention from "shortcomings" of the government's handling of the pandemic.


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"This picture was taken at the Poland/ Russian border. So That's 2000 miles from uk! It rained for the first 6 days of the journey and no leaks ! It got down to -1 deg but the heater made it cosy ! It drives great and no rattles !one or two minor problems but all in all really pleased with everything!


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The Drazzar are the elite infantry unit of the Orbital Combine armed forces. Arduous training, aggressive spirit, the best available in arms and armor technology and special psychic powers amplification combine in creating one of the most effective infantry units in all of the human-occupied space. The Drazzar take full advantage of telepathic communication amplification (which the Orbital Combine are generally capable of), achieving levels of tactical coordination unapproachable by other units. The Drazzar's split-second coordination elevates group tactics to another league giving them tremendous advantage in both attack and defence. Clearly a top unit, the Drazzar are an asset of special value for almost all tactical challenges.


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Sigh... I wished I'd gotten to reading the books before this movie came out. Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games, and its sequels Catching Fire and Mockingjay, have been touted as the latest YA literary sensation after Harry Potter and Twilight, and after the latter, it couldn't have happened to a better title - if for no other reason than that its teenage heroine is a far more admirable character than Bella Friggin' Swan, and its anti-authoritarian and social justice themes are far more relevant than how important it is to have a really really hot boyfriend. But what it really takes to become a "YA literary sensation" is, of course, a Hollywood movie adaptation - and in this case, a wildly successful one, that scored the third best U.S. opening weekend box-office of all time. So of course I wanted to read the novels for the hipster cred so I could discuss the movie better in terms of how faithful it is as an adaptation.
I'll probably read 'em anyway. But I thought the movie was pretty good, if not quite great.
In a future America now known as Panem, ruled by a central Capitol and divided into twelve Districts, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) is a teenage girl living in poverty-stricken District 12. As punishment for a failed rebellion 74 years earlier, each District is forced to offer Tributes of one male and one female, 12-18 years old, to compete in the Hunger Games - a gladiatorial deathmatch in which only one winner can emerge alive, nationally televised to the wealthy and callous Capitol denizens. Katniss volunteers to save her younger sister Primrose (Willow Shields) from the "Reaping", and she is taken to the Capitol along with fellow Tribute Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). There she receives training from former Games champion Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson), grooming from stylist Cinna (Lenny Kravitz) - because survival in the Games may depend on her popularity with "sponsors" - and moral support from the ever upbeat Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks). But when it comes to the deadly reality of the Hunger Games, overseen - and often rigged - by the Gamemaker Seneca (Wes Bentley) and coldly observed by the tyrannical President of Panem himself, Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland), she can only count on her strength, courage, survival knowledge, and skill with a bow.
The easiest thing to compare this movie to is Battle Royale, the 2000 Japanese film about a highschool class kidnapped and forced to fight to the death. On the one hand, the comparison is inapt, especially when it's made by weeaboos who whine that it's a ripoff of Battle Royale. (Seriously, it's not. It merely takes inspiration from the same cultural material, which is what all creative works do. Also, the tonality of both are entirely different; Battle Royale is practically horror, whereas The Hunger Games is more a rousing action-adventure.) On the other hand, the comparison can be useful in illuminating this movie. For all its strengths - and yes, Battle Royale is a great film, and admittedly better than this one - its premise has always been a little hard to swallow; what kind of society, no matter how dystopian, would inflict such a callously inhuman practice on itself? Makes more sense if its inflicted by one inhuman society on another, defeated and conquered one, as punishment.
Its depiction of such an inhuman society is one of The Hunger Games' strengths, in its first half. District 12 looks like Depression-era America right down to its inhabitants' clothes, a visual choice you can bet was deliberate. The people face their Reaping in sullen, defeated silence - and Katniss reacts to her frail little sister's selection with sheer horrified panic. All this jarringly contrasted with Effie Trinket's perverse perkiness, a contrast repeatedly underlined when Katniss and Peeta are treated to the vulgar opulence and luxury of the Capitol. Add to all this the ludicrously garish Capitol fashions, the callously inane TV interviews and commentary with host Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci with shockingly white teeth), and the seemingly-patriarchal but monstrous President Snow, and you have a truly bleak dystopian regime that'll have you rooting for the one heroine who fights it.
Although in fact, Katniss doesn't so much fight it as play within its rules to survive. Another of its most interesting threads is that she has to fake a romance with Peeta - who has genuine romantic feelings for her - just to make them popular with viewers, as that will make sponsors send them care packages of crucial supplies during the Games. Early on, Peeta expresses a wish to remain true to himself even as the system grinds him down and possibly kills him, and it gradually becomes clear that personal integrity is exactly what Katniss has to sacrifice in order to stay alive. Not only is this an inversion of the typical YA-lit love triangle trope - she has a friend, Gale (Liam Hemsworth), back in District 12 who is also in love with her - it's also a unique and affecting moral dilemma for our heroine. As can be expected by anyone who saw her in Winter's Bone, Jennifer Lawrence is terrific; she never misses a beat in portraying Katniss' determination, defiance, terror, grief, and finally despair, when she realizes what the Games has cost her.
The movie is not without its flaws, however, and they're most likely due to its nature as an adaptation. Even without having read the novel, I could tell that there were character and expositional beats that were skipped - which had the effect of making it seem like Katniss has it a little too easy at times. I could buy Haymitch being a drunken sluggard who was won over by Katniss' moxie (and it was a nice touch when he essentially gave up on training Peeta in favour of the more likely winner), but Cinna was a little too wise, kindly and helpful to be part of the tyrannical Games establishment. (And it was real lucky for Katniss and Peeta that he seems to be the best stylist in the business, designing the "fire suits" that win them their first surge of popularity.) Its biggest shortcut is in Katniss' relationship with Rue (Amandla Stenberg), a 12-year-old Tribute from District 12 with whom she forms an alliance that scores a major victory in the competition. It's not at all clear why they would so easily trust each other, and this undercuts the effectiveness of what should be the movie's most heartbreaking scene.
I suspect all of this is elaborated on and explained in Collins' novel, which sticks to a tight 1st-person narrative of Katniss' thoughts. But as a cinematic adaptation, it delivers the goods, particularly when the Games begin and takes up almost the entire second half. Director Gary Ross' (and/or 2nd-unit director Steven Soderbergh - yes, that one) shaky-cam is initially annoying, but serves its purpose in generating terrific dread and suspense when the life-or-death struggles begin - although it still renders the action and fight sequences incomprehensible. It runs 22 minutes over 2 hours, but it doesn't feel long at all; the time is well-invested into worldbuilding and Katniss' emotions. And it passes the franchise-starter test of making me want to watch the next installment handily. I should probably remember to get on the books before Catching Fire comes out though. (Or maybe they're gonna call it The Hunger Games Saga: Catching Fire. You never know.)
NEXT REVIEW: Jangan Pandang-Pandang
Expectations: siiiiigh
Labels: 3-½ stars - Good, Action-adventure, Sci-fi
Not worth seeing
Seefood
I know, I know, I've been greatly remiss on reviews recently, in particular reviews of local films. Which is why I wanted to catch this one, if only for its significance - despite the fact that The Hunger Games opened this week and I'm itching to watch it. Seefood is made by Silver Ant, a local animation studio that mostly does commercial and TV work, and this is its first full-length theatrical feature film produced in conjunction with Al-Jazeera Children's Channel. It's not Malaysia's first animated, or even CG-animated, movie by any means; I believe that'd be the Upin & Ipin movies, of which I think there are at least two. But since I missed those, I figure I'd better catch this one. Gotta check out what homegrown talent can do in the field of animation, hey?
And now that I have seen it, I can firmly tell you that you don't need to.
Pup (Diong Chae Lian) is a young bamboo shark living on a reef, and his best friend is a whitetip shark named Julius (Gavin Yap) who has a band of "assistants" - pilot fish Larry (Jason Daud Cottam), Moe (Andrew Susay) and Curly (who doesn't speak) - helping him stick to a no-fish diet. And there's also Mertle the turtle (Christina Orow), Octo the octopus (Kennie Dowle) and inventor, and Spin the stingray (Jay Sheldon) who resents Julius for trying to eat him. When two human boys from a nearby seaside village steal the eggs, Pup ventures onto land to try and save them - and promptly discovers that he can in fact breathe out of water. But when Julius and his retinue attempt to rescue Pup, they need Octo's invention - an exoskeletal suit for aquatic creatures. They'll encounter a band of none-too-friendly chickens, a restaurant owner who wants to serve Julius up as shark fin soup, and a somewhat friendlier coconut crab. But in the meantime, a nasty moray eel named Murray intends to lead an army of crabs in an invasion of the reef, riding a wave of sludge from the nearby industrial waste-spewing factory.
It will likely be argued, by fans and supporters of this movie, that comparing it with Pixar and DreamWorks productions - especially Finding Nemo - is unfair. To which I say: fair is for losers, sucka. Said argument might fly if this were North Korea or some other country with a trade embargo on foreign films. But this is Malaysia, where every CG-animated movie gets a wide release during school holidays (and where cinema distributors are canny enough to only release them during school holidays). You're targeting the same kids and parents and audiences who already watched The Adventures of Tintin, Cars 2 and Kung Fu Panda 2 last year, and it's not like you're charging a lower ticket price than those films did. There's no avoiding the fact that your movie will be held up to the same standards - and by those standards, Seefood sucks.
I knew the movie was in trouble by the opening scenes. There's no proper establishing of key story points: what exactly is Pup's and Julius' relationship, and why is Julius protective of the former? Why is Pup concerned about the batch of eggs? Why does Julius have an entourage of three sycophants following him around all the time? If Julius is on a "vegetarian" diet, then why is he offering up a bunch of other - live, and terrified - reef denizens to Pup as snacks? (And in lieu of fish, Julius has been eating tyres?) And then we're asked to swallow Pup being able to breathe on land - which is actually true, bamboo sharks have been known to survive up to 12 hours out of water, though I highly doubt they can run and jump and push trolleys while they're at it. It's just that the information isn't presented in a way that makes it halfway plausible.
There's a weird thing going on with Jeffrey Chiang's screenplay here. The movie contains long stretches without any dialogue, and it's like director Goh Aun Hoe cut out a lot of Chiang's lines because he thinks his "visual storytelling" can do the job better. This would seem like a wise decision, because Chiang's dialogue is terrible. There isn't a single funny, witty or clever line, just cliché after cliché; Chiang is literally writing at a kindergarten level of English literacy here. None of the characters are interesting or fleshed-out - in particular the one-dimensionally nasty human villains - and its attempts at an ocean conservation message are trite and perfunctory. Its one clever idea, the fish mech suit, shows up only a good halfway through the movie, and even then neither Chiang nor Goh do anything clever with it. Even for a CGI cartoon movie for kids, its lack of respect for its audience's intelligence is evident. Just look at the character names: Chiang names an octopus Octo. Bet it took him weeks to come up with that one.
I said it would seem like a wise decision, because frankly, Goh's visual storytelling skills are equally awful. I swear to God, he never wastes a single opportunity to ruin the comic timing of a visual gag. What passes for action scenes during its climax are also mind-numbingly lethargic. It's dull; the pace is interminable, making its 92-minute running time feel like 2-½ hours, and Chiang's screenplay probably takes up all of 50 pages. Also, the movements of the human characters are ugly and unnatural (the fish and chicken characters fare better, because anthropomorphic characters are at less risk of falling into the uncanny valley). It's embarrassing that this movie was made by one of Malaysia's top animation studios and this is the best they can come up with. Its only saving grace is the visual design of what looks like an idyllic Malaysian seaside village - but even this is undercut by the villagers speaking in perfect American accents.
There's no getting around it: Seefood is not funny, not thrilling, not heartwarming, not engaging, not imaginative, and just plain not good. And now that I have so brutally trashed it, you may be more sympathetic to the position that comparing it with Hollywood CG-animated films is unfair. To which I say, again, no. How is it unfair? The only really unfair advantage they have over Silver Ant is their multi-hundred-million-US-dollar budgets - which isn't something that Goh and his animators can't overcome, since Seefood looks perfectly decent from a technical standpoint. Where it fails is in character design, animation direction, storytelling, and basic imagination. If you're going to claim a mulligan for all these - if you think you deserve a pass because you're just not as good in these areas as Pixar or DreamWorks - then why the hell did you even make this movie??
NEXT REVIEW: The Hunger Games
Expectations: pretty excited, yo
Labels: 2 stars - Sucks, Animation, Family-friendly, Made in Malaysia
Tharks and Jeddaks and Zodangas, oh my!
There's been a fair bit of angsting over this movie on the geek websites I frequent (io9 and ToplessRobot mostly), regarding its marketing campaign and title. I don't really have an opinion on the former; the trailers looked okay to me, although I admit the posters - especially the one above - are somewhat dull. But the title. The title, man. It was originally John Carter of Mars, and now it's just some dude's name? Just because Mars Needs Moms bombed, Disney's marketing team thinks any movie with the word "Mars" in it is box-office poison; never mind that it's based on a series of pulp novels that have been a seminal influence on sci-fi and fantasy for 100 years? All that aside, I was hoping the movie itself would silence the naysayers; it's Andrew Stanton's first live-action film, he of Pixar's A Bug's Life, Finding Nemo and Wall-E fame. TMBF is, of course, a dyed-in-the-wool Pixar fanboy, and the last time one of their directors made a live-action movie, the results were spectacular.
Unfortunately, Stanton's turn at the bat results in much less than a home run.
In 1881, Edgar Rice Burroughs (Daryl Sabara) is informed of the death of his uncle John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), who has made him the sole heir of his estate. Reading through Carter's journal, Burroughs learns of a fantastic adventure that starts with Carter prospecting for gold in the Arizona Territories, discovering a mysterious cave, and being transported to an alien world that turns out to be Mars - or as its inhabitants call it, Barsoom. He falls in with a tribe of Tharks - giant, green-skinned, four-armed creatures led by Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe), and befriends a female named Sola (Samantha Morton). But his adventure truly begins when he meets Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins), a princess of the city of Helium that is at war with the rival city Zodanga and its warlord Sab Than (Dominic West). Because of Barsoom's lower gravity, he possesses superhuman strength and the ability to leap amazing heights, and Dejah pleads with the reluctant Carter to join her side in the war - a war that Helium is losing, due to Sab Than's use of a "Ninth Ray" weapon of immense destructive power. But Than is himself a mere pawn of the Therns, a group of immortal beings led by Matai Shang (Mark Strong) who has evil designs on Barsoom - and possibly Earth as well.
I'm going to coin the following rule of screenwriting, if it hasn't been coined already: if you're writing a movie about an ordinary person who is suddenly transported into an alien fantasy world, do not start your movie in that world. John Carter does, and it is an unwise decision. Right from the beginning, we are treated to Barsoom's fantastic vistas, the spectacular cities of Helium and Zodanga, and those gorgeous winged airships - but we also get a whole bunch of exposition about unfamiliar places and wars and people with weird-ass names, with no reason to care about any of it. And everything this scene tells us, we learn through the course of the plot later on anyway. It's an infuriatingly confusing way to start a movie, and it's a lot less than I expected from Stanton and his co-screenwriters Mark Andrews (another Pixar luminary) and Michael Chabon.
But after this prologue, things get much better as it settles down to actually telling its story. The first act unfolds in a pleasantly unhurried way as we are introduced to the framing story with Edgar Rice Burroughs (who in real life is, of course, the author of the John Carter novels, as well as creator of the much more cinematically famous Tarzan of the Apes), then Carter's adventures as a former Confederate cavalry officer with a tragic past, on to his instantaneous teleportation to Mars/Barsoom. And throughout his initial struggles with the lower gravity, and his first encounter with the Tharks, there's an effective and enjoyable sense of gradual discovery and wonder, that really befits the old-fashioned adventure vibe the film is going for. It also helps that there's a funny sight gag about Carter's constant attempts at escaping the U.S. army officer trying to recruit him, that feels like exactly what an animation director like Stanton would bring to a live-action film.
And then it cuts to a red-skinned chick in some alien princessy outfit spouting gibberish about "Jeddaks" and "Ninth Rays" and "the fate of our world" in this huge-ass exotic throne room that looks like rejected concept art from Thor. To the rule I coined earlier, there should also be the following corollary: if you're writing a movie about an ordinary person who is suddenly transported into an alien fantasy world, it is best to keep a tight 1st-person POV. Never leave your protagonist. Allow the audience to learn about the world and the story at the same time as he does. I've not read the novel, but I'm pretty sure Burroughs followed this rule, so why didn't the movie? It's not really that the plot is too convoluted, as many reviews have opined; it's that it's not structured well. This leads to an inconsistent pace throughout - sometimes it's nice and slow, sometimes it's slow and boring (e.g. an interminable scene with Carter and Dejah in a cave that's just another long exposition infodump), and sometimes it's head-spinningly fast and frenetic (e.g. the last act with all its action bits).
What I wished it would elaborate more on, instead of who's fighting who where and why with the whatchamacallits, are the character relationships. For instance, Sola is apparently Tars Tarkas' daughter, but he does not recognise her as such, and it's apparently a big deal when he does - why? Is there something going on here with Thark culture that you're not explaining? Even the central romance between Carter and Dejah feels underdeveloped, and it feels jarring when they suddenly get all lovey-dovey. There's also a whole bunch of other characters - and their goofy names - to keep track of, all of whom are just taking up space: Dejah's father Tardos Mors (Ciarán Hinds), some Helium general guy Kantos Kan (James Purefoy), this mean old Thark named Tal Hajus (Thomas Haden Church), some other mean female Thark named Sarkoja (Polly Walker), and you see what I mean about the goofy names?
Look, I don't mean to sound like some ignoramus; this being sci-fi/fantasy (more specifically, a hybrid of both known as "planetary romance" or "sword and planet"), of course there'll be alien-sounding names and fantastic stuff to wrap one's head around. And I'm a fan of both genres. It's just that the way it's all presented here makes it confusing and alienating (pun!), most likely more so for anyone who didn't grow up on a steady diet of sci-fi and fantasy films and literature. Still, there's a lot to like here if you're not the kind of viewer who totally doesn't get sci-fi and fantasy. The visual design of Barsoom is pretty gorgeous - the landscape, the costumes, those airships, and the beautifully ruined cities that bespeak a world that was once much more alive than it is now. And as I said earlier, when it does get its old-fashioned adventure vibe right, it's a lot of fun. Taylor Kitsch plays it a little too straight, but he has just the right screen presence of a cinematic pulp hero. And Lynn Collins lends gravitas to her Martian princess role as well as sexiness where it's needed. You'll have no problems rooting for these two.
This marks the third attempt at starting a sci-fi/fantasy franchise that aims for a deliberately old-fashioned feel, after Prince of Persia and Cowboys and Aliens - and like those two, this one earns the same rating from me. (Although I think I may have slightly overrated Cowboys and Aliens.) And like those two, this one sadly won't succeed; it didn't even beat The Lorax on its opening weekend box-office. Perhaps it was too much to expect Stanton to match Brad Bird at bringing a mastery of animated film to the realm of live-action - or maybe an epic sci-fi adventure is a much larger bite to chew than a purely fun modern-day spy action flick. Still, I would've liked to see John Carter get another shot at the big screen, even with Stanton returning to the helm; I think he can only improve from here. And since he's still a member in good standing of Pixar's brain trust, I don't think this movie's failure will hurt him much. But it would've been really really nice if we'd gotten another Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.
NEXT REVIEW: Seefood
Expectations: few - but curiosity, plenty
Labels: 3 stars - Okay, Action-adventure, Fantasy, Period/historical, Sci-fi
A village called murder
Bunohan
To be honest, I've always been skeptical about local films that supposedly "make it big" at film festivals in foreign shores. As the excellent Bill Martell puts it, film festivals are mostly scams, aimed primarily at making money for their organisers; showcasing cinematic excellence from around the world is only a secondary objective. So while I'm certainly happy for James Lee, Ho Yuhang, Woo Ming Jin and other homegrown indie filmmakers who got to exhibit their works overseas and earn the accolades (or even just attention) that they'd never get from local audiences, whatever they achieved there seems fleeting and small; who still remembers their films, years after? Which is why Bunohan looks like it might finally make a real impact - if only because it was selected for the Toronto International Film Festival. Now that's a persada dunia with real prestige, second only to the Cannes Film Festival. And with reviews in Variety and Hollywood Reporter fueling the good ol' Malaysia Boleh! spirit, no surprise it's become the most highly-anticipated local film in a long while.
And damn, it certainly lives up to it. But damn - this is the kind of film in which saying "it's good" doesn't begin to describe it.
Ilham (Faizal Hussein), Bakar (Pekin Ibrahim) and Adil (Zahiril Adzim) are three estranged half-brothers, sons of the old wayang kulit puppetmaster Pok Eng (Wan Hanafi Su). Ilham is a hitman for a Thai crime syndicate, charged by his keeper Deng (Bront Palarae) with finding a tomoi kickboxer who fled his fight and doesn't necessarily have to bring him back alive. Adil is that kickboxer, reluctantly rescued by his friend Muski (Amerul Affendi) and brought back to his old mentor Pok Wah (Namron). Bakar is scheming to obtain his father's ancestral lands in order to sell it to developers, and has his henchman Jolok (Hushairy Hussein) bribing and threatening anyone who stands in his way. The fractured family converge on their home village of Bunohan, Kelantan, where the spectre of Ilham's mother Mek Yah (Tengku Azura) still haunts the swamps and beaches. Their tale will be one of corruption, betrayal, despair, violence - and yes, murder.
Oh wow. Where do I start with this one? I actually watched this weeks ago, during its gala premiere. And then I waited a week till it opened in cinemas so I could watch it again. Because I just didn't get it. But I did already know, after my first viewing, that I'd just seen something amazing. Bunohan has elements of family drama, crime thriller, fight flick, gothic noir and tragedy, and it weaves all these threads in a highly assured and terrifically compelling manner. But there's also a deeper layer of magical realism, dream-like mysticism and supernatural surreality, and these are the parts that left me scratching my head. In a good way. (I'm just glad I wasn't fooled by the trailers into thinking it would be a kickboxing action movie. Even with its kickboxing scenes and its dizzying mix of genres, this is the one it's furthest from.)
Let me talk about the parts that I did understand first, the mundane layers. ("Mundane" not meaning "boring.") The fractured family of father and three sons recalls King Lear, if there were two Cordelias and only one of Goneril and Regan. Bakar is the unequivocal villain of the story, smoothly doling out wads of cash to those he wants indebted to him, and just as smoothly following up on his threats to those who fail to do what he says. One of his victims is Awang Sonar (Soffi Jikan, in an uncharacteristically subdued role), owner of a tomoi club that Bakar wants to take over, who also runs a fish farm; Bakar's use of poison on Awang's fish is symbolically apt. It's galling how Jolok goes around the village selling his reputation as "banyak tolong orang" - and in addition, the smarmy, slimy Jolok is one of the most hateable characters I've ever seen in a local film. In a cast with not a single disappointing performance, Hushairy Hussein is the standout for me.
And of the two Cordelias, one is an assassin sent to kill the other. Here's a guy who wields a wickedly curved kerambit and kills brutally, shockingly and in an utterly matter-of-fact manner; taking human lives is just something he does and does well. But once Ilham arrives in Bunohan and hides out with his old friend Jing (Jimmy Lor), he becomes more interested in the fact that Jolok's goons have been digging up old graves from his family's lands and haphazardly burying them elsewhere, including his own mother's. Which incurs his murderous wrath, but also distracts him from his mission - and you know it ain't good news when Deng shows up to find out what's taking him so long to do his job. (More so given the fact that Deng and Ilham are close friends.) Compared to his brothers, Adil is the least complicated, but also the easiest to root for. He is the one son with whom Pok Eng wishes to reconcile, being his father's intended heir of their ancestral land on which a greater conflict between man and nature is taking place.
And it is this subplot in which most of the mystical elements appear - including talking birds, a half-woman-half-crocodile, and a little boy who occasionally speaks in Pok Eng's voice and may be either a figment of his imagination (yet Bakar can see him too!) or a supernatural creature. Yes, they sound silly, but Dain succeeds at creating a delicate, half-surreal tone in which they become significant - that the earthly struggles of the villagers are but one aspect of the clash between materialism and mysticism, greed and spirituality, the old and the new. Yet the dunia halus of the swamps and beaches isn't exactly sunshine and rainbows either, if its effects on Ilham and Adil - both touched by the otherworldly, both men of violence, both lost and tortured souls - demonstrate. It may be threatened, and dying, and plaintively pleading for its own survival, but it's also wholly alien and dangerous in its own way.
The more I write about this film (and yes, I know how long it's taken me to finish this review), the more I realize it isn't meant to be fully understood. Who was that little boy? What's with those talking birds? Whose were the sounds of lovemaking that Ilham heard when he snuck under his father's house to retrieve mementoes of his mother - or was that his father's house? Did Mek Yah really transform into a crocodile? And what was the significance of Ilham's dream, which involved slaughtered crocodiles and his mother standing in front of Egyptian pyramids? You're welcome to debate these questions and think of your own interpretations - but if you were puzzled and infuriated by them, you're meant to be. You're also meant to be immersed completely in its twisty storyline, clever dialogue, flawless acting, breathtaking cinematography, and fascinating world of a rural Kelantanese village that is probably as unfamiliar to the average KL-dweller as is the supernatural world it borders.
So yes, Bunohan deserves my highest rating to date for a local film. I have never seen one that's as ambitious, and that succeeds so well at its ambitions; even Songlap, for all that it's a terrific crime drama in its own right, doesn't match this one in its aims. And if Songlap flopped at the local box-office, I can only shudder to imagine how well this one will do. But in a film industry that struggles to even be competent at such lowbrow fare as broad comedies, cheap horror movies and trashy action flicks, Bunohan hits stellar heights. It is so far above the typical Ahmad Idham/Razak Mohaideen/Syamsul Yusof fare that their usual audiences are likely simply unable to even comprehend its startling and singularly unique vision. (I doubt even those three fellas can.) For the rest of us though - we should count ourselves lucky to have it.
NEXT REVIEW: John Carter
Expectations: of Andrew Stanton, pretty high
Posted by TMBF at 7:19 AM 6 comments
Labels: 4-½ stars - Excellent, Drama, Made in Malaysia, Thriller
A ride that goes nowhere
So right after watching this, I went out and got the original 2007 Ghost Rider movie on DVD and popped it into my player. Yes, I hadn't watched it before, mainly because I'd read the reviews and didn't think I'd be missing much. I was right; it was cheesy in all the wrong ways, and whatever Mark Steven Johnson did to get another chance to write and direct a Marvel comicbook adaptation after he botched Daredevil, I highly doubt it'll work again after this one. Anyway, you might be forgiven for thinking that the sequel might be really good, if it made me go watch the first one immediately after.
But you'd be wrong. It's because Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance is so dull, I needed something else to talk about just to fill out this review.
Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage), the current earthly host of the Ghost Rider, is hiding out in Eastern Europe in an attempt to escape the curse that transforms him into a motorcycle-riding, flaming-skull-headed demon that collects the souls of the wicked for the Devil. Then a monk named Moreau (Idris Elba), member of an ancient order, charges him to find and help a 12-year-old boy named Danny (Fergus Riordan). He and his mother Nadya (Violante Placido) are fleeing a group of mercenaries led by Carrigan (Johnny Whitworth) who are working for Roarke (Ciarán Hinds) - the Devil himself in human form. Danny is in fact the Devil's son, born out of a deal Nadya made with Roarke - the same kind of deal that turned Johnny into the Ghost Rider. In return, Moreau promises Johnny the means with which to lift his demonic curse.
A distinction needs to be made between the movies released under the Marvel Cinematic Universe - which comprises the Hulk, Iron Man, Thor and Captain America characters, who will all be united under this year's The Avengers - and those based on properties not including the aforementioned. See, before Marvel Studios became a bona fide movie studio that made its own movies, it optioned out several of their most famous comicbook characters to other studios. So 20th Century Fox still owns X-Men and Fantastic Four, Lionsgate still owns Punisher, New Line Cinema still owns Blade, and Columbia Pictures still owns Spider-Man and Ghost Rider, and they aren't about to let those lucrative movie rights revert back to Marvel anytime soon. Thing is, while Marvel Studios have consistently proven to be really really good at making comicbook superhero movies, so much so that The Avengers is looking like it'll be pretty damn awesome - the same can't be said of those other guys.
This is a sequel to 2007's Ghost Rider in name only, since pretty much everyone both in front and behind the scenes has been replaced bar Nicolas Cage. No Eva Mendes, no returning characters other than the titular. Continuity-wise it's a little iffy; its flashbacks to the Ghost Rider's origin feature Johnny making a deal with Ciarán Hinds instead of Peter Fonda, and instead of "owning" the curse like he declared he would at the end of the last one, here he wants nothing more than to get rid of it. So, sequel cum reboot then; probably to be expected when Johnson has been replaced by the directorial team of Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, who are known primarily for the two Crank movies starring Jason Statham. Haven't seen them, but the one movie of theirs I did see is one of the worst Hollywood films I have ever reviewed here. My impression of them has not improved with this one.
About the only welcome thing they bring to the franchise is a somewhat morbidly over-the-top humour, as exemplified by that bit in the trailer in which the Ghost Rider literally pisses flame. But the few other instances of such humour are few and far between; more time is spent on giving Cage plenty of chances to do his patented insane freakout brand of acting, which is only fun when viewed on YouTube, not so much in a movie I paid to watch. Nothing else in this movie works - not the action scenes, as exemplified by an early bit in which the Rider does an interminably long Penance Stare on some goon while the rest of his buddies just stand around gawking. Not the characters or their relationships, as exemplified by a lame attempt at some surrogate-father-son bonding between Johnny and Danny. Not the plot, as exemplified by the means with which Moreau lifts Johnny's curse: he walks into a cave, the camera goes all jittery for a minute or two, and voila no more Ghost Rider.
And certainly not the character of the Ghost Rider himself, which is the primary failing of both this movie and the previous one. He just doesn't have any personality; nothing that marks him as a character with 40 years worth of published comicbook stories. Cage's manic-depressive acting certainly doesn't provide any. (There's a hint of something interesting here, in that the Ghost Rider may be as much a danger to innocents as to bad guys - because he seeks out and punishes sinners, which basically means everyone to a certain extent. But this is left frustratingly unexplored.) In fact, Johnny Whitworth's Carrigan is more fun and gets most of the funny lines, but that's about it in terms of acting and characters. Idris Elba is wasted, and Hinds' brand of scenery-chewing is laughable. I'm just thankful that Violante Placido is here to provide eye candy.
So spare some sympathy for Ghost Rider fans; even after two movies, they still couldn't get him right. Perhaps they'll be mollified a bit by the fact that in this movie, he looks better - his skull is blackened and burnt and his jacket has a charred and greasy texture, a definite improvement on the previous film's cartoony CGI look. But in the most important ways, this is yet another failed big screen adaptation of the comicbook. The first one was cheesy in the thinks-it's-awesome-but-isn't kind of way; it went through the motions of a superhero movie in a boringly perfunctory manner. This one is... well, it's also cheesy, but... frankly, there just isn't much to say about it. It's just boring.
NEXT REVIEW: Bunohan
Expectations: trying to keep them low
Labels: 2 stars - Sucks, Action-adventure, Comicbook Adaptation, Fantasy


text:
"One Of The Most Kind People You Would Ever Meet": She Escaped The Holocaust But Not The Pandemic
Courtesy Jeff Shabes Malvina Shabes Malvina Shabes, known as "Visia" to friends, was just 10 years old when she, her…
This "Super Granny" Worked Her Entire Life — Until COVID-19 Killed Her
For nearly as long as she was alive, Sushma Mane worked. At 8, she helped out with her family's wedding…
A Secretive Company Needed To Convince Washington That Congo's Election Would Be "Free And Fair." It Found A Friendly Ear Among Trump Allies.
KINSHASA, Congo — An important client needed help, and it didn't matter to Mer Security and Communication Systems that he…
What Protests Against Police Brutality In Nigeria Looked Like
Etinosa Yvonne Protests in Abuja, Nigeria on Oct. 10, 2020 On Oct. 3, in Ughelli, a small town in Delta…
We Found The Factories Inside China's Mass Internment Camps
This is Part 4 of a BuzzFeed News investigation. For part 1, click here. For Part 2, click here. For…
No One Is Safe Until Everyone Is Vaccinated — Mexico Warns Rich Countries Over Vaccine Stockpiling
MEXICO CITY — In the past few weeks, Britain and the US have watched with relief as their citizens began…
Biden's Team Warns He Won't Be Able To Change All Of Trump's Immigration Policies Overnight
President-elect Joe Biden's incoming administration warned Tuesday that any transformational changes to the immigration system won't happen overnight, trying to…
The FinCEN Files Revealed Huge Banking Problems. Now The World Is Trying To Fix Them.
Exposing a torrent of dirty money that the world's most powerful banks transact in plain view of government regulators, the…
This Viral TikTok Of An Asian Girl Crying Because She Can't Speak Chinese Has Started An Important Conversation About Cultural Assimilation
Leanne shared the dialogue between her and Mikayla: "She looked at me and said, 'But Mulan can speak Chinese, right?'…
Scientists Still Have Problems With AstraZeneca and Oxford's Vaccine Results
The first peer-reviewed results describing clinical trials of a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University and the drug company AstraZeneca…


text:
Technology Nano Tech
Robots Waltz on a Pinhead
Researchers at the Donald Lab at Duke University have built miniature robots, only a few microns tall, capable of acting in concert to achieve collaborative tasks. This ability was recently demonstrated by orchestrating a dance to a Strauss Waltz between two of the spatula-shaped constructs. The group has tied as many as five robots together under a single universal control, the most complex system of untethered microscopic robots ever created.
Professor Bruce Donald holding a
macro size model of the microbot
(Credit: Duke University)
Officially called microelectromechanical system microrobots, or MEMS microrobots, each individual robot is built to slightly different specifications (using microchip fabrication techniques) so that they react slightly differently to the same stimuli. This allows a single sequence of timed electrical voltage changes to control the entire set of robots.
Comprehensive details on how these MEMS microrobots work are not publicly available at this time and will be published as part of a paper in a future issue of Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems. Researcher Bruce Donald likens the microrobot's reaction process to the way proteins in cells react to chemical stimuli.
Unlike most microrobots, which act on tethered systems (they are directly connected to their controllers via wires), this new design eliminates wires entirely. At 60 microns wide, 250 microns long, and 10 microns tall, the Duke microrobots are more than 100 times smaller and considerably lighter than any other untethered robots.
Microbot doing its "dance" (Credit: Duke University)
Donald has been working on creating untethered robots that respond in different ways to a single control stimulus for more than 10 years at Cornell, Stanford, Dartmouth, and now at Duke. It took him and several colleagues and graduate students more than five years to remove the tether, another three years to develop the initial global controller, and three more years to enable multiple mechanisms to respond independently to the controller.
Future plans for these microrobots include enlisting them to insert nanotubes into neural cells as part of a research program at the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences.
TFOT has previously covered the development of a jumping microrobot inspired by grasshoppers, a soccer match featuring nanobot players, and a microrobot that traverses human blood vessels.
You can find more information about MEMS microrobots and watch a video of the dancing robots in the press release found here.
Tagged with : computer research , medical research , MEMS microrobots , nanotechnology , robotics
'Larrabee' – Intel's Upcoming Many-Core GPU
Darpa's Heliplane
About Janice Karin
Janice Karin has a B.A in physics from the University of Chicago and a M.S. in physics from the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to extensive experience as a technical writer focused on development tools, databases, and APIs, Janice has worked as a freelance reporter, editor, and reviewer with contributions to a variety of technology websites. One of her primary focuses has been on PDAs and mobile devices, but she is interested in many other areas of science and technology.
6 Reasons Why Nanotechnology Affects the Education System Right Now
Nanoparticle Research Shows Negative Health Effects Associated with NanoTechnology
Artificial Skin That Senses and Stretches Like Human Skin
NanoMaterial Brings Foldable Flatscreen TVs One Step Closer To Reality
"Flock" of Nano-Satellites Will Capture High-Res Images of Earth's Surface
Micro-Windmills Could Recharge Smartphone Batteries
New Nano-Structure Serves Dual Purpose: Diagnose and Treat Cancer
November 1st, 2013
Nano-Structures are the Future of Water Repellency
New Development will Charge your Mobile in 20 Seconds
New Sensor – 1000 Times More Sensitive to Light!
Commercial robots-The New Model of Commercial Robots from Universal Robots Newly Developed Microbots can Help Prevent Blindness Mind Controlled Bionic Limbs Nanobatteries stop Exploding Batteries Microrobots to Travel In Our Blood Vessels How the Growing Role of Automation Could Impact the Future of Production Processes HIV-Blocking Gel I-SWARM Robotic Ants to Explore Mars Buckyballs Prevent Water Biofouling Nike's Vapor Strobe Glasses can improve Memory


text:
Ride of the Valkyries - An OL Reign blog
Seattle Women's Soccer
3rd round draft pick and $30k in allocation money go to Houston in return.
By Steve Voght@voght Updated Jan 14, 2022, 10:58am PST
Share All sharing options for: OL Reign acquire forward Veronica Latsko
Photo by Trask Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images
Update, Jan 14: Latsko has now reached agreement on a contract with OL Reign, signing for the 2022 and 2023 seasons, with an option for 2024.
"I'm so excited to be a part of such a talented group," she said in a team release. "I'm really looking forward to learning from both the players and staff, and I've heard wonderful things about the team, both on and off the pitch. I can't wait to get started!"
Original story, Jan 13: OL Reign have acquired the rights to forward Veronica Latsko from the Houston Dash, the club announced on Thursday. In exchange, the Dash will receive OL Reign's 2023 3rd round draft pick and $30,000 in allocation money.
Latsko was originally drafted by the Dash with the 28th pick in the 2018 NWSL College Draft, out of the University of Virginia. She made 46 regular season appearances for the club, scoring 7 goals, along with making 15 appearances in Challenge Cup and 2020 Fall Series play. She missed most of the 2019 season with an ACL injury before returning to the club to help them win the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup.
Latsko has also spent two NWSL off-seasons in Australia, scoring nine goals in 12 appearances for Adelaide United in the 2018/19 W-League season, and adding three more goals for Sydney FC in 8 appearances during the 2019/20 season.
Latsko finished with 26 goals and 14 assists at the University of Virginia and was named to the All-ACC First Team.
Next Up In Ride of the Valkyries - An OL Reign blog
Three OL Reign prospects called into USWNT U-23 camp
OL Reign obtain rights to Alyssa Malonson from NC Courage
Three OL Reign players called into January USWNT camp
Unveiling your OL Reign moment of the year
OL Reign acquire defender Phoebe McClernon from Orlando
OL Reign select six in NWSL Draft


At Cedra Pharmacy, our service is professional, knowledgeable and customized. Like an attentive concierge, we anticipate your needs and administer unprecedented care, so you can focus on the pursuit of healthy living.
We have nutritionists in-house, personal trainers on deck and nurses on call—and our diverse backgrounds come together to serve your greatest needs. Drawing upon deep experience in hospital pharmacies, holistic health/nutrition stores and top cosmetic counters, our staff is committed to your health, comfort and peace of mind.
Walk in, and experience thoughtful service and a wealth of hard-to-find products. Become a member, and enjoy the convenience and reassurance of a personalized pharmaceutical team. Our pharmacists help you understand your condition(s), manage your medications, negotiate your insurance and improve your overall health.
Mazen Karnaby founded Cedra Pharmacy in 2014 as the antidote to the modern pharmacy. Where others are corporate and transactional, Cedra Pharmacy is specialized, personal and cutting edge.


text:
Q: User Java class in the Android NDK I have Java class which initialized with data from file. The init process is slow. Is is possible to move this initialization to NDK level? Is it possible to create my user defined class in NDK and return it into SDK?

A: It's certainly possible, but depending on the exact nature of the data and the class, it might not gain you any speed.
You'd need to provide more data for me to give you more specific help. There might be a better way to structure your class(es), or a better way to store the data, for example.
One general suggestion that I can make is that you run the Android profiling tools to see where your bottleneck is: It might be something obvious that you can fix in a few lines in Java.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Regardless of your pet's age, dogs can be troubled by a variety of eye problems and conditions that can affect their vision. For younger dogs, these are usually the result of infections and hereditary diseases and for older ones, basic degeneration after a lifetime of use usually takes its toll – just as it does for humans.
But how can you tell if your dog is losing their sight?
If your dog begins to bump into things, this is one of the most common indications that their eyesight is failing. However dogs have a tendency of memorising their surroundings as their vision goes, so you may not be able to tell straight away if your dog can't see his surroundings. If he shows signs of confusion or seems clumsy in new areas, it's possible he's experiencing vision loss. To test this, you can take your dog to a new area or home to see how well he moves around. If your dog seems to step high or with great caution or have his nose very close to the ground or bump into things, it is a good sign that your dog may have problems with his vision.
Not every canine eye condition can be seen just by looking into their eyes, but a reasonable amount of conditions will cause subtle changes If your dog's eyes look cloudy, fuzzy, white, or even teary it may be a sign of vision problems or eye disorders. Cloudy eyes are common in many older dogs, but they can also be a sign that your pup has a corneal ulcer. Also, cloudy eyes are usually a sign that the cornea is inflamed, resulting in vision problems. Your pup's eyes may also be teary, and you may notice some squinting occurring.
If your dog appears to be fine during the day but becomes clumsy at night or in dim light, this can be another sign of a problem developing. Night vision is often the first to go but it's hard to know because you don't tend to watch your pet when it's dark. Try turning off the lights and calling your dog towards you – if he bumps into things on his way towards you, then it's probably a good idea to get his vision checked.
Look out for any subtle changes in your dog's normal behaviour. For example, if your dog starts sticking close to the fence when he goes outside in the garden, he might be using the fence to orient himself so worth getting him checked out at the vets.
If you are concerned about your dog's eyesight, arrange for an examination by your vet as some conditions can be effectively treated, preventing further vision loss – and remember, dogs can rely on their keen sense of smell and sound so they will still be able to navigate their way around their home, even with significant vision loss.


🙂 Me too! Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it!
Thanks so much Penny, appreciate the kind words. Yes, it is great to see the Me I really am. It's a pretty great Me too!!
Thanks for supporting me. Glad to be sharing the path with you.


text: Q: Suppress Visuall C++ Runtime Error when running Ctest in Visual Studio When I ran a series of tests in Visual Studio using Ctest, some test fail and emit a pop-up windows with the error "Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library: Debug Assertion Failed". The tests can only continue to run after clicking the Ignore button. This is annoying since Ctest has marked the test to fail. Is there a way to suppress the window message so the test can run continuously?


text:
<?php

namespace Mobility\PublicBundle\Entity;

use Doctrine\ORM\Mapping as ORM;

// Importation de la classe qui gère les contraintes de validation
use Symfony\Component\Validator\Constraints as Assert;

/**
 * EcoActors
 *
 * @ORM\Table()
 * @ORM\Entity(repositoryClass="Mobility\PublicBundle\Entity\EcoActorsRepository")
 */
class EcoActors
{
    /**
     * @var integer
     *
     * @ORM\Column(name="id", type="integer")
     * @ORM\Id
     * @ORM\GeneratedValue(strategy="AUTO")
     */
    private $id;

    /**
     * @var string
     *
     * @ORM\Column(name="title", type="string", length=255)
     * @Assert\NotBlank(message="Vous devez renseigner un titre.")
     */
    private $title;

    /**
     * @var string
     *
     * @ORM\Column(name="type", type="string", length=255)
     * @Assert\NotNull(message="Veuillez rentrer selectionner un type de transport.")
     */
    private $type;

    /**
     * @var string
     *
     * @ORM\Column(name="start", type="string", length=255)
     * @Assert\NotBlank(message="Vous devez renseigner une adresse de départ.")
     */
    private $start;

    /**
     * @var string
     *
     * @ORM\Column(name="arrival", type="string", length=255)
     * @Assert\NotBlank(message="Vous devez renseigner une adresse de destination.")
     */
    private $arrival;

    /**
     * @var string
     *
     * @ORM\Column(name="description", type="text")
     * @Assert\NotBlank(message="Veuillez rentrer une description.")
     * @Assert\Length(
	 *	min=10,
	 *  max=500,
	 *  minMessage="Votre description doit comporter au moins {{ limit }} caractères.",
	 *  maxMessage="Votre description doit comporter {{ limit }} maximum.",
     * )
     */
    private $description;

    /**
     * @var float
     *
     * @ORM\Column(name="ges", type="float")
     */
    private $ges;

    /**
     * @ORM\ManyToOne(targetEntity="Mobility\PublicBundle\Entity\UserActor", cascade={"persist"})
     * @ORM\JoinColumn(nullable=false)
     */
    private $useractor;

    /**
     * Get id
     *
     * @return integer
     */
    public function getId()
    {
        return $this->id;
    }

    /**
     * Set title
     *
     * @param string $title
     * @return EcoActors
     */
    public function setTitle($title)
    {
        $this->title = $title;

        return $this;
    }

    /**
     * Get title
     *
     * @return string
     */
    public function getTitle()
    {
        return $this->title;
    }

    /**
     * Set type
     *
     * @param string $type
     * @return EcoActors
     */
    public function setType($type)
    {
        $this->type = $type;

        return $this;
    }

    /**
     * Get type
     *
     * @return string
     */
    public function getType()
    {
        return $this->type;
    }

    /**
     * Set start
     *
     * @param string $start
     * @return EcoActors
     */
    public function setStart($start)
    {
        $this->start = $start;

        return $this;
    }

    /**
     * Get start
     *
     * @return string
     */
    public function getStart()
    {
        return $this->start;
    }

    /**
     * Set arrival
     *
     * @param string $arrival
     * @return EcoActors
     */
    public function setArrival($arrival)
    {
        $this->arrival = $arrival;

        return $this;
    }

    /**
     * Get arrival
     *
     * @return string
     */
    public function getArrival()
    {
        return $this->arrival;
    }

    /**
     * Set description
     *
     * @param string $description
     * @return EcoActors
     */
    public function setDescription($description)
    {
        $this->description = $description;

        return $this;
    }

    /**
     * Get description
     *
     * @return string
     */
    public function getDescription()
    {
        return $this->description;
    }

    /**
     * Set useractor
     *
     * @param \Mobility\PublicBundle\Entity\UserActor $useractor
     * @return EcoActors
     */
    public function setUseractor(\Mobility\PublicBundle\Entity\UserActor $useractor)
    {
        $this->useractor = $useractor;

        return $this;
    }

    /**
     * Get useractor
     *
     * @return \Mobility\PublicBundle\Entity\UserActor
     */
    public function getUseractor()
    {
        return $this->useractor;
    }

    /**
     * Delete useractor
     *
     * @return \Mobility\PublicBundle\Entity\UserActor
     */
    public function deleteUseractor()
    {
        unset($this->useractor);
    }

    /**
     * Set ges
     *
     * @param float $ges
     * @return EcoActors
     */
    public function setGes($ges)
    {
        $this->ges = $ges;

        return $this;
    }

    /**
     * Get ges
     *
     * @return float
     */
    public function getGes()
    {
        return $this->ges;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Alliance Transport Technologies (ATT), has set-up new premises in Normanton, Wakefield, in order to house a new dedicated team of parts specialists for the bus, coach and commercial vehicle sectors.
The new 1,400sq ft site on the Normanton Industrial Estate, will deliver a range of more than 1,100 new parts lines as well as house aftersales support staff.
The site is part of significant recent growth for ATT which recently rebranded itself from Alliance Electronics – which it had traded under for more than 25 years.


text:
424-220-6159 Book Online
Abstracts & Studies
Dr. Najmabadi
Dr. Hammonds
Fertility IV Therapy
Infertility FAQ'S
Fertility Travel
Fertility Work Up Information
Female Hormonal Assays
Male Hormonal Assays
Ovarian Reserve Screening
Semen Diagnostic Testing
Saline Infusion Sonography (SIS)
Infertility Causes
Reproductive Treatments
AI & IUI Treatments
IVF Candidates
IVF Process
Frozen Embryo Transfer Process
Egg Freezing & Cryopreservation
Egg Donation Candidate
Military Infertility Program
Egg & Embryo Freezing Specialist
Center For Reproductive Health & Gynecology Sam Najmabadi, MD Our Services Egg & Embryo Freezing
Center For Reproductive Health & Gynecology
Sam Najmabadi, MD
Infertility Specialist & Reproductive Endocrinologist located in Beverly Hills & Sherman Oaks, California & Punta Mita, Mexico
Dr. Najmabadi provides an egg and embryo freezing or cryopreservation service at the Center for Reproductive Health and Gynecology in Los Angeles, CA. Patients can seek his services at either the Beverly Hills, Sherman Oaks, or Mexico offices.
Egg & Embryo Freezing Q & A
What is Cryopreservation?
Cryopreservation is a technologically advanced method to preserve and save harvested eggs or embryos for future use. This process is often used in conjunction with IVF or if a woman wants to preserve her eggs to improve her chances of having children later in life. IVF can result in more viable embryos than can be injected at one time. When this happens the remaining embryos are frozen and stored for future use. The aim of this procedure and service is to store the embryo cryogenically and to maintain its viability for the future. For example, some IVF children could have younger siblings which were technically conceived at exactly the same time, but not implanted until years later due to the increased success of embryo cryopreservation.
When a large number of eggs are harvested the patient can either have the eggs frozen, or fertilized. If she chooses fertilization, some of the embryos will be implanted to her uterus as part of the IVF procedure. Any additional embryos are preserved for future attempts to have children. One of the processes available to freeze the embryos is called vitrification, which is essentially flash freezing the embryos in a matter of seconds. This technique can increase the chances of implantation in the future by eliminating opportunities for damage to occur to the embryo.
What kinds of technologies are available for freezing eggs or embryos?
There are now two types of freezing technologies that are used in IVF laboratories. The difference is the speed at which the embryos are frozen. The older technology is called slow freezing and the second, newer technology is called vitrification.
When the slow freezing method is used to preserve eggs and embryos, the freezing requires the removal of water from the individual cells of the embryo. If water remains, it forms crystals which can disrupt the inside of the cells or cut through the outer layer of the cells. A cryoprotectant is added to the cells which replaces most of the water inside the embryo. Under the correct conditions, the cryoprotectant does not form crystals and the embryo can safely withstand cryogenic storage.
Vitrification flash freezes the embryos or eggs. The embryos are submerged into liquid nitrogen at roughly minus 200 degrees. This process does not allow time for crystals to form and assume a glass-like state. Embryo survival after vitrification has significantly improved to 98% from approximately 70% after slow freezing.
How successful is this procedure?
The success rates for an egg or embryo surviving the freezing and thawing process are higher using the newer vitrification technology and are closer to the success rates of using fresh embryos for implementation. The embryology team at the Center for Reproductive Health and Gynecology has extensive experience with the technique of fertilizing previously vitrified eggs. They have achieved egg survival rates of approximately 80%, fertilization rates of over 80%, and pregnancy rates above 50%.
"Dr. Sam Najmabadi and his staff have been incredible to me during my fertility process. He has always gone above and beyond through my experience."
Kate D.
"Dr. Najmabadi is one of a kind awesome doctor and he has a great staff. I'll be forever grateful for his amazing skills and talent!"
Allison G.
"So caring and attentive. Thank you for the blessing that you brought into my life. Can't thank you enough."
Suzie P.
I can happily report that I am pregnant, thanks to Dr. Najmabadi and his excellent staff! This is after 4 failed attempts with other doctors and a loss of hope.
99 North La Cienega Boulevard Suite 109, Beverly Hills, CA 90211
4835 Van Nuys Boulevard Suite 203, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
Beverly Hills Hours
Office Hours Monday - Friday: 7:30 AM - 3:00 PM
Office Hours Saturday: 7:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Sherman Oaks Hours
©2016 Center For Reproductive Health & Gynecology
Sam Najmabadi, MD, Beverly Hills, CA
Address: 99 North La Cienega Boulevard, Suite 109, Beverly Hills, CA 90211
Sam Najmabadi, MD, Sherman Oaks, CA
Address: 4835 Van Nuys Boulevard, Suite 203, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403