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Association of Adverse Childhood Experience and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder with depressive symptoms among men who have sex with men in China: moderated mediation effect of resilience
Changmian Ding1 na1,
Tang Wang1 na1,
Xiangfan Chen1,
Jingjing Li2,
Wei Wang3,
Danqin Huang1,
Hong Yan1 &
Shiyue Li1
Adverse childhood experience (ACE), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and resilience can all contribute to depressive symptoms. However, little is known regarding the complex relationships between these factors and their joint effects on depressive symptoms. This study aimed to explore the underlying mechanism of ACE, ADHD, and resilience on depressive symptoms among men have sex with men (MSM) in China.
A total of 714 MSM were recruited from gay/bisexual men-serving venues in Wuhan, Changsha, and Nanchang of China. The data was collected using computer-assisted self-interview. The mediated and moderated mediation models were employed to explore the underlying mechanisms between ACE, ADHD, resilience, and depressive symptoms.
Among 714 MSM, 51.4% reported at least one ACE and 13.0% reported three or more. ACE had a direct (β = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.45–1.57) effect on depressive symptoms. ADHD partially mediated the correlation between ACE and depressive symptoms (indirect effect: 0.55; 95% CI: 0.34–0.79). Additionally, the effect of ACE on depressive symptoms was moderated and buffered by resilience (β = −0.09, 95% CI: -0.15 - −0.03).
The findings suggested that, programs and policies that promote resilience and address ADHD might protect Chinese MSM exposed to ACE from depressive symptoms.
Depressive symptoms among men who have sex with men
Men who have sex with men (MSM), characterized by same-sex behavior, have been identified as a high-risk group for mental disorders, especially depressive symptoms [1, 2]. A study conducted in the United States demonstrated that the prevalence rate of depressive symptoms for MSM was 29.2%, which was much higher than 10.8% in the average adult men [3]. In China, Gao et al. reported that 34.5% of 400 MSM had depressive symptoms in Kunming [4]. The 12-month and lifetime prevalence of major depression were about 2.1 and 2.2 times more compared to general male population [5]. Depression was found to be positively associated with high-risk sexual behaviors and HIV infection in the MSM population [6, 7]. Therefore, reducing depression in MSM population warrants more attention.
Adverse childhood experience and depressive symptoms among MSM
Adverse childhood experience (ACE) refers to the traumatic experiences occurred under the age of 18, including abuse, neglect and household Challenges [8]. ACE can distort the development of individual and result in increasing risk of poor health outcomes, especially the symptoms of depression [9, 10]. ACEs are common in MSM population. For example, a study in Kenya showed that 70.6% of MSM reported at least one of childhood abuse including one physical abuse and three sexual abuse [11]. Another study conducted in 365 Chinese MSM reported that 12.6% and 10.5% of the respondents experienced psychological and physical abuse under age of 17 [12].
The relationship between ACE and depressive symptoms has been well documented in general population [13,14,15]. As for MSM, limited studies, for example, Korhonen et al. found that MSM with childhood abuse and recent trauma experienced higher risk of moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms [11]. Hart et al. demonstrated that negative childhood experiences was associated with adult psychological distress among MSM [16]. These studies highlight the need to explore protective factors that extenuate the impact of ACE on depressive symptoms.
The possible mediated effect of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Adverse childhood experience has been identified to relate to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) [13, 17, 18]. It was found that children who experienced socioeconomic hardship, parental divorce, familial mental illness, neighborhood violence, and incarceration had higher risk for ADHD [18]. Individuals who reported more ACE exposures were more likely to experience the symptoms of ADHD [17, 18]. Furthermore, a significant association between ADHD and depressive symptoms has also been found. Studies showed that compared with young people without ADHD, those with ADHD were more likely to experience major depressive disorder [19, 20]. Another study reported that individuals with a history of ADHD had higher level of depressive symptoms throughout adulthood compared to those without ADHD [21]. In addition, a study conducted among 728 adolescents in Netherlands showed that ADHD could increase the risk of depressive symptoms, although this risk reduced over time [22]. Altogether, it is possible that ADHD act as a mediator in the relationship between ACE and depressive symptoms. However, few studies until now have explored this relationship.
Moderation effect of resilience
Resilience is an indicator of stress coping ability and may reflect the ability adapting or bouncing back from the adverse contexts [23, 24]. Resilience is not a static trait, but rather a dynamic and changing mental process [25], through which individual can cope with adversity without experiencing physically and/or emotionally dysfunctional [23]. Resilience was considered as an important protective factor against the mental disorder following adversity [26]. It has been reported that individuals with higher level of resilience were less likely to have psychiatric disorder symptoms after exposing to significant trauma or adversity [27, 28].
MSM often report ACE exposure and symptoms of depression. Evidence from studies conducted in general population [29], juvenile offenders [30] and postpartum mothers [31] have demonstrated the mitigating effect of resilience in reducing the impact of ACE on depressive symptoms. However, to our knowledge, the possible moderated effect of resilience in MSM population has not been fully investigated.
Aims and hypotheses
Previous studies have reported the associations of ACE, ADHD, and resilience with depressive symptoms [11, 13, 21, 29]. However, whether ADHD mediate the relationship between ACE and depressive symptoms, and whether resilience moderate the direct effect of ACE on depressive symptoms were still little known, especially in MSM population. MSM, as a marginal population, often experience higher level of depressive symptoms than their heterosexual counterpart [4, 5]. It is essential to understand these associations for making interventions to decrease depressive symptoms in MSM. Therefore, in this study, we examined the relationships between ACE, ADHD, resilience and depressive symptoms using data from 714 MSM recruited from three capital cities (Wuhan, Changsha, and Nanchang) in China. As detailed in Fig. 1, three hypotheses were provided: (1) ACE will be positively associated with depressive symptoms; (2) ADHD will be positively associated with depressive symptoms and mediate the relationship between ACE and depressive symptoms; and (3) resilience will moderate and buffer the direct effect of ACE on depressive symptoms.
Conceptual (left panel) and statistical diagram (right panel) for the proposed moderated mediation model. Note: (1) X: Adverse childhood experience, ACE; M: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD; W: Resilience; Y: Depressive symptoms;X*W: ACE*Resilience. (2) a: direct effect between X and M; b: direct effect between M and Y; c': direct effect between X and Y; c1: direct effect between W and Y; c2: direct effect between X*W and Y
Participants for this study were recruited from the gay activity centers and gay-gathering venues, such as gay bars and Karaoke entertainment places (KTV). Eligibility included men aged 16 years or older, self-reported receptive or insertive anal intercourse or oral sex with another man in their lifetime, and agreed to participate in this study.
Data of this study was derived from the baseline survey of a MSM cohort study in China. The Medical Ethics Committee at Wuhan University of China reviewed and approved for this project.
Participants were recruited through various ways, such as routine HIV testing services, outreach activities, peer recommendation, and so on, in three capital cities of China: Wuhan, Nanchang and Changsha, from September 2017 to January 2018. All recruitment activities were supported by gay organizations (e.g. Tongxing of Wuhan). Every survey site was assigned to two well-trained graduate students, which would be responsible for recruiting participants and assisting the survey. This is an anonymous self-administered questionnaire survey. After completing informed consent, electronic questionnaires were provided to participants through the tablets (e.g. iPad). Participants completed the questionnaires independently in a quiet room in order to protect the individual privacy. A face-to-face assistance could be provided if the participant had any questions about the questionnaire. It took approximately 30 min for most participants to complete the questionnaire. Participants received a reward of 50 RMB (approximately US$8) after completing the questionnaire. Among 800 eligible MSM, 749 of them completed and submitted the questionnaires (response rate: 93.63%). A sample of 714 was used to analyze after excluding the individuals with incomplete data for key variables.
Demographics characteristic
Information on age, residence, education, marital status, students status, employment status, monthly income, and sexual orientation was obtained. Residence was divided into urban and rural. Education was categorized as high school or lower and college or higher. Marital status was classified as unmarried, married, and divorced. Students status was divided into yes and no. Employment status was categorized as full-time employment, part-time employment, and others. Monthly income (in RMB) was divided into: ≤1000, 1001–3000, 3001–6000, >6000. Sexual orientation was classified as gay, bisexual, and undecided.
Adverse childhood experience (ACE)
ACE was evaluated using ACE questionnaire developed in Kaiser-CDC study [8, 32]. Participant reported 10 questions related to their three dimensions of experiences before age 18, including abuse (emotional, physical and sexual), neglect (emotional and physical) and household challenges (mother's violence, household substance abuse, household mental illness, parental separation or divorce, and household member incarcerated). Example item was "Did a parent, stepparent, or other adult living in your home swore at you, put you down, or acted in a way that made you afraid that you might be physically hurt?". Each item consists of three responses: "yes", "no" and "refuse". Responses of "yes" were considered that participants had the adverse childhood experience and scored as "1". Total score was calculated by adding up all responses with higher scores reflecting more adverse childhood experiences. The instrument was reported to have a good reliability and validity in Chinese population [33,34,35]. The Cronbach's Alpha in our sample was 0.77.
Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-v1.1) [36, 37] was applied to measure ADHD of the participants. It is an 18-items instrument with 5-piont rating (0 = never, 1 = rarely, 2 = sometimes, 3 = often, 4 = very often). The scale consisted of two subscales, inattention (9 items, e.g. How often do you have trouble wrapping up the final details of a project, once the challenging parts have been done?) and hyperactivity-impulsivity (9 items, e.g. How often do you fidget or squirm with your hands or feet when you have to sit down for a long time?). The total score ranges from 0 to 72, with higher scores indicating higher level of ADHD. The instrument has been used in Chinese sample, and showed a good reliability [38]. The Cronbach's Alpha for our sample were 0.92 for total scale, 0.85 for inattention domain, and 0.86 for hyperactivity-impulsivity domain.
Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10 items (CD-RISC-10) [39] was used to assess resilience. The items of the scale included "I am able to adapt to change", "Coping stress can strengthen me", "I can achieve goals despite obstacles", and so on. The items are scored on a 5-point rating scale from 0 (never) to 4 (always), with total score of 0–40. Higher scores indicated greater resilience. The scale was reported to have a good reliability and validity in Chinese population [40, 41]. The Cronbach's Alpha in present sample was 0.95.
Depressive symptoms
The Centers for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD) [42] was applied to evaluate depressive symptoms experienced in the past 7 days. The CESD is a 20-item, including four dimensions: depressed affect (8 items, e.g. I feel depressed.), positive affect (4 reverse items, e.g. I'm very happy.), somatic and retarded activity (6 items, e.g. I have a hard time focusing on doing things.), and interpersonal problems (2 items, e.g. I think others hate me.). It is a four-point rating scale ranging from 0 (never) to 3 (always). The total score was 0–60, and higher scores indicated higher levels of depressive symptoms. The CESD has been widely used in Chinese population, and showed adaptable reliability and validity [43, 44], as well as the sample of MSM [45]. In this study, the Cronbach's Alpha of CESD was 0.87. As for the four subscales, the Cronbach's Alpha ranged from 0.76 to 0.87.
Descriptive analysis was performed to describe sociodemographic characteristics. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to evaluate the construct validity of the scales using Mplus 7.0. The fit indices of χ2/df (< 3), Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA; < 0.08), Comparative Fit Index (CFI; > 0.90), Tucker Lewis index (TLI; > 0.90) and Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR; < 0.08)/Weighted Root Mean Square Residual (WRMR; < 1.00) were used to assess the fitness of the model [46]. In addition, convergent validity was assessed by calculating the value of Average Variance Extracted (AVE; > 0.5) and Composite Reliability (CR; > 0.7) [46]. And discrimination validity was assessed by comparing the chi-square differences value (Δλ2; > 3.84, > 6.64, or > 10.83) between unconstrained model (CFA for two different dimensions of a scale) and constrained models (CFA after merging the two different dimensions into one dimension) [46, 47].
Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to analyze the bivariate correlations between ACE, ADHD, resilience, and depressive symptoms. The PROCESS macro for SPSS [48] was used for the mediation and moderated mediation analysis. At first, the mediated effect of ADHD between ACE and depressive symptoms was examined by model 4 (see Fig. 2). Then, model 5 was used to test the moderated mediation effect of resilience, that was, whether resilience moderated the direct effect of ACE on depressive symptoms or not (see Fig. 3). Finally, we plotted the conditional effects of resilience at low (1 standard deviation [SD] below the mean value of resilience scale), moderate (the mean value of resilience scale) and high (1SD above the mean of resilience scale) levels. In addition, covariates (age, education, residence, marital status, student, employment status, monthly incomes and sexual orientation) were controlled in all model analysis and all study variables were mean-centered prior to the analysis. All statistical analysis excluded CFA was conducted with the software of SPSS 22.0.
A total of 714 participants was recruited in this study, 60.5% of them were from urban areas, with a mean age of 27.1 (SD = 8.5) years old. Around three-quarters (74.8%) of the sample had college or higher-level education, 27.5% were students, and 58.8% had a full-time job. Of the full sample, 84.3% reported never married and approximately half of participants had monthly income less than 3000 RMB (approximately USD $480), and 73.0% of the participants self-reported as gay men (see Table 1).
Table 1 Characteristics of the study sample (n = 714)
Evidence for validity
Table 2 displayed the results of the CFA and convergent validity analysis for the four scales. Results from CFA with the scale of ACE (χ2/df = 2.91, RMSEA = 0.036, CFI = 0.977, TLI = 0.967, WRMR = 0.930), ADHD (χ2/df = 4.86, RMSEA = 0.074, CFI = 0.907, TLI = 0.892, SRMR = 0.044), resilience (χ2/df = 5.11, RMSEA = 0.076, CFI = 0.961, TLI = 0.947, SRMR = 0.042), and depressive symptoms (χ2/df = 2.80, RMSEA = 0.050, CFI = 0.930, TLI = 0.919, SRMR = 0.045) showed acceptable fit. All values of CR for ACE scale met the cut-off criteria, ranging from 0.72 to 0.85. The AVE value of ACE domains were acceptable, except for household challenges (AVE = 0.38). Although ADHD acquired lower value of AVE, the CR values of both domains reached 0.86, which obviously higher than acceptable level 0.7. The resilience scale showed good convergent validity, the values of CR and AVE both met the cut-off criteria, reaching 0.94, 0.62, respectively. As for the scale of depressive symptoms, although the domain of somatic and restarted activity presented limited AVE values, the AVE values of other domains were around 0.5. And all values of CR were over the recommended threshold of 0.70, ranging from 0.78 to 0.87. Above results indicated that the construct validity and convergent validity of four scales were acceptable.
Table 2 Analysis of the construct validity and convergent validity of scales
Table 3 displayed the results of discrimination validity for the scales. Results showed that Δχ2 between unconstrained model (Model A) and constrained model (Model B) for the scale of ACE, ADHD, depressive symptoms were 10.97–11.21, 76.50, 13.17–650.05, respectively. The values were significantly higher than the critical value 10.83 (P < 0.001). Those results indicated that the scale of ACE, ADHD, depressive symptoms have a good discrimination validity.
Table 3 Analysis of the discriminant validity of scales
Bivariate correlations
Table 4 displayed the mean, standard deviation and correlations of ACE, ADHD, resilience, and depressive symptoms. The score of ACE was 1.04 (SD = 1.43) ranging from 0 to 9. Among 714 MSM, 367 (51.4%) reported at least one of ACE exposures and 93 (13.0%) reported three or more exposures. The mean scores of ADHD, resilience and depressive symptoms were 21.86 (SD = 11.34), 26.78 (SD = 8.45) and 17.64 (SD = 10.49), respectively.
Table 4 Correlation between ACE, ADHD, resilience, and depressive symptoms among MSM (N = 714)
Results in Table 4 indicated that ACE was positively associated with ADHD (r = 0.19, P < 0.001) and depressive symptoms (r = 0.22, P < 0.001) among MSM. Resilience was significantly associated with ADHD (r = − 0.31, P < 0.001) and depressive symptoms (r = − 0.39, P < 0.001) except ACE (r = − 0.05, P = 0.20). In addition, ADHD was found to be positively associated with depressive symptoms (r = 0.39, P < 0.001).
Mediation modeling analysis
Results in Fig. 2 displayed that ACE was significantly and positively associated with depressive symptoms (β = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.45–1.57). Furthermore, ACE was also found to be positively associated with ADHD (β = 1.53, 95% CI: 0.99–2.07), which in turn was significantly predictive of depressive symptoms (β = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.28–0.43). Results demonstrated that ADHD partially mediated the relationship between ACE and depressive symptoms for MSM (indirect effect = 0.55, bootstrap 95%CI: 0.34–0.79, accounting for 35.25% of the total effect).
(Model 4). Mediation modeling analysis of the relationship among ACE, ADHD and depressive symptoms among MSM (N = 714). Notes: (1) Covariates controlled in the modeling analysis were: age, residence, marital status, education, student, employment status, monthly income, and sexual orientation. (2) ACE: Adverse childhood experience; ADHD: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. (3) *** p < 0.001
Moderated mediation analysis
Moderated mediation analysis in Fig. 3 showed that all paths in the model were significantly remarkable (P < 0.05), including the interaction effect of ACE and resilience (β = − 0.09, 95% CI: − 0.15 - − 0.03). Results indicated that resilience was significantly and negatively moderated the relation between ACE and depressive symptoms for MSM.
(Model 5). Moderated mediation modeling analysis of the complex relationship among ACE, ADHD, resilience, and depressive symptoms of MSM (N = 714). Notes: (1) Covariates controlled in the modeling analysis were age, residence, marital status, education, student, employment status, monthly income and sexual orientation. (2) ACE: Adverse childhood experience; ADHD: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. (3) **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001
Conditional direct effect of moderated mediation analysis
The conditional effects of resilience at low level (i.e., 1 SD below the mean), moderate level (i.e., mean) and high level (i.e., 1 SD above the mean) were depicted in Fig. 4, respectively. Results illustrated that among MSM with low level of resilience, higher ACE score were associated with higher risk of depressive symptoms (β = 1.82, 95%CI: 1.04–2.61). Furthermore, the effect at the moderate level of resilience was also significant (β = 1.06, 95%CI: 0.57–1.55). However, for those MSM with high levels of resilience, the relationship between ACE and depressive symptoms was non-significant (β = 0.32, 95%CI: − 0.32 - 0.93).
The moderating role of resilience in the relation between adverse childhood experience and depressive symptoms among MSM (N = 714). Notes: (1) Covariates controlled in the modeling analysis were age, residence, marital status, education, student, employment status, monthly income and sexual orientation. (2) ***p < 0.001
This study firstly examined construct validity as well as convergent validity and discrimination validity of the ACE, ADHD, resilience, and depressive symptoms scales in the sample of MSM. Results indicated that the validity of four scales were all acceptable. Secondly, the mediating role of ADHD between ACE and depressive symptoms, and the moderating effect of resilience among ACE, ADHD and depressive symptoms were explored, using a moderated mediation model. The findings demonstrated that ACE, ADHD and resilience were significantly associated with depressive symptoms, however, the underlying effects of these factors on depressive symptoms were different. ADHD partially mediated the relationship between ACE and depressive symptoms. Moreover, the direct effect of the mediation model was moderated by resilience, that the direct effect of ACE on depressive symptoms decreased as resilience increased.
MSM in our study reported higher scores of ACE, with over half of participants reporting one or more ACE exposures, compared to general male population [13, 49]. Our results showed a strong positive association of ACE with depressive symptoms, which was in accordance with that of previous studies [13,14,15]. The finding could be explained by the stress sensitization theory [50]. This theory suggests that the threshold of depressive reactions can be reduced by ACE, which will contribute to significant depressive reactions of individual even exposed to mild stress. MSM usually experienced various kinds of ACE prior to the age of 18 years [11, 12]. In addition, MSM, a marginalized and isolated population, often confronted with various stressors or challenges such as stigma [51, 52]. Therefore, MSM often have higher prevalence of depressive symptoms.
As hypothesized, we found ACE was positively associated with ADHD, which in turn escalated the symptoms of depression. The finding possibly revealed that ADHD served as an important mediating mechanism concerning how ACE indirectly affected depressive symptoms. To our knowledge, this study was the first to examine the underlying mediated mechanism of ADHD in the relation between ACE and depressive symptoms, as previous studies only examined the relationship among ACE, ADHD and depressive symptoms separately [13, 22]. The mediating effect of ADHD might be attribute to the following reasons. ACE exposures might cause changes in brain structures and functioning related to ADHD, which resulted in the development of ADHD [53,54,55]. However, individual with ADHD often have poor academic achievement, unstable professional career, more fiscal problems and unsatisfied interpersonal relation [56], due to the difficulties in thinking, concentration, organizational skill and so on [57]. Therefore, they were more likely to experience to depressive symptoms. The finding suggested that the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD might be beneficial to the intervention work on depressive symptoms among MSM population.
Additionally, resilience moderated and buffered the effect size of the correlation between ACE and depressive symptoms (direct effect). We found that as resilience increased, the association of ACE with depressive symptoms weakened and became non-significant when resilience reached to the high-level. This finding aligns with one study conducted in the United States [29], which suggested that resilience might reduce the tendency for developing depressive symptoms towards similar levels of childhood adversity. Similarly, a survey among 429 juvenile adolescents in the US [30] also reported the moderated effect of internal resilience in the relation of ACE to psychological distress. Our findings could be explained by the characteristics of resilience. Resilience was defined as an adaptable ability that enable one to thrive following adversity [24]. Individual with high resilience often keeps a sensitive and positive attitude towards adversity, which can prompt them to bounce back from the disadvantaged environments [23, 58]. Therefore, resilience could serve as a protective factor and mitigate the impact of ACE on depressive symptoms, which indicates building up resilience might help to ease depressive symptoms among MSM.
There are some limitations in this study. First, due to the cross-sectional nature of the data, the causality between variables cannot be established. Also, temporality of some variables, such as ACE, ADHD and resilience, could not be captured. Therefore, our findings need to be validated in longitudinal study in the future. Next, data were self-reported, thus, there could be self-report bias in this study. Furthermore, the participants recruited in current study were mainly from three capital cities of China, which may not represent all MSM in China, such as MSM from remote or rural areas. Finally, some potentially important protective factors such as family and community support were not assessed. We controlled for some sociodemographic variables in our analyses, but residual confounding may still be present.
This study contributes to the literature by showing that ADHD partially mediates the relation between ACE and depressive symptoms, and resilience buffers the direct effect of ACE on depressive symptoms. MSM with higher ACE scores, especially those who have more symptoms of ADHD and present low and moderate levels of resilience were more likely to experience depressive symptoms. Chinese public health practitioners aiming to improve MSM's mental health should consider the effect of ACE on depressive symptoms and the role of ADHD and resilience in the relation.
The data used in this study are available from the corresponding authors on reasonable request.
ACE:
Adverse childhood experience
AVE:
The Average Variance Extracted
CFA:
Confirmatory factor analysis
CFI:
Comparative Fit Index
Component reliability
KTV:
Karaoke entertainment places
MSM:
RMSEA:
Root Mean Square Error of Approximation
SRMR:
Standardized Root Mean Square Residual
TLI:
Tucker Lewis index
WRMR:
Weighted Root Mean Square Residual
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Campbell-Sills L, Stein MB. Psychometric analysis and refinement of the Connor-davidson resilience scale (CD-RISC): validation of a 10-item measure of resilience. J Trauma Stress. 2007;20(6):1019–28.
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Yan H, Li XY, Li JJ, Wang W, Yang YM, Yao X, Yang NX, Li SY. Association between perceived HIV stigma, social support, resilience, self-esteem, and depressive symptoms among HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) in Nanjing, China. Aids Care-Psychological Socio-Medical Aspects Aids/Hiv. 2019;31(9):1069–76.
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Sciolla AF, Wilkes MS, Griffin EJ. Adverse childhood experiences in medical students: implications for wellness. Academic Psychiatry. 2019;43(4):369–74.
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We thank all participants in this study for sharing their life experiences and perceptions.
This study was supported by the Humanities and Social Science Foundation of Ministry of Education (15YJAZH094) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81673196). The funders had no role in study design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation, and in the writing of this manuscript.
Changmian Ding and Tang Wang contributed equally to this work.
School of Health Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
Changmian Ding, Tang Wang, Xiangfan Chen, Danqin Huang, Hong Yan & Shiyue Li
Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, USA
Jingjing Li
School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
Wei Wang
Changmian Ding
Tang Wang
Xiangfan Chen
Danqin Huang
Hong Yan
Shiyue Li
Changmian Ding and Xiangfan Chen analyzed data and wrote the first manuscript. Tang Wang and Jingjing Li revised the manuscript and contributed to the final draft. Wei Wang assisted with manuscript editing. Danqin Huang assisted with the statistical analysis of data. Hong Yan and Shiyue Li designed this study and revised the manuscript. All authors have read and approved of the publication of the final manuscript.
Correspondence to Hong Yan or Shiyue Li.
Written consent was obtained from all participants. Procedures were approved by the Medical Ethics Committee at Wuhan University, China.
Ding, C., Wang, T., Chen, X. et al. Association of Adverse Childhood Experience and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder with depressive symptoms among men who have sex with men in China: moderated mediation effect of resilience. BMC Public Health 19, 1706 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-8016-2


text:
Aging Inmates
Home > Prison News > Aging Inmates
Prison News Prison Path Press
The American Civil Liberties Union issued a report in 2013 about elderly inmates. The elderly inmate population has increased 1300 percent since the early 1980's. The federal government and the states spend more than $16 billion a year to incarcerate aging inmates. The report noted that almost all inmates over 50 are not a threat to society. It costs $68,000 to imprison an elderly inmate which was twice the cost to imprison a young inmate. The difference in costs resulted from health care expenses which increased every year.
Many elderly inmates are now in their 70's and 80's. The release of these inmates, many who were imprisoned for non-violent crimes and/or drug possession would not constitute a danger to their communities. Their releases would not drain the budgets for the elderly in the outside world. A fiscal analysis by the ACLU found that states would save approximately $66,000 a year for each elderly inmate released from prison.
Health care in prisons is inadequate at best and horrible for the elderly. The physicians and their assistants are not trained for care of the geriatric prison population. Prisons do not treat elderly inmates differently from young inmates although their healthcare requirements are so different. On a personal note, I watched inmates stand in line outside in the rain for 30 minutes waiting for their medications. Some of these inmates were over 70 and required canes to ambulate.
Elderly inmates are easily victimized by predatory inmates. I knew one inmate in his 50's who was attacked by a 21 year old inmate because the young man wanted his chair. Some prisons do have tiers for inmates who are over the age of 40, This policy has helped somewhat in protecting older inmates from younger inmates, but has not eliminated this problem since all inmates share the chow hall and the outside areas.
There are solutions for this growing problem. First, the decisions regarding parole and early releases should place more emphasis on the age and health of the inmate. Second, our prison systems and legislatures should implement dedicated prisons for the elderly. Third, our system of justice should look to alternative sentencing programs for defendants who have committed nonviolent crimes instead of prisons.The manner in which our prison systems treat elderly inmates certainly defines the type of society in which we live today.
Related Topics:aging inmateselderly in prison
Pregnant Inmates Shackled During Labor
Returning Citizens
"The Shawshank Redemption"–Again
4% Recidivism Rate
Inmates over Fifty
The Elderly in Prison – Updated
Aging Behind Bars
"Compassionate Release"
Ronald Simpson-Bey
Research Assistant at University of Michigan
The facts and stats quoted in this article are proven truths and common sense. Now if only common sense became common with the parole review boards and the legislators who make the laws and rules governing incarceration we could see some meaningful financial relief and reform.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: How to read a json on swift with null keys and using default values? I have a class defined as:
struct MyObject: Identifiable{
    var id = UUID()
    var paramA: String
    var paramB: String
    var paramC: String

    init(paramA: String, paramB: String = "default", paramC: String = "tomato"  ){
        self.paramA = paramA
        self.paramB = paramB
        self.paramC = paramC
    }
}

For read the Json Im using landmarkData
let landmarkData: [Landmark] = load("inputData.json")

func load<T: Decodable>(_ filename: String) -> T {
    let data: Data

    guard let file = Bundle.main.url(forResource: filename, withExtension: nil)
        else {
            fatalError("Couldn't find \(filename) in main bundle.")
    }

    do {
        data = try Data(contentsOf: file)
    } catch {
        fatalError("Couldn't load \(filename) from main bundle:\n\(error)")
    }

    do {
        let decoder = JSONDecoder()
        return try decoder.decode(T.self, from: data)
    } catch {
        fatalError("Couldn't parse \(filename) as \(T.self):\n\(error)")
    }
}

I've decided that the data can also come through a Json, so I changed the structure of MyObject (adding Hashable, Codable and changing var id = UUID() for Int and move to parameter)
struct MyObject: **Hashable, Codable**, Identifiable{
    **var id = Int**
    var paramA: String
    var paramB: String
    var paramC: String

    init(**id : Int,** paramA: String, paramB: String = "default", paramC: String = "tomato"  ){
        **self.id = id**
        self.paramA = paramA
        self.paramB = paramB
        self.paramC = paramC
    }
}

This works with a Json with all the keys on each object. But I would like to not define the keys that will take a default value(paramA and paramB keys). And I don't have to define the id in the Json.
inputData.json
 [{
    "paramA": "Hello",
    "paramB": "World",
    "paramC": "!!!",
 },
 {
    "paramA": "Hi",
 },
 {
    "paramA": "Hello",
    "paramC": "??",
 }]

A: It worked by adding a decoder int and a try for the cases that could not bring the key.  I don't know if there's a better solution.
struct MyObject: Identifiable{
    var id = UUID()
    var paramA: String
    var paramB: String
    var paramC: String

    init(paramA: String, paramB: String = "default", paramC: String = "tomato"  ){
        self.paramA = paramA
        self.paramB = paramB
        self.paramC = paramC
    }

 init(from decoder: Decoder) throws {
        let values = try decoder.container(keyedBy: CodingKeys.self)
        name = try values.decode(String.self, forKey: .paramA)

       do {
            paramB = try values.decode(String.self, forKey: .paramB)
          }
          catch {
            paramB = "default"
          }

       do {
            paramC = try values.decode(String.self, forKey: .paramC)
          }
          catch {
            paramC = "default"
          }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Home»Reviews»A KNOCK ON THE DOOR
A KNOCK ON THE DOOR The Essential History of Residential Schools from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, Edited and Abridged (Perceptions on Truth and Reconciliation, Book 1)
by Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, Phil Fontaine [Foreword], Aimée Craft [Afterword] | Read by Michelle St. John
Contemporary Culture • 8.25 hrs. • Abridged • © 2015
Acknowledging the disgraceful legacy of residential schools is the first step toward reconciliation with Indigenous peoples in Canada. This approachable report includes historical background and powerful firsthand testimony from survivors. The audio version could have brought those voices to a wider audience. Sadly, it is torpedoed by poor editorial decisions. Most glaringly, narrator Michelle St. John reads aloud every reference in the text, starting with the word "footnote" and its number. There are hundreds of these, and the relentless repetition quickly makes the production unlistenable. Charts and tables are also read in a way that makes little sense unless one is following along with the printed book. This is a well-meaning effort by an academic press, but it's a missed opportunity to make an important story more accessible. D.B. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2021]
Digital Download • University of Manitoba Press • 2021


text:
Star Workshop has signed a contract with Photo-Sonics
(Alliance News) - Officina Stellare Spa has announced that it has been selected by Photo-Sonics Inc as a qualified supplier for the supply of various short and long range optical systems, operating both in the visible spectrum and in the…
The Blue Jays sign outfielder Wynton Bernard to a minor league contract
The Toronto Blue Jays sign outfielder Wynton Bernard to a minor league contract. He will receive an invitation to the big league spring training session. hearing the #BlueJays signed OF Wynton Bernard to a minor league deal. He…
Invinity Energy trading in line with guidance on several contract wins
(Alliance News) - Invinity Energy Systems PLC on Monday said it expects revenue for the past year in line with market expectations, as a result of "a significant number of contract wins" . Invinity is a utility-grade energy storage…
Ofcom to investigate BT's customer contract information compliance
(Alliance News) - Ofcom has opened an investigation into BT Group PLC's compliance with its obligation to provide customers with clear and simple information about the contract before they sign up for a new agreement, the regulator has…
Kinovo celebrates Waltham Forest contract worth GBP4 million
(Alliance News) - Kinovo PLC on Monday announced progress in its cross-selling services strategy, following the award of a two-year contract by the London Borough of Waltham Forest. Kinovo is a specialist property services group based in…
Bears sign man back to reserve/future contract
(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)Things weren't quiet for the Chicago Bears after the end of the NFL regular season. After finishing 3-14, the team wanted to shake things up in Chicago. Their first shake-up came with the…
Congo sees deal on $6 bln China mining contract overhaul this year -FinMin
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Report Reveals Sean Payton's Astronomical Contract Demands
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Jaguars sign CFL QB Nathan Rourke on reserve/future contract
The Jaguars have signed former Canadian Football League quarterback Nathan Rourke to a reserve/future contract, the team announced Monday. Rourke will not be on the team until after the year, when the offseason roster limit returns…


text:
Inside ArtScroll - Season 3 Episode 1: Rabbi Nachman Seltzer!
He was a gadol who lived and breathed Torah learning. A member of Eretz Yisrael's Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah. A master educator who influenced literally thousands of talmidim, from pre-schoolers to respected mechanchim. He was part of a family that included some of the greatest names in pre-war Europe.
And it all started in a public school in Pittsburgh.
Rav Yitzchok Scheiner's journey from a Pittsburgh high school to his simple Yerushalmi home and the hallowed halls of Kamenitz Yeshivah is a story of breathtaking Hashgachah Pratis, diligence, and determination. It is a story, also, of the dedicated people who enabled the budding math and Latin scholar to become a gadol b'Torah. In this Inside ArtScroll interview, Rabbi Nachman Seltzer discusses his new book, which paints a vivid and absorbing portrait of Rav Scheiner as an incomparable mechanech, a loving father to his own children and his talmidim, a man of incredible sensitivity and integrity. Through his teachings and personal example, Rav Scheiner influenced many thousands. Now, with the publication of this biography, he continues to teach -- and inspire -- all of us with his shining example of gadlus. [Purchase the book HERE.]


text:
She Went to Fill a Scholarship Kind. 17 year old Raped and Killed in UP's Lakhimpur Kheri
In a dreadful occurrence a 17-year-old woman was raped and her body mutilated near a town in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri district, according to reports. She left house on Monday to go to a neighbouring town to fill up a scholarship form. When she did not return the household informed the cops."I actually do not understand what to state or whom to suspect. She left around 8.30 am on Monday. We do not think anyone," said her uncle according to NDTV. This is the 2nd such occurrence from the very same district, where just recently a lady was raped and she was tossed in the fields outside the town.
Her post-mortem validated rape, Superintendent of Authorities Satendra Kumar Singh stated according to the DNA. The girl, a class 12 student, had actually gone to a neighbouring town to fill a scholarship form and only when she didn't return her parents signaled the cops.
On August 15, a 13-year-old lady was raped and strangled. Her body was found in a sugarcane field that reportedly belonged to among the accused. Two males from her town have been up until now apprehended.
Several Rapes in Lakhimpur Kheri
This district has actually reported a number of gruesome rape cases. The rape case from 15th August, 2020 where the girl was raped and left in the fields to pass away. In 2019, in Gola town of the district, a six-year-old woman was raped by a kid from class eighth. The rapist apparently understood the victim and tempted her with sugary foods. Times Now reported the medical assessment of the survivor had actually confirmed sexual attack.
In July 2020, a rape survivor from the Dalit neighborhood in the Lakhimpur Kheri district passed away by suicide according to a report by Jansatta. The woman ended her life as she was being bothered by the rape implicated's family.
UP Criminal offense Rate growing
The yearly report of the National Crime Bureau Data (NCRB) reveals a rape case is registered with the UP cops every two hours and the state sees a criminal offense versus a kid every 90 minutes. Based on the data readily available for 2018, 144 girls below the age of eighteen were reportedly raped in 2018 versus 139 in 2017.
The post She Went to Fill a Scholarship Form. 17 year old Raped and Killed in UP's Lakhimpur Kheri appeared first on SheThePeople TELEVISION.
Authorities Satendra Kumar SinghDistricts of IndiaDivisions of Uttar PradeshGeography of Uttar PradeshJansattaKheriLakhimpurLakhimpur KheriLaw CrimeNaseeruddin Memorial HallSatendra Kumar SinghSheThePeople TELEVISIONSuperintendent of Authorities Satendra Kumar SinghUttar Pradesh
Student Sells Book Collection He Collected for Many Years to Buy Gadget for Online School
7 Skills Students Need for Distance Learning


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In this Hiring Hacks webinar, learn how Michelle has transformed recruiting from a reactive function to a proactive leader within Zenefits. The results speak for themselves: Her team made over 350 new hires within the engineering and product teams since 2015!
How to use data to inform decisions such as hiring plans, choosing interviewers, improving candidate experience, and optimizing your recruiting budget.


text:
Local Republicans Issue Statement on Storming of U.S. Capitol
HARRISBURG – In response to the storming of the United States Capitol by protestors, local Republicans, Appropriations Chair Stan Saylor (R-Red Lion), House State Government Chairman Seth Grove (R-Dover) and Reps. Kate Klunk (R-Hanover), Torren Ecker (R-Adams/Cumberland) Mike Jones (R-York Township), Dawn Keefer (R-York/Cumberland) and Keith Gillespie (R-Hellam); and Sens. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York), Dave Arnold (R-Lebanon/Dauphin/York) and Mike Regan (R-York/Cumberland) issued the following statement:
Ecker Takes Oath of Office for Second Term
Jan. 05, 2021 / Press Release
HARRISBURG – Joined by fellow members of the House of Representatives, Rep. Torren Ecker (R-Adams/Cumberland) took the oath of office today for the 2021-22 session, his second term in office.
Ecker Named to House Appropriations Committee
HARRISBURG – As Rep. Torren Ecker (R-Adams/Cumberland) is poised to take the oath of office to begin his second term, he was appointed to a seat on the House Appropriations Committee.
Wolf Veto of Liability Protection Bill Does More Harm than Good, Ecker Says
ABBOTTSTOWN – Gov. Tom Wolf recently sided with trial lawyers, putting special interests over people, when he vetoed House Bill 1737, which would have provided commonsense limited liability protection from frivolous lawsuits to employers and many others. In response, Rep. Torren Ecker (R-Adams/Cumberland), who offered his unwavering support of the bill, issued the following statement:
Ecker Issues Statement on Fiscally Responsible Budget
HARRISBURG – The House today approved a fiscally responsible budget for the 2020-21 fiscal year that respects taxpayers' finances. In response, Rep. Torren Ecker (R-Adams/Cumberland) issued the following statement:
Liability Protections Legislation Moves to Governor's Desk, Says Ecker
HARRISBURG ¬– The House earlier today approved amended legislation that provides businesses, schools, nursing homes and others with protections from frivolous lawsuits stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. House Bill 1737 now goes to the governor for his signature.
House Republicans Unveil Bills to Drive Commonwealth's COVID Comeback
HARMONY – House Republicans unveiled a pro-jobs, recovery-focused legislative package designed to achieve a better normal. The initiative, "Commonwealth's COVID Comeback," would rebound the economy by incentivizing manufacturing with no new taxes or fees.
House Republicans Unveil Bills to Drive the Commonwealth's COVID Comeback
WHAT:	Rep. Josh Kail (R-Beaver/Washington), House Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) and other state representatives will unveil a pro-jobs, recovery-focused legislative package designed to achieve Pennsylvania's better normal. The initiative, "Commonwealth's COVID Comeback," would rebound the economy by incentivizing manufacturing with no new taxes or fees following the pandemic.
Ecker Issues Statement on Wolf Vetoing Bill to Allow School Districts to Decide
ABBOTTSTOWN – In response to Gov. Tom Wolf's veto of House Bill 2787 to ensure decisions about school sports and activities, including policies regarding spectators, are made at the local level, Rep. Torren Ecker (R-Adams/Cumberland) issued the following statement:
Ecker Finds Court Ruling on Elections Disturbing
ABBOTTSTOWN – In light of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's ruling allowing for ballots to be received and counted for up to three days following the election day deadline, among other things, Rep. Torren Ecker (R-Adams/Cumberland) issued the following statement:
Restrictions on Venue Businesses, Restaurants and Bars Need to be Lifted
Two of Gov. Tom Wolf's latest restrictions on restaurant and venue industries put hundreds of thousands of people out of work and caused countless businesses to close.
Ecker Joins Bill to Help Pennsylvania's Event Industry, Seeks Data that Led to Restrictions
HARRISBURG – To help businesses in the event industry from being forced to close, Rep. Torren Ecker (R-Adams/Cumberland) has joined on as a sponsor of a bill that will allow them to safely operate at 50% capacity. The legislation, which will be introduced shortly, was authored by Rep. Matthew Dowling (R-Fayette/Somerset).
Ecker Issues Statement on Wolf Recommendation to Halt Fall Sports
ABBOTTSTOWN – Earlier today, Gov. Tom Wolf stated his "recommendation is that we don't do any sports until Jan. 1." In response, Rep. Torren Ecker (R-Adams/Cumberland) issued the following the statement:
Reps. Dowling and Ecker to Host Virtual Meeting About Restaurant Restrictions
WHAT: Reps. Matt Dowling (R-Fayette/Somerset) and Torren Ecker (R-Adams/Cumberland) will host a conversation about the struggles faced by the restaurant industry because of the limitations imposed on it by Gov. Tom Wolf. Owners will share their challenges and discuss solutions to benefit the community as a whole.
Governor Continues Assault on Transparency, Say York and Adams Lawmakers
HARRISBURG – Gov. Tom Wolf plans to veto a transparency bill that received unanimous support in the Legislature, continuing his attempts to quash the right of the public and press to question state government officials. In response, local House Republicans from York and Adams counties, which include Reps. Seth Grove (R-Dover), who authored House Bill 2463; Kate Klunk (R-Hanover); Dawn Keefer (R-Dillsburg); Dan Moul (R-Gettysburg); Torren Ecker (R-Abbottstown); Mike Jones (R-York Township) and House Appropriations Chairman Rep. Stan Saylor (R-Red Lion) issued the following statement:
Adams County Recreational Opportunities to Expand Thanks to Public/Private Project, Ecker Says
ABBOTTSTOWN – A public/private initiative will improve fishing opportunities in Adams County, Rep. Torren Ecker (R-Adams/Cumberland) announced today.
Ecker Bill Would Ensure COVID-19 Death Benefits for First Responders
HARRISBURG – Rep. Torren Ecker (R-Adams/Cumberland) introduced legislation to ensure families of first responders receive line-of-duty death benefits in the event their loved ones die as result of COVID-19.
Fighting for our Future Firefighters
Pennsylvania's junior firefighter program received a much-needed update when the governor signed House Bill 1552, my first piece of legislation to be signed into law.
Ecker Issues Statement on Cutler being Named Speaker of the House
HARRISBURG – The House of Representatives elected Rep. Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster) as the 141st speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. In response, Rep. Torren Ecker (R-Adams/Cumberland) issued the following statement:
Cumberland County Legislators Endorse Selection of Cutler for Speaker of the House
HARRISBURG – Lancaster County state Rep. Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster) has been elected to serve as the 141st speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives by a majority vote. He was sworn in to serve out the 2019-20 legislative session.


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People today are constantly looking for cheap sources of energy seeing as the current ones are on the rise fast. Energy costs can go down if one learns how to use less electricity but a more effective way to deal with this issue is generating your own electricity. There are very many ways through which you can generate electricity but the most common and in arguably the best of all is the use of solar panels. Currently, the most economical choice there is for getting power is the installation of a renewable source of energy, and hence the reason why you will find many organizations with solar panels.
If you are finding it difficult to choose the right commercial solar panel for your business, you can get in touch with a commercial solar panel assessment company to guide you. Discussed in this article are tips aimed at helping you in choosing the right commercial solar panels.
Your business' energy usage level is the first factor you need to consider. Different businesses will consume different levels of electricity. The larger a solar panel, the more the power generated, which is why you need to invest in a large commercial solar panel if your business has a lot of appliances.
The second factor to consider is the location the commercial solar panel will be installed in. Solar panels are powered by sunlight and this therefore means that for your panel to be of help to you, it must get maximum sunlight, meaning that you will have to find an area where it will not be obstructed by either buildings or tall trees. The more the exposure the more the power, meaning that you do not have to worry about power shortages if your panel is installed in the right location.
Another important factor you need to consider is your budget and solar panel cost. Solar panel costs have greatly reduced over the years and so a business can easily afford one. The only way you will be able to get a commercial solar panel that fits your budget is by not tiring when it comes to searching since different dealers sell their panels at different prices and there are bound to be those that fit into your budget.
Do not go for obnoxiously cheap solar panels because they tend to be of poor quality most of the times. Solar power is considered to be clean energy and by investing in solar panels, you show that you are also environmental conscious.


text:
Q: Function causing error in javascript I am learning javascript online, I am stuck at a point where I need to call a function
var creditCheck = function (income)
{
    if (income>=100)
    {
       return console.log("You earn a lot of money! You qulaify for a credit card.");
    }
    else {
       return console.log("Alas yo do not qualify for credit card. Capitalism is creul like that.");
    }
};

creditCheck(75);

The above is my code in which I am calling the creditCheck function. Now when I put 75 in function parameter else command (i.e "Alas yo do not qualify for credit card. Capitalism is creul like that.") is executing twice in a console.
Why is this text appearing two times in console ?
Thanks

A: EDIT: CodeAcademy automatically will call the function with an argument of 75, so there is no need for you to call that function. For your code, you want to return a string, so instead of returning a console.log, return the string inside the console.log, like
return "You earn a lot of money! You qulaify for a credit card."; //or whatever the string is

This code will pass the test:
var creditCheck = function (income)
{
    if (income>=100)
    {
       return "You earn a lot of money! You qualify for a credit card."
    }
    else {
       return  'Alas you do not qualify for a credit card. Capitalism is cruel like that.' ;
    }
};

When I run it in my console, I'm only getting one statement. I'm guessing that you're calling it elsewhere. Post your entire code, or it would be very hard to help you. However, when you say return console.log(), you're returning undefined every single time, so it's doing nothing useful. What you might want to do instead is
var creditCheck = function (income)
{
    if (income>=100)
    {
       console.log("You earn a lot of money! You qulaify for a credit card.");
       return true; //or return "You earn a lot of money!"
    }
    else {
       console.log("Alas yo do not qualify for credit card. Capitalism is creul like that.");
       return false;//or  return "You don't qualify";
    }
};

creditCheck(75);


text:
> Blog > 2018 > Bernstein's Bittersweet Suburbia
Bernstein's Bittersweet Suburbia
Posted August 18, 2018 by Sophie Lewis
From August 7-20, Glimmerglass will present Leonard Bernstein's Trouble in Tahiti starring members of the Young Artist Program.
When Leonard Bernstein began to work on the music and lyrics for Trouble in Tahiti during his honeymoon in 1951, he was attempting to create a new type of musical drama. Unlike the tendency toward the fantastical shared by musical theater and opera, Bernstein wanted Tahiti to be realistic – in every sense of the word. With its riff on radio jingles of the era, conversational libretto and musical language borrowed from popular song, this one-act work is imbued with the sounds and feelings of everyday life.
Tahiti's striking cynicism and critique of mid-century consumerism is in keeping with a broader movement that was transforming 20th-century drama. Earlier in the century, German playwright Bertholt Brecht made a splash on the international theater scene with plays that critiqued the ills of capitalism. His collaborations with German-American composer Kurt Weill resulted in The Threepenny Opera (1928) and Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (1930), two operas that quickly became international successes.
Brecht's ideas were well-known to Bernstein; American composer Marc Blitzstein, one of Bernstein's early mentors, translated and adapted Threepenny and Mahagonny for their off-Broadway premieres in the United States. Bernstein even conducted a concert version of Blitzstein's translation of Threepenny at the inaugural Brandeis Arts Festival in summer 1952, just after he completed Tahiti. Furthermore, the Marxist ideals of Brecht's dramas pervaded Blitzstein's own compositions, such as The Cradle Will Rock, a work that Bernstein conducted at Harvard during his senior year.
In Tahiti, Bernstein presents a pessimistic portrait of a vacuous suburban paradise where the protagonists, Sam and Dinah, live out a stereotype of the "American dream." With this project, the first and the most substantive composition for which he wrote both music and lyrics, the influences of Brecht and Blitzstein on the composer are evident. From the smiling jazz chorus that extolls the virtues of middle-class suburbia to Sam's triumphant yet hollow meditation upon the unequal nature of American society in "There's a Law about Men," Bernstein paints a bleak picture of modern society.
Despite the work's short length, Bernstein delivers substantive political appraisal with signature lyricism. Dinah's aria, "There Is a Garden," reveals the psychological turmoil hidden beneath her seemingly-perfect life. Bernstein's choice of an overgrown garden to symbolize her unconscious bears a thematic similarity to Arnold Schoenberg's Erwartung, a one-act monodrama that premiered in 1924. In Erwartung, a nameless woman searches for her lover in a dark forest, growing increasingly panicked until she discovers his dead body. But while Schoenberg's melodrama exploits the woman's hysteria with anxious, atonal writing, "There Is a Garden" employs gorgeous melodic writing to delicately uncover Dinah's repressed longing for intimacy. The sincere sweetness of Bernstein's musical language in this moment cuts the bitterness of the work's political message and sweeps the audience up in the fleeting possibility of true fulfillment.


And so many ideas. I have found an interesting reading nathanmarz.com. I was just seeking some hadoop related solution and found that guy. Looks interesting, so I will follow his twitts for a while.
This week I've started to use idea ide, I was a big fun of netbeans working in Orange, I am fun of sts eclipse working in allegro (except the moments its window simply disappears in my mint nadia 14 – I hope it was missing repo or plugin issue) but the eclipse groovy plugin does not highlight unused imports… and idea does.
I wish I know how to "keep fire under motivations". I wish to run something. I wish to participate in something cool. Of course my work is something that kind but still I feel there is a room for more. I am 30 right now and the most important thing I've changed in my point of view is about people. It is very important to have great guys around. The only way to build something working fine is to do it with a team. Take a look on stendi.pl. I thought I am able to build such a shop myself. But I was wrong. I see a great team working on it. I see testers hard work. And I know now how big cost is to build something shiny.


The Rams did not exist as a Southern California franchise when Clay Matthews began his NFL career in 2009.
But the former Agoura High and USC standout, and many Green Bay Packers teammates and friends, took note when the Rams returned to Los Angeles from St. Louis in 2016. And Matthews got a taste of home again in a game against the Rams at the Coliseum last season.
When the Packers decided to move on from a six-time Pro Bowl player entering his 11th season, Matthews' sights naturally turned to the Rams. And when he agreed to terms on a two-year contract this week, former teammates were not surprised.
"They were saying, 'You kind of called this as far as ending up back home,'" Matthews said Thursday during a news conference in Thousand Oaks.
Matthews is the second veteran defensive player to sign with the Rams since their 13-3 Super Bowl defeat to the New England Patriots.
Terms of Matthews' deal were not disclosed. Safety Eric Weddle, a 12-year veteran and six-time Pro Bowl player, signed a two-year, $11.5 million contract that includes $5.2 million in guarantees, according to overthecap.com.
As he did when describing Weddle, Rams coach Sean McVay pointed to Matthews' production, versatility and experience.
Matthews began his USC career as a walk-on, and he was 22 when the Packers selected him with the 26th pick in the 2009 draft. During a decade in Green Bay, he amassed 83½ sacks and helped one of the NFL's most storied franchises win a Super Bowl.
He returns as a 32-year-old married man and father of three who is having a house built not far from the Rams' training facility.
Matthews said he spent nearly every offseason in the area. He described the opportunity to play for the Rams as "a perfect fit" several times during his news conference.
Matthews is expected to provide a proven presence to a linebacker corps that includes edge rushers Dante Fowler and Samson Ebukam.
Ebukam, a starter last season, underwent minor knee surgery after the season, and he is expected to be brought along slowly during offseason workouts so that he will be back to full speed by training camp, a person with knowledge of the situation said.
Matthews also has played inside. He said he would be comfortable wherever he is deployed.
During the 2010 NFL season, Matthews recorded a career-best 13½ sacks and the Packers won the Super Bowl. Last season, he had a career-low 3½ sacks.
He said he could still produce as he had done before.


text:
Ellie Goulding, Tems and Ed Sheeran honoured at BMI...
Ellie Goulding Ed Sheeran
Ellie Goulding came away with the top prize at the BMI London Awards.
Ellie Goulding gushed that it "means the world" to still be winning accolades after more than a decade in the music business upon receiving the BMI President's Award.
The 'Still Falling For You' hitmaker was recognised for her "contributions to the art of music and songwriting" at the BMI London Awards at London's Savoy Hotel on Monday (03.10.22), and she said it's an "inexplicable honour" to still have continued success, 12 years on from the release of her debut studio album, 'Lights'.
In her speech, the pop star said: "It means the world to me that I continue to have a career that I truly, truly love.
"It's been 12 years since my debut album, so to have continued success, and to get to release new music with a team of people who believe in me as an artist, will always be an inexplicable honour.
"To reach new milestones and be respected with incredible accolades like the President's Award tonight means everything and I couldn't do it without you."
Multi-platinum-selling singer Ellie, 35, already had 16 BMI Awards to her name, and she joins the likes of Jay Kay of Jamiroquai, Noel Gallagher, Imagine Dragons, Pink, and Brian Wilson as recipients of the prestigious President's Award.
The 'Brightest Blue' singer said that ambition is crucial to a "long-lasting career" in the "tough" industry.
Ellie said: "In the UK particularly, and as a woman, it's sort of ingrained into you that ambition is a bad thing and it's not very cool but it shouldn't be. Ambition is an essential ingredient for what we all do, and along with the talent and a bit of luck, for anyone who hopes of a long-lasting career, in a really tough industry actually, it's essential, so to anyone who's on their way there, please don't listen to those people who have anything to say about you wanting bigger and better because you deserve it."
The climate change activist added: "In a world now that needs urgent action, in a country that demands empathy, may music play its part in empowering others to begin."
Elsewhere, Ed Sheeran and Johnny McDaid were handed the European Song of the Year Award for mega-hit 'Bad Habits', for the most performed song of the previous year by UK or European writers in the BMI catalogue.
It's the third time Ed has won the accolade.
In a video message beamed at The Savoy, the flame-haired pop megastar said: "We had so much fun making the song and it has been so much fun playing the song out on the road and seeing the reactions of people all around Europe and I can't wait to go out and do some more."
Co-writer Johnny added: "Ed, I'm so grateful man for the fact that you still trust me to make music with you after over a decade of us writing songs together and I hope we have many more to come."
The private bash also see acclaimed singer, songwriter, and producer Tems - who is known for her collaborations with Drake and WizKid - bestowed with the BMI Impact Award for "ground-breaking artistry, creative vision and impact on the future of music."
Tems said: "I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for this award … I've come a long way and I'm so grateful."
And a number of Million-Air awards were presented on the night.
Songwriters Tom Barnes and Sam Roman were honoured for four million performances of 'Someone You Loved' by Lewis Capaldi, and Sam Smith and Normani for 'Dancing With A Stranger'. Stig Anderson, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus were honoured for six million performances of ABBA classic 'Dancing Queen.
And Sir Elton John claimed three BMI London Awards for seven million performances of 'Rocket Man', six million performances of 'Tiny Dancer', and 'Cold Heart (Pnau Remix)', co-written with Andrew Meecham and Dean Meredith, was also recognised in the Pop Songs category.


Thread: End of the Spear?
So I went to go see End of the Spear this last weekend. I was amazed for one that the theatre was packed, it had a very limited run and not much promo behind it from what I saw.
Anyhow, I thought it was an interesting film. It was well done though the story was a little odd sometimes...not the elements, just how it all flowed together, especially in the beginning.
The best part was it didn't cram religion down your throat. Instead it was more about pacifism, forgiveness, and cultural differences than anything.
So has anyone else seen it? I'd like to hear what anyone else thought!


A clear connection and an haute couture label Petit Guiraud is the new name for the second wine made by Château Guiraud, a Sauternes Premier Grand Cru Classé in the 1855 classification. This new name carries with it the responsibility to be worthy of a direct association with the grand vin. The label has been redesigned, but remains faithful to the gold and black that has always been a symbol of Château Guiraud and its history*. The two labels have an obvious family resemblance; Petit Guiraud's is less austere, with a floral design evoking a light, feminine wine, born of a gentle, harmonious environment.


It is not clear whom the Electoral Commissioner thinks he is fooling, when Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan asserts that "If the EC [Electoral Commission], [gauging] by the prevailing circumstances, finds it meaningful to create new constituencies, they would be created"(See "EC Has Done No Wrong – Dr. Afari-Gyan" Vibeghana.com 9/6/12). Indeed, he is dead-on accurate in, implicitly, observing that blame for his decision to creating 45 additional constituencies, with barely three months to Election 2012, ought to be squarely placed in the hands of those of our countrymen and women who crafted the 1992 Fourth-Republican Constitution and placed the momentous legal authority of creating additional constituencies, as came to be deemed necessary, in the hands of an unelected official with no professional legal background, or a crackerjack staff of legal mavens for the same purpose.
Nevertheless, maybe we need to deafeningly reiterate for the benefit of Dr. Afari-Gyan that none of the key disputants in the debate over the creation of 45 additional constituencies is impugning the overriding motive of the EC for creating the aforesaid constituencies. The Fourth-Republican Constitution of Ghana clearly stipulates that anytime that the country's population experiences a remarkable increase, parliamentary representation needs to be readjusted in commensurate, or proportional, response to the same.
What is being vehemently disputed by influential and distinguished Ghanaian citizens like former President John Agyekum-Kufuor, squarely has to do with the temporal frame within which the creation of these constituencies is being undertaken, particularly with regard to such pertinent issues as the conduct of parliamentary primaries geared towards the selection of parliamentary candidates, the affording of adequate electioneering campaign time in order to allow successful candidates introduce themselves to, as well as establish their confidence with, their prospective constituents. If these fundamental ingredients of a functional democracy are too much for the key players in our national political culture to demand from the Electoral Commissioner, as Dr. Afari-Gyan clearly seems to believe, then, of course, the man definitely must have outlived his usefulness at the post which he has held continuously for some two decades now.
Then also, Dr. Afari-Gyan could be clinically suffering from professional fatigue, in which case he needs to be seriously considering the imminent possibility of either retirement or resignation. Linked to the preceding is what might be aptly termed as the "arrogance of longevity," a kind of circumstantial intransigence that comes with excessive and cavalier familiarity with the performance of a job over time.
In reality, what the former Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana ought to be doing presently, together with his staff, of course, is to be meticulously combing through the voters' register to pollard – or weed out – double registrants and the so-called ghost names, such as those of the late President John Evans Atta-Mills, whose name, reportedly, still appears in the voters' register.
Indeed, it is rather quizzical for Dr. Afari-Gyan to claim that the biometric voting system is virtually foolproof, while at the same time calling for utmost vigilance on the part of polling-station officials. Then also, Ghanaians ought to be discussing the highly economical possibility of increasing the average population size required for the creation of new constituencies from the current 50,000 to at least 75,000, or even double the current constitutional mandate. In other words, blindly following the rules, even when it is clearly evident that they are incongruous with the proverbial temper of the times, does great ill to both responsible and mature leadership. This unarguably appears to be the overriding polemical thrust of those diametrically at variance with the apparent intransigence of the Electoral Commissioner.
While it certainly comes as quite refreshing to hear Dr. Afari-Gyan speak to the concerns of genuinely aggrieved sections of the Ghanaian electorate, nonetheless, what needs resolving is the imperative necessity for a pragmatic approach to our constitutional and electioneering protocol. On the latter score, Dr. Afari-Gyan ought to be more forthcoming and conciliatory.
*Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr., Ph.D., is Associate Professor of English, Journalism and Creative Writing at Nassau Community College of the State University of New York, Garden City. He is Director of The Sintim-Aboagye Center for Politics and Culture and author of "Ghanaian Politics Today" (Lulu.com, 2008). E-mail: okoampaahoofe@optimum.net.


School clubs take place at lunchtimes and after School, Monday to Friday during term times. They vary termly according to interest and enthusiasm. Below is the clubs list for the Lent term 2017.
Need more information? Please contact the Deputy Head Master (Pastoral), Mr Edward Graham.


text:
Samsung's 5nm production plans may be delayed because of COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic is also affecting Samsung's 5nm chip business as it would force a delay in production that could lead to great losses
Published 13 April 2020, 23:59 EDT
5nm,
Rumors,
Samsung is currently one of the largest chip makers in the world. It planned to start 5nm mass production in the upcoming months to have more than enough chipsets ready for their devices and to supply the demand of its customers. However, the COVID-19 pandemic is also affecting Samsung's plans, and this could translate to huge losses for the Korean tech giant and other companies that wanted to start working 5nm chipsets.
According to Business Korea, ASML is having difficulties exporting its extreme ultraviolet solutions from the Netherlands because of the COVID-19. The ASML is the only supplier in the world for EUV equipment that's necessary for semiconductor manufacturing. This directly affects Samsung and other companies that wanted to start mas producing chipsets. TSMC is another company that could be affected by this issue. This would carry on to create an inevitable delay in production that would translate to significant losses.
This delay could also make TSMC increase the gap between other companies since its better prepared as far as 5nm production goes. Samsung planned to start mass production of the X60 modem by the end of June, and if this doesn't happen, it would mean that Samsung could have problems having enough modems for its smartphones and being able to supply its many clients.
Source SamMobile
A former bilingual teacher that left the classrooms to join the team of Pocketnow as a news editor and content creator for the Spanish audience. An artist by nature who enjoys video games, guitars, action figures, cooking, painting, drawing and good music.
Samsung's new 108MP ISOCELL HM3 sensor offers better autofocus and low-light output
With the ISOCELL HM3 sensor, Samsung promises upgrades in image clarity, dynamic range – and more importantly – autofocus performance.
Apple's latest M1 MacBook Pro, Smart TVs and more are on sale today
Today's deals come from Amazon, and they include the latest M1 13-inch MacBook Pro, the MacBook Air, Sony Smart TVs and more
Samsung unveils the 5nm-based Exynos 2100 flagship SoC that will power the Galaxy S21
Samsung is touting a 30% gain in multi-core performance and a a 40% boost in graphics performance for the Exynos 2100 SoC.


text:
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Nader Khatib, owner of Evans-based Laziza Mediterranean Grille, will expand his Middle Eastern restaurant concept to the center of a budding downtown.
Khatib said he will sign a lease on the 3,600-square-foot ground floor of 901 Broad Street this week and has plans to open the fast-casual restaurant in the fall.
The second location of Laziza will be located on the first floor of the apartment complex that is currently being built at the corner of Ninth and Broad streets. The building's owner, Haltermann Partners, Inc. president Bryan Haltermann, said he plans for the nine-unit complex to be finished around September.
Khatib said the lack of fast-casual eateries in the central business district will make his restaurant an attractive location for people looking for a quick bite. He said a steady flow of TaxSlayer employees frequently go to the Evans location for lunch. He expects the same will be true when TaxSlayer moves its headquarters downtown to join an influx of cybersecurity professionals based in the new Georgia Cyber Center for Innovation and Training.
"It was too good to be true," Khatib said.
The new and improved Laziza will offer a wider variety of dining options than the original location. Adding to the menu's core items—Greek salads, shawarma, wraps and hummus, to name a few–will be a weekend hot breakfast menu, a cafe, bar and small market.
The new 3,600-square-foot space—more than double the size of Khatib's current restaurant—will also become a home base for the restaurant's catering business, which has a strong presence in the medical district.
"We're going to take it a step further and really go for it," Khatib said.
Khatib opened Laziza on Washington Road in Evans in 2011. Growing up, his Palestinian family lived in Michigan, where Middle Eastern fare was commonplace. Khatib said his grandma used to help him cook when he was a boy and that he "was always interested in food, big time." After six years in the Air Force, Khatib saw a wide open opportunity to open a restaurant in Augusta inspired by the food he grew up eating.
Now, he'll take that ever-growing inspiration downtown.
"I am super excited," Khatib said.
This entry was posted in Breaking Buzz, Restaurant News, Today's Buzz by Witt Wells. Bookmark the permalink.
Is there a plan for more traditional Greek dishes like musakka? The olympia cafe in Savannah is the best Greek restaurant I've ever been to. Something like that would be amazing.
Is there an update on the progress here? We live downtown and are super ready for you guys to open!!!


All images © Nimit Malavia.
All prints are shipped flat and signed and numbered by the artist. Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery. If you have any questions or you are interested in any original artwork not displayed here, please feel free to contact me at nimit (at) nimitmalavia (dot) com.
Each gocco-print was hand registered by myself, and as a result, each print is unique. These prints are a limited edition of 25 each (many have already been sold during the show), and no more will be printed as the screens no longer exist.
Please keep in mind that due to the gocco process the print you receive may not look exactly like the image shown above and below.
Two-colour gocco print on Stonehenge paper.
Edition of 10 / signed and numbered.
Giclee on Hahnemuhle fine art rag paper.
Edition of 50 /Signed and numbered.
Edition of 50 / Signed and numbered.
Print size: 20" x 26" inches.
Edition of 25 / Signed and numbered.
Screen Print, water based high quality ink on acid free stonehenge paper.