text:
Inside Brooklyn's DIY Spacesuit Startup
Author: Dave MosherDave Mosher
NEW YORK -- In a dorm room-sized office near Brooklyn's Gowanus Canal, a lanky man in an inflated spacesuit dances. He hops, shimmies and boogies. He stretches his arms, sweeps his hands over his head, twists his torso and lifts a bent leg in the air. At one point he lurches over, as if to scoop up a rock on Mars. The guy in the spacesuit is artist and designer Ted Southern. Videotaping his performance is Nikolay Moiseev, a Russian mechanical engineer and Southern's partner in founding Final Frontier Design, a startup company that hopes to craft affordable yet highly capable spacesuits for a burgeoning commerical spaceflight industry. Just moments before, the suit resembled a saggy scarecrow's skin stitched together from plastic kiddie pools. But as it inflates, a crude simulation of the spacesuit prototype's behavior in a vacuum, the metamorphosis is shocking. Every scrap puffs into purpose under pressure: a joint, an ergonomic contour, a clever reinforcement, all of which permits fluid movement not afforded by spacesuit designs used today. "The current options are limited, expensive, heavy and not very functional. We think we can offer real improvement in terms of both performance and cost," Southern said. Southern and Moiseev met at a 2007 NASA competition to design a new spacesuit glove. Motivated in 2009 by their second-place $100,000 win, the duo now designs spacesuits from a workshop in the industrial boonies of Brooklyn, directly right across the street from a popular hipster bar. "We both wanted to go beyond gloves to a full suit, and we recognized a new market in the suborbital spaceflight industry," Southern said. The company recently launched a $20,000 Kickstarter campaign to develop its "3G" spacesuit. If funded, they'll spend the cash creating a prototype to vie for NASA's picky certification. After that they plan to sell lightweight, flight-approved models for about $50,000 a piece. Wired recently visited Final Frontier Design's headquarters. Get an exclusive look inside in this gallery.
Mixed Histories
Moiseev once ran 20 miles in a spacesuit on a treadmill to test boots designed for NASA's defunct Mars program. His expertise has put him into dozens of models. "I am only man who tried almost all space suits in the world," Moiseev told Wired. Image: NASA Moiseev and Southern met in Connecticut as empty-handed competitors in NASA's 2007 astronaut glove challenge. After the contest, Moiseev needed to catch a flight to Russia from New York City. Southern, who still lives in Brooklyn, offered to give him a lift to New York. During the ride Southern learned that Moiseev worked for Zvezda, Russia's prime spacesuit contractor, from 1986 until 2006. During his tenure, Moiseev helped design six spacesuits and dozens of prototypes, including some components still used by Russia and NASA today (above). "I did not sleep the night before my gloves were used for the first time," Moiseev said of a cosmonaut's 1988 excursion outside of the Mir space station in an Orlan-type spacesuit. "I was very scared." Conversely, Moiseev learned that Southern designs costumes for Broadway shows and to this day helps craft the angel wings for Victoria's Secret models (below). "It's a good way to pay the bills when you're designing spacesuits from scratch. We build them out of money from our own pockets," Southern said.
Partners in Crime?
After losing NASA's 2007 astronaut glove challenge, Moiseev occupied himself by designing a full spacesuit for space tourists, high-altitude skydivers and NASA's future commercial suppliers (above). He called it the "NAM" — short for his full name, Nikolay Alexandrovich Moiseev — but it never got off the ground. Moiseev and Southern joined forces to win second place in NASA's 2009 glove challenge, and by 2011 they'd crafted the "2G," a yellow two-layer spacesuit (below at right). To be permitted to sell spacesuits, Southern had to register as an arms trafficker. "Spacesuits are considered weapons by the U.S. Department of State. They're listed just after nuclear weapons under ITAR, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations," Southern said. "It's been a huge problem for us, because Nikolay is a Russian foreign national." The regulations also make it nearly impossible for Southern to hire talented foreign interns. He couldn't even disclose to Wired the exact weight of the 3G, which is a one-layer design that's lighter and more flexible than the 2G suit. "What I can say is that it weighs less than 14 pounds," Southern said. "To sell it to someone outside the U.S., it will take about six months [and] a couple thousand dollars in lawyer fees."
Tight Timeline
Final Frontier Design's deadline on Kickstarter is July 15, 2012 (above). To attract $20,000 in donations before then, they're offering everything from custom ear-unplugging valsalva devices (below at right) for $100 to a full 3G spacesuit for $10,000. "That will only get us so far to developing a flight-ready and certified suit, but it would be a huge help," Southern said. Getting as far as they have with the 3G today meant Moiseev had to move to New York City. But that required a visa, a hurdle that all too often blocks talented people from working in the United States. "Thankfully we were able to get him an 0-1 visa for individuals with extraordinary ability," Southern said. "Everyone calls it the scientists-and-supermodels visa."
Operating on a shoestring budget means Final Frontier Design resorts to clever uses of common materials. Glove prototypes in their workshop (above) use a rubberized life raft-like fabric, which is then adorned with nylon straps and steel wires to control their shape under pressure. Helmets latch to an aluminum cuff with a simple twist and use a shatter-resistant polycarbonate shell for the visor. "In the new version we'd love to design a visor with a shade that flips up," Southern said.
Spacesuit Seamsters
From steel nails and wingnuts to cotton string and sewing needles, Final Frontier Design keeps it real with old-school materials in its workshop. But the fully functional prototypes don't seem to mind. "Some spacesuit manufacturers say the Washington, D.C. beltway is the most important orbit, and that getting a contract is more important than your technology," Southern said. "We disagree. Useful technology is the most important thing, and you don't have to spend tons of money to get it right."
Tough Glove
Gloves, Moiseev believes, are the hardest parts of a spacesuit to get right. "If they are not designed well, they will fail after very little use. Many astronauts lose their fingernails from the stress of the glove," he said. The startup uses a vacuum chamber (above) to test their designs. Under pressure, the gloves morph from saggy sacks into stiff, hand-fatiguing structures (below). Carefully sewn joints, however, provide flexibility and degrees of freedom that most spacesuit gloves can't match. "Hands are really important for human interaction," Southern said. "They're hard to get right, but we feel like we have very effective designs."
Suiting Up
The 3G prototype is a one-piece spacesuit (above) without hard-to-move airtight zippers that are common to most spacesuits. To get inside the 3G, a wearer sticks his or her feet through a tube of material in the front, then pulls the arms and helmet ring over the head. Once tucked in, an assistant twists and seals the entry tube. Southern (left, below) donned the 3G for Wired while Moiseev (right, below) helped him put it on.
Vital Accessories
A no-frills helmet twists and locks into place on top of the 3G spacesuit (above) while gloves (below) use similar aluminum hardware to keep the suit sealed. Underneath the garment, Southern wears long underwear, cotton gloves and a custom-made snoopy cap for communications.
Com Check
To communicate from their sealed-up world, Southern and Moiseev use a headset linked wirelessly by Bluetooth to an iPhone. "It's not flight-certified, and you can't have any electronic component in a high-oxygen environment. But it works for now," Southern said. Below, Moiseev chats with Southern inside of the spacesuit.
Compressed air pumped into the 3G spacesuit raises the internal pressure to 2 pounds per square inch above external pressure (above). The simple exercise helps Southern and Moiseev test cooling flow within the suit, and simulate the flow of oxygen that will eventually come from a life support system. The inflation also helps the team examine the suit as single, functional unit in action. Below, Southern weaves together his gloved fingers in a show of pliability. "The spacesuit is a precaution against rapid depressurization, like oxygen masks that drop from the ceiling in airplane," Southern said. "At more than 200,000 feet, if your spacecraft loses pressure, your body can't survive that. It's essentially a vacuum. You need a helmet with a neck seal or a full spacesuit."
In the tight confines of a spacecraft, comfort is key for spacefliers. To that end, Final Frontier Design is designing the 3G to be as lightweight and flexible as possible (above, below) while inflated. "We were working on single-layer gloves, and we felt we could translate that to the entire suit," Southern said. "When you have two layers and you try to bend a joint, it's hard to do and you get a lot of friction. The single-layer suit is much lighter and more comfortable." Punctures and wear-and-tear on a single-layer spacesuit makes for a greater risk. But Southern said the 3G fabric is much thicker than that of the protective outer layer of the two-layer 2G model. "If it does seem like a greater risk, we'll add a lightweight protective coverall," Southern said.
Starting Small
The competition for suborbital spacesuits is limited to a few competitors -- David Clark, ILC Dover and Orbital Outfitters, for example -- but the stakes are high with a small pool of customers. "Generally [rocket] companies think a lot about the rocket and the spacecraft, but not so much the spacesuits," Southern said. "It's sort of an afterthought for them, and we feel there's a lot of commercial potential there." Although the 3G is not flight-ready yet, Final Frontier Design is already attracting potential customers. "Someone from a high-altitude balloon company visited us yesterday for a demo, and it looks like he might buy a suit for $10,000. That could push us over the Kickstarter limit," Southern said. "His friend, a pilot, also seems willing to do some testing of the suit in exchange for one."
Images copyright of Dave Mosher (unless noted otherwise)
#Open Space


text:
Nick Ut/AP
A firefighting helicopter makes a water drop over a wildfire near Bradbury, Calif. on Wednesday. Cooler, more humid weather gave at least some temporary help Wednesday to crews battling dangerous wildfires in Southern California, while other blazes across the West were on the move.
Lake Isabella fire underscores Forest Service plea for wildfire disaster fund
Fire crews in central California are battling a massive wildfire that broke out Thursday, one day after the Forest Service warned that the drought has rendered the state's forests a dry tinderbox.
By Josh Kenworthy Staff writer
@joshkenworthy
Wildfires destroyed at least 80 homes and threatened an additional 1,500 as flames tore through Central California's rural communities Friday, according to authorities.
The blaze broke out Thursday as temperatures rose to a 90-plus degrees F. dry heat, moving across a number of ridges and burning homes including some northeast of Bakersfield near Lake Isabella. It came just as others across western states were dying down.
The fires again highlighted an ongoing plea from the United States Forest Service to have wildfires classified as "natural disasters" so it can fund its firefighting efforts from federal emergency money instead of its own programs, which are mainly meant for preventing fires. That call took on renewed urgency this week with the news that the drought and a beetle infestation have left millions of dead trees as perfect fuel for wildfire.
"Unless Congress acts now to address how we pay for firefighting, the Forest Service will not have the resources necessary to address the forest die-off and restore our forests," said Tom Vilsack, secretary of the Department of Agriculture, the parent agency of the Forest Service, in a statement Wednesday.
The rapid expansion of the Lake Isabella fire underscores how quickly wildfire can become a threat to people and property.
"I've never been in a wildland fire where I've seen so many homes burn," Kern County Fire Capt. Tyler Townsend told the Associated Press. "It's one of the most devastating I've ever seen."
The increasing intensity and frequency of fires, behind the Forest Service's push for more funding, have been attributed to a number of factors. For one, a beetle infestation has killed 66 million trees since 2010, turning portions of the California landscape into a tinder box.
Drought conditions – some experts say are exacerbated by the effects of climate change – as well homebuilding and other development being pushed into the so-called "wildland-urban interface," have added to the budgetary strain.
The Forest Service spent 56 percent of its budget last year on fire management, compared to 16 percent in 1995. The Forest Service said 2015 was the most expensive fire season in its history, costing them more than $2.6 billion, according to The Sacramento Bee.
So far, as a result of the Lake Isabella fire, a few thousand people have been ordered to evacuate. No injuries had been reported at time of writing.
Some 350 firefighters were battling the blaze and hundreds more were on their way, according to fire-information site InciWeb.
Elsewhere, fires in nearby and in neighboring western states also burned.
Two fires burned more than 8 square miles of chaparral and brush in the Angeles National Forest and the populated foothills in northeast of Los Angeles.
Sizable blazes also burned in Colorado and eastern Arizona.
A fire in San Diego County burned 7,350 acres before firefighters were able to get a third of it under control leading to a lift in evacuation order for Portrero, a community near the Mexican border.
Firefighters have been sounding alarm that their budgets are not adequate to handle the increasingly number and intensity of fires that have scorched the West for some time. During last year's fire season, one Western congressman introduced a bill aimed at providing specific funding for wildfire response, as the Christian Science Monitor's Brad Knickerbocker reported at the time:
The situation, says US Rep. Mike Simpson (R) of Idaho, 'has created a devastating cycle that prevents agencies from doing needed hazardous fuels removal or timber harvests, leading to worse fires.'
Representative Simpson is the lead sponsor of the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act, a bill that would treat catastrophic wildfires like other natural disasters (floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc.), funding suppression of such fires through emergency disaster programs.
Nearly a year later, the bill's status on the Congress website remains stagnant as "introduced."
This report contains material from the Associated Press and Reuters.
Test your knowledge Could you be a Hotshot? Take our quiz!
Millions of dead trees pose massive wildfire risk. What can be done?
USA Update How aerial mapping has helped contain San Gabriel Complex fire
https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2016/0624/Lake-Isabella-fire-underscores-Forest-Service-plea-for-wildfire-disaster-fund

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


"The neurotrophic factors brain-derived neurotrophic factor and neurotrophin-3 are ligands for the trkB tyrosine kinase receptor."
Soppet D., Escandon E., Maragos J., Middlemas D.S., Reid S.W., Blair J., Burton L.E., Stanton B.R., Kaplan D.R., Hunter T., Nicolics K., Parada L.F.
Cited for: FUNCTION IN BDNF AND NTF3 SIGNALING.
"Targeted disruption of the trkB neurotrophin receptor gene results in nervous system lesions and neonatal death."
Klein R., Smeyne R.J., Wurst W., Long L.K., Auerbach B.A., Joyner A.L., Barbacid M.
"Characterization of neurotrophin and Trk receptor functions in developing sensory ganglia: direct NT-3 activation of TrkB neurons in vivo."
Farinas I., Wilkinson G.A., Backus C., Reichardt L.F., Patapoutian A.
Cited for: FUNCTION IN NTF3-MEDIATED NEURON SURVIVAL.
"Essential role for TrkB receptors in hippocampus-mediated learning."
Minichiello L., Korte M., Wolfer D., Kuehn R., Unsicker K., Cestari V., Rossi-Arnaud C., Lipp H.P., Bonhoeffer T., Klein R.
Cited for: FUNCTION IN LONG-TERM POTENTIATION AND LEARNING.
"Mechanism of TrkB-mediated hippocampal long-term potentiation."
Minichiello L., Calella A.M., Medina D.L., Bonhoeffer T., Klein R., Korte M.
Cited for: FUNCTION IN LONG-TERM POTENTIATION AND LEARNING, INTERACTION WITH SHC1 AND PLCG1, MUTAGENESIS OF TYR-515 AND TYR-816.
"TrkB regulates neocortex formation through the Shc/PLCgamma-mediated control of neuronal migration."
Medina D.L., Sciarretta C., Calella A.M., Von Bohlen Und Halbach O., Unsicker K., Minichiello L.
Cited for: FUNCTION IN NEURONAL MIGRATION AND DIFFERENTIATION.
"Suppression of anoikis and induction of metastasis by the neurotrophic receptor TrkB."
Douma S., Van Laar T., Zevenhoven J., Meuwissen R., Van Garderen E., Peeper D.S.
Cited for: FUNCTION AS A SUPPRESSOR OF ANOIKIS.
"TrkB binds and tyrosine-phosphorylates Tiam1, leading to activation of Rac1 and induction of changes in cellular morphology."
Miyamoto Y., Yamauchi J., Tanoue A., Wu C., Mobley W.C.
Cited for: FUNCTION IN PHOSPHORYLATION OF TIAM1, FUNCTION IN CELL DIFFERENTIATION, INTERACTION WITH TIAM1.
"TrkB (tropomyosin-related kinase B) controls the assembly and maintenance of GABAergic synapses in the cerebellar cortex."
Chen A.I., Nguyen C.N., Copenhagen D.R., Badurek S., Minichiello L., Ranscht B., Reichardt L.F.
Cited for: FUNCTION IN SYNAPSE FORMATION.
"Regulation of TrkB receptor tyrosine kinase and its internalization by neuronal activity and Ca2+ influx."
Du J., Feng L., Zaitsev E., Je H.S., Liu X.W., Lu B.
Cited for: SUBCELLULAR LOCATION, ACTIVITY REGULATION.
"p75 neurotrophin receptor reduces ligand-induced Trk receptor ubiquitination and delays Trk receptor internalization and degradation."
Makkerh J.P., Ceni C., Auld D.S., Vaillancourt F., Dorval G., Barker P.A.
Cited for: UBIQUITINATION, ACTIVITY REGULATION.
Cited for: ACTIVITY REGULATION, INTERACTION WITH SH2D1A.
"Truncated TrkB-T1 mediates neurotrophin-evoked calcium signalling in glia cells."
Rose C.R., Blum R., Pichler B., Lepier A., Kafitz K.W., Konnerth A.
Cited for: FUNCTION IN CALCIUM SIGNALING (ISOFORM GP95-TRKB).
"Valproic acid prevents NMDA-induced retinal ganglion cell death via stimulation of neuronal TrkB receptor signaling."
Kimura A., Namekata K., Guo X., Noro T., Harada C., Harada T.
"TrkB and TrkC agonist antibodies improve function, electrophysiologic and pathologic features in Trembler J mice."
Sahenk Z., Galloway G., Edwards C., Malik V., Kaspar B.K., Eagle A., Yetter B., Forgie A., Tsao D., Lin J.C.
"Disruption of Trkb-mediated signaling induces disassembly of postsynaptic receptor clusters at neuromuscular junctions."
Gonzalez M., Ruggiero F.P., Chang Q., Shi Y.J., Rich M.M., Kraner S., Balice-Gordon R.J.
"Brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling rewrites the glucocorticoid transcriptome via glucocorticoid receptor phosphorylation."
Lambert W.M., Xu C.F., Neubert T.A., Chao M.V., Garabedian M.J., Jeanneteau F.D.
"Calsyntenins function as synaptogenic adhesion molecules in concert with neurexins."
Um J.W., Pramanik G., Ko J.S., Song M.Y., Lee D., Kim H., Park K.S., Sudhof T.C., Tabuchi K., Ko J.
"Role of neurotrophin receptor TrkB in the maturation of rod photoreceptors and establishment of synaptic transmission to the inner retina."
Rohrer B., Korenbrot J.I., LaVail M.M., Reichardt L.F., Xu B.
"Impaired TrkB receptor signaling underlies corticostriatal dysfunction in Huntington's disease."
Plotkin J.L., Day M., Peterson J.D., Xie Z., Kress G.J., Rafalovich I., Kondapalli J., Gertler T.S., Flajolet M., Greengard P., Stavarache M., Kaplitt M.G., Rosinski J., Chan C.S., Surmeier D.J.
"Coronary vessel development requires activation of the TrkB neurotrophin receptor by the Wilms' tumor transcription factor Wt1."
Wagner N., Wagner K.D., Theres H., Englert C., Schedl A., Scholz H.
"Retrolinkin cooperates with endophilin A1 to mediate BDNF-TrkB early endocytic trafficking and signaling from early endosomes."
Fu X., Yang Y., Xu C., Niu Y., Chen T., Zhou Q., Liu J.J.
Cited for: INTERACTION WITH APPL1, SUBCELLULAR LOCATION.
"Spatial and temporal organization of TrkB expression in the developing musculature of the mouse esophagus."
"Presenilin 1 and presenilin 2 have differential effects on the stability and maturation of nicastrin in Mammalian brain."
Chen F., Tandon A., Sanjo N., Gu Y.J., Hasegawa H., Arawaka S., Lee F.J., Ruan X., Mastrangelo P., Erdebil S., Wang L., Westaway D., Mount H.T., Yankner B., Fraser P.E., St George-Hyslop P.
"Impaired synaptic function in the microglial KARAP/DAP12-deficient mouse."
Roumier A., Bechade C., Poncer J.C., Smalla K.H., Tomasello E., Vivier E., Gundelfinger E.D., Triller A., Bessis A.
Cited for: PHOSPHORYLATION [LARGE SCALE ANALYSIS] AT TYR-515, IDENTIFICATION BY MASS SPECTROMETRY [LARGE SCALE ANALYSIS].
"The trkB tyrosine protein kinase gene codes for a second neurogenic receptor that lacks the catalytic kinase domain."
Klein R., Conway D., Parada L.F., Barbacid M.
Cited for: NUCLEOTIDE SEQUENCE [MRNA] (ISOFORMS GP145-TRKB AND GP95-TRKB).
Cited for: NUCLEOTIDE SEQUENCE [LARGE SCALE MRNA] (ISOFORMS GP145-TRKB AND GP95-TRKB).
Cited for: NUCLEOTIDE SEQUENCE [LARGE SCALE MRNA] (ISOFORM GP95-TRKB).


text:
Smart Girls Get What They Want is a 2012 young adult fiction novel by Sarah Strohmeyer. It was published on June 26, 2012 by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins.

Plot summary

Gigi, Bea, and Neerja are best friends and total overachievers. Even if they aren't the most popular girls in school, they aren't too worried. They know their "real" lives will begin once they get to their Ivy League colleges. But on the day Neerja's sister goes off to Princeton, the girls realise that their pursuit for academic excellence are causing them to miss out on the full high school experience. They make a pact to stop being nobodies, and get more involved with the school.

After Gigi aces a difficult chemistry test, she is accused of cheating as the typical jock sitting next to her, Mike, also aces the test. The principal decides to waive a suspension, however she forces Gigi to work on a chemistry project with Mike, where both parties have to contribute equally. Gigi blames Mike, thinking that he copied off her test, and Mike does nothing to deny this. The principal is also required to place a note in their permanent record stating that they were referred to her for cheating, which is a new rule set by the board.

This prompts Gigi to run for student rep and change the rules so as not to affect her chances of getting into an Ivy. However Gigi faces fierce competition from newcomer Will, who seems to have it all: looks, brains, and more money than he could spend in a lifetime. On top of everything, Will seems to have an interest in Gigi, causing her to lose track of what's really important.

But Gigi, Bea and Neerja all rally for her campaign, and Gigi gains more and more popularity. Along this journey, Gigi realises that she misjudged a lot of her classmates, particularly Mike, who turns out to be on par with Gigi's own academic excellence. Gigi eventually sees that Will is only using her as a substitute while on a long distance relationship with his girlfriend, Talia, and she stops falling for his games. From this, Gigi realises that her heart belongs to Mike, and the book ends with them getting together during the Crystal Ball. Also she and Dr. Schlutz, her principal made a deal that her and Mike's record for cheating are erased from their transcript.

Characters
Genevieve (Gigi) Dubois: An academically driven honor student. Her mom is a physician that graduates from MIT. She is the smartest student in her class. At first she is smitten with William Blake but when realizes that he treated girls like an object, she ended up with Mike instead. Gigi loves her friends, and would do anything for them. She vows to put them first, before any boy. To show this she joins the ski team with Bea.
Beatrice (Bea) Honeycutt: An overachiever like her other two best friends. She is raised by her lawyer parents that makes her not afraid to stand up to herself or her friends and has a fiery temper. Also she is quite sensitive about her red hair. She is at a ski club.
Neerja Padwami: Gigi's best friend. Daughter of two doctors that have an academically gifted older sister. She has two younger sisters who are twins. She becomes prompter in the school play Romeo and Juliet. She does not want to be like her big sister Parad, who, although was one of the smartest girls of her year, was a nobody in her social life. She had a major crush on Justin until she finds that they just did not click. Justin's ex-girlfriend after she realizes that she liked Henry more than she likes Justin. She's also an overachiever.
Ava Wilkes: Gigi's former friend. Once a girl who obeyed rules, she is a rebellious goth artist since she dates an exchange student from Germany. It is finally revealed that she changed herself for boys so they want her. She becomes preppy and neat again after she has a crush for Will.
Mike Ipolito: Gigi's classmate who was accused of cheating on an exam with Gigi. He has a crush on Gigi and always asking her to give her homework for him to copy so he could talk to her. Finally he ended up with Gigi. His academic ability is on a par with Gigi, even though he never shows it and covers it with a dumb jock image.
 William (Will) Blake: Gigi's love interest, until she sees through his deceptive charm. Handsome, smart, wealthy, charming he couldn't more be than a cassanova. He claims that he falls for Gigi, but she realizes that she is only a substitute for his girlfriend at California she gets sick of him and stops falling for his games.
Parad Padwami: Neerja's older sister who goes to Princeton with a full scholarship. A role model for Gigi, Bea and Neerja, they finally realize that behind her seemingly perfect life she keeps a dirty little secret that she's not a popular student and is a nobody, even though she is the smartest student in her year and graduates as valedictorian. Her SAT score is 2400.
Henry Filomen: Neerja's next door neighbor and best male friend. He eventually falls for Neerja and vice versa.
Justin Crenshaw: Neerja's crush for most of her life. A cute guy who is in love with himself. He dumps Neerja for another girl.

Reception
Critical reception for Smart Girls Get What They Want was predominantly positive, with the book gaining praise from multiple review sites and journals such as Publishers Weekly and TeenReads. Booklist overall praised the novel and stated that while the trends and fashion mentioned in the book "will become dated, the issues won't".

References

External links
Official author site

2012 American novels
Balzer + Bray books
American young adult novels

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The Christ School project was a 5,500 SF renovation and build out of administrative offices and a wellness center. The existing building was completely demolished and Cooper was able to salvage stone to use on the new facade. Over the course of this 9 month project, Cooper coordinated the construction so that the campus could remain open and operational.


text:
Q: Differentiation using quotient or product rule Differentiate:
$$\frac{2x-1}{(x^2+5)^{0.5}}$$
With the quotient rule
$\dfrac{v\cdot \frac{du}{dx}-u\cdot\frac{dv}{dx}}{v^2}$
I keep coming to
$\frac{[2(x^2+5)^{0.5}-0.5(2x-1)(x^2+5)^{-0.5}]}{ (x^2+5)}$
With the product rule
$u\cdot\frac{dv}{dx}+v\frac{du}{dx}$
 I made it $(2x-1)(x^2+5)^{-0.5}$ and then
$(2x-1)(-0.5(x^2+5)^{-1.5})+2(x^2+5)^{-0.5}$
I don't know which step I am missing here.
All help appreciated.

A: Let $$f(x) = \frac{2x-1}{\sqrt{x^2+5}}$$

*

*By product rule: $$f'(x) = (2x-1) [\frac{-x}{(x^2+5)^{\frac32}}] + \frac{2}{\sqrt{x^2+5}}$$ $$= \frac{x + 10}{(x^2+5)^{\frac32}}$$

*By quotient rule: $$f'(x) = \frac{2\sqrt{x^2+5}-(2x-1)\frac{x}{\sqrt{x^2+5}}}{x^2+5}$$ $$=\frac{2(x^2+5)-2x^2+x}{(x^2+5)^{\frac32}}$$ $$=\frac{x+10}{(x^2+5)^{\frac32}}$$

A: $$\left(\frac{2x-1}{\sqrt{x^2+5}}\right)'=\frac{2\sqrt{x^2+5}-\frac{2x(2x-1)}{2\sqrt{x^2+5}}}{x^2+5}=\frac{2(x^2+5)-2x^2+x}{\sqrt{(x^2+5)^3}}=\frac{x+10}{\sqrt{(x^2+5)^3}}$$

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
On our way to discovering who it might be that served as unofficial matchmaker between my second great grandfather, South Carolina native Thomas Taliaferro Broyles, and his Georgian bride, Mary Rainey, I figured the most methodical way to eliminate possibilities would be to go down the list of the seven Broyles brothers and their two sisters. Of course, that path was rife with rabbit trails.
But I warned you.
Here, as promised, is today's diversion from the task at hand. It has to do with the oldest of the Broyles boys, Charles Edward Broyles' oldest brother by only a year and a half. Like Charles, a lawyer. Unlike Charles, a confirmed bachelor—thus eminently unqualified to serve as schemer behind his much-younger brother Thomas' demise marriage in Georgia.
While he was hardly the prime suspect for matchmaker, Augustus Taliaferro Broyles was a well-connected professional in his hometown in Anderson County, South Carolina. Born in 1824 to Ozey Robert and Sarah Ann Taliaferro Broyles, A. T. Broyles (as he was later known) apparently became a formidable attorney whose reputation may actually have outlived him.
At his passing on April 7, 1904, two newspapers outside Anderson County also carried reports of his death. Perhaps, because of his involvement in both law and politics, it was understandable that there would be mention of it in Columbia's The State, published at the state capital. Predictably, the November 9, 1904, entry appeared in the first column of the seventh page, under the heading, "Deaths in South Carolina."
Capt. A. T. Broyles
Special to The State
Anderson, Nov. 7—Capt. A. T. Broyles died at his home in this city today at 1 o'clock. He was 81 years old. He was a graduate of the South Carolina college, a captain in the Confederate army and a lawyer of distinction. He served several terms in the legislature, but devoted most of his time to the law. Before advanced age incapacitated him, he was a very active man and considered one of the best informed lawyers in the State. He was never married.
The capital's leading newspaper, however, did not get the scoop on Charleston's The News and Courier, which edged out its competitor with a front page article on November 8.
Death of Capt. A. T. Broyles
Eminent Lawyer of Anderson, a Confederate Veteran and a Confirmed Bachelor, Living to the Age of 80 Without Marrying.
Anderson, November 7.—Special: Capt. A. T. Broyles, formerly one of the most eminent lawyers of the State, died at 1.30 P. M., aged 80. Death resulted from the infirmities of age and from an attack of incipient paralysis. Capt. Broyles leaves four brothers and two sisters. He was a member of the Legislature before the war, and during the war he was a lieutenant and later a captain in the 4th South Carolina volunteers. He was disabled and transferred to Anderson as enrolling officer. After the war he entered a partnership with Gen. J. W. Harrison and later with Col. R. W. Simpson, of Pendleton. He was a famous office lawyer and a genius in equity. He never married. The funeral will take place at 3.30 P. M. to-morrow.
One would suppose that the attention paid to this man's passing might have been the result of his involvement in the Civil War on behalf of his beloved South. After all, inscribed on his memorial, besides the expected, "devoted, faithful son and brother," was not only a nod to the "lawyer and scholar," but also to his supporting role for "the welfare of his country."
Yet, according to a December 1 follow-up in The State, there was more—at least for those readers at the capital persistent enough to discover this entry parked on the tenth page:
Valuable Legal Paper.
Treatise on Wills, Testaments, Etc., by Capt. A. T. Broyles
Anderson, Nov. 30—Capt. A. T. Broyles, who died a few days ago, left in manuscript form a lengthy treatise on wills and testaments and the law of executors and administrators. The manuscript is still in its rough state, death having come upon the aged lawyer before he could revise it for publication. It is not yet known what disposition the family will make of the manuscript. Capt. Broyles was an able lawyer, and the treatise is doubtless one of great value.
Not to be outdone in its coverage of the now-deceased expert on wills and testaments, the very next day, The News and Courier, added their own report on page 6.
Capt. Broyles's Book.
Able Barrister of Anderson Left Treatise on Wills and Testaments
Among the personal affects of the late Capt. A. T. Broyles was a manuscript volume upon which he had spent years of patient toil and research, says the Anderson Mail. It was a treatise upon wills and testaments, and the law of executors and administratrices.
Members of the local bar have known for years that Capt. Broyles has had this treatise in course of preparation, and have looked eagerly from year to year for its appearance from the press. It was recognized that no lawyer in the State was more competent to write on the subject, and Capt. Broyles's marvelous learning and his knowledge of authorities and references were assurances that the book would make one of the most valuable current contributions to legal lore. The book was written out and finished, in rough draft, but had not been copied. It is probable that his heirs will make an effort to put it into shape for the press, but, owing to the illegibility of Capt. Broyles's peculiar handwriting this will be a tedious and lengthy task. It will be more than worth the while, however, and all practitioners who knew of Capt. Broyles's ability will be anxious to see his masterpiece given to the profession in permanent form.
Did the book ever get published? A search on WorldCat didn't seem to reveal any such tome. Perhaps that "peculiar" hand got the best of its copiers.
Above: Photograph of Anderson County Courthouse Square, from about the time of Augustus Broyles' passing. Courtesy Wikipedia; in the public domain.
Labels: Broyles, Newspaper Clippings, Occupations, South Carolina
I hope he left a will of his own.
Hopefully, one he didn't write out in his own hand...
He was a "distinguished" gent at any rate. I can't see why his father wouldn't have been proud of him - unless it was the unmarried thing.
Ah...I can see this post calls for a scorecard of its own :)
This was Charles' brother, not his son. Although that brings up another point I've wondered: sibling rivalry. With Augustus and Charles being so close in age--and both pursuing the same profession--were there any hard feelings between them due to competition?
I understand the peculiar handwriting as we struggle with my husbands Grandfather farm journals.
I bet that's been quite a challenge for you, Far Side! It makes my eyes water, just thinking about it.


Yvonne: I was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and that's where I live now. I wasn't raised here, but that time in between no longer matters to me. While my address is Grand Rapids, I actually live where our city water and sewage is paid to Wyoming, and our post office serves Kentwood. I like when things come in threes, so it seems fitting.
Yvonne: I earned my Doctor of Divinity in Spiritual Counseling last year. Before that, I got my Ph.D. in Holistic Life Coaching through the same school, the University of Metaphysical Sciences. With my degrees, I launched a "craft" business last year, The Art Of Dreams And Divination. I make dream catchers, do dream interpretation, make handmade divination tools, publish guidebooks on the use of those tools, and I even do spiritual readings.
I got remarried last year to an amazing man (he's also a great musician). Dale Wicks has been the person I needed to push me to work toward my goals. He's always by my side, whether I succeed or fail. We have no children, but we do have a white lop-eared rabbit named Anyanka.
Yvonne: I just self-published a new children's picture book. It's the only one I have in print, and it's a return to the life of Frankie the Firefly. I also have a poetry book (No Longer Fighting With Myself) and a short story horror/science fiction book (Possessive Repose). My first divination book so far is The Art Of Throwing Bones (which is only available directly, including Etsy, or through Lulu.com).
Yvonne: I've been writing since I learned how. However, I didn't get serious about writing until around 2000. There are many reasons why I love writing. It's a way to escape reality, a way to battle your demons, a way to help and entertain others, and it's a way to make a living.
Yvonne: I'm not a traditionalist when it comes to calling yourself a writer. I feel like I've always been a writer. I didn't start calling myself a professional writer until I switched to full-time "career" writing in October of 2010. I am more "strict" when it comes to the word author. Unless you have a book published, you're not really an author. If you have one written, you're a writer. You become an author once you're published (and self-publishing counts).
Fiona: What inspired you to write your current book?
Yvonne: My most recent published book, Following Frankie The Firefly, is a throwback to the first book I ever had published. Frankie The Firefly Belongs was published through Publish America, and when they went out of business, my rights to my book went with them. I changed the story, gave Frankie a new look, and brought him back to life – better than ever.
I don't know that I'll continue doing children's picture books in the future, but I felt like Frankie needed a ressurection, and I am thrilled with the results of the book itself.
Yvonne: The story is about following Frankie The Firefly through one of his adventures. He wants to find some new friends to hang out with because the other young fireflies don't like adventure.
Yvonne: I design all of my own covers. 90% of the time I use my own art or photos, though they are often altered. I have started using some royalty free stuff, but so far only for my throwing bones guidebook.
Yvonne: There's always some sort of message in my works. Following Frankie The Firefly is telling kids that it's OK to be yourself and to enjoy life, and maybe your experiences and adventure will inspire others.
No Longer Fighting With Myself is a poetry collection that starts out looking at some of the negative aspects of life; like loss of love, abuse, death, friendship breakups, and more. Then it switches into a more positive atmosphere with motivational and upbeat poems that show the reader that even when you've been through all of that dark stuff, there is still a light at the end of the tunnel.
Yvonne: I actually have a few friends that are authors that have impressed me with their works.
Ryan Lieske's first horror novel, Fiction, is a frightening tale that does more than scare you – it makes you think (which could be scary too, for some people.
My friends Jen Chichester and Amanda Zylstra are both prolific poets (as am I) with a lot of amazing things to say in their works. Chichester is great with rhymes and poems that are more full of imagery, and Zylstra's poetry avoids the scheme of rhyme and talks about real life.
Yvonne: Writing is definitely my career. I work full-time from home as a professional writer. I just left the SEO content firm landscape earlier this year and joined the team at LifeSavvy, a new site from the people at HowToGeek. Not only that, but I still do some ghostwriting and reviews here and there.
I'd love to boost my authorship and see that more as a career as well. Right now, however, I am content with the way things are between my business as a writer, my craft business, and my hobby of authoring books.
Yvonne: Not at all. In a sense, it is already a change from the original Frankie The Firefly story. The moral is different, but some of the aspects of the story still touch base on Frankie's adventures in the original book.
Yvonne: I feel like I did this time around. I tried something new; I sent a digital copy of the manuscript to a couple of friends with children and had them read the first draft to, or with, their kids. The feedback was good, motivational, and not what I expected. I ended up, with their help, rewriting the entire thing. It took me months, but what came out is amazing (or, I'd like to think so anyway). I learned that, while feedback can be difficult to take sometimes, getting the opinion of others on your words is important and sometimes extremely beneficial. I don't have children, so what do I really know about what kids like to read? I just wanted to tell them this need story that makes me smile.
Yvonne: Make friends with other writers. Get in good with someone that knows how to edit. Try new things; never stick to one genre, or you'll never grow as a writer. And never stop writing unless you're serious about giving up.
Yvonne: Reviews are important! You don't have to write an entire paragraph; a couple of sentences will do. Get on Amazon and Goodreads and write reviews of ALL of the books you read. You'll make an author's day!
Yvonne: Somehow my hobbies always turn into more. Writing and publishing books is my biggest hobby right now. Just over a year ago I started making dream catchers, and it's blown up into a small craft business that has expanded quickly into more than dream catchers.
I love arts and crafts. I also enjoy getting outdoors and hiking (or just walking). Fitness is a hobby, but one I should be more serious about. I am also a thrift store addict.
Yvonne: I watch a little bit of everything. I love horror films the most, as well as horror TV. I'm obsessed with true crime. And, anything with witches and/or vampires will usually catch my attention.
Yvonne: I don't want to. Writing is my life. It pays my bills. It's my therapy. I think if I could no longer write I would wither away and die. I know it's dramatic, but this has been my life for almost 10 years now.
Yvonne: I would spend that time saying goodbye and thank you to all of the people in my life. I would fit everyone in the state of Michigan into about the first fourth of that time, then travel with my husband to Indianapolis to see my sister and niece. I would make sure that all of the people that have made a difference in my life knew their impact.
Yvonne: Dreamer. Author. Loving Wife.
You can find links to my social media profiles and my Etsy shop through one or more of those links.
You draw an interesting distinction between being a writer and an author – it makes sense to me. Best of luck to you with your picture book and your new career.