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text:
package com.mossle.bpm.doc.timer;

import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;

import java.util.Date;
import java.util.Timer;
import java.util.TimerTask;
import java.util.concurrent.Callable;

import javax.annotation.Resource;

import org.activiti.engine.ActivitiException;
import org.activiti.engine.HistoryService;
import org.activiti.engine.IdentityService;
import org.activiti.engine.ManagementService;
import org.activiti.engine.ProcessEngine;
import org.activiti.engine.ProcessEngineConfiguration;
import org.activiti.engine.RepositoryService;
import org.activiti.engine.RuntimeService;
import org.activiti.engine.TaskService;
import org.activiti.engine.impl.cfg.ProcessEngineConfigurationImpl;
import org.activiti.engine.impl.cmd.DeleteJobsCmd;
import org.activiti.engine.impl.context.Context;
import org.activiti.engine.impl.interceptor.CommandExecutor;
import org.activiti.engine.impl.jobexecutor.JobExecutor;
import org.activiti.engine.impl.util.ClockUtil;
import org.activiti.engine.repository.Deployment;
import org.activiti.engine.runtime.JobQuery;
import org.activiti.engine.runtime.ProcessInstance;
import org.activiti.engine.runtime.ProcessInstanceQuery;
import org.junit.After;
import static org.junit.Assert.*;
import org.junit.Before;
import org.junit.Test;
import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
import org.slf4j.Logger;
import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
import org.springframework.test.context.ContextConfiguration;
import org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner;

/**
 * 定时器事件, 对定时器进行测试
 *
 * <pre>
 * ------------------------------------------ ISO 8601--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 *  ISO 8601:
 *  		国际标准化组织的国际标准ISO 8601是日期和时间的表示方法,,全称为《数据存储和交换形式·信息交换·日期和时间的表示方法》
 *  UTC:
 *  		协调世界时,又称世界统一时间,世界标准时间,国际协调时间,简称UTC
 *  日期表示:
 *  		年由4位数组成,以公历公元1年为0001年,以公元前1年为0000年,公元前2年为-0001年
 *  日历日期:
 *  		年为4位数,月为2位数,月中的日为2位数,例如2013年8月3日可写成2013-08-03或20130803。
 *  		可以将一年内的天数直接表示
 *  		平年365天,闰年366天。如2013年8月3日可以表示为2004-212或2004212
 * 日历星期和日表示法(W):
 * 			可以用2位数表示年内第几个日历星期,再加上一位数表示日历星期内第几天,但日历星期前要加上一个大写字母W,
 * 	 		如2013年8月3日可写成2013-W32-3或2013W323。
 * 日的时间表示法(Z):
 * 			小时、分和秒都用2位数表示,对UTC时间最后加一个大写字母Z,其他时区用实际时间加时差表示
 * 			如UTC时间下午2点30分5秒表示为14:30:05Z或143005Z
 * 			当时的北京时间表示为22:30:05+08:00或223005+0800,也可以简化成223005+08。
 * 日期和时间的组合表示法(T)
 * 			合并表示时,要在时间前面加一大写字母T
 * 			如要表示北京时间2013年8月3日下午5点30分8秒,
 * 			可以写成2013-08-03T17:30:08+08:00或20130803T093008+08。
 * 时间段表示法(P)
 * 			如果要表示某一作为一段时间的时间期间,前面加一大写字母P
 * 			但时间段后都要加上相应的代表时间的大写字母。如在一年三个月五天六小时七分三十秒内,可以写成P1Y3M5DT6H7M30S。
 * 重复时间表示法(R)
 * 			前面加上一大写字母R,如要从2013年8月3日北京时间下午1点起重复半年零5天3小时,要重复3次,
 * 			可以表示为R3/20130803T130000+08/P0Y6M5DT3H0M0S。
 *
 *  ------------------------------------------ Quartz中时间表达式-->corn表达式 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 *  时间格式: <!-- s m h d m w(?) y(?) -->,   分别对应: 秒>分>小时>日>月>周>年,
 *   <value>0 59 23 * * ?</value>: 如下为每天23:59:00开始执行
 *   <value>0 1,2,3 11,12 * * ? </value>: 每天11:01,11:02,11:03; 12:01,12:02,12:03分执行任务
 *   Cron表达式的时间字段除允许设置数值外,还可使用一些特殊的字符,提供列表、范围、通配符等功能,细说如下:
 * 	星号(*):
 * 			可用在所有字段中,表示对应时间域的每一个时刻,例如,*在分钟字段时,表示"每分钟"。
 * 	问号(?):
 * 			该字符只在日期和星期字段中使用,它通常指定为"无意义的值",相当于点位符。
 * 	减号(-):
 * 			表达一个范围,如在小时字段中使用"10-12",则表示从10到12点,即10,11,12。
 * 	逗号(,):
 * 			表达一个列表值,如在星期字段中使用"MON,WED,FRI",则表示星期一,星期三和星期五。
 * 	斜杠(/):
 * 			x/y表达一个等步长序列,x为起始值,y为增量步长值.如在分钟字段中使用0/15,则表示为0,15,30和45秒,而5/15在分钟字段中表示5,20,35,50,你也可以使用(星号/y,它等同于0/y。
 * </pre>
 *
 * @author LuZhao
 *
 */
@RunWith(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.class)
@ContextConfiguration(locations = { "classpath:/spring/applicationContext*.xml" })
public class StartTimerEventTest {

	@Resource
	protected RepositoryService repositoryService;
	@Resource
	protected RuntimeService runtimeService;
	@Resource
	protected TaskService taskService;
	@Resource
	protected ManagementService managementService;
	@Resource
	protected ProcessEngineConfigurationImpl processEngineConfiguration;

	protected Deployment deployment;

	protected Logger logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(getClass());

	/**
	 * FIXME 死循环 需要手动删除
	 *
	 * @throws Exception
	 */
	@Test
	public void testCycleDateStartTimerEvent() throws Exception {
		// ProcessInstance processInstance = runtimeService.startProcessInstanceByKey("startTimerEventExample");
		// assertNotNull(processInstance);

		ClockUtil.setCurrentTime(new Date());
		logger.info("------>当前时间:{}", ClockUtil.getCurrentTime());
		JobQuery jobQuery = managementService.createJobQuery();
		assertEquals(1, jobQuery.count());

		final ProcessInstanceQuery processInstanceQuery = runtimeService.createProcessInstanceQuery().processDefinitionKey("startTimerEventExample");

		moveByMinutes(5);

		waitForJobExecutorOnCondition(10000, 500, new Callable<Boolean>() {
			@Override
			public Boolean call() throws Exception {
				return 1 == processInstanceQuery.count();
			}
		});
		assertEquals(1, jobQuery.count());
		moveByMinutes(5);
		waitForJobExecutorOnCondition(10000, 500, new Callable<Boolean>() {
			public Boolean call() throws Exception {
				return 2 == processInstanceQuery.count();
			}
		});
		assertEquals(1, jobQuery.count());
		// 只能供手动删除
		cleanDB();
	}

	private void cleanDB() {
		String jobId = managementService.createJobQuery().singleResult().getId();
		managementService.executeCommand(new DeleteJobsCmd(jobId));
	}

	private void moveByMinutes(int minutes) {
		ClockUtil.setCurrentTime(new Date(ClockUtil.getCurrentTime().getTime() + (minutes * 60 * 1000) + 5000));
	}

	public void waitForJobExecutorOnCondition(long maxMillisToWait, long intervalMillis, Callable<Boolean> condition) {

		JobExecutor jobExecutor = processEngineConfiguration.getJobExecutor();

		jobExecutor.start();

		try {
			Timer timer = new Timer();
			InteruptTask task = new InteruptTask(Thread.currentThread());
			timer.schedule(task, maxMillisToWait);
			boolean conditionIsViolated = true;
			try {
				while (conditionIsViolated) {
					Thread.sleep(intervalMillis);
					conditionIsViolated = !condition.call();
				}
			} catch (InterruptedException e) {
			} catch (Exception e) {
				throw new ActivitiException("Exception while waiting on condition: " + e.getMessage(), e);
			} finally {
				timer.cancel();
			}
			if (conditionIsViolated) {
				throw new ActivitiException("time limit of " + maxMillisToWait + " was exceeded");
			}
		} finally {
			jobExecutor.shutdown();
		}
	}

	private static class InteruptTask extends TimerTask {
		protected boolean timeLimitExceeded = false;
		protected Thread thread;

		public InteruptTask(Thread thread) {
			this.thread = thread;
		}

		public boolean isTimeLimitExceeded() {
			return timeLimitExceeded;
		}

		public void run() {
			timeLimitExceeded = true;
			thread.interrupt();
		}
	}

	@Before
	public void setUp() throws Exception {
		deployment = repositoryService.createDeployment() //
				.addClasspathResource("diagrams/bpmn/event/timer/start/CycleDateStartTimerEvent.bpmn") //
				.deploy();
	}

	@After
	public void tearDown() throws Exception {
		repositoryService.deleteDeployment(deployment.getId(), true);
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Glinka - Barcarolle in G major for viola and piano. You can download the PDF sheet music Glinka - Barcarolle in G major for viola and piano on this page. Barcarolle in G major was transcribed for viola and piano by Vadim Borisovsky. Originally, this barcarolle was composed for piano. Glinka - often considered the Father of Russian Music - is not best known for his piano music, even though he wrote a fair amount for the instrument, from his earliest youth right up со the year before his death. Although he is known to have had only three lessons with Field, there can be little doubt that the older composer's influence was significant. The earliest examples of Glinka's piano music, like this Barcarolle in G major, are in the form of sets of variations while the later music often displays a more intimate and contemplative side to the composer's character.
To view the first page of Glinka - Barcarolle in G major for viola and piano click the music sheet image.


All players are expected to be at a standard of Grade 6 or above and are required to audition (a solo unaccompanied study and some sightreading).
The requirements for percussionists are a little more flexible and pianists are welcome to apply (although should ideally be of a minimum Grade 6).
The age range is 11 – 21 although players younger than 11 may be given consideration on further consultation.
Fees - £70 per project (free to members of York Music Centre and students in higher education). Bursaries are also available. Please contact us for more information.
Please complete the following application if you wish to audition for the York Youth Orchestra.


text:
Surgical treatment of children with total colonic aganglionosis: functional and metabolic long-term outcome
Cristian Urla1Email author,
Justus Lieber1,
Florian Obermayr2,
Andreas Busch3,
Roland Schweizer4,
Steven W. Warmann1,
Hans-Joachim Kirschner1 and
Jörg Fuchs1
BMC Surgery201818:58
Total colonic aganglionosis (TCA) is a rare variant of Hirschsprung's disease occurring in 3–10% of the cases. Only few studies reported the long-term clinical and metabolic outcomes of patients with TCA. The aim of this study was to evaluate the functional and metabolic long-term outcomes of children undergoing surgical treatment for TCA.
A 15-year retrospective study was performed. Blood chemistry tests and stool analysis performed at the last follow-up visit were recorded. Height and weight development were assessed using the corresponding percentiles for age. Faecal continence and quality of life were evaluated using a detailed questionnaire.
Eleven patients were included in the study. The median age at surgery was 6 months (range: 3–72 months). After histological confirmation, all patients underwent a total colectomy. Ileoanal anastomosis (n = 6), ileorectal anastomosis (n = 1), J-pouch (n = 1) and Duhamel procedure (n = 3) were performed. Temporary ileostomy was closed after a median of 8 weeks in 10/11 patients. After a median follow-up of 78 months (range: 27–199 months), all evaluated patients were continent. Height and weight were appropriate for age in only 5 patients. Vitamin B12 and folic acid serum levels were normal in all examined patients. Ten patients had normal hemoglobin serum levels. Seven patients had low transferrin saturation in serum. Hemoccult tests were negative in all examined patients. Despite complex postoperative courses in some cases, patients and parents showed good overall satisfaction in terms of quality of life.
The majority of patients reported a good quality of life. This can result from the adaptation of the patients to certain disease states. The failure to thrive seems to be related with the extent of aganglionosis. The inclusion of these patients in interdisciplinary long-term follow-up care, in which pediatric surgeons, gastroenterologists, and dieticians are involved, is essential.
Total colonic aganglionosis
Functional outcome
Metabolic outcome
Total colonic aganglionosis (TCA), defined as aganglionosis extending from the anus up to 30–50 cm proximal to the ileocecal valve [1, 2] is a rare variant of Hirschsprung's disease (HD), occurring in approximately 3–10% of all cases [3]. It represents a major challenge for both surgeons and pediatricians not only because it is difficult to diagnose but also because, once diagnosed, it may pose pre- and postoperative management challenges. Over the last several decades, greater awareness of this disease and improvements in the postoperative care have led to a dramatically lower mortality rate, which is now less than 5% [4]. However, morbidity remained significant [5].
The aim of surgical treatment is to remove the aganglionic intestine and to provide patients with a good quality of life, which is reflected in fecal continence, acceptable frequency of bowel movements, and no symptoms of enterocolitis [6]. Over the time, many surgical techniques have been described [7–10]. However, a meta-analysis from 2009 did not demonstrate superior results for any of them [11]. Nevertheless, all surgical techniques have several common characteristics, namely that negative consequences regarding nutrients absorption, continence, and quality of life may occur. Many patients are at risk for complications, including failure to thrive, anemia, electrolyte imbalances, dehydration, incontinence, and perianal dermatitis.
Only a few investigators have evaluated the long-term clinical outcomes and bowel functions of patients with TCA [4, 12, 13]. Even fewer reports have addressed the metabolic problems that may become apparent in these patients [1, 14].
This report details the functional and metabolic outcomes of patients after surgical TCA management who were treated at our institution.
A retrospective data analysis of patients with TCA treated at our institution between May 2002 and September 2017 was carried out. The study was approved by the local ethical committee (number 470/2015R). The patient's charts were reviewed for clinical presentation, diagnostic studies, number and type of operations, postoperative complications, and outcomes. Postoperative complications were categorized according to the classification system proposed by Dindo and Clavien (see the Additional file 1) [15].
As quite modest ileal resection in addition to colectomy may lead to rapid bowel transit and marked malabsorption of nutrients after surgery, all patients were regularly seen by our interdisciplinary team consisting of pediatric surgeons, gastroenterologists, and nutritional specialists. To this purpose blood chemistry tests (hemoglobin, iron, transferrin saturation, folic acid, and vitamin B12), stool analyses (pH, glucose, and hemoccult test), and a contrast study performed at the last follow-up visit were recorded. Growth and nutrition were assessed by recording height and weight at the time of the last visit; the corresponding percentiles by age for the population of our region were calculated and compared with those obtained at previous presentations.
Fecal continence was evaluated using a modification of the score proposed by Wildhaber [16] as shown in the Additional file 2. The parents were asked by phone to provide answers to a detailed questionnaire. The questions focused on the frequency of bowel movements, fecal soiling, stool consistency, and long-term use of medications (enemas, drugs). Scores ranging from 13 to 18 points indicated normal continence, scores between 7 and 12 points revealed fair continence, while those between 0 and 6 points revealed poor continence. Quality of life was assessed using the scoring system proposed by Barrena [12], as shown in the Additional file 3. The maximum possible score was 15 points. Patients with scores between 11 and 15 were considered to have good quality of life, while those having scores ranging from 6 to 10 and 0 to 5 were considered to have fair and poor quality of life, respectively. Poor outcome was defined as the presence of permanent stoma. The evaluation of continence and quality of life was only performed in patients ≥6 years of age. Descriptive statistics for continuous variables were expressed as medians and ranges.
A total of 114 patients were diagnosed with HD at our institution between May 2002 and September 2017. Among these patients, 11 (9.6%) had TCA, including three females and eight males who had a median age of six months at diagnosis (range: 3–72 months). One patient had a family history for both HD (father) and TCA (younger sister). Associated malformations and syndromes were hemangioma of the scalp (n = 1), volvulus of the small intestine (n = 1), Mowat-Wislon syndrome (which includes vaginal duplex, pulmonary artery syndrome, microcephaly, growth and mental retardation, and epilepsy; n = 1 patient). Association of trisomy 21 and cardiac anomalies (bicuspid aortic valve, atrial septal defect) were encountered in two patients.
Clinical presentation
The majority of patients (n = 7) were diagnosed with HD in the first three months of life. Among these 7 patients, only 2 patients were diagnosed with HD during the neonatal life (age at diagnostic: 4 weeks). The remaining 4 patients were diagnosed at four, nine, 14, and 30 months respectively. The most common presenting features, observed in nine patients, were abdominal distension associated with bilious vomiting and failure to pass meconium. The other two patients presented with toxic megacolon.
A barium enema was performed during the initial diagnostic workup in ten of the eleven cases. The radiological findings were nonspecific and only allowed for the recognition of a functional ileal obstruction. In only one case the radiological appearance was that of a microcolon. Full thickness rectal biopsy and histochemical studies for acetylcholinesterase were performed in all cases.
Surgery undertaken before the definitive pull-through procedure
Nine patients required a decompressing ileostomy before the definitive operation. The ileostomies were placed at 15 cm from the ileocecal valve (authors' standard practice). The median age at the time of placement of ileostomy was 33 days (3–420 days). In two of these nine patients, full-thickness colon biopsies were also taken because of the pathologic macroscopic aspect of the colon (thick walled, lack of peristalsis). The histological examination of these biopsies confirmed TCA. In the remaining patients, the extent of aganglionosis was established at the time of definitive surgery based on intraoperative frozen sections.
In the remaining 2/11 cases the ileostomy was placed at the time of definitive surgery. In these cases, ileal decompression was considered at the time as not necessary, as the patients could be managed conservatively using rectal enemas until the time point of pull-thorugh procedure.
Two cases worth special attention as they illustrate how the lack of specificity of the symptoms may pose difficulties in establishing the diagnosis. In the first case, it is about a female patient with trisomy 21 by whom an ileostomy was placed at 4 days of life due to meconium ileus. The preoperative contrast study revealed no caliber difference at the level of the colon. At this point, a rectum biopsy was not performed. Four months after surgery the ileostomy was closed. Two years after ileostomy closure the patient further developed obstructive symptoms which made necessary a laparotomy. Intraoperatively massive adhesions and stenosis at the level of the ileocecal valve as well as lack of peristalsis in the last 7 cm of the terminal ileum were found, so that a ileocecal resection was performed. Three months later the patient was re-admitted in our department due to recurrence of the obstructive symptoms. A rectum biopsy was performed, which confirmed the diagnosis of HD.
In the second case, it is about a male patient who was treated in another institution. He received on the 6th day of life a decompression ileostomy because of meconium ileus. Four months after ileostomy closure a re-laparotomy was performed due to adhesional ileus. Two months after this procedure the placement of an ileostomy was again necessary due to recurrence of the obstructive symptoms. At this point a rectum biopsy was performed and the diagnosis of HD confirmed.
Definitive pull-through procedure
Definitive surgery was performed in all cases. The median age at the time of surgery was six months (range: 3–72 months). Total colectomy, endorectal pull-through, and straight ileoanal anastomosis was performed in six children. One patient received an end-to-end ileorectal anastomosis (Rehbein's procedure). In three cases, a Duhamel procedure was carried out. In one case, a J-pouch ileoanal anastomosis was performed. This latter case underwent definitive surgery at another center but was referred to our institution because of J-pouch dysfunction.
The extent of aganglionosis was established at the time of definitive surgery in 9/11 cases. In the remaining 2/11 cases, the diagnosis of TCA was established before definitive surgery by colon biopsy, which were taken during surgery for placement of decompressive ileostomy as mentioned above.
The level of aganglionosis was limited to the colon in eight cases and involved the last 10 cm of the terminal ileum in the remaining three cases.
Intraoperatively, the colon appeared thick-walled and distended (n = 5 cases) or had the aspect of a microcolon (n = 2 cases). In the remaining 4 cases, the intraoperative findings were nonspecific.
Postoperative course
To objectively exclude the presence of a postoperative stenosis of the ileoanal anastomosis, a rectal examination and calibration with a Hegar instrument under general anesthesia was performed in 10 patients after a median time of 4 weeks (range: 1–8 weeks). In the remaining patient, the parents refused examination because of an uneventful postoperative course. All examined children showed no evidence of stenosis. The closure of the ileostomy was carried out after a median of 8 weeks (range: 6–24 weeks). In one patient, the ileostomy was closed at the time of definitive surgery.
Details regarding postoperative complications are given in Table 1. No early postoperative complications were encountered. The most common complication was perianal dermatitis, which occurred in almost all patients and was most severe in the patient who underwent closure of the ileostomy at the time of definitive surgery. All patients were managed conservatively using zinc based ointments, and the problem consistently improved over time in all affected patients. One child developed an isolated stenosis at the site of the ileorectal anastomosis 14 months after surgery and required a Soave redo pull-through procedure. This patient suffered from Mowat-Wilson syndrome and had a further protracted course in the following period. She developed an ulcerative ileitis, which caused a severe bleeding anemia. Eventually, syndromic comorbidities led to the need for a permanent ileostomy.
Postoperative complications
Complicationsa
Gradeb
Perianal dermatitis
Local treatment
Stenosis of anastomosis
Re-do pullthrough
IIIb
Obstructive ileus
Laparotomy, adhesiolysis
Sphincter achalasia
Botulinum toxin injection
aMedian follow-up: 78 months (range: 27–199 months)
bGrading after classification of Dindo and Clavien [13]
Obstructive gastrointestinal symptoms such as stool retention during the day with elimination of explosive stools at night were observed in two patients after the operation at one and three years, respectively. The clinical examination under general anesthesia revealed a non-relaxing internal anal sphincter. In both patients, botulinum toxin injections of the internal anal sphincter were performed. In one patient, the symptomatology significantly improved after a single application. In the other patient, the symptoms recurred and repeated injections at intervals between three and five months were necessary (a total of seven injections were administered).
No pre- or post-operative deaths occurred. Moreover, none of our patients developed electrolyte disturbances or bouts of enterocolitis.
Outcome and follow-up
The median follow-up interval was 78 months (range: 27–199 months).
Evaluation of fecal continence and patients' and their parents' quality of life was possible in seven cases (63%). The remaining four children were not suitable for evaluation because three were younger than six years of age, and one had a permanent stoma. After a median follow-up of 78 months (range: 27–199 months), the median frequency of bowel movements was reported to be 5/day (range: 4–8 stools/day). All evaluated patients were continent. Regarding the functional results of the surgery, the median modified Wildhaber score was 14.5 points (range: 8–16 points, total possible score: 18 points). Regarding quality of life, the median modified Barrena score was 14 points (range: 10–15 points, total possible score: 15 points).
Blood count and chemistry evaluation were obtained from eight children. In the remaining patients, the parents refused to allow the childrens' examination. The majority of patients had a normal hemoglobin level, although four showed low transferrin saturation (< 10%). One patient presented with a hemoglobin level < 7 g/dl at his most recent visit and required repeated blood transfusions. Vitamin B12 and folic acid serum levels were normal in all examined patients, and showed no signs of vitamin malabsorption or bacterial overgrowth.
Stool analysis was also possible in eight patients. The majority (n = 6) had acidic stool (pH < 5.5). However, none of these patients presented with traces of glucose in their stools. The hemoccult test was negative in all of the examined patients. Only one patient showed a high level of stool calprotectin (1763 μg/g, normal value: 0 - 110 μg/g). A possible explanation for this high level may be that the examination was performed after an episode of gastroenteritis.
Five patients had an adequate height and weight development parallel with the 50th according to the height and weight references of Prader [17]. The remaining six patients presented with insufficient height and weight development as shown in the Figs. 1 and 2, respectively.
The 3rd, 50th, and 97th percentiles according to the height and weight references of Prader for female patients with a poor height and weight development. Patient 5 and 11 had inadequate height and weight gain and remained below the 3rd percentile. Patient 7 presented a borderline development parallel and slightly above the 3rd percentile
The 3rd, 50th, and 97th percentiles according to the height and weight references of Prader for male patients with a poor height and weight development. Patient 2 had both poor height and weight gain. Patient 4 presented a good weight gain but had a poor height development. Patient 8 showed poor weight development but had catch-up growth
Surgery is the only cure for TCA. The surgical treatment for TCA has two goals: to remove the aganglionic intestine and to provide patients with a good quality of life which is reflected in an acceptable frequency of bowel movements, fecal continence and no symptoms of enterocolitis. Loss of the entire colon lead to reduced fluid retention and accelerated passage of intestinal contents. As a consequence, the patients who have undergone surgical treatment for TCA present initially a high frequency of bowel movements which lead to perianal excoriation. Bischoff et al. reported that in their series, perianal dermatitis was the second most common complication in patients with TCA [6]. In our study, perianal dermatitis occurred in all patients. For managing perianal dermatitis after the pull-through procedure, we observed that our patients had a favourable response to the local application of zinc oxide based ointments, which helped the vast majority of them to overcome this problem after a reasonable period of time. To avoid this complication, Bischoff et al. suggested keeping the ileostomy open until the child is toilet trained for urine, and can sit on a potty. Following this concept, none of the patients treated by the group from Cincinnati suffered from perianal dermatitis postoperatively [6].
Fecal incontinence and soiling severely impact the quality of life in children with TCA and was reported by some authors in 25% of patients at long-term follow-up [12]. However, data regarding functional outcomes after surgical treatment for TCA is heterogenic. On one hand, there is a lack of a clear definition of fecal incontinence, which makes it difficult to compare study results [12]. On the other hand, the low TCA incidence precludes extensive personal experience and limits the number of series in which large cohorts are assessed [3, 12, 16, 18, 19]. Often, cases with additional small bowel aganglionosis of varying levels are included in these series [3, 16, 18], which may suggest more pessimistic functional outcomes and quality of life for patients with TCA. Although new surgical techniques have been employed, in which variable lengths of aganglionic colon have been anastomosed to the normal small bowel with the intention to increase the consistency of the stools, the rate of fecal incontinence has not shown significant improvement over time [13]. Moreover, these techniques, apart from being technically difficult, are associated with a high incidence of postoperative enterocolitis [20]. Some surgeons, however, have reported very good results after total colectomy with straight ileoanal anastomosis [5, 12, 21]. Using this technique, Dodero et al. encountered no enterocolitis, no mortality, and good patient quality of life [21]. Although patients undergoing a straight ileoanal anastomosis were reported to initially have increased bowel movement frequency, this problem tends to improve over time since the small intestine adapts by increasing water and sodium reabsorption in the terminal ileum [6, 22]. We also performed a straight ileoanal anastomosis in the majority of our patients. We chose to this approach because the definitive operation started as a transanal endorectal pull-through procedure and the extent of aganglionosis was established at the time of definitive surgery by intraoperative frozen sections. The results we obtained are encouraging and support the observations made by Dodero et al. [21], who performed a total colectomy with ileoanal anastomosis in his patients with TCA, as mentioned above. With the exception of the patient who eventually had a permanent ileostomy, all examined patients were continent. Stool frequency was high after surgery (10–15 stools/day) and led to excoriation of the perianal region in all patients. Bowel movement frequency decreased with time, reaching a median of 5 stools/day after a median follow-up of 78 months. All evaluated patients were continent and the survey revealed a high overall satisfaction in terms of functional results, with a median modified Wildhaber score of 14.5 points. Regarding quality of life, the scores for patients and parents were higher than expected, reaching a median score of 14/15 points. Although the majority of patients reported a good quality of life, this can result from adaptations to certain disease states in addition to development of alternative strategies by patients and parents that are aimed at preventing disease-associated functional failures. The use of these alternative strategies cannot be excluded in the present study.
Children with surgically repaired HD may also develop obstructive gastrointestinal symptoms and or enterocolitis due to a functional obstruction caused by an inability of the internal anal sphincter to relax [23]. Anal sphincter injections with BoTox may provide a reversible therapy for these patients. Chumpitazi et al., after analysing the long-term clinical outcomes of botulinum toxin therapy in children with non-relaxing internal anal sphincter observed a clinical improvement in 89% of the patients after the first injection. Approximately 77% of the patients required multiple injections. An excellent or good long-term outcome that was maintained for a mean of 17 months after the last injection was seen in 53% of the patients [23]. In our group, two patients had a non-relaxing internal anal sphincter after surgical treatment. An obvious clinical improvement was seen in both patients after anal sphincter injections with BoTox, although by one of them multiple injections were necessary.
Failure to thrive has been reported in patients who underwent total colectomy for TCA [14, 24]. The degree of failure to thrive, however, seems to be related to the extent of aganglionosis. Ikawa et al. reported on a statistically significant negative linear correlation between body weight and height and the extent of aganglionosis, in which patients with ileal involvement < 10 cm achieved a normal body weight development and height [14]. Our findings are in contrast with these observations. Although the level of aganglionosis did not exceeded more than 10 cm of terminal ileum, the majority of our patients had an inadequate growth and weight development. Therefore, a comprehensive follow-up, utilizing an interdisciplinary team of surgical, gastroenterological, and dietary specialists, might help to improve the weight and height development of these patients.
The prevalence of anemia and iron deficiency after colectomy for causes other than TCA has been reported to be between 5 and 56% in the adult population [25]. There are only a few reports that have addressed anemia after surgical treatment for TCA in children. Ikawa et al. reported on serum iron deficiency in children with TCA and ileal involvement > 10 cm [14]. Since almost all dietary iron is absorbed in the duodenum and the upper jejunum, iron deficiency in TCA patients is unlikely to be caused by the extent of ileal involvement, but rather from other reasons. These may include chronic occult bleeding from chronic nonspecific inflammatory processes in the remaining gut [14]. In our series, 50% of the examined patients had a low saturation of transferrin in serum, although all except one patient had normal hemoglobin levels. In this patient, a J-Pouch ileoanal anastomosis had been carried out, and endoscopic examination of the pouch revealed no signs of pouchitis. All examined patients had a negative hemoccult tests.
Patients who have undergone a total colectomy are also reported to develop vitamin B12 deficiency [25]. There are three possible causes for vitamin B12 deficiency in patients after total colectomy: 1.) reduced absorptive capacity because of resection of the last 16 to 60 cm of terminal ileum; 2.) bacterial overgrowth; or 3.) dietary intolerance. Vitamin B12 and folic acid serum levels were normal in all our patients, and none showed signs of malabsorption or bacterial overgrowth. In our population The ileal involvement did not exceeded 7 cm of the terminal ileum. None of our patients suffered from dietary intolerance.
Our study has certain limitations. An important limitation is represented by the retrospective nature of the study. Another limitation lies in the small number of the patients included in the study, which is justified by the rarity of these disease.
In conclusion, TCA represent a disease which is difficult to diagnose, and once diagnosed it may pose pre- and postoperative management challenges. Although the majority of patients reported a good quality of life, this can result from adaptations to certain disease states in addition to development of alternative strategies by patients and parents that are aimed at preventing disease-associated functional failures. The failure to thrive seems to be related with the extent of aganglionosis. The inclusion of these patients in interdisciplinary long-term follow-up care, in which pediatric surgeons, gastroenterologists, and dieticians are involved, is essential.
Hirschsprung's disease
TCA:
The authors thank Hannes Schramm (Department of Photography, University Hospital of Tübingen, Germany) for his support in realization of the figures.
This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
CU: study design, data collection, data analysis and writing of manuscript. JL, FO, AB and SW: data analysis and proofreading. RS: data analysis, figures and proofreading. H-J.K: data analysis, proof reading and surgical treatment of the patients. JF: study design, proofreading and surgical treatment of the patients. All authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
The study was approved by the Ethical Committee of the Medical Faculty of the Eberhard-Karls- University of Tübingen (number 470/2015R). According to the German legislation and internal SOP, the retrospective analysis of data of own patients does not require written informed consent of the participants and an approval of the local IRB.
Additional file 1: Classification of surgical complications after Dindo and Clavien. Ranking system proposed by Dindo and Clavien [15] for classification of postoperative complications. (DOCX 12 kb)
Additional file 2: Modified Wildhaber continence score. Modified scoring system from Wildhaber [16] to objectively assess the functional outcome (continence) of patients who underwent a pull-through procedure for HD. (DOCX 13 kb)
Additional file 3: Modified Barrena score. Modified scoring system from Barrena [12] to assess the quality of life after surgical treatment in patients with TCA. (DOCX 13 kb)
Department of Pediatric Surgery and Pediatric Urology, University Children's Hospital of Tuebingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Str. 3, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital Marburg, Baldingerstraße, 35043 Marburg, Germany
Pediatric Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, University Children's Hospital of Tuebingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Str. 1, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, University Children's Hospital of Tuebingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Str.1, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
Hoehner JC, Ein SH, Shandling B, et al. Long-term morbidity in total colonic aganglionosis. J Pediatr Surg. 1998;33:961–5. discussion 965-966View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
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Escobar MA, Grosfeld JL, West KW, et al. Long-term outcomes in total colonic aganglionosis: a 32-year experience. J Pediatr Surg. 2005;40:955–61.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Menezes M, Pini Prato A, Jasonni V, et al. Long-term clinical outcome in patients with total colonic aganglionosis: a 31-year review. J Pediatr Surg. 2008;43:1696–9.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
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Tsuji H, Spitz L, Kiely EM, et al. Management and long-term follow-up of infants with total colonic aganglionosis. J Pediatr Surg. 1999;34:158–61. discussion 162View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
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Chumpitazi BP, Fishman SJ, Nurko S. Long-term clinical outcome after botulinum toxin injection in children with nonrelaxing internal anal sphincter. Am J Gastroenterol. 2009;104:976–83.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Hengster P, Pernthaler H, Gassner I, et al. Twenty-three years of follow-up in patients with total colonic aganglionosis. Klin Padiatr. 1996;208:3–7.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
This notoriously dirty Gloucester street is getting a spring clean
The "Barton Blitz" will take place early in April
Jessica MercerNews Reporter
A community will come together to give a Gloucester street blighted by fly-tipping a much-needed spruce up.
Barton Street's pavements are due to be blitzed next month in a "community spring clean".
The central spot will see members of the community gather in a "mass walk" to clear litter, waste and general grit and grime.
The street, notorious for its fly-tipping problem, is also a magnet for litter.
That's why Olympus Theatre, along with Gloucester City Council and the city's waste management company Amey are organising a community street cleanup day for the Barton area.
Olympus Theatre will be calling on people in Barton and other communities in the city to join in the action.
Utility companies could have to guarantee pothole-free roads for five years under new plans
Phil McCormick of the Olympus Theatre said on the theatre's Facebook page: "As you know the Olympus project is not just about the theatre, it's about the theatre being a positive catalyst for change in all areas of the communities life in the Barton area and wider city.
"To this end as we start to renovate the theatre we also want to try and improve the street and address some of the issues regarding its general condition and care."
Landlords of Gloucester pub given licence to stay open later after police objected to 4am application
Although litter and waste is picked up every day, the cleanup team will face a heavy undertaking for their initiative.
In collaboration with the city council, The Olympus Theatre are looking for possible sites to place permanent industrial bins to reduce fly-tipping and general waste on the pavement.
The spring clean will start on April 5, making a start on clearing fly-tipped areas of the street.
Gloucester firm's 50th anniversary hit by tragedy
Other problems in the street to be tackled are blocked drains and overgrown weeds in the roads.
Participants will gather at the Olympus Theatre with coffee and snacks to help recharge the batteries.
On April 5, there will be a mass walk through the streets to deep clean and litter-pick with as many volunteers as possible.
Flytipping in Barton is getting too much for the local councillors and residents.
The initiative hopes to "build community spirit" and turn the cleanup of Barton Street into a collaborative effort for residents in and outside the area.
Details and info can be found on the Olympus Theatre Facebook page.
A hugging world record is going to be attempted in Gloucester next week
Mission Impossible star Simon Pegg's incredible body makeover for new film
Gloucester City Council
Gloucester City Centre


text:
Sabine Ritterbusch
Vita /
Repertoire /
Sabine Ritterbusch was born in Bad Pyrmont, Germany. She graduated from the Music Academy in Detmold with honours, where she studied with Methild Böhme and completed courses in performance, music education an vocal paedagogy.
As part of her studies she participated in master classes with Judith Beckmann, Sena Jurinac and Helmuth Kretschmar. Throughout her vocal studies and her career Sabine Ritterbusch has received many prizes and scholarships, amongst them the Deutscher Musikrat and the Richard-Wagner-Verband-Bayreuth.
Since August 1993 Sabine Ritterbusch has been engaged as a principle soloist at the Hamburg State Opera where she has performed many of the major roles of her fach including Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro), Pamina (Zauberflöte), Ännchen (Der Freischütz; this production was recorded by ARTE and 3Sat), Nannetta (Falstaff), Marzelline (Fidelio). She has made guest appearances at the Munich State Opera, the "Semperoper" Dresden, the Berlin State Opera, the Frankfurt Opera, the German Opera on the Rhine in Düsseldorf and the Tel Aviv Opera.
Sabine Ritterbusch is also much in demand as a Lieder and concert singer in Germany and abroad. She has an extensive and interesting repertoire to call on. Among others she has worked with Ivor Bolton, Daniel Bahrenboim, Christian Thielemann, Ingo Metzmacher, Peter Schreier, Helmuth Rilling, Günter Jena, Frieder Bernius and Thomas Quasthoff. She works regularly with the pianist Heidi Kommerell and together they offer a number of themed song programmes which they have performed in concert, for broadcast and recorded.
With great success she sang the part of Gretel in Humperdincks' "Hänsel und Gretel" under Christian Thielemann at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Highlights of the last year were among others a new production of "Dardanus" (Rameau) were she sang the main part of "Iphise" at the Opera Bonn. On a journey to Sapporo in Japan she sang Micaela in Carmen and she had a recital in Seoul/ Korea. Furthermore she sang on concerts with the Tallinn Chamber orchestra and the Latvian Radio Choir under Tõnu Kaljuste in Estonia. At the Deutsche Oper Berlin she sang Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel under Christian Thielemann. In addition she appeared in Alcina as Oberto in L'Incoronazone di Poppea as Drusilla under Alessandro de Marchi and in Freischütz singing Ännchen.
Sabine Ritterbusch has been engaged as a soloist for a number of Radio and Television productions including the WDR, NDR, SFB, Radio Bremen, ZDF, and ARTE.
Vita zum download; hier....


text:
Home » Public input sought on climate change
Public input sought on climate change
The provincial government is looking for public input to help develop a new strategy that will better prepare B.C. communities for the impacts of climate change.
"Across British Columbia, we are seeing and feeling the steadily increasing effects of climate change – from record wildfires, to severe droughts and floods, to the job impacts of beetle-killed forests," said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. "British Columbians expect governments at all levels to act. Our CleanBC plan fights carbon pollution and puts our province on the path to a cleaner and stronger future – taking care of this special place for ourselves, our kids and our grandkids. Together, we can make sure our communities are prepared for future climate impacts, because waiting until they happen just makes no sense."
People can share their thoughts until Jan. 10, 2020, through an online questionnaire, discussion forum and written submissions. Additional opportunities for public input will follow in early 2020, with the release of the final climate preparedness and adaptation strategy later in the year.
"By working together, we can support and help each other to be better prepared," said Selena Robinson, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. "Individuals, businesses, Indigenous communities and local governments across B.C. are already taking strong action to address climate change. We want to build on this work and make sure people and communities have the support they need."
To help the province set priorities in planning, the climate preparedness and adaptation strategy will also be informed by B.C.'s recently released Preliminary Strategic Climate Risk Assessment. The risk assessment identified a range of significant health, social, economic and environmental consequences from climate change, if further action is not taken to prepare.
"Climate change increases risks to people's health through conditions like respiratory illnesses, allergies, cardiovascular disease and heat-related stresses," said Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer. "By preparing, we can reduce these risks so that people have the supports they need to protect their health and the health of their family."
The province recognizes that climate change uniquely affects Indigenous peoples and their communities and territories. As it develops the climate preparedness and adaptation strategy, the province will continue to engage with Indigenous communities to better understand how climate change affects their ways of life and listen to their priorities for action, stated a Nov. 7 Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy media release.
Share your thoughts on how B.C. can develop a new strategy to prepare for climate change.
e-KNOW
Author:Ian Cobb
British Columbiaclimate changeDr. Bonnie HenryGeorge HeymanMinister of Environment and Climate Change StrategyMinister of Municipal Affairs and HousingPreliminary Strategic Climate Risk AssessmentSelena Robinson


text:
НФЛ в сезоне 2000 — стал 81-м сезоном Национальной футбольной лиги.

Плей-офф

Wild-Card
 (АФК) Майами Долфинс — Индианаполис Колтс 23:17 ОТ
 (АФК) Балтимор Рэйвенс — Денвер Бронкос 21:3
 (НФК) Миннесота Вайкингс — Нью-Орлеан Сэйнтс 34:16
 (НФК) Филадельфия Иглз — Тампа Бэй Баккэнирс 21:3

Плей-офф дивизионов
 (АФК) Окленд Рэйдерс — Майами Долфинс 27:0
 (АФК) Теннеси Тайтанс — Балтимор Рэйвенс 10:24
 (НФК) Нью-Йорк Джайентс — Филадельфия Иглз 20:10
 (НФК) Миннесота Вайкингс — Нью-Орлеан Сэйнтс 34:16

Финалы конференций
 (АФК) Окленд Рэйдерс — Балтимор Рэйвенс 3:16
 (НФК) Нью-Йорк Джайентс — Миннесота Вайкингс 41:0

Супербоул XXXV
 Балтимор Рэйвенс — Нью-Йорк Джайентс 34:7

Регулярный сезон
В = Выигрышей, П = Поражений, Н = Ничьи, П% = Процент выигранных матчей, ОЗ = Очков забито, ОП = Очков пропущено

 Грин Бэй Пэкерз финишировали выше Детройт Лайонс благодаря лучшему результату с командами Центрального дивизиона (5:3 против 3:5 у Лайонс).
 Нью-Орлеан Сэйнтс финишировали выше Сент-Луис Рэмс благодаря лучшему результату с командами Западного дивизиона (7:1 против 5:3 у Рэмс).
 Тампа Бэй Баккэнирс получил вторую дополнительную путевку в плей-офф благодаря личной победе над Сент-Луис Рэмс.

Ссылки
 Официальный сайт НФЛ

Сезоны НФЛ

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Targeting Immune Cells that Help Tumors Stay Hidden Could Improve Cancer Immunotherapy
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC have discovered a clue about how to improve the success of immunotherapy drugs to successfully treat more cancers.
Immunotherapy drugs push the immune system itself to detect and kill cancer cells, and they have been successful against several types of aggressive cancers, including some melanomas and lung cancers. However, these drugs are only effective in some 10 to 30 percent of patients with certain tumor types. Exactly why these drugs don't work in more patients has remained a mystery.
The Pitt/UPMC discovery, published in Cell, points to what could be an important mechanism by which current immunotherapy drugs work. Learning more about this mechanism might give researchers a new approach to making the drugs more effective.
Their findings showed that targeting a subpopulation of immune cells called regulatory T cells could be an effective approach to treating cancers. Regulatory T cells (Tregs, pronounced "tee-regs") help maintain a delicate balance in the immune system.
"They act like a dimmer switch, keeping the lights bright enough to detect and eliminate threats, but not so bright that our own cells are hurt," said Dario Vignali, who holds the Frank Dixon Chair in Cancer Immunology, and is professor and vice chair of immunology at Pitt's School of Medicine.
"In cancer, Tregs can be detrimental because by turning down the lights, they prevent the immune system from detecting and killing cancer cells. While creating drugs to eliminate Tregs may seem like a logical approach to treatment, they could lead to life-threatening autoimmune complications, making them unusable in cancer patients. Thus, we need to identify approaches that selectively target Tregs in tumors, sparing those outside the tumor," said Vignali, who also is co-director of the Cancer Immunology Program at the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center.
Building toward the discovery
The basis for this new discovery began a few years ago, when Vignali and his colleagues discovered that a surface protein called neuropilin-1 (Nrp1) was required to maintain the function, integrity and survival of Tregs within the harsh tumor microenvironment.
Importantly, blocking or deleting the Tregs' Nrp1 in mice only impacted their function in tumors — not in the rest of the body — resulting in tumor eradication without inducing autoimmune or inflammatory disease.
In the current study, Vignali's team confirmed that Nrp1 had been preventing the immune system from beating the tumor. When Tregs lose the protein, "they become active participants in the anti-tumor immune response," said Vignali. To see if the findings could apply to humans, they also looked at the protein's expression in cancer patients with poor prognoses. These patients' Tregs indeed expressed more of the protein.
To arrive at their findings, the researchers created a genetically modified mouse model in which the Nrp1 gene was deleted in half the Treg cell population, but not the other half. Tumor growth in this model, they found, was dramatically reduced when compared to a normal mouse in which Nrp1 was present in all Tregs.
In other words, the Tregs without Nrp1 couldn't turn down the lights to hide the cancer.
"This allowed the immune system to see and attack the tumor," said Abigail E. Overacre-Delgoffe, a graduate student in Vignali's lab and the first author of the Cell study. Those Tregs also couldn't block their normal counterparts outside the tumor from performing their immunosuppressive functions. Genomic and cellular analyses revealed that a secreted immune molecule prevented the dimmer switch function of Tregs in the mice, particularly and selectively in the tumor microenvironment.
Vignali says the molecule, called interferon-gamma, "seems to make Tregs fragile so that they lose their suppressive function, but only in the tumor. Thus, maybe making Tregs fragile is a critical requirement for effective immunotherapy."
Future implications
Overall, the authors note that their findings are significant because they show that if we can get a portion of the tumor-associated Tregs to lose their immunosuppressive functions — possibly by using interferon-gamma — it may be enough to set off a chain reaction where those cells could influence other tumor-associated Tregs, consequently promoting anti-tumor immunity without inducing autoimmune conditions as a side effect. Additionally, in the near-term, tracking Treg functional fragility may prove to be an effective approach to monitor whether immunotherapy treatments are effective in patients.
Arvind Suresh SureshA2@upmc.edu 412-647-9966 | 412-509-8207
Tags: Department of Immunology autoimmune disease immunotherapy UPMC Hillman Cancer Center The Plan for Pitt: Engage in Research of Impact
PhD Student Takes a Data-driven Look at Art
Events and Programs Honor Martin Luther King Jr. During Social Justice Week
Richard Hylton Writes Essay Considering African American Art in the Global Arena
Pittsburgh Among Cities with Greatest Longevity
Alumni Added to Board of Sojourner House
School of Education Receives $1 Million Grant from Gates Foundation
Matthew Sterne Appointed Vice Chancellor for Business Services
Education's Tessa McCarthy Receives National Research Award
Shelome Gooden Named First Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research for the Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences and Related Fields
All Accolades


text:
Q: SQLite - no such table: while using CTE for deleting duplicate records I have created a Contacts table (Name, Phone, Email) and i have some duplicated records that i want to delete
WITH ContactsCTE AS (
    SELECT *, row_number() OVER ( PARTITION BY Name ORDER BY Name) as RowNumber
    FROM Contacts
)
SELECT * FROM ContactsCTE

When i use SELECT it shows the data and rowNumber of them and i guess it works fine
| Name | Phone |     Email      | RowNumber |
| Kris | 0123  | kris@gmail.com |     1     |
| Kris | 0123  | kris@gmail.com |     2     |
| Kris | 0123  | kris@gmail.com |     3     |
| Annie| 065   | annie@gmail.com|     1     |
| Bob  | 0123  | bob@gmail.com  |     1     |
| Bob  | 0123  | bob@gmail.com  |     2     |

But if i want to DELETE them
 WITH ContactsCTE AS (
        SELECT *, row_number() OVER ( PARTITION BY Name ORDER BY Name) as RowNumber
        FROM Contacts
    )
 DELETE FROM ContactsCTE WHERE RowNumber > 1

I get this message :
"Result: no such table: ContactsCTE"
At line 1:

A: SQLite does not support updateable CTEs.
You can use NOT EXISTS:
DELETE FROM Contacts
WHERE EXISTS (
  SELECT 1 FROM Contacts c
  WHERE c.Name = Contacts.Name AND c.rowid < Contacts.rowid
);

This will delete all rows for which there exists another row with the same name and smaller rowid.
See the demo.
Or with a correlated subquery:
DELETE FROM Contacts
WHERE rowid > (
  SELECT MIN(rowid) FROM Contacts c
  WHERE c.Name = Contacts.Name
);

See the demo.
Results:
| Name  | Phone | Email           |
| ----- | ----- | --------------- |
| Kris  | 123   | kris@gmail.com  |
| Annie | 65    | annie@gmail.com |
| Bob   | 123   | bob@gmail.com   |

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Every college graduate has dreams of graduating and landing that career-starting opportunity. What some graduates and especially college seniors are unaware of is that job searching is a full-time job. My job search began while interning with the Dalton Agency. While there I was exposed to a sector of the communications field that though interesting wasn't an area that I wanted to pursue a career in. Months went by and it seemed I would never find a job that would fit my desires. I wanted to be involved in communications, interacting with people, creating plans and informing people about whatever organization I am with has to offer.
Fast-forward to January and I am a month out of school and unemployed, the scariest feeling I've ever had. Then on a Monday, a day which many view as the worst day of the week, I received a phone call from PLS Logistics Services expressing interest in hiring me. I was invited to participate in a phone interview Wednesday which led to a face-to-face on Thursday. After meeting with the hiring personnel for the company I knew I found an opportunity that would allow me to do something I enjoy and give me the opportunity to grow with a developing company. That same afternoon I was contacted by the company and officially offered the position of Talent Acquisition Specialist for PLS Logistics Services.
The opportunity to be a member of the Human Resources Department for a developing company and help them grow is a privilege. My advice from this experience to all job hunters is to persevere, be diligent and remain positive. Though my college days have come to an end but 2013 truly has proven to be a new beginning.


text:
Freeman's Park was a baseball park in Emeryville, California. It was the home field of the Oakland Clamdiggers of the California State League during 1899-1902; and the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League in 1903 and then again during 1907-1912.

The venue was established by a developer named William Freeman Jr. by about 1897. His father, British-born William Freeman Sr., was likewise a developer.[Oakland Tribune, March 18, 1915, p.20]

The ballpark was located within the city limits of Emeryville, between Oakland and Berkeley. The site was a square plot of land bounded by 59th Street (south, left field); San Pablo Avenue (east, third base); buildings and 61st Street (north, first base); and Fremont Street (west, right field). It was several blocks north of the eventual site of Oaks Park.

When the Oakland ball club moved from Idora Park back to a (newly-refurbished) Freeman's Park in 1907, they brought their bleachers with them. The newspaper reporter expressed a hope that the bleachers would get more usage at Freeman's than they did at Idora.[Oakland Tribune, March 28, 1907, p.12]

The field was also used for amateur baseball, football, and soccer throughout its duration. Its final sporting events (soccer matches) were held in January and February of 1915. The venue was eventually demolished and the block was developed into mostly housing with some small businesses.

Sources

External links
History of Oakland minor league ballparks
Sanborn map showing Freeman's Park in 1911

Baseball venues in California
Buildings and structures in Emeryville, California
Sports venues in Alameda County, California
Minor league baseball venues
Sports venues completed in 1913
1899 establishments in California
Year of disestablishment missing
Defunct baseball venues in the United States
Defunct minor league baseball venues
Sports in Oakland, California


text:
IPAPPM's Farm Forestry Program: Delivering the Goods
Grown to around 535,000 acres, IPAPPM's farm forestry initiative provides a means of economic survival for many rural farmers and their communities. In an interview given to Paper Mart, Shyam Srivastava, Vice President – Purchasing & Farm Forestry, International Paper APPM Limited, talks about his company's farm forestry initiative.
Here are a few excerpts from the interview.
Shyam Srivastava, Vice President – Purchasing &
Farm Forestry, International Paper APPM Limited
Paper Mart: How have you been able to reach 100 percent self-sustainability for your raw material requirement from a situation of scarcity of raw material?
Shyam Srivastava: After the introduction of National Forest Policy 1988, International Paper APPM (IP APPM) realized that the pulp and paper industry would face serious challenges in procuring fibrous raw material. As a result, in the late 1980's, the company embarked on an ambitious plan to generate fibrous raw material by coordinating with farmers to use their agricultural land, marking the commencement of farm forestry activities. Started in 1989, the farm forestry initiative proved to be a turning point in the history of IP APPM, spreading to many districts of Andhra Pradesh. In the following three decades, the company developed strong networks and resources in clonal sapling production and forestry extension. The company pursued forestry activities, building strong linkages with the local farming communities to ensure a long-term, cost-effective and sustainable raw material resource base in the vicinity of the mill. The program provided small farmers with means of survival and improved the socio-economic status of the farming communities.
Till 2018, the company's farm forestry program ushered in the distribution of approximately 1.75 billion fast-growing Subabul and Casuarina saplings, which covered more than 2.5 lakh hectares of land. It helped over 70,000 beneficiaries with more than 125 million man-days of employment generation. The beneficiaries were provided with quality planting material and technical guidance at all stages of plantation facilitated by experts from the extension, R&D and production teams of the company.
PM: Water scarcity is a matter of concern for water-intensive industries, and the pulp and paper industry is a water-intensive industry. Your company uses the wood part of Subabul, Casuarina, and Eucalyptus for making pulp. Which of these trees uses the minimum amount of water for its growth? Which of these trees is the most economically advantageous tree?
SS: Subabul, Casuarina and Eucalyptus consume less water per unit of biomass gained as compared to many other tree species. The economic disposition of pulpwood species varies with the factors influencing their plantation and growth. In Andhra Pradesh, farmers plant saplings in accordance with the type of soil, traditional farming and rainfall patterns, demand for wood and other socio-economic factors.
PM: What has been the impact of the genetically superior clones of Casuarina and Eucalyptus that you have developed on plantation productivity and revenue generation for the farmers?
SS: International Paper APPM has tied up with some national-level institutions for developing high yielding, genetically superior clones of Casuarina and Subabul to maximize plantation productivity and revenue generation for the farmer. Clonal propagation enables us to replicate the most vigorous mother plants with the desired characteristics, thereby generating two-fold benefits to the farmers who plant them. So, the benefit includes increased yield and better sale price realization. Compared to a bare-root seedling plantation, a clonal plantation's advantage is reflected in its fast growth, high yield, disease resistance, better uniformity and improved quality of the produce.
PM: Do you think that paper mills in India have been successful in striking down the perception that paper mills are destroyers of natural resources?
SS: Paper mills have been quite successful in improving the tree cover outside the forest area in their procurement catchments. Forestry activities, plantation coverage of land and employment in areas where the mills are operating have grown substantially, something not witnessed in the past – when there were no paper mills. Paper mills have been able to motivate the farmers to plant trees on their otherwise barren and unproductive lands. Through their CSR activities, mills have furthered the interests of the local communities. Today's pulp and paper mills are committed to enhancing the efficiency of their manufacturing operations, reducing their carbon footprint, and protecting the livelihood and promoting the welfare of local communities. The concerted efforts made by pulp and paper companies in this direction have started to erase the perception that paper mills are destroyers of natural resources.
PM: Have you been able to improve the productivity of degraded lands, control soil erosion and push moisture conservation through your social farm forestry program?
SS: Large tracts of lands in the coastal areas where we work are not fit for agricultural use. Farmers owning land in these regions have few livelihood options. Also, inland areas, including agricultural lands, suffer from soil erosion during periods of heavy rainfalls or strong winds. Our social farm forestry program encourages farmers to plant trees in agricultural and otherwise barren lands. We give quality Casuarina and Subabul clones or seedlings to these farmers. Plantation of these species prevents soil erosion. The structure of the soil is maintained by reducing desiccation through shading while tree rooting aggregates soil, thereby reducing chances of soil erosion or surface run-off. Leaf litter enhances organic matter, supports mulching and helps retain soil moisture. Because Casuarina and Subabul are nitrogen-fixing in nature, plantation of these trees on degraded land adds fertility to the soil and facilitates growth of other crops. By engaging farmers in agroforestry, our social farm forestry activities give protection to the land and increase its productivity.
PM: How have IP APPM's research and development projects fuelled your company's social farm forestry program?
SS: Our R&D projects will enable farmers associated with the company's social farm forestry program to gain greater return on investment. These projects will increase the productivity of the land. The introduction of new and higher productive clones with shorter rotation cycles will ensure that the farmer gets extra income from the same piece of land. The social farm forestry program encourages the use of intercropping in pulpwood plantations with crops like groundnuts, sweet potatoes, gram, tomatoes, chilies and lady finger for additional income. IP APPM has tied up with some leading research institutions to leverage its expertise and technology and integrate them with the company's extension efforts on the field. Through import of new clones or improved seeds, indigenous selection or breeding, establishment of clonal seed orchards and intercropping models, our R&D efforts aim to develop generations of clones with incremental growth prospects. Through our R&D efforts, we are striving to facilitate the transfer of the benefits of technology directly to the growers of pulpwood.
PM: Do you think that sourcing wood from farm forestry is a win-win situation for both wood-starved mills and farmers who want a steady source of income?
SS: Yes. Farm forestry is definitely a win-win situation for both. Plantations not only ensure a more stable wood supply, but also scale up job creation and protection of livelihood in the region. Casuarina grows well in sandy soils along the coast, soils that are not conducive to the growth of food crops. Farmers have also found that the income they earn from growing Casuarina is higher than the income they receive from otherwise marginal or degraded farmlands. This species is also a nitrogen fixer – that's an added advantage. Additionally, crop rotation is short enough – typically four years. And that ensures regular cash flow. There is no wastage of the plant, as the whole crop is quite old for separate purposes. The larger stems are sold as construction poles, the smaller stems for pulpwood and the branches for local fuel wood. Even the stumps are dug up and used as high-calorific fuel for brick making. Surely, farm forestry is highly beneficial for both paper manufacturers and farmers.
PM: Do you think that India's agroforestry policy is a step in the right direction?
SS: The Indian Agroforestry policy 2014 aims at removing restrictive legal provisions for harvesting and transportation of trees planted on farmland and providing mechanisms for quality planting material, infrastructure and price. This is a welcome move from the government. It incentivizes farmers to adopt agroforestry and grow wood on farmland for better returns. While the agriculture crop will ensure food security of the nation, the tree cover on agricultural land will help achieve 33 percent of forest cover as envisaged in the National Forest Policy. At the same time, tree plantations along with agriculture will help in meeting the demand for firewood as raw material for paper, real estate, plywood, energy plants, furniture, firewood and other wood-based industries. It will also generate large scale and perpetual rural economy which will generate millions of man-days of employment. In addition, harvesting of trees on agricultural lands will generate additional income for the farmers. This will also help to hedge any uncertainty in demand and supply of agriculture crops. When we look at the trees outside the forest cover, we find that there is significant increase in the pulpwood plantation area in the catchment of paper and pulp mills. This reflects the demand for agroforestry among the farmers. At this juncture, motivating farmers to go for agroforestry is the only way to build pulp and paper business sustainably.
PM: What are your company's future targets in the area of farm forestry?
SS: Our future targets in the area of farm forestry are aligned with the fiber and forestry strategy for building a long-term pulpwood security at an optimum cost in the catchment area of IP APPM's mills. Under this strategy, we are targeting to maximize our sourcing within 150 km of the mill in coming years. We have formulated certain objectives in the area of research and development related to new clones and seedlings of Casuarina and Subabul. The company is also aiming to achieve certain targets in areas such as reduction in plant production cost, management of the gene bank, development of best cultural practices for Casuarina and Subabul under various edaphic conditions, development of low-cost harvesting equipment and new clone or seedling release with incremental productivity.
APPM LimitedForest PolicyIPAPPMPaper Mills
Towards a Sustainable Future Based on the Bioeconomy
Specialty Chemicals: Enhancing Productivity, Quality, Value Addition and Environmental Sustainability


text:
Tag Archives: 4AMLD
STEP welcomes UK government response to Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive consultation
Update 11 August 2020: It remains unclear exactly when the proposed Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 will come into force as this is being created by way of a Statutory Instrument, which is subject to the sifting procedure in Parliament. This is a special procedure for EU legislation, and the date on which the regulations will come into force will only become clear once the procedure has been completed.
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has confirmed that the date from which new business relationships and acquisitions of land have to be considered as part of the registration requirements under the regulations will be 21 days after the Statutory Instrument has been laid (see para 1(2) of the regulations).
The UK Parliament website shows the regulations as 'laid' on 15 July for the purpose of the sifting procedure, however this does not mean they have been 'laid' for the purposes of the commencement provisions in para 1(2) of the regulations. This can only happen after the sifting procedure has been completed. We will keep members updated once it is clear when the regulations will come into force.
Original blog: HMRC and HM Treasury (HMT) have published a response to the technical consultation 'Fifth Money Laundering Directive and Trust Registration Service'. The consultation ran from January to February 2020 and sought views on how the Fifth Money Laundering Directive (5AMLD) should be transposed, and how certain processes could work for the expanded Trust Registration Service (TRS).
STEP submitted a consultation response and has held numerous meetings with HMRC and HMT over the last 18 months, on various issues related to the implementation of 5AMLD.
One of STEP's outstanding concerns has been in relation to the interpretation of the business relationship point, which could have had an incredibly damaging effect on the use of UK professional service providers if interpreted in the same way as 4AMLD. We have been advising the government on the negative impact that a wide interpretation of the directive could have on the industry, and we are delighted to see that our recommendation has been accepted.
Para 2.15 of the consultation confirms that, 'the government has opted to take a measured approach and will only require non-UK trusts to register on entering a business relationship with a UK obliged entity if the trust has at least one UK resident trustee. This means that non-UK trusts will not be required to register if their only link to the UK is through a business relationship with a UK based adviser.'
There is also a significant expansion of the categories of trust that will not need to be reported, which will ease the reporting burden on our members, although we were disappointed to note that bare trusts have not been exempted from registration as we would have liked. The government has also recognised that it would not be appropriate to require trusts created by will to register on the TRS if they are wound up within two years of death.
STEP also had concerns over the 'legitimate interest' application process, and the consultation confirms that it will aim to ensure that each request will be reviewed on its own merits, and access will be given only where there is evidence of money laundering or terrorist activity. We will continue to engage with the government on this issue.
The government has set a deadline of 10 March 2022 for existing trusts to register on the TRS, or to update their records if they have already done so. A 30-day deadline will be imposed for new trust registrations and updates. The regulations to implement the provisions have now been laid before Parliament for consideration.
We are very pleased that our discussions and papers have been taken into consideration so comprehensively, and we will continue to engage with the government on the remaining policy issues and assist with the development of the guidance.
Government consultation response.
STEP consultation response (pdf).
Tagged 4AMLD, 5AMLD, Emily Deane, HMRC, HMT, TRS


Browsing the archives for the aliette de bodard tag.
Ann Leckie is the first Codexian ever to win the Nebula for best novel, for her Ancillary Justice.
Ann, Vy, Aliette, Rachel: way to kick some genre!
A variety of other Codexians were nominated for the Nebula this year, including Kenneth Schneyer, Alethea Kontis (now a two-time nominee for the Andre Norton award), Ken Liu (the only person ever to have won the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Award for a single work), Sylvia Spruck Wrigley, Sarah Pinsker, Henry Lien, and Lawrence M. Schoen.
About 7 years ago, I started an online writing group called Codex by bringing together friends who were graduates of Orson Scott Card's first Literary Boot Camp with other friends who were fellow Writers of the Future winners. Since then, we've grown to nearly 200 active members, each of whom has sold fiction professionally and/or completed major, by-audition-only workshops.
When the Nebula award nominations were recently announced, I found many friends on it. (For those not familiar with it, the Nebula is one of the two top awards in science fictiondom.) This year, Codexians have garnered no fewer than eight Nebula nominations (15% of the total). The list follows, with Codex members in bold. Thanks to Vylar Kaftan (nominated for her short story "I'm Alive, I Love You, I'll See You in Reno," which has a title I greatly envy) for the bolded list. Winners will be announced at the Nebula Awards Banquet in May.


There are some people who cannot wrap their heads around how online bingo is played. But for those who have already tried online bingo, there is hardly any difference between this form or bingo and the traditional version of the game. But still, it is worth asking yourself how online bingo is played if you are yet to try it out. The truth is that there are indeed some differences between online bingo and the bingo played in physical casinos.
And since online bingo is more accessible than its casino counterpart, then chances are that you will at one time or another want to play bingo online. So, you might as well know what you are getting into to avoid some obvious challenges first time players often have to deal with.
But first, you will discover that in an online casino, instead of shouting "Bingo!" when you get a winning combination, you will have to press the "Bingo" button. As for the reason why you should play bingo over the internet, or the rules that come with this form of gameplay, keep reading.
The question for some people is not how online bingo is played, but rather if this form of bingo is even worth a try in the first place. But believe it or not, there are plenty of benefits to playing online bingo not available to players of the traditional version of the game in physical casinos.
Once you are logged in to your online casino account, all you need is to deposit some money into it and you are ready to play at any time of the day, every day. In an online casino, you can even play demo bingo games, which is a huge plus if you are just introducing yourself to the game and need to prepare yourself adequately for the real-life gameplay ahead of you.
For some people, variety when it comes to gameplay is something they crave. And with physical casinos, save for making the effort to travel far and wide to find different bingo flavors, you are pretty much stuck with the limited options within your vicinity.
Guess what? With online bingo, all these options are literally at your finger tips. Any bingo variation you desire can be played wherever you are. Casinos have even introduced their own versions of bingo, and these make the game more interesting for the neophiliacs our there.
And finally, for now at least, playing online bingo will give you a chance to enjoy this game on your mobile phone. This improves the convenience of online bingo by far, because it means you can play this game whenever you are. So, as you wait for the train to arrive or as you stand in a banking lobby waiting to be served, you can play this game if you have a few minutes to kill.
When it comes to winning, there are ways you can use online bingo's unique features to make yourself win more. A good example is the feature that lets you play with many cards in one go. But you can do this at a brick-and-mortar casino, right? Sure. But it is much easier to use this strategy when you are playing online because the cards are much cheaper, and keeping track of them is also a lot easier in comparison to an offline playing environment.
You can play bingo online at any time of the day; and herein lies another great opportunity. Because playing this game when there are fewer players in the room increases your chances of winning, you will have more opportunities to exploit this strategy by playing bingo online. This is because even though online casinos can be accessed from any part of the world, they will predominantly deal with players from a certain geographical region or country.
But since they will also have players from other parts of the world, they will keep their games running throughout the day, even when a majority of their players are not active. With physical casinos, there are usually specific hours within which bingo is offered, and this limits your options when it comes to using this great strategy.
On the other hand, if you would like your online gambling activities to remain unnoticed, there is no better option for you than to play over the internet. Online bingo does not require you to expose yourself to other people physically. You can play anonymously, and only you would know that you took part in the game. Would you get this option when playing in a physical casino? Absolutely not.
Also, learning to play bingo is much easier when you decide to use online bingo sites. These sites offer 24-hour support to their players. The physical casinos don't usually go to the trouble of offering such features. Instead, they expect that as long as you have walked into their establishments to play bingo, you already know what you are doing.
The quality of gameplay offered by online bingo sites is now one of the reasons many people are finally taking the bold step to play this game over the internet. The best casinos obviously offer the best possible quality through high quality graphics and other mesmerizing features.
The best bingo sites also have great support for their customers, and ensure that bingo players are properly protected through proper regulation and premium technology. Another highly regarded aspect of online bingo is the presence of several bonuses and promotions, which are available to all players who sign up with such establishments.
Good casinos also have great chat features to make sure that the social aspect of the game is not absent to players who decide to play this game over the internet. In these chat rooms, you can meet lots of great people from all around the world. You can also learn plenty about playing bingo through these chat rooms.
More importantly, the exciting and fulfilling experience you will have when chatting as you play bingo will leave you eagerly looking forward to your next playing session, which is clearly the crowning glory of online bingo.


Industry leader Square D loaded up its new Road Warrior Trailer with some of its newest and most innovative products and is making appearances at three Steiner Electric branches in August.
From ready-to-install (RTI) panelboards to surge protection devices with myriad mounting options, meters, diagnostic devices and energy management systems, the products on display in the Square D Road Warrior Trailer are designed to speed-up installations, reduce mistakes, call backs and component lists.
The Road Warrior Trailer makes three stops at Steiner Electric in August. The first is Aug. 8, from 11am to 1pm, in Elk Grove Village. On Aug. 15, the trailer rolls into Rockford, and two days later it appears at the St. Charles branch from 10am to 1pm.
Units on display include ready-to-install (RTI) panelboards such as the NQ panel, which is designed to meet 240Vac maximum rating applications and offer powerful circuit protection. Additional features showcased include a group mounted (factory installed) SPD unit, finger guard on incoming wires as per new code, and CAFI and DF breakers.
Another line on display is the the HomeLine Plug-on group of circuit breakers and load centers that help contractors save time on installation, and meet NECs code regarding arc and ground fault requirements.
Homeline Plug-on features on display include, Plug on Neutral CAFI and DF breakers, incoming wires finger guard, push-to-test DF breakers, and Group mounted SPD.
Also on display is the QO load center for applications ranging from agricultural to industrial, commercial to residential with indoor and outdoor versions available. The QO is a load center and circuit breaker family that comes in single and three-phase, ¾ in. circuit breaker width, 30 to 400 amps, 2 to 42 circuits and separate flush or surface mounted covers.
Additional features on display for the QO Load Center (Plug on), include the finger guard requirement, Plug on Neutral CAFI and DF breakers, the Qwik Grip wire management system, hinged Trim with adjustable dead front, and Visi-Trip breakers.
Other items on display include EZM corner section metering, Wiser Energy Load Center, which features a new load control with all-inclusive CT's and communication package for metering, and a whole range of SPDs in unit mount, group mount and side mount.
Lunch provided during each event.
Fuses and Circuit Breakers both serve the same purpose – which is to protect electrical circuits by preventing overloads that can cause fires. They both interrupt the flow of electricity, but in very different ways from each other. While a fuse is made of a piece of metal that melts when overheated, circuit breakers on the other hand, have internal switch mechanisms that can be tripped by an unsafe surge of electricity.
Fuses can be quicker for interrupting the flow of power, but when they melt they must be replaced; circuit breakers on the other hand just need to be reset. When comparing the two, we'll take a look at some of the major advantages and disadvantages between fuses and circuit breakers to distinguish between them.
Fuses come in different types – for both residential and commercial use. The most common type is made from a metal wire or a filament that is enclosed in a glass or ceramic and metal casing. In residential homes, the fuse is usually plugged into a central fuse box, where the building's wiring passes through. When electricity flows, the fuse will permit the power to pass unobstructed across the filament between circuits. If overloads occur, the filament melts and stops the flow of electricity.
It will take some time for the filament to melt, and therefore any power surge is stopped. When a fuse is blown, it is to be discarded and replaced with a new fuse. There are different voltage and ratings that are available which handle different capacities of electricity. The best fuse for a circuit is usually one that is rated for slightly higher than normal operating current.
Circuit Breakers have two different ways of working – the first is through the use of an electromagnet and the other is through the use of a bi-metal strip. In both instances, when turned on, the breaker allows electrical current to pass from a bottom to an upper terminal across the strip. Once the current reaches any unsafe levels, the magnetic force of the solenoid or strip becomes strong enough to throw a metal lever in the switch mechanism, breaking the current. The other option that can happen is that the metal strip can bend, throwing the switch and breaking the connection.
In order to reset the flow of electricity, the switch can just be turned back on. This reconnects the circuit. Circuit breakers in many cases are found in a cabinet of individual switches known as the breaker box. This simple switch action allows for an easy turn-off for individual circuits in a house when needed for working on a wiring in the location.
Circuit breakers have other applications, such as using for ground fault circuit interrupter, or GFCI. The function of this is to prevent electric shock, rather than just overheating. It breaks the circuit in an outlet if the current gets unbalanced. It can be reset by the touch of a button, and is generally useful in kitchens or bathrooms, where electrocution is a risk from the use of electrical appliances near water sources such as sinks or faucets.
Fuses are more inexpensive, available at nearly any hardware store. They react quickly to overloading, offering more protection to sensitive electronic devices. The only problem in this is that if the circuit is prone to surges that regularly cause fuses to blow, then the quick reaction to the overloading can be a disadvantage.
When fuses are blown, they need to be replaced. This can be difficult, especially in a dark room, or if the replacement fuse is not available at the time of need. In many instances, too, people find themselves replacing a fuse with the replacement fuses that actually has a higher voltage or current rating that is too high for the application or need – which can then cause an overheated circuit.
Fuses are generally speaking, easy to see which switch has been tripped, and which would need to be reset. The average homeowner would find it safe since there is no doubt about choosing the right fuse rating and all of the electrical connections are in the breaker box.
The disadvantage to using a circuit breaker is that it can be more expensive to install, repair and replace. Circuit breakers won't react as quickly as a fuse in power surges. This means it would be possible that electronics connected to the circuit could be damaged by energy that is just let through. It can be more sensitive to vibration and movement, which may allow for a switch to trip for reasons that are unrelated to electricity overloads.
Circuit breakers and fuses are not interchangeable for all power applications. For instance, a fuse should not be used in situations that require a GFCI. Electricians are best qualified to make decisions on whether a fuse or circuit breaker system is better for any particular instance or scenario or electrical installation. If you have any questions about a particular project and would like to know more, you can talk to an accomplished professional at 1-800-STEINER (783-4637).


Thai Airways and Bangkok Airways are allowing baggage following the international 20kg/ person- rule. Some low cost- carriers such as Nok Air or Air Asia are only allowing 15kg/person, but passengers may upgrade against charge. Please contact your local travel agent or see the airlines- home pages for details.
The best time to travel to Thailand is late October to the end of April. This is the so called "dry season", but don't be fooled by the name you are in the tropics, so you always have to expect some outbreak of (heavy) rain from time to time. There is one exception to every rule, in this case it's name is Koh Samui (and the neighboring islands of Koh Phangan and Koh Tao); best to be visited in the European summer months from March to early October. Temperatures in Thailand are high throughout the year, with the slight exception of the mountainous north, where "off season" and in the night- or early morning hours, you might want to wear some slightly warmer clothes. To give you an orientation, here are some climate charts for certain regions.
Currency is the Thai Baht (100 Satang = 1 Baht). Most common are 1, 2, 5 and 10 Baht coins. 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1.000 Baht notes. 1 Euro = 42 Baht or 1 USD = 31 Baht (January 2014). For current conversion rate please visit our bankers home page at Bangkok Bank Plc but please remember to apply the buying rates when converting Thai Baht to your currency, or we lose on the exchange rate.
Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, Nok Air (low cost), and Air Asia (low cost) are the common and most used domestic airlines in Thailand. Thai Airways and Bangkok Airways do fly in code-share with many of the international carriers.
Throughout Thailand 220V are the norm- in areas outside the tourist- destinations, you still might find 3way-sockets, while most places have switched to 2 plugs by now. If you want to be 100%- safe, use an adapter.
Thailand covers a land area of 513,115 sq.km or approximately the same size as France, with a coastline of approximately 2,700 kilometers on the Gulf of Thailand and 865 kilometers along the Indian Ocean. There are approx. 66 million people living in Thailand. Capital and biggest city is Bangkok, with approx. 10 million citizens.
Thai food is generally very spicy, very healthy and very exotic. Instead of salt, fish- sauce is used to salten dishes (a fact that vegetarians and vegans should consider). Common spices include chili, garlic, ginger, galanga, Thai- basil and lemon grass. Some of these herbs and spices may be unusual to European mouths. If you don't mind the "simple ways", Thai- food is also very cheap and available practically everywhere, as the Thais simply love to eat. Alcoholic beverages (except for beer and some local brands) are mostly expensive. You should generally stay away from tab- water or ice, made from tab- water. The water- quality has improved over the last years, but in some regions you may still risk a night or two of sleep in exchange for some unhealthy "diet"- behavior of your belly.
Thailand is generally flat, with the southern ranges of the Himalayas making the north rather mountainous. The south is dominated by beaches and a long coastline with many small islands.
Thailand is a shopping- paradise. From the night- markets to the luxurious shopping centers, from the fake watches and t-shirts to high quality Thai- products (silk, teakwood, silverware etc)- shoppers or souvenir- hunters will their places for sure. A word of warning though avoid the "special offers" that some taxi- or Tuk Tuk drivers make you- they will most definitely turn out way more expensive, than you may think.
Using trains in Thailand is relatively cheap and secure- you may have to take a lack of luxury into concern, as the train- system is not very modern. If you can live with that, getting around by train is a good alternative, if you have time to spend and are not on a tight schedule.
For every service you are paying a "service charge" in Thailand, which practically covers tips. But of course it is a nice (and happily taken) gesture, if you pay a few baht extra for good service or quality. There are no rules, but you may consider this a tip of 35 baht provides a full-grown meal.
The easiest way to travel in Thailand is still by plane. Trains, buses or mini- vans are available almost everywhere, but there have been some safety issues, lately…especially with the vans.
Although the major tourist destinations have a fully developed infrastructure and there are hospitals and doctors available at all times, it is always a good idea, to bring specific medicines with you and make sure, your accommodation can handle your special needs.
For tropical-diseases, please contact an experienced doctor. Most tourist areas of Thailand are free of Malaria, but there are cases of Dengue-fever from time to time.
Anti- Mosquito spray should not be missing in any suitcase.
Sun-protection is the A & O when traveling to Thailand, as the tropic sun can be harmful to unprotected body- parts. Apart from that bring mostly light clothing, made from natural fabrics and -if you travel up north- a light jacket or equal, as it may get a little chilly at night.
Citizens of most EU countries will receive a visa- upon- arrival with a validity of 30 days. Please contact your nearest Thai- embassy for details regarding your specific nationality.
Anyhow your passport has to be valid at least 6 month after the date of leaving the kingdom. Children of most nationalities need a passport.