Evaluation of a commercial rapid test kit for detecting bovine enteric pathogens in feces.
Recently a commercial antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit in the form of a dipstick (Bovine Enterichek, Biovet Inc.) was made available to bovine practitioners and producers for the rapid detection of Betacoronavirus 1 (BCV-1), Rotavirus A (RV-A), Escherichia coli K99(+), and Cryptosporidium parvum in feces from diarrheic calves. The diagnostic performance of Bovine Enterichek was evaluated in comparison with a multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction assay (mrtPCR). One hundred fecal samples were procured from diagnostic submissions to Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and were used for the assessment. The agreement quotient (kappa) in results for each pathogen between Bovine Enterichek and mrtPCR were 0.095 (BCV-1), 0.521 (RV-A), 0.823 (E. coli K99( + )), and 0.840 (C. parvum). In comparison to mrtPCR, the diagnostic sensitivity of Bovine Enterichek was 60.0%, 42.3%, 71.4%, and 81.5%, and the diagnostic specificity was 51.4%, 100%, 100%, and 98.6% for BCV-1, RV-A, E. coli K99( + ), and C. parvum, respectively. The current study suggested that Bovine Enterichek can be a rapid test tool in the field for detection of RV-A, C. parvum, or E. coli K99(+) in feces from calves at acute stage of clinical disease. However, test results for BCV-1 by the kit should be interpreted with caution due to low specificity and sensitivity of the kit.


Aspergillus PCR testing: results from a prospective PCR study within the AmBiLoad trial.
Invasive fungal infection (IFI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in severely immunocompromised patients and is difficult to diagnose. The significance of molecular methods for diagnosis of IFI is still controversial. In a subset of patients treated within the AmBiLoad Trial, samples were investigated prospectively by a nested Aspergillus PCR assay to re-evaluate the significance of PCR in this setting. In the randomized, prospective multicenter AmBiLoad trial, patients with proven or probable IFI were randomized to receive liposomal amphotericin B (L-AMB) 3 or 10 mg/kg QD for 14 d followed by L-AMB 3 mg/kg QD. From 91 patients, 459 serial samples (98% blood samples) were investigated by a nested PCR assay for Aspergillus DNA. All samples were investigated in our laboratory with a previously described nested and a quantitative PCR assay. As required by the study protocol, serial Aspergillus antigen galactomannan was performed. IFI was defined according to modified EORTC/MSG 2002 criteria as applied in the AmBiLoad trial. Seven and 52 patients had proven and probable IFI according to modified EORTC/MSG criteria, respectively. The median number of samples investigated per patient was 4. Seventy percent of samples were obtained during treatment with antifungal study medication. Forty-three samples gave positive PCR results. Patients with an unfavorable outcome had a significantly higher rate of positive PCR results (48% versus 21%). The sensitivity of Aspergillus PCR testing is limited during antifungal therapy. The tendency for persistently positive PCR results to indicate a poor prognosis has to be confirmed in further studies.


Hawk Mt. Sanctuary to buy 25 acres

Nick Meyer/Staff Photographer
Mary Linkevich, director of Communications and Grants, left, and Jerry Regan, president of Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, talk about the land they will buy west of the Appalachian Trail in Berks County through a grant.

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary plans to buy land bordering the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.

The 25.3 acres of woodland will become part of the sanctuary, a roughly 2,500-acre wildlife-protected habitat in Schuylkill and Berks counties, said Mary Linkevich, Hawk Mountain's director of communication and grants.

"There are all types of wildlife that use it, amphibians, mammals, birds, and it's stopover habitat for raptors," Linkevich said.

It will cost Hawk Mountain $210,000 to buy the property. Earlier this month, the sanctuary received a $100,000 grant from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources toward the purchase, Linkevich said.

The sanctuary will buy the property in early 2014, she said.

It's one of three DCNR grants the sanctuary recently received, Linkevich said in a press release.

The others are $250,000 to help build a fully accessible walkway that connects the Outdoor Amphitheater, Visitors Center, Native Plant Garden and Hawk Mountain Road, and $200,000 for upgrades at the Irma Broun-Kahn Education Building.

The 25.3 acres of woodland the sanctuary intends to buy in Kempton, Berks County, is privately owned. Linkevich and Jerry Regan, president of the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association, would not identify the owner.

The site borders the Appalachian Trail and Hawk Mountain Road, Linkevich said.

"It's forested with 120-year-old maple woodlands with hemlock groves which provide important lower-elevation mixed forest habitat," she said. "Biological inventories completed by Hawk Mountain show the area is used by the pileated woodpecker, black bear, wild turkey, wood thrush, chestnut-sided warbler, scarlet tanager, the state-threatened timber rattlesnakes and many other Appalachian forest species, as well as migratory raptors who use it for stopover resting and feeding."

The sanctuary worked hard to acquire the property to prevent a private landowner from buying it and developing it, she said.

"A possible private sale and development on this parcel presents the highest risk to the character of Hawk Mountain's gateway experience and for hikers along the Appalachian Trail, and would certainly degrade its outstanding wildlife values," Linkevich said.

Hawk Mountain was required to match the state grant with $100,000, which it obtained through a zero-interest loan from Norcross Wildlife Foundation, she said.

Meanwhile, Linkevich said the sanctuary is looking to invest in 59.8 acres of riverside property in West Brunswick Township, Schuylkill County.

"It's immediately below the North Lookout at Hawk Mountain," she said. "We continue to raise funds in hopes to purchase development rights. We are not buying the property, but a conservation easement."

spytak@republicanherald.com

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U.S. Homeland Security remains in charge of the fate of Affre Ortega-Beato, 42, of the Dominican Republic, a fugitive and drug suspect captured during Friday’s multi-agency raid in the Buttonwood Street row houses in Hazleton. U.S. Marshals in Scranton
(read more)


using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Net.Http;
using System.Net.Http.Headers;
using System.Runtime.ExceptionServices;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using Waher.Runtime.Inventory;

namespace Waher.Content.Getters
{
	/// <summary>
	/// Gets resources from the Web (i.e. using HTTP or HTTPS).
	/// </summary>
	public class WebGetter : IContentGetter
	{
		/// <summary>
		/// Gets resources from the Web (i.e. using HTTP or HTTPS).
		/// </summary>
		public WebGetter()
		{
		}

		/// <summary>
		/// Supported URI schemes.
		/// </summary>
		public string[] UriSchemes => new string[] { "http", "https" };

		/// <summary>
		/// If the getter is able to get a resource, given its URI.
		/// </summary>
		/// <param name="Uri">URI</param>
		/// <param name="Grade">How well the getter would be able to get a resource given the indicated URI.</param>
		/// <returns>If the getter can get a resource with the indicated URI.</returns>
		public bool CanGet(Uri Uri, out Grade Grade)
		{
			switch (Uri.Scheme.ToLower())
			{
				case "http":
				case "https":
					Grade = Grade.Ok;
					return true;

				default:
					Grade = Grade.NotAtAll;
					return false;
			}
		}

		/// <summary>
		/// Gets a resource, using a Uniform Resource Identifier (or Locator).
		/// </summary>
		/// <param name="Uri">URI</param>
		/// <param name="Headers">Optional headers. Interpreted in accordance with the corresponding URI scheme.</param>
		/// <returns>Decoded object.</returns>
		public async Task<object> GetAsync(Uri Uri, params KeyValuePair<string, string>[] Headers)
		{
			using (HttpClient HttpClient = new HttpClient()
			{
				Timeout = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(10000)
			})
			{
				using (HttpRequestMessage Request = new HttpRequestMessage()
				{
					RequestUri = Uri,
					Method = HttpMethod.Get
				})
				{
					PrepareHeaders(Request, Headers);

					HttpResponseMessage Response = await HttpClient.SendAsync(Request);
					Response.EnsureSuccessStatusCode();

					byte[] Bin = await Response.Content.ReadAsByteArrayAsync();
					string ContentType = Response.Content.Headers.ContentType.ToString();
					object Decoded = InternetContent.Decode(ContentType, Bin, Uri);

					return Decoded;
				}
			}
		}

		internal static void PrepareHeaders(HttpRequestMessage Request, KeyValuePair<string, string>[] Headers)
		{
			if (!(Headers is null))
			{
				foreach (KeyValuePair<string, string> Header in Headers)
				{
					switch (Header.Key)
					{
						case "Accept":
							if (!Request.Headers.Accept.TryParseAdd(Header.Value))
								throw new InvalidOperationException("Invalid Accept header value: " + Header.Value);
							break;

						default:
							Request.Headers.Add(Header.Key, Header.Value);
							break;
					}
				}
			}
		}

		/// <summary>
		/// Gets a (possibly big) resource, using a Uniform Resource Identifier (or Locator).
		/// </summary>
		/// <param name="Uri">URI</param>
		/// <param name="TimeoutMs">Timeout, in milliseconds. (Default=60000)</param>
		/// <param name="Headers">Optional headers. Interpreted in accordance with the corresponding URI scheme.</param>
		/// <returns>Content-Type, together with a Temporary file, if resource has been downloaded, or null if resource is data-less.</returns>
		public async Task<KeyValuePair<string, TemporaryFile>> GetTempFileAsync(Uri Uri, int TimeoutMs, params KeyValuePair<string, string>[] Headers)
		{
			using (HttpClient HttpClient = new HttpClient()
			{
				Timeout = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(10000)
			})
			{
				using (HttpRequestMessage Request = new HttpRequestMessage()
				{
					RequestUri = Uri,
					Method = HttpMethod.Get
				})
				{
					PrepareHeaders(Request, Headers);

					HttpResponseMessage Response = await HttpClient.SendAsync(Request);
					Response.EnsureSuccessStatusCode();

					string ContentType = Response.Content.Headers.ContentType.ToString();
					TemporaryFile File = new TemporaryFile();
					try
					{
						await Response.Content.CopyToAsync(File);
					}
					catch (Exception ex)
					{
						File.Dispose();
						File = null;

						ExceptionDispatchInfo.Capture(ex).Throw();
					}

					return new KeyValuePair<string, TemporaryFile>(ContentType, File);
				}
			}
		}

	}
}


/*
 * Copyright (c) 2018-2020 Atmosphère-NX
 *
 * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
 * under the terms and conditions of the GNU General Public License,
 * version 2, as published by the Free Software Foundation.
 *
 * This program is distributed in the hope it will be useful, but WITHOUT
 * ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
 * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License for
 * more details.
 *
 * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 * along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 */

#pragma once
#include <vapours.hpp>
#include <stratosphere/sf.hpp>
#include <stratosphere/spl/spl_types.hpp>

namespace ams::spl::impl {

    #define AMS_SPL_I_RANDOM_INTERFACE_INTERFACE_INFO(C, H)                                  \
        AMS_SF_METHOD_INFO(C, H, 0, Result, GenerateRandomBytes, (const sf::OutBuffer &out))

    AMS_SF_DEFINE_INTERFACE(IRandomInterface, AMS_SPL_I_RANDOM_INTERFACE_INTERFACE_INFO)

}


Acrylic Numbers

…Using acrylic letters for signs is a great cost effective alternative to expensive metal letters. By using a metal laminate over acrylic letters, you can get the exact same look with acrylic lettering as you can with metal letters without having to break the bank in the process. Acrylic letters…


The key to a successful family holiday lies in not trying to do everything
together, writes Jake Wallis Simons

The seventh circle of hell that is Butlins has released a “study” claiming to provide a formula for a “perfect family day”. I know, spot the irony, right? But although the whole thing is patently absurd, bits of it provide food for thought.

The study, which was carried out by a “leading psychologist”, Dr David Holmes of Manchester Metropolitan University, had two main findings. The first was that “one in 10 finds that keeping harmony within the family gets in the way of quality time”. I have absolutely no idea what that means.

The second finding, however, made a little more sense. “One in 14 families ends up doing something that NO ONE wants to do”. This was backed up by “evidence” showing that, in the words of Dr Holmes, “it’s clear that families want to spend time together – but the array of personalities and interests in any family dynamic means that there is unlimited potential for people to disagree”.

His solution was to devise a “formula” – (FT+TP) x (TA+NA)-W2/(TE) – in which FT, for instance, stood for “family time”, NA was “number of activities you do together”, and E was “emotional expression (number of times you laugh or hug as a family)”.

But disregarding all that silliness, it is true that, in many cases, what makes family holidays difficult is the decision-making.

I’m writing this from a flat in Paris. Two of my three children are playing happily upstairs; we’re going off exploring later. Meanwhile, my wife is taking my eldest camping.

This is only the second time we have split up for a family holiday. Although I don’t think it is wise as a habitual state of affairs, splitting up occasionally can be a really good idea. For a start, the kids get more attention from a single parent, and a chance to form relationships outside the normal dynamic. But also, when there’s only one adult in charge, the decision-making can become lighter and easier.

My wife tends to be more active than me on holiday; I tend to like leaving a bit more space to just flop about. Together, this combination can work well, as a nice balance can be achieved. But there is always a degree of tension between the two approaches. Going on holiday as a lone parent, therefore, can make quite a nice contrast.

So if there is any lesson from all this, it is that splitting up families on occasion can be a good idea. But I’m not sure we needed Dr Holmes and Butlins to tell us that.


Q:

PhpStorm CodeIgniter class not found

Can you help me on this one. I'm new in CodeIgniter and PhpStorm, I'm having a problem. The PhpStorm IDE is showing an error, even though the code works fine (the Persons(controller) class can't find the Person(model) class).

$data['persons']=$this->**person**->get_person(); = on this syntax from Persons class, there is a message "Field person not found in class Persons".
Can you enlighten me on how to resolve this, but actually the output is good and it retrieves the data without issue just a warning message in Persons class.

A:

The person property ($this->property) is not explicitly declared as it is created and accessed via PHP's magic methods.
PhpStorm has no special support for CodeIgniter framework and cannot guess where $this->person is coming from and what type it is.
But you can help IDE -- just a small PHPDoc comment before the actual class -- using @property tag.
/**
 * @property Person $person Optional description
 */
class Persons extends CI_Controller {

...and oh magic -- it works:

A:

The answer from LazyOne did not work for me initially. After some testing I found out that my issue was upper/lower case related on how you declare the property in PHPDoc - hopefully the following observations can help someone else. This is what I have to declare my model class:
class Custom extends CI_Model {}

In my controller I load and use the model for example the following way:
$this->load->model('Custom')
$table = $this->Custom->get();

Now for phpStorm to pick up this class correctly I originally added a PHPDoc @property comment above a core class as described by others (either above the CI_Controller class or separate CI_phpStrom.php file) like this:
*
* @property Custom $custom
*

However, this didn't remove the issue, as the variable name becomes case sensitive in this case and I had to write:
*
* @property Custom $Custom
*

for my above controller code to pick up the class correctly. An alternative would be to use lowercase when calling functions (this works even if your model declaration used uppercase)
$this->load->model('custom')
$table = $this->custom->get();

The funny thing all this uppercase or lowercase didn't matter if I call my model class "Custom_model" - then it made no change if set the PHPDoc property variable to $Custom_model or $custom_model ...


591 S.W.2d 932 (1979)
Ray ZAUBERDerivatively in Behalf of Murray Savings Association, Appellant,
v.
MURRAY SAVINGS ASSOCIATION, Murray Development Company et al., Appellees.
No. 20082.
Court of Civil Appeals of Texas, Dallas.
November 26, 1979.
Rehearing Denied January 8, 1980.
*933 Dean Carlton, Dallas, for appellant.
Morris I. Jaffe, Gardere, Wynne, Jaffe & DeHay, Dallas, for appellees.
Before AKIN, ROBERTSON and HUMPHREYS, JJ.
ROBERTSON, Justice.
Appellant, Ray Zauber, brought this derivative action on behalf of Murray Savings Association seeking an accounting for and recovery of assets allegedly converted from Murray Savings to the use and benefit of the appellees as insiders. In the trial court appellees contended that appellant did not meet the standing requirements to bring a derivative suit for the following reasons: he had not complied with the class action requirements in rule 42 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure; he had not complied with the demand requirements of article 5.14(B)(2)(b) of the Texas Business Corporation Act; and he had ceased to be a stockholder during the pendency of this suit. Additionally, appellees contended that appellant was bound by Murray Savings' board of directors' decision, after commencement of the suit, that Murray Savings should not pursue this action. The trial court, after setting forth its findings of fact and conclusions of law, rendered summary judgment and dismissed the action. On this appeal appellant argues that genuine issues of material fact exist on each of appellees' points and thus, summary judgment was improperly granted and the cause should not have been dismissed. We agree that questions of fact were presented *934 to the trial court and therefore, that summary judgment was improperly granted. Accordingly, we reverse and remand for trial.
The summary judgment evidence was extensive and established the following facts. Murray Savings is a subsidiary of appellee Murray Financial Corporation, which also owns appellees Murray Development Company and Murray Properties Company. Murray Development and Murray Properties do the bulk of the land purchasing and development for this group of companies. Appellee Jack Crozier is a stockholder in and president of Murray Financial, and appellee Fulton Murray, Jr., is a stockholder in Murray Financial (both individually and as a trustee) and also chairman of the board and chief executive officer. These individual appellees are also on the board of directors of Murray Savings.
In 1976 Murray Savings was experiencing rapid growth in its deposits, and, because of industry regulations, it was required to keep earnings in line with this increasing capital. One means to accomplish this was to acquire some of the profitable land development projects being formulated by Murray Properties and Murray Development. thereafter notified Murray Savings of potentially profitable projects they had been investigating which Murray Savings might be interested in purchasing. An informal understanding existed between these companies that if Murray Savings decided not to purchase any of the properties, it would transfer them to Murray Properties or Murray Development. No charge was to be made to Murray Savings for the groundwork done by Murray Properties or Murray Development, and conversely, only costs incurred were to be paid to Murray Savings if any of the properties were transferred to Murray Properties or Murray Development.
Accordingly, during the summer of 1976 contracts for purchase on several properties were executed by Murray Savings. In the fall of that year, Murray Savings determined that, due to savings and loan regulations, it could not keep all of these properties, and thus, the board of directors of Murray Savings authorized the transfer to Murray Properties and Murray Development of Murray Savings' interest in the contract of purchase on one of the properties. When Murray Savings' management executed the conveyance, however, the parties receiving interests included not only Murray Properties and Murray Development, but also Crozier, Fulton Murray individually, and Fulton Murray as trustee.
Subsequently, appellant, as a stockholder of Murray Savings, brought this derivative suit alleging that the appellees had entered into a scheme to convert assets and opportunities of Murray Savings to their own benefit. At the time of the alleged wrongful transaction and at the time this suit was filed, the stock of Murray Savings was held by Murray Financial (99,972 shares), appellant Zauber (6 shares), and another individual (22 shares). After this suit was filed, Murray Financial purchased the twentytwo share block. Shortly thereafter, a shareholders' meeting was held at which the stockholders authorized a reverse stock split whereby one share of stock was to be issued to replace each ten shares previously held. Appellant had been duly notified of this meeting, but did not attend. As a result of this reverse stock split, appellant ended up with less than one share of stock and, under the amended by-laws of Murray Savings, appellant was issued cash for his fractional share. Appellant refused to accept the tendered cash payment.

Trial Court's Order
In considering a motion for summary judgment, a trial court must view the evidence submitted and determine whether it establishes as a matter of law that no genuine issue of fact exists as to one or more of the essential elements of the cause of action. In reviewing a summary judgment proceeding, the appellate court should view *935 the same evidence and employ the same standard as the trial court. Farley v. Prudential Insurance Co., 480 S.W.2d 176, 178 (Tex.1972); Gibbs v. General Motors Corp., 450 S.W.2d 827, 828 (Tex.1970). Our review, therefore, is strictly limited to the question of whether a fact issue is presented by the motion for summary judgment.
Appellee's motion for summary judgment, in addition to other grounds, challenged appellant's standing to maintain this suit and requested dismissal. The trial court's order granted summary judgment and dismissal. A reading of the order reveals that the trial judge granted summary judgment based solely upon the contention that appellant lacked standing to maintain this action. If the motion for summary judgment establishes that appellant lacked standing, dismissal was proper. Alexander v. City of Greenville, 585 S.W.2d 333, 334 (Tex.Civ.App.Dallas 1979, no writ). We note, however, that findings of fact and conclusions of law, which are inconsistent with and inappropriate in summary judgment proceedings, were included in the order by the trial court. State v. Easley, 404 S.W.2d 296, 297 (Tex.1966); Gallop v. Seagoville Investments, Inc., 417 S.W.2d 727, 729 (Tex.Civ.App.Dallas 1967, writ ref'd n. r. e.). Such findings indicate that questions of fact existed which the court, acting as a fact finder, resolved. As is pointed out in the following discussion, we find that fact questions do exist. Consequently, we reverse the summary judgment and remand for further proceedings.
While many of the questions improperly resolved by the trial court are made irrelevant by our discussion below, those raised in the latter part of this opinion by our conclusions on the pertinent questions of law, should be submitted, on remand, to the trier of fact. It is apparent from the findings included in the trial judge's order that several questions of law will likely arise on remand that necessitate our consideration. Little case law exists concerning the proper procedure for instituting and proceeding with a derivative suit in Texas. Consequently, in construing Texas law, we have analyzed the reasoning in federal and other state court decisions to assist in interpreting the statutory law of Texas regarding this type of action.

Applicability of Rule 42
The trial court, apparently under the mistaken impression that Texas law requires a plaintiff in a derivative suit to comply with the requirements of a class action under Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 42, held that because of appellant's failure to comply with that rule he was not entitled to bring this suit. Prior to its amendment in 1977, rule 42 specifically provided as a prerequisite to instituting a derivative suit that the plaintiff be one who would "fairly insure the adequate representation" of the entire class. Tex.R.Civ.P. 42(a) (1941). In construing that rule the court in Ford v. Bimbo Corp., 512 S.W.2d 793 (Tex.Civ.App. Houston [14th Dist.] 1974, no writ), held that all derivative suits are necessarily brought on behalf of all shareholders even if only one shareholder actually institutes the suit. Id. at 795. This reasoning would require a party instituting a derivative suit to comply with class action prerequisites regardless of whether those prerequisites specifically referred to derivative actions. Bimbo, however, must be read in light of the then existing rules. Since rule 42, prior to its being amended, expressly provided for derivative suits, see Tex.R.Civ.P. 42 (1941), the court in Bimbo was constrained to apply it.
When the Texas Supreme Court revised this rule, however, reference to derivative actions was deleted. Instead, the new rule was modeled on the federal class action rule which does not control derivative suits. See Tex.R.Civ.P. 42, Comment. In light of the change in this rule, the supreme court clearly intended rule 42 to govern only class actions; derivative actions brought in the right of a corporation are governed solely by article 5.14 of the Texas Business Corporation *936 Act. Consequently, appellant's failure to comply with rule 42 is immaterial to his maintenance of this suit. We turn now to the requirements of article 5.14(B) of the Texas Business Corporation Act, which controls derivative suits.

Demand Requirement
Article 5.14(B) of the Texas Business Corporation Act establishes prerequisites for filing a derivative suit in Texas. It provides as follows:
B. Prerequisites. A derivative suit may be brought in this State only if:
(1) The plaintiff was a record or beneficial owner of shares ... at the time of the transaction of which he complains ..., and
(2) The initial pleading in the suit states:
(a) The ownership required by Subsection (1), and
(b) With particularity, the efforts of the plaintiff to have suit brought for the corporation by the board of directors, or the reasons for not making any such efforts.
Tex.Bus.Corp.Act Ann. art. 5.14(B) (Vernon Supp.1978-1979). One of the enumerated prerequisites to bringing a derivative suit is that the plaintiff must state in his pleading that he has made efforts to have the board of directors bring suit for the corporation. Id. art. 5.14(B)(2)(b). If no such efforts have been made, he must state the reasons for not making them. Neither party disputes the fact that appellant made no demand on Murray Savings' board of directors that such a suit be brought. Dispute does arise, however, concerning whether appellant had sufficient reason for failing to make demand, and if so, whether he stated those reasons with sufficient particularity.
The reason for requiring a shareholder to make demand on the corporation's directors prior to instituting a derivative suit is that the cause of action belongs to the corporation. Consequently, the corporation, through its board of directors, should determine whether the chances for a successful suit, the costs of maintaining a suit, and other factors militate in favor of instituting such an action.[1]Cates v. Sparkman, 73 Tex. 619, 620, 11 S.W. 846, 848 (1889); 7 W. Dorsaneo & P. Winship, Texas Litigation Guide § 162.06[2] (1978); accord, Gall v. Exxon Corp., 418 F.Supp. 508, 514 n.13, 515 (S.D.N.Y.1976). Only when it can be shown that something beyond unsound business judgment has been exercised by the board of directors, resulting in a wrongful refusal to act, will a shareholder be allowed to institute the suit on behalf of the corporation. United Copper Securities Co. v. Amalgamated Copper Co., 244 U.S. 261, 263-64, 37 S.Ct. 509, 510, 61 L.Ed. 1119, 1124 (1917); Cates v. Sparkman, 73 Tex. at 621, 11 S.W. at 848-49; Governing Board v. Pannill, 561 S.W.2d 517, 524 (Tex.Civ.App. Texarkana 1977, writ ref'd n. r. e.). See generally Comment, The Demand and Standing Requirements in Stockholder Derivative Actions, 44 U.Chi.L.Rev. 168, 169-74 (1976).
*937 Nevertheless, demand upon the board of directors need not be made when it can be shown that such demand would be futile. Hawes v. Contra Costa Water Co., 104 U.S. 450, 461, 26 L.Ed. 827, 832 (1882); Cates v. Sparkman, 73 Tex. at 621, 11 S.W. at 849; Stinnett v. Paramount-Famous Lasky Corp., 37 S.W.2d 145, 150 (Tex.Com.App. 1931, holding approved). Thus, when a defendant parent corporation was shown to control the majority of the subsidiaries shares, and thereby the board of directors, no demand was required. Hyams v. Calumet & Hecla Mining Co., 221 F. 529, 538 (6th Cir. 1915); In re Penn Central Securities Litigation, 367 F.Supp. 1158, 1164-65 (E.D.Pa.1973); see Craftsman Finance & Mortgage Co. v. Brown, 64 F.Supp. 168, 174-75 (S.D.N.Y.1945). But when some, although not a majority, of the directors had participated in the alleged wrongdoing, demand was not excused. Abrams v. Mayflower Investors, Inc., 62 F.R.D. 361, 368 (N.D.Ill.1974); see Swanson v. Traer, 249 F.2d 854, 858-59 (7th Cir.), rev'd on other grounds, 354 U.S. 114, 77 S.Ct. 1116, 1 L.Ed.2d 1221 (1957). The fundamental inquiry is whether the directors have such a personal interest in the controversy or are so controlled by the alleged wrongdoers that they could not reasonably be expected to diligently pursue the action. See Stinnett v. Paramount-Famous Lasky Corp., 37 S.W.2d at 150. Whether defendants control the board of directors or demand would otherwise be futile is, therefore, a question to be determined only after examining the factual situation. The summary judgment evidence in this case shows that some of the outside directors of Murray Savings felt they could vote in the manner they thought proper, without undue influence from appellees. Nonetheless, this evidence is insufficient to fulfill appellees' burden of establishing that no fact question exists as to appellees' control over a majority of the board of directors. Appellee also points out that a new board of directors was elected just prior to the filing of this lawsuit, that the majority of those directors were not connected with the transfer in question, and that appellant did not make demand on this new board of directors. The election of a new board of directors, however, does not of itself establish as a matter of law that appellee did not control this board. We conclude that a genuine issue of fact exists as to appellees' control of the board of directors and thus, as to appellant's standing to maintain this suit.

Shareholder Status Requirement
The requirement in article 5.14(B) that in order to bring a derivative suit a plaintiff must have been a shareholder at the time of the wrongful transaction, is only a minimum requirement. The federal rule governing derivative suits, which contains similar requirements to article 5.14(B),[2] has been construed to include a further requirement that shareholder status be maintained throughout the suit. See Tryforos v. Icarian Development Co., 518 F.2d 1258, 1261, 1263 (7th Cir. 1975), cert. denied, 423 U.S. 1091, 96 S.Ct. 887, 47 L.Ed.2d 103 (1976); cf. Bacon v. National Bank of Commerce, 259 S.W. 244, 246-47 (Tex.Civ.App.Fort Worth 1924, writ dism'd) (approving requirement that plaintiff be stockholder when suit initiated). The reasoning behind allowing a shareholder to maintain a suit in the name of the corporation when those in control wrongfully refuse to maintain it is that a shareholder has a proprietary interest in the corporation. Therefore, when a shareholder sues, he is protecting his own interests as well as those of the corporation. If a shareholder voluntarily disposes of his shares after instituting a derivative action, he necessarily destroys the technical foundation of his right to maintain the action. See Tenney v. Rosenthal, 6 N.Y.2d 204, 189 N.Y.S.2d 158, 163, 160 N.E.2d 463, 466-67 (1959). If, on the other hand, a shareholder's status is involuntarily destroyed, a court of equity must determine whether the status was destroyed without a valid business *938 purpose; for example, was the action taken merely to defeat the plaintiff's standing to maintain the suit? See Teschner v. Chicago Title & Trust Co., 59 Ill.2d 452, 322 N.E.2d 54, 57 (Ill.1974), appeal dismissed, 422 U.S. 1002, 95 S.Ct. 2623, 45 L.Ed.2d 666 (1975). See also Dykstra, The Reverse Stock SplitThat Other Means of Going Private, 53 Chi.-Kent L.Rev. 1 (1976). Teschner concerned an alleged "freeze-out" of minority stockholders through a reverse stock split similar to that employed by Murray Savings. The Illinois court stated that generally interests of minority stockholders may be terminated by corporate action; however, if fraudulent, deceptive or improper conduct underlies that action a court may declare it invalid. Teschner v. Chicago Title & Trust Co., 322 N.E.2d at 56-58. In Teschner the reverse stock split was upheld because the former stockholders did not plead or prove any of these exceptions to the general rule, and because the corporation introduced evidence of a valid business purpose for the reverse stock split. Id. at 57-58.
If no valid business purpose exists, a court of equity will consider the destruction of a stockholder's status a nullity and allow him to proceed with the suit in the name of the corporation. Therefore, on remand of this suit, a finding that appellant has failed to maintain his status as shareholder is dependent upon findings that the disposition of the stock was voluntary or, though involuntary, that the corporation's termination proceeding was instituted to accomplish a valid business purpose, rather than to dispose of the derivative suit by a reverse stock split.

Board of Director's Action
Approximately eleven months after this suit was filed, Murray Savings' board of directors, on their own initiative, voted not to pursue this action, but rather to obtain its dismissal. In their motion for summary judgment, appellees contended that appellant was bound by this decision of the board of directors. This contention was based on the argument that a board of directors should be able to exercise its good faith business judgment in determining whether to pursue a previously filed derivative action; otherwise, any stockholder could file such a suit and completely ignore the demand requirements of article 5.14. We cannot agree with appellees' contention because the demand requirements of article 5.14 can be avoided only if one complies with that article's alternative requirement.
As previously pointed out, an alternative requirement for maintenance of a derivative suit exists in article 5.14 if no demand was made on a corporation's board of directors. In such a case, the plaintiff must state with particularity the reasons he did not make demand on the directors. Tex. Bus.Corp.Act Ann. art. 5.14(B)(2)(b) (Vernon Supp. 1978-1979). This requirement is not merely an informal procedural step, but rather a requirement necessitating proof at trial. Ash v. International Business Machines, Inc., 353 F.2d 491, 493 (3d Cir. 1965), cert. denied, 384 U.S. 927, 86 S.Ct. 1446, 16 L.Ed.2d 531 (1966); Barthold v. Thomas, 210 S.W. 506, 507-08 (Tex. Com.App.1919, holding approved). Thus, a pleading in general terms is not sufficient; specific facts must be alleged indicating the futility of making demand. In re Kauffman Mutual Fund Actions, 479 F.2d 257, 264 (1st Cir.), cert. denied, 414 U.S. 857, 94 S.Ct. 161, 38 L.Ed.2d 107 (1973). If the pleadings do not include specific facts and particularized reasons for failing to make demand, the case is subject to being dismissed upon proper exception and after opportunity to amend. Indeed, if this requirement of particularity were not strictly enforced, the demand requirement would become meaningless, as appellee argues. Because we hold that strict enforcement of the particularity provision in article 5.14 is mandatory, the argument upon which appellees' contention is based is without merit. Additionally, if appellees' contention were true, the alternative requirement in article 5.14 would be meaningless.
In light of our holding, this action by the board of directors, after suit was filed, is *939 not relevant to appellant's right to maintain the suit. All parties are bound by appellant's decision not to make demand. Thus, if the facts indicate that demand was required, appellant will not be able to further maintain this action. If, on the other hand, the facts indicate that demand was not required, appellant may maintain this action despite this action of the board of directors.

Conclusion
Since we hold that genuine issues of fact were presented to the trial court, we reverse the summary judgment and remand for further proceedings, consistent with this opinion.
NOTES
[1]  Significant similarities exist between the federal rule of civil procedure governing derivative suits and article 5.14, with respect to stock ownership at the time of the transaction and with respect to the demand requirement. Cases construing the federal rule have been included, therefore, as persuasive authority. See Blackmon v. Hansen, 140 Tex. 536, 540, 169 S.W.2d 962, 964 (1943).

The Federal rule provides in pertinent part:
[i]n a derivative action brought by one or more shareholders or members to enforce a right of a corporation or of an unincorporated association, the corporation or association having failed to enforce a right which may properly be asserted by it, the complaint shall be verified and shall allege (1) that the plaintiff was a shareholder or member at the time of the transaction of which he complains.... The complaint shall also allege with particularity the efforts, if any, made by the plaintiff to obtain the action he desires from the directors or comparable authority and, if necessary, from the shareholders or members, and the reasons for his failure to obtain the action or for not making the effort....
Fed.R.Civ.P. 23.1.
[2]  See text of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23.1 in note 1 supra.


/***************************************************************************
                             qgsmodelviewtooltemporarykeypan.cpp
                             ------------------------------------
    Date                 : March 2020
    Copyright            : (C) 2020 Nyall Dawson
    Email                : nyall dot dawson at gmail dot com
 ***************************************************************************
 *                                                                         *
 *   This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify  *
 *   it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by  *
 *   the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or     *
 *   (at your option) any later version.                                   *
 *                                                                         *
 ***************************************************************************/

#include "qgsmodelviewtooltemporarykeypan.h"
#include "qgsmodelviewmouseevent.h"
#include "qgsmodelgraphicsview.h"
#include <QScrollBar>

QgsModelViewToolTemporaryKeyPan::QgsModelViewToolTemporaryKeyPan( QgsModelGraphicsView *view )
  : QgsModelViewTool( view, tr( "Pan" ) )
{
  setCursor( Qt::ClosedHandCursor );
}

void QgsModelViewToolTemporaryKeyPan::modelMoveEvent( QgsModelViewMouseEvent *event )
{
  view()->horizontalScrollBar()->setValue( view()->horizontalScrollBar()->value() - ( event->x() - mLastMousePos.x() ) );
  view()->verticalScrollBar()->setValue( view()->verticalScrollBar()->value() - ( event->y() - mLastMousePos.y() ) );
  mLastMousePos = event->pos();
}

void QgsModelViewToolTemporaryKeyPan::keyReleaseEvent( QKeyEvent *event )
{
  if ( event->key() == Qt::Key_Space && !event->isAutoRepeat() )
  {
    view()->setTool( mPreviousViewTool );
  }
}

void QgsModelViewToolTemporaryKeyPan::activate()
{
  mLastMousePos = view()->mapFromGlobal( QCursor::pos() );
  mPreviousViewTool = view()->tool();
  QgsModelViewTool::activate();
}


The use of Polilight in the detection of seminal fluid, saliva, and bloodstains and comparison with conventional chemical-based screening tests.
Biological stains can be difficult to detect at crime scenes or on items recovered from crime scenes. The use of a versatile light source may assist in their detection. The ability of Polilight to locate potential semen, saliva, and blood stains on a range of substrates and at different dilutions was tested. We also tested the use of Polilight in comparison with conventional chemical-based presumptive screening tests such as acid phosphatase (AP), Phadebas, and luminol, often used in casework for detecting potential semen, saliva, and blood stains, respectively. The Polilight was able to locate stains that were not apparent to the naked eye. The color of the material on which a stain is deposited can have an effect on the detectibility of the stain. The Polilight was found to be comparable with the AP and Phadebas tests in terms of its sensitivity. In a comparative study between the AP test and Polilight on 40 casework exhibits, one false-negative result was observed when using the Polilight. On a series of mock casework exhibits it was determined that the Polilight can be used successfully to locate saliva stains for DNA analysis. The sensitivity of luminol for detecting potential bloodstains was greater than that of Polilight; however the Polilight has particular application in instances where a bloodstain may have been concealed with paint. Overall, the Polilight is a relatively safe, simple, noninvasive, and nondestructive technique suitable for use in forensic casework.


Late-Night Buses From the Mission to the East Bay?

BART is considering adding at least one Mission stop to its late-night weekend bus shuttle pilot program that would transport passengers from San Francisco to the East Bay, BART officials told the Mission Merchants Association last week.

Under the program, buses would mimic BART lines, starting at South Van Ness and Market streets and heading to Pittsburg Bay Point and Fremont until 2 a.m. Currently, the last BART train to the East Bay on the weekend leaves at midnight.

BART can’t run all-night service because it uses downtime for maintenance, and with only one track in each direction, late-night BART service would require new infrastructure, said Robert Mitroff, manager of fleet and capacity planning.

Alameda and Contra Costa counties would cover the bulk ($500,000) of the bus project’s cost, which is $800,000. The rest would come out of BART’s operating budget and fare revenues.


Tributes have poured in for Filipino Marvel and Dark Horse Comics artist Angelo “Bong” Ty Dazo, who succumbed to liver cancer on Friday.

His agent David Campiti and Marvel Entertainment confirmed the report. He passed away less than two weeks after his 53rd birthday.

He is survived by his wife Jessica and two children, Johan and Jianon. His wake is held at St. Peter Memorial Chapel, Bancal, Meycauayan, Bulacan.

Dazo is best known for his various work on Deadpool series for Marvel and Dark Horse's Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. For Deadpool , he collaborated with Victor Gischler on the series Deadpool: Merc With a Mouth , and also drew a few issues of Daniel Way's long run on the regular series.

He also contributed key tie-in series for various events for Marvel, including Secret Invasion, Shadowland and War of Kings. His most recent work was with 451 comics such as Bad Moon Rising and Darby Pop's Side-Kicked, and covers for Zenescope Entertainment's Belle: Beast Hunter.

Marvel is deeply saddened by the loss of Ty "Bong" Dazo, artist of Deadpool and more great comics. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends and fans around the world. — Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) June 30, 2018

I'm saddened to hear of Bong Dazo's passing. Although I never got to know him, I had the honour of working with him during Darkseid War. His energy and enthusiasm was something to be admired. My sincerest condolences to those whom he loved and loved him. — Francis Manapul (@FrancisManapul) June 30, 2018

It is with great sadness to inform you of the passing of Angelo “Bong TY Dazo. He had been a friend and a valued member of our team for over 17 years and will be missed. Please keep Bongs’s family in your thoughts as they go through this difficult time pic.twitter.com/ra0eRrtxLu — David Forrest (@kineticforrest) June 30, 2018


Continuing education - does it make for a more competent practitioner?
It is more than two decades since mandatory continuing education (MCE) was introduced in the United States and barely a decade since some professional associations adopted MCE in Australia. The value of MCE as a means of maintaining or improving professional competence remains unclear. Despite there being no clear cut evidence of enhanced competence, no profession having adopted MCE has returned to a policy of voluntary continuing education. In Australia there appears to be a drift of health professions into mandatory continuing education. If MCE is adopted by the physiotherapy profession, what will the reasons be? The challenge is to clearly establish the links between continuing education, professional competence and health outcomes.


Although fibrin glue is more commonly used to repair wounds in surgical procedures and other clinical treatments, the effective application of the fibrin glue is still hindered by several difficulties. Specifically, the production of a high concentration fibrin glue generally requires long hours of processing. Such time consuming processes limit the practical application and utility of such production cycles in an urgent application. Some production processes are also limited by the fact that chemical agents will cause fibrin glue protein to denature. Furthermore, in some production processes, the plasma is exposed to air and environments where viruses or bacteria may enter into the plasma mixtures and cause contamination. Incompatible blood may also cause immunological reactions. These risks further limit the practical usefulness and the safety of such applications when the fibrin glue is employed as a wound sealant.
Fibrin glue produced from basic physiological functions is becoming more popular for application to a variety of surgical procedures. A stable fibrin clot is produced when the fibrinogen, thrombin and factor XIII are activated in the presence of calcium ions. The application of the fibrin glue to the wound sites allows the restoration of the structural properties of the wounds by the glue. Furthermore, the fibrin glue contains components that can stimulate the repairing, or healing of the wounds.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,879, entitled "Fibrin Adhesive Prepared As A Concentrate From Single Donor Fresh Frozen Plasma", Rose et al. discloses a method of preparing a cryo-precipitated suspension containing fibrinogen and factor XIII useful as a precursor in the preparation of a fibrin glue. The method includes the steps of (a) freezing fresh frozen plasma from a single donor, such as a human or other animal, at -80.degree. C. for at least six to twelve hours; (b) raising the temperature of the frozen plasma to about room temperature so as to form a supernatant and cryo-precipitated suspension containing fibrinogen and factor XIII; and (c) recovering the cryo-precipitated suspension. The cryo-precipitated suspension may be useful as a precursor for preparing the fibrin glue. However, the Rose et al. invention does not provide an effective method to produce a fibrin glue in a sufficient concentration and with strong adhesion properties for clinical and surgical applications. In addition, the long, time-consuming process of [preparing the] fibrin glue preparation also limits its practical usefulness.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,185,001, entitled "Method of Preparing Autologous Plasma Fibrin and Application Apparatus Therefor" issued on Feb. 9, 1993), Galanakis discloses a method of preparing autologous plasma fibrin perioperatively to induce local hemostasis wherein the autologous plasma fibrin is simultaneously expelled onto a treatment site along with a physiologically acceptable thrombin solution to effect hemostasis at the site. Galanakis also discloses an apparatus for simultaneously expelling the contents of vessels which separately contain the autologous plasma fibrin and thrombin solution. Further disclosed in the Galanakis patent are a kit for obtaining a sample of blood, extracting plasma fibrin therefrom, as well as all necessary syringes, needles and reagents. The apparatus and method for preparing the autologous plasma fibrin disclosed in the Galanakis patent is a low concentration plasma fibrin which is suitable for inducing local hemostasis which may be useful for smaller wounds. However, the plasma fibrin added with the thrombin solution would not provide a total solution for surgical applications where larger wounds are usually involved.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,877, entitled "Method and Apparatus for Preparing Fibrinogen Adhesive From Whole Blood" (issued on Jul. 13, 1993), Epstein discloses a process and an apparatus for one-step preparation of a fibrinogen adhesive by polyethylene glycol-mediated precipitation from plasma. The methods and apparatus permit preparation of an autologous fibrinogen adhesive composition from the patient during surgery and can be applied generally to provide such compositions. Also disclosed in the Epstein invention are an apparatus and method for application of a sealant comprised of the fibrinogen adhesive composition. According to Epstein, after the plasma is separated from the red blood cells, it is treated directly at the ambient temperature without prior treatment to remove thrombin, with a physiologically acceptable nontoxic precipitant. A preferred precipitant is a nontoxic polymer, e.g. polyvinyl alcohol and polyethylene glycol (PEG). The precipitant is supplied as concentrated solution to mix with plasma to yield a concentration effective in precipitating the adhesive composition.
The Epstein method is useful in producing the fibrinogen adhesives; however it has a problem wherein the precipitant, including the nontoxic polymers, may cause unknown side effects when added to the blood plasma, as these precipitants are not removed from the adhesive and are applied directly to the blood of a patient. Additives which are not removed are causes for concern in that unknown, harmful agents may be introduced, and may not be easily discoverable until many years later. The Epstein method also produces albumin precipitants and other complex proteins that will influence the fibrin glue's adhesive and hemostatic effects.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,290,552, entitled "Surgical Adhesive Material" (issued Mar. 1, 1994), Sierra et al. disclose a surgical adhesive which is comprised, in an aqueous composition, of fibrinogen, FXIII, collagen, thrombin, Ca.sup.++ and an optionally antifibrinolytic agent. In order to extract the fibrinogen, which constitutes the adhesive component from the patient's own plasma, the plasma cryo-precipitate is prepared by freezing the plasma to -20.degree. C. and then slowly thawed overnight. The thawed plasma is then centrifuged to harvest the plasma precipitate. This process is disadvantageous in that extra long hours are required to produce the surgical adhesive through the low temperature process. Although the fibrinogen components are produced in a closed system, higher risks may be involved during the preparation process due to the possible contamination of the fibrinogen adhesive through contact with air and the possibility of undesirable immunological response due to the addition of collagen.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,102, entitled "Plasma and Polymer Containing Surgical Hemostatic Adhesive" (issued on Apr. 23, 1996), Cochrum discloses an autologous platelet-rich plasma and a bio-compatible polymer containing hemostatic adhesive agents. The agents have strong hemostatic properties when applied to a bleeding wound or vessel. Although the platelet-rich plasma may be produced from the method disclosed in the Cochrum patented invention, risks of unknown side effects to the human body may still be a concern due to the addition of the bio-compatible polymer into the plasma. This is especially true when the mixture is to be applied directly to the vessel wounds wherein such plasma will be absorbed and carried throughout the body via blood vessels. Such risks may preclude the Cochrum plasma from being used in surgical or clinical applications.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,885, entitled "Fibrinogen Processing Apparatus Method and Container", Coelho et al. disclose an instrumentality for promulgating the cryo-precipitation of fibrinogen from a blood product. The method, apparatus and container are disclosed in this patented invention; however, as discussed above, when a cryo-precipitation method is employed, long hours of freezing and thawing are required, which renders the application of such methods and apparatus to practical surgical or clinical environments ineffective.
Therefore, a need still exists in the art of fibrin glue production to provide a novel and effective process such that the production of the fibrin glue adhesive can be accomplished in less time. Furthermore, the fibrinogen adhesive produced must be free of contamination and additives such that application of the fibrin glue to the human body in surgical and clinical treatments can be safely administered.


hello365 Sat 15-Sep-18 17:21:55

I have my driving test in 2 weeks time and if I pass I'll be getting a car and driving to work. One of my colleagues lives further up my street. I don't speak to her much at work and I don't consider her a friend. On the rare occasion that we chat she always asks how my driving lessons are going. I'm not sure if she's just making conversation or trying to hint that she'd like a lift to work when I pass so she wouldn't have to get the bus anymore.

I think sitting in the car with her would be awkward as we'd have nothing to talk about and I feel that as it's my car that I've paid for with my own money that I shouldn't have to share it if I don't want to. I wouldn't mind on rare occasions if it was raining or something, but I don't want it to become a regular thing. I hate conflict so if she directly asked me for a lift I'd feel very guilty about saying no.

AIBU to not want to give her a lift? How can I do this without looking mean?


1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to albums. More particularly, this invention relates to albums which contain a plurality of removable pages and an enclosure for storing articles within the album.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Presently there exist many types of albums designed to retain a plurality of pages for viewing by the consumer. In other types of albums, the pages are removable to allow distribution of the pages among several viewers to facilitate viewing by each such viewer. In many cases, the individual pages of these albums typically include artistic renderings or representations which are designed to attract the interest of the consumer viewing the same.
For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,570,071 issued to Wardell and 3,752,503 issued to Holes et al., illustrate an album in which the individual pages are removably secured to the binder of the album. More specifically, each of these patents teaches the concept of providing one or more clips which are inserted about the inward edge of the page and a fastening means for releasibly fastening the clipped page to the binder of the album. In the patent to Wardell, the fastening means comprises a spike which is inserted into a resilient pad affixed to the binder. In the Holes et al. patent, the clip includes hinge engaging elements which releasibly engage into a plurality of hinge retaining elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,715,816 issued to White teaches an amusement book for children including pages containing animal representations and pockets for releasibly receiving natural food representations for insertion therein. Unfortunately, the pages containing the animal representations are not removable from the binder of the album, thereby permitting only one child at a time to play with the various pages of the album. Furthermore, although there is illustrated in the patent a pocket for receiving the animal food representation, it is clear no means are provided to store the animal representations during play or during non-use, except for the particular pocket designed to receive a specific animal food representation. Obviously, this requires a child to finish playing the game by inserting the respective animal food representations into their respective pockets.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus which overcomes the aforementioned inadequacies of the prior art devices and provides an improvement which is a significant contribution to the advancement of the album art.
Another object of this invention is to provide an album containing pages which are releasibly secured to the binding of the album to permit the addition or subtraction of pages to the album and to permit each page to be passed around among a number of viewers to permit each page, after removal, to be viewed by a single viewer.
Another object of this invention is to provide an album including a plurality of pages for receiving discernible objects such as jigsaw puzzle pieces, photographic slides, photographic negatives, and photographs.
Another object of this invention is to provide an album including an enclosure for receiving the discernible objects and for storing such objects.
Another object of this invention is to provide an album including a plurality of pages composed of a jigsaw puzzle, with removable individual puzzle pieces, for arrangement and affixation to the puzzle.
Another object of this invention is to provide an album including jigsaw puzzle pages and an enclosure for storing the individual pieces of the puzzle during play and during non-use.
Another object of this invention is to provide an album having a plurality of pages and an enclosure with means for preventing the pages from entering into the interior area of the enclosure.
Another object of this invention is to provide an album having a plurality of pages and an enclosure, with a strap for encircling the outer, peripheral edge of the pages and the enclosure to retain the album in a closed position and to protect the outer, peripheral edges of the pages and the enclosure from damage during non-use.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


With the development of Internet technologies and with an increase in proportion of image use on the Internet, image transmission on the Internet becomes increasingly important. Due to the limitation in bandwidth and traffic, an image needs to be compressed before being transmitted on the Internet, to facilitate transmission of the image, and therefore, it is increasingly important perform lossless compression on images to be transmitted on the Internet.
In the conventional technology, a quality factor (which is referred to as “q” for short) is generally used to indicate the quality of an image that is compressed by using the quality factor of the image. A larger value of q indicates higher quality of image compression, and in this case, the compressed image occupies relatively large space; and a smaller value of q indicates lower quality of compression, and in this case, the compressed image occupies relatively small space. For example, for a jpeg-format image generally used in the conventional technology, an empirical initial value q is usually set for the image in the conventional technology, so as to compress the jpeg-format image according to the empirical initial value q. For example, a value range of q may be 0 to 100. At the same time, a score (which is referred to s for short) value of image similarity is further introduced in the conventional technology. The value of s indicates a score of similarity, which is obtained by means of objective evaluation, between a compressed image and an original jpeg-format image after the jpeg-format image is compressed by using the value of q, and may also be interpreted as a score of the quality of a compressed jpeg-format image perceived by human eyes. For example, a value range of s may be 0 to 1. The value of s is generally in direct proportion to the value of q; a larger value of s indicates higher quality of a compressed image and higher similarity between the compressed image and an original image, and corresponds to a larger value of q and a larger compressed jpeg-format image; and a smaller value of s indicates lower quality of a compressed image and lower similarity between the compressed image and an original image, and corresponds to a smaller value of q, and a smaller compressed jpeg-format image. In the conventional technology, generally, a preset threshold is set for s. First, a jpeg-format image is compressed and encoded according to a preset empirical initial value q; then, it is analyzed whether the value of s of the compressed and encoded image is less than the preset threshold of s, and if the value of s is not less than the preset threshold of s, the value of q is reduced correspondingly, and the jpeg-format image is compressed and encoded again; then it is analyzed whether the value of s of the compressed and encoded image is less than the preset threshold of s; the process is repeated until the value of s of the compressed and encoded image is less than the preset threshold of s, and then, the compressed and encoded image is output, so as to transmit the image.
In a process of implementing the present disclosure, the inventor finds that the conventional technology at least has the following problem: a preset empirical initial value q in the conventional technology is set completely according to experience. To acquire a compressed image, iteration and corresponding compression need to be performed multiple times according to the preset empirical initial value q until the value of s is converged. Therefore, in the image compression solution in the conventional technology, an improper preset empirical initial value q leads to a long compression time and low efficiency in image compression.


Q:

Continuous Integration Server: Hudson or Sismo?

We're considering using a CI server soon.
From my reading, I've found that Sismo and Hudson were available for PHP project.
Considering that we're actually using GIT and PHPUnit, what are the big difference between Hudson and Sismo that we should know in order to make the best choice for our situation ?
Thanks

A:

The language match is not key in your hunt for the best CI server; it's all the features around:

source control
concurrent build
trigger build
notification

Even for simple project, Jenkins (the new name for Hudson) is easy to use and quick to install. Then it is really easy to scale Jenkins up by adding more nodes (satellite machine that can execute build) when you need to. Also Jenkins has hundreds of plugin for numerous task.
Have a look at Bamboo, Jenkins, TeamCity, and CruiseControl Features to compare some of the features of the big names (you might actually want to consider Bamboo, TeamCity or Cruise Control over Jenkins)

A:

I would lean towards Sismo since it matches the language of the project you are developing (PHP) and can be ran from just a single PHP and config file. Then you don't have to deal with having a java environment just for Hudson.


How to think like a PR person

What is it about professional stereotypes? Are we innately attracted to certain careers, or do we adopt habits and personality traits over time?

When an entry-level staffer asked me how to “think like a PR person,” it actually got me thinking—about PR. What distinguishes someone in our business? Here’s my list:

You naturally think in sound bites. But why do the cleverest ones come when no one’s around?

You work best against a deadline. The more brutal the deadline, the better.

You want to media-train everyone you meet. You sometimes have to hold yourself back from suggesting that strangers “headline” their answers to questions.

You’re a voracious consumer of media and content. From specialized blogs to SlideShare, you love to compare different versions and newscasts about a breaking news event.

You edit everything. Then you edit your edits.
You cringe when someone says “hone in” instead of “home in.” Yet you regularly talk about “key learnings” and “deliverables.”

You deal in talking points. When a friend or spouse asks for advice on a personal issue, you give them a recommendation and immediately outline next steps in verbal bullet points.

You’re always looking for trends. Just as you’re always looking for things that buck the trends.

You experience a visceral response when you spot a TV news van. And you have to restrain yourself from running after it.
You instantly connect the dots from one meeting to the next. All clients programs, even seemingly disparate ones, are relevant to one another.

Anything you’d care to add? Let me know in the comments section.

Dorothy Crenshaw is CEO and creative director of Crenshaw Communications. She has been named one of the public relations industry’s 100 Most Powerful Women by PR Week. A version of this story appeared on the Crenshaw Communications blog.


Members of the Druze community holds Syrian and Druze flags as they sit facing Syria, during a rally marking the anniversary of Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights in the Druze village of Majdal Shams, in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. (REUTERS) Members of the Druze community holds Syrian and Druze flags as they sit facing Syria, during a rally marking the anniversary of Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights in the Druze village of Majdal Shams, in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. (REUTERS)

The Syrian government condemned on Friday US President Donald Trump’s statement that it was time to recognise Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights and said Syria was determined to recover the area “through all available means”.

In a statement published by the Syrian state news agency, a foreign ministry source said Trump’s statement showed “the blind bias of the United States” towards Israel. It did not change “the reality that the Golan was and will remain Syrian, Arab,” the source said.

“The Syrian nation is more determined to liberate this precious piece of Syrian national land through all available means,” the source said, adding that Trump’s statement was “irresponsible” and showed “contempt” for international law.

Trump said on Thursday it was time to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights that Israel seized from Syria in 1967, marking a dramatic shift in US policy and giving a boost to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the middle of his re-election campaign.

The disputed area was captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed in 1981 in a move not recognized internationally. Netanyahu has pressed the United States to recognize its claim and raised that possibility in his first White House meeting with Trump in February 2017.

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Genetic variation of the mineralocorticoid receptor gene (MR, NR3C2) is associated with a conceptual endophenotype of "CRF-hypoactivity".
Recently, the "conceptual endophenotype" approach has been proposed as a means to identify subgroups of patients affected by stress-related psychiatric disorders. Conceptual endophenotypes consist of patterns of psychological, biological, and symptomatic elements. We studied a sample of patients seeking help for psychosomatic and stress-related disorders (total N = 469), who were evaluated with a diagnostic instrument that integrates psychological and biological data to derive 13 endophenotypes, or Neuropattern. The goal of this study was to explore associations between common variations of the mineralocorticoid receptor gene (MR, NR3C2), and the 13 conceptual endophenotypes of Neuropattern, as well as with the respective biological and symptom measures. A common haplotype of the MR, comprised of two functional single nucleotide polymorphism (rs2070951 G/C & rs5522 A/G), was associated with the conceptual endophenotype CRF-hypoactivity, characterized by low cortisol levels at awakening and a symptom constellation often observed in atypical depression. Homozygous carriers of the G-A haplotype (haplotype 1), previously associated with reduced dispositional optimism, increased levels of rumination and higher risk for depression, more frequently endorsed this Neuropattern. In addition to the overall association between MR variation and CRF hypoactivity, we observed in the whole sample significant associations between MR haplotypes and cortisol awakening response patterns, as well as with symptoms that characterize the CRF hypoactivity endophenotype. If replicated, MR haplotype 1 might serve as a vulnerability marker for a disorder class characterized in biological terms by reduced cortisol levels, and in terms of symptom constellation by features often observed in atypical depression.


1974–75 Australian region cyclone season

The 1974–75 Australian region cyclone season was an above average tropical cyclone season.

Systems

Tropical Cyclone Marcia

The first named storm of the season developed as a small depression out over the open waters of the southern Indian Ocean. Over the following three days, the system gradually developed into a tropical cyclone as it tracked towards the southeast. On 18 October, a ship named Alkuwait encountered the storm and reported winds near hurricane-force; however, the satellite presentation of the system was not supportive of these winds. Later named Marcia, the storm is estimated to have attained peak winds around 85 km/h (50 mph) on 20 October. Around this time Marcia also attained a barometric pressure of 989 mbar (hPa; 29.2 inHg). The following day, as the storm was situated  west-southwest of the Cocos Islands, the outer bands of Marcia brought unsettled weather to the islands. On 22 October, the storm slowed and began tracking towards the west. A weakened system, the remnants of Marcia crossed 90°E into the South-West Indian Ocean basin.

Tropical Cyclone Norah

Cyclone Norah existed over the eastern Indian Ocean from October 28 to November 4.

Tropical Cyclone Penny

Cyclone Penny also existed over the eastern Indian Ocean from November 6 to November 16.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Selma

Cyclone Selma was predicted to impact Darwin, but instead, the system turned westward out to sea and eventually dissipated over open water.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Tracy

Cyclone Tracy devastated the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day, 1974. It is the most compact cyclone or equivalent-strength hurricane on record in the Australian basin, with gale-force winds extending only  from the centre and was the most compact system worldwide until Tropical Storm Marco of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season broke the record, with gale-force winds extending only  from the centre. After forming over the Arafura Sea, the storm moved southwards and affected the city with Category 4 winds on the Australian cyclone intensity scale, while there is evidence to suggest that it had reached Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale when it made landfall.

Tracy killed 71 people, caused 837 million in damage (1974 dollars) and destroyed more than 70 percent of Darwin's buildings, including 80 percent of houses. Tracy left more than 41,000 out of the 47,000 inhabitants of the city homeless prior to landfall and required the evacuation of over 30,000 people.  Most of Darwin's population was evacuated to Adelaide, Whyalla, Alice Springs and Sydney, and many never returned to the city. After the storm passed, the city was rebuilt using more modern materials and updated building techniques. Bruce Stannard of The Age stated that Cyclone Tracy was a "disaster of the first magnitude ... without parallel in Australia's history."

Tropical Cyclone Flora

Tropical Cyclone Flora existed from January 12 to January 22.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Robyn-Deborah

Severe Tropical Cyclone Robyn-Deborah existed from January 14 to January 28.

Tropical Cyclone Gloria

Tropical Cyclone Gloria existed from January 14 to January 23.

Tropical Cyclone Shirley

Tropical Cyclone Shirley existed from February 3 to February 12.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Trixie

Wind gusts of  at Mardie and  at Onslow were measured during cyclone Trixie on 19 February 1975. The Onslow anemometer was destroyed after measuring its maximum gust during this storm. The gust at Mardie is the second-highest recorded on the Australian mainland, although the figure given was the limit of the anemometer, so the actual gusts may have been higher.

Tropical Cyclone Wilma

Tropical Cyclone Wilma existed from March 10 to March 14.

Tropical Cyclone Vida

On 20 March 1975 winds were recorded to 128 km/h at Fremantle, Western Australia and 109 km/h in neighbouring Perth. There was some damage including St George's Cathedral and Perry Lakes Stadium. At Rockingham a 7m-yacht sank, a 6m cabin cruiser was destroyed and many other craft were damaged. Near Perth, the remnants of Vida produced strong winds, recorded up to , damaged several structures. Some homes lost their roofs and a few buildings had their walls collapse. Offshore, several vessels were damaged by rough seas. Relatively little rain was associated with the storm as only  was measured in Cape Leeuwin. Overall losses from the storm reached A$1 million ($700,000 USD).

Severe Tropical Cyclone Beverley

Tropical cyclone Beverley affected Exmouth, Western Australia and the west coast in March 1975.

Tropical Cyclone Amelia

Cyclone Amelia existed from April 6 to April 8.

Tropical Cyclone Clara

Cyclone Clara existed from April 20 to April 26.

Tropical Cyclone Denise

Cyclone Denise existed from May 18 to May 25.

Other systems
During 19 November, a tropical disturbance was first noted, while it was located within the Australian region about  to the north of Brisbane, Australia. Over the next couple of days, the system moved north-westwards into the South Pacific basin towards New Caledonia, before it recurved south-eastwards and was last noted during 25 November after it had moved back into the Australian region.

See also

Atlantic hurricane seasons: 1974, 1975
Eastern Pacific hurricane seasons: 1974, 1975
Western Pacific typhoon seasons: 1974, 1975
North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons: 1974, 1975

References

Category:Australian region cyclone seasons
Aust


The unions representing natural gas workers who have been locked out by National Grid voted on Monday to ratify a new contract.

The 1,250 workers have been unemployed since their contract expired in late June.

“The members of 12003 have voted to ratify the contract offer,” one of the unions, Boston Gas Local 12003, posted on its Twitter account. “Thank you to everyone who supported us throughout the lockout. We look forward to getting back to work and standing up for public safety.”

Brother’s and Sisters,

The members of 12003 have voted to ratify the contract offer. Thank you to everyone who supported us throughout the lockout. We look forward to getting back to work and standing up for public safety. — Boston Local #12003 (@BostonGas12003) January 7, 2019

The second union, United Steelworkers Local 12012-04, wrote on Twitter, “We are happy to announce the contract offer was overwhelmingly approved this morning. We are very proud of our members for standing up for what we believe in. Thank you to all who supported us during the lockout. #EndTheLockout #LockoutOver #PublicSafety #MApoli”

We are happy to announce the contract offer was overwhelmingly approved this morning. We are very proud of our members for standing up for what we believe in. Thank you to all who supported us during the lockout. #EndTheLockout #LockoutOver #PublicSafety #MApoli — USW Gas Workers 12012-04 (@Usw04) January 7, 2019

National Grid and the unions announced Wednesday night, Jan. 2 that they had reached a tentative agreement to end the lockout and return to work. But the agreement still had to be ratified by the members of both unions.

According to National Grid, the new contract will last for another five and a half years. The workers will return the week of Jan. 20.

Non-emergency work, which had been suspended, will resume in early February.

“We recognize that our labor dispute has been challenging for our employees, our customers, and our communities,” said Marcy Reed, president of National Grid in Massachusetts. “Now that we have been able to move beyond our past challenges to reach an agreement that works for both sides, we are looking forward to our union employees’ return to work, and resuming normal operations for the benefit of the customers we are mutually motivated to serve.”

John Buonopane, president of USW Local 12012, and Joe Kirylo, president of USW Local 12003, said in a joint statement that the contract provides “a significant wage increase” and other protections for workers. It includes significant sick time, compensation, and retiree health and life insurance protections for newly hired employees.

It also creates dozens of new public-safety related jobs including inspector positions and instrumentation and regulation jobs.

On a conference call with reporters, Reed said the new contract provides pay raises of 18 percent over the five and a half years, with annual increase that range from 2.5 percent to 3 percent.

A major sticking point in negotiations had related to pensions. Current workers have a defined benefit plan. New hires will be moved to a defined contribution plan, with the company contributing 3 to 9 percent of their pay. All employees will also have access to a 401k.

There will be 30 to 40 new union jobs, which include a mix of new positions and jobs that were previously outsourced but will now be brought into the union.

Proposed changes to employee health insurance will be delayed through 2020.

Gov. Charlie Baker said he would have “loved to see (the lockout) resolved a long time ago.” “It’s had real consequences for the people who are locked out and their families as well as for a lot of businesses in Massachusetts that depended on National Grid to be able to do work that they couldn’t do,” Baker said. “I speak for everyone when I say we’re glad it’s over. I want them back to work.”

U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, both Democrats from Massachusetts, said in a joint statement, “While we are thankful for all of the hard work put into these negotiations, lockouts are unsafe, unfair, and should never be used as a negotiating tactic, damaging public trust and harming hard-working families. The six-month lockout tremendously impacted the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and we are glad that more than 1,000 workers will be able to go back to work and help support their families.”

This is a breaking news story that has been updated.


1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the mounting of ganged electrical devices into switchboxes, more specifically, it relates to a frame that facilitates such mounting.
2. Description of the Related Art
The wall switches, dimmers, and other electrical devices that are commonly installed in residences and other types of buildings are generally mounted in switchboxes (sometimes called "wallboxes" or "outlet boxes") that are located inside the walls (i.e., behind the wallboard and between the studs). The switchboxes provide the space within which the device is electrically connected to the building wiring that carries power from a central electrical panel. Switchboxes come in a standard size that accommodates a single device and that has removable side panels. These boxes can be joined together, with side panels removed, to accommodate several devices mounted ("ganged") side-by-side. Alternatively, ready-made switchboxes are available to accommodate 2, 3, 4, or more devices. Typically, an electrical device, after being mounted in a switchbox, is covered by a faceplate, which covers the opening in the wall while permitting access to the actuator (e.g., toggle switch) for the device. When more than one device is ganged in a "multigang" switchbox, a single multigang faceplate-having the appropriate access openings appropriately spaced-can cover all the devices.
Standardization plays a key role in facilitating the installation of electrical devices into switchboxes. Switchboxes generally have tapped mounting holes positioned to line up with vertically-spaced holes in the support plates (or "yokes") of the electrical devices. Generally, the yokes also have vertically-spaced tapped mounting holes positioned to line up with holes in the faceplates. Thus, one manufacturer's faceplate readily mounts onto the yoke of a second manufacturer's device, which is installed into a third manufacturer's switchbox.
An attractive appearance is provided when a faceplate surface is unbroken by a screw head; i.e., when the faceplate snaps onto the yoke, or other part, of the electrical device. The snap-on feature depends on the mating elements of the device and faceplate being aligned within rather close tolerances. Unless the elements are aligned in both a lateral (side-to-side) and "in-and-out" (i.e., normal to the wall) direction, it will be impossible to achieve a tight snap fit. When a multigang plate is to snap onto a series of ganged devices, the alignment problem is magnified. If the wall into which a group of devices is mounted is uneven or if certain errors (discussed below) were made in mounting a multigang switchbox into the wall, it may become very difficult or impossible to engage all the snap-on elements on the back-side of the multigang faceplate with the corresponding elements on the devices. If touch switches are among the multigang devices, the in-and-out spacing constraint is particularly severe, since the switch actuator must neither be "bottomed out," in constant close contact with the internal pushbutton mechanism, nor spaced too far from the mechanism to permit the switch to be operated.
Some multigang switchboxes do not have tapped mounting holes to line up with mounting holes in the yokes of all the electrical devices that the switchbox is designed to accommodate. Instead, these boxes have mounting holes only at two ends, and frames have been designed to provide the additional mounting holes. These frames have holes that are positioned to line up with the mounting holes at each end of the switchbox and, in addition, they provide mounting holes positioned to line up with holes in the yokes of a series of side-by-side devices. Among the sources for these frames is Graybar Electric Co., of Clayton, MO.
An arrangement designed to facilitate multigang mounting of switches was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,889,437, issued Jun. 2, 1959, to Christensen. The switches disclosed by Christensen are mounted on yokes that have an "upset" portion that overlaps a portion of the yoke of an adjoining switch and, at the same time, helps to align and locate the switches.
When the surface upon which an electrical device is to be mounted is a ceiling, rather than a wall, the problems caused by an improperly prepared surface has been addressed in the context of mounting light fixtures, particularly recessed lighting. These fixtures are typically mounted within annular "trim rings" that surround the opening that is cut in the ceiling to accommodate the fixture. When the ceiling opening is cut too large, an "oversize" trim ring is used. The oversized ring has the same inside (cut-out) diameter, to accommodate the fixture, but has a larger outside diameter, to conceal the oversized ceiling opening.


The cervical spine in the Klippel-Feil syndrome. A report of 57 cases.
We report 57 cases of the Klippel-Feil syndrome. Five had type I congenital cervical fusion, 48 type II and 4 type III. The symptoms and signs varied considerably. Patients with C2-C3 fusion often had symptoms associated with odontoid dysplasia and occipito-cervical instability. Twenty-one had progressive neurological symptoms and 19 were operated on: 3 had occiput-C3 posterior arthrodeses, 2 a single level fusion, 1 a laminectomy and anterior arthrodesis, and 13 had laminoplasties. Degenerative changes at the unfused segment and a narrow bony canal are high risk factors in the development of neurological compromise.