US firms reassessing investment plans due to tariff concerns

A fifth of US companies are reassessing or postponing existing investment plans due to tariff concerns, according to a study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

The Survey of Business Uncertainty shows that companies engaged in commodity production are more concerned about the negative impact of tariff increases than service providers, with 25 percent of commodity producers and 28 percent of retail, wholesale and logistics companies reassessing their investment plans.

About two-thirds percent of the companies are reassessing the 2018-2019 investment plans, 31 percent decided to postpone investment, and 9 percent chose to abandon their previous plans.

The bank believes that the US government's tariff on imported goods will increase the cost of imported raw materials for US companies, and the countermeasures of trading partners will accordingly reduce the export of US products. Therefore, the uncertainty of trade policy forces many American companies to postpone investment and sit on the sidelines.

It also points out that the current negative impact of trade friction on US corporate investment is mainly concentrated in manufacturing, which is highly capital-intensive. Given the possible escalation of trade tensions, the negative impact of tariff concerns on investment may continue to expand, the study said.


Q:

How to connect Excel to Oracle with PowerQuery

I am trying to connect Excel to my company's Oracle Database. According to the following instructions it should be fairly easy: https://www.wikihow.com/Connect-Excel-to-an-Oracle-Database.
However it has been impossible and quite frustrating so far.
I have followed two different approaches that I've found online.
FIRST APPROACH: installed ODAC from Oracle's Universal Installer
I went to this site https://www.oracle.com/database/technologies/dotnet-odacdev-downloads.html and downloaded the ODAC 12.2.0.1.1 file.
Then, I went through the installation process basically just clicking 'next' on every step.
Note 1: (I don't know if this might be important), in the Database Connection configuration tab I did not fill in any of the information (simply because I didn't know what to put there). It said that if information wasn't filled in, it would not create the TNSNAMES.ORA file.
Note 2: After finishing the installation it says 'run the SQL scripts located in the ... directory after the install'. Which I didn't do, again, because I didn't know how.
After the installation finished a directory was created in the following location: C:\app\client\myUserName\.
The directory goes all the way down to C:\app\client\myUserName\product\12.2.0\client_1, and it contains a bunch of files and folders.
I noticed that no environmental variable was created.
SECOND APPROACH: installed ODBC instant client
I went to this site https://www.oracle.com/database/technologies/instant-client/winx64-64-downloads.html and downloaded both instantclient-basic-windows.x64-19.6.0.0.0dbru.zip and instantclient-odbc-windows.x64-19.6.0.0.0dbru.zip.
Then I created the directory C:\Oracle\instantclient_19_6 and unziped both folders contents into it.
Finally, I ran odbc_install from the command_line, as an administrator, but got Oracle ODBC Driver with same name already exists.
Note: in this case I also noticed that no environmental variable was created.
RESULTS:
When I go to Excel and click on Data\From Database\From Oracle Database I keep getting the same error as before: The recommended provider ('Oracle.DataAccess.Client') is not installed. You can continue with your current provider, however it has been deprecated and may not work properly.".

A:

I was able to solve it by installing the 64 bits version of Oracle's client. Its located at https://www.oracle.com/database/technologies/112010-win64soft.html, file win64_11gR2_client.zip.
Although the message "The recommended provider ('Oracle.DataAccess.Client') is not installed. You can continue with your current provider, however it has been deprecated and may not work properly." remained, I was able to connect after ignoring it.


Abrogation of neutral cholesterol ester hydrolytic activity causes adrenal enlargement.
We have previously demonstrated that neutral cholesterol ester hydrolase 1 (Nceh1) regulates foam cell formation and atherogenesis through the catalytic activity of cholesterol ester hydrolysis, and that Nceh1 and hormone-sensitive lipase (Lipe) are responsible for the majority of neutral cholesterol ester hydrolase activity in macrophages. There are several cholesterol ester-metabolizing tissues and cells other than macrophages, among which adrenocortical cells are also known to utilize the intracellular cholesterol for steroidogenesis. It has been believed that the mobilization of intracellular cholesterol ester in adrenal glands was facilitated solely by Lipe. We herein demonstrate that Nceh1 is also involved in cholesterol ester hydrolysis in adrenal glands. While Lipe deficiency remarkably reduced the neutral cholesterol ester hydrolase activity in adrenal glands as previously reported, additional inactivation of Nceh1 gene completely abrogated the activity. Adrenal glands were enlarged in proportion to the degree of reduced neutral cholesterol ester hydrolase activity, and the enlargement of adrenal glands and the accumulation of cholesterol esters were most pronounced in the Nceh1/Lipe double-deficient mice. Thus Nceh1 is involved in the adrenal cholesterol metabolism, and the cholesterol ester hydrolytic activity in adrenal glands is associated with the organ enlargement.


Designing tailored Web-based instruction to improve practicing physicians' chlamydial screening rates.
To design an individualized Web-based continuing medical education (CME) program to improve practicing physicians' chlamydial screening rates. Often unrecognized and untreated, chlamydial infections in young women may cause pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and ectopic pregnancy and facilitate the acquisition of HIV. The National Committee for Quality Assurance in 2001 reported chlamydia screening rates to be 23.6% for 16-20-year-olds and 18.3% for 21-26-year-olds. In a collaborative project an academic medical center and a large national managed care organization have developed four tailored Web-based modules for primary care physicians with the goal of improving rates of screening for chlamydia. Each module includes: (1) individual office chlamydial screening rates; (2) interactive cases with real-time comparison of answers with those of peers; (3) a toolbox of office support materials, including patient education materials and guideline summaries; and (4) real-time tailoring of the Web pages based on physicians' interactions with module. Readiness to change and barriers impeding change are assessed during interaction with the module and multiple pathways are created in real time for each physician. Physicians' perceptions of the prevalence of chlamydia in their patient populations and the rate of sexual activity among adolescent girls are also assessed. These variables have been correlated in other studies with low rates of chlamydial screening. Inaccurate perceptions of these variables are considered to constitute a precontemplative stage of change. Specific messages are designed to facilitate increased awareness of chlamydia prevalence, level of sexual activity, and the consequences of failure to screen. For physicians who are aware of the nature and scope of the problems related to chlamydia, messages are tailored to assist them in reducing barriers to screening. A randomized trial of a national sample of primary care physicians is being conducted to determine the effectiveness of this intervention in improving physicians' chlamydial screening rates in sexually active women 16-26 years of age. While the Internet offers an educational distribution system accessible to practicing physicians, most CME online programs are text-based and infrequently interactive or guideline-based. It is unlikely that these programs have broad impact on physicians' practice patterns. Neither the broad capacities of Web technologies nor the evidence of effective methods for influencing physicians' practice patterns has influenced the design of most CME programs. The innovative course described above provides individual office feedback on performance, compares physicians' responses with those of their peers, gathers responses to determine physicians' readiness to change practices, and provides branching pathways "on-the-fly" individualized to these responses. The module format is easily adapted to other diseases, able to be linked in an automated fashion to administrative data files, and relatively low in cost to support.


Q:

angular - is it okay to have same property name across different components?

Hello Ive tried to do my own research on this topic but I cant seem to find a good answer so I decided to ask it here.
Say I have two component .ts files. Is it allowed to have properties that have the same name between them? For example:
search.component.ts
export class SearchComponent implements OnInit {
  search: string;
}

recent-search.component.ts
export class RecentSearchComponent implements OnInit {
  search: string;
}

They both have the same search: string; property. Will this ever clash and cause errors in the future?
Furthermore, what about services? Will components that use services that have the same named properties between them cause issues?
Thanks

A:

The search property is scoped to the component class. Since the search properties are isolated and independent, they would never conflict as the class is the parent object.
There are exceptions which could create conflicts. For example, if you were to inherit using a super() and have the property is the child class without a modifier.
Additionally, you cannot have a component with duplicate property names such as below:
export class RecentSearchComponent implements OnInit {
    search: string;
    search: string;
}


BPT - 1 Way Video Targha Panel in Gold

Model:HPV/1AU

£48.16 Inc VAT£40.13 Ex VAT£40.13

Description

Product Description

This Targha panel is manufactured from anodized aluminium and it has a gold finish on the surrounding plate. It comes with a call button with an illuminated name window and is surface mounted as standard but it can be recessed installed using HTS/VR, which can be purchased separately. It can also house the HAVC/200 colour camera module which features built-in lighting and has an adjustable volume control, the camera will allow the user to visually see the caller when used with a video handset. This can also be expanded with a six button module which can be placed beside the base panel using the HPP/6VR.

This entry panel is suitable for any environment and is ideal for a small flat or office building.

The system 200 wiring type will allow for future expansion without needing to rewire. It uses five common wires + coaxial cable which runs on direct current, this method prevents the buzzing sound which is produced from alternating currents within the system.

Please note: The video module is not included in this panel and will have to be purchased separately, add model HAVC/200 to your order.


Primary subacute osteomyelitis of the talus.
In four children with primary subacute osteomyelitis of the talus seen one to five months from the onset of symptoms, the only constant complaints were of pain and a limp. All four were treated by curettage, immobilisation in plaster and appropriate antibiotics. All the bony cavities were healed within eight months of the operation and there were no growth disturbances nor any abnormalities of the adjacent joints.


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This program leads to the award of the Master of Arts degree in accounting. The Master of Arts in accounting requires 30 semester hours. Successfully completing the degree will allow students with an undergraduate degree in Accounting or the equivalent to satisfy the 150 semester hour requirement in most states and territories for admissions to the unified Certified Public Accountants (CPA) examination.

As soon as possible, candidates for Admissions to the CPA examination are strongly advised to verify any additional courses required by their desired state or territory of certification. The following sample plan of study illustrates how required and elective courses can be arranged for students pursuing the Master of Arts degree in accounting. This is a suggested plan of study, not a mandatory one. However, students must adhere to all program requirements and course prerequisites.

First Semester

Semester Hours: 15

CSB 6618 - International Accounting - 3

CSB 6620 - Cost Management Systems - 3

CSB 6621 - Current Accounting Theory and Practice - 3

Graduate Elective - 3

Graduate Elective - 3

Second Semester

Semester Hours: 15

CSB 5606 - Advanced Auditing - 3

CSB 5690 - Fund Accounting - 3

CSB 6623 - Adv. Accounting Information Systems - 3

Graduate Elective - 3

Graduate Elective - 3

Students are encouraged to select graduate electives from the other business disciplines of Finance, Marketing, Management, Economics, and Decision Science as well as from the Computer Information Systems discipline. Basic courses, which substantially duplicate courses required for entry into the program (e.g., CSB 6600, Financial Accounting and CSB 6610, Managerial Accounting), will not be approved as graduate electives for the Master of Arts in Accounting program.

The Chairperson of the Accounting Department serves as the student advisor for the Master of Arts program in accounting.


An individual, usually male, who runs the Office IT in a ruthless fashion. For example, he will not let you keep fun jpegs or mpegs on the server for long, and discourages entertaining emails sent to the whole company. Every time he works on your computer, he changes your desktop image from picture of your family to None.

Sorry. I didn't get your email. Our Network Nazi blocks all emails that are from Yahoo addresses.

1. A slang term used to describe the local or remote IT administrator. Often used by user who posses little or no techincal knowledge combined with complete discrespect/disregard for corporate IT policies.
2. An underapreciated and underpaid IT aministrator who deals with Stupid users all day ( the ones who need to use a guide to send an email...or the ones who accidentaly move folders on files shares) and manages not to call them fuktartds or LUsers. To get back at them he fully enforces the corporate IT policy.
3. An overpaid babysiter- charged with the task of making sure users dont fuck shit up.
4. A liason between HR/Legal or Departmental Managers and the users- often the one who has to play the role of the "bad guy"

User on phone to cyber girlfriend ( who is probaly a man in real life...)- "The Network Nazi removed IM so I cant cyber with you during work"

User to Manager:
The Network Nazi made me change my password again... and I cant remeber all 8 letters so i couldnt run the report."

The Network Nazi removed all of my passwords i had taped to my monitor.


Q:

Assigning c-array to c++ vector

I have a question about lifetime of onstack created arrays and about transforming them to c++ vectors. For ex I have two functions:
void getVector()
{
    auto myVector = createVectorFromArray();
}

vector<float> createVectorFromArray()
{
    float myArr[10];
    readDataFromSomewhere(myArr, 10); //some read data function with signature void(float*, size_t)
    vector<float> resVector;
    resVector.assign(myArr, myArr+10);
    return resVector;
}

As I understand array myArr will be killed as soon as we leave function createVectorFromArray. So iterators of vector myVector in function getVector will point to nowhere. Am I right or this works in another way? And how should I better make vector from array to return it from function in this situation?
Thank you!

A:

You can rewrite createVectorFromArray like that and you don't have anymore trouble with assigning an array to vector:
vector<float> createVectorFromArray()
{
    vector<float> resVector(10);

    readDataFromSomewhere(&resVector[0], resVector.size());

    return resVector;
}

std::vector is contiguous memory container, so you can use it as interface with plain old C functions

A:

This answer is designed to discuss the various approaches, explain them, and put them into context.
option 1: the native to vector copy:
vector<float> createVectorFromArray()
{
    // data copied once
    float myArr[10];
    readDataFromSomewhere(myArr, 10);

    // vectors are lightweight handles. zero-cost construction
    // since the optimiser will see that the next statement assigns to
    // the vector
    vector<float> resVector;

    //
    // data copied twice
    //
    resVector.assign(myArr, myArr+10);

    //
    // it's almost guaranteed that RVO will elide this copy. As of c++17
    // it's a guarantee. Returning the vector is fine
    return resVector;
}

Problems:

data copied twice
vector will require memory allocation

option 2: use the vector directly
vector<float> createVectorFromArray()
{
    // Will allocate space and
    // default-initialise the floats (i.e. they won't be initialised)
    vector<float> resVector(10);

    //
    // one data copy. perfectly safe and idiomatic.
    // std::addressof expressed intent clearly.
    //

    readDataFromSomewhere(std::addressof(resVector[0]), resVector.size());

    //
    // it's almost guaranteed that RVO will elide this copy. As of c++17
    // it's a guarantee. Returning the vector is efficient.
    return resVector;
}

Problems:

vector will require memory allocation

Better...
option 3 : re-use an existing vector
void createVectorFromArray(vector<float>& resVector)
{
    //
    // if resVector has been used before and has a capacity() of 10
    // or more, no memory allocation necessary
    //
    resVector.resize(10);

    // one copy of data
    readDataFromSomewhere(std::addressof(resVector[0]), resVector.size());
}

Problems:

perhaps not quite to easy to use the reference interface.

How would I choose between option 2 and 3?

Option 2 is more readable (IMHO) but would be expensive if used in a loop. So for a one-off, I'd go for that.
If I'm reading data into a buffer in a loop, I'd probably want to avoid un-necessary memory allocations. So re-using the vector's capacity would be a wise move.
e.g.
std::vector<float> buf;
while (thereIsMoreData())
{
    createVectorFromArray(buf);   // option 3
    useTheData(buf);
    // data no longer needed, so we can re-use the vector
}

the alternative:
while (thereIsMoreData())
{
    // the passing of the vector is efficient, particularly as of c++11
    // however, we still suffer one memory allocation per loop.
    // probably undesirable in a high performance environment.
    useTheData(createVectorFromArray());   // option 2
}

Finally...
option 4:
Provide both. Allow the user the performant approach or the 'readable' approach as he/she wishes
void createVectorFromArray(vector<float>& resVector)
{
    //
    // if resVector has been used before and has a capacity() of 10
    // or more, no memory allocation necessary
    //
    resVector.resize(10);

    // one copy of data
    readDataFromSomewhere(std::addressof(resVector[0]), resVector.size());
}

// overload
std::vector<float> createVectorFromArray()
{
    std::vector<float> result;
    createVectorFromArray(result);
    return result;
}


A new poll reveals that three quarters of reporters agree the public isn’t getting the information it needs

As states move to hide details of government deals with Wall Street, and as politicians come up with new arguments to defend secrecy, a study released earlier this month revealed that many government information officers block specific journalists they don’t like from accessing information. The news comes as 47 federal inspectors general sent a letter to lawmakers criticizing “serious limitations on access to records” that they say have “impeded” their oversight work.

The data about public information officers was compiled over the past few years by Kennesaw State University professor Dr. Carolyn Carlson. Her surveys found that 4 in 10 public information officers say “there are specific reporters they will not allow their staff to talk to due to problems with their stories in the past.”

“That horrified us that so many would do that,” Carlson told the Columbia Journalism Review, which reported on her presentation at the July conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

Carlson has conducted surveys of journalists and public information officers since 2012. In her most recent survey of 445 working journalists, four out of five reported that “their interviews must be approved” by government information officers, and “more than half of the reporters said they had actually been prohibited from interviewing [government] employees at least some of the time by public information officers.”

In recent years, there have been signs that the federal government is reducing the flow of public information. Reason Magazine has reported a 114 percent increase in Freedom of Information Act rejections by the Drug Enforcement Agency since President Obama took office. The National Security Agency has also issued blanket rejections of FOIA requests about its metadata program. And the Associated Press reported earlier this year that in 2013, “the government cited national security to withhold information a record 8,496 times — a 57 percent increase over a year earlier and more than double Obama’s first year.”

Those revelations foreshadowed a recent letter from more than half of the government’s inspectors general saying that federal agencies’ move to hide information from them represents a “potentially serious challenge to the authority of every Inspector General and our ability to conduct our work thoroughly, independently, and in a timely manner.”

In that letter, the inspectors general assert that agencies are saying information is “privileged” and therefore must be kept secret. That is one of many increasingly creative rationales that public officials are now citing as reason to keep government information secret.

In Chicago, for example, officials in Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration rejected a request for documents about an opaque $1.7 billion fund that is often used for corporate subsidies, some of which have flowed to the mayor’s political donors. In a letter explaining the rejection, the officials said it would take too much staff time to compile the data and that therefore the request was “unduly burdensome.”

Likewise in Rhode Island, Democratic State Treasurer Gina Raimondo rejected a newspaper request for information about the state’s hedge fund contracts on the grounds that she wanted fund managers to “keep this information confidential to help preserve the productivity of their staff and to minimize attention around their own compensation.”

That denial was one of many similar rejections from states seeking to keep the details of their Wall Street deals secret.

Carlson’s polls from 2014 show that three-quarters of journalists surveyed now agree that “the public is not getting the information it needs because of barriers agencies are imposing on journalists’ reporting practices.”

That’s the whole point of government secrecy, of course — and the ramifications are predictable. In an information vacuum, the public is being systematically divorced from public policy, which is exactly what too many elected officials want.

David Sirota is a senior writer for the International Business Times and the best-selling author of the books “Hostile Takeover,” “The Uprising” and “Back to Our Future.” E-mail him at ds@davidsirota.com, follow him on Twitter @davidsirota or visit his website at www.davidsirota.com.

3 comments on “The U.S. government’s creeping war on journalists”

See Denis (one n) Lehain’s book “Unperson A Life Destroyed”. An Irish journalist he was approached by both M15 and CIA for recruitment. He turned them down. The book tells what happens. He says ” That a CIA officer should want to recruit a journalist to work as a spy for the Agency under the cover of his career as a journalist is not even extraordinary for journalists”. He also says most journalists say yes. The security services not only have great control over what journalists say but over who gets the job in the first place.

I’ve had Gangstalkers talk to me about their kids (everyone likes to talk about their children) and proudly say that their child wanted to become a journalist. When I suggested that the world needed more honest journalists, I got no response. It was as if that consideration was of absolutely no consequence.

I do agree that ones success in many industries is determined by allegiance to the establishment, otherwise known as Infragard.

Ay, the trouble is TIs are ahead of the herd. If it wasn’t happening to me I would be much less aware of the insidious creeping corruption in every institution. When I was young journalism was an honourable and respected profession. Now bloggers are doing the work journalists have abandoned.

My other blog: Justice for Jacqueline and Janessa Greig

September 9th was the fifth anniversary of the San Bruno gas pipeline explosion that killed (murdered) CPUC Gas Ratepayer Advocate Mrs. Jacqueline (Jackie) Greig and her thirteen year old daughter, Janessa. Mrs. Greig was the head of her department and was in charge of approving a 3.6 billion dollar rate increase proposal submitted by PG&E […]

Alan Wang (KGO Reporter) SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — PG&E is waiting to get hit with criminal charges. The federal government is expected to go after the utility for that pipeline disaster in San Bruno more than three years ago. The gas explosion was always a crime in the eyes of Gayle Masuno whose 87-year old […]

Well, I just finished the story about attending the Subcommittee meeting and I must say, it wasn’t easy. It was difficult for several reasons but most of them had to do with me being new to blogging, especially this particular template that you see here. Even though both of my blogs are on WordPress (which […]


A versatile microassay for elastase using succinylated elastin.
We have developed a rapid, versatile, and sensitive elastase assay that is based on the measurement of primary amines that are exposed due to enzymatic degradation of proteins, using succinylated elastin as the substrate for elastase. After incubation with elastase the degree of digestion is determined with trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid. The assay is rapid and sensitive, detecting elastase down to 1 ng/ml, and is linear up to enzyme concentrations of 10 microg/ml. The assay is carried out in microtiter plate wells and therefore offers the potential for assaying numerous samples of small volume. The use of succinylated elastin shows specificity for elastase over the control protease, trypsin. This assay is also versatile because it can be applied to samples such as cell culture supernatants, blood plasma, tissue biopsies, and tissue homogenates.


Q:

Potential deadlock in thread-safe stack C++

In the book "Concurrency in Action", there's an implementation of thread-safe stack where mutex is acquired/locked upon entering pop() and empty() functions like shown below:
class threadsafe_stack {
   private:
      std::stack<T> data;
      mutable std::mutex m;
   public:
      //...
      void pop(T& value) {
         std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(m);
         if(data.empty()) throw empty_stack();
         value = std::move(data.top());
         data.pop();
      }

      bool empty() const {
         std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(m);
         return data.empty();
      }
};

My question is, how does this code not run into a deadlock, when a thread, that has acquired the lock upon entering pop() is calling empty() which is protected by mutex as well? If lock() is called by the thread that already owns the mutex, isn't that undefined behavior?

A:

how does this code not run into a deadlock, when a thread, that has acquired the lock upon entering pop() is calling empty() which is protected by mutex as well?

Because you are not calling empty member function of threadsafe_stack but you are calling empty() of class std::stack<T>. If the code would be:
void pop(T& value)
{
    std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(m);
    if(empty()) // instead of data.empty()
        throw empty_stack();
    value = std::move(data.top());
    data.pop();
}

Then, it would be undefined behavior:

If lock is called by a thread that already owns the mutex, the behavior is undefined: for example, the program may deadlock. An implementation that can detect the invalid usage is encouraged to throw a std::system_error with error condition resource_deadlock_would_occur instead of deadlocking.

Learn about recursive and shared mutex.


A mobile speed camera vehicle in New Zealand caused a three-car collision that killed one man and inflicted serious injuries on four others. An investigation is ongoing into the incident which took place on the SH1 north of Tirau last month.

Kylee Roycroft, 29, intended to turn into a farm located on the side of the road using a turning bay specifically designed to prevent accidents. When Roycroft arrived, however, the bay was blocked by a speed camera car busy issuing citations. While she waited to make a legal turn from the center of the road, her sedan was struck from behind, hurling it into oncoming traffic where it collided with another vehicle head-on. Roycroft's stepfather, Robert Frazer, 65, was a front-seat passenger and died at the scene. Roycroft and her three children are still recovering from their injuries.

Longview Trust Chairman Alex Baldwin, owner of the farm property, blasted the police for continuing to block the turning bay even after the fatal accident.

"What I'm saying is this: if the police car had not been in our layby, this accident would not have happened," Baldwin told the Waikato Times newspaper. "I provided this facility for our staff and hey presto, the police are there nabbing speeding vehicles."

Taupo Police will decide whether the police are liable for the actions of the Taupo Police speed camera vehicle.


The U.S. has a remarkable track record of innovation and continues to lead the world in the development of many new technologies. Why, then, isn't the nation's science-and-engineering work force -- the people responsible for much of that innovation -- growing?

That's a question posed by the Population Reference Bureau's recent analysis of the science-and-engineering (S&E) workforce. As a percentage of the total labor force, S&E workers accounted for 4.9% of the workforce in 2010, a slight decline from the three previous years when these workers accounted for 5% of the workforce.

That percentage has been essentially flat for the past decade. In 2000, it stood at 5.3%.

Science-and-engineering workforce as a percent of U.S. workforce. (Chart by Population Reference Bureau.)

Ideally, the S&E workforce -- it numbers more than 7.6 million workers -- would be expanding as a percentage of the labor force. That would mean U.S. companies are increasing their use of S&E workers.

There's no clear explanation for this trend, either anecdotally or in the Bureau's data. Take IBM. In the same week it announced a breakthrough in quantum computing, it laid off more than 1,400 workers. How many of those workers were in science and engineering is unknown, but IBM has steadily cut the number of employees in the U.S. as it expands in other countries.

I-Ling Shen, a senior research analyst and economist at the Milken Institute, looked at the PRB data and said there could be "a lot of explanations" for its findings. The data may indicate either a supply or demand problem for S&E workers, or it could be signaling a shift in the composition of the workforce, she said.

Regarding demand, wages for these workers have increased relative entire the workforce. If there had been a lack of demand, wages would have gone done, said Shen.

There are possibilities other than wages that may explain the flattening of the S&E workforce. The PRB's data, which comes from the U.S. Census, defines S&E workers broadly, and includes those in labor-intensive jobs without advanced degrees who may have been replaced by automation, said Shen.

Another factor may be retirements. S&E workers who are 55 and older accounted for 13% of this workforce in 2005; they accounted for 18% in 2010. "This might imply that there aren't enough young people entering the S&E labor force - and I really thought this might be a key issue," said Shen.

Mark Mather, an associate vice president at PRB and a report author, said the decline may reflect job losses in high-end manufacturing. "I don't think it's good news if you got declines in fields that tend be higher paying and require more skills and higher levels of education -- I don't think it's a good sign," he said.

The data might not mean there is an outright shortage of S&E workers; it could indicate a combination of factors related to such things as the recession and offshoring. "I wouldn't call it a positive development, but I didn't want to paint it as a negative picture either, because I don't know if it's going to last," said Mather.

The U.S. government believes that more S&E workers are needed and President Barack Obama last year called on the government to produce 10,000 more engineers a year.

Electicial engineering employment and wages. (Chart by Milken Institute, based on U.S. labor data.)

Patrick Thibodeau covers cloud computing and enterprise applications, outsourcing, government IT policies, data centers and IT workforce issues for Computerworld. Follow Patrick on Twitter at @DCgov or subscribe to Patrick's RSS feed . His e-mail address is pthibodeau@computerworld.com.

See more by Patrick Thibodeau on Computerworld.com.


Psychiatric medications, science, marketing, psychiatry in general, and occasionally clinical psychology. Questioning the role of key opinion leaders and the use of "science" to promote commercial ends rather than the needs of people with mental health concerns.

It is likely that no single fundamental neurobiological defect underlies severe depression.

Oh, so there is a serotonin deficiency and there is likely not a serotonin deficiency.Now I get it.That clears it up. Sounds like doublethink.

How could one contradict oneself on such an issue?This is a core problem in medicine.If these are the leaders of medicine, the scientific gurus whose opinions are thought to influence the practice of physicians throughout the world, then shouldn’t their thoughts be consistent from one day to the next?My humble guess is that this instance was due to one or both pieces being ghostwritten and the author not checking the final version of the paper.If it has your name on it, then shouldn’t you be responsible for the content of the piece?This is a lesson recently learned through the “commercial piece of crap” incident reported first on the excellent Carlat Psychiatry blog, with a similar incident being discussed on this site.The CME piece mentioned in this post is the same article on which Dr. Nemeroff did not disclose a highly relevant conflict of interest, as reported here.

6 comments:

As always, I do enjoy your informative commentary and the placing of the needles in the Voodoo doll. Dr. Nemeroff’s numerous improprieties aside I personally do believe in the theory of bio-neuro-chemical malfunctioning within the brain causing serious mood disorders and I too come away with continuing confusion from “the scientific gurus”.

I read many of the studies put forth relating to depression and I’ve come to learn to look for the keywords within the documents. Words such as may, suggests, consider, further investigation is necessary, insight, we believe, in our opinion etc, etc. Lacking in most all of the documents are definitive statements that I as a support person and health care advocate can hang my hat upon and rest assured in order to make an informed medical decision. Then again, I also muse at the fact that even the professionals differ in their interpretation and understanding of the same study document(s).

Aside from what I’ve learned from the eye opening commentary on this and similar forums you’re sharing has added much to my skepticism and the knowledge that the neuroscience of the brain has a very long way to go and for which I thank you.

Herb: "Words such as may, suggests, consider, further investigation is necessary, insight, we believe, in our opinion etc, etc. Lacking in most all of the documents are definitive statements...I also muse at the fact that even the professionals differ in their interpretation and understanding of the same study document(s)."

Right. What else can be expected?We are in a realm (the humanbrain and mind) that is far toocomplex for anything else. "May","suggests", etc... these can becalled, pejoratively, "weasel-words". But I suggest that theyare REALITY words. They are theclosest we can come to representinga complex, seemingly irreduceablereality.

: Friday, September 14, 2007 : : Key Opinion Leader Contradicts Himself : : In depression, is there a serotonin deficiency or not? : Let's ask a key opinion leader. Dr. Charles Nemeroff : stated in a continuing medical education piece released in : March 2007 that : : "There is a large body of evidence that the serotonin : system is awry in depression in many, if not most, : patients. There is truly a real deficiency of serotonin in : depressed patients." : : In the same piece, he stated that : : "Taking this together, one would suggest that the : overwhelming evidence is of a relative deficiency of : serotonin in the brains of patients with depression."

OK. Clear enough so far.

: Yet in an article published in the Journal of Psychiatric : Research in April 2007 (accepted for publication in May : 2006), Nemeroff states : : "It is likely that no single fundamental neurobiological : defect underlies severe depression." : : Oh, so there is a serotonin deficiency and there is likely : NOT a serotonin deficiency. Now I get it. That clears it : up. Sounds like doublethink.

Huh?!

There was no contradiction in what he said.

Read again. He said that the serotonin system is (usually)awry in depression, and that serotonin is deficient. Fine.Then he said that probably no single neurobiological defectunderlies severe depression. Fine, too. Where's thecontradiction? He didn't say that the serotonin problem wasthe sole ("single") defect underlying depression. He only saidwhat he said -- that it is clearly disordered and deficient inmany if not most people with depression. And he is right.There's overwhelming evidence for that. (There's also greatevidence for the therapeutic value of serotonergicinterventions in depression, which he did not mention.) That'snot to say that other things are not playing a role, or thatserotonin is the sole problem area -- the "single fundamentalneurobiological defect". He only said what he said. And thisblogger is jumping all over him. Why?

: How could one contradict oneself on such an issue?

He didn't contradict himself.

I agree with Nemeroff on both his assertions: 1) the serotoninsystem is involved and it is important in many, if not mostdepressions, and 2) the serotonin system is not ALL that isimportant; it is not the "single fundamental neurobiologicaldefect" (there will likely never be identified a "singlefundamental neurobiological defect").

Nemeroff may be a shill for Big Pharma, he may be a liar, hemay be -- for all I know -- a contemptible person for 19different reasons. I'm not defending Nemeroff, generally. I'monly saying what I am saying -- that the two quoted commentsare not inconsistent.

Organizations

Scientific Misconduct

About Me

I'm an academic with a respectable amount of clinical experience and no drug industry funding. Given my lack of time, don't expect multiple daily updates. Certain things about clinical psychology, the drug industry, psychiatry, and academics drive me nuts, and you'll probably pick up on these pet peeves before long...


Zombie cancer cells eat themselves to live

April 6, 2014

A University of Colorado Cancer Center study recently published in the journal Cell Reports and presented today at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Conference 2014 shows that the cellular process of autophagy in which cells “eat” parts of themselves in times of stress may allow cancer cells to recover and divide rather than die when faced with chemotherapies.

Autophagy, from the Greek “to eat oneself,” is a process of cellular recycling in which cell organelles called autophagosomes encapsulate extra or dangerous material and transport it to the cell’s lysosomes for disposable. Like tearing apart a Lego kit, autophagy breaks down unneeded cellular components into building blocks of energy or proteins for use in surviving times of low energy or staying safe from poisons and pathogens (among other uses).

“What we showed is that if this mechanism doesn’t work right, for example if autophagy is too high or if the target regulated by autophagy isn’t around, cancer cells may be able to rescue themselves from death caused by chemotherapies,” says Andrew Thorburn, PhD, deputy director of the CU Cancer Center.

A movie that accompanies the study online shows a cancer cell dying. In the first few frames, mitochondrial cell walls break down and the cell’s mitochondria can be seen releasing proteins in a process abbreviated as MOMP, which is considered a common marker of cell death. But then high autophagy allows the cell to encapsulate and “digest” these released proteins before MOMP can keep the cell well and truly dead. Later in the movie, the cancer cell recovers and goes on to divide.

“The implication here is that if you inhibit autophagy you’d make this less likely to happen, i.e. when you kill cancer cells they would stay dead,” Thorburn says.

Thorburn and colleagues including postdoctoral researcher Jacob Gump, PhD, show that autophagy depends on the target PUMA to regulate cell death. Specifically, when PUMA is absent, it doesn’t matter if autophagy is inhibited because without the communicating action of PUMA, cancer cells continue to survive.

The finding has important implications. First, it demonstrates a mechanism whereby autophagy controls cell death. And second, the study further reinforces the clinical potential of inhibiting autophagy to sensitize cancer cells to chemotherapy.

“Autophagy is complex and as yet not fully understood,” Thorburn says. “But now that we see a molecular mechanism whereby cell-fate can be determined by autophagy, we hope to discover patient populations that could benefit from drugs that inhibit this action.”


End to free lunch

Peter Geoghegan (Opinion, 1 August) claims that austerity measures are exacerbating the problems of the eurozone.

This is not the case, particularly in Britain, where public spending is still rising. It is also not true that if “we all reduce spending at the same time, we all grow poorer”, as one cannot spend oneself into prosperity.

It is an inversion of the truth to say that austerity measures were put in place after 1929, as the 1930s were dominated by reckless spending and currency inflation together with hyper-protectionism that brought world trade almost to a dead halt.

What is to blame for the current global economic malaise is the false belief that a free lunch, in the form of state intervention, is possible.

This idea, promulgated by Marx and Keynes, dominates the world, and economic growth will not be achieved until it is rejected.


The combination of block copolymers and phospholipids to form giant hybrid unilamellar vesicles (GHUVs) does not systematically lead to "intermediate" membrane properties.
In this work, the elasticity under stretching as well as the fluidity of Giant Hybrid Unilamellar Vesicles (GHUV) has been studied. The membrane structuration of these GHUVs has already been studied at the micro and nanoscale in a previous study of the team. These GHUVs were obtained by the association of a fluid phospholipid (POPC) and a triblock copolymer, poly(ethyleneoxide)-b-poly(dimethylsiloxane)-b-poly(ethyleneoxide). Although the architecture of triblock copolymers can facilitate vesicle formation, they have been scarcely used to generate GHUVs. We show, through micropipette aspiration and FRAP experiments, that the incorporation of a low amount of lipids in the polymer membrane leads to a significant loss of the toughness of the vesicle and subtle modification of the lateral diffusion of polymer chains. We discuss the results within the framework of the conformation of the triblock copolymer chain in the membrane and in the presence of lipid nanodomains.


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This is a prospective study conducted as part of a voluntary testing for HBV, HCV and HIV. The aim of the study is to determine the seroprevalence of HBs Ag and anti-HCV antibodies among HIV infected people and a control group of HIV negative people. HIV prevalence among newly diagnosed volunteers is 9.1%. The overall seroprevalence of HBs Ag and a...

Malaria is considered to be a major problem of public health in Haiti. However the impact of Plasmodium falciparum on health is poorly known in this country. The objective of this study is to verify the incidence of malaria as the cause of hospital consultation and to evaluate the rate of P. falciparum gametocytes carriage among the population livi...

The response to HIV must be based on all situations of risk and vulnerability related to sexual behavior. Sexual practices of women who have sex with other women to HIV described in his study come within this framework. This transversal and descriptive study on the sexual practices of 150 women who have sex with other women to HIV was conducted fro...

A retrospective descriptive study was conducted from 1(st) October 2010 to 30 November 2012 on the records of patients admitted for scorpion envenomation in the Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases at the Donka National Hospital. The objective of this study is to describe the epidemiological profile and clinical characteristics of scorpio...

Malaria is an endemic disease in Cameroon. Expatriate population is also affected by malaria risk. Many studies are published on malaria, but few are focused on the expatriate population. The objective was to describe epidemiological characteristics andmanagement ofmalaria at Plasmodium falciparum in Yaounde expatriate population. This is a retrosp...

Anaphylactic shock is an exceptional mode of revelation of a liver hydatid cyst and it is in almost all cases secondary to an intraperitoneal rupture. The spread of hydatid cyst content into the bloodstream is even more exceptional. We report the case of a 36 years-an old woman who presented a severe anaphylactic shock preceded by abdominal pain. A...

Despite many efforts of prevention and the availability of free treatment, TB/HIV co-infection is still rampant in Guinea. The objective of this study was to describe the epidemiology of smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis according to HIV status among patients hospitalized in the infectious diseases department of Conakry University Hospital. Thi...

The aim of the present work was to describe mycobacteria species isolated in the antituberculosis center of Pointe-Noire city in Congo Brazzaville. It was a descriptive transversal study, conducted between September 2008 and April 2009 (7 months). A simple random sample was established from patients who came to the antituberculosis center of Pointe...

Intestinal schistosomiasis by Schistosoma mansoni is a parasitary affection transmitted in West Africa by the mollusc Biomphalaria pfeifferi. Transmission dynamic of schistosomiasis by Biomphalaria pfeifferi has seldom been investigated in Côte d'Ivoire. In the framework of a research project on the epidemiology of schistosomiasis in the natural fo...


/*
 * Copyright 2010 Google Inc.
 *
 * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may not
 * use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of
 * the License at
 *
 * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
 *
 * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
 * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
 * WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
 * License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under
 * the License.
 */
package com.google.web.bindery.autobean.shared;

import com.google.web.bindery.autobean.shared.impl.AutoBeanCodexImpl;
import com.google.web.bindery.autobean.shared.impl.AutoBeanCodexImpl.EncodeState;
import com.google.web.bindery.autobean.shared.impl.StringQuoter;

/**
 * Utility methods for encoding an AutoBean graph into a JSON-compatible string.
 * This codex intentionally does not preserve object identity, nor does it
 * encode cycles, but it will detect them.
 */
public class AutoBeanCodex {

  /**
   * Decode an AutoBeanCodex payload.
   *
   * @param <T> the expected return type
   * @param factory an AutoBeanFactory capable of producing {@code AutoBean<T>}
   * @param clazz the expected return type
   * @param data a payload previously generated by {@link #encode(AutoBean)}
   * @return an AutoBean containing the payload contents
   */
  public static <T> AutoBean<T> decode(AutoBeanFactory factory, Class<T> clazz, Splittable data) {
    return AutoBeanCodexImpl.doDecode(EncodeState.forDecode(factory), clazz, data);
  }

  /**
   * Decode an AutoBeanCodex payload.
   *
   * @param <T> the expected return type
   * @param factory an AutoBeanFactory capable of producing {@code AutoBean<T>}
   * @param clazz the expected return type
   * @param payload a payload string previously generated by
   *          {@link #encode(AutoBean)}{@link Splittable#getPayload()
   *          .getPayload()}.
   * @return an AutoBean containing the payload contents
   */
  public static <T> AutoBean<T> decode(AutoBeanFactory factory, Class<T> clazz, String payload) {
    Splittable data = StringQuoter.split(payload);
    return decode(factory, clazz, data);
  }

  /**
   * Copy data from a {@link Splittable} into an AutoBean. Unset values in the
   * Splittable will not nullify data that already exists in the AutoBean.
   *
   * @param data the source data to copy
   * @param bean the target AutoBean
   */
  public static void decodeInto(Splittable data, AutoBean<?> bean) {
    AutoBeanCodexImpl.doDecodeInto(EncodeState.forDecode(bean.getFactory()), data, bean);
  }

  /**
   * Encodes an AutoBean. The actual payload contents can be retrieved through
   * {@link Splittable#getPayload()}.
   *
   * @param bean the bean to encode
   * @return a Splittable that encodes the state of the AutoBean
   */
  public static Splittable encode(AutoBean<?> bean) {
    if (bean == null) {
      return Splittable.NULL;
    }

    StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
    EncodeState state = EncodeState.forEncode(bean.getFactory(), sb);
    AutoBeanCodexImpl.doEncode(state, bean);
    return StringQuoter.split(sb.toString());
  }
}


Arecibo

On November 1, 1963, the Arecibo radio telescope, by that time the earth‘s largest radio telescope, has been inaugurated in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. It is operated by the company SRI International under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation and is also called the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, although “NAIC” refers to both the observatory and the staff that operates it. Construction and Functionality The Arecibo telescope was built between the…


Bounce Energy loves the Internet, especially when it comes to social media. We look at social networks as exciting ways to interact with our customers, share information, and address any concerns you might have. On our social media outlets, you'll find energy efficiency tips, seasonal recipes, energy saving suggestions, green living recommendations, and a host of other fun stuff.
For the past several decades, the Nevada energy market has been a monopoly controlled by the utility NV Energy. NV Energy has controlled the price homes and businesses have paid for electricity for decades. Unhappy? Too bad. On November 6, you can do something about it. On November 6th, residents of Nevada can go to the polls and vote yes on question 3. Voting yes will open the energy market to competition — homes and businesses will be able to shop around for their electricity provider. You’ll be able to choose the electric rate and plan that’s right for you. 3 Reasons to Vote Yes on Question 3 New Jobs. If voters say yes to question 3 on November 6th, some estimate that 34,000 new jobs will be created in the Silver State. One company in particular that is interested in moving to (and hiring in!) Nevada is Google. Google purchased land to build a massive datacenter in Northern Nevada but before investing money they’ve requested alternatives to NV Energy. Lower Bills. Electric choice creates competition — competition is good for consumers! Whether you need electricity for your apartment or a massive datacenter like Google, companies will need to be competitive to earn business. Energy providers will have to offer great rates and great service to earn and keep your business, otherwise you (and everyone else) will be free to...
Electricity rates in Texas are not fixed. Your rate can vary greatly depending on your usage and your electric plan. Some plans have relatively flat rates, while others can be all over the place. This means that you could end up paying 7¢ for 999 kWhs and 8.5¢ for 1001 kWhs. That would be a 16% increase because you microwaved a few potatoes. Learn more on the different plan types here.
A lot of corporations set up their bases in Dallas or Fort Worth. Surrounding cities such as Irving and Plano are also becoming business centers. Whether your business is a corporation located in one of these cities, or a small, local business located in and around the DFW metroplex, you can email us about finding lower electricity rates that you’ve ever found before.
Following a warning from the FBI last month that Russian hackers were attacking the US power grid, Energy Services Group (ESG) has been knocked offline for the second time in recent months. As of this writing, ESG’s systems remain offline to scores of brokers, suppliers, and utilities in Texas that rely on them every single day. ESG has yet to release many details in regards to the continued outage, but it has stated that it will be down until “further notice.” ESG not only strongly supports and impacts Texas’ energy operations, but dozens of other states, provinces, and prefectures,...

Free Nights & Free Weekends electricity plans are an incredibly popular choice for Texas electricity customers. Providers have answered customer’s demand with several ‘free time’ electricity plan choices. Most of these time of use plans offer free weekends, while others offer free nights or even a free month of electricity. Customers love the idea of free electricity, and why not? Hot summers in Texas require a lot of electricity!

That means that customers in Houston paid an average of $5,500 more for electricity over a 14-year time span beginning in 2002, according to the group that buys electricity on behalf of municipal governments in Texas. The calculation, which uses data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, assumes monthly electricity use of 1,300 kilowatt hours.

Eversource, an electricity services company headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, recently announced that they plan to reduce their electricity rates during the summer months of 2017. With over 1.7 million customers, the company hopes that this decrease will contribute to its mission of delivering safe, affordable and reliable energy to western areas of the state. Details on Changes According Massachusetts state law, Basic Service supply rates need to change twice a year. These changes take place on pre-defined dates: January 1st and July 1st. Due to this law, Eversource put in this request earlier this month with the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) of Massachusetts. This...

About 14 years ago, Texas deregulation laws initiated competition for electric companies. In Fort Worth, people in the community can pick a retail electric provider (REP), but not all renters, business owners and homeowners in Texas have this option. If consumers own a business, live or rent in the city, they can decide amongst Fort Worth electric rates in their ZIP code.


Introduction {#sec1_1}
============

Endoscopic polypectomy was first described over 40 years ago \[[@B1],[@B2]\]. Even at this first snare resection, a submucosal injection with saline was performed for better handling of the snare and prevention of perforation and thermal damage to the deeper tissue layers \[[@B1],[@B3]\]. This combination of endoscopic snare resection with preceding mucosal injection quickly became the standard method for the treatment of polyps and adenomas, and Inoue et al. \[[@B4]\] and Soehendra et al. \[[@B5]\] coined the term 'endoscopic mucosal resection' (EMR) for flat lesions. While snare resection of pedunculated polyps is performed safely in most cases, the risks increase especially with flat and sessile lesions and with increasing polyp size. In addition to technical complications such as perforation and bleeding, the risk of incomplete ablation and recurrence grows \[[@B6]\]. From a size of 20 mm, the lesion usually cannot be resected in one piece ('en bloc') but must be removed in several fragments ('piecemeal') (fig. [1](#F1){ref-type="fig"}). This fractional technique not only makes the histopathological assessment of the completeness of resection almost impossible but also increases the risk of recurrence \[[@B7],[@B8]\]. The goal is to improve endoscopic resection in such a way that wide and flat lesions can be accessed and removed safely. One approach is the use of different fluids for the generation of a submucosal fluid cushion. In addition, different resection devices and modified ablation techniques including adoption of some principles of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) have been described.

Mucosal Elevation {#sec1_2}
=================

In the first polypectomy described, mucosal elevation was created by injections in order to avoid thermal injury to the deeper tissue layers \[[@B1],[@B3]\]. In larger and flat lesions, the problem is that the applied liquid quickly spreads to the surrounding tissue and the raised mucosa flattens before complete resection can be performed \[[@B9]\]. To avoid this problem, numerous substances have been tested and described in the literature, through which the authors expected to obtain a longer-lasting fluid cushion in the submucosa. Especially in the colorectum, it is important to generate a fluid cushion before the use of cutting tools, because the wall layers are only a few millimetres thick. Therefore, perforations through penetration of the instrument or grasping deeper layers with the snare can happen more easily than in the stomach \[[@B10]\]. In addition, a longer-lasting fluid cushion facilitates en bloc resection with resulting benefits.

Substances Used for Injection {#sec1_3}
=============================

First modifications were made by changing the saline concentration and other additives such as epinephrine. In 1999, Yamamoto et al. \[[@B11]\] described for the first time the use of sodium hyaluronate (SH) for mucosal elevation. Since then, several studies have been published that confirm that SH is very well suited to this purpose \[[@B12],[@B13]\]. The authors emphasise that with SH a much more inert fluid cushion can be created. SH has a high viscosity and is clinically used, for example, for intra-articular injection in osteoarthritis. It is an endogenous substance and therefore not antigenic. Due to the high viscosity, it is difficult to inject; also, special storage conditions have to be considered. The most serious disadvantage of SH is the high price of the substance, which hinders a wide range of applications \[[@B14]\]. Therefore, several study groups have investigated the possibility of diluting highly concentrated hyaluronic acid (HA) and using it in a mixture with other substances for injection to reduce the high cost and at the same time not abandon the convenience of this substance for EMR \[[@B15],[@B16]\]. An inexpensive, over-the-counter 0.15% HA preparation was successfully used for safe and effective EMR for 33 lesions \[[@B16]\]. Conio et al. \[[@B17]\] compared normal saline solution, normal saline solution plus epinephrine, 50% dextrose, 10% glycerine/5% fructose in normal saline solution, and 1% HA. The experiments were performed in vivo, and flattening of the elevated areas was observed endoscopically and measured. HA showed the most consistent effect of elevation and saline solutions the shortest. The potential of sugar solutions was higher than that of the saline solutions. The authors recommend 50% dextrose solution as an alternative medium for injection, if a longer duration of the fluid cushion is desired and HA cannot be used because of the high cost. Hurlstone et al. \[[@B18]\] compared 174 patients randomised to dextrose solution or SH for en bloc resection of flat lesions of the colorectum. They concluded that EMR using dextrose solution was as effective as SH in terms of resection completion, recurrence rates, and complications.

Plasma surrogates have also been investigated in other studies: Moss et al. \[[@B19]\] compared, in ex vivo conditions, the use of succinylated gelatine and normal saline solution in the colon and could achieve a 42% increase in surface area for en bloc EMR with gelatine. Katsinelos et al. \[[@B20]\] conducted a prospective, double-blind, randomised study that compared EMR after use of either 50% dextrose plus epinephrine or normal saline solution plus epinephrine to create the submucosal fluid cushion. 92 sessile rectosigmoid polyps were removed. Injected solution volumes and the number of injections needed to maintain submucosal elevation were lower in the dextrose group, and the submucosal elevations were of longer duration. The same group published 49 cases of laterally spreading tumours which were resected after randomised injection with either normal saline solution plus epinephrine or hydroxyethyl starch plus epinephrine. Starch injection resulted in a more prolonged submucosal elevation and lower total procedure time than saline solution \[[@B21]\], according to results from our group \[[@B22]\].

Feitoza et al. \[[@B14]\] recommended hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) for submucosal injection. HPMC is a cellulose derivative and has similar viscoelastic properties as HA. The advantages of HPMC compared with HA according to the authors are easy availability and significantly lower costs. A study carried out on pigs showed that with a 0.83% HPMC solution, long-lasting fluid cushions (up to 45 min) could be generated \[[@B14]\]. Meanwhile, the feasibility of its use was also described in clinical use: Arantes et al. \[[@B23]\] used HPMC for resection of 36 lesions in both the upper and lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Complete resection was successfully completed in 89%. HPMC solution (0.4%) provided an effective submucosal fluid cushion and was safe for endoscopic resection of early neoplastic GI lesions. Arezzo et al. \[[@B24]\] conducted EMR after injection with 0.8% HPMC on 27 flat, sessile, or laterally spreading colorectal lesions of up to 60 mm. Injection of HPMC for EMR was performed safely and effectively, allowing en bloc resection in the majority of cases (n = 21 (78%)) and with a limited number of complications. However, other authors reject HPMC for injection as it is a synthetic product and may have antigenic potential \[[@B15]\].

There are other proposals for synthetic substances for injection: Tran et al. \[[@B25]\] presented an injectable drug-eluting elastomeric polymer (iDEEP), and Chandrasekhara et al. \[[@B26]\] described a submucosal lifting gel consisting of a combination of biocompatible components. Detailed experience with these materials is missing.

In contrast to these synthetic substances, Giday et al. \[[@B27]\] investigated the possibility of using the patient\'s own whole blood as an injection medium. Six different substances were compared for their elevation potential in vivo. Blood produced the most durable cushion compared with standard agents. It also had the advantages of being readily available and without cost. In the same year, Sato \[[@B28]\] published 35 polypectomies performed as blood patch EMR in 28 patients. Also, Al-Taie et al. \[[@B29]\], after ex vivo comparison of several substances, came to the conclusion that whole blood was more effective in generating long-lasting mucosa elevation than any other commonly used solution. Here, however, there is at least theoretically the disadvantage that the applied blood can restrict the endoscopic view or bleeding can be easily overlooked.

Application Methods {#sec1_4}
===================

Another approach to generating longer-lasting fluid cushions is the use of a water jet dissector instead of needle injection, which was investigated by our study group \[[@B30]\]. We showed that a water jet dissector placed directly on the mucosa resulted in selective deposition of liquid in the submucosa followed by mucosal elevation (lift-off). After animal studies and comparison of different injecting solutions \[[@B22],[@B31]\], we presented the first data from clinical application \[[@B32]\]. A total of 59 patients underwent resection of 70 lesions with a maximum diameter of 80 mm (mean 27 mm). Submucosal elevation with the water jet dissector was possible in all cases. Of the 70 lesions, 64 (91%) were resected completely in one session.

A study group from Italy followed the same principle by developing a self-assembled hydro-jet system connecting a standard long-tapered tip ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) cannula and a flushing pump \[[@B33]\]. In a first publication, the authors could reproduce the selective accumulation of the applied fluid in the submucosa in 34 lesions of the colon. An adequate submucosal fluid cushion was achieved in all but one case. In a second publication, the authors compared the self-assembled hydro-jet system to standard needle injection \[[@B34]\]. The hydro-jet system was as effective and safe as standard needle injection for tissue elevation prior to endoscopic resection, but it was significantly faster.

Resection Techniques {#sec1_5}
====================

Snare resection represented the beginning of therapeutic endoscopy, developed for the removal of small pedunculated polyps. This technique represented a completely new method of endoscopic therapy, and after its introduction in 1971 it became widespread. Further advances were made along the way. In 1976, Martin et al. \[[@B35]\] described a 'lift-and-cut biopsy technique' using a two-channel endoscope. In 1992, Inoue et al. \[[@B4]\] published their 'cap-EMR'. For targeted stepwise endoscopic dissection, a new instrument was developed from the papillotome used in ERCP. Cipolletta et al. \[[@B36]\] used the needle knife for cutting stronger pedunculated polyps in the colon. An advancement of the needle knife is the insulated-tip (IT) knife; the tip of the instrument is insulated with a ceramic ball to prevent penetration into deeper layers. Already in 1999, Gotoda et al. \[[@B37]\] had described the use of the IT knife in 2 patients with flat tumours of the rectum. After saline injection, incision of the mucosa was performed with a needle knife, and then the tumour-bearing mucosa was successfully resected en bloc using the IT knife. From this technique, in which the stepwise preparation within the submucosa is essential, the concept of ESD was developed \[[@B7],[@B11]\]. As with EMR, stable fluid cushions in the submucosa are crucial. The details of ESD and innovations in this field will not be further discussed in this article.

For successful EMR, it is important to reduce wall tension by suction of air prior to closing the snare, in order to achieve a better grasp of the lesion. After this manoeuvre, the intestinal lumen is re-insufflated and the grasped tissue has to be checked. Then, the actual cut can be done by diathermy, while the examiner must press the catheter of the snare deep into the wall so that the lesion remains completely enclosed.

The transition from EMR to ESD is variable and there are combinations of different methods described. Yahagi et al. \[[@B38]\] treated 59 gastric lesions after injection initially with circular incision around the tumour-bearing mucosa with the tip of a high-frequency (HF) loop; then the mucosa connected to the underlying surface was resected with the fully extended snare. The mean specimen size was 29 mm, and the rate of en bloc resected tumours was 95%. Sakamoto et al. \[[@B39]\] described a similar technique of EMR with circumferential incision (CEMR): 24 colorectal neoplasms of \>20 mm were first incised with an IT knife, then the snare resection was accomplished. The proportions of en bloc and two-piece resections by CEMR were 67 and 17%, respectively. Moss et al. \[[@B40]\] described the technique of circumferential submucosal incision (CSI-EMR) with an IT knife prior to EMR. The efficacy and safety of CSI-EMR was compared with conventional EMR for en bloc resection in a porcine model. CSI-EMR was safe and superior to conventional EMR, consistently resulting in en bloc resections larger than 50 × 40 mm. Lee et al. \[[@B41]\] named these techniques endoscopic mucosal resection precutting (EMR-P) and evaluated it compared with EMR and ESD: 523 non-pedunculated colorectal tumours of 20 mm or larger were removed with EMR, EMR-P, or ESD. The en bloc resection rates were 42.9% (EMR), 65.2% (EMR-P), and 92.7% (ESD), and the complete resection rates were 32.9% (EMR), 59.4% (EMR-P), and 87.6% (ESD).

Recently, the use of a double-channel endoscope was tested again to reduce the gap between EMR and ESD with a different approach: with a tissue anchor device the mucosa is specifically drawn to the resection snare. First, in an ex vivo study, the authors achieved 90% (9/10) complete en bloc resections with the grasp-and-snare technique \[[@B42]\]. They demonstrated an improved time efficiency of this method compared with ESD. In another publication, this tissue-anchoring EMR (TA-EMR) was compared with ESD and forceps precut EMR (FP-EMR) in a randomised ex vivo study \[[@B43]\]. The overall mean dissection time of both TA-EMR and FP-EMR was significantly shorter than that of ESD. The en bloc resection rate of ESD was 100% and the en bloc resection rate of TA-EMR (84.0%) was higher than that of FP-EMR (60.0%), but this was not statistically significant.

Dauser et al. \[[@B44]\] described traction-assisted EMR with a single-channel endoscope: a haemostatic clip tied to a silk suture was applied to the base of the lesion to allow traction through the working channel of the colonoscope. Then, a conventional polypectomy snare was mounted over the suture, and the lesion was pulled into the snare and resected in one piece. With this technique, 12 colorectal lesions were resected en bloc. The visualisation of colorectal lesions in less accessible locations could be improved as well.

In order to allow a better grasp of the snare, Prosst et al. \[[@B45]\] evaluated a modified snare with special barbs: in an ex vivo study, this snare with special teeth attached to the distal part of the wire loop was evaluated and compared with a conventional snare. 70 artificial sessile tumours were created in a porcine colon. It was shown that the modified snare could remove 31% more tissue with a single snare resection in comparison with the conventional snare without teeth. The teeth obviously increased the effectiveness of snare resection by avoiding the accidental loss of entrapped tissue from the loop.

Choi et al. \[[@B46]\] reported a complete resection rate comparable to that of ESD and a shorter procedure time with small rectal carcinoid tumours of \<10 mm using an EMR technique with band ligation of the tumour (EMR-B) prior to snare resection.

Another approach to improve the results of resection was presented by Binmoeller et al. \[[@B47]\]: the authors described a novel method of water immersion ('underwater') EMR (UEMR) that dispenses with submucosal injection. UEMR was performed in 60 patients with 62 large sessile colorectal polyps. Before EMR, air was evacuated and up to 1 l of water infused until complete filling of the lumen was achieved. Afterwards, marking and resection were performed. Complete resection was successful in all patients without early complications. The mean polyp size was 34 mm, and the mean resection time was 21 min.

Conio et al. \[[@B48]\] reported their experience with cap-assisted EMR (EMR-C) for colorectal polyps. This is rarely performed because of the risk of entrapping the muscularis pro-pria in the snare. In a prospective study of consecutive patients, a total of 146 sessile polyps and 136 laterally spreading tumours were treated with EMR-C. No perforation occurred, but a disadvantage of the technique is that the resection is piecemeal.

Miscellaneous {#sec1_6}
=============

Recently, some other improvements for EMR have been described. Park et al. \[[@B49]\] investigated in a prospective, randomised, controlled trial the use of cap-assisted colonoscopy (CAC). In 329 patients, the authors compared total procedure time, time required for EMR of each polyp, and missing polyp rate for CAC and regular colonoscopy. Their conclusion was that CAC is a safe, simple, and inexpensive technology that could reduce the time required for EMR of a polyp and may improve polyp detection, especially when multiple colorectal polyps have been seen on previous colonoscopy.

To improve the colonoscopic access for mucosal resection in the sigmoid colon, a special cuff was developed. Tsiamoulos et al. \[[@B50]\] published their experience with this device which helps to anchor the tip of the colonoscope against the bowel wall to provide a stable platform of access. Endocuff™ (Diagmed Healthcare Ltd., Northallerton, North Yorkshire, UK) appears to improve access in the sigmoid colon by flattening colon folds and manipulating them away from the field of forward view.

Several techniques like coagulation, argon plasma, and endoclips exist for haemostasis during and after EMR. As an alternative, a new polysaccharide haemostatic system (Endo-Clot™; EndoClot Plus Inc., Santa Clara, CA, USA) was recently developed for control of bleeding in GI tract endoscopy. Huang et al. \[[@B51]\] presented their findings on the effect of bleeding control after EMR in the colorectum. EndoClot™ showed rapid bleeding control even in relatively large lesions and severe bleeding, and might be a useful alternative in treating bleeding endoscopically.

Conclusion for Clinical Practice {#sec1_7}
================================

In summary, a variety of substances have been proposed as an alternative to saline solution for mucosal injection before resection, but there is still no clear favourite among the methods in wide clinical use. While HA yields better elevation than other substances, routine use, especially in Europe, is inconceivable at the moment, solely because of the high cost. Basically, higher molecular weight substances appear to be suitable to produce long-lasting fluid cushions. Whether plasma surrogates such as starch or gelatine or synthetic substances such as HPMC are going to be used, is left to the investigator. The water jet seems to be a promising tool for effective and fast EMR. Even with the technical developments and modified resection techniques, there are numerous interesting approaches. With technical advancement in recent years, the size of the lesions that can be endoscopically treated has increased. The potential value of ESD for colorectal lesions compared with high-quality EMR is under debate. For daily routine, it can be assumed that unnecessary colonic surgery can be avoided if available endoscopic techniques for the complete removal of colorectal adenoma are fully exploited. Known risks, such as incomplete removal, bleeding, and perforation, may be reduced due to the new instruments. However, like most surgical procedures, EMR and ESD also require an experienced physician for the procedures to be safe.

Disclosure Statement {#sec1_8}
====================

GK and MS received research support from Erbe Elektromedizin Tübingen, Germany, and Karl Storz Endoskope Tuttlingen, Germany.

![Flat adenoma of the rectum before (**a**) and after (**b**) piecemeal EMR.](vim-0030-0033-g01){#F1}


Q:

Bootstrap3: Content responsive

As you can see in this example:
http://bootply.com/render/92511
I have a simple structure with two main area: navigation and content.
If you try to resize the browser you can see that the content is responsive only up to a certain point. For a phone view the content is not responsive and i need to move right the read it.
The question is: how can i make that content completely responsive, no matter the size?
Thank you
EDIT: Here is the Html and Css:  http://bootply.com/92511

A:

You have to remove the min-width:600px;from CSS and also remove the col-md-.., just use col-xs-.. only, so it would be fully responsive in any device


Thinking about starting a family? Interested in having kids, but not sure when?

Start thinking about your child care options, and add your name to the waiting list for the House of Representatives day care — even if you or your partner aren’t yet pregnant.

A former House staffer who now works for a Senate Committee was reluctant to sign up before she was expecting, at the risk of “jinxing” her chances of conceiving. When she was 10 weeks pregnant, she finally gave in. "I went to sign up," she told CQ Roll Call, "and they were like, 'What took you so long?' "

Her son was accepted more than a year later, when he was seven months old.

While it’s true a staffer doesn’t have to be pregnant, they may need luck and perseverance to secure a spot. Dan Weiser, communications director for the Chief Administrative Officer, which has oversight over the House of Representatives Child Care Center, would not comment on the length of the wait list, but staffers told CQ Roll Call it is long and it can sometimes be impossible to secure a spot.

Here’s why: The House day care is a great deal — high-quality care at below-market prices. Private day care in the D.C. area can run as high as $2,000 per month for an infant, so the $1,300 (payable by direct deposit) is a huge savings. Day care rates can change as children get older and the state-mandated teacher-to-student ratio decreases.

“There is no way my husband and I could have afforded private child care,” said one House staffer, who was on the wait list for 18 months before securing a spot. “My experience is that it’s so much better than any of the other day cares really.”

“The teachers are unbelievable,” said Amelia Jenkins, senior policy adviser for the House Committee on Natural Resources, whose 4-year-old Martha finally made it in after two separate stints on the wait list. Jenkins had tried a corporate day care and found it “far inferior.” She attributes the high quality of care in part to the low turnover in teachers, who are given full government benefits. Each head teacher has a bachelor’s degree in childhood education.

Weiser noted tuition covers the operating cost of running the day care, including teacher salaries, food, diapers and field trips, but it's below market thanks in part to the day care not owing monthly rent fees.

There are additional costs: Parents pay dues to an association and a fee for language class that brings in a teacher to sing songs to the children in Spanish. Each class has a required weekly lesson plan and twice yearly parent-teacher conferences to evaluate their child’s strengths and weaknesses.

The day care has a NAEYC stamp of approval, a prestigious certification that denotes “excellence” in early childhood education. It's relatively hidden within the Ford House Office Building, save for the brightly colored outdoor playground where children can be seen climbing on one of the many curvy plastic-tube slides (possibly designed so no one picks up too much speed on the way down). Ford staffers host the children for an annual Halloween parade, with children in costume trick-or-treating in the office hallways.

Getting In The parents who spoke to CQ Roll Call were effusive about the day care experience — once they were able to secure a spot. More than one parent bemoaned the sibling preference which allows siblings of enrolled children to jump to the top of the list. One mother wasn't able to enroll her son in a year when siblings of older children in the day care had been given most of the infant slots. Another attributed her son’s spot in the day care to “luck.”

“We hit a time when there weren’t a lot of siblings coming up,” said a committee staffer whose child landed a spot in the high-demand infant room. “When you walk around the day care and see lots of pregnant women, you know only siblings are getting in [the infant room] next year.”

“It was like I won the lottery,” Jenkins said, describing when she got the call about a spot opening up for her daughter in the 2-year-old room. She acknowledged it is far harder to secure a spot in the infant room than in one for older children.

Staffers rely on nannies or other private day cares until a spot becomes available. One staffer found her new arrangement better suited to her child care needs; when a day care spot finally opened, she turned it down.

One parent said she was glad to stay at her job for as long as her children were in day care. Another, whose boss is retiring, worried she wouldn’t be able to find a job that offered such a great day care option. If parents leave the federal government, they have to take their child with them — day care is only available to federal employees. A parent who switches from the House to another agency or the Senate can keep their child enrolled.

Weiser said the price is comparable to other not-for-profit day cares, such as those in other government agencies. The Senate also has a day care option, though they are separate institutions (and a potential subject for a future Hill Navigator column).

One staffer was so daunted by the ordeal she refused to pay the $75 to remain on the wait list and opted for private care near her home instead. “There aren’t enough spaces for the demand,” she said.

But the House day care has no plans to expand anytime soon and parents are reluctant to give up their coveted spots to make room for new entrants. “People will go to great lengths to keep kids in day care, including passing up job opportunities elsewhere,” said Jenkins. “Because it's really that good. This is a model of what workplace benefits and child care should be.”


Utah Gov. Gary Herbert (R) has officially signed a bill into law that makes having sex outside of marriage a thing you can’t be jailed for. S.B. 43, which specifically decriminalizes fornication, was signed “quietly” last Wednesday by the governor, Fox 13 reported.

In case you were not aware, fornication was something that was technically a misdemeanor that could result in up to six months behind bars or a $1,000 fine. In other words–especially back in the day–sex outside of the confines of marriage better have been covert rather than overt.

How was this law to be enforced, you ask? Your guess is as good as the lawmakers who determined that curbing “offenses against the family” was a futile endeavor.

According to local KUTV, the fornication law has not been enforced, as police and prosecutors do not pursue such cases. In 2003, Georgia removed a similar law, with a court decision saying the government cannot “reach into the bedroom of a private residence and criminalize the private, noncommercial, consensual acts of two persons legally capable of consenting.”

As Law&Crime noted before, S.B. 43 aimed to make a variety of changes to the Utah penal code, including Section 76-7-104 of the Utah Code. The fornication statute was among laws classified under Offenses Against the Family. Other crimes under this chapter of the Utah Code include those related to abortion, sale of children, incest, bigamy, and adultery.

That statute, in relevant part:

Any unmarried person who shall voluntarily engage in sexual intercourse with another is guilty of fornication.

“What is legally is often far below what is morally right,” Utah Rep. Keven Stratton (R) said before. “And I recognize our laws are not strong enough to rule an immoral people.”

Ronn Blitzer contributed to this report.

[Image via Fox 13 screengrab]

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]


In-Car-Nito

Suggested Retail Price : $19.99In-Car-Nito is such a cool idea. On the surface, just a vintage book about driving sat there in the car's glove box. It looks nice, but nothing much to see here. OH HANG ON - turns out this innocent looking object is in fact a storage box for stuff you sometimes can't avoid leaving in the car. Think sat nav, stereo fascia etc...In-Car-Nito is sturdy but lightweight and extremely useful! In-Car-Nito keeps your precious things incognito!


Here’s one I found at the Bellevue, Washington Uwajimaya. Pricy stuff – $3.39 for a bowl noodle? Wow. Hope it’s good! Looks like Donbei is a style and tensoba is just a shortening of tempura soba. Let’s hit it!

The importer sticker.

All of the side panels (click image to enlarge).

This was underneath the lid (click image to enlarge). Looks like a contest – did I win? Anyone know about who/what the little musical character is? Check out the website.

Buckwheat soba.

Powder base.

Salty and almost lemony.

A tempura disc.

Has a definite seafood smell.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added Urashima Sesame & Salt furikake. The noodles are very good – they have a nice strength to them and are square rather than round. I like them. The broth has a sweetness of soy and a nice comforting flavor. The tempura disc is crunchy and has a seafood taste. When it soaks up the broth, it lends itself to the other and has a nice heartiness. All in all, a great bowl of noodles. 4.0 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 4902105033746 – get it here!

Nissin Donbei Tensoba TV commercial.

48.509024 -122.61815


Tatiana Bonetti

Tatiana Bonetti (born 15 December 1991) is an Italian football striker, currently playing for Fiorentina in Italy's Serie A. She has previously played for AC Riozzese, UPC Tavagnacco and AGSM Verona.

She was a member of the Italian Under-19 team that won the 2008 U-19 European Championship, where she scored a winner against Norway.

Titles
 2008 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship

References

Category:1991 births
Category:Living people
Category:Italian women's footballers
Category:Women's association football forwards
Category:UPC Tavagnacco players
Category:A.S.D. AGSM Verona F.C. players
Category:Serie A (women's football) players
Category:Fiorentina Women's F.C. players


After the bombshell report that Trump's campaign firm reached out to WikiLeaks last year, the campaign is attempting to whitewash the past.

Suddenly anxious to distance itself from a big data firm that the Trump campaign once bragged had steered the candidate to victory last year, Donald Trump’s team isn’t telling the truth in its latest attempt at damage control.

And of course, Russia stands at the center of the latest obfuscation.

The scrambling comes in the wake of Wednesday’s Daily Beast report that the head of Cambridge Analytica, which has been previously credited for Trump’s win last year, contacted Julian Assange last year in hopes of tracking down 30,000 Hillary Clinton emails. (Assange claims he rebuffed the request.)

The stunning revelation represents the closest known link thus far between the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks, which spent the 2016 general election season releasing emails stolen from the Clinton campaign. Russian operatives, according to the conclusion of the U.S. national intelligence community, stole the emails.

In a statement Wednesday afternoon, Michael Glassner, the Trump campaign executive director, tried to whitewash Cambridge Analytica’s role, insisting the Trump team last year relied on the GOP for its data analysis.

"Once President Trump secured the nomination in 2016, one of the most important decisions we made was to partner with the Republican National Committee on data analytics," the statement reads. "Any claims that voter data from any other source played a key role in the victory are false."

But as CNN’s Shimon Prokupecz reported on Thursday morning, rather than parting ways with Cambridge Analytica last summer, the Trump campaign was pumping millions of dollars into the big data firm’s coffers. The revelation completely undercuts the flimsly spin that Cambridge Analytica didn't play "a key role" in the campaign last year.

PROKUPECZ: Some of our information shows, based on FEC filings, we found that just after Trump won the nomination, his campaign started a series of payments to Cambridge Analytica totally some $5.9 million. So it’s clear that there was more of a relationship there that was conveyed in that statement. And Jarad Kushner who headed up one of the data operations also told Forbes magazine in November, after the president won the nomination they kept, "Both data operations going simultaneously and a lot of the information was shared between them. And by doing that we would scale to a pretty good operation."

Right after Trump’s victory, the company issued a triumphant press release: "Cambridge Analytica was instrumental in identifying supporters, persuading undecided voters, and driving turnout to the polls."

We now know there was a firm relationship between Trump’s campaign team and the pro-Trump outlet that published stolen Clinton emails.