Roger Bechtel

Roger Bechtel

Roger Bechtel received the diagnosis of ALS on May 14, 2020 and departed this shore on May 10, 2021 with courage and dignity after a brief but intense battle. He was surrounded by love. Possessed with a brilliant mind and driven by lifelong curiosity, Roger traversed a distinguished and adventurous career path in arts, letters, and the law. He was a voracious reader and competitive runner. ALS cut short his running and career as a public defender, but did not diminish his spirit, resourcefulness, or intellectual engagement.

Despite the devastating ALS diagnosis Roger faced his final challenge with the same grit and resourcefulness that marked the chosen challenges of his life, and he remained engaged, in the moment, and intellectually active until the end. In the final months of his life he wrote several chapters of his autobiographical manuscript, read numerous books on spiritual teachings, and expanded upon a lifelong curiosity of Buddhist writings and philosophy.

Roger cherished words, language and literature, but words alone cannot convey the impact on others of a life so well lived. He was a fiercely loyal friend, a deeply dedicated husband, a loving and devoted father. He was endlessly curious, eternally amazed, fastidiously organized, tireless, funny and fun. He was a seeker and defender of truth, and an outraged unveiler of injustice. He was possessed of a diamond wit. He was tenacious, brilliant, determined, occasionally irascible. He was a true friend. His warm and resonant Shakespearean voice left a palpable aural imprint that ever rings on in the ears of all who knew and loved him. The distorted and displaced atoms from Roger’s enormous presence, gigantic smile, mellifluous voice, piercing intellect and generous spirit will not soon regain their shape.

He is survived by the love of his life, Christin Lindberg, two children, his sister, and many friends and relatives.

City of Residence:
Minneapolis, MN
United States
Date of Diagnosis:
May 14th, 2020
November 19th, 1958
May 10th, 2021


THESE MICRO-SIZED WAZOO SURVIVAL TOOLS WON’T WEIGH YOU DOWN Most stories you hear about lost or stranded hikers who must be rescued have several things in common: the hikers didn’t have the necessary gear and supplies, didn’t have the necessary survival and navigation skills, and didn’t make sound tactical decisions – they left marked trails, over-estimated their physical abilities, etc. BIG REASONS TO GO TINY One reason I like micro-sized gear is that it’s not a burden to carry with you whenever you leave home. It’s there without you needing to think about it until you nee

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Integrated Driver-Based Planning for Banks

The uncertainty of today’s fast-paced world is requiring the planning process to evolve to an agile, responsive, and flexible capability.

Anticipating and reacting to change means Banks must be able to quickly generate multiple “what-if” forecasting scenarios and evaluate them across numerous dimensions -considering constraints such as capital and liquidity.

This driver-based planning application provides a solution which materially reduces delivery time and helps to address these key questions:

What should the shape of the bank look like across retail asset/liability classes to meet shareholder return targets within the capital and liquidity constraints?

 - How can we automate forecasting the Bank’s full Balance Sheet to meet regulatory asks?
 - How would improved utilization/drawdown rates for cards impact product balances, income, impairments, direct and indirect costs?
 - How can we plan and analyze impact of management actions to close the gap between the latest forecast to the Group targets?

Integrated Driver-Based Planning for Banks Image 7

The application consists of a driver-based group planning and a driver-based product planning module. The top-down group planning module is where group finance could use the tool to shape the bank and set targets on legal entity level. Once these group targets are set control a bottom-up planning on a product level in the product planning module would follow. Here, the user has the ability to plan how to reach the group targets. Once complete, the planning flows back into the group module and could then be reviewed and approved.

Group Planning Module:

Most of the banks use return on equity as some form or another as a strategic KPI hence the group driver which this tree seeds off is return on equity. The user has scenario levers which can be changed to better understand the impact on return on equity in real time. These levers are essentially the balance and margins for the bank’s product set. A couple of macroeconomic levers are also available such as interest, cost of funding, target cost income ratio, target pay out and share price. This planning module also allows the user to feedback in real-time whether the planning is hitting any capital constraints.

Product Planning Module:

The product driver planning tree consists of about 50 pre-defined drivers. Not all drivers are equal in terms of materiality. To ensure the possibility of a fast and flexible forecast, the user can change 10 key drivers and see the impact on profit and balance immediately. So, the user can easily match product planning to the targets from the group. Moreover, the tool gives the ability to plan certain initiatives and put the user in a position to understand how management actions could close the gap between forecast and group targets.

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What Can I Do If I’m Not Paid For All My Hours?

by | Apr 26, 2022 | Employment Law, Wage: Minimum Wage, Wage: Overtime, Wage: Tipped Employees |

Can I sue the company that I work for if I’m not paid for all of my hours?

Best Wage Theft Attorney Answer: Probably – a lot depends on the facts of each case. Employees may be able to assert claims under state contract and equity laws, as well as various state labor and employment laws. (Best Law Read: How Do You Recover Stolen Wages?). Let’s look at these claims a little closer.

A contract forms when parties exchange promises or other consideration. In doing so, each party is legally bound to perform their promises or provide other considerations. To that end, one party will have a claim for breach of contract when the other fails, without legal excuse, to perform any promise or provide the other consideration called for in the contract. Contracts can be either in writing or may be oral (except for certain limitations). While helpful, written contracts do not need to be signed, but can be shown through an offer and an acceptance. Applicable to this situation, if an employer offers an employee $10 for each hour worked performing a job, and the employee works 15 hours, the employer is contractually obligated to pay the employee $150.

The employee may also have an unjust enrichment claim. To win a claim for unjust enrichment, an employee must prove: (1) an enrichment by the employer, (2) an impoverishment by the employee, (3) a connection between the enrichment and the impoverishment, (4) the absence of justification for the enrichment and impoverishment, and (5) the absence of a remedy provided by law. An unjust enrichment claim may arise in an employment setting where the employee is scheduled to work only 15 hours per week at $20 per hour, but the employer knowingly (but without an express agreement) allows the employee to work 20 hours and then refuses to pay more than the 15 hours that were scheduled.

Another option is to assert a quantum meruit claim, which has four elements: (1) valuable services were rendered; (2) the services were rendered to the employer; (3) that the services were accepted, used, and enjoyed by the employer; and (4) that the employer was aware that the employee, in performing the services, expected to be paid by the employer. As you can see, unjust enrichment and quantum meruit claims are very similar.
It is important to note that if a claim can be asserted under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”), these state law claims will be preempted – meaning that they cannot be asserted and the employee can only pursue FLSA claims.

Can I sue my employer for not paying me for all the time I worked under the FLSA?

Best Wage and Ohio Lawyer Answer: If the failure to pay all time owed would result in the employee making less than minimum wage or not receiving all overtime pay owed, then yes. However, if not, the employee may have a claim under the FLSA if the employer is located in United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia) or the Tenth Circuit (Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah), but not likely elsewhere.

This type of claim is commonly referred to as a “gap time” claim. Basically, bap time is the hours between non-exempt employees’ regular work week hours and the 40 hours point when employees are entitled to overtime pay. “Gap time” occurs when an employee works hours that are “not covered by the overtime provisions because it does not exceed the overtime limit, and … not covered by the minimum wage provisions because, even though it is uncompensated, the employees are still being paid a minimum wage when their salaries are averaged across their actual time worked.” Rosario v. First Student Mgmt. LLC, No. 15-6478, 2016 WL 4367019, at *4 (E.D. Pa. Aug. 16, 2016). So, for example, if the employee works 39 hours but is paid for only 35 hours, the FLSA has no direct provisions to protect employees. The United States Courts of Appeals for the Fourth and Tenth Circuit have held that gap time claims may be available. The Tenth District allows “pure gap claims” under the FLSA. See Lamon v. City of Shawnee, Kan., 972 F.2d 1145, 1155 (10th Cir. 1992). The Fourth District allowing gap claims when the employee has also worked overtime i.e., where the employee worked 45 hours but was only paid for 37, the employee can recover the gap time (hours 37-40) and the overtime wages (hours 40-45). See Monahan v. Cty. Of Chesterfield, Va., 95 F.3d 1263, 1266 (4th Cir. 1996). The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Monahan focused on two Department of Labor (“DOL”) regulations. First 29 C.F.R. § 778.315 provides that in determining the number of hours for which overtime compensation is due, all hours worked by an employee for an employer in a particular workweek must be counted.” Id. (Emphasis added) Second, the regulation found at § 778.317 provides that an “agreement not to compensate employees for certain non-overtime hours stands on no better footing since it would have the same effect of diminishing the employee’s total overtime compensation.”

A recent case decided by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, Conner v. Cleveland County, N.C., 4th Cir., No. 19-2012 (Jan. 5, 2022), sheds further light on this issue. At issue in this case was the question of whether an underpayment of straight time is a violation of the overtime provisions of the FLSA, under the theory of “overtime gap time.” In Connor, the wage and hour complaint asserted that Cleveland County underpaid Sara Conner and other employees for straight or non-overtime hours worked during weeks in which the employees also worked overtime. Specifically, the employees worked as an EMS employee for Cleveland Emergency Services (CES) on schedule of on for 24-hours then off for 48 hours. Given that there would always be at least two and at most three 24 hour shifts in a designated work week, the CES employees would have either 8 or 32 hours of overtime per week.

As is common with employers, CES thought it could outsmart the FLSA requirements by starting with the salary they wanted to pay and calculated backwards so that both the straight time and overtime payments fit into the end amount. To do this, CES started with a stated salary of $36,900. Now this is where it gets complicated (which is why getting a qualified wage and hour attorney involved in any FLSA claim critical). The Court explained: “First, the employee’s regular hourly pay rate is determined by dividing the employee’s annual salary by 2,928 hours (the number of hours actually worked per year based on the 24 on/48 off schedule). Then, to determine the overtime rate, Cleveland Emergency Services multiplies the resultant hourly rate by 1.5. Conner does not take issue with this aspect of the Plan. In addition to the overtime rate, however, the Plan provides a “revised semi-monthly rate” for regular wages. The semimonthly pay is determined by multiplying the hourly rate that was used to calculate overtime by 2,080 (representing 40 non-overtime hours per week worked for 52 weeks), and then dividing this number by 24. The resulting number is paid to the employee each pay period. When an employee has worked overtime during a particular pay period, Cleveland Emergency Services will take the amount to be paid for overtime hours (calculated as described above) and add it to the revised semimonthly wages to be paid for that pay period.” (Citations to the record omitted). Conner alleged that the employer was using overtime pay to cover some of the straight pay. Applying this formula to real numbers, “Conner’s total 2017 salary as calculated under the Plan would be reduced to $42,235.20 ($26,208 for regular time plus $16,027.20 for the 848 hours of overtime we assume for purposes of this example). Because Conner alleges her actual total salary should be $52,927.20 (assuming 848 hours of overtime), she claims she is missing out on at least $10,692 of compensation in a given year.” I’m going to try to make this simpler, after all of these mathematical gymnastics, out the promised annual salary of $36,900 (which typically covers straight time), Connor only received $26,208. In Conner,

Nonetheless, no other Circuit has allowed such gap time claims under the FLSA. See Lundy v. Catholic Health Sys. Of Long Island, Inc., 711 F.3d 106, 116 (2nd Cir. 2013) (“FLSA does not provide for a gap time claim even when an employee has worked overtime.”)

What should I do if my employer steals my pay?

Best Ohio Wage Theft Attorney Answer: As you can see, these types of situations are complicated, complex, and tricky. There is no simple do it yourself way to handle the situation other than just asking nicely to be paid back by the thieving employer. As the vast majority of lawyers have never dealt with the FLSA and wage claims, you can understand how difficult it would be for a non-lawyer to address independently. If you believe that the company you work for had failed to pay you all of your wages, call the attorneys at Spitz, The Employee’s Law Firm today for a free and confidential initial consultation. (Read: What is the Spitz No Fee Guarantee?). The experienced wage and hour lawyers at Spitz will provide you with the top options for your overtime pay dispute situation. If you even think that you may be entitled to overtime pay that you are not being paid, call our Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo, Boardman, and Detroit attorneys right now. Do not wait. The longer that you wait, the less that your claim may be worth.

The materials available at the top of this overtime, wage and hour web page and at this employment law website are for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. If you are still asking, “Why is time missing from my paycheck?”, “What do I do if my boss won’t pay me for all of the time I worked”, “My paycheck is short” or “What do I do if I’ve been paid for less time than I worked?”, the your best option is to contact an Ohio overtime attorney to obtain advice with respect to FLSA questions or any particular employment law issue. Use and access to this employment law website or any of the links contained within the site do not create an attorney-client relationship. The legal opinions expressed at the top of this page or through this site are the opinions of the individual lawyer and may not reflect the opinions of The Spitz Law Firm, Brian Spitz, or any individual attorney.


Technical Advisory 62842

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Publication date: July 29, 2021

In 20.2, the implementation of TRUNCATE changed to keep the table ID stable. Its new behavior is to replace the existing indexes with new, empty indexes. This new code had a bug when it came to indexes which were not yet public (i.e., indexes which were still in the process of being added to the table). A TRUNCATE would cause this partially-backfilled index to be made public instead of being dropped, exposing stale pre-truncation data to the query engine.

This issue affects CockroachDB versions 20.2.0 to 20.2.8.

This bug was resolved by #62944.

The fix has been applied to the maintenance release v20.2.9 of CockroachDB by PR #63153.

This public issue is tracked by #62842.

  1. Check for TRUNCATE in logs.

  2. Check for out-of-order secondary index ID vs primary index ID:

  WITH descs AS (
                SELECT d
                  FROM (
                        SELECT crdb_internal.pb_to_json(
                               )->'table' AS d
                          FROM system.descriptor
                 WHERE d IS NOT NULL
       bad_descs AS (
                    SELECT d, idx
                      FROM (
                            SELECT d,
                                    AS pi,
                                   ) AS idx
                              FROM descs
                     WHERE (pi->>'id')::INT8
                           > (idx->>'id')::INT8
SELECT database_name,
       name AS table_name,
       idx->>'name' AS index_name,
       (idx->>'id')::INT8 AS index_id
  FROM crdb_internal.tables
  JOIN bad_descs ON (table_id = (d->>'id')::INT8);

In the following example of query output, the index idx2 of table tpcc.public.order_line is identified as possibly corrupted:

  database_name | schema_name | table_name | table_id | index_name | index_id
  tpcc          | public      | order_line |       58 | idx2       |        2
(1 row)

Any suspect indexes should be dropped and rebuilt.

To prevent this issue, do not TRUNCATE a table while an index is being built.

Users of CockroachDB v20.2 are encouraged to upgrade to v20.2.9 or a later version.

All deployments running CockroachDB versions 20.2.0 up to and including 20.2.8 are affected. Cockroach Labs acknowledges the issue and has applied a fix that is available in subsequent maintenance releases for 20.2 (20.2.9 and later).

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Billy Collins Overrated Poet

Overrated Poems:
Billy Collins Writing Portrays him as an Overrated Poet

Billy Collins is known as the greatest poet of his time. He has written many poems and books, Collins poems have been chosen several times for the annual best American poetry series. Out of all the poems he has written only thirty three of his poems were released during his time. Billy Collins poems are said to be the best and to be meaningful but it will be proven otherwise. Collins has written thousands of famous poems and the ones people may know of the most are “Taking Emily Dickenson’s Clothes”, “Flames”, and “To my Favorite 17-year old High School Girl.” A Collins poem is easy to get lost in as in the sense that no one really knows what is going on. Billy Collins is classified as one of the best poets of his time, even though Collins as a poet is overrated at best and belittles several people and ideas.
Billy Collins poem “Taking off Emily Dickenson’s Clothes” is not a deep meaningful poem but a metaphorical slap to Dickenson. In this poem Collins sexualizes Dickenson by saying “and I proceeded like a polar explorer through clips, claps, and moorings, catches, straps and whalebone stays, sailing toward the iceberg of her nakedness” (Collins 5).   This part of the poem clearly really sexualizes Dickenson, when in reality Emily Dickenson was very prudent. However, in this particular poem he makes her seem lustful. For people who may not know who Emily Dickenson truly was and what she stood for they can clearly mistake and characterize her as a sexual object. In this part of the poem he says “…. before my hand can part the fabric, like a swimmer’s diving water, and a slip inside” (Collins 3). In that part of the poem Collins is talking about the fabric of the white dress. The white dress represents Dickenson’s purity but when Collins writes about taking if off it besmirches her innocence. Collins seems to be misleading readers who don’t know exactly who Emily Dickenson was by making...


Reduce Costs and Risks While Innovating with MVPs (Part 1)

  • By
    Jessica Massinelli
    January 21, 2022
    March 2, 2022

For those who have never heard the term “MVP”, it stands for Minimum Viable Product and it’s simply the first workable version of a business idea.

“What should we do next?”,  “How do we know it’s going to work?”, “ What if the users don’t like it?”, “Should we spend our money on something that’s not validated?”

These are just some of the questions businesses address daily, while attempting to survive in an always evolving market, with distracted users that are difficult to acquire and very easy to lose.

Companies, startups and entrepreneurs know the vital importance of innovation as one of the key pillars for success and the most efficient way to meet a user’s fluid expectations.

They know that, through user-centric design approaches and agile methodologies, they are now able to identify those needs and deliver solutions to specific user requirements.

The best way to validate potential product solutions aimed to answer implicit user needs, explore new markets, or simply expand the company services portfolio is something that still scares most CEO’s and can easily turn the business perspective upside down.

In the first part of our series, we take a deep dive into the topic of what an MVP is, explore the culture behind it to better understand when one is needed, and discover how to start working on an MVP for your business or setup.

Getting confident with the approach MVPs: Build-Measure-Learn

You may have already heard about the ‘Lean Startup’ methodology. As the name suggests, this culture was first adopted by startups and then quickly spread and adopted by bigger companies during digital transformation. Basically, it's “lean thinking” applied to any process of innovation. In order to create a sustainable business model, companies and entrepreneurs are required to evolve ideas basing activities and decisions on validated learnings in every phase of the project, starting from raising some degree of approval and interests even before the product has been developed (avoiding pouring 100% of the budget into the development of a product that may never see the light).

Lean startup methodology, by Eric Ries

But, how do you validate something that is not in the market yet? That’s where experiments and MVPs start to become a priority and beneficial to any business environment. One of the main principles of the Lean Startup methodology is the “Build, Measure, Learn” (BML) feedback loop.

Too much planning makes the project costly and risky at the same time, but on the contrary, launching a product without any preliminary research can easily lead to uncertain consequences. That’s where the BML feedback loop becomes fundamental. This method generates small, iterative cycles where businesses can take advantage of constant feedback from the market (including target audiences, users of the product and broader public audiences) to pivot their decision-making in case of negative reactions or instead persevere if the users demonstrate interest and appreciation toward the product. Continuing to apply this methodology will ensure constant and consistent releases and improvements to ultimately reach a stable and validated feature list that will shape the final product.

The ultimate purpose of the BML feedback loop is to identify the “right thing to build”, the product that users are willing to use and buy, in the most efficient way, and as quickly as possible.

Visual representation of the BLM loop, adapted from Eric Ries (2011)

Every innovation starts with learning of some kind. Even though the name of the principle model “Build, Measure, Learn” itself suggests the order of the loop phases, it usually follows the opposite approach.

Hypotheses such as “Users would want to access the sauna by unlocking the door with the card because they may not bring the smartphone with them ” or “Customers want to receive weekly offers based on their previous purchases because they prefer to have a personalised experience” often work as the initial fuel for starting a project and building into the process the BML model.

Use the formula below as the basis for your hypotheses and ascertain whether your project is worth pursuing: :

I/WE BELIEVE [the subject/target] WILL [predicted action] BECAUSE [reason]

Stating one or several hypotheses is what will initially feed into the BML feedback loop to validate or reject your product, using experiments run with actual customers or prospects throughout the method cycle.

Let’s breakdown the Build-Measure-Learn process a bit more

Let’s start saying that to run experiments you may not need to build anything at all. What you need to do, especially in the first BML loops, is to measure interest in your product and validate your business hypotheses, not UI designs or technical solutions. Define from the beginning the questions your MVP will answer and ensure that you identify, prior to running the experiment, which actionable metrics will be relevant to validate your initial hypothesis. Here some examples of experiments you may want to run without the risk of leaving your bank account empty:

  1. User interviews, shadowing, focus groups: select a small audience of between 5 - 10 users with specific criteria (that will reflect your final users target) to explore a specific topic with them and understand their motivations and needs in a particular field or specific requirements when defining a service. Keep in consideration that users may not be aware yet of what they need.
  2. Landing pages, blogs, social media accounts: Target your marketing campaigns through these channels while spreading the word about your ideas. Measure how many users subscribe to the waiting list via your landing page or observe reactions around the topics you raise on the new Instagram page. Build your audience prior to defining a high-fidelity MVP to measure the effective interest around the problem you are willing to solve.
  3. Split testing: Very similar to A/B testing, split testing consists of dividing your web traffic in 50%-50% and studying the analytics derived by the two live propositions of the service. The different versions may completely vary in terms of service, technologies and experience, however can also be very similar except for a specific innovation you wish to test (price, brand). What will ensure the most positive results from the experiment is the right solution to pursue; split testing ensures revenues are derived from a known proposition that already works, while giving the business the possibility to understand how a new version of the service performs and later can decide which one to keep based on the results of the experiment. Split testing experiments could also include “fake doors” where, for example, you let your users express their interests through a registration form for a service that is not available yet (and later show a message that the service is ‘coming soon’) and measure the number of clicks on the CTA to make considerations about if the idea is worth a shot or not.
  4. MVPs: MVPs include a wide range of solutions from low-fidelity designs (such as paper sketches) to high-fidelity outputs (such as digital prototypes, single-feature MVPs or a developed product) that just includes the minimum amount of functionality aimed to deliver the value proposition of the idea. Keep in mind that building an MVP should require far less time than developing the actual product as some of the solutions adopted by strategists include the so-called “Wizard of Oz” approach. In this case, what is shown to users is a very detailed frontend that mimics a real working environment with someone manually operating the working environment through a script replicating procedures of the proposed technology. A good example could be a human conversing with a real website user that thinks he’s texting to a chatbot instead. This experiment requires a script which the operator will use to base his answers and a “fake-automated” chat interface to let the conversation start. It could be very useful to validate if the chatbot script reflects user intentions and its level of efficiency in answering users queries. Ultimately, an MVP should be delivered to an audience (either real users for live MVPs or testers for prototypes) to effectively measure their appreciation of the solution.

Of course, many factors influence the decision making process while planning what the best way to run an experiment is. In each case, the suggestion is to build something that requires very little effort when a high degree of uncertainty lies ahead, just to have the BML loop started, to learn from the users with the minimum amount of effort. Pivot or persevere, make data-based decisions to build up your product and improve your experiments at the end of each cycle.

When an experiment is completed, it is time to collect data and translate them into insights. Depending on the experiment, your team could have in hand both qualitative and quantitative data to analyze and to compare with previous reports (if any). Some quantitative KPIs to focus on if the experiment is run on a live version of a website/app are Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), conversion rates, percentages of active/paying users, Customer Lifetime Value (CLV), which is how much your users spend before abandoning your app or website, total value of transactions and Average Revenue Per User (ARPU).

Even though quantitative insights will help your business formulate data driven decisions, it is also very important to understand user sentiments toward your product to help you refine the value proposition and that’s where qualitative insights become fundamental.

The first step when working on qualitative data is to transform them into data points. Based on the nature of the experiment and its outcomes, to make clarity out of the vast amount of information users are able to express, it is fundamental to use frameworks.

Raw data points can be clustered to highlight common themes (Affinity Clustering), placed into a linear scale to visualize the extreme sentiments and all the shades in between (Spectrums) or placed into a matrix to both measure relevance to the users and development effort (Importance Difficulty Matrix).

Affinity Clustering, Spectrum, Importance Difficulty matrix

Through the work of researchers, quantitative and qualitative insights become meaningful and interdependent and will start to significantly address the hypothesis defined at the beginning of the process.

During this last step of the loop, as a result of the building and measurement phases, the initial hypotheses are reframed based on the most recent learnings. Data-driven decisions are made to decide whether to pivot or persevere. Pivoting is necessary when the latest learnings demonstrate that user feedback wasn't positive or the interest raised was very poor. Pivoting could mean that your idea needs a partial directional change or a complete shutdown.

Businesses must persevere when instead users demonstrate interest and appreciation in the idea. In this case, further plans should include experimentation with the intent of refining the solution by adding details to the initial hypothesis.

It is very important at this stage to share information with every project stakeholder and keep an open mind by not getting attached to ideas or solutions that didn't encounter user favor.

In conclusion

A Minimum Viable Product, or commonly referred to as MVP, is the first workable version of a business idea and is built using one or more hypotheses, validated using the Build-Measure-Learn (BML) methodology using actual users of the product in principle.

Start off your MVP project with the formula below to build one or more hypotheses of your product:

Next, use the BML model to build and test your product with intended users, incorporating the learnings and feedback into the design and development cycle of your product.

In the next chapter, we’ll explore when it is necessary to opt for an MVP, what makes a good MVP, and take a look at some important building blocks and exercises when building your MVP.

Other articles you may like.

Gamer Knows Best: How User Behaviour Influences UX and UI Design

  • By
    Brooke Cowling
    September 17, 2018
    May 21, 2022

How we interact with (and enjoy) games relies heavily on UX and UI design. The most memorable and engaging ones are those that consider how the user plays – how they think, act, and interact with the game’s visuals. You can’t build a strong video game design without taking into account the full player experience.

UX / UI design

Reduce Costs and Risks While Innovating with MVPs (Part 2)

  • By
    Jessica Massinelli
    January 21, 2022
    March 2, 2022

Whenever you or your team are moving into a certain degree of uncertainty it is advisable to do it in a safe way by running experiments or launching MVPs instead of a full product proposition.

UX / UI design
Mobile app

The Importance of Microinteractions

  • By
    Yonette de Ru
    September 16, 2018
    April 25, 2022

When was the last time you downloaded a song? Did you excitedly watch the status of your download while you waited? That progress indicator you were watching was a microinteraction, my friend! As you may already know, with great user experience and user interface design “the devil is in the details.” You can’t have an amazing digital experience if the details aren’t thought through and executed well. If microinteractions are designed successfully, they make a mediocre experience great, memorable and leave users wanting to return.

UX / UI design
Mobile app


Smoky Mountain Trout Tournament

Smoky Mountain Trout Tournament
by Anthony Vaarwerk

Fascinating Destinations for Vegan Travelers

Vegan travel has quickly gained prominence in recent times. Vegans are probably the most compassionate people around the planet; however, finding a good mountain condo that offers dishes can be hard.  This is because the world is bent on celebrating events and serving food that profoundly centers on meat as a primary ingredient and emphasizing the consumption of meat, respectively.

According to a recent report by GlobalTrender, the driving forces for the recent rise in vegan travel are lifestyle and dietary choices. From 2006 to 2016, the number of vegans traveling in the UK saw an increase of 350% due to the fact that 20% of people under the age of 35 years went vegan and cut out on all animal-based products.

In light of this information, let us take a quick look at some of the best places for vegans to visit on their next trip.

vegan food for vegan travelers

Bali is an Indonesian island that is known for its iconic rice paddies, beautiful coral reefs, stunning beaches, and forested volcanic mountains. The island is a vegan’s paradise. Due to the abundance of soy-based proteins like tofu and tempeh, Indonesia as a whole is a lot more vegetarian-friendly than probably half of the world. However, Bali is where you want to be since the range of restaurants, delightful dishes, and tantalizing meals just don’t end.

As a port city, Glasgow sits on the River Clyde in Scotland’s western Lowlands. The city boasts a rich cultural legacy infused with Victorian art and architecture. However, its great selection of vegan and veggie dining options, along with its ever-evolving scene, makes it one of the top destinations for vegans. It is, in fact, one of the most vegan-friendly cities in the UK.

Welcome to a whole new world where vegan rules supreme, and eating meat is considered unholy. India offers you zillions of dishes to choose from, and with every few kilometers, the cuisine and the language changes. It is massive and would definitely take you a lifetime to explore all the vegan delicacies their culture and tradition have to offer.

indian vegan food for travelers staying in vacation rentals.

The Caribbean Island nation, Jamaica, with its lush topography of mountains and rainforests, is lined with beaches. Moreover, it is a fantastic place to be vegan as its tropical climate ensures a surplus of interesting vegetables and fruits to consume. There are many herbs and spices to try that are grown locally.

Located on the east bank of the Jordan River, Jordan is an Arab nation with an abundance of natural reserves, ancient monuments, and seaside resorts. When it comes to food, this place is no exception, especially for vegan foodies. Loaded with numerous legumes, rice, fruit, and vegetable dishes, a lot of diet for Jordanians focuses on vegan intake.

A country in South America that houses a portion of the Amazon Rainforest, Peru, is not known for its vegan-friendly lifestyle; however, things drastically change when you visit Cusco. Travelers particularly know this city for offering the best vegan treats in the world, including a vegan grilled platter. Then there is the city of Lima, also the capital of Peru that offers vegan pizzas and dairy-free chocolate.

vegan food kitchens at vacation rentals

The first image that probably rushed the minds of millions when they first hear about Ethiopia is probably a developing country. However, in recent times, the country has been considered one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa. Ethiopia is a great choice for vegans as they celebrate veganism throughout the year. In fact, much of their traditions are based on shunning meat and dairy products.

 Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Island located in the South Asian region, Sri Lanka, is another country that vegan travelers should visit in their lifetime. The delicious smell of cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, and fenugreek fills the streets and every eatery in the market. Famous for luring traders for its wide range of spices hundreds of years ago, Sri Lankan dishes have distinctive tastes.

A country in a Middle Eastern country, Israel, has about 8% of people that are devoted vegetarians. There is pretty much a vegan movement happening all over the country, and the Israelis are at the very heart of it. Many experts and critics consider Israel the top tourist destination for vegans. Tel Aviv is, in fact, considered the vegan capital of the world.

The role of Buddhism and its long history in Taiwan have been among the most influential factors and the driving forces behind its transformation as a vegan traveler’s haven. Taiwan is located in East Asia, and Taipei, its capital, is especially known to offer a wide selection of popular vegan dishes.

Vegan travelers often find themselves in a tight spot when traveling as the world around them is bent on offering them meaty dishes, which can be quite a nuisance to deal with. I hope this post was able to offer you some great places to visit where veganism is popularly celebrated by culture and tradition.

You would find it extremely easy to mingle in with the local crowd without giving a second thought. For more questions about the topic, please feel free to let us know your feedback in the comment section below.

Author Bio

Samantha Kaylee currently works as an Assistant Editor at Crowd Writer, a trusted place for students to buy assignment from experienced professionals. During her free time, she likes to play popular tunes on the clarinet, a hobby she developed to entertain her loved ones at home.

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Use of IT in Biological Science

The IT is providing new platform for various branches of Arts and Science to innovate and transform according to modern lines.
Representational pic
Representational pic

The Biological Science is an important branch of Science which deals with the study and understanding of living organisms at various scales. The origin of this goes to the  time humans changed from hunter-gatherer stage to settled life. In fact, domestication of animals was an important step towards understanding various aspects of animals and this further lead to human curiosity to unravel the nature's beautiful enigmas. The beginning of renaissance in Europe was also the beginning of renaissance in various fields of natural sciences. The first major progress in the development of Biological Science was the formulation of Binomial Nomenclature by Carl Linnaeus, which paved the way for other biologists to understand other biological aspects. In 17th and 18th century, biologists took more interest in basic aspects of biological sciences, including classification, taxonomy and other morphological aspects of organisms. However, during the 19th and 20th century there was a tendency among newly emerging industrial nations to unravel the benefits of various organisms and manipulate the biological organisms for human benefit. So, the previous scientific approach of understanding biological organisms changed into a new debate whether we should study basic or applied aspects of biological organisms. The so called 'the Biological Science Identity crisis' kept biologists in dilemma whether they should focus on traditional aspects or move on to unravel applied and beneficial aspects of organisms. In recent years there has been tremendous progress in science and technology, and various fields of science have transformed according to new needs and demands. The IT is providing new platform for various branches of Arts and Science to innovate and transform according to modern lines. It is also essential to introduce new technologies to make various educational branches more applied and innovative. According to Cheney (2003), "Understanding the role of IT for science is important because of the central role of science in today's information society".

As is rightly said that learning something new can be a fun and can increase innate curiosities among budding learners. By integrating specific features of IT with the general curriculum, Universities, Colleges and Schools can take biological science to a new level. In the present article, I will discuss the benefits of various IT features that could be useful for young biologists who aspire to achieve extra-ordinary things in science.

 Information web resources and learning packages:

There are huge number of web sites which can be used for understanding core concepts of biology. Although student are aware about major websites, but major issue faced by the students while retrieving information is authenticity of these websites. It is pertinent to mention that all web sources can't be trusted and therefore only authentic biology websites should be used for obtaining relevant information. Three criteria should be followed while selecting a science website which include, the affiliation of website, its popularity and the people who operate it. For example, National Geography Website, Discovery Website and BBC/Science are very popular web resources that provides authentic information. In the same way 'The Howard Hughes Medical Institute lectures' are available on '' provides a platform for budding students to take up a career in biology. The students who are interested in authentic biology website should get more information on In addition, computer learning packages in the form of tutorials and revision material is available on various websites. These IT based packages can offer huge opportunity for non-interactive and interactive student centered learning processes.

Virtual Technology (VT):The virtual technology or virtual life is another marvel of science which is considered as second life. A VT is a simulated computer based technology that has the potential to carry out wonderful tasks which otherwise needs great effort and cost. For example, certain exhaustive practical's such as carrying out morphometry of water bodies can be easily demonstrated by using virtual simulation technology. In the same way field trips to distant areas which need funding and scheduling can be easily carried by using specific web domains. In recent times, Discovery Education Website has started virtual field trip page which can provide opportunity to students to visit most amazing places of world without physically visiting to those places. In the same way Google has also started Google Expedition which allows students to go for virtual field trips and explore unknown.

Virtual laboratories: One of the major issues faced by the biology student at lower and higher level is the lack of infrastructure and expertise in carrying out basic life science experiments. Virtual laboratories (VL) are solution for such issues as they provide an interactive and conducive environment for conducting simulated lab experiments. The VL is considered as a playground for experiments and is highly recommended when experimental process is very slow and complex. In addition, VL is highly beneficial for experiments involving health risk and also in those learning activities which require modelling. There are number of online authentic projects which universities and colleges can use free of cost. The Go-Lab online project is a major initiative that provides number of opportunities for buddings science students which include remote laboratories, virtual experiments and other data sets. The Biology Labs is a best web repository for life science students to understand various experiments and core concepts of genetics, microscopy and other biological concepts. There are number of elite international universities which provide facility of VL's and virtual field trips for students and faculty.

Videoconferencing and tele-collaborative projects: At present we are witnessing globalization of education and IT can play an important role to spread education to every nook and corner of world. The videoconferencing and tele-collaborative projects are meant for both local and global communities to take advantage of renowned experts which otherwise is impossible under normal conditions. The best features of videoconferencing and tele-collaborative projects is that you can polish your ideas and express them before the international audience without visiting there.

Scope IT in molecular biology

The information technology has huge scope in molecular biology based on the fact that complex molecular phenomenon is difficult to understand in a conventional way. Various instrument which are being used in molecular laboratories are IT-aided that are routinely being used to collect data and other information. In last twenty years, internet databases for genomes and proteins have provided best platform for students and researchers to get firsthand information about various biomolecules. The modelling and simulation techniques are being routinely used to explain complex molecular processes. In addition, IT has been rapid means to share science among researchers having overlapping research interests and also aid scientific collaboration.

In conclusion, it is important to integrate biological sciences with the latest technological trends. Information technology has huge scope to innovate biological sciences according to modern lines.

Dr. Ummer Rashid Zargar is SERB-DST Fast Track Fellow, Department of Zoology, CUK, Sonwar Campus.

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Tuesday, October 4, 2022
HomeHealthHow To Reduce Cholesterol Plaque

How To Reduce Cholesterol Plaque

Avoid Unhealthful Fats And Sugar

Unclog Your Arteries Without Medication and Reduce Cholesterol! THE FASTEST WAY To Unclog Arteries

The advise people to reduce their consumption of saturated fats and eliminate trans fats, which can help lower LDL cholesterol.

However, some research suggests that saturated fat does not clog the arteries.

People also need to be wary of factors other than fat. Eating foods high in sugar or refined carbohydrates can increase triglycerides in the blood and boost the risk of heart disease.

Overall, the evidence supports a Mediterranean-style diet of antioxidant-rich plant foods, olive oil, and nuts. People should be aware of their saturated fat and sugar intake and avoid all trans fats.

The following foods may help support healthy arteries.

How To Prevent High Cholesterol

As with many other conditions, preventing high cholesterol from occurring in the first place is better than a cure because of the range of controllable risk factors. To prevent high cholesterol, you should:

  • Eat a nutritious diet low in fat and salt

  • Avoid excessive alcohol consumption

  • Quit or avoid taking up smoking

  • Ensure you get regular exercise

  • Manage your stress levels.

If you think you may be at risk of high cholesterol levels, or if you havent had your cholesterol levels checked recently, contact your GP today.

Statin Risks And Benefits

Are statins safe? For most people, the answer is a resounding yes, according to a 2014 Johns Hopkins meta-analysis of 20 years worth of published research. It showed that the risks of long-term use of statin drugs are low and the potential benefits are very high. Researchers combed through hundreds of papers that had studied statins since 1994 to determine the evidence of side effects.

Their review, published in British Medical Journal, found an increase in the risk of muscle aches. There was also a modest risk of elevated blood glucose, which can tip some people into developing type 2 diabetes. Whats unclear is whether those people, who also had other risk factors for diabetes, would have developed the condition anyway. Statins dont cause memory loss or cataracts, as has been claimed in the past. For most at-risk patients, the benefits far exceed the risks, the researchers concluded. Of course, if you notice any unusual effects after beginning statin therapy, tell your doctor.

We know a lot about statins because theyve been around for a long time and taken by so many people, Blaha says. The scale clearly tips to benefits in most at-risk patients.

Why did my doctor prescribe statins if my cholesterol is normal?

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How To Unclog Arteries: Diet

Some foods that can help clean arteries include:

  • Olive oil
  • Watermelon
  • Turmeric

What Causes Plaque In Arteries

#lowercholesterolnaturally what should my bad cholesterol ...

Plaque forms when cholesterol lodges in the wall of the artery. To fight back, the body sends white blood cells to trap the cholesterol, which then turn into foamy cells that ooze more fat and cause more . That triggers muscle cells in the artery wall to multiply and form a cap over the area. But the soft plaque beneath the cap is dangerous. “For example, if your blood pressure spikes, it puts pressure on the thin wall of the plaque, which can break open, form a clot, and cause a heart attack,” says Dr. Cannon. About three of every four heart attacks occur when plaques rupture.

Larger plaques can block blood flow. But they are typically covered by thick, fibrous caps that can resist breaking apart. These are often treated by inserting a wire mesh tube near the blockage to widen the artery.

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Cholesterol Lowering Foods To Keep Your Arteries Plaque

Keeping your heart healthy should always be a top priority. After all, its the muscle at the core of every system in your body! Left unmonitored, high cholesterol levels can lead to heart attacks and high blood pressure. Below is a list of 17 cholesterol lowering foods to help prevent heart disease and keep your arteries plaque-free.

High Cholesterol: Nutritionist Reveals Top Prevention Tips

High cholesterol is widely recognised as a generator of disease, putting millions at the perils of heart attack and stroke annually. Fortunately, managing the condition doesn’t always call for strenuous measures. One fruit, renowned for promoting a positive mood, has recently come into the limelight for its potent lipid-lowering effects.

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How To Reduce Artery Plaque The Natural Way

If only it were as simple as do X, X, and X! When it comes to the cardiovascular system, nothing is ever that easy.

To get rid of arterial plaque, there are a number of things you need to do:

  • Repair any damage to the arterial lining
  • Protect the arterial lining from cholesterol
  • Lower cholesterol and blood lipid levels
  • Avoid ingesting foods that increase the production of cholesterol

Below, well take a look at the four elements of naturally reducing and preventing arterial build-up

The Calcium Score Paradox

How to Lower Cholesterol and Flush Plaque from Your Arteries

Patients will often come to see me because they had a positive calcium score. They forget that soft plaques dont show up on a calcium scorecalcium score is only indicative of stable, hardened, calcified plaque. And its the soft plaque which we should be worried about.

Then why do we look at a calcium score?

Because we can see that there is a correlation between calcified plaque and CV risk. If youve got a lot of calcium, you have a much higher risk of heart attack and stroke.

But if calcium indicates plaque is stable, why does a higher calcium score usually mean a higher risk?

In a patient with an incomplete plaque history, higher calcium scores usually mean higher risk. A higher calcium score means the arteries have already been through several cycles of laying down plaques, inflaming those plaques, and calcifying and stabilizing those plaques.

I have plenty of patients whove been through that cycle. Theyve come out the other end. They feel great. They feel fine. Theyre very comfortable with where they need to be and knowing that their plaques are now stable.

Why does that become an issue?

Patients often come to see me really worried. Oh Doc, I had a calcium score it was over a thousand. Im going to die. However, there are certain obstacles we must get over .

What happens to their calcium score?

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What Is Hdl Cholesterol Versus Ldl Cholesterol

Cholesterol is important for the body because it helps make the hormones and other substances that help regulate important body functions. HDL cholesterol is good for your heart because it helps lower bad LDL cholesterol in the blood.

HDL removes excess amounts of LDL from cells while also reducing inflammation in the arteries, which may cause atherosclerosis or hardening of artery walls.

On the other hand, LDL Cholesterol clogs up arteries over time by increasing plaque formation with its deposits this leads to high-risk factors such as increased chances of stroke, heart attack, angina, and vascular dementia, among others.

The level of cholesterol in your bloodstream is called blood lipid levels. High levels can lead to coronary disease and strokes if not managed well.

Since HDL has a positive effect on lowering LDL levels, if we have more of this good kind , thats better for us!

Try The Mediterranean Diet

One of the best ways to decrease levels of LDL cholesterol is through your diet! A common diet that is recommended when trying to lower LDL cholesterol is the Mediterranean diet.

The Mediterranean diet is a diet that is high in fat due to the lower consumption of sugar and meat.

Foods like nuts, olive oil, fruits, and vegetables are at their highest levels when eating a Mediterranean diet which means youre less likely to have an increased cholesterol level.

People who eat this way also tend to lose weight over time because they are not consuming as many calories from sugars or fats since they get most of those essential nutrients through foods rich in protein and fiber.

Eating more healthy fats by including avocados with every meal will lower your risk for heart disease along with lowering LDL cholesterol levels! Avocado lovers can rejoice knowing that guacamole isnt just tasty, but its good for them too!

Mediterranean diets are commonly consumed in some of the healthiest places in the world called the Blue Zones.

Here is the typical Mediterranean diet pyramid:

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How To Remove Plaque From Arteries

Knowing how to reverse atherosclerosis is about learning how to unclog arteries naturally. There might not be a quick and easy way to magically dissolve plaque in arteries, but that doesnt mean you cant improve your situation. Can you reverse plaque build-up in your arteries? Not exactly, but it may be possible, with care, to stabilize the condition and make it less dangerous.

How Did Gerry Reverse His Arterial Plaque

15 Cholesterol

Gerry followed the familiar pattern. He discovered he had type 2 diabetes, so he restricted his carbs. He lost weight, added some supplements, and made adjustments in his prescriptions. He took ACE inhibitors and low-dose statins.

Gerrys nickname is Quanticus he loves to quantify things. You can see that as he tells his story. He provides detail in his history that very few patients or doctors can provide.

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How To Lower Your Cholesterol Levels

If you have high cholesterol, there are ways to lower your levels and reduce your risk of further complications. The first approach is typically making lifestyle changes before retesting again. This includes changes to your diet, stopping smoking, and increasing exercise. If lifestyle changes are not working or not appropriate for you, medication is usually prescribed. The most common type of cholesterol-lowering medications is called statins. They lower the level of LDL cholesterol in your blood and help to reduce your chance of further issues.

The Danger Of Arterial Plaque

Dont get me wrong. When LDL cholesterol leaks through the artery wall and gets stuck, it can form harmful plaque. And this plaque puts us at risk for heart attack and stroke.

Heart attack is the most common cause of death , while stroke is the most common cause of long-term disability. I havent even mentioned kidney disease, eye disease, and other conditions. Thats why plaque is a significant issue.

The Development of Atherosclerotic Plaque. Source: Rumberger JA. Cardiac CT With The Experts At Princeton Longevity Center.

While exceptionally high LDL cholesterol in the blood can be a risk factor, its not as critical as most folks would think.

Unfortunately, our current culture in primary care medicine doesnt recognize that fact. The physicians making up our medical community, the medical standards committees, the patientsnone of them realize the importance of preventing plaque.

And thats what our upcoming book, PREVENTION MYTHS: Why a Stress Test Cannot Predict your Heart Attackand the Tests that Can is all about. It will tell you how to detect, measure, manage, and prevent plaque.

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Summary And Future Directions

The regression of atherosclerosis through lipid lowering has been a goal since the early 1900s. Early experimental and epidemiological studies suggested the possibility of plaque regression. Angiographic trials were conducted from 1980 to 2000 and their overall results indicated that aggressive modification of the lipid profile could inhibit plaque progression and induce some degree of regression. The introduction of IVUS further stimulated research into the progression and regression of atherosclerosis. This modality enabled us to observe and measure atherosclerotic plaques quantitatively as well as qualitatively. Observations have been consistent in suggesting that aggressive lipid profile modification could reduce atherosclerotic progression and induce plaque regression.

The observations available from IVUS appear to offer a powerful tool for predicting future clinical events among patients with coronary artery disease. More recently, other coronary imaging modalities have come into clinical use, such as optical coherence tomography and near-infrared spectroscopy, further accelerating research into atherosclerotic progression and regression, improving our understanding of the mechanisms underpinning atherosclerosis, and opening up new treatment options.

Leading Risk Factors Of High Cholesterol

Remove Bad Cholesterol Naturally & Reduce Clogged Arteries and Stroke | Samyuktha Diaries

While there is no single cause for high cholesterol, there are some leading risk factors for developing it. These include:

  • Smoking – Cigarette smoke damages the walls of your blood vessels, which makes them more prone to accumulate fatty deposits. Smoking can also lower your level of HDL cholesterol.

  • Diabetes – High blood sugar can damage the lining of your arteries. It also contributes to higher levels of dangerous cholesterol called very-low-density lipoprotein and lower HDL cholesterol.

  • Obesity – Having a body mass index of 30 or greater puts you at risk of high cholesterol.

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When To Speak With A Doctor

A person may not experience signs and symptoms of atherosclerosis in the early stages. However, when a major artery becomes blocked, this could lead to a heart attack or stroke.

If a person has concerns about their symptoms, they should speak with their doctor or visit the emergency room in more severe cases.

Repair Damage Done To Arteries

Hardened plaque in your arteries not only causes atherosclerosis but also causes damage to the arteries when inflammation comes into the picture

Your body uses inflammation to take care of damage but too much of it can damage the walls of your blood vessels.

Its very important to repair damage done to arteries and begin the healing process so that your arteries can function normally again.

According to scientists Nitric oxide is responsible for keeping the arteries smooth and flexible.

Our bodies produce Nitric oxide when we eat certain foods, however other factors contribute to less Nitric oxide being produced so you need to take a quality l arginine supplement to increase your nitric oxide production and repair the damage done to your arteries.

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How Statin Drugs Protect The Heart

More than 200 million people around the world take statin drugs for theirheart health. Shifting ideas about the risks and benefits of statins overthe years, however, have left some new patients confused about whetherthese drugs are rightor safefor them.

Traditionally, statins were viewed as purely cholesterol-lowering drugs. So it made sense just to use them for people with high cholesterol, explains Johns Hopkins cardiologist Michael Blaha, M.D. But weve learned that they also benefit people with lower levels of cholesterol who are at a high risk of heart disease. So we now think of statins as risk-reducing drugs.

This dramatic change in thinking means that people who once were not candidates for statins are now prescribed them to lower their risk of heart attack and stroke.

How Does Arterial Plaque Shrink

Pin on Heart disease

We have been talking about plaque formation for now. But how does the shrinkage of arterial plaque happen?

According to Feig at al. , these are the possible mechanisms by how plaque shrinks at the microscopic level:

  • Theres decreased retention of atherogenic apolipoprotein B within the arterial wall. Apolipoprotein B is the major protein component of VLDL, IDL, and LDL. Because VLDL, IDL, and LDL are atherogenic , the level of apolipoprotein B indicates the atherogenic potential of these lipoproteins.
  • Cholesterol and other toxic lipids flow out from plaques.
  • Foam cells are removed from plaque.
  • Phagocytes remove dead tissue debris and other components of the plaque.

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Health Risks Of Atherosclerosis

If left to get worse, atherosclerosis can potentially lead to a number of serious conditions known as cardiovascular disease . There will not usually be any symptoms until CVD develops.

Types of CVD include:

  • coronary heart disease the main arteries that supply your heart become clogged with plaques

New Guidelines For Ldl Levels And Addressing Cardiovascular Disease Risk

New guidelines for assessing your heart disease give you and your doctor powerful tools for estimating your cardiovascular disease risk and lowering your LDL cholesterol levels. Working with your health care team, you can create a plan with a customized combination of lifestyle changes, medications and continued monitoring.

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Cut Back On Animal Fats

Different Colored Fruits And Vegetables

how to unclog arteries without medication and reduce cholesterol fast naturally!

To obtain a wide range of antioxidants, someone should vary the vegetables and fruits they eat. Remembering to eat a rainbow is a useful way to do this.

Moderating intake of starchy vegetables, such as potatoes and sweet potatoes, can help someone manage their weight and risk of cardiovascular disease.

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Most Popular


Genus: Aucuba
Family: Cornaceae
Appearance: Rounded evergreen shrubs, simple leaves, entire to dentate; fruits are a berry-like drupe.
Flowers: Purple flowers in panicles.
Features: Grown for their ornamental foliage and colourful berries.
Origin: 3 or 4 species; from Himalayas to East Asia and Japan.

Culture: Grow in sun or shade, grows in most soil types but prefers moist well-drained conditions. Plants will tolerate dense shade and atmospheric pollution. Plants also do well in coastal gardens. Variegated types retain colour better in open positions. Plants are dioecious; both male and female plants are required to produce berries; usually a ratio of three males to one female is suffice for fruiting. No pruning is necessary but old stems can be cut back in spring.

Propagation: Propagation is usually by 10-15cm cuttings taken in late summer to early autumn preferably with a heel, but can also be grown by seed planted in autumn, though it is a slow method.
Health:  Hardy but can suffer sun burn or frost burn in exposed situations. They may also get a physiological disorder marked by black leaf blotches as a result of unsuitable soils.
Uses: Mostly grown for foliage effect in a shrubbery. Aucubas can also be easily grown in containers, in shady gardens, or as house plants.
Species & Varieties:

A. japonica -Variable height due to cultivars. Yellow stripped or plain green leaves. Attractive red berries.

A. japonica aureo variegata (Gold dust plant) -Yellow spotted plant.

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Washington D.C.
Thursday, October 6, 2022

How One Public Works Department Puts Mitigation Investment into Action

Recently, the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) released the National Mitigation Investment Strategy (NMIS) outlining the framework for a coordinated, federal and national investment strategy for mitigation. The three goals of NMIS are to: (1) show how mitigation investments reduce risk, (2) coordinate mitigation investments to reduce risk, and (3) make mitigation investment standard practice. Now that the strategy is in place, the next planned phase is implementation.

How One Public Works Department Puts Mitigation Investment into Action Homeland Security TodaySince the majority of infrastructure (and the funding thereof) in the United States is constructed, operated and maintained by local governments, public works professionals must step up and take the lead role in this mitigation effort. Existing public works projects are direct investments in the community that can have a role in reducing risks posed to buildings and infrastructure from hazards in the community. The important connection to make is many public works operations and projects have mitigation components. Public works professionals need to improve on outreach in communicating to stakeholders that there are mitigation activities already taking place and describe how and what these infrastructure investments mitigation benefits are.

Mitigation efforts can consist of both little and big components that collectively add up to a more prepared community. Bringing together the right stakeholders, including public works professionals, collectively working to identify mitigation opportunities will make the community more resilient.

Operational Mitigation Efforts

The city of Crystal, Minn., sweeps all city streets a few times a year to remove the debris such as sediment, vegetation and litter from the streets. Street sweeping prevents the debris from entering the stormwater system and creating issues related to water quality, stormwater flow through pipes, and pollution. Sweeping streets also has a mitigation component in that the debris removed from the streets is debris that could have clogged catch basins during rainstorms and caused localized flooding. Street sweeping is a good example of a normal public works task, funded by local governments, that has a mitigation component people might not readily think of. Like all mitigation efforts, there is no one solution and street sweeping should be thought of as one component of a larger mitigation effort by a community against hazards (primarily natural in this case).

Over the past few years, the city has been evaluating all intersection traffic control devices according to the Minnesota Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MnMUTCD). Through this process, a significant number of signs have been removed or changed. One example of the impact of this effort is that 13 percent of the stop signs have been removed in the city and another 12 percent have been changed to yield signs. The removal of the signs does bring the intersections into alignment with MnMUTCD guidance, but other benefits include reduced maintenance costs for the city, reduced vehicle delay, reduced vehicle emissions, and reduced wear and tear on vehicles. Should a major storm hit, fewer signs also means less potential debris. While this effort, and its mitigation benefit, is small in the grand scheme of disaster costs, it is an example of a very low-cost city initiative that provides benefit to the community every day.

Since 2016, the city no longer plants trees in the public right of way adjacent to streets. While this may seem counterintuitive, there are a number of benefits. First, not having trees along streets allows more sunlight to shine directly onto the roads in the winter when the sun is lower in the sky, helping with the natural melting of snow or ice. Since there is more sunlight on the roads, there are fewer problematic areas that require additional anti-ice treatment and the city is able to use less salt. Minimal salt use saves taxpayers money and is better for the environment. Another benefit of not having trees directly along streets is there are fewer leaves and other natural debris falling directly on the street that can clog catch basins and cause localized street flooding during rain events. Finally, if there is a significant storm that causes wind damage, trees located further from the road are less likely to fall and block the roadway. If a branch does fall, it is from the higher parts of the tree, which are generally smaller, and are hopefully easier to clear. From a response standpoint, reducing any potential for blockages that restrict emergency access or divert resources to clear the obstruction is a value added.

How One Public Works Department Puts Mitigation Investment into Action Homeland Security Today
Replacing the sanitary sewer lids with solid cover lids reduces rainwater from entering the sanitary sewer system from surface streets. This allows the system to have more capacity during rain events, reduces lift station pump wear and tear, and reduces the cost to treat wastewater because the clean rainwater is prevented from entering the system.

In 2018, the city completed a long-term effort to replace the existing sanitary sewer lids (manhole covers) that had holes in them with solid cover lids. This seemingly minor change reduces rainwater from entering the sanitary sewer system from surface streets. This change will save the city money by not having to pay for treating the rainwater entering the sanitary sewer system. Minimizing inflow will also reduce the flows pumped into the sanitary sewer lift stations and allow more capacity to be available. Reducing the volume of wastewater to be pumped at the lift stations also reduces the engine hours of the pumps and general wear and tear, thus extending the life of the pumps.

Project Mitigation Efforts

Starting with street reconstruction projects in 2016, the standard width of city streets was reduced from 30 feet (curb face to curb face) to 28 feet. This two-foot reduction in pavement space reduces construction costs (less asphalt and base) and reduces the future street maintenance costs. For northern climates, this is less street area to plow in the winter months. Narrower roads can have an impact on traffic and help reduce vehicle speeds, especially if vehicles are parked on the street. From a mitigation standpoint, less hard surface (impervious area) means more pervious (grass) area and less stormwater to manage, both at the location and downstream.

The removal of an entire street block not only reduced the City’s long term maintenance costs, but it also reduced the amount of impervious area, and allowed a new, larger ballfield to be constructed.

Taking the street width reduction to the next step, the city also had the opportunity to remove segments of streets where there had not been direct private property access. One of these street blocks had divided a park in half and removing the street segment allowed the park to be connected and provided space for a larger ballfield. Similarly, a few years ago the only remaining gravel road in the city serving fewer than 200 vehicles per day that also divided a large city park was closed. In addition to the reduced long-term maintenance costs, from a stormwater perspective the permanent road closures considerably reduced the impervious area where stormwater runoff needed to be managed.

The city has constructed four underground infiltration chambers over the past few years. One of the chamber systems was constructed as a mitigation measure against the somewhat regular flooding of the lower level of the police department. Since construction, it has been successful in preventing flooding, even with intense rains. Another underground infiltration system was constructed to capture and infiltrate water upstream of a known localized street flooding location. The underground infiltration tank alone was not enough to address the localized flooding issue, but it was an important component of reducing the volume of water that needed to be managed further downstream. This summer, the city constructed the largest underground infiltration system in the downtown area city park. Able to hold up to 2.2 million gallons of water, which is the volume of runoff from a 0.6-inch rain event over the 145-acre watershed upstream, this underground system will help reduce localized flooding as well as have a significant benefit on water quality downstream. Similar to other public works operations and projects, underground stormwater infiltration systems have a variety of benefits that include mitigation components.

Able to hold up to 2.2 million gallons of water (volume of runoff from a 0.6-inch rain event), the nearly 1.5 miles of underground pipe will help reduce localized flooding and have a significant benefit on water quality downstream.

One of the traditional mitigation efforts is installing backup generators at critical pumping stations (water, sanitary sewer, or stormwater) for use during power outages. The city has been working on installing generator backups at pumps for a number of years and is 50 percent complete with another one planned for installation in 2020. An important benefit of providing backup power that can be forgotten about is, by providing a fixed backup generator at a location, it reduces the staff and equipment time needed to shuttle between the different locations with a portable generator to try to keep sanitary sewer lift stations from backing up and impacting properties while there is no power.

In 2021, the city has a stormwater project planned that includes the replacement of an older stormwater pumping facility. The stormwater pumping facility is critical because it controls the water level in a landlocked pond that is at the end of a chain of ponds with various adjacent structures and roadways through the central core of the city. Pumping water out of the pond is the only way to lower the pond level after rain events. As part of the design process, providing redundancy in pumping operation is something that is being evaluated. This redundancy means that should a pump go down for whatever reason (planned maintenance or otherwise), the city will still have the ability to remove water from the pond. Additionally, relocation of the actual pumps and controls to a higher elevation from the pond is being considered to provide extra buffer space from potential flooding from mega rain events.

Public works operations and projects go hand-in-hand with mitigation. As FEMA moves toward implementation of the National Mitigation Investment Strategy (NMIS) at all levels, public works professionals must fully engage, and be engaged by other stakeholders. The National Mitigation Investment Strategy is feasible and, by looking through a mitigation lens at public works operations and projects, it can be seen there are many public works practices already being done that have a mitigation benefit. What has been done is a good foundation as we collectively move forward toward building a more resilient country and the National Mitigation Investment Strategy is an important step in speaking a common language around mitigation.

FEMA National Mitigation Investment Strategy Lays Out Resilience Goals

Mark Ray
Mark Ray is passionate about the public works profession and the essential role it plays in designing, constructing, operating, and maintaining critical infrastructure. Public works professionals make normal happen in the community they serve and securing critical infrastructure from all hazards, both human or natural caused, requires a team effort between public works and homeland security stakeholders. Mark is committed to furthering collaboration and understanding between various groups in service to the collective goal of securing critical infrastructure that is vital to our nation. In his professional role, Mark is currently the Director of Public Works/City Engineer for the City of Crystal, MN. Mark has his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Master’s in Public Administration from Hamline University, and has completed the Executive Leaders Program through the Center for Defense and Homeland Security at the Naval Post Graduate School. Mark currently is the chair of the State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Government Coordinating Council (SLTTGCC which represents the American Public Works Association on the National Homeland Security Consortium (NHSC), and serves on the Hennepin County Emergency Management’s Strategy Council. Mark is the founder of the Hennepin County Public Works Emergency Management Group and has spearheaded the development and adoption of the Minnesota Statewide Public Works Mutual Aid Pact. Mark is also the former chair of the American Public Works Association’s Emergency Management Committee and has written over 20 published articles on a wide range of topics; including themes around public works, homeland security, and resiliency. Mark has received a numerous national awards and recognitions from groups including American Public Works Association, National Weather Service, American Infrastructure Magazine, and Homeland Security Today. One of Mark’s mottos is “Actions speak louder than words” and it is with that approach that Mark is committed to actually doing things and supporting efforts to secure critical infrastructure from all hazards.

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How To Kill Spider Mites On Plants Neem Oil?

Apply a pesticide, such as neem oil, after that. Neem oil is a natural insecticide and leaf shine that has been used on crops and houseplants for hundreds of years. It’s also non-toxic to birds, mammals, and a variety of helpful insects. Mix the neem oil with water and use a microfiber cloth or a spray bottle to apply it to the plant, washing it down afterward. Apply the neem in seven-day intervals, however you can rinse or physically remove bugs on a daily basis.

Can you treat spider mites with neem oil?

To avoid an all-out infestation, which is more difficult to eradicate, it’s critical to spot spider mites on plants early on. People, pets, and plants are all safer when using organic ways. If you suspect that any of your plants have been harmed, follow these procedures. (For further information on how to recognize spider mites and the damage they inflict, see the section below.)

Spray with water:

To dislodge webbing and as many insects as possible, use a nozzle linked to a garden hose to provide a gentle water spray. Make sure to get the leaves’ undersides. This also removes dust from the leaves, which mites like to hide in.

Use insecticidal soap:

Allow time for the plants to dry before using an organic insecticidal soap. Spray early in the morning or late at night, and avoid using when the temperature is above 90 degrees F. To disrupt the egg hatching cycle, reapply every 7-10 days or as directed on the package.

Homemade remedies:

You can create insecticidal soap at home. Mix 1 tablespoon of mild liquid soap, such as Castile or Ivory, with 1 quart of water. Use a spray bottle to apply. Garlic, pepper (capsaicin), peppermint, and rosemary are among other natural medicines.

Neem oil:

Neem oil, a natural product of the neem tree, is an universal insect repellent that suffocates spider mites when applied. This is a longer-lasting solution that is frequently used following an insecticidal soap application. Use only as instructed, and keep pets and children out of reach.

Use other bugs:

Natural pest management is provided by beneficial insects that prey on spider mites. Lady bugs, predatory mites, lacewings, and spider mite killers are among them. People, pets, and plants are not harmed by these insects. If you can get the good bugs as eggs, this technique is the most effective (adults will generally just fly away).

Extra measures:

Remove the most infected leaves, place them in a sealed plastic bag, and throw them away if an infestation gets severe. Do not compost them, as this will spread the problem. An entire plant may need to be removed in extreme circumstances.

How long does it take neem oil to kill spider mites?

When neem oil comes into contact with the digestive and reproductive systems of spider mites, it works. It will eventually kill them, though it may take up to seven days.

You must use neem oil on a regular basis for it to work, so pick a day and time that works for you and stick to it.

Neem oil stops the reproductive cycle and kills the eggs before they hatch when applied every 3–5 days.

Note: Do not apply neem oil to plants if the temperature is above 90 degrees F, and make sure you can turn off the lights for at least 6 hours after treatment, as lights indicate heat, which they enjoy.

Can neem oil kill plants?

Neem oil can damage some plants, especially if it is applied heavily. Before spraying a full plant, test a tiny area and wait 24 hours to observe if any harm has occurred to the leaf. The plant should not be affected by the neem oil if there is no damage.

To avoid foliage burning and to allow the treatment to penetrate into the plant, use neem oil only in indirect light or in the evening. Also, neem oil should not be used in extreme temperatures, such as those that are too hot or too cold. Avoid using it on plants that have been stressed by drought or overwatering.

Neem oil insecticide, applied once a week, will help eliminate pests and prevent fungal infections. Apply as you would other oil-based sprays, being sure to completely coat the leaves, especially where the pest or fungal problem is the severe.

Do I need to rinse off neem oil?

In most circumstances, neem oil does not need to be rinsed off of typical indoor plants. However, if you used neem oil to treat your indoor herbs and indoor fruit trees that you are growing in a greenhouse or solarium, it is critical to thoroughly clean the herbs and fruit before consuming them.

How Often To Use Neem Foliar Sprays

Clarified hydrophobic neem oil, a processed form of organic neem oil pesticide, is used in neem foliar sprays.

The majority of the active components in Azadirachtin have been eliminated, resulting in quantities of.5% to 3%.

Neem foliar sprays choke insects on contact and kill some external fungal illnesses and infections as a topical remedy.

However, for it to function, it must be applied every other day for at least 14 days.

To avoid contact with helpful insects like ladybugs and honeybees, apply at dark or morning.

After you’ve gotten rid of any existing infestations, you can use the foliar spray once every two weeks as a preventative measure. When using Neem Oil Sprays, be sure to read the Do’s and Don’ts.

How Often To Use Neem Soil Soaks

Pour this neem oil for plants on the soil and allow the roots to absorb it, converting it to a systemic pesticide.

The Azadirachtin will last for up to 22 days inside the plant. Only piercing or chewing bugs will be affected.

Repeat the soil soaks every 21 days to maintain the effectiveness of the Azadirachtin.

Most infestations are killed by azadirachtin without hurting pollinators or useful creatures like earthworms or predator species. It will, however, aid in the treatment of a variety of bacterial and fungal illnesses, including some types of root rot.

When NOT To Use Neem Oil

While neem is non-toxic and is commonly used in toothpaste, it is generally acknowledged that you should not apply it to a food plant on the day it is harvested.

You can use a foliar spray the day before harvest or soil soaks. If you don’t apply it on the day of harvest, you’ll consume less.

Another important requirement is to test a small portion of a plant one day prior to utilizing neem oil goods.

Even natural materials can cause allergies and sensitivities in plants, just as they can in humans.

You can check for evidence of chemical burns or allergic responses by testing a small section of the plant first.

You may only need to test once if you use neem on a regular basis. However, if you haven’t applied neem oil on the plant for a long time, you should always retest it.

You should stop using neem products on that plant right once if you see an adverse reaction during testing or regular use.

What is the ratio of neem oil to water?

2 tablespoons (1 ounce) Neem Oil per gallon of water In a quart of water, combine 0.5 tablespoons (0.25-0.50) fluid ounces of Neem Oil. Spray all plant surfaces (including the undersides of leaves) until totally moist after thoroughly mixing the solution.

What plants do not use neem oil?

Neem is a pesticide that is produced naturally from the seeds of the neem tree (Azadirachta indica). Tropical woods in Burma, India, and Sri Lanka are home to neem trees. For hundreds of years, the tree’s natural range has been employed as a botanical insecticide. Neem products have become fairly easy to purchase at most garden centers, thanks to a growing interest in organic and less-toxic pesticide solutions. Many gardeners may now reach for it first when they have a pest problem. If you understand how neem works and simply apply items according to label instructions, it can be a valuable component in an integrated pest management strategy.

One of two active components is commonly found in neem products. Azadirachtin, a chemical obtained from neem seed oil, is primarily responsible for insect killing and repellence. The residual material is known as clarified hydrophobic neem oil after the Azadirachtin is extracted from neem oil. Azadiractin is exclusively found in commercial insecticides and is used to alter the hormones that control insect growth and reproduction. The active ingredient in ready-to-use neem oil sprays that may be purchased at a garden center is clarified hydrophobic neem oil.

Neem oil can be used to treat a variety of insect and fungal diseases. It suffocates insects by coating their bodies in oil, which clogs their breathing holes. It works best on insects that are still juvenile. Adult insects aren’t usually killed when they reach maturity, so they can continue to feed and reproduce. As a result, timing a neem oil spray requires constant monitoring of insect lifecycles.

Even if you apply neem to immature-stage insects, don’t expect to see results right away. It takes time to work, and it may be necessary to reapply to totally reduce bug populations. Pests handled by neem pesticide products include aphids, beetle larvae, caterpillars, lacebugs, leaf hoppers, leafminers, mealy bugs, thrips, and whiteflies. Make sure to identify insects precisely, and only use neem oil if the pest is indicated on the label. Both beneficial and pest insects can be harmed by neem.

Powdery mildew is one of the fungal diseases that can be treated with neem oil. It acts by preventing fungus spores from germinating and penetrating leaf tissue. Although neem won’t “cure” a plant sick with a fungal disease, it can assist limit the illness’s spread to good tissue.

Products containing neem oil are frequently labeled for a variety of crops, including herbs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and decorative plants. Neem oil can harm plants by burning their foliage, regardless of the type of plant being treated. Use with caution on newly transplanted or stressed plants. Though neem oil must thoroughly coat plants to be effective, it is a good idea to try the product on a limited area first. If there are no toxicity signs in that area, the entire plant can be treated.

This article’s use of specific brand or trade names is only for educational reasons. The University of New Hampshire does not recommend one product over another with similar ingredients, and it does not guarantee the efficacy or quality of any product. The user is responsible for only using pesticides according to the label’s instructions and in accordance with the law. Product availability is subject to vary based on the state of New Hampshire’s registration status and other considerations.

How do you spray plants with neem oil?

We’ll assume you have a mixture of water and Neem Oil, as we did in the previous step, for this section. For this section, you can alternatively use a store-bought mix. You can use Neem Oil on your plants in a variety of ways:

Neem Oil is thicker than water and does not mix well with it because it is an oil. Make sure the water you’re using is warm while mixing these two items. This makes it much easy to combine the two. If you’re using a spray bottle, make sure the water, Neem Oil, and soap are all mixed together before using it. Let us discuss the merits and downsides of these three strategies.

Misting your plants

By far the quickest way to apply Neem Oil to your plants in order to combat the pest is to mist them. You may, however, overlook spots on your plant if you mist it. If the bugs on your plant aren’t too numerous, this is acceptable. If the pest is really active, you’ll have to spritz the plant several times to ensure that you’ve gotten everything. If the bug is active and extensive, wiping your plant can be a better option.

Wiping your plants

Wipe down your plant with the Neem Oil and soap mixture using a microfiber cloth or cotton ball if you want to be thorough and make sure you’re not missing any portions. Depending on the size of your plant, completely wiping it off will take a lot longer time.

Remove pests using Q-Tips

If you have spider mites, you can use a Q-Tip dipped in the Neem Oil combination to remove them from your plant. You’re marking the location where the insect was and it won’t return by putting the Q-Tip in the Neem Oil mixture. You’ll also destroy the pests you’re contacting with your Q-Tip if you use this strategy.

Can you use too much neem oil on plants?

Yes, too much neem oil can harm plants by forming a coating on the leaves’ surface. The leaves are suffocated and unable to produce food as a result.

Due of the heat from the sun, the excess neem oil will cause the leaves to burn. If you spray it on the ground, the neem may penetrate the roots and cause damage.

If you use too much neem, it might be poisonous to your plants and cause difficulties. Beneficial insects and aquatic life can potentially be poisoned by it.

Neem oil is also safe to use on edible plants. However, you must take the same care. You must dilute it with water and apply the appropriate amount. Plants will be harmed if they are exposed to too much neem oil.


Religion impacts all of our daily lives - whether we are religious or not.  Rev. Mark Fowler, Executive Director of Tanenbaum, talks about how religion has shaped our society for centuries, how to spot religious prejudice, and how to build respect.
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Pandemic Headwinds

6 May 2022

Lockdowns lead to oil demand slowdown

Since the first outbreak of Covid-19 in Wuhan in late 2019, China has opted for an aggressive policy to fight the virus. It isolated Wuhan and forced the citizens of the city to stay home for several weeks in early 2020 to prevent the spread of the virus and has targeted a Zero-COVID policy since then. This policy was successful during 2020 and 2021 as the rest of the world went through several waves of infections and China was relatively unaffected. Since then, several vaccines against COVID-19 have been developed and much of the global population has been vaccinated. Many Western countries started relaxing their COVID protocols to varying degrees as the population became increasingly unhappy and vaccination rates reduced the risk significantly.

However, China did not change its policies. In the first quarter of 2022, as more infectious COVID strains have started spreading in China, the country maintained its aggressive approach by ordering lockdowns in several large cities and other areas in the country. These restrictions affect both global supply chains as well as local oil demand. China is the second largest oil consuming country and the leading importer of seaborne crude oil and by far the biggest source of tanker demand. This week, we will look at the impact of China’s lockdowns on the tanker market.

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Hi everyone, let me thank you in advance for your support on this.
I have a couple of questions in relation to the economics of the search and the voting rights of the Principals post-deal:

1) If the Principals manage to close a transaction before the search deadline, which results in saving some search capital budget, what traditionally happens to that amount of saved capital? Does it roll into the deal to minimize the required acquisition equity or there are other possibilities?

2) Post-deal, and considering the typical structure of double tranche of preferred equity for investors (Class A redeemable at 15% coupon + Class B participating non redeemable at 0% coupon) how much voting rights do the Principals keep? Asking this specifically to understand how much "freedom" will the Principals have in executing extra-ordinary finance transactions (without having to go back to up to 16 different investors to get the approval).

Once again many thanks in advance for you support!