I got altitude psychosis a few hundred meters from high camp as I scaled the frigid face of Huayna Potosí one of the highest mountains in the Bolivian Andes and the sugar high from my last frozen-solid Snickers bar had all but faded into a combination of low-key anxiety and vertigo by the time I started hallucinating birds with giant geometrically patterned wings alighting gently on the ice-slicked rocks around me With the help of a phenomenal local guide and a lot of luck I still do multiday treks at altitude in the Andes and Caucasus mountains but I follow some hard rules to keep myself safe I first glimpsed Huayna Potosí, a mountain near La Paz and El Alto the massive freshwater lake linking Peru and Bolivia "I can climb that," and I set forth to summit on my 40th birthday But then I started hallucinating and violently vomiting as I tenuously made my way up to high camp crampons skidding and slipping off the packed ice as exhaustion and confusion set in I made it to high camp and spent the night in an orange geodesic dome perched on the mountain's precarious eastern side I spent all night prying open the triangular door with a screwdriver vomiting spectacularly on the rocks outside and marveling at how gorgeous the stars looked at that height High-altitude psychosis generally occurs at heights of 7,000 meters or higher though it can strike hikers trekking at lower altitudes it's a uniquely terrifying ailment that manifests as intense hallucinations and disappears once you descend While high-altitude psychosis doesn't always happen in tandem with altitude sickness my doctor speculated that my experience had a lot to do with not acclimatizing properly and minimizing the effects of altitude sickness through a regimen of over-the-counter medication and natural remedies like coca tea An article published last year in Frontiers in Psychiatry said that while there were several reports of psychosis during exposure to high altitude the ailment hadn't been assigned to a diagnostic category he gave me spoonfuls of raw sugar and plenty of water and descended with me at first light I still love multiday trekking and mountain climbing I just recently got back from a four-day journey through the high Caucasus where I had to scurry up steep rock scrambles sharply declining cow paths for 15 miles a day The mountains are majestic and restorative I have new rules for staying both mentally and physically safe at altitude and on extreme outdoor adventures Proper acclimatization is the first rule I like to spend at least three or four days adjusting to my new altitude I lie low during the first day or two and take a tentative and exploratory short hike on the third or fourth Doing this allows me to assess how my body is performing and regulating at the new heights — and a shorter less intense hike lets me know what to expect on a longer slog I also limit the amount of over-the-counter medicine I take powering through the first few fuzzy days of headache and fatigue until my body settles I still drink coca tea to ward off some symptoms I can ensure that it's functioning optimally and ready for the hike While I was fairly fit and prepared to climb Huayna Potosí I didn't consider the mental or extreme physical toll the mountain would take Knowing your limits is tough but essential I should've trained and acclimatized to the environment for a few extra months before taking my first step up the eastern side Life happens at the extremes, which is why it's always a good idea to climb that mountain The responsible way to do it is to balance your athletic ability stay in tune with your body's response to altitude Got a personal essay about celebrating your 40th birthday? Get in touch with the editor: akarplus@businessinsider.com. Meet Adam Lavis, our LR surveyor based in Perth Australia Perth is often referred to as the most isolated city in the world. My role as a surveyor brings me face-to-face with some of the most significant operations on the planet, including the world’s largest bulk export port. This along with over 15 other remote ports throughout fall within our domain. I’m very fortunate to work within an experienced and diverse team. On any given day, you’ll find us engaged in naval new construction, conducting surveys locally, or travelling to remote ports. We also attend six offshore oil and gas facilities and over 80 tugboats classed with LR. Although our team is small, our combined expertise and teamwork ensure that everything runs smoothly. Travel is just part of our job description. What would usually be straightforward surveys become more challenging when a two-hour flight is needed just to reach the port. You might think that turning up to the airport in a bright orange boiler suit would be unusual, but such is the mining industry here in Perth, where high-vis clothing is the norm; you’d stand out if you weren’t in it. Stamping ship certificates for the first time felt like a daunting task, especially since it can’t be completed within your training period. I have been fortunate to work with a team that is incredibly willing to share their knowledge throughout my training. Now, stamping certificates confirming ships are safe has become part of the routine and a hugely satisfying part of my job. I joined as a graduate surveyor on the Graduate Training Scheme at the beginning of 2022, having just completed a Bachelor of Engineering (Naval Architecture) with honours from the Australian Maritime College. Initially, the focus was hands-on training with the Perth team across their diverse range of surveys. Two and a half years in, with nearly a year spent in Singapore, I can take on more of the workload as we share the surveys. My training has been greatly enriched by the diverse teams at LR. The experiences I've had with LR in Singapore, particularly the opportunity to integrate with their shipyard teams, have been pivotal in my professional development. This unique experience, not commonly found in Australia, has significantly accelerated my growth, as evidenced by the increasingly diverse surveys I’m entrusted with.  As a young surveyor I’m often asked my age during surveys. It’s been one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced. Ultimately, through my interactions, people recognise my capabilities, and we can begin working together, though it can create a challenging dynamic at first. I’ve drawn on the experiences from LR training programmes, along with the guidance of my line manager and mentor, to develop strategies that help me navigate these situations. Sport is a huge part of Australian culture; I have fond memories of the backyard cricket games with my younger brothers. Growing up, I played cricket, soccer (football), tennis, rowing, sailing and rugby. However, it was sailing that I fell in love with. My passion for it is a large reason I chose to pursue this career. I spent every weekend sailing and competed in the national championships each summer. Perth is an excellent city for sailing, and I still spend my weekends on the water! Discover a career where your knowledge and expertise are harnessed and used to make positive changes to the maritime industry Morgan van de Rede1 May 2025 | 13:06Police probing murder of teen in Bishop LavisPolice are investigating the killing of an 18-year-old who was shot and killed in Bishop Lavis on Thursday.South African Police Service (SAPS)Picture: X/SAPoliceService Sections Volume 11 - 2024 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2024.1393778 This article is part of the Research TopicBiomarkers for Progressive Pulmonary FibrosisView all 8 articles Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a rare and progressive interstitial lung disease with an average survival of approximately 3 years with some patients presenting a relatively stable condition with limited progression over time other interstitial lung diseases can lead to pulmonary fibrosis and up to a third have a progressive phenotype with the same prognosis as IPF and radiological risk factors of progression were identified but no specific biomarkers of fibrogenesis are currently available A recent interest in the fibroblast activation protein alpha (FAPα) has emerged FAPα is a transmembrane serine protease with extracellular activity also named anti-plasmin cleaving enzyme (APCE) FAPα is specifically expressed by activated fibroblasts and quinoline-based specific inhibitors (FAPI) were developed allowing us to visualize its distribution in vivo by imaging techniques we discuss the use of FAPα as a useful biomarker for the progression of lung fibrosis by both its assessment in human fluids and/or its detection by imaging techniques and immunohistochemistry indicating the necessity to identify markers of disease progression to better guide doctors in the choice of treatment we review different studies that reveal fibroblast activation protein α (FAPα) as a potential novel marker of fibrogenesis progression in fibrotic lung diseases The use of a FAPα inhibitor on isolated keloid fibroblasts reduced their invasion but did not influence procollagen I and fibronectin synthesis Overall, these studies showed contradictory results, with mice inactivated for FAPα appearing to be more susceptible to fibrosis (41, 45), whereas pharmacological inhibitors of FAPα seem to reduce the development of fibrosis in various mouse models (32, 47, 49) more studies need to be performed to better understand FAPα pathophysiology as well as the precise mechanism of action of these inhibitors before considering it as a potential therapeutic target we will discuss different studies that provide substantial evidence to support this assertion Figure 2. Assessment of FAPα levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from control subjects (CTRL) and patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) with either a stable or a progressive phenotype according to the 2022 ATS/ERS/JRS/ALAT Clinical Practice Guidelines (10). Data are reproduced from Lavis et al. (51) there are few studies evaluating the association of FAPα plasma or serum levels with fibrosis and the data are still controversial preliminary data on the use of FAPα BALF concentrations as biomarker of lung fibrosis seem encouraging these results were obtained on a small cohort of IPF patients and multicenter studies should be performed to validate FAPα BALF levels as a biomarker of IPF and possibly as other progressive ILD In agreement with the studies described above a significantly higher uptake of FAPI was observed in the lower lobes of IPF patients than controls SPECT imaging has advantage of being cheaper and delivering less radiation than PET/CT FAPI uptake specificity for fibrogenesis was also observed in a model of tendinopathy with a high uptake of the tracer at day 7 after the injury and no significant difference after 4 weeks (70) and also allowed to discriminate inflammatory and fibrotic lesions in IgG4-related disease (71) Song et al. (72) used a model of lung fibrosis induced by paraquat poisoning and observed a higher uptake of Al18F-NODA-FAPI-04 in poisoned mice than controls Two patients after paraquat poisoning were also included and a diffuse uptake in the lung bases was observed As this imaging technique also seems promising a study to compare FAPI and 129Xenon uptake to assess ILD progression and response to antifibrotic treatment could be performed 68Ga-FAPI uptake assessed by PET/CT in a patient with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and the corresponding high-resolution CT An intense uptake of the radiotracer is observed in some subpleural lesions (blue arrows) whereas some present a weak uptake (green arrow) suggesting a lower fibrogenesis activity kindly provided by the Department of Nuclear Medicine of the Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB) Currently, FAPI coupled with 68Ga is the mostly used radiotracer (33, 63, 65), but some studies evaluating FAPI coupled with 18F or 99Tc have also demonstrated their feasibility and their ability to identify fibrotic lesions (64, 68) Further studies should be carried out to identify which pairing (subtype of FAPI and labeling) gives the best results in identifying lesions of fibrogenesis with the lowest background and unspecific uptake FAPI imaging is a promising tool to help clinicians determine the best timing to start antifibrotic treatments in non-IPF pulmonary fibrosis or evaluate the impact of other therapeutical interventions We should keep in mind that even if the results are encouraging more studies should be carried out to exactly determine how FAPI PET/CT imaging could be used as part of patient management FAPα staining appears to be a sensible marker of fibroblast foci that could be implemented in routine practice to help identifying fibroblast foci and therefore precise patients’ prognosis Some studies could also be conducted to confirm the expression of FAPα by alveolar epithelial cells and verify whether it can be a novel marker of cells undergoing EMT in lung fibrosis Perspectives on the use of the fibroblast activation protein α (FAPα) as a future biomarker of fibrogenesis in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and other fibrosing interstitial lung diseases (ILD) positron emission tomography/computed tomography; SPECT single-photon emission computed tomography Among fluids of interest, the assessment of FAPα in BALF seems particularly promising. Indeed, FAPα BALF levels are higher in IPF patients than controls and are associated with the progression of the disease (51). Currently, a BALF is performed in the majority of patients with a suspected ILD (2) and FAPα measurement could therefore be easily implemented as one of the parameters to be analyzed Our study involved a limited number of IPF patients and these results should be validated in larger multicenter studies but could eventually provide an assessment of a patient’s risk of progression at diagnosis FAPα concentrations should also be measured on BALF from non-IPF ILD patients and could allow the identification of PPF patients in this group The association between FAPα BALF levels and the severity of the disease could also be assessed For some ILD patients, the diagnosis of the etiology of lung fibrosis is difficult, and then, a surgical lung biopsy or a cryobiopsy is recommended (2). As FAPα helps identifying more precisely fibroblast foci and their number and size seem to be associated with the prognosis of the patient, this staining could be performed on lung samples and define the exact number of active lesions of the patient (39) Such studies on ILD patients could be considered given the specificity of FAPI for activated fibroblasts mediating the progression of IPF and other PPF appears promising for assessing the risk of progression in fibrotic patients The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research PL has a PhD scholarship from the Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research (FNRS-FC 43697) and is a grant holder of Fonds Erasme BB received grants from Fonds Erasme and FNRS (CDR-J.0017.24) The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and 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This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Benjamin Bondue, YmVuamFtaW4uYm9uZHVlQHVsYi5iZQ== Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher. 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish. Published: Feb 16, 2025written by Elizabeth Lavis it’s difficult to beat the views from the Fortress of Gualita If you love nature, San Marino is an excellent place to visit. You’ll find trails, paths, and treks for people of every fitness level and need and you’ll have the chance to spot plenty of animals in the air and in the fields people who live in this republic enjoy an incredible quality of life and consider putting it on your must-visit vacation list in the future San Marino stretches a mere eight miles and gets its hilly terrain from proximity to Mount Titano a limestone mountain that’s a full 2,424 feet tall and Marano streams and the Romagna plain to the north you’ll also find riverbanks in the country which is just a four-hour drive from the heart of San Marino San Marino is also an intensely bio-diverse republic with an abundance of different animal and plant species This wonderfully diverse ecosystem is likely due to the fact that there are so many different landscapes in the small country You’ll also find different types of animals which can be territorial animals and may be aggressive if they feel threatened Keep your eyes peeled if you’re walking through the countryside San Marino has a lovely overall climate and several smaller microclimates The summer temperatures are in the balmy 70s and the winter temperatures are in the teens the humidity can contribute to the overall heat index meaning that cooler spring is an excellent time to visit the country You can also visit in the fall when the temperature starts to dip a bit While neighboring Rome is a cautionary tale of the dangers of over-tourism San Marino has been spared this fate so far and the tourism sector makes up an important part of the economy One of the things that makes this republic so attractive is its small size so you can see all or most of the country in a handful of days Additional sectors include agriculture; particularly grapes and wheat and you’ll find plenty of farmland in San Marino’s verdant valleys It’s also becoming a top place for electronics production San Marino has a thriving fashion industry and is an excellent spot to pick up those hard-to-find souvenirs You’ll find ancient people on the streets of San Marino city and throughout the countryside These citizens are descendants of the followers of St Marinus and are the original San Marino residents They populated the tiny republic in the 4th Century and make up the vast majority of the population making them the second largest group after the Sammarinesi Most of the people in San Marino are Roman Catholic, and the Sammarinesi diaspora is spread throughout the world. Although San Marino is not in the European Union, it is in the middle of Italy, and therefore, visitors need to go through the Schengen Zone to get there you may need a visa to enter the Schengen Zone and Italy Those who live in San Marino enjoy a high quality of life and excellent social programs. The state regularly creates jobs to combat unemployment, and everyone who lives there enjoys excellent healthcare that covers regular doctor visits San Marino residents also enjoy free education and you can apply for assistance to buy a home While residents of San Marino enjoy excellent healthcare and a good safety net you’ll still want to make sure that you’re insured if you visit Good travel insurance can save you plenty of headaches while on the road a lovely beach town on the Adriatic Sea (located outside of San Marino in Italy) including a cosmopolitan capital city on the edge of Mount Titano Visitors will feel like they’ve stepped back in time a stately landmark where you can also get tremendous views There are a lot of great things to do in the capital city but one of the best might be to get a coffee and wander through the streets you can always make the capital your home base for exploring the rest of the country San Marino is ruled by the Great and General Council which dates back to the 1600s and is comprised of 60 people These Parliament members are up for election every five years giving the citizens of San Marino the opportunity to shake things if they need to The function of the Great and General Council is to serve the people of San Marino and create and implement laws Each member of the Parliament needs to be at least 25 years or older and not represented in any other legal or law enforcement body San Marino sits on the Northeastern side of Italy near the Adriatic Sea and the seaside town of Rimini but you can get easy transportation to Rimini which is less than half an hour away from the republic There are also several roads that run through San Marino and link up with Italy on all different sides you’ll need to fly into the Federico Fellini International Airport Since you can’t fly directly into San Marino you’ll need to have a valid visa to visit Italy While you won’t get an official passport stamp for San Marino you can get a souvenir stamp in your passport that will remind you of your time in the country San Marino is easily one of the most interesting and unique places on the planet This tiny republic is full of fantastic nature If you want to experience something a bit off the beaten path it’s time to consider visiting this charming country within a country Elizabeth Lavis is the co-author of two Lonely Planet books and has multiple bylines in print and digital travel-related publications We have the address for the funeral home & the family on file If you're not happy with your card we'll send a replacement or refund your money The family of David Robert Lavis created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories Made with love by funeralOne was discovered dead in her vehicle Authorities are probing the murders of an off-duty constable stationed at the Bishop Lavis Police Station and administrative clerk at the Kraaifontein SAPS in separate incidents.  the body of a 31-year-old off-duty constable stationed at the Bishop Lavis Police Station was discovered in her car in Langa Police spokesperson Novela Potelwa said the Hawks were investigating “The 31-year-old female constable who was attached to Bishop Lavis SAPS was discovered in her vehicle close to a primary school in Bennie Street with gunshot wounds "When she left her home in Kraaifontein on (Friday) night after knocking off duty she was heading to an evening church service KwaLanga "Directorate for Priority Crime detectives have initiated a murder investigation with no arrests effected yet.” Sub Council Chairperson Angus Mckenzie conveyed his condolences describing the murder of the officer as a significant loss to the policing family.  He said: “It is with great sadness that I have learnt of the murder of a 31-year-old female Bishop Lavis Police officer was off duty at the time and was found in the vehicle (Saturday) morning.  "Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and her colleagues and the great policing family The killing of any officer is tantamount to terrorism and such actions require nothing less than the full might of the law brought against the perpetrators We are deeply hurt and sad and mourn the loss of this well-loved officer.” social media users reacted with shock to footage of two women being shot in a parking lot next to the Gatesville Mosque in Athlone The video depicted one woman deceased outside a white VW Polo with the back door of the car open and another woman lying nearby as bystanders looked on A woman is seen opening the boot of the car taking out what appears to be a baby blanket which she used to cover the deceased woman Police spokesperson Malcolm Pojie confirmed that the deceased woman was a 35-year-old administrative clerk at the Kraaifontein SAPS.  A 56-year-old woman was also wounded in the shooting and taken to a medical facility for treatment Pojie said: “Athlone police subsequently registered a murder and attempted murder case which will be probed by detectives attached to the Anti-Gang Unit "Preliminary information suggests that two armed men accosted the deceased as she and the injured woman alighted the vehicle they were travelling in.” Anyone with information on the incidents is urged to contact Crime Stop anonymously at 08600 10111 or through the MySAPS mobile application Cape Times aim to make the editorial mix such that readers get everything they need between pages first thing in the morning: news lifestyle and provocative commentary from leading columnists Read more AVBOB celebrates a milestone by rewarding its members on a large scale CAPE TOWN - The Anti-Gang Unit is investigating cases of murder and attempted murder after six people were killed and two wounded in Bishop Lavis Police say a gunman entered an informal dwelling and opened fire READ: Six people shot dead in Bishop Lavis This shooting comes after five people were killed in Atlantis Detroit Medical Center told patients that when they walked into the emergency room at one of their hospitals it would take about 29 minutes on average to see a doctor It's a statistic the health system has been very proud to share and in the last year DMC says they've improved that statistic even further they took a survey of patients asking them how they could improve care DMC says the most significant feedback they received from patients was requests to improve wait times in the ER "We started looking at 'Okay where were we before the pandemic?' We have the same physician group that we had then and try to dissect it," said CEO Brittany Lavis "This is what our patients want and what our patients need streamlining the triage and registration processes they cut the average time it takes a patient to see a doctor in the ER down to 21 minutes on average across their hospitals the average time is even faster at 18 minutes "Anytime you’re coming in for an emergency it’s not where you want to be it always seems to be right when you’re putting the kids to bed," said Lavis "I think the biggest thing is just getting people on to the next phase but also getting them answers it’s not even so much the inconvenience of waiting for that answer it’s the stress to your body just not knowing the answer Some people come in for emergencies that maybe aren’t that serious but when there is something really serious we owe it to our patients to get them an answer faster." Lavis says they're now focusing on reducing the total time a patient spends at the hospital from the emergency room to discharge it takes a patient 168 minutes on average from walk-in to discharge The health system is aiming to reduce that number to 150 minutes what we talk about the golden hour because sometimes when important organs are involved sometimes all you have is about an hour to intervene to ensure those organs survive," said Dr Elrod has worked at Detroit Receiving Hospital for more than three decades and is currently the hospital's Chief of Staff He says he can remember the days when everything was handwritten including discharge instructions He says at that time is was nearly impossible to streamline or speed up the process of getting patients treated and out of the door Elrod also spoke about the challenges they faced during the pandemic which not only impacted patient trust but made it difficult to get patients in and out in a short time "Patients were fearful about coming to facilities where they thought not only would they be sick So it was just an awful feeling because I’ve been here for so long "We’ve been in this community for a long time insured or not and we’ve taken on really those patients that many institutions wouldn’t So coming back out of the pandemic we had to reassure them that we were ready standing by to take care of them again and they could feel safe coming back here." DMC says the improvements not only mean making the patient experience better but it could also mean saving more lives as they work to build trust with patients after the pandemic "We have not reached our destination yet we’re very proud of the work that we’ve done and we’re going to relentlessly pursue it," said Lavis 0861 99 00 44    Studio@smile904.fm Crime fighters in Bishop Lavis believe the decision of the Western Cape SAPS Management to make personnel changes is one of the reasons for an increase in murders in the area the City of Cape Town accounted for 12 of the top 30 stations for murder in the country READ MORE: WC records most gang murders with Mfuleni labelled murder capital Murder cases in Bishop Lavis during that time increased by 18 counts to 44 cases compared to the same period in the previous year the region ranked as the 18th most dangerous precinct in South Africa for murder The Bishop Lavis Crime Prevention Forum (BLCPF) has expressed deep concern about this further noting that 35 of those cases were gang-related BLCPF spokesperson Graham Lindhorst attributed the surge in killings to personnel changes at the local police station the rise in crime coincides with the transfer of two senior and “very decorated” Visible Policing (Vispol) colonels from Bishop Lavis SAPS Lindhorst said this decision was taken without consultation or further communication with the relevant stakeholders He said there was no discussion on what the impact of this will be on precinct Bishop Lavis is also among the seven Western Cape precincts that ranked in the country’s top 30 for attempted murder It ranked fourth in the province and 21st in the country Bishop Lavis was identified as the only region in the country where a total of seven murder victims were recorded in one incident This was in a gang-related shooting in October last year READ MORE: Three arrested after Bishop Lavis mass shooting Lindhorst said it is clear that “no thought” went into the Western Cape SAPS management’s decision to make the transfer The BLCPF is now calling for those officers to be brought back to the precinct © Smile904.fm hosted and supported by ImmediaTerms of Use | General Contest Guidelines|Archive|Advertise with us|Privacy Policy|Contact Us When the wind rattled the metal roof of the building thinking of the waves crashing on the beach Misha comes from the small, mountainous Caucasian country of Georgia at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia He is 37 and has lived through the fall of the Soviet Union My teenage years in the 1990s were spent back in the US and dominated by suburban grunge ennui and the fact that the age on my fake ID never quite matched my baby face and uncertainty marked Misha's formative years Misha's family speaks almost exclusively Russian and Georgian making communication with his mother and sisters difficult my understanding of it is still rudimentary While I'm included in his family gatherings I always feel like an outsider because I can't fully understand or contribute to the conversation It's entirely on me to learn the language of the country I'm living in and I accept that it's what I need to do to bridge the gap It's also nearly impossible for Misha to get a visa to meet my family in the US which leads to all sorts of thorny and challenging questions from well-meaning family members who can't quite understand passport privilege and coworking spots don't open until about 10 a.m. he looked at me as if I'd suggested we sit down for our evening meal at 2 p.m Our concept of comfort food is drastically different The nostalgia in a box that is Kraft mac and cheese doesn't appeal to Misha who turns his nose up at powdered cheese and uncooked elbow pasta but will enthusiastically slurp down a white grainy porridge that he liberally spikes with sugar and Svan salt I can understand how powdered cheese and hot dogs would land funny with an adult who hasn't been weaned on the preservative-laden goodness that comes in a navy-blue-and-yellow box or a vacuum-sealed pack of Sahlen's For us, communication and compromise are the best ways to keep the peace We both take a few steps outside our comfort zones; I agree to eat dinner at 8:30 p.m. and Misha agrees to consider a retirement and investment strategy He was reluctant to have these conversations I am taking Georgian lessons several times a week and my parents have both independently come to Tbilisi to spend time with Misha That's OK — as long as we practice negotiation and patience in our quest to appreciate and understand each other's cultures Got a personal essay about culture shock or relocating that you want to share? Get in touch with the editor: akarplus@businessinsider.com. CAPE TOWN - It's unclear why only two suspects appeared in the Bishop Lavis Magistrates Court for the mass murder of seven people and one attempted murder in the area This after SAPS detectives arrested three suspects in Valhalla Park last Friday, who are linked to the mass killing. Police said that armed men entered the backyard of an informal dwelling last Thursday, where they shot and killed six people on Kogelberg Road. A seventh person died in hospital the following day. One survivor remains in a critical condition. The magistrate told EWN that the court proceedings for the two suspects would take place in-camera behind closed doors. This is because one of the two accused is a 17-year-old teen. He appeared along with a 27-year-old Austin Spandiel. They are charged with seven counts of murder, one attempted murder, and possession of an illegal firearm. The court corridors were unusually empty, contrary to the norm where cases of this nature attract scores of community members. The two suspects will remain behind bars until their next appearance on Friday for a bail application. As I tucked into a bowl of wisp-thin Thai rice noodles studded with bok choy and sprinkled with fried garlic all I could do was wax poetic about Buffalo wings My favorite basket always came from a local dive bar in Western New York Throughout the three years I lived in Thailand a few Chang beers or a familiar Garth Brooks song about friends in low places would often prompt me to crave a seat at that bar with wings on one side and Reuben fries on the other I was excited to bathe my eager tastebuds in all the Frank's hot sauce and meaty wings and wash it down with an ice-cold Loganberry soda The old classic dishes didn't offer the culinary homecoming I'd been hoping for I got horrid stomach cramps and acute nausea The Buffalo wing mythology no longer held up After breaking up with my long-term boyfriend, crashing my car, and quitting my job — in that order — I moved to Koh Samui extending my initial six months to three years the beaches with water the color of blue topaz The ice-cold pineapples tasted as sweet as sponge candy (a treat from Buffalo similar to toffee) Lunch usually included spicy som tom with sour tamarind along with coconut water straight from the shell — always served with a little spoon to dig out the creamy flesh Fresh Thai food and the tropical climate did come with a few tradeoffs would plop in front of me and scuttle away to some dark corner of my bathroom as I shrieked and swatted to no avail Packs of stray dogs and lumbering monitor lizards shared urban space even taking refuge in air-conditioned 7-11s during the most sweltering days Thai transportation wasn't always reliable or safe including rickety trains that often ran late Sometimes you'd hear horror stories about them derailing I heard an unsubstantiated and harrowing rumor about a monkey that climbed up a train toilet and terrorized the passengers until someone tranquilized it While this particular story might be a total myth anyone who's ever ridden those trains knows that a stowaway is not entirely implausible After three years in Thailand and the Great Lakes comfort food I'd been pining for Buffalo is gloriously predictable in the best possible way and often served with a big cup of chunky blue cheese my tastebuds had veered sharply from the local cuisine during my years away Beyond catching up with family and old friends my happy homecoming felt more like visiting a distant place full of friendly and familiar faces than settling back into my comfort zone I even realized that my definition of comfort food had changed My plan was to chase epic surfing on the Pacific Coast When I left for Thailand almost a decade ago I imagined that I'd be going back to my "real life" after six months I understand that traveling is my "real life," and it's as authentic and valid as a stationary one the chaotic streets of Bangkok or the cozy bar-rooms of Buffalo still whisper my name Got a personal essay about culture shock or relocating that you want to share? Get in touch with the editor: akarplus@businessinsider.com Three people have been arrested in connection with a shooting that occurred in Bishop Lavis on Thursday night Seven people died in the mass killing after gunmen opened fire on them in Kogelberg Street The arrests come after a SAPS WC multidisciplinary tracing team worked through the night Additional deployments were also assigned to the area and will remain there until the situation has been stabilised investigations into another mass shooting in Atlantis continue and Wednesday’s deadly shooting in Atlantis She has requested additional crime intelligence to be deployed to the province and metro to help alleviate the load of local crime investigators READ: Fatalities in Bishop Lavis shooting rises to 7 Melikhaya Zagagana26 October 2024 | 9:15Anti-gang unit helping with Bishop Lavis mass shootingSix people were shot and killed after armed suspects entered the backyard of a property in Kogelberg road on Thursday night.Mass shootingPicture: @SAPoliceService/X CAPE TOWN - The police’s anti-gang unit is assisting with the investigation into the Bishop Lavis mass shooting. Six people were shot and killed after armed suspects entered the backyard of a property in Kogelberg road on Thursday night. Two others were wounded and hospitalised. One has since died. So far, three suspects have been arrested in connection with the incident. The shooting came just a day after five other people were shot and killed at Atlantis on Wednesday night. Meanwhile, a woman who found the Bishop Lavis victims says they were innocent people… "I don't know who they are really. I only knew one girl, she didn't [do] drugs. But the others did drugs. But they were innocent people, they are not gangsters also. They drug on their own, play cards. They have nice time like that but not fighting." CAPE TOWN - Three suspects linked to the murder of seven people in Bishop Lavis are expected to appear in court on Monday. The trio, arrested on Friday, is facing multiple charges including seven counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. The suspects allegedly shot at eight people in a backyard dwelling at a house in Bishop Lavis on Thursday night. Six people died on the scene while two others were injured and taken to hospital, where one of the survivors died a day later. Police believe the attack was gang-related. The incident follows a mass murder of five people at Atlantis in the same week. Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors READ MORE: No foreign DNA or witnesses in alleged rape of seven-year-old girl The City of Cape Town’s Safety and Security Directorate has lost another one of its own after a law enforcement officer turned his gun on himself at the Bishop Lavis armoury this afternoon The officer — who is believed to be aged in his 30s — had apparently been experiencing problems in his personal life which led to his suicide The City’s Law Enforcement spokesperson Wayne Dyason confirmed the incident “We are shocked and saddened by the death of one of our Law Enforcement officers today The officer shot himself in the bathroom at the Law Enforcement base in Bishop Lavis just after midday,” Dyason explained It is still uncertain whether the official left behind a note to provide his loved ones with some sense of closure “The circumstances that led to the incident are unclear but we ask that his family and colleagues are afforded space and privacy during this very difficult time The Department is providing support to the officer’s family through the City’s Employee Assistance Programme,” Dyason added Western Cape Police spokesperson Malcolm Pojie said an inquest docket has been opened “Bishop Lavis SAPS registered an Inquest docket for further investigation following an incident earlier today 14 March 2025 at about 12:30 at the Bishop Lavis Law Enforcement Armoury where members responded to a shooting incident and discovered the body of a 32 year old Law Enforcement officer Members discovered the body with a gunshot wound to the head The circumstances surrounding the incident are being investigated,” said Pojie While incidents of this nature have become a common occurrence in recent years the City maintains that it is providing its staffers with psychosocial support the chairperson of the Safety and Security Portfolio Committee The City has an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) that staff members as well as their family members can access The Safety and Security Directorate also offers in-house counselling services to its staff and recently appointed a qualified Clinical Psychologist for its staff members READ MORE: Seawinds soccer star and teen dad Tyrelle Jonker lured to his death I am deeply appalled by the senseless killings that have gripped our communities in Athlone leaving seventeen people dead in a disturbing wave of violence These incidents are an indictment of our failing crime intelligence systems and the South African Police Service (SAPS) response of merely deploying additional forces will not suffice nor does it address the root of the crisis Until SAPS crime intelligence functions at full capacity we will continue to see this tragic loss of life on our streets The DA firmly believes that sustainable solutions lie in sharing policing functions between national and local authorities to ease pressure on both our policing resources and the national budget A national police force alone cannot meet the scale and specificity of the challenges we face Sharing policing functions would allow SAPS to allocate its resources more efficiently such as the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape Government especially those tied to gang violence and firearm tracking This approach would empower well-equipped local authorities to deliver region-specific policing solutions improving response times in critical investigations and addressing endemic issues like gang violence in our communities allowing metro police to conduct ballistic tests and other forensic services would expedite case processing The DA calls on the Minister of Police and the Western Cape MEC for Police Oversight and Community Safety to urgently strengthen this cooperative policing model intelligence-led policing framework that preserves the safety of all South Africans without putting additional strain on our national budget registered non profit organisation in South AfricaReg No: 011-895 NPO A monthly overview of things you need to know as an architect or aspiring architect View an example Chris Price discusses the critical shift from catching bugs at runtime to identifying them during the build process He explains how leveraging modern programming language features such as static typing in dynamic languages and exhaustive pattern matching can significantly enhance code maintainability and prevent expensive production issues Cooper Bethea explains the need for a cellular architecture at Slack He details the "before" & "after" of their production environment emphasizing the strategic choices made for services with varying consistency requirements including incremental implementation and embracing "good enough," that enabled this complex migration Thoughtworks’ subject matter expert on Generative AI coding assistants discusses how to enhance generated code by incorporating additional information into its context and how your team’s dynamics will evolve with the adoption of these tools Shane Hastie spoke to John Gesimondo about how to leverage generative AI tools to support sustainable mental peace and productivity in the complex interruption-prone world of software engineering by developing a practical framework that addresses emotional recovery discusses how the EU Cyber Resilience Act can help with improving your software project’s security and in the same time to slow down the alarming acceleration of software supply chain attacks Learn how senior software developers are solving the challenges you face Learn practical solutions to today's most pressing software challenges real-world best practices and solutions in software development & leadership Learn how leading engineering teams run AI in production-reliably Salesforce Research recently open-sourced LAnguage-VISion (LAVIS) a unified library for deep-learning language-vision research LAVIS supports more than 10 language-vision tasks on 20 public datasets and includes pre-trained model weights for over 30 fine-tuned models The release was announced on the Salesforce Research blog LAVIS features a modular design that allows for easy integration of new models and provides standard interfaces for model inference allow researchers to use LAVIS as a benchmark for evaluating their own original work; the models could also be used as-is in an AI application such as utilities and GUIs for downloading and browsing common public training datasets [We built LAVIS] to make accessible the emerging language-vision intelligence and capabilities to a wider audience and reduce repetitive efforts in future development Image Source: https://blog.salesforceairesearch.com/lavis-language-vision-library/ The figure above shows the high-level architecture of LAVIS the library exposes pre-processors for text and image input which are applied before passing data to the model The code below shows an example of using LAVIS to generate captions for an image input: it outperforms the 80B-parameter Flamingo model by 8.5% on VQAv2." The LAVIS source code is available on GitHub, as are several Jupyter notebooks demonstrating its use in a variety of language-vision tasks A web-based demo of the GUI is said to be "coming soon." Free services for AI apps. Are you ready to experiment with cutting-edge technologies? You can start building intelligent apps with free Azure app, data, and AI services to minimize upfront costs. Learn More Learn from active senior software developers at Google Cochrane Convenes will bring together key thought leaders from around the world to discuss the COVID-19 evidence response and develop recommendations to help prepare for and respond to future global health emergencies a member of the Cochrane Convenes steering group about what he hopes will come out of the event Why do you think reflection/an event of this type is important right now?COVID-19 has created a once-in-a-generation focus on evidence among governments businesses and non-governmental organizations Their decisions have shaped the pandemic response and will shape responses to future societal challenges The pandemic fast-tracked collaboration among decision-makers and researchers but drawing from a range of types of evidence to inform decision-making is not yet routine Now is the time to systematize the aspects of using evidence that have gone well with the COVID-19 evidence response and address the many shortfalls  What do you hope will come from the initiative (Cochrane Convenes?)Cochrane Convenes will generate actionable insights for a range of key stakeholders who will be instrumental in making the changes that are needed based on what we’ve learned over the past 18 months as well as funding agencies as among others Cochrane Convenes will also help Cochrane to strategically position itself in the new evidence ecosystem we need to make better fit-for-purpose.Which challenges do you think is critical for the evidence community to address in this forum?The list is long and we’re describing these challenges and ways to address them in the draft exhibits which will form the report of the Global Commission on Evidence to Address Societal Challenges  Drawing on the work of Philippe Ravaud and colleagues If there was one burning issue you hope the attendees will address I think we’re at a critical juncture in starting to work collaboratively with the groups involved in the full array of forms in which decision-makers typically encounter evidence and technology assessment (and cost-effectiveness analysis) We’ve learned a lot during the COVID-19 pandemic about the new roles being played by modelers and other evidence groups in supporting decision-making We need to find ways to ensure all groups play to their comparative advantages while working collaboratively on new types of integrative evidence products and why?We really need to engage with key opinion leaders among all key stakeholders The sooner we can get on the same page about the key actions needed to create a new evidence ecosystem that is better fit-for-purpose These opinion leaders will then be key in engaging others to road-test the proposed actions CAPE TOWN - Six people were gunned down in Bishop Lavis on Thursday night Two others were injured and were rushed to hospital Police say a gunman entered an informal dwelling and open fire at the occupants WATCH | Police hunt for gunman who killed five in Atlantis The Anti-Gang Unit is investigating cases of murder and attempted murder. This shooting comes after five people were killed in Atlantis on Wednesday. Police believe both incidents are gang related. and torched parts of the building on 21 December 2024 CAPE TOWN - The Bishop Lavis Community Policing Forum (CPF) says someone must be held accountable for vandalising and setting the local magistrates court alight a group of residents stormed the security gate at the courthouse According to the local sub-council chairperson the angry mob was reacting to the death of a gang leader in the area who had been questioned by the police's Anti-Gang Unit earlier in the evening ALSO READ: Bishop Lavis CPF says destruction of Magistrate's Court by angry mob is unacceptable The Bishop Lavis Community Policing Forum said there's no justification for destroying state property CAPE TOWN - The Bishop Lavis Magistrates Court is fully operational again after it was torched by angry residents.  An angry mob attacked the courthouse three weeks ago after the death in custody of an alleged gang member. The Community Policing Forum said that the unrest erupted after an alleged gang member died while being questioned by the police's Anti-Gang Unit.  Police have denied claims that officers were responsible and said the suspect had complained of chest pains and collapsed.  He was taken into custody after officers acted on information that he had an unlicensed firearm in his house.  CPF chairperson, Graham Lindhorst: "We also hope for that the law will take its course that whoever is responsible for setting that place alight must face the full might of the law."  Police said that the matter is in the hands of its watchdog body, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID). John Maytham discusses residents' concerns with Bonteheuwel Ward Councillor Angus McKenzie Bishop Lavis in Cape Town is a community traumatised by violent crime residents of both Bishop Lavis and neighbouring Bonteheuwel are demanding the return of two top commanders after they were transferred to other police stations were moved to the Nyanga and Milnerton police stations more than three weeks ago The Bishop Lavis community policing forum (CPF) said that residents in the area are still traumatised by a recent mass killing Anti-gang unit helping with Bishop Lavis mass shooting Bishop Lavis CPF says residents still traumatised by recent mass shooting The CPF and the area's sub-council chairperson, Councillor Angus McKenzie, have written an open letter to Western Cape police commissioner Thembisile Patekile, pleading for the return of the two transferred police commanders.John Maytham discusses residents' concerns with McKenzie, who's the Bonteheuwel Ward Councillor. McKenzie says that in fighting gangsterism, there was an earlier breakdown of trust between police and communities. When he first started out as a councillor, he goes on, he found these two officers that were open to engaging as to how to mend this relationship. The results were clear, he says, because Bonteheuwel and that precinct became much safer areas thanks to this approach. McKenzie says the two officers have pursued the internal process around their transfers. Scroll up to hear McKenzie's detailed argument The fatalities in the mass shooting incident in Bishop Lavis on Thursday evening has risen to seven This tragedy comes just a day after five were fatally shot in Atlantis sparking fresh concerns about escalating gang violence in the region the Bishop Lavis incident occurred around 20:40 on Kogelberg Street when an armed suspect entered an informal dwelling and opened fire Police later noted that a 26-year-old woman Police have reinforced deployments in the area while the Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) has taken over the investigation The shootings in Bishop Lavis follow a similarly tragic incident in Atlantis on Wednesday evening where unknown gunmen opened fire on multiple vehicles at an intersection near Atlantis and five others were injured in what locals have called a “planned attack” ALSO READ: Five people killed in Atlantis mass shooting spokesperson for the Atlantis Community Policing Forum described the community as “shocked” and noted that gang violence has been on the rise in recent months He says there has been a surge in gun violence in the region condemned both attacks and pledged full resources to apprehend those responsible Western Cape MEC for Police Oversight and Community Safety announced that the Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) Rapid Response Unit would be stationed in Atlantis to help restore order *This article has been updated with the latest information the Rampion wind farm off the Brighton coast in England powers 350,000 homes at maximum capacity the Manhattan-sized energy system is also a tourist attraction generating a trade in sightseers willing to brave rough waters for a closer look “Beautiful,” “dramatic,” and “majestic” were among the descriptors day-trippers used on one expedition last month, watching the parade of 116 massive turbines looming above their heads and stretching out to the horizon, eight miles out into the English Channel, reports The Times Measuring 140 metres above the water’s surface the huge towers have proven an unexpected tourist attraction drawing the curious from as far away as the United States to marvel at the colossal green energy system View our latest digests “Ever since the wind farm was built and I could see it from the shore I wanted to come and see what it was all about,” Ian Ogborn told the Times during a recent trip out to see the wind farm on a fishing vessel captained by Brighton fisher Paul Dyer Dyer has long been supplementing his fishing income by leading scuba-diving and sea-fishing expeditions. Recognizing the tourist potential of offshore wind farms, he bought the domain name rampionoffshorewindfarm.co.uk immediately after the Rampion project went public “I found it all quite interesting and I thought other people would,” Dyer told the Times “We get all sorts of people coming out to take a look but we’ve had some from as far as America.” Ogborn was clearly delighted to see the engineering marvel up close “You hear about this stuff on the news all the time you will have people that complain because they say they are ugly I’m amazed by the engineering—how these big contraptions just sit in the sea.” More such “big contraptions” out on the water are in the offing with Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government planning to quadruple domestic offshore wind resources by 2030 Included in this expansion are plans for a Rampion 2 with towers soaring to 325 metres above the water more than twice the height of the current ones Projections are that Rampion 2 will generate sufficient power to keep a million average UK homes humming but I find them quite majestic,” Bristol local Julie Quanstrom who bought the trip for her husband for Christmas Copyright 2025 © Energy Mix Productions Inc Howlong’s Mia Lavis will represent Victoria in the 19/U team at the National Netball Championships (NNC) from April 9-14 The next crop of pathway talent was revealed last Thursday with the announcement of the Victorian 17/U and 19/U state teams to compete in next year’s championships in Sydney The teams of 12 have been named after a selection process since August where squads of 50 were narrowed down to 25 The squads have been involved in Netball Victoria’s Elevate program introducing them to aspects of high performance environments such as strength and conditioning athletes were talent identified at Netball Victoria’s pathway competitions association championships and state titles as well as through Netball Victoria’s Talent Academies across the state is just 17 years-of-age and played in Victoria’s 17/U team in 2023 She plays locally for Wodonga Raiders in the Ovens & Murray Football Netball League alongside fellow Victorian state team member Eliza Mooney There’s plenty of talented sportspeople from Howlong is relishing the responsibility she has been handed since signing a late contract with the Perth Scorchers ahead of WBBL|10 and has taken seven wickets with her best innings grabbing 2 for 10 Home | South Africa Six people aged between 24 and 55 have been killed in a mass shooting incident in Bishop Lavis on the Cape Flats Police say an armed suspect entered an informal dwelling in Kogelberg Street last night and fired several shots at the occupants The Bishop Lavis shooting incident occurred on the back of another shooting incident in which five people were shot and killed in Atlantis on the Cape West Coast on Wednesday evening Police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa says the Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) detectives are investigating the cases Atlantis shooting | Police anti-gang unit hunts for unknown gunmen: Detroit — Brittany Lavis has been appointed group chief executive officer of the Detroit Medical Center after acting as interim CEO since October.  Lavis will also direct the Detroit market for Tenet Healthcare DMC's for-profit owner, in an appointment that received the formal endorsement of DMC's governing board “I am enthusiastic about having the opportunity to lead the DMC,” Lavis said We have demonstrated a strong and enduring commitment to ensuring everyone has access to the care they need we will be committed to maintaining and strengthening that commitment.” Lavis succeeds former CEO Audrey Gregory, who announced her resignation in September to lead a health system in Florida.  Lavis previously served as group chief financial officer for Tenet Healthcare, where she has worked for more than 10 years, and was the youngest person to fill that position, according to a 2018 interview with Modern Healthcare.  having previously worked as hospital CFO at Tenet Healthcare’s Placentia-Linda Hospital and the group CFO for all seven hospitals in Tenet’s Southern California Group Tenet Healthcare's CEO Saum Sutaria said Lavis had demonstrated significant leadership during her time with the group.  “She has shown her sincere passion for serving the people of Detroit and all of southeast Michigan and we have every confidence she will help carry the spirit of the DMC forward with resolve to accomplish much more,” Sutaria said.  Lavis earned a master’s degree in business administration from the Wake Forest University School of Business in Winston-Salem and a bachelor’s degree from Winthrop University in Rock Hill