Hcg levels pregnancy tests detect

Taking the journey to parenthood together.

2011.05.25 04:04 Avalon81204 Taking the journey to parenthood together.

This group is for anyone trying for a baby! Come discuss fertility, sex, conception, and learn all about how your body works!
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2014.04.11 18:31 dabeezkneez HPT and OPK Line Scrutiny

Welcome to a community dedicated to sharing and analyzing pictures of HPTs (home pregnancy tests)/OPKs (ovulation predictor kits)! You can ask for another set of eyes or simply celebrate here! Please read all rules for the subreddit before participating or posting. Thank you!
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2014.08.19 01:29 LetterBoxx Crushing it with reddit karma

This is a group for laughing at and mocking the awkward, ridiculous, and sometimes painful things we endure while trying for a baby. Trollingforababy is for people who are trying to conceive, and are not currently pregnant. Please look at our complete list of rules before participating.
[link]


2024.05.19 14:35 StuDiana Help with Game for Sepsis Recognition

Hello everyone! I am working on a small project where I have to implement a "gamified" sepsis recognition trainer. It's basically an ICU Simulation which already exists, but I have to inlcude a new feature where people can train to detect a sepsis. Problem is, that I have no idea how exactly to recognize that and how to implement it in a useful/ meaningful way? So we had the idea to have several "levels", with the beginning levels being tutorial like, where the user learns about what a sepsis is and how to recognize it. Keep in mind that the game is located in a ICU like environment, so there is a virtual "patient" with a monitor. We have a data set with various patient data including...
Heart Rate Respiratory Rate Blood Pressure (mmHg) Temperature (°C), Sodium (mEq/L) Potassium (mEq/L) Glucose (mg/dL) Blood Urea Nitrogen (mg/dL) Creatinine (mg/dL) Bicarbonate (mEq/L) Chloride (mEq/L)
I've heard that you can basically "calculate" using some data wether or not the patient has a sepsis?
Now what I am asking for: I would love some ideas or actual input regarding the sepsis recognition and how that actually happens in an ICU? Which of these values are of use and how does the whole process of sepsis recognition work? I know it's a very general and badly phrased question but I don't even know what exactly to ask as I have no insight. I would be also extremely thankful for any kind of ideas, feedback, etc. Thank you!
submitted by StuDiana to StudentNurse [link] [comments]


2024.05.19 14:34 xcomdaddy A report from a botched commander honestman run on 1.1.

Hello dearest devs and fellow commanders!
I played the 1.1. and really loved it! I particularly liked the removal of templar shields and the now unlimited combat protocol, among other things. Because of my little children, I finished the run only a week ago and discovered 1.2. is out now! So excited to try it soon!
I tried a commander honestman and was doing totally OK on the tactical side but blew the strategic layer and failed (closely) the first Chosen avenger defense. Yes, I should probably try the setting with the different difficulties on the tactical and strategic level. So I disabled the avatar timer and finished the game after enduring like 5 more chosen avenger defenses. For the record, I only "disabled" honestman for the chosen avenger defenses and even nailed the last one without casualties in honestman mode.
So I collected a bunch of observations and bugs (some possibly already fixed in 1.2.) which I would like to share.
BUGS (or features?): - I was able to start doing covert actions (at least one) without a resistance ring - 2 lvl 1 liberation missions of the same type spawned simultaneously in the same sector - the evac area on the roof of structures was unreachable for mecs (twice). Had to compromise it - in covert extraction missions (and maybe others too) the soldier scoring a kill somehow gets loot out of range (from a previous kill elsewhere) - very common crash at the use of skirmisher grapple - I used the skirmisher grapple, then dashed to a chest in the fog and the fog at the destination stayed! - I got 2 sullys killed and a third one came up for recruitment (I recruited him)? - on multiple occasions, Fuse cost 1 action and then was available again immediately (on the same turn without CD) - after a reload, the sharpshooter could not perform a snap shot on a rocketeer, but could perform a snap shot on a vanguard - the Purifier flamethrower attack does not trigger bladestorm? - I skipped a supply defense mission and the supply resistance operatives were gone (as intended), and all the rest lost all abilities - A "Hack workstation" mission with indefinite duration spawned - very often, the Submenus on the "HR menu" on the avenger (soldiers etc.) disappeared and wouldn't come back unless you save and reload - a Subcoiler costs more than a coil rifle - on many occasions, Arcwave was hitting targets not in the line of attack - the Insanity description says it stuns the target - the Captured soldiers come back fully equipped after being rescued?!? nice, but doesn't make sense - Hyperreactive pupils triggered without a previous missed shot on a purifier - a very funny way of easily beating the first stage of the chosen stronghold without any casualties (not that it is difficult as is): The reaper detects units beyond closed doors. The team blocks the doors with their bodies so that the aliens can't open them. Then the psi op with bastion and null lance starts picking the aliens off one by one. They activate, but since the squad is inaccessible, deactivate again. The only problem came from an archon's blazing pinions or the andromedon's acid bomb (in both cases, squad is immune bc of bastion), which they fittingly launch through the walls as well - without other actions from other enemy units - an escaping enemy unit from a destroyed pod rejoins another pod in the fog, then scatters again on contact when the pod moves into LOS the same enemy turn - a Shield wall granted me 5 armour
QUESTIONS: - Is it possible for faceless disguised as resistance operatives to act as soldiers (e.g. armed and shooting) on missions and later be uncovered (on rendezvous missions)? - Is it possible to get an invasion in the only region you control? if failed or skipped, is this a gameover? - the Assassin can blind the spark? but why, this kind of doesn't make sense?
SUGGESTIONS: - on regular Avenger defense, reinforcements arrive randomly and not by seniority, and since the equipment is never enough, the reinforcements are always with tier 1 stuff, making them kind of useless. this was not a problem in vanilla, where all equipment was upgraded automatically. Is it possible to change this somehow? - on the chosen Avenger defense, there are no reinforcements. this really does not make sense, this being the hardest kind of mission in the game. Like the A team is getting railed and the rest are biting their nails and doing nothing? - can missions with Drone wrecks be made available more commonly in the beginning? In my experience this is the rarest wreck in the game, always preventing me from researching robotics - I really thought the RNG produced a disproportionate amount of missions "free captive resistance ops" which are quite useless after around midgame - I assume the chryssalides "wandering about" programming is designed for maps with civilians. why are they wandering about on maps without civilians or just running away from the squad ? not that I really need more crazy suicidal stun lancer-style chryssalids, but isn't this kind of pointless?
I hope this is still useful. And thank you for your feedback!
Come on, Bluemajere, give it to me!
submitted by xcomdaddy to LWotC [link] [comments]


2024.05.19 14:33 StuDiana Help with Game for Sepsis Recognition

Hello everyone! I am working on a small project where I have to implement a "gamified" sepsis recognition trainer. It's basically an ICU Simulation which already exists, but I have to inlcude a new feature where people can train to detect a sepsis. Problem is, that I have no idea how exactly to recognize that and how to implement it in a useful/ meaningful way? So we had the idea to have several "levels", with the beginning levels being tutorial like, where the user learns about what a sepsis is and how to recognize it. Keep in mind that the game is located in a ICU like environment, so there is a virtual "patient" with a monitor. We have a data set with various patient data including...
Heart Rate Respiratory Rate Blood Pressure (mmHg) Temperature (°C), Sodium (mEq/L) Potassium (mEq/L) Glucose (mg/dL) Blood Urea Nitrogen (mg/dL) Creatinine (mg/dL) Bicarbonate (mEq/L) Chloride (mEq/L)
I've heard that you can basically "calculate" using some data wether or not the patient has a sepsis?
Now what I am asking for: I would love some ideas or actual input regarding the sepsis recognition and how that actually happens in an ICU? Which of these values are of use and how does the whole process of sepsis recognition work? I know it's a very general and badly phrased question but I don't even know what exactly to ask as I have no insight. I would be also extremely thankful for any kind of ideas, feedback, etc. Thank you!
submitted by StuDiana to nursing [link] [comments]


2024.05.19 14:32 Friendly_Judgment_74 Why does my BBT look so.. flat??

Why does my BBT look so.. flat??
Why does everyone’s bbt chat look so much more “crazy” than mine post ovulation? With way bigger fluctuations? Is there something wrong with mine? 😅 I’ve been pretty good at temping the same time every morning since ovulation Please help me calm down 😅
submitted by Friendly_Judgment_74 to TFABChartStalkers [link] [comments]


2024.05.19 14:29 Blueredreditor Advice for Prospective NUS Business Student

Congrats on choosing and making it into NUS Business School! I previously wrote here: https://www.reddit.com/SGExams/comments/118r7cg/all_about_studying_business_in_nussmuntu/ on what are some factors when considering between NUS, SMU and NTU business school. For better or worse, you'll be stuck here for the next 4 years so here's some broad advice on making the best out of it.
1. Put in effort to draft out your own Study Plan; Future you will thank you
What is a study plan? Essentially, it's an outline on what modules you'll be taking throughout your 4 years in University. Especially for a business student, a study plan should go beyond "what majospecialization/double majominor". Yes, figuring what major (or majors) that you want to eventually take is the first step. The next step is also considering whether you intend to take a gap semester (i.e. leave-of-absence) to do internships (which is becoming increasingly more common place; maybe not 1 gap sem but possibly even 2!). The unfortunate truth is that many biz student realize late in Year 2/3 that they might not be as competitive as their peers and usually then seek out LOA internships and end up delaying their graduation (whether its a good or bad thing is debatable). Besides gap semesters for internships, there are student who do credit bearing internships (which counts for some credits/MCs) or even do a part-time internship during the semester while studying (Do modules on Mon and Tues, FT work of Wed, Thurs, Fri). Not every student get's their desired summer internships, and often student have to compensate by applying for Off-Cycle LOA internships.
In your study plan, you would also have to take into consideration possibly going on overseas semester exchange or even the 6M to 1 Year long NOC program if you're interested! Overloading more modules earlier in your Uni (Y1 and Y2) gives you more flexibility to adapt to changes in the future. Of course, you need to gauge yourself whether you're able to cope with the workload. (Overloading in earlier sems, mean being more free in later sems to do internships/explore other modules or minors).
Additionally, most higher-level modules have pre-requisites (mostly ACC1701). If you delay taking these pre-requisite modules, your whole study plan can be delayed by a semester. My advice is to take ACC1701 (and consequently FIN2704) earlier rather than later, because these two mods open up the other majors/specializations available to you. You'll also figure out whether you'll want to to take the finance major after taking these two modules.
  1. CCAs
There's a ton of CCAs available NUS-wide or Business School related. I strongly encourage you to take multiple CCAs (importantly taking into consideration what you can manage and your workload) so that you're able to meet new people and learn new skillsets. NUSC/RCs/Hall activities also count here. The unfortunately truth is that portfolio does matter in business school, and simply being good in academics (which can be competitive in itself) isn't enough. You GPA/CAP allows you to have your foot in the door; your portfolio and experience allows you to enter it. Consulting CCAs in general are great an improving your eye of aesthetic and detail which I recommend. You'll be surprised that many biz kids are outright bad and atrocious at making PowerPoint slides even at Year 4... I would say that the CCAs you join do shape your uni experience in a large way.
  1. Group Mates
Find good friends and group mates! Those in NUSC/RCs/Halls have an easier time for this. For most of your basic core 1k modules, you group is usually randomized and you have no say on who you're working with. It is during these randomized group that you'll figure out the pain of having poor group mates, and things get worse if you're taking higher level and tougher modules alone. On this note, try to find friends that will do various modules together with you! Having friends doing the module together with you is a huge advantage, from extra resources, dead line reminders, doing quizzes/tests together etc. 5 brains working on a problem set is always better than 1 brain by itself, these 5 ppl will often get a better grade than the one hardworking individual working alone. Implicitly, those who stay on campus have a huge edge over those who don't.
  1. Business is ultimately not a technical degree
Controversial to some, but business school at the end of the day doesn't really teach you much, we cant code, cant stats and no domain knowledge outside of finance). The only thing that it does teach is showmanship (and even then sometimes not taught well enough). Business School arguably teaches you how to carry yourself well, make fancy PowerPoints, use some excel, working with people (?) etc. Many of the more relevant things you learn, you learn them in your internship and your own experiences outside of the classroom e.g. CCAs. To me, doing well in Biz School is focusing on everything outside of academics (ensuring that you have some baseline CAP/GPA).
5. Figure out early whether you prefer Excel or Power Point.
The corporate world only runs on two applications, Excel and Power Point. Dabble in both, figure out early which application you prefer more and find a relevant internship/role/job that you enjoy decently that uses one over the other. Truly, Excel and PPT are the only takeaways when you leave the university. Great consultants are adept at handling PPT, navigating through them quickly with many templates in their desktops. Finance peeps do a little more excel work and have to do them well, fast and creatively. Even at the end of uni, there are still many students who can't use excel proficiently at a high level.
6. Internship Hell is real for those who care
Internship application period in itself can be a full-time commitment (for those that care). When internship applications open, you can will going through your own interview prep, doing several recorded interviews, applying to new internships etc. Many moving parts to juggle and a lot of ground work to be done. From preparing for interview questions, writing cover letters, tailoring your CV etc alot of the hell you experience in Biz school actually comes outside of academics contrary to popular belief (as Jean-Paul puts it, "hell is other people", bad group mates im looking at you). For those applying to more technical roles, you might also need to prep extra for technical questions e.g. IB 400 questions, consulting cases, market sizing brain teasers etc.
7. Not so much of an advice, but rather a plea from me to you
I really hope business students can be more code literate and savvy i.e. being able to read (and to a lesser extent implement) coding e.g. python or SQL. ~90% of the biz population are code illiterate (having only taken just 1 "coding module"). In a normal corporate workplace, you'll never have to code. But being able to think computationally, knowing the steps you can take to automate your task, time and workflow brings you more benefits than you can imagine when most corporate work that people do and typically repetitive and administrative.
In conclusion, do your best in biz school. I think effort correlates strongly to how well you do here. You don't need to be smart (it makes life easier) but with enough forward thinking and future planning, you'll be able to grow through the next 4 years (and hopefully be worth it).
Feel free to ask any question in the comments, or for any seniors to elaborate and share their own experience! Left out a lot of controversial views not wanting to trigger anyone or NUS. Edit: I'm a graduating student from Biz, later they dont let me grad
Some extra links:
  1. An event calendar regularly updated by NUS Careers, usually has lots of interesting and relevant events, competitions, webinars (if that's your thing): https://nus.edu.sg/cfg/events
  2. Grading rubrics to apply for SEP, there is an actual rubrics to secure an SEP, please refer for those wanting to go: https://bba.nus.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/sites/37/2019/07/SEP-Place-Allocation-Grading-System-2018-10.pdf
submitted by Blueredreditor to nus [link] [comments]


2024.05.19 14:28 confusedvexedperson The worst interview of my life was at this company called Nagarro

This did not happen recently but a few months back.
I was looking for a job (double digit years in experience) and a HR from Nagarro reached out on LinkedIn. I sent her my details, did a proctored online test and was selected for a 2nd round face to face. Since the interviewer was in US, the slot I had was Sunday at 9:45 PM IST [I was given a choice of slots but they were either 7 in the morning or 9-10 in the night, only weekends].
I joined the Teams meeting at 9:40 PM on a Sunday, turned on my camera, and waited 5 minutes for the interviewer. As soon as it became 9:45, I heard the Teams chime that I was let in, but before the sound ended, a voice started speaking. "Alright, so what things you take care?"
I looked up to see this Indian guy wearing a red hat (not THAT red hat) indoors, looking at me. I said, "Sorry, what?" And he said exasperatedly, "Your work. What. Is. It. that. You. Do." in clipped tones, as if I was not a mentally sound person.
My hand automatically moved my mouse over to the disconnect button and I almost clicked but stopped myself at the last moment. I decided to see how the interview went. I had not given an interview in a long time and wanted to get an experience.
I composed myself and started to explain my resume. In the middle of it, he stopped me and said, "Are you using dual screens?" I said yes. He scolded me for using dual screens for an interview and made me turn one off. I was on camera the whole time and it was a face to face interview so not really sure what the concern was but I still did it. The funny part was, during the interview I could hear pings from his side and see him turn to his own second screen to reply to some chat/IM messages. Anyways, I asked, "should I continue explaining my resume" and he said, "no that's alright."
"Tell me about any recent deliverable you have worked on", he asked next. I had recently worked on implementing a customized DR system so I started to explain how it was implemented and the architectural changes done. He was distracted the whole time, replying to some ping, constantly muting and unmuting his audio and saying, "That's fine. Keep going." I completed my explanation and waited. He realized I had stopped talking and said, "All that is good but I do not see the architecture change you have done." I summarized the server re-organization, the load balancers, the customized back-up and archival, even some code level changes we had to do, but he said, "I still do not see the architecture design change." I said, "I can draw an architecture diagram to show it clearly", and he said, "no that's alright. Let's move on."
I come from a .NET background, so he asked me, "do you have experience with .NET core?" I said, I did. And this is where the most weird part of the interview starts. He spent 20 minutes on a single question and you will see why, in a minute.
He asked me, "Do you know the three types of dependency injection?" I answered the three - singleton, scoped and transient.
He said, "good, now tell me how do you decide which one to use." This is a standard interview question, I gave the standard answer. It was not good enough.
He did a "tch" sound of exasperation. "All that is good, but how do you decide?" I explained again, adding more details.
He did that "tch" sound again. "All that is good, but how do YOU decide?", stressing on the word "YOU". I explained again, this time with examples of when I would make which choice and why.
He did that "tch" sound again. "All that is good, but those are textbook examples. Tell me about an example that you have implemented in your system"
I explained how we had used a singleton for application level settings. He did that "tch" sound again. "All that is good, but what made you decide that the application settings need to be in singleton?"
I was confused at this point. What was he looking for! "The settings need to be the same throughout the application and so a singleton is a logical choice", I said.
He shook his head, this time not making the "tch" sound. "No, you are not getting it. I want to understand what made you decide to make the application settings class a singleton? Was it because of the name of the class or because somebody told you or because you got a feeling?"
I was angry at this point, so I repeated the same answer as before. He said, "Maybe I am making it complex. Why don't I give you an example and you can explain your choice." I said OK.
"Alright, so suppose that I created a class called "" and asked you how should I use it. What will you say?"
I stared at him for a moment, wondering if this was real. I asked him what was the functionality of the class, and he launched into the most unnecessarily complex (and to me, wildly unrelated) functionality regarding uploading documents from an API to an azure storage account involving Virtual Networks, Key Vault, different Blob types and an Azure SQL database to store blob metadata. I asked him, how the class is supposed to be used. He said, "I don't know. I am the author of the class. I have given it to other people to use. Ask me questions you would ask the author of the class."
My mind was hurting at this point so I repeated, in the most bored voice, the very first standard answer I had given. He must have realized my disinterest, for he said, "Alright, I get it. Let's move on. Do you have experience writing SQL?"
I said Yes. So he asked me to share my screen and gave me a written scenario for which to write a query.
While I was working on the query, he said, "I have your resume so let's take a look at that." He opened the resume, I could see that he actually did open it then, by the screen brightness reflected on his face change. And as I worked on the query, he kept going through my resume and making what I can only describe as "Passive-Aggressive comments" in a low voice in the background. E.g. "worked at So-and-so (one of the Big 4 companies)... In ", "worked with XYZ technology... for ", "SME for ABC technologies... for DEF use case"
I was done at this point so I drafted out a query with as low effort as I could and then explained it quickly. It was wrong for sure, and not fulfilling the use case completely but I had stopped caring. He also realized it because he said, "Alright, I think that is it. Do you have any questions for me?", in a very smug voice.
I said, "No, thanks for the experience", and disconnected the call.
So, that was it. The most WTF interview of my life. So far. I am not really sure what was wrong with that dude or maybe I have been out of touch for a long time and this is how it is now, but damn, man. I sat in shock for a few minutes after the call. I did check out the interviewer's profile on LinkedIn, wondering if we had crossed paths before. But he was been with his company for a long, long time, first company since college and never switched. So I don't really know.
Anyways, so, yeah. Hope you are having a better experience than me.
submitted by confusedvexedperson to developersIndia [link] [comments]


2024.05.19 14:27 groovemonkey56 Feeling frustrated/scared

Looking for a little support this morning. After an initial CT scan for unrelated issues, I was dx with NAFLD. The CT gave little info, and as soon as I saw a specialist, she ordered more testing. I was surprised she ordered an ultrasound instead of jumping straight to a fibroscan but she gave a vague explanation and I am not a hepatologist so I figured ok 🤷🏻‍♀️
I should mention I’ve never had elevated liver enzymes, and the bloodwork she ordered this week so far has again come back normal (excepting an ANA titer). She dove deep, with a lot of specific liver and kidney tests, GGT, mitochondrial antibody tests, ceruloplasmin—all in good ranges! Which is great, and I’m thankful—what I have pieced together looks like no liver damage being detected…
I’ve been waiting all week for results and the ultrasound just came in and says so little, but indicates NASH.
I was feeling so hopeful and optimistic about reversing this, and now I just feel scared and confused again. I’ve lost 12 lbs so far, and I’m obviously staying committed to my health journey but I’m just sad and scared about liver damage and now I’m going to have to wait weeks for the next test to really tell me anything meaningful about my liver damage and I’m just frustrated.
Any words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated 🩷
submitted by groovemonkey56 to FattyLiverNAFLD [link] [comments]


2024.05.19 14:25 mkinbbym New (never heard of) Stim Protocol - Lupron, Letrozole, then injections?

So i’m an IVF long hauler - I’ve done several cycles from antagonist, to microdose, to long lupron, to mini…I’ve done cycles with HGH and without. I’ve done HCG trigger and dual trigger. I’ve had great cycles and cycles cancelled - so by no means am I new to this. I’ll preface all this by saying I have DOR.
My RE recently put me on a new stim protocol that’s only been tested for about a year or so? I’ve been scouring the forums to see if anyone has ever tried it and I can’t seem to find anything. Wondering if creating a post will bring some experiences forward as i’m mostly curious based on the length.
Here is the protocol: - mid way through luteal phase you take 10 units of lupron until cycle start (about 7-8 days but I ended up being a little longer because I had a longer luteal phase this cycle) - CD 2 you take letrozole (i’m on 5mg) for 7 days - on CD 9 (after completing all 7 days), you go in for your baseline scan - once you get the green light on CD 9, you start your regular stim cycle (mine is clomid, gonal, and menopur) - you’re supposed to stim for another 8-12 days depending on how you respond
Anyone heard of this or done something similar? Any and all advice/insight is welcome!
submitted by mkinbbym to IVF [link] [comments]


2024.05.19 14:23 Electrical_Gas2391 Planned Parenthood or Urgent Care?

None of the OBs around me can get me in until late June but I want to get seen like soon. Who would be better to go to? Planned Parenthood or Urgent Care? This would be for STD testing and just an exam to make sure everything is okay up there. When I went to urgent care for my bladder infection, the doctor told me to come back and get STD tested if my symptoms didn’t completely go away. Now I have it in my head that I might have an STD. My last partner swears he was clean and I haven’t slept with him since Nov. My current partner and I use condoms because he doesn’t want to risk pregnancy.
submitted by Electrical_Gas2391 to Healthyhooha [link] [comments]


2024.05.19 14:21 Famous-Slice1843 Current News Regarding Erythritol Safety

(Excerpt from "Nature Medicine". Official study title: "The artificial sweetener erythritol and cardiovascular even trisk".)
There's been a lot of discussion recently regarding the potentially unsafe use of a very popular artificial sweetener known as "Erythritol". As humans, we typically dislike any information which may require us to change our habits/behaviors or stop using products we enjoy. As a result, it is very common to immediately dismiss a report containing negative or dangerous findings about the use of such products. When it was announced that tobacco may be causing heart attacks/strokes/artery disease, MILLIONS of people refused the results because they really enjoyed smoking (myself included). I have been using Erythritol for a few years. I love how potent it is, how it tastes, and how it has no effect on diabetes-related issues. To stop using Erythritol would be a major inconvenience for me, so I do not enjoy discovering the product may actually be very dangerous. I've provided the opening paragraph to the ACTUAL study that was recently conducted on the effects of Erythritol. PLEASE -- disregard the incredibly irresponsible reports that the study only consisted of 8 people or that it only included obese, old men. There were a few thousand participants involved in the study of all ages and body types/status. The full article could not be published here but seems to be available through various sites (the actual article requires access to "nature medicine", and the official name of the study is "The artificial sweetener erythritol and cardiovascular event risk". It's a long, boring read, but it contains the actual facts of the study. The main point of the finding is: Our bodies reaction to the product Erythritol is causing SUBSTANTIALLY increased platelet production (blood clots).These clots are flowing to the brain/heart and immediately triggering a stroke or heart attack. These reactions are NOT a result of age or physical condition. Anyone at any age with narrow arteries/capillaries or a reduced circulatory system can suffer one of these clots. It is a fact that, those in poor physical condition or those individuals over the age of 50 are more likely to experience adverse reactions to blood clots. However, not every blood clot results in a stroke or heart attack. Young people with poor eating habits or pre-diabetes (1 in 3 Americans) can simply suffer a loss of circulation to a limb or organ. At any rate, blood clots are very dangerous and deserve our attention.
(Abbreviated using "...." for length only)
"Artificial sweeteners are widely used sugar substitutes, but little is known about their long-term effects on cardiometabolic disease risks. Here we examined the commonly used sugar substitute erythritol and atherothrombotic disease risk. In initial....studies in patients undergoing cardiac risk assessment (1,157) circulating levels of multiple polyol sweeteners, especially erythritol, were associated with incident (3 year) risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE; includes death or nonfatal myocardial infarction or stroke). Subsequent targeted metabolomics analyses in independent US (2,149) and European (833) validation cohorts of stable patients undergoing elective cardiac evaluation confirmed this association......(with 95% confidence). At physiological levels, erythritol enhances platelet reactivity.....blood clotting. Finally, in a prospective pilot intervention study..... erythritol ingestion in healthy volunteers (8) induced marked and sustained (>2 d) increases in plasma erythritol levels well above thresholds associated with heightened platelet reactivity and thrombosis potential in in vitro and in vivo studies. <---(This is the group of "8" people which are constantly being mentioned---it was just an "on the way out the door" test to quickly study one final means of comparison, but is obviously NOT a significant part of the study) Our findings reveal that erythritol is both associated with incident Major Adverse Cardiac Event risk and fosters enhanced.... thrombosis (blood clotting). Studies assessing the long-term safety of Erythritol are warranted".
submitted by Famous-Slice1843 to ErythritolNews [link] [comments]


2024.05.19 14:19 Kinniken Attention is all you (should) need - a benchmark of LLMs on a proofreading task

Hi all,
For the past year, I've been using LLMs for many different types of tasks, both via chat and via APIs, often things that would be considered qualified work if done by a human - coding, translation, document synthesis, etc. On many of those tasks the LLMs' results were really impressive. Recently, I tried using LLMs (mainly GPT4 Turbo and Claude3) for simpler tasks, such as automated data entry from freeform documents, and got very poor results even though the tasks required no specialised knowledge or difficult reasoning, just being meticulous.
I've decided to try and analyse this a little more by creating a "proofreading" benchmark that tests models' capacity to "pay attention" and little else. The core modalities are:
Key results:
Complete results (% of the 12 errors detected, average of three attempts):
https://preview.redd.it/o0b1qn0ykd1d1.png?width=439&format=png&auto=webp&s=0ac210311c0cb520fe10aade347440de9f12341f
Obviously, very disappointing results. I'd love it if anyone can point out any mistakes in my procedure that would explain such bad results. In the meantime, I see it as a reminder that while LLMs can be very useful at a wide range of tasks, before using them for serious purposes you really need to be able to properly benchmark your use case. Also, what tasks LLMs are good at is not always intuitive and definitely does not always match what would be hard for a human. Something to keep in mind as we see LLMs pushed for more and more use cases, including helping blind people catch taxis!
Full data available as a comment on this post: https://www.reddit.com/ChatGPT/comments/1cvmnt5/attention_is_all_you_should_need_a_benchmark_of/
submitted by Kinniken to ClaudeAI [link] [comments]


2024.05.19 14:18 gasman22 how do i start the abortion process if it hasn't been 21 days since conceiving?

my girlfriend just filled out a questionnaire through carafem to have abortion pills mailed, but the website told her:
It looks like you are under 21 days.
Unfortunately, it hasn't been long enough since your last menstrual period for us to provide the abortion pill via immediate evaluation. If you would like to receive care after 21 days have passed, please come back to carafem.org and we will be there for you.
so what exactly can we do at this stage to abort the pregnancy? the test came back positive, but from what we've read she isn't exactly "pregnant" quite yet. i'm probably just being a dumb guy and not googling the correct words to find an appropriate answer, but we would really like to nip this in the bud asap.
submitted by gasman22 to TwoXChromosomes [link] [comments]


2024.05.19 14:18 Kinniken Attention is all you (should) need - a benchmark of LLMs on a proofreading task

Hi all,
For the past year, I've been using LLMs for many different types of tasks, both via chat and via APIs, often things that would be considered qualified work if done by a human - coding, translation, document synthesis, etc. On many of those tasks the LLMs' results were really impressive. Recently, I tried using LLMs (mainly GPT4 Turbo and Claude3) for simpler tasks, such as automated data entry from freeform documents, and got very poor results even though the tasks required no specialised knowledge or difficult reasoning, just being meticulous.
I've decided to try and analyse this a little more by creating a "proofreading" benchmark that tests models' capacity to "pay attention" and little else. The core modalities are:
Key results:
Complete results (% of the 12 errors detected, average of three attempts):
https://preview.redd.it/o0b1qn0ykd1d1.png?width=439&format=png&auto=webp&s=0ac210311c0cb520fe10aade347440de9f12341f
Obviously, very disappointing results. I'd love it if anyone can point out any mistakes in my procedure that would explain such bad results. In the meantime, I see it as a reminder that while LLMs can be very useful at a wide range of tasks, before using them for serious purposes you really need to be able to properly benchmark your use case. Also, what tasks LLMs are good at is not always intuitive and definitely does not always match what would be hard for a human. Something to keep in mind as we see LLMs pushed for more and more use cases, including helping blind people catch taxis!
Full data available as a comment on this post: https://www.reddit.com/ChatGPT/comments/1cvmnt5/attention_is_all_you_should_need_a_benchmark_of/
submitted by Kinniken to MistralAI [link] [comments]


2024.05.19 14:15 Deff2132 Back to normal - 7 weeks post concussion in BJJ sparring

Hey guys and sorry for the long upcoming post but i thought it could help some people going through the same.
I have been hit with a knee on 1st of April 2024 during BJJ sparring (swept a guy from should crunch sumi gaeshi and when i wanted to get side control, he knee me in the forehead) and i wanted to post my timeline here. I didn't black out or see any stars.
I don't have a history of anxiety. Never been except before an exam, competition. I'm super extroverted and confident when i walk on the street.
First 24 hours - headache
Week 1 - nauseous, headache, sleepy. On day 4 i went to the doctor. She did all these neurological tests and she said i have a mild concussion but she wouldn't be concerned.
Week 2 - nausea, headaches went away but my energy levels were still low.
Week 3 - i felt good so i started getting back to my cardio routine on the first Monday of week 3 and weightlifting. BIG MISTAKE
Week 4 - i got a setback and here is where shit hit the fan. I got very scared / anxious about feeling bad again after returning to my normal sports routine (without actually hitting my head) and I started reading all these stories from here (reddit) which spiked my anxiety through the roof.
Week 5-6 - The most horrible weeks in my life because i was stuck in this loop of anxiety, thinking about all the scenarios based on everyone's stories. All this "diffuse axonal injury", "i'm still having symptoms 8 months after"and so on. I would wake up in the morning being insanely anxious like the type you have before an exam or a competiton
Week 7: I went to a very good neurologist where i told him everything I said above and he did again the neurological test and he assured me that i don't have any of what i thought i had ( BASED ON REDDIT STORIES). He also asked me: "Would it make you feel better if we do an MRI to check for diffuse axonal injury?" to which i replied: yes. The MRI came back clean and this is where my anxiety started fading.
Now it's 19th of May and i can say that once the anxiety disappeared, I'm back to 100% normal. I lift, do cardio, train jiujitsu.
My take on concussions:
Treat them seriously and while many things on reddit have valuable information like "what could cause PCS, neck problems, vestibular problems, visual" etc, a lot of the stories are not complete. What i mean by that is that you never really know what kind of hit the other person got: angle, speed, acceleration-deceleration etc.. that's why TBIs are unique.
Supplements i used:
  1. Magnesium L-threonate
  2. Fish oil
  3. Multi vitamins
  4. VALERIAN ROOT for anxiety was amazing.
submitted by Deff2132 to bjj [link] [comments]


2024.05.19 14:15 Relative_Yogurt_5044 Do I need to replace any champ in my main team?

Do I need to replace any champ in my main team?
I built my main team with the Male Water and sun, Female nereid, Male Acuna, Female ho and female Ignis. Do I need to replace any champion with better champs. I still has Male Siliken crown at higher level, also I want to test out Male Corbit aswell. My main team has more than 50 million power. Is there any suggestions for good guild and secondary team which is hard to kill.
submitted by Relative_Yogurt_5044 to BloodlineGame [link] [comments]


2024.05.19 14:12 Deff2132 Back to normal - 7 weeks post Concussion

Hey guys and sorry for the long upcoming post.
I have been hit with a knee on 1st of April 2024 during Brazilian JiuJitsu sparring and i wanted to post my timeline here. I didn't black out or see any stars.
I don't have a history of anxiety. Never been except before an exam, competition. I'm super extroverted and confident when i walk on the street.
First 24 hours - headache
Week 1 - nauseous, headache, sleepy. On day 4 i went to the doctor. She did all these neurological tests and she said i have a mild concussion but she wouldn't be concerned.
Week 2 - nausea, headaches went away but my energy levels were still low.
Week 3 - i felt good so i started getting back to my cardio routine on the first Monday of week 3 and weightlifting. BIG MISTAKE
Week 4 - i got a setback and here is where shit hit the fan. I got very scared / anxious about feeling bad again after returning to my normal sports routine (without actually hitting my head) and I started reading all these stories from here (reddit) which spiked my anxiety through the roof.
Week 5-6 - The most horrible weeks in my life because i was stuck in this loop of anxiety, thinking about all the scenarios based on everyone's stories. All this "diffuse axonal injury", "i'm still having symptoms 8 months after"and so on. I would wake up in the morning being insanely anxious like the type you have before an exam or a competiton
Week 7: I went to a very good neurologist where i told him everything I said above and he did again the neurological test and he assured me that i don't have any of what i thought i had ( BASED ON REDDIT STORIES). He also asked me: "Would it make you feel better if we do an MRI to check for diffuse axonal injury?" to which i replied: yes. The MRI came back clean and this is where my anxiety started fading.
Now it's 19th of May and i can say that once the anxiety disappeared, I'm back to 100% normal. I lift, do cardio, train jiujitsu.
My take on concussions:
Treat them seriously and while many things on reddit have valuable information like "what could cause PCS, neck problems, vestibular problems, visual" etc, a lot of the stories are not complete. What i mean by that is that you never really know what kind of hit the other person got: angle, speed, acceleration-deceleration etc.. that's why TBIs are unique.
Supplements i used:
  1. Magnesium L-threonate
  2. Fish oil
  3. Multi vitamins
  4. VALERIAN ROOT for anxiety was amazing.
submitted by Deff2132 to TBI [link] [comments]


2024.05.19 14:12 TaxEarly8739 Should I trust negative pregnancy tests??

Hi, as always, I’m sorry. I’ve been trying to avoid posting and reading here on Reddit because it does heighten my anxiety but I can’t help but worry again.
I know I’ve taken SO MANY tests (5-6) in a span of like 3 months but I really don’t know why I’m scared. Actually, the only reason why I’m scared is because I haven’t gotten my period since January (which is normal for me to not get my period for a long time, I wouldn’t worry if I didn’t have unprotected sex, but yeah I had unprotected sex so I’m scared).
Everytime something different changes in my body, I feel like it’s because I’m pregnant and it’s making me lose my mind.
The reason why I’m anxious again is because I read that the poster found out she was halfway pregnant with no symptoms and no bump. I’m scared, what if I’m pregnant and I don’t know it? I do not know how I’ll tell my mom.
submitted by TaxEarly8739 to amipregnant [link] [comments]


2024.05.19 14:10 gasman22 how do i start the abortion process if it hasn't been 21 days since conceiving?

my girlfriend just filled out a questionnaire through carafem to have abortion pills mailed, but the website told her:
It looks like you are under 21 days.
Unfortunately, it hasn't been long enough since your last menstrual period for us to provide the abortion pill via immediate evaluation. If you would like to receive care after 21 days have passed, please come back to carafem.org and we will be there for you.
so what exactly can we do at this stage to abort the pregnancy? the test came back positive, but from what we've read she isn't exactly "pregnant" quite yet. i'm probably just being a dumb guy and not googling the correct words to find an appropriate answer, but we would really like to nip this in the bud asap.
submitted by gasman22 to abortion [link] [comments]


2024.05.19 14:09 broseph1254 Can I start with small changes?

My (33m) annual physical results showed high cholesterol for the first time, though blood pressure and all other lab results were in normal ranges. I'm guessing it's because I've been eating a lot more cheese, eggs, and night-time snacks this year than in previous years.
I want to address this issue now before it becomes a more significant issue later, but I also want to make changes that are sustainable long-term and leave room for me to still eat foods that I enjoy. I also know that I get very anxious about stuff like this and tend to make major changes that end up only lasting a few weeks and that are generally not great for my mental health.
Based on my numbers and age, do I have the time to experiment with small changes and see what works? Like, instead of cutting out cheese completely, maybe cutting it down from 4-5 servings most days to 1-2 servings most days; limiting my consumption of eggs from every day to once or twice a week; and cutting down on my junk food snacking, then checking-in again on my numbers in six months? I already eat lots of fruits and vegetables and other sources of fiber, exercise regularly, and I don't smoke, so at least I have that going for me lol.
submitted by broseph1254 to Cholesterol [link] [comments]


2024.05.19 14:08 Yurii_S_Kh Monotheism, Part 3: Islam

Monotheism, Part 3: Islam
Islam: Origins
Jibril (Gabriel) appears before Mohammed, drawing
The religion of the Law, which for 15 centuries prepared the chosen people for the coming into the world of the its Savior, the Incarnate Lord Jesus Christ, preceded New Testament religion. According to the Holy Apostle Paul, "the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ" (Gal. 3:24). It was all in all only "a shadow of good things to come" (Heb. 10:1). When the Savior came into the world, Old Testament religion had fulfilled its purpose. Our Lord Jesus Christ revealed to us the mystery of the Heavenly Kingdom and established the New Covenant, which was foretold by the prophet Jeremiah. "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people" (Jer. 31:31-33).
Man was redeemed from original sin and its consequences by the voluntary death on the Cross of Jesus Christ as Savior of the World. He entered into an entirely new period in terms of his relationship with God in comparison with the Old Testament: instead of the law, there was a free condition of sonship and grace. Man received new means for achieving the ideal set for him of moral perfection as a necessary condition for salvation.
Islam, having arisen in Arabia in the seventh century, appeared as the religion of the law six centuries after the God of the chosen people of the religion of the Law fulfilled its purpose.
The difference between the Old Testament religion of the Law and Islam is not only that the latter emerged more than two thousand years after God gave on Mount Sinai the Ten Commandments and other precepts that governed life for the chosen people. The most important difference is that the Law of Moses has a Divine source. The book of Exodus gives a narrative of the majestic Epiphany. "And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. And the Lord came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up" (Exod. 19:17-20).
The founder of Islam, however, did not have a Divine revelation.
How did Islam arise? We read about this in the Hadith “Al-Jamii al-Sahih”. A mysterious being began to visit Mohammed. He slept in a cave on the slope of Mount Hira. On the night of the 24th of the month of Ramadan in year 610 someone appeared to him in human form. This event is considered the beginning of Islam. This story about it is from the Sunnah: “[A]n angel appeared to him and bade him 'READ!' 'I am no reader!' Mohammed replied in great trepidation, whereon the angel shook him violently and again bade him read. This was repeated three times, when the angel uttered the five verses that commence the 96th chapter: 'READ! in the name of thy Lord, who did create—who did create man from congealed blood. READ! for thy Lord is the most generous.’” Mohammed puzzled over whether a demon or angel visited him. He confided his experiences in his wife Khadijah. I will introduce more of the story of Mohammed's biography, generally accepted by Muslims: “She said to the messenger of God, ‘O son of my uncle, are you able to tell me about your visitant, when he comes to you?’ He replied that he could, and she asked him to tell her when he came. So when Gabriel came to him, as he was wont the apostle said to Khadija, ‘This is Gabriel who has just come to me.’ ‘Get up, O son of my uncle,’ she said, ‘and sit by my left thigh.’ The apostle did so, and she said, ‘Can you see him?’ ‘Yes,’ he said. She said, ‘Then turn round and sit on my right thigh.’ He did so, and she said, ‘Can you see him?’ When he said that he could she asked him to move and sit in her lap. When he had done this she again asked if he could see him, and when he said yes, she disclosed her form and cast aside her veil while the apostle was sitting in her lap. Then she said, ‘Can you see him?’ And he replied, ‘No.’ She said, ‘O son of my uncle, rejoice and be of good heart, by God he is an angel and not a satan’” (Ibn Hisham, Biography of the Prophet Muhammad).
It is surprising how easily and, gently speaking, naively this question, which in the spiritual realm is a question of life or death, had been answered with the help of a woman. Before all else, an Angel is a bodiless being, and for his sight there are no actual barriers: one can see through even clothes. Clothes hide nudity only from the eyes of man. Even so, the body of man in and of itself is not something perverse or shameful. It is a creation of God. The lust of man is sinful as well as is carnal desire, but not the body. In paradise the progenitors were naked and were not ashamed (see Gen. 2:25). The nature of an Angel is inviolate. They are alien to passions of man. But if this was a demon, then he could easily resort to trickery. Knowing how they tested him, he especially would be able to take leave of himself, so that they would take him for an Angel.
The attitude of Islam towards the Bible
Islam emerged as something syncretic out of several sources: ancient Arabic cults, Judaism, Christianity, Hanifism (a pre-Islamic monotheistic movement in Arabia) and Mazdaism (an ancient Iranian religion). There is no doubt that the Old Testament holy books and the Gospel had an influence on the formation of Islam. In the Quran many people and events from biblical history are mentioned. However, these stories are presented completely arbitrarily and inaccurately.
According to the Quran, man was created from water. "It is He Who has created man from water: Then has He established relationships of lineage and marriage: for thy Lord has power (over all things)" (25:54). In another surah, it says: "Proclaim! (or read!) in the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, Who created man, out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood" (96:1-2). In another part it speaks about clay, "He created man from sounding clay like unto pottery" (55:14).
In contrast to the Bible, the Quran does not say that man was created in the image and likeness of God. This discrepancy is most profound. With God's image and likeness, man is summoned to commune directly with his Creator. He can become one with the Lord. This is not so in Islam.
The book of Genesis tells the story of how the entire family of the patriarch Noah (in Arabic, Nuh) was saved in the Ark. The Quran speaks about the death of Noah's son: "So the Ark floated with them on the waves (towering) like mountains, and Noah called out to his son, who had separated himself (from the rest): ‘O my son! Embark with us, and be not with the unbelievers!’ The son replied: ‘I will betake myself to some mountain: it will save me from the water.’ Noah said: ‘This day nothing can save, from the command of Allah, any but those on whom He hath mercy!’ And the waves came between them, and the son was among those overwhelmed in the Flood" (11:42-43). Another surah tells it somewhat differently: "(Remember) Noah, when he cried (to Us) aforetime: We listened to his (prayer) and delivered him and his family from great distress" (21:76).
There is no need to provide more examples. In the Quran, things are especially distorted when discussing New Testament events. Here the differences are purely fundamental. The Incarnation, the Crucifixion on Golgotha, and the Resurrection are all denied. Even the event of the Nativity of Christ, known to the whole world, is described very strangely. It is alleged that Maryam retreated to a faraway place and gave birth to a Son under palms (19:23). In this surah, called Maryam, She is called the "sister of Harun," i.e. Aaron. He indeed had a sister named Miriam, but she lived 15 centuries before the Nativity of Christ.
Probably due to so great a number of errors and distortions, many representatives of Islam, in order to escape from this quandary, allege that the modern Holy Scripture of Christians has been distorted (a circumstance known as tahrif). Immediately, the question arises: what evidence do they provide? There is no evidence. Characteristically, the view of Muslims toward the Bible has undergone significant change over the course of several centuries. Early Islamic writers such as al-Tabari and ar-Razi believed that the distortion comes down to tahrif bi'al ma'ni, i.e. the corruption of the meaning without changing the text. However, later authors such as Ibn Hazm and Al-Biruni introduced the idea of tahrif bi’al-lafz, i.e. the corruption of the text itself. At that, both of these positions have been preserved to the present day. Thus, the level of acceptance among Muslims of the Bible depends on one's understanding of tahrif. The very existence of these fundamentally different positions indicates that there is no concrete evidence.
It is impossible to ignore one interesting feature of the attitude that representatives of Islam have toward the Biblical text. In that they do not have their own "undistorted" biblical text, they cite our canonical text as undistorted. However, when they need to support a point, for example, negative examples from the life of Banu Isra'il (the children of Israel) with a reference to parts that do not conform to Islam, they proclaim the text to be distorted.
Muslims allege that the New Testament (Injil), which the Quran refers to positively, is not in fact the current four Gospels. We have already said that they do not provide any evidence. The falsehood of the accusation that Christians distorted the Scriptures stems from the internal inconsistencies of the very Islamic authors who wrote on this theme. According to the Quran, the New Testament was originally a true, sacred text. "And in their footsteps We sent Jesus the son of Mary, confirming the Law that had come before him: We sent him the Gospel: therein was guidance and light, and confirmation of the Law that had come before him: a guidance and an admonition to those who fear Allah" (5:46). In another section: "Say: ‘O People of the Book! ye have no ground to stand upon unless ye stand fast by the Law, the Gospel, and all the revelation that has come to you from your Lord.’ It is the revelation that cometh to thee from thy Lord, that increaseth in most of them their obstinate rebellion and blasphemy" (5:68). This excerpt clearly demonstrates that the Quran itself does not speak of the distorted Scripture, but about "rebellion and blasphemy" related to misunderstanding.
There is one part of the Quran (10:94) which is very problematic for Islamic commentators: "If thou wert in doubt as to what We have revealed unto thee, then ask those who have been reading the Book from before thee: the Truth hath indeed come to thee from thy Lord: so be in no wise of those in doubt." This ayat refers the Muslim "in doubt" to the authority of the biblical Holy Scripture. Abdul-Haqq writes: “The learned doctors of Islam are sadly embarrassed by this verse, referring the prophet as it does to the people of the Book who would solve his doubts” (Abdul-Haqq, A. A. (1980). Sharing Your Faith With A Muslim. Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers. As cited in Geisler, N.L. (1999). Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group). According to the logic of this verse, the biblical Scripture was undistorted in the 7th century at the time of the Quran's creation. Then one must recognize that the current text is also correct, since we use manuscripts written over several centuries prior to the Quran.
Textual criticism of the New Testament has achieved outstanding breakthroughs in the 20th century. Currently, there are over 2,328 manuscripts and manuscript fragments in Greek, coming to us from the first three centuries of Christianity. The most ancient New Testament manuscript, a part of the Gospel of John 18:31-33, 37-38, is the Rylands Library Papyrus P52, dated 117-138 in the era of the reign of emperor Hadrian. Adolf Deissmann acknowledges the possibility of the emergence of this papyrus even under the reign of Emperor Trajan (98-117). It is preserved in Manchester. Another ancient New Testament manuscript is the Papyrus Bodmer, P75. The 102 surviving pages contain the texts of the Gospels of Luke and John. "The editors, Victor Martin and Rodolphe Kasser, date this copy to between 175 and 225 A.D. It is thus the earliest surviving known copy of the Gospel according to Luke available today and one of the earliest of the Gospel according to John" (Bruce M. Metzger. The Text of the New Testament. p. 58). This precious manuscript is located in Geneva.
Uncial script on parchment: leather codices with uncial script, (in Latin uncia means inch) letters without sharp corners and broken lines. This script is distinguished by its great refinement and precision. Each letter is disconnected. There are 362 uncial manuscripts of the New Testament. The most ancient of these codices (Codex Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, and Alexandrinus) have already been mentioned.
Scholars complemented this impressive collection of ancient New Testament manuscripts with the New Testament text, which consisted of 36,286 excerpts of the Holy Scripture of the New Testament found in the works of the holy fathers and teachers of the Church from the first through fourth centuries. This text is lacking only 11 verses.
Scholars of textual criticism in the 20th century did a tremendous job on the collation of all—several thousands of—New Testament manuscripts and identified all textual discrepancies caused by scribal error. An evaluation and typologization was performed. Precise criteria for determining a correct variant were established. For those familiar with this rigorous scientific work, it is obvious that allegations of the distortion of the current holy text of the New Testament are unfounded. In terms of the number of ancient manuscripts and the brevity of time separating the earliest surviving text from the original, no one work of antiquity can be compared with the New Testament.
Accusations that the Bible's text is distorted are puzzling. How could it actually have been done? How could Christians and Hebrews have come together to do this? Everyone knows the degree of their mutual [doctrinal—Ed.] alienation. And yet both Christians and Jews use one and the same canonical text of the Old Testament. Furthermore, the entire New Testament was preserved in the Chester Beatty Papyri, composed in approximately 250 A.D.
It is inconceivable to accept that under the conditions that existed in Christian society, hundreds of exemplars of the New Testament text were miscopied for the purpose of distortion.
On the Monotheism of Islam
Historians and religious scholars regard the three "Abrahamic" religions, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, as monotheistic religions. For the researcher, the doctrinal principles that representatives of each of these three religions formulate are sufficient. However, on a theological level, the insufficiency of such a formal approach becomes clear. Monotheism is a necessary but not sufficient condition for true religion. Only a religion that has Divine revelation as a source has the true and spiritually accurate doctrine concerning God. Christianity not only maintains that God is the living, absolute source, "the only true God" (John 17:3; 1 Thes. 1:9; cf. John 5:20), but also teaches thoroughly and in depth of the nature of God as without beginning, without end, and of a perfect Spirit. The chief characteristic of the Divine nature is love. "God is love" (1 John 4:16). These words of the apostle contain the principal idea of the New Testament as the good news of salvation. The ineffable goodness of God created the world. The Lord housed man in paradise. Even after the Fall, God continued to love mankind. The greatness of God's love was revealed when the incarnate God died a most agonizing death for us. Christians know from not only the Holy Scripture, but also through the power of spiritual experience, that God is all-knowing and all-wise. The apostle says: "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do" (Heb. 4:13).
God knows not only all that has happened, and all that is, but he has also perfect knowledge of the future. The mirror of the supreme Wisdom of God is the universe which He created, astounding man with its extraordinary complexity, beauty, and harmony. God demonstrates his ineffable Wisdom also in the dispensation of our salvation. "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out" (Rom. 11:33).
True religion is not limited by the demand of worship for the Creator. Its ultimate goal is the spiritual unity of man with God. The Savior speaks about this in a prayer to his Father before his suffering on the cross: "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us" (John 17:21).
From the aforementioned characteristics of the Divine follows the concept of true, Christian monotheism. There can be only one all-powerful and all-just God.
The concept of God in Islam does not have a source of divine revelation. It developed on the basis of ancient Arabic religion. The word “Allah” was used in the polytheistic pantheon of Arabs to denote “God”: Allah (al - the definite article; ilah - god). Among the pagan Arabs, prior to their adoption of Islam, Allah was the supreme lunar deity, worshipped in north and central Arabia. The father of Muhammed, who was a pagan, was named Abdullah ("Servant of Allah").
In pre-Islamic times, the crescent moon was the symbol of the worship of the moon-god among the Arabs. This is confirmed by archeological evidence. The crescent moon was carried over as the main symbol of Islam.
Arabs of the Syrian desert called the wife of Allah as Al-lāt, and in the south of central Arabia, Al-‘Uzzá. In other areas of Arabia, they, along with Manat, were worshipped as the daughters of Allah. This genetic trail was preserved in the Quran. There is mention of this in the 53rd surah: "Have ye seen Lāt, and ‘Uzzā, and another, the third (goddess), Manāt? What! For you the male sex, and for Him, the female? Behold, such would be indeed a division most unfair!" (53:19-22).
In Islam, Allah is a created religious image by the human consciousness. He does not express the real almighty divine personhood. Consequently, monotheism in Islam is imagined. In a number of places in the Quran, he is endowed with intrinsically human characteristics and traits. Allah says:
  • "Those who reject Our signs, We shall soon cast into the fire: as often as their skins are roasted through, We shall change them for fresh skins, that they may taste the penalty" (4:56);
  • "...There is no help Except from God, the Exalted, the Wise: that He might cut off a fringe of the Unbelievers or expose them to infamy, and they should then be turned back, frustrated of their purpose: (3: 126–127);
  • "The Hypocrites—they think they are over-reaching God, but He will over-reach them" (4:142);
  • "And (the unbelievers) plotted and planned, and God too planned, and the best of planners is God" (3:54);
  • “Many are the Jinns and men we have made for Hell: they have hearts wherewith they understand not, eyes wherewith they see not, and ears wherewith they hear not. They are like cattle,—nay more misguided: for they are heedless (of warning)” (7:179).
What a great difference! Christianity teaches that God "will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:4), while Islam maintains that Allah created many people for Gehenna.
The idea of monotheism, (tawhid, from the verb wahhada—to reckon something as one) was formulated in the Quran in several surahs. For example, in the 16th surah, "The Bee": "For We assuredly sent amongst every people an apostle, (with the Command), "serve God, and eschew evil" (16:36). In the terminology of the sharia, anything people worship except for Allah is "taghut". Since Islam does not know of direct revelation, nor the holy Manifestation of God to the world, nor the unification of man with God on the foundation of love, its monotheism is imagined, formalistic and abstract, requiring not that man change himself or his way of life, but only worship and daily prayer.
Hieromonk Job (Gumerov)
submitted by Yurii_S_Kh to SophiaWisdomOfGod [link] [comments]


2024.05.19 14:05 barrenotbar Reflecting on 3 years

Started experimenting with alcohol very young, was drunk and smoking cigarettes before double digits. Growing up in a big family, my parents had drinks every evening and cocktail hour is when everyone came alive, when we would communicate and interact. Booze to me was the oil in the engine. Our large extended family had varying levels of alcohol abuse. Definite vibe that the ones who quit or were in AA had somehow failed the test. The goal was to drink as much as possible, but keep your shit in check.
High school, college, young adulthood… so much assault, pain, bad decisions, bad choices. And so much guilt, anxiety and despair! Asking what the hell is wrong with me?
Married young and had two kids. Stopped smoking and drinking for pregnancy and remember someone telling me it was okay to have a glass and me saying what the hell is the point? I drink to get drunk, one glass will just annoy me.
Onto life of a suburban drunk mom surrounded myself with other “party” families. Always sad or guilty about my behavior so in my 30s went to a psychiatrist who gave me Xanax and told me I was normal. Luckily I hate pills.
40s come kids are teen/pre teen and I just cannot function anymore. Start my attempts at quitting and it becomes obvious that this is a problem. So for my 43 birthday I gave myself the gift of a year sober. It started out as taking a break, but when people pressed me I said it was an experiment to get through a year with no booze. That year i got my barre training certification - never could have done it while drinking.
Year ends and I have done it! I have proved that I do not have a problem with alcohol!!! Flash forward a short week later and it is back to drinking almost every night. Everyone likes me better and I hate myself.
Couple more years, couple more quits and some really creative and pathetic attempts at moderation. Still feeling this is a me problem.
Start reading some quit lit and find Annie Grace. Start reading but put off by the “you can still drink” while you read part so put it down. Then at 48 find myself on a plane with nothing unread on my kindle except this naked mind. Read it, picked my date and it has stuck.
I knew the reaction I got when I quit the first time and knew that I would have to do this alone. Googling resources and found stop drinking. And I felt like I was saved.
No one in my real life wanted me to stop (party pooper), EXCEPT the only two people who matter, my kids. Now young adults they are very happy for me, we talk almost daily and they tell me to forget what other people think, that I am doing the right thing.
When I think about apologizing for my alcohol fueled behavior I get kind of angry. Then only people I have apologized to are my children (and my dogs :)
I am in the NONE group - not one, not ever. I spent years carving deep ruts of addiction in my brain, I was not made for moderation and I know this.
My visual - No matter how far down the road, you are still the same distance from the ditch - I am fully aware where a misstep will lead, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation.
And my favorite- Quitting drinking may not lead to heaven, but it unlocks the doors of hell and lets you out. The idea that rings most true to me. Things will be bad, but they’ll never be hungover bad.
My environment now has not changed much, but I have. I try to stay in my own lane, make choices that other people may be unhappy with when I need to, and to provide an example that having a social life does not require drinking poison.
3 years and I feel like I am just beginning. My brain is continuing to heal, my body is strong and my spirit is grateful. I am really proud of myself, my partner is now proud of me and people comment positively on my age/health/looks. While I try to be kind, i do indulge in a little gloating when people around me are hungover.
If anyone thinks they can’t do this because they are in a codependent drinking relationship, you can. My partner still drinks (less, but…) and it has been very hard. But the contrast, the battle, the having to be a champion for my self - it has been clarifying.
I feel strong and know I am doing the right thing. When my family mocks me, when my friends look at me with pity, when society tells me I am missing out, I say Fuck Off and look to myself, my kids and to SD and know I am in the right place.
Thank you to everyone here, from day one to dinosaur. I have such respect and appreciation for all of the education and support available in SD. IWNDWYT
submitted by barrenotbar to stopdrinking [link] [comments]


2024.05.19 14:04 lurkinglen Review: Loch Lomond Spearhead single grain - budget tip

Review: Loch Lomond Spearhead single grain - budget tip
A highly affordable bottle from Loch Lomond Distillery. Some disclosure: I'm a fan of the distillery: both their flavor profiles and their approach to the business.
I first tasted this in a blind testing where I liked this better than many single malts that are sold at twice the price. Loch Lomond promotes that this Spearhead is intended for mixing and cocktails, and I understand that because it's quite densely filled with aromas and flavours, unlike commercial single malts like glen foddich, glenmorangie etc. that are considered too bland for enthusiasts. I think this is a combination of the distillate combined with the special IR toasted casks.
On the nose there's a lot going on: the typical green herbal notes you get from loch Lomond unpeated whisky. Lots of fresh fruit and toasted wood. As said before: not bland and pretty high intensity, albeit slightly artifical. The taste is intense: fruity and oaky and it goes in the little bit in the direction of bourbons because of the strong wood presence. This is a summer whisky and at this price level you can throw it in a cocktail or on ice, but I don't feel I'm doing myself short drinking this neat instead of other more expensive bottles in my collection.
At just 30 euros this is simply recommended.
submitted by lurkinglen to Scotch [link] [comments]


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