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warc | 201704 | How Christians Benefit from Christian Counseling Techniques
Many people seek counseling to assist them in finding their way in life. It can be used to strengthen relationships but is also a comforting tool to offer guidance in better understanding yourself and events that might have happened in your life. The Christian Counseling Norman OK people seek uses a profoundly religious approach that offers strength from your Christian beliefs to help guide you and find your way.
Bible Inspiration
As a Christian you have turned to the bible in times of need to assist you in understanding life as well as to seek inspiration from the bible’s teachings. The christian counseling Norman OK people seek uses the bible as a familiar tool to provide analogies to help patients find guidance and strength. A large part of any therapeutic treatment relies heavily on wisdom and insight and the bible can provide comfort and inspiration through the many stories about the challenges and adversities faced by people and how they find strength in their beliefs to aid in overcoming them. Examples can be drawn from the bible that are parallel to your experiences to help illustrate there is a way to overcome your challenges and come out stronger through your beliefs. Prayer is also often used as a form of meditative contemplation to aid in finding relief from stress and mental unrest. Praying with your counsellor is specific to Christian counseling techniques.
Reasons to Seek Christian Counselling
The reasons people choose to undergo Christian counseling are not much different than the reasons people seek counseling in general. Interpersonal skills, stress, conflict, emotional challenges and relationship issues both marital and family are all reasons people seek Christian counseling. In marriage Christian counseling Norman OK couples seek can be particularly effective strengthening the promises and commitments made to each other before God. Christian counseling is also very effective as a form of grief counseling where the bible can provide inspiration as well as reinforce the Christian beliefs that loved ones will be united with God as well as with each other.
Christian counseling utilizes many approaches often including traditional approaches of psychotherapy. However many counseling sessions focus on the bible to provide an authority and schooling to assist in healing and providing guidance. | 2,419 | 1,077 | 0.000934 |
warc | 201704 | “These are gluten-free?” My niece sounded surprised as she inquired from the back seat on a recent road trip. “Yes, they are even made with whole grains,” I replied. “Hmm, they’re really good.”
Not all cookies meet with her approval, but the crispy minis line of HomeFree Cookies passed both her test and mine. These bite-sized little gems are sweet, but not too sweet, and bursting with flavor. When taste-tested three varieties. The Vanilla is true to its warm, rich namesake while the Chocolate Chip and Double Chocolate Chip are generously dotted with tasty dairy-free chocolate. The minis are sold in boxes and in single-serve, lunchbox-friendly packages (about 6 to 7 cookies in each).
For food allergy concerns, HomeFree Cookies are made in a dedicated bakery and are free of the top 8 allergens.
But don’t confuse the minis with the full-size line of HomeFree Cookies. The larger versions are tender to the bite, rather than crispy, and are sold as singles or in boxes. They are also made in HomeFree’s dedicated facility, but unfortunately are sold in far less flavors.
The Facts on HomeFree Cookies Certifications: HomeFree Cookies are Certified Kosher Parve, Certified Vegan, Certified Gluten Free, and Non-GMO Verified. HomeFree is also a Certified B Corporation. Dietary Notes: By ingredients, Homefree Cookies are dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan / plant-based, and vegetarian. Nonetheless, always read the ingredient statement and check with the company on their manufacturing processes for all varieties if potential allergen cross-contamination is an issue for you. Processes and labeling are subject to change at any time for any company / product. For More Product Information: Visit the HomeFree website at homefreetreats.com. | 1,850 | 964 | 0.001067 |
warc | 201704 | We've all heard about the benefits of custom fitting, and the emphasis on fitting is certainly an important part of the February issue of Golf Digest, where for the first time we name America's Best Clubfitters. But the leading manufacturers in the game are making some special efforts in the area of custom fitting when it comes to golfers with special needs, including several programs for wounded heroes of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Few companies are a match for Ping when it comes to fitting clubs to each golfer's unique individual specifications. Under the leadership of founder Karsten Solheim, the company instituted a color-coded system for matching lie angles and lengths to a golfer's measurements three decades ago, and today, that fitting system is still the most comprehensive among the game's major manufacturers. Still, that level of sophistication was put to the test recently as the company fit quadruple amputee Jeff Lewis, who lives in Mesa, Ariz. Lewis called the company about the possibility of clubs that could be made special for his needs, and one day later he was on the range at the company's Phoenix headquarters. Ping's engineering team, led by research project engineer Paul Wood, figured out the measurements and a mechanism to lock clubs into his prosthesis.
"I'm hitting the ball very well," Lewis, who lost his spleen after he was shot some 20 years ago and then lost portions of his extremities when a strep infection could not be controlled because he had no spleen, told the Arizona Republic. "I don't hit it that far. I've had a few pars, a lot of bogeys but no real chances for a birdie yet."
"[Ben] looked me in the eye and said that being fitted for those clubs was one of the best things that ever happened to him and he was determined to learn to play golf well enough to deserve the gift Ping had given him," the email reads. See the e-mail here (G11411.pdf.)
According to Pete Samuels, director of communications, Ping has custom fit 130 wounded veterans since 2008. "We feel it's the least we can do considering the sacrifices these soldiers are making," he says. "Using golf to help someone like Ben Woods get through the rehab process makes us feel good as a company but more importantly helps improve his quality of life."
Of course, Ping is not alone in its efforts to help wounded veterans through the game of golf. For example, Callaway has donated $5 million in golf equipment to 250 military bases through Phil Mickelson's involvement in the Birdies for the Brave program, says Tim Buckman, senior director of global communications.
TaylorMade also has played a big role in the effort to bring golf to injured veterans in the San Diego area. The company donates equipment and instruction to the San Diego-based program Operation Game On! The program, organized by Tony Perez, the father of PGA Tour pro Pat Perez and the annual starter for the Farmers Insurance Open, works with wounded veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan at the Naval Medical Hospital in San Diego.
The idea grew out of Perez's initiative to get wounded veterans to serve as honorary starters at the San Diego tournament a few years ago. When they told him they had been interested in golf before serving and being injured, he began developing the program today that features four 10-week sessions for as many as 20 wounded veterans a session. He even has taken them to the TaylorMade Performance Center, known as the Kingdom, at the company's headquarters in Carlsbad, Calif., where they've received instruction from noted teacher Jim Flick.
"These guys are no different than the rest of us," says Perez. "One good shot and they're hooked. They forget about their disability and they're really enthusiastic about getting better. They're warriors, and that can-do, will-do attitude comes out."
For more information on Perez's program, click here, and see the video below.
*-- Mike Stachura
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warc | 201704 | Peace Tree Farm, well known as a grower of high-end finished ornamentals as well as prefinished and young plants, is getting into greenhouse produce. Greenhouse Grower talked with co-owner Lloyd Traven to find out why he thinks vegetables look like a good business decision.
GG: Why do you see produce as an opportunity for Peace Tree Farm? Traven: We sell herb plants and potted vegetable plants to Whole Foods already, so it’s not a completely new idea.
Our son, Alex, is coming into the business and he is a big proponent. He will work this summer for a cut flower farm that grows some vegetables. Two summers ago, he managed The Dilmun Hill organic student farm at Cornell and grew all vegetables. We’ve become more convinced every day about the potential for success here.
We will be very selective with what we do. We are talking about converting some smaller areas over to hydroponic vegetable production, but I think we will also start growing outdoors, both cut flowers and outdoor and high tunnel vegetables. Our regular greenhouse space is just way too high-end for growing vegetables.
We really think the time is right for this. Produce is local. We feel it’s what the consumer, Mrs. Smith, wants. Or more important, it’s what Mrs. Smith’s daughter and her boyfriend want. They’re kids, and they’re already in debt. They may have a hard time finding a good job or buying a car. They’re moving to urban areas. They want control over something in their life. There’s a huge shift going on there.
GG: Peace Tree Farm is certified organic with its ornamental crops. Will your produce be organic? Traven: I’m going to say we’re undecided right now. Certainly some will be. All of our herbs are grown organically. Everything we grow now is grown organically even if we can’t certify it. That’s not the issue.
The issue is it’s produce, not ornamentals. We need to be productive and functional and efficient.
We’re looking at how do we get there as holistically as possible — can it be done purely organically in enough numbers that it’s worthwhile doing?
We’re struggling with the idea that hydroponic is almost by definition not organic. There are ways around it, but Rockwool and stuff like that is not acceptable for us. If we can’t do it effectively, we won’t bother.
The key for us is local. Local trumps organic.
GG: What markets are you planning to target with produce? Traven: We have a lot of things dancing around right now. I think there’s a real opportunity for us supplying local Whole Foods, since we already have that relationship on the herbs and potted vegetable plants.
The restaurant market is very good and we have a lot of history there already. Chefs come to us all the time.
But I really think the farmers’ market is where it’s at. At the cut flower farm where he’s been working, Alex has been running the operation at the farmers’ market and he has a novel concept. He’s working with the other farmers there. They get together during the winter and instead of competing against each other, they’re saying, “This is what I do really well. This is what you do well. Why don’t we just concentrate on what each of us does well and then we have the best of the best for customers?” They come together in a central location and market it together. I think that’s a great idea. Alex wants to do that here.
We are not going to be your source for general produce — just like with our plant material. We take contract orders for specific plants, get licenses and fill those orders. [With these contract orders] we don’t work through brokers [unless it is required]. We work very much outside the normal market channels and we look to do the same thing with produce. | 3,865 | 1,795 | 0.000584 |
warc | 201704 | Greenwich High School students up to Code Published 10:11 pm, Tuesday, December 9, 2014
What is computer programming?
"Computer programming is telling a computer to do whatever you want it to do," Matt Meyers, a computer science teacher at Greenwich High School, told students in one of the school's computer labs on Tuesday. "The power that it unlocks is that it really allows you to build, create and design anything you can think of."
Mastering that "power" takes countless hours, but getting an introduction to it requires just one. Such is the thinking behind the Hour of Code, a global initiative organized by the nonprofit code.org, which aims to increase participation in computer science in schools. The 300 Greenwich High students who participated Tuesday were among the approximately 61 million worldwide who had already taken part by the end of Tuesday in the weeklong program. Several other Greenwich schools held their own Hour of Code events, including Central Middle School, Julian Curtiss School and Greenwich Academy.
"I heard about computer programming from code.org last year, and because of that, I realized how important it was to learn about programming," said junior Luke Bienstock, who is taking the Introduction to Computer Programming class taught by Meyers. "I think that with my generation it's going to be one of those skills you're going to be expected to know going into a job, the same way you have to know how to write."
Meyers and other computer-science faculty at the high school are hoping that other students will be similarly motivated. On Tuesday, Bienstock and other students in computer science classes teamed up with students who are programming novices to work through tutorials on code.org. One of the favorites was "Lightbot," a puzzle game in which students use symbols of code to move the robot on the screen.
"It's not as scary as I pictured," said sophomore Elizabeth Murray, one of the newcomers. "I pictured coding as a lot of numbers and letters, but this makes it doable."
Just a few months ago, many of the students now helping the beginners were beginners themselves.
"The idea of coding was kind of daunting in the beginning," said sophomore Amanda Chan, who is taking Introduction to Computer Programming. "But as we got to practice it every day, it became easier to understand."
The high school has revamped its computer science programming this year, creating two tracks that are anchored by two new courses: Java Computer Science and Computer Programming for Applications. In Java Computer Science, students learn the JavaScript programming language for web applications. In Computer Programming for Applications, students learn programming techniques for apps in web design and software.
In the apps track, students take Introduction to Computer Programming, then Computer Programming for Applications, followed by Honors Computer Programming for Applications. In the engineering track, the sequence is Introduction to Computer Programming, then Java Computer Science and finally Advanced Placement Computer Science.
Honors Computer Programming and AP Computer Science are set to launch next year.
Interest in the field is surging at Greenwich High. A year ago, only about 30 students took computer science. This year, that number is up to about 100, according to Meyers. And a few of the neophytes could be joining next year, too.
"I think it's quite an interesting system here," said Kevin Woodring, a junior who was coached Tuesday by Bienstock and senior Griffin Golden. "I've never done it before, but I'm always open to new experiences. This seems like a fun course that I'd like to do possibly in the future."
pschott@scni.com; 203-625-4439; twitter: @paulschott | 3,771 | 1,710 | 0.000591 |
warc | 201704 | Don't wait: it's time to list your home! Published 1:09 pm, Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Now that prices have started to come back and inventory is thin, it us a great time to list your home and take advantage of the low interest rates that buyers will translate into lower carrying costs to buy your home.
Our low tax rates in Greenwich, relatively speaking, are another carrying cost factor which is bringing in buyers, too -- especially from Westchester.
I just sold a mid-country Greenwich house to a Rye Brook couple and had another strong bid from a Harrison buyer. In both cases, their taxes were killing them -- ours looked great by comparison.
Before you get started in a marketing program, though, be sure you know the appraised value of your home and any defects with the house and property. A seller's appraisal and home inspection will give you a heads up on what you'll hear from appraisers and building inspectors after you've accepted an offer and think you're done with the process, only to be surprised.
More InformationFact box
Have a property survey handy or get one done, pull together the certificates of occupancy (COs) for any construction projects on which permits were drawn and get a property card on your home from the town assessor's office.
Double check the town's property card for finished space square footage, room counts, plumbing fixture counts in the bathrooms and lot size. If there are any discrepancies, now's the time to get them cleared up. It will be a monumental headache to do it later on.
If you have a high radon gas count, termites, carpenter ants or structural issues with foundations, roofs, chimneys and walls, remember that it costs owners "hundreds" but buyers "thousands" to clear these issues up.
Very often, they'll sour the potential buyer and not only let them off the hook because of an inspection contingency in the offer, but also be a great post-acceptance negotiating factor -- assuming they don't run from the deal.
Stage, stage, stage your home. Pack up all the precious photos, mementos and tchotchkes. If your Realtor is an accredited staging professional have, them him or her stage your home. If not, employ an accredited home stager to do it. In either, case your home needs to be clutter-free, squeaky clean, and not over decorated or furnished.
Potential buyers will look in your closets and will notice dirty windows and counters. They'll see cracks in the walls, peeling paint, dead shrubs, cracks in the driveway, and all the other defects. Visit stagedhomes.com to see what I'm talking about.
Having done all that, you're ready to tell the world about your gorgeous home and property.
Your home needs to have a big presence on the internet. That's where more than 90 percent of the buyers are.
You should be able to find the site quickly using internet search tools and real estate websites such as Realtor.com, Trulia.com and Zillow.com. You should attract potential buyers to your home over comparable properties if the photography, descriptions and placement are done correctly.
This Week's Success Quote
"Procrastination is like a credit card: it's a lot of fun until you get the bill."
-- Christopher Parker
Ken Edwards is the principal broker for Edwards & Associates and has lived in town since 1974. All opinions expressed in this column are entirely his own and not those of this publisher. Comments, questions and suggestions may be sent to K_W_Edwards@Yahoo.com or by phone or call or text at 203-918-4444. Questions of general interest will be addressed in this column, while others will receive individual responses. | 3,628 | 1,893 | 0.000532 |
warc | 201704 | Novellus Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:NVLS) filed Quarterly Report for the period ended 2011-09-24.
Novellus Systems Inc. has a market cap of $2.35 billion; its shares were traded at around $33.79 with a P/E ratio of 9.5 and P/S ratio of 1.8. Highlight of Business Operations:We focus on certain key financial data to manage our business. Net sales, gross profit, net income, and net income per share are the primary measures we use to monitor performance. We also use certain financial measures that are not in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), such as shipments and net orders to assess business trends and performance. We discuss these non-GAAP measures because we believe they assist investors in assessing certain business trends in the same way that these trends are analyzed by management. Shipments consist of products shipped to customers, without regard to net sales adjustments such as deferrals associated with customer acceptance. Net orders, which in our industry are also referred to as bookings, consist of current period orders less current period cancellations and other adjustments. Shipments and net orders are used to forecast and plan future operations. We do not report orders for systems with delivery dates more than 12 months from the latest balance sheet date.
We expect net orders to fluctuate due to the cyclical nature of our business. The receipt of net orders in a particular quarter affects revenue in subsequent quarters. Net orders typically result in revenue either at shipment and transfer of title or upon customer acceptance of the equipment. Our revenue recognition policy, as discussed in our Critical Accounting Policies below, addresses the distinction between the revenue recognized upon shipment and transfer of title and the revenue recognized upon customer acceptance. Equipment generally ships within two to six months of receiving the related order, and if applicable, customer acceptance is typically received one to six months after shipment. These time lines are general estimates and actual times may vary depending on varying circumstances.
Changes in net sales are generally influenced by our shipment volume and the timing of installation and acceptances. Semiconductor Group net sales for the third quarter of 2011 decreased by 16% and 21% compared to the second quarter of 2011 and the third quarter of 2010, respectively, primarily due to decreased demand. We believe the recent reduction in our customers spending was due to macroeconomic uncertainties that have negatively affected end-market demand in the near-term. In addition, current customer utilization levels remain below seasonal levels. However, Semiconductor Group net sales increased by 8% in the first nine months of 2011 as compared with the same prior-year period. This year-over-year increase was due to increased demand for capital equipment in the first half of the year as our customers responded to growth in end-market demand for electronics which, as mentioned above, has recently diminished.
IAG net sales for the third quarter of 2011 increased by 46% and 69% compared to the second quarter of 2011 and the third quarter of 2010, respectively. IAG net sales increased 62% in the first nine months of 2011 as compared with the same prior-year period. These increases are primarily due to continued improvement in demand for our industrial products. Also contributing to the year-over-year increase were favorable foreign currency exchange rates which increased net sales by 8%.
Gross margin of 48% for the third quarter of 2011 decreased 2 percentage points from the second quarter of 2011 and 1 percentage point from the third quarter of 2010, primarily due to reduced absorption of fixed overhead costs on lower production volumes combined with an increased mix of industrial products revenue. The increase in gross margin by 1 percentage point for the first nine months of 2011 from the same prior-year period was primarily driven by favorable product mix.
Read the The complete Report You may also like : About the author: Charlie Tian, Ph.D. - Founder of GuruFocus. You can now pre-order his book Invest Like a Guru on Amazon. 10qk | 4,206 | 1,804 | 0.000555 |
warc | 201704 | Qualified International Medical Graduates (IMGs) are a valuable part of the health care system. Ontario leads the country in the number of postgraduate medical training positions it provides for IMGs. The province continues to offer 200 new training and assessment positions annually for IMGs. This is more than all other provinces combined.
Where to Get Information
IMGs living in Ontario are encouraged to contact the HealthForceOntario Access Centre. Advisors are there to help IMGs find the most effective path into practice in the province and explain the steps they need to take.
An IMG's eligibility for practice in Ontario - and the processes he or she must follow - depends on education and practice experience.
Applying Directly to the College of Physicians and Surgeons
Some IMGs don't need to go through a ministry-funded training or assessment program. These IMGs can apply for practice registration directly through the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. For example, IMGs who have been certified in another Canadian jurisdiction, U.S. trained physicians who have met all U.S. certification requirements, or physicians who have accredited postgraduate training in the U.S. may be able to apply directly.
Obtaining Postgraduate Training or Assessment
The 200 training positions and assessments offered to IMGs annually are a combination of 1) entry level and advanced residency positions and 2) practice ready assessments. About half of these are in family medicine, a two-year residency. Physicians in other specialities or sub-specialities require four or more years of residency.
The ministry is not involved in placing or selecting candidates for these positions. The medical schools are responsible for selecting candidates.
Entry level positions
IMGs apply directly for entry-level residency positions through the Canadian Resident Matching Services (CaRMS). All IMGs who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents and meet the CaRMS application criteria can apply. Medical schools decide who will be accepted.
IMGs interested in entry-level positions can also use the services of the Centre for the Evaluation of Health Professionals Educated Abroad (CEHPEA). CEHPEA provides evaluations for IMGs which may help candidates strengthen their portfolios and be more competitive in the CaRMS match. An evaluation through CEHPEA is mandatory for entry into certain residency programs.
Advanced positions
Advanced level training refers to the second year or more advanced years of postgraduate training in a specialty area. IMGs entering at this level have been identified as needing between one and four years of training. To be considered for advanced training, applicants require at least one year of postgraduate education in the specialty they're applying for.
A Practice Ready Assessment allows eligible physicians with recent practice experience to go through a six-month assessment in a supervised clinical setting at an Ontario medical school. This determines whether the physician is ready to enter directly into practice or if he or she needs more training.
IMGs interested in advanced level training and practice ready assessment positions must apply through CEHPEA. In any year, CEHPEA will only conduct eligibility assessments for advanced level entry and practice ready positions for specialties where medical schools have identified potential capacity.
It is important to remember that all ministry-funded IMG training and assessment programs in Ontario have return-of-service requirements.
HealthForceOntario is the government's health human resource strategy designed to ensure we have access to the right number and mix of health care providers, now and in the future. A key component of HealthForceOntario is the Access Centre for internationally educated health professionals.
The Access Centre opened in December 2006 and provides intensive case management service to health care professionals, including IMGs, in order to provide support through the licensure and registration process.
Visit the HealthForceOntario website to learn about the Access Centre or contact HealthForceOntario:
By mail or in person : HealthForceOntario Marketing and Recruitment Agency 163 Queen Street, 2nd Floor Toronto, ON M5A 1S1 Canada (Hours of Operation : 8:30am - 5:00pm EST) By telephone : Toronto : 416-862-2200 North America : 1-800-596-4046 International : 1-800-596-4046 ext. 4 By email: AccessCentre@healthforceontario.ca
More than 200 new training and assessment opportunities are made available each year for international medical graduates (IMGs) wanting to practise medicine in the province. Physicians who accept these positions must agree to provide five years of full-time service in an eligible community. Physicians confirm their commitment by signing a Return-of-Service (ROS) agreement with the ministry. ROS agreements ensure that IMG participants fill the need for physicians in Ontario communities. ROS requirements are clearly specified in the signed agreements. | 5,041 | 2,203 | 0.000456 |
warc | 201704 | Swine flu will continue to spread 19th May 2009 Experts at the World Health Organisation (WHO) predict that swine flu will continue its spread around the world.
The news came after cases of the virus spiked by more than 1,000 within a 24-hour period.
Acting WHO Assistant Director-General Keiji Fukuda said that a large number of infection cases were not confirmed by laboratory testing. He said that their work also suggested the virus was transmissible enough for continued community level outbreaks and regional spread. According to the latest data, 7,520 people in 34 countries have been confirmed to have caught influenza A(H1N1). The number of confirmed deaths is highest in Mexico, followed by the United States, Canada, and Costa Rica. WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said that the virus has quickly demonstrated its capacity to spread easily from one person to another, to spread widely within an affected country and to spread rapidly to additional countries. She said she expected this pattern of international spread to continue, since this is a time of great uncertainty, and great pressure on governments, ministries of health and the WHO. World governments have not stopped giving updates about the progress of the virus in their respective countries. The Mexican health minister, Jose Angel Cordova, said two more deaths have been confirmed in the country and the total number of fatalities there was now at 66, with 2,829 confirmed infections overall. However, he said that the rate of infections was still steadily falling. In the United States, the rate of infection is still rising, with the number of confirmed cases at 4,298. Three schools were recently closed in New York City, and 4,500 students sent home, following the hospitilisation of an assistant principal. The New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg said that there was an unusually high level of flu-like illnesses in the city. Fukuda said that the behaviour of swine flu would also depend on whether it was winter in one part of the world or another. He said that half of those who have died from swine flu have been young and otherwise healthy adults, though right now it is not known what the future will bring. Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline has said that it would begin to develop 130 million doses of a swine flu vaccine for use in France, Belgium, Britain, and Finland. US president Barack Obama has appointed New York City health chief Thomas Frieden as the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Frieden is an epidemiologist who left the CDC in 2002 when he was appointed New York health commissioner. The confirmed infected total has risen to four in Belgium, and two in Norway: both students recently returned from Mexico.
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Title: Swine flu will continue to spread
Author: Luisetta Mudie Article Id: 11387 Date Added: 19th May 2009 | 3,079 | 1,552 | 0.000647 |
warc | 201704 | Skip to content
Key resources Date posted: 1 April 2012
Today marks the 30th anniversary of the Australian Indigenous Health
Bulletin, a key Australian journal about the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The Health
Bulletin started life in April 1982 as a hard copy publication. It is now a peer-reviewed electronic journal published by the Australian Indigenous Health InfoNet.
The 30th anniversary of the Health
Bulletin provides an opportunity for Australia's Indigenous health research community to reflect on the importance of making research and other findings easily accessible.
Health
Bulletin founder, Professor Neil Thomson, has an enduring interest in translational research, reflected in his long tenure as Health Bulletin editor.
'My initial research in 1981 as Research Fellow in Aboriginal health at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies (now the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies) confirmed the impression I'd gained while working in the Kimberley region of WA in 1978-79,' Professor Thomson says.
'This impression was that much relevant information failed to reach many people involved in Aboriginal health. Information was either not published or, if it was, was not readily available. In addition, published information was scattered across many journals and other sources.'
'The
Aboriginal health project information bulletin was created to enable a more appropriate dissemination of relevant information.'
With a wide range of users (policy makers, service providers, researchers, students and the general community), the Health
Bulletin is still - after 30 years - making a wealth of relevant, up-to-date information freely available. It publishes peer-reviewed articles and reports on Indigenous health, as well as reviews of specific topics. Information about recent developments of relevance to Indigenous health and summaries of innovative health promotion programs are also made available.
Importantly, details of other recent journal articles, reports, conference presentations, resource materials, academic theses and details of new or revised websites are also available.
In publishing original peer-reviewed research, the Health
Bulletin focuses on practical examples of policies, strategies and programs that utilise educational, organisational, economic and/or environmental approaches to Indigenous health.
The Health
Bulletin is published online as a journal 'in progress'. This allows readers to have access to new information as soon as it becomes available rather than waiting until the closure of each issue.
Health
Bulletin editorial team, left to right: Jane Burns (Deputy Editor), Professor Neil Thomson (Editor), Christine Potter (Deputy Editor) Spokesperson:
Professor Neil Thomson
Director Australian Indigenous Health InfoNet Ph: (08) 9370 6062 Mobile: 0417 944 819 Email: n.thomson@ecu.edu.au Media contact:
Tara Hoyne
Development & Marketing Manager Australian Indigenous Health InfoNet Ph: (08) 9370 6109 Email: t.hoyne@ecu.edu.au | 3,075 | 1,414 | 0.000714 |
warc | 201704 | Q What do you think of magnetotherapy which, again, seems to be effective and is apprently being used in NHS hospitals? - PD, Bristol
A Doctors are rediscovering the benefits of magnet therapy to cure illness, injury and alleviate pain. It is already well established in countries such as India, Japan, China, Austria and Germany, where many people sleep on magnetic beds and wear small magnets for greater energy and to prevent illness.
Remember, though, that magnets are only an aid to stimulating the body to heal itself. To maintain a healthy balance, you need a good night’s sleep, exercise and adequate nutrition.
For a magnet to be healing, the north, or negative, pole of the magnet must face the skin. Some observers also believe that the healing effect is cumulative. Small magnets worn for a short period of time are unlikely to be genuinely effective. Avoid any magnets which do not have comprehensive labelling or those whose manufacturers are unable to answer basic questions about their product.
Magnets can help reduce inflammation and improve your circulation. Injured tissue emits a positive charge, but placing a magnet’s negative pole over the area appears to restore the natural balance by improving circulation, enabling blood vessels to dilate and bringing a larger amount of blood flow to the area. This helps to bring natural healing agents to the area while removing the toxic byproducts of inflammation that contribute to pain and more inflammation. By reducing both of the latter, tissue healing is stimulated (Lancet, 1984; i: 695-8).
Magnets are effective for reducing and relieving pain. Therapists report successful treatment with magnets for arthritis, rheumatism, fibromyalgia, headaches, muscle sprains and strains, joint pain, tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome (repetitive strain injury) and torn ligaments.
Magnets appear to raise a nerve’s depolarisation potential so that the signal is blocked, preventing cell depolarisation and, hence, signal transmission. In addition, the magnetic field slows the ability of the nerve to transmit pain (Malcolm MJ et al., Second World Congress for Electricity and Magnetism in Biology and Medicine, 8-13 June 1977, Bologna, Italy).
Magnets can also help to reduce stress. Applying a magnet to the head calms as well as induces a hypnotic soporific effect on the brain by stimulating the hormone melatonin, which has been shown to produce a sedating effect in insomniacs. As a result, there are magnetic pillows and pads that have been designed to induce a sound and restful sleep (Guilleminault C et al., Bioelectromagnetics Society, Proceedings of the 15th Annual Meeting, 13-17 June 1993, Los Angeles, CA, p 84). | 2,715 | 1,426 | 0.000708 |
warc | 201704 | If you are not among the high percentage holders in your 10+2 exams, then you can consider the various vocational courses offered by Delhi University (DU).
Along with a degree from DU, these courses offer plenty of opportunities for aspirants. Known as the Vocational Studies Programme, the three-year course includes a total of 12 courses. “Students with low percentage in their Class XII exams have no reasons to worry. Candidates who have scored between 70 and 80 per cent can easily take admission to these courses,” said S.K. Bajpai, who teaches Tourism at the College of Vocational Studies (CVS), Delhi University.
One can secure admission in the Tourism and Human Resource Management courses which are extremely popular with cut-offs as low as 72.5 per cent and 80 per cent respectively.
Teachers said for the past few years, there has been an increase in the number of applicants and those with good percentages also apply. “The option of finding a job immediately after completion of the course is what draws them to these courses,” added Bajpai.
Priyanka Gandhi, a Science student who has scored 89.5 per cent in her Boards, is seeking admission to Tourism this year.
“The tourism industry is growing fast in India. This course will give me opportunities to work in areas as varied as the aviation sector, hotels, travel agencies or becoming tourist escorts.”
“Companies dealing with insurance, consultancy, outsourcing, investment services recruit these students. The pay packages start from Rs 2.3 lakh which is pretty decent,” said Inderjeet Dagar, principle, CVS. | 1,625 | 882 | 0.001168 |
warc | 201704 | Listing a home for sale can often be a waiting game. You wait to hear that phone ring, then for the
right offer. After that, you wait for the closing date. If these milestones aren’t happening right away, you can’t help but wonder, “Is there something wrong with my house?” Perhaps your home is just a tad overpriced. Here are 8 telltale signs to recognize if your home falls into such a category. 1. The optimistic agent
When you put your house up for sale, it’s a good idea to enlist the help of an experienced Realtor to assist in the process. If you chose the agent that suggested the highest list price during your interview process, then you may be overshooting the house’s value.
2. The loner
If your home accompanies a landscape of “For Sale” signs, but seems to be the only one not moving along in the market, then you may have overshot your home’s value. Keep in mind that some upgrades may not be worth the thousands of dollars added to the listing price. Stay realistic on what your home is worth. Otherwise, you may be the last one standing on your block for quite some time.
3. The empty house
When you host an open house, you’ll hopefully have several visitors. If your open house is unsuccessful and people aren’t attending, that’s a sign that your home’s high list price is driving away potential buyers.
4. The high-baller.
Standing out in terms of price is not a good idea. If your home is higher priced than all the others in your neighborhood, it may be too high.
Quick Tip
Your Realtor should pull something called a Comparative Market Analysis. This list will give you a baseline on what the best list price is for your specific home.
5. The absent offer
Your house has been listed for quite a while, but not a single offer has come through. This is a sign that your house is overpriced. Dial it back to get more offers and have a bigger pool of potential buyers.
6. The silent phone
We all look forward to hearing that phone ring because that means both showings and offers. However, if your phone isn’t ringing with showings to schedule, take it as a sign that the price tag may be too high.
7. The critical feedback
When a Realtor shows your home, they hear the opinions of potential buyers and other agents. You may be literally hearing “This house is too expensive,” which of course is a sign that your home’s price needs to be adjusted.
8. The traffic is low
We have the World Wide Web and local real estate magazines at our fingertips, and these serve as wonderful real estate tools. Many buyers will peruse listings and pictures online before seeing a home in person. If your house’s online listing isn’t getting clicks, then the asking price may be too high and is discouraging views.
In a competitive real estate market, competitive pricing is important. Look for these signs and adjust your list price accordingly for a successful sale!
Sources: Investopedia.com, ABCnews.com, maxrealestateexposure.com
Learn something new? Want to pass an idea to a friend?
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warc | 201704 | Need a few home improvement ideas that might actually save you money? Keep reading!
Think green
Updating light fixtures and bulbs not only saves money but is good for the environment — all while providing an immediate return on your investment. LED lighting, while still somewhat pricey, is the most promising energy-saving technology now available, and homeowners and decorators alike appreciate its light quality. Once you are finished with the lighting, consider updating old energy-hungry appliances such as water heaters, dishwashers and washer/dryers. Call local energy providers or check online to find out if your city or county offers incentives for the purchase of energy-efficient appliances.
Weather-proof
Reduce energy costs by making minor modifications to the doors, window and insulation of your home. Call your local electric company to inquire about a free energy audit inspection then take the results to your local hardware store to purchase exactly what you need.
Xeriscape the yard
Using native plants for landscaping is not only beautiful and ecologically sound, plus it reduces the cost of water, fertilizer and maintenance. | 1,161 | 669 | 0.001512 |
warc | 201704 | From the bosom of Nature, you could obtain various vibrant-colored fruits and vegetables, which are said to be extremely imperative from the human health point of view. These naturally obtained diet elements are home to some invigorating health elements that, though needed in trace, have their own specific roles in the human body.
Among all the colors of nature, green occupies the foremost and a special place in the diet of human beings. It is the natural color which is obtained from most of the sources and thus holds an extreme importance for the functioning of human body.
But as the human beings are inclined more towards juicing those healthy fruits and veggies, you could obtain the natural green color of your diet from these natural juices too. Here, we would inform you about the nutritional value that these green colored veggies and their juices provide to the human body.
Chlorophyll:
The green color in fruits and veggies is attributed to the presence of chlorophyll in them, which is an immensely helpful body detoxifier. While you consume these green juices, the chlorophyll in it helps in eliminating the environmental pollutants such as heavy metals, dust, microbes and dioxin from the body.
Chlorophyll is also helpful in enhancing the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood, while it helps in balancing the body pH too by reducing the acid content in the human body. In addition, it could also assist in balancing the level of hormones and preventing formation of kidney stones.
Fibers:
The green colored natural juices could provide you almost whole of your daily recommended requirement of fibers in a stipulated single intake. These natural fibers are immensely important in maintaining the functionality of digestive system, prevention of constipation and they also assist in reduction of body weight of the humans.
Antioxidants:
Green Juices have a good content of antioxidants too in them. These antioxidants offer an anti-ageing effect to the human body by suppressing the attack of harmful free radicals.
These free radicals have cell-scavenging properties by which they damage the cells of the human body, thus bringing about changes on the external skin in the form of wrinkles and spots etc. Free radicals may also offer a considerable amount of harm to the human nerves and heart.
Sources Of Green Color In Diet:
You would be well acquainted of this concept since your childhood, as green-colored veggies are the ones that are hated most by the younger generation.
However, you could obtain the natural green color from some healthy juice sources such as spinach juice, celery juice, cucumber juice, bitter gourd juice and parsley juice etc.
Among herbs, organic Wheatgrass juice is also one of the most efficient ways to load your body with effective chlorophyll and imperative dietary fibers.
Apart from all the aforementioned nutrients, these green colored sources are also rich in imperative vitamins and minerals, which could be obtained most easily while you take them as a whole of in their liquid (juice) form. | 3,070 | 1,423 | 0.000707 |
warc | 201704 | As a child, I grew up sort-of bilingual.
My mother would speak Russian to me and I would repeat the basics back to her (known as "kitchen Russian", I could discuss most colloquial things but nothing of worldly importance). When she enrolled me in a bilingual French/English pre-school, it felt completely natural to be listening to a foreign language for most of the day.
Considering I later studied French and Russian literature, lived in both Paris and St. Petersburg and can pride myself on certain cultural accomplishments (how many people can say they got a body piercing while drunk on vodka in Russia?), I'm extremely grateful to my mother, even though as a child I thought her insistence on me speaking other languages was a nuisance.
Especially when she made me speak in French to waiters at French restaurants.
With the benefit and wisdom of my older years, I know that my mother has given me a huge gift that has also been a source of lifelong enjoyment. Even though both my French and Russian language skills could use a significant brush-up (or some vodka, perhaps), I can still understand, enjoy and appreciate them - and the cultures they represent.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for my daughters - yet.
They are firmly English speakers (well, Liv, although speaking, isn't exactly an advertisement for the Queen's English: "Me taking me buggy on me walk - me coming!").
When D was in the baby phase, I read her the occasional Russian poem or French book, but that was the extent of our foreign language immersion. Now I wish I had persevered a bit more.
Once Liv came along - and sleep became a thing of the past - speaking comprehensible English became enough of a challenge for me.
Living in London, it's impossible not to notice the sea of cultures and languages everywhere, and lots of D's friends at school have a foreign parent whose first language isn't English, so by age four or five, are comfortably bilingual.
I would love for my children to have that gift, so I am trying to outsource: D has started French classes. Initially she and Liv were in them together because Liv was desperate to take part (and I loved the fantasy of Liv swiftly learning French at two so that she would be semi-fluent at four, with no work on my part).
It turns out Liv's main interest in the class was consuming biscuits and pouring paint on herself (there is a crafts portion which the kids love). She adamantly refused to repeat any French word that came her way, so we're no longer attending.
D seems to enjoy class - I think part of the excitement is telling her French friend at school that she's going to French each week - and I have been doing my part by reading the girls French board books (thanks to my wonderful sister-in-law who lives in France).
I've also been doing French immersion at home the best way I know how: by letting the girls watch French TV from time to time.
Since I haven't yet found a French show that they're super excited about, Peppa Cochon is mostly on the menu... | 3,033 | 1,578 | 0.000638 |
warc | 201704 | Play....such a simple, non threatening little four letter word but for me it can be like a volcano that's waiting to erupt. As any parent of a child with ADD / ADHD knows finding an activity or toy that can provide even 10 minutes of concentration is like liquid gold. Concentration problems, memory issues, frustration, lack of understanding, impulsiveness can all cause problems when it comes to play.
Play is how our children learn and make sense of the world around them. From dolls to cars, toys and games allow our children's imaginations to run wild and learn. This is no different for a child with ADD. As a mum I am always on the look out for inexpensive, fun and creative ideas of play. This has become harder the older my children have gotten but it's simple for my ADD daughter. Why, because it has taken me 5 years to work out her triggers, what amuses her (talking toys), what irritates her (board games) and what play activities are best to just completely avoid.
There is no manual or written guide about this, it's down to us as parents to discover unique and inspirational ways of entertaining our children. But with Christmas just round the corner maybe some idea's here can help.......
*Play to your child's strengths - for us this is our daughters artist side I always make sure to have on hand pens and paper, encourage their interests as this will give them much needed confidence.
*Story massage - for us story massage is a family affair. The children can write their own stories and then massage each other using 10 simple moves. Story massage is an activity the whole family can get involved with and it can promote relaxation, imagination and confidence. (See previous blog for more info)
*Try to avoid games and activities that you know can cause a negative reaction- for us this is board games, I got so fed up of them being thrown around the room I stopped buying them. Plus games that require more than 1 player can cause frustration, irritation, arguments, upset
*Lego - Buy the bigger duplo sets - you may be told they are big and babyish but once the Lego has been played with and it's time to put away, or if something happens and the legos gets thrown around the room....then the duplo is easier to find and clear up reducing your stress and frustration in having to find tiny bricks.
*Sensory toys - there is now a huge push for toys for disabled children which is great but when your child has an unseen disability this is hard. I have found that the cheap and inexpensive fiddle toys are invaluable. Stress balls (you can make your own) stretchy men anything that's small (watch out for small parts) can entertain and keep little fingers busy.
*Interactive toys - some of these last longer than others but I find with our daughter that if she can interact with a toy she is entertained for longer. Some toys now you can record messages on them which is great as kids respond to love and praise.
*Wooden games/toys - the traditional wooden games and toys are more robust I feel for a child which may throw or have a habit of breaking. Food items for a shop, Wooden games such as Jenga can all withstand most things.
*Books - this was another hard one for me, to long and frustration would creep in and to boring I would get told to shut up 😡 pick books which your child is intrested in as it may hold their attention a little longer and do the funny voices....it keeps them entertain and allows a little longer before boredom creeps in.
*Allow for breakages - accidents whether intentional or not are going to happen. Yes it's frustrating and yes you will feel angry and learning to accept this part is the hardest but working out a suitable punishment is key. I refuse to buy another once it's gone it's gone and while I still get shouted at my daughter knows this.
For those who love to think outside the box diaryofaplayfulchild.wordpress.com has some great ideas that you can adapt for children with special needs and disabilities. We have adapted most of the ideas here and used them with older children.
For us story massage, teddies and dolls bring the best play experiences. I have found that for toys my daughter is better fixed and focused on what she likes compared to her siblings. She can become almost obsessed by them though which can cause issues if it gets broken or goes missing. At the end of the day every child is different and are all into different things. My four are no different in this.
Thank you for reading and please feel free to comment or follow my blog www.leannesihm.wordpress.com
Take care all
X Leanne x | 4,606 | 2,214 | 0.000455 |
warc | 201704 | Read More:Christmas, Pets, Dangers, Dogs, Cats, Rabbits, Antifreeze, Tinsel, Poison, Chocolate, Ivy, Poinsettia, UK Lifestyle News
Sorry to sound like a killjoy but forcing some pets to become pumpkins, pirates, or even hot dogs for amusement purposes means unnecessary stress, resulting in abnormal, unwanted, even damaging behaviours. Ill-fitting outfits can also get twisted on external objects or even your pet, leading to potential life-threatening injuries especially if left unsupervised.
Recent research from the 2015 Pets at Home Pet Report revealed that rabbits are the third most popular choice of pet for British children* and owning rabbits has proven benefits for them. In the study 72% of parents agreed that owning a pet has helped with their child's anxiety. In fact, rabbit owners in particular (60%) said that their child had become more responsible and 57% of parents also said they had seen an improvement in their children's learning difficulties since getting rabbits.
PDSA's latest Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report has found that for some pets, their daily diet contains treats, scraps and leftovers, takeaway and, more worryingly, even some foods that are toxic to our pets like human chocolate and alcohol. Levels of pet obesity are rising and our overweight furry friends are just as likely to suffer from the same obesity related health problems as humans.
The aim is to give rabbits the same protection by law as dogs and cats currently have by ending the widespread sale of rabbits via pet shops and other outlets. The petition recommends this is done by introducing ordinances protecting rabbits similar to those operational in numerous states and cities in Northern USA and Canada.
I think we often underestimate the benefits that pets can bring to children. I often reflect about how my two boys benefitted immensely from our lovely cat Charlie - sadly no longer with us. He was an elderly stray cat we adopted and he showed them how you had to be tolerant and respect a pet's needs. In return Charlie offered devotion and a listening ear when life was 'unfair'.
It would certainly be illegal. In the UK it's against the law to keep British wild birds in a cage. But caging non-native species like budgerigars and other parrots? That's legal. Goldfinches - Siberian, Himalayan, Gouldian or zebra? That too is sanctioned by law. But the UK's European goldfinch? If you confined one of those you could be prosecuted.
You may be shocked to find out that not all vets are well trained in rabbits (many can have as little as a two week slot for exotics as a whole including reptiles, birds and small furries). This means that the majority of vets out there have very little knowledge of rabbits needs, behaviours, ailments and how to treat them correctly.
Rabbits are the third most popular pet in the UK, with an estimated 1.6 million kept in and outside of our homes. They are also the most neglected and mistreated animal companion in the nation. Out-dated preconceptions that rabbits are hutch loving, carrot crunching, cheap, small-child friendly pets is largely to blame. | 3,112 | 1,651 | 0.000608 |
warc | 201704 | This week, thousands of athletes from around the world have gathered in Greece for the Special Olympics World Summer Games 2011. Like all Olympians, these young people are ready to test their skills and strength against their peers in athletic competition. Win or lose, they have all traveled a long road to reach these Games. But for far too many disadvantaged children living with disabilities, the road to reach their full potential has no end yet in sight.
Back when Special Olympics was founded 40 years ago, the idea of giving children and adults with disabilities a chance to compete in a public forum was radical. But thanks to the vision of Eunice and Sargent Shriver -- and the passion and perseverance of those first athletes -- Special Olympics took off on winged feet, the proud symbol of a growing global movement to secure equal rights for people with disabilities.
Four years later, in 1975, the United Nations passed its first resolution on the rights of people with disabilities, backed by some of the first global data on disability. In the United States, the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act marked another significant milestone in the fight for equal rights. And five years ago, the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Since then, the treaty has gained widespread endorsement, recently receiving its 100th ratification.
Despite these landmarks, children with disabilities today are still the most excluded, disadvantaged and vulnerable children in the world.
Globally today, roughly 1 in 10 children under the age of 18 is living with a disability. Compared with other children, they are at greater risk of malnutrition and death; of disadvantage by extreme poverty; of exclusion from quality health care and basic education; and of discrimination, segregation, abandonment and abuse. Millions of children with disabilities are unnecessarily institutionalized -- representing more than 60 percent of all children in institutions globally.
Owing primarily to myths and misinformation, wanton neglect and prejudice, their capacities are underestimated, their talents overlooked, their needs neglected. These children are often isolated, marginalized, and in effect, invisible -- sometimes even within their own families.
This is unconscionable. These children have the same hopes and dreams as children everywhere. They have the same right to make the most of their lives. And they can contribute in so many ways to their societies.
It is time we came together as a global community to foster the dreams and promote the rights of all our children.
Experience shows that the solutions lie in leadership, both globally and locally. When we step forward to promote the rights of children with disabilities -- in health care, education and child protection, and in partnerships such as Special Olympics -- tremendous gains are possible.
In our work with partners around the world, UNICEF has seen these victories. For example, in Jordan, more refugee children with disabilities are receiving the support they need to overcome social barriers and emotional difficulties. In Mexico, more families are benefiting from coordinated teams of doctors, social workers and therapists who help reduce the time and costs of seeking care. And in Cambodia, more children with disabilities are enrolled in school because of targeted initiatives to reach them.
We need to build on these efforts, scaling up programs that work and stepping up support for international legal conventions to establish and protect the rights of children and adults with disabilities.
Ultimately, no matter how good the policies and legislation, or how efficiently aid is deployed and services are provided, true and transformational change can take place only if we dispel the stereotypes and fight the stigma -- changing not only our laws, but our attitudes.
For there is nothing more disabling than the myth that children with disabilities are incapable of making a contribution -- just as there is nothing more empowering than giving children the confidence to do so. When we do that, the children demonstrate resilience, motivation, and determination -- and teach us all the true meaning of the Olympic creed.
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warc | 201704 | After winning the Illinois primary, Mitt Romney delivered a victory speech in which he deplored America's lost "can do spirit." Unsurprisingly, he blamed it on government. If elected he promised, "We're going to get government out of the way." Then he offered a few examples of what he meant. "We once built the interstate highway system and the Hoover Dam. Now we can't even build a pipeline."
Romney liked the line, and the thunderous applause it generated so much that a few weeks later at a Tea Party gathering in Pennsylvania he used it again.
Rachel Maddow and many others have pointed out the fundamental flaw in Romney's argument. The government built both the Hoover Dam and the interstate highway system. Republican administrations championed both projects. They were testaments to the can-do spirit of government, grand collective undertakings that benefited generations to come.
How grand? The Hoover Dam cost the equivalent of $24 billion in today's dollars, notes Steve Benen. Congress appropriated $25 billion to build the first 40,000 miles of the interstate highway system, equivalent to $830 billion in today's dollars.
Few have commented on Romney's second sentence. "Now we can't even build a pipeline." Having cited two examples that contradicted his thesis that government lacks the can do spirit, he offered an example of how government is preventing the private sector from having the can do spirit that may be even more problematic.
Romney, as everyone in his audience and most of the country knew, was talking about the Keystone XL pipeline. President Obama had delayed construction while a detailed environmental impact study is completed, generating universal Republican outrage.
If completed, the pipeline will transport crude oil extracted from Canadian tar sands through the United States and to Gulf Coast refineries where it will then be exported. Demonstrating that private sector can-do spirit Romney so exalts, TransCanada, the company that owns the pipeline, is continuing to acquire land to construct the pipeline despite Obama's decision. "We don't need a presidential permit in order for us to obtain the easements that we need for the right of way for this project," says TransCanada spokesman Terry Cunha.
Apparently, the foreign corporation also doesn't think it needs permission of the landowners to move ahead. When some farmers refused to sell their land, TransCanada began the process of seizing their private property. Which has led many of Mitt Romney's most ardent supporters to rebel.
A month before Romney's speech this major story appeared in the
Texas Tribune, "Keystone Pipeline Sparks Property Rights Backlash." The reporter conveyed the anger of Julia Trigg Crawford who manages a 600-acre farm in Lamar County that's been in her family since 1948. "I'm just an angry steward of the land. A foreign-owned, for-profit, non-permitted pipeline has taken a Texan's land. Doesn't sound right, does it?"
Does it? The Texas constitution requires that eminent domain, that is, the right to seize private property, can only be exercised for "public use." In the past courts have routinely dismissed challenges to pipelines by landowners.
But last year the Texas Supreme Court ruled that a company that wanted to build a CO2 pipeline for its own use was a private carrier and couldn't use eminent domain to get an easement on a Houston-area rice farm. In his opinion for the majority, Justice Don Willett wrote that "even when the Legislature grants certain private entities 'the right and power of eminent domain,' the overarching constitutional rule controls: no taking of property for private use."
"The ruling sent shock waves through the oil and gas lobby, which is now urging the Supreme Court to rehear the case," the
Texas Tribune observes.
Ms. Crawford successfully obtained a rare restraining order from the courts that halted any further encroachment on her land until questions surrounding TransCanada's right to condemn her property are resolved.
The case is going to court. There will be a hearing in June and possibly a trial in July. I hope they are televised. Texas' two Republican senators and its Republican governor have come out against the Crawford Family.
The Hoover Dam and the interstate highway system were built by the people for the people. They were and are public assets, huge public undertakings that have generated huge public benefits. The Keystone XL pipeline is proposed by a private company for private gain. The private company insists it has the right to seize private land to enhance the value of its private asset.
Perhaps an enterprising reporter on the campaign trail could ask Mitt Romney if he would like to revisit his comments?
This article first appeared on On The Commons. www.onthecommons.org
How will Donald Trump’s first 100 days impact YOU? Subscribe, choose the community that you most identify with or want to learn more about and we’ll send you the news that matters most once a week throughout Trump’s first 100 days in office. Learn more | 5,097 | 2,456 | 0.000412 |
warc | 201704 | LED grow lights have finally come of age. But read this before you order your LED light system. Looks cool, doesn't it? Futuristic... a space odyssey... L.E.D. stands for light emitting diode. It's a fairly new lighting technology that you probably have seen used for indicator lights on electronic devices, like clocks and stereos. It is now being used more and more for higher power applications, such as super-bright flashlights and area lighting... and for grow lights. Okay guys, here's the lowdown on LED lighting for hydroponics gardening… For years we have been telling you not to buy them for growing flowering and fruiting crops. Why? The technology just wasn't there yet and the results were disappointing. LEDs just didn't deliver the spectrum of light necessary for vegetable crops. But we kept an eye on this promising new technology, because LEDs have some really attractive advantages... They are very cool and do not create the excessive heat that HID lighting does.
They consume less than half the electricity of the traditional lighting, and the bulbs last for many years. But you must replace HID bulbs every year or two.
So we've also been watching ads, reading research articles, and listening in on hydroponics and gardening websites. At last, the hydroponics forums are starting to buzz with more and more LED success stories. As well, we have started to receive emails from our readers, with more of the same.
It appears to us that LED grow lights have finally come of age, and is now an acceptable alternative lighting system to be seriously considered.
We want to caution you however that there is a lot of cheap LED
garbage out there which won't grow any better than a $12 light stick from Walmart.
[Don't get me wrong, light sticks work fine for philodendron]
On the other hand, more and more reports have been coming in that some quality LED lighting setups had produced not only adequate but impressive results with vegetative, flowering and even fruiting of vegetables. So we encourage you to consider LED lighting for your home hydroponics set up.
Advantages of LED lights:
[Higher initial investment; lower operating costs and longevity; no more battling to grow cool cabbage in a sweltering hot box.]
Disadvantages of LEDs:
We like to give a balanced, honest presentation before we encourage you to invest in expensive equipment. So these are the
disadvantages to LED lamps: There are three types of LED grow lights on the market today: #1: CRAP.
Do not choose based on price alone! Go online to eBay, or Google "LED lights" and you will be stunned by the array of inexpensive LED lights hawked as suitable for growing crops indoors. The LEDs we're talking about here give very little information about PAR levels, spectrum information, or actual wattage draw.
They are usually round, with cheap plastic frames, called UFOs, do not have fans, and each diode or chip is usually only one watt. They are blue and red in color and sell for between $50-$200 apiece.
Don't waste your money!
These cheap knockoffs do not contain the proper spectrums for serious hydroponics gardens. Yes, they are cheap, but you might as well hang a flashlight over your prized heirloom tomatoes for all the help they will be.
The diodes usually dim and burn out quickly. Avoid. Reports are dismal. These folks will be no where to be found when your lamp fails just a few short months later.
#2: MID-RANGE Moderately priced LED panels. These LEDs are usually specified as banded units, like 3-band, 5-band, 7-band, etc. What this means is they cover several spectrums in the growth cycle of plants, and can be quite effective for supporting your hydroponic crops from seedling to fruit.
These units usually have 3 watt or 5 watt diodes, cost between $300-$900 (depending on wattage) and last 5-7 years or even longer without failing. They can have red and blue diodes, most have cooling fans, and are often called BROAD SPECTRUM lights.
We do recommend some of these lights at this time, read the reviews before you buy.
OUR PICK We offer these reasonably-priced, quality 6 or 7-band LED lamps. Sorry, Lower 48 states only. FEATURES:
7-BAND 432 WATT
LED LAMP
$369.00
#3: HIGH-END
Newest generation LED grow lights for the serious grower. These lamps are truly highest technology; they will produce the same yield as an HPS or MH light with an average of 40% less energy usage.
These babies deliver all the spectra! (Is that a word? :-) Anyway, the high end LED lamps have had rave reviews. If you want to buy the best, go with one of these.
After much research, we have selected this lamp due to it's impressive specs and favorable reviews: SolarSystem 550W LED Grow Light
The all-new California Lightworks SolarSystem 550 is a game changer with it's new advanced programmable spectrum control that matches the sun in any growing conditions for better, healthier growth, lower energy usage and higher yields.
Top of the Line Osram LEDs are driven to their maximum power rating using an exclusive active heat management system. Higher Power = Highest Yields, Guaranteed.
This high-end LED lamp is perfect for:
Veg Footprint 4' x 8'
Flower Footprint 3' x 4'
Life Expectancy 50,000 Hours (LED's and Fans)
Dimensions 18" x 8.5" x 4"
All California Lightworks LED's are produced entirely in their factory in Southern California. Did you catch that? These are NOT chinese imports!
California Lightworks Solar System 550 $789.00 5 year guarantee and friendly US based support. Well, that's our compact synopsis and recommendations for new LED grow lights.
Please
drop us a line and let us know how your LED project went. We appreciate your feedback and it will help us keep this page on the cutting edge for other growers. PROUD OF OUR PRODUCTS Solexx GreenhousesAuthorized Dealer | 5,835 | 2,950 | 0.000342 |
warc | 201704 | Japan's steelmakers, the nation's biggest users of electricity, urged the early restart of nuclear power plants on Wednesday, fearing that potential power cuts and more costly electricity will further squeeze a sector reeling from the strong yen.
Big businesses have reacted furiously to plans by Tokyo Electric Power Co, or Tepco, to raise charges but had refrained from calling for the restart of reactors, wary of an angry response from a public worried about nuclear safety due to the Fukushima radiation crisis.
Public safety fears since Fukushima have prevented the restart of reactors shut for routine checks, forcing utilities to import more fossil fuels and gas to run their power generators and supply electricity, hitting their profits and prompting them to raise charges for industrial users from April.
The last two of Japan's 54 reactors still operating are due to close by late April for routine checks, but the government still remains unclear about conditions of restarts after they came up with new guidelines of safety checks.
The smooth restart of nuclear power plants after safety checks is very important for Japanese manufacturers, said Eiji Hayashida, chairman of the Japan Iron and Steel Federation.
Utilities other than Tepco will also be forced to raise electricity charges if they have to turn to gas-fired plants.
Unstable power supply and high power costs will drive more Japanese manufacturers abroad, said Hayashida, who is also president of JFE Steel Corp, the world's fifth-biggest steelmaker.
In profit terms, Japan's steel sector was the biggest loser among Asian peers in the quarter to December as the strong yen squeezed exports, opening the door for cheaper imports, pressuring prices in the domestic market. Steel imports jumped 22 percent in 2011 to a 13-year high.
A supply glut in Asia and a slowdown in demand in China, the world's top producer and consumer, in a knock-on effect of Europe's debt woes, have also weighed on prices.
The industry body said last month that Tepco's planned price hikes would sap the profits of the struggling steel sector by 20 billion yen a year, with the electric furnace industry, which melts scrap to produce construction steel, hit particularly hard.
Last month, smelters of copper and zinc, another a power hungry industry, said Tepco's price hikes alone would squeeze 5 billion yen profit a year. I wonder how many Japanese people know that shutdowns of nuclear reactors have a serious impact on Japanese manufacturers, said an official of an aluminium mill.
No nuclear reactor can restart until it meets new safety checks to confirm it can withstand earthquakes and tsunamis on the scale that wrecked Tepco's Fukushima Daiichi plant and must receive clearance from the central and local governments.
Early this month, the government's nuclear safety watchdog approved first-stage stress tests on an initial pair of idled reactors, but the government has yet to make clear if second-stage stress tests -- simulations in which a nuclear plant is exposed to several severe events at the same time -- are also necessary.
Tepco decided last month to raise electricity prices for businesses by an average of 17 percent, citing a higher import bill as it shifts to fossil fuel-fired power generation.
All but two of Japan's 10 major electric utilities tumbled into net loss in the April-December period due to higher fossil fuel charges.
(Reporting by Yuko Inoue; Editing by Michael Watson) | 3,483 | 1,651 | 0.000609 |
warc | 201704 | Work
Currently employed at Para//ab, BCCS, where I mostly workon projects related to ocean modeling, but also with parallelcomputing and optimization of applications for supercomputing,e.g. climate models or other projects where Para//ab participate.
The equations we try to solve, also called "the model",is a system of partial differential equations that describes thedynamics of the ocean. This system is very complex. To get anywhere wedo as most scientists; divide the problem into smaller subproblemsthat we know how to deal with efficiently. A "numerical model" is aresult of such a process, it is a reformulation of the problem into aform suitable for solution by computers.One example is theBergen Ocean Model that is developed and frequently used here in Bergen - look at this pageor this pagefor graphical presentations of some of our results.Doing lots of simplifications and assumptions comes at a cost; weintroduce error. Our primary concern is called numerical error, whichwe try to identify and remove/minimise. The underlying physical modelhas of course also weaknesses, and it is not always obvious if errorsare numerical or due to the model itself. On our way we utilize toolsfrom many fields of science and also try to pick up the essentialideas. Examples of such fields are e.g. oceanography, linear algebra,programming, visualisation and parallel computing.
Some of my recent activities are reflected in:
Thiem, Ø., Avlesen, H., Alendal, G. and Berntsen, J. (2005):Internal waves and internal solitones shoaling and breaking along acontinental slope. Report No. 14, BCCS Technical report series,University of Bergen, Norway. Øyvind Thiem, Helge Avlesen og Guttorm Alendal: Simulering avstrømforhold i og rundt Vatlestraumen. August 2005. Online report Helge Avlesen. On the parallelization of a non hydrostatic, sigmaco-ordinate ocean model. NOTUR advanced user support project 2004.PDF Avlesen, H. and Berntsen,J. (2004) A 60 day hindcast study of theNorwegian Seas with focus on Ormen Lange using 20km and 4 kmresolution. Report No. 10, BCCS Technical report series, University ofBergen, Norway. Download (830kB) Avlesen, H. Berntsen,J. and Furnes,G. (2002) On the currentconditions along the Ormen Lange pipeline path during an extreme,idealized storm passage. Report Nr. 238, Department of Informatics,University of Bergen, Norway. Download (830kB) Avlesen, H. and Berntsen,J. (2001) Flow over rough topography. Apreliminary study with high resolution topography at OrmenLange. Technical report No 209, The Nansen Environmental and RemoteSensing Center. Download (1307kB) Avlesen, H., Berntsen, J. and Espelid, T.O. (2001) A convergencestudy of two ocean models applied to a density driven flow. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Fluids, 36:639-657. Avlesen, H. (2000) On the choice of numerical algorithms for oceanmodeling. Ph.D. thesis, Department of Informatics, University ofBergen. Avlesen, H., Berntsen, J. (2000) A 2km resolution study of the Skagerakcirculation, with a comparison of three internal pressure schemes ReportNr. 199, Department of Informatics, University of Bergen. Avlesen, H., Berntsen, J. and Espelid, T.O. (1998) A convergencestudy of two prognostic, sigma co-ordinate ocean models on a densitydriven flow in a quadratic basin. Report Nr. 157, Department ofInformatics, University of Bergen. Download (290kB) Avlesen,H. (1998) A study of two new splitting methods for thegravity part of the shallow water equations. Report Nr. 145,Department of Informatics, University of Bergen. Download (164kB)
I finished my studies for the Dr degree modeling theSkagerak area, some animations can be found
here. Abstracts for work on the TODO list... "On the applicability of implicit methods in regional scale baroclinic ocean models" In present ocean models both implicit and explicit methods are commonly used to find the surface elevation. When applying implicit methods in ocean modelling with Courant numbers greater than unity, one will fail to represent short modes of the solution. If these modes are of minor importance to the overall problem, implicit methods may still be a cost effective way of propagating the solution in time.
In the present paper the domain of validity of implicit methods for solving the shallow water equations is investigated for a baroclinic benchmark, using both implicit and explicit versions of a sigma coordinate ocean model.
It is also demonstrated that the commonly used boundary conditions for the water elevation in ocean models, using semi-implicit time stepping methods, may not be in agreement with the thermal wind equations for geostrophic flow.
We find that the implicit method performs well with high spatial resolution, but on coarse grids the explicit method give much more accurate results. We believe that the enhanced resolution improve the results for the implicit method due to a better representation of the surface gravity waves, and that it also reduce the above mentioned problem with the boundary condition. | 5,056 | 2,295 | 0.000439 |
warc | 201704 | 1Department of Child Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
2Ministry of Health, Muscat, Oman
3Family Medicine and Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the attitude of pediatricians toward the use of complementary and Traditional Medicine (TM) on children in Muscat, Oman. A cross-sectional survey was performed using a self-completed questionnaire during the year 2012. A total of 67 pediatricians, comprising of 30 males (44.8%) and 37 females (55.2%) participated in the study. The majority of the studied group (83.5%) was of the opinion that most types of complementary and TM are not safe for children, except spiritual healing, to which 53.7% considered as safe. About one third (29.9%) of the participants reported that they might recommend complementary and TM for sick children in the future. Almost half the participants (52.2%) acknowledged personal use of complementary and TM in the past and 67.2% reported that their family members used these medicines. Herbal therapy was found to be the most commonly used method (38.9%) followed by spiritual (33.9%), cautery (20.2%) and Curucoma (15.7%). Other methods, which include; acupuncture, bone healing and Chinese healing were also found to be in use but in rare manner. Knowledge level of TM and complementary medicine of most of the doctors was found to be low but one third of them acknowledged that they may recommend these treatments to their patients in future. Therefore, training pediatricians on the types, benefits and side effects of complementary and TM is recommended.
Gooneratne NS. Complementary and alternative medicine for sleep disturbances in older adults. Clin Geriatr Med 2008; 24: 121-8. doi: 10.1016/j.cger.2007.08.002
World Health Organization (WHO). Traditional medications: global situation, issues and challenges. Geneva: WHO; 2011.
Johnson PJ, Ward A, Knutson L, Sendelbach S. Personal use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by U.S. health care workers. Health Serv Res 2012; 47: 211-27. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-6773.2011.01304.x
Adib-Hajbagherya M, Hoseinian M. Knowledge, attitude and practice toward complementary and traditional medicine among Kashan health care staff. Complement Ther Med 2014; 22: 126-32. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2013.11.009
Gruber M, Ben-Arye E, Kerem N, Cohen-Kerem R. Use of complementary alternative medicine in pediatric otolaryngology patients: A survey. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2014; 78: 248-52. doi: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2013.11.016
Birdee GS, Phillips RS, Davis RB, Gardiner P. Factors associated with pediatric use of complementary and alternative medicine. Pediatrics 2010; 125: 249-56. doi: 10.1542/peds.2009-1406
Farag TH, Kotloff KL, Levine MM, Onwuchekwa U, Van Eijk AM, Doh S, et al. Seeking care for pediatric diarrheal illness from traditional healers in Bamako, Mali. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2013; 89: 21-8. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.12-0753
Barnes PM, Bloom B, Nahin RL. Complementary and alternative medicine use among adults and children: United States, 2007. Natl Health Stat Rep 2008; 12: 1-23. doi: 10.1037/e623942009-001
Abolhassani H, Naseri M, Mahmoudzadeh S. A Survey of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Iran. Chin J Integr Med 2012; 18: 409-16. doi: 10.1007/s11655-012-1124-9
Ito A, Munakata K, Imazu Y, Watanabe K. First nationwide attitude survey of Japanese physicians on the use of traditional Japanese medicine (Kampo) in cancer treatment. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2012; 2012: 957082. doi: 10.1155/2012/957082
Ghazanfar SA, Al-Sabahi MA. Medicinal plants of northern and central Oman. Econ Bot 1993; 47: 89-98. doi: 10.1007/bf02862209
Al Saadoon M, Al-jashemi RM, Al-Farsi AM, Al-Suleimani SH, Al-Khayari HY. Medical student attitude toward traditional, complementary and alternative medicine: cross-sectional study. The Journal of Ethnobiology and Traditional Medicine 2014; 122: 900-5.
Mbutho NP, Gqaleni N, Korporaal CM. Traditional complementary and alternative medicine: knowledge, attitudes and practices of health care workers in HIV and AIDS clinics in Durban hospitals. Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med 2012; 9: 64-72. doi: 10.4314/ajtcam.v9i3s.8 | 4,282 | 2,126 | 0.000472 |
warc | 201704 | With a network of around 5 lakh fair price shops (FPS) distributing commodities worth more than Rs 30,000 crore annually to the PDS in India is perhaps the largest distribution network of its kind in the world. However, there are huge challenges faced by the PDS across thecountry.
Challenges
In 2008, an study for TPDS was carried out by National Institute of Smart Government covered various aspects of the functional areas with the perspective of People, Process and Technology. Challenges in the following
were studied: allocation, movement, storage, finance, licensing and regulation of FPSs, and grievance redressal. six key functional areas
The challenges noted were:
Allocation
1. Non – availability / delay of utilization information to the Centre from States
2. Non - availability / delay of closing balance details and updated card status at State level from the districts, block and FPS levels.
3. Inaccurate data reporting by FPS
4. Longer time taken for allocation cycle
Movement
1. Absence of truck tracking system leading to delayed delivery, diversions, siphoning etc.
2. Non-standard transportation rates
3. Cartel formation by transporters
4. Late submission of demand drafts/cash by FPS for lifting leads to sub optimal route planning
Storage and Quality Control (QC)
1. Non-availability of stock positions in few states leads to inappropriate allocation and excess stock build up at intermediary storage points
2. Poor quality of packaging leads to loss of food grains
3. Extensive use of hooks leads to spillage.
5. Temperature fluctuations due to weather leads to variations in weight of food grains
6. Loss of food grains due to infestation
7. Manpower shortage leads to delay in dispatches and non compliance to policies.
Finance
1. Poor financial condition of FPS.
2. Cost and time incurred on preparation of multiple DDs by FPS results in increased financial burden on the FPS.
Licensing and Regulation
1. Inadequate monitoring leading to diversion of stock
2. Selection of inappropriate dealer leading to malpractices
3. Lack of standard selection procedure and guidelines
4. Difficulty in identification of elapsed licenses
Grievance Redressal
1. Absence of response and monitoring mechanism because of which, higher authorities are unaware of number and status of grievances registered and thus grievances are not getting resolved on time
2. The service level agreements for grievance redressal are not clearly defined
3. Bogus complaints result in wastage of officials’ time
4. Lack of integration between various complaint and registration channels leads to multiple actions at different levels
Based on the above study, a scheme for computerization of TPDS operations was taken up by the Department of Food and Public Distribution.
Apart from the challenges identified above, there remains the fundamental challenge of having an accurate database of eligible beneficiaries. The existing databases are plagued with inclusion and exclusion errors in identification of beneficiaries and fake ration cards.
Choice and convenience for the beneficiary has not been adequately addressed in the present enabled with closed circuit TV monitoring on a trial basis. An online application has been made available to consumers to register their complaints through a website.
Analysis of PDS System in present scenario
The Public Distribution System (PDS) provides subsidized food and fuel to a large number of people in India. Of all the social safety net programs of Government of India and various State Governments, the subsidies on food and fuel are perhaps the most important ones. Affordable food is a source of sustenance for a large segment of the population; affordable kerosene is extensively used for cooking and lighting by the poor.
Given the importance of food and kerosene for sustenance, it is not surprising that these subsidies account for a large fraction of the total subsidy expenditure of the Government of India. However, deficiencies in the implementation of PDS have plagued the system. In many cases, the true beneficiaries of these subsidies suffer due to wholesale problems such as large-scale pilferage and diversion, and retail level problems such as duplicates and ghost beneficiaries, wrongful exclusion and inclusion, availability and quality of the commodities, as well as Fair Price Shop level pilferage. While implementation varies from state to state, there are a number of areas in the PDS system which requires immediate attention.
A number of suggestions have been made over time to reform PDS. These reforms include:
1. Grassroots level transparency that include increased social audits, painting of PDS offtake on walls of the FPS shops, painting of trucks;
2. Beneficiary empowerment through the use of coupons, or technology such as smartcards, or even direct cash transfers;
3. Monitoring the movement of goods through the use of technology, such as GPS tracking of trucks; and
4. Increased monitoring, supervision, accountability, and transparency.
Along with the reforms suggested above, the following features also need to be accounted for in order to attempt a comprehensive solution for deficiencies in PDS:
1. A solution that is incentive-compatible for all stakeholders, so that they benefit by participating in the system, rather than trying to benefit through subverting the system. For example, commission rates for FPS owners should be set to ensure that they earn adequate returns on their investment;
2. Strengthening the public provision of the State with appropriate use of technology, to bring it on par with best practises in the field. Strategic control needs to be retained within Government at all times;
3. A token-agnostic technology solution that can accept physical coupons, smartcards, electronic coupons, and even facilitate direct cash transfers where different states may choose from different solutions based on their own requirements;
4. Provide beneficiaries maximum choice:
choice of location; choice of the mix of commodities; choice to purchase commodities in convenient quantities, and in any number of instalments; and choice to purchase commodities or receive a direct transfer of subsidy.
5. Aadhaar can be used in PDS to simplify a number of processes:
Simplification of Ration Card registration, so that beneficiaries can apply for a Ration Card conveniently; Cleaning up the beneficiary database; Use of Aadhaar authentication as appropriate; and State Governments can use Aadhaar Payments Bridge and Aadhaar Enabled Payments Systems to channel subsidy funds for approved commodities to Aadhaar-enabled Bank Accounts.
Keeping in view the proposed National Food Security Bill it is imperative to undertake these reforms at the earliest.
Best practices from States using IT in PDS
A summary of the best practices in TPDS implementation as reported by some States is as follows:
Creation of central beneficiary database – Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, etc. Cleaning up of databases through use of biometrics – Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, etc. Maintenance of Ration Card database using web based application software – Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, etc Issuance of TPDS commodities through: Bar-coded Ration card – Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, etc. Smart Card based ration cards – Andhra Pradesh, Chandigarh, Haryana, Orissa, etc. Food Coupons – Bihar, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, etc. Online biometric verification before transaction – Gujarat. Automated allocation every month using web-based application– Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat etc. Generation of delivery order, truck challans, receipts and movement of commodities between Distribution Centers are being carried out through an application software – Chhattisgarh. Automated assessment of transportation requirements and optimum utilization of trucks – Chhattisgarh. Use of GPS for tracking movement of trucks – Tamil Nadu. Availability of PDS related information on website such as list of Ration Card holders, FPS list, allocation, month-wise lifting and sales by FPS etc. – Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu. SMS alerts sent to registered beneficiaries / citizens, vigilance committees for a designated FPS whenever PDS commodities are dispatched from a godown – Chhattisgarh, etc. Grievance redressal system and availability of information regarding F&CS department through toll-free numbers, website – Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, etc. Lessons from use of IT in PDS in states
After various deliberations and discussions, the Task Force observed the following:
There is wide variance between states in terms of the extent of computerization undertaken in PDS. Each state has approached computerisation in a different way and has achieved different degrees of success based on a variety of factors; Even in states that have undertaken computerization efforts, wide variation in their strategy, focus and intent exists. Many efforts have been piecemeal and on a pilot basis and their scalability is yet to be tested; A few states have computerized the supply chain (from Godown to Fair Price Shop) while others have used technology to address last mile delivery issues (delivery to the PDS beneficiary). Hence both upstream and downstream computerization efforts in the PDS chain have been undertaken; NIC has played a major role in computerization of PDS efforts in various states. They are in the process of combining their software developed for various states into a common software platform for PDS; There is a need to make a comprehensive “As-Is” study in all the States to access the level of computerization across the country in order to have a complete view of the extent of leverage of technology in the PDS delivery mechanism; An IT strategy is much more than just developing common software. It requires an institutional mechanism to undertake the complex task of conceptualizing, developing and maintaining the IT systems on a continuous basis.
Technology, while not a panacea for solving the problems of PDS, is crucial in improving the efficiency of PDS and bringing it to the levels of optimum productivity. Targeting, as is done today, requires accurate identification of beneficiaries, accountability and transparency in the movement of goods, and full reconciliation. Some States such as Chhattisgarh are at an advanced stage, and have a software platform that is already in use. Other States such as Gujarat are at the stage of advanced pilots. Most States are yet to start implementing comprehensive technology solutions in PDS. Given the importance of States having the flexibility in choosing their partners and implementation, and to ensure that the new design does not create roadblocks for those who are already on the path of computerization, partnering with PDSN will be strictly voluntary for States. | 10,951 | 4,673 | 0.000217 |
warc | 201704 | Stephen Timms, the Trade minister, issued a stark warning to companies yesterday about the risks they face from security breaches relating to electronic data files.
Even though the problem in the UK is getting worse, the DTI has found that businesses are less well equipped to deal with the threat than two years ago when it carried out a similar study.
What Mr Timms described as an increasingly costly and common problem would require greater vigilance from companies to make sure crucial data was securely stored and protected.
Publishing a new survey into the problem, Mr Timms said: "As organisations struggle to contain these threats, the number of security incidents continues to rise. The battle to contain the information security menace will be a long one, and it is far from won. However, it is not a battle UK businesses can afford to lose."
The survey, produced with PricewaterhouseCoopers, fo-und that two thirds of UK businesses suffered a premeditated or malicious incident involving the loss of data in the past year. A quarter had a significant incident involving accidental systems failure or data corruption and that on average, UK businesses have about one security breach every month.
The costs of these breaches ranged from £10,000-£120,000 mostly caused by the loss of data but the DTI has found that the continuity planning by businesses to combat the threat is getting worse.
Only 32 per cent of organisations in the UK take back-ups of their data away from their offices to a separate, secure location. Only 20 per cent of companies have a disaster recovery plan and only 8 per cent have tested it, according to the DTI.
The Government is urging companies to invest more in security controls to mitigate the security risks or in more insurance to transfer those risks on to other financial specialists.Reuse content | 1,863 | 955 | 0.001059 |
warc | 201704 | Dog Discipline Tips How to Correct Your Dog’s Bad Habits
The growing period of a puppy could be a time of big destructiveness when you allow it to be. A normal pup is playful and curious; his jaw power is quickly increasing; his gums and teeth are being less sensitive and he is zealous to try them out on everything. Bring to this the fact that a puppy doesn't know right from wrong, and you've got on your hands an animal capable of causing considerable damage.
Each dog can produce bad habits. The significant thing isn't to penalize him for these but, rather, to
instruct the dog what he could and could not do. Dogs learn directions and corrective words the like children learn to count or to recite the alphabet: by repetition until they are set in the memory. Some dogs learn more rapidly than others, but each dog can sooner or later learn basic commands and the significance of the word "No!"
Approval and disapproval of
dog habits are established by tone of voice. The higher-pitched, supportive "Good Dog!" or "Okay!" and other words of praise entail approval. A dog's name is constantly spoken with affection and enthusiasm, as well, never unsympathetic or together with discipline. The lower-pitched, definite "No!" means correction. "No!" is the sole negative word you should say to your dog. All disciplinary actions should be firm, but kind; firm since the puppy feels greater security when controlled; kind since you do not want to destroy his confidence. Dogs prosper on praise and stop, surprised, when scolded.
Imagine finding your dog blissfully gnawing off on the table leg. Bring one of his toys promptly, maybe a rawhide bone. Drag him away from the table using a quick jerk of his collar as you scold "No!" Your tone will let him know precisely how displeased you are. Give him his bone. Praise him as he gets it. Then watch him. When he comes back to the table, order "No!" once more, and detain him to his crate and leave him alone. Eventually, he would understand that he could chew certain things but not others.
Much of the trouble in teaching lessons in good dog behavior is induced by enticements that you unconsciously leave in the dog's path. Occasionally you make it hard for the dog by not using common sense. Let's take a look at the table leg case again. When you're at home, you scold him for gnawing it. But when you go out and don't detain the puppy while you're gone, you're giving him carte blanche to chew the leg freely. No one is a there to follow through with correction, therefore that lesson is lost.
When you assert that the puppy leave something alone, determine that he obeys, or take away the alluring object from his reach. When you give him an old shoe to play with, do not blame him when he pokes into the closet and drags out a new pair. This is will be your fault, not his.
Generously praise your dog when he does something right, and discipline him at once when he misbehaves. To make the correction in effect, he must be caught in the act. Actions and consequences are interconnected to a dog, and he doesn't understand discipline for a misdeed that happened in the past. Keep in mind that when you catch your dog misbehaving, vocalize your displeasure straight off with a firm "No!" Don't hit your dog or slap him using a folded newspaper. You'll only scare him and make him begrudge you. | 3,381 | 1,700 | 0.000594 |
warc | 201704 | Fiscal incentives for research and development
Abstract:It is often argued that since the social return to R&D exceeds the private return, the government should provide incentives for R&D expenditure. This article considers the issue of the impact of such incentives on the fiscal position of the government, using a simple comparative static model. In particular, it is argued that it is possible that the social return from R&D might be sufficient to allow R&D incentives to more than pay for themselves. On the basis of the international evidence, the model is calibrated to examine what values of the key parameters are required in order for this conclusion to hold. Document Type: Research Article Affiliations: 1: School of Economics, University of Cape Town, and Economic Research Southern Africa, Cape Town, South Africa 2: Department of Economics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Publication date: 2011-05-01 | 940 | 527 | 0.001906 |
warc | 201704 | Rice University scientists create model ‘bead-spring’ chains with tunable properties
Rice University researchers are using magnetic beads and DNA “springs” to create chains of varying flexibility that can be used as microscale models for polymer macromolecules.
DNA linkers serve as bridges between colloidal beads in a new experiment by Rice University scientists to study the physics of “bead-spring” polymer chains. They found the chains can be tuned for varying degrees of stiffness or flexibility. (Credit: Biswal Lab/Rice University)
The experiment is visual proof that “bead-spring” polymers, introduced as theory in the 1950s, can be made as stiff or as flexible as required and should be of interest to materials scientists who study the basic physics of polymers.
The work led by Rice chemical and biomolecular engineer Sibani Lisa Biswal and graduate student Julie Byrom was published this month in the American Chemical Society journal Langmuir. The researchers found the best way to study the theory was to assemble chains of micron-sized colloidal beads with nanoscale DNA springs of various lengths.
“Polymers are classically described as beads connected with springs,” Biswal said. “A lot of polymer physicists have come up with scaling laws and intuitive polymer properties based on this very simple concept. But there are very few bead-spring model systems that you can actually visualize.
That’s why this work came about.” Microscopic solids suspended in a liquid like the fat particles in milk or pigment particles in paint are examples of a colloidal system. Biswal said there has been great interest in creating colloidal molecules, and the Rice experiment is a step in that direction.
To make complex colloidal macromolecules, the researchers started with commercially available, iron-rich polystyrene beads coated with a protein, streptavidin. The beads are charged to repel each other but can connect together with springy DNA fragments. The chains formed when the researchers exposed the beads to a magnetic field. “We use the field to control particle positioning, let the DNA link the beads together and turn the field off,” Biswal said, explaining how the chains self-assemble.
“This is a nice system for polymers, because it’s large enough to visualize individual beads and positioning, but it’s small enough that thermal (Brownian) forces still dictate the chain’s motion.” As expected, when they made chains with short (about 500 base pairs) DNA bridges, the macromolecule remained stiff. Longer linkers (up to 8,000 base pairs) appeared to coil up between the beads, allowing for movement in the chain. Surprisingly, when the researchers reapplied the magnetic field to stretch the long links, they once again became rigid.
“Our vision of what’s happening is that DNA allows some wiggle room between particles and gives the chain elasticity,” Biswal said. “But if the particles are pulled far enough apart, you stress the bridge quite a bit and reduce the freedom it has to move.” Being able to engineer such a wide range of flexibilities allows for more complex materials that can be actuated with magnetic fields, Biswal said. “This research is interesting because until now, people haven’t been able to make flexible chains like this,” Byrom said.
“We want to be able to explain what’s happening across a broad range of polymers, but if you can only make rigid chains, it sort of limits what you can talk about.” Now that they can create polymer chains with predictable behavior, the researchers plan to study how the chains react to shifting magnetic fields over time, as well as how the chains behave in fluid flows. The paper’s co-authors are Rice alum Patric Han and undergraduate Michael Savory. The National Science Foundation supported the research.
Mike Williams | Eurek Alert!
Further information: http://news.rice.edu/2014/07/28/seeing-is-bead-lieving/
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Among the general public, solar thermal energy is currently associated with dark blue, rectangular collectors on building roofs. Technologies are needed for aesthetically high quality architecture which offer the architect more room for manoeuvre when it comes to low- and plus-energy buildings. With the “ArKol” project, researchers at Fraunhofer ISE together with partners are currently developing two façade collectors for solar thermal energy generation, which permit a high degree of design flexibility: a strip collector for opaque façade sections and a solar thermal blind for transparent sections. The current state of the two developments will be presented at the BAU 2017 trade fair.
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warc | 201704 | But now an international team of scientists led by Serena DeBeer, Cornell assistant professor of chemistry and chemical biology, has pulled back the curtain using powerful synchrotron spectroscopy and computational modeling to reveal carbon as the once-elusive atom.
The research was published online Nov. 17 in the journal Science.
“For chemists, one of the first steps you want to be able to take is to actually model the site,” said DeBeer. “It turns out that the chemistry of how this cluster behaves will be different depending on what atom is in the middle. This is the first step toward trying to unravel its mechanism.”
Why nitrogenase? In nature, all life requires the element nitrogen from the atmosphere to form amino acids and build proteins. Bacteria need to convert nitrogen to ammonia as a precursor to more complex biosynthetic processes. The enzyme that catalyzes all this is nitrogenase, and it does it by breaking one of the strongest bonds in chemistry – the nitrogen triple bond.
The chemical industry has figured out how to convert nitrogen to ammonia in high-temperature and high-pressure industrial environments. There’s a fascination with understanding how the enzyme makes this same process work in nature, DeBeer said.
DeBeer and colleagues honed in on a subset of atoms in the relatively large enzyme, called the iron-molybdenum cofactor, which was thought to be the site where dinitrogen (N2) gets converted to ammonia, and where the mystery atom is situated inside.
The team used a method called X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Light Source to excite the electrons in the cofactor’s iron cluster and to watch how electrons refilled the spots, called “holes,” they left behind. The holes were sometimes filled by an electron belonging to a neighboring atom – emitting X-ray signatures with distinct ionization potentials that would distinguish between different kinds of atoms.
This was how it was revealed that the cofactor contained a carbon atom, rather than a nitrogen or an oxygen atom, that was bound to the iron atoms in the cluster.
The paper’s first author is Kyle M. Lancaster, a Cornell postdoctoral associate in chemistry. DeBeer’s collaborators are at the University of Bonn in Germany, University of California-Irvine, Max Planck Institute and the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory at Stanford.
The research was supported by Cornell, the University of Bonn, the Max Planck Society and the National Institutes of Health.
Blaine Friedlander | Newswise Science News
Further information: http://www.cornell.edu
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warc | 201704 | There has been some controversy in the media and within the scientific research community concerning whether Icelanders are genetically homogenous or heterogeneous relative to other European populations. Following an article published in Annals of Human Genetics in January 2003 by E. Árnason, who concluded that Icelanders were one of the most heterogeneous populations in Europe, researchers from deCODE Genetics and the University of Oxford, have published an article in Annals of Human Genetics (issue 67:4, July 2003) corroborating findings from earlier studies that Iceland is indeed home to one of the most homogenous gene pools in Europe. This latest research article, ‘A Reassessment of Genetic Diversity in Icelanders: Strong Evidence from Multiple Loci for Relative Homogeneity Caused by Genetic Drift’ by A. Helgason, G. Nicholson, K. Stefánsson and P. Donnelly, both greatly expands sample sizes from individual populations and the number of genetic loci analysed, and uses population genetics simulations to demonstrate that genetic drift, not admixture (as claimed by E. Árnason), has been the overriding factor influencing patterns of genetic variation in Iceland. Moreover, these simulations also reveal that the summary statistics (gene diversity and mean pairwise mutational differences) used by E. Árnason, to argue for the relative genetic heterogeneity of Icelanders in his analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences, are poor comparative measures of genetic diversity in closely related populations such as those of Iceland and other European countries.
Melanie Johnstone | alfa
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warc | 201704 | DEFINITION of 'Net Debt Per Capita'
A measurement of the value of a government's debt expressed in terms of the amount attributable to each citizen under the government's jurisdiction. It is commonly computed using the following formula:
BREAKING DOWN 'Net Debt Per Capita'
The level of net debt per capita is an important factor to consider when analyzing a government's ability to continue to pay its debt service costs through its current levels of tax revenue. In other words, this measure helps indicate the default risk of government bonds. | 551 | 351 | 0.002875 |
warc | 201704 | Mile High City: ‘Awesome, man’ Purple Trainwreck anyone? Marijuana chocolate? Colorado is barely three weeks into its marjuana-legalisation experiment, and demand is high for the exotic products
John Scanlon walks out of the dispensary after shopping legally for marijuana for the second time in a fortnight. He complains that the prices are higher than what his illegal dealer charges. “It is still expensive, but I am doing it out of convenience,” he says. There are no cryptic phone calls or clandestine meetings. He just shows an ID to prove he is over 21 and buys his weed over a counter.
Many residents of Denver, the Mile High City, have felt a little higher since January 1st, when Colorado became the first American state to legalise sales of marijuana for recreational purposes – or “for getting high purposes”, as
Rolling Stone magazine put it. Not even Amsterdam has gone as far as this city on the edge of the Rocky Mountains.
You can smell the LoDo Wellness Centre before you see it. The unmistakable aroma of weed wafts up from the basement store on Wazee Street in the nightlife district of downtown Denver. Here eight grams will set you back $160 (€120), but high demand has forced this dispensary to limit sales to three grams per person, enough for between six and seven joints.
“We started rationing from day one – we wanted to spread the love,” says Liz Haynes, an effervescent 26-year-old saleswoman at LoDo. “If we didn’t put limits on it, we would have sold out in a few days. It has been crazy.”
Scanlon says that he can buy eight grams for about $60 cheaper from his regular, illegal, vendor. “Once the buzz dies down and everyone mellows it will be just like having a drink or smoking a cigarette. I am hoping the prices will come down then,” says Scanlon, a 36-year-old lumberyard worker.
Behind the counter downstairs Jay Bouton is overseeing a brisk late-afternoon trade. Balls of dried marijuana leaves sit in glass jars. He weighs out three grams per person in small, transparent ziplock bags. Many customers ask for premade joints. “This is awesome, man,” one happy customer keeps repeating in a stoner drawl.
Purple Trainwreck, an indica marijuana and one of six types on sale, is the most popular, says Bouton. “It is a very good body high, very relaxing – good for after work but not too strong.” The range of sativa marijuana is mellower, more for daily smokers. “People who work can smoke them and still work. It won’t put them to sleep.”
The shop stocks marijuana-infused chocolate, mints and fizzy drinks. The “edibles” come in a sugar-free range for diabetics, and there are also vegan and gluten-free products. Haynes says local police dropped by on the first day to ensure that the new strict regulations were being followed. Everything was fine apart from a bowl of complimentary jelly ranchers: offering free product is seen as incentivising marijuana purchases. “If they are going to let us play, we will play by the rules,” says Haynes.
Smoking marijuana outdoors is prohibited, so you can spark up only in your home. Cab driver Kevin Brown hopes marijuana smoking will be treated much like the open-container ban on drinking alcohol in public. He berated three twentysomethings who were smoking on the street, knowing that the eyes of the world are on Colorado to see how the state copes with this social experiment.
An estimated 150,000 people shopped at about 40 recreational-marijuana dispensaries in Denver and surrounding suburbs in the first week, including about 1,000 a day at the LoDo Wellness Centre, which has served customers from as far away as New Zealand, South Korea and Brazil.
Medicinal qualities “This is a revolution going on,” says Russ, a banker by profession and another happy customer. “People are coming from all over the US.” Russ says his parents and their generation “put a wrong picture” on marijuana use, and notes the drug’s medicinal qualities and how it soothes end-of-day pain from his rheumatoid arthritis.
Prices will remain high until other dispensaries open.“It’s an unintended consequence that people will go back to the black market, because there is a 36 per cent tax, so it’s very expensive,” says Haynes.
Twenty American states, along with the District of Columbia, permit marijuana sales for medical purposes, allowing registered card-carrying patients to possess marijuana and grow plants. Colorado is the first state to regulate a marijuana market from seed to smoking joint. Colorado’s constitution was changed with the support of 55 per cent of voters in a November 2012 ballot. Annual revenues of about $67 million from a state pot tax of 25 per cent made it appealing to the public in cash-strapped times.
Washington state, in the Pacific northwest, also voted for legalisation, but marijuana stores won’t open up there until later this year. Alaska will vote on the issue in August, after campaigners secured enough signatures to put it to a ballot. Other states are expected to follow soon after. A poll published by CNN and Opinion Research last week showed that 55 per cent of Americans believe pot should be legal.
A tipping point has been reached in the US, says Jonathan Caulkins, a drug-policy expert and a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, in Pittsburgh. “Something that was unthinkable for a long time and moved very slowly has now reached the point where the median voters will come over and policy will change pretty fast.”
Attributed to a shift towards liberalism on the left and libertarianism on the right – the issue “doesn’t fall cleanly on the political spectrum,” says Caulkins – legalisation marks a softening of views towards the third-most-popular recreational drug in the US, after alcohol and tobacco.
Since 1960 there has been a trend of stepping back from state controls to suppress voluntary activity by adults, although the United States’ experience with crack and cocaine in the 1980s set back the campaign for marijuana legalisation for a generation.
“Today, with this action with marijuana, in very real respects we are the most liberal place in the world, with the possible exception of Uruguay, ” says Caulkins.
While Colorado pot smokers may not be breaking state law, the US government still views marijuana use as a violation of federal law. But in August the department of justice said it wouldn’t challenge Colorado and would instead focus on trafficking and keeping drugs away from children.
“The federal government has, at least for now, taken the approach of we will see how well you do with it, and if you do well with it, we will leave you be,” says Sam Kamin a University of Denver law professor.
Major headache In practical terms this causes a major headache for Colorado’s burgeoning pot industry, as banks, which are regulated on a federal level, cannot serve marijuana retailers operating on a state level. For stores experiencing a fivefold growth in business since January 1st with the new line of sales, the flood of cash is complicating an already complex business trading in a grey area.
Mitch Woolhiser, owner of Northern Lights Cannabis Co in Denver, can pay his taxes and social welfare only by cheque, and to open a bank account he must lie, saying that the account is for personal means. If the bank sees the large amounts of cash lodged to the account, it may get suspicious and close it. This is a nightmare for a business that had to pay $100,000 to fit out a 5,000sq ft marijuana grow space. By law, marijuana stores must grow 70 per cent of the pot they sell.
“My cash flow has been excellent. If this was any other business I would be calling banks, looking for finance to expand. It is frustrating,” he says.
Others see the growth of this nascent industry as the creation of the next tobacco industry, or “Big Marijuana”.
“We are going to create corporate giants that profit off of addiction, because we know that with addictive products there is only one way to make money, and that is to increase addiction,” says Kevin Sabet, a former White House drug-policy adviser and a founder of Smart Approaches to Marijuana.
Marijuana buyers in Denver see the pot shops as little more than a new type of liquor store. Few expected it to happen first in a former cattle-ranching “red” state with strong conservative traditions.
“I figured I would see it some time in my lifetime, but I wasn’t sure that Colorado was the place to do it,” says Amy Jordan, a software engineer, leaving the LoDo Wellness Centre with a purchase. “Suddenly it has become this libertarian bastion of gay marriage and marijuana.” | 8,937 | 4,225 | 0.000247 |
warc | 201704 | Prof. Chugh has a broad-based experience in coal industry, and teaching, research, and administration. Recently, he was invited to serve on a highly prestigious international task force "Sustainable Use of Coal in China" under the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) umbrella. Yogesh K. Upadhyaya from Chronicle took the opportunity to interview him for his teaching and research work:
(Prof. Y. Paul Chugh)
CHUGH_Full_CV.pdf
To view his bio-data, please click here
Q-1: Welcome, Sir. Please introduce yourself to our readers.
I was born in a large, humble, middle-class family in Multan (now in Pakistan) on October 6, 1940. My father served in railways as a civil servant. My childhood education was in local schools. We moved to India during the partition period (1946-47). My father’s first assignment in India was in 1948 at Solan Brewery (Himachal Pradesh) as Station Master. Thereafter, he was moved to serve different locations every two to three years. So, my early education was in different locations such as Solan Brewery, Kalka, Subzimandi, etc. I graduated High School in 1955 from Lahore Montessori School in Delhi. I completed my intermediate college education from Camp College, Delhi in 1957 and was then selected to join College of Mining and Metallurgy at BHU to pursue mining engineering curriculum. After leaving BHU in 1961, I worked for coal industry in India for Andrew Yule Coal Company as a post-graduate trainee and as an assistant manager at Girmint Colliery. Then I joined a small company as an assistant manager to start preparing for first class mine manager’s certificate of competency. I taught for one year as an instructor at BHU before leaving for USA in summer 1965. I graduated with my MS and PhD degrees from the Pennsylvania State University in 1968, and 1971, respectively. After working in research and in coal industry for about seven years, I joined Southern Illinois University Carbondale as an Associate Professor January 1977 where I have been since then.
Q-2: Please tell us about your teaching experience at Southern Illinois University?
Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) is the second largest state-supported, comprehensive university in Illinois with over 20,000 students and 11 colleges, including School of Medicine and School of Law. The College of Engineering is a medium-size college with over 1,000 students and five departments including Mining and Mineral Resources Engineering. I joined the department as an associate professor, became full professor in 1981 and department chair in 1984. I served as Department Chair for 16 years until 2000. Since then, I have been a full professor assigned to teaching and directing research programs. During my tenure at SIUC, I have served as Technical Director- National Mine Land Reclamation Center- Midwestern Region; Director, Illinois Mining and Mineral Resources Research Institute; Director, Illinois Coal Combustion Residues Management Program; and Director, Combustion Byproducts Recycling Consortium-Midwestern Region
I would describe myself as a very broad-based experienced professional dedicated to 1) students’ learning (rather than teaching) and their future, 2) creating new knowledge to solve problems facing the discipline, mining industry, region and the country, and 3) ensuring that the created new knowledge is utilized in our industries in a timely fashion. Teaching, research, and scholarly activities have at least one thing in common—they change the way we think and do things. During my life, several principles have dawned and held: 1) Learning or “receiving teaching” implies a change in our thinking process, 2) Motivation for long-term change must fit into the mental mold of the person seeking change, and 3) Leading by example is the only way to influence others.
As an educator, my goals have been to prepare functional engineers with independent thinking, equip them with strong communication and teamwork skills and the capability of deducing solutions to problems from fundamentals. In the area of research and scholarly work, it is important to instill independent thinking skills in participants for problem solving and creativity and work closely with industry to identify both basic and applied research problems. In mineral industries (more so than other industries), good research must be relevant and timely, focused to impact industry within 5-10 years, involve feedback from industry, and incorporate health and safety issues.
My outstanding professional contributions in the education and research areas at SIU include: 1) Establishing the Department of Mining and Mineral Resources Engineering at SIU and developing it into a Center of Excellence for coal research and development and mining education; 2) Providing broad-based research leadership in the areas of applied rock mechanics and ground control, coal combustion byproducts management, alternate room–and–pillar mining geometry concepts for enhanced stability and productivity, coal mine dust control, and integration concepts for mining, processing and power plant operations; 3) Keeping research industry-focused, providing a prompt return on investment; and 4) Working collaboratively with multiple strategic partners to develop the Illinois Mining Institute into a highly professional organization for coal industry professionals in Illinois and surrounding states.
I have been very fortunate to be recognized for my contributions. My major awards include 1) SME Publication Board Award (1982-1983), 2) Distinguished Alumnus Award, Banaras Hindu University, 1984, 3) Centennial Fellow Award, Penn State University 1996, 4) Professor of the Year Award, National Stone Association, 1999, 5) Invited Speaker S.K. Bose Memorial Lecture (Highly Prestigious) at the Indian School of Mines, 2003, 6) Outstanding Department Teacher, 1984-1985, 2003, 2005; 7) Outstanding College Teacher, 1984-1985; 8) SIU College of Engineering Outstanding Scholar Award 2005, 9) Fulbright Award, 2006, 10) Outstanding College Faculty Award, 2007, 11) Illinois Mining Institute Award of Excellence for Technical Support, 2008, 12) SIU College of Engineering Outstanding Teacher Award, 13) The Rock Mechanics Award, 2009, and 12) The Howard Eavenson Award, 2009. In February 2009 I was also invited to serve on an international panel “Sustainable Use of Coal in China”.
Q-3: You are also actively involved in research work on coal
Research and scholarly work have been an integral part of my professional life, and it is something I truly enjoy. I have always enjoyed breadth in my scholarly work. My scholarly contributions span four areas: 1) Applied Rock Mechanics and Ground Control, 2) Coal Combustion Byproducts Management, 3) Dust Control in Coal Mining Face Areas, and 4) Mining Systems. Scholarly work in engineering disciplines must be supported by external agencies since they are applications oriented and areas of emphasis continually change. One must establish research credibility with funding agencies to be a broad-based scholar which is extremely difficult.
Since joining SIU in 1977, I have attracted over $ 20 million in externally funded research from federal, state and industry for projects that range from laboratory studies for basic research to commercialization of developed products. External funding has come from agencies such as U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Bureau of Mines, World Bank, State of Illinois, National Mine Land Reclamation Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Clean Coal Review Board, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Combustion Byproducts Recycling Consortium, and coal industry.
Rock mechanics and ground control were my primary areas of specialization by training. I have always enjoyed developing one or more secondary areas of expertise consistent with the needs of industry, region and country. Some of my noteworthy achievements in each area are given below.
Applied Rock Mechanics and Ground Control : 1) Development of analysis and design techniques for partial extraction coal mining associated with weak floor conditions, 2) Conception, development, and multiple field demonstrations of alternate partial extraction mining geometries that allow 2-4% higher resource extraction, and 6-12% higher productivity, while simultaneously improving stability in mine workings, 3) Conception and commercialization of highly efficient wooden cribs “ATLAS Cribs” that are lightweight, offer less resistance to airflow, and can be designed to vary their structural stiffness. I was awarded two (2) patents for alternate roof truss systems for mine support. Two additional patents on wooden cribs and automotive brake pads are pending. Coal Combustion Byproducts Management: 1) Developed paste-backfill technology for mine backfilling using coal combustion byproducts and coal processing wastes and pumped 47,000 tons of backfill in two Illinois mines, and 2) Developed innovative products for medium to large volume utilization of Coal Combustion Byproducts (CCBs) and received two (2) patents in the area. These included CCBs-based crib and post elements to replace similar wooden elements, and synergistic management of CCBs and coal processing waste to minimize environmental problems. Dust Control in Coal Mining Face Areas: 1) Developed a quantitative “wettability index” for respirable coal dust to assess need for and effectiveness of surfactants, 2) Conceived a “modified continuous miner” for improved dust control and commercialized it with three miners operating currently, 3) Developed and tested an “innovative spray systems design” for continuous miners for more effective dust control, and 4) Developed a scrubber to control dust from rock dusting operation. Mining Systems: 1) Conceived and cooperatively developed commercially viable strategies for enhanced utilization of high sulfur coal, including the concept of “Near-zero solid waste discharge” through integration of mining, processing and power plant operations, and 2) Developed technologies for recovering coal from -100 mesh materials currently being deposited in slurry ponds. Sustainable Use of Coal in China: Over the past four months, I am heavily engaged in developing strategies for coal development and coal utilization in China that would allow economic development and not negatively impact the environment. On the supply side, we are discussing highly productive mines, coal processing for quality control and reduced transportation costs, improved coal waste management and better planning for subsided areas. On the demand side higher efficiency coal burning power plants, IGCC plants for carbon capture and storage, coal to liquids, and conservation are being debated. The renewable portfolio options and their role in overall energy strategy are also part of the discussions. Q-4: Your advice to Mining graduates looking to involve in Mining teaching/research work?
I am glad that you ask this question. Mining Engineering as a profession has changed dramatically over the last 25 years. The need for mining engineers per unit of production will continue to decline in future. For example, USA steady-state demand for undergraduate level mining engineers is only about 150 each year. However, we need mining engineers who have broad-based education and training and are grounded in fundamentals. They should be independent thinkers with solid background in mathematics and sciences, economics, international business and management. They should have excellent communication skills and should be able to develop and market ideas.
The graduate education in mining engineering in India needs to be significantly advanced and there is a lot to learn in that area from the USA and European Union among other countries. The graduate education must be more fundamentals based rather than practice oriented. Stronger emphasis must be placed on experimental methods, statistics, numerical modeling, and inter-disciplinary research. Students should be given more freedom to develop their own study program and choose coursework across disciplines. At the graduate levels, students should be encouraged to support teaching activities.
Based on interactions with students over 30 years, I suggest two tracks for professional growth. One track is operations management where I suggest a student to get MBA degree after BS degree in mining engineering. The other track is pursuing teaching, research, policy, consulting, business, and government activities. Here I suggest getting MS and PhD degrees from the best advisors you can find to work with you. The need for graduates with inter-disciplinary training will grow in future. Just stay on the top of hot issues and pursue them as they emerge. It is a highly dynamic world and you must be as dynamic as the world is.
Q-5: Please describe your college days
The College days are the best part of our lives and the memories linger on throughout your life. You build friendships that last a lifetime. At BHU I was known more as a good student than a social animal or a fun person. As I matured, I developed deeper relationships with other students that are part of my life even today. I always enjoyed sports and used to play ping pong, badminton, and volleyball in BHU. Honestly speaking, I could not afford tennis and I was envious of those who could. I was part of NCC but hated every minute of it. I guess I was not cut out to be a soldier, cleaning rifles, and being on guard for the enemy. I can still feel the pain in my right shoulder after shooting training behind the girls’ hostel. I do not know how many of you recall the workshop class- learning how to cut wood, use wrenches, lathes and learning about nuts and bolts. I hated every minute of it then as I do now. Again I guess Mother Nature did not want me to be a handy man. I never forget some of the senior year students taking the 3
rd year students to a PAN shop about 200 feet away from Dhanrajgiri Hostel. I guess they wanted us to have our first experience with ZARDA but kept it a secret. The return journey from the PAN shop to Dhanrajgiri was the longest journey in space I had at that young age.
The college life at Penn State was totally different. The pressures of being a student were very high. It is a highly competitive school and success does not come easy. I learnt to play tennis and within the first two months I broke two wooden rackets. It is a sport that I enjoy even today and I am trying to encourage our grandchildren to play. Needless to mention, I also learnt how to drink beer some time in 1967. It is a drink I really enjoy even now. I have been always fascinated by dancing but I was very shy learning it in India because of the taboo associated with it. So, I tried dancing a few times at Penn State but failed miserably. My wife is Spanish and those people have dance in their blood. Even though we have been married 39 years, it is only in the last five years that I have been trying to learn dancing. I would say I am at the 4
th grade level today. Q-6: Please tell us about your personal life
Who am I, why am I here, and what must I accomplish is a debate that I struggle with often and it has become even more intense during the last five years. As I get older I am starting to develop some answers through a perceived model about the world, humans, survival, competitiveness, etc. On the light side, I some times think I may be close to enlightenment- it is about time since I am not young anymore! Overall, I would describe myself as a very caring person for others even if it means sacrificing what I need or want. My birth sign “Libra or Balance” describes me very well surprisingly. I enjoy strong and long-term relationships.
My strongest traits are “creativity” and “visionary planning” and in my younger days I used to think that an organization should always continue on a growth path if the workers keep an open mind and the leaders are good at the above traits. Unfortunately, organizational change and organizational behavior are most difficult to implement and modify and that is the reason that giant companies such as TWA, GM, etc. do not exist today as we knew them in our younger days. It has been a bitter-sweet lesson that has taught me to be more realistic about the changes that can be brought about in an organization.
I thrive on family and it is the backbone of my life. I have enjoyed raising our three girls and they are doing very well. They are independent human beings the way I wanted them to be. Two of them are medical doctors and the third one has PhD degree in bio-medical sciences. She wanted to be a researcher just like her father. I should add that she was born the same month and the same date as her father. I am trying to do my best to ensure that I leave behind a united family that can carry the family legacy. I am also trying to instill the same thoughts among the grand children. In terms of who influenced me most in my life, I would have to say my father and my oldest brother. They have been the pillars of our family and I am trying to carry on their legacy. In terms of which teacher influenced me the most, I would have to say Professor H. R. Hardy, Jr. of Penn State University. He passed away in 2008. It is fair to say I am what he wanted me to be and I owe him a lot in my life.
Let us talk about my hobbies and my social life. I enjoy socializing and parties that are not too wild. I enjoy people from all cultures and love to learn from them. I am very good at starting and carrying on conversations with strangers. I enjoy playing tennis, walking through the parks, traveling in distant lands. I am not comfortable indoors.
Over the last five years, I have been dabbling into writing poetry. I have written about 20 poems –mostly for my family members on their birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, deaths, etc. I would like to switch writing in the area of nature but I have not had time to do that yet. I submitted several poems for the 50
th reunion of the 1957 class that are available for review for those who are interested.
In closing, I would say “Be yourself, establish realistic goals, trust your biological parents- they are your best friends, do the best whatever you decide to do, and think out-of-the box to guide your life. This is your life and you must live it the way you want to. You may not succeed in achieving all you want but at least you know that you tried and why you did not succeed. Life is wonderful but tough”. Thanks for this opportunity to talk to you all.
Sir, it was nice talking to you. About Prof. Yoginder Paul Chugh
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We are pleased to publish interview with Mr. Ganesh Rengaswamy, who has been appointed as India Country Director and the newest member of global senior management team for Unitus, an international organization that provides innovative solutions to global poverty by enabling scalable and sustainable models in microfinance and related social sectors. With MBA from Harvard Business School, Mr. Ganesh has more than a decade of experience in executing firm-level strategies and undertaking independent revenue and growth initiatives for investing firms, Fortune 1000 clients, start-ups, and high-growth companies. He has global experience in venture capital, growth investing, and entrepreneurial and operating roles across consumer technology, financial services, internet/mobile, and retail IT services. Prior to joining Unitus in 2009, Ganesh was a co-founder of Travelguru.com—the online travel leader in hotels and vacations in India and South Asia— and launched India Investments for Greylock Partners, one of the oldest top-tier venture capital firms in the US. Mr. Rengaswamy maintains the tie with the alma-mater and he recently visited our campus (in February 2009) for Business plan contest judging and to talk to the students about entrepreneurship. Yogesh K. Upadhyaya from Chronicle interviews him for his leadership role in providing microfinance to need people in India and other parts of the world: (Ganesh Rengaswamy) To view his profile, please visit: http://www.unitus.com/about-us/management-team/ganesh-rengaswamy Q-1: Welcome, Sir. Please introduce yourself to our readers.
As you probably guessed from my name, I am from South India but grew up in Kolkata and lived in Delhi, Ambala, Varanasi, Mumbai and Bangalore before moving to California, which is where I was till I moved back to Bangalore in 2008. I am often challenged when people ask me where in India I am from – the most practical answer for me has been
I am Indian.
My mother was a Math Teacher and my father was with Aditya Birla Group. I studied in Kendriya Vidyalaya in Kolkata before going to BHU. My class (Chemical 1996) utilized the Basketball court (BBC) to the fullest by burning the “midnight oil” to play cricket.
My biggest learning about entrepreneurship is that it’s
not about who takes the biggest risk but who manages risk the best. Entrepreneurship is a mix of conviction, perseverance, vision, luck and compromises – lots of them. So, when you embark on an entrepreneurial venture make sure that it fires you up enough to withstand the failures along the way and compromises. Q-2: Please tell us about your profession career.
My career hasn’t been as planned as it seems. I graduated from IT-BHU top of my class with the BHU medal. Out of BHU, I went to Indian Oil Corporation and realized within a few months that it wasn’t for me – I loved the field experience though and would never forget the day our marketing installation caught fire. I also started investing in public markets as a hobby and it turned into something more serious down the line. After IIM-Calcutta, I started with Infosys in 1999 and soon moved to Silicon Valley in Northern California across various roles including managing clients, business development and program management.
In 2003, I got more drawn towards entrepreneurship (failed attempt) and venture investing and decided to go to HBS (Harvard Business School), which is considered the bastion for both. Starting Travelguru at HBS along with my partner was totally coincidental and culmination of one midnight conversation. After Travelguru, I was a venture capitalist between India and Silicon Valley and finally transitioned to Unitus to focus more on social enterprises and entrepreneurship.
Q-3: What is microfinance?
Put simply, microfinance is just what it sounds like – financial services for the poor, which at the outset originates in the form of very small loans to individuals running very small enterprises. Often times, banks and other large financial services institutions overlook servicing the very poor for many reasons including lack of collateral, perception of being high-risk borrowers or the belief that loaning to this clientele isn’t profitable. Microfinance institutions (small banking organizations that serve the poor, often called MFIs) cater to the needs of the “bottom of the pyramid” and over the past several decades have proven to be an effective tool in poverty alleviation as well as a sound financial practice since worldwide repayment rates are upwards of 95%. In addition, access to microfinance helps create economic stability, improve healthcare and housing, provide educational opportunities for their children and, ultimately, realize economic self-sufficiency.
Unitus focuses on partnering with microfinance institutions to achieve what we call “high-impact” microfinance, where the financial resources are accompanied by a range of client-supporting products and services such as, savings programs, and basic insurance plans. For example, we currently work with 14 partners in India (reaching over 6.5 million clients) and depending on their specific needs, we provide them with business consulting or capital in the form of grants with the express purpose of removing their barriers to growth so they can reach more of their region’s poor.
Q-4: How does Unitus operates around the world? How do people get benefited from microfinance through Unitus?
Well, expanding on the previous example, Unitus partners with high-potential MFI partners in high-need regions – currently North, central and North-east India ( we have built mature partnerships in South India over years), East Africa and parts of Latin America – where microfinance has promise but is struggling to grow. We help our partners to develop a broad range of financial products tailored to varied client needs that, along with other business support services, should ultimately increase income, mitigate risk and enhance the livelihoods of their clients. Furthermore, we are strong believers that for these types of programs to be as effective as possible, our partners need to be positioned for long term sustainability. Thus, we work with them to combine commercial capital with solid business practices such as growth planning, capacity building and to optimize operational efficiency so that they can continue to serve their communities and promote positive social change over time.
As for impact, looking strictly at the numbers, when we first started working in India in 2003 approximately 13.6 million people had access to microfinance. Today, that number has grown to over 70 million with one out of every 6-7 borrowers served by a Unitus partner. Also, we’ve helped attract capital to this market from less than $5 million in 2003 to more than $100 million in private investments today. Microfinance in India has indeed come a long way.
However, the social impact of microfinance has not consistently been measured. While we have seen countless lives improved, as a sector, we have not been consistent about measuring specific improvements as a direct result of a microfinance loan. For instance, did the borrowers housing improve or was their food source better after their loan? In the industry, tracking effectiveness and making strategic changes based on analysis is called Social Performance Management or SPM. Trying to overcome that the lack of knowledge around effectiveness, Unitus is doing some groundbreaking work in increasing Social Performance Management and we expect this to be our focus in the next few years
Q-5: Please describe your college days
This is a really tough one for me and it’s hard to be truthful and unbiased across IT-BHU, IIM and HBS. IT-BHU was easily the most carefree of all and our midnight cricket matches at BBC must have generously contributes to the energy bills of the Institute. I realized on my recent trip to Banaras that not much has changed in Lanka and Gadolia except for the malls that have come up – apparently that’s where students watch movies nowadays compared to the local theatres we used to fight it out at. The engineering days certainly go a long way and we had tighter sub-groups within my class that carried over to my days in the US as well.
IIM was in some ways an extension of IT-BHU given 85% + folks were engineers. But it was different in ways that it was a 20 month program and the class size was much bigger.
Harvard Business School was a fantastic experience and the extent of personality transformation is amazing. The class is largest of any B-school in the world (850-900) but split into 10 sections in the first year and fairly personalized. The faculty includes ex-CXOs and industry leaders from some of the biggest corporation in the world. I was straddling three worlds–as a student, entrepreneur and President of South Asia Business Association–at HBS, and enjoyed every bit of it.
Q-6: Please tell us about your personal life
My parents recently moved to Mumbai few years back post retirement. My brother lives in California and I am in Bangalore (along with my wife, Kavitha). Cricket, Reading, Table Tennis and Traveling would all find a place in my ideal life.
I have been influenced by many incidents and people all through my life. My parents, of course taught me the value of hard work, honesty, excellence and integrity. My inspirations include Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Warren Buffett.
Sir, it was nice talking to you.
Thanks so much for interviewing me – the pleasure is mine. I would like to leave the readers with a parting thought.
I am an active proponent of entrepreneurship and social impact across multiple forums around the country. Unitus is actively involved in social entrepreneurship themes with “finances of poor” as the core and several adjacent sectors. We would welcome initiatives or volunteers from alumni and students to bolster our efforts in bridging this global economic and social divide.
G. Rengaswamy can be contacted at: grengaswamy@unitus.com (Chronicle appreciates help from Elyse Rowe and Eliza Kelly for this interview and for forwarding photos.)
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Education of Ganesh Rengaswamy
*B. Tech, Chemical Engineering, Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University (IT-BHU), Varanasi in 1996
* Post Graduate Diploma in Finance & System Strategy from Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta in 1999
* MBA in Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital, Harvard Business School in 2006
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1) About Unitus
http://www.unitus.com/
2) Unitus Mission (from the website)
Unitus, an international nonprofit organization, fights global poverty by accelerating the growth of microfinance—small loans and other financial tools for self-empowerment—where it is needed most.
Close to half the world’s population survives on less than $2 a day. In places such as Sub-Saharan Africa, the total living below this line approaches 75 percent. For millions of families in need, microfinance offers the hope for a successful small business and more: increased economic stability, better healthcare and housing, the opportunity for education, and ultimately, the real possibility of self-sufficiency.
3) About microfinance in Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microfinance
4) G. Rengaswamy joins Unitus as India Country Director 5) Profile of G. Rengaswamy in Linked In 6) Harvard Business School, Massachusetts, USA
(Harvard Business School, Boston, USA)
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(Below please find photos of Unitus microfinance entrepreneurs in India. Photo courtesy: Adam Huggins and Unitus)
(A microfinance entrepreneur running chilly business)
(Happy group of microfinance entrepreneurs)
(Microfinance entrepreneurs delighting in their loans)
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We are pleased to publish interview with Mrs. Sudhi Agarwal who has co-founded Ariose Software that provides software development services in the field of mobile, telecom and security. She has co-founded the company along with her husband, Mr. Amit Goenka. The start-up company is based in NOIDA and provides customized solutions and products for operators, telecoms and MVAS providers. .Prior to that, she worked at iPolicy Networks. She was recently featured in a Dataquest magazine article about women entrepreneurs. Yogesh K. Upadhyaya from Chronicle talks to Sudhi Agarwal about her start-up business venture, which will inspire other fellow alumnae.
(Sudhi Agarwal) Q-1: Welcome, Sudhi. Please introduce yourself to our readers.
I come from a business family with both my parents themselves being entrepreneurs. I was born and brought up in Moradabad which is a city near Delhi and very famous for Brass Export. My father is a Civil Engineer from AMU and my mother is a MA in Psychology and Hindi. We are three sisters. My elder sister did her Integrated MSC in Applied Chemistry from IIT Roorkee and my younger sister did her MBA from Fore Institute of Management.
I am now settled in Noida with my husband Amit Goenka and two daughters Mehar and Manya aged 6 years and 9 months respectively.
My father was always an entrepreneur at heart and has started quite a few new businesses in our joint family. My mother was earlier a home-maker but now she runs and manages a mid-way (high-way) resort near Moradabad. My parents started this resort in their retirement age and they are thoroughly enjoying managing it.
I did my schooling from St. Mary’s, Moradabad. I then joined IT BHU – Computer Science & Engineering (CSE) after qualifying JEE and passed out in 1995.
I joined Software & Technologies (S&T) from campus and continued to work with it for 11 years before I co-founded Ariose in 2006. S&T was later called Duet Technologies which became IPolicy Networks in 2001.
Q-2: How did you get the idea about starting the business venture?
I had always nurtured the dream of having my own business. I had always wanted to be an independent person, in control of my life and activities. I had given myself 8-10 years to master the technology, understand the market and also build my network before foraying into entrepreneurship. I was lucky that my husband shared my thoughts and passion for having our own venture. Both of us have been working in telecom and security domain and can boast of a good technical competence amongst two of us. We were waiting for a right time to start the company and in 2006 we decided to take the plunge. Other reasons which lead to this decision were our want for treading a fresh path, greater exposure, bigger roles, playing with risks and opportunities and make our growth non-linear.
We named our company “Ariose” which is a musical word and means symphony, i.e. getting different musical notes together and making a symphony out of it. We at Ariose believe in "Collaborate to Succeed". We look forward to strategic collaboration with other players to achieve competitive advantage.
Q-3: Please tell us more about your company
Ariose (http://www.ariosesoftware.com/) is a privately held software development company. Our mission is to deliver high performance software solutions customized to client’s vision. Our suite of service offerings are built across a deep and broad matrix of technologies and applications. The technology spectrum includes:
* Mobile and VAS (Value Added Service)
* Telecom
* Security
We are now developing products for MVAS (Mobile Value Added Service) market. In the products we are focusing on
* Enterprise Mobility
* Innovative ways to deliver content
* Products for 3G market
We started our operations in October 2006 and are self funded. We have customers in Asia-Pacific, US and Europe.
Q-4: What advice would you like to provide to women engineers to start an IT business venture?
Starting a new business venture is “a Challenge and a Commitment”. There are a whole lot of opportunities for IT business entrepreneurs, whether they are women or men.
The important things are conviction in your dreams, passion for your work, a vision and a plan. You need high level of optimism and self-confidence in starting a business. You need good managerial and technical skills. You should have a good business network. Empower yourself. Read a lot and have a good mentor.
Starting a new business is very challenging. You need to know all facets of business, be it finance, be it administration, and be it HR. While managing all this, you need to cater to business development, projects delivery and customer satisfaction.
To succeed one should stay focused and committed. One should continuously learn from experiences and failures.
Q-5: Please describe your college days.
College days were one of the most exciting and eventful days. I have beautiful memories of our hostel life. Our hostel was made by converting two houses back-to-back into a hostel. The rooms very big, airy and there were lichi, mulberry trees in the courtyard.
We used to love cycling down from hostel to the institute in the beautiful tree-lined roads of campus. In the evening we would hang around Vishwanath temple and used to love the lassi, cold coffee, gulab jamuns and samosas there. Good friends, lots of fun, unplanned outings, cycling to Gadolia, trips to Sarnath are all fond memories which I cherish.
Q-6: Please tell us about your family life.
I am settled in Noida with my husband Amit Goenka and my two daughters Mehar and Manya. Amit is a graduate from BITS Pilani. Amit and I have been working together from last 14 years now. First we were together in the job, and now we have started this venture.
We are a nuclear family and managing home and office together has always been a challenge. I am happy that I have been able to strike a balance between my personal and work life. The best time of the day is when I spend time with my family. It helps me unwind and relax.
The biggest influence in my life has been my parents who imbibed the power of good character and values in me, who believed in me so much that I felt I could achieve whatever I want to. They have given me all the support I ever needed. My mom used to tell me these lines often “
Khud ko ker buland itna kee her teqder se pehle khuda bande se pooche bata teeri raza kya hai”. These two lines have been philosophy of my life.
I have always fought against the gender biases embedded in our society which limit women’s education, carrier prospects, mobility, interactions and active economic participation. I strongly believe in equality of men and women and hence do not believe in reservations and special status for women.
Sudhi, it was nice talking to you. Sudhi Agarwal can be contacted at: sudhi.agarwal@ariosesoftware.com (We thank Sweta Kesarwani (Metallurgy 1995) for forwarding us the info about Sudhi Agarwal)
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1) Ariose Software
2) Sudhi Agarwal in Dataquest magazine article Women Empowerment: Entrepreneurs IT’s White Tigresses
With new options of attaining capital, higher aspirations and change in outlook, women in the IT industry are increasingly turning to entrepreneurship
Thursday, May 21, 2009
3) Sudhi Agarwal’s public profile in LinkedIn
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/sudhi-agarwal/0/721/13a
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Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University
Varanasi 221005, UP | 38,802 | 15,980 | 0.000063 |
warc | 201704 | 13 updates
The cosmetic surgery industry is "booming" but has also become "trivialised" and needs controlling, according to a review by health experts.
Chaired by Britain's most senior doctor, the review judged the cosmetic surgery industry a "crisis waiting to happen".
Commissioned in the wake of the PIP breast implant scandal, the report recommends tighter controls on who can carry out procedures, including BOTOX and other 'fillers'.
It concludes by warning that having a filler gives people no more protection than buying an everyday item like a toothbrush or a pen.
ITV News Consumer Editor
Chris Choi reports: Advertisement
Television presenter Lizzy Cundy told ITV's Daybreak she "really hopes" regulation is introduced in the cosmetic surgery industry and urged people "to do their homework" before having a procedure.
Laura-Alicia Summers, who suffered a severe reaction to a cosmetic treatment, told ITV's Daybreak the cheap lip filler procedure she had left her in "agonising" pain.
A committee set up by the Department of Health in the wake of the PIP breast implant scandal has recommended the following changes:
Those who provide cosmetic procedures should undergo formal qualifications. People who inject fillers should also be signed up to a register. GPs should be informed of treatments so if something goes wrong they know what to treat. There should be a ban of financial offers for cosmetic surgery. Procedures must be approved by a surgeon and not a salesperson. A fund to help patients should a cosmetic surgery company go bust. There should be compulsory insurance in case a procedure goes wrong.
Greater Manchester Police's Chief Constable Garry Shewan has responded to figures which claim Manchester is the 'anti-social capital' of Britain.
Mr Shewan said anti-social behaviour is a "blight" on people's lives, he added:
Advertisement
The medical director for the NHS in England spoke to Daybreak about the findings of an official review into cosmetic procedures.
One of the suggestions included on the report was an insurance scheme which looks after patients when cosmetic surgery goes wrong.
Sir Bruce Keogh said: "We want to get to a place where the industry thrives but people are safe."
Nick Parkhouse, Consultant Plastic Surgeon and British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) member told Daybreak that he welcomed today's report, but what he really wanted was to "see it implemented".
He added, "I really hope that MPs will seize on the findings of this report, which are most importantly for proper qualification, proper training and most importantly for collection nationally of data regarding all the procedures that are carried out."
Mary Catchpole decided to use dermal fillers to look fresh for her wedding day.
After the treatment she suffered from vomiting, diarrhoea, sickness and flu-like symptoms.
Speaking to Daybreak she said: "I wish I'd have looked more at adverse effects, and basically if there was stricter labelling, stricter warnings, if there was compulsory skin tests, which there isn't," she added, "I would not have gone through with the injections."
Health officials have warned as part of a review, set up in the wake of the PIP breast implant scandal, that the cosmetic surgery industry has become an "everyday product" because of programmes such as The Only Way is Essex.
Interventions have been "normalised", it warned, with a "trivialisation" of procedures influenced by television programmes such as Towie.
A spokesman for The Only Way is Essex said: "Towie follows the lives of real people and remains impartial on observing their lifestyles.
"The show never seeks to glamorise plastic surgery and has indeed on occasion highlighted some dangers such as documenting Lauren Pope's discovery that she had the PIP implants and required extra surgery."
Latest ITV News reports
A committee set up in the wake of the PIP breast implant scandal has called for tighter regulation of the cosmetic surgery. | 4,041 | 1,918 | 0.00053 |
warc | 201704 | New statistics from NALP-The Association for Legal Career Professionals, show that law graduates from the class of 2011 are seeing their salaries dip. Class of 2011 law graduates are earning a median pay of $60,000, according to the statistics. This is a 5 percent drop from 2010 and a 17 percent drop from 2009. The average pay is $78,653, which is a drop of 15 percent from 2009. The statistics are from graduates who worked at full-time jobs for at least one year.
According to the press release, the decrease in starting pay is more noticeable when counting just private practice jobs in the statistics. 2011 law graduates working in private practice are earning a median pay of $85,000. This is a drop of 18 percent since 2010. In 2010, the median pay was $104,000. It is also a 35 percent drop from 2009. In 2009, the median pay was $130,000. Since 2009, the averaged pay in private practice has dropped by 15 percent to $97,821.
“This drop in starting salaries, while expected, is surprising in its scope,” NALP executive director James Leipold said in the press release. “Nearly all of the drop can be attributed to the continued erosion of private practice opportunities at the largest law firms.”
At large law firms, the starting pay of $160,000 is still normal but the amount of jobs at large law firms have dropped. This has caused pressure to be put on the median, making it decrease. Also causing a decrease in the median is the fact that there are some large law firms hiring staff attorneys at salaries under $100,000.
The statistics show that close to 60 percent of law graduates from 2011 who were working in private practice were employed by firms that have 50 or fewer lawyers. This number can be compared to 53 percent of 2010 graduates and 46 percent of graduates in 2009. Of the 2011 graduates, just 21 percent of them were employed by law firms that have more than 250 lawyers. This number was 33 percent just two years ago. The statistics for private practice employment include full-time and part-time jobs, temporary and permanent jobs and jobs that do not require passing the bar exam.
The survey also found that a higher number of graduates are flying solo as three percent of all jobs and six percent of law firm jobs were listed as solo practice. These numbers were roughly half of what they are today in 2007 and 2008.
In June, NALP reported that just 65 percent of 2011 law graduates were working in jobs that required passing the bar, which was the lowest percentage ever recorded by the organization. “Obviously these statistics paint a pretty dismal picture,” Leipold said. “In many ways the class of 2011 bore the worst brunt of the impact of the recession on the entry-level legal job market, particularly in the large firm market.” | 2,818 | 1,256 | 0.00081 |
warc | 201704 | By Dan Nielsen
Tony Schwartz, President and CEO of The Energy Project and author of
addressed a critical leadership principle in a recent Harvard Business Review blog. No leader who desires leadership excellence can ignore this critical success factor: Be Excellent at Anything,
“Whatever else each of us derives from our work, there may be nothing more precious than the feeling that we truly matter — that we contribute unique value to the whole, and that we’re recognized for it
The single highest driver of engagement, according to a worldwide study conducted by Towers Watson, is whether or not workers feel their managers are genuinely interested in their wellbeing. Less than 40 percent of workers felt so engaged.
Feeling genuinely appreciated lifts people up. At the most basic level, it makes us feel safe, which is what frees us to do our best work. It’s also energizing. When our value feels at risk, as it so often does, that worry becomes preoccupying, which drains and diverts our energy from creating value.
So why is it that openly praising or expressing appreciation to other people at work can so easily seem awkward, contrived, mawkish and even disingenuous?
The obvious answer is that we’re not fluent in the language of positive emotions in the workplace. We’re so unaccustomed to sharing them that we don’t feel comfortable doing so. Heartfelt appreciation is a muscle we’ve not spent much time building, or felt encouraged to build.
Oddly, we’re often more experienced at expressing negative emotions — reactively and defensively, and often without recognizing their corrosive impact on others until much later, if we do at all.
That’s unfortunate. The impact of negative emotions — and more specifically the feeling of being devalued — is incredibly toxic. As Daniel Goleman has written, ‘Threats to our standing in the eyes of others are almost as powerful as those to our very survival.’
In the workplace itself, researcher Marcial Losada has found that among high-performing teams, the expression of positive feedback outweighs that of negative feedback by a ratio of 5.6 to 1. By contrast, low-performing teams have a ratio of .36 to 1.”
This subject is absolutely critical for all leaders, including all healthcare leaders! Next week, we will examine the specific steps Tony Schwartz suggests for sincerely and effectively using appreciation in building higher-performing and more sustainable teams.
Copyright © 2012 by Dan Nielsen
Founder, National Institute for Healthcare Leadership – www.nihcl.com
Founder, America’s Healthcare Leaders – www.americashealthcareleaders.com
Cell 214-695-1292 | 2,740 | 1,429 | 0.000731 |
warc | 201704 | WHATSAPP CONTACT ONLY
The Land Use Charge Law of Lagos state combined the three existing land taxes: the land rate, neighbourhood improvement charge and tenement rate with a view to generating more revenue for the provision of infrastructural services, and also to prohibit multiplicity of property taxes. The law stipulates that property owners are liable; meanwhile, economic theory suggests tax burden depends largely on elasticity of demand and supply. The paper sought the opinion of property owners and Estate Surveyors and Valuers in Lagos, Nigeria on the incidence of the Land Use Charge (LUC). Questionnaires were randomly administered on Estate Surveyors and Valuers and purposively on landlords. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Findings reveal that though property owners are statutorily liable, the respondents believe that LUC should be borne by both the property owners and tenants, and in most cases, the incidence of the tax has been shifted to tenants. The paper concludes that in any populated city like Lagos, where demand for real estate products is always on the rise, incidence of property tax irrespective of the position of the law may be unavoidably borne by tenants either partially or in whole.
Rosane Cavalcante Fragoso, Brasil
Jean-Marc SABATIER Chief Scientific Officer and Head of a Research Group France
IJCR is following an instant policy on rejection those received papers with plagiarism rate of
more than 20%. So, All of authors and contributors must check their papers before submission to making assurance of following our anti-plagiarism policies. | 1,610 | 877 | 0.001145 |
warc | 201704 | A Financial Accounting Foundation (FAF) team gave FASB’s standard on business combinations a mixed review, according to information provided by FAF.
The FAF post-implementation review team performed an in-depth analysis of FASB Statement No. 141 (revised 2007),
Business Combinations (Statement 141R), which is codified in ASC Topic 805, Business Combinations.
Statement 141R’s principles and requirements generally are understandable and can be applied as intended, according to the review report, available at tinyurl.com/k7fcvlm. The review also found that investors generally find the information resulting from application of the standard useful, and that the standard generally resolves some of the issues associated with the purchase method of accounting for business combinations.
But the report said investors question the reliability of reported information for business combinations that:
Include a significant portion of assets and liabilities that are difficult to measure at fair value; Result in a bargain purchase; May in fact be asset purchases (such as single real estate assets or drug compounds); or Involve mutual entities or more than two entities. In certain areas, the standard also is more costly and complex to implement than FASB had anticipated, according to the review, which was undertaken by a FAF team working under the oversight of the FAF board of trustees.
The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) also is conducting a post-implementation review of IFRS 3 (revised 2007),
Business Combinations, which was issued concurrently with Statement 141R. The FAF review team’s next task will be reviewing Statement No. 157, Fair Value Measurements.
FASB is giving consideration to the findings described in the report in other projects that already have begun. The board will wait for the results of the IASB’s review and the Statement No. 157 review before taking any standard-setting action. FASB’s full response is available at tinyurl.com/kzfebyh.
The AICPA Financial Reporting Executive Committee (FinREC) expressed significant objections to FASB’s financial instruments impairment proposal.
The high-profile project is designed to address some of the causes of the recent financial crisis and calls for measurement and reporting of expected losses rather than incurred losses.
Although the project began as a convergence effort with the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), FASB took a different path from the IASB in developing a current expected credit loss (CECL) method for impairment.
In a comment letter to FASB, FinREC said the proposed CECL model, as well as the current IASB proposal, require significant work to be operational and result in improved, faithful financial reporting. The letter is available at tinyurl.com/n8qrxko. FinREC is a senior committee of the AICPA for financial reporting and is authorized to make statements on behalf of the AICPA on financial reporting matters.
According to FinREC, FASB’s proposed model:
Lacks a strong enough conceptual basis for sound financial reporting; Departs significantly from the incurred loss model; Creates two incompatible loss contingency models; Double-counts expected losses; and Unjustifiably increases the accounting and financial reporting burden for smaller financial institutions and nonfinancial services entities. FinREC encouraged FASB to keep working with the IASB to reach a converged, high-quality model for reporting impairment of financial instruments. FASB voted to indefinitely defer certain disclosures about investments held by a nonpublic employee benefit plan (EBP) in the plan sponsor’s own equity securities. Stakeholders have expressed concerns to FASB that certain disclosure requirements for nonpublic EBPs would reveal sensitive proprietary information of private companies . After the vote, FASB was scheduled to issue an Accounting Standards Update, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Deferral of the Effective Date of Certain Disclosures for Nonpublic Employee Benefit Plans in Update No. 2011-04, reflecting the change. The deferral will be effective upon issuance for all financial statements that have not yet been issued.
The indefinite deferral applies to disclosures of certain quantitative information about the significant unobservable inputs used in Level 3 fair value measurement for investments held by certain employee benefit plans, according to a FASB news release. The deferral applies specifically to EBPs—other than those plans that are subject to SEC filing requirements—that hold investments in their plan sponsors’ own nonpublic entity equity securities, including equity securities of their nonpublic affiliated entities. | 4,766 | 2,101 | 0.000483 |
warc | 201704 | Zebrafish have become a widely used model organism to investigate the mechanisms that underlie developmental biology and to study human disease pathology due to their considerable degree of genetic conservation with humans. Chemical genetics entails testing the effect that small molecules have on a biological process and is becoming a popular translational research method to identify therapeutic compounds. Zebrafish are specifically appealing to use for chemical genetics because of their ability to produce large clutches of transparent embryos, which are externally fertilized. Furthermore, zebrafish embryos can be easily drug treated by the simple addition of a compound to the embryo media. Using whole-mount
in situ hybridization (WISH), mRNA expression can be clearly visualized within zebrafish embryos. Together, using chemical genetics and WISH, the zebrafish becomes a potent whole organism context in which to determine the cellular and physiological effects of small molecules. Innovative advances have been made in technologies that utilize machine-based screening procedures, however for many labs such options are not accessible or remain cost-prohibitive. The protocol described here explains how to execute a manual high-throughput chemical genetic screen that requires basic resources and can be accomplished by a single individual or small team in an efficient period of time. Thus, this protocol provides a feasible strategy that can be implemented by research groups to perform chemical genetics in zebrafish, which can be useful for gaining fundamental insights into developmental processes, disease mechanisms, and to identify novel compounds and signaling pathways that have medically relevant applications. 22 Related JoVE Articles!
Acquisition of High-Quality Digital Video of
Drosophila Larval and Adult Behaviors from a Lateral Perspective Institutions: Willamette University. Drosophila melanogaster
is a powerful experimental model system for studying the function of the nervous system. Gene mutations that cause dysfunction of the nervous system often produce viable larvae and adults that have locomotion defective phenotypes that are difficult to adequately describe with text or completely represent with a single photographic image. Current modes of scientific publishing, however, support the submission of digital video media as supplemental material to accompany a manuscript. Here we describe a simple and widely accessible microscopy technique for acquiring high-quality digital video of both
Drosophila
larval and adult phenotypes from a lateral perspective. Video of larval and adult locomotion from a side-view is advantageous because it allows the observation and analysis of subtle distinctions and variations in aberrant locomotive behaviors. We have successfully used the technique to visualize and quantify aberrant crawling behaviors in third instar larvae, in addition to adult mutant phenotypes and behaviors including grooming.
Neuroscience, Issue 92,
Drosophila, behavior, coordination, crawling, locomotion, nervous system, neurodegeneration, larva
51981
Evisceration of Mouse Vitreous and Retina for Proteomic Analyses
Institutions: University of Iowa, University of Iowa, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
While the mouse retina has emerged as an important genetic model for inherited retinal disease, the mouse vitreous remains to be explored. The vitreous is a highly aqueous extracellular matrix overlying the retina where intraocular as well as extraocular proteins accumulate during disease.
1-3
Abnormal interactions between vitreous and retina underlie several diseases such as retinal detachment, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, uveitis, and proliferative vitreoretinopathy.
1,4
The relative mouse vitreous volume is significantly smaller than the human vitreous (Figure 1), since the mouse lens occupies nearly 75% of its eye.
5
This has made biochemical studies of mouse vitreous challenging. In this video article, we present a technique to dissect and isolate the mouse vitreous from the retina, which will allow use of transgenic mouse models to more clearly define the role of this extracellular matrix in the development of vitreoretinal diseases.
Cellular Biology, Issue 50, mouse, vitreous, retina, proteomics, superoxide dismutase
2795
High Content Screening in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Institutions: VU University Medical Center, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam.
The functional annotation of genomes, construction of molecular networks and novel drug target identification, are important challenges that need to be addressed as a matter of great urgency
1-4
. Multiple complementary 'omics' approaches have provided clues as to the genetic risk factors and pathogenic mechanisms underlying numerous neurodegenerative diseases, but most findings still require functional validation
5
. For example, a recent genome wide association study for Parkinson's Disease (PD), identified many new loci as risk factors for the disease, but the underlying causative variant(s) or pathogenic mechanism is not known
6, 7
. As each associated region can contain several genes, the functional evaluation of each of the genes on phenotypes associated with the disease, using traditional cell biology techniques would take too long. There is also a need to understand the molecular networks that link genetic mutations to the phenotypes they cause. It is expected that disease phenotypes are the result of multiple interactions that have been disrupted. Reconstruction of these networks using traditional molecular methods would be time consuming. Moreover, network predictions from independent studies of individual components, the reductionism approach, will probably underestimate the network complexity
8
. This underestimation could, in part, explain the low success rate of drug approval due to undesirable or toxic side effects. Gaining a network perspective of disease related pathways using HT/HC cellular screening approaches, and identifying key nodes within these pathways, could lead to the identification of targets that are more suited for therapeutic intervention. High-throughput screening (HTS) is an ideal methodology to address these issues
9-12
. but traditional methods were one dimensional whole-well cell assays, that used simplistic readouts for complex biological processes. They were unable to simultaneously quantify the many phenotypes observed in neurodegenerative diseases such as axonal transport deficits or alterations in morphology properties
13, 14
. This approach could not be used to investigate the dynamic nature of cellular processes or pathogenic events that occur in a subset of cells. To quantify such features one has to move to multi-dimensional phenotypes termed high-content screening (HCS)
4, 15-17
. HCS is the cell-based quantification of several processes simultaneously, which provides a more detailed representation of the cellular response to various perturbations compared to HTS. HCS has many advantages over HTS
18, 19
, but conducting a high-throughput (HT)-high-content (HC) screen in neuronal models is problematic due to high cost, environmental variation and human error. In order to detect cellular responses on a 'phenomics' scale using HC imaging one has to reduce variation and error, while increasing sensitivity and reproducibility. Herein we describe a method to accurately and reliably conduct shRNA screens using automated cell culturing
20
and HC imaging in neuronal cellular models. We describe how we have used this methodology to identify modulators for one particular protein, DJ1, which when mutated causes autosomal recessive parkinsonism
21
. Combining the versatility of HC imaging with HT methods, it is possible to accurately quantify a plethora of phenotypes. This could subsequently be utilized to advance our understanding of the genome, the pathways involved in disease pathogenesis as well as identify potential therapeutic targets.
Medicine, Issue 59, High-throughput screening, high-content screening, neurodegeneration, automated cell culturing, Parkinson’s disease
3452
Induction of Experimental Autoimmune Hypophysitis in SJL Mice
Institutions: The Johns Hopkins University.
Autoimmune hypophysitis can be reproduced experimentally by the injection of pituitary proteins mixed with an adjuvant into susceptible mice
1
. Mouse models allow us to study how diseases unfold, often providing a good replica of the same processes occurring in humans. For some autoimmune diseases, like type 1A diabetes, there are models (the NOD mouse) that spontaneously develop a disease similar to the human counterpart. For many other autoimmune diseases, however, the model needs to be induced experimentally. A common approach in this regard is to inject the mouse with a dominant antigen derived from the organ being studied. For example, investigators interested in autoimmune thyroiditis inject mice with thyroglobulin
2
, and those interested in myasthenia gravis inject them with the acetylcholine receptor
3
. If the autoantigen for a particular autoimmune disease is not known, investigators inject a crude protein extract from the organ targeted by the autoimmune reaction. For autoimmune hypophysitis, the pathogenic autoantigen(s) remain to be identified
4
, and thus a crude pituitary protein preparation is used. In this video article we demonstrate how to induce experimental autoimmune hypophysitis in SJL mice.
Immunology, Issue 46, autoimmunity, hypophysitis, immunization, SJL mice, Freund's adjuvant
2182
A Rapid and Efficient Method for Assessing Pathogenicity of
Ustilago maydis on Maize and Teosinte Lines Institutions: University of Georgia.
Maize is a major cereal crop worldwide. However, susceptibility to biotrophic pathogens is the primary constraint to increasing productivity.
U. maydis
is a biotrophic fungal pathogen and the causal agent of corn smut on maize. This disease is responsible for significant yield losses of approximately $1.0 billion annually in the U.S.
1
Several methods including crop rotation, fungicide application and seed treatments are currently used to control corn smut
2
. However, host resistance is the only practical method for managing corn smut. Identification of crop plants including maize, wheat, and rice that are resistant to various biotrophic pathogens has significantly decreased yield losses annually
3-5
. Therefore, the use of a pathogen inoculation method that efficiently and reproducibly delivers the pathogen in between the plant leaves, would facilitate the rapid identification of maize lines that are resistant to
U. maydis
. As, a first step toward indentifying maize lines that are resistant to
U. maydis
, a needle injection inoculation method and a resistance reaction screening method was utilized to inoculate maize, teosinte, and maize x teosinte introgression lines with a
U. maydis
strain and to select resistant plants.Maize, teosinte and maize x teosinte introgression lines, consisting of about 700 plants, were planted, inoculated with a strain of
U. maydis
, and screened for resistance. The inoculation and screening methods successfully identified three teosinte lines resistant to
U. maydis
. Here a detailed needle injection inoculation and resistance reaction screening protocol for maize, teosinte, and maize x teosinte introgression lines is presented. This study demonstrates that needle injection inoculation is an invaluable tool in agriculture that can efficiently deliver
U. maydis
in between the plant leaves and has provided plant lines that are resistant to
U. maydis
that can now be combined and tested in breeding programs for improved disease resistance.
Environmental Sciences, Issue 83, Bacterial Infections, Signs and Symptoms, Eukaryota, Plant Physiological Phenomena,
Ustilago maydis, needle injection inoculation, disease rating scale, plant-pathogen interactions
50712
An Allele-specific Gene Expression Assay to Test the Functional Basis of Genetic Associations
Institutions: University of Oxford.
The number of significant genetic associations with common complex traits is constantly increasing. However, most of these associations have not been understood at molecular level. One of the mechanisms mediating the effect of DNA variants on phenotypes is gene expression, which has been shown to be particularly relevant for complex traits
1
.This method tests in a cellular context the effect of specific DNA sequences on gene expression. The principle is to measure the relative abundance of transcripts arising from the two alleles of a gene, analysing cells which carry one copy of the DNA sequences associated with disease (the risk variants)
2,3
. Therefore, the cells used for this method should meet two fundamental genotypic requirements: they have to be heterozygous both for DNA risk variants and for DNA markers, typically coding polymorphisms, which can distinguish transcripts based on their chromosomal origin (Figure 1). DNA risk variants and DNA markers do not need to have the same allele frequency but the phase (haplotypic) relationship of the genetic markers needs to be understood. It is also important to choose cell types which express the gene of interest. This protocol refers specifically to the procedure adopted to extract nucleic acids from fibroblasts but the method is equally applicable to other cells types including primary cells.DNA and RNA are extracted from the selected cell lines and cDNA is generated. DNA and cDNA are analysed with a primer extension assay, designed to target the coding DNA markers
4
. The primer extension assay is carried out using the MassARRAY (Sequenom)
5
platform according to the manufacturer's specifications. Primer extension products are then analysed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/MS). Because the selected markers are heterozygous they will generate two peaks on the MS profiles. The area of each peak is proportional to the transcript abundance and can be measured with a function of the MassARRAY Typer software to generate an allelic ratio (allele 1: allele 2) calculation. The allelic ratio obtained for cDNA is normalized using that measured from genomic DNA, where the allelic ratio is expected to be 1:1 to correct for technical artifacts. Markers with a normalised allelic ratio significantly different to 1 indicate that the amount of transcript generated from the two chromosomes in the same cell is different, suggesting that the DNA variants associated with the phenotype have an effect on gene expression. Experimental controls should be used to confirm the results.
Cellular Biology, Issue 45, Gene expression, regulatory variant, haplotype, association study, primer extension, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, single nucleotide polymorphism, allele-specific
2279
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Simultaneous Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Institutions: University of Queensland, Charité Universitätsmedizin.
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive brain stimulation technique that uses weak electrical currents administered to the scalp to manipulate cortical excitability and, consequently, behavior and brain function. In the last decade, numerous studies have addressed short-term and long-term effects of tDCS on different measures of behavioral performance during motor and cognitive tasks, both in healthy individuals and in a number of different patient populations. So far, however, little is known about the neural underpinnings of tDCS-action in humans with regard to large-scale brain networks. This issue can be addressed by combining tDCS with functional brain imaging techniques like functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) or electroencephalography (EEG).In particular, fMRI is the most widely used brain imaging technique to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying cognition and motor functions. Application of tDCS during fMRI allows analysis of the neural mechanisms underlying behavioral tDCS effects with high spatial resolution across the entire brain. Recent studies using this technique identified stimulation induced changes in task-related functional brain activity at the stimulation site and also in more distant brain regions, which were associated with behavioral improvement. In addition, tDCS administered during resting-state fMRI allowed identification of widespread changes in whole brain functional connectivity.Future studies using this combined protocol should yield new insights into the mechanisms of tDCS action in health and disease and new options for more targeted application of tDCS in research and clinical settings. The present manuscript describes this novel technique in a step-by-step fashion, with a focus on technical aspects of tDCS administered during fMRI.
Behavior, Issue 86, noninvasive brain stimulation, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), anodal stimulation (atDCS), cathodal stimulation (ctDCS), neuromodulation, task-related fMRI, resting-state fMRI, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), electroencephalography (EEG), inferior frontal gyrus (IFG)
51730
Getting to Compliance in Forced Exercise in Rodents: A Critical Standard to Evaluate Exercise Impact in Aging-related Disorders and Disease
Institutions: Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center.
There is a major increase in the awareness of the positive impact of exercise on improving several disease states with neurobiological basis; these include improving cognitive function and physical performance. As a result, there is an increase in the number of animal studies employing exercise. It is argued that one intrinsic value of forced exercise is that the investigator has control over the factors that can influence the impact of exercise on behavioral outcomes, notably exercise frequency, duration, and intensity of the exercise regimen. However, compliance in forced exercise regimens may be an issue, particularly if potential confounds of employing foot-shock are to be avoided. It is also important to consider that since most cognitive and locomotor impairments strike in the aged individual, determining impact of exercise on these impairments should consider using aged rodents with a highest possible level of compliance to ensure minimal need for test subjects. Here, the pertinent steps and considerations necessary to achieve nearly 100% compliance to treadmill exercise in an aged rodent model will be presented and discussed. Notwithstanding the particular exercise regimen being employed by the investigator, our protocol should be of use to investigators that are particularly interested in the potential impact of forced exercise on aging-related impairments, including aging-related Parkinsonism and Parkinson’s disease.
Behavior, Issue 90, Exercise, locomotor, Parkinson’s disease, aging, treadmill, bradykinesia, Parkinsonism
51827
Feeder-free Derivation of Neural Crest Progenitor Cells from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
Institutions: Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, The Rockefeller University.
Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have great potential for studying human embryonic development, for modeling human diseases in the dish and as a source of transplantable cells for regenerative applications after disease or accidents. Neural crest (NC) cells are the precursors for a large variety of adult somatic cells, such as cells from the peripheral nervous system and glia, melanocytes and mesenchymal cells. They are a valuable source of cells to study aspects of human embryonic development, including cell fate specification and migration. Further differentiation of NC progenitor cells into terminally differentiated cell types offers the possibility to model human diseases
in vitro
, investigate disease mechanisms and generate cells for regenerative medicine. This article presents the adaptation of a currently available
in vitro
differentiation protocol for the derivation of NC cells from hPSCs. This new protocol requires 18 days of differentiation, is feeder-free, easily scalable and highly reproducible among human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines as well as human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) lines. Both old and new protocols yield NC cells of equal identity.
Neuroscience, Issue 87, Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs), Pluripotent Stem Cells, Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs), Neural Crest, Peripheral Nervous System (PNS), pluripotent stem cells, neural crest cells,
in vitro differentiation, disease modeling, differentiation protocol, human embryonic stem cells, human pluripotent stem cells
51609
High Efficiency Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells to Cardiomyocytes and Characterization by Flow Cytometry
Institutions: Medical College of Wisconsin, Stanford University School of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Hong Kong University, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin.
There is an urgent need to develop approaches for repairing the damaged heart, discovering new therapeutic drugs that do not have toxic effects on the heart, and improving strategies to accurately model heart disease. The potential of exploiting human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) technology to generate cardiac muscle “in a dish” for these applications continues to generate high enthusiasm. In recent years, the ability to efficiently generate cardiomyogenic cells from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) has greatly improved, offering us new opportunities to model very early stages of human cardiac development not otherwise accessible. In contrast to many previous methods, the cardiomyocyte differentiation protocol described here does not require cell aggregation or the addition of Activin A or BMP4 and robustly generates cultures of cells that are highly positive for cardiac troponin I and T (TNNI3, TNNT2), iroquois-class homeodomain protein IRX-4 (IRX4), myosin regulatory light chain 2, ventricular/cardiac muscle isoform (MLC2v) and myosin regulatory light chain 2, atrial isoform (MLC2a) by day 10 across all human embryonic stem cell (hESC) and hiPSC lines tested to date. Cells can be passaged and maintained for more than 90 days in culture. The strategy is technically simple to implement and cost-effective. Characterization of cardiomyocytes derived from pluripotent cells often includes the analysis of reference markers, both at the mRNA and protein level. For protein analysis, flow cytometry is a powerful analytical tool for assessing quality of cells in culture and determining subpopulation homogeneity. However, technical variation in sample preparation can significantly affect quality of flow cytometry data. Thus, standardization of staining protocols should facilitate comparisons among various differentiation strategies. Accordingly, optimized staining protocols for the analysis of IRX4, MLC2v, MLC2a, TNNI3, and TNNT2 by flow cytometry are described.
Cellular Biology, Issue 91, human induced pluripotent stem cell, flow cytometry, directed differentiation, cardiomyocyte, IRX4, TNNI3, TNNT2, MCL2v, MLC2a
52010
Aseptic Laboratory Techniques: Plating Methods
Institutions: University of California, Los Angeles .
Microorganisms are present on all inanimate surfaces creating ubiquitous sources of possible contamination in the laboratory. Experimental success relies on the ability of a scientist to sterilize work surfaces and equipment as well as prevent contact of sterile instruments and solutions with non-sterile surfaces. Here we present the steps for several plating methods routinely used in the laboratory to isolate, propagate, or enumerate microorganisms such as bacteria and phage. All five methods incorporate aseptic technique, or procedures that maintain the sterility of experimental materials. Procedures described include (1) streak-plating bacterial cultures to isolate single colonies, (2) pour-plating and (3) spread-plating to enumerate viable bacterial colonies, (4) soft agar overlays to isolate phage and enumerate plaques, and (5) replica-plating to transfer cells from one plate to another in an identical spatial pattern. These procedures can be performed at the laboratory bench, provided they involve non-pathogenic strains of microorganisms (Biosafety Level 1, BSL-1). If working with BSL-2 organisms, then these manipulations must take place in a biosafety cabinet. Consult the most current edition of the
Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories
(BMBL) as well as
Material Safety Data Sheets
(MSDS) for Infectious Substances to determine the biohazard classification as well as the safety precautions and containment facilities required for the microorganism in question. Bacterial strains and phage stocks can be obtained from research investigators, companies, and collections maintained by particular organizations such as the
American Type Culture Collection
(ATCC). It is recommended that non-pathogenic strains be used when learning the various plating methods. By following the procedures described in this protocol, students should be able to:● Perform plating procedures without contaminating media.● Isolate single bacterial colonies by the streak-plating method.● Use pour-plating and spread-plating methods to determine the concentration of bacteria.● Perform soft agar overlays when working with phage.● Transfer bacterial cells from one plate to another using the replica-plating procedure.● Given an experimental task, select the appropriate plating method.
Basic Protocols, Issue 63, Streak plates, pour plates, soft agar overlays, spread plates, replica plates, bacteria, colonies, phage, plaques, dilutions
3064
In Vivo Modeling of the Morbid Human Genome using Danio rerio Institutions: Duke University Medical Center, Duke University, Duke University Medical Center.
Here, we present methods for the development of assays to query potentially clinically significant nonsynonymous changes using
in vivo
complementation in zebrafish. Zebrafish (
Danio rerio
) are a useful animal system due to their experimental tractability; embryos are transparent to enable facile viewing, undergo rapid development
ex vivo,
and can be genetically manipulated.
1
These aspects have allowed for significant advances in the analysis of embryogenesis, molecular processes, and morphogenetic signaling. Taken together, the advantages of this vertebrate model make zebrafish highly amenable to modeling the developmental defects in pediatric disease, and in some cases, adult-onset disorders. Because the zebrafish genome is highly conserved with that of humans (~70% orthologous), it is possible to recapitulate human disease states in zebrafish. This is accomplished either through the injection of mutant human mRNA to induce dominant negative or gain of function alleles, or utilization of morpholino (MO) antisense oligonucleotides to suppress genes to mimic loss of function variants. Through complementation of MO-induced phenotypes with capped human mRNA, our approach enables the interpretation of the deleterious effect of mutations on human protein sequence based on the ability of mutant mRNA to rescue a measurable, physiologically relevant phenotype. Modeling of the human disease alleles occurs through microinjection of zebrafish embryos with MO and/or human mRNA at the 1-4 cell stage, and phenotyping up to seven days post fertilization (dpf). This general strategy can be extended to a wide range of disease phenotypes, as demonstrated in the following protocol. We present our established models for morphogenetic signaling, craniofacial, cardiac, vascular integrity, renal function, and skeletal muscle disorder phenotypes, as well as others.
Molecular Biology, Issue 78, Genetics, Biomedical Engineering, Medicine, Developmental Biology, Biochemistry, Anatomy, Physiology, Bioengineering, Genomics, Medical, zebrafish,
in vivo, morpholino, human disease modeling, transcription, PCR, mRNA, DNA, Danio rerio, animal model
50338
Modeling Astrocytoma Pathogenesis
In Vitro and In Vivo Using Cortical Astrocytes or Neural Stem Cells from Conditional, Genetically Engineered Mice Institutions: University of North Carolina School of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine.
Current astrocytoma models are limited in their ability to define the roles of oncogenic mutations in specific brain cell types during disease pathogenesis and their utility for preclinical drug development. In order to design a better model system for these applications, phenotypically wild-type cortical astrocytes and neural stem cells (NSC) from conditional, genetically engineered mice (GEM) that harbor various combinations of floxed oncogenic alleles were harvested and grown in culture. Genetic recombination was induced
in vitro
using adenoviral Cre-mediated recombination, resulting in expression of mutated oncogenes and deletion of tumor suppressor genes. The phenotypic consequences of these mutations were defined by measuring proliferation, transformation, and drug response
in vitro
. Orthotopic allograft models, whereby transformed cells are stereotactically injected into the brains of immune-competent, syngeneic littermates, were developed to define the role of oncogenic mutations and cell type on tumorigenesis
in vivo
. Unlike most established human glioblastoma cell line xenografts, injection of transformed GEM-derived cortical astrocytes into the brains of immune-competent littermates produced astrocytomas, including the most aggressive subtype, glioblastoma, that recapitulated the histopathological hallmarks of human astrocytomas, including diffuse invasion of normal brain parenchyma. Bioluminescence imaging of orthotopic allografts from transformed astrocytes engineered to express luciferase was utilized to monitor
in vivo
tumor growth over time. Thus, astrocytoma models using astrocytes and NSC harvested from GEM with conditional oncogenic alleles provide an integrated system to study the genetics and cell biology of astrocytoma pathogenesis
in vitro
and
in vivo
and may be useful in preclinical drug development for these devastating diseases.
Neuroscience, Issue 90, astrocytoma, cortical astrocytes, genetically engineered mice, glioblastoma, neural stem cells, orthotopic allograft
51763
Setting-up an
In Vitro Model of Rat Blood-brain Barrier (BBB): A Focus on BBB Impermeability and Receptor-mediated Transport Institutions: VECT-HORUS SAS, CNRS, NICN UMR 7259.
The blood brain barrier (BBB) specifically regulates molecular and cellular flux between the blood and the nervous tissue. Our aim was to develop and characterize a highly reproducible rat syngeneic
in vitro
model of the BBB using co-cultures of primary rat brain endothelial cells (RBEC) and astrocytes to study receptors involved in transcytosis across the endothelial cell monolayer. Astrocytes were isolated by mechanical dissection following trypsin digestion and were frozen for later co-culture. RBEC were isolated from 5-week-old rat cortices. The brains were cleaned of meninges and white matter, and mechanically dissociated following enzymatic digestion. Thereafter, the tissue homogenate was centrifuged in bovine serum albumin to separate vessel fragments from nervous tissue. The vessel fragments underwent a second enzymatic digestion to free endothelial cells from their extracellular matrix. The remaining contaminating cells such as pericytes were further eliminated by plating the microvessel fragments in puromycin-containing medium. They were then passaged onto filters for co-culture with astrocytes grown on the bottom of the wells. RBEC expressed high levels of tight junction (TJ) proteins such as occludin, claudin-5 and ZO-1 with a typical localization at the cell borders. The transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) of brain endothelial monolayers, indicating the tightness of TJs reached 300 ohm·cm
2
on average. The endothelial permeability coefficients (Pe) for lucifer yellow (LY) was highly reproducible with an average of 0.26 ± 0.11 x 10
-3
cm/min. Brain endothelial cells organized in monolayers expressed the efflux transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp), showed a polarized transport of rhodamine 123, a ligand for P-gp, and showed specific transport of transferrin-Cy3 and DiILDL across the endothelial cell monolayer. In conclusion, we provide a protocol for setting up an
in vitro
BBB model that is highly reproducible due to the quality assurance methods, and that is suitable for research on BBB transporters and receptors.
Medicine, Issue 88, rat brain endothelial cells (RBEC), mouse, spinal cord, tight junction (TJ), receptor-mediated transport (RMT), low density lipoprotein (LDL), LDLR, transferrin, TfR, P-glycoprotein (P-gp), transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER),
51278
Perceptual and Category Processing of the Uncanny Valley Hypothesis' Dimension of Human Likeness: Some Methodological Issues
Institutions: University of Zurich.
Mori's Uncanny Valley Hypothesis
1,2
proposes that the perception of humanlike characters such as robots and, by extension, avatars (computer-generated characters) can evoke negative or positive affect (valence) depending on the object's degree of visual and behavioral realism along a
dimension of human likeness
(
DHL
) (
Figure 1
). But studies of affective valence of subjective responses to variously realistic non-human characters have produced inconsistent findings
3, 4, 5, 6
. One of a number of reasons for this is that human likeness is not perceived as the hypothesis assumes. While the DHL can be defined following Mori's description as a smooth linear change in the degree of physical humanlike similarity, subjective perception of objects along the DHL can be understood in terms of the psychological effects of categorical perception (CP)
7
. Further behavioral and neuroimaging investigations of category processing and CP along the DHL and of the potential influence of the dimension's underlying category structure on affective experience are needed. This protocol therefore focuses on the DHL and allows examination of CP. Based on the protocol presented in the video as an example, issues surrounding the methodology in the protocol and the use in "uncanny" research of stimuli drawn from morph continua to represent the DHL are discussed in the article that accompanies the video. The use of neuroimaging and morph stimuli to represent the DHL in order to disentangle brain regions neurally responsive to physical human-like similarity from those responsive to category change and category processing is briefly illustrated.
Behavior, Issue 76, Neuroscience, Neurobiology, Molecular Biology, Psychology, Neuropsychology, uncanny valley, functional magnetic resonance imaging, fMRI, categorical perception, virtual reality, avatar, human likeness, Mori, uncanny valley hypothesis, perception, magnetic resonance imaging, MRI, imaging, clinical techniques
4375
Protein WISDOM: A Workbench for
In silico De novo Design of BioMolecules Institutions: Princeton University.
The aim of
de novo
protein design is to find the amino acid sequences that will fold into a desired 3-dimensional structure with improvements in specific properties, such as binding affinity, agonist or antagonist behavior, or stability, relative to the native sequence. Protein design lies at the center of current advances drug design and discovery. Not only does protein design provide predictions for potentially useful drug targets, but it also enhances our understanding of the protein folding process and protein-protein interactions. Experimental methods such as directed evolution have shown success in protein design. However, such methods are restricted by the limited sequence space that can be searched tractably. In contrast, computational design strategies allow for the screening of a much larger set of sequences covering a wide variety of properties and functionality. We have developed a range of computational
de novo
protein design methods capable of tackling several important areas of protein design. These include the design of monomeric proteins for increased stability and complexes for increased binding affinity.To disseminate these methods for broader use we present Protein WISDOM (http://www.proteinwisdom.org), a tool that provides automated methods for a variety of protein design problems. Structural templates are submitted to initialize the design process. The first stage of design is an optimization sequence selection stage that aims at improving stability through minimization of potential energy in the sequence space. Selected sequences are then run through a fold specificity stage and a binding affinity stage. A rank-ordered list of the sequences for each step of the process, along with relevant designed structures, provides the user with a comprehensive quantitative assessment of the design. Here we provide the details of each design method, as well as several notable experimental successes attained through the use of the methods.
Genetics, Issue 77, Molecular Biology, Bioengineering, Biochemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Computational Biology, Genomics, Proteomics, Protein, Protein Binding, Computational Biology, Drug Design, optimization (mathematics), Amino Acids, Peptides, and Proteins,
De novo protein and peptide design, Drug design, In silico sequence selection, Optimization, Fold specificity, Binding affinity, sequencing
50476
Analysis of Nephron Composition and Function in the Adult Zebrafish Kidney
Institutions: University of Notre Dame.
The zebrafish model has emerged as a relevant system to study kidney development, regeneration and disease. Both the embryonic and adult zebrafish kidneys are composed of functional units known as nephrons, which are highly conserved with other vertebrates, including mammals. Research in zebrafish has recently demonstrated that two distinctive phenomena transpire after adult nephrons incur damage: first, there is robust regeneration within existing nephrons that replaces the destroyed tubule epithelial cells; second, entirely new nephrons are produced from renal progenitors in a process known as neonephrogenesis. In contrast, humans and other mammals seem to have only a limited ability for nephron epithelial regeneration. To date, the mechanisms responsible for these kidney regeneration phenomena remain poorly understood. Since adult zebrafish kidneys undergo both nephron epithelial regeneration and neonephrogenesis, they provide an outstanding experimental paradigm to study these events. Further, there is a wide range of genetic and pharmacological tools available in the zebrafish model that can be used to delineate the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate renal regeneration. One essential aspect of such research is the evaluation of nephron structure and function. This protocol describes a set of labeling techniques that can be used to gauge renal composition and test nephron functionality in the adult zebrafish kidney. Thus, these methods are widely applicable to the future phenotypic characterization of adult zebrafish kidney injury paradigms, which include but are not limited to, nephrotoxicant exposure regimes or genetic methods of targeted cell death such as the nitroreductase mediated cell ablation technique. Further, these methods could be used to study genetic perturbations in adult kidney formation and could also be applied to assess renal status during chronic disease modeling.
Cellular Biology, Issue 90, zebrafish; kidney; nephron; nephrology; renal; regeneration; proximal tubule; distal tubule; segment; mesonephros; physiology; acute kidney injury (AKI)
51644
A Protocol for Computer-Based Protein Structure and Function Prediction
Institutions: University of Michigan , University of Kansas.
Genome sequencing projects have ciphered millions of protein sequence, which require knowledge of their structure and function to improve the understanding of their biological role. Although experimental methods can provide detailed information for a small fraction of these proteins, computational modeling is needed for the majority of protein molecules which are experimentally uncharacterized. The I-TASSER server is an on-line workbench for high-resolution modeling of protein structure and function. Given a protein sequence, a typical output from the I-TASSER server includes secondary structure prediction, predicted solvent accessibility of each residue, homologous template proteins detected by threading and structure alignments, up to five full-length tertiary structural models, and structure-based functional annotations for enzyme classification, Gene Ontology terms and protein-ligand binding sites. All the predictions are tagged with a confidence score which tells how accurate the predictions are without knowing the experimental data. To facilitate the special requests of end users, the server provides channels to accept user-specified inter-residue distance and contact maps to interactively change the I-TASSER modeling; it also allows users to specify any proteins as template, or to exclude any template proteins during the structure assembly simulations. The structural information could be collected by the users based on experimental evidences or biological insights with the purpose of improving the quality of I-TASSER predictions. The server was evaluated as the best programs for protein structure and function predictions in the recent community-wide CASP experiments. There are currently >20,000 registered scientists from over 100 countries who are using the on-line I-TASSER server.
Biochemistry, Issue 57, On-line server, I-TASSER, protein structure prediction, function prediction
3259
Interview: Protein Folding and Studies of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Institutions: MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
In this interview, Dr. Lindquist describes relationships between protein folding, prion diseases and neurodegenerative disorders. The problem of the protein folding is at the core of the modern biology. In addition to their traditional biochemical functions, proteins can mediate transfer of biological information and therefore can be considered a genetic material. This recently discovered function of proteins has important implications for studies of human disorders. Dr. Lindquist also describes current experimental approaches to investigate the mechanism of neurodegenerative diseases based on genetic studies in model organisms.
Neuroscience, issue 17, protein folding, brain, neuron, prion, neurodegenerative disease, yeast, screen, Translational Research
786
Use of Arabidopsis eceriferum Mutants to Explore Plant Cuticle Biosynthesis
Institutions: University of British Columbia - UBC, University of British Columbia - UBC.
The plant cuticle is a waxy outer covering on plants that has a primary role in water conservation, but is also an important barrier against the entry of pathogenic microorganisms. The cuticle is made up of a tough crosslinked polymer called "cutin" and a protective wax layer that seals the plant surface. The waxy layer of the cuticle is obvious on many plants, appearing as a shiny film on the ivy leaf or as a dusty outer covering on the surface of a grape or a cabbage leaf thanks to light scattering crystals present in the wax. Because the cuticle is an essential adaptation of plants to a terrestrial environment, understanding the genes involved in plant cuticle formation has applications in both agriculture and forestry. Today, we'll show the analysis of plant cuticle mutants identified by forward and reverse genetics approaches.
Plant Biology, Issue 16, Annual Review, Cuticle, Arabidopsis, Eceriferum Mutants, Cryso-SEM, Gas Chromatography
709
A Simple Composite Phenotype Scoring System for Evaluating Mouse Models of Cerebellar Ataxia
Institutions: University of Washington, University of Washington, University of California, San Diego - Rady Children’s Hospital.
We describe a protocol for the rapid and sensitive quantification of disease severity in mouse models of cerebella ataxia. It is derived from previously published phenotype assessments in several disease models, including spinocerebellar ataxias, Huntington s disease and spinobulbar muscular atrophy. Measures include hind limb clasping, ledge test, gait and kyphosis. Each measure is recorded on a scale of 0-3, with a combined total of 0-12 for all four measures. The results effectively discriminate between affected and non-affected individuals, while also quantifying the temporal progression of neurodegenerative disease phenotypes. Measures may be analyzed individually or combined into a composite phenotype score for greater statistical power. The ideal combination of the four described measures will depend upon the disorder in question. We present an example of the protocol used to assess disease severity in a transgenic mouse model of spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7).
Albert R. La Spada and Gwenn A. Garden contributed to this manuscript equally.
JoVE Neuroscience, Issue 39, Neurodegeneration, Mouse behavior assay, cerebellar ataxia, polyglutamine disease
1787
A Strategy to Identify de Novo Mutations in Common Disorders such as Autism and Schizophrenia
Institutions: Universite de Montreal, Universite de Montreal, Universite de Montreal.
There are several lines of evidence supporting the role of
de novo
mutations as a mechanism for common disorders, such as autism and schizophrenia. First, the
de novo
mutation rate in humans is relatively high, so new mutations are generated at a high frequency in the population. However,
de novo
mutations have not been reported in most common diseases. Mutations in genes leading to severe diseases where there is a strong negative selection against the phenotype, such as lethality in embryonic stages or reduced reproductive fitness, will not be transmitted to multiple family members, and therefore will not be detected by linkage gene mapping or association studies. The observation of very high concordance in monozygotic twins and very low concordance in dizygotic twins also strongly supports the hypothesis that a significant fraction of cases may result from new mutations. Such is the case for diseases such as autism and schizophrenia. Second, despite reduced reproductive fitness
1
and extremely variable environmental factors, the incidence of some diseases is maintained worldwide at a relatively high and constant rate. This is the case for autism and schizophrenia, with an incidence of approximately 1% worldwide. Mutational load can be thought of as a balance between selection for or against a deleterious mutation and its production by
de novo
mutation. Lower rates of reproduction constitute a negative selection factor that should reduce the number of mutant alleles in the population, ultimately leading to decreased disease prevalence. These selective pressures tend to be of different intensity in different environments. Nonetheless, these severe mental disorders have been maintained at a constant relatively high prevalence in the worldwide population across a wide range of cultures and countries despite a strong negative selection against them
2
. This is not what one would predict in diseases with reduced reproductive fitness, unless there was a high new mutation rate. Finally, the effects of paternal age: there is a significantly increased risk of the disease with increasing paternal age, which could result from the age related increase in paternal
de novo
mutations. This is the case for autism and schizophrenia
3
. The male-to-female ratio of mutation rate is estimated at about 4–6:1, presumably due to a higher number of germ-cell divisions with age in males. Therefore, one would predict that
de novo
mutations would more frequently come from males, particularly older males
4
. A high rate of new mutations may in part explain why genetic studies have so far failed to identify many genes predisposing to complexes diseases genes, such as autism and schizophrenia, and why diseases have been identified for a mere 3% of genes in the human genome. Identification for
de novo
mutations as a cause of a disease requires a targeted molecular approach, which includes studying parents and affected subjects. The process for determining if the genetic basis of a disease may result in part from
de novo
mutations and the molecular approach to establish this link will be illustrated, using autism and schizophrenia as examples.
Medicine, Issue 52, de novo mutation, complex diseases, schizophrenia, autism, rare variations, DNA sequencing
2534 | 49,329 | 18,917 | 0.000053 |
warc | 201704 | Biofilms are highly dynamic, organized and structured communities of microbial cells enmeshed in an extracellular matrix of variable density and composition
1, 2. In general, biofilms develop from initial microbial attachment on a surface followed by formation of cell clusters (or microcolonies) and further development and stabilization of the microcolonies, which occur in a complex extracellular matrix. The majority of biofilm matrices harbor exopolysaccharides (EPS), and dental biofilms are no exception; especially those associated with caries disease, which are mostly mediated by mutans streptococci 3. The EPS are synthesized by microorganisms ( S. mutans, a key contributor) by means of extracellular enzymes, such as glucosyltransferases using sucrose primarily as substrate 3.
Studies of biofilms formed on tooth surfaces are particularly challenging owing to their constant exposure to environmental challenges associated with complex diet-host-microbial interactions occurring in the oral cavity. Better understanding of the dynamic changes of the structural organization and composition of the matrix, physiology and transcriptome/proteome profile of biofilm-cells in response to these complex interactions would further advance the current knowledge of how oral biofilms modulate pathogenicity. Therefore, we have developed an analytical tool-box to facilitate biofilm analysis at structural, biochemical and molecular levels by combining commonly available and novel techniques with custom-made software for data analysis. Standard analytical (colorimetric assays, RT-qPCR and microarrays) and novel fluorescence techniques (for simultaneous labeling of bacteria and EPS) were integrated with specific software for data analysis to address the complex nature of oral biofilm research.
The tool-box is comprised of 4 distinct but interconnected steps (Figure 1): 1) Bioassays, 2) Raw Data Input, 3) Data Processing, and 4) Data Analysis. We used our in vitro biofilm model and specific experimental conditions to demonstrate the usefulness and flexibility of the tool-box. The biofilm model is simple, reproducible and multiple replicates of a single experiment can be done simultaneously 4, 5. Moreover, it allows temporal evaluation, inclusion of various microbial species 5 and assessment of the effects of distinct experimental conditions (e.g. treatments 6; comparison of knockout mutants vs. parental strain 5; carbohydrates availability 7). Here, we describe two specific components of the tool-box, including (i) new software for microarray data mining/organization (MDV) and fluorescence imaging analysis (DUOSTAT), and (ii) in situ EPS-labeling. We also provide an experimental case showing how the tool-box can assist with biofilms analysis, data organization, integration and interpretation. 16 Related JoVE Articles!
Development of Amelogenin-chitosan Hydrogel for
In Vitro Enamel Regrowth with a Dense Interface Institutions: University of Southern California.
Biomimetic enamel reconstruction is a significant topic in material science and dentistry as a novel approach for the treatment of dental caries or erosion. Amelogenin has been proven to be a critical protein for controlling the organized growth of apatite crystals. In this paper, we present a detailed protocol for superficial enamel reconstruction by using a novel amelogenin-chitosan hydrogel. Compared to other conventional treatments, such as topical fluoride and mouthwash, this method not only has the potential to prevent the development of dental caries but also promotes significant and durable enamel restoration. The organized enamel-like microstructure regulated by amelogenin assemblies can significantly improve the mechanical properties of etched enamel, while the dense enamel-restoration interface formed by an
in situ
regrowth of apatite crystals can improve the effectiveness and durability of restorations. Furthermore, chitosan hydrogel is easy to use and can suppress bacterial infection, which is the major risk factor for the occurrence of dental caries. Therefore, this biocompatible and biodegradable amelogenin-chitosan hydrogel shows promise as a biomaterial for the prevention, restoration, and treatment of defective enamel.
Bioengineering, Issue 89, Enamel, Amelogenin, Chitosan hydrogel, Apatite, Biomimetic, Erosion, Superficial enamel reconstruction, Dense interface
51606
Measuring Frailty in HIV-infected Individuals. Identification of Frail Patients is the First Step to Amelioration and Reversal of Frailty
Institutions: University of Arizona, University of Arizona.
A simple, validated protocol consisting of a battery of tests is available to identify elderly patients with frailty syndrome. This syndrome of decreased reserve and resistance to stressors increases in incidence with increasing age. In the elderly, frailty may pursue a step-wise loss of function from non-frail to pre-frail to frail. We studied frailty in HIV-infected patients and found that ~20% are frail using the Fried phenotype using stringent criteria developed for the elderly
1,2
. In HIV infection the syndrome occurs at a younger age.HIV patients were checked for 1) unintentional weight loss; 2) slowness as determined by walking speed; 3) weakness as measured by a grip dynamometer; 4) exhaustion by responses to a depression scale; and 5) low physical activity was determined by assessing kilocalories expended in a week's time. Pre-frailty was present with any two of five criteria and frailty was present if any three of the five criteria were abnormal.The tests take approximately 10-15 min to complete and they can be performed by medical assistants during routine clinic visits. Test results are scored by referring to standard tables. Understanding which of the five components contribute to frailty in an individual patient can allow the clinician to address relevant underlying problems, many of which are not evident in routine HIV clinic visits.
Medicine, Issue 77, Infection, Virology, Infectious Diseases, Anatomy, Physiology, Molecular Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Retroviridae Infections, Body Weight Changes, Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures, Physical Examination, Muscle Strength, Behavior, Virus Diseases, Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms, Diagnosis, Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena, HIV, HIV-1, AIDS, Frailty, Depression, Weight Loss, Weakness, Slowness, Exhaustion, Aging, clinical techniques
50537
Shrinkage of Dental Composite in Simulated Cavity Measured with Digital Image Correlation
Institutions: University of Minnesota.
Polymerization shrinkage of dental resin composites can lead to restoration debonding or cracked tooth tissues in composite-restored teeth. In order to understand where and how shrinkage strain and stress develop in such restored teeth, Digital Image Correlation (DIC) was used to provide a comprehensive view of the displacement and strain distributions within model restorations that had undergone polymerization shrinkage.Specimens with model cavities were made of cylindrical glass rods with both diameter and length being 10 mm. The dimensions of the mesial-occlusal-distal (MOD) cavity prepared in each specimen measured 3 mm and 2 mm in width and depth, respectively. After filling the cavity with resin composite, the surface under observation was sprayed with first a thin layer of white paint and then fine black charcoal powder to create high-contrast speckles. Pictures of that surface were then taken before curing and 5 min after. Finally, the two pictures were correlated using DIC software to calculate the displacement and strain distributions.The resin composite shrunk vertically towards the bottom of the cavity, with the top center portion of the restoration having the largest downward displacement. At the same time, it shrunk horizontally towards its vertical midline. Shrinkage of the composite stretched the material in the vicinity of the “tooth-restoration” interface, resulting in cuspal deflections and high tensile strains around the restoration. Material close to the cavity walls or floor had direct strains mostly in the directions perpendicular to the interfaces. Summation of the two direct strain components showed a relatively uniform distribution around the restoration and its magnitude equaled approximately to the volumetric shrinkage strain of the material.
Medicine, Issue 89, image processing, computer-assisted, polymer matrix composites, testing of materials (composite materials), dental composite restoration, polymerization shrinkage, digital image correlation, full-field strain measurement, interfacial debonding
51191
Quantitative Imaging of Lineage-specific Toll-like Receptor-mediated Signaling in Monocytes and Dendritic Cells from Small Samples of Human Blood
Institutions: Yale University School of Medicine .
Individual variations in immune status determine responses to infection and contribute to disease severity and outcome. Aging is associated with an increased susceptibility to viral and bacterial infections and decreased responsiveness to vaccines with a well-documented decline in humoral as well as cell-mediated immune responses
1,2
. We have recently assessed the effects of aging on Toll-like receptors (TLRs), key components of the innate immune system that detect microbial infection and trigger antimicrobial host defense responses
3
. In a large cohort of healthy human donors, we showed that peripheral blood monocytes from the elderly have decreased expression and function of certain TLRs
4
and similar reduced TLR levels and signaling responses in dendritic cells (DCs), antigen-presenting cells that are pivotal in the linkage between innate and adaptive immunity
5
. We have shown dysregulation of TLR3 in macrophages and lower production of IFN by DCs from elderly donors in response to infection with West Nile virus
6,7
. Paramount to our understanding of immunosenescence and to therapeutic intervention is a detailed understanding of specific cell types responding and the mechanism(s) of signal transduction. Traditional studies of immune responses through imaging of primary cells and surveying cell markers by FACS or immunoblot have advanced our understanding significantly, however, these studies are generally limited technically by the small sample volume available from patients and the inability to conduct complex laboratory techniques on multiple human samples. ImageStream combines quantitative flow cytometry with simultaneous high-resolution digital imaging and thus facilitates investigation in multiple cell populations contemporaneously for an efficient capture of patient susceptibility. Here we demonstrate the use of ImageStream in DCs to assess TLR7/8 activation-mediated increases in phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of a key transcription factor, NF-κB, which initiates transcription of numerous genes that are critical for immune responses
8
. Using this technology, we have also recently demonstrated a previously unrecognized alteration of TLR5 signaling and the NF-κB pathway in monocytes from older donors that may contribute to altered immune responsiveness in aging
9
.
Immunology, Issue 62, monocyte, dendritic cells, Toll-like receptors, fluorescent imaging, signaling, FACS, aging
3741
High-density EEG Recordings of the Freely Moving Mice using Polyimide-based Microelectrode
Institutions: Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), University of Science and Technology, Korea Advanced Nano Fab Center.
Electroencephalogram (EEG) indicates the averaged electrical activity of the neuronal populations on a large-scale level. It is widely utilized as a noninvasive brain monitoring tool in cognitive neuroscience as well as a diagnostic tool for epilepsy and sleep disorders in neurology. However, the underlying mechanism of EEG rhythm generation is still under the veil. Recently introduced polyimide-based microelectrode (PBM-array) for high resolution mouse EEG
1
is one of the trials to answer the neurophysiological questions on EEG signals based on a rich genetic resource that the mouse model contains for the analysis of complex EEG generation process. This application of nanofabricated PBM-array to mouse skull is an efficient tool for collecting large-scale brain activity of transgenic mice and accommodates to identify the neural correlates to certain EEG rhythms in conjunction with behavior. However its ultra-thin thickness and bifurcated structure cause a trouble in handling and implantation of PBM-array. In the presented video, the preparation and surgery steps for the implantation of PBM-array on a mouse skull are described step by step. Handling and surgery tips to help researchers succeed in implantation are also provided.
Neuroscience, Issue 47, Electroencephalography (EEG), Mouse, Microelectrode, Brain Imaging
2562
Cannulation of the Mouse Submandibular Salivary Gland via the Wharton's Duct
Institutions: McGill University , National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Severe salivary gland hypofunction is frequently found in patients with Sjögren's syndrome and those who receiving therapeutic irradiation in their head and neck regions for cancer treatment. Both groups of patients experience symptoms such as xerostomia (dry mouth), dysphagia (impaired chewing and swallowing), severe dental caries, altered taste, oro-pharyngeal infections (candidiasis), mucositis, pain and discomfort.One innovative approach of regenerative medicine for the treatment of salivary gland hypo-function is speculated in RS Redman, E Mezey
et al.
2009: stem cells can be directly deposited by cannulation into the gland as a potent method in reviving the functions of the impaired organ. Presumably, the migrated foreign stem cells will differentiate into glandular cells to function as part of the host salivary gland. Also, this cannulation technique is an expedient and effective delivery method for clinical gene transfer application.Here we illustrate the steps involved in performing the cannulation procedure on the mouse submandibular salivary gland via the Wharton's duct (
Fig 1
). C3H mice (Charles River, Montreal, QC, Canada) are used for this experiment, which have been kept under clean conventional conditions at the McGill University animal resource center. All experiments have been approved by the University Animal Care Committee and were in accordance with the guidelines of the Canadian Council on Animal Care.For this experiment, a trypan blue solution is infused into the gland through the opening of the Wharton's duct using a insulin syringe with a 29-gauge needle encased inside a polyethylene tube. Subsequently, the mouse is dissected to show that the infusions migrated into the gland successfully.
Medicine, Issue 51, Mouse, Salivary Gland, Wharton's Duct, dental disease, progenitor, stem cells
3074
A Method for Mouse Pancreatic Islet Isolation and Intracellular cAMP Determination
Institutions: University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Waterloo.
Uncontrolled glycemia is a hallmark of diabetes mellitus and promotes morbidities like neuropathy, nephropathy, and retinopathy. With the increasing prevalence of diabetes, both immune-mediated type 1 and obesity-linked type 2, studies aimed at delineating diabetes pathophysiology and therapeutic mechanisms are of critical importance. The β-cells of the pancreatic islets of Langerhans are responsible for appropriately secreting insulin in response to elevated blood glucose concentrations. In addition to glucose and other nutrients, the β-cells are also stimulated by specific hormones, termed incretins, which are secreted from the gut in response to a meal and act on β-cell receptors that increase the production of intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). Decreased β-cell function, mass, and incretin responsiveness are well-understood to contribute to the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes, and are also being increasingly linked with type 1 diabetes. The present mouse islet isolation and cAMP determination protocol can be a tool to help delineate mechanisms promoting disease progression and therapeutic interventions, particularly those that are mediated by the incretin receptors or related receptors that act through modulation of intracellular cAMP production. While only cAMP measurements will be described, the described islet isolation protocol creates a clean preparation that also allows for many other downstream applications, including glucose stimulated insulin secretion, [3
H
]-thymidine incorporation, protein abundance, and mRNA expression.
Physiology, Issue 88, islet, isolation, insulin secretion, β-cell, diabetes, cAMP production, mouse
50374
Confocal Time Lapse Imaging as an Efficient Method for the Cytocompatibility Evaluation of Dental Composites
Institutions: UMR CNRS 5615, Université Lyon1, Hospices Civils de Lyon, APHP, Hôpital Rothschild.
It is generally accepted that
in vitro
cell material interaction is a useful criterion in the evaluation of dental material biocompatibility. The objective of this study was to use 3D CLSM time lapse confocal imaging to assess the
in vitro
biocompatibility of dental composites. This method provides an accurate and sensitive indication of viable cell rate in contact with dental composite extracts. The ELS extra low shrinkage, a dental composite used for direct restoration, has been taken as example.
In vitro
assessment was performed on cultured primary human gingival fibroblast cells using Live/Dead staining. Images were obtained with the FV10i confocal biological inverted system and analyzed with the FV10-ASW 3.1 Software. Image analysis showed a very slight cytotoxicity in the presence of the tested composite after 5 hours of time lapse. A slight decrease of cell viability was shown in contact with the tested composite extracts compared to control cells. The findings highlighted the use of 3D CLSM time lapse imaging as a sensitive method to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate the biocompatibility behavior of dental composites.
Medicine, Issue 93,
In vitro biocompatibility, dental composites, Live/Deadstaining, 3D imaging, Confocal Microscopy, Time lapse imaging
51949
Sampling Human Indigenous Saliva Peptidome Using a Lollipop-Like Ultrafiltration Probe: Simplify and Enhance Peptide Detection for Clinical Mass Spectrometry
Institutions: Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, University of California, San Diego , VA San Diego Healthcare Center, University of California, San Diego .
Although human saliva proteome and peptidome have been revealed
1-2
they were majorly identified from tryptic digests of saliva proteins. Identification of indigenous peptidome of human saliva without prior digestion with exogenous enzymes becomes imperative, since native peptides in human saliva provide potential values for diagnosing disease, predicting disease progression, and monitoring therapeutic efficacy. Appropriate sampling is a critical step for enhancement of identification of human indigenous saliva peptidome. Traditional methods of sampling human saliva involving centrifugation to remove debris
3-4
may be too time-consuming to be applicable for clinical use. Furthermore, debris removal by centrifugation may be unable to clean most of the infected pathogens and remove the high abundance proteins that often hinder the identification of low abundance peptidome.Conventional proteomic approaches that primarily utilize two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) gels in conjugation with in-gel digestion are capable of identifying many saliva proteins
5-6
. However, this approach is generally not sufficiently sensitive to detect low abundance peptides/proteins. Liquid chromatography-Mass spectrometry (LC-MS) based proteomics is an alternative that can identify proteins without prior 2-DE separation. Although this approach provides higher sensitivity, it generally needs prior sample pre-fractionation
7
and pre-digestion with trypsin, which makes it difficult for clinical use. To circumvent the hindrance in mass spectrometry due to sample preparation, we have developed a technique called capillary ultrafiltration (CUF) probes
8-11
. Data from our laboratory demonstrated that the CUF probes are capable of capturing proteins
in vivo
from various microenvironments in animals in a dynamic and minimally invasive manner
8-11
. No centrifugation is needed since a negative pressure is created by simply syringe withdrawing during sample collection. The CUF probes combined with LC-MS have successfully identified tryptic-digested proteins
8-11
. In this study, we upgraded the ultrafiltration sampling technique by creating a lollipop-like ultrafiltration (LLUF) probe that can easily fit in the human oral cavity. The direct analysis by LC-MS without trypsin digestion showed that human saliva indigenously contains many peptide fragments derived from various proteins. Sampling saliva with LLUF probes avoided centrifugation but effectively removed many larger and high abundance proteins. Our mass spectrometric results illustrated that many low abundance peptides became detectable after filtering out larger proteins with LLUF probes. Detection of low abundance saliva peptides was independent of multiple-step sample separation with chromatography. For clinical application, the LLUF probes incorporated with LC-MS could potentially be used in the future to monitor disease progression from saliva.
Medicine, Issue 66, Molecular Biology, Genetics, Sampling, Saliva, Peptidome, Ultrafiltration, Mass spectrometry
4108
Use of a High-throughput
In Vitro Microfluidic System to Develop Oral Multi-species Biofilms Institutions: The University of Michigan, Newcastle University.
There are few high-throughput
in vitro
systems which facilitate the development of multi-species biofilms that contain numerous species commonly detected within
in vivo
oral biofilms. Furthermore, a system that uses natural human saliva as the nutrient source, instead of artificial media, is particularly desirable in order to support the expression of cellular and biofilm-specific properties that mimic the
in vivo
communities. We describe a method for the development of multi-species oral biofilms that are comparable, with respect to species composition, to supragingival dental plaque, under conditions similar to the human oral cavity. Specifically, this methods article will describe how a commercially available microfluidic system can be adapted to facilitate the development of multi-species oral biofilms derived from and grown within pooled saliva. Furthermore, a description of how the system can be used in conjunction with a confocal laser scanning microscope to generate 3-D biofilm reconstructions for architectural and viability analyses will be presented. Given the broad diversity of microorganisms that grow within biofilms in the microfluidic system (including
Streptococcus
,
Neisseria
,
Veillonella
,
Gemella
, and
Porphyromonas
), a protocol will also be presented describing how to harvest the biofilm cells for further subculture or DNA extraction and analysis. The limits of both the microfluidic biofilm system and the current state-of-the-art data analyses will be addressed. Ultimately, it is envisioned that this article will provide a baseline technique that will improve the study of oral biofilms and aid in the development of additional technologies that can be integrated with the microfluidic platform.
Bioengineering, Issue 94, Dental plaque, biofilm, confocal laser scanning microscopy, three-dimensional structure, pyrosequencing, image analysis, image reconstruction, saliva, modeling, COMSTAT, IMARIS, IMAGEJ, multi-species biofilm communities.
52467
Simultaneous Long-term Recordings at Two Neuronal Processing Stages in Behaving Honeybees
Institutions: University of Würzburg.
In both mammals and insects neuronal information is processed in different higher and lower order brain centers. These centers are coupled via convergent and divergent anatomical connections including feed forward and feedback wiring. Furthermore, information of the same origin is partially sent via parallel pathways to different and sometimes into the same brain areas. To understand the evolutionary benefits as well as the computational advantages of these wiring strategies and especially their temporal dependencies on each other, it is necessary to have simultaneous access to single neurons of different tracts or neuropiles in the same preparation at high temporal resolution. Here we concentrate on honeybees by demonstrating a unique extracellular long term access to record multi unit activity at two subsequent neuropiles
1
, the antennal lobe (AL), the first olfactory processing stage and the mushroom body (MB), a higher order integration center involved in learning and memory formation, or two parallel neuronal tracts
2
connecting the AL with the MB. The latter was chosen as an example and will be described in full. In the supporting video the construction and permanent insertion of flexible multi channel wire electrodes is demonstrated. Pairwise differential amplification of the micro wire electrode channels drastically reduces the noise and verifies that the source of the signal is closely related to the position of the electrode tip. The mechanical flexibility of the used wire electrodes allows stable invasive long term recordings over many hours up to days, which is a clear advantage compared to conventional extra and intracellular
in vivo
recording techniques.
Neuroscience, Issue 89, honeybee brain, olfaction, extracellular long term recordings, double recordings, differential wire electrodes, single unit, multi-unit recordings
51750
Community-based Adapted Tango Dancing for Individuals with Parkinson's Disease and Older Adults
Institutions: Emory University School of Medicine, Brigham and Woman‘s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital.
Adapted tango dancing improves mobility and balance in older adults and additional populations with balance impairments. It is composed of very simple step elements. Adapted tango involves movement initiation and cessation, multi-directional perturbations, varied speeds and rhythms. Focus on foot placement, whole body coordination, and attention to partner, path of movement, and aesthetics likely underlie adapted tango’s demonstrated efficacy for improving mobility and balance. In this paper, we describe the methodology to disseminate the adapted tango teaching methods to dance instructor trainees and to implement the adapted tango by the trainees in the community for older adults and individuals with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Efficacy in improving mobility (measured with the Timed Up and Go, Tandem stance, Berg Balance Scale, Gait Speed and 30 sec chair stand), safety and fidelity of the program is maximized through targeted instructor and volunteer training and a structured detailed syllabus outlining class practices and progression.
Behavior, Issue 94, Dance, tango, balance, pedagogy, dissemination, exercise, older adults, Parkinson's Disease, mobility impairments, falls
52066
Accuracy in Dental Medicine, A New Way to Measure Trueness and Precision
Institutions: University of Zürich.
Reference scanners are used in dental medicine to verify a lot of procedures. The main interest is to verify impression methods as they serve as a base for dental restorations. The current limitation of many reference scanners is the lack of accuracy scanning large objects like full dental arches, or the limited possibility to assess detailed tooth surfaces. A new reference scanner, based on focus variation scanning technique, was evaluated with regards to highest local and general accuracy. A specific scanning protocol was tested to scan original tooth surface from dental impressions. Also, different model materials were verified. The results showed a high scanning accuracy of the reference scanner with a mean deviation of 5.3 ± 1.1 µm for trueness and 1.6 ± 0.6 µm for precision in case of full arch scans. Current dental impression methods showed much higher deviations (trueness: 20.4 ± 2.2 µm, precision: 12.5 ± 2.5 µm) than the internal scanning accuracy of the reference scanner. Smaller objects like single tooth surface can be scanned with an even higher accuracy, enabling the system to assess erosive and abrasive tooth surface loss. The reference scanner can be used to measure differences for a lot of dental research fields. The different magnification levels combined with a high local and general accuracy can be used to assess changes of single teeth or restorations up to full arch changes.
Medicine, Issue 86, Laboratories, Dental, Calibration, Technology, Dental impression, Accuracy, Trueness, Precision, Full arch scan, Abrasion
51374
The use of Biofeedback in Clinical Virtual Reality: The INTREPID Project
Institutions: Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore.
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a psychiatric disorder characterized by a constant and unspecific anxiety that interferes with daily-life activities. Its high prevalence in general population and the severe limitations it causes, point out the necessity to find new efficient strategies to treat it. Together with the cognitive-behavioral treatments, relaxation represents a useful approach for the treatment of GAD, but it has the limitation that it is hard to be learned. The INTREPID project is aimed to implement a new instrument to treat anxiety-related disorders and to test its clinical efficacy in reducing anxiety-related symptoms. The innovation of this approach is the combination of virtual reality and biofeedback, so that the first one is directly modified by the output of the second one. In this way, the patient is made aware of his or her reactions through the modification of some features of the VR environment in real time. Using mental exercises the patient learns to control these physiological parameters and using the feedback provided by the virtual environment is able to gauge his or her success. The supplemental use of portable devices, such as PDA or smart-phones, allows the patient to perform at home, individually and autonomously, the same exercises experienced in therapist's office. The goal is to anchor the learned protocol in a real life context, so enhancing the patients' ability to deal with their symptoms. The expected result is a better and faster learning of relaxation techniques, and thus an increased effectiveness of the treatment if compared with traditional clinical protocols.
Neuroscience, Issue 33, virtual reality, biofeedback, generalized anxiety disorder, Intrepid, cybertherapy, cyberpsychology
1554
Predicting the Effectiveness of Population Replacement Strategy Using Mathematical Modeling
Institutions: University of California, Los Angeles.
Charles Taylor and John Marshall explain the utility of mathematical modeling for evaluating the effectiveness of population replacement strategy. Insight is given into how computational models can provide information on the population dynamics of mosquitoes and the spread of transposable elements through A. gambiae subspecies. The ethical considerations of releasing genetically modified mosquitoes into the wild are discussed.
Cellular Biology, Issue 5, mosquito, malaria, popuulation, replacement, modeling, infectious disease
227
Population Replacement Strategies for Controlling Vector Populations and the Use of Wolbachia pipientis for Genetic Drive
Institutions: Johns Hopkins University.
In this video, Jason Rasgon discusses population replacement strategies to control vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue. "Population replacement" is the replacement of wild vector populations (that are competent to transmit pathogens) with those that are not competent to transmit pathogens. There are several theoretical strategies to accomplish this. One is to exploit the maternally-inherited symbiotic bacteria Wolbachia pipientis. Wolbachia is a widespread reproductive parasite that spreads in a selfish manner at the extent of its host's fitness. Jason Rasgon discusses, in detail, the basic biology of this bacterial symbiont and various ways to use it for control of vector-borne diseases.
Cellular Biology, Issue 5, mosquito, malaria, genetics, infectious disease, Wolbachia
225 | 32,744 | 13,390 | 0.000075 |
warc | 201704 | The protective effect of many HLA class I alleles on HIV-1 pathogenesis and disease progression is, in part, attributed to their ability to target conserved portions of the HIV-1 genome that escape with difficulty. Sequence changes attributed to cellular immune pressure arise across the genome during infection, and if found within conserved regions of the genome such as Gag, can affect the ability of the virus to replicate
in vitro. Transmission of HLA-linked polymorphisms in Gag to HLA-mismatched recipients has been associated with reduced set point viral loads. We hypothesized this may be due to a reduced replication capacity of the virus. Here we present a novel method for assessing the in vitro replication of HIV-1 as influenced by the gag gene isolated from acute time points from subtype C infected Zambians. This method uses restriction enzyme based cloning to insert the gag gene into a common subtype C HIV-1 proviral backbone, MJ4. This makes it more appropriate to the study of subtype C sequences than previous recombination based methods that have assessed the in vitro replication of chronically derived gag-pro sequences. Nevertheless, the protocol could be readily modified for studies of viruses from other subtypes. Moreover, this protocol details a robust and reproducible method for assessing the replication capacity of the Gag-MJ4 chimeric viruses on a CEM-based T cell line. This method was utilized for the study of Gag-MJ4 chimeric viruses derived from 149 subtype C acutely infected Zambians, and has allowed for the identification of residues in Gag that affect replication. More importantly, the implementation of this technique has facilitated a deeper understanding of how viral replication defines parameters of early HIV-1 pathogenesis such as set point viral load and longitudinal CD4+ T cell decline. 27 Related JoVE Articles!
Gross Dissection of the Stomach of the Lobster,
Homarus Americanus Institutions: Brandeis.
The stomach of the American lobster (
Homarus americanus
) is located in the cephalothorax, between the rostrum and the cervical groove. The anterior end of the stomach is defined by the mouth opening and the posterior end by the bottom of the pylorus. Along the dorsal side of the stomach lies the stomatogastric nervous system (STNS). This nervous system, which contains rhythmic networks that underlie feeding behavior, is an established model system for studying rhythm generating networks and neuromodulation
1,2
. While it is possible to study this system
in vivo 3
, the STNS continues to produce its rhythmic activity when isolated
in vitro
. In order to study this system
in vitro
the stomach must be removed from the animal. This video article describes how the stomach can be dissected from the American lobster. In an accompanying video article
4
we demonstrate how the STNS can be isolated from the stomach.
Neuroscience, Issue 27, lobster, stomach, neural network, dissection, central pattern generator
1320
Thermal Ablation for the Treatment of Abdominal Tumors
Institutions: University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Percutaneous thermal ablation is an emerging treatment option for many tumors of the abdomen not amenable to conventional treatments. During a thermal ablation procedure, a thin applicator is guided into the target tumor under imaging guidance. Energy is then applied to the tissue until temperatures rise to cytotoxic levels (50-60 °C). Various energy sources are available to heat biological tissues, including radiofrequency (RF) electrical current, microwaves, laser light and ultrasonic waves. Of these, RF and microwave ablation are most commonly used worldwide.
During RF ablation, alternating electrical current (~500 kHz) produces resistive heating around the interstitial electrode. Skin surface electrodes (ground pads) are used to complete the electrical circuit. RF ablation has been in use for nearly 20 years, with good results for local tumor control, extended survival and low complication rates
1,2
. Recent studies suggest RF ablation may be a first-line treatment option for small hepatocellular carcinoma and renal-cell carcinoma
3-5
. However, RF heating is hampered by local blood flow and high electrical impedance tissues (eg, lung, bone, desiccated or charred tissue)
6,7
. Microwaves may alleviate some of these problems by producing faster, volumetric heating
8-10
. To create larger or conformal ablations, multiple microwave antennas can be used simultaneously while RF electrodes require sequential operation, which limits their efficiency. Early experiences with microwave systems suggest efficacy and safety similar to, or better than RF devices
11-13
.
Alternatively, cryoablation freezes the target tissues to lethal levels (-20 to -40 °C). Percutaneous cryoablation has been shown to be effective against RCC and many metastatic tumors, particularly colorectal cancer, in the liver
14-16
. Cryoablation may also be associated with less post-procedure pain and faster recovery for some indications
17
. Cryoablation is often contraindicated for primary liver cancer due to underlying coagulopathy and associated bleeding risks frequently seen in cirrhotic patients. In addition, sudden release of tumor cellular contents when the frozen tissue thaws can lead to a potentially serious condition known as cryoshock
16
.
Thermal tumor ablation can be performed at open surgery, laparoscopy or using a percutaneous approach. When performed percutaneously, the ablation procedure relies on imaging for diagnosis, planning, applicator guidance, treatment monitoring and follow-up. Ultrasound is the most popular modality for guidance and treatment monitoring worldwide, but computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are commonly used as well. Contrast-enhanced CT or MRI are typically employed for diagnosis and follow-up imaging.
Medicine, Issue 49, Thermal ablation, interventional oncology, image-guided therapy, radiology, cancer
2596
MicroRNA Detection in Prostate Tumors by Quantitative Real-time PCR (qPCR)
Institutions: University of Toronto, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada, Sunnybrook Research Institute.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are single-stranded, 18–24 nucleotide long, non-coding RNA molecules. They are involved in virtually every cellular process including development
1
, apoptosis
2
, and cell cycle regulation
3
. MiRNAs are estimated to regulate the expression of 30% to 90% of human genes
4
by binding to their target messenger RNAs (mRNAs)
5
. Widespread dysregulation of miRNAs has been reported in various diseases and cancer subtypes
6
. Due to their prevalence and unique structure, these small molecules are likely to be the next generation of biomarkers, therapeutic agents and/or targets.Methods used to investigate miRNA expression include SYBR green I dye- based as well as Taqman-probe based qPCR. If miRNAs are to be effectively used in the clinical setting, it is imperative that their detection in fresh and/or archived clinical samples be accurate, reproducible, and specific. qPCR has been widely used for validating expression of miRNAs in whole genome analyses such as microarray studies
7
. The samples used in this protocol were from patients who underwent radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer; however other tissues and cell lines can be substituted in. Prostate specimens were snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen after resection. Clinical variables and follow-up information for each patient were collected for subsequent analysis
8
.
Quantification of miRNA levels in prostate tumor samples
. The main steps in qPCR analysis of tumors are: Total RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis, and detection of qPCR products using miRNA-specific primers. Total RNA, which includes mRNA, miRNA, and other small RNAs were extracted from specimens using TRIzol reagent. Qiagen's miScript System was used to synthesize cDNA and perform qPCR (
Figure 1
). Endogenous miRNAs are not polyadenylated, therefore during the reverse transcription process, a poly(A) polymerase polyadenylates the miRNA. The miRNA is used as a template to synthesize cDNA using oligo-dT and Reverse Transcriptase. A universal tag sequence on the 5' end of oligo-dT primers facilitates the amplification of cDNA in the PCR step. PCR product amplification is detected by the level of fluorescence emitted by SYBR Green, a dye which intercalates into double stranded DNA. Specific miRNA primers, along with a Universal Primer that binds to the universal tag sequence will amplify specific miRNA sequences. The miScript Primer Assays are available for over a thousand human-specific miRNAs, and hundreds of murine-specific miRNAs. Relative quantification method was used here to quantify the expression of miRNAs. To correct for variability amongst different samples, expression levels of a target miRNA is normalized to the expression levels of a reference gene. The choice of a gene on which to normalize the expression of targets is critical in relative quantification method of analysis. Examples of reference genes typically used in this capacity are the small RNAs RNU6B, RNU44, and RNU48 as they are considered to be stably expressed across most samples. In this protocol, RNU6B is used as the reference gene.
Cancer Biology, Issue 63, Medicine, cancer, primer assay, Prostate, microRNA, tumor, qPCR
3874
Orthotopic Mouse Model of Colorectal Cancer
Institutions: University of California, San Francisco - UCSF, Stanford University School of Medicine.
The traditional subcutaneous tumor model is less than ideal for studying colorectal cancer. Orthotopic mouse models of colorectal cancer, which feature cancer cells growing in their natural location, replicate human disease with high fidelity. Two techniques can be used to establish this model. Both techniques are similar and require mouse anesthesia and laparotomy for exposure of the cecum. One technique involves injection of a colorectal cancer cell suspension into the cecal wall. Cancer cells are first grown in culture, harvested when subconfluent and prepared as a single cell suspension. A small volume of cells is injected slowly to avoid leakage. The other technique involves transplantation of a piece of subcutaneous tumor onto the cecum. A mouse with a previously established subcutaneous colorectal tumor is euthanized and the tumor is removed using sterile technique. The tumor piece is divided into small pieces for transplantation to another mouse. Prior to transplantation, the cecal wall is lightly damaged to facilitate tumor cell infiltration. The time to developing primary tumors and liver metastases will vary depending on the technique, cell line, and mouse species used. This orthotopic mouse model is useful for studying the natural progression of colorectal cancer and testing new therapeutic agents against colorectal cancer.
Cellular Biology, issue 10, Orthotopic, Mouse, Colorectal, Cancer
484
Steps for the Autologous
Ex vivo Perfused Porcine Liver-kidney Experiment Institutions: University Hospitals of Leicester.
The use of
ex vivo
perfused models can mimic the physiological conditions of the liver for short periods, but to maintain normal homeostasis for an extended perfusion period is challenging. We have added the kidney to our previous
ex vivo
perfused liver experiment model to reproduce a more accurate physiological state for prolonged experiments without using live animals. Five intact livers and kidneys were retrieved post-mortem from sacrificed pigs on different days and perfused for a minimum of 6 hr. Hourly arterial blood gases were obtained to analyze pH, lactate, glucose and renal parameters. The primary endpoint was to investigate the effect of adding one kidney to the model on the acid base balance, glucose, and electrolyte levels. The result of this liver-kidney experiment was compared to the results of five previous liver only perfusion models. In summary, with the addition of one kidney to the
ex vivo
liver circuit, hyperglycemia and metabolic acidosis were improved. In addition this model reproduces the physiological and metabolic responses of the liver sufficiently accurately to obviate the need for the use of live animals. The
ex vivo
liver-kidney perfusion model can be used as an alternative method in organ specific studies. It provides a disconnection from numerous systemic influences and allows specific and accurate adjustments of arterial and venous pressures and flow.
Medicine, Issue 82,
Ex vivo, porcine, perfusion model, acid base balance, glucose, liver function, kidney function, cytokine response
50567
A Method for Mouse Pancreatic Islet Isolation and Intracellular cAMP Determination
Institutions: University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Waterloo.
Uncontrolled glycemia is a hallmark of diabetes mellitus and promotes morbidities like neuropathy, nephropathy, and retinopathy. With the increasing prevalence of diabetes, both immune-mediated type 1 and obesity-linked type 2, studies aimed at delineating diabetes pathophysiology and therapeutic mechanisms are of critical importance. The β-cells of the pancreatic islets of Langerhans are responsible for appropriately secreting insulin in response to elevated blood glucose concentrations. In addition to glucose and other nutrients, the β-cells are also stimulated by specific hormones, termed incretins, which are secreted from the gut in response to a meal and act on β-cell receptors that increase the production of intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). Decreased β-cell function, mass, and incretin responsiveness are well-understood to contribute to the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes, and are also being increasingly linked with type 1 diabetes. The present mouse islet isolation and cAMP determination protocol can be a tool to help delineate mechanisms promoting disease progression and therapeutic interventions, particularly those that are mediated by the incretin receptors or related receptors that act through modulation of intracellular cAMP production. While only cAMP measurements will be described, the described islet isolation protocol creates a clean preparation that also allows for many other downstream applications, including glucose stimulated insulin secretion, [3
H
]-thymidine incorporation, protein abundance, and mRNA expression.
Physiology, Issue 88, islet, isolation, insulin secretion, β-cell, diabetes, cAMP production, mouse
50374
Deficient Pms2, ERCC1, Ku86, CcOI in Field Defects During Progression to Colon Cancer
Institutions: University of Arizona, Tucson, Tucson, AZ, University of Arizona, Tucson, Tucson, AZ, University of Arizona, Tucson.
In carcinogenesis, the "field defect" is recognized clinically because of the high propensity of survivors of certain cancers to develop other malignancies of the same tissue type, often in a nearby location. Such field defects have been indicated in colon cancer. The molecular abnormalities that are responsible for a field defect in the colon should be detectable at high frequency in the histologically normal tissue surrounding a colonic adenocarcinoma or surrounding an adenoma with advanced neoplasia (well on the way to a colon cancer), but at low frequency in the colonic mucosa from patients without colonic neoplasia.
Using immunohistochemistry, entire crypts within 10 cm on each side of colonic adenocarcinomas or advanced colonic neoplasias were found to be frequently reduced or absent in expression for two DNA repair proteins, Pms2 and/or ERCC1. Pms2 is a dual role protein, active in DNA mismatch repair as well as needed in apoptosis of cells with excess DNA damage. ERCC1 is active in DNA nucleotide excision repair. The reduced or absent expression of both ERCC1 and Pms2 would create cells with both increased ability to survive (apoptosis resistance) and increased level of mutability. The reduced or absent expression of both ERCC1 and Pms2 is likely an early step in progression to colon cancer.
DNA repair gene Ku86 (active in DNA non-homologous end joining) and Cytochrome c Oxidase Subunit I (involved in apoptosis) had each been reported to be decreased in expression in mucosal areas close to colon cancers. However, immunohistochemical evaluation of their levels of expression showed only low to modest frequencies of crypts to be deficient in their expression in a field defect surrounding colon cancer or surrounding advanced colonic neoplasia.
We show, here, our method of evaluation of crypts for expression of ERCC1, Pms2, Ku86 and CcOI. We show that frequency of entire crypts deficient for Pms2 and ERCC1 is often as great as 70% to 95% in 20 cm long areas surrounding a colonic neoplasia, while frequency of crypts deficient in Ku86 has a median value of 2% and frequency of crypts deficient in CcOI has a median value of 16% in these areas. The entire colon is 150 cm long (about 5 feet) and has about 10 million crypts in its mucosal layer. The defect in Pms2 and ERCC1 surrounding a colon cancer thus may include 1 million crypts. It is from a defective crypt that colon cancer arises.
Cellular Biology, Issue 41, DNA Repair, Apoptosis, Field Defect, Colon Cancer, Pms2, ERCC1, Cytochrome c Oxidase Subunit I, Ku86, Immunohistochemistry, Cancer Resection
1931
Monitoring Intraspecies Competition in a Bacterial Cell Population by Cocultivation of Fluorescently Labelled Strains
Institutions: Georg-August University.
Many microorganisms such as bacteria proliferate extremely fast and the populations may reach high cell densities. Small fractions of cells in a population always have accumulated mutations that are either detrimental or beneficial for the cell. If the fitness effect of a mutation provides the subpopulation with a strong selective growth advantage, the individuals of this subpopulation may rapidly outcompete and even completely eliminate their immediate fellows. Thus, small genetic changes and selection-driven accumulation of cells that have acquired beneficial mutations may lead to a complete shift of the genotype of a cell population. Here we present a procedure to monitor the rapid clonal expansion and elimination of beneficial and detrimental mutations, respectively, in a bacterial cell population over time by cocultivation of fluorescently labeled individuals of the Gram-positive model bacterium
Bacillus subtilis
. The method is easy to perform and very illustrative to display intraspecies competition among the individuals in a bacterial cell population.
Cellular Biology, Issue 83,
Bacillus subtilis, evolution, adaptation, selective pressure, beneficial mutation, intraspecies competition, fluorophore-labelling, Fluorescence Microscopy
51196
Localization, Identification, and Excision of Murine Adipose Depots
Institutions: University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
Obesity has increased dramatically in the last few decades and affects over one third of the adult US population. The economic effect of obesity in 2005 reached a staggering sum of $190.2 billion in direct medical costs alone. Obesity is a major risk factor for a wide host of diseases. Historically, little was known regarding adipose and its major and essential functions in the body. Brown and white adipose are the two main types of adipose but current literature has identified a new type of fat called brite or beige adipose. Research has shown that adipose depots have specific metabolic profiles and certain depots allow for a propensity for obesity and other related disorders. The goal of this protocol is to provide researchers the capacity to identify and excise adipose depots that will allow for the analysis of different factorial effects on adipose; as well as the beneficial or detrimental role adipose plays in disease and overall health. Isolation and excision of adipose depots allows investigators to look at gross morphological changes as well as histological changes. The adipose isolated can also be used for molecular studies to evaluate transcriptional and translational change or for
in vitro
experimentation to discover targets of interest and mechanisms of action. This technique is superior to other published techniques due to the design allowing for isolation of multiple depots with simplicity and minimal contamination.
Medicine, Issue 94, adipose, surgical, excision, subcutaneous adipose tissue (SQ), perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), brown adipose tissue (BAT), white adipose tissue (WAT)
52174
Fabrication and Implantation of Miniature Dual-element Strain Gages for Measuring
In Vivo Gastrointestinal Contractions in Rodents. Institutions: Penn State University College of Medicine.
Gastrointestinal dysfunction remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Indeed, gastrointestinal (GI) motility in health and disease remains an area of productive research with over 1,400 published animal studies in just the last 5 years. Numerous techniques have been developed for quantifying smooth muscle activity of the stomach, small intestine, and colon.
In vitro
and
ex vivo
techniques offer powerful tools for mechanistic studies of GI function, but outside the context of the integrated systems inherent to an intact organism. Typically, measuring
in vivo
smooth muscle contractions of the stomach has involved an anesthetized preparation coupled with the introduction of a surgically placed pressure sensor, a static pressure load such as a mildly inflated balloon or by distending the stomach with fluid under barostatically-controlled feedback. Yet many of these approaches present unique disadvantages regarding both the interpretation of results as well as applicability for
in vivo
use in conscious experimental animal models. The use of dual element strain gages that have been affixed to the serosal surface of the GI tract has offered numerous experimental advantages, which may continue to outweigh the disadvantages. Since these gages are not commercially available, this video presentation provides a detailed, step-by-step guide to the fabrication of the current design of these gages. The strain gage described in this protocol is a design for recording gastric motility in rats. This design has been modified for recording smooth muscle activity along the entire GI tract and requires only subtle variation in the overall fabrication. Representative data from the entire GI tract are included as well as discussion of analysis methods, data interpretation and presentation.
Bioengineering, Issue 91, gastrointestinal tract, gastric contractions, motility,
in vivo recording, physiology, neuroscience, strain gage
51739
Stable Isotopic Profiling of Intermediary Metabolic Flux in Developing and Adult Stage
Caenorhabditis elegans Institutions: The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania.
Stable isotopic profiling has long permitted sensitive investigations of the metabolic consequences of genetic mutations and/or pharmacologic therapies in cellular and mammalian models. Here, we describe detailed methods to perform stable isotopic profiling of intermediary metabolism and metabolic flux in the nematode,
Caenorhabditis elegans
. Methods are described for profiling whole worm free amino acids, labeled carbon dioxide, labeled organic acids, and labeled amino acids in animals exposed to stable isotopes either from early development on nematode growth media agar plates or beginning as young adults while exposed to various pharmacologic treatments in liquid culture. Free amino acids are quantified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in whole worm aliquots extracted in 4% perchloric acid. Universally labeled
13
C-glucose or 1,6-
13
C
2
-glucose is utilized as the stable isotopic precursor whose labeled carbon is traced by mass spectrometry in carbon dioxide (both atmospheric and dissolved) as well as in metabolites indicative of flux through glycolysis, pyruvate metabolism, and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Representative results are included to demonstrate effects of isotope exposure time, various bacterial clearing protocols, and alternative worm disruption methods in wild-type nematodes, as well as the relative extent of isotopic incorporation in mitochondrial complex III mutant worms (
isp-1(qm150)
) relative to wild-type worms. Application of stable isotopic profiling in living nematodes provides a novel capacity to investigate at the whole animal level real-time metabolic alterations that are caused by individual genetic disorders and/or pharmacologic therapies.
Developmental Biology, Issue 48, Stable isotope, amino acid quantitation, organic acid quantitation, nematodes, metabolism
2288
Immunohistochemical Staining of B7-H1 (PD-L1) on Paraffin-embedded Slides of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Tissue
Institutions: The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
B7-H1/PD-L1, a member of the B7 family of immune-regulatory cell-surface proteins, plays an important role in the negative regulation of cell-mediated immune responses through its interaction with its receptor, programmed death-1 (PD-1)
1,2
. Overexpression of B7-H1 by tumor cells has been noted in a number of human cancers, including melanoma, glioblastoma, and carcinomas of the lung, breast, colon, ovary, and renal cells, and has been shown to impair anti-tumor T-cell immunity
3-8
.Recently, B7-H1 expression by pancreatic adenocarcinoma tissues has been identified as a potential prognostic marker
9,10
. Additionally, blockade of B7-H1 in a mouse model of pancreatic cancer has been shown to produce an anti-tumor response
11
. These data suggest the importance of B7-H1 as a potential therapeutic target. Anti-B7-H1 blockade antibodies are therefore being tested in clinical trials for multiple human solid tumors including melanoma and cancers of lung, colon, kidney, stomach and pancreas
12
.In order to eventually be able to identify the patients who will benefit from B7-H1 targeting therapies, it is critical to investigate the correlation between expression and localization of B7-H1 and patient response to treatment with B7-H1 blockade antibodies. Examining the expression of B7-H1 in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma tissues through immunohistochemistry will give a better understanding of how this co-inhibitory signaling molecule contributes to the suppression of antitumor immunity in the tumor's microenvironment. The anti-B7-H1 monoclonal antibody (clone 5H1) developed by Chen and coworkers has been shown to produce reliable staining results in cryosections of multiple types of human neoplastic tissues
4,8
, but staining on paraffin-embedded slides had been a challenge until recently
13-18
. We have developed the B7-H1 staining protocol for paraffin-embedded slides of pancreatic adenocarcinoma tissues. The B7-H1 staining protocol described here produces consistent membranous and cytoplasmic staining of B7-H1 with little background.
Cancer Biology, Issue 71, Medicine, Immunology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology, Chemistry, Oncology, immunohistochemistry, B7-H1 (PD-L1), pancreatic adenocarcinoma, pancreatic cancer, pancreas, tumor, T-cell immunity, cancer
4059
Genetic Manipulation in
Δku80 Strains for Functional Genomic Analysis of Toxoplasma gondii Institutions: The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth.
Targeted genetic manipulation using homologous recombination is the method of choice for functional genomic analysis to obtain a detailed view of gene function and phenotype(s). The development of mutant strains with targeted gene deletions, targeted mutations, complemented gene function, and/or tagged genes provides powerful strategies to address gene function, particularly if these genetic manipulations can be efficiently targeted to the gene locus of interest using integration mediated by double cross over homologous recombination.Due to very high rates of nonhomologous recombination, functional genomic analysis of
Toxoplasma gondii
has been previously limited by the absence of efficient methods for targeting gene deletions and gene replacements to specific genetic loci. Recently, we abolished the major pathway of nonhomologous recombination in type I and type II strains of
T. gondii
by deleting the gene encoding the KU80 protein
1,2
. The
Δku80
strains behave normally during tachyzoite (acute) and bradyzoite (chronic) stages
in vitro
and
in vivo
and exhibit essentially a 100% frequency of homologous recombination. The Δ
ku80
strains make functional genomic studies feasible on the single gene as well as on the genome scale
1-4
.Here, we report methods for using type I and type II
Δku80Δhxgprt
strains to advance gene targeting approaches in
T. gondii
. We outline efficient methods for generating gene deletions, gene replacements, and tagged genes by targeted insertion or deletion of the hypoxanthine-xanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (
HXGPRT
) selectable marker. The described gene targeting protocol can be used in a variety of ways in
Δku80
strains to advance functional analysis of the parasite genome and to develop single strains that carry multiple targeted genetic manipulations. The application of this genetic method and subsequent phenotypic assays will reveal fundamental and unique aspects of the biology of
T. gondii
and related significant human pathogens that cause malaria (
Plasmodium
sp.) and cryptosporidiosis (
Cryptosporidium
).
Infectious Diseases, Issue 77, Genetics, Microbiology, Infection, Medicine, Immunology, Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Bioengineering, Genomics, Parasitology, Pathology, Apicomplexa, Coccidia, Toxoplasma, Genetic Techniques, Gene Targeting, Eukaryota,
Toxoplasma gondii, genetic manipulation, gene targeting, gene deletion, gene replacement, gene tagging, homologous recombination, DNA, sequencing
50598
Generation of Subcutaneous and Intrahepatic Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Xenografts in Immunodeficient Mice
Institutions: University Health Network, University Health Network, University Health Network. In vivo
experimental models of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that recapitulate the human disease provide a valuable platform for research into disease pathophysiology and for the preclinical evaluation of novel therapies. We present a variety of methods to generate subcutaneous or orthotopic human HCC xenografts in immunodeficient mice that could be utilized in a variety of research applications. With a focus on the use of primary tumor tissue from patients undergoing surgical resection as a starting point, we describe the preparation of cell suspensions or tumor fragments for xenografting. We describe specific techniques to xenograft these tissues i) subcutaneously; or ii) intrahepatically, either by direct implantation of tumor cells or fragments into the liver, or indirectly by injection of cells into the mouse spleen. We also describe the use of partial resection of the native mouse liver at the time of xenografting as a strategy to induce a state of active liver regeneration in the recipient mouse that may facilitate the intrahepatic engraftment of primary human tumor cells. The expected results of these techniques are illustrated. The protocols described have been validated using primary human HCC samples and xenografts, which typically perform less robustly than the well-established human HCC cell lines that are widely used and frequently cited in the literature. In comparison with cell lines, we discuss factors which may contribute to the relatively low chance of primary HCC engraftment in xenotransplantation models and comment on technical issues that may influence the kinetics of xenograft growth. We also suggest methods that should be applied to ensure that xenografts obtained accurately resemble parent HCC tissues.
Medicine, Issue 79, Liver Neoplasms, Hepatectomy, animal models, hepatocellular carcinoma, xenograft, cancer, liver, subcutaneous, intrahepatic, orthotopic, mouse, human, immunodeficient
50544
Infinium Assay for Large-scale SNP Genotyping Applications
Institutions: Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation.
Genotyping variants in the human genome has proven to be an efficient method to identify genetic associations with phenotypes. The distribution of variants within families or populations can facilitate identification of the genetic factors of disease. Illumina's panel of genotyping BeadChips allows investigators to genotype thousands or millions of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or to analyze other genomic variants, such as copy number, across a large number of DNA samples. These SNPs can be spread throughout the genome or targeted in specific regions in order to maximize potential discovery. The Infinium assay has been optimized to yield high-quality, accurate results quickly. With proper setup, a single technician can process from a few hundred to over a thousand DNA samples per week, depending on the type of array. This assay guides users through every step, starting with genomic DNA and ending with the scanning of the array. Using propriety reagents, samples are amplified, fragmented, precipitated, resuspended, hybridized to the chip, extended by a single base, stained, and scanned on either an iScan or Hi Scan high-resolution optical imaging system. One overnight step is required to amplify the DNA. The DNA is denatured and isothermally amplified by whole-genome amplification; therefore, no PCR is required. Samples are hybridized to the arrays during a second overnight step. By the third day, the samples are ready to be scanned and analyzed. Amplified DNA may be stockpiled in large quantities, allowing bead arrays to be processed every day of the week, thereby maximizing throughput.
Basic Protocol, Issue 81, genomics, SNP, Genotyping, Infinium, iScan, HiScan, Illumina
50683
Profiling of Estrogen-regulated MicroRNAs in Breast Cancer Cells
Institutions: University of Houston.
Estrogen plays vital roles in mammary gland development and breast cancer progression. It mediates its function by binding to and activating the estrogen receptors (ERs), ERα, and ERβ. ERα is frequently upregulated in breast cancer and drives the proliferation of breast cancer cells. The ERs function as transcription factors and regulate gene expression. Whereas ERα's regulation of protein-coding genes is well established, its regulation of noncoding microRNA (miRNA) is less explored. miRNAs play a major role in the post-transcriptional regulation of genes, inhibiting their translation or degrading their mRNA. miRNAs can function as oncogenes or tumor suppressors and are also promising biomarkers. Among the miRNA assays available, microarray and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) have been extensively used to detect and quantify miRNA levels. To identify miRNAs regulated by estrogen signaling in breast cancer, their expression in ERα-positive breast cancer cell lines were compared before and after estrogen-activation using both the µParaflo-microfluidic microarrays and Dual Labeled Probes-low density arrays. Results were validated using specific qPCR assays, applying both Cyanine dye-based and Dual Labeled Probes-based chemistry. Furthermore, a time-point assay was used to identify regulations over time. Advantages of the miRNA assay approach used in this study is that it enables a fast screening of mature miRNA regulations in numerous samples, even with limited sample amounts. The layout, including the specific conditions for cell culture and estrogen treatment, biological and technical replicates, and large-scale screening followed by in-depth confirmations using separate techniques, ensures a robust detection of miRNA regulations, and eliminates false positives and other artifacts. However, mutated or unknown miRNAs, or regulations at the primary and precursor transcript level, will not be detected. The method presented here represents a thorough investigation of estrogen-mediated miRNA regulation.
Medicine, Issue 84, breast cancer, microRNA, estrogen, estrogen receptor, microarray, qPCR
51285
Training Synesthetic Letter-color Associations by Reading in Color
Institutions: University of Amsterdam.
Synesthesia is a rare condition in which a stimulus from one modality automatically and consistently triggers unusual sensations in the same and/or other modalities. A relatively common and well-studied type is grapheme-color synesthesia, defined as the consistent experience of color when viewing, hearing and thinking about letters, words and numbers. We describe our method for investigating to what extent synesthetic associations between letters and colors can be learned by reading in color in nonsynesthetes. Reading in color is a special method for training associations in the sense that the associations are learned implicitly while the reader reads text as he or she normally would and it does not require explicit computer-directed training methods. In this protocol, participants are given specially prepared books to read in which four high-frequency letters are paired with four high-frequency colors. Participants receive unique sets of letter-color pairs based on their pre-existing preferences for colored letters. A modified Stroop task is administered before and after reading in order to test for learned letter-color associations and changes in brain activation. In addition to objective testing, a reading experience questionnaire is administered that is designed to probe for differences in subjective experience. A subset of questions may predict how well an individual learned the associations from reading in color. Importantly, we are not claiming that this method will cause each individual to develop grapheme-color synesthesia, only that it is possible for certain individuals to form letter-color associations by reading in color and these associations are similar in some aspects to those seen in developmental grapheme-color synesthetes. The method is quite flexible and can be used to investigate different aspects and outcomes of training synesthetic associations, including learning-induced changes in brain function and structure.
Behavior, Issue 84, synesthesia, training, learning, reading, vision, memory, cognition
50893
gDNA Enrichment by a Transposase-based Technology for NGS Analysis of the Whole Sequence of
BRCA1, BRCA2, and 9 Genes Involved in DNA Damage Repair Institutions: Centre Georges-François Leclerc.
The widespread use of Next Generation Sequencing has opened up new avenues for cancer research and diagnosis. NGS will bring huge amounts of new data on cancer, and especially cancer genetics. Current knowledge and future discoveries will make it necessary to study a huge number of genes that could be involved in a genetic predisposition to cancer. In this regard, we developed a Nextera design to study 11 complete genes involved in DNA damage repair. This protocol was developed to safely study 11 genes (
ATM
,
BARD1
,
BRCA1
,
BRCA2
,
BRIP1
,
CHEK2
,
PALB2
,
RAD50
,
RAD51C
,
RAD80
, and
TP53
) from promoter to 3'-UTR in 24 patients simultaneously. This protocol, based on transposase technology and gDNA enrichment, gives a great advantage in terms of time for the genetic diagnosis thanks to sample multiplexing. This protocol can be safely used with blood gDNA.
Genetics, Issue 92, gDNA enrichment, Nextera, NGS, DNA damage, BRCA1, BRCA2
51902
Enhancement of Apoptotic and Autophagic Induction by a Novel Synthetic C-1 Analogue of 7-deoxypancratistatin in Human Breast Adenocarcinoma and Neuroblastoma Cells with Tamoxifen
Institutions: University of Windsor, Brock University.
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers amongst women in North America. Many current anti-cancer treatments, including ionizing radiation, induce apoptosis via DNA damage. Unfortunately, such treatments are non-selective to cancer cells and produce similar toxicity in normal cells. We have reported selective induction of apoptosis in cancer cells by the natural compound pancratistatin (PST). Recently, a novel PST analogue, a C-1 acetoxymethyl derivative of 7-deoxypancratistatin (JCTH-4), was produced by de novo synthesis and it exhibits comparable selective apoptosis inducing activity in several cancer cell lines. Recently, autophagy has been implicated in malignancies as both pro-survival and pro-death mechanisms in response to chemotherapy. Tamoxifen (TAM) has invariably demonstrated induction of pro-survival autophagy in numerous cancers. In this study, the efficacy of JCTH-4 alone and in combination with TAM to induce cell death in human breast cancer (MCF7) and neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cells was evaluated. TAM alone induced autophagy, but insignificant cell death whereas JCTH-4 alone caused significant induction of apoptosis with some induction of autophagy. Interestingly, the combinatory treatment yielded a drastic increase in apoptotic and autophagic induction. We monitored time-dependent morphological changes in MCF7 cells undergoing TAM-induced autophagy, JCTH-4-induced apoptosis and autophagy, and accelerated cell death with combinatorial treatment using time-lapse microscopy. We have demonstrated these compounds to induce apoptosis/autophagy by mitochondrial targeting in these cancer cells. Importantly, these treatments did not affect the survival of noncancerous human fibroblasts. Thus, these results indicate that JCTH-4 in combination with TAM could be used as a safe and very potent anti-cancer therapy against breast cancer and neuroblastoma cells.
Cancer Biology, Issue 63, Medicine, Biochemistry, Breast adenocarcinoma, neuroblastoma, tamoxifen, combination therapy, apoptosis, autophagy
3586
Protein WISDOM: A Workbench for
In silico De novo Design of BioMolecules Institutions: Princeton University.
The aim of
de novo
protein design is to find the amino acid sequences that will fold into a desired 3-dimensional structure with improvements in specific properties, such as binding affinity, agonist or antagonist behavior, or stability, relative to the native sequence. Protein design lies at the center of current advances drug design and discovery. Not only does protein design provide predictions for potentially useful drug targets, but it also enhances our understanding of the protein folding process and protein-protein interactions. Experimental methods such as directed evolution have shown success in protein design. However, such methods are restricted by the limited sequence space that can be searched tractably. In contrast, computational design strategies allow for the screening of a much larger set of sequences covering a wide variety of properties and functionality. We have developed a range of computational
de novo
protein design methods capable of tackling several important areas of protein design. These include the design of monomeric proteins for increased stability and complexes for increased binding affinity.To disseminate these methods for broader use we present Protein WISDOM (http://www.proteinwisdom.org), a tool that provides automated methods for a variety of protein design problems. Structural templates are submitted to initialize the design process. The first stage of design is an optimization sequence selection stage that aims at improving stability through minimization of potential energy in the sequence space. Selected sequences are then run through a fold specificity stage and a binding affinity stage. A rank-ordered list of the sequences for each step of the process, along with relevant designed structures, provides the user with a comprehensive quantitative assessment of the design. Here we provide the details of each design method, as well as several notable experimental successes attained through the use of the methods.
Genetics, Issue 77, Molecular Biology, Bioengineering, Biochemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Computational Biology, Genomics, Proteomics, Protein, Protein Binding, Computational Biology, Drug Design, optimization (mathematics), Amino Acids, Peptides, and Proteins,
De novo protein and peptide design, Drug design, In silico sequence selection, Optimization, Fold specificity, Binding affinity, sequencing
50476
Adaptation of Semiautomated Circulating Tumor Cell (CTC) Assays for Clinical and Preclinical Research Applications
Institutions: London Health Sciences Centre, Western University, London Health Sciences Centre, Lawson Health Research Institute, Western University.
The majority of cancer-related deaths occur subsequent to the development of metastatic disease. This highly lethal disease stage is associated with the presence of circulating tumor cells (CTCs). These rare cells have been demonstrated to be of clinical significance in metastatic breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers. The current gold standard in clinical CTC detection and enumeration is the FDA-cleared CellSearch system (CSS). This manuscript outlines the standard protocol utilized by this platform as well as two additional adapted protocols that describe the detailed process of user-defined marker optimization for protein characterization of patient CTCs and a comparable protocol for CTC capture in very low volumes of blood, using standard CSS reagents, for studying
in vivo
preclinical mouse models of metastasis. In addition, differences in CTC quality between healthy donor blood spiked with cells from tissue culture versus patient blood samples are highlighted. Finally, several commonly discrepant items that can lead to CTC misclassification errors are outlined. Taken together, these protocols will provide a useful resource for users of this platform interested in preclinical and clinical research pertaining to metastasis and CTCs.
Medicine, Issue 84, Metastasis, circulating tumor cells (CTCs), CellSearch system, user defined marker characterization,
in vivo, preclinical mouse model, clinical research
51248
Isolation of Fidelity Variants of RNA Viruses and Characterization of Virus Mutation Frequency
Institutions: Institut Pasteur .
RNA viruses use RNA dependent RNA polymerases to replicate their genomes. The intrinsically high error rate of these enzymes is a large contributor to the generation of extreme population diversity that facilitates virus adaptation and evolution. Increasing evidence shows that the intrinsic error rates, and the resulting mutation frequencies, of RNA viruses can be modulated by subtle amino acid changes to the viral polymerase. Although biochemical assays exist for some viral RNA polymerases that permit quantitative measure of incorporation fidelity, here we describe a simple method of measuring mutation frequencies of RNA viruses that has proven to be as accurate as biochemical approaches in identifying fidelity altering mutations. The approach uses conventional virological and sequencing techniques that can be performed in most biology laboratories. Based on our experience with a number of different viruses, we have identified the key steps that must be optimized to increase the likelihood of isolating fidelity variants and generating data of statistical significance. The isolation and characterization of fidelity altering mutations can provide new insights into polymerase structure and function
1-3
. Furthermore, these fidelity variants can be useful tools in characterizing mechanisms of virus adaptation and evolution
4-7
.
Immunology, Issue 52, Polymerase fidelity, RNA virus, mutation frequency, mutagen, RNA polymerase, viral evolution
2953
An Allele-specific Gene Expression Assay to Test the Functional Basis of Genetic Associations
Institutions: University of Oxford.
The number of significant genetic associations with common complex traits is constantly increasing. However, most of these associations have not been understood at molecular level. One of the mechanisms mediating the effect of DNA variants on phenotypes is gene expression, which has been shown to be particularly relevant for complex traits
1
.This method tests in a cellular context the effect of specific DNA sequences on gene expression. The principle is to measure the relative abundance of transcripts arising from the two alleles of a gene, analysing cells which carry one copy of the DNA sequences associated with disease (the risk variants)
2,3
. Therefore, the cells used for this method should meet two fundamental genotypic requirements: they have to be heterozygous both for DNA risk variants and for DNA markers, typically coding polymorphisms, which can distinguish transcripts based on their chromosomal origin (Figure 1). DNA risk variants and DNA markers do not need to have the same allele frequency but the phase (haplotypic) relationship of the genetic markers needs to be understood. It is also important to choose cell types which express the gene of interest. This protocol refers specifically to the procedure adopted to extract nucleic acids from fibroblasts but the method is equally applicable to other cells types including primary cells.DNA and RNA are extracted from the selected cell lines and cDNA is generated. DNA and cDNA are analysed with a primer extension assay, designed to target the coding DNA markers
4
. The primer extension assay is carried out using the MassARRAY (Sequenom)
5
platform according to the manufacturer's specifications. Primer extension products are then analysed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/MS). Because the selected markers are heterozygous they will generate two peaks on the MS profiles. The area of each peak is proportional to the transcript abundance and can be measured with a function of the MassARRAY Typer software to generate an allelic ratio (allele 1: allele 2) calculation. The allelic ratio obtained for cDNA is normalized using that measured from genomic DNA, where the allelic ratio is expected to be 1:1 to correct for technical artifacts. Markers with a normalised allelic ratio significantly different to 1 indicate that the amount of transcript generated from the two chromosomes in the same cell is different, suggesting that the DNA variants associated with the phenotype have an effect on gene expression. Experimental controls should be used to confirm the results.
Cellular Biology, Issue 45, Gene expression, regulatory variant, haplotype, association study, primer extension, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, single nucleotide polymorphism, allele-specific
2279
Laparoscopic Left Liver Sectoriectomy of Caroli's Disease Limited to Segment II and III
Institutions: University of Insubria, University of Insubria.
Caroli's disease is defined as a abnormal dilatation of the intra-hepatica bile ducts: Its incidence is extremely low (1 in 1,000,000 population) and in most of the cases the whole liver is interested and liver transplantation is the treatment of choice. In case of dilatation limited to the left or right lobe, liver resection can be performed. For many year the standard approach for liver resection has been a formal laparotomy by means of a large incision of abdomen that is characterized by significant post-operatie morbidity. More recently, minimally invasive, laparoscopic approach has been proposed as possible surgical technique for liver resection both for benign and malignant diseases. The main benefits of the minimally invasive approach is represented by a significant reduction of the surgical trauma that allows a faster recovery a less post-operative complications.
This video shows a case of Caroli s disease occured in a 58 years old male admitted at the gastroenterology department for sudden onset of abdominal pain associated with fever (>38C° ), nausea and shivering. Abdominal ultrasound demonstrated a significant dilatation of intra-hepatic left sited bile ducts with no evidences of gallbladder or common bile duct stones. Such findings were confirmed abdominal high resolution computer tomography.
Laparoscopic left sectoriectomy was planned. Five trocars and 30° optic was used, exploration of the abdominal cavity showed no adhesions or evidences of other diseases.
In order to control blood inflow to the liver, vascular clamp was placed on the hepatic pedicle (Pringle s manouvre), Parenchymal division is carried out with a combined use of 5 mm bipolar forceps and 5 mm ultrasonic dissector. A severely dilated left hepatic duct was isolated and divided using a 45mm endoscopic vascular stapler. Liver dissection was continued up to isolation of the main left portal branch that was then divided with a further cartridge of 45 mm vascular stapler.
At his point the left liver remains attached only by the left hepatic vein: division of the triangular ligament was performed using monopolar hook and the hepatic vein isolated and the divided using vascular stapler.
Haemostatis was refined by application of argon beam coagulation and no bleeding was revealed even after removal of the vascular clamp (total Pringle s time 27 minutes).
Postoperative course was uneventful, minimal elevation of the liver function tests was recorded in post-operative day 1 but returned to normal at discharged on post-operative day 3.
Medicine, Issue 24, Laparoscopy, Liver resection, Caroli's disease, Left sectoriectomy
1118
Interview: Glycolipid Antigen Presentation by CD1d and the Therapeutic Potential of NKT cell Activation
Institutions: La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology.
Natural Killer T cells (NKT) are critical determinants of the immune response to cancer, regulation of autioimmune disease, clearance of infectious agents, and the development of artheriosclerotic plaques. In this interview, Mitch Kronenberg discusses his laboratory's efforts to understand the mechanism through which NKT cells are activated by glycolipid antigens. Central to these studies is CD1d - the antigen presenting molecule that presents glycolipids to NKT cells. The advent of CD1d tetramer technology, a technique developed by the Kronenberg lab, is critical for the sorting and identification of subsets of specific glycolipid-reactive T cells. Mitch explains how glycolipid agonists are being used as therapeutic agents to activate NKT cells in cancer patients and how CD1d tetramers can be used to assess the state of the NKT cell population in vivo following glycolipid agonist therapy. Current status of ongoing clinical trials using these agonists are discussed as well as Mitch's prediction for areas in the field of immunology that will have emerging importance in the near future.
Immunology, Issue 10, Natural Killer T cells, NKT cells, CD1 Tetramers, antigen presentation, glycolipid antigens, CD1d, Mucosal Immunity, Translational Research
635
Pyrosequencing: A Simple Method for Accurate Genotyping
Institutions: Washington University in St. Louis.
Pharmacogenetic research benefits first-hand from the abundance of information provided by the completion of the Human Genome Project. With such a tremendous amount of data available comes an explosion of genotyping methods. Pyrosequencing(R) is one of the most thorough yet simple methods to date used to analyze polymorphisms. It also has the ability to identify tri-allelic, indels, short-repeat polymorphisms, along with determining allele percentages for methylation or pooled sample assessment. In addition, there is a standardized control sequence that provides internal quality control. This method has led to rapid and efficient single-nucleotide polymorphism evaluation including many clinically relevant polymorphisms. The technique and methodology of Pyrosequencing is explained.
Cellular Biology, Issue 11, Springer Protocols, Pyrosequencing, genotype, polymorphism, SNP, pharmacogenetics, pharmacogenomics, PCR
630
A Strategy to Identify de Novo Mutations in Common Disorders such as Autism and Schizophrenia
Institutions: Universite de Montreal, Universite de Montreal, Universite de Montreal.
There are several lines of evidence supporting the role of
de novo
mutations as a mechanism for common disorders, such as autism and schizophrenia. First, the
de novo
mutation rate in humans is relatively high, so new mutations are generated at a high frequency in the population. However,
de novo
mutations have not been reported in most common diseases. Mutations in genes leading to severe diseases where there is a strong negative selection against the phenotype, such as lethality in embryonic stages or reduced reproductive fitness, will not be transmitted to multiple family members, and therefore will not be detected by linkage gene mapping or association studies. The observation of very high concordance in monozygotic twins and very low concordance in dizygotic twins also strongly supports the hypothesis that a significant fraction of cases may result from new mutations. Such is the case for diseases such as autism and schizophrenia. Second, despite reduced reproductive fitness
1
and extremely variable environmental factors, the incidence of some diseases is maintained worldwide at a relatively high and constant rate. This is the case for autism and schizophrenia, with an incidence of approximately 1% worldwide. Mutational load can be thought of as a balance between selection for or against a deleterious mutation and its production by
de novo
mutation. Lower rates of reproduction constitute a negative selection factor that should reduce the number of mutant alleles in the population, ultimately leading to decreased disease prevalence. These selective pressures tend to be of different intensity in different environments. Nonetheless, these severe mental disorders have been maintained at a constant relatively high prevalence in the worldwide population across a wide range of cultures and countries despite a strong negative selection against them
2
. This is not what one would predict in diseases with reduced reproductive fitness, unless there was a high new mutation rate. Finally, the effects of paternal age: there is a significantly increased risk of the disease with increasing paternal age, which could result from the age related increase in paternal
de novo
mutations. This is the case for autism and schizophrenia
3
. The male-to-female ratio of mutation rate is estimated at about 4–6:1, presumably due to a higher number of germ-cell divisions with age in males. Therefore, one would predict that
de novo
mutations would more frequently come from males, particularly older males
4
. A high rate of new mutations may in part explain why genetic studies have so far failed to identify many genes predisposing to complexes diseases genes, such as autism and schizophrenia, and why diseases have been identified for a mere 3% of genes in the human genome. Identification for
de novo
mutations as a cause of a disease requires a targeted molecular approach, which includes studying parents and affected subjects. The process for determining if the genetic basis of a disease may result in part from
de novo
mutations and the molecular approach to establish this link will be illustrated, using autism and schizophrenia as examples.
Medicine, Issue 52, de novo mutation, complex diseases, schizophrenia, autism, rare variations, DNA sequencing
2534 | 60,065 | 23,202 | 0.000043 |
warc | 201704 | Early defense against mucosal pathogens consists of both an epithelial barrier and innate immune cells. The immunocompetency of both, and their intercommunication, are paramount for the protection against infections. The interactions of epithelial and innate immune cells with a pathogen are best investigated
in vivo, where complex behavior unfolds over time and space. However, existing models do not allow for easy spatio-temporal imaging of the battle with pathogens at the mucosal level.The model developed here creates a mucosal infection by direct injection of the fungal pathogen, Candida albicans, into the swimbladder of juvenile zebrafish. The resulting infection enables high-resolution imaging of epithelial and innate immune cell behavior throughout the development of mucosal disease. The versatility of this method allows for interrogation of the host to probe the detailed sequence of immune events leading to phagocyte recruitment and to examine the roles of particular cell types and molecular pathways in protection. In addition, the behavior of the pathogen as a function of immune attack can be imaged simultaneously by using fluorescent protein-expressing C. albicans. Increased spatial resolution of the host-pathogen interaction is also possible using the described rapid swimbladder dissection technique.The mucosal infection model described here is straightforward and highly reproducible, making it a valuable tool for the study of mucosal candidiasis. This system may also be broadly translatable to other mucosal pathogens such as mycobacterial, bacterial or viral microbes that normally infect through epithelial surfaces. 26 Related JoVE Articles!
Telomere Length and Telomerase Activity; A Yin and Yang of Cell Senescence
Institutions: Albert Einstein College of Medicine , Albert Einstein College of Medicine , Albert Einstein College of Medicine .
Telomeres are repeating DNA sequences at the tip ends of the chromosomes that are diverse in length and in humans can reach a length of 15,000 base pairs. The telomere serves as a bioprotective mechanism of chromosome attrition at each cell division. At a certain length, telomeres become too short to allow replication, a process that may lead to chromosome instability or cell death. Telomere length is regulated by two opposing mechanisms: attrition and elongation. Attrition occurs as each cell divides. In contrast, elongation is partially modulated by the enzyme telomerase, which adds repeating sequences to the ends of the chromosomes. In this way, telomerase could possibly reverse an aging mechanism and rejuvenates cell viability. These are crucial elements in maintaining cell life and are used to assess cellular aging. In this manuscript we will describe an accurate, short, sophisticated and cheap method to assess telomere length in multiple tissues and species. This method takes advantage of two key elements, the tandem repeat of the telomere sequence and the sensitivity of the qRT-PCR to detect differential copy numbers of tested samples. In addition, we will describe a simple assay to assess telomerase activity as a complementary backbone test for telomere length.
Genetics, Issue 75, Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology, Medicine, Biomedical Engineering, Genomics, Telomere length, telomerase activity, telomerase, telomeres, telomere, DNA, PCR, polymerase chain reaction, qRT-PCR, sequencing, aging, telomerase assay
50246
Measuring Frailty in HIV-infected Individuals. Identification of Frail Patients is the First Step to Amelioration and Reversal of Frailty
Institutions: University of Arizona, University of Arizona.
A simple, validated protocol consisting of a battery of tests is available to identify elderly patients with frailty syndrome. This syndrome of decreased reserve and resistance to stressors increases in incidence with increasing age. In the elderly, frailty may pursue a step-wise loss of function from non-frail to pre-frail to frail. We studied frailty in HIV-infected patients and found that ~20% are frail using the Fried phenotype using stringent criteria developed for the elderly
1,2
. In HIV infection the syndrome occurs at a younger age.HIV patients were checked for 1) unintentional weight loss; 2) slowness as determined by walking speed; 3) weakness as measured by a grip dynamometer; 4) exhaustion by responses to a depression scale; and 5) low physical activity was determined by assessing kilocalories expended in a week's time. Pre-frailty was present with any two of five criteria and frailty was present if any three of the five criteria were abnormal.The tests take approximately 10-15 min to complete and they can be performed by medical assistants during routine clinic visits. Test results are scored by referring to standard tables. Understanding which of the five components contribute to frailty in an individual patient can allow the clinician to address relevant underlying problems, many of which are not evident in routine HIV clinic visits.
Medicine, Issue 77, Infection, Virology, Infectious Diseases, Anatomy, Physiology, Molecular Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Retroviridae Infections, Body Weight Changes, Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures, Physical Examination, Muscle Strength, Behavior, Virus Diseases, Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms, Diagnosis, Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena, HIV, HIV-1, AIDS, Frailty, Depression, Weight Loss, Weakness, Slowness, Exhaustion, Aging, clinical techniques
50537
An
In-vitro Preparation of Isolated Enteric Neurons and Glia from the Myenteric Plexus of the Adult Mouse Institutions: Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Commonwealth University.
The enteric nervous system is a vast network of neurons and glia running the length of the gastrointestinal tract that functionally controls gastrointestinal motility. A procedure for the isolation and culture of a mixed population of neurons and glia from the myenteric plexus is described. The primary cultures can be maintained for over 7 days, with connections developing among the neurons and glia. The longitudinal muscle strip with the attached myenteric plexus is stripped from the underlying circular muscle of the mouse ileum or colon and subjected to enzymatic digestion. In sterile conditions, the isolated neuronal and glia population are preserved within the pellet following centrifugation and plated on coverslips. Within 24-48 hr, neurite outgrowth occurs and neurons can be identified by pan-neuronal markers. After two days in culture, isolated neurons fire action potentials as observed by patch clamp studies. Furthermore, enteric glia can also be identified by GFAP staining. A network of neurons and glia in close apposition forms within 5 - 7 days. Enteric neurons can be individually and directly studied using methods such as immunohistochemistry, electrophysiology, calcium imaging, and single-cell PCR. Furthermore, this procedure can be performed in genetically modified animals. This methodology is simple to perform and inexpensive. Overall, this protocol exposes the components of the enteric nervous system in an easily manipulated manner so that we may better discover the functionality of the ENS in normal and disease states.
Neurobiology, Issue 78, Neuroscience, Biomedical Engineering, Anatomy, Physiology, Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology, Biophysics, Pharmacology, Myenteric Plexus, Digestive System, Neurosciences, Enteric nervous system, culture, mouse, patch clamp, action potential, gastrointestinal neuropathies, neurons, glia, tissue, cell culture, animal model
50688
A Fluorescence-based Exonuclease Assay to Characterize DmWRNexo, Orthologue of Human Progeroid WRN Exonuclease, and Its Application to Other Nucleases
Institutions: University of Oxford.
WRN exonuclease is involved in resolving DNA damage that occurs either during DNA replication or following exposure to endogenous or exogenous genotoxins. It is likely to play a role in preventing accumulation of recombinogenic intermediates that would otherwise accumulate at transiently stalled replication forks, consistent with a hyper-recombinant phenotype of cells lacking WRN. In humans, the exonuclease domain comprises an N-terminal portion of a much larger protein that also possesses helicase activity, together with additional sites important for DNA and protein interaction. By contrast, in
Drosophila
, the exonuclease activity of WRN (DmWRNexo) is encoded by a distinct genetic locus from the presumptive helicase, allowing biochemical (and genetic) dissection of the role of the exonuclease activity in genome stability mechanisms. Here, we demonstrate a fluorescent method to determine WRN exonuclease activity using purified recombinant DmWRNexo and end-labeled fluorescent oligonucleotides. This system allows greater reproducibility than radioactive assays as the substrate oligonucleotides remain stable for months, and provides a safer and relatively rapid method for detailed analysis of nuclease activity, permitting determination of nuclease polarity, processivity, and substrate preferences.
Biochemistry, Issue 82, Aging, Premature, Exonucleases, Enzyme Assays, biochemistry, WRN, exonuclease, nuclease, RecQ, progeroid disease, aging, DmWRNexo
50722
Identification of Metabolically Active Bacteria in the Gut of the Generalist
Spodoptera littoralis via DNA Stable Isotope Probing Using 13C-Glucose Institutions: Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology.
Guts of most insects are inhabited by complex communities of symbiotic nonpathogenic bacteria. Within such microbial communities it is possible to identify commensal or mutualistic bacteria species. The latter ones, have been observed to serve multiple functions to the insect,
i.e.
helping in insect reproduction
1
, boosting the immune response
2
, pheromone production
3
, as well as nutrition, including the synthesis of essential amino acids
4,
among others. Due to the importance of these associations, many efforts have been made to characterize the communities down to the individual members. However, most of these efforts were either based on cultivation methods or relied on the generation of 16S rRNA gene fragments which were sequenced for final identification. Unfortunately, these approaches only identified the bacterial species present in the gut and provided no information on the metabolic activity of the microorganisms.To characterize the metabolically active bacterial species in the gut of an insect, we used stable isotope probing (SIP)
in vivo
employing
13
C-glucose as a universal substrate. This is a promising culture-free technique that allows the linkage of microbial phylogenies to their particular metabolic activity. This is possible by tracking stable, isotope labeled atoms from substrates into microbial biomarkers, such as DNA and RNA
5
. The incorporation of
13
C isotopes into DNA increases the density of the labeled DNA compared to the unlabeled (
12
C) one. In the end, the
13
C-labeled DNA or RNA is separated by density-gradient ultracentrifugation from the
12
C-unlabeled similar one
6
. Subsequent molecular analysis of the separated nucleic acid isotopomers provides the connection between metabolic activity and identity of the species.Here, we present the protocol used to characterize the metabolically active bacteria in the gut of a generalist insect (our model system),
Spodoptera littoralis
(
Lepidoptera, Noctuidae
). The phylogenetic analysis of the DNA was done using pyrosequencing, which allowed high resolution and precision in the identification of insect gut bacterial community. As main substrate,
13
C-labeled glucose was used in the experiments. The substrate was fed to the insects using an artificial diet.
Microbiology, Issue 81, Insects, Sequence Analysis, Genetics, Microbial, Bacteria, Lepidoptera,
Spodoptera littoralis, stable-isotope-probing (SIP), pyro-sequencing, 13C-glucose, gut, microbiota, bacteria
50734
Lesion Explorer: A Video-guided, Standardized Protocol for Accurate and Reliable MRI-derived Volumetrics in Alzheimer's Disease and Normal Elderly
Institutions: Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto.
Obtaining
in vivo
human brain tissue volumetrics from MRI is often complicated by various technical and biological issues. These challenges are exacerbated when significant brain atrophy and age-related white matter changes (
e.g.
Leukoaraiosis) are present. Lesion Explorer (LE) is an accurate and reliable neuroimaging pipeline specifically developed to address such issues commonly observed on MRI of Alzheimer's disease and normal elderly. The pipeline is a complex set of semi-automatic procedures which has been previously validated in a series of internal and external reliability tests
1,2
. However, LE's accuracy and reliability is highly dependent on properly trained manual operators to execute commands, identify distinct anatomical landmarks, and manually edit/verify various computer-generated segmentation outputs.LE can be divided into 3 main components, each requiring a set of commands and manual operations: 1) Brain-Sizer, 2) SABRE, and 3) Lesion-Seg. Brain-Sizer's manual operations involve editing of the automatic skull-stripped total intracranial vault (TIV) extraction mask, designation of ventricular cerebrospinal fluid (vCSF), and removal of subtentorial structures. The SABRE component requires checking of image alignment along the anterior and posterior commissure (ACPC) plane, and identification of several anatomical landmarks required for regional parcellation. Finally, the Lesion-Seg component involves manual checking of the automatic lesion segmentation of subcortical hyperintensities (SH) for false positive errors.While on-site training of the LE pipeline is preferable, readily available visual teaching tools with interactive training images are a viable alternative. Developed to ensure a high degree of accuracy and reliability, the following is a step-by-step, video-guided, standardized protocol for LE's manual procedures.
Medicine, Issue 86, Brain, Vascular Diseases, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Neuroimaging, Alzheimer Disease, Aging, Neuroanatomy, brain extraction, ventricles, white matter hyperintensities, cerebrovascular disease, Alzheimer disease
50887
Getting to Compliance in Forced Exercise in Rodents: A Critical Standard to Evaluate Exercise Impact in Aging-related Disorders and Disease
Institutions: Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center.
There is a major increase in the awareness of the positive impact of exercise on improving several disease states with neurobiological basis; these include improving cognitive function and physical performance. As a result, there is an increase in the number of animal studies employing exercise. It is argued that one intrinsic value of forced exercise is that the investigator has control over the factors that can influence the impact of exercise on behavioral outcomes, notably exercise frequency, duration, and intensity of the exercise regimen. However, compliance in forced exercise regimens may be an issue, particularly if potential confounds of employing foot-shock are to be avoided. It is also important to consider that since most cognitive and locomotor impairments strike in the aged individual, determining impact of exercise on these impairments should consider using aged rodents with a highest possible level of compliance to ensure minimal need for test subjects. Here, the pertinent steps and considerations necessary to achieve nearly 100% compliance to treadmill exercise in an aged rodent model will be presented and discussed. Notwithstanding the particular exercise regimen being employed by the investigator, our protocol should be of use to investigators that are particularly interested in the potential impact of forced exercise on aging-related impairments, including aging-related Parkinsonism and Parkinson’s disease.
Behavior, Issue 90, Exercise, locomotor, Parkinson’s disease, aging, treadmill, bradykinesia, Parkinsonism
51827
Combining Magnetic Sorting of Mother Cells and Fluctuation Tests to Analyze Genome Instability During Mitotic Cell Aging in
Saccharomyces cerevisiae Institutions: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Saccharomyces cerevisiae
has been an excellent model system for examining mechanisms and consequences of genome instability. Information gained from this yeast model is relevant to many organisms, including humans, since DNA repair and DNA damage response factors are well conserved across diverse species. However,
S. cerevisiae
has not yet been used to fully address whether the rate of accumulating mutations changes with increasing replicative (mitotic) age due to technical constraints. For instance, measurements of yeast replicative lifespan through micromanipulation involve very small populations of cells, which prohibit detection of rare mutations. Genetic methods to enrich for mother cells in populations by inducing death of daughter cells have been developed, but population sizes are still limited by the frequency with which random mutations that compromise the selection systems occur. The current protocol takes advantage of magnetic sorting of surface-labeled yeast mother cells to obtain large enough populations of aging mother cells to quantify rare mutations through phenotypic selections. Mutation rates, measured through fluctuation tests, and mutation frequencies are first established for young cells and used to predict the frequency of mutations in mother cells of various replicative ages. Mutation frequencies are then determined for sorted mother cells, and the age of the mother cells is determined using flow cytometry by staining with a fluorescent reagent that detects bud scars formed on their cell surfaces during cell division. Comparison of predicted mutation frequencies based on the number of cell divisions to the frequencies experimentally observed for mother cells of a given replicative age can then identify whether there are age-related changes in the rate of accumulating mutations. Variations of this basic protocol provide the means to investigate the influence of alterations in specific gene functions or specific environmental conditions on mutation accumulation to address mechanisms underlying genome instability during replicative aging.
Microbiology, Issue 92, Aging, mutations, genome instability,
Saccharomyces cerevisiae, fluctuation test, magnetic sorting, mother cell, replicative aging
51850
Quantification of Orofacial Phenotypes in
Xenopus Institutions: Virginia Commonwealth University. Xenopus
has become an important tool for dissecting the mechanisms governing craniofacial development and defects. A method to quantify orofacial development will allow for more rigorous analysis of orofacial phenotypes upon abrogation with substances that can genetically or molecularly manipulate gene expression or protein function. Using two dimensional images of the embryonic heads, traditional size dimensions-such as orofacial width, height and area- are measured. In addition, a roundness measure of the embryonic mouth opening is used to describe the shape of the mouth. Geometric morphometrics of these two dimensional images is also performed to provide a more sophisticated view of changes in the shape of the orofacial region. Landmarks are assigned to specific points in the orofacial region and coordinates are created. A principle component analysis is used to reduce landmark coordinates to principle components that then discriminate the treatment groups. These results are displayed as a scatter plot in which individuals with similar orofacial shapes cluster together. It is also useful to perform a discriminant function analysis, which statistically compares the positions of the landmarks between two treatment groups. This analysis is displayed on a transformation grid where changes in landmark position are viewed as vectors. A grid is superimposed on these vectors so that a warping pattern is displayed to show where significant landmark positions have changed. Shape changes in the discriminant function analysis are based on a statistical measure, and therefore can be evaluated by a p-value. This analysis is simple and accessible, requiring only a stereoscope and freeware software, and thus will be a valuable research and teaching resource.
Developmental Biology, Issue 93, Orofacial quantification, geometric morphometrics,
Xenopus, orofacial development, orofacial defects, shape changes, facial dimensions
52062
Community-based Adapted Tango Dancing for Individuals with Parkinson's Disease and Older Adults
Institutions: Emory University School of Medicine, Brigham and Woman‘s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital.
Adapted tango dancing improves mobility and balance in older adults and additional populations with balance impairments. It is composed of very simple step elements. Adapted tango involves movement initiation and cessation, multi-directional perturbations, varied speeds and rhythms. Focus on foot placement, whole body coordination, and attention to partner, path of movement, and aesthetics likely underlie adapted tango’s demonstrated efficacy for improving mobility and balance. In this paper, we describe the methodology to disseminate the adapted tango teaching methods to dance instructor trainees and to implement the adapted tango by the trainees in the community for older adults and individuals with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Efficacy in improving mobility (measured with the Timed Up and Go, Tandem stance, Berg Balance Scale, Gait Speed and 30 sec chair stand), safety and fidelity of the program is maximized through targeted instructor and volunteer training and a structured detailed syllabus outlining class practices and progression.
Behavior, Issue 94, Dance, tango, balance, pedagogy, dissemination, exercise, older adults, Parkinson's Disease, mobility impairments, falls
52066
Murine Ileocolic Bowel Resection with Primary Anastomosis
Institutions: University of Alberta, University of Alberta.
Intestinal resections are frequently required for treatment of diseases involving the gastrointestinal tract, with Crohn’s disease and colon cancer being two common examples. Despite the frequency of these procedures, a significant knowledge gap remains in describing the inherent effects of intestinal resection on host physiology and disease pathophysiology. This article provides detailed instructions for an ileocolic resection with primary end-to-end anastomosis in mice, as well as essential aspects of peri-operative care to maximize post-operative success. When followed closely, this procedure yields a 95% long-term survival rate, no failure to thrive, and minimizes post-operative complications of bowel obstruction and anastomotic leak. The technical challenges of performing the procedure in mice are a barrier to its wide spread use in research. The skills described in this article can be acquired without previous surgical experience. Once mastered, the murine ileocolic resection procedure will provide a reproducible tool for studying the effects of intestinal resection in models of human disease.
Medicine, Issue 92, Ileocolic resection, anastomosis, Crohn's disease, mouse models, intestinal adaptation, short bowel syndrome
52106
A Hybrid DNA Extraction Method for the Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment of Bacterial Communities from Poultry Production Samples
Institutions: USDA-Agricultural Research Service, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Oregon State University, University of Georgia, Northern Arizona University.
The efficacy of DNA extraction protocols can be highly dependent upon both the type of sample being investigated and the types of downstream analyses performed. Considering that the use of new bacterial community analysis techniques (
e.g.,
microbiomics, metagenomics) is becoming more prevalent in the agricultural and environmental sciences and many environmental samples within these disciplines can be physiochemically and microbiologically unique (
e.g.,
fecal and litter/bedding samples from the poultry production spectrum), appropriate and effective DNA extraction methods need to be carefully chosen. Therefore, a novel semi-automated hybrid DNA extraction method was developed specifically for use with environmental poultry production samples. This method is a combination of the two major types of DNA extraction: mechanical and enzymatic. A two-step intense mechanical homogenization step (using bead-beating specifically formulated for environmental samples) was added to the beginning of the “gold standard” enzymatic DNA extraction method for fecal samples to enhance the removal of bacteria and DNA from the sample matrix and improve the recovery of Gram-positive bacterial community members. Once the enzymatic extraction portion of the hybrid method was initiated, the remaining purification process was automated using a robotic workstation to increase sample throughput and decrease sample processing error. In comparison to the strict mechanical and enzymatic DNA extraction methods, this novel hybrid method provided the best overall combined performance when considering quantitative (using 16S rRNA qPCR) and qualitative (using microbiomics) estimates of the total bacterial communities when processing poultry feces and litter samples.
Molecular Biology, Issue 94, DNA extraction, poultry, environmental, feces, litter, semi-automated, microbiomics, qPCR
52161
Depletion of Ribosomal RNA for Mosquito Gut Metagenomic RNA-seq
Institutions: New Mexico State University.
The mosquito gut accommodates dynamic microbial communities across different stages of the insect's life cycle. Characterization of the genetic capacity and functionality of the gut community will provide insight into the effects of gut microbiota on mosquito life traits. Metagenomic RNA-Seq has become an important tool to analyze transcriptomes from various microbes present in a microbial community. Messenger RNA usually comprises only 1-3% of total RNA, while rRNA constitutes approximately 90%. It is challenging to enrich messenger RNA from a metagenomic microbial RNA sample because most prokaryotic mRNA species lack stable poly(A) tails. This prevents oligo d(T) mediated mRNA isolation. Here, we describe a protocol that employs sample derived rRNA capture probes to remove rRNA from a metagenomic total RNA sample. To begin, both mosquito and microbial small and large subunit rRNA fragments are amplified from a metagenomic community DNA sample. Then, the community specific biotinylated antisense ribosomal RNA probes are synthesized
in vitro
using T7 RNA polymerase. The biotinylated rRNA probes are hybridized to the total RNA. The hybrids are captured by streptavidin-coated beads and removed from the total RNA. This subtraction-based protocol efficiently removes both mosquito and microbial rRNA from the total RNA sample. The mRNA enriched sample is further processed for RNA amplification and RNA-Seq.
Genetics, Issue 74, Infection, Infectious Diseases, Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology, Microbiology, Genomics, biology (general), genetics (animal and plant), life sciences, Eukaryota, Bacteria, metagenomics, metatranscriptome, RNA-seq, rRNA depletion, mRNA enrichment, mosquito gut microbiome, RNA, DNA, sequencing
50093
Heterotypic Three-dimensional
In Vitro Modeling of Stromal-Epithelial Interactions During Ovarian Cancer Initiation and Progression Institutions: University of Southern California, University College London.
Epithelial ovarian cancers (EOCs) are the leading cause of death from gynecological malignancy in Western societies. Despite advances in surgical treatments and improved platinum-based chemotherapies, there has been little improvement in EOC survival rates for more than four decades
1,2
. Whilst stage I tumors have 5-year survival rates >85%, survival rates for stage III/IV disease are <40%. Thus, the high rates of mortality for EOC could be significantly decreased if tumors were detected at earlier, more treatable, stages
3-5
. At present, the molecular genetic and biological basis of early stage disease development is poorly understood. More specifically, little is known about the role of the microenvironment during tumor initiation; but known risk factors for EOCs (
e.g.
age and parity) suggest that the microenvironment plays a key role in the early genesis of EOCs. We therefore developed three-dimensional heterotypic models of both the normal ovary and of early stage ovarian cancers. For the normal ovary, we co-cultured normal ovarian surface epithelial (IOSE) and normal stromal fibroblast (INOF) cells, immortalized by retrovrial transduction of the catalytic subunit of human telomerase holoenzyme (
hTERT
) to extend the lifespan of these cells in culture. To model the earliest stages of ovarian epithelial cell transformation, overexpression of the
CMYC
oncogene in IOSE cells, again co-cultured with INOF cells. These heterotypic models were used to investigate the effects of aging and senescence on the transformation and invasion of epithelial cells. Here we describe the methodological steps in development of these three-dimensional model; these methodologies aren't specific to the development of normal ovary and ovarian cancer tissues, and could be used to study other tissue types where stromal and epithelial cell interactions are a fundamental aspect of the tissue maintenance and disease development.
Cancer Biology, Issue 66, Medicine, Tissue Engineering, three-dimensional cultures, stromal-epithelial interactions, epithelial ovarian cancer, ovarian surface epithelium, ovarian fibroblasts, tumor initiation
4206
Culture of myeloid dendritic cells from bone marrow precursors
Institutions: McMaster University, McMaster University, University of Waterloo.
Myeloid dendritic cells (DCs) are frequently used to study the interactions between innate and adaptive immune mechanisms and the early response to infection. Because these are the most potent antigen presenting cells, DCs are being increasingly used as a vaccine vector to study the induction of antigen-specific immune responses. In this video, we demonstrate the procedure for harvesting tibias and femurs from a donor mouse, processing the bone marrow and differentiating DCs in vitro. The properties of DCs change following stimulation: immature dendritic cells are potent phagocytes, whereas mature DCs are capable of antigen presentation and interaction with CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. This change in functional activity corresponds with the upregulation of cell surface markers and cytokine production. Many agents can be used to mature DCs, including cytokines and toll-like receptor ligands. In this video, we demonstrate flow cytometric comparisons of expression of two co-stimulatory molecules, CD86 and CD40, and the cytokine, IL-12, following overnight stimulation with CpG or mock treatment. After differentiation, DCs can be further manipulated for use as a vaccine vector or to generate antigen-specific immune responses by in vitro pulsing using peptides or proteins, or transduced using recombinant viral vectors.
Immunology, Issue 17, dendritic cells, GM-CSF, culture, bone marrow
769
Testing Protozoacidal Activity of Ligand-lytic Peptides Against Termite Gut Protozoa
in vitro (Protozoa Culture) and in vivo (Microinjection into Termite Hindgut) Institutions: Louisiana State University Agricultural Center.
We are developing a novel approach to subterranean termite control that would lead to reduced reliance on the use of chemical pesticides. Subterranean termites are dependent on protozoa in the hindguts of workers to efficiently digest wood. Lytic peptides have been shown to kill a variety of protozoan parasites (Mutwiri
et al.
2000) and also protozoa in the gut of the Formosan subterranean termite,
Coptotermes formosanus
(Husseneder and Collier 2009). Lytic peptides are part of the nonspecific immune system of eukaryotes, and destroy the membranes of microorganisms (Leuschner and Hansel 2004). Most lytic peptides are not likely to harm higher eukaryotes, because they do not affect the electrically neutral cholesterol-containing cell membranes of higher eukaryotes (Javadpour
et al.
1996). Lytic peptide action can be targeted to specific cell types by the addition of a ligand. For example, Hansel
et al.
(2007) reported that lytic peptides conjugated with cancer cell membrane receptor ligands could be used to destroy breast cancer cells, while lytic peptides alone or conjugated with non-specific peptides were not effective. Lytic peptides also have been conjugated to human hormones that bind to receptors on tumor cells for targeted destruction of prostate and testicular cancer cells (Leuschner and Hansel 2004).
In this article we present techniques used to demonstrate the protozoacidal activity of a lytic peptide (Hecate) coupled to a heptapeptide ligand that binds to the surface membrane of protozoa from the gut of the Formosan subterranean termite. These techniques include extirpation of the gut from termite workers, anaerobic culture of gut protozoa (
Pseudotrichonympha grassii
,
Holomastigotoides hartmanni
,
Spirotrichonympha leidyi
), microscopic confirmation that the ligand marked with a fluorescent dye binds to the termite gut protozoa and other free-living protozoa but not to bacteria or gut tissue. We also demonstrate that the same ligand coupled to a lytic peptide efficiently kills termite gut protozoa
in vitro
(protozoa culture) and
in vivo
(microinjection into hindgut of workers), but is less bacteriacidal than the lytic peptide alone. The loss of protozoa leads to the death of the termites in less than two weeks.
In the future, we will genetically engineer microorganisms that can survive in the termite hindgut and spread through a termite colony as "Trojan Horses" to express ligand-lytic peptides that would kill the protozoa in the termite gut and subsequently kill the termites in the colony. Ligand-lytic peptides also could be useful for drug development against protozoan parasites.
Microbiology, Issue 46, Isoptera, Coptotermes formosanus, Formosan subterranean termite, termite control, paratransgenesis, symbionts, anaerobic, fluorescence
2190
Competitive Homing Assays to Study Gut-tropic T Cell Migration
Institutions: Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School.
In order to exert their function lymphocytes need to leave the blood and migrate into different tissues in the body. Lymphocyte adhesion to endothelial cells and tissue extravasation is a multistep process controlled by different adhesion molecules (homing receptors) expressed on lymphocytes and their respective ligands (addressins) displayed on endothelial cells
1 2
. Even though the function of these adhesion receptors can be partially studied
ex vivo
, the ultimate test for their physiological relevance is to assess their role during
in vivo
lymphocyte adhesion and migration. Two complementary strategies have been used for this purpose: intravital microscopy (IVM) and homing experiments. Although IVM has been essential to define the precise contribution of specific adhesion receptors during the adhesion cascade in real time and in different tissues, IVM is time consuming and labor intensive, it often requires the development of sophisticated surgical techniques, it needs prior isolation of homogeneous cell populations and it permits the analysis of only one tissue/organ at any given time. By contrast, competitive homing experiments allow the direct and simultaneous comparison in the migration of two (or even more) cell subsets in the same mouse and they also permit the analysis of many tissues and of a high number of cells in the same experiment.Here we describe the classical competitive homing protocol used to determine the advantage/disadvantage of a given cell type to home to specific tissues as compared to a control cell population. We chose to illustrate the migratory properties of gut-tropic versus non gut-tropic T cells, because the intestinal mucosa is the largest body surface in contact with the external environment and it is also the extra-lymphoid tissue with the best-defined migratory requirements. Moreover, recent work has determined that the vitamin A metabolite all-
trans
retinoic acid (RA) is the main molecular mechanism responsible for inducing gut-specific adhesion receptors (integrin a4b7and chemokine receptor CCR9) on lymphocytes. Thus, we can readily generate large numbers of gut-tropic and non gut-tropic lymphocytes
ex vivo
by activating T cells in the presence or absence of RA, respectively, which can be finally used in the competitive homing experiments described here.
Immunology, Issue 49, Homing, competitive, gut-tropism, chemokine, in vivo
2619
A Cell Free Assay System Estimating the Neutralizing Capacity of GM-CSF Antibody using Recombinant Soluble GM-CSF Receptor
Institutions: Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital, Kyorin University, Immuno Biological Laboratories Co., Ltd..
BACKGROUNDS: Previously, we demonstrated that neutralizing capacity but not the concentration of GM-CSF autoantibody was correlated with the disease severity in patients with autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP)
1-3
. As abrogation of GM-CSF bioactivity in the lung is the likely cause for autoimmune PAP
4,5
, it is promising to measure the neutralizing capacity of GM-CSF autoantibodies for evaluating the disease severity in each patient with PAP.Until now, neutralizing capacity of GM-CSF autoantibodies has been assessed by evaluating the growth inhibition of human bone marrow cells or TF-1 cells stimulated with GM-CSF
6-8
. In the bioassay system, however, it is often problematic to obtain reliable data as well as to compare the data from different laboratories, due to the technical difficulties in maintaining the cells in a constant condition.OBJECTIVE: To mimic GM-CSF binding to GM-CSF receptor on the cell surface using cell-free receptor-binding-assay.METHODS: Transgenic silkworm technology was applied for obtaining a large amount for recombinant soluble GM-CSF receptor alpha (sGMRα) with high purity
9-13
. The recombinant sGMRα was contained in the hydrophilic sericin layers of silk threads without being fused to the silk proteins, and thus, we can easily extract from the cocoons in good purity with neutral aqueous solutions
14,15
. Fortunately, the oligosaccharide structures, which are critical for binding with GM-CSF, are more similar to the structures of human sGMRα than those produced by other insects or yeasts.RESULTS: The cell-free assay system using sGMRα yielded the data with high plasticity and reliability. GM-CSF binding to sGMRα was dose-dependently inhibited by polyclonal GM-CSF autoantibody in a similar manner to the bioassay using TF-1 cells, indicating that our new cell-free assay system using sGMRα is more useful for the measurement of neutralizing activity of GM-CSF autoantibodies than the bioassay system using TF-1 cell or human bone marrow cells.CONCLUSIONS: We established a cell-free assay quantifying the neutralizing capacity of GM-CSF autoantibody.
Molecular Biology, Issue 52, GM-CSF, GM-CSF autoantibody, GM-CSF receptor α, receptor binding assay, cell free system
2742
Particle Agglutination Method for Poliovirus Identification
Institutions: National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fujirebio Inc..
In the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, laboratory diagnosis plays a critical role by isolating and identifying PV from the stool samples of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) cases. In the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Polio Laboratory Network, PV isolation and identification are currently being performed by using cell culture system and real-time RT-PCR, respectively. In the post-eradication era of PV, simple and rapid identification procedures would be helpful for rapid confirmation of polio cases at the national laboratories. In the present study, we will show the procedure of novel PA assay developed for PV identification. This PA assay utilizes interaction of PV receptor (PVR) molecule and virion that is specific and uniform affinity to all the serotypes of PV. The procedure is simple (one step procedure in reaction plates) and rapid (results can be obtained within 2 h of reaction), and the result is visually observed (observation of agglutination of gelatin particles).
Immunology, Issue 50, Poliovirus, identification, particle agglutination, virus receptor
2824
Assessing Hepatic Metabolic Changes During Progressive Colonization of Germ-free Mouse by
1H NMR Spectroscopy Institutions: The University of Reading, The University of Reading .
It is well known that gut bacteria contribute significantly to the host homeostasis, providing a range of benefits such as immune protection and vitamin synthesis. They also supply the host with a considerable amount of nutrients, making this ecosystem an essential metabolic organ. In the context of increasing evidence of the link between the gut flora and the metabolic syndrome, understanding the metabolic interaction between the host and its gut microbiota is becoming an important challenge of modern biology.
1-4
Colonization (also referred to as normalization process) designates the establishment of micro-organisms in a former germ-free animal. While it is a natural process occurring at birth, it is also used in adult germ-free animals to control the gut floral ecosystem and further determine its impact on the host metabolism. A common procedure to control the colonization process is to use the gavage method with a single or a mixture of micro-organisms. This method results in a very quick colonization and presents the disadvantage of being extremely stressful
5
. It is therefore useful to minimize the stress and to obtain a slower colonization process to observe gradually the impact of bacterial establishment on the host metabolism. In this manuscript, we describe a procedure to assess the modification of hepatic metabolism during a gradual colonization process using a non-destructive metabolic profiling technique. We propose to monitor gut microbial colonization by assessing the gut microbial metabolic activity reflected by the urinary excretion of microbial co-metabolites by
1
H NMR-based metabolic profiling. This allows an appreciation of the stability of gut microbial activity beyond the stable establishment of the gut microbial ecosystem usually assessed by monitoring fecal bacteria by DGGE (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis).
6
The colonization takes place in a conventional open environment and is initiated by a dirty litter soiled by conventional animals, which will serve as controls. Rodents being coprophagous animals, this ensures a homogenous colonization as previously described.
7
Hepatic metabolic profiling is measured directly from an intact liver biopsy using
1
H High Resolution Magic Angle Spinning NMR spectroscopy. This semi-quantitative technique offers a quick way to assess, without damaging the cell structure, the major metabolites such as triglycerides, glucose and glycogen in order to further estimate the complex interaction between the colonization process and the hepatic metabolism
7-10
. This method can also be applied to any tissue biopsy
11,12
.
Immunology, Issue 58, Germ-free animal, colonization, NMR, HR MAS NMR, metabonomics
3642
Depletion and Reconstitution of Macrophages in Mice
Institutions: University of British Columbia , Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, University of British Columbia .
Macrophages are critical players in the innate immune response to infectious challenge or injury, initiating the innate immune response and directing the acquired immune response. Macrophage dysfunction can lead to an inability to mount an appropriate immune response and as such, has been implicated in many disease processes, including inflammatory bowel diseases. Macrophages display polarized phenotypes that are broadly divided into two categories. Classically activated macrophages, activated by stimulation with IFNγ or LPS, play an essential role in response to bacterial challenge whereas alternatively activated macrophages, activated by IL-4 or IL-13, participate in debris scavenging and tissue remodeling and have been implicated in the resolution phase of inflammation. During an inflammatory response
in vivo
, macrophages are found amid a complex mixture of infiltrating immune cells and may participate by exacerbating or resolving inflammation. To define the role of macrophages
in situ
in a whole animal model, it is necessary to examine the effect of depleting macrophages from the complex environment. To ask questions about the role of macrophage phenotype
in situ
, phenotypically defined polarized macrophages can be derived
ex vivo
, from bone marrow aspirates and added back to mice, with or without prior depletion of macrophages. In the protocol presented here clodronate-containing liposomes, versus PBS injected controls, were used to deplete colonic macrophages during dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. In addition, polarized macrophages were derived
ex vivo
and transferred to mice by intravenous injection. A caveat to this approach is that clodronate-containing liposomes deplete all professional phagocytes, including both dendritic cells and macrophages so to ensure the effect observed by depletion is macrophage-specific, reconstitution of phenotype by adoptive transfer of macrophages is necessary. Systemic macrophage depletion in mice can also be achieved by backcrossing mice onto a CD11b-DTR background, which is an excellent complementary approach. The advantage of clodronate-containing liposome-mediated depletion is that it does not require the time and expense involved in backcrossing mice and it can be used in mice regardless of the background of the mice (C57BL/6, BALB/c, or mixed background).
Immunology, Issue 66, Molecular Biology, macrophages, clodronate-containing liposomes, macrophage depletion, macrophage derivation, macrophage reconstitution
4105
Preparation of Dissociated Mouse Cortical Neuron Cultures
Institutions: University of California, Irvine (UCI).
This video will guide you through the process for generating cortical neuronal cultures from late embryo and early postnatal mouse brain. These cultures can be used for a variety of applications including immunocytochemistry, biochemistry, electrophysiology, calcium and sodium imaging, protein and/or RNA isolation. These cultures also provide a platform to study the neuronal development of transgenic animals that carry a late embryonic or postnatal lethal gene mutation. The procedure is relatively straight forward, requires some experience in tissue culture technique and should not take longer than two to three hours if you are properly prepared. Careful separation of the cortical rind from the thalamo-cortical fiber tract will reduce the number of unwanted non-neuronal cells. To increase yields of neuronal cells triturate the pieces of the cortical tissue gently after the enzyme incubation step. This is imperative as it prevents unnecessary injury to cells and premature neuronal cell death. Since these cultures are maintained in the absence of glia feeder cells, they also offer an added advantage of growing cultures enriched in neurons.
Neuroscience, Issue 10, cellular, molecular, neurobiology, neuron, calcium/sodium imaging, primary cultures, mouse
562
Layers of Symbiosis - Visualizing the Termite Hindgut Microbial Community
Institutions: California Institute of Technology - Caltech.
Jared Leadbetter takes us for a nature walk through the diversity of life resident in the termite hindgut - a microenvironment containing 250 different species found nowhere else on Earth. Jared reveals that the symbiosis exhibited by this system is multi-layered and involves not only a relationship between the termite and its gut inhabitants, but also involves a complex web of symbiosis among the gut microbes themselves.
Microbiology, issue 4, microbial community, symbiosis, hindgut
197
Testing the Physiological Barriers to Viral Transmission in Aphids Using Microinjection
Institutions: Cornell University, Cornell University.
Potato loafroll virus (PLRV), from the family Luteoviridae infects solanaceous plants. It is transmitted by aphids, primarily, the green peach aphid. When an uninfected aphid feeds on an infected plant it contracts the virus through the plant phloem. Once ingested, the virus must pass from the insect gut to the hemolymph (the insect blood ) and then must pass through the salivary gland, in order to be transmitted back to a new plant. An aphid may take up different viruses when munching on a plant, however only a small fraction will pass through the gut and salivary gland, the two main barriers for transmission to infect more plants. In the lab, we use physalis plants to study PLRV transmission. In this host, symptoms are characterized by stunting and interveinal chlorosis (yellowing of the leaves between the veins with the veins remaining green). The video that we present demonstrates a method for performing aphid microinjection on insects that do not vector PLVR viruses and tests whether the gut is preventing viral transmission.
The video that we present demonstrates a method for performing Aphid microinjection on insects that do not vector PLVR viruses and tests whether the gut or salivary gland is preventing viral transmission.
Plant Biology, Issue 15, Annual Review, Aphids, Plant Virus, Potato Leaf Roll Virus, Microinjection Technique
700
Genetic Studies of Human DNA Repair Proteins Using Yeast as a Model System
Institutions: National Institute on Aging, NIH.
Understanding the roles of human DNA repair proteins in genetic pathways is a formidable challenge to many researchers. Genetic studies in mammalian systems have been limited due to the lack of readily available tools including defined mutant genetic cell lines, regulatory expression systems, and appropriate selectable markers. To circumvent these difficulties, model genetic systems in lower eukaryotes have become an attractive choice for the study of functionally conserved DNA repair proteins and pathways. We have developed a model yeast system to study the poorly defined genetic functions of the Werner syndrome helicase-nuclease (
WRN
) in nucleic acid metabolism. Cellular phenotypes associated with defined genetic mutant backgrounds can be investigated to clarify the cellular and molecular functions of
WRN
through its catalytic activities and protein interactions. The human
WRN
gene and associated variants, cloned into DNA plasmids for expression in yeast, can be placed under the control of a regulatory plasmid element. The expression construct can then be transformed into the appropriate yeast mutant background, and genetic function assayed by a variety of methodologies. Using this approach, we determined that
WRN
, like its related RecQ family members BLM and Sgs1, operates in a Top3-dependent pathway that is likely to be important for genomic stability. This is described in our recent publication [1] at www.impactaging.com. Detailed methods of specific assays for genetic complementation studies in yeast are provided in this paper.
Microbiology, Issue 37, Werner syndrome, helicase, topoisomerase, RecQ, Bloom's syndrome, Sgs1, genomic instability, genetics, DNA repair, yeast
1639
Investigating the Microbial Community in the Termite Hindgut - Interview
Institutions: California Institute of Technology - Caltech.
Jared Leadbetter explains why the termite-gut microbial community is an excellent system for studying the complex interactions between microbes. The symbiotic relationship existing between the host insect and lignocellulose-degrading gut microbes is explained, as well as the industrial uses of these microbes for degrading plant biomass and generating biofuels.
Microbiology, issue 4, microbial community, diversity
196 | 52,447 | 20,456 | 0.000049 |
warc | 201704 | NEW YORK (JTA) — For years, Rina Deych was treated like she was crazy.
Fighting the Yom Kippur ritual of kapparot, she was told things had always been this way and if she kept up the battle, she would only incite anti-Semitism.
Year after year, people would kindly suggest she find another hobby. Cats, maybe.
But today, the Brooklyn nurse and animal rights activist believes the tide is finally turning.
“I’m not an optimist by nature,” Deych told JTA. “But I believe that I will live to see the day when chickens are no longer used for kapparot.”
Animal rights groups long have protested kapparot, an ancient ritual in which a chicken is swung over the head and then slaughtered in a symbolic transference of a person’s sins in advance of the Jewish Day of Atonement. The protests had little effect.
In recent years, however, a small but growing number of rabbis have spoken about against a ritual that continues to be practiced by tens of thousands of mostly Orthodox Jews around the world.
Last week, the recently elected Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel, David Lau, warned kapparot organizers that the failure to treat animals decently is a violation of religious law. And a number of other prominent rabbis have expressed concern that the ritual, in which chickens are hauled into dense urban centers by the truckload, makes it virtually impossible to adhere to the principle of “tzaar baalei chayim,” which prohibits inflicting suffering on animals.
“People are starting to think twice about the whole thing,” Deych said.
While many Jews perform kapparot with money or fish, some prefer the live chicken — the meat is donated to charity after slaughter. Many hasidic groups believe the slaughter is what delivers the necessary spiritual punch in advance of the day when tradition says one’s destiny in the year ahead is sealed.
“The main part of the service is handing the chicken to the slaughterer and watching the chicken being slaughtered,” Rabbi Shea Hecht, head of the Chabad-affiliated National Committee for the Furtherance of Jewish Education and the organizer of a major kapparot site in Brooklyn, said in a recent NPR interview. “Because that is where you have an emotional moment, where you say, ‘Oops, you know what? That could have been me.'”
Deych, 56, lives in the Orthodox Brooklyn enclave of Borough Park. In her three-story house she keeps a dog, two parrots, 14 cats (two of which are on dialysis), a sick kitten and a rotating cast of strays — all of which require approximately four to six hours of care a day.
“You have to be a little bit crazy to do this,” she admits, “but I do it for the same reasons I became a nurse. I can’t stand to see a living creature suffer without trying to help. I feel it’s my duty.”
So when Deych, who is not Orthodox, discovered 20 years ago that the custom of using chickens for kapparot was taking root in her neighborhood, she embarked on a crusade. She begun schlepping from one kapparot site to the next trying to convince organizers that the birds were suffering and that using money — a religiously approved alternative — was a better choice.
During her visits, she would come across crates crammed with chickens stacked on top of each other and left in the sun for days. In most cases, she says, there was no sign that the birds had been given food or water.
Deych would plead with managers to feed the birds and let them roam; sometimes they would oblige.
“Mostly they’d tell me it’s not tzaar baalei chaim because conditions were no worse from what the chickens were used to in the food industry,” she said.
Seeing that practitioners commonly swung the chickens by their wings, Deych would explain that broiler chickens, bred for their meat, had a particularly heavy body and weak wings and by swinging it that way they were tearing the bird’s tendons.
“Every year I’d see little kids tell their parents, ‘The bird is crying!,’ and the parents would say ‘No, it’s singing. It’s happy to help us,’ ” she recalled. “I’d come over and tell them the kid is right.”
Contradicting parents in front of their children did not make her popular, but it did earn her the title of “the crazy chicken lady.”
Despite her efforts, kapparot operations grew. Considering that a chicken costs as little as a few dollars but reportedly can sell as a vehicle for atonement for up to $30, it’s not surprising.
Among the biggest kapparot sites in Brooklyn is the one in Crown Heights, near the Chabad world headquarters. In 2007, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent a formal complaint to New York City’s Department of Health along with a video showing live chickens being thrown into garbage bags to suffocate along with the dead.
Rabbi Avi Shafran, director of public affairs for the haredi Orthodox Agudath Israel of America, acknowledged in 2009 that there had been “inexcusable” situations in which animals were not treated properly.
In 2007, Shafran’s group enlisted a group of rabbis to supervise the main kapparot centers and ensure that the ceremony confirms to both Jewish law and municipal regulations. But the problems persisted.
In 2012, the Los Angeles Jewish Journal reported that $50,000-$100,000 worth of chicken meat was found in dumpsters around the city. In Israel, Jerusalem authorities centralized kapparot in four supervised locations and closed down others after complaints from residents. And in Tel Aviv, residents petitioned the mayor to stop the ceremonies altogether after dead chickens were found in trash cans.
As public awareness grew, Deych’s views were taken more seriously. In 2010, she joined forces with Karen Davis, president of United Poultry Concerns, a nonprofit promoting good treatment of domestic fowl.
Together they helped form the Alliance To End Chickens As Kaporos, which holds yearly protests near kapparot sites in New York and Los Angeles.
The same year the alliance was formed, Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, the head of the Ateret Yerushalayim yeshiva in Israel, joined Israel’s largest animal rights organization in a campaign against the use of chickens for kapparot. By 2012, he was joined by other prominent Israeli rabbis, including Yuval Cherlow and the late Menachem Froman.
All of which has Deych hopeful that the practice is in its death throes.
“This year,” she said, “I’ve already had practitioners tell me you’re right, I’m not doing this anymore.” | 6,695 | 3,271 | 0.000322 |
warc | 201704 | There are not many things in this world more terrifying than your child experiencing a serious injury…. It is every parent’s worst nightmare.
Many Australian families are faced with this situation every year. On average, 250 Australian children die and a further 58,000 are admitted to hospital every year due to an unintentional injury.
Serious injuries can be a traumatic experience not only for the child involved, but also for their parents, siblings, relatives (uncles, aunts, grandparents etc.), family friends or a general member of the public who is there when the injury occurs.
The physical and emotional hardships of experiencing a child injury should not be underestimated. During this time a range of support and assistance may be required.
Kidsafe Victoria’s Post Injury Support Portal is designed to provide you with information, advice and links to services that may be useful during this difficult time, including support services (e.g. counselling services and support groups), online support groups and blogs, resources, first aid information and personal stories/experiences.
To access this information please click on the links in the menu to the left hand side.
Please note: This site is not intended to replace medical advice, but provide links to information, advice and support services. If you or someone you know is experiencing an emotional crisis, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 (24 hour support).
Kidsafe Victorias Post Injury Support Portal is proudly supported by the Ian Potter Foundation.
The Ian Potter Foundation is one of Australia’s major philanthropic foundations. The Foundation makes grants nationally to support charitable organisations working to benefit the community across a wide range of sectors including the Arts, environment, science, medical research, education and community wellbeing. The Ian Potter Foundation aims to support and promote a healthy, vibrant and fair community for the benefit of all Australians. | 1,997 | 998 | 0.001017 |
warc | 201704 | Evil and International Relations: Human Suffering in an Age of Terror By Renee Jeffery
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan 2007-12 | 248 Pages | ISBN: 1403977348 | PDF | 1 MB
Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the concept of 'evil' has enjoyed renewed popularity in both international political rhetoric and scholarly writing. World leaders, politicians, and intellectuals have increasingly turned to 'evil' to describe the very worst humanitarian atrocities that continue to mark international affairs. However, precisely what 'evil' actually entails is not well understood. Little consensus exists as to what 'evil' is, how it is manifested in the international sphere, and what we ought to do about it. With this in mind, this work seeks to ascertain precisely what is meant by 'evil' when it is used to describe actors and events in international politics. Focusing on the history of evil in western secular and religious thought, it reintroduces a classical understanding of evil as the means according to which we seek to understand otherwise meaningless human suffering.
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
а б в г д е ж з и й к л м н о п р с т у ф х ц ч ш щ ъ ы ь э ю я
Информация
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Гости, не могут оставлять комментарии в данной новости. | 1,912 | 908 | 0.001592 |
warc | 201704 | Maintaining
good health during pregnancy should be a priority for every woman. Good health during pregnancy means keeping your blood sugar level, your weight and blood pressure under control. Hypertension in pregnancy is the leading cause for foetal problems like premature birth, low birth weight of the baby and still born baby. It also causes complications for the mother at the time of delivery.
You may suffer from
high blood pressure during pregnancy if you are already suffering from hypertension or you are above 40 years of age. Other risk factors include being overweight, improper diet, lack of physical activity or if you are carrying more than one foetus.
You should keep a watch on your
blood pressure level as soon as you are pregnant. Get regular checkups with your gynaecologist and follow her/his advice. You can avoid hypertension in pregnancy by following the tips that are mentioned below. Tips To Avoid Hypertension In Pregnancy Reduce Sodium intake
If you are in a habit of sprinkling salt on your salads,
quit it to control high blood pressure. Vegetables contain natural salts and the extra sodium that you add causes high blood pressure. Your total salt intake should not be more than one tea spoon per day. Avoid chips, processed cheese and junk food to reduce your salt intake. Reduce Stress
Stress is one of the major
causes for hypertension in pregnancy. It is natural for women to suffer from increased level of stress during pregnancy. This is the time when so many physical and emotional changes are taking place in your lives. You have to make certain lifestyle changes as well and for that you need the support of your family.
You can take outside help for daily chores to
reduce stress and strain. Take enough rest and do not tire yourself. Get adequate sleep to lower your blood pressure. Do deep breathing and meditation to reduce your stress and blood pressure level. Exercise Moderate exercise is essential to manage hypertension in pregnancy. You must consult your doctor for an exercise plan and do it regularly. A sedentary lifestyle will cause excess weight gain, which will further cause hypertension.
Do short walks of 5-10 minutes duration two to three times a day. You can
join Lamaze classes in your area where you will be taught the right breathing techniques and stress management. Certain yoga poses are also beneficial to avoid hypertension in pregnancy. Watch Your Diet
Certain foods help to control high blood pressure during pregnancy. Spinach, banana, beans, soy and skim milk are beneficial for expectant mothers to
avoid hypertension. Consumption of dark chocolates in moderation also prevents hypertension in pregnancy. Drink plenty of water and other fluids to prevent constipation. Orange, grapefruit and sweet lime contain rich amounts of Vitamin C, which helps to keep blood pressure level under control.
Avoid the use of salt in fruit juice.
Coconut water is a healthy option to avoid hypertension in pregnancy. You should drink 250 ml. of coconut water every day to manage your blood pressure level. If the above mentioned tips do not work for you, you must consult your doctor to manage hypertension in pregnancy. | 3,199 | 1,447 | 0.000695 |
warc | 201704 | By Clarissa Kell-Holland
staff writer
For nearly three months now, federal officials have been unsuccessful in trying to pinpoint the source of the largest produce-linked salmonella outbreak in U.S. history. It had sickened more than 900 people in 40 states and Washington, DC, as of early July.
Some truckers have shied away from hauling any tomatoes until the coast is clear as officials attempt to sort out whether certain types of tomatoes – red Roma, red round and red plum – are indeed the culprits as originally suspected. Other produce served with the tomatoes in such dishes as salsa and guacamole may be to blame, but officials are not sure.
As of press time, FDA investigators were still looking at the two top growing regions for tomatoes – Mexico and Florida – for clues into what may have caused the outbreak tied to the rare Saint Paul strain. All points in the food supply chain are still being investigated, including farms where the tomatoes were grown, irrigation systems, and washing and storage facilities. In July, the FDA announced it was also focusing on packing houses and shipping docks as potential entry points for the source of the contamination.
According to the Centers for Disease Control’s Web site, 117 people in the U.S. were known to be affected by this particular strain of bacteria in 2007.
Fool me twice, no way
OOIDA member and produce hauler Gayland Monday told
Land Line Magazine recently he made the decision to play it safe – no tomatoes of any kind on his five trucks.
Monday, who lives in Queen City, TX, said he’s not taking any chances hauling potentially contaminated tomatoes until the U.S. Food and Drug Administration pinpoints the source of the contaminated produce.
He learned that tactic the hard way.
Almost two years ago, when an outbreak linked to E. coli in bagged spinach was announced, Monday had pallets of the potentially contaminated product on his trailer. The spinach was refused at the warehouse when he tried to unload, and he was left holding the bag.
Monday said he lost a day’s wages just trying to figure out what to do with the rejected spinach. Then he had to offload the pallets and pay someone to dump the bagged spinach at a landfill. He also had to pay the landfill, but he wasn’t reimbursed by the shipper for his costs.
“I am just not going to haul tomatoes until this is all cleared up. I am just not going to do it after what I went through the last time with the whole spinach mess,” he said. “I don’t want to take a chance and maybe have these tomatoes on my trucks and then have them rejected when I try to deliver them.”
OOIDA member Howard Salmon, a produce hauler from Anderson, CA, normally hauls tomatoes this time of year. He said he’s not opposed to hauling them, despite the outbreak, but he can’t find any tomatoes to haul.
“Nobody’s buying tomatoes anywhere right now so I have had to find other commodities like cherries and strawberries to haul at a time when tomatoes are usually my bread and butter,” he told
Land Line in late June.
OOIDA’s food fight
heads into year two
For almost two years now, leaders of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association have been critical of the FDA and have been weighing in on the food safety debate.
OOIDA Regulatory Affairs Specialist Joe Rajkovacz testified at an FDA hearing on produce truckers’ issues in April of 2007. However, he said, the agency has yet to include truckers in any meaningful discussions on food safety issues, even through food is usually in transit when a recall is issued.
The OOIDA has been critical of the FDA’s Food Protection Plan since the Government Accountability Office issued a report citing problems with the plan late last year. The House Energy and Commerce’s oversight and investigations subcommittee met in June to voice their concerns with the FDA’s food safety plan, as well.
“We have been critical of the FDA and their handling of food safety issues for almost two years now. And still these outbreaks keep occurring, and the agency is still not doing what it needs to be doing,” Rajkovacz said. “It seems the FDA would rather cater to the produce industry and continue to play with people’s health than take a stand and develop meaningful oversight of the food industry.”
While the FDA has spent crucial time ruling out which states or areas they are not looking at as being associated with the current outbreak, the agency still has no answers as to what may be responsible for the outbreak.
Recently, the Western Growers Association, a trade group representing the majority of the fresh produce grown in California and Arizona, called for the House Agriculture Committee to investigate the FDA on the salmonella outbreak associated with tomatoes.
While investigators continue to look for the source of the outbreak, the FDA has issued advisory warnings against eating certain types of tomatoes.
Tom Nassif, president and CEO of Western Growers, said tomato growers are suffering “irreparable harm” as the FDA and CDC try to determine the source of the outbreak.
“Congress must investigate this matter and determine ways to avoid this in the future and make the innocent tomato growers, packers and shippers whole,” said Nassif in a written statement. “The collateral damage inflicted on thousands of innocent producers in this country by FDA blanket ‘advisories,’ such as with spinach and tomatoes cannot go unchallenged.”
Rajkovacz said he understands the frustration growers are feeling as the tomato industry stands to lose hundreds of millions of dollars because of this latest outbreak tied to tomatoes. However, he said Nassif and Western Growers are missing the point by asking Congress to investigate the FDA for issuing advisory warnings to alert consumers when there is a potential health risk associated with a product.
“What Western Growers is essentially saying here is that the FDA is supposed to keep their mouth shut about potential problems with a product until they pinpoint the exact source of an outbreak so as not to damage the public’s perception against buying a certain product,” Rajkovacz said.
“In the meantime, how many people would be put at risk or sickened because they weren’t warned about potential contamination dangers? This is purely a political maneuver by the produce industry to again thwart the federal regulatory process.”
Three months later, contamination source still unknown William Nganje, associate professor at the Morrison School of Management and Agribusiness at Arizona State University, said the FDA is using extreme caution before announcing the potential source because of “liability issues.”
“One of the challenges that we face when we get a food outbreak or major food recall is the amount of time it takes to really pinpoint it down to the source,” he told
Land Line in May.
In February 2008, Nganje, along with four other ASU faculty members, received a grant to study all aspects of the food supply chain on imported produce coming across the border between Arizona and Nogales, Mexico, which is one of the busiest ports at the Southwest border.
He said this latest outbreak tied to tomatoes is another example of the need for a universal traceback system to track produce through the supply chain.
“This latest outbreak is really big, so this contamination is coming from a significant source, like water, but we really don’t know because there is no traceback system in place,” Nganje said. “This is one of the problems we have in the fresh produce industry, that there are no mandatory guidelines like there are for beef and poultry. Everything is voluntary – recommended – but not mandatory.”
Cost is a major reason some of the growers are hesitant to implement a traceback system, but Nganje said this latest outbreak has crippled the entire tomato industry, even in regions where the tomatoes have been cleared, because the source has not been identified.
“Policy is going to drive food safety in terms of fixing the problems in the produce industry. Whether that policy is voluntary or mandatory, we just don’t know yet,” he said.
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warc | 201704 | The environmental crisis in Haiti is in an extremely advanced state.
At this point in time, Haiti is almost entirely deforested. Forest cover in 1923 was estimated at 60%. By 1978 (pine) forests cover was 2.3%, by 1989 1.3%. It appears that Haiti is losing its remaining forests by about 30% per decade.
Mangroves cover 0.53% of the country and pine forests 0.97%. In addition to that, dense vegetation (16.75%) and brush (22.7%). It should be kept in mind that 60% of Haiti is on slopes, and agriculture is not possible there, and therefore the vegetation cover is very low.
For much more information, go to: Haiti: Action plan for the Environment (in French)
Copyright © - Language Works, 1998
EMail: anne@language-works.com | 738 | 472 | 0.002154 |
warc | 201704 | Here is a guest blog post by Matthew Candelaria:
Tip #1 from Jonathan Rosenfeld: Make It Personal
It should go without saying, but apparently it doesn't, so let's make it explicit. A personal brand must be personal. To create a personal brand, you have to create a human face and personality that stands behind your brand. Jonathan Rosenfeld does this on his website by beginning with a personal statement. It begins with “I'm an Illinois lawyer . . .” and it ends with “This is my life's work.” He also includes a simple, heartfelt video about how he came to be a lawyer and how he approaches law.
Tip #2 from Anthony Castelli: Make Firm Promises
People want a lawyer who is committed to them. To show that commitment, you have to make promises to your client. Anthony Castelli does this with his “5 Principles of Uncompromising Advocacy,” and his “My Promises to You,” pages. Also important is the small, but crucial testimonial on the front page of his website: “I can tell those who read this and watch your video that the message you shared is exactly how you treat your clients. The care and support you gave us was beyond anything we could have imagined.” This shows these are not empty promises.
Tip #3 from Michael Ehline: Use Strong Language
We're not talking about swearing, but almost. These days, many people are afraid to use language that might alienate readers, but this language also has the ability to grab readers. Michael Ehline's large text includes the word “crippled,” when referring to injury victims. This is a word that many people avoid, but it's strong, and it serves to give emotional edge to the prose. In one word, it establishes that Ehline is a man who is prepared to talk about things as they are, and look at the hard truths when necessary.
Tip #4 from Brent Britton: Be Colorful
Brent Britton is an intellectual property lawyer who also participates in the entrepreneurial process he facilitates, so it makes sense that he will approach his subject creatively. The page for his book
Ownability is colorful both in being literally colorful, and also in using descriptive language. So many lawyers love sites designed in blues, greys, and reds that look flat and professional. Sometimes if you want to stand out, you need to look different, too. Tip #5 from William W. Hurst: If You're Going to Do Social Media, Be Sociable
Everyone has been rushing to a social media platform as a marketing tool, even though its ability to drive leads for lawyers is still in doubt. However, where it can definitely work is in establishing the personal part of your brand. It can't do that if all you're sharing are work-related links. William W. Hurst uses his Google+ page to share plenty of legal links, but he also uses it to share basketball clips, which show that, like most people in the Hoosier State, he's a basketball fan. This is also evident on his YouTube page, where you can see videos of him actually playing.
Whether your personal branding journey starts with a pen with your name on it or your own social media page, you are setting the stage for an audience that wants a story and personality. Be bold, be colorful, and most of all, h | 3,244 | 1,620 | 0.000631 |
warc | 201704 | Have you lost your shoes yet? Last week I introduced my new Lose the Shoes series where I’ll offer up a new barefoot & minimalist running tip each week leading up to my very first 5K race. I asked you what you wanted to know about barefoot running and heard lots of great ideas! I will be incorporating many of your questions (and my answers) in my series posts, but also on Facebook & Twitter, so make sure you’ve connected with me there as well.
The first thing you want to remember about barefoot running is that it’s not all about the feet. It’s actually best to start from the top and work your way down when ‘re-learning’ how to run properly. So your first tip is:
Keep your head & torso up
There are quite a few reasons to keep your head and torso upright when running:
It sets the tone for good posture throughout your whole body. It opens up your lungs for more air. You face the direction you want to travel (which, I assume, is forward) You can actually SEE your surroundings.
Let’s be honest. Isn’t #4 a huge reason for running in the first place? There are plenty of ways to get fit and exercise. You might like running in place on a treadmill (I, for one, can’t stand it), but THIS is why I run:
Please excuse the huffing and puffing and bouncy video. Just bob your head along with it and pretend you’re running with me along a rural road in the Wairarapa region of New Zealand. The warm spring sun is shining after a week of rain & snow. Baby lambs are scattered throughout every paddock in the country. Life is good and you get to run through it!
Don’t miss out on what’s around you by hunching your head down and staring at your feet. Running shouldn’t be a chore that requires you to hunker down and just press through it. Chin up, my friend. You’ll breathe easier and enjoy it quite a bit more.
Series Posts
Lose the Shoes & Keep Your Head Up
Lose the Shoes & RELAX Your Shoulders Lose the Shoes & Bend Your Knees The All-Important Barefoot Running Landing Lose the Shoes & Feel Like You’re Falling Conserve Energy When Running Barefoot Training Plan for a Barefoot 5K | 2,174 | 1,145 | 0.00091 |
warc | 201704 | News International award for low cost inflatable baby incubator
A Loughborough University graduate has won the International James Dyson Award with his life saving low cost inflatable baby incubator for use in the developing world.
Over one in ten babies worldwide are born prematurely. According to the World Health Organisation, 75% of deaths resulting from premature birth could be avoided if inexpensive treatments were more readily available across the globe.
Created by James Roberts, MOM provides the same performance as a £30,000 modern incubation system, but costs just £250 to manufacture, test and transport to the desired location. The device can be collapsed for transportation and runs off a battery which lasts 24 hours, in case of power outages. The incubator is blown up manually and it is heated using ceramic heating elements.
A screen shows the current temperature and the humidity which can be custom set, depending on the gestation age. An alarm will sound if the desired temperature changes. And for babies that suffer from jaundice there is a phototherapy unit which is collapsible too. MOM complies with British incubation standards – delivering a stable heat environment, humidification and jaundice lighting.
James, who recently graduated from the Loughborough Design School with a BSc in Product Design and Technology, has won £30,000 to invest into further prototyping and testing, with a view to further cost reductions and ultimately seeing MOM mass produced.
He said: “I was inspired to tackle this problem after watching a documentary on the issue for premature babies in refugee camps. It motivated me to use my design engineering skills to make a difference. Like many young inventors, there have been struggles along the way – I had to sell my car to fund my first prototype! The dream would be to meet a child that my incubator has saved – living proof that my design has made a difference.”
James Dyson said: “James’ invention shows the impact design engineering can have on people’s lives. The western world takes incubators for granted – we don’t think about how their inefficient design makes them unusable in developing countries and disaster zones. By bravely challenging convention, James has created something that could save thousands of lives.”
Dr Steve Jones, Consultant Paediatrician at the Royal United Hospital, Bath said: “MOM is a really interesting piece of innovation – I particularly like the integration of phototherapy, as jaundice is a very common co-morbidity alongside prematurity. Its use needn't be limited to developing world scenarios. I could see it being used in the UK to support community midwifery units, or following home births.” | 2,796 | 1,450 | 0.000714 |
warc | 201704 | If you began your company with dreams of short hours and long vacations, you probably received a rude reality check rather quickly. It’s a myth that all business owners enjoy complete freedom and flexibility.
However, owning a transportation business certainly comes with rewards — for example, a sense of independence and the satisfaction of accomplishment. Perhaps the most difficult task of a business owner is determining whether the time needed to run a business is worth the eventual payoff. Of course, that answer may change over time. Many businesses begin with a passion and end with a burnout. Is your transportation business worth your time? Only you can answer that question.
1. Is your business in a growth phase?
Beginning a business from scratch — or expanding by merging with a competitor or complementary company — takes time. The idea, of course, is that the extra effort will pay off in the form of greater profits. However, just because you can grow a business doesn’t mean it’s the right decision — just look at the dot-com crash. Doubling your customer base doesn’t necessarily mean doubling profits. If your company doesn’t have the organizational efficiency to keep a larger business afloat, you may not be able to leverage benefits such as economies of scale. Growth can take your business to the next level or price you out of the market. Before you put in the time, make sure returns are possible.
2. Can you achieve balance?
No amount of money or success is worth missing every one of your child’s baseball games or sleeping just four hours a night. It’s easy for business owners to get caught up in the trap of trying to manage every little detail of their companies. However, it’s essential to your well-being — and, ultimately, the well-being of your business — to take a step back. A business needs a strong team, not a single owner, to grow effectively.
Competent management also will be necessary to attract buyers should you need to put your limo or charter bus business up for sale in the future. If you can wean your company off full dependency, you can reduce your work hours — and thus raise your wage. If your company is too small or weak to survive without your constant involvement, you will eventually burn out. Selling sooner rather than later may be your best bet.
3. Can you imagine doing something else?
If your job doesn’t make you happy, it’s not worth it — plain and simple. Most self-employed people stick to a business because it’s something they love. Whether you have a passion for the industry or you thrive off the excitement of entrepreneurship, working a few hours more than you would in a corporate office may be well worth it. But if you’re constantly dreaming of the day you can take the kids to the park, get eight hours of sleep, and take an annual vacation, your heart may not be in it anymore. Whether you decide to stay in the game or cash in your chips, you should get the help you need to develop an exit plan that maximizes the value — and potential sale price — of your business.
Spencer Tenney, vice president of The Tenney Group (www.thetenneygroup.com), is a member of the International Business Brokers Association and a Certified Business Intermediary (CBI). The Tenney Group is focused on business sales, acquisitions, business valuations and exit planning exclusively in the transportation industry. Spencer can be reached at (817) 274-0054 or [email protected] | 3,559 | 1,740 | 0.000595 |
warc | 201704 | With the rapid rise in the number of condominium projects being constructed, many purchasers of units are first-time condominium owners. For this reason, many purchasers do not have a complete understanding of how condominiums operate and how condominium ownership differs from the ownership of freehold real estate.
Currently developers of new condominium projects must provide purchasers with a disclosure statement that sets out the details about the particular condominium project in which the purchaser is buying a unit. Bill 106 contemplates that either the Ontario Government or the Condominium Authority (which we described in an earlier blog post) will prepare a condominium guide which developers will be required to deliver to all purchasers of units in new residential and commercial projects.
The condo guide, together with the disclosure statement, would be delivered to purchasers at the time that they enter into a purchase agreement with the developer. Buyers will have ten days after receiving both of these documents to rescind the agreement of purchase and sale and receive a full refund of all deposit monies paid.
While the disclosure statement provides project-specific information, the condo guide will provide general information about buying and owning a condominium. The condo guide would not only describe the purchase and sale process (such as, for example, the purchaser’s right of recession, interim closing v. final closing), but would also describe how condominiums are governed and the rights and responsibilities of the unit owners and the condominium corporation.
As purchasers will have the opportunity to read the condo guide during the ten-day “cooling off” period, purchasers should be better informed at the time that they are committing to buy a condominium. Having better informed purchasers will also be beneficial to condominium corporations. Often, problems with owners that do not comply with the condominium documents or the legislation arise because owners are not aware of their obligations or do not fully understand what is the unit owner’s responsibility and what is the responsibility of the condo corporation.
Hopefully all purchasers will take the time to read the condo guide, considering that for many, the purchase of a condominium unit will be their largest financial commitment. As the purpose of the condo guide is to provide consumer protection, hopefully the government will be able to prepare a guide that is written in plain, easy-to-understand language and is not overly-lengthy.
As Bill 106 has only been moved to second reading, readers should note that the provisions of Bill 106 could change before the legislation is enacted. | 2,725 | 1,190 | 0.000849 |
warc | 201704 | Funny that I read
The Myth of a Christian Nationthe week Jerry Falwell died, because Falwell, in his own inimitable way, personified the thesis expounded in Boyd's book.
I go back with Jerry Falwell to the early 1980s. I have often stated, somewhat facetiously, that I got my start as a writer by bashing Jerry Falwell. One incident in particular stands out in my mind. I had written an article in
Liberty(subsequently reprinted in the Baltimore Jewish Times) in which I warned that much of the evangelical obsession and support of the Jewish nation was based on an eschatology that, among other things, predicted the death of millions of Jews, with those who survived converting to Christianity (deemed by many Jews as a fate worse than death!). When asked at a press conference about the issues presented in the article, Falwell stood before the group and, without blinking, declared that he knew nothing about any theology that taught that millions of Jews were going to be slaughtered in the end-time while the survivors all accepted Jesus as the Messiah. The only problem was that I got most of the article from a Bible commentary that Jerry Falwell himself had edited!
I don't dredge this up to judge Falwell, his heart, or his motives. I dredge it up because I believe it represents what should be by now painfully obvious, and that is, no matter how sincere and honest their motives, whenever Christians get heavily involved in the political process—all with the desire to make their respective nation more "Christian"—what happens is the reverse. Instead of the nonbelievers becoming more Christian, the Christians wind up acting more like nonbelievers. All through history that has been the case, and—as Jerry Falwell (who seemed to consistently transgress the commandment about bearing false witness) and others have shown—it's no different with the church today.
Hence the theme of Gregory Boyd's book, which presents a biblically based challenge to the take-no-prisoners Christian Right foray into politics. The irony is unmistakable: a Christian minister using the Bible to refute those who claim that the Bible gives them marching orders for "bringing America back to God." It was a stinging rebuke that didn't go unnoticed, either. In fact, when he first preached the sermon that became the germ of this book, 20 percent of his Minnesota congregation (about a thousand people) walked out of his church and never came back.
In contrast, Boyd argues for what he calls the "power under" model as the overarching paradigm for "God's kingdom," the kingdom of Christ, which is formed when Christians, following the "self-sacrificing love" embodied by Jesus, win souls through love, not through the sword. Using Christ's words in Luke 22, when Jesus contrasts the Gentile rulers—who "exercise dominion" over their people—to His own followers, who were to minister and serve others, Boyd argues that this conservative evangelical foray into "power over" politics amounts to a betrayal of all that being a Christian stands for.
"The kingdom of the world," he writes, "is concerned with preserving law and order by force; the kingdom of God is concerned with establishing the rule of God through love."
He makes a compelling historical case, too, showing that, after the "conversion" of Constantine, the church gained worldly power, the precise kind of power that Christian Rightists of today could only drool over. Was the result, then, a reign of righteousness? Hardly. Instead it began the complete corruption of the church, which led to centuries of persecution, torture, wars, and suffering, all done in the name of Jesus Christ and, ostensibly, for the furtherance of righteousness and holiness.
Of course, as with any polemic, Dr. Boyd makes the distinctions much sharper and unambiguous than they often are, particularly in an area such as politics and faith, which are not always so easy to separate. And though, to his credit, he acknowledges these difficulties, acknowledging them isn't the same as resolving them, which he doesn't really do, no matter how hard he tries to toward the end of his book.
Let's be honest. His all-you-need-is-love paradigm wouldn't have stopped the Nazis or the Soviets, and wouldn't have ended slavery in the South, either. And, if loving Osama bin Laden would neutralize his jihad against the West, even atheist polemicists like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens would be effusively loving, to be sure.
Nevertheless, however simplistic his "power under" contra "power over" distinctions are, he still makes a crucial point. Where in the Great Commission are Christians called to gain political power and use that power to bring about a moral revival in their respective countries? Text and verse, please. The fact is the texts and verses aren't there, because that's not what Christians are called to do. And, besides, it never works anyway.
Indeed, after all the years of being in a position of political power, what has the Christian Right accomplished as far as bringing "America back to God"? Abortion is still legal, states are moving toward approving gay unions, and in many schools government-mandated group prayer is still not allowed.
All this—after exercising political power for the past few decades.It doesn't seem to be working very well, and, if the past is any precursor to the future, even if the Christian Right gained all the political power it covets, America would be no more closer to God than it was in the "Golden Age" of a few hundred years back, when "Christian America" was butchering Native Americans and enslaving millions of Africans.
No, as has always been the case—Jerry Falwell (may he rest in peace) being the perfect example—the foray into politics changes the church more than the church changes politics. It's nice to have an influential and articulate voice like Dr. Gregory Boyd sounding the trumpet about this "evangelically incorrect" fact. The church he loves would be well-served to listen to him. However, as the exodus from his own congregation shows, it's not what many want to hear.
Clifford Goldstein, a former editor of Liberty, is now editor of the Adult Bible Study Guides, published by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in Silver Spring, Maryland. Author: Clifford R. Goldstein
Clifford Goldstein writes from Mt. Airy, Maryland. A previous editor of
Liberty, he now edits Bible study lessons for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. | 6,547 | 3,118 | 0.000325 |
warc | 201704 | Coreg CR™; Coreg®
Apo-Carvedilol®; Coreg®; Novo-Carvedilol; PMS-Carvedilol; RAN™-Carvedilol; ratio-Carvedilol
Dilatrend
Beta Blocker With Alpha-Blocking Activity
Do not suddenly stop taking this medicine. To avoid side effects, you will want to slowly stop it.
• If you have an allergy to carvedilol or any other part of this medicine.
• Tell healthcare provider if you are allergic to any medicine. Make sure to tell about the allergy and how it affected you. This includes telling about rash; hives; itching; shortness of breath; wheezing; cough; swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat; or any other symptoms involved.
• If you have any of the following conditions: Asthma, severe liver disease, slow heartbeat without a working pacemaker, or wheezing.
• If you are more than 12 weeks pregnant.
• If you are breast-feeding.
• This medicine is used to improve a weakened heart.
• This medicine is used to treat chest pain or pressure.
• This medicine is used to treat high blood pressure.
• Carvedilol blocks chemicals that stimulate the body.
• Take this medicine at a similar time of day.
• Take this medicine with food.
• Long-acting products: Swallow whole. Do not chew, break, or crush.
• You may sprinkle contents of capsule on applesauce. Do not chew.
• Follow diet plan and exercise program as recommended by healthcare provider.
• Take a missed dose as soon as possible.
• If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and return to your regular schedule.
• Do not take a double dose or extra doses.
• Do not change dose or stop medicine. Talk with healthcare provider.
• Do not run out of this medicine.
• Wear disease medical alert identification.
• If you are diabetic and have low blood sugar, talk with healthcare provider. This medicine hides the signs of low blood sugar except sweating.
• If you have liver disease, talk with healthcare provider.
• If you have lung disease, talk with healthcare provider.
• If you have mental illness, talk with healthcare provider.
• If you have myasthenia gravis, talk with healthcare provider.
• If you have thyroid disease, talk with healthcare provider.
• Check medicines with healthcare provider. This medicine may not mix well with other medicines.
• If you are taking this medicine and have high blood pressure, talk with healthcare provider before using over-the-counter products that may increase blood pressure. These include cough or cold remedies, diet pills, stimulants, ibuprofen or like products, and certain natural products or supplements.
• Limit alcohol intake (includes wine, beer, and liquor).
• Tell healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan on getting pregnant.
• Use birth control that you can trust to prevent pregnancy while taking this medicine.
• Feeling dizzy. Rise slowly over several minutes from sitting or lying position. Be careful climbing.
• Diarrhea.
• Feeling tired or weak.
• Dry eyes. Using artificial tears may help.
• Change in sexual ability or desire. This is usually reversible.
• Change in condition being treated. Is it better, worse, or about the same?
• Check blood pressure and heart rate regularly.
• If you are diabetic, you will need to monitor blood sugars very closely.
• If you suspect an overdose, call your local poison control center or emergency department immediately.
• Signs of a life-threatening reaction. These include wheezing; chest tightness; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; fits; or swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Severe dizziness or passing out.
• Change in contact lens tolerance.
• Difficulty breathing.
• Significant weight gain.
• Severe diarrhea.
• Feeling extremely tired or weak.
• Any rash.
• No improvement in condition or feeling worse.
• Store at room temperature.
• Protect from light.
• Protect from moisture. Do not store in a bathroom or kitchen.
• If you have a life-threatening allergy, wear allergy identification at all times.
• Do not share your medicine with others and do not take anyone else's medicine.
• Keep all medicine out of the reach of children and pets.
• Keep a list of all your medicines (prescription, natural products, supplements, vitamins, over-the-counter) with you. Give this list to healthcare provider (doctor, nurse, nurse practitioner, pharmacist, physician assistant).
• Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
• Talk with healthcare provider before starting any new medicine, including over-the-counter, natural products, or vitamins.
Created: 2006-10-13 11:15:33.0
Modified: 2008-02-11 15:28:07.0
Lexi-PALSTM © (1977)-(2008) Lexi-Comp, Inc. All rights reserved. | 5,038 | 2,084 | 0.00052 |
warc | 201704 | Society plays an important role in shaping an individual’s character. It helps shape teens' ability to live with other people, their ideas of wrong and right and their general outlook on life. As a parent, your influence is the strongest and often shapes your teen’s adult life, according to the Christian Broadcasting Network. Understanding the influence various aspects of society have on your teen helps you nurture your teen’s character and individuality.
Parents
Parents spend a lot of time with teens and influence them through their actions and words. Teenagers learn skills such as nurturing, socializing, and decision-making through observation and communication with parents. The relationship between teens and their parents influences their outcome in life. Involved parenting is more likely to prevent behavior such as drug and substance abuse or teenage pregnancy. Although teenagers may seem rebellious, they are likely to adapt the good behaviors as they mature.
Media
The media can have a positive or a negative influence on your teen. Teenagers spend a lot of their time on the Internet, watching TV, reading magazines and listening to music. Negative influencers in the media include violence, hateful or vulgar language in movies and music, explicit sex scenes, gender, religious or ethnic stereotyping, and unrealistic representations of success and body image. Alternatively, the media is a source of information for teens. It helps create cultural, political and social awareness in teens. Teens also get a better understanding of their environment and society.
Friends
Friends create a community that influences the decisions that your teenager makes. Friends may challenge each other to become better individuals or influence each other to adopt negative behavior. According to Valarie Ulene, writing for the Los Angeles Times, the influence friends have on each other may affect a teen’s performance in academics and sports, socials skills and decision-making skills. However, you can help your teen develop self-confidence and a sense of individuality through involved parenting and continuous communication.
Community
The community sets rules that help form your teenager's ideas of right and wrong. Teenagers have a better understanding of acceptable behavior and consequences of doing wrong, as set by communal laws. This understanding may help your teen choose the right behavior to avoid consequences like imprisonment. The community also helps create cultural and environmental awareness. Additionally, teenagers learn to care for the environment, their neighbors and the less fortunate by interacting with various members of the community. | 2,702 | 1,258 | 0.000804 |
warc | 201704 | The hip flexor is the group of muscles located in the front portion of your hip that allows for forward motion when your run or walk. When kicking or sprinting, large amounts of stress are applied to the hip flexor. This stress can result in a hip flexor strain. A hip flexor strain is the tearing or stretching of a muscle or a tendon, according to Kapi'Olani Orthopaedic Associates. The hip flexor may become inflamed and painful. A hip flexor strain requires treatment.
Hip Flexor Strain Treatment Step 1
Visit your family doctor. If you suspect you have a hip flexor strain, a trip to your family doctor can help to determine exactly what is wrong. An examination of your hip and thigh will allow your doctor to come to a diagnosis. Further testing may be required if your doctor suspects a severe strain or further injury.
Step 2
Ice your hip flexor muscles. Place ice packs on your injury for 30 minutes at a time. You should ice your hip flexor every three to four hours. Continue this treatment for the next two to three days or until you are pain-free.
Step 3
Take anti-inflammatory medications. During your doctor visit, it is likely that your doctor prescribed anti-inflammatory medicine. Take your medications as directed.
Step 4
Rest your hip flexor muscles. Avoid engaging in the activity that caused your hip flexor strain. Avoid sports and exercise until you are pain free. Returning to your normal activities too quickly can turn your hip sprain into a chronic problem if you do not take the time to recovery.
Step 5
Stretch your hip flexor muscles. Gradual stretching can help to improve the strength and flexibility of your hip. You can engage in hip flexor stretches. In a hip flexor stretch you kneel on both of your knees. Your unaffected leg should be placed forward with your foot flat on the floor. Slowly lean forward at your hip as your slightly arch your back. You will feel a stretch in the front of your hip. Hold this position for a count of 30 seconds and repeat a set of three repetitions.
Step 6
Stretch your quadriceps gor thigh muscles. Stand with your hands on a counter or wall for support. Grasp the top portion of your foot and ankle on your injured leg. Pull your foot up so that you are approaching your buttock. When you feel a stretch on the front of your thigh, hold this position for a count of 30. Repeat one set of three repetitions. | 2,395 | 1,103 | 0.000912 |
warc | 201704 | As many as 77 percent of Americans are vitamin-D deficient, according to a 2009 report in the “Archives of Internal Medicine.” With the number of deficiencies rising and research showing a connection between vitamin D and many health conditions such as autoimmune disease, cancers and obesity, many people are turning to vitamin supplements. Your recommended vitamin D intake may be less than 4,000 IU. Consult your doctor to determine your personal vitamin D requirements.
What is Vitamin D-3?
Vitamin D is a fat soluble nutrient that is categorized into two forms: vitamin D-2 and vitamin D-3. Vitamin D-2 is processed using plants and is used to fortify foods such as milk. Vitamin D-3 is the form that is created when your body is exposed to the ultra-violet B rays of sunlight. It can also be acquired by eating animal products, such as oily fish, as they process and create vitamin D-3 similar to the way you do. Vitamin D supplements come in both forms, though there is research that shows that the D-3 form is more effective. A study published in the November 2004 issue of “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” found that vitamin D-2 is much less effective in humans than vitamin D-3. They found that vitamin D-3 had a greater degree of success when it came to raising and maintaining the body’s level of 25 hydroxyvitamin D in the blood.
Recommended Supplementation
The topic of just how much vitamin D a body needs is one of hot debate between physicians, researchers and organizations. While the Institute of Medicine’s Food and Nutrition Board did raise the recommended levels in 2010, many physicians and researchers believe that they were not raised enough to provide for optimal health care. The current recommendations by the Food and Nutrition Board are 400 IU, for children age birth to 12 months, 600 IU for ages 1 to 70, and 800 IU for individuals older than 71 years of age. They also raised the safe upper limit of vitamin D to 4,000 IU per day.
Research Recommendations
Researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the Creighton University School of Medicine published a paper in the journal “Anticancer Research” in February 2011. They found that daily intakes of 4,000 to 8,000 IU were needed to keep vitamin D levels within an optimal range. This range has been determined to cut the risk of breast cancer, colon cancer, multiple sclerosis and Type 1 diabetes in half.
Vitamin D-3 Toxicity
Vitamin D-3 toxicity is very rare, though a toxic level can result in symptoms of anorexia, heart arrhythmias and kidney damage. Excessive sun exposure will not lead to vitamin D toxicity as the body is able to self-regulate the production through the skin. Toxicity is caused by too much added supplementation. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, most reports show that the toxicity threshold of vitamin D is between 10,000 and 40,000 IU per day. The Food and Nutrition Board has also cited studies that show an intake of 5,000 IU/day creates a blood serum level of 40 to 60 ng/mL, which is within the normal range of 30 to 80 ng/mL. With this in mind, a dose of 4,000 IU a day should not cause toxicity. However, as with any vitamin supplementation plan, always consult your physician before taking anything above the standard recommended dose. | 3,377 | 1,639 | 0.000619 |
warc | 201704 | Hi, I'm Linden Schaffer, and I wanted to talk to you today about the fact that your vitamins could be causing some of your sleepless nights. Most people take multivitamins or daily supplements of some kind in order to promote optimum health in their bodies, and while this is good, often times people can have bad reactions which cause sleepless nights. Multivitamins contain your typical vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, B, C, K. In terms of minerals the most common additives are calcium, iron and zinc. Now, while studies have shown that not one vitamin in particular can cause sleepless nights, oftentimes this combination of unknown quantities of the vitamins could produce some sleepless nights for you. It has been shown that vitamin B12 and Vitamin B6 can do things such as lower your melatonin levels and cause wildly vivid dreams. These are two things that could be keeping you awake. Taking daily vitamins and supplements is crucial for your overall good health. So, I don't recommend you stop taking them if you're not sleeping very well. Instead, why don't you try to take them in the morning, let's say after Breakfast, or even after lunch. This way you have plenty of time to digest the vitamins and the nutrients before you go to sleep that night. If you make this kind of lifestyle change but you don't notice any change in your sleep habits, I would suggest consulting a sleep specialist. It's possible that other foods that you're eating or other things that you're doing in your life are causing an interaction that is causing a little bit of insomnia. | 1,582 | 811 | 0.001235 |
warc | 201704 | This course will investigate how theories emphasising distributional interests and domestic institutions can explain economic policy choices. Particular emphasis will be placed on giving students an understanding of the use of quantitative methods in political economy research.
Dr Lauren Phillips
Right-click to download video
Click here for full details on availability, pre-requisites and teaching. | 406 | 279 | 0.003629 |
warc | 201704 | Playing fast and loose with historical
minutiae, one can say that Hilbert’s famous approach to proof theory was precipitated by two conflicts. There were Hilbert’s early dealings with the constructivist school vis à vis the proof of what is now called the Hilbert basis theorem, and there was Hilbert’s championing of Cantor’s set theory in the face of attacks by, for example, Kronecker and Poincaré. Kronecker had also been an early opponent of Hilbert in connection with the aforementioned basis theorem. Later there was the famous, or, rather, notorious, fight with L. E. J. Brouwer whose intuitionism threatened to undermine the whole mathematical enterprise in various pernicious ways. Arguably Brouwer’s greatest threat aimed at the removal of the law of the excluded middle as a principal tenet of mathematical reasoning, and Hilbert’s oft-quoted retort to Brouwer was that to take that law from a mathematician was akin to forbidding a boxer the use of his fists. Beyond these internecine polemics, the feud between Hilbert and Brouwer resulted in Hilbert firing the entire staff of editors of the Mathematische Annalen, including himself as the principal editor, in order to get rid of Brouwer and curtail his influence. It was this maneuver that moved Einstein (an associate editor) to quip, “What is this frog-and-mouse battle between the mathematicians?” Furthermore, on a specifically scholarly front, Hilbert launched what is now called formalism, roughly the proposal to establish that mathematics was consistent using only finite methods of formal logic. This campaign was dramatically derailed by Gödel with his earth-shattering incompleteness and undecidability results. And all of these mathematical overtures on Hilbert’s part led toward the discipline of “proof theory.”
Indeed, even as Hilbert’s original dream failed to come to fruition, the program in proof theory that was launched with this campaign survived, if in an evolved form. For example, , Gerhard Gentzen, who was a student of Hilbert’s student Paul Bernays, did a good deal of later revolutionary work on proof theory (see: http://www.maa.org/publications/maa-reviews/logics-lost-genius-the-life-of-gerhard-gentzen). Thus, what Hilbert started has had quite an aftermath, and the book under review is concerned with all of it, as well as with both the prelude to Hilbert’s work and that work itself.
Hilbert’s Programs and Beyond is laid out in four parts: an introduction, including a very informative “Perspective on Hilbert’s Programs,” and three sections: “Mathematical roots,” “Analyses” (split into two parts, “Historical” and “Systematical”), and “Philosophical Horizons.” In the first section we encounter Dedekind in a major way, while in the historical part of the second section we meet Gentzen and Gödel; there is also a long and deep discussion of Hilbert’s and Bernays’s reaction and subsequent work in the face of what Gödel had wrought. The book’s last section is perhaps something of a dubious departure from strict mathematical logical practice in the sense that it includes an excursion into the realm where philosophy and psychology meet: witness the subsections titled “Aspects of mathematical experience” and “Searching for proofs (and uncovering capacities of the mathematical mind).” I guess there is plenty of precedent for this sort of thing, including the rationale Brouwer gave for his intuitionistic philosophy. Additionally, there are any number of books on the market these days dealing with the nature of the mathematical experience, and while this sort of thing is not every one’s cup of tea, it does excite interest in lots of places. Fair enough.
All this having been said, the readership for
Hilbert’s Programs and Beyond is clearly rather narrow and specialized. Certainly mathematical logicians with a historical bent will eat it all up like candy. But others will, too. It is, or at least should be, the case that all of us have some awareness of the controversies of the early 20 th century and the role they played in bringing about the shape of contemporary mathematics. Moreover, some of us are captivated, too, by the human element in all this. To revisit these themes and explore certain of their facets in great detail is a beneficial and pleasant experience.
Michael Berg is Professor of Mathematics at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA. | 4,602 | 2,203 | 0.000476 |
warc | 201704 | I once had a university professor explain to me that European textbooks tend to focus on theory and have few examples, applications, and solutions. The professor further stated that American textbooks tend to be heavy in examples and applications while also providing more detailed solutions. While I am sure there are many counterexamples, this provides a convenient model to apply to this textbook by Frank Beichelt of University of Witwatersrand, South Africa. Of all the formerly colonized African countries perhaps South Africa puts forward the most obvious European imprint, whereas its cultural and latitudinal distance from the Old World suggests it might be predisposed to lean toward a different, maybe even New World textbook model.
This model fits here because the textbook suggests a middle ground. Beichelt gives several examples in a typical chapter, but a reader can expect to take in just as many theorems, examples, and definitions
without supporting examples. Of course, this gives less opportunity to explore applications; many types of statistical distribution, for example, are detailed without suggesting applications that have been found for them. The back of the text provides nearly complete coverage on answers to exercises and even guidance via grouping to the sections that provide the relevant theorem and definitions. However, the answers are nearly always tersely numerical making it difficult to be a self-guided tour in as many places as it could. (The rare exceptions are mercifully allotted to the very final chapters.) Take heart, the author did also produce a solution manual (ISBN: 1584886390)!
Regardless of what I am observing about the garnishes and side dishes, the meat of this entrée is present and complete. The goal of this text is a self-contained overview of probability-theoretic topics via proofs, examples, and exercises. The very listing of "Science, Engineering, and Finance" in the title emphasizes that applications to various fields are part of the content. Expect to see this work find a home in the hands of senior undergraduate and graduate students in stochastic processes as well as practitioners and researchers in mathematical finance, operations, industrial engineering, electrical engineering, and actuarial science. All these areas are touched on here, but none are delved into deeply.
The arc of this book starts in a review of basic probability theory and random variables. These preliminaries make a foundation that covers transformation of probability distributions (Laplace, etc.), inequalities in probability theory, limit theorems, and more. The groundwork laid supports forays into random point processes, focusing on Poisson and renewal processes and applications to actuarial analysis. Markov chains are looked at in discrete and continuous time. Martingales are the subject of the shortest chapter (18 pages) and the book closes with a seventh chapter on Brownian motion.
Tom Schulte is working on his own random process at Oakland University, picking a course here and a course there, winding his way toward a Masters Degree in mathematics. | 3,133 | 1,544 | 0.000651 |
warc | 201704 | Tyres used for vibration isolation
Fig. 18-8: Tyres used for base isolation (Courtesy of Professor B Zhuang, Zhejiang University, China)
Fig. 18-8 shows two tyres placed between the ground and a generator in a rural area of a developing country. The presence of the tyres reduced the natural frequency of the generator and moving it away from the operating frequency. Although the operators of the generator may not have known much about vibration theory, they knew from experience that the presence of the tyres could reduce the level of vibration. | 553 | 328 | 0.003071 |
warc | 201704 | Progressive environmentalism is very skeptical about the ability of the world's
governments to solve environmental problems. The progressive agenda, therefore,
includes finding ways to assure that achieving environmental goals is in the
self-interest of individuals. This means that individuals,
in their role as individuals, should derive
personal gain from environmentally good behavior and bear personal costs for
environmentally bad behavior. The following brief discussion applies this
progressive approach to sonic of our most serious environmental problems. Endangered Species
The approach of reactionary environmentalists is to ban markets. Thus the reactionaries support bans on the importation of ivory, sea turtles, parrots and products obtained from other endangered species. Reactionaries propose bans on wood and virtually every other product produced in tropical rain forests. They also oppose private ownership.
Progressive environmentalists recognize that banning markets and private ownership is the worst possible way to achieve environmental goals. Nothing communicates as rapidly as market prices to people in remote villages all over the world. A high price means that things are rare and valuable. Private ownership gives people the right to protect and defend what the market says is valuable.
Save an Elephant; Buy Ivory. [88]
In Kenya, the sale of ivory has been banned for decades. In Zimbabwe, by
contrast, ivory is openly bought and sold, with part of the profits returned to
the country's national parks. Which country has a growing elephant population?
In Kenya, where ivory sales are banned, the elephant population has dropped from 65,000 to 19,000 over the past decade and faces extinction in the next five years.
In Zimbabwe, where ivory sales are encouraged, the elephant population has grown from 30,000 to 43,000 over the past decade.
Economic incentives make the difference. In Kenya, elephants are not viewed as a valuable economic resource – except insofar as they boost tourism. Legally, elephants are valuable only to look at in Kenya. Poachers succeed in killing elephants largely because no one else has an economic incentive to protect them. In Zimbabwe, elephants have an economic value of about $5 million per year to about two dozen tribal villages. As a result, villagers protect elephants from poachers, cull elephant herds to prevent overpopulation and jealously guard their investment in future ivory production and safari income.
Throughout Africa, similar patterns prevail. Contrary to conventional wisdom, when American consumers buy ivory, on balance they help save elephants. Buying ivory helps increase the economic value of elephants and gives African villagers more economic incentives to protect them.
Eliminating Poaching.
As consumers, our biggest problem is that when we buy ivory we don't know
whether it comes from a place where endangered elephants are being preserved (in
which case our purchase encourages more conservation) or from poachers (in which
case our purchase encourages illegal killing.) A similar problem existed in
cattle ranching in the last century, and there is a similar solution.
The problem of cattle rustling was greatly diminished by branding individual cows. If trace elements (or some other way of "fingerprinting") could be used to establish the origin of products from endangered species, consumers and government authorities could distinguish between legal and illegal products. [89] Such labeling would not be costless. But it would help protect endangered species by protecting the ownership rights of people who have custody of the species, thus making these ownership rights more valuable.
Rivers and Streams
Rivers and streams represent a classic example of the problem of the commons.
Historically, they have been misused as a
source (e.g., overfishing) and
as a sink (e.g., pollution.) Fortunately, there are progressive
alternatives. Private Ownership in Britain. In England and Scotland, there are private
property rights to fish in certain rivers and streams. As a result, many
voluntary associations have been formed to fiercely protect these rights against
the threats of overfishing and pollution. One fishing club, the Pride of Derby,
won a landmark lawsuit against an upstream municipal polluter.
[90] The case set
a precedent which to this day puts potential polluters on notice that
endangering fish is not acceptable.
Since the 1950s, the Anglers' Cooperative Association in England "has handled more than fifteen hundred cases of pollution [and] recovered hundreds of pounds in damages to enable club and riparian owners to restore their fisheries; [and] it has also defeated the attempt by various governments to alter the common law in relation to pollution." [91]
In Scotland, "virtually every inch of every major river and most minor ones is privately owned or leased, and while trespassing isn't quite as serious a crime as first degree murder or high treason, it isn't taken lightly." [92]
Public Ownership In the United States.
In this country, virtually all state governments have disallowed private
ownership of instream flows on the theory that government should hold these
rights in "public trust." As a result, public streams are often subject to
overfishing and pollution, allowed because of special-interest pressures put on
government.
[93]
One exception exists in the Yellowstone River Valley, south of Livingston, Montana – where spring creeks offer some of the world's best trout fishing. Because the creeks begin and end on private property, restrictions on private ownership do not apply. The owners charge fees to sportsmen who come from all over the world for fly-fishing. To protect the value of their assets, property owners limit livestock grazing on stream banks and protect the area's wildlife, land and fish. By contrast, state-owned Spring Creek in Lewistown, Montana, has similar potential, but "free access" for everyone has produced crowding and reduced the fish population. [94]
With respect to pollution control, it is interesting to compare the record of private enforcers in England and Scotland with that of government bureaucracies in the United States. Under the administration of the Clean Water Act, politically favored polluters (such as municipalities) are treated preferentially – with less stringent cleanup goals and more lenient cleanup schedules. To politicians, the source of the pollution is as significant as the pollution itself. Yet to the river and the fish, pollution is pollution.
Lakes and Bays
By protecting privately owned fishing spots from pollution, British fishing clubs not only protect their own portion of the river, they protect downstream areas as well. Can a similar principle be applied to larger bodies of water? Many think that it can.
Property Rights in Scotland, Canada, Iceland and Greenland.
Consider the case of British salmon sport fishermen. They not only must be
diligent in preventing upstream pollution, they also must be concerned about
what happens downstream – since the salmon swim to the commonly owned coastal
waters and then return to the privately owned streams to spawn.
Because commercial fishermen were depleting salmon stocks in the coastal waters,
the Atlantic Salmon Conservation Trust of Scotland has been buying up ocean
netting rights from private owners and the government and retiring them. The
idea of buying out ocean fishin
g rights began in Canada, where the
government bought and retired commercial netting rights in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and
Quebec. Private interests in Iceland are considering the possibility of buying
the Greenland and Faeroese fisheries and shutting them down completely. But for
this approach to work, there must be rights that can be purchased. [95]
Public Ownership In the United States.
With few exceptions there are no property rights – either to pollute or to fish
in U.S. coastal waters.
Because there are no well-defined property rights, virtually every major species of commercially valuable marine life is being over-fished and stocks are being depleted. Yet at privately owned (or leased) oyster beds and private salmon fisheries, studies show that the stocks are carefully maintained. [96]
Among the sources of pollution, more than 1,300 major industrial facilities and 500 municipal plants dispose of wastes in estuaries, which flow to coastal waters. An additional 70 municipal plants and about 15 major industrial facilities dump pollutants directly into coastal waters. One consequence is that, during the 1980s, about one-third of U.S. shellfish-producing areas were closed to commercial harvests because of actually or potentially contaminated marine water. In 1988, more than 50 miles of New York City and Long Island beaches were closed to sunbathing and swimming because of . medical waste contamination. [97] Among the filthiest water bodies in the United States are Commencement Bay in Puget Sound and Boston Harbor. [98]
Government restrictions on discharges have led to some improvement. But one reason why it's difficult for government to solve the problem is that a significant amount of pollution is caused by governmental entities (e.g., municipal treatment plants) or by private parties operating under government contract. In addition, under the current system, interested parties can bring about improvements only by doing battle in the political arena.
Tradeable Pollution Permits.
A welcome move toward a better approach is the system of tradeable pollution
permits that exists on the Lower Fox River, which flows from Lake Winnebago to
Green Bay, Wisconsin. The river is lined by ten pulp and paper mills and four
municipalities – all of which discharge pollutants. But since well-defined
rights to pollute can be bought and sold, discharging pollutants has a clear
cost and each polluting entity has an economic incentive to reduce its
discharges.
[99] If this system were in general use, private parties (including
conservation groups, commercial and recreational fishing interests, etc.) could
buy many of these rights and retire them. The more valuable clean water is to
others, the more expensive it would become to discharge
pollutants (by using rather than selling rights to pollute) and the more
attractive nonpolluting methods of production would become.
[100] The Ocean
Like the open range of the Old West, the ocean today is one of the world's largest commons. Outside of the territorial limits of sovereign countries, only weak treaties limit the use of the ocean for fishing, mineral and energy development, shipping and garbage disposal. Can there be an ocean equivalent of "homesteading," "fencing," "branding" and the prosecution of "rustlers" on the high seas? That idea is less far-fetched than it might appear.
Aquaculture.
"Aquaculture" is the term for ranching and farming in the sea. Although still in
its infancy, aquaculture holds great promise. It requires technological
innovation in order to create a system of property rights under which people
will find it in their self-interest to preserve the value of ocean resources.
The problem is that government policies distort incentives. As a result of these
policies, the vast majority of innovations have enhanced people's ability to
deplete rather than to conserve ocean resources.
[101]
Take commercial fishing, for example. Like the Cattle Management Associations of the Old West, commercial fishing interests have made many attempts to prevent overfishing through unions, trade associations and informal contracting. But unlike the private pastureland solutions, the courts struck down these agreements as violating U.S. antitrust laws. In ocean waters, government solutions have replaced private ones.
Through a succession of policies, government has attempted to prevent the depletion of fish stock by restricting the days and times of fishing, the number of boats and the methods of fishing. These restrictions have spurred entrepreneurs to develop bigger boats, more efficient nets, sonar equipment and other innovations which allow commercial interests to catch more fish and further deplete the fish population. There are, however, a few welcome exceptions.
Property Rights in Fisheries in Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Japan has privatized aquaculture by creating private property rights in
fisheries. Under the Japanese system, each fisherman has an incentive to make
investments and discover new technology that enhances the value of his rights.
Another approach is used by Australia (for bluefin tuna) and New Zealand (for
abalone). In both cases, the government establishes a total allowable catch, and
individual tradeable quotas (ITQs) permit fishermen to catch a specified
percentage of the total. Since ITQs can be bought and sold, a system of property
rights has been created under which holders of ITQs have a self-interest in preserving
and maintaining the value of their property.
[102]
This brief discussion by no means covers all of the problems or the progressive solutions to maintaining the value of ocean resources. It does show that progressive solutions not only are possible, but in many instances are being employed.
Ground Water
Because more than half of our drinking water comes from ground water, ground
water is one of our most important environmental resources. Among the problems
are overuse of water and too much pollution. Because there are no property
rights to ground water, each user has a tendency to take too much since there is
no guarantee that water left in the ground will not be taken by other users. (In
other words, people have no
right to the water they conserve.) The lack
of property rights also means that there are no owners and defenders to deter
people who trespass by polluting the water. [103]
Interestingly, a similar problem existed in the oil industry. Like an aquifer, an oil pool is an underground liquid resource which is subject to the problems of too rapid depletion and quality deterioration. But unlike the governmental approach to ground water, the oil industry solved the problem with market-based institutions. The oil industry developed a property rights approach called "unitization," which assigns ownership rights to an entity called the "unit." The unit manager operates the oil field in an integrated fashion and each owner receives a share of the income from the field. As in the case of cattle grazing, solving the "commons" problems of oil recovery was extremely difficult. But because solutions were perceived as valuable, people had a self-interest in discovering them. [104]
Forests
The reactionary approach to saving forests and trees is to turn ownership rights over to government. Often this involves replacing private owners and defenders with property owned in common.
Yet
when government acquires power over resources, special-interest pressures
invariably assert themselves. As a result, decisions tend to be made on the
basis of
political rather than economic or environmental costs and
benefits. To the horror of environmentalists, governments in the United States,
Canada, Sweden, Finland and Brazil frequently destroy forests in order to create
jobs for loggers and pressure private owners to do the same. For example: [105]
The government of Ontario, Canada, is deforesting government lands, while private woodlot owners refuse to harvest their timber as fast as the government would like.
Sweden, where most of the forest land is privately owned, has more standing forest today than at any time in the past, yet private owners are
requiredto harvest at least half of their trees within a decade after maturity.
In Finland, which also has more forest than ever before, the government is using tax incentives to encourage tree owners to harvest.
In Brazil's Amazon basin, the government has subsidized the stripping and burning of a forested area larger than France. The land was seized from local inhabitants.
Subsidized logging on more than half of the U.S. Forest Service's lands costs taxpayers more than $800 million a year. [106]
Progressive environmentalists recognize that common ownership almost always creates perverse incentives under which people have a self-interest in causing environmental harm. By contrast, private ownership gives people strong incentives to preserve and protect that which they own.
Auto Air Pollution
For as long as there have been cities, the air shed over them has been a commons, used as a dumping ground for various forms of waste. In the past, wood burning and coal burning to heat homes were the major sources of urban air pollution. Today, it's the automobile.
The Bureaucratic Approach.
The current approach to curtailing tail pipe pollution is collectivist and
ignores the behavior of individuals. Instead of imposing costs on people who
pollute and rewarding those who don't, regulators are attempting to tell the
entire automobile industry how to produce cars. One consequence is that cars are
never cleaner than when they leave the assembly line. Individual car owners have
weak incentives to reduce tail pipe pollution by, for example, getting regular
tune-ups. The current approach is also inequitable. Higher auto prices penalize
drivers in rural areas where pollution problems are nonexistent (and incomes are
generally lower) in order to meet more cheaply the concerns of urban residents
who actually have a pollution problem (and higher incomes).
To make matters worse, the current approach may be leading to more emissions and pollution. Studies show that 50 percent of the tail pipe pollution is caused by 10 percent of the cars (mainly old ones). But because federal regulations increase the prices of new cars, people have incentives to continue driving their older, more polluting cars.
An
Individualistic Approach.
Can auto pollution be reduced more intelligently? Indeed it can. The technology
now exists to detect emissions from each car as it passes a monitor on the
roadway. (See the case study below.) Car owners could be subject to fines and
fees based on the pollution .they create – the higher the emission level, the
higher the fee. Under such a system, each car owner would have a financial
interest in keeping emissions low. For people driving solely in cities, emission
performance would become an attractive automobile feature. For people driving
outside the cities, this feature would be less important. [107] Industrial Air Pollution
As in the case of auto air pollution, the traditional approach to industrial air and water pollution in the United States is for government to literally tell producers how to produce things. For example, under the Clean Air Act, the federal government tells coal burning factories (mainly utility companies) that they must install scrubbers in order to reduce their emissions of sulphur dioxide (C02), which causes acid rain.
One problem with this approach is that it leaves factories with no further incentive to reduce pollution. As long as they are in legal compliance, factory owners experience no economic gain if they further reduce sulphur emissions, and no economic cost if their emissions increase. A second problem is that such regulations create perverse incentives that may make the pollution problem worse. By raising the cost of new factories relative to old ones, the regulations inadvertently encourage the retention of older (more polluting) factories and discourage investments in newer (cleaner) ones. A third problem is that factory owners have no incentive to invest in discovering newer and better pollution abatement technology. [108]
A fourth problem is politics itself. For many utilities, burning low-sulphur Western coal is a cheaper way to control pollution than installing scrubbers, which are needed primarily for high-sulphur Appalachian and Midwestern coal. The federal government's requirement that all factories install scrubbers – regardless of the quality of coal used – is an example of special-interest pressure to prevent utilities from switching to Western coal. The program is actually an expensive jobs program for coal miners in Appalachia and the Midwest, which leaves the air dirtier than it would be with far cheaper control methods. [109] For every $1 of additional costs (added to people's utility bills), coal miners receive only 5 cents of added benefits, and there is virtually no gain in air quality. [110]
Tradeable Pollution Permits.
A better approach is to establish a permissible level of pollution and allow
companies to buy and sell rights to pollute. Under this approach, government
does not tell industry how to produce. It establishes pollution levels and lets
producers find the least-cost method of reaching those levels. Under this
approach, producers always have a financial self-interest in reducing pollution.
If they pollute more, they have to buy more pollution rights. If they pollute
less, they can sell their rights to others. A market for pollution rights tends
to minimize the cost of achieving any given level of clean air and the hardship
for workers and employers, while giving entrepreneurs incentives to devise
better, cheaper pollution control methods. [111]
The idea of a tradeable market in pollution rights looks good in theory and is embodied in the amendments to the Clean Air Act, passed in the fall of 1990. Yet in practice, things are different. In the past, regulators have arbitrarily limited the rights and even revoked them whenever it seemed politically popular to do so. Thus politics has taken away many of the potential advantages of this approach. [112]
A
Property Rights Approach.
A different approach has been suggested by Fred Smith, a former EPA analyst, who
is now president of the Competitive Enterprise Institute in Washington, DC.
Smith sees polluters as trespassers. If there were a way to identify which
pollutants come from which polluters, we could fine or tax each for the harm
done to individuals who use the air shed. How can we "fence" air sheds and make
individual trespassers pay? Technology may provide an answer:
Tracers (odorants, coloring agents, isotopes) might be added to pollutants to [detect the identity of the polluter]. Detection and monitoring schemes would evolve as environmental values mounted and it became appropriate to expend more on fencing. ... Lasimetrics, a technology which can already map atmospheric chemical concentrations from orbit, might in time provide a sophisticated means of tracking transnational pollution flows. If that system were combined with a system under which each nation adopted... fingerprinting ... to identify its major greenhouse gases (a type of chemical zip code system), it would become possible to trace [worldwide] pollution to its source and thus make it possible to make the polluters pay. [113]
To some degree, these imaginative solutions are already being used. For example, in Canyonlands National Park in southern Utah, tracers were , used to determine whether nearby power plants were contributing to haze-causing pollutants in the park. [114]
The United States Coast Guard has demonstrated that new sensing technology can be used to identify which oil tanker is the source of an oil spill with a probability of 99.9 percent. [115] As a definer and enforcer of property rights, government has an important role to play in this solution. Just as states registered cattle brands and prosecuted rustlers, the government could move us in the right direction if it would register pollutants, monitor the flow of atmospheric pollutants and enforce liability for damages.
Global Warming
The theory behind global warming is that a buildup of greenhouse gases (especially carbon dioxide) will cause the earth to warm, with potentially harmful effects. We will review the predictions and evidence for the theory below.
Currently, scientists disagree on whether global warming has already occurred, whether significant global warming will occur in the future, whether warming would be harmful or somewhat beneficial to humans and whether, if harmful, it is better to adjust to the warming or try to prevent it. At least two of the world's leading climate scientists – Arizona State physicist Sherwood Idso [116] and Soviet climatologist Mikhail Budyko [117] – argue that we should welcome a C02 buildup with open arms. In general, those scientists who welcome global warming, or at least do not worry about it, take the longer view — considering the historical variations in the earth's temperature and cycles in carbon dioxide (C02) concentration.
Natural Temperature Changes.
Most historical evidence suggests that warmth is life-enhancing and
life-sustaining, whereas cold Is life-threatening:
In the past two to three million years, the earth's temperature has gone through at least 17 climate cycles, with ice ages typically lasting about 100,000 years interrupted by warm periods lasting about 10,000 years. [118] [See Figure V.]
Since by some calculations the current warm period is about 13,000 years old, the next ice age is overdue. [119]
About 25,000 years ago, during the last ice age, half of North America was completely covered by ice. A significantly cooler world would be disastrous for humans as well as plants and animals, and some have argued that we need global warming to prevent that disaster.
Natural Changes in Carbon Dioxide Levels.
Those who worry that the human use of carbon-based fuels is sending too much C02
into the atmosphere may be surprised to learn that atmospheric C02
levels have varied radically as life on earth has evolved. Moreover, just as
warmth has always been unambiguously good for life, so has C02:
[120]
When dinosaurs walked the earth (about 70 to 130 million years ago), there was from five to ten times as much C02 in the atmosphere as there is today, and the average temperature was 5°C to 10°C warmer.
Those conditions must have been extremely life-enhancing, since they permitted the huge creatures to find plenty of food and survive – a task that is difficult for today's largest land animal, the elephant.
The ancestors of the earth's plants evolved at a time when plantlife-enhancing C02 was so abundant that some scientists fear today's plants are suffering from C02 deprivation.
This may explain why plants thrive when exposed to more C02, a phenomenon greenhouse operators have observed for years.
Although C02 levels in the atmosphere have fluctuated over time, a secular decline in C02 has been going on throughout the 4.5 billion-year history of the earth. If this trend continues, and there is no scientific reason to think it will not, eventually our planet will become as lifeless as Mars. [121]
Unworkable Solutions.
Although scientists now disagree about global warming, suppose it becomes clear
that global warming is a real threat, and we all agree that worldwide reduction
in atmospheric C02
is desirable. What's the best way to achieve this goal? The collectivist
approach focuses entirely on governments. An international treaty would be
negotiated and each country would agree to reduce its C02
emissions by regulating the behavior of its citizens. How likely is this to
work? Consider a similar approach used by a fairly homogeneous group of
countries (OPEC) to reduce the annual output of oil. OPEC agreements continue to
fail miserably because each nation has a financial interest in cheating on the
agreement, while hoping that all others will keep their word.
If OPEC agreements routinely fail to restrict oil production, how much more likely would failure be for an agreement to restrict C02 emissions among 150 heterogeneous governments? The agreement would require each country to sacrifice for the common good. Yet each country, and each individual within each country, would have a self-interest in not sacrificing. [122]
Progressive Solutions.
A progressive approach to global warming recognizes that people are far more
likely to act in their self-interest than tosacrifice for abstract (and hard-to-understand) common goals.
Accordingly, this approach would seek to
empower individuals and make it in their self-interest to enhance carbon sinks
(which absorb C02),
create alternative energy sources and develop new technology to deal with the
problem. (See the case study below.) | 28,636 | 11,729 | 0.000086 |
warc | 201704 | An industry is said to have been “disrupted” when a newcomer enters it and fundamentally changes how it works.
Uber disrupted the taxi industry by allowing
anyone to become a driver, and by improving the customer experience. For better or for worse, AdBlock is disrupting the online publishing industry. And of course, AirBnB has utterly disrupted the hospitality industry.
For the first time ever, we’ve now got a generation of “casual hoteliers”, as people open their homes to strangers for money. But they’ve also revolutionized and enhanced
the guest experience, and mainstream hotels are starting to feel the heat. Here’s what AirBnB is doing different, and how it’ll improve your traveling experience. Collecting City Taxes
In Europe, many municipalities require hotels to collect ‘city taxes’. This is a fee levied against occupants of hotel rooms, regardless of whether they’re there on business, or as tourists.
The amount charged varies from city to city, and often depends on the star rating of the establishment. If you’re staying in a three-star hotel in Barcelona, you can expect to be charged €0.75 per person, per night. Rome charges €4 for the same class of hotel.
These taxes are fairly unpopular with travelers. Personally speaking, I don’t mind them, as they go towards funding infrastructure and cultural events. I
do resent how inelegantly they’re collected though. In my experience, they are collected in cash during check-in or check-out, rather than during booking. Nothing’s more frustrating than having to count out six euros in “slummy”, when you just want to get out and catch your flight, or go to bed.
Thankfully, AirBnB is dealing with this problem, at least in some locales. In Paris, Amsterdam, and dozens of cities in the United States, they’ve arranged a deal with the local government to collect city taxes on behalf of their hosts. You can see a comprehensive list here.
— The Drum (@TheDrum) October 22, 2015
This is great for these local governments, who receive a massive windfall. It’s great for hosts, who don’t have to physically go to the effort of collecting the daily tax from their guests and remitting it to the municipality. It’s great for tourists too, who have a more streamlined check-in/out experience.
Transparent Security Deposits
Hotels often charge their guests a refundable deposit when they check in. This is often a small amount (around $50 per day), to cover things like breakages and incidentals (room service and purchases from the minibar). That said, there’s no real ‘rule’ on how much hotels should charge.
It’s entirely up to them, and can be as be as high or as low as they choose.
I found out this the hard way the other day when checking into a hotel I’d booked through Hotel Tonight. It started off being quite routine. The receptionist took my driver’s license and asked me to sign a document. She then assigned me a room, and gave me a slip of paper that told me what the Wi-Fi password was and when breakfast would be served.
Before she handed over the keycards, she asked me to leave a deposit. I dutifully handed over my credit card, which she swiped and then returned. Later that night, I checked my online banking, and found that she’d taken around $200.
That was for one night.
That’s the thing with hotels. You never know in advance how much of a deposit you’ll have to leave. You don’t get told when you make the reservation.
AirBnB is different though. Before you make a booking, you’re told quite plainly how much your room will cost, from the deposit and cleaning fee, to the cost for additional occupants.
Many properties on AirBnB don’t even ask for a deposit, thanks to the amazing insurance they receive for free as hosts.
That said, if you’re determined to check into a hotel, you can always find out how much your deposit will be by opening the page for your hotel on TripAdvisor, and looking for all reviews tagged with ‘deposit’.
More Locations
When I go to a city, I quite quickly find somewhere that deeply resonates with me. In Liverpool, there’s Lark Lane, with its dozens of trendy cafes and restaurants. In Toronto, it’s the Danforth Avenue. In New York, I go to Williamsburg’s Bedford Avenue, with its countless enticing ethnic eateries. The list goes on.
The problem is, it can be hard to find hotel accommodation (affordable or otherwise) near these areas.
With AirBnB, you can be much more precise with where you stay. Heading to Brooklyn and want to be based near your favorite Korean BBQ place, or going to Melbourne and want to be able to walk to your favorite pub? You can.
That’s because you’re staying in someone’s house, whereas hotels tend to be clustered around city centers and transportation hubs.
Getting Rid of Bad Hosts
I’ve stayed in some crap hotels in my time.
I once stayed in a hotel in Switzerland where the windows didn’t open, and the carpet told a sordid story of all the guests who had stayed there previously. Another hotel (also in Switzerland, funnily enough) came with an amenity I really didn’t want – bedbugs. Then there was the hotel in Marseille which looked like it had last seen housekeeping during the Clinton presidency. I stayed long enough to connect to the Wi-Fi and book something else.
Like bedbugs?Try La Quinta Hotel, Calhoun, GA. pic.twitter.com/ZYfFfT0gH9
— John Kachuba (@JohnKachuba) December 11, 2015
AirBnB is different. They’re determined to defend the quality of their service, and they’re doing that by ensuring that all hosts meet a minimum standard. Visitors are able to give feedback, and hosts who accrue enough negative reviews are booted from the service.
Better Neighbors
AirBnB is a bit like Uber in the respect that it’s not just the service providers who get reviewed, but also the users.
At the end of the trip, hosts have the opportunity to write a few words about the guest, which is displayed on their profile, and cannot be altered or removed by the guest. Get good feedback, and more people will be likely to rent to you. If you amass a lot of negative feedback, nobody will rent to you.
It’s as easy as that.
As a guest, I’ve noticed that there are some advantages to this system. Especially when you consider that more and more people are purchasing apartments in order to rent them out piecemeal on AirBnB.
It’s meant that when I’m sharing a house or an apartment with other AirBnB users, I’m probably going to have a good time, and be surrounded with fellow travelers that are clean and considerate.
I’ve never had to complain about a fellow AirBnB user. In fact, I’ve made some really good friends through the service.
Hotels, on the other hand, have no such system. The only requirement to getting a room is having enough money. If you behave badly in one hotel, there’s nothing to stop you moving elsewhere.
the people in the hotel room next to us have noise makers like okay i get it it's New Years BUT SHUT UP IT'S BEEN 18 MINUTES
— bethann (@bethannlong12) January 1, 2016
As a result, I’ve had some pretty nightmarish hotel neighbor experiences. Perhaps the worst was when three German backpackers in Bratislava thought 3AM was an appropriate time to blast out David Guetta remixes.
The Advantages of AirBnB
I like AirBnB. I like how you can often find yourself staying in quirky little side-streets. I like how cheap it can be, and how transparent the pricing is. I like the fact that it has procedures to remove bad hosts and guests from the system. As a service, it demonstrates how technology can intermingle with travel, in order to make it all a more convenient and pleasant experience.
At the same time, I know that there are some advantages to hotels that aren’t replicated by AirBnB. With hotels, there’s usually a member of staff available 24/7. You can order room service, and usually you can arrange to check out later if need be.
Do you prefer to stay in hotels, or AirBnBs? Tell me about it in the comments below. | 8,283 | 3,892 | 0.000269 |
warc | 201704 | Join over 1.2 million students every month Accelerate your learning by 29% Unlimited access from just £6.99 per month why did desegregation cause a problem in the usa
Extracts from this document...
Introduction
Why did desegregation in schools become a major problem in the USA in the 1950s? Desegregation of schools became a major problem in the USA due to many factors during the 1950s. Desegregation is the racial elimination of segregation. However desegregation was a major problem for America internationally and socially. A lot of people were still bitter about the end of slavery and so racism was a main issue which gradually led to segregation which made it difficult to desegregate. The Ku Klux Klan was a white supremacist group with all the members consisting of WASPs. They terrorised and enforced fear upon African Americans and non-WASPs. They did things like public lynching and hangings to show the people of America that white people are superior. This had a big effect on school desegregation because they made black people scared to send their children to school as they thought they would get hurt. During the events at little rock, Arkansas in 1957, the mob outside the school had members of the KKK and they stopped the 9 children from entering the school by terrorising and threatening them. ...read more.
Middle
The schools boards and the schools themselves had a big role in slowing segregation down and causing problems. The southern school board of Atlanta desegregated one grade at a time starting with the 12th grade which meant it would take 12 years for the schools in Atlanta to desegregate. The Atlanta school board also wrote letters to the parents of white pupils warning them about desegregation so that they could make their children change schools. These school boards had caused problems as it meant desegregation took a long time and allowed white parents to keep their children separate. The schools themselves made black children feel unwelcome. For example George Mclaurin was accepted to the University of Oklahoma but the university authorities would not let him integrate with white students by not letting him work in the same room and not eat with white students. This caused problems with school desegregation because black students didn't feel comfortable and they wouldn't want to go to school. ...read more.
Conclusion
White people wanted to show that they are the superior race so they made it very difficult for black people to become equal. However groups like the NAACP helped the African Americans and showed the white citizens that they are not alone and they have support. The long term reason why desegregation was a problem was that after slavery had ended in 1863 the white people carried on with segregation and the children could not go to school as they were slaves so they did not know how to read or write. After many years black people were forced to be untrained and uneducated which they had to accept. There were also many short term reasons why desegregation was a problem and they were things like the little rock crisis, the school boards, the president and governors and the supreme court. All in all the 1950s became a big turning point for African Americans and led to people like Martin Luther King fighting for black peoples rights and changing the face of the USA. BY TALHA RAJA 10S ...read more.
This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE USA 1941-80 section.
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warc | 201704 | Our dedicated Marshall Service teams are on hand to help with all of
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warc | 201704 | June 9, 2014 Previously published on May 30, 2014
A non-competition agreement that prohibited employees from soliciting the employer’s “past, present or prospective future customers or clients” is overbroad, a federal district court in Arkansas has ruled, striking down the agreement and granting summary judgment in favor of two employees.
Morgan v. West Memphis Steel & Pipe, Inc., No. 3:14-CV-00015-BRW (E.D. Ark. May 20, 2014).
Although the court recognized the employer had a legitimate interest in protecting customers whom the employees helped obtain and with whom they worked, it found the non-competition covenant went “a step too far” by attempting to protect future relationships.
Background
Scott Morgan and Chris Morgan worked for West Memphis Steel & Pipe, Inc. beginning in 2000 and 2005, respectively. In 2009, the employees each signed an Employment, Non-disclosure, and Non-competition Agreement (the “non-compete”) that prohibited them from soliciting the business of West Memphis Steel’s “past, present, or prospective future customers or clients” within a 175-mile radius of West Memphis, Arkansas for two year following their resignation from employment. In 2014, the employees resigned and filed a lawsuit against the employer and sought a declaratory judgment that the non-compete was overly broad and unenforceable.
Applicable Law
Arkansas law disfavors non-competition agreements, particularly those related to employment. However, Arkansas law will enforce non-competition agreements where: (1) the employer has a valid interest to protect; (2) the geographic restriction is not overly broad; and (3) a reasonable time limit is given. Non-competition agreements clauses must be valid as written, because Arkansas courts will neither rewrite nor vary their terms.
Agreement Unenforceable
The employees argued the non-compete was overbroad and unenforceable because it covered future customers. The employer maintained the reference to future customers applied only to prospects the employees had been developing.
The court sided with the employees, finding the employer had no legitimate interest in seeking to protect relationship with customers with whom it had not done business, although it did recognize the employer had a legitimate interest in customer relationships that the employees already had established.
Further, the non-compete did not define “prospective or future customers and clients,” and the court could not rewrite the non-compete to supply the definition suggested by the employer. Accordingly, the court struck the non-competition agreement as unenforceable and granted summary judgment in favor of the employees.
***
This case reminds employers that non-competition agreements must be narrowly tailored to cover only legitimate protectable interests. Employers should work closely with experienced counsel to identify those interests as specifically as possible. This is particularly important in states such as Arkansas that do not “blue-pencil” or rewrite overly broad non-competition agreements to make them enforceable. | 3,159 | 1,375 | 0.000747 |
warc | 201704 | Since the Watergate scandal in the 1970s each new discovery of an act of institutional misconduct seems to result in it being reported as a ‘gate’. In line with this the emissions scandal that began last year is now called ‘dieselgate’ and has again this month been discussed in the European Parliament.
Work has been ongoing by the European Parliament’s committee of inquiry trying to shed light on the shortcomings and mistakes that led to the discovery last September that the Volkswagen Group had been tampering with laboratory emissions testing. Cars that had complied with emissions regulations in the laboratory were found to be exceeding these standards on the road.
In the United States Volkswagen announced plans to rectify the emissions issues by refitting the affected vehicles as part of a recall campaign and to address the issue of the depreciated value of the 500,000 cars affected owners were been offered compensation or the option to sell their vehicle back to Volkswagen.
But in the EU, after almost a year after the scandal broke some member countries are continuing to drag their feet on the investigation and failing to recall and fix the affected cars. It appears that some member countries are unwilling to act in fear of upsetting car manufacturers.
While happy with the Commission’s promise that infringement procedures will be opened against some of these member states in the coming months, Labour MEPs believe that we need a harmonised and coordinated European recall programme to protect citizens’ health and to deliver to consumers. It has become clear that the European Commission has more than enough information regarding the use of defeat devices by the car industry, but is failing to look into the issue further and warnings that vehicles built by a wide range of car makers could have been using, and are continue to use defeat devices to cheat emissions tests are still being ignored.
While clearly an issue of consumer protection, this also flies in the face of the EU’s comprehensive and well-established policy of environmental protection. The environmental standards set by EU are among the strictest in the world with legislation designed to achieve more than 130 environmental targets and objectives to be met between 2010 and 2050. The EU is the world leader in efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions responsible for climate change. If the environmental services had been responsible for the development and enforcement of cars emission legislation (as they are for the environmental legislation for other sectors), the failure to detect and ban defeat devices might not have taken place.
There is clearly a need to establish a transparent certification system which is totally independent and far from any conflict of interests, with effective monitoring and surveillance mechanisms at a European level. Whatever the trade implications post Brexit we will continue to see a wide variety of cars on our roads and we will need to establish effective cooperation and monitoring mechanisms to prevent such a scandal happening again. | 3,128 | 1,505 | 0.000675 |
warc | 201704 | As a school counselor, you have the opportunity to have a profound and positive impact on children. Even though we often think of children as being innocent and carefree, the reality is that life offers many obstacles, and even the youngest among us are affected by the ups and downs of life. However, young children don’t have the same coping mechanisms that adults have, so a good school counselor can become instrumental in helping them navigate some of the disappointments and heartbreak that can come in life.
Before you begin your career in counseling, though, it is important to make sure you understand the unique challenges associated with counseling young children. The good news is that there is plenty of help available to you. You can get help from the Internet, in the form of informative web sites that offer counseling ideas, tips and advice. If you are hoping to be of use to young children, here are 30 Q&A sites that can help you better understand how to help your smallest clients:
General Topics for Counseling Young Children
These Q&A web sites deal with a number of different topics that might affect children. They also include helpful general hints for counseling young children, and techniques that can help you be more effective.
Student Intervention: A great resource for learning about how to tackle problems with young children, from identifying at-risk children to helping them overcome problems. Teachable Moment: Learn how you can grasp teachable moments and better connect to children. School Counselor: A great Q&A site with resources, and helpful hints for counseling and educating children, including young children. Concern: Visit this site for helpful information on counseling young children, as well as learning about foster care for children. Stop Bullying: A great Q&A resource for those who are trying to help stop bullying. A great resource for counselors and others. Advocates for Youth: A helpful place to start for counselors who are working with GLBTQ children, or those who are struggling with related issues. Child Counseling Techniques: This brief overview answers questions about different child counseling techniques, and how they can be used. Types of Counseling Techniques: Use this handy resource to answer questions about which techniques are appropriate for different age groups. Grief Counseling for Young Children
Children deal with loss in ways that are different from the way adults do. Whether it’s the loss of a pet, or a parent, it is possible that a young child needs the help of a good counselor. Here are some great web sites that can help you out.
KIDSAID: This is a safe place for kids to grieve — and help each other through the loss. However, it also provides a great Q&A that can be of use to counselors. Grief Recovery: Learn more about how to help those coping with loss, including young children. Amanda the Panda: Resources, tips, and answers to questions related to helping children grieve and overcome loss. Counseling for Loss: Learn more about grief, counseling, and how to help young children through a tough loss. The Healing Place: Q&A on helping children who are grief-stricken. A great resource for counselors who want to help with loss. The Dougy Center: Provides answers to questions about helping children make it through loss, as well as valuable resources. Helping Children Cope with Loss, Death and Grief: A helpful resource that can answer your questions about counseling techniques to assist children. Grief Counseling: A straightforward look at helping children with grief. Provides helpful answers to commonly asked questions. Guidance Counseling for Young Children
Sometimes children need a little help determining what’s next. You can use the following web sites to help you learn how to properly guide children in a way that keeps them safe while providing them with better opportunities to succeed.
Counseling 4 Kids: Learn how to help children, and get them beyond some of the issues that might hold them back. Family Guidance Center: Access resources, tips, techniques and other helpful information and answers. The Common Problems School Guidance Counselors Come Across: This helpful resource answers questions about problems you might run into as a guidance counselor. Sample K-12 School Counseling Lesson Plans: New Jersey Schools offers some great samples of lesson plans for guidance counselors. Learn to effectively counsel children. Counseling Community: Guidance counselors working with young children can have their questions answered, and learn valuable techniques. Character First: Learn how you, as a guidance counselor, can help children develop good character. Helpful Q&A for counseling with children of all ages. National Center for Youth Issues: Answers to questions, practical resources, and helpful hints. A World of Prevention: Q&A, resources and more about helping young children and families. Web Sites of Professional Counseling Organizations
One of the best things you can do is to join some sort of professional counseling organization. Many of these organizations include helpful Q&A sections that can help you find out more about counseling different clients, and keep you on top of the best techniques.
American School Counselor Association: Visit this web site for information that can help you be a better school counselor, and provide insight into helping young children. American Counseling Association: Offers information on all types of counseling. Includes resources on counseling young children, and helpful hints for improving your performance as a school counselor. Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development: A great resource for counselors looking to help students in a multicultural setting. Plenty of great resources, and information about counseling children. American Educational Research Association: Helpful and informative resources related to research. Includes Q&A, and great resources for school counselors looking to better help young children obtain an education. American Mental Health Counselors Association: Great for answering questions about mental health. Includes information and resources for helping young children improve their mental health. American Association of Christian Counselors: You can get access to helpful resources, and have your questions about helping young children answered on this site. A great place to start if you are interested in counseling young children from a Christian perspective. | 6,520 | 2,570 | 0.000391 |
warc | 201704 | Customer Service
My Account Contact Us Resources
Web: MayoMedicalLaboratories.com Email: mml@mayo.edu Telephone: 800-533-1710 International: +1 855-379-3115 Values are valid only on day of printing. September 2010
#80171, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Detection
#83344, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Detection, High-Risk Types
The human papillomavirus (HPV) types that are associated with cervical cancer are called high-risk viral types. There are numerous high-risk viral types but the most common are 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, and 39. A number of HPV viral types are low risk (types 6, 11, 42, 43, and 44) and have not been detected in any cervical cancers. These HPV types carry no significant risk of developing cervical neoplasia.
While identification of high-risk HPV types is considered an important component of cervical cancer screening protocols, current recommendations by the American Cancer Society (ACS), American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP), and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) state that identification of low-risk HPV types does not have a role in routine cervical cancer screening and provides limited clinical value in this setting.
Mayo Medical Laboratories test #80171, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Detection detected both high- low risk types of HPV from female cervical and vaginal specimens. So, in keeping with the current recommendations, we have discontinued the use of this assay. All specimens submitted for detection of HPV are now tested utilizing #83344, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Detection, High Risk Types, which provides a more economical and medically useful option for clients wishing to test for HPV from cervical and vaginal specimens.
Michael Henry, MD, director of the Cytology Laboratory in the Division of Anatomic Pathology at Mayo Clinic, presents a review of the current guidelines for the appropriate use of HPV tests in a Hot Topic video presentation (Cervical Cytology and HPV Testing) available at www.mayomedicallaboratories.com.
Effective January 1, 2011, new guidelines for immunohistochemical testing (IHC) of estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) in breast cancer from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and College of American Pathologists (CAP) will be instituted at Mayo Clinic. These new guidelines are available online at the following Web sites:
The primary goal of the guidelines is to reduce assay variability and improve accuracy and utility of ER/PR testing as predictive markers for breast cancers by offering strategies to optimize assay performance, result interpretation, and result reporting. Among other recommendations, the new guidelines highlight the critical nature of the specimen-handling requirements. Preanalytic treatment of the specimen greatly impacts the quality of the specimen and, therefore, the quality of the test result. Specifically, the time from biopsy or resection of the breast tumor to fixation in 10% neutral buffered formalin fixative should be as short as possible and certainly within 1 hour. Additionally, the breast needle/core biopsy and excisional specimens must be fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin for
6 to 72 hours before processing. Any deviation from this handling can potentially impact the final test results. The new guidelines also require documentation of time to fixation and the total fixation time. Mayo Medical Laboratories will continue to monitor the recommendations of ASCO and CAP so that we can rapidly respond to process and testing improvements. Meanwhile, it is important to adhere to all specimen collection, preparation, and handling instructions. Delay to fixation, underfixation, or overfixation fall outside of ASCO/CAP guidelines and may affect results.
Following these instructions will optimize your test results:
* Submit only nondecalcified specimens.
Mayo Medical Laboratories would like to take this opportunity to reassure our clients that we routinely participate in proficiency testing surveys and maintain in-house proficiency testing and quality control.
Reference Hammond ME, Hayes DF, Dowsett M, et al: American Society of Clinical Oncology/College of American Pathologists guideline recommendations for immunohistochemical testing of estrogen and progesterone receptors in breast cancer (unabridged version). Arch Pathol Lab Med 2010 Jul;134(7):e48-72 | 4,389 | 2,013 | 0.000499 |
warc | 201704 | On the football field or in the hockey rink, for instance, players with a mild concussion could suffer permanent brain damage or even death from a second hit. But competitors often resume play, and assume risk, after answering a few questions from the coach.
A clear diagnosis of mild tramautic brain injury usually requires a quiet room and an hour or more of testing, which is impossible in many situations.
Now a biomedical engineer and an expert in emergency medicine have collaborated on a portable device that can zero in on problems associated with concussions in about seven minutes in virtually any setting.
Michelle LaPlaca, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and David Wright, assistant director of Emory University's Emergency Medicine Research Center, developed DETECT, for display enhanced testing for concussions and mild traumatic brain injury.
The device includes software, a portable computer, a video-game-type controller, earphones, and headgear with a video display. It blocks light and sound that could interfere with its operation.
People with mild brain injury will struggle with certain mental tasks that draw on different areas of the brain, such as working memory and complex reactions. DETECT's bank of neuropsysiological tests is designed to assess performance of these brain functions.
Because DETECT is automated, it can be operated by a coach, parent, soldier or other layperson. It has been tested in the laboratory and in a hospital emergency room, and the researchers are hoping that the Georgia Tech football program will also give it a try.
LaPlaca and Wright plan to commercialise the technology. With special software, it could be used for cognitive testing related to other mental conditions or diseases, such as Alzheimer's.
MEDICA.de; Source: Whitaker Foundation | 1,864 | 996 | 0.001009 |
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By the time children are 18 or 19, any influence that parents had over their children's food choices is gone, a British twin study suggested.
Analyzing 2,865 twin pairs in Great Britain, researchers found that genetic factors influenced the food choices of the teenagers, and there was no indication that shared family environment influenced food choice beyond the genetic factors.
Heritability estimates of six food groups -- including fruit, vegetables, starchy foods, meat or fish, dairy, and snacks -- ranged from 0.32 (starchy foods) to 0.54 (vegetables), according to the authors, who were led by Clare Llewellyn, PhD, MSc, at University College London. In other words, from 32% to 54% of the interindividual variation was explained by genetic factors.
"Food preferences had a moderate genetic basis in late adolescence, in keeping with findings in children," the authors wrote in the
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. "However, by this older age, the influence of the shared family environment had disappeared and only aspects of the environment unique to each individual twin influenced food preferences."
Heritability of fruit preference was calculated at 0.49 (95% CI 0.43-0.55), while for meat or fish it was 0.44 (95% CI 0.38-0.51), dairy was 0.44 (95% CI, 0.37-0.50), and snacks were 0.43 (95% CI 0.36-0.49).
In an email to
MedPage Today, Llewellyn explained that the most striking observation was that, in an earlier study, they found that food preferences in children at age 3-4 came from the shared family environment, "but by 18 years of age the effects of the earlier shared family environment are totally undetectable."
The work is important because in order to change food choices, it's important to know where they come from, she said. "Food preferences have long been of interest to obesity researchers, and these findings have the potential to inform interventions."
In twin and adoption studies, researchers typically divide the influences into three parts. There's the genetic part, but then the "environment" part can be either shared environment -- what twins experience together at home home -- or nonshared environment, a catch-all term that can mean schools, peers, or other less obvious things like measurement error and luck.
All of the participants were from the Twin Early Development Study, which includes twins from nearly 17,000 families born in England and Wales during 1994-1996. Online food preference questionnaires were sent to a sub-group of that sample via regular mail and email. In the sub-sample, most twin pairs were dizygotic (65%) -- which means they are about 50% similar genetically -- while the remaining 35% were monozygotic.
Socioeconomic characteristics of the twins were collected at baseline, and food preferences were collected via a questionnaire. Participants rated how well they liked 69 foods using a 5-point Likert scale, and their responses were compared to a previous one on food preferences done with four-year-olds. A test-retest was done in the twins' siblings to test the reliability of the questionnaire, and twins were also asked about whether they followed any restrictive diets.
For almost all of the foods asked about, the shared environmental effect was estimated to be zero.
"Finding such a substantial influence of the environment suggests that food preferences can be successfully shifted towards more healthy choices at this age," she said. "Policies that make 'the healthier food choice the easier choice' for everyone have great potential to achieve substantial public health improvements."
Mean age of twin participants was 19.1, and most (60%) were females. The average body mass index was only 22.3, so the participants were relatively lean, and about 4% reported being vegetarian.
A recent study found that marketing vegetables to kids in elementary school cafeterias using different forms of media was effective in increasing vegetable consumption. Llewellyn said that their lab has also done research into how to increase interest in vegetables. In one 2014 study, children were given the same new vegetable to a child every day for 15 days by their parents. It was successful in the short term -- for about 3 months -- but they didn't look at the long-term effects.
"As far as I'm aware there haven't been any long term prospective studies that have tracked food preferences from early childhood to late adolescence so we just don't know," she said.
The findings were "perhaps surprising" given that cultural influences might affect food choice and that twin pairs generally share those cultural influences. But the findings suggest that the twins are affected differently by those cultural influences, wrote Llewellyn and colleagues.
Limitations of the study include a lack of generalizability, since most participants were white British teens who were not overweight.
The authors disclosed no relationships with industry.
Reviewed by F. Perry Wilson, MD, MSCE Assistant Professor, Section of Nephrology, Yale School of Medicine and Dorothy Caputo, MA, BSN, RN, Nurse Planner
last updated
Primary Source American Journal of Clinical NutritionSource Reference: Smith A, et al "Genetic and environmental influences on food preferences in adolescence" Am J Clin Nutr2016; DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.116.133983. | 5,504 | 2,606 | 0.000387 |
warc | 201704 | We are big fans of this little yellow fruit — so unassuming, yet with so many unexpected uses. Not long ago we reported on what happened when we drank water with warm honey and lemon every day for a year — and the results were fascinating. As if you needed any more convincing that starting your day with a glass of warm water and lemon was the way to go, we have compiled this ultimate list of health and beauty benefits that can be derived from lemon water. 1. It works wonders for your digestive health It is often said that a healthy digestive system is the cornerstone of good all-round health. Lemons are an important source of pectin fibre which is necessary for good colon health, so a glass of warm lemon water each morning acts as a kick-start for your digestive system, reminding it to eliminate accumulated waste from the previous day. 2. Lemon water = the original rehydrator Centuries before energy drinks, rehydration salts, and glucose-electrolyte solutions flooded the market, lemon water was used as a highly efficient dehydration treatment. When we exercise we lose electrolytes (minerals including sodium, potassium, and chloride) through sweat — and whilst drinking water alone will rehydrate you, adding a few slices of lemon to the mix will speed up the process of rebalancing the electrolytes in your body. 3. The eyes have it Remember being told as a child that eating carrots would make you see in the dark? Well, there’s a new (age-old, actually) mantra in town. As a citrus fruit, lemons are packed full of Vitamin C and antioxidants which work together to form a protective effect against cataracts and macular degeneration. Drink up, kids! 4. For peachy soft skin, drink…lemons! This one seems like it should be a no-brainer since we all know that staying hydrated and drinking plenty of water is the number one thing you can do for your skin. Turn that water into lemon water, however, and you get supercharged benefits. Because lemons contain powerful antioxidants, you will notice a decrease in blemishes and wrinkles, and smoother, healthier-looking skin as a result of its detoxifying benefits.
5. Lemons are your liver’s best friend Keeping your liver happy is one of the most important things you can do for your overall health, and drinking lemon water can help your liver function at a tip-top level. As well as flushing out toxins by enhancing the enzyme function, the citric acid found in lemons also helps dispel harmful bacteria. 6. Oh, you clever potassium We all know about bananas and potassium, but did you know that lemons are also high in this essential mineral? Or that, as the third most abundant mineral in the human body, its importance is often underrated? Drinking lemon water will help ensure optimal heart, brain, kidney, and muscular function. 7. A lemon a day keeps the doctor away Well, sort of. Whilst there is no cure for the common cold, it is certainly true that those who drink lemon water every day experience less colds, and with significantly shorter durations than those who haven’t yet discovered the benefits of lemon water. This is mainly down to the concentration of Vitamin C, the undisputed defender against viral infections and immune system weaknesses.
8. It’s an inflammation buster… Inflammation doesn’t only refer to the visibly, temporarily ’inflamed’ – your body’s natural response to injury. Chronic inflammation in the body is a key component in many serious illnesses and has been linked to excess acidity in the body. Drinking lemon water decreases your body’s acidity levels, which in turn assists your body in removing harmful uric acid which can cause inflammation. 9. …and helps maintain pH perfection… Given that lemons are, as a citrus fruit, acidic by nature, you might be surprised to learn that once absorbed into the bloodstream, lemon water actually has an alkalizing effect on the body tissue. Why is this a good thing? Whilst we need acid to aid in the digestion of food, it is important to balance our body’s pH levels as too much acid makes us prone to diseases from high cholesterol to diabetes. 10. …all while boosting your metabolism If you are looking to lose weight by making healthy, sustainable changes to your diet and lifestyle, lemon water is the perfect accompaniment. Helping to increase metabolism, lemons also contain pectin fiber which has the effect of reducing hunger cravings. 11. So step away from the latte (with ease!) Many of us rely on our morning coffee for a booster shot of energy, which makes us feel super productive until about 10:30a.m. when the mid-morning slump sets in. By replacing your morning coffee with a cup of warm lemon water for just two weeks, you are sure to feel so alert, refreshed, and all-round healthy that you won’t ever go back.
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warc | 201704 | A key part of succeeding during a school year full of sports is building fitness during the months leading up to the season’s first practice. The Michigan High School Athletic Association will share how students from all over the state prepare with a “Prep Rally” contest this summer.
The contest is part of the MHSAA’s PLAY (Preparation Lasts All Year) initiative designed to encourage athletes to remain active during the offseason so they are prepared physically and acclimated to warm weather when practice begins in the fall. Student athletes involved in the winning Prep Rally activity will be awarded tickets to an MHSAA Final of their choice, at which they will be recognized for their accomplishment.
“Acclimatization and summer preparation for practice conditions are key parts of our focus on making school sports as healthy as possible for students,” MHSAA Executive Director John E. “Jack” Roberts said. “The Prep Rally contest this summer will promote the importance of staying active during the offseason. We’re excited to see how Michigan’s creative student athletes find fun ways to stay active and fit, and we look forward to showcasing their ideas so they can be shared by students all over Michigan.”
Student athletes were invited to submit a 150-word explanation of an activity they take part in during the offseason to stay active before the start of organized practice. Activities were not centered on the sport in which those athletes compete, but rather on something recreational and fun. Activities also do not have to be team-centered; consideration will be given to those that include students from a variety of sports.
MHSAA staff has selected three finalists, featured here on Second Half . Staff will select a winner and announce the champion Aug. 19. Contest Rules
appear in the box at right. This year’s finalist videos, plus the announcement of the 2013 winner, will be published on MHSAA Second Half
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warc | 201704 | Research paper topics
A research paper is a document that proves that you researched a subject and understand it enough to form an opinion on it. Your research should be cited, analyzed, discussed and then concluded in your own words, showing your considered and researched opinion on the topic at hand.
First you must find your topic. Usually your motivation for writing a paper will give you your
research paper topics. So for example, your college major will provide prompts, whereas if you were asked to do a research paper by your school/college then they would give you your topic.
Research
Once you have your topic you will need to start looking for information. During your research you will come up with ideas about the project, which will spur you on to find different
research paper topics in other texts with a similar theme. Once you have gathered together and covered a lot of sources, you should have quite a few notes and ideas. Use these ideas and notes to gain a general understanding of which direction you are going to take on your paper.
Organize your ideas and write a first draft. Whilst writing this first draft you may begin to realize that your paper is leaning to one side of an issue. This is your chance to do further research and refine your arguments to make them both more concrete and balanced.
References
Make sure you use your footnotes or your end notes (bibliography) to show where you researched, and who you cited. Once you have finished your first draft you should go over it and make sure that all of your ideas are grouped together, to avoid repeating yourself in your essay. Once you are sure the paper is well organized and coherent, and that all of your
research paper topics are covered, you can then proofread the final draft.
50
research paper topics: The impact of social media on job markets Echolocation in marine mammals Has US anti-terrorist policy reduce terrorism The impact of increased gun control in the USA Do beauty contests promote poor body image issues in the young Do college athletes deserve professional status How extensive is identity theft Divorce - too easy? Kids healthy eating - is the government going far enough? Should scientific whaling be permissible? How far can China's economy grow? Why is there still poverty in the 21st Century? The extent of female circumcision Long term impact of the Japanese Tsunami Phone hacking by the Press - is it happening in the US? Is it time to legalize cannabis? Would an indoor smoking ban reduce smoking related illnesses? Suicide bombers - martyr or misguided Would a return to traditional church values make for a better society Is pre-school an advantage for quicker learning? The case for wind energy Why are we still using plastic bags? Why is paying women less not illegal? Racial bias in the media Body language - fact or myth? Is the British class system a tool to keep poor people down? Do looks count when it comes to love? Does having more than three marriages show a lack of commitment or common sense? How much does the average human sweat at night? How close are we to curing cancer? How long does it take to fall in love? What has yet been the most effective way of preventing extinction of a wild animal? Can a plant react negatively to an emotion? How effective is the placebo effect? How many children is too many? Is it possible for a house price to keep rising through a depression at the same rate it would otherwise? How much metal is wasted per year through our use and disposal tinned food cans? Has cloning ever been successful enough to warrant tests on humans? Why do insects fly towards lights and not the sun? Will saving energy really halt global warming? How many women become infertile before 30 in the US? Where are the cheapest places to live in the US? How much do oil prices really affect the price of supermarket food? Why is comic book continuity the most strictly regulated? What brands are loved or hated? How much energy could the US produce without the use of fossil fuel? Are electric cars a feasible future transport solution? How much do the British spend on royalty memorabilia per year? Why are there still civil wars in Africa Are fast food restaurants really to blame for obesity? | 4,257 | 2,077 | 0.000483 |
warc | 201704 | This just in: cigarette smoking is bad for you. I guess you already knew that, so I won't get into the gazillion studies that confirm this. Nor will I get into the gazillion studies that show how detrimental secondhand smoke is to a child's health. But I would like to debunk the myth that is still prevalent regarding smoking in cars with children.
I know a number of parents who continue to smoke with their children in the car under the misguided premise that if they roll the windows down, their kids won't be exposed to secondhand smoke. This is a bunch of baloney.
In fact, a new study has confirmed that secondhand smoke in cars — even with the windows down and/or the air conditioning on — exceeds official "safe" limits, making the air in the car toxic to all who attempt to breathe it, including your kids.
For the study, researchers in Scotland strapped a device to the back seat of the car to analyze the air quality during a number of journeys that ranged in duration from about 10 minutes to an hour. In 49 of the 85 journeys in total, the driver smoked up to four cigarettes.
Researchers found that in the 49 trips when the driver smoked, levels of fine particulate matter averaged 85 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3), which is more than three times higher than the 25µg/m3 maximum safe indoor air limit recommended by the World Health Organization. The damage was still evident when the driver smoked only one cigarette. Even with the windows wide open, particulate matter levels still exceeded the limit at some point during the journey.
In February of this year, the CDC released a report noting that too many children are being exposed to secondhand smoke in cars. This new evidence confirms that this exposure could lead to real health damage for these kids.
If you still choose to smoke, fine — but don't smoke in the car with your kids. Care about their health even if you're not so worried about your own. It's too important not to.
Related story on MNN: Foods that can help you quit smoking | 2,052 | 1,047 | 0.000972 |
warc | 201704 | Receive the latest articles for free. Click hereto get the Mobile Commerce Daily newsletters. 6 steps to optimize mobile holiday shopping campaignsBy
With consumers spending more time on their mobile phones, mobile marketing will be the driver for all marketing in 2015 and beyond – not just digital marketing.
From in-store beacons to in-application marketing and bar code scanning to showrooming, the mobile phone provides a 24/7 personalized shopping experience. Mobile is no longer just a channel – it is omnipresent.
Are you finalizing your upcoming holiday campaigns? Here are some recommendations for marketers to maximize the time and energy they are spending on their mobile marketing holiday campaigns:
1.
Think beyond the holidays for longer-term customers: Everyone is focused on this holiday season and fourth-quarter revenue, but marketing ROI improves when you focus on winning longer-term customers who will generate a greater customer lifetime value.
By analyzing data from the existing purchase funnel, tracking the original source through the revenue they generate, marketers will be able to uncover the traffic sources and tactics that deliver customers with the greatest Lifetime Value.
Like app marketers who are overly focused on generating the install, markets need to turn their attention to post-install event analytics to understand the usage and engagement patterns of their customers.
From this data, marketers will then be able to understand who to find and keep the customers who will generate the greatest revenue and lifetime value.
2.
It is in the data: Marketers need to analyze their post-install event analytics data to understand the patterns exhibited by their most profitable customers. What actions are the users taking? With what frequency? Are they revenue-generating actions?
But customers change and so does the data.
It is important for marketers to study their customer data over time to understand the actions, the changes in actions and even the market –perhaps a competitor changed its price point or launched a new service –to continuously update its marketing.
Mobile is no longer just a channel. Marketers need to analyze cross-channel data to obtain a better understanding of where customers are using mobile and how best to optimize mobile across the customer’s journey.
3.
Historical analysis: What worked last year? As we head towards December, it is important to study all historical data, but specifically the performance of last year’s holiday campaigns.
Which of last year’s holiday campaigns ended up generating the most profits now, 10 months later?
Some campaigns look promising because they generated clicks and store visits, but ultimately converted less or converted with lower-valued shopping carts. That is why historical data is so important.
4.
Mobile–offline integration: With beacons increasingly being implemented across retail, one of the breakout trends this holiday season will be in-app beacon integrations.
The opportunity to bring together mobile and in-store will create some exciting opportunities for marketers to provide their customers with the right offer at the right time.
Offline integration via beacons will be particularly interesting for retail apps.
These integrations will uncover new opportunities to access cross-channel data to offer a better, more targeted shopping experience.
For ecommerce customers, the mobile–offline integration triggered by an in-app message when the consumer enters a store might encourage mobile browsing while resulting in an in-store purchase and a newly minted omnichannel customer.
5.
Call-to-action analysis: There is more to landing holiday shoppers than offering free shipping: With commerce becoming omnichannel, a consumer’s purchase funnel might involve more than one channel.
That is why marketers need to make sure that calls-to-actions are personalized and optimized according to each user’s preferences.
So, standard ecommerce calls-to-action might be less relevant in-app. App call-to-action data must be analyzed and optimized to help drive the shopper through the purchase funnel.
Beacon integration invites customers to touch and feel a product that they recently browsed.
I shop on apps on my phone or from my laptop, but I have friends who insist on shopping from their tablets.
Retailers today have enough user information to know how to offer the right calls-to-action for each user regardless of their channel.
6.
Beware of changes in the marketing landscape: Though ad blocking software has been around since the 1990s, it has only become a challenge for marketers and publishers in the last year or so.
THERE IS a lot to consider as marketers optimize their mobile holiday campaigns.
By focusing on achieving long-term goals and using historical, cross-channel data and new mobile technologies, marketers will rest more easily come Dec. 25.
Jennifer Shambroom is chief marketing officer of YouAppi, a New York-based provider of data-driven mobile customer acquisition services.
Jennifer Shambroom is chief marketing officer of YouAppi, New York. Reach her at jennifer@youappi.com.
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warc | 201704 | The use of mobile devices to access the Internet is becoming the medium of choice, with 69 percent of all Internet users surveyed doing so daily, according to Mobile Web Watch 2012 – a study of consumers in Europe, Latin America and South Africa conducted by Accenture.
Separately, a study by International Data Corp. also shows that consumers are migrating away from PC-based Internet usage and are increasingly using mobile devices as their default gateway to the Internet, according to International Data Corporation.
That shift to mobile first Internet access is especially pronounced in the U.S. market.
In fact, perhaps for the first time, the number of people using PCs for Internet access is shrinking, even as PC access grows elsewhere in the world. That doesn't necessarily mean the number of fixed access lines drops – only that PCs are not the devices using those connections.
In addition, consumers are using multiple devices to connect to the Web, including smartphones (61 percent), netbooks (37 percent) and tablets (22 percent), the Accenture study suggests.
The study found that emerging economies such as Brazil, South Africa and Russia also have rapidly adopted mobile devices (more than 70 percent, on average) to access the Internet, Accenture says.
Given their affordability, smartphones are more likely than other devices to serve as access gateways to the Internet in these emerging markets. This trend is set to continue, with a higher percentage of respondents in emerging markets expressing their intention to buy a Web-enabled mobile phone in the near future (Brazil, 78 percent; Russia, 73 percent; Mexico, 61 percent; and South Africa, 57 percent) compared to an average of 46 percent for all countries surveyed.
In developed European economies, mobile Internet is also on the rise. In Germany, adoption of mobile Internet access using smartphones has tripled since 2010 (from 17 to 51 percent), the study found.
Image via Shutterstock
In Switzerland today, 67 percent of respondents use Web-enabled mobile phones to go online, compared to 27 percent in 2010. In Austria, the percentage of mobile Internet users has doubled in two years (from 31 to 62 percent).
Information apps, such as train schedules, the weather or news, are the most popular downloaded apps, according to 72 percent of survey respondents – followed closely by entertainment apps (70 percent).
And there is confirmation of the importance of access network quality. Fully 85 percent of the respondents said the “quality of the network” was the most important factor in selecting a smartphone or tablet.
As you would expect, “communications” leads applications used frequently by mobile Internet users. Sending or receiving e-mails through an installed program is the most popular feature among all respondents (70 percent), followed by accessing online communities (62 percent) and instant messaging (61 percent).
Respondents in the emerging markets of Mexico and South Africa are the biggest users of mobile e-mail and instant messaging (more than 80 percent of respondents in both countries). Among all respondents, 27 percent use their mobile device for tweeting and blogging, and 46 percent use mobile devices to conduct banking transactions.
Edited by Braden Becker | 3,322 | 1,525 | 0.000666 |
warc | 201704 | Kharge has introduced 73 new trains, which includes 17 Premium trains, 39 Express trains, 10 Passenger trains, 4 MEMU and 3 DEMU in this year’s Interim Railway Budget.
Railway minister Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday introduced 73 new trains, which includes 17 Premium trains, 39 Express trains, 10 Passenger trains, 4 MEMU and 3 DEMU in this year’s Interim Railway Budget. Three trains will be extended and frequency of same number of trains will be increased.
Premium Trains: Express Trains: Passenger trains: MEMU Trains: DEMU Trains: Extension of Trains Increase in Frequency: Wittingly or unwittingly, most political parties and media houses appear to be guilty of propagating self-serving and contrived nonsense about 'inherently fallible' biometric identification (Aadhaar) based initiatives of US Department of Defense, NATO, World Bank Group and other international financial institutions One must accept a continuing divergence between approved and conditioned belief and the reality. In the end, it is the reality that counts. -John Kenneth Galbraith in "The Economics of Innocent Fraud" "The story of the march to global empire did indeed appear to be leaking out. Not the details, not the fact that it was a tragic story of debt, deception, enslavement, exploitation and the most blatant grab in history for the hearts, minds, souls, and resources of people around the world. -John Perkins, in his book "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man: The shocking inside story of how America REALLY took over the world" COBB: No idea's simple when you have to plant it in someone else's mind. SAITO: My main competitor is an old man in poor health. His son will soon inherit control of the corporation. I need him to decide to break up his father's empire. Against his own self-interest. COBB: This isn't the usual corporate espionage, Mr. Saito. This is inception. The seed of the idea we plant will grow in this man's mind. It'll change him. It might even come to define him. -From INCEPTION, a movie by Christopher Nolan Aren't most supporters of Nandan Nilekani, the former chief executive of Infosys, C Chandramouli, Sam Pitroda and Capt Raghu Raman guilty of "innocent fraud"? Haven't they been manipulated by a brigade of economic hit man (EHM) which is on the prowl? In the contested terrain of jurisdiction, execution of purportedly innocent legal action that tantamount to fraud but claim of being lawful, are deemed innocent fraud. In the name of delivery of public good and services, Indians are witnessing the same being practiced amidst legal challenge by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, West Bengal Assembly, and High Courts and in the Supreme Court. Perhaps, one cannot put Nilekani's Boss, Montek Singh Ahluwalia in this category. As to the machinations of EHMs, whose job is to encourage world leaders to become part of a vast network that promotes US commercial interest, who are ensnared in a web of debt that ensures their loyalty in furtherance of its political, economic and military needs? The political position of these leaders is bolstered through industrial parks, power plants and airports to their people although workers therein are mere wage slaves. As a consequence, "The owners of US engineering/ construction companies become fabulously wealthy." This is revealed by John Perkins, in his book Confessions of an Economic Hit Man: The shocking inside story of how America REALLY took over the world. One gets an indication of how the seed of the idea about identification and transformation being propagated by World Bank Group may have been planted in the minds of Rahul Gandhi and the then Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee by ID cartels, in "Decoding Rahul Gandhi", a book by Aarthi Ramachandran. The book reveals how GK Jayaram's Bangalore based Institute of Leadership and Institutional Development (ILID) was a consultant to Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Contemporary Studies adopted VISTAR or 'transformation' and the same was used by Rahul for his failed attempt to train Indian Youth Congress (IYC) and National Students' Union of India (NSUI). Jayaram who has taught at the US Navy Post-Graduate School and worked in US firms like AT&T, Arthur D Little (ADL), Coopers & Lybrand had also set up Infosys Leadership Institute (ILI). ILID set up Jawaharlal Nehru Leadership Institute (JNLI) in 2008 for training NSUI with Jayaram as its chief mentor. Notably, in 2006, the Electronic Frontier Foundation lodged a class action lawsuit alleging that AT&T had allowed agents of the National Security Agency (NSA) to monitor phone and Internet communications of AT&T customers without warrants in violation of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 and the First and Fourth Amendments of the US Constitution. AT&T had rewritten rules on their privacy policy that took effect from 23 June 2006 that states, "AT&T - not customers - owns customers' confidential info and can use it 'to protect its legitimate business interests, safeguard others, or respond to legal process." This was reported by the San Francisco Chronicle on 21 June 2006. Associated Press reported on 22 August 2007 that US National Intelligence Director, Mike McConnell confirmed that AT&T was one of the telecommunications companies that assisted with the government's warrantless wire-tapping program on calls between foreign and domestic sources. Mark Klein, a former AT&T technician told Keith Olbermann, MSNBC on 8 November 2007 that all internet traffic passing over AT&T lines was copied into a locked room at the company's San Francisco office - to which only employees with NSA clearance had access. Associated Press also reported that AT&T keeps for five to seven years-record of 'who text messages whom' and the date and time, but not the content of the messages on 29 September 2011. As to ADL, it is notorious for having claimed that sabotage was the cause of the Bhopal disaster as it was paid by Union Carbide Corp. As to Coopers & Lybrand, it merged with Price Waterhouse. As to Bell Laboratories, it is the research and development (R&D) subsidiary of Alcatel-Lucent in Berkeley Heights at New Jersey that handles sensitive US contracts in the communication technology field. It was previously a division of the American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T Corp). Subsequently, a web-based Pehchaan (identity) platform was set up "as a mechanism to identify and promote elected office-bearers (EOBs) at every level." The text of the resolution in this regard reads, "Every EOB is allotted a unique ID and password and given the opportunity to share their work and connect with the organization at various levels." Not only that the "IYC tied up with Google to provide it with a communications platform using cloud computing technology. The IYC's applications on Pehchaan such email, chat and others apps were provided by Google." Its newsletter dated July 2011, disclosed that it planned to move 28, 000 of its EOBs and volunteers on to Google platform to help them "carry out various development programmes at grassroots level all across India." Rahul also unsuccessfully attempted to appoint Aam Aadmi Ka Sipahi (AAKS) for two years tenure of enablers from the Congress party to work at the panchayat/ ward level through Ashok Tanwar, his protégé and President of IYC. When Arnab Goswami of Times Now asked Rahul in his first long interview in 10 years, to respond to what Narendra Modi tells voters about Congress having been given 60 years but he seeks only 60 months for BJP, Rahul responded, "We are talking about Aadhaar which is going to give money directly to the people," which is limited to only 60 crore Indian residents. In his speech at the conference of All India Congress Committee, Rahul boasted that he has given right to identity through Aadhaar, which is directly being implemented by Planning Commission's Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and indirectly through National Population Register (NPR) of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Aarthi Ramachandran, his decoder underlines, " Rahul's approach to change through his backing of for measures such as the UIDAI scheme reveals an unwillingness to engage with the existing system. It is an attempt to superimpose new systems over existing structures. This approach is bound to meet the fate of his experiments in the IYC and the NSUI…" She observes, "Also in the name of better targeting of the poor for state sponsored schemes, the UID programme pays little attention to privacy issues" and notes that Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance "was scathing in its rejection of the scheme…" Rahul Gandhi's interview with Times Now has revealed what was blanked out from electronic media by Congress party when students at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) had quizzed him on the evening of 29 September 2009. Rahul is consistently evasive in his replies. He refuses to engage with not only the existing system but also with tough questions. Had his interaction with the students been broadcast, it would have revealed his political and social understanding in a deeper way than his non-replies to Times Now did. One student had commented in his face, ", once again the recent TV interview has vindicated the opinion of JNU students about him. In answer to series of difficult questions, he said, tough questions posed to him in the university campus do not change existing structures outside the campus. "Rahul bhai, you are a real rajneta. You are speaking so much but answering nothing
(
Gopal Krishna is member of Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties (CFCL), which is campaigning against surveillance technologies since 2010)
The only options left with NBFCs are issuance of compulsorily convertible debentures with no tenure limit on the conversion or contingently convertible debentures or a third instrument that the market may innovate The Companies Act, 2013 is turning out to be opening a pandora box for non-banking finance companies (NBFCs). So long the NBFCs were struggling to ensure that the debenture issuances did not trespass into the domain of public deposits and were beginning to understand that optionally convertible debentures market will die out slowly that the draft rules have thrown language open to interpretation.
The reading of the Section 71 of the Companies Act, 2013 read with the draft rules indicates that the debenture issuances have to be secured by
moveable and immoveable properties. NBFCs may have a hard time in finding these specific moveable and immoveable properties for secured debenture issuances. To throw some light on the issue, it is pertinent to read the text of the section and the extract of relevant draft rules as reproduced below. specific
Section 71 of the Companies Act, 2013 states that –
Provided that the issue of debentures with an option to convert such debentures into shares, wholly or partly, shall be approved by a special resolution passed at general meeting
The draft rules 4.16 applicable for section 71 (3) states that –
Debentures 4.16. (1) For the purposes of sub-section (3) of section 71, no company shall issue secured debentures unless it complies with the following conditions: (a) An issue of secured debentures may be made, provided the date of its redemption shall not exceed 10 years from the date of issue. Provided that a company engaged in the setting up of infrastructure projects may issue secured debentures for a period exceeding ten years but not exceeding thirty years; (i) any specific movable property of the company (not being in the nature of pledge), and/or (ii) any specific immovable property wherever situate, or any interest therein. The whammy
As mentioned, the reading of the section and the draft rules indicate that there has to be specific moveable/ immoveable property for security creation. The term ‘specific’ property does not relate to creation of floating charge but implies that there should be a specific and identifiable asset ear-marked for the purpose of creating security.
The term charge on specific (moveable/ immoveable) property cannot be interpreted to mean floating charge as in case of floating charge the asset is not specifically identified. The charge crystallises at the time of enforcement as opposed to charge on specific property which remains ring-fenced as security and renders priority in claims.
For anyone understanding the business and functioning of NBFCs it will be a no brainer to realise that NBFCs do not have immoveable properties on their balance sheet unlike manufacturing entities which would have land/ plant & machinery etc to offer as charge. NBFCs are financial institutions into the business of lending and their asset sides would be dominated by receivables as moveable property. However, clearly the problem here is that the receivables are amortising in nature and one cannot ear-mark/ ring fence them, call them ‘specific’ to create charge on them for the purpose of issuance of secured debentures.
What’s left on platter?
While the rules have not been enforced, if we were to consider that the final rules would contain the language same as draft rules, the conclusion that can be drawn is pretty clear. In the domain of issuance of debentures by NBFCs, optionally convertible debentures will now be public deposits and there are issues of finding the collateral for issuance of secured debentures. The only options left with NBFCs are issuance of compulsorily convertible debentures with no tenure limit on the conversion or contingently convertible debentures or a third instrument that the market may innovate for as they say, necessity is the mother of inventions.
(Nidhi Bothra is executive vice president at Vinod Kothari & Company ) | 13,871 | 6,299 | 0.00016 |
warc | 201704 | “Holding a tomato or a cabbage from your garden is very rewarding and therapeutic. This is why I encourage my friends to try it. Once you get the hang of it, there’s no turning back,” says Paddy Namanya, manager at The Flower Centre, Freedom City Mall in Najjanankumbi. Below, he shares some tips for beginners:
Start small “I wouldn’t encourage anyone to start with a big flower garden especially if they are to take care of the garden, themselves. You need to be knowledgeable about flowers and set time aside to be able to maintain them,’ Namanya cautions. Make use of containers Alternatively, start your gardening using containers. This way, you don’t have to dig. Once you have scored victories with your containers, you can venture on to bigger projects. “Containers are suitable for both beginners and people with limited garden space, because they are easy to monitor and don’t use lots of space,’ he affirms. Positioning is all-important If you have bought seeds, read the labels. If you bought seedlings from a nursery, be sure to ask the salesperson about their maintenance before you leave. It is no good positioning plants that require shade in full sun or those that require full sun in partial shade. They will die. Watch the watering Many a beginner will get over-enthusiastic and water their plants too much. A water-logged plant’s roots will rot and it will die. Go slow on the fertiliser Another mistake is too much fertiliser. Too much of it will burn your plants and they will die. Strike an acceptable balance. When you see the plants beginning to weaken and the leaves turning yellow, think of applying fertiliser again. Otherwise keep it well away. So, thinka garden the way you would a baby. In the same way quadruplets would overwhelm a family that expected one baby, so will a huge garden with different types of plants on a new gardener. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com | 1,953 | 1,012 | 0.001018 |
warc | 201704 | Betagen
Betagen by EAS is a dietary supplement made specifically for post workout recovery in order to gain lean muscle and definition. It contains a unique combination of creatine and Revigor, which is an amino acid metabolite HMB. The combination of these ingredients was proven in clinical studies to improve muscle composition and overall strength. Each serving of this post workout supplement contains only 35 calories in an effort to keep you lean and toned.
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Betagen gives you two grams of creatine, two grams of glutamine and one gram of HMB. EAS recommends three servings a day. I can’t see any reason to take additional quantities of any of these nutrients in addition to taking Betagen, except if you want to load up on creatine – something you really shouldn’t be doing with this product. If you’re doing a creatine loading phase and are aiming for twenty grams per day, just take fourteen grams in addition to the Betagen and you’re good. Don’t take more than three servings of Betagen per day. Calories: 25 Carbs: 5g Calcium 120mg Creatine Monohydrate 2g L-Glutamine: 2g HMB 1g Taurine 500mg
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EAS Betagen is meant for hard trainers only! Do not use this product if you are under the age of 18. Do not use if you are pregnant, may become pregnant, are nursing, or have other medical conditions. There are no dairy ingredients in Betagen. However, it has been manufactured on equipment that also manufactures other products that contain dairy. You may want to keep this in mind if you are lactose intolerant.
When starting a new supplement, it is always best to start with a half dose and work your way up into a full dose. If you have any specific questions about how this supplement will affect you personally, please speak to your personal physician.
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from the best-priced store Or compare prices below: | 4,200 | 1,952 | 0.000525 |
warc | 201704 | You are hereHome › Narrow Search Earth and space science Physical sciences
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Students will test various materials to determine if any can shield their "magnetometer" (compass) from an external magnetic field using their own experimental design. If no suitable material is available, they will devise another method to protect... (View More) their instrument. Includes background science for the teacher, worksheets, adaptations and extensions. Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are also identified. (View Less)
In this activity, children use common craft materials and ultraviolet (UV)-sensitive beads to construct a person (or dog or imaginary creature). They use sunscreen, foil, paper, and more to test materials that might protect UV Kid from being exposed... (View More) to too much UV radiation. Includes background for facilitators. This activity is part of the "Explore!" series of activities designed to engage children in space and planetary science in libraries and informal learning environments. (View Less)
This module focuses on ultraviolet radiation on Earth and in space and how it affects life. Learners will construct their own "martian" using craft materials and UV beads. They will explore how UV radiation from the Sun can affect living things,... (View More) comparing conditions on Earth and Mars, and then discuss ways in which organisms may protect themselves from UV radiation. They will then take part in a Mars Creature Challenge, where they will change their creature to help it survive harsh UV conditions — like on Mars. They will then test their Mars creatures by subjecting them to different environmental conditions to see how well they "survive" in a martian environment. This investigation will explore shelter and protection as one of life’s requirements and how Earth’s atmosphere protects life from harmful UV radiation. It also includes specific tips for effectively engaging girls in STEM. This is activity 5 in Explore: Life on Mars? that was developed specifically for use in libraries. (View Less)
This is a lesson about using light to identify the composition of an object. Learners will use a spectrograph to gather data about light sources. Using the data they’ve collected, students are able to make comparisons between different light... (View More) sources and make conjectures about the composition of a mystery light source. The activity is part of Project Spectra, a science and engineering program for middle-high school students, focusing on how light is used to explore the Solar System. (View Less)
This is a lesson about emission spectra. Learners will look at various light sources (including glow sticks and christmas lights) and make conjectures about their composition. The activity is part of Project Spectra, a science and engineering... (View More) program for middle-high school students, focusing on how light is used to explore the Solar System. (View Less)
In this lesson, students explore a discrepant event when they design an experiment to measure the rate that ice melts when in pure water versus salt water. It is designed to help students realize that a carefully-designed experiment may yield... (View More) unexpected results, due to unseen events, even though the experiment is precisely planned and executed. The addition of a new technology may clarify factors in the experiment which were previously unknown. Note: the experiment requires advance preparation the day before: two buckets of water are set-up (one with plain tap water, the other with as much salt dissolved in it as possible), which need to be at room temperature. It also requires ice cubes of uniform shape (e.g., from an ice maker or ice trays filled to uniform capacity). This lesson is part of the Cosmic Times teachers guide and is intended to be used in conjunction with the 1993 Cosmic Times Poster. (View Less)
Students use a calorimeter made of common materials to demonstrate that energy can be measured and converted from one form to another. Hydrocarbons, such as paraffin, contain stored chemical energy; food contains stored chemical energy. The activity... (View More) uses a raw potato, a nut, a candle, an aluminum drink can, a thermometer, and a balance scale. A data sheet is included in the resource. The investigation supports material presented in chapter 1, "What is Energy?" in the textbook, Energy Flow, part of Global System Science (GSS), an interdisciplinary course for high school students that emphasizes how scientists from a wide variety of fields work together to understand significant problems of global impact. (View Less)
This is a hands-on lab activity about seawater density. After developing a hypothesis, learners will conduct a simple investigation of density. They will discuss changes in density observed and describe how salt affects the density of water.... (View More) Background information, common student preconceptions, a glossary and more is included. This activity is part of the Aquarius Hands-on Laboratory Activities. (View Less)
In this laboratory activity, students investigate chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) through gradual dilution of black, green and chamomile tea. Through this activity, students discover how CDOM can dominate the absorption of sunlight, how... (View More) sunlight degrades CDOM through photochemical oxidation, and how CDOM levels are related to nutrient status, stratification and mixing of the ocean. Materials needed include coffee mugs, hot water, spoons, and tea. This resource is found in Rising Tides, a journal created for teachers and students reporting on current oceanography research conducted by NASA, NOAA, and university scientists, featuring articles, classroom activities, readings, teacher/student questions, and imagery for student investigation of marine science. (View Less)
This is a hands-on lab activity about the composition of salt. Learners will explain the general relationship between an element's Periodic Table Group Number and its tendency to gain or lose electron(s), and explain the difference between molecular... (View More) compounds and ionic compounds. They will then use household materials to build a model to demonstrate sodium chloride's cubic form and describe the nature of the electrostatic attraction that holds the structure of salt together. Background information, common preconceptions, a glossary and more is included. This activity is part of the Aquarius Hands-on Laboratory Activities. (View Less) | 6,581 | 2,863 | 0.000352 |
warc | 201704 | http://www.naturalnews.com/030374_honeybees_chemicals.html
(NaturalNews) Researchers from Dundee University, Royal Holloway and University College London are set to carry out a £1.5 million ($2.3 million) study into whether continuous exposure to a cocktail of pesticides is interfering with the brains and nervous systems of bees and other pollinators, possibly explaining their recent drastic decline.
"The landscape has changed considerably over the last 30-40 years; we've seen well-documented changes in our birds, our flora and also in some of our insects," said Andrew Watkinson of the Insect Pollinators Initiative (IPI), "but now there's a growing concern that our insect pollinators are also in decline, whether that's in terms of the number of honeybees, number of bumblebee species, butterflies and hoverflies."
The researchers have hypothesized that pesticides, many of which are neurotoxins, might be blocking the electrical signals of insect nervous systems. This could produce effects such as making it harder for bees to communicate with each other, preventing them from identifying food sources or making it hard for them to find their hive again at the end of a foraging trip.
It would take only subtle neurological changes to produce severe brain disorders, the researchers have warned.
The IPI is a £10 million program that has enlisted ecologists, computer scientists, molecular biologists and mathematicians to research the causes of pollinator decline. It is funded by the Scottish government, the U.K. department of the environment, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Wellcome Trust.
Insect pollinators
are essential for the cultivation and quality of a third of the world's food crops.
"We can take for granted the variety of vegetables, fruits and flowers that we can enjoy every day, but some of the insect pollinators on which they rely are in serious decline," said Alan Thorpe of the NERC. "Understanding the complexities of environmental ecosystems is a priority that will help to ensure the survival of pollinators and the benefits they provide."
Sources for this story include: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/j...
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warc | 201704 | Cato Study Finds No Evidence That Preschool Programs Work
March 12, 1999
State legislators who are pondering whether to require public school districts to offer no-fee prekindergarten classes for three- and four-year-olds should realize that "there is no empirical evidence" that such programs pay off, according to a recent analysis from the Cato Institute.
Georgia and New York have implemented universal preschool programs for four-year-olds, and other states have taken steps in that direction. Those programs are voluntary so far, but there have been calls for mandatory participation.
According to Darcy Olsen, author of the study:
Extensive research during the past 35 years has established that preschool programs provide no lasting benefits to disadvantaged children. They do not reduce the number of children who perform poorly in school, become teenage parents, commit criminal acts or depend on welfare. Both the General Accounting Office and the Department of Health and Human Services found that the Head Start program -- the closest current counterpart to proposed public preschools -- had no lasting impact on the cognitive or socioemotional test scores of enrollees. There is also evidence that middle-class children gain little, if anything, from preschool.
Olsen points out that the public school system -- which is failing to adequately educate children in kindergarten through 12th grade -- should not be further burdened with preschool duties.
Source: Darcy Olsen, "Universal Preschool Is No Golden Ticket: Why Government Should Not Enter the Preschool Business," Policy Analysis No. 333, February 9, 1999, Cato Institute, 1000 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001, (202)842-0200.
Browse more articles on Education Issues | 1,771 | 996 | 0.001012 |
warc | 201704 | THE TROUBLE WITH TUVALU
December 16, 2009
The tiny Pacific Island nation of Tuvalu is a perfect microcosm of what is wrong with both global warming policy and the U.N. Copenhagen climate conference. Although it has a population of only 12,000, Tuvalu has garnered a great deal of attention at the Copenhagen global warming summit, thanks to the claim that it is perhaps the nation most vulnerable to climate change, says the Heritage Foundation.
The Island sits barely above sea level, thus Tuvaluan officials (along with their many activist friends) are claiming that they risk being obliterated by rising seas caused by global warming. "Being one of the most vulnerable countries in the world, our future rests on the outcome of this meeting," says Ian Fry, an official with Tuvalu's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
As is so often the case, the global warming threat is overstated, says Heritage:
Even the United Nation's 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report (putting aside for a moment the Climategate-fueled concerns that this study is overly alarmist) projects 7 to 23 inches of sea level rise by century's end. The lower end of this range is little different from historic rates -- sea levels tend to rise between ice ages -- and is a far cry from Al Gore's scary claim of 18 to 20 feet in his book and documentary An Inconvenient Truth. Even more amazing, measurements show no sea level rise at all (actually a slight decline) around Tuvalu for the last half of the 20th century, even during decades where temperatures increased (Cabanes et el., Science, "Sea Level Rise During Past 40 years Determined from Satellite and In Situ Observations, vol. 294, pp 840-842).
Unwilling to let the facts get in the way of a good handout, Tuvalu is demanding foreign aid from the United States and other developed nations in order to cope with global warming. Tuvalu has also joined with other small island nations in demanding that developed nations ratchet down greenhouse gas emissions.
The misuse of global warming fears as an excuse for a self interested agenda -- what is true of Tuvalu is true of much of what is on display in Copenhagen, says Heritage.
Source: Ben Lieberman, "The Trouble With Tuvalu," Heritage Foundation, December 15, 2009.
For text:
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warc | 201704 | Liberal PBS host Tavis Smiley recently became the latest media member to refer to the $85 billion sequester as “austerity.” On his self-titled show Tuesday night, the taxpayer-subsidized Smiley got all frowny while discussing the American economy with former FDIC chairwoman Sheila Bair:
"Since you raised the issue, let me ask how it is, in your mind at least, the notion of austerity, and whatever people in Washington don’t want to call it, that’s exactly what this is. Sequestration’s a big, fancy word. This is austerity masking as a conversation about deficit reduction as far as I’m concerned." [Video below. MP3 audio here.]
First of all, Mr. Smiley, “sequestration” is only four letters bigger and fancier than “austerity.” Second, austerity doesn’t need to mask itself as deficit reduction because it is a method of deficit reduction. In recent years, a number of governments around the world have undertaken austerity measures to reduce their massive budget deficits. And if a country’s goal is to reduce its deficit, austerity is a very effective technique.
Having said that, it is misleading for Smiley to characterize the sequester as “austerity.” Real austerity is done quickly and comprises actual spending reductions. Our present sequester will take effect gradually and merely slow the growth in government spending.
Real austerity can be painful to a country, as the government may cut back on core functions. But this sequester represents only about 2 percent of the federal budget. What's more, federal government officers have the flexibility to allocate the cuts so that essential services are spared. There is no reason the sequester should cause planes to fall out of the sky or children to be kicked out of Head Start.
Tavis Smiley should be thankful that this country is not actually going through austerity. If we were, public television would be a likely candidate for the chopping block. Smiley wouldn’t be able to rant and rave on-air anymore at our expense, and we wouldn’t want that, would we? | 2,115 | 1,088 | 0.000959 |
warc | 201704 | THURSDAY, April 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Emergency Medical Services (EMS) workers who came to the rescue at the World Trade Center in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001, have some of the same chronic health problems that their colleagues in the police and fire departments do, a new study finds.
When tracked over 12 years following the attacks, EMS 9/11 responders were seven times more likely to have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than EMS workers who didn't work that day. Responders were also twice as likely to have depression, according to the study.
Read more | 579 | 389 | 0.002589 |
warc | 201704 | NEW YORK: Engineers have known for some time that if cars could only “talk” to each other, they could avoid a lot of accidents.
Vehicles could be driven more safely with information about another car, obstacle or pedestrian around a blind curve, for example.
But the hurdles to implementing these systems are numerous: they require a legal framework and the allocation of wireless spectrum to enable vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications.
The US administration announced this month it was speeding up efforts to promote V2V in a push for better road safety and to help facilitate the self-driving cars which are on the horizon.
Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said during a visit to Silicon Valley that he hopes to have regulations for these technologies by the end of the year.
“We’re accelerating our timetable on a proposed rule that would require vehicle-to-vehicle or V2V technology that allows cars to ‘talk’ to one another,” Foxx said.
“And it is something that we believe can have a huge impact on preventing accidents from ever happening and in helping us eventually produce a car that can drive itself better than a human can.”
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which has been testing V2V since 2012, said the technology can accomplish a number of things such as determining if a car can safely make a left turn across traffic by calculating the speed of oncoming vehicles, whether it is feasible to overtake another car and if it is safe to enter an intersection with limited visibility.
Researchers say systems which cost around $350 per car can avoid 592,000 accidents and save 1,083 lives per year, if the fleet of US cars is equipped with the technology.
But reaping benefits will take time: Even if the technology is mandated on new cars, it will take years until older vehicles are replaced and for infrastructure to be upgraded to be part of the system.
The Association of Global Automakers, which represents non-US manufacturers including Honda, Nissan and Toyota, welcomed the effort by Washington to speed up the process.
“The faster we move toward deployment of V2V communications, the sooner consumers will receive the benefits of this lifesaving technology,” said John Bozzella, president and chief executive of the group.
One of the issues regulators face is setting aside part of the wireless spectrum, amid a crunch due to the surging use of smartphones and tablets.
Any system must be vetted through the Federal Communications Commission which allocates wireless spectrum to ensure communications go smoothly.
But aside from the technical issues, vehicle-to-vehicle communications could be held back by debate over issues of legal liability if something goes wrong and by privacy questions about the creation of a new database.
Randal O’Toole, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think-tank, said it would appear to be positive if a broken-down vehicle sends out a signal that allows motorists to take a different route to avoid congestion.
“That sounds good, but what happens when someone hacks the system and puts out radio signals in a hundred or a thousand critical urban intersections that effectively shut down traffic in an entire city?” O’Toole said in a blog post.
He added that with a system dependent on cars talking to other vehicles and to road infrastructure “the government could decide you have driven enough and simply shut off your car.”
AFP | 3,535 | 1,771 | 0.000582 |
warc | 201704 | TIVERTON, ON, June 30, 2016 /CNW/ - Bruce Power applauds the commitment to clean energy, including nuclear, announced yesterday by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, U.S. President Barack Obama and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto.
The three countries will strive to achieve a goal of 50 per cent clean power generation for North America by 2025, including nuclear, renewable, and carbon capture and storage technologies, as well as demand reduction through energy efficiency.
A range of initiatives were announced to support this goal, including collaborating on cross-border transmission projects and joint research to advance clean technologies in priority areas such as nuclear energy, smart grids and energy storage, reducing methane emissions, carbon capture and advanced heating and cooling.
It's estimated the development of current and future projects and policies to achieve this goal will create thousands of jobs in the clean energy sector and support a clean growth economy.
Last year, Bruce Power, the Council of the Great Lakes Region and the Provincial Building & Construction Trades Council of Ontario released a report entitled 'Driving Economic Growth & Keeping the Air Clean: The Role of Nuclear Power in the Great Lakes Region' that takes an in-depth look at nuclear energy in the eight states and two provinces that make up the region.
Following are a few of the report's highlights:
Emissions-free nuclear power annually avoids 250 million metric tonnes of CO2 in the air, which is equivalent to removing over 52 million passenger cars from the road. The 55 nuclear reactors in the Great Lakes Region directly and indirectly employ over 80,000 highly skilled workers annually through operations, manufacturing, support and contracts. These facilities combine to inject an estimated $10 to $12 billion a year into the Great Lakes economies through direct and indirect spending in operational equipment, supplies, materials and labour income.
About Bruce PowerBruce Power operates the world's largest operating nuclear generating facility and is the source of roughly 30 per cent of Ontario's electricity. The company's site in Tiverton, Ontario is home to eight CANDU reactors. Formed in 2001, Bruce Power is an all-Canadian partnership among Borealis Infrastructure Trust Management (a division of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System), TransCanada, the Power Workers' Union and the Society of Energy Professionals. A majority of Bruce Power's employees are also owners in the business.
For updated Bruce Power photos and b-roll video, please visit our Media Kit page.
SOURCE Bruce Power
Image with caption: "Bruce Power corporate offices (CNW Group/Bruce Power)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160630_C6955_PHOTO_EN_725970.jpg
For further information: John Peevers - 519-361-6583; Bruce Power Duty Media - 519-361-6161
RELATED LINKS
http://www.brucepower.com | 2,951 | 1,566 | 0.000643 |
warc | 201704 | BASF, the world’s leading chemical company, and TODA KOGYO CORP., an industry leader in the development and manufacture of cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries, have agreed to form a joint venture for cathode active materials (CAM) in Japan.
Under terms of the agreement, BASF will acquire a 66% ownership stake in the new venture, with TODA KOGYO CORP. holding a 34% ownership stake. BASF and TODA KOGYO CORP. will combine their respective CAM businesses, intellectual property and production assets in Japan in the joint venture, which will operate under the trade name BASF TODA Battery Materials, LLC.
Closing of the joint venture agreement and the launch of operations for the newly formed company is expected to take place by the end of February 2015.
BASF TODA Battery Materials will focus on R&D, production, marketing and sales of a broad range of cathode materials including Nickel Cobalt Aluminum Oxide (NCA), Lithium Manganese Oxide (LMO) and Nickel Cobalt Manganese (NCM) in Japan. These materials are used in lithium-ion batteries for the automotive, consumer electronics and stationary storage markets.
The new venture will have a direct employee base of approximately 80, and an annual combined production capacity for cathode active materials and their precursors of approximately 18,000 metric tons. It will maintain a headquarters facility in Tokyo, with production sites in Sanyo Onoda and Kitakyushu/Japan.
“BASF’s joint venture with TODA KOGYO CORP. will allow us to accelerate our growth and expansion in the global battery materials market, in line with our long-term targets,” said Kenneth Lane, President of BASF’s Catalysts division. “By combining our manufacturing and technology expertise, we can serve our customers with the broadest cathode materials portfolio in the industry, while continuing to innovate for the future.”
Dr. Joerg-Christian Steck, Representative Director & President of BASF Japan, added,“Japan is a leader in battery manufacturing and development . By forming the joint venture, BASF is strengthening its commitment to the Japanese market and increasing synergies for our existing battery materials business.”
Tadashi Kubota, Chairman of TODA KOGYO CORP., noted,“We are pleased to announce an agreement to form a joint venture with BASF. Because the lithium-ion battery market continues to expand globally, we concluded that we need a strong alliance partner that would enable us to create more value than simple consolidation and to advance our cathode materials business synergistically. By forming a joint venture, we are confident that we will be able to strengthen safety, quality, cost competitiveness and global coverage and provide these key factors to the market to drive our joint success in this industry.”
About BASF
At BASF (basf.com), we create chemistry and have been doing so for 150 years. Our portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. As the world’s leading chemical company, we combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of about €74 billion in 2013 and over 112,000 employees as of the end of the year.
About TODA KOGYO CORP.
TODA KOGYO CORP. (todakogyo.co.jp) is specialized in the Wet Synthesis Technology of metal oxide, and manufacturing cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries, coloring materials including pigments and toners, magnetic powder materials, ferrite materials and other various magnetic materials. We aim to expand our business globally along with our fundamental line to provide solutions to support society in the aspects of information, environment and energy. TODA KOGYO CORP. had consolidated net sales of about 31.6 billion JPY in the fiscal year 2013, as well as about 932 employees as of March 31, 2013.
Media contacts:
TODA KOGYO CORP.: Yohei Fukuda / Koji Miyahara - Corporate Administration Headquarters
P: +81(0)82-577-0055 - E: webmaster[.]todakogyo.co.jp.
BASF In Asia: Genevieve Hilton
P: +852 2731-0197 - E: genevieve.hilton[.]basf.com. | 4,508 | 2,119 | 0.000481 |
warc | 201704 | ‘Dear Gabe’ is an intimate and haunting film in which six college friends, now all in their thirties, reflect on the lives they have chosen to live their lives thus far. The reflect upon their individual roles as mothers who have departed from the traditional ideas of motherhood. The film was shown the evening of Oct. 30 at UCI’s Film and Video Center on campus.
In addition to being a documentary about lesbians and their search for happiness through family values and maternity, ‘Dear Gabe’ is also a mother’s letter to her son. Alexandra Juhasz wrote, produced and directed ‘Dear Gabe.’ ‘[‘Dear Gabe’] is a feminist film about families,’ Juhasz said. When Juhasz’s son Gabe is old enough to understand the film, it will serve as an explanation of his own family. Still, this film lacks the sappy sentimentality that often plagues others of this genre. Juhasz relates to her interview subjects, but refuses to coddle them. She firmly probes them for answers to questions that are taboo to even ask. Despite the deeply personal questions, these women respond in kind, with articulate and sometimes painful answers. For the purpose of exploring the choices they have made, these women are honest. Some admit to being unsure at times, doubting whether they ought to have had children. Another woman admits that her continued refusal to settle down is ‘an increasingly rebellious act.’ These women are not so much unlike heterosexual women as one may be inclined to think. The only difference is that they talk about the roles they have chosen for themselves so articulatly that the fact they have thought very long on this subject is apparent. ‘Dear Gabe’ is shot on video, and the scenes of the women’s children play like home movies. With its use of this type of filming, ‘Dear Gabe’ is able to create within 15 minutes a sense of loss and longing that a Hollywood film couldn’t produce in two hours. ‘In this type of film, trivial moments begin to carry a lot of weight,’ Juhasz said. These recently filmed scenes are peppered with much older video footage from Juhasz’s college days, which feature Jim, a gay man who was a friend to the women featured in the film, and whose death from AIDS now affects the decisions these women make in regards to their families. The loss of Jim is an emphatic point that forces the viewer to make a realization. Juhasz has a theory as to what this realization ought to be: ‘Home movies are always about loss,’ Juhasz said. The character of Jim is what works the most to make this film unique. Jim is not just someone who was lost, but is a man who Juhasz loved so much that she now hopes that her son Gabe will grow up to be like him. Jim is also the reason that Juhasz cites for undertaking the project. ‘I need to. I’m responsible for making a video about Jim,’ Juhasz said. But I do not believe she means this as a responsibility to the memory of Jim himself. I think Juhasz is talking about the responsibility of homosexuals who survived the 1980s to address the memory of those who died from AIDS like Jim. The problem lies in how much these people were loved: The loss of them has inspired a ‘nostalgia for activism’ that Juhasz feels must be addressed. Perhaps putting these issues into a letter for her son is her way of admitting that their questions will not be soon resolved. Whatever it means, ‘Dear Gabe’ is a moving and introspective film that speaks to the audience as if its members were all individual Gabes. It invites the viewer to place him or herself within each of these families and to experience the fact that the emotions are not very different. Whatever the genders of the people who make it up, a family will always be defined by love, security and a little uncertainty. Aside from the meaning of the film, ‘Dear Gabe’ is also important in that it is representative of the personal expression that can be accomplished by creative people willing to use any means necessary to express themselves. More films like it can be seen at UCI’s Film and Video Center, which plays a movie in HIB 100 every Thursday at 7:30 and costs $3 for UCI students and $5 for everyone else. | 4,317 | 2,047 | 0.00051 |
warc | 201704 | Like the Conservative leader, and politicians across all of the major parties, I have no time for Hizb-ut-Tahrir. They polarise and poison community relations, propagating the reactionary view that being a British citizen who participates fully in our democracy is incompatible with being a faithful Muslim, an argument that the vast majority of British Muslims reject.
But should they be banned?
In a Fabian speech, Being a British Muslim, back in 2006, Sadiq Khan argued that they have an analogous impact to the BNP - and that these extremist groups need each other to polarise social relations:
Let me be quite clear. Hizb-ut-Tahrir quite deliberately have the same effect on race relations as their mirror image the BNP. They encourage hatred and their preaching is used by the BNP to foster fear of Islam.
That seems to me a relevant analogy.
Yet, despite its racist and reprehensible nature, there are very few calls to ban the BNP.
I imagine that most people would think it would be likely to be counter-productive as a matter of strategy and tactics, probably allowing the far right to claim to speak for far more people than is the case. And many liberals may think it would be wrong in principle too to ban a non-violent group, even a reprehensible and extremist party.
Indeed, the BNP's recent electoral success has seen a marked further shift against the "no platform" approach to the BNP, with the dominant argument now being that 'sunlight' and democratic scrutiny will be the best way to counter the BNP. There are certainly some who doubt that. But it might be difficult for those who take that view to argue that a different approach would be more effective in countering the appeal of Hizb-ut-Tahrir among their target audience.
It seems to me curious that this shift in the 'no platform' debate about the white far right does not yet seem to have influenced or been linked up with other often hotly contested and polarised (and often pretty complex) debates about which organisations and individuals democratic civil society groups should legitimately engage with, platform or publicly challenge in particular questions or contexts.
Certainly, the analogy between the BNP and Hizb-ut-Tahrir is not a precise one in all respects. Both groups target the highly alienated, though the Hizb appeal often targets a more educated alienated strand within British Muslim communities than the core target audience of the white far right, so that its emphasis on ideological argument often makes its modus operandi more similar to that of the far left, while boots and fists play more of a role than ideology on the far right.
It seems to me that there would need to be clear links between Hizb-ut-Tahrir and violent extremism, or support for terrorism and violence, for a ban to be appropriate. (Other Islamist groups such as Al Muhajiroun and several various offshoots have been banned, with broad political and civic society support).
The government has considered banning the group, and announced in 2005 that they would do so. But the decision was reversed: the balance of informed opinion was that this would do more harm than good.
Hizb-ut-Tahrir explicitly disavows violence; evidence that it acts as a gateway to violent extremism is contested and appears to be fairly weak. (I would be interested in recommendations about the best academic and expert studies on this).
For all of those who are concerned about the broader social impact of Hizb's advocacy, the question remains as to what the best strategy is to challenge and diminish its influence.
Many universities, student groups and other institutions continue to have 'no platform' policies, which is a different issue from whether an organisation is legally proscribed. (And, somewhere in between, there are debates about which organisations might be incompatible with working in particular types of public service, for example policing or teaching: again, there seem to me to be plausible arguments about that for groups like Hizb and the BNP, particularly in the case of policing. Opinion appears more finely balanced in the case of teaching).
But is there a reason why Hizb should be banned, and is it one which would not also apply to the BNP? | 4,242 | 2,007 | 0.0005 |
warc | 201704 | This book deals with a large number of deep-sea taxa of Tanaidacea from the Gulf of Mexico, primarily collected during the Deep Gulf of Mexico Benthos Study and the North Gulf of Mexico Continental Shelf Study. Four new genera, Aramaturatanais, Caudalonga, Insociabilitanais, and Pseudoarthrura are described. Twenty-one new species belonging to those new genera and to Anarthruropsis, Araphura, Araphuroides, Chauliopleona, Filitanais, Leptognathia, Leptognathiella, Leviapseudes, Meromonakantha, Paragathotanais, Paranarthrura, Robustochelia, and Stenotanais are described as well, in many cases by both sexes. The female of Paragathotanais typicus and the male Pectinapseudes magnus are described herein for the first time. The genus Crurispina is renamed Spinitanaopsis as its original name was found to be preoccupied.
Keys are presented for the genera Atlantapseudes, Pectinapseudes, Sphyrapoides, Kudinopasternakia, Paragathotanais, Paranarthrura, Anarthruropsis, Filitanais, Leptognathiella, Mesotanais, Araphura, Araphuroides, Robustochelia, and Stenotanais. Information about distribution and bathymetric range is included. Also, global distribution patterns and dispersal mechanisms applying to the Tanaidacea are discussed. Most deep-sea species appear to be widely distributed and show remarkably wide depth ranges. Misidentification is suggested as the cause of many of those apparently widely distributed tanaidaceans. Wide bathymetric ranges have been recorded for many species, and their apparent pressure tolerance may contribute to facilitating dispersal. The known distribution patterns in the Gulf of Mexico seem merely to reflect sampling effort. In addition to the specific parts, this text gives a review of tanaidacean morphology, anatomy, physiology, ecology, development, reproduction, behaviour, and of other aspects of their biology.
There are currently no reviews for this product. Be the first to review this product! | 1,952 | 952 | 0.001053 |
warc | 201704 | 20Using your Dictionary Effectively by Danny K. Howard, EAP Associate Director
For every language teacher at NIC and abroad, one of the biggest problems that students have is using their dictionaries correctly. Many students do not understand how they can use them to help out their studies. At NIC (and at many schools abroad), we require that students buy an English/English dictionary and do not allow the use of Japanese/English translators in class. This is because we want you to begin to think in English as you use the language.
In this Study Tip, I will show you how to use your dictionary effectively to make your studying easier!
Below are some common questions that our students have about using their dictionaries:
1 “How do I pronounce this word?” Problem: Most students try to pronounce new words using katakana. As a result, their pronunciation of words or whole sentences is sometimes not understood & unclear. Solution: The dictionary always gives the pronunciation of the word. Almost every dictionary has a list of these common symbols in the front. It is a really good idea to become familiar with the more common symbols. Some newer dictionaries come with CDs, which pronounce the words & some English electronic dictionaries have this as well.
Did you know? To say the word correctly, you need to also pay attention to the syllables of the word. For example, the word
fan･ta･sy has 3 syllables. Most dictionaries use this symbol→･ to show a syllable break. 2 “Is this word a verb, a noun or an adjective?” Problem: Many students don’t pay attention to the part of speech when they look up a word in a dictionary. As a result, they often make many easy mistakes in their papers at NIC. Solution: The dictionary always gives the part of speech after the pronunciation. There are 8 parts of speech in English that you need to make sure you know beforecoming to NIC: nouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions (and, but, so) & interjections (Oh! Hey! etc.). Teachers at NIC will often use these words when they talk to you about your papers that you write. It’s a good idea to know what they are talking about.
Did you know? Many common words have more than one part of speech. For example, did you know that the nouns
house & bus are also a verbs!?! They are pronounced differently when they are used as verbs. 3 “How do I make this noun plural?” Problem: Many students do not correctly make nouns plural. Solution: This is simple. Every dictionary uses either a [C] or [U] to show this. [C] stands for “countable” (nouns like car→cars or dish→dishes) & [U] stands for “uncountable” (nouns like furniture, knowledge, etc).
Did you know? Some words can be both countable and uncountable like the word
fish. But sometimes teachers may prefer one instead of the other. 4 “Which meaning is the correct one?” Problem: When looking up a new word, many students only look at the 1 stmeaning in the dictionary. This causes students make mistakes in their writing. Solution: Make sure that you quickly look at all of the meanings and decide the best one for the situation. The first one is always the most common meaning but notalways the correct one for you.
Did you know? One meaning of the word
chair can mean: a professor at a university!! 5 “How can I use this word?” Problem: Many students look up a new word and do everything above, but they still use it incorrectly. They can’t understand why this happens. Solution: Even doing everything above is not always enough. Most good English dictionaries have example sentences in italics. Read these example sentences to get a better understanding of how to use the new word.
Did you know? You learn new vocabulary better if you try to use it in different situations, such as in your speech & writing.
OK...now look at everything you learned. Here’s a common example found in most dictionaries:
car /'kär/ noun [C] a vehicle moving on wheels: I drove my car to the grocery store. b:a vehicle designed to move on rails (as of a railroad): The last car of the train derailed. the passenger compartment of an elevator the part of an airship or balloon that carries the passengers and cargo
NIC’s Headstart Program will begin in less than 2 months and NIC’s regular semester will begin soon afterwards. Get ahead of all of the other students and make sure that you learn how to use your dictionaries effectively. Teachers will be impressed if you know all of the above information before entering NIC! Good luck in your studies! | 4,669 | 2,058 | 0.000502 |
warc | 201704 | In this week’s Monday Note, Frédéric Filloux wrote a piece on the ecosystem of “smart people curat[ing] long form journalism,” which he described as including Longreads, Longform, and Instapaper.
Which, if you think about it, is an interesting grouping. Longform and Longreads are both curators of excellent, long works of journalism and nonfiction; they identify long stories and link to them. They’re fundamentally
editorial products. Instapaper (along with its competitor Read It Later) is a tool, a method for saying, “I don’t want to read this now — so save this article in a pleasing format offline, in a place where I can come back to it later.” It’s a technical product; it deals with raw gibberish and finely honed prose equally well.
Instapaper-like tools and Longreads-like services get lumped together a lot because, I’d argue, of a story we like to tell ourselves about long-form journalism, something I like to call the Long-Form Longing. People who care about journalism — particularly those of us who’ve shifted 95-percent-plus of our reading online — love to valorize long-form journalism. We root for efforts that seem to promote the kind of work we fear might be getting lost in a blizzard of tweets. Here’s one of my favorite short pieces by Internet superstar and ex-Harper’s editor Paul Ford:
I was out for a drink with a friend who works for a womens’ magazine. She does not love her job, mostly because she is in charge of compiling yoga recipes and candle news (a column called
Candletips) for the front of the book. “I just commissioned a 2,200-word piece,” she said, “with the provisional title Hollywood’s Neti Nuts: Star Sinus Secrets.” She took a long draught of red wine and closed her eyes for a moment. “So, that. But if you look in the back of the book, we are still publishing long-form journalism.”
That was not the first time I’ve heard this argument. Long-form journalism can be an excuse for just about anything. You might work for Teen Violence Week, and your job might require compiling a photo collage of the week’s best dick punches, but you can still feel proud that your magazine publishes 5,000 words about a Los Angeles clinic that performs free abortions for tapirs, or a serious investigation into America’s declining sandpaper standards (
True Grit: The death of smooth).
The popularity of tools like Instapaper and Read It Later give us comfort — because if people are using them to read things later, it stands to reason that those things must be the kind of long-form work that we admire.
The thing is: that comforting vision doesn’t seem to be particularly true.
Remember last week when Read It Later released that great dataset on which publications and authors were saved the most often in its system? We wrote about it and, like others, noted that the most-saved authors often worked at blogs like Lifehacker, Gizmodo, Mashable, and Techcrunch. Fine publications all, but John McPhee they ain’t. This seemed to surprise Filloux:
Great writers indeed, but hardly long form journalism. We would have expected a predominance of long feature stories, we get columnists and tech writers instead.
“We would have expected” is the Long-Form Longing in a nutshell — the idea that, now that we have the tools to shift reading from length-averse environments (sitting at your desk at 10:30 a.m., avoiding an Excel spreadsheet) to length-friendly environments (on your couch, sipping merlot, iPad in hand), people will want 8,000 words on the history of grains. Or at least a long New Yorker feature. But the data doesn’t, at first glance, seem to back that up.
Here’s another, more thorough dataset that illustrates the point even better. Back in September, I moderated a panel on new platforms for long-form journalism. I wanted to have some new data for the introduction, so I emailed the nice folks at Read It Later to see if they could share with me the range of word counts of articles saved using its tool. How many were short quick blog posts, and how many were Vollmanesque epics?
First, some details about the data they sent me. (Thanks again to Nate Weiner and Matt Koidin for their help with it.) This is data from articles saved using Read It Later from March to May of this year. It only includes articles — that is, YouTube videos and other non-article URLs are scrubbed out of the data. And it ignores articles that are either shorter than 100 words or longer than 10,000. Here’s the chart:
(Here’s that same chart, much bigger.)
The x-axis is word count — how long the articles were. The y-axis is the number of articles. The blue area represents how many articles were saved; the red area represents how many articles were actually read after they were saved. (And here “read” means “
opened at some later point marked as read within Read It Later,” not “read all the way to the end.”) 1
What you can see here is that,
by far, the largest number of articles that are being saved are short — under 500 words. The number of articles saved drops off quickly at word counts higher than that.
(The jagged green line represents the ratio of read to saved — that is, at a given word length, how many of the saved articles later get read. As you can see, it’s lower for longer articles, but not remarkably so. The green line is the only one on the chart for which the percentages on the right side of the chart apply.)
Now, do more people read longer pieces because of tools like Instapaper and Read It Later than they would without them? Sure! I know I do. And while this chart seems heavily weighted toward shorter pieces, a chart showing the entire universe of save-able online content would no doubt be
far more skewed toward brevity.
But the evidence seems to be that people find time-shifting useful
regardless of length, and that using these tools for really long work is more of an edge case than common usage. It appears the user’s thought process is closer to “Let me read this later” than “Let me read this later because it’s really long and worthy.”
And that, to me, means that journalists should learn to separate the promotion of long-form from the promotion of time-shifting. Both are useful ideas, but the Venn diagram of the two is far from a perfect overlap. | 6,533 | 3,094 | 0.000339 |
warc | 201704 | E–waste Recycling Plant - Manufacturing Plant, Detailed Project Report, Profile, Business Plan, Industry Trends, Market Research, Survey, Manufacturing Process, Machinery, Raw Materials, Feasibility Study, Investment Opportunities, Cost And Revenue Electronic wastes, "e-waste", "e-scrap", or "Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment" ("WEEE") is a description of surplus, obsolete, broken or discarded electrical or electronic devices. Technically, electronic "waste" is the component which is dumped or disposed or discarded rather than recycled, including residue from reuse and recycling operations. Because loads of surplus electronics are frequently commingled (good, recyclable, and non-recyclable), several public policy advocates apply the term "e-waste" broadly to all surplus electronics. E-Waste Recycling Technology Used in India: Decontamination, Dismantling, Pulverization/ Hammering, Shredding, Density separation using water, E-waste trade value chain, Environmentally Sound E-waste Treatment Technology, CRT treatment technology. WEEE has been identified as one of the fastest growing sources of waste in the India, and is estimated to be increasing by 16-28 per cent every five years. Within each sector a complex set of heterogeneous secondary wastes is created. Although treatment requirements are complicated, the sources from any one sector possess many common characteristics. However, there exist huge variations in the nature of electronic wastes between sectors, and treatment regimes appropriate for one cannot be readily transferred to another. New entrepreneurs can well venture in this sector. Plant capacity: 2164500 Kgs /Annum Plant & machinery: Rs. 233 Lakhs Working capital: - T.C.I: Cost of Project : Rs. 526 Lakhs Return: 28.00% Break even: 46.00% Email Us | Add to Inquiry Basket
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Effects of Tamoxifen on Benign Breast Disease in Women at High Risk for Breast Cancer
Tan-Chiu E, Wang J, Costantino JP, Paik S, Butch C, Wickerham DL, Fisher B, Wolmark N
JJournal of the National Cancer Institute 95(4):302-307, February 19, 2003
Abstract
Background: 1998 the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) demonstrated that tamoxifen treatment reduced the incidence of both invasive and noninvasive breast cancer in women at high risk for the disease. We examined the effect of tamoxifen treatment on the incidence of benign breast disease and the number of breast biopsies in the same group of women.
Methods: We examined the medical records of 13 203 women with follow-up who participated in the NSABP Breast Cancer Prevention Trial. Included in this analysis were women who had undergone a breast biopsy and who had histologic diagnoses of adenosis, cyst, duct ectasia, fibrocystic disease, fibroadenoma, fibrosis, hyperplasia, or metaplasia. The relative risk (RR) for each histologic diagnosis was estimated for women who received tamoxifen and for women who received placebo. We also tallied the number of biopsies that women in the placebo and tamoxifen groups underwent.
Results: Overall, tamoxifen treatment reduced the risk of benign breast disease by 28% (RR = 0.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.65 to 0.79). Tamoxifen therapy resulted in statistically significant reductions in the risk of adenosis (RR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.47 to 0.73), cyst (RR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.58 to 0.75), duct ectasia (RR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.53 to 0.97), fibrocystic disease (RR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.58 to 0.77), hyperplasia (RR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.50 to 0.71), and metaplasia (RR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.41 to 0.62). Tamoxifen therapy also reduced the risk for fibroadenoma (RR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.56 to 1.04) and fibrosis (RR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.72 to 1.03). Compared with the placebo group, the tamoxifen group had 29% (95% CI = 23% to 34%) fewer biopsies (1048 versus 1469) and 19% fewer women who underwent a biopsy (811 versus 1019). This resulted in a 29% reduction in the risk of biopsy in women treated with tamoxifen (RR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.66 to 0.77). This risk reduction occurred predominantly in women younger than 50 years.
Conclusion: Women in this study who received tamoxifen, especially younger women (i.e., <50 years), had a reduced incidence of clinically detected benign breast disease and underwent fewer breast biopsies.
Cancer Research Network, 350 84th Avenue, Suite 305, Plantation, FL, USA. | 3,372 | 1,602 | 0.000633 |
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