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I’m excited to release A Light in the Darkness: A collection of original short stories and an excerpt from my upcoming novel. Inside you’ll find all of my published works, and a few that are seeing the light of day for the first time. It’s available on Amazon for .99. Thank you for your support!Available here for 99 cents!
“Flames leaped up and danced merrily in the pot. The odor of the forest returned full strength. She reached into the flame, grabbed a branch and pulled.”
Check out this enchanting story by Elby Cloud!
If you’re a writer of short stories, and you’re not Ray Bradbury risen from the dead (one can dream), then by now you know that there are a TON of issues within this specific sect of the writing realm that is more apparent with each submitted story.
D.S. White (writer and the man behind the Longshot Island curtain) recently did a piece on this that will probably cause you to pound your fist on the long, oaken table and shout, “Huzzah!” with your fellow brethren (and…sisthren? #equality #2017) as you down that curved horn of ale.
I apologize about the radio silence as of late. My short stories have taken a back seat to a few novels I’m excited to be working on. I’m hoping to post some excerpts for you to think, “Meh” about.
In other news, I’ll be reading one of my stories at a Longshot Island event at the Book Cellar in Chicago! So, if you’re stalking me, you’ll know where I’ll be on June 22nd at 7 P.M.
There’s a cuckoo clock that hangs on a white, smoke stained wall, dimly lit in the
rising sun that beams through the dust in the air. It ticks by the passing of time, the hands piercing the complete silence of the abandoned house in which the clock resides.
Little gears and gadgets twist and pull in mechanical bliss within the clock, custom made, one of a kind. Tick tock, tick tock.
It’s 6:45 AM, and everything in the house is silent, save the cuckoo clock. Dodge the spurs that spin and the weights that descend and walk down a darkened archway preloaded with a spring, attached to a bird.
The songbird perches patiently at the door, waiting for someone to knock. It doesn’t blink and its empty wooden heart doesn’t beat but still it waits for its cue. Tick tock, tick tock.
6:52 AM and the house lays dormant in filth and resides silent in obedience. A scorching breeze twists through a broken window. A picture hangs crooked opposite the clock, a framed history of no meaningful consequence. They were happy, and they smiled as the waves crashed behind them in the summer of 1997.
Winters have passed and died and an endless summer has reigned for many setting suns and rising stars but the clock wasn’t made to track dates and so it continued in its mission to keep accurate time regardless of how much has changed since the family vacation of ’97.
6:56 AM and the cuckoo clock awaits its mark in a world that had long ago missed its own. A sand storm roars outside and rattles the few remaining windows. Sand piles along the moldy carpet. The cuckoo clock anticipates the meaning of its creation as the gears twist the second arm that had long ago broken off.
6:59 AM and the storm has roared by and taken the attic with it and debris rained down into the disarrayed living room that the woman in the picture opposite the clock would have thrown a familiar fit over. The man would’ve sat apologetically silent. The children would’ve watched from the second story landing. The cuckoo clock would’ve tick tocked, tick tocked, and the world couldn’t have cared less.
A few seconds now. The springs pull back and prepare to launch the songbird. The rusty gears go into overdrive as one after the other fall away and clang to the wooden base below. One more tick, one more tock, and one last song for the silent world.
7 AM. The doors fold out and the bird springs free. It tweets seven times, an engineered beauty that the world will never see again. The hour arm breaks off and strikes the bird and they both fall to the living room rug, covered with sand instantly, and the world revels in the echo of the last song of the apocalypse.
The family smiles as the motionless waves crash behind them. The cuckoo clock sits empty and barren, and the world spins on. Tick tock, tick tock.
Disney is sexist. They present unrealistic expectations to females at an early, impressionable age that, if not achieved, can scar them for life. Of course we all know what I’m talking about; the eyes.
Obviously these unrealistic eye balls aren’t going anywhere, partly because they’re pretty, and mostly because Disney has more money than Satan on a lucky streak in Vegas. And eyes aren’t the only thing. I’ve heard rumbles of weight or something, I don’t know.
Guys face these issues as well. Not all of us can swing from tree to tree, or assassinate our brother to assume the throne. Disney thrusts these expectations down our throats and records us choking on it (how else did you think they got the voice for Donald?).
Self-esteem is a huge issue for ugly people, and it’s starting to bum the rest of us out. So I’ve taken it upon myself to provide a few reasons to feel better about yourself! So sit back, cradle your knees and tell yourself everything will be alright as we take Disney down a notch.
1. 99% of the Disney couples are almost guaranteed to be divorced by now.
Think about it. Half of them are 16 years old, which isn’t even legal. Most the girls were replacing their dead fathers. If you don’t believe that Cinderella only got one of those glass slippers you’re delusional. The only ones still together are Snow White and what’s his face, and that’s just because she’s 98 and blind.
2. Jane sneezed on Tarzan once and he immediately died.
What, you think that story would have a happy ending? If you’ve read history at all you’d know that the European’s best weapon was their own filth and squalor. Tarzan’s immune system consisted of bananas and confusion about bestiality, he wasn’t anywhere near prepared to deal with the black plague.
3. Simba was beheaded.
He had three solos and now thinks he can run a country? Monarchies are complicated governments, and all the circle of life stuff leads me to assume that he’s the head of the
church as well. Hakuna Makata doesn’t apply to civil war, or plagues, or Pumba’s attempted suicide. Political expertise isn’t genetic. We all knew he couldn’t wait, but perhaps he should’ve taken a few management courses at the local community college before assuming the throne. I say we make Nala our leader.
4. Rapunzel became the most economically viable executioner.
Rope ain’t cheap.
5. A lamp isn’t the only thing he was rubbing.
You thought Jasmine was 18? That won’t hold up in court. Sure, Aladdin said it was love and that they had the Sultan’s permission, but then 14 other kids came forward and Genie told prosecutors the disturbing shit he was wishing for.
6. Ariel is totally fat now.
It’s hard to hold a figure, and all that BP oil was chalk full of trans fat.
Well, there you have it. I hope you feel better about yourself because, as we all know, judgement is the best cure for self loathing.
I hold nothing against Firefighters.
I don’t know why anyone would. I don’t believe that’s a prejudice that exists. If you hold anything against firefighters specifically, please comment your reasoning below, and avoid calendars, as they tend to have risqué photos of firefighters. I’d say about 90% of calendars feature at least one half naked firefighter. It’s a Union thing.
As we all know, firefighters are the brave souls who save our pets from burning buildings.
Today I’d like to discuss firefighters and firefighter’s accessories. So, much like North Korea’s missile program, strap in and prepare for lift off, only to inevitably be let down.
This is a fire extinguisher. As you can assume from its name, it’s main purpose is to extinguish fires, according to Wikipedia anyway. If you were in the market for a fire extinguisher, you’d notice a striking similarity between the available stock: they’re red.
All of them, red. Who in the world chose the color red? If the firefighter drops the extinguisher, wouldn’t it blend in with the flames? How many houses have burnt down because that clumsy asshole Gary keeps dropping the fricken extinguisher?
Axes; It’s the thing people use to chop up wood and/or their parents. According to my assumptions, firefighters utilize axes to break down wooden barriers. Unfortunately they do not use them to break down cultural barriers.
Our society seems to have a fascination with poles. Whether it be used to slide down for a fire, or slide down for a dollar, America loves its poles. Firemen utilize poles in order to get to the fire as quickly as possible. From humble beginnings, this
playground favorite is still in use today.
Dogs are man’s best friend, #friendzoned. There are many different types of dogs, and a baker’s dozen are relatively decent, and half of the decent ones are variations of Labrador. A fireman’s go to choice is of course the Dalmatian. If you’re unfamiliar with the Dalmatian, imagine a dog dressed as a cow that occasionally mauls people.
So in conclusion, Lizzy Borden may have been training to fight fires but, unfortunately, she had terrible aim.

domain: literature


Quantifying channelized submarine depositional systems from bed to basin scale
Lyons, William J.
MetadataShow full item record
LocationZerissenne Turbidite System, Namibia
The challenges of directly observing active turbidity currents necessitates the consideration of preserved deposits for deciphering the behavior of these systems. In this thesis, I take advantage 3-D subsurface seismic data and outcrop exposures to study turbidites at scales ranging from bed to basin. At the basin scale, I develop a method to estimate the time-frame over which sedimentation and subsidence come into equilibrium. Using seismic data from the Fisk Basin, Gulf of Mexico, I find that, during periods of broadly distributed, sheet-like deposition, equilibrium time is on the order of 4.6 x 105 years. In contrast, during periods of confined channel development, that time drops to 2.0 x 105 years. Identifying these equilibrium times is critical because, at times below equilibrium, autogenic and allogenic stratigraphic signals cannot be distinguished. At the scale of turbidite beds, detailed grainsize analyses of sediment samples from the Capistrano Formation, San Clemente, California reveal the potential for misinterpretation that arises when deposits are studied without consideration for the dynamics of sedimentation. Previously interpreted as the result of anomalous sandy turbidites, using simple bed shear calculation and Froude scaling, I show that these coarse sediments are consistent with classical muddy, low-density turbidity currents. Finally, at the scale of amalgamated turbidite beds, I use outcrop mapping and aerial photography of the Zerissenne Turbidite System, Namibia to provide a measure of lateral and vertical continuity of a deepwater turbidite system. Previous studies have been hampered by limited exposure while the extensive continuous exposure of the Zerissenne show that correlation lengths of these systems can exceed 1.5 km.
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution September 2004
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
Wong, George T. F. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 1976-02)Analytical methods have been developed for the determination of iodate, iodide and particulate iodine in sea water. Iodate is converted to tri-iodide and the absorbance of tri-iodide at 353 nm is measured. The precision ...
Gobat, Jason I. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2000-06)Geometrically compliant mooring systems that change their shape to accommodate deformations are common in oceanographic and offshore energy production applications. Because of the inherent geometric nonlinearities, ...
Biomechanics of North Atlantic right whale bone : mandibular fracture as a fatal endpoint for blunt vessel-whale collision modeling Campbell-Malone, Regina (Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2007-09)The North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis, one of the most critically endangered whales in the world, is subject to high anthropogenic mortality. Vessel-whale collisions and entanglement in fishing gear were ...


Ecatenate launches Formistica 2.0 online form builder app to growing global user base.
Version 2.0 has powerful new features that provide greater flexibility and make it even easier to build and deploy forms to mobile, tablet and desktop users.
- Conditional Logic
- Show or hide a form’s fields based on the data values selected or entered into other fields. Set a form’s field data value based on the data values selected or entered into other fields.
- Create one or more form actions that are triggered after each form is submitted. Form actions offer a great deal of flexibility and can automate time-consuming manual tasks. Form actions can send email messages with content and attachments that incorporate submitted form data. Export submitted form data to Microsoft Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PDF documents, XML, CSV and JSON. Form actions can upload submitted form data to FTP, Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive. Data in submitted forms can be merged into Microsoft Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PDF documents using template tags.
- Remote Data Lists
- Most digital forms need one or more list fields, for example a list of products. Formistica Remote Data Lists will automatically refresh lists of data extracted from your own systems and databases. This means your forms will contain lists that are synchronised with your back office systems.
Formistica will deliver quick wins for your organisation in productivity improvement and task automation.


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This recipe was given to me by my friend Laida. It’s super easy to make, light, crunchy and perfect fur summer picnics or to take along to a potluck. It’s no wonder just everybody loves it.
2 halves grilled chicken breasts (shredded)
1/2 head cabbage
1 medium carrot- grated
2 green onions
1 package Ramen noodles (vegetable or chicken flavored)
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds (roasted)
2 Tbsp. slivered almonds- roasted
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 flavor packet from the ramen noodles
Salt and black pepper to taste
Combine dressing ingredients; mix well and chill.
Combine cabbage, chicken, green onions and carrots. Crumble dry ramen noodles; Sprinkle ramen noodles, almonds and sesame seeds over cabbage mixture. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Let it marinate for 20 minutes before serving.
Thanks for sharing this post… It’s a delicious and refreshing recipe… perfect for energizing your day in breakfast in bed…

domain: food


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This year, historic and luxurious Ashford Castle in Western Ireland celebrates its 80th anniversary as a leading Irish hotel. There’s no better reason to visit this lush country than to spend some time in a magnificent 8-century old castle. Baroque Travel takes a look
Ashford Castle first opened to the public as a luxury hotel in the summer of 1939, and has, in its long and illustrious history hosted Royalty, presidents and more than a few celebrities. Four years ago, the hotel underwent a meticulous $100-plus million restoration and the castle is now as magnificent as ever. In fact, Ashford Castle is constantly on the Best of the World lists every single year – and for good reason.
A stay at this grand 800-year-old castle is a Royal adventure, embracing exquisite interiors, superlative cuisine and a wealth of activities. The castle is renowned as Ireland’s top hotel destination and is the former home of the Guinness family. There are just 83 rooms and suites, all individually designed, combining the castle’s original features with the latest modern luxuries.
Dining here is always a gourmet experience, and the menus comprise the finest seasonal ingredients paired with an extensive selection of wines from the cellar. There are 4 main dining rooms at Ashford Castle – the George V Dining Room offers fine dining at its best, whilst guests can enjoy more casual dining in Cullen’s at the Cottage or The Dungeon. For a delectable High Tea, head for the elegant Connaught Room.
The choice of activities at Ashford Castle is what makes a vacation here so exceptional – the vast 350-acre grounds is a playground, featuring some of the finest selection of sporting activities available in the country. These include horse riding, fishing, falconry and shooting, as well as golf, cycling and kayaking. And let’s not forget tennis, lake cruising, cycling and traditional boat trips as well as stand up paddle boarding, zip lining, tree climbing and off-road driving. The castle even has 2 Go Pro cameras for guests who wish to capture all the action! And for those who wish to relax, there’s a private cinema.
The castle’s spa, awarded ‘Overall Spa of the Year 2018’ by Irish Tatler, is a state-of-the-art establishment offering numerous wellness and beauty treatments and journeys that leave guests feeling nurtured, purified, pampered and rejuvenated. It offers a relaxation pool, 5 treatment rooms and a stunning terrace area offering scenic views. It also featues a stunning Fitness Center.
From May till the end of December 2019, Ashford Castle celebrates its 80th birthday with a special hotel experience. This included a 2-night stay in one of the castles plush refurbished Corrib Rooms, a 1-hour Hawk Walk at the Ireland School of Falconry, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, an hour-long horseback-riding lesson for 2, a gourmet dinner for 2 in the George V Dining Room and a history tour with a local historian. Rates start from around $4430 for 2 people for the 2-night stay. So, what are you waiting for? Ireland beckons…

domain: travel


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Global Entrepreneurship Week: Meet the people that launched their businesses during a time of chaos
This year, entrepreneurs are building in resilience at their core as the pandemic has hit businesses across the globe - and hard. We spoke to three people who launched their businesses in the middle of it all.
The selection and placement of stories on this page were determined automatically by a computer program. The time or date displayed (including in the Timeline of Articles feature) reflects when an article was added to or updated in Newsbelow.co.uk

domain: economics


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Showing all 2 results
Dmitry Konradt. State and Time£30.00
Dmitry Konradt trained as a geologist and went on to become one of St Petersburg’s most famous photographers. After his celebrated black and white images of performers on and off stage at the legendary Leningrad Rock Club, he switched to cityscapes and began working in colour in the 1990s. State and Time contains 59 colour and 25 duotone plates, featuring many Dmitry Konradt’s iconic images of Russian underground rock bands, such as Aquarium, Kino, Aukzion. Text by London art critic Alexander Kan and St Petersburg historian Lev Lurie.

domain: artistic


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Here the newness of another methodology is vital
It is broadly realized that there are numerous new fields and propensities these days. A large portion of such callings are exceptionally inventive requesting a calm and extraordinary creative mind, for example, film acting, theater acting, composing, moving, painting, makes, radio maneuvering, securing, style designing, interior designing and so on There is no uncertainty, that these callings are enormously mainstream among youngsters, however interior designing can be singled out because of its uniqueness.
- This uniqueness comprises in the way that it offers a chance to future designers to change the entire universe of their thoughts and thinking power into the object of imaginative magnificence.
- Just the noblest individuals have the right to have the calling of an interior designer.
- It’s in their ability to enliven one’s home that is viewed as quite possibly the most valuable properties in an individual’s life.
- It’s the spot various individuals have effectively became accustomed to and it’s designer’s errand to improve it much than it was previously.
To turn into a decent interior designer
One must have the option to satisfy the expert requests of the business. Subsequently, 裝修公司 understudies should prepare their working principles in exceptional schools which have begun courses in interior designing. To enter such a school one needs to finish a passageway assessment which is led by the universities to test creative insightful abilities, specialized drawing, outlining abilities of the understudies.
The applications to the interior designing universities can be made by the understudy solely after he has passed with his twelfth tests. The length of the course can change from two to four years, it relies upon the picked course and the foundation from which the understudy is intending to get his schooling. There are various universities giving proficient courses in interior designing and you are free to settle on your own decision.

domain: design


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Spring decoration ideas and tips
Spring is finally here and it's time to celebrate the new season, the coming of a new season and the beautiful weather. One way you can celebrate this great weather is to decorate your house for spring.
This is a time for spring cleaning, because you know it's a good time to renovate your home, especially the main rooms that visitors see when they come to your house.
The natural materials, increasingly fashionable
The textiles of the home should be combined with furniture and accessories, so, we must analyze what it takes for this spring at home. And we find that natural materials are the most requested. The wood, the raffia or the cane, are some of these materials of which we speak and that combine perfectly with the natural materials in textile, like the fresh linen and the cotton, both very suitable for when the good weather arrives.
Nordic trends and rustic tendencies get along very well with these natural materials , and the decorations become very simple, in some cases even sober. This implies that home textiles should provide the point of informality and color that is missing in this type of decorations, but without falling into excesses that would make them not suitable.
Textiles must also provide a point of home that in spring translates into freshness. Therefore, you have to know how to play very well with colors to achieve a good balance between that freshness and the neutrality that is fashionable. Neutral tones are a trend, as we will see, but there are also certain colors, such as green, that remain in the color palette for spring and that bring a lot of freshness and color without being excessive.
For the walls, the white, the very light gray or the pearl color is worn. This type of tones bring light to the rooms and make them look fresher, and larger, so they are perfect for small apartments. However, you have to know how to give them a note of color in the decoration, for example, in the curtains, or there will be the risk of resulting in very cold and soulless walls.
The wooden floors contrast with these white walls, and are a touch of warmth very important. It does not matter if it is real wood, if it is a floating platform or even if it is a ceramic floor that imitates this material. But if you do not have wooden floors, the coconut fiber or sisal carpets can be a good alternative to highlight a natural material.
Neutral tones are trend
As we have already anticipated, neutral tones are a trend for this spring. The beige and earth tones are ideal for any room, but do not forget that, spring asks for a pinch of color that has to come from elements, such as foulards, for the sofa or as cushions.
The intense and cheerful colors are admitted in the scarves , since they are an element that is not permanent, and that, therefore, does not run the risk of tiring. The same goes for the cushions, since these can be varied as much as you want and, in addition, because of their size they are never excessive.
The green is reaffirmed as a current color
One of the colors that can not miss in your decoration for this spring is, without doubt, green. If during the winter the bottle green was the most striking trend, now it is the green inspired by nature that will have the most prominence.
It combines very well with the neutral tones to give them that contrast that we talked about, but also fits perfectly with the philosophy of decoration based on natural materials, since the prints of leaves and large flowers will accentuate this feeling of nature.
We are going to tell you that green is not going to be the only color trend for this spring , but that some new ones arrive that are very surprising and beautiful, but we will talk about these in future articles, because we can not discover everything in a single week.


text: Tel Aviv-based label Fortuna Records reissue a double banger by Aris San, the absolute don of the ‘Greek Jaffa sound’. “Boumpam” was released in 1967 becoming an instant hit nation-wide. The track ignited the ‘Greek Craze’ which would dominate Israeli taverns for nearly a decade. Replacing bouzoukis with electric guitars, San gave Greek music a psychedelic edge making it popular with the in-crowd of swinging Tel Aviv. On the flipside, his 1972 tune “Dam Dam” is an equally infectious, ouzo-fueled, dancefloor saga, demonstrating the absolute best of San’s unique and influential style. Highly addictive – essential music…don’t sleep!


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The watercolour pictures, painted by Henrietta Alderson, in the McMaster School of Nursing.
Several are displayed on different walls. Henri was the nursing anatomy and physiology professor until her retirement and loved by all (although she had VERY high standards). Her painting was her outlet and after retirement she took several trips to paint. The Nursing Alumni cohosted a showing of her paintings in the fall of 1981.


Caliber: 5.56 NATO - Feature: SB Tactical SBA3 Pistol Stabilizing Brace - Handguard: Free-Float with M-LOK Attachment Slots - Sights: None - Barrel Length: 10.50 - Thread Pattern: 1/2-28 - Type: Pistol - Twist: 1:8 RH - Capacity: 30 - Finish: American Flag Cerakote - Height: 7.20 - Weight: 6.2 lb. - Overall Length: 25.30 - 27.90 - Grooves: 5 - Lower receiver is fitted with an adjustable SB Tactical SBA3 Pistol Stabilizing Brace to aid in accuracy balance and recoil management. - Handguard is free-floating for accuracy and the slim 9 length provides enhanced ergonomics and support. Magpul M-LOK accessory attachment slots along the 3:00 6:00 and 9:00 positions. - Made from aerospace-grade 7075-T6 aluminum forging the flattop upper receiver includes a forward assist dust cover and brass deflector. - Bolt is machined from 9310 alloy steel and is shot peened and pressure (proof) tested to ensure strength structural integrity and durability. - Carbine-length gas system ensures reliable function with a wide variety of ammunition. - Cold hammer-forged 4140 chrome-moly steel barrel with ultra-precise rifling provides exceptional accuracy longevity and easy cleaning. The 1:8 twist rate stabilizes bullets from 35 to 77 grains and the 5.56 NATO chamber allows the use of both 5.56 NATO and .223 Rem. ammunition. M4 feed ramps provide improved reliability and the matte black oxide finish reduces glare and provides corrosion resistance. - Bolt carrier and gas key have chrome-plated inside diameters to provide exceptional resistance to hot gases. The gas key is staked so that it will not loosen after extensive firing. A matte black oxide finish on the exterior of the bolt carrier provides corrosion resistance. - A Ruger flash suppressor is provided and the 1/2-28 threaded barrel allows for standard muzzle accessories to be installed. - Also includes: One 30-round Magpul PMAG. - * Color and shade may vary from photo.
|Finish||American Flag Cerakote|
Determined at checkout.


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Author contributions: X-Y.Z.: conception and design, collection and/or assembly of data, data analysis and interpretation, and manuscript writing; V.U-C and J.D.K.: collection and/or assembly of data and final approval of manuscript; S. C. T. and A.L.: data interpretation, manuscript review, and final approval of manuscript; L.O.L.: conception and design, financial support, administrative support, data interpretation, manuscript writing, and final approval of manuscript.
Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
First published online in STEM CELLSEXPRESS October 23, 2012.
Endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) augment tissue repair but possess slightly different properties. How the cellular phenotype affects the efficacy of this approach in renovascular disease is incompletely understood. This study tested the hypothesis that EPC and MSC protect the poststenotic kidney by blunting different disease pathways. Peripheral blood EPC and adipose-derived MSC were expanded and characterized by cell surface markers (e.g., CD34/kinase insert domain receptor, or CD44/CD90). Single-kidney hemodynamics and function were assessed in pigs after 10 weeks of renal artery stenosis (RAS) treated 4 weeks earlier with an intrarenal infusion of vehicle (n = 7), EPC (RAS+EPC) or MSC (RAS+MSC) (both 10 × 106, n = 6), and normal controls (n = 7). Kidney disease mechanisms were evaluated ex vivo. The ability of EPC and MSC to attenuate endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress was also studied in isolated ER and in tubular cells cocultured with EPC and MSC. Glomerular filtration rate in RAS was lower than controls, increased in RAS+EPC, and further improved in RAS+MSC, although both improved renal blood flow similarly. EPC prominently enhanced renal growth factor expression and decreased oxidative stress, while MSC more significantly attenuated renal inflammation, ER stress, and apoptosis. Furthermore, MSC induced a greater decrease in caspase-3 and CHOP expression in cultured tubular cells through mechanisms involving cell contact. EPC and MSC achieve a comparable decrease of kidney injury in RAS by different mechanisms, although MSC elicited slightly superior improvement of renal function. These results support development of cell-based approaches for management of renovascular disease and suggest cell selection based on the underlying pathophysiology of kidney injury. STEM Cells2013;31:117–125
Renal artery stenosis (RAS) is the major cause for secondary hypertension and may lead to kidney ischemia and eventually end-stage kidney disease. The mechanisms responsible for renal damage include tissue inflammation and enhanced oxidative stress in the poststenotic kidney, which result in renal fibrosis and dysfunction [1, 2]. Furthermore, enhanced oxidative stress or inflammatory cytokines may activate the unfolded protein response, a cellular stress response related to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Recently, ER stress has been recognized to play an important role in apoptosis and tissue damage [3, 4], yet its involvement in renal damage in RAS has not been explored.
Tissue damage may render kidney injury irreversible in RAS. As a result, the inconsistent capability of revascularization to improve kidney function in RAS fuels the search for alternative techniques to directly repair the poststenotic kidney. Bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPC), isolated and cultured from peripheral blood, have been shown to contribute to the tissue repair by eliciting formation of new blood vessels by exerting anti-inflammatory  or antioxidant properties [6, 7]. We have previously demonstrated that infusion of EPC into the ischemic kidney distal to RAS improved renal function and microvascular structure . We found that EPC directly integrate into vascular structures and enhance renal vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and new vessel formation . As a result, renal fibrosis is attenuated and its function improves. Clinical studies support the notion that progenitor cells also improve cardiac function in patients with myocardial infarction [9, 10]. However, blood-derived EPC are technically difficult to isolate in sufficient numbers needed to achieve a therapeutic benefit, especially late outgrowth EPC that possess some endothelial cell-like characteristics.
As an alternative, mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have a number of advantages for vascular repair. A relatively large number of MSC can be obtained from adult sources such as the bone marrow or adipose tissue. MSC are immunoprivileged, immunomodulatory, and stimulate vessel formation by paracrine mechanisms [11, 12] but may have lower angiogenic potency than EPC . Nevertheless, while late-outgrowth EPCs enhanced neovascularization after myocardial infarction better than MSC, MSC more effectively induced cardiomyogenesis and restored cardiac function . Therefore, selection of cell type directed at specific injury targets may ensure adequate repair.
The stenotic kidney is characterized by functional deterioration secondary to substantial inflammation, fibrosis, and microvascular loss. These mechanisms may make variable levels of contributions to renal dysfunction and thereby might offer several different therapeutic targets for cell-based therapy. However, the efficacy of EPC and MSC for kidney repair was not fully compared, and the effects of cellular phenotype on the efficacy of cell-based therapy on chronic renovascular disease remain unclear. Thus, this study was designed to test the hypothesis that EPC and MSC activate different mechanisms involved in kidney repair in RAS.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
All protocols were approved by Mayo Clinic Institutional Committee of Animal Care and Use. Studies were performed in 26 female domestic pigs with initial weight 35–40 kg, including seven RAS, six RAS+MSC, six RAS+EPC, and seven age- and body weight-matched normal control pigs. Unilateral RAS was induced under anesthesia by implantation of an irritant coil in one renal artery, as we previously reported [1, 2]. A telemetry catheter were secured in the femoral artery for monitoring daily blood pressure until the end of the study, as previously described [1, 8, 15, 16]. The degree of RAS was determined after 6 weeks of RAS using angiography, and subsequently MSC or EPC were injected into the stenotic kidney through the renal artery. Four weeks later, stenotic kidney renal blood flow (RBF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were evaluated using multidetector CT (MDCT); blood samples were collected for plasma renin activity (PRA) and creatinine levels, and urine samples for protein assay. A few days later, the pigs were euthanized with 20 ml Sleepaway (Fort Dodge Animal Health, Fort Dodge, IA; http://www.pfizerah.com), and the kidneys were dissected for evaluation of microvascular density (micro-CT), tissue fibrosis (trichrome), oxidative stress (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate [NADPH]-oxidase subunits p47phox and p67phox), the growth factors VEGF, its receptors Flk-1 and Flt-1, and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), inflammation (tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-alpha, interleukin [IL]-10, IL-1β), apoptosis (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling, BCL-XL, and caspase3), and ER stress (GRP94, Derl3, and C/EBP homologous protein CHOP). Additional in vitro studies were performed to compare the direct effects of EPC and MSC on ER stress in cultured kidney tubular cells. We also performed an additional pilot study in three animals to observe the longer effects of MSC on chronic atherosclerotic RAS for 12 weeks after cell infusion (detailed methods and results are in a Supporting Information document).
EPC and MSC Isolation
EPC were cultured from autologous mononuclear cells isolated and expanded from peripheral blood (100 ml) about 10 days (early EPC) or 3 weeks (late EPC) before delivery, as described [8, 17]. A previous study  showed the synergetic effects of early and late EPC on tissue repair. Allogeneic MSC was cultured from swine omentum fat (10 g) that was digested in collagenase-H for 45 minutes, filtered, and cultured in Endothelial Cell Growth Media-2 media for about 3 weeks . The immune-modulatory properties of MSC afforded the use of allogeneic cells with little concern about rejection . The third passages of each cell type was collected and kept in cell recovery medium in −80°C for transplantation and in vitro phenotype/function analysis.
Immunofluorescent staining was used to determine cellular phenotype  probing for the cell-surface markers CD34, c-kit, CD133, kinase insert domain receptor (KDR), CD44, CD73, CD90, CD105, CD14, CD45, and with either primary or secondary antibody alone for control. 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) was used for nuclear staining. The capacity of MSC for trilineage differentiation into adipocytes, chondrocytes, and osteocytes was further characterized using an MSC Functional Identification kit (R&D Systems, Minneapolis, MN, http://www.rndsystems.com), following manufacturer's instructions. Additionally, conditioned culture medium was collected from both EPC and MSC, and VEGF and TNF-α levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay.
Six weeks after induction of RAS, cells were labeled with a fluorescent membrane dye (CM-DiI), kept in 10 ml Phosphate buffered saline (PBS) (106 cells per milliliter), and injected slowly through a balloon placed in the renal artery proximal to the stenosis [8, 17, 22]. For EPC, equal proportions of early and late cells were mixed and delivered.
Four weeks after cell delivery, animals were anesthetized with intramuscular ketamine (20 mg/kg) and xylazine (2 mg/kg), intubated, and ventilated. Anesthesia was maintained with ketamine (0.2 mg/kg/minute) and xylazine (0.03 mg/kg/minute). MDCT flow studies were performed in vivo, as previously detailed , for assessment of RBF and GFR. Manually traced regions of interest were selected in MDCT images in the aorta, renal cortex, and medulla and their densities were tabulated. Time–density curves were used to calculate renal regional perfusion, single-kidney GFR, and RBF using previously validated methods [23, 24].
A few days after completion of the in vivo studies, the kidneys were dissected and frozen tissue cut into 5 μm sections and mounted with DAPI. EPC and MSC labeled with CM-DiI were detected by red labeling and counted in each slide under a fluorescence microscope to calculate their retention rate. We have successfully used this method before to track EPC and MSC 4 weeks after transplantation into the kidney [8, 17, 19]. Furthermore, frozen kidney sections from pigs infused with cells were stained with the distal tubular marker peanut agglutinin (5 μg/ml, Vector Laboratories, Burlingame, CA, http://www.vectorlabs.com) and proximal tubular marker phaseolus vulgaris erythroagglutinin (5 μg /ml, Vector). In 10–15 fields sampled in each section, EPC/MSC were manually counted and recorded by locations (tubular, perivascular, or interstitial).
A saline-filled cannula was ligated in a segmental artery perfusing the intact end of the excised stenotic kidney, for infusion (0.8 ml/minute) of an intravascular contrast agent (Microfil) under physiological pressure. The kidney samples (2 cm × 2 cm) were scanned using micro-CT, as previously described [1, 2, 16], and three-dimensional volume images reconstructed. The images were subsequently analyzed for vascular density and spatial distribution [2, 25].
Renal Protein Expression
Kidneys were homogenized using a standard technique, and in addition the ER was isolated using an ER isolation kit (Imgenex, Corp, San Diego, CA, http://www.imgenex.com) following manufacturer's instructions. Standard blotting protocols were then followed, as previously described [15, 25, 26], using specific antibodies against Derl3, GRP94, and CHOP (for ER extracts), and caspase-3, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-10, VEGF, HGF, Flk-1, Flt-1, p47phox, and p67phox (all 1:200, Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Santa Cruz, CA, http://www.scbt.com, CA) for kidney lysate. GAPDH was used as loading controls. Protein expression was quantified using densitometry and averaged in each group. GRP94 and CHOP expression was also localized in kidney sections using immunohistochemistry.
In Vitro ER Stress in Cultured Kidney Tubular Cells
ER stress was induced in vitro in porcine kidney tubular cells (LLC-PK1, ATCC, Manassas, VA; http://www.atcc.org) by adding 1 μM thapsigargin  (Sigma-Aldrich, St Louis, MO, http://www.sigmaaldrich.com) in M199 media supplied with 3% fetal bovine serum in a 24-well plate. After an 8 hours incubation, the cell culture was continued with 1 μM thapsigargin, as well as with either 1 × 105 EPC or 1 × 105 MSC added in the wells (six wells each group) for 16 hours, while untreated tubular cells served as control. Two parallel sets of experiments were performed. First, the progenitor or stem cells and LLC-PK1 cells were separately cultured in the same well using a Millipore cell culture insert plate (PK1 cells in the bottom and progenitor cell on the inserts), which allowed exchange of only the culture media. In the second set, the progenitor or stem cells were directly mixed with the PK1 tubular cells in culture. At the end of study, EPC/MSC and LLC-PK1 cells were separated by their characteristic differential responses to trypsin; to detach, LLC-PK1 require higher concentration of trypsin (0.25%) than EPC and MSC (0.025%). Media was removed, 50 μl 0.025% trypsin added to each well, and the plate was monitored under a microscope until EPC/MSC detached and were collected. Plate was washed with PBS to remove EPC/MSC, and PK1 cells were then collected. All cells were then homogenized separately for Western Blotting.
Results were expressed as mean ± SEM. Statistical comparisons of multiple groups used one-way ANOVA, followed by Tukey test, and unpaired Student's t test if applicable. In vivo data analysis between experimental periods within groups were performed using paired Student's t test. Statistical significance was accepted for p < .05.
Cell Phenotype and Engraftment
EPC expressed CD133, CD34, c-kit, and KDR, while MSC were not only positive for CD44 and CD90 but also expressed CD34 (Fig. 1A), probably due to the use of the EGM-2 culture medium. Both EPC and MSC stained negative for CD14 and CD45. MSC were further confirmed by their capacity to transdifferentiate into adipocytes, osteocytes, and chondrocytes (Fig. 1B). In conditioned media, MSC released more VEGF and less TNF-α than EPC (Fig. 1C).
Four weeks after infusion, EPC and MSC both integrated into kidney tubular and interstitial areas and showed a similar retention rate of around 12% (Fig. 2). However, MSC were more commonly observed in the interstitium, while EPC tended to engraft in renal tubules and adventitial microvessels. We found that similar fractions of MSC integrated into tubular (48%) or interstitial (49%) compartments, while only 3% was found in perivascular regions. On the other hand, EPC integrated primarily in tubules (56%), followed by perivascular (17%) and interstitial (27%) engraftment. Interestingly, both EPC and MSC integrated only into proximal but not distal tubules (Fig. 2).
Compared to normal, after 10 weeks of RAS, all RAS pigs had similar degree of stenosis and elevated blood pressure, indicating that cell treatments had no effects on renovascular hypertension (Table 1). PRA, creatinine, and urine protein levels were similar among the groups (Table 1).
Table 1. Systemic characteristics of pigs with RAS, RAS treated with EPC or MSC, and normal control
Stenotic kidneys of RAS pigs had lower RBF and GFR compared to normal (Fig. 2). EPC and MSC both improved poststenotic RBF, although they remained lower than in normal pigs (p < .05 vs. RAS, p < .05 vs. normal). EPC and MSC also both improved GFR compared to RAS, yet MSC increased GFR to levels not different than control kidneys.
Renal Microvascular Structure and Growth Factors
RAS pigs showed a decrease in transmural cortical microvascular density, which was improved but not normalized in the inner and middle cortex by both EPC and MSC treatments and fully restored in the outer cortex by both (Fig. 3). RAS also attenuated renal expression of the growth factors HGF, VEGF, and its receptors Flk-1 and Flt-1, most of which were improved by EPC, but not MSC (Fig. 4A), with the exception of Flk-1 that was upregulated by both.
Oxidative Stress and Inflammation
The expression of the NAD(P)H oxidase subunits p47phox and p67phox was upregulated in RAS, and MSC and EPC similarly downregulated their expression. The proinflammatory cytokine TNF-α and the inflammatory factor IL-1β released by activated macrophages were increased in RAS and selectively decreased in RAS+MSC but remained elevated in RAS+EPC pigs (Fig. 4B). On the other hand, the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 was suppressed in RAS but similarly restored in RAS+EPC and RAS+MSC pigs (Fig. 4B).
Apoptosis and ER Stress
The number of renal apoptotic cells was significantly increased in RAS and appeared to include glomerular endothelial cells, epithelial tubular cells, as well as interstitial cells (Fig. 5). EPC treatment did not affect apoptosis but the number of the apoptotic cells decreased in RAS+MSC pigs (p < .05 vs. RAS, Fig. 5). Cleaved caspase3, an effector of apoptosis, was upregulated in RAS and unaffected by either EPC or MSC treatments (Fig. 4C). However, BCL-XL, an antiapoptotic factor, was downregulated in RAS and normalized only in RAS+MSC. ER isolated from RAS kidneys also showed increased expression of CHOP, Derl3, and GRP94, which are involved in ER stress, and were normalized only in RAS+MSC (Fig. 4D). Immunohistochemistry showed that CHOP and GRP94 were expressed in endothelial and proximal tubular cells but not in the distal tubular cells (Fig. 6C). Nevertheless, both cell types significantly decreased kidney fibrosis in the poststenotic kidney (Fig. 5).
In vitro, thapsigargin-treated kidney tubular cells showed increased expression of CHOP and cleaved caspase3, which were normalized by direct coculture with both EPC and MSC (Fig. 6A). However, MSC further decreased tubular cell expression of CHOP and caspase3 compared with EPC, supporting superior protection from ER stress and apoptosis by MSC compared to EPC. Interestingly, EPC and MSC cocultured with kidney tubular cells separated by an insert plate that allowed exchange of culture media alone did not normalize CHOP and caspase3 (Fig. 6B), suggesting that physical contact augments progenitor/stem cells rescue of tubular cells from ER stress-induced apoptosis in vitro.
This study demonstrated that EPC and MSC delivered into the post-stenotic kidney induced improvements in renal function that were achieved by slightly different mechanisms and to different extents. EPC elicited greater improvement in angiogenic signaling, while MSC suppressed inflammatory cytokines and ER-stress induced apoptosis to a larger extent. The greater attenuation conferred by MSC was confirmed in cultured tubular cells and augmented by direct cell contact. Importantly, in vivo both approaches effectively improved the hemodynamics of the stenotic kidney, although MSC induced a slightly greater improvement in renal function.
Progenitor and stem cells have been shown to play important roles in tissue repair [12, 28, 29], and several clinical trials of cell treatment registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov are recruiting patients with kidney diseases . However, several important questions remain unsolved, such as possible differences between cell types in their affinity, tissue repair efficacy, and specific mechanisms of action. In this study, we compared functional repair capacity of two well-characterized cell populations in a large animal model mimicking human ischemic kidney disease, and explored involved mechanisms.
RAS is the primary etiology underlying renovascular hypertension and may lead to end-stage kidney disease. Kidney damage distal to the stenosis is characterized by microvascular cellular loss, oxidative stress, inflammation, and interstitial fibrosis [2, 31]. Our previous studies showed that both EPC [8, 17] and MSC  can improve microvascular density in the stenotic kidney. This study shows that the effect of both cell types may be achieved by slightly different mechanisms in the poststenotic kidneys. EPC may augment neovascularization via direct engraftment into vascular structures  and/or paracrine secretion of growth factors [32, 33]. Indeed, we found that impaired expression of VEGF and its receptors in RAS was restored in EPC-treated but not in MSC-treated kidneys. Furthermore, a similar pattern of improvement was observed in expression of HGF, a critical growth factor in adult organ regeneration and in wound healing . Interestingly, MSC in fact secreted more VEGF than EPC in conditioned medium in vitro. This discrepancy may imply that EPC restored renal growth factor expression not only via paracrine secretion but may also stimulate local resident cells to express and secrete growth factors. Notably, since MSC successfully restored microvascular density without long-term upregulation of growth factors, the initial paracrine delivery of VEGF might have conceivably contributed to neovascularization. Nevertheless, the increased vascularization might have alternatively been permitted indirectly by decreased fibrosis or other mechanisms.
The affinity of EPC and MSC for renal engraftment does not seem to account for their differential effects, as their overall retention rates were very similar. However, MSC retention in the interstitial space in proximity to inflammatory cells and fibroblasts may contribute to their anti-inflammatory effects, while the greater tendency of EPC to integrate into perivascular areas may contribute to their angiogenic potential. Interestingly, both EPC and MSC integrated only into proximal but not distal tubules likely because proximal tubular cells are more sensitive to insults and attract stem cells for repair. These observations were supported by Immunohistochemistry, showing ER stress markers' expression in proximal tubular and endothelial cells but not in distal tubules. Furthermore, inflammation plays an important role in neovascularization in ischemic tissues , yet overexpression of inflammatory cytokines might alternatively impair angiogenesis  and elicit oxidative stress. Our study demonstrated that MSC more effectively than EPC modulated the levels of the inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β, which may indirectly account for the improvement in microvascular structure in RAS. IL-1β produced by activated macrophages is an important mediator of the inflammatory response and involved in a variety of cellular activities, including proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis . TNF-α, an endogenous pyrogen involved in systemic inflammation, is produced chiefly by activated macrophages and is able to induce apoptotic cell death by activating death receptors . The ability of MSC to downregulate these inflammatory mediators may thus be an important aspect of their beneficial properties.
Importantly, TNF-α may also induce cell apoptosis via ER stress by upregulating protein expression of CHOP and GRP94 [39, 40]. The ER regulates cell functions such as protein biosynthesis, folding, trafficking, and modification, functions that are sensitive to environmental insults like ischemia, oxidative stress, or inflammation, which can lead to ER stress. Cells experiencing ER stress invoke the unfolded protein response, which enhances the protein-folding capacity by activating GRP78, GRP94, and calreticulin. ER stress-induced apoptosis is mainly mediated by CHOP , a transcription factor which induces several proapoptotic factors and downregulates antiapoptotic Bcl-2 , leading to enhanced oxidant injury and apoptosis. Importantly, MSC, but not EPC, downregulated CHOP, GRP94, and Derl3 expression in ER isolated from stenotic kidney cells, which may thereby increase Bcl-xl (a member of Bcl-2 family) expression in RAS. Potentiated attenuation of ER stress and apoptosis by MSC could have also contributed to decrease tissue damage and improve renal function in RAS.
Interestingly, our in vitro study showed that protection of kidney tubular cells from thapsigargin-induced ER stress and apoptosis by both MSC and EPC was facilitated by cell-to-cell contact and blunted when they were physically separated. Our results are underscored by a previous observation showing that MSC protected chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells from fludarabine-induced apoptosis in a cell–cell contact manner , suggesting that direct MSC or EPC delivery into an injury site might be more efficient for tissue repair than their paracrine factors. Clearly, however, the few cells observed in cell tracking could not have contact with all renal cells. Injected cells might have come across different endogenous cells during their migration in the kidney, and/or induced neighboring cells that in turn also affect adjacent cells. The salutary effects of the cells are likely mediated by essential paracrine effects, yet direct contact seems to magnify their efficacy. Further studies are needed in order to better understanding crosstalk between delivered progenitor cells and kidney cells.
There are obvious limitations for replicating clinical conditions in relatively young animals. Also, we studied a single dose of EPCs and two doses of MSC, found to be safe and well-tolerated. Additional studies are needed to determine the optimal dose and timing of cell delivery and explore the combination of EPC and MSC. Furthermore, our follow-up extended up to 12 weeks after cell transfer; longer-term benefits of cell treatment remain to be determined. Nevertheless, the short-term improvement of renal function and increased vascular density might sustain kidney function and structure.
Taken together, our data demonstrated that EPC and MSC induced similar restoration of the renal microcirculation in RAS, yet used different mechanisms. EPC may possess greater direct proangiogenic potency, while MSC more effectively suppress inflammatory cytokines, ER-stress, and apoptosis, which thereby recover renal structure and function. Therefore, our observations suggest that the underlying pathophysiology may need to be considered during selection of cell type targeted for kidney repair. Furthermore, our study supports rigorous development of regenerative strategies to improve the damaged kidney.
This study was partly supported by NIH Grants: DK73608, DK77013, HL77131, and HL085307.


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The 2016 (50th) and 2017 (51st) Super Bowl Bid process began in October of last year when the Bay Area Bid Committee reached out to the Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce and Convention-Visitors Bureau for assistance. In November, we received the 152 page bid specification booklet and have been working on meeting the requirements ever since. This is when we learned Miami is also bidding for 2016 and Houston is bidding for 2017. The final bid document will be sent to the NFL on April 1 with a final decision made on May 21 at the owners meeting for both 2016 and 2017 Super Bowl locations.
Many meetings and conference calls have occurred since we began this process in October. San Francisco Travel is leading the bid coordination with Santa Clara playing a critical role due to the stadium location and game day requirements and activities. The initial focus was to determine where the major events would be held. Many of these events like the NFL Experience and Media Center will be held in San Francisco due to their physical requirements; however, Santa Clara will be hosting the NFL Tailgate Party, On Location Hospitality and many other private corporate events that have yet to be determined. There have been comments made that Santa Clara will not realize the economic impact from the Super Bowl due to many of the larger events being held in San Francisco. My belief is we will see a huge economic impact not only from the NFL sanctioned events, but from the many private events that will certainly be held close to the stadium for the many companies that call Silicon Valley their home.
Also, a minimum of 19,000 blocked hotel rooms are required for the bid to be considered. Our goal is to block 24,500 hotel rooms on peak night throughout San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara County. San Francisco has blocked over 12,000 on peak, San Mateo 2,500, San Jose 3,500 and Santa Clara 1,700 as of this writing. We are holding additional meetings with outlying Santa Clara County hotels to increase the peak block by another 600 rooms. Several apartments and long term stay properties will also be needed and will be in high demand for the NFL staff and their affiliates.
The teams are scheduled to practice at Stanford University and San Jose State University prior to the big game. Each team hotel is required to be within close proximity of the practice facilities. Currently, team hotels are being considered in San Jose and in San Mateo County.
Many logistical issues still need to be worked out. Transportation, security, parking are just a few. The city staff and city council are currently meeting to discuss how these costs will be paid and how to make sure the City of Santa Clara is not responsible for the entire bill. I feel confident these issues will be resolved very soon and the City of Santa Clara will realize a very positive return on investment.
If awarded, in 2016 or 2017, more than 100 million people around the world will have their eyes on the City of Santa Clara as they watch the Super Bowl. Our hotels and restaurants will be full, generating a surge of transient occupancy tax and sales tax revenue for the City. Fans will shop and enjoy local entertainment before and after the big game. Even though San Francisco is named the official host city, the action will be at the other end of the Bay. All roads will lead to the City of Santa Clara on game day and our community will realize the benefits of hosting a Super Bowl for years to come.

domain: news


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ARCHITECTURAL MODEL MADE IN NINH THUAN
OVERVIEW OF THE MODEL MADE IN NINH THUAN
The model made in Ninh Thuan is implemented by investors. Helping the models in Ninh Thuan develop more, and at the same time bring many advantages to the land fund in Ninh Thuan.
The compass was made based on the blueprints, the miniature scale of the golden plots in Ninh Thuan. Express very honest and consistent with customers. Bring great attraction for investors who want to implement projects based on the overview of the model.
dự án đã làm tại đây
News about real estate in Ninh Thuan
According to the news, the scale of construction includes a 45-storey building and a 39-storey building with modern and high-class architecture. Progress of the project from the third quarter of 2019 to the fourth quarter of 2022 put into operation.
Decision No. 49/2019 / QD-UBND investment policy for the Project. Royal Ninh Thuan high-class resort for Royal Ninh Thuan Investment and Development Co., Ltd. in Phuoc Diem commune (Thuan Nam).
With a total registered investment capital of VND 2,000 billion. This is a project of real estate for convalescence, exploitation of tourism services, dining, entertainment, and convention center.
Decision No. 16 / QD-UBND, on the investment policy for the 5-star luxury resort project. Combined with culinary commercial streets.
For Ninh Thuan International Tourism Joint Stock Company, under Hoang Son Joint Stock Corporation in Khanh Hai town (Ninh Hai), with a total registered capital of 550 billion dong.
Not only that, over the past time more and more strategic investors in the country and internationally. Looking to Ninh Thuan to invest in resort real estate.
Many “big companies” have invested in tourism such as Vinpearl Joint Stock Company, T&T Joint Stock Company, Mui Dinh Ecopark, TDH Ecoland Urban Development and Investment Joint Stock Company, and FLC Group Joint Stock Company. ..
Advantages of projects in Ninh Thuan
This is a region that can be said, they are currently in great development. Attracting investment capital from abroad. Modeling in Ninh Thuan will bring many advantages for the development there.
With land banks adjacent to many convenient places, with the favor of nature. It will be an impressive place and suitable for many customers.
So to implement a model done in Ninh Thuan is not so easy. But here architectural model company Song Anh will bring it. The creativity, the beauty, the most genuine expression to investors.
Một số dự án của công ty mô hình Song Anh
Outstanding details of the model
With the innovative design, the technician department has brought to investors, some impressive models. The tables are shown very honestly through each stroke.
From model combinations, to color-coordinated colors. All are arranged carefully, to the most perfect level so as not to make a mistake for customers.
Not to make the model done in Ninh Thuan too simple. We decorate some model materials such as trees, lights, cars, people, … bringing the model to life.

domain: finance


Various Artists — Kaleidoscope - Musicians of Door County
(BT Productions no#, 2005, CD)
by Peter Thelen, Published 2006-05-01
This diverse collection spotlights the work of a number of recording artists from Door County, Wisconsin; the eleven pieces herein are clearly inspired by the natural beauty and serenity of their surroundings. Every song is by a different artist, although various musicians play and write cooperatively on a number of cuts; most lean toward the folkier side of the musical spectrum, in a classic singer-songwriter vein, although a few clearly break out of the mold and reach out into different directions. Jay Whitney’s “How Can I Say Goodbye” is one of those, a funky, soulful take with its earthy vocal delivery; another is Don Thompson’s “Don’t Stop Pickin’,” a spirited upbeat tune sporting a solid country flavor. Vocalist Kim Waters (of Rasa) opens the set with “The Dress,” sounding very much like an Irish traditional piece, co-written by Mike King and co-producer Pete Thelen, the latter better known for his blues-today website and CDs. Thelen’s own contribution to the set is “Footsteps,” an introspective number with a mysterious David Sylvian-esque arrangement. Lucy Hagen’s alto vocal on the intensely personal “I’m Gone” is supported beautifully by two acoustic guitars and cello. Jeanne Kuhns is a gifted storyteller, as her contribution, “Isabel,” easily illustrates. Other featured artists include Fred Alley, Julian Hagen, Mark Raddatz, and Chris Alley. Co-producer (and engineer for the entire set) Hans Christian’s pensive and beautiful instrumental “The Water Is Wide,” performed on bass, cello, nyckelharpa and piano closes this set nicely. A superbly produced set worthy of attention.
Related artist(s): Various Artists
Simeon Coxe RIP – Simeon Coxe, best known for his experimental electronics in the band Silver Apples, has died at the age of 82. The band's 1968 debut album set the stage for both German electronic music and experimental punk music a decade later. Coxe died on September 8 from pulmonary fibrosis. » Read more
Ennio Morricone RIP – Famed composer Ennio Morricone has died at the age of 91. The creator of scores for more than 500 movies, some of his works have become the most recognizable sounds in the history of cinema. His soundtracks for Sergio Leone's Westerns made from 1964 to 1971, are iconic landmarks in film music, but he also composed for dramas, comedies, and other genres. He won the Academy Award for Best Original Score in 2016 for The Hateful Eight. » Read more


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Free from: fluoride, chlorhexidine, triclosan and other strong antiseptics, SLS/SLES, parabens, aggressive whitening and abrasive components.
Recovering toothpaste BIOMED(R) Sensitive with calcium hydroxyapatite for enamel strengthening and eliminating the causes of tooth sensitivity. Now your teeth have nothing to be afraid of! Plantain extract, birch leaf polyphenols and red grape seeds provide anti-tooth decay effect and strengthen gums. The frankincense essential oil helps to fight stress, and Azadirachta indica essential oil provide antibacterial protection. Lemon essential oil provides anti‑virus effect and stimulates the immune system. Oak bark extract and thyme essential oil possess anti‑inflamatory effect.
Keep all supplements out of sight and reach of young children. Do not exceed the stated recommended intake. Content on this site is not intended to substitute advice given by a medical practitioner, pharmacist, or other licensed health-care professional. Contact your health-care provider immediately if you suspect that you have a medical condition. These products are not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition. Food supplements must not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Adverse reactions to supplements are rare, but if you experience an adverse reaction stop taking the product and contact your practitioner. Sometimes a supplement will suit one person but not another.

domain: medical


When Parliament opens on Tuesday for the 45th time in Australia's post-colonisation history, it will begin with the now customary Welcome to Country by the local Aboriginal people on whose land Parliament House sits.
It is an important acknowledgement by the Parliament that this land, like all land and waters in Australia, is Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Peoples' land.
But this welcome must not mask the fact that we have a long way to go when it comes to establishing a proper relationship between government and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Today we see Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs in a continuing state of crisis. After countless royal commissions and inquiries, we know the statistics and the complexity of the issues. But without true partnership and engagement, nothing will change.
This year is the 25th anniversary of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and the 25th anniversary of the Reconciliation process, itself an implementation of one of the commission's 339 recommendations. According to recommendation 62 of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, 25 years ago there was an "'urgent need for governments and Aboriginal [and Torres Strait Islander] organisations to negotiate together to devise strategies designed to reduce the rate at which Aboriginal juveniles are involved in the welfare and criminal justice systems".
However, we see ourselves at the beginning of yet another royal commission (this time into the child protection and juvenile justice systems in the Northern Territory), which would have been unnecessary if this recommendation had been heeded.
We are also in the midst of yet another restarting of the constitutional recognition process, a key element of the "unfinished business" of reconciliation.
We appear to be trapped in a perpetual time-loop, unable, or perhaps unwilling as a nation, to deal with the fundamental issues at the heart of our relationships. Reports are developed and launched, often with great promise and intent, only to be lost to a culture of political and bureaucratic selective memory.
But we who stand up for Our Peoples every day, we don't forget. That is why on Tuesday, before the official Welcome to Country, representatives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations will attend a Sea Of Hands installation with a simple message: "PM: Meet with First Peoples."
We want Malcolm Turnbull to commit to joining our National First Peoples Summit, to be held within 100 days of Parliament's opening, because it is time for serious talking. It is time to reset the relationship on equal terms and discuss closing the gap and addressing the unfinished business. We have a plan, released during the election campaign and called the Redfern Statement, which we believe could be the beginning of a more positive relationship. Our plan addresses the need for better engagement, improved ways of resourcing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations to close the gap, a new Department for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, led by Our Peoples. We have put forth our ideas and want to advance the reconciliation process and make it a means of nation building.
We've had enough of policy confusion and amnesia. We know what to do, we just need the support of government and the nation's Parliament. Our proud peoples have been around for millennia. We know our land, we know our people. In the face of apparent hopelessness, as we think of Don Dale and youth detention centres around the country, as we think of the gap that seems to never close, let's be innovative and through action turn hope into achievement.
Let's begin by closing one easy gap – please meet with us, Mr Turnbull; now is the time for a serious talk.
Dr Jackie Huggins and Rod Little are co-chairs of the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples.


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This is a variation of a preparation called “Paupiette”; a thin slice of fish that is stuffed, rolled and bound before being poached in stock.
For this dish I used filets of Dover Sole, then stuffed them with lobster knuckle and claw meat. The lobster meat was chopped, sprinkled with cracker meal for a binder, and then tossed with a mayonnaise based dressing for flavor and moisture.
A paupiette of sole and lobster has a nice delicate flavor, but it can be boring to eat. To add some texture (a lot of texture), the paupiettes were dipped in egg wash then tossed with a chiffonade of collard greens and kataifi in a preparation inspired by Michel Richard.
The sauce for this was an avocado cream, and tomato concasse as a garnish lended some color to the monotone dish.
Paired with a California Chardonnay, this dish was as fun to eat as it was tasty.


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- What is the best antibiotic for skin infections?
- Does Purell really kill 99.9 of germs?
- What are two ways to kill bacteria?
- How do you kill bacteria on your skin?
- How do you remove bacteria from your face?
- What kills the most bacteria?
- Is Dove soap bad for your face?
- Can I wash my face 3 times a day?
- How do you get rid of bacteria on your face naturally?
- How many germs are on your face?
- How long do bacterial skin infections last?
- What is the most common bacterial skin infection?
- Does Soap really kill 99.9 of germs?
- How do you kill bad bacteria in your body?
- What does a bacterial skin infection look like?
What is the best antibiotic for skin infections?
As most cases of uncomplicated cellulitis are caused by Strep, they are still best treated with a penicillin or cephalosporin (e.g., Keflex) type of antibiotic, known as beta-lactams.
These antibiotics are much better than TMP-SMX for strep infections.
These drugs are also safer than clindamycin, for widespread use..
Does Purell really kill 99.9 of germs?
Hand sanitizers are marketed as able to kill 99.9 percent of germs on your hands. … Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are very effective at killing most germs, including most bacteria and viruses.
What are two ways to kill bacteria?
How to kill Bacteria?How to kill Bacteria? … The process of killing bacteria and other micro-organisms either in a vegetative or a spore state is known as sterilization. … Sterilization or bacterial killing is brought about by many methods, such as physical methods, irradiation and chemical agents or disinfectants.More items…•
How do you kill bacteria on your skin?
The theory behind using hydrogen peroxide as an acne treatment is that it supposedly kills bacteria on your skin and helps to dry up sebum. Hydrogen peroxide is an oxidizing agent. This means that it can effectively kill living cells, such as bacteria, via a process known as oxidative stress.
How do you remove bacteria from your face?
Wash. Using a silicone facial brush, gently scrub your skin, being careful of sensitive areas, such as around the eyes. Rinse with lukewarm water. Most cleansers work by trapping grime and bacteria within the soap, making it easy to wash away.
What kills the most bacteria?
Bleach. Bleach is a relatively cheap and highly effective disinfectant. It kills some of the most dangerous bacteria, including staphylococcus, streptococcus, E. coli and salmonella — as well as many viruses, including the flu and the common cold.
Is Dove soap bad for your face?
Opt for a mild cleanser like Dove sensitive skin soap. Strong soaps leave your skin dry and irritated. In fact, most antibacterial soaps are too harsh for your face. So avoid the harsh soaps and choose something that will clean off the grime without leaving your skin too parched.
Can I wash my face 3 times a day?
Wash your face, but not too often It may be very tempting to cleanse your face each time it gets oily. But in fact, over-cleansing can make your skin produce extra oil. Wash your face 2 to 3 times a day, max. Don’t wash your face too often.
How do you get rid of bacteria on your face naturally?
1. Apply apple cider vinegarLike other vinegars, it’s known for its ability to fight many types of bacteria and fungi ( 3 , 4).Apple cider vinegar contains organic acids, such as citric acid, that have been found to kill P. acnes ( 5 ).More items…
How many germs are on your face?
The skin forms an important barrier against microbes from the outside world. In total, you have about 1.8 m2 of skin, and more than 1.5 trillion (that’s a 1 with 12 zeros) bacteria live on it. In some wet places, tens of millions of microbes live on every square centimetre of skin.
How long do bacterial skin infections last?
With antibiotic treatment, signs and symptoms of skin infections begin to improve after approximately 2 to 3 days. If your skin infection does not improve or gets worse (especially if you develop a fever or the infection spreads), notify your doctor right away.
What is the most common bacterial skin infection?
Many types of bacteria can infect the skin. The most common are Staphylococcus and Streptococcus. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (also known as MRSA), which is resistant to many commonly used antibiotics, is now the most common bacteria causing skin infections in the United States.
Does Soap really kill 99.9 of germs?
One important thing to note is that soap is not really killing the germs in our hands, but rather washing them away. … So when a soap manufacturer claims that their products kill 99.9% of germs, they are technically correct but practically wrong.
How do you kill bad bacteria in your body?
Here are some of the strategies I use to fix gut health:Focus on whole, quality foods. … Eat more fiber. … Increase your anti-inflammatory fats. … Eliminate the food that feeds bad bugs. … Eat (and drink) more fermented foods. … Feed your good gut bugs. … Exercise regularly. … Sleep better.More items…•
What does a bacterial skin infection look like?
Bacterial skin infections often begin as small, red bumps that slowly increase in size. Some bacterial infections are mild and easily treated with topical antibiotics, but other infections require an oral antibiotic.

domain: biology


text:
Journalist Simran Chawla, an Indian-American expat in London, gives a glimpse of the immigrant experience in North America and Europe in her new book, Searching for Home: Stories of Indians Living Abroad. One of her hopes is to “highlight crucial issues involving the vast number of people who, by their willingness to move across countries illegally, are increasingly becoming the target of human traffickers and exposing themselves to inherent dangers”. Read on for an excerpt from a chapter tracking Lucky's journey from Punjab—the starting point for most people featured in the book—to Washington D.C.
(An excerpt from the chapter: Returning Home)
When Lucky set out from his home in Punjab to seek his fortune overseas in May 1999, he had to leave his new bride behind.
“She was still wearing her chura,” he now murmurs.
At the time, she was pregnant with their only child. Their son would be born while Lucky was still making the journey to America without any legal papers, choosing a dangerous route to his final destination that would take him months to reach and finally enter. Aware that if he went through the proper channels and applied for a visa, his application would, in all likelihood, be turned down, the young man had decided that a chance to work in America was worth the risks involved and the sacrifices it entailed.
To meet the expenses of his son's journey to America, Lucky's father had sold off some of the family-owned land. The money from the proceeds would cover the fee charged by the agent who was making the travel arrangements for Lucky's trip to America, beginning with a flight from Delhi to Costa Rica.
That journey had been undertaken nearly two decades ago, but in the last few years, an increasing number of South Asians have been trying out the Latin American immigration route, taking advantage of a migrant trail into America that has existed for years. According to a news article published in 2016 in the Los Angeles Times, which cites US Customs and Border Protection statistics, more than 4,000 Bangladeshis, Indians, Nepalis and Pakistanis travelled to the US along a route originating in Brazil, compared with just 225 such migrants who had done so seven years earlier. Most of those who chose to travel by this route were arrested while crossing into the US illegally.
What had motivated them to do so is not difficult to understand when I listen to Lucky's own reasons for undertaking the journey.
“At the time, all I wanted was to come to America to work. It was a craze.”
He couldn't, however, have foreseen the horrors of the journey that lay ahead. From Costa Rica, he was taken to Nicaragua in an 18-wheeler truck, along with other aspirants like him. As they neared the border, they were made to get off the vehicle and walk the distance. This involved climbing up a steep hill and then sliding down.
“We all got injured, suffering bruises and cuts, but we made it and found each other again at the spot where we all spent the night,” Lucky now recalls. “It was around two a.m. when we found each other. The next day, the agent took us again via the 18-wheeler across Nicaragua to Honduras, Guatemala and then Mexico.”


text:
So after less than two weeks it is pretty clear that 2018 will be at best just as bad as 2017, and that is at best. Let’s be honest, it’s going to get a lot more awful before it gets better and it’s not going to get better. We had a good run but actually the run wasn’t even all that good and the only reason we’re remembering it fondly is we’ve forgotten how it felt before everything fell apart. I guess what I’m saying is everything is terrible and only getting worse. Would you like to distract yourself from how horrible everything is but also not hate yourself for suddenly realizing you just watched eight straight hours of “golden age” television, which apparently means elves fucking their sisters?
Good news: Books still exist. I read a bunch of them last year, and these are the ones I enjoyed the most. It is an idiosyncratic list based on my own personal tastes but guess what, I am the one writing this post, what else would it be based on? In any event, there will certainly be something here for you to enjoy. I am not going to tell you too much about each title because I think we all know that the more you read about a book in a review the more you feel as if you have already read the actual book and therefore don’t need to pick it up. These are all good books, and they all deserve to be read. Note: This list is roughly in order of when I read them last year, so don’t think they are ranked or weighted any other way. Okay, here we go.
Patricia Lockwood, Priestdaddy: Patricia Lockwood is one of the great original voices of this new century and she is in total control of it here. I am wary of memoirs in general and “my wacky family” in particular, but every time this book feels like it is in danger of becoming a little too, uh, Sedarious, she pulls back and goes in a completely different direction.
Peter Godfrey-Smith, Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness: What philosophers refer to as the “hard problem” of consciousness is particularly hard if you’re not very bright and your eyes immediately glaze over when anyone starts discussing it, but that never happens in this incredible story of how octopods–“the closest we will come to meeting an intelligent alien”–offer an entirely different model of awareness. Also, there is a visit to Octopolis. Octopolis!
Andrew Gant, O Sing Unto the Lord: A History of English Church Music: Gosh was this a terrifically enjoyable book about the choral music of England. But don’t take my word for it, listen to America’s young composer boyfriend Nico Muhly, who explains exactly why it’s so great.
Jack Viertel, The Secret Life of the American Musical: How Broadway Shows Are Built: This one probably requires a little advance knowledge of the shows Viertel discusses within, but if you have that this is an incredibly worthwhile and enjoyable tour of what makes a musical work and why. Niche but good niche.
Kapka Kassabova, Border: A Journey to the Edge of Europe: Without a doubt the book which gave me the most pleasure last year and the recommendation I made that got the most, “Wow, thank you”s in response. Please read this book.
Judith Matloff, No Friends but the Mountains: Dispatches from the World’s Violent Highlands: I am not sure that I 100% buy the thesis that there is something about elevated terrain that makes conflict more likely–the ground seems perfectly capable of holding its own–but the eight locales Matloff investigates are all fascinating and worth reading about.
Laura Spinney, Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World: If you’ve got the bad cold that’s going around right now you should read this book in between the constant nose-blowing and napping to see what a real flu is like, you big baby. Anyway, we’re due for another pandemic any day now so you might as well be prepared.
Richard McGregor, Asia’s Reckoning: China, Japan, and the Fate of U.S. Power in the Pacific Century: McGregor’s examination of the intrigues and conflicts between the United States, Japan and China in the postwar era would be disturbing even if we had competent people handling the situation right now. Since we don’t, it’s both frightening and depressing. “Frightening and depressing” is probably not a blurb that is going to move a lot of books but this is a terrific analysis of the relations that underpin the most important area of 21st century politics.
Masha Gessen,The Future Is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia: Telling the story of post-Soviet Russia through the lives of several participants who came of age during the new era is a great and novel way to make the changes and reversions seem considerably more real than a routine recitation of events. Because I am an idiot it took me about 200 pages of dealing with Russian nomenclature to keep track of who was who but you are much smarter than I am, so you should have no problems.
Bettany Hughes, Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities: Incredibly absorbing. The pages are dense with information yet the work is never overbearing; you finish every chapter feeling smarter and, even more importantly, newly curious.
Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants: The Epic Scramble to Get Inside Our Heads: Wu’s history of advertising proves beyond a doubt that while things have always been bad they are so much worse now.
Henry Marsh, Admissions: Life as a Brain Surgeon: If you have not yet read Marsh’s Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death, and Brain Surgery please immediately go do that. If you have, you know that when you finished you wished there were more. Well, now there is!
Robert Sapolsky, Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst: Because I am an idiot (see above) my ability to grasp even the most basic concepts of biology and neuroscience is at best theoretical, so this book was extremely slow going for me. This is not the author’s fault: He could have come to my apartment and tried to explain it to me using apples and puppets and it still would have taken hours for any of it to sink in. That said, after repeated, focused readings this was one of the most interesting and informative books I read last, or any, year. Hopefully I die before there is new science that renders all of this moot and someone needs to re-explain how the frontal cortex works to me.
Robert Wright, Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment: I feel like everyone I know was reading this at some point this year, and probably for good reason. I was less interested in the Buddhism part of this book than I was the Science part, but it does a great job of explaining how the two things map on to each other. (Also, no disrespect to Robert Wright, but reading this book after reading the Sapolsky book gives you the proverbial feeling of watching “Wheel of Fortune” right after watching “Jeopardy”: For half an hour you were a moron but now you’re a genius.) What I will say in favor of this book is I came away from it wanting to be a better person in terms of the way I look at the world around me. Obviously that did not last but I still feel twinges of it every now and again. If you enjoy this I would also recommend Beyond the Self: Conversations Between Buddhism and Neuroscience, by Matthieu Ricard (the French interpreter for the Dalai Lama) and neuroscientist Wolf Singer, which expands out on some of the same issues.
Emil Ferris, My Favorite Thing Is Monsters Vol 1: 2017 was the year I finally “got” graphic novels. I know, I know, you were right, I’m sorry. Anyway, this was one of the first that I read and oh my God it is a tour de force, I cannot even convey how many different and amazing things are happening here. This book was so good that it made me nervous that Ferris will not be able to keep all the balls in the air for Volume 2, but anyone who could pull off all the thing she pulled off in the first part is certainly capable of doing it again. If you still have some residual bias against “comic books” that was beaten into you by parents or educators when you were younger please read this book to shed yourself of them.
Guy Delisle, Hostage: This is also a terrific example of how graphic novels do things that prose alone cannot. Tonally the opposite of Monsters, Delisle’s story of a 1997 kidnapping and captivity in the Caucasus creates a gripping intensity through simplicity and repetition.
Kim Phillips-Fein, Fear City: New York’s Fiscal Crisis and the Rise of Austerity Politics: New York City In The ’70s books will probably be with us until the last person who talks about how much better it was when hookers in Times Square would run up to you and stab you in the arm with heroin-dipped safety pins dies, but while there are plenty of “fun” stories (of these, Richard Boch’s The Mudd Club and Duncan Hannah’s forthcoming Twentieth-Century Boy are the gossamer accounts and Douglas Crimp’s 2016 Before Pictures a little less breezy), Phillips-Fein’s examination of what actually happened during the city’s fiscal crisis, and how the choices that were made then are still affecting the way we experience everything now, both in New York City and nationally, should be required reading for everyone who lives in this city and this country. Clear, uncomplicated prose gets a bad rap these days because people confuse complexity with depth, but Phillips-Fein’s intensely readable book makes it obvious what a disservice we are doing to people’s ability to understand the forces that control them when we try to show how erudite we are.
David Hepworth, Uncommon People: The Rise and Fall of the Rock Stars: In case the majority of selections on this list didn’t clue you in already, I’m an old white man. And as an old white man with an old white dad who raised him listening to the old white music that we now refer to as “classic rock,” this book should be catnip to me, and guess what, it totally was. For many of you this book will seem almost as distant as Andrew Gant’s history of English church music, but it is well worth reading if only to see what stardom looked like in the days just before you were born.
Thi Bui, The Best We Could Do: Beautiful in both form and content this is the third example I discovered this year of how graphic novels work on a completely different level from regular narrative.
Kevin Young, Bunk: The Rise of Hoaxes, Humbug, Plagiarists, Phonies, Post-Facts, and Fake News: American history is an ongoing series of lies about race told to people who want to believe them. Here are the program notes.
Martin Salisbury, The Illustrated Dust Jacket, 1920-1970 : You can’t judge a book by its cover but you can judge a book of covers by the covers in the book. Hahaha, get it? You probably don’t, because unless you clicked the link above you aren’t quite sure what the book in question is about. Sorry. Anyway, this is just a terrific collection of (mostly) British and American book covers as they evolved from protective wrappers to advertisements to works of art. I spent hours with it and I’m sure I will keep coming back to it for inspiration this year and many more, if we have many more.
Well, that was 2017. If you have somehow also read all these books, don’t worry! I’ve also read some books that are coming out over the next few months, and these are the ones I suggest you pre-order right now:
Emma Glass, Peach: This short debut novel is almost certain to be the book everyone is talking about over the next few months and with good reason: It’s terrifying and disturbing and sticks with you long after you’ve finished it.
Anneli Furmark, Red Winter: If internecine leftist political strife in late ’70s Sweden does not sound like something that appeals to you let me tell you that you are not alone. BUT Anneli Furmak’s story of an affair set during that period and the effects it has on the lives of the people connected to its two main characters is heartbreaking and universal. This is another one where the art adds an entirely different component to the weight of the tale.
David Cannadine, Victorious Century: The United Kingdom, 1800-1906: If you’re a fan of one-volume histories and you want to know more about what was undeniably Britain’s century this is the book for you. David Cannadine is one of our greatest living historians and he covers as much in these 600-odd pages as it is possible to cover in 600-odd pages.
Lawrence Wright, God Save Texas: A Journey into the Soul of the Lone Star State: This book does a nice job of explaining the seemingly inexplicable affection even people from places outside of Austin seem to have for their state. If you’ve read Wright’s two most recent pieces in the New Yorker you should have a good idea of what you’re going to get from this one: It’s a loosely organized tour around Texas from a native guide. The tourism slogan for Texas used to be, “It’s like a whole other country,” but recently the country has become way too similar. Here’s a glimpse at our possible future, if we do indeed have one.
Witold Szabłowski, Dancing Bears: True Stories of People Nostalgic for Life Under Tyranny: This collection of reports about people who “are now free but who seem nostalgic for the time when they were not… provides a fascinating portrait of social and economic upheaval and a lesson in the challenges of freedom and the seductions of authoritarian rule.” So, you know, maybe not a great distraction from what’s going on right now, but something that will at least help you understand it a little better.
Finally, Penguin Classics has a spate of reissues pegged to Black History Month that should be released on February 4th. I am most interested in Claude McKay‘s Amiable with Big Teeth, but Parul Sehgal took a crack at a couple others in the Times today and they also look good. Now don’t tell me you’ve got nothing to read.

domain: library


Chips on shoulder of both Samsung, Apple
Published 8:35 pm, Wednesday, April 3, 2013
A new chip manufacturing plant, known in industry lingo as a fab, costs anywhere from $2 billion to $5 billion. To be a serious, profitable player in this business, you need several fabs and the orders to keep those factories humming all the time.
A few years ago, Samsung Electronics made a bold decision to jump into this brutal, high-risk business. It already had factories that produced the memory chips found in all manner of computing devices and decided to complement those with even more complex factories that could build the computation chips that go into smartphones, PCs, and the like.
The move put Samsung in direct competition with industry giants Intel, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing and GlobalFoundries, and launched a global war that has yet to play out fully.
The strategy is classic Samsung. It finds a tough-to-make component - in this case, computer chips - and takes the plunge into learning how to make it. From there, Samsung gains insight into how the companies that build consumer products around that component operate. And soon enough, Samsung shows up with its own end products.
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The chip-manufacturing story, though, is particularly compelling. Samsung managed to land Apple as its first massive computation chip customer when the original iPhone was heading to market. Apple needed someone to make the ARM chip that would give the iPhone its low-power consumption and zip, and Samsung said it was up to the task.
"Apple basically told Samsung what to do, and they designed and built the whole thing," says David Kanter, a chip industry consultant.
When sales of the iPhone exploded, Samsung morphed into a chip-making powerhouse. It needed to pump out tons of chips, which meant its factories were full. This scenario persisted as Apple released more iPhones and then iPads, all of which run on Samsung-made chips.
This arrangement has grown beyond awkward, however, as the years have progressed. Samsung now makes huge investments on new chip fabs designed just to handle the Apple work. Meanwhile, it's competing directly against Apple with its own smartphones and tablets, and the companies continue to sue each other over all kinds of things. It's a love-hate-make-up relationship.
Rumors have floated for months that Apple may turn to Taiwan Semiconductor, either as a second chip supplier or migrate to it entirely. But such a shift would come with serious consequences.
"With Apple, it's not just about performance," Kanter says. "It's about having a supplier you can trust. TSMC has a lot of leaks and is kind of challenging in that respect."
By rights, Samsung's chip-making group is not meant to talk to other parts of Samsung about customers' plans. Samsung has largely proved that it's up to this ethics challenge by trailing Apple with lots of key chip advances and component features.
Outside of Samsung and Taiwan Semiconductor, Apple could turn to Intel for its chips. This again presents a major challenge. Intel is used to making its own chips instead of acting as a contract manufacturer that builds other companies' designs.
Still, it seems unlikely that Samsung and Apple can maintain the relationship that underpins their roles as kings of the mobile revolution.
"I would imagine that Apple would like to figure out a way to decrease its reliance on Samsung, and not just for computation chips but also for displays and other things," says Kanter. "By giving Samsung so much business, it allows them to invest in developing things like Retina displays, which they can use for their own phones."
If Apple does shift from Samsung, expect to see a massive global shakeout among component suppliers. But the big plus Samsung has earned from its rising popularity is that it now has enough volume from its own smartphones, tablets and other devices to consume a lot of its chip and other component volume itself.