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Whilst many motor traders have been concerned recently with the introduction of the supposedly unlucky ‘13’ registration plate, those in Scotland are feeling more positive as the amount of new car registrations in the area this year are on the rise. Figures released by the Society of Motor Traders and Manufacturers (SMMT) showed that 5,064 new cars were registered in Scotland during February, which is a 14.4 per cent increase on the same period in 2012.
So far this year, a total of 16,694 new cars have been registered in Scotland, which is a huge jump from the 14,775 reported at the same time in 2012, and motor traders are hoping that this trend will continue throughout the year. Discussing the latest figures, Scottish Motor Trade Association chief executive, Douglas Robertson, said: “Obviously we are very pleased that 2013 has shown such a good start and continues on from the last quarter of 2012.”
“February is of course a low volume month prior to the March registrations, but this gives us genuine belief that with private demand increasing March will be an excellent month. Our members’ showrooms have certainly reported increased footfall over the past month as consumers seek the new plate.” The Society of Motor Traders and Manufacturers have also said that so far, some of the most popular selling vehicles throughout Scotland are all made by the manufacturer Ford, with the Fiesta, Focus and Kia all featuring in the top ten makes sold.
As the new registration is now officially available for customers in the UK, it will be interesting to see how many new cars will be registered with the DVLA, especially as it will either prove or debunk speculations concerning whether the new ‘13’ number plate will have any effect on the motor trade industry. One thing is for sure though, these figures are not only good for motor traders, but also car manufacturers, motor trade insurance providers and after-sales service providers alike, and could also indicate a future improvement of the current economic climate.

domain: economics


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Sierra Hull has been recognized from age 11 as a virtuoso mandolin-player, astonishing audiences and fellow-musicians alike. Now a seasoned touring musician nearing her mid-20s, Hull has delivered her most inspired, accomplished, and mature recorded work to date; no small feat. Weighted Mind is a landmark achievement, not just in Sierra Hull's career, but in the world of folk-pop, bluegrass, and acoustic music overall. With instrumentation comprised largely of mandolin, bass, and vocals, this is genre-transcending music at its best, with production by Béla Fleck and special harmony vocal guests Alison Krauss, Abigail Washburn, and Rhiannon Giddens adding to the luster. Hull speaks eloquently, in her challenging and sensitive originals, her heartfelt vocals, and once again breaks new ground on the mandolin. Béla Fleck special guests on banjo on two tracks and duo partner, Ethan Jodziewicz, not only anchors the record on bass, but introduces us to a major new instrumental voice.
Release date: January 29, 2016
This is the turning point.
This is where a preternatural talent becomes a natural woman.
This is Sierra Hull’s Weighted Mind. It is nothing like what we thought it would be. It is nothing like what we’ve heard before, from anyone. It is singular and emphatic, harmonious and dissonant. It is the realization of promise, and the affirmation of individuality. It is born of difficulty and indecision, yet it rings with ease, decisiveness, and beauty.
“She plays the mandolin with a degree of refined elegance and freedom that few have achieved,” says Bela Fleck, the genre-leaping banjo master who produced Weighted Mind. “And now her vocals and songwriting have matured to the level of her virtuosity.”
Alison Krauss, who has won more Grammy awards than any female artist in history, says of Hull, “I think she’s endless. I don’t see any boundaries. Talent like hers is so rare, and I don’t think it stops. It’s round.”
Hull came to us as a bluegrass thrush, a teen prodigy. Krauss called her to the Grand Ole Opry stage when Hull was 11-years-old. Two years later, she signed with Rounder Records, and soon became known as a remarkable mandolin player, a tone-true vocalist, and a recording artist of high order. She made two acclaimed albums. She played the White House, and Carnegie Hall, and the Kennedy Center, and she became the first bluegrass musician to receive a Presidential Scholarship at the Berklee College of Music.
She was celebrated, yet adrift. Stranded, even.
What she felt at 22 was not what she felt at 12, and the music Sierra Hull was writing and playing at home was different from the music she was making on stages.
“In some way, I was needing to run from the thing that everybody thought I was being,” she says now, at 24.
But she wasn’t running so much as plodding.
She fielded myriad opinions about hypothetical courses. She grew vulnerable, and weighted, and she wrote songs about all of that. She found solace in an antique Brenda Ueland book that advised, “Everybody is original, if he tells the truth, if he speaks from himself.”
And she talked with Krauss, the childhood hero who had become an adult confidante.
“Sierra did well in music very fast and very young,” says Krauss. “Sometimes when that happens, people don’t want you to change. It’s, ‘We know you as this, and now you’re scaring us.’ But there wasn’t a question about what she wanted. She just needed somebody to listen to her and say, ‘What you have to say is valuable. If this is what you feel and what you want to say, you wait until you get to say it.’”Krauss also suggested she talk with Fleck.
“Sierra lives in the border area where new ideas mix to create hybrids, and sometimes brand new directions,” he says. “Her own voice was quietly telling her something that was hard to hear over all the advice she was getting.” Fleck asked her to play him her new songs, without accompaniment: Just voice and mandolin.
“Even when I was fronting a band, I’d always been an ensemble player,” Hull says. “To do something by myself made me rethink everything.”
And so she rethought, and she found new ways to play the new songs she’d written. In short time, what had been arduous now seemed genuine and innate. C.S. Lewis’ quote about how “the longest way round is the shortest way home” made sense. And a dazzling and atypical album was made possible.
Hull’s songs did not remain bare of all but mandolin and voice, though those are the essential elements here. Bass marvel Ethan Jodziewicz came on, providing resonance and rhythmic complexity. Fleck’s banjo adorns the courtly “Queen of Hearts/Royal Tea.” And Krauss, Abigail Washburn and Rhiannon Giddens add enchanting harmonies.
Bluegrass roots inform and inspire this soundscape, but bluegrass does not define or limit Weighted Mind. This is not bluegrass music, or chamber music, or pop music. This is original music, from a virtuoso who tells the truth and speaks from herself.
“If you won’t go where I’m going, then I’ll have to go alone,” she sings. “Choices and changes/ I’m tired of trying to be someone else.” Then she unleashes an octave mandolin solo—first fluttering, then tense and troubled—that could come from no one else.
Hull wrote eleven of Weighted Mind’s twelve songs (and she arranged the twelfth tune), penning some with co-writers Jon Weisberger, Zac Bevill, and Josh Shilling, and writing “Stranded,” “Wings of the Dawn,” “Birthday,” “Lullaby,” “I’ll Be Fine,” and “Black River” on her own.
“The moment you start to be yourself, there’s an honesty about that, that people connect with,” she says. “This album feels like the story of my early twenties, of that searching. Now, it feels like everything worked out the way it was supposed to.”
“I’d like to say to you, ‘Come follow,’” Hull sings on “Compass.” “But you may find my heart’s been hollowed out.”
Now, she knows. If her heart was hollowed, it was only so it might be filled anew, and then revealed. Welcome to a Weighted Mind, at ease.
I first heard Sierra when she was very young, sitting in with Alison Krauss. I remember thinking that as good as she was back then, she’d be truly amazing if she kept on pushing. But how many people really do? Later on I heard very good things about her time at Berklee, where she was a horse of a different color—a southern girl who could hang in there with the best of the modern players; although I wondered if she was actually more of a trad. bluegrasser at heart.
Fast forward a few years to IBMA, the first time I’d been there in many years. Sierra comes over and introduces herself and says, “Hey—do you ever produce anyone anymore? I’d be interested in seeing whether you might consider working with me.”
I had avoided producing for many years. Back in New Grass Revival days, I was doing a lot of producing for Nashville Bluegrass Band, Maura O’Connell, and others. I thought for a while that producing was going to be a big part of my career. But at some point I realized that if I put all that effort into my own music, instead of everyone else’s, I would make much more progress achieving my own crazy dreams.
Yet, I was intrigued by what I’d seen for myself and heard from others about Sierra.
So my answer was: I really don’t think I can make time for that, with everything I have going on. But if you’d like a mentor session, or two, maybe play me your new material, and I could give you some feedback—that I would have time for. And she said sure!
So Sierra started dropping by to play me the new songs she had been developing. I heard something there that surprised me. She was moving towards something very expressive and honest, an artistic expression that I believed offered something new and precious. Pretty soon, we were talking about the record she would make. My first observation was that because she was such a good collaborator she may have been overwhelmed by her excellent band. I wasn’t hearing her unique offerings coming through in a bluegrass band setting. I suggested that she take her own songs and learn to play them solo, just like a singer-songwriter does, but the unique part would be that they were being played on mandolin—not your typical songwriting instrument. And I was a fan of the idea of a true solo album—just mandolin and vocal. I’ve never heard one like that, and I believed it would keep her wonderful team spirit in check—there would be no one for her to hide behind, and her true self would shine out!
After we had made some demos, Sierra felt that she really wanted at least one other instrument. That’s when she conjured Ethan up out of nowhere. She imagined the kind of player that would work, and then he appeared. I was suspicious at first, I knew how great her solo mandolin and voice versions now were, and I didn’t want to lose that very unique quality. But Ethan proved to be immensely talented and open—willing to try anything, and with the rare set of abilities to make most ideas work. And Sierra had a very strong view of what she wanted from the bass. Between the three of us, we found bass parts that complemented her songs and the mandolin perfectly. Once we had recorded all the songs with the two of them, it was time to decide whether to add anything else. We all were curious how adding some additional vocals would impact the story telling aspect of the music. Alison was the first thought—she and Sierra have a long and close relationship, and Alison was quick to agree to do this. It turned out that she was the one who had suggested to Sierra that I might be a good producer for her. I guess she had really liked those Maura O’Connell CDs from years gone by. Then one night Rhiannon Giddens was visiting, and I asked if she’d go down into my basement studio and sing on a track. Turns out she loves singing harmony, and is truly great at it. And here’s another in-house situation: Abigail Washburn was also close by, living a few dozen feet from the studio! And she dropped down to add her vocal talents to the mix. Somehow it felt like having these three talented and well-established ladies involved was giving a stamp of approval to their younger friend Sierra, and it completed the recording beautifully. Then Sierra kind of insisted that I play on something, and though I acted all shy about it, I was glad to be invited.
Sierra and Ethan proved themselves to be powerful artists, with extremely high standards. They both could hear things that I could not, and I’ve learned a lot from both of them.
I am so glad to have ended up being a part of this project.
It’s finally here.
Making this album has been quite the journey for me. I started a project back in January of 2013. Several months and six tracks later, I decided to scrap the whole thing. It was a frustrating and difficult musical period for me, but out of it has come a new discovery of myself as a musician—and I wouldn’t change a thing.
“The longest way round is the shortest way home” −C.S. Lewis
I’m not sure what it was this time around, but I know I felt different. I knew whatever this album would become would be unlike my previous two recordings. More than anything, I knew this album would be about the songs. I was vulnerable, but something about these songs felt true to me—like a story I had to tell.
I originally went into the studio to begin this project with myself as producer. It had been three years since my last album, Daybreak. I had a handful of new songs including “Weighted Mind,” “Compass,” “Wings of the Dawn,” “I’ll Be Fine,” “Lullaby” and what ended up becoming “Stranded.” Either directly or indirectly, a lot of these songs were inspired by experiences in my own life—my struggles and confusion with life, music, loved ones, God, bandmates, the road and all things early 20s. I had a rough vision for what they could sound like in a band setting. I had drums on most tracks; I even played electric guitar on “Compass”! I wrote many of these songs on acoustic guitar, and the idea of forcing mandolin on them at that time didn’t make sense to me. After all, this album wasn’t meant to be about Sierra, the mandolin player, but about the songs themselves, right?! That’s what I kept telling myself.
Having made a couple albums in my teens along with traveling from such an early age, I sometimes felt that people boxed me into this idea in their mind of who they thought I was—as an artist based on the 16-year-old Sierra. True or not, I think part of me was running from that idea. I wanted to make an album as a mature artist. I wasn’t out to impress with my playing or singing, I just wanted to make people feel what I was feeling. I had shared some of the music and ideas (not all by choice) a little too prematurely to my team at the time, and after receiving less-than-encouraging feedback from a few, I found myself defeated. On one hand I had people excited, saying, “This is amazing!” On another hand, I had others saying I had too many ballads and that I should probably look for some songs by other writers. I’ve never been one to want to record songs simply because I wrote them, but I knew these songs were part of me, and I needed to get them out. I found myself really confused. What did I truly think and feel about it? Love it or hate it? It was hard to know at the time in my vulnerable state. All I knew to do was to put on the brakes until I felt like I had the right answer as to how to proceed. The clock was ticking, but I knew making an album based on other people’s expectations would lead me nowhere.
In the meantime, I kept writing. “There is no in-between I tell you, and if you think there is you’ve been lied to. You’re only high or low. Nowhere between, nowhere else you can go.” I was truly “In-Between,” though it felt like nothing was moving forward. This frustrated, emotional state fueled a few more songs. “Choices and Changes”: “If you can’t see what I’m seeing, if you fear what is to come. If you can’t hear, what I’m hearing, then we may as well call it done.” I found myself writing about a lot of things close to mind and heart during this period. “Birthday,” written through my tears on a very special person’s birthday, was perhaps the hardest song to include on the project because of its personal meaning to me. Béla first singled out this song as compelling, along with “Fallen Man”. “Fallen Man” is one of those songs where although the story is told from another person’s point of view, most of us can relate to that feeling of being faced with an impossible choice.
All the songs on this record hold a dear place in my heart. “Black River” is one of my favorites on the album, and it was the last to be added to the collection. It held the original lyrics to what became “Compass,” as “Black River” proved difficult to write verses for. I really liked the melody, so I shared it with Béla a month or so before recording—assuming I’d need to rewrite that first verse. He loved the idea of starting the album with a set of lyrics and ending the record with those same lyrics, like album bookends.
Working with Béla helped bring these songs to life in a way that I never could have done on my own. It was he who suggested we present them so stripped down, with only mandolin and voice so that the lyrics could really shine through. I wouldn’t have had the courage to do this on my own. His brilliant arranging ideas, along with Ethan’s incredible bass playing were beyond inspiring to work with.
It’s now been five years from my last album to this one, and I feel sure that it was worth the wait. I couldn’t have made this album back then.
Though most of the songs on this album are darker in melodies and lyrics, my deepest wish is that they will shine with a reflection of hope. It’s easy to get discouraged by all that life brings us. “Wings of the Dawn” started as a verse that I wrote on my mirror at home to remind me daily that wherever I land, I will find my way eventually—if I hold on to that hope.
From the moment Béla first contacted me about being part of this project to the last night of recording, it has been an exhilarating rush of inspiration, creativity, friendship, and hard, hard work. The first time the three of us got together was at IBMA in October, 2014, where we spent all of our spare hours holed up in Béla’s hotel room working on arrangements, trying to figure out exactly how to approach the songs with just mandolin, bass, and voice. For the next few months, we all juggled busy schedules, in addition to working on this project, but it was always the same: The times we were working were intense periods of pure focus.
Sierra and Béla had put a lot of work into the songs before they brought me into the project, but it never felt as though we were just trying to stick a bass part underneath; rather, the two voices grew around each other and adapted as we discovered how best to serve the songs. I brought my ideas to the table; some stayed, some were tweaked, and some were replaced. At times what Sierra was already playing was altered to fit better with the new bass part. It was very organic.
A musician of Béla’s caliber (and one that we have both looked up to as a hero for our whole musical lives) could have easily just called all the shots; just told us what to do. Instead, he immediately made it clear that we were all equals, that he wanted our input and ideas as much as we did his—we’d all hear slightly different things, and if we were open about it, making the album would be a learning experience for all of us.
And what a joy to be playing music with Sierra, who has such a precision and drive to her ideas, and very high standards, but also is extremely good natured and supportive, and allowed me the space to let my own musical voice come through as we created the arrangements, wrote new parts, and recorded. I’m happy to have been part of this project, and to be continually involved in this—the newest epoch of Sierra’s musical trajectory.
It was a huge honor to work with both Sierra and Béla throughout this project. To not only be working with two such amazing, hard-working musicians, but to also approach it as such a mutually collaborative endeavor was just the type of creative environment I was looking for.
Sierra Hull’s Weighted Mind – Track-by-Track
STRANDED — “Stranded” is a piece that came together while I was still in high school. I was experimenting with playing over a drum loop on Garageband, and came up with the main mandolin melody. For a while, I played it live with a full band as an improv-based piece where whoever was playing with me could solo freely over the constant mandolin riff in D. One of the guys playing with me at the time used to refer to it as “Stranded On the Ocean,” because it was so free to play over. That’s when I decided to name it “Stranded.” When I was thinking of doing this album, it struck me that this could be a neat opening, even if it was short. With this song being in D major, and “Compass” starting in D minor, the melody could transition over to D minor near the end to dramatically lead into “Compass.” It was Béla who suggested I write a few lines of lyrics within the song - kind of like what you hear in old time instrumental tunes where a lyric appears for a few lines. and then it’s gone. It was such a neat concept to me, and really gave it a way to open the album. “Dear 22, I’m stranded here.” That was much of what I was feeling about the theme of the whole album.
COMPASS — I started the lyrics to “Compass” while at the beach with my mom a couple years ago on a mother-daughter trip. The idea of throwing away the compass and stepping out in faith was something I wanted to write about. “What’s meant to be will be” was an original lyric, but I didn’t know how to finish it. I had the lyrics “I’d like to say to you come follow, but you may find my hearts been hollowed out” as the original lyrics to “Black River.” When I couldn’t seem to finish Black River, I gave those lyrics to “Compass,” because it seems to fit both musically and lyrically. My talented friend Zach Bevill helped me finish the song shortly after, during one of our writing sessions.
CHOICES AND CHANGES — I went in the studio and cut 6 tracks about 2 years before this album came to be. I was producing myself. Many of the songs that ended up on this album were present during those sessions, but it wasn’t coming together the way I had hoped. I received some input from a few people on my team at the time. Some of it was positive, but some of it wasn’t. I was so vulnerable that it was discouraging to hear, but at the same time, it inspired me to write in my frustration. Thus, “Choices and Changes” was born - “If you can’t see what I’m seeing, if you fear what is to come. If you can’t hear what I’m hearing, then we may as well call it done.”
WINGS OF THE DAWN — “Wings of the Dawn” was inspired by a Psalm that I had written on my bathroom mirror at home with a Sharpie to remind myself that wherever I may land, I can trust that I’m being guided from within, as long as I hold on to my faith.
BIRTHDAY — “Birthday” was perhaps the hardest song to include on this project. It was written through my tears for a very special person on their birthday. Sometimes it’s hard for people to see past their pride and know just how much we care about them.
WEIGHTED MIND — I found myself frustrated for a while with the band situation I had around me. Though everyone was extremely talented, and on paper it seemed perfect, something felt disconnected. Finding balance within a band -- how much one should take charge and lead, and how much creative freedom should be encouraged – can be tricky. I remember one of the guys I was playing with at the time saying in regards to communication, “the walls just need to come down.” I started writing immediately. The idea of a “weighted mind” came from my co-writer, Zach Bevill, who helped me to finish the song.
FALLEN MAN — Josh Shilling and I came together a couple years ago for a co-writing session. We sat for a while, tossing ideas around. I told him that I wanted to write a story song, not a love song. I had been singing so many love songs, I was kinda over it! At the time, I’d been listening to the John Mayer song, “Walt Grace’s Submarine Test” quite a bit, and though you’d never relate the two, something about the time and feel of that song came to inspire this song. Josh and I had a couple more verses in the original version that didn’t make it to the final version. Béla and I worked with the song to make it a little more vague and moody.
THE IN-BETWEEN — Sometimes I feel like there really is no in-between with things in life, especially in music. Either I’m really happy and excited about where things are, or there’s this overbearing discontentment that drives me crazy! So goes the nature of doing something you love so much.
LULLABY — “Lullaby” was written on my first summer out on the road by myself without my mom. I was getting ready to move to Boston that fall to start college. It was an exciting, but scary time. When I have had a bad day, I sometimes can’t help but look back at the more simple times in my life, like when I was a kid. It always makes me miss my mom and the comfort that only a mother can bring.
QUEEN OF HEARTS/ROYAL TEA — “Queen of Hearts” is an old traditional song that I heard on a Joan Baez album. She did the song more like a ballad, but I found the harmony structure of the song to be similar to an instrumental tune I wrote about 6 years ago. I had the piece for a long time, yet hadn’t found an outlet to use it. When I heard “Queen,” I knew it could be changed into a medley to fit the feel of my instrumental piece.
I’LL BE FINE — “I’ll Be Fine” was originally two different songs. I had both of them in the works simultaneously. I played them both back-to-back for the guys in my band while showing them new ideas I was working on. Though I didn’t mean for it to come off that way, one of the guys said, “that’s awesome! I love how it changes the feel there.” I told him they were actually two different songs, and everyone agreed that the two pieces really complemented each other. It turned out to be exactly what they needed to complete one another.
BLACK RIVER — “Black River” held the original lyrics to what became “Compass.” It was the last one to make its way into the collection of songs that I presented to Béla. I always liked the melody, but assumed if we used it, I would need to rewrite the first verse. After playing it for Béla, he said “that feels like the right lyrics to me. I’m not sure you should change them.” He suggested ending the album with this song, and since “Compass” was slated to be the first song on the record, it would make for lyrical bookends on the album. It’s now one of my favorite tracks!
Sierra Hull Announces January Release of Long-Anticipated Album, Weighted Mind
Bela Fleck-Produced Outing Features Guest Appearances by
Rhiannon Giddens, Alison Krauss, and Abigail Washburn
Hull To Perform on A Prairie Home Companion Saturday, September 26
September 25, 2015 – Nashville, TN – Sierra Hull, the singer and mandolinist and former child prodigy who signed with Rounder at age 13, and distinguished herself by becoming the first bluegrass musician to receive a Presidential Scholarship to the prestigious Berklee College of Music, has announced the release of her first new album in five years. Weighted Mind will be released on January 29, 2016.
15-time Grammy winner Béla Fleck produced the recording, which features eleven compelling new compositions written or co-written by Hull, and one traditional tune for which she and Fleck provided a new arrangement. While Hull’s ethereal voice and fluid playing take center stage here, she receives ample support from bass marvel Ethan Jodziewicz. Béla Fleck’s banjo adorns the elegant “Queen of Hearts/Royal Tea,” and Alison Krauss, Abigail Washburn, and Rhiannon Giddens add enchanting harmonies.
Though she is best known for her work as a mandolin player, on these songs, Hull reveals her abundant gifts as a composer and lyricist. Themes of loss and restoration run through the album, starting with the muscular opening number, “Stranded,” and continue on the stirring “Compass,” on which she declares, “I’ve thrown away my compass, done with the chart...I’ll just step out, throw my doubt into the sea, for what’s meant to be will be.” The gentle, dissonant title track ponders existential questions, while the haunting “Birthday” and “Fallen Man” offer somber reflections on strained relationships and impossible choices. The album closes on an optimistic note, with the sweetly assertive “I’ll Be Fine,” and the uplifting, philosophical closer, “Black River.” Fleck, Giddens, Krauss, and Washburn all guest on this track, on which Hull reflects, “A thousand years is but a day, and maybe in a thousand years, I’ll find my way.”
Veteran music scribe and fellow musician Peter Cooper writes, “Hull’s bluegrass roots inform and inspire this soundscape, but bluegrass does not define or limit Weighted Mind. This is not bluegrass music, or chamber music, or pop music. This is original music, from a virtuoso who tells the truth and speaks from herself.”
Hull has earned the admiration of her peers and the press alike: The Bluegrass Situation dubbed her a “mandolin-playing wonder,” and Music City Roots praised her “uncommon maturity—musical and personal,” and noted “one might say she embodies the perfect balance of humility and capability.” The New York Times lauded her as a “prodigious talent,” and for 8 consecutive years, the International Bluegrass Music Association has nominated her for Best Mandolin Player. Her friend and mentor Alison Krauss proclaimed, “Sierra is a remarkably talented, beautiful human being. Success could not come to a more worthy person.” Béla Fleck concurs: “Sierra and Ethan proved themselves to be powerful artists, with extremely high standards. I am so glad to have ended up being a part of this project.”
This Saturday, September 26, Hull will perform a few songs from Weighted Mind on Garrison Keillor’s wildly popular radio program, A Prairie Home Companion. The show, which airs on nearly 700 public radio stations across the country, is also available as a podcast. For station information, go to www.prairiehome.org.
On the following Saturday, October 3, at 9:30 PM, she will appear at the Wide Open Bluegrass Festival in Raleigh, NC, which is presented by the IBMA.
Sierra Hull will tour extensively in 2016, kicking off with a CD release show at Nashville’s City Winery on January 28th. More tour dates will be announced soon.
The album will be available soon for pre-order at www.sierrahull.com.
For more information, please contact Regina Joskow at Rounder: [email protected], 917-532-5687.
Online media kit: http://mediakits.concordmusicgroup.com/p/weighted-mind/
Photos by Gina Binkley

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The Senate Commerce Committee has set a May 19 date for its planned hearing on cell phone privacy.
That hearing will come in the Consumer Protection subcommittee, where Commerce Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D- W. Va.) says he will "push for consumer privacy."
The hearing will include witnesses from Apple, Google and Facebook, all of which have been under Capitol Hill scrutiny for mobile geolocation data sharing (Google, Apple) and data breaches (Facebook).
Witnesses scheduled to appear are Facebook CTO Bret Taylor; Morgan Reed, executive director, Association for Competitive Technology; Catherine A. Novelli, VP, worldwide government affairs, Apple; Alan Davidson, director of public policy for the Americas, Google and Amy Guggenheim Shenkan, president, Common Sense Media.
The hearing follows one last week in the Senate Judiciary privacy subcommittee at which Davidson also appeared.
Rockefeller has teed up online privacy and cybersecurity legislation and has made online data protection, particularly that of children, a priority for his committee. That comes as the Federal Trade Commission and Commerce Department are preparing final recommendations on online privacy protections and as the White House this week and late last were proposing a legislative package of online security protections.
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Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.

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We are a venture capital fund focused on enabling founders of technology-enabled companies which are designed for profitability. This is the historic, proven model for business success. The great majority of wealth globally was created by founders who grew organically and profitably.
In particular, at the early stages of a company your equity is priced low. We think it’s in your self-interest to raise as little capital as possible, take as much free money as possible, maintain a culture of stinginess, and build toward Product-Market Fit. Once you’ve done that, your valuation spikes and if you wish you can easily raise growth capital from many VCs.
We have great respect for the founders who consciously decide to forego profitability, raise equity VC, and grow their topline (or at least some metric, like eyeballs) as rapidly as possible. However, that blitzscaling model doesn’t work for most businesses, and is highly risky for all parties.
We want to work with companies all over the US, not just in the tech hubs. We want to invest in founders who come from all educational and national backgrounds, not just the Ivy League/Stanford/MIT.
Who are your limited partners/investors?
Our goal is to generate returns for shareholders who share our values. We do not have any government-linked or sovereign wealth investors.
Are you an impact investor? If so, how do you measure it?
We are strictly a financial investor, i.e., our limited partners are paying us to achieve healthy returns, not achieve any particular “impact” goal. That said, we expect that our strategy will naturally produce progress on a number of Impact KPIs.
For more on our view of impact in VC, see our interview with Blue Future Partners, a VC fund of funds.
What is your Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy?
We are committed to a safe work environment in which no member of our community is discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation, race, religion, age, nationality, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We will promptly take appropriate remedial action to address any form of harassment or discrimination that is brought to our attention. We will also address any reported claims of retaliation to ensure a comfortable and productive work environment for all those who work with our team. We have posted publicly our Anti-Harassment & Anti-Discrimination Policy and Procedures. To confidentially report any incident involving one of our team members, contact us.
What are the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) by which Versatile measures its progress?
We measure our progress through both traditional and impact KPIs. Traditional KPIs are:
- IRR (and secondarily cash-on-cash multiple on our investment)
- Percentage of investments outside of the major US tech hubs (New York, California, Massachusetts). Target: 50%
- Net Promoter Score from Founders we back. Target: 75.
- Number of investments we make annually per full-time investing team member. Initial target: 12
Our impact KPIs are:
- % of companies we invest in which include (at time of investment) a cofounder or C-level executive who is female/trans. Target: 30%
- % of companies we invest in which include (at time of investment) a cofounder or C-level executive who is an underrepresented minority. Target: 40%
- Percentage of the Inc. 5,000 where we are the first venture capital investor. Target: 1% by 2030.
For more on metrics-based management, see How to run your company based on metrics: what, why, how, who, and when.
What market inefficiencies is Versatile VC exploiting?
We have designed our firm to exploit two particular market inefficiencies:
- VCs are generally uninterested in companies outside of certain narrowly defined sectors, despite the fact that many fast-growth businesses are not conventional tech companies. We think this is a mistake. As proof, we’ll note that any analysis of the best-performing stocks of all time will show many companies which don’t look like conventional VC-backed tech companies (example). Of the 2020 Inc. 5,000, only 1,150 are in traditional tech industries (“Computer hardware”, “IT Management”, “IT Services”, “IT Systems Development”, “Software”, and “Telecommunications”). In particular, any young company in any industry, if led by a tech-savvy management team, is going to approach growth very differently than their old-fashioned competitors. We’re particularly interested in founders bringing tech savvy to stodgy industries. We’re most interested in fintech and salestech, but have flexibility to invest in other sectors.
- VCs are generally biased against founders who are not White/Asian males, and/or who are not in core geographies, despite the fact that the data says that you’re better off investing in diversity. Paul Graham, cofounder of Y Combinator, observed, “many suspect that venture capital firms are biased against female founders. This would be easy to detect: among their portfolio companies, do startups with female founders outperform those without? A couple months ago, one VC firm (almost certainly unintentionally) published a study showing bias of this type. First Round Capital found that among its portfolio companies, startups with female founders outperformed those without by 63%.” For more on this, see The iconic VC-Backed founders are all White & Asian men. So why invest in diversity?
What is Versatile VC’s moat against competition?
We already have developed original, thoroughly-researched, and actionable content on many different topics, which improves our visibility on search engines and social media. We particularly optimize to rank highly for content related to alternative VC; free money and VC; founders in transition; VC/startup careers; the tech stack of private equity/VC; diversity and VC; and disruption of investment management.Try exploring our affiliated websites at versatilevc.com, teten.com, and pevctech.com.
We have also invested significant resources into our internal tech stack, home to our proprietary data and process flows, which will be difficult for others to fully replicate. For example, we have already fully integrated our CRM backend with our scheduling, mailing lists, and social media management, across all of our data silos (Google contacts, email, Linkedin, social media, etc.). We have posted our long term road map.
We believe over time Versatile VC will build three other several other barriers to entry:
- We will build a reputation for a differentiated investing approach. This results in more relevant founders approaching us and/or responding positively when we approach them. This is one of the reasons that past outperformance correlates with future outperformance in VC.
- Our community for founders in transition is unique, growing, has natural network effects, and will serve as a source of dealflow, talent, and clients for our companies.
- Over time, we anticipate we’ll develop an expertise in alternative VC which will be extremely hard for others to replicate, despite the fact that we anticipate open-sourcing many of our documents.
What industries do you invest in?
We don’t think VCs can predict the future. Founders do, because they’re on the cutting edge of innovation in their respective disciplines. We’re fortunate to work with founders who can teach us what’s next.
We do not invest in drugs; and/or adult/NSFW content.
One of our filters for a company is: would we encourage our family members to use the company? We would gladly invest in a drug addiction treatment company, and if we have a family member who is a drug addict, we’ll encourage our relative to become a client of that company. However, we would not invest in a company which sold recreational drugs, because we wouldn’t proactively encourage a family member who is not currently a drug user to use drugs.
For more details, see our formal criteria.
Who do you look to invest in?
The most important factor in our decision-making is always the founding team.
- Why will you win when others didn’t?
- Are you creative?
- Are you gritty?
- What are each team members’ superpowers?
- Do you have a history of success in prior endeavors? (even if not in business)
What is the cheat code? What are the strongest reasons you invest?
What are your minimum requirements to consider an investment?
- Have a demoable wireframe or preferentially a product, even if you don’t yet have revenues.
- Evidence of customer demand, at market prices. We need evidence that customers will pay full price.
- Detailed use of proceeds. A clearly defined plan on how you intend to spend the investment dollars received. The funds should be for business growth, i.e., not normally to buy out investors or fund an acquisition.
- Plan for gross margin over 40% and LTV/CAC over 3x, either today or based on a reasonable forecast
- Service providers enabling professional accounting infrastructure according to GAAP
- A technology-enabled business. You must be doing real engineering of some nature.
Since we do not require a personal guarantee, our focus is the business’s sustainability and growth plan, not on your credit score or past credit history.
For more details, see our formal criteria.
How much do you invest?
Typically, our initial investment is $200K to $1m.
Do you have a formal ownership requirement?
In addition, we don’t prioritize growing our stake over time. Rather, our goal is to maximize the value of our investment, which often means raising further capital sparingly or not at all. We care about dilution just as much as you do.
What size rounds do you participate in?
We invest in rounds of between $200,000 and typically $2m, for our initial investment into a company.
Will you only invest if you can lead the round?
Definitely not. We have a long track record of partnering with other investors. We will coinvest with other VCs leading a round if we are excited about the opportunity.
We are also glad to include other VCs/angels in rounds that we lead. The other investors need to be comfortable using our investment structure.
Note we strongly believe that it’s in your best interest to have an active, credible, and experienced lead investor. We won’t invest in a “party round.”
Do you take a board seat?
We do not require a board seat, but we will take a board seat where we think we can be helpful, and you have interest as well.
Regardless of whether we take a board seat, our goal is to be your most value-added investor during the two years after we invest. In lieu of or in addition to board meetings, we organize “working sessions.” In these sessions, we go deep with you on a major challenge. We’ve found this type of collaboration very valuable.
If you do have a board (which we strongly recommend), please see our guide to preparing a board deck.
Will you sign a confidentiality agreement / NDA?
What is the best way to approach Versatile VC?
Via our application page. We give equal consideration to all companies.
You’re welcome to mention that you were referred by someone we work with, but a referral is absolutely not necessary. One prominent VC reports, “For a long time, VC has been predicated on this idea that the best opportunities come through referrals, yet companies that we discovered through other channels — Twitter, Demo Day, etc. — outperformed referred companies by 58.4%. And founders that came directly to us with their ideas did about 23% better.”
What is your investment process?
We respond to your initial approach within 2 weeks of applying.
Most companies receive a quick no, which we think is better than a slow maybe. If we think that we’re a fit, our typical next steps are:
- Initial indication of interest. A 30-60 minute videoconference with one or more of your leadership team. The majority of companies do not pass this initial screen.
- A second indication of interest, within 1 week. A 30-60 minute videoconference where you can ask us any questions you like, and we will likely have followup questions.
- Optionally, further conversations. We may introduce you to a Venture Partner who has great skepticism about your vision, precisely to ensure that we’ve given you a harder test rather than an easier one.
- Formal offer letter, within 1 more week. Once we’ve agreed on terms, we’ll ask you to complete our due diligence checklist.
- Reference calls and other diligence, typically in a 2 week window. In particular, we’ll work with you to develop monthly revenue growth projections based on your historical financials, future growth plans, and industry average growth rates, and agreed-upon metrics.
- Invest! We sign the investment documents and fund our full investment via a wire transfer to your corporate account.
Do you make follow-on investments?
When you’re raising subsequent rounds of financing, we can invest up to our risk management limit. In practice, this usually means we can participate in the first round of financing after we invest, if any. We also have the flexibility to invest effectively unlimited amounts of capital through Special Purpose Vehicles, where appropriate.
We have a decade of experience working with other VCs who make later-round investments, lenders, and other financiers. We are glad to introduce you to the right capital sources in our network.
When limited partners, our investors, ask us this question, here’s how we answer:
The conventional wisdom in tech VC is to double down on perceived “winners” regardless of price. We disagree with both parts of that sentence. In conventional VC there’s usually great business risk at every single round, so it’s often opaque who are the “winners”. Any unprofitable company is inherently vulnerable to the kindness of strangers (investors). And even a profitable company still faces other types of business risk. And secondly, all investors face the risk of investing at a valuation which is too high and/or a poor structure.
We evaluate follow-ons as though it were the first time we were investing in the business. The question we try to answer is the following: knowing what we now know about the team and business, would we invest in the company at this valuation?
That said, we cannot invest more than a single-digit percentage of our fund in any one company. This creates a built-in limit on follow-on investments, both because many of our companies do not raise follow-ons because they’re managing their cap table conservatively, and because we think we’ll generate higher returns if we stay focused on early-stage investing.


text: After that floppy, mis-sized sun hat, I climbed back onto the saddle of the sun-hat sewing horse (tortured metaphor!) and I'm so glad I did! This bonnet turned out great. It's a bit ridiculous looking but does a GREAT job shielding Erin's face from the sun. She likes it because it doesn't flop down into her vision. The pattern was really easy, too! I changed it just a little bit--did edge-stitching around the perimeter, and used my machine to sew down the little pleats at the back (vs hand-sewing them as called for).

domain: hobby


IATA Notes Effect Of New, Returning Aircraft On Global Seat Availability
The number of airline seats available worldwide in December increased almost 1% due to the addition of new aircraft and the first net reduction in stored aircraft since August 2011, says the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The addition of 142 new aircraft and the net increase of 22...
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Did you know? Aviation Week has won top honors multiple times in the Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Awards, the business-to-business media equivalent of the Pulitzer Prizes.


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Those sweet, crisp, delicious sins of the tongue. I’ve decided that I WILL learn to make these devil’s treats – especially because I can’t continue paying $3.00 per cookie at Whole Foods.
So…I did what I do and took my search to the YouTubes – and holy pistachio cookies – I found my new food OBSESSION. Enter: Byron Talbot and his YouTube cooking show. At this point I have watched hours – no – DAYS of this handsome devil (and his super cute family) experiment, cook, bake, and sample all kinds of food that I WANT TO EAT NOW.
Wait. Didn’t this post start out about macarons? Well, if I’m obsessed with Byron – Byron is obsessed with macarons. He has a whole playlist. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is worth your time.
Take a look. Subscribe. Salivate. You’re Welcome.
(Clicky, Clicky!) Byron Talbot – “Thin Mint” Macarons


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The once-a-week therapy model dictated by insurance companies is changing. In our fast-paced, on-demand, binge-watching, self-diagnosing, self-medicating society, the weekly model is losing favor.. There is a great need for mental health services and addiction support but the model we have been using for years is not a good fit for many of these needs.
So what’s the solution?
What is an “Intensive”? – Intensives are psychotherapy or therapeutic life coaching sessions of longer length with a results-driven approach. This can condense the time spent working on issues and increase the momentum towards accomplishing goals. Intensives often use a combination of delivery systems, including face-to-face, email, online, and texting.
What do intensives offer over traditional sessions? – better use of time, faster results, easy to customize, sessions have more flow and momentum, has more of a “completion” feel, less rushed, more opportunity to use advanced treatments, less distractions, better able to focus on our work.
Most of my sessions are done as Intensives, the length of which we will determine when we discuss your specific needs. There are many options and are easily customized to you.
Let’s get you to a better place, and fast. Call 817-600-7611

domain: health


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The film's producer, Ramesh Taurani, told IANS: "Salman will be doing a film with us. The film will go on floors by the end of this year. It will be directed by Prahudheva. We have got his dates, so we will start rolling accordingly."
Asked if the project will be a remake of a past movie, he said: "I can't talk much about the film right now. It can or it may not be a remake. We are contemplating the subject right now. Once the subject is finalised, we will look for the leading actress for our film."

domain: entertainment


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So, I'm loving Bird and Banner's invitations today. I've seen them before and always liked them, but as I was browsing their samples today I realized how truly awesome and innovative they are! I love how they use different materials to make truly one of a kind invitations. If I got one of these in the mail, I would definitely RSVP Yes!
I of course like anything stitched, especially this card!


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Time Out says
Closet Affair is like the well-edited wardrobe of a stylish bohemian girl. Vintage-inspired dresses, catwalk-current prints and frothy skirts hang in mock closets. Make your way to the glass case at the back: it’s a glitter-fest of accessories, hand-made from vintage parts by local jewellery designers.
#03-96 Far East Plaza
14 Scotts Road
|Opening hours:||Daily 1.30-9.30pm|
|Do you own this business?|


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Neurosteroids: A Major Step Forward
The world of neuroscience and psychiatry sat up and took notice last March when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved brexanolone (Zulresso) for postpartum depression. It was the first drug specifically approved for the condition, which afflicts some 15 percent of women just before or shortly after childbirth.
The event was a pivotal chapter in a neuroscience story that began three-quarters of a century ago with the 1941 discovery by Hans Selye (best known for his pioneering research into the nature of stress) that hormones including progesterone could affect the brain to induce deep anesthesia.
Fast-forward 40 years to the discovery that a number of hormones—termed “neurosteroids” by the neuroscientist/endocrinologist Étienne-Émile Baulieu, a key figure in this work—are synthesized within the nervous system itself. In their National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) lab, Steven Paul and colleagues showed that several of these compounds work by binding to receptors on brain cells that are activated by GABA, the most plentiful inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. The GABA-A receptor is the site of action of several sedating central nervous system (CNS) drugs, including benzodiazepines (Valium, Librium), barbiturates, and many anesthetics.
Neurosteroids can also bind to receptors for glutamate, the brain’s principal excitatory neurotransmitter. Paul and Robert Purdy proposed that, with its effect on both GABAergic and glutaminergic systems, neuroactive steroids (a term they coined to include synthetic analogues as well as the naturally-occurring hormones themselves) help regulate excitation throughout the brain. Excitation is a major factor in conditions such as epilepsy. Although there are many neuroactive steroids, the lion’s share of research has focused on allopregnanolone, a progesterone derivative.
Michael Rogawski, who then headed the epilepsy research division at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, noted with interest his colleagues’ discovery. In subsequent work at the University of California, Davis, where he is now professor of neurology and pharmacology, he developed an injectable synthetic formulation of allopregnanolone (also known as brexanolone), which was licensed for clinical development to Sage Therapeutics, a biotechnology company co-founded by Paul.
After ﬁrst investigating brexanolone as a treatment for epilepsy, Sage concentrated on depression. “A lot of parallel research comes together,” says Paul, professor of psychiatry and neurology at Washington University of St. Louis. “There’s a lot of evidence, some direct, some indirect, that GABA receptors and the inhibition system are altered and dysregulated in patients with major depression…With successful [antidepressant] treatment, levels normalize.” Although neurosteroids’ antidepressant mechanism—which circuits are involved, and how—is unknown, some research suggests that boosting inhibitory GABA activity corrects dysfunction in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and spurs production of hippocampal cells, which are reduced in depression.
Postpartum depression was a natural ﬁrst target. “There’s a very decent hypothesis that during pregnancy, especially the third term, levels of progesterone, the precursor of allopregnanolone, rise very high and then drop rapidly when the baby and placenta are delivered,” says Charles Zorumski, professor and head of psychiatry at Washington University (Zorumski is also a member of the Sage board of scientiﬁc advisors). “People wondered if that drop in allopregnanolone could be a trigger for postpartum depression.”
For whatever reason, the drug was a success. Two pivotal multicenter trials found that a 60-hour IV infusion of brexanolone reduced post-partum depression symptoms signiﬁcantly more than placebo. The difference became apparent within 24 hours and remained, when measured 30 days later.
This rapid effect contrasts sharply to the four-plus weeks needed for conventional antidepressants to take hold.
The approval of brexanolone is “a nice shot in the arm for the field of depression research, which went five, six decades without a new mechanism of medication,” says Eric Nestler, director of the Friedman Brain Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York. All prior antidepressants—MAOIs, SSRIs, SNRIs, and tricyclics—increase activity of one or more of the same neurotransmitters—serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine, he pointed out. Brexanolone, in contrast, works through its action on GABA receptors and the inhibition system.
Another new antidepressant, ketamine, which affects glutamate receptors, was approved just two weeks before brexanolone. “All of a sudden, we have two new medications that have fundamentally novel mechanisms of action,” he says. (Nestler has not been involved in neurosteroid research but has done basic science work with ketamine).
Research into allopregnanolone continues. Could it be effective for postpartum depression in an oral form, rather than the current 60-hour infusion that requires hospitalization? And might this work for major depressive disorder (MDD), a far more widespread condition? Studies in progress (both by Sage) are investigating these possibilities.
Early reports on the postpartum depression study are promising. According to a presentation at the 2019 conference of the European College of Neuropharmacology, results with zuranolone (SAGE-217)—a synthetic analogue of allopregnanolone, modified to be available when taken orally—were comparable to those with brexanolone (and significantly superior to placebo), two and four weeks after initiation of two-week therapy. Improvements were observed from the third day of treatment.
Results with SAGE-217 for MDD have been more equivocal. Although the drug was more effective than placebo in a phase II trial enrolling 89 patients with moderate to severe depression, a much larger phase III trial failed to show its superiority at 15 days, the primary endpoint. There were indications, however, that the drug may work here as well: a post-hoc analysis of the study that excluded data from non-compliant patients found a statistically significant improvement with zuranolone, as did analysis of patients with severe MDD only.
Allopregnanolone’s success against depression suggests that neurosteroids may work for related disorders, too. “In all these clinical studies, the drugs reduce anxiety as much as depression. Clinically, they are not only antidepressants but anxiolytics and sleep-promoting agents as well,” says Paul. “They promote slow wave without disrupting REM sleep.”
Studies of PH94B, a synthetic version of the pheromone androstadienol, which like allopregnanolone—and tranquilizers like Valium that stimulates GABAA receptors—suggest this neuroactive steroid may be effective for social anxiety. A phase II trial of an intranasal formulation of PH94B, developed by the biopharmaceutical company VistaGen, found that women with the disorder felt significantly less distressed during experimental public speaking and personal interaction situations when they had taken the drug 15 minutes earlier, than when they hadn’t taken it.
The treatment was effective within minutes, suggesting it would be particularly adaptable for short-term use when stressful situations arose, the study authors wrote.
PH94B has been granted fast-track status by the FDA, a designation to speed up the development and review of drugs to address unmet medical needs, and VistaGen is conducting phase III trials of the drug, according to the company.
From a broader perspective, researchers are considering therapeutic possibilities of neurosteroids for disorders ranging from schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder to autism and Alzheimer’s disease. “In 2020, almost none of these things are off the table,” says Zorumski. “The reason, I think, is that these agents are affecting the two most major neurotransmitter systems, GABA and NMDA [a type of glutamate] receptors. The idea is that alterations in the balance of excitation and inhibition occur across a range of neuropsychiatric illnesses, and these compounds give you a powerful way to control excitation under conditions of stress.”
Although most of the research has focused on GABA receptors and the inhibition/excitation balance, neurosteroids appear to affect intracellular targets as well, such as processes regulating neurogenesis and mitochondria function, Zorumski says. Inflammation is believed to be a factor in a number of neuropsychiatric disorders, and there is evidence that neurosteroids have anti-inflammatory effects. One recent study identified a molecular pathway that may underlie this effect in allopregnanolone. [It should be kept in mind that the mechanistic underpinnings of neuropsychiatric disorders as a whole are imperfectly understood, and neurosteroids are unlikely to be more than part of the story.]
Researchers have explored therapeutic applications for epilepsy since the 1980s. Seizures are the result of excessive excitation in areas of the brain, which the GABA-mediated inhibition induced by these compounds would predictably counter. “There’s absolutely no question that neurosteroids stop seizures, and are prophylactic for them,” says Rogawski. But as yet, no neurosteroid-based drug has been approved for these purposes.
They would seem to have a particular role in catamenial epilepsy, a fluctuation of seizure frequency around the menstrual cycle. “Most commonly, seizures increase at menstruation,” Rogawski says: “Progesterone and estrogen rise during the second half of the cycle and drop rapidly at the time of menstruation. We demonstrated in animal models that seizure exacerbation is likely triggered by the drop in progesterone, and in corresponding levels of allopregnanolone.”
Although an allopregnanolone-based drug might be expected to address the deficiency and reduce perimenstrual seizures in women, there are only animal models and limited anecdotal evidence to support this hypothesis. “In my opinion, there is a need for a rigorous study with a neurosteroid or neurosteroid analog,” says Rogawski.
There have been no such studies as yet, he conjectured, because of technical difficulties—the natural variability in both menstrual cycles and seizure frequency would make it hard to demonstrate efficacy—and the limited potential market for this application. Negative findings in a recent NIH-sponsored trial of progesterone, the precursor of allopregnanolone, “has probably dampened enthusiasm for another trial,” he added.
Investigators have devoted considerable attention to status epilepticus, a medical emergency in which a seizure that normally last two to three minutes, persists, often despite high doses of conventional anticonvulsants. In many cases, such events can only be terminated by IV anesthetics.
“There is strong evidence neurosteroids would be useful for status epilepticus,” Rogawski says; work in his laboratory has shown endogenous allopregnanolone to be effective in animal models. Clinical trials of a synthetic allopregnanolone derivative, ganaxolone, are being conducted by Marinus Pharmaceuticals, a company that Rogawski co-founded. A small phase II trial suggested the drug could shorten seizures and obviate the need for anesthetics, the company recently reported.
Roberta Diaz Brinton, director of the Center for Innovation in Brain Science at the University of Arizona, became interested in neurosteroids in the 1980s, as a graduate student at Rockefeller University. As a postdoctoral fellow at Rockefeller, working with patients kindled an interest in Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
When she had her own lab, Brinton focused on the failure, early in AD, to encode new information, a process in which neuron regeneration is essential. Her research a few years later “brought me full circle, to the discovery that allopregnanolone promotes the generation of new neurons by stimulating neural stem cells. Where the new neurons go is the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus—which is responsible for encoding and processing new information.”
Looking further, Brinton and her colleagues found evidence that allopregnanolone also improves mitochondrial function, redressing the “bioenergetic crisis of AD. We also think it reduces the hallmark pathologies of AD—beta amyloid deposition and phosphorylation of tau.”
Neuroinflammation is another pathophysiological mechanism in AD`, and she noted that allopregnanolone “is a very effective anti-inflammatory drug.”
Given their multiple modes of action, a role for neurosteroids in other neurodegenerative disorders seems worth pursuing, she says. “Thus far, we only have preclinical evidence in a Parkinson’s model; allopregnanolone promotes regeneration of dopaminergic fibers [which are vastly depleted in Parkinson’s]. We have to pursue that more deeply. We’re focusing on common mechanisms across age-related neurodegenerative diseases; we know, for example, that there is a bioenergetic crisis in Parkinson’s, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), and multiple sclerosis, as well as AD. There’s also evidence allopregnanolone promotes the regeneration of white matter,” the nerve fibers that connect brain regions.
AD research has gone past animal models. A phase I trial of allopregnanolone for patients with mild disease showed the drug to be safe and well-tolerated, and a multicenter phase II trial is starting up to assess its effectiveness in delaying cognitive decline and maintaining the ability to function, and to explore its effects on the brain. “Based on results of the first study, we are targeting individuals who carry the ApoE4 gene [an established risk factor for AD]. We’re beginning to apply precision medicine principles,” Brinton says.
In a separate in vitro study, Brinton’s research team is exploring the feasibility of transdermal administration of allopregnanolone for AD. While current therapies require weekly intravenous injections, this would make it possible to apply a patch—a far simpler and more patient-friendly business.
Taking an overview of neurosteroid research, Nestler sees a broad lesson. The development of allopregnanolone is “exciting… it represents a mechanism based on rational drug discovery, not serendipity.”
At the same time, he says, “the initial work on [the compound] as an antidepressant goes back three decades. Why did it take so long to get to this point? This says something about the challenges in the development of psychiatric medications.
“There are likely other mechanisms that the basic science field has talked about for years, waiting on the shelf for effective human translation, if we only have the will and resources to focus on them,” he says.
This article first appeared in the Spring 2020 issue of our Cerebrum magazine. Click the cover for the full e-magazine.


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Periodic Table of the Elements • is an arrangement of the elements according to their properties. • It enables chemists to classify the elements so that it is possible to identify patterns and trends in their properties. • Many scientists have made significant contributions to the development of the modern Periodic Table,
Historical contributions to Development of Periodic Table • Greek philosophers 400 B. C. • Aristotle discussed the existence of four 'basic elements' earth, air, fire and water • Alchemists1600s • Tried to convert known common metals (especially lead) into gold • Robert Boyle1661 • First defined an element as a simple substance.
Historical contributions to Development of Periodic Table • Joseph Priestley1774 • Isolated oxygen gas • Antoine Lavoisier 1774 • Explained combustion as reaction with oxygen from the air. • Developed the Law of Conservation of Mass. Produced a table of'33 elements'.
Historical contributions to Development of Periodic Table • Humphrey Davy1807 • Isolated sodium, potassium, barium, calcium strontium, magnesium and boron. Identified iodine and aluminium as elements • John Dalton 1808 • Re‑introduced idea of atoms. Estimated relative atomic masses.
Historical contributions to Development of Periodic Table • Johann Doberliner 1817 • Identified 'triads' of elements based on their properties and relativeatomic masses. • Jons Berzelius 1828 • Calculated accurate values for relative atomic masses for many elements. Introduced letters as symbols for the elements.
Historical contributions to Development of Periodic Table • Stanislao Cannizzaro 1860 • At the Karlsruhe Congress, distinguished between atoms andmolecules and defined valence. • Errors in relative atomic masscalculations were remedied. • John Newlands 1864 • Arranged known elements in whole number order. Proposed 'Law of Octaves' ‑ periodic variation of properties with relative atomic mass.
Historical contributions to Development of Periodic Table • Lothar Meyer 1868 • Classified the elements in a systematic table which demonstrated the periodic nature of their properties • Dimitri Mendeleev 1869 • Put forward the periodic law. • Arranged known elements according to relative atomic mass and properties into vertical 4 groups' and horizontal 'periods'. • Left gaps and predicted properties of undiscovered elements.
Historical contributions to Development of Periodic Table • William Ramsay 1892 • Discovered the noble gases. • Recognised them as a new group of elements for the Periodic Table with zero valency. • Marie Curie 1898 • Investigated radioactivity of uranium. • Isolated polonium and radium
Historical contributions to Development of Periodic Table • Henry Moseley 1913 • Using X‑rays discovered the correct order of the elements in the Periodic Table, later called the atomic number. • James Chadwick 1932 • Discovered the neutron. Led to explanation for the existence of isotopes and idea of mass number and relative atomic mass.
Historical contributions to Development of Periodic Table • Glenn Seaborg 1941 onwards • Artificially produced most of the transuranium elements up to atomic number 109.
Discovery of the Elements • (particularly the first 36 elements and the halogens; includes period 3 and the first transition series) • Ancient Civilisations • 9 elements were known: C S Fe Cu Ag Sn Au Hg Pb • Alchemists1400‑1600s • Another 5 elements were discovered: P Zn As Bi Sb
Discovery of the Elements • 1700s • 17 new elements including: H Be N O Cl Ti Cr Mn Co Ni U • 1800’s • 51 new elements including: He Li B F Ne Na Mg A] Si Ar K Ca Sc V Ga Ge Se Br Kr 1
Discovery of the Elements • 1900s • The rest of the naturally occuring elements (10) up to number 92 and the 17 artificially produced elements up to number 109.
Discovery of the Elements • At the beginning of the nineteenth century, only about 30 elements were known. • Several scientists, namely John Dobereiner (1817), John Newlands (1864) and Lothar Meyer (1868) attempted to classify the known elements during the 1900s.
Discovery of the Elements • When Dimitri Mendeleev compiled the first Periodic Table in 1869, it contained 63 elements. • The accuracy of his predictions is illustrated by the subsequent discovery of elements to fill the gaps he left in his table and by the subsequent discovery of the noble gases by William Ramsay.
Dimitri Mendeleev (1834‑1907) • The First Periodic Table • Mendeleev, a Russian chemist, spent several years collecting, collating and summarising detailed information about the sixty or so known elements. • In 1869, he eventually arranged his cards into the first Periodic Table which had the following features:
Features of the Periodic Table • the elements were arranged in order of increasing relative atomic mass • elements with similar chemical properties were put into vertical groups • horizontal rows were called periods • gaps were left in the table for undiscovered elements.
Dimitri Mendeleev (1834‑1907) • Mendeleev had realised that the chemical properties of the elements vary periodically with increasing atomic mass. • This is known as his Periodic Law. Nevertheless he placed greater importance on properties than on atomic mass values. • He was able to predict, with great accuracy, the properties of the elements that should fit into the gaps he had left.
Dimitri Mendeleev (1834‑1907) • In particular, germanium, scandium and gallium were later shown to have very similar properties to those forecast by Mendeleev. • Subsequently in 1914, Henry Moseley's X‑ray data led to the concept of atomic number, which is the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom. • It was soon shown to be a more fundamental property of atoms than relative atomic mass.
Dimitri Mendeleev (1834‑1907) • It also proved that Mendeleev had been correct to place tellurium (atomic number 52) before iodine (atomic number 53) in spite of iodine's lower relative atomic mass. • The modem Periodic Table shows the elements organised in order of increasing atomic number.
Dimitri Mendeleev (1834‑1907) • The ideas Mendeleev used in the preparation of his Periodic Table were • Convinced the chemical properties of the elements changed in a regular, repeating manner. • Arranged the known elements in order of increasing atomic mass so that horizontal rows (periods) were formed. • Elements with similar chemical properties were put into vertical columns called groups. • Left gaps in his table if an element with the appropriate chemical properties was not known at the time.
William Ramsay (1852‑1916) • Discoverer of the noble gases
William Ramsay (1852‑1916) • In 1892, a British physicist, Lord Rayleigh, compared the density of nitrogen gas obtained from chemical reactions. • He was surprised to find that the nitrogen from air was denser than the nitrogen from chemicalreactions. • One of his assistants, William Ramsay, investigated the matter further.
William Ramsay (1852‑1916) • After the careful removal of carbon dioxide, oxygen, water vapour, dust and finally nitrogen, • Ramsayexamined the emission spectrum of the residual gas. • This spectrum, consisted of groups of red and green lines , had not been seen before and was therefore a new element.
William Ramsay (1852‑1916) • Ramsay.realised that he had discovered one of a new group of elements that were not reactive. • The new element was given the name argon (from the Greek, meaning ‘idle’) • He was later able to isolate and identify the other noble gases krypton, neon andxenon by the fractional distillation of liquid argon obtained from air.
William Ramsay (1852‑1916) • Helium had previously been detected as a bright yellow line in the emission spectrum of light from the sun during a solar eclipse in 1868. • Ramsay demonstrated its existence on Earth by examining the spectrum of gas obtained from uranium ore. • Radon, formed by the radioactive decay of radium, was discovered by Friedrich Dorn in 1900. • Ramsay determined its relative atomic mass.
Significance of Ramsay’s Work • Argon, first of the noble gases to be discovered.appeared to be totally unreactive • Its identification lead Ramsay to suggest this new gas was part of a new group of elements with zero valency coming after Group VII • Other members of the the new group VIII were subsequently isolated and identified.
Historical Development of Modern Atomic Theory • Mendeleev's work inspired others not only to search for undiscovered elements but also to investigate the nature of matter itself • Mendeleev arranged the elements in order of increasing atomic mass. • The values he used for relative atomic masses were based on those estimated by John Dalton in the early part of the eighteenth century.
Historical Development of Modern Atomic Theory • Dalton had also revived the ancient Greek idea concerning the particulate or atomic nature of matter in 1808. • The discovery of the electron by John Joseph Thomson in 1897 and his plum pudding model of the atom led the way to further investigations by Ernest Rutherford during the years from 1902 to 1920.
Historical Development of Modern Atomic Theory • Other discoveries enabled the nuclear atom model proposed by Rutherford to be further modified and refined into the shell model of Niels Bohr and eventually into the modern day quantum mechanical model of Erwin Schrodinger and Werner Heisenberg. • A time‑line of these ideas and discoveries is shown below.
Historical development of theoriesof atomic structure • Greek Philosophers 300‑400 BC • Democritus and Epicurus first explored the idea that matter was made up of atoms. • Aristotle disagreed. He argued that matter is continuous and made up of the four basic elements 'earth, air, fireand water'. • John Dalton 1808 • Re‑introduced idea of indivisible atoms in his 'atomic theory'.
Historical development of theoriesof atomic structure • John J. Thomson Identified the electron as a negative particle. Concluded that all1897‑1899 atoms contain electrons. Proposed the 'plum pudding' model.Ernest Rutherford Proposed model of atom with central positively charged nucleus1902‑1920 surrounded by negative electrons. Proposed eMistence of proton and predicted existence of neutron.
Historical development of theoriesof atomic structure • Henry Moseley1913 • Introduced concept of atomic number based on the positivecharge of the nucleus. • Later shown to equal the number of protons. • Niels Bohr 1913 • Proposed existence of electron orbits (shells or energy levels)around the nucleus of the atom.
Historical development of theoriesof atomic structure • Frederick Soddy 1914 • Investigated origin and nature of isotopes • Francis Aston 1919 • Proved that several common stable elements consist of isotopes using his invention ‑ the mass spectrometer. • Wolfgang Pauli 1925 • Proposed his 'Exclusion Principle' to explain the distribution of electrons in energy levels around the nucleus.
Historical development of theoriesof atomic structure • Erwin Schrodinger 1926 • Considered the electron as a wave and worked out a mathematical description of its motion called quantum mechanics. • Wemer Heisenberg 1932 • Produced a mathematical description of energy levels for electrons. • Put forward his 'Uncertainty Principle' ‑ it is impossible to know both the position and the velocity of an electron in an atom simultaneously.
Historical development of theoriesof atomic structure • James Chadwick 1932 • Discovered the neutron ‑ led to explanation for the existence of isotopes • Lise Meitner • First to suggest the idea of nuclear fission (previously observed by Marie Curie in 1898). • Glenn Seaborg 1941 • Produced most of the transuranium elements

domain: chemistry


Xinyu studied at the department of mechanical engineering in Hunan University (HNU), China for his Bachelor’s degree from 2011-2015 and Master’s degree from 2015-2018. He was working in the field of uncertainty and reliability analysis in engineering for his Master’s studies, particularly on the topic of uncertainty quantification and propagation based on probabilistic methods. He has published 3 international papers for those studies in Journals ‘Reliability Engineering & System Safety (RESS)’, ‘Applied Mathematical Modelling (APM)’ and ‘Frontiers of Mechanical Engineering (FME)’.
After his graduation, he joined the Marie Curie DyVirt program for his PhD in 2018. Currently his research interests focus on Bayesian tools for uncertainty quantification and propagation (UQP) in structural dynamics simulations. The objective of the project (his PhD thesis) is to develop a Bayesian probabilistic framework for UQP in engineering simulations based on complex physics-based models of dynamic systems, component test data and measurements collected during system operation. A data-driven framework will also be developed to update predictions of safety and risk taking into account the uncertainties in future loads. High performance computing techniques will be integrated into the framework to efficiently handle large-order models of hundreds of thousands or millions of degree of freedoms (DOF), including distributed or localized nonlinear actions activated during operation and uncertain/stochastic loads. The framework will be based on the process of assembling the structure from its individual components and substructures.


The Universal Housing System is a research project that challenges our time defining a system for universal valid housing, low cost but with architectural high quality standards. It reacts against the tendency to make mini-apartments in order to reduce the price of houses. This initiative tries to bring together the social interest and the logic of the market, fabricating a good product at a low price by developing profitable and innovative construction methods.
This proposal takes the social, formal and spatial qualities of Le Corbusier’s paradigmatic Unite d’Habitation, and adds the efficiency, rapidity and low cost construction values of prefabricated concrete systems. Prefabrication was actually present in the initial conception of Le Corbusier’s masterpiece, but the technology at the time did not allow its real application. Today it is possible.
The industrialization of the system adds important advantages to the final product, improving quality, time periods and contributing to a more sustainable way of building. Each house is assembled in 24 hours, including ceiling, flooring and finished walls; installations are set up the following day. The design presents optimum conditions of ventilation and light, and a total flexibility to configure the interior distributions and change them throughout the time. The stacking of the different housing units allows multiple volumetric configurations so the system can adapt to many different site geometries.
It is a global solution for housing, and a meeting point for suppliers and users in a proactive network.


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John Giannone bleeds hockey.
The MSG rinkside reporter was in between the Islanders' and Rangers' benches as the second period dwindled to an end. With a few seconds to go, Rangers' Marc Staal lifted a puck towards Giannone, striking him right between the eyes and cutting the bridge of his nose.
The best part of the whole situation could have been when Giannone gave an account of the incident in true hockey fashion. With blood running down his face, Giannone was a real pro.
"I literally kept my eye on the puck there, I'll tell ya that," he said.
Staal quickly apologized as the Rangers exited the ice for the intermission. Giannone was treated by medical staff and was able to continue reporting for the rest of the game.
The New York Rangers defeated its neighborhood-rival Islanders easily Thursday night in a 4-1 rout. I wonder if Giannone saw that one coming too.

domain: sports


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Zakiyyah aka Karamel, The Web Master
Zakiyyah aka Karamel is the creative force behind all of the visual aspect of Shadow Masters Entertainment. With her vast knowledge of web design, content management and keen business savvy she has developed everything from their web site, business cards, CD cover art and flyers. Along with working alongside the Shadow Masters staff, she has managed to work with other artist and business people with developing their organizations and brands.
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Louise Misha :: Toluca Sienna Parrots Set
$42.00 Regular price
- Bathing suit set (top and panties) for girls. Fabric made from recycled plastic bottles
- The bathing suit has a SPF50 protection
- Stretch fabric
- Front ruffles
- Ribbed edging at bottom
- Buttoned opening in back
- Floral print
- The dyes we use for our bathing suits are fragile. We pay a lot of attention to our dyes and printing components so as to not use elements that are aggressive for the skin but also to protect the people who make them. The bathing suit resists repeated washings and sea water but we recommend not drying it in the sun so it doesn't get discolored.
- 87% Recycled Nylon 13% Spandex
- 드랍2 상품으로 2월 배송 예정입니다.
Vendor: LOUISE MISHA


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In the News
Chairman Miller participated in a Women’s History Month forum hosted by the Library of Congress. During the forum, Miller discussed her personal experiences that led her into public service, as well as their experiences serving in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Chairman Miller and Ranking Member Brady issued the following statement on the Capitol Police Board’s selection of Matthew R. Verderosa as the new Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police
Chairman Miller and Joint Committee on the Library Vice-Chairman Harper on the White House's pick to serve as the next Librarian
Chairman Miller & Ranking Member Brady issued the following statement marking the 100,000th American war veterans’ collection archived in the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project
Chairman Miller issued the following statement on the passing of U.S. Capitol Police Officer Vernon J. Alston, who died Saturday, January 23, 2016 while off duty
This measure directs the Architect of the Capitol to obtain a chair featuring the logo of the National League of POW/MIA Families and have it placed on display in the U.S. Capitol.
These changes were the result of a review of the regulations that govern expenditures from the Members’ Representational Allowance.
U.S. District Court grants the U.S. House of Representatives standing to purse litigation against President’s unilateral transfer of funds without required congressional appropriations


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Hi, I’m Jonášek and this is a cute peekaboo video. Just watch and you will see! I know, us kitties are incredibly cute when playing and this is the proof! Meow and happy weekend! FYI: The washer is unplugged when not in use. Purrs and meows
Chester is my darling cat and Cupcake is my new Lionhead Rabbit! These two like to play with each other. Chester likes the chase since he’s a cat! As you can see they love each other but when Chester is in the mood, it’s Tom and Jerry time!

domain: pet


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Tucked into a row of industrial buildings in Longmont, Cheese Importers has been one of the area’s best kept food secrets. Its unparalleled selection of hundreds of kinds of cheese, hard salami, olives, olive oils, vinegars, jams, crackers, fresh bread and sweets creates a growing group of fans as each new visitor discovers what amounts to an authentic French bistro disguised as a warehouse. The bistro is a relatively recent addition to the gourmet store, which got its start more than 30 years ago out of the home and VW van of its founder, Linda White. Her love of all things French was born decades ago when, as a child in grade school, she spent six weeks studying France.
Today, it’s the passionate manifestation of her life-long dream—one shared by daughter Clara—of bringing the taste of Paris to Longmont. “The bistro is a labor of love and has evolved over the years,” Linda says. “The food and the cheese come from our passion and love of food.”
And while Cheese Importers (and its much-anticipated additional store set to open in Lafayette later this fall) is a little known foodie’s dream, the delicious lunch offerings from the bistro rarely receive adequate notoriety. The real gems are the grilled panini sandwiches that make use of the exotic foods and prodigious selection of cheese found in the store. Try the most popular offering of turkey, mozzarella, tomato and roasted red peppers with a schmear of pesto on a ciabatta roll grilled to crispy perfection.
“Clara developed the sandwiches; they have a lot of Mediterranean influences in terms of the ingredients,” Linda said.
There’s also the Italian; a perfect blend of flavors and textures from the fig jam, proscuitto and tallegio cheese grilled between slices of rustic artisan bread. The result is a thin, crispy sandwich that perfectly blends those classic ingredients. Don’t forget the gourmet comfort food dream: grilled cheese. Remember, Cheese Importers is pretty good at the cheese thing. A surprise delight is the smoked gouda with tomato and onion on the aforementioned rustic artisan bread.
If you’re extra hungry, place your order and take a stroll around the walk-in cheese room where you can sample half a dozen varieties (not to mention fresh olives) and maybe discover a new favorite.
Cheese Importers, 33 South Pratt Parkway, Longmont, 303.772.9599

domain: food


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Logo for a Dance & Music School
- Estado: Closed
- Prêmio: $10
- Inscrições Recebidas: 44
- Vencedor: CreativeShakil
Síntese do concurso
The project is to design a unique logo for a Dance & Music School.
The name of the school is "Tharadhwani". It is an Indian name which can be divided into two parts as 'Thara '+ 'Dhwani'. Here 'Thara' means 'STAR' in english and 'Dhwani' means 'SOUND' in english especially that from a musical instrument or musical anklet tied to the classical Indian dancers. So the logo shall conceive the essence of the above points.
Please note the following while submitting your entry -
(1) The logo shall be original idea, unique and appealing
(2) The background shall be white
(3) The presentation shall be in 2D format and not in the form of perspectives or logo embossed or engraved on walls/books etc.
Feedback do Empregador
“Shakil was prompt in responding to my requests and suggestions.”


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The American Bison (Bison bison) is an icon of the Great Plains. At Badlands, bison roam the 64,000 acre wilderness area in the western side of the North Unit. Visitors to the park can view them from the Sage Creek Rim Road.
The park's South Unit, located on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, is planned to become the nations' first tribal national park. The Midwest Region of the NPS is working with the Oglala Sioux Tribe to reintroduce bison to the South Unit and other tribal lands in order to establish another conservation herd of at least 1,000 animals.
Learn more about bison conservation (pdf).
Last updated: April 10, 2015

domain: geography


Originally published on fastradius.com on March 1, 2021
Polyurethanes are incredibly versatile plastic materials that have come to play a major role in the products people use every day. Polyurethanes were invented in 1937 by Dr. Otto Bayer and primarily used as replacements for rubber during World War II. By the 1950s and 60s, polyurethanes were being used in elastomers, adhesives, and flexible cushioning foams.
Today, this material is so ubiquitous that it can be found in almost any product in any major industry. Common applications include leather garments, thermal insulation systems, spoilers in cars, surgical drapes, and much more.
How is it possible that polyurethanes can take so many vastly different forms? It all comes down to the polyurethane chemical formula. Here’s what engineers and product teams should know about the different kinds of polyurethanes, why polyurethane formulation matters, and how formulation can impact their final parts.
Polyether vs. polyester — what’s the difference?
Most commonly polyurethanes are derived from polyethers and polyesters. Both have elastic properties, both can be made to any hardness, and both have a variety of applications across industries. However, polyether and polyester are not interchangeable. Engineers should familiarize themselves with the key differences between these two materials to ensure they’re choosing the best-fit polyurethane plastic for their application.
Polyester-polyurethanes are used in softer urethanes (below 90A durometer) and are known for their strong cut-, abrasion-, tear-, and solvent-resistance. They can withstand higher temperatures longer than polyether-polyurethanes and have higher tensile strength. Polyester is also an excellent choice for shock absorption and widely used in applications requiring vibration dampening. Popular applications include banking equipment rollers, bumper pads, and automation clamps.
However, polyester does have its drawbacks. The material generally has poor moisture-resistance and is not recommended for parts that will be exposed to water or high-humidity environments. Hydrolysis will break down the physical properties of the material.
Polyether-polyurethanes, on the other hand, are used in harder urethanes (above 90A durometer) and tend to offer greater moisture-resistance and more dynamic properties than polyester-polyurethanes. This material also has better rebound, better low-temperature flexibility, and performs better in high-speed applications. Its excellent mechanical properties also make it well-suited for parts that will experience medium to high stress.
Popular applications of polyether include skate wheels, elevator wheels, sheet metal forming rollers, and a variety of food-safe applications. Even though polyether is used in harder urethanes, this material actually offers less abrasion-resistance than polyester and is more likely to tear. It also generally comes at a higher price tag.
Why polyurethane formulation matters
To understand why polyurethane formulation is so important, it’s helpful to understand the basics of polyurethane chemistry. Polyurethanes are created through a chemical reaction between a polyol and an isocyanate, which creates a pre-polymer. That pre-polymer is then cross-linked with a curative to form polyurethane. This polyurethane chemical formula might seem simple, but there’s a lot of room for complexity and variability.
Take thermoset polyurethanes as an example. Typically, these kinds of polyurethanes are made up of TDI or MDI backbones — which respectively offer good mechanical properties at high and low temperatures — combined with either ether or ester chemical bonds. Ester-polyurethanes include two oxygen atoms and two carbon atoms, while ether-polyurethanes include only one oxygen atom and two carbon atoms.
Each unique combination of these backbones and chemical bonds will give the resulting material different physical properties. There are also dozens of chemicals that can be used for curatives in polyurethanes, plus the possibility of blending curatives and additives to create something totally new.
With all of these factors in play, it’s possible to create a seemingly infinite variety of formulations by making small adjustments to the polyurethane chemical formula. That’s why engineers and product teams must evaluate all aspects of their prospective polyurethane plastic and avoid choosing a material based on one or two criteria.
If two polyurethane bouncy balls have the same hardness but different chemical synthesis, one might fall to the floor while the other might spring back up. To make sure a final part performs exactly as it should, engineers and product teams must take polyurethane formulation into careful consideration during the product development process.
Let SyBridge be your polyurethane formulation guide
To sum it up, polyester polyurethanes are better-suited for lower durometer formulations, high-temperature applications, and parts that require shock or vibration absorption. Polyether polyurethanes are better for higher durometer formulations, high-speed or high-stress applications, and parts that will be exposed to water.
Product teams and engineers must evaluate the unique chemical formulations of any prospective polyurethane to ensure their final parts have their desired properties and meet all critical requirements. Working with an experienced manufacturing partner can help.
SyBridge Technologies can help product teams unpack all of the complexities of polyurethane formulation so they can select the right polyurethane plastic for their specific use case. Our talented team of designers, advisors, and engineers know how important material selection is, and can help get a project started the right way. Contact us today to get started and learn more about the services we offer.


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I’ve documented my disdain for comedy skits on rap albums before. It just so happens that 6 of the 22 tracks on Kanye West’s 2004 record The College Dropout are those very skits.
I just don’t get it, man. Why the filler? Artistic integrity aside, what’s the point? Ego fulfillment?
Whatever it may be, I will always see these skits as the low point of mainstream rap albums like this one. Ye’s College Dropout is, in so many words, huge.
It’s the album known for “Through the Wire” and “Slow Jamz,”
It’s the album known for “All Falls Down” and “Jesus Walks.”
It’s as solid as a rap album can get.
And while I try to stay as far away from album reviews as I can (because they’re most often full of hot air and ridiculous conjecture), for records as successful like this one, I’m curious to see what others have to say.
I didn’t have to go very far to see hyperbole.
This is from the iTunes Editor review, aka, the paragraph you’d see if you purchased the album from Apple:
I mean, I know I’m not the best writer in the world, but sleight-of-hand? A cheetah’s ear comparison?
Good lord. That’s what passes for music journalism these days? If that’s the case: hey Pitchfork, hire me.
Of course College Dropout is a gem – but let’s not get it twisted. Skits have no place in full length albums anymore, and the rest of Ye’s work was spotty until My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy 6 years (!) later.
But what do I know? This album is multi-platinum and I’m just a dude on the Internet who doesn’t like comic interludes on rap albums.
From the hugely successful College Dropout, this is Kanye West’s “Two Words” (featuring my dude Mos Def!) –
Standout tracks: The singles, obviously. But also, “Get ‘em High” and “Spaceship.”
Weakest tracks: All of the skits (except School Spirit #1). STOP! In terms of the songs, themselves: “Breath In Breathe Out” but mostly because of Ludacris. Bleh.
RIYL: Mainstream rap or hip-hop. Jay-Z, Frank Ocean, etc.