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Did you take the time on Winter Solstice to observe the planetary conjunction? Jupiter and Saturn were freakishly close. Some folks thought this was a miracle. Then there were those who thought this was an omen of changing times. Others thought it was a cool scientific occurrence which happens approximately every 400ish years. I just thought it was fun to go out and watch. I considered it a miracle that I was able to take a picture of this with my cell phone. If I had taken the time to think about it, I would have used my real camera. Okay, a whole bunch of tech geeks just rolled their eyes, because I don’t consider my cell phone camera a “real camera”. My apologies.
To the naked eye it looked like the planets were touching. However, if that really happened, it would be quite the crisis. It would be one more “thing” to happen in 2020. On Facebook several people posted that Winter Solstice 2020 was the shortest day of the longest year. Can’t argue with that.
What was just as much fun as seeing a planetary conjunction? How about a green blowup dragon wearing a Santa hat. This is what counts for fun entertainment during these days of pandemic holidays. Since our outlets for entertainment are limited many of us are either walking or driving around and looking at pretty lights and creative lawn art. As you can imagine, I appreciate the more unusual displays of creativity.
On a positive note.….we now have a vaccine for Covid-19. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and it is not necessarily a train! We just need to be patient for a little while longer. Keep wearing your masks, continue to keep your distance and we will make it through this. Try to be like this little squirrel that I met at the arboretum the other day. He didn’t mind posing for a picture as long as I didn’t get too close. He doesn’t seem to be too caught up in all of the human drama. And, when he’s ready, he scampers off into the woods in search of food and frolic.
I am definitely ready for some socially distanced frolicking. How about you? I can’t wait to see what 2021 will have in store for us. Let’s stick together to make the journey easier.
Until next week.….


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According to Bloomberg, last year Sony Bend reportedly pitched a sequel to its 2019 game, Days Gone, to management, but people familiar with the proposal say that the pitch was unsuccessful.
The first game was reportedly profitable, but the development surrounding it was too long and its mixed reception among video game critics made the higher-ups at Sony hesitant to greenlight a Days Gone 2.
What ended up happening instead is that one Bend team was assigned to assist Naughty Dog on a multiplayer game. Whether or not it was The Last of Us Part II‘s rumored multiplayer mode is unknown. Then another Bend team was to work on a new Uncharted game project with supervision from Naughty Dog.
Some development leads and other staff at Bend reportedly left the studio over these changes in direction. The developers were afraid that they were going to lose their autonomy and be absorbed into Naughty Dog. As such, Sony Bend heads requested that they be taken off the Uncharted project last month. They were successful in exiting the project and are currently working on their own new game.
We don’t know what that new game is, but this report suggests that it’s very likely not a sequel to Days Gone.

domain: entertainment


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Justice Department Details New Focus On Wall Street Executives
In what is the first major policy announcement by U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, the Justice Department has asked civil and criminal investigators to focus on individuals instead of corporations when looking into white-collar crime.
In prepared remarks obtained by NPR's Carrie Johnson, Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates will say later today that a "crime is crime."
"Americans should never believe, even incorrectly, that one's criminal activity will go unpunished simply because it was committed on behalf of a corporation," she said. "We could be doing a bang-up job in every facet of the Department's operations – we could be bringing all the right cases and making all the right decisions. But if the citizens of this country don't have confidence that the criminal justice system operates fairly and applies equally — regardless of who commits the crime or where it is committed — then we're in trouble."
The New York Times, which first reported the story, says the policy comes after years of criticism that the Justice Department went too soft on big companies and their executives following the financial collapse of 2008.
The Times reports:
"... In many ways, the new rules are an exercise in public messaging, substantive in some respects but symbolic in others. Because the memo lays out guidelines, not laws, its effect will be determined largely by how Justice Department officials interpret it. And several of the points in the memo merely codify policy that is already in place.
"'It's a good memo, but it states what should have been the policy for years,' said Brandon L. Garrett, a University of Virginia law professor and the author of the book 'Too Big to Jail: How Prosecutors Compromise With Corporations.' 'And without more resources, how are prosecutors going to know whether companies are still burying information about their employees?'
"It is also unknown whether the rules will encourage companies to turn in their executives, but Ms. Yates said the Justice Department would not allow companies to foist the blame onto low-level officials."
In the memo sent out yesterday, Yates explains the importance of holding individuals accountable for white-collar crime.
"It deters future illegal activity, it incentivizes changes in corporate behavior, it ensures that the proper parties are held responsible for their actions, and it promotes the public's confidence in our justice system," she wrote.
In the past, Yates explained in her prepared remarks, investigators have prioritized going after corporations because of "the likelihood of financial recovery from their investigative targets."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

domain: sociology


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Blueberry Haze is our second single origin strain out of Mountain Ranch. This small town in Calaveras County, CA began booming during the California Gold Rush and has taken on new life during the Green Rush. This batch of Mountain Ranch Blueberry Haze is yet another example of the fantastic cannabis coming out of Calaveras County.
Blueberry Haze is a hybrid made up of Blueberry and Haze. Both parent strains carry a sweet flavor and a pleasant high. Mix the two and you get something truly magical. Blueberry Haze is an earthy strain with noticeable blueberry notes on the exhale. This strain provides a euphoric and creative high that’s perfect for stress and depression relief. Get ready to laugh out loud with this one!

domain: geography


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Poems about hispanic at the world's largest poetry site ranked poetry on hispanic, by famous & modern poets learn how to write a poem about hispanic and share it. These are examples of the best hispanic poems written by poetrysoup members haiku poems love poems short poems i believe. Haiku's best 100% free online dating site meet loads of available single women in haiku with mingle2's haiku dating services find a girlfriend or lover in haiku, or. Haiku for the single girl has 260 it's haiku poetry about being female and single haiku is a form of cute story about how single women are in. Although i can't speak for all white men, we definitely don't think hispanic girls are ugly that idea is absolutely false i am a heterosexual white male.
Hispanic heritage month poetry the ideal characteristics of hispanic women are called marianismo and every single one of them is considered a jerk. Poetry for teens: hispanic heritage the poems in these collections capture moments and feelings that young people can relate to easily about love, loss. Meet latino singles in haiku, hawaii online & connect in the chat rooms dhu is a 100% free dating site to meet latino men in haiku. The hispanic people against the odds full bodied women and handsome men hispanic poem by juan olivarez - poem hunter about us. Terri l french talks homelessness, lip service and tampons in today’s feature in the international women’s haiku festival. Mixed marriages causing us hispanics, asians to integrate faster if both of my parents have hispanic i think that’s why the black women who marry white.
In honor of hispanic heritage month, which kicked of yesterday, here's a glimpse at a few events featuring the work of latino poets letras latinas, the literary. Haiku society of america news volume 31, issue 3 - march 05, 2016 (hsa news replaces ripples as the official newsletter of hsa) in this issue call for submissions. Maria martin tells us a little bit of the history of latinos in hawaii, and about what’s behind the state’s aloha spirit photo by al messerschmidt/getty images.
Meet single hispanic men in hawaii county are you interested in meeting a single hispanic man for a meaningful relationship or are you only looking for someone to. A presentation by daniella terzo created with haiku deck, free presentation software that is simple, beautiful, and fun. Hispanic division special events as well as from translations of other noteworthy urugayan women poets vilariño (1920 spanish-quechua penitential.
Hispanic poems examples of all types of hispanic poems share, read, and learn how to write poems about hispanic.
Poems to celebrate hispanic heritage month - the academy of american poets is the largest membership-based nonprofit organization fostering an appreciation for. Haiga and haiku target grades: 3-5 state standards of learning english 317, 326 visual art 310, 313, 317, 326 overview children combine poetry and art to. Women poems written by famous poets browse through to read poems for women this page has the widest range of women love and quotes. First-time author beth griffenhagen has written haiku for the single girl haiku for the single girl, a witty haiku book celebrating single women. Haiku poems about women and women haiku poems read and enjoy these haikus. Get this from a library hispanic women poets [janet pérez genaro j pérez. Female hispanic poets celebrated at tamiu women’s history month recital celebrate women’s history month at texas a&m international university with mujeres poetas.
The break down of how many hispanic or latino people live in haiku pauwela, hawaii in 2017, 2018 by gender, age and family size. Hacu accepting applications for southwest airlines ¡lánzate travel program the hispanic association of colleges and universities (hacu) and southwest airlines. Being latina means that some of my ancestors are victims and children of rape 1 in 3 women & 1 in 4 men will experience relationship violence in their. Poems about women - plus many more kinds of poems: romantic poems and inspirational poems - funny poems and sad poems. Search for local single senior women in kailua kona latino / hispanic non-smoker haiku singles singles kihei. Harlot bug’s haiku addresses the people we become to become the people we want to become join the good men project conversation and get updates by email.

domain: artistic


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So inspired by conversation on another thread, I thought it would be interesting to start a thread focused solely on the issue of gun laws themselves. Since that is an incredibly broad topic, I have the idea of splitting it into multiple focused parts over the course of a couple of weeks. I was wondering if anyone would be interested?
To add some fuel to the fire, let me start off by saying that I am in favor of gun control (a possibly controversial stand for a Kimber forum
). However, I also think that the majority of gun laws that we have now are silly and I am definitely not in favor of most gun control legislation from the political arena.
Now, what I'm NOT trying to do is stir up a pot that just ends up in people yelling at each other and hurt feelings. Also, when I'm talking about "gun control laws," I'm specifically talking about firearms that are currently considered as being for the "civilian" market.
In the end, there will be no real "point" to this exercise as it won't change anything in the greater scheme of things. However, I think it can be helpful to relook your opinions from time to time and a healthy debate can not only make someone rethink their own views in some cases, but also be able to strengthen them and it can help you examine "why" something is actually good.
So let me know what you all think. If people feel that this could make for an interesting diversionary topic, I'll start another post this week sometime. If most people feel that it's a waste of their time, I'll simply drop it.


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UNION COUNTY — At least 18 public organizations in more than 14 municipalities across Union County are considering joining a solar panel initiative meant to save them money on electric bills.
The program, which could have a price tag of up to $45 million, follows in the footsteps of a similar project in Morris County. The Union County Improvement Authority aims for the project to provide cut-rate electricity to public entities by bonding the startup funds through the county and then recruiting private companies to install and operate the solar panels and repay the bonds.
“There is no obligation on the part of the county or any of the municipalities or participants to repay the debt,” said Jonathan Williams, general counsel for the Union County Improvement Authority. “The owners of the roofs are going to be obliged only to purchase power at a reduced rate.”
Williams said the authority will bond for debt that will then be repaid by one or more private electricity companies that win a bid for the project’s two pools of projects in Union County.
Eleven municipalities, four school districts, the county government and Union County College are considering the proposal, and each organization must adopt a resolution approving the project, or they won’t be included in the project, Williams said.
Seven participants have already approved the proposal, Williams said on Tuesday.
That includes Linden, where solar panels would be installed at nine locations, including City Hall’s parking garage, the new library on East Henry Street, three firehouses and the city’s 55-acre landfill.
“It’s something that’s a bit complicated, but it’s not costing the city of Linden any money,” said Mayor Richard Gerbounka.
But other local governing bodies have been harder to persuade.
Williams said officials in Berkeley Heights, Mountainside and New Providence have been reluctant to approve the proposal, and the authority is sending out representatives to answer questions from local officials.
“We were sort of surprised that some of towns were taking longer than we had anticipated to approve their participation,” Williams said. “There are some naysayers who say it can’t possibly be true. Oddly enough, in this case it is true.”
Cranford Mayor Mark Smith said Tuesday that his township decided not to join the project until more information is provided by the improvement authority.
“If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. That’s what my life experience tells me, and the rest of the township committee as well,” Smith said. “What if the whole thing is predicated on a bond repayment rate that is determined by the cost of electricity? We just really are trying to do our due diligence.”
No matter how many localities agree to participate, the improvement authority will go ahead with a first round of sites this summer, Williams said, and other counties may soon follow, including Somerset and Passaic counties.

domain: economics


Early Life & Education
Mat Honan has been writing about the technology industry and its impact on society as early as 1998. A few years after graduating from college, he became a fellow at Mother Jones. He then became a senior editor at an online magazine called GettingIt.com.
From 2001 to 2011, Honan began working as a freelancer , writing pieces on the impacts of technology, the ways we can change our bodies, social media culture, location-based services, and Barack Obama.
His work has also appeared in 7×7, The Awl , the Bold Italic , Budget Travel, Gizmodo , Macworld , Mother Jones, the National Journal , the New York Sun , O, The Oprah Magazine , Popular Science, Runner's World , Salon, the San Francisco Bay Guardian , the SF Weekly , Time, Wired UK , and Women's Health, among other places.
While working for the publisher, he wrote a monthly column and multiple cover stories for the magazine, plus regular stories for their online publication. One of the stories involved how his online accounts got hacked, including his Google account, his Amazon account, his Twitter account, and his Apple ID.
Barack Obama is Your New Bicycle
In 2008, Mat wrote a book for Gotham Books called Barack Obama Is Your New Bicycle: 366 Ways He Really Cares. It was released on August 5, 2008. The book has 366 examples of things that Barack Obama did for America during his presidential campaign in 2008.
In addition to the book, Honan created the website barackobamaisyournewbicycle.com. The website randomly generated non sequiturs that portrayed Barack Obama in a generally positive light. The site was created on February 13, 2008 and was picked up by a number of tech-focused blogs and news sites, including Technorati , The Economist , and Time Magazine.
Mat Honan is the San Francisco bureau chief for BuzzFeed News. Since moving to Buzzfeed, Mat has helped opened their San Francisco office, launched the BuzzFeed Open Lab, and overseen he launch of their tech news video program.


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Here’s another edition of the Play Sheet, my Sunday morning primer before each 49ers game. Here are three things I’m personally looking for in today’s game in Seattle — not limited to on-field occurrences.
Bowman back in Seattle, the land of ripped posters
It seems NaVorro Bowman has experienced a career’s worth of football at CenturyLink Field.
It’s where he made his NFL debut in 2010 (it was Qwest Field then). Seattle pounded the 49ers 31-6 that afternoon, Mike Singletary’s last opener as head coach.
Bowman returned as a starter in 2011, when the 49ers won 19-17. That’s the last time the 49ers have won in Seattle.
Subsequent trips there have been increasingly miserable, culminating in the January 2014 NFC title game, where inadvertent contact from teammate Eric Reid ripped Bowman’s ACL and MCL on a critical goal-line play. To add insult to injury, Bowman’s fumble recovery didn’t count because of an instant replay rule technicality.
(The ball don’t lie moment came a play later — after Bowman was carted off, when the Seahawks fumbled again, and the 49ers picked it up).
All nightmarish memories for 49ers fans reading this, I know, so I’ll stop now.
But Bowman was involved in at least one chuckle-worthy occurrence throughout this stretch of Seattle sadness. It came during pregame warmups in 2012, when he grabbed a Seahawks poster from a fan, ripped it in half, and sauntered onward into the tunnel.
“(The Seattle fans) are always bothering me,” Bowman said Friday, smiling as he reflected on the incident. “I don’t bother them. I just go out there and do my job.”
Bowman says it’s the 49ers’ job to silence CenturyLink’s famous noise.
“The crowd becomes a meter of us keeping them quiet,” Bowman said. “The more quiet we can make the crowd, that means we’re playing well as a defense and as a team. We’re making (the Seahawks players) have to play, and not their crowd.”
No one is sure if Bowman plans to rip another poster today. He wouldn’t tip his hand when asked.
“Those fans know how to get under your skin,” Bowman said, artfully dancing around the question. “So I look forward to it.”
It’s probably best for Seattle fans to refrain from handing memorabilia over to No. 53 for an autograph.
Studying Earl Thomas
Jimmie Ward says that his hamstring — which kept him out of the season opener against Carolina — is “100 percent,” but coach Kyle Shanahan remains adamant that Ward is questionable for today’s game.
For what it’s worth, the free safety was still limited this week in practice. Either way, we won’t know if Ward is playing until the 49ers release their list of inactive players 90 minutes ahead of game time.
We do know that Ward asked the 49ers video staff to make a cut-up of Seattle free safety Earl Thomas’ film this offseason. Ward watched hours of old Seahawks footage, and he’ll get to watch more of Thomas from the sideline today — regardless of whether or not he himself is active.
“I know a great player when I see one,” Ward said.
As new 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh implements Pete Carroll’s Cover 3 scheme, there’s been plentiful talk about how the 49ers can emulate the Seahawks defense. Thomas may be the name that comes up most frequently, since the free safety position is tasked with covering so much open space in the system (the strong safety plays up in box).
Ward, a Mobile, Ala., native, says that he first noticed Thomas — who played for Texas — when Alabama faced the Longhorns in the 2010 BCS title game. The Crimson Tide won 37-21, but Thomas lit up Ward’s television in the first half.
“(Thomas) came up and made a huge hit,” Ward remembered. “I was like, ‘whoa — who is this guy? Do you see how fast he plays?’ Dude’s a pretty great player.”
Now, in a true full circle moment, Ward — fresh off a move from nickel back — is being asked to be the 49ers’ version of Thomas.
“I do miss tackling,” Ward said. “But turnovers are way better. So you’re going to see me go after the ball a lot this year.”
If Ward’s hamstring permits, his season will begin today. If it doesn’t, he’ll get to study Thomas some more.
Running from heat to rain
The 49ers home opener was marked by 95-degree heat and thousands of empty seats in the Levi’s Stadium sun. Their road opener will feature the opposite: A 90 percent chance of rain in the NFL’s loudest venue.
Wet weather in Seattle is never a surprise, but its effect on the game is always a wild card. Will the 49ers be able to keep the score close enough so that they won’t have to abandon the run this time? Carlos Hyde averaged 6.3 yards per carry in the first half against Carolina, but only ran twice after intermission last week.
The 49ers found themselves behind the eight ball, and they were forced to resort to an almost-exclusively aerial attack. That didn’t work in the sun against the Panthers, and it certainly won’t fly in the rain versus the Seahawks. Shanahan’s play-action attack needs a backbone, and that spine is the ground attack.
If it’s as wet as expected today at CenturyLink, the 49ers run game must be far more entrenched than it was in the opener.
(Top photo: Michael Zagaris/Getty Images)

domain: news


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domain: chemistry


For almost four years, I proudly played “yaya” on ABS-CBN horror series “Okatokat.”
You see, gone are the days when yayas just lend support to their lead star bosses. In the US, CBS featured “The Nanny” where Fran Drescher takes the lead. In the Philippines, who can forget “Please Be Careful With My Heart?” Thanks to the yaya (played by Jodie Sta. Maria), it remains one of the most successful Filipino teleseryes.
Starting Sept. 22, 10 p.m., Sari-Sari Channel on Cignal Digital TV airs comedy series “The Kasambahays.” As the title goes, the lead characters are the yaya, the driver, the masseuse, the security guard, and the cleaner of posh Camachile Village.
Leading the pack is internet pop sensation Donnalyn Bartolome who has garnered 40 million views on her YouTube channel. Other newbies that share the title role are Billy Villeta as the security guard, Jelson Bay as the driver, Karen Toyoshima as the house maid, Debbie Garcia as the cleaner, and Jem Cubil as the gardener.
Billy was first seen in the movie “Diary Ng Panget.” Jelson is emerging as comedian to watch out for after Empoy. FHM cover girl Debbie proves she is not just a pretty face with a sexy body but can act and make people laugh in her scenes. Commercial model Karen is a character actress in the making. Jem, one of the “Voice” singers, is turning out to be quite the actor.
The bosses are played by DJ Durano, Ronnie Liang, Jamilla Obispo and yours truly. We’re sure to make the Kasambahays’ lives crazier.
Plot: A kasambahay is found dead by hanging and she left behind a suicide note. But the police rules out suicide and starts looking for the murderer with the rest of the cast as suspects. Due to the dark nature of the plot, director Artemio “Temi” Abad Junior makes the comedy all-out, meaning over-acting gestures, ’90s style movements, and just plain loud comedy. I am telling you this is crazy funny!
Sari-Sari Channel is a 24-hour general entertainment channel joint venture with TV5 Network, through Cignal Digital TV and Viva Entertainment.
Other shows on Sari-Sari are “The Hour Glass,” “Tabi Po,” and “The Red Envelope.”


Publications: Ventilation & Air Cleaning
"Saving energy and improving IAQ through application of advanced air cleaning technologies." REHVA Journal 48.3 (2011) 27-29. .
"Effect of Key Parameters on the Photocatalytic Oxidation of Toluene at Low Concentrations in Air under 254 + 185 nm UV Irradiation." Applied Catalysis B: Environmental 95.3-4 (2010) 312-319. .
"Can combining economizers with improved filtration save energy and protect equipment in data centers?." Building and Environment 45.3 (2010) 718-726. LBNL-2939E. .
Investigation of IAQ-Relevant Surface Chemistry and Emissions on HVAC Filter Materials. Berkeley: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 2010. .
Experimental Evaluation of Installed Cooking Exhaust Fan Performance. Berkeley: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 2010. LBNL-4183E. .
"Infiltration Effects on Residential Pollutant Concentrations for Continuous and Intermittent Mechanical Ventilation Approaches." HVAC&R Research 17.2 (2010) 159. LBNL-3978E. .
"Laboratory Measurement of Secondary Pollutant Yields from Ozone Reaction with HVAC Filters." Proceedings of the Healthy Buildings 2009 Conference 2009. LBNL-5034E. .
Are ventilation filters degrading indoor air quality in California classrooms?. Berkeley, CA: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 2009. .
"Efficiency of clay-TiO2 nanocomposites on the photocatalytic elimination of a model hydrophobic air pollutant." Environmental Science and Technology 43 (2009) 1500-1506. .
"Synthesis of Hectorite-TiO2 and Kaolinite-TiO2 Nanocomposites with Photocatalytic Activity for the Degradation of Model Air Pollutants." Applied Clay Science 42 (2009) 563-568. .
"Benefits and technological challenges in the implementation of TiO2-based ultraviolet photocatalytic oxidation (UVPCO) air cleaners." Indoor Air 2008. Copenhagen, Denmark: Indoor Air, Paper ID: 297, 2008. 17-22. .
"Can sorbent-based gas phase air cleaning for VOCs substitute for ventilation in commercial buildings?." IAQ 2007 Healthy and Sustainable Buildings 2007. .
"Performance of ultra-violet Photocatalytic Oxidation for Indoor Air Cleaning Applications." Indoor Air 17 (2007) 305-316. .
"Photocatalytic Reactor System with Tungsten Oxide-Modified Titanium Dioxide for Indoor Air Applications." The 11th International Conference on Ti02 Photocatalysis: Fundamentals and Applications (Ti02-11), September 25-28, 2006. Pittsburgh, PA, 2006. LBNL-60254 Abs. .
Sorbent-based gas phase air cleaning for VOCs in Commercial Buildings. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 2006. LBNL-60162. .
"What is an Effective Air Cleaning Device? A Review." Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene 3.4 (2006) 169-181. .
Evaluation of Ultra-Violet Photocatalytic Oxidation (UVPCO) for Indoor Air Applications: Conversion of Volatile Organic. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 2005. .
Parametric Evaluation of an Innovative Ultra-Violet Photocatalytic Oxidation (UVPCO) Air Cleaning Technology for Indoor Applications. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 2005. .
"Performance and Costs of Particle Air Filtration in HVAC Supply Airstreams." HPAC Engineering 75.7 (2003) 24-36. LBNL-53212. .
"Performance and Cost of Particle Air Filtration Technologies." Indoor Air 12.4 (2002) 223-234. LBNL-47833. .


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A former military lawyer who blew the whistle on alleged war crimes has turned to crowdfunding to raise money for his legal defence, urging the Australian public to help "put the government on trial".
David McBride, who initially planned to defend himself, was represented in the ACT Supreme Court on Friday by lawyer Bernard Collaery.
It is an intriguing twist given Mr Collaery is also fighting charges, levelled at him under Australia's strict national security laws, in an unrelated case.
Mr McBride was set to stand trial in March, accused of stealing Commonwealth property, the unauthorised disclosure of information, and breaching the Defence Act.
He does not deny taking classified information or leaking it to journalists, who used it in an ABC investigative series titled "The Afghan Files". The series included allegations that Australian soldiers shot dead unarmed civilians in Afghanistan.
But Mr McBride has pleaded not guilty and will defend the charges on legal grounds. He has described the ABC stories as a "beat-up", and said he had leaked the documents in a bid to expose alleged corruption and get better government protection for soldiers.
Mr McBride's trial, previously listed to start on March 2, was delayed on Friday. Justice Michael Elkaim vacated the date so that Mr McBride's new legal representatives could have time to familiarise themselves with the case.
The matter will return to court on February 24, when the court will deal with issues that include setting dates for a hearing on how public interest disclosure laws may be used as a defence.
On Friday, the court heard that hearing would likely take place in September, ahead of a trial that would likely not be held until November.
Speaking outside court, Mr McBride said he had sought legal representation because he had become convinced the case was bigger than him.
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Mr McBride said "people around the world" were happy to support his crowdfunding effort, because "we're taking on corruption in government".
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Mr McBride said if sportsman Israel Folau had been able to raise millions of dollars through a crowdfunding effort for a legal battle with Rugby Australia around freedom of speech, "why can't people who believe we can get rid of corruption in government ... raise just as much money?"
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Mr McBride said he had always been "very confident on the issues" in his case.
He said he would happily go to jail if the conduct he tried to expose was found not to be corrupt, and that he was motivated to defend the charges not to avoid jail, but rather to "improve Australia".

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Antibodies 2012, 1(1), 2-18; doi:10.3390/antib1010002
Abstract: Here we review recombinant proteins with a capability for dual-targeting. These molecules address two different antigens on the same tumor cell and therefore are called “dual-targeting agents”. By virtue of binding a chosen pair of antigens on the malignant cell, preferential binding to antigen double-positive over single-positive cells can be achieved when both are present in the same environment. Therapeutic effects of such agents are based on different modes of action: (1) They can act as pro-apoptotic agents or by inhibiting pro-survival signals; (2) The dual recognition moiety can be fused to effector-domains, such as bacterial toxins or other drugs, leading to the generation of bispecific antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs); (3) Dual-targeting agents can further be used to redirect an effector-cell to the tumor. A new generation of scFv-derived fusion proteins are the tandem single chain triplebodies (sctbs), which carry two scFv binding sites for antigens on the tumor cell plus a third, specific for a trigger molecule on an effector cell. The ability of preferential or selective targeting of antigen double-positive over single-positive cells opens attractive new perspectives for the use of dual-targeting agents in cancer therapy, and possibly also for the treatment of certain inflammatory and autoimmune disorders.
Antibodies have become an integral part of therapeutic protocols for several malignancies, including both hematologic diseases and solid tumors such as breast and colon cancers [1,2,3]. Monoclonal antibodies have clearly improved treatment outcome but, most often, they do not cure patients as single agents. Response rates remain unsatisfactory, and relapse still presents a serious problem. The limitations of unmodified immunoglobulins (Igs) as therapeutic agents are due in part to the fact that relevant antigens such as the EGF receptor (EGFR), epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), melanoma-associated chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (MCSP), prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA), diganglioside GD2 and others, which are attractive targets for the treatment of solid cancers, often have a broad tissue distribution and, therefore, may cause undesirable side effects when targeted by antibody-derived therapeutics [4,5,6,7,8,9].
To develop more specific and potent antibody-derived agents, a possible solution may arise from going beyond the format of intact Igs. To this effect, a number of recombinant antibody-derived formats have been developed including immunotoxins, radio-immunoconjugates, bispecific immunoglobulins, bispecific single-chain Fv antibody-derivatives, so-called bsscFvs, and tandem single chain triplebodies (sctbs) [10,11,12,13]. A recently approved bispecific full-length antibody is catumaxomab (Removab®), a hybrid Ig with one binding site each for EpCAM and CD3, which was approved for the treatment of malignant ascites . An example for the bsscFv format is blinatumomab, a recombinant fusion protein comprising scFvs specific for CD19 on malignant B-lymphoid cells and CD3 on effector T lymphocytes . This agent produced encouraging clinical responses against non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) [4,15]. Additional agents in the same so-called BiTE format (bispecific T-cell engaging agents) are under development . In face of the outstanding results a major disadvantage of the BiTE format is the short plasma retention time requiring an administration as a 4-week continuous infusion. Due to this application form, the therapy is associated with side effects for the majority of patients . BsscFvs have a relative molecular mass of only about 50–60 kDa, and such small proteins are rapidly cleared from the bloodstream by the kidneys [17,18]. Due to the missing Fc-portion, bsscFvs also lack the interaction domain for the neonatle Fc-receptor (FcRn), which is involved in the recirculation of IgGs . To overcome this problem, a number of improvements could be made. The size can be increased by modifications such as PEGylation or the addition of an extra scFv [20,21]. By addition of protein domains like the human serum albumin, the interaction with the FcRn can be enabled . All these modifications resulted in an improvement of the plasma retention time and body retention time in vivo . However, all of these agents are monospecific for the tumor cell and cannot discriminate between malignant and healthy cells carrying the same target antigen. To overcome this disadvantage, some investigators focused their work on recombinant agents with increased selectivity for the malignant cell. To achieve this goal the idea was to target a tumor-specific pair of antigens on the same cell. Ring and colleagues developed the first dual-targeting agent, a so called antigen fork (Figure 1A), by crosslinking two antibodies with different specificities for a pair of antigens on the same tumor cell . Several other strategies followed over the next years to achieve increased selectivity, all using a common principle: A combination of several antibody-derived binding sites for the simultaneous targeting of more than one different antigen on the surface of the same cancer cell (Figure 1; Table 1).
|Bispecific agents without intrinsic effector domain|
|HexAb||CD20/CD74||Lymphoma||Signaling||Immunomedics IBC Pharmaceuticals|||
|Two-in-one antibody||HER3/EGFR||Several carcinomas||Signal inhibition||Genentech|||
|Tetravalent bs-ab||EGFR/IGF-1R||Several carcinomas||Signal inhibition||Biogen Idec|||
|Bs-scFv||ErbB2/ErbB3||Breast cancer||Signal inhibition||Merrimack Pharmaceuticals|||
|Bispecific diabody||VEGFR2||Several carcinomas||Signal inhibition||-|||
|Bispecific diabody||VEGFR2/VEGFR3||Several carcinomas||Signal inhibition||ImClone Systems Incorporated|||
|Bispecific adnectin||EGFR/IGF-1R||Several carcinomas||Signal inhibition||Bristol-Myers Squibb/ Adnexus|||
|Bispecific CovX-Body (CVX241)||VEGF/Ang2||Epithelial Ovarian cancer or primary peritoneal cancer||Signal inhibition||Pfizer|||
|Bispecific scFv||PDGFRß/VEGF-A||Several carcinomas||Signal inhibition||-|||
|DVD-IgG||IL-1α/ IL-1β||Inflammatory diseases||Signal inhibition||Abbott|||
|Gold-nanoparticle||EGFR/FRα||ovarian cancer||Signal inhibition||-|||
|Ligand-directed toxin||EGFR/IL-4R||Pancreatic cancer||Toxic||-||[39,40]|
|Ligand-directed toxin||EGFR/IL-13R||Pancreatic cancer||Toxic||-|||
The table lists agents in advanced stages of preclinical and clinical development, about which information is available in the public domain. They can be divided into three groups: agents of the first group have no intrinsic effector domain and simply consist of a combination of two antigen-combining sites. Their function is mediated by binding antigens which induce intracellular signals or by inhibiting signals emerging from cell-surface receptor or its ligands. Agents of the second group recruit an effector cell to the tumor cell and induce antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), also called redirected lysis, and or antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP). The last mode of action is the delivery of a toxin, a drug or another death-inducing agent, such as a caspase, an siRNA, an RNAse or another pro-apoptotic agent, to drive the cancer cell to its demise (Figure 2).
2. Dual-Targeting Agents
2.1. Induction and Inhibition of Intracellular Signals by Dual-Targeting Agents
Mediated by the interaction of an antibody with a cell surface receptor or a ligand, the transduction of signals can be induced or blocked, leading to cellular growth arrest or apoptosis. Two examples of agents inducing such signals are first a F(ab’)2 (Figure 1B), designed for the treatment of B-ALL. This compound simultaneously binds CD20 and CD22 on the malignant cell and thereby mediates apoptosis . Secondly, Gupta et al. obtained enhanced cytotoxicity for biopsy material from patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and for cell lines derived from leukemias and lymphomas, by using a bispecific hexavalent antibody (HexAb; Figure 1C) targeting CD20 and CD74, compared to treatment with the parental monoclonal antibodies, used either alone or in combination . Anti-proliferative signaling through the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and ErbB2/HER2 members of the EGFR-family has been noted to occur in a variety of cancers. A bispecific scFv (bsscFv; Figure 1D) and a bispecific antibody (bsAb) simultaneously targeting ErbB2 and ErbB3 showed increased selectivity for binding to antigen double-positive over single-positive cells . In preclinical models the agents displayed antitumor activities depending on the degree of over-expression of ErbB2 . Vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF) and their receptor (VEGFR) play important roles in tumor-associated angiogenesis, tumor growth and metastasis. Two bispecific diabodies directed against the VEGFR have been reported. In one case, Lu et al. generated scFvs with specificity for VEGFR2. To construct their first diabody, these authors used two different scFv-binding domains with increased affinity and decreased dissociation rate relative to the parental scFvs . The resulting bispecific diabody directed against VEGFR2 and VEGFR3 neutralized VEGF-stimulated activation and inhibited VEGF-induced migration of endothelial cells .
Engineered domains of human fibronectin with the ability to serve as ligands for growth factor receptors (Adnectins™) were used by other authors to generate a bispecific Adnectin targeting EGFR and insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-IR). This agent inhibited the phosphorylation of EGFR and IGF-IR, induced receptor degradation, and therefore blocked downstream signaling and proliferation of various human cancer cell lines . However, this is not an example of an antibody-derived agent, but simply of a synthetic fusion peptide with dual specificity, binding two different critical receptors on a tumor cell and thereby inducing an antitumor effect.
Another team of investigators designed a stable IgG-like bsAb for dual-targeting of the EGF- and IGF-1 receptors. This bsAb, EI-04, was constructed with a stability-engineered scFv specific for IGF-1R, attached to the C-terminus of an EGFR-specific IgG. The format is therefore that of a bispecific, tetravalent scFv-IgG fusion protein (Figure 1E). EI-04 displayed favorable biophysical properties for biopharmaceutical development. In tumor cells, the agent effectively inhibited the phosphorylation of EGFR and IGF-1R, and blocked the activation of the downstream kinases AKT and ERK, resulting in greater inhibition of tumor cell growth and cell cycle progression than the degree achieved by the corresponding monoclonal antibodies, used either alone or in combination .
DT-IgGs are recombinant humanized dual-targeting immunoglobulins developed to simultaneously target, e.g., EGFR and VEGF. One DT-IgG was generated by introducing anti-VEGF and anti-EGFR domain antibodies onto the heavy and light chains, respectively, of an IgG1 constant region (Figure 1F). When studied in nude mice bearing human tumor xenografts, this prototype DT-IgG showed favorable pharmacodynamic properties and promising anti-tumor activity .
An astounding new format is “two-in-one” IgGs. The prototype of this format is an IgG molecule with sophisticated mutations in its variable region, that endow the same variable region with specific binding to both HER3 and the EGFR . This novel format therefore violates Jerne's fundamental principle positing that one antibody generated by a vertebrate immune system in vivo have only one specificity. Such “two-in-one” antibodies therefore are total artifacts, which would not normally arise in a healthy vertebrate immune system in vivo. The prototype was designed for the treatment of carcinomas and inhibited EGFR- and HER3-mediated signaling both in vitro and in vivo. It also inhibited the ability of the target cell to recruit immune effector functions. The “two-in-one” agent had broader efficacy in multiple tumor models than the corresponding monospecific antibodies .
CovX-Bodies are antibody-fusion proteins carrying artificial target binding ligands fused to their N-termini. For the prototype CovX-body CVX241 (Figure 1G) Doppalapudi and colleagues  used two chemically-linked peptide ligands specific for VEGF and Angiopoietin 2 (Ang2). One copy each of this pair of linked peptides was coupled to the N-terminus of a carrier antibody. This carrier, however, did not contribute to the antigen recognition function, but solely served as a scaffold to hold these targeting peptides in place in a suitable geometrical arrangement, and to recruit the classical effector functions of IgG Fc-domains. Due to simultaneous binding to VEGF and Ang2 the agent interfered with the function to these target factors and showed efficacy in a tumor xenograft model .
A promising approach for the treatment of solid tumors is to target angiogenesis, and the combination of two mAbs has the potential to increase the efficacy of an anti-angiogenic therapy. Therefore, scFvs directed against PDGFRβ and VEGF-A were fused to both termini of a human Fc-domain to generate a bispecific, tetravalent molecule (Figure 1H). This recombinant fusion protein indeed had dual-targeting capacity and displayed potent activity. It bound both antigens and was stable in serum .
For complex diseases, in which multiple mediators are involved, a simultaneous blockade of multiple targets may result in a better therapeutic effect than the inhibition of a single target. To study this concept, the company Abbott developed the dual variable domain immunoglobulin (or DVD-Ig) format, which allows the incorporation of the distinct specificities of two monoclonal antibodies into a single dual-specific IgG-like molecule . These agents carry two conventional antigen combining sites with different specificity arranged in tandem on each of the two arms of the IgG to generate a tetravalent overall affinity (Figure 1I). Signal transduction through the interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1R) mediates a strong pro-inflammatory response, which contributes to a number of human diseases. By blocking interleukins IL-1α and IL-1β with an anti-human IL-1α / β DVD-Ig molecule, the production of pro-inflammatory IL-8 was inhibited and favorable anti-inflammatory effects were achieved .
2.2. Retargeting Agents
The second group of dual-targeting agents recruits effector cells to the tumor cell and mediates ADCC and/or phagocytosis. Single-chain triplebodies carry three scFvs arranged in tandem in a single polypeptide chain (Figure 1J). A centrally placed binding domain for the Fc gamma receptor IIIa (CD16) is flanked in this format by scFvs with specificities for two different antigens on the same malignant cell. The first published dual-targeting sctb, sctb 123-ds16-33, consists of scFv binding modules for CD123 and CD33 on the tumor cell and CD16 on the effector cell. The prefix “ds” signifies a disulfide-stabilized scFv-component . This sctb was designed for preferential targeting of AML-leukemic stem cells (AML-LSC) over bulk AML cells and healthy hematopoietic stem cells, because AML-LSCs carry approximately 5- to 10-fold greater surface densities of CD123, the α-chain of the interleukin-3 receptor, than these other cell populations [45,46]. Sctbs in general represent an improvement over the corresponding bispecific scFvs, carrying only one binding site for the cancer cell and one for the trigger on the effector cell . In the sctb-format the scFvs specific for the tumor cell flank the scFv specific for a trigger-molecule expressed on the effector cell. Unique features of sctbs include an increased affinity/avidity for the tumor cell over the corresponding bispecific scFvs , a longer plasma retention time  and the ability for dual-targeting. Remarkably, the gain in binding-strength always resulted in a more-than-proportional gain in cytolytic activity, often by more than an order of magnitude. This observation was made for several different sctbs and invited the speculation, that triplebodies may either form particularly effective immunological synapses between the tumor- and effector cells, or trigger a particularly potent response by the effector cell, or mediate a combination of these effects. Immunofluorescence studies confirmed that all three scFvs carried in the sctb 123-ds16-33 were functional and able to bind their respective antigens. ADCC-experiments also confirmed the claim that both of the anti-tumor scFvs contributed to the cytotoxic effect. This result was achieved by separately blocking the binding of sctb 123-ds16-33 to an AML-derived cell line or to the effector cells with a molar excess of corresponding scFvs and a CD16-directed monoclonal antibody, respectively. Blocking led to a strong decrease of the cytotoxic effect confirming the specific interaction of all three binding moieties with their cognate targets and the need for all three of these interactions to achieve maximum cytotoxic effects (Figure 3).
In cytotoxicity experiments with primary AML cells, freshly obtained from leukemia patients, the sctb produced stronger lysis than the mono-targeting counterparts, sctb 123-ds16-123 and sctb 33-ds16-33, respectively. Although statistical significance has not yet been reached for the differences between the dual- and the mono-targeting agents, the results provide a first indication for a potential benefit of dual- over mono-targeting sctbs (Figure 4) . Current efforts are directed at testing the hypothesis, that the benefits may become more obvious for target cell populations enriched in CD34-positive AML-LSCs, because these cells carry greater surface densities of CD123.
Two additional sctbs have been produced and studied, which further illustrate unique functional capabilities offered by dual-targeting, the sctbs 33-ds16-ds19 and HLA-ds16-hu19. The prefix “hu” signifies a murine scFv humanized by CDR-grafting plus additional point mutagenesis . The first of these two sctbs, 33-ds16-ds19, was designed for the treatment of mixed lineage leukemias (MLL), also called bi-phenotypic leukemia. Blasts from patients with these disorders show a characteristic combination of phenotypic markers, usually found exclusively in a healthy hematopoietic system in either lymphoid or myeloid cells. Typical examples of mixed-lineage leukemias are high risk leukemias associated with characteristic chromosomal rearrangements of the MLL locus on human chromosome 11q23, such as the translocations t(4;11), t(9;11) or t(11;19). These leukemic blasts often show both lymphoid markers, including CD19 and CD22, and myeloid markers such as CD13, CD33 on the same cells. These combinations are not observed on healthy hematopoietic cells, which commit either to the lymphoid or the myeloid lineage, but as a rule do not show a mixed lineage phenotype [49,50]. Therefore the mixed lineage phenotype offered a unique opportunity to selectively target the tumor cells over healthy normal cells, provided an agent could be constructed, which preferentially targeted this combination. Indeed, both the distal tumor-antigen binding sites of sctb 33-ds16-ds19 were capable of binding their cognate antigens, and simultaneous occupation of all three binding sites was demonstrated in binding studies . In ADCC-experiments the sctb reached equal cytotoxicity for an antigen double-positive leukemic cell line at lower concentrations than mono-targeting agents directed against either CD33 or CD19 alone . Therefore, this sctb indeed was capable of employing both its distal binding sites for binding to one each of these antigens on the same tumor cell and thus in principle should be capable of preferential binding to antigen double-positive MLL cells over single-positive controls. For this particular sctb this key experiment however has not yet been performed.
Preferential binding to antigen double-positive cells has however been demonstrated for the triplebody HLA-ds16-hu19 in a model situation set up to show this effect as clearly as possible. In these experiments (HLA-DR- plus CD19-) double-positive SEM leukemic cells were mixed with increasing numbers of HLA-DR single-positive HUT-78 leukemic cells, and the mixtures were incubated with the sctb in sub-saturating amounts. Binding was monitored by cytofluorometry using a red fluorescent-labeled second antibody specifically reacting with the sctb. When both cell types were mixed in a 1:1 ratio, and the sctb administered in suitably titrated sub-saturating amounts, then almost all of the double-positive cells, but only a little more than half of the single-positive cells, were decorated with the sctb (Figure 5A,B). Even when the single-positive cells were present in a 10- and 20-fold numerical excess over the double-positive cells, the sctb reacted preferentially with the double-positive cells (Figure 5C,D).
This demonstration was extended to show not only preferential binding to double-positive cells, but also preferential elimination of double-positive cells by NK-cell containing effector populations in cytotoxicity tests. In a redirected lysis (ADCC) assay equal numbers of the same single- and double-positive target cells as above were employed. In this experiment one cell-population was labeled with 51Cr, the other remained unlabeled, and both reciprocal constellations were studied. In this setting, approximately 2/3 of the double-positive cells were eliminated but only about 1/3 of the single-positives, when the effector cells (MNC fraction containing NK cells as the relevant population) were added in a 40:1 ratio over the target cells . The precise extent of lysis of the two target subpopulations depended on the effector-to-target cell ratio (E:T), the concentration of the sctb, and the activation status of the effector cells. Under the most favorable conditions, when interleukin-2 stimulated enriched NK-cell fractions were used as effectors, up to 80% of the double-positive cells were eliminated but only 20% of the single positives .
These data represent a favorable situation set up to demonstrate the effect with maximum clarity, because these target cell lines were carefully chosen to carry the two target antigens in closely similar surface densities. In a clinical situation this is often not the case, and one antigen can be present at ten-fold greater density on the same cell than the other. This is often the case for primary AML cells and AML-derived cell lines for the antigens CD123 and CD33. Therefore, for the clinically attractive sctb 123-ds16-33, preferential elimination of double-positive target cells has not yet been demonstrated with similar clarity. The attempts were hampered so far by the fact, that on most primary isolates of AML cells freshly drawn from patients and on most of the commonly used AML-derived stable cell lines, CD33 is present in far greater surface density than CD123. Current efforts are directed at finding a pair of target cell lines permitting the analogous experiments, and preliminary data suggests that the CD33 single-positive pro-myelocytic line U937 and the double-positive line MOLM-13 may be suited for the purpose. Therefore, the number of cases in which preferential elimination of antigen double-positive cells by dual-targeting sctbs can clearly be demonstrated will likely increase in the future.
The unique features of sctbs, such as the capability for dual-targeting, modular design, ability to mediate potent ADCC, useful plasma retention times, good stability and simple production and purification-processes using industry standard methods, make them very promising tools for the therapy of different malignancies as well as certain inflammatory- and autoimmune-disorders.
A dual-targeting F(ab’)3 antibody conjugate (TAC; Figure 1K) with specificities for the Fc gamma receptor I (CD64), EGFR and the HER2/neu antigen has been developed to redirect cytotoxicity of CD64-bearing effector cells such as macrophages and cytokine-stimulated neutrophilic granulocytes towards cancer cells expressing these tumor-antigens. The TAC interacted more efficiently with the combination of these antigens in cell-binding assays and mediated stronger cytolysis of tumor cells expressing both EGFR and HER2/neu than the corresponding bispecific conjugates directed against only one of these two targets, respectively .
2.3. Dual-Targeting Ligand-Directed-Toxins and Antibody-Drug Conjugates
The last group of dual-targeting agents presented here comprises toxins fused to antibody-fragments or natural receptor ligands. So far, two different toxin-fragments were used for the generation of dual-targeting agents, the truncated version of Pseudomonas Exotoxin A (ETA’), and a large N-terminal fragment of Diphtheria toxin, DT390. Oh and co-workers developed two ligand-directed toxins for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Both molecules targeted the EGFR and one interleukin receptor (IL-R), either the IL-4R or the IL-13R, respectively, and carried an Exotoxin A fragment as the effector. After binding and internalization, Pseudomonas Exotoxin A modifies the translation elongation factor EF2, leading to the inhibition of translation and apoptosis. In xenograft models the ligand-directed toxins were effective against transplanted pancreatic cancer cells and selectively prevented the formation of metastases [39,40,52]. As an example for use of the second toxin, a bispecific immunotoxin called DT2219ARL, consisting of two scFvs recognizing CD19 and CD22 and the catalytic DT390 fragment as the death effector, showed strong in vivo anti-leukemic activity in a xenograft murine model. Treatment of transplanted mice with this agent resulted in long-term tumor-free survival, measured in a bioluminescent xenograft imaging model, in which the propagation of Raji Burkitt’s lymphoma cells was tracked in real time .
The ultimate goal of cancer therapy can be defined as the search for a treatment, which combines a maximal toxic effect to the tumor with a minimum of therapy-related side effects. Therefore different strategies were pursued, e.g., chemotherapy combined with an antibody-based therapy. The concept of dual targeting is a major deviation from the mono-specific targeting of antibodies in current use for cancer therapy, and it may provide a qualitatively new means to selectively or preferentially target cancer cells. Presented here is a diverse set of recombinant antibody-formats, modified antibodies and ligand-directed toxins, which all share the unique feature of dual-targeting. These new agents will provide a new era of targeted-therapy on the basis of selectivity and specificity resulting in a better drug tolerability and safety thereby preserving and/or improving the cancer patient’s quality of life, and in increasing long-lasting response rates with the potential of curing the cancer patient from his/her life-threatening disease.
The authors thank Domenica Saul, Stefanie Nowecki and Barbara Bock for technical assistance, Andreas Mackensen, Bernhard Stockmeyer and Fuat Oduncu for providing primary cells from AML patients and valuable clinical information, and Donata Wehr and Brigitte Woelfel for administrative assistance and Todd Braciak for constructive comments on the manuscript. This research was supported by grants from the DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgesellschaft) to G.H.F. (SFB 643 project 6) and A.M. (SFB 643 project 8), a research grant No. 2007.049. from the Wilhelm Sander Foundation, Neustadt, Germany to G.H.F and B.S., and support from the Stiftung Deutsche Krebshilfe (project No. 08 42) as well as the Association ‘Kaminkehrer helfen krebskranken Kindern’ (Chimney Sweeps support children with cancer) to G.H.F. Reprint of Figure 3 and Figure 4 kindly permitted by British Journal of Haematology (Wiley-Blackwell), reprint of Figure 5 permitted by mAbs (Landes Bioscience), respectively.
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domain: literature


ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Air Canada flight attendant Hajar Pittman has travelled from Europe to the Middle East, savouring all the moments of her jet-setting career, including experiencing native cuisines and cultures.
Being a flight attendant, she says, was “her life." She even met her husband - a passenger on one of her routes - through her work, which led her to relocate from Ontario to St. John’s, NL, where she now lives with her husband and two kids.
But a decade into her career, as the COVID-19 pandemic pummelled the world, Pittman found everything up in the air as the travel industry came to a screeching halt.
“I had been in the company since 2010, serving on international flights because I speak Arabic and French. And I worked half the month and then spent the rest at home with my family in St. John’s,” she explains.
“Then what felt like overnight, we watched as flights got cancelled, and the next thing all cabin staff became grounded with the lockdowns of COVID-19.”
According to Statistics Canada, Air Canada, the primary airline carrier for the country, lost nearly $4 billion in 2020.
“We were given a wage subsidy for about two months, and after that, we were all laid off indefinitely. We didn’t know when we would go back to work and if we would go back,” says Pittman, who worried about losing her home among other growing financial stresses.
“I had a pension plan, and other perks that came with the job, and all that vanished. So, I thought, ‘OK, now what do I do?’ My whole life, this was my career. I had started as a flight attendant aged 19, and I envisioned taking my family with me around the world.”
With all the time spent at home, the uncertainty became a blessing.
During her travels, she had tasted the native figs of the Middle East and the fine cheeses in France. And from these experiences, she developed a hobby and passion that would spark an unexpected business.
“I used to make charcuterie boards when I would host people. It was like reliving my experiences in Europe because they have varieties of charcuterie boards full of meat, fruit, cheeses, and they are often paired with wine,” says Pittman, who decided to nurture this creative outlet with her two sisters.
Like Pittman, Kay Naji frequently travelled to Europe as a flight attendant and had a passion for cheese and charcuterie. But unfortunately, she, too, had lost her career during the pandemic. And their youngest sister Eve Naji – who found her tuition capped – was ready for a new adventure.
It did not take much for Pittman to convince her two sisters to join her in St. John’s.
“It started with a conversation about creating a charcuterie business, and then it snowballed,” says Pittman, the oldest sister.
“Kay took care of all the social media pages and posts. She’s excellent at it. And Eve became the store manager. So many people started messaging and placing orders for the charcuterie boards. It was incredible.”
The business, Figs and Fromage Inc., born in the depths of the pandemic, has taken off.
“It was very overwhelming at first because I had never owned a business. No one in my family has owned a business. So, I was learning everything from scratch. But then, we got in touch with the CBDC (Community Business Development Corporation),” she explains.
The CBDC assists small businesses by providing financial and technical services to entrepreneurs.
“CBDC helped us with the business plan. It took a while to get all of that in order, secure funding, and find a suitable unit that was the right size and location. But I got the lease in April 2021, and we began renovations and the store opened in June.”
The same month the store opened, Pittman says Air Canada asked her to return.
“Travel, as cabin crew, was our way of life. We would visit four or five different countries in a month, which was normal. We could be in Paris one morning and Dubai the following evening. I loved being a flight attendant and for that to vanish was extremely hard,” she reflects.
“So, when I began this business, it was never my intention for it to be long-term. Instead, something to help get us through until the next month. But after the first Christmas and seeing how successful and rewarding Figs and Fromage became, I began to think differently.”
Pittman, for the first time, feels truly grounded.
“I am at home with my kids, and people in the community are so supportive and encouraging. It’s a new chapter, and everything happens for a reason. Something good came out of the pandemic, and I think it was just meant to be,” she says.
“I am home with the kids all the time and loving it. But it took something like this that was out of my control for me to realize what truly mattered – family.”
The sisters sell candy, chocolates, jams, honey, fresh local fruit and vegetables, and charcuterie boards. And they recently obtained a liquor license to sell wine.
“I know that a lot of people lost their homes, lost their jobs, and we are starting to see the consequences as we come out of the pandemic," Pittman says.
"I remember when COVID-19 hit, and I kept telling my husband, ‘I don’t want to lose our home.’ So, I’m happy that we could make it through and the best out of a bad situation. I feel so lucky and thankful.”


Saturday, August 3, 2013
The Groundwater Flow Component in SWMM5
Subject: The Groundwater flow in SWMM 5 Groundwater
The Groundwater flow in SWMM 5 is actually made up of three components:
1. A groundwater flow computed from the coefficient a1 and exponent b1
2. A groundwater flow computed from the coefficient a2 and exponent b2 and
3. A Surface Water / Groundwater Interaction coefficient a3
The total Groundwater flow is the sum of the flow from 1, 2 and 3 – normally 2 is the opposite of 1.
GIS Gateway – Create Shapefile T he Create Shapefile tool available from the GIS Gateway , allows you to create a new ESRI® Shapefile dir...
Comment: A really nice water analogy for the field properties Divergence, Curl and Gradient from the Blog Starts With a Bang ....it&...
Engine Error Number Description ERROR 101: memory allocation error. ...
Soffit Level ( pipe technology ) The top point of the inside open section of a pipe or box conduit. The soffit is the ...


text:
Brady posted to Instagram on Wednesday morning with a long message that pretty much confirmed he will not retire in 2020. Many of his Patriots teammates replied to the post with some sort of motivational or other positive message.
The most heartfelt response came from Watson. Here's what the 38-year-old tight end wrote to Brady:
"No bro. We all need to be thanking you! Your leadership is an inspiration, your example exemplary, and your fire is contagious. Generations of players have been blessed to take the field and share the locker room with you. You made everyone better and made us appreciate this game all the more. You taught us the importance of TEAM and that winning is not by chance. It’s by choice, in every drill when the lights and cameras are no where to be seen. And even though your stardom is unmatched you still take time hug our kids, wives and parents, sign all the stuff people send you and have normal conversations lol. Kindness lasts forever. Play as long as you desire to. This decade needs some TB records as well. Fan for life #LFG"
New England Patriots tight end Benjamin Watson hasn't officially announced his retirement, but he hinted that it's a possibility after the defending Super Bowl champs suffered a season-ending loss to the Tennessee Titans on Saturday night.
Watson posted an emotional Instagram on Monday that touched on quite a few subjects. In a lengthy caption, the 38-year-old veteran expressed his disappointment in how the season ended, wished the remaining playoff teams good luck, and noted how thankful he was for the opportunity, among other things.
There's a great amount of mutual respect between Brady and Watson, who have spent a total of seven seasons as teammates.
When the veteran tight end was released by the Patriots in October, Brady said it was "tough" hearing that news and called Watson a "great player" and a man of the "highest integrity." Watson was very appreciative of the remarks and told WEEI at the time, "I love that guy," in reference to Brady.
After what very well could have been the last game of both of their careers, Ben Watson and Matthew Slater had an emotional moment.
The two New England Patriots veterans shared a long hug in what may turn out to be their final moments on an NFL field.
An emotional moment for Matthew Slater and Ben Watson as Watson may be walking off an NFL field for the last time. Two of the classiest players to ever don a Patriots uniform pic.twitter.com/o6N9g4lcfC
Watson hinted at retirement immediately after the Patriots' loss to the Tennessee Titans stating he "definitely won't be back here next year, probably, and probably won't be playing at all." The 39-year-old tight end announced his retirement in December 2018 after a stint with the New Orleans Saints, only to return to the Patriots in 2019 on a one-year deal.
Slater, 34, wouldn't commit to playing a 13th NFL season after Saturday night's game. I’m going to make sure I’m doing what God wants me to do," he said. "Hopefully that’s to keep playing, but we’ll see how it goes."
The All-Pro special teamer is set to become an unrestricted free agent.
Both players have made a tremendous impact on the Patriots organization not only for their play on the field, but also for their class and leadership off of it. Whatever decision they make, their legacy in Foxboro will not be forgotten.


By Jim Dondero | June 12, 2015
- Last week the US dollar continued to range trade with the Euro likely setting up its own range over the intermediate term. The Yen broke down for the week, failing at resistance. Commodities remained in downtrends and are still suggesting the possibility of deflation for the longer term. The exception being oil, which likely has a bottom in place and appears to be holding.
- Rising interest rates continue to be a possible problem for stocks, and it is still unclear whether rates will trend higher from here or fall into a trading range. The key canary may well be the 5-year US Treasury, which is now at resistance. The 30-year and 10-year US Treasuries found resistance at previous levels as high yield exhibited signs of weakness, failing at resistance.
- US equities once again remained ‘mixed.’ Leadership was relatively weak regarding the NYSE, which showed a negative number of net new highs; however, the 50-day moving average was held by both the NASDAQ and S&P 500. Five of the nine S&P sectors were up for the week with four finishing lower. Financials continue to lead along with technology, discretionary and health care.
- China could be exhibiting a long-term breakout overseas as India struggled to hold at resistance. The DAX held at 50% retracement and we believe that the DAX, HEDJ and Nikkei may still present opportunities on the pullbacks.